Skip to main content

Month: March 2013

Dos & Don’ts: From hired to fired

As many of you may be approaching the end of your university careers, it’s time for a lot of us to join the real world. Regrettably this involves getting jobs and a big part of that is the interview process. Knowing what to say is one part, but you need to look the part too, unless you quite like rejection. So, here are my DOs and DON’Ts of interview apparel.

DO:

1. Phone ahead and ask the dress code, you’ll normally be given one. Some companies are more casual than you’d expect. Remember though, it’s always best to be too smart than too scruffy. I know people who have even put on a suit for a Skype interview: it shows you care.

2. Iron. It might be a tricky concept for some of you but a creased shirt can very easily crease their opinion of you.

3. Wear a white shirt. It matches pretty much everything and gives you more room for creativity with your watch, hair and pocket square (the list goes on…). Quite simply, it reduces the chance of overkill.

4. As before, stick to safer colours. Suits should stay in darker colours in professional instances. That electric blue blazer might have gotten 64 likes on Instagram but your future boss probably isn’t on Instagram and doesn’t care that you’re #instafashionable.

5. Shine your shoes. Or buy new shoes. Just have nice shoes (and by that I don’t mean ‘smart’ high-tops.) They’re probably more important than the shirt. If you don’t look professional you won’t be seen as professional.

 

Photo: Miles Zilesnick Photo: Miles Zilesnick

DON’T:

1. Wear glasses if you don’t need them. It doesn’t make you look smarter, and if they find out you’ll probably be laughed at.

2. Accessorise. Unless you’re looking for a job as a pimp just stick to a watch. Bling won’t help you here.

3. Be too unique. Be yourself, but remember to maybe tone it down a little. You can still stand out but you don’t need to be catwalk fashionable. Justin Timberlake managed to pull of the shiny suit but that’s because he’s, well, Justin Timberlake.

4. Wear a ‘fun tie’. They’re not fun. They’re stupid.

5. Be afraid to pamper yourself before. Moisturising will help you look healthier and make sure to ensure your nails are clean and well trimmed. Remember to shave or trim. Nothing says, “hire me” more than that “just-out-of-a-slum” look.

Manchester mastermind falls short of final

A PhD student at the University of Manchester had an impressive showing in the semi-finals of Mastermind last week.

Rachael Neiman, who is totally blind, answered questions on her specialist subject, the work of Victorian lesbian novelist Sarah Waters.

Her impressive knowledge paid off with a score of 20 points, meaning Rachael finished second.

Rachael was narrowly beaten to the top spot – her biggest competition, company director Andrew Frasier, scored just one more point. He answered questions on 19th Century German statesman Otto van Bismarck.

Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of two, and partially sighted throughout her childhood before becoming totally blind in her teenage years, Rachael also runs her own record label, Cherryade Records.

Rachael, who studies English and American Studies, found herself in the semi-finals after scoring 33 points during her first appearance on the show, answering questions about John Peel’s Festive Fifty.

Rachael’s performance on the show reflected her laid-back attitude towards the experience. Speaking to The Mancunion after her first appearance on the show, Rachael explained that “there’s nothing you can do once you’re in the chair.”

“Once you’re there you have to get on with it,” she continued.

After her narrow loss on the show, Rachael may now be able to concentrate on other things, although she does say she is “a bit addicted” to quizzing.

“I might try and get my thesis polished up, too,” she said.

Surviving Supper: the Futurists

Background

The Futurist movement was founded by the poet Marinetti in Milan, 1909. It was more of an ideological than stylistic movement that denunciated the oppressive past and called for a new society in Italy. The Futurists glorified war, technology, anarchy and speed which was reflected in this quote from their original manifesto, ‘We declare a new beauty, the beauty of speed. A roaring race-car that goes like a machine gun is more beautiful than the winged Victory of Samothrace’.  Artistically their main aims were to represent universal dynamism in their paintings and sculptures and the simultaneity of an experience, to depict the relationship between their human subjects and their surroundings and to show the world as it was experienced, not necessarily as it was.

Style

The Futurists based their works on two main styles: neo-Impressionism and Cubism. They adapted these styles to fit their own subject matter. Neo-Impressionism provided a means of analysing energy, created a sense of dynamism within their works and the vividness of unmixed colours added to the velocity of their paintings. It was also the style of former anarchists and social and artistic reformers whom they admired. Cubism allowed them to depict different viewpoints of the successive positions of figures at once which introduced time into space. Futurist canvases tended to appear abstracted, energetic and vehement with dynamic lines and the breakdown of light and bright colours. Futurist sculpture was similarly dynamic and abstract in the aim to depict movement and the relationship of the subject to its surroundings.

Key Players

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti – founder of the movement and the man wrote the Manifesto of Futurism on 20th February 1909 which was published on the front page of Paris newspaper Le Figaro.

Chief artists included Boccioni (also the chief sculptor), Balla, Severini, Carra and Russolo.

Works to Know

The Street Penetrates the House – Umberto Boccioni 1911 (Sprengel Museum)

The Revolt – Luigi Russolo 1911 (Gemeentemuseum Den Haag)

Unique Forms of Continuity in Space – Umberto Boccioni 1913 (Tate Modern)

Abstract Speed and Sound – Giacomo Balla 1913-1914 (Guggenheim collection)

There’s no place like Soane

Tucked away, on a quiet street near Holborn tube, is the Sir John Soane’s Museum.

Undergoing extensive renovations when I went, there was some sheeting around part of the building, but other than that, there was nothing to say this was anything other than one among a street of graceful townhouses. It was drizzling, and a warden outside gave us an umbrella while we waited – the house, unsurprisingly, not designed to cope with huge numbers of visitors at one time. Walking through the front door, you are transported, writing your name in the visitors book and leaving all belongings in a cloakroom, stepping into a house which has been, ‘as nearly as circumstances will admit,’ kept as it was when Soane died.

A quote from Wendy Mulford, though she was talking about an early twentieth century novelist, gives an epithet which could equally apply to Soane: a fascination with ‘the tang of things tasted, smelt, handled, known in their quiddity and their essence.’ The house is a testament to a life of intelligent collecting, begun on Soane’s appointment as Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy in 1806, when he wanted to have his books, casts and paintings carefully curated to show his students. It’s an extraordinary, unexpected and inspiring collection, ccurated and maintained by an enthusiastic team, small tours of the collection are scheduled throughout the day but you can just arrive and wander around by yourself. I joined one of tours in the Hogarth room, which is tiny, shutters folding back to reveal more pictures, crammed floor to ceiling with his satirical prints, paintings and etchings of the eighteenth century urban metropolis, and found the guide concise, passionate and not at all patronizing.

Something different to investigate on an Easter afternoon, entering the Soane is a rare opportunity to experience such a wonderland of visual culture. Around the corner from both the National, and National Portrait Galleries, a short stumble down the road brings you to the Hunterian: London’s eerie-but-fascinating memorial to the world of surgical specimens. Home to the skeletons of the world’s tiniest and largest, the Hunterian is a treasure trove of pickled, and taxidermied wonders –– from puppy foetuses, to crocodile intestines. Further away, Dennis Severs’ House at 18 Folgate Street in Spitalfields is a similarly eclectic experience and well worth a trip. So have a look on trainline.com, book yourself on a cheap return, and go and take advantage of what our capital has to offer.

Diary of a reluctant Kindle user

My favourite possession is my book collection; I love it. I love each book – the story within them and the cover that encases them. They are my pride and joy; so much so that for my 21st birthday my parents had a bookcase built that covers my entire bedroom wall. There’s enough space on those shelves that it may take even me a couple of years to fill it. However this Christmas, something changed: I was given a Kindle.

The first version of the Amazon Kindle was released in the US in 2007 and immediately sold out, a first sign of the international popularity all versions have enjoyed since. It is undoubtedly the leader in the e-reader market and is estimated to now be worth 10% of Amazon’s total $60 billion revenue. Along with the handsets Kindle apps are available for download to smart phones and tablets, meaning the majority of people in the UK can now easily enjoy books at the touch of a button. It seems most people weren’t as reluctant as me to dip their toe in the Kindle pool.

My reluctance is based on the enjoyment of a book’s material aesthetics: the weight of a hardback, the smell of a new book, the smell of an old book, a bright cover, a plain Penguin cover…the list could fill a book! How can a plastic case and electronic screen convey this fundamental part of the reading experience? Is a novel really just the story contained in the text?

Well I’ve discovered that, in some ways actually, yes, it is. I’ve downloaded and read a few books on my Kindle now and I’ve got to say, the stories happen to be just as good. Reading Life of Pi on Kindle still left me in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, and the other mother in Coraline (Neil Gaiman) scared me into hiding under my duvet even without the familiar weight of a paperback in my hands. The power of the writing isn’t lost and there are definite advantages to the Kindle – both those books were on offer so cost me only £1.19 combined. Also, the paperback that used to be an ever present feature in my bag is now replaced by 20 books, in a format that weighs just 170g.

My conclusion, then – may my lecturers forgive me – is a bit weak: I like my Kindle but I also like books. Do I find my Kindle useful? Yes. Does it allow me to indulge my bookworm tendencies with increased ease? Yes. Will it replace books? No. My new feature wall in my bedroom will continue to fill up with books. I love being able to see and hold them with ease. And I continue to judge a book by its cover.

I think true fanatics will always return to books, but if you can’t decide which book to read on that long train journey, maybe just take a Kindle and decide later.

Women’s Rugby look forward to first Trophy final

The University of Manchester Women’s Rugby Club are looking forward to their first BUCS Trophy final later this month after a narrow victory over Sheffield Hallam in the semi-final last week. Despite a late fight-back from Sheffield, Manchester dug deep to secure a 24-19 win, which means they will participate in a BUCS final for the first time in their history.

In the earlier rounds, Manchester negotiated difficult ties against the University of York and Swansea University at the Armitage Centre. They then travelled all the way to Portsmouth to win their quarter final and the long journey of this season seems to have united the squad; team spirit and confidence are high heading into the game. Hooker Amy Linnegan is optimistic that they can bring the trophy home:

“We are nervous but excited and proud to have reached the final. We know it will be a difficult game but we hope to win it.”

The players have been searching through their records and believe this will be their first cup final since the formation of the club. The achievement is made even more notable by its distinctiveness among other Manchester teams this season; only the Men’s Hockey first team have also reached a Trophy final, and, despite plenty of success in the Northern Conference Cup, Manchester are yet to deliver a team into a Championship final. Women’s Rugby are therefore one of the few teams left flying the flag for Manchester.

Manchester’s opponents, the University of Bedfordshire, will have the shorter journey to London and will arguably be marginal favourites for the game; they lead Midlands Division 1A with 8 wins and 1 loss all season and have defeated the likes of Warwick, Cambridge and King’s College on the way to the final. They are likely to provide a considerable test.

But Manchester’s women have saved some of their best form for the Trophy competition. They currently lie fourth in the Northern Division but have upset dangerous teams on their way to the final and will be looking to repeat the feat. And Manchester have another reason to be optimistic; scrum-half Claire Shutler, who has played for the North of England Ladies team, is on good form ahead of the encounter.

The final takes place at Imperial Sports Ground in Teddington in London on the 24th March, just a few miles from Twickenham Stadium where the Championship trophy finals are scheduled for the same day. Although the dream match at Twickenham may not yet be a reality for Manchester the team will be hoping that this first final could yet be a platform for a future trip to the national home of rugby.

 

Glory and disappointment on busy cup final day

Wednesday afternoon was a busy one for sport, with four of our women’s teams in cup finals.

The Women’s football first team was in action, playing their cup final against York university. They capped off an unbelievable season in style, smashing the Yorkshire side 7-0 to secure the league and cup double.

“We’re feeling very elated… and hungover”, Simone Wan said of the mood of the club after what has been a phenomenal season. “There aren’t any words to describe how good [the season] was. It’s just been perfect.”

The club have steamrollered their way through the league and cup, suffering only one defeat in the process.  The success, Wan says, has been down to effort. “A lot of hard work and dedication has been put into the club. Every single club members has trained hard and played every game well. A lot of thanks to our coach as well, who has been great.”

On the cup run itself, Wan singled out the difficult away trip to Bangor in the semi final as a performance to remember. “It was difficult. We had to play away, and they had a crowd of spectators supporting them,” she said. Yet UoM marched to victory with only one player on the bench. “There were only twelve of us, we had no subs. No coach either. And we won it. It was brilliant.”

Wan was perhaps a little restrained in her praise of the performance in the final itself considering the 7-0 score line. “Even when we were five nil up, we never gave up and carried our playing our game. Everyone gave it their all for the full ninety minutes. That was the difference between the two teams really”.

Being on the end of a 7-0 drubbing, you could be forgiven for expecting tempers to flare within the York ranks. Wan was quick to single out their sportsmanship, however. “Fair play to them. They came and shook hands at the end of the game, and said the better team won. They were really nice about it”.

It’s been a truly outstanding season for the Women’s football team. After being asked to single out someone for individual praise, Wan refused – “No, I think everyone has give it their all. There isn’t one player I could say. Everyone deserves it”.

The women’s netball fifth team have also had a brilliant debut season storming to the league and cup double, beating Durham 32-27 in the final.

Fifth team captain Hannah Huntington was quick to praise the team for the performance in the final. “It was our best game of the season so far. Everyone was excited. It was amazing really.”

The newly-formed team were forced to start at the bottom of the netball pyramid, which has proved to be perhaps a little too easy for the girls in purple, as they have remained undefeated all season during their relentless march to the title.

“Some games weren’t that testing for us”, Huntington acknowledged, “but there were other teams that were in a similar position to us in the league too, so playing those teams was important.”

However, she made clear that the challenge of stepping up a level remains an exciting prospect. “I can’t wait for next season. We’re looking forward to moving up and playing more competitive games… and maybe winning the cup again”.

Indeed, the cup final itself appeared the most closely-fought contest of the season, with Manchester requiring a fourth-quarter turnaround to beat Durham by only five points. “It was neck and neck… we’d pull ahead, then they’d pull ahead. It was a really tight game. We just about beat them in the end though.”

Huntington was also quick to heap praise on the new members of the team. “It’s definitely been an all-round team performance throughout the season”, she said, “but I’d definitely single out the freshers. Our team has had quite a lot, and they’ve all stepped up and played really, really well.”

Also in action were the Women’s table tennis first team, and the Women’s volleyball.  The table tennis team lost a hard fought final to Newcastle 3-2, and the volleyball team were unfortunately outplayed by Warwick 0-3.

Classic university ‘had its day’

The traditional university model has “had its day”, according to a recent report published by a leading education expert.

An Avalanche is Coming, a report by Sir Michael Barber, Chief Education Advisor to multinational publishing and education company Pearson, claims “radical and urgent” changes are needed in higher education.

“The models of higher education that marched triumphantly across the globe in the second half of the 20th century are broken,” the report says.

“The traditional multipurpose university with a combination of a range degrees and a modestly effective research programme has had its day.”

The report highlights a shift in the delivery of higher education, and points to online education providers as strong competition for the traditional university.

It also advocates the embrace of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, currently championed by many top institutions in the United States, such as MIT, Harvard, and University of California Berkeley.

Although the University of Manchester has no free online courses, it runs paid-for distance learning programs through Manchester Business School.

There are also plans to develop a number of MOOCs, according to the University.

At a question and answer session in February, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell supported the idea that the University may have to change its traditional model.

“To me, more important than contact hours is access to advice and help when you need it,” she said. “With the increasing ability to have lectures online maybe we should be thinking more that contact time is less about somebody speaking to you but more about discussion.

“We should think of changing the classical model of education at university.”

Smoker’s regret

Taking up smoking is the ‘biggest regret’ for Mancunians, a survey has revealed.

Over 2,000 adults were surveyed by E-Lites, and 86 per cent of smokers say they wish they had never started.

Failing to quit smoking also filled people with regret, with refusing to stub out earlier in life being fourth on the list.

While lighting up was the biggest source of remorse, the survey also shows that Mancunians have, on average, seven regrets about their life.

People also beat themselves up over not saving more money, allowing themselves to get fat, and not getting better exam results, amongst others.

Losing your virginity to the wrong person was fourteenth on the list, and ‘being too sensible’ rounded off the list at 15.

“I don’t regret smoking because I love smoking!” said Sam Blackledge, a third year Zoology student.

“Well, I hate everything about smoking except actually smoking.”

“With all the health aspects, you know it’s horrible, and you shouldn’t, but it’s really nice.”

“I quit about four times but I keep going back in times of stress – like an election campaign.”

Other students had mixed feelings.

“It’s my biggest regret,” said second year Philosophy student Adam, “but I wouldn’t make a different choice if I was in the same position.”

“It’s brought me a lot of things – I’ve got a lot of girls out in the smoking area. You can’t talk in the club, but you can talk in the smoking area!”

The survey comes on the heels of news that Manchester has the highest smoking-related death rate in England.

Data revealed by the London Health Observatory last month shows that between 2008 and 2010 there were an estimated 372 smoking related deaths per 100,000 people in the city – a higher figure than anywhere else in England.

£23 million graphene funding boost

Graphene research in Manchester has received an extra £23 million funding boost towards building the world’s leading centre of research on the “wonder material”.

The funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund and will be used alongside £38 million from the UK Government to build the National Graphene Institute (NGI).

“Establishing the National Graphene Institute is crucial to the continued advancement of graphene research in Manchester and in the UK,” said Professor Colin Bailey, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

He added: “To have such a significant award allows us to build this world-leading institute and allows Manchester to continue its well-deserved reputation as the home of graphene.”

The NGI will boast state-of-the-art facilities and research labs where University scientists will collaborate with colleagues from the industry and other universities. The Institute will be the UK’s centre for graphene research, acting as a hub for other UK research institutions to work at.

Graphene is the world’s thinnest, strongest and most conductive material, and was discovered at the University by Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov in 2004. They were jointly awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research, followed by knighthoods during the 2012 New Year Honours.

The material has many potential applications, including ultrafast internet, rollable e-paper and even anticancer or antibiotic treatments.

Professor Novoselov said: “Graphene has the potential to revolutionise so many different areas of our lives, and it is fantastic that the Government and the European Commission have recognised that with their important investments.”

In January figures revealed that the UK is falling behind in the international race to claim patents. Chinese institutions have published over 2,200 patents and US institutions have published over 1,750, but when the figures were released the UK had only published 54.

Iconic BBC site now a car park

The Oxford Road site once occupied by the iconic BBC building is now an open air car park.

The New Broadcasting House (NBH) was demolished last year, ending 35 years of broadcasting at the site, and is currently offering car parking from £2.

Some Twitter users took to venting their frustration about this development over the social networking website.

Gareth Hughes tweeted: “What a surprise, the old BBC building on Oxford Road has now been turned in to a car park. What a wasted opportunity.”

Darren Murphy also sarcastically tweeted: “So, the former #manchester bbc site is now an open air car park… Fantastic!”

The 300,000 square-foot building was occupied by the BBC since 1976 and demolition began in November 2011. It was sold as the BBC made the move to Salford’s new MediaCityUK in Salford.

Programmes based at or produced at the NBH included A Question of Sport, Dragons’ Den and Life on Mars.

But not everyone is upset by the demolition of the landmark. World-famous BBC historian Michael Wood, who worked in the building for years as a journalist, this week told The Mancunion that “it’s not a great loss architecturally.”

Manchester-based Realty Estates Ltd bought the site for an estimated £10 million in April 2011. At the time of writing it was unknown for how long the site would be a car park or what is planned for it in the future.

NUS calls to end ‘laddism’ on campus

An NUS survey has revealed that 50% of participants indentified “prevailing sexism, ‘laddism’ and a culture of harassment” at their universities.

The report, titled ‘That’s what she said,’ includes research from the University of Sussex, looking into campus cultures and the experiences of women students.

It aims to show that “’lad culture’ affects every aspect of student life, which means that everyone in higher education has a role to play in responding to this.”

Although women now make up the majority of students in higher education, the report finds that challenges and disadvantages still remain for women students and that statistical data does not necessarily reflect their experiences.

While most participants felt that ‘lad culture’ had not directly affected their educational experiences, the university experience was described as ‘gendered’ by many, especially within classroom interaction.

“I’ve been silenced in a classroom environment by someone who is one of the lads if you like, because I didn’t agree with something he said,” commented one participant. “He essentially did a repeat of what David Cameron did, the whole ‘calm down dear’ thing.”

“Even the teacher who was female didn’t challenge it. She just looked at her papers, shuffled them, looked really awkward. I knew she had heard, everyone had heard.”

Another participant said: “In lots of tutorials I’ve had lots of banter.  I do Politics and History and within that there tends to be a slight focus on feminist theory at some point. It’s always the time the lad comes out. It’s just like shit jokes and stuff like that.”

“For example, if you try to make an announcement in [a lecture], everyone will immediately start shouting stuff… Something along the lines of being a ‘shit feminist’ or something.  That kind of ‘another one of those man haters’.”

Tabz O’Brien-Butcher, Manchester’s Women’s Officer said that this was not uncommon: “I’ve had quite a lot of students come up to me complaining about sexism in the classroom.” But she explained that the problem was that a lot of students do not want to make official complaints because they are scared.

“I think it’s more of a problem in terms of other students doing the banter and the sexism but then teachers don’t crack down on it and they just ignore it happening in the classroom,” she said.

The report also looked at the more expected areas of ‘lad culture,’ including sports clubs and their initiations which it explains creates a ‘pack’ mentality and is encouraged by the consumption of alcohol.

A participant in the report explained: “It was the rugby night initiation and they stood on either side of the pavement so you had to walk through them, they were creating like a bridge thing with their hands, and they started shouting really loudly, in the main street, ‘U.G.L.Y. –she’s ugly, she’s ugly’ and I was just stood there.”

“I was actually quite upset about it because it caught me off guard and I wasn’t expecting it. I wouldn’t say I get upset very much but I literally ran off… it ruined my night, I went home after that.”

While admitting that the ‘lad culture’ on campus is bad at Manchester, Tabz did not think that it was any worse than other campuses.

“Because the union is separate from the AU, a lot of the initiation ceremonies that are very focused around banter and lad culture happens in the sports teams so maybe there’s a bit less [‘lad culture’] than universities who have the sports teams integrated into the union,” she said.

“But obviously I have heard of a lot of instances, especially around Welcome Week and freshers week that we need to crack down on.”

The link between ‘lad culture’ and sexual harassment and violence is highlighted by the report.

“I don’t know anyone, any of my female friends who haven’t had some kind of encounter that was harassment, whether it be verbal or physical since they’ve been at university,” said one participant.

The NUS have responded saying that the report results are “difficult to read” anf that it is “important to acknowledge that this is happening.”

“The extent to which ‘lad culture’ shapes student’s experiences on nights out is particularly disturbing. It does not seem possible to go on a night out without encountering ‘lad culture’ and the sexism and misogyny associated with it.”

To combat this emergence of ‘lad culture,’ the NUS have called for a summit of stakeholders to work towards creating a commission to develop a national strategy to respond to the issue.

The commission will be chaired by the NUS and will feature representatives from student’s unions and institutions, students sports and societies organisations, the student entertainments, nightlife and alcohol industries, and equalities and women’s organisations.

It will aim to “lay out a clear path to tackling ‘lad culture’ and creating a safer, more positive, more empowering culture on our campuses.”

Leading women have already shown their support for the research, including Diane Abbott, Laura Bates of the Everyday Sexism Project and Polly Williams, Senior Policy Advisor, Equality Challenge Unit.

“It is important that the government and universities listen to what students are saying, and challenge any normalisation of sexism on university campuses,” said Abbott. “This isn’t about being killjoys, but about building a society where people can learn and thrive free from shame, harassment and abuse.”

Should Students’ Union executive candidates be allowed to campaign with iPads?

YES

People walking into Uni in the week preceding the election do so wearing blinkers. The chalking on the floor, the brightly coloured posters wallpapering the Union, the banners flapping menacingly in the wind wash over a student body totally disengaged and sick to the back teeth of elections and the oh-so-hilarious punnery of would-be student politicians.

A shiny iPad being shoved in people’s faces brings out the magpie in us all, and could well be just the thing to break the cycle of disinterest from students. Most students aren’t so stupid as to be pressured into voting for just anyone who puts an iPad in front of them, but to have the elections presented as something than can be slick, modern, forward-thinking instead of as a shabby bed sheet banner could have a genuinely large effect on student interest.

For those thinking that I might be guilty of over simplifying this somewhat, there is surely a reason why so many departments at the University are investing in these technologies: when things are presented in a slicker way, they are more appealing. This is basic advertising psychology: present things in an appealing way and they will appeal to more people.

For a union that had a turnout of but 7,953 voters out of 40,000 students in the 2012 executive elections, making this figure grow has to be an absolute priority. With candidates using iPads during their campaign you make every campaigner a walking polling station whose aim is to increase votes, allowing students to vote wherever they are at that time. With this, voter turnout would of course increase, which would make the results, whatever they might be, carry far more of a mandate.

With a greater involvement of the student body comes a greater effect of the Union – more people engaged in the outcome of the elections means more people sufficiently engaged in the actions of the executive, and more people invested in them acting appropriately; this can surely only mean better outcomes for everybody.


NO

My first thought when contemplating the question of iPads is quite frankly, how on earth could anybody support their use? A tool only the wealthiest campaigners can access, no way to know if they’re being used in an intimidatory way, and so many complaints and suspicions surrounding  their use that we’ve all lost count.

Supporters of the tablets highlight the fact that they can be used as a mobile polling station, meaning any campaigner anywhere can encourage higher numbers of votes, so long as they’ve found themselves a University of Manchester student. Alternatively, of course, this means that any campaigner with a tablet becomes a one person intimidatory machine, who can pressure underinformed people into voting for them with promises of sweet baked goods. Remember that it is permissible, under this years guidelines, for candidates and their supporters to give out food; not in exchange for votes of course but merely to ‘boost their campaign’. The fact is though that policies such as these are just impossible to police and can quite frequently result in actions that undermine the electoral process, as anyone who has been cornered by a cake-wielding campaigner can attest.

To those who think that turnout should be the number one priority in these elections, and are willing to sacrifice a degree of fairness and free voting in order to achieve maximum votes at costs, I say this: you have got your priorities entirely in the wrong order. Having more people voting would be great, but surely a more positive way to increase this would be to have more engaging advertising of the elections as a whole, or, god forbid, more engaging manifestos from the candidates. Shoving technology down people’s throats smacks of desperation somewhat, particularly when it is done to the detriment of free and fair elections.

Even if it were possible to ensure that tablets weren’t being used in a harmful way, the simple fact of the matter is that a policy that disadvantages people based on their wealth is surely absolutely not OK and entirely not within the spirit of a fair and free democracy, nor does it chime with the fluffy liberal values for which our SU is known and loved.

 

Manchester’s got Wood: University hires TV historian

World renowned BBC historian Michael Wood will be teaching at The University of Manchester from September.

Wood’s career has seen him present over a hundred documentaries in three decades, broadcast in over 150 countries. He will become Professor of Public History at the University.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve got lots of mates there so it’s not going to be a vast change. Manchester is a very dynamic university with great people and this offer just seemed fantastic fun.”

Professor Keith Brown, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, hailed Wood as “the UK’s leading public historian” and was “delighted to announce his appointment.”

“Because he is also widely respected as a serious scholar, we think our students will benefit greatly from his talents.”

Wood’s television documentaries span topics as varied as the Trojan War, Shakespeare and India. His 2010 series Story of England was described as “the most innovative history series ever on TV” by The Independent.

“I think I’ve done films on about 25 of the courses on offer at the History department,” he claimed. “Given the fantastic range of history options at Manchester, I can offer interesting speculations and cross-cultural comparisons and big-picture stuff.”

With plans to write and present a new series exploring the history of China over the next two years, Wood is conscious of potential difficulties involved in dedicating the time required of a university professor.

He said: “My biggest concern was how I could fit this in. I didn’t want people to say that I never come to the University.

“I’m looking at doing a continuous blog when I’m working in China and even bringing work in progress back to be looked at by students.”

He also plans to make use of his 35 years of experience as a film-maker and incorporate film into his teaching. “I don’t mind doing formal teaching,” he said, “but I like the idea of using film to help students see history.

“I think that film can play a part in inspiring students, especially first-years, about the possibilities of history. There are many different ways of approaching it and film adds another layer and brings it to life.”

Wood was born in Manchester and grew up in Moss Side. He graduated with a 2:1 from Oxford but three years into researching a PhD he left to become a journalist.

“I’d done three years of work on my thesis but I was nowhere near putting it together because I’d gone too wide,” he recalled. “I still have the draft in my drawer.

“I thought I had to get a job and I’d done a bit of journalism at Oxford. My first job was as a journalist for ITV. I even interviewed Arthur Scargill on News at 10, can you believe that?”

He went to work on current affairs for BBC Manchester when a friend offered him the chance to produce a show for BBC Birmingham. Wood suggested a show about Anglo-Saxons but his boss persuaded him to make it for BBC Manchester instead.

He explained: “I had someone in mind to present it, but they said I should do it instead to save money. The first film that went out got wonderful reviews. I walked into the office and people were asking whether I’d read the papers.

“The Beeb asked if I could make some more and that’s how it happened. It’s serendipity to be honest.”

Wood voiced concerns over Education Secretary Michael Gove’s plans to reform the history curriculum in schools to teach British history in chronological order.

He said: “I’m not opposed to Michael Gove himself and I don’t want my appointment to be in some sense tied to that.

“My experience of having children and working with primary schools is that the systematic arc of narrative stuff is just not appropriate, particularly for under-11s, and not a way that children get a sense of the past.

“I would much rather liberate the teachers and let them use their passion for the subject. But how you go about when you can only teach history two hours a week is the real problem.”

Wood’s youth was not spent solely in study. “A long time ago I played in a band with my mates in Manchester,” he recollected. “We had a reunion a couple of years ago and, who knows, we might even play together again!”

Asked whether Manchester Professor Brian Cox copied him in making the transition from musician to television academic, he laughed: “I bow to Brian Cox when it comes to being a muso.”

Manchester Bhangra Society

I spoke to Rajkumar Khera from the Bhangra Society, who told us about the cultural influence in their style of music and dancing, its fitness benefits, and what it was like performing at Pangaea.

“I had never heard about Bhangra before I came to university. It is a traditional folk dance/music which originates from the Punjab. It’s has different beats (played on the dhol) and within each style of beat there are specific dance moves you can do. For example, ‘dhamaal’ is an upbeat type of dance and music, whereas ‘mirza’ is about a Punjabi Romeo’s love woe and the dance moves represent his story. But on the whole, there’s a combination of different segments of music and dance. The music is upbeat and the dance is highly energetic, it is a great workout!”

The group, started in 2008, is not a religious society, but more of a cultural one, Rajkumar explains: “The different songs are more about how proud of our culture us Punjabis are (we’re very patriotic!), how beautiful the women are, and how we just like to have a good time. Sometimes, as in all cultures, the music and lyrics can be deep and reflective, talking about the issues the Punjab is currently facing and so on, however, on the whole, it is fairly upbeat.”

Rajkumar got involved with the Bhangra society by going along to a free dance class in Freshers’ Week of his first year: “I was recruited into the team and haven’t been able to stop. As a British Asian, I feel that this aspect of my culture is integral to my identity and I’m glad it’s a part of me. I was the Chair last year, but this year I’ve taken a step back and have a more supportive role.”

The Bhangra society has held a variety of events, including socials where they bring Indian food dishes to a society member’s house. Alongside this, they hold weekly dance classes every Thursday at 6pm, at the Manchester Metropolitan University Students’ Union. The society also participates in live performances all over the UK: “We performed at the film premiere for a Bollywood film, performed with Atif Aslam on stage, have done a variety of music videos for some quite big Bhangra artists (PBN, Saini Surinder) and have performed at The Bhangra Showdown, an inter-varsity competition at the Hammersmith Apollo.”

The Bhangra Showdown (TBS) is a particularly large-scale event organised by the Imperial College Punjabi Society. This year Aston and Birmingham City University, St George’s, Kings College, Imperial, Birmingham University, Brunel, Kingston and Manchester competed. It is a student run charity event which is held at the Hammersmith Apollo and is often a sell out, attracting thousands of people from across the UK. The universities compete and battle it out to be the best Bhangra team in the UK. Rajkumar says: “The prize? Glory and pride! We put on a much better and more solid performance compared to the last couple of years, however we did not place in the top three. The rehearsal process involved many long hours from the end of November through to the show day. Rehearsing for many long nights, all in the spirit of the competition and to do Manchester proud.”

The Bhangra Society have performed at numerous University of Manchester Students’ Union events as well – you may have caught them on the main stage at Pangaea Festival. “It was amazing as I’m sure you can imagine. It’s always really nice to see people that may not have ever danced to Bhangra before enjoying themselves in gigs like that.”

Other performances at UMSU include Reclaim the Night, Beerfest and the Cultural Showdown. In the past they have worked with the Dance Society, the Hindu Society, RAG and many more. “We really enjoy getting involved with other societies so if anyone’s interesting in booking us then please get in touch! Find us on Facebook – search “Manchester Bhangra Society” and drop us a message.”

If you would like to get involved in the society, it doesn’t matter if you have never done it before – they encourage anyone that enjoys dancing, wants to get fit, have a laugh or just try something different. “I say Bhangra is the new Zumba because it’s such a great way to keep fit! Our team of the past few years has been diverse, and we’re a friendly bunch, so by all means come on by!”

For more information visit www.facebook.com/groups/manchesterbhangrasociety

Trees planted in first campus orchard

The University of Manchester has planted its first orchard on campus.

Forty students have helped to plant over eighty fruit trees around halls of residence both in the Fallowfield and Victoria Park campus’.

Manchester-based social enterprise The Kindling Trust helped with the planting, which has been done in association with the Big Dig, a nationwide project encouraging volunteers to get involved in their local community gardens.

“The little trees might not look like much now, but in ten years time the campuses we planted up are going to be beautiful, grand orchards,’ Kirstin….. from The Kindling Trust told The Mancunion.

“My hope is that the whole University gets behind this scheme, aiming to make Manchester University the most food-friendly and sustainable campus in the country,” she added.

Many of the students involved in the planting were from the Manchester Leadership Programme. Zhang Ruoyu, a student on the programme said: “It was a good experience to participate in this Manchester Leadership Programme challenge. The trees we planted will hopefully bare edible apples in the near future so the students on campus may be able to grab one from the tree and enjoy it when passing.”

Hulme Hall was the last plot to be planted on and Jasmine Dale, a previous resident of the hall told the Mancunion “I think it’s a great idea, it’s something really different that will encourage students to eat and grow their own fruit.”

The trees planted will produce different varieties of apples from the North-West and will give students and staff a supply of apples in the upcoming years.

The initiative looks set to continue with plans for further development underway.

Alexander Clark, the University’s Sustainability Officer for the Directorate of Student Experience said: “We’re starting with apples, but next winter we plan to plant plums, pears and a whole range of soft fruit.”

 

 

 

‘Bike-gang’ target student smartphones

Students have been the repeated victims of a gang of bike-riding thieves specifically after smart-phones.

Since the start of February, 11 students have been victims of robberies on, and around, the Oxford Road.

PCSO Lucy Nicholas has warned that it was “mainly students being targeted because they are the ones with their iPhones out.

“With the snatch thefts, it is normally a man on a bike who comes up behind a student, catches them by surprise and takes the phone.

“They cycle off very quickly so the person doesn’t see their face or clothing well, but the descriptions of offenders suggest it is more than one person doing this,” she said.

Greater Manchester Police have increased their presence in the area since the attacks, and have warned that students should keep their phones out of sight.

Police have also warned that students should download a tracking device onto their phones and make sure they are locked with passwords.

Andrew Williams, a student who had his phone stolen in this way last year, told The Mancunion: “I was walkimg along Egerton road in Fallowfield in broad daylight and a guy cycled up behind me and swiped my phone right out of my hand.

“I couldnt believe it happened so I hailed down a car driving towards me and we drove after him and chased him. We followed him for a mile while on the phone to the police but he got away down a side street,” he said.

“You would never expect it to happen in such a busy area,” he added.

The attacks have coincided with a rise in phone thefts in other areas. Last week police seized a man at the Warehouse Project in possession of over 40 stolen phones.

Police also warned of another scam on Oxford Road, involving people posing as charity volunteers approaching customers in coffee shops who have devices on show. The ‘volunteers’ then place a clipboard over the device and use it as a distraction to steal the device.

Review: Stoker

Many would say that the gap between film and art has grown increasingly wide as we gorge ourselves on a feast of Transformers sequels and Spiderman reboots, but there is no denying that Stoker is pure art. As I watched this beautiful film unfold I was sure I could pause it at any point and whatever frame I landed on would be visually stunning and a piece of art in and of itself. Credit here to Korean director, Park Chan-wook, whose eye for inventive and unnerving framing is staggering. Couple this with his fantastic use of sound mixing and you have a film which is a dream for any fan of film as an art form. Chan-wook lets no moment pass without a new and original  interpretation: the simple act of sipping a glass of wine feels unbearably tense and imbued with sexual perversity thanks to the director’s unique eye.

The plot itself is a surprisingly classic story on paper: India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) has recently lost her father in a suspicious car accident. In the wake of her father’s death her enigmatic uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) moves in with her and her mother, Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) much to her initial disdain. What follows is an imaginative journey of India’s sexual awakening, tied closely to the release of her own violent nature which is suggested to be “in the blood” of the Stoker family. The cuckolding mother and mysterious uncle are not the only features which lend Stoker its period-neutral quality: everything from the family estate, the clothes they wear and the cars they drive all allow the film to transcend any constraints of the period drama.

This is Park Chan-wook’s first English-language film after his international success with The Vengeance Trilogy and the brilliant Oldboy, (which coincidentally is receiving its American remake due out later this year) and perhaps he chose Stoker as his first English film because it is not by any means dialogue-heavy. Much of the story is told by the camera and not by the script, which allows the actors to express themselves through more than just their words. However this shouldn’t detract from what is an impressive debut screenplay from Wentworth Miller (yes, the guy from Prison Break!) who displays the confidence of a writer well aware of the pitfalls of over saturated dialogue.

With Chan-wook’s invasive visual style many actors may have found their performances becoming overshadowed. Thankfully this is not the case and Wasikowska shows that she is one of the most versatile talents working today. Her pale skin and plain features allow the camera to paint her with whatever brush they desire, and let her totally disappear into her characters. This was seen last year in her fantastic interpretation of the title character in Jane Eyre, and is on display here more than ever as India’s suppressed sexual and violent tendencies unravel. The implausibly handsome, Goode, is able to hide all of uncle Charlie’s dark secrets behind his still and composed exterior which makes the film’s final twist all the more shocking. Kidman also gives one of her best performances in years as the emotionally unhinged mother in a type of role she is far better suited to than some of her more recent fare.

With performances this strong and a director so in charge of his medium, you’re allowed to simply wait in appreciation and horror for the conclusion of one of this year’s best films.

Shower baptisms, Armageddon and the Second Coming of Christ: the Korean church recruiting Manchester students

“Imagine this is earth,” says Samuel, using the lid of a Pringles tube to illustrate his point, “and here’s heaven. The most valuable thing you can imagine on earth is less valuable than the least valuable thing in heaven. God sees this planet as a speck of dust.”

At the age of 24, Samuel has left his home in London to live with members of a little-known church in Manchester. Pleasant, inquisitive and well-educated, he is far from the type of person you might imagine to join such an organisation, and yet he is utterly consumed by his new-found faith.

The somewhat cumbersomely-named World Mission Society Church of God has accumulated 1.7 million members worldwide in its fifty year history. Whilst some of the basic tenets of the church’s teachings are in common with the more established branches of Christianity, it only takes a fleeting discussion with one of their members to realise that there is plenty that sets it apart; a leader revered as the Second Coming of Christ, a rejection of worship on Sundays, and a fervent belief that we are living in the ‘end times.’

Founded in South Korea in 1964, its leader, Ahn Sahng-Hong, proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ during his lifetime, joining a less than illustrious list of Messianic claimants including Charles Manson and the former BBC Sport presenter David Icke. Upon his death in 1985, Ahn’s ‘spiritual wife’, Zahng Gil-Jah, assumed leadership of the church. To believers, they are God the Mother and God the Father; the female aspect of God being a vital component of their faith.

WMSCOG has gained quite a following in Manchester and the group has become increasingly prominent in recent times. After members of the group visited his house in Fallowfield, Religion and Political Life postgraduate student James Jackson brought the group to The Mancunion’s attention, telling us of reports that the church have been going door to door in student areas in an attempt to recruit new members.

“When they came to my house they said they were theology students giving a presentation. Having studied theology for three years, I said I wasn’t interested in what they had to say, but they were extremely insistent,” James explained. “Once inside they opened straight up on the book of Revelation and started talking about Satan. It became clear that they were trying to convince me that the Roman Catholic Church was Satanic. At one point when I protested, I was accused of being in league with the Catholics and therefore, implicitly, Satan.”

He continued: “I was alarmed to find out that one of the members had only joined a month ago and was already living communally with them and acting as an evangelist.”

As suspected, James is not alone in having been visited by the group. Indeed, it appears that WMSCOG members are actively targeting student areas in their attempt to recruit new members. Reverend Dr Terry Biddington, the University of Manchester’s Chaplain to Higher Education, expressed concerns about the group’s tactics. “We are aware that this group goes ‘cold calling’ door to door and tries to pressurise students to attend meetings. Apparently one student dropped out of university having joined,” he told us.

Though we have been unable to confirm these reports, we have spoken to several students who have encountered members of the church. Jonnie Breen, a second year History student, was perhaps more polite than most when the church’s followers pitched up on his doorstep in early September.

Having lived in South Korea for much of his childhood, Jonnie was amenable to the Korean trio who came to his house. “There were three of them, and they basically asked if they could come in and show me a presentation,” he recalls. “I got talking to them about Korea so we struck up a bit of a rapport, but before long they were pressing – fairly hard – for me to be, in their words, baptised by them. They weren’t intimidating, and I didn’t want to tell them to fuck off, but they kept coming back to this baptism.”

Jonnie was told in no uncertain terms that his prospects were bleak unless he accepted the church’s teachings. “They said, ‘unless everyone recognises what we recognise, and formally accept it, you’re going to go to hell; but we can save you by baptising you, we can do it in your shower.’ That’s the point when I remember starting to get freaked out. They kept repeating themselves; ‘we can do it really easily in your shower, right here.’ They repeated it maybe three or four times and I said, look, I really don’t want to do that, but I’d be happy to come and see you at your church.”

A month later, Jonnie made good on his promise. “They picked me up from my house, and this time there were some local Mancunians who had joined the church. As we drove in I realised that I wasn’t just there to have some food with a bunch of Korean guys. They showed me a half hour long film they had made about their church all around the world.”

Though he didn’t feel physically threatened, the rhetorical bombardment made Jonnie feel “uncomfortable.” It was the last time he spoke to anyone from the church, but not for the want of trying on their part. “Perhaps stupidly, I gave them my phone number. They kept calling me – probably about four times a week for a month after I had visited the church. They’ve stopped calling now but it shows how incredibly persistent they are.”

Gemma Reed, who has just completed a Masters degree in History of Science, Technology and Medicine, is another student who was recently visited by members of the World Mission Society Church of God. No mentions of shower baptisms here, but much of her experience tallies with those of James and Jonnie.

“They’ve actually been round a couple of times,” Gemma tells me. “A young Korean girl came to my door the first time around. She said that she was doing a theology presentation and she wanted to practice it on us. I was shown a video about all of the work that the church does in the community, and whilst we were watching it she told us the Bible predicted nuclear Armageddon, and that we could save ourselves by joining the church. It didn’t really make any sense.”

“I was just really aware of how vulnerable she was,” Gemma continues. “What she was saying to me was obviously a script. It was basically a load of small shreds of evidence which were picked from here, there and everywhere and put together to form this kind of mosaic which fits their narrative. But they really believe it, and I respect them for that.”

Having not been visited by any members of the church myself, James and I arranged to meet with two members of the church to discuss their faith. The aforementioned former student, Samuel, is here with his friend Lot, a South Korean student who has moved to Manchester to spread the word of the church. Whilst Lot was born into the church, I am intrigued as to why Samuel elected to join of his own volition.

“I was interested in learning about the truth, because there are a lot of lies out there,” he tells us. On the evening that we meet, white smoke emerges from the chimney of the Vatican to signal the election of a new Pope. How do Samuel and Lot feel about Catholicism?

“Unknowingly, the Catholics worship a Sun God, because God never instituted Sunday as a day or worship,” Samuel explains. It’s a claim which would doubtless offend many Christians, and possibly some of the students whom the church are attempting to recruit. With that in mind, I ask how students tend to react them. “People are mostly quite nice, but sometimes they just say ‘go away’. It depends,” Lot tells me.

Over the course of the next hour, the pair going into great detail in an attempt to explain to me why they are convinced that their leader, Ahn Sahng-Hong, was the Second Coming of Christ. Lot retrieves a heavily highlighted Bible from his bag, along with a huge tome embossed with the words ‘EVIDENCE BOOK’. I am shown numerous passages from the Bible which mention Christ’s Second Coming emerging ‘in the east’ or ‘from the farthest corner of the earth.’ With the help of a map, a hastily drawn timeline and a host of nonsensical charts, he is attempting to convince me that the Bible prophesised that the reincarnated Christ would come from South Korea.

I am keen to delve deeper into their belief that we are living in the ‘end times’. The World Mission Society Church of God is adamant that Armageddon will be visited upon the Earth in our lifetime – does the thought not consume them with fear? “No, it makes me happy,” Samuel tells me cheerily. “We don’t have to be scared, because if we receive salvation we can go to heaven.”

Frankly, I am quite terrified at the thought of the imminent destruction of the earth, and no less concerned by the fact that Samuel and Lot believe it to be the case. However, my overwhelming feeling is one of sympathy towards two young men who, to my mind, harbour such a bleak outlook. James Jackson echoes my thoughts shortly after we leave the pair.

“I don’t think that the church is sinister,” he says, thinking aloud. “They seem to have a degree of freedom lacking in some other new religious movements. In a pluralistic society like ours everyone has a right to their beliefs, however intolerant or strange.”

James is, however, concerned by the church’s determined pursuit of new student members. “I worry about the reports of a student dropping out of university, and their posing as theology students to enter student houses. Students are at a vulnerable time in their life and evangelistic groups can take advantage of that.”

Ian Haworth succumbed to such an organisation in the late ‘70s. Having been “brainwashed” by a woman who stopped him in the street to tell him about her organisation, he resigned from his job and gave the church $1,500 – all the money he had. Though he quickly left, it took him many years to recover from the experience. He now runs Cult Information Centre, an organisation which monitors the activity of mysterious religious and political movements.

Haworth is reluctant to use the ‘c word’ – cult, that is – but suggests that there are legitimate grounds for concern about the group. “We have had a couple of calls from people who are concerned about the World Mission Society Church of God. We have taken these calls seriously and it is a group about which we are concerned,” he told The Mancunion.

“People who become involved in groups such as this one tend to be people who have changed and, according to family and friends, changed for the worse. Personality changes are a very common phenomenon in the field, and certainly in the two cases we’ve dealt with that is the claim of the families.”

Haworth believes he has an explanation for the church’s focus on recruiting University of Manchester students as new members. “The easiest people to recruit are usually described as people with average to above average intelligence, well-educated people, people who come from an economically advantaged family background, and they’re usually people who are described as caring.”

“Whilst they can be of any age, the average person who is recruited has probably been in higher education in the past if they are not already in it. Students are easy targets, and because students are smart, they assume that it is people who are lacking in some way who get involved; and that it could never happen to them, because they think that strength of mind and intelligence are things that would perhaps safeguard them. But that’s a complete and utter myth.”

Soundwave 2013 – Competition

We’re teaming up with the lovely folks at Soundwave to give away a pair of tickets to the Soundwave launch night on the 14th April AND a pair of tickets to the festival itself.

With the likes of Bonobo, Quantic and Robert Glasper already confirmed, it looks like quite a tasty billing.  Full lineup here.

To be in with a chance of winning just answer the following question –

What is a bonobo?

Comment your name and answer below and we’ll reveal the winner within the next few weeks.