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Year: 2014

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.

Better treatment for pancreatic cancer patients

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

 

Researchers at University of Manchester believe they have found a way of making chemotherapy more effective for patients with pancreatic cancer.

The research focusses on the selective killing of pancreatic cancer.  Healthy cells will be left alone, making treatment more successful.

Research leader Dr Jason  Bruce said: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers. Most patients develop symptoms after the tumour has spread to other organs. To make things worse, pancreatic cancer is highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”

The research, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry,  found that cancer cells have their own energy supply which maintains calcium levels and keeps cells alive.

Researchers used cells from tumours and tested the effects of blocking energy supplies.   They found that by blocking the supply the cancer cells could be selectively killed.

Dr Bruce  added: “Clearly a radical new approach to treatment is urgently required. We wanted to understand how the switch in energy supply in cancer cells might help them survive.”

He said that designing drugs to target this energy supply  “might be an effective strategy for selectively killing cancer cells while sparing normal cells within the pancreas.”

The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and AstraZeneca.

According to Cancer Research UK, only 3.8% of adults with pancreatic cancer survived past the five-year mark between 2005 and 2009.

CEO of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Maggie Blanks, said: “These findings will certainly of great interest to the pancreatic cancer research community and we’d be keen to see how this approach progresses. Finding weaknesses that can be exploited in this highly aggressive cancer is paramount, so we want to congratulate the Manchester team for their discovery.”

PhD student may be Mars bound

Written by Inez Dawoodjee on . Posted in News.

A Life Sciences postgraduate student has been named as a possible candidate for the first manned-mission to Mars.

Danielle Potter is one of the 1058 candidates currently being considered for the mission.

Potter, who is currently undertaking a PhD at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, said: “I never thought going to space would be within my grasp, but it would be great to do research there and look at something no one has ever seen before. My PhD has given me the skills to think outside the box and look at how to go about analysing data found on Mars.”

She found out about the mission on the same day as the deadline, but decided to sign up straight away.  She was one of the initial  202,000 applicants for the Mars One project, which is aimed at establishing permanent human inhabitation on the planet by 2025.

The next stage is aimed at shortlisting the number of candidates down to 24.  Astronauts will then be put through eight years of training before departure.

Potter added, “ If I’m successful in getting into the next round I’ll get to train with some of the best of the best in the space industry and get a lot of experience with training in the Arctic Circle. With my scientific research background, I’d be trained to look for possible extra-terrestrial life on the planet.”

The Mars One Project is described by its Dutch founders as  being the “stepping stone of the human race on its voyage into the universe.”

The mission is due to last between seven to eight months.  A group of four astronauts is due to land first and prepare the living areas.  The second crew will arrive once preparations have been complete.

Potter aims to complete her PhD before the training schedule begins.

Our Ones to Watch 2014

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Games.

A new year is upon us, which means another 12 months of games to play. With so many releases expected out this calendar year, how do you know which ones to buy? The Mancunion investigates 2014 in games, and gives our recommendations for your annual gaming.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Imagine Assassin’s Creed, but in Middle-earth. That is probably the easiest way to describe Shadow of Mordor. As a big Tolkienite, I’ve been waiting for a good Lord of the Rings game for some time after a series of disappointing releases over the past few years. While I try to avoid getting on board the hype train for new releases, I’m cautiously optimistic for this game. You play as a ranger who is hell-bent on revenge against Sauron’s minions with the aid of a bunch of wraith (see: Black Rider) abilities. It’s set in an open world between the events of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings films and boasts a heavily touted ‘Nemesis’ system whereby enemies are procedurally generated with unique personalities. It also claims that their behaviour changes depending on previous interactions with the player which, if they pull it off, could make this game something special. Definitely one to keep an eye on as it gets closer to launch in October. – Nick Jastrzebski

Image credit: Young Horses

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Octodad: Dadliest Catch is one of the first games to go through the Steam Greenlight process and it is easy to see why. You play as a secret spy who must protect his identity from everyone including his family, but this is made all the more difficult because you are an octopus.

The game mixes QWOP-like controls with surreal humour. This sequel deserves your attention simply because it’s just so stupidly funny and charmingly idiotic. This game oozes slapstick constantly, mundane trips to the supermarket become ordeals as you struggle to hold onto groceries without knocking over trolleys and alerting others to your cephalopodan identity.
Octodad is set to be released on the 30th of January and will be on PC and the PS4. – Bruce Tang

Image source: ToTheGame

Destiny

Destiny is one of the few games announced that I look at and think “this is truly the next generation”. It offers something different, something spectacular that simply wouldn’t have been possible on the previous home consoles. Made by the industry-renowned Bungie (of Halo fame, in case you somehow didn’t know), Destiny promises a Borderlands meets MMO title set in an enormous and deep fantasy sci-fi world. The developers boast that the world of Destiny will be “alive”, meaning unscripted events could occur without being planned by themselves that change the game. Bungie have reportedly made huge leaps forward in their multiplayer matchmaking technology for the release of Destiny, expected September with a summer beta available to anyone who preorders the game. My preorder was made long ago. –Alasdair Preston

Image source: ToTheGame

Watch_Dogs

Make way GTA V, Watch Dogs is on its way. By all rights we should already be playing this. Originally scheduled for release last November, had it done so it would have no doubt been a strong, if not the strongest, contender for Game of the Year. Taking you into the dark recesses of the information era, this game gives you a whole new world to explore right in the palm of your hand as you hack the systems around you. This is on top of the free roaming world which you’ll find yourself in. Ubisoft delayed what was already gearing up to be a fantastic game. If they’ve made it better than what has already been shown since it first caught our attention back in 2012, then this is something to be very excited for. –Damien Trinh

Retro Corner: The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker

Written by Damien Trinh on . Posted in Games.

Derided by many as too childish for its cel-shaded cartoon graphics, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was met with controversy and worry that it wouldn’t appeal to the hardcore fans of the Legend of Zelda series. After all, how could this colourful and bright rendition ever match the revolutionary Ocarina of Time and its sequel, Majora’s Mask? Fast forward 10 years, and Wind Waker continues to please fans of the Zelda series and exude a charm usually only found in Nintendo’s Mario games.

Announced way back in 2000, Nintendo showcased a demo of Link and Ganondorf fighting as a technical demonstration of the Nintendo Gamecube, known then as Dolphin. Of course, this immediately sparked rumours of a new Legend of Zelda game in the works. Nintendo came back a year later and gave us inklings of The Wind Waker. Many diehard fans were disappointed with the direction Nintendo seemed to be taking the franchise, worrying it’d be more favourable to children and leave them out in the cold. How wrong they were. Released in 2003, The Wind Waker was met with critical acclaim. Despite the looks, The Wind Waker had a gameplay style similar to the Ocarina of Time, with an added charm that came with its whimsical style. Not only did it silence the critics, it managed to bring in new players across all ages.

Players are immediately set free on an island to run free and explore. Despite its small size, an endless expanse of ocean surrounding the island invokes feelings of excitement and awe, with the knowledge that soon they’ll be sailing across a vast ocean to save the land from evil. With the ocean always around you, the game forces you to move away from a linear play style and explore the world. It’s impossible to do otherwise, because the game makes you want to. Following the storyline blindly leaves glaring gaps in your sea map, infuriating you every time you look and forcing you to venture into uncharted waters. Intertwined amongst the story are a multitude of side quests, from merchant trading to defeating the “Big Octos” to free a great fairy, giving you plenty to see and do.

The Wind Waker brought out the voyager in everyone that played it. Link’s adventures in a bright fantasy land worked beautifully and with it came a gorgeous soundtrack as well. While for some it will never match the Ocarina of Time, it certainly came close. Recently rereleased on the Wii U as a HD remake, it is definitely worth a play.

Student arrested for rape exonerated

Written by Aidan Gregory on . Posted in News.

All charges have been dropped against Manchester student arrested in May last year on suspicion of raping another student in her Whitworth Park Halls of Residence flat.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Police announced that ‘this suspect was released from bail on 10th January and no further action will be taken against him.”

The alleged rape was said to have taken place after a night out at popular student nightclub, Factory.

At the time of the arrest, Greater Manchester Police caused a storm of controversy and criticism when they released the suspect’s image on Facebook. Shortly after it was taken down, but already the image had been viewed on computer screens across the campus and had even made ITV News.

In an interview with The Tab, the acquitted student said, ‘I’m unbelievably emotionally relieved to be able to go back to feeling like a normal person, and carry on my life without having all this lingering over me.’

Contrary Corner: Menage a Toys

Written by Angus Harrison on . Posted in Film.

I realise, going in, that writing a piece claiming the Toy Story films to be near perfect is in no way ‘contrary’ to any belief. Their critical acclaim is near unanimous, with the first two films both holding 100% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and the third only slipping down to 99%. Financially each one has bested the last and all three films have grossed 1.9 billion dollars together. So what on earth else is there to say about them? Well I want to take this praise further than their merits as individual films – I think the Toy Story trilogy is the only perfect trilogy in cinema history.

Before we look at the other major contenders I want to lay down a few ground rules – I’m talking about a franchise that is an ongoing saga – sorry but Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy doesn’t count and neither does Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy. The title I’m giving to Toy Story is that of the greatest three part story with the same characters. So who comes close? Well obviously the go to trilogy talking point is The Godfather – and you know what is coming. Whilst possibly criticised too harshly thanks to the monumental success of the other two, The Godfather Part III is without a doubt the weak link. An attempt to provide an epilogue was accused of poor acting and an over reliance on the other two films. This over reliance is an important note, a truly good trilogy is just a long running story, it is a set of films wherein each one can be enjoyed on its own merits. It is for this reason I’m going to strike The Lord of the Rings from my list. I know how great Jackson’s trilogy is, but with a collective running time of 1,965 minutes (in their extended form) the trilogy is surely a little bloated and there is definitely a reliance on the other two. How about Star Wars then? Well I’m guessing episodes I, II and III aren’t up for consideration, and whilst I love The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi is a few woodland bears away from perfect.

There are some serious contenders in unexpected places, Richard Linklater’s Before… trilogy has been critically lauded and the three films are a stunning experiment in long form storytelling. Equally ‘Back to the Future’ is the surprise success of the 80s Hollywood crop as each of the three films manages to maintain the energy and ingenuity of the others. Yet none of them quite manage the consistency of humour, pathos and character development as the Toy Story films. Yet this consistency is balanced with reinvention and the individual charm to mark each film as superb in its own right. More than can be said for Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

Why Microsoft will win the Console War

Written by Alasdair Preston on . Posted in Games.

To understand why Microsoft will win this generation’s “console war”, we must first ask ourselves; why won’t Nintendo or Sony? With the Xbox One rolling out across the globe last week, and the PS4 finally reaching UK shores on Friday, is it even possible to predict the winner at this early stage? The answer is probably not, but there are some pretty strong indicators that might give us an idea of how the next few years in gaming are going to go.

Why won’t Nintendo win the console war? I love Nintendo. Regular readers of the section will notice that almost all of my nostalgic Retro Corner pieces have been games on some form of Nintendo platform. I’ve always been a fan of their games and I always will. So it is with the greatest of love that I say; they’re stupid. Whoever is in charge repeatedly makes decisions that keep Nintendo stuck in the past when it comes to home consoles. The issue isn’t so much in the hardware. Their decision to opt for less power in the Wii U to reduce cost is reasonably sound, although it does mean that again Nintendo console owners will miss out on proper versions of the big multi- format releases. Fortunately, Nintendo have an unbeaten track record of producing first party exclusives that have been trickling out for Wii U recently, and will hopefully form a decent number by spring.

No, the reason Nintendo will not outperform their competitors this generation is bad management. Let’s start with the name. The marketing focus on the gamepad, and indistinct name have caused a lot of confusion. The general public don’t seem to even know that Wii U is an entirely different console to the Wii. This leads us onto the second major problem. Nintendo were still hoping to keep the huge audience that they captured with the Wii. What they didn’t seem to realise is that the very same audience is largely not the type to worry about upgrading to the latest hardware. If the Wii was the first games console you’d ever bought, you probably weren’t feeling pressured into buying a new one any time soon. Unfortunately, Nintendo’s aspirations to retain this market have lead to other hindering decisions made over the Wii U. It’s online aspects are non-existent. Today’s gamers expect connectivity and some freedom, with regular online content releases and social networking all at the push of a button. The Wii U struggles to offer any of that, and it’s only now, a year after launch, that there is even any proper connectivity between your online accounts for Wii U and 3DS. Another setback is the aforementioned lack in power. The lower specs turn off gamers who would want to experience the highest potential big third party titles such as Call of Duty, Assassins Creed and Watch Dogs. These customers will no doubt choose the competition. The cheaper price tag that comes as a result of this sacrifice hasn’t helped the Wii U gain any ground, with rather lacklustre sales after a year on the market. For £200 with a game, the console is becoming increasingly viable, but many gamers will probably wait until after their purchase of an Xbox One or PS4 before they think in investing. And so, Nintendo won’t be winning this console war.

Well then, why won’t Sony win the console war? In short: they’ve played it incredibly safe. Summer was a PR dream for them. With Microsoft fluffing their lines, the way was clear for Sony to snatch the lead. And they have certainly convinced many gamers to choose their console over their biggest rival. Day one sales of the PS4 in the US were said to be over one million units, a record breaking figure. Initial momentum is on Sony’s side, and they’ll almost certainly win the launch day battle. But this is a war. The PS4 system itself isn’t very revolutionary. As with previous efforts, Sony have improved the performance of the Playstation and little else. It’s new software features are understated, most if not all of which the rival Xbox One can do, and more. It doesn’t have many unique features, and the launch line-up doesn’t have the same promise that the PS3’s game library has. And this brings us on to the big question.

Why will Microsoft win the console war? Evolution. Microsoft have simply put more time and effort into improving their hardware to provide a product that hasn’t been offered before, and I’m not talking about Kinect. The Xbox One can draw on the power of the 300,000 cloud servers to boost its performance. As it grows older, it will grow stronger than the PS4 in the visual and processing departments. Provided Microsoft secure some games to take advantage of this, they should look forward to a healthy number of PS4 converts, while Sony may not be so successful in converting Xbox One owners. Microsoft have also landed exclusives such as Titanfall, Dead Rising 3 and Sunset Overdrive (the next big game from Ratcher & Clank and Resistance developers Insomniac) whilst also making sure big releases such as Bungie’s Destiny, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy don’t become Sony exclusive. And that is how Microsoft will win the console war.

Retro Corner: Grim Fandango

Written by Bruce Tang on . Posted in Games.

In 1998, LucasArts created a brilliantly dark yet comic game that has since amassed a huge cult-following. Based on the Aztec belief of the afterlife and is set in the land of the dead, Grim Fandango stars Manny Calevera, a travel agent in the Department of Death who must help newly dead souls travel on a dangerous four year journey to the Ninth Underworld. Manny must find extremely moral souls in order to pay off his own debts from previous lives, all so that he himself can move on. The most pure of souls earn a shorter and more pleasurable journey on the Number Nine, a train which traverses the Land of the Dead in only four days. Manny, however, discovers a deep conspiracy when his most recent virtuous client, Mercedes Colomar, is denied a train ticket and must travel on foot.

This game successfully parodies the film-noir formula with an incredibly rich and inventive world and story. The writing is sharp and witty – every character I met had specific quirks which made them instantly recognisable and memorable even after all these years. It also made the game more convincing and much more engaging, almost hypnotic. As sad as it is to admit, my childhood was spent in that world, I was that emotionally invested in the story.

What also made this game both amazing yet incredibly frustrating was the inventiveness of the puzzles. Often they would be incredibly complex and difficult, with many parts to solving them. One puzzle had Manny become a sailor by faking the death of a shipmate using a name tag, liquor and a turkey baster. Picking up every item and combining them can get tedious, but the pay-off is more than satisfying. I really liked the game because it was unlike any other I knew at the time. It felt nice having a break from explosion heavy games with a lot of action. Instead, Grim Fandango had intrigue and mystery, enough to keep me coming back instead of ‘rage-quitting’.

Fortunately, adventure games like Grim Fandango are making a comeback. More and more games now have greater focus on the story, such as the Walking Dead and Beyond 2 Souls. Titles like Grim Fandango show that games have the ability to captivate gamers with story alone and even pull on the old heartstrings. You’ll find yourself wishing that the game never ends.

Planetary Annihilation

Written by Damien Trinh on . Posted in Games.

Beginning life on the crowd funding site Kickstarter, Planetary Annihilation dares to dream a little bigger. Uber Entertainment (made up of many of the people who brought you Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander) brings you Planetary Annihilation; a new real time strategy title giving you a solar system to conquer. No longer is your existence confined to a flat plane, allowing you to expand your forces across the planets, hiding and waiting in the fog of war as you gather strength. The appeal for this game is clear: large scale conflict taken to an interplanetary level. However, you’d be forgiven for being initially sceptical. So, does Planetary Annihilation live up to the hype?

Those familiar with Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander will find themselves at home. At its heart is an economy of resources driving your forces forward as you expand your base and increase your firepower, frantically escalating into an all out war with an opposing player. Planetary Annihilation ups the ante and allows up to 40 players to battle across the stars in one match. Think RTS games on steroids. You’re now racing against multiple others; trying to amass the most resources, gain the strongest fleet and conquer other worlds all the while protecting your own base. It takes frenzied and awesome up a notch.

For those who watched the first trailer, one particular part stood out that thrust Planetary Annihilation into the limelight: in one final act of desperation, an asteroid is sent colliding into a planet. The surface of the planet is destroyed, as are all the units and buildings. Much to the delight (or dismay if you’re on the receiving end) of players, this wasn’t just a con to get more buyers. The asteroid belt is a part of your arsenal and, if you can get to one without your enemy noticing, they’ll be in for a big surprise. Planetary Annihilation is more than just who can get the most units, but a real arms race with the ultimate goal of not only controlling the land, sea and air, but also the heavens above and using it to obliterate the enemy. After playing for many hours I can tell you now that a single enemy nuke beats hundreds of tanks any day. Perhaps obvious, but when you’re caught up in the moment, trying to overwhelm your enemy with constant barrages, you can forget how vulnerable you really are.

As it turns out, only one unit really matters; the Commander. This special unit is the one you start with and will be with you until the end. If it dies, you lose. Planetary Annihilation is currently in beta and it shows. The game itself is not properly optimised and very unstable, so large scale battles are unlikely to be as smooth as you’d like them to be. Path finding is unpredictable and will almost certainly annoy you. The AI toggles between overly aggressive or entirely passive, leaving you to build up your forces uninterrupted making it little more than a simple building game. However, these things will undoubtedly improve with time. As it stands now, Planetary Annihilation shows a lot of potential and things can only get better. Planned features include extending the battlefield to cross the galaxy and the ability to form alliances with other players creating the potential for a Star Wars-esque universe. The game engine is built to be modded, paving the way for some no doubt crazy mods. But we’ll have to wait for all that.

Planetary Annihilation has been fleshed out quite a bit since its inception, but there’s still a fair bit to go. If Uber Entertainment manages to realise the game’s potential, it will not only be brilliant, but elevate RTS games to a completely new level.

Preview: Med School @ Mint Lounge

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Music.

Manchester is quickly becoming one of the country’s most exciting hot spots for Drum and Bass and on the 30th January, one of DnB’s biggest labels will be coming to Manchester for their first ever showcase.

Started as a sister label to the world-venerated Hospital Records, experimental sub-label Med School has really come into its own these last few years and the January Hit & Run show will showcase some of its finest upcoming talent.

Recent singing, Etherwood’s Album was one of the biggest Dance Music releases last year and received a whopping 9/10 from the Mancunion itself.

Meanwhile, having been named in Knowledge Magazine’s top 20 producers to watch out for in 2013, respected producer Keeno will be repping for Manchester University as a current Music student. Having just released debut EP ‘Nocturne’, one of the most anticipated DnB debuts of 2014, it promises to be an exciting show.

Grab your for the Hit & Run Med School show before they sell out HERE.

Interview: Katy B

Written by Kim Kahan on . Posted in Music.

Katy B hit the charts back in 2011 with her debut album ‘On a Mission’, and her new album ‘Little Red’ is due out in February. She drew inspiration from similar areas – “UK sub culture, RnB, hip hop and pop.” But this doesn’t mean the album sounds the same. “UK club music is evolving so quickly that even if I’d tried to make ‘On a Mission’ now, it’d sound different.” The way she produced the album was different too: “I wanted to think about my song writing. Previously I’d only been given a beat or an instrumental, but this time around I’ve gone straight into the studio with the producer at the beginning.”

Artwork produced with Brien back in 2011 and he also produces on the new album. “In the beginning I spent more time partying with them [Magnetic Man] – so I wouldn’t really see them in the studio – they’d give me the beat then I’d record the vocal. This time round I’ve spent more time in the studio with Arthur [Artwork] and I really enjoyed it. It’s faster and easier rather than sending music back and forth.” ‘Little Red’ sees collaboration with fellow Brit, Jessie Ware on ‘Aaliyah’, but who is Katy’s dream collaboration? “Pharrell because everything he touches turns to gold. I’m also a massive Kelis fan.”

Katy’s album is a mixed bag, of ballads like ‘Crying for No Reason’ and club-focussed songs harking back to her clubbing experiences. “‘Next Thing’ is about me and my friends going to three or four different places – onto the next thing – in one night like a little tour. Then there’s ‘Sapphire Blue’ which is about seeing someone you’ve been seeing around for a while in a club and just wanting to approach them. The ballads on the album show an emotional side to Katy, she divulges “my life has changed in the last few years. I feel like I’m in a different place now than in my early twenties and a lot of my friends do as well, we’re going through a lot of changes, so there’s that element to the lyrics.”

Each song is heartfelt: “all of my songs come from somewhere inside of me. I have to tap into that emotion for anything to come out: melody, lyrics – anything – you have to let yourself feel something for music to come out.”

As a female solo artist and graduate of BRIT School alongside Jessie J and Adele, music played a huge part in her life growing up and she was massively influenced by Beyoncé, naming ‘Crazy In Love’ as her favourite album. When Bey dropped her visual album last month, Katy was envious. “I think the visual album is a really good idea. I’d absolutely adore doing a video for every song but the label definitely wouldn’t let me! It’d cost too much money but maybe one day I can pay for it all myself, that would be wicked.” When that day comes and she has unlimited funds, she’s going to outer space: “I’d have some crazy special effects where I’m singing on Saturn or something…”

Back down to earth and Katy is known for singing in her distinctive London twang, but what does she think of the Mancunian accent? “I’ve been a Coronation Street fan all my life, all my family watch Corrie so I’ve got a strong attachment to Manchester accent!”

Brien has appeared in Manchester in various venues, ranging from Parklife Festival through to tiny Club Academy and her favourite has been super club Warehouse Project. “I absolutely adore it; I’ve performed there with Zinc. I’ve had such a wicked night every time.” When asked about her standout act, it has to be “Diplo, who does some great sets!”  Whilst Katy has been staying in Manchester she finds it hard to get much spare time but next time she’s up, The Mancunion is giving her a tour: “I’ve stayed in Manchester the last couple of nights but not seen that much of it. I haven’t had a proper tour so next time I come up there I need someone to take me out.” Mancunion offered and she’s accepted so watch this space.

Catching some festivals is Brien’s hope for summer 2014: “I love Glastonbury and Outlook. I went to the first two Outlooks but I haven’t been back since, my friends make me jealous every year when they go.”

The Burning Man, set in the wonderfully Saharan Nevada Desert is her festival of choice, partly because there’s no money involved “you just exchange things. There’s no money, people just do things for each other like water in return for someone braiding their hair, people build loads of art installations and it’s in the middle of a desert and you have to wear goggles because of the dust storms.” A peace and lurve type of festival, would Katy say she’s a hippy?  “Oh, 100%, I am definitely a hippy.” You heard it here first.

Katy B’s new album Little Red is out on February 3rd and she performs at Academy 2 on March 29th.

Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

Written by Robbie Davidson on . Posted in Film.

If the message of Wall Street, the seminal Wall Street movie of the 80s, was “greed is good”, then surely the message of The Wolf of Wall Street, the Wall Street movie for the post-financial crisis generation, is “greed is great and there is fuck all you can do about it”.

Yet even ‘greed’ doesn’t quite do justice to the sheer, unrelenting excess of the The Wolf of Wall Street and its leading man Jordan Belfort (Leonardo Dicaprio). From snorting cocaine off a prostitute’s behind, orgies on airplanes, crashing helicopters on front lawns, to laundering millions in Swiss bank accounts, everything Belfort does is excessive. At moments you might even think the running time is excessive, but Martin Scorsese crafts every scene with the electric energy of a director half his age and ensures this three hour epic stands alongside the other great crime sagas of his illustrious career.

Worryingly for a film about a stockbroker who stole millions of dollars and ruined the lives of hundreds of people, The Wolf of Wall Street is also Scorsese’s most entertaining film in years. A particular scene, Belfort having discovered his phones have been tapped by the FBI, rushes to get home to stop his associate Donny (Jonah Hill) from incriminating them, but the extremely potent  Quaaludes he has taken makes the simple trip down the stairs near impossible. Dicaprio is agonisingly funny in this scene and throughout the film, delivering what is a career-best performance.

Some have even been critical of the film accusing it of glamorising the lifestyle of Belfort and his criminal cohorts, without ever acknowledging the disastrous impact their actions had of the ordinary people they’d swindled. However as the credits rolled, whilst nobody could deny that the film does not shy away from portraying all the riches enjoyed by those at the top, the overwhelming feeling is that of anger. Anger that after everything, Belfort still manages to land on his feet, and anger that nothing has really changed on Wall Street. This anger is clearly felt by Scorsese too, who doesn’t hold back, in the final half hour, from portraying the ugly side of Belfort’s fall from grace and the personal consequences of his actions.

Perhaps more of the film could have been dedicated to depicting Belfort finally having to answer for his crimes, but if that meant sacrificing some of the genuinely hilarious exchanges between Belfort and Donnie, or losing some of the great cameo appearances from the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner and, er, Joanna Lumley (you read that correctly), then it’s better left unchanged

There are plenty of excellent films which portray the stark realism of the Wall Street culture and its repercussions. The Wolf of Wall Street is not one of them. The Wolf of Wall Street is a highly entertaining and study of a man who remains resolutely unchanged, and unrepentant for the lifestyle he has lived, and invites you to enjoy it with him whilst it’s good, before you desperately pray it goes bad.

★★★★