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Day: 8 October 2015

Pangaea: Neverland – Costume Competition

Written by news on . Posted in News.

The Mancunion returned to this year’s Pangaea, searching for the most inventive and most impressive costumes! We’ve narrowed it down to ten, and final decision is down to our readers. The victor will win free entry to January’s Pangaea, so every vote counts. Which do you think was the best costume? Was it…

 

#1 – These Steampunk bandits?

 

#2 – This comfortable crocodile?

 

#3 – The King and Queen of the Sea?

 

#4 – The ballerina pirate?

 

#5 – Tinkerbell?

 

#6 – Captain Good Times?

 

#7 – The Mermaid?

 

#8 – This scholarly pirate?

 

#9 – The Darling Family?

 

#10 – Rufio?

The competition will end next Friday, the 16th of October, at 9pm. Vote for your favourite now!

Our full photo album can be found on The Mancunion‘s Facebook page.

[yop_poll id=”8″]

Manchester Victoria station reopens after major overhaul

Written by George Ball on . Posted in News.

In what will be good news for students and commuters alike, Manchester Victoria station officially reopened on Tuesday after a £44 million overhaul.

The redevelopment includes three new tracks and four new tram platforms, with passenger figures expected to double to 40,000 a day.

The station is a crucial transport hub for destinations to the north and east of Manchester and now boasts a futuristic looking ‘bubble roof’. This is similar to the roof of the Eden Project in Cornwall and uses the same plastic, ETFE. This proved to be one of the more difficult aspects of the rebuild as the 400 panels had to be lifted into place by a 750 tonne crane, the largest in the country.

The previous roof had leaked since the IRA bomb in Manchester City Centre in 1996.

Speaking at the opening, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin lauded the project as an example of the government’s ongoing ‘Northern Powerhouse’ project. He said “I want to congratulate everyone involved in this remarkable project. It’s now a symbol of opportunity, not neglect, and proof that this one nation government is building the Northern Powerhouse.”

He went onto discuss the investment currently being poured into the North West. “The North is receiving a wave of investment in its transport infrastructure on a scale not seen for generations, with £4.5 billion in the North West alone.”

In addition to being part of the Northern Powerhouse project, the redevelopment is also part of Network Rail’s ‘Northern Hub’ plan. With the claim of being the largest investment in Manchester’s railway network since the Victorian era, it aims to have 700 extra trains running everyday by 2019. It hopes to add £4 billion to the local economy, and create 30,000 new jobs.

After being voted ‘Britain’s worst station’ by the Department for Transport in 2009 it is hoped that, with the redevelopment now finished, the station can shake this tag off and become a symbol of fresh development in the city.

Manchester team investigating pollution before VW scandal

Written by Emily Hughes on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

In recent weeks, reports of Volkswagen fitting illegal fuel emission recording devices to cars have been all over the news. However even before the scandal hit, a team of researchers from the University of Manchester were on the case, with research beginning to show just how polluting diesel engines can be.

2001 saw the introduction of a pollution tax on cars—the higher the car’s carbon dioxide emissions, the higher the tax. In order to implement this tax, cars must undergo official testing to determine their emissions.

Typically, diesel cars are marketed as a greener option, and so following the new tax many switched their car from petrol following the new tax; around half of all new cars bought in the UK are diesel. However, the recent VW scandal has uncovered the fact that many drivers who had switched are actually driving cars emitting much higher levels of pollution than advertised, despite believing they were saving money and being more green.

Volkswagen has been found to be using sophisticated algorithms in their emissions recording devices on certain vehicles, which can detect when the car is undergoing official testing. The algorithms ensured that emission controls are only turned on fully during the test in a lab or testing station, therefore meeting the emissions standard required. However, during normal operation the cars have been found to emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard that is allowed.

Since the news broke, VW has admitted to 11 million of its diesel vehicles being fitted with the false emission devices, with nearly 1.2 million in the UK affected. The discovery of this scandal will likely have widespread consequences; Volkswagen shares have already fallen 40 per cent since the scandal hit. The company may also face fines of up to $37,500 per vehicle—totalling $18bn altogether.

Investigating the pollution emitted from these diesel engines is a team at the university, led by Dr. Rami Alfarra. The team have collaborated with atmospheric chemistry researchers at York University to test a diesel Volkswagen engine. They aim to piece together an accurate picture of just how polluting the Volkswagen engine is, especially once the pollutants reach the atmosphere.

Their work is conducted using a specially made atmospheric chamber, which can accurately mimic external conditions. This allows the team to monitor precisely the exact emissions produced by the engine and how the particles react with sunlight to create secondary pollution, which has been found to be harmful to human health.

Dr. Alfarra’s team has so far found that nitrogen oxides and particulates were being emitted at elevated levels. However, this was discovered under conditions that are currently not represented in the testing protocols agencies use now, highlighting a possible flaw in the current method.

Despite being the only researchers in the UK looking at this aspect of engines, Dr Alfarra said, “hopefully our work will inform and make engines cleaner in the future.”

One in four Manchester homes are workless

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in News.

A new report, reported by the Manchester Evening News, shows that in one in four households in Manchester, no one has a job.

To officially qualify as workless a household has to have at least one adult, aged 16 – 64, but no adult living there employed. At 24.2 per cent, Manchester is significantly above the national average of 16.4 per cent. This news comes after a positive report in April this year suggesting unemployment in the North West had decreased by 20,000.

Manchester has the highest rate of unemployment in the Greater Manchester area, with Oldham a close second at 22 per cent and Tameside following with 20.8 per cent. Stockport shows a figure of 14.3 per cent, with Trafford standing at 14.1 per cent—both rates bellow the national average. Accurate figures could not be found for Salford, Rochdale or Wigan.

The data includes those actively seeking a job, students, and those unable to work because of a registered disability.

Areas of the North and Scotland were generally seen to have the highest number of workless households. Manchester is not the worst however, with Liverpool topping the table of household unemployment rates. It has nearly a third of homes workless, at 30.3 per cent. Wolverhampton at 28 per cent and Thanet in Kent at 27.7 per cent are second and third respectively.

Rounding off the top 10 are Burnley (27 per cent), Glasgow (26.6 per cent), Pendle (26.3 per cent), Hartlepool (26 per cent), Sunderland (26 per cent), West Dumbartonshire (25.7 per cent) and Blackpool (25.4 per cent).

Hertsmere in Hertfordshire had the lowest figure in the country at 2.4 per cent. Others with low rates of workless homes include Hambleton in North Yorkshire (4.9 per cent), Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire (5 per cent) and Eastleigh in Hampshire (5.1 per cent).

The national average is down from this time last year, falling slightly from 17.3 per cent to 16.4 per cent.

Mummified animal exhibition opens at Manchester Museum

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

On October the 8th, the Manchester Museum unveiled a new exhibition focused around a large collection of mummified animals.

The interactive exhibition has taken two years of planning by an interdisciplinary team of academics from Manchester, and museum partners in Liverpool and Glasgow. Pieces have been pulled from the Museum’s own collection as well as from other museums throughout the UK.

In preparing the exhibition, the Museum team has utilised not only photography and CT scans, but also microscopic and chemical analysis to gather information on these ancient specimens.

A large variety of animals will be on display including cats, snakes, ibis birds, kestrels, and fish. Notably, the exhibition contains a crocodile mummy with four skulls inside and a jackal mummy that has been 3D printed so visitors can see not only the jackal skeleton, but the human bones contained inside.

Mummification of these animals was a costly process and as such was usually restricted to the upper class. Ancient Egyptians offered these animals as gifts to the gods, in exchange for their prayers being heard.

Dr. Campbell Price, the curator of Egypt and the Sudan, at the Manchester Museum, hopes that with this exhibit “people will rethink ancient Egypt.

“Our impression of ancient Egypt is rather patronising,” he says. “I hope people will take seriously the Egyptians’ earnest desire to give animal mummies as gifts to the gods.”

The exhibition opens with a recreation of a lush, green landscape, depicting where the animals would have been found when alive.

Campbell describes green as the key colour of the exhibit. The exhibition, he says, paints ancient Egypt not as a beige desert, but as “a green, lively place where people lived closely with animals and used animal forms to express superhuman ideas.”

The exhibit is on an 18-month tour and will remain at the Manchester museum until the 17th of April.

Research grants for Salford students

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Five current University of Salford students have been awarded research grants to study childhood cancer treatments.

Undergraduates Louise Chan, Parham Manouchehri, Zakia Zia, Liam Dey and David Scannali all study at the University’s Department of Environment and Life Sciences.

The five students will carry out childhood cancer research projects in the upcoming academic year as part of the university’s industrial placement scheme.

Each student has been given £2000 by Kidscan, a Salford-based children’s cancer research charity, to cover any laboratory costs including chemicals and equipment.

They will be supervised by senior members of the Biomedical Science Research Centre for the duration of the year-long projects.

The number of placements that have been funded is a record for the charity.

Kidscan, which was founded in 2002, works to develop new and improved cancer treatments specifically aimed at children. The organisation funds research into drug treatments and support schemes for children battling cancer.

The treatments are developed to be just as effective as those undergone by adults, but without as many side effects that could be particularly harmful for children, both physically and mentally.

Dr David Pye, Scientific Director at Kidscan, said: “We have been extremely impressed by the innovative areas of research that this year’s placement students are now able to pursue.

“It’s exciting to be able to provide these talented students with a way to grow and develop their skills, whilst also exploring important new areas of research into childhood cancer treatments.

“We are only able to provide opportunities for the cancer researchers of the future because of the support we receive from fundraisers.

“We thank them wholeheartedly for making this possible.”

Super Saturday: City set for cross-code clash

Written by Alex Whitcomb on . Posted in Sport.

This Saturday evening, the Etihad stadium will see England’s Rugby Union side face off with Uruguay in their final World Cup group game. For most cities, hosting a World Cup match involving the host nation would be enough of an occasion. However, this time, Old Trafford will play host to the Rugby League’s showpiece event—the Super League Grand Final—two hours before England’s kick off.

This will be a night to remember for Manchester, not just because Greater Manchester Police will not allow Manchester City and Manchester United to play at home on the same day—but because it’s exceptionally rare that both venues are used for such big matches simultaneously.

For the Southern or international students that are unfamiliar with the Rugby League, there are some differences, but it is as exciting as Rugby Union! There are 13 players rather than 15. No rucks, contested scrums or lineouts. What gives the league its reputation for speed and tries is the six phase rule. A team can only be tackled and brought to the ground six times before having to hand the ball over to the other side. This means that there aren’t any endless periods of possession and unmoving lines of defence which is often the case in the Rugby Union.

At the time of writing, the favourites to win the Super League are Leeds Rhinos. The winners of the League Leader’s Shield have four out of the thirteen players in the Super League Dream Team, and two out of the three nominees for Man of Steel. They also have a habit of winning the final, even if they haven’t been close to winning the league, having won the Super League at a record of six times. Leeds Stalwarts’ Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock are joined by young stars like Zak Hardaker. As League Leaders, they will be the marked team of the playoffs.

Huddersfield are also in the mix for glory, the home of the Rugby League—although they have never won the Super League. Coming third in the league this year, 2013’s Man of Steel and captain, Danny Brough, will be hoping that he can lead the giants to a first major trophy win since 1962.

Local foes Wigan and St. Helens will be fancying their chances for the final too. The fiercest rivalry in club rugby, last year’s final between the two teams descended into chaos in the opening minutes. Wigan prop Ben Flower was red carded and banned for six months when he punched St Helens’ Lance Hohaia twice in the face in the first three minutes of the game.

The two sides have also been amongst the most successful in league history. Between them they have 31 Challenge cups and 33 League titles (Wigan more successful with 19 cups and 20 leagues). They are also well represented in the SL Dream Team, with 2 players each.

The Rugby Union and the Rugby League are different codes of the same sport, so it’s often the case that players will switch between one and the other. Prior to 1995, Rugby Union was strictly amateur and this meant that working class players changed to the Rugby League to earn more money. Jonathan Davies is an example of an international in the Rugby Union moving to the league in this era. Nowadays, players tend to move from the league to the more lucrative Rugby Union; World Cup winners Jason Robinson and Sonny Bill Williams being the most successful converts this way. Sam Burgess is also a recent case of this, having had a very successful career in the league.

Rugby League has also tried to grow the game outside its heartlands. Arguably one of the greatest league matches ever taken place at Wembley Stadium, England lost to New Zealand in the last 20 seconds of the match and missed out on a place in the 2013 World Cup final. As a southern Rugby League first timer that day, I can safely say it was the most exciting and gut-wrenching sports match I’ve ever been to. Such was the drama—the last minute try was named “Wembley’s moment of the year”. In 2013, Wembley also hosted the Champions League final, the FA Cup final and the NFL—so it was certainly a strong endorsement for the Rugby League.

The fact that the England game is the only Rugby Union World Cup match taking place in Manchester, is part of a wider lack of matches in the North. Traditionally, the Rugby Union is a Southern game and the league is played in the North, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Only five Rugby World Cup games are in the north this year, and only two are being played in rugby league cities.

The ticket prices are also off-putting to Northerners wanting to see the Rugby Union for the first time. A ticket to the World Cup will set you back between £50-250. Super League however, ranges between £20 – 70 in general sale (£10 from the Students’ Union), and is therefore more likely to attract more of the casual observers as well as hardcore fans.

No matter the result of either game, the Super League winner lifting the trophy at the moment when England start their final World Cup group game will be an unmissable sporting occasion.

Sport in the City: The 2015 UEC BMX European Cup

Written by Adam Selby on . Posted in Sport.

Over the course of the academic year, as well as paying close attention to, and prioritising the progress and successes of, our university’s very own societies, teams and campus sports, let our new Sport in the City feature tempt you into a very different sporting day out. Whether it’s a new sport, a team about whom you did not know, or just an event that interests us, we hope that we will entice you to explore the wide sporting variety that the city has to offer during your time studying at the University of Manchester.

 

In the spotlight this week: The 2015 UEC BMX European Cup

Well… what is it?

The UEC BMX European Cup is an annual BMX bike competition, featuring the elite crop of BMX bike riders, not just from throughout Europe but all over the world. Similar to the way in which the BMX World Cup operated between April and September of this year, the 2015 edition is also divided between a number of different stages in various cities throughout Europe. After touring Belgium, France, Denmark and Switzerland with two stages hosted in each country, Manchester has been picked as the lucky hosts of Stages 9 and 10, in what culminates as the final of this very prestigious event in the world of BMX cycling.

Each stage in the European Cup offers a weekend of sporting activity, with various individual races for the elite men, women and even juniors. Over 1000 riders from 12 or more counties are anticipated to be in Manchester for the most illustrious competition in the world of BMX cycling. Thus far, in the previous eight stages of the European Cup, one thing the results do tell is that in this sport, always be prepared to expect the unexpected, with the ‘Men’s individual Race #1’ being won by four different riders in four different countries.

However, regarding the Women’s competition, do keep your eye out for 24-year-old Venezuelan BMX rider Stefany Hernandez. Should the Olympian compete in Manchester and win both stages, she will make it eight stage wins out of the ten in which she has taken part.

How do I get there? 

This year’s event takes place at the National Cycling Centre—more commonly known throughout Manchester as the Velodrome—which is situated just over the road from the home of Manchester City FC’s Etihad Stadium. Although not visible from the main road, the venue is situated just before the large ASDA complex opposite the football stadium and is heavily signposted around the Etihad and Sportcity campus.

In terms of travel, the National Cycling Centre is based 3.2 miles away from the University of Manchester Students’ Union and again is easily accessible through means of public transport. Should you wish to travel by bus, you will need to catch the 216 to Sportcity from Stop D in Piccadilly Gardens, with a journey time of only 10 minutes.

However, you could catch the Metrolink from anywhere in the City Centre and get off at the ‘Velopark’ stop, which is the nearest stop to the National Cycling Centre. Trams run to and from Velopark every 12 – 15 minutes. However, please note that due to Manchester City’s home game on the Saturday of the event, take extra time to plan your travel to and from the venue.

But how much does it cost to get in?

Inevitably, as with any major competition, regardless of the type of sport, the entry price often represents the standard of athletes and competitors involved. But with a three-day pass priced at £25, a two-day weekend pass at £18, or even if you only fancy visiting for a day for £12, we think such an event is both affordable and well-priced for students looking for an afternoon of sport. Unfortunately, no concessionary options are available, but the above spectator tickets can be purchased online here.

What are the facilities like? 

The National Cycling Centre offers the only permanent indoor BMX track in the country, with seating for up to 1,800 fans. Its velodrome is often cited as the catalyst for Great Britain’s recent cycling success, with the likes of Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton being big fans of the facilities in Manchester. As well as offering several multi-purpose sports courts for badminton, basketball and even korfball, the BMX facilities are only four years old and the complex itself was constructed at a cost of £24 million in a partnership between Manchester City Council and British Cycling, whose headquarters are housed there, too.

Tell me something I didn’t already know…

Although many people associate the word BMX with the type of bike that you would ride when you were much younger, the format of BMX racing is actually derived from motocross racing and as a sport its origins are thought to derive from 1970s Southern California. After calls for the sport to be recognised in the Olympic Games, it was only in 2003 when the International Olympic Committee agreed that BMX bike riding could be considered a full medal Olympic sport from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games onwards. Subsequently, the first Olympic gold medal winners in the sport were French female rider Anne-Caroline Chausson and Latvian male Māris Štrombergs, with the latter still holding on to his gold medal after success in the 2012 London Olympics.

Finally, when can I see this in action?

The 2015 UEC BMX European Cup takes place in under a fortnight’s time, between Friday 16th October and Sunday 18th October. Therefore, you have plenty of time to plan in advance and to enjoy a different day out with more thrills, spills and skills than over the road at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City will host the 2014/15 Sky Bet Championship winners Bournemouth during the same weekend on the Saturday.

 

If you have any requests for local teams, sports or events taking place in Manchester, or if you wish to be involved, please contact: [email protected].