http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk Student Direct - Manchester's Student Newspaper Thu, 14 May 2009 17:30:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Director - Michael Radford Starring - Demi Moore, Michael Caine Flawless, set in 1960s London, tells of the story of Laura Quinn (Demi Moore), a career driven woman in the male dominated business of diamond dealing. As she becomes increasingly frustrated by her lack of promotion despite years of loyal service to ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/flawless/ AN UNIDENTIFIABLE man, completely covered in a black robe with just two holes for eyes, carries a huge wooden cross as he walks barefoot along the cobbles of Calle de Velázquez. Behind him, similarly dressed people hold 5ft-high candles as they follow at a pace that is barely walking. There ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/easter-in-seville/ It was a brisk Saturday afternoon in St Albans when we first stuck our thumbs out. We were standing at a petrol station before the M25 junction, overly visible in our fluorescent green “Charity Hitch” T-Shirts. 10 days later, having jumped into 26 vehicles with 26 delightful strangers, Vicki ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/souks-snakes-and-squatting-in-morocco/ End of an Era 22 issues, 704 pages and 789,567 words (approximately) – producing this year’s Student Direct has been no mean feat. We’ve covered everything from “degendered” toilet facilities to BNP staff members on campus and exclusive interviews with everyone from Johnny Marr to Manchester United’s Da Silva twins. Who ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/editorial-110509/ Female students from Owens Park put together a letter of complaint following a physical and verbal attack made on them by a security guard, whom they described as “rough…inappropriate” and “humiliating”. They expressed concern over the “unprofessional” and “aggressive” conduct of door staff at Owens Park. Alexandra Preston-Morley along with six ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/bop-security-manhandles-female-students/ Director – Baz Luhrmann Starring – Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham Australia is pure schmaltzy hokum, but look beyond its melodramatic tendencies and you will find a classily made film imbued with a real sense of the history of a nation. The story follows an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) as she travels ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/australia/ When English language films are released abroad, most of the time they retain the same title. Every now and then however, distributors feel that the movie may be more successful if its title is translated, or even renamed, to give it more marketing clout and appeal more to the native ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/top-5-worst-film-title-translations/ Writer / Director – Charlie Kaufman Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams Showing at the Cornerhouse from Friday 15th May “A miracle movie” (Time magazine), “a wildly ambitious and gravely serious contemplation of life” (Variety). Synecdoche, New York is certainly a film that has had the heavy weight of critical acclaim ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/synecdoche-new-york/ Two University of Manchester students now have a following of thousands after creating a Facebook group that became an internet TV show and web phenomenon. Facebook group “Let’s Redo Classic Album Covers Using Microsoft Paint” has attracted over 2,400 members, who have made both wonderful replicas and their own “special” mock-ups ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/paint-my-album-goes-global/ Falling short by 76 people, last Wednesday’s General Meeting could not go to vote, despite a motion pushing for online voting for future General Meetings. The meeting was called off by Chair of Council Jonty Prior, with students instead invited to stay for an informal debate. Reece H Smith, a second year ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/last-general-meeting-is-no-hit/ Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert has defended rock-bottom contact hour levels on University of Manchester courses. [caption id="attachment_5948" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Photo: Mike Kyle"][/caption] But speaking at a question and answer session with students, Gilbert conceded that learning conditions had become “unacceptable” at the university. He claimed however that academic research undertaken by staff was important ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/six-hour-week-is-a-%e2%80%9cwonderful-learning-experience%e2%80%9d-says-gilbert-2/ Since I’m not writing the top 5 this week (what the f**k?), I’m dishing out a special edition ultra top 5 which has been described as “The best f**king thing ever”, before I’ve even written it. It’s been a wild super fun ride; I thought the whole section should’ve been ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/jack-marteaus-top-5-his-greatest-hits/ THE GREAT and good of the University of Manchester's Athletic Union gathered last Friday to celebrate success and reward commitment throughout all levels of the organisation. From individual to team awards, from improvement to attainment, there was recognition and celebration of every type for all who make the University's sports ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/and-the-winners-are/ MUSIC STUDENTS from the University of Manchester are getting ready to hold a massive classical music festival at the end of the semester. The festival is the largest of its kind in the northwest and features only student musicians. President of the Manchester University Music Society (MUMS) Michael Betteridge predicted that the ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/get-set-for-estival/ ROVING MANCHESTER STUDENTS needn’t have long faces this summer as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) is offering specific advice on travel abroad. The Government body has issued the advice after finding that 55% of University of Manchester students did not always take out travel insurance and that more than half ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/spend-summer-abroad-safely/ THE UNIVERSITIES and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) looks set to drop its requirement for university applicants to declare criminal convictions. The organisation has confirmed it is attempting to clear up confusions over the relevance of criminal convictions to the application process in an effort to make the process clearer from an ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/never-mind-the-crime/ [caption id="attachment_5973" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Photo: Courtesy of People and Planet"][/caption] SHAMING TOPSHOP’S continued use of sweatshop labour to manufacture its clothing, student activists protested outside the Arndale shopping centre branch last fortnight. University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan students from direct action group People and Planet tried to call attention to ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/not-top-of-the-shop/ FREE HEART screenings will be offered to students this week in a bid to reduce the number of undiagnosed heart conditions. Every week, 12 young people die from sudden cardiac death in the UK, with most never showing any symptoms. Held in memory of these deaths, the CRY Philips Test ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/test-of-heart/ [caption id="attachment_5967" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Photo: Mike Kyle"][/caption] UNLESS “QUICK action” is taken, global warming will exceed 2C by 2050, a study by Manchester Metropolitan University has revealed. MMU, along with Oxford University, ETH Zurich and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, conducted the study on climate change, which found that to ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/mmu-reveals-dangerous-global-warming/ HIGH-FLYERS from the University of Manchester expect to earn at least £21,700 when they start work, according to a recent survey. Despite the recession, it seems Manchester’s finest expect to earn more than the average graduate, who looks to pocket £19,300 if employed within six months of leaving university. Over a third ... http://year2008-2009.student-direct.co.uk/2009/05/manchester-grads-upbeat-despite-downturn/