What were your expectations for the evening?

To finally escape the dungeon of computers I have been trapped in for the last few months and communicate with a biological entity

First impressions?

Humanoid

What did you talk about?

I think I mentioned my passion for prehistoric reptiles and most notably a great 90′s sitcom involving them; it was very polite of her to not walk out after that

Best thing about them?

Not a computer

What did you eat?

A bleeding bulk of bovine

Any awkwardness?

When she mentioned her love of sushi – but not fish

How did you part ways? (Mouth-to-mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?)

A big Hi-five, actually it may have been just a hug

Out of 10?

8

Would you see them again?

Due to the grand revelation that we have a friend common, it’s possible that we may bump into each other at some point.

Tasha, Third year Zoology

What were your expectations for the evening?

Free food and nice company

First impressions?

Good glasses

What did you talk about?

His love for dinosaurs and fast cycling – he was definitely a talker!

Best thing about them?

A great and highly animated story teller

What did you eat?

A chicken dish off the specials

Any awkwardness?

Whenever the waiter asked us a question I think it was quite awkward as neither of us were particularly forward in taking the lead in answering

How did you part ways? (Mouth-to-mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?)

Friendly hug

Out of 10?

6

Would you see them again?

Possibly as a friend but otherwise I feel he may be a bit ‘bare alternative’ for me

Lloyd and Tasha ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course tolifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous.

Question of the Week:

During my exams in January I found myself getting so worried about the exams it almost paralysed me into not revising until the very last moment. In the summer I’m coming up to my finals and I don’t want it to happen again. Any advice?

First off, it’s good to know that exam stress affects all of us even those perennially jammy laid back types. For some it might be just a feeling of ‘butterflies’ in the stomach when walking into the exam hall but for others it can be incredibly crippling and affect them throughout the year even when months away from exams.

On the bright side there are so many ways and services to help relieve the stress and let you perform as your fullest greatest self. Now I don’t want to sound like your lecturers but it helps massively if you’re organised from the off and don’t fall too far behind on work throughout the term as this means when you get to your study break you’ve already covered most of the material and its just a matter of going over it again rather than learning it from scratch.

It’s also worth looking for past papers as these can give you a real guide of what to expect, most courses offer them and if they don’t the internet usually has something similar.

Another tip, which I personally found really helpful, was to revise with friends. It can be so reassuring to know you’re at the same level as those on your course and you can help each other out if anyone gets stuck.

Sometimes, however, it can just get all too much and the burden can become overbearing this is where the University can really help. They offer a no nonsense, confidential counselling service where a trained counsellor can lend an ear and offer advice. They also have a range of services at their disposal such as relaxation classes and classes to help eliminate procrastination.

Follow the link below for more information;

http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/counselling/

I hope that helps!

What were your expectations for the evening?

I was expecting your typical ugg-boot sporting, fake-tan smothered, red brick university student (i.e. a southerner) and plenty of awkwardness.

First impressions?

She wasn’t the type of student described above at all, so I was pleasantly surprised. She seemed chatty, interesting, and up for a laugh.

What did you talk about?

Clichéd topics of conversation aside, we talked about how odd it was that we live literally round the corner in Manchester and not much further away back home, as well as nights out at Twist and Shout at Venue, and a shared love for listening to The Beatles on vinyl in the small hours.

Best thing about them?

I would have to say her sense of humour and her ability to weave a really good story.

What did you eat?

Naturally, the most expensive thing on the menu: the beef steak with sweet potato wedges.

Any awkwardness?

Not at all!

How did you part ways? 

With a friendly hug and a frantic legging it to get off the bus at my stop.

Out of 10?

8

Would you see them again?

Given that she lives round the corner, chances are I won’t have any say in the matter! Hah! But, yes, I would.

Ellie Robertson, Third year, Drama

What were your expectations for the evening?

Marriage

First impressions?

Wow, you’re tall. I’m not.

What did you talk about?

Everything and anything. Mostly about where we’re from and how drunk we can get.

Best thing about them?

He talked back and laughed. Laughing is extremely important.

What did you eat?

Everything.

Any awkwardness?

Course there was, it was a blind date. Idiot.

How did you part ways? 

Got the bus. Good hug.

Out of 10?

A solid 7.

Would you see them again?

Yeah he knows my mate Woodsy. I’m sure its bound to happen at some point.

Also, a blind date at The Deaf Institute? Who organised that?!

Will and Ellie ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous

Q: Hi, I’m really enjoying going out in Manchester but the only thing I find a bit weird is that we went to the Warehouse Project in December and quite a few people were taking Es? Essentially I just want to know if they’re safe for me to take or not?

A: Well the short answer to that question is we don’t know. Even with the thousands of studies done on the effects of Ecstasy (aka MDMA, MD, pills etc.) there is no conclusive evidence of any long term positive or negative effects. The findings range from it having cancer fighting properties to them causing long term depression and anxiety.

The main short term effects are

- An energy buzz that makes people feel alert, alive, in tune with their surroundings, and with sounds and colours often experienced as more intense

- Users often develop temporary feelings of love and affection for the people they’re with and for the strangers around them

- Short-term risks of ecstasy can include feeling anxious or getting panic attacks, and developing confused episodes, paranoia or even psychosis

- Some people have been known to take another `E’ when they haven’t yet felt the expected `high’ of their first `E’. The danger then is that both Es kick in at once and you’ve got a double dose of effects to deal with.

The most stand out danger with ecstasy is that more often than not it is `cut’ with something else.

This `something else’ can be another recreational drug such as cocaine or ketamine but it’s much more likely to be something cheaper like talcum powder, in some cases even rat poison has been found, so those peddling the drugs can make the ecstasy go further and make more money for their pockets.

Another thought to take into consideration is that ecstasy is a class A drug and if caught by police in possession of it you can get up to 7 years in jail and a fine. Caught supplying it can get you life imprisonment. Any form of prosecution can limit your future job opportunities and may affect you being able to travel to some countries like the USA.

So all in all the risks go further than those to your health.

Now exams are over, there is no excuse. Put the multipack of biscuits down and get up. With most of your student loan probably already blown on post-exam celebrations a gym membership is out of the question. Instead, stick with exercise at the click of a button and from the comfort of your front room: fitness DVD’s. Here are the latest tried and tested.

The Only Way is Essex: The Essexercise Workout

The sight of Sam, Billie and Lydia(who?!) in bikinis on the front cover is enough to make you want to give up and eat yourself to death. Watch a few minutes of the three twenty minute workouts that follow and you can understand how they look that good. A mixture of dance, combat and toning you’ll see the effects in no time – providing you do it more than twice. It isn’t easy being reem. With bonus features that give you a guide to get the full Essex look, it’s exercise and entertainment all rolled into one.

3 out of 5 stars – much more effective if put on mute, those accents are just too much.

Pussycat Dolls 2 Dancer’s Body Workout

Robin Antin, founder of the infamous PCD, has upped her game since her first fitness DVD in which “exercises” included rubbing a feather bower between your legs. Aptly titled ‘dancer’s body workout’ Robin makes the assumption that we all have the bodies and fitness staminas of dancers, or olympic athletes. The moves are quick, difficult to follow and for safety reasons you’re recommended not to do them in 4 inch heels a la the dolls. One move Robin repeats from the last DVD is the seductive biting of the finger. How many calories that burns I do not know, but combined with an overload of PVC and raunchy lunges this could be mistaken for a DVD of a totally different kind.

3 stars – this is one for the boys

Jennifer Ellison’s Fat Blaster Workout

Remember when Jennifer Ellison was really obese? No me neither. But apparently she thought she had some fat to blast and is now a mentor to those looking to do the same. Under the traditional format there’s three parts: tone blaster, box blaster and power blaster. If the repetition of ‘blaster’ isn’t enough to inspire you there’s a six foot illuminated sign that says ‘hot’ in the background through out. You’ve got to hand it to Jen though this is bloody hard, a little too hard. My inner slob struggles to put up with her motivational pep talks but if you’re less of a cynic than I am this might just be for you.

4 stars – for the positive and pro active among us

Davina: The Ultimate Target Workout

As if there could be a fitness feature without Davina making an appearance. In what feels like her four hundredth fitness DVD she’s back with personal trainer pals Jackie and Mark. This time the focus is “ultimate target” so whether you’re trying to shift a beer gut, tone up bingo wings or get rid of unloved love handles Davina’s got the moves for you. Supposedly it only works if you ditch the stuffed-crust pizzas and Mars bars – who knew?! – so make sure that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make.

5 stars – serious gym goers only, Davina takes no prisoners

Exams are more torturous than 9am lectures, or sitting through Desperate Scousewives. Even post exams and I’m still feeling the nerves, my brain has not wound down from cramming, and I am sure that there are plenty more like me out there.

During one of our twelve-hour OP cluster sessions a couple of my girlfriends texted me and my housemates saying that they had booked a very, very last minute holiday to Tenerife. But unlike the usual empty exclamations of “let’s do it” knowing that it was never going to happen, my housemates and I looked at each other and just like that we got to Googling.

Flights to Tenerife from Manchester were only £80 return, and for 5 nights self-catering, it was just the same. The promise of sun, sea and sand for a mere fraction of the latest loan installment it seemed almost sinful to say no to.

Yes fellow students, this week I will be sunning myself on a beach in Playas de las Americas with temperatures set to be over 23 degrees and not a raincloud in sight.

If you really think about it, it is actually the perfect time to go on holiday, especially for students. January blues have got us all down in the dumps, but all the big holiday sites, lastminute.com, onthebeach.co.uk and even Thomson are having their start of year sales – which believe me are really worth taking a look at.

All I want is to feel the warm sun on my face and not need to think about anything but my next margarita, so if you are thinking, “I hate her” then good ‘cos I would hate me too.

I was recently informed of how a girl that I used to go to school with had flown out to Paris over the Christmas period. This was, of course, courtesy of a bursary that she receives from coming from a ‘low income background’. She justified her splurge to a friend of mine by claiming that she hadn’t had the same luxuries as some of us while growing up.

Ironic if you ask me; unlike me she has never done a day’s work in her life, yet she has her own car and somehow managed to travel virtually all summer.

Unsurprisingly, I can’t quite get my head around the system. I have two friends whose rent isn’t even covered by the loan which they will eventually have to pay back.

Their parents are expected to fork out for the remainder, the total of which for one amounts to £1,500 a year – on top of having to pay a mortgage and support another child. Have the government never heard of the saying ‘money doesn’t grow on trees’?

Those of us from normal families are expected to find flexible student jobs – which from personal experience seem hard to come by – and simply rack up more debt in the meantime. Fair?

2.     Decide on an objective – jokey or heartfelt, genuine or ironic. Make sure everyone is on the same page otherwise those glow in the dark condoms might not go down so well.

3.     Don’t take big risks – if buying for your boss, an elderly relative or someone you maybe don’t know that well steer clear of Ann Summers. Stick to standard festive offerings, who doesn’t love an annual hot water bottle?

4.     Don’t leave it until the last minute – a 98p potato masher from Tesco wrapped in white A4 paper is a bit of a giveaway.

5.     Actually keep it a secret – it’s in the name and makes for a much more interesting gift exchange.

6.     If in doubt head to Urban Outfitters – the novelties range has something for everyone from Sudoku toilet roll to artsy photography books. Sorted.

It is one night of the year that the only thing worse than going out is staying in. The extra pressure to have the best night EVER and yes you know it, start the year as you mean to go on.

So if this means watching The X Factor in your onesie with a tub of ice-cream in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, I dread to know what 2012 will have in store.

Once an appropriate event is selected the competition really starts, subtle yet determined as everyone earmarks exactly who they will be kissing at midnight. Remember, if you pick a shocker then you may as well go to bed for 2012. Better luck next year.

New Year is the end.  It marks the end of Christmas festivities and heralds the start of work, a new diet or the realisation of how unprepared you are for looming January exams. All the time accompanied by the mantra: new year, new you. No pressure then.

I have in fact, never celebrated Christmas. My family and I are Muslims and thus what I used to use as an analogy when I was younger was that, “your Christmas is my Eid!” The confusing looks I’d receive from other children when Eid would land a week before Christmas due to the lunar calendar Islam is based on. They thought I was cheating celebrating twice.

My Christmas days consisted of me trying to find something to do: my whole family in the same predicament. “I’m bored” my youngest brother would exclaim. But there was nothing we could do but watch whatever film was being showcased that particular year and watch as my phone vibrated into oblivion from all the “I know you don’t celebrate Christmas but Happy Christmas anyway” texts.

It is now, however, nice to be surrounded by the warm atmosphere created from the sadly, very economical reasons that Christmas has become more and more found upon in the west. For example; many of my native Spanish and French friends can’t remember a Christmas where they didn’t go to mass in the morning. The chance of hearing this here, however, is limited.

I mention this solely because for the celebration of both Eid-al-adha (celebrating the start of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca) and Eid-al-fitr (post Ramadan); it is not Eid, without visiting the Mosque. It is engraved in my memory and it wouldn’t feel like Eid if I didn’t go and see everyone else celebrating; with the difference being that everyone in the Mosque here are not just family, but also friends, all under one roof.

Significantly, the story of the birth of Christ is actually related in the Qur’an. Muslims are not completely blind to the celebration and of course, many predominantly Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa will have minorities celebrating Christmas.

Obviously, the notion of giving and receiving presents in the nature of good will is a very open-handed gesture. I have most years taken part in secret santa’s and bought close friends gifts.  And I wouldn’t miss the Manchester Christmas Markets if you’d offered me top editorial position at the Mancunion (well, perhaps).

Eat, be merry and immerse yourself in the multi-cultural and religious society we live in.

I put up my decorations and listen to ‘I wish it could be Christmas Everyday’ on repeat by mid-November.  I don’t understand how people can get grumpy at the idea of extending Christmas for as long as possible – the food, the drink, the lights, the frost, the Coca Cola advert… I can’t get enough!

And every family has their own unique Christmas tradition. Mine is an annual skiing trip to Austria, which always results in one hilarious anecdote or another in consideration of the fact that my mum hates both skiing, and cold weather.

I remember one particular year when my aunt thought it would be a wonderfully festive experience to take a midnight sleigh ride to the top of a mountain. Not wanting to ruin the intense excitement that overwhelmed us kids, my mum reluctantly agreed.

Firstly, I have never seen a person successfully wear so many layers and still manage to walk and secondly, I’ve never seen someone look as positively gleeful as when the sleigh driver offered round a large bottle of Schnapps.  My mum’s a pretty small woman but I learnt very quickly that, when she’s cold, she can put Schnapps away like it’s water! Needless to say, with the thickness of the snow, the many layers of ski clothes, and the half litre of schnapps successfully digested, walking became a bit of a struggle once the sleigh ride ended.

As we were trekking up the very last snow-ridden hill, babbling to each other about the joys of Christmas, I turned around in the darkness to find that my mum was nowhere to be seen. After searching for several minutes, I frantically shushed everyone when I heard a mischievous giggle piercing the silence.

When I followed the sound, it took me to a pair of familiar snow boots, poking out of a nearby fir bush. It turns out that, mid-conversation, my mum had toppled over head-first into the nearest natural landmark and found it so irresistibly cosy that she had decided to stay there.

You might open presents, carve a turkey, make a toast – but you’ve never truly experienced the spirit of Christmas until you’ve dragged your intoxicated mother out of a snow-capped fir bush, by her ankles.

And so my siblings and I were destined to a childhood full of Linda McCartney, Quorn, lentils and other questionable pulses. It wasn’t all bad, it was just what we were used to and with friends’ parents not knowing what to serve up when we went round for tea we consumed more rounds of pizza and chips than any child could ever dream of.

There was just one time of year when my carnivorous curiosity began to creep in and I started to consider a life outside of mycoprotein food products, Christmas. What were these meat filled feasts that everyone at school drooled about? What on earth is a pig in a blanket? My mind boggled.

Past Christmas dinners in the Howes household have been somewhat different, up to and including a year of pulling crackers around a table of Quorn spag bol (and a cheese sandwich for my incredibly fussy younger brother).

We’ve taken the more traditional and festive route at times with all the trimmings piled up high unfortunately let down by their accompaniments: a nut roast or, even worse, Quorn’s Family Roast – essentially a slab of salted plastic.

At 14 I succumbed to peer pressure, moved to the dark side and became the through and through carnivore I am today but with no clue how to baste, stuff, cook or even buy a turkey I was subject to many more vegetarian Christmas’ for years following.

It wasn’t until reaching university, when in our cramped and sticky kitchen of Weston Hall three other girls and I slaved away to cook a faux Christmas dinner for six ungrateful boys, that I picked up invaluable life/cooking skills and swiftly ran back home to London with them.

I have since taken the Christmas cooking reigns straight out of my poor mum’s hands to bring some much needed meat to the lives of both me and my brothers, who have also turned their backs on vegetarianism.

But there may be some out there who aren’t so lucky. Some who still involuntarily have to endure a chickpea-lentil-pumpkin-mush concoction swimming in gravy just to make it taste a little less like something excreted  by next door’s rabbit.

So when December 25^th comes around and you’re tucking into your turkey, stuffing six cocktail sausages into your gob at once or have prawn vol-au-vents coming out of your ears, please just take a minute to remember those less fortunate than yourselves.

The landlord’s parental lecture on security made me roll my eyes at the time, but apart from kicking myself for not being extra vigilant in checking locks and cursing the opportunists that lurk about Fallowfield, I have made it my mission to preach the importance of these minor actions that ensure your stuff doesn’t get nicked.

I know it seems a laborious task, and the prospect of having your printer on the seat next to you on the train home is a tad over-board, but taking everything of value home with you this Christmas is the most effective method in not being robbed of your treasured possessions.

Beg for a lift home if you can, with housemates or friends heading the same way as you or butter up the parents well in advance.

Closing windows and drawing curtains may seem a little obvious when leaving your house for a long period of time, but it’s surprising how many of us forget such simple actions.

Making sure nothing is on display will deter anyone from breaking in, because they can’t see anything that they want. Even investing in a cheap light-timer will make burglars think twice about targeting your house.

Drill these things into your housemates’ brains too: you can be responsible for your things, but who’s to say they won’t accidentally leave a window ajar or door unlocked.

And lets be honest, it’s bad enough returning to our favourite city for dreaded exams without the potential worry of an insecure house or stolen TV.

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous.

Question of the Week:

Lots of my friends at university smoke and I don’t. I’m worried about their health because a close relative of mine died of lung cancer a few years ago. I want them to know just how bad for them it is but I don’t want to lecture them what can I do?

First off, it’s great you care so much about those around you. You’re completely right in that bringing it up can be nigh on impossible without them feeling like they’re being lectured but there are a few things you can do to help them come to their own decision to quit.

A good start is to find a friend of yours who doesn’t smoke and has the same concerns as you. It will leave you feeling less isolated when inevitably the hard part comes where you sit down and talk it through.

In my opinion trying to convince a group is a lot more difficult than one or two so when you and your non smoking chum are with a couple of smokers ask why they smoke. All sorts of reasons are given for smoking such as “it helps me to relax” or “I`ll put on weight if I stop”.

Every reason for smoking is not reason enough to be smoking so if putting on weight is an issue say you’ll go to keep-fit classes with them. Sometimes just knowing a friend will be there is all that’s needed to help start quitting. Going to a GP with them is a good next step as they have a great array of resources to help.

If that doesn’t work, don’t use scare tactics as people can get defensive and getting on their nerves isn’t going to help. Perhaps try to explain to them that as one of your closest friends you’ve already seen the worst side of what smoking can do and you don’t want to see it again.

However it’s important to realise that no matter how much you want them to stop smoking they won’t unless they actually want to. So you’ll need to accept that everyone is entitled to their own life decisions and this unfortunately can be one of them.

With the increase in teenagers requesting plastic surgery as gifts for their sweet sixteen, or sneakily obtaining that tattoo on their hip that they think you’re never going to see, it’s no surprise that body modification in all it’s forms has become mainstream. But to what extent and in what cultures?

Although the saying goes ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’; a person’s appearance gives a lot of evidence into the kind of person they are, and how they have wished to portray themselves to the outside world. Because appearance can be a fairly reliable indicator of one’s behaviour, it is no surprise that in society physical image is very important. Today people can change their clothing, hair, teeth, face, and body. Most of these changes are met with a level of tolerance, each culture with their own idea of acceptable changes or ‘norms’, such as the head scarf in Islamic state countries such as Saudi Arabia or Iran.

However, when one makes a radical change to their body, there is usually a social back lash towards this. Such trends are not new. Body piercing, tattoos, and other forms of body ornamentation have been used for years among indigenous people globally. They are a form of non verbal communication: a representation of what we are reflecting of our identity.

Institutions can also be the cause of a person being shaped into an identity because of body adornment; controlling one’s body is controlling their self. Theorists have been put forward discussing how bodies are perhaps even disciplined by higher powers. This could be a reflection on religious states which impose the Sharia law such as Yemen or Saudi Arabia; in terms of body adornment, where women should dress modestly, which in some countries is interpreted as women taking the veil.

Alterations to the body could also be seen as a form of mutilation by altering the body. Before one can make a judgment on this subject, a good bit of knowledge is needed. Fear of the unknown can sometimes lead people to form harsh opinions of what are considered norms to a particular culture.

What were your expectations for the evening?

The promise of a free meal after 4 days of Subway BMT for dinner was a major plus.

First impressions?

Yeah, she was really excited.

What did you talk about?

I learned all about her really. Her family, friends, school, ex’s, pets, course, flatmates, allergies, her favourite Twilight and why etc. etc.

Best thing about them?

She proved she could drink any man under the table.

What did you eat?

Went for the sausage and mash and ice cream for dessert. But she really wanted the ice cream so I gave her most of it.

Any awkwardness?

She told me she voted UKIP and talked about getting out of Europe for quite a long time. That was a bit weird.

How did you part ways? (Mouth-to-mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?)

The friendly hug, then she sent me a friend request before we left and waited for me to accept. So we’re sorted on that one.

Out of 10?

6-

Would you see them again?

She works in the Union bar, so I’ll see her there I suppose

Emily Brown, History and American Studies, Third year

What were your expectations for the evening?

What WEREN’T my expectations for the evening

First impressions?

Helloooo tiger

What did you talk about?

Gender neutral toilets, how state schools produce a more refined person, preferred names for our seven children (I may have imagined this)

Best thing about them?

Pure, unadulterated hunk.

What did you eat?

It could’ve been manure for all I knew, I was too busy staring into those big blue eyes…

Any awkwardness?

I was expecting him to sensually spoon-feed me my pudding, so I think he was a bit confused as to why I waited five minutes before reluctantly tucking in myself.

How did you part ways? (Mouth-to-mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?)

Well I was going to go in for the kill – proper goodbye kiss, maybe a cheeky arse squeeze, but…

Would you see them again?

Sadly when I returned from the bar, he’d completely disappeared without a trace. I’m not worried; I’d already added him on Facebook and I recall him saying he lived opposite OP, so I guess I’ll just hang around there for the next week or two.

Out of 10?

9.5 – minus 0.5 for opting for strawberry sauce on the sundae. Otherwise, absolute perfection.

Richard and Emily ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject.

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous.

Question of the week:

I’ve heard you just have to take one pill to get rid of chlamydia so what’s the big deal?

We hear a lot about chlamydia because it’s very common, with more than 1 in 20 under 25s having it.

What is it?

It’s a bacterial infection spread by sex that can affect both men and women. The symptoms aren’t pretty but it’s important to recognise them.

Women can have:

• Vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods
• Bleeding after sex
• Pain passing urine
• No symptoms

Men can have:

• Pain passing urine
• Discharge from the end of their penis
• No symptoms

What’s the worry?

Chlamydia, if untreated, can cause women to become infertile and can also reduce the fertility of men.  No one needs to be told that jeopardising your future family is a risk not worth taking and that’s not the end of it. With over 80% of women and 50% of men having no symptoms there is an increased chance of it being passed unknowingly.

What can you do about it?

Get a check up at your local GP or sexual health clinic. Almost anyone can have the test, it’s free and you can do it yourself. The result usually takes up to two weeks.

If it comes back positive the doctor will prescribe antibiotics and in most cases that successfully treats the infection. However, as always, prevention in the first place is best so practice safe sex by using condoms.

If you have any other worries contact your local GP.

Top of the league was the University of Glamorgan with an average number of 10.9; followed closely by the University of Wales Institute Cardiff with 10.6 and the University of Brighton with 9.5.

The University of Manchester came 33^rd with 5.4; closely beaten by the University of Oxford with 5.6. Oh the irony, and the shame, that we scored higher in a sex league than in this year’s official university league tables.

But what is this obsession with keeping count? Are there people out there updating a tally chart or literally hacking notches into their bedpost as soon as their latest conquest has grabbed their pants and run out the door?

Of course if it’s taking you more than five minutes to count up your history of sexual counterparts and you have to use all fingers and toes twice over to do so then alarm bells should be ringing. However, if every time you have sex with somebody new different bells start ringing in your head – I’m thinking something along the lines of “ding, ding, ding number 28 wahey” – then you, my friend, need to have a long hard look in the mirror.

It’s this sort of behaviour that is associated with the ‘lads’ of our generation. The approach of “bet my number’s bigger than yours” and the bragging and boasting that comes with it that promotes excessive promiscuity and unfortunately, a lot of the time, unsafe sex.

If you’re going to have sex with that stranger that’s just bought you a VK and a shot of Sambuca or are considering seeing if the girl that’s been grinding on you all night wants to head home that’s great, have fun, I hope he or she rocks your world. But be safe and do it because you want to, not because you’re trying to one-up your mates – or competitors rather.

Turning sex into a competition or an anecdote for the next round of ‘I Have Never’ in no way promotes a positive image of yourself or your sexual expeditions.

The ‘number game’ is also in no way gender neutral. Where a boy might be patted on the back for getting into the twenties or plus, a girl in the same position would much more likely be labelled a slag, easy or something much worse. However, that opens up a whole new can of sexist worms that I can’t even begin to delve in without ranting on forever.

University is a time of being young, free, experimenting and what not but alongside this there needs to be a dose of maturity added to every decision we make, sexual or otherwise.

As she hangs up we inevitably engage in the ‘what-we-discuss-with-our-parents’ conversation for the millionth time.

She falls under the first of two very distinct categories of parent-child relations, being where parents are almost like friends. The second is my approach of non-communication which results in me still unable to watch a sex scene on TV with my mum in the room without completely cringing; the third is somewhere in between.

My family have a very British attitude to sex: don’t mention it, don’t hint at it and definitely don’t make any overt showing of it. But perhaps it is this unwillingness to discuss sex that has led to the increasing levels of teenage pregnancy and STI’s that we are currently encountering in the UK.

Family-led discussions on sexual health would, I assume, be much more constructive and perhaps educational than the discourse amongst our own age group which tends to stick to performance ratings, positions and level of drunkenness.

Maybe one day my maturity will be sufficient enough to discuss sex with my mum, or even just watch a 15 rated film all the way through comfortably, but I doubt this will be before I reach at least thirty-five.

What were your first impressions?
Sincere and easy going. The first thing we did when we sat down was to confess that we were both there for the free food. I suppose we bonded straight away on that premise.

What did you talk about?
Ancient civilisations, about the relationship between Politics and History, about travelling and experiencing different cultures, music, family

Best thing about them?
He’s not afraid to try new things, he had his steak nicht gar without a complaint, even though he usually prefers it well-cooked. I daresay he enjoyed it!

What did you eat?
Steak and salad, and a sticky toffee pudding for desert.

Any awkwardness?
Yes, when we realised we had to pay for the drinks at the end. We thought they were on the house!

How did you part ways? (Mouth to mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?!)
Friendly hug

Out of 10?
8

Would you see them again?
Maybe

Joe Anstee, Third year, Ancient History

What were your first impressions?
What a nice smile.

What did you talk about?
Robert Mugabe, careers, history, passports, appreciation of Katy Perry

Best thing about them?
She had some really interesting stories about growing up in Zimbabwe

What did you eat?
Had steak – it was excellent!

Any awkwardness?
Not really, she was very easy to talk to

How did you part ways? (Mouth to mouth action/heavy petting/friendly hug?!)
Classic hug

Out of 10?
8

Would you see them again?
Why not?

Lisa and Joe ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject.