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Year: 2017

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.

 

Fellaini brace helps United dispatch Palace

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Romelu Lukaku will be looking to make it seven consecutive games with a goal as the Red Devils host a struggling Crystal Palace. He currently stands at 10 goals in his first nine games for the club.

More impressively, perhaps, is the five clean sheets in the opening six games of the season; clearly demonstrating the previous defensive issues have been resolved. Mourinho should feel confident that his team will win this game comfortably.

United make just one change from the side that beat Southampton 1-0 last weekend.  De Gea starts in goal with Valencia, Smalling, Jones and Young as a back four. Matic, Fellaini, and Mata make up the midfield, with Mkhitaryan, Rashford, and Lukaku in attack.

Crystal Palace get the game underway but it is United that start brighter, immediately controlling the game. Less than three minutes into the game and it is already 1-0 to United. Young passes the ball down the wing to Rashford who goes past the defender like he’s not even there. Juan Mata times his run perfectly, and the Spaniard slots it into the bottom right-hand corner. It looks like it’ll be a long day for Palace.

The London side can’t even get a sniff of the ball in the early stages of the game. I don’t think they have strung more than two passes together before they are unceremoniously taken off the ball. In the opening ten minutes, United have had 72 per cent possession.

A potential penalty call as Fellaini goes down in the area. Upon watching the replay though it seems like a tangle of legs rather than a foul ― hardly surprising given the Belgian’s massive height.

Bafflingly, Palace only seem to be defending the width of the penalty area and are ignoring the wings. This means that Young and Rashford have free reign on the left-hand side of the pitch. Just when they get the ball you think “Is this it? Is this going to be their first attack?” but then they get tackled and United attack once more.

A mistake by Matic leads to the first corner of the game for Palace but it is easily defended. Soon they get a second, then a third, and a fourth, but they all lead to nothing.

Palace are starting to put together some decent attacks, but are limited to shots from outside of the box. With the form De Gea is currently in, it will take a miracle for them to score.

There is a spell of possession for United which slows down the momentum Palace had built up. Young gets the ball by the corner flag and does a little shimmy from side to side to get space to cross and oh my what a cross it was. It flows to the far post for a simple tap in for Fellaini. Just as Palace begin to grow into the game they go down a second.

The ball gets launched over 50 yards into the air and Mata takes it under control like it was less than five, the crowd loves it. United are not just playing well, they’re playing with style. Before that Rashford passed the ball with his shoulder, exquisite.

As the whistle blows for half time, fans don’t want it to end. This is perhaps the best performance by the Red Devils this season so far. The score by the end of the game will certainly rise to four or even five nil.

The second half gets underway and United are on top from the word go. A fantastic block stops Rashford from getting a shot off and shortly after Young gets taken out for a free kick.

Rashford launches the ball into the box and Fellaini stands his ground to head it in from two yards. Three goals to the better for United and Rashford deserves praise for a fabulous assist.

As bad as Palace’s record is, they aren’t playing as bad as you would expect. They are creating chances and creating problems for United, goals will come, most likely from this game, but they will come.

Rashford goes down in agony as Sakho inadvertently punches him in the groin area. Men all around the stadium let out a groan in empathy. The first substitution happens at the same time as he catches his breath with Lingard coming on for Mkhitaryan.

The pace of the game is picking up and Palace are the driving force behind that. They are having more possession but aren’t getting into the final third of the pitch. United are content as they are incredibly dangerous on the counter attack.

Martial is waiting to come on but is having some trouble taking off all of his silver chains. Should he not take them off when he gets into the dressing room? Either way, he will come on for Rashford when he is ready.

The referee plays a fantastic advantage as Lingard is taken out. Lukaku takes the ball and, in a one-on-one situation with the keeper hits it inches wide. You would really expect him to score from an opportunity like that.

Mourinho makes his third and final substitution, taking off the scorer of the first goal Mata, and Herrara comes on.

He has had to wait until the 86th minute to score but Lukaku has finally done it. Martial assists once more as he passes across the face of goal and all he has to do is tap it in. 4-0 United.

As the game finishes it is yet another win for Manchester United. 19 points from the first seven games is their best ever start. Palace, on the other hand, continue to search far and wide for their first goal.

Preview: The Magic Gang

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

The Magic Gang are a fuzzy pop-indie band made up of Kristian Smith vocals and guitar, Jack Kaye vocals and guitar, Gus Taylor on bass, and Paeris Giles on drums. The Brighton-based group are still very much in the early stages of what they are going to achieve in their foreseeable fruitful musical careers. The group only have 3 EP’s out, but these have already accumulated 5million views. It just goes to show that, not only is guitar pop not dead, but this quartet have stumbled upon something exciting.

The quirky, retro-tinted, tongue in cheek quartet have already had huge successes. Performing at huge such as Glastonbury and The Great Escape. On top of this, the group recently played a sold-out gig in London’s very own venue, Heaven. The Magic Gang has additionally previously toured with the likes of Wolf Alice, Hinds, and Swim Deep. The Quartet has been announced as the special guests touring with Sundara Karma this Autumn.

If this list of bands doesn’t convince you, then just by watching the brand new video for their single ‘Your Love’ will. The music video, directed by Tommy Davies – who was nominated for the ‘Best Music Video Award’ by NME – humorously portrays the band bunched on a sofa, watching themselves be ironically introduced by an old-school presenter. Complete with an incredibly oversized blazer, and offensive tie. The antiqued video visually represents the sound they create with utter synchronization.

The Magic Gang have undoubtedly formulated their own distinct feel. Swirling smooth guitar pop, with hints of early rock and melodic tunes. The vocals from Kristian Smith have a relaxing, melancholy feel, but combined with the upbeat guitar jingles and riffs, it creates the right balance for enjoyable easy listening. This group has similar tones to the likes of RATBOY and Viola Beach, whilst keeping true to their own. Definitely, one to watch out for in the future.

The Magic Gang perform with Sundara Karma on the 3rd of October at Manchester Academy.

A guide to Warehouse Project 2017

Written by Yasmin Duggal on . Posted in Music.

Manchester’s Warehouse Project kicked off on the 16th of September. LCD Soundsystem and Welcome To The Warehouse have already caused a storm. Some star-studded names cross the lineup this season, from The Chemical Brothers to Craig David to Annie Mac. Store Street, again, has secured a calendar to attract a Mancunian party every weekend.

Annie Mac Presents… will dominate the coming weekend of the 6th and 7th of October, with a line-up which boasts J-Hus, My Nu Leng, Stefflon Don, and Toddla T. The following weekend sees Giggs take to the stage, and with Drake joining him for an appearance earlier this summer, keep your eye out for the ‘More Life’ superstar. It’s sure to be an energised gig.

Mura Masa is one to be excited about — the young DJ taking to Manchester’s celebrated stage for a session of multi-instrumental goodness. The Anchor Point Night on the 21st of October also sees Nao and Bonzai on the line-up, so it’s sure to be one night of mellow electronic vibes.

Adam Beyer presents Drumcode on the 3rd of November and Craig David the following day is set to be a heavier weekend, with David Rodigan bringing reggae to Manchester and Big Narstie giving us a taste of grime after the techno of Drumcode. ‘People Just Do Nothing’ stars Kurupt FM return to Warehouse Project for a highly anticipated set.

If you are prepared for an all-day session, Jamie XX and friends take over on the 11th November for an elongated set from 2 pm until midnight. With further details to be revealed, we’re keeping our eye out for whom Jamie turns up with.

Alongside Paradise and Bicep on the 17th and 18th of November respectively, a Chase and Status DJ set alongside DJ Rage is sure to go down well. My Nu Leng and Shy FX return for the line-up, which is followed by one of the most sought-after tickets for this season: The Chemical Brothers.

Solardo Sessions b2b Skream takes over Boxing Day, so expect some tech to continue on the Christmas celebrations. With both New Year events still to be announced, and Warehouse providing such an eclectic mix of genres for this season, the start of 2018 remains a mystery for now. One thing’s for sure, WHP17 is not to be missed.

Faculty of Science and Engineering criticised over merger

Written by Rosa Simonet on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Schools in North campus are to be combined and streamlined which has angered many students taught in them.

On the 10th of May 2017, Naa Acquah, previous General Secretary, posted a video on Facebook addressing students from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). She asked for their thoughts on the FSE review and the likely merger of the nine schools.

“That’s when it all kicked off,” says Emma Atkins, Education Officer.

There were two options for students to consider. Naa stated that the first option involved “going from nine schools to three schools.” This would include a school of engineering with “MACE, EEE, Materials, Chemical Engineering, and Analytic Sciences all in one.”

The second, “names to be decided,” would be of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Finally, there would be a school of Mathematics and Computer Science. “Those would be [the] three schools.”

“Four schools would involve a smaller school of engineering,” (MACE, EEE, and Materials), “a school of Physics and Earth Environmental Sciences, a school of Chemistry with Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, and a school of Mathematics with Computer Science.”

The possibility of a merger was immediately criticised by students, who reported their feedback to the Dean of FSE, Martin Schröder. The report highlighted the weaknesses of the merger including concerns of a “loss of the unique nature and independence of some courses; which for some students was a key reason for choosing Manchester.”

Many also disapproved of being left in the dark throughout the review process, having only heard of the likely merger through Naa’s informal Facebook post.

Emma Atkins stated:  “Students were not intentionally left in the dark. The review was first discussed in University Senate and a consultation form went out 16th March until 29th March.”

With only 157 responses, the Students’ Union asked for the consultation to be re-opened. The senate dismissed this, stating in their minutes they “would continue with consultation via other mechanisms throughout the review.”

The release of the consultation and Naa’s original post referred to a “wealth of data” being considered in the review but failed to outline how the changes would impact students and staff. The consultation itself asked students and staff “how effective” their schools were in relation to the research/ teaching and learning and social responsibility goals “outlined in the Manchester 20/20 strategy.”

Emma Atkins attributes the Exec team’s lack of action to the “open and vague” nature of the questions. She said, “for FSE it was never clear what feedback they wanted […] and we didn’t want to confuse students when we didn’t have the information ourselves.”

After sending the feedback report, students were told to expect the full report from the Dean of FSE from the 28th June. The Educational Engagement Manager, Lisa, who works with student reps, said she was “sure no decisions had been made yet” but did not have a copy of the report. This was also the case for students from the FSE.

Despite not being 100 per cent certain, Lisa said: “the current situation is that the group have written an analysis of all the pros and cons of how everything works in the faculty and this has been sent to the Dean of the faculty who will decide on his next steps.”

Emma Atkins criticised the actions of the FSE: “we assumed FSE were doing their job.” The FSE apparently failed to notify students and student representatives despite showing concern over the review’s lack of transparency.

Emma went on to criticise the lack of student focus groups throughout the process, adding that Alex Tayler, current General Secretary, is currently setting more up. According to Emma, “when we’re in charge of feedback for students it goes well.” In previous cases, the exec team have arranged better feedback mechanisms.

Lack of student and staff involvement left many worried about their future at The University, particularly as meeting the 20/20 strategy recently resulted in over 150 staff cuts. However, Emma Atkins believes the likely changes are purely administrative and “students won’t have to change courses or share their space with other schools.” However, once the full report is made available to students, The Mancunion will review whether the merger is compliant with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and its impact on current and future students.

This article is part of a wider investigation on the FSE review and the University’s 20/20 strategy. If you would like to share your thoughts on the FSE review and/or the merger please contact The Mancunion at [email protected].

Manchester Mexican Society raise funds for those affected by earthquake

Written by Kirstie O'Mahony on . Posted in News.

Following the destruction of the recent earthquake in Mexico, the Manchester Mexican Society are holding various fundraising events to raise money for those affected.

The earthquake has so far claimed 227 lives and wreaked havoc on not only Mexico City but dozens of small towns in neighbouring states such as Wahaca. 21 children and four adult staff members are thought to have perished in a school in the capital as a result of the quake.

Treasurer of the Manchester Mexican Society, Noel Natera Cordero, told The Mancunion that fortunately “no one’s family [in the society] have been affected” — but there are still friends and acquaintances who are in the midst of the devastation.

He continued “it’s terrible being so far away from your friends,  your family, and your country” at a time like this, but made clear that now is the time for action and organisation in the face of such adversity.

The Mexican society are planning various events such as movie nights and a football tournament, but are open to more ideas from anyone who wants to get involved.

Noel also mentioned that the Holy Name Church, opposite the Students’ Union on Oxford Road, are helping organise a Catholic mass, in remembrance of those affected.

The Manchester Mexican Society have set up a Just Giving page where people can donate to the cause. They also have a Facebook page where you can keep up to date with all the fundraising events they’re organising.

Dealers hand out business cards outside halls

Written by Kirstie O'Mahony on . Posted in News.

Dealers in the Fallowfield area are giving business cards to freshers, and some are attaching free samples of the drugs they sell.

One fresher, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Mancunion that these people have also approached them in their halls of residence, “as we were just leaving the dining hall.”

He also pointed out that one of the cards  “took the ‘ingenious’ step of blanking out two numbers with I believe the guy saying ‘four, five, six’, meaning if the card ever got dropped… then the police wouldn’t immediately cotton on.”

Students who have lived there for a while know the cards are no new trick — one student commented on the article that “If they ain’t using business cards, is it even Fallowfield?”

But attaching free samples of weed to the card is something new, and a bit more bold than in the past.

Photo: Twitter Photo: Twitter

One person tweeted saying that Fallowfield dealers “don’t give a f**k” anymore, whilst another commented that it sums the area up.

Jacob Thompson, a 2nd year English Literature student at the University of Manchester, told The Mancunion that “dealers have been offering samples in the Granville Road area; a guy leapt out of his car to offer a friend of mine some free sample, but he was too nervous to accept.”

The Students’ Union are “reminding students to be extra vigilant”. The Wellbeing Officer Saqib Mahmood told The Mancunion “the Students’ Union has a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal drug use. We will work with GMP and the relevant Local Authorities to tackle the issue.”

Superintendent Dave Pester from Greater Manchester Police’s City of Manchester Division, said: “We have increased patrols across the area as part of our student safe operation. It includes a targeted initiative aimed at identifying drug dealers who we know are pursuing our students, who are potentially already vulnerable in their new environment.

“We are aware that business cards have been used in the past and this is a matter we will look into further.

He continued: “The city is full of new experiences and we want everyone to enjoy their time while here, however, we would like to make it clear that we won’t tolerate drug dealing or drug use in the city and our officers on the ground will take action.”

People are encouraged to call 101 if they see any instances of drug dealing in their local area, or 999 if it’s an emergency. The Students’ Union are also encouraging anyone who’s been affected by such an incident to go to the Advice Service for free and confidential advice and support.

Ex-Premier League referee Chris Foy opens new pitch in Manchester

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

Hailing from St Helens, Chris Foy refereed from 1996 to 2015 including 14 years in the Premier League and has since become the Head of Community and Public Engagement for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PMGOL). The native Lancashire-man returned to the North West to open Manchester Communication Academy’s new 3G pitch.

The academy, which is located to the North East of Manchester, was opened in 2010 and is just 2 miles from the Etihad Stadium. The pitch was funded by a grant from the Premier League and The FA Facilities Fund and has been unveiled in the hopes of boosting the number of people taking part in football in the area.

As well as the school’s benefits, the local clubs such as Moston Tigers JFC and Manchester Lions JFC will be using the playing field. The new surface will also be used by Manchester City in the Community as well as the Manchester FA as they conduct weekly outreach sessions and coaching education, respectively.

Speaking at the event, Foy said “this is a brilliant new pitch, and it was great to see it in action. Many professional players find their start at school and grassroots clubs.”

The project was delivered by the Football Foundation — the largest sports charity in the UK. The foundation has awarded around 15,000 grants — worth more than £580m — towards improving grassroots sport and aims to develop new and refurbished grassroots sports facilities in order to improve the quality and experience of playing sport at the grassroots level.

What’s on this week?

Written by Calum Pinder on . Posted in Music.

Transmission Funk Presents Bradley Zero & Hidden Spheres  – Soup Kitchen, 27th September:

The founder of Rhythm Section International will be DJing alongside the Manchester based Hidden Spheres. If a week of Freshers nights has you pining for something a little different, then come for a night of real deep house grooves at the Northern Quarter gem.

Hanni El-Khatib – Ruby Lounge, 28th September:

The LA-based vintage rocker will be playing alongside the Holy Oysters. His simple, clean bluesy sound reflects his association with Dan Auerbach. If you’re looking for some old fashioned rock and roll this week then this is the night for you.

Lord of the Tings And Friends – Hidden, 27th September:

Two Manchester nightlife classics collide. Hidden nightclub will play host to the best local Dancehall, Grime & Garage night in the area. Come along and start the term right whilst also supporting local talent.

SonicAtomic and Guests – Night and Day Cafe, 26th September:

SonicAtomic play a psychedelic blend of krautrock, postrock, and jazz. It’s an innovative, interesting sound to get lost in. At £6 a ticket, you’re not going to find a better value event this Tuesday.

MC Devvo one-off show – Ruby Lounge, 30th September:

Okay I’ll admit, it’s a quiet week so I’m casting wide net here. But come on, why wouldn’t want to see your favourite beer drinking, pidgeon kicking, Yorkshire YouTube star live in the flesh. You never know, it might be fookin’ sick mate.

Interview: Comedian Daniel Sloss talks sociopaths and stand up

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Arts.

Daniel Sloss is an English-born, Scottish comedian who has had an incredibly successful career from a remarkably young age — with notable success both in the UK and in the US. He is best known for his dark humour and strong opinions. The Mancunion had the opportunity to interview him regarding his new show.

So you’re just about to start your new tour ‘NOW’ — what can people expect from the show?

“Jokes, and a s*** ton of swearing, cause I actually do find it big and clever… but I guess it’s about me trying to figure out whether I’m a sociopath or not, I tend to get called it a lot – but I personally don’t think I am!”

You premiered the new show at Edinburgh Fringe, making it your ninth sell-out show there! Does it still have a sense of homecoming?

“Oh yeh! One of the advantages of being Scottish is that it doesn’t matter where about in Scotland you’re from, you’re Scottish – anywhere I go in Scotland it becomes ‘local boy done good’”

You were doing shows such as Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow from when you were just nineteen, do you feel your style of comedy has shifted since the shows you did when you were younger?

“Back then I was a young floppy-haired teenager and didn’t really have any opinions on anything, whereas now I’m a cantankerous 27-year-old man, and I have opinions on things. It doesn’t necessarily make them right, but I guess they are the ones the audience want to hear?”

The Manchester show will be following the European leg of the tour, where you’re even visiting the likes of Latvia, Lithuania, Romania — do you feel the show’s format still works in a similar way in these places?

“I have to vary in that sense as I know for a fact there are some jokes that won’t translate overseas, purely because so some of my stuff is about love and relationships, and I bring that in with First Dates — but obviously Bulgaria and Latvia don’t have that show — doesn’t mean I can’t do the jokes, but it requires a little more explanation.”

Do these audiences tend to differ from place to place?

“Ah no, I honestly find there’s more of a difference between a Monday night crowd to a Friday night crowd. ‘Cause comedy — unless you’re political or have local material — I find comedy is very very universal.”

And do you alter your material throughout the tour, in relation to the audience’s reactions?

“No, no — I keep it all in. I mean the coward’s way would be to take it out, but the professional thing to do is think like how do I make them laugh at this joke which I know they’re not gonna like?”

You’ve recently been seen even further afield in the US, with a record-breaking 7 appearances on Conan show – do you feel in America comedy is more rooted in these late-night comedy shows?

“I think the American live stand-up scene is still good, I think the Americans are just better at providing a platform for stand-ups, like in America they’ll be like right you’re a stand-up comedian and you’ve got a strong five minutes, here’s a television show where you can do a strong five minutes, whereas here it’s more like ‘oh you’re a stand-up — why don’t you come present this TV show or be on this panel show?’ I’ve got a lot of admiration for comics who are able to do that, but that’s not me, I didn’t do this stuff to be a personality in any way shape or form.”

So in England it’s much more about being a comic personality then being a comedian?

“Yeh completely, it’s great for some comics but that’s not why I got into this. My
f****** expertise is jokes, if you want an opinion on something you don’t want a half formed one from my narcissistic f****** ego centric brain”

As live shows seem to have such a big influence, who’s been your biggest inspirations in comedy?

“Bill Burr, Ed Byrne is up there, erm Brian Regan really taught me that comedy can be funny without f******* swearing, but obviously I still swear cause that’s how it f******* is. But erm, yeah — just any stand-up that’s grafting for me is an inspiration. For me, that’s the comic I aspire to be.”

So is that what you aim for — grafting — producing new material every year?

“Yeah, new material every year, you’ve got to challenge yourself. You’ve got to do new things every time. That’s how you keep the love alive. You see so many comedians who hate what they do, or they’ve lost the love of stand-up. I feel like saying to them: just f******** stop then. If you don’t love it, then why f******** do it. There’re so many people who do love this job that don’t have the opportunities you do, so if you hate it that much please for the love of God leave.”

Daniel will be coming to The Lowry in Manchester on the 25th November.

 

Bairstow inspires England to Old Trafford victory

Written by Arthur Salisbury on . Posted in Sport.

Who could’ve predicted that it’d be so predictable? The green shoots of a West Indian recovery have shrivelled up in harsh tomorrows, a convincing defeat meaning the side now need to go through the qualification process for the 2019 World Cup.

Hopefully, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will avoid pissing any more people off, and we can look forward to the sight of Chris Gayle taking guard against the Canadian quicks.

From an English perspective, Gayle was left to brew for just long enough at Old Trafford. Having been dropped by Joe Root on the third ball of the match, he slipped into his distinctive groove but was removed before the game became his plaything.

Gayle spanked boundaries and walked singles but ended typically abruptly when he whacked a Woakes delivery up high — high enough to come back down covered in both snow and foreign life — to be caught at the second attempt by Root.

Scorecard aficionados will be irked by the West Indian innings, the top seven recording 37, 11, 35, 17, 18, 23 and 41*, each getting in then getting out, threatening at momentum but never quite following up on it. The Windies (which, by decree of the WICB, is how the team are officially now known) trundled along to 204/9 from their 42 overs.

England — traditionally weaker in one-day than in tests — are arguably the strongest they’ve been in what Bishan Bedi once called “cricket in its most disgusting form”. Their batters are un-Englishly assertive, and their fielding unnervingly competent, but I would say a question mark remains above the bowling.

The Ashes will determine Ben Stokes’s long-term identity as a Freddie Flintoff for the Brexit age, or a recognised hero along the lines of Jacques Kallis but less of a prick. Woakes, Willey, and Plunkett, however, all offer broadly the same thing. Back of a line, quick, uncomplicated bowling – understandable given the limitations of the white ball, but not what you’d turn to when you need to break a partnership. This was borne out on Tuesday night, the three biggest stands being ended by Stokes, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.

The specialist quicks also conceded the worst economy rates. Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special suggested Mark Wood as the next-in-line, a player I like but not the stand-out quick à la Anderson/Broad that can deliver England’s first trophy in 50-over cricket.

That’s nit-picking though. Tuesday belonged to Jonny Bairstow, who this summer was awarded the status of An Integral Part of the Team. As 12th man Jason Roy rushed back and forth to deliver water during Bairstow’s unbeaten century, he must have been aware that he was hydrating a man in the process of stealing his place opening the batting.

Everyone else played the innings they always do: Hales clubbed 19 from 14 before giving a thick edge to gully; Root calmly played his way to 54 at roughly a run a ball — then from nowhere played on to a delivery from Kesrick Williams; and Eoin Morgan compiling a un-notable caught behind for 10, apparently. Ben Stokes, true to form crashed 23 from 10, hitting a six from off-spinner Ashley Nurse with one run required for victory.

The West Indies bowling attack were simply not good enough against an in-form Bairstow and Joe Root, on the verge of greatness this winter, the coolest head in town despite being only 13 years of age. His 54 took his ODI batting average to a remarkable 49.43, tenth on the all-time list. Although not yet world beaters, the one-day future looks fun for England.

West Indies future is as always uncertain. They might’ve put in a more convincing performance had some of their better players been allowed to play – Carlos Brathwaite, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and the Bravo half-brothers are all unavailable to the West Indies on account of contract issues. Remember it’s only a year ago they became T20 world champions. Except for Jonny Bairstow, no player nor supporter will remember this ODI. But as in the test series, West Indies will need a dramatically better performance to get this five-match series back on track.

Mental Health First Aid course now available for students

Written by Amy Wei on . Posted in News.

The organisation Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA UK) has launched a training course designed to “enable students and staff to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental health issues.”

The one day course is designed for “anyone who works or studies in a university environment.” Objectives include being able to spot the signs of mental health issues, offer first aid and signpost students to appropriate services.

Developed in collaboration with organisation Student Minds, it is now available to universities all over England, including the University of Manchester.

It has been piloted at 16 Universities so far and is a paid course, valued at £200, but costs vary by location and instructor. Each cohort is limited to 16 people, to keep participants “safe and supported.”

Mental Health and well-being are a growing concern among students in the UK. It is estimated that 75% of mental illnesses develop by the time individuals are 24 years old.

In a press release from MHFA, the director and Higher Education lead Caroline Hounsell commented that “although students fall into a particularly at-risk group, early intervention and support can reduce many long-term impacts of mental ill health including academic failure, drop-out and limited employment prospects.”

Growing awareness has prompted a demand for more accessible mental health services on campus, putting additional pressure on University counselling services that are often overbooked and underfunded.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is keen to ensure his new Greater Manchester mental health strategy, which will put £80 million pounds into youth mental health support, channels funds specifically into university counselling services.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Burnham stated: “We’re working with the universities on how and where to provide those services. So, yeah, a work in progress but the issue has absolutely been grasped at the very top.”

He and Greater Manchester’s chief health officer, Jon Rouse, “recognised, working with the university, that there is a gap in provision, and that support often isn’t there for people in crisis moments.”

Burnham was careful to restrain his commitments, however: “I wouldn’t want to claim that it’s all going to be miraculously fixed and it’ll be perfect from now on, I don’t think it’s as easy as that.”

Lauren Goodfellow, from the Open Mind Network society at the University of Manchester, was equally cautious with regards to the progress made in the implementation of MHFA’s training course.

Speaking to The Mancunion, she said “it’s not widely accessible and therefore doesn’t go far enough to try and tackle the mental health epidemic that is currently wracking the nation. But it is a step in the right direction.

“It’s so normal for students to struggle when starting University as it is a huge new step in their lives. Often it involves moving to a new city or a completely different country. Hopefully, this will be the first of many schemes that increase awareness and build a valuable support network for students who have mental health issues.”

The Mancunion is currently conducting an extended investigation into support provided by the university counselling service, particularly for victims of sexual abuse. Any readers with experience with the service can contact The Mancunion confidentially through private email address [email protected] or [email protected].

Review: Pizza & Prosecco Festival

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Pizza and prosecco? Every girls’ dream, and it is exactly what it says on the tin. The beautifully decorated hall, filled with giant pizza and prosecco inflatables, pizza balloons and miles of bunting at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre was absolute perfection. These guys have really got their target audience marketing down to a T. This is just one of the stops that the festival will be making on its 21-major city tour around the UK.

The mini-festival gave ticket holders a free prosecco cocktail on arrival as well as a Pizza & Prosecco Bible, which outlined the taste notes of the 20 different Proseccos and the local food traders they were providing. Not only this, The Tiny Tipple Van also made an appearance to make sure that each slice of pizza was matched perfectly to it’s according to drink.

The response and the turnout for the festival were phenomenal, with thousands of people embracing and being completely smitten with the idea of the simple but clever combination in one place. This combined with the flawless sounds of a live jazz band really heightened the whole experience and is the complete package once added with a group of friends.

I myself enjoyed a glass — or two — of Contessa Carola Spumante, a rather dry but with an added twinge of apple and almond tones. In addition to this, I also tried for the first time in my life a pizza cone — yes you read that right… pizza in a cone?!? — And I would 100% recommend and encourage people to try it too!

Photo: Hannah Brierley

All in all, if you can get down to one of these events I strongly encourage and endorse you to do so. It’s such a classier way of getting drunk with your friends, and honestly, it is refreshing to try a new experience and ticks every box for me. But don’t take my word for it, go see for yourselves.

 

Ps. Excuse the photo of the half-eaten pizza cone. I was so excited to try it and it only occurred to me afterwards to share the beautiful creation of a pizza cone.

Opinion: We need to talk about toilets

Written by Sophie Graci on . Posted in News.

Flagship BBC Radio 4 arts programme Front Row is coming to TV this month, and whilst this should be a time for celebration (the arts! On TV! Where everyone can see them!), this week its presenters have come under fire for their complaints about the state of British theatre. Not the lack of diversity on stage and in the audience, nor the insistence on an annual revival of Hamlet, but the practicalities of going to the theatre. Long periods of action without an interval, for example, uncomfortable seats, and inaccessible facilities.

This has caused outrage amongst critics, with the most vitriolic decrying the criticism as “lightweight” and “f*cking outrageous.” Mark Shenton of The Stage at least admits that, “yes, these matters sometimes vex professional theatregoers too,” but argues that “the rewards far outweigh the inconveniences and irritation.”

But is this the case for all theatre-goers? For disabled patrons, accessibility is vital, rather than merely an inconvenience and irritation. For parents and shift-workers, it matters that theatre timings can be restrictive. These things are part of the theatrical experience, not just what takes place on stage. To be able put them aside is a privilege, not a default position.

There was snobbery around the reactions as well. BBC Media Editor Amol Rajan, one of the presenters, mentioned going to see Dreamgirls and School of Rock, and that his favourite theatre venue was The Globe. Theatre Twitter promptly tore into him — as if musicals are too mainstream for a critic, and The Globe too obvious.

The job of a critic is to communicate their assessment and opinion of a piece of work — not to be a gatekeeper of taste. The complaints show these critics to be out of touch, and exemplifies why theatre comes across as so clique-y from the outside: if your tastes aren’t niche enough, you’re not a real theatre-goer.

Speaking to students about theatre issues that concern them, one of the things that came up was often that students must go to the theatre on their own because they can’t get anyone to come with them. How are you supposed to find someone to go to theatre with you, when most of your friends think of it as stuffy, long, and old-fashioned?

Another Drama student mentioned that his mum had never been to a play that did not have him in it, and that many of his friends felt excluded from theatre. The theatre can be an off-putting place, and rather than berating the presenters for their comments we should instead look to why theatre seems so determined to be stuck in its ways.

These are important issues, not petty ones, and we should care about them if we want to keep audiences coming in. Future theatre makers will need to deal with these issues if they want to keep it alive.

It is vital that the theatre continues to become more diverse — to invite theatre makers and audiences to be part of work in the spaces — but maybe all theatre producers need to do to get audiences in is make the toilets more accessible.