Skip to main content

Month: March 2013

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Review

Written by Mariana Cerqueira on . Posted in Books.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was given to me on my birthday, as both said present-giver and I were excited about the film adaptation with Emma Watson. The book was published in 1999 by MTV Books but became famous because of its movie adaptation that came out in 2012. Stephen Chbosky, the author of the book, also wrote the screenplay for the eponymous film.

But after much anticipation, for me, the book started out a disappointment. I’m not too fond of the epistolary style in novels and this is the story’s format. Charlie, the main character, starts writing letters to an anonymous friend just before starting high school, as a way to cope with all he’s going through.

Charlie seemed like the kind of character I would never have a connection with. He’s very complex – socially awkward, gets angry often but is incredibly sweet; he passes out when he starts thinking a lot about stuff, and you have no clue why he is like this. It seems a prerequisite that to care about what happens to character, you have to care about them. In Charlie’s case, I wasn’t that bothered at first.

But after getting past the first chunk of the book, I entered Charlie’s life as if it were my own. Charlie ‘sees’ things that make so much sense when you think about them. When I finished the book, I had about fifty quotes that really meant something to me. Quotes that expressed just what I felt so many times that I couldn’t articulate.

Apart from Charlie, who’s a pretty extraordinary guy, most of the other characters are as quirky as him, but with far less (serious) issues. You’ll end up wishing they were your friends by the end of the book.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower helped me understand a lot about life and people in general, even if I’m long past the puberty phase. It’s classified as a young adult book, but university may well be the best time to read it. Your teenage years are still relatively fresh in your mind and Charlie will help you figure out some of those situations you went through or maybe even those that may still be happening.

‘Burning Bright’: Blake at the John Rylands

Written by Annie Muir on . Posted in Books.

To get to the old John Rylands Library in Deansgate (built in 1889 if you were wondering), you have walk through the revolving glass doors of the new building, past the cheap postcards and overpriced café, up the stairs and into the sturdy, stone Gothic past.

Apart from the name, ‘Burning Bright’, the current William Blake exhibition in the library does not focus specifically on Blake’s poetry, but his collaborations and commissions from other writers to create engravings or watercolours for their books. He engraved prints for Mary Wollstonecraft’s book of short-stories in 1796, and designed and engraved a series of images in response to Virgil’s verse in 1821. The small, intricate, cross-hatch of his engravings meant that I kept steaming up the glass boxes that the books were enclosed in because I wanted to look closer.

The exhibition carried on into the Spenser and Crawford rooms where there was one piece of Blake’s work in each and the rest of the exhibition was the rooms themselves: the brownest rooms I’ve ever seen, with shiny spines of books behind glass for wallpaper, and the lights a mix between Victorian street lamps and a bluebell.

The only pieces of Blake’s own poetry in the exhibition were two facsimiles of Blake’s own ‘illuminated manuscripts’, published by William Muir in 1885. Blake did not send his poetry to be published on William Caxton’s printing press in his lifetime, but stuck to a much earlier form of craftsmanship. His books were etched, printed and hand-coloured in water colours and stitched together to make up a volume. All the poems, lettering and design are the work of Blake (although sometimes his wife helped with water colours).

His Songs of Experience is open on the page of the poem The Little Girl Found, but I couldn’t quite read the poem inside its glass cage so I went and looked at a printed copy. I was struck by its plainness; what would Blake think of his poem being printed this way? There is something so much more intimate about reading a poem that was written by the author’s own hand – not just scribbled on a piece of paper but painstakingly designed and intricately produced. All that so modern publishers could dismiss it as ‘too hard to read’ and throw his hard work away for black words on a white page, all the same size, all the same.

Postscript: On my way out of the John Rylands I was approached by a tiny old woman who told me she had been trying to find her way out for twenty minutes. I led her out and she told me she liked the Blake exhibition but she only saw half of it because most of the books were displayed quite high up. This is my official complaint on behalf of her.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Games.

Ubisoft have announced the latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. The trailer shows notorious pirate Blackbeard describing assassin Edward Kenway to a bar full of pirates. Fans of the series will recognise the name Kenway from Assassin’s Creed 3’s protagonist Connor Kenway.  Edward is the grandfather of Connor and the first Kenway to join the Assassin’s order.

The game is set in 1715 in the last decade of the Golden Age of Piracy in the West Indies. The treaty of Utrecht has ended the war between the major European powers of Spain, France, Portugal, Britain and the Dutch Republic. This left privateers unemployed, and pushed many into Piracy in the Caribbean. It is against this backdrop that the Assassin’s and the Templars continue their battle for the fate of humanity.

Black Flag promises to be a huge game, spanning 50 unique locations at land and sea. Action will span from Kingston, Jamaica to the famous pirate base in Nassau, home to legendary pirates Blackbeard, Black Sam and Calico Jack.

In the main story there will be a 60:40 split between Land based and Navel based mission. You’ll have a customisable boat, the Jackdaw, which through plundering and pillaging allows you to build large galleons, recruit sailors and attack enemy ships. Keeping with the pirate theme, you’ll be able to loot underwater ships, hunt rare animals in untamed jungles and establish a lawless republic in the Bahamas.  The weaponry keeps with the theme, as well as the classic hidden blades, you also carry two cutlass swords and four flintlock pistols.

Black Flag is set for release on all next generation consoles with improved graphics and physics on the current generation release. Ubisoft also intend to create a game with a “single connected player” which hopes to combine the single player experience with the fun of playing with a huge community.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag will ship on November 1.

TRAILER:

 

 

 

Must See: 11th-18th March

Written by Hannah Lawrence on . Posted in Theatre.

The Beginning/Debut

This comprises two plays. The Beginning is the second in a trilogy inspired by Shakespearean stage directions which question what it means to begin. Debut is a performance from BA Contemporary Theatre Practice students from the university of Salford students in which they reflect upon their first performances.

Runs 15th March at the Lowry. Tickets £9.

Connections Home Performance

This brings 10 pieces of original writing to theatres across the UK. Works from writers across the country are performed by young theatre companies offering a glance at the stars of the future.

Runs 11th – 12th March at the Lowry. Tickets £8.

Digging Deep: The Adventures of Sky the Reluctant Hero

A ‘beautiful immersive adventure’, according to the Contact theatre, which deals with the nature of mental health. The performance boasts incredible sound and animation.

Runs 13th – 16th March at the Contact. Tickets £5.

Review: Mother Courage and Her Children

Written by Rebekah Murrell on . Posted in Theatre.

In typical Brechtian fashion, the normal rules do not apply in Mother Courage and Her Children.

A bleak tale of war, sacrifice and humanity, Brecht’s post-WWII comment on the relentless and self-destructive cruelty of mankind and nations has been dubbed the greatest ‘anti-war’ play ever written. This particular production also includes sex jokes, and a great reel of songs straight out of the dance hall (‘20s, not Jamaican).

The combination, as Brecht would be pleased to know, does make you sit up and think; Mother Courage isn’t just a 17th century woman making do by selling wares from the back of a wagon with her three children. She’s Gaffs post-license loss. She’s your mum feeding you mayonnaise sandwiches for that entire shitty week after rent’s due but before payday. She’s Alan Sugar before he discovered computers (or whatever it is he did). Whoever; what I’m trying to say is she’s contemporary struggle in the face of social, financial and moral adversity.

Eve Polycarpou’s ‘tough Northern lass’ Mother Courage drags the metaphorical and literal wagon of juggling family, work and self – and though there’s no war at home today, her anxious but resolute sacrifices made for kids, money and love are all the more poignant for the familiarity she conveys them with.

Another heart of the play’s representative power lies in its conscious transcendence of generally accepted time boundaries. Aside from its length (three and a half HOURS), its context is the Thirty Year War, a pointless and inexplicably long 17th century conflict.

Between Brecht’s script, Tony Kushner’s translation and Chris Honer’s staging, contemporary and anachronistic effects are deliberately juxtaposed – one minute we’re in a 17th century village shouting the c-word at women, then we’re reading scene cue-cards on an LED display with the drone of helicopters in battle overhead, before hearing talk of peasants and cannons whilst Natalie Grady’s brilliant Yvette the prostitute saunters about in the powders and puffs of the 19th century English ‘loose woman’.

But cannons and cabaret aside, what really comes out through some beautiful and haunting performances (of a mute daughter and roguish chef in particular, as well as the others mentioned) is the extent to which, off the battlefield, human relationships are taken as the inevitable collateral casualties of war and capitalism. The effect is one that traverses time and place, settling disturbingly in our own and making you feel really, really crap about the world and the government, so make sure you’ve got enough money for a pint or five afterwards.

 

Three and a half stars out of five

UoM dreaming of double after semi-final win

Written by Andrew Georgeson on . Posted in Sport.

The University of Manchester secured their place in the BUCS Hockey Trophy final with a close 1-0 victory over Newcastle University at the Armitage.

The team went into the match already having won the Northern 1A division, in which they played Newcastle twice, winning once and drawing their second match.

Despite the fact that the two teams knew each other well, there was still a distinctively cup tie feel about the match with both teams showing lack of quality during the opening exchanges.

Although Newcastle’s slick passing seeming to cause problems at first, it was Manchester who came closest to breaking the deadlock with Osbourne firing just wide before Plummer’s shot was well saved from a penalty corner.

However, much of the first half was a disjointed affair, with free hits a constant occurence as both sides struggled to gain control.

The goal the game desperately needed came in the 28th minute. A hit from Clemenson was played to Osbourne, who turned the on Newcastle defender before sliding it underneath the oncoming goalkeeper.

Manchester started to turn the screw after taking the lead. Another shot at the Newcastle goal strayed agonisingly wide, before the Newcastle goalkeeper made an excellent excellent diving save from a Plummer shot.

Newcastle picked themselves up for a last attack on the Manchester goal before the first half drawn to a close; however, the defense coped excellently with anything that was thrown at them. Before the half was finished, Stateford managed to release Douley who found Radcliffe in an excellent position in front of goal; unfortunately, he was unable to control the pass and the ball ran out of play, ending the first half.

It did not take long for Manchester to find their rhythm in the second half with Osbourne having a shot saved with only two minutes on the clock.

Much of Manchester’s play in the second half came from the outstanding Capper. Every aspect of his game in the second half was excellent, setting up three chances in as many minutes by playing great passes to Plummer and Mullholland before one of his runs ended in gaining Manchester a free hit. Despite the early Manchester dominance they were still unable to break the deadlock.

Ten minutes into the second half, however, it appeared that the deadlock had been broken from a penalty corner. First Trent hit the crossbar then Mulholland’s attempt was blocked before Dutoy finished. Initially it appeared as if the goal had been rewarded and the teams were ready to kick off again, however, after consultation with his second official, the referee ruled the goal out.

In truth a goal would have ended the game as a contest, but despite the fact it was dubiously disallowed, Manchester did not let it dishearten them, keeping the pressure on Newcastle to the extent that Newcastle’s team had only one venture into their opponent’s D and it took until 20 minutes from time for this to happen.

The match ended in one final attack from Manchester with Osbourne breaking with a two on one overlap. He cleverly released the extra man but he was fouled by the Newcastle striker, gaining a free hit which eventually came to nothing.

The final whistle went and, despite the early problems, Manchester had totally dominated Newcastle to book their place in the BUCS trophy final and give themselves a great chance of completing a league and cup double.

Žižek, Ideology and the CrossCountry Train Network

Written by Everyday Analysis on . Posted in Arts.

John McCririck tells us in a special Cheltenham Cup CrossCountry Trains advertisement that when travelling with this company “Everything is laid on for you at your leisure!” The first comment on the YouTube video of the ad, from stevealston185, however, rather gives us these odds: “5-1 sit on the floor; 4-1 sit on the roof; 3-1 trolley can’t get through; 2-1 aircon fails; Evens – DB, the German firm want rid of this god awful franchise.” On the 15:11 service from Nottingham to Cardiff Central on Friday 15 February 2013 there were approximately 12-15 standing passengers to each vestibule, every seat being taken on the under-carriaged train.

One of the things Slavoj Žižek is big on identifying is ‘precisely how ideology functions today.’ Perhaps we can propose something of an empirical means of testing this functioning, in taking cognisance of the distance between an advertisement and its advertisand. If ‘Everything laid on at your leisure’ be the slogan, and sweatily standing in an unventilated vestibule with the trolley service waiting to get past for an hour the reality, here we can do something like attribute a simple ratio, e.g., 5:2. 5 for the ‘five-star’ expectation based on McCririck’s slogan, and 2 for the actual experience (an overpriced journey in relative discomfort, which albeit got there on time).

Ideology, fittingly perhaps, is the colon that separates the ratio’s two numbers; a colon giving enough leeway to allow companies access to unlimited disproportionate distantiation. In other words, there’s no need any longer, on the ideological level, to represent a product’s actual experience with a correlative expectation: there’s no need for a monopolist to produce a true reflection of their product, to give its potential customers such real knowledge. Indeed, what other service can we use to get home? And nevertheless, it’ll be full-whack again, fare-wise, to take the next sweaty train, if we’re pre-booked on this one. As Richard Appignanesi et al put it in Introducing Postmodernism: “The opposite of knowledge is not ignorance but deceit and fraud” (p.136). Ideology functions best today when the standing are in no way entitled to take a stand. 

BA Econ in Amsterdam

Written by Kate Bullivant on . Posted in Societies.

After surviving the January exams last month, the BA Econ society was back with its legendary trip abroad. This time, 165 students from the BA Econ society took over Amsterdam for three days.

While some indulged in cycling along the stunning streets of Amsterdam, some visited breath-taking historic sites such as the Dam square, Anne Frank’s house and the Heineken museum, to name a few. The brave few chose the path of exploring coffee shops and sex shows.  The BA Econ made the most of their time in Amsterdam by fully experiencing what the nightlife had to offer. Tochim Eduputa explained: “On the first night, we hit Dansen bij Jansen, one of the most popular student clubs in Amsterdam. New friends were made, potential couples were realized and most importantly, we showed the Dutch how to party University of Manchester-style. On the second night we took on Amsterdam’s famous ultimate bar crawl. Let’s just say our BA Econ bar crawl T-shirts were bright and so right, as it was indeed ‘A night you would not remember but never forget’.’

Rich Edwards said the trip was “a perfect end of exams bow-out” and the nightlife was “crazy and at some times very surreal.”  However the BA Econ society did not just go to Amsterdam for a long weekend of drunken revelry; they also made the most of being in European city with such a rich culture: “In the daytime, we faced the streets of Amsterdam to embrace the culture and appreciate the incredible architecture. Everyone did their own thing in the daytime and we reconvened to go out together at night.”

BA Econ hold a trip abroad every year, so although you missed out this year there is always next time. They are also holding an end of year ball at the Palace Hotel on the 27th of April; the theme will be Cirque du Soliel so keep your eyes open for ticket sales.

For more information on future trips and the end of year ball you can Email:[email protected]

Freud and The Gruffalo

Written by Everyday Analysis on . Posted in Arts.

We usually think of anxiety as being caused by fear; we feel anxious because we are scared of something or because we worry something might happen.  We speak of feeling anxious ‘about’ something or of something ‘making’ us anxious.  A strange man hanging around outside our house will make us feel anxious, because we fear what his presence might lead to.

Freud argues in opposition to this that anxiety cannot be seen as an anxiety of something or because of something.  For Freud this makes anxiety different to fear or phobia.  A phobia, Freud says, is in fact formed as a response to anxiety.   The phobia or fear centres unplaced anxiety around an object.  Through this process `an internal, instinctual danger’ (that of unplaced anxiety) is replaced by an `external, perceptual one’ (that of fear directed at a particular object) and this allows the subject to stop feeling anxious.  Anxiety exists first; we deal with it through fear.

This seems to change the way in which children’s stories about monsters need to be read.  In this reading it is not that we transfer our fears and phobias of real things (murderers, paedophiles, terrorists) into the imaginary figure of the monster-under-the-bed, but rather that we create a monster in order to create fear, to feel that there is some external ‘thing’ to be scared of, so that we do not have to face the more foundational anxiety within ourselves. But doesn’t The Gruffalo, the famous children’s story written by current Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson in 1999 but now a major series of books, television shows and theatrical productions, take this one step further?

The first half of the story represents exactly what we have seen through Freud.  A mouse takes a stroll through a deep dark wood, and is approached by three predatory hostile figures; the fox, the owl, and the snake.  Each tries to convince the mouse to come into their homes, so that they can eat the mouse.  The mouse tells each of them that he is going to have lunch with a ‘Gruffalo’ and describes the horrible monster to them, saying that its favourite food is ‘roasted fox’, ‘owl ice cream’ and ‘scrambled snake’.

The mouse creates this ultimate-scary image of the monster (description of whom takes one third of the book) not out of the things he really fears – it shares no characteristics with the fox, the snake or the owl – but instead as something so completely ‘other’ that he does not have to face anything which is really threatening to him.  Each time the mouse fools his predators he remarks:

Silly old fox/owl/snake, doesn’t he know?

There’s no such thing as a gruffalo!

The mouse is able to deal with the potential ‘fear’ of the Gruffalo because it does not exist, and this allows him to escape any more serious anxieties, to escape the anxiety of his real conditions.

Then, at the midway point of the book, the story takes an interesting turn.  Where we expect the mouse to sit down and enjoy his lunch, having fooled his enemies, the Gruffalo actually appears.  At the very moment that the mouse has turned his anxieties into a fear that he can deal with, this fear is realized.  The statement is that in dealing with your anxieties by producing an imaginary ‘Other’ – this imaginary Other is really and truly produced when it did not exist previously

But, The Gruffalo has a third turn, and this third movement is the one which makes the story truly radical.  Rather than being eaten by the Gruffalo (or having to run for his life to safety, which would amount to the same thing in more child-friendly terms), the mouse is able to control the Gruffalo by pretending he is ‘the scariest’ creature in the wood.  The mouse marches back past the snake, the fox and the owl, each of whom run away screaming because of the Gruffalo (who doesn’t realize that he is the scary one).  Having proved his dominance over the wood, only then can the mouse do away with the Gruffalo, stating ‘now my tummy is beginning to rumble, and my favourite food is Gruffalo crumble.’

Isn’t this one of the most radical assessments of Western culture that contemporary literature has produced?  The West (represented by the mouse) deals with its internal and real anxieties (represented by the snake, owl and fox) and now walks safely through the wood, with an imaginary Other which it has created (represented by the Gruffalo) beside it.  The West appears to be the only thing which can control the Other which it has itself created, and this allows it to dominate over the rest of the woods.  The West is the smallest and physically weakest creature, but it has control over ideology.

Society Swap

Written by Kate Bullivant on . Posted in Societies.

Rosie Webster is a member of the University of Manchester She Choir and went along to a beginners’ tap dance class.

How did you find the beginners’ tap session?

I really enjoyed it, although I definitely found it pretty tough! It is so fun to do a dance that also makes music. I even learnt how to do a ‘Susie Q’, although not sure I quite mastered it. It is a very rewarding thing to do because you can see and hear the improvements. Although you can also hear yourself go wrong and so can everyone else.

What really impressed you about the way the session was run that you could apply to She Choir?

It was very prompt at starting, which was good and which we could perhaps do better at She Choir.  It has got me thinking that it would be great to incorporate a bit of dancing into our choir, though I’d definitely have to check first with the other girls on that one.

What were the bad things, if any?

Perhaps there wasn’t enough of a warm up or stretch session at the beginning. The warming up bit in She Choir is always an excuse to mess around a bit and have fun.

How well organised was it?

Pretty well organised I think, although the class was quite small. But that suited me as I was a bit nervous, so I was glad there were not a lot of people watching.

Is it what you expected?

 It is noisier than I expected, and perhaps more exciting. There is something quite empowering about the effect you can have just by tapping your toe on the floor, especially when you are in sync with the people next to you. It is also more of a work out than I imagined, and I realised there is more to it than just what you do with your feet. It is important that your whole body embraces the rhythm. I think I had associated it too much with being forced into a leotard in nursery school and hadn’t realised what a great dance it is.

How did you find the instructor?

Very helpful, I think she was really good teacher. She was really nice and smiley and very patient of people’s varied abilities. She was also really good at tap, which was quite intimidating, but very impressive. She was lovely though, and really supportive even when I was clattering about. And she picked good songs, we were all tapping away to Britney Spears!

Would you go again?

I think so – I have been practising a couple of the moves around my kitchen.

Would you recommend other societies taking part in the society swap? Yes

Score out of ten? 

8

Tap Classes are from 6pm – 6 45pm on a Thursday. Check the Facebook page for the location: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dance-Society-The-University-of-Manchester/198477156871431?fref=ts

Molly Byrne is the Chair of the Dance Society and she went along to a rehearsal with the University of Manchester She Choir.

How did you find the rehearsal with the She Choir?

I had a really great time, everyone was very approachable. There was definitely a family atmosphere and I could tell how well everyone gets along in the society. It seemed to be really relaxed, in a good way.

How well organised was it?

We were a bit too early and they were a tiny bit late but it was very well organised once we got going. One of the society members called Ruth conducted and I thought the songs we were taught were really well prepared.

What was the thing that really impressed you about She Choir, which you could apply to Dance Society?

I think the main thing which struck me was the relaxed atmosphere, I could tell the people who were there had a genuine passion for singing in a choir and everyone was so welcoming so I wasn’t made to feel like a visitor.

What were the bad things, if any?

The only drawback was on the day there was no pianist, which was a shame because it would have been fun to have the music from the piano. However I am pretty sure they do normally have a pianist but she just wasn’t there that day.

What did you think about their songs chosen to sing?

The timing was difficult to get the hang of but I was really impressed that she took it on and it sounded lovely.

Would you go again?

Yes

Would you recommend other societies taking part in the society swap?

Absolutely! It’s a great way to meet new diverse people, have fun and it’s great publicity for the societies involved.

Score out of ten?

8

If you want to join the She Choir, they rehearse at 5pm on Wednesdays at the Catholic Chaplaincy opposite the Student Union. Or find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/155514391144484/?fref=ts 

 

The Bridge Society

Written by CharlieBoorman on . Posted in Societies.

Contact Bridge –  the card game of James Bond in Moonraker, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and also of many University of Manchester students who meet every Wednesday (2-5pm upstairs in The Oxford pub) and Thursday (7.30-close in The Student Union in the Khalid Said Room) as members of the Bridge Society.

Bridge is a trick-taking game played by four people in two competing partnerships. Each player is dealt 13 cards, and players subsequently bid on how many tricks they think they will win over the course of the hand. It is, as Society Chair Mike Coop told us, “hard to describe,” but he does assure us that it “has to be tried to be believed!”

And it seems plenty of people are trying it – four years ago the society was founded with only three members, yet it now boasts “over 120 interested members, and a steady number of 16-20.” Of those members there is “a secretary (responsible for keeping the society informed about union events) and a treasurer (to make sure [the Chairman doesn’t] pocket all the cash!). We also have two university bridge teams, who travel around the UK representing UoM in inter-university bridge tournaments.”

For example, the society enters the annual Portland Bowl knock-out tournament. Last week, the B-team narrowly lost to Durham University by seven points, and the A-team are currently in Coventry playing against the University of Warwick. The Bridge Society also enters the London Cup, and closer to home they also attend Manchester Bridge Club and Manchester Country tournaments and competitions.

It’s not all about big competitions, though. The Bridge Society caters for members with varying degrees of ability: “We assume new members know nothing about a deck of cards and go from there. No matter how late in the academic year, we’re always up for teaching new members.”  This teaching seems to be doing the trick; novice members who only joined in September are already competing in tournaments and holding their own.

If you would like to get involved in Contact Bridge, details are:

E-mail: [email protected]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UoMBridge/

Or just turn up on a Wednesday or Thursday!

 

‘Sack half the exec,’ says Gen Sec candidate

Written by Andrew Williams on . Posted in News.

One of the four candidates hoping to become the next General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union has sparked controversy amongst union hacks by pledging to cut the executive team by half if elected.

Colin Cortbus, a first year Middle Eastern Studies student, wants to remove four positions from the eight-strong executive team in a bid to save £66,000 per year.

The proposal is part of a drive to “bring about an end to Union waste.” Positions including Campaigns, Community, Women’s and Wellbeing would all be cut, to be replaced by Housing and Academic Affairs officers. The redundant positions would instead be covered by a sixteen-person committee of student volunteers, each earning £1,000.

But the policy attracted criticism as three of the four candidates for Gen Sec took part in a lively debate last Thursday evening. Grace Skelton, the sole female candidate, expressed concern at removing the role of Women’s Officer.

“The Women’s Officer performs a vital role at the University of Manchester. One in four women suffers sexual harassment at university and women are still under-represented in public and academic life,” Skelton said. “Until this changes the Women’s Officer is absolutely necessary.”

Cortbus responded that he would “make welfare issues central to every executive position.”

Last week saw the Students’ Union host hustings featuring the candidates for each of the eight executive positions. All were asked which role, if any, they would scrap; whilst the majority of candidates argued that the composition of the exec should remained unchanged, Cortbus was not the only one to come under fire for proposing changes.

Raj Singh, standing for Activities Officer, questioned the need for both a Diversity Officer and a Women’s Officer. “Women are important and they don’t need to be in any way undermined, but what about men. Who do they go to?” he said. Singh reiterated that he is “not at all against women’s rights.”

Five members of the current executive turned out to hear the candidates for General Secretary discuss many other issues. James Johnson argued in favour of “a radical change in the relationship that the Union has with the student body,” telling voters, “it is time to stop impressing beliefs on people.”

He also advocated an end to the Union’s ‘no platform policy,’ in contrast to his fellow candidates.

But James tripped up by saying the exec were “wasting their time” focusing on the Coca-Cola ban. Grace reminded him that the ban was the result of a referendum put forward by a student.

Meanwhile, Grace Skelton was forced to respond to claims from The Mancunion that her commitment to discounted Academy tickets for University of Manchester students is “impossible.” Asked if she had discussed the issue with promoters, she admitted she had only spoken to students.

The candidates also disagreed on the reinstatement of a full-time, paid editor for this newspaper. Johnson said the paper was “doing fine as it is”; Skelton suggested putting the issue to a referendum, saying that she would back the return of the role in the event of a vote.

Voting in the Students’ Union elections opened at 10am on Friday morning, and will remain open until 6pm on Thursday. The results are due later that evening, and will be liveblogged at www.mancunion.com.

John Williams: The man behind the music

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in Music.

With a career spanning over six decades in the biz, John Williams has almost single-handedly popularised the mode of film scores in the 20th century.   His recent Oscar nod for Lincoln brings his nominations tally to a whopping 48, the most of any living human and second only to Walt Disney.  Of those 48 nominations, he has won five, adding to his four Golden Globes, seven BAFTAs and 21 Grammys.  Yet even these impressive figures do no justice to the significance that Williams has had in each of our lives; we have all grown up humming his tunes.  Star Wars alone is enough to cement his place in history, but if you add to that Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter then the reach of his genius becomes incalculable.  In other words, John Williams is film music.

His foray into composition began in 1952 when he was drafted into U.S. Air Force.  The Air Force Band soon became his pet project, giving him a first real taste of conducting and arranging a large group of musicians.  When his service ended, he relocated to New York to study piano at the famous Juilliard School, whilst working the club circuit as a jazz pianist.  It was at this point that Williams decided to move back to L.A. in order to find work in the studios.  Little more than ten years had passed before he won his first Oscar for Fiddler On The Roof, back in 1971.

Despite this initial accolade, Williams has always maintained that the real road to stardom began to pave itself four years later, when he teamed up with Steven Spielberg for Jaws.  The famous alternating two note “shark” pattern has since become a classic piece of suspense music and can be used in any situation that involves approaching danger.  It made me laugh when Mychael Danna’s acceptance speech for “Best Original Score” (Life of Pi) was cut short by this very pattern.  You have to question who the real winner of that category is.

It was also the success of Jaws, both musically and cinematically, that kick-started the long running Williams/Spielberg collaboration.  Close Encounters, E.T., Jurrassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Schindler’s List followed, each soundtrack receiving massive critical acclaim.  The relationship between director and composer blossomed to such an extent that sight and sound soon became completely synonymous.  You can’t imagine Indiana Jones without that theme tune.  It’s the sound of adventure.

Outside of the Spielberg realm, Star Wars is by far the biggest hit in his back catalogue.  It’s the highest grossing non-pop music recording of all time for Christ sake. It speaks for itself.  But in more recent years, it’s probably Harry Potter that has ensured yet another generation of appreciation.  Owls are quite mysterious anyway, but ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ epitomises the feelings of the entire franchise; a mixture of whimsy, pomp and menace.  He went on to compose the scores for the next two films, but, like ‘The Imperial March’ and ‘Luke’s Theme’, it is his work on The Philosopher’s Stone that will stand the test of time.  Next time you’re delivering a letter, give it a little hum and see if it doesn’t make the experience that little bit more magical.

Blind Date: Lewis and Helen

Written by Beth Currall on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Lewis, 20, 1st Year Business Studies

First impressions? She looked nice, very pretty and well-dressed. She didn’t wear heels either which I liked, because I don’t like it when girls are too over-done. She’s a brunette though, and I usually go for blondes.

Did the date get off to a flying start? I think so, I made her laugh quite a bit which is always good. She was easy to chat to and we had a fair bit in common.

Best features? Nice smile with lovely teeth- she told me she’d had braces for years. She also had a natural tan, which was good because I can’t stand orange-looking girls who fake tan all the time.

Any awkward moments? I think I told some risky jokes that she wasn’t really a fan of; thinking about it, they were probably a bit much for a girl to find funny.

Did you have many things in common? Yeah we did actually, we’re both from just outside of Birmingham so we talked for quite a while about that.

What was the weirdest thing she told you? I can’t remember anything weird to be honest; she seems like a pretty normal girl.

What happened after you finished your meal? We stayed for a little bit, but she had work early in the morning so we left.

How did you say goodbye? I gave her a hug and said I’d add her on Facebook.

So no kiss? Nah.

Would you look at her twice in a club? Erm I dunno- yeah maybe actually, because she has good taste in clothes and she’s got nice hair. Even though I don’t usually go for brunettes.

Potential sex partner percentage? Erm, 60%? What did she say?

Any  future plans? I’m definitely going to add her on Facebook and speak to her on there.

 

Helen, 20, 2nd Year French and Linguistics

First impressions? He isn’t my usual type- a bit shorter than what I normally go for- but he has nice hair. I also like lads with glasses, which was a bonus.

Did the date get off to a flying start? Yeah, he was so friendly and really funny so he kept me laughing! [Laughs], we’re both from the same area of the country so it was nice to talk to someone who quite literally knew where I was coming from.

Best Features? Nice eyes and a very dry, witty sense of humour, which I love.

Any awkward moments? He did tell a couple of jokes which I didn’t understand, so that prompted some pity laughs.

Did you have many things in common? Yeah, loads actually! It turns out we actually grew up around twenty minutes away from one another, so we had a lot of shared memories about the places we’d been to as children. We also both like the gym so we talked a fair bit about that.

What was the weirdest thing he told you? He told me about his eventful weekend at a stag do in Leeds: some pretty weird things went on which I won’t repeat for fear of embarrassing him.

What happened after you finished your meal? We stayed for another drink, but I had to get up early for work so we said our goodbyes at Trof, as he lives in the City whereas I live in Fallowfield.

How did you say goodbye? A friendly hug [pauses and laughs]. What?! That was it!

So did you kiss? No, I’ve told you! A friendly hug.

Would you look twice at him in a club? Probably not, I was more attracted to his personality so initially there was no spark.

Potential sex partner percentage?  [Laughs] 50%?

Any plans for the future? He said he would add me on Facebook so we could talk, so who knows? Maybe.

Absent Exec Officer drops out of Gen Sec race

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

The current Students’ Union Diversity Officer has pulled out of the running for General Secretary after becoming stuck abroad.

The Mancunion reported last week that University of Manchester Students’ Union Exec member Saad Wahid had been absent for over five weeks due to passport issues.

After initially taking three weeks leave at the end of January to visit his family in his native Pakistan, Mr Wahid was unable to return because he was not in possession of his passport, having handed it over to the British High Commission in the country in an effort to obtain a British Tier 1 entrepreneur visa.

“I didn’t realise that it would take such a long time for the visa to be processed and now I am stuck,” he told The Mancunion.

Subsequently, Mr Wahid has withdrawn his name from the candidacy for General Secretary of the Students’ Union.

“I withdrew because competition for the Gen Sec post is always intense and involves a high turnout of votes and not being physically present in Manchester during polling time is a serious setback to any campaign,” he said.

The race for Gen Sec now includes four candidates, Choudhry Haziq, Colin Cortbus, James Johnson, and Grace Skelton. The latter has the support of current General Secretary Nick Pringle, both of who are members of Manchester Labour Students, and current Women’s Officer Tabz O’Brien-Butcher.

“We deserve a Gen Sec who will continue Manchester’s journey forward, passionate, experienced and principled, Grace will deliver amazing things for students,” Miss O’Brien-Butcher is quoted as saying in Miss Skelton’s manifesto.

Mr Wahid was also shortlisted for the NUS International Student Officer of the Year last week, one of five candidates chosen from universities around the country. The award went to University of Liverpool’s Chidinma Chi-Chi Nwokoro.

TV vs reality

Written by Gwen Ellis on . Posted in Lifestyle.

I often fantasise about waking up in a fabulous apartment, looking like I have just stepped out of a magazine advert. I’ll head to work in my Manolos, wind blowing in my hair. Obviously, I come crashing back down to earth when I step onto the 142 in my muddy Converses, faced with crowds of students who smell of stale beer and Lynx.

This fantasy is definitely the result of watching one too many episodes of Sex and the City and Gossip Girl. I often find myself trying to channel my inner-Samantha or my inner-Serena after one too many G&Ts, ending up in some ridiculous situations. The last time I channelled my inner-Samantha I ended up sipping vodka martinis with a twenty-something businessman in his hotel bar. Leaving the venue was more Secret Diary of a Call Girl than SATC – I was red faced and wreaked of shame.

I later thought to myself, how did that happen? Had I just been myself or had I gained false confidence from the glitz and glamour of my favourite shows? Had these programmes completely infiltrated my head so much so that I end up morphing into one of the characters?  The bottom line is that it is unrealistic of me to think that I can get away with Samantha behaviour, hence why I have so much love for Girls which has recently hit our TV screens.

I watched the whole series of Girls within two days. Both SATC and Gossip Girl seem airbrushed to the point of fantasy when you compare them to the brutal honesty of this newcomer, which sees a group of friends navigate their twenties ‘one mistake at a time.’ Life is portrayed far more truthfully; issues such as losing the financial support of parents and having to take unpaid internships in order to try and succeed are addressed, as well as dating, sex and arguments amongst friends.  This is perhaps helped by the fact that the comedy-drama is based on some of creator and star Lena Dunham’s personal experiences. I don’t feel the need to release my inner-anyone at the end of an episode; it’s okay not to have a fashion line at the age of 23 and it’s okay to mess up sometimes

Girls’ frank honesty about sex, friendship and love is refreshing in a world where TV is glamorised to the max. Although there is fun to be had when channelling your inner-Samantha, Manchester student life cannot be compared to those of the privileged in New York City and we shouldn’t be made to feel inadequate by fictional constructs.

Mind the gap

Written by Lauren Arthur on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Look back fondly on your juvenile years and you will remember the unspoken law concerning relationship age differences. Girls going out with older boys was an achievement. If they were fully grown men it was weird, but if they were doing their GCSEs as you sat your A Levels, you were in social suicide territory. The question is, just how much do these attitudes really change as we grow up? How much is too much?

Take Caroline Flack and Harry Styles for example. Whilst not a fan of either, I did feel slightly sorry for Flack who was victim to incessant abuse during and after the split with the curly-haired singer, 15 years her junior. Cougar/toyboy and gold digger/sugar daddy relationships are frequently criticised, but they are surprisingly common even amongst us nobodies.

Obviously there are some drawbacks to the big age gap. You could be reminiscing about your hair in the 80s, whilst your partner awkwardly recounts the stories that their mum used to tell them. The likelihood of you sharing a lot of common interests is possible but perhaps slim, as you will be at different stages in your lives and at times probably unable to relate to one another.

That aside, your happiness in a relationship is the most important thing. ‘Love knows no boundaries’ and all that jazz. Embrace the age gap and the things you learn from one another, though perhaps steer clear of someone your parents’ age. After all, ‘meet the parents’ is awkward enough as it is.

‘Oz The Great and Powerful’ cast and director Q + A

Written by Dylan Wiggan on . Posted in Film.

The Mancunion was recently invited to a press conference with the stars and director of Oz, here’s the best of what Mila Kunis, James Franco, Zach Braff, Rachel Weisz , Michelle Williams and (director) Sam Raimi had to say.

Sam, were you intimidated to ‘return to oz’ after all this time since the classic original?

Sam: Yes I was. I was very frightened to approach the project, because there is so much love for the original Wizard of Oz picture obviously. And people don’t want their warm feelings towards this great classic sullied. And that’s why I stayed away from the script at first, but later when it came time to find a writer for another project the script came across my and I fell in love with it. It was a script with a lot of heart and I thought if I can bring this to the screen only a wicked old witch wouldn’t want this to be made.

James, what drew you to this project?

James:  I just had to be sure that Sam had a sound approach to the movie and of course when I read the script I read that he had a very smart way to do it. That they would stay loyal to what us lovers of Oz expect. But now it’s 70 plus years later they are able to capture this world in much more spectacular and seamless way without having to rely on theatrical conventions with men in lion pyjamas, they could create these magical creatures in ways that are believable to the eye.

Mila, how did it feel to be the ‘ugly duckling’ for a change?

Mila: It was actually really great. It was incredibly freeing. It was the first time in my life where putting on the costume really did change the way that I viewed the character. It really allowed me to explore my performance without having to worry what people thought.

Did any of you take any inspiration from the original film?

Zach: Its tricky for me to answer because I’m creating this new character. I guess if anything I saw the monkey as being the comic relief like how the Scarecrow, the Lion and Tin Man were -the physical comedy of it all. So there are a couple of subtle places where Sam and I found to put in some physical comedy that was an homage to those characters.

Michelle: Glinda in the original doesn’t go down the yellow brick road as she doesn’t need anything which makes her a little bit one dimensional and we wanted to bring out her more human qualities. So the original was an inspiration, will always be an inspiration but it wasn’t my jumping off point.

Rachel: Well my character you could only see her feet from under the house-

Zach: Did you take any inspiration from her feet?

(all laugh)

Rachel: (deadpan) Zach I did, I did

Zach: I noticed, if anyone else didn’t, I noticed

(more laughter)

Mila: The truth is no, I didn’t, because I didn’t want to emulate or imitate, or do anything that would take away from the iconic character that was so great and wonderful and beautiful. What I was given was the gift of a back story, so I could humanise her. When she became human is when it made sense to me. I would never dare to emulate something so iconic.

Mila, was it different playing a character that went on a journey from innocence to evil and will we see in the future you play a character that also leaves their innocence behind in Fifty Shades of Grey?

Mila:  God this Fifty Shades of Grey thing is not gonna leave is it? No, you will not see me in Fifty Shades of Grey, sorry.

Zach: Does that mean I could audition?

(all laugh)

Mila: (deadpan) It’s all yours Zach. You’d be fantastic in it.

(more laughter)

If you could cast a spell on any person what would it be?

Mila: Erm, I would cast a spell on Sam Raimi so he would cast me in all his movies.

(all laugh)

Zach: I would cast a spell on Mila to have her do Fifty Shades of Grey

(more laughter)

Oz the Great and Powerful is in cinemas now.

Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

Written by Dylan Wiggan on . Posted in Film.

The Wizard of Oz is a classic by any standard really. It’s the type of film most people have seen whether they like it or not, and everyone knows the story or at least a few of the songs.

It’s this familiarity that is prequel Oz the Great and Powerful’s biggest strength and weakness, in a mixed bag of a movie.

Oz tells the story of illusionist Oscar Diggs (or just Oz to his friends) who, via a tornado, finds himself in the wonderful world of Oz. This naming similarity is no coincidence as when he arrives he quickly is told that he is the fulfilment of a prophesy and will become King of Oz. This all gets more complicated though when he gets caught between feuding witch sisters Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) – with Oz’s Lothario ways further stoking the flames. With help from his monkey servant Finley (Zach Braff) Oz (the man) finds himself battling to save Oz (the place) from wicked-witch destruction.

Oz The Great and Powerful is director Sam Raimi’s first big budget movie since the disappointing Spider-man 3. He brings his renowned visual chops and impressively updates the familiar ‘Oz’ setting with impressive visuals that were impossible back in 1939. Most noticeably, the flying monkeys get a new and vicious look that will no doubt scare younger viewers.  By far the best sequence of the film, and the only effective utilisation of 3D, was the balloon sequence near the start of the film. Raimi’s action, horror and comedy chops all come to the fore here in a brilliant sequence that encapsulates the transition from the real world to Oz.

Unfortunately some of the acting doesn’t quite live up to Raimi’s visuals. Franco in the title role seems miscast and fails to convince as the ‘showman’ he purports to be. Similarly Mila Kunis, particularly in the latter parts of the film, seems (particularly her voice) out of place making for some awkward monologues. Zach Braff though, is a regular scene stealer in his comic relief sidekick role. And Rachel Weisz and especially Michelle Williams are among the few that successfully pull off the campy, over the top tone from the original that this film is emulating.

For anyone with even a passing interest in the original film there is a great novelty in finding out some of the back stories to the iconic characters. And for the most part the characters are treated respectfully and make great additions to a world that so many love.

Franco and Kunis’ occasional struggle to pull off their roles, along with the films difficult straddling of new and old, weigh down this film. But with Raimi’s visuals and the competent work of Williams and Braff this return to Oz works overall and won’t have you clicking your heels wishing to go home.

A black coffee please, not an ‘Americano’

Written by Ben Walker on . Posted in News.

Coffee is drunk with all too little care and attention. For the hungover first year, slightly less hungover second year or the overworked third year, coffee has just become something to perk oneself up with. It should, however, be savoured. Coffee is a delicious yet very accessible luxury; it deserves to be treated with care.

Despite my obviously ominous verbal onslaught of bad coffee practice, I must insert a disclaimer: this is not a savage polemic or silly AA Gill drivel. I have a hug mug and can get a filter coffee from a University of Manchester outlet for 79p. I am a student, so price is of course a major issue – though it does pain me to line the pockets of Food on Campus because the coffee is gritty dirge.

For price and convenience I drink this. For enjoyment and satisfaction I frequent other vendors and leave considerably chirpier. Christie’s Bistro upstairs in the Whitworth Quadranagle (cue the hate mail from postgraduates who keep this gem to themselves) is a haven of tranquility,  neocolonialism reading groups and catch-ups between academics who have just got back from field work in Kathmandu. The coffee served here is very nice: mild, slightly smokey and not at all gritty. The surroundings also make it premium venue, but the coffee stands out as cheap, tasty and all located nearly as conveniently as its Food on Campus competitors.

We all know Caffe Nero is the best high street chain coffee house. Italian beans are roasted hard so the caffeine is largely negated, and the taste is deeper and more complex than the lightly roasted, high caffeine Starbucks swill. Costa is to avoid at all costs.

The Anchor, situated in the old Whitworth Pub opposite the Edinburgh Bike Co-Operative,  serves nice coffee – again, cheaply, and it is independent, which is almost always good. However, if you are hungering for the finest coffee in Manchester, and to date the nicest espresso I have ever had, bee line for North Tea Power in the Northern Quarter. I am aware it’s too far to go on a Tuesday lunch unless you are fanatical, but do try and make a visit.

Couture (the Museum café) is somewhat a misnomer. It looks lovely, the food is good and is full of anoraked middle-class grandparents babysitting Hugo and Florence for the day, who chose to visit the enriching and educational museum. Maybe that’s why the coffee isn’t great, as the clientele are too busy retrieving stray Early Learning Centre toys and mittens.

To be clear, this is about black coffee. If you seek sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, cream and words with ‘chino’ on the end (not the trousers) then I’m sure anywhere will satisfy these cravings. However, when in search of your daily coffee fix, do consider what you are drinking. Coffee deserves your due care and attention.