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Month: October 2012

Manchester in Film

Written by Nihal Tharoor-Menon on . Posted in Film.

A real treat for those fans of history and cinema came with the feature Manchester in Film. Essentially a collection of some of the most fascinating stories in Manchester’s history captured on film. This screening was a product of tireless editing by the North West Film Archive which, for over 30 years, has been responsible for the preservation and restoration of over 36,000 items, from the pioneer days of film in the mid-1890s, to the present day.

The feature began with a film made in 1914 intended to show a day in the life of Manchester’s finest. One shot shows a police constable walking near Deansgate Locks following his evening patrol, likely gazing at a property which will a century later be graced by Vodka Revolutions.

We are shown Manchester in the aftermath of its Blitz in 1941, often overlooked due to London’s bombings but still showing a devastating impact. Historical buildings and landmarks stand decapitated and lie in rubble, whilst a defiant narrator holds firm that the people of Manchester stay united and strong against Hitler’s army.

Jumping forward twenty years we see the historic visit of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, during his world tour. Arriving at Manchester into its miserable rain and wind, Yuri refuses to enter a roofed car and chooses to be driven round open top to wave to ecstatic crowds who have flooded into the streets to greet him. At a speech he proclaims Manchester is the greatest city he has been to on his world tour! And the crowd goes wild.

The final time jump comes to a sweltering summer in the 1970’s. All the swagger and style which made Manchester one of the coolest cities of the time radiates, as flared jeans, long hair and big moustaches populate the streets. The look of the BBC series Life On Mars is brought to mind, and perhaps this is the first time the city bears some resemblance to what it is today. The narrator makes a timely statement that Manchester’s universities are some of the fastest growing in the country.

This retrospective does well to cement the breathtaking changes in culture, landscape, and society that Manchester has gone through in this last century, a fitting start to Manchester’s new film festival.

‘Wonder material’ potential mapped out

Written by Anthony Organ on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Potential uses for “wonder material” graphene have been mapped out for the first time in a University of Manchester paper.

The “Graphene Roadmap” analyses various graphene applications currently being researched and estimates when they can be expected to become realised.

The report says that “graphene’s many superior properties justify its nick-name of a ‘miracle material’”, since it combines qualities such as “ultimate” mechanical strength, record high electronic and thermal conductivity and impermeability to water and gases.

Professor Kostya Novoselov, who co-discovered graphene at the University with his colleague Professor Andre Geim in 2004, said: “Because the developments in the last few years were truly explosive, graphene’s prospects continue to rapidly improve.

“Its full power will only be realised in novel applications, which are designed specifically with this material in mind, rather than when it is called to substitute other materials in existing applications.”

One such application currently being researched is “rollable e-paper”, which takes advantage of the flexibility of the material. These electronic colour displays would be able to be rolled up like a scroll and could be available as working prototypes by 2015.

The material is also ideal for use in touch-screen devices since it is “far superior” to the indium tin oxide currently used. It would prove far more long-lasting and would open a way for flexible devices, which the report says “ensures that graphene-based devices will probably dominate flexible applications”.

The first graphene touch-screen devices are estimated to be on the market within three to five years, but ultrafast internet and a replacement for silicon in computer chips are unlikely to be available until 2020.

As well as computing applications, graphene could find medical uses in drug delivery and tissue engineering, in which the material could be used to strengthen regenerated tissue in patients to improve its strength and elasticity.

Graphene oxide has even been used to kill tumours in mice and could potentially find use as an antibiotic or anticancer treatment, but not before 2030.

Efforts to combine the material with solar cells have also “proved to be highly beneficial” and it is hoped that it will be able to improve the efficiency of renewable energy sources.

Prof Novoselov said: “Different applications require different grades of graphene and those which use the lowest grade will be the first to appear, probably as soon as in a few years. Those which require the highest quality may well take decades.

“One thing is certain – scientists and engineers will continue looking into prospects offered by graphene and, along the way, many more ideas for new applications are likely to emerge.”

A roadmap for graphene, published in the journal Nature, was written by Nobel Prize-winner Prof Novoselov and an international team of authors.

University leaders stop foreign students queuing overnight

Written by Ellen Conlon on . Posted in News.

Complaints from university leaders have led to a new ruling meaning international students will no longer have to register in person with the police.

Last week foreign students were forced to queue through the night to register at a single office in south-east London within seven days of their arrival and faced “startling difficulties.”

This was voiced in a letter to David Cameron, signed by the heads of two London institutions.

Craig Calhoun, director of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Richard Trainor, principal of King’s College London complained to Mr Cameron that it was “impossible” for students to comply with these regulations, and that they were facing “unacceptable and humiliating” difficulties in trying to do so.

 “The police are turning away any students who arrive after 6.30am, forcing people to queue overnight… the Metropolitan Policy literally makes it impossible for most to comply,” said professors Calhoun and Trainor.

“We believe that the present situation is unacceptable and humiliating for the UK higher education sector, and indeed for the country. We hope you will do everything in your power to seek a swift resolution before it escalates into an even greater debacle.”

Daniel Stevens, international students officer for the National Union of Students filmed one of the overnight queues.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that students be asked to queue for hours, often in terrible weather, and be expected to arrive before 6.30 to have any chance of being seen,” said Mr Stevens.

But after so many complaints, starting this Monday, students will be able to register through their universities, rather than in person.

Forms can now be submitted through universities or pre-stamped forms can be collected from the Overseas Visitors Records Office and returned, completed by the end of the year.

University and College Union general secretary Sally Hunt complained about the original poor arrangements, saying that they were damaging Britain’s international reputation.

She said: “At a time when we need to be attracting the brightest brains to this country, and are already facing huge competition from other countries, we seem to be intent on committing PR disasters for the whole world to see.”

 

The reality of being with a woman, by a woman

Written by Anon on . Posted in Opinion.

Yes, the ultimate downside to being in a lesbian relationship is the truckload of stereotypical questions we often get asked, like “Who’s the man in the relationship?” that is definitely worse than homophobia, the coming out process and the fact we can’t legally marry.

The way in which sex is represented is also intensely political, you can’t go past a ‘Lad’s Mag’ without seeing images of sexualised, for-the-benefit-of-men, faux-lesbian encounters. The media storm that was created by images of Britney Spears and Madonna kissing at the 2003 MTV VMAs, and no doubt the increased music sales of these two artists, shows the way in which two women being intimate is most commonly known in society: a fun diversion, but ultimately it exists for the pleasure of men and the patriarchy. Stereotypical statements of “size doesn’t matter” don’t help anyone; not all sex ultimately centres back to penises. And issues of different libidos and desires is something that affects all sexual relationships, regardless of who is involved or what their gender identities might be.

Whilst the sex may be mind-blowing, it may also be mediocre or just plain bad. As with all sex, gay or straight, how good it is is dependent on so many things, like whether or not you feel totally comfortable with your partner. The stereotype that lesbian sex is awesome because there are two vaginas or sets of breasts is damaging to the community, as it neglects to mention the phenomenon of ‘lesbian bed death’. This is the issue that lesbian couples in long term relationships have sex less and less compared with straight couples. Surely this needs to be addressed urgently, rather than the continued perpetuation of the myth that the sex is hot hot hot, and stays this way for the entirety of the relationship.

Claudia found shopping with her lesbian partner to be a positive experience. I don’t know how positive an experience I find it to be when I can’t display affection to my partner whilst shopping the same way a straight couple can. Homophobia still exists. Although it is less severe and explicit, it’s still a problem faced by same-sex couples. Many same-sex couples, both male and female, feel uncomfortable holding hands in certain areas of this city, due to the threat of harassment. In a perfect world we should be able to express our sexuality and sexual desires as we see fit but many members of the LGBTQ community feel unsafe doing so. And postulating the myth that loads of lesbian couples have sex in the changing rooms of shops doesn’t help our fight against homophobia. It may explain why Claudia found her shopping experience so positive though.

The reality of not being heterosexual means you have to come out, continually, for the rest of your life. Every time you forge some new relationship, be it with someone you have to work with on a presentation for uni or people you go for drinks with after the first class, you have to make the decision whether or not to come out to them. From my own personal experience, this is a process which can be wrought with anxiety and fear. And not to mention coming out to friends and family, the people who knew you when you identified as straight. From knowing people whose parents cut them off after they came out, the reality of the situation is that people’s lives can get turned upside down after coming out. Research from the Family Acceptance Project in California shows that LGBT youth are eight times more likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts. That is the reality of being a girl with a girl, or a boy with a boy.

And whilst synchronised PMS is a downfall in a lesbian relationship, not being able to legally marry is a bit worse. I wouldn’t call myself a supporter of gay marriage, I support marriage equality. Having a separate title between marriage and civil partnerships sounds a bit like ‘separate but equal’ which was deemed unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1954 in relation to schools in the United States having to integrate white and black children. I can’t marry in a church, and I don’t know how many members of my family will actually come to my wedding. This is the reality of being a girl with a girl.

Furthermore, if we consider job application forms which ask what our marital status is, having to tick a box saying ‘in a civil partnership’ immediately lets your potential employer know your sexual orientation. For some, this means prejudice in the recruitment process, but also prejudice in work. Stonewall, a gay rights charity, have found that one in five lesbian and gay people in the UK have experienced homophobia in the workplace. These statistics highlight the fact that homophobia persists and how having separate titles for marriage and civil partnerships is so damaging. In relatively liberal countries, like the UK and US, these statistics and pervasive homophobia are most certainly true and a fact of everyday life – we must not forget just how much worse it gets.

Proliferating myths and stereotypes surrounding lesbianism is not helping anyone. A lesbian relationship is not that much different to a straight relationship and stereotypes only miseducate and damage our community. We need to start seeing people in a relationship as people, not as their gender.

What’s it going to be then, eh?

Written by Sean Doherty on . Posted in Arts.

Located in the Historic Reading Room within the John Rylands Library, Fifty Years of a Clockwork Orange looks at the legacy of Manchester-born and University of Manchester alumni Anthony Burgess’ controversial novel as it celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its publication.

Although it contains some interactive content in the form of interviews, readings and movie trailers, artefacts from the production and reception of both film and novel make up the majority of what is on show. The exhibition focuses largely on Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 adaption of Burgess’ novel; somewhat fitting as it was this film rather than the novel itself which led to the torrent of attention and abuse ‘Clockwork’ received from the public and press. As well as original stills and photographs from the film’s production, visitors can view the psychedelic promotional artwork of Philip Castle which accompanied the film’s release. Various rejected screenplays (one of which was written by Burgess himself) may be seen, showing how Kubrick’s script reached its finished form. Perhaps the most eye-catching piece on display here is the iconic giant, white phallic sculpture (Herman Makkink’s Rocking Machine), the murder weapon wielded by Malcolm McDowell’s character in one of the film’s most notorious scenes.

Newspaper props from the film are placed against real world articles condemning Kubrick’s work and there is a jarring similarity in their sensationalist headlines. The Sun’s review attacks the film on the basis of it featuring ‘more bare breasts, and more pubic hair than any reputable film’, an odd objection to come from a publication which in 2010 celebrated 40 years of Page 3 girls. In a society which has witnessed The Human Centipede, the declaration that A Clockwork Orange should prove to be ‘THE FILM SHOCKER TO END THEM ALL’ seems far from prophetic. Furthermore, the headline asking ‘ARE WE HEADING FOR A SUPER-VIOLENT SOCIETY?’ appears to suggest that though times may change tabloid journalism remains the same.

Arguably the highlight of the exhibition is the display of letters sent between Kubrick and Burgess as they express a mutual artistic admiration and plan (ultimately unsuccessfully) to collaborate on Kubrick’s fabled Napoleon project. Other correspondences from Burgess reveal a frustration, both at Kubrick receiving credit at the expense of himself, as well as various film producers treating him ‘as though I’m just the boy around here’, exposing a vulnerable, human side to the author, rather than having him presented as an untouchable literary figure.

Should visitors seek to gain insight into Burgess’ creative process they may view the English-Russian Dictionary which he used in composing the novel’s teen-slang known as Nadsat. Burgess’ own typewriter is also on display, a tool he remarks as having the double use of keeping him focused as well as ensuring ‘the rest of the household knows you are at work and does not suspect you of covertly devouring a Playboy centrefold’, an advantage today’s laptop authors sadly lack.

So if you would like to get a closer look at elements which led to the creation of a modern cult hit, and do so in beautiful surroundings, you should definitely check it out. Just don’t bring your gran.

Fifty Shades of Fallowfield continued…

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Lifestyle.

The only reason that I came to this stupid ChemSoc social was because I thought that he would be here. Now I’m stuck in 256, in my lab coat, with a randy 2nd year droning on about some silly module that I really don’t care about.

‘I’m doing Practical Chemistry at the moment,’ one of his chins wobbles as he speaks. ‘It’s terrific!’

I mumble a response and wish he’d go away.

‘I’m currently doing some experiments in column based protein extraction,’ he continues, before edging closer to me; a creepy smile on his face. ‘Perhaps you’d like to extract some protein from my column?’

I resist the urge to vomit, give him a withering look and head to the bar.

‘Two shots of tequila please,’ I say.

‘Are you sure that’s a good idea?’

My inner goddess shrieks with excitement at hearing the familiar, velvety, smooth voice behind me. I turn around and come face to face with the sexy PhD student, blushing furiously as memories of our last encounter come flooding back.

‘Do you want to go somewhere quieter?’ he asks, the same sultry look glistening in his eye. Overcome with lust, I oblige immediately. We walk up the street and before I know it, he’s dragging me into the Ichiban Noodle Bar. I look up at him, puzzled. I’m more of a Krunchy Fried Chicken kind of girl.

‘It’s much more private in here and we can grab something to eat,’ he explains, placing his hand possessively on my lower back. At this point in time, however, I am hungry for one thing and one thing only.

In my overexcited state, I’m having trouble using the chopsticks when the noodles arrive. Aiming for my mouth, I poke myself in the cheek. A piece of broccoli falls to the floor.

Pretending nothing has happened, I stab a king prawn and enter it slowly into my mouth, letting the sweet and sour sauce run down my chin in what I hope is a seductive manner.

‘What are you doing?’ he says, shooting me a quizzical look. But with my hand resting on his crotch under the table I continue; plonking another prawn into the dipping sauce and letting my tongue gently fellate the shellfish.

A visible bulge appears in his chinos.

He knows where we’re going with this now. My excitement growing, he picks up a spring roll and bites into it ferociously. Bits of carrot and pork cascade from his mouth. A piece of onion rests suggestively on his stubble. A young Korean family at the next table look concerned.

Then without warning, he’s stood behind me. He takes my hand in his and begins to feed me with the chopsticks, kissing my neck the whole time. I feel his free hand move slowly across my shoulder and sliding beneath my lab coat into my blouse and then my bra. He gently caresses my breasts and I gasp with pleasure. The mother in the Korean family next to us places her hands over her son’s eyes.

‘Let’s go back to mine,’ he whispers in my ear, dragging me out of the door before I have even had the chance to agree.

As we wait at the bus stop, the tension becomes too much. Suddenly I’m pinned up against the timetable and we’re kissing passionately, his hands running through my hair, mine pulling at his. Even the slight smell of urine can’t weaken my desire.

The 142 arrives too quickly and we’re both out of breath, panting. He tells me that I won’t have to wait too long before he is inside me. My bean begins to pulsate in anticipation.

He leads me up the stairs and to the very back of the bus. Luckily we have the top floor to ourselves and my stomach begins to flutter as his lips lock on mine, aggressive, powerful and commanding.

Our kisses are violent and I decide to clamber on top of him. This time I am the one in control, holding him prisoner. I inhale sharply as he slowly slips his hand beneath my skirt and slides his skilled hand up my thigh, teasing me.

I feel his rock hard love truncheon pressing against me and all of a sudden I’m undoing his zip. I begin to run my hand up and down his glory. Eager to return the favour, he slides his fingers between the thin material of my knickers and my soaking snapper is all ready for him. With every jerk and jolt of the bus I come closer and closer to tipping over the edge.

By the time we’ve reached the Ram and Shackle, I feel as if I’m about to implode; that’s when he suddenly stops. Flushed and panicky, I untangle myself from him.

He looks deep into my eyes. I quiver with anticipation, sure that he’s about to come out with another incredible suggestion.

‘This is where we get off, baby,’ he grins.

Student 101: initiations – a rite of passage gone wrong?

Written by Zara Zubeidi on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Ever since an 18 year-old student died after an ‘initiation ceremony’ at Exeter University went horribly wrong, initiations have become a controversial topic.

Exeter took the decision to ban drinking games in 2008 after Gavin Britton died following an initiation ceremony at the University’s Golf Society that saw him down a ‘cocktail of shots’.

But at what point do these ‘welcome rituals’, involving binge-drinking marathons designed to encourage team bonding and commitment, become dangerous and potentially tragic?

Universities have always had such traditions in place to highlight ‘la crème de la crème’ when it comes to team loyalty. And they’re not just in America either. In 2009, The Telegraph published a rather disturbing account involving University of Cambridge students having to swallow live goldfish and throw them back up without killing them in order to prove their worth. I’ve heard similar (yet fortunately, not so revolting) stories from members of University of Manchester sports teams: asking new students to drink beer through fish gills, eating dog food and streaking through Owens Park bollock naked. Welcome to university, freshers!

Several universities have opted to ban the term ‘initiation’ but such a move is evidently ineffective. ‘Unofficial nights’ will continue to be organised by university societies. Freshers arrive at university with a desire to be accepted and this, combined with copious amounts of alcohol, can have disastrous consequences.

But who is to blame? Those who want to be there and participate in such activities will do so, and on their own accord. It is ultimately up to the individual to say ‘no’ to something they don’t want to do and if the team captain uses this against them (and quite possibly losing a talented team member in the process) then more fool them.

Initiations won’t decline on the university agenda anytime soon, and in my opinion, shouldn’t be discouraged. At eighteen years of age, students should be responsible enough to make their own decision and realise when things are being taken too far. No team position is worth risking your life for, whilst on the other hand, refusing to take part in a level of team banter that you feel comfortable with may become an obstacle for meeting new people and facing new challenges in the future.

Having been a member of a sports society myself, I can only state that such activities bring a team closer: something which is often impossible to achieve on a training ground.

Manchester Uni Facebook page for ‘hilarious confessions’ launched

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

A Facebook page for students to write about the deepest secrets and most outrageous stories was created last week.

‘University of Manchester Confessions’ was started on Wednesday October 10 and within a day obtained 1,151 likes. It is linked with a similar Manchester Metropolitan page.

The creator of the pages, who preferred to stay anonymous, said, “I got the idea from my friends over at Leeds Met and saw how it had taken off there and thought it would have the same – if not a greater reaction in Manchester.

“Some of the stories we are getting sent are genuinely hilarious and it’s a page that shouldn’t fizzle out, as every week people will have new stories and experiences to share with us.

“The page was only launched yesterday and has taken off dramatically.”

Students are invited to anonymously message “hilarious, embarrassing confessions,” to then be posted.

Among the submissions are tales of sexual debacles, alcohol-infused blunders and halls of residence pranks.

One story on the University of Manchester page said, “After telling halls of residence floor mates, if they use my George Foreman grill they HAVE to clean it. One decided he had a special privilege to not do so. I went in his room and pissed on his bed in ‘respect’ of his privilege.

“After turning his light on to admire my mess, his apple mac was sitting [there]. I tried to rescue it with his tracksuit bottoms that were tossed on the floor, however the contracted illness was terminal!”

The first post on the Manchester Metropolitan Confessions page said, “I got onto a lecture theatre computer today, and edited one of the lecturer’s powerpoints. It now has #YOLO on every single slide in massive letters. Sorry to the lecture this affects.”

There are similar pages for other universities around the country, including for Exeter and Nottingham.

Shisha as dangerous as cigarettes, say NHS

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

Manchester City Council and the NHS launched a campaign publicising the dangers of shisha last week.

The drive aims to make people aware of the health risks associated with smoking shisha and that, as with cigarettes, it is illegal to smoke shisha in an enclosed space.

“First and foremost we want to make people aware that smoking shisha is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes and is harmful to people’s health,” Councillor Glynn Evans, Manchester City Council’s executive member for Adults’ Health and Wellbeing said.

The campaign, which kicked off on Monday 8 October, runs for eight weeks and is focused around Rusholme, because of the concentration of shisha bars in the area.

As a part of the effort, council enforcement officers will be handing out a £50 fine to anyone caught smoking shisha in an area that does not have three sides open to the outside.

In shisha bars, flavoured tobacco is smoked through pipes, a Middle Eastern tradition.

There are a number of common myths associated with smoking shisha, one being that because the tobacco is flavoured and passes through water before it is inhaled it is not as dangerous as cigarettes. But with shisha there is an added risk because more smoke is inhaled.

“Many people are still unaware that shisha pipes actually contain tobacco as the use of herbs or fruit as flavourings masks the tobacco, so we want to give them the facts,” said Councillor Evans.

Health experts have said shisha smokers are at risk of similar health problems associated with cigarette smoking, such as heart disease and cancer. Users can also become addicted just as with other tobacco products.

David Regan, Director of Public Health, said, “There has been an alarming rise in the number of shisha bars and the number of young people taking up smoking through this route.

“It is important that we educate young people so that it prevents the next generation from joining what seems to be a growing trend.”

In the last three years there has been a large increase in the number of shisha bars on the curry mile, with around 30 opening in the area since 2009.

“They can spring up quite readily because they don’t actually have to have a license apart from to sell food and play music,” a council spokesperson told The Mancunion.

Many shisha bars in Rusholme allow smoking indoors, and over the last year nine establishments in Manchester have been prosecuted for violations of the smoking ban.

“Since December 2011 we’ve had eight different bars prosecuted [in Rusholme] and the total fines for those were nearly £15,000 in total, plus another bar in Chorlton,” said the spokesperson. “All were for allowing smoking inside.”

“You can technically allow smoking outside if you’ve got outside premises but obviously some of them don’t. Shisha bars that have no outside space are automatically flouting the law.

“If someone is found smoking shisha inside, then like smoking a cigarette in a café, they could be fined.”

Rusholme Business Association Chair Mr Shabir Mughal felt it was unfair for shisha bars not to obey law as other businesses in the area do.

“They’re allowing people to smoke inside the premises. If someone comes to my restaurant and wants to smoke they have to go outside,” he said. “It is not fair-trading.”

Teenager has stomach removed after 18th birthday celebrations

Written by Ellen Conlon on . Posted in News.

A teenager has had her stomach removed in an emergency operation after celebrating her 18th birthday a with a liquid-nitrogen laced cocktail at a wine bar.

Gaby Scanlon, from Lancashire, was out with her friends at Oscar’s wine bar on the 4th October, when she became breathless and developed a severe stomach pain.

She was then taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary where she was diagnosed with a perforated stomach. She was immediately operated on.

“Medical opinion is that this would have proved fatal had the operation not been carried out urgently,” said the Lancashire police.

Oscar’s wine bar has said that they are “tremendously concerned” about Gaby and their “heartfelt best wishes” go out to her family “at this distressing time.”

Police say that the bar has ceased selling all liquid nitrogen cocktails following the incident and had cooperated with all the agencies

“The investigation is still in its early stages and we are still interviewing witnesses to establish the full facts,” they said.

Gaby is now in a stable but serious condition.

Liquid nitrogen has become common as a method for flash freezing food or drinks and creating a vapour cloud.

Oscar’s wine bar posted a photograph on its Facebook page last month of one of its liquid nitrogen cocktails. It contained champagne and was sold for £8.95.

If swallowed, liquid nitrogen can cause cold burns to the throat, mouth and stomach, killing the tissue.

As the vapour hits the stomach it warms quickly, releasing large volumes of air which burst the stomach.

“New Labour: it’s really a Tory Party”

Written by Eve Fensome on . Posted in Opinion.

“The world is run now by the big multinational business corporations.” Is Tony Benn’s unwavering response when I ask him how much power politicians really hold. “We don’t elect them, we can’t defeat them, they don’t have to listen to us. And our whole democracy has been challenged and to some extent undermined by the way that multinational global finance operates.” Adding determinedly; “that’s something we’ve got to think about.”

I meet Tony Benn after an event run by the Stop the War Coalition (of which Mr Benn is President) at Methodist Central Hall in the Northern Quarter. Earlier he’d delivered an impassioned anti-war polemic with a level of vigour and energy which would be unexpected in most 87 year-olds. His speech is peppered throughout with personal anecdotes, including one recalling his memory of the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and his first-hand account of the devastation it left behind.

He’s been a cabinet minister in the governments of both Wilson and Callaghan and is the only surviving Labour member who witnessed Aneurin Bevan’s famous speech of 1951 in which he resigned from the Cabinet over the introduction of means testing for free dentistry and opticians.

Tony Benn was elected as a Member of Parliament in 1950 and had served more than 50 years as an MP when he retired in 2001 for which he holds the title of the longest serving Labour MP.

With this in mind, as ask him what is the biggest change he has seen in the Labour Party during his lifetime?

“Well, I think that the Blairite counter-revolution to set up New Labour – which is not Labour at all; it’s really a Tory Party, I think that was one of the greatest changes.” He continues, musing: “Of course there have been other examples in the past, since Ramsay MacDonald even, but we recover from these things and I think we are recovering from the Blair period.”

I ask if he felt that the Labour Party was currently moving to the left?

“The Labour Party is a coalition,” I’m slightly surprised to hear him say, but he explains: “there are different forces, there’s the left and there’s other people who are not socialist at all. So our first job in the Labour Party is to persuade the party to adopt the policy we want and then if that becomes party policy then to persuade the public that that’s what we need.”

What do you think individuals can do to try to change things?

“There’s the trade union movement and there’s the Labour Party, they’re all socialist and social organisations. Put them all together and they represent a very very powerful body of opinion.

“If you have a Labour government then push that Labour government to do what you want, if you don’t have a Labour government push to get a Labour government that does do what you want. And if you elect a government that understands and takes the correct action, then I think you have to support that government.”

“Having said that, I’m Labour and I have been all my life but I don’t think that joining the Labour Party is the only thing to do. The thing to do is to stand up for the causes you believe in and campaign for them.”

As a campaigner against an unelected Lords and a republican, it’s an irony that Tony Benn’s career was launched by the accident of his aristocracy.

Upon the death of his farther in 1960; the rules of the establishment required him to take a seat in the House of Lords. He was determined to remain in the House of Commons, refusing to take up the peerage, instead asking his constituents to return him to parliament in repeated bi-elections, until the powers that be surrendered in 1963 when they passed The Peerage act, allowing the renunciation of peerages, of which Benn became the first to do so.

I ask him what if we elect governments on the promises that they’ve made in their manifestos, which they then go on to break?

“Well you have to go on and on campaigning.” He pauses then, sounding a little world weary, adds: “I mean it’s a terrible thing to say but there is no short cut. Demonstrations, letters to the papers, letters to MPs and to ministers and campaigns and broadcasts and all the things that people do when they have a cause they believe in. Because to get a really big change takes a lot of time.”

And really it’s this determination and extreme willingness to take up a fight that has made Tony Benn so well known.

Urban Dictionary says of the term Bennite ‘Implies outlandishly left-wing views, thoroughly at odds with any sensible establishment.’ I’m sure he would be amused and feel slightly validated to hear this because he in turn believes the establishment to be very rarely sensible, except when they are corruptly perusing their own interests.

He may be outlandish in one way; requiring of himself and calling others to a path of perseverance, which makes for an uncomfortable prospect in a world driven by emotional gestures and instant gratification. However, as the gestures become ever more fraudulent and feeble, and gratification endlessly postponed by austerity, it might be, that his charming but unbending principles might not seem so outlandish after all.

Manchester unveils first British memorial for ‘A Clockwork Orange’ author

Written by Ellen Conlon on . Posted in News.

‘A Clockwork Orange’ author and former Manchester student has been honoured by the unveiling of a blue plaque outside the Samuel Alexander Building.

Anthony Burgess grew up in Harpurhey and Moss Side, graduated from the University of Manchester in 1940 and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the institute in 1987.

The ceremony on October 10, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and was proceeded by a trumpet fanfare Burgess wrote as a birthday present to his son.

Other than a plaque outside his flat in Monaco, his home for 17 years, no other monument exists to Burgess, who died in 1993.

Dr Andrew Biswell, director of the Anthony Burgess Foundation, attended the ceremony and said, “Although Burgess was one of the great English-language writers of the 20th century, he has always been neglected by his country of birth.

“So I am delighted that the university has decided to install the first British public monument to Burgess, 50 years after ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was first published.”

After graduating with an English Literature degree Burgess went on to write 33 novels, 25 works of non-fiction, two volumes of autobiography, three symphonies and more than 250 other musical works.

The ceremony began with a discussion on Burgess chaired by Dr Howard Booth, lecturer in English and American literature, with Dr Biswell and Dr Kaye Mitchell from the English and American Studies department.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of us in the new School to celebrate a former English literature student,” Dr Booth said. “Burgess is a major novelist who deeply loved literature and language – he wrote so well about other writers.

“I’m eager to celebrate a distinguished former literature student for the benefit of the present cohort.

“Who knows, in fifty years’ time there may be a blue plaque for one of our current students.

Professor Jeremy Gregor, head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures then unveiled the plaque.

Stressed academics face ‘increasingly intolerable pressure’

Written by Anthony Organ on . Posted in News.

Academics face above average stress levels and a “long-hours culture” according to a report published by the University and College Union (UCU).

The report, part of UCU’s Workload Campaign, surveyed over 14,000 academic staff at nearly 100 institutions about stress relating to workload demands and hours of work and found that stress levels were worse than comparable data from 2008.

Sally Hunt, UCU’s general secretary, said: “The result of all this pressure can only drive down standards for students.

“The problem has got worse over the past four years and with funding cuts, increased workloads and rising expectations from students and parents paying much more for their education, the situation is likely to become even worse.

“We call on institutions to hear this collective cry for help and take action to mitigate the increasingly intolerable pressure on stressed-out staff.”

Stress levels were given a value from 1.00 to 5.00, where 1.00 is the highest stress. Academics scored 2.51, considerably lower than the British working population’s average which was 3.65 in 2008.

Academics from Manchester Metropolitan and the University of Salford had above average stress levels and over 30 per cent of respondents from the University of Manchester and MMU regularly work over 50 hours a week.

Martyn Moss, UCU’s regional official in the North West, said: “We can take some comfort that staff at Manchester’s biggest three universities did not report the highest stress levels of those that took part in the UCU survey. But we can’t be pleased with their results as staff at all three Manchester universities reported higher levels of stress than the average for the general British working population.

“We are urging these institutions to consider these results carefully and take steps to protect the health and well-being of university staff in Manchester.”

Stephen Court, a senior research officer at UCU, who compiled the report, said: “There is pressure to win research funding under the new Research Excellence Framework (REF), while lecturers feel they need to raise their game in teaching with the introduction of higher tuition fees. There is also pressure to do well in the National Student Survey.”

The REF will assess the quality of research at each university and be completed in 2014. The results will be used to decide how much research funding each institution receives, with effect from 2015-16.

Despite the University of Manchester being very research-intensive, stress levels were average for a university. A University spokesperson said: “The University of Manchester puts a high priority on the wellbeing of our staff and students.

“We have a team of professional counsellors and psychotherapists on campus, offering confidential help with any personal issues affecting work, self-esteem, relationships, mental health or general well-being.  They are available to all University of Manchester staff and students.”

Police link sex attacks in student area

Written by Eloise Marsh on . Posted in News.

Two sexual assaults in Fallowfield and Withington may be connected, according to police.

The attacks are said to have been carried out by a young Asian man.

The most recent incident took place on Egerton Road, Fallowfield on September 20, when a 22-year-old woman was stopped and asked for directions. The same man later followed and sexually assaulted her.

This attack is being linked to an assault on July 14, where a man approached and assaulted  a 20-year-old woman on Mauldeth Road West near the Ladybarn Lane junction in Withington.

The culprit in both incidents is described as a man of Asian descent in his 20s, around 5ft 8 and of chubby build.

Police have increased patrols in the areas.

Inspector Andy Smith from Greater Manchester Police’s Student Safe Team said, “If anyone sees any suspicious behaviour in the area, they should call the police immediately. We are well placed to respond to these calls within a matter of minutes.

“If young women are genuinely concerned about their safety, they can contact the police to pick up a panic alarm which they could carry on their keys.”

The Student Safe Team, who were on campus during Freshers’ Week, advise students to stay in groups while out and stick to well-lit areas.

The Students’ Union has launched a Safe Taxi Scheme this year in conjunction with local taxi firm Union Cars.

The project allows students to use their student ID as a deposit for the fare, which will be returned to the Union the following day to be collected by the student who will then pay the outstanding fare.

Should the smoking ban apply to shisha cafes?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

Yes:

The government has decided to ban smoking indoors, and has failed to follow this through. The law bans all smoking indoors, with no clause to excuse shisha. All the justifications used for passing this law in the first place apply to the smoking of shisha. If anything, they apply more than cigarettes. Being a passive smoker is not something one consents to, and being a passive shisha smoker is similarly damaging. Moreover, there should be uniformity of the law. A law is a law, and should have the same weight and purpose everywhere.

The cafes which offer shisha are also cafes in themselves. Many serve snacks, drinks and host live entertainment. It’s possible, and indeed probable, that many people want to visit these cafes and not smoke shisha. Why should they be forced to passively smoke? Excusing the cafes from the smoking ban can make them very alienating and unwelcoming places for these people. If shisha was banned indoors, the cafes could arguably benefit from the extra business from new, non-smoking customers. If you’re still not convinced, think about the fact that these cafes don’t serve alcohol, making them popular family destinations. Even if grown adults enter these cafes in the knowledge they will passively smoke, children most certainly do not.

I am not arguing for the banning of shisha. Shisha can be a fun, sociable and relaxing activity for many people. However, there is no reason for people to smoke shisha indoors. Many shisha cafes have outdoor smoking gardens, with heaters and parasols to protect smokers from the elements. It would be simple and easy to move all their shisha pipes outside. The UK has adjusted to the banning of smoking cigarettes with ease, and should do the same for shisha.

 

No:

To say that shisha cafes should be regulated by the same laws that make smoking indoors illegal is to entirely misunderstand the culture behind the two different ways of ingesting smoke.

Shisha cafes operate under a culture where everybody clearly knows what to expect when they enter them. It’s not correct to compare them to the situation in pubs before the smoking ban, as the primary aim of a pub is to drink and have a sociable time. The primary aim of a shisha cafe, as the name suggests, is to smoke shisha with refreshments on offer secondary to this. Whilst it is problematic that in some cafes children are to be found passively smoking, the answer to this is to ban children from them, much like we ban children from pubs, not to remove people’s free choice to enjoy shisha in a warm environment.

This is the key difference between cigarettes and shisha: whereas with cigarettes within pubs and clubs, lots of people who didn’t want smoke in their face had to put up with it, with shisha cafes the culture is such that there aren’t people there apart from those who wish to smoke, and the people who work there are almost exclusively shisha smokers. To work at a shisha serving establishment you would need to ingest smoke whether it is served inside or out; to set one up and serve your customers you need to smoke it both actively and passively. People who do this make an active choice to learn the skill, whereas to sell cigarettes you do not need to do this, much like people smoking outside of an establishment don’t need to be served by anyone – they are entirely different things.

BAFTA 2012 short films

Written by Nihal Tharoor-Menon on . Posted in Film.

Even in this first ever year of Manchester’s film festival a strong precedent has been set on the standard that the GMFF has to offer. A lucky relationship was forged when BAFTA contacted the organisers after seeing some of their activity on Twitter. They were in fact so impressed by the potential this new film festival had that they allowed a BAFTA short film screening tour to be hosted during the weekend’s events.

With this came 8 utterly unique and expressive short films, each completely independent from one another, from some of the most intriguing directors and animators in the world. Spanning over two hours the sheer range of subject-matter, style and substance that these films embodied made for a diverse viewing.

As to be expected there were several films that carried political undertones in both an explicit and a more subtle sense. Only Sound Remains is set in the wake of violent post-election protests in Iran, as a family tries to hide the news of death of their youngest member from their grandmother. With the whole film transpiring in the tranquility of the grandmother’s house, it’s a quiet, poignant look at loss in its immediate form. Abuelas instead looks at the long-term scars that loss can bring, in the context of the brutal Argentinean dictatorship during the 1970s that ‘disappeared’ thousands and forever destroyed families.

Not all had a specific political context; Two and Two is set in a classroom where a headmaster decrees that now 2 + 2 = 5. Most are willing to accept this lie but there are a few brave children who stand and challenge this ruling, with brutal repercussions. The short has a strong message, though rather simple, which resonates louder amongst the bewildered innocence of the classroom.  

From a more creative standpoint, animation films held their ground amongst the heavier subject matter. A Morning Stroll is a hilarious visual anecdote where a man walking down a street in New York City comes past a chicken having a leisurely and contented walk. The man rather bemused turns to watch this chicken make his way up the stairs of an entrance to a house, confidently peck on the door, and walk in through. We follow this same scene from 1959 to 2009 to 2059, and though the world changes around him this chicken never ceases his morning stroll. The animation is employed cleverly to follow the narrative, evolving with each era, and what A Morning Stroll lacks in substance it makes up for in its wit and absurdity.

Absurdity certainly played a role in other shorts, particularly Bobby Yeah which, it can be confidently said, is one of the most disturbing clay-animations ever made. It essentially follows a mutant creature who, when caught stealing from other strange organisms, gets attacked. Its plot is pretty much indecipherable, but really what BAFTA is crediting here is the unbelievably creative, intricate and graphic clay motion. Think of Wallace and Gromit in the midst of a horrifying LSD trip. It is highly entertaining, but I do have serious concerns for the mental state of creator Robert Morgan.

What stood as the biggest crowd pleaser was arguably the short Mwansa the Great. Set in a village in Zambia, it follows young Mwansa embarking on an imaginary adventure to prove his greatness to his friends and help his sister. It is a familiar concept, with the director jostling between the children’s fantasy and their more modest reality, but it is the acting that makes it such a heartwarming tale. Mwansa and his sister Shula are mischievous, confident and lively in their presence, and their wide-eyed journeying takes us eagerly into a beautiful world where imagination can empower everyday life.

All these films were entertaining and offered the audience some food for thought. BAFTA 2012 Short Films proved a highly successful screening which hopefully has launched a long lasting and fruitful relationship between BAFTA and the GMFF.

Live: Radiohead

Written by Joe Goggins on . Posted in Music.

6th October 2012

Manchester Arena

9/10

If you think about live music from the coldest, most emotionless viewpoint possible – that is, the financial one – there are only a handful of rock bands who fit into the highest echelon of commercial viability, who can travel to almost any dark corner of the world – from Manchester to Manila, from Bristol to Buenos Aires – and sell out a massive show. Some of them have drifted from being legitimately creative to churning out embarrassing dad-rock, like Muse or the Chili Peppers. The likes of Foo Fighters, U2 and Coldplay, meanwhile, were never very interesting to begin with. And sitting alongside them, jarringly incongruously, are Radiohead; tonight’s show at the Arena, which sold out to 21,000 capacity in minutes, is relatively intimate by their standards. They are the only band in the world whose enormous commercial stature has been vindicated by the enduring brilliance of their recorded output.

“Hi, I’m Lady Gaga.” mutters Thom Yorke early on, with a grin that’s equal parts endearing and unsettling. This passing reference to the pop superstar, though, is about as close as tonight’s show comes to typical arena fare – the band don’t air an album single until fifty minutes into the set, Amnesiac‘s ‘Pyramid Song’. There‘s plenty of tracks in the band’s back catalogue that would present the opportunity for a mass singalong – ‘Just’, ‘Karma Police’ and ‘Creep’ all spring to mind – but none of them make the cut tonight. The set is dominated, instead, by the electronic side of Radiohead – the side they’ve been cultivating ever since the radical departure that was Kid A – and the seamless translation of these songs to such a massive setting is a genuinely remarkable feat. ‘Myxomatosis’ and ‘The Gloaming’, challenging and erratic on record, sound enormous; more composed, understated cuts from In Rainbows, such as ‘Nude’ and ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’, perhaps more impressive still; in front of tens of thousands, there’s no mitigation of the sense of hypnotic intimacy present on the studio versions.

The biggest triumph, though, is the transformation of material from last year’s The King of Limbs. A reflection of Yorke’s appreciation of the more modern electronic likes of Four Tet and tonight’s openers, Caribou, that album contained a number of tracks that felt, judged against the incredibly high watermark that the band have set themselves, a little underwhelming, but their live counterparts are revelatory; the yearning ‘Bloom’, the recorded version of which was flat and repetitive, sounds so much more forceful, and a stripped-back rendition of ‘Give Up the Ghost’ challenges the more-revered ‘How to Disappear Completely’ for the title of the evening’s most hauntingly beautiful moment.

There’s still room for Johnny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien to ply their original, guitar-based trade though; ‘Airbag’s crunching riffery arrives early in the set, and The Bends‘ blistering opener, ‘Planet Telex’, is given a rare live outing. There’s time, too, for the occasional misstep; ‘Staircase’ was likely included for its novelty rather than through any perception of it matching the rest of the setlist’s high standards, and it’s high time the band gave up on the tepid ‘These Are My Twisted Words’. Irrespective, tonight remained an exercise in the reappropriation of what constitutes an ‘arena show’. Tremendous musicianship, visionary songwriting and a light show that struck the difficult balance between subtlety and flamboyance are enough to render huge choruses and extravagant stage sets obsolete; accusations of self-indulgence and grumbles over ticket prices seem a little gauche when entertainment of this level is on offer. Radiohead are a national treasure. Cherish them.

Portrait of an author: Nikolai Gogol

Written by Phoebe Chambre on . Posted in Books.

Life: Nikolai (or Nikolay depending on how you like your Russian) Vasilyevich Gogol was born in 1809 in Poltava, part of the Russian Empire. Although Gogol is routinely lauded as one of the top “four of five masters of Russian prose fiction”, Poltava was actually in the Ukraine, and Gogol was not Russian by descent. Whether Gogol was a Russian writer or not is of some dispute, but the category under which the author takes his place amongst the greats is seemingly now immutable. Gogol lived in St Petersburg, and abroad, mainly in Rome, for much of his life.

Death: He died in 1852, “a little before eight” on a Thursday morning, and a little before the age of 43 – a relatively ‘ripe’ age, according to Nabokov, considering the contracted life spans of contemporaries, and Russian writers in general.

Myth and misrepresentation surrounds Gogol’s death, making it, fittingly, seem as surreal, and fittingly grotesque, as one of his stories. Shortly before his death the author burned much of the manuscript of the second part of Dead Souls, apparently at the behest of the devil. He also may have died of self-starvation, or possibly of (or at least exacerbated by) despair. It also could have been typhus. When his body was dug up in 1931, as Moscow authorities were demolishing a monastery, it was discovered face down, leading to the next conjecture that Gogol had been buried alive.

Employment: Perhaps one of my favourite piece of Gogol trivia is his patchy-at-best employment history. In 1828 the writer was employed by an obscure government ministry (name unknown), after which he attempted, and failed to obtain a position at Kiev University as a professor of history, for which he was unqualified. In 1834 he finally made it as the Professor for Medieval History at the University of St Petersburg (again, no qualifications). After not teaching his students, he apparently set silently in the final exam with a black handkerchief wrapped around his head, ‘simulating’ a toothache, whilst a colleague questioned the students. Perhaps, on settling as writing as his true vocation, Gogol had merely run out of options and job offers as a societal insider. He exiled himself instead to outsider-ship and commentary.

Works: Gogol experimented with many forms including poetry, play, short story, the novel and non-fiction. His best-known works are prose fiction, Dead Souls, The Nose, The Government Inspector, The Portrait. His writing has been placed under the umbrellas of various -isms: Realism, Romanticism, Surrealism, grotesque(ism), demonstrating more than anything how the stories defy categorization. Stories in which a man finds a nose in his bread, and then meets that nose on the street (The Nose), and men resemble their furniture (Sobakevich in Dead Souls). Gogol wrote subtle, probing satires – in some cases, so subtle that it is hard to tell what is being satirised; in others it is clear he is unpicking the fabric of corruption in daily political life in Russia.

More than anything, Gogol’s writing is defined by its pervasive and precise detail: “mounds of details heaped upon details”. Whilst living in Europe, Gogol wrote to his mother asking her for a detailed description of special Ukranian costumes and customs – which were to be used for his stories set in the Ukranian countryside. This level of attention and precision to so small a detail demonstrates the nature of Gogol the writer in general; nothing was insignificant enough not to require a deep and careful conveyance to the reader. But of course, the combined effect, as refracted through Gogol’s strange mind, a specific and slightly twisted whole.

Miscellaneous:
– Gogol was a very talented mimic, so much so that he almost became an actor.
– In Ukranian Gogol’s name should be pronounced Mykola Hohol.
– The post-punk gypsy band, Gogol Bordello, of ‘Start Wearing Purple’ fame, are, of course named after Gogol.

Bikram Yoga

Written by Theresa Ita on . Posted in Lifestyle.

It has been hailed to be the best way to de-stress whilst improving your fitness levels, but what exactly is Bikram Yoga and why is it so popular?

Bikram Yoga is a form of yoga, comprising of 26 posture sequences and two breathing exercises. It is performed under intense heat: 105 degrees lasting for ninety minutes. The challenging nature of Bikram is designed to stimulate the organs, glands and nerves, as a result flushing oxygenated blood through 100 percent of the body. At first Bikram Yoga may seem intense, but as your body becomes used to the temperature you will no longer moan (as I did in my first session) but rather enjoy the relaxing environment.

What I loved most was the calming and humble nature of Bikram Yoga, the fact that there is no competition and all levels are accepted. You are able to achieve your own goals and work at your own pace. The supportive and friendly nature of class means that you are not left feeling bereft of water and confidence, but eager to come back for another class (once you get over the heat, that is).

The popularity of Bikram Yoga lies in the fact that you can simply challenge yourself and your body to increase your fitness levels which positively affects your lifestyle. After regular classes, you automatically begin to notice that you can sleep better, your concentration levels improve (those essays no longer seem like missions) and in the long term, you get rid of aches and pains.

Enrolling for the ten consecutive days at the Bikram Yoga classes in Manchester for only£20 is a great way to experience Bikram Yoga. My advice to you is to give yourself a challenge and attend a full session for ninety minutes.

What I do know is that perseverance is needed in any form of fitness and exercise that anyone embarks on. The positive effects of Bikram Yoga do not occur overnight, so I recommend that you try it more than once.

Go on, challenge yourself!

For more information, check out http://www.bikramyogamanchester.co.uk