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Month: October 2017

NFL Protests in Response to Trump’s Divisive Comments

Written by Will Hodgeman on . Posted in Sport.

The world of American Football stood united over the weekend, across America and in London. In the face of a divisive and disrespectful attack from Donald Trump, players and executives came together, defending the right to protest an issue that has been simmering under the surface of the sport for years.

In August last year, Colin Kaepernick, then Quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, protested the pre-game national anthem. Dropping to one knee and refusing to “show pride in a flag…that oppresses black people and people of colour”. Since the end of that season, he has not played in a single game. Despite the supposedly constant demand for Quarterbacks in the NFL, protest in the face of American patriotism is apparently a deal breaker for team owners, Super Bowl runner-up or not. Since his initial protest a small number of others took place, all met with similar disdain by fans and NFL officials alike.

That all changed last week, when, largely unprompted, Donald Trump launched an attack on protesting players. “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” Trump said during a speech in Alabama on Friday night. Trump’s message to NFL owners and players was clear, and immediately reignited the debate Kaepernick started over a year ago.

For a tradition that only dates back to 2009, introduced to increase support and coverage for the US military, the apparent devotion fans and team officials have towards their players standing for the national anthem seems bizarre. Thankfully this was not the case this past weekend. All fines were off, all possibility of repercussions forgotten. The Jacksonville Jaguars, playing their annual game in London, were even joined on the Wembley pitch by their owner in a show of solidarity, arms linked.

In numerous statements hastily released in reply to Trump’s derogatory rant, a league-wide message of solidarity in the face of attack was put forward. Citing Trump’s “Divisive comments”, the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell advocated instead for “a sense of unity in our country and our culture”, a sentiment echoed throughout the league. Regardless of personal opinions or previous stances, owners would stand in defence of their team’s right to protest. They would defend their players from abject insult and disrespect. Somewhat surprisingly, a misguided rhetoric from Trump managed to unite an otherwise divided league, from top NFL executives to players on the practice squads. Furthermore, it truly brought the debate into the public eye, and across international news.

If only for one weekend, this debate seemed unavoidable. Fans sold their tickets and burnt their merchandise, deriding players in the stadium and over social media. Others praised the protesters, instead, attacking those who claimed it represented an affront to patriotism and the military. Regardless of position, however, the discussion was being had.

It is an accolade of sport that it has this ability to promote discussion among individuals. It has the unique position within media, advertisement, and social coverage to reach almost all members of society, and with that, influence opinion and understanding. Closer to home, the UEFA No To Racism campaign has been instrumental in combating a problem that has plagued European football for decades. We can hope the NFL protests go some way to solving a related problem within the US, albeit one entwined in American society, not localised to the sports field.

However, this may be the overarching problem of this discussion: what is actually being debated? When Kaepernick took a knee last year his aim and message were clear. He would not stand for the American flag when systemic racism remains rife with American society. Something had to change before he would. Yet with Trump’s attack, suddenly the focus shifted to the very object of protest. “The issue of kneeling has nothing to do with race. It is about respect for our country, flag and National Anthem” Trump wrote the day after the protests.

Suddenly the debate seems focused on whether these players are patriotic, whether kneeling in front of their flag or staying in the locker room during their national anthem is disrespectful to their country. Criticisms of the public’s concern over this incident, in contrast to their reaction to the countless instances of police brutality that have stoked the protests, seem few and far between and highlight the irony of their outrage. Instead of simply questioning ‘Why?’, the American public suddenly seems to be asking ‘Are they allowed?’.

Whether the protests continue, we will have to see. On Monday night Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee joined the protesters, kneeling on the House floor and defending the rights of players under the First Amendment. On the other side of the debate, aggrieved fans and viewers are increasingly making themselves heard, with television company DirecTV now offering refunds on NFL packages.

Despite a unique insight at the Wembley game, it seems unlikely that similar protests will start taking place within British sport. However, increased coverage and comment on those within the USA seems guaranteed, especially as they begin to appear within other American sports. Perhaps the real debate, the one Kaepernick tried to promote 13 months ago, is yet to emerge. Regardless, the discussion is taking place. As viewers sit down to watch the games across America and across the world this Sunday, it will be an unavoidable topic of conversation.

Drifting away: huge Antarctic iceberg on the move

Written by Iqra Choudhry on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Earlier this week, polar scientists focusing on the Larsen C ice shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula witnessed the movement of a huge, trillion-tonne iceberg out into the Weddell Sea, and towards the South Atlantic Ocean.

The iceberg, named A-68, is one of the largest icebergs ever recorded by Antarctic experts: at 6000 square kilometres, it is four times the size of Greater London and roughly a quarter the size of Wales.

The gigantic iceberg first broke off from the Larsen C ice shelf in July of this year, when a US satellite took pictures of the rift between A-68 and the ice shelf, during the iceberg’s ‘calving’. The area has been monitored for over a decade, with scientists expecting the large crack in the shelf to open up considerably. Since July, the iceberg has been rocking slowly back and forth, but a Spanish satellite confirmed on September 22nd, that the iceberg is being carried out into the Weddell Sea by currents.

Experts predict that the ‘megaberg’ will be swept northwards and into the current that surrounds the southernmost continent – the ACC, or Antarctic Circumpolar Current. From there, it is likely that A-68 will follow in the flow of one of its megaberg predecessors, A-38, which was carried north to South Georgia, to a patch of sea known as ‘the Graveyard of the Icebergs’.

When megabergs reach the island of South Georgia, they often make ground, and slowly decay, splitting up into smaller icebergs, or melting, and adding considerable amounts of freshwater to the sea around the island – this melting can have huge impacts on the area, both positive and negative.

Sometimes, a melting iceberg will release trapped nutrients that feed algae and diatoms, tiny organisms at the bottom of the polar food web. However, large icebergs can often block an inflow of tiny sea creatures called krill, into the area surrounding South Georgia, and this can have devastating effects on the wildlife.

Krill are an essential source of food for a variety of animals found in the Antarctic Circle, from penguins to whales, and any decrease in the amount of krill in the sea has a knock-on effect on the amount of seals, penguins and Antarctic birds in the area: scientist find that the years in which krill inflow is blocked, starved seal pups are often found ashore.

It is not yet clear if the A-68 megaberg will even make it as far as South Georgia, however. Recent images from the Spanish Deimos-2 spacecraft already show that the iceberg is losing the sharp edges it once had, showing fragmentation already beginning at the edges of the megaberg. All smaller chunks of ice breaking from A-68 are being named A-68b, A-68c, A-68-d, and so on – these are likely to continue floating close to A-68, but may be separated from their parent iceberg, to become anchored in shallower waters, to become ‘ice islands’ in the Weddell Sea.

Scientists are currently monitoring both the megaberg and the Larsen C ice shelf, to see if there is any further fracturing of the ice.

As A-68 moves clear of the ice shelf and out to sea, the section of seafloor it has cleared is now an area of scientific interest. The area has already gained a protected status that prevents any fishing activity for the next two years, leaving it solely for scientific study. As the Antarctic spring began earlier this week, numerous scientific groups have begun to plan research projects in the area for the Antarctic summer, in the hope that the depths now exposed by the megaberg might reveal new Antarctic species.

University of Manchester scientists design nanorobot that can build molecules

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Scientists at the University of Manchester have created the world’s first nanorobot which has been programmed to complete basic tasks to aid chemists in labs, including building molecules. The robot itself is a millionth of a millimetre in size, therefore a billion billion of these robots packed into a pile would still only be the size of a grain of salt by weight and volume.

The robots, when clustered together, operate using a tiny robotic arm which can be controlled and programmed by scientists to carry out chemical reactions in specific solutions. The purpose of these robots could have many benefits for the future; the small size of the robot reduces demand for materials, it can reduce power requirements and can improve drug discovery in many scientific fields.

This has become a very exciting time for the chemistry department at the university as Professor David Leigh, the head of research on this project, reveals to the university press team, “all matter is made up of atoms and these are the basic building blocks that form molecules. Our robot is literally a molecular robot constructed of atoms just like you can build a very simple robot out of Lego bricks. The robot then responds to a series of simple commands that are programmed with chemical inputs by a scientist.

“It is like the way robots are used on a car assembly line. Those robots pick up a panel and position it so that it can be riveted in the correct way to build the bodywork of a car.

“So, just like the robot in the factory, our molecular version can be programmed to position and rivet components in different ways to build different products, just on a much smaller scale at a molecular level.”

This new design involves moving the robotic arm between two platform sites which are organocatalysts of different chirality — or ‘mirror images’ of each other — so that successive chemical reactions can occur. The reaction still takes place in one pot and the robot can be programmed to “produce selectively each isomer of the product by controlling the switch-state prior to each reaction of the substrate” as explained by the Leigh Group.

Professor Leigh stated, “The robots are assembled and operated using chemistry. This is the science of how atoms and molecules react with each other and how larger molecules are constructed from smaller ones.

“It is the same sort of process scientists use to make medicines and plastics from simple chemical building blocks. Then, once the nanorobots have been constructed, they are operated by scientists by adding chemical inputs which tell the robots what to do and when, just like a computer program.”

The functioning of the robot is extremely complex. However, the research team has designed this machine for everyday use and for basic laboratory processes to speed up the workload. This could save an enormous amount of time that is wasted daily to put together molecules to check if the chemical reactions could take place. It will also increase the miniaturisation of other products and this will only contribute to helping research scientists in the future.

Review: Missguided sample sale

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Arriving at the Missguided sample sale at 10 am sharp I was met with a huge queue that snaked down the road and disappeared around the corner of Princess Street. Officially, the sale didn’t start until 11 am, so the dedication of those queuing shoppers was commendable. Fortunately, I was allowed to head straight in and get first picks from the sale, so I waved goodbye to my friends who had to join the back of the queue with the non-VIPs – being Fashion Editor does have its perks.

As you walked into the glamorous location for the sample sale, also known as the fresher’s favourite haunt Factory, you were met with the familiar smell of stale alcohol and flashbacks to regrettable nights out. However, the rails and rails of clothes more than made up for it.

As a first-time sample sale shopper, I was bewildered with what to expect and also more importantly what the sample sale etiquette is. If the films are to be believed then a sample sale is a ruthless, aggressive experience, but I didn’t fancy fighting over a pair of shoes à la Becky Bloomwood in Confessions of a Shopaholic. Thankfully, Missguided had issued rules that clearly stated that you must be kind to your fellow Missguided babes to ensure that there would be no Saturday morning scraps.

Armed with the knowledge that there would be no kicking, biting, or scratching, I was ready to shop. Our Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Amy, who has had experience with sample sale shopping, advised to me to keep hold of everything I liked and then sort through what I didn’t want at the end. It seems simple enough – you’re basically reserving the clothes you like whilst you shop before making your final decision before you pay. It’s savvy sample sale shopping!

I was great at holding onto everything I liked and ended up with a huge armful of clothes. However, I was not so great at getting rid of things that I probably would never wear. I completely missed the point of her advice and I ended up buying everything that I had initially picked up. The bargains were too good to resist, £5 for everything but coats which were sold for £10, how is a girl to say no? If I ever trust myself near a sample sale again, perhaps I’ll actually be responsible with my purchases.

Sophie, Amy, and I definitely had the best experience because we were allowed early entry, however, the longer we were in there the busier and less enjoyable it became. Another issue was the lighting; it was so dark in there it was difficult to see the clothes but then again this might have been an excellent business move that led to shoppers buying things they didn’t actually want. I certainly fell for it if so; I bought a great fringed skirt that actually turned out to be a great pair of fringed shorts.

The sample sale had some cute bits but the overall experience was definitely improved by being permitted early access. I would love to attend another sample sale but in the future, I would probably try to be more frugal and shop more responsibly. That’s the goal anyway. Thanks, Missguided for the fab bargains and a great Saturday morning!

 

Team Manchester Retain ECB City Cup

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

Team Manchester have retained the English and Welsh Cricket Board (ECB) City Cup by overcoming South London at the Fischer Country Ground in Leicester. The team, which is predominantly made of players aged 18, won its third cup in five season beating Wolverhampton in the quarter final and Bradford in the semi-final.

The final was a repeat of the 2016 contents and Manchester’s start was a difficult one having been reduced to 10-3 early on. Asad Alirizvi and Hashir Khan provided the inspiration for the turnaround as they achieved a fourth wicket stand of 47. The team eventually won the game with a 142-7 scoreline with Khan remaining unbeaten at 57 from 51.

South London also found their opening to be a troublesome one with Alirizvi this time hurting them with the ball. Alirizvi along with captain Adil Hussain reduced South London to 33 for 5 and the Southern team were eventually all out for 106. Fresh after being named bowler of the day, Alirizvi said “I started playing cricket in the Chance to Shine programme and had the opportunity to play in the City Cup this year thanks to the Lancashire Cricket Board. It’s amazing to have the chance to come and play at a county ground and be watched by the people that are here today.”

Farouk Hussain, the team’s head coach, was also full of praise for the champions. “The boys had to work very hard in the semi-final and final to secure victory. The team may not have the star players of previous campaigns but they have risen to the challenge when presented with it and have shown great mental toughness and unity. It has been a great team effort and one that I am very proud to have been part of. It’s a young side and they will have gained a lot from the rollercoaster ride they have been on this season.”

The ECB T20 City Cup was created in order to promote inner-city cricket and was originally started in London in 2009. The cup has expanded since and in 2013 Manchester joined along with Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Bradford.

James Cutt from the Lancashire Cricket Board, who oversees cricket development for minority ethnic communities added: “I’m delighted for the players, coaches and volunteers that have worked on this programme. A lot of effort has gone into achieving not just the City Cup win but many of the ‘spin off’ benefits for the players involved in this programme and I look forward to seeing how they develop. My thanks go to all the coaches, umpires, scorers and volunteers who have made this happen, but in particular Farouk Hussain who has gone above and beyond what was expected of him in his role as Head Coach.”

Government plans to cut tuition fees revealed

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, is considering slashing tuition fee costs by around £1750 per year in his autumn budget, according to reports.

The move could reportedly save students in excess of £5,000 over a three-year course.

The policy decision has come amid concern among Conservatives that the party is losing large numbers of young voters, following a surge of support for Labour among under 25s in June’s election.

It is being reported that the government are attempting to fast-track new policies on the issue in order to meet the deadline of the Autumn Budget.

Further measures such as raising the wage threshold for paying back fees, capping interest rates on loans as well as introducing a variation in costs across subject areas are being considered. It is understood the employment rate of a given subject area could be used as a means of deciding charges.

It was under the Conservative-led coalition of 2010–2015 that tuition costs were tripled seven years ago, causing huge controversy.

There has been fierce debate over the topic of fees recently, given the revelations of the annual earnings of university chancellors across the country.

Despite the proposals, some students have felt underwhelmed by the proposed slight reduction and concerned over a difference in costs based on subjects, with NUS President Shakira Martin arguing such a system would “wrongfully imply a gulf of difference”.

Some may also consider the proposals insufficient in light of Labour’s famed promises over scrapping fees at this year’s general election, although shadow chancellor John McDonnell has welcomed the possible government proposals, and confirmed that Labour would work with the government to decrease costs for students.

The Shadow Chancellor said: “If they come forward with these proposals, of course we would support them.”

McDonnell also affirmed Labour’s commitment to changes in the payback threshold, although it was clear that such changes would have to be “effective”.

Labour has further revealed plans for an examination of student debt before the next election, in addition to increasing their pledge of the abolition of fees to cover vocational qualifications.

With the country’s two main political parties seemingly both committed to action on the issue, the long-term plea from many students calling for serious action on higher education costs could finally be addressed.

Trend renaissance

Written by Jennifer Knowles on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

In Manchester, current fashion trends are always at the forefront of attention and we can see this fashion nostalgia everywhere we look, especially in the fashion-conscious student community.

In the 1920s when wealth and power were of the utmost importance, fur was worn with pride and seen as a symbol of people’s status in society. As activists began to protest the use of fur on animal rights grounds such as PETA’s ‘I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur’ campaign in Japan in 1992, it was worn less frequently as a fashion statement for fear of public shaming.

However, the creation of faux-fur brought back this style to our wardrobes for cheaper prices and a clearer conscience. In this month’s Vogue, the likes of Céline, Michael Kors and Kurt Geiger pictured their models draped with opulent fur coats — fur has certainly not lost its lavish charm. Coloured fur has also risen in popularity over the past couple of years, with high street stores such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters selling a myriad of pink, purple, orange fur garments and accessories – you name it, it works with fur!

Coloured fur has also risen in popularity over the past couple of years, with high street stores such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters selling a myriad of pink, purple, orange fur garments and accessories — you name it, it works with fur!

In the 1980s, fitness wear was at the height of fashion and in this era, new synthetic fabrics were developed and used to create new exciting garments using innovative materials such as Gore-tex, Sympatex, Nylon.

The popular noughties brand Juicy Couture produced the iconic velour tracksuit which was a massive hit among a new wave of celebrities who were often spotted by the paparazzi going about their lives in bright pink plush glory; namely, Britney Spears who ordered a bespoke Juicy tracksuit for each member of her wedding party in 2004 to Kevin Federline.

However, the hype consequently faded into obsolescence by 2007, but now it is making a surprising comeback. Whilst active-wear as day-wear is pretty much a weekly if not a daily occurrence for the general public, what better time for the label to make a comeback? Vetements launched a cherry-red Juicy all in one at the catwalk shows in Paris which moved onto leading department stores such as Bloomingdales and Harrods stocking the new line of Juicy sets.

For as long as I can remember throughout my teenage years no girl would be seen dead in any other jeans than a high-waisted, super skinny-legged pair.

Nevertheless, we now see an influx of flares filtering back through from the 70s and girls are even daring to wear the low-waisted hip bone-skimming jeans we thought Kate Moss could only ever pull off.

Here are just a few of the recycled trends that pay homage to our past fad fashions, you’d be surprised to see how much history you have currently in your wardrobe.

Top 5: Spy Films

Written by Jamie McEvoy on . Posted in Film.

5.         Argo (2012)

A rare spy film which is based on historical events, Ben Affleck’s Argo told the story of how six members of the US embassy in Tehran – the capital of Iran – escaped an attack from Iranian activists, and assisted by the CIA, were forced to go undercover.  The embassy escapees posed as cast members of a science fiction movie to avoid detection, whilst the American government worked on a strategy to deliver them safely back to the USA.

This Oscar-winning thriller is one of the few films to emphasise the true danger of undercover work, in stark contrast to the heroic, seemingly invincible spies we are accustomed to seeing in features such as Mission: Impossible and the ridiculous XXX series.

4.         Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

This adaptation of the 1974 John le Carré novel was brought to the big screen by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, who had recently made a name for himself with the chilling vampire-horror Let the Right One In (2008).  With a stellar cast led by Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy, it did both the book and the 70s BBC mini-series immense justice.  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy follows retired special agent George Smiley (Oldman) who is forced back into secret intelligence to sniff out a mole in the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Ripe with tension and intrigue, it is the perfect, slow-burning thriller, proving to Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt that a secret agent does not have to hang off planes or jump from buildings to be an effective spy.

Alfredson’s dark crime thriller The Snowman starring Michael Fassbender is released in the UK on 13th October.

3.         You Only Live Twice (1967)

It was inevitable that James Bond would make an appearance on this list, but which one of his outings… that was the question.  You Only Live Twice was Sean Connery’s fifth outing as 007, and possibly his best, coming face-to-scarred-face with nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the third time.

In an adventure written by Roald Dahl of all people, Connery’s MI6 agent is sent to Japan to investigate suspected involvement by the Japanese in the hijacking of a NASA spacecraft.  With gyrocopters, volcano-lairs, and ninjas, You Only Live Twice is the peak of the iconic British spy, and makes you wish 21st century 007 would revert back to the levels of charming ridiculousness which Connery-era Bond boasted.

2.         Sicario (2015)

From the director of 2016 hit Arrival, Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario is an adrenaline-fuelled foray into the war on drugs and the Mexican cartel.  Emily Blunt plays an FBI agent who is assigned to a CIA task-force, in order to track down a Mexican drug baron.

Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro round off a superb leading cast, with supporting roles from Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya and The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal.  Sicario is relentless and at times hellish, much like other films from the director’s back catalogue, yet the director’s aversion to pulling punches does nothing to detract from the fantastic screenplay and Oscar-nominated cinematography which it features.

Denis Villeneuve’s next project, the much-anticipated Blade Runner 2049, is released in the UK on 6th October.

1.         North by Northwest (1959)

Arguably the best thriller of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest is outstanding, as well as epitomising the spy genre.  Carey Grant plays an innocent advertising executive who finds himself relentlessly pursued by a group of foreign spies who believe him to be a government agent.

Featuring an abundance of scenes which clearly have influenced an array of directors since – in particular, the iconic crop duster scene in which Grant is chased down by a plane across a field – Hitchcock’s timeless masterpiece ticks all the boxes which a spy film should strive to. Thrilling action set pieces, femme-fatale-esque love interests, nail-biting suspense, yet its most notable trait is the overwhelming sense of paranoia and insecurity that Hitchcock plunges the audience into, mirroring the plight of Grant’s protagonist.

A true classic and a must-watch.

New anti-inflammatory compound developed by Manchester researchers

Written by Jack Barton on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Inflammation is a normal and healthy part of our immune systems and forms part of your body’s innate response to infection. Unfortunately, despite our bodies being adept at dealing with a range of challenges, they can make mistakes. In the case of inflammation, this can lead to the destruction of healthy cells and lead to inflammatory illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and arthritis.

In the case of inflammation, this can lead to the destruction of healthy cells and lead to inflammatory illnesses such as Crohn’s disease and arthritis.

There is a broad range of illnesses which have been shown to have an immune component to them: Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, depression, atherosclerosis and diabetes, to name a few. However, there are currently few effective treatments available and most only manage the symptoms with varying levels of success.

This is where a group of researchers at the University of Manchester comes in. A team led by biologist Dr David Brough and chemist Dr Sally Freeman have recently developed a new molecule capable of reducing inflammation by targeting a component of the immune system known as the inflammasome.

The inflammasome is a complex structure which coordinates inflammation by mobilising chemical foot-soldiers known as cytokines.

There are many different types of inflammasomes but one commonly associated with disease, and targeted by the researchers in this study, is referred to as NLPR3. For example, this inflammasome NLPR3 has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease for which treatment mainly involves management of symptoms as they occur.

The ability to target, and switch off, the NLPR3 inflammasome would open up new treatment targets for Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic illnesses associated with faulty inflammation.

In an open-access article published in Cell Chemical Biology, the Manchester-based team created their new anti-inflammatory molecule from a basic compound (2-APB) which targeted the inflammasome but also other important cell functions. This made it not particularly useful in treating disease as the other functions it targeted are vital to the healthy functioning of cells.

Therefore, the researchers slowly but steadily altered the structure of this compound, tested it, altered it some more, tested it, and over many iterations they finally produced a molecule which specifically targeted the inflammasome.

This final molecule (‘Novel Boron Compound 6’ or NBC6) was also found to inhibit inflammasome NLPR3 better than the original non-specific compound (2-APB). The researchers tested NBC6 on mice and found promising results.

This research supports a previous article published in Nature Communications by the same group last year which showed that targeting the NLPR3 inflammasome could reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms in a mouse model of the disease.

The development of this new anti-inflammatory molecule, NBC6, opens-up another avenue for research into treatments for inflammation-mediated illnesses by targeting the NLPR3 inflammasome.

One of the researchers involved on the project, PhD student Mike Daniels has this to say about the research: “This is a really exciting study and it feels fantastic to finally get this out there. We are in desperate need for new treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s and, although NBC6 won’t be an effective drug, it’s certainly a step along the way.”

It is important to note that this is a starting point in the development of drugs from this molecule. There are many more hurdles which this molecule will have to advance through before we start seeing its use in humans who suffer from inflammatory illnesses.

Nonetheless, it is an exciting advancement and one of many steps to help rectify faults in the natural and protective process of inflammation.

The UK invests £65 million in particle physics

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The United Kingdom has committed to a £65 million collaboration with the United States in a landmark partnership.  Last week Science Minister Jo Johnson and US international science secretary Judith G. Garber signed the landmark deal in Washington DC guaranteeing the UK’s commitment to cutting-edge research.

The sum will be invested into the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and the Deep Underground Neutrino experiment (DUNE). The goal of these projects is to understand the properties of the neutrino, a weakly interacting fundamental particle.

Neutrinos interact so rarely with matter that of the 65 billion neutrinos per second that cross every square centimetre of your body, only one will interact with you in your entire life!

The LBNF will fire the world’s most intense beam of neutrinos 800 km from the Fermilab in Illinois through the earth’s crust targeting a 1.4 km deep mine in South Dakota. This mine will house the gigantic DUNE detector. Roughly six stories tall and as long as six Magic Buses, the giant tank of liquid argon will be the world’s best attempt at a machine to measure these impossible particles.

The University of Manchester continues to play a key role in the construction and future running of the DUNE detector. Our very own Professor Stefan Söldner-Rembold is leading the design and construction effort of the readout systems for the 70,000-ton detector.

Conducting a team of three professors, three research staff, and six students he said: “This is fantastic news and everyone is extremely excited about this announcement. DUNE will be the next big project in Particle Physics after the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. It will answer fundamental questions about the Universe.”

By measuring neutrinos and their counterpart “antineutrinos” — the antimatter version of neutrinos — the DUNE collaboration hopes to understand why there was more matter than antimatter at the beginning of the universe. They also hope to find out whether a proton, a subatomic particle that is one of the building blocks of all the chemicals around you, decays.

Answering these questions will decide whether leading theories that explain the universe are correct.

The partnership will benefit the University of Manchester, and the UK at large, in immeasurable ways; securing our position as a global place of learning and research, as well as providing fascinating research opportunities for our students.

Students active in the precursor experiment to DUNE, proto-DUNE, are excited about the future job prospects and research opportunities that this investment will bring the university.  DUNE is expected to record its first events in 2024.

In the meantime, Professor Söldner-Rembold and his students have an exciting program of research to ensure the successful construction of the projects.

 

Osborne at Stanford: the power of privilege and celebrity

Written by Nicole Wootton-Cane on . Posted in Opinion.

The nation’s ex-chancellor Mr George Osborne has just accepted his seventh job as a visiting fellow at the prestigious Stanford University in California.

He is also an honorary professor of Economics at the University of Manchester and an advisor for the American fund managers Blackrock, as well as the editor of the London Standard along with three other occupations.

This is the man who trumpeted austerity and who championed the grossly unfair Tory rhetoric that all opportunities are available to those who work hard enough.

This is the man who secretly cut the NHS budget by £1.1bn in his 2016 budget, and refused to apologise for attempting to slash disability funding by £4.4bn in March of 2016. This is a man who does not even have an economics degree.

It’s no wonder Mr Osborne fails to understand the lack of opportunities and prospects that those from lower-income households have. The man is too busy scoring jobs for himself. From his privileged education at Eton College to his time as an MP, George Osborne has never even stopped to think about the less fortunate in this country.

So why are we letting him get away with it?

The answer is simple: privilege and celebrity.

Osborne joins the masses of celebrities who have honorary titles from universities: J.K Rowling has seven from top UK and US universities, and Meryl Streep has four including three from top Ivy League schools. However, these degrees tend to be awarded for reasons such as talent or advocacy, none of which Osborne has shown over his stint as chancellor or his current job juggling charade.

Managing seven jobs may sound impressive, but the illusion quickly fades when one realises Osborne is paid £650,000 a year for working one day a week at Blackrock.

Along with Stanford, the University of Manchester is simply rewarding Osborne for his privilege, a prospect that is unacceptable. If anybody without his overt status was awarded an honorary professorship in economics without a degree in economics, there would be uproar, especially if that person already had five other jobs.

Osborne’s acceptance of his seventh shows how little respect he places on each appointment. Should a man who can take a position like the editor of London’s biggest newspaper for granted really be Manchester’s first choice for a prestigious and highly academic honour?

If we want men like Osborne to understand the average citizen, we need to stop treating them like celebrities. Ex-politicians need to earn their titles just like anyone else, but they never will if places such as the University of Manchester keep bestowing them with new jobs and honours.

Osborne’s job at Manchester is unpaid, but his incessant need for new employment shows nothing but greed for titles and prestige as well as money. George Osborne may be gone from the cabinet but it seems it will be a while until he disappears from the public eye; he’ll be here for as long as he is allowed to be.

It’s time we stopped offering him jobs and let him make his own way in the world, just like everybody else.

Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Written by Lucas Hill-Paul on . Posted in Film.

An unfortunate curse has seemed to befall Hollywood that dictates any Matthew Vaughn directed blockbuster must eventually be followed by a disappointing sequel. Vaughn avoided the blame with Kick-Ass 2, which took the crude humour of its predecessor to offensive levels, and X-Men: Apocalypse, Bryan Singer’s anachronistic love letter to 80s schlock that squandered the genius premise of the period piece science-fiction.

Vaughn returns to the chair here, however, to pull the trigger himself. Whilst Kingsman: The Golden Circle retains the visual flair, speed-ramped fight scenes, and popcorn humour of the original, it all feels a little obligatory, and much of its kitsch and cast are wasted.

The titular Kingsmen are this time faced with the always lovely Julianne Moore’s eccentric druglord Poppy, who plans to hold the world at ransom with a new deadly strain of narcotics.

Teaming up with their American cousins, the Statesmen, Vaughn tantalisingly promises us Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum, instead delivering extended roles for Pedro Pascal, a surprisingly charming presence — though no Bridges or Tatum — and Elton John, a glittery joke that goes on for far too long.

The Kingsman sequel is longer, glitzier, and stranger, but far too cruel and flippant to be worthy of its refreshing predecessor. By the time a particular character performs a stirring rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads before anarchy ensues, Colin Firth destroys a robot dog with a bowling ball, and Elton John delivers a flying kick to the face, I could only think that this is the stuff bad sequels are made of. We’re in Spider-Man 3 territory here, and, while I was never bored, I was frequently astounded by Vaughn’s courage at putting something so bonkers to screen.

What makes the film quite a bit lesser than harmless fun is its commitment to embracing the sexism the original was accused of. A potentially interesting foil to Taron Edgerton’s brash and streetwise Eggsy, fellow agent Roxy is dispatched in the first act to make room for Tilde, the Swedish princess from the final gag of the first film that fell flat for so many and now remains a consistent presence as Eggsy’s long-term girlfriend.

Seemingly an attempt to respond to the criticism of the original joke, her role, in reality, feels like over-compensation following a subversion of the ladies’ man spy trope that missed the mark, and each exchange just feels off. But don’t worry; they manage to fit this subversion into the sequel in a crude sequence at Glastonbury music festival, and this time it’s even worse.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is at its best when spending time with Bruce Greenwood’s unashamedly Trumpish President, who responds to Poppy’s plan of world-domination with an equally supervillainous containment plan.

A slice from a particularly biting, dystopian science-fiction, these scenes provide a darkly humorous commentary on the war on drugs, though, despite a 2 hour and 20-minute runtime, little is said here beyond a thinly veiled critique of the Trump administration, with some obvious parallels to Reagan.

A Trump parody is always welcome, but Greenwood’s performance deserves far better material, and the believability of the ropey visual effects’ attempts to convey the President’s large-scale plan is, at times, stretched to breaking point.

Throughout the film, slow pans and zooms into computer rendered buildings that merge with physical sets are straight out of a Robert Rodriguez kids movie, and the long-take fights now contain so much visual effects gadgetry, what started as successfully stylised action now feels plastic and weightless.

Vaughn should be commended for maintaining a defiantly adult and subversive franchise for this long in the wake of the shallow homogeneity blockbusters and sequels can often fall into, but after a summer of films that actually hit the mark more often than not, a sequel to Kingsman sadly feels like an afterthought.

Though the film certainly drags, its lengthy run-time isn’t too harsh a detriment as Vaughn paces the film with relentless fight scenes and set pieces that never bore but frequently alienate.

An admirable effort to go above and beyond, The Golden Circle is disappointingly garish and obscene and fails to reach the fresh and subversive highs of the first film. A pitch-perfect country-western cover of Cameo’s Word Up comes close to saving the ridiculous third act but, as ever with Matthew Vaughn, the visuals were far too overpowering.

2.5/5

HOME Cinema Preview: 29th September

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Film.

Films opening at HOME this week:

Daphne

Directed by Peter Mackie Burns – Rated 15

Scottish filmmaker Peter Mackie Burns marks his transition into features with this tightly focused, remarkably authentic character study of brittle 31-year-old Londoner Daphne (Beecham). Daphne has ‘sort of given up on people’ as she goes through the motions of her busy life, working as a cook in a London restaurant and through a series of drug-fuelled hook-ups. She resists genuine intimacy in her few friendships and rejects her mother attempts to engage. When she witnesses a violent robbery, she’s thrown into chaos and finally begins to confront the person she’s become.

Cut from the same explicit, ironic, confessional cloth as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s internationally successful BBC TV series Fleabag, Daphne offers us a female protagonist who can be as fiercely unlikeable as she is compelling to watch.

Click here to book tickets

Zoology

Directed by Ivan I. Tverdovskiy – Rated 15

A lonely and seemingly unremarkable middle-aged zoo worker (Natalia Pavlenkova) redefines her life after discovering she has grown a tail, in a film that is part comedy of errors, part social satire, and part tender love story. Following up on his multiple award-winning feature Corrections Class, Ivan I. Tverdovsky continues to focus on the humanity that inhabits non-normative bodies, earning himself a Special Jury Prize at this year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the process.

Click here to book tickets

Tawai – A Voice from the Forest

Directed by Mark Ellam, Bruce Parry – Rated U

Tawai is the word the nomadic hunter-gatherers of borneo use to describe their inner feeling of connection to nature. In this dreamy, philosophical and sociological look at life, explorer Bruce Parry travels the world to learn from people living lives very differently to our own. From the jungles of Malaysia to the tributaries of the Amazon, Tawai is a quest for reconnection, providing a powerful voice from the heart of the forest itself.

Click here to book tickets

In The Last Days of the City

Directed by Tamer El Said – Rating CTBA

In The Last Days of the City is the debut feature of Egyptian director Tamer El Said and tells the fictional story of a filmmaker from downtown Cairo, played by British Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner), as he struggles to capture the soul of a city on edge, while facing loss in his own life. Shot in Cairo, Beirut, Baghdad and Berlin during the two years before the Egyptian revolution in 2011, the film’s multi-layered stories are a visually rich exploration of friendship, loneliness, loss and life in cities shaped by the shadows of war and adversity.

Click here to book tickets

 

Films continuing this week:

Mother!

Directed by Darren Aronofsky — Rated 18

A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky of Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream fame, Mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in a potent psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.

Click here to book tickets

In Between

Directed by Maysaloun Hamoud — Rated 15

In director Maysaloun Hamoud’s remarkable feature debut, three Palestinian women sharing an apartment in the vibrant heart of Tel Aviv find themselves doing the same balancing act between tradition and modernity and citizenship and culture.

Click here to book tickets

On Body and Soul

Directed by Ildikó Enyedi — Rated 18

A slaughterhouse in Budapest is the setting of a strangely beautiful love story. No sooner does Mária start work as the new quality controller than the whispers begin. At lunch, the young woman always chooses a table on her own in the sterile canteen, where she sits in silence. She takes her job seriously and adheres strictly to the rules, deducting penalty points for every excessive ounce of fat. Hers is a world that consists of figures and data that have imprinted themselves on her memory since early childhood. Her slightly older boss Endre is also the quiet type. Tentatively, they begin to get to know each other. Recognising their spiritual kinship, they are amazed to discover that they even have the same dreams at night. Carefully, they attempt to make them come true.

This story of two people discovering the realm of emotions and physical desire — at first individually and then together — is tenderly told by director Ildikó Enyedi, but in a way that also exudes subtle humour. On Body and Soul is a film about the fears and inhibitions associated with opening up to others, and about how exhilarating it can be when you finally do.

Click here to book tickets

Borg Vs McEnroe

Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen — Rated 15

Award-winning Danish director Janus Metz brings to the screen the story of one of the world’s greatest icons Björn Borg — and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe — for their legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament. The film stars Sverrir Gudnason as Borg and Shia LaBeouf as his tennis court rival John McEnroe. Playing Borg’s trainer, the legendary Lennart Bergelin, Stellan Skarsgård returns for a major part in a Swedish film for the first time in almost a decade.

Click here to book tickets

God’s Own Country

Directed by Francis Lee — Rated 15

To read Esmee Samsworth’s review of this film click here

Johnny, a young sheep farmer from Yorkshire, has sacrificed his own life choices to run the family farm. As lambing season approaches, much to Johnny’s initial resentment, migrant worker Gheorghe is hired to assist. Gheorghe proves he not only understands this farming life but more importantly, he understands Johnny.

Click here to book tickets

 

Special events taking place this week:

29th September – Daphne Q&A

Directed by Peter Mackie Burns – Rated 15

Scottish filmmaker Peter Mackie Burns marks his transition into features with this tightly focused, remarkably authentic character study of brittle 31-year-old Londoner Daphne (Beecham). Daphne has ‘sort of given up on people’ as she goes through the motions of her busy life, working as a cook in a London restaurant and through a series of drug-fuelled hook-ups. She resists genuine intimacy in her few friendships and rejects her mother attempts to engage. When she witnesses a violent robbery, she’s thrown into chaos and finally begins to confront the person she’s become.

Cut from the same explicit, ironic, confessional cloth as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s internationally successful BBC TV series Fleabag, Daphne offers us a female protagonist who can be as fiercely unlikeable as she is compelling to watch.

We will be joined by director Peter Mackie Burns for a Q&A following the 20:30 screening on Friday the 29th September.

Click here to book tickets

30th September – Kothanodi + Intro

Part of HOME’s Not Just Bollywood Season

Directed by Bhaskar Hazarika – Rated U

Based on Assamese folk tales, this debut feature is an impressive supernatural, horror compendium. Focusing on the lives of four women, connected by motherhood, the nightmarish anxieties of the women are hauntingly depicted against the mystical, pastoral landscapes of Assam. Director Bhaskar Hazarika has a wonderful pictorial eye, evoking a magical realism, staging much of the action in the rich and beguiling sceneries of Majuli and Dergaon, superbly photographed by Vijay Kutty. Indie actors Seema Biswas and Adil Hussain appear in supporting roles. Given the slim film output and lack of cinemas in Assam, the budget was successfully raised through a crowd funding initiative and the film provides a rare glimpse into Assamese folk culture.

This screening will be introduced by Alexandra Delaney, Birmingham City University.

Click here to book tickets

1st October – Jarman Awards + Q&A

Directed by Various – Rated 18

Come and see a programme of deep, sharp and, at times, playful works taking on some of the biggest subjects of our times and engaging with the world around us. This year’s Jarman Award shortlist are Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Oreet Ashery, Adham Faramawy, Melanie Manchot, Charlotte Prodger and Marianna Simnett.

The 10th anniversary edition of the Jarman Award celebrates an eclectic group of artists who resist being placed in a singular, defining box. Their practices are as diverse as the field of moving image itself. Each speaks with their own voice from their own place with their own visual style.

These artists’ works are the result of sharp observation, complex intellectual and aesthetic inquiry, and depth of thought, but this does not make them devoid of humour and playfulness. They do not shy away from ‘big’ subjects, and they do so without beautifying, simplifying or turning to clichés. They touch on human fragility, the limitations and boundaries of the body, mental health, death in the digital age and the legacy we leave behind, gender stereotypes and sexuality.

Inspired by visionary filmmaker Derek Jarman, the Jarman Award recognises and supports artists working with moving image, and celebrates the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of artist filmmakers.

The winner of the Jarman Award will be announced on the 20th of November 2017 at a ceremony at the Whitechapel Gallery, and will receive a £10,000 prize. The Award is supported by Channel 4, who have commissioned each of the shortlisted artists to produce a new film for their acclaimed Random Acts arts strand.

We will be joined by artist Marianna Simnett for a Q&A during this screening hosted by HOME’s Artistic Curator of Visual Art, Sarah Perks.

Click here to book tickets

2nd October – Kevin Jerome Everson Screening + Q&A

Directly after his weekend retrospective at Tate Modern, Kevin Jerome Everson is visiting HOME for an exclusive Q&A and screening of a selection of his short films from 2009 to 2017 including several UK premieres. The award-winning artist and professor, born in Ohio and based in Virginia, is proving to be one of the US’s most prolific and relevant filmmakers, constructing portraits that defy simple definition and eschew socio-political cliché.

“With a sense of place and historical research, my films combine scripted and documentary elements with rich elements of formalism. The subject matter is the gestures or tasks caused by certain conditions in the lives of working class African Americans and other people of African descent. The conditions are usually physical, social-economic circumstances or weather. Instead of standard realism I favour a strategy that abstracts everyday actions and statements into theatrical gestures, in which archival footage is re-edited or re-staged, real people perform fictional scenarios based on their own lives and historical observations intermesh with contemporary narratives. The films suggest the relentlessness of everyday life—along with its beauty—but also present oblique metaphors for art-making.” Kevin Jerome Everson (2011)

With thanks to Madeleine Molyneaux (Picture Palace Pictures) and Andrea Lissoni & Carly Whitefield (Tate Modern). Q&A hosted by Sarah Perks, Artistic Director (Visual Art) & Professor of Visual Art, Manchester School of Art.

Click here for a look at the program of films as well as to book tickets

3rd October – In Another Life + Q&A

Directed by Jason Wingard – Rating CTBA

The first feature from Manchester-based director Jason Wingard, In Another Life is a bold mix of documentary and fictional drama, shot over a year in the Calais Jungle. Adnan (Elie Haddad) and Bana (Toya Frantzen) have left war-torn Syria in order to reach the UK. Travelling through Europe with money running low, they are forced into the notorious Calais Jungle.

Faced with the prospect of a risky illegal entry to the UK or the squalor of the camp, they decide to take their chances on the trucks and ferry in a desperate bid to make it to the UK.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Jason Wingard.

Click here to book tickets

4th October – Pressure

Part of HOME’s Black History Month 2017 Season

Directed by Horace Ové – Rated 15

Hailed as Britain’s first black feature, Pressure is a hard-hitting, honest document of the plight of disenchanted British-born black youths. Horace Ové makes the most of his combination of professional actors and local non-actors from the streets of London in an angry but also incredibly balanced work.

Click here to book tickets

Interview: Pleasure Barge

Written by Joel Ansbro on . Posted in Music.

I recently met up with the student band Pleasure Barge at their Fallowfield digs. Immediately, I could see what the band was all about. There were instruments strewn around everywhere, framed photos of Prince adorned the walls, and stacks of crusty old Playboy magazines propped up a giant collection of vinyl.

The guys — Leon, Cameron, Lawrence, Ludo and Buddy — were chowing down on pizza and spitting out reels of jokes.

These guys were obviously good mates, which reflected in their purpose behind the music. “We just want to have the freedom to play what we want and to make people happy — And to support Slash at some point,” was the answer behind why they formed.

All music lovers, they’d got together earlier on in university to create their Psychedelic Funk outfit with influences ranging from Guns N Roses’ rock to New Order disco to Frank Zappa’s insanity. They “recommend earplugs when going to one of our gigs.” That’s a statement not to be taken lightly.

In summer, the group practised over ten hours a day, giving King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard a run for their money. They said that their hard work could only have been possible because they’re all good mates.

This was the focus of the advice that they gave out to new students to Manchester: “go out and meet people, you never know what you might find.” If not for that, they say they would never have been invited to play a cultural festival at the University of Manchester, where they gained the motivation to carry on playing gigs. They also think that Manchester is the perfect place for student bands, “loads of venues everywhere will let you perform.”

Asked about memorable gigs, Pleasure Barge struggled to narrow it down. “There’s always a bra thrown at every gig. An oyster card was thrown once!” A couple places that they really want to play at next are Band On The Wall and Gorilla — so watch this space!

They did, however, send out a word of warning, as some establishments don’t treat student bands with the professional respect their hard work deserves. A few bad experiences had seen them out of pocket for performances.

But on a lighter note, they did end with the good advice that “recording music and playing gigs and getting on the internet is the most important thing to do for a student band.”

To follow Pleasure Barge, check them out on @therealbarge or /therealbarge/. They’ve also got an EP out soon with all new material and are playing at Favelas in the Northern Quarter for Oxjam on the 29th of September.

Oh, and if you do see them, make sure to ask them their opinion on RATBOY. They’re big fans.

McDonnell calls for imminent action on student debt

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Following a turbulent year since their last conference, Labour aimed to quell the chaos in Brighton and establish a clear policy directive.

However, with regards to student policy, there were a few surprises as to what this directive was.

Building on a long-term promise to scrap tuition fees and address the “Tories’ student debt”, the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, acknowledged that “some of the heaviest debt burden has fallen on young people.”

McDonnell said that the Tories have “tripled tuition fees and allow[ed] the Student Loans Company to hike up interest rates.” As a result, “young people are now leaving university with £57,000 worth of debt.”

The Shadow Chancellor suggested that it was imperative to “act now”, declaring that a delaying adressing the situation until 2022 would treble the cost of clearing the debt, which he claims would already cost an unsustainable sum of £10 billion by 2050.

McDonnell added that “as a result of Labour pressure, the Government is now being forced into discussing reducing interest rates or raising repayment thresholds.”

This follows after a wave of speculation that the Chancellor, Phillip Hammond, was both considering raising the income threshold, currently at £21,000 per year, at which graduates must begin to repay their student debt, and slashing tuition fees to £7,500 per annum.

Indeed, whilst it is unclear as to what the Chancellor’s exact proposals will be, McDonnell ensured that “if they bring forward effective proposals, we will support them.”

In regards to the remainder of the conference, there were too perhaps few surprises as to what Jeremy Corbyn announced as fitting with his vision of a post-Brexit Britain. Following suit with their mantra, “for the many, not the few”, McDonnell confirmed that Labour would vow to nationalise the railways, water, energy and the Royal Mail.

McDonnell made clear that, “ours will only become an economy for the many if we significantly broaden ownership.”

Significantly, the Shadow Chancellor also ensured that Labour had full control of a situation whereby Corbyn’s entrance into office could result in a fall of the pound as a result of an attack by opponents, triggering capital flight.

McDonnell guaranteed this hypothetical was covered, promising, “we’ve got a scenario plan for that” in a bid to solidify the party’s image as calm and capable after what has been perhaps a volatile year for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party.

Fining street sexual harassment is not a bad idea

Written by Lioui Benhamou on . Posted in Opinion.

I suppose I need to make some clarifications at the start of this article. Marlene Schiappa is the Secretary of State in charge of Equality between Women and Men in France. She recently appeared in the news because of a new proposal: banning street sexual harassment and punishing it with a fine.

By street harassment, it should be clear that we are not talking about flirting or harmless compliments, but of harassment defined as touching without consent, following, wolf-whistling, and repetitively pressuring someone who has no interest.

By no means is it Schiappa’s goal to end every social interaction in the street. She has said, “Talking to someone and asking for [a number] will not be considered harassment.” So if you still think that harassing someone is the only way to get their attention, just step up your game and learn to read basic human feelings.

Of course, critics didn’t wait to make their voices heard. Gilles-William Goldnadel in the Times of London said that it would be a ban on “heavy Latin chat-up lines.” So I guess his game is weak if he thinks chat-up lines still work on someone, but this is not the point.

Another criticism of the idea was made by Agnès Poirier, in the Guardian, in her article: “Frenchmen need educating, not fines.” In the article, she defends the idea that the best way to fight sexism is through education which fights the causes of the problem, not by fines which fight the consequences of sexism.

While her argument makes sense, I have to disagree. The end of her article simply states that: “It takes parents to educate their sons to respect women and see them as equal…” Right, and murder and violence, in general, can be stopped as soon as everyone has loving parents ready to spend the time to explain basic human decency, no matter any pre-existing conditions of character. Easy.

Sexism can be fought through education of course. We can teach boys and girls that they both have the right to play football, play with dolls, and enjoy any colour they want. But sexism is so deeply entrenched into our culture that we don’t always see it.

Žižek might define this type of violence as objective as opposed to subjective. The difference is that subjective violence is one that results from the “perturbation of the normal peaceful state of things” whilst objective violence results from the “normal” state of things.

What these fines do is change the violence women face in the street from objective, “Oh, that’s not harassment, he’s just being a bit pushy,” to subjective, “This is not normal and if you do that, you could get into trouble.”

Poirier’s point of view is justified, but it’s the same thing as saying that education is the root cause of everything. She forgets to take into account that not every child has the chance to have even one loving parent who can explain these things. That culture plays a role into how we come to shape our worldview, and that we don’t all have the chance to be able to understand why something that is happening and accepted in our society can be in fact, wrong.

Of course, fines are not going to stop the problem anytime soon. The same way you don’t stop shoplifters from stealing with fines as a coercive pressure. But just imagine what would happen if shoplifting was treated as sexual harassment is:

You can steal something from Morrisons or Sainsbury’s and all you get is a few mean looks from the people around you, and someone who works there telling you to stop. But you can just walk away afterwards with no real consequences.

I bet we would see a lot more shoplifters if that was the only coercion. Even I, if I were in a less comfortable economic situation, would do it. Of course, it is not the same thing. People who steal food fulfil a basic human need whereas street harassers fulfil a desire.

But this is precisely why we should fine these people. Why would you make someone who steals something in order to feed themselves and their families pay a fine whilst not letting a street harasser face the same tangible punishment when they touch someone without their consent?

And this policy should defend men as well, but obviously, they are less likely to be sexually harassed. A recent report in France found that 100% of female users of public transportation have experienced sexual harassment.

Thus, if you see something and are lucky enough to be educated about the reality of those issues, say something, and most importantly, do something. Fines won’t change the situation much, but it will shift this problem to something that is merely “tolerable” to an “unacceptable matter of law”

If you are sick, you take medicine to avoid the symptoms. If you can, you also avoid to repeating the behaviour that caused your illness. But you can’t do that all the time, and sometimes all you can do is take your medicine.

Review: SZA – CTRL

Written by Tara Bharadia on . Posted in Music.

After several genre changes, three rough cuts, and an intense renaming ceremony, SZA has finally released her debut album Ctrl under her first professional label.

The word organic doesn’t even begin to describe the album. SZA notes how she went to a secluded cabin with her friends (who just so happen to be producers), set up studios in different parts of the house and ‘made stuff on our own time’. The idyllic conception of ‘Love Galore’ featuring Travis Scott, happened in this natural environment as well as a few other tracks, unfortunately, dropped from the final release.

The narrative of the whole album follows the phone calls of SZA’s mother and grandmother’s giving her life advice. This a is a very popular style of inspiration in recent years, similar to that of Drake and Frank Ocean, allowing the musician to open dialogue with themselves.

Throughout the record, SZA tries to figure out the level of control she has over her relationships. ‘Drew Barrymore’ has some sporadic tone changes, in which she comes across insecure but in the end, realises she doesn’t deserve to be treated like this. Later, she even contemplates sharing a man just for ‘The Weekend’, and she states that many men have more than one woman, so why act oblivious.

‘Garden’ is a standout and showcases all of SZA’s talents. Her incredible range, honest writing and her ability to put all her insecurities on display, all come into the spotlight on this track. Her voice wraps intricately around the beat on this track about body insecurities, the stuff you think to yourself but never have the confidence to say aloud, let alone ask anyone else about. Her inability to let anyone else see who she is, is something very relatable for everyone. Whether you’ve ever been in love or not.

There is plenty on this album to appeal to everyone, reminiscent of old-school Destiny’s Child and Aaliyah. This is the female musician a generation has been waiting for. SZA uses words and ideas that usually are used to belittle women and makes it accessible for all – ‘bright ideas we got bright ideas’.

She talks about sex and love so frankly, it would make your Sex Ed teacher proud. On ‘Doves In The Wind’ with Kendrick Lamar, she knows men see her as a thing of sex, but this doesn’t reduce her sense of worth. Instead, she wields it as a superpower: “I will make you beg for it, I wanna see you crawl”.

From working with the likes of Rihanna and Chance the Rapper to almost quitting her musical career, this album took a long time to get here, but boy aren’t we glad it did. The purity and honesty in this piece are what makes it so great, and it is something that has a true and meaningful message… as well as some banging tracks.

9/10

Review: The National – Sleep well beast

Written by Callum Oliver on . Posted in Music.

Towards the start of the newly-digitized balloom balladry of ‘Carin at the Liquor Store’ on The National’s seventh album Sleep Well Beast, the band’s singer Matt Berninger mumbles the name of one John Cheever. Cheever is an interesting point of reference.

The man’s Lynchian obsessions with the murky undercurrents of respectable middle-class life defined his work — as his contemporary John Updike once remarked of his suburban fascination: “Only Cheever was able to make an archetypal place out of it.”

In some ways, this mirrors the development of the National from a particular kind of nocturnal New York ennui into a more expansive, heady Americanism. As steeped in the band’s old themes of regret and lost love as Sleep Well Beast is, it’s also a product of the current volatility of American politics, albeit as obscurely as is to be expected of the National.

The clearest admission of this is the dry evocation of, “just another man, in shitty suits… This must be the genius we’ve been waiting years for” on ‘Turtleneck’, which unsurprisingly debuted on the eve of Trump’s inauguration.

The band’s thematic growth on Sleep Well Beast is paralleled by at least cosmetic musical evolution; although flurries of electronic bleeping at the start of tracks often give way to songs that still wind up sounding like The National, there are flashes of transgression. ‘Dark Side of the Gym’ blooms from plodding mundanity into a gorgeously lush final verse, and wistful highlight, ‘I’ll Still Destroy You’ equally spins into an exhilarating, wind-in-the-hair climax.

Part of the album’s idiosyncrasy stems from the oaken, earthy grain of Matt Berninger’s voice, which is The National’s most distinctive instrument. Mumbling and murmuring his way through the album, there’s perhaps a little of Michael Stipe in the finely detailed opacity of his lyrics: “Here the sky’s been falling white flowers, and there’s ice in the trees” he croons on the juddering ‘Empire Line’, and references “another teacup with gin in your secret postcard life” on the richly textured title track.

Although easy to put out to pasture as latte-sipping, inevitably Democratic Brooklynite hipsters, Sleep Well Beast makes a persuasive argument for the canonization of The National as a serious™ American band. Whether reeling from the tumult of relationships or national political discourse, this album is an unambiguous microcosm for Middle America; about as unambiguous as the wooden edifice of a suburban house containing only the band that adorns the album’s cover. As John Cheever wrote in “The Country Husband”, “The village hangs morally and economically, from a thread. But it hangs by its thread in the evening light.”

 

Review: Flyte – The Loved Ones

Written by Tara Bharadia on . Posted in Music.

British band Flyte have finally released their long-awaited ten-track album and it does not disappoint doting fans — who have been waiting since 2014 for something of this length.

Fans have been eager for the London group’s LP since the release of a few teaser tracks earlier in the year. ‘Victoria Falls’ and ‘Echoes’ offered within mere weeks of each other, showed the band solidifying their sound with pure confidence.

The eerily effortless four-part harmonies tie together in the most ‘healing-the-soul’ kind of way. They highlighted this most in ‘Orphans of the Storm’ and ‘Little White Lies’. Frontman Will Taylor’s voice falls sweetly on the ears, and the voices of Sam Berridge, Jon Supran, and Nick Hill blend together perfectly, just like the instrumental sounds they create.

The opening track, ‘Faithless’, was released a few days before the LP and was a favourite worldwide. The track leading itself to fan covers just hours after its release. The psychedelic vibe it plants into your head is reminiscent of The Beatles with the quick changing pace and gentle piano that quickly merges into something more awake and ready to shake you up at any moment.

Whereas ‘Echoes’ and ‘Sliding Doors’ sound like they walked right out of the score of a John Hughes film, ‘Cathy Come Home’ shows some clear and dark themes while being backed by a paradoxically cheerful melody. ‘Spiral’ showcases what the band do best, create sounds that are full, powerful and strong all whilst masquerading as nostalgic, when really forcing you to look at the present.

Over the years since their formation, Flyte has released a flurry of tracks, each one seeming as a step forward on their journey to find their sound. From ‘Please Eloise’ all the way back to ‘We Are The Rain’, the differences between now and then in terms of craftsmanship are vast but the overall impression their music leaves on you, remains unchanged as it is clear to hear they nailed that the first time around.

With regards to live performance, the band have supported the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and Lucy Rose, they are often a highlight of the night with their set due to their effortless yet electric performance. Their connections to one another brighten on stage as they have clearly found their calling, often joking around with the audience, who, without fail, are always asking for one more song.

8/10

Thousands attend ‘Stop Brexit’ Manchester march

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

An estimated 30,000 people took part in today’s ‘Stop Brexit’ march in Manchester.

Part of the ‘Autumn of Discontent’ organised by opponents of Brexit, the event began in All Saints Park at around 11:30AM with keynote speeches from high-profile figures including Alastair Campbell, Sir Vince Cable MP, Alison McGovern MP and A.C. Grayling.

At around 1:30pm, the march then departed from All Saints Park, progressed along Oxford Road and Whitworth Street West to the Conservative Party Conference, ending at Princess Street.

Sir Vince Cable MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats, told The Mancunion why he believed the event and Brexit mattered to students and Universities: “For students, it’s about freedom of movement, having a European identity as well as a British identity, it’s about the funding of the universities which depends very heavily on free movement of students and staff so there’s a lot at stake for Universities.”

Vince Cable’s comments about students having a dual identity were echoed by University of Manchester student George Rice who also attended the event.

The 18-year-old Politics and International Relations student told The Mancunion he’d “always had a collective sense of Europeanism”, and suggested he was “British and European” and that the “two don’t contradict each other”.

George Rice, UoM Politics and IR student (Image: Cameron Broome)

The Liberal Democrats weren’t the only political party to have a presence at the march.

Labour’s Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, was a keynote speaker at the event and spoke to The Mancunion about the message she would give to students that had chosen to attend the People’s Assembly demonstration on the same day, instead of the ‘Stop Brexit’ event.

She said: “If we crash out of the European Union and the Single Market, our country’s public finances will be in dire straits so you can’t really be anti-Austerity and be against our membership of the Single Market. The best way to secure our country’s future so that we can properly invest in our health service and our schools and our young people is to make sure our position as one of Europe’s trading nations is secured.”

Though most attendees were likely to identify as being on the left of the political spectrum, the march attracted people of diverse political persuasions, all united by a common interest in opposing Brexit.

Dirk Hazell, leader of the UK European People’s Party, was formerly a Conservative councillor.

When asked why he had chosen to oppose Brexit when many of his former Conservative colleagues had been reluctant to do so, he told The Mancunion: “When the Conservative Party left the EPP for a hard right group, I thought that was a step too far.”

He added that they “do look different from the outside once you’ve left them” and joked that if Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister, it would “probably finish off the Tories and probably finish off Brexit.”

Felix Milbank, President of Students for EU, told The Mancunion that despite the day’s event, students needed to continue the campaign.

Explaining how, he said: “They can sign up to the newspaper, The Young European, they can sign up to ‘Students for the EU’ which is actively campaigning to maintain educational programs for young people and students in the UK, and they can get involved with other campaigns such as the votes-for-16.”

The ‘Stop Brexit’ march took place on the first day of the Conservative Party conference, coinciding with the usual People’s Assembly demonstration believed to have involved a similar number of protesters.