Skip to main content

Month: March 2017

Preview: Manchester Lift-Off Film Festival

Written by Eliza Slawther on . Posted in Film.

On the 27th, 28th & 29th of March 2017, Lift-Off Film Festival is coming to Manchester. It will be held at Texture which is located on 67 Lever St, Manchester City Centre.

The festival seeks to promote the best of independent film making, from both students and professionals. Screenings include challenging features, short films and documentaries. The festival will end with a networking event and local filmmaker showcase.

The line-up includes:

Northern Lights, Directed by Nicholas Connor.

Northern Lights is a coming-of-age film starring Katie Quinn as a young girl named Emma, who wants to enjoy her final years of youth but is weighed down by anxiety and pressure from her mother.

The Botanist, Directed by Maude Plante-Husaruk & Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis

This award-winning short is about Raimberdi, a botanist who built his own hydroelectric station in order to aid his family’s survival during a crisis.

Where the Windmills Are Directed by Mads Erichsen

This Danish film will premier at Lift-Off festival, and is a story of young love in a school in Denmark.

To see the line-up, buy tickets and watch the trailers, visit the Lift-Off website which can be found here

Ben Pohlman Co-Director and Co-Founder of Lift-Off has said of the festival “Our film festivals are the perfect place to meet up and coming filmmakers at various stages of their careers, from new to award-winning talent, as well as other industry professionals. Through the Lift-Off Film Festivals, we aim to build a community of talented filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We’re all people who love compelling storytelling and good cinema”.

James Bradley Co-Director and Co-Founder of Lift-Off commented; “Getting into any Lift-Off Film Festival is a massive achievement. The world of independent film has grown so much over the years that many of the grass rooted filmmakers and emerging professionals are left without much of a platform any more. We felt that many of these artists who were producing exceptional work were being hugely ignored – and deserved to be seen!”

Controversy: Are sex-specific abortions OK?

Written by Jake Jones on . Posted in Opinion.

Ethics Professor and accomplished women’s rights campaigner Wendy Savage has come under fire from The Mail on Sunday and pro-life advocates for her support of sex-specific abortions.

Prof Savage, member of the British Medical Association’s Ethics Committee and long-time pro-abortionist, has voiced her support for sex-specific abortions. Her reasoning? It’s fully in the rights of a mother to terminate her pregnancy and decide what to do with her body.  Her comments follow recent statements by back-bench MPs to reinforce current laws which forbid sex-specific abortion, spear-headed by Conservative MP Fiona Bruce. 

Existing laws which forbid sex-specific abortion mean that many doctors deny women the chance to learn about the sex of their foetus, due to fear of prosecution.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Prof. Savage stated that making a woman have a child of an unwanted sex “is not going to be good for the eventual child, and it’s not going to be good for [the mother’s] mental health…it’s her body and her foetus, so she should have that information”.

The Mail on Sunday published Prof. Savage’s interview on the front page with the headline: “Let mothers abort babies of ‘wrong’ sex,” inferring the ‘wrong sex’ to be female, much to the dismay of pro-choice campaigners and other medical institutions who recognise Savage’s long-term support for women’s rights.

The ethics of sex-specific abortion are much debated and have caused a great divide in opinion, as not only do they involve the ethics of abortion but also the rights of unborn female foetuses.

I believe that the right to abortion is essential for gender equality, as without this right a woman with an unwanted pregnancy is forced to see it through until birth and expected by society to raise the child for years to come.  Women have a full moral right to do what they want with their bodies and not be burdened by an undesired pregnancy.  Not permitting abortions places women at risk, forcing them to seek riskier, illegal means of abortion.

However, the thought of a woman terminating her pregnancy due to the sex of foetus could be seen to be, in the words of Tory MP Mark Field “utterly abhorrent.”  It’s easy to accuse such a woman who commits such as act as being sexist and heartless for ending a potential life on the basis of its sex organs.

However, there is very little evidence of women choosing to abort based on the foetus’ sex alone, according to the Department of Health.

Other opponents of Savage’s views draw attention to China, where the combination of the one-child policy and desires for sons to carry on the family name and to assist in manual labour have resulted in baby girls being killed to enable the family to have a boy.  This caused the Chinese population to become disproportionately male-dominated, and critics of Savage argue that similar could happen here in the UK.  It seems highly unlikely that a similar situation would occur in the UK as it has no history of female infanticide and our society certainly does not favour baby boys over girls.

Critics of sex-specific abortion don’t take into account genetic disabilities which can be more likely to appear in one sex over another, and it is already common practice to abort on the grounds of a risk of severe genetic disease or disability.

Sex-specific abortion should be allowed to give women full freedom of choice and control over their bodies.  Who is anyone else to tell them otherwise?

Live: The Orwells

Written by Irune Vega on . Posted in Music.

Sunday 5th March at Gorilla

7.5/10

Having performed the night before in Bristol, Chicago band The Orwells brought their garage rock to Manchester. This time, they came with a set of songs from their new album Terrible Human Beings.

The deranged (as NME quite correctly puts it) Dead Pretties supported the band, setting the most awkward atmosphere. The lead singer shouted at the people in the back — one would have thought he’d come off the stage and drag you to the first rows — to come closer. Then, 30 minutes of mosh pits later, they left the stage the way a rebellious, 21st-century-society-hater band is expected to do — flying drumstick included.

When The Orwells finally made their entrance into the fairly crowded venue, guitarist Dominic Corso introduced the band to the crowd: “We are The Orwells from the United States, and are now in the United Kingdom”. ‘Black Francis’, from the band’s new album was the first song to be played. However, it was ‘Dirty Sheets’, one of their oldest songs, that made most of the crowd go mad and sing the lyrics as if they were the ones asking the woman in the song to “be their saviour”. It was surprising to see that the crowd recognized and sang new songs such as ‘Hippie Soldier’ from beginning to end, or at least in the case of those less acquainted with the song, the catchy back vocals “sha la la la”.

Mario Cuomo, smartly dressed for the occasion with a golden-sequined jacket, is a phenomenon that must be analyzed on its own. His facial expressions varied from an everlasting smile to completely inexpressive at times. He danced around, dove into the crowd, and livened up the gig with his quirky behavior. The rest of the band, however, did not interact much with the crowd, other than one moment when Matt O’Keefe (guitar) started joking around and pretended to sing the first lines of ‘Wonderwall’.

Overall it was a nice gig in a welcoming venue, although it did feel like the band was unexcited about the show, which is always deflating. For example, it only lasted an hour, and when the band left the stage the stage lights were still on for about five minutes. The crowd kept asking for more songs thinking that the band had planned an encore, however soon enough the bright lights of the venue were turned on and the people kicked out. Not a good idea to do to such an excited crowd.

Students react to the triggering of Article 50

Written by Ollie Potter on . Posted in News.

Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she will formally trigger Article 50 — the formal process under the Treaty of Lisbon for exiting the European Union — next week, on March 29th.

The Treaty, which became law in 2009, made Article 50 the first official mechanism for leaving the Union.

Its five paragraphs state that the exiting member state must inform the European Council of its intention to leave, any exit deal must be approved by a ‘qualified majority’ (i.e. 72% of the 27 remaining EU states) and, interestingly, that the state has the ability to re-join the EU at a later date.

Student reactions to the triggering of Article 50 have been mixed in Manchester, surprising for a demographic commonly seen as staunchly pro-European.

Gemma Sowerby, who voted Remain, said that she was “hopeful the government will put in the time and effort to make Article 50 work for the 48%, but I’m not at all expecting that to happen.

“As a student who lived in France during my year abroad — during the Brexit campaign — it was unthinkable to consider that we would leave the EU for good, because it has brought so much to my life.

“If the government can use the next two years to assess what students gained from the EU, and do their best to replace or replicate these opportunities, we have nothing to worry about. Sadly, this doesn’t seem to be top of the government’s priority list.”

French student Julie said that, despite the Brexit vote, she still feels “really welcomed in the UK, because I am living in the North and I know people here [in Manchester] were mostly against [leaving the EU].”

However, she said: “I have no idea how [Brexit] will affect my future and I feel really concerned. Will I need a visa? Is it going to be harder to get a job?”

Overall, she has “very negative” thoughts on Brexit, and posits that people “don’t realise the impact of their decision. I believe it is more an answer to the migrant crisis than anything else.”

One student, wishing to remain anonymous, said: “I’m glad we could have a democratic say on the matter. And for that reason, I’m glad Article 50 is being initiated. I’m excited for a new future and for making the best of it!”

They also said that they were “neither here nor there when it came to the European Union,” and “would have been happy either way.”

Finally, with a sentence that few can democracy-supporting people could disagree with, they believed that “the majority had had their say and that’s the way it should go.”

Politics student Katie said: “Whilst I disagree strongly with the UK leaving the EU, I cannot be opposed to the democratic will of the people, expressed in the June referendum, being initiated by the government.

“I will never regret my decision to vote Remain, but the time has come to accept the result and make the most of it with what we can.”

Third year Politics student Calum Davies said that “the 29th of March falls at the optimum time for Britain to trigger Article 50. It is not too soon to leave us unprepared for what will be lengthy and complex negotiations, or to unnecessarily draw out the process.

“This respects both the promise the PM made to the British people, and to the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome celebrations. [With] this, we begin one of the country’s greatest and most challenging moments on good, neighbourly terms.”

Another anonymous student, expressing the view of many Leave voters, said: “People should deal with it, we’ll only know the consequences [of leaving the EU] when it happens. Everything else is speculation.”

European Council President Donald Tusk will call a meeting of the remaining 27 states on April 29th to begin negotiations with the UK, which will be led by the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.

Two arrested in Manchester connected to London attack

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Two arrests have been made in the Manchester area in connection to the Westminster terror attack in London, one of which is “significant” according to the Metropolitan Police. So far ten arrests have been made around the country, in the West Midlands and the North West.

A man, aged 35, and a woman, aged 32, were arrested in the Manchester area. A car was seized at a £350,000 property at Lawnside Mews, in West Didsbury, close to the trendy row of restaurants and bars in the suburb. Two police vans and a tactical aid unit were seen at the property, where a raid was carried out over several hours, with police taking the man into custody overnight.

Speaking to The Guardian, one resident of the gated complex in West Didsbury said: “It’s strange to think someone has been arrested here for what happened… it’s a nice gated complex with families, kids and professionals living here.”

Another resident spoke to The Manchester Evening News, saying, “I’m shocked… Of all the places, West Didsbury — it’s such a wealthy, academic, middle class area… It’s unbelievable that something linked to a national incident is happening around here.”

John Leech, former MP for Withington and Councillor for West Didsbury, said: “We do not know the details of the arrest, and whilst incidents like this can be alarming and worrying for local residents, I want to send my reassurances that Didsbury, and Manchester, is an international, welcoming, open, tolerant, diverse and most importantly, safe city.

“But if anyone has any information at all, please contact Greater Manchester police on 101.”

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said, in relation to the arrests: “The horrific events of London have affected people across the nation and we know it has been felt strongly in our communities, here in Greater Manchester.

“In light of an arrest in Manchester overnight, I want to offer my strongest assurances that we are here to support our communities and will robustly investigate any reports of hatred towards anyone. We have reviewed our patrols to ensure we provide visible reassurance.

“Terrorist acts and hate crimes are committed by a tiny minority of people and are not representative of the public. We need to work together to defeat those who seek to destroy our communities with hate, fear, and violence.

“I urge people to come to us with any concerns you have, with the knowledge that we stand with you and will take action against any criminal behaviour.

“You can speak to a Neighbourhood officer, or call 101, if you are concerned about anything, and always call 999 in an emergency.

“I want be clear that there is no specific intelligence suggesting that there is any raised level of threat within Greater Manchester.”

This is a developing story, and we will continue to bring you more details as the situation develops.

The future of journalism by future journalists

Written by Jacob Nicholas on . Posted in Features.

As The Mancunion winds down for the year, we thought we’d leave you all with some wanton self-indulgence. We spoke with the rest of the editorial team to see what they think about the future of journalism, from the decline of print to the rise of fake news and political interference. Their responses show just how important student media is to our egos, and not to our readers.

Our editors showed themselves to be petty, frustrated, and barely literate. We’d like to thank the lonely middle-aged men for keeping our comments section alive and filled with bile.

Finally, we hope reading this inspires you to get involved in the glorious nonsense that is print journalism—we’ve certainly had fun.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

In my 30s, Why oh Why?

I will be the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

I talk a lot of shit about people with huge salaries and little effect on the world, but secretly I want their jobs. Hopefully I’ll be one of those awful bourgeois caricatures soon.

No comment. I don’t want to reach for the stars and have my dreams come crashing down when I read this in 30 years and look at my life compared to what I expected it to be.

I will have just received my first promotion that finally means I can start to pay off my student debt.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

On the future of print:
Do you read a print newspaper? If yes/no why?

If by that you mean pages 8 and 9 of Features in The Mancunion, then yes — but only as a narcissistic self-validating pick-me-up every Monday morning after delivering them around campus for hours.

Yes, because I am Editor-in-Chief of one.

I read the Guardian or the i when I’m at home. I can’t afford to buy a daily newspaper at uni, and I do feel slightly guilty about that. I hate the Metro with a burning passion – it’s where journalism goes to die.

I never learned how to goddamn read.

Where do you see the future of print heading?

Becoming more dependent on people who are getting closer to death. Why is this being printed?

It won’t be long before we’re all living under sea level, and I hear ink tends to run when it’s wet. Seriously though, I think most journalism will have gone online and print media will be polarised between luxury publications for conspicuous consumption, and DIY-independent papers that aren’t concerned about profit.

I see it heading online, but what would I know?

I don’t even know where my own future is heading – what makes you think I’d be able to predict this?

Photo: Images Money@Flickr

On paying for journalism:

Do you pay for journalism? If yes/no why? Would you in the future?

I pay £1 a week for the New York Times, because apparently my anti-Trump vehemence is worth £52 a year — ouch.

If I ever become rich enough to afford such a luxury then maybe, but for now austerity wins.

Not yet. I fantasise about one day being financially stable enough to give money to The Guardian.

Do you think media can survive without charging for its content?

More hot takes is the answer
No, but hopefully outlets will look to support day-to-day coverage with sales of more informative, long-read content for those who wish to pay. In an idealist’s world.

‘Media’ can ‘survive’ through just about anything, because we’re a ballsy bunch who are physically unable to back down.

I’d like to be optimistic and say yes, but who am I kidding? I would rather see ads than pay at this current and desperate period in my life.

No.

Photo: pixel2013@pixabay

On fake news:

What’s your view on the rise of fake news?

It makes people respect real news more so it’s not too awful, and forces people to triple check their sources which is never a bad thing.

From my hotel window I can see a few arctic worms screaming at the sight of the tip of a historically-continuous iceberg.

The Daily Mail has been doing it for decades, what’s new?

Why do we need fake news? The real news is surreal enough.

Fake news? Sad!

How do you think it should be tackled?

Keep making glib jokes about it, that’ll help.

Whine and moan on social media, and sip tea angrily, because those are some of the things we do best here in dear ol’ Britannia.

If we know that it is ‘fake’, does it need to be tackled?

More lies, as our reality is a symbolic construct and fantasy to hide us from the traumatic real inside our hearts so who really wants the truth anyway?

Photo: altogetherfool@flickr

On politicians having control over the media:

Thoughts on announcement that George Osborne is new Editor of Evening Standard….

It’s a joke! Proof the media isn’t unbiased. Nothing we didn’t already know though…

I guess we all shouldn’t have bothered building up experience in student media as clearly that’s not what counts.

As a rich white male, he’s clearly a disadvantaged member of our society. He needs all the help he can get to get a job. We should be grateful to this man for making an often ignored sector of our society visible in the media.

Will he write all his articles in cocaine braille?

What do we do in a world where POTUS openly disparages and bans the media? How can it be tackled?

Carry on regardless.

Someone give Donald a history lesson — a totalitarian regime attempting to stop freedom of expression doesn’t usually end very well.

I hoped that Trump’s election would signal less dependence of the UK to the whims of America. I was wrong. So very wrong.

Memes.

On diversifying media:

The media industry is still not a very diverse environment, why do you think this is?

Never underestimate the supreme self-confidence that cis/het white guys have in their own opinions.

It’s all about contacts unfortunately — I think lack of representation means people think their voices and opinions don’t matter and we need to combat that

Because working for free requires money and I don’t think there are enough access programmes. Also, some of the jobs (like critics) are dead men’s shoes.

I think the freelance aspect of journalism is quite daunting for working-class students. Also, it takes a lot of confidence to go into a career in the media (the public can be overly critical).

How can it be changed?

Hire people who don’t look and sound like yourself and your entire staff. It’s literally so simple.

More diversity programmes and more diversity shown on the mastheads to encourage people who wouldn’t normally to apply.

Ban the employment of white, middle class, straight, cis-gender men.

Ban banning.

Have you encountered any obstacles in your attempts to pursue journalism as a career?

Money money money. Everything’s in London and it’s soul destroying so I refuse to move there.

Never in all my life have I encountered any difficulty whatsoever, because I’m a straight, cis-gender, aristocratic white guy who went to private school and will inherit a shitload when Mumsie and Dadsie go bye-bye.

My inability to read or write.

My own sensibilities.

On the future of traditional student media:
Do you think traditional student media’s reliance on funding from their Union or University affects their editorial independence?

No, of course not, the SU absolutely love free speech and invite everyone to have a say, no matter what their views, nobody is banned or silenced, ever.

I just need to check with Naa Acquah about that one. One sec.

Things get frosty from time to time.

#TeamNancy

The Tab has seen the introduction of for-profit student media, how has this impacted on traditional student media?

It’s made us up our game, a lack of competition could lead to us becoming complacent.

I personally think for-profit content could revolutionise student media, but I can’t discuss The Tab in particular because I immediately projectile vomit whenever I think about them.

The Tab is to The Mancunion what Solange is to Beyonce — pretty cool right now, but lacking lasting appeal.

What’s The Tab?

What is the future for print student media and student media on the whole?

I think it’s got some time left in it still — it provides such an ideal opportunity for students to get hands on experience in the industry alongside their studies.

The keyboard warriors who comment on every article will eventually implode with anger, leaving only the ghost of comments’ past.

The Mancunion will be the last one standing following the inevitable Hunger Games-esque standoff that is on the horizon. All others must be eradicated.

Like I’ve said, there’s just something about seeing your name in print. And anyone is lying if they say otherwise. Long live print student media!

Finally, what’s the best thing about being an editor at The Mancunion?

Being part of a team and meeting new people—plus it doesn’t hurt that it’s good for the CV.

The really helpful constructive criticism I have received in the comments section.

It’s been great for my ego and also it’s pretty cool making an actual paper every week.

The questionnaires for sure.

Top 5: Album closers

Written by Joe Casson on . Posted in Music.

5) ‘This Must Be The Place’ by Talking Heads
Placed at the end of 1983’s invariably funky and agitated Speaking in Tongues, ‘This Must Be The Place’ is a warm embrace that sees David Byrne, usually the uncomfortable skeptic, finally write a straightforward love song. Talking Heads didn’t totally abandon the weirdness though — they all swapped instruments to record this song, and when performed live Byrne sings it to a lamp.

4) ‘Impossible Soul’ by Sufjan Stevens
“Don’t be distracted”, sings Sufjan, six minutes into this gargantuan closer to his 2010 electro-orchestral nervous breakdown The Age of Adz. Skipping from autotuned soul to marching music to the tender singer-songwriter style Sufjan is more known for (accompanied by everpresent sputtering electronics and sweeping brass), this track demands your closest attention. It’s a wildly ambitious end to a wildly ambitious album, and Sufjan pulls it off commendably.

3) ‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ by David Bowie
With typically cryptic (and, in the context of his death, rather tragic) style, Bowie closed last year’s Blackstar with this deeply satisfying cut. Looking back to the 1970s with streaks of harmonica (referencing ‘A New Career in a New Town’ from Low) and a Young Americans-style saxophone solo, Bowie cruised into the sunset with a knowing wink.

2) ‘Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2’ by Neutral Milk Hotel
Every track on Neutral Milk Hotel’s 1998 masterpiece In The Aeroplane Over The Sea is superb, but the closing track does the most to tie together this simultaneously enchanting and deranged work of magical realism. After singing the final line “don’t hate her when she gets up to leave”, Jeff Mangum did exactly that: you can hear him as he puts down his guitar and leaves the room. He didn’t return to public life for nearly a decade.

1) ‘New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’ by LCD Soundsystem
With its New Wave influences, Talking Heads-fawning and persistent disco grooves, 2007’s Sound of Silver is a tribute to New York City in many symbolic ways. It’s only on the weary final track that LCD Soundsystem make this explicit, though, as the band turn their tribute towards Lou Reed’s retro ballads. Before the track’s cathartic blow-out of an ending, the subdued instrumentation allows James Murphy’s witty songwriting to shine, as he pens an open letter about his complicated relationship with the city that made LCD Soundsystem great.

Only four UK universities see sexual assault as ‘mitigating circumstances’

Written by Araddhna Patel on . Posted in News.

According to an investigation by babe on the The Tab, a student news website, as few as four British universities regard sexual assault as reasons for granting students mitigating circumstances.

52 universities in total were contacted for this investigation through Freedom of Information requests, but only 16 responded.

Of the 16 that did reply, all have a clause in their policies on extenuating circumstances for students who have been a “victim of serious crime” or similar, including sexual assault. However, only four universities explicitly cite sexual assault within their guidance.

As reported by the Independent, Oxford Brookes University told babe that they did not decide to list sexual assault or any other particular examples in their regulations because “the University believes that the regulations should reflect a very broad range of circumstances; from physical or mental illness, through family and other personal difficulties, to the impact of work on students’ studies.”

A petition was made by Birmingham students when a student was raped on their year abroad, failed their exams, and was refused extenuating circumstances. Since then, Birmingham officials have edited their policy on mitigating circumstances to include sexual assault as a circumstance that is significant enough to affect the academic ability of a student.

Other institutions such as Cardiff University and the University of Sheffield have also altered their guidelines after the backlash received by Birmingham.

University College London also expressly mentions “sexual assault” and “rape” within their policy on mitigating circumstances.

The University of Manchester policy on extenuating circumstances states that “grounds for mitigation are unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on the academic performance of a student.”

A spokesperson for the university told The Mancunion: “The policy then provides four examples of circumstances that may be deemed as mitigating but these are by no means exhaustive and individual applications are judged on a case by case basis.”

Izzy Gurbuz, Wellbeing Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union, also told The Mancunion: “Sexual assault is very likely to fall under that definition [unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances that could have, or did have, a significant adverse effect on the academic performance of a student], and our Advice Service hasn’t seen any cases where the University has not considered sexual assault to constitute mitigating circumstances.

“There is sometimes, however, an issue around the requirement for evidence. The University often accepts letters from the Counselling Service or the Students’ Union Advice Service for a range of circumstances where appropriate, for example mental health problems. However there have been cases where mitigating circumstances panels demanded police reports from victims of sexual assault. This presents a real barrier to victims of sexual assault, as reporting rates of these crimes to police are low.

“Our mitigating circumstances policy is currently under review and I have proposed that evidence in cases of sexual assault is explicitly addressed.”

An anonymous student who has been a victim of sexual assault told The Mancunion: “It is not shocking to me that this is the case. Universities request evidence for illnesses, death of family members and if you have jury service on the day of that exam, so of course they would ask for evidence of sexual assault or rape.

“I hope the policy at Manchester changes so it includes victims like myself in their guidance and we do not suffer even more.”

Live: Glass Animals

Written by Ben Rout on . Posted in Music.

18th March at Albert Hall

3/10

You know when you go to a gig and there’s an audience member that’s indecently and disproportionately into the music? You know the type — someone who insists on extending his arms fully to emphasise the beat, more often out of time than in, with a metre-radius void of empty space surrounding him, no-one willing to risk permeating his sea of obnoxiousness in case they attain a minor injury. Well, what do you do when that person is the frontman of the band performing?

Unlike body-shaking white boys before him — Samuel Herring (magnetic), Thom Yorke (endearing) and David Byrne (transcendent) — Dave Bayley of Glass Animals’ sterile wiggling is difficult to watch. It’s quite honestly impressive how Bayley can reach the dizzying (or should that be bile-inducing) heights of slimeballery matched only by AM-era Alex Turner.

Perhaps it’s difficult to dance with any kind of subtlety when Paul Epworth is pulling the strings attached to his limbs. That’s right: renowned industry hack Paul Epworth — responsible for the larger chunk of landfill indie that has made the last ten years chiefly depressing for fans of guitar music — has ‘executively produced’ (whatever the fuck that means) Glass Animals’ two albums, 2014’s Zaba, and last year’s effort How to Be a Human Being (the title of which is presumably taken from the agenda of a team meeting for the lizards at Epworth’s label). Like Dave Bayley’s unfortunate dance moves (nothing screams authenticity like sheepishly swaying on top of the kick-drum — Death Grips they are not), it’s difficult to tell what aspects of Glass Animals’ act are genuine and what was thought of in the boardroom.

Epworth’s industry cynicism is a spectre that looms over the entire set — quite literally in the form of their giant, and frankly offensive, pineapple-shaped disco ball. Either Glass Animals are crazy bastards and purchased this grotesque tumour of crude oil in a KLF-esque move of decadence, or Clive from marketing has a new bullet point for the ‘Passion for Excellence’ section of his quarterly performance appraisal. This hanging sequined scrotum actually reminded me of the episode of the Simpsons where Cypress Hill mistakenly take the London Symphony Orchestra intended for Peter Frampton’s performance. Accidental appropriation is the only conceivable explanation for its presence, because the implication that the music of Glass Animals is at all danceable-to is as laughable as Dave Bayley’s dancing.

The rest of the band are sort of just there, though occasionally prance up to enact the homoerotic Guns N’ Roses-style rock ‘n’ roll cliché of playing their guitars into each other like a bunch of sixth formers. Nice work lads!

I know thus far I’ve made it through this review without even discussing their music, but Glass Animals make it easy by having mixing so atrocious that it’s virtually impossible to ascertain a single ounce of melody. When the mixing isn’t so horrendous to convince you that Glass Animals aren’t playing in another building entirely, the songs are just average. That or they’re blatantly plagiarised from house music, and Timbaland and John Frusciante’s work from the early to mid-2000s — not coincidentally the era that most of tonight’s audience grew up in.

God damn Lindsey Buckingham and Rostam Batmanglij for their pioneering drum production in letting hacks like Glass Animals get away with writing completely vacuous songs by burying them entirely beneath the drum kit. And the alt-J-inspired nonsense lyrics are so obnoxious and empty, the only worthy comparison Dave Bayley’s dancing.

The audience, by the way, are so invested in Glass Animals that they maintain a constant volume of chatter throughout the whole set, which Glass Animals need to subtract from any vindication they get from their admittedly huge applauses (which exponentially decrease over the course of the evening — go figure).

File Glass Animals with the mounting portfolio of acts like CHVRCHES, Moderat and Slaves inexplicably able to sell out Manchester venues thanks to stellar marketing and having one good song (respectively: The Mother We Share, Bad Kingdom and… um…). File Glass Animals with acts like Imagine Dragons, Twenty One Pilots and Jungle who hid their unoriginality and dullness behind glossy production and marketing nonsense. Glass Animals are a GCSE music project gone too far. Glass Animals make me want to throw away all my patterned short-sleeved shirts. Glass Animals’ last album probably got four stars in the NME. Glass Animals are the Hoosiers for 2017. And the singer is crap at dancing.

Pie and Ale

Written by Kirstie O'Mahony on . Posted in Food & Drink.

As I stepped out into the relentless, bitter rain, and didn’t curse its appearance, I realised I was a changed woman.

Me, a south London lass with a propensity for saying “innit” and “fam” at every possible opportunity, now feels at home in what my parents affectionately call “the arctic wastelands” of the North. I’ve even started saying ‘our kid’ and ‘gone west’ non-ironically.

It’s not just my vocabulary that has changed though — my palate has definitely transformed since I made the move to Manchester almost three years ago. That’s why on that rainy night, I decided to take my boyfriend (Latvian born and bred, who now also feels at home in the city) to Pie and Ale, a haven of pastry and gravy.

Drenched to the bone, we entered the restaurant and were extremely thankful for the warmth and shelter it provided. We were greeted by Jay, who was happy, bubbly and showed us to a table immediately. I asked what locally brewed beer they had and unfortunately he replied they only had one on draft, a hoppy American Pale Ale brewed just outside of Manchester. Nick had a sip and said it reminded him of a forgotten barrel of hops, abandoned in the October rain. In other words, it was definitely an acquired taste, but grew on me immensely as I kept drinking it… quite like how I feel about the city it was brewed in!

To start, we ordered a portion of falafel to share — I may now be an honorary Northerner but I do find it somewhat difficult to let go of my deep-rooted pomposity. There were six falafel balls served with warm pita bread, rocket and chunky red pepper hummus. The falafels themselves were absolutely exquisite, as they were moist, had a slight kick and contained whole chickpeas that gave a wonderfully varied texture. The hummus was incredible, with red pepper giving it a sweetness that really complimented the falafel.

For our mains, I ordered the goats’ cheese and spinach pie with mash and minted peas, and Nick ordered a wild game stroganoff pie with mash and honey roasted root vegetables.

When they arrived, I was in awe. They were the size of my face, swimming in gravy and were adorned with little pastry decorations: A duck for Nick and a sort of squiggle (snake?) for myself. I did find the fact that they put the mash on top of the pie rather than underneath it somewhat peculiar but hey, I was in an edgy pie joint after all. I had to expect they would take any opportunity they could to mix things up. I mean, they had salt and pepper in reused pale ale bottles… I definitely respected their commitment to the alternative cause.

Back to the pies though. As soon as I cut mine open the sweet earthy smell of goats’ cheese filled the room. Or at least our section. The crust was cooked with chives so the whole pie had a distinct oniony taste. My last minute addition of red cabbage was, as it turned out, a very good idea, as the sourness of it cut through the richness of the red wine gravy.

I’m also one of those people who tends to put salt on everything, but my whole dish was seasoned almost to perfection. I did try to add a little bit of pepper however, but it wouldn’t come out of the holes poked into the cap of the pale ale bottle it came in. Turns out being hipster isn’t always the most pragmatic of options when it comes to condiments. As I continued to eat, it became a little repetitive and was in the end difficult to finish. So many carbs!

Nick felt that his pie, despite it sounding delicious on the menu, had a problem. The meat overpowered the few mushrooms there were, leaving just the texture behind with the taste of meat, which he said was slightly unpleasant. The sauce, though, was  incredible, and the whole dish extremely comforting. In fact, he said the game reminded him of cold wintery days in Riga, and hunting in the forest on weekends. The pie itself though was also distinctive to the North of England and he felt that when it was in his mouth he was straddling two worlds, feeling at home in both simultaneously… OK he didn’t say quite that, but words to that effect. Something like “it’s a nice pie,” or whatever.

We ordered apple and blueberry crumble for desert, and as we waited we became fixated on the exposed brick wall that our table was next to. Suddenly, we realised that an imperfection in one of the bricks was exactly the same as an imperfection in another one five bricks over from it. We then came to the realisation that this was not in fact exposed brick, rather it was a plywood imitation. This amused us immensely, as the lengths they went to appropriate the aesthetic of run-down inner city restaurants that you stumble across when lost (and that surprisingly make the best food you’ve ever tasted) was just extraordinary. Again, a round of applause to their commitment to being as alternative as possible. Bravo.

The crumble was incredibly disappointing, as not only was it served in a basket of puff pastry (absolutely outrageous), the filling was ice cold in the centre, having had what I can only assume was two seconds in the microwave. It was a shame, as the fruit was sweet and sour with just the right amount of cinnamon, and could have been incredible.

Overall, we both had a lovely time, but other than the starter, neither of us were blown away by the food. The pies are all around a tenner each, and although they were both warm and homely, they didn’t exactly live up to their price tags. Still, at £43.60 between us, it didn’t break the bank, and now have the authority to go back to our respective families over Easter and say “yes, I went to a restaurant dedicated to pies. I’m a different person now. I’m grown. I’m independent. I’m Northern” (sort of).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Written by Lily Carden on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Cookie Recipe
Oven at 170˚C
Makes as many as you want, but I normally make 18, using 2 trays with 9 cookies on each
Don’t forget to grease the baking trays or use baking paper

Ingredient:
100g soft butter
100g caster sugar or light muscovado
1tbsp golden syrup
150g self-raising flour
85g-120g chocolate drops, depending on how much you like
Beat together the butter and caster sugar until combined. It should be soft, fluffy and light in colour.
Add the golden syrup and mix it together before stirring in half the flour.
Tip the chocolate in next and gently stir to distribute.
And finally the rest of the flour needs to join the mix and stir everything until it is all combined.
Once it looks like cookie dough and there aren’t any left over bits at the bottom (if there are then add a smidgen more golden syrup) stop mixing and make as many balls of cookie dough as you want but 12-18 is best. Place your raw cookie balls onto the greased trays ensuring that they have space to spread.
Pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes, then remove and leave them on the trays for 5 minutes or so until you can move them onto a cooling rack without them breaking apart. If you want to only cook a few then the rest can easily be frozen, just make the balls, place them so they don’t touch one another on a tray in the freezer and leave for an hour before transferring to an airtight container. To cook from frozen just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Lancashire students among injured in London attack

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News.

Four Lancashire students were among the 50 people injured in the attack outside Westminster on Wednesday 22nd of March. They were part of a group of 13 students and one lecturer from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, who were visiting the Houses of Parliament as part of a two-day politics trip.

The group had just watched Prime Minister’s Questions and were leaving the area when Khalid Masood drove onto the pavement and into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge. He then crashed into railings and ran towards Parliament where he was confronted by police and shot, after fatally stabbing PC Keith Palmer.

According to an article in The Metro, students Owen Lambert from Morecombe and Travis Frain from Darwin were taken to hospital for treatment. Dr John Carter, Vice Chancellor of Edge Hill University, spoke to BBC North West Tonight about the incident; “We understand that two students have been taken to hospital but as walking wounded – one with a head wound and one with a wrist injury. There are two other students who have minor injuries who are with police and acting as witnesses.”

A statement released on the Edge Hill University website on the 23rd March said that; “One student is still undergoing hospital treatment and all at the University are wishing him well. All other students are now safely at home. Our students, their families and the staff member involved are being supported by the University. Counselling is available to all students and staff. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the events.”

Leslie Rhodes, a 75 year-old man from Streatham in South London, was being treated at hospital but according to the BBC, had his life support withdrawn on Thursday evening bringing the total death toll up to five. Aysha Frade who worked at DLD College London, US tourist Kurt Cochran and PC Keith Palmer all died from their injuries as well as Masood who was shot by police during the incident.

Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered MP Jo Cox, spoke on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme about the attack; “The first thing we need to do is to remember that this is a story about people who didn’t come home yesterday and the impact that that will have on their families, the thousands of lives that will be touched by it, the individual tragedies…”

He went on to argue that it is better to remember the victims names and the heroes who helped people during the incident than to give the perpetrator notoriety.

Andrew McDonald is coming to Castlefield Gallery

Written by Laura Joyce on . Posted in Arts.

Castlefield Gallery will host a solo show in animation by Andrew McDonald this spring. The exhibition will unveil two new works, along with an array of existing pieces created during his practice over the last two decades.

Throughout all of his works, McDonald focuses on the theme of repitition, involving him drawing the same images over and over again. The animations he creates tend to revolve around one central figure caught in a black and white dark surroundings, on a constant loop. His latest creation is slightly different.

According to Castlefield Gallery: “In a new two-channel video installation Fence/Hammock (2017), McDonald introduces two separate figures that are both busy striving for escape. One figure struggles with the entrapments of his hammock, who then fatigued from his multiple attempts to find freedom, remains caught in an inescapable stupor; perhaps content to simply dream of freedom, to dream of another place. Another figure climbs over a fence and runs off, only to reappear on the screen. The figure is relentless in repeating these actions, despite making little progress at all. Where is freedom to be found here, on the other side of the fence or in resolving to make peace with the futility and absurdity of the situation?”

Castlefield will also host the premiere of another of McDonald’s latest works called Restlessness (2017). Following the flow of liquid as it gurgles, splatters and stagnates, Restlessness explores the never ending journey of free-flowing water. Some of the artist’s works that will sit alongside these new debuts are Everyone wants revenge no2 (2009), Bucket (2013) and Comfort falls (2015).

Andrew McDonald’s approach to animation is quite astounding. He first set out on his creative path using tracing paper, then incorporated photocopying, editing the images scanned into his computer. Today he uses a graphics tablet, allowing him to draw directly onto a computer.

McDonald himself said, “I lose myself in the process of drawing, an escape from the world, but the end result, an art-work, is the opposite — a confrontation with the world.”

The artist’s images truly take on a life of their own, and are unequivocally exciting in their unusual ability to repulse audiences whilst compelling them to pledge their time to them. This is undoubtedly one of this spring’s most exciting exhibitions landing in Manchester.

28 April 2017 — 11 June 2017

Manchester stands in solidarity with London in Town Hall vigil

Written by Ollie Potter on . Posted in News.

A vigil took place at 6pm on Thursday night at Manchester Town Hall to show solidarity with London, following the terror attacks in Westminster on Wednesday 22nd of March.

The Town Hall was lit up in red, white and blue and the Union Flag was flown at half-mast in tribute to the victims of the attack.

Greater Manchester Police Superintendent Arif Nawaz, when asked why it is important that cities such as Manchester show solidarity with London, said: “This is not just about London and Manchester. This goes nationwide. This is about the very fabric of our society, and the fact that we live in a rich, diverse, vibrant society.

“Something as appalling as what happened resonates throughout the country and far wider. This is about having a civilised society.

“The individual who does something as atrocious as that will not destroy what we have that we hold so precious.”

John Leech, former MP for Manchester Withington and current councillor for Didsbury West, when asked about the importance of the vigil, said he was here “to show solidarity with all the people who’ve been affected by the terrible tragedy yesterday.

“Numerous events are going on around the country to show their support for the people of London, but just not London, the people from all those other countries who come to this country to visit, and some unfortunately have been directly affected by this tragic incident yesterday.

“I felt it was really important to come show my solidarity and show everyone that we cannot under any circumstances kowtow to terrorism.”

Led by Carl Austin-Behan, the Lord Mayor of Manchester, the vigil was intended to show support for the people of London, and stand together in a time of conflict and disorder.

A book of condolences has been opened at the Town Hall for people to share messages of sympathy and support. The council also accepts online entries on their website.

The attacker has been confirmed by the Metropolitan Police to be Kent-born Khalid Masood, 52, of the West Midlands.

Masood drove a rented car into pedestrians and police officers on Westminster Bridge, before crashing the vehicle, running on foot and fatally stabbing Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad officer PC Keith Palmer. He was then shot dead by armed police.

The attack has so far claimed the lives of four people, whilst dozens remain in hospital in London. The other three named victims who were killed are Aysha Frade, Leslie Rhodes, and Kurt Cochran.

Victims of the attack include three French schoolchildren, four Edge Hill University students and a Romanian couple. Three police officers, two of whom remain in a serious condition, were also hit on Westminster Bridge. Four South Korean tourists in their 50s and 60s were injured in the attack.

The Islamic State group, who often try to impose their influence any terrorist attack that occurs, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Councillor Sue Murphy, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said that “Manchester’s thoughts are with everyone affected by the sickening attack at Westminster, and especially those whose loved ones were killed or injured.

“We also pay tribute to the bravery of the emergency services, including the police officer who lost his life defending others, and the civilians who helped those injured.

“This, not the actions of those who would sow hatred and terror, is the true spirit of Britain, and Manchester stands in solidarity with London.”

Horoscopes, week commencing 27th March

Written by Emily Dadswell on . Posted in Lifestyle.

A cooperative aspect between Mars and Neptune this week sees spirituality in perfect harmony with the desire to take action across all signs of the zodiac.

Aries, March 21st – April 19th

The New Moon in Aries, early in the week, will be most significant in bringing good fortune if you keep your world open to new possibilities. However this is also a time for inner growth, ensure that your intentions take into account personal nourishment.

Taurus, April 20th – May 20th

It may be time to re-evaluate close friendships, or else a potential romance may go undiscovered. Taurus’ have good intuition for these things, so do not be afraid to make the first move, the stars really are behind you!

Gemini, May 21st – June 20th

This is the beginning of a socially agile week. Your thoughts are original and illuminating, combined with a desire to socialise, your intelligent discourse may put you in a strong position among your contemporaries.

Cancer, June 21st – July 22nd

As Mars fuels your uniqueness and identity, now is a very strong time to show your hand. The idiosyncrasies which you feel hold you back may, in fact, bring about your success if you are able to open up to those around you.

Leo, July 23rd – August 22nd

This week’s New Moon occurs in the area of your chart concerned with starting new journeys and setting new goals. Right now anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

Virgo, August 23rd – September 22nd

You are set for several very profound changes to occur in your life, especially concerning your bonds to others. The depth and fluidity of these changes may feel like a loss of control but if you relax into the flow you and begin a phase of personal renewal.

Libra, September 23rd – October 22nd
Do not expect too much of those around you, as you are at risk of severe disappointment, family bonds in particular may become difficult. Taking firm action now could be beneficial in the long run.

Scorpio, October 23rd – November 21st

This week’s New Moon should be seen as an opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate aspects of your life in which you feel less successful. Your attention to detail is heightened and can assist you in picking up the most subtle negative elements in need of change.

Sagittarius, November 22nd – December 21st
It may be tempting to pass judgement in the coming days, however this has few benefits. Instead offering kindness and sympathy will make a real difference to those around you.

Capricorn, December 22nd – January 21st
Your home becomes the focus of your energies this week. Both enriching the environment you live in and bringing yourself closer to those who surround you will bring you the most happiness.

Aquarius, January 20th – February 18th
Neptune, the planet of spirituality and inspiration, is feeding your imagination in the days to come. Receptivity, and faith in your own observations, should lead you down a creative path, do not be afraid to break away from the crowd.

Pisces, February 19th – March 20th
A more self-sufficient phase is set to begin in the days ahead. You already have all the tools you need to achieve what you desire and as the negative aspects undo themselves there is very little holding you back.

Play Basketball with UMBC at The Armitage this Sunday

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

The University of Manchester Basketball Club is calling all ballers to come represent their countries for a Charitable 3v3 Festival. Brings your flags, paint your face, and wear your nation’s shirts with pride, whether you are male or female. The event will be on Sunday 26th March, at the Armitage Centre from 4pm.

The event will include:

– Three vs three tournaments
– Three point shooting competition
– UK vs International full court five vs five final game
– Exclusive performance from the University Cheerleading Squad
– Prizes, prizes, prizes!

Squirrels’ Bar in Owens Park will be open afterwards for a drink, and will have members of the Club and other participants there to talk to. Bring food to the event that represents your home country!

Sign up will be on the day on site, and there are plenty of options:
If you turn up alone, we will put you in a team.
If two of you turn up, we will add to your team.
3 people — ready to go!

Minimum donations of £3 for entrants, and all funds will be donated towards the MS Society, which funds research and support for those affected by multiple sclerosis.

Riverdale

Written by Shema Begum on . Posted in Film.

American entertainment channel The CW is renowned for its teen dramas. However, most recently it has been very successful in its collaboration with DC Comics in bringing the popular shows Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. If you have had enough of the typical comic book action, Riverdale may provide you with some solace. Based on the characters by Archie Comics, Riverdale is arguably on its way to becoming the next hit show. Having been renewed for a second season and Netflix acquiring international broadcast rights, it is one of the most talked about shows and definitely one to watch.

The seven episodes which have been released so far have done enough to get audiences hooked. The basic premise of the show follows the titular character Archie (K.J Apa) and his friends. Archie is a talented musician and star American football player at his high school, though his father has plans for him to pursue the latter. His neighbour and best friend Betty (Lili Reinhart), struggles with an obsessively control freak of a mother, who has secrets regarding her sister. New girl Veronica (Camila Mendes), daughter of a disgraced businessman enters the town, and as expected a love triangle ensues, which thankfully lasts about two episodes. Last of the gang is Jughead (Cole Sprouse), a quick fan favourite as audiences will be all too familiar with Sprouse’s work. Jughead narrates the underlying story of the series, the mysterious murder of Jason Blossom, whose body washes up at the town lake.

Riverdale is a combination of Gossip Girl, 90210 and Pretty Little Liars. The typical teen drama and romance exists, and like the shows that have come before it, prevailing societal issues are tackled in the episodes, including race and feminism. The show is crammed with pop culture references, as though no character can go one sentence without it. It comes to a point where it is frankly just annoying, Veronica being the main culprit of this. As the protagonist of the show Archie is still yet to become an exciting character, though comparisons are made between him and Jason, which only suggest that big revelations are to come. But for the moment he is not part of the main action unravelling. Betty is the active force of the show, and despite dysfunctional families being an ongoing theme it is The Coopers who are the most intriguing.

Where Riverdale excels is in the enigma surrounding the characters and the murder. Each character is teased to be somehow either connected to the crime or having information surrounding it. Unlike some shows where it is a question of ‘whodunnit’ and the narrative becomes irritating when not much happens, Riverdale does not fall foul of this. Each episode so far has proven to be compelling, in driving the narrative forward and revealing more about the central characters, leading to some suspicions that all may not be quite what it seems. Stylistically, Riverdale is rather neo-noir like in its dark tones and neon colours, which enhance the story at hand.

It is no doubt that Riverdale is proving to be a success, as Archie Comics has signed a new deal with Warner Brothers to produce more content. It looks like the steps of the Arrowverse is being followed to create a whole new Archie universe.

The Gym: Just a way of exercising vanity?

Written by George Green on . Posted in Sport.

The Mancunion conducted a survey at the Armitage Sports Centre, the gym capital for Manchester students, and asked members there, both male and female, how regularly they compare themselves to other people in the gym — 94 per cent said very frequently, and the rest said never. This is an alarming statistic, even though the numbers are based on this gym alone, it is likely that similar figures could be applied to other gyms.

Recent statistics show that there are around six and a half thousand gyms in the UK, a significant amount more than the figures from 2016. We wanted to find out whether these fitness facilities are being used for health benefits or for people to show off.

Some gym maniacs are completely obsessed with sculpting their bodies to look ‘ripped’ and ‘hench’. That is fine, it is their prerogative. But the fact that the protein shaking show offs prance around gyms in hideous vests and then record themselves lifting heavy weights and post it online is where the problem starts. It is so gymbarrassing.

How are videos of your 240 kg deadlift or a 130kg bench press beneficial to any other member of the human race? Surely this sort of thing should be kept as a mark of an individual’s personal achievements, and not a way of attention seeking to boast these achievements to the wider world through the means of social media. Individuals have different motives for going to the gym, whether it be strength, fitness or weight loss — but ultimately the main reason for going is to improve health. That is why after being subjected to loads of these videos everyday we are left questioning the real purpose of gyms.

This week we had a look at hundreds of fitness mad Instagram accounts. The most disturbing came from a man called Charlie, who captioned his squatting video “On my way to becoming the Hulk”. He was squatting 60kg, very impressive Charlie. Another bloke called Phil only uploads videos of himself doing tricep dips very badly in his local gym in Kent. Thanks for that Phil, you can be confident that nobody in existence will ever in a billion years contemplate trying to copy what you are doing. But what makes these people feel as though they need to do this in the first place? It could be due to them wanting to impress and show off, but it could also be a result of insecurity.

The Body Coach (Joe Wicks) is a very popular figure on the web. He encourages the participation of everyone, regardless of age or ability, to become healthy by following a variety of different workout routines that could be practised in your own home. With his likeable charisma, Mr Wicks also provides a range of dietary advice to coincide with the physical demand of the workouts. This sort of thing has a very positive affect and in some way it shows that the gym is not an absolute necessity, especially for those who feel intimidated by the vanity.

It is completely understandable that people may have insecurities. The classic case of ‘small-man’s syndrome’ springs to mind. Some people who are way below average height, after comparing themselves to bigger people for many years, naturally want to make themselves look bigger. So it could be said that the gym is a successful way of restoring confidence.

One huge issue with comparing yourself to others is that people choose to go too far and occasionally feel the need to take steroids to enhance their muscular capacity — this is unhealthy and there is a lot of evidence to show how incredibly dangerous it is. This is regrettably born out of vanity and wanting to be bigger than other people.

One of the things that irritates so many people is the obsession with the summer body. It is stressed as an absolute necessity that people have to hit the gym hard in the months running up to summer. This publicised need for a flawless aesthetic body is just wrong. Why should we have to go through insane workout routines for the sake of photos or for another person’s appreciation?

With the number of gyms increasing each year, obviously a huge number of people are very fond of them and think it is a good way to stay healthy, and for the most part, it is. The main issue is that the gym has such a stigma now that it is a way of promoting vanity and it is difficult to disagree with this. Ultimately the Gym should be a place where anyone can go to improve their health, not a place to show off and compare yourself to other people.

Afzal Khan selected as Labour candidate for Gorton

Written by Lily Sheehan on . Posted in News.

Afzal Khan has been officially selected as Labour’s candidate for the Manchester Gorton by-election, following the death of MP Sir Gerald Kaufman.

Afzal Khan is currently the Member of European Parliament for the North West of England, having been elected in June 2014. From 2005 to 2006, Khan was Manchester’s youngest and first Asian and Muslim Lord Mayor. He described his appointment as Lord Mayor as “not just a win, but a big win.” He was appointed a Commander of the British Empire in 2011, for his services to community cohesion, inter-faith relations and local government in the United Kingdom.

Born in Pakistan in 1958, Khan was adopted out of poverty by a Manchester family at the age of 11. He left school without any qualifications, and worked as a cotton mill labourer, bus driver and Greater Manchester Police officer. He qualified as a solicitor as a mature student and is currently a partner at the Oldham solicitors Mellor & Jackson.

After unsuccessfully applying for selection in the 2012 Bradford West by-election, Afzal Khan was chosen from a list of five potential candidates. Coincidentally, George Galloway, who won the 2012 Bradford West by-election, is standing as an independent candidate in Gorton. Galloway took issue with Labour’s “all-Asian shortlist” for the by-election, none of whom are supporters of current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

The Liberal Democrats, who came fifth in the constituency in the 2015 general election, have also announced their candidate. Jackie Pearcy, a Gorton councillor, has been selected to represent the party. In a press release, she promised to “speak up for the thousands of residents who are angry and let down by the way this arrogant and out-of-touch Labour council does business.” Referring to the ongoing power struggles in the Parliamentary Labour Party, Pearcy said the party are “too busy fighting amongst themselves to provide a decent opposition.”

Manchester Gorton has been a Labour-held constituency since 1935. Before his death last month, Sir Gerald Kaufman was the Member of Parliament for the area for 30 years. At the 2015 general election, Kaufman won 67% of the vote.

A date has yet to be set for the by-election.

Festival friendly beauty tips

Written by Kitty Mitchell Turner on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Beauty and festivals are not two words that typically go hand in hand, probably because a) we live in England, a country that doesn’t lend itself to traditional summers and b) you are living in a tent in a muddy field without access to a proper toilet, let alone a nice sink and a shower. Yet deep down we all want to look as good as our favourite celebrities do in the photos taken of them in Coachella. So here are a few ways to look glasto glam from start to finish.

Glitter

With most people, glitter is the first thing to come to mind when people consider festival looks, and while this is all very well and good, there is far more to it than just slopping some craft glitter down the side of your face in a crescent.

Firstly, you need to have the right materials. Opt for fashion or beauty glitter rather than craft glitter (Claire’s has a surprisingly good selection and 15% student discount!) It is softer on your skin, easier to take off and does not stain skin like craft glitter has a tendency to do.  As well as this, it is rather likely that you are going to be away from your tent (and therefore your make up bag) so you want to make it stick all day and potentially all night too. To ensure this, a popular hack is to dab Vaseline or chapstick to the desired area. However,  I also like using eyelash glue to make sure it really sticks.

But why stop there? Make or buy stencils of hearts, stars, flowers etc if you don’t trust yourself to do it with a free hand. Experiment with fun eyeliner to outline shapes, add gems or even go all out and add temporary tattoos to leave you looking like the fairy version of Mike Tyson. Once you’ve customised your face (and body) to your heart’s delight, don’t forget to set it all with setting spray or, failing that, hairspray.

Make up

Make up at festivals is a bit of a tricky one. This is partly because people don’t like bringing their whole make up bag to festivals, partly because usual rules don’t apply and partly because it needs to last so damn long. Personally, I totally disregard those who advise that you should not bring your good make up to festivals. It is more important than ever that you have good quality, long lasting products to ensure longevity and minimal damage to your skin. Because of this, I prioritise my ‘vice’ eyeshadow palettes over festival snacks. As long as your items are carefully packed (I wrap my makeup bag in jumpers and cushion with socks to avoid it moving around too much during transit), I guarantee they will be fine.

Anything goes with festival make up looks, so it really is a chance to have fun and experiment. Check out Barry M and NYX for fun, reasonably-priced yet good quality items like lipsticks, bright eyeshadow palettes and eyeliners, or Lime Crime and Urban Decay if you have a bit more money to splash.

One of the most important things to remember (and one that is often over looked) is that good glitter and makeup don’t exist without good skin. Tempting as it may be to crawl into your sleeping bag fully made up, don’t. Always completely remove makeup each night and don’t forget to cleanse, moisturise and use sun cream. This will prevent spots and peeling skin, making your skin appear softer and clearer. Decant your favourite brands into miniature bottles or search for travel minis of what you use. And whatever you do, don’t solely revise on babywipes, they are made for baby bums, not your beautiful, delicate face.

Hair

One of the things I struggle with most at festivals is making my hair look acceptable throughout the duration, especially as my hair is so vibrant that even a squirt of dry shampoo shows up so obviously. My first tip here is to learn a couple of different hairstyles to utilise as your hair gets progressively more greasy. French plaits and Dutch braids look great and are super easy to do on greasy hair, space buns , regular plaits and half up-half down are all really fun to do and keep dirty hair out of your face, reducing your chances of developing spots. If you don’t venture beyond ponytails and messy buns, ask a friend to help. My friend Ella led a bit of a hair masterclass in our living room (as I think we were driving her mad constantly asking her to do our hair), or you can find hundreds of tutorials on YouTube.

As well as this, there are lots of fun accessories to add to your hair; bandanas, tiaras, hair piercings, flower garlands and large clips are just a few cheap and cheerful items you can add to your look to jazz it up a bit and are pretty cheap and available from places like Claire’s. Or, if you want to go one step further, using glitter and hair chalks are lots of fun and quick and easy to do. Heed my warning though, glitter is an absolute nightmare to get out of the scalp and will cling on for weeks afterwards.