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Year: 2017

US imitates China: agressive foreign policy for domestic support

In its aggressive use of foreign policy, the Republican Government is in turn making an indirect yet powerful impact on domestic affairs, imitating the authoritarian processes that the Chinese Communist Party use to maintain their power over the population and state.

Chaos ensued after an executive order designed to severely restrict Muslim travellers from entering the US was signed into power by President Donald Trump. Protests of thousands of people followed the detention of eleven people who had attempted to enter the country from Iraq and other barred countries at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport.

In 2015, then-Governor Mike Pence tweeted that a state of similar affairs was “offensive and unconstitutional”. However, nodding and applauding along, the Vice-President has clearly changed his public opinion on this matter since his and his party’s unexpected entrance into power. What could be construed as nothing more than a pressured political flip-flop also seems like a cunning political strategy to strengthen Republican control over the White House.

President Trump claimed the move intends to “keep terrorists out” of America. If this is truly the primary objective of the order, then it certainly can be said that, despite its severity, it lacks in rather glaring areas. The seven countries affected by the ban do not encompass many of the largest Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia: the very same countries which have also proved some of the worst sources of terrorism and terrorists in recent years.

Perhaps the real aim of this executive order is exactly what it achieved: to stir up chaos in the US itself. America could be making use of an aggressive line of foreign policy to impact domestic politics, in a similar style to China. Since rejoining the international community and global economy under Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s, China has gone on to take an ‘assertive turn’, escalating territorial disputes and taking tougher stances in diplomatic negotiations, as seen in the Copenhagen Climate Change Talks in 2009.

In militaristic avenues, China insistently claims territory over most of the South China Sea, through which an estimated £2.5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually: a third of the world’s shipping. An economically vital area for the potential superpower, China is aggressive in its claim over the marginal sea against its rivals, neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In doing this, they have reached so far as to ignore and reject the 2016 ruling of a United Nations tribunal against their extensive maritime claims.

This aggression is not merely an act to accrue economics. The Senkaku Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea controlled by Japan since 1895 after being found to be ‘nobody’s land’, can be considered a case in point. China only launched their claim over the islands once evidence of the possibility of oil reserves surfaced. However, the evidence is uncertain and, even so, the largest of the oil reserves would be relatively tiny given the island’s size.

Beyond any aim to acquire oil, the real primary objective for the Chinese government in this dispute is to stir up nationalist sentiments in their own country to combat a crisis of governmental legitimacy. Given the combative history between the two countries, it is important for the Communist Party to be seen by the population to be fighting Japan over territory, in efforts to motivate Chinese people to rally behind its government and to colour any opposition as unpatriotic.

Chinese nationalism heavily relies on the ‘national humiliation’ of past Japanese invasions, particularly the Second Sino-Japanese War and the bloodthirsty Rape of Nanking. Through their Propaganda Department, the Communist Party convert this anti-Japanese sentiment into pro-Chinese nationalism to maintain public support, presenting themselves as a patriotic force, protective of its people and territory. State propaganda calls the Senkaku Islands ‘Diaoyu’ and says they have always been Chinese.

A protective patriotic force is also exactly how the Republican Party desires to be seen. They too have a crisis of legitimacy: for the 2020 election, having lost the 2016 popular vote tremendously. To maintain their stranglehold on power, Republicans want to rally people against a common ‘enemy’ of foreign countries and people. They know it works: after all, why else would primary voters have responded so well to the promise to “build the wall”? Why else would Trump, fittingly, publicly rail against China’s sea disputes after labelling them “our enemy” throughout his campaign?

This order was intended to be divisive. As the partisan gap grows the political centre ground will vanish, all of which plays into the hands of the Republican Party in their efforts to build support for 2020. Many fear that the attempted imposition of the order risks multiplying foreign radicalisation. A terrorist attack involving Middle Eastern perpetrators would only strengthen the mandate and support of a Republican Party with these policies. For many US politicians, this is all just political strategy. 2016 was lucky: they do not want to leave it down to luck next time.

If President Trump truly does believe that China is the enemy of the United States then he certainly has no qualms with learning from his enemies.

Homeless in Manchester: “It’s nice to see a face”

During the Christmas holidays, whilst most people ate their body weight in celebration chocolates and spent extortionate amounts on presents, I decided to do something a little different. Teaming up with the charity Crisis, I volunteered for 9 days at a homeless shelter. It wasn’t your typical shelter of serving up soup to a long queue; at Crisis, we had salsa lessons, played football, sang karaoke and simply talked to the residents.

For 9 days, over 150 people who found themselves homeless over Christmas became residents of this shelter. Meanwhile, doctors, opticians, dentists and hairdressers offered up their services to help them. As much as Christmas day was filled with singing and dancing and topped off with a beautifully prepared Christmas dinner, it was extremely disheartening and emotional knowing that these 150 people were warm, safe and full for only 9 days. One resident cried as he told me that “it’s nice to see a face, I only ever see shoes” whilst another said “homelessness isn’t just for Christmas, it happens every day.”

Homelessness is an issue prevalent throughout society, and those who find themselves on the street are often ignored by the mainstream. Even worse, individuals who live on the streets are often blamed for their fate received. After spending Christmas connecting with homeless people, it is clear that their reasons for becoming destitute were not so simple, and that all they wanted was a bit of kindness and to reintegrate back into society.

Years ago, Mother Teresa stated “we think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” The issue of homelessness is of vital significance across the globe and it affects all types of people. Homelessness is not confined to certain genetic makeup, religion, race, gender or age, but it can destroy the lives of any human being. The notion of homelessness is burdened with stigma and prejudice and must be emphasised as a serious issue.

The reality of homelessness must be abolished and forever prevented. It is sickening to know that even in the most economically developed countries and the most affluent of cities, people are sleeping on the streets and rooting through bins to find food. “Greater Manchester has more multi-millionaires than anywhere in Britain outside of London, according to new research. There are 375 super-rich individuals living in the region according to financial experts.” (Steve Robson, Manchester Evening News, September 2012).

Now, one would presume that in such an affluent, prosperous and modern city, homelessness would be a nightmare in history or a horrible element of the past, but this is far from the truth. To make matters worse, although one might agree that this should be impossible, it is apparent that the government and its official statistics are hiding the truth and severity of the situation. For example, the official figures in 2015, collected by town halls, showed that the number of homeless people in Greater Manchester streets was 24. But, homeless organisations believe the figure was, and still is, much higher.

An article from The Telegraph states that “research, published jointly by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), argued that official figures are masking the true scale of the problem.” Daniel Gillard, who has just recently concluded a Manchester Council inquiry on the issue that spoke to dozens of homeless organisations, believes that the number of people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester is six times higher than the official figure (Jennifer Williams, Manchester Evening News, December 2014).

Manchester is renowned for the small community of homeless people known as ‘tent city’. More than 40 homeless people live in tents, sectioned off with ‘gates’ made out of pieces of cardboard. In a world of isolation and alienation, creating a small community and having somewhere to call home, albeit a tent on the side of the road, created some normality for those individuals. However, last year they were evicted from ‘tent city’ as the University of Manchester gained a possession order for the site.

A year on, homelessness is still a significant issue in Manchester. Evicting the homeless from ‘tent city’ did not lead to the community being re-homed or put in temporary accommodation; they simply moved to another street. In order to tackle the issue, more needs to be done.

The root causes of homelessness like drug addiction, alcoholism, abuse, or unemployment, need to be addressed. There are many wonderful charities that have been founded to combat homelessness and offer a helping hand, including societies at the University of Manchester.

Often, all these people want is a kind word, a friendly smile, a cup of tea or a spare cigarette. Get involved with the charities at University or volunteer in a soup kitchen, so that one day homelessness can be eradicated.

 

Bye Bye Bercow

An election is approaching, one that will shape and characterise our politics for the better part of the next decade. The electorate number is just 650 — all members of the House of Commons. This small-scale, but hugely important, election has come about ever since John Bercow announced his decision to leave the post of Speaker after an impressive 8 years in the role. He has been celebrated both inside and outside of the Commons and has been an ardent reformer of Parliament. Some will praise his modernising drive, but I will avidly welcome his departure. To me, he will always be the Speaker who disregarded tradition and procedure in the name of “modernism” and “inclusivity”.

Bercow must be given credit. He has kept a firm control of the chamber during his tenure and has been an ardent supporter of the back benches, giving them the primacy and ability to scrutinise what they lacked. This was especially important in the height of the Blair years, when debate was dominated by the two opposing front benches.

But, Mr Bercow also suffers from an inflated ego. Since he became Speaker, he has relentlessly pursued an agenda that will, he clearly hopes, leaves him remembered as the biggest moderniser the Commons has ever seen. This is likely in the distinct hope that he will go down more favourably in history than his predecessor, The Right Honourable Michael Martin.

However, he has done something that usually is beyond the Speaker’s remit: he has become political. To have taken such action not only sets a dangerous precedent, but it also shows us that, for all we thought of the Speaker, he is no more of a pitiful virtue signalling snob than the likes of Anna Soubry or Yvette Cooper.

While he has correctly stated that there is no automatic right granted to a foreign leader to address Parliament, it is a courtesy that we often grant to our most important allies for its symbolic importance; the Speaker appears to have taken leave of his senses recently. He now appears to believe that we live in a world where he can give the finger to the President of the United States and not expect any retribution or knock-on effects that could prove detrimental to the UK in a post-Brexit world. The President has been shown to have a very delicate ego, one that we should seek to massage and not knock. The Speaker is managing to hurt our foreign policy, over which he has zero authority, with his own personal opinions. He has put his own personal feelings before the good of the country, which to me, demonstrates nothing but the most abject selfishness.

His reasons for blocking Mr Trump have been that the President is “racist, sexist” and so on, but the Speaker clearly has a very short memory. In the past, he has welcomed the Emir of Kuwait, who rules a country which bans homosexuals and Israelis and has a dire record on women’s rights, along with the President of China, whose country isn’t known for its racial tolerance or its respect for the rule of law. The Speaker’s actions are rank hypocrisy, plain and simple.

Furthermore, the Speaker is a man to whom the traditions and processes of Parliament seem to barely matter. With regards to the Trump scandal, he neglected to consult Lord Fowler, the Speaker of the Lords, about his decision. Yet, I am afraid this is not even his greatest offence against the traditions of the house.

During his time as Speaker, he has refused to conform to the dress code of his office, which traditionally consisted of a court dress, a wig and a gold embroidered robe. He has shown his displeasure for this ceremonial garb, opting instead for a simple black gown — seemingly without care as to whether or not he upholds the traditions and procedures which he is expected to protect and steward.

He committed another great offence last week when he decreed that the clerks of the House of Commons will no longer be obliged to wear wigs or court dress. With a single decision, he has cast aside centuries of tradition. What was his reason you ask? To make Parliament “less stuffy”. Any country would wish to have these valuable traditions; they’re upheld in the mother of all parliaments. The Commons and the Lords have governed this sceptered Isle ever since the Act of Union in 1707, and 300 years of unbroken democracy and tradition are what has kept Britain stable and made it what it is today. We are not continentals! We do not cast aside our past because some of it doesn’t quite fit with the world of today. We embrace it. It is all part of our unwritten constitution and part of what makes this country great.

His imminent departure would be most welcome. It is high time he took his radical ideas to the back benches where he can mutter to himself about the superiority his unnecessary reforms. But do not worry, for all is not lost; The Honour Jacob Rees-Mogg is being tipped as the likely favourite to succeed Mr Bercow. If this comes to fruition and Rees-Mogg is invested into one of the greatest offices in the land, the House’s traditions and the dignity will be restored. What a glorious thought.

LGBT History Month: Blood Donation

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

On the 8th of February, I donated blood at the Plymouth Grove Centre in Manchester. It is a place I am sure many students walk past without even considering what goes on inside. I rang up on the phone and booked my appointment, which only took a few minutes. The day arrived and my appointment was over and done with relatively quickly. They made me fill out a form, offered me a drink, tested my iron levels and within minutes, I was laid down in the chair donating blood.

Overall, it was a positive experience. The staff were friendly and it was great hearing the stories of people who had donated blood. So many had been donating because their family and friends had previously needed blood, and they wanted to help someone in the same situation. I cannot recommend this process more, it is easy and is instantly gratifying.

The only grievance I have is that as a gay man, I was not able to be myself truthfully. Gay and bisexual men have to either lie about their identity or abstain from any kind of sexual contact with other men for 12 months, with or without condoms. Either way, it is a compromise of who we are. It makes dishonesty a necessity in one instance, which then adds weight to the cultural belief that LGBT people are deceitful, as mentioned in my previous article about coming out.

While other donors were openly talking with the nurse about their wife and boyfriend, I could not talk about mine. The stigma surrounding gay men donating blood made me feel as though I should be ashamed of my sexuality and that it is in some way unclear — a feeling I have not had for a long time.

Abstaining is equally unfair. In order to be fully sure I was safe to donate, and also to understand the personal impact of abstaining, I did go through with it. This process obviously makes forming relationships harder. Because of the culture of gay men and students, most people I would be likely to talk to are not prepared to stick around and wait for me when there is someone else willing to do more for them. Luckily, when I met my current boyfriend, he was understanding and patient about this.

With no one to romantically engage with for a long time, I became very bored and lonely. As such I found myself drinking more which led to weight gain (not aided by the alluring call of drunk food). This worsened my self image and ultimately had a profound impact on my mood.

Perhaps the most frustrating part of this law is that it does not even really make sense. Instead, it is a hangover from the AIDs crisis, which still leaves people in fear of gay blood. By putting a blanket ban on all gay men, it actively victimises all gay people rather than preventing donations from those who engage in risky sex, gay or straight.

It is foolish and dangerous to deny that HIV and hepatitis rates are higher among gay and bisexual men, but 12 months of no sex, even when condoms are used, is unnecessary. I have been vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B as part of travel vaccines, as many other people have been. These things should be assessed on a case by case basis, with a general rule that any person who has had unprotected sex within the past three months be questioned further. In fact, they already question donors in a consultation room, so this will not take up any new resources.

Any gay or bisexual man who has received a HIV negative result after not engaging in unprotected sex for three months with any new sexual partners should be able to donate. The current laws exclude monogamous homosexual couples who are both aware of their HIV negative status and gay and bisexual men who practise safe sex, as these do not fit the stereotype of the promiscuous and dangerous gay man.

Perhaps the inconvenient truth is that the NHS has said that they do not need the number of donors to increase significantly. Neil Simms, Senior Marketing Co-ordinator for donor centres in the north, said that due to increased efficiencies of procedures, less blood is needed. Currently, about 3-4 per cent of the eligible population donates blood, and Simms revealed to me on the phone that if this increased to 10 per cent it would in fact be too much. As the NHS does not need a huge increase in the number of donations of blood, there is no need to challenge their stigmatisation of gay and bisexual men.

All the issues raised in this article are why LGBT history month still matters. It reminds us that we still face judgement based on the issues of our past, and that we must work hard to dispel the social stigmas that are held against us.

Sundance Film Festival 2017 highlights

The Sundance Film Festival came to a close at the end of January, leaving us with a selection of innovative content to keep a lookout for over the upcoming months. Three films stood out to me as particularly interesting in relation to the cast, plotlines and quality. Independent film festivals such as Sundance are vital to help the smaller budget films gain a larger audience.

A main attraction of the festival was the emotionally fraught Golden Exits directed by Alex Ross Perry, a film about ties and connections, about unvoiced feelings and forbidden desires that silently dismantle relationships.

Nick (Adam Horovitz) has established a monotonous daily life for himself and his wife in Brooklyn, where he works long hours on a case for his father-in-law. As he does every year, he employs a temporary assistant for the season. Young and alluring fresh faced Naomi (Emily Browning) arrives from Australia into this foreign city, consequently filling the role Nick required, and despite himself, becoming the subject of his fantasies. The only other familiar face she knows in the city is a loose family connection to Buddy (Jason Schwartzman), a record producer who lives in the same small area of Brooklyn. For the little time she is around, her effect on Nick and Buddy seeps into their respective relationships, weaving uncomfortable ties between them and wrecking the fragile balance of their lives.
Golden Exits doesn’t have a great deal of dialogue, as most of the action is happening below the surface. The unstated angst, desire, suspicion, frustration and emotional distress is instead conveyed through Keegan Dewitt’s musical score.
This film will probably not be a commercial success, but a definite mark of Alex Ross Perry’s talent as an auteur.

The next movie worth bringing attention to is Dee Rees’ Mudbound — a thought-provoking and moving story of two families in racially divided Mississippi.

Set during World War II, the film features Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan as Henry and Laura McAllan, who with their very last savings have purchased a parcel of land to work. Sharecropping on the same land are Hap and Florence Jackson (brilliantly performed by Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), who are struggling to make sense of this new-found freedom lacking equal rights. This is exaggerated by them having to deal with constant aggravation and racism, with Henry’s father also indulging in the obscenities (Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks). What distinguishes the film from others in its genre is how it depicts the military experiences of Henry’s brother (Garrett Hedlund) and Hap’s son, Ronsel (Jason Mitchell). Both characters end up serving in World War II, which forces them to step outside the common mindset of class and race of the deep South in particular. Returning home, the concavity and shallowness of racism has never been so blatant, as they are now aware of the disease that riddles America.

Refreshing in its simplicity, Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash) has conjured up an instant classic for Sundance this year, entitled Call Me By Your Name.

The setting is the summer of 1983, Northern Italy, and the 17-year-old Italian-American Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) spends his days lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel) in his family’s 17th century villa. Soon into the film, Oliver (The Birth of a Nation’s Armie Hammer), a charming 24-year-old American working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern assigned to aide Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg), a renowned professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Amidst the sun-drenched splendour of this sensual setting, Elio and Oliver discover their mutual desire, the effects of which will be profoundly life-altering.

These films are but a selection of many from the Sundance Film Festival of 2017, but are of such an emotional maturity and impact that I suspect we will be hearing much more about them in the months to come.

Vintage beauty – not just for the elite

Vintage beauty is one of those looks I have always associated with unattainable flawlessness. The china doll skin and perfectly sculpted curls often seen on the likes of Dita Von Teese, burlesque dancers, and in stylised TV dramas always look like such a work of art that I couldn’t imagine them on the likes of me. A person who tends to take a more slapdash, hope-for-the-best approach to my appearance.

However vintage style amongst celebrities and on the red carpet has always been evident and its influence seems to be increasing, whether it be a modern twist, full blown 40s style or just a nod in that direction. I began to think if these people are managing it (let alone the ladies of the 1940s who produced this look, without half of the beauty items we now have, every day) then maybe mere mortals such as myself could delve into the art of vintage beauty. So you can imagine my delight when Bethany and Simon at The Vintage Beauty Parlour in Chorlton invited me to take part in a complete vintage makeover experience.

When I arrived with Frankie, my friend and photographer for the day, I thought we’d taken a Tardis there rather than an Uber. The salon had this beautiful old Hollywood look, complete with a black and white tiled floor and Hollywood bulb mirrors. I was presented with a huge book full of hair and makeup styles, and after um-ing and ah-ing for a while I chose the looks I liked and Bethany set to work.

Frankie and I spent most of that morning with our mouths open. Frankie was totally taken aback by Bethany’s talent and the beauty of the parlour (she is an architect student after all) and I was drooling over Bethany’s make-up collection and her unending knowledge. I felt quite inadequate really, learning about how Bethany brushes shoulders and kabuki brushes with famous burlesque dancers, working on sets and even styling Dita Von Teese herself. Add that to her list of awards like the National Vintage Award and publishing her own step-by-step book, you can safely assume I was awestruck.

But what I really took away from the experience, more than anything else, was how accessible vintage beauty really is. It really isn’t the elite, all-or-nothing style like I initially thought, and so it is no wonder that its popularity is continuing to increase. While I’ll admit I spent just over two hours in the chair being completely made up, it has been easy to introduce elements of the look into everyday life; big winged eyeliner, pale foundation and pink blusher have definitely made an appearance in my day to day look since my vintage experience.

So even if you, like me, have perhaps thought that vintage beauty wouldn’t go with your look or that it is too time consuming and complicated – think again! Or if you’ve never considered it as something you’d be interested in, here’s your chance. There is a whole world out there consisting of Youtube channels, books, websites and even how-to classes like those run by Bethany that all provide a more comprehensive understanding of what vintage beauty really means. The thing I have fallen in love with most about vintage beauty is how much you can make it your own, and do as much (or as little) as you like. It is a world that Bethany and Simon opened up to me and one I definitely want to learn more about.

If you want to learn more about The Vintage Beauty Parlour and the services they offer, you can find ‘The Vintage Beauty Parlour’ on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. As well as at: www.bethanyjanedavis.com

Bethany’s book Vintage hair Styles of the 1940s is available from the salon and online, and is a totally comprehensive guide on how to style your hair vintage. It’s a purchase I cannot wait to make!

John Hyatt: Rock Art

The forefront of this season’s exhibition series at HOME Manchester is John Hyatt’s punk and musically inspired Rock Art.  Once a member of Post-punk outfit The Three Johns, Hyatt’s show is a small collection of visual art and mixed media pieces. The art itself is a precursor to the main event, a live show each Friday in the exhibition’s own pop-up nightclub, Club Big.

I attended the exhibition’s opening night, which featured the musical talents of various local acts. The audience — many of whom seemed to be existing fans — got to witness a one-off performance by John singing with his old band. The live performance aspect of the night seemed to go down well, but for me, this part of the exhibition highlighted the overriding theme of self-indulgence that littered the rest of the exhibition.

The artwork itself was plethora of odes to Hyatt’s personal career. One of the most prominent pieces in the showroom, entitled The Collection, was a red, polka-dot, walk-in box containing the artist’s comic collection which visitors were welcome to borrow and read. These —  alongside the new and exclusive Three John’s album which could be listened to in the Reading Room —  might be enjoyable for a major fan of his life and work, but for a casual spectator the whole thing gave off a noticeable sense of self-promotion.

The running theme of personal exploration was also present in his video based instillation, Brainbox and Three Wishes. Brainbox is the first of the two and shows ‘a version of the artist as an academic… discussing how the human brain functions’. As the name implies, Hyatt’s depiction of himself is unnecessarily grandiose and self-celebratory and this is not remedied in his second visual piece in which the product of the artist’s ‘experiments’ with sound-waves are inadequately presented and have little impact.

The parts of the exhibit which showcase musical creativity seem to be its redeeming feature but any attempt at making local musicians the heart of the show was undermined by the fact that he was his own headline act and that the gift-shop sold only his own merchandise. If you ignore The Anticipation which was a rope barrier at the entrance of Club Big, the night itself provided an excellent opportunity for visitors to see free live music and for artists to showcase their talents. The addition of the live acts created a lively atmosphere of togetherness, which, in my opinion, was far more worthwhile than the artworks themselves.

Second Oscar nomination for Orlando von Einsiedel

Orlando von Einsiedel is a director, producer and writer who is most well-known for his short documentaries. His 2014 documentary, Virunga, was his first Oscar nomination. The film was the tenth Netflix original documentary ever made, and it explored the last of the mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park. Orlando is also known for his 2012 film Aisha’s Song, a documentary which follows Aisha Sani Abdullahi and her life in Nigeria.

Orlando’s latest nomination, however, is for his documentary The White Helmets, a 40 minute film which shows the volunteer rescue workers in Syria risking their lives to save the civilian victims trapped under debris and rubble in the bomb-stricken country. The White Helmets has received very high critical acclaim, with Julia Raeside describing it as “a film you need to see to begin to understand day-to-day life in war-torn Syria”, and Jack Moore describing The White Helmets as “also succeed[ing] in the delicate balancing act of impartiality.”

It is, it seems, this impartiality which makes the Orlando’s documentary such an informative and poignant glance into the war-stricken country. The film completely avoids dehumanising the Syrian people in order to show the politics behind the war, and instead focuses on the lives of the individuals and the devastation that surrounds them. Simple shots of a father and son playing with a bicycle helmet, with the father’s voice over describing the importance of family to him, are not commercial or being used to evoke a false sense of empathy from the viewer. Instead it reminds the viewer that The White Helmets and their families, friends and other Syrian civilians are ordinary people with real lives and personalities caught up in conflict and crisis. It is all to easy to analyse the political aspects of war, and forget about those who instead are only focusing on day-to-day survival.

More information about Orlando’s university course and The University of Manchester in general can be found on the University website.

Academics in higher education are told to act like diplomats

David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of East Anglia, has said that scholars need to use academic networks as “diplomatic networks to bring soft power to bear on politicians” during the Economic Policy Group’s Innovation Conference in London this year.

Richardson stated that, “in addition to being academics and pursuing their research and research questions, they are actually also diplomats.”

They cannot simply be satisfied with presenting results without substantive discussion, as their discoveries may “not be self-evident to others” and be subject to “pushback”.

Professor Richardson said the university significantly damaged its reputation after the leak of emails by the Climatic Research Unit, who breached the concept of the Freedom of Information Act and deleted key evidence about investigations discussing results about man-made global warming to show data which aligned with its research. The Telegraph labelled the affair, which has come to be known as ‘Climategate’, the “worst scientific scandal of our generation”.

At a recent summit for Global Education at the Presidency University in India, Richardson also told those present that we are living in a “post-truth age [after Brexit] and we need to show politicians and the public how it is that we enrich not only teaching and research but also the cultural and social fabric of the communities we work in.”

According to Richardson, the problem UK universities are currently facing is the failure to acknowledge “working in a ‘post-truth’ environment”. The EU Referendum has caused academics to believe they are elite members of society and “scholars must think about how they’re going to portray hard work and get people to recognise the worth of it as they push back”.

The value of academic and student research is highly commended in the UK by many leading figures, however, Professor Richardson believes in order to value the efforts made, academics must recognise their responsibility as diplomats to have an impact in modern-day politics.

Smokers have 72 per cent risk of fatal lung disease

This month, it was revealed that some smokers have a 72 per cent chance of developing a fatal lung disease.

A recent study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, found that certain members of the population are at a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), including bronchitis or emphysema.

Scientists studied 2.4 million genetic differences in 350,000 people across 13 different countries, and discovered that the most susceptible individuals were 3.7 times more likely to develop COPD within their lifetime. Out of 100 smokers within this high genetic risk group, 72 per cent will go on to develop COPD.

COPD currently affects 3 million people in the UK and costs the NHS more than £800m a year. Its symptoms include breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough, and frequent chest infections. There is currently no cure for COPD.

However, results from the study have revealed several drug targets that could be used for its treatment in the future. Professor Ian Hall told The Independent: “The study [has allowed us to] understand the mechanisms which underlie disease risk, which in turn will provide a stimulus for drug development.”

Smoking is the main cause of COPD, as well as many other diseases. Despite increased public awareness of the associated health risks, the NHS report that almost a quarter of 16-34 year olds are smokers, compared to just 11 per cent of those aged over 60 years. An individual’s level of education is also thought to play a factor in the likelihood of smoking – those with a degree are least likely to smoke at just 9 per cent compared to 19 per cent overall.

But when the risks to health are so high, why do so many students smoke at all? Lev, a 21-year-old engineering student at the University of Manchester, said: “I know that smoking is bad for me and that I probably shouldn’t do it, but it’s a habit that I enjoy and I find it an important stress reliever.”

His friend, 23-year-old Maths student, George, agrees: “I personally started smoking socially when I was out drinking with friends, and then it just developed into a habit. I smoke now to de-stress, especially at work and university.”

Researchers of the study found that by stopping smoking in early adulthood, smokers within the high-risk group could reduce their chances of developing COPD by half. On this, George said: “I worry about the effects of smoking and I keep telling myself I’ll quit after uni, but I know it’s going to be harder than I think. If I knew I had a higher risk of developing COPD, I probably quit right away.”

It is this notion that Professor Martin Tobin believes will persuade some smokers to quit, and says that “information [from this study can be used] in prevention, such as for targeting smoking cessation services.”

Last year, the Government took drastic action to reduce the number of smokers in the UK. New laws ordered cigarettes and tobacco to be sold in standardised plain packaging, and for pictures of the harmful effects of smoking to cover at least 65 per cent of the box. It is believed that removing all branding from packs of cigarettes will make smoking less attractive for individuals, preventing more people from picking up the habit.

The perennial trend: corsets

With its origins tracing back some five hundred years, the corset has been the ultimate tool for creating the hourglass silhouette for generations of women.

Whilst in the 16th Century the corset was designed to disguise a woman’s curves through compressing the stomach and breasts, by the 17th Century the corset was being used to create the hourglass figure. The design changed and instead of disguising womanly curves, corsets were used to slim a woman’s waist and elevate the breasts therefore resembling the desired look that many continue to seek today.

Even during the mid 19th century the trend continued and corsets were being used to give women the ‘S’ shaped silhouette. What made these women endure years of discomfort just so that they could achieve the ‘perfect’ hourglass figure and from where did this definition of perfection originate? Despite warnings from physicians about the dangers of corsets, the trend persisted for many years. It is known that women often struggled for breath and even fainted due to the restrictive nature of the corset. Who can forget the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean when Keira Knightley plunges into the sea after fainting because she could not catch her breath?

Whilst this was a scene was emphasised for cinematic satisfaction, the threat posed by the wearing of corsets was real, yet the related health issues were not enough to deter women from this popular style. Whilst nowadays women are willing to go under the knife or try extreme diets in the quest for body perfection, it seems that this is not a new a trend and as for centuries women have compromised their health in order to achieve what is believed to be ‘perfection’.

Over the years, the stiff and restrictive nature of the corset became more relaxed and by the beginning of World War 1 it was not mandatory for a woman to wear a corset.

By the 1920s when the straight, waist-less dresses of flappers were all the rage the necessity of a corset diminished and was replaced by a girdle and a bra and this became the trend for much of the 30s and 40s.

By the early 1950s, we see a return to the popular style created by corsets with Christian Dior’s post-war collection that once again placed emphasis on the small waist. Dior’s designs were an effort to revive the once booming Parisian fashion industry. The collection accented the allure of the female body with cinched waists and full skirts, bringing femininity back to womenswear. This flirtation with the style made popular by the corset was relatively short-lived and the swinging sixties brought with it mini-skirts and shift dresses.

For the years that followed, the corset seemed to have taken a back seat until Madonna made her debut in Jean Paul Gaultier’s corseted bodice for her ‘Blonde Ambition’ tour. The coned bra is now synonymous with Madonna and Gaultier.  Although the corset experienced a brief revival thanks to the two, it was short-lived and the desired figure for women was that of the supermodels of the moment: Claudia, Christy, and Naomi.

The cinched waist was out and super slim was in. This trend continued into the noughties with the likes of Kate Moss being the cover girl for the ideal figure of the moment. This look was just as unattainable as the hourglass figure promoted by the popularity of corsets, yet it prevailed for a number of years and became the ultimate body goal for women.

It is only in the past couple of years that we have seen the hourglass figure make its way back into the spotlight. Thanks to the Kardashian-Jenner clan, who shamelessly promote waist trainers, the look favoured during the 17th century is once again the sought after silhouette of present day.

The promotion of the waist trainer by said celebrities is further endorsement of the hourglass figure, with these women claiming that this product will be the answer to the current search for body perfection. The waist trainer most obviously resembles a corset; it is incredibly tight yet without the inclusion of steel stiffeners sewn into the lining, however it is still likely to pose health threats if worn for a long period of time.

Women are still willing to put themselves at great discomfort to attain the ideal body shape and adhere to the fashion of the moment. Centuries later, we are still obsessed with the allure of the corset and the effect it creates because we are told that this is what equals beauty. Over the years, the corset has been inspiration for designers who have incorporated them into their collections with great success and even today bodice style tops are widely available on the high street. These designs are simply intended for fashion purposes, they are not attempting to alter our figures. The issue lies with the popularity of the waist trainer, a replica of the corset of earlier centuries, and what this demonstrates about what is expected of women and the idea that they must alter their figures.

Embrace the fifties style silhouette and take inspiration from Gaultier circa 1980, but with the popularity of the hourglass figure once again reaching prominence, let’s avoid the threat of fainting a la Keira Knightley and instead love the figures that we have.

Review: Santa Clarita Diet

The new Netflix series starring Drew Barrymore is a wonderful new addition to the TV series that Netflix has invested in. A typical suburban American family of realtors find themselves in a spot of trouble when Sheila (Drew Barrymore) finds herself craving raw meat and having no heartbeat.

On a typical day in the life of the Hammonds as they show an off a new house on the market, Sheila finds herself profusely vomiting all over the living room floor with her clients standing right beside her all over then fresh cream carpet. Quietly excusing her self to the bathroom she is left vomiting her guts up, literally. When she arrives home she realises that her heart has no pulse, her blood is a thick tar-like substance and all she wants to eat is raw hamburger. The undead becomes completely driven by their ‘Id’ and Sheila changes from this boring woman stuck in her ways to an outgoing, crazy lady who does whatever she desires whenever she wants to.

Obviously, these are not normal symptoms for a human and they are well aware that if she was to visit someone for professional help they would laugh in her face or lock her away to do crazy tests and experiments on her. Left with no choice, they visit the neighbour’s son, a young boy with a keen interest in the supernatural. You can probably guess what the diagnosis is, no heart beat, no blood and a taste for raw meat, yep you’ve got it, a zombie. Without giving too much away as the series wastes no time in explaining how she is going to deal with it, one thing is certain, her life won’t quite be the same again.

We haven’t seen much of Barrymore in these days as she has turned towards more television roles and tried her hand at directing and producing, in fact being an executive producer of this new series. However in this role, we can see why she was cast, her fun-loving nature is showcased to the max and we see the Barrymore that we have all grow to love over her career, since her earlier roles as the cutest little girl in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

Overall, the great thing about this program is that they’ve taken a theme that so many people have tried to recreate, and done it in a way where instead of them being dressed head to toe in fake blood and gloop, we have a very normal family, who look normal, act normal but have to intertwine being a zombie into their everyday lives. You’ll see that trying to be a zombie in modern day American is rather difficult, especially with the added cop and sheriff being your next door neighbours.

An Alternative History of Fashion: Costume in The Man in the High Castle

This week I took it upon myself to watch the pilot episode of the TV show, The Man in the High Castle. This series is set in an interesting alternative reality in which the Nazis had successfully risen to power in the aftermath of the Second World War, and I must admit that it is let down by an intensely unoriginal script and mediocre plotline. However, what the episode did not fail to deliver on, was an abundant force of wonderful costume.

Since the show is set in America circa 1962, one might expect to see bursts of colour and some bold patterns à la Mad Men, however, under the tight military regime that the plot entails, both of these aspects are controlled and brought under somewhat of a wartime theme.  A palette of olivey greens and various shades of brown make up the show’s wardrobe,  creating a dull and modest aesthetic yet one that is full of elegant vitality. Not only are these colours parallel to military uniform and thus suggestive of a parallel civilian lifestyle, but in their earthy tones, they reflect a natural existence, one of subtle pride, rather than gaudy vanity.

The women in the series are seen in shapely formal dresses that define and smooth curves into perfection, and on these dresses, where pattern is concerned, the past is seen to float into the present in decorative yet simple florals, reminiscent of the western 40s and 50s. In keeping with the theme of definition and simplicity, fronts are kept either pristinely smooth across the chest, or buttoned down. Buttons often frequent the screen, attaching the show with a childlike and humble aesthetic, in a world nearly bereft of technology and modern advancement.

Moreover, what would one expect of fashion-focused wartime but tweed jackets and trench coats? Practicality takes hold of the lives of the cast in sheer textural perfection. Further inspiration, especially for these cold winter months in the grim north, is the frequent use of corduroy in the show, which should find a place in your wardrobe. The pockets in the clothes featured on the show have two purposes: not only are they in keeping with the 40s inspired look, but they also have the more practical use of concealing the character’s secrets, a completely practical fashion statement that we can all get on board with.

The show perfectly executes the interweaving of histories to present a wardrobe of both a rough yet poised wartime texture, and that of progression, into a softer, more casual world of youth and material enjoyment. The soft round-cornered square collars truly sum up the confusion of the wardrobe of the alternative era, they offer an impression of something that is simultaneously soft and coarse.

In my opinion, the show contains revolutionary fashion despite it being grounded in familiar history; what an alternative history provides is a space in which there are no fashion rules, only inspirational guidelines. The 40s and 60s are knitted together alongside military life to create a diverse and strict, but multi-tonal wardrobe.

This is a wardrobe that is not difficult to weave into one’s own, one of cosy hand-knitted vibes and subtlety. A couple of pairs of cord trousers and a button down trench coat, and you are well on your way to looking and feeling effortlessly elegant and composed, in the style of the hit series The Man in the High Castle.

Top 5 comic books for complete beginners

From Kickass to Watchman, from V for Vendetta to Dr Strange, graphic novels and comic books are now happily in the main stream. Some series have been running for many years, such as DC and Marvel, and to fully understand them can take hours of wiki searches and lore videos on youtube. You’d be mad to go in to 2016s Secret Wars event blind. Luckily there are some comic series’ independent of all the lore and past history, praised for their writing and art styles. Here are 5 brilliant comic books to get you into the genre

5. The Walking Dead
The most famous and the longest running on this list, The Walking Dead began in 2003 and has spawned two TV series, numerous games and is near competing with Disney for merchandise. If you haven’t heard of this series chances are you haven’t been anywhere near a telly or the internet in the last half dozen years. Praised for revitalising the zombie genre, The Walking Dead comic focuses on one small group of survivors as they try to survive the apocalypse without losing themselves. If you’re willing to put in the time, it’s a rewarding series with very well written characters. However if you’re looking for something easier to catch up on and far less soul crushing, I present to you…
4. Sex Criminals
Not one for the prudish, as you may have gathered from the title. Sex Criminals follows a young couple as they meet and fall in love. But this couple is somewhat different than most. Both of the protagonists have a special gift. That gift being they can stop time with an orgasm. Yep. You read that correctly. And what do you do when you find you have this power? Rob banks to fund a library. Obviously. One of the funniest and most well written love stories I’ve read, the series has yet to release a fourth volume. The art style is beautiful, the language explicit and the characters fantastically realised. Well worth a read.

3. Y: The Last Man
When Steven King praises it as one of the best graphic novels he’s read, you know it’s got to be good. A complete series, you can read it from start to end without worrying about the next release. Y: The Last Man is set in 2002 where one day all XY creatures on earth died. All of them. Save for two. Yorik, a young man with a magician membership card in his wallet, and Ampersand, his young pet monkey. And for some reason he thinks his smartest move is to find his girlfriend on the other side of the world, in Australia. The question is, will he survive the trip? Smart, scary, gritty and unfortunately still as relevant now as it was 15 years ago. An investment you won’t regret.

2. Seconds
A delight from start to finish, the graphic novel Seconds is brilliantly drawn and well-paced. Written and drawn by the mind behind Scott Pilgrim, the book follows a young chef as she looks to start her own restaurant. But things aren’t going to plan. Her boss is mean, her ex is dating someone now, and the money for the new place is running dry. But then she finds a mushroom which when eaten grants her a wish. She should have stopped at one mushroom. Instead, she went back for seconds. An easy read, and one I’ve found I’ve picked up time and again for a pick me up, Seconds deserves its place on your book shelf.

1. Saga
Raising a child is hard. Raising a child in war time is harder. Raising a child in war time when you’re members of two different species, who have been at war with each other for centuries, is damn near impossible. There aren’t many comics I’d pre-order the next volume of. Saga volume 7 I pre-ordered the second it went live on Amazon. This Science-Fantasy stars a cast ranging from a half blown up teenage ghost/nannie to a king with a television for a head, and despite that it tells the personal and intimate story of a family just trying to get by with their first baby. Set across multiple worlds and with many different interweaving story lines, the comic book earns its title and if you have a tenner spare, volume 1 should be the first thing you buy after reading this article. You won’t regret it.

Stoke-Central will test post-Brexit Labour

Undoubtedly, the EU referendum result was seismic. 33.5 million citizens participated in one of the biggest exercises of direct democracy in British political history, with 17.4 million voters opting for Brexit. Be it for better or for worse, the referendum politicised the nation; it’s safe to say that the result has well and truly shaken the political establishment to the core.

But what will the aftershocks of the result be? In the EU referendum, individuals who don’t typically vote in general elections came out to the ballot box. Turnout was 66 per cent in the 2015 UK general election, 65 per cent in 2010 and 61.4 per cent in 2005. But 72 per cent of the electorate voted during the EU referendum. In fact, this was the biggest reason why polls predicted the result incorrectly; these additional voters (which polling models had assumed were unlikely to vote) overwhelming backed Leave. But the big question now is: will these newly energised voters continue to be politically active? And if so, which party will they opt for?

In his first BBC interview as newly elected UKIP leader, Paul Nuttall made it explicitly clear that he will seek to exploit divisions in the Labour party and target Labour voters: “I want to replace the Labour Party and make UKIP the patriotic voice of working people.”

Labour has long had an “identity” crisis. During the years of New Labour, the party was professionalised: fewer and fewer Labour MPs came from class backgrounds or had previously held “service-class” jobs. Spin doctors, such as Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson, believed that some voters (especially in Northern England) would always vote Labour: the “tribal vote”. Thus, they argued that electoral success arose from targeting what is often termed “Middle England” — the middle-class voters.

In the short-term, this strategy appeared to be hugely successful, with Blair winning three back-to-back general elections. However, over time, the “tribal” vote diminished; empathy is important in politics and an increasing number of “traditional” Labour voters no longer felt the party spoke for them. This chasm between Labour MPs and a disillusioned electorate was exposed during the EU referendum. 218 Labour MPs are said to have campaigned for Remain, despite many of their constituents backing Brexit.

Tristram Hunt was emblematic of the professionalisation of the Labour Party. An academic historian and former broadcast journalist, Hunt was parachuted into the seat of Stoke-Central in 2010 by Blair et al., despite having little support from the local CLP. However, upon accepting a position as Director of the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Hunt has triggered a by-election in Stoke-Central which will take place on the 23rd February.

This will be the first opportunity to assess the impact of the referendum result on the Labour party. 69.4 per cent of voters in Stoke-Central, the highest of any city in the UK, backed leave. In the 2015 general election, UKIP positioned second in the seat, acquiring over 7,000 votes. Stoke-Central is exactly the sort of seat that will have UKIP licking their lips and Labour looking behind their shoulder.

UKIP leader Paul Nuttall MEP has decided to stand for the party in the by-election. Nuttall is an experienced media operator, having made regular appearances on programmes such as Question Time during his time as deputy party leader. In addition, his regional Scouse accent and working-class background differentiates him from the “typical” politician that voters have come to loathe.

But a UKIP victory in Stoke-Central is by no means definitely on the cards. In a deleted post from his website, Nuttall thanked the coalition for “bringing a whiff of privatisation into the NHS.” Aware that the NHS is a big issue for voters (as highlighted during the referendum with the controversial Vote Leave “let’s give the NHS £350m instead” slogan), Labour has tried to make political capital off of Nuttall’s support for a US-based insurance system.

Politics is complex and thus it is difficult to assess whether voters will care more about local issues or national issues in the by-election. Nuttall has no real connection to Stoke-Central, whereas Labour candidate Gareth Snell is a councillor for the local ward of Silverdale and Parksite. However, national issues undeniably shaped the recent by-election in Richmond Park; Leave supporter Zac Goldsmith lost his seat following his resignation over the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. More than 70 per cent of voters in Richmond Park backed Remain, and the Liberal Democrats’ winning strategy involved campaigning hard on Brexit issues.

Should Nuttall be successful in Stoke-Central, the doom and gloom narrative espoused by most media commentators about the current state of the Labour party is likely to be fuelled. But should Labour hold off UKIP in Stoke-Central, commentators may have to re-assess the party’s prospects for the 2020 general election.

The 23rd February is certainly a date for your diary.

Britain through to Davis Cup Quarter Finals

Great Britain have progressed through to the quarter finals of the Men’s singles of the Davis Cup (often dubbed the World Cup of Tennis) after victory in the deciding match over a Canada side that lost by default, due to its player Denis Shopovalov being disqualified. His disqualification occurred in bizarre fashion as he hit the umpire with a tennis ball after angrily losing a point to his British opponent Kyle Edmund. The match ended 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 and despite having just been hit and having a highly bruised eye, the umpire, Arnaud Gabas, and both players shook hands amicably at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMZQKUPUprU

Video: NewsGlobe @Youtube

This will have been a wake up call for Shopovalov, the young 17-year-old Canadian, who clearly still has much to learn at the higher levels of professional tennis. He was visibly upset and distraught, as he knew how much that moment of loss of control had cost him. He has let himself and his country down, but if he hopes to one day see significant success in the sport, he cannot let his anger on court lead to him lashing out as he did — evidently, it only leads to bruising repercussions.

He clearly did not intend to hit the umpire but it could easily have struck someone else in the crowd. Such behaviour is unprofessional and has no place in tennis. Shopovalov has since been fined $7000 (£5600) by the International Tennis Federation for the incident. He issued an apology in the wake of his disqualification and will hopefully learn from this experience to keep his temper under control in the future.

Great Britain, and specifically Kyle Edmund, will take a win in whatever form it comes and the team will overall be pleased with their performances so far in the tournament, but aware there is still room for improvement. The British doubles team had success with duo Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot sweeping aside Canadians Vasek Poposil and Daniel Nestor 3-1 but Edmund himself suffered a shock defeat to Poposil in straight sets and while fellow Brit, Dan Evans, had a good start with a victory over Shopovalov in straight sets, he then lost to Poposil by 3-1 making the final match between Shopalov and Edmund the decider. Britain will now face France in the quarter finals in April, with real belief that they can push to the final and win the Davis Cup.

Great Britain have only won the Davis Cup once since 1972, in 2015 thanks to Andy Murray’s victory over the Belgian David Goffin. The USA and Australia have historically dominated this tournament with more wins between them than all the other countries combined. However with Andy Murray’s dominance of men’s tennis in recent years, and the likes of Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund and other young British talent beginning to come into prominence, an era of European dominance and possibly British dominance in this tournament could possibly be upon us.

Mellow yellow

It is now widely accepted that no colour will ever be the new black; however, every season there is one colour that takes command of our sartorial imaginations. Spring/Summer 17 is set to be dominated by yellow. ‘Why?’ I hear you cry — because just about every designer of note sent it down the runway: Tibi, Lemaire, Emilio Pucci and Prada all gave a nod to the sunshine colour.

Yellow can be perceived as a daunting colour: it is overtly bright, but at the same time can be pale, which as a result can make the fabric quite sheer. Not the easiest set of qualities in a colour. As fashion and technology advance though, the pigment of yellow fabrics manages to diminish the sheerness and create a broader spectrum of shades. Fantastic news for those whose skin tone doesn’t scream ‘I will look alive in yellow’ (that’s me).

For some people yellow is an undoubtable showstopper, dark skin sets most shades of yellow alight, giving the colour the real star power it can muster — and lets be frank, drawing all eyes to you. Paler skin often fails to lift yellow; instead the pink undertones of pale skin leave both the clothes and the individual looking rather flat. This is where skin tone and shades of yellow must mingle together to find their perfect match, and this year’s Golden Globes gave a veritable fashion lesson in how to wear yellow.

Viola Davis offered a masterclass in her yellow asymmetric Michael Kors dress: this was yellow at its very best, the colour was the statement, no fuss or detail was required, the yellow did all the talking. Reese Witherspoon donned pastel yellow, perfect for the fairer skinned, whilst Maisie Williams and Natalie Portman dabbled in classic canary yellow. Emily Ratajakowski showed how a subtle change of hue can liven yellow up, as the warm, soft yellow of her Reem Acra dress gave it a more boudoir, soft lighting feel. Even the most hotly-tipped film of the award season La La Land pays special attention to a yellow dress.

Photo: nobodyschild.com

Translating these subtle shade differences into reality means embracing yellow in all its forms. As the weather remains drab, mustard is the easiest shade of yellow to transition from winter into spring, as daffodils begin to peak from thawed ground, the warmer hues of yellow start to seem more fitting. If a full block colour yellow piece is too daunting, embrace spring florals, where you are always certain to find splashes of yellow: Nobody’s Child has some gorgeous floral pieces with varying amounts of yellow.

Although fashion flits and changes with seasons, colour trends do tend to repeat themselves, and yellow often rears its head in the Spring/Summer season — so while there’s plenty of choice on offer, it may be the best time to invest.

Athletics and Cross Country athletes look set to excel in 2017

The Athletics indoor season begun with the first open meeting being held early December in Manchester. A lot of the athletes use these competitions as warm-up events for the indoor season highlight: BUCS indoors. This is a championship competition where all the universities in the UK come together and compete across a range of disciplines, provided they can be held indoors. Indoors BUCS is being held in Sheffield on the 17th-19th February.

The University of Manchester club is expected to have one of their best performances ever in terms of BUCS points. This is thanks to the club’s four scholarship athletes who are all expected to medal this year at BUCS. Four is the most the Athletics club have had for some time, provided they do all compete at BUCS. The highlight of the outdoor season is BUCS outdoor Championships which is to be held on the May Bank Holiday weekend in Bedford.

The four scholarship athletes boast remarkable profiles. Seren Bundy-Davies, a fourth year Biomedical student, competed in the Rio Olympic Games in the 400m. She also finished her 2016 outdoor season and ranked third overall (as a senior) in the 400m. Her time clocking in at 51.26 seconds. Bundy-Davies was also runner-up at the British Championships in June 2016, as well as runner-up at BUCS outdoors in 2014. She could potentially run at BUCS this year although it remains to be seen whether she opts to focus on the World Championships in London.

Naomi Ogbeta, an 18-year-old fresher studying Politics and Social Anthropology, is currently on the TASS scholarship programme. A talented Triple Jumper with a PB of 12.99m, she is set to compete at the indoor and outdoor BUCS, aiming for the top three. Ogbeta represented Great Britain in 2015 at the World Youth Championships and in 2016 won the English Championships at U20 level, as well as the English Schools Championship in 2014. Ogbeta capped off a good year finishing the 2016 season ranked 1st at U20 level and 7th as a senior. She will be competing this year at U20 level.

The 2015-2016 season Men’s Athletics Captain, Jerome McIntosh, was the Northern Indoor Senior Champion 2016 in the 200m with a PB of 21.91s. He just missed out on a medal at the BUCS indoors championships in 2016 as he finished in 4th place and finished in 7th at the outdoor BUCS championships. However, McIntosh was a BUCS indoor 4x200m relay bronze medallist in 2015 and is hoping to medal in the 200m at BUCS indoors this year.

Jenny Robbins boasts a Pole Vault PB of 3.75m and was a BUCS indoor bronze medallist in 2016, whilst in the 2015 BUCS outdoors she also won a bronze medal. In the England Athletics Championships at U23 level she again won a bronze medal in 2015. Set to compete at BUCS indoors and outdoors in 2017, this time she is aiming for the silver or even the gold.

For the Cross Country club, there was a great showing at the Edinburgh University Braid Hill XC race. The Men’s team came 1st in the 5k and 3rd in the 10k. The women’s team also came 3rd in the 10k. A special mention goes to Beth Ansell who was a finalist at the 2016 BUCS outdoors. Gemma Kersey, a GB international, recently joined the club, so things are looking bright for the future.

Which way will the French election go?

With the results of the the Socialist party’s primary, we now know the definitive list of all the candidates for the upcoming French Election. Benoît Hamon, a young socialist, won the primary with 59 per cent against Manuel Valls, the ex-prime minister of François Hollande.

This vote shows us many things. The most obvious is that the French left voters wanted to break free from the previous government of Hollande — Valls being its embodiment. Hollande’s government, whilst supposed to be a left-wing government, brought in laws that would have been normal under a right wing government, and that left voters saw as treason. Thus, Hollande didn’t even try to run for a second mandate, and instead let his prime minister do it. But the left voters did not see it this way. This result shows that, rather, they wanted a renew of the left, of which Hamon embodies.

Thus, France will have Hamon to represent the Socialist Party. His policies, more on the left than the socialist party is used to, were very popular amongst young voters and people who thought that the socialist party needed a left turn. Amongst other ideas, he proposed to establish a universal income, renew the institutions of the Fifth Republic by creating the Sixth, and create special visas for refugees so that they can work.

His victory is a very good news for Emmanuel Macron, the ex-Minister of the Economy and Finance, who left his post to create his own ‘movement’ called ‘En Marche!’ (a French expression meaning ‘to walk’ or ‘working’, too). Macron will be smiling because many people think that Hamon is too far to the left, and will instead come to the former’s more central politics. Hamon’s election has polarised the election, with Macron set to benefit.

Something else that has changed the game is the recent scandals surrounding François Fillon last week. Fillon was undoubtedly the favourite, as he was the candidate of the party ‘Les Républicains’ — the main party in France. But Fillon’s chances have been put into doubt, owing to the revelation that his wife, Penelope, was paid a total of €830,000  (£700,000) for being Fillon’s assistant over several years, when he was a Parliamentarian. It is legal for MPs to hire family members, but some have claimed that the ‘assistant’ role was, in fact, fictitious. Penelope said herself several times in interviews that she never got involved in her husband’s work.

This event has destabilised the French presidential run. A month ago, I would have a bet on a Fillon victory. If we were to have the election today, he could still win. But if his team is unable to prove that Penelope did enough work during those years to deserve such an amount of money, then come April his chances will be undermined.

Now, in the age of ‘alternative facts’ you might think that this won’t be such of a problem, and that scandals nowadays can be overcome. But if there is one thing everyone can agree on in France, it is that the future president will have to keep his promises. Because Fillon presented himself as the candidate that would fight against this kind of corrupt practice, he, and the politics that he represents, will be severely affected.

Trump built his character around his ability to bend the rules to get what he wanted. Fillon built his character around his respect of the rules. That is where the difference lies. Many will be disappointed if the scandal is indeed true.

The left will have to choose between Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-left wing candidate who is very popular among workers, young people, and on YouTube; Hamon, the supposedly most legitimate left wing candidate; and Macron the centrist. And the right that will have to choose between Le Pen, now a more unlikely victor; Fillon, who needs to respond to the aforementioned allegations; and again, Macron, who occupies the centre ground.

If Fillon’s campaign is severally affected by this scandal and he cannot recover, and if Hamon’s campaign does not gain traction, I would argue that Macron is most likely to win. I believe that he may be able to represent the French consensus and a more right-wing economy, without going as far as Fillon’s Thatcherism, coupled with some left-wing social policies that do not stray too far into utopia for right-wing voters.

The fear of a Le Pen presidency is legitimate, but not justified. Because of the two turn voting system of France, the person elected is one that has the ability to create a strong consensus, and while  she will undoubtedly have a strong score at the first turn of the election, and could end up at the second one, it won’t be enough to beat whomever is against her.

In a nutshell, Hamon has a complicated task: to prove his legitimacy and accumulate a lot of support from a wide spectrum of the left. To win, Fillon will have to find a way to prove that he is more of a politician than the scandal has made of him. If both fail and Macron keeps growing his campaign, he will win.

Final year fear: get involved in student media

The second semester is well and truly underway by now, and the more forward-looking of you might be thinking about what you’re going to do with the summer that’s fast approaching. For those of you who, like me, are final year students, even the word ‘summer’ fills you with dread.

The inevitable questions from everyone begin about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life after you graduate; if you don’t know the answer, which is more than likely (and completely normal), then you’re met with shock and fear. “What do you mean, you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life when you’re 21 years old? Isn’t that what university’s for? Why did you pay £27,000 for something that doesn’t lead straight into a job?” Trust me, all of these questions are coming, if you haven’t faced them yet.

It’s even worse if you know that you want to go into the media industry or anything creative. You’re greeted with a forced smile and a look of panic. “Don’t you need to do work experience for that?” people ask, as if they’re being friendly and supportive. Yes, I’m well aware that I should’ve been looking for and getting work experience when I was binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Don’t make me feel worse.

If this whole situation sounds familiar to you, then don’t worry! There’s an easy way for you to get some experience under your belt in those final few months before you graduate and you’re thrown out into the real world and expected to land on your feet.

Working for or in student media looks great on a CV, as it shows that you can balance studying for a degree, the inevitable social life that comes along with it, and still manage to write articles or host a radio show. Plus, there’s a whole load of perks that come along with working in student media, such as contacts and opportunities for networking. Who knows, that person you emailed for a quote for an article might just be looking for a new journalist to take on.

At Manchester there are so many ways to get involved with student media. Writing for The Mancunion couldn’t be easier, just come along to a meeting for whichever section you’d like to write for and think of some article ideas. It’s just as easy to get involved with Fuse FM or Fuse TV.

Anything you’ve got a passion for, student media can cover it. This applies to everyone, even those who aren’t in their final year — if you know that you want to go into the media industry, then start early and get a year’s worth of experience in student media on your CV before you start applying for those coveted graduate jobs!

I only became a part of student media and The Mancunion at the start of my final year, and I’ve already learned so much and gained so many skills that I know are going to benefit me after I graduate. So to everyone who’s struggling to get work experience in the media industry, please consider becoming a part of the Manchester Media Group. It’ll give you so many opportunities and improve your CV, and you’ll have a great time doing it!

Ultimately, the main thing to remember is that just because you’re in your final year, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost and that you’ll never get a job in the media sector. There’s still plenty of time to get even a little bit of work experience that could make the difference between you gaining a place on a graduate scheme or not. Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Manchester Media Group and you never know, you could be the BBC’s next rising star!