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Month: December 2018

Stacey MacNaught @ Flickr

Is university really the best time of your life?

Written by Megan Ritchie on . Posted in Opinion.

Year after year, students arrive at university expecting it to be the best time of their lives. They arrive with a pre-conceived idea of what university is like and want the full stereotypical student experience.

But what qualifies as ‘the student experience’, and who decides what that is? Maybe it’s defined through word of mouth, stories from previous students. Or more recently, has the influence of social media defined it? Definitely.

As a student, it’s hard to go on any social media platform and avoid posts related to another user’s university experience. Snapchat and Instagram are filled with fantastic nights out, times with flatmates, and announcements of good grades and achievements. Good for them.

However, social media doesn’t show the deadlines, the career pressure, the budgeting, the struggle to find a part-time job. It also doesn’t show the deeper personal struggles that some students contend with day in, day out. It only shows the highlights, and if we were to judge university life by those, we would presume everybody is loving life with their hectic social schedules and memory-making. Lives and experiences are filtered and edited, leading to this glorification of the university experience.  

What about the one in three freshers that show signs of mental illness? What about the students, both British and international, that are homesick?  Contrary to popular belief, 16-24-year olds are the loneliest group in society. So what about the students affected by these feelings? Are they having the best time of their lives?

It’s widely believed that there’s a correlation between the increase in mental health issues over recent years, and the rise of social media in every aspect of our lives. It is not always obvious who’s suffering, especially when everyone only posts their ‘best bits’. 

This is never really spoken about though. Students don’t talk enough on a deep level that allows them to exchange dialogues about the difficult parts of being a university student. We’ll share the occasional moan about our workload, but it never goes far beyond that.

We’re supposed to be the most liberal generation when it comes to understanding and approaching mental health problems and similar issues, but university makes us go quiet. The idea of how it’s supposed to be turns us shy; we’re too afraid to contradict the image of the student experience that’s all-pervasive online.

Social media can be a positive force, but it can also be an extremely fake and toxic place, damaging the self-esteem and mental well-being of users. The image of how it’s supposed to be is detrimental and pressuring, and we mustn’t take it too seriously. Every student has a unique experience and values different aspects of it, but sometimes this can be forgotten on our phone screens.

Of course, students might come to university and absolutely love their experience, but there’s no doubt that university is tough for everyone at some point, and students don’t get enough credit for all that they face. Behind the scenes, university is like one big juggling act.

Finding the time to attend lectures and seminars, do your work, go to work, have a social life and stay close to friends and family at home whilst looking after your health. Sometimes this can all become too much. University definitely doesn’t always feel like it’s the best time of your life; it’s about time we started to accept it, admit it, and talk about it.

Photo: Gurnaik Johal

Review: ‘I can handle university’ by Rachael Alexander

Written by Gurnaik Johal on . Posted in Books.

This pocket-sized book is a handy guide to doing university the right way. With a special focus on wellbeing, making the most of opportunities and having fun, I Can Handle University takes a holistic approach to student life.

Starting with Freshers Week and ending midway through first year, the book is a useful helper for any freshers feeling a little out of their depth at university. But with lots of succinct tips covering accommodation, friendships and lectures, this small book might prove useful to students still feeling a little out of their depth after first year.

With sections for the reader to fill in, it’s less a self-help book than a book of self-improvements. I Can Handle University wants to prompt readers to come to their own conclusions. Written in a conversational way, it’s a breeze to read and is filled with photos, quotes, and illustrations.

For students struggling to deal with moving away from home, leaving behind their support networks and attempting form new ones, Alexander sets out a step-by-step guide for a seamless transition. From dealing with issues like lack of sleep and anxiety to helping readers to implement positive attitudes, I Can Handle University navigates both the positives and negatives of moving to a new place.

As a so-called ‘journable’, a book that you are invited to write in, Alexander tailors each lesson to a specific reader. For example “if you are feeling overwhelmed with all the demands upon you make a list of everything that you feel burdened with” is followed, on the next page by “Now identify a demand from the previous page and ask yourself if you are expecting perfection from yourself. It is important to have reasonable expectations of yourself.”

This is the way that the book continues to work, it helps you address your problems, then encourages you to move past them in realistic and achievable ways.

Alexander’s book is available through her website.

Photo: The Mancunion.

SU opens zero-waste shop

Written by Ethan Davies on . Posted in News.

A new plastic-free, zero waste shop has been opened on the ground floor of the Students’ Union.

Students will be able to purchase wine, dried goods, and honey all without the plastic packaging which is frequently used in the sale of such items.

Lizzy Haughton, Students’ Union Activities Officer and brainchild of the shop said in an interview with Fuse TV: “Currently, this is our experimental fortnight. We’ve got dried goods, spices, re-usable containers, metal straws, and bamboo toothbrushes. We’ll have anything that fits into the zero style.

“We’re putting together a programme of events in the new year. So that’ll [include] talks on food waste, cooking demos on how to use up leftovers in your fridge, and workshops on reducing plastic consumption. We’re also going to try set up a zero waste month challenge for students.

“By 2050 we’re set to see more plastic in the oceans than fish so we seriously need to start thinking about reducing our consumption of plastic rather than the ‘band aid’ solution of improving recycling.”

Recently, scientists warned that the world has just 12 years to prevent a climate catastrophe. Haughton has been active in climate protests throughout this semester, with a roadblock of Oxford Road last month causing chaos along Europe’s busiest bus route.

Students are welcome to write suggestions on a whiteboard in the shop, which is set for its full launch in January 2019.

Photo: Mikey @ Flickr

Factory bouncers under investigation after violent incident

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

Bouncers from the Manchester nightclub Factory are under investigation after they were involved in a violent fight last Saturday night.

A video that appears to show at least six Factory bouncers assaulting a young man outside the nightclub has gone viral across social media, prompting outrage. The video currently has over 800,000 views and has been shared 16,000 times since its release.

All of the bouncers in the video have since been sacked.

Manchester City Council has also launched their own investigation, where licensing chiefs will have the power to change the club’s opening hours, remove the ‘premises supervisor’ or even take its license away.

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar has described the footage as “sickening”, whilst councillor Pat Karney has confirmed that “The club owners will be summoned in. We are working closely with Greater Manchester Police.”

The young man in the video has been named as 18 -year-old rugby league player Joe Sharatt, who suffered a serious head injury with minor bleeding to the brain. He is currently in a stable condition in hospital.

In a statement released on their Facebook page, Factory said they were “shocked” by what they had seen and that “Any security personnel found to be involved will be terminated with immediate effect, regardless of the outcome of any police investigation.”

“We have launched a full investigation into this distressing incident and will be working with the police, local authority and our third-party security provider to ensure that the matter is dealt with swiftly and appropriately.”

However, this is not the first time Factory bouncers have been accused of misconduct.

First-year History student Connor Harte told The Mancunion: “I’ve never been personally involved in a fight with them, but I’ve seen them use excessive force for seemingly very little reason, on one occasion 2 bouncers held a guy still while another bouncer repeatedly punched the guy in the face. Bouncers are supposed to use force only when it’s necessary, but I keep seeing and hearing about bouncers being over-zealous and really brutal when it’s unnecessary.”

Another student reportedly was told that the bouncers would “break his legs”, and a third student described the security staff at Factory as “notorious.”

Joseph Ricketts said: “In my opinion, Factory has a large share of the blame as they have known about this for a long time and the only reason they’ve decided to do anything about it is due to the media publicity.”

First-year Politics and Italian student Liam Danagher agreed: “It’s just one of those things you accept about life in Manchester, the bouncers in Factory are nasty but it’s bad that it’s taken eight of them assaulting a drunk teenager for this to be brought to light.”

Another student, who chose to stay anonymous, described how last year she “saw two bouncers removing a boy from the club [Factory], they had taken him outside and were both ganging up on him, pushing him around…it got to a point where I almost rang the police because they were being so unnecessarily violent.”

Factory has since terminated their contract with Professional Security, the firm which employed the bouncers.

Professional Security has also fired all the bouncers involved in the incident. In a statement on its website, the firm said it was “appalled” by the incident, which “contradicts everything that we strive to achieve at Professional Security.”

Photo: Mr Minton @ Flickr

Suicide by stupidity? Contemporary colonisation by Christian crusaders

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Opinion.

Earlier this month a US Missionary, John Chau, was reportedly killed by a remote tribe in the Andaman Islands, where he had travelled to in the hope of converting them to Christianity.

Chau’s family see him as an evangelical adventurer who risked his life to spread Christianity. In reality, however, he risked the extinction of an ancient society in order to try and ‘civilise’ them. No, Chau was not a modern Jesus, he was a 21st century crusader.

The Sentinelese are the indigenous population of the North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal. They have lived there for around 55,000 years and could have a population of anywhere between 40 and 500 individuals.

An isolated population, they lack immunity to common viruses, and could be wiped out by something as simple as influenza. Unsurprisingly therefore, it is illegal to make contact with them.

Chau was so devoted to his cause that he travelled to India and broke the law by entering forbidden territory, to introduce a 2,000 year-old religion to a 55,000 year-old tribe. Religious people often see themselves as above the law, preferring to follow their idea of ‘God’s law’, but in doing so Chau attempted something unforgivable. He could have eradicated the protected Sentinelese with foreign bacteria.

Whilst some tribes have made contact with outsiders, most have resisted attempts to strip them of their identity. There have been attempts by Indian politicians to integrate and ‘civilise’ the indigenous tribes of India’s islands, which is ironic given India’s history of British colonisation. The Sentinelese have remained hostile to outsiders and have killed invaders previously.

The Sentinelese are therefore more fortunate than the Jarawa, a tribe who were forced into a human safari. Their land was colonised by India, and they became a public attraction, which is far more sinister and insidious. India’s government state that the ‘safari’ should be closed, but it remains open. This means the Jarawa remain at risk — like many tribes, members of the Jarawa perished because of a measles outbreak, the women have faced sexual abuse, and poachers enter their rich forest reserve to take what the tribe needs to survive.

Chau’s mission is a perfect example of contemporary colonisation, an attempt to ‘civilise’ a tribe who have been living happily for 55 millenniums. He took on the so-called ‘white man’s burden’ to save these people from themselves.

The Sentinelese may have appeared rather backwards and uncivilised to Chau’s eyes. But regardless, they appear to be happy, and they clearly did not want his foreign intervention. They have survived this long without Christianity and western ideals, provided foreign peoples stay away, and they should survive for many more.

Non-profit organisation International Christian Concern wants the tribe charged with murder and even brought up India’s ‘history’ of attacks on Christian missionaries to paint Chau’s death as an act of religious persecution. And although Chau’s family have forgiven his killers, Chau’s death should not be treated as murder — some may see it as self-defence but I see it as suicide by stupidity. Chau wanted to bring Jesus to the Sentinelese. Instead, the Sentinelese sent Chau to Jesus.

Photo: @Felix Firth

Review: ‘Mallets’

Written by Alana Cook on . Posted in Theatre.

‘The stakes are high and the tensions higher.” This statement from the description of the play was certainly true of the University of Manchester Drama Society’s latest production, ‘Mallets’, written by Rex Fisher and directed by Merle Wheldon-Posner and Felix Firth. Set in summer in a garden in South Gloucestershire, the fast-paced and entertaining comedy seemed to stir the pot somewhat in its forty-five minute performance.

Set in an English country garden, ‘Mallets’ follows upper-middle class couple Philipa and Sam, who bicker over grass, friends and croquet. When they are joined by old friend Kate, the discourse grows and things get heated, as the summer afternoon takes a darker turn.

The play was set in a relatively apt and interesting location, Withington Bowling Club, as well as the quirky and fun addition of being encouraged to buy a glass of Pimms at the makeshift bar, despite it being the end of November. Though it did feel a bit wrong drinking a Pimms whilst wearing a coat and scarf, it worked in supporting the setting and the fun and slightly wacky feel of the play.

Unfortunately, though, I think the space could have been better utilised. The actors had a very small amount of space to work with, a scene when Kate helps Philipa with her croquet technique looked particularly awkward as they had hardly any room to swing the mallet without being at risk of whacking an audience member on the front row.

The acting was good and each had a different style that blended well together and worked in the performance. Eliza Teale was commendable as the soft-spoken, quick-witted and fed up Philipa. Lola Byam Shaw did well in playing the kooky, bright-eyed and ditsy character of Kate (think Alice from Vicar of Dibley) and Harry Frederickson stood out as the irate and grass-obsessed (the lawn kind) character of Sam. His performance certainly drew a lot of laughs from the audience.

The play, which begins as a very light-hearted affair, turns more sinister and violent when Sam hits Philipa and sends her crashing to the floor. I think the play perhaps would’ve been more effective if it had have stayed away from some of the more sensitive subjects or at least dealt with them slightly differently. Though great comedy is often provocative and makes light of some of societies darkest and most sensitive aspects, it felt as though the play perhaps missed the mark in some places, particularly with the themes of sexuality and domestic violence, which seemed brushed over and trivialised at times.

For the most part though, when the play centred on marital bickering, stories from couples holidays and the farcical posh-ness of the characters, the play was entertaining and funny and it certainly succeeded in generating a few laughs and perhaps a few winces as well.

Photo: @Alyx Adams

Review: ‘Jack and the ‘Beaker’stalk: The Panto’

Written by Amy Hagan on . Posted in Theatre.

The Panto Society retold the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, mashing it with Tracy Beaker and the Dumping Ground to create a highly unique production that included crossdressing, a dame, and the silver-haired fox himself, Phillip Schofield. Raising money for the Manchester Central Foodbank, the Panto Society put on an entertaining and refreshing performance of a classic fairy tale.

The entire cast reacted well to the inevitable hecklers and although some of their more controversial jokes didn’t land, what made the panto entertaining was the mistakes and ad-libs. Although it took the first half of the show for the humour and jokes to really make an impact, by the end the audience were being entertained by a horse with a sign saying ‘cow’, dance routines to ‘Hairspray’, and the unruly character of Tracy Beaker (Penny Meek). Tracy and Jack (Will Venton) interacted well together, playing off each other and helping to set the tone of the show.

Praise must be given to villain ‘Giant Willy’ played by Ollie Hyde: a bad-tempered giant looking to rid himself of his annoying and spoilt daughter, Justine Littlewood (Gemma Mountain). Hyde’s performance was exceptional, he showed an ability to portray a major character and improvise his way out of sticky moments, giving a performance that was funny and memorable. Giant Willy was comical, excessive and his accent seemed to change ever so often from Scottish to Welsh with a hint of Irish.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a panto without the panto dame, Elaine the Pain. Rory Harris gave a great performance of the social worker who only wants to find romance, specifically with his co-star Simon (Marco Giorda). Possibly the funniest couple on the stage, Harris and Giorda embraced the panto spirit and gave the audience a good dose of comedy and farce. As with student pantos, the production was raunchy and so pun-filled, you cringed every time one was mentioned. From Brexit to Fallowfield, the Panto Society did not let its audience down, cramming in corny one-liners and double entendres.

Congratulations to the directors Alyx Adams and Adam Freedman, and the cast and writers. This was an enthusiastic, if disjointed story of: a boy rescuing the love of his life, a girl who is swept off her feet by a guy with an axe, and a giant and his daughter who are arrested for failing to obtain planning permission but their fluffy handcuffs break and so they eventually escape. Oh, and the cow who stayed true to her identity, even if she was a horse.

Was the show entertaining? Oh yes, it was! Will I  be waiting to see what else the Panto Society has in store? Oh yes, I will!

Photo: Press Shot

In Conversation With SG Lewis

Written by PASCALE CHALMERS-ARNOLD on . Posted in Music.

Three years after he first emerged onto the British music scene with his wildly successful debut EP Shivers, the 24 year old songwriter, producer, singer, and DJ SG Lewis is back and making his presence known in the world of club music. 2018 has been a big year for Lewis, with the launch of his debut album: a three-part, 18-track affair named Dusk, Dark, Dawn, but he took some time out of his busy tour schedule to chat about the inspiration and aims of his latest work.

Dusk, Dark, Dawn offers a narrative – music which embodies three different phases of a night out. The first record Dusk, which was released in April, is all about Disco. “[It’s] always been the start of a night thing for me,” Lewis enthused. “That magnetic genre that brings people onto the dancefloor.”

When it came to writing the part two, SG Lewis said: “I started going out more… trying to reconnect with the nightlife experience” to get in the right headspace. Dark was released in November, and was by Lewis’ own admission “a big experiment”, with the tracks ranging from Deep House to Trap to dark Pop.

For the yet-to-be-released final part, Dawn, he drew on his Emo side. “It was the easiest to finish,” Lewis noted, because “ideas were building for it throughout the project.”

Through dropping this album in three parts, Lewis has been able to have steady output throughout the year. He said: “I wanted to put a lot of music onto this album, so I chose to break it up so that people could really digest each part.”

The tracks are about “people appreciating the beauty in and around club culture,” Lewis explains, sharing that some of his favourite memories in the last five years have been framed by this kind of music – at festivals, clubs, and shows. “This record was about capturing those magic moments and placing them outside the context of a club.”

With notable features on both records, it seemed important to discuss the process behind choosing a feature artist. Lewis said: “With Dot and Bruno [Major], they’re my best friends in London. We go to the pub, go on nights out together. Working on the music just was something we did for a bit of fun.”

However, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs’ feature on ‘Again’ was clearly big for SG Lewis. Obviously chuffed, he said: “Their 2012 album was so formative for me. Orlando is such a hero of mine, so having him on the track felt like such a huge moment, and something I’m so proud of. It sounded exactly how I thought it would”.

We discussed why now seemed a good time to use some of his own vocals, to which Lewis said: “Its very much something that has happened quietly. With Coming Up on Dusk, those are the demo vocals. It was my gut instinct to give them to a feature artist, but when I was playing it, people were saying ‘Whats wrong with the vocals on it?’ So we stuck with them.”

Lewis has clearly enjoyed trying something new, and musically surprising his fans. “I could have released more of the same, but I took a different path… I made what I wanted to make,” he shared. “Putting out A.A.T [a track on Dark] really tested a lot of fans who were like ‘What is this?’ Because it was so different to what I usually release, so that was exciting.”

Lewis says he’s hoping that over the next year he will get to work with more rappers, and on some hip-hop projects.

It’s such an exciting time for Lewis, with the project going so well – “It has been everything I wanted and more” – his UK/Europe tour just beginning, and Dawn due for completion before the end of the year.

“What next?” you ask.

Sam happily revealed that once he is off this tour cycle, he’s moving to LA in January of 2019, with the plan to camp out in his house and make the next album all in one go. So it seems SG Lewis has found his groove, and the new music isn’t going to be stopping anytime soon.

SG Lewis performs live at Club Academy, Manchester on Tuesday 4th December.

His latest releases Dusk and Dark are available now.

Photo: Bring Me The Horizon @ Matt Wootton

Live Review: Bring Me The Horizon

Written by Georgina Davidson on . Posted in Music.

It is rare for me to be completely spellbound by an entire gig experience but there was no doubt that I truly witnessed a stunning and totally immersive experience throughout the night at Bring Me The Horizon last Saturday.

An outstanding set list and impressive sound and style prominently framed the event, from the support acts to the main act themselves. American rap metalcore band Fever 333 explored their vibrantly physical and unique genre. A guest appearance from Yonaka’s Theresa Jarvis added a sharp and sparky twist to the mid part of their set. Their explosively energised set showed off the band’s intense performance skill and lead singer Jason Butler delivered some killer vocals that really set the bar for what was to come.

Essentially, Bring Me The Horizon’s success here was the sheer flair and beauty to which they introduced to the show. It truly felt like the entire auditorium had been transported to an ethereal plane as a breathtaking flash of bright white lights and atmospheric elegance filled the air. The heavily smoke-shrouded stage gave way to reveal the band members slowly appearing through the veils of light. This was the quiet before the storm.

Complete chaos erupted from the stage and without another breath, the opening guitar riff of ‘MANTRA’ provided a powerful burst of energy, instantaneously breaking the spell across the vast sea of eager faces. From that moment on, the stage was the stormy setting of a turbulently charged performance which combined the synth-rock undertones of the latest releases with the intensity found in their earlier records. The frenetic energy of the crowd began to surge during ‘Shadow Moses’ but this was only the beginning of the surprises in store for long-standing and new fans alike.

The highlight of the entire gig had to be the extravagant and frankly spectacular arrangement of ‘The Comedown’ which encompassed a number of songs including ‘Medusa’ from 2006’s Count Your Blessings and ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ from 2008’s Suicide Season. It was really quite remarkable to see lead singer, Ollie Sykes take on the vocal dexterity to be able to perform the songs with such quality and ferocious intensity. It brought a brimstone fire to the performance, unlike anything I’d previously witnessed and really showed the band’s dedication to providing a sharp and well-crafted experience for all their fans.

A beautiful acoustic version of ‘Drown’ rounded off the pre-encore part of the evening and was an emotional moment for fans, past and present to really come together and experience the powerful songwriting that underpins their developing sound. It was a moment where the fans could really come together and you could feel the pure sense of support within the liminal space. For me, it was a nostalgic moment and yet I remained in the present mind. For that track it really felt like within the crowd we were connected and reflective in that space.

As the final notes of ‘Throne’ rang out and the wild spray of confetti slowly drifted towards the ground I felt a sense of immense joy and privilege to have just witnessed such a stunning display of hard work. They managed to craft an ultimately illuminating release of music that had been collectively experienced and crafted with such truth over the years. A truly spellbinding performance from the Sheffield boys, who I feel have an awful lot more to offer from the coming releases over the next year.

Bring Me The Horizon are set to release their latest album Amo in January 2019, watch this space!

9/10.

Photo: Sam Valadi @Flickr

Review: ‘The Last Five Years’

Written by colettebond on . Posted in Theatre.

‘The Last Five Years’ follows a struggling actress and a successful writer, who fall in love in New York, get married and drift apart over the course of five years. This love story is nothing new, but Jason Robert Brown’s method of story-telling certainly is unique.

The unconventional narrative began with Cathy (Stephanie Clift) telling her story from the end, we find her heart-broken and pale at his desk chair. By contrast, we were introduced to Jamie (Sam Lupton) and his puppy love optimism as he told his story in chronological order. The cult musical found its way to the screen in 2014, starring the likes of Anna Kendrick and reignited a passion for the production that has had it popping up in theatre venues across the UK ever since.

Under the direction of James Edington, the ingenious structure stayed intact at Bolton Albert Hall, the first in-house production since the venue’s renovation. However, I fear that it failed to deliver the impact they were hoping for. It is the first time I have seen this production staged in the round. This was perhaps done in an attempt to make the vast space match the intimacy of the storyline.

As one of few seated in the front row, I found myself sat next to Jamie in a couple of his numbers, attempting to maintain polite eye contact. Despite these awkward attempts, the venue completely dwarfed the actors and led them to take comically large strides to enter and exit the performance space. However, Edington should be commended for his attempt to master the vast space, using levels and working with the given infrastructure of the venue to further facilitate this telling of the story.

Lupton as Jamie and Clift as Cathy gave technically impressive performances. The pair have multiple West End credits under their names and have previously worked opposite each other in the ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ UK Tour. Indeed, a familiarity between the two was clear, however it did not come across that the pair even  fancied each other! Clift was slightly more convincing in her affections, but considering that the story hinges solely on convincing the audience of the rise and a fall of a young couple’s relationship, the lack of chemistry is quite hard to overlook.

However, there were several points where each actor’s characterisation and style made for moments of genuine entertainment and hilarity. In particular, the scene where Cathy sang about her summer job in Ohio where she suffers the all too familiar and laughably painful audition process for young actresses starting out. (“Why is the director staring at his crotch? Why is that man staring at my résumé? Don’t stare at my résumé!”) Equally, Lupton’s gave a charmingly cheeky rendition of the Shmule Song to bolster his wife’s spirits at the end of the first act.

That said, for a story that relies so much on the audience believing the authenticity of the relationship in front of them, this production falls a little short.

Photo: Pablo Neruda (1966) @ Wikimedia Commons

Protests in Chile over Pablo Neruda’s legacy

Written by Shaheena on . Posted in Books.

In Chile, students, writers, and feminist campaigners have protested a decision to rename the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport to the Pablo Neruda International airport.

They argue that Neruda, the renowned love poet, doesn’t deserve this celebration as he openly admitted to raping a maid in his 1977 memoir.

He wrote that: “One morning, I decided to go for all, and I grabbed her forcefully by the wrist and looked her in the face. There was no language I could speak to her. She allowed herself to be led by me unsmiling and soon was naked upon my bed. […] She was right to have contempt for me.”

By recalling the rape as an “experience” in which the woman “allowed herself to be led” by him, Neruda invents a reality that removes himself from the brutality of his actions.

Earlier on in the memoir, he describes the maid as a “shy jungle animal”. His racist depiction of the Sri Lankan woman exacerbates power dynamics already existent between maid and lodger. Misogyny, classism, and contribute to his inability to recall this woman’s name.

As discussion about the poet has resurfaced and the Chilean equivalent of the ‘MeToo’ movement has gained traction, there has been open protest. Rape is not a small issue to be overlooked despite the cultural significance of the poet: it is an issue of not just accountability, but the message communicated to those who have been subject to sexual violence. It re-enforces a power dynamic between the abuser and the abused through a co-ordinated cultural erasure.

Renaming the airport to commemorate Neruda presents a fundamental issue in the reverence of individual figures as proponents of cultural identity. Should Neruda be revered as a icon of contemporary Chilean identity despite the knowledge that he is guilty of raping a woman? Does his acknowledgement of his wrongdoing rectify his character?

Other writers, such as Isabel Allende have waded into the debate. Though she is “disgusted by aspects of Neruda’s personality”, she believes that his writing “cannot be dismissed”. She describes Canto General, his best-known collection, as “a masterpiece”.

It is true that Neruda’s work is significant. He made a large contribution to the establishing of Chile’s international identity, and the contextualisation of Chilean history contingent to American Imperialism.

Chilean parliamentarian, Carolina Marzán, during The Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies session announced that Neruda was a figure who “filled all Chileans with pride by winning the Nobel Prize for Literature”, and that he was significant in the recognition of Chile’s national identity internationally.

The discussion also expressed the desire to have Pablo Neruda’s name as “the first thing” tourists see “when they reach Chilean soil”. This comment seems to pander to and prioritises international reception of Chile by the foreign eye, capitalising on Neruda’s cultural reach as a recognised commodity, or cultural export of Chile’s.

Patricio Alvarado Barría takes this point further, by noting that Neruda still pays political capital to those who reminisce on the Allende era, noting his literary works have been “displaced” by more daring authors.

At its core, the renaming manages to absolve Neruda of his wrongdoing. Changing the name of the airport sends a message that the physical, psychological and sexual violence that impacted this unnamed and forgotten woman’s life means little in the grand scheme of things. His poetry is worth more than her life. 

Chilean activists have made clear that this is not acceptable. Neruda admitted to this crime, and it has been overlooked for 45 years. Is it such a task to refuse cultural icons an infallible status for the sake of an airport, for the sake of international acclaim?

Salvini Photo: Nick.mon @ Wikimedia Commons

Meet Matteo Salvini: Italy’s new kingmaker

Written by Jake Dunn on . Posted in Opinion.

Meet Italy’s Instagram-savvy, charming and ruthless Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini. Mr Salvini, is not your ordinary politician; starting as an outsider, he is now Italy’s most powerful politician. With a far-right, anti-migrant, and anti-European agenda, the kingmaker of Italy’s new populist government is now making his presence felt and has set Italy on a collision course with the European Commission and risks another starting Eurozone crisis.

Salvini is the new friendly face of the European far-right and populist wave sweeping the continent. As Interior Minister his record has matched his tough and harsh rhetoric. He’s blocked migrants and refugees from entering Italy, seized refugee ships and has picked a fight with the European Union over Italy’s high budget. Worringly, Salvini is becoming a role model and flag bearer for his fellow populists across the continent.

The most recent election in Italy saw the complete destruction of the mainstream left and right parties, and now Italy’s political landscape is dominated by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, and Salvini’s far-right and anti-immigrant Lega Party, who together acquired over 50% of the national vote, with Mr. Salvini emerging as the ‘kingmaker’. He and his Lega Party have agreed to prop up the Five Star Movement in government, but for a hefty price, with five key cabinet posts and harsh anti-migrant policies being implemented at his behest. Just in line with his nationalist ‘Italians First’ catch-phrase that contributed to his election success.

Clearly, Salvini’s Lega or ‘League’ party was the real winner of the most recent Italian election, as it went from having only 4.1% in 2013 to gaining 17.4% in 2018 — the biggest increase for any of Italy’s other political parties. Now it serves as the second largest national party. It has gained a considerable amount for entering government with the Five Star. Despite acquiring 17% of the vote, the Lega and Salvini hold a disproportionate amount of political power. In practical terms, he is just Italy’s Interior Minister. In reality, he is Italy’s de facto Prime Minister and is the real power in the populist government, taking advantage of his less experienced Five Star coalition partners. Now his popularity is surging as a result.

If polls are correct, Salvini’s far-right Lega Party look set to become Italy’s largest political party, and they would even overtake the Five Star Movement — quite impressive for a party that once held just 4% of the vote. Salvini is taking advantage of this new-found power. It appears that he hopes to unite Europe’s far-right forces ahead of the elections for the European Parliament in May of 2019. Already, he is forming close links with Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Sebastian Kurz’s — Austria’s right-wing Chancellor. Their harsh anti-migrant and Eurosceptic message is having an impact and is likely to further fuel the rise of populism across the continent.

It might be possible that the fall of Matteo Salvini will be as a quick as his rise, but that the moment seems to be far away. For the time being his message of rejecting Europe and immigration seems to be appealing to his audience in Italy and across the European Union. Only time will tell if his message will be successful.

Photo: Young Identity

Young Identity: a platform for Manchester’s creatives

Written by Shaheena on . Posted in Books.

After sitting down with Toreh O’Garro and Roma Havers, two members of the Young Identity creative group, it became apparent how busy, how active, and how present the collective is in and around Manchester. 

With showcases running throughout the year and performances commissioned and hosted regularly, the young creatives seem to always be immersed in one project or another. Both Roma and Toreh contribute their poetic talent to Young Identity, and said that they had gained many skills as part of the collective.

Roma described her current project, Bolted, as a one-woman show that explores the “bolted lock of self-isolation” compounded by “agoraphobia’s need to bolt”. Drawing on emotions experienced prior to university, Roma’s performance is a powerful exploration of emotional catharsis. Roma used to run The Creative Writing Society, before recently graduating with her Master’s.

Toreh, a BA student at The University of Manchester, is now chair of The Creative Writing Society, and holds workshops every Friday from 6pm. As chair, he is leading The University of Manchester’s team into this year’s UniSlam, a national slam poetry competition. You can expect some exceptional performances, especially as Manchester’s team ranked third in 2017.

Alongside discussing how their creativity has branched off into new directions, we chatted about what Young Identity is, and what it means for the people within it. Roma described the collective as “a diverse and large group of people exploring different creative avenues together.” The group of creatives, aged 13-25, meet weekly for workshops at Contact and HOME, and you can find out more on the Young Identity website and the HOME Theatre site.

Co-founded by Shirley May, whom Roma and Toreh described as “a mother to all”, and Ali Gadema, who has helped many in the collective develop their creativity, Young Identity feels like a large family whose main aim is to support the creative progression of each of its members. The creatives “kick it, not just because we’re composed of writers with amazing talent, but because alongside that there is a core of support and encouragement” assuring each of its members a level of community and reliability.

As to the creative output of the collective, an anthology launch is around the corner on December 11th at HOME. Titled ‘No Disclaimer’, Toreh explained that it reflects the collective’s belief of owning one’s own poetry with certainty rather than shying from the reception it will receive. The anthology is currently available to buy in the HOME bookstore prior to the launch event, as well as through the collective’s website. 

Further down the road, the successful Hatch at Home will be launched once again in January. It seeks to ‘connect to humanity using poetry and theatre.’ In it, Contact, Wordsmith, and Young Identity partner to showcase a set of creative, spoken performances articulating personal experiences in the politically uncertain climate of today’s world. 

The main sentiment I took from the discussion with Roma and Toreh was the bond nurtured between the members of Young Identity, and how open the collective is to new members who feel they have something to express. Shirley and the “regulars, the team” are always looking for new talent, “there’s always a buzz when somebody new walks into a workshop, we’re excited to see what they’re going to do, we’re excited to provide a hand in the creative development that we’re continuously on the journey of.”

So, Young Identity is definitely a great group with which to develop your own creative writing. Whether you consider yourself a serious writer or are simply interested in what goes into creating your own spoken word, head down to the HOME Theatre on Monday evenings, or have a look at other workshops being hosted via Young Identity’s website. Roma and Toreh urge anybody who’s heard of Young Identity, which is increasingly likely as they gain prominence throughout Manchester, to “just come through!”

Photo: Romy Gregory Photography

Live Review: King No-One

Written by Lily Martin on . Posted in Music.

I remember when King No-One were charging a couple of quid on the door of a small local venue for people to come and see their set of decidedly euphoric and outspoken songs. They were exotic, radical and represented the world outside of our known realm.

It’s therefore astonishing that nearly six years later, I see that same resonance in their teenage fans, now that their first audience has aged. The band feels decidedly more political now than when they were playing venues of a couple of hundred people — perhaps that follows a trend we can see in young musicians in the North of England at the moment.

King No-One’s recent tour appears to have been a short but sweet success; their final date at Manchester’s The Ritz was a sensationalist attempt at political and social commentary — arguably more whimsical than their musical counterparts trying to convey similar messages. Supported by local four-piece Carnival Club, and the brilliant Glass Caves, The Ritz carried the sound of each act beautifully, despite not being filled to capacity. 

Carnival Club opened the night with a gritty, strong set which reflected the talent within the foursome; carefully controlled vocals, seamless guitar-riffs captivated the plethora of young fans. Starting with firm favourite ‘Follow the Sun’, their stage presence was effortlessly elegant and their commendable technique and skill on stage is evidence of plenty of experience playing the local circuit. Expect excellent things to come from them in the near future, and look out especially for their upcoming headline gig on the 15th December. Support from Glass Caves’ was also an apt selection, who are indeed destined for great things.

As ever, headliners King No-One were a combination of electric tunes that the crowd easily sung along to and carefully choreographed stage performance that had the whole room engaged from beginning to end. Walking onstage in co-ordinating outfits, lead singer Zach Lount adorned in a red reflective jacket which stunned the audience and grabbed attention. It was quickly evident that their fanbase, though young, is extremely devoted to them and the message they’re trying to convey.

Old hits such as ‘Millenium’ were blended with new tracks from their upcoming EP Out of My Mind; none failed to resonate with the crowd and they loved every moment. It was wonderful to see such a consistent and engaging level of energy — from both the crowd and the band themselves.

The whimsical, theatrical performance put on by this threesome is impressive, but seems to overshadow their objective. At every show, lead singer Zach gives an empowered speech on the nature of equality and its importance to them in their music. Although commendable, it can only be questioned to what extent this embodies the aims and focus of their songwriting and performance — and whether this is leaving the impression they would hope on their fans. Nevertheless, the show was well-rounded and well-cut, and marks the start of a four-month break until the release of their long-awaited EP. Accompanied by a short tour with three distinctive shows in Manchester, this release looks to be reflectively intimate. It’ll certainly be worth the wait.

9/10.

kekelmb@ Flickr

Live Review: Christine & the Queens

Written by Alice Berkeley on . Posted in Music.

Héloïse Letissier, otherwise known by her stage name Christine and the Queens, has a reputation for creative music and outstanding live shows, a reputation which she more than lived up to at the first of her two shows at the O2 Apollo, a night which showcased her talent, not just as a singer, but as a performer and entertainer.

The first ten seconds of the show set the tone for the whole evening, when six dancers strut onto the stage, followed by Letissier, who is greeted by the name of her new stage character: pansexual, strong, and unapologetic “Chris”.

The set opens with the 80s synth-pop track ‘Comme Si’, during which the audience is introduced to a distinctive and original dance style, which welds the aggression and theatrical elements of West Side Story with the flair of Michael Jackson, a reference that is not lost on Letissier, who leads a ‘Man in the Mirror’ singalong in the middle of the set.

Despite her small stature, Chris dominates the stage, miming punches, kicks, and strongman poses to establish herself as leader of the gang, an image that fits in with her description of her second album Chris as “a bit musclier and sweatier” than the first. Unsurprisingly, hit singles ‘iT’ and ‘Tilted’ are met with unwavering enthusiasm, the soon-to-be iconic dance for ‘Tilted’ manages to be to both graceful and powerful and has the crowd clapping along.

Over and above the impressive dancing, the stage production and visuals are an essential component to Letissier’s journey through her two albums, and no more so than during ‘Goya Soda’, which starts with snow-like confetti that drifts to cover both the band and the dancers in a blanket of white.

Despite the noteworthy theatrics, the show is not reliant on dances or gimmicks, a bright spotlight is enough to create drama and wow the crowd. The lynchpin of the whole production, is, of course, Letissier’s exceptional vocals, which, partnered with ear-splitting synth, floor-shaking bass, and the occasional lyric in French, create a mesmerising intensity.

She demonstrates her vocal ability during a poignant acapella version of ‘Night 52’, alternating between French and English as the crowd attempt to sing along. “Don’t underestimate the power of the French song”, she quips, “that’s some strong shit”.

The last notes of several songs are met with a stunned silence, which, in a venue of 3,500 people, is an astonishing feat. Yet it doesn’t faze Letissier, who laughs “listen to that, you are all paying attention!”. It is through these remarks that we can glimpse the “Heloise” side of her personality, who is chatty, witty and charming.

The set ends with a triumphant encore, with Letissier serenading the crowd with ‘Saint Claude’ from the side of the balcony, a soulful and tear-jerking rendition that sparks a standing ovation. She ends the set by moving into the standing crowd, elevated on a dancer’s shoulders to the pulsing disco beat of ‘Intranquillité’ before taking a bow alongside the band and dancers, an action that points to the essence of the entire night: a Christine and the Queen’s tour date is not simply a concert, it is a show in its own right.

10/10.

Still Corners - Jungle - Bernard Bur

Preview: Still Corners

Written by Ella Broadbent on . Posted in Music.

Still Corners, the London-based dream pop/synth-pop two-piece are coming to Manchester on Monday 3rd December for what is set to be an exciting and stunning performance. Following the release of their alluring new album SLOW AIR in August, they are embarking on a huge tour across America and Europe, with many shows already sold out.

Formed in 2007, Still Corners are an upcoming band who have amazed listeners with their talent and unique sound. Their albums and tours in the past have had increasing success, and their songs have appeared on adverts and popular TV shows such as ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Made in Chelsea’ and ‘Abandoned’.

SLOW AIR is the band’s fourth studio album, and is their fastest released album yet: it was recorded in only 3 months. The album combines both clean tone acoustic guitars and electric guitars with live drums and minimal synthesis. This cinematic and eerie sound is enhanced by the vocalist Tessa Murray, who’s haunting vocals float through the music to create an album which is atmospheric and effortlessly beautiful.

An album inspired by the expansive beauty of nature and Western American heat, it has received many positive reviews for its elegant and darkly romantic feel, and its capturing of a raw sense of loneliness and lost love. Talking about the album, vocalist Tessa Murray stated, “We wanted to hear beautiful guitar and drums and otherworldliness, something almost indefinable along with a classic song writing vibe.”

Set to play in The Pink Room of YES, Manchester’s hottest new music venue and club, gig-goers should expect an intense and energetic performance that is sure to liven up a dreary Monday evening. In previous performances, audiences have been thrilled by the raw emotion and heartfelt lyrics of Tessa’s ghostly vocals, and the passionate performance of songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Greg Hughes.

 

Tickets are selling fast, so get them now for a night to remember.

Ralph Photo: jon jordan @flickr

Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet

Written by carlfitzgerald on . Posted in Film.

Going into Ralph Breaks the Internet, I had a fairly solid idea of how I’d react to it. I enjoyed the first one enough and figured the sequel would make for an entertaining and well-animated bit of fun with a strong amount of heart.

However, to a very welcome surprise, this sequel is all of those things and so much more. Not only does it improve on its predecessor, but it develops the characters and world further in a way that is funny and heart-warming, with a spicy lick of social satire.

Following the events of Wreck-It Ralph, our titular hero and his sidekick Vanellope are best friends and spend most of their time either working in their respective games or hanging out across the system. When Ralph’s efforts to build a new track into Vanellope’s game Sugar Rush result in it breaking, they have to find a way to fix it. So, Ralph and Vanellope head off into the Internet to find a part that will fix the game. Along the way they come across various new colourful characters and worlds to interact with.

This premise serves a Wreck-It Ralph sequel perfectly. After the first film set itself amongst the progressing world of arcade video games from ‘80s platform games to shoot-‘em-ups, venturing into the modern internet serves as a fitting follow-up that provides for some of the film’s best jokes. While the excessive product placement around companies such as Google and eBay is there, it is framed in a way that is smart with its placement. Humorous takes on eBay bidding and online pop-ups mark stand-out moments, but the world is littered with subtle background jokes – for example, a seedy motel that is literally named ‘online chatrooms’.

The film wouldn’t work without good chemistry from our two leads: John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman. They do not disappoint, with both playing up their character’s most lovable traits and working off each other, making scenes between them funny and some of the most joyous to watch.

Their chemistry, combined with the brilliant touches of animation, also makes the film’s more tender moments that much more heartfelt. A conflict somewhat arises when Vanellope begins to consider leaving Sugar Rush to join the more dangerous online game, Slaughter Race (conveyed by a hilariously morbid riff on Disney Princess ‘dream’ songs). And Ralph’s unwillingness to see his best friend leave provides a sense of drama that’s fresh for adults and a brilliant message for children about respectful friendships.

A movie about Internet corporations that doesn’t sink into cheap product exposure, that’s also full of gorgeous animation flourishes, fronted by tremendous voice acting, likeable characters and world-building that’s smart and funny, Ralph Breaks the Internet is worthy of a slot amongst Disney’s solid run of 2010s animation that includes Moana, Frozen and Tangled.

4.5/5.

Photo: Johann Edwin Heupel @ Flickr

David Attenborough takes the People’s Seat at climate conference

Written by jasper scofield on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2018. 

It has been announced that British natural historian Sir David Attenborough will take the first ever ‘People’s Seat’ at this months UN climate conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland. At the end of 2017, Attenborough captured the nation’s attention when he cautioned against plastic pollution in our oceans in his critically acclaimed Blue Planet II series.

A year later, Attenborough will become the face of the UN’s new campaign called the People’s Seat. which invites members of public to have their say on climate change using online polling techniques and the social media hashtag #TakeYourSeat.

The 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, known as COP24, will see representatives from approximately 200 countries gather to discuss implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement. Ratified by over 150 countries, the central aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C, ideally below 1.5°C.

The events of COP24 will be crucial to the future of climate policy, especially in light of a new report released last month by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stating greenhouse gas levels are at a record high. WMO General Secretary Petteri Taalas says; “The science is clear, without rapid cuts in CO2  and other greenhouse gases, climate change will have increasingly destructive and irreversible impacts on life on Earth. The window of opportunity for action is almost closed.”

When Attenborough takes his seat at the conference, he won’t be able to vote on climate issues. His role will be to deliver stories and opinions from the People’s seat campaign. He says, “this is an opportunity for people from across the globe, regardless of their nationality or circumstances, to be part of most important discussion of this century.”

This new seat will supposedly offer an alternative view to the projections and figures of scientists, allowing those directly affected by climate change to have their voices heard. Attenborough will deliver a speech to world leaders, drawing on the stories received by the campaign in an attempt to represent the public at the conference. The public are encouraged to participate through the social media campaign #takeyourseat, which has generated a lot of attention and support.

However, some aren’t happy with the choice of Attenborough as the public’s representative. People have questioned his suitability for the role. Attenborough does not come from a background of climate science and is not an expert on the subject. Other concerns were also raised over whether his celebrity status would allow him to be taken seriously by world leaders, while others believed that the public should tell their stories first-hand, instead of being spoken for.

Despite these criticisms, the influence and far reach of Attenborough cannot be underestimated. He involvement in the campaign has driven huge publicity and media coverage, and has helped to generate the excitement necessary to make it successful. Hopefully, Attenborough’s participations will help make climate change accessible to the public, engaging a wider audience.

He warns that this “is in my lifetime and your lifetime”; making action essential. Although individual lifestyle changes (such as eating less meat and cycling to work) are important, bigger, more impactful changes remain in the hands of governments and leaders in core industries. Hopefully, this month in Poland, Attenborough’s speech will be able to captivate the attention of delegates and convey the public’s increasingly vociferous outcry for change.

Review: Hitman 2

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: it’s not the worst adage to adopt when making a sequel, especially to a game as well-made as Hitman 2016, but in a product as complex and multi-faceted as a video game, it can leave the end-product feeling a little undercooked and unambitious. Hitman 2 is more or less the epitome of this philosophy: it’s a solid sequel which retains all of what critics loved about its predecessor, but it never really leaves the comfort zone established by the last release and this, along with some odd artistic and narrative ideas and a failure to address minor issues that haunted Hitman, left me feeling that this was a good game which could have been even better.

Don’t get me wrong, Hitman 2 is still most definitely a good game. There’s something almost endlessly satisfying in wandering about as Agent 47 in pursuit of that perfect, seamless silenced-pistol headshot on your target, and the complex yet colourful environments that constitute the game’s huge levels are immersive and interesting. The game remains immaculately polished, with only the merest hint of the odd clunky mechanic, and, despite offering a relatively slender number of levels (seven), plenty of work has been done to encourage maximum replayability through the returning contracts mode and the intriguing new ghost mode.

review:Io

More than almost any other games on the market today, Hitman 2 is excellent at subtly encouraging perfectionism without you ever really being aware of it. There’s plenty of stats to measure your proficiency and objectives to complete and collect, but it seems to me that its couched in game’s aesthetic: from the the fluid, evenly paced gait of Agent 47 to the minutely detailed levels, the game’s contours scream smoothness, and this is something that is irresistible to reflect in how you play the game. It’s incredibly effective as, in practice, the game promotes taking a more difficult approach, which keeps things constantly challenging.

Not that my playthroughs were particularly smooth or perfect. Indeed, whilst Hitman 2 did its best to encourage subtlety on my behalf, there were many junctures in which a lack of skill, timing or patience cost me dearly, and the game descended down much messier, more uncertain paths in which the game was on less sure footing. At these points, it became clear that Hitman 2’s mechanics are somewhat jankier after you have been spotted/compromised, which was disappointing, although it did once again encourage me to be like the proper Agent 47.

One large mechanical problem remains in the mission stories. These are the kind of wacky scenarios in which you can kill targets by overhearing some revealing dialogue and following through on the information. This leads to some pretty interesting demises, such as blowing a target off the side of a building with an industrial fan, but they often result in you simply being guided through a kill by the game’s overly helpful objective markers. These can be turned off or onto minimal, but their presence made the otherwise challenging assassinations a little too easy, as well as seeming a little contrived themselves.

Whilst it’s difficult to fault the gameplay outside of a few minor exploitable mechanics and some often immersion-breaking oddities in NPC behaviour, the tone of the game is really quite odd. Hitman 2 was an odd game to experience from a narrative point of view. Levels were simultaneously bursting with personality yet also often felt quite mechanical, and the mixture of an overly serious and ultimately quite weak plot chimed weirdly with the sub-texts you pick up on missions.

Walking around the levels and over-hearing conversations, I got the sense there was something quite Grand Theft Auto V-ish about the majority of the writing, much of it dripping with overtones of cultural critique and satirical insincerity, but it was sat on top of a half-hearted but humourless origin plot which read like not very good James Bond fan fiction. In addition, the story was told through characters voicing over still shots of scenes, which was no doubt a resource-limiting measure, but one that was a little jarring. The missions themselves often seemed to not be related very clearly to the main story, which made it hard to follow.

review:Io

The story did seem a little at odds with itself. It felt like it wanted to give Agent 47 an adequate origin story but also seemed to shy away from the responsibility of it. This was probably a good thing in some ways as Agent 47 has always been a character for whom shrouding in mystery was an effective foil for his general aloofness and propensity for cold-blooded murder, but it did make me wonder, why bother with an origin story at all? Ultimately, it ended on a cliffhanger, too, which made the whole exercise feel a little half-baked.

The new ghost mode, an online competitive multiplayer arena, is probably the major innovation in Hitman 2. Pitting you against another player in a race to assassinate a target, you both play through the same level. You are visible to one another, but you can’t both directly interact with the other’s world, which is understandable but could have been an interesting addition. Nonetheless, ghost mode is a good laugh and the timed aspect of racing against an opponent makes it well worth a try.

Overall, Hitman 2 is a worthy follow up to Hitman. Whilst it very much feels like a second season rather than a sequel, many fans will no doubt be delighted to have more of the same from a series which impressed so much last time around. Whilst the story was a little weak and the tone of the game was often quite uneven, Hitman 2 has lost none of its satisfying panache.

7.5/10

Photo: UoM eSPorts

King of the North Qualifiers conclude in style

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

The King of the North university eSports tournament qualifiers kicked off with League of Legends on Saturday 27th October as ten teams battled it out for one of the two slots available for the King of the North VI Showdown LAN Finals at MediaCityUK. The bracket started off quickly as both University of Manchester teams quickly went through into the semi-finals match where they faced each other. Team 1 prevailed, but unfortunately, were triumphed by Nottingham University Team, who cleanly claimed their place at LAN.

The Sunday saw Overwatch kick off, with teams battling it out for two slots from this qualifier. Eight teams fought but University of York and Swansea University clinically cut down their opponents to both make it to MediaCityUK.

A week passed and on November 3rd League of Legends resumed. This time, fourteen teams came hungrily looking for a chance to win the £500 prize pool the LAN finals boasts. A huge upset saw one of the top University teams lose out as University of Salford stole a win against University of Warwick and then another against Newcastle University. Eventually the steam ran out as they lost to Swansea University who take the 2nd spot in the finals.

Another ten teams then went all out for the two remaining slots for Overwatch. On this occasion, we saw one of the top teams enter the field of play with a point to prove,  and University of Staffordshire swiftly breezed past their opponents, securing themselves a spot at MediaCityUK. Glasgow Caledonian University also secured themselves a spot at the event. They ultimately managed to edge out University of Staffordshire 3-1 to secure the top seed, gaining the upper hand in the battle to win £600 at MediaCityUK on the 1st-2nd December. Tickets are now available for £3.