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Month: November 2019

Photo: Alex Ferguson @ The Mancunion

Live Review: MARINA at O2 Apollo

Written by Alex Ferguson on . Posted in Music.

Since arriving on the scene in 2009 as Marina and the Diamonds, Welsh singer Marina Diamandis has been a force to be reckoned with within British indie pop. Her unique brand of upbeat tunes with self-reflective, self-deprecating lyrics and acrobatic vocals have rocketed all four of her albums into the Top 10 of the UK charts.

Ten years after her debut, she has returned with her new album Love + Fear, having shed ‘the Diamonds’ to perform under the streamlined moniker ‘MARINA’. On Tuesday night, at the O2 Apollo, she performed her second Manchester show of the Love + Fear Tour, with an updated setlist and a new supporting act, Canadian alt-pop singer, Allie X.

Allie X convincingly commanded the iconic venue, performing an on-trend range of left-of-field pop songs from her catalogue, including her new singles ‘Fresh Laundry’ and ‘Rings a Bell’, as well as older hits like ‘Casanova’ and the discordant electropop banger, ‘Bitch’. Her relatively brief set proved to be a suitable, thoroughly enjoyable warm-up before Marina took to the stage.

Marina opened with ‘Handmade Heaven’, a gorgeous and hypnotic cut from her latest album. She then immediately transitioned into back-to-back crowd-pleasing classics “Hollywood” and “Primadonna,” reminding us all of her camp, off-beat indie-pop beginnings. This contrast between new and old set the tone for the rest of the concert, as Marina alternated between songs from her latest album and well-known hits from her earlier releases. The concert was loosely split into two sections – Love and Fear – but there was no obvious distinction between the two other than an outfit change.

Love + Fear has proven to be Marina’s most divisive album so far, with its uncharacteristically generic production and lyrics disappointing some long-time fans and prompting lukewarm reviews from critics. The crowd, it must be said, were unusually still and quiet throughout many of Marina’s songs. Their low energy was especially evident during songs from her newest album, as she struggled to hype up the crowd. An especially painful moment came during ‘I’m Not Hungry Anymore’, an unreleased track originally intended to be on her third album, Froot. During this soft, piano-led ballad, it was hard to even hear Marina over the chattering of the restless crowd.

The staging of the show was simple but relatively effective. Four backup dancers supported Marina though this was, at times, more of an unwelcome distraction than anything else. A clip of a backup dancer running in circles while Marina performs ‘Emotional Machine’ has already been widely mocked on Twitter, and, indeed, it was extremely awkward seeing this part of the show performed in person. Nonetheless, Marina herself commanded attention for every moment that she was on stage; her presence made up for any flaws in her staging or backup dancers.

Noticeably, Tuesday’s show was not sold out, perhaps a reflection of the lacklustre reception and commercial performance of Love + Fear. Nonetheless, those in attendance appeared to be having a very good night, even if the overall energy in the room was bizarrely low.

While it may feel as though Marina has lost some of her lustre since dropping ‘the Diamonds’, she is still able to put on a very fun, if flawed, show a full decade into her career.

7/10

UoM call for ‘immediate’ return of exchange students in Hong Kong

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

University of Manchester students studying abroad in Hong Kong are being recalled, following violent protests in the region.

The University said they were “advising students that they should leave Hong Kong immediately” due to “the deteriorating situation”. Classes have been suspended for the remainder of the semester at the area’s major universities.

A recent statement from the Foreign Office said there had been “clashes around a number of universities, with a particular focus at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in Sha Tin (New Territories).” UoM currently has links with three universities in the area, including CUHK.

A spokesperson for the University told The Mancunion: “We have been advising students that they should leave Hong Kong immediately and are assisting with arrangements for them to do so. This is a fast moving situation so our duty of care towards our students is paramount.

“Because of the deteriorating situation, there will be no further classes at all major Hong Kong Universities this semester. We have also been taking expert advice from our travel and risk specialists.”

The University of Manchester is currently partnered with the CUHK, University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

In an online statement, the Foreign Office advised: “If you’re studying at a university where protests are taking place, you should avoid areas where protestors are gathered, take extra care when moving around the campus and follow the advice of the authorities.”

Other UK universities, including Warwick, Sheffield, and Edinburgh, are also reported to be repatriating students currently in the region. 

The decision follows months of violent protests in Hong Kong over a proposed extradition bill that would allow people to be sent to China for trial. The bill was withdrawn in September, but the demonstrations have failed to cease.

Protests have become increasingly violent over recent weeks – last Monday, police shot an activist in the torso with a live bullet.

Second-year Drama and English Literature student Cameron Taylor, who studies at the University of Manchester but lives in Hong Kong, said he felt the University had made the right decision to repatriate students studying in Hong Kong:

“I think the unis have absolutely made the right call, the situation is slowly worsening, and given China’s appalling human rights records it’s impossible to write out an excessively violent retaliation from police forces.

“All over the city things are manic – and ultimately student safety has to come first – now that the police have been targeting the universities it’s only fair to cancel classes as it’s just unsafe otherwise.”

Kyle, an ex-UoM student who studied abroad in Hong Kong in 2017-2018, said that Hong Kong felt “extremely safe” at the time, but that the Vice Chancellor at his exchange university (Chinese University of Hong Kong) had recently been tear gassed when trying to negotiate for the police to leave campus.

Rob, who was raised in Hong Kong but studied in the UK, compared the current state of affairs to that of West Berlin during the Cold War, due to the high degree of ‘pressure from outside the territory’.

He described the University’s decision to recall exchange students from Hong Kong as ‘wise’, as he feels the situation is far more volatile than before: “I went back to Hong Kong in April and in September this year. I was shocked by the difference.

“The city is basically covered by propaganda and you can smell tension in the air.”

Alongside fears regarding the safety of his friends protesting, he also expressed concern about the possible effects of so much tear gas being released: “When I was back in Hong Kong in September I had so much skin irritation. I live in a neighbourhood called Yuen Long and they have released tear gas there several times.”

Manchester has also been the site of demonstrations, as last month Hong Kong students studying in the city demonstrated in solidarity with those in Hong Kong. 

Protestors told The Mancunion: “We need support from locals and international students here because it will continue to help keep the spotlight on Hongkongersʼ struggle.”

Students opinions on Gen Sec’s anti-vegan rant

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in Opinion.

Students have had their say after the SU General Secretary Kwame Asamoah Kwarteng released a series of anti-vegan tirades on his personal Facebook account, followed by a lengthy statement issued to The Tab.

Asamoah Kwarteng became the first international student to hold the position when he was elected back in March, despite controversy surrounding his campaign methods. He has since enjoyed an action-packed start to his tenure, including holding his own radio show on Fuse FM.

The story in The Tab raised eyebrows for a number of reasons, the most surprising of which was that the publication not only mispelled his name, but also somehow failed to locate an accurate photo of the Gen Sec himself – choosing instead to feature an image of an unidentified black man eating fruit.

Between November 9-11, Asamoah Kwarteng posted three separate updates on his public personal account, highlighting what he sees as the hypocrisy of veganism. The first said: “A Plant is a living thing with emotions n life. So why do we eat them n their babies, fruits? We need 2 protect plant rights too.”

He then jokingly offered his views on the notion of plant consent: “Daily, trillions of fruits/plants are harvested with cruelty & without the plants’ permission. Plants have feelings #PlantsRights!”

He then shared a Daily Mail article showing vegan activists being pelted with raw meat by protesters while demonstrating outside a butchers, and voiced his supported for the anti-vegan protest, equating the lives of plants to the lives of animals.

“I couldn’t agree more with meat eaters retaliation!!! If you choose to go vegan or vegetarian that is totally fine. But if you seem to suggested that meat eaters are cruel to animals then find another thing to eat rather than substituting if with veg, because plants are bigger living things that also require dignity and respects which shouldn’t be touched and humiliated by vegans!!!”

While these views were originally posted on a personal account and not in his official capacity as Gen Sec, they have still generated debate among students – particularly in light of his lengthy public statement in The Tab.

Jasmine, a Master’s Student in International Relations, voiced her concerns that the Gen Sec was promoting a misrepresentation of Veganism as a movement: “I feel like he is demonising a movement – like when people say feminists are just bra burning man-haters who want the world to be a matriarchy. He is using a false equivalency.

“Veganism is a large movement with many different variations – from people who decide to simply wish to change their own personal attitudes and behaviours, to those who work to actively compel others.

“When you highlight the most extreme aspects of a movement, especially as a person in a position of power, it could make it seem like the movement is inherently how you are painting it to be – like when Trump established a ban on people from a number of Muslim countries entering the US, and in doing so, insinuated that Muslims on the whole are somehow threatening.

“When a citizen sees someone in an elected position of power say things like this, it might cause them to feel like this is a normal and accepted way of thinking. As a voice of the student body, you would assume that someone like Kwame, who was elected as General Secretary, represents the views of the general student population, and you may feel compelled to internalise these views or on the other side of the coin, you might feel alienated because you are from the group being spoken against. As an elected official you have a responsibility to research before publicly stating inflammatory opinions. And I’m not even a vegan.”

Some students, such as Miffy, who studies Neuroscience and Psychology at UoM, felt that the story had been blown out of proportion: “I don’t think it’s the most appropriate thing to say, but I do also feel that, as vegans aren’t really a marginalised community, he is entitled to an opinion to a certain extent. I don’t really feel that it was appropriate to broadcast it on social media, however.”

Annie, a third year Chemistry student feels conflicted: “In some ways, I don’t think it’s right to judge someone based on their personal social media profile. We are all entitled to private lives. This being said, Kwame is in a position of responsibility as the elected General Secretary of the SU and I think it was quite irresponsible of him to have posted this online in a public place. What’s more, to have then sent a further and pretty long reply to The Tab, feels like he is really trying to make a public statement.

“As a vegetarian, it feels as though he is making fun of those of us that don’t eat meat. This doesn’t make me feel like I can fully put my trust in him as General Secretary to be open to students who don’t share his views. On a side note, I find it so questionable that The Tab didn’t even manage to use a photo of Kwame himself, but rather just some other black man. This surely isn’t okay.”

In response to his coverage in The Tab, Asamoah Kwarteng explained to The Mancunion that he believes “all leaders were humans first with feelings, opinions and beliefs. So we should respect their personal views even though it is important for such leaders to not superimpose such personalised opinions on the people they lead.

“We have leaders who are Catholics, Muslims, vegans, meat-eaters, LGBTQ, etc. and reaffirm that in their personal spaces. What we don’t want to do or set as a precedent is to tell leaders to denounce these personal associations.

“So as I stated on my Facebook wall, we shouldn’t entertain people forcing their ideas, opinions and beliefs under the throat of others but rather allow our diversity to exist. Diversity is important and that is what I stand for as the General Secretary of the biggest Students’ Union in the United Kingdom.”

Photo: Kerry Scott @ The Mancunion

Live review: Pond at Club Academy

Written by kerryscott on . Posted in Music.

Pond’s performance at Club Academy had been anticipated greatly by those who were let down by the cancellation of their gig earlier in the week.

The reschedule left many frustrated, with fans commenting on the band’s Instagram declaring that they had flown in and booked hotel rooms in order to attend. Despite enduring what lead singer, Nick Allbrook, describes as “6-hour bonding session on the side of the motorway” when their van broke down in Scotland earlier in the week, Pond pushed back their flights to Australia in order to perform their last gig of the year in Manchester.

The gig took place a day before the release of Pond’s first live album, Sessions, on the 8th November, which showcases grittier vocals from Allbrook and a more electrified and commanding sound than offered in the rest of their discography. This album definitely encapsulates what it’s like to see the band live as they abandon the hypnotic nature of their music to rouse the crowd with a more energetic performance than expected.

The bulk of the setlist was made up of songs from Tasmania. This album tackles working-class identity, climate change and the refugee crisis. The media have responded to Pond’s politically conscious lyrics with a certain degree of surprise, with the generalisation of the band as passive psych-rockers suddenly becoming redundant. Despite the shock surrounding this lyrical maturity, Pond have managed to make an earnest and humble move into music, with their track ‘Hand Mouth Dancer’ declaring the message: “I didn’t get political, I just faced the facts.”

Allbrook is the most charismatic lead singer I have seen to date. He treats the stage and crowd as his domain, jumping between them as he pleases. In my opinion, he was the sole reason that the crowd warmed up throughout the gig, taking crowd interaction to the extreme by spending at least half the gig amongst it. A drawback of the reschedule meant that less people attended, so much so, that the gig was moved from Academy 2 to the smaller Club Academy.  This was perhaps why the crowd was slightly sheepish to begin with. To dedicated fans, this setting was probably preferred as it was a way to see a band on the verge of massive international success in a more intimate venue.

Allbrook’s dance moves were Jagger-esque and executed with reckless abandon. However, this enthusiasm for performing sometimes takes away from his vocals, notably in ‘Sweep Me Off My Feet’ where he was unable to reach the high notes. Although, with the band being such great performers, the crowd certainly didn’t mind the less-than-perfect pitch.

However, Allbrook’s claim that the show “[felt] really special” doesn’t quite resonate. It seems he’s basking in the euphoric feeling of performing for the last time in a while and seeing the gig through rose-tinted glasses.

7/10

Tampons photo: josefin @unsplash

P-dids and red cards: what was your period’s codename?

Written by Mabel Banfield on . Posted in Lifestyle.

If you’ve heard about periods lately, it’s probably been regarding period poverty, and rightly so. The idea of sanitary products as a luxury, which apparently justifies the tax, warrants a mention. The reality is that some girls miss school because they can’t afford these so-called luxury products, which I guess does make them an inaccessible luxury.

But that’s not the only conversation we need to be having about periods. First and foremost we need to open up a dialogue simply about periods. The language, or lack thereof, only perpetuates the learned taboos and stigmas we hold towards periods by keeping them a hidden secret. As women, we put a lot of effort into ensuring our periods do exactly that, stay hidden. Or when we speak about it, it is done so in code through euphemisms in a bid to make periods more palatable.

To avoid talking about the natural bodily function of a period, the monthly shedding of the uterine wall, we use codewords and riddles. It’s even too much to name it! I’ve found myself calling it the less-than elusive ‘p-did’ or ‘red card’, having internalised the stigmas associated with periods. The rhetoric surrounding periods is either euphemistic, or leads us to associate them with some level of disgust.

The word sanitary hardly produces pleasant associations. It hints at the misconception of periods as dirty, and triggers images to do with hygiene. In order to debunk these false and damaging misconceptions, we must have frank conversations about periods. And challenge conversations that beat around the bush by talking only in terms of ‘that time of the month’, or maintain stigma through loaded comments and judgements like ‘someone’s on their period’. By sharing stories and talking about periods, we break down these taboos. Then periods will be seen for what they are – normal. 

It’s no surprise that conversations about periods get dismissed so quickly when medical professionals trivialise chronic period pain by referring to it as a ‘mild discomfort’. It is this same dismissal of periods that creates their secret and forbidden nature. We revert back to those secondary school days where bringing your bag to the toilet meant one thing, and was met with sniggers and giggles from the rest of the class. Instead of being filled with dread and embarrassment when a tampon is publicly dropped, we should be immune to hearing ‘I’m just going to change my tampon’, because that’s exactly what I am going to do, and I shouldn’t have to hide it. 

Discussions about periods are changing. More period related products are available; there are now leak proof pants and Mooncups (menstrual cups). The demand for alternative products shows a changing dialogue, in which periods are the focus. Social media provides a platform for people to share similar anecdotes and talk openly about periods, rather than behaving like members of some secret club. I might not have known what a Mooncup is, or learned of the various ways it can be inserted (because yes, there are techniques), if it wasn’t for Instagram.

But then we hit a brick wall on progressive conversations. Even writing this, I was wary of using particular, but definitely relatable, stories to illustrate points in case it was ‘too much’ for a male readership and risk having these sorts of progressive discussions disregarded as just another female issue. It is exactly a fear of dismissal that warrants these kinds of open conversations, where one day we won’t consider sharing experiences as burdening, and will be able to talk about periods without being filled with embarrassment and shame.

Children

Having children: the question of if, not when

Written by Kate Jackson on . Posted in Lifestyle.

When it comes to having children, most cis women are deemed to follow one of two paths: women who choose to have children, and those who ‘deny’ their biological destiny. Of course that is an over-simplification of an issue that has already been simplified in popular discourse. And when I say ‘simplify’, I really mean an ongoing reaffirmation of what is expected from women, all of which is based on outdated notions about a woman’s ‘purpose’.

Being able to choose to have children is, undeniably, a privilege for a lot of women living in the West compared to others across the world who aren’t given a choice. And in the eyes of those who cannot naturally have children, it is a gift to even be able to have a child.

There is still an overwhelming societal expectation for women who are physically capable to have children. For women who do not want to have children or don’t make it a priority, it can be difficult to navigate their families, friends, and peers. 

If a woman aged forty, or even thirty, is not married and on her way to having children then something must be wrong. Maybe she can’t have children, they whisper; maybe she’s a lesbian, maybe she’s one of those darn radical feminists, or – the big one – maybe she’s too focused on her career.

The ‘career-focused women’ is a popular stereotype that has emerged since women have been released from the shackles of the private sphere into the public one. There is certainly plenty of data to suggest that our generation, on the whole, are having fewer children and those that do are waiting until they are older.

It’s easy to give women who say they never want to give birth, or don’t want to have children a simple label regardless of their autonomy over this decision.

Since I was sixteen I have been against naturally giving birth to a child; the thought of pregnancy and childbirth just seems horrific to me. Many have told me that all the pain and anguish will be worth it once you finally have that baby, that all the pain will seem inconsequential because you have done the best thing you’ll ever do. Because, as a woman, you haven’t quite completed this ‘game of life’ until you have had children.

Don’t get me wrong, mothers are badass and I have every ounce of respect for them in the world. Both for growing a human inside of them and for everything they deal with once they have a child to care for.

The fact of the matter is I shouldn’t have to put myself through pain, stress and potentially life-threatening injuries and mental health issues just so I can reach some arbitrary womanly milestone.

I have been told that I will change my mind, that I’ll get over my fear of childbirth and gain a new perspective once I’m older. Well, it’s six years later and I still never want to be pregnant. 

Even if I didn’t have a fear of pregnancy, having children falls down on the list of priorities I have for my life. Believe it or not, having a good career, being financially stable, and feeling generally happy is much more important to me than making sure I complete the checklist for a fulfilling life. 

Strangely enough I would like to have children in the future, I just don’t want to give birth to one. Adoption, like the expectation to have children, has a lot of baggage and expectation attached to it. Adoption is seen as the best ‘option’ for LGBTQ+ couples or those who cannot naturally get pregnant.

Why would someone want to adopt when they can give birth naturally and safely? 

This question relies on the same presumption that a naturally conceived child is the ultimate goal we should aim for, with everything else being seen as the second-best, the option we end up with should the main one go wrong. Of course, I understand why people feel it is important to be biologically connected with their child, but it just doesn’t mean that much to me. Even if it did, it still wouldn’t compete with my complete lack of interest in pregnancy and childbirth.

It is easy to stigmatize women who do not conform to expectations around having children, who are forgoing the chance to do something that their body was ‘made to do’. In reality, it’s often more complicated for women than just choosing between having a career or a family because there is certainly more to life than a job and children.

Even if most women do want the white picket fence and the 2.5 kids, we shouldn’t look at those without children as a debilitated figure who is ‘missing out’ – maybe they’ve just got other priorities.

Photo: Eleanor Roberts @ The Mancunion

In conversation with Sleeping With Sirens

Written by Eleanor Roberts on . Posted in Music.

After a brief sojourn into a slightly more poppy sound on their album Gossip, Sleeping With Sirens are back with as strong a rock sound as ever. Their new album, How It Feels To Be Lost, places them firmly back within the genre they’re known for, but it’s definitely organic and a work all of its own.

Speaking to bassist Justin Hills and rhythm guitarist Nick Martin backstage, it’s easy to understand why this is. The two explain that the record really did just come that naturally; the headspace of vocalist and lyricist Kellin Quinn resulted in lyrics which meant that “subconsciously, [they] just wrote heavy”. The result delighted many fans, particularly those hoping for an album more like the band’s older content. This, however, is simply a lucky side effect. Nobody in the band actively sought out such a sound.

“I think it was just us feeling it,” says Justin.

Nick certainly agrees. He’s well aware that the fans enjoy the older sound, but “[they’re] not going to write Cheers again… Those records are made for that time.” Both of them emphasise the importance of the albums being what the band wants. “At the end of the day, we have to put our name on it… Let’s be happy with that product.”

When it comes to the writing process for How It Feels To Be Lost, the origins of the album are firmly attributed to lead guitarist Jack Fowler and vocalist Kellin Quinn. The pair had “a certain energy” which meant Nick and Justin kept their distance to a certain extent, afraid of “f***[ing] it up”. By the time they entered the studio, the songs came fast; Justin even states that he spent 8 straight hours in the studio before realising how many of the songs he was finished with. The main goal was minimal pressure, in a change of pace to the time spent working on Gossip.

The speed at which the band were writing doesn’t seem to have affected the quality of the content, though. In addition to the album, there were at least two songs which were “really hard to cut” according to Justin, and at least a handful which Nick hopes will “see the light of day at some point.” That’s not even mentioning songs from other albums; in fact, the number of those is “insane.”

Of the songs that did make it onto the album, they apparently came together “seamlessly.” There was no need to push songs with a meaning that didn’t quite work, and they could work with “what feels good right now.” The music which appeared on the album worked naturally, and Nick feels that there weren’t any songs which “required a whole lot of extra love.”

As the conversation turns to songs which have a particularly strong meaning, Justin highlights ‘P.S. Missing You’, feeling that it “resonates for [him] vocally” as a result of the lyrics and their relatability. The heaviness of it doesn’t detract from the melancholy it invokes. “It makes me want to break down and cry… and it’s my own band.”

Nick points out ‘Another Nightmare’ as another meaningful song, again due to the lyrical content, which is a result of the fact that “[Kellin] wears his heart on his sleeve, and you can’t help but admire that”. In fact, it relates to the reason Nick so enjoys being a part of Sleeping With Sirens: “We have an emotional attachment to everything that we do, and that’s what makes everything that we do so genuine.” It’s something he hasn’t felt in other bands, and it’s what he feels elevates them.

One thing that the band pays a lot of attention to is their fans’ tattoos. The band’s Twitter account retweets a lot of pictures of them, and there have been some fairly interesting ones. “Today I saw Kellin’s face tattooed on a girl’s leg and it was really good,” Justin remembers. On a more serious note, though, they certainly have an understanding of the meaning behind it. Nick mentions his own most recent tattoo (a blackbird in reference to the Beatles) and the memories attached to it.

“That tattoo means the world to me,” he says, “and that’s why it’s always awesome when we see fans with Sirens tattoos.” A particularly common tattoo for fans to get is the band’s symbol, a W with a slash through it, and Nick highlights the importance of this, since all of the band members have the same one. “Now you’re family, now you’re closer with us.”

“And if you get them covered up,” jokes Justin, “we’re going to be p***ed.”

Opinion: Like it or not, KSI vs. Logan Paul was a success

Written by louisstrappazzon on . Posted in Sport.

On the night of the 9th of November, at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji (KSI) beat fellow YouTuber Logan Paul in a professional boxing match. Now, as far as the sport is concerned, it is easy to dismiss this as childish and irrelevant, especially as it is well-known that DAZN, the subscriber-only sports platform, saw easy money in streaming the fight.  However, its impact on boxing and the entertainment industry is fascinating needs to be assessed.

YouTube often gets dismissed as light entertainment: it is not established and the majority of its audience tend to be children and young adults. KSI and Logan Paul have a combined 40.7 million subscribers on YouTube (even this is nothing compared to PewDiePie’s 102 million), a large portion of which will have signed up to DAZN. The pair are marketing experts, shifting merchandise and concocting drama for the media.  This should be respected, though the controversial figures do not make it easy.

But what about the fight? Although not technically good, it was undeniably enjoyable, especially given the electric atmosphere from the crowd. Indeed, the real winners might be Devin Haney and Billy Joe Saunders, professional boxers who fought on the under-card. They gained exposure from the event, generating over a million Google searches between the 8th and 9th of November.

Compare this to the biggest match of the year, Spencer vs. Porter, which had only 55,000 searches during the whole fight week. Haney will earn £773,000, Saunders £579,000; KSI and Logan Paul will earn £695,000 each. Yes, it is possible that putting celebrities on a professional card makes a mockery of the sport, but attention, the gift of these media-marketing wizards, is what counts.

And it works both ways. KSI and Logan Paul made less than the reported £150 million garnered by their first non-professional fight, showing that for the YouTube stars, this was about seeming credible and mainstream.

Boxing has benefited, not from the money, but from the unanticipated attention generated by YouTubers. We may see more events like this in future. It is unlikely to destroy boxing’s prestige and, besides, if Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor showed anything, it is that the sport is no stranger to farcical match-ups.

Photo: joshjdss @ Flickr.

Lionesses end losing streak but Neville is clear that there is room for improvement

Written by Sam Honey on . Posted in Sport.

England Women secured just their second win from six friendlies , as Leah Williamson netted with four minutes left on the clock against the Czech Republic. England fell behind after just fifteen minutes, but secured a quick turnaround through goals from Beth England and Beth Mead, going 2-1 up by twenty minutes.

7 minutes later, Slavia Prague forward Tereza Szewieczkova completed her brace to level the game inside an action-packed opening half hour. However, England took control in the second half, and were eventually rewarded thanks to Leah Williamson’s scrappy winner.

The Lionesses had been looking to recover from a frustrating 2-1 reverse to Germany, in front of a record 77,768 crowd at Wembley. Klara Bühl’s 90th minute goal settled a hard-fought contest between the two teams, handing England their fourth consecutive defeat. Nikita Parris also missed her third straight penalty in the match, with Phil Neville insisting that she would remain the priority taker if she felt confident.

Phil Neville’s side have been playing in a series of international friendlies following their world cup exit at the semi-final stage. As hosts of Euro 2021, England are already guaranteed a place in the tournament, therefore automatically avoiding the qualification process.

Since exiting the world at the hands of eventual winners the United States back at the start of July, England have lost 4 of their 7 games, including a third place play-off against Sweden in Nice. After securing a late 3-3 draw against 18th seeds Belgium thanks to Nikita Parris’s 75th minute penalty, the team slipped to three defeats in four, managing a 1-0 away win against Portugal back on October 8th.

Fans were left disappointed by defeats to Norway and Brazil, 6 and 7 places below England in the rankings respectively.

It has been a mixed year for the Lionesses, who have proved their record in knockout football, with an impressive world cup record, having won the SheBelieves Cup in the states.

However, the team have struggled with non-competitive matches, raising questions over consistency and strength in depth. Much has also been made of the side’s over-reliance on star player Ellen White, who finished the World Cup campaign with 5 goals to her name.

Speaking to the BBC, Neville has been clear that despite England ending their losing streak, they must improve dramatically.

“We should be beating Czech Republic by more than 3-2. We dominated the second half but we were careless in possession and with the final ball or cross.

“Now the hard work starts for after Christmas, getting back to the level they and I know we can achieve. I’m looking forward now to the hard work and getting back to the level I know we can.”

 

 

Credit:cometstarmoon@flickr

Unfollow: A look into Westboro Baptist Church

Written by rubybannerman on . Posted in Features.

Activist and ex- Westboro Baptist Church member Megan Phelps-Roper appeared at Deansgate Waterstones to talk on her new autobiography: Unfollow. The talk began with a brief extract from the book quickly followed by an in-depth discussion with interviewer Simon Savidge and later, a Q&A.

One of my favourite elements of the talk was its exploration of bias and how the Westboro Baptist church has been able to continue, not solely because of its own prejudices, but also because of the bias of the rest of the world, as outsiders throw things and hurl insults in the presence of young children.

Phelps-Roper was quick to raise how counterproductive this is, stating that as a child, “seeing the way people responded to us, it was clear to me: we were the good guys and they were the bad guys”. This conclusion was completely understandable from a child who had faced so much aggression so young. The importance of how we interact with those we disagree with rang in the audiences ears as Phelps-Roper described how the hostility of outsiders led her deeper and deeper into the church.

In fact, Phelps-Roper had not initially viewed her actions in the church as unkind, she discussed the Church’s somewhat Utilitarian justification for their actions. They did not see themselves as hateful but attempting to ‘save’: “For us this was the hatred of God. This was the only way to show love for your neighbour”.

It seemed inevitable to Phelps-Roper, while growing up, that the Church must bear the burden of society’s loathing. “Jesus was hated,” her ‘Gramps’, the founder of the Church would say, “How terrifying to be liked, the false Prophets were liked.”

Whilst again, this line of thinking is understandable from a child, I question whether the adult Church members truly feel this way. Thinking back to Louis Theroux’s various films with the Phelps family, I remembered their wide smiles as they held ‘God hates fags’ signs. Is this the satisfaction of doing God’s work? Phelps-Roper acknowledges how “appealing” it was that “social niceties had no power over us,” and this, I think, is the unique attraction for members above all else.

Perhaps this is my own bias, as a Theology, Philosophy & Ethics student I have always found complete conviction of one’s beliefs difficult to understand. The more I learn, the more I find that language barriers and censorship play a huge role in our belief-systems. In fact, learning about some of the flaws in Biblical translation from Hebrew, while debating Blogger David Abitbol, founder of Jewlicious.com, over twitter, was one of the key reasons for her leaving the church.

More than this though, she seemed to suggest, was the kindness of strangers like Abitbol and lawyer Chad Fjelland, who was polite in urging her to consider the families of those whose funerals she had picketed. Phelps-Roper went on to marry Fjelland, a bizarre yet oddly romantic love story.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the talk, it was not entirely without its downsides. Although the emotional ramifications of affiliation and rejection were certainly engaging, I left with a lot of unanswered questions. For example, at one point Phelps- Roper mentioned that her Grandfather, the Church’s founder, had been a civil rights lawyer prior to this. His “First crusade was against racism in America”.

How does one go from a civil rights lawyer to founding such a hateful church? Did the Phelps family still put their many law degrees to any use?

It was interesting to hear Savidge talk about his initial reluctance as a gay man to interview Phelps-Roper who had played a part in causing the LGBTQ+ community so much pain. Phelps-Roper’s bleak recount of the church’s targeting of gay people including a childhood ‘christmas’ song referencing “bloody rectums”, was deeply disturbing and made Savidge’s overcoming this reluctance all the more admirable.

Whilst their discussion of sexuality was fascinating, I spent a lot of the talk waiting for race and gender to be explored in slightly more depth. I can appreciate that whilst the topic of women in non-traditional religious movements is a field of interest of mine, that may not be shared by the masses.

I was expecting more discussion regarding gender roles in the church as Phelps-Roper merely alluded to their sinister presence, recalling what had happened to her mother, Shirley.

Shirley, an important figure within the church’s power, was suddenly stripped. Several men had overnight, appointed themselves as elders and siezed power of the church, shunning and ostracising her mother. I wanted to know more about how this patriarchy impacted the women of the church but I suppose it isn’t hard to imagine.

A final point of frustration for me was that during the Q&A, all of the people chosen to ask questions were men. I had a few burning questions and was disappointed at the lack of variety of audience voices and felt that this should have been prevented.

Despite this, the evening was a fascinating one. I cannot fathom how difficult it must be to leave behind your family, your religion and everything you know, nor the difficulty of your moral code dramatically shifting, and your past actions completely misaligning with it.

To take responsibility for this, apologise and try and help others to do the same is something most of us would likely struggle to do. Megan Phelps-Roper spoke eloquently and unreservedly about her past and her present. I am very grateful to have attended such a powerful talk.

Accounting for Style #2: Expensive taste and no control

Written by Anon on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Accounting for Style is a new series at the Mancunion Fashion & Beauty section in which anonymous Manchester students track all of their fashion and beauty purchases over the period of a month. Get a glimpse into the way your peers spend their money on their style, the splurges and the savings…

A final year English Language student tries her hand at saving money but gives in to temptation at the last minute.

Age: 24

Degree: English Language and Linguistics

Degree year: 3

Yearly student maintenance loan: £3,875.00 (minimum)

Rent: £177/week – paid for by parents

Part-time job? I’m a freelance writer for a number of websites, earning £70-£100 per article. I also work for Bumble, making an hourly wage for assisting at events they host in the city.

Any extra cash? My parents sporadically give me extra money to spend on groceries and to help fund my participation in the university cheerleading society.

Monthly budget: £400

Fashion & beauty spending habits: I probably spend about 80 per cent of my money on fashion purchases. I have no control when it comes to beautiful things. My parents have had to bail me out of my overdraft on multiple occasions so I’m trying to cut back on taxis, takeaways and alcohol to put myself in a better financial position.

Monthly estimated spend on fashion & beauty: Ideally no more than £300. I’m already in a bit of a financial pickle following an impulse purchase last month of a pair of Prada boots that I later realised couldn’t be returned. I’m also heading to Orlando, Florida in April for the ICU World Cheerleading Championships with Team England and really need to stay out of my overdraft so I have money to spend while I’m there.

1st October: I’m going on my first date in over a year and I panic that I have nothing to wear, so I head into town for inspiration. I head to my favourite store – & Other Stories – and spot an incredible pair of green and black checked trousers. They weren’t cheap but at least I had 10 per cent student discount, right? £67.50

2nd October: I have a day off from lectures and there are a pair of faux leather trousers in Marks & Spencer that I love. But, I have a problem. I saw them in the Liverpool store a week ago, they’re not available online, and they weren’t in stock in Manchester. Am I willing to take a two-hour roundtrip to Merseyside to buy them? Absolutely. I call up at opening time and have them reserved in my size before going to pick them up. They’re perfect and well worth the excessive journey. £39.50

4th October: It’s not the most exciting purchase but I’m in dire need of some new underwear. Marks & Spencer doesn’t stock the style I like so I head to Victoria’s Secret PINK and find a decent alternative. £25.99 for five pairs of underwear feels a little ridiculous but I’m really picky, and nowhere else seems to sell the exact style I like, so I don’t really have a choice. £25.99

13th October: My first online purchase of the month. Urban Outfitters has released their latest exclusive collection with Laura Ashley, which includes a cotton puff sleeve dress that’ll be perfect for my trip to the USA next year. It’s only available online and I decide to purchase it before it sells out (the last collection did quite quickly). I have a £5 UO Rewards code and shipping is free, bringing the cost to £40.

16th October: It’s ‘welcome drinks’ for a society I’m in next week and I need to dress as a princess. I find the perfect Princess Jasmine-inspired Arabian dance costume on Dance Direct. It’s really expensive but I don’t go on nights out very often so, I think, why not? I also buy a pair of Capezio arch supports to help with strength and stability for pom dance. £87.94

21st October: I’ve finally got all my team placements for cheerleading for the year and will be training more frequently than I’d anticipated. I don’t have enough sports tops so I buy a basic crewneck t-shirt from Victoria’s Secret PINK. It’s on offer for £10.

25th October: The princess costume didn’t arrive in time and, as much as I love it, I can’t afford to keep it for the sake of it. I make the heartbreaking decision to return it. –£79.19

31st October: I’ve messed up. I was scrolling through my Facebook feed the other day and came across a Hypebae article about a newly-released shearling headband by Fendi. It’s over-the-top, impractical, and very expensive, but I love it. I’m on the train home from Manchester and notice it’s low in stock at matchesfashion.com and sold out everywhere else. So, I make a panic purchase and now have to wait patiently for 3-5 business days to see if it’s as perfect as I imagine in my head. £220

Total spend: £411.74

Overall verdict: What can I say? I have no control when it comes to buying clothing and am once again hurtling towards my overdraft. For the most part, my purchases were pretty practical. Underwear and sportswear are essential, and both pairs of trousers are versatile and fit perfectly into my wardrobe.

However, my habit of making impulse purchases of designer goods and spending far too much money on fancy dress outfits needs to stop. I think I’ll be able to return the headband (thank God), taking my overall spend for the month to a much more palatable £191.74 – but I should’ve never bought it in the first place.

Given my 2020 trip to the USA and the fact that Christmas is quickly approaching, I really need to start saving money, but buying clothes (particularly those that don’t fit with my student budget) is my biggest vice.

Would you like to anonymously track your fashion & beauty purchases for the period of a month for The Cost of Student Style? Email [email protected] to express your interest or come along to our meetings every Monday at 6:15pm in The Hive.

Review: Terminator: Dark Fate

Written by Tom Kuson on . Posted in Film.

Being a Terminator fan is rough. Little positive can be said about the latter instalments. Terminator Genisys made me want to report James Cameron to the cinematic equivalent of child services, a piece of shlock that attempted to wipe the slate clean via multiple time-travel loops which asked more questions than it answered.

Despite being notably terrible, the plot wasn’t the standout flaw – in its attempt to start fresh, it misunderstood what made the first two so great.

Time-travel hijinks, ground-breaking special effects, or Cameron’s directing alone – although fantastic – isn’t enough to explain the success of the originals. They appealed to everyone, even those who wouldn’t typically watch sci-fi.

This is because they had genuine heart and emotion thrust. The Terminator was a romance wrapped in a horror film, and the sequel was about family and parenthood that just happened to be an action film with unsubtle takes on the military and corporations. Terminator: Dark Fate understands this.

Rather than tie itself up in narrative spaghetti, it has nailed the fundamentals. Not only do actors return, but characters. Linda Hamilton’s return as Sarah Connor is far from embarrassing, she demonstrates she’s still got what it takes to lead.

Arnold never really left, but the T-800 earns its return, not as another machine, but as a natural continuation of the previous. Thankfully their interactions (and other plot beats) aren’t just a “best-of Terminator montage” at triple speed, but new ideas and actual character development. Compared to miserable expectations, Dark Fate excelled in a way that deserves credit.

That’s not saying it functions solely as a fan-film; it’s an effective stand-alone. Avoiding narrative spaghetti, non-fans can watch without getting too confused. New characters are also well done; Dani (Natalia Reyes) is under target for her future efforts against rogue AI Legion and Grace (Mackenzie Davis) is an augmented soldier sent back in time to protect the future. Davis’ performance is notable as she carries the first act of the film and there is just something about her that makes for the perfect casting.

However, action is the film’s weakness. Cutting and framing, as a whole, distracted from what was happening and what can actually be followed is often too silly to take seriously. The frighteningly efficient infiltration assassins have been replaced with superhero silliness with an out-right comical tunnel vision set on killing their target.

James Cameron returns as writer with his characteristic unsubtle politics. The existential threat of the military-industrial complex and anti-romanticisation of war is back but, of note, is when a US-Mexico boarder officer is interrogated for the location of their prisoners, and quickly responds with “actually, they’re detainees”. Cameron has always been overt, this is no exception.

Preparing to watch Terminator: Dark Fate, I was ready to call it merely the latest let down of a dead franchise. Not only was it enjoyable with a satisfying narrative, it’s enjoyable on its own terms and earns the right to call itself a sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. For the casual viewer, what Dark Fate offers is silly but fun, and often ill-lensed action with more nuance and emotion than your typical film.

3.5/5.

Bill’s grand reopening: what’s new?

Written by dominicfung on . Posted in Food & Drink.

With their first new opening in 18 months, Bill’s is a spot in Spinningfields that is definitely worth checking out.

Amongst the likes of Tattu, Australasia and 20 Stories, Bill’s is the perfect balance of homely and classy. While you may have seen them in the past on John Dalton Street, their new location is a grand reopening for all. How do I know? Well, I was fortunate enough to get a first-hand look (and taste) while sat with Bill himself!

Photo: Dominic Fung

Interior of Spinningfield’s Bill’s

As you’d imagine considering his, quite literally, down to earth origins as a grower, Bill was friendly and welcoming. With a life-long passion for food, he enthusiastically described how, initially, chefs would simply grab produce from the shop and take it into the kitchen to make whatever meal came to mind.

The first Bill’s catered only to breakfast and lunch, though with such popularity as time went on the company ended up catering for dinner too! It was, however, nice to remember the “good-old-days” with him. When asked how things had changed he recalled how much was different in terms of taking photos. At the start, taking pictures wasn’t even allowed by the chefs for fear of their ideas being stolen! These ideas may have simply been the menu for the season or a huge cake that was one-of-a-kind.

In stark contrast, photography of their perfectly plated food is almost encouraged (luckily for me). Bill ensures he is involved in every step possible despite all these changes from their first restaurant in 2001. The most crucial part for him is the experience. No matter what, he wants every branch to retain that sense of coming home and eating to soothe the soul. He cares about the experience, describing eating out as “a show” – a sentiment I can agree with.

From the food to decor, everything is carefully orchestrated for the optimal experience. And naturally, as he explains to us, nothing is more important than having good floor staff. Good food can certainly be ruined by having poor staff, while good staff can have a huge effect on the overall mood of diners. This was something I could see and feel for myself as I saw the smiles on the faces of customers and staff alike around me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvEMKz2lnVy/

Onto the food itself though. Following the theme of most Bill’s restaurants, the menu changes on a seasonal basis. This is to prevent stagnation or boredom of going through the same motions each time you return. The core ethos that the food should be as fresh as possible goes in line with the restaurant’s practise of altering the dishes themselves to reflect the seasonality of produce. After all, while a warm bowl of stew sounds great in these chilly months, it’s hardly ideal in the heatwaves of summer.

In light of this, all the courses I sampled encapsulated the sentiment of something you’d have on a rainy Manchester day – food to warm you up from the inside out. Bill’s has strived to maintain a large variety of choices to cater to any who set foot inside, while also maintaining that “homely and familiar” feeling.

To start with, I was greeted with a plethora of choices, from the usual of olives and halloumi fries, to the Asian inspired tempura and chicken dumplings. If those aren’t quite your taste, the toasted focaccia with hummus is sure to be a hit. The variety allows there to be something for everyone whether you’re vegan, gluten-free or looking for something a little special to start the night. There is a simplicity about each dish, which keeps the atmosphere casual as you ease into the meal.

Halloumi fries and tempura vegetables. Photo: Dominic Fung

Moving onto mains, there’s an equally extensive list of choices. For myself I chose the fillet of sea bass course, although I did give an occasional longing glance at the vegan wellingtons I saw dotted around. Perfectly prepared in house, the fish is pan-fried and retains crispy skin and flaky flesh on a creamy rösti bed. The cherry tomato, avocado and caper salsa it was topped with was almost as if the ideal millennial breakfast had been translated into dinner.

Seabass. Photo: Dominic Fung

In terms of desserts, you are quite spoiled for choice, with rich brownies, a mountain of Eton mess or plenty of doughnut pieces and salted caramel available. I would personally recommend the Eton mess. Despite it looking like the standard meringue layered into whipped cream and generous helpings of raspberry, you get an occasional bite of spiced pear which jumps out at you. A warm plate of brownies wouldn’t go amiss either on these cold winter nights!

Eton Mess. Photo: Dominic Fung

As if all this wasn’t enough, their cocktail menu has also been fully revamped. While Bill enjoyed a classic Hendrick’s gin and tonic with cucumber, there are plenty of other Bill’s originals to indulge in. For those interested, Bill’s own brand of gin is used in their “Blackberry Sky”. Pictured are their “Shrub a Dub Dub” (right), a liquorice-like spritz and their “Wildflower Margarita” (left) which was more akin to a liquidised haribo.

Wildflower Margarita (Left), ‘Shrub-a-dub-dub’ (Right). Photo: Dominic Fung

If you’re interested in getting your hands on some of this yourself, get a seat at Bill’s for a night out without breaking the bank – at only £20.50 for 3 courses, the only question is… What are you waiting for?

Snooker: Neil Robertson has the edge in tight final

Written by Iwan Hopkins on . Posted in Sport.

The Ricoh Arena in Coventry recently played host to the ManbetX Champion of Champions Snooker competition. The non-ranking event was won by Australian, Neil Robertson, who took home a prize total of £150,000.

The 2019 event was the ninth to be held since its creation in 1978 – and what a tournament it was! Made up of 16 winners of events from the previous year of the World Snooker Tour, the structure is familiar to any avid watchers of other sports, moving from a group format to knockout stages.

In addition, this year was the first time that the winners from the World’s Women Snooker Championship and the World Seniors Championship were allowed to enter the competiton.

Reanne Evans, the Women’s Champion, was defeated 4-3 by Shaun Murphy during the group stages. It was a similar outcome for Jimmy White, who drew the short straw of facing number-one seed and snooker legend, Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan, as his opening opponent.

O’Sullivan had a solid tournament but will, nevertheless, be disappointed by how it ended. Aussie and number four seed, Robertson toppled The Rocket in the semi-finals, stopping his efforts for title number 36 in their tracks.

It is not all doom and gloom for the Wordsley-born genius though, he can at least take comfort in the fact that Robertson went on be the tournament’s winner.

The Australian did not have an easy ride to his victory. With the exception of his 4-0 defeat of Martin Gould in the group stage, he won all his matches by a single frame.

His performance in the final was nothing short of phenomenal. Despite needing a snooker in the 18th frame, Roberston also scored eight centuries during the match, helping him to secure the title. Judd Trump put up a good fight but, ultimately, Robertson was the deserved winner, sealing the final frame 137-0.

Mark Allen won the prize for the tournament’s highest break, with 140. However, it was Robertson again who hit the most century breaks. He scored seven over the course of the competition, with five of those coming against Judd Trump in the final.

Dulwich Hamlet experience the magic of the FA Cup

Written by Jake Egelnick on . Posted in Sport.

4-1, read the final score, as Dulwich Hamlet of English football’s sixth tier, were well beaten by League Two side Carlisle United last Friday. However, anyone tuning in to watch the team from South East London, being broadcast on national television for the first time since 1955, may have been confused by what they saw. Normally if a football team is losing by such a high margin, you can expect to see glum faces leaving the ground early, as they shake their heads in disappointment.

Yet, in the 86th minute, when Harry McKirdy scored Carlisle’s fourth goal and his second of the game, there was an outburst of noise from the fans stood at car wash end, aptly named after the car wash behind it. These Dulwich fans, known as the Rabble, began chanting in support of their manager of 10 years, Gavin Rose, and started to wave their scarves in the air, creating a buzzing wall of pink and blue. For these fans this wasn’t the FA Cup upset that they had dreamed of, but for them this game was never simply about the result.

Two years ago, the club faced extinction at the hands of American property developers, who threatened to knock down the ground after evicting the club from it. The club then endured a turbulent nine months away from their ground in East Dulwich, playing eight miles away in Tooting. Not only did attendance figures reduce due to the eviction, but they faced bankruptcy as the property developers attempted to seize the trademarks for the club’s name and nickname ‘The Hamlet,’ an act which Gary Lineker tweeted to be “just wrong.”

However, the fans of Dulwich Hamlet, who have helped organised worker’s rights campaigns and played league games sponsored by the Train Drivers’ Union, weren’t prepared to allow the developers to destroy 125 years of history. With the issue being brought to parliament by the team’s local MP, the battle to save the club saw involvement from Jeremy Corbyn and Sadiq Khan. This, along with supporter led protests and fundraising, ultimately made the property developers realise that the 125 year old club was never going to let them win. Last October it was announced that the team would be allowed back into its ground, as hundreds of fans helped clear up the stadium in time for Christmas.

For the club, this FA Cup fixture was an opportunity to celebrate how far they have come since then. With the game being televised it also gave the progressive club a chance to showcase their approach off the pitch. With banners of “refugees welcome” and “don’t buy The Sun,” dotted around the ground and many fans wearing the clubs rainbow coloured LGBT history month scarf, it was easy to see how the club was able to sell out their 3,500-capacity ground and gain support in the backbenches of Westminster, when they needed it most.

Dulwich maintained 62% of possession throughout the game and gave their Cumbrian visitors a lot to be worried about throughout the match. Despite conceding within the first ten minutes, Dulwich were able to string together a good series of attacking moves throughout the first half, culminating with hitting the bar in the 27th minute. Ultimately the difference in quality was displayed in the final third of the pitch as Carlisle were able to score their second goal of the game with only their third shot on target, ten minutes before half-time.

However, Dulwich started the second half strongly, with their efforts rewarded by a towering header from Christian Smith, five minutes from the break. This goal gave the 3,000 Dulwich fans inside the ground hope, as they continued to test the Carlisle defence. Yet, this hope was short lived, as Michael Jones scored an absolute screamer from outside the box a mere five minutes later. From then on it became increasingly clear that Dulwich would not make history by reaching the second round of the cup for the first time. Still, the result was by no means a reflection of the team’s performance, with Carlisle manager Steven Pressley saying after the game; “They were everything and more in terms of what we expected.”

Elsewhere, huge upsets were inflicted upon the two League Two sides of Leyton Orient and Macclesfield. With Leyton Orient losing 2-1 to Maldon and Tipree F.C, who were the lowest ranked team playing in the first round, and Macclesfield suffering a 4-0 defeat to seventh tier Kingstonian. Salford, the only Mancunian team in at this stage of the competition, will travel to Burton Albion for a replay, after drawing 1-1 with the team who play in the league above them.

The next round of the cup is set to commence in the final weekend of November, with two teams from the 8th tier hoping that a favourable result could see them face Premier League opposition in the third round.

Light at the end of the Élysée Palace?

Written by oscartapper on . Posted in Opinion.

In the depths of the gold-plated Élysée Palace lies the office of a man who holds the potential to become the dominant figure in European politics.

A President that all those who oppose right wing nationalism and wave the banner of Remain, should unite behind. Emmanuel Macron is lambasted by those on both the left and right.

Yet when we are in the perilous position of having an unenlightened leader in the White House, an ageing Angela Merkel, an unstable Italian government, and the dire plight of British politics, it is right to ignore the overtly politicised discourse and look to Macron as the panacea to such woes.

On the international stage, Macron is the figure with a truly global vision. At the G7 summit in Biarritz, Macron was consistently trying to open dialogue with the leaders of the seven most powerful nations, with the obvious exceptions of China and Russia, on the largest issues we face.

With persistent references to the climate emergency, the slump in capitalism and lack of faith in democratic institutions, it appears that the man who took the office of presidency before his 40th birthday is holding states to account and pushing for cooperation.

Yet many of his critics will hastily point to the domestic agenda as Macron’s hamartia, or fatal flaw. Certainly, Macron has made mistakes. All leaders do. However, the mass unrest in the Gilets Jaunes movement was predominantly in reaction to a policy with good intentions.

The policy of rising fuel taxes to lower consumption and thus reduce carbon emissions seems a sensible proposal, but to the many on lower incomes, this would have drastically increased the cost of living. Their frustration, understandable as it is, eventually led to Macron altering his reform.

However, the most interesting response came from the opposition by left-leaning liberals. Their desire for action on the climate emergency was finally met with signs of progress, yet they still opposed Macron in their masses. It seems that the Gilets Jaunes was a movement divided between the paradox of desiring higher government investment with lower taxes.

France has proved to be a notoriously difficult nation to govern, yet Macron is delivering. In light of the Gilets Jaunes movement and opposition to his pensions reform which aimed to support those who take time off work such as mothers, Macron started a public consultation called the ‘Grand Département’. With an estimated €25bn investment into the French economy it sustained growth at a time when Europe’s traditional powerhouses like Germany are struggling.

By achieving his party En Marche’s manifesto pledge to reach the lowest unemployment rate in a decade, along with the introduction of constitutional reforms – designed to include proportional representation – it is clear that Macron is making his mark domestically.

The gloomy outlook on global politics is entirely justified. However, I feel that Macron provides a figure for those with disdain on the current state of affairs to rally behind. The manner in which he stands up to Trump and initiates action on climate change demonstrates that there could yet be some cause for optimism.

 

SamuelWren98@WikimediaCommons

Why are black men still the victims of racist media representation?

Written by leilanineil1 on . Posted in Opinion.

It goes without saying that the media reports on what they believe the people want to see, so why is it that black men are still portrayed in a negative light despite their achievements?

In September rapper Dave won a Mercury award for his album, Psychodrama. This is an achievement given to few black artists in the UK, showing the importance of the award not only for Dave but for Grime as a genre. Receiving the award, he said: “This is your story, and even though you can’t be here, I know you’re watching this bro, and I’m so grateful, thank you so much.”

Dave acknowledging his brother gave fuel to the media that week. ITV tweeted about the Mercury prize winner with the headline, “Dave hugs his mother and thanks his criminal brother”.

After significant backlash the tweet was later deleted. But the fact that a prominent media channel focused on Dave’s “criminal brother” in the headline clearly seeks to dismiss the main subject of the article, which was the prize he won. There was no scandal to tell as here we have a young black male with a chart topping album which touches on mental health, various issues in the black community and his gratitude to his family. Yet the focus shifted completely to pedalling disparaging, dangerous narratives about black men, particularly against those who dare to speak their truth.

The portrayal of black people in the media has not only been an issue in the world of music but has also been shown to be an issue in the world of sports. Raheem Sterling, who plays football for both Manchester City and England, has had “troubles” with his portrayal in the media, as he is continually being painted as “flashy and blingy” as he dares to buy things with his own money. Sterling has often asserted that this portrayal of him is totally contrary to who he actually is and has also faced incredulous amounts of scrutiny and backlash from a tattoo of a rifle on his right leg.

Last year the founder of Mothers Against Guns, Lucy Cope, told The Sun that: “The tattoo is disgusting, Raheem should hand his head in shame. It’s totally unacceptable.” She then went on to demand that he get the tattoo removed or covered with another design. She stated that he should not “glamorise guns” and should be dropped from the England team if he does not meet these demands. This resulted in Sterling having to justify himself and his body, explaining that he chose a gun tattoo to commemorate his father who passed away due to gun violence.

The fact there was a rally against Sterling, calling for him to be dropped, simply highlights the negative press young black males face in the UK for simply being black. The focus should be on celebrating these men’s successes, not portraying them in the most negative light possible.

Westminster College Fulton MO @ Wikimedia Commons

Are Manchester’s international students getting value for money?

Written by Sofija Ninkovic on . Posted in Investigations.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of international students to the University of Manchester – they make up about a quarter of the total student body, yet pay almost half of all tuition fees. 

One of the University’s ‘key financial risks’ identified in its 2018 report are the ‘barriers to international student fee growth’, meaning finances are particularly reliant on international students. Overall income growth was driven by international fees in 2017-18.

But The Mancunion has spoken with students from abroad who have expressed dissatisfaction with the way the University is supporting them. Their concerns range from feeling like the University sees them as a business to the poor visa advice they’ve been given by support teams. 

The University argues its fees are a “fair reflection” of the wider market, and it offers overseas students tailored advice after graduation.

International students are seeing their fees rise every year. In 2018, the cost for the BA Economics and Politics programme was £20,000. This shot up in 2020 to £23,500, more than double that of home students. 

One Material Sciences and Engineering student from South Korea said they felt like, “the University sees students as business customers, not as students who they have to teach.” They added that, “the university wants to make money instead of giving students real support”.

Students from the EU currently pay the same amount as home students, and the government has confirmed that will continue for 2020-21. Masha, a genetics and molecular biology student from Russia, says that can be frustrating. “The fact that you have to pay three times more for the fees than your course mates just because you were born 20km away from the EU border is always extremely frustrating.”

Course fees aren’t the only problem some international students have had to face. A PPE student from Pakistan, who chose to remain anonymous, raised concerns over visa restraints. He said he found it “challenging” that international students have to leave just three to four months after graduation if they haven’t found a job. “It makes spending so much money on a degree worthless if you have to go back home and work a crap job you could have got with a degree from home anyway.” 

This process of getting a visa and accessing correct information about visas seems to be an issue for several international students. One Egyptian student raised concerns about the Visa Team at the University, whose role it is to provide advice and guidance on the process. He criticised their “inaccurate and outdated” advice. 

“[They] do not know enough about the UK immigration process. They tend to give inaccurate advice and recede from this advice when challenged about it. A lot of people follow what they say because they’re a trusted authority but really, [they] should be better trained on [these] things. If I took their advice I would have not been able to land the job I have.” 

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “We set our international prices based on the prevailing market and find they are a fair reflection of the sector-wide rates. We compare our fees carefully every year to those charged by similar universities. The value of a UK degree, especially one from Manchester, still remains a huge benefit to international students. For example, around 92% of our own overseas students find graduate-level employment or further study within six months of graduation.”

They added: “We also offer several generous discounts and bursaries specifically for international students. And to help students find work after graduation we provide bespoke advice and guidance for overseas students through our Careers Service. At a national level, we consistently lobbied the government to allow international students to gain work experience in the UK following their studies.”

Review: The Good Liar

Written by carlfitzgerald on . Posted in Film.

The Good Liar is an old fashioned film. Whether or not that’s meant in a good or bad way is going to depend on the viewer.

For me personally, it was mostly good, although some of its many turns are still enough to raise the wrong kind of eyebrows.

The film follows con man Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) as he picks his newest target – well-off widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) – on an online dating profile and feigns romantic interest in her in order to cost her everything. However, Betty might have some secrets of her own she isn’t telling Roy.

To say much else would give away too many details.

It’s directed by Bill Condon, a frequent McKellen collaborator who generally proves competent, but with films that are only ever as good as the script and actors allow them to be.

It’s the latter of these things that makes The Good Liar worth a watch in my mind. Most, if not all, of the engagement comes from watching McKellen and Mirren dramatically sparring with each other in a stylish urban-British crime drama setting.

You can tell McKellen is having a great time switching between the alter ego of a gentle old man whenever he needs to charm Betty, and that of a cold-blooded con who, despite his age, can still convincingly knock a grown man onto the tube tracks. Meanwhile Mirren seems to relish playing the sweet boring old lady who may be playing her own sinister games.

The problems mostly arise from the script. For the most part, the film does a good job of leaving sly hints towards what’s really going on. Not giving away all of its cards, but just enough to keep you engaged without being predictable. However, when push comes to shove and the film drops its twists, it shows a pretty weak hand.

There are two major reveals; the first of which is pretty preposterous, but might still hold some keen viewers. However, the second, in which all is revealed, is such a sharp left turn that even the average Midsomer Murders episode would scoff. This didn’t completely ruin the film for me, but I’d understand why it would for others.

It’s not a great film, but not a terrible one either. There are some merits that do make it worth something to kill a few hours. It is competently made and Mirren and McKellen’s performances manage to keep the film’s head above the water. Ultimately the script strives for the Hitchcockian and settles for daytime Channel 5 drama.

2.5/5

Photo: Brandon Anderson @Flickr

Rise in knife crime throughout Greater Manchester

Written by jamesshepherd on . Posted in News.

Last month, Greater Manchester saw almost 20 high profile incidents of knife-related crime. Alongside the widely reported stabbing of four people in an attack at the Arndale Centre in October and a lower profile stabbing of a boy on a magic bus, several areas across Greater Manchester bore witness to incidents of knife crime. 

Throughout October, the Manchester Evening News found there have been 18 reported high profile incidents of knife crime across the region, 13 of which involved a person being stabbed.  The remaining 5 were occasions where a knife was used to threaten, that was brandished or was found on a person by the police.  

The MEN showed that Fallowfield, Rusholme, Longsight, Wigan, Royton, Harpurhey, Salford, Blackley, Stockport, Levenshulme, and the city centre had all reported occurrences of knife crime during October.  

Following this rise in stabbings Councillor Pat Karney has called for the city to reach out to policy makers in London to find a solution to knife-related crime across the region. Karney is a Councillor for Harpurhey, his comments were made after two teenagers were stabbed outside a McDonalds in the suburb last month.

Last year Manchester was identified as one of the 18 cities in the country to have a problem with knife-related crime.

In response to the October stabbings, Greater Manchester Police Chiefs have said that they recognise the problem with knife crime in the region but stress that extra funding from the Home Office, secured since the problem was highlighted last year, has allowed them to tackle the problem and start to see results – between April and June of this year there was a 23% reduction year-on-year of knife-related crimes and a 37% reduction of incidents involving under 25 year olds.

The extra funding has allowed for significant amounts of time and resources to be devoted to tackling knife crime, including extra officers on the beat in “hot-spot” areas and multi-agency prevention work.  The funding has also allowed the police to conduct a 243% increase in stop and searches across the region. 

Speaking on the number of high profile incidents of knife crime last month, Superintendent Chris Downey said: ”Greater Manchester has knife incidents every month, it always has. This month doesn’t feel any different to me. The Arndale incident with the involvement of counter-terrorism officers was unique.”

Given the achievements already made this year in knife crime reduction, Superintendent Downey added: “As someone who sits here and looks at every incident day in, day out, I think we are seeing reductions and that we are on the right road.”