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Day: 11 September 2014

Officer Training Corps On Campus

Written by Jason Herbert on . Posted in Societies.

There are a list of activities that are usually synonymous with a university student’s summer. For some university students, such as Ben Tong and Mahmoud El-Gindy, this list could be extended to include parachuting over Germany, running through the woods with a rifle on a military exercise, going on courses that can enhance your CV and a whole host of exciting endeavours – all while being paid. Ben and Mahmoud are both Officer Cadets with the Manchester And Salford Universities Officer Training Corps (MSUOTC), part of the North West Officers’ Training Regiment, an organisation that boasts around 300 students from across Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster.

This summer, both Ben and Mahmoud went to Sennelager, one of the British Army bases in Germany, to throw themselves out of a plane for the hell of it (admittedly with a parachute attached). Usually, such a trip would be a once in a lifetime expense. Both of these gentlemen went for free along with 23 other Officer Cadets—and they can go again next year if they want. This week-long event, nicknamed “Ex LION LEAP” (the lion being the symbol of MSUOTC) is just one of many that the Universities Officer Training Corps organises for its Officer Cadets. Everybody has the chance to do many forms of “Adventurous Training” (AT) with the UOTC. On our annual camp we all enjoyed hill walking, rock climbing, squirrelling (similar to caving), kayaking and mountain biking.

If there’s something you want to do it is almost guaranteed that the staff at MSUOTC will be on hand to help get funding and organise all the things you’ll need, from transport to accommodation. As well as this, the UOTC helps those who wish to take part in more usual sports, with the unit competing in the annual Queens Cup competition at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst at football, rugby, hockey and netball. This can all be balanced with university studies—both Ben and Mahmoud went to Germany after their exams, Ben studying Geography at the University of Manchester and Mahmoud studying Contemporary Military and International History at the University of Salford. Not your average student’s summer.

AT is not the only pursuit that the UOTC has to offer. For all Officer Cadets, a form of military training (while maintaining a sense of fun and perspective) at weekends throughout the term is required. Don’t worry, the UOTC can’t send Ben and Mahmoud (or any of our other Officer Cadets) on military service as theyare classed as ‘Group B’ Staff, which is undeployable—but still paid. In fact, military service after your time at the UOTC is not mandatory, and many of the Cadets eventually join the Army with little to no initial intention of joining the Regular Army.

For those who are interested in the military life, the UOTC can help propel us through our careers, with Mahmoud returning to Germany this summer in order to complete the “Summer Leader” course, meaning that he is now only a 3 week course at Sandhurst away from commissioning as a Second Lieutenant with the Army Reserves. Whether it’s helping to understand the intense application forms, preparing us for selection or liaising with the unit we’re attempting to join, the staff at the UOTC will provide all the support we could hope for.

Alongside regular trips to the Curry Mile, our socials can range from running between pubs dressed as foxes, hounds or in tweed, through trips to the Dogs and several formal black tie dinners, including the annual Regimental Dinner, steeped in hundreds of years of British Army traditions and free wine. Our Commanding Officer, Colonel Hayman, once spoke to us about contrast, and it is never as obvious in life as it is with the UOTC. One night we were drinking wine at our dinner, then even more drinking together in the mess, everybody dressed in their finest black tie attire. Mere days later we were all in our uniforms, the dirt ground into the fabric and mud clinging to our clothes as we sprint across fields and through trees on exercise. The variety of our lives since joining the UOTC is staggering.

So as you can see, while our Officer Cadets may look like average students (and for most of their lives they are), their stories from their summers could not be more different from other peoples’. Anybody can enjoy the opportunities that the UOTC can offer, as we accept recruits in September every year.

Post provided by Manchester and Salford Universities Officer Training Corps.

Graphene sandwich could satisfy our hunger for designer materials

Written by Andy van den Bent-Kelly on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Scientists at The University of Manchester have discovered that sandwiching layers of graphene with hexagonal boron nitride could produce new designer materials which could potentially become the basis for new high-frequency electronic devices.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), also known as white graphene, is a member of a family of two-dimensional materials discovered following the isolation of graphene at The University of Manchester 10 years ago. Since that iconic discovery, researchers have been able to show that stacking various 2D materials into so-called heterostructures can produce perfect crystals, which could potentially be used in next generation transistors.

This most recent development has shown that the electronic behaviour of the heterostructures can be directly influenced by controlling the orientation of the crystalline layer within the stacks.

University of Manchester Nobel laureate Sir Kostya Novoselov headed the team of researchers responsible for this discovery, which also consisted of scientists from the University of Nottingham and Lancaster University, as well as other colleagues from as far afield as South Korea, Japan and Russia.

Two graphene electrodes were carefully aligned with a layer of hBN separating them. The team of researchers discovered that both electron energy and momentum were conserved. The findings, which were published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, could potentially result in the creation of devices with ultra-high frequencies, such as electronic or photovoltaic sensors.

Professor Laurence Eaves, a joint academic at both The University of Manchester and The University of Nottingham, said: “This research arises from a beautiful combination of classical laws of motion and the quantum wave nature of electrons, which enables them to flow through barriers.

“We are optimistic that further improvements to the device design will lead to applications in high-frequency electronics.”

Lancaster University’s Professor Vladimir Falko added: “Our observation of tunnelling and negative differential conductance in devices made of multilayers of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride demonstrates potential that this system has for electronics applications.

“It is now up to material growers to find ways to produce such multilayer systems using growth techniques rather than mechanical transfer method used in this work.”

Private Education—worth the cash?

Written by Ashika Vijay on . Posted in Opinion.

Fees for private schools have doubled in the past 20 years and less than 10 per cent of students in the UK are privately educated. It is time to evaluate whether it’s really worth it. After moving to a co-educational state sixth form college from a private single-sex secondary school, I appreciate the value and I am aware of the flaws of private education.

There is a general impression that private school students are rich and snobby. Disappointingly however, private school doesn’t involve paper boat races with £20 notes, and there’s no Latin banter—at least not regularly. Nevertheless, you do become more disciplined knowing that your average day costs around £50, which is paid for by your generous hard-working parents.

Manners are also enforced and encouragements for good work ethic given. It can be argued that this should be parents’ responsibility, to teach their own children discipline from childhood and for everyone to be brought up equally with these essential etiquettes. The benefit from private education in this aspect is therefore unclear.

After an entrance exam, there are smaller, more specialised classes to stretch you further. Don’t forget there’s also cash splashed on the latest equipment, extra-curricular activities and arguably better teaching. In the end, you walk away with grades, which are not, however, guaranteed to be straight A*s. Yet parents are still willing to make the sacrifice. Good grades are more likely with a good learning environment but everyone is an individual—if you work, you get the grades; if you slack, then you don’t. It does question whether or not it’s worth it, because the playing field is level.

When a state schooled friend at college told me that her Physics teacher had left halfway through Year 10 I was shocked. Even if a replacement was found, such interruptions would slow down the course. We both still got top grades because she used the Internet to teach herself. Looking back, I did the same with other subjects, despite the fact that my parents still paid the school directly. Evidently, most of the money was being spent on teachers, however some would have been used for renovating the school buildings and for extra-curricular activities—including activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh award or orchestras where you can engage with a wider variety of people from your local community. Teaching is not the only thing you pay for; private education provides excellent extra-curricular activities.

Reputation is very important for educational institutions—uniform especially. Looking neat gives the impression that you are professional; in my opinion, however, freezing to death rather than wearing the wrong coloured coat for fear of retribution seems more childish than practical. So you have your school fees and an expensive uniform that is treated as if it were more important than actual education (it’s basically a BHS bulk buy with a fancy emblem stitched on that you will undoubtedly grow out of!) to bolster your school’s reputation. But reputation alone is not a reasonable excuse to pay for private education, especially in light of the other indicators to which I have pointed.

Private education used to be the guaranteed fast track to success but maybe it’s time we replaced fee-paying schools with grammar schools.

They give the same opportunity for pupils with high academic abilities to be stretched further, regardless of their parents’ wealth. There is an equal focus on discipline and range of extra-curricular activities without the colossal fees. Money is spent more accordingly in order to allow more students to attend university irrespective of background.

The real world is far from cosy. Being self-sufficient is a key skill learnt at sixth form and this is not enforced as well in private schools as it is in state schools.

In March 2014, I saw a BBC News headline, “State pupils do better at university than independent candidates who have achieved the same A-level grades.”

This suggests state educated students have greater independence and are more prepared for university. Other beneficial skills include budgeting, interacting with all divisions of society and being proactive in your own education.

You don’t have to be in a private sixth form to get the best A-level grades because you shouldn’t be relying on a teacher anyway.

The top universities have admitted giving more offers to state pupils than to the privately educated in order to fulfil equal opportunity policy. I believe this is sensible because it’s no one’s fault if their parents couldn’t afford it and this should never corrupt ambition. Equality of opportunity is not optional.

Since the tripling of tuition fees, there are now higher loans, better grants and more bursaries to increase support for poorer students. Paying for private school is no longer advantageous for educational attainment.

Nowadays your academic ability is not influenced as strongly by the type of education you receive. Teachers are increasingly encouraged to dedicate more time with students across the spectrum.

Moreover, since A-levels, and even GCSEs, rely upon your individual efforts, there are evidently students who still fail in private education and some who strive in state schools. We can say goodbye to private education as a guaranteed fast-track to success.

The value of private education has been falling every year, as education and opportunities improve for all. Parents though are still being duped into believing it is worth paying an arm and a leg for private education but they should keep their hands in their pockets—for its value is far exaggerated.

Societies At Pangaea

Written by Evie Hull on . Posted in Societies.

By now you’ve probably got your Pangaea tickets, are in the middle of sorting out a fantastic costume and have predrinks planned. It’s set to be a fantastic, varied night, with something for everyone to enjoy – and that means some of the societies on campus will be making an appearance!

The LGBTQ Society will be hosting a room for the fourth year running; you can find them in Room 3 on the top floor of the SU all evening with an irresistibly cheesy event. Committee member Monica Dhillon promises “wall-to-wall party tunes and classics that you’d normally be too embarrassed to play, as Pan-GAY-a returns as your premier dodgy teenage house party throwback that you hate yourself for loving.” Look out for them at the Freshers’ Fair on the 16th and 17th, and their other events through the first few weeks of term, including the annual Village Bar Crawl on the 19th and a Meet & Greet at Sidney Street Cafe on the 25th.

Save Our NHS will also be making one of their regularly scheduled appearances; they’ll be hosting the bar area and will be “giving out stickers, glitter and tattoos with the help of their now Pangaea-famous mascot Bevan the Bear”, in the words of member Emma Runswick. They’ll be available for a chat about what they do both at Pangaea and Freshers’ Fair; campaigning against cuts, closures and privatisation in the NHS, in addition to working with local groups on issues affecting the community and lobbying on international issues. They always welcome new members, and the society is open to everyone.

UoMDnB (Drum & Bass Society) and the Reggae Society will also be hosting areas at Pangaea; in Room 2 and at the Street Food Festival respectively. UoMDnB offers discounts on the main DnB, jungle and bass nights in Manchester and on the night will be hosting multiple DJs, as well as offering information on their society—and it’s totally free to join! The Reggae Society, formed in October 2013, are not only offering their signature mix of friendly community and reggae dance, but also the launch of the Sound System Co-Operative, a student-owned and maintained sound system available for use. They’ll be around all night with more information about upcoming events and membership.

So, rumble in the jungle on September 20th with all the fantastic societies the University of Manchester has to offer!