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Month: October 2017

Review: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

Written by Eloïse Wright on . Posted in Film.

Noah Baumbach’s latest picture, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), differentiates itself from most of the past year’s films, in the best way possible.

Each of the Meyerowitz kids are introduced by vignettes, giving us the feeling of an assemblage of short stories that are connected, especially with the bracketed “New and Selected”. It is the story of a dysfunctional Jewish family in New York, portrayed by a refreshingly talented cast including the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson and Elizabeth Marvel to name a few.

The script is full of quickfire Jewish New-Yorker wit reminiscent of Woody Allen classics such as Annie Hall or Crimes & Misdemeanours, as are the apartments we see, full of books and art. The Stories emanate from the “only artist in the family”, Harold Meyerowitz, as he puts it himself. His three children, Danny, Jean and Matt, all have very different relationships with each other and especially their father.

Constantly working on his sculpture and aspiring for appropriate recognition led to the displacement of time and care that should have been spent on his kids. As a result, they all share a bizarre mixture of respect and hatred towards him — but equally have become extremely self-critical of themselves.

Danny — played Adam Sandler in an uncharacteristic role — is the eldest, and it’s by focussing on his sense of failure in the Meyerowitz clan that we begin. We’re introduced to him and his daughter as he tries to find a parking space in the East Village, a notoriously stressful experience. Through a lot of commotion and a song on the radio, the pair radiate a comfortable, sarcastically-fuelled relationship.

Upon arrival, we meet the others and get a taste of what’s to come. It is a relief to discover Dustin Hoffman’s performance is not embarrassing or forgettable like Meet the Fockers (2004).

Something that built Harold’s character in the film was his repeating of the same anecdote to each of his children, each time differently, each time searching for a specific reaction, and each time failing to get the reaction he wanted. He has expectations of how people should treat him and when those expectations are not met, Hoffman knows how to conjure up just the right amount of self-entitlement and passive-aggressiveness.

One of the best scenes of the movie occurs at the MoMA, where Harold’s friend L.J. has a new art collection on display. Arriving with Danny, apparently the only two in tuxedos, they are declined entry to the private showing as they are “not on the list” – Harold’s embarrassment starts here.

Thankfully L.J. happens to walk by, greats them with a warm embrace and begins introducing him to New York’s social elite. It is clear that Harold can’t help but wonder why his friend and equal has his art exposed in prestigious galleries, but his own art has only gained a small degree of success, most of it still in the garage at home. The night goes on, Harold keeps getting ignored or cut off, and soon he must leave.

The script is fluid in its reflection of authentic human behaviour. An example of this is the day Matt — brilliantly played by Ben Stiller — and his father, go to lunch. The dialogue goes back and forth without stopping for breath which the camera mirrors with a singular tracking shot. Matt wants to sell his father’s house and art, his life’s work. Both get increasingly flustered and amidst all the distractions never actually order any food.

Elizabeth Marvel as Jean gives one of the most vibrant and unusual performances of the film, playing her awkward, deadpan but sensitive character to perfection. Her talent and role left me wanting a longer segment devoted to her, but the way it is is fitting to her part, as Jean is more of a wallflower, content with being on the sidelines.

The Meyerowitz Stories take you on a drawn-out emotional ride that is quite tiring, and it works. Baumbach hits the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy, proving his directorial and screenwriting talents. This is a film about the family you are given and the long-lasting effects of the quality of the relationships one has within that family. It’s about your life’s work, and ultimately how much we let that define our self-worth.

Review: The Eagle Inn, Salford

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

Nestled in a hubbub of new development — the kind that Tim Darcy laments in his ode to the banality of modern day life — The Eagle Inn feels incongruous with its surroundings. Yet it feels wrong to deem it so, for the Salford institution dates back to 1903, and its beautiful red brick facade, panelled windows, and cosy indoor space are precisely what this northern city is known for.

Inside, the small bar offers a limited selection of traditional, local ales, as well as a comprehensive selection of bar snacks. The jukebox in the entrance has killer collection of albums, from The Clash to Nick Cave, all lovingly written out by hand. From open ’til close, the pub plays BBC Radio 6 Music, paying homage to its esteem as a small venue too — I was lucky to be there for Marc Riley’s show on which The Eagle is frequently mentioned, and by whom The Eagle is often frequented.

To the average student in Manchester, a trip to Salford may seem as daunting as a mounting an expedition to the Moon. But to the curious, to the probing, to the adventurous, a trip to Salford and its Eagle Inn is really just a short journey, with a big reward at the end of it.

Recommended song for the walk: Beautiful Blue Sky — Ought.
Recommended drink: Two Hoots Golden Ale — £3.50 — Brewed in Manchester.

Live Review: Dizzee Rascal

Written by Tobias Soar on . Posted in Music.

When you combine one of the most energetic grime artists who’s been around since 2003 with the manic audience of Manchester, you’re in for an explosive show. To quote my buddy Max: “It was a two-hour sweat-fest of absolute madness.”

It’s fair to say that Dizzee Rascal has become a household name in the UK; earning the number one spot in the British charts five times is sure to warrant you the status of a modern grime icon. For goodness sake, even my dad knows who Dizzee is.

Following an average warm-up from Donae’O, who made it very clear that his mixtape Sixteen is out now and that we should all stream it on Spotify and Apple Music, the star of the show came on to a roar from the crowd at Academy. The room was absolutely packed and the audience was buzzing, we couldn’t wait to get moshing.

Dizzee opened his set with ‘Space’ which was very well received. The lyrics were echoing around the room and the crowd even spoke along to the outro of the song, the famous quote from JFK’s speech on the moon landing: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard”.

The show raged on with a nice blend of some songs off Raskit, his latest album, and his classic bangers that range all the way back to his debut LP Boy In Da Corner. ‘Heavy’ hit HARD — the bass for that track was overwhelming, some girls next to me were miming to each other that their ears hurt. I was definitely thankful to be wearing plugs  — which I cannot recommend enough, stay safe out there, kids!

Of course, his collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘Dance Wiv Me’ got the room grooving until he stopped the song halfway through to break up a fight. “Aww, come on girls, we don’t want none of that in here,” he remarked as a bouncer braved the crowd to intervene and take one of them out of the room.

“Nah! Security! Don’t take her out, just separate ‘em, we want everybody to have a good time in here”. A well-deserved round of applause spread throughout the room in response to Dizzee’s gentlemanly conduct preceded the track being restarted to keep the party train rolling.

Listening to the crowd sing along to ‘Bassline Junkie’ felt strangely ironic. Earlier on in the show, my mate Max and I had bumped into a group of underage lads who were under the influence of alcohol — and something else, we were sure of it. Being in Manchester, in a crowd where many people were swimming in the sauce, I couldn’t help but chuckle when the room sang the lines “I don’t need no speed, I don’t need no heroin, I don’t want no coke, You can keep your ketamine, I’m a bassline junkie”.

‘I Luv’ U’, ‘Jus’ a Rascal’, and ‘Holiday’ were met by an ecstatic roar from the audience, as expected. Dizzee is an incredible showman with exceptional crowd control. Although his hypeman was backing him up the whole time, he may as well have not been there at all; the Rascal didn’t miss a beat and didn’t skip any lines, a welcome sight in hip-hop gigs.

The lights dimmed at 22.30 and the crowd booed and jeered. How could our main man betray us by walking off stage without a goodbye and, more importantly, not performing ‘Bonkers’? He walked back onstage to a cheer that was followed by him proclaiming “We’ve run overtime, we gotta cut the show short. Sorry, Manchester”. Another round of booing followed. “Only joking motherf******, let’s do this s***!” paved the way for the encore that everyone wanted and deserved: ‘Bonkers’.

In the mad, sweaty mosh that the club banger produced, a young lady had flung her bra onto the stage from the shoulders of a tough looking lad. Dizzee chuckled at the end of the show and pointed at her while expressing his amazement to his hypeman and DJ.

With an elegant toss, he returned the woman’s undergarment and told the crowd: “Take this, yeah? Make sure you give this to her or I’ll smack on you, I swear to God. Make sure you’re safe, yeah? We don’t want no funny business around here” followed by a raucous cheer from the audience.

Dizzee Rascal’s fun tunes, great interaction with the crowd, high energy performance, and chivalrous moments made for an absolutely bonkers gig that left me sweaty, battered, tired, and grinning like a crazed concertgoer I was.

Manchester Academy — Saturday the 15th of October 2017

‘I champion the university… but they have treated me poorly’

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

On Friday the 8th of October Majid Ahmed posted on Lemn Sissays’ wall, saying the Chancellor’s apparent refusal to meet him was “disappointing.”

In the post, he claimed he was experiencing “poor treatment and unprofessional conduct by the University of Manchester and they have left me in a position where they are unfairly pressurising me to pay them £12,000 to be awarded my PhD – no academic issues whatsoever.”

Majid, a clinical research fellow from Bradford, grew up around “crime and drugs.” He thanks the university for all the opportunities they have given him but found himself without support or advice in a situation creating both financial and mental stress.

Majid Ahmed’s dispute began in 2014. After receiving a grant from the British Heart Foundation of £167,000 pounds in April, Majid asked the university for a costing of his PhD, which he received in September of the same year. In the letter, it clearly states Majid’s tuition fees would be covered by the grant. Majid claims this had been the impression given by the university since his grant application success.

However, a couple of weeks later, the university emailed Majid telling him this was no longer the case and he would have to pay his tuition fees himself.

Majid was left in a difficult financial position. Since receiving the grant he had turned down the opportunity to train as a doctor and took a staff position at the university. He now needed an advance on his salary.

While on a trip to the states, which Majid began planning in the time between correspondence with the University, the dispute began. He received some support, particularly from his supervisor in the states, Professor Mark Nelson. However, in the last three years, Majid claims he has struggled to gain support or advice from the Student’s Union, the doctoral academy, the Head and then Director of his department. Many have told him there was simply nothing they could do.

In his third year, Majid had been contacted by credit central. He said he was in great debt and was being threatened. Reaching out, again, to the University, Majid was told of a “Staff Fee Remission Form” in which he could potentially claim 50% of his tuition fees. “No one had told me before,” and this was “very late in the process.” Majid said it made you wonder “who is/isn’t entitled to it.”

He went on to submit a “retrospective application.” Majid believes this was a generous offer from himself. He had not meant to pay fees at all and as a member of staff also was being taxed and putting money towards his pension.

His application was, however, declined. He said this was because he was a “clinical research fellow,” the PhD was for his own benefit. Majid disputes this claim. He had been recruited after receiving a distinction in his Masters and developing a partnership with Dr Adam Greenstein. “It was a comprehensive case.”

After contacting Nancy Rothwell, Majid was referred to Professor Peter Clayton. Clayton had all correspondence reviewed, following which Majid finally received an apology for the curtness in the original email. A review of payment was also conducted and the university offered to pay for Majid’s final year, as well as the £300 for an extra year while he defended his PhD. Majid declined the offer claiming they had “not gone far enough”.

Taking his struggle to social media has led to what Majid described as “threats of disciplinary action from the University.” Since the post, Majid has met with Lemn Sissay in person, who has now given him support and advice, sharing his post on social media, calling it a “wake up call.”

Majid fears his decision to go public has ruined his academic career and questions whether to leave and return to his work later on. Though he adds “maybe I won’t because I was pushed out.”

The University is unable to provide a comment as the dispute is still ongoing.

Majid is still devoted to his work, despite his struggles. He wants to encourage young people to strive for a career in science and not put them off by his own experience.

Majid is committed to such projects as “I’m a scientist get me out of here” and is currently working on a digital academic networking site “Vascular Physiology” for those working in his field.

The Manchester Tyrants: who are they?

Written by Temi Adedeji on . Posted in News, Sport.

Gladiatorial-like figures wait patiently in animalistic stances. One could almost smell the hostility in the air. Amid snarls, grunts, and various instructions bellowed down the hallowed Armitage turf, a simple “hut” is called. Anarchy ensues with bodies colliding together; a burgundy leather ball being the ultimate prize.

An onlooker would assume that this sport is effectively organised chaos, to the participants it is more a way of life. American football is quite an obscure sport to the average citizen in the United Kingdom with the gear, rules, and overall cultural dissimilarities. It is easy to understand why many are unaware of its growing presence and popularity within Britain and the world at large.

However, the sport has taken massive leaps in establishing itself, especially at an academic level, with the official University leagues being founded in 2007. The UoM team are the Manchester Tyrants, a Division 2 North West team who strive for nothing short of success.

Led by the imposing Head Coach Peter Birds who admittedly calls it a “strange sport”, he highlights the character building values such as “ethics, togetherness, and bonding”. These values can be traced up even to the most senior team members, like 6-year veteran, PhD student Luke Hart. His commitment being attributed to the discipline and brotherly structure the team provides.

The players demonstrate that the activity is not just one of mindless violence, but needs just as much the brains as the brawn, with the learning of offensive/defensive schemes, formations, and technique which add to the fun of trying something new. In addition, the game is not limited by gender with females eligible to participate.

Though they are valid concerns about the potential injuries associated with the sport, ex-captain Leslie Oppon rationalises it as “part of the game”, which teaches “braveness”.

As the team trains hard in preparation for this season, it is clear to see why so many play. There is a strong sense of unity and honour which is not regularly demonstrated with other University sports.

Shock defeat for United as Huddersfield reign supreme

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

This tie will be the closest thing to a derby for Huddersfield this season. Yorkshire vs Lancashire, white rose vs the red. Huddersfield are currently without a victory in their last five games and United will enter the game as the favourite to win.

A couple of players are rested after the shakey win against Benfica in midweek. De Gea is once again in goal. Valencia, Smalling, Jones and Young make up the back four.  Herrera and Matic sit in defensive midfield roles with Mata, Lingard and Martial in front. Lukaku is the lone striker.

It is a bit of a crazy start to the game as both teams battle for the upper hand. United taking more of the early possession but Huddersfield closing down very quickly and forcing one touch passing.

When passes to go awry Huddersfield are quick to break and commit a lot of players forward. The lack of clinical passing is stopping them progressing into the final third. They’ll have to address this if they want to create any shots on goal.

Early shot for Lukaku as he receives a long ball in by Matic, the goalkeeper won’t be happy that his entire backline were taken out of the game with one pass. Thankfully he made a good save to stop the Belgian.

Next an off the ball incident between Martial and Smith, with both players squaring up to each other. The referee had his back to the events but the forth official saw it all. Yellow card for both players, on a second viewing Smith seemed to drag Martial.

Another yellow as Lingard gets hacked down, three yellow cards in the last 90 seconds. It is a very heated game and if it continues it won’t surprise me if we see a red card. The fans seemed to be feeding into the volatile atmosphere by jeering a lot of United players.

Lingard the target of fouls once more as he gets pushed over twice, yet the free kick goes the other way. As he fell the ball got stuck between his legs and the referee blew his way for obstruction. Ridiculous.

20 minutes in and United have had 68 percent of the possession without really having any chances. The game is still very heated with slide tackles flying in regularly. Phil Jones goes down with a knock and punches the ground in frustration. The Huddersfield fans boo Jones as he is down injured, a disgusting show. Regardless of who you support booing an injured player is just pathetic. Lindelof comes on to replace.

Mata comes deep, frustrated at not getting much of the ball, but as he gets the ball he is dispossessed. Mooy breaks forward in a three on two opportunity, the first shot is well saved by Mooy scored the rebound. 1-0 Huddersfield. Only the second goal they have scored in over ten hours of football.

A mistake by Lindelof puts Depoitre one on one with De Gea, the player goes round the keeper and passes it into the back of the net to make it 2-0. United need to calm down and not let the loud crowd get the better of them.

Penalty shout as Herrara gets brought down in the penalty box. The replay shows the player, already on a yellow, completely bodychecking him without the ball. How that isn’t a penalty is beyond me and if we lose I know exactly what moment Mourinho will blame for the loss.

A Huddersfield player did exactly what Lingard did early on, holding the ball between his legs. Instead of maintaining standards and giving a foul he gives a drop ball. The only thing worse than the final third play of United this game is the awful referee.

At half time the Huddersfield fans chant at deafeningly loud levels and deservedly so. Their team has been far, far better, outplaying United in all areas of the pitch. In the last five minutes the red devils did pick up the pace but it wasn’t enough to get anything to show for it. They need to be much better in the second half to pull this back. Perhaps the high intensity of the game will tire the terries out quicker and United can capitalise in the latter stages.

The last two changes for United are made as Rashford and Mkhitaryan come on, Mata and Martial come off. If there are any injuries then they will be down to 10 men. Martial was also on a yellow card and if I’m Mourinho I wouldn’t want to risk a red.

The two changes mean that Herrara is playing on the right hand side of a back three. Should this work it would be an incredible tactical decision but United are still struggling to get in behind this Huddersfield back line, resorting to long balls into Rashford that have all been overhit.

Another cynical challenge by a Huddersfield player that, judging by the cards Lee Mason brandished early on, should have been a yellow card. More poor refereeing. Huddersfield now in the 60th minute are already looking tired.

Ashley Young just did exactly the same tackle as the one by Huddersfield before and got a yellow card. I really don’t understand what Mason is doing. Is he rolling a damn die where even numbers are a yellow and odd are not. Ludicrous, simply ludicrous.

All the United attacks in the past ten minutes have all be channelled through the centre, neglecting the abundance of pace on both wings. Even though they are having the lion’s share of possession they haven’t had any clear opportunities to score.

With 20 minutes left I can see no way in which United can come back in this game. Huddersfield have just been too organised, too well-drilled. Should they win it will be a fully earned three points.

First shot on target in the second half for United. Ashley Young finally delivers a decent cross and the flick on by Herrera would have gone into the bottom corner if not for a fantastic save.

Lukaku sprints down the wing to keep in a ball that would have given United a corner. He whips in a beautiful cross right onto the head of Rashford who makes it 2-1. There is ten minutes left to grab an equaliser and there are a lot of tired Huddersfield legs. In the last 10 minutes of the game United have had over 80% of possession, this is the point in the game where they have scored the most goals and they will need another to rescue a point.

Chris Smalling has received orders to stay up front alongside Lukaku, with only Lindelof staying back. This is all or nothing by Mourinho. Three minutes plus injury time. The Huddersfield fans are doing everything they can to cheer on their team, including their chairman who is singing along to chants.

The fourth official holds the board aloft to show four minutes of stoppage time. I think they have done enough now to secure the win, and what a win it would be. Their third substitution comes on to wind down the clock.

Smalling gets the ball with a seeming open net but as he shoots a sliding defender blocks a surefire goal, making sure his side won all three points. The first time that Huddersfield have beaten Manchester united in 65 years.

David Wagner’s side unquestionably deserved the points putting in a fantastic team performance. United just weren’t good enough on the day, their first defeat in the league this season.

Activision’s troubling patent revealed

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

Activision have been granted a patent for an in-game system that drives microtransactions, it has been revealed.

The legal record, as seen on the USPTO patent database, puts forward the concept of using matchmaking in multiplayer games as a tool for promoting content purchasable in-game by matching “an expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player.”

Essentially, this patent pitches a system of matchmaking where less experienced players are put in lobbies with more experienced players in order to show them what they’re missing out on, to put it simply.

The model is based on the assumption that the junior players will struggle as a result, and see the in-game purchases as a quick and easy way to improve without having to grind their way through the game.

Activision have told Glixel that “it was an exploratory patent” and that “it has not been implemented in-game”.

It does, however, bare resemblance to the system EA have implemented in Star Wars: Battlefront II, where players are shown the ‘star-cards’ — perks that you earn/buy — of the player that killed them after dying.

In a similar fashion, Activision’s matchmaking process would involve highlighting the benefits of investing in an online commodity.

The matchmaking system currently remains only a patent, and not something that has been put in practice, but it perhaps provides an insight into the way publishers think and their willingness to continue profiting off microtransactions despite sustained backlash from their fanbases.

IGN buy Humble Bundle

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

Games media outlet IGN has officially completed the acquisition of the online games retail platform ‘Humble Bundle’.

Humble Bundle is a relatively young company that sells games in bundles and charges based on an honour system. Their customers pay what they want — with a nominal minimum — with some of the proceeds going to charity.

At the time of writing, Humble Bundle has raised over $1.2 million (£900,000) for charity.

IGN and Humble Bundle were both very positive in their respective statements about the acquisition. Humble Bundle wrote on their blog that IGN “really understand our vision, share our passion for games, and believe in our mission to promote awesome digital content while helping charity,” whilst IGN, speaking to Gamustra, said that “the idea is just to feed them with the resources they need to keep doing what they’re doing.”

However, the news has been met with apprehension amongst parts of the gaming community, who have cited the move as potential ground for a significant conflict of interest: IGN will now be simultaneously reviewing and selling games.

IGN have just finished reviewing ‘South Park: The Fractured but Whole’, for example. They are now concurrently profiting off sales of that game on Humble Bundle.

IGN have long since had an uneasy relationship with the rest of games media and the wider gaming community, coming under frequent criticism for overly generous review scores, with rumours that they are in the pocket of major games publishers refusing to go away.

Whilst these claims remain unsubstantiated, the acquisition of Humble Bundle may lead to further doubt over IGN’s credibility and integrity as an unbiased source of games media.

New bus pass not possible until April 2018

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

An affordable bus pass that can be used by both First and Stagecoach cannot be created until at least April of 2018, it has emerged.

During his campaign to be General Secretary, Tayler said that one of his main priorities during his term of office would be to try and “create a [bus] pass accepted by First and Stagecoach.”

Alex met with Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Head of Strategy and Policy Development, John Wrathmell, last week to discuss transport in and around Manchester, and the Students’ Union recently ran a transport survey to capture students’ thoughts on the issue.

Following the meeting, Tayler said: “it will not be possible to have a new bus pass by the end of the year.”

Explaining why this was the case, Alex said: “My understanding is that although the Bus Services Act was passed earlier this year, new powers are not fully granted to devolved government until April 2018.

“Before then, bus companies are effectively prohibited from collaborating on ticketing as it would breach competition laws that were put in place when bus services were privatised and deregulated.”

At present, a ‘System One’ pass which can be used on both bus services does exist but can only be bought monthly and costs around £600 a year— significantly higher than Stagecoach’s annual ‘Unirider’ bus pass at £235 and Stagecoach’s 7-day ‘Megarider’ ticket which costs £8.00 — meaning that it is not an affordable option for many students.

In light of the recently reported muggings, attacks and sexual assaults that have occurred in and around South Manchester, an affordable bus pass that could be used on both bus services could be hugely valuable to students.

Muggings have been reportedly most likely to take place between 1:30AM and 3:30AM and a pass of this kind would allow students to jump on any bus during a night out, as opposed to waiting around at a bus stop specifically for a ‘Magic Bus’ as lots of students do at present.

The benefit of the pass in this sense was something that Alex identified himself during a press briefing with The Mancunion.

The General Secretary said that ” further meetings are being planned to discuss this and other transport issues further”, adding that he was “optimistic that many positive changes to transport in Manchester are on the horizon.”

Another issue discussed at the meeting was cross-city travel, which has been argued to have become more difficult for students and increasingly requiring the purchase of tickets for multiple operators.

Alex also discussed how “the significant increase in the cost of most single tickets from £1 to £1.50 has proved problematic for most students and there has been no service improvement.”

He also raised the suggestion that “many students that voted for Andy Burnham feel that he is not living up to promises on improving the public transport, with several respondents claiming that transport was a major reason why they would not consider remaining in Manchester.”

Overall, the General Secretary described  the meeting with GMCA as “really positive” and said that he wanted to “thank the local authorities for taking student concerns seriously.”

 

FC United crash out of the FA Cup’s final qualifying round

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

This weekend saw the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup and fans of United — no not that one, the other one — will be disappointed to see their club knocked out. Had they won against AFC Telford they would have progressed to the first round proper for only the third time in their twelve year history.

The club’s history is quite the interesting one. Founded in 2005, it was born from the strife and frustration of Manchester United fans. While there were several issues causing the dissatisfaction, the Glazer takeover in 2005 was seen as a step too far, and fanzine Red Issue proposed a new club be formed.

The initial name FC United was rejected for being too generic and a vote from supporters decided upon FC United of Manchester. In the twelve short years they’ve been going they have surprisingly managed to reach the second round of the FA Cup, beating Rochdale. Their run ended there though as they came up against now Premier League side Brighton.

Although the scoreline this weekend was 3-1, the game was anything but one-sided. Neither side managed to find the back of the net in a tense first half; both teams desperate to continue their cup run. Just before the hour mark, Marcus Dinanga scored for Telford, but their lead lasted a measly 15-minutes before United managed to claw one back.

The tempo picked up as both teams wanted that glorious last-minute winner, but a rash decision led to a Telford penalty in the 92nd minute. Rob Edwards walked up to the penalty spot with the weight of all 155,000 Telfordians on his shoulders.

He did not falter however and converted the spot kick to make it 2-1. In an attempt to claw the game back, United were left exposed at the back and Telford’s Jordan Lussey secured their victory to make it 3-1. Far more comfortable a scoreline the game warranted.

The disappointment is especially bitter given the manner in which FC United progressed from the third qualifying round. Drawn against Stockport County, they found themselves 3-0 down but showed great strength and resilience to come back and draw the game 3-3, forcing a replay.

Manager Karl Marginson wasn’t content with his team rising from the ashes of defeat like a phoenix just once and wanted to prove his team a force to be reckoned with. After getting two red cards in the first half, every fan in the stadium was expecting a thrashing, Marginson knew though that his team were now in their element.

Goalkeeper Lloyd Allinson put in an incredible shift singly handedly keeping them in the game. Against all odds United scored late on from Tom Greaves. It was by no means a good goal, but it was enough to take them to the next round of qualifying.

They may no longer be in the FA Cup but students can still see United play at their ground at Broadhurst Park in the National League North. Sadly they need all the support they can get hanging in 20th position, just inside the relegation zone one point from safety.

Their next game is away at Chorley but on the 28th of October, you can see them play Nuneaton Town in a bottom of the table clash. Tickets are £6 with a valid student card, or £10 without, and while the quality isn’t quite Premier League, it is well worth a visit.

Live: Grizzly Bear at The Albert Hall

Written by Lowell Clarke on . Posted in Music.

Fans of Grizzly Bear have been hungry for a long, long time. It’s been both five years since they released their last album — 2012’s Shields — and played live in Manchester. The four-piece band from New York originally rose up the indie totem pole way back in 2009 with the now classic Veckatimest, of which their folktronica sound filtered into everything from car adverts to episodes of Skins. With the release of Painted Ruins earlier this year, fans have finally gotten something new to get their teeth into.

Grizzly Bear have always clearly been an extremely talented bunch and it’s a joy to see them recreating the magic of their albums live. Each member contributes to their often complex matrix of melodies and harmonies, weaving in and out of complimenting each of their stunning voices until you can’t tell them apart. Throughout the show, the band also hop on and off various instruments, with a wide range of synths, guitars, samplers, percussion, and woodwind instruments contributing to the noise.

Opening with an adequate but beautifully textured ‘Four Cypresses’, they follow it up with ‘Losing All Sense’, the rocky guitars give an extra edge and weight from the live setting. Their set continues to pull from their entire catalogue, but unsurprisingly it mostly services songs off the new album, with the brilliant climatic chorus of ‘Three Rings’ serving as the peak of the entire show.

Despite being the lead single from the album, ‘Morning Sound’ simply chugs along without much edge or passion from the band before slowly fizzling out. The contrast between this and earlier songs like ‘Yet Again’ is somewhat disheartening, as the rich complexity of their previous work just doesn’t seem to be present in most of their new work.

But it doesn’t entirely matter because they’re still playing loads of the old stuff. There’s always going to be songs you’ll be disappointed not to hear, but the sheer density of quality in Grizzly Bear’s oeuvre means that nearly every song manages to captivate the audience. Fans of Veckatimest will be happy with the — unavoidable — inclusion of their hits ‘Two weeks’ and ‘Ready, Able’, as well as ‘Fine For Now’ and the beautifully morbid ‘Foreground’.

Each is performed masterfully, just as you would expect from such a virtuoso band. As they begin to wrap up they turn to their slower songs, ending the main set with ‘While You Wait For The Others’ before returning to play ‘Shift’, an oldie off their 2004 debut Horn of Plenty, and finally closing with ‘Sun in Your Eyes’. With choices from a dynamic career like this, it’s hard to go wrong.

Albert Hall — Friday the 7th of October

7/10

United remain undefeated after a draw at Anfield

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

The international break is finally over and it is time for club football to begin once more. Liverpool have failed to win in six Premier League games against United and Klopp will be looking to change that. Lose today and United will stretch the gap to ten points in eight games.

With several injuries, the lineup Mourinho has chosen is a predictable one. De Gea starts in goal, Smalling and Jones are at centre back with Valencia and Darmian on either side. Just in front sits Herrara and Matic. Young, Mkhitaryan and Martial form an attack three and Lukaku finishes the 4-2-3-1 formation.

United start the game with the slight upper hand winning an early corner. Liverpool’s main weakness in defence has been set pieces so this might be an area that can be exploited. The corner leads to another then nothing, perhaps next time.

As play settles down Liverpool control the lion’s share of possession at 70 per cent. This won’t bother Mourinho as he prefers the counter-attacking style of play and there are visible gaps in the Liverpool defence. There is a lot of tussling going on and I’ll be surprised if there isn’t a healthy amount of yellow cards.

First proper shot of the game by Wijnaldum. He didn’t get the pace nor the strength I’m sure he wanted and in the end, it is an easy save for De Gea. Soon after Martial blocks a shot by Gomez, Liverpool are beginning to ask the question about asking questions.

The occasion seems to be getting to referee Atkinson a little. United took possession and Ashley Young, not in possession, got jumped on by Emre Can, foul given to Liverpool. Lots of early calls and a loud crowd may be having an effect.

United holding possession in an attempt to stop the flow of momentum for Liverpool as they are seriously knocking on the door now. Martial gets fouled on the edge of the box and United fans will let out a big sigh of relief. The player of the first 25 minutes has to be Salah; every Liverpool attack so far has flowed through him and United really need to get him under control to stop the relentless attacks.

First dangerous shot by United comes in the 30th minute as Mkhitaryan chests it down to Matic. Mignolet had no chance had the shot been on target but it goes just over. Almost a goal for Liverpool after if not for a world class save by David De Gea to stop Matip. Like last year with Coutinho, he produces another piece of brilliance. If the game ends in United’s favour this will be the reason why.

The game really isn’t going well for Lukaku who can barely get a touch of the ball and who just committed an awful foul. Thankfully Atkinson doesn’t want to brandish cards this early in the game but that was definitely a yellow card offence.

United show how little they need to create a clear-cut chance and a bit of fancy footwork from Martial and one-touch passing puts Lukaku through. It doesn’t amount to anything though as it goes straight at Mignolet. Lukaku’s bad day goes on.

As the half-time whistle blows it looks just as most would have predicted. Liverpool dominating the possession and United defending hard. The substitutions, later on, may certainly decide the outcome of the game.

The second half begins much like the first, Liverpool continue to dominate possession but can’t create any goalscoring opportunities. The first foul throw I have ever seen in a professional game comes regrettably from Darmian, at this level you surely must know how to successfully take a throw-in.

Big, big chance as the ball gets lofted in to Emre Can. He can’t get control of it and knocks it over from 3 yards, he really should have done better there. Liverpool utterly dominant at Anfield but they can’t seem to get anything to show for it.

A slick bit of skill by Matic seems to have calmed United down and they’ve begun to get their first extended spell of possession. Lukaku seems detached from any attack though and a warming up Lingard may soon be coming on to replace him. Lingard does come on in the 63rd minute but takes the plays of Mhitaryan instead.

The second United sub comes two minutes later and unsurprisingly it is Rashford for Martial, a change which has happened in almost every game so far this season one way or the other. Smalling receives the first yellow card for a bad tackle. There really should be three or four more but Atkinson does not want to brandish cards unless absolutely necessary. I’m not sure whether this is a good or a bad thing, dangerous play is dangerous play though.

Liverpool getting ready for a double substitution of Oxlaide-Chamberlain and Sturridge for Salah and Coutinho. I think this will end up helping United as they have been by far the two best Liverpool players. Ashely Young finally gets his yellow card after a scrappy game by him for leaving a foot in.

Liverpool’s third best player this game, Firminho, comes off for Solanke. United could win if they push for a goal but they seem content with a draw. The lack of a spark in Klopp’s side after these subs is not motivating the red devils to try anything at all.

The last United sub takes place as Young comes off for Lindelof in the second of three minutes added time. Mourinho looking to waste every moment possible, it works and the game ends not long after 0-0.

Taking a point from Anfield will be far from disappointing from any United fan but the hopelessness in attack will be a major worry. The run of big games in the coming few weeks means that this is an issue that needs addressing quickly.

Review: Cotton Wool

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

Director Nicholas Connor belongs to the Loachian school of filmmaking, which uses the medium as a way to tackle social issues and provoke discussion. For Cotton Wool, that issue is the families of stroke victims, especially young children, who have no choice but to become full-time carers. This desperately needed to be feature length, exceeding the mere 38 minutes it runs for, but it demonstrates that with the right funding, Connor could rise up to take the place of the ageing Ken Loach.

Rachel — played by Leanne Best —, a single mother living in the North of England, works tirelessly to support her two children. There is little time for introductions however and just a few minutes in she suffers a devastating stroke. The only person by her side is son Sam who is far too young to understand the gravity of what he is seeing and thinks his mum is trying to scare him. Best is sublime in this sequence, painting a horrifically realistic portrait of the real-time effects of a stroke.

The road to recovery is very slow and Rachel finds it difficult to cope initially. Wheelchair-bound and forced to use a tablet to communicate, she is relying on Sam to take care of her. Best continues to excel here, the frustration at her own helplessness is painfully clear. Her daughter Jennifer is resentful in having to take care of her mother, opting to go to a pub with her friends instead.

Sadly the short running time impacts this aspect of the film greatly. Had there been a handful more scenes fuelling the tension between mother and daughter both before and immediately after her stroke, Jennifer’s escape to the pub would have evoked far more emotion. A necessary escape from the stress of being the sudden head of the household rather than the petulance of a selfish young girl.

It is during this time that Rachel has another, smaller, stroke. Thankfully Sam, having been taught by a nurse a few days prior, knew exactly what to do. The awareness of Sam — played by seven-year-old Max Vento — at his young age is astonishing, calmly waiting the five minutes as he was told to before pressing the button for help.

When Jennifer comes home, she discovers that neglecting to care for her mother could have meant losing her entirely. This forces a change in mentality, and she tearfully apologises to her mother. The scenes of Jennifer coming home and of her apologising were fraught with emotion but again suffered in the rush to squeeze an 80-minute story into 40 minutes.

While Best was the standout performance in Cotton Wool, she was not alone in bringing Connor’s thought-provoking vision to life. Having previously worked on his last film Northern Lights, Gemma North and Katie Quinn once more delivered capable performances and Max Vento, at just 6 years old, perfectly encapsulated the innocence of a small child in the face of a traumatising situation.

With his next film, The Wall, already announced, Connor is hardly pausing for air before taking on his next challenge. Following the distinct climb in quality from Northern Lights, it feels only natural that The Wall would see his step up into feature-length filmmaking, a challenge I’m sure he would face with great vigour.

EU: Friend or Foe?

Written by Mia Gair on . Posted in Opinion.

On Friday the 13th of October, the Chancellor Phillip Hammond declared the European Union “the enemy” in an interview with Sky News.

Instantly being criticised online for his term of phrase, the day was an unlucky one for him, I’m sure. This does however beg the question as to how the EU is seen following the Brexit vote last year in June, and whether they are a nasty playmate we are finally getting rid of, or a childhood friend that will be sorely missed.

Looking at the case of Manchester, there was a strong image portrayed of the latter case back in 2016 with 60.4 percent of the city voting to remain in the European Union. This perhaps reflects the many ways in which the city has benefited both directly and indirectly from the EU.

From investing over £10 million in the Tram network to the Sharp project that bore E4’s ‘Fresh Meat’, EU projects bring a predicted £200 million to the local economy.

Both the procrastination gold mine, the Manchester Museum, and the slightly further afield Museum of Science and Industry and the People’s Museum also enjoy significant donations from the EU. Even our very own university has received and continues to receive notable donations from the EU such as the European Regional Development Fund’s donation of £23 million to the National Graphene Institute.

Heating council houses, building some of the city’s most impressive architecture, the EU has spread its aid far and wide across the Northern powerhouse.

Perhaps it was these direct investments that lead the people of Manchester to vote differently to the rest of the Northwest. With nearly 30,000 UK and EU students at the University of Manchester alone, the EU both surrounds this student city and creates the student city — two links that are hard to do away with overnight.

Having benefited at such breath and depth from the EU, Mancunians have a duty to acknowledge that whilst we may be inevitably parting ways with our dear friends, we need to be respectful of a political institution that was truly unique in its scope and achievements. A duty clearly not felt by the Chancellor when he took a somewhat offensive tone when talking about those “on the other side of the negotiating table”.

With any luck, our trusty fleet of lefty Manchester MPs will hold with them their mandate to value the relationship with the EU, and not join in with the deteriorating rhetoric of Cabinet members, calling the Government to account during this life-changing process.

Remember that you can take the Manchester out of the EU, but you can’t take the EU out of the Manchester.

 

Review: Scene Dining

Written by Samuel Pigott on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Scene is not your average Indian. The poppadoms upon arrival are the one and only similarity between your bog standard Indian restaurant. From here on in the focus is very much on sharing food — a sort of Indian tapas if you will. While there is a section of the menu devoted to your more standard curry and rice affair, the recommendations all lie on the previous page, the “sharing and street food” collection.

In a fashion similar to Wagamama, dishes will arrive as and when they’re cooked, and for £5-6 per dish from the street food collection one can try a wide range of dishes for a relatively low price. In order to get a real feel for the average quality of dish on offer from Scene, I decided to order one thing from each of the subsections of the street food menu, that is one from the chicken, lamb, fish, vegetarian, and finally the extras sections.

The ajwani king prawns were well cooked and flavoursome, with the flavour of the charcoal they are grilled over coming through well. The chicken 65, described as a streetfood classic in Chennai, was a touch disappointing, amounting to the equivalent of some overcooked and somewhat bland KFC. The lahsen mushrooms were also a little more bland than one would ideally like but still carried some good flavour. The aloo papri chaat was very good, and something that I have never come across before. The bombay aloo was brilliantly spiced and far from the bland affair that they can so often be.

The standout performer has to be the sultan puri roll, however. Described as a dish fit for sultans, this minced meat kofte served in a wrap alongside salad and a brilliant spicy chutney really was outstanding. The meat was soft and delicately spiced and the chutney went with it perfectly; perfectly being a word that I don’t like to throw around lightly!
I did also choose to get one of the curries from the other section of the menu in order to be able to point people in the street food or curry direction.

The Scene handi gosht came highly recommended, but I am afraid that recommendation comes from Scene themselves, and won’t be echoed by myself. It isn’t that it was unpleasant, the sauce was rich and thick and the lamb clearly slow cooked and falling off the bone. If this had been any other normal indian restaurant this curry would come with my seal of approval, the issue is that following on from the fantastic streetfood, the curry didn’t quite live up to the same standards.

Overall, Scene scores highly in the list of Indian restaurants I have tried in Manchester, although the scoring system here is slightly different. The decor is modern and trendy, with a shisha bar taking up the first third of the restaurant. The prices are good for the location and the service was warm and friendly. If you are someone who doesn’t like sharing a curry, and prefer to order your bog standard bhuna and get on with things then this might not be the place for you, but if you enjoy a more convivial dining experience then Scene comes highly recommended.

Review: The Death of Stalin

Written by Lucas Hill-Paul on . Posted in Film.

Armando Iannucci has been on top of political satire for years, casting a boisterous, glinting eye at some of the crudest and most ridiculous aspects of modern government. He now turns his offence to the twentieth century, namely Soviet Russia, yet his casting of deliberately accented British and American actors to occupy the lavish and oppressive USSR keeps reminding us — were they really that different?

Set in the final days of Stalin’s reign, and his subsequent passing, The Death of Stalin features a host of marvellous character actors. They play Stalin’s committee vying with various success, to inherit the Commander-in-Chief’s power. Its main players are Steve Buscemi’s Kruschev, the snivelling, advantageous Secretary, and Simon Russel Beale’s Beria, the Chief of the Secret Police who has more in common with London’s most aggressive bouncer than a Russian police chief.

Introduced in a secret boy’s club in which Stalin’s committee try their hardest to impress with war anecdotes that play like drunken tales and sexual jokes, this committee is hilariously anachronistic.

Though no direct parallels are drawn with modern politicians — at least not overtly — Iannucci’s intent to explore how the tendency for public school boys to go mad with power when given an obscene amount of authority and persuasion over the public is superbly done and consistently funny.

The guffawing and bumbling of Paul Whitehouse, Michael Palin, and Paddy Considine make for quintessentially British humour in a laughably authentic Russian setting. Subtle facial expressions and a naturally conversational back and forth really highlight the comedic strength of the actors cast.

Considine’s role in the film’s cold opening, as Chairman Andreyev overseeing a symphony for which Stalin requires a last minute recording, is particularly dry. It calls to mind the groundwork laid by Monty Python’s Flying Circus, who got away with making fun of Hitler all the way back in 1970. The concept of dragging in the homeless to a re-recording conducted by an old man in a dressing gown and slippers is marvellously Python-esque.

Iannucci is obviously aware of this legacy with the casting of Palin, sweaty and cartoonish as Heimrich Himmler in Python and still endearing here as Vyacheslav Molotov, giving a surprisingly touching, though always witty performance, that will make you seriously consider why he hasn’t featured in a good film for years.

What makes The Death of Stalin the year’s most unique comedy is the anachronistic use of its actors, through an embrace of anachronism rather than a flirtation may have been more in tune with the film’s tone. Intercuts of Soviet cars driving down quite obviously modern motorways are delightfully bizarre but few and far between, and feel disconnected when contrasted with the richly constructed sets that all too earnestly attempt to create the atmosphere of a costume drama.

Perhaps this is why the film’s comedy works so well; everything is competent except its characters. Gorgeous set dressing and vibrant, smoky camerawork, occupied by buffoons posing as fascists works as brilliant absurdism for the most part, but had Iannucci been more willfully ignorant of historical possibilities perhaps some more surreal humour would have poked through when the dialogue begins to fall flat.

Playing with a bigger budget, stripping back Iannucci to his In the Loop days, whose small budget confines US-UK relations during the Iraq war to offices and scruffy boardrooms, may have encouraged some more opportunities to be playful with its setting.

Thankfully all the performances are so contemporarily on the mark — standouts included Jason Isaacs as General Zhukov, providing most of the film’s ridiculous violence, and Paul Whitehouse’s Anastas Mikoyan, whose every line, sadly sparse, is ferreted out with all the working-class annoyance of a tired plumber. It’s difficult to think of a better way to make light of dark subject matter than having sardonic, dry comedians essentially play themselves in traditionally terrifying roles.

On the precipice of being banned in Russia, of course, The Death of Stalin stands triumphant as a testament to the truth that anything can, and should, be satirised. Though its central premise of anachronism doesn’t shake quite enough comedy onto the screen as it perhaps could, its intent is clear and hilarious from the first scene.

Captions of each character and their role could be accused of being spoonfeeding for idiots, but, as one of those idiots, I can happily say that only a passing knowledge of Russian history — and British politics — is required to enjoy this film. The Death of Stalin is charming, rough, and absurd, and absolutely the most deserving comedy of the year so far.

To hear more of Lucas’s thoughts, tune into Take Three on Fuse FM’s Mixcloud

4/5

Free IFS talk on whether rich pay enough tax

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Are the rich paying their fair share of taxes? Who are the rich? How can people be persuaded to pay more tax?

These questions will be discussed during a free event that will take place at the University of Manchester on Tuesday the 24th of October.

The public talk will be given by Helen Miller, Associate Director and head of tax research at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and University of Manchester Professor of Economics, Diane Coyle, will be on hand to give students the opportunity to ask Helen questions.

Explaining why she believes this debate to be so timely, Helen Miller told The Mancunion: “We hear stories about how much tax the rich are – or are not – paying all the time. This was a key issue in this year’s election, with the Labour party promising to put up the tax rate on top earners. They wanted to raise more money to spend on, among other things, scrapping tuition fees.”

The IFS head of tax research added that the amount of tax raised from the rich “matters for all us because it affects how much money there is to spend on schools, hospitals, roads, and other good stuff. It might also matter [to] you directly” and said, “if you care about who’s paying for our public services, you should come to our public talk on the 24th.”

Helen said the debate was specifically of interest to students, telling The Mancunion: “plenty of university graduates will be rich relative to everyone else in the population. When you get a job, how much of your income should the government take in tax to ensure you’re paying your fair share?”

Diane Coyle, University of Manchester Economics Professor, echoed Helen’s sentiments about the issue being timely and relevant for students.

She said: “The subject of this talk is an issue much debated in the media, and concerns not only fairness but also what tax revenues are going to be available to pay for public services. The IFS event is a brilliant opportunity to engage with economics in action, out of the pages of the textbooks, in discussion with one of the country’s leading experts on tax policy.”

Though the event is free, due to expected popularity, students need to register in advance and acquire a ticket through Eventbrite.

The IFS public talk will take place on Tuesday the 24th of October from 4.15 – 5.30pm, with doors opening from 4.00pm.

The event will be held in the Simon Building, Theatre B, and will be filmed so that the discussion can be shared with others across the UK.

Are student societies safe from sexual assault?

Written by Amy Wei on . Posted in News.

Since 2005, at least six women have alleged sexual assault claims against an ex-committee member of the Speleology society.

The current society president, Sahil Maharaj, told The Mancunion that “quite a few women went to Greater Manchester Police” concerning the allegations against Adam Sharples, who used to be the Webmaster for the society.

Due to the fact “people were saying they felt uncomfortable” around Adam after the allegations came to light, the committee banned him in a unanimous blind vote in 2016. However, he has reportedly continued to harass members.

One woman, who was also a member of the Speleology society, described her experience on a society field trip to The Mancunion. While they slept in adjacent sleeping bags, Adam allegedly woke the woman up three times by groping her inside her sleeping bag.

The woman reached out to the Cumbria Police concerning the alleged assaults. Cumbria Police informed her that not enough victims had come forward in Cumbria to establish a modus operandi (MO) to open a case.

“This definitely should not have been an issue for so long,” president Sahil acknowledged to The Mancunion.

He continued however that “when I joined the club three years ago, I quite admired him at the time.” The figure was an experienced hobbyist and previously led sessions for the society. Sahil went on to say that some allegations had already been made at the time, but these were commonly dismissed as “rumours.”

When Sahil was elected as president last year, he was made aware of more recent complaints, which prompted a committee investigation. Findings were presented at the committee meeting where the figure was voted out.

After the vote, the banned society member “did not take the decision well. He stated that he would remain in the club. He began showing up at our weekly socials, he began showing up at our weekends away.

“Naturally this made people uncomfortable. We had to take further steps.”

The ex-club figure was barred from the pub where the society held regular socials, but began to “show up and stand outside the pub, which is fairly anti-social behaviour. There were people that would just leave our socials in tears because of him.”

Adam also allegedly created fake accounts on Facebook to stalk the club on weekend trips.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Adam Sharples addressed allegations of sexual assault as “demonstrably false statements… made as degrading and personal as possible.”

After multiple women contacted the Greater Manchester Police regarding the alleged assaults, they began receiving messages from him.

One of these women, who has a PhD in feminist philosophy, said that these messages were “cause for alarm — his general disregard for consent; victim-blaming mentality.”

The female society member who tried to open a case with the Cumbria Police is keen to collaborate with accusers in Manchester to potentially open a case with the Greater Manchester Police.

She expressed concern that women who suddenly dropped out of the club over the years could have experienced similar incidences of assault but chose to quit their hobby rather than report them.

She further discussed the fear of being judged when reporting sexual assault, but told The Mancunion that she hopes the #MeToo social media campaign — which 12 million women have participated in in the past week — will encourage more victims to feel confident in reporting crimes.

The Students’ Union advises students to take advantage of available support systems. In a written statement to The Mancunion, they wrote: “the Student’s Union Activities Department has a team of staff who support every category of society, these coordinators are available to offer students support, advice and help with any issues that may arise.

“If you are currently feeling at risk, if you have been the victim or know someone who has, we encourage you to come and seek advice from the Student’s Union advice service.”

The Students’ Union also emphasised existing controls to ensure societies are safe environments for students.

“If a society wishes to hold an event, a risk assessment must be completed and the relevant society coordinator must be made aware of the nature of the event.”

However, it is unclear whether event risk assessments sufficiently consider sexual assault as a hazard. In the Student’s Union sample risk assessment form, the activity “Crowds/Audience safety” conduces the hazards “Crushing, Anti-social behaviour, Gate crashers” — and does not consider sexual crime.

Consent workshops were also made newly available for students at the University of Manchester this September, but these workshops were not compulsory and sign-up was required as numbers were capped.

When asked by The Mancunion about implementation of mandatory consent workshops, the Students’ Union responded: “This is a great idea. We would encourage any students interested in this type of workshop to speak to the Student Exec officers.”

Deej Malik-Johnson, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer, called every case of sexual assault “really troubling.” He clarified that while consent workshops started with a limited roll-out this year at the University, they are still figuring out how best to apply the workshops in the future.

As it stands, Oxford University is the only university in the UK to include compulsory consent workshops in their freshers’ program.

Is the Champions League draught in England finally going to end?

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

The 2017/18 Champions League has been incredible for English teams so far. At the halfway stage every team was either top or joint top with all of them looking likely to progress. The last English team to win the competition was Chelsea in 2011/12, but if there are five teams present in the last 16, it wouldn’t be scandalous to picture at least one reaching the final.

On Tuesday evening three English teams were in action, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City, with great success. Spurs were the only one to not receive all three points, but Pochettino would have bitten your arm to before kick-off to walk away from the Bernabeu with a draw.

In Group H Spurs sit joint top with Madrid on seven points, with the exact same goals scored and conceded. APOEL Nicosia, fresh from their stunning draw at home to Dortmund, and Dortmund share just a single point. At this stage, the Lilywhites are all but guaranteed progression to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Even if they lose all remaining games, Dortmund or APOEL would have to win two and score a boatload of goals, or win two and get points in their final game. It wouldn’t surprise me if they relax this competition to focus on the league, starting youngsters or second string players, until of course the last 16 begins.

Elsewhere in Group F, Manchester City are flying high with nine points out of a possible nine. Their game on Tuesday was touted as the game of the midweek and it certainly entertained. City were utterly dominant in the first half scoring two and making Napoli look as Stoke did just days before, amateurish.

Late in the second half, Kyle Walker did as Kyle Walker does and dragged a player down in the box to give away a penalty. Ederson proved his worth and made a stunning save and the momentum remained fully in City’s favour. In the second half, the momentum did swing towards Napoli, who have won eight out of eight Serie A games.

Guardiola’s team managed to cling on by the skin of their teeth winning 2-1 after conceding another penalty, this time put away by Diawara. In the other game in the group, Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Feyenoord to go second on six points. Out of all the English teams, City look the most comfortable and it would take a truly tragic affair for them to miss out on the last sixteen.

The final game on Tuesday night was Liverpool, who reside in Group E. Their start was the weakest showing in Europe for England, drawing their first two games against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. Klopp more than made up for that with a thumping 7-0 win away at Maribor, just one goal shy of their record European victory against Besiktas.

Spartak are exceeding all expectations in this group, sharing five points with Liverpool after an incredible 5-1 win at Sevilla, who sit third with four points. As it stands this is the tightest group in the competition, and Liverpool will have to fight hard to make it through, but I am confident that they will progress.

The second day of Champions play was a mixed bag with Chelsea and Manchester United both in action. Although Mourinho’s men were victorious it was the game at Stamford Bridge that was the spectacle of the night.

Starting off with Group A as United travelled to play Benfica at the Estadio da Luz. Having lost their first two games, the second 5-0, expectations were that United would bounce back from the shoddy performance against Liverpool and start scoring goals for fun once more, but that was far from the case.

Manager Rui Vitoria had them drilled and running to the letter. In defence they were immaculate and going forward they were incredibly dangerous, only lacking in that something special to create chances. Initially, the reds were taken aback and it took 30 minutes for them to calm down and start playing the game that they prepared.

Sadly the goal was the result of a bad mistake by 18-year-old keeper Mile Svilar. Rashford fired a free kick into the box but it instead almost lobbed Svilar. As he tried to save it he crossed the line ever so slightly. The win takes United to the top of their group and it would take at least two defeats for them to drop out of the competition, a scenario that I wouldn’t bet on.

Finally in Group C Chelsea played Roma in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Chelsea were utterly dominated for great lengths of the game but were the first to score. David Luiz got his initial shot blocked but the follow up curled in from just outside the box.

Hazard got a second late in the first half before former Chelsea player Kolarov got one back before the break. Roma continued their possession in the second half and were rewarded as Dzeko scored two great goals to put them 3-2 up. Not wanting to be the only English defeat of the third round of fixtures Eden Hazard scored another wonderful goal to level it up, and there it stayed.

Atlético Madrid surprisingly drew their game at Qarabag 0-0 which means it would also take utter capitulation by Chelsea to not progress, a feat I don’t see any chance of happening.

The record for most teams from a single country in the quarter-final stage of the Champions League is four, set by the Premier League in the 2007/8 season with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Interestingly that was repeated the very next season by the same teams.

There is the chance, albeit unlikely, that all five teams progress, and then win their last 16 games to break the record. Though it is far more likely that two, or possibly four, English teams are drawn together. After failing to compete in Europe for so many years the stage is set for a change. The only question is, which English teams, if any, will be there when the curtain rises on the final.

Felix HB, Global affairs (Rohingya & Somalia) Not to be published

Written by Felix Hanif-Banks on . Posted in Uncategorised.

Somalis respond to deadly Mogadishu attack

A public demonstration of solidarity and strength signalled hope for the people of Mogadishu as thousands took to the streets in response to the recent terrorist attack that saw over 500 casualties.

Police presence in the city centre was strong, with protestors coming under fire as they neared the site of the attack. Protests were especially strong as this attack marks a peak of sustained terror campaigns across Somalia.

A smaller demonstration took place in Dusamareb, a town in central Somalia, as residents called the war against militant groups to be more strongly pursued.

Although no group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, it is thought that Al-Shabaab, a group with links to Al-Qaeda, are behind the bombings. Both vehicles used to carry out the attack, each containing 350kg of explosives, were traced to Bariire, an Al-Shabaab stronghold, as was one of the drivers of the vehicles.

It is thought the attack could stem from anti-US sentiment, and was a protest against a controversial US operation in Bariire in August which saw 10 civilians killed.

 

Rohingya Massacre – A Month On

Over a month after news of the atrocities being committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar broke in the western mainstream media, Amnesty International has released a report condemning the actions of Myanmar’s security forces as crimes against humanity.

The report contained deeply unsettling testimonies from 120 Rohingya people, with the village of Min Gyi worst affected, and has evidenced that at least scores of women were killed in five Myanmar villages.

Myanmar’s population of Rohingya people contains over 1.1 million Muslims, and their persecution has worsened immeasurably in the last year. Recent violence in the northern state of Rakhine saw 90,000 Rohingya Muslims flee to Bangladesh, and the persecution has since spread across the country, reminiscent of widespread anti-Islamic violence that the country saw in 2012 and 2013.

Fleeing seems to be the only option for Myanmar’s Rohingya population. Critics of the country’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi claim she has failed to adequately protect the Rohingya people, claims that seem valid given the state-backed nature of the violence.