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Day: 10 March 2015

Review: Spec-TAKK-ular

Reviewing often seems a compromising exercise. Most of the time, I go to a restaurant or café with the express intention of recording my experience, noting the seating, the greeting, the atmosphere and documenting with detail the food I choose to fill my belly. Though invariably stuffed, I somehow manage to come away feeling empty inside.

Judging every element of a meal can get old. Looking over my shoulder to make sure that I am not being judged for systematically photographing every single dish and drink in front of me makes me feel awkward (although I should feel right at home, considering the near-necessity of this procedure in contemporary dining). For me, it all detracts from the real time experience of the space. When you spend all your time noticing, you don’t notice the gloriousness of just spending time.

It is because of this, I guess, that I have refrained until now from writing about Takk. It is precious to me, my safe space where I truly zone out and enjoy the ride. Naturally, then, I decided to put my feet on the pedal and analyse precisely what I love not having to analyse.

Located on Tariff Street in the Piccadilly end of the Northern Quarter, Takk sits alongside Kosmonaut (great cocktails) and El Capo (cracking tapas, lovely staff and potent tequila) in an area which seems busier and bustlier each time I walk by. The stand-out venue for daytime hang-out, Takk serves superb coffee, their house roast coming from ‘Clifton Coffee’ in Bristol and the rest sourced from ‘The Barn’ in Berlin. Inspired by Scandinavian coffee houses (hence the name ‘Takk’—Norwegian for thanks), their style of roasting allows for the original flavour of the beans to come through, resulting in light and fruity coffee which is a pleasure to drink black and lends itself beautifully to other additions. The coffee list, while short, reflects the passion of Takk’s staff to deliver impressive, uncompromised flavour.

If tea is more your bag, Takk’s selection of blends from ‘Canton Tea Co.’ more than covers bases—on this occasion, I had a warm and spicy loose leaf black chai, my companion choosing an uplifting and relaxing peppermint. And if you don’t fancy anything hot (very suspicious, considering it’s Manchester we’re talking about), an interesting array of fresh juices and soft drinks line the fridge behind the counter.

When it opened two years ago, Takk served simple breakfasts, pastries and Nordic-style open sandwiches. But since the expansion of the kitchen and recent addition of an extra chef, their culinary repertoire has evolved into something innovative, refreshing and delicious. During my usual late morning visits, I order wild field mushrooms and poached eggs on toasted rye bread. At bang on a fiver, its value in no way compromises its taste and quality. Ingredients are all locally sourced, manager Oli tells me; the bread and pastries are delivered fresh from cult Levenshulme bakery Trove, meat and fish from Frosts in Chorlton, and veg and extras from McCall’s Organics (a new addition to Church Street Market on the other end of the Northern Quarter). Usually, I glug it all down with a ‘long black’, make multiple trips to fill my glass with the icy fruit-infused water laying in wait in big jugs on a side table, and spend the following hour or so contemplating my contentment.

On the morning in question, however, I decided to shake things up for the investigative purposes of the review. The brunch menu, available on weekends, offers a varied and eclectic mix of dishes, from lamb stew with almond breadcrumb crust and mint chimichurri to IPA-infused welsh rarebit. We greedily opted for a duck egg frittata with salmon and crème fraîche, a wild mushroom, cauliflower and quinoa salad, and a pot of dhal, kindly assured by the member of staff that our order wasn’t over-ambitious (still dubious).

The dishes came out quickly, and we cleared our mugs aside, mesmerised by the kaleidoscope of colours on each plate. The beauty of the dishes was matched by their tastes: the rich, velvety frittata disappeared almost instantly; the mellow and Tarka-spiced dhal lasted a little longer, while we marvelled at and savoured its garnish of pickled pink shallots and pomegranate seeds. But the winning dish was undoubtedly the salad. A loving patchwork of textures and flavours, authentically misshapen mushrooms and braised cauliflower smoky and strong enough to make us rethink the vegetable entirely, topped off by a fragrant and earthy tarragon, walnut and rocket pesto. We lingered over the plate as much as our willpower permitted us, but it probably took under ten minutes for us to polish off the lot.

While the trip in question was genuinely in order to review Takk, I admit that its outcome was a foregone conclusion. If you believe the (my) hype, go; if you don’t, go see it for yourself (or miss out). With coffee culture increasingly diversifying in Manchester (Ziferblat, PKB, Grindsmith), Takk’s scandi-cool menu and vibe reserves it a spot at the very top. Add in evening gigs, morning coffee tastings, and quite possibly the most passionate, welcoming and cheerful staff to have ever graced Tariff Street, Takk is the cream of a bounteous crop.

Long mornings and afternoons in Takk soothe my soul. Takk is where I go to feel at ease, to forget about analysing the food and the atmosphere. I know it like an old, yet hole-free and still surprisingly elasticated sock, which I intend to warm my feet with for the foreseeable future. With this, I implore you to do the same. Soak in the surroundings without marking your meal and snapshot the experience for your own memories, rather than for the electronic screens of others. Find your sacred space and cherish it. And if you are sure that your coffee-bond can withstand your shameful hypocrisy, write a review of it.

Takk,
6 Tariff Street,
Manchester,
M1 2FF

Opinion: Baroque-ing All Over The World?

You may not have a particular interest in the standardised tonal system of the European tradition of classical music since the 16th century and, of course, I wouldn’t blame you. Even reading that sentence back lulled me into a state of drowsiness. But, it is the system which we have all grown up with and abided by, perhaps without even realising. Tonality, in a nutshell, is the arrangement of pitches and chords that give us a perceived stability and familiarity when we hear the music we love.

Something else you may or may not realise is this European ‘Western’ tonal system has made our music rather restrictive. You may argue that genres such as jazz are a lot more ambiguous and free-spirited with regards to harmony and melody, but even then they are still restricted by the limitations of a tonal system with little or no room for manoeuvre. We are not alone as Chinese music, for example, has its own tonal system, as does Indian, and many others, each of which provides us with alternative perspectives to our own embedded European thinking with regards to how harmonies and melodies are structured. Then, of course, you have the issue of how music around the world is notated. To go into detail of the inner workings of foreign notation and musical documentation practices would be foolish, because there is just too much to cover.

Notation systems are all well and good as prescriptive mediums through which one could replicate a song in performance, but the issue lies with what mere dots, lines and squiggles on a page can’t tell you. They can’t tell you the context in which the performance was given, and they can’t tell you how the performance was presented. Notation transcriptions can’t tell you the quality of the tone, i.e. how the sound itself is produced, so you don’t really get a great indication of what sound is actually present. Also, there may be tones that are unregistered in our European system from elsewhere in the world, such as China and India, that would make this system unfit for that particular purpose.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a new, universally-accepted system through which every known musical tone in existence was easily-registered and could easily be notated? A system where musical aspects such as timbre could in some way be written down exactly as it was performed? It is an idea that I am aware is incredibly flawed, but, just imagine. The creative possibilities would literally be endless. For this to happen, though, there would ideally need to be an instrument, or two, or even several that are capable of dealing with such ambiguities. Could it be possible? It’s all hypothetical and highly unlikely, but rules are meant to be challenged, if not broken altogether. The rules of music are no exception, even if they are rules in which we have abided by with seemingly no issues whatsoever for over 400 years.

Islamic speaker’s event cancelled after “security concerns” at university

The University of Westminster has postponed an event hosting British Islamic Speaker Al Sheikh Haitham Al-Haddad, following concerns over security and homophobia.

LGBT+ students started a petition which gained over 3,000 signatures in order to stop Al-Haddad from speaking on campus, in an event called ‘Who is Muhammad?’

The university’s LGBT+ Society also called the speaker an “anti-gay preacher” and “homophobic,” following an article online in which he labelled homosexuality a “scourge” and a “criminal act.”

National Student Pride festival was set to take place on the following day, and organisers feared Dr. Al-Haddad’s presence on campus would make it difficult to create a safe space for the thousands of LGBT+ students attending the festival.

Eve Hartley, a spokesperson for the university’s LGBT+ society said “[students] should never be met with the possibility of facing hate in the hands of our own Student’s Union.”

She said: “The University should be a safe space for all and it should not be given a platform for hate of any kind—all students should be provided with a safe learning environment.”

The event was scheduled to go ahead until revelations that Islamic State terrorist ‘Jihadi John’ was identified as Mohammed Emwazi, a former student at the University of Westminster.

The University of Westminster posted a tweet which read: “Tonight’s Students’ Union event, ‘Who is Muhammad?’ has been postponed due to increased sensitivity and security concerns.”

In a recent Facebook post, the University of Westminster’s Islamic Society (ISOC) said: “[The society] is not associated with any extremist organisations and that should be obvious and not need stating, but given the climate, it has become necessary to clarify such things in statements such as this.

“We also regret the timing of this story breaking, given the media fervour around it directly led to the event scheduled for this evening, ‘Who is Muhammad’ to be postponed, with the event having been ready to go ahead.”

The evidence that Islamic State extremist Mohammed Emwazi graduated at Westminster University also spawned a coalition row over limiting free speech in university campuses.

The Tories’ default position is now that extremist speakers should be banned on campus, whereas the Liberal Democrats hold the position that debates should go ahead as long as they are well-chaired.

Debates over radicalisation and security services at university will continue up until election day, with concerns that the law risks banning “non-violent extremists” from speaking at universities, which could impact on freedom of speech.

Lecturers take part in the Politics Question Time

Last Tuesday saw 256 Bar in Fallowfield play host to ‘Politics Question Time’, a panel discussion event organised by the Politics Society in the style of the well-known BBC debate programme, with a selection of lecturers from various Manchester University departments acting as the panellists.

Making up this panel were Professor Andrew Russell (Head of Politics), Dr. Peter Backus (Economics), Dr. Peter Lawler (International Relations), Dr. Adrienne Roberts (International Politics), Dr. Miriam Ronzoni (Political Theory) and Dr. Nick Turnbull (Politics).

The panel responded to a set of seven preselected questions posed by audience remembers.

First off the list was “Is the top rate of income tax too low?” concerning the UK’s 45 per cent tax rate on earnings over £150000, reduced from 50 per cent by the current government. Interestingly, the panel’s replies did not focus on the usual argument about high tax rates simply driving the wealthy abroad, with a call instead for taxes on wealth as opposed to income.

The next question to be asked was “With Britain now paying the highest rail fares in the world, is it time we ended the failed experiment of privatisation and renationalised the railways?”

Nick Turnbull was first to respond, discussing the issue of the government subsidising certain transport operators like Stagecoach and Virgin, who return very little to the public purse, versus foreign owned companies who offer far better value for money. While not advocating outright renationalisation, he did insist major reforms were necessary.

Peter Lawler called for a return to the days of British Rail, arguing that the value of railways could not be measured purely in profits and thus is poorly served by a profit-driven privatised system.

The next question was simply, “Can the Tories be trusted with anything?” Andrew Russell gave the first response, stating there were too many unrealistic expectations often imposed on politicians, at the same time stressing the need to hold politicians to account when they renege on their promises to voters.

The fourth question of the evening asked whether it was acceptable for our government to allow billions of dollars in arms sales to countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia while at the same time criticising other nations for human rights abuses.

The idea of using arms sales as leverage against these governments was brought up, as well as Saudi Arabia being a stabilising force in the region.

Fifth up was “Is economic liberalisation the solution for developing countries?” There was a general consensus among the panel that GDP was a poor measure of overall wellbeing of a country, not taking into account factors such as infant mortality and literacy rates.

Adrienne Roberts gave a firm ‘no’, arguing that privatisation of state industries was often not beneficial, with only the most profitable areas taken and the public left to pick up the remains.

Following this, the panel were asked if the planet could be saved from global warming under the current system.
Peter Backus stressed the need for political will and incentives for industries to encourage a switch to more sustainable forms of energy.

Lastly there was a quick fire round asking “Should the University of Manchester divest from fossil fuels?”

The university’s connections to the fossil fuel industry have been a focus of campaigning by the Fossil Free society this year, which wants to see investment diverted to more sustainable causes.

The panel gave a resounding ‘yes’ response, agreeing that such a move would be a powerful symbol of a commitment to sustainability.

Fuse FM hold 24-hour charity broadcast

Friday the 27th of February saw the University of Manchester’s student radio, Fuse FM, take part in a mammoth 24-hour broadcast all in the name of charity.

The broadcast was a mix of interviews, music, chat, and special features in order to raise as much money as possible. The chosen charity was Action for ME, which offers support for those suffering with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. More than 250000 people suffer from this illness in the UK alone. Action for ME provides support for those affected by the syndrome whilst also campaigning for better treatment and research.

Most of the Fuse FM committee members were involved in the broadcast, which included a Nevermind the Buzzcocks-style quiz, a few live music sessions, and even some hard-hitting political discussion in the later stages.

The Mancunion spoke to James Nolan, Fuse FM’s Station Manager, to see how the event went.

“Doing a 24-hour broadcast is something I have wanted to do since I became Station Manager. As it was the Fundraising day of VoluntHero Week at the union, we thought there would be no better opportunity to do it whilst raising some money for charity.”

When asked about his highlights, James said, “I would have to say our early morning reading of random extracts of Fifty Shades of Grey would have to be a highlight.”

With many participants doing at least 12-hour shifts, if not the full 24 hours, it wasn’t all plain sailing for the presenters.

“The heat of the studio was a real tester of our endurance… it got pretty smelly in there.”

“Our energy levels slipped significantly and fully cohesive sentences became a real struggle, but we battled through and re-energised at breakfast time when things livened up again.”

But apparently it was all great fun, and a huge success. If you missed the show then watch this space—some best bits are set to be released in the near future. The event has managed to raise £305 so far with donations still being accepted on JustGiving.

Shadow Universities Minister answers students’ questions

Following the Labour Party’s policy announcement two weeks ago that it would commit to cutting tuition fees to £6000 per year and increase student grants by £400 per year should it form a government after the general election in May, the Shadow Minister for Universities, Science and Skills—and University of Manchester alumnus—Liam Byrne MP came to the Students’ Union on Thursday the 5th of March to answer students’ questions about the policies. Labour candidate for Manchester Withington, Jeff Smith, joined him.

Byrne promised to “deliver a better deal for students in the system today,” and described his party’s policies as part of a “moral crusade” against the policies of the current government, which he claims have been “disastrous” for young people, including the now-infamous tripling of tuition fees to £9000.

Byrne claims his party has learned from the example set by the Liberal Democrats, saying Labour “cannot and will not promise things [they] can’t guarantee”, with priority being given to not “doing a Nick Clegg.” Labour’s policy promises are to reduce the headline cost of tuition fees from £9000 to £6000, whilst also making more than half of undergraduates eligible for maintenance grants from September 2016.

The Shadow Minister declared that the policies would be fully funded, with the £2.7 billion shortfall covered by reducing tax relief on pension contributions for those earning more than £150000 per year, and reducing the amount of money that can be saved tax-free from £1.25 million to £1 million. The change is necessary, Byrne said, because it would cut the liability of all students to incurring debt, and is more progressive because three-quarters of graduates do not presently pay back the money borrowed at £9000.

Byrne attempted to portray Labour as the guardians of education, by claiming that a return to government for David Cameron would lead to the collapse of the student finance system and the “guaranteed” hiking of tuition fees, up to £16000. Byrne described the Prime Minister’s fiscal plan to take £55 billion out of public spending by 2016/17 as “crazy,” and that students remaining as part of the net migration targets set by the government was effectively sending a “go home message” to foreign students studying in the UK. Further, Byrne said that the pledge to hold an in-out referendum on EU membership would “fundamentally jeopardise” the relationship with the EU, and the £1 billion per year research funding given to universities like the University of Manchester.

There was controversy during the event when Free Education MCR campaigners interrupted the session, unfurling an anti-tuition fees banner and accusing Labour of making only a “nominal concession” to the idea of free education by pledging to reduce fees by a third. One of the activists told the MP that the number at the front of the banner could be changed from a 9 to a 6 and that the message behind it will stay the same.

Byrne described the free education movement as “inspiring” and that he was “spiritually with” the campaigners, but emphasised the need to “live in the real world,” asserting that it is unfeasible that a government could close tax loopholes and increase corporation tax to such an extent in one parliament to raise the funds necessary to meet the demands of the free education movement.

Whilst the event was primarily focused on Labour’s fees policies, there was a continual emphasis on voter registration, especially amongst young people. Byrne highlighted the fact that 95 per cent of the over-55s are registered to vote in the Withington constituency, but in a constituency where one-third of those eligible to vote are students, 3000 people have fallen off the register, the majority of which live in student areas.

He emphasised it is key to the integrity of the democratic process that as many students register to vote and have their voices heard on the 7th of May as possible, and that it was time for young people to “strike back.”

Shop it like it’s hot

Manchester is one of the best shopping destinations in the UK; it caters for all different styles and budgets from Selfridges to Primark, Belstaff to Affleck’s Palace. There is a rich array of brands and shops in Manchester’s city centre, plus the Trafford Centre, meaning we’re spoilt for choice. However, after the 2008 recession and the creation of online shopping many high streets are not so lucky, which has lead to a change in our shopping habits.

In years gone by, department stores were the focus of most people’s shopping, boutique shops were not unusual on the high street, different cities would have their own local department store and customers were limited to what they could buy by how far they were prepared to travel. However, in 2015 we are used to seeing the same stores up and down the country. Most cities will have the likes of: Primark, H&M, Topshop, Zara or River Island—fast fashion brands that replicate the latest trends as seen on the runway or celebrities for a fraction of the price (that’s why we love ‘em). The downside of these sorts of shops is the quality; high street stores tend to sell clothes we buy, wear for a year, perhaps two if we’re lucky, but pretty soon they end up looking tatty and outdated.

You can’t picture students in 20 years wearing the dress you bought last week from Zara while vintage clothing is a massive student trend right now. It’s easy for students to buy cheap, good quality clothes that are ten, 20 or 30 years old and still in good nick! It raises the question: How will our current taste for fast fashion impact vintage shoppers in the future?

There is another key change in our modern day shopping habits—online shopping. The BBC reported that 74 per cent of the adult population shop online and nearly half of the purchases are clothing. Online shopping and shopping apps mean we can buy clothes (or whatever else we choose) anywhere and everywhere. The option to order something online when they didn’t have it in the local shop means that customers can pretty much get anything they want.

As students we’re in a prime position now to look as stylish as we like for as much or as little as we like, without having to struggle around the Trafford Centre at the weekend!

Plaque declaring alliance with Pro-Palestinian education moved

Last term a referendum was held in the Students’ Union leading to a policy passing four main things: For the Students’ Union to twin with the Al-Najah National University in Nablus, for the Union to lobby for scholarships for Al-Najah students to study here at Manchester, for solidarity with Al-Najah University, and to retain the plaque in the Student’s Union declaring this policy.

1000 voters took part in electing this policy as part of a fairly carried-out democratic process, which was the second largest referendum turnout ever for the Students’ Union. The policy was passed with an overwhelming 75 per cent majority vote in favour of carrying out the four proposed policies.

However, the plaque has now been moved across to a different pillar in the Students’ Union due to claims from the Students’ Union that threats of legal action were received from external forces. They were said to have sought legal advice and lawyers advised them to remove the plaque.

Instead, the plaque has been downsized and placed in a less visible area of the Students’ Union. There is also a screen projection in the Students’ Union displaying all of the union’s policies.

A statement from the Students’ Union Executive Committee explained: “We would firstly like to make clear that the statement has not been removed; it has been temporarily moved and is currently on the pillar next to its previous placement. The Union is continuing to carry out all of the actions contained within the policy.

“We received a legal challenge on the legitimacy of the statement as to whether our position is accommodated for within our charitable objectives.

“We are sorry that this has not been communicated earlier—as stated, due to legal advice being sought we were constrained in our ability to explain the processes.”

Action Palestine has since received a letter from students in Gaza expressing their sorrow: “We are saddened that you failed to empathize with us and break through the silence imposed on our voices, to stand against what the United Nations Special Rapporteur John Dugard described as the only remaining case after South Africa, ‘of a Western-affiliated regime that denies self-determination and human rights to a developing people and that has done so for so long.’”

Tasfia Salek, Treasurer of Action Palestine is outraged, since the Union failed to raise awareness of these issues before removing the plaque.

Salek said: “The trustee board, of which the majority have been elected to represent us, has blatantly disregarded the will of the student body. It’s extremely unfortunate that the Students’ Union has so easily been scared into submission by external lobbying and overturned our vote.

“This has completely undermined the structures of student democracy and we urge the union to reassess this decision, and vote to reinstate the plaque which expresses what is already enshrined in international law.

“More importantly, representing the interests of students is part of its own stated objectives.”

However the Students’ Union, in response to Salek’s comment, have stated that the claims being made in regards to the trustee board are factually inaccurate. The trustee board have not made any decision on this matter and it is the elected Executive Committee who made the decision in regards to the implementation of the policy.

They continued that any decisions made in regards to policy implementation have been made by the Exec Team and not any of the Trustees.

Action Palestine is continuing to lobby the Students’ Union for the plaque to be moved back to its original place.

What’s in my mum’s make-up bag?

Having already experimented with the majority of make-up brands that are on the market, my Mum’s make up bag consists solely of two brands: Lancôme and Clinique. There’s no doubt that she holds a strong loyalty to Lancôme, always returning for help from the same lady on the same Boots counter. Although she has started to collect the odd few products from Mac due to much persuasion from yours truly, including one of their staple lipsticks, Crème Cup, and one or two of their blushers, her daily make-up bag consists of her favourite two brands! Let’s dive straight in, shall we?

To begin with, I found the Super City Block moisturiser by Clinique, which has an SPF of 40. It works a charm, giving your bare face that little bit of extra life, along with acting as a beautiful primer to perfect your make-up look.

Photo: Clinique

My next find, and a newbie in my mum’s make up bag, was Lancôme’s CC City Miracle. Not wanting too thick a coverage, a CC Cream is a brilliant alternative to foundation.

Photo: The Mancunion

Onto the eyes, my Mum wears Lancôme’s Hypnose Waterproof Mascara, and the Hypnôse Drama Eyes Palette for eye shadow. What did I tell you—she’s Lancôme’s biggest fan!

Photo: The Mancunion Photo: The Mancunion

Next on the make up hit list, she applies Clinique’s Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Mixed Berries, giving a beautiful natural flush to her cheekbones.

Photo: The Mancunion

Last, but by all means not least, comes lipstick. How she chooses what lipstick to wear each day is beyond me, owning the majority of Lancôme’s lipstick range, but the one I found in her make up bag was in the shade Corail in Love from their Rouge in Love lipstick collection.

Photo: The Mancunion

Suffer from menstrual problems? Sorry love, no jobs here

Universities are expected to be beacons of fairness, equality, and inclusivity, but the National University of Ireland in Galway (NUIG) has come under considerable fire following complaints from prospective employees over “invasive” and “misogynistic” questions on its occupational health form.

This academic institution, whose history dates back to 1845, describes itself as having “a distinguished reputation for teaching and research excellence,” but this reputation has been tarnished of late, following fresh claims of sexism and lack of gender equality in the university.

The university claims that the 40 questions, including: “Do you suffer with any problems with your menstrual periods?” and “Do you suffer any breast problems?”, help occupational health professionals to establish whether the successful candidate will be in a position to “carry out the job without any undue risk to the health and safety of themselves or others at work.”

A statement from NUIG said: “The form is completely confidential and returned by the individual to the university Occupational Health Physician directly… A confirmation is simply received of medical fitness for duty or not.”

One senior lecturer at NUIG, however, has branded the questions “borderline misogynistic. They are such an invasion of privacy it is unbelievable. Why are the menstrual periods of women workers of concern to NUI Galway? If you answer ‘yes’ to this question, what are the consequences?”

This criticism has prompted NUIG to respond to calls of sexism in the workplace; The Connacht Tribune reported that issues of gender equality have been unavoidable at NUIG in recent months, following Equality Tribunal findings on discrimination against two female lecturers at the university. Moreover, in recent figures, it was revealed that 81 per cent of the university’s staff was male.

NUIG alumnus and Sinn Féin Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh has spoken out against the university, saying that he is “very concerned” over the problems raised by the questionnaire. “It appears excessively intrusive, and it gives rise to gender balance issues, bias, and discrimination.

“Whether or not they have underlying health issues could be ascertained without going into so much detail about whether somebody has any problems with their menstrual periods, their menstrual cycles or whether they’ve had any prostate issues. I can’t understand why you’d ask so specific questions of people and I think it is totally outrageous.”

The university, which has handed out honorary doctorates to the likes of Hillary Clinton and Angelica Huston, announced that they would be reviewing the process in light of the recent backlash. Many current and past students and staff have expressed concern over Twitter at the actions of the institution using the hashtag #answerstoNUIG.

One current student, @GraceyOConnell, said: “Cause a menstrual cycle impacts on how she does her job [sic]? I won’t be looking for a job here after my degree anyway”.

Parental guidance

As a child I was frequently photographed wearing dungarees, matching two-piece outfits or  flower-patterned shift dresses. Some might argue, the norm for a 90s kid. Dressing for warmth was not really an issue for me living in Zimbabwe and I often ran around the garden barefoot. As I grew older my parents were relatively liberal in allowing me to wear whatever I pleased, including some very bad fashion choices that could have benefited from a little intervention. They knew what was essential and invested time and money into things like running shoes, a good winter coat, a scarf, and gloves.

My black ASOS high-waisted ripped jeans are my pride and joy at the moment, but that doesn’t stop my dad from offering to buy me new jeans or sew up the carefully constructed rips. So much so that when we encounter someone else wearing ripped jeans, I feel the need to point it out to him: “Look Dad, I told you it’s a fashion trend… it’s not just me!” I find that my dad often critiques my clothing choices using humour with an underlying truth, but has never attempted to change the way I dress. Despite his banter about midi rings simply being too small for my fingers, or crop tops shrinking in the wash, he pretty much accepts that he will never fully understand the realm of youth fashion.

Fashion advice from my dad usually comes from a comical place, whereas my mum offers genuine constructive criticism—I’ve learnt when to reject it and when to accept it. All that matters is that they’ve accepted my style, namely my love for black and my online shopping habits.

Beauty tutorial: 70s Disco

For this look you will need:

  • Foundation
  • Lightweight concealer
  • Bronzer
  • Pearlescent highlighter
  • Pink blusher
  • Brow pencil or powder
  • Green and blue eye shadow
  • Black eye liner
  • Black mascara or false lashes
  • Burgundy lipstick

Step One:

Photo: The Mancunion

Although this an evening look, you need to avoid a heavy base as your skin should look fresh and natural. Use a creamy concealer to cover any imperfections and a light, dewy foundation if you need more coverage. If you have oily skin, set your make-up with a light powder. Next apply bronzer to temples, cheekbones and jawline with a fluffy brush, ensuring you blend it well. Then dot and blend highlighter along cheek and brow bones followed by a fresh pink blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Step Two:

Photo: The Mancunion

Define your eyebrows as you would normally but make sure they are not too thick or dark. Then, using an angled brush, line the lower lid with blue eye shadow (use an eyeliner if this is easier) before applying green eye shadow to the upper lid.

Step Three:

Photo: The Mancunion

Now extend the green eye shadow outwards in a wing shape. Add definition to your eyes by lining your upper lashes with black eye liner, making the line as thick or as thin as you like. Finish off by applying liner to your waterline.

Tip! If you find drawing the wing shape tricky, try using a credit card (or similar) as a ruler, by lining it up with the outer corner of your eye and the tip of your eyebrow.

Step Four:

Photo: The Mancunion

Complete the look with black mascara or false lashes, some dramatic dark lipstick and as much glitter as you like!

Tip! For lip colour that lasts, apply lip liner first then blot the first layer of lipstick. Add a touch of translucent powder, reapply lipstick and blot again!

Products used:

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, £9.99, Boots
MUA Colour Pro-Base Prime & Conceal Palette, £4, Superdrug
Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder, £34.50, Debenhams
Benefit High Beam, £19.50, Debenhams
Benefit Coralista, £23. 50, Debenhams
Sleek Brow Kit, £8.49, Superdrug
Sleek i-Divine Palette in Original, £7.99, Superdrug
Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Timeless Black, £4.99, Superdrug
Rimmel London Wonder’full Mascara, £7.99, Superdrug
Christian Dior Rouge Dior Lipstick in Fifth Avenue, £26, Debenhams

Cottonopolis: Manchester’s fashionable history

Manchester has always been stylish, and with its cotton roots that comes as no surprise. In the 19th century, Manchester held the status of the international centre of the cotton trade and textile industry. It was so well known for being a city of cotton that it was coined ‘Cottonopolis’.

Back in ye olde day (1781) when cotton mills were powered by water, Richard Arkwright opened the innovative—and the world’s first—steam-driven textile mill in Manchester. (Well done Rich). As textile manufacturing moved from the home to large-scale factories, Manchester and its surrounding towns became the largest and most productive cotton spinning centres in the world. In 1871, 32 per cent of global cotton production took place in Manchester.

“Why Manchester?” you may ask. Well, apparently the area proved to be an ideal location for production due to the constant power supply in the city’s numerous fast-flowing rivers. Who knew?

Some sceptical readers may be wondering how someone could ever choose to locate themselves in Manchester because of the near-constant rain. Yet it turns out the rain was actually the thing that was most desirable at the time! The damp air meant that the threads of cotton were less likely to snap. I may never complain about the rain again… well, at least until a puddle ruins my new shoes at a bus stop on Oxford Road.

But back to Cottonopolis; at one point, there were 108 cotton mills in Manchester. However, numbers started to decline as mills opened in surrounding towns such as Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Bolton. Factories and houses for workers began to fill every spare scrap of land.

During the 1800’s Manchester’s reputation as a financial and commercial centre was boosted by the number of warehouses erected in the city centre. Because the city had over 1819 warehouses, Manchester was creatively dubbed ‘Warehouse City’.

The Lancashire cotton industry peaked in 1913. Yet Manchester remained the hub of the world cotton goods market until the Royal Exchange closed in 1968, proving that Manchester is simply the best.

2000 years after good old Arkwright made that iconic mill, no working mills remain but Manchester is still a city shaped by cotton. There are still around 5000 people in Greater Manchester employed in the textile industry. Manchester’s cottonopolis past can be seen in its buildings: Converted mills and warehouses have found new life as offices, hotels, and flats all alongside sparkling new glassy high-rises. Cotton is a part of Manchester’s history and we should embrace it.

So next time you go into a vintage shop and pick up a cotton shirt or dress, wait a minute, and think about all of the hardworking Mancunians who helped supply the cotton to make the garment. Mind blown!

Cocaine, cartels and corruption

Discover Colombia, a vibrant and colourful country thanks to its heritage of Spanish, Indigenous and African ethnicities and the variety of its landscape and culture. It is a fascinating country still emerging from the lingering shadow cast upon it by its violent past, its notorious role in the Cocaine trade and the violence of its internal conflict between FARC rebels and the Colombian government.

Fortunately over the past twenty years Colombia has seen a transformation and contrary to stereotypes of it being a no-go danger zone, it is much safer than it was and is fast becoming a popular destination for young travellers with a taste for adventure. With an array of cosmopolitan cities, glorious palm-fringed beaches and jungle paradise hang-outs, Colombia is a large country boasting endless places to see.

On the North Coast alone wander through the romantic colonial streets of Cartagena, swim in the warm turquoise waters of Caribbean paradise Parque Tayrona and sip on fresh fruit rum cocktails whilst dancing to rhythmic Latin beats on moonlit rooftop bars in Taganga. Rather than sticking to the predictable gringo trail; ticking off party hostels, skipping through cities and only skimming the surface of the country why not do something both more adventurous and immersive? Because the Colombian tourism business is still in the early stages of development, it’s still possible to get an experience that is literally off the beaten track.

Spend a month living on a coffee plantation and learn about the various stages of coffee bean production in Minca, volunteer at an eco-yoga farm amid jungle-carpeted mountains in the Coffee Region or help out at a hostel in beach paradise Palomino and learn some Spanish in return for food and accommodation. The opportunities are endless. I spent five months living in Colombia and fell utterly in love with everything about it. It is a place where time moves at a slower pace, people greet each other in the street and dancing salsa is an integral part of life whether you’re seven or 70.

It’s a shame that many jump at the chance to go to Colombia solely thinking of the cheap and easily available cocaine that is still linked with Colombia’s reputation. Before dabbling in the local speciality look around and consider that for the most part the only Colombians you’ll see on drugs are the homeless children as young as ten years old. Their vacant faces tell the stories of the devastating consequences directly linked to the drug trade and guerrilla conflicts that are still visible when walking down the streets of modern day Colombia. Visit Colombia, enjoy the beauty of its scenery and warmth of its people but remember that it’s got infinitely more to offer than just that white powder. Instead of cocaine, cartels and corruption, think culture, coffee and champeta!