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Month: September 2011

Man falls out of moving car during ‘assault’

A man is “fighting for his life” after falling out of a moving car during an alleged assault in Oldham last Thursday.

The 32-year-old man was found lying in the middle of the road but the car and its driver were gone.

Two women have been arrested in connection with the incident. They have been charged with assault and released on bail.

Police say the man was travelling in the back of a green Ford Mondeo along Stamford Road when he fell from the car and struck his head on the road.

It is not clear whether or not the man was pushed.

“At this stage we do not have the full background of what led up to this incident, so we really want to hear from anyone with information,” said Detective Inspector Massey of Oldham CID. “Its vital that we speak to anyone with knowledge about this incident.”

Top Hat, White Tie and Tails

Four stars out of five

Stopping at The Lowry on a tour of the UK, Top Hat is a new musical based on the 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film of the same name.

Tom Chambers and Summer Strallen star as the glamorous Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont., who, by a series misunderstandings and mistaken identities, end up singing, dancing and exchange witticisms across Europe.

This production leaves you astonished that this is its first time on stage. In its favour, the production is slick and flows remarkably well. The story hasn’t been plastered arbitrarily around the songs. The original film only contains five Berlin songs and ten others from the songs-writer’s repertoire have been added but well-known tunes such as Lets Face the music and Dance and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes don’t feel out place. The farce is well constructed and entertaining if entirely conventional. The dancing is impressive and similarly the singing. There is nothing particularly modern about Top Hat, the characters; gold-digger wife, charismatic American, eccentric butler are rehashes of familiar characters but the cast play them with flair. The character Alberto Beddini, in the form he appears in the stage show, was apparently created through a workshop process. It is difficult to believe that this could have taken long; the character is a stock flustered Italian who mispronounces his English but clichés are obviously difficult to do well. The actor Ricardo Afonso plays the role without any detectable irony but is an invaluable addition as the farce reaches its climax. At 171 minutes, the running time possibly reflects a desire for audiences to feel that they are getting their money’s worth and more than any artistic considerations.

Nostalgia is clearly part of Top Hat’s appeal, the average age of audience members was unusually high, and maybe the appeal to younger audiences isn’t immediately obvious but this type of well-made escapism clearly isn’t going out of fashion. For a new musical to nearly pack out The Lowry’s Lyric Theatre on a Tuesday evening, with an, at times, over-zealous audience, is no mean feat. Expect Top Hat to be a very popular success.

Top Hat is on at The Lowry until Sat 8th October. 

Tickets are available from £19 for students.

Higher bursaries fail to attract poorer applicants

Bigger bursaries from prestigious universities and colleges are not attracting large numbers of underprivileged students, a new report has found.

The report, published by the Office of Fair Access (OFFA), has found that institutions including the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London offered poorer students bursaries of over £2000 in 2009-2010.

Only one in four students at these universities were eligible for bursaries, compared to over 90 per cent of students at the University of Northumbria.

A total of £395 million was spent on scholarships or bursaries from all institutions in the same year, however 23 universities and 21 further education colleges failed to reach target levels for recruiting students from low-income families.

Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU) says it is “over simplistic to suggest that it is the size of bursaries alone that determine where students study,” and encouraged all institutions to provide better support for students from poorer backgrounds.

This support will be harder to provide next year under the new fees system, Hunt said, “Universities will struggle to offer enhanced packages as extra revenue will be used to plug funding gaps following government cuts.”

Wendy Piatt, the director general of the Russell Group defended their record of offering generous levels of financial support, “Not only are our bursaries bigger, but our universities spend more in total than others.” Around one in three Russell Group students receive a bursary or scholarship.

English universities and colleges currently spend a quarter of their additional fee income on attracting and supporting poor and under-represented students, with 75 percent of this spent on students from the very poorest backgrounds.

Man who died chasing thief: suspect found

A man has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone from a student moments before a bus hit the victim.

David Schofield was knocked down and killed on Oxford Road while chasing a thief who stole his mobile phone.

The suspected thief was arrested after one of Mr Schofield’s friends noticed she had been deleted from his BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) contacts. She sent a message to the phone asking to be added as a friend.

The friend request was acknowledged and the person sent a picture and the name “Berry”. After sending a response detailing Mr Schofield’s death and the theft of the phone, she was deleted again and her number blocked.

The suspect appears to have handed himself in: police said he walked into Longsight police station on 21st September and was arrested on suspicion of theft. They questioned him and released him on bail.

Mr Schofield died the day after being knocked down. Over 220 people attended a vigil a week after his death at the scene of the accident.

Two women told the bus driver that Mr Schofield had been the victim of a theft shortly before the collision. Police have been unable to find the women. CCTV footage shows Mr Schofield chasing a man on a bicycle.

Formula milk banned in Manchester hospital

A hospital has stopped offering free formula milk in a bid to encourage new mothers to breastfeed instead.

Saint Mary’s hospital, which has the largest maternity ward in Greater Manchester, will introduce the policy on November 1st.

Powdered formula milk will also be banned from all wards for health and safety reasons.

Leaflets explaining the new rules are being handed out to pregnant women in clinics ahead of the new policies. They state that: “Breast milk is the healthiest milk to feed your baby. Breastfeeding also benefits mothers by reducing the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.”

Hospital chiefs deny that the move has been implemented to cut costs, saying that they were still in favour of giving mothers an informed choice about how to feed their children.

A spokesman for Saint Mary’s said that “[we] are still providing formula for all babies and mothers whose medical needs mean that breast feeding is not appropriate. We are continuing to provide bottles and teats, and we give daily demonstrations about the safe preparation and use of formula to support new mums.”

Similar policies on formula milk have already been introduced in Bolton, Tameside and Salford.

Wythenshawe and Pennine Acute, which runs hospitals in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and North Manchester, said they had no plans to scrap free milk.

Helen Thompson, the head of midwifery at Wythenshawe, said that although the company supports the initiation of breastfeeding with all new babies, they recognise that some mums prefer to bottle feed their babies, and believe that is their maternal choice.

 

Engineers first to study drone design

Engineers at Southampton University are to teach students how to design drones, starting this month.

The masters course is the first of its kind to teach the design of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones. According to the prospectus, students who take the masters in Unmanned Vehicle Systems Design ‘will be able to design and build a sophisticated unmanned system in the course of their studies.’ The course currently has 12 students enrolled, but expects to expand to 20 in a few years.

Despite drones having gained notoriety in recent years for their use in the ‘War on Terror’, the university insists that UAVs have other, more peaceful, applications. ‘We are studying non-military applications and that’s where the big growth will be,’ said Prof. Jim Scanlan, one of the course directors, who compared the drones to GPS technology, which was developed for the military but gains most of its revenue from satellite navigation systems.

The planes’ autopilot allows inexperienced pilots to control them and this has created interest in several fields. Apart from their usefulness for aerial photography and scientific research, their near-silent ‘cruise mode’ makes the planes ideal for wildlife filming, and the university has even been contacted by a Namibian gaming park looking to track its cheetahs.

 

The MANCHESTER Egg?

British favourite and picnic staple the Scotch Egg has been given a thoroughly Mancunian update. The Manchester Egg was created by web designer and amateur chef Ben Holden.

The snack comprises a pickled egg, wrapped in sausagemeat and Bury black pudding, coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.

As well as being occasionally available at venues in the Northern Quarter and Chorlton, city centre favourite The Mark Addy has just added the Manchester Egg to their bar menu (it’s £4).

Denise, Assistant Manager at the Mark Addy said “it’s really popular; there is a lot of hype about the egg so it’s proving really successful”.

Fortnum and Masons invented the original Scotch Egg in 1738 and since then it has undergone a number of revivals. There is the Worcester Egg containing an egg pickled in Worcestershire sauce (of course), wrapped in sausagemeat and white pudding. In the United States, Scotch Eggs are served hot with various dipping sauces.

The Egg has its own website and Facebook page and its creator has a Twitter feed. With this much success it will surely be cracking a wider market soon, so there’s no excuse not to give it a try.

Hulme is where the art is (Web Exclusive)

You might have heard of Hulme. You might know where Hulme is. You might even live in Hulme. But you probably don’t know the stories of Hulme’s inconstant past. The trouble with buildings is, once evacuated, they betray nothing of their former lives. In their current state they are present only for our facility and our backdrop; the ultimate Buddhists, edifices live exclusively in the moment. But what if you saw four walls and a floor as something other than scenery?
The year is 1995. The soundtrack is B.I.G., or someone else notorious. Music provided by Jamie, from The Kitchen. Walls are there for the taking; shop shutters, garage doors, burnt out cars, walkways. They are nobody’s and everybody’s, ready for appropriation. And the great and the good, the horizontal and the vertical have gathered to bear witness, or just to bear drinks. Window inlaid in grey brick upon faceless window stretches out in an ellipse that begins to wrap towards the clustered figures, shrouding them in grey. It is 23rd April, the first Graffiti SMEAR Jam of many in Woodstock Square, at the centre of Hulme estate’s Crescent Flats. The socially defunct Hulme estate was to be prepped for total demolition, funds pending, and the ICA with kELzO at its helm had organised the Jam to immortalise the soon-to-be functionally mortal home over their heads. The paint-fuelled party continued into the night. The next day, revellers awoke to Woodstock Square fenced off, the paintwork out of arm’s reach of the arms that had reached out with a spray can and pressed down.

Al Baker. kELzO, champion of SMEAR 1, 1995, takes a break.

Hulme’s history stretched blindly far behind this acid-housed estate of things, but, of course was now unremembered, un-whispered memory. The only talking these walls did was penned in clumsy, large, neon scrawl. Hulme’s was a history of halves. From Victorian slum, to post-war urban regeneration, to denigration socially and edificially; slum once more. The curving Crescents, built in the 60s, were lauded for their technological innovation when built. But they quickly revealed the flaws in their floors. They were cold, damp, crumbling, expensive to maintain. The 1970s oil crisis meant it became too expensive to heat the flats for many of the residents. The deck access infrastructure, allowing access to the flats through an elevated system of decks, was unpatrolled by police because it was not a street, and the ‘concrete maze’ fostered a high level of crime and drug use. The Council, despairing of the situation, at one point began handing out keys to anyone who would take them. ‘Hulme’ is Danish for a small island surrounded by water or marshland, and now, as island or cage, Hulme had become a law unto itself: ‘run by the freaks, for the freaks’. Squatting became common ground; rent was, clearly, improbable.

Hulme, playground to the outlawed and lawless, was ‘a magnet for every crazy, every loon, every counterculture inclined freak in the north of England’, as one John Robb, resident, remembers. And our loons really knew how to rock the boat, in terms of parties. The Kitchen (Hulme’s harder, faster, louder, stronger, freakier, creakier answer to The Factory) cooked up a feast for the senses with it’s ‘mad ones’. As well as remedial partying, every band and creative enthusiast associated with Manchester seems to have passed through Hulme: Joy Division, Simply Red, Lemm Sissay, Steve Coogan, Community Charge, and of course, most pertinently (to us) Inner City Artists –the kingpins of Hulme graffiti life.

Why did the island cultivate such an exotic climate of creating? And in particular, why did the voice of graffiti begin to roar so freaking loud? In the late 80s Hulme catalysed Manchester’s shameless flirtation with the tantalizing art of the street develop into a full-blown relationship with the aerosol. Graffiti was ‘everywhere’, and really everywhere in Hulme. Well, I am here to tell you that the choice of graffiti was no accident, nor was it improbable or unforseen. In fact, it was no choice, graffiti chose Hulme.
So to answer my own question, firstly, low, or no rent, allows the impoverished artists to settle. And creativity breeds creativity. The low rent, crumbling buildings and general disarray of the area also allowed it to be cordoned off, circumvented by the nine-to-fivers and even police patrols. So the freedom of the concrete island encouraged and attracted artistic experimentation. And the peripheral figures of society became more peripheral in the eyes of the law, a merry band of outsiders secluded and excluded. In short le freak, it were chic. But all this explains the creative vibes of Hulme in general shaking up. Graffiti in particular is a different curve of the crescent, as they say.

Let us turn to the prototype of good ole N.Y. City, the very urban expanse that birthed graffiti, to elucidate a few more kernels of reason. In the late 60s, a couple of young vagrants began a very specific vandalism: they began to sign walls and subway arches with a stylised alter-ego signature. The tag is born. Now, the relevant kernel in this instance is that the misspent youths in question were of ethnic-minority descent: the young Puerto Rican, Julio (tag Julio 204), and Greek Demitrios (Taki 183). And in 1960s New York, it might just be possible to class young minority ethnics as peripheral figures in society. And if, like Al Baker (paparazzi-in-chief to Hulme’s graffiti magic back in the day) we ‘read’ graffiti ‘as a response to urban alienation’ this seems not implausible. Urban alienation was the flip side to the freedom Hulme weathered. The disenfranchised underdog, with little or no power or influence, or means to get power or influence, breaks out of this cage, leaps up and ‘takes space’ for him/herself by the only means available to him/her. And all of a sudden, this voiceless pup has identified itself to the city, sprayed his turf, he is present and accountable, and (here’s the clever part) through means outside the law, but firmly inside the lines of urban infrastructure.
And back in humble Hulme, alienation incarnate, a whole island of the thing. Al Baker targets the nail again, identifying graffiti as ‘the desperate voices of dissent scrawled onto buildings’; and this mode of dissent is not quiet or private but loud and to be heard. Graffiti is an individual expression of dissent, and yet, the irony in terms, for there must be one; the outsiders making their individual dissent heard, bonds those outsiders into a community; one of their own making and own voice.

So graffiti, an essentially and necessarily urban syntax, thriving off urban alienation and dissent chooses the building blocks of municipality itself for its canvas. Those first few dissenters, canny as they were, alighted also on the roaring symbol of modern urbanity for canvas, tagging and painting subway trains. As Norman Mailer points out (yes, him) the trains gave the ‘superpowered whoosh’ of graffiti actual whoosh bringing the paint to life, the movement resonating with the fluidity of graffiti. In its inherent transience, the writers owned neither the buildings they tagged, nor the pieces they created, and leaving it against the elements of authority; the instability was present in the work itself. It’s art, Tony, but not as we know it. And just as the dissenters began to articulate their presence, so the NY Council articulated their distaste for the sound and means of the dissent with ever more desperate ways of removing the ‘vandalism’; thus confirming the societal cage against which the underpups were butting their heads. Back in the jungle, Hulme writers, such as kELzO, in lieu of a public transport system, preferred the automobile as their canvas of transport. Their Council rarely admonished, preferring to merely ignore, and then demolish.

And despite alienation, freedom, social dissent, the need to create a language all their own, and the need to air these graces out where they were seen and also heard, we have one more reason why graffiti was Hulme’s weapon of choice specific to Manchester. The weather. The drab greyness and damp sky that permeated the drab grey and damp buildings positively cooed for colour. And the graff-ters were all ready and prepped with social disaffection to pounce with cans of colour, ‘psychedelic against the grey’. Once more, the buildings built where they were and what they were spelt conditions perfect for the immigration of graffiti. Thankfully for the theorists, the creation from these conditions was put right back from whence it came, onto the buildings.
The viral verve with which graffiti infected New York in the 70s and 80s confirmed its resonance and power. And when Hip-Hop, the ‘physical’ street-urchin to graffiti’s visual, struck, the streets thrummed with the combined voices like the walls of The Kitchen. When the Hip-Hop alien descended on the alienation that was Hulme, it mutated and flexed filling the decks. And it was at this juncture, with Hip-Hop as its soundtrack, that graffiti germinated in Hulme. The Hulme graffiti was ‘different’ from anywhere else. kELzO developed a 3-D style writing, and a realism previously unseen. There was very little hate or abusive writings. With the ICA at its centre, almost a social convention, slogans such as ‘Give kids opportunities and the mayhem will end’, and ‘Proud to deviate’ dominated. It was a style and substance all its own, just like Hulme. The drive and extent of the work led to one of Europe’s biggest Halls of Fame. And the graffiti was celebrated with Jam after Jam, and given a good home. And after all this whispered, half-forgotten history, it may be said that the outpour of graffiti in an inner city wasteland in the Age of Hip Hop was inevitable, predictable. Yet, is it not always surprising when something, and something good, is created out of nothing?
The Jam is in session. The party, people and purpose have come together and are infecting the walls with the virus of colour. Jamie, of The Kitchen, is not around, but luckily some DJ or MC has stepped up to the plate. It is July 2011. And the great and good, the peripheral and the eloquent are painting neon washes onto the drab greyness.
Jonathon Jones (art critic for journal giant, the Guardian) pronounces Street Art Is Dead. The Salford Council spend £15,000 painting over a graffiti wall on the Waterfront to create an ‘Aspirational Walkway’. They say they are removing the ‘the growing problem of graffiti’ at the residents’ behest. They are reminded that they are ‘anti-art’ and ignorant well-fed felines by those pro-art. History sure moves in mysteriously cyclical ways.
Why the need to mull over the buried rubble of graffiti’s past in Manchester if street art is dead? Graffiti is now no cause for sharp intakes of breath from the well-heeled, the ‘but is it art’ debate has exhausted itself, and the art-world find ‘it’ an interesting specimen for examination. Now, graffiti is part of buildings. As for the very recent, very relevant graffiti stories hitting newsrooms all over the North West, well if it is dead, graffiti is a pretty rowdy corpse. The fact remains that graffers don’t brandish their cans to enliven a healthy intellectual debate, or even to piss the authority figures off (usually). They get up only because they want to. And if the latter-day rioting and its response was any proof, the root causes of graffiti are far from dead.

With thanks to www.exhulme.co.uk, kELzO, and ‘The Emergence of Graffiti in New York City’ by Pamela Dennant; for their information and memories.

Graffiti Special – A short history of graffiti in Manchester

Way back when, the (almost) recent riots that spread through the UK like flames to flammable really shocked and saddened me. I know that firstly, I am not alone in expressing distaste at these events, and secondly that riot comment is archived news now, lining the bottom of your fish bin or fertilising your compost heap. And yet I cannot quite let go the bandwagon that was leapt onto by all of sundry wanting ‘free stuff’. Comment on the state of our social system? Or comment on human nature gone awry on an overfed diet of shiny adverts?
But, there’s still a but. Post-riots the glass was swept up, windows boarded over, and brooms brandished. And all by city-dwellers leaping to the salvation of their city as if to compensate for the domestic violence shown to it from a violent drunk of a public.
And once these boards had been nailed up and swept under, masking a fractured city underneath, the plaster cast began to be decorated by eager friends. They amassed with felt tips, and spray cans, and stickers to brighten the blank surfaces. The graffiti was bright; the I HEART MCR stickers were plenty and all in support of a slighted city. Smoking Gun spotted a protest-protester inking up on one such board, and decried it ‘bizarre’, but is it really?
This week, we took a brief look at the history of Manchester through an aerosol, and began to understand what a shake of the can means to this city.

the rio

Saudi women get right to vote

The king of Saudi Arabia has announced that women will be given the right to vote and stand in elections.

The move has been hailed as a bold shift in the conservative monarchy and marks one of the largest changes in the country’s tightly controlled society since king Abdullah took power six years ago.

Saudi Arabia’s rulers allow elections for only half of the seats on municipal councils, which have few powers, and women will not be afforded the vote until 2015.

Nalia Attar, who organized a campaign for women to be allowed to participate in the municipal council elections, said the move marked the beginning of progress.

“Despite the issue of the effectiveness of these councils, women’s involvement in them was necessary. Maybe after women join there will be other changes,” she said.

Broader issues regarding women’s rights in the country remain unaddressed. Women still require a male relative’s permission to work or leave the country, and they are still forbidden to drive.

Labour would cut tuition fees by a third, says Miliband

The maximum university fee would be cut by a third to £6,000 under a Labour government, Ed Miliband has announced.

The policy, announced at the start of the Labour party conference in Liverpool last week, would be paid for by reversing tax cuts for banks and asking high-earning graduates to pay more interest on their loans.

The move is part of a broader strategy to encourage both parents and students, angered by the coalition government’s decision to raise tuition to £9,000, to vote Labour at the next election.

Recent polls have shown that student support for the Liberal Democrats went from a high of 50 per cent during the 2010 elections, to just 15 per cent in November last year and the Labour Party are desperate to appeal to these disaffected voters.

Last week, Ed Miliband accused the coalition government of doing great harm to the next generation with their higher education policy. “We can’t build a successful economy if our young people come out of university burdened by £50,000 of debt” he said.

Miliband’s aides, however, stopped short of promising that the policy would be part of their manifesto for the next election; which is set to be held in 2015. “This is what we do now. But in three and a half years time we might be able to do more,” said an official.

Meanwhile, people from both sides of the political spectrum have criticised the Labour leader’s plan.

David Willets, the universities minister, and Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said that the policy would do nothing to encourage poorer students to apply for university: as Ed Miliband had claimed.

“Will graduates enjoy lower monthly repayments under your proposals? As you do not appear to be planning any changes to the repayment terms, it seems that monthly repayments will remain the same” said Willets, in a letter to Labour MP John Denham.

“Moreover, there will be no benefit to the lowest-earning graduates because their entire outstanding debt is written off after 30 years, irrespective of its size. So your proposal jeopardises the funding of universities without reducing the monthly repayments paid by graduates.”

Others in the political world have accused the Labour leader of a u-turn, as the plan seems to signal the end of his support for a graduate tax.

Read Gareth Lewis’ analysis of Labour’s fees policy here.

Society Spotlight: MUSEA

 

The Manchester University Society for Emerging Artists (MUSEA) aims to cultivate a collective group of like-minded people who are both interested in and have a passion for the practice of contemporary art. It will act as a forum in which Manchester students can develop artistic skills, techniques and ideas through regular workshops and socials. We welcome all abilities and are a very friendly, social society.

Our most regular event is our fortnightly life drawing session where we invite a range of models to pose for us. We try to include variety in our models, from female and pregnant to male and muscular. There will also be in attendance our very own life drawing tutor who can instruct members of all levels on how best to go about their work and we provide all the materials you’ll need to take part.

Don’t be put off if you don’t feel your artistic ability is up to scratch to get involved, we welcome everyone of any skill level and there’s no obligation to share or show your work as it’s purely for your own enjoyment. It’s a really great way to relax and get lost in your work, so I can’t recommend it enough even if you’ve never tried it before, just come along and give it a go. And as much as you think you might be embarrassed when the model drops their robe, you’ll be surprised to find that after the first moment or two it doesn’t seem odd at all! But we definitely don’t encourage giggling at the back.

As well as the life drawing workshops we put on a range of other activities to keep people interested.  In the past we have arranged film nights and gallery trips, as well as speed-drawing events, which are a little like speed dating except you are tasked with drawing your opposite partner in a certain way, be it with your non-writing hand or without looking at the paper.

One of the highlights of the year is our trip abroad, which last year took us to Madrid. It takes place after January exams, and this year we’re looking into visiting Florence in Italy. We take in all the sights and sounds of the city, including galleries and places of interest, plus the opportunity to explore the nightlife. More information will be available a little later in the year.

We involve the society in all sorts of university events, such as always having an installation at Pangaea (the university’s end of exams party), which last year was a fancy dress photo booth fully equipped with inflatable monkeys and coconut bras, as well as taking part in other events such as the Amnesty Sleep Out.

Membership of the society for the year is only £10, which gets you discounted life drawing sessions (£3.50 instead of £5) plus exclusive discounts including 10% off food and drink at Nexus Art Gallery in the Northern Quarter. In previous years we’ve also included a free Trof Card in our membership, which gets you great deals in all of their venues, which we’re in the process of re-instating.

We’ll be holding our first sign up evening at Trof in Fallowfield this Wednesday 28th September so come along and meet the committee and sign up for your year’s membership. Our first life drawing event is taking place next week on Tuesday 11th October in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Students’ Union and it is absolutely free! So come along and have a taster of what we get up to, we’ll also be providing cakes and wine.

You can find our Facebook group at ‘MUSEA [Manchester University Society for Emerging Artists]’ and our website is http://musea.visualsociety.com, or email [email protected] for more information.

 

 

Society Spotlight: Hiking Club

Written by Markus Arnold

We are the Hiking Club, and unsurprisingly, we like to go hiking! Our aim is to let students escape the traffic jams of Oxford Road every single weekend by heading out all over the UK countryside. Generally our trips run every Sunday and we take a coach-load of eager students to one of many destinations within the jagged mountains of North Wales, rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales or diverse landscapes of the Lake District. Every now and then we get a little more adventurous and head out for the whole weekend, staying in a bunkhouse or we camp to really get acquainted with the great outdoors; these weekend trips also give us opportunities to explore the exciting terrain of the Scottish Highlands.

Our trips have something for everyone from seasoned mountaineers to those who have never seen a hill before, many of our expert members started off just a couple of years ago with no experience whatsoever! Most trips also give members a chance to try their hand at scrambling – not always for the faint-hearted plus every now and then you might find a few of us heading out to do some climbing.

Rain or shine, the weather doesn’t hold us back and the magnificent views of the sunniest days are almost matched by the tales of soggy sandwiches and raging river crossings (read: swims!) from the downpours we are quite accustomed to here in Manchester. Winter is an especially fun time where we get to try out winter mountaineering with ice axes and crampons, but these will be provided along with teaching on how to use them!

Most recently the club has headed out to Helvellyn in the Lake District followed by Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales. These trips had everything from lakeside walks to dizzying scrambles, all in time to get back for some fish and chips delivered to Owen’s Park bar courtesy of some committee members.

Next up, we have a couple of trips over Easter; a week at Ullapool in the northernmost reaches of Scotland and a long camping weekend to Glen Coe, where we will have the chance to climb the UK’s highest peak – Ben Nevis. We will be rounding off the year’s hikes with the annual Welsh 3000’s challenge, an attempt to tackle every mountain over 3000 feet in Wales in under 24 hours (although we tend to average a stunning 17 hours)

Of course, hiking isn’t all we do! The club runs weekly socials of all shapes and sizes; these have included the usual pub crawls and meals out to ice skating, skiing and visiting the velodrome. We have a regular presence at the monthly ceilidh and upcoming socials are our annual dinner plus a BBQ at some point soon! This year has seen us conduct a number of charity socials, including entering a team that blitzed the 55-mile Bogle earlier this month, which has helped us to raise over £1150 so far for Mountain Rescue teams over the UK.

So how can you get involved? If you want to come along on a hike you will need to have your own hiking boots, remember to bring warm, waterproof clothes and bring a lunch for the day. Don’t be put off by thinking you have to commit to climbing mountains every weekend – everybody can just turn up to trips whenever they want. You can sign up to hikes by visiting us every day in the Student Activities Office on the 2nd floor of the Students’ Union from 12:30-13:00. If you just have questions or want to learn more you can come see us too!

Try visiting our website at www.umhc.org.uk and joining the mailing list to stay up to date with our activities. We also have a facebook group and you can email me at [email protected]

Labour, the Slightly-Less-Nasty-Party

A right to education, regardless of ability to pay used to be a mantra of the Labour Party. This weekend Ed Miliband’s proposal of a £6,000 cap on fees left that tradition in tatters. It seems the student’s favourite for leader last year now not only has abandoned his graduate tax proposal, but in fact supports higher tuition fees.

Mr Miliband claims that the cap will make a university education more affordable than the current £9,000 ceiling and Labour have positioned the policy as ‘an alternative available to this government.” If Labour propose to simply double tuition fees rather than treble them, it is not clear what sort of an alternative this presents.

We have received no news yet on changes to rates of repayment. As such, we should be forced to assume that Mr Miliband’s proposal would operate under the same system as the forthcoming Coalition arrangement. Indeed, it will make no material difference for the thousands of students who will never pay back their full loan.

As the Universities Minister David Willetts has so rightly pointed out, Labour’s proposal will not change a thing for the lowest earning graduates. Those earning under £35,000 a year will not have repaid a substantial portion of their student debt by the time it is expunged in 30 years. It will in fact mean richer students are able to repay their debt faster. It’s not clear how Miliband intends to side with any majority, let alone the ‘decent majority’, if he seriously intends to put such an unfair proposal into action.

Why then have the Labour leadership championed this pale imitation of the existing Tory policy? It belies a wider policy change within the party. With Ed Balls’ apology for economic failings, the idea of denial has become dirty. Mr. Balls’ dogged line of “too far, too fast” is part of this. It appears Labour’s alternative is to be the Slightly-Less-Nasty-Party. What is more, a Tory lead in the most recent ComRes poll shows that the electorate doesn’t care for this approach.

Ed Miliband must recognise now that doing just a little less than the Tory government will not win the debate, or an election. If we are to expect a Labour party who won’t lead, who won’t set out a real challenge to Conservative policy, who refuse to bring their own ideas on how to confront the future, a bleak four years await us all.

Student arrested after ‘hate Clegg’ protest

An officer at The Birmingham Guild of Students has been arrested after unfurling a banner during the Liberal Democrat party conference.

Edward Bauer, who holds the elected position of Vice President of Education, was charged with causing danger to road users while protesting against the Lib Dem conference in Birmingham last month.

Mr Bauer, 22, and two others scaled a bridge to hang a banner reading “Traitors not welcome – hate Clegg love NCAFC (National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts)”, causing debris to fall onto the road below.

The three men were held in custody, and over the weekend they faced magistrates and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution accepted that no damage or injury was caused during the incident and consequently the other two protesters were released on bail.

Mr Bauer was remanded in custody until a hearing last Monday, in which he was granted bail before his trial in late October.

This is, according to his Twitter account, Mr Bauer’s second arrest in the space of six months, and his position as Vice President of Education is under scrutiny.

The Guild of Students has been quick to distance itself from Mr Bauer’s actions. A spokesperson said, “This protest was not organised or endorsed by the University of Birmingham or its Guild of Students”. The guild’s constitution is apolitical.

The President of the Liberal Democrats Society at the University said that Mr Bauer’s actions “show his contempt for democracy and free association and bring the guild into disrepute”.

However, Alice Swift, a student who saw Mr Bauer’s protest said, “Students voted for Ed to have a voice in the debate surrounding the attack on our education. It would be a disgrace if University management were to sack an elected student representative”.

Charles Kennedy launches attack on Lib Dems

Nick Clegg’s decisions in government are damaging the party’s image, the former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy has said in a scathing film to be aired on the BBC.

In the five minute film Mr Kennedy outlines what he sees as the party’s key difficulties in government – their failure to prevent a rise in tuition fees, the AV referendum defeat, electoral decline in Scotland and England, David Laws’s resignation, Chris Huhne’s indiscretions and the UK riots

“In the words of the song ‘If I could turn back time’”, he says, “Well, in the Lib Dems we can’t. We’ve had twelve months of real grind in government and with it policy splits at the top, electoral setbacks – some of them very severe – the loss of the AV referendum, and more recently and disturbingly the riots on the streets.”

He fails to mention a single Liberal Democrat achievement in government, before concluding, “Although I take the view that former leaders should be seen occasionally and not heard too often, if I did have one wee word of advice for Nick Clegg, it would be this: at the moment there is a sense that we are trying to fight on too many fronts at the same time.”

The film suggests that the Liberal Democrats would have been better off now if they had not formed a coalition with the Conservatives and implies that Nick Clegg has made too many empty promises, which has damaged the party’s image.

Mr Kennedy failed to make an appearance at the Lib Dem party conference earlier this month despite being booked to attend a number of events. His aides cite a family illness as the reason for his non-attendance, but the film clearly shows his dissatisfaction with the party and with Nick Clegg.

Meanwhile at the conference last month, president of the Lib Dems, Tim Farron, attacked the Conservatives in his speech while remaining supportive of the current leadership.

Show Applications are now open and close Sunday 2nd at 11pm. Apply via our website www.fusefm.co.uk

Welcome week is over, lectures have begun and most importantly Fuse FM covered the week’s events by broadcasting live from The Student’s Union. On Sunday night we hit the “on air” switch and from 6pm we brought you all the latest from Battle of the Brands.  Club Academy was packed out and with some of Manchester’s finest DJs on the decks we can safely say the evening was a cracking way to begin our Welcome Week broadcast.

As this issue of The Mancunion went to print we were eagerly anticipating getting ourselves back on the airwaves after a long summer break. Head of Programming, Dean Webster had prepped the presenters. Head of Marketing, Clifford Fleming had a thousand clothes pegs in a carrier bag – don’t ask. Our Treasurer, Vicky Bond had our sponsorship forms in a pretty pink folder and our Station Manager, Dan Alani had already moved out of his house in Fallowfield and made the studio his new home.

We were out in full force at the Student Fair; interviewing societies, DJing live from the balcony and playing your requests. With Touchdown on Saturday and the arrival of the one and only Zane Lowe looming ever closer we were frantically planning how on earth we could persuade the world renowned DJ and radio superstar to put Radio 1 in the past and convince him to become a permanent fixture in the Fuse studios. I’ll let you know in next week’s issue how we got on with that one…

So with Welcome Week over Fuse FM has begun its eleventh year of producing student run radio and Student Media is living life to the full like never before. Communications Officer of the Student’s Union, Jeremy Buck explains why Student Media is a great way to make a difference to the University: “[It] gives students a voice and a platform. From pushing new student talent, to getting news stories that matter to students out onto campus and into the wider press arena. Student media puts some punch behind what students think, say and do!”

Buck continues: “For students that want to gain skills in journalism, studio tech, presenting or music, student media is the perfect place to do it, and you don’t need to worry about being given the grinding jobs like you would on an unpaid internship, as everything you do is student led and chosen by you!”

 

Meet The Committee – Dean Webster

Course and year: “Physiology, third year.”

 

Where are you from?: “Reading brappp!!”

 

Committee position: “Head of Programming.”

 

What does your role entail?:  “Scheduling the shows, doing a bit of training and making the station sounds lush.”

 

How can members get involved in your area?: “Drop me an email at [email protected] or if you see me say hi – I don’t bite (unless you’re Nandos chicken).”

 

What are you most looking forward to over the year being a part of Fuse?: “Being on air is always a good laugh and the Student Radio Conference, basically our annual road-trip, is probably the most fun ever!”

 

Most embarrassing Fuse moment: “The studio gets really hot, so I took my trousers off and did the show in my undies once, only to discover that there is a webcam. Whoops!”

 

Committee member with the worst habit: “Oh definitely me. I’m always late to meetings (sorry)! and when I turn up I don’t pay attention (sorryyyy)!”

 

What do you want to be when you grow up, don’t feel like you need to say something in radio: “Radio 1 DJ.”

 

Even for someone who isn’t thinking about a career in the media why would you recommend getting involved with Fuse: “There are lots of other things you can do with us, such as DJing, gig reviews, and more. Plus our socials are wild and you’d be joining the coolest cats in town.”

 

Favourite radio station (apart from Fuse): “Kiss 100.”

 

Name a radio show that you listen to every day and why it’s so amazing: “I have to say I absolutely love the Chris Moyles Show. He’s marmite, but I’d spread him all over my toast!”

 

Your earliest Fuse memory: “I swore on air.”

 

One top tip on being ‘good’ at radio: “Don’t swear.”

 

If you could interview anyone in the world who would it be: “Barack Obama.”

 

Favourite Manchester night out. Where is it and what is it?: “Full Moon at Sankeys every Thursday. Its all about the mad dash from the taxi, into the club, and up the stairs for the RnB and Hip Hop before it get to capacity. Every man for themself!”

 

A band we should all be keeping our eyes on at the moment: “One Direction (obvs).”

 

The first thing you put in your shopping basket when you go food shopping: “Sainsbury’s Basic Vodka (I’m a classy bird).”

 

Favourite place on campus to eat: “Potters Cafe.”

 

Favourite place on campus to sleep: “Every single lecture theatre.”

 

And finally, sum up Fuse in 3 words: “Better than sex.”

 

How to hear more

If you missed us at the Student Fair and on Monday’s info session get in touch – we’d love for you to get involved, it’s not too late!

Like our page on Facebook www.facebook.com/fusefmmanchester

Follow us on Twitter @FuseFM

Check out our website for more info www.fusefm.co.uk

Email me:  [email protected]

The unavoidable economic power of beauty

According to recent research, good-looking men and women earn on average five per cent more than their average-looking counterparts, who in turn earn 10 per cent more than the arguably unattractive. By the calculations of Daniel Hamermesh, an economist at the University of Texas, this means that better-looking individuals can earn up to a lifetime total of $230,000 more than their most plain peers – certainly no minor effect.

Hamermesh has long written about “pulchronomics”, i.e. the relationship between economics and beauty. In his new book Beauty Pays, he endeavours to expose how much better off the better-looking are financially and determines what should be done about it. He begins by dispelling the notion that beauty is subjective, writing, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most beholders view beauty similarly”. Hamermesh also brings up certain long-established research that suggests firstly that more people are considered physically attractive than unattractive, and secondly that female beauty is more contentious than male handsomeness.

In light of the aforementioned statistics, Hamermesh argues that a physically plain individual is “disadvantaged” in a manner similar to an individual who is disabled or lacking intelligence, and therefore vulnerable to discrimination. He then proceeds to argue in favour of legal protection for the less attractive regarding potential loss of earnings, such as during a period of recession, where – he argues – attractive people will stand a better chance at maintaining or finding a job and securing loans than their unattractive equals. He states: “A market for looks-based lawsuits is waiting to be born”.

In examining the case for legal protection for the unattractive, Hamermesh has been influenced by the writings of Deborah Rhode, a professor of law at Stanford University and author of The Beauty Bias. Upon reading the book, it is evident that Rhode struggles to comprehend why any woman would voluntarily embrace fashion – especially high heels – and is outraged that a majority of women consider their physical appearance as key to their self-image. Additionally, Rhodes recognises that any anti-discrimination laws would be most difficult to maintain considering the complexity of defining physical beauty versus race or sex, yet at the same time believes that such obstacles can be overcome. Washington DC, for example, legally prohibits employment decisions based on outward appearance, i.e. facial attractiveness combined with personal style rather than merely height and weight, and is relatively successful in its implementation of such law in that it has not provoked a flurry of frivolous cases as one might have cynically albeit reasonably suspected.

On the other end of the spectrum, Catherine Hakim chooses to embrace this inequality in Honey Money, declaring fervently that both men and women should maximise their “erotic capital”. However, the focus of her book is on women maximising such – excuse the pun – assets, as Hakim believes in what she terms “the male sex-deficit” (the argument that men want more sex than women), the result of which is that women are able to exploit men more successfully with their erotic capital than the reverse. Unsurprisingly, Hakim has provoked much antipathy, and renowned Guardian columnist Zoe Williams describes one point of their interview encounter thus: “She starts to speak very slowly. I believe she’s attempting to convey that I am the stupidest person she’s ever met”. In the case of Hakim, it’s not so much her message that provokes controversy but rather the patronising and hostile manner in which it is written, such as when she declares: “Feminists have been so brainwashed by patriarchal ideology that they have been quite unable to understand how sexuality and erotic capital can be sources of female power”.

A potential earning difference of 15% is by no means fair, and a change in the law is something to think about, especially considering the power of law to influence societal attitudes on a permanent basis. For example, it’s been proven that customers are more likely to purchase items from attractive-looking sales assistants, but perhaps a strong legal focus on this inequality would help abate such issues. At the same time, simply making the best of oneself should not be condemned by any means considering that such practice is an immediately obvious sign of respect – you wouldn’t turn up to an interview straight from a pungent festival – and an enjoyable method self-expression.

The Thatcher effect – an unsuccessful quest for political dominance?

Once, they called her ‘Gucci Helle’ – relentlessly mocked for her effortlessly stylish approach to Parliament and her choice of high-end fashion wares. Now the cynics come, their thirst for a new epoch in Danish political history unsatisfied and unrelenting, pleading with her to embrace a new direction in domestic affairs.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt is not alone in having proved the doubters wrong and taken up the mantle of an innovative woman who has managed to ascend to the highest levels of political approval, but she is an impressive addition to a burgeoning list. Across Europe and the particularly in the United States, we have seen increasing numbers of women participating in politics at the highest level in recent years.

Many will shudder at the thought of Sarah Palin and her radical Tea Party supporters rising to greater prominence, but the increasing column inches reserved for female politicians is undoubtedly becoming a fashionable alternative to dreary commentaries on cuts and taxation. In Germany, for example, Chancellor Angela Merkel has been praised for standing firm on the economy, the EU and nuclear power, proving herself to be the dominant political figure in mainland Europe rather than (as Labour MP Caroline Flint famously described her role in the Brown government) “female window dressing”.

We are unable to ascertain the long term effects of an increasing female presence in global politics due to an unfortunate lack of historical precedent. Until recently, the world arena has never paid witness to so many prominent, knowledgeable, strong female politicians and, quite frankly, commentators are at a loss when it comes to forecasting the ramifications of increasing female influence.

Commentators aside, the rise of women in politics has clearly affected ordinary citizens on a personal level. A Danish friend of mine explained to me that the election of Thorning-Schmidt has inspired hope and excitement across Denmark.  “History has truly now been made,” she beamed. “I could not be happier with the result.”

But why has the female politician suddenly (or perhaps gradually, since the rise and fall of Mrs Thatcher) been propelled to the forefront of global politics? Dealing with everyday prejudices was of key concern, and prominent political women in the UK, such as Diane Abbott, have often highlighted the female struggle. Policy changes in this country, such as the advent of all-female shortlists, have certainly coaxed many constituencies and local authorities into a position where any form of male competition is deliberately eliminated. Furthermore, it is possible that changing societal attitudes over time and a clearer elucidation of the position of women in all realms of life have ensured that the very idea of a female politician is now more appetising.

Yet despite a clutch of influential women sitting at the top of political power in Europe and the US, the involvement of women in politics overall has barely improved. If we examine, as we should, the global population as one comprised of 192 countries, rather than considering a mere handful of Western liberal democracies, direct political participation by women remains alarmingly low.

Whilst many have sought to remedy inequality by highlighting such examples as Merkel, Thorning-Schmidt and Palin as individuals who signify improving female emancipation, we must deconstruct at all levels. The fundamental facts remain shocking; as of 2010, the percentage of female MPs in Westminster still stands at just 22% – hardly a figure that portrays a genuine sense of gender equality.

The remarkable thing about many of the influential women we see in the media is that, in approving of legislation which is in some respects radical, they innovatively seek to give a voice to alternative viewpoints than those otherwise on offer from their male counterparts. Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachman scored brownie points with the American right for being the female voice of certain viewpoints (she is against greater rights for gay people, pro-firearms and vehemently pro-life) which we in the British media might regard as extreme. If we cross reference Bachmann’s career with that of Hillary Clinton, a far more ‘mainstream’ fugure in US political terms, it might be easy to surmise that such a breadth of opinion across the political spectrum does, to some extent, give greater exposure to female politicians.

Herein, perhaps, lies the heart of the matter. The media do recognise the passion and vitality of some female candidates, but in many respects they fail to do so on a scale that is any way useful or represents longevity for the feminine campaign. Rather than seeking to promote female politicians in a way that recognises their intellect and capability, for the most part (as in the case of Thorning-Schmidt) a male-dominated media seeks to trivialise the female politician, thus nullifying the position of women in politics so as to make them seem inconsequential.

The unfortunate result of this for global politics, and for the female cause, is that detractors have often resorted to reprehensibly using women as tokens or gimmicks, pawns in a wider game of metaphorical chess.  Unfortunately, those politicians considered ‘more attractive’ have often had far more column inches in daily rags devoted to their sexuality, in some kind of antediluvian connotation of servitude. To some degree, to pat a woman on the head merely for having an opinion and making politics their career of choice remains a palatable notion for many.

Despite steadily growing numbers of female politicians stealing, clawing, dragging themselves into the limelight, the position of women in politics at a lower level – the most important level – is still in marked decline.  As long as this charade of equating physical appearance to substantial politics continues, we can be safe in the knowledge that any attempt to involve more women in politics will reside at the depths of antiquated attitudes.

Osborne risks battling the backbenchers

“Don’t underestimate our determination to win this argument.” That was the vow George Osborne made to the Festival of Business in Manchester earlier in September. You may be wondering which argument the Chancellor is focusing his steely determination on. Is it his old foe, the budget deficit? Is he intent on standing up and tackling, head on, the growing economic crisis in Europe? Or could it be that most serious of problems, regulating the building of houses in the countryside?

Hang on, you might be thinking – that seems nowhere near as serious. But it is indeed the government’s new planning reforms that Osborne has firmly fixed his gaze on. The reforms, which have been deeply unpopular with environmentalists, are aimed at allowing property developers to build new homes on previously reserved areas of green belt countryside.

Many countryside groups have come out against the proposals, arguing that it will threaten the existence of increasingly sparse green space. Campaigners were given a boost when many national newspapers carried stories suggesting that there were potentially thousands of sites to build homes on across the UK without the need to dig up the countryside.

Provoking the ire of pressure groups is one thing, but growing opposition from within Conservative ranks is perhaps a bigger headache for the Chancellor. Zac Goldsmith, a prominent backbench MP and former environmental activist, bought this opposition to the fore by asking the Prime Minister a series of tough questions on the proposals in the House of Commons.

There is hope for Goldsmith, with the coalition government having backed down on related arguments before. A proposed sell-off of numerous English forests was halted following similar protests from campaigners; on health, the oft-debated NHS reforms underwent major changes as a direct result of opposition from Liberal Democrat MPs. As such, it would hardly be surprising to see the government back down here too. So why is Osborne so determined to win this argument in particular?

Inevitably, there is an ideological explanation. The Conservatives are all about deregulation and a healthy dose of it would be seen as a fillip to the party faithful having spent much of their first year in office applying several layers of red tape to the financial services sector. In addition, the reforms could provide a much-needed boost to the construction industry. The sector has struggled badly since the recession and making it easier for firms to build new houses could aid a resurgence.

The question, then, is how far the government are prepared to go over what seems to be a relatively minor issue. Would the government really seek a fight with its own backbenchers for the sake of ideology, or for a dubious shot in the arm for the construction industry? Perhaps not. But it is interesting that Osborne has chosen this moment to tackle members of his own party. There are a number of controversial pieces of legislation in the offing which could be problematic for the government, and sparking a rebellious mood amongst Conservative MPs would make life even more difficult for Cameron and Co.

The day after his speech, Mr Osborne was in Poland, trying to find a way forward for the European banking system. Discussions have ranged from further bailouts of Europe’s most indebted economies, to the massive and controversial step of the UK issuing some of its debt as a new, Europe-wide ‘Eurobond’.

Any attempt by Osborne to become more heavily involved in a deepening Eurozone crisis will most likely be met with fervent opposition from the numerous Eurosceptics on the Tory backbenches. The strength of their voices could cause the government further problems – particularly if their complaints turn into votes against government legislation. Taking a strong stance on planning reform would, therefore, make it clear to any potential rebels that the government aren’t going to take opposition to their plans lightly.

A crackdown on backbenchers would represent a change in tone from a government that has had to go out of its way to appease MPs from not one, but two parties. But it is uncertain whether this more muscular approach will prove to be effective. Tory MPs know that a significant rebellion could spell serious trouble for a government with such a small parliamentary majority.

But for many Conservatives, this is an opportunity to exert some authority over a coalition which they believe is being too heavily influenced by their Liberal Democrat partners. As Chancellor, George Osborne holds a lot of power, and starting a fight over countryside planning – the most unlikely of battle grounds – might just scare potential rebels into retreat.