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Month: May 2020

University of Manchester announce full divestment from fossil fuels

The University of Manchester will end all of its investments in fossil fuel companies by 2022, following years of scrutiny from students.

Announced this afternoon, changes to the investment portfolio will see the University withdraw all holdings in fossil fuel reserve- and extraction companies over the next two years, with a further commitment to full ‘decarbonisation’ by 2038.

This move, according to the Senior Leadership Team, “goes further than other fossil fuel divestment programmes,” and means the University will move around £12 million worth of shares to more ethical and sustainable companies.

University leadership have repeatedly come under pressure from students over the years to remove fossil fuel companies from their Socially Responsible Investment Portfolio (SRIP), especially following news earlier this year that over half of UK universities now have divestment commitments.

Last November, a group of students from climate change campaign group People and Planet occupied the John Owens building for seven days to protest the investments. The protest followed a similar occupation from the same group the previous summer.

Kayleigh, a second-year Geography student and member of People and Planet, said she was “incredibly happy” that the University had committed to divestment:

“However, I think it’s important that we don’t let them forget it took generations of student activists and almost nine years of campaigning to get here.

“We still have a long way to go to achieve climate justice, but today’s announcement made me a lot more optimistic about the power the student population has to make change in our universities.”

Earlier this year, the University launched a consultation into their SRIP with staff, students, and alumni, receiving nearly 600 responses. The new policy has been drafted with the Students’ Union and the University’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

As well as divesting from fossil fuel companies, the University will redirect investments from carbon-intensive companies to those which are more carbon efficient, in a move that Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility at the University, called “radical, comprehensive, and justified”.

“Since most CO2 emissions do not arise from the direct activity of fossil fuel companies, but through the use of fossil fuels by others, we will also take the more ambitious step to shift our investments to carbon efficient companies.

“We know these issues are important to our staff, students, and alumni, and bringing benefit to society and the environment is at the heart of our University’s purpose.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “I am delighted that after lengthy consultation and discussions, we can now launch our ambitious new investment policy, and I am very grateful to all who have worked so hard on this.”

Review: Normal People

The BBC adaptation of Sally Rooney’s highly popular book Normal People has recently burst on to our screens and gifted the nation with the perfect escape from the monotony of lockdown.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, and co-written by Alice Birch and Rooney herself, this series follows the love story of Marianne and Connell, who first strike up a relationship as school pupils in Sligo, Ireland.

We meet Marianne as a middle-class, complicated, but humorously frank character, who has struggled to make friends throughout her school years. Connell, in contrast, is first depicted as a handsome and athletic young man, who attempts to disguise his shyness with popularity. As the half hour episodes continue, we see how the two protagonists grow, develop but also suffer as they both venture to Trinity College in Dublin. During their time as students, the characters weave in and out of each other’s lives. The attraction and love between the two are continuous throughout the narrative, but the ability to express these feelings clearly is often proven to be a challenge. It is ultimately a tale about two people who just never seem to be able to let go of themselves long enough to be honest with each other. The consequences of the things left unsaid by these young lovers are impressively portrayed in this BBC adaptation.

Daisy Edgar-Jones (Marianne) and Paul Mescal (Connell) lead this series with utterly convincing performances. The pair captured the voices of these two complex characters and portrayed the awkwardness of the intimate scenes strikingly well. It is with no surprise that both Edgar-Jones and Mescal have won the hearts of our generation and viewers have not held back in expressing support on social media. So much so, one fan has even created a whole Instagram page dedicated to ‘Connell Waldron’s Chain’, in admiration of the necklace worn by Mescal in the series.

The presentation of this story is beautifully designed on screen. The cinematography and wide shots of the lovers in Italy is especially delightful to watch. Audience members will no doubt be booking Marianne’s Italian villa on Air BnB at the first opportunity. Furthermore, we must commend the directors and writers of this adaptation for refusing to erase the more sensitive issues of mental health, sex, domestic abuse and socio-economic prejudice. As someone who has read the book, I admired the way in which the adaptation did justice to such important topics. For students, there are many relatable issues at play in this series and the story becomes immensely powerful as a result.

Normal People has proven itself to be a flawless adaptation. The series has the potential to be a classic amongst our generation and we will undoubtedly be revisiting the lives of Marianne and Connell for years and years to come. So, put down your pens, hide away your revision notes, close your assignments and dedicate some time to take in this emotionally riveting masterpiece.

5/5

Opinion: Netflix’s Hollywood is a liberal fantasy

Hollywood is a miniseries from creative genius Ryan Murphy, as part of his $300 million development deal with Netflix. The plot follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers, some of whom are people-of-colour and/or gay, during Hollywood’s Golden Age in the post-World War II era. Whilst most of the characters are fictional, there are a few based on real-life people, as well as fictionalised versions of real people, such as Rock Hudson.

The cast includes Broadway Queen Patti LuPone, The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons, and Holland Taylor, the partner of Murphy’s (usual) leading lady, Sarah Paulson. Queen Latifah appears briefly as Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Oscar (for the racially problematic Gone with the Wind). The show’s aesthetic, costumes and acting are incredible, and the writing, for the most part, deserves credit. But critics have criticised the artistic license taken.

Now, I enjoyed this show and what it stands for: it celebrates women and minorities and acknowledges the hardships that they have faced. But in the end, it is a smug, obtuse, liberal fantasy that thinks celluloid art directly shapes our lives. Instead of directly tackling the discrimination in Hollywood, through a #MeToo lens, it presents a wish-fulfilment liberal fantasy that absolves liberal white people of the racism that they are complicit in and privileged by. I recently submitted my dissertation, which problematises white feminism, looking particularly at The Handmaid’s Tale, to explore the ways that well-intentioned white liberals celebrate and/or fight for people-of-colour, whilst washing their hands of privilege and complicity. If only Hollywood had come out a little sooner — I could have devoted a whole section to it.

Hollywood imagines a world that is just, where white Hollywood executives take a chance on a “coloured” film, and it is a success — so much so that the racist protests gradually stop (as if they are not still happening today). But none of this stuff happened. There wasn’t a film written by a gay black man, directed by an Asian man and starring the black woman he was dating, green-lighted by a studio ran by a Jewish woman, and none of them won Oscars! Nor did Anna May Wong: Hollywood tossed her into the dustbin of history. Rock Hudson did not attend the Oscars with his black boyfriend; he was forced to marry a woman. The show seems to suggest that if gay men were braver, things would be okay. Henry Wilson did not stop being a sexual predator, and he did not produce a gay-themed movie. His homosexuality and self-hatred seem to be used as an excuse for his misbehaviour, in the way Kevin Spacey came out as gay after being accused of sexual misconduct. Why the need to humanise and redeem a real-life monster? Imagine doing that to Harvey Weinstein: “oh, if only he’d had more supportive peers, he might not have been a rapist!”

While it is nice to imagine talented people-of-colour getting the credit they deserved, that is all it is — nice. And people-of-colour will tell you that nice means nothing. We don’t want you to be nice; we want you to be honest. “What if you could rewrite the story?” asks the poster. But I do not understand the point of creating some alternate universe where people were not as racist and homophobic as they actually were. It solves nothing. Hollywood was not kind to minorities, and change did not happen overnight. It’s still happening. This show makes Hollywood’s liberalisation seem effortless, and worse — it gives the credit to white people.

Even if this stuff had happened, the world would not have suddenly become an egalitarian Eden. The fight is still ongoing! For the most part, contemporary Hollywood stands for liberalism – but is the world a progressive paradise? Absolutely not. In short, this show is the creation of well-meaning white liberals who have a myopic view of power and resistance and a misunderstanding of their privilege and complicity. Hollywood is smug and obtuse enough to believe its naïve portrayal of change.

Now, I wish Hollywood’s story was true. I wish a Chinese actress who auditioned for the role of a Chinese woman, but the role instead went to a white woman in yellow-face and landed her an Academy Award, finally won a well-deserved Oscar. But she did not. What’s more, roles are still being taken from minorities. What good is imagining a progressive 20th century Hollywood when 21st century Hollywood still has racial issues? Minorities do not want you to imagine a better world; we want you to fight for one.

Living in lockdown: Life in empty Fallowfield halls

Felix Soedira is remaining positive. “There’s only four of us left in Willow Court, Fallowfield Campus is like a ghost town,” he laughs, during our Zoom call. 

With his family in Dubai, the first-year immunology student is stuck in Richmond Park. He might be alone, but he’s still smiling.

He worries about sounding “selfish” when he talks about focusing on himself and prioritising self-care, but it’s good to see that the “I’m fine” messages he’s been sending me for weeks are real. 

Felix enjoying lockdown pizza while alone in Fallowfield halls. Photo: Felix Soedira

Felix is thriving in his daily routine of work, speaking to family, exercising, and watching “a lot” of Netflix. But he knows this won’t be the case for everyone: “I feel fortunate because I know a lot of people who if they were alone in halls they’d struggle.”

He sings the praises of ResLife staff and the support they’ve offered on campus, from regular phone calls to check he was okay when he had coronavirus symptoms, to organising online Netflix parties for the slim number of students still in halls. 

The outbreak has turned his life upside down. It’s been 52 days since his last flatmate moved out and all he can do is keep his fingers crossed that he’ll be able to see his family this summer. 

Felix’s kitchen in Willow Court. Photo: Felix Soedira

Felix admits that missing his family has been the hardest part. The UAE, where his family live, halted incoming flights at the end of March, 48 hours earlier than initially announced.

While there is talk in the British press of Dubai being open to tourists as early as July, Felix is waiting for the go-ahead from his pilot father. He doesn’t want to risk being detained or even sent back. 

Right now though he’s getting used to the “lowkey apocalyptic vibes” – dancing around his ground-floor kitchen with no-one around to see him and trying not to annoy his upstairs neighbour too much as he locks himself out of the building for the second time in two days.

“I was mortified, honestly, there always used to be someone around outside to let you in, I was prepared to sleep the night outside of Richmond.” 

The thought of lockdown was “quite scary” to Felix, as was watching his group of friends “slowly diminishing one by one”, but he reacted better than he thought he would.

Through Zoom the silence around the halls is stark – nobody is screaming or laughing on their way back from a night out; Felix says that has been the strangest thing to adapt to. 

Photo: Felix Soedira
Empty paths in Fallowfield Campus. Photo: Felix Soedira

And while he has remained cheerful, it was hard when it dawned on him that university wasn’t going to be the same again. He had planned to attend the Nationals with the UoM Frisbee club, and run the Purple Wave with a friend: “None of us [are] going to come back to halls and finish off our first-year experience.”

But it’s the uncertainty that bothers him most: “I don’t know when things will go back to normal. When online teaching for semester one was announced, it hit me that we’ve basically lost two semesters, [that’s] a whole year.” 

Felix now has one month left in halls, before he moves out into his second-year house. Depending on the lockdown, he could be settling in for a lot more Netflix. 

Related articles: Living in lockdown – Coronavirus and my year abroad

Pay cuts, severance and unpaid leave: UoM announce voluntary cost-saving measures

The University of Manchester has announced a number of cost-saving measures which staff can opt into, in light of financial losses due to Covid-19.

These pay-related cost-saving measures include “a University-wide voluntary severance package, an unpaid career break or reduced working hours for a three, six, nine or 12-month period, or a voluntary salary reduction.”

Last month the University made headlines when it announced a potential loss of £270 million due to predicted drops in numbers of student admissions, as well as loss of income from student halls, commercial services, and research income.

Around 12,000 people are employed by the University of Manchester, making it the largest single employer in Manchester. Excluding those whose salaries are paid by external funding, casual employees and agency staff, the majority of staff employed by the University are eligible to put themselves forward for these measures.

A University spokesperson told The Mancunion that the measures were introduced following “a consultation with the trade unions” and that “staff are under no obligation to take up any of these measures.”

Voluntary Severance Scheme:

Staff have been given the option to voluntarily sever their employment with the University. Those who opt for this measure and are successful in applying will receive a severance payment based on the number of years they have been employed.

The terms of the package are as follows:

  • Up to four years continuous service – four months basic salary
  • Between four years and ten years continuous service – seven months basic salary
  • Beyond ten years continuous service – ten months basic salary

Unpaid Career Breaks: 

The University of Manchester has an existing policy through which staff can apply for an unpaid career break, “for example to care for your children, elderly or unwell family members.”

Previously, the policy stated that to apply you must have worked at the University continuously for at least two years. However, in light of the financial losses incurred during the lockdown, the University has made the decision to waive this stipulation.

What’s more, while the former policy allowed for a career break of a minimum of 6 months, this current measure allows for the possibility of a shorter break from 3 months up to 2 years of unpaid leave.

Voluntary reduction in hours:

Staff are being offered the opportunity to reduce their hours by a minimum of 10%, as a voluntary cost saving measure for the University.

Those who opt for this measure will be able to discuss their preferred changes in hours with their line manager, based on their personal situation and their professional responsibilities.

Voluntary salary reductions:

Much like the above option to reduce hours, staff are also being given the option to volunteer for a self-defined pay cut.

The University of Manchester staffnet website states that this measure has been introduced as “a number of colleagues have offered to take a voluntary salary reduction, and we can now confirm how this can be done.”

This comes after an announcement in April that the University’s Senior Leadership Team have taken a 20% pay cut, in light of financial losses caused by closing the campus. However this measure allows for staff to decide on the level of pay reduction and how long their wish this reduction to apply for (e.g. 5%, 10%, 20% or more, for 3 to 12 months).

University of Manchester Main Library. Photo: DPOrman @ Wikimedia

It is currently unknown how many staff are expected to opt into any of these measures, however the University have offered reassurances that although staff numbers may decrease fractionally as a result of these voluntary schemes, they “don’t expect these voluntary measures to significantly impact on the delivery of our teaching”.

The full extent of the drop in student recruitment will not be known until October 2020, however it is likely that the University will be taking further measures to reduce its expenditure in the near future to compensate for the reduction in income.

A University spokesperson told The Mancunion: “We are introducing these measures to help mitigate any future action that is likely to be needed due to the impact on our finances from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We understand these are challenging times for everyone and staff are under no obligation to take up any of these measures.

“The University of Manchester remains ambitious for the future, so to carry on providing excellent education, conducting high quality research and maintaining our commitment to social responsibility, we must ensure we have sufficient funds.”

More information on the policies and how to apply can be found on the University of Manchester staffnet website.

The University and College Union (UCU) has been contacted for comment.

Cancer won’t wait so why should you?

With COVID occupying the minds of a scared world, cancer’s status as the number one bad guy seems to have been revoked.

Nowadays, a fair chunk of the population have learnt to recite the symptoms of corona as naturally as their ABCs, but in doing so have pushed warning signs of cancer off the syllabus. It is estimated that each week over 2,000 cases of cancer are going undiagnosed in the UK. It’s understandable that this pandemic has brought with it a hesitancy to trouble the NHS and left little worry room for cancer.

This world, unfortunately, is big enough for the both of them. Alongside the wavering COVID death figures, cancer’s stands strong at 450 a day in the UK in 2019. It is a dangerous enemy but a fight that can be won if caught early. The Mancunion has spoken to experts in and around Manchester to find out why diagnostic rates are dropping, and how we can help them to help us.

Cancer doesn’t wait, so why should you?

WHY ARE THE DIAGNOSTIC NUMBERS DROPPING?

Photo designed by Jess Beresford
Photo: Jess Beresford

With screening programmes being put on hold, it is important that we look out for ourselves. So why aren’t we?

It’s thought people are not getting checked because they are worried about catching the virus or being a burden on the NHS. Both reasons are understandable but there are some common misconceptions here that need to be debunked.

Regarding the spread of the virus, yes it is an increased risk to be going anywhere outside of home and some surgeries may hold more of a risk than others, but most of the time you do not even need to set foot inside. Over the phone meetings can be used to ask about symptoms and give you peace of mind or allow you to arrange the next steps.

If those next steps require in-person interactions, extra precautions are being taken to keep the risk of virus exposure to a minimum. Consultant oncologist surgeon Lester Barr emphasises that they “will keep you safe.” With many diagnostic clinics still open, fully staffed and kitted out with PPE, the benefit of early diagnosis outweighs the risk of infection. It’s in their job description to do what’s best for you, and that promise remains, even now.

With the NHS being hurled head first into the biggest challenge of our time, it’s a fair reaction to not want to burden their load. However, for some professionals their job is to fight cancer, not Covid-19. There is diagnostic equipment empty and staff available, meaning that diagnosis does not divert the national effort away from the pandemic. What’s more, early diagnosis will actually help to ease the workload of the NHS in the long run.

GPs in Manchester explicitly state “we want to hear from you”. They can’t do their job unless we do ours.

 

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR?

The Christie Cancer hospital in Manchester has explained that the public should pay attention to any changes in their health and ask their GP about persistent and unexplained symptoms such as:

  • Lumps, bumps or swelling, changes to skin or moles
  • Blood in your urine, blood in your stools or coughing up blood
  • Unexplained pain
  • A change in your bowel habit, feeling bloated most days in the last 3 weeks
  • Extreme tiredness, getting out of breath doing normal tasks
  • Weight loss
  • A cough lasting over 3 weeks, especially if you have ever smoked

For further info, check out the ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign on the NHS wesbite.

Here’s a shortcut of what’s important, let it be the kick up the arse you need to keep yourself safe.

Beat cancer with early diagnosis.

Realise you are not a burden, it is the doctors job to treat you and they would rather you get checked than risk a worse outcome.

Ask your GP if you are not sure, any symptom checking is not time wasted.

Vigilance – continue to look out for symptoms as well as one’s associated with covid.

Extra measures will be taken in surgeries, and early diagnosis saves lives.

So, whilst corona seems to be everywhere we look, cancer is an undercover killer that is likely to affect 1 out of 2 of us in our lifetime. Be BRAVE, act quickly and do not hesitate to seek help if something isn’t right.

This is a fight we can win and cancer won’t wait.

Album Review: Rain Fire EP by Novelist

Novelist has started the decade by working as if he has something to prove, with this Rain Fire EP marking his third solo or collaborative release of the year so far. Following Inferno and the joint project with Shailan Heat, this EP is yet another example of what makes the South London MC such a singular talent in the UK rap scene.

From first gaining recognition as one of the most exciting young voices in the burgeoning grime resurgence of the mid 2010’s, dropping harsh yet boisterous anthems such as ‘Endz’ and ‘1 Sec’, he has since found production and feature credits on Skepta’s Konichiwa and been Mercury Prize nominated for his last full-length release Novelist Guy. Throughout his career he has shown himself to be an incredibly versatile rapper and that is no different on this EP.

The styles and influences found on Rain Fire are a mix of 80’s synthwave, 90’s Memphis sounds, UK rap and grime, with a diverse set of instrumental palettes offered by a variety of producers.

The laid-back opener ‘Seen It All Before’ effortlessly blends summery 80’s guitar and bass licks with the typical Novelist swagger as verses are exchanged between the three MCs featured. A glacial synth lead and driving bass on the next track ‘Investing’ provide a darker atmosphere with a more direct flow to match this backdrop.

Novelist’s old school mentality typically found in his lyrics and focus on imparting his own knowledge learnt through experience is also exemplified on the hook here, as he raps “when I get cash no splash, big plans for the fam I’m self-investing”.

Sonically, the record continues to surprise as ‘Southside’ offers a bouncy Tennessee infused cut while the chilling and hard-hitting piano line on ‘Pull Up’ sounds like it could have come from Tay Keith.

‘Wanna War’ showcases his ability over a drill beat with an impressive feature from affiliate Raj Forever, once again proving his versatility on a song more fitting for the contemporary sounds of the UK scene. The rumbling self-produced closer ‘In It to Last’ with New York rapper Big Twins is an apt finish as Novelist muses on his ambitions as a ‘young visionary’ on an album which serves to once again craft his entirely unique lane in the game.

Listening to Rain Fire not only do you hear an eclectic array of influences and some very capable rapping, you also get an insight into the mindset towards life and his music which makes Novelist the MC he is.

It is clear from this project as well as the two others released this year that he is determined to make his impression on 2020 and elevate his musical output to new heights. By the looks of things, he’ll be making a lot more noise in the months to come.

8/10

Greater Manchester homelessness charities appeal for support following warehouse raid

Charites across Greater Manchester are appealing for more support for the region’s most vulnerable after a warehouse holding emergency supplies was broken into and thousands of items were stolen.

The Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network (GMHAN), Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and Manchester Homeless Partnership are among the local charities and authorities collaborating on the COVID-19 emergency supplies depot, originally established by CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Kamani Property in Manchester’s New Cross.

The groups are asking businesses and individuals to contribute to the effort in helping those who are facing lockdown without a home.

Demand for services has doubled during lockdown, and the network of charities are now struggling even more following the warehouse break-in on bank holiday weekend.

The GMHAN is a collaborative project between authorities and charities in the homelessness sector in Greater Manchester. They have supplied 3000 meals and 1000 essential packages every week, which has become harder to fulfil after essential hygiene and clothing items were in the majority of items stolen during the raid at the depot.

In their appeal to make sure those suffering the most are given the support they need during this uncertain time, GMHAN has put together a Live Needs List. These items are desperately needed for the homeless population in Greater Manchester:

  • PPE supplies (face masks, gloves etc.)
  • Non-perishable food (e.g. tins, dried pasta, sugar, coffee/tea)
  • Large quantity of take out containers and disposable cutlery
  • Solo activities for adults and children (books, jigsaws, puzzles, colouring pads and pens)
  • Mobile phones and chargers
  • Ready meals
  • Laundry powder
  • Gluten-free and vegetarian food
  • Hygiene packs, including; wet wipes, hand sanitizers (60% alcohol if possible), individual packs of tissues, toothbrushes and toothpaste, flannels, shampoo, shower gel, sanitary products, deodorant, hand wash, toilet roll

Dee Lowry, warehouse coordinator at GMHAN, said: “All of us are facing unexpected challenges in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. However, for the thousands of people across Greater Manchester who are without a home, the struggle to survive is more serious than ever before.

“We’ve been working closely with people in the community, as well as frontline organisations to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of people who are homeless. As part of this vital work, we’ve received an overwhelming demand for the essential items included on our Live Needs List.

“We have been making great progress with the initiative, but the break in has set us back immensely, and the demand is bigger than ever and only expected to grow due to the economic consequences of Covid-19.

“We’re hoping that the people of Greater Manchester will come together to support people who are homeless through this difficult time.”

More information about the GMHAN’s Live Needs List can be found on the Street Support Network website. The charities in the GMHAN network also stress that if you are unable to support by donating items, they are also welcoming monetary donations and voluntary support.

If you are interested in donating you should email: [email protected].

EP Review: II by TNGHT

Upon the announcement of a new TNGHT release in late October, there was a sense of eager anticipation for the finished product II, which was made available on the 12th of November.

After more than 6 years of hiatus, Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke (notably of Kanye’s G.O.O.D Music label) reunited with Canadian producer and DJ Lunice for a follow-up to their 2012 self-titled EP. Despite this being their only record as a duo (with both artists exploring a variety of other solo ventures), the fusion of trap, bass and electronic sounds resulted in a raucous, forward thinking tracklist which made a significant splash upon initial release.

These combinations were a refreshingly playful take on the trap ‘banger’, with warped vocals and sticky melodies providing a more experimental edge to the bombastic speaker-knocking formula. Rap music has seen a turn towards the more riotous and audacious side of the spectrum. In the last 5 years pioneering contemporary electronic music has favoured bubbly and wonky aesthetics. The ideas presented by TNGHT’s first EP can be heard in a variety of artists from the likes of Injury Reserve to Iglooghost.

The opening track and lead single ‘Serpent’ illustrates this perfectly. Chopped vocal yelps bounce energetically over a skittering drum pattern and percussive melodic line, presenting the perfect balance between chaos and ear grabbing eccentricity. Other highlights include ‘Im In A Hole’ where airy and atmospheric synths lead to the introduction of a disjointed beat that injects the song with a ruthless intensity, and ‘Dollaz’ which sees the duo doing what they do best with vocal samples and an 808.

Apart from a few shining moments however, this release is not the triumphant reassertion of the groups style, with a musical landscape which seems much less suited to it than it did in 2012. One of the main failings throughout this EP is the consistent structural weakness of several tracks. While some songs may present an interesting idea or sound, they lack the gradual build towards a climactic finale which made their earlier material so satisfying.

The closing track ‘First Body’ is an example of this anti-climax. It has a somewhat anthemic lead melody line over a downtempo beat with lots of swing, but it feels as if this song is simply going through the motions without much in the way of meaningful or impactful structural development.

In other cases TNGHT’s typical bombast verges on obnoxious annoyance, namely in ‘Club Finger’ where an infuriatingly repetitive synth line and equally simplistic drum pattern burn a hole in your brain for around 3 minutes. While clearly the most boisterous song in the tracklist, it fails to channel this energy into anything other than an irritating mess.

This isn’t a bad release, and it is great to have new music from these two producers who stay within their own lane and still manage to keep it fresh. However, II does not have quite the same level of playful intensity which made their debut EP so exciting.

An inconsistent track list and some lacklustre structural elements weigh down this otherwise solid release. If you are keen for some interesting genre fusions, head-rattling beats or just want to hear TNGHT back on the boards after over 6 years then definitely check II out.

6/10.

Live Review: Jon Hopkins at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall

For an artist, to be regarded as diverse among peers, you might usually expect there to be reference to a catalogue of music sprawling across a variety of genres. Such visionary moves have been performed by  The Clash – who fused reggae and ska with punk rock, or perhaps  Radiohead – swapping their guitars with modular synthesisers and samplers for their 2000 Album, Kid A.

Jon Hopkins is not as diverse in this sense. Somehow, you might say magically, everything he releases retains a strong sense of cohesion, despite varying massively from track to track in terms of tempo, dynamics and volume. Bold and continuous in his style, he is known as much for his delicate, softly delivered piano works as for his thumping club bangers that you would find echoing through a sweaty nightclub in the earliest hours of a Sunday morning.

Previous tours have rendered greater focus upon the latter, with an evident move towards uptempo, rave-oriented sets at Glastonbury and Manchester’s own Warehouse Project, in support of his most recent album, Singularity.

However, prior to this tour he had been very outspoken about moving away from this; transposing his music from dance orientated areas into a more composed space. This seemed to provide a rather veiled hope of a more tranquil offering which would let the more intricate and expressive elements of his music take precedence over a bassline.

Hopkins has said that ideally, one day he would be able to perform alone, with just a piano as accompaniment. And sure enough, this was how the night began. 

The stage was empty, with only one solitary white light for decor as Hopkins played; his audience captivated and clinging onto every note and chord. Slowly he was joined by a guitarist, and followed by a string accompaniment, beautifully breathing life into the standout track ‘Scene Suspended’.

Hopkins, on one side of the stage with his accompanying musicians on the other, sat shrouded in darkness with his laptop as well as other assorted gear. I couldn’t see clearly, but after some hastily conducted research on YouTube he seems to be very fond of the Korg Kaossilator, a portable music synthesizer. Because of this, an air of anticipation slowly built within the room – there was no doubt that he was going to dip into his repertoire of pounding dancier music at some point, the question was when?

Part of me suspected that the performance was going to be split into two distinct sections, one with Hopkins on piano with the accompanying band, followed by an electronic set – but I am so glad I was wrong.

After only 2 or 3 tracks, the instrumentalists left the stage and Hopkins took up his position at the electronic setup. The audience had scarcely finished clapping politely in appreciation of such beautiful ambient music when they were brought out of their seats by the heavy synths and pounding drums of hit track ‘Emerald Rush’. In an instant, the concert hall was a dance floor. And somehow, it worked? Nothing felt forced, or ironically, rushed… and the silence of the audience instantly erupted with shouts and cheers.

Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. Hopkins returned to the piano and his accompaniment returned. The audience returned to their seats, and sunk back into the lull of the ambient music that followed, at least for a little while anyway, before returning to the hard hitting techno-esque extremities that had come just before.

The sheer distinction between audience reactions across the set was so palpable, that it is baffling that I am able to write praise of this – but here I am. It was as if there was a level of understanding, between the artist and dedicated fans; the greatest crowd control I’ve ever seen without so much as uttering a word. A mutual agreement to play by the rules.

I have no doubt that such unusual and unconventional pacing is what made this set so special, and could only be done thanks to the immense talent of all performers as well as the profound and enthralling nature of the music itself. When you’re enticed between sitting and standing on a whim, following moments of joy and ecstasy with moments of quiet contemplation, you’re truly exposed to the full spectrum of human emotion, all bundled into the span of 2 hours.

And while some people would’ve preferred to dance all that time away, much as I am sure others would’ve preferred to sit, I can say undoubtedly that the unorthodox and though-provoking nature of this performance made this show one of the most unique I have ever seen.


8/10.

A note from Deputy Editor for Culture, Georgina Davidson: The live music scene and many music venues rely on dance music nights and DJ led sets to thrive, as their popularity maintains an almost phoenix like quality for reinvention and remains highly sought after across the cities of the world. Manchester is no different. Cameron Taylor’s experience at Jon Hopkins’ show, just prior to lockdown, is testament to what can be done when care and an elegant attention to detail is thrown into the mix, quite literally.

Venues such as Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and Stoller Hall are vital to maintaining a culture for experimentation and encouraging growth and develop in an everchanging digital world of music production. Exploring new venues for varieties of sight and sound is an exciting pursuit and when Manchester finally reopens to cultural activities, these venues will be waiting for you with a whole host of world class and new creatives alike to enjoy and experience.

In the meantime the Save Our Scene campaign offers support to venues with no means of generating income during the lockdown. Don’t let the pandemic be an end to the fantastic range of music available to us in Manchester and Salford!

Let’s Get Away: Barcelona

When it is safe to do so,  I recommend you Get Away to Barcelona! With its spectacular architecture, great food, and warm weather the city is the perfect place to visit for a student budget weekend away.

To start your day, or for a refreshment later on, there is no shortage of small cafés and delis selling sandwiches and pastries, as well as incredible coffee.

I would recommend the ‘bombón’ coffee at Il Caffe di Francesco, which is a shot of espresso served with condensed milk. Or, I suggest you try the traditional Iberian ham and cheese croissants at El Fornet. The 365 Café is an essential visit for the sweet-toothed among us, with has a large array of ridiculously cheap pastries, donuts, croissants, and so much more from as little as 30 cents!

You aren’t going to go far wrong for food in Barcelona, but if you are in need of any further inspiration, Bacoa Burger is great for hearty fast food and Coffee Park, outside Park Güell, for ice cream.

There is plenty of culture to take in. For those interested in the ancient roots of the city there is the Museum of the History of Barcelona which offers an exhibition about the ruins of the city walls.

A huge number of the city’s most famous pieces of architecture were designed by Antoni Gaudí, such as the Casa Batlló and his house in Park Güell which is now a museum.

Unfortunately I found that Casa Batlló had huge queues and a hefty ticket price, so opted to just view its exterior. We did buy €6 tickets for the Gaudí House Museum, which I personally didn’t find particularly engaging but would be a great experience for those interested in his life .

Park Güell is a definite must for anyone visiting Barcelona. Situated at the top of a hill, you can see the whole city from above, which makes for breathtaking views and great pictures. It has lots of sculptures designed by Gaudí, and, perhaps more excitingly, the toilets are situated inside a cave! The area around the Park, Grácia, contains lots of political graffiti, and it was fun to see the phrase ‘Tourist go home’ written on many walls.

Then there is the famous Sagrada Familia – also designed, like seemingly everything else in the city, by Gaudí. Still under construction, the cathedral is due to be completed in 2026, almost 150 years after building work began. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is incredible to see but is very expensive to go into, so if you are intent on seeing the inside or climbing the towers, book ahead to get cheaper tickets. 

The Catedral de Barcelona is a good spot for free viewing, and you’ll be sure to see entertaining street performers either doing magic tricks or doing gymnastics with a football outside the Arc de Triomphe. The Catalonian capital city is also home to the world famous Champions League team FC Barcelona and its official store, so if you fancy catching a game or stocking up on a red and blue scarf, you’d be in the right place!

For those who enjoy a night out, Razzmatazz is a favourite with the local students and young tourists, and has plenty of rooms with different music. The Twenties club is a bit pricier (€12 for a Jägerbomb!) but the Latin-infused music and design of the interior makes it worth it. Avoid touristy clubs on the beachfront – they charge €5 for a bottle of water and have strict dress codes.

In terms of travel, you should definitely take advantage of Barcelona’s metro system. A kind stranger let us in on the secret that the €11.35 10 journey pass could be used by different people immediately after one another, so if you only need to take a few journeys via metro, don’t bother buying multiple single journey tickets at €2.40 each. 

Obviously flights are restricted at the moment, but return flights to Barcelona can be around £50 from Manchester Airport if you go mid-week and avoid peak times of year.

The beaches tend to get very crowded in the summer, as you’d expect, but are worth visiting nonetheless as they are beautiful, especially at sunset with a bottle of sangria!

You might also consider visiting the capital of Catalonia during the winter in order to get cheaper flights. This doesn’t mean sacrificing nicer weather, as the average winter temperature in Barcelona is 16°C, practically tropical compared to the UK.

There’s a reason why Barcelona is such a popular city break destination – with beaches and so much culture, the city offers something for everyone and should be top of your list for post-Corona travel destinations!

Cruel comparisons: The toxic culture of the ‘Before and After’ photos

You’d have to be living under a rock these past few weeks to have missed the media hype surrounding globally renowned singer Adele. Twitter, Facebook, and countless news sites have been plastered with the same image of the slimmer 32 year old – each accompanied with hundreds of comments lauding her ‘incredible transformation’ and supposed 7 stone weight loss.

‘She’s an inspiration’. ‘She’s so beautiful now’. 

Of course, I have no problem with Adele losing weight. I recently read an article which condemned Adele for supposedly letting down plus-size women everywherea somewhat regressive statement which is more telling of the writer’s own insecurities. For me, the underlying issue is that the over-glorification of Adele’s almost unrecognisable and slimmer physique is that is debases her previously larger – but completely healthy – body.

Praise is focused principally on how much more attractive the multi-Grammy Award winning singer has become. She is an ‘inspiration’ for her physical transformation, almost nullifying her many other achievements, and, crucially, perpetuating the toxic and misguided belief that weight loss is synonymous with happiness and self-improvement.

The hype surrounding Adele’s dramatic weight loss parallels another destructive modern trend and one which has always made me uncomfortable on Instagram – the toxic culture of the ‘before and after’ transformation post. This has arguably become even more prominent in the recent months since this lockdown and the ensuing ‘productivity contest’ that is perpetuated on social media.

In such posts, the bodies depicted pre-transformation portray the supposedly ‘undesirable’ body types. For women this tends to be an undefined waist, the love handles, the touching thighs, the muffin top, whilst for men it’s any physique which doesn’t resemble a Marvel movie superhero.

Obviously, there is nothing objectively flawed about these bodies. They are perfectly healthy and normal, but the negative implication is there when it is displayed as a before photo.

Why would anyone want the before body? Who would ever want to look like that? This new, skinnier body is so much better.

Perhaps you’ve never had body hang-ups before. Perhaps your lack of visible abs has never really crossed your mind. But the criticism implied by these comparisons can lead people to question the desirability of your body type.

Is there something wrong with the body in the first image? Should I, like these people, be doing something to change it? Would I be more desirable if I did?

In addition to their denunciation of perfectly normal body types, the vast majority of the post-transformation images are grossly misleading. In many cases, our exposure to ‘before and after’ comparison comes from social media influencers who share posts to sell more of their fitness and diet plans.

Thus, body transformation images become just another marketing tool, a means of persuading the consumers – mostly impressionable young men and women on Instagram – into spending money and buying into this ideal.

More than that, they’re also used by young people to market themselves – to carefully construct an idealistic profile in the ongoing, seemingly endless battle for social media ‘clout’.

No one ever said marketing has to be transparent. Angles. Lighting. Pose. Posture. Body makeup. Time of day. Clothing. Photoshop. All powerful deceivers, all extensively used to manipulate the ‘after’ image to give the illusion of a quicker, more dramatic, more incredible transformation. Can anyone realistically (and safely) achieve such dramatic weight loss in a matter of weeks? Almost definitely not. Seeing is not necessarily believing.

Of course, some of these young people are simply proud of the progress they have made, eager to share with others the rewards of their determination and hard work. While I am happy for them, I would urge them to reconsider so publicly portraying their pre-transformation body as ‘undesirable’ – it is somewhat dismissive to their previous selves and damaging to others.

It may be extremely cliché, but it really does ring true: try to be sensitive and mindful with how you post and interact online. Denouncing and comparing body types can provoke very real and harmful issues.

My Thoughts Exactly – The feminist icon and legend that is Lily Allen

With all the free time I’ve gained, I decided it was time to re-read the autobiography of one of my all-time favourite artists, Lily Allen.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the book for you as I definitely think it is worth the read, but it is a brutally honest autobiography, in which she takes us right from her early childhood to achieving fame and becoming a mother.

My Thoughts Exactly explores the life of being a wife and a mother whilst also being a touring singer and songwriter. She hides no single detail from the reader, as she explores the highs, lows, loves and let downs of her life.

The themes in her autobiography range from the music industry and media to mental health, in which she reflects on her own episodes and experience of it. The book adopts a feminist angle as she stresses the importance of women sharing their stories in order to create conversation and change.

Back cover – My Thoughts Exactly. Photo: Jasmine Rowland

Allen uses the autobiography to dismantle the picture that the media have painted of her in the last few years as we read about the events of her life in her own words. She opens up to the reader about a whole range of matters; from her feud with Cheryl Tweedy (previously Cheryl Cole, now Fernandez- Versini) to having her own stalker in later life.

Globally, Lily Allen’s career has been a success. She has been nominated for over 70 awards; winning a Grammy; a Mercury Prize; playing on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage three times; and releasing four studio albums.

Her latest album No Shame is a record that denies imaginary meaning, leaving Lily Allen the opportunity to express how she really means and feels. The album’s title signals her rejection of any discomfort around brutal honesty. Tracks like ‘Come on Then’ challenge the image the media portray of her, with lyrics like, “yeah I’m a bad mother, I’m a bad wife.” She also sings about themes which the media don’t address like her loneliness: “Then why am I so lonely? Cause nobody f***ing phones me.”

Truthfulness has been a recurring theme in all four of Allen’s albums. Her first album Alright, still includes tracks like ‘LDN’ where the cheerful melody juxtaposes with a portrayal of the city that is quite the opposite. The second track in the album, ‘Knock Em’ Out’, takes on a humorous tone to address the all too familiar struggle of a young woman trying to get away from an unwanted man on a night out, exclaiming, “you can’t knock em’ out, you can’t walk away”.

‘Hard Out Here’ is one of my favorite songs by Lily Allen. It succeeds in challenging that which is to be expected of women, especially in terms of their appearance, with lines like “if you’re not a size six and you’re not good looking well you better be rich or be real good at cooking”.

The song was met with a lot of criticism at first due to its repetitive use of derogatory words for women, however it was clear that Allen had only chosen to use the ‘B word’ with the aim of reclaiming it. It thrives as a feminist statement with a catchy instrumental.

Undeniably, the most recognized of Allen’s songs is ‘The Fear’ released in 2009, it is a song about confusion in a world where you can easily become lost. She expresses ideas built up by the media about what life ‘should’ be about, suggesting it’s not about “mothers” but all about idolizing “film stars” and “cussing each other”.

Lily Allen is a wife, mother, a feminist icon, and songwriter who not only makes hits but creates conversation and connects with people in her music.

Recently, her latest Instagram revealed that she has also been sober for the last nine months, acknowledging this as a largely positive change for her life. Despite having a co-dependent relationship with alcohol in previous years of her life, her choice to publicly address her dependence on substances acts as an inspiration for people that they can do the same.

Most definitely I think it’s worth picking up My Thoughts Exactly to explore the Lily Allen that is not only an icon, success and mother but a bit of a legend too.

Album Review: Heaven To A Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor

Yves Tumor – real name Sean Bowie (who goes by they/them pronouns) – has become a cult figure in leftfield, experimental music over the course of their 4 albums.

The most recent, Heaven To A Tortured Mind, is their furthermost stride into accessibility whilst still retaining their eclectic instrumental palette.

Broadly speaking a Prince-adjacent funk-soul album, Yves also dabbles in 90s sample chop hip hop (think J Dilla or RZA), Hendrix psychedelics and touches of Manson-esque theatrics – especially with regards to the visual content accompanying the record.

Right from the first seconds of ‘Gospel for a New Century’, Yves gives the listener a taste of what’s to come: the quirky brass samples mixed with funky bass, giving way to their lovelorn, playful vocal performance. It’s a very clear amalgamation of various genres from the past few decades but coalesces together to create something that bears almost no resemblance to the genres it borrows from.

The lyrics also act as a taster of the rest of the album’s content, which features Yves musing over a doomed romance. Equally love-centric lyrics are found on almost every track, interpolated with strange gothic imagery.

Wedged between the opener and the second single ‘Kerosene!’ are ‘Medicine Burn’ and ‘Identity Trade’. The former opts for a classic funk style instrumental that is gradually overlain with extra noise elements creating a cacophony of guitar, synth and cackling at its climax, before disappearing into an ambient finale, making way for the comparatively downtempo, poppy-er subsequent track, ‘Identity Trade’.

One of the shortest songs on the record, ‘Identity Trade’ meanders along after the previous riot, and as a result is one of the least memorable. It is pleasant to listen to, but the song structure is relatively thin on the ground, and it ends before it can go anywhere different.

This makes way for what is considered by many to be the showstopper moment of the album – ‘Kerosene!’ The duet features the angelic voice of Diana Gordon, initially a soft-rock ballad that quickly bursts into arena-ready psychedelic, soulful guitar work, weaving its way in and out of focus, as both singers once again are seranading their lovers – proclaiming their need for kerosene and presumably designating themselves as a lamp.

It shows how far Yves has come since his previous works, as he is now so successfully molding his brash experimental-ism, learnt over the preceding decade, into these easily accessible tracks, without them losing their alternative appeal.

‘Hasdallen Lights’ is another chilled-out, almost interludial track, and falls victim to a similar problem to ‘Identity Trade’. It is over too soon and seems stuck between tracks that are, in comparison, much more interesting to listen to.

This is especially the case when followed by the two-parter ‘Romanticist/Dream Palette’. ‘Romanticist’ alone manages to achieve more than the previous track despite it’s even shorter runtime. The track contains a catchy, poppy chorus supplemented by another guest vocalist (Kelsey Lu) which then collapses – signalled by the sound of fireworks and strange synth warbling – into the second part, titled ‘Dream Palette’, which also somehow manages to create another ear-worm chorus to accompany the crunchy, bass-driven instrumental.

The final 5 tracks of the album run the gamut of genres that the album dips into. ‘Super Stars’ is very much a classic funk song with a hook straight from the caverns of 60s classic rock, whilst ‘Folie Imposée’ sees Yves return to their glitched out roots. The artist’s voice mumbles in the background whilst jerky, ripped apart guitar lines decorated a blown out bassline.

‘Strawberry Privilege’ comes across as a hybrid between indie pop of the late 2000s and funk elements – specifically with regards to the bass playing. ‘Asteroid Blues’ is a brief instrumental detour that, more than anything, creates a tense buildup for the final track with its plodding bass and strange echoey noises in the background.

The finale in question is ‘A Greater Love’ – a very classic, slow romantic ballad over sleek instrumentation, ending in a brief guitar line to close out the admittedly surprisingly short record.

Considering the sheer amount of genres that Bowie chooses to dip into from one track to the next, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the album would sound incoherent – but that is not the case. All of the songs still sound like Yves Tumor.

Despite them delving into new genres in comparison to their previous work, and despite there being no real work on making the track transitions smooth (most of them will fade out and then end), Heaven To A Tortured Mind still sounds cohesive. What’s more it feels like a passion project, and the care that Yves Tumor has taken in creating it really pays off for the listener.

9/10

10 sustainable beauty swaps

With the ongoing pandemic affecting the fashion and beauty world, perhaps we can take this moment while our lives are on hold to drastically shift our mentalities regarding sustainability.

Whether you have started to move towards a more conscious way of buying already, you just recently discovered the joys of thrift and vintage shopping, you’re trying to buy less and prioritise quality, or you’ve recently started to shop your own wardrobe, everyone is now part of an undeniable global shift of attitude towards consumption.

Although many of us have an awareness of the importance of a sustainable approach to fashion, such an approach is far harder to maintain when in comes to beauty. While it is true that many of the options available seem scarce and quite expensive, fear not! This is your guide to sustainable beauty on a budget.

Recycle

According to Euromonitor, the beauty industry produces 120 billion units of packaging every year, many of which are either not recyclable, or are made from virgin materials. So make sure to check the labels of beauty products or take the time to research whether or not they are recyclable.

If you have products that are not traditionally recyclable, take them to a TerraCycle station. TerraCycle is a company that aims to ‘eliminate the idea of waste’. You can find one of their stations in the Want Not To Waste Shop on University Campus.

Pot Masks

Replace sheet masks with face masks that come in pots. Sheet masks are non-recyclable and create a huge amount of waste for a single use item. Not only is it better for the environment but also for your wallet – if you consider the per-use price, pot masks are often more affordable.

What’s more, with pot masks you can reuse the pot later to make your own. Take a look at our 5 DIY masks article for inspiration.

Donate

If you don’t like a product or it doesn’t fit your needs, and it is sanitary to do so, consider donating it. Many women’s shelters accept products as well as dedicated charities that collect beauty products for those who might not otherwise be able to afford them.

Refills

There are more and more stores that, along with refills for granola and whatnot, offer the possibility of refilling your soap dispenser or shampoo bottle, which is obviously great for wasting less.

In Manchester, you can go to the Eighth Day on Oxford Road to refill your shampoo, conditioner, shower gel or hand wash.

Make your own!

Homemade beauty is easier than you think. From lip balm to face wash, there are plenty of products which you can create with easy to find ingredients from the supermarket or pharmacy. Try out our 5 DIY beauty products article for inspiration. 

2 in 1

Did you know you could use conditioner as shaving lotion? Using products in different ways like using your lip balm as a natural looking highlighter or, in general, buying products that have multiple purposes (like the French girl staple, the savon de marseille) is beneficial for both your wallet and the planet.

Reusable makeup remover wipes

Instead of using single use cotton pads, try to invest in one of the many options of reusable makeup wipes that are now available. They’re super easy to use and you can just throw them in the wash with your clothes after you’ve used them.

Shampoo bars

Although it may seem weird at first, making the switch to a shampoo bar is really not that much of a challenge and most of them claim to last as long as two to three bottles. Remember to invest in a small tin to store your bar in when travelling.

Say no to samples

This is, psychologically, a hard one to do as it’s always nice to receive free things, but consider the environmental impact of samples. It is a huge amount of packaging for a tiny bit of product and, even worse, a tiny bit of product you often don’t need and would never actually consider buying.

Shop sustainably

There are a number of brands who are truly making an effort to follow sustainable and responsible practises. Why not try one of the beauty brands recommended in our sustainable and affordable beauty brands article such as Lush, Beauty Pie or L’Occitane. 

Don’t lose sleep over it; you don’t have to have a zero-waste beauty routine from one day to the other. Just remember these options next time you wish to update your beauty products. Every change truly is a step in the right direction.

5 DIY beauty products to make at home

Many of us are trying to lower our carbon footprint and the current global pandemic might just be the much needed trigger to change our consumerist mentalities.

Whether you are currently unable to shop your usual beauty products or you are just looking for an afternoon activity to kill time, here are the easiest beauty products to make at home with a few basic ingredients.

Once you get the gist of it, you will find that making your own beauty products is not only easy, it is also very affordable.

 

Lip Scrub 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 part honey
  • 1 part brown or raw sugar
  • a few drop of lemon juice 

 This is as easy as it gets, just mix the ingredients together and put them in a small container with a lid and store in a cool place. You can apply this scrub to your lips with your fingertip or an old toothbrush for added exfoliation.

 

Lip Balm 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 part coconut oil or coconut butter
  • 1 part beeswax
  • 3 drops of the essential oil of your choice (we recommend peppermint) 

Heat the coconut oil and the beeswax until fully melted. Then add the essential oil and mix together. Place in the container of your choice and pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes. This lip balm will leave your lips soft and hydrated. 

 

Toner 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1⁄3 part apple cider vinegar
  • 2⁄3 parts of rose water
  • 5 drops of lavender essential oil 

Put all of the ingredients in a glass container. You can store the toner at room temperature and use it up to twice a day. 

You might be a bit surprised that we suggest putting apple cider vinegar on your face. Although it is acidic, it is a pH regulator and holds antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory properties which makes it the perfect ingredient for a toner. The rose water is present to dilute the vinegar and to help freshens your face. 

 

Facial Oil Moisturiser 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 part avocado oil
  • 1 part almond oil
  • 5 drops of your favorite essential oil such as lavender, frankincense (great for all skin types), tea tree (acne prone skin) or carrot seed (for sun protection)

Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bottle.

We promise you that this will not make your face oily. In fact our skin absorbs oil much better than cream or lotion. Don’t be afraid if you have oily skin as it actually generally reacts well to oil-based products. Depriving this skin type of oils only encourages it to produce more.

 

Face Wash 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 2⁄3 part castile soap or savon de marseille shavings
  • 1⁄3 part almond oil
  • a few drops of your favourite essential oil 

If you are using castile soap: simply mix the ingredients together in a glass container. 

If you are using savon de marseille shavings: heat the ingredients until the soap is melted and then store in a glass container. 

5 DIY masks to try whilst stuck at home

If you’ve ever wanted to try more sustainable beauty options, the current confinement might be the perfect opportunity to do so!

You could probably use an opportunity to take care of yourself during this unsettling time, which is why we have created a list of 5 spa-worthy masks for different skin types that you can easily make at home with ingredients that are probably already in your kitchen cupboards.

NB: Before making any of these, make sure to check expiration dates of the ingredients you will be using, use the masks within on hour of making and do a patch test on your hand before applying to the face to ensure it will not cause irritation. 

 

The mask to combat redness 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 tsp of turmeric
  • 3 tbs of all natural unsweetened yogurt (I used Icelandic Skyr but Greek yogurt would be perfect as well)
  • 1 tbs of coconut oil (if you have coconut butter or your  oil has solidified, pop it in the microwave until it has become liquid)
  • 1tbs of raw or manuka honey 

Method:

Mix the ingredients together, apply a generous layer on your face and rinse off after 10 to 15 minutes.

The yogurt contains lactic acid which will gently exfoliate and brighten the skin. The honey hydrates and reduces scars while coconut oil holds nourishing, antiseptic and antimicrobial benefits, Finally, turmeric is not only a great antioxidant that will help reduce redness but it will also give you a sun-kissed glow without the need to travel abroad. 

 

The mask for oily and acne prone skin 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 2 tbs of activated charcoal powder
  • 2 tbs of powdered green clay
  • 1 tbs of aloe vera gel (If you have an aloe plant, just cut it in half and scoop out the gel)
  • 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
  • 3 drops of tea tree oil 

Mix the ingredients together, apply a thin layer on your skin and rinse off after 10 minutes. 

The green clay helps calm irritated skin while the aloe vera hydrates and soothes. The activated charcoal works as a natural ‘magnet’ to help draw out and absorb excess oils. Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and acne-fighter while the apple cider vinegar prevents acne and pimples. 

 

The mask to reduce inflammation 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 3 tbs of powdered green clay
  • 1 tbs of matcha tea
  • 1 tbs of raw or manuka honey
  • 3 drops of tea tree oil 

Mix the ingredients together, apply a thin layer on your face and rinse off after 10 to 15 minutes. 

The matcha tea powder reduces redness and inflammation while the honey will nourish your skin. The green clay will help sooth inflammated skin. Finally, the tee tree oil is a powerful antibacterial that will help temper any irritation.

 

The mask for dry skin 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 tbs of raw or manuka honey
  • 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp of pollen
  • 3 drops of lavender essential oil 

Mix the ingredients together, apply a generous layer on your skin and rinse off after 15 minutes. 

The honey and the olive oil both hold antibacterial and nourishing properties. The pollen helps soothe and rejuvenate the skin while the lavender oil helps reduce redness and any irritation whether it is sun damage, acne scars, dryness, insect bites or bacteria. 

 

The mask for dull skin 

Photo: Alexandra Bikard

Ingredients: 

  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 an avocado
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon 

Mix the ingredients together, apply a thin layer and rinse off after 10 to 15 minutes. 

This very simple mask will help you achieve that glow that we all strive for. The egg white and the lemon will help unclog pores and tighten the skin while the the avocado’s fatty acids will help soothe and moisturise the skin, leaving it silky smooth. 

Revealed: Disruptive UoM strikes were plagued by low turnout

Less than 100 members of the Manchester branch of the University and College Union (UMUCU) were officially recorded as on strike for a full 14 days in February and March, an investigation by The Mancunion has found.

The strike, along with walkouts across the country, caused severe disruption to studies before the coronavirus outbreak earlier this year. 

But Freedom of Information (FOI) requests found that while UMUCU has 2058 members, only 95 were officially recorded as on strike for the full 14 days.

Despite 864 members voting in favour of strike action over pensions, and 839 voting in favour of strikes over pay and working conditions, at no point during the February walkout were more than 326 members of staff reported to be on strike. 

According to the official figures from the University of Manchester, two-thirds of those who voted for strike action either did not strike at all or were on strike for less than 5 days. 

UMUCU rejected the figures – which were provided by the University under freedom of information laws – saying they reflected both “management incompetence and high levels of casualisation at the university”.

Manchester students that The Mancunion spoke with expressed shock at the findings. 

Eleanor Haigh, a first-year English Literature and Drama student said: “I definitely would have expected it to be more than 95 people.”

Libby Mercer, a first-year Social Anthropology student told The Mancunion that: “It felt like everyone was on strike. I was considering starting the year again just so I get that second semester and the support.” 

A third-year Politics and International Relations student, who chose to remain anonymous, said the strikes caused her “significant stress” in her final year. 

She said: “This academic year I have missed over a semester total of teaching as a result of the strikes. 

“Some of my lecturers [are] UCU members, and would not post lecture slides or hold office hours, so it became difficult to complete my assessments to a good standard.” 

A total of 22 days of strike action occurred during the 2019-20 academic year with staff striking over pensions, pay, insecure contracts and working conditions.  

The participation rate was slightly higher for the strikes of November to December 2019, where 739 members of staff – 35.9% of those in the union – were recorded as on strike for at least one day. 

The number of staff who went on strike for the full 8 days in November was considerably higher at 346 – although this still only amounts to 17% of union members. 

In response to The Mancunion‘s findings, UMUCU Executive team said: “Casualisation, workload, pay and pensions are very serious concerns for staff at the university. Our own records of engagement show considerable support for our action among our members, and students. Although our strike action put serious pressure on UoM management, it is their inability to engage with staff concerns that has so far hindered meaningful progress.

“The figures quoted are for strike deductions made by the university and reflect both management incompetence and high levels of casualisation at the university. Despite having a bloated multi-layer management structure, the university has to rely on a process of self-reporting for making deductions. Many of our members were never asked to report, many reported but didn’t get deducted, and many didn’t get round to reporting in time.

“This was particularly so during the move to end face-to-face teaching and set up online classes in March. Further evidence of incompetence in the process included all deductions accidentally being made at once, incorrect deductions for pension contributions, and many being deducted up to twice as much as they should have.

“The figures also reflect the high levels of casualisation of our members. Many of these staff are not employed full-time and therefore could not be on strike for all days. In the current crisis, it is these staff that are now most under threat, as the university pursues an approach which exacerbates all the issues the action was about. In this crisis we will need the same staff-student solidarity we saw during the strike, to argue for putting people and education, rather than profit-margins, first.” 

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The University and College Union (UCU) achieved a mandate from its members at this University on two ballots to take industrial action on pay and on the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pension.

“We fully respected the right of our staff to take industrial action and we recognise that many of them had to make difficult choices about whether or not to take part in such action, especially given their concerns over our students.

“As an institution, our focus was simply on ensuring that affected students received the relevant cover for their intended learning outcomes.”

Don’t F*ck with Lambs: Manchester student discovers bin bags brimming with dead animals in Fallowfield

Warning: Graphic Content

On the 16th of April, a student from Manchester alerted members of the Fallowfield Students Group to an unusually morbid crime.  The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, posted online that she had discovered five bin bags in Fallowfield which she believed to contain the bodies of dead animals.

Fallowfield is, sadly, notorious for crime.  Break-ins are reported almost daily on Facebook’s Fallowfield Student Group, and official figures from the Manchester Evening News (MEN) conclude a record high of 448 burglaries in Withington in 2018 alone.

But while students have become somewhat desensitised to the onslaught of burglary related warnings across their social media, this grisly mystery caught people’s attention.

In one picture, an ear can be seen poking out of one of the bin liners.  Another graphic image depicts what appears to be the woolly fur of a lamb.

The grisly discovery was reported to the police and the council. Photo: Used with the permission of the original poster on FSG.

Naturally, students reacted with horror to the Easter discovery of – as confirmed by the student who made the post – five dead lambs dumped in bin bags at the heart of the student hub of Fallowfield.

The mystery of how the animals were killed and why their bodies were left in a residential street is as yet unanswered, but sadly, this case isn’t unique.

In 2014, the MEN reported on a morbid story of a council worker who discovered a bin bag containing the severed heads of cats just off Wilmslow Road, not far from Manchester’s famous ‘Curry Mile’. The newspaper revealed that cats are the most common animal to be dumped.

A spokesperson for the Manchester City Council told the MEN at the time addressed the incident: “At this stage we have no way of knowing how these animal parts came to be where they were discovered but we will be contacting the RSPCA as this is clearly an extreme example of animal cruelty.”

What’s more, in 2016 the MEN declared Greater Manchester ‘Britain’s animal dumping capital’, while 9,069 animals had been dumped and left to die in the UK during the previous year,  770 of those offences were in Greater Manchester.

Photo: Taken from FSG post, used with permission of student

Although in this particular case the lambs were likely already dead before they were abandoned in Fallowfield, no one can be sure of exactly what happened to them in their last few moments.

After getting in touch the spokesperson for Manchester Animal Climate Action, formally Manchester Animal Action, they confirmed that the Fallowfield area is “notorious for animals being dumped in this way … namely cats.”  They suggested that “These lambs could have been stolen or they could be from someone illegally keeping the animals.”

It seems Fallowfield has a history of odd stories involving the remains of sheep. On this date one year ago another student of the University of Manchester posted online about her distress at finding a sheep’s heart which had been mysteriously posted through her letterbox on Lombard Grove.

Aoife Sherry, the student in question, posted the photo to her Instagram story with the caption: “Someone has posted an actual heart through our letterbox what the f*ck I hate Fallowfield.”

While initially fearing that the heart was a death threat, it soon emerged that the culprits were in fact friends of the student playing a sick prank.

A sheep’s head, left as a prank on the doorstep of a student. Photo: The Mancunion

Similarly, in October 2019, a Manchester student uploaded of an unsettling photo of a sheep’s head which had been left on her doorstep in Fallowfield.

The student and her housemates were understandably shaken at first by the creepy gift, but soon realised that this too was a prank, played by some friends who had picked up the head somehow at a social.

Following this most recent discovery of the dead lambs in April, members of the FSG appealed to the student who had posted about it to report her findings to the police, the council and the RSPCA, with one student urging her to call the authorities as they believed the “dead lambs were likely used for bloodsports, [a] serious crime”

It appears animal body parts are a common find in the are, as another student joked about an animal’s liver which had been dumped near their house: “Throwback to the liver that chilled outside out house for ages.”

After getting in touch with the Manchester student who found the lambs, she told me she had reported the crime to both the police and the council, but regrettably had not reported it to the RSPCA as she saw little point in doing so since the animals were long dead.

The student expressed her anger and sadness at the scene she had stumbled across at the end of her street but regretted that she could not provide any more clues about its origins, as neither the police nor the council had got back in touch with her.

Despite the depressing nature of the discovery of these poor lambs, the response from students to this post was largely very positive, emanating compassion and a strong desire for justice.

If students continue to be vigilant around the Fallowfield area by reporting all crime and suspicious activities to the police, we can slowly begin to make the student area a safer, kinder and better place to live for everyone.

Lecturers prepare for continued online teaching in September

Today the University of Manchester announced that teaching will remain partially online for the first semester starting in September, due to the predicted continuation of social distancing measures.

Lecturers from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures (SALC) received an email from Dr Chris Godden, a senior director, in April which stated that teachers should “prepare” for teaching to continue online in September due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. These measures will now be applicable for all schools and courses across the University. 

A University spokesperson told The Mancunion that plans are in place for a blended programme of teaching:

“Our approach will be informed by the latest UK Government advice, but as we anticipate social distancing measures will be in place for some time, we have taken the decision to conduct all lectures for Semester 1 online, as a lecture theatre environment does not easily support spatial separation.

“However, we are keen to continue with other face-to-face activities, such as small group teaching and tutorials, as safely and as early as we can.”

Students’ Union Education Officer, Chloe Salins, published a statement on the SU website addressing the challenges that will come with a partially online start to the year:

“Whilst we do not want online learning to be the full experience here at the University, we have to be prepared for all eventualities. We are working as your officers to make sure we review and improve the quality of online learning, as well as looking at what provisions can be put in place for labs and practical sessions.”

Update from SU Exec Officers team May 11th. Photo: The Mancunion

Some students have already been using online teaching methods for a large portion of their degree this year, due to the strike action and the pandemic. Assessments and exams have been cancelled or changed to an online format, and some schools have issued a ‘no disadvantage policy’. 

For a majority of students, the switch from contact-based learning to online has been difficult especially with the pressures of the ongoing pandemic affecting motivation for home learning, therefore this news could come as a huge disappointment to those already struggling. 

A first year Chemical Engineering student said, “It [online learning] has been a challenge that both the staff and students have risen to. Obviously nothing compares to face in face teaching but they have put in a lot of effort to get close to this”

Another student said, “A continuation of online teaching into September is much more than just studying from podcasts or Zoom, it means missing out on a full university experience so many envisage when coming to Manchester”

“Future severe financial impacts of the pandemic on the University” were reviewed in an email sent by Vice-Chancellor, Dame Professor Nancy Rothwell on the 23rd April to all staff at UoM, which looked at how the University would be affected by the lockdown. 

The email detailed plans for improvement of online teaching facilities, however some lecturers have expressed concern over the continuation of online teaching and the likelihood of this becoming a permanent feature of their jobs.

University and College Union (UCU) members have accused the vice-chancellor of taking a “money-trumps-everything tone,” with some lecturers advising their students to use the evaluation forms emailed to express any concerns they have over the move to an increase in online teaching.

Dr Simeon Gill, a senior lecturer in fashion technology and member of the UCU said, “We can only hope that changes are not rushed through ideologically, but instead are measured, inclusive and consider the voices of all affected.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson acknowledged that the current COVID-19 crisis has “created real uncertainty for all our students,” but, offered reasurances that “as a University, we are absolutely committed to delivering the highest-quality learning and student experience at Manchester whilst providing you with the most up-to-date information.”

The University sent emails to all incoming Undergratuate, Foundation, returning Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students today, informing them of their relevant start dates, which will be staggered between September 21st and October 12th 2020.