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Year: 2017

Feature: Q&A with Barry Jenkins

Written by Jake Sanders on . Posted in Film, Uncategorised.

“As you can see, I can talk” remarks Jenkins, concluding his answer to one of the night’s earlier questions. Jenkins can’t just talk, he has the entire audience hanging on his every word.

Jenkins’ boundless charisma has turned him into as much of a star as any of the actors from Moonlight. However exhausted he must be from his worldwide promotional tour, he isn’t showing it. Jenkins settled into his position at the front of the crowd with such ease and charm that the host almost seemed a little taken aback. As a relatively new commodity to film goers, Jenkins’ lively, funny and insightful engagement with the patrons of HOME was a refreshing change of pace from the grizzled industry vets who so often find themselves reluctantly asked to elaborate on their process.

It took a while for the audience to emerge from the stunned state that will be familiar to anyone who has had the chance to see the film but but after their awakening, the crowd had a wide range of questions for Jenkins. Some trod familiar ground, Jenkins responded to a recent viral video that highlighted the visual cues Moonlight took from Hong Kong auteur Wong-Kar Wei, though he also dismissed some of the perceived references joking that “there’s really only one way to shoot a guy on the phone”. One audience member asked Jenkins if he had any particular demographic that he hoped Moonlight would reach and Jenkins replied with an answer that would become a recurrent theme for the evening, emphasising the importance of trying to tell the story as authentically as possible and hoping that audiences respond to it.

Though he might seem like an overnight success, Jenkins spoke of his history not only as a director but his experience working at the Telluride Film Festival and his romance with foreign cinema during his period as an undergraduate at Florida State University. It is the influence of foreign cinema, specifically directors like Claire Denis, that Jenkins explained helped to elevate the more familiar story elements of Moonlight (such the crack addicted single mother played by Naomie Harris) from a social realist drama to the fever dream, art house masterpiece that it became.

As the host tried to wrap up proceedings, Jenkins insisted on taking a question about Moonlight’s sound design from a giddy Mike Leigh lookalike in the back row. “He called you “bruh!”” his wife could be heard gushing as they exited the cinema. Clearly this was a satisfied audience.

Meals Out with an Allergy

Written by Jacob Nicholas on . Posted in News.

We all know meals out are brilliant, but for people with food allergies they can also be a huge pain. Depending on the severity, you can end up with discomfort, sickness, or even anaphylactic shock and possible death.

Before you even go into the restaurant you have to look at the menu carefully to gauge whether you can safely eat there, and there might even be whole cuisines you have to avoid  —  for instance, I have a nut allergy, which usually means curries and Chinese food are out of the question.

To make things even worse, the conversation you need to have when ordering with a severe allergy is usually an embarrassing, awkward affair. Servers are often blank-faced or confused as to why you are asking if, say, a margherita pizza has nuts in, when it obviously should not. A lot of the time they simply do not know, meaning you have to go elsewhere and go through the same frustrating process all over again.

Allergies are on the rise in the UK, with Allergy UK estimating that the number increases by five percent every year, and from 1992 to 2012 there was a 615% increase in reported cases of anaphylactic shock. According to YouGov, one in four households now have a member with an allergy or intolerance. It’s not known exactly why the number of allergy sufferers is on the rise, but theories include rising standards of hygiene, as well as our increasingly varied diets as cuisine from around the world becomes more popular.

With all this in mind, we thought it was important to look at five different restaurants and bars in Manchester, both to see how well Manchester deals with allergies, and to perhaps show how difficult it can be for those afflicted. My allergy is incredibly serious, which I believe is a strong test for restaurants, as if I have even a trace of a nut I will go into anaphylactic shock and possibly die.

In every place we went I was told that they could not completely guarantee that I would be alright — this is largely to protect themselves legally — but as this article exists and you are not reading an obituary, I clearly came through OK, and I had some brilliant food along the way. This is a good sign, and it shows that allergies in Manchester are being treated seriously, and if you suffer from one some places can be difficult and you still always need to be careful, but you can eat in a wide variety of places without having to worry too much.

The Students’ Union Bar:

Our first port of call was the SU — we fund it, so those of us with allergies should be able to eat there safely. Fortunately, the staff were accommodating, and although they made the usual claims that they could not be certain the food would be nut-free, they said they would tell the chef to take extra care. The menu is relatively standard pub fare, so is likely to be free from most allergens, apart from perhaps some of the desserts.

The food was nice too; the burger was thick and satisfying and the chips were the exact right level of crispiness, making it superior to the standard hyper-processed Wetherspoons equivalent. However, this is reflected in the price — a burger, chips and a pint cost around £9, which is certainly not bad, but not hugely cheap either. Despite this, the SU bar is definitely worth a visit, and if you have an allergy you will be in safe hands.

Tzatziki’s:

This relatively new Greek deli and takeaway is in the middle of Fallowfield, next to nightlife stalwart Venice Pizza. It is also the place where I thought I was most likely to die. The staff seemed confused by my questions, and it took a while for them to realise what I meant. Their desserts were also crammed with nuts and out on the counter, which is always a bit worrying. Despite these concerns, however, once they understood I had an allergy they clearly took a lot of care, and although I was a bit uncertain the whole time I was there, it was ultimately fine.

Whilst the process of ordering was awkward, the food itself was amazing. We each had a slice of spanakopita, which is a warm pastry filled with spinach and white cheese. The pastry itself was flaky and crispy, and the filling was just right — spinach can easily be overcooked, soggy and bland, but it mixed perfectly with the cheese to make a great side. For the main, I went for a pork gyros, which is a pitta bread stuffed with pork, salad and chips. The whole thing was lovely — the chips were covered in herbs, the pork was soft and the salad — aswell as the deli’s titular tzatziki —  gave it that vital extra touch. It was cheap too, at just £6 each. Overall then, Tzatziki’s is definitely worth going to, even if you have an allergy  —   the initial conversation may be a bit tricky, but the food is so good and so well priced it more than makes up for it.

Pancho’s Burritos:

Tucked away in Chester Street near MMU  — though there is also a branch in the Arndale —   Pancho’s is brilliant in just about every capacity. You choose exactly what you want in your burrito going from main filling to salsa and sauces. This is usually a massive pain if you have an allergy —  you need to ask about every single part. However, when I first asked, the manager was called over who immediately assured me that nothing had nuts in whatsoever. He quickly added that “you can never be completely sure” but it was definitely the most comfortable I felt in any of the places we visited. For other allergies, it may be more difficult, but for me it was perfect, and they did not seem to have any food that obviously contains any common allergens.

The burrito was also by far the nicest thing I ate at any of these restaurants. It was simple, unfussy and every element was prepared to perfection. I opted for slow-cooked beef, which was exactly right;  perfectly tender but still full of flavour. The guacamole was also great, and unlike many other similar establishments it was included with no extra cost. The salsa provided the right amount of kick without being overpowering, and the rice and beans filled the whole thing out without lessening the taste in any way. At six pounds for a large burrito, Pancho’s is not quite the cheapest, but it is still incredibly reasonably priced, and with the staff being so good about my allergy I cannot recommend it enough.

Al Bacio:

The obligatory high-end restaurant —  they had bottles of champagne going for up to £420, which was sadly slightly out of our budget —  Al Bacio is a decent Italian that sadly is not quite up there. They are, however, relatively good about allergies. I asked the waiter about the meal, and after he stood there for an uncomfortably long time he went and checked with the chef, before assuring me it was all fine. A bit awkward, but absolutely fine.

Absolutely fine is, however, also the most that can be said about the food. The garlic bread with mozzarella we had to start inexplicably alternated between being very nice and tasting of literally nothing with every bite. I had a calzone for my main, but they tried to put too many different things in – it had cheese, tomato, mushrooms, spinach and chicken, and all I could really taste was soggy, overcooked spinach  —  for over four times the price of a slice of spanakopita at Tzatziki’s. The most my friend could say about his penne al arrabbiata was that it was “sufficiently heated,” though he did insist it was nice. The food would have been good at a lower price, or in a less classy environment, but at such a high cost —  most mains are around the ten-pound mark —  at best  you hope for that bit extra, which sadly Al Bacio was lacking. To finish off a somewhat disappointing evening, both my friend and I felt incredibly ill after eating, and although it thankfully was not an allergic reaction, it was unpleasant.

Fuel Café:

Finally, we visited the Withington cultural mainstay Fuel, which puts on a wide variety of gigs upstairs, as well as serving great vegetarian and vegan food downstairs. Similar to the SU, they were great for allergies — immediately checking with the chef, and confirming that whilst there were nuts in the kitchen, there were no nuts in the food I had ordered, and the chef would take extra care.

The food at Fuel is always lovely. I went for the halloumi fish and chips, which was brilliant —  the halloumi was covered in delicious, crunchy batter and the cheese itself was incredibly soft:  just on the verge of melting but still keeping its shape and texture fantastically. The chips were nice and thick, cooked with the potato skins still on, and the salad had a great dressing. It was similar in price to the SU as well, with the food costing £6.20 each, and the cheapest pint   — their own, incredibly nice ‘Fuel lager’ —  is £3. However, Fuel is definitely the superior option, with the food being more unique and better tasting, better drinks available, and the café itself is just a great environment to be in. They clearly take a lot of care with allergies too, so I highly, unequivocally recommend it to anyone, no matter how much you like meat.

Album: SweetSexySavage – Kehlani

Written by Charlie Maudsley on . Posted in Music.

Released 27th January 2017 via Atlantic

7.5/10

After receiving a well-deserved Grammy nomination in 2016 for her mixtape You Should Be Here, there was a lot of anticipation for Kehlani’s debut album SweetSexySavage.

On the surface, the 21-year-old singer takes a similar stylistic approach towards her debut effort, employing the same R&B tones and feisty attitude to her work that she has used previously. Nevertheless, with the release of SweetSexySavage, Kehlani has seemingly proven herself as an artist that can hold her own next to her more-established female contemporaries in the music industry such as Tinashe and Jhené Aiko.

Throughout SweetSexySavage, Kehlani utilises her music as a form of therapy by expressing her darker, more sinister thoughts in various tracks. Not shy to controversy, Kehlani kicks off her album by addressing her mental health issues that lead to a well-documented suicide attempt earlier last year in the first track aptly named ‘Intro,’ where the singer offers “condolences to anyone who has ever lost me.”

Likewise, in ‘Piece of Mind,’ Kehlani reveals how, after a lot of soul-searching and support, she “can feel again, won’t be dumb again” – a clear reference to her demons and her success in overcoming them. Issues of mental health are clearly very sensitive and personal topics for the star, and Kehlani offers an insight into her life and thought process by talking about them, giving her debut album a more personal edge in the process.

Although her album does offer thoughtful and introspective lyricism, Kehlani still delivers a handful of pop-infused tracks to keep the club-goers happy. For example, the single ‘CRZY’ offers an incredibly infectious chorus as Kehlani repeats the words “crazy” over a heavy urban beat.

Similarly, ‘Distraction’ is another example of a radio-friendly single that sees the star ask her lover “Are you down to be a distraction, baby?” Kehlani hires her long-time producers Pop & Oak and Novawav on tracks such as these to add a pop influence to the mostly R&B-based tracks, which gives the singer her signature musical style.

Overall, Kehlani has managed to top her earlier musical projects with SweetSexySavage, as she seems to have matured into her own, self-established artist. In comparison to her peers, Kehlani applies R&B beats over her lyrics that often are delivered in a very candid manner, giving an edge to the singer that offers an alternative to her sweet yet sexy image.

Poet of the Week: Kayleigh Hicks

Written by Kayleigh Hicks on . Posted in Books.

I am bright yellow
my face twisted into a grin
you’ll wince if you stare too long
sunshine dripping down my chin

none of this is never called into question.
A face without lines to chart my flaws,
openness shown on a vacant expression,
sustaining myself with bottled applause.

I welcome sleep
with open arms
and never injected ink nightmares into my skin,
I do not have scars
pressed into my palms
and never watched myself get thin.

My feet are planted
firmly in this world I live in.
I take life for granted
ignoring the suffering of others;
blinkers made of skin.

I only place importance on my own life.
I’d sell myself to avoid death’s list,
removing the gears, watching the clock unwind
as I press a knife to time’s wrist.

Because
I was never taught
how to be faithful,
silken selfish spun lies
were weaved into my hair,
now I spin my own webs
into the lines I speak.
I am solid steel on my surface
but beneath I am weak,
a pale imitation of a girl
stepping on stage
to whisper my dishonest prayer.

Top Five: Manchester libraries you must visit

Written by Rhys Walker on . Posted in Books.

Whether you’re a veritable library lover, or only use them when you’ve got an essay due in that you’ve barely even started yet, they’ve always got our back when it comes to helping us study or helping us wind down. But which libraries should you visit? Fear not, this article will tell all.

5. In at number five is the Working Class Movement Library in Salford Crescent. And yes, I hear your cries of “That’s not in Manchester!”, but it’s in Greater Manchester and that’s good enough for me. Anyway, at just a stone’s throw away from Salford Crescent station, it’s well worth visiting simply for its rich array of 18th and 19th century pamphlets, plays and poetry that wouldn’t half come in useful for any literature and history students when doing research. And it doesn’t stop there. There’s plenty of talks on at the library, with the International Women’s Day lecture on the 4th of March being a must-see (or must-hear, I suppose). If you’re interested in books, history, or feminism then why not give the library a visit?

4. Next up we have the Manchester Central Library which, being just a twenty minute walk away from the University, offers a nice spot for study or pleasure away from the hustle and bustle of campus. Get some work done in the reading room or check out some of the library’s collections! From reams of Elizabeth Gaskell’s original manuscripts, to first editions of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s works, if you’re a literature fan then the Manchester Central Library is the right place to go. If that doesn’t take your fancy, why not visit the library’s Oasis DNA exhibition to see photos charting the history of Manchester’s greatest rock band. Not bad all for one library.

3. It’s a cold, grey Saturday and you think you can only find solace in spending a day looking around the shops of Piccadilly Gardens. But now there’s another choice! With the Portico Library only a mere five minute walk from Piccadilly, why not give it a go? Often featuring exhibitions which celebrate Britain’s greatest works of literature, including a recent 350th anniversary commemoration of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, this library is a must-visit for literature lovers. But it’s not all about the books; the library also hosts a gallery, which will soon be housing a ‘Contemporary Art in Britain’ exhibition which displays the works of some of the greatest artists from around the nation. So, whether you’re book lover or an art lover, this library will certainly have something to offer you!

2. Of course, how could I create a list of Manchester’s must visit libraries without mentioning the John Rylands Library? Being the largest academic library in the UK there’s bound to be something in there that can help with your studies; there’s also plenty to keep you entertained there as well! Why not take in the Jeff Nuttal exhibition, which allows visitors to explore the underground, counter-culture writings produced in Manchester during the 1960s? And for you fans of the Bard there’s an upcoming talk about Shakespeare on the 21st of February that’s definitely worth a look-in! Even if that doesn’t entice you, the library’s astounding reading room is in itself a reason to visit. So, what are you waiting for?

1. In first place we have the wonderful Chetham’s Library. ‘Never heard of it’, you might be saying. Well, despite it being relatively obscure, the significance of this library is unparalleled in it being the oldest library in the English-speaking world! Dating back to 1653, and housed in buildings that go back to the early 1400s, this library has a marvellous ‘old-world’ feel to it. But it’s the library’s range of books that really steals the show, which includes a first edition of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language and an original copy of Isaac Newton’s Pricipia Mathematica. However, if that isn’t enough, there are also guided tours every weekday where you can see the actual table where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met to discuss their socialist theories. Not bad, eh? Bringing together books, history and science Chetham’s Library is the must-see library in this glorious city of Manchester.

Six Nations: Two rounds down, three to go

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport.

As always, there were several questions posited leading into this year’s Six Nations. Would England’s unbeaten run continue? (They finished 2016 on a 14 game winning streak). Could Ireland build on recent success? (They beat New Zealand, amongst others). How would Wales fare after heavy criticism of their “sterile” play? Would Scotland, France or Italy make a statement in the tournament? Finally, how would the introduction of the bonus points system effect play?

While still in a nascent stage, the tournament narratives are beginning to unfurl. First, I will consider the action that has already taken place.

In the Autumn, England demonstrated their attacking capability in registering victories over South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia. In the 6 Nations so far, they have exhibited another side of their character. This team is showing its sheer desire to win, at all costs; through all adversity, it is simply never beaten. So far, they have registered victories against France at home (19-16) and Wales away (21-16). In both games, England were largely the inferior team; in both games, moments of perfect English execution sealed victory.

At Twickenham, against the French, the goal was simple: win the game. England were blighted by first-game-of-the-tournament lethargy. They trailed past the 70 minute mark. It was power off the bench, particularly James Haskall and the game-winning try scorer Ben Te’o, which eventually secured the victory. The French, to their credit, were powerful and effective, overwhelming an English team lacking the brawn of the Vunipola brothers and George Kruis. It was Eddie Jones’ bench players, the “finishers” as he has termed them, that got them over the line.

The Wales game was different. While sporting fixtures often pale in comparison to the build-up, this was a monolithic clash, a true heavyweight bout. Like France, Wales upped their performance level massively. They had comfortably dispatched Italy 33-7 in their opening game, barely getting out of second gear. However, I would argue this was the most complete Welsh performance since the 2015 World Cup. They were almost perfect. Their tackling was ferocious, along with their ability to affect turnovers. The Welsh backrow, Sam Warburton, Ross Moriarty and Justin Tipuric, were gargantuan, completely overwhelming their English counterparts. Moriarity, particularly, was phenomenal; bringing him off after 50 odd minutes was a mistake. Moreover, Liam Williams’ try just before half time demonstrated all black-level ingenuity.

However, it was one fatal error, Jonathan Davies’ clearance kick that didn’t make touch, that gave England the opportunity to win the game. As with France, perfect execution put Elliot Daly into the corner for the game-winning try. It was sporting drama at its most raw. For the English, Joe Launchberry and Courtney Lawes had mammoth games, while Daly had his best game yet since becoming a starter. A critic will say that Wales should’ve killed England off, they had the opportunities to. Yet, England showed the pedigree of champions: they were never fully beaten. As a result, after two matches England are in pole position.

Photo: Toby Webb

Scotland vs Ireland was the match of the opening weekend. It presented Scotland playing to their fullest capability, with dynamism and pace. Stuart Hogg at fullback was magnificent; he has developed into a world-class player and must surely be a starter for the Lions in the summer. Scotland really hit Ireland hot, going into halftime 21-8 up, scoring 3 great tries. The Irish fight back was convincing and it seemed they would claw their way back to victory. However, a Scottish resurgence eventually secured a 27-22 victory. It was completely deserved. Ireland responded to their opening game defeat, hammering Italy 63-10 in Rome. While Italy were admittedly poor, Ireland were precise and clinical. CJ Stander was the exceptional player in game, scoring 3 tries: he is another who has stated his claim for a Lions starting place.

While Scotland demonstrated their full potential in round 1, their deficiencies were exhibited in round 2: they lost 22-16 to France in Paris. In a hugely physical contest, the French weight that gave England a real test was too much for a lightweight Scottish side missing prop WP Nel. Again, the Scots played with real ambition. Hogg dazzled with a lovely try, while the second try, finished off by Tim Swinson, arose from a positive kick-and-chase. Finn Russell missed a seemingly-simple conversion in front of the posts which would’ve made the game closer. The French try, finished off by Gael Fickou, came after an endless passage of phases. Ultimately, it was French strength, and Scottish indiscipline giving Camille Lopez penalty opportunities, that decided the tie. Despite the loss, Scotland are showing promising signs. A big blow for Scotland is that Greg Laidlaw, the instrumental captain and scrum-half, is out for the rest of the tournament with an ankle injury.

Wales face Scotland at BT Murrayfield in the next round of fixtures, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Where does this leave us then? The tournament is delicately poised. England have a very favourable route to a Grand Slam decider in Dublin against Ireland, facing home games against Italy and Scotland. Potential banana skins no doubt, particularly the Scottish. However, two convincing victories are expected. England are a class above the rest currently and anything less than a second consecutive Grand Slam will be viewed as a disappointment.

For the rest, the bonus point system has resulted in the standings being incredibly tight. Scotland and Ireland will look to utilize home advantage in two of the remaining three games. There are several home-nation grudge matches still to play: Scotland vs Wales, Wales vs Ireland, England vs Scotland, and the big one, Ireland vs England, which will likely decide the tournament outcome. I expect England to finish the job, securing three more victories and a second consecutive Grand Slam, with Ireland finishing second and Wales third. With Lions places up for grabs, it’s still all to play for in the tournament.

Finding a job at university

Written by Rachel Adams on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Being a student is hard in many ways. There’s the constant stress, the bad eating habits, the nights out, and inevitable hangovers. It’s also expensive.

For probably the first time in your life, you’re living by yourself and having to spend money on things like food and public transport that you just took for granted when you were living at home. Only at uni have I truly realised how expensive cheese is (and how I can’t be without it). So, the solution to your money worries is to get a job, right?

Well, getting a job isn’t as easy as it sounds. Depending on your degree, you might not have that much free time in the week, at least not as much as you would need to appeal to an employer. If you’re only available for two hours on a Wednesday morning, is someone really going to want to hire you? Yes, you do have your weekends free — but if you’re busy with uni all week, do you really want to spend your only two days off at work? For some, however, they have no choice. They have to find a job.

Therefore, we’ve put together a couple of places to look for part-time jobs and internships, to make the job hunt that little bit easier.

CareersLink: This should be your first stop if you’re looking for a job. Run by the University Careers Service, it’s really easy to use and can be filtered depending on a number of preferences. You can choose between full-time or part-time jobs, graduate-level internships, student placements, or casual/seasonal work. You can also refine it by location — if you want to stay in Manchester, for example, you can filter it to only see jobs in the North West. The website is really well laid out and offers you details about over 1000 jobs. These are jobs that might not be advertised elsewhere, and so is a really good resource to use throughout your time at Manchester. Access via MyManchester or the Careers website.

Indeed: This is perfect for finding a part-time job to complete alongside your studies. It can be refined by area or job title, which is a great way to narrow down your results if you know that you want a job in retail, for example. You can also upload your CV to the website and apply to jobs directly from Indeed, saving you a lot of time if your schedule is packed. They feature a variety of jobs from healthcare to finance, and is definitely a website that you should use when searching for a job. Access here.

Milkround: Run by Totaljobs, Milkround is a website specifically for students and graduates looking for jobs. They feature internships, placements, graduate jobs, and graduate schemes, and cater to all careers. You can search within specific sectors of the job market, or if you’re not sure which sector you want to go into you can do a general search for student/graduate jobs. They also offer advice for people who don’t know what they want to do after they graduate, and articles on improving your CV. It’s indispensable for any student looking for jobs. Access here.

So, there you have it — three different places to search for jobs whilst at uni. There are many more ways to find jobs, but these are probably the best places to start!

If you’re really struggling with finding a job, why not go and visit the Careers Service? You can book 15 minute appointments where they will give you feedback on your CV or help with an application, or guidance appointments which can help you decide what to do after uni. Most of all — good luck!

Slogan t-shirts: a political fashion statement

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

This New York Fashion Week saw a number of designers using the catwalk to demonstrate their dissent with the Trump administration. After Trump’s controversial executive orders that included the immigration ban and the removal of funds from US groups that perform or provide information on abortions, NYFW became a platform where designers and models can make statements about the current political system.

This season has seen a wave of slogan t-shirts emblazoned with captions: Prabal Gurung released a range of t-shirts with different captions including, ‘Girls just want to have fundamental rights’, ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ and the popular phrase that is currently making rounds on social media, ‘Nevertheless, she persisted’.

With the fashion industry publicly endorsing Hillary Clinton, it is perhaps unsurprising that designers took this opportunity to voice their opinions on women’s rights and the immigration ban.  Back in October, when the idea of Trump becoming President seemed unbelievable, he caused outrage when he referred to Clinton as a ‘nasty woman’. This sparked clothing brand ‘Nasty Gal’ to release t-shirts with the caption ‘nasty woman’. Now there is a range of merchandise available with this phrase, turning Trump’s insult into a positive attribute for a strong, career driven women.  Fashion Week jumped fully on board with this slogan trend.

While designers from Tommy Hilfiger to Diane Von Furstenberg sent their models down the runway with white bandanas tied around their wrists in support of the #TiedTogether campaign which demonstrates unity amidst the political unrest, Prabal Gurung and other big names fully embraced the slogan tee trend.  New York-based brand Creatures of Comfort followed suit with light blue t-shirts with the words ‘We are all human beings’, while designer Christian Siriano included a black t-shirt with the writing ‘people are people’.

The fashion forecast is that the slogan t-shirt is back and it can be worn casually with jeans or dressed up with heels and a skirt in the style of Gurung’s catwalk show. These designers are encouraging us to be loud and proud with our views and stand up for what is just, so wear your views across your chest with slogan t-shirts and make a political as well as a fashion statement.

These t-shirts that were debuted at Fashion Week are more than just an accessory, they are a symbol of unity, support, and inclusivity.

These politically charged shows are perhaps a sign of what is yet to come in the succeeding shows in Paris, London and Milan. For this season, politics is intertwined with fashion, as the industry uses its voice to demonstrate discontent and celebrate that we are united against hatred and discrimination.

This year, grab your slogan tee and stand together.

Review: 50 Shades Darker

Written by Emilia Ujejski on . Posted in Film.

Based on the best selling book series by E.L James, a dismayed Anastasia Steel (Dakota Johnson) decides to take a second chance on the man who has impressed women worldwide: the chiselled but ever-so brooding Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). In this sequel to the notorious box-office hit, a shocking turn of events get sexual very quickly, but are even the sex scenes worth the ticket price?

Notably, neither the plot nor the acting were seriously accredited in the first film of the franchise and 50 Shades Darker continues to be severely lacking in both onscreen chemistry and a clear narrative. The sex scenes resemble airbrushed perfume ads, where both Dornan and Johnson’s glamorous appearances  —expect for the bulky abs and arbitrarily oiled breasts — and dispassionate performances contradict the premise of a gritty, darker expression of sexuality.

The plot, just as the sex, is white-washed and lacks a focal point. Random events are displayed and dropped as quickly as they are presented. It is unclear if the narrative arc is supposed to be Christian’s dramatic helicopter crash, where he plummets into a forest bed on his way to a work meeting with no context whatsoever. Although there is a moment of initial concern, this is quickly scrapped in the next scene where he strolls in unharmed ready for his own luxurious birthday party. Or perhaps Anastasia’s antagonism towards her sexually assaulting boss is supposed to be central to the plot, or Christian’s worry over his violent self-harming stalker. It is difficult to tell as all these issues are briskly swept under the carpet for decorative sex scenes.

Perhaps the strongest potential theme explored in the film is the tension between Anastasia’s desire for a normative ‘Vanilla-flavored’ relationship and Christian’s deviating desires due to his troubled past. ‘I’m a sadist’, he claims during what is supposed to be a key revelation in the film, explaining that he uses BDSM as a coping mechanism towards his hatred of his negligent, drug-addicted mother. On paper, this is a strong psychoanalytic theme, but is hardly presented in the film, aside from a flashback during the opening scenes. Instead we get the stereotypical sugar-coated romantic notion of the brooding rich bad boy who completely turns himself around when the woman of his dreams comes along becoming boring and generic in the process.

Obviously, the success of the first movie can be attributed to the racy sexual scenes, but also by arguably indulging in a fantasy that goes beyond conventional relationship norms. What was so gripping about the premise of 50 Shades, was the viewer’s ability to escape norms and conventional relationships and indulge in an alternative that questions the need for emotional intimacy and sheds light on supposedly deviant forms of sexuality, such as BDSM. 50 shades darker contains an oozing of materialism, beautiful actors, a multitude of narratives, and yet falls flat in terms of the substance which one can fantasise about.

Then again, as a film that was inspired by a book based on Twilight fan fiction, the franchise is doing quite well for itself, with an incredible amount of ticket sales for both 50 Shades and 50 Shades Darker. Whether the audience feels indulged in the stale fantasy is another story.

1/5

The race for the top four

Written by Joe Murphy on . Posted in Sport.

Considering fixtures, form and injuries, as well as several other factors. Everton are exempt from consideration because they are far too inconsistent.

Chelsea: The runaway league leaders are the most balanced team in the league, as they look strong both defensively and attackingly. There was a danger when Costa was rumoured to be leaving in the January transfer window that they may fall from grace and their place at the top of the table was under threat but now all that’s resolved, and contract extension deals are being discussed, Chelsea seemingly have one hand on the league title. The 8-point gap to second placed Manchester City is a comfortable cushion for Conte’s side, and I would say their top 4 place is all but assured, with no hazards in the way. Prediction 1st.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Manchester City: Football is a strange game, Manchester City were 5th only a couple of weeks ago, and the pressure on Pep was growing. With strong form from young Gabriel Jesus, and some divine luck against Swansea they now find themselves resurrected into second, and the only one’s seemingly with a chance of catching the league leaders. To have your bad spell in the season and still be second is a good sign that a top 4 finish shouldn’t be a problem, especially with Aguero to come back into the side. Their involvement in the Champions League may hinder their progress, but a top four finish should be comfortably achieved. Prediction 2nd.

Raheem Sterling, Photo: joshjdss@flickr

Liverpool: Choosing the top 2 was easy, but Man-e it was hard to select the teams for the next two predictions, and thinking which two teams would miss out. As much as I despise them, I believe Liverpool will walk alone into third place come the end of the season. They have had their bad patch and still find themselves in contention. Not only this but now Mane is back, Coutinho is free from injury, no other cup competitions mean a less congested fixture list and they have arguably the easiest running of any of the top 6. Unlike Gerrard, I don’t see them slipping up. Prediction 3rd.

Daniel Sturridge, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Manchester United: It would be criminal if I didn’t believe my team were making it to the top four. I believe it will be very close but I feel they will just edge out the two north London clubs. There are several factors behind this madness. Firstly, United are on a superb unbeaten run, they are playing good football and have only one or two injuries. The only thing that could hinder United now is their congested fixture run, and this Mata-s. They are still involved in four competitions meaning they could have an extra 20 games of the season should they go all the way. A Europa league win would ensure Champions league football next year anyway, but I see Mourinho’s mean going out of Europe earlier this year, and focusing on the league, I’m Shaw of it. Prediction 4th.

Manchester United playing Tottenham in December, Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Spurs: Purely because on their Europa league involvement, and the fact they haven’t had their inevitable bad spell yet, I feel Spurs will just miss out. They haven’t had many problems, and have played consistently well, but their form against the big teams is Dier and needs improving to finish above such clubs. I do believe Spurs could go on to win the FA cup and have a busy summer transfer window where, hopefully for spurs fans, there is a marquee signing; somebody like Real Madrid’s Morata maybe. Prediction 5th.

Alexis Sanchez, Photo: dom fellowes@flickr

Arsenal: I’ve watched Arsenal, and they have been incredibly lucky in so many games. They didn’t deserve to win against Burnley, and had some help from the referee to beat Hull. Yes, champions must win gritty games any way possible, but they haven’t looked like the old Arsenal, and I genuinely believe that if the club lose Alexis Sanchez, Laurent Koscielny and Mesut Ozil (who at the minute looks a shadow of his former self), then they could fall out of the top eight without sufficient backup. They have the least depth on any squad in the top six. I do feel that they won’t go far in the Champions League this season, as they are facing Bayern Munich. However, I feel going out of the competition at this stage will improve their chances of a top four finish. One thing’s for sure, the pressure on Wenger will be immense if they finish any lower than 4th. Prediction 6th.

Album: Sampha — Process

Written by Tara Bharadia on . Posted in Music.

Released 3rd February via Young Turks

8.5/10

After being prominent on the music scene for a number of years and working with the likes of Kanye West, Drake and Frank Ocean, Sampha has finally blessed us with his eagerly-awaited LP.

Way back in 2014, when Sampha decided he was ready to write his album, he stopped recording in his bedroom and starting renting out studio spaces. The product of this is Process, a beautiful piece with a lot of weight to it, coloured as it is by Sampha’s recent loss of both of his parents. In that sense, Process is his way of doing just that: processing changes to his life in recent years by looking towards his music.

Every track is written for a purpose. On a record full of ballads, Sampha explores love, life and death in the most sophisticated of ways. His own health struggles over the last year are magnified in ‘Plastic 100°C’ — “I didn’t really know what that lump was, my luck”, and in ‘Reverse Faults’ he deals with brotherly regrets over an erratic yet controlled beat. ‘Timmy’s Prayer’, co-written by Kanye West, explains love in the most peaceful yet truthful way. Sampha makes clear his feelings that love is like a prison and that he must decide if he is okay with that dynamic — “I wish that I listened when I was in prison/ Now I’m just a visitor.”

The stand out track on the album is ‘(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano’, dedicated to his late mother Binty Sissay. It is the perfect amalgamation of childhood regression and acceptance of the future, complemented by clean piano notes and a gospel-inspired chorus. After playing his first piano at the age of three, it is clear how much music shaped his childhood and is now a vessel for him to relive his warm family memories and the home he grew up in — “You know I left, I flew the nest/… And you know I’ll be back home.”

Process can be considered as an ode to his mother and is swamped with references to her, leaving us in awe of their relationship — “the more time that passes, the more I see the extent of her love for me”. Sampha’s frank explanations of his struggles after his mother’s death make ‘Kora Sings’ (“a mother needs her sons/… I just need you here”) and ‘What Shouldn’t I Be?’, an encrypted celebration of all he and his family have achieved, highlights of the album.

Sampha is one of the very few figures who has mastered the ability to make his own genre. The use of classical instruments and electronic beats combine to create an ethereal and potentially soul-shattering musical experience. What makes this album so good, however, is the precise music’s interaction with Sampha’s raw emotions. On Process, Sampha reminds us again and again that is okay to feel, as long as you let it drive you forward rather than hold you back.

Andy Burnham and the Mayoral election’s historical significance

Written by Barney Weston on . Posted in Features.

Andy Burnham is expected by many to breeze through the Greater Manchester Mayoral election, and into the Mayor’s office at Churchgate House (across the road from Palace Theatre) on May the 4th.

All bar one of Greater Manchester’s councils are controlled by Labour. (Trafford Council is the exception, controlled by the Conservatives. Its leader, Sean Anstee, is the Conservative Mayoral candidate.) There are just five, out of a total twenty-seven Greater Manchester constituencies that Labour MPs do not represent. Before 2015, there were only three.

Going into the speed networking event with Andy Burnham, organised by the Greater Manchester branch of the Fabian Society, and held at UTC@MediaCityUK’s television studio in Salford, I felt unexcited over the prospect of a predictable election.

Over forty people sat in a room, separate from the studio, watching the event via a projection of the YouTube livestream.

Waiting, I introduced myself to Matt Mason, a University of Manchester Politics student. He was here taking notes on the event as a requirement of one of his modules; on political communication. But Matt was also a member of the Labour Party. I asked him what he thought of Andy Burnham. “He seems alright, but as charismatic politicians go, he’s not one of them.” He expected, he said, “a massive figure of the North of England.” He quoted IPPR North, the Northern thinktank he works for, to clarify: “A Nicola Sturgeon for the North of England”.

A relatively ordinary video opened the event. It explained how members of the audience, ‘networkers’, would be able to come and take the ‘hot seat’ and have two-and-a-half minutes to chat with Andy monitored by a countdown clock.

Microphones bumped. Awkward questions about CVs were asked. Laughs were forced. Especially when a ‘May the 4th be with you’ joke was made, out of the blue. A shelf sat behind Andy featuring Manchester memorabilia such as the album cover for the Smiths, for The Stone Roses’ Fools Gold single, and for New Order’s Substance.

Halfway through the evening, Matt leaned over to me: “He’s making some good points but I don’t think anyone is listening.” He seemed right. Perhaps the most exciting event of the evening was one of the ‘networkers’ getting the microphone caught on his foot. It certainly drew the biggest reaction from the audience.

The event only seemed to help Andy Burnham. Perhaps things will change as the campaign progresses, but ultimately, it seems that as long as he does not lose the momentum Labour has in the region, he should have the job as Mayor in the bag.

One ‘networker’ even opened a question with “once you do become Mayor…”, to which Burnham replied: “I like that you say ‘once you become Mayor’, because you think it’s a given… but I’m still… I’m not taking the election for granted, but I hope I do become Mayor.”

As the event progressed, it became clear that ‘devolution’ was the buzzword of the night. Andy Burnham wants “to use devolution to reinvent ourselves”.

When asked how to get rid of the London-centric view of the UK, he cited “devolution as the chance to change that”.

But Andy Burnham seems aware that devolution does not seem to be the word as much on everyone else’s lips as it is on his. “If we could click our fingers and make that happen, I’d be so happy, because I feel at the moment maybe people aren’t so sure about this whole thing […] and I don’t think people yet have embraced what it means and got involved.”

I started writing this feature and it became clear to me that, in the context of a perhaps predictable election, the news here was in the historical significance of the election itself, as a product of devolution.

In recent years, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been making strides forward for Greater Manchester. A ‘city deal’ was announced for Greater Manchester in 2012. It included a Revolving Infrastructure Fund, allowing the GMCA to earn back up to £30 million a year for spending on infrastructure projects; a Greater Manchester Investment Framework, letting the GMCA have increased independence over both Westminster and EU funding; and a Greater Manchester Housing Investment Board, permitting the GMCA to build new housing in the area (it currently has a £300 million budget).

This is where things get important. In 2014, George Osbourne, as then-Chancellor of the Exchequer, reached agreement with each of the leaders of the ten district councils to create the first county-wide elected Mayor outside of London. (Different to Liverpool’s city-wide elected Mayor.) The ten district council leaders will form the Mayor’s cabinet, whilst continuing to lead their own councils. To introduce any major changes, and prevent the wants and needs of Manchester being paramount, instead of Greater Manchester’s, the Mayor will need the support of two-thirds of his cabinet.

The power devolved to the Mayor of Greater Manchester via this deal is tremendous. The Mayor will be chair of the GMCA, (meaning he will lead the Revolving Infrastructure Fund, the Greater Manchester Investment Framework as well as the Greater Manchester Housing Board). He or she will be the Greater Manchester Police & Crime Commissioner, setting the policing budget and deciding priorities for Greater Manchester Police, as well as being responsible for the transport budget. These are just some of the powers devolved.

Andy Burnham therefore stands both in the midst and on the brink of that history, and he seems to understands that. He references the IRA bomb on Corporation Street in June 1996.

“It then kick started, I guess, a whole series of change in Manchester. The rebuilding of large parts of the city centre and, I think, though it was a terrible event and people were injured, in some ways it kind of was a turning point for the city. And then the Commonwealth Games came and that took us on a whole new level again And then Media City came, about five years after the Commonwealth Games. So really we never looked back and Greater Manchester really kind of built through that era.”

He also consistently references Manchester’s future throughout the evening. “In ten years’ time I want the rest of the country to look at Greater Manchester and say ‘you know what, they do things right there. They do things differently, but they do things better. And I want Greater Manchester to be a real beacon of social justice to the rest of the country.” He cites how he wants Greater Manchester to be “the best place to grow up, the best place to get on, the best place to grow old”. It seems he has plans to be Manchester’s very own turning point.

Andy Burnham was also quizzed on the national question. On Labour and having a continuing role on the national stage and in the politics of the Labour Party; “I do, but I wouldn’t put it about me really. I want Greater Manchester and the North to have a stronger voice on the national stage.” In the context of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland reaping the benefits of devolution, he describes how the North has been left “unsure where it fits in”. He believes he can make a success of devolution for Greater Manchester, and create a “more distinctive Northern brand of Labour”, allowing for the party to recover both “its position and its standing in the North”.

On how he thinks Manchester should respond if the rumours of Trump coming to Manchester were to be true, he said: “I think we should give him a traditional Manchester welcome, tell him straight what we think.”

Even on clubbing, within the context of Fabric being reopened and Sankey’s being closed, Andy Burnham was asked, “what would you do as Mayor to fight for Manchester’s proud and historic music culture, and broader reputation as the best place in England to be young?” Referencing his experience growing up in the 1980s, he describes the music as one of the few positives of the era: “This is another passion of mine [… but] I feel a bit of complacency has crept in to the Manchester music scene and we’ve got to challenge that.

“I’m a big believer in the life and soul of the city […] these venues need to be protected and I will protect them […] this will be a big agenda.”

Andy Burnham also spoke about his Mayoral influences. He cited Sadiq Khan in London, Bill de Blasio in New York, as well as Mayors in several Spanish cities as well as Singapore. “But we wanna do it our own way as well don’t we. We’re gunna be Greater Manchester and we’re gunna be unique and different and do it our way.”

However, although he claims to be putting young people at the heart of his campaign, (and testament to that, he is promising a free bus pass for 16-18 year olds, as well as the implementation of a UCAS-style system for apprenticeships), there does not seem to be much to appeal to undergraduate students.

I pressed him on the issue. “Well I’ve got to be careful about the commitments made,” he replies, much to my initial disappointment. But he thinks on his feet. He doesn’t dodge the question but goes on to decide to include (only paid) internships on that UCAS-style system. He also talks about helping people in their 20s and 30s on the housing ladder. He considers offering them an affordable Greater Manchester housing rent-to-own programme, thus encouraging them to stay in the region.

This attitude is evident in a policy he floats to me in regards to the NHS bursary, cut as of August 2017. He suggests that perhaps he could fund them if graduates were to spend at least five years working in the Greater Manchester NHS, or perhaps he could pay off 10% of their loan for every year they spend in the Greater Manchester NHS post-university.

Andy Burnham seems full of ideas and he encourages people to submit their ideas as he writes his manifesto. I wondered if perhaps he could work with the careers service in the implementation of that UCAS-style system. Could he do more for students going into privately rented accommodation?

Andy Burnham also seems keen on conversations with the universities. He talks of the benefits of “all the research coming out of the University of Manchester”.

As the evening came to a close, Andy Burnham said it had been “good to be tested in that way”. Tested? We will see if things get much harder as the campaign progresses.

Exec elections: Low candidate turnout

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

Standing for the Exec elections closed last Friday at 5pm, with the final number of candidates standing at 48, with all the positions contested.

In 2016’s elections 105 candidates stood for the Exec positions, with 10,169 students voting in the elections, short of the record-breaking 13,500 from 2015.

The Exec Officers of the University of Manchester Students’ Union are the eight full time representatives of students at The University of Manchester. The roles are General Secretary, Education Officer, Women’s Officer, Diversity Officer, Wellbeing Officer, Activities & Development Officer, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer and Community Officer.

The position with the highest number of candidates this year is Diversity, with nine running for the role, while Campaigns and Citizenship only has three candidates standing, the lowest of the eight positions.
The current Exec Team were hailed last year for being the most diverse in Union history. The breakdown of this year’s candidates show that 42 per cent of candidates are white, 10 per cent black or black British and 21 per cent Chinese.

Naa Acquah has held the position of General Secretary for two consecutive years, and therefore is ineligible to run again, and seven students have put themselves forward to replace her.

Events will be happening across campus in the run-up to the elections to get as many people involved in the election activity — if you are interested in setting up your own event the Students’ Union urge you to get in touch with your society co-ordinator.

A spokesperson for the Students’ Union told The Mancunion: “We’re pleased with the number of candidates standing this year and we look forward to seeing them out and about engaging with students finding out their needs and wants.

“These elections are at the heart of why we as a union exist and look forward to what the candidates will bring”.

They also stressed the importance those who are elected will play “in the development of the new Students’ Union building. This is the first time the building has undergone such a major investment since 1957 — your vote in deciding this team will be crucial to the future Union’s development”.

Finally, they add that “whilst recognising that numbers were lower than the unprecedented numbers last year, the group overseeing the elections this year have heavily invested in raising potential candidates’ awareness of the different roles on the University of Manchester’s Students Union’s Executive team, and their key role in representing student views to the university”.

To see whose running visit the University of Manchester Students’ Union website: manchesterstudentsunion.com.

Voting opens on 3rd of March at 12:00pm and runs until the 9th of March 5:00pm, with the results being announced that evening.

Bristol student accidentally synthesises dangerous explosive

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

The University of Bristol was forced to evacuate a Chemistry building earlier this month, after a student inadvertently produced a dangerous explosive.

A statement by the university revealed that the chemical triacetone triperoxide, TATP, “was unintentionally formed during a routine procedure” being conducted by a Ph.D. student on 3rd of February.

The building was evacuated, and emergency services were called to the laboratory and carried out a controlled destruction of the substance.

TATP was the same substance used in the Paris attacks that took place in November 2015. It is easy to avoid detection as it does not contain hydrogen, but is also highly unstable.

Often, the illegal premises where bombs are being made are destroyed when it detonates early.

“Following a full investigation, we can confirm that the chemical triacetone triperoxide (TATP) was unintentionally formed during a routine procedure carried out by a Ph.D. student,” the university’s statement said.

“The student was following a published literature method and the risk of TATP as a potential byproduct had been identified during the risk assessment process.

“We have robust contingency plans in place to deal with incidents of this nature. As soon as the presence of TATP was identified, the student immediately notified those responsible for laboratory safety in the school.

“A series of actions were then taken which resulted in the precautionary evacuation of the chemistry building and surrounding buildings and the controlled disposal of the substance by the emergency services.”

They will review the risk assessment process to see if further steps can be taken to prevent a similar situation in future.

Woman found ‘bleeding heavily’ in Manchester’s Arndale Centre

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in News.

A 30-year-old woman has been hospitalised after being found seriously injured in in Arndale shopping centre on Friday morning.

According to The Manchester Evening News, an ambulance and police were called to the Arndale at approximately 8.45am and the woman was taken to North Manchester General Hospital.

Customers reported that the area around Topshop had been cordoned off while emergency services attended to the woman.

The casualty had apparently suffered severe cuts to her wrists and was bleeding heavily.

A spokesperson from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said “We were called to a shop on Market Street at 8.45am to concerns for a women’s health.

“We discovered a woman bleeding heavily from her wrists and she was handed into the care of the ambulance service.”

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) further stated that: “We sent a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance to the scene and a woman in her 30s was conveyed to North Manchester General Hospital.”

David Allinson, Centre Director for Manchester Arndale, told The Manchester Evening News:

“We can confirm ambulance services attended the centre this morning. The safety of all involved and our shoppers and staff remains our first priority.”

Reporters at The Manchester Evening News discovered that both Arndale and GMP received tweets from concerned customers:

Tommy Jack posted: “@GMPCityCentre any update on what happened this morning in the Arndale? Is she at least ok?”

Lydia Titterington wrote: “@manarndale what’s happened in @Topman…. no one is allowed to walk past the store.”

The Arndale replied: “Our team dealt with an incident in that area early this morning, and the area has now been reopened for shoppers.”

International students’ English “inadequate”, say a third of academics

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

A study by Times Higher Education of over 1,000 Higher Education staff has shown that academics have serious concerns about the readiness and ability of most students at their institutions.

According to the THE Teaching Survey 2017, one-third of academics believe that international students’ English is not adequate, and less than a quarter believe that students are in any way well prepared for classes.

The survey, which collated feedback from 1,150 academic staff from universities across Britain but also a few from the USA, Asia, Europe, Canada and Australia, heard that the vast majority of academics still enjoy and feel the benefit of lecturing, despite expressing concern about slipping standards of assessment, bureaucracy, and limited time to prepare their teaching.

A senior lecturer at an English university told the survey “few students will read the material on the reading list, [relying] instead solely on lecture handouts or PowerPoint slides”, while 52 per cent of academics said they knew students were turning up to seminars without preparation.

“We were told we are not allowed to ‘draw attention to’ those students who turn up to seminars having done no preparation whatsoever because it might deter them from attending future seminars,” said another, “and then the Key Information Set data for student attendance would be adversely affected.”

For almost half of academics (48 per cent), students’ schooling does not prepare them sufficiently for university, while one lecturer blames falling entry requirements for the high number of “almost illiterate” students who arrive.

9 per cent of academic staff “strongly disagree” that international students display the adequate level of English, with one lecturer telling the survey they did not understand “how some [postgraduate] students got their first degrees, as the quality of their written English is really poor.”

Academics lament the move away from the focus on teaching quality at their institutions, with 47 per cent of respondents not agreeing that good teaching can lead to opportunities for promotion. The focus instead on results and targets disappoints them — three-quarters of academics think that the Teaching Excellence Framework being introduced at UK universities will inaccurately assess teaching quality, while 43 per cent think the NSS gives students too much power.

“It seems that institutions are doing lots of evaluation, but they are not using these evaluations to promote people,” says Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Women in Media Conference 2017

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in Features.

At the end of last year’s Women in Media Conference, I received a message from one of the delegates. She wrote to tell me: “I only recently started being honest to myself about my interest in getting into journalism… I used to play it down and hide behind by lack of confidence.”

However she went on to tell me how “being around likeminded people really has made me more confident”.

It was after reading this message that I decided that the conference could not be a one-off. Building the confidence of female students considering a career in the media is exactly why the conference was born, and even if we had succeeded in boosting the confidence of just one delegate, it was worth the energy.

More women than ever are entering into the media: 65 per cent of journalists entering the profession over the past three years have been women, and our own Mancunion editorial team has more women on it than ever before, so it may seem from this fact alone that our work is done. Women have the confidence now to not see their gender as an initial exclusionary barrier to entering the media.

The keyword here, though, is ‘initial’. While at the lowest levels women now outnumber men, they are still on average paid significantly less than their male counterparts and only 22 per cent of female journalists are in senior management positions.

With the large numbers of female journalists coming through the ranks, the next generation could potentially see these figures toppled. However, it is because of this that events such as Women in Media Conference 2017 are so important — with real change on the horizon, it is not the time to be complacent.

Until those in the lower echelons of the media are encouraged to realise that the current statistics do not represent how the media should look, and as long as they are not introduced to role models who have reached the level they aspire to, then many may not be able to imagine that this could change.

While teaching a class of Year 9s last year, one told me simply that journalism was not a job for women — we need to make it easier to prove to this 13-year-old and many more around the world how wrong this is, and to do this we need more visible role models in senior levels of the media.

The only way of doing this is working from the bottom up — ensuring that women entering the media are doing so with an unflinching drive and determination to reach the top, and the belief that they will not be held back.

Ultimately, the conference aims to celebrate the incredible successes women have had within the media, to ensure that people are inspired and not deterred by discussing the obstacles or difficulties they may face. Our speakers will be living proof that our position within the media has vastly improved — the statistics may still be far from perfect, but instead of dwelling on the negatives, let’s highlight how far we have come to ensure that it keeps improving.

Last year’s conference was incredible, with over 70 delegates attending from all over the country to listen and learn from some of the very best women in the media.

This year it is only going to get better.

Our venue for Women in Media 2017, the People’s History Museum in Manchester City Centre, could not be more perfect, as the museum’s championing of “ideas worth fighting for” perfectly encapsulates the motivation behind the conference. What began as a realisation that less women, even at a student level, were embarking on careers in the media then turned into a few speakers coming to encourage our team, which then became a national conference, now supported by Amnesty International UK and the NUS. For us, it is clear that our ideas were definitely worth fighting for.

Guest speakers for this year’s conference include: Harriet Minter, the BBC’s Shelley Alexander, Kate Cocker, Nazia Parveen from The Guardian, Youtuber Grace Victory, BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern, Megan Lucero, Sue Turton, Channel 4’s Karthi Gnanasegaram and we even have our very own Polly Bartlett, one of last year’s co-founders, returning to speak about having ‘just made it in the media’.

The conference will include a diverse range of panel discussions with speakers from BAME and LGBTQ+ communities, and a talk on entering the media from a working class background. Alongside these we will have workshops on data journalism, developing ideas, getting into documentaries, and Q&A sessions on sports journalism, political reporting and a special Amnesty International panel ‘Journalism Under Threat’, where Sue Turton will discuss her experiences as one of the Al Jazeera journalists convicted by an Egyptian court on terrorism charges.

Students and young women from around the UK will get the opportunity to hear about and learn from these inspiring and successful women in media, as well as the chance to network and take part in this pioneering event. These speakers are just a few examples of what the conference has to offer, and there are still some very exciting announcements to be made.

Hareem Ghani, the NUS Women’s Officer, said about this year’s conference: “We know that women and their skills are under-represented at all levels of the media industry, which is why it’s so amazing to see what started as a small group of student journalists become such a ground breaking event.

“Hosting high profile inspirational speakers from journalism, TV, radio and blogging, the day allows young women thinking about careers in media to gain key skills and leave feeling empowered about their future.”

The conference will be held at the People’s History Museum in Manchester on the 4–5th of March 2017.

To see the full timetable so far visit our website at womeninmediacon.co.uk and join our Facebook event, and follow us on Twitter @womeninmediacon for all the updates about the conference.

Weekend and individual day tickets, at student-friendly prices, are still available on our website.

A student life: UOM Board Games Society

Written by Emma Shanks on . Posted in Features.

Picture this: Tuesday night, 8pm, Woolton Hall dining room, Owens Park. 20 to 30 students gather for a non-stop night of entertainment — and no, this is no boozy pre-drinks, this is the University of Manchester Board Games Society weekly meet-up, and I caught up with Jon Bebb, its Social Sec, to find out more.

“Once all the students who’ve eaten have been cleared out we just hang around for hours playing anything that takes our fancy from the massive collection of games.” He describes it as a place to relive the simpler old-time party classics, like Codenames, as well as an opportunity to discover a range of newer more complicated material, like The Game of Thrones board game (which takes 8 hours on average to complete).

“Sometimes people will turn up to play and not leave till about 3’o clock in the morning. The latest we’ve had was when a few guys were playing a game about shipping and stayed until the following morning when the kitchen staff were coming in to arrange breakfast for the next day.”

Jon is quick to emphasise how much of a casual environment the society seeks to create, something that appealed to him back when he joined two years ago. “A lot of people are a bit worried because they come and might have only previously played games like Monopoly, which we don’t play by the way because it’s not a good game —  hard to say that without sounding like an elitist twat — but we always try to be accommodating and we always make sure to thoroughly explain things.”

“I know when I first turned up I’d never played, or even heard of any of these games, but everyone was so welcoming and happy to explain things. I never felt as if people were looking down on me for not being familiar with stuff.”

When asked how he first got into the UOM Board Games Society back in his third year as an undergraduate, Jon told me that he had just been looking to get out and do something “a bit different. I was following certain people on the Internet who were talking about video gaming but who were also into board games, so I thought if there’s a society I’ll just turn up. Then I started getting so into it to the point where everyone kind of knew me and I felt obliged to take over”.

Though these days university funding is not given out based on membership, the society has over 600 affiliates on their Facebook page, from which a solid 20 to 30 are regular attendees — “this year I’ve tried to really push the idea that people can turn up whenever they want to make it more of a casual thing”.

The society has little interest for introducing tournaments into their program, and though there is certainly a feeling of competitiveness from time to time, “it never feels hostile, it’s more just a bit of fun between friends. There are plenty of other societies out there who do that rivalry stuff, so I don’t think we need to do”.

While the UOM Board Games Society is not big on socials, it does occasionally hold special holiday events of weekend-long board gaming marathons, starting at 10am and continuing into the early hours of the morning.

When asked if Jon had ever considered incorporating drinking alcohol into the society’s setting, he said: “I’ve always thought that playing board games is a good place for people who don’t drink, because that’s getting more common these days, and it’s nice to be inclusive.”

“While it’s always nice to have a small group of people who know each other and a given activity very well, if you want to actually grow as a society, you’ve got to make sure that you’re trying to appeal to as many different people as possible.”

Take for example his experience a few months ago at the Freshers’ Fair — “I found that it was very easy to profile people as they were walking past, according to the sort of person who looked like they might play board games (you can guess what I had in mind – white nerdy guy), so you have to be careful of that.”

As for funding, the society does not charge for entry. The Students’ Union usually allocate them the few hundred requested each year — “we don’t ask for much compared to other societies since we use the hall for free. All our money just goes to buying games and a few other minor things, like when we had our banner stolen last year and we had to buy a new one — that was annoying.”

The UOM Board Games society is open to everyone, whether you are an enthusiast or complete beginner so head on over to the next session and give it a go.

For more information, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Where from: “A small rural town called Taunton, Somerset — not a lot happens there, but I’m sure they’re proud of me.”

Course: PhD student in Philosophy

Balance between work and study: “It’s not a huge commitment actually, which is something that I’ve quite liked about doing it. We have quite a nice little deal with the people who run Woolton Hall, where they just let us use it, as long as we don’t completely trash the place, so the events just organise themselves. It’s on the same day every week, so it’s not like we need to plan anything. It’s pretty easy really, in that it doesn’t take up too much of my time, and it’s actually nice having that one day of the week when you know that you don’t have to work as hard as usual.”

Where he sees himself in 15 years: “Currently I’m pursuing the academic line, hence the PhD, so we’ll see where that takes me, but anything could happen right?”

Swastika and ‘Rights for Whites’ graffiti at Exeter University

Written by Iona Taylor on . Posted in News.

Exeter University has come under recent scrutiny after a swastika and ‘Rights for Whites’ sign were found graffitied in a halls of residence.

The swastika was carved on the doors of the campus hall, Birks Grange, and has since been removed.

This comes after the criticism of an Exeter Fresher’s Week sports social that included T-shirts emblazoned with handwritten racist slogans including the words “the Holocaust was a good time”.

The University of Exeter’s spokesperson has responded, saying that: “The university believes any form of racist or discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable and the actions of those involved are in contrast to the vast majority of students, who help to build our tolerant and inclusive university community.”

One student from Birks Grange described the “confusion” over the offensive images, pointing out that the swastika carved was slightly obscured and may have been there for some time. Upon noticing the sign, the university immediately conducted interviews of each member of the corridor in an attempt to find the culprit but have, as of yet, been unsuccessful.

This has come at a time where many of the leading Russell Group Universities are facing allegations of on-campus racism, leading to questions regarding the anti-Semitic nature of Britain’s universities. Baroness Deech, former senior proctor at Oxford University, has warned that Britain’s top universities are becoming no-go zones zones for Jewish students.

According to Baroness Deech, “amongst Jewish students, there is gradually a feeling that there are certain universities that you should avoid”, and she continued to include both University of Manchester and Exeter in her list. These comments have been contentious however, with the Union of Jewish Students arguing that the “UJS rejects the notion that there are ‘certain universities that you [Jewish students] should avoid”.

Whilst they acknowledge that there has been a recent spike in anti-Semitism in universities, they deny the claims of Baroness Deech “fully portray the experiences of Jewish students. It does a disservice to the thousands who are able to freely express their Jewish identities in whichever way they choose”.

Nonetheless, this comes at a time where UK Universities are facing a definite increase in anti-Semitic behaviour. The police were called to UCL after a group of Jewish students were barricaded in a room in the heat of an anti-Israel rally — they were told it would be unsafe for them to leave the room alone, and were forced to wait for the police to escort them across campus.

The University of Cambridge has seen the distribution of leaflets that have denied the occurrence of the Holocaust.

The Community Security Trust recently reported figures showing that anti-Semitic attacks against students or professors have doubled in 2016 in comparison to 2015.

Danny Boyle to help set up MMU’s brand new media school

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in News.

With the help of Bury-born director Danny Boyle, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is set to launch a brand new £30m media school.

Boyle, responsible for Oscar winners such as Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, and the visionary behind the 2012 Olympic opening ceremonies, hopes the new school will encourage and enable home grown talent to make their mark in the industry.

The school expects to welcome 1,000 students per academic year, whilst working closely with existing media and arts institutions Manchester already can boast about, including: BBC, HOME, ITV, and Red Productions. It is predicted that the venture will accumulate a £13m boost for the local economy annually.

The International Screen School Manchester (ISSM) will provide courses in film, applied games, animation, sound design and special effects for screen, user experience design and immersive media content production.

Industry heavyweights from film, media and commerce have apparently already agreed to be a part of the school’s Industry Advisory Board which will be co-chaired by Boyle.

Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, Boyle said he was delighted to be a part of the International Screen School Manchester: “Manchester is a prolific centre of media production already and the Screen School will create the talent needed in the North to create even more success.

“I’m really keen to see young people from all backgrounds given the opportunity to learn to be the filmmakers and media producers of the future, and to have the opportunity to tell their own stories — but in ways that we’ve never experienced before.”

Though the funding decision is expected to be signed off next week, it is believed that the media school will be half-funded by MMU whilst the other remaining half will be covered by a pot of government money intended to boost the economy.

If agreed at a meeting next week, work will begin to develop the project on a site on Manchester’s Oxford Road.

Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese told The Manchester Evening News: “The International Screen School Manchester will be a creative and digital skills powerhouse, supporting the creative and digital industries to secure the skills needed to drive innovation, growth, and transformation.”

Creative and industrial industries are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the region, with the industry growing faster than anywhere in the UK. Leese went on to say, “Manchester is Europe’s second largest creative, digital and media hub and the sector is growing faster than anywhere else in the UK.”

It is reported that the creative and digital industries are one of the fastest growing sectors in the Greater Manchester economy, accounting for over 55,000 jobs which in turn generates around £3 billion a year.

The Screen School will be a part of MMU’s world-leading School of Art.