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Year: 2013

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.-

Editor’s picks: winter reads

Written by Esmé Clifford Astbury on . Posted in Books.

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Set in the Canadian North, Late Nights on Air follows an unconventional group of characters, who, each fleeing complicated lives of their own, end up working at a small radio station in Yellowknife. Forces beyond their control are set in motion when they embark on a canoe trip into the Arctic, which will leave them – and the reader – with an enduring sense of wonder and loss.

Grimm Tales for Young and Old by Philip Pullman

In Grimm Tales for Young and Old, Philip Pullman masterfully reworks the famous fairy tales collected almost 200 years ago by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

Perhaps Hesse’s most autobiographical work, Steppenwolf is centred on reclusive intellectual Harry Haller as he struggles to reconcile the wild wolf and the rational man inside him. This is the story of a tortured soul’s journey to liberation.

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

Doctor Zhivago chronicles the life and loves of a doctor and poet during the Russian Revolution. This is at once an unflinching account of the Revolution and a love story.

Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Brontë

Wuthering Heights is the ultimate tale of love and revenge, set in the wild Yorkshire moors – the perfect book for a blustery winter night.

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

Set in a parallel universe, Northern Lights follows Lyra Belacqua as she journeys to the Arctic in pursuit of her friend, Roger Parslow, and her uncle, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments on a strange substance called ‘dust’.

The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory

No winter would be complete without a good tale of Tudor court intrigue, and who better to tell it than Philippa Gregory? The Virgin’s Lover deals with the early days of Elizabeth I’s rule, as she faces the threat of a French invasion and becomes entangled with the convicted traitor Robert Dudley.

Top 5: Cereal Scenes

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Film.

5. Matilda (1996)

Picture the scene, you’re a child-prodigy aching to unleash your talent to the world, but instead are stuck in a house under strick orders from your crook of a father. Bidding adieu to her sorrows, Matilda sits down to a bowl of the aptly-named cheerios and staring intently at her spoon discovers her ability to control the world with her mind.

4. Toy Story (1995)

More cereal of the ‘O’ variety but this time the  multi-coloured kind. At the depths of his despair, Woody plunges his singed forehead into a bowl of days-old cereal found in the depths of Sid’s bedroom. Will he ever see the light of day again? Who knows, but at least he won’t starve to death.

3. Hurt Locker (2008)

Jeremy Renner’s William James feels the weight of suburbia bearing down on him, as he returns from bomb disposal in Iraq only to be met by an infantry of cereal in his grocery store. It is unclear which cereal he eventually picks – maybe Honey Troops.

2.  Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Probably the most violent use of cereal on the list, Vernita Green hides a gun in a box of the American cereal Kaboom, hoping to use it against The Bride. It doesn’t pay off and The Bride gets the upper hand, throwing a knife straight into her chest. Which is useless really; you eat cereal with a spoon.

1. The Road to Wellville (1994)

So none of us have actually since this movie, but apparently in 1994 someone decided to make a biopic of Kellogg’s, casting Anthony Hopkins as the cereal maker. The film didn’t receive a-maize-ing reviews and its box office performance was equally flakey. But it is basically Cornflakes: The Movie, so its our number one.

 

Simon Singh: The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets

Written by James Jackman on . Posted in Books.

Your new book is entitled The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets. What made you decide to base it on the famous yellow family?

It’s really hard to find ideas for books. If you worked on a newspaper, you’d not just find one story every day, but two stories every day. When you’re writing books, you’re just looking for a brilliant story every three or four years. I was looking for something to write about and I saw an episode of The Simpsons entitled “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace”. In this episode, there is an equation which relates to Fermat’s last theorem, which is what I based my first book on. When I saw that on The Simpsons, I realised that there was somebody there who really understood maths and had deliberately put some high-level maths in the background.

So when I realised that there is maths in The Simpsons, it’s a great idea for a book and I couldn’t not write about it. It’s just such a gift – you spend all your life looking for stories like this.

So it’s something you can really run away with?

Yeah, you just know that people love The Simpsons, people who read my books love maths, so it’s a perfect combination.

The thing about this book though is that it is just a complete surprise, nobody would think there’s maths in The Simpsons. So, not only is it a great combination, it’s a shocking combination. I’ve been thinking about this book for eight years and I’ve hardly come across anybody who’s been aware of these mathematical elements. So, in general, people are blown away by this idea.

Who do you think this book is mainly going to appeal to?

It will appeal to grown-ups who are curious about maths and are looking for a way in. In this book, you have Homer and Lisa holding your hand and taking you through the mathematics.

It will really appeal to a wide audience; I’ve given talks recently about the book which have had real enthusiasm. An article I wrote [about the book] for the BBC got one million hits in a day, so it’s clearly a popular topic. I think people are excited by the juxtaposition of major pop culture with a difficult subject.

Finally, who is your favourite character?

I think my favourite character is Apu. When I was a kid, watching TV 40 years ago, there were no Asian people on TV. Apu may have been the first Asian on American TV. He deserves some kudos for that and also he is a mathematician, so that’s another reason of why I’m very fond of him.

Classics digested: Sense and Sensibility

Written by Elizabeth Mitchell on . Posted in Books.

WHO is the author?

Jane Austen has become one of the most revered English authors, soon to make her debut appearance on the ten pound note. With followers so dedicated that they are known as ‘Janeites’, her six finished novels have been adapted into many films, and have served as inspiration for sequels and modern day retellings. Born in 1775, she grew up in her father’s parsonage and spent most of her life living with her family in the capacity of a sister and an aunt. Her work received the attention of her peers (the Prince Regent asked Austen to dedicate Emma to him), but financial issues shrouded her life. Austen died aged 41, and her last two novels were published posthumously.

WHAT is it about?

First published in 1811 under the pseudonym ‘A Lady’, Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood sisters. Forced to move out of their home after their father’s death, reserved Elinor and headstrong Marianne make their new life in a Devonshire cottage. The novel focuses on the romantic entanglements both sisters find themselves in – cue the entry of Edward Ferrars (sensible and loyal), Colonel Brandon (strong and silent type) and John Wiloughby (mysterious rogue). Full of love, deceit, heartbreak, hope and near-death experiences, Sense and Sensibility examines the high society life of Georgian London, the banality of the chattering classes and the necessity of impressing your mother-in-law. The reader is left to ponder whether sense or sensibility will rule the day.

WHY should you read it?

Often overlooked for its famous sister novel, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility offers just as much wit and even more fools. By turns hysterically funny and painfully romantic, it is a perfectly crafted piece of fiction. You cannot help but fall in love with the good characters, hate the evil ones and snigger at the buffoons. Austen’s analysis of society is unparalleled and a source of inspiration to many contemporary authors. Although the most recent modernised version by Joanna Trollope is humorous and insightful, it is not a patch on the original.

Classic quote

“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”

Preview: American Hustle

Written by Angus Harrison on . Posted in Film.

Ensemble casts are a blessing in disguise. For every The Royal Tenenbaums there is an Oceans Thirteen, for every The Towering Inferno there is a Movie 43. American Hustle is certainly setting the bar high with an ensemble cast that includes no less than Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jeremy Renner and my personal favourite – Louis CK. Not bad? Well wait till you hear the story.

As the seventies became the eighties, con man Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and his cunning mistress Sydney Prosser (Adams) are pushed into the world of the Jersey mafia by FBI Richie DiMaso (Cooper). It is going to get complicated, and no doubt explosive, and at some point Jennifer Lawrence is going to get involved.

What could go wrong? Well, the worry with a film like this is that it all goes a bit Gangster Squad. The genre we are trading in here is built in memory to the extent that it can quickly tailspin into cliché. The trailer looks fantastic and electric, but we have to hope that director David O Russell and writer Eric Singer have given us space to breathe between glossy sex, hyper-violence and slow motion disco scenes. In fact, the trailer reminded me most of Boogie Nights. It is flashy, neon and covered in hairspray but appears to suggest a sinister thread running through it. The party and the hangover. Boogie Nights does a fantastic job of this, precisely because the time is taken to show the characters and vapid, insecure, vulnerable, comic and tragic.

Early reports of American Hustle are optimistic suggesting it is at least attempting to pull off a similar. Indie Wire were lucky enough to see the first six minutes of the movie, at this years’ AFI Fest. They reported that the scene was both funny and volatile, showcasing glorious group dynamics between Cooper, Bale and Adams. Initial reports from other sources have suggested similar things – that the film will begin with a fast paced and humorous tone before seguing into darker, more personal territory in its second half.

There are many reasons to will this film to work: The collective cast, the scale and intent of the trailer, the chance of genuinely funny dialogue – oh and God knows Robert De Niro needs redemption (again), this time after The Family. Hopefully, we won’t be disappointed. Sometimes, when the right stars align, we can expect a genuine piece of art.

 

Release Date: 20th December 

Beards: the real winter warmer

Written by Jack Metcalfe on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Having failed to commit to a clean shave for the past three and a half years, I may not be the most impartial commentator on the subject of men’s facial hair. However, you may have noticed that the temperature in Manchester is starting to get a bit chilly – and what better way to deal with a cold chin than leaving it to its own devices in developing a luscious thatch of hair? At this point, I should state that I do realise there may be some unfortunate gents reading this for whom growing a beard is merely a pipe dream. Don’t worry, guys: it was just never meant to be. However, if a distinctly sleazy, pubescent moustache is attainable, November is as good a time as any to try it.

There are more than just purely practical reasons for this epilation-dodging adventure. Let’s face it: beards look really rather tasty if looked after properly. I’ve seen many fine beards around campus, but I’ve also noted a fair few unfortunate, scraggly attempts. Therefore, for those of you who haven’t tried this kind of project before, you’ll need to take note of a few important pointers.

Make sure you have an electronic beard trimmer with an array of different grades for the purposes of experimentation. Treat your beard like you would your own child. It needs frequent attention and affection, meaning lots of visits to your local mirror. You will quickly learn, if you haven’t already, that different patches of hair on different parts of your chin, neck and cheeks grow at varying viscosity and at different velocities. This gives you an opportunity to be an artist of sorts – and with make-up an option that many men would not contemplate, a beard is the perfect chance to take your face into your own hands. I can guarantee that you will soon notice various love interests attempting to snuggle up to your furry face in order to share in the warmth and satisfaction of your accomplishment.

I’m under no illusions: you definitely shouldn’t be taking merely my word for it. According to the French poet, novelist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, “There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period does not last. He returns headlong to his beard.” Would you question the words of a French poet, novelist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker? I don’t think you would.

There is an important lesson to take away from all of this. A beard could be the start of something special for some of you. It is not a fashion trend, subject to the whims of “what’s hot” and “what’s not”: rather, it is a lifestyle choice that will benefit both yourself and your loved ones.

However, for many of you it could just be a depressingly emphatic confirmation of a depleted testosterone reserve.

Top 5 male beauty products

Written by Jake Pummintr on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

All images: Writer’s own

1. Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Scrub for Men – £21

This scrub leaves your skin feeling buffed and beautiful. Its apricot kernels eliminate dead skin and remnants of rough facial hair. Whilst the general rule is that scrubs should be used sporadically, this is not too harsh meaning you can give your face the daily clean it probably requires, being a student…

 

2. Label M Volume Mousse – £12.95

Rather than spending ages perfecting your quiff, side-parting or out-of-bed look (yes, we are aware this requires effort, contrary to what you would have us believe), simply work the mousse through damp hair before drying. It gives the hair an easily mouldable texture and only a touch-up of wax is necessary.

 

3. Kiehl’s Squadron Shaving Cream – £15

 

Being half Asian, my facial hair tends to resemble Mulan’s Father’s beard somewhat. Whilst this works for other people, it really doesn’t for myself so I have to shave everyday. If you are like me, the benefits of this cream are twofold: you can achieve a quick and successful dry-shave, whilst also being far less messy than typical shaving gels.

 

4. Signature scent(s) – Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford – £78

A collection of two or three signature scents really is a must-have for every modern gentleman. We all have that one friend who smells of B.O. and just as you associate him/her with an unpleasant musk, you could be the guy who always smells great. It really does go a long way…

 

5. Garnier Under-eye Roll-on – £10.49

Following most nights out comes the inevitable rush to the nine a.m. lecture in Sam Alex the morning after. If you have missed your window for getting washed, then this roll-on is a godsend. Use on the under-eyes to give the impression of a long night’s slumber, even if everything else screams drunken regret.

Bwana Devil – Lessons From the Third Dimension

Written by Angus Harrison on . Posted in Film.

From the multitude of posters advertising Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, there is one quote that always sticks with me, long after the bus has pulled away. The Telegraph, instead of praising direction or performance, remark on the “glorious realised 3D”. Something about that phrasing, “glorious realised”, fascinates me. How do we understand the true realisation, limits and possibilities of this form of cinema? What defines good 3D and bad 3D?

66 years ago, this very week, United Artists released Arch Oboler’s Bwana Devil. The movie was an huge event; set in British Uganda, railway workers find construction interrupted by a pair of man-eating lions, it is then up to British overseer Jack Hayward to capture and kill the lions. Much like Cuarón, Oboler was was attempted to take a thrilling story, set in an unforgivable environment, and amplify the viewing experience using groundbreaking technology. Only difference being that Bwana Devil was the first 3D feature film ever released. It was a commercially driven creation, in the light of waning box office sales, many thought that 3D ‘natural vision’ was just the gimmick to bring audiences back into the theatres. Following the release of Bwana Devil a decade long fascination with the process began. Many more 3D movies were released in this period, opting for full on spectacle they ranged in title from ‘House of Wax’ to ‘Robot Monster’. Seats were filled, but many of the end results were clumsy. The ‘golden era’ of 3D gradually declined. It was pulpy and excessive, but audiences outgrew it.

Unlike Gravity which is currently sitting on 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the reviews of Bwana Devil weren’t too kind. One critic wrote “It is the worst movie in my rather faltering memory, and my hangover from it was so painful that I immediately went to see a two-dimensional movie for relief.” So does that mean we have learnt our lesson? Well not necessarily. Take 2010’s Clash of the Titans, of which the director Louis Leterrier eventually said “It was absolutely horrible, the 3D. Nothing was working, it was just a gimmick to steal money from the audience.”

Many contemporary film makers are equally sceptical of the form. Even blockbuster behemoths like Michael Bay and Christopher Nolan have spoken out against the form, the latter famously declining down the request to have Inception shot in 3D. In fact most people I watch movies with respond similarly, that they think 3D is annoying and exploitative, only existing to charge extra for making you wear silly glasses. Yet Gravity seems to have distilled a mood amongst those who value the technique. Essentially that it is not for every film, and what’s more it isn’t the reserve of action movies or cartoons. In fact, last years most critically acclaimed use of 3D was Life of Pi, a movie that (much like Avatar) built dimensional environments and landscapes – rather than throwing random objects at the audience now and again.

It seems unlikely that 3D will die out in the same way it did in the 1950s. Yet it order to ensure its longevity it seems crucial that filmmakers value it is a tool for depth, rather than a flashy gimmick. Arch Oboler certainly thought it would last and fittingly, given the interstellar nature of 3D’s latest proponent, he said, “One doesn’t need much imagination, to state a simple truth: that a motion picture and television world of 3-Dimension is as certain as the fact that someday the sun will fission and fusion and implode on itself”.

 

The man bag: a dying breed?

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Image:insideology.files.wordpress.com

It was the accessory that saw Indiana Jones through a whole array of compromising situations, including a Lost Ark and a Temple of Doom, but has the man bag finally had its day?  I say yes.  Now when I’m talking about man bags, I’m not literally talking about any bag owned by a man, I’m talking about the bag that most often goes by the alias of ‘satchel’ or ‘messenger’, typically measuring 30x40cm with a strap to be worn across the body.  For years it was the classic bag of choice for gents of all ages, but of recent its popularity has been on the decline.

Although it may seem a bold statement, I am going to throw it out there anyway, the man bag is not only pointless, it’s over.  It’s the ‘I’m not as comfortable or convenient as a backpack, not as large or handy as a holdall’ bag that for years has left males across the length and breadth of the country with a shoulder only one extra book away from near dislocation and a trip to the local A&E.

If you are to do a quick delve into times past, the satchel first made its foray onto the bag-scene way back in the 17th Century, and so if we are to argue a fair case, it has stood the test of time and helped countless members of the Oxbridge Alumni to transport books from A to B.  But in a world governed by the ‘survival of the fittest’, is it not time for this particular breed of accessory to die out in favour of its more practical predecessors?

Image: asos.com

You see we all know backpacks are the more comfortable option; distributing the weight of items across the shoulders equally, whilst we too know that when avoiding luggage charges and packing whole weeks’ worth of clothes into your carry on flight allowance only the holdall will do.  So where I ask, does the satchel now fit in with necessities of everyday life? Well to tell you simply, it doesn’t, and with that I urge all of you to abandon your satchel….there’s a whole world of Herschel’s, Eastpak’s and Jansport’s out there just waiting for you to take the step and make the change.

The ‘Jew’niversity experience

Written by Sophie Lipton on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Being Jewish is such a diverse term. One could be religious, cultural or even an atheist- it’s that broad. This may be why it is so hard to explain what it means to be Jewish, especially to some students who have never met another Jewish person in their lives. I want to explain that being Jewish may add another aspect to my university lifestyle, but it in no way stops me enjoying the classic student experience. So how does one deal with the questions which may have answers that are hard to explain? Since  becoming a student, here are the top three questions I have come across.

 

1)    So you’re Jewish…. What does that actually mean?”

First of all, explaining to people at University you’re Jewish can sometimes be daunting. I felt I had extra baggage to unpack, because telling people about faith can often open a whole can of worms. Luckily, I was not faced with anti-Semitism. I still remember telling one of my friends about my religion on the first day of University. The reaction I got was “cool. So does that mean you pray three times a day?”  To me I thought this was hilarious, because I don’t even go to synagogue (Jewish place of worship) once a month, let alone three times a day. After explaining that no, praying three times a day was not on my freshers agenda and that Judaism was different for everyone, I was determined to show my new friends that the priorities of Jewish students didn’t always revolve around prayer, but could be more of a social notion. My friends were amazing and accepted that my Judaism was part of my personality, taking me for who I was.

Similarly, previous secretary for Jsoc (Jewish Society) Lindsey Briggs also received a positive response to her Judaism. She states “I was really scared that everyone was going to define me by my faith. However, I was so wrong and I’ve never felt more comfortable with my identity in my halls”.

It’s fun explaining the diversity of Judaism to others, and I like to teach people about how I define myself as a Jew. However, this question cannot be summed up in a simple sentence. People have written extensive literature on this topic, and understanding some of the concepts can be a little tricky. As a result, it can sometimes be a challenge to explain Jewish life.

At University, being Jewish to me is attending an array of events. Friday night dinners are weekly occurrences which celebrate Shabbat (a festival which marks the end of a week). It’s a good way to unwind from a hectic schedule and just reflect upon the past days with good company and food. Whether this be with fifty or five people, atmosphere can be remarkable. Additionally, any excuse to celebrate a Jewish festival is always recognised, where activities range from prayer to parties. Jewish socials do not always revolve around praying, which I think is a general impression people get from faith groups. Of course, there is an element of prayer, but events also offer much more such as clubbing, pub quizzes and there is even a Jewish football team.

 

2)    Are all your friends Jewish?

A lot of my friendship group is not Jewish, but it just so happens that I live with the ones who are. I don’t categorize my ‘Jewish friends’ and my ‘non-Jewish friends’. I take everyone as an individual and we all go out together. My best friends are not defined by religion and I’m open to their cultures as I know they are open to mine. We have similarities which act as the foundations for our friendship. The difference is, with my Jewish friends the foundation may also be a religious bonding. I didn’t plan to live with other Jewish people, and we are not living with each other just because of our religion. It’s not intentional and I don’t know how it happens. Maybe it’s the fact we are a minority group and tend to stick together. Maybe it’s the fact we have a shared history. Or maybe it’s the fact we have similar cultural backgrounds. I really don’t know. I’m guessing it is a mixture of the three.

 

3)    How do all Jewish people know all other Jewish people?

This of course is not completely true! However, if, like me you grew up in North London where a predominance of Jewish people live, then one cannot help but be drawn into the ‘Jewish bubble’. Through youth groups, synagogue and even schools these bonds form. I suppose to the outside it is strange that I would have 50 plus mutual friends on Facebook with a Jewish person I have randomly bumped into in a club. The “oh do you know (insert Jewish friends name here)” game can sometimes go on for hours. It’s hard to explain how concentrated the British Jewish population is. This question was asked to me so much in fresher’s week, and my flat mates couldn’t understand how I knew so many people when term had not even begun.

 

So, there are my answers. There is no denying that my university experience has a Jewish dimension, but there are many sides to my identity. I am not just categorised as a Jewish student; all my friends see me for who I am, and I see them for who they are. I have made sure I am not completely defined to my religion even though it is an important part of my identity.