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Month: October 2019

Washington Nationals enter baseball history books

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

The Washington Nationals had to come from behind to be crowned World Series champions for the first time in their history.

Their dramatic 6-2 victory over the Houston Astros in the deciding seventh match meant they snatched the series, and the championship, by the narrowest of margins.

Playing in Texas, the hosts were 2-0 up and seemingly cruising as they headed into the seventh innings. That was until Anthony Rendon and Howie Kendrick stepped up to the plate with home runs to change the course of the series.

As the Nationals then cruised into the lead, benefiting off successfully loaded bases to create a safety margin between the two sides, the Astros struggled to press on from their early runs.

This was no doubt due to the heroics of both Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer. The former was named the series’ most valuable player while the latter returned from an unexpected back injury to keep the home side under wraps in the championship decider.

The fairy-tale story of the first side from the capital to win the World Series since 1924 becomes even greater when looking at both the regular season and the post season performances.

After losing 31 of their first 50 games it seemed like it would be another dreary season for the D.C. side. However, a complete turn-around in form set the tone for what was to come.

The Nats managed to win 64 out of their final 112 games, including an eight-match winning streak that closed the regular season, meaning they squeezed into the post season via the wild card.

However, the trend of coming from behind that Dave Martinez’s side had created for themselves did not stop there.

When facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild card fixture the Nats came from a 3-0 deficit to win the match 4-3 and qualify for the quarter-finals.

The quarters pitched the Washington side against the Western Leagues’ highest regular season scorers, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite sitting 2-1 down in the series, the Nats once again showed their spirit and beat many of whom believed to be the favourites 3-2.

Confidence then seemed to be flowing through the veins of Martinez’s players who easily dispatched of the St Louis Cardinals 4-0 to book their place in the final, where the Washington Nationals made history.

The final itself was also one for the record books. This is due to the away team winning each of the series’ seven matches.

The series got underway with two straight wins for the Nats in Houston, before the Astros completely changed the complexion of the series with three comfortable wins on the bounce.

The fifth match of the series, that put the Astros 3-2 up, gathered particular attention when President Donald Trump was booed by the supporters as he appeared on the big screen, with reported chants of “lock him up” coming from sections of the stadium.

The Astros may have thought they were home and dry, but the Nationals were in the same position they had been all season as they travelled to Texas in a losing position.

In the pattern of the tournament the visitors won the first match 7-2, before coming from behind in the final game to win the match, series, and championship, putting an end to another thrilling series of Major League Baseball.

Photo : Pilar Casares

Languages societies hold talks on EU student life post-Brexit

Written by Ellie Martin on . Posted in Societies.

The University of Manchester Italian and Spanish societies held a meeting for international students concerned about their welfare on campus post-Brexit.

The two societies invited speakers who are experts in a wide range of topics, all of which could have serious consequences in a deal or no-deal situation. 

On the night, a member from the organising team said that she was surprised by how many people attended the event. There is clearly a real concern amongst international students about the consequences Brexit could have on their studies. 

The first speaker was Dr. Jorge Emilio Nuñez, Senior Lecturer in EU Law at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and activist in various divulgation activities regarding Brexit and its repercussions. He gave a helpful explanation on the law surrounding the EU and what British nationals will be giving up should they exit the EU. He also focused heavily on what rights EU nationals living in the UK will still have and how Brexit will affect freedom of movement in relation to the UK. 

His main message aside from his explanation of the law was one of encouragement: “Be well informed and do not panic”. He made it clear that it while many outcomes are possible, the most important thing is to know your rights and not get bogged down by the uncertainty.

Next to speak was Professor Terry Wyatt FRS , Professor of Physics at UoM and member of C.E.R.N, an organisation aiming to bring Europe together through science, where former allied and axis powers work together. For him, the net effect of Brexit will be negative, but he works to find the best ways to minimise the damage on the scientific endeavour.

He spoke about how damage had already begun in terms of the UK’s reputation in institutions across Europe, and the fact that applications from the EU have already dropped significantly. 

He discussed concerns around funding, as the UK benefits greatly from grants from the EU, and takes out much more than it contributes. The UK government has said that should Brexit happen it will replace this funding, but Professor Wyatt was very skeptical of this. He also spoke to the fact that if funding was to come from the UK government, the way grants were awarded would be likely to shift to what will serve the national interest, rather than what work is interesting to the scientist. 

Ms Alison Mewes, International Programmes Officer and Erasmus Institutional Coordinator at UoM spoke about how either a deal or no-deal situation will affect erasmus mobility and funding. Other than the mechanics of what could happen, she spoke about how opportunity for UK students will decrease no matter what happens. Erasmus works on an exchange basis, we can only send as many students out as we receive here. Lack of mobility and changes in funding, as well as reputation, will affect the amount of students coming here, and already has done. 

Last to speak was Dr David Casarejos Moya, chairman for Spanish nationals residing in the UK and expert on the EU settlement scheme and EU citizen’s rights. He mainly explained in detail the regulations surrounding applying for settled status, what rights this will give you as an EU citizen and how to apply. 

He gave a set of deadlines, but also added that “the dates are changing like a bingo game”. 

While the evening was extremely informative, the general mood was one of uncertainty. It was emphasised that everything was dependant on speculation, which can be frustrating for students. 

The atmosphere was a positive one however, and felt almost like a support group for Brexit anxiety. These kinds of events are extremely useful, as they provide a space for the stress caused by Brexit and also encourage the most helpful form of dealing with it: “Be informed and don’t panic.”

Korean embassy officer gives speech at SU

Written by Kate MacLachlan on . Posted in Societies.

A member of staff from the Korean embassy in London gave a talk about obtaining Korean visas at the Students’ Union last Thursday.

The event was organised by the Manchester University Korean Student Society as part of a presentation on how students can apply for both Korean and UK visas.

Eun Soon Park, Consular Officer for the Korean Embassy, explained the different types of Korean visas available to UK nationals including tourism, language teacher and job seeking visas.

She also spoke in more detail about the Working Holiday Visa, which she described as highly flexible. This is because the applicant has some choice in how they can spend their time in Korea, with options including working up to 25 hours per week or studying (with the exception of university degree programmes).

“It’s not complicated”, said Ms Park when describing the application process for this particular visa, although she did acknowledge that the embassy listed a lot of requirements for applicants.

These included a bank statement from an account showing at least £1,500, an activity plan and a medical certificate. However, Ms Park was quick to explain that the activity plan could be changed, and the medical certificate simply required a doctor’s letter and no medical testing.

Noeleen Hammond Jones, a member of the University Careers Service, also gave a talk at the event focusing on how international students can gain a UK visa after completing their studies.

She explained that current visa regulations allow students whose degree programmes end in 2021 to stay in the UK for up to two years after they graduate.

However, after two years graduates must find an employer to sponsor them on a tier 2 visa which only 29,000 employers have the ability to do.

Ms Hammond Jones described the UK job market as “pretty competitive” and recommended that international students who want to work in the UK after university gain work experience alongside their degree to give them a competitive edge.

“If there’s a placement option as part of your programme, do it” she urged. She also encouraged students hoping to join a graduate scheme to “start applying the day you arrive [back at university for final year]”.

She emphasised that graduates who find a sponsor must work with an immigration solicitor when making their visa application, as incorrect applications are not always given a second chance. There have recently been a number of high profile cases where appeals have not been given. These include Dr Furaha Asani, a lecturer at Leicester University, and Dr Mu-Chun Chiang, an NHS doctor and trainee GP, who were both told they would be deported days after finding out their applications were rejected.

Jaekyeum Kim, President of the Manchester University Korean Student Society which organised the talks, explained that the society had received a lot of interest from non-Korean students in how to apply for a Korean working visa.

The society had subsequently contacted the Embassy asking for more information and were told a presentation could be given on the topic.

More information on Korean visas can be found on the Korean Embassy website.

Information on UK visas can be found on the Careers Service website.

Photo: Max Pixel

Manchester named a ‘Music Capital’ of the UK

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in News.

A new research study has named Manchester as the UK’s Music Capital for Rock/Indie, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and Hip-Hop.

Conducted by Tickx, the study used data from over 300,000 events UK wide and used this data to determine how many events each city in the country held for each music genre.

It may come as no surprise to many that Manchester has been named Music Capital for Rock and Indie music. Manchester’s influence on the scene may be well-known due to the city being the birthplace of artists such as Oasis, Stone Roses, New Order, The Smiths, and Joy Division.

However, it may have been previously overlooked for its Electronic Dance Music and Hip Hop scene.

Manchester, as of this year, has beaten Brighton as EDM capital of the UK (which held the title for 2018). The study found that Manchester holds an average of 1.3 EDM events per 1000 people. The research also shows that Manchester tops the list for House, Garage, and Disco music events, with 3.3 events, 1.6 events and 0.36 events per 1000 people respectively, making Manchester one of the best cities in the UK for all kinds of music lovers.

While Northern cities held more titles for music capitals over Southern cities, Southern cities topped the charts for their Drum and Bass, Grime, and Garage events. Interestingly, London did not appear as top 5 for any of the genres involved in the research. Torquay was named the capital of Grime and Garage music, despite the genre emerging mostly from London.

 

Andy Murray wins European Open

Written by tomreynolds on . Posted in Sport.

Anyone could see how much last Sunday’s victory meant to Andy Murray when he broke down in tears after the match.

It was Murray’s first title since the hip surgery that he undertook following an emotional exit from the Australian Open, when it looked as though his playing career could be over.

Back in January the tributes rolled in from players past and present as Murray lost in a gruelling five hour match against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, a game which looked like it might have been the end for his career.

The arthritis in his hip seemed like it had ended a legendary career in Melbourne, with only a slim chance that surgery would save him.

However, Murray’s gamble on surgery paid off, although he has been left with little cartilage in the damaged hip, he is back and playing pain-free. His time away from the court left the former world number-one at 503rd in the ATP rankings at the end of September.

Nevertheless, he appeared to enter the European Open in high spirits. It was good to see Murray back in a final following his two and a half hour battle against French youngster Ugo Humbert in the semis.

However, a victory over Stan Wawrinka looked unlikely when he was a break down at 4-4 with the Wawrinka having won the first set. The Scot’s comeback was enthralling, and he went on to win 3-6 6-4 6-4!

The entranced crowd cheered as he shed a few tears after the match, Murray’s 46th ATP title is a victory he will not forget in a hurry.

NikonD3300@MaxPixel.net

Food For Thought: the botched morality of animal consumption

Written by Catherine Plaskitt on . Posted in Opinion.

Meat, eggs, dairy; humans have consumed these to survive since the dawn of the species. Domestication of livestock began roughly 10,000 years ago and since then, around the world we have continued with mass consumption of animals, but have we become blind to what the animal agriculture industry has turned into.

In the UK, it’s pretty clear we are not just surviving anymore. Gone are the days of living off a small plot of land; instead decades of industrialisation and commercialisation have enabled people to easily buy from supermarkets, with little worry about where anything comes from. With more than 66.4 million people living in Britain today, food demand is huge, and agricultural processes are unrecogniseable from their humble beginnings.

The animal agriculture industry is brutal, disturbing and frankly disgusting, the normalisation of which is even worse as 2 in 3 farmed animals in the world are now factory farmed. Most of the meat sold in UK supermarkets and chain restaurants comes from these processes. In many cases animals are inhumanely raised with no consideration of the fact they are alive: in some extreme cases chickens are starved, their beaks are cut with no anaesthetic.

But the number of people that don’t know or even think about where their food comes from is huge. Such naivete is, in my opinion, irresponsible.  Considering what a large part of our lives food is, you’d hope more thought would be put into the the consequences of our choices.

Yet slaughtering animals is deemed normal. This feels highly confusing in regard to morality. The suffering of any animal is seen as horrible, however when it comes to meat, people tend to reassure themselves of the normality of it, when in reality there is no humane way to kill an animal.

Because of this normalisation, meat is readily sold and consumed daily without a second thought. 95% of people in the UK eat meat at least once a week. This makes it hard to understand what animals in the meat and dairy industry go through, because it is often left unsaid.

Brands label meat and eggs with pictures of pastures and appealing images, painting over the suffering the animal has been through. Many people don’t know how the animal was killed or don’t seem to care about its suffering at their own expense.

Cigarettes are sold with a warning of their dangers and brand labels are now not even allowed to be shown in many shops. It seems selfish that these products, which have many risks attached to them, are marketed this way, however a product which is a murdered animal, or a product which has been made at the expense of  an animal’s suffering, has virtually no strings attached.

Yes, people still smoke, but adverts encourage quitting, alert people of the dangers and allow people to become properly informed. Why is animal agriculture different and normalised? Because it doesn’t negatively affect humans?

It seems hard to question this when it is the way many people have been raised and conditioned in this country. It seems hard to break away from animal consumption because it’s normal, because ‘everyone does it’, because it is readily available. But in the modern day UK we have a choice. Meat and dairy consumption is not a necessary dietary requirement. We live in a world where individual’s choices matter, and many have the luxury to make positive choices.

Eating meat and dairy products is supporting animal cruelty. Not only that, but funding animal cruelty. This is not a horrible condemnation, but a fact.

So, why would you support the exploitation and murder of animals if your morality says otherwise?

When I talk about how I feel about the meat and dairy industries, it is never to try and make others feel bad. The idea of animal rights activists and non meat eaters as preachy and obnoxious is a stereotype, and damaging to the real cause.

People should think about what their morality actually means to them, something I though about myself, and I realised I wasn’t living by what I agreed with. So why shouldn’t a change be made?

Photo: jarmoluk @ Pixabay

University-led research institute for health to open in Manchester

Written by Lauren Davies on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester is set to lead a new multi-million pound institute for the research of health technology. The institute will be based on Oxford Road, within the University’s campus, alongside a research space at MSP’s Citylabs campus.

The Christabel Pankhurst Institute for Health Technology aims to focus on digital health to develop new solutions and services for the healthcare sector. On top of initial investments, the institute was awarded £5million by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Local Growth Fund to launch the project, resulting in a total budget of over £25 million.

The multimillion-pound venture will utilise the University’s research and resources in collaboration with other institutions with the aim to “discover innovative health and care solutions”. In a statement about the institute, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to work with our partners to exploit the University’s strengths in digital health and advanced materials to make a real difference to the health and economic development of Greater Manchester”.

It is hoped that the research will produce services and products that can be used to benefit the healthcare of Greater Manchester citizens and improve the treatment of patients in the local area. Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council and Deputy Mayor for Business and Economy for GMCA, said that the institute is “part of our journey to become a world-leading centre for health innovation and the best place in the country to grow up, get on and grow old”.

The institute is named after University alumna Dame Christabel Pankhurst – political activist and suffragette. This is part of the University’s equality, diversity and inclusion action plan, which aims to “redress the under-representation of women and other groups in science and academic leadership”.

Clapping banned at Oxford University SU

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in News.

Students at Oxford University have become the latest to ban clapping at their Students’ Union. The decision comes almost a year after the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union made the same decision which “took the world by storm”.

The Metro and The Times have reported that student executives at the University have taken action to start putting the ban into action after passing the motion to “mandate the encouragement of silent clapping” during their first meeting of the year.

Sabb Roisin McCallion, an Officer at the Oxford Students’ Union said: “The policy was proposed in order to encourage the use of British Sign Language (BSL) clapping during our democratic events, to make those events more accessible and inclusive for all, including people who suffer from anxiety.”

The motion follows the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union’s controversial decision to introduce and encourage the use of BSL clapping to help inclusion at certain SU events, which gained national media attention.

BSL clapping, commonly known as ‘jazz hands’, is suggested as a more appropriate alternative to clapping for those with anxiety or sensory issues. Despite having inclusion at its heart, the motion faced national backlash with Piers Morgan openly critiquing the motion.

However, questions are still being raised about the inclusiveness of the decision. BSL clapping, while catering to those who are made uncomfortable by loud noises, creates a new problem for those who are partially sighted or blind.

In a recent interview, one mother told LBC that she was “insulted” by the Oxford University SU clapping ban. She described what life is like with a severely disabled child, and stated: “I really feel like the disability movement has been hijacked.”

NatigKrolik@WikimediaCommons

Not another one! The generational stakes of the upcoming election

Written by George Walker on . Posted in Opinion.

After a good month of parliamentary jostling and maneuvering, PM Boris Johnson has finally twisted the opposition’s arm in getting an election, framing it in eerily 2017-esque “crush the saboteurs” terms.

The hope for the Prime Minister is that with the election he can effectively wipe out any mandate for a second referendum, picking up Farage’s Brexit Party votes, as well as those soft “One Nation” Tories who can’t countenance Corbyn’s left wing agenda of economic levelling.

If very recent political history is anything to go by, Johnson would be seen as a cocksure windbag, taking the country for granted. A Prime Minister flexing their polling muscles, much like Theresa May and her “Strong and Stable” shtick in 2017. Yet this was an election campaign in which the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority, plunging us into the political stalemate the country now reckons with.

Although it’s tempting to see this as a repeat of the 2017 ‘Brexit’ election, the stakes in 2019 are so much higher. Notwithstanding Brexit, this election should be about understanding the broken social and economic order that led to the vote in the first place: the impact of austerity, historic inequalities, the death of the British high street, for example. This is about living together after the polarisation of Brexit, rebuilding communities broken by toxic political debate and economic hardship.

In case you haven’t already guessed, I make no bones about my disdain for the Conservative Party, especially given their recent swing even further right. The latest deal Johnson brought back from Brussels sets a precedent to decimate workers’ rights. Further separating the commitment to match European standards from the Withdrawal Agreement, which will inevitably lead to a race to the bottom in a potential programme that you’d be forgiven for thinking was in the new series of the Crown.

With the appointment of people like Dominic Raab to the Cabinet, a man who once argued that employment legislation represents a “straightjacket” for the country, these fears are hardly unsubstantiated.

In terms of the platform to defeat the destructivity of the Conservatives, the path has to be clear and forthright. The reversal of the domestic Tory agenda, a sensible and democratically decided Brexit position, a reification of British Towns, and the implementation of a Green Industrial Revolution. These are the stakes that should dictate the Labour agenda.

Although it may be seductive to attack Boris Johnson as a corrupted liar, the poster boy for the Etonian establishment: the most powerful stick to beat them with is their wider legacy of the fourteen years.

Corbyn has to dictate the events and the rhetorical drive of the election, rather than being forced into political corners by the way the Tories and the mainstream press want the election to pan out to the people. Early signs are positive: in the last PMQs before the election Corbyn took Johnson to task on the crippling of our National Health Service under Tory rule. Labour must continue to drill home the larger Tory failures with all aspects of the country, and the genuine desire and will to transform the country and the way it works.

Let the Lib Dems and the Tories shout into the abyss: “Labour will ruin the economy, Corbyn is a terrorist sympathiser, Labour want to remain, Labour want to leave”. So long as Labour define themselves as what they are for, not what they are against, dictating the terms on which the election is won and lost, then there is reason to be optimistic.

Gandhi: good guy or bad guy?

Written by nimoomer on . Posted in Opinion.

We live in a world of in or out, leave or remain, us and them, foreign and national; we define ourselves through these dichotomous relationships and it is therefore inevitable that we have begun to see history in the same way. 

Last week Manchester city council announced plans to erect a statue of Gandhi in front of the council house in honour of the 150th anniversary of his birth. The statue was gifted to Manchester by a charity, referencing the city’s unique history and the “non-violence and compassion” shown after the terrorist attacks in 2017. However the announcement was met with significant pushback, specifically from student activists at the University of Manchester. 

Whilst most famous for his achievements in India and his philosophy of non-violence, Gandhi’s righteousness did not extend to as many people as most would like to believe. His justice had borders and his morality was certainly not blind to difference. Gandhi’s rampant anti-blackness and misogyny have often been whitewashed so that he can fit comfortably in our world of simplistic binaries.

Where do we place a man who played an elemental role in the anti-colonial movement towards independence, both symbolically and otherwise, but who also described African’s as “savages”, “half-heathen natives”, “uncivilised” and “dirty”? If there are only good guys and bad guys, what do you do with everyone else?

Our answer has often been to ignore fundamental parts of a person’s life, to either vilify or glorify them in our collective minds; Gandhi is therefore written in our shared cultural myth as a small, peaceful man who put the emancipation of his country before himself. We develop two dimensional images of people, that being all we are trained to consume, surrendering our critical capacities in order to maintain fragile myths that have come to define how we understand ourselves and others. 

In light of this, I understand the plight of the activists who have called out the council’s decision. Statues only bolster these myths, canonising people and creating a level of mysticism around them that is usually reserved for prophets and saints, inevitably leaving no room for critique.

It is clear to me however that minimising Gandhi’s role in history, or reducing him to his misogyny or his racism, is doing the very same thing. His violent language should be taught alongside his significant role in the move towards independence, every awful action should be studied with every admirable one.

The risk we run when we reduce people to their best or worst qualities is that we ignore the context within which they operate, and the larger picture at hand.

Our vitriol should be reserved for the systems which enabled the outsourcing of white supremacy at the behest of imperialists, the same white supremacy that still permeates every facet of our society and influences large swathes of the political and economic processes that define our lives.

This is not to absolve individuals; I’m not here to begin a meandering philosophical debate about free will, people should still be held accountable for their racism, their misogyny, their homophobia, their transphobia, their ableism – whatever it may be. But by losing focus on the larger mechanisms at hand we simplify our history, and our present, to goodies and baddies.

I am not a fan of the council’s decision but I also don’t seek to paint this deeply flawed, unmistakably racist man, as being just that alone. And that is where I think this conversation has been going for a very long time.

Whilst I loathe to admit that the middle ground is a good place to be, in this very specific instance we may have to look beyond the black and white, and start to analyse the rainbow of grey that defines both our intertwining histories and our contemporary political landscape.

Number of rough sleepers in Greater Manchester falls

Written by Zofia Gryf-Lowczowska on . Posted in News.

Research has shown that the number of rough sleepers in Manchester has decreased once again this year, with 195 people recorded sleeping on the streets in September.

The publication of the official rough sleeper count in January revealed a decrease of 8%; the first time in almost a decade rough sleeping had fallen in Greater Manchester. This downward trend has continued this year, with the latest figures showing a 19% fall in rough sleepers.

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) have released data showing that 241 rough sleepers were recorded in November 2018, in comparison to 195 people living outdoors this September. The data was collected by local Councils’ rough sleeper outreach teams.

Since 2010, the number of rough sleepers in Greater Manchester had been increasing substantially each year, reaching a high of 268 people in 2017. However, this trend is now reversing, with numbers of rough sleepers steadily reducing.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s initiative, A Bed Every Night, strives to help and end the need for rough sleeping in Greater Manchester’s city-region by 2020. The initiative means that more than 400 beds are due to be ready within a week for people sleeping rough.

The scheme has entered a second more intensive phase and has a bigger outreach workforce than ever before, as well as new data systems to share information and co-ordinate responses. Alongside this, substantial investments have been made in accommodation and support that goes beyond the statutory duty of local authorities.

In response to this news, Burnham said: “While fewer people are sleeping rough in Greater Manchester than when I came into office, I am not in any way complacent and know so much more needs to be done. But these figures show that the commitment of our councils and community organisations are making a real difference, and I want to thank everyone for making A Bed Every Night such a strong response to the homelessness crisis.

“As a result, Greater Manchester is entering the coming winter with a stronger set of arrangements for people sleeping rough than we have ever had. We have more places to stay of  better quality and are well on the way towards our goal of ending the need for rough sleeping.”

The second phase of A Bed Every Night has received a total of £6m in funding from a range of partners including the GMCA, with £2m coming from the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP). The funding will be used to improve the quality of accommodation, train front-line staff and volunteers and improve signposting, screening and assessment into relevant health services.

Since A Bed Every Night was launched in November 2018 more than 2,200 people have benefitted from the emergency accommodation.

Authorised Press Shot

Album Review: Pang by Caroline Polachek

Written by Alan Thomas on . Posted in Music.

Caroline Polachek is a singer-songwriter and producer who made her claim to fame as part of the indie synthpop band Chairlift which disbanded back in 2017.

Outside of her work with Chairlift, she has released solo music varying from art pop to drone music as well as collaborating with the likes of Beyoncé, Blood Orange, Charli XCX, and Travis Scott.

In mid-2019, she put out a single titled ‘Door’, a 5-minute track which piqued the interest of many, drawing comparisons to Kate Bush. ‘Door’ is a timeless masterpiece which emphasises the art in art-pop with a grand build-up, unique hook, and a brilliant vocal performance over quirky production. Soon after, Caroline announced her upcoming album Pang which was to be her first project released under her own name, having previously used aliases.

Production was primarily handled by Caroline herself and Danny L Harle from experimental pop label PC Music, immediately setting it apart from its contemporaries. Pang features varied instrumentals that reinforce the lush, ethereal, atmosphere of the album. Caroline is a talented vocalist and her performance on Pang is brilliant, demonstrating powerful range and control.

The eponymous title track ‘Pang’ is mesmerizing, with Caroline gasping “pang” in a sticky hook over a simple but addictive electronic loop. She introduces the concept of the album as she describes a “pang” as sharp, sudden feeling whether it be pain, desire, envy or love.

‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’ starts off quiet but the vocals, trap drums and strings turn up, building up to a brilliant chorus and later on, a bridge featuring auto-tuned crooning from Caroline.

‘Look at Me Now’ is a folk-pop song released as a single which implements acoustic instrumentation and a slick melody to fill listeners with nostalgia of past relationships.

Danny L Harle enlists the help of PC Music leader A.G. Cook on another one of the singles, ‘Ocean of Tears’, to make a track incorporating electronic dance music style bubblegum bass’s traditional explosiveness . Caroline’s verses paint a vivid picture of lust and her post-chorus ‘oohs’ are simply euphoric.

The album’s best stretch of tracks is right at the end and begins with ‘Caroline Shut Up’, a self-reflective R&B-tinged song that slows down the tempo. ‘So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings’ is a bubbly track featuring pop’s more traditional theme of escapism which Caroline executes brilliantly with a simple instrumental incorporating her ‘ahs’ and a fantastic vocal bridge. ‘Door’ closes this run and remains the best song on the album.

On the negative side, there are points on the album where it feels that the production clashes with the other elements, disturbing the album’s flow and coherence.

‘New Normal’ initially has engaging production with a bass loop and intermediate steel guitar twangs, but it lingers on. There is ambient production akin to Enya on the track ‘Insomnia’ but it leaves a little bit more to be desired.

‘I Give Up’ describes a low point in a relationship, and it’s definitely the lowest point on the album. The production features generic drums and although Caroline changes up her vocal inflections, the track remains one of the more tedious affairs. ‘The Gate’ is a rather boring introduction and ‘Parachute’, another ambient pop tune, does a poor job at tying up the record.

Most of the singles released before the album are definitely the strongest tracks on the album. But despite its shortcomings, the album is quite an ambitious musical effort as Caroline Polachek explores modern love over a dreamy soundscape.

Pang is another great release for pop music in 2019 and it is particularly exciting to hear the influence of PC music in a more minimalist setting, posing the question of whether it can cross over into the mainstream soon.

7/10

Senate postponed until November

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in News.

The Senate meeting due to take place on the 24th of October has been postponed till the 7th of November.

The postponement is due to a Students’ Union made an oversight in the timing of the meeting. With RA (Resident Association) and JCR (Junior Common Room) elections still ongoing, the decision-making body has an incomplete membership list, with the newly elected RA and JCR members forming a part of the core group of students invited.

Without those elected students, Senate could struggle to hit quoracy – the number of attendees required for voting to take place – an issue that the decision-making body has been affected by in recent months. In May the meeting was pushed back a week due to attendees of the meeting leaving abruptly halfway through, and the first Senate meeting of this academic year was also cut short by low attendance.

These delays mean that many of the topics on the agenda stem from as far back as May; issues such as ‘Reclaim the Night’ Reform have suffered repeated postponements. Other policies due for debate include the proposal to declare the SU a ‘Pro-Choice Union’, and encouraging the SU to declare a climate and ecological emergency.

The meeting will also be providing free food as an incentive for students to come and participate.

✨ democracy & free food ✨Student senate is THURS 7th NOV from 6pm (arrive from 5pm and pick up a food voucher!) on the…

Posted by Sara Khan SU on Friday, 25 October 2019

Chepkeigei Primary School in Ndanai, Bomet county, Kenya on July 4, 2017 photo courtesy of Dig Deep

“Every poo needs a loo” – a chat with water-sanitation charity Dig Deep

Written by Ella Marsden on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Imagine waking up in the morning and not being able to flush the toilet, brush your teeth or pour a glass of clean drinking water. What if you had to walk 80 minutes to access safe running water and, when you finally got there, that water was just a dirty puddle. For 8/10 people in South West Kenya, this is their reality.

Access to water is considered a human right. It is one of the seventeen sustainable development goals set by the United Nations in their agenda to reduce poverty and hunger. Working within the County of Bomat, in the village of Ndanai, Dig Deep are striving to provide, what they label, the three T’s. Taps, toilets and training. I spoke to their Head of Fundraising, Rachael Marshall, to dig deeper and find out more about the charity.

Why is it so important to have clean, running water? Not only is it detrimental to health, but also to education. Walking so far, day in and day out, to find water means that children don’t have time to go to school, it is no longer viable for them to pay the school fees and they stop going.

Rachael Marshall informs me that often on arriving at the schools in the Bomat area, they find that their water source is essentially a pond. Often this is shared with cows or other animals who not only drink from it, but sometimes defecate in it. Some schools build their own toilets out of planks of wood and corrugated metal. These fairly simple structures are not private or sanitary and have been known to fall on children, causing them to be afraid of going to the toilet and encouraging them to practice open defecation.

This poor practice of sanitation and lack of clean water sources means that the spread of preventable disease is extremely prevalent. Rachael informs me that every year more people die of entirely preventable diarrhoea related diseases than of malaria and warfare combined. Just by building a block of toilets with proper ventilation and a proper water supply, the spread of disease is significantly decreased. The number of children attending school and getting the education they deserve will rise, giving them the freedom to do what they want in the future. Dig Deep works within communities to ensure that they have ownership over the work and it’s implementation. They make sure that the school and the children are aware of how the facilities are best used, sometimes by decorating them with paintings such as “every poo needs a loo”.

By using a “shut up and listen” approach, the charity lets the community take the lead on the projects to establish strong relationships grounded in trust and respect. Rachael tells me the locals are receptive and welcoming of the projects, and gets sent many photos of the community members mucking in and helping.

Another huge issue in Kenya, Rachael goes on to inform me, is the lack of education around menstruation. Periods are generally not included in the puberty syllabus at school. When young girls do reach their first period, they do not know what it is, with only 12% of them feeling comfortable enough to talk to their parents about it, let alone asking for a sanitary towel.

Rachael oversaw Jen Moore doing research on localised issues surrounding Menstruation in Kenya, with 16 focus groups including teachers, parents and community health volunteers who help with training. They aimed to break down cultural taboos surrounding menstruation, such as not milking cows or picking vegetables whilst they are menstruating.

Dig Deep relies strongly on student fundraising to continue to do their excellent work. If you want to get involved, you can take part in one of their Dig Deep challenges such as climbing Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya. If this is a bit far from home, their main office is based in Sheffield and you can get involved with general volunteering or offering specific skills and experiences.

Or why not become a Period Pride Rep? By hosting events such as a ‘period party’ you can help in breaking down the taboos surrounding menstruation. Events such as these, and the fundamental work of Dig Deep, can draw together young women from all around the world and improve the lives of communities in Kenya for the better, so get involved.

Chepkalwal Primary School in Ndanai, Bomet county, Kenya on July 4, 2017 photo courtesy of Dig Deep
Chepkalwal Primary School in Ndanai, Bomet county, Kenya on July 4, 2017 photo courtesy of Dig Deep

 

 

 

Photo: MaybeMaybeMaybe @WikiMediaCommons

Review: Zombieland 2: Double Tap

Written by carlfitzgerald on . Posted in Film.

A decent zombie movie doesn’t require much substance to be great; most of the time we just need something that’s fun (Zombieland), scary (28 Days Later) or a bit of both (Shaun of the Dead). Zombieland 2: Double Tap doesn’t really try to do any of those three well. For the handful of good ideas within it, it mostly plays like the leftover ideas for side missions from the Dead Rising games, thrown together haphazardly repackaged as a Zombieland sequel.

The opening seems promising enough; we pick up with Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock ten years after the predecessor left off. We get a cool zombie slashing montage set to Metallica as they make their way to fortify the White House. The building looks decrepit on the outside but somehow the interior is fully furnished and spotless? Fine, forgivable. There’s a set of petty conflicts between the characters that don’t feel like they’re following from the original? Eh, maybe it’s going somewhere. Wichita and Little Rock choose to abruptly leave the group, only for Wichita to return five minutes later when Little Rock has run off with her new hippy boyfriend, Berkeley? Oh no. And from this point onward, the film sinks like an avalanche, getting progressively worse and worse.

 

It’s not like there isn’t potential for at least a fun comedy there — because there is. Most of the original cast is back and two thirds of the credited writers were on the team behind Deadpool, but all comedic potential is squandered for total laziness. Berkeley’s character is a good example. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how a pacifist hippie has survived a decade in the zombie apocalypse? Too bad, because the script relegates him to cheap guitar and weed jokes. That’s not even mentioning Madison, a pretty Paris Hilton type, who spends most of the film being the butt of mean-spirited dumb blonde jokes.

If good comedy isn’t being wasted here, it’s being agonisingly overdone. Nowhere is this more evident than in the running gag for Columbus’ rules for survival. In the first film this was an amusing quirk. Here, it feels like half of his dialogue and is noticeably nauseating during an endless sequence in which he debates a new character with a similar trait. There isn’t even a joke here; the two are just listing rules for survival like it’s comedy gold with the scene going on forever.

At heart, this is the main problem of Double Tap: it’s no fun. The zombie slaying sequences are mostly uncreative point-and-shoot fights, with the exception of a climax involving a monster truck — but that’s the only point of the movie that feels fresh and exciting. The cast, barring Woody Harrelson and Rosario Dawson (who’s good in everything), largely come off bland, but they’ve been given nothing to work with.

2/5.

Photo: Bill Ebbesen@wikimedia commons

Review: Western Stars

Written by elliebmartin on . Posted in Film.

Although two Bruce Springsteen films in the space of two months may feel like overkill, even for The Boss’ biggest fans, Western Stars is a very different film from Gurinder Chadha’s feel-good summer hit, Blinded by the Light.

Part concert, part visual album, part essay, and part reflection, the film is certainly a difficult one to characterise. It is structurally segmented into live performances of songs from Springsteen’s latest album interspersed with small sections of film. These mini films are comprised of elegiac voiceovers that range from explanations of the subsequent song to meditations on life and love coupled with archive footage of Springsteen and/or anonymous home footage.

Ultimately it is an experiment, but like many experiments it hasn’t quite gone to plan.

Some of the filmic segments in-between songs are beautifully crafted mini films with the visual content drawing out key themes and images that Springsteen discusses in his voiceovers. This in turn provides an illuminating frame through which to view Springsteen’s subsequent performance and, indeed, to view Springsteen himself as an artist and as a man. This is when the film is at its best – where everything seems to work in harmony, mutually illuminating each element so that the visual and the audio merge together into a beautiful whole.

However, at its less-than-best, these mini films can feel bloated, verging on the edge of self-indulgence. They can also feel repetitive, becoming largely indistinguishable from each other. At times images feel arbitrary rather than well-chosen – the film merely shoving in another shot of Springsteen with a horse or driving a car when it runs out of ideas.

Despite its conceptual missteps though, the film remains utterly visually stunning. The performance sections are staged in a gorgeous 100-year-old barn on Springsteen’s property, complete with strings of fairy-lights and a full orchestra. It manages to feel both intimate and epic at the same time and, of course, the actual musical performances are a treat. Even forty-six years after the release of his debut album, The Boss has definitely still got it.

Indeed, the film reminds you that Springsteen is not only a great performer – at heart he is also a great storyteller. Many of his songs, such as ‘Thunder Road’ and ‘Hungry Heart’, for example, are clear narratives so cinematic one can almost see them. It is this poeticism and narrative thread that the film is trying to visualise, turning the songs into mini films themselves. While not always successful, it is still an inventive way to marry the two worlds of film and music and a treatment it would be interesting to see taken up by other artists and other albums.

Although it may not be for casual fans, Western Stars should still be applauded by everyone, Springsteen fan or not, for its inventive look at the creation of art, even if it does not quite achieve the poetic heights it is reaching for.

3.5/5

 

An Ode To Hospitality: Hawksmoor is Heaven

Written by Elena Meritxell Bradley on . Posted in Food & Drink.

The Hawksmoor brand is one built on word-of-mouth success. Following the opening of their initial London Spitalfields site in 2006, the traction allowed Hawksmoor to expand with 5 London locations, one Edinburgh and one Manchester site. If you love food, the hospitality industry or luxury living in general, Hawksmoor is a company you need to be aware of.

The genius pair behind the vision, Will Beckett and Huw Gott, have not had the easiest road to success. Speaking out on their tumultuous journey to Hawksmoor’s glory, the pair encountered numerous failed business ventures and unsuccessful London restaurants. Having gotten to their final business straw, the men relied on the remortgaging money from their parents when the banks refused to give them yet another loan. Luckily for the pair, and foodies alike, they struck success with Hawksmoor.

The company has won numerous awards, with the most recent being The Best Front of House Team in the Manchester Food and Drink Awards 2019. Other accolades include being ranked three star in the Sunday Times Best Companies for eight consecutive years, in 2014 winning the award for Best Restaurant Company to Work For. Hawksmoor, on top of these service and food quality awards, have also been praised for their dedication to eco-friendly measures, gaining a three star Sustainable Restaurant Association award as well as being involved in a variety of charity projects (predominantly for Action Against Hunger, for which Hawksmoor has raised/donated over £1m).

The brand itself is built on the philosophy of luxury. This luxury is provided through exceptionally high standards of food, drink and backdrop but paired, refreshingly, with casual service. The owners wanted to dispel the ‘stuffiness’ that usually comes with fine dining, which is something that the hospitality industry is in great need of.  This business model has, in part, contributed to their major success, as they bridge the gap between incredible food and the desire to enjoy it comfortably.

The Manchester site does not depart from this vision of decadence. When renovating and restoring the Deansgate Victorian Courthouse, the company spent thousands on ivy-green leather chairs, dark wood flooring and holophane-lamp light fittings –creating the perfect vintage backdrop for the 150-cover restaurant.

In terms of food, Hawksmoor is predominantly a steak-house, offering eight different kinds of steak from the humble, yet umami, rump to the sexy Chateaubriand sharing cut. The steaks are priced by weight and can be enjoyed with 14 different sides and 5 sauces, some of the most delicious being the Anchovy Hollandaise and the short-rib macaroni. The menu doesn’t shy away from gluttony nor flavour, with Hawksmoor supporting the marmites of this world: anchovies, bone marrow, blue cheese and oysters.

While Hawksmoor has been open in Manchester for four years, this praising piece of press is necessary in spreading the word to all keen foodies. Hawksmoor will set you back a small mortgage, but for special occasions or those of you who have code-app (a hospitality exclusive app that gives you 50% off food on Sundays and Mondays) – you need to visit.

The table service is polished, knowledgeable, memorable, yet casual. The staff are allowed to look and dress in their own style which is something I cannot praise enough, having worked in so many ‘stuffy’ fine-dining business models where individuality is stifled.

Overall, this ode to hospitality cannot recommend Hawksmoor enough. It’s heaven on Deansgate and you NEED to go.

In conversation with Manchester fashion blogger, Onyi Moss

Written by Alice Porter on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Manchester-based fashion blogger, Onyi Moss, moved from Nigeria to the UK to study for a degree in accounting. Now, with over 93,000 Instagram followers, she creates daily content and works full-time as a content-creator alongside her husband, Craig. It is a combination of Onyi’s creative and business skills that have made her so successful online.

Onyi has always been interested in fashion and photography and remembers watching America’s Next Top Model as a child. “Tyra Banks wasn’t just one of the judges, I remember she used to take the pictures as well and I was amazed by that, that she could take pictures the way she did because they came out looking really great.”

Despite this, growing up this was not a path she felt she could follow. “I’ve always been creative but growing up I didn’t have an opportunity to study something creative because it’s not very realistic back home in Nigeria, so I focussed on accounting, which was sure to get me a job.” 

However, whilst at university, Onyi maintained and grew her sense of personal style, always dressing up for university, with people in lectures asking if she had somewhere to be afterwards. “‘No, I’ve just come for the lecture,” she would reply. After graduating, she bought her first camera whilst unemployed and searching for a job, and from then began to hone in on the skills that have made her Instagram, blog and now YouTube channel so successful.

Onyi practiced photography on a daily basis and used YouTube videos to improve her editing skills. “Eventually people started asking me questions about photography. I knew I was improving but I didn’t know I was good enough to give advice on it but the more I did, the more I got better and eventually I was getting booked by brands.” Now, Onyi’s husband, Craig, helps her take her photos, but at the beginning, it was just her, a tripod and a self-timer. 

Despite completing a degree in accounting out of necessity rather than passion, Onyi says that she does not regret it, as it has given her the skills to turn her blog and Instagram into a business. Her success as a content-creator not only meant that she could quit her job, but her husband could too. I asked her how she balances working with a loved one and her answer was as pragmatic as many of her other approaches to her business are: “We’ve found a way to make it work. We’re two people who are individuals of our own, even though we work together.”

In speaking to Onyi, it’s easy to see why her business model is so successful; she’s passionate about photography and is extremely skilled too, thanks to her hard work, she has a strong sense of personal style and a business-minded way of thinking. I asked her whether her recent decision to start a YouTube channel was a creative decision or purely a business move, as YouTube is arguably one of the fastest-growing social platforms for influencers. “One of the reasons I did it was to push myself because I don’t feel very comfortable speaking in front of the camera, believe it or not, but [it has helped me] build up my confidence I’d say. So it’s more about a personal development as opposed to trying to grow on YouTube, it’s more for me to harbour my own personal skills.” 

Onyi’s style is very distinctive and fits in with the creative style of her blog, Instagram, and YouTube. She summarised her style as classic, timeless and bold, and explained how this timelessness ensures she promotes sustainability within fashion. “For me, it’s more styling what I already have so I don’t tend to encourage people to go and buy things.” It’s refreshing to hear an influencer so candidly dismiss trends and popular fashion brands in favour of what she likes and believes in, especially as the fashion industry’s reputation becomes worse and worse when it comes to sustainability.

As a content-creator, Onyi’s career achievements have been impressive and she mentions winning the Cosmopolitan Fashion Influencer Award this summer and being invited to 10 Downing Street as part of a celebration of those who are excelling in the industry for Black History Month 2019.

Finally, I asked Onyi for advice for those who are interested in becoming content-creators. “My advice would be to focus on improving your skills, everything else will come,” she answered, “if social media were to go away to go, at least you have skills that you can adapt into a new working environment.” Once again, Onyi’s dedication to improving herself and her content became clear, even in an industry that is often obsessed with numbers and followers.

Onyi Moss will be speaking at an event hosted by the University of Manchester on the 20th November called She’s The Business, providing insight on how she managed to grow her business. Tickets are free and are available for registration now on EventBrite.

Altered Perceptions: Lessons from Hong Kong

Written by Alisha Fryer on . Posted in Film.

The diversity of mainstream British cinema is consistently being outdone by the efforts of more independent or arthouse cinemas, such as Manchester’s HOME. The expectations and understanding of non-western or non-anglophone films by mainstream audiences has therefore become limited.

In the case of Hong Kong, many British cinema-goers may come to expect films of male action, martial arts and crime, familiar with the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

However, King Hu’s 1966 Come Drink with Me, screened as part of the ongoing ‘Original Ass-Kickers’ collection at HOME, and Oliver Chan’s 2018 Still Human both subvert the stereotypical and rudimentary understanding of Hong Kong cinema. Whether it be in terms of gender or content, both films highlight the importance of occasionally stepping back from the mainstream.

Come Drink with Me is set in ancient China and centres on a female action heroine Chang Hsuan-yen (Cheng Pei-pei). She is sent by her father, the general, to rescue her brother from a gang of bandits.

The use of Pei-pei’s ballet background allows for revolutionary swordplay and the choreography of fight scenes which was relatively unpractised previously; fight scenes were typically improvised on the day of shooting.

Chang remains stunningly central and dominant during the action shots, providing impressive contrast between slow effortlessness and precise speed. The use of masculine pronouns, the ambiguous alias of ‘Golden Swallow’ and her existence within male domains, allows for the mockery of her male opposers who underestimate her ability as a woman.

Despite the final focus on the more typical heroic success of Chang’s male counterpart, the traditions of the genre and gender presentations are frequently subverted in a visually magnificent film that undoubtedly stands the test of time. Well deserving of its cinematic significance.

Still Human alternatively focuses on a domestic narrative between a paralysed man, Leung Cheong-wing (Anthony Wong) and his Filipino domestic worker, Evelyn Santos (Crisel Consunji), as they build a friendship in Hong Kong.

The film is based on a true story, yet contains much that will be familiar to its local audiences; the crowded public housing, the markets and 5% of Hong Kong’s own population constituted by foreign domestic helpers.

Through this authenticity, the theme of identity becomes central, particularly due to the contrast of the protagonist’s ages, gender, language and education. All of these are initial barriers which are broken down as they grow together. Yet these ideas of identity and incongruity are particularly prevalent within Hong Kong’s ongoing political crisis.

Uncertainty about the relationship to China and past relationship or influences from Britain culminate in a film about opposition and acceptance. It offers the reassuring reminder that change can mean growth. Bound to translate to its Hong Kong audience and that of the Hong Kong diaspora, Oliver Chan allows for an accessible insight into these issues.

 

These films are not made for the sole consumption of Hong Kong’s local audiences, and hence the advantage of places like HOME that continue to enable wider audiences to engage with international narratives.

Due to their enlightening nature of other cultures, issues and people, it is always worth being aware of independent screenings of films that may not be shown in mainstream cinemas.

Opinion: why bullfighting needs to be banned in 2019

Written by Iwan Hopkins on . Posted in Sport.

It seems ridiculous that it’s an opinion that still needs to be voiced. In a modern world, where animal rights are constantly fought for, how can bullfighting be legal?

The concept of the matador is a classically romantic one. The tall, smartly dressed, handsome Spaniard, outwitting the raging bull, is a recognisable image. The sport became embedded in popular culture during the twentieth century, with even Bugs Bunny taking his turn to embody the brave figure.

However, the reality is far less glamorous. The fancy costumes and, to some extent, the tall, handsome Spaniards, remain, but the bull is far from a naturally angry figure easily fooled by a billowing red cape.

Bullfighting is a physical contest. It is advertised as Man vs Beast but, in reality, it is Beast vs Bull. The aim of the ‘sport’ is to subdue, immobilise or even kill the animal that has been provoked into attacking. The preparation for the fight is, quite frankly, barbaric.

According to a report by Last Chance for Animals, the bull is commonly subjected to horrendous conditions before entering the arena. The animals are weakened using heavy weights, have their sight altered by petroleum and are force-fed salt to reduce their speed, making them an easier target.

They are then held in small, isolated cells, where, as research shows, they become confused and anxious, before being harpooned. This is all before they have even made it to the audience.

Within the ring, the bull is agitated by picadores (fighters on horseback), before being introduced to the matador, who will then attempt to bring the bull to its death.

Though there is clearly an immense amount of cruelty towards the innocent animals in this medieval form of entertainment, they are not the only ones at risk.

Bullfighting also comes at a great risk to the bullfighters themselves.

In mid-October, there was a notable injury in Spain, as Gonzalo Caballero (boyfriend of Spanish princess, Victoria Federica) was severely maimed. He suffered two wounds, in his leg and groin, which were 25 and 30 centimetres deep.

However, despite this injury, the fight went on, and the bull was slain by another matador. The bull’s ear was later gifted to Caballero in the bullring infirmary (as is traditional).

Unfortunately, this event is by no means an isolated incident. Approximately 47 fights a year see either the picador or matador get injured.

A 2015 report from the BBC made an apt comment on the matter:

“While the matador is there by choice, the bull is not. It dies every time, apart from rare occasions where both bull and matador perform exceptionally well. In these cases, the bull’s life is spared.”

This barbaric tradition is nothing short of animal cruelty in its most extreme sense. While it might be argued that bullfighting is a tradition and that the matador is an emblem of Spanish culture, it’s time that we stop accepting this as an excuse.

How can there be any justification behind a sport which abuses innocent animals and endangers the lives of its ‘stars’?

Tradition and history are not excuses, it is time for change.