Researchers have managed to successfully toilet train 11 out of 16 cows, in an attempt to lesson the environmental impact of their urine.
The team of scientists, based at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, trained the calves to use a latrine, which they nicknamed the ‘mooloo’, up to 80% of the time. Released in September 2021, their research could be expanded in the future to reduce the significant global damage caused by cattle farming.
Unsplash @jeancarloemer
The Climate Killer Conundrum
A single cow can produce about 30 litres of urine a day. When this urine is combined with faeces, it can produce ammonia.
Ammonia can lead to eutrophication, a form of water pollution characterised by excessive nutrients in the water supply, as well as causing acid rain. It can also taint water with nitrates to produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas and airborne pollutant.
In addition, farming practices that are designed to benefit cattle welfare increase the amount of ammonia released into their environment. In attempting to toilet train cows, this team of researchers hoped to allow farmers to ensure good conditions for their cows, whilst reducing ammonia’s environmental damage.
How to Potty-Train a Cow
For the first step of the experiment, scientists were confined to the ‘mooloo’, and rewarded with a sweet, molasses-based liquid every time they urinated. This helped them form a positive association with urinating in the latrine.
The cows were then moved out of the latrine, but had access to it from an alley through an animal-activated gate. If they urinated in the latrine, they were rewarded with the same molasses-based liquid, but if they urinated in the alley, they were sprayed with water for three seconds as a form of negative reinforcement.
Diuretics were given to the cows to make them urinate more frequently, as the scientists had to limit the duration of experiments due to ethical guidelines put in place to protect animal welfare.
The researchers involved in the project have estimated that it is possible to potty-train a cow to a similar level of a 2-4 year old child. Out of the 16 cows studied, 11 managed to consistently use the latrine correctly, using it to urinate 83% of the time. The other cows managed to use the latrine with lower, varying degrees of success.
Can Cows Using Toilets Change the World?
Although the sample size is small, these results are promising, and the global scientific community seem fairly confident these results could be replicated. The primary issue is likely to be the scaling of technique for use in the cattle industry – it may be possible to toilet train a small group, but it is likely to be far more difficult to train an entire herd of cattle, which can number in the hundreds.
In addition, only urination was investigated, which only leads to a small fraction of the environmental impact caused by cattle. The research team were fairly confident they could expand the results to defecation, but the worse climate-offender is belching, which this technique cannot address.
However, the enormity of the meat and dairy industries means that even small improvements can have a big impact. The researchers claimed that capture of about 80% of cattle urine in latrines could lead to a 56% reduction in ammonia emissions. It would also improve the cleanliness of cattle living space, which can only improve the cows’ welfare.
Whilst more and more people are turning to veganism, the vast majority of society are not going to ditch meat and dairy products any time soon. In the short term, at least, potty-training cows could help solve this particular climate conundrum.
Speaking to me from a “wee room” in Derry is Mickey Bradley – the veteran bassist and backing vocalist of punk legends The Undertones. The Irish rockers catapulted to fame in the 1980s after legendary radio presenter John Peel famously played their hit song ‘Teenage Kicks’ twice back-to-back.
Mickey appears to be in high spirits, a kind smile plastering his face as he attempts to steady his phone for the video call. Despite two years of staggered performances due to Covid-19, and now threats of a possible world war, it’s clear that the world hasn’t sapped him of enthusiasm.
After their initial split in the summer of 1983, the band reformed in 1999 with Paul McLoon replacing Feargal Sharkey as vocalist. Mickey confesses that he actually enjoyed performing a lot more the second time around.
“I think it’s because there’s no pressure,” he says. “We were very lucky we had some success y’know? But then there were a couple of years where we didn’t …about the third or fourth LP that was the first time we had someone from a record company putting their hands up and saying, ‘I don’t like this.’”
“We had a couple years of success and a couple years on the other side of the hill and then when we broke up, that was the right thing to do.”
Having done the hard work churning out songs in their youth and earning enough to no longer depend on it “to pay the rent,” Mickey feels like the group can relax and enjoy the ride of tours now. With 45 years of experience in the industry under his belt, it’s no surprise how nonchalantly he speaks of the band’s ease now.
“We don’t have to come up with new songs – that’s a very lazy thing to say I know – but we did make a couple of records like maybe 15 years ago and I really enjoyed doing that too. But now we’re in a very lucky place that we go along, and we play say, Manchester, and it’s not a huge show but it’s us and a great crowd.”
On the topic of records, I ask Mickey why ‘You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)’ from Hypnotised (1980) is his favourite track of The Undertones. He reveals that he loves the different riffs and lyrics to it.
“The words are great and the title gives me the opportunity to say in a very cheesy way – you’ve got my number – why don’t you use it!” he says, grinning.
Since The Undertones’ defining track ‘Teenage Kicks’ was released in 1978, punk music has gone through several transformations. The division between those that loved punk and rock has relatively subsided in comparison to the gulf that Mickey Bradley recalls.
“People who liked rock didn’t like punk. [They were] people who were four or five years older [that] looked down on us.”
He shares some particularly strong opinions about The Rolling Stones in the 70s. “[They] became absolute drivel! Hanging around with Princess Margaret? What the hell was that about?” he adds incredulously.
“Back then [punk] was a philosophy, if it is a philosophy [now], it’s not a philosophy I know. Back then it was that attitude that rock bands had got too far up their own arses, and that everything was gonna be big stadiums, and drinking champagne, and taking loads of drugs, and oh now I’m going to buy a big house in the country.”
“So, it was great that something else came along and said, ‘no that’s completely wrong.’ That it has become just this charade of people becoming really incredibly rich and just making fools of themselves.”
However, when it comes to punk’s ethos of self-governance and fearlessness, Mickey is adamant that it was something The Undertones aligned themselves with.
“That philosophy that anyone can do it, and everyone should do it, that was part of it and we definitely bought into that.
“We loved the Ramones, the older bands that punk looked back on, the New York Dolls and The Stooges – that still to me is punk music. Since then, it’s become a huge industry and you know my children loved bands like Green Day and so on, which would be defined as punk.
On the topic of the Ramones, I ask Mickey about his favourite Ramones album.
“Just in terms of the cultural history, the first Ramones album,” he says. “It must have been the summer of 1976, I remember I was in school with John O’Neill, it was him I borrowed it [from]. He said it’s great and all the songs were the same and they’re really really short and really really fast. So of course, I had to get up and go to his house to hear it. This was like a holy grail it was passed around us. And then I got a copy for Christmas in ’76.
“My brother said, ‘y’know I had to go around to three different record shops to get this’ – and there were only three record shops in Derry! So, I have that association with it.”
The Undertones were deep in the scene during punk’s (arguably) golden era in the ’70s/’80s. They had the incredible experience of supporting The Clash’s American tour – one of Mickey’s career highlights.
“We probably could’ve been friends, but we were very incredibly shy, and I was kind of embarrassed to be in the company of The Clash,” he humbly admits.
“We asked them to come to Derry to do a festival we were putting on. Great idea, free festival because no one ever played in Derry. So, we asked The Clash and The Clash said yeah!”
Fast forward to 1979, in a surprise turn of events, the festival in Derry unfortunately was cancelled due the rising political tensions during the Troubles.
“Joe Strummer got a threat from a loyalist parliamentary group in Derry,” says Mickey. “At the time, he came along to the studio with his manager, and he was very apologetic. He said ‘I’m being threatened here’ because a few months earlier he’d made some comment about the British army in Northern Ireland. So, there was this death threat to him and we, especially me, were like ‘that’s not credible at all!’ because we’re from Derry, and I kind of go, well, even if it was genuine, we’re going to be in a part of Derry that those guys wouldn’t come in. I had all these stupid things to say in my mind – thankfully I never said it.”
He explains the police did verify the legitimacy of the threat. At the time they didn’t reveal the real reason the festival was cancelled – instead opting to make up a story about not getting insurance for the event.
On touring in America with The Clash, Mickey reveals that The Undertones got a taste of London Calling before its official release.
“I can remember sitting in these very big venues in America and watching them doing a soundcheck and they were doing this song – ‘Clampdown’.
“I’m sat there going, I’ve never heard this before – ‘Clampdown’? That’s great! It was almost like seeing The Clash for the first time.”
“They were really, really kind to us. Made sure we got soundchecks. And we did kind of hang out with them a wee bit. But they were in a different level from us, just in terms of the things they knew about and how cool they were compared to us.”
He recalls one particular memory of The Undertones taking photos with The Clash to advertise an upcoming gig.
“We went outside and got a couple of photos taken of us all together to publicise it. And I always thought we were like refugees from some kind of cruel third world country somewhere meeting these rock and roll gods, y’know? And they were bestowing their gifts on us,” he says chuckling.
“They weren’t doing that, but they looked so good, and we looked like we’d just got out of bed. They were absolutely brilliant people, really were.”
I ask him if he keeps in touch with the living members – Mick, Topper and Paul. He shakes his head.
Smiling he says, “I know my place.”
After a couple years of struggling to churn out commercially successful records, vocalist Feargal Sharkey left the band, but the reasons publicised were rather vague. I ask Mickey to shine some more light on that career-altering period.
“When you don’t have success like that it can lead to some strains which were there before but under the surface. Feargal had a different outlook to the rest of us in terms of success,” he says.
“I remember we had a band meeting – bands have meetings and they’re always terrible. I remember it was something about one of our latest singles that hadn’t done well. If we made a record and it gets a great review in the NME but doesn’t sell a lot, I’d be happy with it, that would kind of do me.”
Feargal, on the other hand, didn’t feel the same:
“It was like an AA meeting. He says, ‘I want out, I want out the band’ and I think Damien or john says ‘so do I’. We all went yeah, let’s put it out of its misery.”
“One of the tensions was that Feargal didn’t write many of the songs so that led to him taking almost instructions from the songwriters when he was singing it in the studio, which was the wrong thing to do. We should’ve just left him to sing it, he was a good singer.
“The most relevant reason to why Feargal wanted to leave is that he realised he could do better. He was a really good singer and singers are always the most recognised in the band so he had the profile. [He was a] great singer, much loved and respected by people in music.”
It’s fair to say that Feargal Sharkey made the right decision for his own career. His solo single ‘A Good Heart’ (1985) was an international success and went to number 1 in the UK charts.
Mickey seems at peace with going separate ways with Feargal though. He explains The Undertones didn’t even ask Feargal to re-join as part of the reunification of the band in the 90s.
“We didn’t ask him, and he didn’t ask why he wasn’t asked. Because he knew he wouldn’t want to do it, and I think if he had said yes, it wouldn’t have worked because the dynamic would’ve been wrong. If Feargal would’ve come along someone else would’ve dropped out.”
Moving on to the present, I ask Mickey about life in Derry and his opinion on the hit tv series Derry Girls (2018—), which depicts the lives of young girls living in Derry during the last years of Troubles in Northern Ireland.
“I think anyone in Derry remembers when [Derry Girls] first came along. You were watching the first episode because it was a big deal you know. A Channel Four comedy set in Derry and you were sat there going, ‘I hope this is good.’ They’ve had comedies made about Northern Ireland and they weren’t good.
“Within the first minute you watch it and you’re like this is good. There’s a scene where they’re in the school bus and they go down and tell the wee girl ‘get off that’s our seat,’ and she says, ‘why what you gonna do?’”
I laugh when Mickey mimics the girl’s sass in his imitation.
“It’s such a huge thing in Derry. There’s a huge mural of the Derry Girls. Channel Four commissioned it for the second series which is a great idea. They got local mural makers to do this and it’s an instant tourist attraction – I’ve had my photo taken beside it.”
“The Undertones were the original Derry Boys” he says proudly.
“They get it all right. The one I always remember is…the scene where they’re gonna get fish and chips. Someone has been sent out with the order and the order has always changed; the order is always like burger but no cheese but more onion and all this and that is SO Derry. Like I’ve been in chip shops and people go in with orders and it’s a really complicated orders, and the woman behind the counters says yep, yep, yep and she gets it right every time. It’s just wee things like that, makes you go ‘nailed it’.”
On the topic of modern pop culture, I ask him about One Direction’s Comic Relief charity single ‘One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)’ (2013), which famously mashed Blondie’s and The Undertones’ hit singles.
“At the time I thought- this is brilliant, this is absolutely brilliant! People would say ‘are you not insulted by it? What do you think?’ thinking I would slag it, but I was like, it’s One Direction!
“When it happened, I was in my 50s – I’m not the person to judge, I just know that they’re doing one of our songs and thought it was absolutely brilliant. They didn’t do a Stiff Little Fingers song, did they? No, they didn’t!”
One Direction are far from the only boyband to cover ‘Teenage Kicks’ though. Mickey recalls a time where he took his three eldest children to see Green Day in Northern Ireland and “I stood there and to be honest my legs were sore. They did ‘Teenage Kicks’ during the encore,” he says rather smugly. “It exists itself. ‘Teenage Kicks’ is much more popular than The Undertones.”
Mickey states performing the hit single on Top of the Pops was one of the highlights of his career: “If it had have stopped there, I would’ve been happy.”
“My mother went and bought new pyjamas for me,” he says, recalling the time when he found out he was heading to England to record their set for the show. “It’s like making sure if you ever get knocked down by a car, you’re wearing clean underwear. She didn’t want me to go to London and show myself up.”
Moving on, I ask Mickey about books, and he surprisingly states the book he keeps going back to is the classic tale A Christmas Carol.
“I started reading it around 15 years ago and [then] started reading it every December. It’s not that easy a read but its still a book that I would always come back to. It’s the wee things that resonate now. You have to try and do good when you’re around.”
He also gives an honourable mention to The Fall’s Paul Handley, who wrote the book ‘Leave the Capital’ about the music scene in Manchester.
On the topic of The Undertones upcoming new compilation album, I ask him what’s so different about the remastered tracks. He answers with an admirable, though potentially commercially unwise answer of “it still sounds the same to me.” But then he goes onto clarify that the compilation takes “the better songs of the two LPs and distilled them together.”
The Undertones new compilation album Dig What You Need will be released on 11th March 2022.
The Undertones will embark on a UK tour from March to October 2022, including a date at Manchester’s Academy 2 on the 25th March.You can buy remaining tickets here.
The Undertones will be shortly on tour around the UK. The dates and tickets can be found here.
It’s the most exciting time of year at the University of Manchester…student elections! We at the film section were racking our brains thinking how can we seamlessly link film and TV to such a momentous event? We came up with the most ingenious idea that we could think of; a list of our favourite political classics. Maybe this selection will give you the chance to reflect and start thinking politically, or even just remind you that the elections are, in fact, happening. So without further ado, here they are, our writers’ favourites:
Napoleon Dynamite – Sophie Hicks
I don’t think I could have picked any other film but Napoleon Dynamite (2004), which seems incredibly fitting for the theme. If you haven’t seen Napoleon Dynamite somehow, it follows Napoleon who is the most awkward guy at school imaginable. He deals with the typical antics of being a student, such as struggling with romantic pursuits, dealing with his family and helping his friend run for class president, naturally. This includes many antics, with the introduction of arguably one of the most iconic t-shirts in film history, the ‘Vote for Pedro’ classic. If you’ve seen the film, you also probably can’t listen to ‘Canned Heat’ by Jamiroquai the same ever again.
For those wanting to compete in this year’s SU elections, take notes from Pedro’s campaign: don’t be afraid to be yourself, and the more interesting the campaign, the better. I love this film and it’s one of those ones that I put on whenever I either don’t know what I want to watch or if I just want a good laugh. Whilst not the most ‘serious’ political film, it did make an entire Millennial/Gen Z audience remember a fictional class president election, and I think that’s pretty impressive.
Sorry To Bother You – Daniel Collins
In the midst of elections, strikes and a turbulent political landscape, Sorry To Bother You is a film that comes to mind. Lakeith Stanfield stars as Cassius Green, rising through the ranks of telemarketing by adopting a ‘white voice’ in order to sell stuff… and more stuff and more stuff until the stuff he’s selling suddenly takes on a more sinister nature. The film quickly turns into a mix of zany, absurdist comedy and sharp political analysis – deconstructing ideas surrounding race, capitalism, trade unions, the contemporary art world and much more. It is rare to even see a strike in a fiction film never mind have it be one of the main plot points but this is the singular work of writer-director-musician Boots Riley, a self-identified communist and political activist. However, this is far from the didactic work you might expect when you hear such a label. This is invigorating cinema that may leave you outraged, shocked or even just confused but oozes style with its bold costumes, colour palette and cinematography. Come for the nuanced political discussion but stay for Tessa Thompson wearing oversized yellow and red earrings that read “MURDER, MURDER, MURDER” , “KILL, KILL, KILL”.
Veep – Joe McFadden
Incompetence, corruption, and an underlying disdain for the democratic process are just three of the things Veep has in common with the SU elections. Following Vice-President Selina Meyer, played by eight-time emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and her team of idiotic sycophants, Veep is expert satire that also functions as a fitting commentary, or rather condemnation, of American politics. One of the most-acclaimed shows of the past 10 years, Veep stands in stark contrast to The West Wing (read more below) as being a cynical, pessimistic condemnation of politics, greed, and human nature that has gone unchallenged in its terrifyingly realistic depiction of high level American politics.
Over the course of its 7 seasons (2012-2019), the show manages to weave together what were once outlandish storylines like an electoral college tie, foreign interference in elections, and a data breach scandal, with its potent mix of comedy and grounded realism. In Veep any ideals of public service or the betterment of others is a myth, or better yet, the punchline to one of creator Armando Iannucci’s piercing one-liners. The show is perhaps the most realistic depiction of politics put to screen as, despite its increasingly ludicrous premises, it manages to maintain an honest approach to how absurd and self-serving politics really is.
Throughout its time on the air, Veep also managed to show how increasingly absurd politics was (and still is) becoming – even as reality threatened to infringe on the satire’s territory. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when American politics jumped the proverbial shark and descended into the drug-induced fever dream that has been the past few years but as reality became ever more bewildering, Veep managed to keep its satire grounded as contemporary events tried to rival its absurdity.
Like its British predecessor The Thick of It, the humour in Veep is riotous and constantly entertaining as the onslaught of insults, inappropriate one-liners, and understated physical comedy make for an experience that is unrivalled by anything on TV since. Another secret to the show’s success was its characters. Ranging from Selina’s effeminate and meek body man Gary Walsh (Tony Hale) to cutthroat D.C. adviser Dan Egan (Reid Scott) and the “world’s biggest single-celled organism” Jonah Ryan (Timothy Simons), the characters are also fully-realised and fleshed out, with each one bringing a different level of incompetence or bloodsucking ambition to the table, making for high quality TV that brings new meaning to a Hobbesian view of human nature. Clearly, Veep has earned its reputation as one of the best shows of the past decade
Ultimately, Veep functions as a fitting commentary on contemporary politics and, as we enter the SU election period, could easily be seen as a blueprint for how to steal win an election. For all its spiel about the “will of the people”, Veep shows how the current political climate simply treats democracy as an inconvenience for those seeking power and SU elections are no different. Notoriously corrupt and treated as something of a joke amongst students – indeed this paper is even guilty of knocking them from time to time – SU elections are seen not as the manifestations of student ideals, but as a method for some students to get £20k tax free by simply sitting on their arses and making the occasional Instagram infographic.
As we begin to watch another cycle of corruption scandals, daytime tv-level drama, and inevitable broken promises, Veep provides a blueprint for how a candidate could be successful in any election – although I would much rather see someone rise above greed and take The West Wing’s approach.
The West Wing – Ella Robinson
When I think of an ideal version of politics I think of The West Wing, and it seems I am not alone in this asviewership spiked after Trump’s election. It’s a programme where people in power fight based on what’s right, rather than what’s easy, and staff attendwar veteran’s funerals at Christmas notillegal Christmas parties.
For those running in the SU elections, and for those trying to shake the voter apathy, The West Wing provides a brilliant starting point.
If you’re disillusioned with the SU exec roles afteryears of scandal the first message Leo McGarry has for you is why not run? “Because I’m tired of it: year after year after year, having to choose between thelesser of ‘who cares?’”
If you are running, The West Wing debate episodes may provide some useful pointers. With hustings coming up (February 28-March 2), and in a year where it has felt like exec spend longer on their Instagram’s than policies, Bartlet’s message “Give methe next ten words. How are we going to do it?” is particularly pertinent. Especially when amongst young people it feels like ‘short attention spans’ get used as an excuse to not engage intelligently with the student body.
And if you take on all The West Wing’s advice so far and do get elected, the guidance doesn’t stop there. Even theObama administration adopted The West Wing’s version of the ‘big block of cheese day’. WhilstCJ was listening to the “Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality”, you can be listening to highly engaged students. There are alwayspeople who know more than you, so work with them.
At times people criticise The West Wing for being too idealist, too impossible to achieve, but we aren’t trying to change the United States of America we are trying to change the University of Manchester. There’s no deep south or opposition Congress to contend with, there’s just highly intelligent students who too want this university to be a better place. So, let’s be idealist for once, and pick the candidates we deserve.
Have you ever been sitting in the main library and wondered why you are so unable to be productive? Well, this may not actually be due to the fact you didn’t get home from the AU social until 4am the night before or because you didn’t attend any of the lectures needed for the essay in hand, but in actual fact it’s due to the ‘freezing’ conditions under which you are working. A recent investigation by The Mancunion has revealed that the University of Manchester sets the library thermostat to 19 degrees Celsius, despite many researchers suggesting that the optimal temperature in working environments is 22 degrees Celsius.
Figures obtained by The Mancunion via a Freedom of Information request reveal that the University of Manchester uses a set temperature point of 19 degrees Celsius in its Main Library, meaning that the thermostat is programmed to maintain this temperature throughout the day. Moreover, this set point also remains constant throughout the year, often meaning that students find it too cold in the winter and too warm in the summer. Although this way of controlling temperature may be cost and energy efficient for the University it does mean, however, that it is not typically a comfortable temperature for students to be working under.
Studies have also found that women prefer the thermostat to be higher than men, sometimes by up to 4 degrees Celsius. It is understood that due to natural anatomy and metabolic rate, the male body generally has more muscle mass and is therefore more able to generate and maintain a warmer temperature. Thus, men feel most comfortable in rooms where the thermostat is set to 21.6 degrees Celsius whilst women prefer rooms closer to 25 degrees Celsius.
However, it is not only comfort that is at the mercy of the thermostat, but the temperature of your working space also actually has a bigger impact on your productivity and ability to retain information than you might think, especially if you are female. A 2019 University of Southern California (USC) study concluded that “men perform slightly better at a lower temperature, suggesting that gender and temperature are linked in more ways than one.” USC subjected a variety of men and women to mathematical and verbal tasks in varying temperature conditions, from 16c to 32c and found that performance on tasks largely differed depending on the conditions and sex of the person. The research found that women perform better at temperatures between 70 and 80-degrees Fahrenheit, the equivalent of 21 and 26.6 degrees Celsius whereas men work better below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This therefore means that the Main Library is 2-7 degrees Celsius proves too cold for female students, but in the perfect range for males.
A similar German study also found that for every 1c increase in temperature, women had a 1.76 percent increase in the number of maths questions answered correctly. When temperatures were lowered, men performed better, but the difference was much less prominent. From these findings, a conclusion was drawn that “… in mixed gender workplaces, the temperatures should be set significantly higher than current standards to increase productivity.”These findings are in line with a widely supported argument that the thermostats in working environments join the long list of things that tend to be tailored to the male preference and have not been proven to be at the expense of female comfort and productivity. This was further reinforced by a recent poll in the Manchester Student Group that discovered that 71% of male students surveyed did not even notice the cold temperatures of the main library whilst 87% of female students felt the conditions were uncomfortably cold. The University has proven that it has the resources and the ability to create a warm learning environment as the Stopford Library is at a practical set temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, reaching the minimum warmth expected in a working environment.
It is, therefore, understandable why students at the University of Manchester go to such extreme lengths to keep warm in the main library. One post-graduate female student said that on one occasion during the exam period “I sat in the main library shivering, my hands were that cold that I couldn’t type, in fact… me and my friends actually took hot water bottles and gloves… If I know I will be going to the library at some point in the day I will always be sure to bring at least one extra layer.” The same student also implied that the University is aware of this temperature issue as she says that: “[The University] used to keep blankets in baskets dotted around the main library but I don’t know if they still do that because of covid.” However, for some students it is not just a matter of discomfort and inconvenience but a matter of real health risk as one student voiced their struggle; “I have rheumatoid arthritis and my condition is significantly affected by the cold to the point where I’ve been unable to sit in main library for a while or I always have to wear joggers [or] two layers.”
A student also noted that temperature is just one more hindrance to learning in the library as they say “it’s hard enough finding a place to sit anyway when it is near exams and that takes up valuable study time, the temperature makes that even more difficult.” Another female student also stated that “the libraries are not fit for studying, a certain temperature is required for concentration which the libraries are definitely below. Libraries are meant to provide ideal working conditions but how cold they are forces students to resort to go elsewhere to study elsewhere.”
As a result of this, many students turn to the warm embrace of the on-campus Café Nero or Pret as they provide an ambiance that the library’s central heating does not provide – although it must be noted that the warm coffee further increases comfort. However, it is not as cosy as it sounds as café working forces students to spend a considerable amount on drinks and does not have the same access to certain resources that only the library can provide, which can actually have a very detrimental effect on student education. “For £9,000 tuition fee a year the least the University could provide is a comfortable learning environment for all students, they should not have to seek refuge in the arms of the corporate coffee overlords,” as Sophie, a first-year student stated.
This issue seems to be one of universal debate and was recently solved by UC Davis, California as their Energy Conservation Office founded a resource named ‘TherMOOstat’ that allows students and faculty members to provide comfort feedback directly to the University on the temperature of all its campus buildings in real time. The ‘TherMOOstat’ says that it is “smarter than a thermostat because we know comfort varies from person to person, and room temperature control shouldn’t rely solely on the thermostat on the wall.” Currently, the UoM library thermostat is controlled by the Facilities Management team who do not operate within the university building and therefore are not aware in real time of how comfortable the temperature is and how this is affecting students. It is obviously not plausible or efficient to have a member of the maintenance team to sit in the library and control the thermostat minute by minute so a similar tool would be of great benefit to UoM. It would allow them to save energy and costs on unnecessary heating whilst also being of great benefit to students because they would be able to give subjective and instantaneous feedback that could lead to greater comfort and productivity in the library.
So, in the age-old struggle for equality in the workplace and in opportunity, women have one more unanticipated adversary: the ‘sexist’ thermostat that is making them less intelligent. The University should change its method of temperature control in its main library to ensure a comfortable and effective environment where all students can study in optimal working conditions, but ladies, if you are planning on heading down to the library any time soon be sure to pack a wooly hat and leg warmers or perhaps take a detour to Stopford or Ali G.
When contacted for comment a University spokesperson said: “Our Main Library building has been extended over the years, and there is a noticeable difference in the temperature depending on which area you are in. Although on the surface this may not seem ideal, it does offer the opportunity for students to select an area with a temperature they find comfortable which supports their productivity. We discontinued the baskets of blankets because of Covid-19, but this is something we may look to reintroduce next Winter.”
Ryusuke Hamaguchi brings us a poignant adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story Drive My Car, featured in the 2014 short story collection Men Without Women. However, Hamaguchi doesn’t stop at one story. He interweaves not only Scheherazade, another from the same collection, but also Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. This intertextuality places huge importance on the role of storytelling throughout the film, with the protagonist often using his art as a replacement for emotional vulnerability.
The story centres around Yusuke (Hidetoshi Nishijima), an actor and soon to be director, and his wife Oto (Reiika Kirishima), who works in television. They have both been burdened with the loss of their daughter. Oto is a storyteller, and her hypnotic voice is present throughout the film. She not only helps her husband learn lines by recording tapes, which he listens to when he drives, but also tells stories on the brink of orgasm, which he recites back to her the morning after. This includes the one and only Scheherazade, a story about a girl who sneaks into her high school crush’s house, taking something every time and replacing it with one of her own belongings.
Although their relationship seems perfect, Yusuke soon realises that his wife is having many affairs. However, he never broaches the subject with her, fearing to lose her. Oto suddenly dies, and we are left with a broken, grief-stricken Yusuke, who never addressed the underlying issues of his marriage. Struggling to connect to the world he soon moves to Hiroshima to finally direct Uncle Vanya. The production is unusual and complex, using actors from all over Asia, who all speak different languages. One of these actors, cast as Uncle Vanya, is an old colleague of his wife, causing an underlying and often brutal tension. In moving to Hiroshima, Yusuke is assigned a driver, Misaki (Toko Miura), who soon becomes his quiet companion. The leading role in this film is the car itself, a red Saab, which seems to be a space in which the deepest emotions are shared and reflected upon. In many ways, it acts as the beating heart of the film.
Hidetoshi Shinomiya’s cinematography offers up an effervescent simplicity. He contrasts wide aerial shots with intimate closeups, placing the characters close to the expanse of nature and landscape to represent this interiority. Shinomiya also uses doubling shots. For example, a similar shot is used in both Yusuke’s daughter’s memorial service and his wife’s funeral, paired with a haunting religious prayer, the cinematographer emphasises the quiet grief Yusuke experiences.
The cinematography, paired with the simple colour palette, creates a beautiful simplistic landscape for the actors to work off. By using grey and blue tones, Hiroshima and Yusuke’s home are presented as a dull form of life. Hamaguchi often shows grey skies and buildings, subtle orangey-toned tunnels and deep dark evening blues. The only contrast to this is the red flash of the Saab, as if to offer a sense of importance and intensity, reflecting the quiet yet crucial conversations had in the vehicle. This includes the dialogue between Oto and Yusuke. Oto lives on in some way in the tapes, her voice consistently emanating from the car’s walls.
The actors all give sombre naturalistic performances, but Toko Miura’s performance feels especially intense. Despite that her story is not told until the end, Miura emulates a quiet numbness throughout the film, burying her grief and the difficult memories of her past. Her performance goes hand in hand with that of our leading protagonist. Nishijima’s performance is beautiful. The way in which he deals with the feelings of grief and despair are commendable, aligning perfectly with Murakami’s portrayal of grief; a quiet, controlled and often buried form. He has the reflective nature of a Murakami character, and often he is seen lost within his inner emotional landscape.
With Drive My Car, Hamaguchi has created an adaptation that perfectly encapsulates a man struggling to emote, giving everything to the characters he plays instead of facing up to his true emotions. The film director offers a breathtaking representation of shared experience. With just a look through a rearview mirror or two cigarettes lit against the night sky, viewers are blessed with a moment of complete human understanding. The understanding that everyone will experience loss in their lifetime.
Euphoria’s makeup precedes its reputation. You may not have seen the hit HBO show (although we seriously doubt you’d want to miss out on all the drama), but you’ve probably seen a TikTok or two featuring glittery recreations of the looks or a festival-goer with a gem-encrusted eye-look. The show is centred on a group of high school students living in a fictional Californian suburb dealing with serious issues such as drug addiction and abusive relationships.
Its popularity undoubtedly comes from its frankness in confronting such complicated topics, but the originality and creativity of the makeup, costume and cinematography have also been central talking points of the show. Even if the show, and especially the second season, has highlighted the grim reality of addiction and withdrawal, the show has been accused of glamorising drug use, notably through artistic makeup looks. Whatever your opinion on the way drugs are portrayed in the show, you can’t deny that the makeup looks are mesmerising to look at.
Photo credits: Letycja Oczkowicz
Season two has been airing since early January, and at the same weekly rhythm as its Sunday releases, it has been accompanied by an internet frenzy. Twitter is awash with hot takes and jokes about the show, and TikTok is choc-a-bloc with Euphoria-inspired makeup and fashion videos, with many gaining millions of likes and views. So what’s different this season? The storyline is even darker than the first time around, and Doniella Davy, the head makeup artist on Euphoria, has expertly been reflecting that in the makeup looks.
Photo credits: Maia Penny
This season saw a ‘no foundation’ rule from the director Sam Levinson, imposed by a sign taped to the mirror in the makeup trailer. Apart from the beauty queen character Maddy Perez played by Alexa Demie, no one was allowed a ‘full face’. Along with the fact that season two was also shot entirely on film, it serves to accentuate the ‘gritty’, raw feeling of the new instalment.
Photo credits: Letycja Oczkowicz
Although the gems and glitter haven’t completely disappeared, the new series has a more pared-back approach to makeup. Maddy is perfecting her sharp liner wings, whilst Cassie, whose emotional breakdown sees her go into makeup overdrive, is adorned with ‘tiny rhinies’ i.e. small rhinestones, as termed by Davey. A visible inspiration for Davey this season is ’60s style makeup. Twiggy-esque eyes, framed by defined lashes can be seen on multiple characters including Cassie and her sister Lexi, whose nods to the sixties are a more subtle take on makeup trends from the past.
Photo credits: Maia Penny
Donni Davey’s instagram is an excellent resource if you want to learn more about the thought behind these looks. On her platform, she goes in-depth about the symbolism of many of the faces she designed for the show and gives tutorials on looks such as Maddy’s ‘double liner’.
To recreate these looks, you’ll need a few products. A liner is essential. Davey recommends the Inglot AMC Gel Eyeliner 77, but we would perhaps suggest the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, as the pen-like format is easy for any beginner. To embody Euphoria’s makeup, you’ll also need some rhinestones. You can purchase them in sheets from The Works, but any craft shop usually has a good stock. Lastly, you’ll need an array of coloured shadows. Morphe is a good brand for pigmented palettes with loads of shades and they currently have a ‘euphoric vibes‘ section on their website.
Euphoria is no longer just a teen drama series, but a whole aesthetic. Countless costumes, makeup looks and soundtrack pieces have lifted the series to a new, previously unseen level of cinematography, for a teen show. Accompanied by Labrinth’s ‘Forever’, audiences around the globe have became mesmerised by the world of Euphoria.
Since the first episode of Euphoria, which aired in 2019, the costumes have been ahead of the trends. The mixture of Y2K and 90s style has clearly influenced Gen Z’s present day dress sense. Nowadays, no one is surprised to see people wearing cut-out dresses and low-waisted trousers, but back in the Tumblr era of the 2010s it was considered a crime.
The costumes in Euphoria don’t revolve around one specific aesthetic, but connect a complex, diverse vision. It’s hard to throw Maddie and Rue’s New Year’s Eve outfits into one sack and call it a ‘Euphoria‘ aesthetic – it’s too vague. One represents a glam high school it-girl, the other a more androgynous individual. But one thing you can be sure of is that the show’s young adult audience connect the two under the label of ‘modern dress’. The fashion trends of 2021/2022 have so many points of reference, a diversity which is reflected in the costumes of Euphoria, styles such as Skater (Rue), Y2K (Maddy), anime punk (Jules), twee (Lexi), etc. are all featured in the show.
Illustration of Cassie by Letycja Oczkowicz, inspired by Hayden Williams
The outfits in Euphoria are carefully considered, each character’s identity is expressed through choices from the wardrobe team. Heidi Bivens explains the thought process behind each character’s costumes, showing their development through their attire.
Rue’s outfits lack bright colours, she chooses dark, toned-down pieces that capture the dark side of drug addiction. In this new season, Maddy goes through a personal development, which is mirrored by the way she dresses. In both seasons she is confident with her outfit choices, but in season two her style becomes more mature with darker, more sophisticated tones. Cassie, whose storyline makes her the biggest disappointment of the season (at least according to Twitter) is struggling to define who she really is, which is reflected in her clothing choices. She spends hours every day getting ready, only to end up looking like a low-budget, distressed Maddy Perez.
Illustration of Rue by Letycja Oczkowicz, inspired by Hayden Williams
In the third episode of season two, Cassie comes to school wearing a turquoise two-piece, which was custom-made for the show. Her outfit turns out to be highly inspired by Maddy, who wears an almost identical lilac set and is shocked to see their resemblance. This twin-like transformation is the big finale in Cassie’s desperate attempt to replicate Maddy, and one of the most talked about fashion moments in the season so far.
The popular ‘Euphoria High’ TikTok trend, in which creators switch their ‘ordinary’ school outfits to bold cut-out ensembles sprinkled with rhinestones, went viral after the release of the second season. Fans of the show offer their own interpretations of the ‘Euphoria’ aesthetic, set to the sound of a SpongeBob soundbite exclaiming ‘and WHY aren’t you in uniform?’ followed by the creator walking onto screen in a different outfit. In most of these videos, they opt for a cut-out dress and accessorise with a small bag (perfect for school! Just like Maddy’s tiny purple bag…) and slicked-back hair.
Illustration of Maddy by Letycja Oczkowicz, inspired by Hayden Williams
There are plenty of dupes available for the often expensive items featured on the show, such as Maddy’s New Year’s Eve dress and sleeves. Both of these pieces, a black cut-out dress and black sleeves are easy to find online. Another item which has seen a surge in popularity due to the glamorous character Maddy is the humble zigzag headband. A 90s classic which is usually associated with fuss free hairstyles has been revived in a totally Maddy way, for an enchanting night out look.
The aesthetic of Euphoria has been one of the most influential and trend-setting in recent years. The power of TV in 2022 cannot be underestimated. Previously, its hold on a young adult audience seemed to be waning in favour of streaming services like Netflix who usually upload shows in one fell swoop, perfect for bingeing. But the week by week release of Euphoria has had Twitter ablaze every Sunday, fans have been deep diving into the characters storylines, the makeup looks and costume design. The obsession with Euphoria and its makeup and costuming is more alive than ever, it seems like everyone is deciding whether they’re a Maddy, Cassie, Rue, Kat or Jules and searching for the right pieces to emulate their favourite character.
After two long years, the annual Vogue Ball is back at Manchester Academy, bigger and better than ever before. Whilst there was a smaller Vogue Ball last summer (at HOME’s temporary outdoor event space, Homeground), it was wonderful to see the event return to Manchester Academy during LGBT+ History Month.
House of Suarez and Contact’s Vogue Ball is part of Contact Theatre’s annual Queer Contact. Whilst the event used to take place in the much smaller Academy 2, high demand moved the event to the main Academy. I believe this is the event’s third year there. Whilst the event usually sells out, this one didn’t – a consequence of Covid.
Each year, Vogue Ball has a theme. The theme in 2020 was Atlantis; this time, it was Night at the Poseum (Pose/museum). The event is broken down further into five categories: fantasy, solo, lip sync, sex-siren, and choreography. The event opened with an introduction by House of Suarez’ “Mother”, Darren Suarez, and an opening piece from said house. Each house embodies a different section of a museum; House of Suarez went for Ancient Egypt (obviously).
The opening piece saw four hot Pharaohs (one with a dad bod) take to the stage and transport us back in time. It was clear, right from the beginning, that this event was going to champion diversity: three ripped Black dancers, one White dancer with a bit of a chub, all equally talented.
The event’s emcee/compère, Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE (who we interviewed ahead of the last ball), then took to the stage. His introduction was as fabulous as ever. Beadle-Blair is, inarguably, one of the best things about Vogue Ball. He’s sassy but not too shady; he establishes a safe space where all feel, not just welcomed, but loved.
I particularly love how Rikki repeatedly reminds the (majority White) audience that voguing was created by poor, queer, Black Americans. Whilst Madonna popularised the dance, and White gays have adopted it, we must never forget its origin. The hit TV show Pose delves into the early days of voguing, with its queer Black and Latin cast, and whilst that show might have ended, the party goes on – but part of that party must be acknowledging its forefathers (and mothers).
The first category was fantasy. It was a mystic, mythical start to the event. House of Brasil (also known as Viva Brazil Samba Show) always understands the assignment, with their fierce, festival-esque costumes.
House of Curio (a deaf, disabled and neuro-divergent House) offered a gorgeous, inspiring performance. Natalie, a wheelchair user, rolled on stage with great gravitas and grace.
The next category was solo. My favourite performances came from Joyce of House of La Porta and Jaden (aka Jay) from House of Suarez. They both oozed so much sass and sex appeal. Joyce was giving Doja Cat, with her red hair and feisty dancing; it was possibly my favourite performance of the night.
The judges called a dance off. It was fierce. The two hotties battled it out, each of them slaying so hard that it felt like murder on the dance floor. It’s hard to believe that their dancing was freestyle. Heck, it felt like they had choreographed their dancing with each other. In the end, Joyce prevailed, but it sure was a tough one.
Another one of my favourite performances came from House of Korrupt’s Mother, Luke Arrowsmith, during the Lip Sync category. Luke somehow outdoes himself every year. Last time, he dressed up as Ariel from The Little Mermaid, whilst one of his female dancers dressed up as Eric, and they made a big splash onstage.
This year’s dance, however, made that one look child-friendly. Luke lip synced to Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’. Now, which one of those iconic outfits did her wear? The crime scene tape one, of course!
With his bare butt on display, Luke owned the stage. Towards the end of the performance, he threw his telephone upstage, but he didn’t need it: half the audience were capturing it with our mobile phones. It was iconic.
The lip sync category also went to a dance off, and sure enough, Luke won.
The next category was Rikki’s personal favourite: Sex-siren. My favourite has to be the one given by House of Brasil’s Simone. Simone gets bigger, better and badder every year (her derriere sure gets bigger). Her glittery headdress was almost as wide as the stage itself. The Latin sensation shaked so hard, I felt a tremble on the ground beneath me. I wonder if she has something to do with the crazy storm we’re currently experiencing…
I also loved the performance given by House of Blaque’s Xavier. Now, Xavier is gorgeous; he’s a sex siren without even moving, and even clothed. But this performance, which saw him strutting his stuff in nothing but undies and accessories, oozed sex appeal. His casual bending over when he reached the end of the catwalk was poised and saucy; the audience loved it. I will say, however, that this performance did not let Xavier show off his sheer talent; I’ve seen videos of him voguing, and he really is incredible.
The hosting house, House of Suarez, also offered a sexy sex-siren performance, with the return of the four guys who opened the show. The guys next to me were freaking out over the performance’s main dancer, who showed off his masculinity and muscularity with confidence and class.
The winner of this category, however, was idreamintheday from House of Curio. Her tight bodysuit showed off her crazy curves, and the audience loved it when she placed water pistols on her breasts and sprayed them.
The final, and most important, category, was won by the hosting house – it often is. Whilst I was not as entertained by House of Suarez’ small-scale performance, one cannot deny the level of technique in their performances: they are the creme-de-la-creme of the British vogue scene.
My two favourite performances of this category came from House of Cards and House of La Porta. House of Cards’ performance saw four girls dressed as a nun and a guy, Alex Davison, dressed as a Priest. One of the girls had competed in the previous category in the same nun outfit. “Sexy nun” is a little basic, I know, but there was nothing basic about this performance. The dancing was incredible. It was fun, youthful, and super sassy. Alex looked particularly stunning with his black eyeshadow.
House of La Porta’s performance did not feature their Mother, Joss; it was only the girls. There was so much going on; it was like overdosing on female fabulosity. Lucy McGrellis made her awesome ‘The Little Mermaid’ performance at the 2020 show look amateur in comparison. Most of the audience seemed to be firmly behind La Porta, though it did seem like they had quite a few friends in the audience. One of the judges shut down the La Porta chants by affirming that the event is not a democracy, to both laughs and boos from the audience.
Whilst La Porta shockingly lost the category, they did win Best Overall – which was won by House of Suarez in 2020. That same judge relented: it is in fact a democracy, and the girls, gays and theys in the audience can have it their way. It was a well-deserved win, and it was lovely seeing how happy Joss and his girls were when they came back onstage to collect their award. I loved it when the girls made way for Joss, and then, one by one, they stepped forward to do their own little dance. There was a lot of love on that stage.
The event was followed by an after-party at the recently reopened Contact Theatre. It was my first time in the building since my first year of university, when I caught Peaches Christ’s ‘Hocum Pokem’ (yes, Contact is pretty gay). It closed soon after, before reopening in my fifth and final year! It was lovely to return – and the following night, I was back again, this time actually catching a show.
As the gayest of gay icons, The Grand High Witch, said after her annual ball of a meeting: Until next year! (Sadly, she didn’t get another year, but whatever, we will).
This UK LGBTQ+ History Month, we wanted to start a conversation about an underrepresented sexual identity and a great non-fiction book about it: Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex.
Asexuality refers to a spectrum of identities that are categorised by little-to-no sexual attraction. Asexual people are often called ace, giving Angela Chen’s book its title. Chen is an asexual journalist and writer, and Ace is her first book.
Ace deals with a myriadof important topics such as living with asexuality, common assumptions and misconceptions, the whitewashing of ace people, and introduces many important terms to describe asexuality.
It emphasises that all asexual experiences are different and one asexual person’s preferences can be vastly different from another’s. Some people tend to immediately attach aromantic – experiencing little-to-no romantic experience – to their identity which is not the same for many asexual people.
This book also deals with the concept of compulsory sexuality (and compulsory heterosexuality!) and how everyone’s expected to have the inherent need to be sexual, suggesting that deviance from this is wrong. Discovering asexuality helps people to understand that they are great as they are and find a community of people who can support them.
Although it’s a non-fiction book, Chen’s style is easy to read and very accessible. Ace is paced well and includes the author’s personal stories, which illustrate some of the concepts in a real ace person’s experience. Additionally, it includes many stories from ace people of different backgrounds and different experiences which gives a well-rounded introduction to this topic.
One of the key points of the book is the importance of awareness. Being aware of concepts such as asexuality can be incredibly helpful for people who feel like they are different from everyone around them.
Seeing the most famous recent example of asexual representation – Todd Chavez from TV series “BoJack Horseman” – has helped many people in finding themselves and understanding that they are perfect as they are and there’s nothing inherently wrong with them. Additionally, it has introduced many people to the concept of asexuality, even if in a surface-level way.
That’s why representation is important. If a well-known estimate is correct and 1% of population is asexual, this means that there are millions of ace people who might benefit from being aware of this identity and its community.
This book is a great starting point for anyone who wants to discover more about this identity, for both those who have a feeling they could be ace and those who do not. It does a great job of providing context, real life examples, and points of considerationabout this topic.
