Month: March 2017

Chuck Berry: Rock and Roll pioneer

Written by Tara Bharadia on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Music.

The original rock and roller, Charles Edward Anderson Berry, passed away earlier this week in his home state, Missouri.

You don’t know anything about rock and roll if you don’t know who Chuck Berry is. A widely-accepted view is that Berry was one of the founding fathers in the genre and a pioneer in the emerging art of stage performance. But his life wasn’t always touring on the road. Deep down in St. Louis, Missouri in the summer of 1941, Berry gave his first performance at his high school. His rendition of Jay McShann’s ‘Confessin’ the Blues’ was controversial for the times, but proved to be a resounding success and it was this success which inspired him to learn the guitar from Ira Harris.

When Berry was 21 he married his wife, Themetta Suggs, and worked several jobs in the janitorial and manufacturing sectors in order to support his growing family. It was in the 1950s, when Berry started working with T-Bone Walker, that he began to go back to his music and started performing with Johnnie Johnson’s trio. Even though the trio originally played blues, Berry played to the area by playing country music. In a later interview, Berry stated that rock and roll had always existed, just under other names such as ‘Country Bumpkin Jazz’.

After meeting blues legend Muddy Waters, he got his first recording contract with Chess records in 1955. His pioneering song ‘Maybellene’ reached number one on the R&B chart, this track is arguably the founding statement of the rock and roll genre. The mix of blues and country, original guitar riffs and storytelling lyrics made ‘Maybellene’ and the tracks to follow the first of their kind, and this new sound — while a big gamble — was a resounding success and shows true evolution of music.

His biggest audience were teenagers: Berry once commented that he wanted to make music appealing to the ‘identity of the teenager’, and ‘without showing too much love’ he was able to relate to the teenage masses. Subsequent singles ‘Sweet Sixteen’ and ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ were also hits, but Berry himself felt that the main reason for rock and roll was the times and the technology and that he, like many other musicians, was but ‘a cog in the wheel’. But Berry really did live up to the sex, drugs and rock and roll outlook of the genre, having served some jail time for both offences in 1944 and 1962.

Despite his misdemeanours, Berry achieved a lot in his time. He was the first musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, a mere year after accepting his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His clear influence over other musicians and pop culture is probably his greatest achievement, and what will make him a legend long after his passing: The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Buddy Holly all have made flattering imitations of Berry, whether it’s the eccentric guitar riffs, narrative lyrics or erratic stage performances. What’s more, you merely have to give a cursory glance to any list of ’80s hit films to find one with a Berry song, from Marty McFly’s before-his times-rendition of ‘Johnny B Goode’ to the Twist contest in Pulp Fiction featuring ‘You Never Can Tell’.

Berry’s influence is greater than any of us can imagine, but we still have new music to hear from him, almost forty years since his last album: Chuck will be released in the coming months. With music constantly evolving, it says a lot that one genre can still dominate the charts. You can’t beat good music, and as Berry said: “Only rock and roll stays.”

Sussex Varsity descends into chaos

Written by Ethan Davies on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Sport.

The annual Sussex Varsity between the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton descended into chaos last Friday, as crowd trouble marred the inter-university annual sports event.

The problems began during the men’s football match when students from Brighton and Sussex Universities began to chant derogatory statements at one another — something not uncommon for many UK university varsity matches. However, the chanting took an ugly turn as “misogynistic, homophobic, and racist language” was used.

Following this, Brighton students began to burn down Sussex banners, leading to more crowd disruption and violence between rival fans. Some were hospitalised after being hit on the head by objects launched on to the field of play by spectators. The men’s rugby match was abandoned at half time following several pitch invasions.

Police were called to the Sussex campus in an attempt to control the escalating violence by separating the two groups of fans. Bars and shops across the campus were also shut down once violence broke out, presumably to stop fans drinking alcohol.

While the men’s football and rugby matches were brought under control, there were further reports of fights between fans at the men’s basketball game, after a Brighton player was sent off. The result of the rugby match was declared null and void, and would not be counted toward the final varsity total. Sussex retained the cup for a fourth year in succession, winning 12.5 – 8.5.

Naturally, the University Sussex Students’ Union (USSU) condemned the incidents, describing them as “dangerous and disrespectful conduct” carried out by a “a small number of spectators”. As part of their preparation for hosting such a big event on the university calendar, USSU hired an external security company to control crowds and keep spectators safe who undertook a “thorough risk assessment”.

Many students blamed the trouble on the poor planning and paltry safety measures put in place. Brighton fans were moved to an unfenced area of the pitch, thus allowing pitch invaders to interfere with the match. A USSU spokesperson commented: “The decision to move Brighton spectators into an unfenced area was not made by anyone from the Students’ Union. We will be reviewing how this happened as it was not in our event protocols”.

In a joint statement, Professor Adam Tickell, Vice Chancellor of Sussex University and Professor Debra Humphris, Vice Chancellor of Brighton University said that students involved in the violence would face “serious consequences”. In addition, they commented “The scenes witnessed at the annual Varsity sports day were shocking and disgraceful,” going on to say: “We unreservedly condemn the behaviour. The future of fixtures will be under review as part of our wider investigation.”

Sussex Police are asking for witnesses to come forward and are currently examining CCTV footage of the incident.

Andy Murray in 2017

Written by James Haughton on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Sport.

2017 hasn’t been a memorable year for Andy Murray so far. While he won his first tournament of the year in Dubai a couple of weeks ago, good results in the biggest tournaments have eluded him; he suffered a surprise defeat to Mischa Zverev in the fourth round of the Australian Open — after Novak Djokovic, the man who had beaten Murray in four Australian Open finals, had been sensationally knocked out in the second round by Denis Istomin — before Vasek Pospisil beat him in Indian Wells. Murray then pulled out of Miami with an elbow injury.

Murray’s position as World No. 1 is secure for the moment, despite his poor results, because Djokovic has also struggled, failing to replicate last year’s stunning form. But once the clay court season begins, Murray will have a heap of points to defend for the rest of the season.

For Murray though, he has more priorities than just retaining his number 1 ranking. Although the Scot has long been considered a member of the Big 4, his list of achievements, while impressive, cannot match those of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In particular, Murray’s haul of three Grand Slam titles pales in comparison to the 11 of Djokovic, 14 of Nadal and 18 of Federer. Those three players have also won each of the four Grand Slams at least once. Murray will likely be prioritising closing that gap, at least somewhat, and completing the Career Grand Slam — though he still needs to win the Australian and French Opens to do so.

The next chance for Murray to add to his tally will be at the French Open in May. Clay was long considered to be his worst surface, and his results confirmed that. Until 2015, despite reaching the semi-finals twice at the French Open, he only won one match on clay against a player ranked inside the world’s Top 10 — in 2009 against Davydenko at the Monte Carlo Masters. The last two years, however, have seen a shift in results, beating the likes of Stanislas Wawrinka, Djokovic and Nadal (twice), winning the Monte Carlo and Rome Masters titles, and reaching his third semi-final, and first final, at the French Open in 2015 and 2016 respectively, losing to Djokovic on both occasions. Murray is now a genuine contender to win in Paris, a prospect that previously would have seemed laughable.

To win this year’s French Open, though, Murray will need to regain the form that saw him overtake Djokovic in the rankings last year over the next couple of months. Djokovic’s travails will make Murray’s job easier, but others have thrived this season. None more so than Roger Federer, who was the surprise winner of the Australian Open in January, and Indian Wells. In doing so Federer has played the sort of tennis that has left fans the world over captivated; he glides across the court hitting winners seemingly at will. What makes Federer’s comeback all the more incredible is that he spent six months recovering from knee surgery and beat his arch-nemesis, Rafael Nadal, in five sets, the first time he had beaten the Spaniard in a Grand Slam match for nearly 10 years.

Whether Federer will be able to continue his sensational form on clay is another matter. Over the past few years his results have been worse on it than on grass or hard courts, as the slowness of clay partly neutralises his groundstrokes. With Wimbledon and the French Open separated by just three weeks, the Swiss maestro might focus his efforts on winning an eighth title at the All England Club.

A player who will be eagerly anticipating the move to clay, however, is Rafael Nadal, nine-time winner of the French Open and widely regarded as the ‘King of Clay’. While his defeat to Federer in Australia would have stung Nadal, reaching another Grand Slam final was a great achievement for someone who has suffered debilitating wrist and knee problems over the years. Even though he is lacking the consistent brilliance that he had in his prime, his groundstrokes are being hit harder and with more venom, meaning Nadal is a force to be reckoned with over the next few months.

As well as the Big Four, an intriguing collection of players will be looking to win big titles this year, from the mercurial big-hitting Stanislas Wawrinka to the returning Juan Martín Del Potro and the big-serving Milos Raonic.

Despite the wealth of talent in men’s tennis, though, Andy Murray demonstrated last year that he can dominate the sport. If he can put his current malaise behind him and recapture last season’s form, then he has a chance to complete his collection of Grand Slam titles and thereby secure his status as an all-time great.

Review: The Olive Tree

Written by Flora Barker on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Film.

Directed by Icíar Bollaín, Spanish film The Olive Tree is a tender and heartfelt portrayal of a twenty year-old girl named Alma and her struggle to accept her grandfather’s dementia and inevitable death. Actress Anna Castillo excellently portrays the deep-rooted anger that Alma’s tough persona so clearly hides, as well as the vulnerability and hurt she has built up as a result of her relationship with her father. I was at first led to believe that this anger was merely a result of the fact that when Alma was still a child her father and uncle had decided to sell her grandfather’s beloved two-thousand year family olive tree for €30,000, losing the ‘sacred’ tree forever without having a trace of where it has ended up. Initially, I was dubious about why she had become so angry about this over ten years after it had happened when — after all — it is just a tree, yet the intelligent scriptwriting by Paul Laverty meant that I was later in no doubt as to why Alma was so angry. Working a mundane job in a battery chicken farm, with the family’s restaurant bought with the money from selling the tree having failed, we are left begging the question, what did this family actually give up such an irreplaceable tree for?

The inside shots of the dilapidated restaurant and claustrophobic, dark family home where argument scenes take place in both the present, and in flashback, contrast with the wide, open space shots of the olive gardens where Alma’s grandfather searches for the missing tree. As we are taken on an on-the-road journey to get the tree back from Germany, we learn that Alma’s anger is about much more than a tree, and the film manages to explore deep set family tension against a background of economic downfall and the life-crushing effects the crisis has had on families and, in particular, the young. Although the plot can at times feel a little ridiculous, the film is successful in combining the everyday stresses of modern day life with the overriding theme of the importance and invaluableness of legacy. As Alma’s struggle to regain the tree is hijacked by environmentalists campaigning against the company which now owns it, the hype for this illustrated by the film’s inclusion of on-screen texts and in shot views of Facebook and Skype, which I feared would be over-done but just about managed to avoid trying too hard to be modern, as it worked in context with the plot. Another success of the film was its portrayal of Alma’s relationship with the various men in her life, the lack of trust for her father helping to explain why she puts so much effort into returning the tree to her Grandfather, as she loses the one man who has always loved and protected her. Humorous, sweet and tragic, The Olive Tree is certainly worth a watch.

4/5

UoM men’s football: End of season jubilation and despair

Written by Josh Gamble on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Sport.

Much like events across the world, the 2016/7 season has proven to be a difficult and challenging period for the Men’s Football Club. Going into the season, the club lost scores of players to graduation and the real world. It was always expected to be somewhat of a transitional year.

Despite the unavoidable struggle that this season was always going to be, the club has managed to survive it relatively unscathed. The 1s managed to pull of a miracle escape, the 3s and 4s similarly avoided relegation, whilst unfortunately in spite of an end of season gusto the 2s were relegated. This year also saw the club achieve international recognition as 1s captain and all-round nice-guy, Ash Silverman was selected for the England Universities football squad.

The 1s came into the season off the back of a heart-breaking 3rd place finish in the Northern 1A division in 2016. However, this year would not see the 1s hit the heady heights of the previous year. With a seriously depleted squad the team remained rooted to the bottom of the table for the majority of the year. The turbulent year was best exemplified by the struggle to find a starting goalkeeper, three different keepers would start for the 1s their first 5 games. Eventually, fresher, Joe Palmer would make the spot his own and perform superbly in the back half of the season.

A change of results for the 1s, however, would take until the last 45 minutes of the penultimate game of the year. The 1s began the second-half away to the University of Sheffield’s first team, mathematically relegated, losing 2-1. Nathan Frazer-Carroll squeezed home an equaliser to draw the scores level. With the game going into injury time the 1s were still going down, only for captain fantastic, Silverman, to steal a last minute winner and take the 1s to a relegation-decider against UCLan.

Following the late winner at Sheffield, the 1s were faced with a fairly simple scenario. Beat UCLan at home or face relegation to division 2 for the first time in long-serving manager, Stuart Leicester’s reign. The task was made much harder in the absence of Silverman, who was injured during his selection for the England Universities side. In front of a turn out of around 200 people, the first team delivered on a performance that merits the quality of their players.

Max Thompson and Ben Alport ran the midfield. Harry Chaldecott and Moses Seitler regularly embarrassed their fullbacks. The back four were resolute and strong. Even the crowd played their part, christening the underperforming UCLan right back “shit pings” following free kick scuffed along the surface – the fullback proceeded to have a mistake ridden game.

Though it took until the second half for club stalwart and captain for the day, Declan Ryder, to fittingly break the deadlock with precisely delivered free-kick. Frazer-Carroll then scored a sublime hat-trick. Late on freshers, Frank Charnock and Jak Alcock both scored eye catching goals – Charnock’s resembling a famous Denis Bergkamp goal.

The 1s ran out 6-0 winners and cemented their position in division 1A. Unfortunately the 2s could not replicate their achievement the following week, bravely losing 4-3 in their relegation decider.

Both the 3s and 4s survived with a bit of luck and hard graft. In particular the 4s survival is largely in debt to long-suffering 3rd year striker, Will Thom who returned to form this year after failing to register a goal the whole of last season. Something of club joke, Andrew Polydorou, also shocked the club and university at large as he put in several man of the match displays for the 4s.

Survival for the 3s on the other hand was largely due to the fact there was one team worse than them in Division 3A – thank you, Man Met Cheshire. Aside from results again Man Met the 3s struggled massively this year. Their torrid season was sealed by a 12-1 thrashing at the hands of Chester to round off a forgettable year.

As expected the 2016/17 season has proven to be a stop-gap season. Nonetheless despite its disappointments and trials this season has shown all that it great about the club.

There have been moments of astonishing football, resilience and dedication on display all year. The 1s survival will live long into club folklore.

Club Captain, Dylan Newman and manager, Stuart Leicester have done an excellent jobs steering the club through a potentially disastrous season. Hopefully next year will be as enjoyed by new and old faces as the previous three have been for me. Fumble over and out.

Best Greater Manchester teams to see this season

Written by Jack Greeney on 23rd March 2017. Posted in Sport.

Bolton Wanderers F.C.
League One team Bolton are pushing for automatic promotion this season. Currently sitting in 2nd and pushing to get ahead of Sheffield United for first, the Wanderers have been in fine, free-scoring form all season. The team have three home games left at the Macron Stadium and will be looking to go out and win each and every one of them: versus Chesterfield on Saturday 1st April, Bury on Tuesday 18th, and to end the season, Peterborough United on Saturday 30th. The third tier of English football may be a far cry from their time in the Premier League just five years previously: they have sunk far the Wanderers are looking to climb back up the football leagues.
How to get to Bolton’s ground: Trains to Horwich Parkway leave all Manchester stations.

Salford City
Salford City may be at the highest competitive level in their history after being promoted to the National League North last season, but that doesn’t mean they’re planning on staying there. Sitting high and mighty in third place, the Kersal-based team have been excellent all season. Half-owned by United legends Butt, Scholes, Giggs and the Neville brothers, Salford have the finances and men behind the scenes to go far. Three home games remain at the Moor Lane stadium in the regular season — versus Altrincham on Saturday 1st April, Curzon Ashton on Monday 17th, and Darlington 1883 on Saturday 29th — although impending playoffs should surely bring more.
How to get to Salford’s ground: Regular buses leave from the Piccadilly area.

Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale are chasing a late run into the playoff positions in League One this season. Currently sitting tenth in the league with games in hand, the Dale will be entering the pitch aiming to win every game between now and the end of April. Four home league games remain for the side at the Crown Oil Arena, more commonly known as Spotland Stadium, against Northampton Town on Saturday 1st April, Port Vale on Tuesday 4th, Coventry City on Monday 17th, and to end the season, Bradford City on Sunday 30th. What’s more, you can go see them play away to nearby Bury too for a local derby, on Thursday 13th April.
How to get to Rochdale’s ground: Trains to Rochdale leave Manchester Victoria station.

F.C. United of Manchester
As the largest entirely fan-owned football club in the United Kingdom, FC United provide a wholly different experience altogether. Despite being in the sixth tier of English football, the club enjoys one of the highest home attendances in English non-league football. The Moston-based rank mid-table in the National League North so far this season, with three home games remaining at Broadhurst Park versus Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday 1st April, Brackley Town on Saturday 15th, and Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday 29th. That’s not all though: FC United have a cup final coming up too, in the form of the Manchester Prem Cup, versus Stalybridge Celtic at Boundary Park in Oldham, Thursday 5th May.
How to get there: Regular buses leave from Chatsworth House and surrounding area.

Students face disciplinary action after banner drop

Written by Hana Jafar on 23rd March 2017. Posted in News.

Following the tensions of Israeli Anti-Apartheid Week (IAW) in the first week of March. Two students have been notified by University authorities that they will be facing disciplinary action for hanging a ‘Stop Arming Israel’ banner from the roof of the Samuel Alexander building.

The two second year students were seen hanging the banner on a Thursday afternoon during IAW, as others stopped to watch or take pictures. The banner was “an attempt to draw attention to the University of Manchester’s violation of its own ethical investment policy … by holding investments in companies such as Caterpillar, who supply the armoured bulldozers for the Israeli Defence Forces” according to a BDS spokesperson.

The banner was only hung for a few minutes until building security were seen on the roof, taking it down and noting down the details of both students involved.

After it was revealed that the students involved are now facing disciplinary action, a protest was organised by activist groups ‘Recognise Refugee Rights’ and the BDS Campaign. The protest is set to happen on Wednesday the 29th of March outside the very same building the banner was hung from.

Almost a hundred students have confirmed attendance to the Facebook event, the description of which states that “this is a discriminatory attack on students that seek to raise awareness of the violation of Palestinian human rights, and therefore an attack on political expression.”

The event claims that this is not an isolated event, “as students at UoM that seek to raise awareness regarding the continual violation of Palestinian human rights regularly face discriminatory opposition on matters as simple as booking a room. An attack on students for political expression is unacceptable and unprecedented.”

The description continues to note that: “We are appealing to the University to comply with the following demands: withdraw completely the threat to discipline these students [and] apologise for attempting to restrict student action.”

The protest has received support from the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union’s current BME officer, who stated that “this is an escalation in the University’s policing of students and must be challenged.” It has also garnered attention and support from other groups, such as the ‘Sussex Friends of Palestine’ group.

The two students who chose to remain anonymous came together to provide The Mancunion with a statement on the events, in which they question the reasoning for their disciplining being that they were trespassing on a roof. They claim security argued them being on the roof “was a concern for our own safety”.

However they then recount that “they proceeded to put our safety at risk by ordering us to go back onto the roof and dismantle the banner. We were both surprised by this seemingly impromptu and rash decision as it followed self-righteous claims that we had endangered ourselves and breached the university’s health and safety regulations.

Therefore they claim that the reasons of health and safety cannot “be claimed to be legitimate grounds for disciplinary action. In the absence of such reasoning, as well as inconsistency with other banner drop cases, we can only assume that we are to be disciplined for the political context in which we were acting. It is hypocritical that two students be disciplined for bringing the university’s violation of its own ethical investment policy to light.

They continued: “It seems suspicious that the political context in which we are accused of trespassing has been brought to the forefront in the disciplinary letter we received, which stated ‘you were trespassing on the roof of the Samuel Alexander building during Israel Apartheid week’.

“This reveals an underlying discrimination against the political purpose of our action, which according to justice should be irrelevant. We hope the university reconsiders their decision to reprimand us in this particular case, in addition to the unethical investments they hold in contravention of their own investment standards.”

A spokesperson from The University of Manchester, when asked for a statement on these events said that “We cannot comment on student disciplinary cases.”

A defence of irony

Written by Elliott Mills on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Opinion.

My voice is said to sound ironic. Often, if I attempt to console someone it sounds like I am taking the piss. If I tell someone I love them it seems insincere and also as if I am taking the piss. I once tried to console someone by telling them that I loved them. They told me never to speak to them again.

I chose to use irony in my last article to, amongst other things, expose the contradictions of a student who, feeling disenfranchised by the student election process, didn’t vote in the recent students’ union elections. Some readers thought that there was no irony intended. Such was my delicately crafted character portrayal.

Sentences like “yes, sure, I initially made the point that nothing ever changes, but, on the other hand, what about all those obtrusive changes?”, “yes, sure, I initially made the point that they don’t represent me because I didn’t vote, but I still think they ought to,” and having the phrase ‘ongoing contradictions’ in the title were apparently insufficient clues. The dualities of purpose were clearly deployed too subtly.

I suppose the dramatic irony worked to an extent, as readers picked up on the invalidity of the indignation in the article despite the seeming ignorance of the speaker. Yet it did not work entirely, as they then did not suspect that this may have been part of the play. It was a bit like an audience member cottoning on to Iago’s treachery for Othello only then to jump on stage and knock out the actor playing Iago.

You might have asked why I did not just say what I meant. But this question is not a simple as it may first seem.

What does it mean for someone to say one thing and mean something else? This question attempts to distinguish between ‘saying’ and ‘meaning.’ Yet, when taking note of how these actions relate to each other, then the suggestion that irony can only serve the purpose of ‘not saying what you mean’ becomes inconceivable, for meaning in speech or writing, ironically layered or not, is always in some respect constituted by the words we say or write. Even reading between the lines requires those lines to have been marked. Instead of telling a writer to ‘say what you mean’, there might be more at stake for a reader to be more careful and more attune to multiplicity of voice.

What, then, does it mean for someone to say that someone is saying one thing and meaning something else? If that first someone has read or heard the words of the other, arrived at an understanding of their meaning, but only after processing what they considered to be words which did not lead to that meaning, then I would like to know how they got to that meaning if not through the words. How exactly did those words that person encountered not lead — whether directly or indirectly, with irony, obliquely or via detours — to the meaning?

Irony openly exploits the already pluralistic and dialogic nature of words in motion. That is to say, saying one thing is often necessarily already saying more than one thing, and when I say “saying more than one thing,” I mean “meaning more than one thing.”

With irony always in play, those who are most willing to believe that meaning is behind words rather than on and between their surfaces are the least likely to scrutinise the sentences they read, and thereby more likely to take statements at their face value.

The benefit of multi-voiced discourse is that it need not finally privilege a single stance and that there is a degree of uncertainty as to how one might reduce the words down into a single line of argument; with reduce being the operative word.

There is even a systematic impossibility in arguing from a single stance, for this single stance does not glance back at the position from which the argument is made, and prefers instead to pretend that its view is universal or external. When one makes an argument, the voice used to make it is not outside of that argument describing it, but implicated inside and constituted by that argument.

A monitoring of the position from which one speaks allows for interplay rather than a severe imitation of the divine Word. And there is playfulness to this self-reflexivity. It’s just a shame that potentially my final words for The Mancunion have been from a fairly dull single stance. How iron—”

Elliott Mills is cut off by Elliot Mills who, angered, speaks thus:

“What a load of rubbish. I feel as though this guy would relate to what T.S. Eliot said: “it is impossible to say just what I mean!” I prefer to speak directly. My argument does not produce dual meanings, nor is it ‘double-voiced’.

Look: I will use short sentences to show you. These sentences are my own. They are not undercut by irony. I am externally commenting on the matters at hand. I am not inside of a ‘dialogic’ discourse. I am not implicated inside a wider argument. Plain and simple. Things don’t have to be so complex.

Finally I am telling it all to you straight, with finally being the operative word as this article will be my last for The Mancunion.

“At the end, you want a definitive statement of closure, not self-reflexive nonsense, hedging its bets at every turn,” said Elliot, an altogether easier person to talk to than the first.

He seemed to put things straight, apart from attributing that line simply to T.S. Eliot, when really it was a character names J. Alfred Prufrock through which T.S. Eliot wrote those words. So, less reductively, Eliot both said and did not say those words.

Venture further winner and runner up encourage students to enter competition

Written by Jennifer Sterne on 22nd March 2017. Posted in News.

Venture Further is the The Manchester Enterprise Centre’s competition looking to find the next big start-up from the University of Manchester.

Students and recent alumni are invited to submit a business proposal to be judged by a panel of enterprise and business experts.

Successful entries have the chance to win a £10,000 cash prize to ensure their business gets off the ground. As well as the cash prize the competition entrants have the opportunity to receive expert advice on their start-up ideas.

As the deadline approaches The Mancunion gets some insider knowledge on how valuable the Venture Out experience has been and why people should enter from previous runner up Unéné Gregory and winner Leopoldo Rodríguez.

Unéné Gregory – Venture Further Research Runner Up 2016

Photo: Venture Further

Mechanical Engineering PhD student Unéné Gregory recognised that current below-knee prostheses cannot give wearers the freedom to walk on a variety of terrains in the way that they could with their own limbs. To solve this problem, she has designed a transtibial (below-knee) prosthesis prototype that will more effectively mimic the human leg.

“The idea came about when my grandma sustained a significant injury to her lower leg,” she explained. “She fractured her tibia in three places, and, for a while doctors were uncertain whether they would be able to save her leg. Fortunately, she made a full recovery, but it got me thinking about the options that would have been available to her had they had to amputate. She could either have used a wheelchair or a basic prosthesis, which would have only allowed her to walk on level ground.

“It didn’t seem fair. If my grandma had wanted to do something as simple as her gardening, she would not have been able to do so without assistance. One of the biggest complaints from current prosthetic wearers is the lack of comfort when walking on different terrains – this is largely due to the strain being placed on the socket and residual limb as the prosthesis does not provide adequate motion.

“Instead of placing the strain on the residual limb, I wanted to create a device where the foot was able to do what it was designed to do, supporting the user’s bodyweight and allowing them to walk as regularly as anyone else.”

Using her own research into biomechanics and biomechatronics, Unéné is now developing her prosthesis in order to improve the quality of life of those who use them. The prosthesis will feature foot joints and an ankle similar to human limbs, allowing users to walk on a variety of terrains other than merely level ground.

The powered prosthesis will store and release kinetic energy while walking, as our own muscles do. Users control the prosthesis biologically, in a way similar to how they would have controlled their own leg. Unlike other biologically-controlled prostheses, which rely on reinverted nerves and surgery, Unéné’s product will be detachable and non-intrusive, allowing people to use their limbs as they did before and with minimal invasion.

At the moment, Unéné is focusing exclusively on below- knee prostheses, but she also hopes to extend the technology for above- knee amputations. Since entering the competition Unéné has been in contact with amputation rehabilitation centres who are keen to help her test future versions of her prototypes.

“It was an honour to be named as a runner up last year – I took such a great deal away from the Venture Further experience. It is one thing to develop your technology and research, but it is another to mould this into a business plan. The competition was a fantastic way to gain valuable input about my idea from experts with enterprise knowledge and experience.

Unéné hopes her experience will inspire other scientists and research students to put their ideas to the test and think about starting their own business. “To anyone thinking of entering this year, I would say just go for it. I have made some fantastic connections in the entrepreneurial community in Manchester and I now feel able to truly transform my idea into a reality. Just make sure you give yourself enough time to thoroughly complete your application – you’ll appreciate it later!”

Leopoldo Rodríguez – Venture Further Research Winner 2016

Photo: Venture Further

While studying for his PhD in Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, Leopoldo Herrera-Rodríguez identified that one of the biggest barriers to progress for scientists working with microalgae is the difficulty of preservation, and the reliance on subculturing for the propagation of specimens. In response, he founded CryoPhyc, a company which is developing a method of freezing algae to save scientists valuable time and resources.

Researchers spend tens of thousands of hours subculturing their microalgae, as this is currently the only method of preservation. Instead, Leopoldo has now produced a kit that will allow users to freeze both marine and fresh water algae, something that was not previously possible.

“Microalgae is currently attracting a great deal of attention due to its versatility – so much so that I dedicated my own PhD research and thesis to it. There are over 30,000 known species, all with different properties, and it has the potential to be used in fields as diverse as biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmoceuticals, animal feeds and fertilisers.

“A pertinent example of the huge potential of microalgae is that it is one of the primary producers of omega three. We are currently experiencing the phenomenon of overfishing, as we look to fish to provide us with this essential fatty acid, but giving scientists the tools to be able to cultivate microalgae and extract omega three this way, we can contribute to tackling a serious global problem.

“I knew that there had to be a better solution to the problem of preservation – this new method will be invaluable for scientists, freeing up time that can be better spent on research, as well as reducing labour costs. Current methods of freezing living cells result in the formation of ice crystals. These become like small blades, which can destroy cell membranes irreversibly and kill microalgae. Our kit will tackle this problem through creating a barrier, preventing external ice crystals from breaking the cell, and through a specialised compound that drives water out of the cells, stopping ice crystals from forming inside them.”

After completing his PhD in January, Leopoldo is now hoping to drive his business forward, with the first step being to develop his client base. Ultimately, Leopoldo aims to grow CryoPhyc to be a global company, selling kits to help the 30-plus countries already working with microalgae. He also plans to investigate the potential of his product for use with other cellular systems, including stem cells and human tissue.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Venture Further experience. Not only is it a great opportunity to secure funding, but the application process, and later preparing for the pitch, made us sit down and think carefully about the possibilities for the company, how it will look, and what the market is like. Taking part in this process means that it will be possible for us to transform our technology into a commercially viable product, something that might not have been an option for us before.

“If not for Venture Further, I may not have thought seriously about progressing with CryoPhyc, but the validation and confidence the competition provides really instils in you the desire, determination and motivation to take your business forward.”

The deadline for applications for 2017 competition is the 29th of March.

More information can be found here.

Ricotta, pesto and spinach lasange

Written by Miriam Mizzi on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Food & Drink.

This meat-free take on lasagne is nothing short of indulgent and it takes half the time. Impress your housemates, parents, or just treat yourself to this indulgent cheesy bake.

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the white sauce:

One garlic clove crushed

40g butter

40g plain flour

300ml of milk

Other ingredients:

One packet of lasagne sheets

One bag of fresh spinach

Half a jar of pesto

250g ricotta cheese

50g Parmesan

Sea salt

Black pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Begin my lightly frying the garlic and once finished set to one side. Next, start making your white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and then adding the flour. Stir until a smooth paste is formed and cook for around two minutes. Then, add a glug of milk and allow it to boil gently. Stir hard and slowly add the remaining liquid is small stages. Once the sauce has come to a desired consistency, add the garlic and set to one side.

Wilt the spinach either in a pan or steamer until soft.

Now, begin layering your lasagne in a baking dish. As this lasagne is especially saucy, start with a layer of pasta so the bottom holds firm. After laying the first set of pasta sheets, top with ricotta cheese and a generous amount of white sauce. Then, lay another set of pasta sheets and top these with a spreading of pesto and pinches of spinach. Repeat until you reach the top of the dish.

Finish off with parmesan gratings, salt and pepper.

Place the lasagne into the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the pasta is soft and the sauces and bubbling.

Edinburgh: Seeing the city in three days

Written by Shannon Winterbone on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Lifestyle.

Although my boyfriend and I had to wake up at 5:45am to catch the train to Edinburgh, the fairly short journey from Manchester meant that we gained a full extra day to explore the city whilst paying for two nights. We were tired from travelling early but the first day is best known as being perfect for exploring a relatively small city and getting some bearings. From Waverley Station, we took a walk through Princes Street Gardens to catch a stunning view of Edinburgh Castle. Princes Street hosts the main shopping area of Edinburgh while hiding some of the best-kept secrets; the back streets house a lot of great pubs, which all stock tens of bottles of whisky and various local ales on tap. On Rose Street, we found a great little pub serving haggis with sweet chilli sauce, probably being one of the easier ways to try this Scottish delicacy.

On Saturday, we were unlucky as we faced torrential rain, so we headed to the Royal Mile to visit The Scotch Whisky Experience. After taking a literal barrel ride through Scotland’s history of whisky-making, we were able to sample some of their local produce among the world’s largest collection of whisky. The museum is situated right next to Edinburgh Castle which, with the help of some sunshine, we spent the afternoon exploring. The castle itself is home to the crown jewels of Scotland and is the site of unparalleled views; over the battlements, it’s possible to get a panoramic view of Edinburgh, and even a glimpse of the North Sea. The castle consists of many different buildings, so it’s best to factor in 3-4 hours to discover as much about the castle and Scotland’s history as possible.

Our final day consisted mainly of visiting some of the independent pubs and whisky bars below the castle. Most pubs serve the obligatory Tennent’s lager on tap, but we also discovered Scotland’s Schiehallion, a lager with a distinctly hoppy flavour. Once we’d had our fill, we headed back to the Royal Mile to visit Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament, which stand on either side of a road which opens out to a direct view of Arthur’s Seat. This is the highest peak of Edinburgh — it rewards you with a stunning view of the city after a day’s climbing, and is not to be missed by any lovers of hiking. Realising how quickly the weekend had flown by, we then made our way back up the slight incline of the Royal Mile to catch the last train back to Manchester. Luckily, however, as it’s just a three hour train journey, Edinburgh isn’t too far away to visit again in the near future.

Tracks of the Week: 27th March

Written by Amy Matthews on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Music.

1. Weirds – ‘Phantom’

Leeds based band Weirds have only recently stormed onto the scene with their debut track ‘Valley Of A Vision.’ Their newly released track ‘Phantom’ from their up and coming debut album Swarm Culture out in May is reminiscent of early The Wytches or Foals. It’s addictive, dark and loud, yet still upbeat. Aidan Razzall’s screeching vocals add weight to the track’s overall heaviness. At just over two minutes long it certainly leaves a long-lasting impression.

2. Lorde – ‘Liability’

Grammy award winning 20 year old Ella Yelich-O’Connor, follows up with a second single from her second album ‘Melodrama’ arriving in June. Liability highlights the insecurities and struggles of early adult life. Its mellow, sad and relatable. The subtle piano in the background allows O’Connor’s powerful vocals to take centre stage. Its slow and emotional, it’s not your generic pop song. It’s clear that Lorde is one of the most powerful female musicians in the industry right now. Her new sound is refreshingly mature, exciting things lay ahead for the New Zealand singer-songwriter.

3. The Amazons – ‘Black Magic’

The Reading indie rockers follow up a stream of successful singles and EPs with ‘Black Magic’ a track that hints at what is to come for the band, before their debut self-titled album is released in June. Quite possibly one of their biggest tracks to date, its beaming guitar riffs in the intro are distinct and entrancing. Matt Thomson’s lyrics explore feelings of being stringed along and let down. It’s loud and catchy, it’s a song that you can’t help move to. After one listen, you won’t be able to get it out of your head and with good reason.

4. Circa Waves feat. PVRIS – ‘Fire That Burns’

This track emphasises the Liverpool bands darker, heavier sound following the release of their second album ‘Different Creatures’. The unexpected addition of Lynn Gunn’s (lead singer of PVRIS) vocals accentuates this sharp change, her voice is hauntingly beautiful with lyrics hinting at the current refugee crisis. This highlights a new exciting era for Circa Waves: gone are the sunny days and t-shirt weather, we’ve uncovered a whole new beast.

Student Spotlight: Off Beat

Written by Harrison Kersey on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Music.

This week our Student Spotlight falls on Off Beat, four University of Manchester students who throw parties that emphasise two things: eclecticism and authenticity.

With three all-vinyl DJs and an MC, there are no passengers on the Off Beat team, and if you’ve attended one of their nights before you know it’s an all-in kind of party. In anticipation of their upcoming Antwerp Mansion debut on Thursday the 23rd, I caught up with Lawrence, Zephyr, Jack and Edouard to find out what it is that makes Off Beat stand out from the nightlife crowd.

“Back in Oak House, playing at Koh Tao seemed like a big deal”. Zephyr is looking back at the origins of the Off Beat crew, when he and Lawrence would spend Friday and Saturday nights (and the odd weekday) dashing about the Owens Park campus with a shopping trolley full of cables, turntables and records, setting up flat parties and playing cat-and-mouse with the security team.

Both had been mixing vinyl before university: Lawrence was introduced to it by a manager who had been a resident DJ in Amsterdam, and Zephyr’s neighbour used to sell him “gassed, free-party jungle” white-labels for a pound a go. They soon got to know each other and started pooling their record crates and know-how, playing back-to-back sets spanning from jungle, through drum and bass, and right through to dancehall (Jack recalls being blown away by Zephyr’s prodigious collection of Vybz Kartel singles).

This influence of Afro-Caribbean music runs deep in Off Beat’s creative makeup, which can be traced back to University of Manchester’s Reggae Society nights on Thursdays at the Ram last year, where Edouard (AKA Off Beat hypeman MC Easyy), made a name for himself on the microphone.

Channelling dub & reggae influences like Buju Banton and Pupajim, Ed’s energised performances bring the vibe of soundsystem culture to Manchester. Known to finish Off Beat parties drenched in sweat with his voice reduced to a raspy whisper, you can be sure he’ll keep the energy levels higher than Bunny Wailer on 4/20.

However, Thursday’s offering from the Off Beat crew won’t be limited to the heavier end of the music spectrum; Sailor Jack (as he’s known on their characteristic promotional material) will be on hand upstairs to deliver some funkier stuff, with plenty of soul and disco for those who prefer a boogie to a full-on skank out.

The most recent addition to the team, he’s been on a mission to collect “all the Bee-Gees singles that matter” and his slick, groove-driven sets in Koh Tao’s upstairs bar have been a welcome addition to the madness going on in the basement.

As well as the Off Beat residents, Thursday night will see Antwerp Mansion play host to two massive guest bookings. Top billing goes to Benny Page, a legend who’s been tearing raves up since he debuted on Shy FX’s Digital Soundboy label back in 2005; check out the anthemic ‘Turn Down The Lights’ if you want a taste of how this ‘champion selecta’ handles business (links to all tunes below).

In addition, Off Beat are bringing another heavyweight of the UK scene, 2016 Jungle DJ of the year Aries – check out ‘Run For Your Life’, a good example of Aries’ dub-heavy production style.

As well as these two master junglists, Off Beat have recruited omnipresent local talent Fox to handle microphone duties, who you may know from his work with Manchester crews like Mouse Outfit and LEVELZ, as well as guest spots for the likes of My Nu Leng. Check out ‘Step Steadier’ for laid-back lyrical funkiness, or ‘Masterplan’ if you want to hear how Fox sounds over something a bit heavier.

As if this wasn’t enough, upstairs will see residents from Riddim Division, Family Tree and Manchester Audio Academy provide a showcase of student DJ talent throughout the night.

If you’ve seen any of Off Beat’s flyers, posters or stickers around then you’ll remember the cheeky grin of their mascot, he’s a charming and unpretentious figure, thumbs up, ready for a good time. This is the ethos under which Off Beat operate.

Playing on wax means they’re invested more than most in the tunes they play — there’s no option just to plug in a USB and have access to thousands of tracks. Ed believes this connects more with the audience – “we’re just people who like music, bringing what we love to other people”.

Sounds fair enough. Tickets for Thursday night are available on Skiddle, see the link below.

Tickets – SKIDDLE

Turn Down The Lights

Run For Your Life

Masterplan (Zed Bias Remix)

Debate surrounding treatment of pro-Palestine activists rages on

Written by Hana Jafar on 22nd March 2017. Posted in Features.

In an article published by Al Jazeera titled ‘Are British Universities silencing critics of Israel?’, the University of Manchester was put under increased scrutiny as the focus of limitations and restrictions to the controversial Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) events in support of the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) motion recently passed by the Students’ Union.

Huda Ammori, student and lead activist of the BDS movement at the university, told Al Jazeera that, “The university has heavily scrutinised every single detail of each event… the number of conditions the university has placed on us is unheard of,” alleging that “other societies and groups do not face the same problems”.

The university, on the other hand, emphasised that organisational problems and late applications were the reason behind limiting the IAW events. A spokesperson told Al Jazeera “for the event scheduled in February, the application was received the day before it was due to happen”, with 14 days being the standard requirement for approval.

“Events held on campus are reviewed under the Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech if they concern potentially controversial topics and whenever they involve external speakers.”

The Students’ Union and BDS campaign jointly released a statement acknowledging that “human error” led to the delaying of the event.

According to Al Jazeera, Professor Banko responded to this decision, stating that: “The university is creating a very worrying precedent when it declares an academic who happens to be a historian of pre-1948 Palestine as not ‘suitable’ for the role of chairing a student-organised event on Palestine and the Israeli occupation.”

Although the article was focused on the University of Manchester, the title suggested that this was a pattern among British universities. On 27th of February, citing the shutdown of an event called ‘Debunking misconceptions on Palestine’ which supposedly “contravened the definition of anti-Semitism recently adopted by the government” at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) as one of many examples, a letter in The Guardian signed by 243 academics claimed that “these are outrageous interferences with free expression, and are direct attacks on academic freedom.

“As academics with positions at UK universities, we wish to express our dismay at this attempt to silence campus discussion about Israel, including its violation of the rights of Palestinians for more than 50 years. It is with disbelief that we witness explicit political interference in university affairs in the interests of Israel under the thin disguise of concern about antisemitism.”

After the University of Manchester’s controversial IAW events, the Jewish student community of the University has responded to the event and BDS movement as a whole. A Jewish student who attended the events expressed their opinion on the regulations and restrictions imposed on these events, saying: “The University of Manchester, like other universities in the UK, silences pro-Palestinian and other anti-racist voices by constant accusations of racism. These accusations attempt to suppress the Palestinian solidarity movement [which] reveals the university’s disregard for human rights.”

As the main reason these events came under so much scrutiny was accusations of anti-Semitism, we contacted the University of Manchester’s Jewish Society (JSoc), and received the following statement: “The JSoc caters for all Jewish students, and therefore houses a wide range of views on Israel. One thing the JSoc does unify on is our commitment to respect and free speech on campus. Some members of our JSoc may oppose BDS and Israeli Apartheid Week but we respect the right of various groups to protest and support their cause and we hope to receive the same treatment. The disruption to Wednesday’s event was not in connection with the Jewish Society.”

A number of Jewish students and groups supporting the cause share this sentiment. Boycott From Within, a Jewish organisation that supports the BDS movement, said: “The current BDS campaign is based on the one waged decades ago to end apartheid in South Africa. Pro-Israel groups claim to speak on behalf of all Jewish students, yet many Jewish and Israeli students are supporters of BDS in the UK and in the US.”

Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, Secretary of Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods (J-BIG) stated: “Boycotts are peaceful tactics often used by the weak against the powerful. We understand the Palestinian boycott, mobilising support worldwide in order to achieve freedom, justice and equality, to be just as legitimate as the boycott which helped to bring an end to apartheid in South Africa. This campaign is no threat to us as Jews. Our identity is not tied to a particular nation state, nor to a particular ideology. In fact, it is anti-semitic to suggest that it should be!”

She added: “Demanding that speakers must acknowledge the British government-endorsed definition of antisemitism as a condition for meetings on campus to go ahead is a terrifying, McCarthyite development. We agree 100% with the letter in The Guardian last week from academics protesting against the shutting down of pro-Palestinian activities in universities.”

In recent news from the UN, a report released accuses Israel of having established “an apartheid regime that oppresses and dominates the Palestinian people as a whole” and urged governments to “support boycott, divestment and sanctions activities and respond positively to calls for such initiatives”.

However after both Israel and the United States denounced the report, the secretary general of the UN disassociated himself from the report.

George Galloway standing in Manchester Gorton by-election

Written by Jennifer Sterne on 21st March 2017. Posted in News.

George Galloway has announced he plans to stand in the Manchester Gorton by-election as an independent candidate.

Mr Galloway, former Respect and Labour MP, said he felt he was “best person” to try fill the shoes of Labour’s Sir Gerald Kaufman, whose death last month, after representing the seat for 30 years, triggered the by-election.

In a statement released on the website Westmonster, Galloway called the “All-Asian short-list” from Labour “not good enough for the people of Gorton one of the most deprived constituencies in Britain”, describing it as the “latest in a long line of insults delivered by mainstream parties to local communities”.

Galloway also spoke to students in his statement claiming that “the struggle for students has always been a parliamentary preoccupation of mine” and speaking of being “a Labour MP when Tony Blair introduced tuition fees” and breaking “a 3 line whip to vote against them.”

Labour have called Galloway’s decision to run “entirely self-serving” and said it “offers nothing to the local community”.

Labour announced on Monday night their shortlist of five potential candidates and the meeting to select the candidate will be held on Wednesday night.

Labour have held the seat since 1935 and won the seat in 2015 with 67 per cent of the vote.

The Labour shortlist includes Afzal Khan, Labour MEP for the North West, with the rest being local councillors Luthfur Rahman, Yasmine Dar, Nasrin Ali and Amina Lone. Sam Wheeler, reportedly had the backing of the party leadership, but did not make the shortlist, leading complaints from the left of the party.

Gorton’s constituency Labour party was suspended last year for three months, while they were investigated over claims of vote rigging, bullying and intimidation. Infighting within the CLP escalated as Kaufman’s health deteriorated, with members positioning themselves to take over.

Galloway alluded to such infighting stating that “we know that Labour is divided, an ineffective opposition still busy fighting each other, there is a danger that the people of Gorton will never be heard from at Westminster again”.

Lisa Nandy, Labour MP for Wigan, and coordinating Labour’s campaign, said Gorton constituents, “deserve better than a man who has described the sexual assault of women as ‘bad sexual etiquette'”.

She added that she was “confident that residents in Manchester will send a clear message that Galloway’s divisive, destructive politics isn’t welcome here”.

Galloway acknowledged in his statement that he was not a Mancunian but argued that “neither was Sir Matt Busby. Neither was Sir Alex Ferguson nor Pep Guardiola nor José Mourinho. Like them I want to work for you, for Gorton, for Manchester”.

He added that “if I were to win here it would be the mother of all by-election victories for the hardworking people of Gorton, who would never be forgotten again.

“If I don’t, then the alternative will be a career politician, with NO change and no Development for Gorton. It will remain the same most deprived 10% of constituencies in our country.”

The by-election is expected to run on the 4th of May, the same day as Manchester’s first mayoral elections.

The Lib Dems have selected Jackie Pearcy as their candidate, with the Green Party who came second in 2015 chosing Jess Mayo. The Conservatives and UKIP are yet to announce their candidates.

Politicians are humans too

Written by Cameron Broome on 21st March 2017. Posted in Opinion.

British politics has been somewhat of a rollercoaster since the EU referendum. Article 50 is set to be triggered this month. Internal disputes within the Labour Party are ongoing. To the disgust of many, George Osborne was recently unveiled as the new Editor of the London Evening Standard. Nicola Sturgeon is pushing for a second EU referendum, though Theresa May says “now is not the time”. Just keeping up with day to day news is becoming exhausting.

With all this mess, we have moved on from one particular event all too quickly. On the 16th of June 2016, the hugely respected MP for Batley and Spen Valley, Jo Cox, was murdered in her constituency. Police investigations revealed that the murderer, Thomas Mair, was a far-right extremist and that Jo Cox was his target for attack.

Indicative of the character she was, Jo had used her maiden in the House of Commons speech to celebrate the role multiculturalism had played in shaping her constituency: “While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.” How could someone with so much love, warmth, and compassion have fallen victim to an attack full of such evil, anger and hatred?

Unfortunately, though the country mourned and paid their respects following Jo’s death, British politics is as polarised and toxic as ever before. Sky News reported this week that a specialist police unit has been set up to investigate other security threats posed to MPs.

Since Jo’s death, there have been “33 reports of malicious communications, 13 reports of theft, three reports of harassment and four allegations of criminal damage.” Furthermore, female MPs (already underrepresented in the House of Commons) are reportedly disproportionately victims of online abuse.

This issue goes beyond party politics. It’s not about left or right; liberalism or conservativism. It’s about decency, standing up for democracy, and fighting to protect the civil liberties we all hold dear. We must stand up and defend our politicians. Further, we must work to challenge perceptions and bring them closer to the public.

Too many people currently feel ‘left behind’ by an uneven global economy. This notion was often channelled in Brexit debates. However, it is systems that are at fault — not individuals. Politicians do have some agency to change economy, but that agency is rather limited. Inequalities and injustices do not justify making huge, dehumanising generalisations about politicians.

However, there are many MPs who help to degenerate the image of Parliament. The crisis of confidence in politicians is still ringing on from the expenses scandal. And, rightly, people are angry that Mr. Osborne will have editorial duties four days a week, alongside his MP duties (whilst also reportedly pocketing over £600,000 a year through a financial advisory role). Though, it is worth emphasising that not all MPs are like Mr Osborne.

Amidst the drama of the expenses revelations there lies a temptation to generalise the whole of Westminster as corrupted. But expenses are incredibly important, and they link directly to the pressures and strains of the job.

MPs have to spend time in both Westminster and their constituency, as well as frequently attending events up and down the country (especially if they are members of Select Committees, for example). It is right that taxpayers’ money is used to subsidise travel costs; if it wasn’t, only the wealthiest of individuals could afford to be MPs. By all means let’s scrutinise expenses, but let us not forget their purpose.

In this spirit, Talk Politics are currently running a “People Behind The Policy” interview project, which seeks challenge negative perceptions of politicians by getting to know more about their background, interests, and general life as an MP.

Hilary Benn MP also recently pointed out that, “it’s not easy for families because as a Member of Parliament you have to live and work in two places and that’s quite unusual”. As fathers, mothers, husbands and wives, it can be incredibly difficult for MPs to juggle politics with family life, and they deserve a huge amount of respect in that sense.

In addition, nothing is private in politics. Investigative journalists like Guido Fawkes will bend over backwards to find stories on MPs and their families to try undermine people’s faith in politicians. Standing for Parliament takes a huge amount of courage, and the idea that MPs have an easy life is ridiculous.

So when you next hear someone make a snide remark about politicians, be the change you wish to see in the world: call them out. No, they aren’t all the same. No, they aren’t all out for themselves. No, they don’t all milk the expenses system.

Nicky Morgan put it perfectly: “It’s important that people do realise that MPs do a crazy, extraordinary, uplifting job, but we are normal people”.

It’s time we all stood up and defended our hard-working politicians.

Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool

Written by Harry Newton on 21st March 2017. Posted in Sport.

If this game was a song…

The Rembrandts – I’ll be there for you

If only there was a successful US sitcom called F.R.I.E.N.E.M.I.E.S. so I could use their theme tune – I guess this will have to do. Despite leaving City a couple of seasons ago, James Milner’s position in the hearts of City fans has changed since then. With a few snarky comments, the Englishman turned from hero to zero as he was excessively boo’d by the City faithful all game. In a turn towards the ironically beautiful, he was marking Raheem Sterling all game who was being boo’d by the Liverpool fans all game.

Neither had an amazing game, and both tried incredibly hard to beat the other that it almost worked against their favour at times. Sterling had some beautiful little flicks and sprints that left Milner for dead, but nothing came to a goal, whereas Milner tucked away Liverpool’s goal from the penalty spot.

If you were wondering if the two lads were aware that the crowd had pitted them against each other, then all you need for evidence is the moment when Milner clattered into Sterling in the penalty area. Somehow, he got away with it, and a goal-kick was awarded, but as Leroy Sané drilled the ball across goal, Sterling couldn’t tap it in the net because Milner’s boot was lodged up his

Big Willy is better

I’ve emailed three drafts of this match report over to my girlfriend, but on each occasion, she’s told me to change my opening line for this section, so looks like you’re getting no dirty pun on City’s goalkeeper this week.

Caballero, despite not saving a beautifully hit James Milner penalty, had a great game making a couple of good saves. One volley from Adam Lallana was hit with venom, but Willy leapt like a salmon to tip the ball over the bar. It’s been a funny old time for Willy at City, as he had a tough start a couple of years ago – not too dissimilar from the start that Claudio Bravo has had – but after some goalkeeper merry-go-round at City, he’s somehow managed to cement his place as the number one. His moment of zero-to-hero came against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup last season after he saved three penalties in the shoot-out… so Bravo for the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, right?

Class is Permanent

You know in the same way that a mother never calls her own kid fat, I will never talk ill of Kevin de Bruyne. But now I will say that the Belgian has been struggling over the last few games for form. It’s the first time in his City career where he’s been hit with a bad run, but he may be playing his way out of it. He delivered an enticing ball across the box for Sergio Aguero to tap in and equalise for City this game, which keeps them in the hunt for Champions League football (and the Title if you’re a beautiful romantic/simpleton).

End to End Football

City may have had a few bad results this year, and haven’t been completely consistent at the back, but there have been so many entertaining end-to-end games under Pep Guardiola. Otamendi and Stones were relatively solid today, with the penalty being the fault of Gael Clichy bundling over Roberto Firmino, but it’s their eye for attack that keeps the end-to-end antics continue.

Mix this in with two of Europe’s best wingers, the magic of David Silva, and the golden Sergio Aguero, and you have a recipe for attack. Add a teaspoon of a high-pressured Jürgen Klopp team, and you have got yourself an end-to-end bonanza of yellow cards, showboating, and… a lot of missing.

Missing

People remember where they were when the Berlin Wall fell. People remember where they were when William and Kate got married. People will remember where they were when Adam Lallana missed at the Etihad. I was there!

It was utterly hilarious, as Firmino beat the City defence (albeit too easily) and played the ball across goal for Lallana to tap into an effectively empty-goal as Caballero was left behind. Instead he scuffed the ball, and fell to his knees.

The KonMarie

Written by Kitty Mitchell Turner on 21st March 2017. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

As summer approaches, it’s high time we start considering the contents of our wardrobe — what do we fit into, what do we want to fit into and what summer clothes we can bring up from home.

Clearing out your wardrobe for the summer months is often a rather depressing ordeal. It can invoke feelings of guilt regarding expensive items you never wear but also a deflated (or maybe motivated) attitude upon discovering some summer clothes are a bit more snug than they should be. So this year, why not try something new: the KonMarie method.

You may or may not have heard of Marie Kondo’s bestselling book The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up. Considering it has sold over one million copies and is a New York Times number one bestseller, I thought this was common knowledge… But apparently not, my housemates informed me between laughing at my excitement over a book about tidying. However there is a reason Marie Kondo’s book is a best seller. It has helped thousands of people create and maintain an orderly home through one big tidy up. Therefore inspired by KonMarie, I have designed a step-by-step guide to de-cluttering your wardrobe, including some additional insight from yours truly.

Step One: Gather absolutely every item of clothing you own (I appreciate this may not necessarily be possible if you only have some of your clothes at university). This includes shoes, coats, anything piled up on the back of your chair and in your laundry basket. For this to work you need to have EVERYTHING in one big pile in the middle of your room, on your bed or in the lounge if there isn’t enough space.

Step Two: Turn your mountain into molehills. Split your clothes into the following categories: Tops, bottoms, jackets and coats, dresses, socks/underwear, bags, accessories, swimwear, event-specific clothing (such as work uniform or gym kit) and shoes.

Step Three: Go through each pile in order, starting with tops. Pick up each item in term and ask yourself ‘does this spark joy?’ Marie’s method does not focus on the negatives, such as asking questions like ‘what should I throw away?’ Instead, she encourages you to reflect on each item. The important thing is not to get caught up with sentimental value or to think ‘I can’t get rid of this, it was so expensive’. If it was an item you wore and loved for a long time but you don’t feel the same way anymore, thank it for its use then toss it out. The objective is to end this grand clean with a wardrobe full of clothes that fill you with joy. It’s hard at first but you really have to be ruthless; if you have any doubt about whether or not you should keep an item, get rid of it. If it truly sparked joy you wouldn’t have to think twice. I like to embrace my mum’s own tidying motto here: ‘When in doubt, throw it out!’

Step Four: Repeat this activity with every single item in each one of your categories. As it takes a while to get into the swing of things, it may be necessary to repeat the process to ensure you’re only keeping the items that truly spark joy.

Step Five: Now it is time to go through your ‘get rid of’ pile. Again you want to break this huge pile down into smaller piles: bin, donate, sell, gift. If anything is broken, ruined, stained or just doesn’t look as though it is worth donating, bin it. Then immediately throw the bin bag in the main bin to stop you from making more clutter. Next, look at what would benefit from being given to charity or maybe even sold on Depop or Ebay. Bag or box this pile up (it will probably be your biggest) and take it to the charity shop ASAP, much like the bin bags. Finally, think about any items that friends/family have taken a shine to. If you have a dress your sister always wanted or maybe a jumper your flatmate pined after, why not give it to them as a random act of kindness. It will make their day as well as yours!

Step Six: Now it’s time to return all the items you have decided to keep back to their rightful place. Marie advises that you fold as much as you can and hang anything that needs it. This isn’t always possible, so work with whatever your accommodation or landlord provides. First, let’s fold. When it comes to folding, all items should be folded so they can stand horizontally (this is very hard to explain, so please refer to the book or YouTube videos on how to do this properly.)

Step Seven: When it comes to hanging, Marie instructs you should hang your clothes so that they ‘rise to the right’. This means starting with your longest and heaviest items on the left hand side and getting up to your crop tops or smaller t-shirts on the right hand side. Apparently organising your clothes in this way makes you feel lighter (although I’m not entirely sold on this, truth be told). She also advises you order by colour where possible, which I was much more enthusiastic about as it leaves your wardrobe looking like a work of art.

So there we have it! It may take you a while to get into the swing of it, and you certainly need to dedicate half a day to the method, but I promise that you will feel happy, productive, organised and refreshed after doing so. I certainly did!

Job interviews: How to get hired

Written by Sophie Manley on 21st March 2017. Posted in Lifestyle.

It’s that time of year again. Summer, placement years, and graduations are looming, you’ve spent hours in CV surgeries and written cover letter after cover letter, and finally you have reached the next stage of the application process! Hurrah! Well done! You feel a moment of sweet relief before you realise that this means that you have an interview. Yes. A real life, face to face, palm-sweating, voice-quivering interview. Well take a deep breath and keep reading, for I have compiled an interviewee’s guide to success.

Research, Remember, Relate

Research your employer until you’re confident enough to tell a friend in detail about what they do and how they do it. Find specific points of interest; maybe a paper published, a manifesto or a project that you know you will remember, then relate it to you: either to something you’ve previously done or why it has really piqued your interest.

Look smart, Feel comfortable, Smell good

No personal hygiene issues please. Always be on the side of too smart and make sure you’re dressed in a style that suits your employer. This is more important than you realise, first impressions count. Don’t be the person that wears brown shoes to an office where everyone wears black shoes. You will not get hired. This is a true story.

Write an ‘Elevator Pitch’

This is a 20 or 30 second excerpt (the length of an elevator ride, hence the name) which describes you, your skills and abilities, how these relate to the job you’re applying for, and why they should hire you. It should roll off the tip of your tongue and sound natural in a conversation, or in response to a general question asking about you. Make it clear, concise, engaging, and relevant. Also, it might be a good idea to memorise it; that way you won’t forget any key details when you’re nervous and tongue-tied in an interview.

Be the best version of yourself

Before you walk through the door, your interviewer will have an image in her or his head about what they’re looking for in a new potential employee. Let’s call this image a unicorn (because they’re a magical and perfect being that doesn’t actually exist). Over time, their image of what they want will change and evolve, and your job is to make that image you. Be the person who is perfect for the job; prove to the person interviewing you that they need you working for them, by telling them exactly what you will bring to the table and why you’re so valuable. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet (in a modest and endearing way, like a trumpet serenade or something).

Make them like you

I have no doubt that you’re a well-mannered, friendly and likable person (probably), but it doesn’t hurt to work extra hard to make sure that you give a really good impression of yourself. People generally feel like they’ve had a successful and enjoyable conversation with someone if they themselves have talked the most throughout. This interview is about you, but remember to ask lots of questions and create a dynamic and active two-way conversation. Engage with them personally and find common ground in order to make the conversation flow better. Secondly, people like to feel in charge. Make yourself physically smaller than your interviewer, that way they feel completely in control and thus better about themselves, leaving them with a good feeling after the conversation. Also, if your interviewer asks you how you would act in a certain situation, don’t be afraid to ask them what the deeper meaning behind this conversational role play is. Ask them what they are really trying to discover about you, this will open up the conversation and also make it less likely that you’ll give a ‘wrong answer’.

Don’t be disheartened

If you’re not right for the job, the chances are the job wasn’t right for you either. If you are not what they are looking for, don’t take it personally. You have no idea what the unicorn in their head looked like. Make sure you’re only applying to jobs you really want, as your passion and enthusiasm will shine through you in the interview. One more thing, allow each rejection to become a learning curve. Either you learn how to do the next interview better, or you learn that actually that job wasn’t right for you in the first place. Good luck!

Going crazy for gingham

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on 21st March 2017. Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Whilst gingham has never completely disappeared off the high street, this season has seen all the major brands including Zara and Topshop embrace the folksy print and have give it an updated twist. For this season’s take on the pattern, ruffles and unconventional cuts are taking centre stage.

Taking a browse on Zara’s website reveals nearly fifty different gingham pieces. From the ruffled blouse to a full gingham suit for men, this trend is dominating the high street.

Taking inspiration from the big designer names of fashion week, the high street has yet again proved to be in the know with what’s hot in the fashion industry at the moment. The fashion weeks on both sides of the Atlantic showcased the print with designers such as Creatures of Comfort, Peter Pilotto and House of Holland all incorporating the print into their collections. House of Holland’s motto for gingham seems to be ‘the more ruffles the better’, whilst Peter Pilotto combined blue, red and green in a gingham mini dress.

Gingham is the perfect print as the warmer days and longer evenings draw nearer. Keep it simple with a gingham mini dress or go all out and dress yourself head to toe in the print; there are certainly enough options available.

Whilst black gingham can take you from a BBQ to a bar, for a laid back summery style why not opt for a red or royal blue ensemble? Or for some Audrey Hepburn inspired styling, wear your black gingham cigarette trousers with a black sleeveless polo neck to nail that chic 50s aesthetic.

Although wearing the print may overwhelm you with nostalgia for the summer days of childhood, this season gingham is the trend to invest in with what’s left of your vastly diminishing (likely diminished) student loan. Rock the gingham trend, look forward to long summer days in the sun, and forget about your looming deadlines…

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Month: March 2017