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Month: January 2018

The University of Manchester Photo: Johsua Poh@Flickr

University staff to strike over pensions

Written by Tristan Parsons on . Posted in News.

The University and Colleges Union has said strike action is likely after talks with with Universities UK (UUK) over the future of staff pension schemes ended without an agreement.

Following a ballot result on Monday 22nd January in which 88 per cent of UCU members backed strike action, the union said that 61 universities would be hit by strikes and other forms of industrial action by UCU members, expected to start on Thursday 22 February.

UCU said the first strikes would most likely start with a two-day walkout on the 22 and 23 of  February. The action would then escalate to three-day, four-day and five-day walkouts in future weeks. The union said it would review its action and consider the next steps after those initial strike days if the dispute had not been resolved.

Non-strike actions would include union members working strictly to their contract, which would see them refusing to cover classes or reschedule classes lost on strike days as well as refusing to undertake any voluntary duties.

In a press release, UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt said: “Universities will be hit with levels of strike action not seen before on UK campuses if a deal cannot be done over the future of USS pensions. Members have made it quite clear they are prepared to take action to defend their pensions and the universities need to work with us to avoid widespread disruption.

“Even at this late stage we urge universities to work with us to reach an agreement that protects the defined benefit element of USS pensions.”

Russell Group universities that were established before 1992 currently pay into what is known as a ‘defined benefit scheme’ pension that is managed by the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), although decisions made about it are made by Universities UK (UUK).

USS take a percentage out of employees’ pay, which is then matched or more by the employer. This is invested in a pension fund which they can then withdraw at the point of retirement.

UUK announced in November 2017 that they now want to change this to a ‘defined contribution scheme’ (that will still be managed by USS) in order to counteract the apparent pension deficit.

This would mean that employee and employer contributions will be invested in the stock market, with the aim of growing it over the years before retirement. Each employee in the scheme then receives a share of the pot when they leave the employer.

This can pose a substantial risk on the employee, as it is not guaranteed that these investments will be fruitful. Their resulting pension may in fact be less than their initial contribution.

UCU estimates that a lecturer joining a pre-92 university and USS today would be £208,000 worse off than they would have been under the current USS scheme, and £385,000 worse off than if they instead joined a post-92 university and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

On Tuesday 23rd January, Education Officer of the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, Emma Atkins, said: “It’s extremely disappointing that UUK prioritised the employers over the employees on this matter.”

“We prioritise students in all matters of strike action but support UCU in their intentions to make sure lecturers and tutors are well paid with secure pensions.

“A sector with insecure pensions and unhappy, sidelined staff won’t attract the best candidates, and the student experience will suffer because of that. We will be meeting with the UCU on 1st February to discuss this matter further.”

The University of Manchester declined to comment.

Third year English Language student, Sam Cooper, said: “given the proposed strike is weeks away, I suspect it is a case of trying to pressure the UUK into making the desired changes rather than actually planning a strike.

“The comment [from the UCU General Secretary] that ‘Universities will be hit with levels of strike action not seen before on UK campuses’ sounds more like a speech from Game of Thrones than a constructive comment…”

On the disruption to studies, third year Geography student, Justin Snodgrass, said that the strikes would be “annoying, especially since my degree doesn’t have many contact hours. Despite this, I support a decent guaranteed retirement income so I’d be in favour of strike action.”

Sam said: “if it does go to a strike, it will hardly be surprising. I don’t think a single academic year has gone past in my university education that a strike hasn’t occurred and while I agree people’s pensions shouldn’t be altered, you have to wonder why students who have paid £9,000 every year have to receive less education for something entirely out of their hands.”

Image: Students' Union

Exec Officer applications open

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

Students at the University of Manchester can now stand to be a Students’ Union Executive Officer for the academic year 2018/2019.

The roles offer a chance to represent the student body and campaign on issues affecting fellow students, as well as working with external organisations in Manchester and nationwide.

The roles also offer networking opportunities through attending conferences and a chance to promote and defend the rights of students with the National Union of Students.

Emma Atkins, having stood as the Exec Officer for two years in a row, re-ran last year because there was a lot of work that she wanted to see finished, but cannot run again this year as Officers can only stand for two terms (she is the only officer of the current Exec team in this position).

Speaking to The Mancunion, Atkins stated that “it was an incredible opportunity — everyone who talks about the elections says this, but as an Officer, I can tell you it gives you skills and puts you in scenarios and opens up experiences that you’d never get in any other job.

“As well as learning communication, teamwork, public speaking, time management and project management skills, you also become a Trustee of one of Manchester’s biggest charities. This means you learn how to be strategic in your thinking, you learn about finance and risk, and have loads of problem-solving examples to give in job interviews.

“Most importantly, you get budget and resources to focus on issues that matter to you, and create innovative new ways to make students at Manchester have the best time possible.”

Following the officer role review at the recent Senate, new roles have been introduced this year.

The first role is International Students Officer, which will mean they will be responsible for the support of over 11,000 students at the university. The role will a oversee cultural exchange, pastoral support, tuition fees and help with areas such as visa support and integration of the International Society with the SU.

The next new role is one derived from the Diversity Officer, which will now become the Liberation and Access Officer which diverges all the Liberation groups of a student at the university.

Emma Atkins has stated that “this Officer will also lead on work for ‘Access’ and support mature, part-time and distance learning students and students with caring responsibilities. The Access part additionally focuses on Widening Participation and Living at Home students, for which the SU and the University have lots of work they do in partnership.

“This Officer will work on policy, campaigns and support for all these students. This name better reflects the work they will do, as the role of Diversity Officer used to also lead on work for international students and postgraduate students. But now we have an International Students Officer and postgraduates go under Education Officer, this new title better applies to the reformed role.”

Finally, the roles of Campaigns and Community Officer have been merged to create Campaigns, Community and Citizenship Officer which will focus on housing, safety and homelessness in Manchester.

With the recent 1.5 per cent turnout in the All Student Vote on the Exec Officer roles, the Citizenship Officer will be responsible to encourage students to vote, as well as getting students to integrate into the local community.

The roles are open to all students and for those who wish to stand would need to have their application form in by Friday the 16th of February which can be found on the Students’ Union website.

Voting opens on Thursday the 1st of March and closes on Thursday the 8th of March.

Photo: StockSnap @ Creative Commons

It’s app-ening: five apps to keep you studying

Written by Aliya Ismangil on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Do! (Free on iOS)

“It’s literally just…a to do list but I’m one of those people who hates the red notifications on your phone and it keeps them there until you’ve done the task. So it’s kinda handy for making sure you get it done because every time you open your phone it’s a constant reminder to stop procrastinating.” — Louise, final year

Trello (Free on Android and iOS)

A to-do list app on steroids. Trello allows you to make different boards for different projects and make multiple lists within these boards. If your friends or group project pals have it too, you can share your boards and collaborate on them. This is useful for those people that like to compartmentalise their multitasking. There’s also a browser version for laptops and computers.

Forest (Free on Android, £1.99 on iOS)

“While working, it can be hard to not be distracted by your phone. This app lets you set a time and grow a digital tree.  If you use your phone, the tree dies. It is very effective in stopping phone use during long and boring essays or during revision sessions. Additionally, having a lovely digital tree at the end is very satisfying.” —  Katie, final year

SimpleMind (Free lite version on Android and iOS)

If you like a visual way to organise your thoughts but hopeless at drawing, this app may be for you. This app lets you create neat, colourful and customisable mind maps. You can add your own images to them and organise the branches in your own way. The lite version gets you all the essentials, but if you want to save your mind maps in different file formats and have more pretty templates invest in the pro version.

Google Calendar (Free on Android and iOS)

This is a simple recommendation but a staple. If paper diaries aren’t your thing, this is one to get on. You can set even set reminders that annoyingly, but usefully, carry on to the next day if you don’t get them done. Add multiple calendars, customisable and it easily syncs across devices and on the iCloud, so you can access it anywhere.

Photo: AlloCiné.fr

Review: Star Wars – The Last Jedi

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

Star Wars is a strange franchise. It’s an ill-defined saga, and George Lucas has always based his vision on a foundation of change, whether it be the exciting aesthetic and emotional evolution of the original trilogy, or the attempted expansion and dull politics of the failed prequels.

J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens was aware but wary of this, constructing new characters and settings to an extent, but attune to a cinematic environment that rewards the nostalgic and familiar and all too often punishes blockbuster revolution.

With The Last Jedi, Disney takes its biggest risk in a number of years, handing over the reins to one man with a strange, expansive, operatic vision of what Star Wars can and should be, and it’s understandable that people are angry. This is Rian Johnson, after all, director of ‘Fly’, an episode of Breaking Bad considered one of the best or worst pieces of television in history depending on who you ask.

This year has seen franchises such as Blade Runner 2049 and War for the Planet of the Apes entrusting auteurs taking the material seriously, deconstructing and expanding their worlds and delivering stories with heart, existentialism and message. It’s astounding that, despite this, Star Wars: The Last Jedi surely ranks amongst the best.

Star Wars has never felt so solid. It has a regrettable shaky opening that unfortunately introduces its hit and miss style of humour which continues throughout. However, the action set piece culminates in a climax that emphasises the claustrophobia of cockpits, the heft and sound of the Resistance’s clunky controls and the characters and souls behind the CGI of the stylishly designed spaceships. Johnson understands the need for authentic visual effects and the clarity with which they should be shot, and at times direct his lens as if photographing a vehicle or person. Domination, submission, isolation and solidarity are all communicated perfectly with ships that start to feel like tangible personalities.

Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker makes his triumphant return and proves himself a true talent following his shaky performances in the original films, here his turn as an aged Jedi Master proving just as good or better than Alec Guinness’ Obi Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. Anyone disappointed with his short-lived appearance in The Force Awakens should be left extremely satisfied, with Johnson subverting and challenging our perceptions of Hamill’s character before delivering precisely what we’ve been waiting for these long 34 years since his departure in Return of the Jedi.

The respect for the craft of acting, especially with regards to our perceptions of persona are realised wonderfully in Johnson’s entry, allowing for quiet moments of dialogue and connections between characters that the frisky pace of The Force Awakens couldn’t stop for. Most specifically, Adam Driver is allowed to be Adam Driver, connecting an awkward sensitivity, a cautiously dominant and husky cadence to Kylo Ren that expands the conflict behind the seething anger of his antagonist.

This works especially well with Daisy Ridley’s Rey, who is just as inquisitive and resourceful as before, but with an unexpected conceit. She is granted communication with Kylo in scenes establishing both her righteous anger and willingness to empathise. This is one of the ‘talkiest’ entries of the Star Wars franchise, but it’s all in favour of the world and character building, and it’s admirable for a franchise so concerned with the completely separate dichotomy of the light and dark to so suddenly and effectively introduce the concept of grey.

Complaints about the second act are well-founded, and there does exist a chase scene that’s a little reminiscent of the prequels. However, the benefit of the introduction of Rose and Benicio Del Toro’s DJ greatly outweigh the slight shortcomings, as the concept of a Star Wars movie being a complete ensemble piece just works (Laura Dern is also extremely welcome), and the three plot threads culminate wonderfully in one of the most striking and cathartic moments of visual splendour you’ll see all year.

The complexity of its plot may extend the running time and roles of its characters, but it’s completely necessary. Not least by ensuring the late, great Carrie Fisher’s General Leia as a crucial feminine through line that not only delivers one of her best performances, but, with the inclusion of Dern as others, finally removes the militant, boys’ club atmosphere of a Rebellion supposedly fighting for galactic equality. This a movie that indirectly challenges the exciting yet outdated masculinity of Han Solo, Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron a vice for addressing the problems of a franchise that, through no fault of its own, started in the 1970s, yet his character never feels short changed despite this.

Resurrecting a specific era of film-making that I believed long dead, the fact that it works so well gives me hope for its return, in a scene that is dangerously new, yet manages to wrestle the idea of nostalgia away from its status as a dirty word. Many have read The Last Jedi as being in contempt for its mythos, but Johnson’s film is first and foremost a staggeringly affectionate send-up of fandom and fantastical science-fiction by a fan and for the fans.

4.5/5

Photo: AlloCiné.fr

Review: The Post

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

When it comes to cinematic output, Steven Spielberg is showing no signs of slowing down, having released almost a film a year this decade. Many may have forgotten his middling effort to adapt The BFG a couple of years ago, and The Post comes presented as a more mature filling for the blockbusters sandwiching his push for a Best Picture nod, with his hotly anticipated foray into nostalgic cyberpunk, Ready Player One, hitting the big screens in just a few months. Sadly, though his filmography is stacking exponentially, the passion for his craft seems all too often absent from this perfectly pleasant yet ultimately disposable detailing of the Washington Post’s publication of leaked Pentagon papers.

Penned by exciting new talent Liz Hannah, the script feels disappointingly loose and disjointed when adapted by Spielberg at his laziest, and combined with editing that doesn’t seem to know when the best, wittiest and most impactful lines are hitting. Had the seasoned director chosen to acknowledge the script as the driving strength behind the film, The Post would have been a thrilling celebration of Meryl Streep’s best performance in some years, instead of being just about saved by it. Streep plays the scathing Katherine Graham, the overwhelmed yet ultimately capable head of The Washington Post, and it’s the first time she has out-acted each of her fellow cast members for some time. Not only are they out-acted, but they are seemingly all blessed with a chance to compete tête-à-tête, with Streep invariably emerging victorious.

This is indeed Meryl Streep’s film, but not always because the other performers simply aren’t good enough. It’s true that Tom Hanks’ Ben Bradlee is too growling and gurning to leave a positive impression — inconsistently accented, too — and the usually likeable Alison Brie disappoints by essentially delivering a roughly approximated imitation of her superior cast mate portraying Graham’s daughter. However, the main problem is that much of the cast is simply painfully underused.

Leeching from some of the year’s best character actors, Spielberg gloatingly waves Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name) and Bradley Whitford (Get Out) in front of the audience, yet never demands much more from them than an opportunity to stand among Streep and Hanks. Additionally, the casting of comically-inclined performers David Cross and Bob Odenkirk in an attempt to wring out some laughs that the script doesn’t really have, is woefully misjudged for a film that is striving for poignancy and relevance.

Luckily, the narrative is paced well enough that, when events start picking up in the latter 45 minutes, it doesn’t feel as if you’ve been sitting for twice as long as you have. This is a dialogue driven picture, and its tension is at its most successful when characters are verbally sparring round tables or at the end of phone lines that have extended to five or more people. These conversations and arguments stand as The Post’s real meat, and stridently overcome the whimsical montages of the printing press that, when accompanied by John Williams’ sentimentally dated compositions, feel more like the contraptions in Edward Scissorhands than the machinery responsible for delivering “the first draft of history”.

Sentimentality has frequently been a criticism of Spielberg’s efforts as a filmmaker, though luckily his older projects have been genuine enough to wave this away as cynicism. However, within The Post emerges what is almost a paradox, in that the proven director is demonstrating a sentimentality for the mature, when it usually manifested as childhood nostalgia.

Seemingly fuelling an almost egotistical regret that his directing in the 1970s veered towards action and science-fiction rather than standing in the ranks amongst the likes of All the President’s Men and The Conversation, Spielberg applies the same misty-eyed reverence to journalism as he did to aliens and sharks, yet clumsily combines this with the same voyeuristic camerawork and grainy, muddy colour grading as the 1970s espionage flicks. It’s unfortunate that more time was spent ensuring that The Post looked like a film from the 70s, rather than it being a successful film about the 70s with some much needed modern flair.

The final act is compelling and timely enough to warrant its status as a loving tribute to the free press and forgive some missteps, and Meryl Streep is admittedly wonderful when given a chance to shine above Spielberg’s rough direction. Despite this, The Post too frequently feels like an impersonation of the 1970s rather than a representation of a world that feels tangible and lived in, and the attempts at a step in the mature direction seem wrong-footed on Spielberg’s part with Ready Player One and an Indiana Jones sequel following in the next couple of years.

3/5

Photo: Charlie Baskerville

Review: Sapporo Teppanyaki

Written by Charlie Baskerville on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Upon entering Sapporo Teppanyaki I was taken back by an atmosphere of excitement, sprinkled with explosions of fire, followed by uproars of cheer. We were shown promptly to our seats where we awaited our five course Suki set menu. The first two courses were served together, the first being a deliciously crunchy Namasu salad and the second, a beautifully balanced Miso wakame soup. The contrast of textures was the perfect way start the meal. The chef then entered the middle of the Teppanyaki table, where he started frying slices of potatoes and flicking them into the mouths of customers.

We were then served our third course of duck rolls and chicken gyozas, the latter being exquisite and genuinely some of the best I have ever experienced, but these were unfortunately let down by the bland and unbearably doughy duck rolls.

I was quickly distracted, however, by the spectacular theatrics that were taking place in front of me including dazzling displays of fire, egg juggling and even the odd practical joke (I won’t ruin it for you). This was followed by spring onion wrapped in chicken fresh from the hot plate, served with mixed vegetables and sliced potatoes.

Finished with what can only be described as the most disappointing professionally cooked scallops I’ve had in a long time. I can’t say I was too surprised as cooking approximately seventy unevenly sized scallops will hardly ever result in the melt-in-your-mouth scallop we all desire. I would have much preferred something a little less ambitious and easily executable to compliment what was a promising dish.

The timing between the different components of the main course arriving took far too long and led to most of the course being cold. The generosity of the chefs was not to go unnoticed here though, as they were happy to serve more on my friends prematurely empty plate.

Onto the finale — the dessert. On offer was a choice of three desserts; an Oreo cheesecake, chocolate spring rolls and green tea ice cream. Being in the fortunate position of having three of us, I was able to try each of them. The Oreo cheesecake was average at best, the standard being comparable to the frozen section at your local supermarket.

Even more disappointing was the white and milk chocolate spring rolls which were wrapped in pastry about 4 times too many, making the desert nothing but ‘bouncy’. Finally, the green tea ice cream was surprisingly very pleasant and refreshing — something I would definitely recommend.

Sapporo Teppanyaki would be great for a fun, informal meal out with a big group of friends but otherwise it would not be an ideal destination for delicate and good quality cuisine.

Image: pxhere.com

Work experience bursaries available to students

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Applications for a scheme which offers University of Manchester students bursaries to cover the financial costs of work experience are now open for the academic year 2017/2018.

Students can apply for up to £250 or £1,000 depending on their circumstances. The funds can be used to cover related travel, accommodation and/or dependent care costs incurred as a result of undertaking work experience.‌

The aim of the Work Experience Bursary Scheme, run by the University of Manchester’s Careers Service, is to support students who wish to carry out work experience that will contribute to their professional and personal development but are finding it difficult to take up the opportunity that they want.

Tammy Goldfeld, Head of The Careers Service said: “We know that many students want to do a summer internship but are worried about not having enough money to cover their costs, especially students from lower-income households who may not want to incur debt.

“This is why we are so pleased to award work experience bursaries to our students. We want them to gain valuable work experience and not let cost be a barrier.”

To apply for a bursary through the scheme, students have to download and complete an application form available on the Careers Service’s website and send it to [email protected] with “Work Experience Bursary 2018 application” in the subject line.

Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis by a bursary panel and students are likely to hear a decision on their application within seven working days of the closing date.

Since the introduction of the Work Experience Bursary Scheme in 2012, 850 students at the University of Manchester have benefited from the scheme to help them cover the costs of undertaking career-related work experience.

The bursaries have funded diverse work experience opportunities for students ranging from work shadowing within public sector organisations in the North West, to work experience in media outlets in London, to careers-related voluntary experience in Asia and Australia.

Issy Dugan, a first-year Geography student who received a bursary through the scheme, said: “I am so grateful for the work experience bursary. It paid for my flights and accommodation during my stay in Jodhpur, India. I have just got back after spending a month in a Woman’s Empowerment Centre there, something I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do without financial help!

“It was the best experience of my life and has inspired me to continue to pursue my passion for NGO work. I also made some strong connections for the future.”

During the bursary scheme of the academic year 2016/2017, over 150 students received a financial contribution to help cover the costs of travel and accommodation during their work experience.

The bursary fund available to students is limited and the Careers Service encourage early applications for the scheme.

Prior to applying for the scheme, students are encouraged to read the scheme’s full terms and conditions available on the Careers Service’s website.

Photo: AlloCiné.fr

Review: All the Money in the World

Written by Jamie McEvoy on . Posted in Film.

All the Money in the World will arguably be remembered just as much for the Spacey controversy as it will be for its brilliance.

The film had just finished shooting, with Kevin Spacey donning liver-spotted prosthetics to become John Paul Getty. However, after numerous sexual assault allegations were made against the Hollywood titan, Ridley Scott decided to remove all of traces of the disgraced Spacey from the film. Christopher Plummer was brought in, and extensive re-shoots took place, costing an estimated £7.5 million.

Both director and studio were insistent the film met its original release date, and understandably there was suspicion the re-shoots would appear hurried. Thankfully, and presumably to the immense relief and satisfaction of Scott, Plummer is without a doubt the tour-de-force of the movie.

It is 1973, and a young American teenager walks the streets of Rome at night, to be intercepted by a group of men and thrown into a van, blindfolded. The mobster kidnappers demand a 17 million dollar ransom, and it just happens that young John Paul’s grandfather is the billionaire oil tycoon John Paul Getty — the “richest man in the history of the world”. The deal is simple — Getty pays up, and the boy lives, yet the kidnappers and the boy’s mother, Gail (Michelle Williams) underestimate the greed, malice and pride which have consumed the old man.

What follows is a battle of wills between the hostage’s mother, the Italian mob, Mark Wahlberg’s secret agent Fletcher Chase, and Getty. The story itself is compelling enough, and it is surprising a screen adaptation has not been envisaged earlier (although later this year a Danny Boyle-directed TV series will air on FX which follows the same story). Yet Scott has not coasted on the tale’s pulsating narrative arch, and is back to true form after the woeful Alien: Covenant (2017).

The tension and authenticity of the film’s events and setting is outstanding, rivalling that of the Oscar-winning Argo (2012). There is a strong resemblance between All the Money in the World and Affleck’s equally slow-burning thriller, yet the time-shifts in the former give Scott’s most recent blockbuster the edge in terms of depth and intrigue.

Plummer will doubtlessly draw the majority of attention, which may or may not be amplified somewhat by his predecessor’s transgressions, but Michelle Williams by no means plays second fiddle. An actress who is criminally underused in Hollywood cinema, her portrayal of a mother caught between grief, desperation and rage could be described by an endless list of superlatives.

Wahlberg falls somewhat short as a two-dimensional special-ops agent hired by Getty to facilitate the recovery of his grandson, but it is a nice change to see him returning to quality cinema once more after starring in last year’s blockbuster monstrosities Transformers: The Last Knight and Daddy’s Home 2.

The plot at times is forced to cave slightly in order to pave way for narrative progression (a monumental decision by Getty towards the film’s final act appears somewhat out of the blue in order to trigger the resolution), but this is a minor pitfall in what is otherwise an expertly crafted film. Scott’s forte now clearly lies in the real world – his days of fantasy and science fiction are behind him – yes we’re looking at you Exodus and Covenant.

Likely to be remembered for all the wrong reasons, despite the controversy, All the Money in the World is everything a crime-thriller should be. Scott gambled in order to save the project, and it paid off spectacularly.

4/5

Photo: TECU Consulting UK @ Flickr.com

Proton beam cancer treatment to start in Manchester

Written by Aliya Ismangil on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Treatment is set to start from August 2018 at The Christie. The project is now in its last stages, a culmination of years of planning and fundraising, with the government injecting £250 million. There will also be a centre opening at London’s University College Hospital.

There is currently only a low-energy form of this therapy available in the UK to treat eye tumours. High-energy proton beam therapy will be able to treat many more forms of cancer. At present, patients have to travel abroad to receive this cutting-edge therapy.  The two centres will be the first in the UK to offer this treatment on such a scale.

Proton beam therapy uses charged particles instead of x-rays to treat cancers. The protons are generated in a cyclotron, a particle accelerator weighing as much as a small aircraft. The beam then fires particles at 100,000 miles per second, two thirds the speed of light.

A five-year study published in 2016 by a team of doctors from the Massachusetts General Hospital found that proton beam therapy is just as effective as conventional radiotherapy. But it is the potential for reduced side effects that make proton beam therapy so desirable.

The x-rays used in conventional radiotherapy pass all the way through the body, which has the risk of damaging sensitive tissues around and behind the tumour. Whereas, in proton beam therapy, high-energy particles stop at the tumour, therefore saving more healthy tissue.

Dr Ed Smith, a paediatric consultant who has been close to the project from early on, looks forward to the prospects the new treatment will bring.

“Young patients would benefit most from this treatment because their tissues are growing and are very sensitive to radiation.

“But there are also tumours that sometimes sit next to quite critical structures in the body, say at the base of the skull or around the spine.

“And this technology enables us to give a treatment dose to those patients while avoiding these critical structures.”

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

Review: Group Thereapy comedy showcase

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

I walked into Gorilla feeling somewhat apprehensive. The Group Therapy comedy showcase was a show with seven acts, all of whom will be near enough completely unknown to the audience. It was enough to strike fear into the best of people. I had flashbacks to an open mic night at the Jam Tree in Clapham, South London, during which one of the acts used his entire set to shout about why the IRA was a respectable institution that we should all support. Shuddering, I went to my seat. I sat a few rows back — I wasn’t in the mood to be picked on.

But the club was set up in September 2012 by Ros Bell and Michael Clapham  in order to address awkward or ruined performances, such as when hen and stag dos shout louder than the performers themselves. So I told myself to have more faith, as surely they knew what they were doing.

One thing I should point out here as well is that I am currently committed to dry January. This may seem slightly unrelated (and even a bit of a boast, which it definitely is) but this fact actually holds great significance. Comedy shows are historically boozy affairs, and are encouraged to be so, as the more drunk a person is, the more likely they’re going to find stuff funny. Being stone cold sober meant that I was looking at the show through a much more critical lens – the jokes would have to be genuinely funny to get a laugh out of me.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Jess Fostekew – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

First, on walked our compare for the evening, Jess Fostekew. She was extremely energetic and, as suspected and was a stickler  for audience participation, so I felt very smug about my choice of seat. I loved her raspy tone though, and felt as though she spoke to me on a very personal level when she gave her take on the world of relationships… let’s just say my laughter was extremely bittersweet. So we were off to a good start.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Rosco McLelland – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

Next on was the first of six acts, Scottish Rosco McLelland. Whilst he started on good footing, he tended to lose his trail of thought, so I felt as though I was being pulled in a million different directions. No one joke felt like it had a strong enough punch line. It was a shame, but I was hoping that things could only get better.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Avery Edison – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

And so they did! Next up was Avery Edison, a trans woman with a monotonous voice and a seemingly very shy demeanour. However, from the very start of her set, I knew we would get on: she told us that she used to start shows by showing the audience her penis, but she can’t anymore as that’s “illegal because society hates confident women.” Girl, I feel you.

Sticking with what she knew, her whole set was almost entirely comprised of her experience of being a trans woman. Not only was it an eye opening insight into a life that many people fail to understand, but it was devastatingly hilarious. She described her hormone treatment as “a war of attrition” on her genitals (I’ll give you a minute to conjure up the image) and, after telling the audience she is a sex worker, described how unbelievably proud she is of the fact that she leaves 50 per cent of her clients without an orgasm, as it symbolises an act of rebellion for her. I honestly think she’s fighting the good fight for all women out there who have left sexual encounters unsatisfied – please, keep up the good work.

She ended her set awkwardly but to be honest, it didn’t matter. Avery not only made me laugh but created a much needed open and candid dialogue about topics that for too long have been shushed and kept in the dark. It was an utterly commendable performance, and I hope I see lots more of her on the circuit.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Neil Harris – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

Next was Neil Harris, a self-confessed geek-type with social anxiety. This was immediately apparent when he described being asked for to show his ID at Tesco as “a social interaction he could do without” — a sentiment I entirely agree with. He was extremely easy to relate to as a performer, as demonstrated by his long-winded explanation of why going to Subway is enough to send anyone into an anxious sweat. We’ve all been there — who needs that much choice?!

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Jonathon Collins – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

Then Jonathon Collins took to the stage. His entrance was, for want of a better word, extremely OTT and overbearing. He set my teeth on edge from the very beginning. But that was probably the point. It was like when you see a car crash on the side of the road – you try as hard as you can to look anywhere else but you just can’t seem to tear your eyes away from the horror in front of you. However, as his set went on, I truly warmed to him, not least because of his accurate description of why the concept of coming out to your parents is very weird (“mum, dad, I just want to tell you… how I like to reach orgasm”). By the end of his set, I hated myself for my original judgement. Never judge a book by its cover or, in this case, never judge a transvestite comic by his terrifying entrance.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Amy Gledhill – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

The penultimate act was Amy Gledhill, and boy, did I love her. From Hull (and rightly embarrassed about it), she had the whole room in stitches from the get go. Her description of the anticipation of what might happen on one’s 3rd date I think resonated with every single person in the room. She was warm and lit the whole room up with her smile. Move aside Sarah Millican, there’s a new northern lass on the block, and she’s ready to de-throne you.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Matt Ewins – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

And lastly, we had Matt Ewins. Hands down, this was the most inventive and imaginative comedy set I have ever seen. Its main innovation was a reel of home-edited video that made up the central tenet of his story arc. It was incredibly silly, focusing on his love of adventure and the need to retrieve an amulet from a deserted island in order to save the museum he works for from bankruptcy (you really had to be there), but it was so clever at the same time. Whilst my comedic preferences tend to fall into the hyper-realistic category, this complete deviance from the norm was a welcome break in one’s monotonous routine, and completely set itself apart from any other comedy set I’ve seen.

Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography
Matt Ewins – Photo: Jack Kirwin @JK Photography

It was an amazing crossover of mediums, and I had to admire his talent across all of them. I’ve never seen anything like it, and likely never will again. His timing and delivery was exquisite. If I had to lay one criticism at Matt’s feet, it was his rushed ending, but that probably had more to do with the fact that I didn’t want it to end more than anything else.

My overwhelming pessimism at the start of the evening was completely unfounded. For two short hours, I had been transported out of my dull routine and into a silly, lively and fun world of comedy

Jess closed the evening and bade us all goodnight, and as I walked out of Gorilla, I felt overwhelmingly sad. Mainly because I knew that in two days time, I would have to go back to work, and that I probably wouldn’t laugh as hard as I did that night for a very, very long time. When’s the next one…?

Photo: Jodie Bryant @ The Mancunion

Live Review: The Hunna

Written by Jodie Bryant on . Posted in Music.

Saturday 13th January, O2 Academy Brixton

The last show of their biggest UK tour yet, The Hunna walked out to a sold out Brixton Academy last Saturday. Screaming fans greeted the four lads from Hertfordshire as they ran on stage for “the best night of their life”, as voiced by energetic front man Ryan Potter (also known as Valentino).

Breaking into their new release ‘Summer,’ at odds with the freezing cold weather, fans belted out the lyrics, setting the scene for a noisy evening captured by the chant, “We’re so loud, can’t turn us down” sang in their unreleased ‘You Don’t Want It With Me.’

Frontman, ‘Valentino’ told the story of seeing his favourite band You Me At Six years before at the age of fifteen with best friend and lead guitarist Dan Dorney (also known as BD 100). They couldn’t believe that now they were playing at the notorious Brixton Academy.

The band gave the non-stop mosh pits a break with emotional love song ‘Sycamore Tree,’ which saw phone lights shine bright throughout the crowd. Their recognisable musical style featuring catchy tunes were evident with fans singing every lyric.

The rockers closed with a fan favourite, ‘She’s Casual,’ before returning for an encore wearing matching jackets spelling “DARE”, the title of their upcoming album set for release on 25th May.

The band topped off the night with their number one single ‘Bonfire,’ met by flames and smoke to match the lyrics. A great first gig of 2018.

The Hunna now travel to Australia ahead of their album release with friends Coasts who also supported the shows in the UK. Good luck guys!

7/10

Preview: The Howl & The Hum

Written by Olivia White on . Posted in Music.

The Howl & The Hum are an enchanting York-based quartet comprised of lead singer Sam Griffiths, bassist Bradley Blackwell, lead guitarist Conor Hirons, and drummer Jack Williams. Each polished musician cultivates a sound so intense and striking that you would hardly believe a small city such as York would have the capacity to produce it.

From beginning their musical journey performing on various open mic nights to recently featuring on BBC Radio 6, it is clear that The Hum are destined for success in 2018 as affirmed by Tom Robinson himself, claiming “The Howl and The Hum are a seriously great band, from whom you will be hearing a great deal more in the coming months.”

Having released their most recent single ‘Portrait I’ and announcing their second ever tour covering eight dates across country, there’s really no excuse but to get down to a show and indulge yourself in only what can be described as a very surreal yet somehow familiar warmth of nostalgia and vitality. Whether that be a welcomed feeling or even one that may leave you slightly uncomfortable, The Hum’s performance as a collective entity will leave your mouth dry and your stomach churned.

Due to frontman Griffith’s tendency to draw inspiration from short stories in creating lyrics, it is no surprise that each track The Howl & The Hum have written could feature in the next few decades worth of drama and thriller movies. This atmospheric, cinematic style they have concocted means that their live performances are incomparable to anything any modern band is currently offering. Their artistic flexibility in how they choose to perform their discography for each show keeps The Hum dynamic and unpredictable.

The Howl & The Hum are a band you don’t want regret having not seen when they were still playing intimate venues. Do your mind and soul a favour, allow Sam Griffiths and his musical counterparts to envelope you in a sound that will haunt you for months and leave you craving more.

I mean if a musical hotspot like Manchester has left their Jimmy’s show this weekend on ‘waiting list only’, you know you’re in for something worthwhile.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

UK wind farm constraint payments ‘scandal’

Written by Cliona Linehan on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The Renewable Energy Foundation (REF) has revealed that wind farms were paid more than £100 million last year to switch off their turbines — an increase from the £6 million paid out in 2012.

The National Grid pays all renewable and non-renewable energy generators ‘constraint payments’ to alter their production, so as to avoid the blackouts that both over- and under-supply would cause. The gas industry (which supplies the UK with 42 per cent of its electricity) was paid almost twice as much as the wind industry in 2017.

The majority of the UK’s main wind farms are in Scotland, an area that has high energy output but relatively low energy demand. However, large quantities of energy are unable to be stored, and the grid connections between Scotland and England are not adequate to take on the excess energy from Scotland. Larger wind farms are part of the energy sector’s Balancing Mechanism, a system used by the National Grid to balance these differing levels of supply and demand. As demand fluctuates throughout the day, the supply must continually match it every second.

In order for this system to work, the National Grid takes bids from energy firms to alter the amount of energy they supply. For conventional energy firms that use fossil fuels, it is cheaper to pay the National Grid to produce less energy than it would be to continue to use up their supply of fossil fuels. However, renewable energy has no fuel costs and therefore would not benefit from such a system.

Instead, wind farms and renewable energy firms propose positive bids to the National Grid, they tell the National Grid that they will turn off their wind farms if they are paid a certain amount per megawatt hour. These payments are known as constraint payments, which have been widely criticised.

However, some, including Leo Hickman writing in The Guardian, have raised concerns about the REF’s agenda in providing such statistics. Despite its name, it is frequently cited by publications mostly opposed to wind-farm development such as The Telegraph and the Daily Mail. It is also supported by anti-wind campaigners, such as former Ulster Unionist MP and former British Airways “press supremo” David Burnside, and has “impressive links to City financiers and energy consultants.”

There has been some legislation implemented in an attempt to prevent constraint payments getting too high since this ‘wind farm scandal’ first surfaced in 2010, in the form of the Transmission Constraint Licence Condition (TCLC) which was introduced in 2012 and was made a permanent condition in 2017.

Despite these efforts to control the compensation payments, and reducing the added costs passed on to consumers by the National Grid, many wind farms were still placing excessive positive bids, with a current average compensation payment of around £70 per MWh to switch off, almost 40 per cent higher than when they produce energy.

Wind farms are on the rise in the UK, and by 2020 it is thought that wind farms will grow to produce 10 per cent of the UK’s energy. This rise is especially prominent after the COP23 in November 2017 advocated an accelerated reduction in coal reduction, with the UK announcing that it plans to have phased out coal entirely by 2025. With the number of wind farms rising, many are calling on the National Grid to update its infrastructure in order to avoid excessive constraint payments.

 

Photo: Al Conteh

Review: Hatch Home

Written by Grace Johnstone on . Posted in Theatre.

Eight young poets dressed all in white formed a tight-knit ensemble, each taking their turn to speak their poetry. ‘Happiness is here if you want it’ was a recurring line which linked the poems together, giving the piece focus and grounding.

The poems covered such ground that there was something there to resonate with everyone. Some spoke about the government, some talked of coming of age, and I haven’t decided what some other poems were about. The language was so beautiful, and their metaphors were so carefully constructed that I think in order to appreciate their work fully, I would have needed to pause and think about each poem for a good few minutes before watching the next one.

But that wasn’t the evening was about. The poems were stitched together seamlessly, and the performers bounced off one another so well that, for me, it became a piece about the collective rather than the individuals. The ensemble work was subtle; the cast were always on stage supporting what was being said, sometimes offering a gentle movement or echo of a line to create impact. But for me, the most memorable thing about Hatch Home was the passion with which every performer spoke their lines, and the wealth of talent which was so evident in their poetry.

Print by Christ Stoke courtesy of PostBox: Second Delivery

ArtBox: a student-run collective’s silent charity auction

Written by Florrie Badley on . Posted in Arts.

The opportunity to buy affordable art is a rare one, particularly for students and young people. The ArtBox silent auction, hosted by Funraising at the end of December 2017, made this experience a reality, whilst raising money for a good cause.

Funraising — a collective platform for creative fundraising — should be applauded for delivering such a well-tuned event, which raised a staggering £1119.81 for the charity Manchester Mind.

At the very least, ArtBox offered an important platform for local and emerging artists. Although each piece was displayed anonymously (unlabelled), the array of artworks available served as a reminder of how much good art is being made at street-level.

Even for people who attend arts-based events regularly, there is always the fear that they might feel slightly hostile or unwelcoming. This couldn’t have been further from the truth at ArtBox. The evening was cosy and inviting, and the intimacy of the bidding space made for a light-heartedly competitive atmosphere.

For those who aren’t sure how a silent auction works: anyone can place a bid on an item by writing down how much they would be willing to pay for it, along with their name and phone number. Whoever puts down the highest offer wins the item in question. At ArtBox there were over fifty artworks to choose from — all with no guidelines nor recommendations as to the prices that should be paid for them.

All fifty-four pieces sold with at least one bid each, which really says something about the quality of the artworks on offer. All bases were covered, with artworks varying from thoughtful and emotive paintings, to sketchy still-life mantelpiece prints, to boldly coloured illustration pieces.

For £30 I became the proud owner of two very different pieces: a dark memento-mori collage by Tam Millar and a sixties-style red-head (reproduction of a painting) by Madison Kelley.

 

Photo: Florrie Badley
Collage by Tam Millar Photo: Florrie Badley

 

Photo: Florrie Badley
Portrait by Madison Kelley Photo: Florrie Badley

 

The auction alone raised £816 for the charity Manchester Mind. On the night, Joe Brennan, Ronald Raygun and Persian Hugs played live music, which brought additional layers of warmth, artistry and relaxation to the occasion. Bids were beginning at £5 and under, with some exceeding the £50+ mark.

As the evening went on, an additional £303.81 was raised by postcard sales, donations, and the ‘PostBox’ after-party – which took the event from Solomon’s Café Bar in Withington to Indigo Cellar Bar down the road. ArtBox proved wholeheartedly that art doesn’t have to be ‘serious’ to be taken seriously.

Funraising as a whole have successfully raised the issue mental health and well-being within the creative community. The event’s choice of charity brought these two things into alignment: creativity is essential to making a difference. Art has, and will always have, the ability to transform lives — not just for the artists who are making it.

It would be great to see this initiative transformed into more than just a one-off event. We need more friendly spaces for young friendly faces to buy and sell artworks at affordable prices.

Funraising’s returns to Indigo on Thursday 8th February for PostBox: Second Delivery, for a night of funky sounds and the opportunity to win exclusive art.

Review: 1761

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Food & Drink.

If you ever hire a van from the Manchester Students’ Union you have to sign a waiver that says, “I will not take this van to a picket line.” The Union gives you a good rate on minivans, and if you ever need to take a bunch of people somewhere I’d recommend it. Though, I can’t say I thought much about the Union or the University’s stance on striking until I went for dinner last Wednesday, where a group of friends and I began to talk about last October’s University staff strike.

Organised by The Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), academics refrained from teaching on a Monday and Tuesday in late October to protest compulsory redundancies as well as inefficient redundancy proposals.
I remember feeling a bit hard done by. You spend X amount of time reading a novel or novels only for it not to be taught that week. Then come January you still get examined on that topic. But the strike worked. On the 8th of November The Mancunion reported that “the University of Manchester has announced that there have been enough voluntary redundancies to avoid compulsory redundancies in three faculties.”

Needless to say, my dining companions told me to pull my selfish head out my ass and show some solidarity, as I cowered behind my napkin.

So, from industrial action to industrial revolution. 1761 is a new eatery on Booth St and the name is the year in which The Bridgewater Canal started bringing coal into Manchester, being a key point in Manchester’s industrial timeline. On 1761’s website a statement reads, “drawing inspiration from the Industrial revolution and that warm Mancunian spirit.”

There is always a funny relationship between restaurant’s online narratives and what actually goes on in the restaurant. Another of their web tag-lines is, “Fresh, Seasonal, Locally sourced, Homemade, British Food.” This is the kind of mission statement I want to hear from Mancunian restaurants, places that are looking around us and within us to drawing inspiration. However, and I don’t want to be a dick, but you can’t claim British seasonality and then put asparagus on the menu in January. They come chard along, with cobnuts, Parma ham, and a crispy duck egg. Admittedly, that dish was off the night we went, along with all the oyster and one of the steaks. Perhaps they are rethinking the January asparagus dish, that comes with ham, from Parma, in Italy.

But, and this a big resounding turn the ship around but, a large part of the menu is unequivocally Brit, and the snacks and starters present these icons of Brit eating in a brilliant, innovative and moorish manner. And if you want to gorge of moorish things, just go to 1761 and surround yourself with the entirety of the snack menu. The popcorn cockles are brilliant, surprisingly clean and well battered. I’d never had a pickled onion before, I can’t say murky jars in pubs and chip shops leave one wanting, but the onions they do here are small, baby onions pickled in IPA. They are sweet, crunchy and above all things tasty.

I feel very deeply about scotch eggs, as I’m sure a lot of people do. I have eaten more supermarket grade scotch eggs then I care to think about. It was nice to see a scotch egg on the menu that was built with fish rather than sausage meat or black pudding. It was a lovely dish, a perfectly cooked egg wrapped in a salt cod, fish cake mix and lightly battered. The whole thing was cut well by samphire and tartare sauce.

Weirdly, much of the publicity that surrounded 1761 before it opened was to do with a giant 118,000 litre marine fish tank that’s being built in the restaurant’s subterranean bar, Lily’s. A nod to Lily Bollinger, member of the Champagne family and empire. MCR Confidential seemed pretty sure the tank would be full of Steve Irwin’s nemesis, the sting ray, but as the tank and the bar are still in the final stages of construction we will all have to wait and see what goes behind the glass.

What Lily Bollinger and exotic fish have to do with the industrial revolution is anyone’s guess but 1761 and Lily’s is unequivocally a good thing for Manchester’s ever emergent food scene. A lot of money has been funneled into an enigmatic, charming, and independent food and drink outlet, and a piece of great real estate has gone to something Mancunian, and not to an offshoot London chain.

The service was ace as well.

Artwork By Freddie Hill: https://www.behance.net/fred95

Photo: AlloCiné.fr

Review: Molly’s Game

Written by Sana Ditta on . Posted in Film.

With films like Battle of the Sexes and I, Tonya being recently released, Molly’s Game had to be spectacular in order to stand-out. All three are biopics featuring strong, career-driven women (something which, let’s be honest, is hardly shown well on-screen). Yet the latter has something the former don’t; a witty and rapid-fire dialogue written by Aaron Sorkin.

The high-stakes movie focuses on Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-class skier turned waitress who in turn finds herself running highly exclusive underground poker games. Players included the super-wealthy members of the elite; athletes, actors, business-titans, and eventually the Russian mob. Fast forward a decade, Bloom is arrested in the middle of the night by FBI agents for colluding with said mob. She turns to criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) to help her. The thrilling tale is interwoven in two timelines; past and present, with the past illustrating Bloom’s tumultuous relationship with her father as well as her journey to the world of underground poker.

Chastain highlights Bloom’s transformation as a meek twenty-something novice to a self-assured businesswoman phenomenally. The character itself is excellently written with character growth being key. Starting with steely-eyed silent observation, the change into the “Poker Princess” is well-articulated and realistically portrayed as Chastain weaves her way through each poker scene with compelling intricacy.

The pairing of Chastain with Elba is intriguing to watch, as the two have a great dynamic and undeniable on-screen chemistry. Their wise-cracking scenes are thrilling to watch; for anyone else, the script would be almost suffocating but both actors manage to deliver the rhythm of “Sorkinese” excellently. Elba has some of the most dramatic yet memorable scenes in the movie, and it’s really a shame there isn’t more of him in it. The two characters definitely bounce off each other with outstanding line delivery, which is crucial with a script as rapid-fire as this.

Sorkin himself is known as the powerhouse behind the scripts of The Social Network and Steve Jobs and that same over-the-top showiness has been worked into the script of Molly’s Game. It’s the same smart and complex narrative that packs a lot of information into a more than two hour long movie, yet Sorkin manages to make it all understandable to someone who knows nothing about poker (such as myself). The walk-and-talk technique — a Sorkin idiosyncrasy — fits well with the effortlessly smart Molly Bloom and Chastain works wonders with the masterful script. A rapid-fire dialogue ensures that Bloom is an unforgettable female character; one who is dynamic, entertaining, and multi-dimensional. For a debut, Sorkin’s directing is good, yet just as he has done with this screenwriting, he needs to find a distinctive directorial style. Yes, the movie is elegant in portraying the high-class and super-wealthy but the visuals are unoriginal and need more fine-tuning. Similarly, at times, the script feels a bit too preachy.

Moreover, Molly Bloom is a captivating character, yet in a bizarre ten-minute scene in which three years of therapy is given by Bloom’s over-bearing father Larry (Kevin Costner) all of this is undone as it’s revealed that everything basically boils down to her daddy issues. Said scene is played brilliantly by Costner who manages to make everything slightly more believable. Nonetheless, at this point, the script felt heavy, and – dare I say – almost clumsy as a clichéd redemption arc was somewhat forced into the movie. Essentially, Larry Bloom mansplains their fractured relationship to Molly and undoes all that was so enthralling about her. As a result, the ending is slightly underwhelming, especially after such a strong opening scene.

Additionally, there are certain scenes which felt rushed over and needed more grittiness in order to really hit home. Molly develops a serious drug addiction to help her function yet this is hastily overlooked. It could have easily been used to further flesh out her character. Sure, the themes of legality and morality are dealt with, but showing the darker side of gambling in much more detail would have been fascinating to see.

Brilliant acting interwoven with themes of power, poker, and morality, Molly’s Game shows the true trials and tribulations off being a woman in a man’s world with Molly herself being the most endearing to watch.

4/5

Photo: AlloCiné.fr

Review: Jumanji – Welcome to the Jungle

Written by Sana Ditta on . Posted in Film.

I’m going to be honest here, I liked the original Jumanji— it’s just such a classic 90’s movie (I’m looking at you, bad CGI). I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly a cinematic masterpiece, but the nostalgia that’s attached to the beloved original is something that means I’ll be sure to watch it in years to come. That being said, I wasn’t too sure what to expect from Welcome to the Jungle. Was a sequel really needed? Or was this just another cash-grabbing scheme from some big Hollywood studio?

Welcome to the Jungle begins twenty years after the 1995 Jumanji, centring around four stereotypical high-school American teenagers; the nerd (Spencer), the jock (Fridge), the popular girl (Bethany), and the shy one (Martha). Stuck in a Breakfast Club-like detention, they find Jumanji (which has now conveniently been converted into a video-game cartridge).

Upon further inspection, they find that one character is unplayable, so settle on playing as other characters. This results in the four being transported into the game, as opposed to the original movie in which the game wreaks havoc in the real world. In “game-world,” the high schoolers have transformed into their chosen characters and soon discover that they only have three lives.

Perhaps one of the best things about this movie is the ensemble cast. Four actors who are well-known for one reason or another, put into one film is a sure-fire way to create some buzz around the movie. And it pays off. Spencer transforms into Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge turns into a zoologist (played by Kevin Hart) whereas Martha (Karen Gillan) becomes a “killer of men”. Yet it’s the character of Bethany that is the most comical; the preppy girl transforms into “overweight middle-aged man” Jack Black. It is entirely feasible that the reason the movie was enjoyable was simply due to the well-known and liked cast — which also includes a Jonas Brother (it’s Nick, in case you’re wondering).

Johnson and Hart — who previously co-starred in Central Intelligence (2016) — continue to show that they have great comedic chemistry together. Their scenes together were hilarious, if a little clichéd at times. As always, Hart’s short height is also made fun off, many times. Gillan humorously plays a bumbling, naïve teen girl convincingly that costume controversy is also addressed). However, the true comic of the film is most definitely Jack Black portraying a stereotypical self-obsessed “where’s my phone” teenage girl.

Black does an excellent job in finding a balance; the character is not too comical with an overly high-pitched voice (as what would be expected) nor too featureless which would make him an easily forgettable character in the star-studded film. Every scene in which his Freaky Friday-like body-swap is played up is fun, and surprisingly does not get annoying for the whole two hours of the movie. Yes, some humour is overly predictable, but Jack Black makes it seem effortless and worthwhile.

Although the drum beat, the jungle wildlife, and villainous Van Pelt are all features that were kept from the original Jumanji, it was the brief Robin Williams tribute that was the most welcome and bittersweet. It was a simple yet effective; the characters find the words “Alan Parrish was here,” etched into the wooden beams of a hut he had built whilst stuck in the jungle. In the original Jumanji, Robin Williams played Alan Parrish, and this was a sincere, touching nod to his legacy.

Whilst the movie is visually stunning and makes every use of its Hawaiian location, for some, it could be seen as two hours of just that — really good scenery. It’s not an excessively long film, but at times there is just not a lot going on in terms of action or fantasy. The original 1995 Jumanji was action-packed and that deep drum beat was a sign of the horror the board game was about to unleash. Yet compared to the original, Welcome to the Jungle has little action in its entirety and even then, it’s more of a slight hindrance that’s quickly overcome with little exhilaration on the audience’s behalf.

In this sense, it can be seen as quite a bland movie which follows the generic Hollywood formula; characters given a quest, minor setbacks on the journey, throw in some jokes, quest completed, and everything is returned to its natural order (bonus points: there’s a deeper meaning behind it all such as “learning who you are, and who you want to be” or this other team-work quote that was far too banal to remember). Nonetheless, the movie did manage to exceed my (admittedly low) expectations.

All in all, Welcome to the Jungle can be viewed as a satire of video games that is more comic than action-packed. It’s a movie for families to watch together on a lazy Sunday afternoon and definitely something light-hearted to watch over the holiday period… or maybe as a time-wasting tactic to put off revision.

3/5

 

Photo: kevinrsantiago@flickr

Time’s Up – Back to black at the Golden Globes

Written by Amy Nguyen on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Fashion is a configuration of culture and identity and it has often proved to be a powerful tool. This was very recently demonstrated by the most powerful and influential figures in Hollywood at the 75th Golden Globes on 7 January 2018.

2017 was the year that saw the film industry riddled with multiple accusations of sexual harassment from Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein to its acting network including the likes of Kevin Spacey and Ed Westwick. It created an impetus for the #MeToo campaign — founded by Tarana Burke — which has morphed into a global movement tackling sexual violence, encouraging victims of abuse to speak out, and has received heightened attention since the recent scandals came to light

In recent years, awards ceremonies such as the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes have been scrutinised by many participants and the public at large for being under representative of gender as well as race, and the focus of workplace injustice. The story and empowering message behind this year’s Golden Globes is arguably the most powerful stance against old traditions to date.

Start your day off with a dose of #womenpower. #GoldenGlobes #TimesUp

A post shared by Harper’s BAZAAR (@harpersbazaarus) on

A sea of black swarmed this years red carpet by celebrities, actors and actresses in support of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. This is a campaign and fund that provides subsidized legal support to those who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace. With a girl gang made up of Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep, Reece Witherspoon and Natalie Portman leading the troops, the call for drastic change has been heard all over the world.

It was decided five weeks prior to the ceremony that women would be dressed in black from head to toe by the world’s finest designers and fashion houses in solidarity of this campaign and to raise awareness. Prior to the show, people turned to social media channels to explain and promote the cause reasoning  “Why I wear Black today: Because we are grateful to the many survivors and allies who have spoken out and forced the conversation about sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender bias into the spotlight” quoted the  ‘timesupnow’ account on Instagram .

The unanimous support of this campaign and its deeply rooted messages was felt throughout the ceremony, hosted by Seth Meyers. Oprah, upon collecting her Cecile B.de Mille Award, delivered a truly moving and compelling speech. Her narrative spoke of the history of the United States in resisting injustice mentioning Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist. “The time is up” she cried to standing ovations and calling out that this was for all the girls watching, promising hope “that a new day is on the horizon and when it dawns it will be because magnificent women and phenomenal men have fought hard to become the leaders that take us to a time where nobody ever has to say “me too” again.”  I urge you to watch the full 9 minute speech with a  box of tissues at the ready. This momentum dominated the show as whilst presenting the ‘Best Director’ category Natalie Portman chimed “and here are the all male nominees” – the sass level was absolutely off the charts! It was an evening that witnessed HBO series and story of a strong group of Californian women “Big Little Lies” awarded four trophies including “Best television limited series or motion picture made for television” and “Best actress in a limited series or motion picture made for television” awarded to Nicole Kidman.

The attitude and solidarity displayed at this year’s Golden Globes, I’m sure will be remembered for decades to come, adorning a black dress is one thing but the unity this displayed and the promotion of the Times Up Fund raised and accumulated $13 million dollars from over 16,000 donations to date is phenomenal. Worth nothing following of these events is Matt Damon’s donation of $1.5 million to the fund, the disparity of the wage between himself and Michelle Williams received for new film “All the Money in the World’. It has also drawn contention from Liam Neeson and French actress Catherine Deneuve who have condemned the witch hunt against Hollywood males.

Whilst the forceful message  of the Time Up Fund is clear, I am sure many are as intrigued as I to see how this develops not merely for the remainder of the Awards season but for the foreseeable future and the degree to which a thoughtful dress code can positively impact issues of harassment and inequality throughout the world.

 

Image: University of Manchester

University staff pension fallout could lead to nation-wide strike

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

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) across the country, including at Manchester University, are voting on whether to take industrial action over drastic changes to lecturers pensions.

Dr Adam Ozanne, a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Manchester and Secretary of its branch of UCU has told The Mancunion that, “During a golden period of increased fees universities have seen their revenues rise dramatically. However, the share of total income going to frontline teaching and research staff has stagnated while wages have fallen by 16% in real terms since 2009. And now they are trying to shaft staff further by slashing the amount of money we will receive in retirement”.

Previously, The Mancunion reported that the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) Pension deficit had ‘skyrocketed’ to £9 billion (as reported in the Financial Times), but Dr Ozanne called this “scaremongering”, as he believes it to be based on a flawed and discredited valuation methodology and designed to enable employers to shift risk from institutions to individual USS members.

If industrial action is voted for on Friday 19th January, Dr Ozanne told The Mancunion that the resulting strike will last a week.

Russell Group universities that were established before 1992 currently pay into what is known as a ‘defined benefit scheme’ pension that is managed by USS, although decisions made about it are made by Universities UK (UUK).

USS  take a percentage out of employees’ pay, which is then matched or more by the employer. This is invested in a pension fund which they can then withdraw at the point of retirement.

UUK announced in November 2017 that they now want to change this to a ‘defined contribution scheme’ (that will still be managed by USS) in order to counteract the apparent pension deficit.

This would mean that employee and employer contributions will be invested in the stock market, with the aim of growing it over the years before retirement. Each employee in the scheme then receives a share of the pot when they leave the employer.

This can pose a substantial risk on the employee, as it is not guaranteed that these investments will be fruitful. Their pension may in fact be less than their initial contribution.

UCU estimates that a lecturer joining a pre-92 university and USS today would be £208,000 worse off than they would have been under the current USS scheme, and £385,000 worse off than if they instead joined a post-92 university and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

General Secretary of the students’ union Alex Tayler told The Mancunion: “there has been trouble brewing with regards to the reform of the USS pension scheme for a long time. I think it is clear that some level of change is required to ensure the future viability of the scheme.

“However, there is dispute over what sort of change should occur. Consequently, it is likely that the New Year will bring significant industrial action. Whilst this is not a matter for the Students’ Union to resolve, I would like to make it clear that we will do all we can to support students if their study is disrupted.”

A university spokesperson told The Mancunion:  “two proposals were put forward to the USS Joint Negotiating Committee at its 18 and 19 December meetings, one from UCU and one from UUK. Both proposals involved benefit changes. No decision was made on either proposal at these meetings and further negotiations will continue.

“Should the JNC conclude that reform of the benefit structure is necessary, all USS employers would be required to go through formal consultation processes with their own affected employees and their elected representatives. However until then we are not in a position to comment further.”