www.thegryphon.co.uk @_TheGr yphon Issue 13 23/02/17
The official newspaper of Leeds University
Why is my rebellion white? We look at the whitewashing of punk and it’s existence in Africa and Asia Page 14
Cirque du Soleil back in town The world famous circus troupe present Varekai, Tales of the Forest In The Middle, page 14
Pints against policy?
Sharks are friends, not food Science explore the future of sharks and their integral role in the ocean Page 18
Union offers free pint in return for votes, contradicting assertion it “will never serve an alcoholic drink for less than £1.50” Jessica Murray Dominic Johnson Leeds University Union’s stance on alcohol has been called into question after they introduced free pints as part of a set of incentives to encourage people to vote in its Leadership Race, in contradiction to their policy on not selling a unit of alcohol for under one pound. Earlier this year The Gryphon published a story on drinks prices in LUU compared to prices at other student unions, with a Union spokesperson asserting that “We [The Union] will never serve an alcoholic drink for less than £1.50 and never sell a unit of alcohol for less than £1.”
This appears to contradict the union’s decision to hand out free pints in return for votes in the Leadership Race. Furthermore, following a story in The Gryphon about bottles of VK being blurred out of official photos taken at Fruity by a photographer, the Union responded: “We have policy in place to promote responsible drinking and therefore we prefer not to use images that show alcohol consumption and brands. Removing part of the bottles was an odd editing choice made by our photographer and we agree it doesn’t look great!” The Leadership Race received its lowest turnout in recent years with 6561 votes cast, compared to last year’s
7744 and 8488 in 2015. In an attempt to increase voter turnout in the final days of voting, the Union introduced incentives to encourage more students to vote. These included a voucher that entitled voters to a free pint in Old Bar or Terrace, a free hot drink in Balcony or Pyramid, a free Perkier or Naked bar from Salad Box, or a free Chupa Chups lolly from Essentials. This seems to have been quite a successful technique in encouraging more students to vote, with many taking advantage of the incentives and the number of votes surging in the final days. However, some have voiced their complaints about such policy. While the i i hRead more i d 2h on page
Darling Marling Laura Marling holds a seminar ahead of the release of latest album Super Femina In The Middle, page 4