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Month: October 2015

Taking the plunge – from Wigan to Beijing

Written by Elizabeth Gibson on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Adjusting to the culture shock of university life is a challenge in itself, yet as a fresher I seemed determined to make life more complicated for myself. I had just started at Manchester when I saw an ad for Study China, a programme that sends students to China for three weeks to study Mandarin.

I applied on a whim; I didn’t think for a minute I would be chosen over older students or those who studied Chinese for their degree. I study French and Spanish, but had done a Mandarin course in my free time, but it was only for beginners. I just thought, what the hell.

Then I got an email saying I had an interview. Then I heard I had a place. This was within only a couple of months of starting university. I almost couldn’t believe it was real—everything happened so fast. The furthest I had ever travelled before was to Spain.

And so, my first December at university, I flew to Beijing. I arrived to snow and soon got used to it—it was one of the coldest winters on record there, or so we were told. We would shuffle between classes and lectures and activities in thick coats over fleeces with our hats and scarves and gloves and hiking boots, then the moment we got inside we would strip it off before we collapsed as the vigorous heating hit us. Then when we finished we would wrap up again.

It was totally surreal, both the lifestyle and the landscape, a mist of snow with the coloured lights of shops and restaurants peeping through. The difference from my life in Manchester was staggering, let alone from my life at home.

Everybody else seemed older than me, mostly in their twenties. When they found out I was eighteen and had just started university they would be amazed and comment on how hard it must be to do something so big so soon. I would reply that I never really decided to do it, I just clicked on something on a whim—yet I guess that wasn’t completely true. I think some part of me knew I was ready to—and needed to—do something like this.

Looking back, I do sometimes wonder if it actually happened. It all seems like a bizarre, swirly, snowy dream. Sometimes I sit back and think, wow, I was pretty brave. With hindsight I’m glad I did it when I did, as it helped prepare me for my year abroad; plus, organising it now that I have several other commitments would be difficult.

First year for many is a time for doing mad, impulsive things—some with better results than others—but pushing myself to go and be immersed in a new culture on the other side of the world is something I do not regret and which has, in fact, been one of the highlights of my life.

 

You can visit my China blog to learn more about my experience at lgchina2012.blogspot.co.uk

To learn more about the Study China programme, visit www.studychina.org.uk

People’s Assembly National Week of Action

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Last week saw tens of thousands take to the streets to protest the Conservative Party Conference. Alongside the march on Sunday, Manchester People’s Assembly organised various events for the anti-Tory protesters to attend as part of their National Week of Action.

On their website they declared their aim was to “send a clear message that austerity has failed and demand policies that benefit the majority and not just the few at the top.”

After Sunday’s march, comedians took over the Manchester Academy to ‘Laugh Them Out of Town’. Tired protesters, including Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, were entertained by Frankie Boyle, Mark Steel, Francesca Martinez, Sara Pascoe, Robin Ince and Jeremy Hardy.

The following night saw an estimated 8,000 flock to see Jeremy Corbyn speak at a rally for The Communication’s Workers’ Union; the event was so popular the overspill filled the whole of Cathedral Gardens. It has since been learned that the Bishop of Manchester gave People’s Assembly a discounted price to hire out the venue, two nights in a row.

That same night, Manchester Academy was taken over yet again for ‘Beat Back! Music against Austerity’, with Super Furry Animals, Charlotte Church, and Public Service Broadcasting entertaining crowds of protesters.

The week also saw many more protests take place across Manchester including; No to TTIP; No Fees, No Cuts, No Debt; Refugees welcome here; Disabled People Against Cuts Protest; and No to Fracking—Save our Solar!

On the final day of action, People’s Assembly hosted ‘People vs. The Tories’, a review of the week of action.

The review, chaired by Terry Christian, included journalist Owen Jones, Vice-President (Welfare) of the NUS Shelly Asquith, junior doctor Teddy Williams, Stockport NUT Division Secretary Dawn Taylor, and the People’s Assembly Manchester’s Penny Hicks.

Discussion turned to the panel’s highlights of the week. An “all Tory’d out” Owen Jones joked that his climax was being called “Tory Scum” whilst covering the conference, while Penny Hicks declared the Tory presence in Manchester to be a “gift.”

A key debate rose between the panel and the audience about how best to go forward from the week’s action. Owen Jones argued that while there were many causes to get behind, “focusing on one battle was important,” since divisions between the left have historically caused their ultimate failure.

Jones compared how the Poll tax movement united a massive chunk of the population against the Tories to the present anger against Tax Credits cuts. Hicks highlighted that the People’s Assembly’s main aim was to listen to everyone’s causes in order to unite their fight together. Asquith also echoed this message, calling for everyone to look for where the issues overlap, “as your fight is our fight is everyone’s fight.”

Jones eulogized about the clever and successful use of language on the right. The Conservatives have successfully deployed ideas such as the Northern Powerhouse. “Why would you argue against a powerhouse?” he asked the audience.

The divide between North and South became a key talking point when Jones argued that there lies a flaw in the left protest movement because it should not always be “North versus South, since London has some of the highest levels of poverty.”

He pointed out that Tower Hamlets was the worst Local Authority in the country for child poverty, with Hackney close behind—both in London. He added that we should be seeking to “build solidarity across the country, while also addressing regional inequalities.”

Junior doctor Teddy Williams spoke of the fact that doctors traditionally have not had a large role in protest and solidarity but that when “[the government] loses all compassion, then you’ll end up having everyone” stand up against them. He spoke of the drastic changes being forced upon an already overworked junior doctor workforce, and explained that they don’t want to take industrial action but they may have to do so in order to protect the service they provide.

When asked, Williams affirmed that the junior doctors would “absolutely” beat Jeremy Hunt, who has since given concessions to the junior doctors.

The event ended with discussion as to where they would like to see the movement in the next few years; Shelly Asquith avowed that “we need to step up our game—now not in a couple of years—the movement needs to grow now and we can’t wait until 2020 at the ballot box.

“What we have built here in Manchester this week needs to grow. We need to stop the government before it’s too late. If we keep building on this week, we can and we will win.”

She outlined the NUS plans for demonstrations against the Conservative government, including an international student walk-out, and the upcoming march against cuts to grants on November the 4th. Asquith also gave her thanks to the University of Manchester Students’ Union and declared the week a “massive show of resistance,” pointing out that “there were more of us on the streets [on Sunday] than [the Conservative party] have in membership numbers.”

Videos were also shown during the event to summarise the week. It included appearances from members of BBC Three’s The Revolution Will Be Televised, and interviews including Tim Stanley (a right-wing columnist for the Daily Telegraph), who explained that the anger of the protesters was understandable.

Hicks thanked all of the volunteers and attendees to the People’s Assembly’s events and added that “we want more, we want to keep up this feeling,” before declaring, to huge applause, that “we are going to bring this government down.”

“Ten thousand people in Manchester created change,” said Taylor, “and we are the change that is going to happen.”

Christian ended the event declaring that “we’re all entitled to be part of this society.”

Penny Hicks invited everyone involved in the National Week of Action to attend next week’s People’s Assembly meeting on Tuesday the 13th of October at Central Hall on Oldham Street.

Overall, the Week of Action has been successful in gathering together large numbers of people, while remaining very peaceful; of the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 attendees of the Sunday march, only four arrests were made.

Stockport refugee project overwhelmed with volunteers

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in News.

Stockport Refugee Conversation Club, the student-led volunteering project and a branch of the national organisation ‘STAR’ (Student Action for Refugees), has received an unprecedented numbers of volunteers signing up and showing interest in its purpose.

At the end of the last academic year, the project was reportedly struggling to find enough volunteers for its weekly sessions, even though the beneficiaries of the club were increasing weekly. However, after the recent widespread interest in the refugee crisis, sparked by the harrowing, viral image of the drowned three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi, the club has more volunteers than ever before.

The club focuses on improving the English skills of local refugees and immigrants through loosely themed-based conversation, and provides a safe environment for attendees of the club without judgement or interrogation about their motives and lives. The club runs every Saturday from 12 – 2pm and is co-led by two Project Leaders, who receive external training from STAR, along with training from the Students’ Union. Because of this, no prior training is necessary if students wish to take part.

Isobel Zimŝek, a previous Project Leader of the club, said this about the project and the impact of how the media has been treating the refugee crisis:

“The conversation club, and the wider drop-in day held at the church, is a safe place for people of any nationality or background to come together weekly, to share a meal and to socialise. No matter the length of their stay, which can be more permanent than people imagine, we hope that those who attend feel welcomed and able to become part of the community created by the club.

“I feel that one of the most important aspects of a volunteers’s role is to demonstrate, to those who attend, that people in our society do actively want to interact with them and to help them, and in many cases, are willing to give up their time to do so. This has always seemed crucial to me, because I believe that all people are human and should be treated as such—something that sounds simple and blatant, but seems to have been neglected in recent media reports.”

If you have any queries about the volunteering project, please email [email protected] or [email protected]

If you would like to volunteer, sign up directly through the volunteering portal on the Students’ Union’s website.

Osborne’s Northern Powerhouse – a myth?

Written by Joe Astill on . Posted in News.

Last year George Osborne made a speech in Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry and put forward the vow that his government would create a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ in coming years that will rival the influence of London and the South East.

What Osborne means by this is that there will be a series of investments into northern cities that will ultimately boost the Northern economy so that it is level with that of the South, and this will in turn curb austerity. The term ‘Northern Powerhouse’ has grown more popular recently and it even has its own minister in government, James Wharton, who is MP for Stockton South in the North East.

However, recently a new report has been released by law firm Irwin Mitchell, and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), showing that London’s economy will grow by 27 per cent by 2025 and will be worth about £450 billion. In comparison to this, cities in the North East, the North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber will be worth more than £110 billion less than this figure.

The report also showed that business leaders in the North are fairly unenthusiastic about the planned HS2 rail project that is designed to expand all the way to the North West and improve travel links across the country.

The report said that business leaders would prefer an upgrade to current rail services and roads and a local living wage, rather than the national rate set by the Chancellor.

CEBR also said that in this 10-year period London will gain 537,000 jobs, an increase of 11.1 per cent. In comparison, Greater Manchester will have an increase of 8.6 per cent, Leeds a 7.6 per cent increase and Sheffield a 6.9 per cent increase.

In response to this, Niall Baker, the head of Business Legal Services at Irwin Mitchell said: “Although it is good news that London and the South East will continue to prosper, it’s clear that a radical rethink of the government’s wealth spreading agenda is required. Investment in infrastructure is one part of the mix and we believe that the government needs to listen to the voice of business and employ a range of policies tailored to different regions.”

Natalie Bennett speaks of the insanity of nuclear weapons

Written by William Brown on . Posted in Features, News.

Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett told The Mancunion that she would question the sanity of any British Prime Minister who would seriously consider using nuclear weapons.

The statement follows Prime Minister David Cameron’s 4th of October “assurance” that he is prepared to use Britain’s nuclear deterrent if this initiative would be “justified.” Cameron was responding to the previous week’s Labour Party debacle, which had seen Jeremy Corbyn’s controversial break with many in his shadow cabinet. Corbyn stated that he was inherently opposed to nuclear weapons, and would not use them if he was Prime Minister.

Responding to Corbyn’s comments on the subject, Bennett said: “Well he’s said something that I’ve been saying for years. These weapons are absolutely unusable. I mean Colin Powell, the former US General, is one of the people who have been similarly quoted. These are hideous weapons of mass destruction.

“I hope that no sane British Prime Minister would ever seriously contemplate using them.

“Getting rid of those nuclear weapons and not replacing them would be a very powerful impetus to the growing global push for a ban on nuclear weapons. I mean, we did it with landmines, let’s try to do it with nuclear weapons, and inevitably that would make the world and Britain a far safer place.”

Bennett also commented on her experience of Sunday’s National Demonstration: “I think today was a really wonderful experience. There were a huge number of people out on the streets, united in the cause of saying: this Tory government doesn’t have a mandate. They only got the support of 24 per cent of eligible voters. What they’re doing in terms of further attacking the poor, further attacking of benefits, pushing privatization of the NHS, and failing to tackle climate change.

“So many people [came] together and one of the best things was that we had so many people who were on their first ever political march. It’s great, I think we’re building a whole new generation of political activists.”

When asked about the concentration of media reports on incidences of spitting, Bennett said: “Well obviously, that kind of behaviour is utterly unacceptable, but we are literally talking about the behaviour of a handful of people out of tens of thousands… the police even commented on how peaceful it was, how well-behaved people were, and what a good atmosphere there was.

“Now, I’m an old journalist, and obviously I believe people should be reporting on these kind of things [incidences of spitting], but what they really should be reporting on is the main thing—that tens of thousands of people were out there protesting peacefully, expressing their democratic right.”

When questioned about the influence of Jeremy Corbyn on the energy of the Green Party, Bennett told The Mancunion:

“There very much is energy left in the Green Party. I mean I was at Hereford Sixth Form College the other day, and there were 300 people inside, and I was told that there was an equal number of people who were excluded, because they just didn’t have the space.

“The fact is that politics is moving our way… and people do really know that the Green Party, our values and our principles, are absolutely solid. People will always know where we stand on issues like Trident and nuclear weapons. On issues like decent benefits for everybody. And I think people value that rock solidness.”

Push for new platelet donors in Manchester

Written by Tori Blakeman on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

NHS Blood and Transplant is urging for new volunteers to come forward to donate platelets. There is currently less than one platelet donor for every 100 blood donors; meaning more than 250 new platelet donors are needed this year in Manchester alone.

Donated platelets are routinely used during major surgery and cancer treatment, and more than half of platelets donated are used to treat leukaemia or blood disorders. With 500 people in the UK being diagnosed with leukaemia every month, the call for platelet donors is more prevalent than ever.

The tiny cells work by forming clots in blood, helping to prevent bleeding. A single donation could help up to three adults, or 12 children, survive cancer and severe injuries. But to be eligible as a donor, you must first meet certain criteria, including having a high enough platelet count.

Manchester has two of just 23 donation centres in England (Norfolk House Donor Centre, on Brown Street, and Plymouth Grove Donor Centre, on Plymouth Grove), where anyone can go along to get a quick 10-minute assessment, involving a simple blood test to assess platelet levels. If eligible, the platelet donation takes around an hour and a half.  A and AB negative blood group donors are particularly sought after, as their platelets can be given to patients of other blood groups.

Speaking on behalf of Manchester Norfolk House Donor Centre, Centre Manager Lindsay Lomax said: “We’re calling on more people in Manchester to give it a try and check if you could be a platelet donor. Donating platelets is an amazing thing to do, and saves and improves lives.”

If you wish to discover if you could be a platelet donor, call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23.

International students to feel force of government’s immigration clampdown

Written by Paul Scott on . Posted in News.

Home Secretary Theresa May laid down a hardline approach on immigration at the Conservative Party Conference this week, which has sparked fierce debate. Her comments were met with enthusiastic applause from the Conference audience, but have generally strong criticism from pro-immigration organisations and figures.

International students were included as part of May’s measures for tackling immigration levels, with May claiming they are a major cause of spiralling migrant numbers.

May said in her speech at the conference, “too many of them are not returning home as soon as their visa runs out. So I don’t care what the university lobbyists say: The rules must be enforced. Students, yes. Overstayers, no. And the universities must make this happen.”

With regular reminders of Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis, May was unequivocal in emphasising the need to protect Britain and British interests by firming up its migration and border controls.

May’s words drew condemnation from other party leaders, activists, charities, media outlets and businesses alike. There was also a fierce backlash on social media; with one Twitter user describing her words as “chilling” and another said they represented a “worrying view” in reference to the changes surrounding international students.

This all comes after the figures were released which showed that, 30 per cent of prospective 2015 students have opted against enrolling in the UK, despite May claiming that Britain “should try to attract the best talent in the world.”

Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, there has been an increase in regulations regarding international students, with particular scrutiny on attendance levels. Last year, a senior lecturer in Anthropology voiced their concern over staff’s responsibility of recording attendance of international students, claiming it made them an unwilling “arm of the state” that could punish genuine, hardworking students.

Immigration regulations are a key political battleground, and May’s unwavering stance on the issue lead many believe May is involved in a party leadership race—along with the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The full implications of these fresh measures the Home Office are pushing through are yet to be seen. May insists that they are geared towards ensuring a more prosperous and socially cohesive Britain, as “high migration made a cohesive society impossible.”

Responding to the speech, Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “While genuine international students in the UK continue to be caught up in efforts to bear down on immigration, it will feed the perception internationally that the UK is closed for business and does not welcome students.

“International students and staff make an enormous contribution to the UK, academically, culturally and economically. Reducing the number of genuine international students would have a substantial and negative impact on towns and cities across the UK, on businesses, jobs, and on our world-class universities.”

Mostafa Rajaai, NUS International Students’ Officer, has called on all students to stand in solidarity with international students by joining a mass walk-out on the 17th November.

Banned Oxford magazine may “cause offence”

Written by Elinor Bridges on . Posted in News.

Oxford University’s Students’ Union has prevented distribution of a controversial student magazine at a university event on the grounds that it may ’cause offence’. Editor-in-chief and PPE student Jacob Williams was told by OUSU that the magazine was unsuitable for release at the Freshers’ Fair after he sent it to them for review.

The political magazine, titled ‘No Offence’, was established by Williams and Copy Editor Lulie Tanett as a platform to encourage debate about controversial topics. Speaking to The Independent, OUSU said that the magazine involved “…a graphic description of an abortion, the use of an ableist slur, a celebration of colonialism, and a transphobic article. In an attempt at satire, another article suggested organising a ‘rape swagger’—in the style of a ‘slut walk’—in order to make rape ‘socially acceptable’.”

Williams had asked the Union to review the magazine because he was concerned about some of the “satire and erotica” it contained. Williams and Tanett have also stated that the offensive articles were intended as satire and that they do not reflect their personal views. In light of the magazine’s rejection, Williams claims that he has offered to edit some of the content, but has so far been ignored by OUSU.

Despite his offer, Williams still appears frustrated at the decision, saying, “there is nothing offensive about healthy debate. To ban us from promoting it on the grounds that people might be offended proves everything the free speech movement has been saying.”

OUSU has stated that, although the magazine was not permitted at the Fair, it is not “banned” from the university, and the editors are free to put it online in its current format. Williams has confirmed that this is the intended course of action at this time.

Goldsmiths Diversity Officer charged over racism allegations

Written by Ellen Lawrence-Clery on . Posted in News.

Bahar Mustafa, the Goldsmiths University Welfare & Diversity Officer who made national news after banning white men from a Union event, has received a court summons over an alleged tweet saying #KillAllWhiteMen.

In May 2015, The Independent reported that Bahar Mustafa had caused outcry at her university for posting a Facebook message asking white people and men not to attend an event for BME women and non-binary individuals.

Promoting the event, Mustafa allegedly posted on Facebook: “Invite loads of BME Women and non-binary people!! Also, if you’ve been invited and you’re a man and/or white PLEASE DON’T COME just cos I invited a bunch of people and hope you will be responsible enough to respect this is a BME Women and non-binary event only.”

The organisers of the event later added “Allies now welcome” to the description.

Mustafa was not fired in May, as a petition for her to be removed and the occupation of a university building failed when only 165 of Goldsmiths Students’ Union’s 8,000 members gave their signatures. The petition would have needed three per cent of the Union’s membership to sign in order to trigger a re-election.

A spokesperson for the university told The Independent: “We recognise that some students and a large number of people outside of the organisation are unhappy with the work of our elected representatives. We are looking at how we can address those concerns in dialogue with our members and with our trustees, who oversee our work.”

However, on Tuesday, The Evening Standard reported that the Officer has been summonsed to court after police received a complaint of “racially motivated malicious communication.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said Mustafa was charged with “sending a threatening letter or communication or sending by public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message” between November 2014 and May 2015.

She will appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on the 5th of November to answer the charges laid against her.

These charges are fairly broad and the press release’s reference to a wide time frame makes it therefore unclear what communication the charges relate to.

Mustafa defended her actions in May by claiming that as a minority woman she could not be racist towards white men. In a statement she claimed that “there have been charges laid against me that I am racist and sexist towards white men.

“I, an ethnic minority woman, cannot be racist or sexist towards white men, because racism and sexism describe structures of privilege based on race and gender. Therefore, women of colour and minority genders cannot be racist or sexist, since we do not stand to benefit from such a system.”

She also criticised the media for carrying out a “witch hunt and shameful character assassination,” against her; since the beginning of the media row she has faced consistent rape and death threats.

Goldsmiths University has “wholeheartedly” denied allegations of racism, saying: “We are proud of our diverse community and do not tolerate any form of oppression, including racism, sexism or any other form of bigotry.”

The Student Nucleus: Get involved in the centre of student life

Written by Emily Hughes on . Posted in News.

Two Manchester students have created a website that’s determined to help make student life as simple as possible.

Award-winning website thestudentnucleus.com is a hub of information that brings together everything a student might need onto one online platform. It covers accommodation, books, internships, scholarships & funding and skills profiles. The website is completely free to use.

The initial idea for their successful website came after co-founder Martin Hedley finished his first year at the Manchester Business School and was looking for a place to sell his old textbooks. “I realised that an online marketplace would be a much more efficient way for students to buy and sell their textbooks rather than the typical inaccessible Facebook posts or random flyers around campus. This initial idea then grew into creating a single platform containing information central to all student’s lives.”

Since the website’s creation, hundreds of University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University students have already starting using the site to buy and sell their books online. Their website also recently won a Spark award from UnLtd, the charity for social entrepreneurs. The funding from this will allow the founders to run workshops at universities across the UK to encourage further student involvement in social enterprises and student entrepreneurship.

Hedley said: “We are passionate about making it easy and simple for students to find all the funding available to them. We know from personal experience it can be very confusing.

“The student community is a rich talent pool, we help bring that talent together.”

Discovery sheds new light on the minds of dinosaurs

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A recent digital reconstruction of a rare dinosaur braincase has shed new light on inner workings of the dinosaur brain.

The reconstruction and subsequent report centres around the 2007 discovery of a braincase in Eastern Spain’s “Lo Hueco” excavation site. Research has since been conducted on the specimen by a team of researchers led by the University of Manchester’s Dr. Fabien Knoll.

This 72 million-year-old Titanosaur braincase is one of the most complete dinosaur skulls ever unearthed in Europe. Knoll was present for the excavation along with two other authors of the report, Francisco Ortega and Jose Luis Sanz. “In the field,” Knoll told us, “it was not possible to tell that the specimen was so complete.”

Dinosaur braincases are generally not well preserved, and as such we know little about the brain and thus the cognition that occurred in these animals. Knoll explains how “a braincase is the only part of a dinosaur skeleton that allows the reconstruction of a soft organ… and what an organ! The brain no less!”

It is for this reason that this discovery is of such importance, as the reconstruction of the brain provides important glimpses into how these creatures saw, thought, and sensed the world around them.

Following the excavation, Knoll was joined by Ortega, Luis Sanz, and two experts on 3D reconstruction from Ohio University in the United States. After removing any trace material from the specimen, a series of CT scans were conducted on the braincase to begin the difficult process of digital reconstruction.

CT scans such as these are performed in order to visualise the cavities within the braincase and paint a complete picture of the specimen.

Not only did the team do this and completely reconstruct the cavity in which the brain lay, but they have mapped out the passage of the cranial nerves, as well as the inner portion of the ear.

After eight years of work, the team’s findings were published this last week in a journal article in PLOS ONE.

UKIP: A force for good in British politics?

Written by Katie Buckingham on . Posted in News.

On the 8th of October the Manchester Debating Union presented the question of whether or not UKIP is a force for good in British politics.

Dr. Rob Ford, a senior lecturer in Politics at Manchester, and author of ‘Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain’, speaking for the proposition, began the debate arguing that UKIP’s presence on the British political scene was essential for a ‘strong democracy’. Although Dr. Ford stated that he did not agree with all of UKIP’s policies, he claimed that excluding UKIP from British politics was undemocratic and “not healthy for the political conversation.”

Ford also contended that UKIP’s emphasis on previously neglected issues, like British membership of the EU and immigration, have transformed them into central debates which all the mainstream parties are now forced to respond to.

Steven Woolfe, UKIP MEP and UKIP’s immigration spokesman, speaking for the proposition, attempted to dispel the image of UKIP as being a source of racism, sexism and political extremism by referring to his mixed ancestry including Black and Jewish heritage. Woolfe also referred to Susan Evans, the UKIP Party Secretary and author of the UKIP manifesto whose importance to UKIP, Woolfe argued, proved the lack of sexist ideas in the party.

For the opposition, Becky Montacute, former President of the MDU, contended that Dr. Ford’s claims that UKIP has brought issues like immigration to the mainstream debate was incorrect. Montacute maintained that all UKIP had achieved was the creation of “unhelpful discussions.” She argued that UKIP was encouraging the unemployed and other vulnerable sections of the electorate to blame economic problems on immigrants.

Student Conor Ardill, also speaking for the opposition, stated that UKIP has not increased the engagement of the public in politics which Dr. Ford argued was the case. Ardill used the 2015 General Election to show that voter turnout only went up by 1 per cent and that therefore UKIP has not attracted a new, previously ignored electorate.

Questions from the audience included if the panel thought that UKIP represented the views of the electorate that supported them. Dr. Ford asserted that UKIP’s anti-EU stance clearly represented the views of those voters wanting to withdraw from Europe. However, Connor Ardill reasoned that the inconsistencies in different UKIP MPs’ rhetoric, particularly with how comments on immigration varied, showed a lack of clear representation for UKIP voters.

In the exit poll the house concluded that UKIP was a force for good in British politics, with the proposition gaining 47 per cent of the audience vote.

Pangaea: Neverland – Costume Competition

Written by news on . Posted in News.

The Mancunion returned to this year’s Pangaea, searching for the most inventive and most impressive costumes! We’ve narrowed it down to ten, and final decision is down to our readers. The victor will win free entry to January’s Pangaea, so every vote counts. Which do you think was the best costume? Was it…

 

#1 – These Steampunk bandits?

 

#2 – This comfortable crocodile?

 

#3 – The King and Queen of the Sea?

 

#4 – The ballerina pirate?

 

#5 – Tinkerbell?

 

#6 – Captain Good Times?

 

#7 – The Mermaid?

 

#8 – This scholarly pirate?

 

#9 – The Darling Family?

 

#10 – Rufio?

The competition will end next Friday, the 16th of October, at 9pm. Vote for your favourite now!

Our full photo album can be found on The Mancunion‘s Facebook page.

[yop_poll id=”8″]

Manchester Victoria station reopens after major overhaul

Written by George Ball on . Posted in News.

In what will be good news for students and commuters alike, Manchester Victoria station officially reopened on Tuesday after a £44 million overhaul.

The redevelopment includes three new tracks and four new tram platforms, with passenger figures expected to double to 40,000 a day.

The station is a crucial transport hub for destinations to the north and east of Manchester and now boasts a futuristic looking ‘bubble roof’. This is similar to the roof of the Eden Project in Cornwall and uses the same plastic, ETFE. This proved to be one of the more difficult aspects of the rebuild as the 400 panels had to be lifted into place by a 750 tonne crane, the largest in the country.

The previous roof had leaked since the IRA bomb in Manchester City Centre in 1996.

Speaking at the opening, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin lauded the project as an example of the government’s ongoing ‘Northern Powerhouse’ project. He said “I want to congratulate everyone involved in this remarkable project. It’s now a symbol of opportunity, not neglect, and proof that this one nation government is building the Northern Powerhouse.”

He went onto discuss the investment currently being poured into the North West. “The North is receiving a wave of investment in its transport infrastructure on a scale not seen for generations, with £4.5 billion in the North West alone.”

In addition to being part of the Northern Powerhouse project, the redevelopment is also part of Network Rail’s ‘Northern Hub’ plan. With the claim of being the largest investment in Manchester’s railway network since the Victorian era, it aims to have 700 extra trains running everyday by 2019. It hopes to add £4 billion to the local economy, and create 30,000 new jobs.

After being voted ‘Britain’s worst station’ by the Department for Transport in 2009 it is hoped that, with the redevelopment now finished, the station can shake this tag off and become a symbol of fresh development in the city.

Manchester team investigating pollution before VW scandal

Written by Emily Hughes on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

In recent weeks, reports of Volkswagen fitting illegal fuel emission recording devices to cars have been all over the news. However even before the scandal hit, a team of researchers from the University of Manchester were on the case, with research beginning to show just how polluting diesel engines can be.

2001 saw the introduction of a pollution tax on cars—the higher the car’s carbon dioxide emissions, the higher the tax. In order to implement this tax, cars must undergo official testing to determine their emissions.

Typically, diesel cars are marketed as a greener option, and so following the new tax many switched their car from petrol following the new tax; around half of all new cars bought in the UK are diesel. However, the recent VW scandal has uncovered the fact that many drivers who had switched are actually driving cars emitting much higher levels of pollution than advertised, despite believing they were saving money and being more green.

Volkswagen has been found to be using sophisticated algorithms in their emissions recording devices on certain vehicles, which can detect when the car is undergoing official testing. The algorithms ensured that emission controls are only turned on fully during the test in a lab or testing station, therefore meeting the emissions standard required. However, during normal operation the cars have been found to emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard that is allowed.

Since the news broke, VW has admitted to 11 million of its diesel vehicles being fitted with the false emission devices, with nearly 1.2 million in the UK affected. The discovery of this scandal will likely have widespread consequences; Volkswagen shares have already fallen 40 per cent since the scandal hit. The company may also face fines of up to $37,500 per vehicle—totalling $18bn altogether.

Investigating the pollution emitted from these diesel engines is a team at the university, led by Dr. Rami Alfarra. The team have collaborated with atmospheric chemistry researchers at York University to test a diesel Volkswagen engine. They aim to piece together an accurate picture of just how polluting the Volkswagen engine is, especially once the pollutants reach the atmosphere.

Their work is conducted using a specially made atmospheric chamber, which can accurately mimic external conditions. This allows the team to monitor precisely the exact emissions produced by the engine and how the particles react with sunlight to create secondary pollution, which has been found to be harmful to human health.

Dr. Alfarra’s team has so far found that nitrogen oxides and particulates were being emitted at elevated levels. However, this was discovered under conditions that are currently not represented in the testing protocols agencies use now, highlighting a possible flaw in the current method.

Despite being the only researchers in the UK looking at this aspect of engines, Dr Alfarra said, “hopefully our work will inform and make engines cleaner in the future.”

One in four Manchester homes are workless

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in News.

A new report, reported by the Manchester Evening News, shows that in one in four households in Manchester, no one has a job.

To officially qualify as workless a household has to have at least one adult, aged 16 – 64, but no adult living there employed. At 24.2 per cent, Manchester is significantly above the national average of 16.4 per cent. This news comes after a positive report in April this year suggesting unemployment in the North West had decreased by 20,000.

Manchester has the highest rate of unemployment in the Greater Manchester area, with Oldham a close second at 22 per cent and Tameside following with 20.8 per cent. Stockport shows a figure of 14.3 per cent, with Trafford standing at 14.1 per cent—both rates bellow the national average. Accurate figures could not be found for Salford, Rochdale or Wigan.

The data includes those actively seeking a job, students, and those unable to work because of a registered disability.

Areas of the North and Scotland were generally seen to have the highest number of workless households. Manchester is not the worst however, with Liverpool topping the table of household unemployment rates. It has nearly a third of homes workless, at 30.3 per cent. Wolverhampton at 28 per cent and Thanet in Kent at 27.7 per cent are second and third respectively.

Rounding off the top 10 are Burnley (27 per cent), Glasgow (26.6 per cent), Pendle (26.3 per cent), Hartlepool (26 per cent), Sunderland (26 per cent), West Dumbartonshire (25.7 per cent) and Blackpool (25.4 per cent).

Hertsmere in Hertfordshire had the lowest figure in the country at 2.4 per cent. Others with low rates of workless homes include Hambleton in North Yorkshire (4.9 per cent), Oadby and Wigston in Leicestershire (5 per cent) and Eastleigh in Hampshire (5.1 per cent).

The national average is down from this time last year, falling slightly from 17.3 per cent to 16.4 per cent.

Mummified animal exhibition opens at Manchester Museum

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

On October the 8th, the Manchester Museum unveiled a new exhibition focused around a large collection of mummified animals.

The interactive exhibition has taken two years of planning by an interdisciplinary team of academics from Manchester, and museum partners in Liverpool and Glasgow. Pieces have been pulled from the Museum’s own collection as well as from other museums throughout the UK.

In preparing the exhibition, the Museum team has utilised not only photography and CT scans, but also microscopic and chemical analysis to gather information on these ancient specimens.

A large variety of animals will be on display including cats, snakes, ibis birds, kestrels, and fish. Notably, the exhibition contains a crocodile mummy with four skulls inside and a jackal mummy that has been 3D printed so visitors can see not only the jackal skeleton, but the human bones contained inside.

Mummification of these animals was a costly process and as such was usually restricted to the upper class. Ancient Egyptians offered these animals as gifts to the gods, in exchange for their prayers being heard.

Dr. Campbell Price, the curator of Egypt and the Sudan, at the Manchester Museum, hopes that with this exhibit “people will rethink ancient Egypt.

“Our impression of ancient Egypt is rather patronising,” he says. “I hope people will take seriously the Egyptians’ earnest desire to give animal mummies as gifts to the gods.”

The exhibition opens with a recreation of a lush, green landscape, depicting where the animals would have been found when alive.

Campbell describes green as the key colour of the exhibit. The exhibition, he says, paints ancient Egypt not as a beige desert, but as “a green, lively place where people lived closely with animals and used animal forms to express superhuman ideas.”

The exhibit is on an 18-month tour and will remain at the Manchester museum until the 17th of April.

Research grants for Salford students

Written by Rossy Natale on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Five current University of Salford students have been awarded research grants to study childhood cancer treatments.

Undergraduates Louise Chan, Parham Manouchehri, Zakia Zia, Liam Dey and David Scannali all study at the University’s Department of Environment and Life Sciences.

The five students will carry out childhood cancer research projects in the upcoming academic year as part of the university’s industrial placement scheme.

Each student has been given £2000 by Kidscan, a Salford-based children’s cancer research charity, to cover any laboratory costs including chemicals and equipment.

They will be supervised by senior members of the Biomedical Science Research Centre for the duration of the year-long projects.

The number of placements that have been funded is a record for the charity.

Kidscan, which was founded in 2002, works to develop new and improved cancer treatments specifically aimed at children. The organisation funds research into drug treatments and support schemes for children battling cancer.

The treatments are developed to be just as effective as those undergone by adults, but without as many side effects that could be particularly harmful for children, both physically and mentally.

Dr David Pye, Scientific Director at Kidscan, said: “We have been extremely impressed by the innovative areas of research that this year’s placement students are now able to pursue.

“It’s exciting to be able to provide these talented students with a way to grow and develop their skills, whilst also exploring important new areas of research into childhood cancer treatments.

“We are only able to provide opportunities for the cancer researchers of the future because of the support we receive from fundraisers.

“We thank them wholeheartedly for making this possible.”

Super Saturday: City set for cross-code clash

Written by Alex Whitcomb on . Posted in Sport.

This Saturday evening, the Etihad stadium will see England’s Rugby Union side face off with Uruguay in their final World Cup group game. For most cities, hosting a World Cup match involving the host nation would be enough of an occasion. However, this time, Old Trafford will play host to the Rugby League’s showpiece event—the Super League Grand Final—two hours before England’s kick off.

This will be a night to remember for Manchester, not just because Greater Manchester Police will not allow Manchester City and Manchester United to play at home on the same day—but because it’s exceptionally rare that both venues are used for such big matches simultaneously.

For the Southern or international students that are unfamiliar with the Rugby League, there are some differences, but it is as exciting as Rugby Union! There are 13 players rather than 15. No rucks, contested scrums or lineouts. What gives the league its reputation for speed and tries is the six phase rule. A team can only be tackled and brought to the ground six times before having to hand the ball over to the other side. This means that there aren’t any endless periods of possession and unmoving lines of defence which is often the case in the Rugby Union.

At the time of writing, the favourites to win the Super League are Leeds Rhinos. The winners of the League Leader’s Shield have four out of the thirteen players in the Super League Dream Team, and two out of the three nominees for Man of Steel. They also have a habit of winning the final, even if they haven’t been close to winning the league, having won the Super League at a record of six times. Leeds Stalwarts’ Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock are joined by young stars like Zak Hardaker. As League Leaders, they will be the marked team of the playoffs.

Huddersfield are also in the mix for glory, the home of the Rugby League—although they have never won the Super League. Coming third in the league this year, 2013’s Man of Steel and captain, Danny Brough, will be hoping that he can lead the giants to a first major trophy win since 1962.

Local foes Wigan and St. Helens will be fancying their chances for the final too. The fiercest rivalry in club rugby, last year’s final between the two teams descended into chaos in the opening minutes. Wigan prop Ben Flower was red carded and banned for six months when he punched St Helens’ Lance Hohaia twice in the face in the first three minutes of the game.

The two sides have also been amongst the most successful in league history. Between them they have 31 Challenge cups and 33 League titles (Wigan more successful with 19 cups and 20 leagues). They are also well represented in the SL Dream Team, with 2 players each.

The Rugby Union and the Rugby League are different codes of the same sport, so it’s often the case that players will switch between one and the other. Prior to 1995, Rugby Union was strictly amateur and this meant that working class players changed to the Rugby League to earn more money. Jonathan Davies is an example of an international in the Rugby Union moving to the league in this era. Nowadays, players tend to move from the league to the more lucrative Rugby Union; World Cup winners Jason Robinson and Sonny Bill Williams being the most successful converts this way. Sam Burgess is also a recent case of this, having had a very successful career in the league.

Rugby League has also tried to grow the game outside its heartlands. Arguably one of the greatest league matches ever taken place at Wembley Stadium, England lost to New Zealand in the last 20 seconds of the match and missed out on a place in the 2013 World Cup final. As a southern Rugby League first timer that day, I can safely say it was the most exciting and gut-wrenching sports match I’ve ever been to. Such was the drama—the last minute try was named “Wembley’s moment of the year”. In 2013, Wembley also hosted the Champions League final, the FA Cup final and the NFL—so it was certainly a strong endorsement for the Rugby League.

The fact that the England game is the only Rugby Union World Cup match taking place in Manchester, is part of a wider lack of matches in the North. Traditionally, the Rugby Union is a Southern game and the league is played in the North, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Only five Rugby World Cup games are in the north this year, and only two are being played in rugby league cities.

The ticket prices are also off-putting to Northerners wanting to see the Rugby Union for the first time. A ticket to the World Cup will set you back between £50-250. Super League however, ranges between £20 – 70 in general sale (£10 from the Students’ Union), and is therefore more likely to attract more of the casual observers as well as hardcore fans.

No matter the result of either game, the Super League winner lifting the trophy at the moment when England start their final World Cup group game will be an unmissable sporting occasion.