Issue 279

BAME CREATIVE SHOWCASE

Celebrating the talents of York’s Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students

ANTISEMITISM ON

Vision Speaks to JSOC About Antisemitic Incidents They Have Experienced at The University

BY ELLIE DEFRIES

WITHIN THE LAST three years, antisemitism has risen across campus. Jewish students don’t come to University looking to fight antisemitism but unfortunately, as highlighted in this article, it is often what they end up doing.

The President of Jewish Society (JSoc), Sacha Brozel, stated that “the culture of apathy and inaction towards antisemitism has a serious impact on the confidence of Jewish students.”

Ellie Defries, a member of JSoc, has delved into the rise of antisemitism on campus.

“IT SHOULD BE A GIVEN THAT STUDENTS FEEL SAFE ON CAMPUS”

News 2

Editor VACANT

Deputy Editor VACANT

Opinion 6

Editor Laura Rowe

Deputy Editor Emilia Vulliamy

Features 24

Editor Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb

Deputy Editor VACANT

Lifestyle 26

Editor Amber Handley

Deputy Editor VACANT

Science & Tech 27

Editor Oliver Fisher

Deputy Editor VACANT

Climate 28

Editor Joe Lee

Deputy Editor VACANT

Sport 30

Editor Jacob Bassford

Deputy Editor VACANT

Editor Katie Preston

Editor Marti Stelling

Deputy Editor Dan Bennett

SCENE Editor Emily Sinclair

Chief Subeditor Megan

Bartley

Subeditor Isobel Williams

Subeditor Ashani Padhye

Subeditor Jacob Bassford

Subeditor Dan Gordon-Potts

Subeditor Philippa Salmon

Illustrator Niall McGenity

Managing Director

Matt Davis

Deputy Managing Director

Ellie Defries

Social Media Director

Alicia Ward

Technical Director

Marks Polakovs

Head of Multimedia

VACANT

Wellbeing Officer

Miri Huntley

Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, Editorial Team, membership, or advertisers.

Want to be a part of York Vision’s team? Could you be the next person writing the Editor’s note? Could you be the next architect of SCENE? Could you help keep our website running behind the scenes?

Then keep an eye out for York Vision’s Annual General Meeting, where you can run for any of the roles above! Keep an eye on our social media & emails for a time & place!

“EQUITY OVER EQUALITY IS KEY” IN CLOSING PAY GAPS

ETHNIC PAY GAP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF YORK

NOT ALL STAFF ARE PAID EQUALLY

BY MELISSA JAMES (SHE/HER)

WE’RE RANKED IN the top five universities… of worst ethnic pay gaps.

The University’s transparency in its commitment to holding anti-racist status has meant figures have been published that highlight an imbalance in pay between white and minority staff.

Discrepancies in wages between white and black staff is at an average of 14.8 percent.

14.8%

The unfavourable trend is unfortunately mirrored by twothirds of Russell Group universities, exposing the pay gap as an issue within higher education as a whole.

Even more striking is the paycheck gulf between black women

and white men employed by York - a disparity of nearly 50 percent.

50%

The ethnic pay gap has been attempted, trepidly, to be cleared up by the explanation that white staff dominate higher-paid roles in comparison to black staff who are more likely to be employed as cleaners for example. Such commentary identifies more than just a pay-gap, but an institution-wide (if not national) issue of opportunity and education inequality. To confront the clear issue, The White Rose in Leadership scheme has been established by a consortium of three Universities: York, Sheffield, and Leeds. The pilot programme aims to extend career development support to

A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS

Katie Preston, Co-Editor

Marti Stelling,

ethnic minorities. Hopes are that the project will help propel these individuals into senior academic roles and professional services leadership positions within the coming two-three years.

York is also involved in the Yorkshire Consortium for Equality in Doctoral Education (YCEDE). It exists to tackle the inequality in access to postgraduate education. Involvement in progressive action, like the consortium, by universities, is the root to closing the ethnic pay gap.

“York is also imvolved in the Yorkshire Consortium for Equality in Doctoral Education (YCEDE)”

ing for the paper? Keep an eye on our social media for more information on our Annual General Meeting.

This print will see the exciting unveiling of 2023’s YUSU Elections, with hopeful Sabbatical and Part-time Officer candidates bidding to get your votes! Voting opens on 20 February so make sure to use your voice to vote for who you want to be this year’s student representatives.

Equity over equality is the key to eventually no longer needing to publish figures that shine poorly on a University that is dedicated to, “combating inequality in a way that is distinctive to the city of York.”

Instead, active measures taken now can redefine decades of institutional inequality.

equality in a way that is distinctive to the city of York. ”

views the brand new Ukrainian society, as well as giving key information on strikes.

Joe explores ethical spending in our Climate section and in Science, Emily investigates whether we should be eating smaller amounts of food more often.

In Lifestyle, Amber weighs up whether Valentine’s Day is too commercial, and Katie takes us on the journey of making her makeup vegan.

HELLO AND WELCOME

to an extra special elections supplement of York Vision!

We are really excited to be exclusively announcing the candidates of the YUSU elections, as well as providing our usual main paper.

As the birds sing their spring song and the evenings get (ever so slightly) lighter, change is on its way.

Just as we were getting

into the swing of things, we’ll be handing over our posts. However, there are lots of exciting things to look forward to, including the Student Publication Association National Awards and some society socials!

This will be our last edition as editors, and we look forward to welcoming a new editorial team in the coming weeks!

Do you see yourself work-

Our News section tackles some of the biggest issues on campus, including antisemitism and energy bill caps.

We have two exciting columns, one from the Women and Non-Binary Network and another from the BAME network.

In Opinion, Laura discusses sexism within autism diagnoses and endometriosis in a scientific-led opinion section.

In Features, Kaitlyn inter-

Finally, in Sport, Jacob explains the upcoming Varsity tournament, as well as detailing disability and inclusion in sport.

To keep up to date with everything that we are up to, follow us on Instagram @ york_vision, as well as joining us on Slack.

We hope you enjoy this print!

Marti and Katie

“Combating

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

BY MARTI STELLING (SHE/HER)

27 JANUARY MARKED

Holocaust Memorial Day.

Across the world, millions of people came together to reflect on the events of the Holocaust, genocides, and persecutions on a worldwide scale.

This year, the national theme was ‘Ordinary People’. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust explained:

“Genocide is facilitated by ordinary people. Ordinary people turn a blind eye, believe propaganda, join murderous regimes.

“And those who are persecuted, oppressed and murdered in genocide aren’t persecuted because of crimes they’ve committed –they are persecuted simply because they are ordinary people who belong to a particular group or country.”

The events commemorated the past, as well as exploring the continued persecutions of the present, encouraging positive actions that make a difference to the future.

The University hosted a Holocaust Memorial Day Lecture on 24 January, as well as a conversation with author Rebecca Clifford.

Clifford is the author of Survivors: Children’s Lives after the Holocaust, which was shortlisted for the 2021 Wolfson History Prize and a finalist for the 2021 Cundill History Prize.

York Minster held its annual Holocaust Memorial Commemoration on 25 January.

600 candles were arranged to form the Star of David, and lit to remember the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during Word War Two.

The City of York Civic Event took place on 26 January at the York St John Creative Centre. The annual event was hosted by the Lord Mayor and Civic Party.

Additionally, a Clifford’s Tower commemoration is set to take place on 16 March.

The commemoration will remember the 1190 massacre of York’s Jewish population at the site of York Castle at Clifford’s Tower.

UOY ANNOUNCES GENTLEMAN

JACK PHD SCHOLARSHIP

BY MARTI STELLING (SHE/HER)

THE NEW SCHOLARSHIP offers PhD candidates the opportunity to study the life and works of Anne Lister.

Lister was a 19th century Yorkshire landowner whose diaries inspired the BBC series Gentleman Jack

The scholarship is funded by York alumni, Sally Wainwright.

Wainwright was the brains behind Gentleman Jack, as well as writing, producing, and creating many other hit titles, including Scott & Bailey, Last Tango in Halifax, and Happy Valley.

Professor Helen Smith, head of the Department of English and Related Literature, spoke of the scholarship:

“Anne Lister is a fascinating, but little-studied literary figure, and this scholarship, generously funded by Dr Sally Wainwright, will shed

new light on her life, historical significance, and writings.

“We hope that the successful PhD candidate will help us understand more about Anne Lister as a writer and bring her incredible writings to new audiences.”

According to the University, the scholarship is intended to “foster further research on Lister’s life and writing, to establish her place in the canon of English Literature, as well as the historical record, and to better interpret her work”.

“The successful student will have full access to the Lister diaries and other writings, currently held in the West Yorkshire archives in Lister’s native Halifax.”

Sally Wainwright commented on her hopes for the scholarship:

“Anne Lister’s diaries and other writings are a unique, fascinating, vast resource, lending themselves to study across a number of aca-

demic disciplines. Anne Lister was a profoundly clever and unusual woman whose writings need much greater analysis than they have yet received.

“Above and beyond all her other talents, Lister was a prolific diarist, and it is my greatest hope that the scholarship will go some way towards helping establish her extraordinary output firmly within the canon of English Literature.”

The scholarship offers full tuition fees at the UK home rate along with an annual sum of £20,000 for three years, and a small allowance for research expenses.

The scholarship welcomes both home and international students, with the University of York providing a waiver fee to cover the additional tuition costs if an international student proves to be the best candidate.

STUDENTS LEFT TO FREEZE DUE TO COST OF LIVING

ENERGY CAPS LEAVE STUDENTS IN THE COLD

BY MOLLIE JESSON, ESTELLE MOORES, AMY BRITTEN

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FACE a daily struggle between staying warm and keeping bills low as they navigate the harsh reality of energy caps and damp housing conditions. The main issue is the cost of energy; the surge in prices has been the leading cause of the cost-of-living crisis.

Maintenance loans are set to increase by just 2.8% next year, meaning that, on average, they are falling short of living costs by £439 per month, leaving students feeling the pinch more than ever.

Fair-usage Policies

Typically, in York, student housing is arranged around 6 months prior to the letting start date. This means that many landlords had not accounted for the rising costs of gas and electricity prior to contracts being decided. For example, in the Winter of 2021, when most contracts will have been signed, the energy cap was approximately £1277.

Now, only a year later, the energy cap has increased to roughly £3000, according to Ofgem.

One of the main concerns for landlords is that they cannot afford the rentals with bills included for the price originally agreed. With gas prices having increased by 128.9%, and electricity prices increasing by 65.4% by December 2022, many landlords have struggled to cope,

and have felt as though implementing a fair-usage policy is the only option.

As part of a ‘bills included’ package, the terms of the contract state that instead of increasing the prices that they charge in light of energy price increases, the landlord can implement a fair-usage policy; a cap or allowance based, not on units of energy consumed, but on the sum of money spent.

Keen to reduce this prospective cost as much as possible, many households across the UK have limited their heating usage, having it on for just 2 hours a day in some of the coldest winter months.

The 2022 National Student Accommodation Survey, conducted by Save the Student, found that 26% of students are dealing with damp, a figure which will no doubt continue to grow as it becomes increasingly difficult for students to properly heat their houses. The health risks of living in conditions such as these are well documented, with it having a significant effect on the respiratory and immune systems, both of which we have experienced ourselves.

Students have reported being huddled tightly under blankets, trying to work and stay motivated in freezing cold rooms, their fingers numb and heavy, stinging as they press against the keypad, and battling persistent headaches and chesty coughs caused by the mould growing on the walls.

The energy caps may save universities and private landlords money, but they come at a

high cost to the health and wellbeing of students.

So, What Can Be Done?

Having a more open channel of communication with landlords about what exactly can be expected in regard to bills can make things easier.

The University of York is offering a £150 non-repayable per-household energy grant to students who are struggling with bills, however this is only eligible for those whose bills are not included in their rent, and so is not available for those who may be struggling after exceeding their capped price.

The University also offers repayable emergency loans for those struggling in a more general financial sense, though these are repayable within a month and only amount to £96 per week for a maximum of 2 weeks.

All things considered, it doesn’t look like things are going to get better for students any time soon. Ultimately, the negative effects that students have experienced from the implementation of fair-usage policies are reflective of the wider economic issues in the UK. Thus, it is difficult to say exactly who is to blame and, simultaneously, who is responsible for providing a solution. As maintenance loans fall in real value and students continue to struggle, it will likely take a collective effort from universities, property owners and the government to help those battling these conditions.

EXETER STUDENTS RAISE GREENWASHING CONCERNS

EXEPOSÉ REPORTED THAT the University of Exeter has signed a five-year contract with Shell, collaborating on a research project focusing on “carbon sequestration”.

Some students have since launched a “Shell Out” campaign, calling for the University to cut ties with the oil company.

Concerns have been raised about the credibility of Shell’s sustainability and how this partnership might negatively impact the University’s reputation.

DURHAM VICE-CHANCELLOR SALARY REVEALED

PALATINATE REPORTED THAT the Vice-Chancellor of Durham University earns an annual salary of £164,000. Professor Karen O’Brien, the current Vice-Chancellor, was paid £164,000 in base salary for the seven months she held the role in the financial calendar.

This is one thousand pounds lower per month than both her predecessors, Professor Anthony Long and Professor Corbridge. When this was considered within the full calendar year, this would mean Professor O’Brien would be paid £7000 less than Professor Long and £9000 less than Professor Corbridge in salary.

LANCASTER MA STUDENT PUBLISHES BOOK

SCAN REPORTED THAT Lancaster Creative Writing Masters student Liam Bates (he/they) published his first book of poetry, Human Townsperson, obtaining funding from Arts Council England to help finish the collection.

Their debut poetry book Human Townsperson, published in the August of 2022, is a commentary on life in the 21st century, inspired by the fantasy and video-game quests that peppered his childhood.

To celebrate the release of Human Townsperson, Liam hosted a launch and open-mic on 21 January. It was a success, gaining traction from both Lancaster University students and other published poets, such as Nóra Blascsók and Ian Seed.

KINGS’S UNI TO OFFER FREE COURSES TO AFGHAN WOMEN ADMIST

TALIBAN

ROAR REPORTED THAT King’s College London was among universities offering free courses to Afghan women under the Taliban’s education ban on women.

In December, the learning platform released a statement announcing that girls and women with internet access will be able to study over 1,200 courses from top British and international institutions at no cost. This access will be provided for the duration of the Taliban’s ban on women’s access to higher education. King’s College London is one of 21 Russel Group universities partnered with FutureLearn in this endeavour.

BAME NETWORK HOSTS FIRST BAME CREATIVE SHOWCASE

BY KATIE PRESTON (SHE/HER)

OCCURING ON 12 February, the BAME Network successfully held its first Creative Showcase, celebrating the talents of York’s Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students.

A first for the Network, the evening included performances of singing, dancing, poetry and music, as well as displaying student-made art.

Taking place at 7.30pm in Central Hall, the BAME Creative Showcase also promoted Emilia’s other project, the Minority-Ethnic Student Handbook, a guide for BAME students on cultural foods in York, scholarship opportunities and more.

Beginning with the first of many comedy sets by Activities Officer Rohan, the showcase kicked off with Rohan’s discussion of anglicising names, ‘ethnic banter’, and his conspiracy that James is actually an anglicised Indian name.

Hosting the entire showcase, Rohan’s comedy explored his family history with Bollywood dancing and being the only BAME person in the room prior to enrolling at York, with Rohan declaring that this is the “first BAME creative showcase, and [the acts] have gone and done some really difficult musical things on stage, and smashed it!”

The showcase’s first performance was from Neha, who sang Indian classical music Raag Jog. Having completed Visharad in this, a bachelors equivalent qualification, Neha’s beautiful performance, despite the slight malfunction of the electronic device emulating a traditional band, elicited thunderous applause from the audience.

Vani was the showcase’s next act, expertly blending Bollywood and musical theatre through her two-song performance. Singing ‘When I look at You’, the song choice was very personal to Vani, having sung it for her Grade Eight qualification whilst working towards her diploma.

Neo was another standout performer, playing a saxophone free improvisation over the fa-

mous spiritual ‘Go Down Moses’ ‘ alongside an excerpt from Frederick Douglass displayed on screen. Expressing music as a call to action, Neo’s deliberate distortion of the saxophone created a brilliant yet unsettling narrative performance.

The third singing performance of the showcase was from Shirin, again demonstrating the blending of musical theatre and BAME. Singing ‘The Voice Within’ by Christina Aguilera. Mixing Bollywood and Gollywood, singing songs in English and Indian languages like Hindi and Tamil , the audience clapped along with thunderous applause.

The penultimate performance, Phillipa sang ‘Rise Up’ by Andra Day followed by an incredible rendition of ‘Tell Me You Love Me’ from the musical Dreamgirls, a performance she hoped “to do justice as many vocal legends have performed it before”.

BAME Creative Showcase’s last performance was a Bollywood dance performed by Parin, Ananya, Ninad, and Abhishek. Full of energy, the crowd whistled and clapped along, with some students singing alone.

At the end of the performance, Rohan promoted York Marrow, a volunteering group who had attended, and spoke of the importance of ethnic diversity to sign up due to difficulties in finding doners for BAME individuals.

Speaking to Vision, the BAME Network stated that:

“We are really passionate about this event as we understand that BAME students are less likely to get involved with creative societies and activities whilst at university.

“We want to highlight the talents of our diverse student body and encourage higher levels of participation by BAME students within creative societies.”

Emilia, the out-going BAME Part-Time Officer, exclusively spoke to Vision about the importance of the event:

“The BAME student showcase is going to be the most ambitious event held by the BAME Network this year. I’m so grateful for Anna (the BAME Network’s Events

Officer) for coming to the committee with the event last term and for doing lots of behind the scenes organising, and for Rohan, who has supported us so much throughout!

“It’s really exciting that this is the first time an event like this has been organised at the University, and I would absolutely love it if it became a yearly tradition the Network put on. There’s so much talent amongst York’s BAME students and if this event showcases just a little bit of it then it will have been a complete success!”

YUSU’s out-going Activities Officer Rohan Ashar said prior to the event:

“The inaugural YUSU BAME Creative Showcase is a new project aiming to actively demonstrate and celebrate the various cultures and talents of our BAME community through performances and art, an area of activities in which there is a real lack of racial/ ethnic diversity yet a lot of potential for this to change.

“I’m really excited to participate myself as host, and more importantly support our acts who are taking to the stage!

“This should be a fun as well as meaningful occasion which signifies the start of better representation for BAME students here at York, particularly in the creative societies.

“I hope that the event gets support from lots of people, including those who don’t identify as BAME, because it constitutes a unique chance to bridge gaps and make connections, which only works to its full potential when everyone contributes. We simply want to break down barriers and improve opportunities, together!”

JSOC SPEAK OUT ABOUT ANTISEMETISM ON CAMPUS UPCOMING UKRAINE ROUNDTABLE

BY ELLIE DEFRIES (SHE/HER)

WITHIN THE LAST three years, antisemitism has risen across campus. Jewish students don’t come to University looking to fight antisemitism but unfortunately, as highlighted in this article, it is often what they end up doing.

The President of Jewish Society (JSoc), Sacha Brozel, stated that “the culture of apathy and inaction towards antisemitism has a serious impact on the confidence of Jewish students.”

Ellie Defries, a member of JSoc, has delved into the rise of antisemitism on campus.

Whilst many antisemitic incidents occur across the country, York has had its own occurrences which JSoc felt were not appropriately dealt with.

In 2022, Nouse released an article detailing an antisemitic incident at a “drunk debate” hosted by the Debate Society in November 2021. JSoc was not informed of this incident until March 14th, despite the print issue hitting campus on the 15th of March.

JSoc stated that the aforementioned article was “available online already and had been found by one of our members. It is our responsibility to report any and all antisemitic incidents to the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and the Community Security Trust (CST) so they may appropriately deal with the incidents.

“We had a meeting with YUSU and UJS regarding the way they handled this situation and asked to be informed of incidents. But we were told that YUSU was ‘unable to share the details of the complaint outcome given privacy considerations.’”

In 2021, Professor David Miller, of Bristol University, was fired after making violently antisemitic comments, stating all Jewish students’ societies and UJS are engaged in a “campaign of censorship … directed by the state of Israel”, “render[ing] Arab and Muslim students, as well as anti-Zionist Jewish students, particularly unsafe”. In response, letters written in support of Miller were signed by a University of York archaeology professor and masters student.

After discovering this, JSoc contacted these members, elaborating on why Miller’s comments made Jewish students feel unsafe, and asking if they agreed with Miller’s depiction of University Jewish societies, if they agreed with Miller’s assessment that the accusations of antisemitism in the Labour Party were “mostly false”, and if they had had any discussions with Jewish students prior to signing the letter. Once again, JSoc received no response to their inquiry.

A University spokesperson said:

“Our Dignity at Work and Study policy empowers students and staff to report and address incidents of harassment, bullying and hate incidents appropriately. We have adopted the IHRA definition of Antisemitism in our definitions of Hate Incidents and Antisemitism.

“Students can access further support from the Open Door team, our network of Dignity Contacts, College and academic supervisors, as well as the Online Report and Support tool. All students and staff have a duty to respect others

and to ensure the campus remains welcoming to people of all faiths and beliefs, and for those who do not adhere to a religious faith.”

Similarly, last year, JSoc made a request to all colleges to provide “Kosher for Passover” options for catered students during Passover, as it fell on the first week of term.

While not having any Kosher options for the rest of the year is also an issue, a vegetarian diet will fulfil Kosher requirements under normal circumstances. However, during Passover, it is forbidden to eat chametz, including leavened or fermented foods, as well as wheat, barley and other grains.

JSoc were told “food requirements for catered students usually falls outside of the responsibility of College Student Associations.”

After being directed to the Catering Department to make their request, no further communication was received.

Not long after, the colleges provided alternate catering options for Muslim students during Ramadan. JSoc said on the overlooking of Jewish students:

“We are really appreciative of the fact that they did this and believe this was important for Muslim students at York as we also wish for them to feel welcomed and safe in their university experience, but it hurt us that we were not extended the same courtesy.”

Furthermore, JSoc has a private space on campus to observe holidays and Shabbat, which is meant to only be used by Jewish students in order to ensure it remains Kosher.

However, at the start of this academic year, during Rosh Hashanah - the holiest day of the year - JSoc entered the space to complete the Mitzvot and prayers for that day and discovered that inflatables had been plugged in for Fresher’s Week through the window. This meant that not only had people entered without the society knowing about it, but the space was no longer Kosher for prayer.

In response, JSoc held a meeting with the University regarding this violation as they are aware that this space is not to be used by anyone except JSoc, and made sure our expectations were heard and followed after this incident.

A University spokesperson said:

“The University is committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone and provides a number of dedicated spaces for prayer and reflection on campus. In recognition of there being no dedicated space for Jewish students, we provided the [disclosed for security purposes] room for use by the Jewish Society.

“We are sorry this dedicated space was used in this way. We believe the intrusion and disruption was unintended rather than motivated by malice or ill-will, and a senior member of [redacted] College has also apologised. We can confirm that all new staff have been briefed on the status of the room, and moving forward, we are reviewing signage and information for staff to ensure the space continues to be respected.”

JSoc told Vision:

“The silence we consistently receive from the university in response to antisemitism is sickening. All of these incidents occurred while

current members of York JSoc were at university.

“While these were all ‘official’ incidents (i.e. ones that were reported to YUSU or other university administrative bodies) there is a constant stream of off-hand antisemitic comments made to or around our members by peers.”

Previous JSoc President Helen Murphy said:

“[T]here have been many times on campus where I have had to leave a conversation or society event after blatantly antisemitic comments have been made and ignored by everyone else in the group. Follow-ups to these have been brushed over and left me feeling uncomfortable around my coursemates, who I have to interact with on a daily basis”.

In May 2021, there was a 365% increase in antisemitic incidents in the UK due to an outbreak of violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict. As a response to this, the NUS remained silent.

JSoc told Vision:

“It is unacceptable that our members have been made to feel isolated and that we have to deal with antisemitism ourselves, despite YUSU receiving antisemitism training from UJS. It should be a given that students feel safe on campus, but the responses to the antisemitism that we have to face means that we do not feel protected at all. We are not being listened to when we inform people what they can do better.

“As York remains affiliated with the NUS due to a low referendum turnout, we feel a statement should be made condemning the antisemitism that was revealed, particularly from a student union who so often have ignored our complaints. Multiple times, Jewish students have reported NUS events as being hostile and unsafe but had their complaints dismissed. We as York Jewish Society urge you to read the full report and to understand the extent of the antisemitism in the NUS.”

YUSU’s Union President Pierrick Roger told Vision:

“YUSU takes all complaints seriously and we welcomed the opportunity to meet with JSoc reps to talk about our approach to complaint handling, and why the organisation has to consider privacy within this.

“In light of the NUS report on antisemitism being made public, we have been proactive in our response to the NUS. We wanted our response to not be tokenistic though, which is why it has not been published yet as we wanted the opportunity to catch up with both UJS nationally and York’s JSoc to get their thoughts and comments on the action plan set out by the NUS.

“YUSU is clear that there is no place within our community at York for hate and prejudice and we are committed to creating a community that is welcoming and inclusive for every member. Over the past year we have been working to develop a new strategy on equality, diversity and inclusion that will help fulfil our commitments as a Students’ Union and employer, ensuring differences are valued, and all are supported to thrive.”

BY KATIE PRESTON (SHE/HER)

OCCURRING ON MONDAY 20 February, “One Year on: The War in Ukraine and its wider ramifications” is a round table discussion devoted to the Ukrainian war and its consequences for the international system.

A panel of experts on the subject, York’s history department will be joined by external guests Professor Anatol Lieven, Dr Tetyana Lunyova, and Dr Rob Dale to explore questions relating to the origins of the conflict, possible outcomes and its long-term international impacts.

The round table will take place from 6.15pm to 7.30pm in the Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building, and attendees are encouraged to join a drinks reception at 5.45pm prior to the event.

Tickets are free and purchasable on the University website.

LGBTQ+ MONTH SALON

BY EMILY SINCLAIR (SHE/HER)

TO CELEBRATE LGBTQ+ History Month, the Univeristy of York’s English Department will be hosting an informal salon on 17 February.

At the event, there will be readings of LGTBQ+ works and informal discussions about how these ideas and identities manifest across history.

It will take place in the Bowland Auditorium in the Berrick Saul Building.

The English Department have said they welcome all contributions from students and staff who would like to give a reading. Equally, the department make it clear that you’re welcome to also come along and just listen to the readings and discussions.

The event is flexible and the department welcome a variety of materials and genres from different periods.

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UCU STRIKES ARE HAPPENING AGAIN

RHETORIC THAT WE have heard for three years running now (maybe even longer, who knows at this point), UCU strike action has hit campus once again.

This time there is a historic 18 day-strike over a period of seven weeks, with staff members protesting at Heslington Hall and across the city of York, asking for fairer pay and better working conditions.

But how is this affecting us students? Yet again, we are having our learning majorly disrupted, and with the sheer amount of strike days during this term, many students may have up to four weeks back-to-back of no teaching.

Especially anxiety-inducing for students about to graduate, this latest striking period may result in a marking boycott later down the line, causing more stress.

WHEN WILL WE HAVE WARMER WEATHER?

ABOUT THIS TIME of year, we start to see an annoying trend in English weather: sunny skies, with blisteringly cold winds. This means that whilst it looks like a beautiful day for a campus stroll when you look out of your window in the morning, it’s actually hell on Earth trying to get to campus without being blown away into oblivion.

Spring is just around the corner, a season where campus becomes filled with baby ducks and geese that, whilst may be cute now, will soon grow up and start chasing you across Derwent on your way to the Spring Lane Building.

But what about now? Mid-February, it’s still cold, but the sun is shining more than ever. Long gone are the days where we have to wear three or more layers, but where is the summer sun we all crave?

YUSU ELECTIONS

IT’S THAT TIME of year again: roll on the YSTV 60 second manifestos and the incessant social media campaigns, it’s YUSU elections season.Whether you are actively running in the elections (if so, see our Elections pull-out to spot yourself!), are part of student media trying to ensure candidates meet your deadlines, or just your average student, YUSU elections are quite an exciting time to be on campus.

Getting flagged down on your way to classes to vote for candidates, being asked for endorsements from friends and seeing the same Canva templates splattered across your Instagram feed, YUSU elections are a great way to meet new people and use your student voice to vote for what matters to you!

With sabbatical officers re-running (again, see our Elections supplement) and heavily contested Part-Time Officer positions, Elections Results Night is something that candidates, student media and the wider student body can all look forward to at the end of week seven.

I’d heavily urge you to read our Elections Supplement, even if you’re not wanting to get involved, to see the hard work the Vision team have put in this year.

SEXISM IN AUTISM DIAGNOSES NEEDS TO END

in which a person is particularly interested and knowledgeable in - are common among all autistic people.

AUTISM AFFECTS PEOPLE of all genders, yet it only ever seems to be discussed in reference to boys and men.

KATIE PRESTON (she/her)

Research still focuses predominantly on them, with women and non-binary people’s experiences of autism being ignored.

Lauren Kenworthy, director at the Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, argues for more research to be carried out into autism in women to improve the sex and gender gap in autism studies. She states that this could transform our understanding of the condition.

Evidence that girls with autism are going undiagnosed has been increasing for years. The standard for autism has been based on how it presents itself in young autistic boys.

As autistic girls exhibit different traits to autistic boys, they are frequently overlooked by teachers, doctors, and standard diagnostic tools. Autism is often cited as being four times as likely in boys as in girls.

This claim, however, is questioned by researchers who state that the true ratio would be less extreme as so many autistic girls go unidentified. There has not been nearly as much research into how autism presents in girls, and it is not spoken about nearly as much. This means that most girls with autism fly under the radar.

Another difficulty experienced by researchers is that girls with autism tend to behave in ways which are considered acceptable—if not ideal. Oftentimes the behaviours may be the same as in boys (passive, withdrawn, dependent on others, uninvolved, or even depressed) but in girls it is welcomed while in boys it is an indicator of autism.

Girls may have fewer restricted interests and repetitive behaviours than boys do. Girls also may have more socially acceptable types of interests. Special interests – an area

The special interests of boys and men, however, are often ‘nerdy’ and typically associated with autism. The special interests of girls are not often seen as being special interests and indicative of autism. Some girls may even make things like fashion, makeup and skincare (all seen to be hyper-feminine and suitable for women) their special interest.

Women with autism become very good at masking – at being perceived as neurotypical – to the degree where they can be unaware they are doing it.

Girls are more likely than boys to mask their autistic traits by copying their neurotypical peers which can lead to burnout in later life. Masking is very draining and without the knowledge of what it is girls and women may never stop doing it. The pressure to fit neurotypical norms is strong among all autistic women let alone those who don’t know that they aren’t neurotypical.

Without the knowledge that masking is exhausting, it is almost impossible to pin-point the reasons for burnout and so impossible to rectify . Without an explanation or a diagnosis, it is impossible to change this.

The prioritisation of research into autism in boys centres men at the expense of women and non-binary people. Oftentimes, autistic women do not receive a diagnosis until they are much older, if at all! Women and non-binary people often have to navigate the world with no ‘tools’ for far longer than their male-counterparts.

Without coping mechanisms, support services and allowances, which make life easier for autistic people, life becomes even harder. They are not granted the same opportunities as men. Equally, the lack of diagnosis can be isolating.

A diagnosis provides explanations for certain behaviours and feelings which can be very reassuring. The sense of community in shared

experiences is also greatly comforting. Without a diagnosis or education these possibilities are removed from women.

Autism is often misdiagnosed in women as bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, meaning that they are unable to access the support which they need. The treatments for these conditions can make the mental health of autistic people worse, especially if the wrong condition is being treated.

Up to 20 percent of girls and women in eating-disorder clinics have undiagnosed autism, and they may have different treatment needs. For example, if they have intense aversions to food smells, a treatment protocol that requires them to eat in a group setting could make them even less likely to eat. But if it is not known that they are autistic then these necessary changes cannot be made.

The lack of research and diagnosis of autism in women means that the condition is not fully understood. Currently we only really know how ASD affects boys and men.

Support plans are not as detailed, tailored or present for women and non-binary people as they are just copies of the male version. Not only does this mean that it is less diagnosed in women, but that after they have been diagnosed, the systems are not set up to help them.

Many women are reaching adulthood before the possibility that they may be autistic even occurs to them. They are living unnecessary years of their lives without the support which is more easily accessible and tailored to their male counterparts.

Bottom Line: The lack of diagnosis can cause serious mental health problems and trauma for these women.

LAURA ROWE (SHE/HER) OPINION EDITOR

ENDOMETRIOSIS AND ABUSE LINKED

LAURA ROWE (SHE/HER) OPINION EDITOR

PUBLISHED IN THE Journal

Human Reproduction in July 2018, the article ‘Early life abuse and risk of endometriosis’ linked endometriosis to childhood abuse.

Endometriosis is an excruciating condition which affects around 200 million women worldwide.

According to the article, women who experienced severe to chronic abuse during childhood had a 79% higher risk of developing endometriosis. Epidemiologist Dr. Holly Harris stated that “both physical and sexual abuse were associated with endometriosis risk …it’s a strong association.”

Harris stresses that this does not mean that every person who suffers from endometriosis was physically or sexually abused as a child. Instead, it demonstrates that both abuse and endometriosis are far too common.

The study does not prove that abuse causes endometriosis but

contributes to the field of evidence linking traumatic childhood experiences with health difficulties.

Endometriosis is a common condition that usually affects people who menstruate in their 20s and 30s.

It starts when tissue from the endometrium (which normally lines the uterus) starts growing outside of that area, attaching itself to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowel, bladder or other parts of the body. The endometrium doesn’t realize it’s outside the uterus, so it continues thickening and breaking down with every menstrual cycle.

But while the broken-down endometrium is normally expelled during a period, outside of the uterus there’s nowhere for displaced endometrium to go.

Over time, the extra tissue within the pelvic region creates cysts, scar tissue and adhesions that can lead to chronic pain, excessive bleeding, and, for up to half of women with the condition, infertility.

Harris argues that research into

endometriosis is underfunded so very little is known about the condition, why it happens or how to cure it. It can take around seven years from first symptoms to actual diagnosis. That’s seven years of unnecessary suffering.

There was a 79 percent higher risk of endometriosis for women reporting severe-chronic abuse compared to those reporting no physical or sexual abuse.

Abuse was defined as severe if they were kicked, bitten, punched or physically attacked more than once, or choked or burned ever as a child. Sexual abuse was defined as severe when there was forced sexual activity during both childhood and adolescence.

The parameters are reductive and are a jarring reminder that childhood abuse happens so much that there are categorisations for a disgusting act which should never happen.

The personal response to the study by people who have experienced both endometriosis and childhood abuse are devasting.

The lack of research and education around endometriosis further isolates people making a horrific situation even worse.

This study, however, may be the first steps towards a better future. Shedding light on the link between childhood abuse and endometriosis as well as advocating for more research and funding for the condition, the study has created a space for people with shared experiences to begin to form a community. Raising awareness for both the link and for the condition itself by educating ourselves and advocating for more funding and research can and will help many people.

Bottom Line: The link shows that endometriosis and childhood abuse are both far too common.

EDITING CAPTIONS IS SO IMPORTANT

BY LAURA ROWE

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS are packed full of unrealistic expectations which leads to disappointment and guilt when you are unable to fulfil them.

Usually they are centred around personal enrichment. While this is something to be celebrated, it often leads to unnecessary pressure. Emphasis is often put on exercise and weight loss. Not only are they contributing to toxic diet culture, they make us feel worse about ouselves especially when we set unachievable goals.

For me, I make myself monthly goals: my January goal was to drink more water. They are very small things which all work towards personal enrichment but are much more manageable and flexible. What’s so good with monthly goals is that you can change them dependent on what kind of a month its been and what is coming up. And if you don’t feel you quite completed it then it just carries over to the next month!

DESIRE PATHS

BY LAURA ROWE

DESIRE PATHS EMERGE as shortcuts where the constructed paths take a longer or more circuitous route.

A PICTURE IS worth a thousand words - but not to those with vision problems.

Illustrations, photographs, and graphics are often beautiful, but we cannot take for granted being able to appreciate them. Lots of life is translated into the infamous square nowadays. Yes, I am talking about Instagram. It has become an outlet to share life, news and literally everything in between. The app is a massive tool in information sharing for our Universities’ societies, colleges, sports teams and projects, and I would like to see

them all uphold the EDI promise to include image descriptors when sharing their posts. You may think I am nagging over something trivial that won’t benefit the masses. Still, by discluding the descriptors you are excluding the more than two million people who are living in the United Kingdom with vision loss. Granted, they don’t all attend our university. That would be a bustling campus! But, the small acts of inclusion when they might not be ‘technically’ necessary are the stepping stones to a fairer society. A practice we take up now as students can be translated into the real world as we graduate and some of us step up to roles in the social media field.

With so many prompts on the app to remind you to add ‘Alt Text’ it is almost criminal not to. It needs to become a reflex when information-sharing through the medium of pictures. No award-winning poetic description with similies and adjectives is needed, just a simple explanation that can be processed by a screen reader. When your society posts its social schedule in a jazzed-up, Canva-produced timeta-

ble, think of the people that might not be able to read it. If they or their screen reader can’t consume it, they won’t know about it. It shuts a door in their face.

Bottom Line: Our campus community is a defining characteristic of why many of us chose to come here- let’s make sure everyone is welcomed.

Once the path has been walked once, people follow that visibly existing route until a clearly visible path emerges. I’d never thought much about desire paths or how they come to be until I was walking with my partner who pointed out that the path we were on was called a desire path.

Once you start noticing them you see them everywhere – they’re all over campus! You don’t think much of the path that’s been deliberately made, but when its been created by hundreds of people over the course of years I think that starts to take on special meaning.

Now whenever I find myself on one I think about all the other people who may had walked on it and the connection we have with people we don’t even know existed.

LAURA ROWE EMILIA VULLIAMY

MELISSA JAMES (SHE/HER) OPINION CONTRIBUTOR

“With so many prompts on the app to remind you to add “Alt Text”, it is almost criminal not to.”

YUSU BAME COLUMN YUSU

BAME NETWORK

RACE AND THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

COST OF LIVING AND BEING WORKING CLASS AS A MINORITY-ETHNIC STUDENT

OVER THE PAST months, the country and arguably the world as a whole have tackled an economic crisis that has shaken the foundations of our societies.

Prices spiking and wages remaining stagnant have created a new culture of fear, worry, and pessimism throughout the classes.

As students, we have been forced to reckon with the sight of the future being bleaker than before, especially for those finishing their degrees. This undeniably affects all of us regardless of race, gender, and even to an extent, financial circumstances.

Working students are faced with costs becoming harder and harder to maintain, and the relationship between working and studying more tenuous.

Students from working-class areas have to consider the struggle of their families, their friends, and their peers back home. Not to

mention our staff, who are tackling both the decision of whether to participate in industrial action and

consider themselves intersectional activists must acknowledge how different minorities are affected

that they are the same as others.

“Falling faster” is a phenomenon coined by Runnymeade Trust and refers to the fact that BAME individuals “fall faster” under the poverty line than their white counterparts during an economic crisis.

The statistics are shocking;

stalled the then slowly closing financial gap between white and minority ethnic communities. This is a pattern indicative of the institutionalised oppression that BAME individuals face in every facet of their life.

So, how can we help with this?

It’s important to use our language accurately and with an understanding of the whole situation. Those who are privileged enough to have these conversations, rather than just try their best to live through these current times, must use that privilege to have accurate conversations.

the economic crises they face. All in all, it is a hard time for everyone. However, throughout these struggles, it is important to un derstand those who are acutely affected by the crisis. Those who

differently by something seeming-

In times like these, it is usually people who suffer under multiple forms of oppression who are then forgotten, lost in the assumption

BAME individuals are almost 2.2 times as likely to fall into deep poverty than white individuals.

This also is not a unique factor of the current cost of living crisis. The 2007/2008 financial crisis

It isn’t about reducing the struggles of everyone else, but recognising why and how some are suffering more or suffering differently. We must do everything we can to avoid letting people fall behind.

BAME CREATIVE SHOWCASE IN IMAGES

CREATE THE CHANGE

VISION’S 2023 GUIDE TO YUSU ELECTIONS

CONTENTS PAGE

Designed and Edited By

Katie Preston

Editors

Katie Preston

Marti Stelling

Deputy Editor

Dan Bennett

Chief Subeditor

Megan Bartley

Managing Director

Matt Davis

Technical Director

Marks Polakovs

Contributors

Katie Preston

Dan Bennet

Ashani Padhye

Miri Huntley

Special Thanks To

Emily Sinclair

Dan Bennett

Franki Riley

Rohan Ashar

Emilia Chambers

YSTV

URY

YUSU Elections Team

Thank you to all candidates, whether re-running or new, for being involved with this Elections Supplement. We wish you the best of luck on your campaigns for 2023!

Read our online supplement at ELECTIONS.YORKVISION.CO.UK

2. Elections Key Timeline

3. Presidential Candidates

4. Sports President Candidates

5. Academic Officer Candidates

6. Activities Officer Candidates

7. Community + Wellbeing Candidates

8. Women/Non-Binary and LGBTQ+ Candidates

9. International Candidates

10. BAME and A + S Candidates

11. NUS Delegates

12. Faculty Reps and Longboi’s Impact on the 2023 Elections

Candidates ELECTIONS TIMELINE

NOMINATIONS CLOSE

CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED

60 SECOND MANIFESTOS RELEASED DEBATE

PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

The Union President acts as the main spokesperson for YUSU, chairs the Union’s Board of Trustees and is responsible for the reputation, leadership and direction of YUSU as a democratic organisation. They work closely with the University’s Vice Chancellor and staff team, as well as key contacts in the city of York and, most importantly, students.

PIERRICK ROGER | HE/HIM/HIS | A BOLDER YUSU? ROGER THAT. #PIERRICK4PREZ Masters of Biology (Integrated) | Graduate | @pierrick4prez

What do you think is the biggest issue facing students at York, and what would you do about it?

Accommodation - there’s a lack of housing stock, with dropping standards and rents increasing to all time highs. I will finalise setup of a UNIPOL housing charity charged with regulating the private market and implementing Accreditation and Rate My Landlord Schemes. I will demand construction of 1,500 rooms on campus to relieve strain on the private market and secure a 1 million pound Rent Support Package to be made available to students in the next academic year.

If your campaign had a mascot, what or who would it be?

A human-sized tin of Heinz Baked Beans. YUSU loves beans, especially the beans on Courtyard 40p beans on toast. Ah... beans... Everyone should have beans. More cheap food anyone?

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Improve housing: secure £1 million in rent grants and introduce private lets regulation.

2. Improve inclusivity: lobby for fairer academic processes and the rise of York Bursaries in line with inflation.

3. Improve campus life: invest in campus travel infrastructure and demand the University pay College Committees.

KLEO GREENHALGH | THEY/THEM | FEED US. PROTECT US. RESPECT US

What do you think is the biggest issue facing students at York, and what would you do about it?

Our lack of help from the university. The University provided a support payment to all the students who have their bills paid separately to their rent. This was helpful, and it definitely helped my household out - but what about the students who’ve had their rent increased? What about the students who could barely afford rent in the first place? The payment was not fair - and I know a few ways to help us out more.

If your campaign had a mascot, what or who would it be?

Bit cringe - but the students at York. We all know what we want, and we are all willing to scream and shout to be heard. We are mascots of our own making and we all need to be noticed if we want to be listened to.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Subsidised meals for all.

2. Applications are hard, we need to fix that.

3. The Uni gave us blankets, we need more.

Previous Union President Successes

A vital role within the Students’ Union, there have been many past Union Presidents that have made their mark on the University: YUSU’s first president went by the nickname “Pip”, although formally known as Pradip Nayak. Perhaps the most famous, though, is Tom Scott (2008/09), aka “Mad Cap’n Tom Scott”, who ran as a joke candidate yet managed to receive almost 3000 votes, becoming YUSU’s 48th Union President. Tom Scott posters can still (sometimes) be found around campus!

Patrick O’Donnell also held the role of President for two terms. Despite failing to end Circuit Laundry contracts during lockdown due to high alternative costs, ‘P.O.D’ was successful in his goals of “collaboration and working together”.

FULL INTERVIEWS ONLINE ELECTIONS.YORKVISION.CO.UK

SPORTS PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

The York Sport Union President is the main point of contact for all University and college sport clubs. They coordinate and develop sport within YUSU and work to increase opportunities and participation. They help to shape the direction of sports and physical activity at the University of York, as well as running massive events such as Roses, College Varsity, and the Colours Ball.

DECLAN THOMAS | HE/HIM/HIS | LET’S USE SPORT TO MAKE A CHANGE #DEC4SPORTS

Law | Third Year | @dec4sportspresident

How are you going to ensure that University and college sport is more diverse and accessible to students of all backgrounds? In terms of making college and University sport more accessible, I’m going to secure more consistent and improved funding for the ‘activities access grant’, to ensure that no students are left feeling like they are unable to participate in sport at any period during the year. In terms of making sport at York more diverse, I want to work with teams to continue to tackle issues of discriminatory conduct to foster an environment of acceptance.

What sport would you like to see added at Roses?

If you asked me which sports I would like to see added to roses last year, I would have advocated for motorsport. This year is the first year that motorsport has been given the opportunity to participate in Roses which has successfully created more variety in the competition. This fills me with confidence that in the future we can work alongside Lancaster to celebrate more of our sporting clubs such as boxing and athletics.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Sustainable Sport - I will make sport at York better for the environment.

2. Charitable Sport - I will ensure we fully utilise sport in York to maximise charitable opportunities.

3. Accessible Sport - I will create more support for students in sport.

JAMES ‘JAMMY’ CLARKE | HE/THEY | MAKE A CHANGE - VOTE JAMMY

History of Art and Curating | Third Year | @votejammy

How are you going to ensure that University and college sport is more diverse and accessible to students of all backgrounds?

Expanding the awareness and use of the access grant is a primary concern of mine to tackle the cost of living crisis’ accessibility impact on students of all backgrounds. Furthermore, practically, I wish to install sensory spaces around campus that will create an inclusive and accessible spectator experience for all those who wish to use them. I hope that the combination of these two policies will provide both immediate relief and long-term prospects for all.

What sport would you like to see added at Roses?

Breaking (breakdancing) or skateboarding. Two amazing entertaining sports picked up by Paris for the 2024 Olympics and if they can do it, why can’t we! Any sport that encourages excitement in both participants and spectators is always a yes in my book.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. I will ensure the smooth integration of sport in to the ‘semesterisation’ coming 2023/24.

2. I will enact an efficient financial plan to tackle the cost of living crisis’ effects on sport.

3. I will provide sensory spaces on campus to establish inclusive and accessible sports-viewing areas.

TANISHA JAIN | SHE/HER/HERS | ONLY WAY, TJ!

Psychology | Third Year

How are you going to ensure that University and college sport is more diverse and accessible to students of all backgrounds?

As an international student who is a POC and part of the LGBTQ community, inclusion and accessibility are of great importance to me. I would hold focus groups with students from underrepresented communities and the respective student officers to hear what they want from sports at York. I’d also like to allocate more funds to disability sports and also encourage more trans/non-binary/ gender fluid athletes to come together and help me make participation in sports at York more inclusive.

What sport would you like to see added at Roses?

I would love to see MMA/boxing be an official Roses event, and also other smaller and unconventional clubs get more recognition like Jiu Jitsu, Archery, Ultimate Frisbee, Karate, etc.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Eliminate barriers, destigmatize stereotypes and improve inclusion in all aspects of sports.

2. Stronger, better and clearer college sports network and support system.

3. Focus on the quality of training we provide, and maximise the use of our facilities, including storage facilities.

ACADEMIC OFFICER CANDIDATES

The Academic Officer represents students on issues relating to their course, teaching and learning facilities. The Academic Officer also works with almost 300 Course Representatives, Department Representatives and Faculty Representatives to ensure that every student has the opportunity to shape how their course is taught.

DEBAYAN ‘DEB’ DEY | HE/HIM | BOLDLY ADVOCATING CHANGE

MSc Cyber Security | Graduate | @debforacademic

Why do you think departments struggle to fill all their academic representative positions, and what will you do about it? Departments often struggle to fill academic representative positions due to a lack of awareness and incentives. I plan to address this by launching a comprehensive outreach campaign to increase visibility and involvement, as well as implementing a rewards system like Student Action Group to incentivise participation. My goal is to ensure that every department is fully represented and every student has a voice.

If you were a building on campus, what building would you be and why?

If I were a building on campus, I would be the Ron Cooke Hub. Like the Hub, I strive to bring people together, provide resources and support, and facilitate collaboration and innovation. I aim to be a central hub for the student community and play a key role in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. I guarantee to improve the SSP (Student Support Plan) and EC (Exceptional Circumstances) support and increase the self certifications numbers.

2. I guarantee to improve the feedback on assessments & proper exam scheduling.

3. I guarantee to improve the careers & placement with more internship opportunities along with scholarships & bursaries.

HESANDI | SHE/THEY | CAREERS? DIVERSITY? PROSPECTS?

WE HAVE IT ALL HERE!

Why do you think departments struggle to fill all their academic representative positions, and what will you do about it?

It’s because students who are appointed as academic representatives feel as if their voices aren’t heard when they are in a position where they could make change within their degrees and their departments. Departments should be more approachable and open to change. I will make sure to be a point of contact for academic representatives so they could tell me their frustrations at their department, and I could contact the relevant department to settle disputes.

If you were a building on campus, what building would you be and why? Spring Lane Building, because it’s incredibly sexy.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. An inclusive University: a self-referral system for Student Support Plans (SSPs).

2. A better transition to Uni life: an improved Student Buddy Scheme.

3. Better international student representation: an Overseas Course Rep for every department.

WALTON WHITE | HE/HIM | HI I’M WALTON WHITE AND I MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO History

DEFEND THE STUDENTS OF YORK

Why do you think departments struggle to fill all their academic representative positions, and what will you do about it?

I think because there is in general a lack of community in the overall departments. There seems to be a bit disconnect I feel like for students between the course and the department. As someone who has done history at this University, I did feel like I lacked a certain connection with the department last year. A big reason why I chose to become President of the History Society was to create a better sense of community in my department and I want to do that on a bigger scale as Academic Officer.

If you were a building on campus, what building would you be and why?

Definitely Courtyard. Catering skills aren’t quite there, but that’s not the case for my mixology skills. We also seem to both love playing ‘Chocolate’ by The 1975 at the most random of times. Also great place to go to if like me, you like to watch Eurovision solo. Also hands down, the bar on campus.

Three Key Manifesto Points

Introduce measures to maintain student engagement during striking periods / Help create a better sense of community for students in their departments/ Make the Self Certification system more accessible for students.

ACTIVITIES OFFICER CANDIDATES

The Student Activities Officer supports and develops engagement and inclusivity in extra-curricular activities at the University of York including Societies, Media, Raising and Giving, Volunteering, and other events. The Student Activities Officer represents more than 200 student groups to the University, lobbying for their interests and makes sure that they receive the recognition they deserve.

ANNA NJOROGE | SHE/HER/HERS | MAKE ACTIVITIES ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE! Philosophy | Third Year

Why do you think that some societies struggle to fill their committees, and what will you do to aid this? Becoming a committee member is a lot of hard work, a lot of time, and sometimes very little recognition. I want to work to alleviate those logistical pressures and issues, and increase the amount of support and praise our committee members should be receiving.

What would your sabb cocktail recipe be?

Secretaries’ Screwdriver, for all my wonderful society secretaries:

- Vodka

- Orange Juice

- 10 unread emails

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Accessibility Through Development: Expanding Activities through developing new and exciting projects for students to engage with.

2. Accessibility Through Representation: Allowing students to see themselves represented across activities and YUSU events, and encourage them to make their mark.

3. Accessibility Through Support: Increasing support for societies and committees, making roles such as Chair, Secretary and so on, less taxing.

JINGYI LYU | SHE/HER | LET MORE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN Education MA UNIVERSITY ACTIVITES!

Why do you think that some societies struggle to fill their committees, and what will you do to aid this? Find out the problem, coordinate, and communicate with each other as much as possible, and solve the problem as openly and inclusively as possible if the legal situation allows.

What would your sabb cocktail recipe be?

“vibrant, diverse and uniquely wide-ranging”

I do not drink this cocktail. I like Mojito and Martini. Other meanings, wait until I understand.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Help more international students participate in University activities.

2. Update and develop more activities of the University.

3. Regularly investigate students’ opinions and ideas on the activity, and hold meetings to discuss the activity’s content, form and mechanism.

Rohan Discusses the Importance of the Activities Officer

“bring yourself to the role”

“vibrant, diverse and uniquely wide-ranging”

Despite “still [having] five months left!”, Rohan spoke to Vision about his fondest memories of being Activities Officer, calling Fresher’s Fair an “absolutely outstanding experience ... reinforc[ing] how vibrant, diverse and uniquely wide-ranging the the amount of Activities we have here at York is”.

Championing diversity and representation through his work, Rohan stated that Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) was something he wished he had more time to work on, especially BAME representation. Telling Vision that “it pains [him] that [he] won’t be here for the implementation” of an EDI Research Project, Rohan advises future Activities Officers to “continue looking at how student groups can embed increasingly inclusive and accessible communication and management methods”.

“increasingly inclusive and accessible”

Rohan’s biggest piece of advice for incoming candidates, however, was to “bring yourself to the role”. Emphasising that candidates are directly contributing towards “evolving and developing YUSU and the University”, Rohan reiterated that there’s still lots that can be done to improve how YUSU promotes and engages with student groups. Read the full interview online!

“bring yourself to the role”

COMMUNITY/WELLBEING CANDIDATES

Represents students on issues affecting their wellbeing; such as health, finance, accommodation, and security, as well as wider community issues. The Community and Wellbeing Officer is key to ensuring that students from a range of backgrounds and minority groups are represented within the University. They also ensure that students are represented fairly within the local community, liaising with both town and parish council officials.

HANNAH NIMMO | SHE/HER/HERS | VOTE FOR HANNAH, CAN SHE FIX IT? VOTE FOR Psychology

Cost of living continues to impact students, especially with rent prices and bills going up across the city. How are you going to better support off-campus students to afford rent, food, and heating?

The University needs to expand the Household Energy Grant criteria so all students who need it can access it. Similarly, YUSU could look to open a community pantry, which other SUs have already done, to allow students access to free ingredients to cook with. Most importantly, a collaborative approach is needed between the two Universities in York to help to stabilise the housing market so that students aren’t priced out of the city.

What else should YUSU bars sell for 40p?

The serious answer to this question is a bigger variety of options - other things on toast besides beans, a cold lunch alternative such as sandwiches, as well as a later afternoon/evening food option to suit all the mealtimes of the day. Hot drinks for 40p in the colder months of the year especially could also be good! However, if YUSU wanted to sell pints for 40p at some point, I wouldn’t mind that…

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Continue to work to ensure that ALL students feel represented by the Union.

2. Push for better affordability of housing, and a more streamlined application process for accommodation.

3. Lobby to introduce more signage for wheelchair-friendly, cycle-friendly, and accessible walking paths around campus.

IZZY ‘IZZY MAE’ ANDREWS | THEY/THEM/THEIRS | FEELING GREY? VOTE FOR IZZY MAE!

Cost of living continues to impact students, especially with rent prices and bills going up across the city. How are you going to better support off-campus students to afford rent, food and heating? Working alongside relevant groups to ensure off-campus students are supported in every way possible to live their lives without being bogged down by the cost-of-living crisis. This will include working with FirstBus to keep student travel prices low and working with registered landlords to lower rent for students across the city, as well as keeping up with cost of living developments as they come.

What else should YUSU bars sell for 40p?

More substantial meals throughout the day - soup, sandwiches, jacket potatoes. Beans on toast was a great start, but making these meals accessible throughout the day (past 11am) and throughout the week (weekends included) will just take the impact that bit further, and encourage people to use the scheme more!

Three Key Manifesto Points

1: Prioritise mental health and well-being.

2: Destigmatising sexual health conversations

3: Make physical health and sporting communities accessible to all.

Previous Community and Wellbeing Successes

Protecting students’ mental health and fighting for them during the cost of living crisis, our Com/Wel sabbs are the frontline for fighting for students’ wellbeing. Previous successes included: Kelly Balmer, the previous Community and Wellbeing Officer, created a QR code based signposting guide depicting different support systems accessible for students, updated termly. Kelly also launched a spiking awareness campaign in 2021 amidst growing spiking concerns across the country, developed an Accessible and Inclusive events guide, and supported wellbeing training for the University’s sports clubs.

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WNB AND LGBTQ+ CANDIDATES

Women and Non-Binary Students’ Officers have driven campus events and created change to benefit the lives of women and non-binary students. Through events, campaigns, and lobbying, the Officers represent self-defining women and non-binary people on campus. They also lead the Women and Non-Binary Students’ Network which is supported by a committee - in 2023 the Network set to change names Gender Liberation, promoting more inclusivity.

TILLY GOSLING (SHE/HER) AND SOPHIE BEEVER (SHE/THEY) | A VOTE FOR US IS A Education | Genetics | First Year VOTE FOR VISIBILITY, SUPPORT AND INCLUSIVITY

2023 saw the change of the network to ‘Gender Liberation’. Beyond this, what other steps will you take to ensure the network is inclusive and representative of all students at York?

We aim to focus on reaffirming the place of women, non-binary, and trans students at the University, ensuring equal representation in committees Uni-wide. Normalising discussions around identity is so key in creating an inclusive community, and we want to create opportunities where students can build relationships with their peers free of judgement. If elected, we will give a platform to students, and really provide a place for them to project what they want, and need, to thrive.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

A series of t-shirts for graduates simply saying ‘finally’.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Aim to tackle gender discrimination within University sports and create a safe environment within York’s social scene.

2. Create a welcoming and supportive community that provides social and professional opportunities.

3. Increase awareness of current gender-based issues around campus and effectively signpost to relevant help.

The LGBTQ Officer is responsible for representing the views and needs of LGBTQ students and making sure they are taken into account by the Students’ Union and the University. They run campaigns to make York a more inclusive and diverse place for LGBTQ people and see that awareness of LGBTQ issues is increased. They also lead the LGBTQ Network which is a student group which exists to help LGBTQ students get to know each other, run discussions, relaxed meetings, and gets involved with events like York Pride.

FREDDIE (HE/THEY) AND FRAN (THEY/THEM) | LIBERATION, INTERSECTIONALITY AND

His/Pol | English | @freddienfran4lgbtq ACCESSIBILITY:

TRANSFORMING THE QUEER EXPERIENCE

How would you improve YUSU and the University’s support for trans students, in light of government policy?

We reiterate our unconditional support for the Trans community, the fight for inclusion is always an uphill struggle. Speaking from non-binary/genderqueer perspectives, both institutions should receive more specialist training on issues faced by trans students. We would also advocate for both institutions to carry out a consultation open to our community to gage issues specific to York LGBTQ+ students. We believe in giving a voice to the most vulnerable to promote an inclusive environment.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

Although the University does provide a plethora of fantastic merchandise, there needs to be merchandise that celebrates the diversity of our community here in York. We would support the idea for more intersectional and genderfluid merchandise that represents the increasingly diverse communities that we are proud to have at the University!

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Putting additional pressures upon the University and IT services to reconfigure student ID cards.

2. Putting additional pressures upon York Council to provide safe spaces for our disabled /neurodivergent communities at York Pride.

3. Consulting the University on their strategy towards free speech events for the protection of our communities.

INTERNATIONAL CANDIDATES

The International Students’ Officers represent 20% of the student population. They hold drop ins, support international events and ensure that international students get the fairest deal while studying at York. They lead the International Students’ Association (ISA), a student network which enables cultural exchange, addresses welfare issues and fosters a welcoming community for international students at York.

ALONDRA FALCON | I STRIVE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR

(No Information Received) THEM TO

THRIVE ACADEMICALLY AND CULTURALLY

International students are faced with a tougher transition period into university. How are you going to ensure that international students are prepared and well-represented across university life?

No Response Received.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

No Response Received.

Three Key Manifesto Points

I’ll help the University serve international students. I will build community among international students through events, activities, and programmes that promote cross-cultural understanding and friendship. Integration: I’ll help international students integrate into the University and study abroad. Communication: I’ll explain University policies and meet international students’ needs.

MOESHA SNOEK | SHE/HER/HERS | I’M MOESHA, FROM THE NETHERLANDS, AND I’M History | Second Year RUNNING TO BE YOUR INTERNATIONAL REP FOR YUSU!

International students are faced with a tougher transition period into university. How are you going to ensure that international students are prepared and well-represented across university life?

I’m hoping that i could work together with the international student service to make a welcome to york guide, where the information on the university website is put more compact and try to organise some wider socials on the campus throughout the first term. As well as really talking to lots of international students to get there opinion on stuff.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

I feel a lunchbox set should be really cool, but i don’t really know what they have so i cant say for sure that it doesnt exsist already. But like a lunchbox set with fork, knife, spoon, bottle, termothing, ect.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Bring back ISA (International Student Association).

2. Bring back #YorkIsGlobalweek, across college and intersociety.

MAZ AND MARYAM | SHE/HER/HERS | ENSURING SMOOTH SAILING FOR OVERSEAS

(No Information Received) STUDENTS!

International students are faced with a tougher transition period into university. How are you going to ensure that international students are prepared and well-represented across university life?

No Response Received.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

No Response Received.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Implementing measures to ensure adequate representation and inclusion of global students within the University.

2. UoY International Students’ Handbook to facilitate an easy transition into York.

3. Building an interactive community for international students through social events.

BAME AND A+S CANDIDATES

The BAME Students’ Officers represent the views of students at York who self define as BAME, which is including but not limited to students of African, Asian, Arab, and Latin American heritages. They campaign within the Union, University, and in wider society to promote equality for BAME students and celebrating the diversity of culture within the student body at York.

MAISZE CHENG | SHE/HER | 鄭美詩 Philosophy | Second Year

Historically, many societies’ membership and committees haven’t been very diverse. What would you do to improve this?

The BAME community is still a minority community in York so I would want to focus on making current BAME students feel at home with a community to meet current needs before working on increasing outreach numbers. I believe there is no point getting more BAME into York if the current BAME already feels isolated so meeting current needs is the priority and then increased engagement will follow.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

I think having something customizable would be great. An option to add an embroidered flag will help celebrate individuality and culture while under the common umbrella of being a Uni of York student. Flag of choice allows representation of the queer community and BAME to showcase heritage.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. An accessible community that is representative of current BAME students.

2. Space for sexual health for POC and the queer community within BAME.

3. Focusing on mental health for BAME studnts while taking into account cultural differences.

NEO ALLERT | HE/HIM | VOTE NEO FOR BAME OFFICER: NEO - NEVER ENDING History

Second

Historically, many societies’ membership and committees haven’t been very diverse. What would you do to improve this?

Every society and every committee can only profit from including a great variety of different people. All of these different people contribute to society life by bringing in their own personal experiences, ideas, and thoughts. To increase the diversity of society membership and committees I will run campaigns encouraging greater BAME involvement. Working with other YUSU officers, I will push for more inclusivity and diversity within societies and committees! Greater diversity means better societies!

What should the University’s next merch line be?

The University already offers a wide arrange of merch, supplying us students with everything from socks to jumpers and ties. I think that forthcoming merch should highlight the diversity of the University and celebrate its great ethnic and cultural vibrancy. I am looking forward to being part of this creative process of designing new merch!

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Creating greater visibility for the achievements of the BAME community – past and present.

2. Creating new spaces for BAME talent, discussion, and communication.

3. Enshrining a commitment to anti-racism in the University Charter.

Accountability and Scrutiny Chair focuses on making the Union more transparent and accountable for its actions, by holding Officers to account. This role includes chairing a committee of randomly chosen students to uphold these goals and providing opportunities for students to engage in with Officers about their work.

TAYLOR WATSON | HE/HIM/HIS | YORK CHANGES EVERY DAY. TOGETHER WE CAN Accounting and Business | First Year MAKE SURE THOSE CHANGES ARE FOR YOU!

In your opinion, what’s the ASC’s most important responsibility?

I feel that being impartial to all circumstances is a greatly important responsibility for the role of ASC. This includes a broad understanding of how to view situations and suggestions from all viewpoints to ensure an outcome that is inclusive of all. I believe that this quality allows for the understanding of when the council needs to be held accountable for their decisions relating to university life.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Holding the council accountable for any and all decision making

2. Ensure YUSUggestions is utilised to its maximum potential.

3. Maintaining an open dialogue between council and students.

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NUS DELEGATES

As an affiliated Union to the National Union of Students (NUS UK), YUSU sends six delegates to the NUS National Conference. Delegates represent students’ views on a national level, decide on priorities, and policy and elect the NUS leaders for the following year.

HANNAH CARLEY | SHE/HER | HANNAH 4 NUS

PPE | Third Year | @hannah4nus

Student involvement in the recent NUS election was very poor. How are you going to improve engagement with students and the NUS?

The low engagement levels in the referendum were disappointing, and I hope that the inclusion of the election of NUS delegates in this year’s main elections cycle does help to increase turnout. However, there is more we can do to communicate to students about what the NUS is doing for them. If elected I hope to use my campaign social media channels to update students about the conference and openly share what we achieve.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

I would be interested in a Longboi cuddly toy!

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Inclusivity – supporting a more open and inclusive NUS and university sector.

2. Affordability – looking for proposals to help students with the cost-of-living crisis.

3. Integrity – a responsible and approachable delegate with your interests at heart.

HANNAH NIMMO | SHE/HER/HERS | VOTE FOR HANNAH FOR NUS DELEGATE!

Student involvement in the recent NUS election was very poor. How are you going to improve engagement with students and the NUS?

Students don’t understand who NUS are and what they do, both for students themselves and the Students’ Union. YUSU venues can charge cheap prices due to our affiliation with NUS, for example, but students don’t know this, and may engage more if they understand the relationship.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

I’m going to stick with the Long Boi theme and say Long Boi slippers, because that way you can be comfortable but in a very iconic way.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. To amplify students’ voices on a national scale.

2. Work with other Students’ Unions to push for real transformational change in the NUS.

3. Keep issues facing students at the forefront of all discussions relating to national policy changes to Universities and Unions.

PETER HOPWOOD | HE/HIM/HIS | VOTE PETER #1 FOR AN EXPERIENCED VOICE

(No Information Received) WHO WILL STAND UP FOR YOU AT NUS CONFERENCE!

Student involvement in the recent NUS election was very poor. How are you going to improve engagement with students and the NUS?

No Response Received.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

No Response Received.

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. I will stand up for the issues that matter to York students through the conference policy workshops and votes on motions.

2. Campaign for NUS to be a more inclusive space for all students.

3. Work to hold NUS and its leadership to account on delivering for the membership.

FULL INTERVIEWS ONLINE ELECTIONS.YORKVISION.CO.UK

Faculty Reps work behind the scenes, sitting on University-level committees such as Faculty Boards and Senate, representing all students within their Faculty. They champion student feedback and create large scale positive changes

FRANCESCA DE MICHELE | SHE/HER/HERS | STRIVING FOR A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR Sociology + Social Psychology | First Year ALL STUDENTS ACROSS THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

How are you going to ensure that students engage with and provide helpful feedback to make positive, department-level decisions for students?

Establishing weekly drop-in sessions where students can come and meet with me to discuss anything that is on their minds (also giving the option of alternative hours if we have conflicting schedules). Additionally, I would like to ensure that students are always able to get in contact with me by providing an email where they can reach me and an anonymous feedback form that each department will share with students.

What should the University’s next merch line be?

A cross word kind of pattern with all the different names of the colleges embroidered on the back of a sweatshirt would look really cool!

Three Key Manifesto Points

1. Provide comprehensive information for first year students upon arrival at Uni. 2. Expand outreach regarding career opportunities for all students. 3. Create standardised feedback requirements on assignments.

LONGBOI’S YUSU ELECTIONS IMPACT ON 2023

Something

that will remain constant at the University of York amongst ever-changing student representatives is the infamous duck, Longboi.

Whilst devising our set of questions to ask this year’s candidates, a thought suddenly struck me: in 2023, just how relevant is Longboi to students?

Asking our candidates “what should the University’s next merch line be?”, I began a secret psychological test, waiting to see how many of

our candidates would suggest Longboi related items.

The results, I’m afraid, were very Longboi-limited.

Many students took the non-serious merchandise question in a very serious manner, meaning Vision had some brilliant, yet unexpected, answers discussing the diversity of merchandise needed to reflect the uniqueness of York’s student body.

Whilst these answers were great, and hopefully implemented in the coming months, I was saddened by

the lack of Longboi-friendly answers.

Vision only received two Longboi related merchandise ideas, from two of our NUS delegate candidates:

Hannah Carley suggested a Longboi cuddly toy, a cute yet subtle representative of the famous duck.

Hannah Nimmo said “Long Boi slippers, because that way you can be comfortable but in a very iconic way.”

At long last, it seems that Longboi may be working his way out of students’ minds

That hasn’t stopped YUSU continuously churning out Longboi related merchandise, however, with their Longboi scarf available at 2022’s Fresher’s Week.

Whilst Longboi was featured on The Late, Late Show with James Corden in May 2021, the duck seems to have been replaced in students’ minds, so perhaps YUSU should rethink their next Longboi merchandise line.

YUSU WNB @yusuwnbn

HANNAH BURCHETT (she/her)

GLOW PROJECT: MIX AND MATCH ZINE

THE GLOW PROJECT is the newest venture from York’s very own Women and Non-binary Network. This project has been months in the making, featuring collaborations from different talents across campus. The name Glow stems from the move of the network towards the new name of Gender Liberation Network and reflects the emphasis on gender liberation issues throughout this work. The vision for this was to create a magazine as a final product with a Y2K aesthetic and a mix-match zine feel to it. Glow is a project that aims to be inclusive of queer voices and illusive of any gender binaries. York has yet to fulfil its queer potential, with only one queer space in the whole city, much more needs to be done to ensure gender and sexuality are given enough space to grow. The purpose of Glow has always been to provide, in some small way, this space of comfort in the form of poetry, art and photography.

The pieces that make up the body of the zine range from Gwenllian Davis’s poetry to an article from Cora Lancashire, to artwork by Adassa Dixon. Content creators were given free reign to submit pieces they felt passionate about without restraints on how their creativity should be portrayed. The work covers themes of perceptions of gender and sexuality through ideas of identity.

QUEER POTENTIAL, Y2K AESTHETIC, ANDROGYNY

There is also a focus on Body Image and the experiences of being fat in a world where it is frowned upon. Despite each piece containing different vulnerabilities of different individuals, reading it there is a sense of unity and togetherness. The feel of the work was that of community. From speaking to different creators, many found the process of trying something out of their comfort zone, whether that be modelling or writing, was cathartic and empowering. Glow provides a home for this action of laying yourself bare and honest.

A highlight of the Glow project were the incredible photoshoots. The first photoshoot consisted of a full Y2K theme with butterflies, silver streamers and mirrorballs. These looks were photographed by Quinn, who really captured the spirit of 2000s teen vogue. Our second photoshoot took a more stripped back approach with a focus on androgyny. This vision was captured by Meg Maguire. Both of these shoots really capture the essence of Glow, with their focus on illusive notions of gender and queer representation. Many of the pages of Glow feature photospreads from these. We also have all of our talent credited in the style of a yearbook featuring headshots from Meg.

The launch of the magazine will take place on Friday February 17 at the Lounge in James College. The event was organised by the

current Woman and Non-Binary (WNBN) Officer, Izzy Andrews, to celebrate the debut of the zine and highlight some of the works included. The night will feature comedy acts and a raffle. There will also be a photographer ready to take dreamy photos of our radiant guests glowing! Limited physical copies of Glow have been made available through pre order in order to reduce printing in excess. If you are unable to get your hands on a physical copy, the final product will be available onlineso be sure to check it out!

This project and event have also included a collaboration with the current Raising and Giving (RAG) Officer, Ellen Rintoul, and their network’s chosen charity IDAS. IDAS is the largest specialist charity in the North of England supporting people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence. Ticket sales from the launch party will be given in full to the charity whilst the magazine features a double page spread with information from Beth at IDAS, a York alumni, on how this money will be used. To summarise this article, the proceeds from the launch will aid them “to assist clients with gas, electric, baby milk, groceries and hygiene products”.

Glow may be a Woman and Non-Binary Network debut, but at its heart it is a collaboration of talent across the student body. The project has highlighted how

PUSHING FOR A QUEERER YORK

IN MY TWO and a half years at university here in York, I have found myself learning and experimenting with labels and concepts of my identity.

Like many others, university has become a safer and more open space to express myself and my sexuality than my village back at home. However, I can’t help the

pang of jealousy in my chest when I hear stories of cities and universities celebrating queer culture and notice how far York has yet to go. Networks like the LGBTQ+ Network, the Women, and Non-binary Network are a brilliant start from YUSU for a notion of gender and sexuality inclusivity across campus, however looking beyond events held by these networks, the

city still lacks safe spaces for queer individuals. I absolutely adore Portal Bookshop and the work of Lali with the cafe and events they put on there. However, a tiny spot near the Shambles is all we have? Our literature gays are all set but what about our party gays? York has more than enough bars and pubs scattering its streets and you’re telling me that not one of

many creative souls York University has and just how diverse the portrayal of it can be. For example, the LGBTQ+ Network’s Lesbian Subnetwork contributed through hosting a zine workshop, emphasising the importance of zines in lesbian and feminist punk subcultures. This collaboration was then furthered through the scanning of individual pages of the mini zines to and using them for page spreads.

The Glow Project also highlights the talent of student photographers at university and what they can do when given the opportunity to shine.

We are so excited to share this piece of art and community from the network in the hopes that the warmth grows throughout campus! This magazine is a true credit to Izzy and everyone who helped to make this glowing vision a shiny reality.

them is a certified gay bar? And don’t even get me started on the lack of queer clubs. Even our fortnightly gay Flares night has been undermined and infested with straight men in polo shirts. Is it too much to ask as a queer woman that I have a space to feel celebrated and not preyed on? As I come up to the end of my time at York, I couldn’t be more thankful for

the queer community I have built around myself. Perhaps in this respect it is selfish of me to ask for more from York but I’m a strong believer of there always being room to improve!

STRIKES AND THE LIKE

AS A FOURTH YEAR OF STRIKE ACTION REARS ITS HEAD, A CATCH-UP SEMINAR SEEMED APPROPRIATE. A NATIONAL DEBATE AWASH IN DECISIVE POLITICS AND EMBEDDED WITHIN AN ARMY OF STRIKING WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE NEXT BIRTHDAY OF STAFF STRIKES SEEMS A GOOD MOMENT TO SIMPLIFY THE MESS OF WORDS AND FOCUS ON THE FIGURES. £42

BATTLES ON

THE RETURN OF the strikes occurs in a year already staring aghast into the abyss of war.

Strikes in industries across the UK have refamiliarised the notion of taking action and fighting for rights, even as a dramatic anti-strike bill is passed in Parliament. With rising inflation and depressive costs of living, it is a particularly volatile time for workers rights in the UK and across the world, something which has been considered closer to home as well.

Throughout the 2022/2023 academic year, a range of battles have also been fought on the University of York campus, as the YUSU Sabbatical officers use their time in office to change student life for the better.

The first war on the horizon was the ongoing relationship with FirstBus, a service which affects every student at some point during their studies and life in York. With slipping GPS tracking, unreliable timetables, and continually late buses, students no longer felt they could trust buses to deliver. In autumn term, Hannah and Pierrick sought to change that, offering a range of student consultations before taking the issue straight to FirstBus. Since doing so, they’ve managed to implement additional mobility seats, secure GPS tracking and even updates to the mobile app, ensuring students can now safely and securely journey to and from class, work and home.

A more recent York based battle was Pierrick and Hannah’s ongoing discussions with Unity Health. The on-campus GP service has been marketed as the best option for students to register and get medical care. However, in the past students have instead faced long waits for registration, difficulty booking appointments and unending calls on hold (I know their hold music off by heart now). Recently though, the Sabbs published an in-depth Q&A session with the surgery, addressing a number of concerns whilst leaving options open for further development and work.

FEATURES TEAM

KAITLYN BEATTIE-ZARB POSITION VACANT

UOY’S NEW UKRAINIAN SOCIETY CAMPUS...

This is a small step in the reconciliation between student life and wider levels of healthcare, but hopefully larger ones will be taken for future cohorts of York students. Of course, the most dramatic battle of this year’s Sabb timetable thus far, the odyssey of the team’s time in office - self-certification.

When the University of York pulled back on self-verification options at the start of the year, the team jumped into action to protect the vulnerable students most reliant on such flexible assessment options. The University attempted to reduce the amount of self-certs a student could apply for in one year to three, claiming a purpose of academic morality and simplification of the process.

However, the Sabbs felt this move lacked student consultation and was eliminating the voices of those most affected. After multiple attempts to meet and make their concerns heard, the Sabbs launched a campus-wide email campaign. Students signed the petition online, which sent emails to a range of committees members responsible for the self-certification changes, including President Tracey Lightfoot. Ultimatums were given, such as a resignation from the committee to avoid the emails or a meeting to stop the email blockade altogether. In the end, over 21,000 emails were sent over the course of the week-long clash, and a renewed agreement was secured, with Pierrick and Deb recently proclaiming victory in the rollback of changes and the security of self-certifcations going forward.

Whilst this seems to assure freedom for educational assessment and disability rights for all students as we transition into a post-COVID-19 academic world, the wartimes of YUSU show no sign of drawing to a close. With impending elections and potential change-overs in the air, the battles of the Sabbs remain valuable in representing the voices of students and the effective function of campus life.

The next fight is likely already brewing… although whether it chooses to cross the picket lines of our striking staff remains to be seen.

BEYOND

WHILST HIGHER EDUCATION staff man the picket lines outside the nation’s universities, other industries are immersed in their own nation-wide battles for rights.

Emerging from COVID-19 with a strong sense of workplace justice and a desire for change, workers and citizens across the nation are now pushing through a cost of living crisis, with drastic consequences for their wages.

Amongst those striking over the past months are National Rail (including drivers and engineers), the NHS, nurses, and paramedics, border force personnel and teachers... but not the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker (yet).

With so many industries flying their banners of action at one time, the government and employers certainly have to act… although maybe not in ways one would hope. It seems keeping calm and carrying on is the plan for negotiators and politicians, and even persistent opposition as a new anti-strike bill passes.

The new strikes bill proposes changes to the right to strike, which would set minimum levels of service that must be met during strikes. Seemingly to ensure public safety and the abilities of police to intervene, the bill places worrying limits on workers rights, as already noted by a range of industry groups and unions.

So despite empowered industrial battle across the country and an increasingly undercompensated and disgruntled workforce, it seems that change may not necessarily be rising on the horizon after all.

AFTER A WELL-ATTENDED launch and a friendly welcome to campus, the University of York’s new Ukrainian Society spoke with Vision about their hopes for helping students, fundraising, and celebrations of their homeland.

In attendance at the Zoom meeting of the University of York’s new society was President Vitalina Shevchenko, Secretary Olena Kurnytska, and Treasurer Ann Hrynyshyn, who have all been working incredibly hard over the past few months to get the society up and running.

The society’s conception, they describe, was organic. After individually researching if any such society existed already, and realising that it did not, they began to build a “little community of Ukrainians here at the University of York.”

Vitalina describes their surprise at discovering “there were many more Ukrainians than I thought.” She highlighted the natural curiosity that had developed across campus, and the world, regarding Ukraine.

“We understood that quite a lot of people are interested in Ukraine, our culture, and the Russian invasion - what is going on right now and how they can help.”

As such, the society hopes to exist as a place of welcome, security, and compassion; for Ukrainians and for anyone who wishes to learn about the nation which has captured the globe’s attention. Ann noted the aim of establishing a social platform for culture and language, and guiding people on how they can help.

Vitalina continues: “We want to be that welcoming space for anyone who is interested in our country, in our heritage, traditions, [and] language. We want to provide a secure space for anyone who wants to help Ukrainians or Ukraine.”

The society was launched in January, with an event attended by YUSU Sabbatical officers Rohan, Pierrick and Hannah, and University staff, including Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Saul Tendler, and Vice Chancellor Charlie Jeffery and his wife Elka. The society described feeling great appreciation for the University’s show of solidarity and support. The event also allowed the group to meet other Ukrainian students who have an identical desire “to talk, to share, to even sometimes scream about what is going on in our country.”

Olena thanked a range of staff who have been instrumental in supporting the society throughout its formation, namely the University’s communications and partnerships department, which has orchestrated contact with Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine, YUSU, and Dr Shane O’Rouke from the department of History.

Speaking next about their future as a society, the group celebrated their opening meeting on 9 February - a time for introductions, quizzes and learning basic Ukrainian, taught by Professor Maryna Kapas-Romaniuk.

Following this exciting opening, the society has a range of events planned for the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which approaches on 24 February.

A Yustart campaign hopes to raise £3000 for the operation of the society, with an eventual goal of being able to send money to help Ukrainian charities and organisations on the ground. With the fundraiser ending on March 3rd, the group has already been greatly moved by the generosity and support of alumni, students, and even friends back

home in Ukraine.

“It’s amazing and fantastic because (people in Ukraine) definitely shouldn’t have done that,” Vitalina laughs. Olena furthers: “It’s fantastic to find out that the sentiment is still there, and the people remember the war…the war is not only not over, it’s also getting worse and getting more intense.”

The anniversary weekend itself will see a panel discussion regarding the future of Ukraine and Russia. Many academics are hoping to attend in person or online, including Ukraine’s youth delegate to the United Nations, and war correspondent Clarissa Ward. The event will be free, and open to anyone who wants to know more about the ongoing conflict.

Later in the year, the group hopes to set up an exhibition showcasing photographs and art to tell the stories of life in Ukraine since Russia’s initial invasion in 2014. Vitalina believes this will help visitors recognise the people behind the numbers: “There are real people. There are real families, and there are their stories. And we want to share those stories.”

As the anniversary of Russia’s 2022 invasion approaches on 24 February, Vision asked the Ukrainian society if they had any particular message to share about the conflict. Olena, a Politics and International Relations student, has been disheartened by blunt predictions about longevity of war offered by many academics and students in her classes.

“It gets mentioned so much and is a part of so many areas of life, so for us to listen to that, it’s as if you’re watching an operation where a patient is someone you know. It’s heartbreaking.”

She also mentions the inconsiderate discourse of the conflict as simply war between NATO and Russia, with Ukraine as a battleground. Such ideas narrow the impact of Ukrainian efforts and miss the long-standing ideals of sovereignty and democracy being defended on European soil.

“We’re fighting for freedom and security in Europe. We are currently at the stage of reorganisation of the entire global order.”

“It’s not just about Ukraine. It is about border security, conflict resolution, and prevention. Because Ukraine is not the first country to have such an atrocity and a war of this scale. And it’s certainly not the last country.”

“We want to promote thinking on a bigger scale and, kind of scaling it up, not just for Ukraine, and our culture, who we are, but also for everyone else in the university. We think it’s important for young academics to know that.”

Vitalina’s message was a short and powerful one: “People should not forget that life goes on.”

Wrapping up our talk, the Ukrainian Society were asked to describe their favourite things about Ukraine that people may not already know.

Olena laughed, “It’s a hard question because we love so many things.The faith that people have, the ability to cope through humour… people keep believing religiously in victory. It is an extraordinary atmosphere.”

Vitalina concluded: “Each and every Ukrainian became a family member. The unity of the same goal, the same heritage, the same language, and the same pain unfortunately. Everything. It made us one big family.”

BY KATIE PRESTON (SHE/HER)

AS SOMEONE WHO has worn makeup for many years, I have been aspiring to veganise my collection for a long time.

However, as a lover of all things Boots and Superdrug and only a low budget, I find high street drug stores calling my name rather than high-end brands.

As a result, I’ve been a fan of NYX Cosmetics for a while. This is a brand that is affordable and easily accessible within the UK, and also happens to promote itself as ‘cruelty free’.

Trusting the NYX brand, I’ve ensured that almost all of my makeup products are part of their vegan line, with the exception of one BeautyBay. However, upon carrying out a deep dive into the brand, it seems that not all of their cosmetics are produced without animal participation.

Despite confirming that they do not test their products on animals, or ask others to test on their

ATTEMPTING TO VEGANISE MY MAKEUP ROUTINE

behalf, alongside their ingredient suppliers, NYX cosmetics is not an entirely vegan brand.

According to Ethical Elephant, NYX cosmetics itself is cruelty-free, but is owned by household name L’Oreal, a parent company that isn’t.

So, whilst brands like NYX may state on the label that they are animal and environmentally conscious, this might not always be the full truth.

So what is vegan and cruelty-free makeup?

Most drugstore makeup brands in 2023 still participate in animal testing, including wellknown brands such as Revlon, Maybelline and Neutrogena. Vegan makeup, in a similar vein, does not contain any animal

by-products, with the most common ingredients being carmine (the crushed bodies of insects to make red pigment), beeswax and animal-based glycerin.

However, there is technically no legal definition for the label ‘cruelty-free’, leading this term to be used to mean different things to different brands. Similarly, if a brand sells products in China, it is immediately classed as non-cruelty-free due to China legally requiring animal testing for most cosmetics.

NYX, however, is PETA certified, meaning that it has been acknowledged by the charity as a cruelty-free brand, but the debate remains: is a brand truly cruelty-free and vegan if their parent company isn’t?

This mostly comes down to personal choice. I do not use any L’Oreal products (goodbye to my favourite Paradise mascara!), and exclusively purchase NYX’s vegan products, but I still feel like I could be doing more.

As someone who dyes their hair every six weeks, I have to wonder: is my dye vegan? Has it been tested on animals?

What about the clothing I wear? The skin care I use? My makeup wipes that are, admittedly, not very environmen tally conscious?

Ensuring that the products you use and consume are crueltyfree and environmentally friendly can be quite difficult, especially in the capitalistic world we live in that encourages both brand loyalty and the continuous promotion of upcoming products.

But in a society that is making steps towards environmental conservation, working towards

VALENTINE’S DAY: TOO COMMERCIAL?

BY AMBER HANDLEY

VALENTINE’S DAY- THE day renowned for romance. For some it brings joy, while for others it serves as yet another reminder of just how single you are.

The holiday, made famous by Saint Valentine in third century Rome, has become extremely commercialised.

From 1 February, you can’t seem to go anywhere without being greeted by cheesy cards and overpriced chocolates, never mind the seemingly endless displays of lingerie, which look anything but comfortableyes, I know that is precisely the point!

For those of you die hard romantics who find this to be the most perfect time of year, or those of you happily in re-

lationships or the now prevalent ‘situation-ships’, I hope you all made good use of the endless resources at your disposal and had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

But for the single ones, Valentine’s Day was probably a prominent reminder of your singleness, prompted by the undoubted array of Instagram stories capturing ‘the most romantic day of the year’.

Perhaps you participated in the popular Galantines Day which, yes, does have some charm about it, but is more or less just trying to make the fact that you have no one to spend Valentine’s Day with, except your single friends, sting a little less.

There is nothing wrong with not being in a relationship, yet Valentine’s Day has a special

way of making you feel as though there is something inherently flawed with being single. And even if you are in a relationship, there is this expectation to buy your partner the perfect card, spend money on stuffed animals and chocolate roses, all in an effort to show your endless love and devotion on this one particular day.

What about the other 364 days of the year?

Why on this one specific day, surrounded by other sappy couples, should you feel the need to shower your partner with gifts and go on a fancy date, when you know millions of other people across the world are doing the exact same thing?

To me, Valentine’s Day feels impersonal. Yes, I admit, every-

one loves receiving flowers and being told how much they’re loved, but I would rather someone gave me flowers and told me they loved me out of the blue, instead of participating in an act shared by millions of others on this single day in February.

In my opinion, Valentine’s Day is overrated. It celebrates those who are in relationships, requiring them to spend money and declare their feelings, while those not in relationships look on at displays of affection and think, why don’t I have that?

Although I don’t detest Valentine’s Day outright, and forgive me if it’s your favourite holiday, I am glad that it only happens once a year.

I hope those of you who didn’t receive 12 roses or find a love letter on your doorstep didn’t take it too hard.

I’m sure that when you do receive your favourite flowers or are told ‘I love you’, it’ll mean more coming on one of the other 364 days of the year.

POSITION VACANT OLIVER FISHER

HOW DO WE REMOVE ASBESTOS?

BY EMILY SINCLAIR (SHE/HER)

“DERWENT HAS ASBESTOS, Derwent has asbestos, nah nah nah, nah nah nah..”. By now it is pretty clear that Derwent college does, in fact, have asbestos. I’m afraid there’s no denying that one! However, the real issue at hand is how the university can go about destroying the asbestos-ridden buildings. As I’m sure many of you will have seen, Derwent blocks remain fully intact, but without any students living there. What is the solution?

It turns out that asbestos is a lot more common that you may think, and is actually pretty safe if left alone. The main risks occur when you start disturbing the asbestos. If disturbed, likely during building work, you become exposed to the asbestos fibres, which can cause significant health damage. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), asbestos kills more than 5000 workers per year. Often the problems are long-term and mainly target the lungs. Asbestos fibres are so strong that the body

is unable to break them down.

Asbestos has been banned in the UK for the past 25 years, and yet many buildings are still facing the problem of having it. It is usually found in thermal in

sulation, roofing, cladding, water pipes, floors, ceilings and other crucial elements of buildings. The structural reliance on these asbestos-ridden materials makes it hard to remove them

without the whole building collapsing.

Legally, you must remove any Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) from buildings before the building can be demolished. In order to do this, you must have an Asbestos Survey and be able to safely identify all areas of asbestos within the building. Within the survey, samples will likely be taken and tested in a lab.

Asbestos is such an issue that it can only be removed by licenced professionals. Contrac-

tors are required to have refresher courses on asbestos removal every year. One way asbestos is removed is through encapsulation. This is where professionals cover materials in sealant to avoid the fibres getting out and becoming airborne. Sometimes this is sufficient enough to beat the problem.

If materials need to be fully removed, licensed contractors must make sure they’re wearing full PPE before they are exposed to the fibres. This means a full PPE suit, gloves, mask and footwear. Asbestos must be removed in small sections. After removal, all areas must be cleaned with damp rags, and all asbestos waste should be taken to a recognised tip. As well as this, contractors must ensure that all of the asbestos has been removed. Sometimes this involves taking more samples.

It is only after all these steps (once the building is officially deemed asbestos-free!) that a building can be demolished. It looks like Derwent will remain in tact then until this long process has been carried out.

EATING LESS, MORE OFTEN

BY EMILY SINCLAIR (SHE/HER)

A FEW YEARS back, it was splashed across the media that it was ‘healthier’ to eat six small meals a day rather than three. Is this the case? Let’s take a look at how our food is digested! (Yes, I’m channelling my inner GCSE science teacher!)

Our digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the liver, pancreas and gallbladder. Food enters the mouth and passes through the tract before leaving the body via the anus. There are bacteria in the tract, also known as microbiomes, that help with digestion. People who suffer with digestion issues are often found to have

less of these.

Now may be a good time to point out that I am no scientist. I’ve never had the brain for it! But, I am interested in nutrition and the effect food has on your body.

Digestion is crucial in order for the body to break down food into nutrients which can then be used for energy, growth and cell repair. Your body breaks down food into carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins. It is important to aim to get a balanced amount of all of these groups in order for your body to function in the best way it can. Given all of this information, I can see why people started to think that six

small meals was ‘healthier’ for you; to spread out the pressure on your digestive system and release nutrients around the body more often. There are studies to show that this way of eating spreads out the levels of glucose which, for some people who are sensitive to glucose levels, is beneficial. The thinking goes that six small meals stop glucose levels dropping too rapidly. It’s a way to maintain nutrients and combat tiredness.

However, the problem lies in the case studies. Researchers have found that, actually, there is little difference in the reaction of people’s bodies when food is spread over six meals. This could

be because the research participants hadn’t made the change for long enough, and so the body hadn’t been able to successfully adapt to this way of eating.

Moral of the story, eat whenever you’re hungry! At least that’s my advice. Whether three, six or more meals in a day, everyone’s body works differently, and cleverly adapts to ensure digestion.

Thank you for coming to my Science lesson!

CLIMATE

ETHICAL SPENDING & CONSUMPTION

BY JOE LEE

OVERCONSUMPTION, THE ACT of (for the most part) spending money on certain items to an excess, is prevalent in developed countries across the globe and it’s costing the environment dearly.

As students who typically rely on student loans to be able to afford food, it’s easy to forget that the grocery shop doesn’t just have to be about buying what we want, for when we want it. More and more ethically sourced food and drink appear on shelves all the time and ethical shopping is becoming not only easier with these increased options but cheaper too. But it’s more than your average grocery shop this affects, any items from clothes to electronics have their own background of environmental sustainability in its creation.

The textiles/clothing sector is one famous for being affected by overconsumption.

Sweatshops work people to the bone, unliveable wages and the smallest mistake can result in clothing being thrown out onto a ever-growing pile of waste. Shein is one of the main offenders in the industry, yet its demand remains constant. Almost every month, Shein has a new roster of clothes on the front page, trying to force the change of fashion trends, this allows them to profit more as people more focused on fashion than their own bank account will buy more and more clothes they don’t need on a regular basis. What happens to the clothes that aren’t sold? Are they donated / given away? No, they join the same pile of clothes with the flawed goods.

The idea of fashion trends is purely to the profit of corporations, clothes can have years of usable life and it shouldn’t matter what other people like and approve of if what you wear makes you happy. The same ide-

ology can be applied to electronics like the phone, yearly Apple releases marginally different products and advertises it like it’s a revolutionary good. There’s even a growing bias in consumers that owning an iPhone is superior to owning a Samsung. If these companies were realistic with consumers’, the dismal homogeny among the new releases

consumed (especially by the rich) and contribute to a worse world as the more the demand, the more the material wastage and the more employees are taken advantage of.

would be clearer than ever. These products are over-

Ethical consumption requires careful attention and research as sometimes it’s not always as easy as looking at packaging and seeing signs that say ‘No.1 Ethical Product’. Some companies can greenwash, or even in some more interesting cases brownwash, meaning they don’t necessarily lie about their environmental contribution but oversell or undersell it, sneaking around the truth. Therefore, it becomes necessary for consumers to research for themselves so they can evaluate what they buy and who they buy from and come to their own conclusions. The main downside of this is the amount of time it may squander to get accurate information as companies

who aren’t performing well environmentally could attempt to hide the information from public view, but the harder it is to find information the more likely it is negative. However, sometimes it can be as simple as checking packaging as companies who do the most to make their product environmentally friendly (rightfully) like to brag about that fact.

Sticking to strictly ethical consumption is a hard task, sometimes you truly desire something that isn’t entirely the best for the environment, and you give in and buy it, but that’s okay. The effort of just trying to make moral and environmentally virtuous decisions is enough, every time you wish to purchase something there is a decision that can affect the world for the better, if more times than not you decide for the better then that’s an achievement to be proud of.

SUSTAINABALL: THE JOYS OF ETHICS

BY JOE LEE

THE UNIVERSITY OF York is home to clubs and societies of all types, with regular meetups and socials occurring all time, however; towards the end of the Winter term a few of these societies decided to hold a special event. The SustainaBall is one worth highlighting, with months of planning and the combination of multiple environment related societies - spearheaded by Saskia Kirchschlager, President of EnviroSoc – the Ball had been created with a greener world in mind. But does a greener night make it less exciting? Not at all!

With 85 tickets sold, this was the first event held by the EnviroSoc at this scale and formality – Black Tie.

The main intent of this ball was to bring societies together to celebrate a common goal,

achieve more co-operation and a larger network.

Set in a large hall at the Park Inn by Radisson, guests were greeted by a glass of champagne on entry, and the fanciful night began. Seating was for the most part organised by society and each table was labelled by species of tree, in keeping with the environmental theme. In the middle of each table were some small pots of greenery surrounded by a chain of leaves and handmade flowers (which were also spread throughout the hall.) The tables were supplied with four bottles of water, two still and two sparkling, from the company Brita; the ‘water was purified and bottled on site as part of our global commitment to reducing waste, transport and saving energy’, it’s safe to say it fit with the essence of the night. At each seat were the standard ta-

bleware along with a nameplate to specify your seat and bread and butter to keep you satisfied till the starters arrived.

A survey was sent out to all ticket holders before the event so they could specify dietary requirements and choose their order, with both vegetarian and vegan options appearing for all 3 courses. This was done such that all food was made to order to ensure minimal wastage. The meals were stunning both in visuals and taste and I would highly recommend going to at least one ball in your lifetime just to have your try of the fancy foods.

Throughout the night there were speeches from the head of RockSoc, Saskia and Anushka (a YUSU Environment and Ethics Officer), offering thanks to the lovely people behind the creation of the night,

explaining its purpose and talking about the cause this collective of people were fighting for. This collective was perfectly characterised by the quote from Anushka’s speech, ‘ A fantastic fusion of passionate students who want to contribute to climate action in their own ways.’

When the meals were finished and the speeches were over the dancefloor lit up and the DJ started playing the classic hits. People were slow to the dancefloor but gradually it filled up and the dancing could only be described as … unique. But, everyone was so caught up in the moment that the questionability of the groovy moves were irrelevant.

The night was without doubt a classy, environmentally beneficial and brilliantly thought-out event, even going so far as to have a professional photographer at-

tend and take pictures of everyone in their suits/dresses with a portion of the wall specifically designed for pictures to be taken there. There may be more events currently in the works for people to be excited for.

I asked Joe and Saskia of the EnviroSoc if there was any message they’d like to send out to represent their vision for the universities environmental communities and this was their response: ‘To create an environment where people feel comfortable and safe. Let’s create a big network promoting interaction.’

The University of York is full of societies targeting spreading positivity into the world, some you may never have heard of, so why not have a look around and see if there’s any you’d like, you might miss out on a truly special experience if not.

DERWENT TENNIS INCLUSIVITY

ROSS MCKENZIE IS the President and men’s Captain for Derwent Tennis. As he comes to the end of his year in committe he is passionate about ensuring the club is left with plans to become more inclusive.

In a statement introducing himself he said “I have been in the club for the last few years. As one of my last acts at the club, I want to make a major step towards increasing inclusivity at the University of York. I am personally going to start planning so that the committee next year can introduce Wheelchair Tennis sessions for disabled students”

McKenzie has confirmed that he has met with YUSU representatives to discuss his plans and in-

itiate the first steps. He says that the York Sport Union President Franki Riley is meeting with the network for disabled students at York to discuss disabled sport further.

this.”

As part of his role as president and mens captain, McKenzie is going to introduce a specific role for promoting inclusivity and diversity. This will be brought in for next year’s committee.

McKenzie urges other Univerity of York sports teams “to start thinking about following in our footsteps.”

Derwent Tennis hold sessions 3:30-5pm on a Friday that have great turnouts. The hope is to encourage even more people to get involved.

Speaking on the University’s inclusivity efforts, McKenzie says “I think that the University of York is great for promoting inclusivity and diversity but, I think the sports teams can do more to cater for those with disabilities.

I haven’t seen any teams doing

On January 25, 2023 York Sport Union President Franki Riley announced the launch of the Accessible Sport and Physical Activity Consultation. She said on Instagram “I managed to secure a significant fund to provide accessible sport equipment and I am so excited to be able to start

utilising this”.

Riley confirms that YUSU are working collaboratively with the Disabled Students’ Officer and Network.

Riley said “I passionately believe sports should be for everyone, and that no one should face barriers to their participation, however unfortunately this is not

often the reality. I want to change that!”

OPINION: DISABILITY FRIENDLY SPORT

THE ABOVE STATEMENT from Derwent Tennis President Ross McKenzie and the announcement from York Sport Union President Franki Riley of the Accessible Sport and Physical Activity Consultation are welcome steps for increasing opportunities for disabled students to access sport at York, but it does show that there is still some way to go to make York a fully accessible place for disabled students.

There were many successes of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup hosted recently in the North last winter (having been delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic). One of the surprising and

captivating success stories of the tournament was the popularity of the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, held in conjunction with the main Men’s and Women’s iterations. Broadcast widely on BBC Sport, the thrill of the wheelchair collisions and (unlike its Union counterpart) its close adherence to the rules of League made it a hit with British viewers.

In light of Wheelchair Rugby League’s new-found popularity, that made me ponder the opportunities available in general to disabled students at the University of York to partake in sport. After some research and scouring over the YUSU website and social media sites, I did find a what seems to be official Facebook account called ‘University of York Disability Sport’.

But it appears this account has been inac-

tive for nearly a decade, with its last post from November 2013. So, it does seem that there was a Wheelchair Basketball side at the University ten years ago, but this has been seemingly discontinued, with no information available as to why. This does leave a lot of questions for the University that do need answering. According to official University data, roughly 17 percent of the student population currently enrolled at York identify as being disabled. You can’t tell me that there won’t be enough demand for disability sports with those figures. This casts further spotlight as well on whether the university is enacting the recommendations given by Kelly Balmer, the 2021/22 YUSU Community and Wellbeing Officer, in a 22nd June 2022 report which is available for anyone to access online

using this address https://yusu.org/ news/article/news-blogs-disabled-students-report. Although the report is focused mainly on the need for disabled students to have equal access to academic provision to their abled counterparts, I argue the lack of disabled sports is a disappointing failure of the University to ensure all students have access to a quality provision of university life, both academical and non-academical and I urge the student union to take this issue up with University and the colleges urgently. And one hopes that the recent announcements by Derwent Tennis and the York Sport Union will prompt other colleges and University sports to follow suit in time for the commencement of the 2023/24 academcial year in September.

JACOB BASSFORD (he/him) SPORT EDITOR

EMILY SINCLAIR (she/her)

@EmilySinclair_

SPORT TEAM

Editor - JACOB BASSFORD Deputy Editor - VACANT

VARSITY RETURNS!

DURHAM VS YORK

THE ANNUAL VARSITY Intercollegiate Tournament will be back as the University of Durham hosts on Sunday 12th March.

York’s colleges look to go back-to-back after winning the competition overall last year. In the table below, the teams who will be representing the University have been listed by Sport, with ‘A’ seeds in the left-hand column, and ‘B’ seeds in the right-hand.

Qualifier Matches took place on the weekend of 3rd February. This year, there will be 14 sports that will be competed in, with men’s, women’s and non-gendered sports all to play for.

The format of the competition goes as follows. All the matches take place on a single day. The top-seeded sides from both universities face off, the winner of

simply decided by who gains the most points. University of York won the 2022 edition last-year by 85-43.

The nature of York’s collegiate sport system is that some sports are represented by campus, rather than college sides. So for example, this year Heslington East WRFC are the B-seeded women’s rugby side, whilst in lacrosse the University is being represented by Heslington West.

that match recieves 5 points. The runner-up (or ‘B’ seeds) also face off, with the winner of that match recieving three points. Thus, the winner of the Trophy is

Tickets are available to purchase from the YUSU website. Tickets are £20 which includes the cost of the bus journey to Durham,

an optional T-shirt and a discounted entry to the Official York Parties

Afterparty at Revs on the 12th.

Full information is on the YUSU website. Go team York!

NONGENDERED FOOTBALL

BY DAN GORDON-POTTS

JAMES COLLEGE, AT the University of York, are combining their men’s and women’s football teams in order to be more gender inclusive.

On January 24, 2023, they made the announcement on their Instagram page, @jcfc_official, saying “As of today, James College Men’s Football Club and James College Women’s Football Club have become one.”

They say that their goal is to “progress the game further, providing equal opportunities for all genders” and to “provide a base for anyone of any ability to play football.”

Authors of the post, Alex and George, said “We are so excited about this new era for James Football, and are proud to be the first College Football Club to be non-gendered at the University of York.”

Speaking to The York Tab, team representatives said that it is “an important step towards equality” in the sport.

The York Tab also found that Constantine College, could be the next of the Universities’ 11 colleges to have ‘non-gendered’ teams.

Speaking to Constantine President, Tim Woodford, he said they have similar plans to try to combine their men’s and women’s teams by the end of the academic year, stating that it was “an important action to take” and that he is “so proud of James College for their efforts.”

Are you part of a College Football team? Or do you take part in other College sports?

Let us know what you think of this decision by sending us a DM on Twitter @YorkVision or on Instagram @york_vision

JACOB BASSFORD (HE/HIM) SPORT EDITOR

Vısıon

Sport

COLLEGE SPORT INCLUSIVITY

Derwent Tennis President Thinks Sports Teams Can Do More

BY EMILY SINCLAIR

ROSS MCKENZIE IS the President and Men’s Captain for Derwent Tennis. As he comes to the end of his year in committte he is passionate about ensuring the club is left with plans to become more inclusive.

In a statement introducing himself he said “I have been in the club for the last few years. As one of my last acts at the club, I want to make a major step towards increasing inclusivity at the University of York. I am personally going to start planning so that the committee next year can introduce Wheelchair Tennis sessions for discabled students”

FULL STORY ON PAGE 30

IMAGE CREDIT: EMILY SINCLAIR