York Vision 219

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Tuesday November 8, 2011 Issue 219 vision@yusu.org

BURNING QUESTIONS: NUS PRESIDENT INTERVIEW

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winter must-haves

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NOMINATED FOR GUARDIAN STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2011

young knives SPOTLIGHT

PROVE IT p 17

p 16

UNIVERSITY DEMANDS DEAT H CERTIFICATE FROM GRIEF-STRICKEN STUD ENTS

> WELFARE OFFICER BOB HUGHES : "IT'S INSENSITIVE AND IMPERSONAL" > VANBRUGH CHAIR KALLUM TAYLOR: "THEY TREATED THE LAD WITH CONTEMPT!" FULL STORY: PAGE 5

2 NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

THOROUGHLY SUCCESSFUL MILLIE

BY HELENA KEALEY YORK'S HAPPILY Ever After Society put on three superb performances of 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' at the end of last week.

Despite a number of problems, including the relocation

of the musical to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre due to Central Hall being made unavailable, 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' managed a phenomenal 160 ticket sales for its opening night, and went on to be a raving success.

James Arden, who reviewed

WEEK

the musical, said: "'Thoroughly Modern Millie' is a fantastic production, incorporating an extremely talented cast, stylish set, and, for the most part, excellent direction and choreography."

Thoroughly deserved mentions go to both leads, Lottie

?

WHICH D ESSAYS EPARTMENT HAD STOL TUTOR EN FROM A 'S CAR?

Bad Week Clean freaks in Goodricke

Good Week Monks Cross fans

Photo: Oliver Todd

an, Lily Marriage, Amy Walsh and Alexander Conway the Music Director who conducted the orchestra.

The whole cast worked tirelessly on the production and altogether made this show a 'thorough' success.

Photo: 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' Publicity

Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Nominated 2011 Tuesday November 8, 2011

ÂŁ38K

Photo of the Week: Rebecca Irwin takes on the Movember Challenge

Johnson and Tom Jones, the brilliant villain and white-slave trader Melissa Layton, alongside Claire Lawrence, Bethan Williams and Luke De Belder, who were all spectacular.

Also first-class were the directors and choreographers William Descrettes, Fred Nath-

The University's annual revenue from parking fines during the last academic year The number of weeks the University took to decide on a student's academic appeal

9

ÂŁ800

The amount it would cost to transport 57 students by coach to the National Demo in London

Got an opinion? Get involved at www.yorkvision.co.uk Or contact us at vision@yusu.org

Editors: Maddy Potts Katy Roberts

Deputy Comment: Marinus Maris Anmoli Sodha

Sports Editors: Fred Nathan Alex Finnis

Deputy Editors: Jack Knight Paul Virides

Features Editors: Georgina Strapp Harry Pick

Deputy Sports: Will Cooper Oliver Wessley

Scene Editors: Teja Pisk Rachel Pronger ____________

Deputy Features: Sine Bakumeni Judith Marzo

Chief Sub-Editors: Bethany Porter Philip Watson

Lifestyle Editors: Scott Simmons Nicholas DunnMcAfee

Photo Editors: Oliver Todd

News Editors: Will Thorman Oliver Todd Deputy News: Will Haydon Helena Kealey

Deputy Lifestyle: Sarah Woods Rachel Longhurst

Comment Editors: Max Sugarman Luke Sandford

Webmaster: Magnus Tripp Web Editor: Milana Knezevic Scene Editorial list in pullout

Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, senior editorial team, membership or advertisers. Every effort is made to ensure all articles are as factually correct as possible at the time of going to press, given the information available.

Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2011.

Printed by Yorkshire Web

NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

GOODRICKE CHAIR CONDEMNS "SUB-STANDARD" CLEANING CONTRACTOR

CLEANERS NO GOOD-RICKE

BY WILL THORMAN GOODRICKE JCRC has condemned a number of serious incidents that took place within the college due to a lack of diligence from the maintenance and cleaning services.

When external contractors Derwent Living replaced the onsite facilities team, the number of work hours was cut from 170 to just 70 per month, leaving the whole of Goodricke College with an average of just two cleaners per day. A number of complaints have been reported to college chair Nacho Hernando to say that the drop in standards has led to a significant increase in threats to student health and safety.

As well as general maintenance and cleaning issues, several serious incidents have also occurred since the start of term that Hernando believes may be connected. A disabled student recently slipped and fell in their bath, he told Vision, after it went without cleaning over several weeks.

Another student reported being told by a Derwent Living cleaning supervisor that their cleaners were "unaware" they were expected to clean ovens, an issue which Hernando told Vision has coincided with the first oven fire in Goodricke accommodation since it opened in October 2009.

In addition, students have complained that some Derwent

Photo: Oliver Todd

Living staff have attempted to enter standard study rooms which, without a shower pod, are not within the cleaning team's remit.

Hernando explained that some students are concerned about this security issue, especially as the complaints have coincided with the reported theft of an iPod from one of the rooms.

Moreover, the phone number of the Derwent Living supervisor office in Goodricke Nucleus (for students to report maintenance issues) charges a premium rate.

This is despite the office being within a minute's walk from the accommodation blocks.

Goodricke College accommodation is the most expensive noncatered accommodation offered by the University and, as such, the JCRC has taken the reports made against Derwent Living very seriously. Until the end of last term, the cleaning and maintenance contract was held by

Facilities Manager Mandy McKechnie and her team, supervised

by Head of Campus Services Sue Johnston.

Hernando asserted that this old team "have been fantastic when it has come to providing the required levels of cleaning and maintenance." He continued: "Some University Estates high-profile staff might have felt that cutting the number of hours would be a good way to save money – they didn't realise that Mandy's team were already stretching their resources to the bare minimum and still providing a fantastic quality of cleaning and maintenance provision, and that any further cuts in the amount of hours put into cleaning and maintenance would result in nothing but‌ an unclean and poorly maintained college, which, ironically, is also the most expensive accommodation at this University."

the opportunity to resubmit...in order to ensure fair treatment of everyone."

This extended deadline has been seen as excessive by some students, and has left individuals concerned that the overall standard will improve as some may take the extension as an opportunity to work further on the essay. One student, whose essay was not stolen, told Vision he was "worried that the marking will be harsher now. Everyone has an ex-

tra two weeks to reflect on what we wrote over summer, and beuing given the 'opportunity' to resubmit, even though mine wasn't stolen, suggests I'm supposed to improve it somehow." He went on to criticise the department: "The regulations regarding essay submission, mitigating circumstances and so on, are incredibly strict on all students. And yet these essays, which are intellectual property, were left in the back of a car? It seems like the department

Johnston has informed Goodricke JCRC that quality checks have been made, but because Goodricke College is owned by external company Evans (a result of the way the building construction was financed), the results went to this company, and not to the students.

Hernando informed Vision that he has placed Goodricke Committee Officer, Jonny Gilchrist in charge of collecting further reports of similar incidents.

Hernando asserts that these reports will continue to be relayed to the University with the aim of removing maintenance and cleaning responsibilities from the external company.

"Due to the obvious breaches in the quality contracts with the University and the dangerous environment that they are placing our students in, this external company model has proven to have failed, and we request nothing else than reinstating Mandy and Sue's fantastic staff in Goodricke College accommodation."

YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes commented: "Although I understand the University has to bear in mind financial implications of services like cleaning, I think students' well-being needs to take priority in any studentfacing institution, and we will be working to ensure students get the best deal out of the already high prices they are paying for accommodation."

GRAND THEFT... ESSAY?

BY BEATRICE TESCONI AND CAOIMHE UDOM

NUMEROUS THIRD-YEAR politics students were informed last week that they would be required to resubmit their essays after scripts were stolen from their tutor's car.

Professor Matthew Festenstein, Head of the Politics department, sent an email to all students of the Politics of Latin America module, explaining that "a number of essays...went missing as a result of a break-in to a member of staff's car." Recipients were instructed that: "in order to ensure you receive a grade and feedback on this module, you will be required to resubmit your essay to the Politics office by Friday November 11."

While it remains unclear how many students' scripts were actually lost, Festenstein went on to explain that, following consultation with the University Standing Committee and course representatives, the department had decided that "all candidates who submitted an essay will be given

Photo: Oliver Todd

ought to have their own procedures on how safely they handle assessed essays."

Academic Officer, Graeme Osborn commented, "The department must make it absolutely clear to all affected students that the marking criteria and expectations will not be changed or affected in any way. This is a problem which is to some extent beyond the control of the department, and as long as this is done, then there is little else that they can do, or indeed be reasonably expected to do."

Concerns that the stolen essays could lead to plagiarism have largely been put to rest, after it was revealed that the scripts had been placed beneath a laptop, and so were likely to have been taken unintentionally during an opportunistic theft. A police investigation is ongoing, and the Politics department have assured students that the incident won't be repeated, as a new electronic submission system is currently being trialled for first-year procedural essays, and is expected to be rolled out to assessed essays if successful.

3

NEWS IN BRIEF D-BAR SUCCESS

BETTER COMMUNICATION between the University and JCRCs is responsible for getting Derwent Bar "off to a flying start" this term, according to Rena Quarton of Commercial Services.

D-Bar profits during Freshers' Fortnight are up from the same time last year, and the two Club D events held so far have been more successful than last year's counterparts.

Derwent JCRC Chair Matt Jenkins attributes this success to increased co-operation between his committee and the University. He said of Quarton: "Rena took on board my views on where the bar could be improved, particularly with competitive drink deals, and she trusted my judgement."

WHERE TO VOTE? POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT changes to the voting system for local elections may harm students' abilities to get involved in their communities.

Second-year history student Josh Allen, who ran for Hull Road Ward councillor earlier this year, was informed during his campaign that "the government intends to introduce legislation limiting electors to one council area," meaning York students would be forced to choose between only voting at home or at university in local elections.

Allen has spoken out against these planned changes, saying that they will stifle the student voice in York, and cause issues such as the housing crisis (reported on page 5) to become more commonplace.

He has also written a YUSUbacked motion to reverse York Council's change of policy on which houses need planning permission, which calls for a reworking of this policy in a way that better suits students.

GOOD CAFE

THE HUB CAFE on the Hes East campus has extended its hours, and will now serve food until 7.30pm, with its special evening menu starting at 5.30pm.

The cafe has also revamped its menu to include pizzas and burgers, to accompany the soups and salads that are already served.

Goodricke chair Nacho Hernando spoke about the difficulties he overcame to turn what was "a mere construction site into a fully operational campus."

He stressed, however, that the extension of the cafe's opening hours is only a "temporary measure, until the new Social and Catering building is completed in the next few years."

4 NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

Vision's Will Thorman casts his eye over what's going in other university media...

student press During the first term it's not unusual for an array of bizarre items to accumulate in halls of residence, usually the result of drunken antics – road signs, trolleys, an Efe's takeaway?

Imagine the suprise, though, when a student at Kingston University discovered that her drunken flatmates had brought the dead and diseased body of a fox back to their flat. The student has since been diagnosed with having intestinal parasites, an illness contracted through contact with wild animals.

Kingston University student newspaper The River has reported that one of the students involved has already been forced to vacate his room while the other, who was seen walking down the corridor with a blood-soaked shirt, has only days left before his eviction.

One resident, who was not involved in the incident, told The River: "I heard those involved in the corridor outside saying 'Dude this is fucked up, this is seriously fucked up,' then I heard another voice say 'Oh my God, it's looking at me! Kick it in the head!'" Allegedly, the fox had been dragged back to the flat by the students, where it was beaten, thrown from a top story window and dumped in a bin.

Oh my God, it's looking at me! Kick it in the head!

NATIONAL DE-N0!

BY OLIVER TODD YUSU HAS chosen not to support tomorrow's National Student Demo after a vote at Community Assembly last week.

The proposal to provide "financial and ideological support and promotion" for the demo was almost unanimously voted down at the first meeting of the Community Assembly on Monday, with concerns that the march could end in violence.

Unlike the infamous student protests that saw violence at the Conservative Party headquarters at Millbank, the November 9th march is not organised by the NUS, although they have provided their support for it.

A number of other unions have withdrawn their support in recent months, citing concerns with the number of marshals, poor disabled access, and poor route organisation.

A number of college chairs were concerned that providing coaches for the event would be a waste of money, and could be a failure with which they wouldn't want YUSU to be associated. Providing transport to London for 57 students to attend the event would have cost YUSU approxi-

the country, and it was felt that the cost of sending down a coach could not be justified by the amount of people that had been shown to have an interest in at-

tending."

For those who still wish to attend, York Stop the Cuts are providing coach transport for £15 per person.

Photo: Oliver Todd

ON THE BUSES FLASH TASH

"

Professional cleaners were apparently brought in by the residence management after it was revealed that the fox's presence in the block had caused the girl's illness – a quality of service that new Goodricke cleaning staff, Derwent Living, may well have failed to offer.

Closer to home, students in Leeds have also fallen victim to the disgusting actions of others.

Dubbed the 'poopertrator', an unidentified person has unleashed a wave of door-step defecation across Headingley and Hyde Park.

Leeds University student Genevieve Osborne-James described, to The Leeds Student, the moment she awoke to discover that someone had used her doorstep as a toilet. "You could see where the person had relieved themselves against the wall beforehand and there were scraps of newspaper around, which had obviously been used as toilet paper. That's how I knew it was a person."

Either way there's clearly a lot of strange students out there, so consider your housemates for next year carefully – intestinal parasites are probably less than enjoyable.

mately £800.

There were also fears, expressed by a number of parties, that the protest could end in violence similar to last year's student protest and March's TUC 'March for the Alternative'.

Goodricke Chair Nacho Hernando told Vision: "Our decision not to support this demonstration was, from my point of view, a result of a disagreement with the operational issues rather than the sentiment behind the demonstration.

"Moreover, the (non-student) representative of this demonstration contacted YUSU and the college chairs only ten days before the demonstration was to take place, leaving us no chance to consult this issue with our JCRCs and fellow students."

The protest has been organised by a private group, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC), rather than the NUS. YUSU President Tim Ellis said that the Community Assembly agreed that supporting the protest "would not be a valuable use of Union resources.

"The demonstration is only being actively supported by a handful of other unions across

BY HELENA KEALEY

A NEW 'SHOPPER bus' to Monks Cross retail park is now to divert through both University campuses.

After two years of sabbatical officers promising such transport in their manifestos, the Goodricke JCRC, along with the University's Transport Department and York City Council, have organised for the Transdev Number 20 bus route to be diverted through the University and student areas. The bus will run from Monday to Saturday on an hourly basis and take students to Monks Cross and back for a £2 fare.

In finally managing to get the 'Shopper Bus' to come through campus, the JCRC are pleased it

will "cater for as many students as possible." The route is set to include Hull Road and Melrosegate.

The appearance of the bus at Heslington East will provide an especially welcome link for Goodricke students, who are isolated from other nearby supermarkets, and have no convenience facilities on-site. The provision comes amid a number of other important reforms for the Goodricke campus, such as a bar and cash point for next year, and a new late-licence venue.

Goodricke Chair Nacho Hernando told Vision: "I am delighted with the service we have managed to achieve, for not only Goodricke students but every student living on campus, and a large proportion of the student off-campus residents."

Photo: Oliver Todd

BY WILL HAYDON

RAG OFFICER Rebecca Irwin is taking part in this month's facial hair-based charity event 'Movember', which supports The Prostate Cancer Charity (TPCC), swapping a carefully groomed moustache for one neatly drawn on with eyeliner.

The main aims of Movember are to raise money for TPCC and provoke discussion about men's health, and it traditionally requires 'Mo Bros' – the participants – to grow and maintain a moustache for the duration of November.

Its official website outlines their ambition to "drive significant outcomes for men's health from the funds we raise." It goes on to express hope that these Mo Bros are "supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas."

Irwin has taken a slightly different approach, choosing to sketch a new moustache every morning – so far, she has sported 'Grandpa', 'Clark Gable' and 'Pervy Frenchman' moustaches, among others. She isn't daunted by the challenge of coming up with 30 different 'tache ideas, telling Vision: "I can definitely make it to the end of the month!"

She went on: "I've had some rather strange looks over the past few days, to be honest. Mild

confusion and laughter seem to be the most common reactions."

Despite the funny looks, Irwin is buoyant about the opportunity, commenting: "It's a good example of how fundraising doesn't have to be difficult or boring."

Irwin, who is supported by York's charity committee RAG, has raised £133 of her £500 target and is currently the top raiser at the University. Of all this country's students, she is in fourth place, and RAG is the secondhighest-raising team in the UK. As the only registered female in RAG taking part in Movember, Irwin has urged other girls to get involved, saying: "I don't think that charity is, or should be, an exclusive thing. I should still be able to raise money for Prostate Cancer as a female – the whole point of fundraising is the recognition that a charity can do great work with the money you're raising for it. You don't have to be specifically affected or inflicted by the cause itself."

Sporting one of her moustaches and carrying a charity bucket, Irwin will be hard to miss around campus this month – but if you don't see her in person, sponsor her at mosista.com/RebeccaIrwin to help her achieve her aim of being the highestraising student in the UK this Movember.

NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

5

UNI POLICY CAUSES STUDENT SUFFERING

BY MILANA KNEZEVIC A STUDENT HAS spoken out against the University's mitigation and special appeals procedures, telling Vision about his gruelling battle to regain his place at the University after being expelled in the wake of a string of personal tragedies.

Second year started out well for Chris,* an Electronic Engineering student from Vanbrugh.

However, things changed in second term, when a close friend from home died, before the pair had a chance to make up following an argument.

"I felt really down, and other friends from home even came up to look after me, some staying for a week. I lost sleep and missed lectures. It was hard to gather my thoughts."

Despite this, Chris was determined to finish the year. "I don't like giving up," he said.

Understandably, this proved difficult. He says he would spend up to seven hours on assignments which would normally take him two or three. With assessed coursework in for week four, he decided to hand in a mitigating circumstances form.

This was when he was met with a shocking demand from the University: he was expected to provide a death certificate as 'proof'.

An email from his department explained: "If you have lost a parent, grandparent or sibling, you need to provide a death certificate as evidence. If you have lost any other relative, a death certificate and a letter from a third party (such as a church minister) confirming the relationship is required."

"I'm not related to her," Chris

explained, "and I don't talk to her family. She was a member of my church."

The email did not explain what procedures should be followed if the deceased is a friend, and the department never responded to the points he raised about the death certificate.

He decided it would be best to leave the issue and attempt to catch up. "By third term I was nearly back to normal, and I was keeping up with the workload."

In week five, his father was admitted to hospital for a kidney transplant. Chris's brother, who was the donor, made a speedy recovery, but his father nearly died twice in the period between weeks six and seven.

"It was especially hard because I was away from home when it was happening. My dad had been ill for a long time, but in the past I have been at home when he's had to go to the hospital," Chris explained.

Consequently, his academic performance again suffered. "I

answered two exam questions, if that," he admits.

As suggested in the department's first email, Chris contacted his local pastor asking him to write to the University explaining his situation. However, before the letter was sent, he was informed that his department had reccomended him for discontinuation; suggesting he should not return next term.

During the academic year and over the summer, Chris contacted the Special Cases Committee, the Undergraduate Admissions Office and his Head of Department, as well as another member of staff, YUSU Welfare and even the Vanbrugh College JCRC. "I did everything I could. I bothered everyone who had any power."

It wasn't until late August, a week after he'd emailed them, that the Special Cases Committee finally informed him they would need an additional six weeks to decide whether he would be al-

Photo: Ruth Gibson

lowed back. However, it would take seven weeks for the next contact, at which point Chris was told the final decision would be postponed yet again.

It took another three weeks, and three more emails from Chris, to get a definitive answer.

A week and a half into term he was finally told that he was allowed back – but only as a student on an official leave of absence.

"This was the first time this had been mentioned as an alternative, and I was given no explanation as to what it entailed," he explains.

As a student on a leave of abscence, he is not expected to attend any lectures, but will have to resit his exams. However, he has still not been told when this will happen.

Chris also had to deal with the practical consequences of the University's poor handling of the situation. As he is technically on a leave of absence, he has not been offered University accommodation, and he couldn't arrange for private accommodation due to the delay in knowing whether he would be continuing in York. He is currently staying with a friend while looking for a place to live.

Furthermore, he is no longer eligible for a student loan, and also feels that he is at an academic disadvantage, with term already having started by the time he was informed that he was allowed back.

YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes commented that: "due to the often complex nature of mitigating circumstances, the process can take a while, which is of little comfort to some students who can be left in an awkward and unsure position for lengthy periods."

He labelled the policy of asking for death certificates "insensitive and impersonal to students" arguing that it can cause "undue levels of stress and grief during already stressful periods."

Though he was unable to elaborate, he disclosed that this case is "unfortunately not isolated."

Vision has also been made aware of a Libyan student who was asked to provide death certificates to prove he had lost friends in the Libyan civil war, in order to get an extension for an assignment. These death certificates were, quite understadably, impossible to acquire.

Chris's case prompted Vanbrugh Chair Kallum Taylor to send a letter to the Special Cases Committee arguing on Chris's behalf with the backing of the JCRC. Though he thought it might be out of his remit, he felt he might be able to add an extra bit of weight to the case. "[The Committee] didn't simply fail to meet their own set deadline for letting him know, they effectively treated the lad with contempt."

Chris now hopes to pass this year, and be able to return as a full-time student next October.

However, he does not have much faith that the University will rectify the situation. "I believe they purposefully delayed it so it would be too late for me to be fully readmitted," Chris maintains.

Asked about his lasting impressions of the procedure, Chris explained that he wouldn't want to go through it again. If he was to find himself in a similar situation he would, he explained, "just take a leave of absence and come back." *Name has been changed to protect the student's privacy.

COUNCIL LIMITS STUDENT HOMES

BY BETHANY PORTER

NEW LEGISLATION was confirmed last week by York City Council that is likely to seriously affect the future of student housing in York.

Despite opposition by both the University of York and York St John University, the City Council have decided to bring in the "Article 4 Direction" on April 20, 2012.

Student houses are defined as 'Houses of Multiple Occupation' (HMOs) with three to six residents. The Article 4 Direction requires that, in future, landlords will require planning permission and an HMO license to convert an ordinary house into one for multiple occupancy.

This, combined with the rising number of students being ac-

cepted into the University, may result in increased rental costs in sought-after areas.

James Alexander, the council leader, told York Press that the aim was to establish "mixed communities" and to "improve the quality of accommodation for students and non-students."

It has been suggested that the legislation has been put forward as a result of complaints made to the council by residents in areas such as Osbaldwick and Hull Road. Locals allege that the rise in student housing has resulted in more incidents of antisocial behaviour, littering, parking issues, and even that it has affected nearby schools.

Millie Perkins, a second-year Chemistry student currently living in the student-heavy Osbald-

wick area, said "it seems like the council are discriminating against students."

YUSU President Tim Ellis joined forces with the York St John Student Union President Leigh Hankinson, writing to the council proposing a joint community strategy with the York Residential Landlords Association targeting "the problems that can occur with student housing, such as unkempt gardens, poor adherence to recycling schedules and crime." This was rejected by the council.

Following the ruling, Tim Ellis told Vision that YUSU "are extremely disappointed with the Cabinet's decision to go forward with this discriminatory piece of legislation. The Article 4 Direction has the potential to

be extremely damaging for students in York.

"We are now extremely keen to hear from Councillor James Alexander and the City Council, exactly how the Article 4 Direction will be used. We will also

continue to make sure students' voices are heard by Councillors who seem to think that they only represent long-term residents in York, and not the 20,000 students who live in this city and are a part of this community."

Photo: Ruth Gibson

6 NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

COURAGEOUS HIT - AND - RUN VICTIM RETURNS TO UNI 22 MONTHS AFTER DANGEROUS DRIVER LEFT HIM FOR DEAD

YORK STUDENT MAKES MIRACLE RECOVERY

BY KATY ROBERTS

ENGLISH AND POLITICS student Jack Martindale has returned to the University of York following his recovery from near-fatal injuries sustained in a tragic accident on January 1, 2010.

Speaking to Vision, Martindale described the months leading up to the accident as "fantastic"; enjoying his third year at university, celebrating his 21st birthday in November and feeling "high on life."

Martindale, from Barnet, London, was walking home from a New Year's Eve party in Palmers Green with his friends when a car, while racing another vehicle, mounted the pavement and ploughed into the group.

The accident happened around 3am, killing one of Martindale's friends instantly, her body flung into a nearby van; an-

other was knocked unconscious, and died a few months later in hospital after a prolonged coma.

A fourth friend was injured, while Martindale himself was also knocked unconscious, and the doctors who received him at hospital did not expect him to survive.

His skull was shattered into 30 pieces, causing extensive and lasting brain damage. Leading surgeon Simon Holmes painstakingly re-assembled the fragments of bone, fitting nine titanium plates and 33 screws to fuse Martindale's head back together in an intricate five-hour operation. Martindale then spent three months in a coma and a further nine months at the Queen Elizabeth Foundation, a neurological rehabilition centre in Surrey.

Martindale explained that it was due to his young age and the "plasticine consistency" of his brain that he was able to forge

Martindale appearing on BBC Breakfast to talk about his ordeal

new pathways, regaining much of the lost brain function. "I wish I didn't know this from first-hand experience," he told Vision wryly.

Martindale explains how the "Hollywood perception" of suddenly waking from a coma is inaccurate, and that in fact for a fortnight he lapsed in and out of consciousness before finally coming round.

Shamali Ali Syed, the driver of the white Honda that collided with Martindale and his friend, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment after pleading guilty to two counts of death by dangerous driving, grievous bodily harm and assault by wanton furious driving. Fellow 'racer' Mohammad Afzal was cleared of all dangerous driving charges but was sentenced to two years imprisonment for perverting the course of justice.

Martindale descibes Syed as an "ignoramous" and "amoral", describing his actions on the night as "difficult to comprehend." He recounted to Vision that one friend involved in the accident remained concious throughout the ordeal and made eye contact with Syed before he drove off.

As an innocent bystander, Martindale told Vision he felt the British legal system had let his friends and himself down through the sentencing. He described how listening to the defence barrister, whom he describes as leading a "pititable existence," was the worst part of

the case, and that hearing him "manipulate the truth" was a harrowing experience after the loss suffered by the victims and their families.

But rather than looking back, Martindale is determined to look at the situation pragmatically and concentrate on finishing his degree. He told Vision that he would "love to graduate this July with other third years" but if that proves too difficult, then he will continue to work hard to complete his course. His module marks from first and second years have been retained, so only the autumn term of his third year is being repeated.

Previously a student of 'Cell Block C' in old Goodricke College, he has moved into Langwith halls for this final year, living with Freshers. Many of his old friends remain in York, either studying or working, and so Martindale has been spending time rekindling friendships and making up for lost time.

Regarding the support received from the University, he told Vision that he "could not possibly overstate how impressed [he is] with how accomodating the University have been." He describes a "mutual understanding, where I want to get my degree, and they want to support me to gain that degree." The University have provided him with a library mentor, an English mentor, and neuro-support, and he is currently undertaking ongoing therapy at the Tuke Centre, by Green

Dykes Lane.

When asked about his recent television appearances, Martindale describes getting "an ego boost" from his interview on BBC Breakfast, and how excited he was to be interviewed by presenters Bill Turnbull and Sian Williams, which was "a completely surreal experience."

Martindale's plans for the future include a dream of teaching, or incorporating his love of writing into a career. But he stresses that, as his recovery is ongoing, it is "way too premature to make these decisions" and he prefers "to take things one step at a time."

He expresses a passion for travel, having taught English in Malawi and visited India before the incident. A trip to Japan is now top of his destination list, a feat he hopes to 'tick off' in the near future – a future that, for a while, it looked like he may never see.

A 3D X-ray of Martindale's skull

NEW BUILD UNFULFILLED

BY ARJUN KHARPUL

THE COMPLETION DATE for the new YUSU building has been pushed back after construction work hit problems.

The building was scheduled to be finished by the beginning of term, but the new plan is hoping for an opening in January.

YUSU President Tim Ellis said: "Unfortunately there have been delays in the building of the new Student Centre after various issues have cropped up during the last few months."

However, the exact nature of these problems remain unclear.

Sabbatical officers are currently located in the James Upper Common Room, and Ellis assures students that "all services are continuing as normal."

The obscurity of the location in which the officers are currently situated casts doubt on their 2011 pledges to "ensure that your elected representatives are making you aware of what we are doing."

The Student Centre will expand and redistribute office space currently used by Union staff and officers in the smaller

Photo: Oliver Todd

building outside the Roger Kirk Centre and Maths Department.

The Centre will take over the building opposite, which is currently occupied by McQs. The new office spaces within the building will have a lounge area, adaptable for different meetings and events. The YUSU Studio next to Your Shop will still be in use, and the current centre will continue to house the Advice and Support Centre.

Last term, Director of Commercial Services Jon Greenwood commented: "the plans are two-

fold. We need to improve the South entrance to the University and make it look more like a modern campus in line with Heslington East. Secondly, YUSU needs more office space and has shown a preference for this site."

An estimated £2.2 million has been spent on the project, £500,000 of which has come from YUSU's own money, while the University has funded the rest.

Ellis said of the new centre: "it will provide a great new addition to the South side of campus, with much-needed new social space."

YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Student forced to pay fine to dodge criminal record after becoming a victim of drink spiking

SPIKING SPATE WON'T ABATE

BY OLIVER TODD

THE NEW term has seen several suspected cases of drink spiking in York bars and clubs, with dangerous outcomes for victims.

While North Yorkshire Police claim that crime figures show that there has not been an increase in drink spiking reports, it is often the case that these crimes go unreported due to the difficulty of proving their validity and securing convictions.

In 2009 it was revealed that only 1% of alleged drug-rape cases end in a conviction, and only 3% are even prosecuted.

Drink spiking, if proved, can be punished with as much as a 10year jail sentence. A number of students approached Vision with their personal experiences of spiking in York. Erica*, a secondyear Sociology student, said: "I didn't think York was the kind of place where I was at risk of being spiked."

Her experience of took place on her birthday, and she admits she left her drinks unattended in both Rumours and Salvation on the night. "After only four drinks, I began to feel really unwell. I was swaying and trying to make myself sick. I lost all social awareness, and was eventually sick in the middle of Salvation, in the cab home and outside my house for 20 minutes."

She commented: "I've never lost my memory when drinking before. This time was different, I couldn't remember anything. I've never had this sort of reaction to alcohol.

"I doubted my own thoughts as I was told 'nobody gets spiked in York' – everyone thought I was exaggerating and thought I was just drunk. It's more of a risk than people realise."

Charlotte was found to have been spiked with ecstasy after an evening also spent in Rumours and Salvation. Charlotte suffers from an auto-immune disease that, combined with the drug, left her bed-ridden for a week. "After that night I only have drinks like bottles in clubs, or drink shots at the bar. I never carry open-topped glasses around now."

It's also been evident that spiking is not only affecting women. Roger and Daniel both experienced serious consequences from their encounters with drink spiking. Roger woke up in a police cell after being given a drink in Willow by two men claiming to be students at York St John, and was subsequently fined £80 for being drunk and disorderly.

He described the feeling when he woke up as "completely different to being hungover. I was disorientated, and didn't know where I was or what had happened and I couldn't stop vomiting.

"After visiting the doctor I was told that a blood test would be pointless as the drugs would have passed through my system within four hours without leaving a trace."

Daniel's first memory of Willow during Freshers' Week was having three shards of a front tooth removed from his lip in hos-

pital. After leaving town alone, he was found on the road near Clifford's Tower, where he was shaking and was unable to speak properly, according to those that found him.

He told Vision: "When I arrived at the hospital I was shaking so much that it was impossible for them to take a blood test.

I've now been without a tooth for six weeks and have already had to pay over £200 in dentist fees."

None of the four students who spoke to Vision reported their incidents to the police, citing reasons including a lack of evidence, and the small chance of conviction.

Alcohol Awareness Week begins next Monday and both YUSU and North Yorkshire Police are preparing a campaign to raise awareness of the issue of drink spiking.

YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes commented: "Although York is largely a safe city, the spiking incidents in York have been worrying and I would urge all students to keep an eye on their drinks and look out for their friends on a night out to ensure that they stay safe." YUSU also advised any students who believe they may have been spiked to attend hospital immediately.

PARKING TICKETS issued on and around the University campus that legally do not have to be paid have accumulated a staggering £37,980 in the last academic year.

Figures obtained by York University Media revealed that 2,713 people parking in restricted areas on campus were charged last year.

The Civil Parking Scheme, which is in place among many non-council owned properties including the university campus, charges £50 for each illegally parked car, according to the University website.

However, many students may be disheartened to hear that they are under no obligation to pay, as the property is not under council ownership.

Many students who are not aware of their rights have fallen into the Civil Parking Scheme trap, whereby a ticket is issued to the driver, not necessarily the car's owner. The company operates by obtaining the driver's personal details through information sold to them by the DVLA.

If the fee is not paid within 28 days, the driver will receive a letter saying that they may owe the company more than they were originally fined, which, if ignored, could eventually lead to a notice of legal proceedings, according to Martin Lewis of moneysavingexpert.com.

However, parking notices around the University advise that "in using the University car parks you are agreeing to be bound by the University of York Parking Rules and Regulations," which, according to Pete Jones of

ticketfighter.co.uk, is "a contract which is formed and therefore can be broken or breached."

Therefore, there is no legal obligation to pay, as the driver has not agreed to the conditions.

Moreover, there is no existing legal precedent for a private parking ticket company successfully suing the recipient of a ticket.

Final-year Spanish and Linguistics student Craig Taylor fell victim to the scheme last year, when he parked in the car park at The Charles XII pub in Heslington, unaware of the new pay-

Photo: Oliver Todd

Which BNOC Politico told a sabbatical officer to "enjoy some deep probing" during a student assembly?

Oo-er.

Which URY bigwig has taken to sourcing their fashion finds from the floor of YUSU events?

Classy bird...

*Names changed to protect students' privacy.

PARKING FINE LINE

BY KATIE THOMPSON

What's The Quack?

and-display scheme which had been recently implemented. "I was parked for 20 minutes. When I came back I had a notice on my windscreen saying I owed them £60."

The fine was eventually revoked on the grounds that there was insufficient signage to warn drivers of the new pay-and-display scheme.

The scheme has not only affected students, but also their parents.

Disgruntled motorist Stephen Taylor said, "I was parked for five minutes in a nearby disabled spot to help my son move out of halls. In that time a pizza delivery and Tesco van turned up. If they gave me a fine, why didn't they give them a fine too?"

The University Press Office commented: "The parking fines go towards enforcing campus parking regulations and supporting the university's alternative travel plan, such as the Magic Bus." More information about the scheme and obtaining parking permits can be found on the University website.

Which two JCRC Chairs worked really, really hard on improving inter-college relations at Live & Loud?

Which two sports BNOCs have been conducting a rather public love-in on Facebook?

Get a room...

Or an inbox...

Which College Chair tried to organise sponsorship for their sport teams with Mansion's Special Saturday Strip nights?

7

8NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

COMMENT

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

>Comment DON'T SUFFER ALONE If you need help due to mitigating circumstances, BOB HUGHES

M

itigating circumstances is a crucial, yet complex, piece of University policy that can make the difference between a 2:2 and a 2:1 in some cases. It is there as a safeguard for students who have been negatively affected by issues or events that have come up out of their control, which have a large knock-on effect on their ability to complete academic work, whether an exam, essay or presentation. This can include, but isn't limited to, illness, trauma, death of someone close to you, family issues and mental health difficulties.

This can mean that something out of your control, like for example, a sudden bout of illness that means you cannot leave the house to attend lectures, pick up library books, or even focus properly, is taken into consideration regarding a piece of academic work. You can get the form on the University website, or from your department’s office and you hand it back into your department when you’re done.

You would contact your supervisor or tutor whenever possible, and they could potentially ask for a letter from the Health Centre or your GP, to clarify that you are indeed ill, and from there they can decide on an action, like an extension, re-mark-

MARINUS MARIS

S

t Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians that we should all be "fools for Christ", however this somewhat sincere sentiment has been taken to extreme proportions by the pastors of St Paul's Cathedral.

This recent parable has seen a breakdown in leadership, not only within St Paul's, but that of the entire Church of England. A summarized run down would show that St Paul's shepherds have led their lambs to slaughter by changing their position three times.

Firstly, we saw a comparison to the feeding of the five thousand, by welcoming the horde of protesting ramblers to the door, but then the story went sour and the wine turned to water as the doors were firmly shut. Finally the church looked upwards, seeking consultation from the City of London.

Despite clear-cut advice, the Church has chosen to bypass it by allowing talks with the protesters. It seems that when all has gone to pot, the Church has taken

9

there are places where you can go

ing or re-taking.

Things become slightly trickier with more complex situations, especially regarding death, where the students' inability to cope might not present itself quite so clearly. For example, if there is a death close to you, your grief might not necessarily show in any tangible way, apart from slightly unusual behaviour, which supervisors, seeing hundreds of students might not be able to spot.

There are two main options. The

If something unexpected affects your ability to focus on your work, turn up to lectures, exams etc., please do let your supervisor or tutor know as soon as possible so they can help. first one is presenting a death certificate, which, if you're grieving the death of a loved one, is the last thing you want to be doing, especially if that loved one isn't from your family, like for example

a partner. This becomes even more complex when the situation is overseas, when those documents become a lot harder to get hold of. Potentially even more complex are situations where there are no death certificates but the shock and grief is similar, like the attempted suicide of a loved one.

The University and its departments are not monsters - there is a second option, which departments are often brilliant at pointing students towards, namely Open Door, our on-campus counselling service. They can arrange appointments with the student, provide a letter to the department and then help the student through the process and help them deal with the potential stress and grief, even after the mitigating circumstances might have been applied for and granted.

However, it can be tough for a student firstly to know that they might need to access help, and secondly to know how to access it. Many students, when a situation like this happens, will try to carry on and hope that it works itself out, not realising how much it has been affecting their degree and social life until they've failed several modules and the University is threatening to kick them out.

The procedure can seem quite lengthy

and often difficult, particularly when you're ill, grieving or stressed. There is support at hand to guide you through the process, whether by a tutor or supervisor, one of the University's Student Support team, or YUSU. Unfortunately, there are cases that slip through the net, and this is what the appeals procedure and YUSU are for- as a way of challenging issues where students aren't able to. It's not always perfect, and I would ask that any students who have had issues with the process contact me so I can raise this with the University.

There's a lot to try and describe in so few words, but if something unexpected affects your ability to focus on your work, turn up to lectures, exams etc., please do let your supervisor or tutor know as soon as possible so they can help. Also, don't suffer in silence - I know from personal experience that you might feel like you don't want to trouble anyone, but the best thing you can do is try to let someone know, preferably your department or any of the University and YUSU support services; the Open Door team (opendoor@ york.ac.uk), Nightline (www.yorknightline.org.uk) and ASC (welfare@yusu.org) if possible.

Bob Hughes is the YUSU Welfare Officer.

ST. PAUL'S FOOLS

The Church's poor leadership display has led to cracks in the strained, glass windows of St Paul's Cathedral the "what would Jesus do?" approach by inviting protestors in for tea and a chat.

However, this tactic seems somewhat naive on the part of the Church. Whilst the protestors complain about the "Robin

If this had happened to the Church of England's counterparts in Rome, the Swiss Guard would have acted as a biblical Leviathan, and forcefully ridded themselves of such a plague of squatters.

Hood" tax, it seems the Friar Tucks of this tale would not be the most useful of merry men in a quest to curb bankers' bonuses. Clearly, they found something to chat about. Maybe it was the expensive menus in the restaurant or goodies from

the gift shop, but it seems as if the Church is suggesting that allowing them to stay is harmless, and that to execute another Dale Farm-style removal would be out of the question.

However, in the long term the Church's lack of decisive action could lead to problems for the police and perhaps even for St Paul's itself. With the bohemian-type nature these protests bring, who knows when the odd bottle and brick will be chucked through a stained glass window?

But maybe the question we really should be focusing on is: why on earth are they still there? If these protesters have issue with the bankers in the city, go elsewhere! It shouldn't be for them to impose on the entrance of a church for such a protest. The Church should recognize this and do something about it - we should even question whether or not this is a valid protest.

How ironic it is that anti-capitalist protesters warm themselves at night with hot chocolate from Starbucks, one of the

greatest examples of capitalism in our age and some protesters come and go as they please.

Clearly we have a group who are truly committed to the cause - so much so that many aren't prepared to show their faces; rather they stand up for what they believe in behind a mask. I can't help but think that if this had happened to the Church of England's counterparts in Rome, the Swiss Guard would have acted as a biblical Leviathan, and forcefully ridded themselves of such a plague of squatters.

Perhaps political leaders ought to step into the breach, draw on the example of Jesus, and cast them out of their temple of worship.

However, the issue does still look ominous for St Paul's. With none of the hierarchy within the Church taking a clear standpoint, as well as many occupants maintaining that they will stay until the end of the year, it seems that a Christmas miracle will be required to solve this fall from grace.

THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? EMAIL COMMENT@YORKVISION.CO.UK

10 COMMENT

THE VOICE OF

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

HOLMES IS NOT A TOPMAN MAX SUGARMAN

T

Vision Says...

he lack of support, information and simple aid the Politics Department has given to their own undergraduates following the loss of assessed essays is deplorable.

Unfortunately, freak and horrible accidents happen and no department could really account for a staff member's car being broken into. The evil trivialities of the world cannot be placed upon the shoulders of Professor Matthew Festenstein, the Head of the Politics Department. However, when these things do happen it is the department's responsibility to sort it out.

The first thing the university should have done was to offer a sympathetic and heartfelt apology to all involved. The idea of 3,000 words of work simply scarpering off with a common thief is bad enough. But the department haven't even sent off a quick email to their students to say "Oops...and sorry". Surely, this is the very least a hard-working Politics student deserves?

After this the department should have given proper instruction. Instead Politics undergraduates have been left behind in the sheer confusion of an administrative farce. Students have been given another date to submit their essays, but without any explanation of what happened to their work and whether they should be seeking to make improvements or changes to their essays.

R

Thumbs up to...

ebecca Irwin and her new, innovative and amusing way of raising awareness, funds and a good old laugh for charity. The union and the university need to come up with and promote more great ways to do business.

Anyone who can make themselves look like Inspector Poirot, Salvador Dali or Charlie Chaplin with a simple (and yet effective!) pen and help a cause in the process deserves a jolly good slap on the back.

Just for you Rebecca, here are some suggestions from the Vision team. The Hulk Hogan - a lovely blond handlebar contraption for when you are in a wrestling mood. The Albert Einstein - for when you want a bushier upper lip and to rewrite the basics of theoretical physics. Or how about Ned Flanders - a simple yet helpful affair for when you wake up and just must do some good for the world.

Well done Rebecca. We praise your originality and hope you adopt some of our suggestions.

T

Thumbs down to...

he shoddy way the university has chosen to ship out maintenance of Goodricke to a private company at the expense of the university as a whole.

Through the simple hope of pinching a few pennies, the university has fundamentally abandoned its responsibility to its students and staff.

As soon as private companies are introduced into the internal mechanisms of the collegiate system, the university management loses a vital link to the student body. Freshers are now having to suffer the full extent of the problems in this awful system. So far we have witnessed a kitchen fire which may have been due to an unclean oven, and now a disabled student is rightfully angry at the sheer tardiness of a maintenance system that doesn't even clean baths when they become dangerously dirty and greasy.

Students are well-known for their unkempt image. But when our universities take part in this stereotype it is simply beyond reproach.

D

uring one of my usual episodes of procrastination in the library last week, I came across two stories in the news that caught my eye. Neither story was particularly important or life changing and if I hadn’t come across them together, I probably wouldn’t have given them much thought. Yet combined they made me realise something: while we take great pride in apparently not being racist, sexist or homophobic, we can still 'accidentally' be damn inconsiderate to these issues.

The two stories in question concerned how we view, as a nation, of women. The first was Eamonn Holmes’ (presenter of This Morning) rather distasteful comments made to an interviewee and rape victim, asking her why she hadn’t bothered to take a taxi rather than walk home alone. The second story to catch my eye was the appalling t-shirts that Topman have produced, making light of domestic violence.

In neither case do I think that sexism or offence was intended. Eamonn Holmes has been known to blurt out the occasional less-than-acceptable remark, but I don’t think he was blaming the victim for her own rape, as some charities have claimed.

The Topman case was also probably more an error of judgement and misplaced 'humour' than the brand making a mysogenistic point. So why, in

HOW OUR COUNTRY IS BECOMING MORE INSENSITIVE TO SERIOUS ISSUES both instances, did the people concerned think it was appropriate to act in such a way? It seems that the answer is one that can be applied to us as a nation:

While we take great pride in not being racist or sexist or homophobic, we can still be damn inconsiderate to these issues.

while we know about such issues as rape, domestic violence and sexism, we still can be thoroughly insensitive, and even rude about them, perhaps without even realising.

A bit closer to home of late has been the supposedly feminist Shrillblog, run by students from York, that recently posted a satirical piece that seemed to mock feminism. It's uncertain whether the piece was genuinely anti-feminist or not, but the editor of the site has claimed he has no qualms about placing genuinely sexist material on the blog, as he wishes to stir up debate and give people a place to tackle such views head-on.

Some would say that sexist views do need to be confronted, as the BNP were

when they were invited on Question Time. But does this justify posting offensive views? Perhaps the blog was just unnecessarily stirring up trouble and offending a lot of people in the name of debate. Surely there is enough sexism in the world to be tackled, without the need to create more?

I don't wish to jump on a Political Correctness bandwagon and prohibit the discussion of issues by claiming they are offensive. However, many of the stories I hear of racism, sexism and homophobia are centered around people being completely unaware that what they say has the potential to cause offence.

There'll always be celebrities, companies, corporations and individuals making statements that aren't thought through, and that are interpreted to have contained offence that wasn't intended.

The fact that it happens here on our very own campus should serve as a warning to all of us. Eamonn Holmes, Topman and Shrillblog are just a handful of examples of what could be a disturbing trend in the UK. As, thankfully, overt and explicit discrimination begins to disappear from our national conscious, so too do unintentional 'gaffes' become more acute, more evident.

Perhaps it’s time to revive a bit of that political-correctness-gone-mad, and that traditional British politeness, and bite our collective tongues.

STICKING UP FOR STYCS

ANMOLI SODHA

F

reshers’ Fortnight: the words represent the beginning of your university experience and your introduction to campus life. You walk into your college, leaving your home and family behind in order to settle into your new surroundings, and there to guide you through your first two weeks of uncertainty are your Second and Third Year Contacts.

Though the above description may apply as a gross generalization to the majority of freshers at York this year, its main flaw is that even though we may have not yet experienced university life, we do know what to expect. Becoming independent, responsible for your own well-being and self-sufficiency are all unofficial lessons we signed up to when enrolling. Though the university may not want to openly admit it, the student lifestyle, infamous for boozing and partying late into the evening, certainly did not miss any of our ears. Yes, upon arrival we may need a little bit of guidance and reassurance that our feelings of fear and inadequacy are common - which is why the university has a STYC system. They are there to enable inter-year bonding by breaking the ice, to show us around the city and equip us with the little hints and tools we will need to survive for the first few weeks. Yet amongst all of their

PERHAPS WE SHOULD ACCEPT THAT STYCS ARE NOT OUR PARENTS... duties, they are certainly not responsible for us.

York, amongst other collegiate universities, has adopted a STYC system rather than an official parent system for this reason – it removes the notion that they are our guardians, our minders.

We are at university to make our own mistakes, to find out our own limits and try to understand who we are, and no one else should be made to feel responsible

We are at university to make our own mistakes, to find out our own limits and try to understand who we are, and no one else should be made to feel responsible for your development in this manner. for your development in this manner.

STYCs should be thought of like elder siblings: there to show you the ropes, to make sure you don’t get into too much trouble, but also to show you the side of university life that cannot be read in the brochure.

The STYCs I've encountered have cer-

tainly done a stellar job of guiding me and my friends. Twice I've been walked back to campus in the early hours of the morning to ensure my safety, not to mention the many phone calls checking that we've arrived back to campus safely after a college night out. Not once have I felt pressured into drinking are taking part in a drunken event, always being offered an alternative, and even when I have overestimated my levels of tolerance I have been very well-taken care off.

This is ignoring all of the more mundane help I have been provided with, including advice on stress and managing workloads and society involvement.

Most importantly, it would surely be irresponsible to advise STYCs to purposefully not introduce us to the more drunken and raucous aspect of student life? Would one rather it be the case that we experiment with this ourselves, without anyone around to help us if something were to go awry?

In my opinion it is a STYC's job to show us the reality of what we have just walked into, and their most important duty is to be there to oversee our experimentation in our first few days. STYCs are certainly not the cause of this behavior – we students are, and we should be glad that we have our STYCs here to help us through it.

YORK VISION

COMMENT

DON'T LET PATIENTS PICK UP THE BILL

Tuesday November 8, 2011

11

ZOE GLACKEN

"W

Olivia Waring AFTER DISMISSING THE SS SOLDIER, MADELEINE MCCANN AND JOSEF FRITZL COSTUMES, SARAH DECIDED TO SETTLE ON THE MINXY BLACK CAT.

JORDAN LLOYD

I

ARE 'BAD TASTE' HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ACCEPTABLE?

n pagan times costumes were worn to protect the living from harm, disguising their living essences from the dead that wandered the Earth on All Hallows Eve. This tradition has been carried down faithfully to the masses without fail each October 31st. Whether modifying themselves to resemble one of the undead, or mortifying themselves to resemble Paris Hilton, people dress up all in the name of a good trick or treat (or trip to Tokyo). Everyone becomes somebody different, looking less pagan druid and more slutty pumpkin.

Essentially the premise is the same and remains harmless although now the torment of spirits beckons only from the confines of the shot glass with a dash of salt and a slice of lemon! Give or take that moment of anguish over the length of the skirt (yes, that's the guys as well!), Halloween as a concept is simply what you choose to make of it, with 'Bad Taste Parties' being just as described.

As controversial as a costume may appear - as we all know from those last minute trips to Boyes - a costume is nothing more than a few scraps of cheap material. Halloween for the last century has been about the thrill of the disguise and any alarm should be directed to-

YES NO

ward the morality of those behind the mask rather than the feathers and sequins that make it.

Speaking from experience, during my Freshers' Halloween excursion as Lady Gaga, did I feel overtly sexualized? Well, obviously! Was my outfit inappropriate? To some, perhaps, although I loved every minute of it and, despite this year having opted for a more toned down costume, (Frankenstein's monster) the thrill factor was still present - despite the green paint all over my pillow and the 45 minute shower.

As York students we are no strangers to dressing up, and Halloween provides an excuse; nay, a command, to embrace your inner creativity and be as outrageous as possible, whether as Frankenstein's monster or Lady Gaga. The face behind the make up remains the same regardless of the gore or sparkle.

With sports teams queuing as Smurfs each Wednesday for Mansion I'd say Halloween provides extra impetus for the individual to prove their costume credentials in any shape or form they choose.

And this is the crux of the matter; whether it is Dora the Explorer or sexy caveman, the notion of a costume remains thus.

"H

alloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Cady Heron was most probably correct when she stated the above in Mean Girls, and it has to be admitted that a quick nightime venture into town during 'Halloween week' makes it a hard philosophy to deny. However, whilst I don't deem it necessary to criticize the length of someone's skirt or pass judgement on their ample display of cleavage, I do feel we can, and perhaps should, have something to say regarding distasteful and offensive fancy dress attire.

Many Halloween partakers seem to find it acceptable to 'black-up' in order to imitate favorite celebrities or sporting idols. Whilst the majority are acting without racist motivation, they fail to realize that the problem with 'blacking up' is its historical legacy as an activity used to bolster racist stereotypes.

First crossing the Atlantic in the form of the controversial "Black and White Minstrel show", the offense caused by such performances still firmly resides in living memory.

As such, that act of 'blacking up,' regardless of innocent intent, is at best an effective way of displaying ignorance, distaste, and insensitivity.

One could make the argument that suitability of dress is defined by context. For example, in 2005 Prince Harry would certainly have been arrested and charged

LAUREN BRAY

for dressing in Nazi uniform... had he been gracing the streets of Germany. Wearing it as he did in the UK, he managed to escape with little more than a flushed face and a royal telling off. However, in a world of ever increasing multiculturalism, globalization and mass media, the implications of our actions (and choices of clothing) are inevitably widened.

In late September of this year, controversy was sparked by the sale of an 'Anna Rexia' costume. The outfit, consisting of a black skeleton print dress, removable 'Anna Rexia' badge and measuring tape belt, was rightly criticized in 2007 for 'sexifying' anorexia. However the most recent criticism surrounding the re-stocking of this costume is focused upon its exceedingly insensitive trivialisation of a disease which tragically claims the lives of hundreds each year. Most people (with a functioning moral compass) would be outraged at the wearing or sale of an outfit designed to caricature a cancer patient, which leaves one wondering why the same is not more widely said of this equally offensive costume.

Our choice of Halloween attire is an irrefutable reflection of our general awareness and individual opinion. As such, fancy dress is most certainly capable of causing real offense. Arguing that this is simply a matter of individual taste or ignorance is simply not a good enough argument for the often unseen damage caused by poorly chosen costumes.

e can’t go on like this. I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS." Famous last words, smeared across billboards up and down the country, of a Prime Minister desperate to ditch accountability for the service which saves more lives per pound than any other.

The Health and Social Care Bill, currently backed by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, is not proposing cuts or making us pay more for health care. Essentially, the Bill creates competition over management of our health service; it proposes the handing over of the management of the NHS to private entities. This could have damaging effects in relation to the access to, and management of, services.

The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Lords last month and proposes to instill in General Practitioners responsibility for an overwhelming 80% of the NHS budget. Putting the money in the hands of the experts may seem like a good idea but GPs have neither the time nor the inclination to get involved in the management and commissioning of services. It is more than likely that they will turn to the private sector and buy in such services, resulting in privatisation of how the NHS is run.

In the drawing up of this Bill, it is the government’s overarching aim to turn the NHS into a ‘social enterprise’; a private notfor-profit business. The plan is that, over time, the private sector will increasingly provide for the social enterprises. Poaching of services such as Intensive Care Units and Accident and Emergency by private companies could become commonplace, and before we know it the NHS will no longer be publicly run.

This will take responsibility away from those who were elected to make decisions on these issues. The Department of Health’s claim that the Bill is in aid of ‘modernisation’ seems more like a ploy to mask the foisting of the NHS to private sector entities. In fact it is the services themselves which need modernisation and it looks like instead of fixing what is actually broken, a costly and time-consuming task, Lansley has decided to deny his duties and fix what is not broken: who owns and runs the NHS. With petitions popping up left, right and centre, it seems that the Bill has led to nationwide disillusionment with a government who should be guarding our interests.

Lansley is keen to palm off responsibilities involved to ‘arms-length bodies’ who may not prioritise the public’s health and wellbeing.

The NHS privatisation Bill is an example of shirked duties and lack of protection for a public who have entrusted the government with responsibility for their healthcare.

Rather than inject much-needed funds into the public’s health service, Lansley is hoping to re-allocate responsibility to already over-worked GPs who will be pushed to seek help from external private bodies. Therefore transparency and accountability, in relation to who runs the NHS, are values threatened by these proposals. The final vote will take place in January, at the earliest, and one can only hope that, in the meantime, negotiations will influence certain aspects of the Bill.

JOIN THE DEBATE AT WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK/COMMENT

FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

>Features

13

PSYCHIC SALLY CENTRE STAGE

JAMES HARLE steps into the unusual world of the television medium...

F

ifty years ago, at the height of the space race, people were reporting more UFO and alien sightings than any time before or since. There was something in the Zeitgeist that encouraged people to see extraterrestrial activity everywhere; it was the paranormal phenomenon of the age.

Now we live in very different times; more cynical times, perhaps. What, then, is the paranormal phenomenon of our age? It doesn't come from mainstream media, or even popular culture (though perhaps the next few years will see an increase in vampire sightings). No, it is in fact born out of a powerful subculture centred around the figure of

As with all things, I eventually decided that the middle road was the only option. I believe one should attend such a performance keen to question it, but not intending to disprove it.

I found what I saw quite surprising. The first thing to strike me was the demographic of the audience: perhaps nine-tenths of the audience were middleaged women. I think this must be important, as it shows quite clearly where the financial support comes from. Any advertiser can tell you that one of the strongest key demographics is the housewife.

It also differentiates this subculture movement from a full cultural one. Tellingly, as far as I

The medium has, in the last month, come under fire from audience members who allege that she is 'fed' information via an earpiece.

The Psychic.

Genuine paranormal ability aside, it's good business; the psychic industry rakes in millions each year from hotlines alone - on top of stage shows and private readings. I’ve never followed such shows on television, or indeed sat in an audience, so I was intrigued to discover just how one would unfold.

The newfound 'cult-like' popularity is exemplified in the figure of Sally Morgan, perhaps the most notable stage psychic of our time. She has performed readings for the likes of Princess Diana, Katie Price and Uma Thurman, and is currently working on a new series of Psychic Sally on the Road for Sky Living, although she also appears on ITV2.

She makes a comfortable living, with a Guardian journalist recently estimating her ticket sales alone at £2 million a year. She came to York on the 26th October as part of her tour, and I decided this was the ideal opportunity to find out what exactly was pulling in the crowds.

After doing a little research, I found that the psychic stage show is in fact a very daunting place, and not just for the performer.

These events are a constant battle-ground in the war between cynics and believers. What degree of scepticism is it right, or even healthy, to maintain in the audience of a psychic show? Trying to strike a balance can be an intimidating affair. I don’t wish to appear antisocial, but equally no one likes to be taken for a fool.

could see, there were virtually no other students in the audience.

So, the show begins. But what does a show from Psychic Sally entail? Well, in her own words, “I just get these thoughts in my head, and, um, you know - they’re messages. They turn out to be messages for people that’re in the audience, um, from their loved ones. They’re from people that are dead.”

Seems simple enough... The show is very loosely structured and, much like a stand-up comedian, the psychic has nothing and no one but herself on stage.

Unlike a stand-up, however, there is seemingly no script, no one else to turn to or rely on; only the relationship between the psychic and their audience.

Sally broadcasts her impulses, usually names but sometimes simply words or impressions, and the onus is on the audience to contextualise them, and give them meaning. Things get off to a rocky start but gradually warm up, and during the second half Sally makes a couple of impressively accurate assertions. Over the two hours, she directly addresses between 30 and 40 people.

What came as a surprise though was the inconsistent accuracy to Sally’s messages. The medium has, as recently as last month, come under fire from audience members who allege that she is ‘fed’ information via an earpiece. But from what I could see, and judging from the 'hit and miss' nature of her performance, it seems unlikely.

Nor did I see any evidence of cold-reading or trickery of any sort during the show. I can say with some confidence that this is an entirely honest performance: Sally simply comes onstage and vocalises impulses. These sometimes connect with the audience, and sometimes not. She isn't trying to present herself as infallible, so why would an earpiece be necessary? The only point of contention is the origin of her 'messages’. Are they simply random impulses in her brain, or are they influenced by the paranormal?

After all, this type of show is always going to attract criticism.

Simply by setting a high price on tickets assures that everyone in the audience is desperate to reach a lost loved one. The psychic show begins to look like a very cleverly constructed trick, where the amount of profit is directly linked to the desperation of its audience. It's that same desperation, however, that provides the critics with fuel for their fire: the medium becomes a rapacious figure, who takes advantage of a highly susceptible audience.

History is, sadly, littered with such figures, which doesn't make the psychic's job any easier. Mortality in any form is an emotional subject, and emotional people are easier to exploit. Faith Healing particularly has been a breeding ground for such deceptions. One example is German-born American evangelist Peter Popoff, who claimed to heal ailments with the power of Christ... in return for a fee.

Jack Coe, who believed in his own powers to such an extent that he removed a polio-stricken child's leg braces. He was mistaken, and the boy suffered relentless agony for the rest of his life. Jack Coe was imprisoned for his error. But his mistake is somehow more palatable than Popoff's, because he did, at least,

Psychic Sally Fact File Sally claims to have had her first 'psychic experience' when she was just nine months old.

Television medium Morgan shot to fame in 2007 with her ITV2 programme "Sally Morgan: Star Psychic", documentaing her apparent supernatural power.

Sally has both written an autobiography ("My Psychic Life") and been the subject of a Sky Bio Channel biopic - "The Psychic Life of Sally Morgan".

The TV medium was recently challenged to prove her abilities by a skeptical journalist, author Simon Singh and the Merseyside Skeptics Society in a scientific test on Halloween. Sally refused to take part.

Although she says she used to hide her paranormal abilities, Sally now states that she is "regarded as one of the most accurate psychics in the world." ing lost close relatives in recent months, whom I protectively feel like I knew like the back of my hand, to have a stranger relay messages from them would have been uncomfortable and unpalatable. I find it very difficult to conceive how this would be different for anyone else, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s a very healthy way to deal with grief.

I would certainly recommend a visit to Sally’s show to anyone who has the time and money. At £35, it’s a fairly large consideration on a student budget. But, approached in the right way, it can help you answer questions about bereavement and spirituality that you might find yourself asking one day.

There is only one way to confirm whether or not you see any validity in mediumship: see it firsthand. It wasn’t until I approached the show that I realised I don’t want to contact my

"They turn out to be messages for people in the audience, um, from their loved ones.

They're from people that are dead..." believe the story himself.

The show was a very strange experience, and very different from my expectations. I managed to avoid Sally's attentions, a fact of which I was deeply glad.

Evidently there is some appeal for fans of mediums in contacting their lost ones, but it's not an appeal I can understand. Hav-

deceased relatives. The part of my life in which they featured is, sadly, over and feeling as though they are still somehow present would only ever exacerbate that sense of loss and frustration. But you may feel differently. After all, it takes all sorts to make a world: the small, the large, and the medium.

14FEATURES

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YORK VISION YO

LOST IN TRA

Tuesday November 8, 2011 Tue

HARRY PICK ASKS WHETHER WE'RE DOING ENOUGH TO HELP INTER

ast spring during a walk on York's city walls I overheard a strange conversation. A girl was crying out in anguish to her friend, "I used to live in Shanghai, now I live in a village!"

This fleeting moment left a lasting impression on me. It sparked a curiosity as to how one makes the transition from cities such as Shanghai, Mumbai or New York, to our little old town, a melting pot of wonder to some, but to others a claustrophobic cloister of old buildings and small shops.

Imagine arriving in a strange place where you have no friends; you find yourself in a bare room, isolated from your cultural norms with few provisions or 'homely' reminders - they can't be lugged across countries or continents. The campus is quiet, the air cold and the whole place overwhelmingly dark past five o'clock. The range of accents, and sometimes even the language, is alien. The city is unusual, quaintly English, almost scarily small, and worryingly closed after daytime working hours. You feel your culture is being lost in translation.

One can argue everyone experiences aspects of this when entering York as a new student.

Yet imagine yourself being thrown not just into another city (where the greatest cultural differences are on a level of whether you eat a bap, roll or cob), but into an entirely alien country with your family and friends not

just a train ride away, but thousands upon thousands of miles.

Most will grab this new world and culture with open arms - whether through adapting their habits to social drinking and watching hours of The Inebetweeners with the Brits, or finding peace in long afternoons spent in Betty's, immersing themselves in the finer side of English culture. Others, however, feel isolated and suffer severe culture shock in a city almost systemically designed to be a beacon of Englishness.

This ordeal, induced by moving from your home country to a largely different culture, is said to have several stages. It starts with the honeymoon period, when the new culture is fascinating and exciting. The initial pleasure of this is gradually followed by the negotiation stage, where high levels of anxiety emerge from a sense of isolation or loneliness, coupled with stress over both academic and social experiences under the constant weight of the language barrier.

Ultimately, students hopefully begin the adjustment stage and find their own individual method of support that enables them to adapt to, and then 'master', the culture of their adopted country.

York's own sense of isolation is undoubtedly further exaggerated by York's peculiar Englishness, rarely found in its big-city neighbours. Students thus have to not just adjust to the quirks of England, but to York as a city.

For many internationals their

Students come to York from over 70 countries

only experience of England is in the cultural centre of London, which can often feel like a hundred different cultures wrapped up in its own.

Second year Hongkongese Sociology student Lawrence Ong* came to York and found this comparison to be stark. "I'd only ever visited London, and I expected the cosmopolitan, multicultural nature of London or English big cities to be reflected in York. York feels so isolated from the centre, and so defiantly English...It came as a massive shock to me and, yeah, I felt like I had to adjust more than I expected."

York's comparatively peripheral place in modern vibrant British culture is further emphasised by its irrefutable status as a WASP nest - its demographics reveal it to be almost 98% white and Christians make up a considerale majority. A small Chinese supermarket and a few under-spiced Indian restaurants form its claim to multiculturalism.

Rossin, a Bulgarian national, found out the hard way how York's lack of cultural diversity can lead to problems. "When you step outside the university walls I was surprised how ignorant some people can be. One particular incident, where a guy larger than myself verbally abused me for not being British, left me scared to even step outside the university."

Despite York's drawbacks, some enjoy this new, very British cultural escape, and never seem to leave their honeymoon period.

According to a recent survey by i-Graduate, four out of five international students are satisified with their university experience in the UK. Jashan Bhatia who came from the Canary Islands to study software engineering, enjoyed the Englishness of York in comparison to his tropical home. "At home I would look either side of me and the sea would be there."

In terms of his experience at the university, he described International Fresher's Week, the induction week for internationals before term starts, as "fun, because I met so many really friendly people. I think everyone got on well because we were all in the same boat."

Bhatia felt the support was there if he needed it. "The whole time we were told all the different people we could talk to."

Others, however, found they failed to adjust to English university life in those initial weeks and did not sense that support systems were in place.

Pascal moved here from France this year to study Politics and International Relations, and was shocked at the cultural differences she discovered. "I'm from a small community where

events, campaigns and elections, to supporting the integration of home and international students, whether through events, support or buddying schemes," said YUSU welfare officer Robert

wh wa sim thr tal ten

women are expected to behave in a proper manner, so the whole short skirts and excessive drinking wasn't really my thing...The experience of English university isn't as glamorous as it is made out to be."

When asked about the difficulties York international students face, Leslie Tay (President of the International Student Association) admitted that more needed to be done to ensure stu-

Hughes speaking to Vision.

However, even by their own admission YUSU and the university recognize that they are not doing enough. The University provides a comprehensive guide on coming to York and adapting to Britain via email and the website, but the 100-plus page text features only small sections at the end of the guide on the issues of "culture shock" and "welfare", hidden by mammoth sections on

sic life

It's up to the university to create a support system to help alleviate that initial culture shock. dents are not "isolated from their colleges" and are provided with social opportunites outside of the largely alcohol-focused fresher's events. When questioning YUSU on these student concerns, they claimed that they were looking into solutions to the problem.

"There's a lot more that we are planning to do in order to integrate and support our international students, from encouraging international students to get involved in YUSU and college

visas, bank accounts and other such formalities. None of our interviewees admitted to reading the guide.

Furthermore, many of our interviewees admitted they felt the International Fresher's Week lacked an active social element, and that the Fresher's Week events that followed often excluded many internationals due to the focus on excessive drinking and the undynamic non-drinking alternatives. Even

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FEATURES

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11 Tuesday November 8, 2011

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when information about support was passed onto them, it was, put simply by Cypriote Tainn, done through the medium of "boring" talks that were often poorly attended and only covered the ba-

"integration was key, and the university stressed how all flats should be a mix of home students and internationals so we understood each other and immersed ourselves in different cultures."

Photo: Oda Marie Midbøe

sic fundamentals of setting up a life in England.

International Fresher's Week is a fantastic idea in theory, and one that makes York stand out, and "allows students to adapt better to the new environment", said Tay. York shouldn't be criticised without due credit - compared to the barren websites of its league table rivals Exeter, King's College and Imperial, its web resources for incoming international students are a treasure to uncover. But in comparison to similarly ranked institutions, notably Warwick and Edinburgh, York falls short by not forming a dialogue with students before they make their daunting move. It has a severe lack of international officers or ambassadors and most internationals we interviewed had not been to York before their arrival as a student. The fact is, when looking at other similarly placed universities, York doesn't appear to be doing enough to help remedy the effects of culture shock and deal with the root problem by reaching out to students before the students have to reach back.

Aalim Javari, an Indian international student studying Politics at Warwick, remarked on how in his accommodation,

"This, the extensive societies and the union venue where everyone congregates, have helped me feel more at home in England, even though I may not always be around those from my country."

So, is full integration with home students the remedy to culture shock?

It has certainly been attributed as a vital factor in a report by Mannheim University, with it almost being self-evident that mixing with people of your adopted country helps you adapt to their societal norms and expectations.

Then why does York have numerous "international blocks", isolating international subcultures within the university and minimising home student presence?

On the surface university administrators appear to have engineered a system under the impression that segregation with likeminded internationals will foster and help facilitate the best experience, allowing them to explore York with those from similar cultural backgrounds. Almost every college has a distinct block designated for international students. The ISA, however, acknowledges there is a problem in mostly international blocks, with a "few college chairs" complaining and attributing it to

large numbers of second year internationals choosing to stay in campus accommodation.

Parallel to the issue of segregated international blocks, York suffers from a number of drawbacks that make integration inherently more difficult.

First, there is the staggered nature of arrival at the university.

Most international students arrive up to a week before term begins, leading them to form those strong bonds that university so often creates in those first few days. By the time home students move in nearly a week later, Jashan admitted "a fair few just stick to their group of internationals." One interviewee from Goodricke even admitted it was harder for the British students to move in afterwards, as the internationals had already bonded beforehand and thus were less open to integration and were already forming distinct friendship groups.

Segregation can be easier than integration, and people can fall under the false impression it is better. However, it often means the only aspects of English culture experienced by internationals is restrained to mundane city wall tours during International Fresher's week and experimenting with the 'local cuisine' on late night visits to Oki's.

Yet Hughes defended the existing system of integration and support for international students, stating "In terms of support, we have the University's International Support Office, and the ISA run regular coffee mornings alongside a range of events that are there to help international students meet people from their own countries, as well as meet home students." Most of the students I spoke to recognised their contact with home students in those first few weeks was minimal at best. "Everyone in my floor was international, and the same was true on the floor upstairs. We had, I think, one English girl in our flat and she soon found other friends and rarely hung out with us. Then on the bottom floor it was the total opposite, almost completely British. It was surreal and obviously engineered," Lawrence Ong told Vision.

When I spoke with Louise Sanderson, the university's International Student Support Officer, she did recognise that not every step has been taken to ensure a strong welfare system, saying, "although we hope orientation talks help to address [the culture shock], we are aiming to develop this area of support

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Approximately 25% of the York student population is international, coming from over 70 different countries. There are 405,000 internationals studying in the UK. • 81% of international students are satisfied or very satisfied, according to the International Student Barometre. (source: i-graduates) • There are some 20 international societies in York, catering for students from Brunei to Azerbaijan, on top of faith based groups for Catholic, Quaker and Islamic students.

• If you are seeking advice or support, visit the Open Door team in the careers centre or the International Student Support Co-ordinator. further for those who need it in more depth." She also admitted that dealing with issues of homesickness is "done through the Colleges and social events", with no specific support team for international students - just a communal Open Door team based in the Career's building.

Yet the crux of my concerns were dismissed, "I have never received complaints from students

tem that caters for all, when people's individual circumstances and tastes vary so much?

In the end culture shock is a very individual problem. At all points, all internationals will experience some elements of it but its severity depends on your own circumstances. Whether you drink or not, your priorities at university, your relationship with your family and friends, the

"The experience of English university isn't as glamorous as it was made out to be." about culture shock or failing to integrate." So is this really an issue in York?

Everyone, whether from Brunei or Barnsley, gets homesick at some point. And is, as the ISA President put it, "integration is about celebrating differences", if we try and integrate too much, are we in danger of removing people's support systems and homogenising culture?

These questions are legitimate, and the fact is that York is a fantastic place, steeped in history and culture that, as I have found, is enjoyed by most international students who come here to study and experience British life. Nonetheless, it is this same character of York that appeals to some internationals that can isolate others - and whether admitted or not, people do feel a sense of cultural isolation that cannot simply be quelled by a pre-arrival manual, coffee morning or welcome talk. Are our cultural barriers too great to remedy this? Can we honestly provide a university life and support sys-

size of the place you previously lived...all can greatly influence anyone's reaction to York as a new student, or a returning one.

Everybody knows a person who stays in their room, who longs for home and struggles to adapt. They should reach out for help, and I'm sure some do - but ultimately it's up to the university to create a support system to reach out to them and help alleviate that culture shock and isolation that can define your entire university career, as one struggles to make friends, enjoy themselves, succeed academically and find future housemates.

Reaching out to those people, making our support system explicitly clear and understanding we need to prepare students before they leave so we can learn from each other and culturally assimilate - that is where the challenge lies. That is why we need to find that common dialogue so we don't have those few voices lost in translation. *Some names have been changed for confidentiality.

16 FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

BURNING QUESTIONS

OLIVER TODD talks tuition fees, employability and Willow with NUS president Liam Burns.

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iam Burns was elected as President of the National Union of Students in April this year, beating off competition from York's Thomas Byrne, amongst others. He claimed 446 of a possible 744 in the last round of voting, after leading in every other round, to become President in an election where he was widely viewed as the underdog.

Seven months since that day and now three months into his presidency, at the National Student Media Summit held by the NUS and Amnesty in London, he tells me of his pride in what the NUS has achieved for its members under his leadership.

Although in a year of radical change in higher education with the tripling of student tuition fees, he admits that there's a lot of work still to be done.

Burns, who ran for the presidency as an independent candidate despite being a member of the Labour Party, is committed to taking a stand against the increase in tuition fees which is intended to encourage student consumerism within the education system.

He puts himself firmly on the moral left when it comes to the direction of his leadership, a viewpoint notably different from his predecessor, stating in his election campaign he “wouldn't engage with universities on a value for money basis, as once we concede the idea of Education as a consumer good we have lost the fee argument.”

Burns also has a popular reputation for opposing fee hikes, having previously secured assurance from Scottish politicians to rule out fee increases in the next Scottish Parliament, despite the recent hike. During a press conference following the NUS presidency nominations, Burns was quoted saying, "It's going to be a hugely challenging year for both further and higher education. I am looking forward to working tirelessly to defend, extend, and promote the rights of students."

Aged 26 when he won the election, he had previously been involved in student politics both at his own university as the Heri-

NUS UK Burns addressing the press and delegates at the summit. questionable. Now, as an elected officer representing over 7 million students and over 200 students unions nationwide, Burns holds one of the most significant posts in higher education politics.

Burns inherited an NUS almost wholly united against tuition fees, but struggling to define the direction of its campaign.

He rejected the militant option explicitly, and defeated those campaigning for a more aggressive policy of protest. Instead he favours continued mass student demonstrations, despite the riotous damage caused in London at the first demo last year, and also favours a graduate tax; now a central tenant of Labour Party policy.

Having already listened to him speaking to an audience for over an hour, I was impressed with the way in which Burns conducted himself.

Given the opportunity to speak to him on a one-to-one

"I am looking forward to working tirelessly to defend, extend, and promote the rights of students." ot-Watt Student Union president before leaping to a national level as president of NUS Scotland, whilst also appearing on the academic affairs committee of the European Students Union.

Burns' experience is indeed un-

basis, my first suggestion was that, for most students, the NUS logo is predominantly associated with a 10% discount at Topshop, or a free cheeseburger at McDonalds and not student politics. I pressed him to tell me and the

rest of the student population what we really gain from the NUS. "I think that our programme of work around student financial support is the thing that most students are going to be interested in", he explained.

"You can't ignore the fact that someone is having to work over 20 hours a week just to stay in education, taking out thousands of pounds of credit and commercial debt, never mind the student loan debt. Ultimately they end up thinking of dropping out because they don't have enough money in their pocket. That's something we've not dealt with enough in the past.

"It's a mixture of direct discounts and benefits to their students union through a buying consortium whilst, politically, we have put millions back into students' pockets over the last five years. And going forward I think we're going to get some great wins out of our current work on student financial support."

As President of NUS Scotland, a post he gained after becoming Union President at Heriot-Watt University, Burns was a huge supporter of the national demo this time last year. He feels that, despite last year's 'Demolition' ending in violence and costing the union over £100,000, the event was a "massive success".

In fact his manifesto when running for presidency stated an intention to hold a second national demonstration. Upon my suggestion that the reputa-

tion of students nationwide had been damaged irreparably by the violence associated with the protests last year, he encouraged me to "look at what we've managed to do, we turned out 50,000 people onto the streets of London and less than 200 acted violently."

His support for the student protests contrasts with that of predecessor Aaron Porter, a member of the Labour Party, who decided not to run for reelection as President after accu-

living and escalating it - it should be about that. I do think though that we have to be careful that the value of education isn't just about the job.

"There's plenty of research to show that as a graduate, you access the health system less, you access benefits less, the sort of happiness factors that the UN look at, all of those are demonstratively higher if you're a graduate.

"If we go back to a really instrumentalist approach to what education is about then universities will answer and then some, and they'll start treating you as a customer. As a customer you have very few rights unless you just want to leave. I don't think that's the way that students want to be treated."

On Thomas Byrne, his firstyear York rival for the NUS Presidency at the elections in April, Burns says; "Thomas and I actually had some really interesting conversations and he had some really good policies." Running what was considered a suicidal campaign for the Presidency., he based his campaign around his support for the government’s trebling of tuition fees which he believed was ultimately a fairer system for poorer students.

He argued “a rise in the repayment threshold from £15,000 to £21,000 will reduce all graduates' bills significantly, while bringing the lowest-earning graduates out of the repayment system altogether.” Despite coming in last place, Byrne's campaign, some argued, showed that the NUS was becoming more accessible.

" You can't ignore the fact that someone is having to work over 20 hours a week just to stay in education." sations of a lack of support for students protesting against the increase in fees.

Although Burns has little knowledge of York personally (as opposed to his vice-president Ed Marsh who later, after a couple of drinks, starts a debate with me over the merits and faults of the Willow), he is able to speak comprehensively and critically on the issues that York students face in terms of poor employability.

"We would've expected universities to be good at employability, whether we're paying £20,000 a year or nothing: it's kind of the point..." He goes on to add that "the purpose of universities is social mobility - taking someone from one standard of

Burns agreed; "It was fantastic that he ran, it brought out a new dynamic to the elections, and the confidence with which he did it was mind-blowing, and it showed that it can be done. " At this point, the NUS Press officer encourages me to leave. Burns seems to be constantly busy and, as I exit, another reporter enters to conduct his own interview.

But while he appeared to be the busiest man around, he still finds time for a couple of pints in a Shoreditch bar with the amassed student journalists later that evening. The shared view was that we'd all been charmed by our NUS president, although perhaps that was all the free wine talking...

LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

In this issue:

>Lifestyle

Scott Simmons & Sarah Woods explore the hottest winter trends for guys and girls...

T

A

rm warmers are making their first foray into high-street fashion with Topman offering some funky patterned pieces to keep those forearms warm! If you're opting for a traditional mitten style for this season's handware, go for a novelty pair like this 'Oui et Non' design from ASOS. Added bonus: you can answer questions without opening your mouth...

3

Topman ,

Scarf the World Away Topman ,

£16

he bobble is back and better than ever! And now, they're inspired by animals, tribal prints and cupcakes! A bobble beanie will ensure people pay heed to your head.

Stand out while keeping warm this winter... £12

nd,

£18

8 Topshop, £1

S

4

ction, French Conne

River Islan

d, £13

0

9.5 ASOS, £

5

Bootiful!

A

T

pend a cold winter night cozied up in your favourite PJs this November.

For a dressing gown that'll protect your modesty and preserve your manhood, this H&M number is a steal. And if the very idea of a onesie makes you feel claustrophobic, then this super cute snowman set from Topshop will keep you cool.

£ 25

dd a pair of boots to your wardrobe before the roads get icey. The high street has a great variety on its shelves right now - a shearling lining is bang on trend and will keep your toes toasty.

And girls - put down the Uggs and say hello to a season full of stylish show boots and chic knee-highs - this wedge heel style from Office are perfect for day or night...

here's only one way to wear your scarf this winter: chunky. Cable knits and tassels add tactile textures to your outfit, as well as keeping you snug. But if you cycle to university (or are partial to running at a fast pace) then opt for a snuggly snood instead, as a scarf can flap into your face and cause a terrible accident...

Perfect Pyjamas sla er I

2

You're the One Hat I want!

Glovely Jubbly

Riv

P 18 - Movember Madness P 19 - Charity Shopping Advice P 20 - Easy Recipes P 21 - Campus Confidence P 22 - Student Stunners

Winter Must Haves

1

17

Office,

£105

River Is

land, £7

H&M, £

19.99

0

18 LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

We Moustache you to Help!

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Fear of Fear Itself...

Nicholas Dunn-McAfee urges you to embrace your facial hair this month...

Charlotte Burgess uncovers the strangest phobias affecting students...

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T

ovember. It’s the clever little portmanteau that is on everyone’s bitterly-cold lips this month, whether they can grow glorious facial hair or not. In this month formerly known as November, and apparently still referred to as such by the females among us, we see marvellous sprigs of facial hair spring up on the upper lips of an entire gender in a unison unparalleled in the world of gentlemen’s activities and causes. The month starts with a cleanly shaven face on the 1st.

Following this, you must allow your face to blossom into a beautiful field of facial hair before carefully pruning it into a beautiful piece of topical topiary. If this idea of synchronised sprouting of ‘staches strikes you as somewhat strange, let us sooth your shock by shedding some light on why the men amongst you should join the ranks of the mo-bros...

IT’S CHARITY! They say charity begins at home and nothing sits more at home than the warming hair on your upper lip. Not simply to look like a dandy gent or Charlie Chaplin, the act of growing your moustache is a symbolic one. With your new furry friend, you’ll be a walking, talking, that-thing'sdefinitely-stuck-to-his-face advertisement for the suffering of men everywhere.

Movember focuses on drawing attention to the often unsung issues of prostate and testicular cancer - for your fathers, uncles, grandfathers and brothers it’s the least you could do. Each and every chap should be standing proudly shoulder to shoulder with the rest of mankind for a brighter future for men.

!

SHOP

IT’S MANLY...

In these cold months leading up to Christmas, there is no better way to embrace our red blooded stereotypes.

Explosive masculine statement aside, this really is the quintessential way not only to embrace our gender but to stand out from the crowds of blokes on campus.

Whether you’re an eccentric Salvador Dali, a genius Albert Einstein, a punchlining Groucho Marx or a moody Marlon Brando, there’s a style for every man.

And even if you do end up looking a little more Dick Dastardly when you’d prefer to look more Hulk Hogan, at least you look more masculine than a cleanly shaven chap.

IT’S SEXY. (YES, IT IS.) Once you pass the painful stage of looking a little like a prepubescent school boy, there is a clear allure to the lip-hugging fashion accessory. Not only can a moustache draw attention to you, it can also help to define your face and distract from those little imperfections we all have.

Scars, spots, scrapes and signs of ageing all pale into insignificance when a member of the fairer sex beholds your brilliant moustache. Above all of this, it’s a quaint talking point on a night out or one of the most interesting ways for someone to remember you after meeting you in your favourite public house, or busting some gentlemanly jives on the dance floor.

So go forth men of campus, have a hair raising month trying something selfless and shaveless.

s! mpu ir ca king a f r ta ou g to ovem o are ominFlaming n 11th N c s i ll o ! age ink Vint U and P ining hals of fun d l S a s U t e s Y Jam r 20 over with ove , r e b

LOOK!

he only thing we have to fear is fear itself, as the old saying goes. Yet this is hardly the case, is it? Virtually everyone will admit to harbouring a niggling fear. There are the classics: spiders, heights, needles, enclosed spaces, you know the drill.

But, most of the time, these fears don’t affect everyday life; a daddy-long legs can easily be dealt with by a brave flatmate with a glass, and unless you’re part of the Skydiving society, jumping out of a plane isn’t a regular occurrence.

But for some people, their fear crosses over to phobia territory, and suddenly a glass just won’t do. A phobia is defined as an anxiety disorder, derived from an extreme or irrational fear of an animal, object, place or situation. They are more than simple fears, as the person suffering usually begins to organise their life in order to avoid contact with the source of anxiety.

Imagine how tricky it would be to manage thaasophobia (the fear of sitting). Arranging your life to avoid being sat down? Now there’s a challenge.

Eating dinner, taking the bus and not to mention a two-hour lecture, all stood up?

Lachanophobia (fear of vegetables) would make it hard to get your five a day, chronomentrophobia (fear of clocks) would surely complicate making it to that 9.15am seminar on time, and anatidaephobia may throw up a few problems while studying at York: the fear of being watched by a duck...

It seems that for just about every situation imaginable there is a corresponding phobia to match. So, we’ll indulge in a few more...Consecotaleophobia (fear of chopsticks) and arachibutyrophobia (fear of peanut but-

Black until bird by D Roya 12th Nov avid Har e r l: col d, un mber at Y ower is o nerv n ing a ork Thea nd br tre illian t

ter sticking to the roof of the mouth) are some of the more obscure ones, and there seems to be a lack of reliable information on how many people actually suffer from these phobias. However, wiki-answers claims that, “very few people are afraid of peanut butter sticking to the roofs of their mouths.” Sounds legit.

So, in the interest of writing a perfectly accurate and comprehensive article on strange phobias, I interrogated my flatmates on bizarre fears they had been spending the last three weeks smothering. Surprisingly, almost all the wacky terrors featured on the lists.

Bathmophobia (fear of stairs – lucky we’re on the ground floor!) and chaetophobia (fear of hair) were both relatively easy to categorise. Just the one proved too quirky, the fear of Cheerios (which I have now coined Cheeriophobia).

Finding yourself fascinated by all of this information? Just pop the word ‘phobia’ into the search engine of your choice and you too can waste hours scrolling through the never-ending lists.

Though, let’s remember, it’s not all doom and gloom. In most circumstances, a phobia can be quickly and easily cured, usually through exposure or cognitive therapy.

And for all you abibliophobiacs* out there, no need to panic, just turn the page and delight in the rest of what this edition of Vision has to offer. *Abibliophobia – the fear of running out of reading material.

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N E T S LI

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YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Charity Case

LIFESTYLE

19

Rachel Pronger hits the high street to bring some clarity to charity shopping...

M

y name is Rachel, and I'm an addict. I'm not addicted to Vodkat, or cocaine, or nicotine. I'm not even addicted to Mars Bars.

My major vice is charity shops. I can't get enough and it's turning into a bit of a problem.

It all began in sixth form when my best friend found a fantastic jumper at the local, slightly grim, Help The Aged, and I was inspired to have a browse myself. The first few forays yielded no gold, just bobbly T-shirts in garish colPDSA ours and the odd snakeskin body59 Goodramgate con monstrosity, but egged on by Calvin Klein blue said friend's impressive tendency shirt- £3.99 to stumble across barely worn Pringle pullovers I persevered.

Before I knew it, a time-killing exercise had become a serious shopping trip, and I found my wardrobe laid down with flimsy polka dot blouses, overlong flowered summer dresses and chunky granny cardigans. I even went to my Sixth Form Prom in a beautiful pair of sky blue kitten heels purchased from a AutismPlus Shrewsbury Pet Rescue.

56 Goodramgate Now charity shops seem Grey Jumper to have taken over my £3.50 life. I can't walk into town or even onto campus without gazing for a few minutes into the window of a PDSA or nipping into The Retreat Shop. My friends have taken to tutting and rolling their eyes when I describe my crocodile skin loafers as a "Charity Shop Find" and my desperate pursuit of bargains is ironically taking very real chunks out of my student MIND loan. Nonetheless I am not penitent.

25 Goodramgate Give up Topshop, eschew Dorothy Brown tartan Perkins, ignore H&M, if you want a scarf-£4.25 new wardrobe this term I urge you: Blue and red tartan go to the charity shops. scarf-£3.50 Charity shopping is brilliant for many reasons. Firstly, it's great both financially and environmentally.

Charity shops are efficient recyclers, and by snapping up that dashing floor length camel coat for less than a tenner you are basically single-handedly saving the children/penguins/icebergs. Or something. The financial side speaks for itself. As our carefully selected picks prove, beautiful clothes can be found in most charity shops as long as you're willing to look for them. Yes you may have to rummage through an alarming amount of neon Oxfam body stockings, nylon slips and elasti7 Goodramgate cated jeans in order to find that killer Blue and Brown pencil skirt, but you are rewarded Boater Shoes for that patience at the till when you £9.99 discover you can channel Joan from

Mad Men for £3. Plus, the rummaging is part of the fun. No amount of edgy Topshop tailoring can beat the buzz you get when you find the perfect blazer hidden behind a matted navy blue fleece, or when you discern a vintage cashmere sweater sheltering amongst the misshapen Primark cast offs.

Unlike high street shops, charity shops allow you to simultaneously browse books, films and even china tea sets as you search for a new outfit.

Most importantly, the chances of you finding something really unique and interesting are far greater. If you know the pain of bumping into someone on a night out wearing not only the same dress but also the same accessories then you'll understand why buying something a little different might appeal. Vintage, of course, has the same qualities, but as much as Purple Haze and Deep are both fantastic, vintage is essentially second hand selected by fashionable people with asymmetric fringes, with a pimped up price tag to match. They take the effort out of the search but you can find just as lovely stuff in the charity shops if you're willing to look a bit harder. Plus lots of good Oxfams and British Heart Foundations now have vintage rails to save

fantastic items that have been selected to make charity shopping as easy as any other shopping experience.

This is great, removing the stigma of second hand and often yielding designer treasures. However, this bespoke boutique feel comes at a price and you will pay relatively more for items at a fancy shop where the managers are clued up about the original value of what they're selling. If you want a real bargain (I'm talking 50p scarves and full outfits for less than £5) then you should try some of the shabbier, less salubrious establishements. They'll be more tat to sift through, but when you do dig out a gem it will be a proper, head rush of a bargain.

2) Take your time - You can't just rush through a charity shop. If you're skimming the shelves in a hurry you'll be unable to see the tasteful Ted Baker shirt for the hot pink cropped Jane Norman.

The best way to go about it is to bring a willing friend to chat with and methodically probe the rails.

3) The devil is in the detail...

A bargain is only a bargain if you can actually wear it. Check that the garmant you're buying is decent quality, made of a nice fabric and doesn't have a dodgy zip or missing buttons.

It sounds basic, but it's easy to get blinded by the pricetag on a beautiful cream cardy and taking it home to discover it's made of an itchy synthetic, redundant in the lightest breeze and missing four buttons.

If you don't actually wear that steal, it's a false economy. Also, take note of labels and avoid Primark like the plague.

4) ...But be flexible! Charity shopping involves a good eye and a decent dose of creativity. If an item is poor quality then it's not worth buying, but if that dress with a beautiful print is a little bit too long, then it only takes the tiniest modicum of sewing skills to take it up. If you really love that cashmere cardigan that's missing all the buttons then nip to a habidashery, buy your own and sew on a new set.

5) Size doesn't matter (and neither does gender!) Don't be preoccupied by sizing. A size 16 shirt can look fantastic tucked into high waisted jeans or shorts, and an oversized cardy can look great over a tiny summer dress or skinnies. Men's clothes can also look fab if properly styled. A man's shirt can be worn with a belt as a shirt dress or over leggings for a chic and simple casual style. Ditto men's jumpers, and I have a friend who works male slacks with a belt and brogues like Dianne Keaton in Annie Hall, but that's a little more ambitous... It perhaps doesn't work as well the other way round, but respect to any gentleman who can work a chiffon blouse!

"So what if someone died in those brogues?

They're fabulous!" you some time, whilst the newly refurbished Sue Ryder Care has a dedicated vintage floor that could rival any of the big vintage shops.

York offers an impressive range of charity shops, if you know where to look. Walking down Fossgate into town you pass a fair few good ones, but the best strip can be found on Goodramgate where you can walk past a wide range of gems, from that Sue Ryder Care vintage bonanza, to a cluttered but unusually fertile British Heart Foundation, with a high hit rate and another decent vintage rail. Even if you don't want to wander too far, campus is surrounded with decent one offs. The Retreat Shop (on Heslington Road) gets the bulk of student cast offs and sells them on dirt cheap, whilst The Woodlands opposite The Shell Garage on Lawrence Street is sizable and jam packed with goodies. Get over your fear of second hand clothes (so what if someone died wearing those brogues? They're fabulous!) and get into a charitable state of mind.

Provided you don't get as addicted as I have, your student loan will thank you.

To help you on your way, here are my top tips for a charity shop spree: 1) Don't judge a book by it's coverAs much as it's a cliche, it can really pay not to be shallow about charity shops.

The fancy, hyper clean, Mary-Portasstyle ones can be fab, chocablock with

MIND 25 Goodramgate Navy Cardigan £4.75

Oxfam 7 Goodramgate Camel Coat £8.99

Oxfam 7 Goodramgate Black Vintage Bag £14.99

AutismPlus 56 Goodramgate Black Shoes £5

20 LIFESTYLE

Truly Scrumptious Rachel Longhurst demonstrates how you can save money while cooking healthy, hearty foods...

Quick Chinese-style Chicken

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2

YORK VISION

Skip the hassle of cooking rice the long way and add QuickCook rice to a saucepan of boiling water. Leave for 9-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. At the same time, in a frying pan add thinly chopped chicken and cook until browned. Add whatever veg you have to hand and add to the frying pan, in this instance we used thinly-chopped celery. Add your favourite Chinese-style sauce (or make one from chicken stock and soy sauce) and add to the frying pan. Drain the rice and you’re ready to serve.

125g Quick Cook Long Grain Rice 100g Chicken, thinly chopped Chinese-style sauce (Can use Soy Sauce/Chicken Stock) Left-over Vegetables Price for a two-person portion: Approx £3

Healthy & Homely Bolognese

Fry the minced beef for 5-10 minutes until browned (alternatively microwave for 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink) and stir in the tomato pasta sauce or crushed Chopped tomatoes. Leave for 15 minutes on a low heat to simmer. Whilst you wait, boil the kettle and pour boiling water into a saucepan, add in whatever pasta you have and leave to cook. Chop onions and fresh tomatoes and add to the pan, turning the heat up to cook the onion in the last few minutes. Alternatively add in any extra veg you have around and you're done!

3

Italian Potato & Tomato Soup

Warm yourself up this coming winter with a very simple soup. Add the vegetable stock and the chopped tomotaes to a large saucepan and leave for a few minutes to heat up. Add salt to season. Wash, peel and chop the potatoes then add to the pan. Add the tougher vegetables like carrots (chopped into small chunks) and leave the soup to cook for 20 minutes on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add fresh vegetables like broccoli and tomatoes, chopped thinly and leave for another 10-15 minutes.

Check the potatoes have cooked through and leave on a low heat for 5-10 minutes. Although best eaten fresh, this soup is perfect to freeze and reheat on cold days.

4

Carbonara Twist 200g Pasta 100g Chicken 1 or 2 rashers of Bacon 150g Grated Cheese Cream Cheese Milk Peas Price for a two-person portion: Approx £3

Cheese on Toast with Garlic White or Brown Bread 100g Grated Cheese 1 or 2 cloves of Garlic Price for two slices: Approx £0.40 This quick and tasty snack also works with frozen bread, just double the timings. Place the slices of toast on a baking tray under a hot grill and leave for 2 minutes. Take out, carefully flip the toast over and place back under the grill for 1 minute. Whilst you’re waiting grate some cheese and finely chop the cloves of garlic.

Sprinkle the cheese and garlic evenly over the slices and put back under the grill for another 1-2 minutes and you’re done…just don’t forget those breath mints before your lecture!

6

Boil a kettle to speed up the process and pour into a saucepan, add the pasta and leave to cook. Fry the chicken and bacon in the same frying pan until browned and crispy.

Drain the pasta and put directly into the frying pan, add peas and form a sauce by stirring in cream cheese and a small amount of milk. Fold in grated cheese which should melt gently onto the pasta and voila! Your delicious and quick pasta is ready to be served.

Tuesday November 8, 2011

200g Pasta/ Spaghetti 200g Pasta Sauce (or Tinned Chopped Tomatoes) Half an Onion, chopped Tomatoes, chopped 200g Minced Beef (Vegetarian?

Swap beef for more veg or quorn) Salt (to season) Cheese (optional) Price for a two-person portion: Approx £4

Potatoes, peeled (look out for cheap salad potatoes) 1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes 1 litre of Vegetable stock Carrots (tinned or fresh) Fresh Vegetables, e.g. Tomatoes and Broccoli Salt (optional) Price for 4 portions: Approx. £3

5

Halloumi Salad

80g Lettuce Leaves/ ½ Pre-bagged Salad 4 slices of Halloumi (Cheese) Tomatoes, thinly sliced Spring Onions/ Half a Red Onion, thinly sliced ¼ of a Cucumber Price for a one person portion: Approx £3

Warm up oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. As you wait chop up the tomatoes, onion, cucumber and the halloumi into 1cm slices. Place the halloumi in the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes until its golden brown on one side, flip it and repeat the process. Arrange the lettuce leaves and the chopped salad on a plate, add the halloumi directly on top.

Add dressing to taste if preferred.

LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

21

Mind over Matter

Lucy Vladev doesn't quite want you to take up yoga, but does have some interesting tips for staying calm...

T

he mind is weird and wonderful, but can we really flatter it by commending it with the power to heal? Mind over matter is a phrase constantly heard - mainly from parents trying to get you back to your studies, but does it ring true? Is it truly possible to make ourselves better without the need of medical intervention?

The placebo effect is the phenomenon whereby a patient's symptoms can be alleviated by an otherwise ineffective treatment. It has already been shown that the way we think about a medical treatment can dramatically affect how responsive our body is to it. Even with a severely debilitating disease such as Parkinsons, the placebo effect can affect the result of treatment and show a

marked improvement in a patient. This is because although the pill is nothing but a pill-shaped lump of sugar, the mind believes in the tablet's ability and the mind has been shown to release into the body natural painkillers, lower blood pressure and even boost the immune system to aid recovery.

The placebo effect is all very well but it does require someone lying to you convincingly about a drug's ability to help you and many of the most common illnesses affecting people do not require drugs at all.

So how can mind over matter fit into our every day lives - is it possible to improve our health while we walk down the street or sit at our desk?

Being an optimist is great when trying to deal with stress or unhappiness, but studies have also shown that it has also been linked to a reduced susceptibility to disease. In fact, Scheier et al have shown in a recent study that optimism can even slow the ageing process and help reduce the chance of re-hospitalisation of patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (Arch. Intern. Med, vol 159, p829).

I appreciate that not everyone is born an optimist and many of us may find it hard with a heavy workload to stay positive all the time, but this leads me onto the solution I have found for over-worked and under-appreciated students, meditation!

I know that some of you may now be recoiling in horror at the thought of sitting on your bedroom floor in the lotus position humming like a bee for hours on end, and indeed even the thought of doing that myself instantly makes me believe what a waste of time it would be.

However, imaging studies have shown that after as little as 11 hours of meditation the brain shows structural changes which are linked with positive effects on the body. If you need more convincing - as I did - Elissa Epel from the University of California (2010) suggests that short mediations through the day (such as a few minutes quiet at your desk to focus on your breathing) can make all the difference.

Scrumptious Savouries

Back by popular demand Anna McKay's guide to Yorkshire's most superbly savoury treats and melt-inthe-mouth warmers...

Y

orkshire food is a reflection of the people that live here. It’s a bit rough and ready but full of intense flavours to tickle the taste buds.

If you’ve been on a muddy moorland walk, there’s nothing better than finding a cosy pub and settling down to a great lunch. Last edition I wrote about three sweet treats to look out for in and around the teashops of York. And now it’s time for the savouries. At first, there doesn’t look like much to tuck into that isn’t ale, but give it a chance.

behind the Minster.

Curry

Wensleydale Cheese Wenslydale already wins brownie points as the favourite of Wallace and Gromit and is sourced from the Yorkshire Dales. But in case you’ve never given it a try, Wensleydale has a light, crumbly texture. Subtle yet creamy, it goes very well with fruit. A Northern quirk is to serve the cheese crumbled into a sweet, moreish apple pie, or with a slice of fruitcake.

Somehow the intermingling of sweet-bitter, booze-soaked currants goes excellently well with the creamy, savoury saltiness of the cheese. Give it a go in Betty's, or the Treasurer’s House

sages after a heavy night, look no further. Slightly sweet, slightly chewy, these beauties transform cheese and pickle, or ham salad sandwiches into something special. Don’t even get me started on chicken and mayo.

Oven Bottom Rolls

Now I warned you things might get controversial. There’s no point rattling on about pikelets or stand pies when the true gem of the Yorkshire food circuit is the mighty curry. Whether you like them fiery hot or aromatic and creamy, the North is just bursting with limitless choice and amazing flavours, all ready to blow your mind. If you want to be au-

Also known as Oven Bottom Muffins, or, if you’re from the North East, these are pretty similar to Stottie Cakes. Ok, so it turns out they’re from Lancashire.

But I love them and I want to tell you about them. You might have seen them in the supermarket already; they’re big, flat and look as dull as anything. But don’t be put off by their tinted beige exteriors, for Oven Bottom Rolls are the king of baps. If you’re looking for the perfect roll to cram with bacon and sau-

thentic, look no further than Bradford, last year’s “Curry Capital”, and only a short train ride away.

Spoilt for choice, choose the Kashmir for delicious rustic charm or Mumtaz for award-winning ritzy glamour. Bradford also boasts winner of Gordon Ramsey TV show 'Ramsey's Best Restaurant' - the vegetarian Indian restaurant

'Prashad'. The restaurant is particularly famous for its gloriously tasty starters. I highly recommend a visit.

Closer to home, splash out with flatmates at student friendly Akbar’s on George Hudson Street. For a real treat though, Mumbai Lounge has to take the biscuit as York's Number One Indian.

Simply delicious!

Yorkshire Pudding This may seem like an obvious choice yet the humble Yorkshire pudding's history is shrouded in mystery. The first recorded recipe was supposedly written in 1737 when it was called a 'dripping pudding'. The main purpose of the pudding was to fill people up before a main meal, especially children "them that eat the most pudding gets most meat (sic)'. In 2007 a campaign was started to give the pudding protected status for its Yorkshire roots and in 2010 it was voted the most popular and most successful thing to come out of Yorkshire.

22 LIFESTYLE Scarf: £15

YORK VISION Tuesday November 8, 2011

Student

Coat: £80

Stunners

Glasses: £50

Ieva wears...

Dominic wears...

Scarf: Topshop

Jumper: Vintage

Cardi: Vintage

Coat: Topman

Jeans: Red Herring

Jeans: Levi

Glasses: H&M

Boots: Ted Baker

Boots: £50

Google Apps for Education has arrived at York For students this means: • Your University email via Google Mail with 25Gb of storage • Google Docs, for sharing and collaborative working • Instant messaging, voice and video chat

Sign up from Monday 21 November Look out for more details on Student home

IT

www.york.ac.uk/it-services

YORK VISION

SPORT

Tuesday November 8, 20119

>Sport

HOCKEY SLAY DRAGONS

BY SALLY DOLTON & ADAM TYRELL DESPITE THE EARLY start and classic northern weather, the ladies' 1sts hockey team got off to an energised start against the Huddersfield side in the Yorkshire League. Less than two minutes in, the still-sleeping Dragons gave the ball away on their own 25 to allow club President Faustino to score.

The Dragons came back on the attack with a good break from Becky Pinder up the middle of the pitch into the home side’s D. 'Keeper Laura Porter dived to stop the first shot on goal.

The second shot left two York players scrambling on the line to just clear the ball back into the still floored Porter. York were saved by an assured clearance by Rachael McMillan.

Once the York team had recovered their nerves they were back on the attack, denied by the keeper on three successive short corners. Huddersfield continued to break but failed to convert chances into goals due to the solid York defensive line.

Consistent attacking work from York allowed Faustino to score her second of the match after an amazing run. Her raised flick gave the diving goalie no chance.

The first hit from York’s fifth short corner of the game was saved by Huddersfield only for Laura Welsing to snatch the ball on the rebound and curve it in over the keeper, making the score 3-0.

York newcomer Emma Beresford was unlucky to score her first goal of the season with a well-timed sprint across the D, her effort blocked skilfully on the line by defender Katie McColl. However, Faustino scored again soon afterwards, reversing the ball skilfully onto the backboard. York were to be denied any further goals in

the first half with the Dragons' defenders Kate Durrans and Alice Young coping well under intensive York pressure.

Rachael Faustino started the second half as she finished the first, adding her name twice more onto the score sheet.

With the score at 6-0, the Dragons' heart must been applauded as they doggedly pushed for a goal, narrowly missing an opportunity due to a fabulous tackle from Rachael McMillan.

Reports that York were distracted by the overhead hot air balloon have been unsubstantiated. Becky Pinder continued to find space in the middle of the pitch to give York’s Ormiston some hard work in defence.

After York pressure on the opponent’s D, Veila Ormiston scored her first goal with an impressive dribble, seeing off many Huddersfield challenges to power the ball into the left corner. Laura Welsing followed quickly afterwards with her third goal of the match after another exciting run up the left wing.

Welsing was unlucky not to score again soon afterwards with Alice Young pulling off another incredible save off the line. Welsing, however, was not to be denied for long, breaking the Huddersfield defensive line to make the score 9-0. Soon afterwards, York were awarded a short corner for a Dragon foul in the D. BUCS captain Hannah Gage’s first shot was skilfully saved only for Welsing to find the goal seconds later, rounding it off at 10-0.

York Captain Sally Warrington was pleased with her side’s performance, commenting on their secure showing as a team, not just as individuals, playing a good supporting game. Her man of the match went to Rachel Faustino for consistent brilliance in attack.

LUCKLESS LACROSSE

BY WILL BARNES YORK WOMEN'S 1STS Lacrosse team suffered a close defeat to Sheffield on Wednesday on 22 acres. Slack marking in the 2nd and 3rd quarters was capitalised on by Sheffield who finished clinically putting the game beyond York's reach despite their best efforts in the final quarter.

York made an electric start with Sasha Greene scoring almost immediately from the face-off. Katie Barrett, Georgie Saunders and Charlotte Pelter added further goals which meant that, despite a goal from Sheffield, York held a commanding 4-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

However the tide was to turn in the next two quarters with Sheffield scoring seven times on the spin before Alex Whitehand replied for York. York's loose marking combined with Sheffield's tight passing and fine finishing gave the opposition a four goal advantage with one quarter to go.

Despite another goal by Greene, Sheffield continued to dominate scoring three further goals. Yet, York did not give up and staged a spirited fight-back. Barrett and Greene added to their tallies and Captain Izzi Mattick also put her name on the score sheet. However, clawing back six goals was always going to be an uphill struggle and the team went down 12-10.

An inexperienced men's 1sts were frustrated by an extremely stubborn defense as they were defeated 7-2 by a strong Newcastle team in a very scrappy and physical game. After a closely contested first two quarters the opponents pulled away after several sustained periods of pressure.

The opponents quickly gained the upper hand, establishing a two goal lead fol-

lowing the opening exchanges. However, York quickly rallied with Dariush Kamali converting from close range.

Newcastle drew first blood in the second quarter before Daniel Revellini finished a well-worked team goal to close the gap. Yet, this was the last goal York were to score as Newcastle's defence proved rock solid for the remainder of the encounter weathering all that York threw at them.

Newcastle, in turn, subjected York to numerous periods of intense pressure in which they scored four further goals.

They would have scored many more had it not been for the superb reflexes of keeper Billy Rooks who, even though he conceded seven goals, was compared to a "god" by teammate Will Thorman.

STAR OF CAMPUS: UCHE ODUOZA

How did you start out in professional rugby?

I started off at Worcester academy at 17 and did three years there. I played a few professional games for them and then went to Japan for a year actually which was really cool, there's a lot to see there. I then moved to Newcastle which is when I started uni here and finally onto Leeds where I am now.

So are you looking to get Leeds back into the Premiership then?

Yeah, I'm hoping to! It's quite hard at the minute though as I've finished playing rugby full time because of uni commitments.

I've kept it slightly part time over there but I'm focussing more on my studies right now.

What are your plans for when you've finished here then? Are you looking to get more into rugby again?

Yeah, I'd love to get back into rugby but I've had a couple of bad injuries which is why I'm trying to get the degree first. It's so that I can hopefully find my feet afterwards in case the knee doesn't hold out really. With rugby sevens turning into an Olympic

sport in 2016, well I would love to play in that really, so if my body can still do it I'll try and put myself forward for that.

your team mates and what you need to do to win and it begins to become a bit more second nature.

How's the sevens going? I heard you got called up for the Moscow leg of the European Grand Prix?

Yeah I played one tournament there in the summer. I was scheduled to play before but I had a little niggle in my knee unfortunately. It was good to get back into the fold with the sevens guys. It's a really tough game but I enjoy it. You get to see so much of the world.

What would you say has been your prodest moment of your career so far?

I've seen the video of your 98m try for England!

[Laughs] yeah that was pretty good! I was quite happy with that but my proudest moment would be when we won the Twickenham sevens in London. To win a sevens series in front of your home crowd is absolutely amazing. We were down by three trys in the final and turned it around right at the end so that was a really good moment for us.

"To win a sevens series in front of your home crowd is amazing" How do you feel when you go out to represent your country in front of all those people?

It's daunting! I remember my first tournament and I played terribly! It was in Wellington Stadium in New Zealand in front of around 30,000 people and it was amazing.

I've never seen so many people in one place in my life! The more you play the more you get used to it though. You start to focus on

What's your role for York now you play at such a high level?

Well I played a few games at the end of last season as I was trying to get back from injury. They're a really good group of guys, really enthusiastic and I love playing and working with them. There's nothing to say I can't play a few games here so it would be nice to play a bit later in the season. I'm doing a bit of coaching with the backs too, just trying to bring the things I've learned with my clubs and with England to try and help them the best I can really.

UCHE ODUOZA

YORK RUGBY'S MAN MOUNTAIN TALKS ENGLAND SEVENS, THE OLYMPICS AND JUGGLING CAREERS

BY ALEX FINNIS

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24 SPORT

YORK VISION Y

Tuesday November 8, 2011 Tu

THE

TIPSTER

HE COULD FIT CENTRAL HALL INTO HIS LIVING ROOM. TWICE OVER.

sure sure thing thing RORY MCILROY TO BECOME WORLD NUMBER 1 WITHIN A YEAR As of last weekend, the young Northern Irishman has reached his highest position in the world rankings yet: number two. He is hot on the heels, both in terms of points and prize money of current world leader Luke Donald.

Donald has never won a major and is 12 years McIlroy's senior. McIlroy has already won the US Open and amassed nearly ÂŁ10 million, so it seems only a matter of time before he sits on the top of the pile. He is widely expected to win at least one of next year's four majors.

The only question that remains is whether he can emulate Tiger Woods in years to come. As for the near future, the picture looks rosy for McIlroy, who has seemingly learnt from his Masters calamity last year and has become a better player for it.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

5/4

long shot ENGLAND TO BEAT BOTH SWEDEN AND SPAIN

England, as we well know, are very hit and miss. Although the upcoming matches at Wembley are only friendlies, good results would give the players, management and, most importantly in this football mad nation, the fans confidence that England might win a major trophy in Poland and Ukraine next year. Both matches are good tests. Sweden are a solid if unspectacular international side, who England don't have the best of records against, but a side who will be roundly expected to be beaten. Spain, on the other hand, are just brilliant, the current world champions who boast a host of world class players.

Add to the mix the lack of Wayne Rooney and John Terry's off-field problems, and victory in both games seems unlikely. Let's hope this Tipster is wrong.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

9/1

ABSOLUTE MADNESS DONCASTER ROVERS TO SIGN LIONEL MESSI ON LOAN Herita Ilunga, El-Hadji Diouf, Chris Kirkland, Pascal Chimbonda. Potentially former galactico Mahamadou Diarra. Sounds like a lineup that could more than hold its own in the Premiership. However, the above named are the new crop of stars turning out for lowly championship side Donacaster Rovers, after agent Willie McKay's controversial agreement with the Keepmoat club to bring highly paid individuals from highter leagues to the championship with the guarantee of games.

So why not bring that little winger from that quite good club in Catalonia over. Seeing Leo turn out at Barnsley's Oakwell stadium on the 19th Novermber might just happen if McKay can convince Messi that South Yorkshire is a better lifestyle choice than Barcelona. Don't worry though?! Most of Donny's captures are on loan from better clubs, so if the little maestro isn't keen on Dean Saunders's style of managerment, he can swan off back to the Nou Camp. Sorted.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

500/1

RUGBY 1STS STUNNED SHOCKING LEEDS MET COMEBACK ENDS YORK'S UNBEATEN START

BY ALEX FINNIS YORK'S RUGBY 1ST XV learnt the importance of concentration and the destructive effects of complacency the hard way as they inexcusably let a 17-0 lead slip on Wednesday.

Their shocking loss to Leeds Met 2nd XV, seemingly strengthened thanks to their 1st team being without a fixture, was a prime example of a game of two halves, as the hosts' near perfect display of the first period became an unrecognisable shambles in the second.

When you consider York's sheer dominance in the forwards, especially in the line-out, from which Adam Gaskill frequently stole Leeds' ball, and in the scrum, it becomes even more difficult to understand how the men in black and gold failed to win the match.

After York defended capably early on, Tom Chadwick dinked a cheeky kick over the Leeds back line and found touch inside their 22. York's forwards then contributed by turning the line out and winning a penalty on the five metre line.

Chadwick showed intent and kicked for the corner., and after winning the line out, scrum half William Peters picked the ball from the back of the resulting ruck and went over to open the scoring.

Chadwick converted to give York an early 7-0 lead.

The York defence was extremely solid, thwarting all attempts by Leeds Met to level the scoring. Whilst they were putting pressure on the opposition and forcing them to make mistakes, they were making almost none of their own.

A perfect example of this led to York's next try. The Leeds Met full back fumbled a very catchable kick under the pressure of an onrushing Will Sharp and Sam Lord was able to collect the loose ball. He slung an excellent pass out wide to captain James Faktor, who finished well to make it 12-0.

A great forward's try then increased York's lead to 17 points late in the half.

With Chadwick having once again found touch deep in the Leeds 22 from a penalty, Faktor commandingly won the line out ball and a rolling maul of black shirts

thundered over the line. Campbell Paton provided the finishing touches and York looked in complete control.

The men in purple did manage to breach the wall-like York defence just before half-time though, and Chadwick missed a penalty in the final minute of the half, making it 17-7 at half time, with the late try the only slight stain on an immaculate York performance.

Unfortunately for the hosts, the second half was as catastrophic as the first was impressive. The men from Leeds rallied well, but there was no doubt that York had the larger part to play in their own downfall.

They conceded another try very early on in the half after an excellent break from the Leeds Met inside centre and then a huge mistake allowed their opponents to draw level.

After Chadwick had missed a tricky penalty, Leeds kicked clear. Ben Turner collected and attempted to sling a wide pass well inside his own 22. The game seemed to go in slow motion as the Leeds Met number 13 intercepted the pass and ran in under the posts with ease, with the conversion making it 17-17.

The visitors completed the dramatic turnaround with a penalty, and York

suddenly found themselves trailing 2017. It was almost like they couldn't believe it was happening, and they were too shocked to provide a response.

They pushed hard, but York were lacking that killer instinct they had in the opening period. They couldn't penetrate a now stouter Leeds defence and in the end the heart stopping sound of the final whistle carried with it a certain sense of inevitability. 'I'm devastated', said a reflective James Faktor after the game. 'In the first half we played some of the best rugby we've played so far and maybe that's why complacency kicked in. Maybe we thought the job was done.

We'll learn from it though. I know we can play rugby like we did [in the first half] all the time'.

Despite this being the 1st XV's first loss of the season, both the 2nd and 3rd teams are yet to win a game. It is clear then, that UYRUFC as a whole need to work hard to turn this season around.

If, as Faktor says, the 1sts do learn from this defeat then they look like a team who could really challenge for promotion again this season, whilst the club's lower tiers are simply desperate for a victory.

Photo: Ruth Gibson

TEESSIDE OVERCOME NETBALL 1STS YORK LOSE 47-37 BUT GO DOWN FIGHTING

BY CHARLOTTE FERRIS AFTER LAST WEEK'S defeat to Northumbria, the Netball Firsts were desperate for a win against an experienced Teeside team. However, luck was not on their side as although they put up a convincing fight, Teesside came out on top with a 47- 37 victory.

As the game commenced, shots were flying in at both ends of the court, with goal attack Lisa Griffiths and goal shooter Kay Masterson showing a great understanding of each other in the circle.

However, Teesside's Goal Defence, who was rewarded for her performace with the 'Man of the Match' accolade, was an extremely tough opponent, putting pressure not only on the shooters but the cen-

tre court players as well.

Teamed with this, Tee Side's shooters rarely missed a shot against a defence which has been weakened by the absence of Nina Pullman due to injury.

In spite of all this York did not give up. In the third and fourth quarters, despite having problems with several characteristically aggressive Teesside players, York played their own game and the ball flowed through the court.

This year, the partnership of Rebecca O' Dwyer and Bronwen Jones will be the building block of this team's development. These two players rarely put a foot wrong and with Jones being awarded 'Man of the Match' in three out of four games, her skill has also been recognised by opposing teams.

York should not feel deflated after

this performance, there is a lot of work to be done, however with the expertise of the coach, anything is possible.

Rebecca O Dwyer, Captain, shares these views, saying after the match; 'I am very pleased with our performance, especially in the second half of the game, which ended the game on a positive. Although we lost there is a lot to take from this which we can work on'.

Next week, I hope to comment on a stunning York win, which is more than achievable.

York take on the University of Bradford's 2nd team in the Cup on Wednesday, and with York being placed eight divisions above their opponents, they can be fairly sure of progressing with a confidence boosting victory.

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

SPORT

BALLON D'OH

WILL COOPER EXPLAINS SPAIN'S SPANKING OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL A LITERAL TRANSLATION reads “the golden ball.” A precious and expensive commodity is the player who dazzles the world consistently for a whole year, and the Ballon d’Or rewards such excellence.

The award, or the equivalent award before it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year, has been won by such legends of the game as Stanley Matthews, George Best, Johan Cruyff and Ronaldo. The first winner of the new-fangled version was, unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi. So, if you win it, you are in good company.

" Clubs forget about their home grown talent, looking abroad to improve their squad."

The votes are cast by world coaches, captains of international teams and leading sports journalists; a knowledgeable electorate. This year they will choose from an impressive list of nominations including Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Aguero.

But where, may you ask, are the Englishmen on this list of the crèmede-la-crème of world football? It is sadly symptomatic of the state of football in this country at this moment that Wayne Rooney is the sole Englishman on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or whilst no less than seven Spaniards make up almost a third of the entire list.

One only has to cast their minds back to the cringe worthy performance of the England national team in World Cup 2010, juxtaposed with the success of the Spanish, to further remind the expectant public of our ineptitude.

Much of the blame lies with English clubs. There is so much emphasis put on rapid success that clubs forget about their home grown talent, looking abroad to improve their squad in the short term.

For example, Chelsea academy player

Josh McEachran certainly looked promising but with the recent signings of Oriel Romeu, Ramires and Raul Meireles it looks unlikely he will be starting anytime soon. At Manchester City, Adam Johnson regularly warms the bench while his expensively compiled overseas' teammates get their chance to justify their unjustifiable price tag.

Conversely, in Spain, players are fostered and developed with care in their respective clubs from an early age, always with the same teammates, to an extent that when they finally do make it to the big time, they have an almost telepathic understanding with their peers, a state of mind they can easily transfer to the national team.

Friendships, as well as talent, are cultivated, so much so that Cesc Fabregas was willing to receive a wage cut in order to be reunited with his childhood team. It is simply a different philosophy.

It is a system that must be working since players like Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Busquets keep getting churned out.

Barcelona’s reserve team play in the second tier of the football league – that’d be tantamount to Chelsea’s second string competing with West Ham. Seeing as they recently got turned over 4-0 by West Bromwich Albion’s reserve side, this does not seem probable. Talk all you like about La Liga only having 2 competitive sides, but it is difficult to argue with thirteen La Liga players nominated in a

list of the twenty-three best players in the world.

And the blame for English insufficiency does not just lie at the feet of the clubs. We must look to the Premier League itself for answers. For example, its new plan, the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), is just another gimmick which will cause more harm than good.

It effectively makes it easier for young lower league players to be snapped up by Premier League clubs at much lower prices. What will occur is that the top clubs will buy a number of

"There should be alarm bells ringing when such disparity is evident." these players on the off-chance that they have the talent required, and when most of them lack this talent, they will simply be left to languish in the reserves. It is a plan ill-thought out and likely to scupper the potential of many young players.

Or perhaps the fault is with the Football Association as a whole. Why is it that in 2008 UEFA statistics stated that England had just 2,769 UEFA coaches as opposed to 34,970 in Germany and 23,995 in Spain? There should be alarm bells ringing when such disparity is evident.

It is no wonder that our players seem to lack the technique of Spanish or German players. It is at this grass roots level that there needs to be serious reform.

There are a myriad of questions regarding why there is only one English representative on the list of nominees for this coveted prize and as of yet, too few answers. Ultimately, all strands of football – the clubs, their academies, the Premier League, the Football League and the FA – need to work together and go forward to make sure that in years to come, England is not known simply for its competitive league, but also for the players it actually produces.

YORK SPORT FIGHT FOR FAIRNESS 23 CLUBS MAY BE EXEMPT FROM YORKSPORT MEMBERSHIP

BY FRED NATHAN & ALEX FINNIS A STEP HAS been made towards York Sport president Sam Asfahani's ultimate aim to scrap the basic £40 York Sport membership, namely encouraging the 23 sports clubs which do not use university facilities to hold off paying their York Sport fees.

The membership enables YUSU to pay for free core training sessions, club grants, and crucially, access to the sports centre, the JLD, 22 acres and other university facilities as well as overhead costs such as staff to clear up the sports centre.

For clubs such as clay pigeon shooting or sailing and windsurfing, who go out of the university and therefore never use in-house facilities, Asfahani believes there is simply no justification for a £40 membership fee.

"As it stands, it is simply unfair that clubs pay membership for something they never use, they are not getting their moneys worth", he explained.

Asfahani hopes to know within the next couple of weeks whether the clubs

will be officially exempt from the membership fees. The money will have to be found elsewhere, as it is vital for providing and maintaining sporting facilities.

A fair portion of the membership fees used to be used to cover insurance, but it has become apparent that this can now be covered by YUSU itself.

"It makes no sense to charge clubs like skiing, canoe polo and mountaineering that aren't using the sports facilities.

It isn't fair", claimed new head of sport at the university, Keith Morris.

With the respective heads of YUSU and University sport working closely together on this issue it is hopeful that the University will soon have a fairer sports membership system in place, one that is on the way towards the ultimate aim of free membership next year.

25

NO BAIL

AS THE THREE PAKISTANI CRICKETERS FIND THEMSELVES FACING JAIL SENTENCES ON TOP OF THEIR ALREADY LENGTHY BANS, VISION ASKS, ARE THE PUNISHMENTS TOO HARSH?

YES

BY WILL BARNES

THE MINIMUM five year bans issued to Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt for their part in the spot-fixing scandal that rocked the cricketing world in August 2010 was punishment enough for these cricketers. They should not be facing jail sentences in addition. Mohammad Amir should not have faced a five year ban initially let alone a prison sentence.

Asif, 28, and Butt, 27, accepted money to orchestrate the bowling of no-balls at specific points in the Lord's test in August 2010, thus defrauding bookmakers. Their bans were fitting punishment. They would have returned to the game in their early-thirties their best cricketing years behind them and thus would have suffered accordingly. The addition of jail terms to their bans is simply unecessary. Surely, a minimum five year ban would have been enough to deter other sportsmen from attempting to fix a match?

Amir, 19, is as guilty as his teammates, but should not have faced a five year ban.

As a fresh face in the team, I believe he was pressured by Asif and Butt to participate in the fixing and feared that he would be removed from the team if he did not comply with their wishes. I would argue that a two or three year ban would have been sufficient to convince him not to try and fix future cricket matches. There was simply no need at all for an additional jail term.

NO

BY MATT STEPHENSON SOME PEOPLE may ask themselves, how badly can a few innocuous ‘no-balls’ here and there really affect a sport? The answer to that can be seen clearly in the jail terms given to three of the most talented Pakistani players the country has seen in recent years.

The actions of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have thrown the cricket world into chaos, tarnishing a sport which prides itself upon sportsmanship and moral conduct at the very heart of the game.

Any ‘accidental’ mistake in the professional game now undergoes an inquisition which serves only to sully the name of the sport, and remind us all of the events which overshadowed an entire touring series in 2010.

Let’s not be fooled. These men knew exactly what they were doing when they accepted such huge sums of money from men they knew they should not trust, and as a consequence they have not only destroyed their own careers, but have tarnished the name of their home nation, a nation so blighted by match-fixing and dishonest conduct in past years.

26 SPORT

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

CONTRASTING FORTUNES FOR COLLEGE CUP FINALISTS

BY ALEX FINNIS, WILL BARNES, WILL COOPER & JOSH MANGHAM DERWENT ROMPED TO a 7-0 victory over a weakened Langwith side to give themselves some daylight at the top of the league.

The impressive Alex d'Albertanson rode several challenges before slotting into the bottom corner to make it 1-0, before fellow fresher Ollie Harrison then produced an exquisite ball from his own half to produce the second goal. Harry Bradhsaw collected the defence splitting pass and cooley rounded the 'keeper and finished for Derwent's second.

Derwent were enjoying the vast majority of the possesion and all of the chances. Kirk and Harrison both came close before they managed their third and final goal of the half. It was the easiest of finishes for centre-back

Tom Brandreth, who stole in behind the Langwith defence and tapped home from another excellent Harrison ball, this time from a free kick.

Langwith were much improved in the second half and provided far more of a threat, but after an initial resurgance Derwent started to run riot again.

D'Albertanson scored his second of the game after slamming in David Kirk's rebound and substitute Dan Atherton headed the fifth after rising unmarked from a corner.

Despite their comfortable advantage, the blue and blacks still pushed on to score twice more.

An excellent sixth came courtesy of an elegant Atherton flick from a Joe Boughtflower cross, and Atherton completed his hat-trick when he slid in Man of the Match

Oliver Todd

d'Albertanson's cross late on.

In a scrappy match between Halifax and Alcuin, neither side was able to gain a large enough advantage to put the game to bed.

Halifax struck twice before Alcuin were really awake. Both goals coming from throw-ins.

The first was headed down to Hamish Denham who volleyed past Damien Richard from close range. The second was partially cleared to the edge of the box where Jack Beadle pounced on the loose ball and scored courtesy of a deflection.

Alcuin, however, struck back in beautiful fashion. Alex Brown cut inside and fired the ball over Jonny Sim into the top left corner. Barely sixty seconds later, Leonidas Kanonis finished tidily to Sim's left to make it 2-2 at the break.

First blood in the second half went to Alcuin. Another deflected effort saw Brown make it 3-2.

Halifax missed a chance to even things up, the referee awarding a controversial penalty after a shirt-pulling tussle between Luca Nazzicone and Dan Jones.

Denham's effort however was brilliantly saved by Richard.

Spurred on by this save, Alcuin went on to extend their lead, Greg Fearn scoring a fluke free kick from all of forty yards after Scholz blinded Sim with a clever dummy.

Nevertheless Halifax struck back after a Denham long-throw was stabbed in at the far post by Jones and went on to equalise when Beadle's effort cannoned off the bar to be scuffed over the line by Denham, sparing their blushes to gain their first point

Oliver Todd of the season.

Vanbrugh grabbed all three points against a Goodricke side in an open and entertaining game. Goodricke broke the deadlock through James Gutteridge against the run of play but Vanbrugh responded well. Elliott Rous-Ross sent in a cross for Kieran O'Dwyer who took advantage of some hesitant defending

by Joel Fagan to make it 1-1.

With their tails up, Vanbrugh piled on the misery as they completed an impressive turnaround. A Stanier free kick was met by centre-back Ben Lowe as he poked the ball past Tom Neill and O'Dwyer completed his brace with a placed finish to make it 3-1.

The game sustained its high tempo after the break, but Vanbrugh had lost their momentum somewhat and Goodricke got what their commitment deserved when Sharpe was upended by Ben Lowe in the penalty

COLLEGE RUGBY

box, with Gutteridge applying the necessary finish to set up a very interesting climax.

The match was engulfed by controversy when the referee adjudged Vanbrugh's Stanier's lob to not have crossed the line. But it wasn't to matter, as Goodricke failed to create the chance which could have given them a share of the spoils.

James came from behind to win 4-3 against Wentworth in an enthralling encounter on Sunday. Goals from James Offord, Freddie Ferrao and George Clarke ensured that James continued their unbeaten start to the season.

A Marcheggiano brace gave Wentworth a 2-1 lead, and after Ferrao's equaliser, Burns reganied the lead for the postgraduates. Marcheggiano then missed a vital penalty before two late James Offord's goal spared James blushes and gave them all three points.

JAMES OVERCOME ALCUIN TEST AS 'FAX SHUT OUT VANBRUGH

BY OLIVER WESSELY & MATT STEPHENSON JAMES RAN AWAY with victory over Alcuin, winning 235, but the win was at times in doubt, as the Black Swans took a while to ground out a victory over their close rivals.

With regular starters Alex Wilson and Sam Asfahani unable to make the match, James were to dominate most of the early scrums and line-outs where Greg McQuade and Phil Clayton were excellent in the air.

With 15 minutes on the clock, James earned a penalty their possession deserved, and Alex Muntus' kicked successfully to make it 3-0.

Alcuin responded extremely well to going behind however.

James scrum half Jack Robirosa struggled to clear his lines,

and soon after Marinus Maris was able to string the ball out to James Evans who found his centre partner, Muzzy Foley.

'Captain Selfish' went over in the corner to send his team into an

early 5-3 lead.

An Alcuin loose pass from the lineout was then pounced upon by James centre Tom Prifti, his footwork got him to the tryline, and a Muntus conversion

Ian Packard

put James 10-5 in front at halftime.

James, buoyed by the score, stepped up a whole gear after the break. Muntus notched another penalty from an Alcuin offside to extend the score to 13-5.

James captain Brummitts' ball to Anthony Matthews was then brought inside to Muntus.

He fed winger Ollie Dickens who finished with aplomb, and Dickens was to add a late second.

Muntus, pulling on all his experience to chase down his own kick, pressurised Alcuin's winger, and the charged down kick was picked up by Dickens to end the game 23-5.

Vanbrugh came into their clash with Halifax on the back of a heavy defeat to Alcuin the previous week, so this match promised to deliver a physical encounter to repent for the

shortcomings of their last game.

Vanbrugh soon composed themselves though, and began to make serious headway into the Halifax half, the possession swinging heavily in their favour.

The stalwart defence of the Halifax team prevented their line from breaking however and their lack of composure and poor handling in possession cost them.

Halifax, by contrast, were clinical whenever they reclaimed the ball, and a scything run from Jake Baldwin saw Halifax go 7-0 up at half-time.

Halifax only broke through and scored once more against the valiant Vanbrugh defence under the posts. The final whistle saw Halifax celebrating a 14-0 win forged from fantastic counterattacking rugby, and Vanbrugh ruing the chances missed from so many handling errors.

YORK VISION

Tuesday November 8, 2011

SPORT

GAYLE FORCE

TENNIS TEAM TROUNCED

FRED NATHAN TALKS TO LIVERPOOL'S FIRST BLACK PLAYER MANY PEOPLE THINK that the first black player to pull on a Liverpool shirt was John Barnes. Wrong. In 1977, they fielded a young winger by the name of Howard Gayle. At a time of rampant fan racism, he paved the way for fellow black professionals. He had a checkered career, yet he overcame all adversity, from playing park football in povertyridden Toxteth to becoming a regular in the top two leagues of English football, not just with Liverpool, but notably Birmingham City, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers. Nowadays, he works tirelessly to make other youngsters in inner city Liverpool to realise their potential.

On his rise to prominence, he seems grateful for the opportunity given to him. "I suppose that it is a remarkable achievement, to go from playing in Sefton Park on Saturday and Sunday, to playing in front of 70,000 people in the Olympic Stadium within three years. You have to understand that I was heading down the slippery slope to disaster until football saved me. The club also had some good pros like Emlyn Hughes and Sammy Lee who where good to me in the early days."

Gayle was infamously substituted after initially coming on as Kenny Dalglish's replacement in the European Cup semi-final against Bayern Munich in 1981, after running the German's ragged for the time he was on the pitch. It still hurts him to this day: "I felt that it was a harsh decision to take me off, as I still had the energy to cause more havoc among the German defence. I had been kicked to bits by the Germans and when I committed my first foul in the game I got booked.

BY JACK BRADHSAW

Bob Paisley feared that I might be sent off by a poor referee. But I felt in some ways that they didn’t trust me to keep a calm head, which I would have done. But one thing that separated LFC from the rest was that the team always came first and I had to accept that. We went on to win the game and the final in Paris against Real Madrid. So it all turned out well in the end."

him, Gayle explained that it had a positive effect at times: "I don’t remember any of my teams speaking out. In general we had to face it on our own. But to be fair we couldn’t do much about it apart from it spurring us on to play well, which was the best way to get back at them. The abuse came on a weekly basis as we were easy targets for the bigots."

As for his reputation during

In a poll of Liverpool fans, he was voted number 84 in '100 players who shook the Kop', a testament to his important, albeit brief impact. I asked him if he feels a sense of what could have been? "That game in Munich brings back a lot of good memories for Liverpool fans, and how much that game meant to them.

It became one of the great occasions in the club’s history. Liverpool fans know their football and they realise that because of me it opened the door to the likes of John Barnes, Michael Thomas and Mark Walters."

Images of monkey chants, banana skins and even Nazi salutes during the 70’s and 80’s are well known, but as a player who experienced this directed towards

his playing career, he feels that it is a harsh assessment. "I was known as someone who could look after himself, and of someone who would speak his mind and wouldn’t bow down to racism. Some people like to use the phrase as a defence mechanism because they don’t have any argument."

Gayle was a prominent force against speaking out against Tom Hicks and George Gillett's ownership of Liverpool. "Those two muppets picked on the wrong club to exploit, with their lavish lifestyles coming at the expense of the club. They made a lot of promises to the fans about getting the club back to its former glories, but they were all lies. The fans mobilised ourselves and the

‘Spirit of Shankly’ was born. And on the back of a rigid campaign we ousted them from the club."

He doesn't shy away from speaking his mind to me about the increasing trend of foreignowned clubs in England: "Football is changing all the time with wealthy men all trying to flex their financial muscle, obtaining clubs and spending vast amounts of money on players' wages that make the rest of us envious. But it is big business now and only the money bags will survive. Owners will pay a fortune to build up their brand name by buying the best players. Soon I think that big companies such as Coca-Cola will end up buying clubs outright as it won’t make any financial sense to keep paying out millions of pounds each year on sponsorship."

Since retirement, Gayle has worked in poor areas of Liverpool coaching youngsters. I wondered why untapped potential was where his heart lies. "I spent five years at Tranmere Rovers at their Centre of Excellence. I really enjoyed my time there and learnt a lot, but my heart has always been on the community stage. I coach social inclusion in primary schools with young people from my community. I try to encourage them to come to school to get a start and keep up with their education. If we can do that then they have a better chance of achieving in secondary school and beyond. I also work in a juvenile prison where self esteem and team building through football helps young offenders raise their aspirations whilst in prison and when they are released. Young people are the currency of the future and over the last 40 years society hasn't invested wisely in them".

falling to defeat 21-18 and 21-8.

It was left to the doubles pairings to fulfill Watterson’s plan in the final two games. In a display of nerve and excellent hitting, both pairs won their games comfortably, ensuring York’s first point of the season in a 4-4 draw.

Watterson was understandably elated with his team’s performance, saying “I am ecstatic that we got the draw. In reality, we weren’t going to win any singles games, so my tactics worked. We are all absolutely delighted with our first point of the season.”

BADMINTON GET OFF THE MARK WITH THILLING DRAW

BY FRED NATHAN HAVING LOST THEIR first two BUCS matches this season after coming so close to promotion last year, the men’s badminton 1sts had understandably low morale going into their tie against Sheffield Hallam.

Their previous two defeats, against Leeds Met and Manchester (the top two sides in the league) was a chastening wake up call for captain Baillie Watterson and his team. Men’s 2nds captain John Sinclair explained their current predicament: “From last year, we have lost seven out of the top ten players due to graduation, so it is really a season of transition. We are fighting to stay up.”

Therefore, it was understandable that against Hallam, Watterson unashamedly set their team up for a draw. Realising that it

would be very difficult to beat Hallam in the singles, he put the strongest players together for the doubles, hoping that the matches would balance out evenly. It was not an auspicious start by York, singles players Jun Chuen and Dan Hirst losing their first two matches, although Chuen really ran his opponent close in the latter stages. Yet Hallam’s 2-0 lead was pegged back as doubles pair Jonty Hiley and Andy Henderson narrowly beat their opponents 21-18 and 21-17, before Watterson and Tom Dainty levelled proceedings, pressing home their advantage with a 21-17 and 21-11 win.

With the scores level, Chuen and Hirst played their second round of singles. Both lost, making the overall score 4-2, but they were much improved, especially Hirst, who ran Hallam’s best player really close, eventually

27

Photo: Ruth Gibson

THE MEN'S FIRSTS suffered a heavy 7-1 loss to Sheffield Hallam 2nds.

The only win for York came from Nils Morozs but Hallam won the other three singles matches to take a 3-1 lead at the interval.

Going into the doubles, York failed to learn from their mistakes in the singles matches while Hallam maintained their intensity to triumph in style.

York will know they have faced one of the toughest teams in the league and that others will be dropping points against them as well however.

In blustery conditions, the afternoon started promisingly for Max Andrews of York on court three, but his fresher opponent, George mounted a stirring comeback after going a set down to notch a 1-6 6-3 6-1 win.

Court two saw a highly impressive display from Morozs, who managed to contain the aggressive forehands of Hallam’s Aaron Winters and make the most of his renowned ability at the net to triumph 7-5 3-6 6-3.

With the match level at 1-1, court one saw the powerful James Scales outgun York’s Ben Dyer in the solitary five-set match with the final score 6-2 6-4 7-6. Then York’s Peter ThomsonGlover lost a very tight match 6-4 6-7 7-6, when on another day he could easily have beaten his opponent, Tommy Lee. In the doubles matches, under the floodlights by this stage, it was simply a case of Hallam continuing from where they left off in the singles and not being complacent. Dyer and Morosz lost 6-1 6-3 on court one, making the deficit 5-1 overall, Winters winning the battles, thanks to his useful inside-out forehand.

The rest of the contest was merely a conclusion of the formalities as Lee and George won for Hallam 6-4 7-5 to lay down a marker to the other teams in the league.

RESULTS

HOCKEY MEN'S 1STS lost to Northumbria 1sts 2-1.

VOLLEYBALL WOMEN 1STS beat Sheffield 1sts 3-0.

FENCING WOMEN'S 1STS lost to Durham 1sts 81-126.

FOOTBALL MEN'S 1STS drew with Sheffield 1sts 1-1.

FOOTBALL WOMEN'S 1STS lost to Sheffield 2nds 2-1.

FOOTBALL MEN''S 2NDS beat Teeside 2nds 1-0.

BADMINTON WOMEN'S 1STS beat Northumbria 2nds 6-2 RUGBY MEN'S 2NDS lost to Newcastle 3rds 24-12 SQUASH MEN'S 1STS lost to Sheffield 2nds 3-2.

TENNIS WOMEN''S 1STS lost to Leeds Met 4ths 10-2.

TABLE TENNIS MEN'S 1STS beat Leeds Met 1sts 16-1 BASKETBALL WOMEN 1STS beat York St John's 1sts 54-27.

Tuesday November 8, 2011

Issue 219

SPORT

YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR ALL UNI SPORT

STAR OF CAMPUS: UCHE ODUOZA

P23

SEVENTH HEAVEN

WORLD SPORT: BALLON D'OR

P25 P24

INTERVIEW: HOWARD GAYLE Photo: Oliver Todd

P27 BUCS REPORTS

> FRESHER-INSPIRED DERWENT PUT SEVEN PAST LANGWITH > HALIFAX STILL WITHOUT A WIN AFTER THRILLING ALCUIN DRAW

BY ALEX FINNIS LAST SEASON'S COLLEGE Cup finalists continued their contrasting starts to the new campaign as a fresh faced Derwent made it 9 points from 9 with a 7-0 demolition of Langwith.

Conversely, Halifax's experienced side needed two late goals to gain their first point of the season in a 4-4 draw against Alcuin, who came back strongly after falling 2-0 be-

hind early on.

Halifax's poor start to the season will only make Derwent's victories taste sweeter considering the 'Fax's defeat of the men in blue and black in the College Cup final last summer, combined with the fact that a large part of their side is now built around freshers who will be here for many years to come.

Derwent's attacking play was both attractive and effective on the way to sweeping aside their bitter college rivals. Their waves

Photo: Oliver Todd

of flowing blue and black shirts consistently cut through the Langwith defence who found it hard to cope.

Unlike Derwent, Halifax's team is notably familiar. With a squad stuffed full of University footballers, it is difficult to comprehend their poor start to the season. On paper, they should be walking it, but Derwent's new breed have different plans, plans to rule the college football scene for many years to come.

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