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Day: 22 April 2016

Union budget cuts threaten future of The Cambridge Student

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

The Cambridge Student, the official student newspaper at the Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU), has been informed that their budget will be significantly cut with only two term days to appeal, meaning they will have to end the print edition of their newspaper.

On Friday the 15th of April, senior editorial staff at TCS were sent an e-mail from Union trustees and officers informing them that the 2016/17 budget would see a “reduction in resource allocation” taking place, a move that would kill the print edition of the weekly newspaper after 17 years of existence.

TCS reports it has requested a year-long deferral of the decision, in which time period it can work on reducing costs and increasing profit. None of its members, it says, were made aware that cuts were to be made until the e-mail was received, and at no point were they asked how the paper’s running could be made more affordable.

In an article titled CUSU budget threatens 17-year TCS print legacy, TCS says: “According to the CUSU Constitution, the budget should have ‘been made available for inspection at the CUSU Offices during office hours for the 2 weeks prior to the day of the meeting.’

“This would have been April 18, however it has not yet been done.”

“TCS cost CUSU £24,430, and brought in £32,140 in sponsorship and contract income.”

“Totally baffled by @CUSU proposals to cut funding to @TCSNewspaper”, tweeted incumbent Student Publication Association Chair Jem Collins. “LOOK AT THESE FIGURES. #dothemaths”.

Editor-in-Chief of The Cambridge Student Elsa Maishman said: “We cannot switch immediately, with almost no warning, from being a primarily print newspaper to an online-only presence with the capability to rival the large scale, large investment organisation that is the Tab.”

The SPA also released a statement in response to the proposed cuts, calling upon the Union “to abandon proposals to cut budget for The Cambridge Student as a matter of urgency.” TCS was shortlisted for many prestigious SPA awards at this month’s SPA National Conference.

Collins said: “It may sound overblown, but student media really is vital to both university life and democracy, keeping students informed and holding power to account.

“It doesn’t just benefit those who participate, but the whole student body. For SUs to try and pull the plug on funding for something this important is frankly an embarrassment, especially when you look at the consistent quality of the work at TCS.

“Print media is still of paramount importance on campus, and enables engagement in ways you can’t emulate online and it’s important to safeguard this for future students.

“The SPA will work with TCS to help lobby against these proposals, which would be wholly damaging to the university, union and it’s students.”

At the NUS National Conference 2016 which came to an end yesterday, delegates voted in favour of Motion 314 which resolved to work towards more transparent Union election coverage and strike a balance between fair coverage and accountability, amid concerns of SUs exerting excessive control over what their media outlets could release during the election period.

The Cambridge Student‘s latest edition can be read online here.

Preview: Manchester City vs Stoke City

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

Injuries
• Samir Nasri—couldn’t recover 100 per cent. For the next game he should be OK.
• Vincent Kompany is fit—should be playing as normal again now.
• David Silva is fit—Pellegrini said that Silva should be fine to play two games in a row now, whereas it was uncomfortable earlier in the month. He also said that he tried to sign David Silva when he was at Real Madrid.

Last Time

Stoke City fans when promoted to the Premier League. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Xherdan Shaqiri was just showing off really in December, when Stoke ran out 2-0 winners in a superb game for the Potters that saw Marco Arnautovic net twice early in the first half. It was a day to forget for City, as Stoke’s energy and pace was too much for them, and City never really looked in the game. Mark Hughes has turned Stoke into a very different team to that of Tony Pulis’ era. Pulis used to play a tough game full of tackles, flailing elbows and long throw-ins, whereas ex-City manager Hughes has added some genuine quality to the team. Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping that City can play better this time; “they had important players in their best moments” he said, as he expressed his optimism this time round. He also said that he hasn’t seen Stoke play like that all season.

Quote of the Presser

“It was exactly the same against Paris Saint Germain. The best thing to prepare for the game that we must play on Tuesday, is to try to win tomorrow against Stoke” – Manuel Pellegrini

Sergio’s 100

On Tuesday against Newcastle United, Sergio Agüero scored his 100th Premier League goal for Manchester City. Not just that—he became the second quickest player in the competition’s history to do so, just behind Alan Shearer. The goal itself was a header miles offside from a Kolarov cross… but lets ignore that for a moment. This goal may prove to be very important in securing fourth place for City, but Agüero has scored some other very important goals in his time at The Etihad. Let’s take a look at his top three goals in a blue shirt.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

3. Swansea – The arrival of Agüero!

Agüero arrived for a hefty price tag, much hype and zero experience in the toughest league in the world, so he had to hit the ground running if he wanted to achieve greatness in his time here. We’ve seen with the likes of Wilfried Bony and Stevan Jovetic, that if you don’t hit the ground running here, you may fall by the wayside as there’s plenty others who will take your spot. But, Agüero came on from the bench to score two goals in a great display of things to come. The second of his goals was a beautiful shot from twenty five yards out that flew into the net.

2. Bayern Munich – EuroStar!

Okay, so I’ve slightly cheated as this is technically three goals… and not in the Premier League, but it would be a crime to miss this out! City were 2-0 down in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, looking at most probably elimination from the competition. Step up Sergio Agüero, as he scored three goals that eventually saw City sail through to the next stage of the competition. This was probably City’s greatest Champions League moment yet – but there’s time for this to be overtaken in the coming weeks! A hat-trick against one of the greatest teams in the world? It’ll have to be one special goal to pip this one to first place….

1. QPR – Martin Tyler’s career defining moment!
Not just Agüero’s greatest goal at City, but the greatest goal the Premier League has ever seen. Although the goal itself looks a bit boring, the pressure Agüero was under to score this goal was immense! On the 93rd minute of the last game of the season, Agüero scored the winner against QPR that saw City finish top of the table on goal difference! Without that goal, who knows where City would be? Sergio Agüero, Roberto Mancini, and thousands of people in The Etihad will never forget the day, and surely even this little Argentinian could never outdo this goal.

Distraction

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

If you don’t already know—then where the bloody hell have you been? City will be facing the might Real Madrid on Tuesday at The Etihad, in their very first Champions League semi-final. For many of the City team, this will be the furthest they have ever featured in the competition, and therefore they could be forgiven for having one eye already on that game. The Blues have to try and get past Stoke City first in the Premier League without being too distracted in the meantime! When asked how he will spur the City team on, Pellegrini stated that they will still want to beat Stoke as “all of them want to play in the Champions League next season” so will want to finish in that top four.

Prediction
Stoke City is always a dodgy affair, as it’s very easy to underestimate them. With City having one eye on the Champions League semi-final, I’d expect the Blues to be less all-guns-blazing and more don’t-get-injured. That being said, I think the quality will be too much eventually.

Manchester City 1-0 Stoke City

AMBS release animated poem for 50th anniversary

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Last year the Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) celebrated its 50th anniversary since its establishment in 1965. It is now the largest business and management school in the United Kingdom.

Founded as part of the Victoria University of Manchester in 1965, the Business School moved to its current position on Booth Street West in 1971. In 1994 the Business School, the UMIST School of Management, the School of Accountancy and Finance and the Programme in Research in Science and Technology merged to create the Manchester Federal School of Business and Management.

In 2004 the University of Manchester was formed from the merging of UMIST and Victoria University. As part of this the federal school finally became MBS as we know it. In 2015 a donation of £15 million from Lord Alliance of Manchester saw the business school renamed in his honour.

To celebrate this landmark anniversary, the business school commissioned a poem by Manchester-based writer and poet Tony Walsh, known as Longfella, encapsulating “Manchester’s originality, innovation and boundless achievements across science, business, hospitality, sport, infrastructure and music; whilst celebrating the School’s heritage and ongoing contributions to the City.”

The poem and animation ‘Manchester Means Business’ describe what about Manchester makes people proud, whether it be the sport, the science, the culture or simply their home. The video was animated by freelance illustrator Barney Ibbotson, the son of an MBS alumnus and former teacher, and produced by North West film company Mocha.

Tony Walsh said about the commission: “From my former career in the public sector I was a student on an executive development programme at Alliance Manchester Business School and so I was delighted to be commissioned to write a poem to mark their 50th anniversary. I was also born in 1965 and so it felt like it was meant to be!

“The School and the wider University of Manchester play a vital role in attracting talent to our city from around the world. I wanted the poem to place Alliance MBS firmly within our fantastic melting pot of music, sport, commerce, diversity and all the other things that make this such a special, world-changing place to be. As a School that is led by its ethics and so proud of its “hands-on” approach, it was important to reflect those things in the poem too.”

AMBS are inviting the general public to let them know what Manchester means to them on Twitter, using the hashtag #MCRMeans.

UMWHC Season Review

Written by Lucy Roberts on . Posted in Sport.

The University of Manchester Women’s Hockey Club (UMWHC) is the largest women’s only sports club, with five squads competing in Wednesday BUCS leagues against other universities, and a further four teams competing in a weekend league against local Manchester teams. The teams span a wide range of abilities and have all experienced success in their leagues this year. UMWHC is run by a committee of 15 second and third year students from all teams, with the aim of organising and developing the club for current and future members.

UMWHC is a competitive club, always striving to put the best team performance possible out on the pitch; the results this season have proved this. The most notable performance came from the fifth team, winning eight out of the nine BUCS matches played, finishing with a great goal difference of 32 to secure promotion. In contrast, the first team had a difficult season, facing opposition such as Loughborough and Birmingham University second teams. They fought well but faced relegation by the end of the season. The other three teams displayed some strong performances, which allowed them to finish mid-table and retain their positions in their respective leagues for next season.

In addition to the BUCS matches, all the girls spend some of their time on the weekends playing local Manchester teams in weekend leagues. Following a big restructure this year of the teams UMWHC put out, the second, third, and fourth teams ended up competing against teams that were one, or even two, leagues above their previous positions. The girls took this as a challenge, and instead of being demoralised when the usual winning streak was not replicated, they used the improved competition from the opposition to hone their skills and improve team chemistry. This translated to stronger performances against other universities to help secure the many successes and rack up the BUCS points.

After the hard work put in by all of the girls at Wednesday BUCS matches, there is always a greatly attended weekly social on a Wednesday night. All the teams come together to share celebrations, or on occasion, commiserations, for the earlier results with other members of the club. This ensures great friendships are made across all five of the teams, contributing to the great sense of community and togetherness. Being a large club, there are many traditions that have been established over the years, such as the games played at the socials and enjoying a cider black or two at Squirrels Bar. Throughout the year there have been a wide variety of social events put on in addition to weekly AU nights. Particularly unforgettable nights include the Christmas ball and the pub quiz.

As a club, 54 of the girls are running in the Great Manchester 10K run, the largest single society turn out of all AU clubs. We are fundraising for the EY foundation to raise money to help young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, find alternative routes to employment, education or even to help them set up their own businesses. It is a fantastic charity and the first time UMWHC has been fundraising for them. So many girls taking part shows the importance of the club to its members; they are willing to put in extra work and commitment out of season to help the club in its fundraising efforts. Overall, it has been a fantastic year for UMWHC, and I have enjoyed being a part of it.

If you are interested in playing hockey for university contact us via Facebook. Trials for next season will take place at the beginning of the new academic year.