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Day: 16 October 2016

Manchester City 1-1 Everton

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

Old friends Ronald Koeman and Pep Guardiola met for the first time in league football as managers, since they played together for Barcelona all those years ago. Guardiola spent much of the pre-match press conference talking about how much he respected Koeman, who he called his friend. He also said that John Stones could go on to emulate Koeman, noting how similar they were. This game however ended all square but City were by far the better of the sides, as they had 70% possession. Here’s the craic.

If this game was a song…

Pen Pineapple Apple Pen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W3sslyiUfg

Two missed pens in one game may sound strange, but two pens in one pineapple and one apple sounds even stranger…

This game saw City have two penalties saved: one from Kevin de Bruyne and the other from Sergio Aguero. Not only did both of these penalty misses cock up my entire fantasy team, it seemed to fuel the Everton goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg, with self-belief and he went on to have an absolute blinder. He later made a terrific save from a long-range Kevin de Bruyne effort, and a Kelechi Iheanacho backheel.

Man of the Match

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

David Silva looks well and truly reinvigorated this season! Last season he was still a brilliant player, but not the level of brilliance that we expect from Silva. Everton player, and ex-City powerhouse, Gareth Barry described Silva as the best player he’s played along-side, and you could see that in this match again. The vision and positioning on the little man was wonderful, and the cross he put in for Nolito to head in the goal on the 71st minute was inch-perfect.

Three at the Back

With Bacary Sagna’s injury, Pablo Zabaleta’s ageing, and Pablo Maffeo’s inexperience, Guardiola decided that City simply wouldn’t play a right-back this game, so stuck with three at the back. It seemed to work quite well. Stones and Otamendi had great games again and seem to be creating quite a strong partnership between them, and the wing-backs in Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane worked surprisingly well. Especially Sane, who was incredible in the first half up against Bryan Oviedo, but also equally as incredible when told to track back. However, there is always a risk when using a new formation and it may have had a helping hand in Everton’s goal. Gael Clichy quickly found himself up against Romulu Lukaku on his own, as Otamendi and Stones had been caught further up the pitch, and Lukaku simply bumbled past Clichy to put the ball in the back of the net.

Happy Birthday

It was Nolito’s birthday today and the Spaniard came on moments after the City team were low after missing yet another penalty. So the birthday boy stepped up, and it took him the whole of three minutes to head the ball into the back of the net and level the game. The Spaniard was returning after a three game suspension after a pretty poor attempt at a headbutt earlier in the season, and it was evident that the Blues might have missed the underrated new guy on the street in recent games. He will be vital against Barcelona mid-week.

This may look a little like two points dropped, but Everton have looked very good this season, and this could very well be a point gained when City fans look back on it at the end of the season. Plus, things get easier after this match: City face Barcelona mid-week.

To contour or not to contour

Written by Sophie Soar on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

It’s a common feature of life for many women to doll themselves up for a night out on the town with their friends. We all love to do it. There’s something great about the process of getting ready with the girls, putting on makeup and choosing an outfit to start your night before even leaving the confines of your bedroom.

I’ve certainly changed for the better in my makeup routine, fortunately moving away from piling on the Dream Matte Mousse and rimming my eyes with the thickest and blackest of kohl liner at the age of fifteen. Now, I chose alternatively to emphasise eyes or lips, adding concealer when my eye bags look less Prada and more Primark, and generally stick with the rule that a natural face works best for me.

I’ll admit unashamedly though that I am a lazy makeupper. Rather than learn the different functions of primer, bronzer, highlighter or foundation, I alternatively opt for a tinted moisturiser and powder, changing my day-to-night look by adding glitter and topping up my mascara. So I was curious as to how make-up can change your face and what the general consensus was with regards to my favourite beauty rule: less is always more.

A half-hour pamper treatment later, including excessive efforts from my housemate to turn my face into a contoured creation, I was transformed almost past recognition. I was mildly embarrassed to have to ask what half the products were that she was piling onto my face, including a quizzing on the effects of primer and where one applies highlighter. A pop quiz on these facts now would result in a very poor score.

Contrasting images in hand and keen to show off my new found cheekbones, I headed to Fallowfield’s finest hunting ground for honest, if slightly drunken, opinions on the question: to contour or not to contour?

Two glasses of wine in, I still felt too shy to approach people to ask them to judge my face. This alternatively provided two of my friends with an empowered and unashamed courage to ask the question for me. Fortunately, the sheer volume of products on my skin covered my blushes as they paraded my headshots around the pub, from which I kept my distance to retain something of my dignity and self-confidence.

During this time, my friend and I discussed the efforts some women expend to produce the appearance of cheekbones that could cut glass or a nose shape often only possible through genetic engineering or several procedures of plastic surgery. Whilst he stated his belief that heavy make-up should be reserved for special occasions rather than a regular affair, it did also only take an extra pint for the grand, sweeping statement: “I don’t know why you’re asking all these people; my opinion is worth the same as any bunch of chicks.” It’s safe to say his confidence wasn’t the one taking the hit that evening. I concluded however that I commend any woman who has the time to apply such make-up every morning or before any casual Monday night trip to the pub, even if it is seen as a tad excessive.

Fortunately for me, the scores were in and I sat smugly as I saw that whilst twelve unassuming regulars confronted with my stark face preferred the dolled up version, twenty-four opted for the natural look that consists of my daily five minute make-up routine. I breathed a sigh of relief. I don’t have to learn to contour after all.

Your wellbeing at university matters

Written by Chloe Hatton on . Posted in Lifestyle.

I’m sure we are all very well aware that university can be a very stressful time, what with lectures, seminars, independent work, extra-curricular activities, and still trying to find time to get enough sleep, actually enjoy yourself, and look after your wellbeing. However, there might be times when it seems like you’re getting a little too stressed, reacting very badly to change, or just not able to get out of bed for some reason other than a hangover. If this is the case, you might just be one of the 80% of students that have experienced a mental health issue within the last year, so it is important to know that you are not alone and that your wellbeing matters.

The best thing you can do is talk to somebody, whether this is a friend, a relative, or one of the counselling team at the University. Your wellbeing is important, and the sooner you talk about it, the easier it will be to get the help you need. It might sound a bit clichéd, but talking to someone about your wellbeing really is the first step to recovery. If you don’t fancy talking to anybody you know, the University Counselling service does offer confidential support, ranging from one-on-one sessions to group sessions, full of people in similar situations to yourself. Sessions can be booked via telephone or by emailing [email protected], and there is lots of information on their various services available on MyManchester.

If you find you are struggling with work, talking to your Academic Advisor is definitely worthwhile; they may be able to make some arrangements with regards to workload. For those with a long-term condition, registering with the Disability Advisory and Support Service may be helpful, as they are able to provide exam support and extensions on major deadlines.

If you do not want to involve the University, there are lots of external groups that offer support, such as Mind, Samaritans, and ReThink. These groups can provide short-term help and advice over the phone, but long-term plans may be beneficial to your wellbeing too. If you go through your GP, the NHS offers counselling services which can be used to help change the way your mind thinks, and get yourself to a much better place on a permanent basis.

Lots of other self-care methods can be very helpful, and although it is very easy to get caught up in the stress that University brings with it, it is vital that you remember to let yourself unwind. Treat yourself every so often, even if it’s something as small as buying a really nice brand of tea, or your favourite chocolate. Similarly, don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make lectures because of your mental health- it should be treated the same as your physical health, and it is just as important. The best thing you can do is look after yourself and, if possible, let others help you.

Becoming a Vegan, Part 1: what’s it all about?

Written by Katie Bell on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Settling back into student life in Manchester, it has been hard to avoid the debate: to be vegan or not to be? My recent conversion to vegetarianism sparked a heated conversation at the dinner table. The meat-eaters rolled their eyes as they tucked into their bacon sarnies; now the minority in our house, they are sick of taking the blame for the world’s problems. Us, as the vegetarians, seem to be able to take the high ground. But we don’t boast the credentials of belonging to the same list as Brad Pitt and Emma Watson like our vegan housemate. In my quest to be a good, all-rounded human as I think about entering the ‘real world’, should I be following in their ethical, green footsteps? And what would this diet mean for me? Here’s some food for thought.

We’re all talking about Cowspiracy. If you’ve not seen it, you’ll have heard about it and its exposure of the shocking impact of the meat industry on our world. Mass deforestation, high levels of methane gas release and water usage all make it a big contributor to global warming. 30 per cent of global emissions come from agriculture (more than all the transport in the world). And if that doesn’t shock you, research shows that instead of feeding animals with our crops, 3.5 billion people could live off the food used for livestock. That’s enough to feed Africa three times over. There are currently 800 million people who do not have enough food, so why aren’t we feeding the people? If a vegan diet uses a third of the land and a third of the water of a typical dairy and meat diet, why don’t we all change in order to save our planet?

Many of us can’t let meat and dairy go. Friends have told me life would be boring without them, but is that enough reason to ignore the facts? The horror towards Mozzarisella (the new rice-based cheese) is understandable but a vegan diet doesn’t have to be boring. The common under-nourished image of a vegan is also wrong; you only need to take one look at Germany’s strongest man—all 105kg of him—to prove it is no detriment to strength.

There are concerns over health for a vegan; we’re just all ill-informed over where to get key nutrients. But protein can be found in other plant-based foods. Seitan for example, the wheat gluten substitute for meat (it tastes better than it sounds, I promise) contains as much, if not more, protein than steak. B12 vitamin deficiency is widely perceived as the vegan problem, but only long-term vegans are advised to take widely-available and safe supplements. And the idea that we need to drink milk for calcium is one provided to us by the companies who produce it.

For now, I class myself as a vegetarian on the diet spectrum—I try not to diet-discriminate. Perhaps one day I’ll be a ‘Cheagan’—a vegan who cheats now and then—like Serena Williams. I mean, if she can win 3 US Opens on a near-vegan diet, I’m sure I can attend lectures without putting milk in my coffee.

I’m not saying we all need to become animal lovers, but being aware of what we eat is important, and little changes can go a very long way. When we consider the facts, this apparently ‘fashionable’ trend seems to have more behind it than just a soya milk craze.

Advice on steps towards achieving that healthy, globally-aware diet and how to get the nutrients you need through plant-based products can be found in Part Two, coming soon.

In this article, I am going to talk about…

Written by Cachella Smith on . Posted in Lifestyle.

If my title sounds somewhat familiar, you may have already realised that the essay season is fast approaching. Yup, unfortunately university isn’t all about escaping home and having a ‘good one’, deadlines also tend to crop up now and again. The focus on independent study and individual response means that for the majority of students, writing an essay has become little more than a stab in the dark. However, hopefully these tips will ease the pain of those first assignments.

1. Background reading

It’s crucial that you understand the topic you are writing on and have evidence to prove it. Begin your secondary reading whilst you are studying each topic area, this way you can formulate ideas as you go (plus you don’t have the added pressure of reading 67 books before you can actually begin writing!).

2. Plan

You can’t just spout out everything that pops into your head and expect your reader to be able to follow your thought-process. Planning allows you to organise your ideas coherently as well as check you have included everything you need to, from contextual information to close analysis, to get those top marks.

3. Take breaks

Often, there’s a tendency for students to try and ‘bang out’ an essay the night before the deadline. However, writing a couple of paragraphs a day allows you to concentrate on one idea at a time. Writing your essay over a period of time, also gives you the opportunity to go away and think about certain ideas you are not sure how to articulate, rather than having to make a rushed decision.

4. Keep calm

Many people associate stress only with exams, but it’s also very easy to become stressed whilst writing an essay. Usually an extended time in which to gain marks simply means an extended period of stress. The important thing is to remember you wouldn’t be at university writing this essay in the first place if you weren’t good enough. Know you can do it, and let that confidence ooze onto the page.

Experts fear that Brexit will push EU academics out of the UK

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

DAAD, a German academic exchange service, has recently released reports warning the UK government that they are at risk of losing current and potential lecturers at universities due to Brexit.

Last week it was proposed by the largest German support organisation for international academic co-operation that EU academics should be given legal permission to teach across the UK without being forced to leave their jobs, making it hard to replace their positions in higher education.

The lack of job security given to researchers and lecturers in major institutions has caused uproar amongst members of the public since Brexit. Leaving the EU may force some of our best teachers to leave the UK, which may cause repercussions in schools and put them under government scrutiny for not achieving top results.

Since the majority of the nation voted to leave, it has been reported in The Independent that the pro-Remain group ‘Scientists for EU’ have been busy “collecting evidence that many EU researchers and lecturers have been turning down or withdrawing their applications to work in the UK”.

However, scientists who voted for Brexit, speaking to The Telegraph, believe that “Brexit simply offers a far brighter future for research and education. The vote also means that we shall escape deeply detrimental present and planned expansions of the EU’s power.” The UK government have since released a declaration stating that all scientific projects and research programmes are to be given the grants that they had applied for before Brexit, as long as they are issued before Article 50 is inaugurated.

Last week, The Mancunion reported that foreign individuals that work in academics will be banned from contributing towards Brexit negotiations. This comes after Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, proposed that companies and institutions were to list their foreign workers, which critics regarded as “disgraceful” and “isolating”, causing tensions to rise between foreign workers.

Currently, at least 17 per cent of UK students are EU citizens and 135 universities are part of union bodies, protecting their students and teachers as much as possible; however this is becoming harder to do without the government elucidating their plans for the future of Brexit.

At the University of Manchester, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell stated around the time of the referendum that for the next two or more years there will be “no change in the immigration or employment status for EU nationals currently employed by the University, or planning to join us, or change to the way in which we collaborate with academic, industrial and commercial partners.”

The University has majorly benefited from the EU for decades, as have many other large academic institutions, so Brexit will have a huge impact when it is realised next March.

‘Blame your MPs, not labour migrants’

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Angela Rayner, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Jeff Smith, local MP for Withington, joined the University of Manchester at the Students’ Union on Thursday 6th of October to discuss the future of the Labour Party and their support for the students in the city.

The discussion was first led by Rayner, who introduced herself as ‘just a ginger from a council estate’ and then went on to familiarise the audience with her position in Parliament.

Rayner expressed that this is a scary time for students and politics, as the Higher Education Bill was drafted before Brexit; this means that any adaptations to the Bill will be much harder to make now we are post-referendum. She also noted the lack of student representation in the House of Commons.

When asked her opinion on Theresa May, Rayner raised her concern that people have too much faith in our new Prime Minister and for the wrong reasons. Rayner believes that May “has no mandate” and that May, having just been appointed Prime Minister, is “acting like she just entered politics for the first time”, even though she has been by Cameron’s side for the past six years. The Shadow Secretary questioned why May is trying to make Brexit a success when she herself was a part of the remain campaign.

When asked whether the Labour Party would protect the the Erasmus programme, which is used by thousands of UK students, including many at Manchester, Rayner stated that the UK would have to have reciprocal agreements with officials in the EU and that nobody has an exact answer yet. She added that she had been persistent in questioning Theresa May about the situation but had not received a solid answer.

Joe Johnson, Minister of Universities, Science, Research and Innovation has stated that he wants tuition fees to rise to £9,500 a year, causing uproar amongst students.

Jeff Smith quickly clarified that he does not want tuition fees to rise, and if he could, he would abolish them as a whole. Smith proposed that the Labour Party are currently doing their best to allow students in the future who come from underprivileged backgrounds to be given a larger maintenance grant, as well as improving access to them. He suggested that this should be introduced by channelling through the cooperation levy.

The discussion then moved on to the expansion of grammar schools and whether this would promote social mobility. Rayner, having attended a comprehensive school during her youth, stated that it is a much better form of education than grammar schools. She is a strong believer that state schools have much better academia that grammar schools and the teachers are equally good.

When asked whether she thought that universities are sexist, as discussed in The Mancunion last week, Rayner replied that we are years away from making things perfect—however, in a rare moment of praise for Theresa May, she complimented the Prime Minister on her efforts for fighting for equal pay.

Jeff Smith went on to say that the economic powerhouse of Manchester is the only major city in the UK with equal representation, with 48 female and male councillors, giving Manchester an advantage in securing balanced opinions.

Smith believes that Manchester has a serious problem with homelessness and wants to tackle the situation by investing more in social services and by building more council houses in the North. Rayner commented that one of the main problems with the government is that they are based so dominantly in the South. Due to this, they are “blaming labour migrants and shoving them up North” said Angela Rayner at the SU, complaining that there is not enough room for them in the UK when there evidently is.

Tensions rose as the discussion continued, with Rayner and Smith both constantly checking their mobiles as Corbyn started reshuffling the Cabinet.

As they were both alerted that the Chief Whip, Rosie Winterton, was sacked, Rayner started to become more conscious of her position and joked that she “could be gone by the end of the panel meeting.”

Despite this they are faithful in his position as the leader of the Labour Party and both agree that the only way to take down the Tories is by lobbying them with hopes of an early general election before 2020.