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Month: November 2016

Kyle Walker is developing into one of the best in his position

Written by Dane Massey on . Posted in Sport.

England’s 3-0 victory over old rival Scotland put them in a commanding position to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill all scored headed goals as England dominated proceedings at Wembley and ended a turbulent year on a high.

The year 2016 has had ups and downs for England, but one of its major positives has been Kyle Walker. The Spurs full-back has impressed both club and country, making the right-back slot his own.

Walker has come a long way in the last three seasons,he has been one of the most improved players in the Premier League and has become an asset for both Spurs and England. His club manager Mauricio Pochettino has been instrumental in his development as he continues to evolve into one of the finest full-backs in Europe.

In September, Walker followed his England team-mates Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Dele Alli in pledging his long-term future to Spurs, signing a new five-year deal. Walker stated: “It’s like my second home and I’m happy to commit my future to Tottenham.”

His magnificent form for Spurs has helped him maintain his place in the England squad, but now he is firmly established as England’s first choice right-back and his performance against Scotland on Friday fully justified his selection. Walker was outstanding, and although Lallana won man of the match, the man from Sheffield ran him very close and could easily have picked up the award.

Throughout the game, Walker was a constant outlet on the right hand side. He provided England’s width, hogging the right touch line which allowed Lallana to drift infield and influence proceedings. Sturridge opened the scoring midway through the first half, meeting Walker’s inch perfect cross before second half goals from Lallana and Cahill sealed a routine win for the three lions.

At 26 years of age, Walker is now approaching the best years of his career and he is playing week in week out. In his development years however, he found it hard to pin down a permanent position in the Spurs and England XI’s.

When Harry Redknapp signed Walker for Spurs in 2009, he immediately loaned him back to his hometown club Sheffield United where he spent another season before going on loan again to Aston Villa a year later. Since his return to Spurs in 2011, Walker has been a permanent fixture in the team but in the last two seasons he has answered his critics emphatically.

Walker has always been a useful player offensively, but the defensive side of his game has often been questioned. However, his defending has improved remarkably and last season he was part of the joint best defence in the Premier League playing 33 games for Spurs. So far this season Walker has retained his position, playing all 11 of Spurs’ league games.

Over the past couple of seasons, Walker’s all-round play has been wonderful. Part of Pochettino’s high-energy game, Walker is a player who bases his game around energy as he is relentlessly up and down the right flank. Many aspects of his play are reminiscent of Juventus and Brazil right-back Dani Alves, who is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs of the modern generation.

Walker has not had his place in the Spurs and England defence put on a plate for him, he has held off stiff competition. In 2015, Pochettino splashed out £4 million to sign former-Burnley defender Kieran Trippier who has kept Walker on his toes and perhaps brought out the best in him. Trippier is no slouch, and when selected he rarely disappoints, but Walker’s excellent form is severely restricting Trippier’s game time.

At international level, Walker missed out on Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad selection and was overlooked again two years later for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Walker played second fiddle to former-Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson, but since 2014 he has held off competition from current Liverpool full-back Nathaniel Clyne and his consistently good performances have made him one of the main-stays in the England team in the past two years.

Euro 2016 may have been a disappointing campaign for England but Walker was arguably England’s star performer. In the aftermath of the tournament, England has played five games and Walker has played every minute of all of them.

With England continuously failing miserably in major tournaments, it is clear they have weaknesses. However, it is also clear they have strengths in the team and one major strength is the right-back position where Walker is showing the consistency and efficiency required to be one of the best in his position for many years to come.

 

Live: Local Natives

Written by Stuart Grantham on . Posted in Music.

8th November at Academy 2

7/10

Local Natives are a band that understands silence. The very beginning of their show at Academy 2 was not a mess of noise, but a calmer introduction that flowed around the venue, tempting the audience’s ears to reach out to the breathy, airy, harmonies of the band’s three falsetto singers. As the drums dropped in, suddenly filling the empty space with the hyperactive booms of tom toms and the white noise of cymbals, every audience member snapped out of their now-unimportant conversation to listen to what the band had to say. They were right to listen.

The setlist spanned Local Natives’ three critically-acclaimed albums: Gorilla Manor (“an exuberant crazy time”, guitarist/vocalist Taylor Rice tells me), Hummingbird (“getting all these issues out of our system”) and this year’s Sunlit Youth (“full of optimism and hopefulness”). These albums are snapshots of the band at different points in their lives, and after their killer opening I wondered how they would pull these disparate moments into a cohesive show. My fears were dissolved by excellent use of staging and song choice that the band displayed.

Performing in a line with just the drummer behind gave equal importance to all members, neatly communicating Rice’s earlier claim that, “our band is such a democracy, not just one person’s vision; we have three singers, and three songwriters.” This approach was aided by the band’s onstage rapport; members interacted, chatted, and for a very personal performance of ‘Columbia’ stripped down to Rice and childhood friend/keyboardist Kelcey Ayer before slowly rebuilding as the song built up. The staging nicely divided up the disparate tones of the tracks, aided in part by the great song choices, using the sadder, quieter songs as breaks from the upbeat ones. This is what I mean when I say they understand silence, you cannot have huge tracks if there is no room for them to breathe.

One track — ‘Sunlight Youth’ — stood out from the rest, however, not only because of its positioning at the heart of the set but also because of its political subject matter, amplified by the oppressive subtext of that night’s US presidential election. The topic dominated not only the song, but also our earlier interview; Rice explained, “we had a dawning realisation that we have a microphone and a stage…there are things we have to address. I wish this election wasn’t about who had emails here, or who’s a sexist or a racist. I haven’t really been sleeping and it’s all we’ve been talking about; one of two different worlds is going to triumph tonight”.

One song — ‘Fountain of Youth’ — made their allegiance clear, with Rice singing: “I think we better listen to these kids”, meanwhile the usually lame lyrics: “I can’t keep pretending that I’m still asleep” resonated across the venue with cheers of “Hillary”. That comment summed up a large part of what Rice — and many Americans — have been going through: they are not just a divided and fighting nation, they are tired. The whole band seemed to emulate this, especially as the show was the last date of their UK tour. Towards the end of the gig, the finality of everything really started to hit home, as the bands emotional dreadnoughts started to rock the crowd.

As the gig wrapped up with a two-song encore and a closing promise to return to Manchester again, Local Natives appeared to be a more positive, close-knit  band than the one I saw two years ago at Latitude Festival. The band’s “West Coast Indie Rock” style may be less fashionable than when Gorilla Manor debuted in 2009, and their political messages seem childishly basic compared to acts like Run the Jewels, but it is hard to hate them, especially when the crowd is harmonising the vocal hook of ‘Who Knows Who Cares’ as the band leave the stage smiling.

As for Rice, and the nightmare-come-true election result he woke up to, I strangely have hope. One thing that struck me in the interview was his love of his home, California. Faced with the joke question: “What’s your favourite colour?”, he answered seriously, giving a long description of a mountainous view opposite the San Rafael Hills of LA. He described how he sat in his kitchen looking out and writing song after song. Even though he had used so many words, his answer was simple: home.

Album: A Tribe Called Quest – We Got it From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service

Written by Will Whiting on . Posted in Music.

Released November 11th via Epic Records

8/10

Almost eight months after the heart-breaking news of the loss of legendary Tribe member Phife Dawg, A Tribe Called Quest have released the album that was always hoped for, but never expected. After over a decade of squabbles within the group, an off-the-bat performance of ‘Can I Kick It?’ on Jimmy Fallon set aside any differences between the Queensbridge quartet, bringing them together in Q-Tip’s custom made New Jersey studio. The new release not only contains raw and real Phife bars recorded before his passing, but features a host of the leaders of the new school.

Merely a quick gaze at the song titles on this heavily anticipated album proves that the group have not produced an outdated bunch of old school tracks. ‘We The People’, ‘Dis Generation’, ‘Conrad Tokyo’ and ‘Movin’ Backwards’ headline a track list that combats the prevalent issue of race relations in modern America, all released only a matter of days after the unprecedented election result that confirmed this album’s propriety. Q-Tip’s hypnotic hook in ‘We The People’ even directly satirises the Republican party and its views on ethnic minorities, combined with a creepy synthesised instrumental perhaps meant to reflect the very nature of the President-elect himself.

Track three ‘Whateva Will Be’ sees the return of the vintage Phife Dawg flow we have yearned to hear more of for so long. His first verse, and probably his most characteristic, sees Phife spit about what ‘the system’ in his country wants him to be despite him being the antithesis. A cocky Phife acknowledges his ‘fourth grade reading level’ but boasts his rhyming ability, all paying tribute to his life-long strong character, an attribute that is heralded continuously throughout this album by his group members and by the new rap figures who feature. Accompanied by the funky instrumentals that we heard so many times on The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders, listeners will find it hard to believe that there was such a significant space of time between these releases. It is clear that, aside from the politics, the group have attempted to pay tribute to old school styles amidst an ever-changing rap industry, Phife being the focal point.

Deeper into the album, Q-Tip’s creative genius is boosted with features from Elton John and Jack White effectively incorporated, while still maintaining a signature Tribe style. Andre 3000’s contribution to ‘Kids…’ makes for an experimental vibe which may be loved by some and loathed by others. The features on this album also work to pay tribute to and push forward the new talent that exists in today’s rap game. Perhaps the most telling evidence of Q-Tip’s confidence in current Hip-Hop talent can be found in ‘Dis Generation’, with the legend rapping “Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendrick, Cole, gatekeepers of flow, they are extensions of instinctual soul.” This positivity is yet further bolstered by a song tailor-made for promising individual vocalist Anderson Paak, followed by a technical, well-delivered, and politically charged verse by people’s favourite Kendrick Lamar. In a time where confidence in the future of Hip-Hop is often a rarity, it is refreshing to hear raw new talent alongside those considered greats in the game.

This album acts as a time-capsule in detailing many aspects of Hip-Hop in 2016. It details the political volatility of the present-day United States and the ways that Hip-Hop combats this as a genre. Moreover, it identifies those who are seen as the cultural leaders of today’s rap game, coming from the mouths of those who developed the genre from its roots. Musically, it effectively combines techniques of production from old-school and new-school eras. But most inspirationally, this album pays tribute to an individual who was the spirit of the genre, and one of its most valuable assets: the late great Malik Taylor, a.k.a. Phife Dawg.

Review: The Full Monty

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Theatre.

The Full Monty has come to Manchester over this winter period at the Manchester Opera House, and it is well worth the watch. Smutty, naughty, and still able to tug on the heartstrings, the Full Monty is both excellently acted and brilliantly produced.

Famous for TV roles in The Bill, Hollyoaks, and Dancing on Ice (the winner, don’t you know), Gary Lucy showed his experience in the role of main character, Gaz, in this performance. The squeaky high pitch character was hilarious and emotive throughout, as his relationship with Kai Owen on stage was believable. It felt as if the two Sheffield born characters had been friends for years – not that they were just two actors from Essex and Wales.

The whole show is performed in front of the same backdrop, with very few changes to the props around, but this does not take away from the experience. You soon begin to forget that the Conservative Club, garage, and home all look very similar.

Gaz is a jack-the-lad type of guy, who steals and sells his way through life, trying to earn enough money to look after his child who lives with his ex-wife. Gaz, however, is running out of money fast and sees an opportunity for him and his friends to make some money – stripping. The men in his team of male strippers vary from the rhythmically challenged, the old and decrepit, and the well-endowed. Filled with penis jokes galore, and some sexy (?) dancing, it is one definitely for the mums (although I would not suggest sitting next to your own mum), but I think that everyone on some level would enjoy this show.

There’s a few questionable accents throughout, but that is easily made up for with the hilarity of the show and dance numbers. However, it is not just filled with gags, as it also explores sexuality, body image, and how the working class of Sheffield, like many cities across the country, were hit by unemployment during Margaret Thatcher’s era.  All of the six men that become a group of strippers, do it through desperation after being stripped of their jobs as steal workers under the Tory government. We explore their battle with money, employment, and family dynamic.

Documentary picks of the week

Written by Alasdair Bayman on . Posted in Film.

Lo and Behold:  Reveries of the Connected World

Werner Herzog — whether in Jack Reacher or in Grizzly Man — will always serve a nasal Germanic expression of humanity’s true nature. The director’s movement away from fiction films towards documentary continues in his latest film Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World. The film serves as an introspective look into the world of the internet from the standpoint of Herzog. What is achieved through this is a unique, non-biased view of the pros and cons of our digital age. The possibility of machines making films is something that is brought up in Lo and Behold, yet one thing is certain — they most definitely would not hold as much inventiveness and prominence as Herzog’s film catalogue.

 

Photo: BBC

 

Planet Earth II

Whether you are young or old, the great David Attenborough is indisputably the face and voice of natural wildlife documentary. His previous work in Planet Earth cemented his legendary status in the eyes of younger generations as possibly the greatest documentary zoologist to have ever lived. Airing 10 years after the original, Planet Earth II is the next logical evolution of the nature series. It is testament to the man himself that he has lived through so many technology and natural changes in the world and can still contribute significantly to a show of this status. What the series has already offered in just one episode is just short of breath-taking television. Forget King Kong vs Godzilla, the new monstrous fight is iguana vs snake. On a cold Sunday evening, there is no better way to wind down than witness some of Earth’s greatest spectacles narrated by one iconic voice.

Top 5: Studio Ghibli Films

Written by Myriam Raso on . Posted in Film.

5. Kiki’s Delivery Service

Turning thirteen for this witch is not just a celebration of becoming a teenager. Kiki must leave home like all young witches and embrace another city with her special talent for a year to begin her training. With her trusty sidekick, a talking cat Jiji, she travels to a delightful seaside town where the owner of a bakery allows her to stay in the annex. In return, Kiki uses her broom to deliver the baked goods and other items around the city. In a world where humans and witches interact happily, this film is a simple coming of age story where through trails and tribulations Kiki will find herself.

4. My Neighbour Totoro

Even if you haven’t seen this classic animation you will surely recognise its cuddly character Totoro. This story takes us through the lives of two young girls and their father as they move to an old enchanted house to live closer to their ill mother living in a hospital not far away. At the end of their house is a forest where the two sisters venture into and find these incredible creatures who will take them on spectaculor journeys and thrilling adventures, becoming the fascinating group of friends, you will all want to be a part of. Let this film enlighten your imagination.

3. Ponyo

The captivating story where the land and sea meet in a tale of love and adventure. A little boy, Sôsuke, lives a peaceful life with his mother by the seaside. One day he finds a goldfish trapped in a bottle and saves her, but he will soon find out that this goldfish, named Ponyo, is not your typical household goldfish. Ponyo is the daughter of wizard and sea goddess, she uses her parents magic to slowly transform herself into a little girl. This change in the magical world leads to an imbalance in nature and now the world is in trouble. Ponyo and Sôsuke take on the challenge to save the world.

2. Howl’s Moving Castle

A young hat-maker, Sophie, finds herself slowly falling in love with a handsome magician, Howl. Until the wicked witch of the west curses her, turning her charming looks into a wrinkled old woman, but Howl sees through the exterior and becomes infatuated with inner beauty. Unable to work she flees to the hill’s where she finds Howl’s extravagant moving castle. Inside she befriends a fire demon, Calcifer, whom she becomes extremely close to and together they plan to save themselves from their troubles, but in the mean time break the self-indulgent Howl to faces his problems also.

1. Spirited Away

This wonderful animation tells the story of a young girl, Chihiro, moving to a new town with her family, but all is not what its seems. Within minutes we are thrown into the mysterious world of magical witches, eight-legged boiler men and humans turning into pigs. The film is set in a bath house where incredible creatures and talking animals travel to for a relaxing wash. We follow Chihiro and her new enchanting friends, including her trusty confidant Haku a beautiful ice blue dragon, as she struggles to save her parents from the evil bath house owner Yubaba.

A post-Trump journalistic meltdown

Written by Edie Walwyn on . Posted in Opinion.

A well behaved journalist would remain calm in the event of the extraordinary, domestic or indeed, international. Recognising the need for circulation of honest information in a healthy, functioning democracy, they write with their minds — not their hormones. They have a duty to produce rational, well-written arguments, perhaps even entirely neutral, in order to deliver information to the masses. After stating a claim, they would back it up with reliable, tangible evidence. If journalism had a superhero (barring, of course, Clark Kent), they would be merely known as ‘Reliably Impartial’!

Yet, each time I attempt to write an article on ‘Let’s Show Those Silly Liberals Whose Boss: Episode II’, I find that I cannot rationally express my views on the matter into words. Even now I cannot not simply call it ‘The 2016 US Presidential Election’. As much as I want to, my fingers will not let me describe what happened on Wednesday morning with anything but utter disdain and bitterness. Although there is highly questionable post-Trump material being produced by the media, I often come across beautifully written articles that wonderfully articulate various views on Trump, Clinton, America and the World. Some articles explain why it happened, some explain what will come of it — all incredibly rational and convincing.

And I wish to produce such an article. What a difference I would be making to my minuscule, yet loyal, band of readers by constructing a hard-hitting, truthful piece of journalism, jam-packed with reliable statistics, impressive political jargon and a killer title that could trump the President-elect himself.

Alas, I have finally come to the sad realisation that it, on this occasion, was not meant to be. However, while the Rules of Journalism and I redefine our tempestuous relationship, I shall write about, and attempt to make excuses for, my lack of ability to write. As a pro-choice feminist with an immigrant for a partner, as well as a strong interest in 20th century history, I cannot remain calm when discussing the election of Donald Trump.

The venom Mr Trump has spewed over the course of his campaign makes me angry, offended, and upset. It would be deceitful to publish what would be a keyboard rage dressed up as an informative, logical piece of writing. It would be hypocritical to hide beneath the blanket of journalism, disguising the frustration and fury lying beneath.

When in a situation where I have to talk about the elections, I cannot utter more than expressions of my anger, disappointment and despair. At this moment, I cannot see a silver lining, only an apocalypse. The rational side of my brain assures me that it is not as bad as it seems, but in the paranoid, emotional side everything seems to suggest the opposite.

On the 24th of June I suffered a similar ‘journalistic meltdown’ following the outcome of the EU Referendum, otherwise known as ‘Let’s Show Those Silly Liberals Whose Boss: Pilot’. I then, shamefully, spent nights drinking copious amounts of red wine and crying into my pillow, with no wise words or valid statements to offer anyone other than variations of “humanity sucks and politics is stupid,” with some added curse words.

Perhaps this indicates narrow-mindedness, bad journalism, and an inability to set aside my own experiences and feelings in order to have a balanced discussion. I chide myself with the reminder that there are many with much more at stake as a result of the election than I, and that they are able to sensibly discuss the issue. Unfortunately for me, I can only admire them with the acknowledgement that I am a lesser being.

May pledges £2bn a year to science

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The Prime Minister has announced plans to increase spending in the science and technology sector to “help put post-Brexit Britain at the cutting edge of science and tech”.

Ms May wants to transform Britain into the “global go-to place for scientists, innovators and tech investors”, far from the opinion of the CBI who have said the country is more of a “follower rather than a leader”.

“Today, Britain has firms and researchers leading in some of the most exciting fields of human discovery. We need to back them and turn research strengths into commercial success”, she said.

“That means not only investing more in research and development (R&D), but ensuring we invest that money wisely, supporting technologies and sectors that have the potential to deliver long-term benefits for Britain.”

Continuing, she says that, “it is not about propping up failing industries or picking winners but creating the conditions where winners can emerge and grow.

“It is about backing those winners all the way, to encourage them to invest in the long-term future of Britain, and about delivering jobs and economic growth to every community and corner of the country.”

The address, which took place at the Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference, has come after frustrations have continued to grow over Ms May’s leadership and lack of support for businesses.

Carolyn Fairbairn, the director general of the CBI, has openly slammed the Prime Minister’s stance on business – accusing her of effectively “closing the door” on Britain’s open economy. She also told Labour MP’s that major businesses were becoming increasingly irritated with the Conservative party’s seemingly “big business bad” message.

She said: “The UK will need to work hard to become the front-runner in global innovation, creating a pioneering economic role for itself that drives prosperity in every corner of the UK.”

Research has shown that whilst private R&D spending has risen by 5 per cent in 2015 to £20.9 billion, its share in the national income has remained the same for the last decade.

Professor Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society, has also voiced his concern. He told BBC News that, “an influx of money on its own won’t be sufficient in itself if we are to make the best use of this money.

“We need to hire the best talent. Hopefully a lot of that will be home-grown. But there is no substitute for attracting the best in the world so we can be the best in the world.”

In contradiction, Ms May, known for her tough stance on immigration, has spoken on this matter also – stating that to attract the best scientific talent, we had to bring immigration down to “sustainable levels”.

New tax incentives, such as the drop from 20 to 17 per cent by 2020 in corporation tax, is thought to be a way of influencing big companies to stay in the UK after the vote for Brexit.

On this, the Prime Minister has said: “My aim is not simply for the UK to have the lowest corporation tax in the G20, but also one that is profoundly pro-innvovation”.

Students fundraise for landmine-removing charity

Written by Katie Bell on . Posted in News.

On Monday 14th of November, students successfully organized a pub quiz, followed by a vibrant club night on the 15th, to raise the profile of landmine-removing charity The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and their upcoming auction.

The quiz took place at the social hub of Fallowfield’s student residence, Squirrels. Well-attended and enjoyed by all, the quiz proved to be a success. The mix of year groups produced a competitive occasion, as the quiz goers’ knowledge on the 90s was rewarded with a Breakout Game for first place.

While the second-best team walked home with charity gift items, third prize was free entry for the following club night. Tuesday night at Koh Tao was different to those gone before, as the team provided a night to “move for MAG” with all proceeds going to the charity. Acting as a night of promotion, the team was also proud to give female DJs the spotlight, going against the male-dominated DJ scene in Manchester and in the wider music industry.

The group was extremely happy with the turnout for the events and even more so by the growth in student awareness of the issues that MAG deals with.

The Mines Advisory Group is the international humanitarian charity that co-won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for their contribution to the campaign for the Mine Ban Treaty.

Vietnam and Cambodia are popular destinations for students who have already been travelling or who are looking to discover more of the world after studies. They are also among the main focus countries, where MAG removes mines, rebuilds communities and frees up land for cultivation and construction.

As well as increasing the profile of MAG, the students are organising a larger scale project. Their efforts will culminate in the Music Beats Mines auction, a 10-day live auction of items donated by artists and celebrities. Like previous years, the auction looks to raise money for the vital Emergency Response teams, which are the first on the scene to advise NGOs and local authorities on how to react to landmine incidents.

The student group are encouraging people to check out MAG’s website to see for themselves the life-saving work the charity carry out. They will be releasing all-important information, such as what items are up for grabs and how to bid, on their Facebook and Twitter pages. The auction kicks off on 1st of December and closes on the 11th.

“A perfect place to find Christmas presents” they say “while doing your bit to help others”.

Why was Trump elected?

Written by Dianna Ritchie on . Posted in Opinion.

In the months running up to the election, few in the UK considered Donald Trump to have a viable chance of winning the office of Presidency of the United States. Even after Brexit, most believed that Trump’s bigoted, erratic speech and behaviour would virtually disqualify him from the race.

Despite the free flow of our culture and media across the pond, very few people in the UK — or even those bi-costal city dwellers here in the US — understand what the real face of America looks like. The US likes to present itself as a hub of culture, freedom and progress. But beyond this (somewhat) well preserved facade is a poor and disenfranchised underbelly, which has been categorically ignored both internationally and within the US itself.

The results of the 8th of November were not altogether dissimilar to those of the 23rd of June. Those who understand the election of Donald Trump as the apex of the post-recession western populist movement are certainly on the right track.

Like Europe, much of the US was devastated by the great recession of 2008. Though the national average of unemployment at the peak of the Great Recession was similar to that in the UK (approximately 10 per cent and 8 per cent unemployment, respectively), many poorer, rural states in the US saw unemployment soar to around 20 per cent.

These regions worst hit by the recession have never come close to a full recovery. Take Martinsville city, Virginia, located within Henry county the worst affected counties in my home state. In December of 2015, the unemployment rate in Martinsville loomed at 9.5 per cent, higher than the national UK average in 2009. Trump won this county by 63 per cent.Trump’s criticism of NAFTA in particular, and globalisation in general, sat well for many of those living in rural communities.

Since the passing of NAFTA, many opportunities for manufacturing jobs have relocated to Mexico. Alongside this, there has been a failure in efforts to offer retraining programmes to those affected. Clearly, much of middle America did not see the same Great Recovery that the Clinton campaign talked of. This talk of progress only added insult to injury.

Like Brexit, this year’s presidential election was a chance for the economically disenfranchised to be heard. These large (often rural) communities which had hitherto been largely been ignored by Washington now had a candidate who not only spoke to them directly and candidly. Better still, this candidate was a businessman — not a politician. And even better again, a businessman who was already a household name.

By all accounts, Secretary Clinton was Trump’s antithesis. Unarguably a career politician, she had spent her life in government championing the key factors that middle America perceived as worsening their lives: globalisation and multiculturalism. While Trump denounced NAFTA for having ‘destroyed our country’, Clinton’s husband had signed it into law.

All that being said, many wonder how Trump’s anti-minority rhetoric was not a deal breaker, especially in a nation that has nicknamed itself ‘the Great Melting Pot’.

Though nearly every country has its own history of bigotry, the US is unique in how recently discrimination was legal. Interracial marriage, for example was unlawful in 16 states until 1967. It was not until the aptly named landmark case of Richard and Mildred Loving vs the state of Virginia (Loving vs Virginia) made it all the way to the supreme court, a process which took 3 years, that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were invalidated. In contrast, there has never been a law prohibiting interracial marriage in the UK.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of state sanctioned racism in the US. Though the segregation of public schools between white and non-white students was officially ruled unconstitutional in 1954, the practice did not end until well into the 1960s. Put in a more personal way, many of my friends’ parents attended segregated primary schools.

Trump’s language of hate was nothing all that new or shocking to the part of America which can itself actually remember when his speech was the norm. It is easy to see, then, why his rhetoric was overlooked by much of his electorate.

This is not to say that there were no genuine bigots among his electorate. One only needs to watch a few interviews from Trump rallies to see that many of his most ardent supporters subscribed, either explicitly or implicitly, to some blend of patriarchal, white nationalism. Trump’s appeal to America’s former glory was undoubtedly twofold — both economic and cultural.

For many of us here in the US, Trump was not a surprise — he was inevitable. America has never fully tackled poverty within its poor post-industrial communities, nor have we extended the dialogue on race much past the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

If there is any silver lining to Trump’s election, it is that the US has finally been forced to confront its issues of systemic poverty and prejudice head-on. Trump has already been elected — there is no changing that. What we can do now is continue to protest, continue to stand up to bigotry, and ensure that Trump becomes only a one term president.

Dianna Ritchtie is an American University of Manchester alumnus. 

University of Manchester rated one of the world’s best for graduate employability

Written by Elise Gallagher on . Posted in News.

The Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking 2016 was published on the 16th of November after surveying 2,500 recruitment managers and 3,500 business managers around the world to get their views on the most employable graduates.

The University of Manchester has been ranked fifth in the UK and 24th in the world in an independent league table illustrating the way in which universities prepare their students for work.

The companies surveyed ranged across all major business sectors, having more than 5,000 employees each and also recruited more than 50 graduates per year.  Those surveyed were asked to define what they look for in a graduate as well as what university they believe produce the most employable graduates.

For Tammy Goldfeld, head of The University of Manchester’s Careers Service, this graduate employability success is down to an approach dedicated to developing skills that are not only associated with conventional teaching. She said: “Alongside the practical support we give to students we encourage all of them to take part in structured activities outside of their courses, developing a leadership and social responsibility ethos which they can translate into successful future careers.”

This latest triumph is the only the most recent in an already impressive list of performances for Manchester in both UK and international league tables. The University has also reached its highest ever position of 29th in the QS World University Rankings in September and, in August, climbed six places to 35th in The Academic Ranking of World Universities.

This latest result also confirms the findings of the ‘Graduate Market in 2016’ survey of the UK’s top 100 employers which revealed that University of Manchester students are the most targeted by leading graduate recruiters.

One strong point listed by the university was the University’s Sustainability Challenge. In Welcome Week 2016, almost 8,000 first year students worked together in teams to project manage the development of a new fictional university campus. This allowed them to develop important skills and learn about issues facing the world today.

Goldfeld added: “The employers we work with consistently tell us that they value the extra skills that students gain over and above their course and this is something we work very hard to impress on our students. The placing in this league table shows that Manchester graduates are making a positive impression all around the world and taking to the first steps to successful careers.”

To view the full rankings, visit the Times Higher Education Website.

Preview: money.co.uk founder speaks to Manchester entrepreneurs

Written by Gemma Sowerby on . Posted in News.

On Wednesday 23rd of November, Chris Morling, Manchester graduate and top entrepreneur behind the hugely successful comparison website money.co.uk, will be speaking to Entrepreneurs@Manchester and the Manchester Enterprise Centre as part of their impressive speaker series.

Money.co.uk was ranked as the second fastest growing business in the UK last year by The Sunday Times, who also placed Chris in the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List alongside a whole host of successful and renowned UK entrepreneurs.

This event will showcase Chris and his enormous talents, hopefully inspiring students and future Manchester entrepreneurs. As the event description explains: “Chris is [as] passionate about creating a working environment that’s fun, challenging, and rewarding as he is making sure customers are treated fairly by financial services companies.

“Money.co.uk has been voted as one of the best places to work in the country and appeared in the top 100 fastest-growing private technology companies in Britain for the past three years. He uses his unique insight into consumer and company behaviour to respond to regulatory reviews and help shape the industry, all reasons Chris was shortlisted for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award earlier this year.”

The Manchester Enterprise Centre, based within Alliance Manchester Business School, are “recognised as a leader in enterprise education and aim to inspire, educate and develop enterprising individuals and enable them to positively impact the growth of dynamic organisations.

“Through enterprise teaching, learning and business start-up support, our students can capitalise on these research outcomes — transferring knowledge from the classrooms and laboratories to market opportunities. Enterprise at Manchester can be the driving force to improve the world in which we live — we have the knowledge and we need to apply it for economic and social gain.”

Chris Morling will be speaking on the 23rd of November at 5:15pm, in Lecture Theatre B, University Place.

Escaping the stereotype: Gary Lineker and the refugee debate

Written by Toby Webb on . Posted in Sport, Uncategorised.

Last month, Gary Lineker’s intervention into the refugee debate attracted a divided response. While many welcomed his comments, certain tabloids and members of the public were highly critical. The negative response Lineker experienced was comparable to that of Lily Allen, who also recently commented on the refugee situation and received criticism from the press.

The incident began with Lineker posting an undoubtedly provocative tweet, following scepticism from areas of the press over the age of some child refugees coming into Britain. The tweet ran as follows: ‘The treatment by some towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What’s happening to our country?’

Subsequently, he was ridiculed by The Sun, who led with a front page headline stating ‘Calls for BBC to fire Lineker as he peddles migrant lies’, also quoting Twitter users in a later article saying he should “stick to football” and that he was talking “cobblers” and making himself “look like an idiot”.

Moreover, UKIP MEP Patrick O’Flynn tweeted “If Mr Lineker wants to be Lib-Left political voice then fair enough, but get him off MOTD [Match of the Day] please. Time to pass baton to Jermaine Jenas anyway,” stating in a further tweet that “it is not appropriate for the MOTD anchor to insult the political views and affiliations of millions of licence payers.”

The backlash received by Lineker was extremely unfair. It must be said that many people welcomed his comments; the ridicule he received was from a small section of the public. The general consensus is that certain tabloids, as well as political figures and members of the public, want to silence compassionate and empathetic comments towards refugees.

Many acknowledged his bravery in speaking out on an issue people in the football world have kept quiet about. At the end of the day, Lineker is entitled to hold, and express, opinions just like anyone else.

However, to me it felt like Lineker’s opinions were being dismissed because of his status as an ex-footballer. This idea is particularly infuriating. The status of a footballer, or ex-footballer in Lineker’s case, should not deny the ability to intervene in public debate. It is clear to me that a stereotype exists, in which footballers are pigeon-holed and discriminated against because of their profession. The argument goes that they should not express opinions on political or social issues – if they do, it will be overlooked because their profession somehow confirms a lack of expertise and knowledge, thus invalidating those opinions. Many Twitter users were raising this argument.

The ability to play football has no correlation to the validity of opinion. The stupidity of this argument lies in the notion of expertise.

The existence of this stereotype, as well as the immense scrutiny from the press and public, has led to footballers appearing sterile, opting to withhold opinions, offering little in interviews and on social media other than clichés. The fear of tarnishing their reputation results in footballers remaining silent on topical and controversial issues. This makes Lineker’s comments even braver. He knew he would receive considerable backlash, and yet, he commented nonetheless. While it was suggested Lineker was merely being provocative to attract attention, I believe his entrance into the refugee debate is testament to a sound character.

The football sphere, and more generally the sporting world, is not separate and distinct from society and politics. While the ‘footballer stereotype’ and immense scrutiny is likely never to change, I think many would welcome a greater input of opinion from players and ex-players on social and political issues.

Cup North

Written by Alec Wilby on . Posted in News.

“This coffee thing better not be outside, Alec.”

Cup North, Saturday the 5th of November, arctic temperatures as we boarded the tram: I could not help but agree. Arriving at Victoria Warehouse (a short tram-ride away from Piccadilly Gardens), it initially appeared that the coffee thing was, indeed, outside; however, our fears were quickly abated.

When I bought the tickets for Cup North, I was not really sure what to expect. The website seemed very industry focused and drinking enough coffee to warrant the ticket price (£10) seemed like a logistical/dietary nightmare. Nonetheless, we soldiered on.

Within minutes of arriving, we had drinks thrust into our hand by someone from Brew Tea Co. It was English Breakfast (I think) and while it was OK, we quickly drained our sample cups to escape the grasps of the exhibitor’s pitch.

Cold brew was my main interest at the event: I read about it on the internet several months ago, and I had meant to make my own over the summer. Totally having forgotten to do so, the logical thing of course was to try it at Cup North, courtesy of Artemis. For those unaware, what separates cold brew from regular coffee is that you do not add heat in any part of the brewing process. Instead, you steep coffee grounds in water for 16+ hours and then filter it before drinking it cold. The advantage of this process is that, supposedly, you get a completely different flavour.

In practice, cold brew was everything the internet told me it would be. I’ll admit, I was sceptical that it was just a BuzzFeed summer fad but honestly, it is completely different. They had 3 different coffees on and each had a very distinct flavour in a way that coffee I make at home generally doesn’t. Artemis were selling bottles of their cold brews but also had “nitro” brews available. The twist here was that they add nitrogen gas to the cold brew, imbuing it with draught beer like qualities. One of the coffees they had was particularly different, being made from “cascara”, sometimes known as coffee cherries. Cascara is distinct from normal coffee as it is made from the skin of the bean, rather than the bean itself. The result is a fruity taste unlike any other coffee I have had. The regular cold brews were more recognisable as coffee, but the advantage of cold brew is that you get a lot of taste without any of the sharpness or bitterness of regular coffee, worth a try if you can find it.

One of the interesting things on offer at the event was a workshop being run by Heart and Graft (a Manchester-based roastery) to teach attendees more about the flavours that make up their coffee. We drank a few different types of acid (citric, malic, tartaric and lactic) and tried to identify what they taste or feel like, followed by tasting some more complex flavours (such as blueberries and molasses).

After trying the individual elements, he made us an espresso which was supposed to have pineapple-caramel flavours: the pineapple was definitely there although it was quite overpowering. With the workshop, there was definitely an element of “I’m tasting this because he told me I should”; that said, I’ll pay more attention to what my coffee packets say I should be tasting in the future.

After Heart and Graft came Kokoa Collection who, unsurprisingly, were serving hot chocolate. They had a range of different single-origin hot chocolates ranging from white up to 82 per cent, served like a latte with steamed milk: I opted for 70 per cent as a good middle ground and Pip went for 82 per cent. While he was making our drinks, the exhibitor let us try our hands at grinding cocoa nibs to make chocolate, apparently it was too cold in the hall to work (though maybe our technique was just bad). The hot chocolate itself was excellent, both were very flavoursome and the difference between the two varieties was obvious. I could not help but buy a bag to make at a later date.

After the event, we spoke to a volunteer who has worked each of the 3 years of the festival. Initially she got involved because the tickets were too expensive; however, volunteering was fun and relaxed and, “you also get lots of free coffee and you will be well-fed.” Furthermore, volunteering for Cup North is relatively easy, “all you need to do is show interest.” She found that Cup North has changed to have a more professional atmosphere this year, making the whole thing seem more “official.” Although this meant more attendees overall, she felt that there was less opportunity to have decent conversations with the exhibitors.

We definitely found that some of the exhibitors launched into their sales pitch very quickly after approaching their stall. Obviously, they are there to sell their product, however it was off-putting and led to us leaving certain stalls earlier than we might have done. That said, the reception of the event was good and attendees ranged from baristas to “people who just love coffee and cakes.” Overall, attendance was good, people seemed to enjoy themselves and the event was another success.

To anyone who has been to a beer festival, something like Cup North might seem strange. At a beer festival, (at least as far as  I’m concerned), you are intended to enjoy those drinks at that time, at that location. With Cup North though, the main focus seemed to be on taking something away with you when you leave and clearly, this affects the approach of the exhibitors.

There were other aspects to the event that we didn’t really see, such as “Tamper Tantrum” (the ‘Ted talks of coffee’) and the Cupping Lab (competitive coffee tasting) which I considered entering but we were too late. While the ticket price only covers entry, most of the exhibitors were willing to let you try their product so it was a relatively cheap, though high quality,  event. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in caffeine.

Cha-ology お茶とお菓子

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Walking along Great Ancoats Street is not pleasant at the best of times, so when I embarked on the journey to Cha-ology in the relentless rain I was less than enthusiastic. From the outside, Cha-ology looked to be on the extreme side of simplistic. However, as soon as I entered and was seated at the tea-bar (due to the cushioned floor seats being full), I knew my first impression had been completely wrong. The hanging Edison lightbulbs gave the room a warm hue and the many, tiny cooking items filled the brewing area showing Cha-ology’s commitment to serving the finest tea.

Freya and I, are unfortunately not Japanese tea experts, so had to shyly ask for some menu advice from owner Mei. She happily chatted us through the different tea options and helped us decide on some Matcha Tea with Soy Milk, some Gyokuro Green Tea, a Matcha Cheesecake and a Green Tea and White Chocolate Tart. We paid, took our shoes (yes shoes) and coats off and eagerly watched as Mei began assembling our Japanese-esque afternoon tea choices.

As soon as we saw our desserts being brought out of the fridge, we knew they were going to be exactly what was needed to brighten up our somewhat gloomy day. The Tart and Cheesecake were both an extravagant green colour, which would have been brave anywhere else but fitted in naturally to our surroundings. We took our first bites, and their exquisiteness was confirmed. The white chocolate ganache that filled the Tart was truly indulgent and the dark chocolate coin delicately placed on top was inscribed with Cha-ology’s name. The consistency of the Cheesecake was clearly perfected and the hint of green tea was subtle yet added to the overall balance of the slice well.

Once the tables prior to us were served, Mei set out to begin the mixology that was necessary for our teas. We sneaked stares at the bright green powder and the roasted tea leaves that we could see being carefully incorporated into our cups. We were then further explained to about the origins, processes and serving of the teas. This added to our authentic experience and definitely increased our somewhat limited knowledge of Japanese tea.

As it steamed in front of us, the first thing we noticed about the Gyokuro Tea was its slightly nutty aroma and light brown transparent colour. We began by cautiously sipping and passing the cup between us, which quickly turned into each of us trying to get more than our fair share. We continued to refill our leaf-filled pot three times. The Matcha Tea, known for its high caffeine content and fresh green colour, was an entirely different experience. It was presented to us in a floral bowl and the creamy texture enticed us straight away. On taste, this tea was thicker and slightly earthy and was a pleasant change to the samey teas available on the high street.

As we sipped and slurped, we admired the unique atmosphere Cha-ology has created and lounged at the tea-bar contently watching the bubbling pans on the visible hob. I was glad we had been sat at the bar, rather than on the cushioned floor, as we saw the intricate processes that went into Cha-ology’s tea and I, personally, loved eyeing up the kitchenware that I now want to add to my Christmas list.

A tournament I really don’t understand: The ATP World Tour finals

Written by Joshua Jenkins on . Posted in Sport.

Another long and gruelling tennis season is about to come to an end and that means only one thing — the ATP World Tour finals are underway. The event, which has been run annually since 1970, sees the top eight highest point scorers in ‘The Race for London’ descend upon the O2 for the grand finale. The tournament sees heavyweights such as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Novak Djokovic all compete for the end of year trophy, with a whopping $6 million prize fund, and a healthy dose of ranking points on offer.

This year, all eyes are on who will be the season ending world number one. Murray is looking to hold off Djokovic and keep his place at the top of the rankings, in what has been billed as ‘The Battle for Number One’. The rankings battle also sees Milos Raonic looking to overtake Wawrinka and become the new world number three, and Marin Cillic could become the new world number six. Here lies the problem with this tournament, has anyone ever been bothered about the actual title itself?

This year the tournament’s profile has been raised due to the Murray and Djokovic battle, but apart from this unique circumstance, what is the point every other year? With a demanding season beginning all the way back in January, we usually know who the best player on the globe is going into the event. For the last four years it was Djokovic, Rafael Nadal held the spot for a while before that, before him Roger Federer had the firmest of firm grips on the number one ranking. This year’s compelling ‘Battle for Number One’ is normally non-existent at the season-ending event, meaning that the only major prize on offer is who will win the tour finals.

This in itself is a problem. There isn’t really a place for the tournament in the calendar hierarchy. It is not as coveted as any of the four majors, it can also be argued that it is not as sought after as any of the nine masters events either. It just basically exists as a money spinner. No one is really interested. It is not a tournament that fans look forward to. How many past winners can you name? And when the discussion of what titles Andy Murray still needs to win to complete the set who ever brings up the tour finals? The answer to that is no one.

The format of the tournament is another thing that I do not understand. Unlike the normal ‘lose, get knocked out’ setup that is present in every other tour event in the season, the players participate in a round robin format where the eight players are divided into two groups, each with four players. The top two then progress to the semi-finals where normality is restored with the traditional knockout style to find the eventual winner. In trying to make money by prolonging the event for a week, the tournament just becomes meaningless. A player can conceivably lose two round robin matches but yet still win the tournament — surely defeating the idea of a tournament in the first place.

The most prestigious tournaments are bathed in history — Wimbledon and its All England Club has a wealth of it, the French Open has also witnessed historic moments (think back to Djokovic winning the title this year), I genuinely cannot think of a truly historic moment from the tour finals. It is not helped that the tournament follows the pattern of staying in a city for a few years, begins to form an identity, then packs up and roles into another location.

This stops the event from ever forming an identity — imagine the grass court major moving to a different city every couple of years. Before London the tour finals were held in Shanghai, it has also been held in Paris, Lisbon, and Hannover. Since its inception in 1970 it has been held in no less than fourteen cities. The event has had some consistency over the last few years but still far too little for what the ATP would like to think is a major highlight in the tennis season.

Live: Bugzy Malone

Written by Harrison Kersey on . Posted in Music.

11th November at Albert Hall

7/10

“0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy”. These words became the mantra of Bugzy Malone last year, most notably in his high-profile, high-stakes beef with Chip — aka Chipmunk.  As well as a war between two MCs, for many the beef came to represent a fight for Manchester’s place in the Grime scene. While the dust has now thankfully settled, with both artists moving on and making new music that isn’t solely focused on each other — thank God Twitter wasn’t around when Jay-Z and Nas were going at it — the loyalty that Bugzy gained through such out-front ‘repping’ of his hometown is still burning strong, as I found out last Friday at the Albert Hall.

The restored chapel is a beautiful, 2,500 capacity venue with stained glass windows and  antique wood panelling, and has played host to artists of international standing like Tame Impala, Jamie xx, Bombay Bicycle Club and most recently Corinne Bailey Rae. It is definitely among Manchester’s least grimy night spots, and might seem a strange place for a show like this. However this misses the point; the man who served time as Aaron Davis has since made a name for himself as grime’s “King of the North”. Bugzy Malone is a hometown hero with a fiercely loyal following, his success and status in Manchester should not be underestimated.

After a solid but unremarkable support set from Isaiah Dreads, Bugzy took to the stage looking like a road superhero in a skin-tight blue jacket. With menacing stage-presence — showing off the footwork of a practiced boxer — he tore into his set like a pitbull ripping apart a football. Bar for bar he may not be the greatest lyrical talent on the planet, but his delivery was consistently on-point.

The crowd was probably the most gassed that the Albert Hall has ever seen; a cloud of steam could be seen over the moshpits thanks to the impressive and well-handled lighting rig. Many in attendance — including several middle-aged women stood near me — rapped along to nearly every tune, including those from his new LP Facing Time which formed the body of his set. A particular standout performance came from two boys of about 12 on the balcony, to the direct right of the stage, who could probably have given the man himself a run for his money if someone had given them a mic.

The standout track of the night was the lead single ‘Mad’ from Facing Time, with the crowd shouting the words of the hook back to him louder than the monitors, the by-now-shirtless star of the show followed it with a heartfelt offering of thanks to his fans. Not wanting things to get too soppy, he then closed the show with the violence-inducing bass of ‘Moshpit Gang’, a quick goodbye, and the legendary words “0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy!”. The crowd went wild.

Fish Out Of Water: Listening to Leonard Cohen

Written by Jacob Hopkins on . Posted in Music.

Before Leonard Cohen’s passing a couple of weeks ago, I — perhaps like many people — had not actually heard a great deal of his work. The only song of Cohen’s I knew was ‘Hallelujah’, and even then that had been butchered through many a bad singalong on long road trips. So I took the opportunity to get a bit better acquainted with his work through his various phases, picking up track recommendations from not just fellow Mancunion contributor Oscar Talbot but indeed another Cohen super-fan in the form of my mum.

Following a quick primer from both of my contacts, I started out with his earliest, folky work and what first struck me was the gravelly growl of Cohen’s voice, which could not have contrasted more with the soft acoustic guitar backing. The reputation I had for Cohen was for wry, intelligent lyrics on relationships —  and in songs such as ‘Suzanne’ and ‘So Long Marianne‘  they were certainly delivered — but I was not aware that even as a young man, his voice was already prompting reviewers to hand out clichés such as “whisky-soaked” on a plate.

Nonetheless, once the shock subsided, it was hard to deny the beautiful melancholy of his work, the sort of thing you imagine could be the soundtrack to coffee and cigarettes at midnight. More often than not, I found that any excess angst was tempered with a sly streak of dry, dark humour, ‘Joan of Arc’ — on which he laments how the titular heroine had “no man to get her through this smoky night” — is a particularly good example. So far — although I would not describe myself as a huge fan of folk music — I was enjoying his work and particularly the poetic lyrics.

I then moved on from this into mid-career Cohen, keeping the gravelly voice but swapping the acoustic guitar for what sounded like a full lounge band with a bit more bounce — he even manages to go as far as a disco collaboration on ‘First We Take Manhattan’! There were some slightly more… leftfield lyrics  — I had only just recovered from the shock of the gravelly voice before Cohen growled “give me crack and anal sex” on ‘The Future’ — and a generally much more confident feel, at this point Cohen was famous, respected, and he knew it. This period of his work was certainly musically catchier, but at this point I was hooked on Cohen’s lyrics and found that his more minimal earlier material allowed his wordplay to come across more clearly.

Finally, I moved to latter-day Cohen with his last release You Want It Darker. Rather than being a footnote at the end of his career, I was completely blown away by the title track especially. The stripped-back style with bass, organ, and choir allowed the raw and poignant imagery and refrain of “I’m ready, my Lord” to shine through. I imagine there will be plenty of comparisons to Blackstar, but even as a huge Bowie fan, Cohen’s simple yet hard-hitting approach to what he knew would be his swansong ended up feeling far more intimate and must have been a tough listen for any long-time Cohen fan.

Throughout my journey through his discography, I felt that I was taking away more from Cohen’s lyrics than his music, and was keen to find out more about the man in general. Taking the time to watch a couple of interviews with Cohen in which he meditates on subjects such as love, relationships, and his depression was definitely worth it, as was reading a little around Cohen’s life. In particular, the choice he faced as a young man between life as a bohemian poet or respectably settling into the business life expected of him revealed a lot about his character and motivations. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find out that in addition to poetry, he wrote novels as a young man and given how much I enjoyed his lyrics, I have promised myself to get hold of and read these books as soon as I can!

To wrap up, I have really enjoyed being able to get better acquainted with Leonard Cohen’s work and am really looking forward to reading some of his poetry and novels. I have found that his more stripped-back work at each end of his career lays clear his gift for observing people and their relationships. Still, my focus on his lyrics should not be read as any disrespect to his musical work – I can now see that the huge outpouring of grief for Cohen was well-deserved, especially since he was clearly able to produce great music and lyrics across his entire career.

Harvard suspends men’s soccer team over sexual comments

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in News.

Harvard University has suspended their men’s soccer team this season after it was discovered that they had made lewd comments about some members of the women’s soccer team.

It was discovered that the team had produced vulgar and explicit ‘scouting reports’ rating the women on the teams sexual appeal and physical appearance.

The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper, reported that the 2012 men’s soccer team had compiled a “scouting report” of that year’s women’s soccer recruits, rating them and assigning each a hypothetical sexual position. University President Drew G. Faust instructed OGC, Harvard’s team of lawyers, to “review” the matter.

Faust, released a statement after an investigation: “I was deeply distressed to learn that the appalling actions of the 2012 men’s soccer team were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few individuals, but appear to have been more widespread across the team and have continued beyond 2012, including in the current season.”

She added: “The decision to cancel a season is serious and consequential, and reflects Harvard’s view that both the team’s behaviour and the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our community.”

The men’s soccer team is currently ranked first in the Ivy League men’s soccer table and was one win away from a guaranteed NCAA tournament spot. However, since the team has been shut down for the rest of the season, they automatically lose their spot.

Athletics Director Robert L. told the Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper: “We strongly believe that this immediate and significant action is absolutely necessary if we are to create an environment of mutual support, respect, and trust among our students and our teams. Harvard Athletics has zero tolerance for this type of behaviour.”

He added that the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response will work to “further educate” not only the soccer team, but all student athletes in general.

Pieter S Lehrer, the men’s soccer team coach, said in a statement: “We are beyond disappointed that our season has ended in this way, but we respect the decision made by our administration. We accept responsibility for our actions, and I know that we will use the experience of this terribly unfortunate situation to be better.”

The six women from the other team wrote an article entitled “Stronger Together” for The Crimson, strongly condemning the “scouting report.”

The article also read: “The sad reality is that we have come to expect this kind of behaviour from so many men, that it is so “normal” to us we often decide it is not worth our time or effort to dwell on. [We are] beyond hurt to realise these individuals could encourage, silently observe, or participate in this kind of behaviour, and for more than four years have neglected to apologise [until recently].”

They concluded: “I can offer you my forgiveness, which is — and forever will be — the only part of me that you can ever claim as yours.”

The women’s team have since invited the male side to join them in their fight against “locker room” culture.

Review: Louder Than Words Festival

Written by Gurnaik Johal on . Posted in Books, Music.

The Louder Than Words Festival, a weekend of discussions and performances about music writing, brought the likes of The Fall, Thunder and Kraftwerk to The Palace Hotel last week. The many panels on the craft of music and writing were filled with critics, journalists and biographers, with a special focus on punk music. The events were wide ranging, with the relationship between music and writing explored in book launches, performances and slam poetry.

The first event I saw was “Punk or Professor”, a panel about music journalism and whether it needs to be taught at universities. There were many interesting points raised about the differences between music journalism and traditional journalism and how writing style has to differ when writing about music.

Music writing was further explored in “Write on, Brother” a discussion between Daniel Rachel (Isle of Noises) and Patrick Humphries (Nick Drake: The Biography). It was full of anecdotes about meetings with the likes of Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan but also went in depth into how to conduct interviews and how to go about writing biographies or music reviews. Talks like these make the Louder Than Words Festival a worthwhile visit for aspiring music writers.

The highlight of the festival, for me, was John Robb’s conversation with the iconic punk/hippy/drummer/artist/poet/ philosopher Penny Rimbaud.

While punk was talked about in depth in “The aesthetic of our Anger” and “Punk @ 40”, here Rimbaud managed to talk of zen buddhism, Donald Trump and world peace in one breath. As the founder of one of Britain’s first communes he had a lot of insightful things to say about religion and politics — needless to say, things got philosophical very quickly.

There was a lot more to see and certainly something for everybody, so I’d definitely recommend going to an event or two the next time the festival comes around if you’re interested in music, writing or journalism.