Month: November 2015

Charges dropped against Bahar Mustafa after #killallwhitemen row

Written by Merle Streck on 9th November 2015. Posted in News.

Charges have been dropped against Goldsmiths student Diversity Officer, Bahar Mustafa, who was due to appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on November the 5th after online posts including the hashtag #killallwhitemen were discovered on her Twitter history.

Police reported to The Guardian on Tuesday that the case has been suspended after Mustafa received a letter by the Crown Prosecution Service on the 26th of October which stated: “There is not enough evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.” The CPS, however, could still decide to reopen the case at a later date.

Mustafa first caused public outrage in May when she requested that white men should not be allowed to attend an event at Goldsmith’s Students’ Union, as she only intended to include ethnic minority women and non-binary attendees.

Consequently, critics dug through her social media history and found the allegedly threatening messages and hashtags which were then used to press charges again her. Criticising the CPS, Mustafa’s solicitor, Mike Schwarz, said: “The decision first to prosecute and then to climb down so soon afterwards, made by the Crown Prosecution Service headquarters, calls into question their ability to make sensible judgments on delicate issues.”

After her social media comments had been made public, the case came under scrutiny by multiple free speech groups and societies across the UK. The hashtag #istandwithbaharmustafa was consequently shared on multiple social media platforms in order to express support for Mustafa and free speech.

Mustafa, who after the row has received multiple death threats, still holds the position as Diversity Officer at Goldsmiths Students’ Union, after a motion of no confidence failed to reach the necessary three per cent threshold of Union members to prompt a new election.

In a statement to The Mancunion, a spokesperson for the University of Manchester’s Free Speech and Secular Society said: “We are pleased to hear that the chargers against Bahar Mustafa have been dropped, although we object to the sentiment she expressed. While incitement to violence is a criminal offence in this country, only the foolish would see a tweet with the hashtag #killallwhitemen as a serious incitement to violence.

“No-one was surprised that she did not take to the streets with a knife. If we were to prosecute things which naïvely could be seen as incitement to violence, then someone starting a campaign to introduce capital punishment would have to be prosecuted, as this clearly not only incites to violence but to outright killing.”

Preview: Louder Than Words

Written by Henry Scanlan on 9th November 2015. Posted in Music.

Louder Than Words is one of the UK’s pre-eminent festivals of music and writing, interrogating the importance and essential relationship between the two forms. Whether it’s Guy Garvey talking about his lyrics, Edwyn Collins playing his own music or Hugh Cornwell talking about life in The Stranglers, the festival has something for anyone with a love for music and the way that words are used to inform, create and discuss that.

Taking in Q&As, panel discussions and workshops, the festival is now in its third year, taking place over the November 13th – 15th weekend in the gorgeous Palace Hotel, Manchester. A beacon of popular culture, the festival draws music personalities from disparate places and genres to Manchester for one weekend, as well as an audience from as far afield as San Francisco and Moscow.

Here’s a brief schedule of the weekend:

Friday

The weekend kicks off with Mike Garry in conversation. Mike will also read his fantastic, chart-topping poem ‘Ode to St Anthony’ for Anthony H. Wilson and it just gets better from there, with Paolo Hewitt discussing his Oasis book and his two-and-a-half years spent on the road with the band.

Saturday

Where to start! Saturday includes interviews with Rick Buckler of The Jam, Russell Senior of Pulp, Jemima Dury (daughter of Blockhead Ian) and Paul McCartney biographer Paul du Noyer amongst many, many others. Steve Ignorant of Crass is also performing spoken word and song, with Slice of Life.

Sunday

Pauline Black of The Selecter gives proceedings more of a two-tone feel; celebrated writer Jon Savage looks back at 1966—the year the 60s exploded, and the subject of his new book. Another key change finds Paul Harries exploring his iconic images of Slipknot.

The full weekend programme is now available from louderthanwordsfest.com, where you can also buy tickets. We’ve been promised special student rates!

The problems of authenticity in male-dominated rock music journalism

Written by Joe Connell on 9th November 2015. Posted in Music.

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of notorious music critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous stands as one of his many film-stealing roles. As a kind of surrogate father figure to Cameron Crowe’s avatar, Hoffman portrays Bangs as a wise patriarch of musical knowledge—passing his understanding of authentic music to the next generation.

“Give me The Guess Who,” he says. “They got the courage to be drunken buffoons, which makes them poetic,” living in that flowery past, where being drunk was, of course, a courageous and poetic act. Through Crowe’s rosy lens, the film showed us intoxicated idiocy disguising the authentic genius of the rock star, something which modern-day hacks like Alex Turner and Serge Pizzorno endlessly try to ape into in increasingly embarrassing ways. It’s a nice film to watch—touching, even, but it’s hardly controversial to suggest that the legacy it idealises has its fair share of problems.

Bangs, alongside publications Crawdaddy!, Creem and Rolling Stone magazine, are culprits in the construction of this rock and roll mythology. What this school of thought appears to do, is value truthfulness and authenticity in music. However, it actually creates an association between authenticity and certain aesthetic qualities preferred by the macho Lester Bangs and his California-based contemporaries. Punk rock, in its aggression and simplicity, is emotionally and artistically authentic, and was seen as a return to rock and roll’s authentic, countercultural roots. Opposing this, we have the polished, feminine and fundamentally inauthentic likes of Carole King, Jimmy Webb, and The Carpenters.

It doesn’t really make any sense and you don’t have to be particularly intelligent to see why, but it remains a strangely dominant consideration in rock music criticism. It’s a fallacy so pervasive that when Jake Bugg and his utterly shit music began a crusade against The X Factor, One Direction were made out to be bastions of musical inauthenticity, despite clearly having a better claim to authentic 21st century music. All because Bugg sang like Bob Dylan and was liked by middle-aged men, as opposed to 1D’s young and mostly female fanbase.

Such a focus on these quite patriarchal qualities in music, curated by the underground critics of the 60s and propagated to this day, understandably factors into the exclusion of women from critical acclaim, festival slots and rock music generally. Only when women like Patti Smith and Joan Jett embrace the masculine aesthetics of rawness, simplicity and aggression do they gain rockist approval and legitimacy.

Compare this, say, to Madonna, an artist who, despite her famous autonomy within the music industry, remains a controversial and allegedly inauthentic figure. Perennial sexist and racist poetaster Morrissey described her as “closer to organised prostitution than anything else,” which tells you everything you need to know about the paradigms that the authentic/inauthentic, serious/unserious categorisation actually operates within. As a woman, you can be authentic to yourself and your artistic vision, but only via male-approved standards.

A particularly interesting example of this occurred last year, at the usually sterile and boring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Controversy arose not because of Nirvana’s acceptance into such a terrible institution, but rather that pop singer Lorde fronted the band for ‘All Apologies’, despite Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Courtney Love’s insistence that the female-fronted lineup—which also included Kim Gordon, Joan Jett and Annie Clark—was in keeping with the legacy of passionate feminist Kurt Cobain.

Fans seemed to disagree. Guitar-wielding Annie, Joan and Kim, were seen as acceptable replacement frontwomen, but not chart-topping Lorde. Some viewers might have seen a nice reference to the timelessness and pop craft of Nirvana’s songs and their continued reverence and influence amongst teenagers. But, predictably, the sort of people who associate with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are rigid adherents to the Rolling Stone philosophy, creating their musical worlds around the phallic symbol that is the loud ‘n’ proud electric guitar.

This sort of thing exists as one of the many branches on the rock tree—the same kind of ethos that rolls its eyes at rappers headlining rock festivals, and peddles an incredibly narrow and dated definition of what a playing a real instrument is. Cameron Crowe’s ode to his youth spent travelling with Led Zeppelin captures what might well have been a revolutionary time for popular music and youth culture, yet it is now abundantly clear that this was a cyclical revolution. The man now wields a guitar and sports long, unwashed hair.

As such, we see more and more responses to the poisonous legacy of guitar music. The idea of a Penny Lane—an object of the male songwriter’s authentic gaze, seems thankfully ludicrous, as do the tedious Claptonesque guitar solos wrought in her honour. Moreover, even publications like Pitchfork have adopted a poptimist stance, and it won’t be long before bigger printed publications do the same. This September, NME even featured Rihanna on the cover! The rockist hold is slowly loosening.

On one hand, this shift is very clearly for the best and promotes all sorts of diversity outside narrow aesthetic considerations, made to seem even more narrower by advancements and improvements in musical styles and technology. Yet it also raises the question of how far we can separate the reasons that we like certain music from our political and social contexts.

We know to dismiss the misogynistic and homophobic slurs (masquerading as musical criticism) that are flung by metalheads at artists like Justin Bieber. But what happens in the future when our own consideration of good and authentic expression is tied to an outdated political compass? Are we all doomed to become some type of prejudiced Dadrocker no matter what? Our musical conservatism tied into our political conservatism—like a cynical take on Homer Simpson in that episode with the Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth?

Wake Me Up Before Your Kokoa

Written by Elena Gibbs on 9th November 2015. Posted in News.

Hands up, I’m a food snob.

I’m that person who walks into a café and asks:

“Do you have almond milk?”

“Could I have my brownie warmed up a little bit?”

“What kind of chocolate powder do you use?”

Okay, maybe it’s annoying to some people. But if you deliver your question with a smile and a friendly face, the staff simply can’t help but fall for your loveable charm.

There’s a difference between asking and demanding.

If they don’t have it, no big deal, it’s not the end of the world and there are other things on the menu. If they do, great—you don’t ask, you don’t get.

For example, on one of these occasions, I was in the newly-opened vegetarian on-campus café, Greenhouse. I had already gauged the staff as friendly and accommodating, since we happily chatted away about the delights of hand-roasted fresh coffee, coconut porridge and herbal tea. I knew they wouldn’t mind me inquiring about the source of their hot chocolate.

Fortunately for my daily chocolate intake (for the next year at least), Greenhouse now stock the award-winning brand of Kokoa Collection: A real hot chocolate, delicately made with cocoa beans from around the world.

This is not powder, but little tablets of actual chocolate that are then swirled into hot milk and frothed in the machine for extra smooth whippedness.

You can even have it as a mocha for a double energy boost and serotonin release.

Actually, I recently discovered that chocolate contains the chemical ‘theobromine’, which is a natural bitter alkaloid found in the cacao plant. It’s a slow release heart stimulant that’s available in high percentage chocolate bars, which enables you to reap the pharmaceutical rewards without that sugar-anxiety low that comes from highly-processed branded chocolate.

Theodore is also a brother of mine, but that’s irrelevant to the review.

High percentage is best, with a combination of the 82% Madagascan extra dark and 70% Ecuadorian my favourite. Music student and devout chocolate enthusiast Samantha Mayes describes the Venezuelan 58% milk as ‘heaven in a teacup’. It’s also available in Ivory Coast White if you’re less concerned about the health benefits. What more do you really want?

Kokoa Collection

Available on-campus at Greenhouse Cafe, George Kenyon Hall

http://www.kokoacollection.co.uk/

The evolution of suits

Written by Perisha Kudhail on 9th November 2015. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

James Bond, Mr Darcy, and even Justin Timberlake have been known for their suave attire. The humble suit has been a foolproof way to look dapper since the seventeenth century, and don’t these guys know it.

To some, it may seem that the suit is a dying breed of clothing replaced by the ‘drop down jean’ and skater tee. But fear not—the suit, my friend, has been around for over 400 years, and I don’t think it’s planning on fading out anytime soon.

The 1600s Suit

The 1600’s suit upheld the richness in culture and wealth. With knee-length breeches and stockings, this suit was anything but simple. Partnered with a redingote or frock coat and a frilled shirt, the 1600s look oozed elegance. Once the attire was in order, the look was completed with a wig.

The 1800s Suit

The 1800s suit was an embodiment of Charles Dickens novels and the aristocracy. The 1800s suit was always a three-piece. A fitted waistcoat, with a tailcoat and tailored trousers (black of course) was the traditional look. This fitted sensation was accompanied by a top hat and a cane for the ultra-fancy.

The 1900s Suit

The 1900’s suit underwent extreme evolution. Just as the social and economic times were moving forward, so were the looks for men. In the early 1900s, a simple loose black suit would have been acceptable with a bowler hat—a look often sported by Winston Churchill throughout the war.

As the 50s and 60s rolled around, colour was beginning to come back into fashion for men. Just with the 1600s, deep colours were desired, particularly for the rich and famous. A royal blue look wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary.

The 70s adorned angelic white, accompanied with not so angelic behaviour. Saturday Night Fever brought us white suits with big lapels, and collars matched with colourful shirts. The trousers were often tight, so footwear wouldn’t be missed. This look was often accessorised with gold chains and a little bit of chest tuft.

The 2000s Suit

The noughties weren’t particularly recognised for its great taste in suits, as far more casual fashion was coming into play. Those who did opt for a smarter appearance went for the classic blazer and trouser look, accompanied with a tie. As the decade progressed, so did the tailoring of the suit to what we know it to be today.

The 2015 Suit

The suit has become such an asset to the wardrobe that people are starting to wear them to up the ante on a casual look. The three piece is now a favourable option, with waistcoats becoming the new hoody. A smart, tailored suit with a crisp shirt is great for today’s suit look. With pocket squares making a comeback, we can only wonder when the 1600s suit will come back into fashion.

Review: Festival of the Spoken Nerd: Just For Graphs

Written by Charlie Spargo on 9th November 2015. Posted in Theatre.

Unapologetically geeky and corny, Festival of the Spoken Nerd: Just For Graphs brought their unique brand of irreverent comic science to The Lowry last weekend.

Comedy songwriter Helen Arney, science presenter Steve Mould, and mathematician & stand-up comic Matt Parker showcased their almost childlike excitement for maths and science to the packed-out theatre and attempted to transfer that into everyone present, whatever their level of expertise.

Considering the reaction to some of the more niche references, you could sense that the majority of the audience were well-versed in the topics covered, but at no point did the content become too complex for those in the audience who had come with only the science knowledge school had given them.

As the subtitle suggests, the show revolved almost solely around graphs—or charts, plots and diagrams to be precise. Managing to fill a two-hour show with variations on such a narrow theme takes some skill, but they managed to keep it inventive.

It is a natural sticking point to all those who try to fuse science and comedy that you risk sacrificing accuracy and complexity for humour, or vice versa, either disappointing the most knowledgeable among the audience or confusing the least knowledgeable.

Arney, Mould and Parker struck almost the right balance, if erring on the side of appealing to the novices—which is understandable. The second half was head and shoulders above the first, including a jaw-droppingly quick formulation of a 10×10 magic square using a number randomly picked from the audience, and a brilliant adaptation of Wicked’s Defying Gravity on the subject of Albert Einstein.

Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

The stars of the show were not the hosts, however, but the tech. Not the modern, animation-filled PowerPoint projected behind them as they talked, but the antique equipment rolled out. The first was a reconstituted fax machine, to which audience-members could send messages or pictures using free smartphone apps.

The second was a slide projector that predated even the overhead projectors of my childhood, used in an almost slapstick routine between the 21st century projector and the 20th century one. Both of these old and new tech interplays were some of the best-received parts of the entire show, both inventive and funny.

Festival of the Spoken Nerd: Just For Graphs continues to tour the country until the 7th of December, calling in at Cambridge (13th of November), Southampton (15th of November), Glasgow (19th of November), Birmingham (21st of November) and London (7th of December). Check their full list of tour dates here.

Uber, Uber über alles

Written by Liam Kelly on 9th November 2015. Posted in Opinion.

I love Uber taxis. I’ve been using Uber for over a year now, and it’s a thoroughly pleasant experience: The cars are clean and the drivers are polite and only too happy to engage in conversation. Payment is handled through the app and estimated in advance, so late-night detours to an ATM are no longer needed, and you can split fares with friends through the app. Heck, you can even play your own Spotify playlists through the car’s sound system.

Most crucially, using Uber is cheaper than other minicab firms, and a lot cheaper than black cabs. Using Uber has, in its own little way, improved my quality of life.

Part of Uber’s charm is that it is exceedingly simple. You open the app, tap the screen, and a car arrives to meet you, usually within a few minutes. Their drivers are contractors, who use their own car, and tend to be attracted to the flexibility this provides. Uber takes a 20 per cent commission from every fare. I am yet to meet an Uber driver who moans about the company.

As well as customers and drivers, a third group of people enthusing about Uber are investors. After a $1 billion fundraising exercise this year, the company is now valued at $50 billion—reaching this ridiculous level two years earlier than Facebook.

Uber is by no means perfect: There has been controversy concerning what some see as flouting regulations and cutting corners on background checks, and the company courted controversy during the 2014 Sydney café siege, when prices were quadrupled in the area. Perhaps most annoyingly, Uber paid only £22,000 in tax in the UK last year (though this is also a problem to do with the maladroitness of governments when trying to levy multinationals).

In short, barring a few hiccups, Uber has proved a revelation—not just changing the game of private transport, but creating a new game altogether.

However, not everyone shares the glowing positivity towards Uber that I do. The most vociferous critics of Uber and its business model are, unsurprisingly, long-established, old-fashioned taxi companies. In the UK, this has mainly taken the form of those who drive black cabs in London.

I say black cabs, but they are actually Hackney carriages, a term that, in the past, has applied to numerous variations of horse-drawn carriages. I’m sure the drivers of those were more dismayed at the arrival of motorised taxis than their modern-day successors have been by the arrival of Uber.

The primary source of the London cabbies’ opprobrium is that Uber have proved themselves to be better, cheaper and quicker than they have. Or, to couch it in their terms, Uber drivers’ use of a sat-nav, rather than learning an unfathomable number of possible routes across the capital, makes the playing field uneven for black cab drivers.

The Knowledge, as it is known, casts the cabbies in an unflattering light, where they are at once arrogant and oblivious to 21st century technological advances. In our world of sat-navs and the internet, there is absolutely no reason to learn their way around the streets of any city by heart.

Unfortunately for Uber, where tradition provides legitimacy, anything novel tends to be treated with suspicion, or outright hostility.

Transport for London (TfL) decided to respond to Uber’s market dominance and innovation by proposing to change the regulations to which car hire companies must comply. Jarringly, these proposals include a mandatory minimum five-minute wait between the customer requesting a car on a car hire app like Uber, and being allowed to get into the car. It is estimated this move could leave each London-based Uber driver up to £1,000 per year worse off.

Logically, this is dumbfounding. Surely the solution to arrest the rise of Uber would be for the black cab drivers to up their game? Maybe they could consider being more pleasant, or charging less extortionate fares.

Apply the same idea to any other business start-up, and TfL’s proposals look even more ridiculous. Say you were Paz, the Kebab King of Fallowfield. You are the undisputed top dog in the late-night takeaway game, and you’ve got the student demographic nailed down. Suddenly, a spate of new takeaways are opened, that offer nicer food and better service at a fraction of the price. You, Paz, would be forced to change your business model to make your offering more attractive to potential customers, rather than complain to municipal authorities to stifle the new guys.

Obviously, authorities need to ensure that Uber—and all other private car hire firms, for that matter—comply with regulations and provide background checks on all their drivers. However, authorities should not conjure up new, stifling regulations out of thin air to placate those who get misty-eyed about their position of archaic privilege. Just look at how well protectionism worked before the world wars.

To get serious for a moment (sorry!), one of the biggest sticks that critics have used to hit Uber with has been fears about passengers being raped by their drivers. Indeed, in October, a former Uber driver in India was convicted of raping one of his female passengers, leading to the app being banned in the country. Despite this horrific crime, Uber cars should be safer for punters since, before you get into the car, you are sent a photograph of your driver, as well as their rating by other customers and their licence plate. Surely that is a smart precaution to have in place?

In this age of increasing interconnectivity across the world, it would be folly and extremely short-sighted to deny Uber the room to revolutionise the way we transport ourselves across increasingly hectic urban landscapes because new-age Luddites insist that we stifle progress to preserve a status quo that works in their favour.

If you’ve read this and feel compelled to sign up to Uber, you can get £10 free credit by using the promo code ‘liamk61’.

Review: Melanie Manchot’s Twelve

Written by Ashley McGovern on 9th November 2015. Posted in Arts.

Castlefield Gallery’s latest offering is a multi-video installation by artist Melanie Manchot called Twelve. She worked for six months with recovering addicts and taught them the basics of film-making. They then used these newly-developed skills to write, direct and star in short films about their dark moments. All of the troubled memories are deeply personal, and the artists attempt to purge the past by developing their inner auteur.

The installation was originally commissioned by Mark Prest’s Portraits of Recovery arts charity. It works with recovery centres across the country and uses art to help with the difficult recovery period. Their previous projects include I AM, a two-year partnership with cultural organisations that produced similar film portraiture, for example Cristina Nuñez’s slow-mo series of former drug/alcohol abusers expressing themselves without words, just faces of pain. The most recent one, ADDICT (2015), which resulted in Manchot’s videos, also involved letter writing and performance.

On the first floor, two screens talk over each other as a young scouser describes the temporary abandon of drink. Drink allowed him to dream and gave a brief, realistic cast to his hopes of being the next Steven Gerard. Descending into the lower gallery, the same man then features in a monologue that flicks between two personalities: One guise is a polite man asking for his football back in the park, and the other is a noxious addict who fires back foul-mouthed replies and hoards the ball. One story is a ‘romance’ between a woman and her booze. It begins with a precocious meeting on boxing day 1974. But teen romance ends badly when the ruinous dependency upon drink forces them apart for the better.

Manchot’s work is part of a wider expressionist movement in recovery circles. In 2011, a forthright manifesto, the ‘Recoverist Manifesto,’ was released, and declared—in confessional free verse—the need to move away from silent suffering into speaking out and sharing experiences. This is why Manchot has chosen video as her art form. Auteurish flair and honest storytelling can be broadcast to other recoverists up and down the UK. Especially given the fact that the exhibition is touring and always involves discussion groups about the restorative effects of art-making on former addicts. The quality of the shorts is very good and, apart from anything else, makes a fascinating case for having a full-scale Recoverist Film Festival.

Open University staff vote for strike action

Written by Liam Kelly on 7th November 2015. Posted in News.

Staff at the Open University, the largest academic institution in the UK, have voted to strike in a dispute over the proposed closure of seven regional centres. Up to 502 jobs are at risk as part of the planned move.

72 per cent of Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) members balloted voted for strike action, whilst 83 per cent supported action short of a strike.

The seven centres earmarked for closure are in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Gateshead, Leeds, London, and Oxford.

Staff walkouts could also take place in the university’s office in Manchester, as well as Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, and Nottingham.

Members of the UCU are to meet this week to decide when, where and for how long strike action will take place.

UCU Open University branch president Pauline Collins claimed that “the only people who still seem to think that axing 500 jobs and closing down seven regional Open University Centres is a good idea are the senior managers.

“The academic body at the university rejected the plans at its senate meeting and now the staff have given an overwhelming mandate for strike action for the first time in its history.”

She added, “We hope managers will now see sense and work with us to deliver changes that will not be so devastating for the staff, students or future of the Open University.”

The Open University said it was disappointed with the result of the ballot. A spokesman for the university said: “We do not believe industrial action will lead to anything positive, either for our staff or students.

“We recognise this is a difficult time for staff affected and we want to work positively with unions to look after staff in the best possible way. Our services to students would be enhanced by these proposals and no existing services to students will be withdrawn.”

A council meeting will take place on the 24th of November, where members will vote on whether the controversial plans will be put into effect.

Student raped in Fallowfield

Written by Jennifer Sterne on 7th November 2015. Posted in News.

A 19-year-old student was raped in Fallowfield on Wednesday October the 7th between midnight and 4:30

Police are looking for a key witness who met the victim at a bus stop on Wimslow Road.

He is described as white and of slim build, with brown hair styled in a quiff, and was wearing black skinny jeans and a black leather jacket. He is thought to be around 18 or 19 years old.

Detective Inspector Damian Simpson, of GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “This witness could hold vital clues to what happened to this young woman, so it is very important that we speak to him. We are doing everything we can to identify the attacker.

“We are appealing for this witness to come forward but anyone else who may have any information should get in touch. You may think your information is trivial, but it could be vital to our investigation, so please call us and tell us what you know.

“We would like to reassure the public that we believe this is an isolated incident.”

Women’s Officer Jess Lishak said: “It’s absolutely sickening to hear that yet another woman student has been raped. Unfortunately whilst these headlines are really saddening, they are no longer shocking.

“The fact that the police have referred to this as an ‘isolated incident’ is insulting to the many women students who tell me that they’re too scared to go out at night, too scared to come onto campus for late lectures and too scared to take their bins out at night.

“Sexual violence is not an isolated incident, it is an epidemic and it is symptomatic of a society that doesn’t value women’s right to say no or to decide what to do with our own bodies. Whether sexual violence happens on our streets or in our beds, by someone we’ve never met or someone that we know and trust, it is horrific and it is insidious.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 1911 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Devo Manc: One year on

Written by Ailsa McNeil on 7th November 2015. Posted in News.

Manchester is having a moment; it is lauded as the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ by George Osborne, now forming the centrepiece of his latest financial strategy, an endorsement of the economic and cultural credentials of the city.

One year ago The Mancunion revealed that Greater Manchester would be getting an elected mayor in the scheme now known as Devo Manc. We highlighted Osborne’s plans to give Manchester devolved powers ranging from regulated buses, housing and planning powers, to business support and skills. 12 months later it’s time to take a look at how the Chancellor’s plans are progressing.

Since the Conservatives first made clear their intention to transfer further powers to the area, Manchester has attracted investment in housing and transport and plans to transform the city region into an economic stronghold are firmly underway. The vast majority of progress, though, has most certainly come from within the city itself.

A significant force for growth in the area has been Manchester Airport. In 2014 the Manchester Airport Group (MAG) injected £1.7 billion into the regional economy, a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.

Part owned by the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, the profit generated by MAG meant that Manchester’s councils reaped a £60 million stake. This was a 100 per cent increase on the 2014 figure, with councils capitalising on record passenger numbers travelling through the airport.

A number of recent projects are contributing to continued airport extension. £1 billion is to be ploughed into the creation of a new ‘super terminal’ and the addition of new routes has cemented the airport’s position as a major transport centre. A newly arrived Metrolink line was also accompanied by the opening of additional platforms at Manchester Airport’s train station, bringing the total to 4 railway and 2 Metrolink platforms.

An EasyJet plane taxiing at Manchester Airport. Both Easyjet and Ryanair have announced they will be increasing their services at Manchester Airport. Photo: mark_ellam @Flickr

This week EasyJet announced the augmentation of their operations. The low cost airline will now take holidaymakers to Paris, Milan, and Olbia in Sardinia, in addition to their existing 40 destinations. The new flights will be launched in time for summer 2016.

In addition, Ryanair is adding six new routes from Manchester Airport to Slovakia, Germany, Italy, France, and Malta and it is ramping up the frequency on flights to Alicante, Barcelona, Dublin, Faro, Ibiza, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Valencia, and Warsaw. Ryanair’s increase will create 400 jobs at the airport, including 325 in the terminals themselves.

There are also opportunities to travel further afield. From Manchester since late 2014, Cathay Pacific has operated the only year-long scheduled route between the UK and Hong Kong outside of London Heathrow. Services from Manchester to Mainland China directly were secured this October by Hainan Airlines, opening up the city region to future trading possibilities.

This week marked the one-year anniversary of a £400 million extension of the Metrolink, which connected Manchester Airport to the network, dubbed the ‘Airport Line’, adding 15 stops to the line taking in Wythenshawe, Baguley, and the surrounding areas. Over this last year, 1.88 million journeys have been made on the Airport Line.

A Metrolink tram serving the one-year-old Airport Line in Wythenshawe Town Centre. Photo: raver_mikey @Flickr

Metrolink is also currently constructing its second city crossing, scheduled to open in 2017, it will allow more trams through the city centre. One stop on the second city crossing is due to open later this month; Exchange Square is situated between the Arndale and the newly-refurbished Corn Exchange and an Exchange Square to Shaw and Crompton line will begin in time for Christmas shopping until the completion of the second city crossing.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has proposed a Metrolink extension to Trafford Park via the Imperial War Museum North, Old Trafford, and the Trafford Centre. In April 2015, £300 million was signed off to construct the line, with work slated to begin in 2016 in order to be open by Christmas 2019.

Away from Metrolink, transport across the city region is undergoing a revolution. The Mancunion reported early in October that Manchester Victoria’s £44 million overhaul was successfully completed on schedule. Despite legal challenges, Network Rail’s Ordsall Chord development, which will increase capacity and reliability on Manchester’s trains, is set to be completed by 2019 among other rail projects such as the refurbishment of Manchester Oxford Road station.

Improving transport in the region is a priority owing to the huge growth expected in Greater Manchester’s economy and population in the next few years. Figures released by Deloitte reveal that residential development is at its highest in five years, as Manchester’s boom reaches all aspects of the city.

On the edge of the Northern Quarter, housing developer Mulbury has obtained planning permission for a new £30 million apartment block due to be completed by 2017. A further 238 apartments are to spring up on the corner of Princess Street and Whitworth Street in plans coordinated by construction firm Urban & Civic, on the site next to the Gay Village that has been vacant for over 20 years.

The construction for many projects is already underway. This month, work is expected to begin on prized mancunian architect Ian Simpson’s designs for a new skyscraper on River Street. The 42-storey building will match the stature of his own designed Beetham Tower, home to the Hilton Hotel and currently the highest structure in the city. The 400 apartments it will hold are expected to be ready for private rental on the completion of the project in 18 months.

The new tower on River Street was designed by Beetham Tower architect Ian Simpson aims to be completed within 18 months. Photo: Artist’s Impression

Projects including the XYZ building in Spinningfields, No. 1 Spinningfields, and Two St Peter’s Square among many others are being constructed, whilst projects such as the National Graphene Institute and One St Peter’s Square have been completed over the past year. Office takeup in Manchester is surging ahead, with the highest level of office take-up bar London, with more than 373,000 square feet let between July and September alone.

Manchester, the borough alone, is currently driving to build 60,000 new homes by 2027 and Greater Manchester is planning a £300 million region-wide housebuilding strategy too.

The channelling of private capital into housing allows residential development to keep pace with the growing population of the city—the borough of Manchester is soon expected to reach 600,000. Greater Manchester grew by 18,000 in 2014, with Salford being the city’s fastest growing borough.

With exponential investment in the city, it is unsurprising that Oxford Economics have predicted that Manchester is expected to outpace Berlin, Tokyo and Paris in terms of employment growth over the next five years. Their report revealed that Manchester is in a position to increase employment by 3.8 per cent by 2020.

Economic opportunity is not all the city has to offer either. Part of its ingénue is its cultural prowess, which is attracting businesses and visitors alike. Last month Channel Four revealed they are joining the BBC in Manchester by opening a new office in the city centre, establishing themselves at the heart of the city region. Such a move promises to invigorate Manchester’s cultural landscape and is testament to the city’s attractiveness to the media sector.

The development seen by Manchester looks set to continue, with the prospect of further economic growth and direct private investment on the cards. The city’s place as a key global competitor seems more of a reality every day.

In terms of Devo Manc, Greater Manchester—since the signing of the initial deal—was given control of its £6 billion health and social care budget in February 2015, which will come into force in April, and appointed its interim mayor until the elections in 2017, Tony Lloyd.

Greater Manchester has also submitted a further £7 billion worth of powers to George Osborne, the results of which will be revealed in the spending review on November the 25th 2015.

95 per cent of girls groped on nights out

Written by Alexandra Bickell on 7th November 2015. Posted in News.

According to a recent online poll by The Tab of 5,000 students, 95 per cent of girls reported that they have been “inappropriately touched” on nights out. This definition is broad, but one girl surveyed, who chose to remain anonymous, stated “I’ve had hands stuck up my dress, my boobs grabbed, my bum grabbed… all because I’m a girl.”

Over 20 per cent of male participants said that they had groped women on nights out, but conversely, only 44 per cent who responded said that they thought ‘lad culture’ was a problem. ‘Lad culture’ has become a hot topic over the last couple of years, with NUS calling for summits and reports to tackle the issue; they define it as having a “pack mentality” with “sexist, misogynist and homophobic banter.”

Yet there are still people, predominantly male, who insist that it is not an issue—this was shown clearly in the comments section under The Tab poll results, with one person suggesting that “nightclubs are… sex pits” and “nobody is forcing women to go.” However, this is only a minority, with most people considering sexism against women and ‘lad culture’ to be a “university wide problem.”

It is not only this survey that has produced worrying results with regards to sexual harassment and sex crimes directed at girls. Research for The Telegraph conducted earlier this year found that over one third of the women at universities have experienced unwanted advances or experienced sexual assault, whilst NUS stated “1 in 7 women students experience serious physical or sexual assault during their time as a student.” Whilst less frequent than female assault, physical and sexual violence towards men is also an issue, with 1 in 8 male students being subjected to “groping or unwanted advances” according to 2014 Youthsight research.

Several universities have now started to take action. The University of Oxford is running a series of workshops called ‘Good Lad’; the group’s mission statement is “to promote positive masculinity” and they have worked with several different university groups across the country, to continually positive feedback. Here at the University of Manchester, a zero-tolerance policy to sexual harassment from or towards any gender was set up last year by Women’s Officer Jess Lishak, under the campaign title ‘We Get It’. To find out more information about the campaign, or to report a case of harassment or bullying, visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/wegetit and follow the ‘report and support’ links.

The scientist sacked by the government – in conversation with Professor David Nutt

Written by Tori Blakeman on 7th November 2015. Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Run by the university’s pioneering policy engagement arm Policy@Manchester, Policy Week 2015 played focus on Science, Technology and Public Policy. The event, held from November 2nd – 6th, encompassed five days of lectures and panel discussions from big names in public policy and academia.

The event programme was held as part of Manchester’s role as European City of Science 2016, which recognises Manchester’s contribution to scientific discovery, innovation and industry. Over 30 discussions, lectures, workshops, and films were held throughout the week at the Manchester Museum and other venues across campus and the city.

Having sold out days prior to the event, Professor David Nutt’s ‘Notes on a Drugs Scandal’ talk, held at the Portico Library on Wednesday the 4th of November, was most definitely a highlight.

In October 2009, Professor Nutt was invited to interview with BBC Radio 4 to discuss his recent ‘Estimating Drug Harms: a Risky Business?’ lecture. When asked whether he thought alcohol was more harmful than cannabis, he replied yes.

As controversial as the statement was, it was based on true findings from his scientific work and backed up by similar studies also expressing alcohol as one of the most harmful drugs.

Despite the evidence backing Professor Nutt’s claim, such findings were not welcomed by government officials. Professor Nutt was consequentially removed from his post as Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) by the then Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

Prof Nutt has since set up his own science-led drugs charity named ‘DrugScience: Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs’, which carries out groundbreaking original research into the harms and effects of drugs, completely free from political interference. The charity also provides information on the actual harm caused of various drugs and challenges myths surrounding drug classification and legislation in the UK.

Additional to his post as Chair of DrugScience, he is also the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropharmacology at Imperial College London.

Professor Nutt openly emphasises his frustration with drugs policy in the UK, and stresses how legislation is continually coloured by political and moral concerns, often ignoring or exaggerating raw evidence. By expressing the extent to which many substances are vilified in by current UK drug policy, Professor Nutt continually campaigns for a more rational approach drugs.

His book, ‘Drugs—without the hot air: Minimising the harms of legal and illegal substances’, was the British Medical Association’s highly commended Popular Medicine Book 2013, and won the 2014 Transmission Prize for Communicating Science. His two Drugs Live television programs in association Channel 4, Cannabis on Trial and The Ecstasy Trial, were equally as successful, with the latter being Channel 4’s most watched programmes to date.

Speaking in conversation with BBC News science reporter Victoria Gill last Wednesday, the pair discussed the unique challenges in advising governments on such politically sensitive issues.

Within the historical and stunning setting of the Portico Library, the intimate crowd listened intently to a candid and inspiring Professor Nutt. Speaking of his time advising the government, Nutt expressed how policymakers always moderated what he did, “policy leaders tried to control the outputs of science, for example press releases had to be authorized. But decision should always be made on science.

“I essentially got sacked for saying something Alan Johnson didn’t like” he joked. Despite losing both his place in the ACMD, and a CBE, Professor Nutt contends that he lost his job for “standing up for science.”

Nutt conveyed his pleasure to be where he is today. His 2009 sacking has opened up discussion of science policy in the UK, and has equally “gained [him] a fan club.” He also recalls conversations with other scientists who have previously worked for the government, disclosing that their advice was also ignored.

Discussing current UK drug policy, he stated: “It’s got to a point where everything is illegal, even if it’s safe. Irrational drug policy doesn’t have an impact on drug taking, but it has an enormous impact on drug harm. Policymaking is currently at such a low intellectual level—they [politicians] know what the scientists say is right, but they just want to get re-elected. The government has no interest in science; it’s an insult to democracy.”

Nutt expressed how a rational approach to drug policy, as exhibited by the legalisation of cannabis in The Netherlands and medicinal legalisation in some US states, would reduce crime and road traffic accidents. He joked, “if you’ve ever been to Amsterdam on a Friday night you’ll notice how it’s much friendlier than Manchester, London, or Bristol. Everyone is chilled, stoned, and happy, instead of angry, drunk, and vomiting all over you!”

After the entertaining talk I managed to grab a few words with Professor Nutt. Professor Nutt was pleased to be talking to me, seeming especially joyous when discovering I was a final year neuroscience student. When asked what drew him to speaking at Policy Week 2015, he stated he’d never heard of the event, but when discovering what it was, he thought it was an interesting concept. “I always try to oblige if people ask me to give talks, and doing this kind of conversation thing is always interesting.”

I asked for his opinions on the new Psychoactive Substances Bill, which sets the ban all psychoactive substances, known and unknown. Seeming displeased, he said “I think it’s the worst piece of moral legislation since the 1559 Act of Supremacy that banned the belief in the Catholic faith. I think it is outrageous and atrocious. I am amazed that so few scientists are protesting it. It is an insult to science and human experience. I’m embarrassed to live in a country that’s doing it actually—I might leave.”

After expressing his animosity with current UK drug policies during his talk, I was keen to ask Professor Nutt where he thinks UK drugs policy is heading in the future.

“We’re going backwards. We’re the only country in the world that’s gone backwards, and we’re going backwards faster than any other country. It’s appalling. The rest of the world is getting more rational, apart from a few exceptions, but most of the world is moving in the direction in which I support, which is decriminalization: Reducing imprisonment, treating addiction as an illness, and treating drug use as a health problem.

“Future drug policy should be evidence-based. Drugs are a health issue, not a crime issue. As soon as you get policing involved it makes things worse.”

I was intrigued as to why the government was so unwilling to take scientific evidence on board in drug policy reform, and so inquired as to why he thought this was. “Because they get more votes by doing what they think is going to get more votes! But they don’t know what they’re doing. But drugs policy is easy politics.”

Earlier in the talk, Nutt wittily informed how the government has “criminalised a million young people for possessing cannabis that isn’t as bad for them as the alcohol the police officers that arrest them drink!” I was intrigued by his thoughts on young people being criminalised for experimenting with illegal substances: “It’s completely pointless. A criminal record will do much more harm to their life than almost any drug they take.”

Taking a more scientific stance, I asked his opinions on the use of illegal substances in medicine: “A lot of the recreational drugs that are illegal are going to be good therapies. Most of them were therapies! We’ve got this stupid situation where we’ve got a drug people use, then doctors use it, then kids start using recreationally and all of a sudden it gets banned! Kids don’t stop using it, but the patients can’t get access to it any more. It is perverse.”

He continued by disclosing that, out of all the illegal substances, he believes cannabis has the most potential in medicine. “There’s so many different ways in which cannabis can be used; from cancer right through to pain relief. There are at least a hundred different active chemicals in a cannabis plant, and many of them can be used for therapeutics.”

Finishing up our conversation, I requested any tips he has for those wishing to get involved with science policy: “They must have a very hard skin. Learn to write well and write interesting articles, learn to tweet, interview scientists in a critical way, and challenge politicians. Maybe use things like Freedom of Information [requests], and actively engage in policies.”

And the one final message from Professor David Nutt? “Vote! Register to vote, vote in the next election, and vote for parties that tell the truth about drugs. If you don’t vote, you’re disempowered.”

If you would like to find out more about Professor David Nutt or UK Drug Policy, visit drugscience.org.uk/, or read his book, ‘Drugs—without the hot air: Minimising the harms of legal and illegal substances’, which is available in all good book shops and to loan from The University of Manchester Library.

Jeremy Hunt makes a new offer to junior doctors to avoid strikes

Written by Emily Hulme on 7th November 2015. Posted in News.

In response to sustained criticism of his attempts to change the contracts of junior doctors, altering the definition of “unsociable hours” and allegedly leading to a pay cut of around 30 per cent.

The government states the current contract is “outdated” and needs to change to help ease the NHS’s seven-day demand. The government’s proposal seeks to increase junior doctor’s pay by 11 per cent, but this comes at a cost. The new contract attempts to increase the amount of junior doctors’ weekly hours that are deemed sociable, meaning fewer hours are counted as overtime to save on the cost of wages.

The Mancunion recently reported demonstrations against the Minister’s proposals, noting medical staff protesting in Manchester and London at the end of September. The marches seem to have generated some reconsideration as last week Mr Hunt announced that he is open to negotiations with the BMA to avoid doctors striking.

In a letter written to 50,000 junior doctors last Thursday, Hunt requests they re-look at the proposals and hopes they realise that the contract “is good for doctors”. The letter was publicised a day before the ballot to strike opened, in a last attempt to persuade doctors not to take direct action.

However the new proposal has not come without further criticism. Junior doctor Mary Aspinall has calculated what the new contract would mean for her in what has become a popular post on Facebook. She concludes that the new rules would impose a £737 pay drop every month. After Hunt’s re-work of the contract though, she looses £280 per month.

Junior doctors’ make up the majority of weekend staff in the NHS and are already renowned for being over-worked and poorly paid, compared to their colleagues in higher ranks. Doctors argue that working excessively long hours will put patient’s lives, and therefore the NHS, at risk. They also note that junior doctors have not been given a rise in pay for six years. Further, it is feared that the contract may put off students from choosing medical careers in the NHS in the future; there is no incentive to over £60,000 worth of student fees plus long hours with no extra pay.

Rarely has the UK witnessed doctors being on strike. If members do agree to strike, doctors will still have to work but only in cases of emergency. During the 2012 doctors’ strike regarding pensions, GP appointments and non-emergency operations were affected. Similar services could be affected again. The BMA’s ballot to strike is open for two weeks and closes on the 19th of November.

Outrage at Higher Education shakeup proposals

Written by Marcus Johns on 6th November 2015. Posted in News.

The government has published a green paper consultation document on the future of Higher Education detailing proposals to fundamentally alter England’s Higher Education system.

The most controversial proposal in the green paper is the plans to give the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills the “power to set tuition fee caps.” Currently, changes to tuition fee caps can only be raised through changes to legislation by parliamentary vote.

Michael Spence, the Education Officer of the University of Manchester Students’ Union said: “This makes their claim that they will keep the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) at arm’s length from Ministers both laughable and demonstrably false. It is an affront to democracy, a blatant ministerial power grab, and an attempt to shut down debate about what the fee level should be.”

Of the proposals, another of the most contentious is the plans to link tuition fees with university standards using the TEF. Financial incentives are proposed to improve teaching at universities under the plans which will allow universities that can demonstrate high quality teaching to raise tuition fees.

Labour MP Gordon Marsden has likened the proposals to a “Trojan horse for raising fees,” a fear which many students have now expressed at the paper.

Spence added: “However it is tying TEF scores to tuition fees which presents the biggest problem. Basically institutions which do better in the TEF would be able to charge more their courses. The proposal in the Green Paper is that there would be up to four “TEF levels”, with institutions being able to charge up to a certain amount for tuition depending on which TEF level they reach.

“However all this will achieve is elitism and create a very dangerous cycle in higher education. Since the institutions judged to be better will be able to charge more for their degrees, they will be able to invest more in enhancing their metrics, which I am already concerned will not reflect quality teaching, and hence be able to charge more, leaving other institutions behind.

“This will create a system whereby the wealthy institutions get wealthier and wealthier, exacerbating longstanding problems in the sector.”

The proposals have wide implications above and beyond the raising of the £9,000 limit currently in place. Though previously the Chancellor George Osborne has said they would be permitted to rise in line with inflation in July, this is the first time an explicit financial incentive for teaching has been outlined.

Under the plans, universities would be ranked into three or four groups depending on the teaching quality, which will be assessed under the Conservative government’s recently introduced Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Those in the higher bands will be permitted to raise their fees at different levels than those who perform less well.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson has said that these proposals aim to rectify the disparity between research and teaching, calling teaching the “poor cousin.”

The President of the NUS, Megan Dunn, said that it was “reassuring to see the government putting access to education at the heart of their proposals,” though adding that the NUS was “adamant that the Teaching Excellence Framework should not be linked to an increase in fees.”

The proposals also aim to make it easier for new Higher Education institutions to open, despite the Conservative government’s concerted efforts to tighten controls over higher education and clampdown on international students, including the removal of London Metropolitan’s University’s license to sponsor overseas students in 2012.

Within this it aims to allow new providers “quicker access to student funding” and will not impose caps on student numbers that are prevalent in the current higher education system. It will also be scrapping the minimum number of students required to become a university and ease access to degree-awarding powers, despite its previous rhetoric about the ease for institutions abusing the current system, which is now sees as too restrictive.

President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kent Dame Julia Goodfellow said in a statement from Universities UK: “The diversity of providers and the range of courses offered is one of the strengths of the UK university sector, and we support competition and choice.

“It is important, however, that any new Higher Education provider entering the market is able to give robust reassurances to students, taxpayers and government on the quality and sustainability of their courses.”

The government has also proposed to merge the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) will be merged into a new Office for Students. There are concerns that this may come under undue government influence with regards to higher education policy and data collection.

The idea to include students in the process was met with anxiety, Spence explained: “Whilst this sounds good on the surface, it will put student representatives in the horrible position of raising fees for future students, something many of us could never in good conscience do.”

Moreover, the government has failed to outline the appropriate transfer of powers given that the OFFA and HEFCE would be wound up under the plans. For example, no mention has been made in the paper on the current distribution of quality-related research funding (QR) that is currently distributed by HEFCE using the Research Excellence Framework.

Goodfellow added: “With a wide range of issues covered in the paper, we will be considering carefully the complex, but vitally important, areas such as how funding and regulatory powers are integrated” and “the future of the sector bodies and their relationship to government.”

Under the current Royal Charter system, universities cannot fail. The paper has envisaged terminating this in its chapter on managing the exit of institutions from the Higher Education market—the paper refers liberally to the market when discussing higher education provision. This ‘exit’ clause has the propensity to allow universities to fail.

The Mancunion has used the Freedom of Information act to obtain key information from the university with which it can be held to account for its actions. Under the proposals in the green paper, universities could become exempt from this so that they have equal footing with private providers, who are currently exempt.

Spence called this proposal a “terrifying suggestion” adding that “FOI is a vital tool for Students’ Unions and student newspapers trying to hold their university to account, without it university administration would be even more opaque.

“It is unbelievable that the government would have the audacity to talk about increasing the transparency of students’ unions on one hand, whilst reducing the transparency of universities on the other hand!”

Plans are also presented, which parallel the Tory government’s attitude towards trade unions to take “steps through [their] trade union practices and increase transparency around how funds are spent.” This has been interpreted as a veiled threat to Students’ Unions across the country. Spence added: “The reforms they speak of are not an attempt to improve union practices or to increase transparency, they are an attempt to silence and eventually break unions.

“Including this line is a direct threat to students’ unions which have long been a thorn in the side of governments. Furthermore students’ unions are very strictly regulated by the Charities Commission, making government intervention completely unnecessary.”

The Russell Group, of which the University of Manchester is a member, released a joint statement saying that: “The Government’s green paper rightly recognises that ‘higher education is a national success story.’”

The Russell Group ignored changes that the green paper proposes in their statement, lacking any direct reference to tuition fee changes or any specific policy proposal in the paper. Though it did allude to the additional changes to the newly introduced TEF: “Russell Group universities provide an outstanding education for students where teaching is enhanced by first-rate facilities and delivered by world-class academics.

“But we are far from complacent and our universities continue to invest millions of pounds in a wide range of measures to improve teaching and learning and to ensure their doors are wide open to talented students from any background.

“The autonomy of our universities is crucial to their success. It is vital that any regulation is risk-based and proportionate and does not add to the current burden or stifle innovation.”

Continuing on this theme, Goodfellow stated: “We welcome the green paper’s emphasis on protecting the interests of students and demonstrating the value of a university education.

“The recognition of high quality teaching in our universities is a welcome step, but we must ensure that this exercise is not an additional burden for those teaching in our universities and that it provides useful information for students, parents, and employers. Universities are already improving the amount of information to students about courses to ensure that their experience matches their expectations.

“Universities have made considerable progress in recent years to increase the numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university and graduating with a good degree. We recognise there is more to do, and Universities UK looks forward to leading the Social Mobility Advisory Group announced in the green paper to build on progress and identify best practice.”

As with the Russell Group, Universities UK expressed concerns regarding the autonomy of universities, adding that it is of vital importance to assess “how the green paper protects the autonomy of our world-class university sector.”

Top 5 Best Dressed Male Celebrities

Written by Meg Roberts on 6th November 2015. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

1. Harry Styles

As a self confessed Directioner, my judgement may be slightly biased here, but even so, it can’t be denied that Harry Styles is gaining serious recognition in the fashion industry. His transformation from a Jack Wills-clad boy next door to an edgy, rock and roll style icon has been dramatic.

Now a regular feature in men’s fashion bible GQ, and often pictured on the front row of high profile London Fashion Week shows alongside supermodels and rock royalty, he is a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world. Open silk shirts, velvet blazers, psychedelic and paisley, black ripped skinnies, bandanas, and layered necklaces all formulate the classic Harry Styles look.

Photo: Ikkinphotography @Flickr

2. Dougie Poynter

Another member of an international pop sensation whose look is anything but stereotypically boy band. Dougie’s style, whilst originally rooted in pop-punk infused fashion, is now altogether more old school rock and roll. Think Seventies inspired print shirts worn oversized, paired with a structured blazer or biker style leather jacket, and accessorised with a fedora and a treasure trove of vintage necklaces.

Photo: 18097936@N00 @Flickr

3. Alex Turner

At the risk of being entirely focused on band members, I just couldn’t leave Alex Turner out of any self-respecting article on best dressed male celebrities. Since the drop of 2013’s ridiculously sexy AM, electric guitar riffs, a hint of R’n’B, and the promise of Alex Turner doing you no good, his style has metamorphosed into a modern take on my favourite era for British and American fashion—a nod to the slick teddy boy subculture of the 50s.

By day, Turner’s signature look is created with a black leather jacket, an open short-sleeved shirt, tailored trousers, and brogues. By night, we’re talking a high fashion tux, a cigarette tie, and enough hair spray to destroy the ozone layer in its entirety.

Photo: disneyabc @Flickr

4. Eddie Redmayne

The quintessential English gentleman, Eddie Redmayne’s epitomises everything that I love about British male fashion. His decidedly understated look is all about clean lines. This means classic tailoring paired with a crisp white shirt and brogues (Burberry mac optional). Pair Redmayne’s achingly cool yet uncomplicated British style with his boyishly good looks, and it’s not hard to see why he was voted GQ’s Best Dressed Male for 2015.

Photo: super45 @Flickr

5. Kanye West

One half of international power couple KimYe, and possibly the most talked about personality in the male fashion stratosphere—and often credited with the total style overhaul of Kimmy K—this article wouldn’t be complete without an honourable mention to Kanye West. Kanye’s style is eclectic and capsule, expressing his preference for a select few favourites in his GQ feature, investing in high end jersey basics for the ultimate in sports luxe taking the form of colour block vests and oversized t-shirts juxtaposed with a premium bomber or leather jacket.

Frida Kahlo and the rebel commodity

Written by Madeleine Jones on 6th November 2015. Posted in Opinion.

“I’m an unconditional ally of the Communist Revolutionary Movement.” These were words that Frida Kahlo wrote in her diary in 1952.

This is the same Frida Kahlo whose face and art is being used on blogs, magazine covers, social media, and all kinds of products by people—mostly Western women and girls—admiring her for being ‘cool’ and a ‘feminist icon’. This, however, is all taking place while the same people are largely unaware of her political beliefs, and ultimately falling into huge hypocrisy.

The fact of the matter is that she was indeed a communist, and this was integral to her life, art, and actions. Today, it is unlikely that she would approve of her image being romanticised, exoticised, commercialised, and marketed. Items like notebooks, badges, pillow cases, mugs, jewellery, bags, phone cases, T-shirts, purses, and other commodities with her face on are sold in their masses. Buying these would simply be an act of blind capitalism and giving money to the kinds of people Kahlo would have considered to be her enemies.

During her life, she dictated her birth date as 10th of July 1910, the day the Mexican Revolution began, despite being born on 7th July 1907. She wanted her birth and life to be indelibly bound to the revolution she felt so strongly for—she referred to said revolution as “the one true thing to live for.” She attended rallies—though not as many as she wanted to, due to injuries from a bus crash aged 18—to overthrow Porfirio Díaz’s dictatorship, and later for the Communist Movement.

According to her diary entries, Frida herself was very interested in the idea of world revolution, and stood in alliance to other struggles in Russia, China, India, Poland and Czechoslovakia. She also wrote that “Mexicans and negroes are subjugated for now by capitalist countries, above all North America,” clearly establishing her anti-colonialist position. She also produced a considerable amount of art related to her political beliefs. It is no coincidence that the paintings of hers that circulate the internet, and, on products, are self-portraits that look typically aesthetically pleasing. Instances that, rarely, have anything overtly political visible.

White, middle-class feminists will talk about how inspirational she was and is because she didn’t remove her facial hair, was the founder of the ‘selfie’, and had such a difficult life. They will also hasten to add that she was a feminist, so of course we can blog about how amazing her aesthetic is and buy products with her face on without much acknowledgement of what her political ideology was.

What I find particularly frustrating is white feminists praising her for her dark facial hair and thinking that it’s aesthetically cool because it is so far removed from what they possess. For women with darker hair and for non-white women, it is often a different story when it comes to body hair, due to white, Eurocentric standards of beauty. It is very easy for white feminists to romanticise something that they have never experienced.

White, middle-class feminism is not feminism—it is not about holistic equality. It is about self-indulgent, middle-class, colonialist capitalism. The selling, superficial praise, and misrepresented iconography of Frida Kahlo in the West epitomises all of this. It is an act of consumer capitalism, not feminism, to take a subversive figure, de-politicise them, and turn them into profit-making commodities for a market that will swallow up anything presented as edgy or radical.

Frida’s political beliefs were a huge part of her life and what she did, so appreciating her art means recognising her politics—they go hand in hand. Sure, her position as a feminist of her time and place is important, but there’s more to her definition of equality than many middle-class white leftists probably think about. She is not simply a cult figure representing soul-searching female identity. She possibly wouldn’t even have spent as much time on her aesthetic if she was able to manoeuvre herself more than her injuries allowed her to.

If you consider yourself a fan, supporter, even a comrade of Frida Kahlo, then don’t buy products with her face on, and don’t put images of her online if you are simply presenting how cool and fashionable she was.

She is, of course, not the only one. I could have written an article just like this on other revolutionaries, too. We have all seen T-shirts with Che Guevara’s face on. Likewise, Martin Luther King Jr. has been commodified for a wholesale market. There are dolls of him sold to children, which audio-play a recorded part of his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. This might not sound so bad. The issue is that Western powers focus on that speech so as to portray it in a way that fails to acknowledge the power structures and colonialist history of institutional racism that prefigure Luther King Jr. stepping up to the podium to speak.

Any revolutionaries with profitable potential are picked up, especially ones who are not Western or are not white, since it’s easier to use their ‘otherness’ as a selling point. Anything they did or said, that encourages people to think critically, is stripped of its significance and turned into a fashionable item.

The message I want to put across is to think about what you’re buying. What is it? How was it made? What does it mean? Economic power is everything; now, put your money where your mouth is.

Review: Hairspray

Written by Elise Gallagher on 5th November 2015. Posted in Theatre.

With an explosion of colour and music, Paul Kerryson’s Hairspray opened its doors to Manchester on the 26th of November. With a stellar cast including Tracey Turnblad veteran Freya Sutton and X Factor’s Brenda Edwards, the opening night was a sell-out.

Directed by Paul Kerryson and choreographed by Drew McOnie, the tour will visit a total of 29 venues in the UK across a 40-week span. Cast also include Benidorm’s Tony Maudsley as Edna Turnblad, Jon Tsouras as Corny Collins and Bad Education’s Layton Williams.

For those who don’t know, Hairspray centres on Tracey Turnblad, a “larger than life” optimist in the middle of 60s Baltimore, America. Obsessed with all things dance, Link Larkin, and gravity-defying hair, she’s on a mission to follow her dreams whilst at the same time tackling issues such as racism and body image.

Producer Mark Goucher states, “I believe theatre has an obligation to both educate and entertain.” Although Hairspray itself is marketed as a musical comedy Goucher believes that “the message of striving to break down prejudice in all walks of life shines through.

“We still experience racism. Women are still extremely conscious of body issues and we all need to strive for greater tolerance in every area of life.” Attacking issues such as racism and body image, the show is successful to a certain extent, but they could have done a lot more with it. The plot is more pantomime than hard-hitting musical.

Brenda Edwards stole the show as Motormouth Maybelle with her song ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’, which was easily rewarded with the loudest round of applause of the night.

Providing some light relief to the narrative was Tracey Penn who shouldn’t go without note. Credited as the ‘female authority figure’, Penn gives us the brilliant prison officer and PE teacher whose deep voice and array of facial expressions injected some arguably needed slapstick comedy into the scenes.

Hairspray will remain in Manchester until the 31st, and continue to:

Wimbledon: 2nd – 7th of November
Bradford: 9th – 14th of November
Southampton: 16th – 21st of November
Ipswich: 23rd – 28th of November
Brighton: 30th of November – 12th of December
Birmingham: 14th of December – 2nd of January
Newcastle: 18th – 30th of January
Aberdeen: 1st – 6th of February
Sheffield: 8th – 13th of February
Cambridge: 15th – 20th of February
Edinburgh: 22nd – 27th of February
Oxford: 29th of February – 5th of March
Bristol: 7th – 12th of March
Woking: 14th – 19th of March
Cardiff: 21st – 26th of March
Norwich: 28th of March – 2nd of April
Milton Keynes: 4th – 9th of April
Leeds: 11th – 16th of April
Plymouth: 18th – 23rd of April
Stoke: 25 – 30th of April
Bromley: 2nd – 7th of May
Canterbury: 9th – 14th of May
Southend 16th – 21st of May

Peacekeeping in Palmyra: The latest symbol of self-interest

Written by Joely Thomas on 5th November 2015. Posted in Opinion.

It was May of this year that IS reached the gates of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. Suddenly there was renewed focus on the conflict, with many outraged by the wanton acts of a group prepared to not only destroy a country’s present and future but also its past.

Around the same time, Assad’s regime bombed a school in Aleppo as children sat studying for exams. One month earlier, Yarmouk camp, already the site of clashes and a two-year siege by Assad’s forces that caused 200 to die from starvation, found itself on the defensive against IS militants.

The difference—last weekend 53 UN member states agreed to sending peacekeepers to protect world heritage sites, including Palmyra, from attack. Yarmouk’s residents, meanwhile, joined by Palestinians from other camps, were left to face their new attackers head on. UNRWA still struggles to get much needed supplies into the camp, whilst its Syria crisis appeal has only received 34 per cent of funds needed for 2015.

Which raises the question: Why Palmyra?

I would agree with the argument put forward in The Guardian this summer that “What matters is not just how many people live but how we live.” Yet this is an argument in favour of providing funding to the arts, in favour of not closing down libraries, and in favour of free university education. It is not an argument in favour of sending troops to stand silently around heritage sites whilst thousands die down the road and hospitals and schools join the rubble.

Also, whilst Palmyra may well symbolise Syrian history and culture, this sudden concern seems a little hypocritical considering the US and its allies neglected to protect Iraq’s cultural heritage as it opened the country up to the ruin of museums, libraries and historical sites. UNESCO has described the demolition of a Palmyra temple by IS as a war crime but presented only dubious reports on the destructive building of a US military base on the ancient city of Babylon.

There is therefore something bigger at play that the history and culture argument obscures. We see it not only in the concern over Palmyra, but also in the hysteria surrounding the ‘refugee crisis’ and the focus on IS itself, as Assad continues the indiscriminate shelling that kills up to 1,000 at a time. Self-interest is the missing link and it is all the more dangerous for its invisibility.

The privileged of this world (and that includes the elites that sit around tables in Geneva as well as those of us with enough money to spend on holidays abroad) have grown up to believe in the right of access and in the right of possibility. Many of us would be outraged if we were denied access to one country despite the fact that many live under occupation or in situations that relegate the idea of travel to a pipedream. Similarly, it was also this May that people began lamenting the last remaining male northern white rhino. It wasn’t the idea of death that disturbed us, or else the outrage would have been more widespread before this point; rather it was the idea that a part of the world was disappearing, a part of the world that we believed to belong to us all, that we disliked. And it is these rights of which Palmyra has become the most recent of symbols.

It is a similar self-interest that plagues states and immobilises the UN. Research has found that states provide troops to peacekeeping missions based on a number of factors. These include judgements on potential increases to their global political strength, economic benefits, national security interests and their domestic situation. Only a few states were found to think in normative terms – supporting UN peacekeeping missions because they believed it was ‘the right thing to do’, and even then the belief of countries, such as China, that the UN acts as an alternative power hegemony can be seen simply as an attempt to decrease the power of other world hegemons.

The US, in particular, can be seen to regard UN peacekeeping as a national security issue. This year Obama has been pressuring governments to commit more troops to missions in Somalia, South Sudan, and other areas that it views as hotspots for the growth of Islamist extremism. There is even a push to increase the military force of peacekeepers so that they become peace ‘enforcers’, a move India and China seem to suspect is little more than an attempt to transform peacekeepers into US military pawns.

And so we are left wondering what is left of the UN and its desire to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. If a somewhat utopian idea of world peace has been reduced to putting our ancestors’ past before our children’s future, and to acting not out of concern for the international but in the interest of our own states, it seems the answer is not much.

Let’s talk about money

Written by Sam Smith on 5th November 2015. Posted in Lifestyle.

Actually, let’s not. Talking about money is awkward, and frowned upon.

But money is important to students, so here are three vital methods for managing your money, for making it go further, and for avoiding ugly confrontations about who owes who how much!

Banking Apps

If you haven’t got a banking app on your smartphone then I presume that you either make all your calls from a payphone, or you keep your money under your mattress. Get a smartphone, get a bank account and then, repeat after me, get your bank’s app!

Has your student loan come in? Use the banking app.

Need to extend your overdraft? Use the app.

Once set up, you can access it by entering a passcode which takes five seconds, and voilà. You can access, move, and, if you’re that way inclined, count your money. No matter where you are, regardless of what bizarre night out your friends have suggested, you can find out in two clicks whether you can afford it.

Splittable

Splittable is the gem in the budget-balancing crown. The best app since sliced bananas (see Fruit Ninja). It is designed specifically to help you manage the money you owe, and are owed by your flat mates.

Let’s say that you go to the pub with your flat mates and buy a round for everyone, then you go to dinner and you are £10 short so two flat mates lend you £5 each. One of them also pays the electricity bill, and you pay for the month’s internet. Who owes who how much? Frankly, who has the time or energy to figure it out?

Let Splittable do it for you.

Simply enter who paid how much on each occasion, and Splittable will balance everything out, so you can easily see who owes who at any point in time. Pretty handy. Even the repayments to one another can be done right there in the app, with just a click.

Splittable is completely free and will save you from ever awkwardly asking your housemates for money again. If that isn’t enough, they are also offering Manchester students the chance to win £350 simply by signing up at splittable.co/win/manchester.

Avoiding arguments will save you friends, getting debts paid will save you hassle, and that giveaway could save you from the nightmare of an overdraft.

Discounts

Everybody loves discounts and student discounts are everywhere. Many stores will accept your University ID card, but if you’re serious about searching out savvy deals, get yourself an NUS Extra card for just £12 for a year. Get the app too, and it’ll let you know what discounts are available and where. From Amazon to Ask, Odeon to Alton Towers, you can even use it to get a discounted railcard, saving you a third on all train journeys. You can’t go wrong, really.

Money management can be manic. But don’t panic. Get these apps, and then wherever you go, you can take care of your virtual wallet from your phone in the other pocket.

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Month: November 2015