Day: 24 March 2014
Cornerhouse Pick of the Week: Under The Skin
It’s become something of a misnomer to say that a film won’t appeal to everyone. Film by its nature is subjective, and the notion that a piece of art could universally please everyone’s taste is an absurd one. Yet some films will divide opinion more than others. Under The Skin is a film which you can’t not feel strongly about.
Scarlett Johansson is an alien, Laura, recently arrived on Earth, who preys on eager men for reasons which are never made explicitly clear. She drives around the streets of Glasgow (talk about throwing yourself in at the deep end) absorbing the new world around her as she gradually discovers human nature. Her encounters with her would-be victims, in the front seat of her white van, feature some of the film’s only dialogue, and are made all the more striking when you consider that none of the men were actors, and weren’t aware they were being secretly filmed, with director Jonathan Glazer hidden in the back of the van.
This sort of detail adds further mystery to an enigmatic director. Since his debut fourteen years ago with Sexy Beast, Glazer has only made one other film (the underrated Birth). The scarcity of his cinematic output adds weight to those who have compared him to Stanley Kubrick – a comparison which I wouldn’t disagree with, as Glazer shares the same potent mix of experimentalism and perfectionism. From a shopping mall, to the wild Scottish landscape, Glazer frames each shot with an arresting visual flare. We view the world as our extra-terrestrial protagonist does: every aspect of mundane human life seems shockingly alien. Johansson’s wide-eyed curiosity at her new surrounding disguise her deadly intentions, yet she is still capable of tenderness. In one scene, she picks up a hooded man who reveals himself to be horrifically disfigured. She tells him he has soft hands and encourages him to touch her – a rare display of intimacy which is as foreign to the man as it is to her.
The naturalism of these exchanges in her van are jarred with mind-bending sequences in which her victims enter her decrepit house, with the promise of sex, before being engulfed by a black goo which sheds them of their skin. These scenes aren’t gory but are genuinely horrifying, and inject a sense of menace which runs throughout the film.
The abstract nature of the skin-farming scenes, coupled with the sparse dialogue will certainly fuel those who argue the film is pretentious and lacks emotion. On the contrary, Under The Skin is a study of the human condition, beautifully shot and superbly handled by Glazer and Johansson. The latter’s presence making this a masterpiece you might actually see.
Preview: X Men: Days of Future Past
Following the release of October’s genuinely moving teaser trailer, the anticipation for what could be a game-changing instalment of this generation’s X-Men films has increased significantly. It would be no disservice to suggest that X-Men has been a frustrating franchise of near misses. But there is a real sense of expectation that we are about to experience the full creative vision of Bryan Singer as it collides with a big budget behemoth, with potentially spectacular result. The success of this film could ultimately decide what sort of future the X-Men has on our big screens.
X-Men First Class reinvigorated the belief of fans and critics the world over. The fresh faces of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Professor Xavier and Magnito respectively gave the franchise a new sense of direction – Alongside young talent like Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence, X-Men started to feel ‘cool’ again in the same way Christian Bale and Heath Ledger reenergised Batman as a big screen sensation. The strange paradox for X-Men however was that the other films were not bad. There was no awkward George Clooney in a cut-price latex costume – they just didn’t stand out from the crowd like other super-hero franchises had started to do by the mid noughties. You won’t hear many argue against casting the likes of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman in a comic-book film! Despite this, the franchise felt tired – it needed a new sense of intent.
Enter X-Men: Days of Future Past – Where it only seems fitting Wolverine will be sent into the past to save the fate of both humans and mutants. Singer has proven his pedigree for harnessing what is most proficient about fantasy films – with his eclectic mix of rich personal narratives and ability to offer a fantasy-driven story firmly grounded in contemporary realities (think social division or Congressional witch-hunts), a Singer film will guarantee emotion and originality – attributes that are almost expected in the wake of the kind of success enjoyed by its peers.
Days of Future Past certainly has an ace up its sleeve with its eye catching cast, brought about by the clash of new and old. This particular story arc is almost perfect for the franchise right now. Fans and critics called for more, and by combining the good aspects of the earlier X-Men films (i.e. the leading actors) with the new visual and contextual direction taken in First Class – throw in the new actors as well and it becomes a case of hoping more is better.
Recent production news suggests Halle Berry may have had her part cut down to as little as one line in the film – but wild speculation about Storm defences aside, there are high hopes for this summer’s X-Men extravaganza, and rightfully so.
Top 5: Tarantino characters who should have been played by a different actor
5. Denzel Washington as Ordell Robbie (Jackie Brown)
Samuel L. Jackson is fantastic as a psychotic arms dealer in this movie, but we know from movies like Training Day that Denzel plays villains rather well – I would love to have seen him take on this role. Though for the record, no one, but no one, could replace Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
4. Tom Hiddleston as Lt Archie Hicox (Inglourious Basterds)
Michael Fassbender did a good job playing the ill-fated British officer in Tarantino’s WWII “Western,” but Tom Hiddleston is a far better match for a stereotypical English gentleman. It would also have been great to see Fassbender in the role of Major Hellstrom – the bar scene would have reached new levels of brilliance.
3. Jack Nicholson as Calvin Candie (Django Unchained)
In the original screenplay for Django Unchained, the character of Calvin Candie was a much older man than he ended up being in the film. When I read it, all I could imagine was a Deep South version of Nicholson’s villainous turn in The Departed. Now how awesome would that have been? (Sorry Leo).
2. Steve Buscemi as Jimmie (Pulp Fiction)
It’s a cliché to point out that Tarantino can’t act (quite frankly it’s a cliché to say it’s a cliché), so I shall not dwell on that point. What I will say is that this kind of whiney, perpetually complaining character is perfect for Buscemi – think about Reservoir Dogs.
1. Matthew McConaughey as Lt Aldo Raine (Inglourious Basterds)
Surely I can’t be the only one to have thought of this? As great as Brad Pitt was in the role, just imagine how epic Aldo Raine’s opening speech would be if it were delivered by Mr Southern Charm himself.
TV Catch Up- Louie
Honesty, Control, & Explosive Diarrhoea Why you should be watching FX’s Louie, and why everything matters, from truth to poop. Louie stands with his back to the desk. In the oak paneled office of the New York townhouse his appearance is incongruous. Like a giant, tubby, ginger bird. He is visibly perspiring. Behind him cool, as ever, Jack Dall (David Lynch) demands one final time: “Make me laugh on the count of three.” We watch with tortured fascination as Louie’s face performs emotional gymnastics while he gropes for a joke. Any joke. What follows is perhaps simultaneously the most heartbreaking, hilarious, and generally moving 30 seconds of television that exists. For half a minute, Louis CK straps your emotions to a rack and just fucking goes to town. This is the sort of standard for television we have become accustomed to over the past four or so years with ‘Louie’. He is a man who appears constantly on the verge of breaking down. Everything in his world is slightly beyond his control and understanding – the people who surround him baffle him, his relationships invariably stall in cringe worthy fashion, and kids diarrhea in his bathtub. But, he’s not just a blithering idiot because, equally, Louie is a domain over which its titular character exerts so much control. The surreal encounters all seem part of a bizarre world that exists purely within the confines of Louie’s skull.
I was recently talking with a friend who mused that the reason Louis CK’s stand up was so funny was because of its unflinching honesty. There’s definitely something to that – It’s a theme that is inherent to his TV show – shrugging and humphing his way through scenarios that are, let’s be honest, fucking bananaballs, he tackles everything with an ubiquitous air of “I guess this happening now.” Whether it’s something as absurd as watching someone else’s kid shove fistfuls of raw mince into his gob; or as profound as the woman he loves leaving abruptly and forever, you get the sense that none of it is intended to be trivial. What unites the two scenarios is that in both Louie can just vacantly shrug – Sometimes kids do come along and shit all over your bathroom. Which is ok, because these are just things that happen. Except, sometimes, they are not. Sometimes Louis lets us glimpse something more visceral. The form that took at the climax of Season 3 was a chubby middle-aged dude in an oak paneled office, tearfully attempting to keep his life together while an impatient audience asks for the last time “make me laugh.” There is no smoke, there are no mirrors, and there is to be no deus ex. There is only Louie. I guess there is some form of honesty there. That is why ‘Louie’ is so good. No- that is why Louie is so important.
Video Nasties
In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was mired in a didactic debate that postponed its planned release. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) couldn’t decide what the public should and should not be allowed to see. In fact, they couldn’t even be sure of what they had seen themselves; half the censors claimed there was nudity while the other half disagreed, and no one could come to a consensus on what to do about the stabbings. Psycho was eventually discharged, but the heavily abridged shower scene left Sir Hitchcock in dismay.
Classification controversy has been around as long as cinema itself, and reached it’s crux in the mid- 1980s when The Daily Mail alerted the government to a wave of foreign films that were “raping our children’s minds”. These so called ‘Video Nasties’ varied in their degree of violence – some were mistakenly thought to be ‘snuff’ films, in which humans are actually killed – but basically anything with blood and/or nudity ended up banned by the BBFC through the hastily whipped together Video Recordings Act 1984. To give an idea of the extent of this celluloid clampdown, my cousin actually had to buy the fetchingly named Cannibal Holocaust from a ‘video dealer’ in an alleyway. Bans on ‘video nasties’ have since been lifted, and the enduring popularity of today’s ‘torture-porn’ genre (Hostel, Saw and *shudder* A Serbian Film), as well as recent video nastie remakes (I Spit on Your Grave, The Last House On the Left, and The Green Inferno) suggests that the nation is over the ‘schlock’.
A more recent BBFC befuddlement was the 12/12A debacle. In 2002, myself and a friend were denied admittance to Sam Raimi’s Spiderman. Later that year, it was bestowed with the brand new 12A rating (the second film ever) and – having ensnared an adult guardian – we got in. While eight-year-olds everywhere web-t for joy, older audiences criticised 12A as an arbitrary classification. For the major studios, it was quite the opposite; they foresaw propitious times ahead, and they couldn’t have millions of kids refused entry and thus placed out of reach from the all-powerful merch-machine (Hulk Hands, anyone?) 12A was a compromise that let the likes of Marvel and DC milk the concessions cow for all it was worth, and the BBFC lets them know exactly what they can get away with. F-bombs are a no-no, but gratuitous levels of ‘impressionistic’ violence are just fine. The worst case recently was The Dark Knight (2008), which received a 12A rating that meant parents could (and did) bring their toddler along to the multiplex to slurp at a long-empty Fruit Shoot while Heath Ledger carved Chelsea smiles into people. BBFC… what a bunch of Jokers.
Classification controversy isn’t just limited to the UK, though. Thanks to an effusive st-st-st-ring of ‘f’ words, The King’s Speech was branded R in the US, putting off the tenderly elderly and barring under 17s. Things are worse in India. Last year’s Blue Jasmine was almost tainted by mid-scene anti-smoking ads from their Ministry of Health until an ashen faced Woody Allen pulled it from cinemas nationwide. Whether you think that BBFC’s gradual softening to cinema’s hard-core elements is progressive or damaging, we at least don’t have to put up with public health intrusions mid-film.
The BBFC censors like to say that they reflect the moral standpoint of the public – what this says about our society today is open to interpretation, but we’ve at least come to the conclusion that watching Child’s Play won’t make you a murderer. In this age of Tor, 4Chan and sugary breakfast cereals, you can’t prevent young people from seeing anything anyway. As Stanley Kubrick said before begrudgingly withdrawing A Clockwork Orange due to death threats, ‘people cannot be made to do things which are at odds with their nature’.
Contrary Corner: animated gems you missed
I have expressed this before and I’m sure to express it again, I love animated films. They’re brilliant. But at the risk of sounding like an anti-mainstream, hipster arse, I have to say that the real gems aren’t the obvious Cinderella, Snow White, Aladdin or Lion King. Granted, these films are popular for a reason, but they can be too ‘same-y’ and I have always felt that there are less mainstream animations that are cut of a much better quality cloth; you could say I’m biased because I really enjoy these films, but there’s a reason I choose to watch them over and over, they’re bloody good!
Two films I particularly enjoy are Treasure Planet and Atlantis. If any animated film has a much more exciting adventure in it, I would much like to see it! I remember watching both of these films when I was in my early teens, and I have to say, I have seen them both numerous times since. For Treasure Planet I love the way that Disney has been able to take a classic novel, Treasure Island (go figure), and give it a bit of a futuristic spin, but not too much. I think the result is pretty fantastic and the ending, although a bit corny, is still pretty great.
Atlantis is definitely something else as well. Taking some of the most popular Atlantean myths and then weaving them into a story, which can be pretty stark for a children’s animation especially during the depiction of a “Great Cataclysm”, just seems to exude brilliance to me. With the voice acting of Michael J. Fox, Leonard Nimoy and even Jim Varney, I can’t help but feel a little sentimental about this film.
That’s only two films I hear you say, well there’s more! Lilo and Stitch 1 and 2 are both great productions, which I feel get overlooked quite often. They are great little films, with some good jokes, some great action, and I defy you not to fall in love with Stitch’s mischievous antics.
Other films like Meet the Robinsons, Monsters vs. Aliens, and a cool little gem I found in the 20th Century Fox cannon from 2000, Titan A.E, deviate from the cheesy romance of your typical Disney films and offer a more intelligent narrative to the audience. Titan A.E is definitely a film worth watching, it’s more cynical than your typical animation and is a pioneer in the creation of more serious animation. Warner Brothers has adopted the same style in the creation of multitudes of comic book heroes who just couldn’t get the budget for a live action feature film; and FYI the Superman vs. Batman is already in cartoon form!
These films and many alike are simply fantastic, and I would certainly choose to re-watch them over Disney’s ‘cheese’ collection; they deserve more of a chance. The frustrating thing is that all of these films are very easily overlooked in lieu of the glossier ‘Disney Classics’, and so I don’t just want to express my contrary opinion, I IMPLORE you to give these films a chance!
Bikini Body: Shape Bible
Body type: Luscious apples and sexy hourglasses
Celebrity Body Double: Christina Hendricks
- High-waisted bottoms are great if you’re self-conscious about your tummy plus they highlight your waist creating an hourglass silhouette.
- Underwired, balconette tops with wide straps or a halter neck provide support for fuller busts. Feel free to go strapless if you’re feeling confident but good support is a must for big boobs.
- “Skirtini” bottoms feature a small ruffle around the bottom and are a good choice for those of you who are self-conscious about your bum.
- Choose block colours or small prints which won’t distort your figure. A busy print can also have a minimising effect
Pink lips print bustier bikini top, £16 and bottoms, £12, River Island (riverisland.com)
Do: Wear a bandeau top to show off your shoulders and opt for high-cut bottoms to lengthen legs but…
Don’t: Wear a tiny triangle, string bikini unless you’re a total exhibitionist and you want to fly out and flash everyone.
Body Type: Sexy Slim
Celebrity Body Double: Kiera Knightly
- Luckily you can wear most styles of bikini top; triangle, bra top, halter neck and ring bikini tops.
- Ruffles, ruching, horizontal stripes and tie details soften an angular figure whist creating the illusion of a fuller bust.
- Boy shorts give the impression of curvier hips
- A plunging halter neck adds width to a small bust whilst the low neckline creates a focal point, enhancing your bust. A central detail, such as a ring or bow, has a similar effect.
Red Bow Eyelet Stripe Bikini Top, £16.99 and bottoms, £10.99, Kelly Brook for New Look (newlook.com)
Do: Be afraid to experiment with attention grabbing colours and styles; you’re amazing figure can carry it off
Don’t: Wear a straight bandeau top with no support. These will make small chests appear smaller and a boyish figure will appear flatter.
Body Type: Juicy Pear
Celebrity Body Double: Kelly Clarkson
- Balance your figure by accentuating your boobs; wear a bikini top with padding and take a look at some of the bust-enhancing tips for Sexy Slim.
- However, whilst eye-catching pattern will draw the eye upwards, it’s best for pears to avoid any ruching, draping, pleating or large frills.
- Try bikini bottoms with a side tie or a fold-over top and draw-strings. Waist detailing draws attention away from your hips and bottom and an adjustable style allows for the perfect fit.
- High cut bottoms will lengthen legs and slim thighs.
Peonie Floral V Trim Bandeau Bikini Top, £16 and Tie-Side Bikini Pants, £10, Topshop (topshop.com)
Do: Slim your bottom with dark bikini bottoms and accentuate your bust with a lighter top.
Don’t: Wear boy shorts as these will make you look shorter and wider.
Angry Birds publisher backs Manchester students’ new ‘hype’ app
Two students from Manchester have received backing for a new app from the publisher of Angry Birds.
Alex Blundell, a computer science student at the University of St Andrews, and James Gordon, have received the backing from the co-founders of Chillingo for their new app, called Delv, which its website claims has been developed ‘by students for students’.
The app, which was launched in Manchester last week, is designed to let students know about the best places to be on a night out by gathering “live data from various sources before and throughout the night to determine the most ‘hyped’ events”.
According to Blundell the app also gives students who use the app exclusive deals to many events:
“Delv is completely free for students to download and use, and we even offer money-saving deals for events – from discounted entry to free drinks
“Students love anything that’ll save them money! At the same time, we think they’ll love the ability to see where the most popular event is, in real time, as the night progresses.”
Speaking to the Mancunion, Blundell said there was a gap in the market that Delv could fill: “There’s a few apps on the App Store that we’ve noticed are essentially ‘lists’ of venues/events, and require you to ‘check in’. When using these apps, there was no activity at all, and we feel that’s because students don’t feel they’ll get any benefit out of checking in. Finding out the hype of every event ourselves, whilst giving students some great deals at their favourite venues, is a win-win situation.”
After receiving backing, Gordon and Blundell set up a limited company with Chris Byatte and Joe Wee. the co-founders of the games publisher Chillingo.
Chillingo, which has published Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, is now a division of Electronic Arts (EA), which purchased it for $20 million in 2010.
Blundell told the Mancunion that the app, which is currently only available in Manchester, will soon be expanded to other areas of the country:
“Over the next few months, we’ll be developing the Android version of the app, as well as moving into various different cities. We hope to continue this expansion throughout all major UK cities by the end of the year.”
Academics predict ‘voteless recovery’ for the Tories
Academics predicted a ‘voteless recovery’ for the Conservatives on the popular University of Manchester politics blog Policy@Manchester, in the wake of George Osborne’s budget last week.
The study, undertaken by Dr Robert Ford from The University of Manchester, Dr Will Jennings University of Southampton, and Dr Mark Pickup, from Simon Fraser University in Canada, argues that although the UK economy is showing real signs of recovery, this is not filtering into public opinion of the government.
“Most economists are agreed that Britain is heading towards a robust recovery: GDP is steadily growing, unemployment falling; business and consumers are growing in confidence”, Dr Ford, a lecturer in the University of Manchester politics department, said. “So today’s Budget statement will be surely be the sunniest in George Osborne’s Treasury career.
“But the enduring problem for the Tories is they have seen little evidence the improving economic climate is helping the Government’s political fortunes.
“As the months pass, they see no meaningful movement in the polls. Instead, the evidence points to a voteless recovery in 2015. Going on current figures, British voters are unlikely to give the Government any electoral reward for its “tough decisions” heralded by the Tories and Liberal Democrats over the past few years.”
The problem for the Coalition government in the run up to the general election next year will be convincing the electorate that recovery is well and truly underway, “voters have noticed the improved economic climate, though they have yet to give the government any credit for it”, says the study.
Dr Ford believes that as the months to the next general election count down, it will become harder and harder for the Conservatives to narrow the five per cent gap in the polls that exist between them and the Labour party.
The report concludes, “There is still time for the parties, and their leaders, to change their electoral fates, but it is starting to run out.”
Manchester Central Library re-opens
Manchester Central Library reopened on Saturday almost four years after closing for renovation work.
The facility underwent extensive refurbishment costing £48m in a bid to restore its ageing original features whilst installing modern technology throughout the building.
The library’s ground floor, which at one stage was not even open to the public, now contains interactive displays, and the building’s famous Reading Room and dome have both been restored.
Users of the library will now be able to view many of the city’s most treasured works, some dating back to the 13th century.
The Grade II* listed building has been one of the most iconic features in the city’s skyline ever since it originally opened in 1934. Designed by the renowned architect E. Vincent Harris, its rotunda domed structure bears some resemblance to the famed Pantheon in Rome.
Notable users of the library include novelist Anthony Burgess and Morrissey, who allegedly made use of the building to study for his A-Levels.
It was announced earlier this month that the newly opened library would receive a grant worth £100,000 from Arts Council England. The plan is to use this to fund a year-long programme of cultural events, including various exhibitions, performances, and workshops for a wide range of library users.
Another part of the programme will see a high-profile musician host a week-long residency, during which time several local artists will work together to create a sound inspired by the new library itself.
The Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Rosa Battle, said, “We want to open up the library to everyone and particularly new audiences. This Arts Council investment will help us to position the library as a pivotal cultural facility for the city, as well as helping it to become a cultural destination of national and international significance.”
Cuts in government funding mean that the Central Library will be shut on Sundays.
Neil McInnes, the Head of Library and Information Services at Manchester City Council, was full of praise for the newly refurbished facility.
He said: “This breathes new life into Central Library in its 80th year and makes it fit for purpose for future generations of Mancunians and visitors to the city. A truly 21st century public library where every space feels alive.”
UMSU General Secretary slams Osborne’s budget
Grace Skelton, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, slammed George Osborne’s 2014/15 budget, inviting him to come and meet some of the “terrified final years” at the University, in a speech at a city-centre protest held by the People’s Assembly last Wednesday.
Addressing protesters outside the John Rylands library on Deansgate, Skelton said, “I wish that George would come and visit the Students’ Union to meet some of the terrified final years graduating this summer and show them exactly where these jobs are, because all they are experiencing at the moment is rejection after rejection after rejection. And I know that this isn’t just the case for students.”
At this point Skelton also drew attention to the plight of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, arguing that cuts to higher education access schemes ‘are not economical, they’re ideological. The government simply doesn’t care’.
She also voiced her support of the proposed marking boycott at the end of next month.
“It’s not just university students that this government are repeatedly attacking, but university staff too
“Campus trade unions have now planned for an assessment boycott starting on April 28th. As a student rep you might expect me to stand up here and plead with university staff not to go ahead with this boycott. But I am proud to say that students from the University of Manchester stand in solidarity with their staff and call on UCEA to get round the table and renegotiate – only they can stop this boycott from happening.”
In the words of the leader of the People’s assembly for Manchester, the PA does not ‘support any particular political party. It endorses anyone who rejects austerity”.
The aim of Wednesday’s protest, which began in Piccadilly Gardens, was to “send a clear, loud, message to George Osborne and tell him what we think of his budget and what it means for us!” Protester’s slogans included ‘hands off our NHS’, ‘Austerity isn’t working’, and ‘Worst recovery in history’.
At one point, a 48-year-old woman from Birmingham also spoke about her suffering as a result of the bedroom tax. She said, “To survive bedroom tax I see it as a war situation.
“Bedroom tax is a diet of malnutrition.”
Also present and speaking at the demo were representatives of the trade unions UNITE and the NUT, the Green Party, Labour councillor Tom Evans, and former General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union Tom Skinner – although Skinner did not make a speech.
Skelton added, “Today’s budget was the clearest example yet of the same old Tories believing that the poor work harder if you make them poorer, and the rich work harder if you make them richer. Ed Miliband said today, ‘It doesn’t matter if the pound is square, round or oval, if you’re £1,600 worse off, you’re £1,600 worse off.’ Now this is quite a basic way of putting it, but then a cost of living crisis is quite a basic thing to understand.”
She concluded, “The government can talk all they want about economic recovery, but people just aren’t feeling it. Until we see a radical change in direction from this government or the next, we’re not going to see any improvements in the lives of ordinary people in this country.”
The People’s Assembly are a national organisation formed last year to fight against austerity measures passed by the coalition government. Their former president was the late Tony Benn.
Four of the Sussex five let off with cautionary letter
Four of the five students who led the 2013 protests against the privatisation of the University of Sussex’s services have been let off with a caution by their university.
The protests took place under the name of Occupy Sussex, occupying university buildings to register objection to the university’s outsourcing programme.
The students who occupied a University of Sussex’ conference centre were suspended in November for threatening the safety of students, staff, and visitors to the University. The University claims they damaged property, stole from staff and intimidated those who were in favour of the proposals.
In January, the deputy Vice-Chancellor Michael Davies gave a radio interview condemning the protesters; this lead to doubts about his impartiality as chair of the hearing and its subsequent collapse. However the University of Sussex maintains that it acted properly at all times during the process.
The collapse of the process cost the university £18,154, which adds to the university’s claim that the protests costs £13,890 in criminal damage repairs and loss of trading at the conference centre, Bramber House.
The costs of the hearing process since its collapse this year remain undisclosed. Despite the large total cost of £32,044 claimed by the university, the students could only have been handed down a maximum £250 penalty by the university’s hearing.
The protestors won the backing of human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, who lambasted the hearings process, labelling the lack of student representation illegal.
A petition had also been circulated, obtaining around 10,000 names—including local MPs, human rights lawyers, and free speech advocates amongst the names of students at Sussex.
The ‘Sussex five’, as they have become to be known, refused to take part in the hearing’s process and are continuing to seek legal advice, according to their lawyer Simon Natas.
Instead of a resumption of the process, the students will now receive an official University of Sussex warning letter. The University of Sussex will seek no further reprimand.
UCAS sells access to students’ personal details to advertisers
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has sold access to the personal details of over a million students to advertisers.
Last year, the company received more than £12m for providing the addresses and emails of its users through UCAS Media.
Just since September 2013, students have received multiple emails from UCAS Media advertising insurance, EE, Sky Broadband, Oxford Scholarly Editions and The New York Times.
Currently, students must opt-out of receiving emails for these to stop. However, this would include no longer receiving emails regarding course information or possible career opportunities as well.
UCAS receives approximately 700,000 new applicants each year, and boasts that their student market is worth over £15 billion.
On their website, UCAS Media tells future investors: “If you want to market your brand to students, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got the data and the know-how to help you, which combined with our student insights mean you can target your message in the best possible way.
“More than that we understand who students are, what they’re interested in, where they’ll be and what they’ll need – and most importantly how to put you in touch with them.”
The company also offers access to the details of 15,000 parents who signed up for further information about higher education.
UCAS Media is not breaking the law, as it doesn’t sell the data of individuals directly but uses its own channels to deliver marketing.
However, Imogen Durant, a third year English Literature student, told The Mancunion that it was an infringement of students’ privacy and trust in such a well established organisation.
She said: “It makes me feel uncomfortable and betrayed. I just delete the emails normally, but they are annoying.
“I think UCAS should stop sending the emails from advertisers and apologise.”
The UCAS Progress scheme, aimed at teenagers from the age of 13 looking for information on post-16 courses, also collects data from applicants. Although the teenagers have to opt-in to receive emails, they are encouraged to do so when they register.
On the marketing emails it sends to students, UCAS Media writes: “UCAS Media undertakes emailings for companies who have information that we feel may be relevant to prospective students. The income received from distributing this information is gift-aided back to UCAS (which is a registered charity) and used to minimise the costs of the UCAS application system both to applicants and higher education institutions.”
Gerard McCrory, a fourth year French and Italian student, said he didn’t think it was an issue for UCAS Media to sell access to details, so long as the advertisements sent to students were relevant and benefited them.
However, he added: “I was oblivious that this was going on, they should have told us that they were doing it. It does seem like a way to monopolise out of students’ motivation to study, because everyone has to use UCAS.”
According to the UCAS Media website: “If you’re looking for direct marketing services aimed at the student market, we’re here to help you target your ideal audience whenever you want.
“We’re in regular contact with students, so we know what they think about uni and college, what careers they’re interested in and what they want to study – plus much more to help you with your student marketing and recruitment.
“Our unique position in the education sector means we can combine excellent data with our multiple UCAS channels to draw together highly reputable and timely campaigns – delivered for you to as many of our students as you’d like.”
MOOCs’ popularity on the rise
Massive Online Open Courses, or MOOCs, have begun to gain ground at UK universities recently.
Online courses on subjects such as “Exploring our Oceans”, “Cooperation in the Contemporary World”, and Manchester Business School’s “Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries” MOOCs offer a low-cost opportunity to study university-level material.
They encourage and rely on online communication between the students of the course on dedicated forums and discussion boards.
While their presence in UK universities has only just started this year, Ivy League universities in the USA such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale have been offering popular MOOCs since before 2012.
They are also spreading across the world, aiming to help those who do not have access to higher education.
On the 10th of March, Cardiff University opened the world’s first Online Course in Community Journalism, and Exeter’s MOOC “Climate Change: Challenges and Solutions” opened in January.
While they allow people of all ages to access education from anywhere with an internet connection, at any time, in any language, MOOCs have not avoided criticism and concern.
Certain academics, notably TV’s Mary Beard, have raised issues with the lack of personal interaction, stating that a “division in society” might result.
It is also believed that the idealistic nature of education for all is misguided, due to the fact that it requires internet access, money and time potentially not available to people from developing countries.
Only around ten per cent of those who start the courses end up completing them, and there is seldom a specific qualification at the end, leading employers to be sceptical.
The courses are run by for-profit or non-profit online platforms such as Coursera, which hosts the University of Manchester’s MOOCs, Futurelearn and EdX.
University prospectuses sub par says OFT
The Office of Fair Trading has accused universities of failing to provide prospective students with enough information about their desired course, after a six-month investigation.
It has also warned that consumer protection laws may be being breached by universities hiking fees up in the middle of courses.
Chief Executive of the OFT Vivienne Dews said, “Our call for information has identified a number of issues which must be addressed if our universities are to deliver the best possible educational experience and the maximum benefit for the country.”
OFT’s report, published last week, highlighted that information such as income prospects, employment, and staff experience, was not sufficiently provided to prospective students.
It also recommended that the Competition and Markets Authority, the body that will in April succeed the OFT, launch a full inquiry into universities’ compliance with consumer law.
This comes alongside recent warnings that preventing a student from graduating due to library fines or similar debts are in breach of these laws.
The report comes after an investigation of how universities compete for applicants, and a proposal of a full examination of non-competitive practices between institutions, many of which charge the upper rate of £9,000 per year.
The OFT has “received no complaints or evidence” of price fixing or collusion, and stated that competition between universities was, overall, working well.
It also did not recommend a change to the rules that state prospective students may not apply to both Oxford and Cambridge, or to the limit of five universities on the UCAS application.
It did however, emphasise the need for transparent and accurate information from universities, to “persuade students to attend their course to secure funding.”
The OFT also raised concerns about “whether the regulatory system treats all higher education institutions in a fair and equitable manner.”
Christopher Snowdon, President of Universities UK, said it is “essential to ensure that we do not end up applying wholesale consumer protection rules to higher education in a way that undermines that [student-university] relationship.”