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Month: February 2020

Review: We Will Rock You

Written by Georgina Davidson on . Posted in Theatre.

In the last year, the work, life and experience of the monumental band, Queen have barely left our screens, stages and societal focus across a multitude of platforms. The band’s history is both as controversial as it is creative, although this is often overlooked in pursuit of a jukebox portrayal and focus on central figure and band frontman, Freddie Mercury.

From Queen and Ben Elton, a University of Manchester alumnus, We Will Rock You takes on the story with complete comic book appeal through their music – perhaps rushing headlong into a varied, complex discography and making some astoundingly ambitious attempts to string together a cohesive storyline.

In this jukebox production, we receive an updated creation in form of myth and legend, with protagonist, Galileo Figaro (Ian McIntosh) conjured directly from Queen’s famous Bohemian Rhapsody. Alongside his clever female counterpart, Scaramouche (Elena Skye), they must overcome a world of Gaga boys and girls to bring back rock music to its ‘rightful’ live state.

Unfortunately, the content and creative development of the musical is a glossy overlaying of imagery and iconography that take each of the tracks and barely scrapes the surface of their often deeply moving and personal content. For all, the musical has value as an entertaining display of creative costume, colour and some incredible vocal talents, but I felt a distinct lack of investment in the characters and found that crucial, climatic scenes just did not have the gravity they should possess.

The dialogue is quite stilted throughout, and although there is strong direction in regards to creating a more accessible and engaging voice – many of the characters still fall foul of lazy stereotypes that trap them in an early noughties bubble.

For example, The Killer Queen (Jenny O’Leary) has the potential to be an LGBTQI+ icon in her dress sense and use of web-based vernacular. If she was allowed a more sassy, snappy persona through new, inclusive writing, there might be some adaptability about her otherwise surprisingly subdued characterisation. I cannot help but find her entire performance puzzling – the voice and power is there but she lacks the leadership that some Queens have previously expressed in the role. The role needs updating more sufficiently, which is an issue that runs throughout for most of the characters.

A standout performance was undeniably found in Adam Strong’s Khashoggi, who had a wit and terrifically evil charm about his character. This was equally matched by a fantastic countertenor range that created momentary pockets of pin-drop silence – outstanding to observe and a credit to him throughout his thoroughly energetic portrayal.

The searing sonic sounds are, of course, the main draw to this production, and I cannot fault the immensely talented live band. They completely give their all throughout the evening from radically imagined riffs to explosive percussion – truly some of the best rock band musicians I have encountered in the last year.

As a touring production, the use of screens is expected, and the company interacted with the screens with impressive ease and clever use of the spatial structures. For example, many of the screen designs featured depth and movement of space that stretch beyond a traditional stage space. However, it is still exciting to have the tangible, real set pieces with the onstage actor, so it seemed sad that there were significantly fewer moments that were set in the real world.

WWRY the touring musical is truly a showcase of Queen’s greatest hits and provides their fans with the perfect production to let their hair down – however, as a standalone production, it does not have a kind of magic in its storyline.

We Will Rock You continues its UK tour throughout the year.

fire engine

Family in Bolton escape house fire

Written by Kate Jackson on . Posted in News.

A family of seven have escaped a house fire in Bolton after a fire started in their kitchen.

Firefighters from Bolton Central and Bolton North arrived the property just after 9pm on Sunday evening (2nd of February) and attended to the fire. The fire started in the kitchen where a frying pan had been left unattended the fire crew had reported.

Three children and four adults had evacuated the property before the arrival of the fire engines and did not need medical treatment.

The fire follows an incident earlier in the same evening where fire services were called to a flat on Marsden Road in Manchester by the neighbours who had smelt smoke and heard a fire alarm.

Firefighters also helped a 76-year-old man out of the flat after finding him asleep. The man did not need hospital treatment.

The crew then proceeded to put out the fire with a hose reel while wearing two breathing apparatus.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s (GMFRS) Head of Prevention, Area Manager Paul Fearnhead said: “Luckily no one was harmed at either of these incidents but these incidents could have been much worse.

“I’d like to remind members of the public to follow a few simple steps when it comes to cooking safety and most importantly to never leave cooking unattended. A range of safety advice can be found on our website.

“A working smoke alarm gives you vital time to escape if a fire did ever occur in your home, test yours every week to help reduce the risks of danger to you and your family. If you don’t have a working smoke alarm GMFRS can provide one for free as part of our Safe and Well visits.”

GMFRS suggest that if anything on your stove does catch fire then these steps should be taken:

  • Don’t panic and don’t take risks
  • Don’t move the pan
  • Never throw water or use a water fire extinguisher on a hot fat fire
  • If it’s safe to do so – turn off the heat, but never lean over the pan to reach the controls
  • Leave the kitchen, close the door behind you, tell everyone else in the home to get out and don’t go back inside for any reason
  • Call 999
Condom photo: Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition @Unsplash

Netflix delivers the schooling we all wish we had with Sex Education

Written by Jasmine Taylor on . Posted in Lifestyle.

*Content Warning: discussions of sexual assault, self-harm*

Netflix’s Sex Education released its highly anticipated second season on  January 17th of this year to a great reception. Currently it’s scoring a respectable 8.3/10 on IMDB*, with abundant positive reviews on social media. It’s easy to see why; a refreshingly candid discussion about intersectional issues gives underrepresented communities the attention mainstream programming sorely lacks.

For many people I’ve spoken to, the most striking theme within this season is the collective unity of the women. One character (Aimee’s) experience with sexual assault on her bus journey to college mirrors something all too commonly experienced by women in society. Sex Education’s emotional depiction of how she processes the resulting trauma is sensitive and validating for those struggling with delayed acceptance of their experience. This portrayal of harassment and its emotional impact prompts understanding of many women’s everyday reality. The show aids this further in a moving scene of solidarity, where each of the six women characters shared how they individually had been affected by the social epidemic.

Another topic discussed is diversity and personal issues, with the diversity of actors and characters being second to none. The show features wide racial diversity and the cast is also inclusive of a variety of ages, reaffirming that sexual pleasure, sexuality and personal health affect all of us. Storylines discuss adult relationships and friendships, menopause, and pregnancy within older women. Impressively, adults are not alienated within the narratives, as can be the case with traditional ‘teenage’ storylines. The show tackles interrelationships in cases such as Maeve’s relationship with her mother, and the complexities of student/staff relations.

Addiction is not taken lightly, but nor is Maeve’s right to self-respect overlooked. With the complex inclusion of an unreliable parent figure and the results of social stigma and neglect, the programme prompts us to consider the varying privileges we take for granted at home, alongside the social pressure to endure toxic family members for their benefit.

Of course, sexuality is incredibly important to the narrative, and builds on the diversity within the first season to cover identities such as asexuality and pansexuality. The show de-stigmatises fetish and gives viewers great advice regarding confidence and subverting peer pressures surrounding identity. This is crucial in the high-school scenario, where such expectations can impact immensely upon mental wellbeing. Sex Education discussed this in terms of the academic pressures and resulting self-harm within Jackson’s emotional journey. Breaking the stigma of mental illness and self-harming behaviours amongst men, his character was treated sensitively and with understanding, the normalising of which is pivotal to the progress of real-world social change.

Indeed, the awareness the show brings to the table is iconic; educating viewers on topics with severely under-established attention (vaginismus, sexual identities, healthy relationships, disability and other difficulties faced in life). Sex Education is revolutionary. The real-life discussions it prompts are vital to supporting intersectional causes; viewers everywhere who may not have otherwise been exposed to these narratives can experience shameless and open discussion of these taboos. The overarching promotion of the importance of communication cannot be understated. This is the voice needed by so many teenagers and adults on their journey of self-acceptance, whilst remaining a binge-worthy comedy-drama.

*correct as of 04/02/20

Bost-Uni Plues

Review: Bost-Uni Plues (PUSH Festival)

Written by sophiahadjimichael on . Posted in Theatre.

After the best 3 years of your life what is left? Bost-Uni Plues.

Through a combination of verbatim, slapstick comedy, high-energy dance and techno music, Ugly Bucket gives clown comedy a new lease of life in this honest and downright hilarious retelling of life in Bost-Uni Plues beyond the final safety net before adulthood: university.

We begin our journey with the clowns at their graduation ceremony, their backs facing the audience as the graduation speech is being given. As each one is given their degree, they turn around with hilarious nervous smiles, which instantly communicates: ‘What do I do now?’.

It was from this very moment that I, as an audience-member, fell in love with the three clowns and their completely relatable content.

We were transported back to the very beginning of their university experiences; from the moment they received their A-Level results. With ‘this is going to be the best three years of your life’ on loop to a techno beat, we watch the enthusiasm of the Clowns grow alongside their expectations of university.

Once they finally reached university, the relentless laughter amidst the audience increased. From fairy lights to awkward hellos, they rinsed and ridiculed each aspect of being a bright-eyed-fresher.

After freshers’ week, the clowns zoomed past second-year and third-year, in a video game-style, the speed rapidly increasing, until they finally reached their much-anticipated graduation.

It was at this point that the elements of verbatim really came to life. Clips of different people discussing their post-graduation experiences, which ranged from ‘the best summer of their lives’ to another describing it as ‘one of the worst times of their life’.

This contrast was brilliantly communicated through the lens of the clowns. They re-enacted the first girl’s wonderful holiday to Hawaii, swimming with turtles to the sound of steel pans, which was continually interrupted by the interview of the second girl, who was crying as she discussed her post-uni depression.

As the performance continued, my concern about its pessimism increased as the interviews persisted to talk so negatively, comparing leaving university to ‘falling off of a cliff’. So it was very relieving that they brought it round by visiting their interviewees a year later to reflect on their Post-Uni blues!

This was an important piece of theatre which addressed a niche which is hardly spoken about. Ugly Bucket’s use of verbatim was comic, cathartic and healing; it opened up a wider dialogue.

Party like Gatsby

Review: Party Like Gatsby

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Theatre.

Party Like Gatsby was an event like no other.

A cross between a 2020s club night and a 1920s ball, it perfectly and seamlessly blended two very different decades that are a whole century apart.

The party included a piece of 1920s set, complete with an early 1900s telephone and old newspapers. There was a selfie light in front of the set so that partygoers could get some fantastic photos to remember the night.

Whilst Ana and I made an effort, most partygoers looked like they were straight out of The Great Gatsby, so we felt a little underdressed.

Photo: Dom Martin

Alexander Luttley, AKA Mercury, was the cabaret’s compère. He was witty, sassy and utterly fabulous. His singing was utterly fabulous. His costumes (and he had several) were all fabulous. He was just utterly fabulous.

The headlining act was the very talented mixed-gender group The Toons. They put a 1920s cabaret twist on some of the world’s biggest hits, including Beyonce’s Crazy in Love and Single Ladies.

The lead singer played the saxophone, which was most excellent during the iconic beat of Crazy in Love. She also had some whopping vocal chops, effortlessly recreating Christina Aguilera’s trademark shrieks.

A memorable moment came when Mercury stood on the balcony and performed a cute duet with the lead singer of The Toons.

The Twin Swing taught the audience how to charleston before performing an Egyptian-inspired charleston. They put the Tu in Tutankhamun. Contemporary flappers, they were both talented and entertaining, and their costumes were beautiful.

There was a husband and wife duo who performed some seriously scary knife tricks. She leaned on a board as he threw knives at her (marriage, y’know).

At one point, she held a massive sheet of paper in front of her, making the act even more dangerous. If this wasn’t impressive enough, when she dropped the sheet of paper and came striding forward, she had somehow managed to change outfits. Whilst holding up a sheet of paper as her husband threw knives at her! I was gobsmacked.

At another point, she was strapped to a circular board and spun around as her husband fired knives at the board, seemingly just missing her. The act was thrilling, to say the least.

The cabaret also included a bar fight dance, a juggler, and, for the first time, a pair of skaters. They were fantastic. They performed on a small, round platform; she latched her legs on top of his neck, and the pair spun around. At one point, he even let go of her arms, but she continued spinning. It was another thrilling act.

Jolie Papillo | Photo: Dominic Martin

The highlight of the night, though, had to be burlesque sensation Jolie Papillo. With over 20-thousand followers on Instagram, she has sure made a name for herself. She performed two acts, the second one being the penultimate performance, before the Toons closed the show.

The second performance took place in front of and inside of a giant martini glass. Jolie opened a bottle of champagne, drenching herself in it, before splashing around in the martini glass and squeezing an “olive” to shower herself with her bath water.

Now, I’ve seen (and reviewed) Dita Von Teese, perform live. Not just that – this show, The Art of the Teese, included her signature performance, which just so happens to also be in a martini glass. I suspect Jolie was inspired by that performance, and whilst Dita is the undisputed Queen of Burlesque, Jolie sure gave her a run (or dance) for her money.

Once the cabaret finished, a DJ played electro-swing and other 1920s-infused modern music. Whilst I can think of more glamorous venues than the O2 Ritz, the room was decorated nicely, with fairy lights and flowers. As the show came to a close, there were giant sparklers at each side of the stage and a load of confetti; it was an explosive end (literally) to a fantastically chaotic night.

My only issue is that there was no aerial dancer like there has been in previous years and has been used in promotional images; I was particularly looking forward to that. The organisers told me this is because the O2 Ritz does not have any rigging points strong enough for the weight of the act; next year, they hope to bring their own rig for a very special aerial number.

With tickets at around £30, Party Like Gatsby might not be the cheapest club night, party or cabaret, but that’s because it’s all three in one. Whilst it might also require you to splash some cash on a costume (though ball attire will do just fine), if you like the 20s and cabaret, you’ll love Party Like Gatsby.

Party Like Gatsby continues its world tour throughout 2020.

Ubu

Review: Kneehigh’s Ubu!

Written by Scarlett Gorman on . Posted in Theatre.

As a precursor to this review, I have to say that Ubu! is my favourite play, and Kneehigh is my favourite theatre company. When I heard that Kneehigh were touring their sing-a-long production of Ubu, I was ecstatic, so my expectations for this production were insanely high – and, by God, did the show live up to them.

Kneehigh go to incredibly complex methods to ensure that the environment created for their audience is perfect, which ensures that the audience feel comfortable enough to get involved in the performance at the points they are required to.

When I walked into the theatre, there was the instant wash of joy that fell over me; a company-member collared me and taught me how to make a streamer, and then I wandered over to the in-theatre bar to grab a drink. Before the performance started, an announcement was made by Jeremy Wardle, the host, informing us to keep our phones on throughout the performance and encouraging us to take as many videos and pictures as we wanted to.

Through all of this pre-show influence, the audience’s expectations of traditional theatre forms were completely subverted, leaving an uncertainty in the air for when the performance started.

The play, in simple terms, is about chaos, greed and lies – and Kneehigh communicated these themes with such fun energy that the audience found themselves on the side of Ubu, the ultimate fascist.

Of course, this was the whole point of the show, to prove how easy it is to influence the population into supporting an objectively bad person, however, I did find in some places that this aim took precedent over telling the story. Some key plot points became a little bit lost in the performativity of it all, however, this was made up for by the outstanding performances of the cast.

The standout performance was that of Mr Ubu himself, played by the incredible Katy Owen. Owen completely encapsulated the character of Mr Ubu and let him take over her body in such a way that there was absolutely no doubt that this character was real, no matter how ridiculous.

Paired with the wonderful Mike Shepherd playing Mrs Ubu, the couple managed to drag the audience on to their side – making them ignore their gruesome murder of President Nick Dallas (played by Dom Coyote) and the wrongful imprisonment of Bobbi (played by Kyla Goodey).

At first, I wanted to question the choice of having Mr Ubu played by a woman, however, after the first moment of seeing Owen on stage, I completely understood that the choice was not one of subversion, but of who was best to play the part.

A further shoutout needs to be made to Kyla Goodey, whose portrayal of the grieving Bobbi was in equal parts hilarious and masterful – her characterisation was spot-on, and she never missed a beat with the audience.

Kneehigh’s Ubu! was an absolute joy to not only watch but also be a part of. They once again exceeded my expectations, and I look forward to seeing whatever comes next for them.

Ubu! ended its current run this weekend.

Climate Crisis Photo: Li-An Lim @Unsplash

It’s important to be mindful, even if you’re vegan

Written by milodiduca on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Veganism is rapidly recruiting new members, with over 400,000 people signing up for Veganuary, a promise to live without animal products for a month. For this proud vegan, it is a pleasing figure (almost double the one for 2018). As the movement grows, however, it becomes more important to consider the politics behind the label. Veganism was born out of the desire for an ethical life, particularly with regard to animal welfare, sustainability and stopping the destruction of our planet.

For this reason, it is troubling to see corporate giants cash in on Veganuary. Omnivore or herbivore, we can all agree that fast-food giants are not founded on vegan ethics. Neither is all ‘vegan’ food cruelty-free. Buying a vegan option from a mega-meat-monolith will put your money in the pockets of CEOs, and fund operational expansion which can only lead to more animals harmed, more rain forests damaged.

On the surface these corporate strategies seem a good way to introduce people to the vegan diet, showing that it’s not just salads and tofu. However, they conceal a struggle between companies for market dominance, and the aim is simply profit. These are companies with no background in sustainability, which divert customers from those smaller enterprises with sustainability plans and a desire for change.

With Australia on fire and 56 billion animals killed for food each year, people understandably want to make positive contributions. But activism is not achieved at the level of consumer choices. It is achieved through awareness of the way we eat. Sticking to a plant-based diet is the best approach for you and the planet—and by diet, I mean the kinds of food you eat, not weight-loss. Even some famous vegetarian and vegan food is unethical. For example, Linda McCartney products use a lot of palm oil, which is known to stem from deforestation.

With little being done by governments over climate change, it is essential that mindful veganism continue beyond January. Going plant-based is the single biggest thing we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. And for a vegan lifestyle to matter, we must switch to seasonal, minimally processed food sources.

A quote from Wild Food Cafe’s cookbook: “When something is grown with an agenda for profit and greed, the more it leads to ripples of imbalance and distortions in all relationships proceeding from it.”

Senate move to replace Activities Officer with Ethics and Environment: Senate 4 round-up

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

The Students’ Union’s highest decision-making body have voted to reform the Activities and Development Officer role and create a new Ethics and Environment Officer role in its place.

Passing with 76% approval at the first Senate of the new calendar year, the proposal will go forward as a recommendation instead of a constitutional amendment as the Union undergoes a democratic review.

If successful, the policy would see the current Activities and Development role changed to an Ethics and Environment Officer role, meaning that the officer would focus less on societies and more on environmental and sustainability issues.

Activities and Development Officer Lizzy Haughton, who spearheaded the proposal, said she struggled to manage all 400 societies in her role, and instead suggested that they could be served better by being spread across the remit of all exec officers, as well as the Activities Committee.

The meeting also saw the SU vote in favour of campaigning for accessible accommodation for women in faith. The policy was proposed by part-time Women’s Officer Hatty Ruddick following her survey of Muslim women in Manchester student accommodation. According to her report, 31.6% of respondents said that they didn’t feel safe in accommodation, with a further 10.5% experiencing fear of assault or having been assaulted.

63.2% said they did not have adequate prayer space in their accommodation, and 28.3% described worries surrounding the amount of alcohol and drugs in their accommodation.

The Union will now lobby the University for a review into the safety of Muslim women in accommodation, as well as for more women-only accommodation and quiet flats and more prayer spaces.

Also passed were policies encouraging the Union to lobby for access programmes and bursaries for EU and international students, proposed by Education Officer Chloe Salins. In her proposal, Salins wrote that “International students should have the same support as any other student to access Higher Education,” and that “no student should be disadvantaged from accessing Higher Education.”

The State of the Union report, given by Women’s Officer Ayla Huseyinoglu as Gen Sec Kwame Kwarteng was absent, discussed the Union’s plans to redo the Brew coffee hut in order to make it more accessible and to work with University catering to launch a food collection point to donate unwanted food from campus to homeless and women’s shelters.

In her officer report, Huseyinoglu outlined the progress of her project to introduce free period products into University buildings, saying that she hoped the scheme would soon pilot in the Samuel Alexander building, as well as Zochonis and Stopford.

She also discussed the introduction of workshops given by the Good Lad Initiative to AU sports teams, which will take place in late February and early March.

In other officer reports, Community and Welfare Officer Adam Haigh said that ‘Know Your Rights’ fortnight will take place from the 9th-22ndof March, with each day focusing on a different human right. Lizzy Haughton discussed the launch of Climate Justice Fortnight on Monday, and a new student festival to replace Pangaea.

The next Senate will take place on Thursday, 26thMarch at 5pm in The Theatre, SU.

Photo: Reece Ritchie @ The Mancunion

Live Review: Twin Temples at The Deaf Institute

Written by Reece Ritchie on . Posted in Music.

Deaf Institute saw an out-of-the-ordinary headliner with ‘Satanic doo-wop’ duo Twin Temples headlining a show supported by The Violent Hearts as part of their UK tour.

The Violent Hearts opened the show with The Clash-inspired rock that was technically excellent, yet it seemed much of the crowd were more interested in the more religious aspects to come rather than the support band themselves.

Although it is a rather hard task to find a band fitting to support Satanist rock seemingly straight out of the sixties, I’ve no criticisms of The Violent Hearts; they had a solid look and a decent stage presence. The only thing I could comment on is that for a band with just two songs on major streaming sites, each song could be introduced more explicitly to help new listeners pick out their favourite tracks.

Twin Temples took to the stage, as expected, bathed in red light, carrying chalices and other Satanist ornaments. At first, I was excited to see how they would incorporate this theme into their music and if they could deliver a truly new sound in an aged genre. However, I was sorely disappointed when the band began to play. Although again, the tracks were performed technically excellently, they appeared to be completely regular ‘Doo-wop’ songs that could have been taken straight from the sixties.

It was often impossible to tell where the Satanism came into their music, with most of their individuality as a band coming from simply changing the name of an average woman in a swinging love song to that of Lucifer.

Whilst the music was enjoyable, the stage interaction was often not. The husband and wife duo performed several Satanist rituals, including a dark baptism, in between songs. Although this broke up the set, these breaks often felt too long and at times simply bizarre. Yet, the crowd lapped up each and every pause. Perhaps this view comes simply from me not being a Satanist or particularly enthralled by religion at all, but in any case it is unlikely your average music fan would be able to understand, let alone appreciate, this odd stage direction.

With this incoherency between the stage action, outfits and music, Twin Temples don’t feel as though they are putting a new spin on an aging genre: rather simply selling a gimmick that fans of the alternative enjoy. If you are a fan of ‘Doo-wop,’ they are technically brilliant, especially the backing band – as long as you can stomach the stage shows and fake blood everywhere.

Overall, a disappointing set saved largely by the support act, The Violent Hearts; a band worth looking out for with a full debut album on the way. Yet it was one that still left grown adults barging through swathes of people to be anointed with crucifixes covered in fake blood.

6/10.

Frontman of the Violent Hearts James Mattock captured by Reece Ritchie

Kansas City Chiefs, Shakira and J-Lo all star at Super Bowl LIV

Written by Harry Deacon on . Posted in Sport.

Harry Deacon, The Game:

As always, much of the pressure leading up to the Super Bowl fell on the shoulders of the two star quarterbacks. For Super Bowl LIV this immense responsibility belonged to Jimmy Garoppolo for the San Francisco 49ers and Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was Garoppolo and the 49ers who looked perhaps the more comfortable of the two sides in the opening stages at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Their early points on the board were soon matched, however, resulting in a half-time score of 10-10.

Able to shut the Chiefs offense out and adding more points to their tally, the third quarter belonged to the 49ers and with it seemingly the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Yet, the side from the West Coast were up against a side who had produced numerous comebacks throughout both the regular season and the playoffs, and it took until the fourth quarter for that trend to reveal itself once again.

The 24-year-old Mahomes took the game by the scruff of its neck with under ten minutes remaining. It took a 44-yard pass that found the clutches of Tyreek Hill to set the comeback, with Travis Kelche converting the new opportunity into a touchdown.

Then, after no reply from the 49ers, Mahomes once again picked out a teammate, this time Damien Williams, to put the Chiefs ahead in a game they had not led since the second quarter.

Williams then found himself in the action again as he ran the ball home to score Kansas’ third touchdown in just four minutes and 57 seconds. The 49ers were crushed by a comeback inspired by the second-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.

Speaking after the game in a TV interview Mahomes could barely contain his excitement:

“We never lost faith. Everybody on this team, no one had their head down and we found a way to win in the end.

“The 49ers have an amazing defence, one of the best defences I’ve played against so far and I’m just glad our guys kept fighting. This team has heart, coach pushes us to be the best we can be. We did it baby!”

Clearly the man who was able to bring the Chiefs their first world championship in half a century has an extremely bright future ahead of him after putting in a display that turned him from great to untouchable.

James Owen, The Spectacle:

The stage was set in the Hard rock stadium, Miami Gardens for the US’ ultimate spectacle, Super bowl 54. The NFL pulled out all the stops on its 100th anniversary with pregame festivals, hype videos and football legends, including Tom Brady and Jim Brown, being brought onto the pitch.

DJ Khalid was on warm-up duty, interacting with fans in the stadium to create a level of excitement that can only be heard on the day of America’s most-watched sporting event. By the time Dwayne ‘Rock’ Johnson appeared on the jumbotron to introduce the teams with a cry of its “time to unleash hell,” it felt as if the level of noise could register on the Richter scale. Demi Lovato then stepped up to complete a star-studded pre-match line-up and crush the national anthem, setting the stage for kick-off.

By half-time, the crowd was buzzing and this energy was carried through to the half time show. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira left it all on stage performing hits such as ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ and ‘On the Floor’. Their performances were heavily praised for their choreography, intensity and subtle political messages about anxieties shared by the Latinx community in the US.

Both singers paid homage to their roots with Shakira performing a Colombian style of dance and J-Lo bringing out a dual Peurto Rican and American flag. Criticism of the performance, however, labelled it as over-sexualised and not appropriate for a younger audience.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dramatic comeback in the second half was watched by 102 million global viewers, marking it as the biggest US TV event of the year. This amount of views attracts huge advertisement revenue with adverts priced at around $5.6 million for a 30-second spot, the most expensive in the world.

The Super Bowl was a spectacle enjoyed by all, and the Kansas Chief fans revelled in glory at full time. Unfortunately, this celebration was taken too far by one fan who ignited a firework that left him with a fatal head injury, raising questions that had begun over Sydney’s New Years’ Eve celebrations surrounding the place of fireworks in today’s society.

Opinion: Football’s (not) coming home

Written by Iwan Hopkins on . Posted in Sport.

After the heroics of Gareth Southgate’s England side in 2018, who overcame the footballing heavyweights of Panama, Tunisia, and Sweden to reach the World Cup semi-finals, many have the nation tipped to go even further at this year’s Euros.

However, with their current injury concerns getting worse by the day, English fans have their excuse lined up perfectly for when they are inevitably eliminated by the first decent team who take to the pitch against them.

The New Year began with the English team being dealt a blow, as talisman Harry Kane suffered a hamstring injury at Southampton which looks likely to rule him out for the majority of the season.

It will surely prove difficult for any player to fill the gap left by Kane. Who else could grab 5 group stage goals against two of the World Cup’s weakest sides and fail to square the ball to Sterling to cost England a place in the final? Rashford and Abraham have both struggled with fitness this year, could it be time for big Andy Carroll to get his tenth cap? As much as I’d love that as a Welshman, even I can admit it’s unlikely.

National treasure Kieran Trippier who, unlike Kane, did manage to score against Croatia in England’s World Cup semi-final, has missed the last four games for Atletico Madrid. He has now undergone groin surgery and is looking like he will miss their last-16 match against Liverpool next week.

Fortunately, the right-back spot is already covered by masses of talent for England, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Reece James, Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold all probably ahead of Trippier in the pecking order anyway.

Though this is the case, there’s no doubt in my mind that the media will be reporting the loss of the 29-year-old as a massive blow to England’s hopes anyway, as part of the national lowering of expectations which precedes every international tournament.

However, despite all that has been said, England remain 4/1 favourites to go all the way this summer. There is no doubt that Gareth Southgate’s side have the talent necessary, but whether they have the mentality or a manager with the right amount of tactical nous is yet to be seen.

Despite what you might believe from reading the newspapers in the run-up to the tournament, there is another British team that have already qualified. Wales are in Group A and their previous record in international tournaments suggests they could be destined to have a positive run.

Wales made it to the quarter-final of the 1958 World Cup, only to be knocked out by Pelé’s Brazil, and the semi-finals of Euro 2016, to fall at the hands of Ronaldo’s Portugal.

With Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey both still firing (if they can stay fit), and promising youngsters such as Dan James and Harry Wilson, Ryan Giggs’ team are certainly going to be a force to be reckoned with. Write them off at your peril.

When England can pull off heroics like Wales did against Belgium in 2016, then we’ll talk about football ‘coming home’. But until then, English fans perhaps need to be a bit more realistic about the capabilities of an inexperienced squad and a country with a bottling mentality against tricky opponents.

Flights cancelled between Manchester and China amid Coronavirus fears

Written by Aya-Zoe Atallah on . Posted in News.

Manchester Airport has announced the suspension of all flights between Manchester and mainland China amid fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. In total, 21 flights and thousands of passengers have been affected by the news.

This announcement comes after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed two weeks ago in the UK, in York.

Hainan Airlines the company responsible for the cancellations, has suspended any flights to and from the city between February 6th and March 28th.

The flights that are supposed to operate three times a week, Friday, Sunday and Tuesday, during the winter season but have now been suspended for over a month. There is no alternative direct route to mainland China from Manchester.

The news follows Manchester Airport’s announcement of a possible new route from Manchester to Shanghai, operated by Juneyao Air last month. It is yet to be confirmed whether this suspension will affect this journey launch.

These flights are not the only thing to be affected in the UK as part of precautions – last weekend the Manchester Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) decided cancel their Chinese New Year celebrations due to fears about the virus.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has urged all British Nationals to return to the UK amongst the coronavirus outbreak:

“The safety and security of British people will always be our top priority. As such, we now advise British Nationals in China to leave the country if they can, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.

“Where there are still British Nationals in Hubei Province who wish to be evacuated, we will continue to work around the clock to facilitate this.”

Hainan Airlines has been contacted for comment.

Indigo closed after stabbing by ‘member of south Manchester gang’

Written by Joe Manock on . Posted in News.

Indigo, Withington’s student club, witnessed the stabbing of two men by an alleged gang member on January 30th. The club is expected to remain closed until February 17th.

Council documents report that two students were stabbed in the neck and face. Council documents say that one of the victims suffered an 8” x 2” slash wound to his neck, which was ‘perilously close’ to his carotid artery. The other suffered a slash wound to his face which was 3” x 1” in size.

The club could now potentially lose its licences after the attacks. GMP  have said they are ‘extremely concerned’ and have requested an urgent review of the clubs licence, due to fears that there may be repercussions and that staff and customers could be placed in danger if the nightspot was to regain its full licence.

The Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have reported that the night on which the incident happened was treated as a memorial to a deceased gang member, murdered a few years ago. As a result, numerous members of a locally organised crime group were reportedly out to celebrate.

A police officer on the night saw the offender running away and chased him through several rear gardens before running into a house and straight through and out the other side. He was detained by police shortly after this.

The police have since arrested the alleged offender on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder.

The case will be discussed by the Manchester council licencing committee on February 17th who are to review whether the club will reopen. The panel have described the attack as “a very serious incident”.

A solicitor for Indigo said the owners are ‘absolutely devastated’ that the incident took place in their club, and that their first thoughts are with the victims. Indigo released a statement the day after the attack:

“Due to a serious assault that took place last night, we have agreed with GMP to close Indigo until further notice.
The safety of our customers is our highest priority. Everyone at Indigo hopes all involved in the early hours of this morning make a speedy recovery.

Further statements & updates will be published once we have more information.”

The Manchester-based all-female collective Not Bad For A Girl posted a message in support of the venue: “We love Indigo, it was the first place we ever ran an event and we wish them the best of luck in everything.”

Photo: Netflix

Sex Education: the groundbreaking Netflix shows that represents us all

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in Opinion.

At this point it feels like almost everyone has heard of, if not already watched, Netflix’s Sex Education. It has been praised and loved by many for showing the funny side ‘coming of age’, whilst also highlighting just how limited the UK’s Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) is.

The show misses nothing – covering topics from sexual assault, to pregnancy, to fetish, to sexuality and all the way back to the bog-standard STI. It is a show where everyone, whether they want to admit it or not, can relate some aspects to their own life experiences.

For me, Sex Education wasn’t just amazing to watch because the diversity in it felt like a natural coincidence, or because of the fact they managed to create inclusive story lines without a whole host of cringe-worthy stereotypes. Or even because of the fact that they manage to incredibly sensitively cover the unfortunately commonplace issue of sexual assault.

There is in fact a far subtler reason why I loved the show and felt that it was incredibly important. The challenging and nuanced depiction of parent-child relationships really did hit the nail on the head, in terms of creating a sense of realism. Each developed character in the story-line has some sort of non-ideal relationship with their parents; there’s some sort of underlying issue which has followed them into their teenage years and that affects the character’s relationships with all the people around them.

Sex education doesn’t just show us that we need more education on the birds and the bees but that as a society we need to open a dialogue on how to navigate the relationships we have with the people that raised us (or sometimes didn’t in the case of Maeve).

At the moment it feels as if society has a very black and white approach to how we should feel about our parents and caregivers; they are either the best thing that have ever happened to us or they are such awful parents that we are left with no choice but to cut them off entirely.

The truth is, most of us have difficult and uncomfortable relationships with our parents (whom we still love), and it is refreshing to see a far more realistic representation on our screen.

Otis and his mum, Jean. Photo: Netflix

We need to start a dialogue about faulted parenthood. One of the main arguments in the show is to extend the ambit of PSHE so that the students can get an education on healthy romantic relationships.

But it is not a controversial statement to make that our relationship with our parents has a massive effect on our relationships with other people: from our friendships, to who we see as role models, to what we look for in other people and our behaviour in romantic relationships.

For example, if we don’t learn to understand what emotional abuse may look like in the early relationships we have, how do we expect to be able to recognise that in our later romantic relationships or in our own treatment of others? The damage has kind of already been done, the behaviour patterns have been learnt and almost inevitably internalised.

The importance of this type of dialogue doesn’t just come from the prospective advantages of understanding abusive and controlling behaviour. It works retrospectively too, the quicker young people learn that their parents are normal faulted humans, and are able to talk about how some issues in their guardians parenting style have affected them, ultimately the quicker we equip them with the emotional intelligence to work through other trauma. This may in turn improve their relationships and wellbeing in the long run.

I’m not suggesting for one second, that we should start fights at the dinner table every day for the sake of it, but let’s allow people to feel like they can be honest about their relationship with their parents.

Sex Education is the first time we have seen a real representation of the different types of relationships we have with the people who are supposed to guide us through life. It is, by no means, an exhaustive list of every relationship dynamic, but it successfully represents emotionally unavailable parents, single parents, same-sex parents, absent parents, and overbearing parents.

The authentic representation Sex Education has provided is probably a reassurance to so many, that their dynamics are not only normal but they can be overcome through open and honest dialogue.

I challenge anyone to show me a current series where these unconventional (by media standards) relationships are represented, whilst not becoming central basis for the storyline. Show me another programme that shows teen to parent relationships that have tension in the relationship stemming from something other than the fact they want to date but their misogynist dad won’t let them till they are 25.

Many may argue that the parent-child relationship is one that shouldn’t be critiqued in an educational sphere. But we are missing the middle ground once again, our lack of dialogue on faulted parents leads young people with this dichotomy that society projects that parents are either saints or sinners.

Having vulnerable conversations about uncomfortable, deeply personal topics is one of the only ways to truly make peace with ourselves. This dialogue is important not just for those who, similarly to Maeve, may have been subject to overt neglect or abuse from their parents, but for those like Otis, who have a mum that doesn’t always respect their boundaries, or, like Jackson, who feels smothered by his parent’s ambitions for him.

The sooner we decide to learn these lessons and have these conversations the better our relationships and wellbeing will be in the long run.

JLo and Shakira put the ‘Super’ in Super Bowl

Written by Jay Darcy on . Posted in Opinion.

The fact that the Super Bowl halftime show was headlined by two Latina women – and not only that but two women aged over 40 – is certainly something to get loud about.

I was incredibly excited to see what Jennifer Lopez and Shakira would do with their platform and it’s safe to say they offered one of the most memorable Super Bowl performances ever, with guest-appearances from Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

Maroon 5 were trending on Twitter as people recalled their lacklustre performance last year, telling them this is how it’s done. But this performance was more than just entertainment.

Most viewers did not notice the political stunts, which were less obvious than Beyoncé’s tribute to the Black Panthers during her performance, or Madonna’s display of unity during Eurovision in Israel – even though Eurovision prohibits politics, which is laughable as Eurovision is political, but that’s another story.

Instead, conservative viewers complained about the sexualisation of JLo and Shakira’s performance. Yet, nobody cared when Adam Levine (a white man) walked around half-naked last year or over the scantily-clad (majority white) cheerleaders, but that’s also another discussion.

Despite this, this year’s show was indeed overtly political. One bold design choice was the stage, which was in the shape of the female Venus symbol.

Alongside this, children stood in cages as JLo sang ‘Let’s Get Loud’ with her daughter – who wore a chain – in front of a display of lights that resembled a fence. Ahead of the show, a source said JLo’s daughter would perform as ‘a symbol of the American dream‘.

JLo, herself, wore a coat that displayed an American flag on the exterior and a Puerto Rican flag on the interior. ‘Latinos!’ she exclaimed, as she ripped open the coat and sang ‘Born in the U.S.A.’.

The child singers wore white tops, like the Families Belong Together protestors. JLo and Shakira’s social media posts surrounding the performance also emphasised ‘how much Latinos have to offer‘.

Sources from Roc Nation, Jay Z’s entertainment agency, have revealed that the company, and even Jay Z himself, pressured JLo to cut the cage segment. It was also reported that the agency asked Shakira, a Roc Nation client, to not appear during ‘Born in the U.S.A.’.

Tensions ran so high that JLo pulled out of joining Shakira for the opening number, but neither artist succumbed to Roc Nation’s request for them to depoliticise the show.

On a more subtle note, like Lady Gaga singing ‘Born This Way’ during her performance, Shakira and JLo used their existing lyrics to make a statement. Simply by singing in Spanish, and especially with JLo dressed in red, white and blue, they demonstrated the prevalence and importance of the Latinx community in America.

What’s more, JLo was born in New York to Puerto Rican parents (though most Americans don’t realise Puerto Rico is in America), whilst Shakira was born in Colombia to a Colombian mother and Lebanese father. Combined they represented Latinos both in and out of America.

Across the USA racism and xenophobia are still issues which affect not only Latinos but also people from all kinds of migrant backgrounds in the country. In light of this, just having Shakira onstage, at the biggest sports and music event in the country, was a statement in itself.

It must be noted, Shakira also really embraced her Arabic roots by including her Arabic inspired track ‘Ojas Asi’, as well as belly-dancing, an instrument called a mijwiz, and the ‘zaghrouta’ – a tongue-wagging cry which is now a meme.

During a press conference before the game, Shakira described her upcoming performance as “an all-inclusive party, a party that integrates cultures and diversity”.

Choosing two Latinas could be seen as a strategic choice by the NFL, who have a divisive past when it comes to intercultural relations. The NFL have been criticised in recent years for their handling of Colin Kaepernick, who still remains unsigned after being dismissed for championing the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter by kneeling during the national anthem.

Since then, the NFL have been making visible efforts to appear more diverse in their practices. They recently signed a partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, which raised eyebrows with some claiming Jay Z’s partnership with the NFL is not a move in support of black civil rights.

But not only did this partnership give Jay Z a major role in the planning of the halftime show, one of the most watched entertainment performances in the world, but this deal also included a social and racial justice partnership between the rapper and the NFL.

Attempts to diversify the headliners of the halftime show appear to have been in the works for over a year, that is with one or two set-backs. Rihanna and Jay-Z, were asked to headline Super Bowl this year and last year, respectively. However both refused. But while Rihanna refused in support of Kaepernick, Jay-Z refused because he was told to bring Rihanna.

Yet it must be acknowledged that this year’s Super Bowl half time show was certainly a celebration of cultural diversity thanks to Shakira and JLo.

The partnership between Roc Nation and the NFL allows Jay-Z to co-produce the show and get a say over who performs, so perhaps this year’s choice of headliners reveals his desire to reflect the rich Latin culture of Miami and showcase the Latin community, at a time when racism towards Latinos seems to be rising.

Shakira and JLo are also the first headliners to make up a completely latina line-up. Whilst many notable black artists have headlined the Super Bowl, the only other Latin headliner in the Super Bowl’s history is Gloria Estefan, who performed alongside other artists in 1992 and 1999.

Regardless of the intentions of the NFL, JLo and Shakira stood proudly as women and Latinas. Watching Shakira drum as JLo sang ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ with her daughter encapsulated the power of this performance which symbolised womanhood, motherhood and multiethnic nationhood. They gave the middle-finger to intolerance and inequality in America and to the ignorant gringos who questioned their relevance.

New digital platform opens historic collections to global audience at UoM

Written by jamesshepherd on . Posted in News.

The Manchester Digital Collections Viewer was launched on the 28th January and will allow users to view high-quality images of archival material held at the University.  

The service makes material that was previously confined to the archive available to a vast audience across the globe.

Documents, images, video and audio files relating to a wide range of collections are available for viewing including papers relating to The Peterloo Massacre, the 18th-century diarist Mary Hamilton, and the 14th-century Italian poet Petrach. Persian, Latin, and Hebrew manuscripts spanning multiple millennia and items from collections held at The Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery will also be available.

The platform, which was developed collaboratively between members of staff from across The University of Manchester and Cambridge University, can be used by all and will continue to grow over time as more of the University’s assets will be made viewable through the digital service.

One of the leaders of the project, Dr Armstrong, Faculty Lead for Digital Humanities and Director of the new Centre in Digital Humanities at the University of Manchester, hopes that “the new digital collections image viewer will transform the way researchers, students, and audiences worldwide can engage with the spectacular collections of the University”.

The director of the University of Manchester Library Chris Pressler claimed that “the Manchester Digital Collections programme of work is one of the most significant technology shifts for our special collections in recent years”. 

He continued: “Libraries have a long and distinguished professional ethos of partnership, openness and collaboration, and with the support and guidance of fellow experts in the field we have been able to create something special that will transform the discovery of and encounters with many remarkable collections”.

The Digital Collections Viewer is available to all, to use the service and find out more about it, visit their website.

Twenty percent rise in potholes in Manchester

Written by Megan Oyinka on . Posted in News.

New research has found that potholes in Manchester have increased by 20% over the last year. The study found that there are now over 6,700 potholes across Greater Manchester, potentially putting the safety of drivers, cyclists, and motorcyclists at risk.

Data analysed by Personal Injury Specialists JMW Solicitors, a Manchester-based Law firm, and published by fixmystreet.com, found the three boroughs most plagued with potholes in Manchester. The city of Manchester came out as the most potted borough (2,228) with Bury (800) and Oldham (720) following behind. Roads in Trafford, Stockport, and Bolton were also found to have more than 600 potholes, with 681, 677 and 620, respectively.

While not the most dangerous borough, Oldham was reported to have the biggest increase in reported potholes by 110%, growing from 343 in 2018 to 720 in 2019.

Paul Breen, Head of Catastrophic Injury from the JMW Solicitors personal injury team, said: “The number of potholes located across the region is extremely worrying, particularly as the total number continues to rise, rather than fall.

“Incidents, where vehicles come into contact with potholes, can lead to serious, life-altering injuries to those involved, particularly for more vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists. Potholes across the region must be repaired as soon as possible to prevent such accidents from taking place.”

Potholes in the city can be hazardous for cyclists like Nadia Kennar, a 3rd-year Criminology student, who told The Mancunion:

“I’ve really noticed the number of potholes across Manchester, as a cyclist they can not only be very dangerous, they’ve caused me to swerve into cars to avoid them, but it also has to lead to damage to my bike. I constantly have to do maintenance work on my bike as the bad road is damaging it. You can literally see the cobbles from the road that was there over 200 hundred years ago, how is that supposed to be safe? They seem to repair roads sporadically, ignoring minor roads that are supposed to be safer for cyclists.”

Photo: Broady @ flickr

Manchester law graduates and students feature in BBC One Series

Written by emilyturvey on . Posted in News.

A new BBC series sees two Law graduates from the University of Manchester investigating the British court system and questioning its effectiveness in today’s modern society. Chris Daw QC and solicitor Ayesha Nayyar explore their opposing arguments over the course of this 5-part series, before presenting their cases to a jury, which also features two current Law students and a recent Law graduate of the University of Manchester.

The series, ‘Crime – Are We Tough Enough?’, follows Chris and Ayesha as they meet and interact with victims, convicted criminals and those impacted by the criminal justice system to further inform and consolidate their own arguments. Ayesha thinks that there should be higher conviction rates in the British legal system and that those found guilty should be serving longer prison time. However Chris presents the view that this is already happening and is ineffective; instead, we should consider how to prevent crime in the first instance. 

These arguments, with the evidence gathered, is then presented to a 12 person jury in Sackville Street Council Chamber to decide whether Britain is too tough on crime or not tough enough. 

Ayesha graduated from Manchester in 1995 and is now a well-respected solicitor with 20 years of law experience and is a director of Nayyars Solicitors, an award-winning law firm based in the North-West. She has appeared as a guest speaker discussing legal issues on BBC Breakfast, BBC Two’s Victoria Derbyshire Show and Sky News. Chris graduated from Manchester in 1992 and has worked within the legal industry since, appearing in many high profile cases.

The jury features two students from the University, Law with Politics student Gabriella Hartfield, Criminology student Alexandra Meek and recent LLB graduate Cian Hickey. 

All 5 episodes of the series are currently available to stream on the BBC iPlayer website.

Photo: Walt Disney Television @Flickr

Oscars 2020 Predictions

Written by Michal Wasilewski on . Posted in Film.

After months of celebrating 2019’s most widely appreciated and beloved films, the awards season is coming to an end. With only a few days to the Oscars ceremony, it is time to predict which films will take the big prizes.

 

BEST PICTURE

Although the race was initially proclaimed by many to be between Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood, The Irishman, and Parasite, it was the Golden Globes that reshaped the awards season. Sam Mendes’ 1917 won both for best directing and best drama film, and quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the Oscar triumph.

However, the most crucial turning point of the season was the Producers’ Guild Award going to 1917. With 8 out of the last 10 films awarded at the PGAs later winning Best Picture, Sam Mendes’ war epic has further proved to be the most likely 2020 Academy Award winner. 

The only film that seems to stand a chance against 1917 is Parasite, beloved by almost everyone. But no foreign-language film has ever won before, and it seems to be a barrier too difficult to overcome.

 

BEST DIRECTOR

The race in this category has followed a similar pattern to the Best Picture race. After months of debating whether it will be Scorsese, Tarantino or Bong Joon-Ho to take the Oscar, it was Sam Mendes who surprisingly won the Golden Globe and, later, the Directors’ Guild Award.

Only once in the last decade was the DGA awarded to someone who didn’t later win the Oscar. It leaves us with the 1917’s director as a lock for Academy Awards success.

 

ACTING CATEGORIES

Acting categories couldn’t seem more predictable, with every precursor award going with the same four winners. If there was an upset coming, we should have seen it somewhere.

It didn’t happen, so the Oscar winners are going to be Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood) in the best lead and the best supporting actor category, respectively. The award for the best actress will go to Renee Zellweger (Judy) and for the best supporting actress to Laura Dern (Marriage Story).

 

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The best original screenplay category is one of the few in which the Academy tends to recognise unconventional and more art-house films. Maybe not with last year’s winner, Green Book, but definitely with 2018’s Get Out and 2017’s Manchester by the Sea. 

Moreover, this is probably the only above-the-line category in which Parasite may be awarded. Although Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood was the frontrunner for a long time, it was the South Korean film to win the BAFTA last Sunday. And I predict that the same will happen at the Academy Awards.

 

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

As Greta Gerwig’s Little Women came out in late December, it started to be perceived as an example of a perfect adaption. While giving a classic novel a new life, she has also made significant changes to the plot and made it more attractive to contemporary audiences.

However, the Writers’ Guild Award and the BAFTA were awarded to Jojo Rabbit, and Little Women has not received much appreciation from the film industry. This category is one of the most difficult to predict this season, but I think that the recent awards give Jojo Rabbit a slight edge.

 

OTHER CATEGORIES

Below are my predictions in all other categories at this year’s Oscars. Additionally, I’ve put the most probable upset after ‘//’ in three categories which I’m least confident about.

Animated Feature: Toy Story 4

Documentary Feature: American Factory

International Film: Parasite (South Korea) 

Film Editing: Parasite

Cinematography: 1917

Visual Effects: 1917 //  The Irishman 

Production Design: Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood

Costume Design: Jojo Rabbit // Little Women

Makeup and Hairstyling: Bombshell

Sound Editing: 1917

Sound Mixing: 1917

Score: Joker

Song: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” (Rocketman)

Animated Short: Hair Love

Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)

Live Action Short: The Neighbors’ Window // Saria

Students will graduate sooner but having paid a greater tuition per year Photo: Jebulon @ Wikimedia Commons

UoM most targeted by graduate employers

Written by Anna Jin on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester has ranked highest as the British university most targeted by Graduate Employers, according to the Graduate Market 2020’s review.

The company has been producing evaluations for the past 15 years, and during this period no other institution has ranked first more frequently than The University of Manchester, nor has any other institution ranked more consistently amongst the top 3.

Employers will target a university through campus recruitment presentations, local careers fairs, skill training events, and promotion through university careers services, online advertising, and social media. The University of Manchester has also been awarded top ranking for graduate employment by other reliable organizations. It ranked top 10 of UK Universities in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020. In addition, it has been awarded the University of the Year for Graduate Employment by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

Since the UK boasts of a large selection of universities that employers can recruit from, and organisations lack the recourses to target all of them, most chooses to focus their recruitment efforts to a limited number of institutions. In the 2019-2020 recruitment season, the average number of universities employers targeted was 24, which is the highest number High Fliers have recorded. Only 15% of graduate employers choose to target more than 35 universities. However, The University of Manchester have successfully attracted the attention of the largest number of graduate recruiters.

The review was conducted by High Fliers Research, an independent market research company that runs annual evaluations of graduate vacancies and starting salaries amongst The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. The Times’s list includes employers such as Google, Facebook, HSBC and the NHS. In the 2019-2020 recruitment season, the largest employers came from the Public Sector.

According to High Fliers 2020 review, during the last decade, graduate vacancies at UK’s leading employers has increased by 39%. This number is expected to rise by 3.3% in 2020 because employers are planning on recruiting more graduates.