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Day: 30 September 2016

Stabbing on Curry Mile

Written by Alexandra Bickell on . Posted in News.

A 25-year-old man was stabbed in the head and abdomen on the Curry Mile on Friday 30th September. Manchester Evening News has reported that the attack occurred in broad daylight, around 10:20am, close to Shere Khan restaurant.

The North West Ambulance Service were called to the scene within minutes of the attack. The victim was taken immediately to Manchester Royal Infirmary and he is currently in a critical condition.

The victim was stabbed in a chip shop on the Curry Mile, the common name for the section of Wilmslow Road that goes through Rusholme. As a result, this part of the road has been cordoned off, as has all of Walmer Street and parts of Great Western Street and Heald Grove.

Photo: Elise Gallagher

There have been reports given of a fight taking place earlier in the morning outside the Rusholme Chippy, a local takeaway and café, although the eatery has not been available for comment thus far. The whole area outside this restaurant has been sealed off by police and an employee at Shere Khan said that he had been told two members of staff from the Rusholme Chippy were involved in the argument.

Forensic experts are now combing the cordoned areas for evidence as a part of the police investigation, but all businesses in the surrounding areas remain open as usual.

Anyone with information on the stabbing is being urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 629 of 30/09/2016, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 080 555 111.

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

As you may have gathered from glancing at our front page, last week The Mancunion conducted a poll of students to gather how well they knew our Exec team. The results were staggering, with 95 per cent unable to name the team and almost half of those polled unable to name a single member. On top of this 65 per cent did not know what the Exec team do for students.

This week has seen breaking news that students are having to share single bedrooms in Warwick as the university cashes in on an influx of EU students, revealing yet another frightening example of the trade-off of student welfare in favour of a marketised education system.

We have also seen prominent figures in the NUS criticise their own leadership over the ongoing anti-Semitism controversy.

Just in case this was not enough, at the end of last week it was announced that University tuition fees are set to rise above £9,500 for all students, with further plans to rank universities into three Olympic style groups of gold, silver and bronze.  Only universities achieving these rankings will be able to raise their fees alongside inflation.

Not only does this leave the future uncertain for students wishing to go to university, as if the uncertainty of Brexit was not quite enough, it could result in students from disadvantaged backgrounds opting for lower achieving universities if the fees are less than the top ranking.

In light of the volatile nature of national and student politics currently, students knowing who represents them and what they can do for them is crucial, and the current ambivalence needs to be addressed.

Our union voted in their first senate to not hold a referendum on leaving the NUS, but if 95 per cent of our student body are unaware of who they are, and 65 per cent unclear on what they do, how truly representative was that vote? What is clear is that a lot more needs to be done to engage students in the workings of the Students’ Union, and as their response to the article highlights, they are working to try and achieve this.

Also included in this issue is a feature on pages eight and nine, looking into how the university deals with mental health. The article highlights some of successes of the system, but brings to light many issues which still need to be addressed to ensure the health of our students.

We will also be providing our own analysis of the Labour Party conference on page 11 this week, asking whether Labour can sell ‘21st century socialism’. Next week our Labour party conference commentator will also be reporting back from his time at the Conservative party conference, from a student perspective.

Although it may sometimes seem it, it’s not all doom and gloom, and we have plenty in the issue to lighten the mood. For example, turn to Food & Drink this week to find a recipe for a delicious and authentic Spanish omelette; what could possibly be better to lift the mood than that?

Spanish Omelette

Written by Lily Carden on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Butter

½ white onion
6 new potatoes
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
4 Eggs

Ah, Spain, the land of wonderful food and glorious wine. Tortilla Español featured heavily during my last holiday to that sun drenched place and I simply had to recreate it when I returned to rainy Manchester. To make your own slice of heaven, chop half an onion and 6 new potatoes into small pieces*. Heat the grill. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and add the diced onion and potatoes. Crush 2 cloves of garlic into the pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked through and turning golden. During this process add more butter as required.

When all is looking good, beat 4 eggs with a pinch of salt and pour over the potatoes (that are still in the pan). Ensure that the eggs cover all of the potatoes and let cook for 5 minutes before whacking under the grill for a couple of minutes to set the top. Keep a close eye on it to ensure you don’t end up with a charred omelette (like I frequently do).

*Listening to Enrique Iglesias is not required but is encouraged.

Vogue 100: A century of style review

Written by Sarah Kilcourse on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

2016 marks the 100th Anniversary of British Vogue. An American imported magazine; publisher Condé Nast created the paper to ensure that British readers could enjoy the fashion, society and beauty advice that previously could only be found in the American version. Once British Vogue had control over its content, it transformed the paper into the fashion juggernaut it is today. The institute stands as a pillar of 20th Century British fashion; a survivor of two world wars, numerous economic crashes and every fashion fad in between.

To celebrate, the paper curated the Vogue 100 exhibition, whilst initially shown at The National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition has since been transferred to Manchester Art Gallery from June 24th – October 30th and entry is free. Alongside the exhibition, there was a special centenary edition in June with the Duchess of Cambridge on the cover, and a BBC documentary titled Absolutely Fashion—admittedly, the documentary doesn’t represent Vogue at its finest.

On the top floor of Manchester Art Gallery you can explore the history of Vogue, travelling through the decades: one is free to explore Cecil Beaton’s defining images of the 1920s and 1930s; David Bailey’s representation of the swinging sixties; Patrick Demarchelier’s intimate depiction of Cindy, Naomi and Claudia—the original supermodels; plus portraits of some of the greatest designers of the 20th Century. The exhibition guides you through the journey the magazine has taken, alongside popular cultures.

The images included in A Century of Style highlight the legacy Vogue wishes to leave. It wants to be seen as forward thinking, an institute that helped to define the time it existed in, rather than be defined by time. The exhibition does not address Vogues controversial under-representation of black models or its frequent inclusion of underweight models.

Frequent attention is given to Britain’s most famous face in fashion—Kate Moss. The London girl who, discovered aged 14, has defined British Vogue under current editor Alexandra Shulman is given the prominence she deserves. It cannot be denied that she has an exquisite face from every angle.

If you fancy a break from the autumn rain, busy streets, or piles of work being handed out, I cannot recommend Vogue 100: A Century of Style enough. If nothing else there are some truly beautiful photographs to be admired.

A quick guide to the Armitage Centre

Written by Shannon Winterbone on . Posted in Lifestyle.

So, it’s the start of a new year at Manchester and from my experience, one of the first dreaded things that usually comes to mind after Freshers’ Week (and the inevitable trips to Kebab King) is “I should really join the gym again.” Some of us have been separated from our uni gyms for a while, whereas if you’re a new student you’re possibly looking for a gym to join. With the allure of low prices and the short walking distance from Owens Park, I found and stuck with the Armitage Centre. Located just off Moseley Road in Fallowfield, the Armitage is a great option for everyone, whether you’ve been a member of a gym before or not!

Classes: From Relaxing Yoga to Bootcamp, the Armitage has a wide selection of classes to try out. There’s a range of instructors who’ll either leave you feeling just a little sweaty, or as if your butt is about to fall off, which means that whether you’re a complete beginner or a long-time lover of fitness classes, you’ll definitely be pushed to the max. Classes are held in two spacious studios and fit around 30-40 people, so it’s easy to relax and not feel like everyone’s watching you at the front! I’m not going to lie, some of the classes are hard, like really hard (or that might just be me), but they are definitely worth it when you start to feel yourself getting fitter and more confident during them. The Armitage offers a pay-as-you-go option at £3.50 per session for students or £4.20 for staff, which is great if you just want to try out the classes before committing to a semester pass. For those who are already avid lovers of exercise classes, the dual semester pass (September—May) is priced at £80 for students and £90 for staff.

Fitness suite: As well as holding classes, the Armitage also has a fully equipped fitness suite for those who prefer to go to the gym and do their own thing. Over the summer the gym has been revamped to include new treadmills and bikes, and the free weights area has been enlarged to hold heavier dumbbells, squat racks and new kettlebells. While there are a lot of expensive gyms out there, the Armitage provides everything you need from a gym without the ridiculous prices! There are three membership options, including pay-as-you-go, so that you’re able to choose what would work best for you.

Team sport: As well as there being a standard gym, there is also a large sports hall available at the Armitage where you could play basketball, table-tennis or netball (just to name a few). It’s very simple to hire and reasonably priced, so you can get some mates together and try your hand at some different sports! If you’re a fan of playing 5-a-side football, then there are 3G pitches you can hire out, or if you’re more into tennis then there are courts for that too. Society home matches for sports such as hockey and lacrosse are played at the Armitage, so there are AstroTurf and grass pitches available outside of match or training times.