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Month: February 2019

Photo: Wicca Phase Springs Eternal - Just One Thing (YouTube)

Album Review: Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Suffer On

Written by Jasmine Bennett on . Posted in Music.

At one point, Adam McIlee was more commonly known as the vocalist and guitarist of pop-punk band, Tigers Jaw. Since his departure from the group in 2013, however, he has become more widely recognised for his work as Wicca Phase Springs Eternal. A member of the GOTHBOICLIQUE (GBC), an emo rap collective associated with the likes of horse head and the late Lil Peep, Wicca Phase’s morose rap tracks have been gracing our ears for a while now.

The second album from the artist, Suffer On, is notably melancholic. Produced alongside other member of GBC, døves as well as Grammy-nominee Will Yip, the album combines beat-drenched intros with soft, orchestral underlays to the vocals. Each song has the heartfelt sound we have come to know and love in the likes of Wicca Phase – the combination of heart-wrenching lyrics and a deeply dark atmosphere. While the album is a remarkably short at 37 minutes, each of its songs feel emotionally draining upon first listen. It’s not necessarily an easy listen, but the core of it is the relatability that the artist manages to create. The personal struggle of Wicca Phase with his mental health issues is apparent and more relatable than ever in our current climate of mental health crisis.

The familiarity of ‘I Need Help’ and the dependency on your significant others’ mental issues can cause feelings that are tragically relatable. Similarly, ‘Does Your Head Stop’ reminds one of the cripplingly all consuming nature of depression in the lyric “It takes over totally, I think that I’m a fake in mind and body”. The sadness of someone so talented being unable to recognise this talent, is something we’ve all experienced. The importance of these horribly honest tracks must not go unacknowledged.  With a male suicide epidemic, the need to address the struggle with mental health is more prevalent than ever. In his honesty, Wicca Phase derails the notion that men should be unemotional or cold.

Suffer On opens with ‘Together’, a low and blurred-sounding track that firmly establishes the album’s dark nature. A combination of guitar strings and beats runs underneath the typically gothic lyrics. The result is haunting as his vocals murmur “sad to be alive” within the chorus. This feeling is continued in the likes of ‘Just One Thing’, which seems to be one of the most typical of the GOTHBOICLIQUE collective in nature. The low beats underlie an air of romanticism, detailing the disconnection one can feel from a partner. The themes of loneliness and romance have been common within the collective – first thought brings to mind Lil Peep’s ‘Kiss’ and Wicca Phase’s own ‘IDK What Love Is’.  The intensity of the loneliness felt by Wicca Phase is once more obvious in the lingering lyrics “to think that I’m alone is like my worst fear, I need you right here.”

While the majority of the album is a work of pure artistry, combining deep emotional vulnerability with trademark beats and production, it – like any piece of art – is not without its faults. The sixth track, ‘Crushed’, feels a little jarring in comparison to the others. Drawn-out vocally, the combination of long vocals and an acoustic strings background feels rather odd and ill-fitting. Despite once more being vastly relatable, the song feels weaker than the rest of the album.

However, this weakness is made up for by the following in ‘I Wake Up In Pain’. The heavy beats that stop when the vocals before kicking back in leaves a ghostly, gothic feel from the song. Perfectly creating the gothic aesthetic that Wicca Phase chases, it seems the artist’s ability to conjure a sense of dark, relentlessly melancholic sound is still as evident as ever.

The album closes with the title track, ‘Suffer On’, a low and haunting tribute that holds the album together thematically. The feeling that this is indeed all we can do, just suffer on and manage the best we can, lingers in your mind for an unsettling amount of time post-listen. A beautiful ending for a beautiful album, it appears Wicca Phase Springs Eternal’s music will have a legacy as eternal as his name.

8/10

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @stevecubbins

Eight-time world squash champion Nicol David will retire at season’s end

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Malaysian eight-time world squash champion Nicol David has announced that she will retire at the end of the season. The 35-year-old spent nine years as world number one between 2006 and 2015, amassing eight World Championship titles.

In her 18 years as a profession squash player, David has won 81 tour titles in 102 finals appearances, both of which are records in the women’s game. In addition, David has a remarkable 83% win rate on tour being victorious in 567 of her 680 games.

The final tournament of her illustrious career will be the British Open in May or, if she qualifies, the World Tour Finals in June. Talking about her decision to retire in a statement David said: “This decision has been thought through for quite some time and I do know that this is my last season.”

“Competing on tour and being in these amazing venues all around the world is the first thing I’ll miss. However, I’m going to make the most of it over these next few months the best I can.”

“After having time to reflect, I can honestly say that staying at No.1 for nine years in a row is what stands out for me most. I never fully understood it until I was not there anymore. I’m very proud of this achievement. I love squash with all my heart, and it will always play an important role in my life.”

“Thank you to all my fans, my supporters and my followers for joining me on my journey throughout all these years. I would like to enjoy my last few tournaments together with everyone throughout this campaign, and I would like to encourage all of you to keep on rooting for me. The dream remains.”

Photo: Liverpool School of English @Flickr

Liverpool in home stalemate with Bayern Munich

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in Sport.

Liverpool secured a 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich in the latest leg of the Champions League, with Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp acknowledging the result as “not perfect, but good enough to work with” for the second leg.

With Virgil Van Dijik suspended, and Dejan Lovren injured, their defence saw Fabinho take the role of centre back, creating concern for their clean sheet. Bayern also suffered a blow to their usual line-up, with Jerome Boateng coming under the weather, and Leon Goretzka out due to an ankle injury.

The first half of the game saw Jordan Henderson make an early chance for Mo Salah, running between Niklas Sule and Joshua Kimmich, but due to his poor touch he could not slot the ball past the Bayern goalkeeper. Almost a minute later, at the other end, Alisson luckily ricocheted the ball as Joel Matip’s one-touch blunder sent Serge Gnabry’s cross straight into the path of the Liverpool goalkeeper.

The second half saw the pace slow down, with fewer chances for both sides and those that were made, to be less assuring. Gnabry made his first attempt on target at the 60-minute mark, although his efforts came out short. Klopp, acknowledging the slow pace, switched it up by introducing James Milner and Divock Origi, whilst keeping Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaquiri on the bench, but it was Sadio Mane who made all finishing attempts at securing the three points against Bayern.

Talking about the match, Klopp said: “It will be a tough one to play at Bayern. If we had won 1-0 here, what would have changed really? A 0-0 would have been enough, but that’s pretty much all that changes. If we draw 1-1, that’s now enough as well. So, it was not perfect but it good enough to work with.

“In the first half we created, but in the second half nobody created.

“Our problems were the quality of the opponent and the fact that the last pass was not our friend. We had 10 or 12 situations where everything was on a plate and then we played a very average last pass and gave the ball away.

“I am pretty sure Bayern feel a bit better than we do but we have three weeks and day by day the result will feel a bit better for us and a bit worse for Bayern.”

As Klopp termed the game like ‘the Hornberger Schießen’, a German idiom used to describe an anti-climax, it can be applauded that a clean sheet was kept without the presence of Van Dijik holding the back four up.

At the end of the first half, Liverpool fans took time out at the end of the game to commend the Bayern fans for their banner which read, “”Away ticket LFC 48£ FCB 55€. Th€ gr€€d knows no £imits! Twenty is plenty.” This follows after Liverpool fans recently boycotting several matches due to tremendously high prices, which many have said they cannot afford.

Liverpool’s next fixture is Manchester United, on February 24th, with claims already being made that Lovren will not be playing in Klopp’s starting line-up. The game could be the decider in Liverpool’s latest campaign to win the Premier League, although with the return of Van Dijik, he will have to make the rash decision on whether to start Matip or Fabiniho at Old Trafford. Their second leg against Bayern Munich is on March 13th.

Photo: Football.au @ Wikimedia Commons

Comeback Kings: City secure dramatic Schalke win

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester City hit two late goals to come from behind and beat Schalke, in an action-packed first leg of the two sides’ Champions League round-of-16 tie.

Pep Guardiola’s side went into the game as firm favourites, with Schalke having finished runners-up in Group D, widely seen as the easiest group in this year’s competition.

City had been in rampant form ahead of the clash, having dispatched Newport in the FA Cup fifth round, after scoring a total of 11 goals in three Premier League matches against Arsenal, Everton, and Chelsea.

Continuing the trend, the visitors took full advantage of an early defensive error to take the lead, with Salif Sané’s mistake giving Sergio Aguerö a chance to easily slot home.

The game seemed to be turning into a routine victory for City, but quickly swung in the favour of the hosts, with newly-introduced VAR inevitably playing a part.

After a second review, Nicolás Otamendi was penalised for handball after blocking a shot, and ex-Tottenham man Nabil Bentelab stepped up to convert.

The Germans were then awarded a second spot-kick, when Salif Sané turned from villain to hero, winning a penalty after he was fouled by Fernandinho.

Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande consulted VAR to confirm his decision, before Bentelab once again beat Ederson from the spot to put his side in control seven minutes before the break.

As Schalke looked to hold on to their lead in the second half, they were boosted by city’s loss of Otamendi, who was dismissed for a second yellow after fouling Guido Burgstaller, and will now miss the second leg.

City will also be without Fernandinho for the second leg, who has incurred a ban after picking up three yellow cards.

With just five minutes left on the clock Schalke were looking likely to secure an improbable first leg victory, but it was ex-Schalke man and super-sub Leroy Sané that saved his side with a pinpoint free-kick from 30 yards.

Raheem Sterling then beat the Schalke backline to fire home from a tight angle in the last minute, rescuing victory from the jaws of defeat for an incredibly-relieved travelling contingent.

The remarkable late turnaround was a sign of the formidable, determined and somewhat unbeatable attitude that has swept through the City camp over the last few weeks, since a shock defeat to Newcastle at the end of January.

This side now looks as convinced of its ability as ever, and even when they were a man down and trailing with just minutes on the clock, they dug deep to secure a result, and further score two more important away goals.

It is this sort of mentality that will fuel the team’s assault on the premier league title, with the sky blues now appearing to have the momentum over Liverpool.

As for continental competition, Pep Guardiola was keen to stress that despite the comeback, the team needed to develop further if they were to think seriously about winning the competition: “We are still not ready to fight for the latter stages, that is reality, but the result is good.

“We played with incredible personality. We gave two goals when they did absolutely nothing. It is not over, this competition is completely different.”

Photo: Ben Sutherland @ Flickr.

United bounce back with comfortable Chelsea win in FA Cup

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester United have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a comfortable victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said his team played “confused football” as his side lost 2-0 to goals from Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba.

The win means that United have now beaten Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Solskjær’s only loss so far in his opening 13 games was against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and the Nord will be hoping this will help his side get the momentum flowing once more.

“We had criticism after the PSG game and everyone did what we asked tonight. The performance was fantastic, our tactics worked. We asked our midfielders to press higher and get into the box and it worked. The defending in the second half was fantastic”, said Solskjær.

“Chelsea are a good team. They have their way of playing but Juan Mata did a fantastic job on Jorginho and we were absolutely perfect defensively. It is a massive result.”

Both goals in the game came in the first half an both were thanks to brilliant play by Paul Pogba. In the 31st minute, Pogba fired an inch-perfect ball into the box for Herrera to head home before heading a goal of his own just before half time.

Going into the second half, United looked comfortable but still on their toes in case of a Chelsea resurgence. No comeback came though, not even a whimper as the Blues looked lost. With Jorginho marked out of the game there was no direction in possession, with more sideways passes than a pre-Southgate England team.

Matters got worse for the Chelsea fans in the stadium too as the substitutes did little to inspire hope. The trademark Mateo-Kovacic-for-Ross-Barkley change received nothing more than sarcastic applause and bizarrely, in the dying embers, Zappacosta was brought on for Azpilicueta.

Being 2-0 down in the 80th minute and making a like-for-like defensive change is just mind-boggling. It is no surprise that United and Chelsea fans joined together in chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” and in demanding the return of Chelsea legend and current Derby County Frank Lampard.

After back-to-back heavyweight clashes for United, their next game is also set to be a classic with joint-league leaders Liverpool travelling to Old Trafford. With Manchester City and Liverpool both playing against the Red Devils in the closing stages of the season, Solskjær’s side will undoubtedly have a big part to play in where the Premier League trophy will head, although it is unlikely to end up at Old Trafford.

Photo: FUR - If Your Know That I'm Lonely (YouTube)

EP Review: FUR – FUR

Written by Jasmine Bennett on . Posted in Music.

The Brighton four-piece FUR have been floating on the periphery of the dreampop and indie music scene for a while now, and their eponymous debut EP continues what they’re known for in sound. Deeply influenced by the music of the 1950s and ’60s, the overall feeling of the album is slightly odd. The five tracks belong to a world we no longer occupy – a world of dance halls, doo-wop and teddy boys. As a result, the album feels drenched in nostalgia and dreaminess, bewitching with its uniqueness in a world of music so often reliant on production and technology.

The opening track, ‘All My Dreams’, begins with a sample of a high-sped record before William Murray’s vocals kick in. A poppy love song driven by a jangly selection of drums and strings. The juxtaposition of the positive feeling of the instruments combined with lyrics such as “You’ve been replaced by a sadness and shortness of breath” causes an almost chaotic element to come with the record.

The following track, ‘Angel Eyes’, is one of the oldest on the release. The lead single of the EP has the same familiar sound as most of their other work.  The dreamy love song is a rapid blur of fast-paced guitars and saccharine vocals. The deeply romantic tribute is a happy-go-lucky tune that provides an undeniable boogie.

By ‘Where Did All The People Go?’, a rhythmic, finger-clicking track that reminds me of old feel-good songs from the likes of Buddy Holly, the sound of the high-pitched vocals on loop feels almost hypnotic. However, it also feels a little grating. There’s only so much nostalgic, jingly-jangly guitars that you can take in one hit. In this, FUR experience the dilemma of having an extraordinarily distinctive sound – the curse of feeling really rather samey by ten minutes into an EP. This samey feeling continues on ‘Him and Her’, a smooth love song with poignant lyrics. Lyrically the band are truly fantastic, with this ballad containing the lovely and oh-so-relatable final line “I know that one day you’ll be okay and I’ll have you”. These nostalgic themes seem to fit perfectly for a band from Brighton – none of the tracks on the EP would feel out of place playing on a speaker at the beach, perfectly ready to encapsulate your own personal memories alongside theirs.

The final track, ‘Love Song For No One’, is stylistically different and one that draws parallels to the Submarine soundtrack by Alex Turner. A hypnotic, acoustic tale of lost love, the song feels vast and extensive. Murray’s vocals, honey-like and beautiful, shine particularly on this one. The melancholia provides a nice contrast from the rest of the album, but more of these experiments with style and composition would not go amiss throughout the record. Due to its solitary nature it feels almost like an afterthought, which given its role as the most beautiful song vocally is a shame.

FUR’s eponymous debut was something I’d been personally been waiting for a while to hear, but I can’t help but be a little underwhelmed. Something about the record, while dreamy and nostalgic, feels altogether too-similar between tracks. The high-pitched vocals can become a little grating towards the end, but the uniqueness of their sound still stands out. The EP is a firm testament to their happy-go-lucky ’50s feel, but I’ll be interested to see how – and if – they manage to develop much further with their sound.

6/10

Live Review: CHVRCHES

Written by oliviablinn on . Posted in Music.

With a driving beat and burst of energy, CHVRCHES opened the show with ‘Get Out’ from their third, and most recent, studio album Love is Dead. The synth-pop trio born out of Glasgow performed two nights at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. Let’s Eat Grandma, a pop duo, are currently on tour with CHVRCHES as their supporting act. 

CHVRCHES released their most recent album, Love Is Dead, in May of last year. The irony of performing this album on Valentine’s Day was not lost on the band, who joked about it between songs throughout the night. The well-natured group did not make the audience feel like they were laughing at them; rather, the audience was in on the joke.

Upon walking into the venue, signs informed attendees that strobes would be used in the show — and they certainly were. A signature facet of CHVRCHES shows are the impressive lighting visuals matching their high-energy songs. The lighting itself was a work of art, complementing the music and consistently creating a lively atmosphere.

Lead singer Lauren Mayberry is undeniably the star of the show — a title she would likely deny out of humility. Her stage presence was captivating. Iain Cook and Martin Doherty played off-centre on either side of the stage, with synthesizer setups and an array of instruments, each behind a large, lit-up ‘X’. This setup left Mayberry with a large stage to herself, which she had no trouble filling. Mayberry sported platform heels and pink makeup reaching her temples — a head to toe representation of her unique and spirited personality.

CHVRCHES songs are often characterized by hooks that leave the listener humming them long after they’re over. During their show, these hooks provided Mayberry with a point of connection with the audience. While singing the first part of the chorus from ‘Miracles’ — “But if love is enough, could you let it show?” — the crowd finished the line, “If you feel it could you let me know?” These catchy lines make the show more accessible to those who are unfamiliar with the CHVRCHES catalogue.

Between the intricate light display and quick-paced tunes, the gig was not just a musical act but a full-out performance. With a consistently bumping bass felt throughout the room, the audience couldn’t help but dance along. Even while blasting out melodies with her powerhouse vocals, Mayberry danced around the stage. Her aerobic-style moves are reminiscent of Robyn’s iconic routine in her video for ‘Call Your Girlfriend’.

The tone changed dramatically when Mayberry, standing alone on stage with minimal lighting, sang out their slow ballad, ‘Really Gone’. Mayberry’s voice held the audience captive — even without a drop, without a crazy light show. Once the song ended, CHVRCHES quickly brought the tone back up and engaged the crowd with some of their older songs, a chorus of voices singing along.

When the band returned for an encore, Mayberry slowly sang out the opening lines of ‘The Mother We Share’ before bringing it up to full speed, to the delight of the crowd — the song won for Best British Pop Single in 2013 and is arguably still one of their most beloved. CHVRCHES closed out with ‘Never Say Die’  — leaving the audience with the same level of energy and enthusiasm with which they began.

9/10

Photo: Slum Village (Contributor's Photo)

Live Review: Slum Village

Written by Aaron Georgious on . Posted in Music.

From the first 20 minutes of Slum Village’s set to a sold-out Gorilla, one thing had been made abundantly clear; while Slum are a legendary group in their own right, their ever-changing roster of MCs serve essentially as a platform to highlight the innovative production of J Dilla.

The show began with DJ Real taking to the booth to give a tribute to the legendary Detroit native. Real seemed to struggle with the fundamentals of DJing, mixing between songs poorly, failing to consider lengthy intros before changing tracks, and scratching to a redundant and annoying degree. Yet, despite the lack of cohesion between each track played, they were each met with roars of appreciation and recognition from the eager crowd when they eventually acknowledged the varied repertoire of J Dilla.

The group were fronted by T3 (a founding member) and Young RJ, a now fourth generation member. This would be problematic for any other major influential group. For instance, imagine if MC Ren started touring as NWA with some friends rapping the parts of Eazy-E, Ice cube and Dre. However, in Slum’s case, the legitimacy of T3 was enough to justify their performance under the Slum Village banner, as the core of the group’s sound had always come from J Dilla’s production.

After this slightly disjointed and confusing beginning to the show, it was time for the pair to take to the stage. Young RJ walked on in a Slum Village bomber jacket, wearing a backpack that he immediately deposited. He looked cool and groomed, in contrast with the oversized black shirt and cap of T3. They instantly got the crowd moving, the booming beats easy to rock with and the infectious earworm flows getting hands waving and clapping along, despite mic issues in the early third with Young RJ.

Regardless of the changing roster of performers, the chemistry between the two must be praised.  They worked off each other nicely, constantly attempting to outdo one another and create a greater frenzy in the crowd. They called back to other old school staples of hip-hop, weaving together with a surprise cover of ‘Rapper’s Delight’. I wasn’t wild, however, about the insistence of both men on filming the crowd from their phones. I guess this was to try and get a reaction for the camera, but it came across as slightly manufactured and took me out of the moment.

A highlight and a turning point in the show was the performance of the iconic ‘Fall in Love’ from Fantastic, Vol 2. Everyone was singing at full force, alongside DJ Real, who would occasionally belt out some notes throughout the show to everyone’s surprise (maybe he was a singer who they tried, and failed, to teach to DJ). From here, the show went from strength to strength. The beats got harder, the flows got colder and they managed to remain excited through to the closer, ‘Raise It Up’, providing an energetic finish. The best, however, was yet to come. Thankfully, the boys returned to the stage alongside the support for the night, Abstract Orchestra, an old school big band ensemble, who are best known for their Madvillain, Vol 1 tape, where they remake the beats of MF Doom. Hip-hop with a live band, especially a big band style such as this, becomes something so much greater, taking on a new form.

The encore was reminiscent of the Outlook Orchestra taking on the festivals’ biggest hits, but instead running through the closing tracks in a far grander and more entertaining manner. It rounded off the show very well, righting some of its earlier wrongs, mostly through the DJ, for which I can’t really blame T3 or Young RJ. I would recommend seeing Slum Village if you’re an old-school fan, as they dish out some iconic tracks and create a nostalgic atmosphere once they settle into the show.

6.5/10

University sport round-up: Women’s Futsal 9-1 winners

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

As another Wednesday rolled around students from all different backgrounds and courses joined together to represent the university in their respective sports. The week would bring both wins and losses, and some extraordinarily tight results.

A successful day was had by both the men’s and women’s badminton 1st teams. A 5-3 victory over Keele saw the women safely through to the next round of the Northern Conference Cup, while the men dispatched of Leeds 6-2 to leap-frog the Yorkshire rivals in their division.

The universities two basketball 1st teams saw perhaps the most exciting action of the day. The men’s team edged a tight victory over Chester in the Northern 1A league – ending the season as champions is a real possibility if the team makes the most of their games in hand.

However, the women’s basketball side narrowly lost out 46-48 to York. Although their cup run is over, holding a strong lead over their Northern 2B league, the cup loss may help focus their attention back to promotion.

The return of the Champions League has brought with it much talk about football. However, it was the women’s futsal team that produced one of the performances of the week. A 9-1 win over the University of Stirling meant they move on to the next stage of the trophy cup.

Rugby Union saw a whole host of results over the course of the week, with the men’s 3rd team scoring an emphatic 59-0 win over local rivals Salford to an excruciating 33-31 loss for the men’s 1sts against Strathclyde.

The women’s 1sts put yet another solid performance in with their Northern 1A division 22-0 victory over Sheffield. Back to back fixtures against the league’s bottom placed side could help propel Manchester women right up the table.

As the season reaches its most vital moments each week will prove instrumental in Manchester’s sporting successes. It seems that our sporting representatives are not flagging as the season progresses and could all be in for an exciting run in to Easter.

Photo: @Shay Rowan

Review: Mydidae

Written by samuelmcelhattan on . Posted in Theatre.

Mydidae was a tense drama about the relationship of a troubled couple that very nearly hit its mark. On the anniversary of their baby’s death and in the privacy of their bathroom, David (David Gregan-Jones) and Marian (Hollie-Jay Bowes) examine their relationship and come across some disturbing truths about themselves. Mydidae, directed by Laura Woodward, explores love, domestic abuse, and being an adult with an uncomfortable level of depth.

David and Marian began on opposite sides of the stage, preoccupied with their own tasks and separate from each other. This opening set a tone of distance which carried through the whole play. They were clearly individuals who, for better or for worse, had been brought together. While this tone created great conflict in their interactions, it also made it difficult to believe their relationship and that they previously had a child. The fact that they were on different wavelengths was abundantly clear, but I would have liked to see some more intimacy and understanding. A fraction more time spent on acknowledging their past in those moments that was mentioned, would have had a major impact on the stakes of their clashes.

Both Gregan-Jones and Bowes gave intelligent performances as a couple with an exterior of satisfaction and a disturbing, underlying resentment. Bowes displayed a complex inner battle between her contradictory feelings towards David and her self-destructive mentality. Gregan-Jones, while not as convincing as Bowes, displayed deep contemplation of the emotions provoked by Marian.

The biggest let-down of Mydidae was the climax, in which, while sharing a bath, David loses control and begins to strangle and drown Marian. This single act of violence in an otherwise reserved play came out of nowhere. There was opportunity in Jack Thorne’s script for Marian to react insensitively to David’s openness in the moments preceding the attack, creating a more realistic build up to this climax, but this was not taken advantage of. The abruptness of this action ruined any connection I had with David’s character. I think the intended dynamic was their shared struggles help them understand each other and work on them together. However, the misjudged pacing left me wondering why she would stay with him.

The bathroom setting, while not essential to the narrative, the intimacy complemented the confrontational attitudes of the couple. There was nowhere to hide as they invaded each other’s space and the consequences were disturbing. There was an interesting link created between the bathroom setting and body image, and between body image and mother-child relationships. In little snippets of an additional relationship, I could see the destructive relationship Marian had with her mother, which permeated the way that she responded to David and to herself. This demonstrated clever writing by Jack Thorne and visible understanding of the character from Bowes.

Kieran Lucas’ sound design in scene changes, enhanced the tense and deeply disconcerting atmosphere established by Bowes and Gregan-Jones. However, it clashed with the play as a whole. While the set made the privacy of the situation very clear, the sound suggested intrusion from the outside world (it sounded like a helicopter passing), causing me to expect a collision of David and Marian’s intimate relationship and the outside world that threatens it. This expectation was never met. Greater variation in the sound design could also have helped the atmosphere build gradually so that when David finally unleashes his resentment and attacks Marian, it doesn’t feel so abrupt.

Mydidae acts as a good demonstration of what being an adult is: you don’t cope with trauma, you struggle to have a good relationship with your parents, and you keep surrounding yourself with people you shouldn’t. The solution is summed up in the final line “I’d really like to get drunk.” It’s about putting up with it and getting on with it. Laura Woodward’s direction and Gregan-Jones and Bowes’ performances enabled this meaning to be conveyed. However, it was lacking in several areas and unfortunately, its flaws cannot be overlooked.

Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight @ Flickr

The North Pole is shifting towards Siberia

Written by wasimaskar on . Posted in Science & Tech.

The Earth’s North Pole is moving at a speed of at least 55 km per year away from Canada and towards Siberia, raising concerns that it could cause errors in map applications and geolocation services.

“The location of the north magnetic pole appears to be governed by two large-scale patches of magnetic field, one beneath Canada and one beneath Siberia,” Phil Livermore, a geo-magnetist at the University of Leeds, says. “The Siberian patch is winning the competition.” Compass needles point towards the north magnetic pole, which is moving towards Siberia.

The World Magnetic Model predicts the Earth’s magnetic field every five years and it was last done in 2015. The model is created by the British Geological  Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is a model that images the Earth’s core. The core field is generated by dynamic action in the iron-rich core and its pace of shift has increased over the years. The outer core of the Earth gets affected due to various factors, according to British Geological Survey blogger Will Brown, such as the drifting of the magnetic poles and changing fields. The shift could also be due to the immense magnetic field of the sun carried by wind which changes the field in the outer core. The change in the flow of iron in the Earth’s outer core leads to changes in its magnetic field.  Finally, it could also be due to the flipping of poles, where north becomes south and vice versa, a phenomenon that happens once every 200,000 to 300,000 years.

Why is this significant to us? The positions of the Earth’s poles and models of its magnetic field is used by organisations such as NATO and the Ministry of Defense for missile systems and geolocation systems. More importantly, it could also affect location data that smartphone operating systems use, such as Android and IOS, and games like Pokemon Go.

Existing software will have to be modified to catch up with the change. Smartphones use the World Magnetic Model for the apps that use maps. Your phone contains a device known as a ‘magnometer’ that measures the Earth’s magnetic field. For analysing the information collected by your phone’s magnometer, the World Magnetic Model needs to be used so you have the location of a ‘true north.’

However, the error will not be off by more than a few per cent. Geodetic scientist James Friederich from the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency explained that GPS systems only can detect the position and the direction you are facing. However, the switching of poles could cause increased exposure to radiation leading to an increased impact of global warming due to weakening fields. Professor Roberts from the Australian National University School of Research said that even with the existing strong magnetic field, we are susceptible to solar storms, and scientists have observed that reversal of poles in the past has led to a reduction of magnetic field strength by 90 percent.

Photo: Daderot @ Wikimedia Commons

Nobel-prize winning 3D imaging

Written by wasimaskar on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Scientists at the University of Manchester have used Nobel Prize-winning techniques on metal nanoparticles to reduce the costs of fuel cells and to reduce emissions.

The 2017 Nobel Prize was awarded to Joachim Frank, Richard Henderson and Jacques Dubochet for their role in pioneering the technique of ‘single particle reconstruction’ in nanoparticles. The technique was used to reveal the structure of viruses and was applied to metals, and now, this research has been used to study fuel cells. Fuel cells are cells that work by the transferring of electrons from anode to cathode under certain conditions. From portable power chargers to automobiles, fuel cells are omnipresent in energy-driven industries and processes.

In collaboration with the University of Oxford and Macquarie University, researchers applied atomic-scale chemistry on nanoparticles in a bid to increase their efficiencies. The problem is that prior to this technology, there was no complex imaging that could be done to identify the structure of their fuel cells, the best being rudimentary 2D imaging techniques.

Professor Sarah Haigh, based in the School of Materials, said that they were previously investigating the use of tomography in the electron microscope to map elemental distributions in three dimensions for some time by  rotating the particles and taking images from all directions, like a CT scan in a hospital, but these particles were too damaging to enable a 3D image to be built up.

Biologists use a different approach for 3D imaging, so the researchers decided to explore whether this could be used together with spectroscopic techniques to map the different elements inside the nanoparticles. Like ‘single particle reconstruction,’ the technique works by imaging many particles and by assuming that they are all identical in structure but arranged at different orientations relative to the electron beam. The images are then fed into a computer algorithm which outputs a 3D reconstruction.

For better imaging, 3D imaging had to be done to investigate platinum-nickel (Pt-Ni) metal nanoparticles. Lead author, Yi-Chi Wang, from the School of Materials, also said that the 3D local chemical distribution could help researchers design better catalysts that are low-cost and high efficiency. The aim of the school was to make the 3D chemical reconstruction automated to create a fast and reliable method of imaging nanoparticle populations for applications in biomedical sensing, light emitting diodes, and solar cells.

Technological advancements in nanoparticle research have lead to exciting scientific breakthroughs, and in the future, nanoparticles are likely to have profound and diverse applications in all fields of science.

Photo: Nephron @ Wikimedia Commons

Crohn’s vs Crohn’s: how infected cells are helping us beat the disease

Written by lukeedwards on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A new technique for treating Crohn’s disease has been discovered by researchers at the NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), led by Professor Graham Lord from The University of Manchester.

The research was based on a study of infected cells’ production of key proteins. This new technique utilises the patient’s own modified cells to treat Crohn’s disease and has been proven to be effective in experiments using human cell. A clinical trial of the treatment is expected to start in the next six months.

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition in which parts of the digestive system become severely inflamed, causing a range of symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach aches, tiredness, and weight loss. The causes of the disease are unknown, but the immune system is known to play a part. The crippling condition is estimated to affect around 620,000 people in the UK.

The study found that specialised white blood cells, regulatory T cells (Treg cells), from Crohn’s patients produced less of a gut-specific protein called integrin α4β7 than the Treg cells from healthy people. Using this information, the researchers developed a cell therapy technique based on these findings.

The technique involves modifying Treg cells from patients and incubating them with rapamycin and an agonist of RARA (RAR568). As a result, healthy levels of integrin α4β7 are restored. The cells are then given back to patients via intravenous infusion.

The disease can often be very challenging to deal with in day-to-day life. Rachel Sawyer was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2000 and was treated at Guy’s and St Thomas’. She said, “One of the worst things for me was the unpredictability, particularly around needing the toilet in a hurry.”

“Having Crohn’s completely re-routes your daily life and makes it hard to do the normal things most of us take for granted like going out socially or taking public transport. Even now, the fear of it is never really far from my mind.”

In addition to this, the stigma associated with bowel disease is also an extremely isolating factor of the illness. Rachel says, “It’s difficult to talk and be open about it, even with family and friends.”

This is something many people with Crohn’s experience, regardless of whether they were diagnosed years ago or last month. For people diagnosed young, it can impact on the formative years of their life.

Dr Peter Irving, a consultant gastroenterologist and a co-author on the study, said, “While the treatments available for Crohn’s disease have increased over recent years, they only work in some patients. In addition, the treatments have potentially serious side effects in some patients. This research paves the way for a trial of using patients’ own cells to treat their Crohn’s disease and we look forward to offering people the chance to take part in the very near future.”

Photo: Tim Lüddemann @ Flickr

Students strike for action against climate change

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

Last Friday, thousands of students across the UK walked out of their classrooms and onto the streets. In Manchester, school and university students alike gathered in St Peter’s Square. Their message was to the government: to declare a state of climate emergency and take active steps to tackle the problem.

The movement was part of a wider one that has been growing globally since the 20th August 2018, when Greta Thunberg, who was 15 at the time, gave up her school hours to sit on the steps of parliament in Stockholm with a sign reading “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (“school strike for climate”). Her message was to Swedish politicians, accusing them of failing to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement. Sweden saw its worst drought in 74 years last summer, leading to wildfires and the death of livestock.  Greta stayed on the steps, forgoing her lessons, until the 9th September 2018 during the Swedish general election. Since then, Greta, now 16, continues her strike every Friday and will continue to do so until Sweden aligns with the Paris Agreement.

Inspired by this, thousands of Australian students went on strike in November. By 2019, strikes were taking place in much of Europe as well as Canada, Japan, the USA, Colombia, New Zealand, and Uganda. The ‘school strike for climate’ campaign, ‘Fridays for Future’, ‘Youth for Climate’, or ‘Youth Strike 4 Climate’ has many different names but one clear goal: to call governments to act on climate change before it is too late.

The demonstrations have been praised by academics. In early February, 350 Dutch scientists signed an open letter supporting the students. Then, in the UK, 224 academics did the same.  The 2015 Paris Agreement, which has since been signed by 194 countries in a pledge to keep global temperature rise in this century below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, was a response to predictions that failure to do so in the next 12 years would leave us in a position a lot harder to get out of than the one we’re in now. For many, this decade is seen as the final chance to act.

Youth Strike 4 Action, a body which helped organise Friday’s UK strike, says students from over 60 towns and cities skipped classes across the nation. London, Brighton, Oxford, and Exeter were home to some of the biggest demonstrations, but Manchester saw its own swathes of school children, university students, and parents.

The UK Student Climate Network (UKSCN) stated some further demands. In addition to taking active steps to tackle climate change, the group called for the government to reform the national curriculum to address the climate crisis, communicate the severity of the crisis to the public, and lower the voting age to 16 to give young people more control over their future.

The National Association of Head Teachers said it, “supports the right of young people to express themselves” but “does not condone children and young people missing school as a consequence of supporting action.” Meanwhile, Downing Street criticised the disruption to education and teachers’ workloads caused by absence.

However, the Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Claire Perry, took to Twitter to praise the students, “I’m incredibly proud of young people who feel strongly that we need to take action.” She also highlighted the government’s plan to “cut 80% of carbon emissions by 2050.”

In addition, several party leaders tweeted their support. Nicola Sturgeon called the strike “a cause for optimism,” while Jeremy Corbyn said that “climate change is the greatest threat that we all face” and young people “are right to feel let down by the generation before them.” Green’s Caroline Lucas said the protests were “the most hopeful thing that’s happened in years.”

Greta, along with students around the world, continues to strike every Friday. A further mass strike will happen globally on the 15th of March, with an expected record attendance involving students in more than two dozen countries.

Photo: Andy Wright @ Flickr

Manchester with no bee

Written by Ruhi Walsh on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Butterflies and bees, along with over 40% of the globe’s insect species, could cease to exist in the upcoming decades. Research published in the New Scientist last week found that issues such as habitat loss, pollution, and climate change are threatening much of the insect population with extinction. If this fear becomes a reality, the impact on humans will be larger than perhaps initially anticipated.

Insects and humans have always lived alongside each other. Insects are entwined in our ecosystem and have vital niches within it. Some scientists even claim that insects are humans’ greatest competitor. Not only do they eat and destroy crops, but they are also vectors for disease transmission infecting livestock as well as us.

Whilst most media and scientific attention is focused on the detriments of insects, their beneficial roles are frequently overlooked. Insects, for the most part, are unobtrusive in their actions, so it is easy to forget their roles as such as pollinators, vital food sources, and helpful predators of pests. Loss of insect species would force us to alter the way we lead our lives and threaten the collapse of many food chains.

The study, led by Francisco Sanchez-Bayo of the University of Sydney and Kris Wyckhuys of the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, reviewed all long term reports on insect populations published in the last 40 years. Whilst it forecasts “catastrophic” global repercussions, ecologist Georgina Mace of University College London warns that it may simply be the tip of the iceberg.

The global consequences were not reflected in this report as researchers focused mainly on the most developed countries. Of the 73 studies reviewed most were done in Europe and North America with the only relevant work for the continents of South America and Africa coming from a single Brazilian study and one from South Africa. Information on tropical insect species is therefore limited and, due to their limited capacity to adapt to temperature variation, these tropical insects are the most likely to suffer than species in temperate climates.

Climate change, overuse of agricultural fertiliser and pesticide, and habitat loss are the main causes for insect species extinction, and they are all interlinked. But how will this affect us? Fewer bees attacking picnics and creepy-crawlies scuttling through the garden might sound preferable, but in actuality, humans have been reliant on insects and their products for a long time. Shellac, a sticky brown substance secreted by lac insects in India, has been collected since ancient times and is still used to polish wood to this day. Chochineal is another commercially available insect product collected from cactus mealybugs in areas such as Peru and Mexico. Also known as ‘Natural Red 4’ or E120, chochineal is extracted from the insects’ dried stomachs and used as red colouring in clothes, paints, food and more. It dates back to 2000 BC, and is still used today.

Given that they pollinate our crops, eliminate pests, and produce substances that we use and trade, calls have been made for policymakers and individuals to prioritise the conservation of insects and not just more visible species.

Photo: Hinweise zur Weiternutzung @ Wikimedia Commons

Industry, engineering and science: A history of north campus

Written by Alex Moores on . Posted in Science & Tech.

In the shadow of a huge red brick building, a small group of wanderers can be found ambling down Sackville Street craning their necks to admire the 19th century architecture. They are followers of a heritage tour stoutly named ‘The Rise of a University: Industry, Engineering, and Science’, and on this particular Wednesday, it was led by a representative of UoM’s University History Research Group, Sam. Ostensibly, the tour is about the history of north campus, known as UMIST for most of its lifetime.

The University of Manchester can trace its roots to three historic institutions: Owen’s College (which would morph into the Victoria University of Manchester in 1880); The Royal School of Medicine and Surgery (swallowed up by Owen’s College in 1872); and the last, the most ancient of the three, the Manchester Mechanic’s Institute.

The Mechanics Institute started, as most good things do, in a pub: the Bridgewater Arms in 1824. A group of industrialists saw great potential in the huge population growth Manchester was seeing in the 19th Century. With the promise of education and employment, the industrial revolution had encouraged more and more people to flock to the city; however, most of these bright young sparks had little formal training.

When the Mechanic’s Institute moved into its first premises on Hooper Street, it was the first building in the country solely dedicated to technical education. The Institute initially saw a rocky start, but by the latter half of the 19th Century, teaching improvements meant that it had the highest employment of any technical institution in the country. By this time, it had undergone its first name change, now called the Manchester Technical School.

Throughout the 20th Century, the School underwent seemingly exponential growth: the Sackville Street Building was constructed in 1902 but underwent intermittent expansions until 1956. In the ‘60s ten new buildings were constructed and a new style adopted: modern brutalist architecture. After several further name changes, the institution finally settled on UMIST.

Despite their somewhat less grandiose look, the newer buildings do have some interesting history: the Barnes Wallis building used to be home to UMIST’s student union, whose hallowed stage saw appearances from many big names like The Who, Def Leppard, and Jimi Hendrix. The Renold Building is home to the largest lecture theatre on campus (C16, whose acoustics are so finely tuned that the BBC hosted its Chamber Concerts in it one year); and the Mathematics and Social Sciences Building’s mottled-grey heights were once the tallest on campus. Now half-abandoned, the puzzling juxtaposition of its resident faculties needs no mention.

The growth and evolution of UMIST was a constant in the 19th and 20th Centuries, and remains so now in the 21st. After its merger with the Victoria University of Manchester (forming the University of Manchester as we know it today), new plans were drawn up to entirely relocate the faculties of north campus half a mile south onto main campus.

A decade later these plans are finally coalescing into reality. On Upper Brook Street, the great steel skeleton of the new engineering campus is taking shape. Following the 2010 Nobel Prize for physics going to UoM researchers, two new graphene labs have been built. In fact, since 2012, the University has initiated more than 20 major development projects.

These developments are in fitting with the trends in the rest of the city. The Manchester skyline is inundated with cranes and half-finished construction projects, indicative of its major social and economic rejuvenation.

How the historic buildings of north campus fit into a constantly evolving city is a question that, for the moment, can only be answered with speculation. Originally, they were planned to be demolished and the plot sold off, but other rumours decree the site will be used as conference and expo space for future research and innovation.

The financial incentive of selling off the site cannot be overstated: north campus happens to be the largest single-owned plot in close proximity to a future High Speed 2 railway connection. A soon-to-be-vacant plot of this significance will surely not remain unnoticed by Manchester developers.

It’s clear that since the 1996 bombings, the policy of the city has been closer to unwavering progress than dawdling conservation. Beetham Tower, Deansgate Square, and the plethora of other skyscrapers in the process of joining them up on the Manchester skyline are proof enough. Since the industrial revolution the University institutions have played a huge part in the social and economic development of the city, but for now, the fate of the historic UMIST campus is similarly up in the air.

Photo: Massachusetts General Hospital and Draper Labs @ Wikimedia Commons

Researchers map Alzheimer’s Disease

Written by Ruhi Walsh on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder currently affecting 850,000 people in the United Kingdom and is the 6th leading cause of death in America. Despite its prevalence, little is known about this disease’s origins or methods to treat it. However, recent research has provided new information that has the potential to aid the development of new treatments and drugs.

A joint venture by researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, and Auckland has produced the largest ever databank of its kind. Using tissue samples from patients at the New Zealand Brain Bank, researchers have mapped the pathways of Alzheimer’s damage by comparing healthy brains to those affected by the disease.

Their goal was to understand the nature of destruction Alzheimer’s inflicts and gain further insight into the biochemistry of the brain. By the end of the study, 24,024 data points were generated mapping over 5,825 proteins. Researchers hope that some of these will serve as viable candidates for novel drug targets as molecules previously unassociated with the disease are uncovered.

Existing treatment for Alzheimer’s is limited and often unsuccessful. Characterised by symptoms such as memory loss, language impairment, hallucinations, and behavioural changes, it is a devastating and complex illness that is very difficult to combat. Antipsychotic drugs can be prescribed to reduce a patient’s agitation and relieve strain placed on caregivers, however, they are often associated with increased mortality and cognitive impairment.

Researchers are hopeful that the data generated in this study will pave the way for change. Of the six areas of the brain that were focused on, 129 proteins were found to be common amongst them, 44 of which were not previously linked to Alzheimer’s. This data has been released online and is freely available to the scientific community so that they, and ultimately their patients, can benefit.

The areas studied were those known to be most susceptible to damage and those least likely to be affected by the disease. Alzheimer’s often begins in the area of the brain referred to as the ‘hippocampus’, responsible for long term memory and spatial awareness. From here, it progresses to other parts of the brain whilst leaving some areas apparently unaffected. Prior to this study, the cerebellum was thought to be an unaffected region; however, this study found that its chemical makeup alters when the disease strikes. It is suspected that these changes may provide the cerebellum with a degree of protection from the disease, thus explaining its apparent insusceptibility. These natural chemical defences have high potential to be developed as a treatment option in the future.

As well as opening new avenues of study, this paper, and its accompanying databank, also provided support for pre-existing work done by other researchers. Evidence for the roles of inflammation and signalling conducted by Wnt (a type of glycoprotein) was produced confirming that these lines of investigation are valuable and worth pursuing.

Photo: USAID U.S. Agency for International Development @ Flickr

The National Graphene Institute is working to provide clean water

Written by Toby James on . Posted in Science & Tech.

Graphene is a material with incredibly high promise, and a deal struck between the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester and water filter manufacturer LifeSaver looks to underline one of the most revolutionary aspects of this mysterious 2-dimensional form of carbon.

A so-called “wonder material”, graphene has seen its intellectual stock rise seemingly inexorably since Manchester physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov first isolated it in the mid-2000s. Graphene is a thin lattice of carbon atoms, one atom thick and arranged hexagonally – like a honeycomb. The materials properties are well-documented and manifold: it is the strongest material ever measured, a semiconductor with remarkable electrical properties, and an exceptional conductor of heat. It is found in a somewhat more common form of carbon: graphite, which comprises many layers of graphene stacked together.

Under the spotlight now are graphene’s vast range of potential biological applications. Research at the University of Manchester on thin membranes of graphene oxide has shown that graphene is capable of filtering contaminants from water on a molecular level, trapping organic solvents and other dangerous chemicals. This is a significant improvement on current filtration technology, which is typically able to filter out large contaminants and even bacteria but stops short of stopping individual molecules.

In 2017, Professor Rahul Nair of the University of Manchester demonstrated some of these filtration properties, successfully filtering salt from seawater and dyes from whisky, leaving it colourless.

Filters are conceptually simple. They act like a mesh, allowing water through, and trapping contaminants too large for the mesh’s holes. A key factor for the success of a filter is the size of these holes. Graphene promises to reduce the size of these holes almost tenfold, from around 15 nanometres to between one and three nanometres, vastly improving the effectiveness of removing molecules of dangerous substances as well as biological pathogens.

The aim of the partnership is therefore clear. By gaining access to the world-leading research in graphene filtration done at the National Graphene Institute, LifeSaver hopes to create new water filters and bring them to market. Graphene has so far struggled to make it out of the lab – an intellectually interesting material, but still not practical.

So the next step for graphene is surely its emergence in off-the-shelf products. LifeSaver represents a middle ground between consumers and those looking for bespoke graphene products. Producing high-end water filters, with bottles starting at £89.99 and packages costing up to just shy of £1000, LifeSaver are giving graphene a way into the top level of the market. Nothing starts cheap (look at Tesla).

Water filtration is a key industry. The better the engineering, the less you notice it – and this adage holds true for water filtration for the majority in developed countries. Aside from doomsday preppers and outdoors enthusiasts, the majority of those living in the UK do not need to worry about owning water filters. Yet, there remain over 600 million people without access to safe drinking water. With climate change an ever-present threat, this number may well rise. Even in a world where the infrastructure existed to supply everyone with water, natural disasters would threaten to upset this balance. The need for high-quality water filtration is therefore unlikely to disappear any time soon, and the potential for graphene to play a key role in supplying this cannot be overstated.

By striking this agreement, the University of Manchester and LifeSaver are showing a commitment to producing commercially viable graphene products, and to revolutionising a key industry on which millions across the globe depend. 

Photo: Ethan Davies @ The Mancunion

Reclaim The Night calls on council to “make women’s safety a priority”

Written by Ethan Davies on . Posted in News.

Reclaim The Night, the annual Students’ Union (SU)-led march from Owens Park to the SU, has called on Manchester City Council to make women’s safety a priority.

The protest had specifically targeted the Council “improve the street lighting provisions in student areas. We also call for an increased police presence”, “stop the cuts to Women’s shelters and increase funding for local services that support victims”, and “do more to increase awareness of where victims can report acts of harassment, assault, and violence.”

In a speech to the estimated 3500-strong crowd gathered at the Union following the march, SU Women’s Officer Sara Heddi reiterated the protest’s aims.

The march began at 7pm at Owens Park, led by Heddi, who passionately encouraged marchers to sing and express their anger at the current system in place to protect women. The rally following the march drew in hundreds.

Reclaim the Night, led by student and non-student representatives featured a Muslim-only, ‘pro-choice’, youth and families, and an LGBTQ+ bloc, as well as the women-only section in which anyone identifying as a woman could participate. If men wished to march in the event they were placed in the mixed bloc which featured all genders, ethnicities, and religions.

In the run-up to the event, SU Liberation and Access Officer Sara Khan raised concerns about the inclusivity of trans people in a statement to The Mancunion, saying: “We need to platform the voices of trans people, and provide political education about cis-normative violence and police violence.”

It had been previously reported that Khan would not march at Reclaim The Night, which was confirmed by her no-show.

In response, a spokesperson for the SU Executive Officers said: “We completely acknowledge the concerns raised by the Liberation and Access Officer.

“The SU Executive Officer team would also like to express that no concerns were raised during the executive team meetings when discussions about Reclaim the Night were brought up. The Exec team are surprised about the claims and concerns raised just before the march but are determined to address the concerns the best we can do with the time that we have, and then will look to further improve future events.”

One trans student who chose to stay anonymous said: “Violence against women is obviously something that’s a terrible thing that happens, and I feel as though it happens to all sorts of women. That includes women of colour, trans women, LGBT women, and so on.

“I recognise that sometimes such events that are very broadly about women tend not to have too many trans women or women of colour. I also think The University of Manchester has a good stance when it comes to looking after trans people.”

Many victims of sexual harassment have taken the liberty to post about their experiences in the student populated areas of Manchester on popular Facebook page, ‘Fallowfield Students’ Group’, because many feel the lack of safety protocol by police in the area.

Since 2016, the number of reported cases of sexual harassment have increased by 64% in the UK.  Women who marched on the night called on the Council to encourage more organisations to become hate crime reporting centres, with aims to double the number of Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centres in Manchester by 2020.

In a statement, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Nigel Murphy, commented: “The safety of all of our residents is of paramount importance to Manchester City Council and we want to reassure the public that this city is a safe place to work, study and visit.

“Manchester City Council works closely with Greater Manchester Police, the Universities and other partners to address student safety across the city. Street lighting in student areas will meet national standards in terms of brightness and coverage but we are always open to discussing with students where and how we can improve.

“We shall continue to work closely with our partners in GMP as well as the charity and voluntary sector to support any and all victims, and work with communities to deliver effective support services.”

“In recent years we have seen an increase in hates crimes. Hate crime is a serious social issue that has a significant impact on its victims, families and the community.

Emilia Jenkins, part-time Women’s Officer said: “I do quite a lot of work around the education on the aftermath of sexual assault and so I think this is an absolutely vital march for people like myself who have been sexually assaulted, it’s just so nice to have a show of support from all the community. It makes you feel like you are not alone which is something I really champion in my work so I’m so happy to be here.”

Anuli Changa, a third-year Law student, who also modelled for the ‘Reclaim the Night t-shirt’ fundraising campaign, added: “I’ve been to the Reclaim the Night march every year I’ve lived in Manchester. It’s an incredible atmosphere of solidarity and fearlessness that everyone should experience. I find it particularly enjoyable that the march takes along the curry mile, notoriously uncomfortable to walk along at night.”

All profits made from the t-shirt sales went to charity Manchester Rape Crisis, an organisation that supports victims of sexual harassment and violence.

Photo: @Hannah Blau and Heather Harrison

MIFTA Season: Review: Enron

Written by anyaguzeukoua on . Posted in Theatre.

On the 31st December, 2001, the day of the biggest bankruptcy in UK history in which more than 29,000 people lost their jobs and what seemed like “America’s Most Innovative Company” (Fortune Magazine) appeared to be in no more than a billion of dollars debt, The University of Manchester Drama Society took on the ambitious task of entertaining the audience with the financial world and audit corruption case. To my surprise, it followed in the footsteps of films that have tackled this subject matter before – Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Adam McKay’s The Big Short – and the play did not disappoint.

This very enjoyable production tells the story of Enron, the corporation flourishing on a culture of greed, selfishness and competition. This is not a tale about corruption, but a drama of harmful behaviours and philosophies.

The ingenious script by Lucy Pebble depicts Enron’s history through the life of its CEO, Jeffrey Skilling. Charlie McRoberts was nothing short of excellent in this role. His portrayal of a human consumed by power and greed was highlighted by fascinating body language and acting. McRoberts captured the audience’s attention and emotions by portraying the journey of his character via reflections on the selfishness and gullibility of mankind.

Joe Llewllyn as Andy Fastow was another standout performance. Everything, from the body language and voice manipulation to the overall physical performance, made for a great portrayal of a cunning and conniving Head Of Finance. This comedic character was a fascinating and fresh contribution to the general gravity and weight of the play.

Flora Higgins, as Claudia Roe, gave an insightful performance of not only a powerful women, but a character who managed to keep kindness and humanity in the environment of avarice. The morality of her character was a delightful contribution against the background of corruption that informed the atmosphere of the play.

The ensemble of the play also deserves to be mentioned. Playing the crowd and other minor roles, they displayed a control of the tempo and emotions of the play: from fascination and the agreeability of public opinion to the anger of a mistreated crowd. The importance and the potency of the ensemble work is highlighted by the short but frenetic dance performance depicting the stock exchange market. Ten actors on the stage were able to create the chaos, as well as the feeling of greed of the whole Wall Street Office, not dissimilar to a scene in The Wolf of Wall Street. This highlighted the superlative directing of Jess Johnstone, whose impressive use of few actors and decorations still expressed the energetic and fluctuating emotions of the crowd.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable student society production filled with great talent. It left the audience not only entertained by the story of a major corporation’s downfall, but also with critical reflections on humanity’s true character.