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Month: December 2020

Relax, the vaccines are here

The world has breathed a huge sigh of relief with the emergence of not one, but three effective vaccines against COVID-19. Although vaccination is a science that has been in practice for many years, many people have expressed their concern over the rapid development of these new vaccines.

Can we trust them?

The answer is yes, we can trust them. And the explanations for their speedy development is very simple: every research lab in the world at the moment is receiving more funding than ever with the one goal of creating a vaccine.

If you combine essentially unlimited funding, the focus of all research labs, and thousands of willing volunteers, you get the perfect recipe for producing a quick vaccine.

How were they made so quickly?

Most people think that the longest part of producing a vaccine is the clinical trial and assessing side effects; And whilst this is an essential part, the stage that takes the biggest amount of time actually comes before most of the actual research. In most cases, applying for research, proposals, finding funding, securing grants and other admin protocol is usually the reason why vaccine production seems to take so long.

Finding volunteers is especially difficult in normal circumstances because often, people don’t see the urgency or don’t care enough because it isn’t a cause personal to them. But with COVID-19, every single person on the planet has been affected, and it makes sense that many people want to help to end this pandemic. And a great way to do that is by taking part in vaccine trials!

What goes on during the clinical trials of vaccine development?

The clinical stages of vaccine development are pretty straightforward. The first stage involves testing a small group of volunteers. If no major side effects can be seen then the process carries on to stage two, comparing the effects of the vaccine on two groups: one administered with the vaccine and the other with a placebo. If there are no problems following this, then research can progress into the third and final stage: mass sampling. Essentially the same as stage one but requiring many more volunteers in order to gain a better picture of a larger proportion of the population.

It’s also important that the volunteers – across all stages – are of various ethnicities, gender and age so that the sample is even more reliable as a representation of the entire population. You can now hopefully understand why recruiting as many volunteers as possible is essential to developing a safe and reliable vaccine, and can take a long time.

 Are they effective?

The three current vaccines leading the race against COVID-19 are the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine, and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, and their effectiveness is 95%, 94.5% and 70.4% respectively.

At first glance, this may seem like the Oxford vaccine is lagging behind the other two, but this is not the case. In fact, for most drugs and vaccines, around 70% is more than sufficient for it to be cleared as valid and made accessible to the public.

For example, take the influenza vaccine. The strain of flu changes frequently, which demands a new vaccine every year. Therefore, on average, the flu vaccine is only about 40% effective. Some years we get it really right, some years less so.

But nonetheless administering the vaccine saves thousands of lives against the flu. So the fact that these new vaccines are 70% and above is actually very promising.

How do the vaccines actually work?

Time for some deeper science!

You may remember from your school days an odd thing or two about vaccines, and that most of them work by injecting a small sample, possibly living or dead, of the disease-causing virus or bacteria, known as the pathogen  so that the body’s natural immune system can recognise it and build up immunity without the need for infection.

This is how the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine works too: using a modified version of the virus that is non-infectious.

However, the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines work slightly differently: instead of injecting the virus itself, they insert portions of its mRNA that contain information and instructions for our cells to actually create the virus!

But don’t be alarmed, the mRNA only encodes the essential parts of the virus or enough for the body’s immune system to recognise it as the ‘real thing’, not the nasty parts that make us become sick. So essentially, the vaccine triggers our cells to start making ‘blank’ copies of the virus, which doesn’t make us sick: our immune system can still recognise them to build up immunity.

It’s worth mentioning that the nature of this vaccine also speeds up development because mRNA is faster to produce and  allows researchers to produce non-infectious viruses, so there is less concern surrounding the prospect of accidental infection upon vaccination.

When can I get vaccinated?

Whilst the results are promising, this data is all preliminary, therefore, peer-reviewing is required. According to the BBC, the UK has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, but sadly we don’t know when that will all be available for public distribution. What we do know is there will be a staged scheme according to priority of who needs the vaccine first (I.E. age will almost certainly be top of the list, whereas young people will probably go last unless they have underlying health conditions).

But whenever the time comes, I hope I don’t have to be the one to encourage you to go and get vaccinated.

The slow, cold abandonment of Manchester nightlife

Last month, Greater Manchester night-time economy advisor, Sacha Lord, pleaded with the government to change curfews on nightlife when lockdown comes to an end.

Petitioning the Secretary of State, Matt Hancock, directly, Lord asked that pubs are allowed to re-open in Tier 3 areas, to which Manchester has returned this week. The government has responded by pushing back curfews to 11pm – but Manchester students still won’t have the luxury of drinking pints with a substantial meal for a while yet.

“This is an attack on our class culture,” declared the Parklife and Warehouse Project chief.

Many resonate with the sentiment that drinking venues, the staff employed by them, and young and free clubgoers have never been a priority for the government throughout the pandemic. Despite the nightlife economy being one of the most vulnerable to coronavirus restrictions, the government has blatantly disregarded this sector.

This signals a clear indifference towards youth culture and this sector of the economy.

The shun was even more lucid for freelancers, such as performers, who had been omitted from furloughing schemes from the beginning. Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was among those who have written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking for support for the 3 million taxpayers who have been excluded from Covid-19 support schemes.

This utter indifference begs the question of whether the government has not only acted lazily, but opportunistically.

What began as passive neglect has become an active disdain. Rather than letting the industry dwindle in the crisis, nightlife is being aggressively attacked.

The pandemic has provided the ideal excuse to rid cities of the noise and commotion which often accompanies nightlife. Centrally-located venues, shells of now-bankrupt clubs, are ripe to be plucked by investors and developers.

Urban sprawls can then be gentrified, comprised of housing projects unaffordable to the young people who once partied there.

Unsurprisingly, the politicians in Westminster attach no intrinsic value to events like Warehouse Project or the clubs of the Gay Village. Not only do they likely have no personal affections for them, but there is also little political motivation. The night-time economy is thus side-lined, while industries key to the Conservatives’ survival is prioritised.

The 10pm curfew, to which Sacha Lord has raised a legal challenge, not only crippled businesses, but also signalled the aims of the punitive measures. Top scientific advisors were unable to find evidence which proved the curfew’s efficacy in controlling the virus. It’s almost as if the bid to deprive our cities of nightlife isn’t even a secret anymore.

Photo: Alice Wood @ The Mancunion
There are calls for an extension to the 10pm curfew as the PM is expected to relax rules over Christmas. Photo: Alice Wood @ The Mancunion

By greatly limiting venue capacity too, businesses become starved of customers, and are eventually unworkable.

Club managers and security are masters at managing groups of people. It’s practically in the job description. Yet they continue to be patronised, justified on the grounds that social distancing is impossible in such venues. Meanwhile, illegal raves and house parties continue to divert scarce police resources.

The government has not hesitated on devaluing the individual employee, either. Rishi Sunak’s announcement that jobs that are no longer “viable” will receive no support is the most telling example of negligence. With one word, the Chancellor snubbed thousands in the nightlife sector.

The second lockdown consolidated the ongoing program of exclusion; it couldn’t be more clear that there is no place in the economy for students, bartenders, dancers, and DJs.

No justice, no peace: Hulme’s fight against racism and inequality

The murder of George Floyd by a U.S. police officer in May this year catalysed an international response. This sparked widespread Black Lives Matter campaigning across the globe. Six months on, local communities in Manchester are continuing the fight against racism. They are continuously working to keep the movement alive.

Every Wednesday evening in Hulme at 6pm, members of Manchester’s Stand up to Racism group gather. They ‘take the kneel’ for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. This is the duration of time that George Floyd’s neck was knelt on when he was killed. Campaigners kneel in a socially distanced line on the roadside, holding up posters dedicated to their cause. This is so that passers-by in their cars and on foot are reminded of the movement.

As well as taking the kneel, each week individuals are given the opportunity to discuss their own knowledge and experiences in regards to racism and inequality. Issues ranging from the EndSARS movement in Nigeria, to the impact of the Rishi Sunak’s recent spending review on BAME communities, and the working class have all been spoken about. Both engaging and informative, attendees benefit from these discussions. They are able to come away each week having learned something new about the consequences of racial inequality, and inequality in general, in the UK and elsewhere.

Holly, a student who attends the kneel regularly, illustrates just how educational these gatherings are: “You learn more than you would expect. One week we were told about the criminalization of drill music in the UK. These are instances of racism most people don’t know are happening. Even though these movements are going on, racism is still an issue. That’s why it’s important to keep going.”

Yannick, resident of Hulme, also emphasised that going to the kneel isn’t just about supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement.

“It’s about society and the problems we all face. We’ve spoken about the NHS, homelessness and the lack of action from Boris Johnson in relation to racism, and comments that he’s made in the past”.

Yannick noted “as much as Black Lives Matter is the main focus, it’s all about creating a better society and hoping that us being better people will rub off on others”.

Whilst symbolic of a struggle that is sadly ongoing, the atmosphere at the kneel in Hulme is one of strength, hope and perseverance. Despite Manchester’s unreliable weather forecast, and regardless of the dark evenings winter has brought, residents of Hulme unconditionally take to the street each week to ensure the continued spread of awareness.  After the Black Lives Matter movement gathered considerable momentum, it is vital that the campaign against racism does not slow down. Especially alongside the reduced coverage, this topic receives in the mainstream media. Local events such as gathering to take the kneel demonstrate that there is still progress to be made. More importantly, is that there are still people fighting to make this progress.

Since it began in May, Hulme’s kneel has seen an increasing number of people join as the weeks go by. It is assuring to see adults bring their children along, and encourage them to join in the chanting. It is encouraging to see so many people engaging in complex discussions covering an array of highly relevant topics.

The Black Lives Matter movement may have become less prevalent on our phone and TV screens in recent months. But the prevalence of racism is, unfortunately, still ingrained in our society. It is this which makes continuing to take part in discussions and campaigning for justice so crucial.

This week marks 6 months exactly since people began taking the kneel in Hulme. These campaigners also show no sign of getting comfortable any time soon. They will continue to kneel down by Hulme Park on the side of Stretford Road every Wednesday at 6pm.

For anyone in Manchester wondering how they can continue to stand up to racism, this weekly meeting is a simple but significant way of doing so.  It takes up just one hour of your week, and everybody is welcome!

Fickle Friends on new music, self-producing and the weird year we’re having

Upbeat and optimistic Fickle Friends are the creators of sonically exciting earworms and impossibly catchy guitar riffs. Certain to go down in the indie-rock hall of fame, the euphoric quintet is far from slowing down. Their latest release ‘Million’ is a tantalizing teaser of the bombshell of an album that is set to drop in mid-January.

‘Million’ represents everything fans need during these tumultuous times – a positively uplifting track awash with luminous synth-pop textures to remind us that we are never alone. The emotional intensity portrayed through lead singer Natti Shiner’s vocals allows this larger than life song to leave a lasting impact on fans. One of the first tracks to be written for the upcoming EP, this track has stood the test of time. Described as a “quirky love song” by Natti and produced completely in-house, this song perfectly shows the band’s evolution and transition into self-produced music and is truly a feat to be proud of.

Sitting down with Natti and keyboardist Jack Wilson, we talked all things COVID-19, new releases, and favourite upcoming bands. 

‘Million’ is your latest single, what’s the story behind it?

I think it was the first song that we wrote when we were like, “let’s do some second album writing.”  It’s quite a long time ago that we wrote it but it stood the test of time. We always knew that it was one of our faves. It’s just a quirky love song, really. It’s just about having vibes with someone and chemistry and energy.

Have you got anything in particular that motivates you to keep making new music?

I’m of the mindset of, like, “do as much as possible.” — if we didn’t have music and stuff to focus on, I think we’d probably be in a ditch somewhere. So if that isn’t motivation, what is? It’s like what keeps us going, you can put everything that you’re feeling, whether it’s good or bad, into a day of writing, and it’s like proper escapism. We like releasing music constantly, so we’re releasing songs every four or five weeks and it gives us purpose.

Tell us about ‘The Weird Years’.

The last two years have been absolutely mental — it’s been so weird. It’s basically just our kind of, like, diary of what’s been happening, on how we’ve been feeling, and how we’ve been dealing with it and the process of putting that into songs; and we essentially went into our own kind of lockdown in 2019, didn’t we? We had a self-made pandemic the year before by taking a year out, so we’ve had, like, two years of kind of not being able to, like, play properly. It’s just the musings of people slowly going insane.

What’s the reasoning behind the album being a multi-parter?

We just wanted to keep releasing music. At the time we were in the first lockdown, so we couldn’t come to the studio for a few months and we had a handful of songs that kind of could be finished and could be ready to go; and everything else needed a lot of work.

So we were like, “how do we not completely stop? I guess we’ll just have to put the first five out and just go for it and try and make this kind of like a multipart album and it will give us a little bit more breathing space.” We started releasing music and then the pandemic happened and we stopped and it was frustrating – we weren’t just going to sit and wait; do nothing for a whole other year.

 If you could pick one track each off the album that you’re most excited for fans to hear, what would it be?

J: I am excited about some good ‘IRL’, in real life, which is coming out on the first day next year. It’s just really fun and like really big and like fun.

N: The last two songs that are coming out as part of the whole of season one are two of my faves. Very, very contrasting — I’m really proud of it.

Since ‘You Asked Someone Else’, how do you think your sound has evolved, or you’ve changed as a band?

It’s more DIY than it was — Jack now produces everything, although he kind of was to an extent before, but kind of, I guess, because we were with a major label, and being shopped around a lot of producers and stuff with that first record; and it was a bit all over the place and we had so many different people working on so many different songs. Whereas now it’s just us, really.

We were just doing a lot of learning and figuring out how we like to do things and trying to get other people to maybe help us achieve what we want to achieve.

It’s really important for us that we are allowed to just be doing what we want to do. That’s when people make really good stuff — it’s not been forced.

What do you think is an important lesson you’ve learnt about being in the music industry?

I think there’s a lot of stuff we learned from trying to please a lot of other people. Whereas now it’s just kind of we’re doing it for ourselves, and I think we can look at a song and be like, “yeah, that’s not right.” — and we can try and better it! Whereas before, there was so many busybodies kind of having their say.

Trust your instincts. Trust yourself. 

If you could’ve had any artist collaborate with you on your album, who would it be?

J: I really get into these questions, I actually think about it and you try and like picture them singing on it and stuff. What we said in the past, we used to say Calvin Harris, because it was funny. I like Pharrell Williams, just thought that was so outrageous that it can be funny if we did some of them.

N: I can actually just imagine writing a song with Calvin Harris. Oh, to be honest, I’d I cry; I’d cry from start to finish. I’d want it to be ‘A Sky Full of Stars’-epic.

J: Beautiful song, Harris and Coldplay. You can’t go wrong.

Who are some of your favourite modern and upcoming bands?          

N: We really like a girl called Grif. She’s cool. Barney Fletcher!

J: But try not to get the word out too much, it’s better when it’s underground. We love Joan.

N: Nightly.

J: All your sad-girl indie – Beabadoobee, Girl in Red, Soccer Mommy. This is my 2020 jam. Some of these aren’t fresh because I wouldn’t say Benee is up and coming anymore – she’s made it, dandelion.

Baby queen. Griff, as I said, great; a girl called Lou Hater; we like this band called Bamily.

We like all of Laurel’s new songs and Cosmo’s Midnight.

In terms of Fickle Friends, what do you think is coming next for you guys?

We’re making music videos and we just made that little lyric video for ‘Million’. It was just us sat in here drawing and doing little animations and putting stuff together. We’re just kind of slowly building up, like, a little Fickle Friends world, I guess.

Have you got a message for your fans?

Hope you’re all staying safe.

Just, I guess, the main thing is, no matter how you feel, you can always find purpose every day, even if it’s just getting up and having a shower, but feel like if there’s anything that you can do and you find, like, a bit of joy in it. Make that a priority.

Changing the world, one volunteer at a time

Have you ever felt judged for the way you look? Or speak? Or just for being different? Unfortunately, discrimination has become an increasingly prevalent issue; from hatred towards the Asian community with the initial spread of COVID-19 to the murder of George Floyd which reignited the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.  Growing discrimination is entrenched within our society. However, it is promising to see young people tackle these deep-rooted societal issues. One organisation paving the way for cross-cultural communication and understanding is AIESEC.

Photo: aiesecinternational @ Flickr

AIESEC is the largest youth-run organisation in the world. Established in 1948, following World War 2, the organisation specialises in facilitating international volunteering and internship exchanges for young people. They aim to build global relationships and foster cooperation between people of different nationalities. To learn more about how AIESEC instills these values in youth, I interviewed Razvan Popescu, the AIESEC’s Vice President of Outgoing Global Volunteering in Manchester, and Soh, a Moroccan exchange participant.

Q: What is cultural inclusivity for you?

Razvan: “When I think about cultural inclusivity, my mind immediately goes to diversity. Just think about all the people in your life that come from different backgrounds than yours. There are thousands of different ways of living that you never even thought about. Cultural inclusivity is the reason we’re able to understand and support the needs of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.  So, in essence, cultural inclusivity means awareness, understanding, and compromise.” 

Soh: “To me, cultural inclusivity means respecting each other’s cultural differences and creating a sense of belonging.”

Q: What made you choose to work as an exchange facilitator/exchange participant at a cultural exchange organization?

Razvan: “I chose to work in an organisation that promotes cultural exchange because I believe in the ethos of AIESEC: we believe that if you get to see the world, then you get to understand it, and if you get to understand it, then you get to change it. When we learn more about different cultures and behaviours, we slowly step out of the bubble we live under; a bubble that is highly affected by the lack of cultural inclusivity in our society.

“Therefore, I am strongly optimistic that by going abroad and improving leadership skills in a challenging environment a young person can make a small positive change in the world. And when a hundred people get to do it, the impact is even bigger. Imagine what will happen when millions take on this opportunity.”

Soh: “During my six-week exchange in Morocco, I’ve learned to appreciate other cultures and ideas and become more open to compromise. Over time, it becomes easier to shed self-consciousness about looking silly.” 

Q: What sets the impact of AIESEC apart from other exchange programs? 

Razvan: “AIESEC is all about leadership development. We believe that the youth is capable of achieving peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential. We allow young people to join our organisation, develop their skills in an extremely diverse environment, and on top of that, become the leaders of tomorrow, which is seen in every single testimonial given by AIESEC alumni. 

“Additionally, AIESEC is a place where you can fail as many times you want to, without being judged or feeling excluded. I never thought I would become so resilient and solution-orientated after my time in AIESEC, but I can see the impact it had on me and many others. AIESEC is the platform that exponentially enhanced my passion to make a positive change in the world”

Q: How important are cultural exchanges, taking into consideration current issues such as the BLM movement?

Razvan: “Cultural exchanges force you to leave your comfort zone and place you in a different environment where, at first, everything is entirely different than what you are used to. You fully comprehend the fact that everyone else is living a life just like you. Although the food they eat may be different, they eat it in the same way. They go to work every day, they love each other and celebrate life just like you. You feel grateful that you got the opportunity to experience this but then, you ask yourself: How can others think differently? What makes people capable of discrimination?

“It is so easy to feel trapped by hopelessness. When you turn on the TV or read the news, you can see that the world faces many issues; from homophobia, gender inequalities, racism, and a climate crisis, all of which affect our contemporary moment and the generations to come. Hope, on the other hand, is harder to find. However, there are many opportunities to find hope; from a book you can read about the history of your country, an alternative to plastic in the local supermarket, or a BLM protest that is taking place just across the street. People have an endless amount of opportunities to choose from if they want to work towards a better future. Upon leaving the exchange, you learn an important lesson: young people will always fight for what is right and for making a change.”

Soh: “I really recommend going on cultural exchanges because it can break the wall between us when we come together and share a common experience. By connecting with other exchange participants, we will see that we have a lot of similarities instead of differences.”

Photo: aiesecinternational @ Flickr

Going on an exchange is a wonderful opportunity for youth to broaden their world view. It reminds us that there is so much beyond what we see in our own countries.

Hopefully, these programs will be a positive step forward in embracing an international community. In the words of Razvan, “it’s not a matter of ‘will the change happen?’,  it’s a matter of ‘how soon can we make this change happen?’”

Annie Dabb: Fawke the fences

Remember remember the 5th November,

Fence felling, rent Strikes, the lot,

We see no reason,

Why young students freedom,

Should ever be forgot.

Thursday the 5th of November saw the scapegoating of students take on a whole new literal meaning as the University of Manchester chose to fence in students as if they were farm animals rather than actual people. Students are understandably susceptible to feelings of panic when they look out of their window to see fences being constructed around their accommodation, being effectively confined to the space within. As if the walls of our pokey student rooms weren’t oppressive enough, now barriers were being erected in the little pockets of the outside world we’re still allowed to access.

It’s no wonder then that this outrage led to an impromptu in-person protest taking place at the University of Manchester’s Fallowfield Campus. Students were sick and tired of being treated with so little respect and consideration that the university had actually deemed fences an appropriate supposed security measure, and also somehow forgot to inform the students of this decision until the damage was done.

By then it was too late, as the time had come for us, the student population, to unite in taking to the streets (or at least the court outside of Owens Park accommodation) to put up a front against a university which has commodified us and placed profit over student well-being by opening halls this year, despite the ongoing threat of Covid. Expressing her support for the protests, a fellow student reminded me: “You’re a paying customer. The universities forget that. They made this system, they should be made to live with it”. I couldn’t agree more.

If university was a game of chess, then students – cast as the pawns – have been thrust into a seemingly continuous state of check-mate, materialised in the constraining metal edifices around the places we’re supposed to feel safe in. This seems especially fitting considering how much the University is trying to charge us for them. I’d call it daylight robbery, but that would involve actually being able to see any natural light from my ground floor room. Much like a game of chess, in which university is somehow both the king and the queen, possessing the freedom to move anywhere on the board, they seem to have forgotten that we student pawns vastly outnumber these authority figures and more so that it is not one single game but rather a tournament. One in which we will relentlessly persist, round after round after round. If the University wants to toy with our mental health and make our education an overpriced game, well then, let’s play.

Through this chess analogy, the phrase ‘Down with the Monarchy’ gains a new relevance on a bonfire night 415 years on from that of the infamous Gunpowder Plot. With the explosions of fireworks in the background serenading our political activism, we cultivated the sort of revolutionary atmosphere that I’m sure even Guy Fawkes himself would have commended. Thankfully, the fate of Fawkes also allows us to put our situations into perspective, when we consider that at the very least, the only ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’ we have to fear is being hung up on in zoom calls, withdrawn from our courses, and quartered into our student accommodation.

In an attempt to somewhat adhere to Covid-19 restrictions, from what I could tell, the vast majority of the crowd at the protest were wearing face masks. However, given that almost everyone currently residing on the Fallowfield campus has tested positive for Covid by now, that no longer seems as important as asserting our rights as students and demanding better conditions in university halls. Fencing us in so that it not only visually resembled but also psychologically felt like prison hasn’t been the best move the University of Manchester has made this academic year. Although, if nothing else, no one can say they’re not consistent in their failure to communicate fully with students and to do good on their promises, like that of ‘blended learning’.

Perhaps the biggest error the university made in the construction of the fences (supposedly to keep non-students out, rather than to actually detain the students within) was not realising just how quickly a photo or video will circulate among a student community. Especially amongst students and young people who’ve grown accustomed over the last two months to spending what feels like every waking minute in front of a screen. Again to reiterate – blended learning, my arse.

Students protest fences and the University response to the pandemic. Photo: Antonio Ross

The University’s decision to not only erect the fences without any sort of warning but to also respond to a students’ tweet about them before sending out a mass email was just the icing on the cake of ill-judgement. The following email sent later that evening with not one, not two, but three forms of apology was really the cherry on top. Mary Berry could never.

Back to the protest, the girl who spoke to the crowd was incredible in her commandment of the crowd and assertion of the changes we want to see take place as students, as well as in her demands for compensation for the poor handling of our situation so far (see @uomrentstrike). She simultaneously managed to hold the speakerphone, read from her mobile, and keep her mask covering her nose and mouth, which I consider no small feat. Her leadership of the crowd was elevated even more by the contrast between her captivating speech and the absolute ignorance awarded to the boy who clambered up to say a few words after her. By then it was too late, the smoke flares blending with the bonfire night displays, and the crowd was already heading towards the remainder of the fences in order to topple them. For a brief moment, it seemed like we’d irrevocably humbled the university authorities and combated patriarchy, all in one night. Power to the people, am I right?

But of course, this hopeful allusion was shattered a few moments later as some students sought to assert their physical strength and masculinity by up-ending the fences en-masse; accompanied by chants of, “Boris Johnson is a wanker. Boris Johnson is a wanker. Boris Johnson is a wanker. And he’s a racist too!”, to the tune of ‘John Brown’s Body’. ‘Glory, Glory Hallelujah’ indeed, fellow comrades.

As far as the fences being supposedly placed for security goes, I’d hate to rupture the carefully constructed masculinity of the fence over-throwers, but I saw a petite female student kick one down just on her own – so much for preventing non-students from entering the campus. One may even equate the ease of scaling a flimsy two metre fence into the Fallowfield campus with the ease with which so many privately-educated students got accepted into university –  due to exam cancellations and algorithm-produced results through class-privilege.

Whilst all this was taking place, two security guards observed from the sidelines. One even kindly ventured at one point to make us aware that we were being filmed. Little did he know that our own films of the protest would appear on BBC news later that night, exposing Manchester’s breach of contract with its students and evoking other universities to join us in solidarity of the lack of support given to students during the pandemic. Perhaps Gill Scott Heron was wrong — maybe the revolution will be televised after all.

Who’s to blame? Looking back at Covid restrictions

We all know the age-old saying ‘I told you so’ but never has the phrase been so twisted and manipulated than by our own government this year.

Remember the ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme they threw in our faces, urging us to emerge from our homes and support our local businesses? What seemed like a great community effort at the time came back to bite us in the backside, when there was yet another spike in Covid-19 cases in the UK.

Of course, we were to blame. It was obviously the fault of the public for going out and socialising in the pubs and restaurants, because the government would never condone that kind of behaviour during a global pandemic, right?

Only, they did.

At some level, it was our fault. We were out seeing people we hadn’t seen in ages, and enjoying ourselves after a tough few months in lockdown. We were doing as we were told it was OK to do. Who could have predicted that, once slightly intoxicated, not all of us would function with our best judgement, and that we might let social distancing slip a little?

Our short break of freedom ended with us having the rug swept out from underneath us, landing the country back in yet another lockdown for winter.

We can’t seem to do anything right anymore; it’s like the most confusing and dangerous game of ‘Simon says’ ever. 

With Lockdown 2.0 finally over, tensions are still rising, and among the student population in particular. People are scared. Will we be able to come back to Manchester after Christmas? Will we get fenced inside our accommodation again? How are we meant to make friends, and look after our mental health, when the university is too busy covering their own behinds to actually make an effort with the students who are paying them for an education?

Personally, I feel solely blaming the government is the easy way out. They’re the bad guy and we are the guinea pigs given no choice when it comes to our living conditions anymore.

How the government has treated people, in the North in particular, is atrocious, and inhumane even – but I ask you, what would you do? Shut everything down sooner? Keep us in lockdown even longer the first time round? These are all situations that, with hindsight working in our favour, we can now see would have been far superior to what we actually did.

We all think we have the answers now, but would we have had them then, when it really mattered?

I must make clear that I do not agree with how the government has handled Covid-19 at all. If anything, I think you’d struggle to find a suitable comparison in history to a mess so big in such a short time. 

The current Tier three lockdown in Manchester is even stricter than it was previously. While our non-essential shops and gyms have opened once again, the hospitality industry has been left out to dry. Pubs and restaurants in Tier three regions will only be allowed to provide takeaway and delivery services.

As someone who has worked in hospitality this year, I can tell you how damaging lockdown has been to the people in this industry, employees and employers alike. How is an industry built on socialising meant to survive social distancing?

And not only will businesses face the hardest Christmas season they’ve ever known, the public will too. We were all stumped on how to shop during a national lockdown. With only a few weeks till Christmas, it seems far too late to be buying up gifts now. 

I am stuck on gift ideas this holiday season; usually I would stroll around the Arndale Centre and wait for inspiration to strike. But this year, the only thing striking shoppers is the length of the queues or the freezing cold wind when waiting outside their favourite shop.

This winter will be like no other in history. I can’t wait for history students in the future to look back and analyse what led us to the state we are in now. I am very interested to see how hindsight affects our opinion on our current situation; will we see restrictions as a necessary evil that worked out in the end, or, as the pest we see it as now?

Only time will tell.

Winner of winners? Half of a Yellow Sun

Half of a Yellow Sun has been voted the ‘winner of winners’ for the 25 year anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The one-off prize was judged by members of the public, who voted for their favourite of the 25 winners. The list of winning books includes names like Zadie Smith and Lionel Shriver.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won the award in 2007, when it was known as the ‘Orange Prize’. In recent years, the Women’s Prize for Fiction has gone to Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage and Naomi Alderman’s The Power. The 2020 winner was announced in September as Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet. 

In reference to her recent win Adichie said: ‘I’m especially moved to be voted ‘Winner of Winners’ because this is the Prize that first brought a wide readership to my work. It has also introduced me to the work of many talented writers.’

Adichie will be awarded a silver edition of the prize’s statuette, which is known as the Bessie. This will take place in an online event hosted by founder Kate Mosse on 6th December 2020; tickets are on sale for the live virtual celebration. There will also be an exclusive hardback edition of Half of a Yellow Sun available to buy. 

The Women’s Prize for Fiction have also launched a #ReadingWomen campaign to encourage people to read all 25 winners this year, including 2020’s winner Hamnet.

Half of a Yellow Sun

People continue to read and love Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. Winning a vote by over 8,500 readers shows that the novel has stayed with readers for the 13 years since it first won the prize. This is no surprise, as the novel is compelling and stunningly memorable. 

The prize winning novel is set in the years before and during the Biafran war in Nigeria. Adichie expertly weaves together the stories of multiple protagonists while tackling politics, war, race, class and struggles for education. The novel roots history in the experiences of individuals.

Half of a Yellow Sun is powerful and deserves to be recognised as such; as it was when it was awarded the prize in 2007. It is also worth encouraging readers to look back over previous years winners. Readers will potentially discover work they may have missed, or even been too young to read, at the time. That is a wonderful way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the award.

However, I question the value of pitching 25 incredible books by women against one another. The phrase ‘winner of winners’ has an almost Hunger Games quality, as though there can be only one. The fantastic selection of books should be appreciated as a group, as a showcase of women’s writing and talent. 

Half of a Yellow Sun is a deserving winner of the honorary prize that marks 25 years of the Women’s Prize. However, the competitive nature seems to go against its founding aim to celebrate and honour fiction written by women.

Marcus Rashford MBE has launched a reading campaign

Marcus Rashford MBE has launched a reading campaign for children across the UK. Rashford has played an instrumental role in governmental lobbying and activism this year. The Manchester United footballer is now using his celebrity platform to launch his book deal with Macmillan Books.

Rashford assisted in influencing the government’s u-turn decision over free school meals. Aasiyah Faryal reported on the recognition of his work in the Queen’s honours list for the Mancunion earlier this year.

The Manchester United footballer has now launched a project that focuses on literature. Rashford’s campaign centres on providing children from various socio-economic backgrounds with access to books.

Rashford’s debut book is set to be published in May 2021 by Macmillan books. The book is aimed at early teens and it is entitled You Are a Champion: Unlock Your Potential, Find Your Voice and Be the BEST You Can Be.

The footballer’s literary campaign seeks to redress the inequalities present in children’s access to literature. Reading as a hobby is a privilege that is tied up with class dynamics. Rashford has vocalised his thoughts on the value of reading as a necessary distraction, and how it provides an important opportunity for ‘escapism’.

Rashford’s book club campaign has received a considerable amount of media engagement. The Manchester United player tweeted last week: ‘Is it technically bed time? Parents, carers, tell your little ones that if they read a little bit before bed and share a pic with me, I’ll post it on my Instagram stories’. In light of Rashford’s tweet parents have shared pictures of their children happily reading books in the thread.

Above all, Marcus Rashford MBE continues to be a positive force for change this year. The footballer’s latest campaign forefronts reading as an essential part of childhood.

Non-fiction November: I Am Dynamite! A Life of Nietzsche

You have probably heard of Friedrich Nietzsche. He’s the 19th century German philosopher with the exceptional moustache who told us that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and that ‘God is dead’.

While those are among his best known quotes, in a sense they exemplify the main problem when it comes to Nietzsche. That problem is how little people actually know about him, and how poorly he’s understood.

This problem was even more acute until the 1970s, when his works were rescued by scholars including Reg Hollingdale and Walter Kaufmann. If you own a Nietzsche book it’s likely to have been translated by one of these two reputation rehabilitators.

But even today people don’t know much about Nietzsche. Nietzsche is the man who – in my opinion – has shaped Western thought more than anyone since the time of ancient Greece.

Why, where, and how Nietzsche exerted this profound influence is explored in I Am Dynamite! Sue Prideaux’s work is an intimate, humorous, sometimes scathing, and always expertly crafted biography. The title is derived from a quote from the man himself:

‘I know my fate. One day my name will be associated with the memory of something tremendous […] I am no man, I am dynamite!’

Prideaux’s take on the life of Nietzsche spells out with charm and intimacy the factors, historical and personal, which went into bringing about this man and his tectonic ideas.

Behold the man

The phases of Nietzsche’s life might be very roughly separated as follows. In each episode, Prideaux brings to bear expert scholarship to flesh out the personality, quirks, strengths, and weaknesses of the man who would later, in a moment of contested sanity, declare himself ‘the Antichrist’.

Youth and school years

Nietzsche’s father Carl Ludwig was a Lutheran pastor in the German village of Rӧcken. Carl died when Nietzsche was still an infant, bequeathing to his son two significant things. First, the early ambition to become a member of the church, the study towards which would turn Nietzsche on his path towards becoming the greatest enemy of Christianity. Second, a devastating neurological illness, which killed father at 35 and son at 55.

We are also granted a peek into the brutal regime endured by Nietzsche at the Schulpforta, a former monastery turned school, to which he won a scholarship. Here Nietzsche indulged his passion for Greek, Latin, philosophy and history, earning himself the good-natured nickname of ‘the little scholar’.

Relationship with the Wagners

Absolutely fundamental to Nietzsche’s development is his relationship with the Wagners – note the plural, for Cosima plays a significant role here, too. Championed by the titanic Wagner as a man of especial ability, Nietzsche was sure to reciprocate, most notably by penning his first book The Birth of Tragedy. The book is essentially a homage to Wagner’s emergence in his eyes as Germany’s best hope at cultural renewal. But this friendship was not set to last…

Intellectual breakaway

In this period, Nietzsche’s eternally poor health takes a particularly bad turn, resulting in him being pensioned off. Thus begins the years of travelling and self-discovery that come to define the man and his philosophy. This new outlook is perhaps best exemplified by Human, All Too Human, which comes during this period, and is considered by most to be the starting point for Nietzsche’s mature philosophy.

We also get a fascinating – and heart-breaking – insight into the part of Nietzsche’s life which you might call the ‘romantic’. Nietzsche’s life was punctuated by illness and failure with women. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that in this period he somehow ends up in a bizarre ménage à trois with the love of his life, Lou Salomé and their mutual friend Paul Rée.

The new philosopher and isolation

When Nietzsche breaks with Salomé and Rée, and more or less the rest of humanity, he embarks upon a decade or so of prodigiousness perhaps unrivalled in history. In this ten year period Nietzsche rattles off work after work; all of them masterpieces.

During this time we see the emergence of some of Nietzsche’s defining ideas including: the Übermensch, the transvaluation of values, the eternal recurrence, amor fati, and the genealogical approach to morality. Zarathustra, Nietzsche’s prophet and the saviour of humanity, is also born in this period.

This flirtation with stardom and recognition, the lack of which Nietzsche had always rued bitterly, is made all the more heart-breaking by what happened next.

Illness, the end and his legacy

By the time Nietzsche famously broke down in Turin, clutching at a flogged horse and declaring ‘I understand you!’, he had already given plenty of signs of his impending doom. His behaviour, in person and in print, had become increasingly erratic. He was signing his letters as ‘Dionysus’ (personifying chaos, the spirit of music, and all things primal), ‘the crucified one’, and ‘the Antichrist’.

The verdict? Probably brain cancer. Nietzsche’s story, which in many ways started with his father, finishes at the same place.

But if only it had finished there. After his breakdown, Nietzsche lived on as an angry and confused patient for another ten years, requiring constant care and suffering repeated strokes. Worse, though, he suffered a devastating campaign by his sister Elisabeth to co-opt his philosophy in service of Nazism.

A personal friend to the Führer, Elisabeth spent Nietzsche’s last living decade rewriting his philosophy, and destroying his reputation in the eyes of the world. The man described by Prideaux as a vehement ‘anti-anti-Semite’ was now being distorted, edited, bastardised, and distributed to Nazi soldiers in the trenches.

The cruel irony is that many of those soldiers were fighting against France, whom Nietzsche adored and saw as far superior to Germany in the first place. (For years Nietzsche perpetuated the total fabrication that he was Polish, in order to give his lineage some aristocratic and non-German sheen.) It was from this campaign by his cynical, racist, and bitterly jealous sister that Nietzsche’s reputation required rehabilitation.

Nietzsche and non-fiction November

Most biographies ask for, or even demand, an interest in the subject. As someone with half a shelf dedicated to Nietzsche, this book was probably bound to score with me. But Prideaux’s enviable arsenal of wit, humour, attention to detail, and objectivity means that this book should appeal to any student of history or philosophy.

If you enjoy philosophical non-fiction check out the recent review of Sam Harris’ Free Will for non-fiction November.

‘Another Round’ for Merry Mikkelsen?

Druk (or Another Round in English) follows four banal teachers battling mid-life crises.

After discovering an abstract theory suggesting that humans should be born with a moderate level of alcohol content in their blood, the teachers make a pact to maintain a constant alcohol level of 0.5‰. Their apathy morphs into enthusiasm, their vapidity becomes creativity, their uninspired students are galvanized into learning and fractured family ties are seemingly repaired.

However, as their experiment intensifies and stakes are raised, Martin (Mads Mikkelsen) and his friends learn you can only have so much of a good thing.

 

This tale investigates our complex and intertwined relationship with alcohol. We drink to celebrate, we drink to mourn, and there are few occasions we don’t drink in between. Another Round recognises the destruction that excessive drinking can cause, but at its core this film is a celebration of alcohol. We are told that on multiple occasions drunkards have crafted history – from Emperor Tiberius and Cleopatra to Winston Churchill and Benjamin Franklin, the world has been run by boozers.

On a personal level, some of my own most treasured memories and pastimes have involved alcohol of some sorts. The connection between alcohol culture and our human condition is the premise of the film’s exploration. Perhaps this relation is not as bad as society suggests it is.

Captivating performances expose familiar hopes and dreams, and plaster them on screen. Mads Mikkelsen shows his incredible range, including a mesmerising dance scene late on in the piece. Lars Ranthe, Thomas Bo Larsen and Magnus Millang also provide inspired displays as his fellow teachers.

The film does have its limitations. It is fairly one-dimensional in its plot and falls into a trap of monotony leading to an arduous 20 minutes or so in the middle of the film. The lack of unequivocal conclusion to the film was disappointing.

Vinterberg throws out a fascinating hypothesis but refuses to outright get behind it. He pushes his argument too carefully and prudently to give it the full impact it deserves, occupying a comfortable middle ground instead of trying to push towards a daring, new perspective.

Overall, Another Round is an excellently crafted piece of work, carried by the ever impressive Mikkelsen. It’s amusing and fun at times but at its essence it’s a sincere and serene movie.

After premiering at the BFI’s London Film Festival in October and winning its coveted best picture prize, an eagerly anticipated November release for the film was scuppered by the second lockdown. We can only hope for the swift, safe opening of cinemas and Another Round provides an excellent reason to return to the theatres.

What really happened with the fences? University of Manchester releases inquiry findings

Nancy Rothwell, the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, emailed all students this afternoon with the results of the inquiry into the erection of fencing around the Fallowfield accommodation campus on the 5th November.

This report was commissioned by the University following a 1000-strong student protest on the Fallowfield campus the day the fences were installed. Frustrated at the lack of communication from the University and at the sense of being ‘caged’ in to their halls, students tore down the fences, just hours after they were set up.

The email sent out today by Senior Leadership states that students should be at the heart of the University and that they want to work alongside the student body to negotiate and find shared solutions to future issues.

The findings of the inquiry were attached to the email. They indicate that the fences were a measure in response to ‘reports of criminal activities, including drug dealing and assault’, as well as fears that the easy access to the campus meant it had become a hub for illegal parties.

According to the report: “On the weekend of 30–31 October there were increasing concerns over safety, security and criminal activity. Staff at the University sought to improve night-time security through the deployment of additional security officers and the erection of a temporary perimeter fence. Erection of the fence began at 9am on 5 November.”

Students protest fences and the University response to the pandemic. Photo: Antonio Ross

While the report found no fault in the original intentions which led to the erection of the fences, it did highlight “a sense of urgency which led to rushed decision making, which in turn led to poor execution and communication.”

The University inquiry also acknowledges the concerns raised by students, which included fears that the fences were linked to government lock down guidelines, struggles with wellbeing as a result of pandemic restrictions, and students being shocked to see fences around their accommodation without any prior warning from the University.

It seems many students resident in Fallowfield halls at the time believed the security measure was to lock them in rather than deter outsiders entering the campus.

Mancunion editor, Josh Sandiford, spoke to Nancy Rothwell about the Fallowfield fences on the 6th November, asking who had administered them to be put up around  the halls of residence, with the Vice-Chancellor responding that she didn’t know who had signed off on the fences.

The investigation findings show that Senior Leadership “were looking to take an ‘event management approach’ to the Fallowfield site by seeking to restrict access for non-residents at night time.”

The report states that “There is a mixed recollection of any reference to fencing. It is clear no discussion took place on the approach at Fallowfield; no detail was provided, including on risks, and no action was requested or taken. Approval for fencing was not sought.”

The fencing project was led by the Directorate of Estates and Facilities, headed by Diana Hampson. The University recognise that more collaboration from different departments would have been more beneficial for taking at student safety and security into consideration.

“The need for collaborative working is paramount during a crisis, yet colleagues felt they had not been sufficiently made aware nor given the opportunity to engage.”

However, the issue regarding the lack of communication with students is looked at separately: “There are then two related problems with student communication: the timing and content, which relate to how decisions were taken, and the lack of engagement with students and effective engagement with some colleagues in the project.”

The report admits to “a number of failings in process and decision making” from the University, in an already difficult time for students. They want to work to establish student trust in the university leaders and this had been made a priority.

Reports of large gatherings around Fallowfield campus, which breach Covid restrictions, have continued throughout the semester and the University have commented that they are overwhelmed, but realise that the best way to prevent parties is to engage with students and staff to work together to overcome the issues at present.

In conversation with 21 magazine

21 is a multilingual literary magazine that showcases creative writing in multiple languages. It is a platform for amateur and aspiring writers and translators to have their work published, shared, and made available in other languages. 

The magazine is run in conjunction with universities across Europe, including Charles University in Prague, and the University of Vienna. It aims to share work with wider audiences, by translating poetry and short stories into a range of languages. 

I spoke to John, who is the English and Spanish office manager, to find out more about the magazine and the process of translation. 

Q&A with John at 21 magazine

What has been your favourite lockdown read?

My favourite book I read during lockdown is absolutely Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given. I found it a really wonderful book to read at such an overwhelming time. As a queer male reader, I found it particularly interesting, as at times I would relate to the author, who identifies as queer, but at other times could see my own male privilege reflected in what she discussed. It explored multiple viewpoints that I had not previously considered, but explained them without being patronising. 

Why is the magazine called 21?

The magazine focuses on contemporary work, and so the name is derived from the 21st century. The magazine was only founded recently, and it aims to be a collection of creative writing that really responds and speaks to the current moment. There isn’t yet a physical magazine, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we aim to have one in the future! The website is free for readers, and it is completely free for writers to get involved. 

Can you explain your role at 21?

My role is to collect and find texts originally written in English and Spanish. I then submit them to the editors, who will pass them on to other translators. I also do some translations of Dutch and Spanish pieces into English.

What languages are covered by the magazine?

A huge range! Currently it includes English, Czech, German, Serbian and French to name a few. The aim is to get as many languages represented as possible. There is no one primary language of the magazine or the website, and the staff speak a real mixture of languages.

Which direction do you translate work?

I only ever translate into English – in general translators will translate from a foreign language to their native one. Native speakers have a better grasp of nuances in their own language, can write more efficiently and know what sounds natural. It is also easier to write humour, within which nuance is very different in different languages. 

What is your favourite form of translation?

I find Dutch to English most interesting to translate because Dutch has much more grammatical freedom than English. There is an extra challenge of conveying that style into English, with its stricter grammar. Spanish is more similar to English in that way. In terms of literary styles, poetry has way more challenges than short stories. In short stories, form isn’t as integral to meaning, whereas in poetry there is a sort of ‘toss up’ between staying true to the original text and getting the same feeling of the piece. For example, rhyme never translates well, and you risk losing beauty for meaning. 

Do you consider it a creative process?

Absolutely! Language and literature are very human, and so the role of translators cannot be replaced by robots. Translation is about human interpretation, about the feel of the text, though translators have to work hard to not add too much of themselves into the work. Translators should be seen and not heard – they are the unsung heroes of opening up creative work to wider audiences. Translators aren’t doing it for the money or fame (there isn’t any to be had!), and so people translate for the passion of translation. I think that really comes across in people’s work.

What is the most fulfilling or satisfying aspect of translating?

The best part is finishing a translation, and being able to feel proud of a final product. The most satisfying thing though is being able to translate nuance into the new text. For example, English has a lot of ways to avoid adverbs, as the vocabulary is massive, with loads of verbs. So there are moments when what is written in the Dutch text in three words, can be translated into English with one. Condensing something into one word that perfectly conveys the same meaning is really satisfying. 

What is the most frustrating part of translation?

Cultural differences are one of the hardest things during translation. Certain things can just not be perfectly translated or understood. In one story I translated from Dutch they were going to a ‘frituur’ for dinner. It loosely translates as a takeaway, but it’s more specific than that, and we just don’t have an English equivalent place, and therefore don’t have the word for one. In the end we went for ‘chip shop’, which isn’t quite accurate. 

How can aspiring writers get involved?

21 magazine are always looking for new writers to submit work, and we would love to see more creative responses to current events – like the pandemic. We are looking for poetry and short stories. It is completely free for writers to get involved, and you don’t need any previous publishing experience. 

Interested writers can contact John via email at john@21/magazine.org with questions or submissions.