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Day: 21 November 2016

Why was Trump elected?

Written by Dianna Ritchie on . Posted in Opinion.

In the months running up to the election, few in the UK considered Donald Trump to have a viable chance of winning the office of Presidency of the United States. Even after Brexit, most believed that Trump’s bigoted, erratic speech and behaviour would virtually disqualify him from the race.

Despite the free flow of our culture and media across the pond, very few people in the UK — or even those bi-costal city dwellers here in the US — understand what the real face of America looks like. The US likes to present itself as a hub of culture, freedom and progress. But beyond this (somewhat) well preserved facade is a poor and disenfranchised underbelly, which has been categorically ignored both internationally and within the US itself.

The results of the 8th of November were not altogether dissimilar to those of the 23rd of June. Those who understand the election of Donald Trump as the apex of the post-recession western populist movement are certainly on the right track.

Like Europe, much of the US was devastated by the great recession of 2008. Though the national average of unemployment at the peak of the Great Recession was similar to that in the UK (approximately 10 per cent and 8 per cent unemployment, respectively), many poorer, rural states in the US saw unemployment soar to around 20 per cent.

These regions worst hit by the recession have never come close to a full recovery. Take Martinsville city, Virginia, located within Henry county the worst affected counties in my home state. In December of 2015, the unemployment rate in Martinsville loomed at 9.5 per cent, higher than the national UK average in 2009. Trump won this county by 63 per cent.Trump’s criticism of NAFTA in particular, and globalisation in general, sat well for many of those living in rural communities.

Since the passing of NAFTA, many opportunities for manufacturing jobs have relocated to Mexico. Alongside this, there has been a failure in efforts to offer retraining programmes to those affected. Clearly, much of middle America did not see the same Great Recovery that the Clinton campaign talked of. This talk of progress only added insult to injury.

Like Brexit, this year’s presidential election was a chance for the economically disenfranchised to be heard. These large (often rural) communities which had hitherto been largely been ignored by Washington now had a candidate who not only spoke to them directly and candidly. Better still, this candidate was a businessman — not a politician. And even better again, a businessman who was already a household name.

By all accounts, Secretary Clinton was Trump’s antithesis. Unarguably a career politician, she had spent her life in government championing the key factors that middle America perceived as worsening their lives: globalisation and multiculturalism. While Trump denounced NAFTA for having ‘destroyed our country’, Clinton’s husband had signed it into law.

All that being said, many wonder how Trump’s anti-minority rhetoric was not a deal breaker, especially in a nation that has nicknamed itself ‘the Great Melting Pot’.

Though nearly every country has its own history of bigotry, the US is unique in how recently discrimination was legal. Interracial marriage, for example was unlawful in 16 states until 1967. It was not until the aptly named landmark case of Richard and Mildred Loving vs the state of Virginia (Loving vs Virginia) made it all the way to the supreme court, a process which took 3 years, that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were invalidated. In contrast, there has never been a law prohibiting interracial marriage in the UK.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of state sanctioned racism in the US. Though the segregation of public schools between white and non-white students was officially ruled unconstitutional in 1954, the practice did not end until well into the 1960s. Put in a more personal way, many of my friends’ parents attended segregated primary schools.

Trump’s language of hate was nothing all that new or shocking to the part of America which can itself actually remember when his speech was the norm. It is easy to see, then, why his rhetoric was overlooked by much of his electorate.

This is not to say that there were no genuine bigots among his electorate. One only needs to watch a few interviews from Trump rallies to see that many of his most ardent supporters subscribed, either explicitly or implicitly, to some blend of patriarchal, white nationalism. Trump’s appeal to America’s former glory was undoubtedly twofold — both economic and cultural.

For many of us here in the US, Trump was not a surprise — he was inevitable. America has never fully tackled poverty within its poor post-industrial communities, nor have we extended the dialogue on race much past the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

If there is any silver lining to Trump’s election, it is that the US has finally been forced to confront its issues of systemic poverty and prejudice head-on. Trump has already been elected — there is no changing that. What we can do now is continue to protest, continue to stand up to bigotry, and ensure that Trump becomes only a one term president.

Dianna Ritchtie is an American University of Manchester alumnus. 

University of Manchester rated one of the world’s best for graduate employability

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in News.

The Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking 2016 was published on the 16th of November after surveying 2,500 recruitment managers and 3,500 business managers around the world to get their views on the most employable graduates.

The University of Manchester has been ranked fifth in the UK and 24th in the world in an independent league table illustrating the way in which universities prepare their students for work.

The companies surveyed ranged across all major business sectors, having more than 5,000 employees each and also recruited more than 50 graduates per year.  Those surveyed were asked to define what they look for in a graduate as well as what university they believe produce the most employable graduates.

For Tammy Goldfeld, head of The University of Manchester’s Careers Service, this graduate employability success is down to an approach dedicated to developing skills that are not only associated with conventional teaching. She said: “Alongside the practical support we give to students we encourage all of them to take part in structured activities outside of their courses, developing a leadership and social responsibility ethos which they can translate into successful future careers.”

This latest triumph is the only the most recent in an already impressive list of performances for Manchester in both UK and international league tables. The University has also reached its highest ever position of 29th in the QS World University Rankings in September and, in August, climbed six places to 35th in The Academic Ranking of World Universities.

This latest result also confirms the findings of the ‘Graduate Market in 2016’ survey of the UK’s top 100 employers which revealed that University of Manchester students are the most targeted by leading graduate recruiters.

One strong point listed by the university was the University’s Sustainability Challenge. In Welcome Week 2016, almost 8,000 first year students worked together in teams to project manage the development of a new fictional university campus. This allowed them to develop important skills and learn about issues facing the world today.

Goldfeld added: “The employers we work with consistently tell us that they value the extra skills that students gain over and above their course and this is something we work very hard to impress on our students. The placing in this league table shows that Manchester graduates are making a positive impression all around the world and taking to the first steps to successful careers.”

To view the full rankings, visit the Times Higher Education Website.

Preview: money.co.uk founder speaks to Manchester entrepreneurs

Written by Gemma Sowerby on . Posted in News.

On Wednesday 23rd of November, Chris Morling, Manchester graduate and top entrepreneur behind the hugely successful comparison website money.co.uk, will be speaking to Entrepreneurs@Manchester and the Manchester Enterprise Centre as part of their impressive speaker series.

Money.co.uk was ranked as the second fastest growing business in the UK last year by The Sunday Times, who also placed Chris in the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List alongside a whole host of successful and renowned UK entrepreneurs.

This event will showcase Chris and his enormous talents, hopefully inspiring students and future Manchester entrepreneurs. As the event description explains: “Chris is [as] passionate about creating a working environment that’s fun, challenging, and rewarding as he is making sure customers are treated fairly by financial services companies.

“Money.co.uk has been voted as one of the best places to work in the country and appeared in the top 100 fastest-growing private technology companies in Britain for the past three years. He uses his unique insight into consumer and company behaviour to respond to regulatory reviews and help shape the industry, all reasons Chris was shortlisted for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award earlier this year.”

The Manchester Enterprise Centre, based within Alliance Manchester Business School, are “recognised as a leader in enterprise education and aim to inspire, educate and develop enterprising individuals and enable them to positively impact the growth of dynamic organisations.

“Through enterprise teaching, learning and business start-up support, our students can capitalise on these research outcomes — transferring knowledge from the classrooms and laboratories to market opportunities. Enterprise at Manchester can be the driving force to improve the world in which we live — we have the knowledge and we need to apply it for economic and social gain.”

Chris Morling will be speaking on the 23rd of November at 5:15pm, in Lecture Theatre B, University Place.

Escaping the stereotype: Gary Lineker and the refugee debate

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport, Uncategorised.

Last month, Gary Lineker’s intervention into the refugee debate attracted a divided response. While many welcomed his comments, certain tabloids and members of the public were highly critical. The negative response Lineker experienced was comparable to that of Lily Allen, who also recently commented on the refugee situation and received criticism from the press.

The incident began with Lineker posting an undoubtedly provocative tweet, following scepticism from areas of the press over the age of some child refugees coming into Britain. The tweet ran as follows: ‘The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What’s happening to our country?’

Subsequently, he was ridiculed by The Sun, who led with a front page headline stating ‘Calls for BBC to fire Lineker as he peddles migrant lies’, also quoting Twitter users in a later article saying he should “stick to football” and that he was talking “cobblers” and making himself “look like an idiot”.

Moreover, UKIP MEP Patrick O’Flynn tweeted “If Mr Lineker wants to be Lib-Left political voice then fair enough, but get him off MOTD [Match of the Day] please. Time to pass baton to Jermaine Jenas anyway,” stating in a further tweet that “it is not appropriate for the MOTD anchor to insult the political views and affiliations of millions of licence payers.”

The backlash received by Lineker was extremely unfair. It must be said that many people welcomed his comments; the ridicule he received was from a small section of the public. The general consensus is that certain tabloids, as well as political figures and members of the public, want to silence compassionate and empathetic comments towards refugees.

Many acknowledged his bravery in speaking out on an issue people in the football world have kept quiet about. At the end of the day, Lineker is entitled to hold, and express, opinions just like anyone else.

However, to me it felt like Lineker’s opinions were being dismissed because of his status as an ex-footballer. This idea is particularly infuriating. The status of a footballer, or ex-footballer in Lineker’s case, should not deny the ability to intervene in public debate. It is clear to me that a stereotype exists, in which footballers are pigeon-holed and discriminated against because of their profession. The argument goes that they should not express opinions on political or social issues – if they do, it will be overlooked because their profession somehow confirms a lack of expertise and knowledge, thus invalidating those opinions. Many Twitter users were raising this argument.

The ability to play football has no correlation to the validity of opinion. The stupidity of this argument lies in the notion of expertise.

The existence of this stereotype, as well as the immense scrutiny from the press and public, has led to footballers appearing sterile, opting to withhold opinions, offering little in interviews and on social media other than clichés. The fear of tarnishing their reputation results in footballers remaining silent on topical and controversial issues. This makes Lineker’s comments even braver. He knew he would receive considerable backlash, and yet, he commented nonetheless. While it was suggested Lineker was merely being provocative to attract attention, I believe his entrance into the refugee debate is testament to a sound character.

The football sphere, and more generally the sporting world, is not separate and distinct from society and politics. While the ‘footballer stereotype’ and immense scrutiny is likely never to change, I think many would welcome a greater input of opinion from players and ex-players on social and political issues.

Cup North

Written by Alec Wilby on . Posted in News.

“This coffee thing better not be outside, Alec.”

Cup North, Saturday the 5th of November, arctic temperatures as we boarded the tram: I could not help but agree. Arriving at Victoria Warehouse (a short tram-ride away from Piccadilly Gardens), it initially appeared that the coffee thing was, indeed, outside; however, our fears were quickly abated.

When I bought the tickets for Cup North, I was not really sure what to expect. The website seemed very industry focused and drinking enough coffee to warrant the ticket price (£10) seemed like a logistical/dietary nightmare. Nonetheless, we soldiered on.

Within minutes of arriving, we had drinks thrust into our hand by someone from Brew Tea Co. It was English Breakfast (I think) and while it was OK, we quickly drained our sample cups to escape the grasps of the exhibitor’s pitch.

Cold brew was my main interest at the event: I read about it on the internet several months ago, and I had meant to make my own over the summer. Totally having forgotten to do so, the logical thing of course was to try it at Cup North, courtesy of Artemis. For those unaware, what separates cold brew from regular coffee is that you do not add heat in any part of the brewing process. Instead, you steep coffee grounds in water for 16+ hours and then filter it before drinking it cold. The advantage of this process is that, supposedly, you get a completely different flavour.

In practice, cold brew was everything the internet told me it would be. I’ll admit, I was sceptical that it was just a BuzzFeed summer fad but honestly, it is completely different. They had 3 different coffees on and each had a very distinct flavour in a way that coffee I make at home generally doesn’t. Artemis were selling bottles of their cold brews but also had “nitro” brews available. The twist here was that they add nitrogen gas to the cold brew, imbuing it with draught beer like qualities. One of the coffees they had was particularly different, being made from “cascara”, sometimes known as coffee cherries. Cascara is distinct from normal coffee as it is made from the skin of the bean, rather than the bean itself. The result is a fruity taste unlike any other coffee I have had. The regular cold brews were more recognisable as coffee, but the advantage of cold brew is that you get a lot of taste without any of the sharpness or bitterness of regular coffee, worth a try if you can find it.

One of the interesting things on offer at the event was a workshop being run by Heart and Graft (a Manchester-based roastery) to teach attendees more about the flavours that make up their coffee. We drank a few different types of acid (citric, malic, tartaric and lactic) and tried to identify what they taste or feel like, followed by tasting some more complex flavours (such as blueberries and molasses).

After trying the individual elements, he made us an espresso which was supposed to have pineapple-caramel flavours: the pineapple was definitely there although it was quite overpowering. With the workshop, there was definitely an element of “I’m tasting this because he told me I should”; that said, I’ll pay more attention to what my coffee packets say I should be tasting in the future.

After Heart and Graft came Kokoa Collection who, unsurprisingly, were serving hot chocolate. They had a range of different single-origin hot chocolates ranging from white up to 82 per cent, served like a latte with steamed milk: I opted for 70 per cent as a good middle ground and Pip went for 82 per cent. While he was making our drinks, the exhibitor let us try our hands at grinding cocoa nibs to make chocolate, apparently it was too cold in the hall to work (though maybe our technique was just bad). The hot chocolate itself was excellent, both were very flavoursome and the difference between the two varieties was obvious. I could not help but buy a bag to make at a later date.

After the event, we spoke to a volunteer who has worked each of the 3 years of the festival. Initially she got involved because the tickets were too expensive; however, volunteering was fun and relaxed and, “you also get lots of free coffee and you will be well-fed.” Furthermore, volunteering for Cup North is relatively easy, “all you need to do is show interest.” She found that Cup North has changed to have a more professional atmosphere this year, making the whole thing seem more “official.” Although this meant more attendees overall, she felt that there was less opportunity to have decent conversations with the exhibitors.

We definitely found that some of the exhibitors launched into their sales pitch very quickly after approaching their stall. Obviously, they are there to sell their product, however it was off-putting and led to us leaving certain stalls earlier than we might have done. That said, the reception of the event was good and attendees ranged from baristas to “people who just love coffee and cakes.” Overall, attendance was good, people seemed to enjoy themselves and the event was another success.

To anyone who has been to a beer festival, something like Cup North might seem strange. At a beer festival, (at least as far as  I’m concerned), you are intended to enjoy those drinks at that time, at that location. With Cup North though, the main focus seemed to be on taking something away with you when you leave and clearly, this affects the approach of the exhibitors.

There were other aspects to the event that we didn’t really see, such as “Tamper Tantrum” (the ‘Ted talks of coffee’) and the Cupping Lab (competitive coffee tasting) which I considered entering but we were too late. While the ticket price only covers entry, most of the exhibitors were willing to let you try their product so it was a relatively cheap, though high quality,  event. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in caffeine.

Cha-ology お茶とお菓子

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Walking along Great Ancoats Street is not pleasant at the best of times, so when I embarked on the journey to Cha-ology in the relentless rain I was less than enthusiastic. From the outside, Cha-ology looked to be on the extreme side of simplistic. However, as soon as I entered and was seated at the tea-bar (due to the cushioned floor seats being full), I knew my first impression had been completely wrong. The hanging Edison lightbulbs gave the room a warm hue and the many, tiny cooking items filled the brewing area showing Cha-ology’s commitment to serving the finest tea.

Freya and I, are unfortunately not Japanese tea experts, so had to shyly ask for some menu advice from owner Mei. She happily chatted us through the different tea options and helped us decide on some Matcha Tea with Soy Milk, some Gyokuro Green Tea, a Matcha Cheesecake and a Green Tea and White Chocolate Tart. We paid, took our shoes (yes shoes) and coats off and eagerly watched as Mei began assembling our Japanese-esque afternoon tea choices.

As soon as we saw our desserts being brought out of the fridge, we knew they were going to be exactly what was needed to brighten up our somewhat gloomy day. The Tart and Cheesecake were both an extravagant green colour, which would have been brave anywhere else but fitted in naturally to our surroundings. We took our first bites, and their exquisiteness was confirmed. The white chocolate ganache that filled the Tart was truly indulgent and the dark chocolate coin delicately placed on top was inscribed with Cha-ology’s name. The consistency of the Cheesecake was clearly perfected and the hint of green tea was subtle yet added to the overall balance of the slice well.

Once the tables prior to us were served, Mei set out to begin the mixology that was necessary for our teas. We sneaked stares at the bright green powder and the roasted tea leaves that we could see being carefully incorporated into our cups. We were then further explained to about the origins, processes and serving of the teas. This added to our authentic experience and definitely increased our somewhat limited knowledge of Japanese tea.

As it steamed in front of us, the first thing we noticed about the Gyokuro Tea was its slightly nutty aroma and light brown transparent colour. We began by cautiously sipping and passing the cup between us, which quickly turned into each of us trying to get more than our fair share. We continued to refill our leaf-filled pot three times. The Matcha Tea, known for its high caffeine content and fresh green colour, was an entirely different experience. It was presented to us in a floral bowl and the creamy texture enticed us straight away. On taste, this tea was thicker and slightly earthy and was a pleasant change to the samey teas available on the high street.

As we sipped and slurped, we admired the unique atmosphere Cha-ology has created and lounged at the tea-bar contently watching the bubbling pans on the visible hob. I was glad we had been sat at the bar, rather than on the cushioned floor, as we saw the intricate processes that went into Cha-ology’s tea and I, personally, loved eyeing up the kitchenware that I now want to add to my Christmas list.

A tournament I really don’t understand: The ATP World Tour finals

Written by Joshua Jenkins on . Posted in Sport.

Another long and gruelling tennis season is about to come to an end and that means only one thing — the ATP World Tour finals are underway. The event, which has been run annually since 1970, sees the top eight highest point scorers in ‘The Race for London’ descend upon the O2 for the grand finale. The tournament sees heavyweights such as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Novak Djokovic all compete for the end of year trophy, with a whopping $6 million prize fund, and a healthy dose of ranking points on offer.

This year, all eyes are on who will be the season ending world number one. Murray is looking to hold off Djokovic and keep his place at the top of the rankings, in what has been billed as ‘The Battle for Number One’. The rankings battle also sees Milos Raonic looking to overtake Wawrinka and become the new world number three, and Marin Cillic could become the new world number six. Here lies the problem with this tournament, has anyone ever been bothered about the actual title itself?

This year the tournament’s profile has been raised due to the Murray and Djokovic battle, but apart from this unique circumstance, what is the point every other year? With a demanding season beginning all the way back in January, we usually know who the best player on the globe is going into the event. For the last four years it was Djokovic, Rafael Nadal held the spot for a while before that, before him Roger Federer had the firmest of firm grips on the number one ranking. This year’s compelling ‘Battle for Number One’ is normally non-existent at the season-ending event, meaning that the only major prize on offer is who will win the tour finals.

This in itself is a problem. There isn’t really a place for the tournament in the calendar hierarchy. It is not as coveted as any of the four majors, it can also be argued that it is not as sought after as any of the nine masters events either. It just basically exists as a money spinner. No one is really interested. It is not a tournament that fans look forward to. How many past winners can you name? And when the discussion of what titles Andy Murray still needs to win to complete the set who ever brings up the tour finals? The answer to that is no one.

The format of the tournament is another thing that I do not understand. Unlike the normal ‘lose, get knocked out’ setup that is present in every other tour event in the season, the players participate in a round robin format where the eight players are divided into two groups, each with four players. The top two then progress to the semi-finals where normality is restored with the traditional knockout style to find the eventual winner. In trying to make money by prolonging the event for a week, the tournament just becomes meaningless. A player can conceivably lose two round robin matches but yet still win the tournament — surely defeating the idea of a tournament in the first place.

The most prestigious tournaments are bathed in history — Wimbledon and its All England Club has a wealth of it, the French Open has also witnessed historic moments (think back to Djokovic winning the title this year), I genuinely cannot think of a truly historic moment from the tour finals. It is not helped that the tournament follows the pattern of staying in a city for a few years, begins to form an identity, then packs up and roles into another location.

This stops the event from ever forming an identity — imagine the grass court major moving to a different city every couple of years. Before London the tour finals were held in Shanghai, it has also been held in Paris, Lisbon, and Hannover. Since its inception in 1970 it has been held in no less than fourteen cities. The event has had some consistency over the last few years but still far too little for what the ATP would like to think is a major highlight in the tennis season.

Live: Bugzy Malone

Written by Harrison Kersey on . Posted in Music.

11th November at Albert Hall

7/10

“0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy”. These words became the mantra of Bugzy Malone last year, most notably in his high-profile, high-stakes beef with Chip — aka Chipmunk.  As well as a war between two MCs, for many the beef came to represent a fight for Manchester’s place in the Grime scene. While the dust has now thankfully settled, with both artists moving on and making new music that isn’t solely focused on each other — thank God Twitter wasn’t around when Jay-Z and Nas were going at it — the loyalty that Bugzy gained through such out-front ‘repping’ of his hometown is still burning strong, as I found out last Friday at the Albert Hall.

The restored chapel is a beautiful, 2,500 capacity venue with stained glass windows and  antique wood panelling, and has played host to artists of international standing like Tame Impala, Jamie xx, Bombay Bicycle Club and most recently Corinne Bailey Rae. It is definitely among Manchester’s least grimy night spots, and might seem a strange place for a show like this. However this misses the point; the man who served time as Aaron Davis has since made a name for himself as grime’s “King of the North”. Bugzy Malone is a hometown hero with a fiercely loyal following, his success and status in Manchester should not be underestimated.

After a solid but unremarkable support set from Isaiah Dreads, Bugzy took to the stage looking like a road superhero in a skin-tight blue jacket. With menacing stage-presence — showing off the footwork of a practiced boxer — he tore into his set like a pitbull ripping apart a football. Bar for bar he may not be the greatest lyrical talent on the planet, but his delivery was consistently on-point.

The crowd was probably the most gassed that the Albert Hall has ever seen; a cloud of steam could be seen over the moshpits thanks to the impressive and well-handled lighting rig. Many in attendance — including several middle-aged women stood near me — rapped along to nearly every tune, including those from his new LP Facing Time which formed the body of his set. A particular standout performance came from two boys of about 12 on the balcony, to the direct right of the stage, who could probably have given the man himself a run for his money if someone had given them a mic.

The standout track of the night was the lead single ‘Mad’ from Facing Time, with the crowd shouting the words of the hook back to him louder than the monitors, the by-now-shirtless star of the show followed it with a heartfelt offering of thanks to his fans. Not wanting things to get too soppy, he then closed the show with the violence-inducing bass of ‘Moshpit Gang’, a quick goodbye, and the legendary words “0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy!”. The crowd went wild.

Fish Out Of Water: Listening to Leonard Cohen

Written by Jacob Hopkins on . Posted in Music.

Before Leonard Cohen’s passing a couple of weeks ago, I — perhaps like many people — had not actually heard a great deal of his work. The only song of Cohen’s I knew was ‘Hallelujah’, and even then that had been butchered through many a bad singalong on long road trips. So I took the opportunity to get a bit better acquainted with his work through his various phases, picking up track recommendations from not just fellow Mancunion contributor Oscar Talbot but indeed another Cohen super-fan in the form of my mum.

Following a quick primer from both of my contacts, I started out with his earliest, folky work and what first struck me was the gravelly growl of Cohen’s voice, which could not have contrasted more with the soft acoustic guitar backing. The reputation I had for Cohen was for wry, intelligent lyrics on relationships —  and in songs such as ‘Suzanne’ and ‘So Long Marianne‘  they were certainly delivered — but I was not aware that even as a young man, his voice was already prompting reviewers to hand out clichés such as “whisky-soaked” on a plate.

Nonetheless, once the shock subsided, it was hard to deny the beautiful melancholy of his work, the sort of thing you imagine could be the soundtrack to coffee and cigarettes at midnight. More often than not, I found that any excess angst was tempered with a sly streak of dry, dark humour, ‘Joan of Arc’ — on which he laments how the titular heroine had “no man to get her through this smoky night” — is a particularly good example. So far — although I would not describe myself as a huge fan of folk music — I was enjoying his work and particularly the poetic lyrics.

I then moved on from this into mid-career Cohen, keeping the gravelly voice but swapping the acoustic guitar for what sounded like a full lounge band with a bit more bounce — he even manages to go as far as a disco collaboration on ‘First We Take Manhattan’! There were some slightly more… leftfield lyrics  — I had only just recovered from the shock of the gravelly voice before Cohen growled “give me crack and anal sex” on ‘The Future’ — and a generally much more confident feel, at this point Cohen was famous, respected, and he knew it. This period of his work was certainly musically catchier, but at this point I was hooked on Cohen’s lyrics and found that his more minimal earlier material allowed his wordplay to come across more clearly.

Finally, I moved to latter-day Cohen with his last release You Want It Darker. Rather than being a footnote at the end of his career, I was completely blown away by the title track especially. The stripped-back style with bass, organ, and choir allowed the raw and poignant imagery and refrain of “I’m ready, my Lord” to shine through. I imagine there will be plenty of comparisons to Blackstar, but even as a huge Bowie fan, Cohen’s simple yet hard-hitting approach to what he knew would be his swansong ended up feeling far more intimate and must have been a tough listen for any long-time Cohen fan.

Throughout my journey through his discography, I felt that I was taking away more from Cohen’s lyrics than his music, and was keen to find out more about the man in general. Taking the time to watch a couple of interviews with Cohen in which he meditates on subjects such as love, relationships, and his depression was definitely worth it, as was reading a little around Cohen’s life. In particular, the choice he faced as a young man between life as a bohemian poet or respectably settling into the business life expected of him revealed a lot about his character and motivations. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find out that in addition to poetry, he wrote novels as a young man and given how much I enjoyed his lyrics, I have promised myself to get hold of and read these books as soon as I can!

To wrap up, I have really enjoyed being able to get better acquainted with Leonard Cohen’s work and am really looking forward to reading some of his poetry and novels. I have found that his more stripped-back work at each end of his career lays clear his gift for observing people and their relationships. Still, my focus on his lyrics should not be read as any disrespect to his musical work – I can now see that the huge outpouring of grief for Cohen was well-deserved, especially since he was clearly able to produce great music and lyrics across his entire career.

Harvard suspends men’s soccer team over sexual comments

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in News.

Harvard University has suspended their men’s soccer team this season after it was discovered that they had made lewd comments about some members of the women’s soccer team.

It was discovered that the team had produced vulgar and explicit ‘scouting reports’ rating the women on the teams sexual appeal and physical appearance.

The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper, reported that the 2012 men’s soccer team had compiled a “scouting report” of that year’s women’s soccer recruits, rating them and assigning each a hypothetical sexual position. University President Drew G. Faust instructed OGC, Harvard’s team of lawyers, to “review” the matter.

Faust, released a statement after an investigation: “I was deeply distressed to learn that the appalling actions of the 2012 men’s soccer team were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few individuals, but appear to have been more widespread across the team and have continued beyond 2012, including in the current season.”

She added: “The decision to cancel a season is serious and consequential, and reflects Harvard’s view that both the team’s behaviour and the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our community.”

The men’s soccer team is currently ranked first in the Ivy League men’s soccer table and was one win away from a guaranteed NCAA tournament spot. However, since the team has been shut down for the rest of the season, they automatically lose their spot.

Athletics Director Robert L. told the Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper: “We strongly believe that this immediate and significant action is absolutely necessary if we are to create an environment of mutual support, respect, and trust among our students and our teams. Harvard Athletics has zero tolerance for this type of behaviour.”

He added that the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response will work to “further educate” not only the soccer team, but all student athletes in general.

Pieter S Lehrer, the men’s soccer team coach, said in a statement: “We are beyond disappointed that our season has ended in this way, but we respect the decision made by our administration. We accept responsibility for our actions, and I know that we will use the experience of this terribly unfortunate situation to be better.”

The six women from the other team wrote an article entitled “Stronger Together” for The Crimson, strongly condemning the “scouting report.”

The article also read: “The sad reality is that we have come to expect this kind of behaviour from so many men, that it is so “normal” to us we often decide it is not worth our time or effort to dwell on. [We are] beyond hurt to realise these individuals could encourage, silently observe, or participate in this kind of behaviour, and for more than four years have neglected to apologise [until recently].”

They concluded: “I can offer you my forgiveness, which is — and forever will be — the only part of me that you can ever claim as yours.”

The women’s team have since invited the male side to join them in their fight against “locker room” culture.

Review: Louder Than Words Festival

Written by Gurnaik Johal on . Posted in Books, Music.

The Louder Than Words Festival, a weekend of discussions and performances about music writing, brought the likes of The Fall, Thunder and Kraftwerk to The Palace Hotel last week. The many panels on the craft of music and writing were filled with critics, journalists and biographers, with a special focus on punk music. The events were wide ranging, with the relationship between music and writing explored in book launches, performances and slam poetry.

The first event I saw was “Punk or Professor”, a panel about music journalism and whether it needs to be taught at universities. There were many interesting points raised about the differences between music journalism and traditional journalism and how writing style has to differ when writing about music.

Music writing was further explored in “Write on, Brother” a discussion between Daniel Rachel (Isle of Noises) and Patrick Humphries (Nick Drake: The Biography). It was full of anecdotes about meetings with the likes of Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan but also went in depth into how to conduct interviews and how to go about writing biographies or music reviews. Talks like these make the Louder Than Words Festival a worthwhile visit for aspiring music writers.

The highlight of the festival, for me, was John Robb’s conversation with the iconic punk/hippy/drummer/artist/poet/ philosopher Penny Rimbaud.

While punk was talked about in depth in “The aesthetic of our Anger” and “Punk @ 40”, here Rimbaud managed to talk of zen buddhism, Donald Trump and world peace in one breath. As the founder of one of Britain’s first communes he had a lot of insightful things to say about religion and politics — needless to say, things got philosophical very quickly.

There was a lot more to see and certainly something for everybody, so I’d definitely recommend going to an event or two the next time the festival comes around if you’re interested in music, writing or journalism.

A tale of two globalisations

Written by Ryan Khurana on . Posted in Opinion.

Historians have often resented the tendency of some to make shallow historical analogies in analysis. The most painful example has to be the unfortunately common compassion between whatever one dislikes and Hitler: Hitler was bad, A is bad, therefore, A is Hitler.

Niall Ferguson proposed that if one fails to think of three similarities and three differences between an event and its historical “counterpart” they should differ their analysis to a historian. The failure of effective comparison is likely the result of a deficit in language, for we lack the subtly of terms to communicate the modern rebellion across the western world against a liberal metropolitan elite. To help clear up some of the problems that arise, I will make the case that the term “Globalisation” has not one, but two meanings, and very different rebellions have taken place on either side of the Atlantic.

The votes for Donald Trump and Brexit can be described as protests against systems that the majority regarded as flawed. However, to simply call them protests against “Globalisation” removes key differentiations. There are two forms of globalisation. The classical and more accurately-named form is economic liberalism; global free trade and the free movement of goods and services across boundaries.

The second form of Globalisation — which I will term Globalism — is embodied in the term “end of history”: the belief in a unifying global culture, devoid of concern for economics. A rebellion against one does not necessarily entail a rebellion against the other.

Globalisation-proper has a long history and is the direction of most states in the post-war era. It is the set of values upon which the EEC (European Economic Community) was originally founded, why Nixon went to China, and what Eastern Europeans celebrated upon the fall of the Iron Curtain. It has been advocated since at least the time of Adam Smith, and has been rapidly advanced by technologies that have improved communication and travel.

Economic globalisation has been empirically shown to be the greatest force against extreme poverty in human history and a major force for technological development. It has, however, left some people feeling left behind. Their concerns ought not to be ignored. The traditional working class in developed countries has had a difficult time adapting to the technological progress. The work that was valued in a pre-internet age is no longer valued in the same way, and the post-war infrastructure in developed countries has not progressed as fast as those in those that are newly industrialising.

For example, Romania has vastly superior broadband to the UK. This owes to the combination of a completely deregulated telecoms industry and the ability to build broadband infrastructure to its most modern form following the fall of Communism. The rapid growth benefited low-skilled labourers of such countries, whilst their counterparts in the developed countries were left behind.

Some institutions of globalisation also deserve their fair share of criticism. The IMF and the World Bank have promoted a distinctly western form of economic development and dollar denominated debt upon nations that may not be prepared for it. While, as a whole, globalisation of this form is seen as a force for good, criticisms have come from both left and right: for example, Varoufakis’ Global Minotaur or Peter Thiel and Gary Kasporov’s arguments about secular stagnation.

Conversely, the rhetoric from President-elect Trump, and far-right populist forces on the continent are not analytically critiquing. It is not that they believe that developed countries are lagging in productivity and competitiveness (which they are), but that the push to industrialising nations is an act of “stealing our jobs” and “unfair trade deals”. This is a highly nationalistic version of anti-globalisation and ought to be discussed. While I am very pro-globalisation, I will readily admit there are problems with the current system that need to be addressed, having an overly simplistic conversation does not serve to accomplish this.

Globalism, on the other hand, is not economic, it is cultural and value-based. It is the belief in global political and cultural hegemony. Globalism has been embraced by institutions through a belief in western supremacy and a unity of liberal democracies. It is the force behind the Iraq War. Globalism has led to a greater prominence of identity politics, whereby individuals identify with larger and more abstract communities rather than with their neighbours.

Localism, the rebellion against globalism, should not be seen as nationalism. Localism, in the tradition of Chesterton and Belloc, is the preservation of diverse local cultures; it is value-pluralist (everyone should be allowed to pursue what they feel is right) and it is multi-polar (there should be no director of world affairs). It reasserts every nations right to sovereignty and is opposed to large international institutions that deprive local decision making. Brexit, at least how envisioned by many of its Tory and Labour supporters, was of this form.

Whilst UKIP here may be seen to represent a force against globalisation, conservatives see free trade as wholly compatible with the preservation of local cultures. When it comes to the topic of globalism, it is easy to reduce the nuances of the debate in equating it with nationalistic sentiment. The twin goals of global connectivity and local diversity are entirely opposed to the goals of national isolation and cultural hegemony. Preserving diversity requires a form of sovereignty as everyone ought to be able to pursue what they feel is in their best interests.

Live: Peaches

Written by Jack Ashworth on . Posted in Music.

10th November at Academy 2

9/10

Peaches, art-pop’s greatest provocateur, brought her latest tour to Academy 2 last Thursday night, and her mesmerising performance left jubilant audiences staggered in what was surely one of the most energetic, bombastic and deliciously subversive productions to grace the venue this year.

Infamous for her androgynous, sexually-charged, gender-bending persona, Peaches (real name Merrill Nisker) has spent the last twenty years carefully crafting herself into one of electronic music’s primary innovators – pushing the boundaries of sexual and moral propriety. Sixteen years since the release of breakout album Teaches Of Peaches, the Canadian songstress has deftly endeavoured to traverse gender boundaries and deliver a body of work that is as joyous in its transgression as it is revolutionary.

With the help of her tireless backing dancers, posing as two giant vulvas, Peaches’ tightly choreographed dance moves and effortless vocals carried her through a relentlessly high energy set – and the effect on the audience was tantamount to riot. Belting out classics such as ‘Dick In The Air’, ‘Fuck The Pain Away’ and material from 2015’s Rub, the audience screamed with elation as the ‘Boys Wanna Be Her’ singer – dressed in an outfit composed of six fake breasts – writhed across the stage.

In a time of great social and political uncertainty, Peaches’ patriarchy-smashing and gender-traversing tour-de-force is a refreshing ray of light in what has been an all-round shit year. At one point climbing inside a giant, inflatable dick, Peaches whipped her crowd into a frenzy, with a barrage of high drama, lo-fi and trap-heavy anthems, offering an escape from the doldrums of modern living, whilst simultaneously acting as a ‘call to arms’ to challenge the socially ingrained gender boundaries that oppress us.

A masterclass in colour and splendour, Peaches’ performance was both joyous and radical. Entering into her 50th birthday, the tireless pop queen shows no signs of slowing down, and continues to construct herself as a ‘fuck you’ to societal structures that try and restrain her.  As fellow provocateur Madonna stated in an interview in 2015: “Because women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accepted that they’re not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don’t follow the rules. I never did, and I’m not going to start”, and like Madonna, Peaches certainly shows no signs of conforming to any ‘rules’ other than her own.

No willpower? Love bacon? Try flexitarianism

Written by Megan Harvey on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Vegetarian and veganism has become increasingly popular in the UK, rising by over 360 per cent in the past decade. This is in part since the impacts of the meat industry on the climate have come to light, as well as the health benefits of eating less red meat. But to many people, the idea of giving up meat seems like an incredibly difficult, sad, and significantly less delicious way of life. However there is an easier option to do your bit for the environment, whilst also saving a good bit of cash yourself.

Flexitarianism is when you drop meat from your diet in small ways, this can be for whole days in a week or just one meal. The best thing is that it is so flexible, and is completely up to you. It is also much easier than you would expect, like eating more eggs at breakfast rather than sausages — plus vegetarian food can be delicious too.

The fad began with the McCartneys’ Meat free Mondays campaign, after a study exposed that the beef industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars and transport activities worldwide. In fact, animal agriculture makes up a staggering 51 per cent of emissions. This is even more environmentally damaging when you consider the millions of acres forest that is cut down every day to make room for cattle grazing.

A UN report claims that a shift to a lower-meat diet is one of the most vital steps in saving the planet from both world hunger and climate change. But it is not as much about cutting out meat, but cutting down. For example, beef has 14 times the amount of gas emissions than chicken, so replacing more meals with the latter can make a huge difference. Most experts also argue that the western diet includes too much meat a week anyway, and that flexitarians have much lower mortality rates.

It is also undeniable that meat is expensive. A vegetarian diet has been shown to save at least £600 a year in comparison. For a student this is a good amount of money that could be spent on more important things — namely, alcohol and clothes. So by replacing costly red meats with cheaper white meats, or just decreasing the amount of meat you buy altogether, you can save a lot.

But if your excuse for excessive meat consumption is to maximise your time pumping iron or improving your physique, then take a look at gold medalist Olympic weightlifter and passionate vegan Kendrick Farras or vocal flexitarian/vegan Venus Williams.

Top 5: Songs About Death

Written by Jack Ashworth on . Posted in Music.

5) ‘Together Again’ – Janet Jackson

Ms. Jackson’s beautiful homage to a friend who had succumbed to AIDS was an instant hit – celebrating the possibility of reuniting in the after-life. The disco-laced anthem struck a chord with fans, and is a testament to the indestructability of love.

4) ‘Box of Rain’ – The Grateful Dead

A favourite amongst ‘Deadheads’, Bassist Phil Lesh’s tender lament to his dying father explores grief and loss in all its sincerity. A philosophical exploration of death, ‘Box of Rain’ packs a punch with its hauntingly poignant lyrics and its melancholy instrumentals.

3) ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ – Blue Oyster Cult

Rock giants Blue Oyster Cult’s instantly recognizable classic refutes the fear and inevitability  of death as being meaningless when juxtaposed with the possibility of eternal love in the afterlife – when Buck Dharma sings “40,000 men win every day”, it’s hard not to see death as something transient.

2) ‘Do You Realize??” – The Flaming Lips

As much a celebration of life as it is homage to death – Wayne Coyne’s hauntingly beautiful ‘Do You Realize??’ deals with the finality of death, whilst also imploring the listener to celebrate life in all its multi-faceted beauty.

1) ‘Lazarus’ – David Bowie

No list on death would be complete without Bowie’s heart-wrenching self-epitaph. Contemplating his impending demise, Bowie explores death succinctly and irreverently – in a way only the brains behind some of Rock’s greatest tracks can. When he sings ‘Oh I’ll be free, Just like that bluebird/Oh I’ll be free, Ain’t that just like me’ it’s hard not to feel a little comfortable about our own mortality.

The XXI Club celebrate their 84th year in style

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

The XXI Club held a dinner last week to celebrate their 84th year since formation, in which they celebrated the sporting careers of old and newer members of the club.

The club was formed in 1932 to promote sporting excellence at the University of Manchester. Members of the club include Olympians, World Champions, and World record holders in a range of sports, such as karate, rugby, netball and squash.

President Rowena Birch is an Olympic judo player, who won gold in the 1994 Olympics, and she succeeded Olympic swimmer James Hickman who featured in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games. As you can tell, the Club includes some of the greatest athletes in the country.

The Club works with the Athletics Union at the university to provide support for the University Excellence programmes. Members of the club are then encouraged to continue to contribute to sport at the university, as many of the club coach and help other university sportspeople.

Each year the Club selects up to 21 of the highest performing athletes and 21 sports clubs’ officials to be members of the Club, which happened yet again this year at the autumn dinner at the Chancellor’s Hotel in Fallowfield.

Students from the university were initiated into the club by following in the tradition that has been set for years before; they would stand on their chair as their name was read and met by an applause. For someone like me (5’8”) this would be no problem, but the basketballers in the room didn’t look particular happy stood on their chairs! New members received either a tie if they were a male, or an XXI pin if they were female for joining the Club.

There was a real sense of community and respect in the room, as athletes over the age of 80 met with athletes in their very early 20s to talk about something they all had in common: their love of sport. Awards were handed out all night to members who have had particularly good years, including two special elections to Ian Braid CEO, and Steve Pullen MBE.

Steve is an Olympic and Paralympic Judo coach, who had been a coach to President Rowena Birch throughout her career in Manchester when she was a student. She spoke proudly about Steve to a crowded room of people, and she obviously owed a lot to the man who looked quite humbled as she spoke about him. By the sounds of it he was a tough man to please, but very effective as she reached the heights.

President Rowena Birch spoke of her pride at being the President of the club, and also went on to tell a tale about the necklace she was wearing. As President, Rowena was given a necklace that looked to be a silver chain with a piece of wood on the end, with a key also attached. Despite how everybody was wearing very extravagant suits and ties (even I dusted down the old job interview shoes), and long fancy dresses, Rowena went on to explain that the necklace was in fact a chain from a toilet. The chain was yanked down from the ceiling of a toilet 84 years ago to be fashioned into a necklace to differentiate the President from the others. I’m not one to judge, but I did prefer her earrings to her necklace.

Other awards were handed out in the night, until at the end of event when Natalia Cohen gave a speech to the crowd. Natalia was a member of the Pacific Ocean Row Team; she had rowed from San Francisco America all the way to Cairns, Australia with five other women in a little over nine months. That’s a whopping 8,446 miles across the Pacific. Three women would alternate throughout the journey, so there were only ever four on the boat at all times; Natalia however spent the whole journey on the boat Doris.

Natalia spoke of the determination that it took for her and her team to get through, and also of some of the amazing sea animals and views she saw on her trip across the great Ocean in her 30ft long boat called Doris. The women raised thousands for the charities Walking with the Wounded and Breast Cancer Care. In a room, full of athletes, and an extraordinary woman like Natalia, it was difficult to not be inspired.

David Brierley has been a recent addition to the Club, due to his exploits with Karate. To read more about David’s journey, you can read his article from last week with The Mancunion, where he spoke about his travels in Mexico competing.

Click here to read more about the XXI Club.

Two slogans that define our world

Written by Ollie Potter on . Posted in Opinion.

‘Let’s Take Back Control’ and ‘Make America Great Again’; slogans that hark back to better times, respectively, before Britain was in the EU and before America was… well that remains unclear, but according to Trump, before America became a second-rate country suffering an invasion of Mexican ‘rapists’.

Brexit in June 2016 and Trump’s victory in November 2016 shocked the world. I was astonished that educated people my age could embrace Brexit, or that anyone could vote for a man who boasted about grabbing women “by the pussy” or threatened to ban all Muslim immigration (which, by the way, was used by militant group Al-Shabab to provoke anti-Americanism). Just what drove people to vote Leave and to vote Trump?

As someone who stayed up all night to watch the Brexit referendum and Trump’s victory, Brexit left me feeling what FT’s Robert Shrimsley rightly described as the ‘five stages of grief’. I was simply in a state of shock that the British people could vote for such a downright foolish decision, despite all the evidence that Britain was indeed stronger in Europe. But, I did not immediately turn to condemning 17.5 million people as bigots. Friends and family members had voted for Brexit. None of them are racists, it is simply a fact that British Euroscepticism has been a powerful force for decades.

For me, the reason Remain lost was because it relied on facts and so did not appeal to people’s sentimentality. Politicians are proof that emotion informs voting more than reason does; how could anyone in their right minds think Boris Johnson would be a good Mayor of London other than because of his extrovert persona?

A comparative problem I have also seen in Brexit and Trump’s campaign and election is that people seemingly disrespect democracy; we cannot have a second EU referendum or protest Clinton’s way into office. This ignorance of legitimate concerns of Brexit and Trump voters who have felt abandoned by Tory austerity and the American free market system is what got us here in the first place.

From the outset, it was clear that Brexit was a vote against Tory austerity, against the Westminster establishment and against the rich. The poorest areas of the UK, which have been left behind since Thatcher’s deindustrialisation in the 1980s, came to see the EU as their nemesis. For many working-class Britons, the migrants that entered through free movement rules are seen as competition.

Similar was my confidence in Trump winning — I even put fiver on it with a friend and a pint with another, betting being something I very rarely do. I feel there is a mood of anti-establishment rhetoric spreading across Europe and America currently. People are sick of the status quo and feel abandoned after the recent recession. Tragically, decisions like leaving the EU or electing Trump will only worsen our economic situation.

Both the Leave campaign and Trump’s presidential race placed themselves firmly in the anti-establishment camp. This is despite the Leave campaigns’ two main figureheads, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson, being of very much established backgrounds (Boris’ infamous Bullingdon Club picture springs to mind). Nigel Farage himself attended private school and worked as a banker for twenty years, yet proclaimed Brexit as a victory against the bankers, the elite and the yuppies (a term I was called myself by a BBC News Have Your Say user).

After his astonishing electoral victory, billionaire Trump returned to his literal ivory tower in New York City, made from Chinese steel, to plan his next move. He was obviously tired from his campaign trail, ranting to his audiences about the evils of free trade and globalisation — which had helped his Trump Tower in rising. The irony of establishment figures preaching to the working-class about establishment evils is not lost on many.

Both campaigns aimed to appeal to the poorest areas of the country with their anti-establishment rhetoric. The Lord Ashcroft polls showed that the poorest areas of the UK had the highest proportion of Leave voters, such as Boston in Lincolnshire, with an incredible 75 per cent voting to exit the EU. Whilst Trump also appealed to the white college-educated population, he managed to breach Clinton’s blue-state ‘firewall’ in the Midwest, helping him capture blue states like Wisconsin in a ‘whitelash’. These blue-collar Democrat states, which had not voted Republican since the 1980s, voted for Trump because they felt abandoned by the establishment that Clinton epitomised. I can scarcely imagine my peers at the University of Manchester voting for Farage or anyone similar, so just how did Trump appeal to such an unlikely demographic?

Midwest Trump voters were condemned as backward racists, similar to northern and Welsh towns that voted for Brexit, which merely adds fuel to the fire. Whilst there are obviously some Brexit and Trump supporters who indeed are racist, brandishing them all under the same brush exacerbates and simplifies the underlying poverty, class and disillusionment issues evident in the triumph of Brexit and Trump.