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Month: August 2020

“I hate the government”: Incoming Manchester students react to A-Level fiasco

The government’s U-turn on A-Level results has left students and universities scrambling to find and offer places. 

After controversial computer-generated grades were ditched, and pupils were awarded teacher-assessed marks, thousands of extra students have now met the criteria for their first choice university. 

But with many courses filling up, some incoming freshers are facing a stark choice between deferring their place for a year or going elsewhere. 

The University of Manchester is in urgent talks with ministers to gain clarity on the situation, but in a frank admission, bosses admitted they didn’t actually know how many students have now met the criteria to come to Manchester.  

Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell said staff were living through “unusual times” and that she didn’t think anybody had “worked on an admissions cycle like this”. She added that the University was facing “uncertainty” following the U-turn. 

Manchester has now confirmed that all offers will be honoured following the government decision, but that on courses with limited capacity, some may have to be deferred until September 2021. 

Following a remarkable week, The Mancunion spoke with three incoming Manchester students about how they have been affected by the A-Level fiasco. 

Xavier Spencer from Watford, Hertfordshire, studied Drama, Film Studies and English Literature before the coronavirus pandemic hit and exams were cancelled. He had applied for two courses at the University of Manchester and needed at least ABB to get in. 

But the computer algorithm downgraded him in all his subjects, and he was awarded way below his target grades that would have allowed him into Manchester. 

He had always planned to defer for a year but was still trying to get through to the University’s admissions team following the U-turn. 

Spencer said many of his friends had been caught up in the fiasco, including some who had accepted places at other universities before being awarded the grades for their first choice. 

He said: “I’m so lucky to have deferred my place, I see people that want to study medicine at Cambridge, and they’re really excited, and then they get downgraded.

“It’s the government’s fault.  I hate the government, I hate the Conservative Party. I think Gavin Williamson needs to resign. It was an extremely classist algorithm, and I don’t think we’re going to get a proper apology from Boris Johnson. 

“It was a complete shambles and a complete mess, It’s been a very stressful 5 days.” 

Leah, who chose not to give her last name, studied History, Drama and Maths in Birmingham. She was planning on studying Management at Manchester and had predicted grades of AAB. 

She said“As soon as I learned it was determined by an algorithm, I was convinced I would get lower. A massive part of my [predicted grades] was my teachers being made aware of my circumstances and seeing improvements. 

“I ended up getting ABB on results day. I was naturally disappointed but thankfully Manchester accepted me as it was only one grade below my offer. I don’t know what I would have done if they hadn’t accepted me.” 

Leah added that she thought the scale of the downgrading was unnecessary: “It felt like [the government was] denying people’s opportunities – particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds – for the sake of it.” 

Alya Hussain, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, took A-Levels in Art and Design, English Literature and History at her sixth-form. Her experience was slightly more pleasant than many of her peers, and she secured a place at Manchester to study English Literature. 

Hussain said: “My experience on results day was actually really positive. my grade for Art was actually one higher than I was predicted by my teachers. 

“My English grade was as predicted, and I achieved a B in History, which was one grade lower than expected, but I wouldn’t say it was unfair because of my Christmas mock. 

“The government algorithm didn’t affect me that much personally. I think it was helpful that I was able to submit coursework and sketchbooks as evidence of my work on the last day before college closed.” 

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “We understand this is an extremely stressful time for all our applicants in what has been an unprecedented admissions process for everyone involved. But they can rest assured we are working flat out and doing all we can to resolve these issues.

“We have now received revised centre assessed grades from UCAS and are now determining which of our applicants can be accepted. We are working hard to confirm these decisions as soon as possible but we ask for patience while we undertake this exercise over the weekend.

 “We know this is a difficult time for our applicants and we will continue to publish updates to our website when we can.” 

Indian Society of Manchester to re-run election after complaints

The Indian Society of Manchester has been forced to re-run the election of its new committee after complaints were made to Manchester SU regarding the vote.

Members of the new committee, who were elected in April, were asked to step down following the row and the society has been placed under review. 

The re-run is set to take place week commencing Monday the 24th of August, with the positions of Chair, General Secretary, Treasurer and Diversity and Inclusions Officer up for grabs. 

A special election membership has been set up on the Students Union’s website and The Mancunion understands that candidates are in talks to take part in hustings before the election.  

The newly elected committee members will be asked to draft a new constitution and undertake a further review meeting with Manchester SU’s societies coordinator.  

The Indian Society of Manchester was founded at the University over a decade ago, with the aim of promoting Indian culture and building a strong Indian student community. 

It has previously been awarded international society of the year and nominated for cultural and faith society of the year at Manchester SU’s annual awards. 

The group has a strong social media presence and has hosted various virtual events during lockdown – including a farewell Bhangra Night, mental health open mic nights and Zumba sessions. 

A Manchester Students’ Union spokesperson said: “The Students’ Union has received complaints and we are duly investigating those.

“As part of our investigation, we can’t comment further on those complaints or individuals involved.”

This a breaking story and will be updated with a full list of candidates shortly. 

Words by: Sharon Lei, Societies Editor

Meet the Covid fighting UoM graduate making engineering history

For Matt Danby, the last two years have been a rollercoaster ride. The 24-year-old former Manchester student, who graduated in 2018 with an engineering masters, was unsure what to do when his four-year degree came to an end.

Since then, he has joined a global company, played a leading role working on brand new products, made engineering history by helping to fight coronavirus, moved into his own place, and even secured a promotion.

“I think it depends on what kind of person you are, I’m quite happy to get stuck in and go into the detail if I need to,” Danby says, when we chat via Zoom. He now works for Siemens, the manufacturing giant, and it’s clear that he loves what he does.

It started when he was offered work experience by the firm in summer 2018, and tasked with bringing a new product to life during a three-month-long placement. He was then invited to join the company as a production engineer.

“It was a great opportunity, and it shows that work experience does matter, even if it is just for the summer,” Danby tells me. “You can get a real benefit from that, and it helps to show your potential to people.”

One of the youngest in his team, he started at Siemens’ famous Congleton plant in Cheshire. It wasn’t long before he was given greater responsibility and more complex tasks.

But then the virus hit, and just like millions across the country, Danby and his team were sent home.

The lockdown couldn’t have come at a more awkward time for him, he had just signed the paperwork to move into his own place: “It was a few days before lockdown it all went through so it’s been interesting. I’ve waited about three months for a mattress.”

While the house-hunting might have slowed down, the work did not. Just over a week later, Danby would join a record-breaking team made up of 100 young engineers taking part in the UK’s ‘ventilator challenge’ to fight coronavirus.

The engineers, some of whom were at the very start of their careers, made history by producing a whopping 13,500 medical devices in just 12 weeks.

Most of this work started from kitchens and bedrooms across the country, and as Danby’s house was going through, he worked from his parent’s home in Stockport.

“We continued to work from home for a couple of weeks on the ventilator project, but then ended up having to go into [a plant] over in Chester to bring the project to life,” he says. “It was an amazing opportunity to work on the project, and I don’t think there will be anything like it ever again.”

Danby has now moved from his role as a production engineer into research and development as a team leader. He believes the ventilator challenge has put him in good stead to work his way up within the company.

And while he understands that some at his old university will be worried about the future, he says fellow engineers shouldn’t worry too much.

“The ventilator challenge shows that engineers are always required. Even in lockdown, production continued at Congleton because it’s deemed as a necessity. There will always be a need for engineering, even in pandemic situations, because people are needed to solve technical issues.

“When I finished university, I wasn’t one hundred per cent sure what I wanted to do. I had [my] placement at Siemens but that was organised very last minute.

“If you’d have asked me in April 2018, I wouldn’t have had a clue what I was going to do next. This shows that even a couple of months ahead, you never know what’s around the corner. Never give up.”

With the UK economy officially in recession, and prospects not looking great for many graduates, Danby’s story can offer a bit of hope amid the doom and gloom.

Manchester academics use nanoparticles to wipe out cancer cells

Cancer is the primary cause of death worldwide and there is no one antidote. For decades, scientists have been trying to answer the elephant in the room: what is the magic recipe to cure cancer?

The closest humanity has come to treating the condition is through the use of ‘nanoparticles’ – these materials are a billion times smaller than others and mostly consist of pure metals such as gold. In the presence of high energy radiation, they carry medicines into tumour cells and destroy them.

Nanoparticles are crucial to the development of nanomedicine, but since the naked eye cannot perceive nanoscopic objects, how can you tell if cancel cells are being targeted in real-time?

Information obtained through imaging systems such microscopy has helped scientists study this process more easily, with microscopes using x-rays to produce pictures of the nanoparticles’ positions in the cells.

The most widely used microscopes, however, either produce two- dimensional images or are very expensive and destructive towards samples.

To tackle this problem, scientists at the University of Manchester are working to find better imaging systems and cost-effective solutions, and researchers at the Department of Chemistry in Manchester have constructed a three dimensional model of gold nanoparticles inside cells with their exact positions.

This is done using a specially designed microscope, nick-named XRF (Dual-Angle X-Ray Fluorescence). As the name suggests, the dual angle allows scientists to photograph a sample at two different angles generating an ellipsoid model of the cell containing the nanoparticles.

However, to be used in an efficient drug delivery system, these gold nanoparticles must be nontoxic and able to enter the human body without getting rejected. As a result, they are coated in citrate, derived from citric acid commonly found in lemons and oranges to chemically stabilize them.

A specially coded protein is also added to the nanoparticle which ensures that it only targets the harmful cells. This special protein allows the gold nanoparticle to be identified and monitored, akin to human fingerprints – each one unique to their own.

The model generated by the XRF microscope reveals how many gold nanoparticles are absorbed into the body for drug delivery which dramatically influences the amount of drug dose deposited in cancer cells, in turn allowing for greater DNA damage.

While the jury is still out on the likelihood of finding better imaging techniques to view these minuscule nanoparticles, XRF mapping helps realize the vital role of these nanoparticles in drug delivery to assist the treatment of cancerous cells.

Words by: Amrita Chatropadhyay

Joe Biden’s running mate: the last women standing

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden gut-punched political junkies last week by delaying his VP pick.

Whatever are we to do now?! Well, I thought I would summarise some pros and cons of the top contenders. Biden has already committed to choosing a woman. So, let’s start with the only white women on the shortlist – and yes, them being white is important.

Photo: Gretchen Whitmer by Gregory Varnum @ Wikimedia Commons.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s strong response to the coronavirus pandemic has been praised by Democrats, but the demonstrations and vitriol against her in her own state are off-putting. Biden needs to win over midwestern voters, so that gives Whitmer an advantage, especially since Senator Amy Klobuchar has removed herself from the shortlist. Whitmer recently met with Biden but she still lacks name recognition – and those who do know her know that she is polarising.

Photo: Elizabeth Warren by Gage Skidmore @ Flickr.

In the Democratic Primary, Senator Elizabeth Warren was the last woman standing. Choosing Warren would guarantee progressive support, but progressives are already pledging their support to Biden, who they deem the “lesser evil”.

Conversely, this could alienate the moderate, independent and conservative voters that Biden needs – especially in swing states, which generally lean conservative. Whilst Biden is dynamically adopting progressive policies, having a progressive on the ticket is risky.

But Warren’s problems don’t stop there.

There are concerns about Biden’s age; he would be the oldest President ever elected. Warren, too, is in her seventies. Should Biden win, he is likely to be a one-term President and plans to groom a younger running mate to run for President in 2024.

In 2024, Warren will be younger than Biden is now, but do Democrats want another elderly, white candidate on the ticket?

Indeed, here lies a more recent problem that voters have taken with Warren: she’s white. In the current climate, there is mounting pressure on Biden to choose a black woman. Not just a woman-of-colour (of which Warren, previously considering herself indigenous, is not), but explicitly a black woman.

Some argue it is time for Democrats to honour the people who put them in political office. After all, it was not women, per se, who kept alleged paedophile Roy Moore out of office, as it was reported, but black women.

Photo: Tammy Duckworth by Tammy Duckworth at Wikimedia Commons.

Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian-American, has gained notice recently, especially after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson called her a ‘coward’, leading to widespread outrage. Duckworth is a war veteran, a double amputee and a Purple Heart recipient, and in American politics, “war hero” status adds great desirability to any candidate.

Photo: Karen Bass by Online Guide to House Members and Senators @ Wikimedia Commons.

Moving on to black women, a top contender is Representative Karen Bass. When Warren’s chances of being selected began to look slim, progressives began to rally around Bass, who has been praised by Republicans in her state of California.

I knew very little about Bass, but I did know she had praised both Scientology and Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. If Biden chooses Bass, a woman who praised Latin America’s most brutal, authoritarian leader, he risks losing Latino support.

Cubans are the only Latino group who lean Republican, but most Latino countries have experienced authoritarianism and corruption. When Ana Navarro, a Nicaraguan-born Republican strategist who voted for Hillary Clinton, had her conservatism questioned, she responded: “I fled the left”.

Biden cannot risk losing moderates and conservatives by appointing a woman who praised an authoritarian communist. He especially cannot lose Latino support as Latinos have the power to turn Texas and Florida “blue” (Florida is a swing state that Trump won in 2016). Sure, Bass has many positives, but that remark has probably nullified them all. What can I say? Politics!

Photo: Val Demings by Phi Nguyen, U.S. House Office of Photography/House Creative Services @ Wikimedia Commons.

This brings me to Representative Val Demings. Why choose her? One word: Florida!

Demings represents a central district in Florida – a swing district in a swing state! She could help Biden turn Florida blue.

A problem with Demings was seen as a positive until recently, after the murder of George Floyd: she lead a police department. Worryingly, she defended officers accused of using excessive force.

Another worry  is her lack of name recognition – not only because she is lesser known, and thus might attract fewer supporters, but she has had less public scrutiny than the likes of Warren. Is the Biden campaign willing to let that happen with a mere few months to go, especially knowing the above?

Rumour has it, the choice is down to former Ambassador Susan Rice and Senator Kamala Harris.

Photo: Susan Rice by Chuck Kennedy/White House @ Wikimedia Commons.

Rice was Obama’s Ambassador to the UN and later his National Security Advisor. She worked closely with Biden when he was VP. Literally – her office was down the hall! Biden has made it clear that he wants to share a good relationship with his VP, à la his relationship with Obama. Rice? Check!

But Rice, having never held political office, does not have the same name recognition as Harris and Warren. Those who do know her often associate her with the 2012 Benghazi attack. Republicans have exhausted discussions about Benghazi, but they never get tired or bored. If Biden chooses Rice, Democrats will never hear the end of it.

Reports say, should Rice be chosen, she plans to clear the air and set the record straight. That is a smart, strategic choice, for it allows her to set the narrative. But let it be known, she does not own the story…

Lastly, the most popular choice amongst Democrats, and the candidate who I believed Biden would pick as his running mate before he announced he would be choosing a woman. In fact, I thought he would choose her as his running mate before she even dropped out of the Primary.

Photo: Kamala Harris by Gage Skidmore @ Flickr.

Yes, Kamala “that little girl was me” Harris.

Now, Harris has her problems. Repeatedly referred to as ‘Top Cop’, her policing record has been criticised, especially recently.

Interestingly, Amy Klobucher, who is white, never attracted the same heat until the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. Not only does she have a problematic policing record, but she also failed to charge the officer who went on to murder Floyd.

Klobucher removed herself from Biden’s shortlist, but not without telling Biden to choose a woman-of-colour. Is it smart, then, to choose a woman-of-colour who, like Klobuchar, has a troubling policing record? Does Harris being black make up for the problems she caused for black people? Harris has even admitted to doing drugssomething she locked black people up for.

There are reports that some in Biden’s team are still bitter over Harris coming down on Biden like a ton of bricks, in a premeditated attack, during the first Democratic debate. She joyfully brushed it off as just politics, but will she regret gut-punching the man who now has the power to give her power?

Biden does not seem like a man who holds grudges. He has been in the game so long, and has faced far too much heartache and loss to be consumed by bitterness.

Interestingly, during the 2008 Democratic Primary, Biden boldly criticised his then-opponent Obama, yet Obama went on to choose Biden as his running mate and made Hillary Clinton, his main opponent, Secretary of State. Obama retained a good relationship with the late John McCain, the Republican who ran against him in 2008, and even spoke at his funeral. Biden was good friends with McCain and has worked closely with Republicans on bipartisan bills.

Is Biden still upset with Harris? Perhaps – it was a verbal attack of biblical proportions that nobody saw coming. But is he upset enough to dismiss a popular, established politician who could help him take the White House in his bid to save “the soul” of America from a President he terms “unfit”? I think not.

When Biden announces his running mate in the coming days, my money is on Harris, who, if elected, will make history as the first black, Indian and female Vice President of the United States of America.

“That little girl”… might just be one step closer to being President.

Socially distanced theatre: Beverley Knight keeps the fire burning

On 23rd July 2020, a glimpse of hope for the UK theatre industry finally emerged, after months of uncertainty and loss.

Thanks to The Theatre Café, I was lucky enough to be invited to be a ‘guinea pig’ for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pilot performance at the London Palladium. Essentially a ‘concert’ , it featured none other than recording artist and musical theatre actress Beverley Knight MBE.

Photo: Beverley Knight MBE by Olivia Catagnetti @ The Mancunion.

An informative email,  sent out mere days before the event, documented the measures that would be in place for the performance. It was strongly advised that we should measure our temperature before leaving, and if it was higher than 38 degrees, remain at home.

The venue used a staggered entrance system with helpful 15-minute allotted time-slots. At 1pm, A front of house staffer informed us that tickets for the Stalls and Royal Circle would queue on one side, and Grand Circle tickets would be on the other.

Whilst queuing, the staff provided compulsory masks, as well as a QR code to scan, in order to fill out a form with information for NHS Track and Trace. Once completed, we  sanitised our hands and proceeded through a contactless bag check.

Each individual audience-member stood on footprints as our temperature was checked using a system, which was smart and comforting.

We then followed a very strict one-way system to our seats, passing numerous hand-sanitising stations, as well as the bar, which was behind Perspex screens.

Once in the auditorium, it became very apparent how many empty seats there were going to be. In the Upper and Lower Circles, the first two rows of seats were completely blocked off, and in the Stalls, every other row was left empty. An apparent zig zag pattern meant that seats directly in front of people were vacant, and every group had at least two seats free on either side of them.

I recently watched an IGTV video from Beverley Knight, which revealed that the backstage procedure was as thorough as the Front of House track and trace. All crew had to have a COVID-19 test prior to the performance, go through a temperature check on arrival, and people backstage and front of house were not permitted to mix.

Now the performance – it began with a speech by The Right Honourable Andrew Lloyd Webber. He commented that it was a sad sight to see the venue, with a capacity of just over 2,200 people, down to a mere 650, indicating that the Palladium is a venue that is meant to be full.

Photo: Andrew Lloyd Webber by Yvonne Walker.

Having visited the Palladium multiple times, most recently for their Christmas Pantomime of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in December 2019, I could not agree with this statement more.

Then came the moment we had all been anticipating: Beverley Knight took to the stage and began her performance. The audience was tentative at first not knowing what we could and could not do in this new normal for theatre, but once encouraged by Beverley, we were up on our feet and dancing to her songs. She did a range of originals and covers in her set, and a few songs stood out more than others.

After a 30-minute interval, in which staff came along with drinks menus in order to operate a contactless bar service, she came back with a bang and did an amazing cover of The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction. However, her rendition of Memory, from the Lloyd Webber musical Cats, in which she had previously played the role of Grizabella on the Palladium stage, will be a moment I will not forget any time soon.

If there was any doubt about how the concert was going, it was dispelled at that moment when the audience erupted into a standing ovation, almost moving Beverley to tears. She finished off her set with an a cappella cover of Bill Withers’ Stand by Me, which has been a moving song for the industry, especially Black artists, during this time of uncertainty.

Her performance was extremely memorable, proving that she can hold an audience no matter how big or small.

This pilot performance gives me confidence that the social distancing measures, both before and after the show, are successful and can, therefore, be adapted by theatres across the UK.

However, we must take into consideration the atmosphere of theatre and financial concerns. Theatres might struggle to work with social distancing measures, and the theatre does not have nearly the same feel as a fully packed audience. Most worryingly, most shows need an audience capacity of 70% to break even, so socially distanced theatre might not be feasible.

One thing is for sure, though… the show must go on!

Meet the UoM football clubs showing racism the red card

Manchester University’s football clubs (UMFC) have started a 10-day virtual tour of all 20 Premier League stadiums to fight against systematic racism in a mega 1000+ mile charity event. 

Kicking off from Fallowfield’s Armitage Sports Center, the men and women’s teams are hoping to raise a minimum of £1007 – a pound for every virtual mile they run. 

The run will show support for the Black Lives Matter movement with proceeds donated to Show Racism the Red Card. The charity uses football to increase knowledge about racism and has become a leading anti-racism charity in the UK. 

UMFC’s initiative has received strong support from sports members and students at the University of Manchester. The club said that the best way for students to support is to share the Go Fund Me link with as many people as possible. 

The club will update their social media pages daily with their progress and which stadiums they have reached. 

To find out more, The Mancunion spoke with players from both clubs. This is what they said. 

Philip Coe, second-year Geography student and men’s club Charity Secretary:

“Through close collaboration of both the Men’s and Women’s teams, the UMFC has created their first-ever ‘Tour de Prem’ – a new charitable initiative which will hopefully occur each year.

“As a result of recent events, our first charity simply had to support the Black Lives Matter movement – and as a club, we had to make it clear that there is no room for racism in our ranks.”

Conor O’Brein, PhD Physics student and men’s club Captain:

“With the premier league restart highlighting the BLM movement, we felt that we could do our own small part to help raise awareness and some money to towards Show Racism the Red Card. 

“Football is a game that we all love – a charity that uses this game to educate against and combat racism and other forms of discrimination is one that we wholeheartedly support.”

Elise Skelding, Business Management student and women’s club President:

“The BLM movement is far from over. We need to be fighting continuously to be able to live in a society where we all have equal opportunities.

“Anti-blackness is all around us: at our universities, in our towns and cities [and] riddled systematically in our relatives. 

“That’s why it is indispensable that anti-racism charities can continue their work and we collectively change and become active members of the movement.”

Cam Davis, Economics student and Social Media Secretary for the men’s club:

“In the current state of the world it’s so easy for people with a platform to raise awareness and funds for a good cause, it would only be right that we use our platform to make a positive change in our game.”

Sir Basopo, Civil Engineering student and the men’s club Welfare Officer:

“As a person of colour, I am really proud to be part of a club that displays its passion against issues such as racism, which is a problem that certainly needs addressing.

“Any initiative shedding light to the topic displays the solidarity and unity we aspire for on a daily basis. Essentially I’m happy to see the people I play football with have my back on and off the pitch.”

Naomi Corft, Geography student and women’s club Charity Secretary:

“This collaboration between women’s and men’s football has blossomed over the past few weeks, and hopefully this will set us up for more teamwork in the future. 

“I’m proud of everyone that’s been involved, I hope we will complete the running with ease and smash our fundraising target.”

Introducing Manchester SU’s diverse new top team

Manchester Students’ Union (SU) has welcomed one of the UK’s most diverse executive teams – with a group of student officers all stemming from “international roots”. 

On Thursday, the SU waved goodbye to the 2019/20 team following a challenging academic year plagued by staff strikes and the coronavirus outbreak. 

Every year, students vote for eight full-time Executive Officers, paid approximately £20,000 to represent students.

The 2020/21 team, which is made up of eight mostly new officers, will be tasked with ‘campaigning for the rights and interests’ of students on their return to campus in September.

All eight roles have been filled by either international or black and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates – including, for the first time, two Chinese students. 

The team were elected at the SU’s annual elections in March. General Secretary Kwame Kwarteng was the only incumbent to retain his position. 

The other seven officers are newly-elected candidates. They include Women’s Officer Chenze Ma, Education Officer Laetitia Alexandratos, Activities and Development Officer Carol Chepkech Tirongo, Welfare and Community Officer Junior Usina, Postgraduate Officer Nana Fredua Agyeman, International Officer Ecem Yalcin and Liberation and Access Officer Yueru Du

Following the election in March, Kwarteng said: “It’s yet to sink in that for the first time in Manchester Students’ Union’s history we have eight international roots duly elected as executives for the 2020/21 academic year.

“We were voted for by students who believed in us not by the colour of our skin or English proficiency but by the impeccable manifesto each of us had.”

This Friday Kwarteng added: “In 2019, I got elected as the first international student to ever lead the University of Manchester Students’ Union as a 158th General Secretary.

“On the 1st of August 2020, I will begin my second term in office as the re-elected General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students Union. Special thanks to everyone who has supported me through it all.” 

Manchester SU said: “The 2019/20 Executive Officers achieved so much this year – from divestment, to decolonising the curriculum, and even launching UoM Olympics, to name just a few. We wish them all the best of luck with the future.” 

If the guidance allows, the University wants to get students into the classroom for tutorials in September with lectures delivered online. 

But The Mancunion understands that SU staff will be following University guidance and working from home until at least the 1st of September with a phased return during Semester 1. 

Students are likely to have to follow strict health and safety rules when vising the SU during this period. 

This could include mandatory face coverings and maintaining a 2-metre distance from anybody outside of their support bubble.  

To find out more about the new Student Executive Officer team and their work, follow the Students’ Union on social media – Instagram (manchester_su), Twitter and Facebook (@ManchesterSU) – or head to the Students’ Union website now.