Author: Leicester Student Magazine

Student-led maths petiton opposes job cuts

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Written by Max Ashforth Petitions arise over defunding to the pure mathematics department at the University of Leicester. Freddie Mansfield, a third-year student, and Hannah Amliwala, a second-year student, recently started a student-led petition, that has gained 87 signatures, as of 4 March. This petition was set up in response to one set up by staff, which has been signed by over 1,000 people. The recent announcement has not been supported by all students, as Freddie stated: “I can’t see any positives about how the changes would benefit maths students.” The changes set out by University of Leicester Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, include the redundancies of 12 pure mathematics lecturers. These redundancies would be followed by the appointment of three teaching roles. Currently, staff split their time between teaching and researching the subject, however the plan is for this to be reduced to just teaching roles. It is feared that reducing the number of staff in the department would deter prospective students from applying to the university. The long-term impact and knock-on effects, which would …

Music Monthly: the tunes that got us through January

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Written by Harry Featherston Shame – Drunk Tank Pink Written and recorded shortly after their mammoth 2018 tour (which included a gig at the University’s very own O2 Academy), the hotly-anticipated sophomore album from London post-punk outfit Shame is a worthy successor to their acclaimed debut, Songs of Praise. The aftermath of that tour saw frontman Charlie Steen locking himself away (even before it became a legal requirement), and experimenting with his music in isolation as a reaction to the non-stop action of his life at the time. As a result, the lyrics here reach deep into the recesses of his mind, raising questions of identity and loneliness amidst an atmosphere of panicked claustrophobia, created by the frenetic guitar work of Eddie Green and Sean Coyle-Smith. Given the current state of the world, these themes will resonate with listeners more than the band probably intended, and the album sounds all the better for it.   Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs While blending elements of electronic, hip-hop, and punk, Sleaford Mods have gained a reputation for being …