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Month: February 2014

An Evening With Clifford Owens’ ‘Photographs With An Audience’

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

We were unsure of what to expect as we made the short walk from University Place to one of Manchester’s leading arts venues and cinemas, The Cornerhouse, back in mid-October. All we knew is that for two consecutive evenings, an unknown number of ‘participants’ would be encouraged to react to the words and actions of the American artist Clifford Owens, described as the “ringleader and provocateur” of the piece. Photographs would then be taken of the madness that we believed would follow.

The performance was actually very different to what we had pictured beforehand. Around twenty of us sat on the floor of the Cornerhouse’s, ‘The Annexe’, whilst Clifford walked amongst us, musing on various different topics including cocaine, women and suicide. Occasionally, he would turn whatever the topic happened to be on to the audience, asking something like – “Anyone who does cocaine regularly, go and pose for a photograph” and at first, everyone was a little apprehensive, I mean, who wants to admit something like that to a room full of strangers? However, soon people were filling the photographic area after every question!  Clifford’s performance played a big part in this fairly quick increase in audience confidence, as he was eager to establish connections with audience members in order to create the best, most powerful, photographs. However we also sometimes felt that his macho and sometimes aggressively, dominant character alienated some members of the audience; particularly those with which he didn’t express he felt ‘connected’ with. At one stage, a young woman in the audience challenged Owens, questioning his arguably macho and overtly masculine attitude and suddenly the atmosphere of the room completely changed. Solidarity formed between participants as Owens and the young woman engaged in a passionate argument over the effects of his performance and her own involvement in the evening so far. It was interesting in a room of strangers to see how easily the atmosphere could fluctuate. However, although we both had an overarching feeling that we were all pawns in the palm of his hand, the sheer honesty of our fellow participants undeniably inspired a sense of ‘group’ and community between us after the first evening’s performance.

We came back the following evening for the second performance, expecting Clifford to maybe delve deeper into some of the issues, ideas and stories touched upon in the previous evenings’ performance. We prepared ourselves for what could be an uneasy and possibly emotional evening, expecting the performance to be wrought with the same sort of tension found in the previous night. However the second performance became much more about the show; those that had been singled out before as Clifford’s ‘favourites’ came back to take over the stage. People were butting in and making the atmosphere pantomime-esque with heckling rather than the uneasy silence of night before. Quieter audience members were alienated and we were left with a feeling of not wanting to join in.

What was most interesting with this piece was the constant confusion as to whether Clifford had no idea what was going on or whether his vagueness was actually part of the ‘performance’. This idea of ‘performance’ was another interesting aspect – was Clifford performing or was he playing himself? We were sometimes touched by the experience but at other times cynical. It was really interesting to see the reactions of the other participants, observing those who chose to engage with Clifford and on what terms – theirs or his. We came away on the first night feeling irritated, worked up; like people had been slightly taken advantage of. On the second day, we felt maybe like it had been a waste of time, irritated by the audience this time, rather than by Clifford. However in retrospect the experience was extremely valuable and both Clifford and the reaction of his audience left us interested and intrigued. Keep your eyes peeled for more performances in the Cornerhouse’s Annexe, it’s definitely one to watch.

Performance art is my ‘melancholy mistress’

Written by Jasper Llewellyn on . Posted in Arts.

Jasper: How do you feel your work has progressed since you first started? Have you changed you approach to performance or are your initial intentions the same?

Clifford Owens: No not at all. I started out on photography. Performance art is my ‘melancholy mistress’. I wanted to write as a child, but realised I need to be a good reader to be a good writer. I became interested in performance art through my interest in photography. And I’ve been making performances for about 22 years, and that’s including in college and grad school. I never wanted to be a performance artist and I don’t really like to be identified as a performance artist.

Jasper: Why? Do you feel there is negative stigma around performance art?

Clifford Owens: No, but I think it just presumes that I don’t do anything else. And that the presumption is that I come out of theatre or dance. Which I do not. I study art, I went to art school! So the progression has been very gradual and the work I’m doing now… you know, I really think… for me I think that my practice is a conceptual art practice. All art is about ideas but it’s the ideas in my projects that really matter. And the performances, I think, are ways to generate ideas. The progression I guess… 10 years ago I wouldn’t have been able to do Performance With An Audience. Because I didn’t have the experience as a performance artist, because I didn’t have the wisdom to do the project. And the work I’m doing now is incredibly difficult… It’s very hard! I just don’t think that a decade ago I would be prepared to do it.

Jasper: You said last night that you hate actors? Do you not feel that your work has an intense theatricality about it? I feel that there is showmanship tied up in the performance or maybe you feel you hate yourself, as an actor?

Clifford Owens: What I said about hating actors – its more me hating a certain individual who is an actor! But acting is about affect and performance art is about effect. And that’s the distinction for me. I dont know anything about acting. But in the performances do I have a presence? Yeah, absolutely.

J: Do you have a persona?

Clifford Owens: No, I don’t. People have asked that before and I don’t. I mean I’m certainly aware of the fact that to MAKE the performance I have to…

Jasper: Maybe its just how you respond to a group of 30 people?

Clifford Owens: Absolutely, I mean, how do you keep a group of people engaged unless you are somewhat animated? And you bring a certain intensity to the experience. If I was monotonous and boring and limp, I don’t think that the audience would respond to prompts for the photographs. So you are right, a certain showmanship is necessary but so far as I’m aware of the showmanship, I’m not doing anything technically. I’m not consciously coming into a character. I mean, I’m an intense guy! I suppose that’s just my personality – and very emotional. And I suppose when you’re in a room of people talking about very emotional thing, its real for me. Its not affect. My response to your queries and the conversation we were having were coming from a real place.

 

Great Danes

Written by Sophie James on . Posted in Film.

On January 9th 2014 millions of viewers tuned in to the finale of Sherlock series 3. But it wasn’t St Benedict or Mr and Mrs Baggins that caught the eye.  Not even Moriarty could steal the show.  It was the baddie – Charles Augustus Magnussen – suave and sophisticated, good and evil, a powerhouse of a character, blitzing Sherlock and catapulting another Danish star into our midst. Despite being flanked by two of the hottest actors on Earth (or Middle-Earth at least), Lars Mikkelsen dominated proceedings with seemingly effortless ease.  How do these Danes do it?  Denmark is quite simply becoming the epicenter of the world’s TV and cinematic talent in writing, acting and directing.

What’s the secret?  No secret: just don’t compromise, don’t patronise, and don’t stint.  Brilliance comes at a price, but the intricate storylines, the detailed characterisation and the often brutal and graphic honesty of the portrayals of human nature at its best and worst are not just something we can cope with, but something TV and film audiences have been crying out for. Danish-Swedish drama The Bridge is a classic example.  Blazing across our Saturday nights at the moment, it takes characters with a past to overcome and a future to face, and chucks them into the present to create a panoramic sweep of society with colourful characterisation that rivals some of the best TV dramas and novels. Fast-paced yet in-depth, subtle yet impactful, dark yet oddly comic in places, these TV series leave you feeling exhausted yet wanting more week after week.  And the acting is just brilliant too – check out Kim Bodnia from The Bridge, Lars Mikkelsen himself in The Killing and Borgen, or indeed his brother, Mads Mikkelsen best known for producing an incredible performance earlier this year in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt – up for this year’s Academy Award for  Best Foreign Film.

What about directing? Fret not, this year the work of two Danish directors is going to hit screens and shows no wavering in the country’s quality control. Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, having dominated the Danish Academy Awards last week, is also currently one of the Oscar nominees for best foreign film. Set in Denmark, it chillingly explores the power of a rumor, as a man’s life is plunged into nightmare territory by the words of a few children. With a visceral performance by Mads Mikkelsen, this film made a massive impression at Cannes last year, winning best actor and best director whilst being nominated for the Palme d’Or and its rein has lasted right on into 2014 – receiving nominations for a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Academy Award for best foreign film – and rightly so. Unfazed by his success Vinterberg’s next project is actually an English endeavor, directing David Nicholls’ (author of One Day) adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. The cast alone is testament not only to Vinterberg’s work as a director but to the impact that Danish film is having here in the UK and the world:  Carey Mulligan and Tom Sturridge team up with Michael Sheen and Matthias Schoenaerts, best known for Jacque Audiard’s Rust and Bone. Its an unusual yet totally intriguing choice of project for the director, and looks set to be absolutely incredible. Still not enough to convince you? Then simply google Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac Parts 1 & 2 out this year. Jens Albinus, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, Stellan Skarsgard, Willem Dafoe and Shia LeBoeuf. Good or bad – this film’s provocative title and high-profile director and cast list are going to be the talk of the town this year!

For a country whose population is only 5 million people, Denmark’s rapidly growing influence on the cinematic and television worlds is extraordinary and completely justified. Get stuck in before you miss the action, because you will, I promise, regret it!

Recipe: sweet and sour chicken drumsticks

Written by Josephine Harrington on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Drumsticks

 

2 large potatoes,

4 Chicken legs,

Milk and butter for mashing into the potato

Olive oil,

1 tsp of soy sauce,

1 tsp of honey,

1 tsp of tomato puree,

Vegetable of your choice to serve

30 minutes + marinade

Serves 2

Chinese chicken for the Chinese New Year

 

This recipe is just what you are looking for if you want something cheap, easy and oh my word-delicious.  Marinating meat is a great way to make a cheaper cut, such a chicken legs, really flavoursome. If you’re organised this can be done before heading out for the day and dinner is done within half an hour of walking in the door.

Start by marinating 4 chicken legs in a glug of oil, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of tomato puree and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Ideally allow the mixture to marinate overnight, but 3-4 hours will do—the longer the better really.

To cook the chicken, put the chicken legs and the marinade on a baking tray in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.

While the chicken is cooking, boil 2 peeled and quartered medium-large potatoes until soft. Then drain and mash with a knob butter, a splash of milk and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with anything green that is lurking in the fridge. Enjoy!

 

 

The revising student’s day on a plate

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

7.30: brutally awakened by the shrill siren of my alarm, I greet every new day with a steaming tankard of Lidl’s finest and cheapest off-brand coffee. This burning black liquid scolds my taste buds to the point that everything tastes like lukewarm rice. Breakfast usually consists of two bowls of ‘highly enriching’ porridge, the gruel’s texture reminds me of my revision schedule: mediocre effort, mediocre expectations.

8.30: First can of ‘Fuel-Up’ is opened and consumed. Heart begins to pump properly. Neurons are now fully alert after the equivalent of a 1950’s therapeutic electric shock.

8.45: Second can of ‘Fuel Up’, just for measure. Pupils wide open. Right hand is trembling slightly.

(6 hour revision session)

14.45: The hunger has been gnawing away at my concentration for the past hour. I decide that as procrastination levels are at their nadir and productive revision is actually happening – to treat myself to a lovely Sangam’s £2 Cheesy Chips. Genuinely the breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions with a penchant for cardio-vascular disease…

Is this your standard revising fayre?

16.30: Coffee is brewing in a large badly washed saucepan – our coffee machine was taken away in retribution when my girlfriend dumped me for a man with career aspirations.

18.30: Third can of ‘Fuel Up’, the whiplash is surreal – Not even Charlie Sheen drinks it. Cadbury Crunchie’s are a must to keep the sugar levels constant.

(Wikipedia procrastination session on Charlie Sheen, whiplash and neuro-degenerative diseases)

19.30. Back to work – flat mate brought me back a stale (week-old by the taste of it) blueberry muffin from the Shell petrol station. Nice gesture, shame about the final product.

20.00: I pack a measly made ham and Gouda cheese sandwich in my bag and go on a date with John Rylands (central library). 2 cans of ‘Fuel Up’ are in my pockets. One for energy and the other to make sure people think I’m a street tramp – this way nobody sits next to me on the bus.

20.40: Arrive at library – scoff down a Cadbury cream egg for courage as I scour Blue 1,2 & 3 for a seat. I fail and sit on the floor of Orange 5. This place is genuinely eerie.

22.30: The only sounds in Orange 5 are the humming noise of my DEL laptop every time I open internet explorer, the ruffling of the pages of my three ‘compulsory reading’ books I’ve had since October and the soft but steady crunching of muesli and snicker bars.

23.59: I have finally completed the ‘afternoon’ part of my revision schedule. Cadbury cream eggs celebration is in order. Fourth can of ‘Fuel Up’, just to remind me why I’m here.

01.00: heart begins to pump furiously, eyes become bleary – I’m feeling nauseous.

0.1.09: pass out of exhaustion in Orange 5, some equally distressed student threw a penny at me.

0.6.45: awoken by cleaner’s huge industrial cleaning arsenal – repeat cycle.

I have been doing this since January 4th and today is January 24th. I have my final exam in 3 hours.

 

 

Lunch time hot spots: somewhere a little different.

Written by Ben Walker on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Whether you breezed into 2014 carefree or have been held captive by revision in the year’s inaugural month, a student still gotta eat. With loans in and end of year assessments miles away now is the perfect time to explore, maybe a little off the beaten track, to see what is out there.

Our city’s culinary naissance has been a delicious explosion of Michelin aspiring ten course taster menus all the way down to trendy fish and chip bars and everything in-between. And though James Martin and Aidan Byrne have moved in, here, for now, I will offer up some of the best casual places for either grabbing a bite, longer lunches, or full afternoon sessions of gorging.

For all of the new, there is a select few of the old that have continued to shine bright. Nowhere epitomises this more so than Soup Kitchen (31-33 Spear Street, Manchester, M1 1DF). The cool, partly subterranean kitchen operates a canteen service, a bar, and long communal tables where a cross section of students, the NQ set, and those from the office congregate for a sublime selection of good eats.

Why dip bread into soup when you dunk a door wedge sandwich? It is just this logic that has got Soup Kitchen into this elite group of diners. Soups made daily and are rich and wholesome, the sandwich menu is full of well executed classics—and though either on their own make for a nice lunch, when combined you preside over one of best British lunches in Manchester. There of course is a whole range of daily specials, salads, and stews but I always find myself unable to resist the seductive soup and a sandwich.

If lunch, for whatever reason, must be found and eaten at more of a canter than say the ambling of SK, you busy students look no further than Umami for Japanese splendour (149-153 Oxford Rd, Manchester M1 7EE). Umami literally mean delicious taste, I can have no qualms with such a boisterous name after a recent visit.

The 2 course lunch deal is super value and super tasty. There are soft gyoza dumplings, filled with pork and water chestnuts with a pokey dipping chilli sauce. The chicken yakitori, often used as a bar snack, are little skewers of poultry delight. Last time I had the chicken ramen, served with a deeply savoury soup, soft and tender chicken, and greens. Such a bowl of warming friendliness is thoroughly revitalising on such wet dreary days.

Umami relies on university lunch time trade and thus execute a very efficient and brisk service, and when it comes down to it, for 2 courses off the lunch deal at £5.95, this is real value for money.

Now, Tex-Mex is taking off in a big way across the spectrum, and whilst Barburrito remains as good a burrito in the North West, Changos is offer some stiff competition. Situated just past the Palace Theatre (91-93 St. James Building, Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6FQ) this joint is almost on our doorstep.

The vast blanket of tortilla is dressed with all the vivid colours and bright flavours that is the signature of Mexican food. Since each ‘little donkey’ is assembled to order, you call the shots of the filling and thus whether you’re a heat-freak, an extra guacamole kinda guy, or an ‘Athletico’ brown rice and wholemeal wrap sort of gal, Changos has you covered, so mariachi yourself up Oxford Road to Changos. 

Dry January: road to perdition or salvation?

Written by Ben Walker on . Posted in News.

January is a month quilted in a dense gloom, leaving home in the morning in the dark and returning at night only by the light of the street lamps. The angry wind has made the umbrella redundant and one has now conceded to getting rather wet on a rather regular basis. I’ve dragged myself through exams with the downcast dead eyed expression of one returning from the Somme. The landlord hasn’t yet fixed the heating and I sleep, or attempt to, in 3 jumpers and a knitted balaclava. Foolishly I chanced a cup of tea with milk three days over, a mistake never again to be made. Life has plodded from dreary to dire to desperate—but for all the disasters unfolding in front of me, I shall never break the solemn vow that I, along with so many others made on January 1st: thou shall not drink alcohol for an entire month, a whole 31 days, not a beer or cider, spirit or wine—and even remain suspicious of the steak and ale pie.

The world is against the student in January and thus abstaining from liquor is quite some feat. Exams having already finished long before we bid farewell to January, to restrain oneself requires will power and a whole lot of non-alcoholic beer just to feel part of it, even though as your friends descend into the warm embrace of an alcohol fuelled stupor, you remain stone cold sober pretending to be enjoying yourself but really all you are doing is watching your company slowly drift off into inebriation.

To those who have completed a dry January successful I doth my cap, and those who lapsed for just one beer then I offer my commiserations for your failure. To those who never entertained the notion of surrendering the joys of an aperitif here, and degestif there, I say to you, how very sensible you are.

Instasham

Written by Beth Currall on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Let’s face it: pretty much all of us who own a smartphone or have an internet connection are guilty of scrolling through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, sighing over others’ seemingly perfect lives and wishing that our own was as good. A vast number of obsessives- and I will openly count myself as one of these people- check their news feeds every day to keep updated on the lives of people they might not even know. In fact, I have paused from writing this article no less than three times to stalk to wedding of an Australian entrepreneur on Instagram, to look at photos taken by an old work colleague of her Saturday night out, and to rile myself over a girl’s constant stream of pessimistic tweets. Why is it that we have become so fascinated with other people’s lives? And why do we let this affect our own?

I see so many people handing out likes to ‘thinspiration’ accounts on Instagram, or reposting photos to share their motivation for their perfect bodies. Forget being happy in your own skin: nowadays you’re a social reject if you don’t strive for a thigh gap, 20-inch waist and a bubble butt (which is actually physically impossible to achieve without the help of Photoshop), or for males, a gym-honed six pack with thighs and biceps to match. On social networking sites, the more attractive a person is, the happier they are. We have become motivated by likes, favourites and retweets; my sister often rings me to tell me that my nephew has received 70 likes on a photo she has uploaded on to Facebook- that makes him cute, apparently.  For us students, we post as many snaps of nights out as we can to show all our acquaintances- and most importantly, our enemies- what a fabulously crazy life we are living at university. I don’t want to see photos of people’s large piles of textbooks or 32-page essays, I want to see what they were wearing on their last night out, or the Jimmy Choos they’ve blown their loans on. If you look happy over the internet, you’re happy in real life. It’s as simple as that.

But what we never stop to consider are the parts of everybody’s lives that we tend to miss out when creating personalities for ourselves on social networking. Of course, people will write about their stories of success, but how many people actually openly talk about the hardships they have suffered? We feed off happiness, whether we regard it with sheer appreciation or envy. I mean, who wants to see a photo of someone crying or a status moaning about how crap their lives are? Unlike the fake smiling shots, that is some serious attention seeking. What we fail to remember is that Instagram is not real life; if it was, we’d probably all grow pretty bored of it after a while. For when you take away the edited pictures and the perfectly posed shots, you’re actually just left with reality. But will we ever snap out of this illusion that our lives should revolve around what will be appreciated by our followers? That remains to be seen.

On your bike, if you dare

Written by Charlotte Green on . Posted in Opinion.

Cycling is good for you. It gets you fit and healthy, whilst reducing carbon emissions and lowering congestion within cities. David Cameron, himself a cyclist, has called for a “cycling revolution” in Britain, and has backed the cycling boom occurring in the South-East of England; the so-called ‘Wiggins effect’.

Politicians are predicting that soon UK towns and cities will have similar levels of cycling to cities in Holland or the Netherlands, where cycling is the most common form of transport within centres. However a revolution is impossible when   British roads continue to be fundamentally anti-cycling. The Government needs to work with Councils and the Ministry of Transport to create a safe environment for cyclists across the UK, you can’t endorse cycling as a means of positive alternative travel and then fail to protect those who join the great “revolution”.

Six cyclists have died in London in less than two weeks. The politicians’ response? To blame the cyclists. Following the deaths London Mayor Boris Johnson has stated that he is considering a ban on cyclists wearing headphones, saying that it is “absolutely nuts” to wear them and that it terrifies him to see cyclists “bowling along unable to hear the traffic”.

This is such an absurd misappropriation of blame that when I read the quote I was slightly staggered. Headphones or no headphones, it makes no difference when a six-tonne articulated lorry indicates late and then turns across your path. What BoJo is doing is picking on the easy option. By attacking something as relatively small-scale as headphone wearing, he is choosing to place the blame on the cyclists, those people who put themselves in a risky position in the first place, not addressing the inadequacies of the current roads in accommodating cyclists.

As a cyclist myself I will admit that I wear headphones whilst cycling the busy roads of Manchester. And yes I accept that it may not be the most sensible idea in the world, when you have to be constantly alert and aware of your surroundings. But so do cars. And yet Boris is not considering banning car stereos or sound-proof windows. It doesn’t matter how loud Bowie is singing Suffragette City, I can still hear the magic bus coming up behind me on the way into Uni. I wonder if the same can be said for the  cars with stereos so loud you can hear the bass pumping from 100m away.

If we need further proof that headphones are only a tiny part of the wider issue we only need to examine the figures. According to road-cycling statistics released by the House of Commons in June,   the total number of fatalities on rural and urban roads in 2011 was almost exactly the same, 52 urban fatalities to 55 rural fatalities. However the serious casualties totals are very different and highlight the disparity between safe cycling in  cities and the countyside. In rural areas the number of serious casualties totalled at 745, in urban areas it was 2,340, over three times the rural amount.

It seems unlikely that in all these cases headphones were responsible for a cyclist being involved in an accident.

What I resent most is the perception that as a cyclist I am somehow invading the domain of the motorist, that my presence on the roads is an intrusion that is permitted, but not supported. By this reasoning any accidents that occur on those roads must ultimately be my fault, because I chose to endanger myself by entering the car-zone in the first place.

In Manchester since 2005 the number of killed or seriously injured cyclists has doubled, from 7 to 14 in six years. In Withington on the other hand, the number of KSI cyclists has declined from 10 to 3 over the same period.. The answer is obvious; cycle lanes. Oxford Road is a prime example of a road that makes no allowances for the existence of cyclists. Weaving in and out of the busy bus lane whilst avoiding speeding taxis is stressful, and at times, exceedingly terrifying.  One evening I ended up being trapped between two buses as one tried to overtake the other. The  sides closed in, inside the passengers stared at me as I pedalled desperately, and I remember thinking that there was nothing I could do, no way of making myself visible or preventing the oncoming collision. That time one bus pulled away, and we carried on as if nothing had happened.

Every cyclist has their own near-death story where it was only by luck that they escaped unscathed. Yet we should not have to be relying on luck. The way traffic currently operates in urban areas presents a significant danger to cyclists, one that won’t be solved by continuing to hold cyclists solely responsible for their own accidents. By targeting headphones Boris Johnson is sending the wrong message. He is demonstrating the state’s reluctance to embrace cycling, despite publicly encouraging it.

 

The ‘No Platform’ policy needs to end

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Opinion.

Both sides of the no platform debate are concerned with solving the same problem: how do we reduce, and eventually end, oppression towards oppressed groups? History shows us that oppression is best overcome through engagement with the oppressive force.  Engagement allows us to understand why people hold views and thus how best to reason with them; it lets us become better informed as a result of hearing things we often find objectionable; and it allows us to scrutinise and denounce the arguments we find most perverse, and eventually defeat them.

We need look no further than the BNP and Nick Griffin who is currently ‘No Platformed’ under NUS policy for a perfect example of why the policy is so counter productive. It is particularly harmful in two ways: firstly Mr Griffin’s views cannot be challenged by those who disagree with him, they are instead left to foster in places populated by those who already agree with him. “No Platform” allows him to exist, for the most part, in right wing echo chambers surrounded by his own supporters. Thus when videos of him are uploaded to YouTube with no opposition, he appears coherent as there is no-one to challenge him, and his inadequate arguments are punctuated only by the applause of his supporters. Ending ‘No Platform’ allows Nick Griffin’s views to be challenged and exposed; it forces his supporters to listen to the other side. Without this exposure, they can only become more hardened in their views.

Secondly, people like Mr Griffin derive legitimacy from their status of being “No Platformed.” Most supporters of people with extremist views already view the establishment with suspicion, believing institutions such as universities to be bastions of politically homogenous liberals whose only desires are to propagate political correctness, and to sneer down their noses at those less educated than them. People like Mr Griffin use “No Platform” as an example of how he and his supporters are ‘oppressed’ by this establishment who are too afraid to allow him to reveal the ‘truth.’ This makes people like Mr Griffin appear to be fighting against some repressive force which is an easy narrative to exploit in order to win more disaffected people to his cause. Ending ‘No Platform’ would mean people like this could no longer use these narratives and their supporters would instead see them humiliated, in the way Mr Griffin was on Question Time in 2009, after which, support for the party collapsed.

Allowing the people whose views we find most offensive to lurk in the intellectual shadows of un-moderated internet forums and YouTube videos empowers them, as opposing voices are shouted down by the vitriol endemic to these parts of cyber-space. Universities offer the perfect platform of moderated discussion to challenge the most dangerous ideas that manifest themselves in oppression. Unfortunately, “No Platform” prolongs the oppression that groups suffer because it legitimises the views of those who are denied a platform to speak, and it prevents them being challenged and having their arguments exposed and falsified. We want to see oppression towards minority groups and women ended. To do that we need to end the policy of “No Platforming” speakers; bring the proponents of oppressive discourse into the mainstream, and debunk their arguments once and for all.

 

Britain doesn’t need a lower age of consent

Written by Lauren Wills on . Posted in Opinion.

A blunt message from Downing Street this week was communicated to Britain’s leading public health expert (and the public at large) that the current age of consent for sex in the UK is 16, and “there are no plans to change it”. There is no widespread agreement of what the age of consent should be internationally; on one hand the Independent comments that in Yemen, at age 9 (or upon showing signs of the ‘onset of puberty’) one can legally have sex, whereas in Tunisia unmarried couples must be 20 years of age to consent. Recent news has shown, however, that any attempt to change the law would be politically impossible here in the UK.

On first hearing about this topic, it is easy to jump to conclusions and immediately decide that the age of 15 is too young to be able to consent to sex, and that it is evidence of the lack of ethics and traditional values in our society. However, Professor John Ashton; the public health expert at hand, argues that lowering the age of consent would help teenagers obtain sexual health advice. This is of utter importance, as according to the Telegraph statistics in 2008, four out of ten girls have underage sex – more than any other country in Europe. Judging by the statistics, it appears something must change; either Parliament accepts that young people are having underage sex and takes steps to ensure teenagers are both informed and protected in a number of ways, or Parliament reject the proposal (which they have on this occasion) and take steps towards educating those under 16 on the seriousness; physically and emotionally; of sexual intercourse.

Professor Ashton argues that the current age of 16 sends ‘confused messages’ about the age at which it is okay to have sex, and that Britain should look seriously at changing the age to 15 so that a line may be drawn, and as a society, ‘we can actively discourage sexual involvement under 15’. From a legal point of view, however, the rules are very clear at the moment that it is illegal to consent to sex under the age ofsixteen, and if sex education is being taught properly then teenagers should already be deterred from having sex until that age. Looking at the evidence at hand, it appears sex education needs to be drastically improved so that young people can properly understand the implications of their actions, especially in a legal sense. Instead of lowering the age of consent, why not lower the age of sex education is taught, and make sure it is up to standard, including the legal implications as well as personal implications?

It’s true that whilst society increasingly accepts the occurrence of casual sex, its implications on the younger generation are that they may fail to take into account the emotional, physical and mental effects that it can have. Lawyers have also alluded to the important issue of child safety, Liz Dux, the lawyer representing 72 victims of Jimmy Saville, saying lowering the age of consent would give legitimacy for predatory adults to ‘focus their attention on even younger teenagers’.

Because of this evidence, one may be inclined to agree with Downing Street that the age of consent needs to stay at 16 and should not be lowered. This debate, however, appears to have brought further evidence of society’s confused values in regards to issues with young people, one example including being allowed to join the army at 16 but not being allowed to play ‘Call of Duty’ until the age of 18. If the age of consent is 16, then make it clear and teach young people about its repercussions. Once the government makes a decision on its values, it should seek to enforce the appropriate laws in order to deter illegal behaviour.

Glasgow students nominated Snowden – who should Manchester pick?

Written by Sam Dumitriu on . Posted in Features.

Students at the University of Glasgow are campaigning for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden to become their University’s rector. If elected Snowden will be continuing Glasgow’s tradition of making political statements through the post. The role, which is essentially ceremonial, in the past has been held by political activists such as anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Mandela and Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordecai Vanunu.

Other choices for the role have had less political weight, in 1993 they picked Johnny Ball and six years later they picked Eastenders star Ross Kemp. It’s not just Glasgow that are at it, the practice of the student body electing honorary president’s and rectors for their university takes place all over the country. At Sheffield University they elect an honorary SU president – with Olympic Gold Medalist Jessica Ennis beating out leftie commentator Owen Jones in their last election. While students at SOAS decided to elect ex-London Mayor Ken Livingstone as their first honorary president.

When the Duke of Edinburgh stepped down as Chancellor of Cambridge University, Lord Sainsbury was nominated to take his place. Originally unopposed – the race got interesting when local shopkeeper Abdul Arain threw his name into the hat. Opposed to a new Sainsbury’s Local opening nearby, he challenged Lord Sainsbury leading to the first actively fought battle for Chancellorship of Cambridge University since 1847. But, things got really interesting when Shakespearean actor and all round legend Brian Blessed entered after a Facebook campaign was launched to draft him into running. Graciously accepting Blessed stated in his acceptance letter “I’d like to inspire them to do expeditions all over the world. I would love to join them in expeditions, and promote adventure, adventure, adventure: I think the key to the new millennium is adventure.” After that radical socialist lawyer Michael Mansfield QC launched his own bid, in order to defend the value of education against the perceived market values of Lord Sainsbury. The election which any member of Cambridge University could vote in, provided they held a higher degree from the institution, sadly did not lead to Brian Blessed becoming chancellor. The excessively boring Cambridge members instead voted for Lord Sainsbury, a man who unlike Blessed, has never played the role of Prince Vultan in the Flash Gordon movie.

One of the main obstacles students face in getting notable figures elected as rectors, chancellors or honorary presidents is getting the person to actually accept the nomination. For instance, students at Glasgow are currently trying to recruit The Doctor himself Peter Capaldi, yet a month into their campaign he’s yet to respond. Similarly in 2001 David Hasslehoff was forced to decline a nomination to become rector of Dundee university.

In 1935 students at the University of Edinburgh did their best to invite Russian Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky to stand as rector. Trotsky, however was not keen on the idea – responding in a letter he wrote ’The elections to the rectorate are conducted on a non-political basis and your letter itself is signed by representatives of every political tendency. But I myself occupy too definite a political position. … [I could not] appear on any public tribune not under the Bolshevik banner.’’ Trotsky thus becoming one of the first people to ever refuse something on the grounds that students were not leftwing enough.

While rectors and the like are traditionally figures of some notability in the public imagination, it’s not always the case. For example, in 1973 Edinburgh University elected a 21 year old student to the position – future prime minister Gordon Brown.

Regrettably the University of Manchester lacks a similar position – with the position of president being held by the current vice-chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell. Manchester could go the route of Sheffield and elect an honorary SU president instead. It would be a great opportunity for students to highlight an issue on campus or big up an alumni who isn’t getting the credit they deserve. Indeed, there are only so many rooms in the SU to name after activists.

But if Manchester students were to elect a rector or who should they choose. Below are The Mancunion’s top 5 picks.

Rik Mayall: The star of Bottom and The Young Ones studied for his undergraduate degree in Drama at the University of Manchester – meeting Adrian Edmondson in Hulme Hall. Rectors don’t have to be too serious, so we might as well have someone who’s not afraid to make the odd fart joke. Plus fans of the Young Ones will know that Rik put in an admirable performance on University Challenge against Footlights College Oxbridge only resorting to violence once. Surely that’s the sort of extracurricular achievement we should be honouring?

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova: Electing Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova to the position of rector would send out a strong message in support of human rights in Putin’s Russia. Students at Manchester have already engaged in numerous protests in support of Pussy Riot and if we elected Nadezhda Tolokonnikova it would show that students at Manchester are keeping an eye on Russia ahead of the Sochi Winter Olympics. Also, as seen with Edward Snowden residency in Russia is no bar to becoming a rector at a UK university.

Sir Alex Ferguson: No person has had a bigger impact on Manchester life in the past three decades. It’d be only right to offer him the chance to represent the student’s of Manchester. Plus, if he agreed to become rector it’d give the University great bragging rights, who else would have the most successful manager in English footballing history.

John Cooper-Clarke: There can be no better representative of Manchester than the Bard of Salford John Cooper Clarke. His poems have influenced just about every Manchester poet, and he’s been recently enjoying somewhat of a revival. A true character he’d make a great rector because there’s something universal about his weirdness.

Malala Yousafzai: Following in the tradition of using the role of rector to express praise for acts of political courage, there can be no worthier candidate than Malala. If Manchester were to nominate her, they would not be the first university as the University of Sheffield Students’ Union nominated her in 2013.

 

Cannabis: The other side

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

She gingerly draws her tongue along the adhesive and smooths it down. Her fingers nimbly squeeze and roll. Holding it up to the light, she inspects her work. She’s done it. Sam has rolled a joint, one foot long.

Cannabis has enjoyed relatively positive press lately. Uruguay announced their intention to legalise the use, retail, and production of the drug. Colorado has created the world’s first regulated recreational cannabis market. But whilst recent news seems to all be in favour of leniency towards the drug, naturally this isn’t always the case. Back in 2009 Professor David Nutt, former chief drug advisor to the Government, was asked to leave his position following a lecture on drugs policy in which he asserted that cannabis was less dangerous than alcohol and tobacco. Opinion was split over Nutt’s statements, and the man himself ultimately saw his dismissal as a political move (Subsequently he reinforced his view that, despite what he had said, the drug was not safe). The fact that the countries top drugs advisor and the government fell out so publicly over cannabis demonstrates the schism the matter generates.

The dangers of smoking, alcoholism and ‘harder’ drugs frequently make the headlines, billboards, or sides of buses. For example, take the numerous anti-smoking adverts which have proliferated our lives in recent years, the many alcoholism or heroin story lines offered in the soaps, or last years PMA/Ecstasy scandal at The Warehouse Project. But the darker side of our favourite illicit drug is rarely shown.

The UN describes cannabis as the ‘most widely used illicit substance’. According to the UK governments 2012-13 Crime Survey, 6.4% of adults aged 16-59 used cannabis in the last year. But despite this, or possibly because of it, it is often seen as a ‘soft’ drug. A common argument for its safety is its roots, literally. Because it comes from a plant, the thinking goes, it is a ‘natural’ drug, therefore it can’t be that dangerous. Unfortunately this argument is undermined by, if nothing else, dealers bulking up their crops weight with contaminants in order to increase profit. FRANK, the government’s drugs education service, reports that a study has found cannabis ‘adulterated with henna, lead and aluminium’.

But this aside, another great risk remains. This is where Sam comes in.

Sam is tall, with a shock of fiery ginger hair and a pale complexion to complement.  She is a close friend, and is undeniably dependent upon cannabis. She doesn’t hold a job, and relies on money from her parents and friends to live. Before smoking cannabis she played netball to a high standard. But her once porcelain-like complexion has turned to an haggard pallor.

‘Do you have a hoodie I could borrow?’ She once asked me, ‘I need one before I Skype my mum…’

She wasn’t cold or envious of my sartorial choices. Her mum had sent her money to buy food, bus fares, and winter clothing. None of the aforementioned items were ever purchased. The money, instead, bought her weeks supply of Cannabis. She needed to borrow a hoody to keep up the pretence.

A few months later the ‘Bank of Mum’ wised up. The bailouts dried up, and Sam received supermarket deliveries and packages instead. With her primary income diminished, now as her little bag of weed starts to dwindle Sam can be seen with her hands rummaging down the side of the sofa in an attempt to scrape together enough money. It’s also common to see her pleading to borrow money from her flatmates. The list of debts is growing.

When the weed goes missing, you quickly glimpse another side to Sam. A desperate side: storming about the house, turning it upside down, irritably shouting at housemates trying to recover her drugs. When it’s found, the reunion is almost touching.

Sam spends most days, and often nights smoking cannabis. Apathy, laziness, general lack of perception, dulled senses, hours lost melting in to the sofa, are just some of the numerous side effects. Conversationally, Sam tends to be slavishly obsessed with talking about the drug, too.

The cynic may see this as a result of personality rather than drugs. Initially I assumed that this was the case too. But as I started asking around, I found Sam’s story echoing again and again. The most harrowing I heard from Polly, as she told me of her ex-partners decline in to the drug’s embrace. She spoke slowly, pausing for the right words. Her eyes dropped and her fingers toyed with one of her many bracelets.

“Before smoking weed he was active, with a balanced diet, and on track to a decent sports related job, such as coaching. He had a part time job and had over £3000 in savings which isn’t bad for a 19 year old who also just left college with outstanding grades: a complete A* student. He was also very social, with friends whom he saw often.”

This all took place some years ago, Polly said. Time didn’t seem to have eased the memory, it was clearly still an uncomfortable subject for her.

“He moved into my shared house. My other housemates smoked weed occasionally, and after socially smoking with them he asked them to grab him a £10 bag and that’s how it started. I came home from work most afternoons and evenings and he was in our bedroom, stoned. Pretty soon £10 bags turned into £20 bags which turned into £40 bags. This was in the space of two months. He became so unattractive, messy hair, blood shot eyes all the time, slob-like clothes and lost a lot of weight through his now awful diet!”

Like Sam, Polly’s partner was often misleading about money. After racking up a debt of almost £1000 to her, a £500 cheque from his parents, intended to pay for bills in the shared house, disappeared and quickly went up in smoke.

“A very low point for me was putting petrol in my car and realising I was 12p short because he had spent the last of my money. I had to drive home and scour the room for coppers. I came home and just fell apart. He saw me sobbing and miraculously took me to a cash machine and withdrew £250! But, as we headed home, he demanded I buy him a takeaway dinner and pick up his weed with the money because he had been kind enough to pay me some back…”

Eventually, the relationship became more than Polly could bear, and she left him.

To clarify: I am not anti-drugs. I am in favour of the legalisation of drugs such as cannabis, provided it is regulated efficiently. I applaud the steps Colorado and Uruguay are taking as brave. Whether it exists from the outset or not, awareness around the issue of dependency on cannabis is only going to increase in an open market. Those who are dependent should not be stigmatised or criminalised for their habit, allowing the national conversation to begin in earnest. The work of charities such as ‘Release’ with their ‘Nice People Take Drugs’ campaign is helping to remove the stigma associated with drug use, which may one day help to prevent users sliding down in to dependency.

“I packed a bag the next day and that was that. He then said he had given up smoking as he was heart broken… I didn’t believe him: too little, too late… but I’ve since learnt he is weed free. He plays for 2 cricket teams and is doing well and plays football again when the seasons change… He has a full time job and is on a decent wage.”

It took the destruction of their relationship for him to realise what he had become. But whilst Polly’s ex managed to climb back out of his dependency, many other cannabis users continue to smoke habitually.

Sam is studying at college. She wants to go abroad to a top European university to study. This morning she came back from college looking despondent: her test scores are low, her attendance is the worst in the class, and deadlines looming. Her sleep pattern and motivation have been decimated by her cannabis usage. But, for now, she can smoke her foot long spliff. The lighter clicks. She draws deep upon it, the tip glowing red. A glazed smile spreads across her face and her eyes become vacant.

Graduates’ coffee venture “mugged off” by University

Written by Michael Williams on . Posted in News.

A coffee co-operative set up by University of Manchester graduates has been blocked from selling coffee near the campus – after the University filed an objection to Manchester City Council.

The Coffee Cranks Cooperative have been stopped from selling coffee from their purpose-built bicycle because it “conflicts with the University’s vision for the area”, said Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities, in the objection papers.

University graduate and Coffee Cranks Cooperative director, Zym Wysocki, says that the ruling shows there is “no justice” and that “the public have little say as to what’s going on in the public realm.”

In a hearing lasting over five hours on Thursday, Zym presented his case to the Council. Representing the University were legal professionals from Evershead, one of the world’s largest corporate law firms.

“I think that the result was pretty much predetermined from the start,” said Zym.

“In terms of resources available to both us and the University, it was skewed from the beginning,” he continued.

“I prepared for the hearing as best I could but I’ve never been in a hearing like that before.”

The Coffee Cranks Cooperative is a social enterprise selling ethically sourced tea, coffee and snacks from a cargo bike.

The bike was built in a disused garage behind the house of Zym and fellow University of Manchester graduate and Coffee Cranks Cooperative member Aga. Zym’s dad even flew over from Poland to give a helping hand.

But the University cited the “appearance of the vehicle”, in addition to “the congestion it would bring [and] the likelihood of increased litter” as some of the reasons for their objection.

A spokesperson for the University of Manchester said: “This is not just about Coffee Cranks but we would oppose any street trader as we feel it would detract from the appearance of the University.”

Zym, however, sees the presence of the coffee bike as a potential positive for the campus.

“Our presence there would actually improve the image of the University as being progressive, as looking into the future, as actually embracing what they preach,” he said.

Another objection was lodged for the Cooperative’s plans for a potential location a little further up the road, outside the Edinburgh bicycle cooperative.

Corridor Manchester, the “partnership between Manchester City Council, Manchester Metropolitan University, The University of Manchester, Bruntwood and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust”, also lodged a complaint.

“We would consider it desirable to raise the general quality of retail along the Corridor, to be fitting for such an important area,” read the complaint.

“We need to ensure that international visitors, investors and developers can see the real potential of the area to grow and this is currently being stifled by the presence of street traders.”

Zym was particularly disheartened by this claim.

“I’ve lived in this city for over eight years now, and now it seems to me that I don’t belong here, as if I’m an unwanted person,” he said.

“The streets are meant to be public, but they’re not public any more because somebody’s already made a grab on them.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said that “the University supports its graduates in many ways but cannot support every venture”.

Despite their setbacks, the Coffee Cranks Cooperative will not be disappearing from campus completely – in fact, they have already been invited to provide coffee to striking lecturers on the picket line this week.

But the objections they faced may have changed Zym and Aga’s opinion of the University they graduated from.

“I don’t see how they live up to their acclaimed reputation of an institution that’s actually working with the local community,” said Zym. “They might boast of doing that but there’s little evidence of that.”

“I genuinely think they didn’t even bother to read [our application]…. because that’s the only way I can really still preserve the high reputation the University had with me.”

Student protestors and police clash in Birmingham

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

Thirteen people have been arrested at a national students protest at the University of Birmingham.

Three men have been charged with violent disorder following the protest, led by Defend Education Birmingham.

Authorities say the protest turned violent, injuring staff and damaging campus property. The protestors have also been accused of throwing fireworks and smoke bombs.

However, students have accused police of kettling them for four hours in the cold and arresting those who refused to give personal details, which the police deny.

In a statement, Birmingham University said: “The university had no choice but to ask the police for assistance in restoring order and protecting students, staff and university property.

“While peaceful protest is part of university life, the university cannot tolerate behaviour that causes harm to individuals, damage to property or significant disruption to our university community.”

Students at Birmingham University are still taking part in a sit-in protest at the university’s Horton Grange Conference centre despite several being threatened with expulsion from the university.

Last Wednesday a 50 foot protest banner was tied to the university’s Clock Tower.

The Guild of Students at Birmingham University have released a statement, saying: “The Guild is extremely disappointed with the action at today’s demonstration.

“We wish to reiterate that this was not a Guild organised protest nor is the Guild affiliated to the campaign group Defend Education”.

They added: “Whilst we oppose cuts to higher education, we do not condone the action taken today. It is unacceptable that this has negatively impacted on our students”.

However, Hattie Craig, Vice-President (Education) at Birmingham’s Guild of Students, has fought back against this statement.

In a Facebook post, she said: “where is the condemnation of students being kettled for 4 hours in the cold and rain? Where is the outrage that they were refused water, food or access to toilets?

“Where is criticism of the police for wrongfully arresting students? Where is the outcry against the actions of security […] when one student was pulled to the floor by her hair whilst shouting “peaceful”? Where is the indignation that a student collapsed in the kettle and the police refused to allow an ambulance onto campus?

“The statement says the Guild is disappointed with yesterday’s actions; I am disappointed with the Guild”.

Defend Education Birmingham has called for further protests in the coming weeks, alongside staff strikes.

Holocaust survivor leaves University £1.5 million

Written by Kathryn White on . Posted in News.

A former child evacuee from Nazi Germany has left University of Manchester £1.5 million in her will.

Professor Fanni Bogdanow was evacuated by the Kindertransport mission when she was 11 years old, and arrived in Manchester in 1939.

On finishing school she was awarded three scholarships to the University of Manchester to study French, where she remained as a lecturer and professor and leading scholar on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Professor Bogdanow was finally reunited with her mother in Manchester in the 1950’s, after she had been released from concentration camps.

The money she left the University after her death in July last year will be used in part to fund lectures around Holocaust Memorial Day next year and provide prizes for high performing students.

Dr Matthew Philpotts, head of Languages and Intercultural Studies and a former student of Professor Bogdanow, said, “I was fortunate enough to have classes with Fanni when I was a student here in the early 1990s.

“She made no secret of her background and often mentioned it in class, but I don’t think any of us realised quite how remarkable her personal history was.

“Like so many of the best academics, she had a considerable presence and gave us a rare insight into the importance of her subject.”

President and Vice-Chancellor of University of Manchester Dame Nancy Rothwell said, “Professor Bogdanow was a remarkable scholar with a remarkable story.

“She was able to conquer extreme adversity to become one of the leading scholars in her field and a valued member of the University community.

“We are delighted she left this sum to the University. This will be used in a manner which will serve as a fitting tribute to her memory.”

Man sexually assaults five women in Withington

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

Police are investigating after one man is believed to have carried out five sexual assaults in Withington.

All the victims were lone women in their 20’s, and many were out jogging before being grabbed and sexually assaulted by the man.

The attacks occurred between 6th January and 25th January, and took place on or around Everett Road between 6.15pm and 11.00pm.

Police have warned women to be vigilant and stick to well-lit areas, or try to not go out alone.

Detective Sergeant Doug Cowan said: “The purpose of this appeal is not to alarm people but to alert women of the risks posed to them and to be on their guard”.

However, the residents of Everett Road, many of whom are students, were not aware of the threat until reports began to circulate on social media.

Susan Massey, a fourth year Speech and Language Therapy student who lives on Everett Road,  said: ‘I am surprised that the police have not told us, especially given that these attacks seem to be happening in the early evening, when I am less likely to be on my guard than late at night.

“In our block of flats someone printed out the news story and stuck it on the main door, which immediately made everyone very aware of the situation.

“It should be the job of the police to do this, as not everyone has a friend or neighbour who is concerned, and people need to know”.

The first victim was assaulted on Everett Road at around 11.00pm on 6th January.

Then, on 15th January, the second woman was jogging on Burton Road when she was sexually assaulted by the man at 10.15pm.

A week later the offender assaulted two women on the same night, grabbing a jogger on Palatine Road between 6.15pm and 7.15pm and then another woman on Copson Street at 11pm.

The most recently reported incident took place on 25th January at 9.15pm, again on Palatine Road.

These attacks on women follow reports earlier in the month of two women being mugged in separate incidences on the same night in Withington on 10th January.

Police are concerned that even more women may have been victims of the sexual assaulter, and urge anyone who has not yet come forward to do so.

Susan said: “I do feel very worried now. I have often walked home alone in the early hours of the morning, and after these attacks I realise what a risk I was taking.

“I felt safe enough to do that then, but this has changed overnight and I am even worried about finishing university at 5.00pm because that means getting home in the dark”.

The offender is described as slim and between 5ft 5in and 5ft 8in tall, wearing a hoody and baggy jogging bottoms.

The police are appealing for any witnesses, any other victims who have not yet come forward or anyone who has seen suspicious behaviour from a man matching the above description to contact them.

 Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or 0161 856 4973.

Snowden stands for Glasgow Uni election

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

Edward Snowden is standing for the position of student rector at Glasgow University.

If elected, the National Security Agency whistleblower – who is currently under temporary asylum in Russia – will represent the interests of the students for three years.

The student rectors duties include attending the University court, working closely with the students’ representative council and raising student concerns to management.

On the Glasgow University’s Student Representative Council Website, it says: “Glasgow students have often voted on a principle of honouring heroes, resulting in the election of rectors who were not expected to chair Court or take an active part in the role as they have been unable to leave their country”.

Previous rectors have included Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.

Snowden’s nomination was arranged through his lawyer by a group of students.

In a statement, the students responsible for nominating him said: “Edward Snowden’s candidacy is a unique opportunity to show our gratitude to a brave whistleblower.

“He has shown a spirit of daring and self-sacrifice that is virtually absent in our public life.

We call on Glasgow University students as individuals, and all student bodies committed to ending state intrusion into our pubic lives, to declare their support for Edward Snowden’s candidacy”.

Snowden has also just been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, for his contribution to “a more stable and peaceful world order”.

He first hit the headlines last year, when he fled the United States after revealing the level of internet and phone surveillance by the security forces.

For the position of student rector, Snowden will be standing against author Alan Bissett, clergyman Kevin Holdsworth and cyclist Graeme Obree.

The post is currently held by former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy.

Voting is due to take place over the 17th and 18th of February.

UoM students resort to ‘sugar daddies’

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

Dozens of University of Manchester students signed up to a ‘sugar daddy’ dating website last year, at a time of rising tuition and living costs

SeekingArrangement.com has disclosed figures for ‘the fastest growing Sugar Baby schools in the UK’. The universities are ranked according to new sign-ups for 2013, and the University of Manchester is third with 175. Russell Groups make up half of the 20 universities cited, and the University of Kent topped the table with 208 students signing up to be ‘sugar babies’.

SeekingArrangement.com, matches up wealthy older men, and young women, in what CEO and founder Brandon Wade has coined ‘mutually beneficial relationships’. It allows anyone with a university email address to sign up for free.

The site claims that a ‘sugar baby’ can expect to receive on average, an allowance of around £5,000 a month from her sugar daddy, and that sex is not ‘necessary’ but ‘should be aspired to’.

‘Whether you’re looking for companionship or intimacy or caring friendship, or if you want your tuition paid, help with your career, financial help with your rent or cosmetic surgery, our website will help you search, match and find it’.

Last year the US-based site saw an increase in student membership by over 54 per cent, and as of the 1st January 2014 the site boasted 1 million student members worldwide. Wade believes this surge is inextricably linked with the rising cost of living and tuition fees. In an interview with The Huffington Post, he argued that, “The Student loans lead to endless debt which amounts to more than the average graduate who earns £21,000 can handle. Sugar Daddies provide real solutions to the problem of student debts.”

He continued further, saying that the website helps not only the individuals involved, but also governments.

“We are not only helping students achieve financial freedom, but also indirectly relieving the government from the burden of unpaid loans. If less students depended on loans and more graduates paid off their loans, then the overall budget for higher education would decrease dramatically.”

Speaking to The Mancunion, General Secretary of the Students’ Union Grace Skelton voiced concern for the students signing up to the website, “Manchester has the highest student population in the country outside of London and with students increasingly struggling to make ends meet it is an obvious place for these companies to target.

“I cannot comment on whether the website is exploitative of individual women students, because I haven’t spoken to any users. The website itself does perpetuate rigid and outdated gender norms which I personally believe encourages the exploitation of women generally.

“My main concern is that the website doesn’t seem to have a policy or even advice about how users can make sure they remain safe. If anyone has used this site, or similar sites, we would urge you to meet in a public place and text a friend to let them know where you are. If you have any concerns at all then come to our Advice Centre for free, impartial and anonymous advice.”

University hacked for MoD links

Written by Pippa Allen-Kinross on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

International hacking group “Anonymous” attacked Queen Mary University of London.

Data stolen in ‘Operation PhDPounds’ included students’ personal details and IP and MAC addresses of a large part of the university network.

The hack was launched on 19th January after it was revealed that the Ministry of Defence was funding postgraduate research into online behaviours at a number of universities.

Six figure sums were given to Queen Mary by the MoD for research into ‘cross-cultural attitudes and the shaping of online behaviour in crisis situations’ and ‘analysing and influencing crowd behaviours through arrays of ad-hoc mobile sensors’.

Other universities receiving PhD funding in similar areas from the MoD include Exeter, Glasgow, Southampton, University College London and Kings College London.

Kings College London is researching ‘the rise of digital insurgency’, directly targeting Anonymous.

In a statement, Anonymous said that they “rolled a dice” to decide which university to target.

Anonymous said: “We are of the opinion that when academic institutions begin accepting cash from the military to fund ways of finding methods to twist public opinion through the internet, or spy on Anonymous, they become legitimate targets”.

Anonymous has posted online “snippets” laying out the IP and MAC addresses  of “a very large chunk” of Queen Mary’s computer network.

They say this information could be used for a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, which would make all computers connected to the internet inoperable, as well as malware and botnet planting and control.

Anonymous added: “If you collaborate with government security services in order to aid or abet in efforts to monitor civilians online, or in real life, or to spy on Anonymous or our brethren, you can expect us to take notice”.

Queen Mary University have informed the police and are investigating the claims.