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Year: 2017

International Women’s Day

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News.

Celebrations for International Women’s Day kicked off this weekend! More events will be taking place throughout campus and Greater Manchester this week. Jenni Smyth, Women’s Officer, asks us to  #BeBoldForChange and take advantage of “the opportunity to bring together women from different faiths, cultures and societies … whilst also challenging the issue of gender disparity.”

Here is a list of events happening on the day…

Wednesday 8th March
On Campus:

The Sisterhood Movement: Tea Party Edition
12:30 – 15:00, Students’ Union

FBMH International Women’s Day Celebration: Engendering Change
12:30 – 16:00, Roscoe Building

Nancy Rothwell WISE Talk
15:00 – 16:00, Roscoe Lecture Theatre B

Wonder Women in the Culture Sector
15:30 – 17:00, Manchester Museum

International Women’s Day Spoken Word Event
18:00 – 19:00, UoM Student’s Union

Asylum Monologues – Refugee Mother
19:00 – 22:00, Academy 3, Students’ Union
For more details and more events during the week see
http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/iwd

Around Manchester:

Danish-style bike ride and breakfast
08:00, St Werburgh’s Road Metrolink, Manchester

Home-Fires
16:00 – 18:00, Manchester Central Library, Performance Space

Levenshulme women’s Group food taster
10:00 – 12:00, Levenshulme Inspire, 747 Stockport Rd, Levenshulme

Living History – Strike a light – A match girl’s story
13:15 – 14:00, People’s History Museum
What the Feminist Theologians Say…
Tuesday 7 March – Sunday 26 March, Manchester Cathedral

For more details and events see
http://bit.ly/2mmnIcU.

Meet Tomokazu Harimoto, the 13-year old table tennis wonder kid

Written by Joshua Jenkins on . Posted in Sport.

When I think back to what I was doing when I was 13 years old it’s hard to think past messing around with my friends in school and then spending endless carefree hours on my PlayStation when I came home.

There were no life pressures and the biggest worry I had was whether the girl I had a crush on in school noticed who I was.

Yet for Tomokazu Harimoto 13 is the where he has taken the professional world of Table Tennis by storm.

Table Tennis — a game of technique, agility, and explosive speed, has been dominated in the last decade by China. The current top four in the world are from the nation, and they have held a firm grip over the sport’s three biggest events — the Olympic Games, the World Singles Championship, and the World Team Championship — for over a decade.

It’s hard to think of another sport that is more dominated than the autonomy that China has over Table Tennis.

Their grip is so strong the sport’s governing body, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) had to cap the number of Chinese players allowed to play in the World Championship, with only five allowed to enter.

The Table Tennis world has been desperately seeking for a talent who can potentially defeat the all-conquering Chinese.

There have been times where the world thought they found their man — Jun Mitzutani and Dimitrij Ovtcharov were seen as the people to do it in modern times, but they have never been able to truly stop the leading Chinese players.

However, with Tomokazu Harimoto, the world may have just found that person.

Born in 2003 in Japan, Harimoto was destined to be a record breaker in the sport. Both his parents competed for China in the 1990s and placed a bat in their son’s hands when he was at the age of two.

In his short time on tour the records are already tumbling: in October 2015 he became the youngest player ever to progress to the first round of an ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles event at the Polish Open. In June 2016, he became the youngest male to ever win an under-21 world tour event at the Japan Open. In December, he became the youngest player to ever win the Junior World Championship, an event for the globe’s best players under the age of 18, where the previous youngest winner was 15. Last month, he became the youngest male player to ever reach a pro-tour final after getting all the way to the last game at the Indian Open.

Harimoto has already placed himself firmly in the Top 100 in the world rankings and astonishingly is the youngest player in the Top 250.

At times it’s felt that the world has been so desperate to find a player to match the Chinese that they gave the torch to people who were no way ready or able to handle the pressure, but everything just seems different with this young man.

In a recent interview Harimoto declared “My ultimate dream is to be 2020 Olympic champion in Tokyo.”

The Japanese sports authorities certainly believe this dream can be — they recently placed him at the centre of their new and extremely expensive Olympic Medal programme.

He seems to relish having the spotlight shined firmly on him, proven by the ease in which he competed in front of thousands of watching countrymen in his home tournament last summer.

There is no doubt we are witnessing the beginnings of a future superstar who finally, after years of torment, could be the world’s answer to the Chinese medal-winning monopoly.

Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Hustings

Written by Emma Shanks on . Posted in News.

The Greater Manchester Chambers of Commerce played host to another hustings on Thursday 2nd of March, which saw a modest fifty-odd people in attendance.

The most recent event in the race to be the region’s first elected mayor, gave the candidates of the three largest parties the opportunity to set out their priorities on the future of health and social care in the region.

Chaired by the Guardian’s North of England Correspondent, Nazia Parveen, the discussions focused on improving patient care, workforce and innovation.

There was a resounding agreement from all three candidates on prioritising prevention over cure; for Labour’s Andy Burnham, by way of boosting physical activity and vowing to invest 15 per cent of his mayoral salary to help the homeless, for Conservative candidate Sean Anstee, by make housing safer, and for Jane Brophy of the Liberal Democrats, by seeing the bigger picture of climate change, integrated policing and employment opportunities.

Though it was probably not what Antonis Papasolomontos of pharmaceutical company AbbVie wanted to hear, Burnham spoke of “empowering people to regain control of their health rather than thinking of themselves as patients who should be passive recipients of medicine”.

In view of the 23 per cent reduction in nursing applications since the removal of state-funded bursaries, Janine Dyson from the Royal College of Nursing flagged up the looming crisis of shrinking staff numbers and workforce morale. While Burnham thinks best “to keep profit out of health care” and proposed a deal of repaying loans to students who stay working in Greater Manchester, Brophy chose to focus on finding new ways of getting revenue, given that 5-7 per cent of those currently in training are from the EU.

The Liberal Democrat also recognised, in response to Tony Warne from the University of Salford, that leaving the EU is a big setback in terms of putting research at risk and stressed the need “to fight for funding”. But Anstee described his vision of Manchester as a “global power” — “I’m not in this race just to make up the numbers but to win it”.

Meanwhile Burnham pledged to “put young people at the heart” of his manifesto and drove home his wide-ranging parliamentary experience, but Brophy bit back by calling attention to her own frontline involvement with services, as life-long resident of the region and a carer herself: “Real problems need real solutions, not just the top-down that we’ve had for the last 30 years”.

Though the mood remained relatively calm for the most part of the evening, Burnham did take care to correct the “glossing over” of Anstee’s “positive narrative”, and was quick to reopen old wounds regarding the previous Department for Work and Pensions budget; “good start Sean but we need to see much more!”

I caught up with PPE student Charlie Spargo shortly after to hear his thoughts: “Andy Burnham was the clear winner of tonight’s hustings, though Sean Anstee also came out looking strong”.

“I was surprised, however, that the event, being focused on health and social care, was held far from any of the city’s hospitals and on an invitation-only basis, stifling what could have been an engaging discussion on what is probably the most important issue of the moment”.

Wonder Women Festival lands in Manchester

Written by Laura Joyce on . Posted in Arts.

Wonder Women 2017 marks the fourth in a five year creative countdown to the 100 year anniversary of women gaining their first right to vote. Continuing until March 12th, the feminist festival will explore radical feminism through various mediums, including workshops, tours, talks, theatre, music and exhibitions.

All of these events will take place across Manchester, celebrating the city as the birthplace of the suffragette movement, and the success of activism almost a century after the fight for female rights were won.

Brought to us by the People’s History Museum and Creative Tourist, the latter states “Wonder Women 2017 asks how far we’ve come in 100 years — and how far we have yet to go.”

But with so much happening over the city, and just one week left how are you possibly supposed to make a decision? Well, we’ve picked our favourites for the final seven days of feminist celebration to help you come to a decision.

6th March

‘Enriqueta Rylands: behind every man is a great woman’ at The John Rylands Library

Enriqueta Rylands is the founder of the distinguished John Rylands Library, dedicated to the memory of her beloved philanthropist husband. This free tour takes you on a journey through this great woman’s vision for this world-class building, including an insight into her life and work.

7th March

‘Daughters of Manchester: The Intriguing Story of the Jewsbury Sisters’ at The Portico

Geraldine and Maria-Jane Jewsbury were both writers during a Victorian age that required them to be something less intelligent. Geraldine Jewsbury wrote six novels, along with hundreds of literary reviews for The Athenaeum, though she was advised to abandon her ‘foolish’ and ‘unwomanly course forever’. Maria-Jane died at only thirty-three, though William Wordsworth believed she had true talent and even dedicated a number of poems to her and her memory. This exhibition reveals the fascinating lives of these female incredible writers. Tickets for the event cost at £4.71.

8th March

‘Wonder Women Guided Tour’ at the People’s History Museum 

This event is exactly what it says on the tin. You will be taken on a guided tour of the museum’s main galleries including their current headline exhibition Never Going Underground: the fight for LGBT+ rights. The tour will take you through the ways in which women campaigned for equality and for better working conditions, as well as equal rights for working class women.

9th March

‘Thursday Lates: Drawing from the Wider World’ at The Whitworth

The University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery hosts Deanna Petherbridge as she talks of the incredible places and spaces that have inspired her artworks, and literary triumphs. Her stories will guide us through her travels across the Middle-East, South and East Asia over the life-long career. Taking place alongside Petherbridge’s current exhibition, the evening’s event will include a live performance from Asian female musicians to accompany her artwork.

10th March

‘Gendering Revolution’ at the Irish Heritage Centre

Gendering Revolution will be the opening piece for Con & Eva, which explores the lives of the aristocratic Anglo-Irish sisters, Constance Markievicz and Eva Gore-Booth. Both women were of privileged backgrounds, though neither settled for the life that was given to them. Markievicz became a revolutionary nationalist, suffragette, socialist and was one of those who led the Easter Rising. Gore-Booth became a poet, dramatist, pacifist and committed suffragist. She spent much of her life in Manchester where she and her partner Esther Roper campaigned for equal employment and voting rights for working-class women. This event explores the lives of these brave women and their huge contribution to the LGBT community.

11th March

Girl Gang Manchester #2: ‘Bridesmaids’ at 53two 

While a lot of the events are free, this one has tickets for £15.00, but don’t let that put you off! Firstly, it’s an immersive screening of our favourite modern comedy classic Bridesmaids. It’s also by the celebrates Girl Gang Manchester, who just know how to give their audience a good time. There’ll be prosecco, party bags, and you’ll even get to attend Lillian’s over-the-top Parisian themed bridal shower, the wedding, and a wedding disco to end the night. We can only dream that Wilson Phillips will attend. Oh, and fancy dress is encouraged.

12th March

Sophie Willan: On Record at The Lowry

This event is also a paid one, tickets start from £12.00, but it’s set to be a stand-out event. The piece is also part of SICK Festival, and takes us through the true, unconventional upbringing of Sophie Willan using real records and her own take on the experts involved in her assessments. A deep, and personal one-off performance On Record is one woman’s life, shared for all to see.

So, if the Spice Girls didn’t give you enough girl power in your childhood, explore the power of women through the Wonder Women festival. Women rule.

Cambridge University college under fire for “cultural misrepresentation” of food items

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in News.

Pembroke College in Cambridge is facing heavy criticism from students as food items with names like ‘Jamaican Stew’ and ‘Tunisian Rice’ have been labelled “cultural misrepresentations”.

The Sunday Times reported that one student commented on Facebook: “Dear Pembroke catering staff, stop mixing mango and beef and calling it ‘Jamaican stew’. I’m actually half Jamaican pls show me where in the Carribean they mix fruit and meat [sic].”

The student added: “I’m used to as a minority student being constantly invalidated when flagging up specific issues but if people feel their cultures are misrepresented they have they right to address this. Microaggressions are a reality of everyday existence for many people of colour.”

Another student complained about a different item, saying: “sorry but what is this we don’t eat these tings in Tunisia [sic].” The item in question was “cauliflower, date, and tofu tagine with Tunisian rice and coriander yoghurt.”

Other students chimed in and identified foods they were unhappy with. One said: “Sort out your Chinese chicken.”

Another complained about an item closer to home: “Don’t get me started on the Yorkshire puddings!”

Andrew Cates, the bursar at Pembroke College told The Sunday Times: “As a college which prides itself on the high standards of our cuisine and wants all our students of diverse backgrounds to feel a valued part of our community, we encourage our catering staff to take the views of any of our students seriously.”

However, not all students agree that Pembroke College should be so heavily criticised for this.

According to The Times, one student said:”You’ve got to be pretty privileged to have the time to sit and moan about the naming of the food you eat at one of the best universities in the world.”

One student also expressed their concern for the Pembroke College college staff members under fire: “If a member of Pembroke catering staff saw the original post, they might be dismayed, given the relative privileges afforded to all the students at Pembroke in comparison to the work they do to turn around lunch every day.

“So is there a better way to inform them when they’ve misrepresented a culture and that it’s offensive, even perhaps without meaning to be?”

It has since been reported that the complaints were raised at the college food committee meeting. The decision has been taken to “do more to avoid offending anyone else”.

Live: Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Written by Lewis Thomas-Hargreaves on . Posted in Music.

23rd February at Gorilla

7/10

Sophie Ellis-Bextor (SEB) is back to rock the stage with her 6th studio album Familia, just three years after her last tour visit to Manchester for her album Wanderlust. Demonstrating that variety is the spice of life (second only to paprika, of course), SEB played a thumping set list containing material new and old, covers and intimate acoustic renditions.

Like a posh gazelle, she struts on stage in near-darkness to a powerful, grooving beat, and without saying a word plunges straight in to the first two tracks from her latest album. Although they sound great, her movements seem slightly awkward and tense. However, after a few minutes of saucy flirtation both she and the audience are visibly more at ease.

The first part of the set is formed predominantly of songs from the new album. While these are lively pop songs, they’re all met with slightly muted appreciation from the audience. However, an ultrafast rendition of ’13 Little Dolls’, the live version of which can only be described as nü-folk-pop, sends an upsurge of energy throughout the audience and the entire room is finally on the same wavelength.

Musically, the band are tight and put on a polished and well-rehearsed performance, including some fantastic backing singers/violinists. Most songs seem to be driven by the bass guitar, although the levels in the venue were slightly off as keys and guitar were quiet at times. The band provided an understated and modest backing, allowing the focus to be on our Sophie.

Throughout the rest of the set, SEB communicates superbly and even takes a slight break to give an insight into the development of her song writing process over the past half-decade. This even involves deconstructing some lyrics that she now feels “dissociated” from. This interlude is followed by two acoustic numbers requested by her Twitter followers. An “overwhelming majority” of fans had requested ‘Get Over You’ and ‘Mixed Up World’ (from her first and second albums, respectively) and the energy of the sing-a-long is something to behold.

Following these more intimate moments, the energy is regained with a few tunes from her recent discography, leading up to the much-anticipated climax of disco-pop that SEB does so well. During a musical interlude, she takes a minute to change into her “sparkly disco leotard” and gives the audience fair warning that things are about to get properly popping. Over the course of the next twenty minutes, covers of Cher, Moloko and Freemasons are thrown at the audience, along with her major hit ‘Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)’ by Spiller, all of which go down an absolute treat with the boogieing crowd.

This unrelenting orgy of nuanced 00’s dance sends them wild, and is topped off with a fantastic rendition of ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ (nearly burning the “god damn house right down”). In a classic case of misdirection, SEB leaves most of her band playing the outro and sneaks off stage, only to reappear at the sound desk in the middle of the venue. Accompanied by an acoustic guitar and two violins but without a microphone, SEB delivers a delicately passionate rendition of ‘Here Comes the Rapture’. It’s delivered with tangible emotion, and is a fitting way to end the show.

Throughout the evening, Sophie created an atmosphere in which she was a friend first and an entertainer second (and, after her attempt to promote some tea-towel merchandise, probably a saleswoman third). After 18 years in the business, Sophie Ellis-Bextor can still put on a damn good show, and is surely the only artist that can cause a predominantly 40+ male crowd to passionately roar “and if you’re feeling life is just too tough, just remember you’re a real tough girl”.

Chicken Kiev burger with triple-cooked chips

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

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts
100g butter (at room temperature)
Bunch of flat leaf parsley
3 large cloves of garlic
Tablespoon of light brown sugar
Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 Brioche rolls
Panko breadcrumbs
1 large red onion
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon each of cayenne pepper and garlic salt
3 large floury potatoes – Desiree, Maris Piper or King Edward for example
Vegetable/Sunflower oil for frying
Plain flour
1 egg
1 lettuce of choice
Method

Start off by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into chips — approximately 1/2cm by 1/2cm height and width. Place the potatoes into in a pan of salted water to soak. This allows some of the moisture and starch to be drawn out of the potatoes ensuring a light, fluffy inside. At this point the chips can be left overnight, but want to be left for a minimum of two hours.
Drain the chips and run them under cold water for a couple of minutes. Add them to a new pan of cold water and bring this to the boil. Boil the potatoes for approximately 7-8 minutes or until they are beginning to flake and are nearly falling apart. Transfer the chips to a wire rack to steam dry.
Heat oil in a deep fat fryer or a heavy-bottomed pan to 140°C and, once dry, add the chips to the oil, frying in two batches to make sure the oil temperature doesn’t drop too low. Fry the chips for approximately 5 minutes, or just until a crust has begun to form. At this stage the chips should not begin to colour. Remove the chips from the oil and once again leave them to steam dry.
While the chips are drying make the filling for the chicken kiev by finely chopping the garlic and the parsley and mixing together with the softened butter and a pinch of salt. Spread the mixture onto a sheet of cling film and roll the cling film up, twisting the ends together to form a roll – this can then be kept in a freezer for up to a month.
Take the chicken breast and insert a knife into the fattest portion. Slowly move the knife around to create a cavity before adding as much garlic butter as the gap allows.
Once stuffed, prepare three bowls ready to coat the chicken, one with seasoned flour, one with beaten egg and one with panko breadcrumbs to which the cayenne pepper and garlic salt has been added.
Take the stuffed chicken breast and roll it in flour, then egg and then the breadcrumbs.
Peel the onion and cut into 1cm rings. Add a tablespoon of the garlic butter to a frying pan on a low heat and add the onions, sugar and vinegar. Leave these onions to sauté on a low heat, turning only occasionally. This will take approximately 15 minutes until soft,
Turn the oil up to 190°C and add the chicken. This will take approximately 7 minutes, but a food thermometer to check if you’re unsure.
While the chicken is cooking cut the brioche buns in half and place in a toaster or under a grill to lightly toast. Once lightly toasted remove the buns from the heat and add a small amount of garlic butter to melt into the bun.
Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the oil and add the chips for their final cook. This will take approximately 5 minutes at this temperature and it is now that the chips should being to colour.
Assemble the burger, laying the rings of soft onion onto the bun, before topping them with the chicken kiev and lettuce. Remove the chips from the oil and season to taste. Add them to the plate and enjoy!

Lets talk about thongs

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

Your choice of underpinning for some reason is seen as a reflection as what sort of girl you are, and the thong says all sorts of things about you. Some people believe that thongs are the antithesis of class, a strip of fabric between your cheeks! Not for nice young ladies! Instead choose briefs, choose hiphuggers, choose brazillian knickers.

The early noughties trend for low rise jeans and g-strings over the hips has in many respects ruined the reputation of thongs, however, I, like Sisqo, am a big fan of thongs. All ladies knickers inevitably rise up the derriere so as far as I’m concerned, its best to start with them there in the first place. Otherwise the sensation of wedgie (I can think of no better term) is enough to ruin ones day!

Why spend your day worrying about when you can adjust yourself to feel comfortable? Or catching a glimpse of yourself with a horrific VPL so you look like you have double bum? With a thong this problem never exists!

I must admit I have certain favourites for thongs, I am a big fan of Victoria’s Secret lingerie in all ways and the thongs do not disappoint. Available on a 5 for £25 deal or 3 for £30, so its not cheap but they’re definitely some of the best thongs on the market. If you’re looking for more of a student budget thong Primark’s £1 thong cannot be knocked, with the variety of colours and the very lovely price.

A few tips for choosing the correct thong, don’t go too stringy or it can be a bit too like a cheese cutter; also, look out for where the seams are — this applies to all knickers to be fair — just think of where the seams may end up, that’s all I’m saying.

So in my opinion, throw caution to the wind, ignore what your grandma would think, embrace the thong, and let your bum cheeks jiggle free when you walk.

NYX: the soft matte lip cream

Written by Shannon Winterbone on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Through the power of social media there are so many makeup brands today that are finding fame when high-profile individuals switch their products and review them for their followers. After realising that there was a gap in the market for a quality brand at a ‘drugstore’ price, Toni Ko launched NYX Cosmetics and propelled it to true cult fame. I first saw this product all over Instagram and YouTube, and immediately fell in love with one of NYX Cosmetics’ most prominent products; the Soft Matte Lip Cream.

As a cruelty-free brand, NYX Cosmetics is suitable for everyone, and the 34 colours available means that you’re sure to find something to suit your complexion! The formula is stunning and so lightweight that you’ll genuinely forget you’re wearing it. The product has a doe-foot applicator which is slightly angled to make application as easy as possible, and is also scented with a very light vanilla smell for an extra perk. Each lip cream is priced at £5.50 which, when considering the durability, amazing colour and matte finish, seems almost like a steal.

As to whether these creams are all they’re hyped up to be, I tested some darker tones (‘Dubai’ and ‘Madrid’) on a few nights out which easily lasted through until the early hours. For these darker shades, I would definitely recommend using a lip pencil as it makes the formula so much easier to apply and ensures the colour lasts for as long as possible. For example, I use the NYX Retractable Lip Liner in ‘Dark Red’ underneath ‘Madrid’; the liner makes the lip cream go on without any patchiness to be seen! I have also tested some of the lighter shades for when I’ve been out during the day for a longer period of time: I wore ‘Athens’ to the Language Ball last year and couldn’t believe how I only had to top up the colour once, even after a three-course meal!

So many aspects of these lip creams come together to make them my go-to lip colour of choice. If you’re interested in getting your hands on one of the lip creams, then you can find them in counters at Boots in the Trafford Centre and the Arndale Centre, or online with ASOS, Selfridges, Feelunique and many more!

Oscars 2017

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Film, Theatre.

Like any award ceremony the Oscars is always surrounded with cynicism. There are always disagreements over both who was nominated and the eventual winners. Yet this year was especially dramatic. The awards evening was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel who had to deal with the unfortunate incident (spectacular mess up) that occurred at the close of the night.

La La Land took home 6 awards on the night, including a Best Actress award for Emma Stone and Best Director for Damien Chazelle. However, it failed to win the major prize of the night: Best Picture. An incident with the envelope which holds the results meant that presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty wrongly announced La La Land as winners of the award. The envelope they opened read Emma Stone, La La Land, who was the winner of Best Actress award earlier in the night. Seeing La La Land written, Dunaway and Beatty simply announced them as the winners. This resulted in chaos on stage as it was announced it was eventually revealed that Moonlight had actually won. It was a rather messy end to the awards evening.

Viola Davis won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Rose in Fences. This means Davis is the first ever African-American actor to win an Oscar, Tony and Emmy for acting. There was controversy over awarding Casey Affleck winning Best Actor, due to the sexual harassment allegations which surround the actor. The entire awards evening was scattered with political references, such as Gael Garcia Bernal’s impassioned speech against Trump’s wall to divide Mexico and the US.

The Oscars seemed to have diverted away from its #OscarsSoWhite stigma this year, but it remains to be seen if diversity is here to stay in Hollywood or not.  All that will be remembered from the Oscars 2017 is that it is the year when the wrong film literally did get awarded Best Picture.

Best Picture

Moonlight

Best Actress

Emma Stone — La La Land

Best Actor

Casey Affleck — Manchester by the Sea

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis — Fences

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali — Moonlight

Best Director

La La Land — Damien Chazelle

Best Original Screenplay

Manchester by the Sea — Kenneth Lonergan

Best Adapted Screenplay

Moonlight — Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney

Best Original Score

La La Land — Justin Hurwitz

Best Original Song

La La Land — City of Stars by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Best Cinematography

La La Land — Linus Sandgren

Best Foreign Language Film

The Salesman — Iran

Best Costume Design

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — Colleen Atwood

Best Make-Up and Hairstyling

Suicide Squad — Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Best Documentary Feature

OJ: Made in America

Best Sound Editing

Arrival — Sylvain Bellemare

Best Sound Mixing

Hacksaw Ridge — Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

Best Animated Short

Piper — Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Best Animated Feature

Zootopia

Best Production Design

La La Land — David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Best Visual Effects

The Jungle Book — Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R Jones and Dan Lemmon

Best Film Editing

Hacksaw Ridge — John Gilbert

Best Documentary Short

The White Helmets — Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Best Live Action Short

Sing — Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy

 

The fallacy behind boycotting businesses

Written by Marina Iskander on . Posted in Opinion.

In a time and age of heightened commercialisation, business and politics have become inseparably mixed together. The simplest example of this is the fact that current US President Donald Trump is better known as a businessman than as a politician. In fact, when he imposed the travel ban, companies like Apple and Facebook were the first to file for court papers against the decision. In turn, for us consumers, it makes sense to speak up through using or boycotting certain businesses. So when faced with racist policies like the travel ban, we believe we are making a difference by deleting apps from our phones or by not buying coffee from certain chains. By compromising part of our comfortable daily routine for a bigger cause it feels as if we are making a real change. But at the end of the day, these practices are rarely beneficial.

For example, boycotting make-up brands that test on animals would make sense, as it shows discontent with an ethical dilemma and encourages cosmetic companies to refrain from the practice. Similarly, boycotting brands that the Trumps own or run would also make sense. However, U.S. Uncut recently suggested boycotting amazon.com just because it sells “Trump brand shoes, clothing, and home furnishings.”

This makes no sense for two reasons. First of all, the means and the end are barely related: not using Amazon will probably not stop the platform from dealing with Trump. Secondly, even if it did, the action would be very far removed from the reasons so many people are against Trump. Someone somewhere has to provide a retail and logistical outlet for the Trump brand, and online shopping is not the reason for him being sexist and racist.

It is arguable that boycotting these businesses is a form of silent dissatisfaction with Trump’s policies — a theoretical, if impractical, way to stand up to Trump using the language of our time. But, the problem with this method is that it is based on a fallacies alike those mentioned above. For example, protesting racism by boycotting Uber.

This particular wave started when Uber emailed their US employees about Trump’s travel ban. In this email, they said that they would help staff by offering them support, including legal help and compensating them pro bono if they are not allowed to enter the country. The email also mentioned that the Chief Executive would be working with Trump “from within through persuasion and argument”.

Meanwhile, a company offering a similar service to Uber, Lyft, sent out a shorter email saying that they were “firmly against” the ban. Soon after, social media was flooded with tweets and posts about how we should no longer use Uber — all based on this misconception that Uber worked with Trump and supported his policies. However, simply reading the email shows that Uber had actually meant to do the exact opposite. Some people oppose the mere idea of Uber working with such a regime, even if they might be trying to change it from within. Publicly deeming a service as racist while they were instead trying to do their part is a rough sentence.

Similarly, up two five individuals have cancelled orders on Model 3s from Tesla after hearing that Tesla’s Chief Executive, Elon Musk, plans to work with Trump by being a member of two advisory groups. Before the elections, Musk had publicly stated that Trump was not the “right guy” for the position. Musk and his company are known for their environmental awareness, a topic Trump downright excludes from policy. However, Musk also has recently stated that “the more voices of reason the president hears, the better.” Here, Musk rightly stands for facilitating debate in democracy.

But the matter can be made even simpler: it does not make sense to stop using a service or a company because of the views of their Chief Executive, or any other member for that matter. We so excitedly jump on the bandwagon and deem people as racist Trump supporters while we know that other companies commit even bigger crimes. For example, it is widely known that stores like H&M and Primark keep their prices low by paying employees halfway across the world very little for their work. As someone who vehemently opposes Trump, I still believe that these practices are far more harmful than the fact that the Chief Executive of a certain company holds certain beliefs.

Boycotting companies is is a good way to make a point in some instances — but only if it’s done for the right reasons. Most importantly, it should not be because of some social media fad, unsupported by real facts. It also should not be based on a member of the corporation having opinions contrary to our own, as not using their product will not change that.

Women in science: absolutely zero boundaries

Written by Katie Holmes on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Wednesday 8th of March marks International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements, advancements and contributions of women in our society. Women are particularly underrepresented in science, with just 14.4 per cent of the workforce comprising female professionals.

However, more women currently occupy positions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) than ever before. Women in science are celebrated at the University of Manchester, including our current President and Vice-Chancellor: Professor Nancy Rothwell is the first woman to hold the position, and is an esteemed physiologist and director of pharmaceuticals for AstraZeneca.

She is the embodiment of influence and prestige for Manchester’s women in science, and encourages women to push boundaries in order to achieve greatness.

Throughout history, Manchester’s girls have championed education, driven positive change, and shown limitless potential when it comes to STEM. Today we celebrate them for their success in pioneering research fields, and as role models in the campaign for gender balance in education and society. Here, we pay homage to three of Manchester’s most influential women in science.

Dr Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Heralded as the ‘Mother of the Sea’ by the Japanese, Dr Drew-Baker was a phycologist whose research revolutionised the development of commercial nori, a type of edible seaweed, in Japan.

Born in Lancashire, she was awarded a scholarship to study botany at the University of Manchester. She graduated with a first class degree in 1922 and continued on to postgraduate study, before specialising in cryptogamic botany at the university.

Her research into the life cycle of Porphyra umbilicas was featured in Nature in 1949, and this publication sparked the development of artificial nori seeding techniques in Japan. Termed the ‘gamblers grass’, nori was and continues to be a staple food resource in Asian countries.

However, harvests were unpredictable and new methods were required to keep up with growing demand for the edible seaweed, which had been in decline since the end of the Second World War. Her research stimulated a new understanding of the organism’s life cycle, and the industry was rescued.

Despite her success in phycology, Drew-Baker faced professional struggles within the university. She was dismissed from her position due to her marriage to Henry Wright Baker, as university policy stated married women could not be employed.

In order to continue her research efforts, she became an honorary research fellow with the Ashburne Hall resident’s fellowship. She continued in her pioneering work before co-founding the British Phycological Society and being elected its first president. Every year Dr Drew-Baker’s work is celebrated during the Japanese ‘Drew Festival’, where her monument stands in Sumiyoshi Shrine Park, Osaka.

Professor Danielle George

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Currently teaching within the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Professor George is a distinguished contributor to the field of radio frequency engineering. She also holds the position of Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning at the University of Manchester. Her contributions to public outreach and engagement in engineering were rewarded in 2016 when she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).

Born in Newcastle, George completed her BSc in Astrophysics at the University of Liverpool before continuing to postgraduate study at the University of Manchester.

She specialises in research into low noise amplifiers, and is the UK lead for amplifiers in numerous radio telescope projects. Additionally, George has worked alongside NASA and the European Space Agency in studies exploring the ‘big bang’ theory.

George was honored in 2014 when she became the sixth woman in 189 years to be chosen to present the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. Her lecture was a resounding success as she spoke live with astronauts on the International Space Station and transformed the London Shell Centre into a giant game of tetris.

At the time of the lecture, the 38-year-old professor was eight months pregnant with her first child. The Royal Academy of Engineering Rooke Award accredited these achievements in 2016 as acknowledgement for her successes in public outreach and promotion of engineering.

An inspiration for all aspiring engineers, but particularly for young women in science, George commented: “Hopefully, it sends a subconscious message that as long as your baby is fine and you’re feeling fine it doesn’t stop you from doing anything. So you can get on with your work, still make a difference and still change the world in a positive way — and you don’t have to stop for nine months because you are pregnant.”

Marie Stopes

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Stopes was a prominent contributor to plant paleontology, and the first woman in history to become an academic at the University of Manchester. Her vast research and publications in paleobotanical papers made her one of the leading paleobotanists of her time.

By attending both day and night schools, Stopes successfully attained a first class degree in botany and geology from University College, London in just two years. In 1901, she became the first woman to hold an academic position at the University of Manchester when she took up the role of lecturer of paleobotany.

Alongside her research, she was an avid campaigner for women’s rights and a pioneer in raising awareness for women’s issues and sexual and reproductive health. Although controversial and divisive, Marie Stopes’ influence lead to the establishment of sexual and reproductive health clinics worldwide.

Stopes moved away from the field of paleobotany after the success of her work regarding women’s issues. She was a philanthropist with a strong interest in birth control. In 1918, her book ‘Married Love’ was published, along with a follow-up entitled, ‘Parenthood: A Book for Married People’.

These publications were regarded as sex education manuals and argued that marriage should be an equal relationship between partners. Although the medical establishment and the church condemned the book, it was a huge success and sold out nationwide.

Women wrote to Stopes for advice, and she regularly engaged in public speaking. She also established the first birth control clinic in the country. Today the Marie Stopes International organisation is the leading independent provider of sexual and reproductive health services.

Creative climate activists use paintings for protests

Written by Amy Bradley on . Posted in Environment, News, Science & Tech.

On Wednesday 22nd February, climate activists from King’s College London used non-violent protesting to campaign for urgent divestment of fossil fuels at the university. Concerns have circulated around the use of fossil fuels and their damaging effects on climate change for many years, but now students at KCL are taking a stand.

The actions have become part of a weekly movement in response to the lack of acknowledgment of the issue, despite grounding scientific evidence on the use of such resources and their consequences.

The burning of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and is said to be one of the leading causes of environmental sustainability issues.

Previous campaigning has resulted in suspension, criminal damage charges, and arrests amongst participators, many of whom study at the institution. One PhD student at the university, Roger Hallam, said of his frustration: “It has now become necessary to spray paint the entrance of an institution which has been ignoring the basic science on climate change for three decades.”

The painting of the Strand campus, home to faculties including the arts, humanities, and social sciences, is just one of the contributing actions of an ever growing passionate campaign group.

Student fasts, further protests, and louder voices have been promised by activists at King’s College Climate Emergency, should the university choose to continue what is seen to be ignorance of this matter.

Government U-turn on deportation order

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News.

The UK Government has delayed the deportation of an electrical engineering student at Bangor University back to Sri Lanka after a petition calling for her protection reached 160,000 signatures.

Shiromini Satkunarajah was only 12 when her family fled Sri Lanka’s civil war and came to the UK. She was originally listed as a dependent on her father’s student visa but he died in 2011. She was granted leave to finish her secondary school studies but her application for a full student visa was denied and despite being only months away from finishing her studies, Shiromini was taken into custody at Yarl’s Wood last Tuesday with her mother to be deported.

The “refusal letter” they were given at the time stated, “you do not have the right to appeal or conduct an administrative review against the decision to refuse your application.”

Shiromini’s story was picked up by the media and a petition to allow them to stay gained over 160,000 signatures. The Home Office has now delayed the deportation order and has given Shiromini’s legal team 14 days to outline their case. Her lawyer Raja Uruthiravinayagan, of Duncan Lewis Solicitors, told The Guardian “we hope that there will not be prolonged litigation in this case during the period when Shiromini is studying.”

Last week a relative of Shiromini told The Independent “her whole life is here, all of her friends and family are here. She has no one in Sri Lanka, we’re a small family. She won’t be able to continue with her education.”

The Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University wrote to the Home Office to request she be allowed to complete her studies. In addition to this, Iestyn Pierce, the Head of the School of Electronic Engineering at Bangor University also released a statement saying “over the years I have known her she has proven to be exceptionally able and diligent, and has made valuable contributions to the school and the university…” he went on to say “I have no doubt that… Shiromini would achieve first class honours.”

Universities are one of the areas highlighted by Home Secretary Amber Rudd as needing “tougher” immigration regulations. Speaking at the Conservative Conference in October last year, she said that Ministers will be considering ways of ensuring that “people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do.” Although, as Pierce pointed out in his statement, Shiromini is studying in a “world-wide shortage subject.”

Shiromini herself said she was “very grateful to every single person who has supported [her]” and now “my priority is to get on with my studies. I need time to think and get back to my normal life.”

Are you #VEGCURIOUS?

Written by Sophie Manley on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Have you been having some affectionate thoughts about vegetables lately? Perhaps you’ve been wondering about alternative sources of protein but you’re not quite ready to talk about it with your mates? Come along to Vegan Week at the Students’ Union to indulge in your curiosity, and learn a bit more about why vegan is the new black.

In the UK, over half a million people are completely vegan, almost two million are vegetarian, and new figures are showing that many more people are vegcurious and want to know more about this plant-based lifestyle. In the US, the figures are even higher, and a staggering 40 per cent of the population of India follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. Veganism is drifting into the mainstream as research is showing that it’s a win, win, win situation. Good for the animals, good for the planet, and good for us.

Animal welfare and ethicality is, of course, still a really important issue, however it’s no longer the most popular reason for going vegan. Veganism is becoming as much an environmental cause as it is an animal welfare cause. Agricultural studies show that rearing cattle for food is the main effector of deforestation and has the biggest impact on global warming. A common misconception is that soy bean plants are causing deforestation, however 85 per cent of these plants are used as feed for cattle and not human consumption, and therefore are also a part of the animal-product industry. Many of you will have heard the devastating news about the Great Barrier Reef last year caused by overfishing and global warming; moreover, the planets rapidly decreasing biodiversity is being dubbed by experts as the sixth extinction crisis. I think it’s time humans took responsibility for the harm we’ve caused, take a long hard look at the evidence, and realise that it is the production of animal products for food which is exerting the greatest damage in our environmental crises.

If you’re not much of an environmental activist, that’s fine. But surely you care about yourself? Your health? With the popularity of veganism growing, so has the demand for scientific studies identifying the effect of this diet on your body, and whether or not a plant-based diet is able to provide adequate nutrient acquisition. The results are astounding, and show that not only is a vegan diet adequate, but it also decreases your risks of getting various diseases including different forms of cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and even osteoporosis. The risk of certain deficiencies are higher in vegans because most people were never taught how to eat a well-balanced, vegan diet and therefore miss out key macro and micronutrients, and it’s important to transition your body safely into this new lifestyle as it is quite a drastic change in diet if you’ve always been a meat eater.

That’s why MUVVS (Manchester University Vegetarian and Vegan Society) is presenting vegan week at the SU. The timetable is as follows:

Monday the 6th of March (11:00-15:00) Room 8 — free vegan food fair, come along for free chocolate, cheese, and other foods, as well as free vegan recipe booklets.
Tuesday the 7th of March (13:00-14:00) Room 8 — The Vegan Approach, 10 steps to going vegan workshop. Come along to find out how easy it is to be vegan.
Wednesday the 8th of March (12:30-14:00) Room 3 —  Screening of ‘Forks over Knives’, the film that converted Russell Brand, Ozzy Osborne, and Ben Stiller to veganism.
Thursday the 9th of March (12:30-14:00) Room 2 — Screening of ‘Cowspiracy: The Sustainable Secret’, whose executive producer is Leonardo DiCaprio.
Friday the 10th of March (13:00-14:00) — Social event for new and existing members of MUVVS (still to be determined).

Join the MUVVS Facebook page for more information or to connect with some like-minded people. We’re all really nice, open to lots of conversation topics (vegan or otherwise) and we’re giving away free food. Why wouldn’t you come? You are a student.

Preview: Vant

Written by Yasmin Duggal on . Posted in Music.

This year has seen VANT explode onto the scene with a debut album loaded with political rage and an alternative determination. At a time of international unrest and with a ‘not to be messed with’ attitude, the fresh indie band have taken advantage of a time when music has the power to change, headed for intimate venues and raucous fans as they embark upon a UK tour. With a heavy sound charged with concern and anxieties they are sure to evoke a sense of unity in devoted fans.

Dumb Blood arrived in January and is a vibrant project intent on challenging global and political issues. Having toured throughout 2015 with Royal Blood and played protest gigs in London, VANT have had more than enough material for their own album and tour following Brexit and Trump’s presidency. Their call to wake up a younger generation and promote change is evident in their debut and is sure to strike a chord with fans.

Black Foxxes are set to join VANT on their upcoming tour, the trio’s honesty and rock energy marrying well with VANT’s explosive sincerity.

VANT’s honest lyrics and raging riffs offer an exciting prospect for a UK tour. Small venues are sure to be rocked and fans are likely to be hooked on the brutal truthfulness of their lyrics. There is something about VANT’s ability to capture what a lot of artists fail to voice for fans who want to hear it.

VANT and The Black Foxxes perform at Gorilla, Manchester on 1st March.

Interview: Tall Ships

Written by Calum Pinder on . Posted in Music.

Five years after their debut album, Brighton indie rockers Tall Ships are touring their new album Impressions. Following the success of their debut Everything Touching I was excited for the opportunity to talk to frontman Ric Phethean about what they’d been up to.

After playing the first show of the new tour, Tall Ships are enthusiastic about returning to touring: “It’s so much fun, we just love playing live. It’s the first tour we’ve done where we’ve had songs out from the new album so we get to play them and see people singing along and enjoying the new stuff which is such a buzz!” The band are no strangers to touring: after Everything Touching exploded they’ve had no shortage of shows, playing festivals and supporting a variety of bands.

However after the initial swell of attention the band somewhat dropped off the radar. Ric says the band felt “emotionally, physically and financially spent”. I ask what the band has been up to in the last five years. “We’ve been doing a variety of things. Firstly, the album took a long time to put together — we did about five different demos of each of the songs so that took a while to come together. After that we’ve been working, playing in other bands as well. And just normal life really, everyday stuff.”

Discussing the subject of the new album Ric says: “It’s been a difficult few years for us all really. We’ve had different things going on in our lives. People passing away and being kinda ill. The usual stuff that everybody goes through. A lot of those experiences have influenced the lyrics and the writing. In particular the lyrics tend to focus on the bad things that we’ve gone through as individuals and ways of trying to cope and deal with them.”

It’s clear from the already-released tracks that the album will be an emotionally charged affair. ‘Petrichor’ has a sound that is unmistakably Tall Ships, but with an anthemic flavour that wasn’t present on their debut.

Like their first album, Impressions has been self-produced. “We were actually hoping to do the album with a producer in the studio. In the end we couldn’t afford it so we sort of did it out of necessity. But it’s also a way that we’re really comfortable working. Our keyboard player Jamie does all the production and engineering.” Complete control does have its drawbacks, though, Ric explains: “The process can go on indefinitely. You’re always thinking about it, tweaking certain bits and wanting to redo a certain vocal take. Until it’s set in stone it always feels unfinished.”

Tall Ships have always been tied up to the math rock scene, despite their music having stronger indie characteristics to it. I ask how they got the label. “It was kind of coincidence. The first gig we ever played was with a band called Tubelord. They were signed to Big Scary Monsters records and they basically got us on some more shows with them and introduced us to the record label. That label is pretty big in the math rock scene. That’s how we got that tag. It’s something that we’ve not always felt fit too well. We’ve always felt more like a indie band or a rock band really.”

“But now the new stuff is so far away from that loopy and math rock stuff it feels like we’re a completely different band really,” he adds. This was an inevitable transition, Ric tells me. “Things change and your tastes change. We’ve been a band for ten years now, and what you’re into changes. We’ve all got older and have been inspired by different things. The biggest change was singing. When we started we were mostly instrumental. And now there’s singing on every track and the lyrics are a much bigger part of it.” It certainly sounds like Tall Ships are becoming a more confident band and we can expect great things from the upcoming album.

Finally, I ask what’s next for the band. “More touring! Hopefully we’ll get to Europe and do some shows there. And start writing so the next album doesn’t take another five years, hopefully.” I couldn’t agree more.

Tall Ships will play Deaf Institute on Tuesday the 7th of March. Supporting them is Waylor, the project of Dry The Rivers’ frontman Matt, whose music Ric describes as “sexy” and not to be missed.

Impressions is released on 31st March.

Six Nations Report: The Italian Controversy

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport.

On paper, England’s home game against Italy was predicted to be their easiest, by some margin. All were forecasting a blow out, with some fearing that the record score for this fixture, 80-23, would be surpassed.

It was not. While the result, 36-15, was still very convincing, the manner in which it was achieved was not. England, for large parts of the tournament thus far, have been average, pulling themselves over the line with several moments of brilliance. We are yet to see a complete performance from Eddie Jones’ team, a performance alike those displayed on the triumphant tour of Australia last summer. I was hoping the game against Italy would give England a chance to rediscover their mojo, to set a benchmark for the crucial closing rounds of the tournament.

Italy’s stultifying defensive tactics, denying any contest at the ruck, caused England huge problems, provoking a range of responses from the media and people involved in the game.

For clarity, I will outline what they did. Rucking is a crucial aspect of rugby, particularly at international level. Ruck dominance can feed flowing attacking play and result in defences moving backwards swiftly; on the contrary, the ruck offers defensive players an opportunity to enact a turnover, retrieving the ball or causing the attacking team to be penalised.

A ruck is formed when an attacking player is tackled to the ground and at least one player from either team compete at the breakdown, the attacking team seeking to retain possession while the defensive players attempt to steal it. With this comes an imaginary offside line, the width of the pitch, at the back of the ruck on the defensive side. The defence must stand behind this line, until the attacking team begin a new action from the ruck, while defensive players entering the ruck must do it from behind the line through an imaginary 1 metre entry ‘gate’. They cannot enter at the side.

When the team in defence refuses to engage in rucking, there is no pitch-length offside line, merely a 1 metre circle around the tackled player. For large parts of the game, this was the tactic employed by Italy. With no offside line, Italian players could stand beyond the tackler, blocking the passing lanes and stopping the scrum-half moving away with the ball. It has since come out that Conor O’Shea, Italian head coach, visited the match referee the day before the match to clarify the nuances of the tactic his team would employ. The tactic was stifling and confusing, but completely legal. In footballing terms, the Italians ‘parked the bus’.

England were bemused, seemingly unable to find an answer to the Italian tactics until the second half. This was exemplified in English conversations with the referee during the match, James Haskall and Dylan Hartley demonstrating an ignorance towards  the laws of the game; referee Roman Poite responded “I’m not your coach, I’m the referee” to English questions of how the tactic could be counteracted.

Eddie Jones, in his post-match interview, was undignified and, frankly, rude: his answers all centred on the notion that, in the tactic employed, the Italians had refused to play “rugby”. Jones, evidently frustrated at his team’s inability to adapt, refused to discuss the team’s performance in detail. This was telling. Many England players were significantly low par, plagued by indiscipline, Owen Farrell having his worst game for England on his 50th appearance. Dan Cole was awful; Mako Vunipola’s return to fitness cannot come sooner. Joe Launchberry (man of the match for the second consecutive game) lead from the front, while Jack Nowell proved he must be a starter. They were the bright lights in an otherwise dreary performance.

While I can see why Jones was angry post-game, his comments about the Italian tactics were petulant. England’s inability to adapt to unforeseen circumstances was worrying; it is not an unknown tactic, with both international and club teams utilising it in recent years. Several commentators have rightly pointed out that New Zealand, who England are looking to compete with as the world’s best team, would’ve quickly adapted. Right now, while England have the talent and potential to compete, New Zealand are far superior in terms of rugby intelligence.

The main criticism of Italy’s tactics were that they did not abide by the ‘spirit of the game’, that vague term that angered sportspeople and coaches throw about when they are outsmarted by the opposition. In my opinion, these types of stifling tactics say more about the team in enacting them: contained within them is the implicit acknowledgement of the opposition’s clear superiority. I disagree that Italy’s tactics were against the ‘spirit of the game’. Teams are completely in their right to choose stifling, negative tactics. In response, a coach should take the opportunity, rather than moaning petulantly, to praise their own team, highlighting the evident bridge in quality implied by the opposition’s tactics.

In other games of Round 3, Scotland recorded a famous victory at home to Wales, 29-13, while Ireland were victorious in a heavyweight clash with France, 19-9. Round 4 consists of Wales vs Ireland on Friday night and Italy vs France and England vs Scotland on Saturday.

The Life of Karen and her Pi(es)

Written by Patrick Young on . Posted in News.

The Fallowfield Buy/Sell Facebook group has over fourteen thousand members, if you are one of those members you may well be familiar with Karen Everall’s pie delivery service or the pink wig she wears in her profile picture.  Karen has been using the Facebook group as a platform to promote her Deli and homemade pie delivery service to the student market. Last weekend I ordered a range of Karen’s pies and invited her in for a chat about her business.

Me: Do you have a background in catering?

Karen: Not really no, I opened my Deli back in December 2015, so it’s been running for just over a year. I used to work in housing before, but I’ve always been making pies, pastries, quiches, and things like that. Before I started the Deli I was mainly baking on request for friends parties.

Me: Whereabouts is your Deli?

Karen: It’s in Heaton Chappel in Stockport, about 3 miles down the road from the Fallowfield area.

Me: So do you always cycle the pie deliveries from your Deli?

Karen: Pretty much! Most of the time, I can get about a maximum of 4 pies in the basket of my bike. Occasionally I will get the bus if have an order bigger than that.

Me: What gave you the idea to use the Fallowfield Buy & Sell Facebook group, and get the student market?

Karen: Just before Christmas I started advertising on social media in the Stockport area, and I had about 50 orders for pies all over Christmas. So that gave me the idea to look at some other buy and sell groups from around the Stockport area, and I thought I’ll try the Fallowfield one. I tried other ones as well and didn’t get much response from them, but the Fallowfield group seemed to generate a lot of student interest.

Me: So is it just pies you sell at your Deli?

Karen: No I sell homemade bread and Lasagne as well, I do my own focaccia bread, and make focaccia sandwiches to sell at the Deli. I’ve also started to make quite a bit of Spanish, ‘Tapasy’ food for things like parties.

Me: What was the inspiration to leave housing and start your own Deli?

Karen: I got redundancy, they basically paid me lots of money, and I’ve always wanted to start a Deli, so I used the money wisely, or unwisely maybe to set up the Deli.

Me: I probably should have asked this earlier, but what is the name of your Deli?

Karen: Postbox Deli, it’s an old post office, hence the name.

Me: Do you have aspirations to grow the business?

Karen: I would definitely like to grow the business, the problem is that it isn’t that busy at the moment. I think Heaton Chapple is the wrong area for my Deli if I’m perfectly honest.

Me: There is definitely a large student delivery market in Fallowfield and Withington, which has potential to be very lucrative.

Karen: Yes, I might possibly look at moving my business, as I’m not getting the kind of footfall in Stockport I would expect at the moment. One of the various options I’m looking at is possibly running the pie delivery business from home.

Me: How many covers of pies are you doing a day, and which flavour is the most popular?

Karen: The most popular I would say is the lamb and roast garlic, most people are going for that. The amount of covers seems to depend on the time of the year, the pies were very popular around Valentine’s Day, I did about 15 covers that week mainly in a heart shape. But I would say it is normally about 7 pies on an average week. I’m expecting a surge around Mother’s Day and Easter, as people tend to have parties at these times of year, and everyone likes pies at parties for some reason!

Me: Do you have a favourite cook-book?

Karen: I used the Paul Hollywood bread book when learning how to bake bread, but when it comes to pies I’m open to trying any new recipes. Lots of customers come to me with ideas for pie fillings, a recent suggestion is the butter pie which is a Lancashire delicacy apparently, something I have never heard of before, it is basically just potato and butter in a pie! Really, really basic, apparently the recipe comes from Preston.

Me: What is the inspiration behind focusing your Deli on pies?

Karen: I just love pie! It’s because I just absolutely love the taste of pies, and there are so many different flavour possibilities to experiment with. I also like the slight romance of decorating the tops of pies with pastry lettering, I can take requests to put names on top of the pies.

Me: What would your Desert Island Pie flavour be?

Karen: I think I would have to keep it classic and basic, as I really like the cheese and onion as it is so different from all the meaty flavours. My personal recommendation: Chicken, Leek & Mushroom. Someone else has been requesting a feta, roast squash and roast veg, which I haven’t made before but am planning on trying.

Me: How big is the oven that you have in the Deli?

Karen: It is just a standard size oven, but I have a stone pizza oven I can use as back-up if I get a rush.  But normally I’ll just run the pie business out of the standard size oven, and a slow cooker to increase the flavour of the fillings. For the Christmas surge, I was up till 2 in the morning baking pies on the night before Christmas Eve and then set my alarm at 5 the next morning as I had 4 more pies to bake.

Me: Are most of the deliveries to student houses?

Karen: For Fallowfield its all students houses and halls, in Stockport it’s families that are ordering the pies, and I get quite a lot of orders of the smaller, two-person pies from elderly people.

Me: Are you running the Deli on your own?

Karen: I do run the Deli on my own at the moment, I have help a couple of days a week, or if I’m running pizza parties for kids or kids cooking sessions, so if there’s anything like that going on I’ll get a bit of help. The Deli is running three days a week at the moment, as early in the week is generally really quiet. I’ve actually got a part-time job back in housing, working for a private landlord to put some money back into the Deli, so that I can get it fully running and more profitable on the busy weekend days.

To order, find Karen on Facebook.

 

The Mancunion does TEDxManchester

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

You don’t have to look far to see how technology and money have become uncontrollable obsessions in modern society. This February, TedxManchester and their speakers challenged this growing ‘norm’ and argued that ‘less is more’. After a thought-provoking, and at times comical, session, The Mancunion’s Georgie Hines gives the run-down on the best lessons that the speakers taught us.

Jennifer Arcuri – Hacking doesn’t have to be unethical

Hacking doesn’t have the best reputation; the controversial actions of Edward Snowden are a prime example of that. Jennifer Acruri, however, is fighting against this association by teaching young people and companies “the art of ethical hacking.” She argues that despite today’s children attachment to technology, they still lack beneficial cyber skills. This is where her latest project, Hacker House, comes in. A digital security consultancy group, Acruri and her team aim to promote the idea that hacking isn’t about the attack, but about protecting yourself online — an essential skill to have today. “Don’t be a victim,” says Acruri (and don’t contact her about accessing a partner’s Facebook — it’s not worth it).

Andy Burnham – Every voice should matter

Taking a break from his Manchester Mayoral campaign, Labour MP Andy Burnham spoke on the emotional topic of the Hillsborough disaster. Born and raised in Liverpool, Burnham struggled with the decision to go to Anfield for the 20th anniversary of the event, after the “Government had nothing to say.” He argues that unfortunately, for some parts of the country, their voices are not heard by politicians in the South of England. The length of time it has taken for justice to come to the victims of Hillsborough makes that obvious. It seems that although this fault has finally been acknowledged, Burnham notes that “Westminster will never fix the mess it has created.” However, he hopes that Manchester can be part of a “devolution revolution,” stating that Manchester has changed the world in the past, and can do it again.

Nicolas Cary – We don’t need banks

“What is the future of money?” Cary begins. Our world is constantly evolving, so it would only make sense that the transactions of our hard-earned cash would change too. A novice to finance, Cary’s talk introduced me, and the rest of the audience, to the idea of Blockchain technology, which was originally used for the digital currency, Bitcoin. To put it in the simplest way possible, Blockchain is a huge shared spreadsheet which is constantly updated. Any transaction that occurs will be registered simultaneously on all the databases involved. If successful, Blockchain could replace any intermediates; most likely your bank. The idea could also help the 2.5 billion people in the world who do not have access to financial services. Sound absurd? Cary argues: “10 years ago we didn’t have an iPhone. Imagine what could happen in the next 10 years.”

Helen Czerski – Physics can be fun

You’d be forgiven for dreading a talk by a physicist. It’s not uncommon for the normal person to think that physics is full of boring graphs, data, and “hieroglyphics” that you would never be able to understand. However, Helen Czerski is different. Herself noting that physics has an image problem, she shocked the crowd with revelations that physics can be applied to everyday life. She explains, using a graph — “because I’m a physicist there has to be a graph” — that physics is full of extremes, from cosmology to quantum mechanics. That said, there is middle ground. For example, eggs and the Hubble Telescope have a lot in common, shown using an experiment you can do at home. Don’t believe me? Your loss.

Volker Hirsch – Our creativity and empathy can never be replicated

The field of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing fast, and no one knows this quite as well as technology wizard, Volker Hirsch. It wasn’t long ago that I would have to turn off the computer so my Mum could make a telephone call. Today, we have robot pizza delivery guys. Uber have even started trialing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If that wasn’t enough to convince us that “change is accelerating”, Hirsch tells us that a huge 400 million people now work in technology. But can these people be replaced by robots? Not with the skills that make us human, Hirsch argues. Empathy, creativity, and critical thought; these are the skills that make us special. That is why Hirsch is arguing for schools to put more focus on these areas, for a “more meaningful education”.

Jonathan Kay – Never grow up

One of the more unexpected talks of the day was given by Jonathan Kay, who characterises himself as an expert teacher of Fooling. His motto for teaching? “Making [the audience] laugh at themselves to understand themselves. It is what a good fool is supposed to do!” He certainly brought this revolve to TedxManchester, as he shouted “louder you b*stards” as the audience sang and swayed at his every command. Whilst this might seem confusing to an outsider, Kay taught us to break out of our box, to act “uncool,” and most importantly, to never give our light away.

Dan Machen – Our phones are making us dumber

Whilst this lesson is commonly taught, it is not often listened to with the seriousness it deserves. Machen, a strategy leader at HeyHuman, “a communications agency reshaped by behavioural science,” was at TedxManchester to change this. Sharing some startling statistics, he explained how our demand for attention has changed since technology. The multi-tasking skill you think you’ve perfected is more likely to be task-switching, which has led recent generations to “lose a tennis ball size of grey matter.” Our addiction to our phones has also caused an unfillable need for affection, says Macken. It’s not surprising considering the average person spends 3 hours on their phone a day — equaling 6 weeks of the year.

Michelle McMagh – Minimalism works

A journalist by trade, McMagh’s journey to minimalism started in 2015 when she found a box marked ‘NOT NEEDED’ in a storage locker belonging to herself and her husband. She asked herself: “Why do I have this?” This event, alongside her growing discontent in her role as a consumer, inspired her, and, as she reassures us, her extremely understanding husband, to undertake a ‘no-spend year’ that saved them thousands of pounds. McMagh got rid of an incredible 80 per cent of her belongings, that left her “a weirdly content and happy mess”. The pair enjoyed the experience so much they are starting it again this year. Her story is in parts unbelievable, but teaches us the important lesson that short-term spending should not affect our long-term goals.

Mr Bingo – Don’t waste your ideas on others

A self-proclaimed hate-mail comedian, Mr Bingo has done pretty well for himself. Not letting his 1998 Gala Bingo win go to his head, he started out his career as an illustrator, before realising that these days, people will buy pretty much anything, and that he should take advantage of it. He began by writing offensive, and always weird, postcards to people who bought them. Yes, you saw right — people have paid Mr Bingo to be rude to them. He explains he did well, until one day he realised that there are only “so many ways to say f*ck you on a postcard.” By using a Kickstarter campaign, and a rap video that has been credited as an inspiration to Skepta, Mr Bingo published his book, something that he says he could have never achieved if he’d have wasted his ideas on big companies.

Tash Willcocks – Habits can be healthy

Tash Willcocks is an incredibly talented illustrator and the creator of Mundane (a day), a project she uses to celebrate the little things. Initially, it was supposed to last a year, but nearly 4 years on Willcocks and her project are going strong. After reflecting on how much time she spent checking her phone, and other unuseful habits she had, Willcocks challenged herself to do one thing a day — to design an illustrated drawing, something she now considers “meditation”. Too often, habits are considered to be negative by association, but she insists they can be healthy. Her talk encourages use to do the same with something we love and enjoy. I’ve read every day since her talk, and I can’t say I’ll stop anytime soon.