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Day: 30 January 2017

Alex Ferguson presents leadership awards in Manchester

The inaugural Launching Leaders awards were presented at the Manchester Universities’ Catholic Chaplaincy on Friday, by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who since retirement from football has written books and given talks on leadership.

After managing Aberdeen and the Scottish national team, Ferguson won thirteen League titles and two European Cups with Manchester United, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.

In his speech, he talked of his difficulties of managing an incredibly successful group of people, and how he has approached management.

“In all the years [in management] my door was always open, to anyone who came for advice and I think that is a really important part that you have to give away” he told the audience, noting that “you don’t expect anything back, because you’re the leader”.

The awards — founded by Professor Brian Grim of the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation — are the first of their kind, combining business and leadership teaching with interfaith dialogue.

Participants in the twelve-week programme took part in workshops, talks and online modules that aim to aid personal development and integrate their religious beliefs with decision making.

Launching Leaders is part of the Empowerment+ programme, and included those of Catholic, Muslim and Mormon faiths.

Professor Grim’s uses his research findings to argue that there is a correlation between religious freedom and economic output, and that promoting dialogue between faiths can increase productivity.

Also, speaking on the reasons why they chose Manchester as the pilot venue for the new interfaith programme, Grim said that: “This really is the place where the innovation and the driving spirits and the diversity is coming and where great champions like Manchester United come from”.

New Year New Manchester

Manchester is no stranger to top-notch arts and culture, and it looks as if 2017 will be no exception for the city. With more art galleries and museums than is humanly fathomable, it’s clear that we are truly spoilt for choice.

Following the roller-coaster that was 2016, we welcome a new year of high-end anticipation regarding what art in Manchester has to offer. Manchester, we love you, and here are three upcoming and exciting reasons why:

John Hyatt: Rock Art
4th February-29th March 2017
HOME

Here at the Mancunion, we love HOME. There is always a new and exciting exhibition to be found, not to mention the great atmosphere and the fact that they provide us with a cool place to watch the most exciting indie films. They also find fantastic and prolific modern artists and provide the perfect platform for their innovative work.

One such artist is John Hyatt. A ‘punk professor’ at the Liverpool School of Art & Design, and one-third of the 1980s post-punk band The Three Johns, Hyatt will undertake a gallery takeover starting in February. The exhibition is drawn from a wide range of influences, including the afterlife, alter-ego, magic and metamorphosis.

Hyatt produces works that are truly one-of-a-kind, with the promise of intrigue at every turn. He even invites visitors to enjoy a limited edition hot beverage in the form of Hyatt-as-a-blend-of-tea. This is definitely one show that is not to be missed.

Rip It Up: A Celebration of the Counter Culture
16th February 2017 6pm-9pm (one night only event)
The John Rylands Library

Keeping it close to home at the University of Manchester, this event is set to be a real eye-opener. Described as ‘an evening of experimentation and celebration of the counter-culture’, the exhibition is a part of the library’s ongoing Off-Beat show. The exhibition focuses on experimental art of the 1960s, and allows us to view (and hear) it in a truly unique fashion. Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in the ‘zine’ workshop and create their own ripped-up mini-mag. So retro.

As if that wasn’t enough, to end the evening, there will be a live performance of music, spoken word and video from experimental artists Devi. The exhibition will take place between 6pm and 8pm and is free to enter.

Lucienne Day: A Sense of Growth
1st April – 11th June 2017
Whitworth Art Gallery

The Whitworth is without a doubt a personal favourite when it comes to exciting exhibitions and this year already has me itching to visit as often as is physically possible. As part of the nationwide Lucienne Day centenary celebrations, this collection is set to open in the Spring of this year. Virtuoso pattern designer and colourist Lucienne Day (1917-2010) was an enthusiastic gardener, and so it is no surprise that so many of her designs were floral-inspired.

The show is affiliated with the gallery’s innovative GROW project. The inspiring project almost mirrors the popular idea of mindfulness, and promotes the inclusion of horticultural activities in our lives in order to benefit mental wellbeing. The works chosen to be displayed at the Whitworth have been chosen by those within the local community who are struggling with social isolation and other issues surrounding mental health.

The Whitworth manage to collaborate art with a sense of community, and once again, this is a show that I predict you will not want to miss.

Well, Manchester, you’ve done it again. This is simply a taster of what’s to come over the next twelve months. Needless to say, we’ll be on the edge of our seats.

The four phases of supporting a team in a relegation battle

There is nothing that quite tests your loyalty as a football supporter than witnessing your team being neck-deep in a relegation battle. With each opposition goal that leads to yet another defeat, it becomes harder and harder to be upbeat about the team that you support.

“Why do you care about them so much?” is what my non-football supporting friends ask when I moan about Swansea. That question usually follows with me looking at them with a face of utter disgust.

As a football fan you can’t stay away. No matter how bad it gets each week we turn up hoping that this week will be better than the last. I’m a Swansea City fan, and this season is the first time I have had the experience of them being in a relegation battle, and believe me, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

It’s the end of January and I feel like I’ve aged by about 16 years.

As the season has gone on I’ve noticed that I and my fellow Swansea supporting friends and family have gone through the exact same phases throughout the season so far.   The best way to describe a relegation battle is that it’s an emotional roller-coaster, and these are just four of the phases of this roller-coaster.

Pre-season Dread
Come the beginning of the season the majority of supporters hold the belief that this season will finally be their year. Whether it’s a new manager, impressive transfers, or just that sense of optimism, a supporter’s positivity is always highest the day the season starts.

But not at Swansea.

Our transfer window was atrocious – poor signings, selling our best players, and not signing Joe Allen made me realise that even before a ball had been kicked, we were going to be flirting with relegation this season.

You’d think that by setting yourself up for hell to come would make it easier. But being proven right makes it just as hard.

Soul-crushing Disappointment
Swansea have lost twelve out of sixteen games this season. From a 1-0 defeat at Southampton to a 4-0 crushing to Arsenal two weeks ago, the Swans have been utterly awful this season.

Focus your mind and think how soul crushing that is, pretty much every single week you have to watch your team lose and get further and further way from the promised position of 17th.

Once you’ve done that, think about how bad it would feel to lose 5-0 against Spurs, 3-0 at a Middlesbrough side who had only scored three home goals previously, 4-1 against West Ham, followed by a 3-0 drubbing at home to Bournemouth.

You just can’t get that Friday afternoon excitement of knowing that tomorrow is football day because all it means is another day where Swansea lose by about four goals and make you feel even worse than the week before.

Anger
I will always watch the Swans. It wouldn’t feel right to turn my back on them and just let them stare down the tunnel of defeat alone. But… I seriously did contemplate it. I was so annoyed by the useless displayed by both the players and the manager Bob Bradley – even just writing his name riles me up.

‘I am not watching those useless overpaid players again until they sort themselves out.’ That’s what I told myself Saturday morning – by 4.00pm I was screaming at my laptop after we conceded another goal to Tottenham.

By Sunday my anger starts to fade away just in time for the week ahead. Then my dad rings me and ‘bam’ all that rage comes right back flowing through my veins. A 20 minute back and forth episode of releasing anger to my dad leads to me hang up before I even speak to my mam.

Momentary Euphoric Delusion
Being sad after every game leads to scraping the barrel to find any positives you can from a game to make you feel better than you currently.

At least Manchester City only scored three against us. Could have been worse – Middlesbrough were denied a clear penalty. Least we scored against West Brom when we were 3-0 down. I look for anything to make me feel more upbeat after witnessing another defeat.

A 0-0 draw at home to Watford was celebrated like a win and allowed me to finally watch Match of the Day for the first time in weeks.

And when we actually win, then there is no excuse not to have a massive Saturday night sesh. Beating Crystal Palace 5-4 led to me convincing my house mates to go on a night with pre-drinks starting at 7:30, and recording MOTD so I could watch the highlights over and over again.

By the grace of God we somehow beat Liverpool last weekend, and I am not exaggerating when I say that I’ve watched the highlights over 15 times. The highlights binge consists of the Palace win, followed by our win against Sunderland, then the victory at Anfield.

The sacking of useless Bob Bradley was cheered like we had just beaten our rivals Cardiff 5-0 away. Paul Clement was greeted like a glorious knight who had just arrived on horseback to save the club and city from the mess we found ourselves in.

Preview: Super Bowl LI

This Sunday, the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons will battle it out to be named the champions of Super Bowl LI.

The team’s stories could not be more dissimilar. For the Patriots, this is their 7th Super Bowl appearance since 2000, a time span defined by the excellence of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Together, they have formed a footballing dynasty unrivalled in the history of the NFL: they are pursuing their 5th Super Bowl win together. Conversely, the Falcons have progressed to the Super Bowl for only the 2nd time in their history, their only previous appearance being a 34-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in 1999. At once, this is a match-up of experience and inexperience: the Patriots are Super Bowl aristocracy, while the Falcons are undeniably ‘the new kids on the block’.

The Patriots and the Falcons have overwhelmed teams on their paths to the Super Bowl. The Patriots finished the season with a record of 14-2, wins to losses, while the Falcons finished 11-5. Moving into the playoffs, both teams secured a bye for the first week, the Patriots the 1st seed in the AFC while Atlanta were 2nd seed in the NFC. Subsequently, the Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 34-16 and the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 to progress, while the Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36-20 and my beloved Green Bay Packers 44-21 on route.

Coming into the playoffs, there were questions over the Falcons’ pedigree in knock-out football, especially as quarterback Matt Ryan had a losing record of 2-4 in playoff matches. However, Ryan has been infallible in both games; against the Packers, he became the first QB to throw 4 touchdown passes and run for a touchdown in a playoff game. On the flip side, the Patriots were uncharacteristically inaccurate and error-ridden against the Texans, although crucially picking up the win. Against the Steelers, they were sensational, Belichick and Brady conjuring an almost perfect game.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In my opinion, the NFL’s current system has functioned successfully, with the season’s two best teams progressing to the Super Bowl. My preview will begin with an analysis of the teams.

Firstly, the Atlanta Falcons. This team has an offence to rival the best the NFL has ever seen. The team has been likened to the 1999 St Louis Rams: they were nicknamed ‘The Greatest Show On Turf’ because of their incredible offensive power. The Falcons have consistently scored points all season; they were the league’s highest scoring team, averaging 33.8 points per game. They are spearheaded by Ryan in combination with Wide Receiver Julio Jones, who topped the league in receiving yards with 1409. Jones has the build of a tight-end combined with speed; his 73 yard touchdown run against Green Bay was incredible, demonstrating a formidable blend of pace and power. Similarly, Ryan is largely predicted to be named the league’s MVP after an exceptional season.

While Jones gets all the plaudits, the Falcons’ potency arises from a range of offensive weaponry. If it’s not Jones making plays, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel and Running Back Devonta Freeman have been doing damage. Part of Ryan’s success this season has been the variety of options he has on offence. The Falcons offensive power has allowed the defense to be very aggressive in the pass-rush. Vic Beasley Jr. has had a fantastic season, amassing 15.5 sacks. Ultimately, they present a complex and threatening task for the Patriots.

The Patriots’ aptitude goes without saying: 7 Super Bowl appearances since 2000 shows the permanence of class. In Bill Belichick, they have the greatest head coach in NFL history, no arguments to be had. In Tom Brady, they have arguably the greatest QB in history. Brady’s playoff record, 24-9 wins to losses, is leagues ahead of the next best, Joe Montana with 16-7. Whether Brady is truly the ‘greatest of all time’ is a debate for another day. However, a 5th Super Bowl win for Brady will immortalize him as the most decorated QB in history. The Patriots are the most fundamentally sound team in the NFL. Their consistent level of execution is so much higher than anyone else; they force their opponent to make mistakes, subsequently capitalizing. While Brady is their star, injury to Rob Gronkowski has meant the Patriots’ Super Bowl run has been sustained by the team as a unit. Recently, Chris Hogan, Dion Lewis and Julian Edelman have all made game-changing contributions. They lack the star-studded line-up of the Falcons, but are much more consistent.

The Patriots and Falcons pose a tantalizing match-up. Analysts are predicting it could be one of the most offence-driven Super Bowls in recent memory. The QB battle is fascinating. Brady is sure to perform while it will be interesting to see how Ryan functions. Moreover, the coaching battle will be similarly crucial: who can edge the other? Belichick has luxury of massive experience, while the Falcons Head Coach Dann Quinn is only in his second year in the job.  The Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has been the orchestrator of their incredible scoring power. However, he is yet to face a defense as fundamentally watertight as the Patriots: ingenuity and guts will be required. The offence/defense battle will be crucial in the early stages. I expect the game to be high-scoring, with defensive stops a rarity. The game will come down to one or two big plays on defense.

If the Falcons can win, it will signify a changing of the guard. However, I will go with the safe bet: history suggests the experience of Belichick and Brady will pay dividends for New England. I expect both teams to score at least 4 touchdowns, with the Patriots securing a victory of around 37-31.

Finally, if you are interested in watching the game, the American Football Society are covering it at Revs Fallowfield. The American Studies Society will also be there. Entry is £3, with proceeds donated to CRUKSoc.

Whitworth director Maria Balshaw becomes first female director of Tate

Back in January the Whitworth Gallery’s long-standing director, Maria Balshaw announced her departure from the gallery in pursuit of her newly-appointed role as Director of Tate. After spending 11 years at the helm of Manchester’s Arts scene, it’s fair to say Maria has contributed greatly to the enrichment and development of Manchester as a cultural centre of the North, additionally holding the position of Director of Culture for Manchester City Council during 2015 and receiving a CBE for services to the arts.

The Whitworth itself has played an instrumental role in bringing art to the masses, perhaps most notably with its recent and currently ongoing Andy Warhol exhibition, during the press preview for which I was lucky enough to meet Maria. I was hugely impressed by her stance on encouraging people from all backgrounds to experience art, and by bringing such exciting exhibitions to the Whitworth it gave everyone a chance to see some of the most important and seminal pieces of modern art from the 20th century.

Becoming the first female Director of Tate is, of course, a fantastic achievement both in terms of the worldwide reputation of the Tate as a cornerstone of modern art in the UK, as well as being another important stride forwards for gender equality in the arts field as a whole.

Commenting on her new role, Maria herself had this to say: I am honoured that the Tate trustees have asked me to be Director and take forward the next exciting chapter of Tate’s life. I’m immensely proud to have played a part in making Manchester one of the leading cultural cities in the world and I look forward to seeing what my wonderful colleagues at the Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery do next.’

Having played a key role in the Whitworth’s £17 million redevelopment and making changes which have encouraged a whole new generation of visitors to the gallery, Maria will undoubtedly be missed, and remembered for her excellent contributions to our art scene, but the Whitworth’s loss is certainly the Tate’s gain.

How to nail a job interview in 2017

The graduate job hunt can be daunting. Facing hundreds of fresh-faced graduates with similar qualifications, all vying for the same positions… it’s utterly terrifying.

With the media regularly reminding new graduates how tough it is out there, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the job hunt also represents an exciting new start and even a chance to show yourself off. The Mancunion spoke to Charlie Taylor, founder of graduate recruitment app Debut, to get his best interview tips. Considering he has just made the Forbes 30 under 30, I reckon he has got some wisdom to share. Here is what he had to say:

Study yourself: You may be a smooth talker or consider yourself to have the ‘gift of the gab’ but never attempt to wing an interview. Before you throw yourself into an interview setting, take the time to study yourself. Consider how friends, family, bosses and lecturers perceive you: what do they consider your strengths or weaknesses? Know yourself inside out and practice boiling down those key strengths to a sharp, succinct one-liner before you go in.

Diversify your CV: You have every right to be proud of winning runner-up in your school’s ‘painting with watercolour competition’ 9 years ago, but consider how relevant it is to your CV. You have to show diversification in your experiences; show how you seek out new experiences on a regular basis. Did some volunteering? Joined an obscure new society at university? Went freediving? Use it to liven up your CV beyond the usual education, employment, and skills layout.

Share stories, not lies: You’ve probably been told at least once that it’s okay to lie on an application, and the temptation is understandable. Even if you’ve convinced yourself (shame on you) that it is OK to lie, you’re putting yourself at risk, as interviewers know how to sniff out the truth and will be ready to pounce on any slip-ups. Rather than setting yourself up for failure, think about the details of the experience you want to talk about. Practice anecdotes — a little theatrical flourish on a thought-out story will get you a lot further than an insubstantial lie.

Study history and culture: Taking a look through the company website is a no-brainer before heading into an interview and what you know about the business is a question that’s bound to be raised. A little more effort, however, can go a long way. Put those Sherlock skills to good use with a little social media stalking. Check out your interviewer’s LinkedIn and see if you share any interests. Also, explore the company culture beyond the ‘About’ page (which probably hasn’t been updated since 1998).

Don’t just think, speak: Once you have completed your research and undertaken a bit of social media investigation, it’s time to talk through your interview. Practice your answers out loud into the mirror, or, if you’re embarrassed your flatmates will think you’re losing your marbles, rope them in to help. It may feel silly, but having someone run through the questions with you will help immensely (and prepare you well for those dreaded ‘role play’ interviews).

Look around: If you get a chance, take a quick trip to the area you are interviewing in, or arrive early and take a wander around. When you get through the door, make a comment about the locality: perhaps you spotted a nice park or café nearby you can ask about. Starting with a quick casual comment will show you are at ease and will put the interviewer in a conversational mood — remember, they don’t want it to be awkward either.

There’s always some truth in a cliché: Everyone’s heard it, but: be yourself. Interviewers want to meet you, not just a sales sheet of awards and achievements. It’s not going to be the same as hanging out with your mates, but show some humour and relatability alongside your professionalism — you’ll be surprised by the impact that can have. Once you’re prepared, let genuine excitement, interest and confidence carry you through!

The Debut app can be downloaded via iTunes and Google Play

90% of Manchester students are victims of crime

A student safety study by the University of Manchester Students’ Union has revealed that almost all students have been victims of crime while studying in Manchester.

The study, which gathered 1,031 responses from University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University students, found that 9 out of 10 students are victims of crime while studying in Manchester.

The study included unreported crimes, otherwise known as ‘the dark figure of crime’, revealing that many students are unlikely to report their victimisation to the police. In particular, almost all sexual crimes were left unreported.

Sexual crimes were the most common crimes to be committed against students, with 1 in 2 students victimised sexually, and three-quarters of women.

Of these sexual crimes against students, not including rape, a staggering 90 – 99 per cent of them went unreported, and 60 per cent of rapes were unreported. The most common sexual crime was street harassment (41.5 per cent), however only 0.8 per cent of these were reported.

The issue of leaving crimes unreported was particularly prominent among certain subgroups, including 98 per cent of LGBTQ students who did not report their sexual assault, 99 per cent of women who experienced street harassment, and 100 per cent of men who experienced rape.

The study also revealed that the top three victimised students in Manchester were non-binary students (96.4 per cent), LGBQ students (93.2 per cent) and female students (89 per cent), and it is in the popular student areas of Rusholme and Fallowfield that students feel most unsafe.

When asked what made them feel unsafe students largely responded that it was from reading stories about crime in the media, with lack of lighting and walking alone following close behind.

The impact of these crimes on wellbeing was also apparent, with 40 per cent admitting feeling unsafe in Manchester had a detrimental impact on their mental health, social life, and studies.

Despite sexual victimisation being the most common crime, awareness of many of the services in place which act as preventative measures against these crimes were found to be the lowest overall, with only 20.7 per cent aware of the free attack alarms, and only just under half of students aware of women’s self-defence classes and the safe taxi scheme.

Students were more aware of the counselling and advice services offered by the universities and Students’ Union than they were of the preventative initiatives on offer. The report admits that the preventative measures need to be relaunched to ensure more awareness including Student Safe Zones, which the report admits currently has out of date information online.

The recommendations of the study included ensuring that the creation of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority includes crucially a collaborative student safety strategy.

Higher Education institutions are also being urged, as sexual crime was found to be so prevalent, to design an “educational campaign addressing issues of consent, healthy and abusive relationships”. The report suggests that sex and relationship education should be part of all students’ induction into university.

The report also suggested that current mitigating circumstances provisions need to be reviewed, highlighting current grounds for “mitigation for both University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University students make reference to the circumstances being ‘unforeseeable’ and ‘unpreventable’”, which could be discouraging students from applying.

Jenni Smyth, Women’s Officer of the University of Manchester Students’ Union responded to these findings in a statement to The Mancunion in which she said: “The impact of crime can have devastating consequences for individuals and nobody should ever have to experience this; we want all Manchester students to have the best possible experience whilst here in our City.”

The organisers of the recent LightUp Fallowfield event, speaking to The Mancunion about these findings, said that they did “not find the results surprising”, adding that they “believe that the solution needs to be preventative rather than reactive; more lighting, more officers, specials, and Police Community Support Officers on the ground, and more awareness of campaigns such as GMP’s Student Safe Zones, which can help if you feel under threat.”

To raise awareness and to combat the continued safety issues that students face at night, on the 23rd of February students from Manchester will be taking to the streets for the annual Reclaim the Night march, which saw 3,500 students attend last year.

A University of Manchester spokesman said in response to the study’s release: “The University takes student safety extremely seriously. With our own security staff and by working the police we take an active role in crime reduction and prevention.

“Through initiatives such as the We Get It campaign and the free student shuttle bus, we have a number of measures in place to ensure students can feel safe and report problems. While we believe there are issues with the way in which this report’s data has been collected and presented, we will work with the Students’ Union on its findings, alongside other universities and authorities in the city, to develop an action plan.”

The Mancunion contacted Greater Manchester Police for a statement, however they were unable to provide a comment by our print deadline.

We also contacted the MMU press office and MMU Students’ Union for a comment.

A student life: The Wild Washerwomen

With that post-exam fresh February feeling, recharged student loan and vague summer plans being formulated, have you ever wondered how to productively use those rare three month holidays us students are lucky enough to see?

Meet Zoe Darling, the French and Spanish student at the University of Manchester, who, along with her friend, Flora Thomas, bit the bullet and launched their very own non-profit grassroots organisation. The Wild Washerwomen is a service providing a mobile launderette for residents of the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp, and I caught up with her to find out more.

First up, she explained to me how after spending an Erasmus year abroad split between Paris and Buenos Aires, they began by getting involved with other alternative modes of volunteering at the Calais ‘Jungle’.

“Many residents of the camp have lost their homes, their families and some feel that they are struggling to hold onto their dignity.”

They felt there was more they could be doing, and noticed a lack of clothes-washing facilities around the place, in comparison to the success of the laundry service in the new Dunkirk camp.

“Clean underwear is a basic human requirement but people would often just wear the same set until they had to throw them away, which is not only undignified and unhygienic, but also a massive waste of clothes donations.”

The girls sought to provide at the same time “a friendly place of relaxation and conversation”, where deckchairs and free chai tea and biscuits could be enjoyed alongside informal language classes for anyone interested in preparing for possible asylum abroad.

Hence the ingenious idea of creating a mobile launderette was born — combining basic skills to make something that could be moved all around the camp, cleaning clothes whatever the weather.

After intense planning, the girls headed to France towards the end of July, after getting a Ford Transit fitted with an industrial-sized generator, two environmentally-friendly washing machines, a tumble dryer, a water tank equipped with tubes for evacuating waste water, beds and nightlights; all fitted by a group of guys called the Travelling Toolbox.

“We were lucky enough to get the van from a very generous private donor, and we crowdfunded for the rest.”

Next, after getting the project approved, they set out to find a water point in the camp that would fit their hose attachment, with the help of the camp’s water team from French NGO, ACTED.

“Neither of us had any experience with plumbing or even washing, so it was an interesting start, but we soon got the hang of it with the development of a fairly off-the-cuff ticketing system and log book.”

The next problem to transpire was finding out that the low water pressure took the machines twice as long to run as they should, which meant that some appointments got severely delayed. Quite often machines were mistaken to be broken and were unplugged several times before the girls realised that this just added to the problem.

“Things rarely went to plan in the ‘Jungle’ and the washing van was absolutely no exception.”

She tells me, now retrospectively able to see the funny side of it, about one time when the van broke down and they towed it to a local garage, only to be told that it needed a 600 euro  part to be fixed. The girls were forced to spend a few days in the Calais town launderette to see through all the washing orders that had been piling up.

After a month, the whole thing fell apart and they were forced to give the van back to the garage for a recovery period, but Zoe and Flora continued to move back and forth between home and the camp until the demolition in October, when 10,000 people were displaced once again and moved to accommodation centres elsewhere across France.

“After this mass dispersal, as a blatant attempt to silence the media buzz around Calais in anticipation of the French elections, it became much more difficult to identify what help was needed and where. Don’t get me wrong — the ‘Jungle’ was a stain on Europe’s morality, but there was a system, there were communities.”

When asked if the girls ever plan to return to Calais to revive the project, Zoe told me that, if given the opportunity “we would be on the next ferry out but because of the need all over Europe it is, in my opinion, best to directly donate funds to external charities who buy blankets, food supplies, and general necessities for refugees”.

Course: Undergraduate French and Spanish (BA Joint Honours)

Where from: Sussex

Worst part: “The first time the van broke down we had a day full of appointments to make. Unfortunately, it was at this point in a trailer park about four miles from the ‘Jungle’. In a desperate attempt, we employed the help of an Italian mechanic who attached jump leads from his car which didn’t work. We then tried to get towed by another van, but ended up breaking its tow rope and, arguably, the vehicle. So, we found ourselves stuck on a man’s driveway, of which the owner asked us to move on. Flora and I reluctantly headed to the local bar while waiting for the tow truck but unfortunately, the police got there first and ordered their own to impound our van, which arrived just ten minutes before ours. Then a fairly obliging and now redundant tow man had to give us a lift to the impound lot, where we paid a hefty sum to release the van. Good times.”

Best part: “The best part was undoubtedly all of the amazing people we met. The resilience, kindness, and good humour of those who have borne witness to such hideous atrocities casts a shadow of shame on the small minded little Britain Brexit culture here in the UK.”

Where does she see herself in 15 years: Travelling or living abroad.

How to get involved: “You can donate directly to an organisation like The Worldwide Tribe, who are doing amazing work all over Europe. They survive purely on public generosity, and donations are always welcome.”

To find out more about The Wild Washerwomen, head to their Facebook page.

Why Manchester does not need your poetry ‘crown’

On the 15th of January 2017, the Manchester Evening News published an article stating the reasons why Manchester should be ‘crowned’ for its poetry. On the surface level, the article seemed to shed light on our wonderful city’s creative scene and celebrate its poets, but it quickly became apparent that the poets of Manchester were not impressed. ‘RW’ commented “Why does this list look so academic when Manchester actually has an exciting scene?”

In the article Adam O’Riordan, poet and lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, discusses the influence that both The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University’s poetry has on the city, for example that “ two universities that have poets as their chancellors” and the “writing school[s]”. Consequently, the heart of Manchester’s poetry scene, was mysteriously left out.

Manchester Evening News, asked a lecturer and poet to address this issue, so I thought it only fair we gave the other poets of Manchester a chance to speak.

Elizabeth Gibson, student and poet, stated that the article left out the wonders of Manchester Literary Festival:

“I’ve been a Digital Reporter for Manchester Literature Festival since 2012 and it is one of the peaks of my year. Not only have they showcased many excellent poets, but they approach events from a new angle, often combining person and place to create something unique. From Simon Armitage talking softly about the sea in the beautiful Central Library, the audience silent and mesmerised, to a diverse group of Spanish poets igniting the intimate space of the Cervantes Institute — the Festival creates memories and presents poetry in exciting and thrilling new ways.”

Anna Percy, poet who runs popular night and workshop Stirred Poetry said:

“As someone who moved to Manchester to undertake a Creative Writing MA at UoM, and is a current PhD Candidate at MMU, I can categorically state that the universities do not deserve the credit given in the article for the bustling live poetry scene in Manchester. They have a hand in why there are so many great writers living and writing here certainly but to overlook grassroots operations is foolish. I perform and host at a poetry, live literature night at least once a week. This week: I have performed at Verbose in Fallowfield, which welcomes all spoken word but has a flash fiction focus. On behalf of my feminist poetry collective Stirred I ran a poetry workshop, and have been on the open mic for Bad Language which has been running since autumn 2010, like Stirred, and has a fiction focus again welcoming all forms of spoken word. That is a typical week for me. I could never have imagined that before I moved here.

“There are not one but two (that I know of) experimental poetry nights, The Other Room and Peter Barlow’s Cigarette, there is Evidently in Salford with a performance poetry focus, there is Beatification in Withington with a Beat Poetry vibe. Contact Theatre and Home showcase exciting live poetry shows from the most diverse range of poets. I don’t have space to map out all the events that I know of here, that is how vast it is.

“My event Stirred Poetry has in the last six years surprised me we have a feminist focus and work on encouraging and providing a space where especially women, queer people and people with mental illnesses feel like they can share their poetry the fact that we continue to exist and pack out a venue with such a niche idea is testament to the appetite for all forms of poetry in Manchester; but just remember look outside of the universities, they play their part I would never have moved here otherwise but there is city wide poetry happening nearly every night, sometimes more than one event a night, we have the biggest scene outside of London and those of us who work hardest for the poetry community for little to no financial reward should be mentioned.”

Sarah Clare Conlon creator of Verbose and head of the Literature section at the Creative Tourist stated:

“I was pleased to see an article in the MEN about poetry in Manchester, but was immediately struck by how university-centric it was. Not one of the entries picked by Adam O’Riordan (as it happens, the new Academic Director of the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Met) was independent of one of the larger establishments; even Poet in the City featured MMU’s Helen Mort on the bill.

“It might have been nice to mention the great live lit and spoken word scene in Manchester, and how many established as well as one-off events there are. Stalwarts like multi-Sabotage Award-winner Bad Language, Evidently (hand-picked by Guy Garvey to showcase their wares at last summer’s Meltdown Festival on London’s Southbank), exponents of the experimental The Other Room (nine years old this spring), Stirred and Pen:chant at 3MT, Speakeasy and Beatification in the ’burbs…

“Yes, there are a lot to list, and maybe that’s why they didn’t, but to not even give a nod to the amazing scene of live lit seemed a little, well, rude. Aside from the resident nights, there’s a regular turnaround of visiting speakers, not least through Manchester Literature Festival, which has been going under that moniker for a decade (bursting out of the chrysalis of the Manchester Poetry Festival). No mention. No mention of the invaluable work of the likes of Young Identity at the Contact, or community events, reaching out to those less engaged in the arts, such as Scribble Festival organised by Cartwheel. No mention of how big the live lit scene is, and how many students and former students of the universities support it.

The evening before the feature was published, I was one of 26 performers at the Manchester leg of the North by North West Poetry Tour, bringing together writers from around the region for specially commissioned collaborations – another example of how creative the independent scene is. Verbose turned two last week, once again welcoming three curated headliners and ten open micers to its stage. For the uninitiated, I’m afraid Adam’s piece might be off-putting — there’s more to live lit than lecturers’ launches.”

And finally, Ciaran Hodgers, Spoken Word poet and organiser of the Axis Slam stated:

“It could be said that Manchester’s deep and rich commitment to poetry is so nationally significant and regionally pioneering solely because of those driving forces in the academies and universities, but they don’t function in a vacuum. They are responding the scene, built by volunteers and people investing years of graft to contribute to the intangible spirit of Manchester poetry. People like, amongst hundreds others, Evidently, Bad Language, Young Identity and Flapjack Press.”

It would be challenging to manage to fit the scope of Manchester’s expansive poetry scene into one article, as I’m sure Adam O’Riordan found, but I hope here we’ve levelled the playing field a bit, as Ciaran Hodgers states: “Don’t mistake, our institutions are important to us. We’re proud of them, but it would be shameful to forget the gentry when crowning this city the poetry capital of the United Kingdom.”

LGBT History Month: Street Harassment

February is LGBT history month, but with the recent growth of LGBT rights, many are asking why we still need a month dedicated to LGBT people. Hopefully, throughout this series, I will be able to argue why LGBT history month matters by examining the experiences that LGBT people face.

Street harassment is a violation of such a basic part of everyday life and something that I personally have encountered. Having discussed it with some of my LGBT friends, they too have received verbal abuse and physical intimidation. Depending on the encounter, such incidents can be anything from baffling to terrifying.

The first incident of harassment I encountered in Manchester was more on the baffling side of things. I was walking to university, outside the church near the Stopford Theatre, when someone stood in front of me to block my path and said, “You alright queer?”. It didn’t actually sink in at first; I just automatically stepped around him and continued on to the Samuel Alexander building, where it finally hit me what he had actually said. I did not actually feel too intimidated, as it just felt so out of place, though I still think of it whenever I walk down that road. Things like this have happened on other roads, and in other cities, and it still causes some discomfort.

I have also experienced more physical abuse. Just outside my university hall in first year, a bottle was thrown out of a car at me as someone shouted “batty”. This felt much more intimidating as it happened less than five minutes from somewhere I called home. Equally, this happened at night and there were a few men in the car, so the possibility of being assaulted was much higher.

Interestingly, I noticed that I started to get much more harassment after I had bleached my hair and got a septum piercing. Equally, I get glances and hear whispers when holding hands with my boyfriend, even now that my hair is back to a natural colour and I no longer wear my piercing visibly. I think this speaks a lot about the attitudes towards LGBT folk, whereby people now say that they don’t mind, but that they don’t want to see it. It’s almost as though by me dressing in a certain way or hugging another man offends them, and they simply must correct me.

I found myself wondering if the experience is the same for lesbian couples, and so I reached out to a fellow member of the LGBTQ Society, an English literature student, who had previously mentioned some of the harassment she had faced. The majority of her harassment centred around the fetishisation of lesbianism. She has had “groups of men shouting various things…‘kiss her’, ‘get off with her’, ‘I want to watch’”. This is not something I have encountered; the majority of my harassment has been at the hands of men. Interestingly enough, all of her experiences of harassment have also been carried out by men. This is, of course, not to say that all men are harassers; rather, that the majority of harassers in these instances are men, regardless of their victim.

Finally, I wanted to discuss with her how she felt, both at the time and looking back: “Scared, mostly, especially when they happened at night”. The threat of sexual violence is far more present as a woman in the night. In addition to the aforementioned sexual jeers, the fearful reaction is understandable.

Equally, these experiences ring true for trans people. The Trans Mental Health Study (2012) conducted research that found 81 per cent of trans people have encountered silent harassment, and a further 38 per cent have encountered sexual harassment specifically on account of them being trans.

This can worsen their gender dysphoria — a condition or feeling whereby a person is distressed with, and can be severely depressed by, some factor of themselves which in some way conflicts with their gender identity. Many slurs used against trans people imply in some way that they are being deceptive by moving away from the gender that they were identified as at birth. This can cause conflict with regards to gender identity and so may worsen their feelings of dysphoria.

To come full circle, the problem of street harassment tells us a lot about why LGBT History Month still matters. Pride and defiance have always been an important part of our history. We should not just take these incidents of harassment as a given part of our lives; they should be spoken about and called out. These people should know that their opinions are outdated. My friend says that she feels angry after having such experiences. We need to collectively channel these feelings of outrage to motivate change. With recent legislation calling for better LGBT education in schools being shot down, we as a community must take it upon ourselves to not allow the ideals of liberty behind this bill to be worn away.

The Women’s March: Sexism on social media

The word ‘feminist’ has become a word that we constantly see and hear over the recent years, especially on social media platforms. You would think that this would be a good thing, to have people talking about the social, economic and political equality of the sexes, right? However, it appears that a lot of people have adopted the term ‘feminist’ as a word of negativity and a form of insult. Is it because gender equality frightens people so they feel that they must tarnish the word that represents the very idea of it?

Some people may feel more strongly about finding gender equality in social situations, others may feel more focused on finding political equality and others economic, and a woman from one culture may be more privileged in all three of these aspects in comparison to a woman from another culture. Feminism may have different meanings to women of different social class, working professions, sexuality, race and religion but this does not mean that anyone should have to justify their reasons for wanting gender equality. Sadly, it seems that not everyone agrees with this stance, especially on social media. Following the Women’s Marches throughout the world, posts appeared on the internet that shamed women for participating in the protests for various reasons.

Photo: MissyHii @ Twitter

In one tweet on Twitter, a woman claimed that she was ashamed that model Emily Ratajkowski and singer Madonna were protesting for Women’s Rights alongside the hashtag ‘makes no sense’. The only thing that does not make sense is why a woman is ashamed that two fellow women want their gender to have the same rights and opportunities as men. Some of the responses to this tweet talked about Ratajkowski’s profession as a model.

To claim that Ratajkowski is unable to have a political voice or a so called valid reason for wanting feminism because of how she chooses to show her body to the world is just one example as to why women protested and why Ratajkowski protested whilst holding a sign which read the words of Naomi Wolf, “we deserve to be sexual and serious or whatever we please.” Rightly so, women do deserve to be whatever they please, including the ability to wear whatever pieces of clothing that they desire.

 

Photo: Shannon Clark @ Twitter

One Twitter user shamed singer Ariana Grande for the outfit that she chose to wear whilst protesting, which consisted of a large sweatshirt and a pair of thigh high boots. Unless you are complimenting a girl for what they are wearing, you have no right to make comment on their outfit or to act in a certain way towards her because of what she is wearing. One of the reasons why millions of women protested was for women to have the right to wear the clothes that they want to without men using their outfit choice as a sexual invitation. Of all places, a Women’s March for women’s rights should be where a woman can wear whatever she pleases without ridicule. Shannon Clark appears to think differently.

Sadly, these sorts of comments are not abnormal on social media and it would seem that the Women’s Marches highlighted this even more so. I scroll through Twitter and Instagram and constantly see women being shamed for wearing “too much” make up, shamed for not wearing any make up, shamed for wearing revealing clothes, shamed for wearing clothes that do not reveal anything, shamed for the shape and size of their bodies, shamed for their behaviour, shamed for their display of sexuality, shamed for their lack of sexual display. The list goes on but one of the saddest parts of reading these comments is when I see that a woman has posted them and the last thing that women need right now is to be scrutinised by fellow women.

If anything, it is these posts that prove that to be a feminist does not mean that you have to be a woman, a misconception that many seem to make. Despite the comments of negativity on social media, the beautiful photos and posts of unity and strength outweighed them all. The Women’s Marches that we have recently witnessed are just the beginning and I hope that social media continues to spread the movement far and wide.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

Women’s marches: a cathartic movement with the wrong targets

Supposedly, the women’s marches aimed to have women “join in diversity” whilst at the same time relay “a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women’s rights are human rights.” What this has to do with extremely privileged women from across the pond screaming “not my President” is something that I found confusing. No doubt this confusion is sourced from my own white and male privilege that I obtained on the 22nd of June, 1995.

Nevertheless, these marches faced further justification because “the rhetoric of the past election cycle has insulted, demonised and threatened” women. This, ceterus paribus, is genial. This spirit was further exemplified by the exclusion of “New Wave Feminists”, a pro-life women’s group, as a sponsor of the march.

It is a little known fact that early feminism, to which the modern disease owes its existence, was based around such pro-life views towards abortion. Founded by Mary Wollstonecraft in 1792, there is an organisation, based around this specific issue, called “Feminists for Life”. It has campaigned for the rights of unborn children for over 200 years. Wollstonecraft did not condone those who “either destroy the embryo in the womb or cast it off when born” and further went on to say that “nature in everything deserves respect, and those who violate her laws seldom violate them with impunity.” It would be dishonourable not to mention that Mary Wollstonecraft died from complications following the birth of her second baby girl, who was subsequently named Mary in respect to her mother. Younger Mary would later become a great writer, producing one of the greatest novels to ever address to issue of violating nature: Frankenstein.

Nevertheless, this made it clear that the notion of diversity, to these women, does indeed have limits — dependent on the diversity of your opinion. This inclusion, to a certain degree, is something that has been beautifully campaigned for by leftists and is a direct reason for the rise of the diversity they despise. Ironically, the website for the movement calls “on all defenders of human rights to join” them, whilst ignoring and denying human rights to unborn children. Although babies can be born as early as 22 weeks, this is a philosophical distinction that will never be devoid of diversity.

Despite this educated effort to celebrate diversity, this whole series of marches reeks of a simple notion of privilege defined under the notion of “not in my back yard”. Here, we have a group of well-organised and privileged women speaking about alleged sexual assault. Where were these women when Bill Clinton was settling rape cases against himself?

This is a state of biographical identity politics. On one side, we have those who we can actually define as victims of economic uncertainty, job insecurity and widespread mockery of their opinions by snobby leftists who do not seek and wish to define themselves as victims. On the other side, we have those who are, only, victims of their own perceptions — who in fact exist in stable employment with far too little free time to gallivant around Twitter.

These marches demonstrate that those with unconvincing victimhood complexes are enraged by the choice made by millions of men (and women) who have genuinely been victimised by an Obama administration. The former administration killed more American citizens, bombed more countries, suppressed free speech and persecuted more whistleblowers than any of its kind. These co-exist with the fact that the Obama administration enriched the top five per cent more than under George W Bush.

Where were the Women’s marches when one of Obama’s military strikes in Yemen killed scores of women (and their children)? We have justified anger at Trump imposing a visa ban on Yemen, but where was the anger at Obama’s killing of Yemenis and the support of a Saudi war that formed vast pockets of poverty and famine in the former? We have justified anger with Trump for starting temporary bans on Syrian refugees coming into America, but where was this when Obama instigated policies that ripped Syria apart and saturated it with weaponry, doing little to help refugees? There is further justified anger with Trump for his beginning of the wall building process, but there is systemic radio silence on the fact that Obama kicked out more Mexicans than any president in history and the fact that Hillary voted for the building of a 700 mile security barrier between America and Mexico (essentially, a wall).

This hypocrisy and stupidity is why, despite being equally sceptical of Trump, I sympathise with the “white trash” women that voted for him rather than the “diverse” and genial women that voted for a woman who made extensive efforts to suppress the victims of Bill Clinton’s sexual escapades.

I wonder if Iraqi Yazidi girls look at these western women and sympathise with their oppression while they are being sold as sex slaves by the Islamic state.

Lemon Chicken recipe

Fancy a takeaway but haven’t got the money? Or are you banning that weekly Chinese for your New Year’s resolutions? Either way, this lemon chicken recipe is light and full of flavour, avoiding the often sweet and cloying sauces found in many Chinese takeaways, and is quick and easy to make at home.

Serves 2, easily doubled. Serve with rice.

Ingredients:

2 small chicken breasts

1 small egg white

1tsp cornflour

100ml chicken stock

1½ lemons juiced

1tsp caster sugar

1tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp mirin/rice wine

½tsp chilli flakes

2 garlic cloves

½tsp cornflour

Sesame oil

Salt and pepper

1 spring onion sliced on the diagonal to serve (optional)

I love the lemon chicken I get from a restaurant called Dim T near where my parents live. It’s breadcrumbed chicken served in a light and tangy lemon sauce. It’s very different to the sickly sweet and cloying sauces often found on lemon chicken dishes in Chinese restaurants (and even to those meals I ate in Singapore). This recipe is a combination of both; it’s not breadcrumbed chicken and nor is the sauce overly sweet, it’s now the a light, clean-tasting meal.

Mix the egg white and cornflour together in a large bowl to form a paste. Cut the chicken into strips and place in the bowl with the egg mix. Coat well and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes (this “velvets” the chicken and gives it the right texture, although you could leave it out if you’re in a hurry). Cook some rice for serving.

Mix together the stock, lemon juice, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, chilli flakes and seasoning.

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the chicken (try to avoid getting any excess egg mix into the wok). Stir fry until the chicken has cooked, then remove from the wok and set aside.

Fry the minced garlic in the wok for 30 seconds to cook it and then add the lemon juice mixture. Bring to the boil and simmer for a minute. Mix the ½tsp of cornflour with 1 tbsp of water to make a smooth paste and add to the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes or so to thicken the sauce slightly.

Return the chicken to the pan and heat through, adding a few drops of sesame oil. Make sure you test the flavour of the sauce and adjust as needed.

Serve the lemon chicken with rice and top with the artistically sliced spring onions.

Mix up your mince

Do you ever make a big pan of minced beef (the English kind of bolognese, not the proper Italian stuff) and then realise you’re bored of eating it all up before it goes bad? Well, never fear, here are some ways to switch things up.

To begin, you can obviously cook spaghetti and have that perennial favourite, spag bol, but have you ever thought of cooking shaped pasta al dente and then mixing the pasta and mince together in an oven proof dish, topping with cheese and baking in the oven (at 180 degrees) until the cheese is melted and golden?

Alternatively what about lasagne? You can either make your cheese sauce from scratch or buy a jar and add extra cheese to make it taste a bit more special. Alternate layers of mince, pasta and sauce until you run out of ingredients or space, top with cheese and cook in the oven at 160 degrees for an hour. Place a baking tray underneath the lasagne to catch any escaping cheese. I always make my lasagnes the day after I make the mince, both to help the flavour and to break up the workload. It results in something special that’s easy to freeze and eat up later.

If you’re looking to eat healthily this New Year then stuffing vegetables, especially peppers and marrows, can be a great way to add variation and eat more of your five-a-day. Simply cut the pepper in half through the stem, deseed and place on a baking tray. Drizzle the halves with olive oil and season well. Cook in a hot oven for 10 minutes before adding the mince and topping with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. If you want to use a marrow then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds running through the centre. Cook as with the peppers but leave it in the oven for 20 minutes before adding the mince. You want a knife to go through the marrow easily before you serve it.

Chilli con carne is a popular student staple. My mum used to add baked beans to her mince to turn it into a poor man’s chilli but you can go one better by pouring in a tin of red kidney beans and chilli powder to taste before heating everything through and serving with rice.

A family favourite is cottage pie (shepherd’s pie if it’s lamb mince), which could not be easier to make. You have two options for the classic potato topping once you’ve put the mince into a pie dish, either make some mash and spread it on top of the bolognese or slice some potatoes into rounds, parboil them for 7 minutes before arranging them on top of the the mince. Top with cheese and bake in the oven (at 180 degrees) for 25-30 minutes.

I haven’t had these for years but when I was little, a big treat would be to buy an Old El Paso taco kit and layer the mince with rice, lettuce and cheese. Just follow the kit’s instructions and enjoy! One tip to avoid much of the inevitable mess is to place a lettuce leaf inside the shell before filling it, it acts like a liner and holds the filling when the taco inevitably breaks.

This is my basic recipe for bolognese:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

400g beef (or lamb) mince

800g tinned chopped tomatoes

Tomato ketchup

Salt and pepper

Mixed dried herbs

Sweat the onion, carrot and garlic in the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Once soft, add the mince and brown. Pour in the tomatoes and a good squirt of tomato ketchup. Season well with salt, pepper and dried herbs. Once the bolognese is bubbling, reduce the heat and cover with a tilted lid. Cook for as long as possible (up to 5 hours but a minimum of 30 minutes), stirring regularly and adding water if the mixture becomes dry. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.

Our freedom is in peril at the hands of online saboteurs

Social media, and the internet at large, has been a wondrous tool through which ideas and political debate have been enhanced by boundless measure during our lifetimes. Its introduction and evolution has had an effect on our world akin to the invention of the printing press. But just as the printing press was used to disseminate new and often controversial ideas of the age, so is the internet becoming a hub for the alternative and topics of contention. All this is, however, is in great peril if we do not stand up for the absolute and unequivocal freedom of speech that once existed online, but which has since been curtailed on and by sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Those who have censored and silenced dissenting voices do not fully realise the implications of their actions. We have become incredibly complacent about our freedoms, and have begun to take them for granted at home, as well as failing to recognise their persecution abroad. Just last week, I was in conversation with a group of people when one person uttered the words, “I agree with freedom of speech, just not for people like UKIP.” I have heard people use phrases that sound positively Orwellian, with outbursts such as “people should be taught the right way to think.” What these people have expressed is not a love for the freedom of speech but a complete disregard for all the values and freedoms which we enjoy. Have these people for one moment considered the possibility that it could very well one day be their group that is forcibly silenced?

Have they any knowledge of what happens to a society when the thought police take over and people are prevented from speaking their minds in case they do not conform to the accepted language? How long will it be until these factions are issuing their own editions of the Newspeak dictionary and our speech is limited by what they deem to be too inappropriate or offensive?

This sort of practice is already underway on forums such as Facebook and Twitter. These previously free platforms now suffer from the plague of censorship that should have been left behind when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has become so common that on Facebook the term “zucked” has been coined, a reference to Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. This is because of Facebook’s nasty habit of un-publishing pages that it does not approve of, which often happen to be right wing pages, such as God Save our Gracious Meme or The God Emperor Trump.

While some may disagree with the content posted on these pages, we have a duty to uphold the freedoms of the individuals who choose to view their content. It is not up to us or any other person to decide whether or not someone’s voice should be silenced because it would not fit in with our own world view. It is no different to the creation of a safe space and seeks to only extend the echo chamber of online forums. If we are not careful, within a few years, Facebook could see itself morph from the vanguard of social media interaction and the free and exciting open space it started off as, into a predominantly left-leaning message board site which has no time for those who do not conform to their approved list of jokes, views, and beliefs.

How can we ever expect to defeat some of the world’s most poisonous ideologies if we do not expose ourselves to what they think? I have always believed that the best thing that this country ever did to destroy the fascist hard right was to allow Nick Griffin a platform on BBC question time. He was given a chance to put across his loony points of view and promptly proceeded, not only to be shown by all present to be an ignorant and hateful man, but also very successfully managing to make an arse of himself as well.

This kind of thing is especially relevant given Milo Yiannopoulos’ and Martin Shkreli’s recent banning from Twitter. While I will readily admit I do have some sympathy for Milo, I also realise that he can sometimes say things that are hurtful to people and they obviously don’t appreciate it. But when did, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” stop having a real world application? To many people, these two men are seen as enemies of their ideology who need to be silenced. Last week it got so bad that a Milo supporter was shot while trying to enter one of his speeches in the USA. If an ideology requires the silence of its opponents or needs to be enforced with violence then it probably isn’t a particularly good ideology.

So essentially we find ourselves at a crossroads at which we all need to make a decision that could have an effect on how we debate the big issues over the next half century. Do we succumb to the all too easy tactic of shutting out those who we disagree with so we can feel all warm and cosy, hearing only arguments that agree with our world view? Or will we engage with our opponents online and have proper constructive debate? Silencing your opponents is a slippery slope to being silenced yourself.

Was the Women’s March a waste of energy?

Women’s marches occurred across the world and Trump is still President. They failed. His resignation was not tweeted out the day after his inauguration and Hillary Clinton is not now the first female president of the United States. Unfortunately, however inspiring it may have been scrolling through Twitter last Saturday, a cute picture of a little girl holding a placard was not powerful enough to reverse the past.

While we are aware feminism has not yet developed the ability to go back in time and start again, women marched because they were witnessing a President enter the White House who seemed to be trying to do exactly that with gender equality. The new President of the United States has openly bragged about sexual assault and has stripped funding from reproductive services around the world, which many suggest will not only result in unwanted pregnancies, but force women into getting unsafe abortions, which put their lives in jeopardy.

According to the Marie Stopes International, a major reproductive health charity, which had been receiving $30 million per year in US Agency for International Development funding, there will be 2.1 million unsafe abortions and 21,700 maternal deaths during Trump’s term that could have been prevented. This is why women marched. They were not over-reacting, or being snowflakes, or crazed feminazis as some have claimed. They were marching because Trump threatens not just the position of women in society but, in some cases, their lives.

Trump reinstated this two days after the march, so many will continue to argue the millions who marched did so in vain. But the march was never going to make him completely reverse his ideology. He said whilst campaigning that women should be punished for having abortions and now he is doing exactly that. Nobody is surprised — that is why they marched.

What the sceptics do not understand is that the march was not about making Trump miraculously transform into a feminist, but it was about building a movement. I highly doubt there was a single Trump supporter who watched millions of women take to the streets and then regretted their vote, but the march will have hopefully instilled courage in some to take action, to talk to those that disagree with them (unlike Ewan McGregor) and convince them of the damage Trump will do and has done. The courage to take such action is hard to find if you feel like you are acting alone.

Not all three and a half million of the Americans who marched are going to suddenly transform into political activists, and most will not do a thing after the march to resist Trump’s presidency. But some will, and they will because those millions marched.

Another criticism made of the march was, why was it just for women? There are plenty of men who are against Trump — would it not have been better to simply stage anti-Trump marches? Trump has attacked not just women but Muslims, Mexicans, the disabled, LGBTQ rights and threatens the climate, to name just a few, and these things need to be resisted to.

The people that marched were not ignorant to these other threats, but they needed to unite to stand together under one banner for one day, before dispersing and beginning their attempts at resisting against such threats. Scientists are already planning to march on Washington to protest, after the removal of the climate action page on the White House website and the enforced media blackout on the Environmental Protection Agency. The scientists’ march like, the women’s, grew out of social media, and has already gained widespread public support. The fact that individual movements are not resisting Trump in their own vacuum is crucial. An anti-Trump march would have been fractured and lost the unity in message that was witnessed across the world.

Obviously the impact of this resistance to Trump’s presidency will not be able to be felt until midterm elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2020, but there is no harm in starting now. If Trump’s win proved anything, it’s that enthusiastic rallies, focused on subjects that people are passionate about, win votes. The march had to happen to send a clear message that there are still those who are against misogyny, believe sexual assault should not go unpunished, protest that reproductive rights should be protected, and ultimately believe that a man who stands against all of that should not be President of the United States.

Perhaps this is all just naïve hope and the Women’s March will go no way to inspiring people to keep up the campaign against Trump. But it lifted my spirits the day after I witnessed a man who brags about grabbing women by the pussy become President. Even if it did just that, ensuring that when future generations learn about this period of history, the textbook does not read that a man bragged about being able to sexually assault women because of his position of power and then be voted into the White House while the world just stood back and watched, it did more than enough.

Sankeys closes: who saw this coming?

I believe that it was the present writer who, in jest, said some weeks ago:  “I for one will be starting my #SaveLuxuryApartments campaign right away.” And, with either disastrous sincerity or in admirable commitment to ironic humour, it looks like the people have listened and taken action. Yes, another set of top notch properties is set to situate itself in the building where Sankeys once lived and reigned.

This club was a formidable place, and not just within the Manchester scene. It always held its own in relation to London nightlife, as their at-times premium drinks prices would attest. And now, in an homage that has seen Sankeys finally go a step too far in a bid to imitate our capital city, it has tragically turned itself into a collection of expensive flats.

“I remember my first trip to Fabric,” were the words I once said to someone at the pub wearing a Seth Troxler t-shirt. It was supposed to be a sort of “I remember my first pint” jab directed towards someone a couple of years younger than me. He didn’t get the joke. Plus, it just didn’t really work because I actually own the same t-shirt. In truth, it was more of an indication that I wasn’t handling my pints all that well.

I do remember my last trip to Fabric, though. Administrative errors meant that we were initially not allowed in. GO AWAY, we were told. GO DIRECTLY AWAY. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT 200 POUNDS. Well, I went away for a bit and cheekily collected 200 pounds from a nearby Monopoly stash. Luckily, the people working at a bar nearby believed that it was real money. Unfortunately that was only enough to buy one drink. But I thought I would give it another go and returned to the club, where this time I was told there was room at the inn.

I like to think of this night as an allegory, or maybe a prediction or possibly even a message from above that Fabric would soon close and then reopen shortly after. Now, as we come face to face with Sankeys’ closure, I find myself thinking back to my final trip there, knowing that the signs of what was to some once more can be gleaned.

I remember the last time I went to Sankeys just the same. Well, actually, I say on this final occasion ‘I went to Sankeys’ but this is only partly true. I did get a taxi to Sankeys. I went there, in the same way that ‘going to Buckingham Palace’ as a phrase would normally indicate visiting the building and standing outside it, looking at the building through some fencing. What I am trying to say is that I did not enter Sankeys that night. And ok, if you really care, I said ‘I remember’ when in actual fact I don’t really remember, due to my being dangerously pissed.

This might seem a dubious recollection for an article in memory of the club, but perhaps it is fitting that my last trip to Sankeys was unfulfilled. Perhaps this was a vision of the end. I, like the club at present, lost a battle against forces more powerful than myself. In my case, it was a bouncer who kept on pushing me out of the queue (even when, with great agility of wit and drunkenness of character, I re-joined the queue repeatedly for about two hours). In the case of the club itself: the unwinnable battle was against the fearsome competitor of property development.

In desperation, I tried to tell the security on the door that they would all lose their jobs if they did not let me in. I thought I said to them, “This encounter seems simple enough now but it is actually symbolic of a far greater and more tragic event!”, though at the time most likely in terms exceeding these in both passion and eloquence.

Needless to say — but I will say it anyway — they didn’t let me in, and the prophecy of closure has been fulfilled. Sankeys has gone the way of the Haçienda. Years of fun draw to a close through the revelation that it is probably easier to make money by providing leather sofas, en suite facilities and elegant minimalist kitchens to young professionals than sweaty raves for people who keep on shouting “oiii fuck off!” and scrunching up their faces.

For a student, the concept of luxury apartments can bewilder. You hear so much about them that you would imagine they must be everywhere. But personal experience of what they entail still eludes you. So for now they are just buildings that you must imagine are always there, sometimes freshly renewed, but that you never have a reason to enter. For now you just assume they must have some purpose. A bit like that place that used to be called Baa Bar.

Perhaps now the only club safe from the threat of closure is Antwerp Mansion, whose chief advantage is that it would require the improbable backing from someone like Warren Buffet to get it any way near transformed into luxury apartments.

Review: La La Land

Strolling into the film ten minutes late, I was not concerned in the slightest about missing a potentially crucial bit of the plot. I’m not a massive fan of musicals at all, with their cliché ridden storylines and horribly cheerful/overly dramatic songs. Despite this, I thought I’d give this one the benefit of the doubt considering all the massive fuss about it. I have to say, I can absolutely 110 per cent see why people are so hyped about it. It’s visually stunning, with wonderful silhouettes of the characters accompanying the beautiful backdrop of Los Angeles. La La Land tells the story of a young musician who wants to make traditional jazz great again, and an aspiring (failing) actress in LA who fall in love.

However, I wouldn’t say that it’s the best film of the year, a title that it has been given by many film critics and with which the Academy Awards and the Oscars would agree with (it currently has 14 Oscar nominations, something that only All About Eve and Titanic have managed to achieve). There are a significant amount of flaws, something which many choose not to acknowledge for whatever reason but which I will highlight now. Firstly, as I have just said and is typical in musicals, I did not like the average plot or the over-exaggerated facial expressions and body language. Additionally, the modernity of the film is certainly nice however it’s not in any shape or form groundbreaking.

A major issue I had with the movie, one which I tried to overlook but simply couldn’t, was the fact that jazz was invented by black people. It’s about black people. So why does it need to be saved by a white man whose biggest musical number isn’t even all that jazzy? Why is he such a traditionalist, an idea that is backed up by Seve Chambers who writes in Vulture Magazine about how all the film is doing is describing a “narrow vision of the genre”? Additionally, considering its origins how can the film really justify the fact that all the people of colour featured are secondary characters? Why is the main black person shown to be conforming to society and therefore essentially not saving jazz? This element of the story doesn’t really resonate very well with me.

A further problem I had with the film is the mansplaining and misogyny. In this day and age, why on earth does director Damien Chazelle feel the need to make his protagonist the hero? Why does Mia need unnecessary saving? A lot of this misogyny lies in the smaller details, such as when Sebastian storms past Mia. In reality this would be incredibly rude and would never ever be forgiven in real life. Chazelle attempts to mask this through the portrayal of an almost ironic amount of passion for jazz.

In spite of this, I do think the film was beautifully shot. There were some scenes where I was honestly mesmerised by the shot compositions and the cinematography, a wonderful feat by the critically acclaimed Linus Sandgren. Some could even say that the juxtaposition between fantasy and reality compliment each other quite nicely. Whilst there is this talent, there are also too many problems that relate to the intricacies of the film, and by extension to issues within society to fully be able to enjoy the dull simplicity of it.

Definitely worth a watch and bare in mind that I am in the small minority of people who didn’t enjoy it, as I heard the couple excitedly exclaiming behind me about their delight with the film.

3.5/5

Review: Manchester by the Sea

Presently it seems that the most assured method of attaining some of that hallowed Oscar buzz is to just show a bit of self reflexivity. Look at La La Land, Birdman, Argo, The Artist. What do they all have in common? They’re all obsessed with acknowledging their own status within the Hollywood cannon, brazenly shouting “I’m a film” at you whilst relieving themselves of heavily stylised urine all over your face.

That’s not to say there’s anything particularly wrong with this — who didn’t enjoy Birdman’s kinetic exploration of film’s identity crisis or Emma Stone gleefully finding solace from a failed acting career in musical jaunts? The problem I see with this recent trend of smug winking at the audience is a twofold one: firstly the whole notion of Hollywood in film was taken to its logical extreme with Mulholland Drive, secondly that this constant barrage of films about films leave films about people forgotten in its wake.

This brings us, tentatively, to Manchester By The Sea. A far cry from bucket hats, 90’s nostalgia and Greggs, this film is unmistakably American and yet palpably un-Hollywood. Around mid-way through the film the central character, Lee (Casey Affleck), is observing three photographs of loved ones he — for reasons I won’t divulge — now is no longer in contact with. Now, many films here would play on the obvious emotional potential of this, admittedly traditional, setup. Affleck’s face, photographs, back to his face, Oscar. Instead the director Lonergan chooses to frame the scene less intrusively; we never even see the photos instead we watch as Lee observes the photographs before slowly, gently packing them away.

It is this gentleness that occupies the entire film. The aesthetic is fundamentally unaesthetic: bland, pale and grey. There are hardly any stylistic flairs, the most intrusive being a montage in which a toilet unclogs, and a five second long dream. This is no La La Land. What you are left with is a film that is unmistakably slow; you feel every minute of its two hour runtime but this is not a bad thing. This abandonment of what I would call true wankery allows the film to develop characters who are more human than any of the films I’ve mentioned so far. You can really start to tell that Lonergan is also a playwright: Manchester By The Sea employs the use of sets, props and actors to improve characterisation, to facilitate conversation under desperate circumstances and also to provide very recognisable moments of humor.

If it sounds like I’m gushing it’s because I am. What we have is a film that denies identifiable catharsis in favour of relatable failure. For this reason, for its honesty and patience, Manchester By The Sea won’t win the best picture. But that doesn’t really matter, the film succeeds in portraying a subtle, believable experience of loss. Maybe I’m a miserable loser who likes miserable things but chances are you’re a miserable loser too. So. Watch. This. Film.

5/5

A post exam treat

Our exams are over, we’ve partied to celebrate, time to start the term with a bit of relaxation. A beauty treat day can be fabulous whether at home or in a spa, what counts is taking the time out to pamper tired, revision weary you.

One fabulous part of writing for The Mancunion is the occasional freebie — and this week I got a goodie — a reinvigorating spa package at the QMS spa in The Lowry Hotel. An hour long facial and an hour long pedicure that included: masks, creams, massages, hot stone massages and red shellac toe polish. My version of beauty heaven.

Initially I wasn’t wowed by the spa, it has a clean, white, almost clinical feel that I wasn’t sure I would find relaxing — however, I was wrong. Sandra, my beauty therapist for the day, was lovely and chatty, the experience was all about what I wanted, and I left feeling like a very lucky gal indeed.

The package I enjoyed was definitely one of the more expensive deals available at QMS  but prices for a basic manicure start at £25 and from there go up depending on the treatment. One of the best value treatments is the No Time To Prep package, £60, 90 minutes 4 treatments.

However, unless you have a birthday/kind acquaintance/valentine/healthy bank account to fund luxury spa days, the DIY method may have to do. If I were to attempt to recreate my QMS experience a sheet mask would be a definite must, Garnier’s moisture bomb sheet mask is 99p and works a dream. Pop it on for 15 minutes while you sit and relax, or terrorise housemates — you will look ridiculous and they will want a photo of it.  Afterwards your face will be left feeling soft and rejuvenated.

moisture bomb. Photo: garnier.co.uk

The second easy update to take your beauty regime up a notch would be to introduce foot cream to your pedicure. I can’t claim to be the best when it comes to pedicure up keep, in winter I generally paint my toe nails red and leave that on until it’s nearly all chipped away, come summer I maintain the red polish to higher standard. However, I loved the foot rub part of my pedicure, so have treated myself to a foot cream to recreate my silky soft feet.

For now my DIY substitutes will have to fill in for luxury spa days… until the next offer comes along.