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Month: February 2020

Sustainable underwear this Valentine's Day

The sustainable underwear to buy this Valentine’s Day

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

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to invest in new underwear. Whether you’re spending it alone, with friends or with your partner, underwear is the perfect way to give you a confidence boost. Plus, it’s the perfect Valentine’s gift!

The surge in underwear sales at this time of year does, however, have a negative environmental impact, as many people head to fast-fashion retailers to treat themselves and their partners. Luckily, there are lots of sustainable alternatives you can opt for instead that will make you feel body-positive and smug about your eco-consciousness!

For everyday underwear that is simple and comfortable, Stripe and Stare is the brand for you. They promise comfortable knickers with no VPLs and they also provide the option to personalize your underwear, alongside an array of unique designs, including a dedicated Valentine’s collection. Their knickers come in at £10 a pair so they are pricey, but if you can’t treat yourself to expensive underwear for the 14th February then when can you?

If you’re after something a little bit more special, try Reformation’s underwear range. They offer a wide range of lace underwear, with bras costing around £40-£90 and knickers and thongs starting at £16. Reformation’s motto is: ‘Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We’re #2’ and their clothes, much like their lingerie, are designed to inspire confidence and sex appeal.

From the sexy to the practical, Thinx creates ‘period underwear’, meaning if you do happen to be on your period this Valentine’s Day, you can do so without tampons or pads, as their underwear is a replacement for single-use sanitary products. Their underwear costs between £18-£35, but is definitely an investment considering how much money you could eventually save on buying sanitary products.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B74K3XHhHEr/

For something simple and more affordable, Everlane, whose tagline is ‘radical transparency’, offers a range of underwear. With bras costing between £17-£20 and knickers and thongs sitting at £9-£12 (with an offer to buy 3 pairs of underwear for £21), this is the most affordable option so far.

Although the prices mentioned here might be more than you’re used to spending on underwear, it’s important to remember that when you buy sustainably made clothing, you’re paying for sustainable methods and fabrics, which are more expensive than those used by fast fashion brands. These processes, however, usually ensure that the quality of the clothes is better than its fast-fashion counterparts, which is vital when it comes to sustainable fashion. This is especially true for underwear, which is washed more often than any other garment, because the better the quality, the more likely it is to withstand lots of wears and washes.

Practicalities aside though, wearing underwear that you love is guaranteed to make you feel more positively about yourself and your body. So why not choose some that comes with a clear conscience too?

GageSkidmore@Flickr

The Academy consistently ignore this generation’s most dynamic cinema – but why wouldn’t they?

Written by George Walker on . Posted in Opinion.

This year’s Academy awards have once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons this year. In a sadly precedented move, the American Academy has been lambasted with criticism over its tunnel-vision on nominations for those outside of the Hollywood establishment. There has, for example, been critical under-appreciation for women, and particularly women of colour, exemplified by the lack of nominations for women in the Best Director category. This is despite the past year being an outstanding period of creative flurry for the best and brightest women in the film industry. Take the commercially successful and critically acclaimed work of Greta Gerwig on her adaptation of Little Women, Olivia Wilde’s hilarious coming of age piece Book Smart, and challenging and dynamic pieces such as Mati Diop’s Atlantics. Diop’s work was given the nod at the Cannes Film Festival, and was the first film by a woman of colour to be shown there in the festival’s history: the lack of institutional acclaim for women and women of colour depressingly spans the continents. 

Huge snubs are also visible in the acting category, with huge omissions including both critics’ and once bookies favourites, Jennifer Lopez’s performance in Hustlers, and Lupita Nyong’o’s immutably terrifying turn in Jordan Peele’s Us. Nyong’o’s work in Us particularly impressed me, a film with layers of sociopolitical commentary and horrific excellence, her dual performance as prophet of a demonic underclass and mother who will risk everything to protect her family is a shocking snub to a film that entertained and terrified in a multiplicity of ways. 

This all comes after the huge social and political uproar over the overwhelmingly white and male dominated nature of the Hollywood establishment, and the allegations and revelation of the institutional sexual abuse of Hollywood. Much of this began in 2017, following the exposure of the mass sexual abuse by former Academy saint, Harvey Weinstein, many women in the film industry called time on this horror and told their own stories of sexual abuse and discrimination they had faced within the industry. Additionally, there has been huge backlash against the exclusion of BAME creators in the Academy Awards nominations, which gained traction when social and cultural influencer April Reign tweeted ‘#OscarsSoWhite’ in response to the total absence of any people of colour in the lead or supporting actor or actress categories in 2015. Five years and a multiplicity of empty sentimental pledges later, progress seems painfully slow.

Additionally, the Hollywood establishment’s self-aggrandising self-referential egoism has reached new heights (or lows) in the pre-eminence of Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood at the 2020 awards. A film about Hollywood itself, hearkening to days gone by of glitz, glamour and gluttony in the 1960s; taking up space that could be occupied by new and innovative creators such as Gerwig and Diop. To rub salt in the wounds, this is a Tarantino film, a man whose directorial pre-eminence came about because of brutes like Harvey Weinstein, and who said of his crimes that “I knew enough to do more than I did.” This isn’t to undermine the credibility and cinematic greatness of Tarantino’s work, he has produced and written emancipatory narratives about slavery and Nazism, but how long must it be before the Hollywood apparatchiks of messrs Tarantino, Scorsese, and Eastwood et al. cede ground to a new generation of talent.

Ultimately, Hollywood and its history is marred by nepotism, exclusivity, and hierarchy. Is it ever going to be the best institutional vehicle to showcase the most dynamic, thought-provoking and exciting art this generation has to offer? Perhaps what the phenomenon of ‘Oscars so white’ and ‘Time’s Up’ shows is that the Hollywood is too entrenched and immovable, what needs to happen is the celebration of the best of cinema in alternative mediums, through debates and accolades engendered by social media, alternative awards shows, and a wide array of independent critics, thinkers, and journalistic institutions. While the Oscars will likely remain the benchmark for the greatest of cinema, there is also a historic opportunity to conduct a new dialogic process of open debate and appraisal for this generation’s diverse cultural output.

New antiviral treatment developed by UoM using modified sugars

Written by lukeedwards on . Posted in Science & Tech.

A new, non-toxic antiviral treatment has been developed that destroys viruses on contact and is hoped to be used to combat viral outbreaks.

An international collaboration between scientists from the University of Manchester, the University of Geneva (UNIGE), and the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland, have discovered a compound consisting of sugar that has been shown to effectively denature virus cells.

Although in its early stages, the treatment shows promising results for the future treatment of viruses such as herpes simplex (cold sore virus), respiratory syncytial virus, hepatitis C, HIV, Zika virus and many more. It has been successful in treating a range of viruses in the lab, from respiratory infections to genital herpes.

The new antiviral treatment shows broad spectrum efficacy, and it is hoped that it can be used to counter newly prevalent viral diseases, such as the recent coronavirus outbreak with further development and testing.

Ordinarily, so called ‘virucidal’ substances, such as bleach, destroy the cell membrane and disrupt the inner workings of viruses, however they are also toxic to humans and cannot be applied to the human body without causing severe harm. With the advent of non-toxic treatments, viruses can be dealt with without damaging other organic tissues.

The sugar in question is a modified molecule made using natural glucose derivatives known as cyclodextrins. The molecule attracts viruses before breaking them down on contact, thereby destroying it.

Being ‘virucidal’, the molecule presents very few opportunities to allow the virus cells to mutate and grow resistance to the molecule. This contrasts to ‘traditional’ antiviral treatments that simply restrict and limit the growth of viral cells, which often lose their effectiveness due to the virus developing a resistance to the treatment.

Since this is a new type of antiviral, and the first to ever show such a degree of effectiveness, it has the potential to be a real game changer in treating viral infections.

Photo: Raph_PH @ Flickr

In conversation: Carly Rae Jepsen

Written by Bella Fleming on . Posted in Music.

The name Carly Rae Jepsen stands out to any Gen Z.

Her music, especially the infamous ‘Call Me Maybe’, was accountable for influencing much of the iconic pop music that shaped the sound of our childhood.

However, far from the cheesy pop song that racked billions of views on YouTube, Carly’s, perhaps overlooked, new music heard on her latest album Dedication shows the singer adding a funk edge to her classic pop sound.

After a “crazy Christmas” which involved Carly heading to Mexico with the family to “chill on the beach and drink margaritas,” she’s launching into the new year with a European tour that begins at Manchester’s own Victoria Warehouse on the 7th February.

Her enthusiasm for coming back to the UK is clear, with Carly quoting it as “one of her favourite spots.” “One day I’m going to pick up and move to London,” she laughs, “whenever things get crazy, I just think I should live out that fantasy.” Beyond the stereotypical tourist attractions of having “high tea and taking pictures in the phone booth,” Carly has made a tradition of late-night bicycle rides around whatever city she finds herself in. She’s found that this new tradition has offered a “different view of the city,” making everything much more romantic and stunning.

The four years between her album Emotion and her latest offering Dedicated has seen Carly working “pretty non-stop.” In search of inspiration for the new album, she found herself visiting countries such as Nicaragua. Here she not only found musical influences but the visit helped her to grow as a person. She explains how taking time in between albums is something important to her to try and “change my perspective and thinking on things” before she feels ready to showcase her latest work to the world.

This commitment and impressive work ethic led to her having over 200 songs under her belt for the new album. “I go a little crazy,” she admits when reflecting on the tiresome process of listening back and narrowing down the songs which would end up on the album. She explains how she recruits the people in her life she trusts in determining which songs stand out the most. “I held a couple of listening parties at my house with lots of wine and people debating back and forth,” she laughs, going on to explain how sitting back and watching people discuss her music is key in determining which of her long list of songs should end up on a record. “It’s a long process, but I do really enjoy it.”

The ability to create constantly unique and amusing music videos is definitely one of Carly’s strongpoints. Take the video for her single ‘Now That I Found You’ – a hopeful love song about finding contentment with a new relationship paired with a video about falling in love with a cat. Carly laughs as she explains the process of making this amusing video. “The more I got into it the more my crazy cat lady fantasy grew, I was obsessed,” she describes. Although she prefers to stick to writing songs rather than independently creating the visuals for it, she always likes to “put her two-sense in.” “The cat video was really my biggest moment though, which is maybe why I shouldn’t be trusted with creating my own videos.”

Although Carly’s still riding high off the success of 2019’s Dedicated, she’s already “excited to get on with the next phase of what I’ll be doing creatively for the next album.” With a huge appreciation for many types of music, she reveals that her latest obsession with Kate Bush is something she expects will be influencing future music.

Her other dreams in life include moving to New York and getting involved with Broadway, a dream which may come true in the not-so distant future. “I shouldn’t talk about it too much because I have nothing to show for it other than my dream,” she notes, but being involved in writing songs for musicals is something she has always wanted to do.

Her career in music began with her becoming one of the world’s biggest artists seemingly overnight. However, the time she has taken away, to reflect on music, and grow as an artist is arguably the biggest reason she is still able to make the incredible pop albums she does. It’s definitely a journey to keep watching.

England stunned by fanatic French in Six Nations opener

Written by toddbarran on . Posted in Sport.

England started their 2020 six nations campaign poorly with a disappointing result away to France, losing 24 – 17. A slow opening to the match from the English saw French winger, Vincent Rattez, score the hosts’ first try within six minutes. Another French try (Charles Ollivon) gave them a 17-point lead going into half-time.

England did however come back from the break with stronger determination, which consistently led them to within the French five metre line. Yet, a flawless French defence meant there was no way through, if not for the brilliance of Jonny May who was able to make sizzling runs and scrape two tries for England. However, this second half was a story of too little too late for Eddie Jones’ side, as France came away with the first win of their campaign.

For England fans, this was another reality slap to the face. Memories of their famous win against New Zealand at the Tokyo Rugby World Cup only three months earlier had meant many travelling over the channel were feeling optimistic about winning some silverware this year. This optimism was soon silenced, however, by a dazzling French display, not only on the pitch, but throughout the Stade de France, with French fans creating a wall of blue, white and red flags belting the ‘La Marseillaise’ in full gusto. Seemingly, the French are most loud when beating the English.

Does this result mean we can expect a sore world cup hangover for England? Their first half performance would suggest so.

Eddie Jones said, ‘it’s like we forgot how to play rugby in the first half’, in his post-match interview after the game, a result of poor discipline and slippery hands. Moreover, as if the defeat was not enough, an injured Manu Tuilagi also adds to Jones’ list of woes from the weekend.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Written by alianawaz on . Posted in Books.

*Content warning: discussions of sexual violence.*

Born in 1928, Maya Angelou has gone down in history as one of the greatest American poets, and writers. She published seven volumes of her autobiography, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and briefly enjoyed a career in show business. Her life is documented across her seven autobiographies. One might ask, does anyone need seven books to tell their life story? If you are Maya Angelou, the answer is a clear yes.

From her first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the reader is captivated. Her story begins when she is sent to live in Stamps, Arkansas, a small town in the American South during the 1930s. The early years of Maya Angelou were spent being exposed to the cruel racism of the South and trying to navigate life as a young African-American under the guardianship of her grandmother. It is interesting to witness the family dynamics of Angelou, especially through memories of being a young girl.

Angelou used her love of literature as a coping mechanism throughout these early years, reading to escape the trauma she experienced as a young girl. Whilst I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a captivating book, it makes for uncomfortable reading as at times Angelou graphically details sexual abuse. It is incredibly difficult to read this. We’re brought into the world of an eight year old whose perspective of turmoil was barely comprehensible to her.

This is not central to the book, yet it overwhelms the reader for the remainder of the story, due to the re-telling of her experience and reaction to it at just eight years old.

Due to this, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings has sparked debate as to whether it has a place in school libraries. For some, the graphic details deem it inappropriate for young people to read.

For others, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a landmark book, released by an African-American woman during the Civil Rights Movement, outlining her early years and sparing no detail, no matter how uncomfortable.

Photo: Ellie Martin

Confessions of a closet Tory

Written by Ellie Martin on . Posted in Societies.

After the results of the last election, Manchester Young Conservatives (MYC) have seen an increase in their membership and a higher turnout of old and new members. Has the landslide Conservative victory allowed shy Tory students to creep out from the woodwork?

Conservative student voters are famously reluctant to reveal their true political identity on campus, but nowhere more than Manchester. University campuses, especially anywhere north of Birmingham, are not seen as friendly places for the student Tory – forcing them into hiding amongst the left majority.

The students we spoke to, understandably, wished to remain anonymous. One student admitted to having lied on several occasions to housemates to avoid confrontation, or being labelled “Tory scum.” Another student complained about the teaching at the university, especially on humanities courses, as being decidedly left leaning.

“UoM, particularly SALC (School of Arts, Languages and Cultures) are massively influenced by the left. A lot of the material we are taught is looked at through a left-wing lens and lecturers put it across as if it is a correct way of thinking. Often I feel like I would like to offer a counter argument but I know I would be slaughtered by my classmates if I did.”

“Universities are seen as these hotbeds for Marxist thinking,” commented another student. “I don’t feel I can reveal myself as a conservative voter for fear of being ostracised.”

Being a student Tory also makes the dating scene in Manchester difficult to navigate. Many students express true horror at the thought of accidentally going home with a Tory on a night out. Imagine waking up in the morning to find a union jack decorating the wall and an unironic framed picture of them and Jeremy Hunt. One student Tory talked about his woes in love.

“I never know when to bring it up, if it doesn’t come out naturally on the first date. It’s a bit of an awkward subject, because you don’t know if it’s going to be a deal-breaker for them or not. I’ve had girls ghost me as soon as they find out, or make up excuses to not see me but I know what it is. It’s so much worse in Manchester than at home too, because of how left-wing students are generally.”

When is the appropriate time to casually mention you’re a Boris fan? Do you brandish your Conservative support on your hinge profile to deter any Corbynite partners, or do you wait until they’re invested in the relationship and then casually slip it into conversation?

Manchester Young Conservatives have a core active membership of about 40 amongst a student population of over 40,000. It’s a minuscule percentage of 0.001 per cent but MYC are reporting larger turnouts at events following the recent election results. Jake Feeley, President of MYC, said they’re seeing old members return and higher interest from new members. “There appears to be a much more positive attitude amongst my peers and indeed the rest of the country,” he said when commenting about the atmosphere on campus.

While the Conservatives gained many traditionally Labour seats, the constituencies populated by students, Manchester Central, Gorton and Withington, all remained safe for Labour. While the national feeling may be warming up to the Tory party, Conservative students are still living within a Labour stronghold. While in the past this may have deterred closet Tories, we may see more and more Conservative students revealing their true identities on campus.

Candles Photo: Ellieelien @Unsplash

Treat Yourself: Self-Care in a Capitalist World

Written by Alex Ferguson on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Self-care seems to be a hot phrase at the moment, even if the actual definition of what it entails tends to be vague. Perhaps it means lighting a few scented candles, watching eight episodes of The Good Place and eating a block of Lidl own-brand chocolate. Maybe it means spending less time with that toxic friend or taking a break from social media. Maybe it means drinking a little less, or treating yourself to an extra glass of wine occasionally.

Various brands have caught on to this trend, in one way or another. Indeed, one of the most prevalent, if dubious, forms of self-care is so-called “retail therapy”. But the whole “Treat Yourself” concept isn’t just a skit from Parks and Recreation, as brands are pushing this narrative to convince consumers to purchase things they probably don’t need, or can’t afford, all in the name of self-care. The message seems to be: shop the pain away, forget your troubles, and consume, consume, consume! Healthy? Probably not. In fact, researchers at the University of Melbourne have advocated that “retail therapy” be relabelled Oniomania, or Compulsive Shopping Syndrome.

Of course, there is more to self-care than just retail therapy. It’s easy to find countless articles on the internet about ways to de-stress, re-centre, or meditate, among other verbs. There is, of course, some value in this. Mindfulness in particular has been shown to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression to some degree. The mindfulness meditation app Headspace has taken off in the last few years, and according to its website now has over 30 million users. Many people, including psychologists, have praised the app for being a great tool for people looking to engage in mindfulness. But, of course, it isn’t free – at least the “premium version” (which over one million people subscribe to) isn’t.

In the US and UK, the countries where Headspace is most popular, people find it incredibly difficult to access mental health support without spending tremendous amounts of money on private care. The UK may offer support through the NHS, but services are notoriously underfunded and waiting times can be hopelessly long. It is not surprising that somebody has capitalised on this crisis, and correctly predicted that many people will gladly spend some extra money for an app in lieu of actual mental health support. And someone who has benefited is Headspace founder and CEO Andy Puddicombe, who bought a mansion in Santa Monica for $7.36 million in 2019.

Yes, capitalism offers a multitude of quick fixes for all of your issues, but the true irony lies in the fact that, in many cases, it is the cause of them. Of course, mental illness can be caused by a range of factors, including genetics and physical or emotional trauma. But, in a world where inequality is on the rise, consumerism is omnipresent and everything down to a person’s appearance is treated as a commodity, a clear link has to be drawn between capitalist society and the worsening mental health epidemic. In 2019, a poll of 38,000 British students found that around half have had thoughts of self harm, and around a fifth are diagnosed with a mental illness.

So yes, capitalism may create or worsen your problems, but it’ll also promise to take them away – for a small fee of course. Forget therapy, why not fork out the cash for a monthly subscription to an app where a softly spoken British millionaire tells you he understands the hardships of daily life? And if that doesn’t work, why not go out and treat yourself to that jacket you’ve always wanted? Who cares if it’s a bit expensive – treat yourself! Or you could stay in, get cosy and watch that new video by your favourite YouTuber. You’ll just have to watch the ads, of course.

There you go – don’t you feel better?

Fortune Most Powerful Women @Flickr

Review: Bombshell

Written by jamesmccafferty on . Posted in Film.

Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman star as Fox News anchors Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell. Focusing primarily on a 2016 sexual harassment case against Fox chairman Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), the film also addresses a broader culture in the Fox News business that objectifies and degrades women, reducing their journalistic ability to their physical appearance.

Theron is almost unnerving in her ability to capture Kelly’s appearance, speech and mannerisms, but it seems that this is more an act of imitation than performance. When combined with the fact that she is portraying a real-life figure so closely associated with Fox’s toxic brand, there is a lack of humanity in the character of Kelly that causes problems for the film from the beginning.

Far more impressive is Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil, a fictional composite character working as a young associate producer at Fox. Perhaps because she isn’t restrained by the need to emulate a real person, Robbie is able to deliver an emotive performance. As a young woman, she is subject to the worst of Ailes’ abusive behaviour and embodies the complexities that led so many women not to speak out for so long, knowing that doing so would mean an end to their dream career.

Despite Robbie’s fantastic performance, the film struggles to reconcile the competing tones that it sets. Throughout a first act that focuses primarily on Megyn Kelly’s high-profile clash with then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, writer Charles Randolph seems to emulate the style of his previous hit The Big Short, with Theron delivering a fourth wall breaking tour of the Fox News building.

After a while the film shifts its focus towards a lawsuit that Carlson launches against Ailes. The most uncomfortable but effective moments of Bombshell lie in this section, as it lays bare a deeply ingrained culture of demeaning and harassing women. Once this shift has happened however, the comedic moments feel out of place. Likewise the irreverent depiction of Fox’s rogues gallery – including Rudy Giuliani, Sean Hannity and Geraldo Rivera – feels misjudged.

On top of that there is the fundamental issue that most people aren’t comfortable lionising a group of Fox News employees. Randolph and director Jay Roach both seem to want the audience to like Kelly and Carlson, with the latter deliberately portrayed standing up in favour of gun control despite massive disapproval from her audience. Ultimately though, as Kelly’s husband reminds her at one point in the film, these people are “the establishment” that the films seeks to put them up against.

Owing to some strong central performances and inspired hair and make-up, Bombshell is an enjoyable comedy-drama. As a film about institutionalised sexual harassment and abuse though, it can’t quite seem to resolve the style it seeks to employ and the issues that it needs to address.

3.5/5.

Photo Credit - Abbie Jennings (https://www.instagram.com/abbiejennings.co.uk/?hl=en)

Droylsden F.C. – non-league football at its best

Written by Will Stonier on . Posted in Sport.

On Saturday 1st of February I went to watch my local team Droylsden F.C., affectionately nicknamed The Bloods, take on Ramsbottom United at the Butcher’s Arms Ground in Droylsden for their clash in the BetVictor Northern Premier League North West Division. Before kick-off, I went to order a pint at the club house. The beer was poured into a glass, though I noticed the bloke next to me asked for it in a plastic cup. ‘Wait, I can take it outside to watch the match?’, I asked the bar staff. The man next to me laughed. ‘This is proper football, here,’ he said, laughing. I felt a sense of imposter syndrome as a football fan who regularly attends Manchester City games. However, already I had two of the things that fans who romanticise non-league football hark on about: a cold pint of Carlsberg in a plastic glass and a beleaguered non-league fan in my ear, casting aspersions on the state of the modern game. 

If you get the 216 bus from Piccadilly in the centre of Manchester, and glide past the coruscating Etihad stadium in Beswick, you eventually make your way past the Butcher’s Arms stadium before the bus terminates in Ashton-Under-Lyne, the administrative centre of Tameside, Greater Manchester. Tameside is unique in that it plays host to a number of clubs that exist outside of the football league – Curzon Ashton, Hyde United and Stalybridge Celtic, to name a few. Droylsden, though, are perhaps best remembered in the wider footballing consciousness for being expelled from the FA Cup in 2008. Following a successful cup run they were kicked out of the competition after fielding an ineligible player against Chesterfield in a 2-1 victory. Dave Pace, who has acted as chairman-manager since 1996 and and has consequently re-built the club, was furious, stating via the BBC: “It was a genuine mistake by our secretary. Fine us by all means but don’t kick us out.”

Skip to 2020, however, as Droylsden sit at 13th in the table and their opponents first, the quasi-FA Cup glory that was snatched away is just a bitter memory. Droylsden were ramshackled by Ramsbottom due to a brace by Josh Hmami and a goal by Ruben Jerome. The game was wildly disrupted by a violent swishing wind as it manipulated the ball; swinging it wildly, leaving the players to second guess where it might land. Droylsden’s stand-out player was their right-back Shaqs Antoine Clarke, who dived forward with aggression, though his crosses were often met with pithy attempts to scramble the ball into the goal. The travelling fans were vocal throughout the game — adapting the Seven Nation Army chant to their own players, as they sat behind a flag that read ‘Rammy Ultras’ positioned behind the Droylsden goal. The Droylsden fans, though, stayed, cheering their players until the final whistle.

Post-match, I had a chance to chat with a Droylsden fan who follows the team across the country. He said that numbers had been dwindling as of late, and he partially lays the blame on the recent successes of Manchester City. However, it is clear that far away from the half-and-half scarves and the selfie sticks, there is more to football in Manchester than the two big clubs, with football an intrinsic part of Mancunian culture in the towns that orbit the centre of the city. 

Djokovic in action

Djokovic and prospect Kenin reign supreme in Australia

Written by joeymillington on . Posted in Sport.

It was Groundhog Day for Novak Djokovic who successfully defended his Australian Open title, whilst there was a new name on the women’s singles trophy as youngster Sofia Kenin became champion.

The relentless Serb returned to the number one spot after victory in a draining showpiece against Dominic Thiem on the 2nd of February. The 26-year-old Austrian had beaten the previous top ranked player Nadal in a nail-biting quarter final but Djokovic’s determination and genius proved a step too far in Melbourne.

It was not straightforward for Djokovic though, as he had to come back from two sets to one down. Having conceded just one set in the entire tournament, the Serbian right-hander looked in good nick in the opening set, which he won 6-4 after breaking due to a sloppy Thiem double fault.

The next two sets, however, saw Djokovic under pressure both physically and emotionally, losing his cool with the umpire after being punished for failing to serve within the required time limit. He also received medical attention, citing dizziness as the cause for his third set capitulation.

Throughout his career Djokovic has shown nerves of steel and a will cast in iron, and once more in Melbourne he dug deep to keep himself in the tie. The Serbian superstar battled to win the fourth set before showing composure to close out the final set. The two players differing experience levels showed late on; Djokovic was as calm as ever, whilst unforced errors crept into Thiem’s game at vital moments.

It is the old guard of Nadal, Djokovic and Federer who continue to dominate the men’s game, and it is Djokovic in particular who has a stranglehold over this particular event. He has won an unrivalled eight Australian Opens, including seven of the last ten. Thiem, though, pushed him all the way, proving he is well-placed to pounce when the commanding era of the ‘big three’ finally ceases.

Whilst a select few rule men’s tennis, in recent years the women’s singles Grand Slams have regularly been conquered by newcomers. This trend continued in Melbourne as American starlet Sofia Kenin won her first Grand Slam. Her victory over Garbine Muguruza was the first Australian Open final to be contested by two players outside of the top ten.

The young American is not new to the spotlight, having long been tipped to be a future star, and on a humid Melbourne afternoon she lived up to the expectations. Despite losing the first set, Kenin recovered to take the second, before storming to victory with a clinical third set demolition. Another young star saw her stock continue to rise as Kenin’s compatriot Coco Gauff produced another giant killing. Following on from her victory over Venus Williams at Wimbledon, the teenager beat world number four Naomi Osaka.

Like Djokovic, Muguruza experienced illness in the final, calling for the trainer at the end of the second set, as she struggled with the conditions. In a month where Australia was ravaged by wildfires, there were questions over whether the Open would reach its conclusion at all. This was particularly prevalent in the earlier rounds of the competition when Slovenian player Jakupovic retired from a match due to a coughing fit caused by the hazardous air quality. Thankfully for tennis fans the tournament was given the go ahead and proved to be enormously entertaining throughout.

Photo: UoM Feminist Collective

Let’s Reclaim the Night: 20th of February 2020

Written by tallulahbrennan on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Grab your paintbrushes, your friends and your best feminist chants, as on the 20th February women across Manchester are marching from Owen’s Park to the Students Union to ‘Reclaim the Night’.

For those unfamiliar with the cause, Reclaim the Night is about making noise and making our presence known. It’s about challenging a culture of complacency and complicity. It’s about claiming the streets that have never been ours. Claiming our right to exist not just without fear, but with full liberation.

One in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 16 and one in three teenage girls have experienced some form of sexual violence from a partner. Place epidemic levels of violence against women in the context of an austerity programme that has caused 1 in 2 women to be turned away from domestic violence refuge and caused rape crisis centres to be shut and what we are left with is a country that not only silences women, but kills them too. 

Women’s lives are marked by violence from an early age and, to add insult to injury, women are not believed. Our victimhood is framed as hysterical, irrational, or oversensitive. A “culture of suspicion” remains within the police, even amongst those who are specialists in rape investigations. As one Home Office report found, specialists in rape investigations do not trust survivors, and believe the proportion of false claims to be much higher than it is in reality. It is our right to feel safe wherever we are and it is a right that is owed to us. Our silence is required for the patriarchy to thrive. Tough law and order and punitive justice won’t save us, so, we make noise and we march – we reclaim the night. 

The patriarchy and its agents long for women to accept violence and shame as their reality. Eradicating gender-based violence seems unachievable when we struggle to even make our voices heard. An end to shame and violence is difficult, and it may prove to be a long fight. But in the words of Angela Davis: “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world.”

March because a crime against one woman is a crime against us all. March because our lives depend on it. March because our liberation is long overdue. March because it is impossible, and that is exactly why it is necessary. 

Reclaim the Night will be marching from Owen’s Park to the Student’s Union on Thursday the 20th of February 2020. For more information search Reclaim the Night 2020 on Facebook.

In conversation: Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE

Written by Anna Jin on . Posted in Theatre.

The writer/artist/mentor/Renaissance man Rikki Beadle-Blair will be hosting the House of Suarez + Contact: Vogue Ball on the 29th February in Manchester Academy 1, which sold-out six weeks in advance. Beadle-Blair has worked on Vogue Ball every year since its conception and he promises that it only gets better each year.

When asked about how this year’s ball will surpass its predecessors, Beadle-Blair explained that it is bigger than ever before, and it will also be the most diverse, because houses and contesters from cities all over the UK will be participating. He is certain that this year’s performance will be electrifying like “fireworks on New Year’s Eve”.

Beadle-Blair will play the important role of the compère for this event. He is not only responsible for keeping the event on track and being on top of everything that is going on, but he must also build and sustain the energy of the audience. He compared hosting the Vogue Ball to his job as a mentor and reveals that he has set himself a special mission as a host: “To make everybody feel like a star”.

He wishes to inspire confidence in others, to inspire people to trust each other, and to tell everybody participating in the event to free themselves from restrictions. Even though the audience is not performing and the spotlight is not on them, Beadle-Blair wants them to leave feeling confident, like they can achieve everything, be anyone, wear anything they want to wear, be whoever or whatever they want to be, be true to themselves, and to know there are communities and individuals out there who will love them and embrace them for who they are inside.

Though Rikki Beadle-Blair prepares carefully for each event, improvising is also important for him. His performance is larger than life but grounded in humanity and love. Even though he is leading the show, he wants to be approachable and friendly. He always customises his performance for his audience; rather than treating everybody the same way, he wishes to make his audience feel special by seeing who they are and responding to that.

He compares performing to dating and explains that he wants his audience to feel like the performance is especially created for them. When asked about how he will achieve this for Manchester, he explains that the Mancunian audience will start with a high energy so we do not need to be hyped up, but he needs to work on maintaining our energy and to take us on a journey that is not monotonous. The Vogue Ball invites everybody to forget about stress from the outside world and to simply have fun.

When we concluded the interview, Beadle-Blair guaranteed that people will have the time of their lives at Vogue Ball and that it will give the audience, if not the best, then one of the best nights of their lives. His amazing final promise was: “No matter how drunk you get, you will remember it.”

Vogue Ball plays at Manchester Academy 1 on 29th Feb.

Photo: Crowns & Owls

Album Review: Big Conspiracy by J Hus

Written by daracoker on . Posted in Music.

J Hus occupies a very interesting place within the UK rap scene through his ability to retain underground credibility and also crossover to the mainstream with considerable success.

Whilst not as commercially successful or internationally well-known as his contemporaries, such as Stormzy and Skepta, he is a force to be reckoned with and adorned by Black British youth and critics alike.

J Hus’ inescapable track ‘Did You See’ reached platinum in 2017 – a feat very few rappers have achieved.

The dual space that J Hus operates in is encapsulated by the way in which his stint in jail in December 2018 for possession of a 10cm knife was followed by Drake – a self-confessed stan of all things grime – bringing him onstage at the O2 in April 2019 to reveal his release.

Part of J Hus’ appeal to the youth comes from his often controversial, stream-of-consciousness statements and conspiracies posted on social media, which centre around race and religion.

For example, his bizarrely sincere post, “When I stopped doing black magic is when my life fell apart” caused a storm on Twitter, with people disdaining and ridiculing his bold eccentricity.

Posts like this are now a common occurrence for Hus and have fed into the themes and messages on his latest release.

Big Conspiracy is authentically and consistently ‘Hus’ throughout. His post-jail self is more honest and self-assured than ever, armed with impeccable melody and hooks that are easily up to par with his most popular songs.

The simple monochromatic album cover with the emboldened words ‘J HUS: BIG CONSPIRACY’ in the centre – with ‘PIRACY’ underlined as a reference to the album leak one month prior – doesn’t give justice to the vibrancy of the album. Nor does the minimalist design represent the complexity of the figure that is J Hus/Bouff Daddy/Heavy Papa — or whatever pseudonym he is planning to go by today.

In every song, J Hus flexes his ability to make it instantly charming, with production that is rich and layered in its combination of afrobeats, hip-hop, RnB, and grime but is still surprisingly easy to memorise and familiarise yourself with.

The title track ‘Big Conspiracy’ is a succinct introduction to J Hus. He carefully treads the line of confidence and cockiness over a smooth, inoffensive neo-soul beat that would find home on a Tom Misch album.

This backing is contrasted with the punch of the lyrics; which discuss migrant issues through lines like – “they sent my n**** back to the Carib islands”; and sobriety, such as in the claim, “I say no to drugs like Ronald Reagan.” The track then fades out with a charming saxophone solo that almost makes you forget the heaviness of the subject matter.

The following song ‘Helicopter’ replicates the same themes of ‘Big Conspiracy’ but unfortunately suffers from being too similar to its predecessor ending up sounding like a lackluster version of the same song, rather than a deserving counterpart.

A sure-fire highlight of this album is in ‘Triumph’. J Hus’s paranoia is mellowed by his relaxed auto-tuned tone, as he accepts that he will always have to deal with opposition, “but the real will always triumph.” He appears nostalgic for his past friendships and relationships, but holds no regrets, always reminding himself to look forward more than backwards.

The sequence of songs that follows this – namely ‘No Denying’, ‘Must Be’, and ‘Love, Peace and Prosperity’ – function as the perfect trio, showing all dimensions of J Hus. The tracks relay that he is steadfast in his values and also has a clear sense of his position within rap, e.g. on the hook of the latter he accurately sings, “I live a street life and sing a melody.”

J Hus is a proficient storyteller, prioritising matter-of-factness over technical rapping ability and internal rhyming structures. The result of this works both to his advantage and his detriment.

This rap style seems to be an insight into his mind – constantly in gear, moving fluidly from one subject matter to the next without explanation – but this simultaneously obscures some of his messages, that would be even more effective if elaborated on, rather than left as Instagrammable quotes.

Despite this, he is self-reflective and clear-eyed, watchful of his enemies and sharper than ever before. This album shows that although the persona of J Hus may precede him in many ways, his music is so good he just about gets away with it.

8/10

The university and the city continue to infringe upon us, while failing to protect us. Photo: Blithe Mik @ Flickr

UoM open consultation on investment “decarbonisation”

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

University leadership have opened a consultation to all students and staff into proposed changes to its investment portfolio, in the wake of the current climate emergency.

In an announcement made this morning, the University has outlined its suggestions for the “decarbonising” of its investments, following their agreement to bring forward the next review of the policy in December.

The University described its policy change as “pioneering”, with plans to implement divestment not only from “fossil fuel reserves and extraction” but also “disinvestment based on carbon intensity”.

Proposed changes include a multi-stage process, that in its initial phase would see UoM reduce its equity investments in fossil fuel reserves and extraction by 99% (with the intention of later eliminating all equity investments in this area), and a 30% reduction in the “carbon intensity” of their equity investments in the next two years.

In addition, the University has “explicitly committed” to actively decarbonise its investments so that its investment portfolio reaches zero carbon in 2038, a target which it has called “ambitious in comparison to national targets and actions of other organisations which have focussed largely on one aspect of carbon emissions.”

The report outlines the University’s ‘Immediate term (2019-2022), Medium term (2023-2027, and Long term (2028-2038)’ goals. Most immediately, UoM proposes broadly decarbonising its investment portfolio, “reducing exposure to carbon intensive companies”, and “reducing potential emissions from fossil fuel reserves”.

However, the University has notably resisted from divesting fully from fossil fuel companies up until this point, leaving it among the final half of UK universities to still to commit to doing so.

A statement released by the University said: “The main reason for the policy changes is a recognition that climate change is likely the most important issue facing our planet today.

“We believe that this is a more radical, comprehensive and justified approach than disinvestment based on fossil fuel extraction alone.”

The University’s recent commitment to decarbonising its Socially Responsible Investment Portfolio (SRIP) came after significant student pressure to divest from fossil fuels, including a seven-day occupation of the John Owens building by climate campaign group People and Planet.

Last week, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell told students from the School of Arts, Languages, and Cultures, that the University of Manchester would do “a lot more” to tackle the climate crisis than any other UK universities, despite their decision to remain holding investments in Royal Dutch Shell and BP.

Addressing staff and students, a statement from the University posted on their website read: “The approach we are proposing is important because we believe climate change is a priority. We would like you to consider what we are proposing and feedback your thoughts and comments and whether you support the general direction that this policy sets out by Monday, 9 March 2020.”

According to Manchester University’s most recent Draft Revised Policy for Responsible Investment, these “major changes” proposed by the University will be implemented “with immediate effect if the consultation results in support”.

Students and Staff of the University of Manchester can give feedback on the proposed investment policy changes until Monday, 9 March 2020 through an online questionnaire.

Review: An Act of Care (Push Festival)

Written by Kayleigh Crawford on . Posted in Theatre.

Performed to a public audience for the first time at HOME Theatre’s PUSH festival, An Act of Care is Manchester-based theatre collective archipelago’s tribute to Britain’s National Health Service. 

Written by Rosie Macpherson and directed by Laurence Young, An Act of Care is fiercely political, time-travelling between the creation of the NHS and its present-day struggle. As stories are interwoven, the different narratives surrounding Britain’s healthcare service fight for dominance. The story of Aneurin Bevan (Seren Vickers), the Labour politician who fought for the establishment of the NHS in 1948, plays out next to the story of a character only referred to as ‘Smiling Sam’ (Tomi Ogbaro), an NHS nurse in Trafford General Hospital on the night of the performance, 28th January 2020.

The performance uses punk music to set the scene, capturing the pride that the British public have for the NHS, along with the anger about what is happening to it. Austerity, inequality, and the hostile environment are all themes that the play explores through various songs and characters. Throughout the performance, the audience is reminded that the fight for healthcare is an intersectional one; identity is explored alongside the struggle of both NHS workers and service users to be treated fairly.

The story of Aneurin Bevan takes us from the coalfield in Wales to the House of Commons, from classrooms to the picket lines. Interspaced with Smiling Sam’s twelve-hour shift, the two stories regularly come into contact. Instead of playing out side-by-side, the two timelines interact with each other, pulling the audience from scene to scene, irrespective of a chronological series of events.

The dynamic between the characters was captivating; Bevan’s relevance to the lives of everyday NHS workers and users is questioned through the character of Smiling Sam and the hospital staff. Busy with an ever-increasing patient list, they had no time for the speeches and rallies Bevan kept introducing into the narrative. Often Bevan’s story was interrupted by the sound of beeping and machinery, as he was ushered away in order for Smiling Sam to take care of patients. 

Although the two timelines span vastly different timescales, Smiling Sam’s twelve hour shift is far more fast-paced and frantic, a projected screen on the stage informing the audience how far into the shift we are and how long the hospital waiting time currently is. As Bevan’s story progresses through fifty years of the history of the NHS, the waiting time rises higher and higher for Smiling Sam. 

Performed with a cast of four, a minimal set design, and limited technical aspects, An Act of Care had all of the energy and momentum of a huge production. This was sustained throughout the performance, the consistently frantic pace highlighting the moments when everything slowed to a halt, only to speed back up as the music invigorated and revived the fight. One of the highlights of the performance came with a rare dip into the future; the year is 2021 and the guitar riffs become angrier as the performers sing about the selling off of the NHS in Brexit trade deals and the slow, subtle privatisation to follow.

An Act of Care is a cleverly conceived show that attempts to reconcile Britain’s proud history of the NHS with the reality of its current service and daunting future prospects. Despite the strong political messages and rallying calls to arms, the performance remains a love letter to the existence of the NHS.

Moving through the past, present, and future of Britain’s health service, it invites us to think about where we were before the NHS – and by doing so, shows us why we must fight like hell to save it. For all of the anger, rage, and frustration, An Act of Care is fundamentally a play about the importance of caring for one another, and more specifically, the importance of caring about caring for one another.

How Instagram made books cool again

Written by Alice Porter on . Posted in Books.

In light of the rise of technology throughout the last 20 years, many publications, book-shop owners and researchers have fearfully predicted the demise of reading as a hobby. But research suggests that this has not been the case.

An article for The Guardian explains that whilst books sales fell by 5.4% in 2018, the digital book market rose by 4.6%. Although this means books sales did fall by 0.8%, this drop hardly signifies the death of reading that many have feared. Considering this, it should also be noted that this drop was the first time book sales had fallen in five years and that part of the reason the book market is surviving is because of technology, rather than in spite of it.

What’s more, research undertaken by Statista about American adults’ reading habits shows that in 2019, 18-29 year olds were the age group who read the most. The research found that 81% of the 18-29 years olds they studied had read a book in any format in the previous year. Fears surrounding the omnipresence of technology are particularly projected on to people from this age group, but this data suggests that young people are still enjoying reading alongside technology, perhaps even as an antidote to it.

For many people though, books and technology are inextricably linked as a result of a new type of influencer: ‘Bookstagrammers’ and ‘BookTubers’. They use their platforms to discuss what they are reading and what they are going to read, often amassing hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of views and followers, and, in turn, encouraging more people to read.

On top of this, influencers who have found fame for things other than reading, such as fashion and lifestyle, have started to incorporate books into their content, often taking arty photos of and with novels. Sally Rooney has often been dubbed an ‘Instagram author’ and her pleasingly simple covers are the subject of many a social media photo. The hashtag #NormalPeople, the name of her second novel that was released in 2018, has over 48,000 posts attached to it on Instagram, and the BBC are adapting it into a TV series that looks very millennial-friendly.

The books that fashion and lifestyle influencers are reading generally fall into the category of literary fiction and non-fiction, with David Sedaris’ collections of essays gaining popularity amongst fashion bloggers like Lizzy Hadfield and Anna Newton, as well as the novel My Sister The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, which was featured as part of Zoella’s book club. Reese Witherspoon also runs an Instagram book club over at @reesesbookclub – an account that has 1.4 million followers. Reese’s book club focusses on novels with ‘women at the centre of the story’.

One positive of the new influencer obsession with books is that they are often reading texts written by and about women. Seemingly this is because everyone else is reading books by women, which has a knock-on effect. Many of the most popular online book clubs specifically focus on texts by female authors, such as Reese’s, Zoella’s and Emma Watson’s (@oursharedshelf).

Not only this, but contemporary fiction being published by women often adopts covers that are, to use Instagram’s favourite adjectives, aesthetically pleasing. Either because, like Rooney’s, they’re simple and minimalistic or, like Lisa Taddeo’s hugely successful non-fiction book Three Women, for example, they have covers that feature arty designs. Both styles photograph well and appeal to these female influencers trying to create a certain ‘aesthetic’. Publishers know that people are inclined to judge a book by its cover, as users scroll through 100s of photos a day and will only stop to read the caption for images that grab their attention. This is especially the case when it comes to Instagram, a purely photo-based platform. As such, publishers seem to be catering to Millennial and Gen-Z social media users in their design.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yVkcTjREq/

Influencers taking up reading and making it a part of their content begs the question: is this romanticisation of books and the act of reading just a fleeting trend? Or is it a cultural shift, in that people are bored by 140 (or 280) characters and, after years of consuming this as their predominant form of information and entertainment, are craving something more?

Either way, it has certainly been a positive thing for authors, publishers and the book industry in general. With any hope, the romanticisation of books will extend to book shops and encourage people to pay a little bit more for their books in order to support their local book shops, instead of relying on Amazon.

Photo: Ilovetheeu @ Wikimedia Commons

Brexit: What happens next for Manchester students?

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

Over three and a half years since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, a deal has been agreed and the UK is no longer an EU member. 

In a divided and polarised nation, Greater Manchester voted largely to Remain, as did people aged 18 to 24. 

But in 2020, the majority of undergraduate students would have been too young to vote in the 2016 referendum. According to a BMG poll, 74% of people who were too young to cast a ballot in the 2016 Brexit referendum but have since reached voting age would back remain if a second public vote were called. Undoubtedly there are students that fall on both sides of the debate,

Students occupy a unique position as the UK enters the 11-month transition period, with some currently studying abroad on Erasmus programmes or hoping to in the near future, and many finding their entry to adult political life dominated by the UK’s exit from Brussels, with the first general elections they are able to vote in being post-Brexit.

The Mancunion spoke to University of Manchester students about their Brexit views as the UK takes the historic step of leaving the EU. 

Bella Jewell, a third-year French and Italian student currently on her year abroad worked in Nantes, France, last semester, and is heading to Italy for the rest of the year. She told The Mancunion: “It’s really strange I’ll be honest, I’m the only Brit in the office and they’ve cut my role for the next team as it’s just not relevant anymore! Very sad and confusing. I’m heading home tomorrow and have no idea whether I have the right to stand in the EU queue anymore, or whether when I go to Italy there’ll be issues with visas!

“It’s just so upsetting, it’s going to really impact on language students if only a few places are available each year as well. My friend working in Brussels for a policy bureau is the last of the Brits too, they’ve had to cut the role for people who haven’t got EU citizenship. That being said, it’s really dragged to the point we’ve become worryingly desensitised.”

Rebecca Rommen, a second-year Politics student from Brussels said it felt “surreal” that the UK was actually leaving the EU after three and a half years: “The process has dragged on for so long that everyone has Brexit fatigue. It’s been years since the referendum, so it was easy to forget that this was eventually going to happen. 

“I had faith that a second referendum could happen so now I feel disillusioned. As an EU citizen it’s heartbreaking to know that the union you identify with and the country you live in are no longer compatible.”

Alf Wells, a third-year Geography student who has worked in France, Switzerland, and Cyprus, said he felt the UK was “damned if we do [and] damned if we don’t”.

Wells said he didn’t feel positive about the EU, but that he isn’t “a mad fan of Brexit either. Always going to be seized upon by nationalist elements within the UK and well need I say no more about nationalism.”

A previous Mancunion investigation looked into how students on the Erasmus programme at the University could be affected over the coming months, with many students voicing clear uncertainty over the future of the scheme. 

A University of Manchester spokesperson previously told The Mancunion: “We realise that the uncertainty over the future of Erasmus will be worrying for students, particularly for those for whom a study or work placement in Europe is integral to their programme.

“While there are a number of issues which require guidance from the government, the University is working on contingency arrangements with EU partners to develop agreements which will allow mobility flows beyond Erasmus. We are also in the process of quantifying the financial impact in case government funding is not forthcoming beyond our participation in Erasmus in 2021.”

Over the last six months, the University of Manchester and the Students’ Union have been working to encourage EU students studying at Manchester to apply for settled status. EU students have previously expressed feelings of fear and uncertainty over their future in the UK, with some telling The Mancunion that they didn’t feel safe in Manchester.

A University spokesperson said: “The University has continued to engage with the UK government at all levels in order to understand and seek to mitigate the impact of Brexit…upon our students, staff, research, teaching engagement and beyond.

“The University recognises that this uncertainty is difficult for our community… If students are experiencing anxiety then our provision for support can be accessed either through Schools or via the support pages as part of My Manchester.”