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Day: 19 September 2016

Meet the new film editors

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

Welcome to the first edition of this year’s Mancunion. I’m Eliza, the Head Film Editor and I’m a final year English Literature student. My favourite films and TV shows include Withnail & I, Requiem for a Dream, Spirited Away, Twin Peaks and Arrested Development; and David Lynch, Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick are my favourite directors.

HOME cinema is one of my favourite places in Manchester, and I would recommend it to everyone. Not only does it show a huge range of both hollywood and arthouse films, it also has a restaurant and art gallery.

For this year’s film section we’d really like to not only continue writing reviews and previews but also branch out into the world of student film-making, so if you’re an amateur filmmaker then we’d love to hear from you!

Our weekly meetings for contributors are at 5pm on Mondays on the first floor of the SU and anyone is welcome to come along, regardless of whether you’ve written before. You can also e-mail any questions to [email protected], and we have a Facebook page called ‘Film Contributors 2016/17’ which is used for announcements.

Hello! I’m Shema, the Deputy Film Editor. I am currently in my final year of studying Law. I have always had an interest in all things film related and the media, I even hope to specialise in media in the future as a lawyer.

When I’m not overloaded with seminar reading I can usually be found binge watching TV shows, and marathoning films. I can watch anything and everything provided it’s not horror. Some of my favourite films include Goodfellas, Drive, Fight Club, Inglourious Basterds, and Stand By Me. I’m a huge fan of Christopher Nolan and anything with Leonardo DiCaprio. If you are interested in writing for the paper, please get involved! I look forward to meeting you all, and the year ahead.

September has come, long live the Shawarma.

Written by Joe Taylor on . Posted in Food & Drink.

We are back. Some are excited to start university, others to be reunited with friends. For me, it’s the thought of a trip to Atlas Shawarma that really gets my gears going. This is not to say I don’t look forward to seeing friends, no sir! I just doubt whether any of them would serve me traditional Middle Eastern wraps for under a fiver.

Many times have I made the pilgrimage down the Wilmslow road, passing the plethora of restaurants along the Curry Mile and musing as to whether their caliber has changed. Notably the influx of Asian workers to the area in the 60s and 70s created this stretch of predominantly Pakistani curry houses. With the Mile, often smelling more of shisha smoke than tandoor spices, and with a huge variety of jewelry and desert shops, one could be forgiven for thinking that the heritage of the 70’s had been lost. Yet through the neon signs, strawberry air and ghastly pictures of food—tasty, cheap meals can still be had.

One spot a cut above the rest is Atlas Shawarma. While its sign advertises ‘Fresh Naan’, it specialises in both traditional Middle Eastern wraps known as shawarma, as well as baking their own naan bread on site. At roughly three metres wide, by five metres deep, it must be one of the smallest food spots along the Wilmslow Road, and while the size of the menu matches the size of the interior (small, very small), the food Atlas cooks, it cooks well.

The naan bread is made using a traditional clay tandoor oven, and cooks in a matter of minutes due to the intense heat of the coals, making them simultaneously crispy and chewy. These are then used to wrap your choice of chicken, lamb, or falafel as the vegetarian option, alongside a range of fresh salads and various sauces.

At first glance, the spits of meat and range of salads may bring back memories of a late-night drunken döner experience. However a closer inspection sees the spits created by skewering marinated chunks of chicken and lamb, as opposed to the pulverized and then reconstituted spits one might find in your run-of-the-mill kebab joint. They even have slices of tomato and lemon neatly resting on top, and while I’m told this isn’t for flavouring but aesthetics, you can’t fault their attention to detail.

My first trip to there was directed by a friend, having both been out to see a band in Salford, our odyssey home had made us peckish. Sat on the bus moving up the Mile, he suddenly turned to me with a hungry excitement, and said, ‘Have you been to Atlas?’. It all happened very quickly, and some of the details are hazy, but the next thing I remember was ordering a chicken shawarma (£3.50). Restraining myself from ordering the ‘large’, purely because I wanted to test the waters, I nonetheless went full steam ahead with all of the salads and the garlic and chilli sauces. It was wonderful. The chicken was flavoursome, the naan warming and partly crispy, and the salad worked beautifully to offset what was a reasonably spicy chilli sauce. After the meal I was also very glad to have stuck to the normal size too, for it was truly filling.

A few days later I returned, my first fix having been so successful. This time, feeling like a slightly less substantial meal, I ordered the falafel wrap (£2), once more asking for all of the salads but this time settling on the garlic sauce and what the owner termed the ‘special sauce’. He told me that it was to go especially with the falafel, but I never quite got its name—all I know is, its green and very tasty. After ordering, I was amazed to see one of the workers take out a tupperware from a fridge and scoop the falafel mixture of chickpeas and herbs into balls before placing them into a fryer. In just minutes my wrap was made, the naan once more being made from scratch, and the flavours, portion size and price, made it another hugely successful meal from Atlas.

I have since returned a number of times, it quickly becoming my go-to on the move eat, more often than not choosing the falafel, as well as buying naan bread (4 for £1) on its own to accompany curries I’ve cooked.

September has come, long live the shawarma.

Getting involved with student media

Written by Ed John on . Posted in Opinion.

As with any media organisation, those run by students have faced an exponential growth in the wake of recent technological advancements and the advent of online publication. Far from being the small, niche and quasi-professional outlet it once was, student media has become a truly alternative news source for those not only seeking to keep up with goings on in the student universe, but for domestic and international news as well. Throughout organisations such as our very own Manchester Media Group, television, radio and print journalism networks are coupled with an online platform designed to attract a large readership, both within and outside of the student community. This platform offers a legitimate voice to those who wish to get involved; be it in film, music, sport or, of course, opinion journalism.

It is this opportunity that is perhaps student media’s most important selling point. Contrary to the coveted newsrooms of mainstream media giants, all that is required to contribute to our network is a passion to get involved, and a wish to have your opinion heard regarding anything you see fit. Here, you won’t find your ideas being censored or omitted on a ‘newsworthy’ basis, but instead will be welcomed with the encouragement to create content based upon what you feel matters, whether that’s an international political event, sporting triumph or even just a day-to-day problem you have faced within your routine as a student.

Such flexibility does not only extend to the content being contributed however, and as an inclusive, student run organisation, the media group has also been able to offer an antidote to many of the diversity issues faced by mainstream outlets. It would come as no surprise to anyone that a vast majority of our population now feels under or misrepresented by the predominantly white, male dominated industry on which they rely on for news. With student media, there is a real opportunity to bypass such under-representation, offered in the form of a legitimate platform to voice the numerous issues excluded from national news coverage.

This not only allows for an alternative—and at times more grounded—perspective on numerous news stories, but also encourages the inclusion of a student voice in the wider social narrative; a voice that is undoubtedly missing from the media industry.

Controversy over May’s grammar school proposals

Written by Muneera Lula on . Posted in News.

In her first major domestic policy announcement, Prime Minister Theresa May proposed a major overhaul of the English education system.

From 1944 the ‘tripartite system’ was in place, in which a child would be examined aged 11 and then placed in one of three schools: grammar, secondary modern or technical. This was the system deemed to be the fairest way to allocate educational resources at the time.

From the 1960s onwards selective schooling was seen to have failed generations of young people who were not ‘selected’ aged 11, widening inequality rather than narrowing the divide. In 1997 grammar school creation was banned by the Blair government and any new state funded schools were required to be comprehensive, inclusive and unselective. 167 pre-existing grammar schools were allowed to remain selective.

Currently there are 163,000 children in the remaining grammar schools, who make up around 5 per cent of all state secondary school pupils. However, under new government proposals, every school in England will be given the right to apply to select pupils by ability, as well as allowing existing grammar schools to expand.

May, herself a product of a grammar school education, stated that these changes will create a “true meritocracy” in Britain as well as providing opportunities for all capable children to gain a high standard of education, regardless of their background. Pre-empting criticisms of elitism, the government will also be introducing quota systems, whereby grammar schools will be required to designate a proportion of spaces for children from low-income households.

Despite these measures, opponents of the selective process have argued that grammar school intake comprises firmly middle class children. Currently only 3 per cent of grammar school children are eligible for free school meals, a traditional indicator of low-income households. They suggest that the system is set up to benefit families who can afford private tuition for the 11-plus exam and to live in the pricey neighbourhoods which often make up the catchment area of grammar schools.

It is these issues which form the basis of Labour’s argument that the new government proposals will “entrench inequality”. As the Labour party is embroiled in its own internal difficulties, opposition to selective schooling is a party-uniting stance, and not an area that the Labour benches are willing to give way on.

Chief Inspector of Schools Michael Wilshaw and beloved children’s author Michael Morpurgo  have added their voices to the argument against grammar schools, claiming that they are divisive and unhelpful in furthering social mobility.

Despite the government’s attempts to quell opposition, May’s first radical policy shift is proving to be a contentious one and it is clear that the administration will face great opposition on it.

Freshers warned of phone theft by cyclists

Written by Eleanor Forrest on . Posted in News.

The beginning of the new academic year has brought with it a return in the rise of drive-by theft. Over the past few days, a number of incidents have been recorded in and around Oxford Road in which mobile phones have been stolen by cyclists. The speed at which the crime occurs also means that the victims are often unable to identify the thief.

Manchester City Council has predicted that 1 out of 10 students during Fresher’s Week will become victims of this crime. Thieves usually cycle close to people who leave their phones easily accessible to steal, either in the victim’s hand or back pocket, before snatching it.

Although a number of incidents have occurred during the day, this type of theft spikes as evenings draw on. Incidents of the same nature rose to 418 cases in September last year, all occurring in the days around Welcome Week, with this figure expected to increase annually.

A Manchester Police Community Support Officer, who wished to remain unnamed, has reported that the thieves mainly operate at night in order to target those returning home from a night out. Mobile gaming apps, such as the hugely popular Pokémon Go, also make people a target. Manchester City Council has advised students to remain alert during this years Freshers’ Week and to not drink excessively as these factors all contribute to the vulnerability of students.

In order to help keep students, as well as the general public, aware and informed community officers are now distributing material around the University of Manchester’s campus regarding safety and the service ‘Immobilise’, which enables people to register their valuables in case of theft.

If you feel you can relate to the incidents in this report or wish to prepare in case of theft you can find more information here.

Be smart and be safe this Freshers’ Week

Written by Megan Byrne on . Posted in Lifestyle.

As Freshers’ 2016 gets underway, thousands of students both new and old will be heading out to enjoy events at bars and clubs all over Manchester. While it is a fun and exciting time to enjoy our city’s nightlife, it’s also a time to be more cautious than ever when it comes to keeping safe. Manchester is one of the biggest cities in the country and boasts one of the largest student populations in Europe, and unfortunately statistics show that 1 in 10 students will be a victim of crime during their time at university. A big night out can be an unforgettable experience but it’s important to make sure that it’s unforgettable for the right reasons. Here are our top five ways to keep yourself and your friends safe whilst having the time of your life.

 

1. Having your bag stolen on a night out can be more than just a night ruiner. Wearing a cross body bag with a secure zip or fastening is a great way to prevent thieves from seeing you as a target. Make sure to take only what you need and not to take any unnecessary expensive possessions with you. It’s also a great idea to have some money in a safe place—maybe an inside pocket or even tucked in your bra.  This means that if the worst does happen, you can always get yourself home.

2. It’s best to make any journeys with other people as it’s true that there is safety in numbers. If this isn’t possible then always make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you expect to be back. There are also a number of ingenious apps such as ‘Companion’ which allows you be walked home virtually by a person of your choosing, for example a parent, partner or housemate.

The app allows you to tell your ‘companion’ that you’ll be heading out alone and then with just one tap you can alert them that you are safe and have reached your destination. You can also tell them if you feel nervous or if there is an emergency and you need urgent help. It also gives you the option to contact the police directly. The Companion app is available free on the app store.

3. Manchester has no shortage of safe, convenient ways to get home. The popular choice is the Magic Bus which runs throughout the night and you can hop on with a unirider or pay £1 before midnight or £2.50 after. Another option is the Uber app which allows you to see the model of the car as well as the driver and their name, this is amazing for providing peace of mind when getting in a car… especially when you’re not 100% sober. The Students’ Union also runs a night-time shuttle bus service from the Learning Commons to your door for between £2 and £4—or just hand in your student card and pay later.

4. Make sure to stay in brightly lit areas and avoid quiet areas away from main roads. It’s preferable to add a few extra minutes to your walk home if it means walking down a well-lit, busy road rather than venturing down a dark, sketchy looking alley.

If you have to, make sure to have a source of light handy such as your phone’s torch or a handy keyring. Having your keys ready when you arrive home will also help get you safely inside as quickly as possible so you can be downing a pint of water and snuggling into your bed in no time (or polishing off your kebab, we won’t judge you).

5. Finally, if you do become a victim of crime it is important to know what to do. If you have a problem with an individual, get away as quickly as you can without engaging with any problematic behaviour. If someone attempts to take something from you, it is best to let it go as staying safe is more important than material possessions.

If you feel your safety is under immediate threat, it’s a great idea to utilise a personal alarm such as the Mini Minder Keyring (£3.75 from personalalarms.com) in order to attract the attention of others. Another option is to ask for help from the number of local businesses who are designated ‘Student Safety Zones’; a full list can be accessed via the Manchester City Council website. Crimes committed against you are not your fault and you should never be reluctant to report incidents to the police.

 

Welcome Week is one of the most exciting times in a student’s life as you are settling into a new place and making new friends. Making sure that you’re aware of both your own and other’s safety is the best way to avoid your memories of this week being ruined by the actions of others and that Welcome Week 2016 is a time you can look back on with a smile.

Meet the Exec

Written by Alexandra Bickell on . Posted in News.

The Students’ Union exec team are a group of eight full-time employees who are either taking a break from their current studies at the University of Manchester, or have just finished. They are elected annually in March based on a manifesto that each candidate produces, then work from summer to summer, solely for the benefit of the students.

This year, Tamara O’Neill has taken on the role of Activities and Development Officer. She wants to enable as many students as possible to get involved in extra-curricular activities by “knocking down the barriers to participation.” She is currently working on this with talks on more student-specific loyalty cards and potential student discounts on gig tickets.

Tamara is also trying to promote cohesion between university societies by developing an app, which will contain all campaign and society information in one place. She has additionally organised a host of new resources for current societies, including new apps and a YouTube channel to make them as simple and easy to run as possible.

Emma Atkins was elected to the post of Education Officer, where she has since been working on several of her manifesto points. She is currently increasing awareness of Textbook Rescue, a textbook donation scheme within the university, as well as introducing life skills workshops. These workshops will aim to provide students with essential life advice that they may have missed at school, such as how to deal with bills and taxes.

Our Community Officer for the year is Saffa Mir, who is aiming to increase cohesion between students and the local community by pushing a ‘Good Neighbours’ plan, to allow students to get to know others in their nearby areas. There will be a Community/Volunteering week based on this running in December—more details will be released at a later date. She will also be organising workshops for first years, helping them to avoid pitfalls in rental contracts that many older students were not able to.

The Women’s Officer is Jenni Smyth, who has already been very busy organising the annual Reclaim the Night march as well as promoting her campaign which aims to increase awareness of abuse in relationships. She will be lobbying the university for future funding for the students’ sexual violence counsellor and to provide consent education for students.

Ilyas Nagdee is the current Diversity Officer and his overall goal is to make the university more accessible. He means this in every sense, from physical access to mental health support and he is very enthusiastic about student involvement, saying “students who have lived experiences of some of the things I’ll be campaigning on are of pivotal importance here.” Ilyas particularly wants to make sure that all positive change made is “sustained” and “long-term.”

Taking up the position for the second year, the General Secretary for the Students’ Union is Naa Acquah, who is currently in the process of forming a North Campus society, as well as working on increasing student involvement in the development of the city of Manchester.

Sorcha Floyd is our Campaigns and Citizenship Officer, whose manifesto clearly stated her two goals—to tackle the high level homelessness in Manchester and to ‘go green’. She has been working on both of these and will continue to do so, hopefully on a “cross-university scale.”

Finally, Izzy Gurbuz has been elected as the Wellbeing Officer this year. She hopes to reduce the stigma around mental health and to improve related resources as well as to work towards rationalising the mitigating circumstances system. Izzy has many events planned for World Mental Health Day as well as Wellbeing Week, details of which will be included in The Mancunion nearer to the time.

All of the officers have kept closely to their manifestos so far—if you would like to read these in detail, they may be found online at manchesterstudentsunion.com/execteam. Students are encouraged to contact any of the team members with suggestions, questions or comments, either in person by visiting the Voice Office of the Students’ Union, or by e-mail.

Fear rising for UK Universities post-Brexit

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in News.

In this year’s QS world University Rankings, 38 of the UK’s top-4oo universities have plummeted in the rankings. The University of Cambridge has dropped out of the top global 3 for the first time since 2004. In light of these consequences, concerns are being raised for future funding prospects for British universities, as a future without the EU is still unclear.

However, in spite of a general downturn among UK Higher Education, the University of Manchester has achieved its higher ever ranking this year as 29th. When asked about potential fears of cuts to funding for the University of Manchester, Vice-Chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell said ‘we’ve not known of any European grants that we’ve been cut out of (and) I’ve not known of any European staff that have left’. The fear among the UK’s higher education, however, remains prominent.

Dame Julia Goodfellow, president of Universities UK (UUK), said that urgent action is necessary to prevent “a likely sudden decline in EU applications” across the country.

In addition to funding scares, there is a growing worry that Brexit has severed community ties between university communities and the wider British population. Some members of local communities in university towns reportedly believe that the pro-EU university campaigns were mostly self-interested and detached from the wider community.

The University of Manchester’s Community Officer, Saffa Mir, said that “the student union does a lot of work with connecting the student community with the wider Manchester Community from Access All Areas, who support any student-led project which aims to tackle some of the barriers young people and adults may face in terms of University access and participation, to Student Action who run a huge number of student-led weekly volunteering projects and one off events helping people in the local community.”

Moreover, she highlighted ‘Community Week’ which will take place on 5th December where students run community projects “with the aim to reconnect the students with local residents and create community cohesion.”

Despite the University of Manchester’s success in the world tables and commitment to community healing post-Brexit, there are still widespread fears regarding the impacts of leaving the EU on UK Higher Education which are yet to emerge.

Does anyone need the PS4 Pro?

Written by Stephen Lewis on . Posted in Games.

At an event held in New York on the 7th September, Sony unveiled two new versions of the PlayStation 4. The first of these was a slightly slimmer version accompanied by a price cut to £249, and the second being the long rumoured ‘PS4 Neo’ which turned out to be the not as excitingly titled PS4 Pro. These two consoles represent a slight shift in Sony’s thinking for the gaming market, without changing their underlying focus that consoles are made to play games and are primarily for gamers. Looking at the hardware and relative cost of these two products, a target audience can easily be found.

Firstly, the PS4 ‘Slim’ is to be seen as the new standard PS4 model when it releases on the 16th September. Apart from the outward design essentially nothing has changed internally and Andrew House, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, spent very little time covering the Slim during the conference. Within the first five minutes it had been announced, demonstrated and accompanied by a price drop to £260 for the 500GB model. This price drop is probably the most important part of the announcement as it has lowered the entry barrier for those who don’t already have a PS4 and have been considering picking one up.

Secondly the Pro model has been designed as an iterative upgrade rather than an entire new generation of console, similar to how every other year Apple releases an S model iPhone rather than jump straight to the next number. The existence of the Pro has been confirmed for a while as Andrew House stated as much in an interview with the Financial Times from June of this year, just before E3. This is the first time a new console has been introduced during a single life-cycle, instead of ushering in a new generation. The PlayStation 5 this is not.

The Pro is capable of playing all the games that run on the PS4, but with some extra processing power so that games can run smoother and have some increased fidelity if connected to a 1080p screen or running on PS VR. If you are one of the small but growing number of 4K HDR television owners, then the resolution can be increased to near 4K resolution and displayed in HDR. Numerous games were shown off to promote this upgrade such as the recently announced Days Gone and Spiderman (PS4), but the most exciting was perhaps Mass Effect: Andromeda, not because it looked good, but because gameplay had never been truly shown before this point. These demos however were underwhelming to most viewers not at the event, as the livestream had to be compressed and the only way to actually view the 4K images would be on a 4K screen – which most people currently do not own.

If you are considering purchasing or upgrading to this new hardware however, there are a few others facts you should consider: HDR has been made available to all versions of the PS4 through the recent system software update (Version 4.00), so if you already have a PS4 you can already get those extra colours if you own a HDR TV. Next is the fact that not all games will truly be running in 4K; if higher resolution is that important to you it is possible, at this point, that Microsoft’s Project Scorpio (to be released at the end of 2017) will run in native 4K, and by that time the price of 4K TVs will have dropped as well. One of the few games confirmed so far to run in native 4K is Elder Scrolls Online and while not a bad game, it isn’t exactly a system seller as it is available on most platforms already.

By looking at these points, it begs the question of who exactly is this console for? As this is the first occurrence of an upgraded console no one is exactly sure. Most people don’t currently own a 4K TV, so that would add a lot onto the price tag from the start, and for that amount of money you could get a more than decent PC setup that could run better and handle tasks such as Microsoft Office and good internet browsing that consoles have never been designed for. Sony have released this in part, as House mentioned in an interview with the Guardian earlier this month, that “there’s a dip mid-console lifecycle where the players who want the very best graphical experience will start to migrate to PC, because that’s obviously where it’s to be had”.

A number that has recently been thrown around a lot in parts of the gaming press is from the specs of both the Pro and Project Scorpio; the former will run at a processing power of 4.2 teraflops of graphics power, yet the latter will run at 6 teraflops. Compared to the 1.84 and 1.31 teraflops of the original PS4 and Xbox One respectively this seems like a big increase, but compared to a high end PC graphics card such as the GTX 1080 which runs at 9 teraflops and the GTX 1070 that runs at 6.5, it is clear that consoles are playing catch up, which has been true for quite some time now. Consoles do however have an increased ease of use to them which most people, myself included, prefer. It will always be easier to just put a disc into a box and hit play, even though consoles have also turned into streaming boxes for content such as Netflix and YouTube.

If you don’t already own a PS4 then the recent price drop of the standard model could make it a more tempting offer, considering it is still a brilliant console and runs all the games both currently available and to be released for the foreseeable future.

Volunteering Opportunities at the Students’ Union

Written by Sarah Brown on . Posted in News.

There are a great deal of benefits to volunteering, from increasing your confidence to learning new skills and making a difference. However, you probably know that already, from your A-level tutors rattling on about it as you were writing the sixth draft of your personal statement.

At university, volunteering can be so much more than just another completed section on your Linkedin profile. It can help you to confirm your priorities and ambitions in life, allowing you to try a variety of activities without the pressure to commit long-term.

The Students’ Union offers a variety of student-led, flexible and inclusive volunteering opportunities, including community support, working with children in schools, and fundraising for an array of remarkable charities.

Student Action

Student Action runs a huge number of student-led weekly projects and one off events helping people in the local community. From supporting refugees and asylum seekers in improving their English, to providing Manchester’s homeless rough sleepers with a hot drink and friendly chat in the freezing winter months, Student Action offers something to fit everyone’s interests. They also run projects involving the environment, vulnerable women, adults with accessibility needs, elderly people, and children.

Access All Areas

Access All Areas supports any project which aims to tackle some of the barriers young people and adults face when it comes to University access and participation. That could consist of almost anything, from creating homework clubs for young people, to supporting arts subjects in secondary schools, as long as it helps to overcome educational barriers and inequalities.

 

RAG

Manchester Raise and Give (RAG) is the fundraising arm of the Students’ Union, and is made up of students bound together by the mutual desire to raise money for charity and make a difference in people’s lives. Past fundraising challenges have included hiking the famous 55 mile walk around Manchester (the Bogle) and climbing Kilimanjaro—for those less athletically inclined, things like pub quizzes have also been really successful! Details of challenges and fundraising opportunities will be released throughout the year.

 

Societies

In addition to the above groups, there are also a vast number of volunteering and fundraising societies. You can find details about Sexpression, the society aiming to line your pockets with condoms at the welcome fair, Cancer Research UK, Save the Children, and a plethora of other societies on the Students’ Union website.

Find more details and links to join any of these volunteering groups here.

 

From: The Volunteering and Community Engagement Team

 

The Volunteering and Community Engagement team at the University of Manchester can help you to find volunteering opportunities. They work with lots of charities and not-for-profit organisations providing local and international student volunteering roles—find out more information here.

The Students’ Union alone is an Olympic-sized pool full of opportunities, with something for everyone—use the time you have at university to build up your experience and knowledge. Where else would a fresh faced 20-year-old have the opportunity to become an editor of a newspaper, or a mum of three do something silly to help fundraise RAG’s 2015/16 annual total of £400,000+ for charity?

Pangaea: take a trip to Wonderland

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

The biggest freshers’ finale is back, and this time with the theme ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’. Take your inspiration from the all-time classic Alice in Wonderland and embrace the fabulously eccentric dress code. Let one of the famous characters be your muse, experiment with your look and dive head first into the rabbit hole.

For the Queen of Hearts, the love heart red lips are an absolute must. Try Mac’s lipstick in the shade Ruby Woo (£15.50) for the ultimate long-wearing matte lipstick that will stay put, despite drinking copious amounts of vodka throughout the night. With this look you can go all out or play it safe. Invest in some white face paint that will also see you through to Hallowe’en. Cover your eyebrows and thinly redraw them, paint your eyelids with a bright blue eye shadow (Maybelline’s colour 24-hour tattoo in turquoise forever is a winner at only £4.99), pop on a beauty mark and you’ll be rocking the queen of hearts look a la Helena Bonham Carter. If this look is too daring then stick with your classic make-up, a slick of red lipstick, and let your outfit do the talking.

The eponymous Alice exudes innocence so keep your make-up simple with this look. A classic cat eye flick and nude lip will ensure that you look fresh-faced in true Alice style. That is until pre-drinks are over and the alcohol starts to kick in… Maybelline lasting drama eyeliner in black is great if feline flicks aren’t your strong suit. It’s easy to use and at £7.99 it’ll prove a staple in your everyday make up look.

Alternatively, The Cheshire Cat is a more fun character; for the artists among you why not create the ultimate Cheshire Cat look, complete with pink tiger print-esque face paint and the snarling painted smile? If this is too daunting and time-consuming then cat eye contact lenses (take a peek in Affleck’s) with a pinky-purple smokey eye will do the trick. Make-up Revolution Salvation pallet in ‘colour chaos’ has the shades you need and for only £4.00. Find it at Superdrug stores.

If fancy dress isn’t your thing, there is always the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland pallet. Create your favourite smoky eye look and still feel like you’ve adhered to the dress code… it is Alice in Wonderland inspired after all.

God of War Retro Review

Written by Robert Parris on . Posted in Games.

God of War first released onto the PlayStation 2 in March 2005. A lot has happened since then, the smartphone revolution changed our lives, America elected its first black president, and the Great British Bake Off stole the hearts and minds of a nation. The one thing that has remained largely consistent since then is the phenomenal moment-to-moment action of the God of War franchise. The fact that the much anticipated PS4 entry is the first in the series to radically alter the gameplay, isn’t to say that developer Sony Santa Monica has been lackadaisical in the innovation department. On the contrary, it’s because the California based developer utterly nailed the core mechanics of this third person hack’n slash adventure right from the get-go.

Simply put, God of War makes you feel like a badass from the second you pick up the controller. Combat is fast, visceral and consistently satisfying. During my play-through, showers of blood erupted from Cyclops’ eyes, Gorgon’s heads were ripped from their spines, and the finishing moves on the games signature bosses frequently amazed me with their sense of scale and portrayal of violence. Be advised that this is definitely not one for the kids.

Throughout the game, you play as Kratos, a seven-foot Spartan warrior tasked with killing Ares (the titular God of War) in a truly inspired setting based on Greek mythology. Whilst the story is nothing particularly complex, it has a solid beginning, middle and end, and exists as more of an excuse to keep the impressive action moving forward. As for Kratos, he can certainly be derided as being a one-dimensional and unlikeable character in the wake of games such as The Last of Us, but for me that was actually part of his appeal. He stands out amongst the crowd of predictably nuanced do-gooder protagonists that you’ve probably played as many times before. His aggressive and arrogant nature, combine with some questionable morals, to create one of the most refreshing characters that I’ve ever played in a video game. He is the antithesis of Nathan Drake in other words.

Kratos’ tale will take you through a number of beautiful and inspired locales not often seen in gaming, particular stand outs include a beautifully rendered Athens under siege, and the depths of the Greek Underworld. Presentation is one of God of War’s strongest assets; the graphics, animations and cut-scenes are polished to perfection. It’s clear that the developers poured their hearts into this game and it has paid off handsomely. There’s a cinematic flair present in all aspects of gameplay, the fixed perspective third-person camera hovering over Kratos remains, unobtrusive throughout, and the title’s numerous quicktime events somehow never get old. The gameplay is backed up by a bombastic orchestral soundtrack that does a tremendous job of escalating the on-screen action. The sound designers really did their homework here, every audio detail fits within the mythos seamlessly.

Whilst the game is mostly linear, the way in which the levels are designed give a real sense of immersion as each location feels interconnected in a wider world. Combat scenarios are expertly broken up with the occasional puzzle and/or platforming section. Within these the enemy design is exceptional too; the developers have shamelessly drawn from the ancient source material, so expect to fight a number of mythological beings such as minotaurs and harpies. Each enemy has its own a unique attack pattern, requiring you to constantly adapt to new challenges throughout the journey. All in all, these aspects combine to make extended play sessions something of an inevitability. I finished my first playthrough in just two sittings.

However, God of War isn’t by any means a perfect game, and there are some minor flaws to consider. Whilst the game for the most part has a steady difficulty curve, one particular platforming section stands out for its unforgiving nature, requiring an extreme level of precision to overcome. It took me around half an hour to beat this challenge the first time round, and it really bogs down the pacing in the later stages of the game. Perhaps a more significant issue is that by most accounts your initial weapons, the Blades of Chaos, are simply the best armament in the game. The other weapon that you come across offers a unique style of play, but it is grossly under-powered, meaning that there is little reason to mix up your playstyle for subsequent playthroughs. However, this is mitigated to some extent by the intricate combo system, and the four unique magic attacks bestowed onto the player over the course of the journey. Despite these problems Kratos’s adventure remains surprisingly replayable eleven years later, and considering the game as a whole, these issues can be considered as little more than minor blemishes.

It’s hard to nail down what exactly made God of War stand the test of time, as almost every aspect of the title was of exceptional quality back in 2005. Regardless of which part of the game you deem most important, it is undeniable that they all mesh brilliantly to create a rambunctiously entertaining package. God of War is a power fantasy in its purest form, and exploring the origin of Kratos’s epic legacy is something that every gamer should experience.