Month: October 2016

Gears of War 4 – Review

Written by Stephen Lewis on 17th October 2016. Posted in Games.

It has been ten years since the release of the original Gears of War, and during that time the series has expanded into four games on the Xbox 360, one remaster on Xbox One, numerous book and comics, and a recently announced film. Last week saw the release of the latest entry, Gears of War 4, the first Gears on Xbox One and the start of a new saga. This also the first original game created by the Microsoft-owned studio The Coalition, who handled last year’s Gear of War Ultimate Edition so well. The studio is also led by Rod Fergusson, the producer of every previous Gears entry, so the studio already has a clear idea of how the game should feel and its place within the overall universe.

So to start off, how does the game play on a technical level? If you have played any of the previous games, you will feel right at home. After going back to Gears of War 2 many months ago and now returning the series the controls are essentially unchanged.

A few new moves have been added such as pulling enemies opposite you out of cover and a way to smoothly vault over cover whilst roadie running but the general formula remains the same.

The speed of gameplay however does feel a few clicks fasters, and the enemy AI has also been changed to reflect this. Whilst in the earlier acts pit you against robotic soldiers called DeeBees, by the time you get to the middle act you meet the real foes of this new entry, the Swarm.

When compared to the Locust from the original trilogy of games, the Swarm fight much more aggressively whilst still maintain a level of familiarly: drone enemies behave mainly the same except they will try to press your position more often, they can also be buffed by Scions, the new ‘heavy’ enemies carrying stronger weaponry and emitting buffs to all other Swarm on the field. In this way they are like a combination of Boomers from Gears 1 and Kantus from Gears 2.

Juvies, the new fast enemies seem to have taken the place of wretches and tickers in that they are the fastest foes, but now they move in larger packs and at greater speed, emitting a shrill scream to alert all other enemies to your presence and wake up those in hibernation.

Whilst the campaign is locked to 30 frames per second on console, multiplayer allows a slight dip in resolution to push the frame rate up to a smooth 60fps. Apart from this change that was already introduced in Gears of War Ultimate Edition, the multiplayer feels very similar to the Gears of old.

There are a few new game modes added in and some tweaks made to Horde, the wave survival mode, for version 3.0 which is arguably an improvement from Horde 2.0 in Gears 3 as that felt a bit cluttered at times. The game also makes a bit more of a deal in pushing you into Horde mode, as during the campaign there are instances where, for story reasons, you have to hold a position against three waves of enemies and are given access to turrets and defences found in this mode.

Whilst still very good, it does have the feeling of Gears multiplayer in that it has not changed enough to feel fresh, but what is here is mechanically very good and still enjoyable. It is just that in the years since, you may have moved onto other games for your multiplayer experiences, and after a number of matches I already found myself thinking of how much I played this during my high school years, and how much I wanted to move back to something like Overwatch or even the newer gameplay of Halo 5.

Finally, the story; how does this entry fit into the rest of the series and does it work well as the start of a new saga, as in emblazoned on the back of every box?

In short, yes. Gears 4 feels like a great starting off point for a new trilogy, in places it even feels like this was what they were going for with the original Gears of War. A common complaint about the original game was how it kept telling you about the ongoing war against the Locust ‘Horde’, but you would only fight about five to six enemies at a time. This was addressed in Gears 2, which I would argue is the better game, but it took the approach of your army vs their army and your place within it. In Gears 4 it definitely feels like a small group of friends surviving against a much larger enemy presence.

The story did in some ways though remind me of PlayStation’s Uncharted series in how there seems to be a larger focus on the characters as real people instead of just soldiers with guns, massive set pieces every few chapters, and an added level of casual humour.

Yet this last one is a double-edged sword, as when the new characters JD, Del and Kait act like this it feels natural. When this is used by Marcus however, who appears early on in the game and then proceed to talk about how the enemies at his home are ‘f**king up my god damn tomatoes’ it feels forced as this is not the Marcus we have come to expect.

The plot does leave a few cliff-hangers and holes to allow for expansion in Gears 5, but by the time you reach the credits the ending does feel a bit sudden like they are trying to hit you over the head with a sign saying ‘to be continued…’

Overall Gears of War 4 is a solid game, and if you are a fan of the series this is a definite purchase, and is more inviting to new-comers than say Halo 4 was in 2012. In terms of pushing the series forward it does very little and is more of a refinement than a revolution, but the journey, if occasionally predicable, is certainly worth your time.

12/10/16: Netball’s Big Wednesday

Written by Elizabeth Payne on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

After a week of preseason training for returners, three gruelling days of trials for the club’s new members and hours of other training sessions since then, it was finally time to put all the hard work into practice for UMWNC. With four teams out of six winning their respective matches, the first BUCS Wednesday of the season was a successful start and a good sign of what’s to come.

First up, the fifth team faced UCLAN threes at the Armitage and a strong start saw them forge an early lead, which they never relinquished. Thanks to some impeccable defending, Manchester only conceded 16 goals and thanks to good transitional play between attack and defence by the centre court and accurate shooting, UCLAN never had a look-in. Player of the match went to Vanessa Watkins for her fantastic movement around the court and her impressive shooting, whilst captain Rebecca James, reflecting after the match, was proud of how well her team played despite it being their first match together.

Next to experience home advantage was the third team, who after a tight first quarter, entered the break 12-11 up against Keele’s first team. No changes were made heading into the second 15 minutes, giving the team a chance to find their feet and this proved to be the right call as the girls extended their lead. Five goals up, captain Kelly Maxwell chose to bring on some fresh legs, making three changes, and whilst it took a while to adapt to some of the substitutions, by the end of the third quarter Manchester had regained their composure and started to eliminate their earlier errors. Another three changes were made in the last quarter, including the introduction of shooter Ellie Gibbs whose superb shooting earned her player of the match. The girls’ patience working the ball into the circle paid off and Manchester ended the match victorious, scoring 49 goals to Keele’s 39.

Last to play at home was the first team, facing off against Leeds Beckett, previous winners of the league and trophy. Knowing it would be a tough game and after a loss last week, Manchester came out firing and led by 4 goals after the first quarter, thanks to the sterling defence of Claudia Payne, Honor de Winton, and Carys Elwiss-Hough. Momentum swung throughout the match with either team regularly scoring a run of four or five goals and although the gap had narrowed slightly at half time, it was Manchester who remained ahead throughout the match. At one point in the last quarter, with the score locked at 37 all, it looked as though it was going to be battle until the final whistle, but the first team pulled ahead at the crucial moment and Beth Payne and Ellie Smith kept their cool in the shooting circle to secure a 49-42 win. Katie Lee and Amy Hughes worked tirelessly in the centre court, especially impressive considering that no substitutions were made, and the latter’s accurate feeding and multiple defensive turnovers earned her the player of the match accolade.

Meanwhile, the fourth team made a trip to Liverpool to play Edge Hill’s second team, a game which proved to be a tough first match to try out new combinations. After a good first quarter, Manchester couldn’t maintain their shooting accuracy, allowing their opponents to increase their lead and whilst the final score ended 40-21 in Edge Hill’s favour, captain Charlotte Mooney is upbeat about her team’s potential and is looking forward to seeing how they progress throughout the season. A special mention goes to player of the match, Nikki Hayes.

Also playing away from home was Manchester’s second team who made the tough trip to play the recently relegated Liverpool John Moores first team. After a slightly frantic first quarter, the girls in purple found themselves 10-19 down, however, they then began to settle into the game and managed to keep their opponents within touching distance, thanks to some accurate shooting and controlled play from centre Megan Woodworth, who also made multiple turnovers. A brilliant third quarter saw Manchester decrease the gap and build momentum heading into the final fifteen minutes but John Moores came out strongly once again, and their incredibly consistent GA allowed them to maintain their lead. Despite Manchester losing 56-47 captain Izzy Smith said it was a fantastic first game, reflected by the close scoreline, and it has provided the girls with both lots to work on, and positives to take forward to their next game. Players’ player went to Olivia Leach for her excellent shooting and controlled attacking play.

Last, and by no means least the sixth team, making the step up from Campus League to BUCS, travelled to Salford to play the latter’s second team. After a tense first half, and losing a player to injury, Manchester found themselves trailing 16-24, and therefore, with some catching up to do. Showing great persistence, they did exactly this and an excellent third quarter saw them narrow the gap to just one goal heading into the final fifteen minutes. Captain Rosie Allen was proud of her team’s desire to win and their team spirit, which combined with better on-court communication and encouragement, saw Manchester stay goal-for-goal with Salford until the last minute. With the pressure getting to their opponents, Allen’s team capitalised, allowing player of the match, Becca Titterington to shoot and score with 5 seconds remaining, helping her team to a 37-36 win. Thanks to their one-goal victory, the sixth team secured the team of the week accolade from the club captain.

All in all, it has been a great first week for the club and it will be exciting to watch all the teams improve and continue to win matches throughout the season.

Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Written by Lily Carden on 17th October 2016. Posted in Food & Drink.

¼ cup soy sauce

1tsp sesame oil

1 ½tsp mirin or rice wine vinegar

1tsp honey

1 red chilli, finely diced
Dim sum… wanton… gyoza… call them what you will. Asian style dumplings taste amazing. While I haven’t found any in Manchester to rival the ones I loved in Singapore, the frozen ones aren’t half bad. To take them to the next level I make this straightforward dipping sauce that adds a depth of flavour occasionally lacking in shop bought dim sum. You could get around that by making your own, but I’ve done that and can tell you that it takes a day to make properly. This sauce takes 5 minutes tops and leftovers can be used in many ways, poured over rice or for bread dunking are two of my favourites.
To make, simply place all the ingredients in a jam jar and shake well. Try the sauce and add more to taste (if you’d like it sweeter, add more honey etc).

Review: 64 Squares

Written by Alexia Kossifos on 17th October 2016. Posted in Theatre.

In chess, one move can change the whole game. In ’64 Squares’, chess is a metaphor for life. The play opens with four people on stage; three actors and a musician. The three actors finish each other’s sentences, with the musician drumming alongside their words, adding a jazzy feel to the production. The three actors tell the audience that they are called ‘B’; they don’t know this per se, but assume it, as they are all wearing identical tops with a B sewn on to them.

B finds himself onboard a ship in 1939, challenging the Chess World Champion for a game. As the game is played, the audience learns more about B’s past through a series of flashbacks. Not only do these flashbacks add a new dimension to the play, but also add variety of performance. Some are performed with shadow puppets, others in dance, and others just spoken alongside the drum (also played in an equally diverse way). One of the most important memories in his life, his hand brushing against his secretary’s hand in his Berlin office, is performed with such eloquence. It is repeated four times in the space of a few minutes, each time exactly the same.

This repeated scene is acted in such an effective way that it creates a mixture of emotions for the viewer; warmth at their romantic connection, frustration at why B lets this touch distract him so much, and I even found myself laughing at their exaggerated facial expressions that continue to entertain throughout the play. Alongside all of these feelings, however, there is one of angst. A feeling that something is about to go wrong, that keeps us on the edge of our seats as we watch. This seems to be the feel of the play in general, that we laugh at B’s silly faux pas, and feel connected to B as we learn more about him, but most heavily, we feel a sense of anxiety.

This anxiety is felt not only because of the many unanswerable questions one wants to ask about B when watching, but also due to the ability of the audience to connect so much with the character and the script. Just as B struggles to remember his past and how he ended up on the ship, the audience is forced to think about the message of the play. The message that every action we take changes the direction of our lives, even if only slightly—that all of our pasts have a direct effect on our present and our futures. Performed with beautiful fluency, every word and action in place, and the overlapping dialogue with music and actions, it certainly kept the audience gripped for the entirety. The script is wonderfully put together, creating a new and atmospheric view on the human condition and freewill, but performing it in a somewhat more lighthearted manner than other plays that we may see with the same existential framework.

Indy Man Beer Con

Written by Alec Wilby on 17th October 2016. Posted in Food & Drink.

In its 4th year, the Independent Manchester Beer Convention (or Indy Man to most attendees) is bigger than ever, but how does it compare with previous years?

Indy Man is held in Victoria Baths in Rusholme, giving it a particularly Manchester vibe while providing it with a functional venue. The exhibitors are divided up into each of the three pools (though I don’t know if the choice of pool has any bearing on what is on offer) with a few others scattered around the building. As well as beer, you can also get cider, artisanal soft drinks, bar snacks and—most importantly—an array of street food.

Before I move on to the beer, let’s discuss price. Indy Man runs Thursday to Sunday and we chose to go on the Friday; Saturday might have been better but it sold out almost instantly. Tickets were £15 and we booked well in advance, though you could apparently get tickets for the Thursday evening on the day. Your ticket gets you access to the venue and a glass, after that you need to buy tokens to spend on drinks and food.

In previous years, I went in with £10-15 and had a good evening with a decent amount of drinks and food. The pricing of drinks tended to vary based on per cent and was sold in 1/3s (though the people operating the pumps were fairly lenient with the amount you got, as the glass had plenty more room). This year, drinks were 1 token for a 1/3, regardless of per cent or speciality, however, tokens were also £2.50—more than twice the price of last year if memory serves.

With no other choice (and having paid for our tickets months previously), we each bought 11 tokens for £25 (the special offer to soften the blow). The event was great, it is just a little irritating that the cost has jumped so much in a year, particularly considering that the increase in price wasn’t apparent when buying tickets. Anyway, let’s move on to the food and drinks.

After buying beer tokens, having not eaten for several hours, I headed straight for the food. With stalls including Almost Famous, Bundobust (Indian street food coming soon to Manchester) and Honest Crust pizza, you are spoilt for choice. This year (as with every year before), I started with Almost Famous, for consistency. I opted for the Bacon Winning Burger (2 burgers, bacon, ghurkins, onions, sauces), if you’ve had food from the Almost Famous van before, you know what to expect.

If not, definitely one of the best burgers I’ve had, anywhere. Try their restaurant in the Northern Quarter.

My issue with Almost Famous at Indy Man for the past 2 years though is that for a chain that prides themselves on unique burgers, they aren’t really doing that much different. The first year we went, they had designed 2 or 3 burgers specifically for the event, revolving around beer. I’ve eaten a fair few Almost Famous burgers and while the only thing I fully remember about that year’s burger was “beerio’s”, I do know that it was excellent. I hope they try harder next year.
After the burger, I had enough tickets for 7 drinks and not really knowing where to start (worth highlighting at this point that Indy Man has a huge amount of choice), I headed to the Indy Man collaboration table.

This year, a number of breweries did special beers in collaboration with the event organisers, the one I picked was V.I.P.A. from Siren/Indy Man. An 8.5% Vimto “inspired” pale ale: it was nice enough, but the Vimto aspect was more of an aftertaste than a key feature.

My favourite beer from the night was, without a doubt, 5-Alarm from Siren/Hoppin’ Frog. It was a 7.4% spiced beer and had a sort of sweet taste but balanced by the warming effect of the chilli. If you see it around, I’d definitely recommend trying it.
Other highlights of the evening were:

· Karkli: a lentil based snack that looked like mini churros. The flavour we had was made with Fiery Ghost Naga chillis (though less spicy variants were available). The first 2 or 3 were incredibly hot (painful?) but the flavour underneath was incredible after you got accustomed to the burn.

· Honest Crust Pizza: freshly made pizza, cooked in a wood fired pizza oven, not much else to say. I think they were there last year and they were great then as well.

· Blawd Bakery x Idle Hands: it was too late in the evening for coffee (Idle Hands) but a few of my friends got doughnuts from Blawd Bakery (they were sold out by the time I got there). The doughnuts were being freshly made at the stand so the jam inside was still warm when you ate them. One of my friends stated “[the doughnut] was worth the entrance fee alone.”

· Christian Bale Ale (IPA) and Solar Terminator (Pilsner): both bought for the name, neither disappointed.

· Blacklight Banana (Imperial Stout): I’m no fan of dark beers but this one was nicely softened by the taste of the banana. Whether or not you like stout, it’s worth a try.

Indy Man 2016 was, as with previous years, a great event. The choice of beers available was huge and the food on offer was excellent as always. My only major gripe about it was that the price increase was a fairly significant change in only a year. I would go again, but paying £7.50 a pint, and with a starting price of essentially £40, I could understand why people might not want to go. Looking at social media surrounding the event, attendees weren’t particularly happy about the price hike and so my hope is that for next year, the organisers reconsider.

Review: Rehearsal for Murder

Written by Brogen Campbell on 17th October 2016. Posted in Theatre.

After the success of The Agatha Christie Theatre Company, producer Bill Kenwright starts his next adventures with The Classic Thriller Theatre Company. However, this new venture is off to a shaky start with Rehearsal for Murder.

The revival of the 1982 American made-for-TV movie is an odd choice to lead with, as this certainty isn’t a classic. The overall plot has the potential for tension and mystery, but was let down by the stiff and lacklustre performances of the majority of the cast. This is despite the effective use of lighting and music to create an eerie atmosphere. These effects did seem a little dated, but are reminiscent of a typical television thriller.

The plot revolves around Alex Dennison (Alex Ferns), a playwright, who is engaged to Monica Welles (Susie Amy) the leading lady of his newest play. After opening night the play receives bad reviews, which causes Monica to commit suicide by jumping off her balcony. A year later Alex calls all the members of the cast back to have a reading of his new play. Alex believes Monica was murdered and attempts to find out who it was through his work.

The first act seems slower than the second. It is partly for practical reasons as it requires setting up of the circumstances of Monica’s death. In contrast, the second act revolves around the interrogation of each character, which allows for heighted dramatics and tension. With any good thriller all is not how it initially seems.

The main failure of the play was the acting. Alex Ferns entered at such an extreme level that there was nowhere for his character to go as the tension builds, making his character seem a one-dimensional mad man. Susie Amy’s performance as Monica left a lot to be desired. Ironically Monica was described as a stiff actor and I would apply the same sentiment to Amy’s performance. There were no stand-out performances, but Georgia Neville managed to exert the most excitement and energy into her performance, despite her small amount of lines. Her performance rang true that there are no small parts, only small actors.

The set design was simple yet effective, and encapsulated the feel and appearance of a theatre perfectly. The music seamlessly added to the dramatic effect throughout. The lighting effects and changes were excellent aids in crossing between the past and present and also the imaginary rehearsal and the real life. The overall production effects were one of the redeeming qualities of the entire production. However, these effects were tainted and made to look overly dramatic at times, due to poor acting choices and direction.

Overall, the play has the potential to be excellent but was let down by a number of failures, particularly the actors’ performances, which tended to be either lacklustre or overly exaggerated.

Rehearsal for Murder was at the Opera House Manchester and is currently touring. It can be seen at Connaught Theatre Worthing from the 17 – 22 October 2016.

Head To Head at Castlefield Gallery

Written by Holly Smith on 17th October 2016. Posted in Arts.

As I walked up to the Castlefield Gallery last week for the preview of Christian Falsnaes’ new exhibition, I was suddenly hit with a throng of people loitering around the main entrance. Having been told to get to the gallery for as close to 6pm as I possibly could, and me being five minutes late, as usual— I was slightly confused, to say the least.

That was when I saw the printed-out sign tacked to the door: ‘Please bear with us as the first visitor is being filmed for the exhibition.’

The look of confusion on my face must have seemed quite eminent as a gallery volunteer caught me and proceeded to explain what the exhibition would entail.

“Every day (or in this particular case, evening), the first person to arrive at the gallery will be taken ‘hostage’ by the artist and filmed in the gallery on a video camera.” She told me: “The candidate is asked various questions, ranging from describing their day, to asking them to perform some small actions, like jumping or singing.”

And this is the entire exhibition.

Once the gallery closes for the day, the tape is wiped and the next day, a new candidate is used to do the complete process again and make brand new content for the installation.

When we were finally let into the gallery, we were faced with the footage that had just been recorded. The woman who had been ‘chosen’ seemed rather unwilling to participate. She was asked to do or say everything 3 times. “Can you jump on the spot for me?” the artist asks her. She, rather begrudgingly, does. “Now, can you jump a little higher and put your arms in the air?” And then a few seconds later, “Can you jump even bigger and maybe scream?”

The woman noticeably became more and more unsettled as the ten minute tape went on, at one point I thought she would outright refuse to do what she was asked.

“Art history is about the artist and the artist’s personal view on things. This exhibition takes the audience into account and uses their views to make the content. It’s ultimately the audience’s reactions that makes the art.” Says Christian Falsnaes, the genius artist behind the idea.

As I watch the recorded tape, I become more enthralled by the concept by the minute, but one thought keeps popping into my head. What if someone does something totally irrational?

“In all my exhibitions I don’t know what to expect. It’s terrifying and I love it. To be honest though, this is the first time this exhibition has ever been shown and so it’s the first time I’ve done it. But all my exhibitions are like this—I never know what to expect.”

Growing up in Denmark, Falsnaes’ career has put him ahead of regular artists. He’s succeeded by providing audiences with a new way of thinking. With his works, we are not faced with a canvas, acting as a mirror into the artist’s mind—as with so many works. Falsnaes goes as far as to break down the third wall that seems permanently imminent between artist and audience. Through the use of art, performance, and video he makes the audience feel as part of his work as he is.

From this installation, it seemed to me as though Falsnaes wanted us to think about how we comply to orders and rules in society. I took the opportunity to ask him what he wanted it to mean. “Well what can I say?” He replies, “It changes every day!”

53% of students at University of Manchester in favour of monarchy

Written by Stevie Grieves on 17th October 2016. Posted in Features.

With Brexit, a dysfunctional Labour party and Theresa May not fairing much better, the political landscape of Britain in 2016 is at best looking extremely unstable. One thing that remains a constant, however, is the monarchy, and in turn, the British public’s unwavering support for the institution.

Will and Kate’s visit to the University of Manchester on Friday 14th of October to view the National Graphene Institute in support of Manchester’s achievements in science and engineering is largely welcomed by a student body that, in our recent survey, overwhelmingly sees the monarchy as a force for good. When asked if they thought that the monarchy was good or bad for Britain, 52.9 per cent responded that they thought they were good, while only 35.6 per cent responded that they thought they were a detrimental to Britain and 11.6 per cent were unsure.

While to some this may be surprising—students are usually seen as a body of people that are more progressive and radical than their older counter parts—the poll merely follows the general trend that sees the British public as being very favourable in their views of the monarchy. A recent YouGov poll confirms this in also finding that 68 per cent of people think that the monarchy is good for Britain.

And this is true not only among all age groups, students and the older generation alike, but unusually actually is a commonly held opinion across all political leanings and parties— Conservative voters through to Labour and Liberal Democrats are overwhelmingly of the opinion that our royal institution is a positive force.

In times of economic uncertainty, the question has to be asked as to why students still feel that the power and the inherited wealth of our monarchy is still important to Britain. What do they bring to Britain that makes them such favourable figures compared to our elected politicians?

A running theme in many students’ answers to our survey is that the monarchy, and our dear Queen, act as a “representative of British culture, industry, and values abroad” and losing them would almost make Britain “un-British”. The monarchy, and Will and Kate with it, are seen in times like these as anchors that secure the British identity, similar as the reasoning for many to vote for Brexit—an act that for many was an attempt to retain a sense of “Britishness” that many felt was lost with part of the European Union. Sheer nationalism alone is not the sole factor however, when many, perhaps understandably, believe that the monarchy acts as effective and stable head of state in comparison to our chaotic political leaders of the moment.

Will and Harry in particular are seen as particularly positive influences, that “do a lot of good for this country” in terms of their extensive charity work and service in the armed forces. Many people value that they act as “moral” role-models for younger people and their admirable behaviour is endearing to many.

However, while they are seen as a good thing for Britain, overwhelmingly students of the University of Manchester think they should not be funded by the tax payer. In our survey, 62 per cent of students think that the royal family shouldn’t be in any way funded through the taxes of the general public. The view of one student, echoed by many, is that “hereditary monarchy is an affront to democracy and the fact that we pay so much for their upkeep, security and so on is an added insult.” The idea that money and power can be inherited by some and paid for by everyone is, many feel, “fundamentally undemocratic”.

Those for the state providing a tax payer funded salary for some members of the monarchy generally justify it with the sentiment that the Queen is great business when attracting tourists to visit the UK. The idea that the “net profit” the royals provide the economy with because they are a “major draw for international tourism” is a widespread one, if unsubstantiated. And while many people think their multi-million pound budget is a small price to pay compared to their contribution to the economy, VisitBritain, the national tourist agency, can’t find any evidence that that the monarchy is a driving force in tourism. While hard to quantify, it’s true that Chester Zoo, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths are all more successful tourist attractions than Windsor Castle.

The general trend, according to another YouGov poll, is also that the public thinks that the royals on tax-payers payroll should be slimmed down to just the head of state and her direct descendants, which luckily for Will and Kate means they won’t be left in the lurch, but more distant relatives might need to start looking for a new career path.

An argument that some students took when giving their reasoning for supporting the monarchy is that the monarchy is not actually funded by the state but “through the sovereign grant”. In this they mean that the money that the Crown Estate makes from land ownership generates a large amount of revenue for the HM Treasury every year, and in turn the monarchy receives a percentage of this, essentially, as their salary. For many students, this large contribution to the state is reason enough that they receive such a massive yearly income of £43.9 million. Many feel that because the money comes from their land ownership that in fact they’re not funded by the tax payer at all and are entirely self-sufficient. However, the majority of students see their land ownership as immaterial and elitist; an archaic tradition that goes against the meritocracy that our society is supposedly built on.

And while the £40 million is already an extravagant sum compared to the average salary of a four-person family, the fact that the cost of security is picked up by the metropolitan police and the costs of visits are picked up by local councils such as Manchester City, hides the fact that the cost of the royal family is in fact even higher than the public is first lead to believe. Republic, the lobbying body that want the monarchy abolished, say that “the real cost of the monarchy to British taxpayers is likely to be around £334m annually.”

In this, one student voiced the opinion of many when saying: “I do not believe ancestry entitles anyone to receive more than anyone else.” Others were keen to point out that the endowment the royal family receive only “entrenches societal hierarchies and reinforces class distinctions.”

Additionally, in a time where cuts to public services such as the police and the NHS are so severe, a very common belief is that the money should be directed into services that benefit the wider public and not the privileged few at the coronated top.

However strongly the population feels about the monarchy’s finances, it still remains to be said that they remain favourable figures and key in perceptions of national identity. Being tied to our cultural heritage as a nation is increasingly seen as being of key importance, and to students and members of the wider public they are seen as not relics from the past but symbols of what it means to be quintessentially British.

Their relatively scandal-free last few years have kept the negative press to a minimum whilst providing wholesome British family values through Will and Kate’s young children. This low profile has allowed them to escape serious criticism of their funding in times of cuts to other public services, and generally allowed people to not think too seriously on where they stand. And while their reign is characterised by a likeability factor—the Queen being “cute and fluffy” as one student put it—it’s ensured that their place at the head of Britain will not be challenged any time soon.

Photo: mrschnips @Flickr

Women’s Rugby dominate Varsity

Written by Eve Chaplin on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

The Rugby Varsity is always a highly anticipated sporting event, and this year it was no different. The matches took place in the AJ Bell stadium, the home of the Sale Sharks. After two years, Manchester Metropolitan University returned with more to prove than ever before, and the University of Manchester girls were not going to give them an easy game.

The Women’s match was an absolutely cracking game right from the first whistle, and a treat for all the spectators. MMU showed complete determination throughout the match, delivering big hits and keeping our team on their toes. It was clear that both teams wanted the win as much as the other.

But the University of Manchester girls were unstoppable with tries scored by: Olivia Ball, Ruth Dow, Lauren Muddiman, Georgie Palmer, NyamedoHannah Gyamfuaa Addae-Dapaah, Annie Lyles, Miguela Kerins, Lisa Newman, and Hannah Watson. With some tries more extravagant than others with Ruth Dow’s impressive acrobatic flip over the try line.

The Varsity win was the exact start to the season that the club wanted after the high of winning the league last year. The University Women’s rugby team has gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years. The number of members have doubled from the previous sign ups. The team is very excited for the upcoming season. It clear from the small number of training sessions, we are going to have two excellent teams made up of experienced girls, and girls who are completely new to the sport. It’s a remarkable difference compared to three years ago where the club only had one team.

The success and quality of the Women’s Varsity goes to show the growing interest and support in the sport. The Rugby Federation Union supports both the UoM and MMU teams, and has dedicated a lot of resources in promoting women’s rugby. Along with the success of women in sport such as Women’s hockey winning gold, the women’s football and rugby teams, more girls are wanting to participate and this has been reflected in the sheer growth of our membership.

The club is very exciting for all the challenges that 16/17 season will present. The first team hope to keep the title of league winners, and the second team is looking forward to smashing their league. There could even be a development team in the mix due to the outstanding number of sign ups at the Freshers’ fair and commitment to training the first few weeks. It looks like it is going to be a very exciting season for the University of Manchester Women’s Rugby team! The club has all the league games, and Christie Cup to look forward to.

UMWRFC is a great club to join for any girl that wants to play rugby at whatever level and meet some of the friendliest girls in University Sport. A major aspect of the club is that we do not hold trials. Anyone can join at any point the year. Training starts at the most basic level so everyone bonds as unified team, and the club all trains together. There is no distinction between the 1XV and 2XV teams, or between fresher and old girl. Women’s rugby is a united club.

If anyone is interested in joining the club, there is a University of Manchester Women’s rugby page on facebook. Please feel free to contat the page with any questions that you might have.

“Even though they’re not letting me in, I’m going to make a film anyway”

Written by Rosa Simonet on 17th October 2016. Posted in Film.

After ten years of trying to gain access to the mysterious world of Scientology and it’s unorthodox practices, Theroux decided there must be another means of producing his long-awaited documentary. With the help of director John Dower, Theroux uses an ensemble of actors and ex-Scientology members to bring a truly interesting depiction of religious fundamentalism.

Scientology bears an unusual attraction to the modern audience, co-opting religion, cult, the celebrity and American culture, truly making it the ‘Holy grail of stories.’ In true Theroux style, going back to Weird Weekends , My Scientology Movie brings with it spontaneity, investigation, and wit, alongside the detail of the bizarre underworld of Scientology.

If you saw Alex Gibney’s ‘Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief’ last year, you’d be aware of the accusations of psychological and physical abuse, not simply within the church itself, but conducted by David Miscavige, Chair of the Board of Scientology. Gibney’s piece provides a chilling and in-depth timeline of events, but with Theroux, the audience feels as if they are getting a first-hand experience of the Church of Scientology’s strange and often frightening tactics.

Through most of the film, Theroux is joined by Marty Rathbun, the former Inspector General of the Church. Though he is arguably the backbone of the documentary, Rathbun’s spiky and unpredictable character holds back the investigation. At one point he calls himself “the baddest ass dude in Scientology,” but later is on the defensive when Theroux presses him for information, asking him about the abuse he may have committed himself.

In the live Q&A session hosted by the London Literature Festival, Dower and Theroux reveal how their relationship with Rathbun has since deteriorated, but say Rathbun, in the last year, has distanced himself greatly from all anti-Scientology movements. Nevertheless, capturing the awkward relationship between Theroux and Rathbun is one of the comedic highlights of the film, many of their conversations being filled with the signature Theroux pause.

Another highlight is Andrew Perez’s portrayal of David Miscavige. After auditioning a large selection of potential Miscaviges we finally get to the almost mannequin-like Perez. His vein-pulsing intensity and pure rage as Miscavige on TV and then Miscavige behind closed doors drives an inspiring performance.

At the heart of Theroux’s investigation is his personal need to understand why it is that so many people stay in the church of Scientology, despite the apparent abuse and deception. Jefferson Hawkins, another former member whose ex-wife confronts Theroux at several points of the documentary, offers perhaps the clearest explanation.

He says leaving Scientology means leaving everything you have not only worked for but also most you hold dear. You enter a world, foreign to yourself and all alone. It’s hard for Theroux not to expose and shame Scientology, especially as he himself is spied on and hounded by its members, and he does claim this was not his intention, but through Hawkins we are forced to reconsider our condemnation of the members of Scientology.

We are fascinated by the story behind it and the practice but what My Scientology Movie reveals is a culture of total disobedience turned toxic.

Fan behaviour in sport

Written by James Haughton on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

Over the past week, someone took to Twitter to express their frustrations with the constant discussion on Wayne Rooney’s form and his place in the Manchester United and England first teams. What made this so newsworthy, however, was that the exasperated person was Coleen Rooney, Wayne’s wife.

The cause of her ire was a radio programme she was listening to while driving her six-year-old son Kai to school in which people phoned in to say that they had booed Wayne in England’s 2-0 win over Malta.

After her initial tweets, she responded angrily to someone who suggested that the Rooneys’ wealth gave people the right to judge Wayne, emphasising that her and Wayne, despite their privileged lifestyle, were still people.

While the fans who so angered Coleen were perfectly entitled to boo Wayne and talk about it publicly, this incident highlights questions about interactions between athletes and supporters in general. Is booing a player counter-productive? How does abuse affect athletes and sport? And while people should express their views on what they watch, when, if ever, do those views become abusive and excessively mocking?

Social media has, in theory, allowed sports people and fans to share a platform with one another, but it has also made it easier to abuse athletes.

Footballers like Tom Cleverley have deactivated Twitter accounts due to the amount of abuse that they have received. Cleverley further had to endure a petition to stop him going to the 2014 World Cup.

Whether he was good enough to be playing for Manchester United or England at the time or not, his performances did not warrant that indignity. The lack of access now to footballers is regularly bemoaned, but with incidents such as these is it any surprise that they are reticent to engage with fans?

It is not just online, however, where athletes are subjected to abuse, but during sporting events too. Much has been made of the behaviour of a minority of American fans at the recent Ryder Cup.

Danny Willett, a member of the European team whose brother had described American fans as “pudgy, basement-dwelling, irritants” in an online column before the tournament, expressed his annoyance at the abuse his family received, even going so far as to tweet that his brother had been correct about some of the fans.

Willett was not the only European player to voice his disapproval. Martin Kaymer told reporters, “there were names that we got called that you would never, ever put in your mouth in any media or even among your friends.” While the American team were deserving winners, the comments of the small idiotic minority must have affected the Europeans’ mindset during the week and, thus, their performances.

On a less drastic note, John Stones, while at Everton, was the subject of much debate on whether his ball-playing capabilities were appropriate for a central defender. As the team’s results and performances deteriorated, those at Goodison and in the media calling for him to play the ball out quicker only grew louder. The Everton defender may have been unnerved by those jeering and questioning him, potentially making him doubt his abilities and the manager’s tactics.

While footballers are abused, the pressure that managers are under nowadays from all sectors, the media, the fans and the clubs themselves, is seemingly ever-increasing. “I’ve had nine months and really enjoyed my time,” Paul Lambert said, upon being appointed Blackburn Rovers in November 2015, of the break he took after being sacked by Aston Villa.

Recently the former Hull City manager Steve Bruce appeared on Sky Sports looking much trimmer and healthier. Managers often say that their job is time-consuming but they love it anyway, yet after a bad run of results, there seems to be a compulsion to speculate on when they will get sacked and who will replace them. Even worse, clubs will go behind a manager’s back to secure a replacement, publicly or not, before sacking them.

Abuse and excessive mocking could have far greater consequences than affecting performance, however: it presents a side of sports like football that is not welcoming and inclusive.

It is well known that there there is not an openly gay male professional player in England. One of the reasons commonly cited is the potential negative reactions from the terraces to any footballer who publicly comes out as gay.

Similarly it is a struggle for athletes to publicly admit that they are suffering from mental health problems. They do not want to be erroneously stigmatised as weak, and mocked for it, and so they attempt to treat their illness privately, or do not seek help at all, potentially putting their lives at risk.

Expressing opinions and debating with others is a vital part of becoming more knowledgeable of any sport and its tactics, but it is important that people’s opinions do not become counter-productive or abusive to athletes, who are still human beings and deserve to be treated as such, an opinion that Coleen Rooney will surely agree with.

America’s Game

Written by Toby Webb on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

The 2016 NFL season is well under way, with only 16 regular games and 3 or 4 play-off games (‘the postseason’ as they call it across the pond) played each year. Short you might think, especially compared to the 38 game English Premier League. Yet, this brevity only heightens the importance of each game, leading to often thrilling matches. Qualification to the play-offs is usually achieved with a 10-6 record of wins to losses, secured either through winning your division or being one of 2 best runners’ up within your conference; the NFL is comprised of 2 conferences (the AFC and NFC) each containing 4 divisions (North, South, East and West). You can qualify for the play-offs with a losing record, as long as it’s the best record in your division, thus every win is vitally important. It is rare to win back-to-back Super Bowls, it’s only happened 7 times. This competitiveness results in an exciting and unpredictable competition.

Last Year

Last year’s Super Bowl was contested by the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos, Denver securing a 24-10 victory. Denver’s defence was able to nullify the potent Carolina attack, headed by Cam Newton. Carolina’s form of last year, they lost only 2 games (including the Super Bowl), has not continued. They have lost 4 games already, sitting bottom of their division. As well as suffering key injuries in offence and defence, Newton appears more focussed on his post-match interview attire than football: consult Google and you’ll see what I mean. Only a miracle will result in Carolina reaching the play-offs.

Conversely, the Broncos are looking very promising. The retirement of Quarter-back Peyton Manning, one of greatest ever, hasn’t dented their stride; they have a 4-1 record after 5 matches. Coach Gary Kubiak has built a formidable defence, containing star men Von Miller and Aqib Talib: they will certainly contest the play-offs.

The Contenders

For me, this year’s contenders are Pittsburgh, the New England Patriots and the Minnesota Vikings (as well as Denver). Pittsburgh are a fantastic team to watch. They have Ben Roethlisberger (2x Super Bowl winner) at Quarter-back, complemented by wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell. They hold a potent offence, comparable to Barcelona’s strike force of Messi, Neymar and Suarez, scoring 15 touchdowns in 4 games. Having beefed up their defence in the offseason, they’re my bet for the Super Bowl.

However, with coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady, as well as juggernaut Tight End Rob Gronkowski, New England are always a safe bet for play-off success. Belichick and Brady have won 4 Super Bowls together: a legendary partnership. Brady was banned for the opening 4 games following the Deflategate scandal. He returned in blistering form against the Cleveland Browns, passing for 406 yards and 3 Touchdowns. Deflategate has left Brady angry.

Minnesota are this year’s unexpected package. A missed kick denied them a victory in the wild-card play-off round last season. The offseason signing of QB Sam Bradford was a gamble that is paying off thus far: they hold the only unbeaten record after 5 games. Coach Mike Zimmer has built a mean defence; their opponents are averaging merely 4.4 yards a play. They’re on a role and could be on the verge of something special.

Subsequent to these 3, the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles look good for the play-offs. Green Bay have Jordy Nelson back in their armoury, missing the whole of last season through injury, he’s scored 5 touchdowns already this campaign. Dallas and Philadelphia look rejuvenated following poor seasons last year (Philadelphia finished 7-9 and Dallas finished 4-12), the Eagles benefitting from the electric start of rookie QB Carson Wentz to his NFL career. Seattle continue to be an imposing team following their Super Bowl success in 2014. ‘Legion of Boom’ members Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas III still dominate their defence, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin and QB Russel Wilson head the offence. Inspirational coach Pete Carroll will undoubtedly lead them to the play-offs again this season.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons. 2012 saw the New York Giants holding the trophy.

The Upstarts

After 5 games, both the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders have 4-1 records. This is a marked improvement, given that last year the teams finished with 7-9 and 8-8 records respectively. They, along with Minnesota, have surprised me with their form so far. Oakland have been reinvigorated by coach Jack Del Rio, who joined in January. The team hasn’t finished with a winning record since the 2002 season, however, Del Rio’s young team looks set to overhaul this record. Similar to Pittsburgh, Oakland have a powerful offence headed by the trio of QB Derek Carr and wide receivers’ Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.

Atlanta deserve to be taken very seriously as well. They currently lead the NFL in passing yards, total yards and total points scored, with QB Matt Ryan on fire. Furthermore, they have already beaten last year’s Super Bowl contenders Denver and Carolina, a sign they are not flustered by any opposition. Last year they began the season 5-0, but crumbled to 8-8; if they can maintain their current form, they could be dark horses for the Super Bowl come February.

Tracks of the week: 17th October

Written by Mattea Bubalo on 17th October 2016. Posted in Music.

1) Riverwave- ‘Tonight’

Vaporwave’s classic dreary monotony gets a computerised, glittery makeover by mysterious artist Riverwave. A new mix has been released on their Soundcloud account and it’s a tune that epitomizes relaxation. Inspired by sounds from popular ‘Anime’ shows in 1980s Japan, Riverwave will make you feel like you’re the only one driving down the motorway at midnight.

2) Devendra Banhart- ‘Jon Lends a Hand’

Subtle, sweet, and surreal; this tune from Devendra Banhart’s new album Ape in Pink Marble, delivers melancholy that will satisfy long time fans and surprise the new ones. There’s something gentle about this track, with its hint of harps and the murmur of the warm keyboard, that will revive tired eyes.

3) D. D. Dumbo- ‘King Franco Picasso’

Newcomer D. D. Dumbo is rising to prominence with his new album Utopia Defeated, crashing onto the scene with a disruptive pop-esque sound which here takes a jumpy and spooky turn—perfect for Halloween parties. This track might offend someone with a penchant for the more delicate side of lo-fi, but the odd blending elements of smooth jazz with the sparkling guitar sounds of shoegaze is refreshing.

Record Reappraisal: Oasis – Be Here Now

Written by Callum Oliver on 17th October 2016. Posted in Music.

Be Here Now, as everyone already knows, has gone down in history as the pinnacle of Britpop’s excess. The druggy accoutrements of fame and their own hubris finally caught up with Oasis, and they collapsed well and truly into self-parody. In hindsight, perhaps it was inevitable. A band as dogmatically reverent towards the idols of the past was always going to dredge up the same tropes. The truth is, in spite of Noel Gallagher’s preposterous but somehow perfect dalliance with Tony Blair, Oasis were always a deeply musically conservative band. Any band that name-drops ‘Yellow Submarine’ in their first single has to be.

So Be Here Now didn’t come out of nowhere. If anything, it’s a flabbier and more indulgent version of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory. The songs are looser, and they don’t half go on. Perhaps the worst offender in this department is ‘All Around The World’, which stretches out a banal CBeebies jingle into a 10 minute ‘Hey Jude’ pastiche. It all ends, with depressing inevitability, with a big guitar solo, because that’s what rock bands do. Pompous, bloated and humourless, it’s everything punk set out to get rid of. Similarly, the apparently endless ‘It’s Getting Better (Man!!)’ resembles Liam Gallagher gurning in a wind tunnel while the band strike various Guitar Hero poses behind him. Yeah. Rock.

Generally, the quality of the songs feels undermined by their similarity. In isolation, ‘I Hope, I Think, I Know’, for instance, is a solid pop song. However, after a while you realise that every song sounds like the one that came before it, and the one that came before it wasn’t up to much. Perhaps the sole exception to this rule is ‘D’You Know What I Mean’, which is a genuinely dynamic and propulsive start to the album, even if it doesn’t end when you want it to, and carries on not ending for several minutes.

However, the song also typifies the worst of the album’s blue-you, me-see lyrics. “D’You Know What I Mean, yeah yeah?” Well… no. And I don’t think you do either, Noel. In fairness, people don’t listen to Oasis for their scintillating lyrical qualities, which is just as well, because there aren’t any. They listen to them because they are songs you can bellow along to in fields, and at this, Be Here Now broadly succeeds. ‘Stand By Me’ is a strong enough song to survive its chronic overproduction and 20-odd choruses. Even ‘All Around The World’ is almost endearingly daft in this department.

However, the amusingly overblown, Spinal Tap excesses of this album aren’t enough to redeem it. The excess permeates everything, right down to the garish kow-towing to the old guard of rock on the cover. With this album, Oasis continued to shove indie (whatever that means) away from fey, gauche outsider music into a lumpen dad-rock cul-de-sac. Despite a handful of undeniably great songs, they represent a glum re-establishment of the safe and familiar in British music.

What next for Wayne Rooney?

Written by George Ball on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

Seemingly having been around forever; Rooney burst onto the scene in 2002 aged just 16, scoring that famous goal for Everton against Arsenal. Since then he has won Premier League titles, the Champions League and the FA Cup with United. However, in the past few seasons he has struggled for consistent form in a below-par United side.

To attempt to combat this lack of form, Rooney has been tried out in a number of positions in recent seasons. Initially he was moved from his natural number nine role into a number ten, behind the striker, where it was hoped his loss of pace would not stop him contributing to the United attack. After mixed performances Rooney was moved further back still, into a central midfield role. It was hoped he could use his creative ability to spray balls across the pitch and create chances for his teammates, again this did not go to plan.

The arrival of José Mourinho at Old Trafford in July signalled a return to his previous attacking position, with Mourinho saying, “For me, he will be a No 9 or a No 10, or a number nine-and-a-half, but with me he will never be a No 6, not even a No 8.” However, this change did not lead to improved form for Rooney, who has managed just a single league goal this season, in the first game of the season against Bournemouth. His poor form led to calls from fans and the media alike for him to be dropped from the starting eleven, which he was for the game against Leicester City. He was also named as a substitute for the following games against Zorya in the Europa League and Stoke City in the Premier League.

A potential cause for Rooney’s absence of form in past seasons is the fact that Manchester United have not been playing consistently well for a number of seasons now, arguably since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. They have had three permanent managers in that time: David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and now José Mourinho. Moyes and Van Gaal in particular failed to bring the attacking football to Old Trafford that the United fans enjoyed under Ferguson. Whilst the jury is still out for Mourinho, he is known for favouring defensive solidity over more positive football. This does not bode well for players in attacking positions like Rooney, especially as he is now no longer guaranteed a position in the starting eleven.

So what next for the once talismanic striker? If the United management team think his time is up at the club, there will be a queue of teams abroad who would love to take a chance on him. Clubs in the MLS in America and the Chinese Super League have been rumoured to be keen to sign Rooney, who would be a landmark signing, even if his on-pitch ability is not what it used to be.

Speculation earlier this year linked 30-year-old Rooney with a move to Shanghai SIPG, who are managed by former England boss Sven-Goran Erikkson. Last year MLS commissioner Don Garber told the Manchester Evening News that he would be keen to see Rooney play in the MLS. He said, “We would love players like Wayne Rooney, and those who have been able to be really successful at the highest level, to be thinking about Major League Soccer.” Rooney himself also spoke about a potential move to America last year. He did not rule it out, saying “when that time comes, that (the MLS), that will be something that I will think about.”

Rooney has a contract with the club until 2019 and is rumoured to be earning around £300,000 per week. This is not something he will be keen to give up lightly, so any prospective club would realistically have to match or better it. He is also still a headline name and is able to help the club draw in large sums through sponsorship deals. Yet much like his position in the starting eleven, this is also under threat. The summer signing of Paul Pogba was noted as a big signing for United, not only for his technical ability but also for his marketability. Soon Rooney may not have the same attraction to sponsors, and that is when he may find himself out of the door at Old Trafford.

On the pitch Wayne Rooney is a fading force, dropped by club and country, with his commercial value under threat. It might not be long before he is playing his football in Los Angeles or Shanghai rather than Manchester.

Review: Evelyn’s

Written by Miriam Mizzi on 17th October 2016. Posted in Food & Drink.

The name Evelyn’s directs my thoughts to something rather classic and traditional. Evelyn’s height of popularity, as a girls’ name, was in 1915, a time so far away my Grandma has not even touched. However, once I browsed the website, shouts of cumin, lemongrass, and yuzu littered the menu, and to be honest I was quite relieved.

When my eating partner and I found Evelyn’s, just of Thomas Street, and entered, we once again felt a mix of the old and traditional being fused with the new and creative, a scene so apparent in the city’s coolest quarter. The building’s rusticity hung overhead in the shape of open metal piping which then climbed down the side walls, and as our eyes were drawn to a normal level, we were delighted to see a spotless open kitchen, located in amongst the restaurant’s chic, well-presented tables.

Unfortunately, we were seated on a bar style table that looked out onto the street rather than into the beautiful interior that surrounded us, this caused us both to sit half turned around in order to soak up some of the visual atmosphere. Our welcoming waiter brought over the already looked at menus and scuttled off to get us our drinks order.

Like many Northern Quarter restaurants, Evelyn’s offers the option of ‘small plates’ and ‘large plates’, so, of course, we decided to get a mixture of both. The menu was actually slightly different to the one shown online, but we were not disappointed and went on to order Korean fried chicken, a crispy duck salad, an Asian laksa, and a lamb salad.

Whilst we waited for our food, we both slightly wearily discussed the volume of the music, without wanting to sound like boring third years. As much as we are both impartial to a decent night out, we continue to find the level of volume used in Manchester restaurants recently, to be overbearing and quite unnecessary (what happened to that good old thing called conversation?). The overall vibe, therefore, did not quite do the delicate building any justice.

Our ‘small plate’ starters arrived and our feelings towards each of them differed massively. The Korean fried chicken bowl boasted numerous pieces of crispy, yet succulent bites, which worked well with the included chilli side dip. However, the amount of duck in the salad was disappointing, and it largely consisted of plain tasting leaves.

With mixed first impressions, we were eager for our main dishes to arrive and when they did, we were pleased to see generous sized portions and vibrant colours. On taste, however, we were once again thrown into a state of opposites. The Asian influence Laksa, which consisted of ballotine chicken, sweetcorn, and thin noodles in a liquid broth, was completely flavourless. The broth was under seasoned and entirely lacked any kind of spice, the chicken had unwelcome strings of fat around it, and the dish as a whole was, in our eyes, a thorough disaster. In contrary, the lamb dish was pleasant. The tender lamb pulled apart desirably, and the pearl barley added a healthy yet hearty spin. This dish finally gave us some Middle-Eastern flavours we so dearly love.

Despite the offer, we passed up on dessert due to the rather confusing savoury experience we had just undertaken. Instead, we asked for the bill while we finished our drinks. The steep prices, which we felt were not worthy, added to our slight discontent with the restaurant. We were left, and still are, confused about the hype that continues to surround Evelyn’s. Maybe it’s just that on point lighting?

Varsity Match Reports: Men and Ladies

Written by Ben Ryan on 17th October 2016. Posted in Sport.

UMWRFC 72 – 12 Manchester Metropolitan Ladies

This was the first time the two teams had played each other in three years and so, as expected, the contest was billing up to be an electric one. There was also the added spectacle of the event’s recent move to the AJ Bell Stadium, new home to the men’s Aviva Premiership side Sale Sharks. With the stadium superbly lit and the temperature adding a bit of bite to the air, there was rousing atmosphere in and around the stadium.

UoM Ladies started the brighter of the two teams, working the phases and controlling possession. Fly-half Megan Grant-Harris began to dictate the game and on the 15-minute mark the ball was excellently spun down the line to find Outside Centre Olivia Ball just outside the 22. Ball was able to race away from her opposite number to break the line and score. The conversion was missed. Score 5-0.

MMU had seen barely any of the ball in the first quarter before UoM started to show off a few things they had been working on in the training ground. UoM’s forwards worked four phases in the middle of the park with a series of offloads gaining them territory before an unfortunate dropped ball in the opposition half. Here UoM were able to demonstrate their authority at the set piece. They turned the scrum on its head and the forwards rumbled towards the line. Second Row Annie Lyles performed a quick pick and go and was bundled over on 19 minutes. The conversion was missed and the score hit 10-0.

UoM displayed their elegant running rugby again as they neatly drew their men to send winger Georgie Palmer down the line, showing unbelievable pace to run 50 metres and score. UoM were brimming with confidence as the half progressed, able again to exploit defensive holes as number eight Lauren Muddiman was put in to make the score 22-0. Further gaps began to appear in MMU’s defence as they seemed to begin to tire early on. Just before half time UoM were operating as if routine, backs running hard lines, always freeing their hands for the offload and again, exploiting the ever present doglegs in MMU’s defence. Fullback Lisa Viktoria was rushed in the corner to make the score 27-0.

UoM started the second half where they left the first, spinning the ball about with ease, selfless support runners always offering themselves. 2 minutes into the second half it was inside centre Miguela Kerin’s turn to get on the score sheet, straightening play up to break through the line, step the fullback and score. UoM did, however, suffer a slight blip as MMU got a rare chance to attack. Several overlaps were almost butchered after countless phases but MMU’s tighthead was eventually sent over to make the score 34-7.

UoM scored three quick tries in succession, once again deploying their skilful, quick backs out wide as their score reached half a century on 70 minutes. Grant Harris, for the most part, unable to find her rhythm from the kicking tee as scores were not maximised but the overall tally rose to 51-7. As the game entered the last five minutes, MMU began to look depleted both physically and mentally. A couple more tries from UoM before a sensational effort from Lisa Viktoria who cleaned up a messy ball in her own 22 before racing towards the blindside and running 70 metres up the field—almost caught might I add—before touching down to make the score 72-7. One more try to add insult to injury just before the final whistle expounded a remarkable and exhilarating display by the ladies’ team in what was, in the end, barely a contest.

UMRFC 5 – 10 Manchester Metropolitan University

The outstanding display from the ladies’ team unfortunately could not be replicated by the men’s team. UoM did not get off to the best of starts as a dropped ball from a high kick off foreshadowed what was to be a clumsy, incoherent contest. MMU were given a chance to attack off their own scrum but could only reply with another knock-on. Inside the first five minutes a number of mistakes were made as both sides tried to get a grip and find their rhythm. Despite this, both sets of supporters were loud and vibrant in support of their teams and an interesting territorial chant off between MMU and UoM supporters began to develop.

MMU began to dominate possession and work the phases as UoM found it hard to get their defensive lines organised. MMU’s back line looked confident and eager to make things happen, progressing into UoM’s 22 with some neat passing moves. UoM struggled to recover the ball, looking fractured. MMU’s centre was put through on a hard line and eventually scrambled over in the corner to make it 5-0.

The resulting kick off evoked a sense of déjà vu as MMU failed to catch the ball and an attacking scrum was given to UoM. This time UoM were able to work their back line into the game, putting themselves on the front foot before the forwards showed their strength and finally an audacious flick on pass found fullback Joseff Edwards in the corner. The conversion was missed and the score was levelled at 5-5.

The game remained fractured and tight despite MMU retaining most of the possession as the half progressed. MMU won a penalty in UoM’s half and opted for a kick at goal. No doubt the stadium erupted with jeers as the kick was missed and UoM were allowed to go again from the halfway line. UoM began to get a fair share of the possession, working the phases and spinning the ball out wide to winger J. Hunt, who, after showing dancing feet, was bundled into touch and certainly let know about it by MMU players as the game began to get quite feisty for the first time.

As the half progressed on you would be forgiven to describe it as error-prone from an attacking point of view, with possession perennially handed over by both sides. Nevertheless, as the first half drew to a close it would be a disservice to UoM not to credit them on their tireless defence as they held out for a constricted half-time.

UoM came out in the second half looking fired up and raring to go, putting in a few big hits and their stamp on the game. But, like the first half, their share of possession was lacking due to frequent mistakes. It wasn’t too long before UoM conceded another penalty and were pinned back in their own 22. Several more penalties were conceded before the pressure told and MMU were able to finish off in the corner. Score 5-10 as the conversion was missed.

All UoM needed now to get in front was a converted try but, after building some momentum, number eight P. Marmoin was sin-binned. Further momentum they built was again thwarted by a string of errors and a short interlude courtesy of a couple of brave streakers. The last ten minutes of the game was all UoM as they looked for that elusive breakthrough. Hooker J. Mowatt made a good break out of his 22, UOM won a penalty on halfway and went for the corner. Unfortunately no breakthrough could be found as the ball was knocked on in midfield. The game drew to a disappointing end as UoM were ultimately unable to take control of a clumsy, tight and incoherent game to edge past their fierce rivals.

Police evict squatters from city centre

Written by Araddhna Patel on 17th October 2016. Posted in News.

Police began evicting squatters from their encampment across from the Ducie Bridge Inn in Manchester city centre on the morning of Tuesday 11th October.

They had previously been evicted from the pub itself, but had set up tents on a grassy knoll across from the site and decided to stay there instead. Around 30 homeless squatters had been living in this pub for several weeks—including a pregnant teenager—even though a Manchester County Court judge instructed the squatters to leave the site in September.

Christopher Blaine, spokesman for the group, spent over 10 hours on the roof of the pub in Manchester city centre in protest, during which he shouted abuse at the police. The protesters had previously stated that they would resist efforts from the authorities to evict them, as they believe it is a violation of their human rights.

The Ducie Bridge Inn first opened in 1923 and was closed in August of this year. It is thought to now be ready for demolition, but builders have reported the presence of asbestos at the site so it may require further work before construction of new buildings can start . The ‘NOMA’ scheme, part owned by The Co-operative Group, is set to build offices on the 20-acre site, set to create four million square feet of offices, homes, shops, and leisure facilities at the cost of £800 million.

Security staff working for NOMA told the Manchester Evening News last night that the squatters had been evicted ‘for their own safety’, as there is asbestos within the building.

The squatters have argued that the development of the area should instead be focused on the housing needs of the locals and the homeless.

Charlotte Cox, a journalist for the M.E.N (Manchester Evening News) reported on Twitter that some of the remaining campaigners claimed that they had to take their belongings with them, so refused to leave. One squatter said: “This isn’t a game—people are dying on the streets. Police telling us to move our stuff; where [are] we moving it to?”

Later, Cox reported that many of the squatters left, and were said to be moving to a site near Salford Central.

Bob Dylan is awarded Nobel Prize in Literature

Written by Roma Havers on 17th October 2016. Posted in Books.

It has been revealed this Thursday 13th of October that Bob Dylan, who recently turned seventy-five, will be awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature for 2016. Dylan is most known for his activist folk songs such as Blowin’ in the Wind and Like a Rolling Stone. Previous winners include Alice Munro, short story writer, in 2013, Harold Pinter, playwright, in 2005 and Seamus Heaney, poet, in 1995.

This has come as somewhat of a surprise, since, while there had been murmurs surrounding Dylan’s potential, he was certainly not the favourite going into the discussions, since his work is somewhat outside of the usual remit for literature. Several other names had been speculated, including Haruki Murakami and the Syrian poet ‘Adonis’. It has been suggested that the delay in the release of the details of this award, which is generally released alongside the science prizes that were released last week, is as a consequence of potential disagreements with the panel of judges at the Swedish Academy. Their statement on the final award was for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” Bob Dylan is the first American to be awarded the prize since Toni Morrison in 1993.

What then does this mean for the state of literature in this modern climate? Certainly there seems to have been a shift in atmosphere towards the popularity of arts such as spoken work poetry, with the BBC showcasing several spoken word events such as Words First, Brave New Voices and a live filming of Kate Tempest’s new work Let Them Eat Chaos. These performances are often musical, especially Kate Tempest’s work which is released in album form as a music piece— she too has been awarded both The Mercury Prize for music and The Ted Hughes Poetry award.

Does Bob Dylan therefore fit into this category? Symbolic of the cross-platform nature of modern artistry, with huge numbers of artists performing and releasing work on multiple platforms, actors releasing books, performers who write and act their own work and music that is also poetry. Despite some arguments, this isn’t a new phenomenon, clearly, since Dylan’s work epitomises the crossovers between music and poetic genius. In this way it almost seems as if Dylan’s work across the decades has foreshadowed, or even fore-fathered this new wave of boundary-crossing, multi-platformed work.

As Bill Wyman wrote in 2013, when pre-empting Dylan’s win, he is the ultimate poet, he is “demonstrably timeless”. Master of his realm and endlessly innovative and fully engaged in activism, Bob Dylan certainly transcends the over-simplistic title of singer-song writer. He has written novels, Tarantula, and made films and played his hand at many different artistic endeavours, and succeeded, having won Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys.

As stated in Time’s 100 Most Important People of the Century he is “master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counter-culture generation”, with such accolades as this under his arm is it truly so surprising that he has been awarded this step? I would argue in this case that this choice echoes the cultural zeitgeist, wherein the words, content and emotional and political drivers come first in literary works, form and structure come after. Of course this folk-singer-writer-protester-activist-poet and self-defined “Spokesman for a generation” is the new holder of the Nobel Prize in Literature award. We are in the age of the consummate artist, and it is Bob Dylan’s constant renewed energy and inspiration that makes this award so richly deserved.

British universities use trigger warnings to help students’ mental health

Written by Elrica Degirmen on 17th October 2016. Posted in News.

Across the country, many students are being given pre-lecture warnings in order to notify them about potentially disturbing content such as violent crimes, racism, and abortion. These notifications are known in the academic sphere as “trigger warnings” and a range of universities, including the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics (LSE) and the University of Edinburgh have already included them in their teaching.

This is a result of a recent trend that has arisen in US colleges; that many students are given the option of leaving a lecture on the grounds that the material presented would be too upsetting for them to experience.

However, many academics are completely against this measure, including Professor Dennis Hayes, who works at the University of Derby as well as being the Director of Academics For Academic Freedom. He has stated that the use of trigger warnings is akin to treating students “like children” and that they “corrode free and open debate”.

The Cambridge classics scholar Professor Mary Beard shares his views, affirming that students should “not be shielded from difficult subject matter.

Many argue that trigger warnings are a help those who suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety. Gabriel Moshenka, lecturer at University College London, states that students are free to leave her lectures if they feel distressed. She claims that these measures are necessary if the content being presented might induce psychological trauma at any level.

Most recently, undergraduate law students at the University of Oxford were issued with pre-lecture trigger warnings. The result was an outcry as to how students at one of the very top universities in the world needed to be placated when dealing with topics necessary to the study of (criminal) law.

A spokesperson representing the university stated that “the University aims to encourage independent and critical thinking […] however there may be occasions when a lecturer feels it is appropriate to advise students of potentially distressing subject matter”.

Izzy Gurbuz, Wellbeing Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union speaking to The Mancunion said: “Trigger warnings simply allow those whose mental health could be significantly affected by certain topics to make informed decisions about their health. For example, adequately preparing themselves so they’re able to take part in particular discussion, or avoiding a situation which would cause them flashbacks or a panic attack.”

Student mental health is a growing concern. According to research by the National Union of Students in 2013, it was reported that “20 per cent of students consider themselves to have a mental health problem”, which suggests that a lot more needs to be done to tackle mental health within our universities.

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