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Day: 18 November 2013

Church for Atheists

Written by Tim Harcourt-Powell on . Posted in Features.

It’s a Wednesday night and I’m in a small room, whose walls are stacked with prayer books.  The people around me all seem to be in good spirits despite the miserable autumnal weather outside.

‘Hit it, Maestro!’ cries the church leader, sweeping his arms excitedly in to the air.  The opening strains of the first song begin to plonk from the piano. A joyful, upbeat number to which the congregation start to sway and clap, with smiles abounding and ripples of awkward laughter echoing around the room.

This is no ordinary church service. The hymn sheet makes no mention of ‘All things bright and beautiful’, or ‘Jerusalem’. We’re singing ‘Celebration’, by Kool and the Gang.

Growing up in a strongly Christian family, I’ve been to many Church services throughout my life. Some of these experiences have made me cynical and skeptical when it comes to organised beliefs and religion, yet I’m open to sincerity when I see it. I’ve seen a fair cross section of what you might experience in the contemporary Christian church. From believers screaming and collapsing as they are ‘touched by the spirit’ and vicious blazing rows between believers due to disagreements, to touching talks by severely disabled thalidomide victims, and altruistic types sacrificing their entire lives for the benefit of others less fortunate. But between the extremities of the two poles, there is always the one uniting feature: a belief in ‘God’.

This, however, was different. It was like decaffeinated coffee: the taste was very similar but you just know something is missing. Yet, unlike coffee, this service was not any worse off for it’s deficit. This church is part of a growing movement which describes itself as a ‘godless congregation that celebrates life’.

Manchester’s inaugural ‘Sunday Assembly’ met on the 30th October, at the Cross Street Unitarian chapel. If you’ve not yet come across the movement, it was the product of the comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, who together launched the first Sunday Assembly in North London in order to ‘live better, help often, wonder more’. Since then, as they describe, it ‘went a bit viral’. The concept has now spread globally with Jones and Evans currently embarked upon a ‘40 dates and 40 nights’ missionary tour launching new Assemblies worldwide.

For the most part, the Assembly does mimic a conventional church service: congregational songs are sung, an address of sorts, a moment for quiet reflection is encouraged, a collection is taken. Yet the Assembly filters out the divisive issue of belief and religion, but emphasises the importance of community and fellowship.

As the service opened, anticipation created an excitable tension in the room lending great enthusiasm to the first ‘Hymn’. Whilst the spirit was there, charmingly the musicality certainly was not. After mumbling through the verses that no one knew and then hollering through the chorus, all seemed enthused and in high spirits. As one witty member of the congregation quipped ‘this is a bit like Karaoke!’. The next item on the order of service featured poetry from performance poet and writer Tony Walsh. He delivered his verses in a typically halting ‘poetic’ style, but I was put off by the fact that the poetry that had been chosen seemed to be loaded with sentiments such as ‘Learn the answers, teach the questions’, ‘sleep as long as you like, just be awake more’ or ‘everyday may end with Y, but should begin with Why not?’. On its own I’m sure the poetry carries its weight, but in this setting it risked teetering in to twee motivational truisms. As the poetry drew to a close, Colin Parry (of the charity Foundation for Peace) gave a short but moving speech about the death of his son in the IRA attack on Warrington in 1993. Inspiring as this speech could have been, Parry offered little depth about the events or their fallout, instead offering the opportunity to purchase a book about it.

After a rendition of Take That’s ‘Shine’, Sanderson Jones took to centre stage to offer the ‘address’. In keeping with the imbued theme of ‘beginnings’ he spoke for a short time about his personal experiences, confessing that he was someone who ‘failed’ often. But the atmosphere in the chapel became a little uncomfortable as he was humorously relayed a story of how he had once unwittingly adopted the first half of an IRA slogan (‘We only have to be lucky once – you will have to be lucky always’) as his attitude towards finding success in starting new ventures. It seemed as if Jones was torn between a new ‘churchlike’ leader figure, and his standup routine. I’m all for laughter in church (Indeed, I believe it would greatly benefit many a service), but it felt that any attempt towards any depth was cut short by the introduction of levity.

Whilst the mainstream media has coined the oxymoron ‘atheist church’, this is hardly a fair description of the proceedings. Many of those I spoke were not explicitly atheist and often came from slightly unconventional routes to spirituality – a young woman brought up in an Irish Protestant family, a Unitarian lay preacher,  a middle aged woman brought up in the Church of England, who moved through Buddhism and now identifies herself as a Quaker. The Sunday Assembly prides itself on a lack of doctrine or set texts, other than basic human existence. As a result, everyone is welcome. Celebrating ‘life’, is open to any one, and as their website states, at the Assembly they ‘don’t do supernatural, but we also won’t tell you you’re wrong if you do’.

But is the celebration of ‘life’ a suitable anchor to hold fast the movement? The Sunday Assembly is not the first such occurrence of such a movement, as has been highlighted in many articles in the surrounding hype. In an article in the Guardian, Nick Spencer (Director of studies at the Theos Think Tank) describes how similar movements appeared in the late 19th Century in response to a surge in atheism, but quickly disappeared again. “You need more than an absence to keep you together,” Spencer says, “You need a firm common purpose”.

It is potentially due to the fact that this was the first meeting, however, the service itself felt very light on actual content or depth, relying instead quite heavily on jokes and throw away ‘wisdom’ soundbites. Whilst this was by no means dull, it is questionable how much mileage remains in such a strategy, especially with nothing specific to bind the believers, bar their existence.

Towards the end of his sermon, and the close of the evening, Sanderson spoke of how, since starting the Assembly, many had come to him and Pippa expecting them to have all the answers. He remarked that ‘One of the main reasons I wanted to start the [the Sunday Assembly] was because I had so many questions’. This offered a refreshing alternative to most conventional, ‘mainstream’ churches or religions who draw people in with the dubious claim of having the answers, the truth of life, or a raison d’être.

Personally, I subscribe to the idea that religions are all doors to the same room, that there is no universal truth because your conception of ‘life’ depends greatly on your perspective and upbringing. The Sunday Assembly seems to acknowledge this attitude and celebrates the unknown, the sometimes confusing journey of life. It promises no greater truths, or insights, or deities, and it doesn’t attempt to offer them. They sum it up with the rather bittersweet ‘We are born from nothing and go to nothing. Let’s enjoy it together’. Though this first meeting was a little scarce when it came to depth and risked looking like a new platform for the founders comedy, this burgeoning community does offer an interesting network of open minded people, who have all approached the venture with welcoming hearts and outstanding Victoria sponge. Let’s hope that the joy of being alive is enough to unite them in the long run.

The next meeting of the Manchester Sunday Assembly will be at Victoria Baths on Hathersage Road (M13 0FE)  at 11am, December 8th. For more information visit ww.sundayassembly.com 

Interview: Lord Adonis

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Features.

“We are not recruiting enough of the brightest and best into the social work profession. That is the single biggest problem that we face in child protection and social work.”

Lord Adonis wants to change that.  He places the failure to attract the top talent into the social work profession as the key problem in a profession that has come under much criticism lately.

Frontline, is a new graduate scheme that uses the Teach First model to recruit the next generation of social workers. Adonis, who worked with and supported the development of Teach First, is confident that Frontline can help solve care work’s recruitment problems.

“Frontline is seeking to attract final year students and young graduates who are both, academically successful, who have got 2:1s or Firsts but also have the personal skills and enthusiasm to be able to be successful social workers.

”This is a new scheme with intensive training and support, the commitment is only to stay in the social work profession for two years. So it makes it possible for participants to move onto another career if participants wish to do so, but equally if people get hooked and there’s a good chance they will, then of course this is a great way into the profession for a longer period too.”

Frontline was founded when Josh MacAlister, who was a Teach First alumnus, contacted Lord Adonis with the idea. Together they developed the plan and pitched it to the Department for Education, who embraced it. This year they are offering 100 places and have already had over 500 applications and 3,400 expressions of interest.

Adonis, who served as a minister in the last Labour Government, has had a hand in everything from the academies programme to HS2. Serving as Chair of the Frontline board, Adonis knows more than anyone the importance of social work. Raised within the care system, Adonis understands the difference a care worker can make.

“Social workers are absolutely crucial to the life chances of children in care. There are the agents of the state and community. They take decisions everyday in respect to education, in respect to court proceedings, in respect to relations with guardians, parents or other adults who feature in the lives of children in care, which determine their whole future.

“It is very difficult to succeed as a child in care, unless you have the support of a good social worker. That’s where Frontline can make a big difference.”

Social care has come under a lot of criticism recently for failing to pick up cases of real abuse. Recent cases have shocked the public and no failure is greater than the death of four-year-old Hamzah Khan. Social workers failed to pick up on the shocking abuse as Hamzah was starved to death. It took 21 months for the authorities to discover Hamzah’s body; it was a damning indictment on the profession. Reforms are clearly needed, Adonis sees Frontline as a key part.

“The single biggest challenge is to recruit more and better social workers and that’s precisely what Frontline seeks to do. You can’t do it all alone but you can make a contribution.”

The recent social care scandals have threatened morale within the profession. Will Frontline improve morale?

“There’s a clear morale problem in the profession and raising the status is a big priority. Recruiting steadily more of the brightest and the best into the profession will make a big difference to the status of the profession and therefore improve its morale.”

One criticism of Teach First, was that it would lead to upper-middle class students going into areas of real deprivation without having first hand experience of poverty. Is this a danger with Frontline? Adonis casts doubt on these claims.

“Frontline has a rigorous selection process and is only going those who are going to be able to make a success of the role. Including dealing with challenging families and I’d expect Frontline entrants to come from all kinds of backgrounds, including some I’d expect to be graduates who are themselves in care when they were younger. ”

Social work is one of the most demanding jobs out there. According to a recent Randstad study, social workers are the mostly thinly spread of any profession with 54% saying, “They are working hard and cannot work any harder”.  It is clearly going to be a challenge to get affluent, sheltered graduates to opt for one of the most demanding jobs out there. Will they stick with scheme or will money be wasted as graduates drop out for less demanding work? Adonis sees Frontline as way of relieving pressures on currently overworked social workers.

”A big problem that social workers face is unfilled vacancies around them. Which adds enormously to workload and to pressure. If we can tackle this problem of recruitment and turnover, then that will significantly improve the working conditions for the profession at large and Frontline can play a role there.”

He also is confident, that while graduates are only committed for two years, many will stay on for much longer.

“It is a strong selling point of the programme that you are not locked in for the future. But, in practice I would suspect most Frontline participants would willingly stay for long than two years, because the programme is so good and the work is so rewarding.”

Whether Frontline will succeed is yet to be seen. The scheme was recently hit by a survey finding that 55% of social worked thought the scheme would have a negative impact on the quality of practice. But, with all three major parties backing the scheme and impressive recruitment, Frontline looks here to stay.

 

For information on how to apply to Frontline, visit their website:  http://www.thefrontline.org.uk/

Interview: Pixies

Written by Tom Ingham on . Posted in Music.

“We were assholes, that’s why we broke up – a bunch of fucking assholes, every single one of us. I think that’s the bottom line, I’ve finally figured it out (he laughs).” Pixies axeman Joey Santiago ruminates on the bands split following their last record Tromp Le Monde. “I could kind of tell we were going to split when we stopped appreciating what we were actually doing; how easy it was and how lucky we were to be doing it. I don’t know what the hell happened there, we didn’t even have family so what the fuck were we thinking – Jeez.”

More than 20 years after their last full length release, Pixies dropped EP-1 in September this year. Just three weeks into the project bassist Kim Deal left the band. “It was a complete shock. After three days of mourning we just rolled up our sleeves and thought about the economics of what we were doing. We booked seven weeks in the studio and we had four more left, all of us being New Englanders and working class you know we didn’t want to waste our money.”

“I think she wanted to move on, we thought about PJ Harvey (as a replacement).We were thinking about that for a while but just decided not to do it. Certainly we missed her backing vocals, if we were to put PJ Harvey in the mix it would have sounded …different” he laughs. “It’s whatever’s in the soup, we don’t know if it’s going to be a carrot or an onion. The basic thing is there, the song is there.”

 EP-1 is a slight departure from the raw production styling’s heard on previous works, making the EP hard to swallow for some fans initially. “Gil did that subconsciously I guess; by choosing him we knew we wanted a well-produced record. Who knows, I think the next recording we’re going to do is going to be a lot dirtier.”

“If we were to do another one I would bet on it that we would do a more, for the lack of a better word, grungier sound. It would be the obvious thing to do after coming out with a slick sounding record.”

The foundations for the Pixies were laid during University; divine forces put Joey and Charles in neighbouring suites. “He was a very funny, happy guy a lot of the time. He liked the way the bathroom sounded, he was in there with an acoustic one day and he just started spitting at the image of himself in the mirror, like a lot. I have no idea why, I think just to be funny because, he was laughing as he was doing it.”

The Pixies have been labelled one of the most influential bands in rock, inspiring countless grunge and alternative rock acts. Although often violent and chaotic in their execution, they were by no means strangers to the lighter side of music “‘Here Comes Your Man’ is straight up pop, we never wanted to identify by that song even though the video was really popular. We got invited to talk shows and they wanted us to play that song and we just wouldn’t go on, we didn’t play it live for a while either. I don’t know, we were afraid of the song – we thought that we couldn’t live up to its recording”

“We come across as your regular Joes and maybe that’s why people warmed to us, we didn’t dress like rock stars and I actually can’t do it, I couldn’t wear the outfit, the outfit would wear me. I wouldn’t even try it; I think the riffs are enough. In the grunge movement everyone dressed like regular people.”

Despite being hailed as innovators the band haven’t forgotten their influences, a subject that has become even more poignant following the death of Lou Reed. “Huge influence, I mean that’s one of the staples of what we listened to. I don’t know who said it so I’ll say it, I would never start a band with anyone who doesn’t like Lou Reed or The Velvet Underground, that’s almost a requirement, if you don’t get it then, nope – move on.”

Kim’s song writing rarely found its way onto record, a factor that may have influenced the recent departure.” Oh god I guess, but nothing was on the table. She certainly was invited to write songs when we went to Wales (to record) for some reason she didn’t do it. She might have felts jilted but at the same time, I don’t think we ever gave her a reason to get jilted because there was nothing on the table. We never restricted her in any way. We leave the door open; she could stroll in at any time.”

Performing on November 21st at the O2 Apollo, fans can’t help but feel the band might be lacking something without the iconic bassist. “I don’t know, “lacking” something (he ponders) – her attention to detail on playing the bass? I think her smile, people love her smile, it really is just a magical thing.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CvrSMrAAoI

For more information on EP-1 and the Pixies UK tour visit http://www.pixiesmusic.com/natour-uk/

MMU lecturer murder trial begins

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

The trial of the murder of lecturer Jifeng “Jeff” Ding, along with his wife and two children, has begun.

Anxiang Du, a previous business partner of Jifeng and his wife Helen, denies four counts of murder.

The prosecution has accused Mr. Du of stabbing Jifeng and Helen Ding to death in the kitchen, before going upstairs and killing Xing, 18, and Alice, 12, where they were “cowering in their bedroom”.

The jury at Northampton Crown Court has heard how a bloody fingerprint of Mr. Du was found at the scene, as well as footprints in blood around the house.

A 999 call made by Xing was played to the court, in which the screams of both girls are heard before the line went dead.

Evidence was also heard from a young girl playing near the house, who heard a “shriek” at the time of the murders but was unable to say if it was “a scream of anguish”.

The trial continues.

Students speak out against sexual harassment

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News.

Female students have spoken to The Mancunion about sexual assault and harassment that they have experienced in bars and clubs around Manchester.

Three girls, who wish to remain anonymous, have spoken of incidences of sexual harassment in a bid to draw attention to the ongoing problem in university cities.

This comes a time when societies in Sheffield and Leeds have dramatically stepped up efforts to try and prevent sexual harassment of students.

Jane, a third year student, told The Mancunion of sexual harassment she experienced at a club on Princess Street.

She was queuing for the toilets with a friend when a male student behind them began putting his hand up her friends skirt and grabbing her.

This happened two or three times before Jane confronted the man and told him to leave. He became aggressive and squared up to her, and when she refused to back down he grabbed her hair. In retaliation she hit the man, who hit her back before her friends managed to separate them.

The girls went to the bouncers to ask for help, but so did the male students who accused the girls of creating a fight out of nothing, and asked for them to be thrown out.

“We told the bouncers what had happened but they weren’t interested,” said Jane. “They just told us avoid them and go our separate ways.

“I was upset with the bouncers’ reaction and dismissal of the situation. Groping is a form of sexual assault, and then to physically attack me for protesting is outrageous.

“More should be done to protect women in clubs and these incidences should be taken more seriously by staff.”

This is an opinion which students in Leeds are beginning to act on.

A joint campaign by Leeds Feminist Society and the student paper is aiming to shut down the club night which hosted the infamous ‘Fresher’s Violation’ party: a night which boasted “pole dancers, a violation cage and lots of second and third years seeking out new freshers.”

‘Fresher’s Violation’ also used a promotion video which included a presenter asking a student “How are you going to violate a fresher tonight?”. The student replied, “She’s going to get raped.”

At the time of writing, their online petition has gathered almost 3,650 signatures and has drawn the attention of the local council and police.

Leeds FemSoc have also begun to push for clubs to train their staff to better deal with cases of sexual harassment, as well as signing a pledge against harassment and ensuring their advertising does not in any way seem to encourage it.

Lisa, a second year at Manchester, also spoke of sexual harassment she and her friends experienced at a different club on Princess Street.

She and two female friends were sitting in the smoking area for fresh air when a male student approached them asking for a cigarette. When they told him they did not have any, he became aggressive.

Lisa said: “He kept ranting about how girls like us think we’re too good for him when we’re not.”

He continued to stand over them and be aggressive for some time, and when the girls appealed to his friends for help they apologised for him but did not try to stop him, saying he was just drunk.

Eventually one of Lisa’s friends told the man to leave, and in response he took her drink from her and squeezed it, breaking the plastic cup and spilling the drink over her lap. He then threw the remains of it over the wall, swearing at her.

The girls reported what had happened to a bouncer, who “shrugged” and refused to act. Eventually, Lisa and her friends were so angry that they left the club to go somewhere else.

Lisa said: “I was really upset by what happened, but more upset by the bouncer’s response. It put an unnecessary downer on what should have been a good night.

“Bouncers are supposed to keep us safe, but he had no interest in what we were saying or our well-being.

“We found the whole experience so insulting that we left.”

However, sometimes the staff at clubs and bars are willing to act on cases against of sexual harassment.

Hannah, a fourth year student, told The Mancunion of an experience of sexual harassment she had at a bar in Withington.

She went for a quiet drink with two female friends. As they were stood ordering at the bar a group of men stood behind them and one of them, without warning, suddenly forcefully hit Hannah from behind.

Hannah described: “It was really painful, and in a quiet bar it made a loud noise and everyone turned around and looked.”

She added that she tried to stand up to the men, asking “excuse me?”, but they all laughed in her face.

“I felt humiliated. We sat down and didn’t even order our drinks because I was about to cry.”

However, in this occasion the staff did take action, and refused to serve the culprit until he had apologised.

He walked over to Hannah and, swearing at her, eventually said “sorry love” and told her to tell the barman he had apologised.

Hannah and her friends refused, and not long after the men were asked to leave the bar. As he left, the culprit banged on the glass next to Hannah and swore at her again through the window.

Speaking about her experience, Hannah said: “I wouldn’t say that I feel unsafe going out in Manchester because me and my friends always look out for each other.

“However, I do think it’s a problem that we always have to be on our guard.”

Students in Sheffield have begun to openly campaign against such sexual harassment, with students of both genders and from both universities uniting to form the ‘Sheffield Anti-Sexual Harassment’ group (Sash).

Sash has begun campaigning for bouncers and staff to be trained to notice harassment, and for clubs to hang posters on their walls to create awareness. It also plans to create an online list of clubs that are safe, and make sure that no societies associate with those deemed unsafe.

Speaking of the situation in Manchester, Womens’ Officer Tabz O’Brien-Butcher said: “While it’s a minority taking part in these activities, lad culture dominates the nightclub scene, and there’s a very specific brand of masculinist, dominant behaviour that is taken as the norm and presented as ‘how’ you go out in town.

“Behaviour like this contributes towards and perpetuates a culture that says women are objects for the taking, that ‘lads’ can bond over sexual assault and that they will receive kudos and recognition from their peers for ‘conquering’ women and showing themselves to have sexual prowess.

“Only last month at Oxford University, Pembroke College’s Rugby Club Social Secretary sent out an e-mail to the members inviting them on a ‘crew date’ with specific instructions to bring a spiked bottle of wine for a female fresher.

“There is a real pressure on male students to take part in these cultures – only this week we have seen video from Sterling University of their Hockey Team singing songs about rape on a public bus on their way on a night out, and we have had similar reports at Manchester this year.

“That’s why it’s so important to have these conversations with male students, those who are part of these campus cultures and also those who feel ostracised because of them, to explore why they take part and how they can challenge these narratives and speak up against it.”

The University has agreed to dedicate February next year to a month of awareness raising and campaigning about these issues, culminating in the Reclaim the Night march.

Female students who would like to discuss or act on incidences of sexual harassment they have experienced are encouraged to contact the Women’s Reps, through their Facebook page ‘Manchester Uni Women’s Reps’.

University staff to strike again

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

University academics and staff are to hold a second national one-day strike on 3 December, in a continuing dispute over pay, four unions have announced.

The row centres on a one per cent pay rise offered to university staff – including lecturers and support staff.

UCU head of higher education Michael MacNeil said, “Staff have suffered year-on-year cuts in the value of their pay and have made it clear that enough is enough.

“We remain committed to trying to resolve this dispute and the employers now have until 3 December to sit down and positively engage with the unions.”

He added workers would strike again next month, joined by the union Educational Institute of Scotland, unless pay conditions improve.

Members of the unions UCU, Unite, and Unison took part in a one-day walk out on October 31, which affected Manchester and 148 other institutions across the country.

The student-supported action saw lectures, libraries and other University services cancelled, postponed or closed, with pickets outside campus buildings including University Place and a protest in front of the Students’ Union.

Sankeys to reopen

Written by Jonathan Breen on . Posted in News.

Popular Manchester nightclub Sankeys is to reopen, it has announced – just six months after the owner said it was closed indefinitely.

Boss David Vincent told The Mancunion earlier this year he planned to shut the legendary dance venue to focus on his namesake club in Ibiza, and that “if Sankeys does return it won’t be with me as it’s owner. I have done my time here.”

But a statement on the website on 14 November said, “We can officially announce that our spiritual home in Manchester overcame some major adversities and will be reopening soon.”

The club, in Beehive Mill, Ancoats, closed its doors 6 May this year after a 12-hour rave.

It is not clear when the club will officially open again.

Manchester Professor leads UK relief team in Philppines

Written by Sean Doherty on . Posted in News.

A professor from the University of Manchester is leading a medical team going to the Philippines to help those affected by the recent typhoon.

Professor Anthony Redmond, Professor of International Emergency Medicine in the University’s Humanitarian Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), will be joined by University colleague Dr Amy Hughes as he leads a UK team of surgeons, doctors and A&E nurses.

“The first thing we will be doing is surgery on untreated wounds that may have already become infected or certainly to prevent them becoming infected,” said Professor Redmond. “Then we will be looking at the other range of conditions that present to us.”

The 12 strong team was approved for deployment by Britain’s International Development Secretary Justine Greening after the Philippines Department of Health sent a direct request. They are part of the UK’s £10 million relief operation for the region following the disaster.

Professor Redmond has had 25 years of experience in leading British medical teams in disaster zones. He has worked as part of response teams helping those affected by conflicts, natural disasters and major emergencies all over the world. This includes his work in 2010 when, following the Haitian earthquake, when he led a team of surgeons in providing emergency medicine and surgery with the UK Non-Government Organisation Merlin.

The official death toll from Typhoon Haiyan currently stands at over 2,300 but local officials and aid workers fear that it could rise significantly. The Filipino government currently puts the number of those affected by the typhoon at just over 8 million, however the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that 11.3 million people are in need of food, as well as access to healthcare, education and livelihoods.

American university bans electronic music to curb MDMA use

Written by Gawain Owen on . Posted in News.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMASS) has banned all Electronic Dance Music events from its campus, in response to a surge in MDMA use in the United States.

MDMA, or ‘Molly’ as the drug is referred to in the US is being categorised as a health and safety risk to students and EDM is seen by College administrators as the reason for its rise in popularity.

In a campus wide email the UMASS interim Vice Chancellor, Enku Gelaye said, “We have grown even more concerned about the ongoing reports of overdoses…The   Molly taking culture at these shows is real and now exceedingly dangerous to the health and safety of concert attendees.”

The response from students at UMASS has been strong, with a number of petitions being set up and a flash mob started outside the students’ union in protest. Many feel the majority are being punished for the actions of the few.

The UMASS Amherst student body petition reads, “UMASS Amherst Administration: Bring back EDM and agreement not to take illegal drugs.”

In the wake of the decision, Zachary Broughton, President of the Student Body, sent out a statement to fellow students in which he said, “[I] did not think it was the place of the University to dictate the behavior of students.”

In a press statement the University also said, “Our administrative and student leadership must also take responsibility for creating a safe and positive environment that encourages and cultivates good decision making.”

UMASS Amherst also attached a link to the American government drug abuse website “for more detailed information on Molly and its side effects.”

The website singles out, “urban gay and bisexual men using MDMA as part of a multiple-drug experience,” and also links MDMA use to the spread of HIV by stating that it, “may encourage unsafe sex, which is a risk factor for contracting or spreading HIV and hepatitis.”

The response on social media has been strong. Kaskade, one of Americas leading EDM DJ’s voiced his opinion on Twitter, “But, WHAT IF we switched out a few words in that statement? For instance, “Molly” with “Alcohol”, and “These shows” with “The NFL”?”

MDMA has been in contention in the US for some time now. Pop stars in the country, including Miley Cyrus and Jay-Z, have been criticised for referencing the drug in their songs.

The University of Manchester operates an exchange programme with UMASS Amherst in which students can study abroad for a semester at the University.

Jennifer Grant, a third year Philosophy Student at Manchester, spent a semester at UMASS in 2013.

“The drug culture was very different to Manchester. Much less common,” She told The Mancunion. “MDMA seemed to be the thing to take on a special occasion where as here in Manchester people take drugs much more often.”

However, Grant said she did see, “a direct correlation between EDM and Molly on campus because the events that came to the Mullins Centre [campus arena] were the ‘special occasions’ Molly was purchased for.”

The response from UMASS students is not one claiming that they want to ‘take illegal drugs’, but one concerning basic rights and liberties. The ability to make and be responsible for their own decisions.

Gang invades house in Withington and cuts jewelry off occupants

Written by Gawain Owen on . Posted in News.

Five men, one of whom was brandishing a meat clever, forced their way into a house which was occupied by a family. The incident occurred at 9pm on Friday 8th November on Yewtree Road, Withington, a popular area for student housing.

The gang, who were all masked, kicked down the front door of the house and then confronted the startled family in their living room. One of the invaders had a meat clever whilst another brandished a hammer.

Once inside the gang targeted the occupants by removing their jewelry from their bodies with pliers. The thieves removed a necklace, earrings and a bracelet from one of the women and a watch from another victim. The jewelry stolen amounted to around £2000. After this the gang fled the house.

This burglary is the most recent in a string of attacks in the Withington, Fallowfield area that have left residents feeling uneasy about their safety.

Only a week before a similar attack took place on Brookleigh Road in Withington. Four men also brandishing weapons smashed their way through a patio door and again attempted to steal occupants jewelry. However these thieves were unsuccessful and fled empty handed.

The police have not hinted that the two incidents are connected. In both instances the thieves were described as young, wearing dark sports clothes with their faces covered. Alongside this both attacks were very similar in their style and they occurred around the same time on the same day of the week.

Detective Constable Mark Evans of Greater Manchester Police said, “The facts of this appalling burglary speak for themselves. This family have been traumatised at the hands of this gang.”

He also commented on the worrying nature of the way in which the gang invaded the families personal space, somewhere they should feel safe, “A home is supposed to be a place of sanctity however this gang have totally invaded this family’s privacy and threatened them with weapons.”

The police have increased patrols in the area and asked residents to report anything they saw around the time of the incidents.

Petition launched to save Disability Studies

Written by Inez Dawoodjee on . Posted in News.

A petition to save Learning Disability Studies has been launched.

The petition has over 900 signatures and supporters include Members of Parliament.

It comes after an announcement the course will no longer accept new entrants from September next year.

The website for the petition stated: “The University says the course was closed because we didn’t reach target admission numbers, but the method by which the closure was carried out was unfair and did not allow students to be admitted via Clearing or right into September, as is usually the case.”

Students are planning a protest against course cuts scheduled for Tuesday 19th November, which will coincide with a Social Responsibility reception hosted by the University.

Supporters have written to Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell to express their concern over the closure of the course.

The University replied that the course will continue at the Manchester Institute of Education.

But students are worried that it will not cover the subject at a depth that is required in such a course.

“At a time when vulnerable people are at severe risk of being further marginalised, this course is of vital importance in raising the profile of people with learning disabilities,” said Sheila Morris, a signatory of the petition.

The School of Education has carried out other course closures.  Last year Applied Community and Youth Work were removed due to low numbers of applicants.  This led to a protest by current students and also prompted criticism from Students’ Union Executive members.

Student Assembly endorses ‘Save Our Veggie Café’ campaign

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

Students voted in favour of keeping the Veggie Cafe on campus by an almost unanimous decision at a Students’ Union assembly this month.

The motion was put forward to student Assembly and passed into policy on November 7th.

In response to the news, the ‘Save Our Veggie Café’ campaign said, “Well done to everyone who has supported us, and those who attended the assembly tonight. We’re super chuffed and cannot wait to work with our [Students’ Union sabbatical officers] on an even bigger and better campaign.”

Students got behind the Vegetarian Cafe at the beginning of this academic year after the University announced plans to evict the cafe from its current library-adjacent premises as part of renovations to the Schunck Building.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Grace Skelton, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, was keen to stress that the verdict of the vote does not represent any radical change in Students Union policy. What is does constitute is a “proper mandate”, which “I can now use to further lobby the University on the issue”.

In an email, she added further that “Judging by the popularity of the campaign, keeping the Veggie cafe on campus is something that is important to both students and academics, and I am pleased with the outcome from Assemblies. Both the Students’ Union and the University have already offered several alternative locations to the cafe owner.  We are hoping that this matter will be resolved quickly, amicably and in a mutually beneficial fashion.”

The ongoing dispute appears to be over where the Veggie Café is going to go, and whether or not such a move would be permanent.

In an earlier email to the campaign committee, Skelton explained that “Regrettably, as far as a campaign is concerned I see no way that the University is going to allow the Veggie Café to stay where it is… Even if the University did make space for the Veggie Café in the new building, due to the extent of the building works, she (the owner) would have to move out for at least a year. They’re not completely opposed to an alternative premise being found however, and as a campaign tactic I would focus on this”.

The Mancunion asked Charlotte Smith, a member of the campaign committee, whether she and her colleagues will endorse the offer of ‘alternative premise’.

To which she responded “management have yet to explain to us why the café has to move out of its current venue permanently. Obviously we recognise that the café needs to move for the duration of the refurbishment but our question is why is the café not an integral part of the refurbishment? Why can it not return and form part of the planned PG hub? Most PG students we have spoken to want the café to remain as part of the new hub. This seems an obvious solution and there has been no explanation about why this cannot happen”.

Meanwhile, the committee of the campaign have been busy with their agenda. The last month has seen several public meetings, one of which was covered by Fuse FM, and leafleting by volunteers outside the library.

Early last week they sent an open letter to University President Nancy Rothwell and Estates Manager Diana Hampson, which outlined the demands of the campaign and asks for them to “meet with a delegation of staff and students to discuss the proposals in more detail”.

The letter – over a thousand words long – made clear the supporters of the campaign want the Veggie Café to return to the Schunck Building once the planned renovations are completed.

“Above all, we insist that the café must return to its current location once the refurbishments are complete”.

In the face of such strong demands, and with the January 2014 deadline for removal fast approaching, the argument over the future of the Veggie Café does not look like it will reach a conclusion any time soon.

Biology team wins prize for synthetic palm oil

Written by Inez Dawoodjee on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A team from Manchester won a prize at an world renowned genetic engineering compeition in Boston for creating a synthetic alternative to palm oil.

The students won the ‘Best Human Practices’ prize after competing with 73 other teams from around the world at the international Genetically Engineered (iGEM) World Championships this month.

Team member and final year Developmental Biology student Rob Harrison said, “We were absolutely ecstatic to have won! After working so hard all summer – and technically, all year given all the work that went in to planning the project – it felt great to have recognition for what we’ve achieved.”

The team used a modified version of the E.coli bacteria to create a synthetic version of palm oil.

Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world and the demand for the product is ever-growing.  Deforestation is often a consequence of palm-oil plantations.  The iGEM team’s project could lead to significant developments for environmental protection if taken further.

The yearly iGEM competition is targeted at undergraduate students.  The aim is for teams to design and create their own parts to build a biological system and then operate it in living cells.

The team presented the project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT) and also talked about their achievement in the Faculty of Life Sciences podcast.

Harrison said, “We’d definitely recommend taking part in a competition like this in the future. Hopefully there will be a team for the next competition if funding is sorted. We’ll be looking for people from a range of academic backgrounds: not just natural scientists but also computer scientists, sociologists, graphic designers. We had an economist on the team this year!”

Prior to the Championships, the students have also held workshops with 200 children as part of the University of Manchester’s Science Stars Day.

1994 Group university research lobby disbands

Written by Inez Dawoodjee on . Posted in News.

A lobbying group for research-instensive universities has disbanded.

The 1994 Group, formed to defend the interests of smaller institutions, came to an end this month, after 19 years.

The Board released a statement explaining the closure, “The 1994 Group has come to a natural end point. This was not an easy decision to make, but we feel sure it is the right one for the future.”

The group was founded to lobby for research funding from the government for smaller universities, when the Russell Group, composed of larger universities, was created in the same year.

Twenty-two institutions made up the 1994 group, including University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), until its merger with Victoria University of Manchester in 2004. The newly newly-formed University of Manchester subsequently joined the Russell Group.

The London School of Economics left the group in 2006 and the University of Warwick followed suit in 2008.

In 2012, 7 universities withdrew their membership.  4 of these universities, including Durham University, University of Exeter,  Queen Mary University of London and University of York went on to join the Russell Group.  In 2013, the University of Reading left, reducing the Group to 11 members.

The Board added, “The Group was founded at a time of real change within the sector and so it comes to end at another point of significant change.

“Collectively, we have taken the decision to bring the 1994 Group to an end, because as institutions we have expanded and changed over time to the point where the need for the Group as originally constituted no longer exists.”

Additional collaborations “on specific projects and issues” may continue in future between universities.

UK higher education institutions make up other groups which include University Alliance, GuildHE and Million+.

From The Vault: The La’s – The La’s

Written by Tariq Salarbux on . Posted in Music.

Go! Discs

Released October 1990

Striving for excellence, setting unattainable standards and being over-critical of ones own work has given us classic albums engraved in music history from detail-obsessed artists such as John Lennon, Michael Jackson or Kanye West. But Perfectionism is a double-edged sword; it can be as crippling as it can be prolific; just ask Lee Mavers, frontman of mythical Liverpudlian band The La’s.

After working with over six different producers including John Porter (The Smiths), John Leckie (The Stone Roses) and Mike Hedges (U2), Mavers was still unsatisfied with the tapes, claiming that none of them captured the band’s true sound. Rumour has it that Mavers refused to use a vintage mixing desk while recording their eponymous debut album, because it didn’t have “original Sixties dust on it”. Frustrated with the frontman’s fastidiousness, their record label released a version of the album in 1990, mixed by Steve Lillywhite (U2, The Killers) against the wishes of the band. Mavers’ perfectionism meant that the band’s debut album would be their only offering; with band members tired of playing the same set of songs for over five years, The La’s were no more by 1991.

Despite Mavers claiming he “hated” it, the album was welcomed with universal acclaim. It opens with ‘Son of a Gun’; an acoustic stomp laden with the frontman’s instantly recognisable Scouse snarl, with a twist of falsetto harmonies. It immediately gives us a taste of what is to follow; a band at ease fitting ludicrously catchy melodies over jangly guitars and a powerful rhythm section. ‘Timeless Melody’, “Feelin’’ and ‘I.O.U’ all have hooks and melodies that come back to haunt you hours after you have put the record away. ‘There She Goes’ is understandably their best-known song; used in countless films, TV-shows and adverts down the years, it is arguably one of the greatest songs produced by any band from Liverpool.

However, it is the album-closer, ‘Looking Glass’ that showcases The La’s at their finest. A slow-burning number that opens with Mavers’ melancholic vocals over a single acoustic guitar, it blossoms into magical finale of noise that brings this classic album to a fitting end.

It is hardly a stretch to suggest that Lee Mavers squandered his unquestionable talent. There have been several whispers of a second album down the years; maybe one day he’ll even release his own ‘perfect’ version of the band’s debut.

SPOTTED 18/11/13

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Has anyone noticed the tall Hugh Grant lookalike in the glasses who’s on the second floor of the Learning Commons almost every day? I think I’m in Love, Actually.

– Brunette in red coat

To the girl with long blonde hair and incredible boobs who works in Fallowfield Nandos: just wanted to let you know that I’m not just coming in for the chicken.

– Regular customer (not creepy, I swear)

To the tall, chiselled blonde guy who studies in Green 3 and always seems to be eating Haribo – don’t snack on them, snack on me.

–  Watching you from afar

I’m getting increasingly annoyed by the guy on my course (History of Art, second year) who feels the need to turn around in every lecture to stare at me. This is not an invitation to speak to me; however, I do suggest you get yourself a new corduroy jumper, as you’ve been wearing it nearly every day for the last two years.

– Irritated and Irrational

Last week I was captivated in a Fallowfied takeaway, by a blonde girl with the most impressive derrière I’ve ever clapped eyes on. Meet me there on Friday and we can share a portion of chips (without this much cheese, I swear)

– Krunchy Fried Creep

To the boy in the Learning Commons last week who insisted on sitting with his hands down his tracksuit bottoms for the whole of his essay session: yes, they’re still there. No, none of the girls around you are.

– Frankly Repulsed

To the brunette behind the bar in Font: you’re fit.

– Sex on the bar?

Are you one of the lucky people mentioned here? Or have you spotted someone yourself who you’d like to see mentioned in our pages? Get in touch with Lifestyle by emailing [email protected], tweeting us @MancunionLife, or messaging us on our Facebook. 

Working class students under-represented at elite universities

Written by Sean Doherty on . Posted in News.

Students from low income households are not being fairly represented in relation to their academic ability, a new report claims.

The report by the Sutton Trust, a group dedicated to increasing social mobility through education, found children with professional parents are 3.2 times more likely to go to Russell Group universities than working class children and that in 27 per cent of these cases, exam grades cannot explain the difference.

“Access to elite universities is a real issue across the globe, and we hope that by discussing it at the summit, we can learn from each other on what can work to improve access for bright low and middle income students,” said Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust and of the Education Endowment Foundation. “This new research confirms that there many able children either not applying or not being admitted to the best universities, and this is true internationally.”

Research carried out by Dr John Jerrim, Lecturer in Economics and Social Statistics at the Institute of Education, University of London, suggests that although many working class students have the academic ability to attend elite universities, they choose not to.

The report argues more work should be done with 14 to 18-year-olds to help reduce social inequalities in elite institutions.

“Although academic achievement is an important factor, a substantial proportion of the elite university access gap in each country remains unexplained,” wrote Dr Jerrim. “This suggests that there are working class children who, even though they have the grades to attend, choose to enter a non-selective institution instead.”

Dr Jerrim also considered the difference in real cost of attending elite higher education institutions in England compared with the USA. He found that although fees at American universities may be higher, aid packages mean that students from low and middle income families are often able to graduate debt-free, unlike their English counterparts.

The research claims that being a student at Oxford University, with its fees of £9,000 per year, costs around £16,000 a year when cost of living and accommodation is factored in. This compares to a Harvard student’s annual cost of £37,333, with £24,200 of that cost being tuition fees.

Despite this division, the report found that a student going to Oxford who has a family income of £27,500 would have to find £11,300, compared to £2,019 for a student going to Harvard.

Likewise, a student going to Oxford with a household income of £10,000 would be expected to pay back £11,300, compared to just £865 for their counterpart at Harvard.

This report comes after recent news that a record number of students from the UK are enrolling at American universities, with 9,476 at US institutions this year, a 5 per cent increase. Over 900 universities in America offer funding to international students and over 180 offer academic or sporting scholarships which cover fees and living expenses.

“We want everyone with the desire and talent to be able to study at university, irrespective of their background,” A spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said. “Last year the proportion of disadvantaged English 18-year-olds applying to university was at its highest level.”

Cao Fei

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Holly Smith visits the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Arts in Manchester’s Northen Quarter…

A place with a population of over 1.35 billion people, the second largest country by land area, and the third most visited country in the world. China is a place where the children are the smartest in the world according to testing in 2009, where access to foreign media is restricted and only 34 foreign films a year are allowed to be shown in cinemas.

There is no augmenting that this country is breathtaking and with many years of traditions and rituals a truly unique identity has been formed for the people who live there. However within our modern world, China is in danger of losing all of this.

Gross domestic product has risen by 536 percent since 1990 triggering huge changes in society. Rapid urbanization and an ever growing gap between rich and poor are just two of the outcomes. Constantly piercing the border of China is influences from the western world, and these are just adding to the chaotic changes that are readily occurring in the country today.

This is the thinking behind one of the exhibitions currently being shown in the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Arts here in Manchester. Cao Fei, one of the most significant artists of a new generation emerging from main land China has ambitiously taken on the zombie film genre to create a stunningly imaginative piece of visionary art. Using photography, installation and performance to communicate her relationship to china, the short film, entitled Haze and Fog, is set in modern day Beijing. The story introduces certain stereotypical characters from different walks of life across the city and through intertwining scenes; a witty horror story filled crucially with hope emerges. Cao Fei has said that she believes “everywhere is the same”, enforcing the changes that her home country has seen recently. In Haze and Fog she really tries to capture this opinion by creating confusion for both the characters and to the audience. Similarly, by using characters from both the middle and the lower class, Fei shows the audience how the gaps between Chinese societies are forming.

The film is based on personal experiences, however Cao Fei does not disappoint her avid fans, and sticking to her usual work there are some truly surreal elements which appear throughout the 40 minute piece, including a young women taking a bath filled with watermelon balloons.

As an audience, you can see that she has tried to steer away from the western world in this film, by creating zombies who are not brain dead, but people with death inside their souls, showing that this is her opinion of what is happening to the people of China today.

I think that for anyone interested in Chinese culture, this exhibition is a must-see, because not only is it a strikingly creative piece of artwork, but it makes the audience consider what the future of china and its people will be. I think that Cao Fei has done credit to her country and I am incredibly eager to know what her next project will be.

 

Polari Mission

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Jez Dolan and Joe Richardson have developed a project to save Polari, an endangered language used in the gay community, which can be seen in their exhibition at the John Ryland’s Deansgate library. Ella Dix-Nagra catches up with Jez, one half of the project’s founders.

 

What exactly are the origins of Polari?

It’s a double edged sword; it’s about disguise but also about identification. I first heard it in a 1960s radio program called ‘Round the Horne’ which featured two very camp out-of-work actors, who spoke partly in Polari. It’s always been used by people who are oppressed, and can be traced back to the 16th century to thieves’ cant, a secret underground language thieves used as a disguise.

 

So does Polari have origins in other dialects?

Definitely. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, London was the biggest cultural melting pot in the world. Polari was influenced by Romani gypsies, Italian travelling circus people, busking street traders, Yiddish, prostitute slang, thieve slang – all these kinds of things. A group called the Mollies were really important; they were around in the early 18th century and were a group of self-identified homosexual men. They would dress up in fancy costumes, shriek about and meet up in ‘molly houses’ where they would perform rituals. And it obviously involved sex, but importantly it was about establishing a cultural identity.

 

Is this when the gay community adopted Polari?

There was no such thing as the gay community then – homosexuality wasn’t understood as a concept. At the exhibition we’ve got a song sheet from 1707, which would have been handed out to the public. It’s about four men who were caught fraternising together, were very nastily condemned for it and then killed themselves. They are mixed with the criminal underclass and are picking up this language.

 

At what point did Polari reach its height in use?

Probably the 1930’s to when Round the Horne was being aired. It was the most popular radio program in 1967, but once your Aunty Carol understood what was being said it lost its point to a degree. The rise of the gay political movement in England in the 1960s influenced its decreased usage, as anything camp was deemed unnecessary and self-oppressive.

 

The Polari exhibition is described as ‘visual artwork, digital interventions, and personal stories.’

As Polari was a performed thing, the cannon of literature is very slim. We have the only copy of the Polari bible at the exhibition, which we did a three hour long reading of for the Manchester Weekender. We also had a day called ‘the Symposium’ with a mixture of guest speakers. This included presentations from Professor Paul Baker (who wrote his PhD on Polari) and an archivist from the John Ryland’s library.

 

How did you present the archival material that you found?

As an artist, that’s what I’m interested in – taking archival material, creating new work from it and giving it another life. When we made the performance piece, it was using words from the 1707 song sheet and music composed in 2013. Hopefully we will re-do the performance piece next year.

 

What does the Polari iPhone app involve?

It’s basically the largest dictionary that exists for Polari.

 

What would you like to see from this project? Would you like to see a Polari revival?

I think Polari is not about reviving it. The bigger point is that people suggest there is no such thing as gay culture, and I would argue to the hills about that because there definitely is. So my interest is more about exploring it for its inherently camp qualities, its linguistic interest and also as an important piece of gay heritage.

Turner Prize ‘13: Tino Seghal

Written by Jasper Llewellyn on . Posted in Arts.

Established in 1984, the Turner Prize is awarded each year to a contemporary artist under 50, living, working or born in Britain, who is judged to have put on the best exhibition of the last 12 months. Previous winners include Gilbert & George, Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Jeremy Deller and Damien Hirst. This year’s shortlist showcases artists whose work spans live encounters (Tino Seghal), film (Laure Prouvost), sculpture (David Shrigley), drawing and painting (Lynette Yiadom-Boakye).

In the run up to the Turner Prize being announced on December 2 four Arts & Culture contributors give introductions to the four nominees of 2013. This week Jasper Llewellyn introduces Tino Seghal…

Five years ago, the choice to nominate an artist such as Tino Seghal for the Turner Prize would’ve caused an uproar. However, Seghal’s appearance on the 2013 shortlist alongside others such as David Shrigley and Laure Prouvost demonstrates a growing acceptance and popularity in performance-based works. Seghal himself resents being described as a “performance artist”, saying that he creates “constructed situations” that encourage the audience to be active participants as opposed to passive spectators. Over the past 15 years, famous art galleries from all over the world (including MoMA New York, Tate Modern and the Peggy Guggenheim) have commissioned Seghal to create new works, most of which have received a very positive reception. However, despite all this, Seghal’s work is very practically problematic due to what Tate Modern’s performance curator Catherine Wood describes as Seghal’s “insistence on the immateriality of the work”. This essentially means that it doesn’t actually physically exist. That’s right, the work is only really documented in the viewer’s memory. The British-German artist’s portfolio of work includes pieces such as 2005’s “This Is So Contemporary” which involved museum guards surrounding the gallery-goers before beginning to dance, and his 2010 work “This Progress” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York which involved the removal of all the paintings from the gallery and the groups of participants being guided by people ranging from children to the elderly. Seghal’s work really does illustrate the emergence of an exciting new trend of performance within visual art and above all, his work really does get you thinking. Don’t miss next week’s article on David Shrigley the next Turner Prize 2013 nominee.-