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Month: March 2014

MOOCs’ popularity on the rise

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

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

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

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.”

Interview: Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop)

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

“Idiot, disregard them immediately! Walk away from them so you don’t have to hear their bull-shit.” The self-titled ‘Internets busiest music nerd’ Anthony Fantano addresses the rabble who have put forward the notion guitar music is moribund. “I think anybody saying that guitar music is ‘dying’ is an ignorant idiot; what the fuck does somebody who says that actually mean? Nobody would come out and say ‘Rock is dead’ because they would be looked upon as silly, but instead they just use this weird, vaguely technical, kind of covert term, ‘the death of guitar music’.

“There’s  actually quite a few very popular songs and records that came out this past year that featured guitars, like Daft Punk’s latest record, or even the new Avicii single ‘Wake Me Up’ had an acoustic guitar on it. What they’re essentially saying is that they don’t care for guitar music they prefer more pop, electronic, synthesized stuff or hip-hop, and that’s fine but to say guitar music is ‘dead’ because another kind of music is really popular is stupid.”

My own review of Arctic Monkey’s last record AM was pretty scathing; the main beef centred around the complete departure from their highly charged and exciting debut album, a comparison which I felt  had to be drawn. “You can’t escape context, no matter how much you try; I can’t stand people who are like ‘it’s unfair to compare past albums to the new albums’ – that’s completely ridiculous because an artist like the Arctic Monkeys would not be where they are popularity wise, success wise or artistically if they didn’t create those past albums. Even context side I would not like AM, it is the musical equivalent to a dry hump for a rock record – it’s no fun.”

“I was reluctant to review King Of Limbs because of the fan frenzy surrounding it. I like to review and listen to things at my own pace, for that record I was getting fans saying ‘review it now, it’s been out for 4 hours! Where’s your review?’ Sometimes I’m just not in the mood for certain artists and prefer to do them in the order I want; I put the Nicholas Jaar review first because I wasn’t ready to do Radiohead at the time.”

Neil Young recently launched his new music play Pono, claiming it would be “bigger than vinyl”, a perhaps unexpected comment considering the age and legacy of the veteran performer. “I’m pretty sure streaming services are more popular than vinyl right now, but from a revolutionary standpoint I’m not sure if any streaming service can become bigger than vinyl. What can one service do that another can’t? They’re all lining up to give you free music; I’m struggling to see how you can give music to people for free better than anyone else.”

“You could say the same thing about music reviewers possibly; there are a lot of reviewers out there – what makes my service stands out? Personally, I think the fact I do it on video, and I focus more on the sound of the music – along with a host of other things. Streaming services are all interfaces with buttons, I think the competition they should be having right now is to pay artists better, and the music streaming services that pay artists the best will be the ones that get exclusive access to the albums the artists are allowing them to stream.”

“I don’t know what it takes for bands to thrive today, certainly effective dissemination of their music on platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud. You have to be constantly coming out with new material until you have your hit, and then do your album – don’t worry about the album first. If you’re going to make more avant-garde, experimental and abrasive music just expect less, that’s all I can freaking say! There will be breakout artists, like Death Grips, but if you’re making Noise rock don’t expect to be in the same position as Coldplay five years down the road, make Noise rock because you love it.”

The Needle Drop, a b/vlog site with more than a quarter of a million subscribers and over 36 million views has turned Anthony into a music guru of sorts, despite this status he remains modest about its success. “The Needle Drop hasn’t taken off. I think there are fans and artists out there who watch it and they love it, which I appreciate, but I don’t feel like TND has become one of the major players in the music world yet. TND is relatively young and I’m not a point where I’m like ‘Expand! Expand! Expand!” It’s only been my full time job for a year and a half so I don’t really have the capacity to make it anyone else’s full time job”,

Fantano’s reviews manage to encompass the profound and the ridiculous all in one, largely thanks to his alter-ego, and occasional journalist, Cal Chuchesta. “He’s the Ren to my Stimpy; ultimately I would love for Cal to be in a made-for-TV Christmas movie called Cal Saves Christmas: The Origins of Chuchesta and The Hunt for The Golden Sweater –  if anyone would like to throw a director, cast and a whole ton of money at me to make this film happen, I will do it and allow it to be sponsored by Pepsi, Doctor Pepper, Ford, Chevrolet, Kia and anyone willing to sponsor this horrible, once in a lifetime film.”

Check out The Needle Drop at:

https://www.youtube.com/user/theneedledrop

http://theneedledrop.com/

Anthony Fantano, Cal Chuchesta,  The Needle Drop, Ignorant Idiots – FOREVER

 

Review: Evita

Written by Richard Smith on . Posted in Theatre.

Evita is one of my favourite musicals, so when the opportunity came to see the latest touring production at Manchester’s Palace Theatre, I was, naturally, very excited. With this excitement came high expectations for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s classic musical about the life of the infamous first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, although unfortunately my high expectations weren’t consistently met.

The production did not feel like a seamlessly combined culmination of elements. The staging had moments of greatness, and others that were confusing and awkward. The finale to act one ‘A New Argentina’, in which Eva campaigns for her husband to be president whilst he is in prison, worked brilliantly; combining her various campaigns over time with the excitement of the nation really displayed the passion and determination of Eva, although the volume of the orchestra was, perhaps, lower than it should be for such a rousing number. In comparison, the main chorus number of Act 2 ‘And the Money Kept Rolling In’ was limp and minimal. Intended to display the development of Evita’s charity, it was set at what looked like a village fete, and failed to show the huge momentum and hype around the national foundation. Additionally, the other large dance numbers had some moments of fantastic choreography from the ensemble in unison, but almost instantly would turn into messy solo sections to fill time.

What really let the show down, however, was its principal cast. The shows score is infamous for its challenging, belted numbers yet, Madalena Alberto, who took on the title role, didn’t quite meet the mark. Her voice was extremely nasal with peculiar inflections and although her acting toward the end, as Eva is dying of cancer, was excellent, her performance seemed very ‘stereotypical musical theatre’, without significant thorough characterisation.

As is the norm now for touring productions, in the shows narrator role of ‘Che’ was 80’s pop star Marti Pellow who was, to put it nicely, awful. His body language and stage interactions for the entire show seemed to scream ego. His voice was tired, diction ridiculous and timing horrendous. At the interval I had to explain half the story to my friend Jess, as you could not understand what he was saying, or the part he played in the narrative.

Perhaps as the run continues, and all the elements of the show come together, the production will live up to its historic reputation. If you are simply looking for a nice night out to the theatre, then Evita is the ticket. However, avid fans of the show should perhaps wait until nearer the end of the run, to allow the production to reach its full potential.

3 out of 5

A response to the ‘crisis of apathy’

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

As General Secretary of the Students’ Union, I’d like to start by saying how extremely disappointed I’ve been to read only negative stories about elections in the last couple of editions of The Mancunion. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to put forward an alternative viewpoint this week.

Firstly, the Students’ Union elections are not suffering from a crisis of apathy. All eight positions are very hotly contested this year, and you only need to walk up and down Oxford Road or ask students with lectures in University Place to know that the candidates this year are everywhere! One can’t help but feel that we could have Sky News doing a live feed of the elections, and The Mancunion would still say there was no hype.

To make the point that there is a crisis of apathy surrounding the Students’ Union, and to base that point solely on elections is ludicrous and lacking in evidence. I say this not just as someone who is passionate about elections and democracy, but because I think it misses the point of Students’ Unions completely.

There are many reasons why I think the elections are brilliant. The main one being that they genuinely get students thinking about the change they would like to see, whether that’s in the Union, University or the wider community. Via the Students’ Union we see students taking an active role in the Manchester community every single day. By Christmas, our students had recorded 2,045 hours of volunteering, and raised a staggering £150,000 for charity. Without the Union to bring all this together, it wouldn’t have been possible.

The extra engagement around election time is so crucial; with the University putting increasing emphasis on the “student experience”, it is vital that students are shaping this agenda. Elections not only make sure that those with the most popular policies get elected, but they give current officers who have four months left even more to be lobbying the University for.

In the article last week there was blatant hypocrisy and factual inaccuracies that featured throughout. The piece claimed that the exec officers “can’t really claim a mandate from students” because turnout is so low and only getting worse. I have a newsflash: turnout last year was higher than ever before and was the fourth highest in the United Kingdom. The author blamed this so-called apathy on exec not implementing popular policies like the full-time salaried Mancunion editor. This is ridiculous. I got 1,945 votes, the All Student Vote on a paid Mancunion editor got 224. If I’m unpopular, what does that make the Editor of the Mancunion?

Regardless, what the article failed to recognise was that the value of the Students’ Union is so much more than how many people run in elections and how many people vote.

The value is the 24,530 individual society memberships, which is up 20 per cent on this time last year. These societies are the lifeblood of the Students’ Union and some of the activities and events they organise are truly remarkable.

The value is the £1.2 million of bursaries that was put back into students’ pockets due to exec officers and students working with and lobbying the University to understand the real value of that money.

The value is the estimated 20,000 students that might read this article in the Opinion section of The Mancunion, and that it might make them think again about whether they choose to vote in this year’s elections or not.

All of these things, and so many more, are made possible by the Students’ Union. The idea of having a space that is led by students for the benefit of students is something actually quite remarkable and I can’t tell you how proud I am to lead such an organisation.

It was disappointing to see that last week’s author believes the role of General Secretary to be one faced with so much negativity and political infighting. I can assure readers that nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, there is political disagreement among the exec, but we have a 40,000 strong diverse membership and it would be an injustice to them if that diversity wasn’t reflected in the exec team year on year.

Personally, I can’t wait to see who the eight lucky people are that are elected on Thursday to lead such a large, vibrant and exciting organisation in 2014/15. I can only hope that they enjoy it at least half as much as I have!

I, too, am prejudiced

Written by Alice Rigby on . Posted in Opinion.

The most powerful social movements are often the most simple. If you remember the ‘I need feminism because…’ campaign that swept campuses last year, you’ll remember how striking putting a face to a very real account of prejudice was. Students around the world are currently echoing this campaign in an attempt to tackle another, arguably more damaging, form of prejudice. The messages written on the white boards at Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge suggest that even for some of the most educated people in the world, racial prejudice is by no means history

What is so remarkable about many of the accounts you’ll see in the ‘I, too, am…’ project is that the questions asked by white students are rarely motivated by disdain or dislike. Our popular understanding of  ‘cultural sensitivity’ means that we believe we are being considerate of the unique perspectives of our ethnic minority peers when we ask probing questions like the all too common ‘where are you really from?’ But while this question may provide a fascinating insight into the life of a Nigerian study abroad student, for the son of Iraqi parents born and raised in Birmingham the answer is, well, right here and the question is downright offensive.

No matter how well meaning, the question was prompted by that person’s skin colour and that’s something we all identify as racial prejudice – yet it happens every day and I will certainly admit to doing it. More to the point, by asking the question you are assuming, because of their skin colour, the person cannot really be ‘from here’.  It’s reinforcing a racial segregation that shouldn’t exist in the first place.

The project has also revealed how much of a negative impact the proliferation of urban culture has had on the experiences of minority students. The assumption that white students understand their minority counterparts because they’re a fan of a handful of artists with similar coloured skin is astounding. I look near identical to a particular country-western artist and yet no one would suggest  that I’ve had a remotely similar experience to a girl raised on a farm in rural Oklahoma. Yet, as on student from Harvard described, if you can’t rap Jay Z lyrics you’re legitimately accused of being ‘less black’ – as though your unique identity is something that can be measured at all.

On the flip side, some people go for the educated insight instead. They’ve taken one semester of cultural studies and therefore think they can provide a perspective on someone’s background that is more enlightened than that person’s own view. The 21st century form of prejudice swings both ways; we either reduce minority culture down to the accounts of rappers from Atlanta or we present it as an academic subject, beyond even the minority students themselves.

The biggest revelation of the project has been just how casual our attitude to prejudice really is. We assume that, as long as we’re saying something positive about a culture, we can’t possibly be being prejudiced. Yet, when we define anyone by their skin colour, whether positively or negatively, we are reducing their identity down to a single factor. Although it’s something we’d never want done to ourselves, we do it freely when ethnicity is the factor in question. The ‘progressives’ who ‘don’t see’ skin colour are doing just as much harm. If you ignore one of the key elements of someone’s identity, you are diminishing that identity. It is you that has decided that an aspect of someone’s experience is unimportant.

The conversation over racism has been so simplified due to decades of segregation and abuse that, when faced with someone from a minority background, we begin panicking about being sensitive enough. In doing this, we are still only seeing skin. We need to move the conversation over race forward. We need to see people as individuals and let them tell us, if and when they want to, what role their racial background plays in their identity.

Of course, there are still instances of outright racial ignorance. The idea that someone would ‘speak Nigerian’ is appalling when you are aware of how many cultures and languages come together in African nations. Similarly, confusing someone from a minority background for another minority student often reeks of lazy generalisation and reflects a habitual practice in our society, more commonly associated with the police. This isn’t made easier when minority students’ achievements are undermined on the grounds that they were ‘probably’ the result of positive discrimination.

Yet while we are all quick to condemn these explicitly racist instances, it is our lazy generalisation that reflects most poorly on our society. When someone is being ‘racist’ in the traditional sense they are immediately criticised. The prejudices that most of us engage in, with the mistaken goal of being culturally sensitive, perpetuate the otherness of minority students in a way that explicit racism never could.

So the next time you encounter someone with a different skin colour to your own, pause for a moment and consider the questions that intuitively come to mind. I, for one, almost always wonder where that person is ‘really’ from. The ‘I, too, am…’ project has finally shown me just how ignorant that really is. 

Image: I, Too, Am Oxford

Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Written by James Moules on . Posted in Film.

I envy any readers who are not already familiar with the delights of Wes Anderson movies – if The Grand Budapest Hotel is your first Anderson film, then you’ve got one hell of an introduction coming your way.

The film begins with an author (Tom Wilkinson) speaking into the camera about his views on storytelling. Earnest, yet laced with hilarity, this monologue sets the tone the entire film. We then cut to the writer as a younger man (Jude Law) on a visit to the titular hotel. Despite still having a certain beauty to it, the hotel is not in a good way – it is a sorry place, where guests dine alone and barely a sound can be heard. In the evening, the writer meets the hotel’s owner Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), who tells the story of the Grand Budapest’s former glory.

We go back in time once again to the 1930s, where we meet Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) – the hotel’s snobby but well-intentioned concierge – and Zero as a young man (Tony Revolori), employed at the hotel as a lobby boy. After the death of Madame D (Tilda Swinton) – a wealthy former-customer at the Grand Budapest – Gustave discovers that he has been bequeathed a highly coveted painting called Boy With Apple. This news does not go down well with Dmitri, the son of the deceased (a delightfully cartoonish Adrien Brody), who scoffs at the notion of Gustave coming into possession of this treasured – and not to mention valuable – work of art. Not long after he takes the painting back to the hotel with the help of Zero, Gustave is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Madame D.

As for what happens next, I shall not say. All I shall divulge is that the quest surrounding this desirable painting is a gleefully entertaining trip involving all manner of mayhem that could only have come out of Wes Anderson’s vibrant imagination.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a display of Anderson’s quirky sense of humour at its finest. Those familiar with the director’s style will know that he brings a joy to movie watching that few other directors working today achieve –Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright are among the few other directors who make such unapologetically enjoyable films.

Anderson’s attention to detail with the film’s production design is also a valuable asset – each of the different time periods in which we see the hotel has its own distinctive look. When we move from the thematically bland yet still striking setting in the 1980s to the lush, colourful background in the 1930s, we feel the same nostalgia as the narrator of the story. There are many directors out there who could learn a lot from Anderson here.

One of the things that make the story skip along so giddily is the film’s fantastic cast and the eclectic range of characters they portray. Ralph Fiennes is pure comedy gold in what, in this writer’s opinion, is one of his best performances ever. Alongside him, we have Edward Norton as a police officer, Saoirse Ronan as a baker, Willem Dafoe as a shady assassin, as well as Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Jeff Goldblum and many more recognisable names. It’s hard to resist a cast like that.

Many critics have hailed The Grand Budapest Hotel as Anderson’s best film to date – I wholeheartedly agree with them. The director has never brought his distinctive vision to life with such energy before. The film’s comedic tone is utterly pitch-perfect and the world of the story is deliciously rich and full of flavour. It is the best film of 2014 so far – any film wanting to take this honour has a high bar to reach for.

‘Are a generation of young people right to give up on Westminster?’

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

YES

Charlotte Green

At the ‘i’ debate on Tuesday 11th March a panel of journalists from the Independent and i newspaper discussed whether or not, as Russell Brand suggests, a generation of students should give up on Westminster. I have always fallen on the ‘no’ side of this debate, believing that everyone should always involve themselves in politics as much as possible, even just through the very basic medium of voting. My argument rested on the fact that deliberately avoiding politics doesn’t mean that politics doesn’t affect you – after all, governmental policies will have an influence on your life whether you engage with them or not. Simply boycotting the polling booth does nothing for anyone.
However, since the debate I have reconsidered this position. The main pull of Westminster is that it is presented as the only real seat of power, and the only place where voice really has any meaning. As such we are conditioned to believe that change cannot be effected unless it’s happening on the benches of the House of Commons. Charities, journalism, direct action and campaigning are all very well, but compared to the pomp and might of Parliament they still seem small-scale, practically amateur. Those looking for a serious alternative to Westminster as a way of advocating change will find few legitimate avenues to go down.

So whilst I’m not saying we should give up on politics, maybe it is time to give up on Westminster. Fundamentally it is a bloated elitist institution filled with middle-aged white men who went to Oxbridge. And that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. Supporters of the current system praise its historical values and its traditions of democracy, but how democratic is it really? Women, minorities, the young; they are all under-represented in parliament. The difference between the current parties can be reduced to what colour tie their leaders are wearing, rather than any real ideologically-driven policy divide.

There’s been talk of moving Parliament out of London into the North, possibly relocating to Birmingham. This would go some way to changing the Westminster mind-set and culture, but not enough. If young people want to prove that they are politically motivated, but just disillusioned with the Westminster bubble then we should do something truly revolutionary – form a party to represent the disengaged youth, set up our own Parliament in Camden or Manchester. If we can’t force Parliament to change through conventional means, then we need to effect that change ourselves. So yes – get voting, get campaigning, get political, but also get radical about reform. It’s time we found a different way to govern our country – and it shouldn’t be through Westminster.

 

NO

Alice Rigby 

It can often seem like Westminster politics is an unchangeable bastion of inherent inequality. The leader of each of the three major parties looks nearly identical to the white, middle class man next to him and each has worked since graduation on a career whose apex we are currently witnessing. It’s no wonder in such circumstances that the cries for revolution of characters such as Russell Brand start to seem appealing. But be warned: our generation giving up on Westminster is not the answer to the problems that politics presents us with.

It is a myth that ignoring Westminster will force them to deal with our concerns. This is apparent when you realise that the young have been ignoring Westminster for decades. The 18-25 turnout in 2010 was only 44 per cent, one of the lowest of any demographic. It is this apparent apathy that is then reflected in policy. While our tuitions fees have risen, our grandparents, no matter how wealthy they are, get their TV licence waived, receive a winter fuel allowance and could get their council tax reduced. This is unsurprising when you consider that 76 per cent of over 65s turn out at elections. While the desire to criticise Westminster may be genuine, simply ignoring it will only confirm its power.

While not voting projects an apathy that may not be reflective of the young’s true dissatisfaction with British politics, participating in the Westminster political system doesn’t have to reflect a complicit attitude to its practices. The idea of fighting from the outside and the inside is one we are all familiar with. By engaging with their system, we compel the political elite to engage with us. However, it is still possible to criticise, even while participating. This is why it is only a duality of attack that can prompt real change in our political system. Participating in the system legitimates us as critics of it, while criticising it from the inside actively reduces its legitimacy.

If we give up on Westminster politics, all that will happen is that Westminster politics will continue to give up on us. We will continue to see tuition fees rise, our debt sold to private companies and will never be able to buy property. If we engage with Westminster, we show that we understand their system and that our criticism is not simply the ignorant revolutionary whim of youth. It is only by participating in democracy that you can make real political change. To do anything else would be to undermine the principles we are so desperate to defend.

Review: A Comedy of Errors

Written by Carys Lapwood on . Posted in Theatre.

Right. First things first, A Comedy of Errors is not a good play. Like that Aldi smoked cheddar that’s still hanging out at the back of my fridge, it has not aged well. The plot is exhaustingly formulaic and the jokes are unrelentingly misogynistic. Two sets of twins, separated at birth, end up on the same island as adults. Over the course of one day, everyone in the town bumps into them, including the wife of one, her sister, and the goldsmith. But they, of course, do not meet each other. Insert lots of pratfalls and jokes about fat chicks, and you have a play that’s difficult to digest. It lacks the subtly or humanity of Shakespeare’s better known comedies, and in the wrong hands it could become painfully tedious and even quite unpleasant to watch.

Propeller’s production of A Comedy of Errors, however, which I saw at the Lowry on the 28th of February, was bloody brilliant. How on earth did they manage it? Purely, it seems, by sheer force of will, a tremendous amount of on-stage energy, and an ability to revel in the sheer madness of the plot.

Propeller have been reinterpreting Shakespeare in weird and wonderful ways since the late nineties, to much critical acclaim. As an all-male theatre group, who place a lot of emphasis on their slick ensemble work and fantastic set and costume design, it seemed like they knew what they were doing. The setting had been updated to a Bedidorm-esque holiday resort, complete with a Mariachi band wearing naff sombreros and stick-on moustaches. Although this helped to create the fun, festive, and slightly dodgy atmosphere the story required, in which the bawdy jokes and slapstick violence could be spun out in full force, it felt slightly forced in the first half. “You will find this hilarious, and you will laugh,” they seemed to insist.

The performance didn’t really relax into itself until just before the interval, when the comic set-up had been established, and the cast could revel in the jokes themselves. It was when the Village People lookalike policeman began serenading a woman in the audience at the start of Act Two that I really started giggling. And by the time the cross-dressing nun wearing purple thigh high boots appeared, I, like the audience, was in stitches. Overall, I’d say that Propeller did a sterling job with quite difficult material, but they were at their funniest when they threw the original text out of the window and went off-piste.

4 out of 5 stars

Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Theatre.

As I began my journey towards the Lowry on a bitterly cold winter’s evening, I confess, heretical though this may be, that I was not filled with excitement at the prospect of revisiting William Shakespeare’s comedy of lovers, magic and mechanicals; A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Having seen Bristol Old Vic’s accomplished performance of the play in London, as recently as early February, the thought of witnessing another modern interpretation did not particularly whet my theatrical appetite. I went into Propeller’s wonderful adaptation of the 16th century text feeling tired, dispirited and altogether apprehensive. I left, however, feeling utterly enthralled by the veritable cooking pot of theatrical, comical and Shakespearian techniques that I bore witness to, during Propeller’s ingenious interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Propeller achieved a rarity within the world of Shakespeare. They managed to fully uphold the integrity of the Bard’s text, whilst altering and amending aspects of the aesthetic side of the performance, based on a clear understanding of how the play would have originally been received. The all-male theatre company concentrated on comedy and mysticism as key overriding themes, utilising a multitude of different theatrical techniques in order to fully bring out a combination of the two in the audience’s response. Elements of farce, physical theatre and Commedia dell’arte were used across almost the entire ensemble in order to effectively bring the Shakespearian comedy into the modern age. This was perhaps most pertinent in Jospeh Chance’s portrayal of Robin Goodfellow (the Puck). Chance used an exaggerated physicality, to great effect, as a means of highlighting the character’s mischief and the control he has over the quarrelling lovers. The modern theatrical style, more often associated with companies like Kneehigh or DV8, rather than Shakespeare, proved an inspired directorial decision; Edward Hall allowed his actors to seamlessly blend a number of techniques, so that the desired audience response could be furthered. This is also seen late on, during the mechanicals’ performance of “Pyramus and Thisbe”. In this climactic scene, famous for its riotous comedy, elements of farce and physical theatre were added in order to allow the mechanicals’ play to develop into an utter travesty, where Thisbe (Flute – played by Alasdair Craig) is seen throwing a momentous tantrum, his blonde wig flying across the panic-stricken stage as he beats his fellow actors with an effeminate scarf.

It seemed as though every aspect of this intelligent performance had been constructed with the highest level of attention to detail. Even in lighting, Ben Omerod took precautions in order to use light as a means of distinguishing the tales being told. Instances of dramatic state shifts meant that the barrier between the mortal and the mystical world could remain clear as the stories were being set in motion, before being blurred as the stories collide. Edward Hall’s direction was masterful; pre-existing subtexts came alive under his (and designer Michael Pavelka’s) control of staging, costume and set design. It is fair to say that I was stunned by this breathless performance, and though at times I found myself missing a number of the added references or struggling to keep up with the pacing, this was a truly excellent and well-acted interpretation of a powerfully funny Shakespearian masterpiece. You’re lucky if you got to see it.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Festival: Bugged Out! Weekender

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

7th-9th March

Pontins, Southport

8/10

Bugged Out returned to their spiritual home in the north of England in the glamorous setting of Pontins for the third Bugged Out Weekender, marking their 20th Anniversary. The experience they have in throwing parties was telling and all aspects of the festival from production to pricing were first-rate. The sound was phenomenal (dare I say Room 2 was maybe too loud), the light shows were dazzling and a pint was £2.20 (unheard of in my previous festival experiences, try triple that). So all the logistics were in place for the basis of a great festival, but what about the most important part – the music.

Friday night saw Todd Terje performing his live show in the UK for the very first time, and it was a real treat – coupling his impressive catalogue of tracks with dextrous musicianship in a set that was mellifluous, but exceptionally danceable. Later that night Dixon picked up this baton with a typically outstanding set, marked by soaring euphoria underlined with thumping bass lines.

Saturday began for me with Ten Walls, producer of two of the biggest tracks of 2013 in ‘Gotham’ and ‘Requiem’. These proved highlights, yet the whole set was of a high standard and really underlined the impressive collection of tracks Mario Basanov has created in his short time working under this alias. Away from Room 1, Heidi’s Jackathon was in full swing in Room 2 with Kerri Chandler dropping a string of classics such as ‘Love Changes’ and ‘I Want Your Love’. Next up in a rammed Room 3 was garage legend DJ EZ, his all killer no filler style causing mayhem in the sweat pit it became. Jackmaster appropriately keeps thing jackin’ in the Jackathon room with a fine selection of house and techno, eventually closing on Lovebirds’s  anthem ‘Want You In My Soul’. Sasha keeps Room 1 going right until 7am in the main room, most notably drawing for both sides of Ậme’s latest Innervisions release ‘Tatischeff / Den Råtta’.

The final day begins disappointingly with the lack of Skream at ‘Skream’s Pool Party’. He makes full amends later though with his four hour b2b with Eats Everything, they are in full party mode throughout dropping the likes of ‘Move Your Body’ by Xpansions and ‘LFO (The Leeds Warehouse Mix)’. Carl Craig steals the show tonight however, with a relentless set of percussion heavy techno; the drums provoke everyone into fist-pumping dancing. Seth Troxler calms things down and closes the festival with a set displaying his signature minimal tech-house sound.

The clear effort Bugged Out! make to prioritise the enjoyment of the crowd over self-interest really adds to the weekend. Certainly an event worthy of marking the 20th Anniversary of such an important dance music brand.

Club: Now Wave & Triangular presents Jacques Greene & SOPHIE

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

27th February

Sound Control

6/10

My excitement for tonight is dampened somewhat upon entering an empty Sound Control. Intimacy can be nice, but club nights thrive on togetherness and atmosphere: the spacious room warns these are unlikely to be found tonight.

The residents perform solid sets whilst I linger by the bar, giving the occasional glance to the door hoping the room fills up. It does slightly, but barely to 10% of the 350 capacity room.  Unfortunately this proves of detriment to the night and as headline act number one, Jacques Greene, steps up his set is downplayed by the lack of atmosphere present in the room. He moves unfazed through a fun selection, Autre Ne Veut’s ‘Play By Play’ a particular highlight, but stationary appreciation is favoured by the scattered crowd.

Next up is SOPHIE. Producer of hyperactive, bass-pop tunes like ‘Bipp’, his sense of fun translates equally into his dj sets as he drops the likes of currently unreleased ‘Hey QT’ and debut release ‘Nothing More To Say’ whilst dancing wildly behind the decks, floppy fringe bobbing. (‘Dance like nobody’s watching’? Not far off.) His set is engrossing and euphoric, and I have no doubts it would have caused a pack room to go off. In tonight’s circumstances it is enjoyable, but not in an ideal way.

Jacques Greene and SOPHIE are both two excellent bookings and it’s a real shame they didn’t pull the crowd they deserve. I especially look forward to seeing SOPHIE again, hopefully with a few more people up for a dance.

Islamic Society hosts ‘Community Week’

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

The Islamic society have raised more than £6,400 for Christie hospital after a week of charity events.

“Community week” involved a series of events which aimed to give back to the local community. It involved a charity football tournament, cake selling, a feed the homeless walk, and the redecorating of Shakespeare House; a local community centre.

Isoc members have also been writing letters of support to patients on the children’s Oncology ward at Christie.

In an interview with The Mancunion, Hiba Khan, third year material science and engineering, and vice president of Isoc’s student affairs committee, explained the reasons behind organising community week.

“We came together as a committee, and our membership decided to get involved in this campaign called community week”, she said. “We looked at the Islamic inspiration for giving back to your community, which is a fundamental and integral part of the faith”.

When asked why Isoc chose Christie Hospital, Khan said, “Cancer affects all of us regardless of age, gender, race or background. It’s a really beautiful cause to raise for.”

On Saturday 8th March, Isoc went on a sponsored walk up Mount Snowdon in difficult conditions.

Khan was one of the students climbing the mountain.

“I’d done it a few times before but never seen weather as shocking as [it was]”, she said. “The Snowdon trip raised £5,000 on its own; we took about eighty people up”.

A blind student was one of the first to reach the top of the mountain. He is studying for a masters, and is an active volunteer for Isoc.

Reflecting on the week of events, Khan said, “Hopefully next week we will go down to Christies and give them the cheque.

“We’ve had a huge turnout, and it’s been lovely speaking to members of the local community.”

Manchester students’ success in Shell competition with ‘solar tree’ idea

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A team of Manchester students have made it to the second round of a global competition for investment, run by oil giant Shell.

Olusola Omosola and Ryo Inoue, both masters students at the University of Manchester, and Emmanuel Olatokun, a Phd student at the University of Salford, have come up with a new type of solar panel called a ‘solar tree’.

If successful at stage two, the team will be invited to pitch their idea to a panel of judges at Shell Eco-Marathon Europe in Rotterdam, and stand a chance of winning funding from the Shell Game Changer Programme.

To date, the programme has invested USD $300 million in new ideas.

Olusola Omosola from Nigeria, and studying for an Msc Management and International Systems, hopes that his team’s project can open up a new more cost effective era for solar power.

The project “will offer communities in the developing world that aren’t connected to the national grid an energy solution that makes use of their biggest source of energy”, a Shell spokesperson said.

In an interview with The Mancunion, Omosola explained the concept of the ‘solar tree’, and his personal hopes for the project.

The solar tree is designed to copy the shape of a tree by building the newly designed flexible and light panels vertically without having to firstly rely on a solid structure to act as a base, and secondly to avoid taking important land away from people that need to use it, so the tree adapts to the environment it’s set up in.

Although an important concern, Omosola believes that the project can help everyone, not just his native Nigeria.

“In the long run, we are looking at a system where you can just go to a market and buy a box of it [solar panels]. There are parts [of Nigeria] where we have more solar energy than others, but we do have a lot of sunshine”, he said.

In the UK it costs between £4000 and £6000 to install domestic solar panels. After that, it takes time to see a return on the investment. Although Ofgem, the electricity and gas regulator, have predicted that solar panels are set to come into their own in the next few years as prices rise.

Omosola and his colleagues aim to solve this problem.

“Conventional solar panels are very expensive”, he said. “We are looking at bringing down that cost significantly. We are in the computer age, computer memory, flash drives, used to be very expensive.

“But suddenly the price crashed and became really cheap.”

Omosola added further, “Hopefully it will even generate more electricity. We’re looking at going into more research to find out how we can generate more power using smaller or lighter parts”.

Round three of the competition starts at the end of the month.

Bursaries failing to keep poorer students in university

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

Bursaries do not improve the chances of students from poorer backgrounds completing a degree, a study has found.

Instead, the biggest factors that influence drop-out rates are how well the student did at A-level and household income.

The study, Do Bursaries Have any Effect on Retention? by the Office for Fair Access (Offa), also found that students from disadvantaged areas are less likely to complete their studies than those from the least disadvantaged areas, and that those attending institutions with higher entry requirements were more likely to complete their course than those at universities with lower requirements.

Professor Les Ebdon, director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said, “Previous research showed us that bursaries do not have an observable effect on the choice of university for disadvantaged young people.

“Now this new piece of Offa analysis shows that bursaries may not be the powerful retention tool that many currently believe them to be.

“At this stage, we’re not ruling out the possibility that bursaries may have an effect on retention rates – what we’re saying is that, within the constraints of the data currently available to us, we have not been able to detect any such effect”.

The report also found that neither the size nor the availability of a bursary had much effect on whether a student would finish their degree course.

Instead, the study said that continuation rates were similar whether the student was receiving a bursary of less than £700 a year or more than £1,000 a year.

Professor Ebdon said the report provides evidence that universities should spend money on outreach projects with schools, rather than on students.

He has asked universities to take the findings of the report into account when they draw up their access agreements.

He said, “We will be encouraging them to rebalance their investment towards both targeted [and] sustained activities that raise attainment and aspirations, and activities that support students in successfully continuing their studies and progressing to employment or postgraduate study”.

Student witnesses may be key to assault investigation

Written by Michael Williams on . Posted in News.

Police have reached out specifically to student witnesses after a man died after an incident outside a nightclub holding a popular student night.

The incident outside the city-centre nightclub South, which was hosting a Murkage event, may have led to the 34-year-old man sustaining serious head injuries.

Police were called shortly after 4.15am on Friday 24 January 2014 to reports of an assault on Deansgate at the junction with John Dalton Street.

They found the man collapsed in the street, and believe that students may have witnessed the assault that left him there.

Senior Investigating Officer Bob Tonge said, “Just before the assault we believe there was an incident outside the South nightclub and we know there were a number of people around at that time. That particular evening there had been a student night at South nightclub and I would appeal to the student population who were there to contact us.”

Police have also released images of potential witnesses who may have seen the incident.

“A number of weeks have passed since the man’s death but we are continuing to appeal for witnesses,” said Senior Investigating Officer Tonge.

“I would like to reassure those people who are shown in the images they are not in any trouble at all with police and we purely want to speak to them to see if they saw anything.”

Simon Tarry, 28, was charged with section 18 assault and affray after the assault.

He appeared before Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday 27 January 2014.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 9908 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Gang stalk and assault student on Oxford Road

Written by Michael Williams on . Posted in News.

A University of Manchester student was attacked after being “stalked” for over one mile along Oxford Road by a gang of seven.

The 20-year old female student suffered an attack described as “ferocious” by police, being kicked, punched and stamped on.

The victim was walking home from a friend’s house in Fallowfield at around 11pm on Wednesday 5 March, and had walked down the Curry Mile to near St. Peter’s Chapel.

She was listening to music in headphones, rendering her “oblivious”, according to police, and she was followed and set upon by the group who were “acting like animals stalking their prey”, according to Detective Sergeant John Robb of Greater Manchester Police.

“The offenders followed her for quite some distance before striking in an area they thought was more isolated than any other part of the route she had taken,” said Detective Sergeant Robb.

Two men stopped to intervene after what Detective Sergeant Robb called “a vicious, premeditated and sustained attack on an innocent woman.”

CCTV first captured the gang, four girls and three male youths, at around 11.13pm.

Footage shows them run onto Wilmslow Road from Dickenson Road, then cross over Wilmslow Road and head in the direction of Platt Lane.

At 11:18pm the victim is seen on the same CCTV camera walking up Wilmslow Road towards Rusholme.

As she crosses Dickenson Road the gang appear on camera behind her and start to follow her.

After approximately one mile, as she walked beneath a bridge close to St Peter’s Chapel, one of the offenders approached her from behind, grabbed her hair and dragged her to her knees.

She was struck repeatedly in the face as she fell further to the ground.

As she lay defenceless on the ground one offender grabbed hold of her legs to prevent her kicking out while other offenders continued to kick, punch and stamp on her.

The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to her injuries, which consisted of severe bruising. Detective Sergeant Robb said the attack could have been a lot worse.

“It is only by sheer luck more than anything else that this woman did not suffer more serious injuries, such was the ferocity of the attack,” he said.

After the attack, the group of girls made off in the direction of Upper Brook Street after meeting up with some males. Police say they are sure they will catch the offenders.

“We have already reviewed dozens of CCTV cameras and I am absolutely confident we will identify these girls so I would urge them to come and give us an account of what happened before we come knocking on their doors,” Detective Sergeant Robb said.

“I want to reassure the community that such incidents are rare and these offenders will not get away with what they have done.

“I believe the victim was oblivious to the fact she was followed for such a long distance due to being distracted by listening to music and I want to remind people just how important it is to be aware of your surroundings, especially when out walking alone at night.”

Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed any part of the incident, or who has any information, to come forward by contacting the police on 0161 856 4223 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Serial Withington sex attacker assaults four more women

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

The same man who sexually assaulted five women in January has attacked four more women in Withington, police believe.

Three attacks took place in the same night. Most of the women attacked were students in their early 20’s.

Police have renewed their warning to lone women to be on their guard in the area.

Between 7.40pm and 10.10pm on Monday 3rd March, the offender grabbed and sexually assaulted three women on Neston Avenue, Withington, Burton Road, Withington, and Mauldeth Road, Ladybarn.

A further attack took place on Sunday 9th March on Palatine Road, near Everett Road, Withington.

The offender is described as between 5ft 5in and 5ft 8in tall, of slim build, wearing a hoody and baggy jogging style bottoms.

In the last four incidents, he was riding a dark coloured mountain bike.

The repeated attacks have caused concern among some students.

“I feel a little bit worried about being on my own at night now”, Róisín Farrell, a fourth year Speech and Language Therapy student living in Withington, told The Mancunion. “It’s quite worrying that this same guy is targeting such a small area and he still hasn’t been caught”.

Earlier this year, the same man assaulted five women on or around Everett Road in Withington.

Between 6th January and 25th January 2014, he grabbed and sexually assaulted five lone women in their 20’s, many of whom were out jogging.

All the attacks have taken place between 6.15pm and 11.00pm.

Detective Sergeant Doug Cowan of South Manchester Division sai, “Since the first spate we have been working hard to catch this offender, but it appears he has started to once again target lone women.

“From what they tell us, the suspect is quite young – in his mid to late teens – and is now riding a dark-coloured mountain bike.

“But don’t let his relative youth fool you. To be grabbed or touched inappropriately by a complete stranger in these circumstances is extremely unpleasant and downright scary.

“That said, the purpose of this appeal is not to alarm people but to alert women of the risks posed to them and to be on their guard.

“We need to consider that there may be other victims who have not yet come forward and I would urge them to do so.

“Also I would ask lone women, especially joggers, to be aware of their surroundings, to stick to well-lit areas and, most importantly, to go out with someone else wherever possible.

“We have been speaking to residents and have also stepped up patrols in the area to reassure people, prevent further offences and gather information”.

Monique Davis, a fourth year French and Italian student also living in Withington, told The Mancunion, “It hasn’t greatly impacted how safe I feel because I still see Withington as quite a safe area.

“The fact it’s the same man as before is worrying though, because he clearly isn’t afraid and so things could get worse.

“I will try and follow the advice from the police, people do need to be careful to not go out alone. But it wouldn’t stop me leaving the house if I didn’t have anyone to go with”.

Sarah Cook, a fourth year Speech and Language Therapy student living in Withington, also told The Mancunion, “The new attacks have made me feel more cautious about being alone at night.

“It seems like not enough has been done to raise awareness about what has been happening. The focus should be on catching the attacker, not on telling women not to go out.

“I felt uncomfortable walking to visit a friend who also lives in Withington, and I shouldn’t have to feel like that five minutes from my front door”.

Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who has seen a man matching the description acting suspiciously to call them on 101 or 0161 856 4973.

Living Wage granted to Birmingham University staff

Written by Anna Phillips on . Posted in News.

The University of Birmingham has granted all staff members the current Living Wage following an array of protests.

Vice principle and provost Adam Tickell announced the changes in an email to staff and on Twitter on March 5th, which will allow each staff member from 1 August 2014 the Living Wage of £7.65.

Adam Tickell announced the changes on Twitter, saying:  ”Birmingham University & Branch Executives of Unison and Unite are pleased to report that the dispute over 2013 pay settlement resolved. The university will match the current rate of the Living Wage for year from August 2014; and then current level for year from August 2015.”

He also added: ”Branch Executives of Unison and Unite will recommend to members that no further industrial action be taken in relation to the 2013 pay settlement”.

Hattie Craig, Vice-President of Education at the University of Birmingham’s Guild of Students said: “This victory comes after a hard-fought campaign including numerous strikes, demonstrations and occupations and shows that students and staff fighting together have the power to force universities into doing what is right.”

She also said: “However, the University of Birmingham still needs to become an accredited living wage employer if staff aren’t going to live in fear of poverty, and it is inexcusable that it has yet to do so whilst its Vice-Chancellor is paid over £400,000 a year. We still have a whole list of other demands which are yet to be met so the campaign will continue.”

The announcement follows a series of series of Defend Education protests earlier this year resulting in thirteen arrests including six students. These students were subsequently suspended yet only three have since been reinstated.

The current Living Wage is £7.65 and £8.80 for London, yet many Universities around the country are still not granted the Living Wage.