THE UK’S MOST AWARDED STUDENT NEWSPAPER
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25th, 2014
vision@yusu.org
Issue 241
NEKNOMINATION: NOMINATE AND FACE MANSLAUGHTER - PAGE 3 -
WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK
SPOTLIGHT: VANCE JOY
FEATURES: THE GREAT YORK SCAVENGER HUNT PAGE 15
ELECTIONS SPECIAL
COLLEGE RACIAL EQUALITY OFFICER
UGANDAN ANTI-GAY BILL “RIGHT AND JUST”
VISION EXCLUSIVE
BY LEON MORRIS, JACK GEVERTZ & TOM DAVIES FORMER HCSA Racial Equality Officer has apologized and resigned after saying the Ugandan anti-gay bill is “right and just” and represents a means of “safeguarding citizens who are already vulnerable from further spreading” of HIV. According to government
FEATURE: INTERVIEW WITH JO BRAND
SCENE: THE EXCESS ISSUE
spokesman Ofwono Opondo, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told his ruling party MPs on 14 February that he would sign the country’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill. He did it after receiving advice from Ugandan scientists
that homosexuality was a lifestyle choice and not connected to genes. But now it has emerged that a JCRC member at the University’s Halifax College has caused controversy over his support for the president’s move. (cont. Page 4 & 5)
SPORT: VARSITY PREVIEW 28-29
2 NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 4, 2014
CAMPUS MOURNS DEATH OF BELOVED 17 YEAR OLD SWAN
BY ANGUS QUINN ONE OF campus’ rare Black Swans has sadly passed away. The male swan was at least 17 years old and had been a resident on campus for over a decade, originally arriving in 2001. The Black Swan is an introduced species and is currently not considered to be a self-sustaining species in the UK. In the year the male swan arrived the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust recorded just nine breeding pairs of swans in the entire country Our Black Swan is not the only exotic waterfowl on the lake since a pair of Ruddy Shellduck’s were donated by the York Annual Fund in 2009.
SWAN SORROW YORKVISION
The UK’s most awarded student publication Editors: Angus Quinn Karl Tomusk
Deputy Editors: Helena Horton Callum Shannon
Digital Editor: Jack Western
Managing Director: Leon Morris
Scene Editors: Milo Boyd Rachel Seymour
Photo Editors: Jack Western Zoe Bennell
News Editors: Leon Morris Adrian Horan
Deputy Comment: Eliza Gkritsi Joonsoo Yi
Deputy Lifestyle: Doris Xu Jim Dee
Deputy News: Hugo Thompson Jonathan Barrow
Features Editors: Tom Davies Barto Joly de Lotbiniere
Sports Editors: James Pascoe Issaac Lister
Chief News Reporter: Jack Gevertz
Deputy Features: Dave Washington Zena Jarjis
Deputy Sport: Ella Howman Dean Bennell
Comment Editors: Michael Cooper Lizzie Roberts
Lifestyle Editors: Selina Pope Maddi Howell
Chief Sub-Editors: Anna Hinchcliffe Samuel Bowell
Scene Editorial list in pullout
Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, senior editorial team, membership, or advertisers. Every effort is made to ensure all articles are as factually correct as possible at the time of going to press, given the information available. Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2014. Printed by Mortons of Horncastle.
WHY SO CAGEY?
YUSU STUDENT ACTIVITIES has angered students by refusing to ratify Cage Soc after their appeal. The society was formed so students could appreciate Nicolas Cage in a similar vein to DougSoc. The society has been “successfully running” for over a year, with an active Facebook page, and a petition last term to get the man himself to come to Willow. In an email which Society Chair, Ali Amer, gave to Vision, he outlined what the society would do, including “Playing Quidditch better than Harry Potter Society”, “watching and appreciating Nic Cage films”, “themed events, acting classes and fundraisers”. He pointed out that Harry Potter society, QI Society and Douglas Adams society all exist, and that there is “absolutely no overlap of interest”. A reply from YUSU Societies Committee, chaired by Societies Coordinator Jasmine Walker, referred to their application as a “joke” and did not take it seri-
BY HELENA HORTON
ously. She said “you have still not outlined Societal benefit for members”. However, in Ali’s original email, he asked members of the society to give reasons to ratify the society. Jess Jones asked for “Nicolas Cage socials, culminating in Willow” and looked wistfully back at the Willow petition. Other members questioned why there was a cocktail soc but no CageSoc and pointed towards the fact that Lincoln have a ratified CageSoc. Ali Amer replied to concerns from Societies Committee by saying that they “Did not address the arguments” he posed in favour of the society and that he was “disappointed” with the decision. Wide support for Nicolas cage has spread across Facebook in the meantime, with students partaking in ‘NicNominate’ where they post pictures of Nicolas Cage pulling a certain facial expression, and ‘nominate’ their friends with an emotion for them to post. Jasmine added “the unanimous decision is that the society should not be ratified”.
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YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday February 25, 2014
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YORK VISION EXCLUSIVE ERIC A-CTION BY ANGUS QUINN VANBRUGH CHAIR Michael Duncan has announced plans to resolve outstanding problems with run-down Vanrbugh accommodation Eric Milner-White Court A, through a partnership with the Facilities Manager and Estates staff. Duncan slammed University policy saying: “It needs to stop viewing these older blocks on campus as soon-to-be-demolished buildings, and start thinking about them as homes that need to be looked after.” Eric Milner-White A is one of the oldest accommodation blocks on campus and is only supposed to remain standing for another two years. Recent problems in the block have concerned rats and a silverfish infestation. Duncan has appealed to the university for more money to make improvements to communal areas in the block, including the dining rooms to create a more homely atmosphere. “I hope that the university listens to the college, the JCRC and the current residents and decides to pay for the simple improvements to Eric A that would make it a far better place to live.”
TOKYO TOILET TRAUMA BY HELENA HORTON
DISABLED STUDENTS are campaigning to get a disabled toilet at the establishment Tokyo, which holds a YUSU Club Night on Thursdays. This is part of a wider campaign to make clubs in York, especially those with YUSU affiliations, more accessible. This includes installing ramps at the front and making sure they all have functioning disabled toilets. Thomas Ron, Disabled Students’ Officer, commented; “It is crucial the YUSU club nights be accessible to all. As a Network we have met with some club leaders and there is a clear understanding that clubs need to change, and that the situation where Toyko does not even have a disabled toilet is unsustainable” Co-ordinating the campaign, Goodricke Disabled Students’ Officer Callum Dziedzic, commented; “We are attempting to improve the accessibility of all YUSU affiliated clubs, as many don’t have step free access and accessible bathrooms, particularly Kuda and Tokyo.
WEB CRAZE WARNING
NEKNOMINATE DEATHS COULD RESULT IN MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE, LAWYER SAYS
INDIAN SUMMER
BY HELENA HORTON LAWYERS ARE saying people who take part in the Neknominate web craze could face charges if it results in death. One female student has been spotted necking a pint in her underwear in the University’s JB Morrell Library, whilst another undergraduate, Alcuin chair Lewis Ratto, also filmed himself downing a pint dressed as the college’s owl. But now lawyers are saying that manslaughter charges could hit individuals who take part in the craze if it results in death. 20-year-old Bradley Earnes was found dead at his home in Nottingham earlier this month after drinking two pints of gin mixed with teabags as part of a nomination. He became the fifth person to die, with four other deaths also being linked to the game. Lawyer Julian Young told the Wales Online that people could leave themselves open to criminal charges if a Neknomination results in death. “Any person would have to prove that the person who did the nomination knew with a degree of certainty what was likely to occur,” he said. “At the beginning of this noone knew what was going to happen. If a person knew, because of all the publicity and said, ‘I have been watching it on the news, I
STUDENTS WERE surprised when an elephant visited campus in an RBS employment bid. The fake elephant was located outside James College reception and the YUSU offices on the 4th February, as part of RBS’ ‘Indian Summer’ scheme. ‘Indian Summer’ allows students to spend some time at the Mumbai offices and is comprised of teams of students from all over the UK. Jo Barrow, Third Year English student commented; “Frankly, it’s about time the university addressed the lack of animal sculptures on campus. I was pleased to see the elephant but it’s not enough, we need ostriches, octopi and amoeba represented too.”
BY
JACK GEVERTZ
nominated my mate and thought he would be all right but knew there was a risk’ you could have grounds for a prosecution. It might be manslaughter.” It comes as councils across England and Wales lobby social networking sites to introduce warnings over the deadly game. The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents almost 400 councils, called for mes-
MAG-WIRED
BY JACK GEVERTZ
ELECTION FATIGUE appears to be settling in across campus, Vision can speculate. A sneaky snap, which was taken last Thursday afternoon, shows a University official with YUSU presidential candidate Sam Maguire’s “Irish 4 Prez” sign on
the Heslington East campus. The pic, uploaded by the Spotted: York Heslington East Facebook page, seems to show the staff member removing the campaign literature from a tree. The Facebook post added: “Sadly I think Irish Sam has lost this vote...”
sages on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to warn about the dangers of the game. YUSU Welfare and Community Officer George Offer said: “We need to accept that those who make nominations are putting people at risk by pressuring them to drink dangerous amounts and dissuading people from making nominations will make students safer.”
NURSING NEEDS BY HELENA HORTON DERWENT JCRC recently voted to have a Nurses Rep on the committee in an open meeting. Because of this, there is someone on the committee who can liase between the nursing students in Derwent and the JCRC to “ensure that the specific needs of
nurses are met”. This comes after news that Kallum Taylor is working with the NHS to improve funding provisions for Health Science students. Ben Leatham, JCRC Chair, commented; “It’s a good step forward toward ensuring that our events cater to the needs of everyone in Derwent”
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YORK VISION
NEWS
EFFECTIVE SCHEMES
BY HELENA HORTON
A NEW visual effects scheme is being implemented by the University of York to teach TFTV tutors about how to use visual effects. The VFX Tutor Boot Camp: Shooting for Visual Effects is pitched at tutors currently teaching visual effects courses at UK institutions. It is a two day course, which is being held on the 24th and 25th March, and is supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund. York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television will be hosting the course and the tutors “will learn professional workflows and working practices, and production for visual effects-based projects, including camera requirements, screen lighting and spill suppression, lighting and matching backplates, on-set visualisation methods, footage acquisition, back-up and preparation for VFX and asset management.” The course features an evening with Stephen Nixon, who helped produce Godzilla amongst other film productions.
DRAMA QUEEN BY HELENA HORTON YORK GRADUATE Elizabeth Strut has secured full-time employment after a theatre internship over the last six months. The 21-year-old was offered a Production Assistant role with First Family Entertainment, part of the world’s number one live-theatre group, the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), after completing an internship during the busy pantomime season. She graduated in 2013 with a degree in Writing, Directing and Performance and spent the winter helping with 10 pantomimes. Strut will be working at the FEF offices in Covent Garden after accepting the job offer. The internship was forged due to Greg Dyke’s links with the industry; he is both Chancellor of the University of York and Chair of the ATG. The ‘Greg Dyke internship’ is offered exclusively to graduates on York’s BA in Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance. Elizabeth said: “An internship is a great way to network and build up a reputation. “I have learnt to be open to all experiences, including ones that you do not think will profit you in the future.”
Tuesday February 25, 2014
EXCLUSIVE: RACIAL EQU LIBERATION OFFICER: SIGNING THE UGANDAN ANTI-GAY BILL IS “RIGHT AND JUST”
“BILL SERVES AS A MEANS OF SAF CITIZENS WHO ARE ALREADY VULN FURTHER SPREADING” OF HIV AN
RESIGNED IN [continued from front page] Undergraduate Denis posted on Facebook that he thought the Ugandan president would “bow down to pressure from the West” and said that the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who is the ruling party, is “leading the way in safeguarding our children from bewildered outside influences”. The bill was passed by MPs in December 2013, but will not become law until the president has signed it. President Museveni has recently put the bill back on hold again whilst he seeks more advice on whether homosexuality is a lifestyle choice or based on genes. But yesterday it was reported that the president had reneged on his pledge and signed the bill into law. Student Denis, who was coopted into the role of BME Officer for Halifax less than three
BY
LEON MORRIS, JACK GEVERTZ & TOM DAVIES
weeks ago, defended his comments when a Facebook user said he was “brave” to declare support for the bill. The former college representative responded that “the clause for punishment by death had been removed” and that it is the only reason why he agrees with it. He added: “If it was still a possible penalty, I wouldn’t.” A committee of Ugandan MPs dropped the proposal of the death penalty in 2012. The bill before the president sets life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and sets a 14-year jail term for first-time homosexual offenders. In another Facebook post, Denis reaffirmed his support of the move by the President. He
said: “In Uganda the traditional Alcholis, as well as that of the Buganda, Bunyoro-Kitara, Busoga and Toro kingdoms, have for a long time not accepted the practice of homosexuality, as the subject matter is seen as taboo. “I am all for the protection of civil liberties and rights as constituted by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, I have a problem with its promotion. He added: “Furthermore, Uganda has for a very long time suffered with high rates of HIV/ AIDS, especially since the inception of war in the North in the 1980s. Now, I see the law as a means of safeguarding citizens who are already vulnerable from further spreading the virus, as reports indicate the rate of spread-
ing the virus amongst gay men is a great concern worldwide. “Lastly, as a Roman Catholic I fully subscribe to and believe in the teachings of Divine Law and that it does not become a sin until the said person acts upon the desire, either by acting out the desire or by encouraging the desire. So for Uganda at this time, I feel this is right and just.” Halifax College LGBTQ Officer Jack Chadwick said the comments were part of the “ignorance spread by violent antiqueer propaganda in countries like Uganda”. But he said blame should not rest on “specific individuals” and efforts to tackle the problem should be done through a “focus on education”. He added: “It’s completely inappropriate for these views to be
NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25, 2014
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UALITY OFFICER’S ANTISHOW TIME
BY KARL TOMUSK
FEGUARDING NERABLE FROM ND AIDS
Murdered... Activist Kato described as Uganda’s first openly gay man
N DISGRACE legitimised by having a supporter on the HCSA committee. The person in question must resign, or face removal.” Top Ugandan UNAIDS official, Musa Bungundu, said in 2013 that the country was “losing the fight” against HIV and AIDS. He said he was disheartened that the country was now taking lessons from others in how to solve the problem. The main forms of infection remain from pregnant HIV positive mothers to their babies and from unprotected sex. YUSU LGBTQ Officer Maddie Boden added the community was “appalled” by the legislation. She said: “Already York has been affected by these laws, when student David Kato was murdered in Uganda in 2011 because of his sexuality. “To hear a college welfare representative make these sort of comments worries us – an LGBTQ and BME identified student
probably would not feel comfortable approaching him now. His comments were inappropriate in relation to the role he holds and we hope that the JCRC is mindful of this if they do decide to take further action.” David Kato is an LGBT activist and former Ugandan teacher who has been described as the country’s “first openly gay man”. He was a student within the University’s Centre for Applied Human Rights from 2009 to 2010, but was murdered in January 2011. Homosexuality is currently illegal in Uganda under the Penal Code and carries life imprisonment. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill would make it a criminal offence not to report gay people. Jessica Smith, Vice-Welfare President for Halifax, said: “While we do not condone the behaviour of the individual, it is important to maintain the
welfare and safety of all those involved. We wish to reiterate that the individual’s belief is not the opinion of the committee as a whole. If anyone feels affected they should contact their College Tutor, College Dean or their Provost.” Student Denis said: “As I hold a position of representation and accountability for our fellow students, I now understand that the comments I made were inappropriate and I therefore offer my sincerest apologies to anyone who has been affected by my comments. “I have since removed the Facebook post in question and released a public apology in its place. On February 22nd 2014 I handed in my formal resignation as Racial Equality Officer to the Vice President of Welfare for the Halifax College Students Association.” A Facebook statement by the HCSA said they had accepted.
RECRUITMENT COMMENCE By LOUSSIN PILIKIAN HALIFAX CSA PRESIDENT
Due to recent events, the student in question feels that they are no longer able to represent the views of Halifax College members, and therefore has since handed in their resignation. We expect to begin recruitment of our vacant positions from the beginning of Summer Term.
OVER 50 students from the University are working with a London theatre company on a set of productions at the York Theatre Royal. Students from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television (TFTV) are collaborating with Company of Angels on ‘Theatre Cafe’, a popular event that showcases newly translated plays from across Europe, working closely with the professionals on every stage of the production to develop six plays for an English-speaking audience. Dr. Tom Cantrell, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television, commented on the project and its potential benefit for students’ employment prospects: “This is a great opportunity for our students. Our undergraduate BA students will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry professionals, to learn from them, and to gain the experience of working on professional productions.” ‘Theatre Cafe’ will be performed from 26th February - 1st March at the York Theatre Royal and is open to the public and industry experts.
YOU AREN’T WHAT YOU EAT BY HELENA HORTON
HALIFAX JCRC are launching a campaign to try to improve the body image of its members, and to raise awareness of eating disorders. It ties in with Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which runs from Monday 24th February to Sunday 2nd March. The campaign has three main parts, including the International campaign ‘Operation Beautiful’ to both campuses, which will consist of the welfare team distributing positive letters around the University. In addition there will be a ‘Love your Body’ wall in JJ’s, where students can anonymously write what they love and hate about their body. The Welfare Rep of Halifax, Jessica Smith, commented that “this will encourage them to talk about it and show that body image affects everyone”. They will also be recreating the Dove Real Beauty Sketches, where members of the college will describe themselves to an artist, who will then draw them. This, according to Smith, “could reveal how potentially damaging poor self image can be for people of any gender.” A positive body image is incredibly important for student’s mental health and well-being.”
6 NEWS
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
YORK VISION EXCLUSIVE
w
ABANDONED
STUDENT’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PLEAS IGNORED BY UNI A CASE involving a student being “failed” by the Harassment and Welfare services at the University of York has driven her to transfer Universities, and spurred on students and YUSU to scrutinise the provision for student Welfare at York. The anonymous student suffered criminal abuse, including having bleach poured in her eyes and being hit, at the hands of her partner, but when she complained to multiple people, including her department, his department and the University of York Harassment Network she was ‘turned away’, ‘met with silence’ and ‘not referred to the police or any counselling services’. She commented: “After [the abuse] had happened I decided to contact York Uni for help &
BY
HELENA HORTON
advice around the situation, and as I was unable to find information that related to abuse from a partner or ex-partner I followed the guidelines for “harassment and bullying”: I followed the advice given and sent and email to one of the suggested “complaint co-ordinators”. “I wrote an in-depth email to the head of my Ex’s department (who was a woman, and therefore I for some reason assumed would be more sympathetic to my situation.) giving more detail than I’ve given you here, and waited for a reply. According to the University website complaints should be dealt with as follows: If you report harassment to the University you can expect the following:
to receive a prompt response in line with the principles of the Code of Practice on Harassment, and to be listened to, taken seriously and treated sensitively. “Unfortunately for myself neither of these things happened, because I never even received a reply. Even when I spoke to my own academic supervisor, she clearly had no idea what processes she could go through to help me, she implied that they don’t exist within the university infrastructure.” The student “felt unable to continue at the University of York” as she felt “unsafe around her ex” and that she “had to avoid the University campus”. She has subsequently trans-
ferred to another University, which “does have the services required to deal with the case” and has “already given [her] great support”. When Vision spoke to YUSU, they were ‘shocked’ that the University had not brought this case to their attention. They emphasised that YUSU does have the resources to deal with this; links with the local police department and a sexual abuse referral centre. The Union also started a ‘Call it in’ campaign, encouraging students to report crime to the police earlier this term. YUSU pointed out that the student should have been referred to the police, and that it is difficult for YUSU and the University to act as they are not allowed to investigate crimes. However, there are services in place, at least in terms of
the Union, that the University should be referring students to in times of trouble. The Union found it “worrying” that this case occurred and were “appalled” that the student was “failed” by the University. They reiterated that all supervisors have a handbook, with relevant information in about how to deal with student welfare, and that her supervisor should have referred her on to the police or the provost. The lack of reply from Harassment was also found to be “shocking” Students are meeting with the Equality & Diversity Office next week to discuss the issue. If anyone is affected by this story, please email g.offer@yusu. org, callitin@yusu.org or talk to their college Provost.
YORK VISION
@helenashead
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YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday February 25, 2014
ONE MILL QUID OFFCAMPUS SHAG PAD TO OPEN IN MAY
York’s first 1m apartments set to please rich students... BY JACK GEVERTZ
AN EVENT organised to discuss UK immigration will include controversial UKIP councillor Victoria Ayling. The Lincolnshire councillor, who is visiting as part of the York Union events, will be joined by Migration Watch UK Vice-Chairman, Alp Mehmet, to debate a motion in favour of
curbing UK immigration. The motion will be opposed by Going Underground presenter, Afshin Rattansi, and The Telegraph journalist, Dan Hodges. For more information on the debate, you can visit the York Union’s website.
YORK VISION may have found the answer to the University’s accommodation problem. According to developers, hundreds of people have shown interest in the first £1 million apartment in York where work is ongoing to create four new apartments and office space. Developer Grantside is creating the new development at the riverside Bonding Warehouse along the River Ouse. But with work expected to be completed in May, there is still a chance for University bosses to bid for the rooms. Last September, YUSU President Kallum Taylor announced a
number of first-year undergraduates would be given free bus passes for living off-campus after University officials took in too many students. They also faced a £500,000 fine from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Bosses are hoping that the new Constantine College, which will accommodate more than 600 students and is set to open in September, will ease problems following news that the University’s admissions intake was pushed over 4,000 for the first time for the last academic year.
ing students broke, disaffected and angry. “As well as this, they have been complicit in the privatisition of the Student Loans Company, which will have vast negative impacts on all students because of the change in terms and conditions. The Lib Dems, once seen as a party that supported students, now have a legacy of introducing them to massive debts and a decrease in the quality of education due to massive cuts in the sector. I urge every student to attend the demo on March the 8th to show their anger in full force.” Charlie Kingsbury, the Chair of the Liberal Democrats at York, commented;
“The demonstrators have a right to a peaceful protest that I respect. But as a student, I’m proud of the Liberal Democrats’ record in government: creating a fairer student funding system, delivering same-sex marriage, and raising employment levels to a record high. “In York, we’re working to give young people a fair chance by bringing an end to unpaid internships, helping them get on in life. Labour’s mess meant the Government has to make some tough decisions, but I know that Lib Dem policies are making this government fairer.”
@imjackyeah
STUDENTS SAY: “TUC OFF”
BY HELENA HORTON
STUDENTS ARE joining with the TUC (Trade Unions’ Council) in a protest against the Liberal Democrat Conference next month. People from all over the country, and all different political affiliations, will be congregating at Clifford’s Tower on the 8th March to protest against the Liberal Democrats. Students in particular are in attendance due to the “broken promises” made by Nick Clegg regarding Tuition Fees. The TUC organised the demo “to help show them the electorate know there are better ways to grow our economy and protect our
society than the coalition’s austerity policies”. There will be a large student presence, with people from the York Greens, York Labour and York Socialists in attendance. William Hornett, Chair of the York Socialist Society and one of the student organisers of the demo commented; “The Lib Dems represent a betrayal of the student population. A large portion of student voters voted for the policy of a scrapping of tuition fees, and when that party got in power, tuition fees tripled. If this isn’t a betrayal, not much is. They sold out students and have left them with tution fees of £9000 a year leav-
@helenashead
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BLOWN AWAY BY ANGUS QUINN THE UNIVERSITY’S Brass Band has secured a Top Three placing at the National University Brass Band championships. The band was led by Third Year Music Student Leon Conroy and soloist Charlotte Heaven, who performed ‘Shores of the Mighty Pacific’ by Herbert L. Clarke. University of York Brass Band member Tom Wilson said of the event: “It was the fourth year the competition has been running and 2014 was the first time that it was held at a university other than Lancaster.” “There were 15 bands competing, with bands coming from all corners of the country; from Southampton all the way up to Durham.” The Band in addition secured the prize for ‘Most Entertaining Band’ and were the highest placing non-auditioning student run brass band in the country.
PLANT YOUR EXPLOSIVES! BY ADRIAN HORAN YORK SCIENTIST Neil Bruce has led his team to the final of an innovator contest after developing plants which are used to clean up explosive-polluted land. The University of York professor enters the final within the ‘Social Innovator’ category for BBSRC ‘Innovator of the Year’ contest, which “recognises and rewards individuals and small teams who have harnessed the potential of their excellent research” in the form of a £15,000 award. Neil is currently a professor of Biology in the ‘Centre for Novel Agricultural Products’, having conducted numerous research projects funded by BBSRC themselves. “I am thrilled to have been selected as a finalist – our work represents a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing alternative to clean up explosives on contaminated land.” The award ceremony takes place on March 20th at a high-profile London event.
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YORK VISION
NEWS
Vision's Helena Horton takes a look at the country’s student publications , and looks at news regarding student protest, nudity, #copsoffcampus and Neknomination
Student Press IT MAY be the last issue ever of the biggest student paper Europe, London Student, this week as ULU teeters on the brink of being shut down. In an unusually political move from a student paper, the Editor and the paper itself by extension has urged students to attend a Demo next weekend to protest against the ULU shut down. I myself will be attending so watch out for coverage from me in the coming weeks. Universities around the country, including the Saint, our very own Nouse and even a couple of Tabs have condemned the trend of ‘Neknomination’ after five deaths have occurred from participation in it. Is this warranted? Is it the trend that is so evil or is it the stupidity of people involved who think it is a good idea to ‘nek’ couple of pints of gin rather than a pint of beer or whatever? I guess we all need something to write about. The Birmingham Redbrick has reported on the arrest of students protesting against student suspension earlier this year. One such student, Deborah Hermanns, spoke out. She was kettled and refused to give her name, as was her right, and the police subsequently arrested her. The University suspended her and stopped her from running in the Sabb elections. She is not allowed to meet in large groups or set foot on University premises. Hermans complained that the University doesn’t come down nearly as hard on students who are detained for violent behaviour in nightclubs and other illegal actions, only when the illegal action was political. Other students have subsequently stuck up for her in print. Durham lecturers, might need to clean up their examination act, as Palatinate reported that over 12% of Physics papers last year contained errors and unsolvable questions. I personally found Physics questions unsolvable at school, so I can only sympathise. We have come to expect nothing but the most high quality coverage from the Cambridge Tab and this week was no exception. A classy first year, dubbed ‘Captain Cock’ was arrested for running around outside wearing nothing but a captain hat. Banter. We at York Vision can only ask, with only the slightest hint of bitterness; why did Oxbridge accept this cretin and not us?!
GROUND FORCE BY ANGUS QUINN YUSU PRESIDENT Kallum Taylor and YUSU Welfare & Community Officer George Offer have spear-headed a group of students tidying up the gardens on Heslington Road. The Groundforce project has been in in existence for several years and aims to build bonds
within the community. David Taylor Green Party Councillor for Fishergate said of the project: “I’m really delighted students muck in as they have done year-on-year... it shows that students are
part of the community.” Taylor and Offer were joined by over two dozen students for the project. George Offer YUSU Welfare Officer said of the volunteering project: “Heslington Road is a predominantly student area and so the project helps build bonds in the community. It’s good fun.”
YORK VISION EXCLUSIVE
ON YOUR MARKS, PROTEST, GO! STUDENTS TO GRADUATE LATE SUBJECT TO “SELFISH” BOYCOTTS
STUDENTS MAY be prevented from graduating on time this year as lecturers are predicted to boycott marking exam scripts due to a lack of response from University Management over the strikes earlier this year and last term. York lecturers are expected to take part if the boycott, arranged by the University and College Union, takes place. They went on strike last term and at the start of this term over disputes about pay to staff. As part of the protest, staff could refuse to mark essays, portfolios, dissertations or exam scripts for all undergraduates and postgraduates at British universities. David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrar, com-
Mr Oki @MrOki5 “Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Greg Dyke Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog Hot dog #yusuelections2014”
mented; “At this stage, we have not received confirmation from the campus trade unions that this latest phase of industrial action will definitely go ahead. However, we know that the last strike day was supported by about 3% of staff. We will continue to do everything we can to protect the interests of students. We will also continue to urge both sides to return to the negotiating table and try to reach agreement at national level. In the meantime, we have unilaterally raised the wages of the lowest paid and backdated the increases to August 2013.” YUSU Academic Officer, Dan whitmore told York Vision: “I do not support the strike, every worker has the right to strike when conditions are poor, it’s not
BY HELENA HORTON the University they are harming this time, it’s the students.” “If they want to affect the University, they can stop writing research papers. The students haven’t done anything wrong, it is the University at fault here. In a way, the lecturers are passing the buck” Josiah Mortimer, Press and Publicity for the UOY Greens also commented: “while the marking boycott will be disruptive, it’s no way near as disruptive as years of real-terms pay cuts for thousands of staff in York and across the country.” “This is part of a campaign for fairness, and one that students should get behind.”
@helenashead
TWEETS OF THE WEEK Michael Cooper @MichaelCooper09 “Wish I had gone to the YUSU election debate now, could have shouted ‘get a job’ at all the candidates.. #yusuelections2014”
The Lemon Press @thelemonpress “If you try and cut student media budgets they will cut you #yusuelections2014”
Tuesday February 25, 2014
CLEAN VICTORY BY HELENA HORTON
A YORK cleaner has triumphed and made it into the hallowed pages of the York Press after beating brain cancer and finally being able to drive again. It is highly unusual for victims of brain cancer to be able to drive again, so this is a big win for Becky Dodd, who works as a cleaner at the University of York. The tumour which she had was the size of a tennis ball according to the Press, and after having it removed, Becky received her Driver’s License from the DVLA early last week. She commented: “It’s the last hurdle cleared now, it feels brilliant. Everyone got phone calls yesterday. I was crying and laughing and everything.” “I shocked my mum at first because of the laughing, but it’s great to have it back.”
EFE IN KEBAB WAR? BY HELENA HORTON RIVAL KEBAB shops in York are sparring on Twitter- or their parodies are, anyway. Someone, assumed to be a University of York student, has set up three parody accounts for ‘Mr Oki’ (@MrOki5), who tweeted Greg Dyke during the YUSU election debate; “@gregdykeyork Fancy a kebab mate? #yusuelections2014”, Deniz Best Kebab (@MrDenizYork), and Efe’s (@MrEfeYork). ‘Efe’ had very strong words to say about his competitors, and tweeted “Time to decide which kebab is better. Mine are very efe-cient, Oki’s a tosser, and Deniz is a dick #kebabwar”, with a pun to rival some of even Vision’s best headlines. Efe, when contacted, commented “I know nothing of the twitter platform and do not comment on other people’s kebabs. Come to Efe’s for pizza and kebabs.”
Laura Watson @LMWatson693 “Expansion of Open Door is needed! We’re getting more and more students but not as much support #yusuelections2014”
NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25, 2014
9
FUNDING ROW: NO FUTURE MEDIA CUTS
ELECTION MEDIA ROW NO YUSU Student Activities Officer candidate said they would cut media funding during the YUSU Election debate, it has emerged. Third-year contender Harriet Gibson became embroiled in a row over society funding after she was accused of saying she wanted to ‘cut the media grant’ during the Monday debate. But a recording of the event, released by YSTV, shows that the James College student actually said she wanted to “address the society funding issue” and “definitely” does not propose closing down a campus newspaper. She told audience members: “Certain societies get a lot more money than others do. There are some societies for example, some media societies, which have a very limited number of members – like less than 100 people – between a couple of societies, but get upwards of £8,000 a year in grants, whereas there are certain other societies, like one of the dancing societies, which has 400 members, and only gets less than £1,000 a term, and therefore has to self-fund, and they compete on a national level. They have to pay for their own transport, their own shoes, their own uniforms, and I think that’s something that really needs addressing.” When asked by Chancellor Greg Dyke if this would mean ‘killing off ’ a campus newspaper, she added: “I’m definitely not saying that. I think we need to look into the societies review and look at how society funding is allocated, and if I’m elected I want to address that pretty much straight away once I’m in office. Just make sure it’s a lot fairer.” The former chair of YSTV Chris Wall, who is also vying for the role, added that he thought media societies were getting “huge, huge amounts”. Speaking at the event, he said: “I think that society funding is a massive issue for societies across the board. “At the moment there are a lot of societies that are still woefully underfunded and some of the media societies are getting huge, huge amounts.” Candidate Bev Rogers said she didn’t know a lot about how campus media funding was assigned but said that University Radio York and YSTV get “less exposure” than the two main campus newspapers. She added: “If we have YSTV on the big screens and URY in bars then that could do more for those societies perhaps.” She also said she was aware that the Lemon Press, the University’s satirical magazine, had funding “they couldn’t access for months”. A spokesperson for the Lem-
CANDIDATES DID NOT CALL FOR MEDIA CUTS, FOOTAGE CONFIRMS
PHOTO CREDIT: JACK WESTERN
BY
JACK GEVERTZ
on Press said: “I think any detailed analysis of society funding should be welcomed as it’s clear at the moment from my perspective that it’s not always apportioned as efficiently as possible.” Angus Quinn, the editor of York Vision, added: “The grant we receive is nowhere near £8000. YUSU only fund us for 6 of our 9 issues a year and we have to make up the rest ourselves through advertising. We would welcome a review nevertheless.” Bev, Harriet and Chris said on Tuesday that they did not want to cut campus media funding after the YUSU Election debate, held at the Roger Kirk Centre, was plagued by technical and sound difficulties. Speaking at the Glasshouse, the candidates reiterated their position of wanting to see society funding allocated more fairly. But on Friday, candidate Bev Rogers questioned how Chris Wall ‘got away with this one’. Speaking on University Radio York’s Candidate Night, she said: “I’ve never said cuts to media funding. I don’t know how Chris Wall got away with this one
because he’s never said it either. I think it’s important we look at funding and the allocation of funding. That in no way means cutting media funding.” Harriet added: “No point during the debate on Monday did I or any of the other candidates ever say the phrase ‘cut media funding’. In fact, I think it was Greg Dyke that said ‘will you cut media funding?’ and we all outright said no.” Candidate Chris Wall was not at the URY event to respond to the comments, but has stated he wants to support “award-winning media”. University Radio York Station Manager Al Riddell said: “Any opportunity to improve society funding should be grasped with both hands. However, if any changes made are detrimental to York’s award winning and widely respected student media outlets, it is clear the university needs to get its priorities in order. We are grateful for our funding, naturally, but there is no fat to trim in our budget. Students have built URY, lit-
erally, and we do a frankly amazing job with the somewhat scant resources at our disposal. If a review of fund allocation comes to URY’s doorstep, I think the only logical move would be to increase our funding. “We are the joint most awarded student station in the country, providing fantastic output and creating an immersive and enriching experience for our members- imagine what we could do with even a little more financial help! Just a glance in the direction of other successful student radio stations shows how poorly funded we are, in comparison. The fact we are so successful makes me immensely proud. I will be fighting the cause of my station, and for student media in general, through the appropriate channels of course, to make sure any such review is both fair and sensible.” The editor of Nouse, Rosie Shields, added: “I think fairer funding is a good thing but due to the nature of some societies they do just need more funding. Nouse does well in getting a lot of funding for itself but printing costs would never be able to be covered by us alone. However, some society funding is low and they should
get more help. Also the argument that the [sic] some societies get less money but manage it is crazy - often they have paid events which can help cover the costs - with a free newspaper we fund it all and often we’re stuck with the number we print due to contracts with our sponsors etc.” A spokesperson for YSTV declined to comment. Student media grants are among the largest in the student union societies. They are used to pay for printing costs, website maintenance and general media upkeep such as new cameras and computing software. Aside from funding, the YUSU Student Activities’ Officer candidates have also stated they want to look into the issues of volunteering, Freshers’ Fair and Refreshers’ Fair – which was recently criticised by a number of societies who said that the fairs were “poorly managed”. Voters will go to the polls in the latest students’ union elections this week (Week 8) to decide their new YUSU team for the next academic year.
@imjackyeah
10 NEWS
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
YORK VISION EXCLUSIVE
DAVID LEVENE IS
THE COUNCILLOR Politics often feels like it’s all about the big events. Journalists love them, politicians tend to dread them and the public generally don’t care. It seems to be the season. This week the City Council will be setting its budget – this is a classic example: lots of shouting Councillors and bemused members of the public. Setting a Council budget is a tricky job, particularly at the moment. Having to deal with funding reductions that total about half our annual operating budget, adult social care costs continuing to spiral as the population ages, and multiplying pictures of opposition Councillors angrily glaring at potholes. But amidst the gloom there are some bright spots. Of particular interest to students might be the Council extending the Living Wage to all its external contracts; money for improved and more efficient street lighting (good for the environment, our bank balance, and public safety; something we know has been an issue around campus), and continuing to invest in jobs and homes (particularly important to young people living in York). It might not be the West, but it’s important stuff for York residents and no doubt will generate a lot of debate. If you fancy it, come along to Budget Council at the Guildhall, 6.30pm on Thursday. A rare treat for the city the size of York, but the second weekend of March (that’s week 9 to you lot) will see us hosting that staple of the political calendar: a party conference, in this case the Lib Dem’s. You’ve got to admire their bravery given that we have a student population of roughly 30,000, but we’ll be sure to give them a warm welcome, with a big demonstration planned (colour-coded for extra fun, more info on their Facebook page at http://s.coop/ldconf), as well as the conclusion to our campaign against cutting student support (which you can still sign up to at www.studentsupportyork). You may have noticed a few cardboard signs around campus, which can only mean one thing; the ultimate in political events: elections. If I’m being absolutely honest, part of me dies inside when I realise almost four years after graduating I still have to care about YUSU elections, but working so closely with the President and Welfare & Community Officer, that’s the way it has to be. There are some really interesting ideas coming through on how to improve relations between students and the local community and I’ve been fortunate to bump into various candidates and discuss their ideas at events like last week’s Community Connect event. The fun never stops in the life of a Councillor. And if I still have to care, then you definitely do, so get voting.
Registrar... David Duncan
1.
What is being proposed? We are considering the creation of a joint venture owned by the University of York and a commercial partner (INTO Ltd.) which will offer foundation programmes for students who wish to enter degree programmes at UK universities but who do not yet have the necessary language skills. The foundation programmes would feature different strands geared to specific subjects or groups of subjects. The foundation programmes would welcome about 700 additional students to York at steady state; we expect about 60% of them would continue into our degree programmes while others would move on to other UK universities. 2. Why is the University considering this? The programmes would increase the throughput of wellqualified overseas students, especially for undergraduate courses, but also for some postgraduate programmes. This in turn would improve the University’s financial position, generate funds for reinvestment in staff and facilities, and raise our profile overseas. 3. What is INTO? INTO is a private, Brighton-based company with seven years’ experience in this market. It has 17 joint venture partnerships with universities in the UK, US and China. Its UK partners include Newcastle, East Anglia, Manchester, Exeter, Queen’s and St George’s Medical School. 4. Why should we partner with INTO? INTO is regarded as the market leader at the present time. It would provide both capital to build new facilities and recruit students through its network of overseas agents who specialise in recruiting students to foundation courses. 5. Isn’t this just privatisation of higher education? Far from it. We already partner with external providers to fund capital investments on campus; likewise, we make use of recruiting agents around the world to attract students to York. Under this proposal, the University would retain complete academic control of entry, programmes and progression, and would have a 50% stake in the joint venture.
6. What are the main risks from the University’s perspective and how would these be addressed? The key risk concerns the ability to recruit high-achieving students who would be able to benefit from York degree programmes. We would address this by retaining full academic control. The University would: a) set the standard required of students entering into the foundation programmes b) quality assure the programmes to guarantee that these were well designed and at an appropriate standard c) maintain absolute control over which students it admitted to its degree programmes. In terms of financial risks, we would negotiate a contract which minimised the University’s exposure. We would undertake full financial and legal due diligence before signing any contract. 7. Is there a risk that this enterprise will impact disproportionately on certain disciplines? It is undoubtedly easier to recruit overseas students for certain disciplines. However, the business plan would set robust targets for the numbers of students we would seek to recruit to specific disciplines. The targets would be discussed and agreed with academic departments. 8. Why would the University not simply recruit overseas students through its own recruitment team and overseas agents? We will continue to recruit overseas students by these means and, in fact, we are in the process of expanding our recruitment team. However, the joint venture would allow us to attract a wider pool of students and to prepare them thoroughly for study at York. The collaboration with INTO would also allow us access to a much wider network of agents, some of whom are based in countries where the University has yet to establish a presence.
UNI’S INTO PLANS THE UNIVERSITY’S OFFICIAL RESPONSE
9. Where would the joint venture be located? The proposal is to construct a state-of-the-art facility on Heslington East; this would house teaching and study space together with a refectory, which could be managed by the University and would be open for use by other members of the University community. Additional residential accommodation would be required as the initiative reaches full capacity. 10. What are the implications for University of York staff ? The joint venture would employ its own staff who would be given associate staff member status by the University. If any staff were transferred into the joint venture, we would guarantee their existing terms and conditions, including pension rights. We have also proposed to the trade unions that we negotiate over pay and conditions of staff in the joint venture. As international students move into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, we would use the additional fee income generated to enhance student : staff ratios and to increase support for students through central services.
11. What would happen if the joint venture failed? If the joint venture failed, the University would have an option to acquire the building on Heslington East and to reallocate it for other purposes. We would redeploy staff in other posts where possible. 12. What are the next steps? The proposal is under consideration by both Senate and Council – we may or may not decide to go ahead. If approved, we will finalise a contract and recruit students for the academic year 201516. The numbers will then build up gradually over five years.
11 COMMENT
YORK VISION
COMMENT
Tuesday February 25, 2014
www.yorkvision.co.uk/comment comment@yorkvision.co.uk
YUSELESS? HELENA HORTON EXTOLS THE VIRTUES OF THE STUDENT UNION
HELENA HORTON @helenashead
Y
ou may ask, “What does YUSU do for you?” The vast majority of students – the ones who don’t go to Liberation and Welfare assemblies and committee meetings – might answer that YUSU’s main objective is to give us a space for societies and a place to drink. However, behind all of this is a democratic student-run Union which should hold the University accountable and bring student interests to the forefront of the minds of those fuddy-duddies at the top of our university. Granted, we aren’t as much of a political space as other universities around the country, but we do still push for issues, even small ones like Café Barista and the Health Science Grants. Our Union is here to represent us and help us with any issues that we have with the University, and no matter how well it does this and how much we engage, it is important for it to at least have the potential to serve this function, should we need it. Management at the University of London, as any of you who are into student politics will be aware, have recently decid-
CALLUM SHANNON
Management they still haven’t listened to the cause or made an effort to change their ways, I will try to get the Union to back me and put pressure on the University. This is what they are for and if they had this power taken away from them, I would be left floundering and alone.
We need someone to stand up for us when we need it most Even flicking through the last issue of York Vision, you can see that this power holds true. Workers at the York Sport Union who had their pay cut without warning and their zero hours contracts used against them went directly to Kallum Taylor, who is taking their issue up with the University. He is trained, he knows what he’s doing and sadly he holds more clout with the University than single students alone do. Without his help, they could have been left to deal with this alone, and it is doubtful if they could have got the University to listen to them. Health Science students approached their Union because they are being let down when it comes to funding, and our President took the issue not just to the Uni-
versity but to the NHS and will probably be able to sort their issues out. At the end of the day, our Sabbs are trained, they are being paid to deal with our issues and they are not pursuing studies so they have the time to have endless bureaucratic meetings with the University. We don’t have these things when we stand alone as students, so I’d argue that we really do need democratic representation – someone to get our voices heard by people who don’t want to hear us. If ULU, one of the most politically active Unions in the country, closes it will be more than a great shame; it will be catastrophic for London students. It may give other Universities ideas and we may see a spate of Unions shutting down all over the country. This is not something that we can be apathetic about. This is something we have to fight against! However much you may hate them for being career politicians, our Sabbs work for us, and with us. Whilst a popular topic of conversation among student may be slating YUSU, we can’t afford to get rid of it. We need someone to stand up for us when we need it most. Even if you personally don’t ever need representation, there are those amongst us who definitely do, and we need to protect this right and get angry with anyone who tries to take it away from us.
NOBODY DOES IT WETTER IT’S TIME TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DEAL WITH FLOODING
@Callum_Shannon
I
ed to take away all democratic power from the University of London Student’s Union and turn it into a Student Support Service, meaning that it will only function as a space for drinking and societies, effectively taking autonomy away from students. If they have any problems, they will have to take it up with the University Management themselves, and they will not have anyone to specifically represent them. I think that it would be awful if this set a trend across the UK. Here at York, we probably wouldn’t see that as such a horrific thing, as our Union isn’t very openly active (sorry Sabbs) and we don’t have massive high-profile campus-wide protests or any real political unity. However, battles are fought and won behind the scenes; in our Liberation and Welfare groups motions are being taken to the NUS every year and our Sabbs are working with, and sometimes against, the University to secure funding and rights for students in separate departments. If we have a problem, there is at least somewhere to go, and someone to talk to. We have a public face in the form of our President and if we really want to start a protest or a political movement we can at least try and have some opportunity to get it off the ground. This is a personal cause for me, as I am currently working on changing something to do with welfare at the University, and if after meetings with
t’s got to be said, as a bar, the Lowther has a lot going for it: nice wine, triples are cheaper than doubles and they’re always open – no matter what. Even now, as the overflowing river Ouse creeps its way up Cumberland Street and patrons have to scramble over duck boards to get in, they’re still open. “Open as usual: It’s only a puddle!”; a sign at the top of the road reminds any would be customers deterred by the closer than usual waterline. Anyone who’s lived in York for more than a year will be aware this sign sees a lot of use. The river Ouse floods consistently pretty much every year and local businesses and residents have adapted pretty well. Sat overlooking the swollen river, you occasionally see the odd resident driving into the water to get home, somehow knowing where the shallow parts are. No COBRA meeting is necessary when York floods! In my home town of Pickering, it’s a similar story. Although if our river floods, people seem mostly unperturbed by the occurrence as things are usually back to normal in a day or so. One of my friends even used
the newly created Venetian landscape for some kayaking practice! While it’s pretty tough to prevent flooding, especially in a country famous for its rain, it is possible to respond to it in a way that allows most people to lead relatively normal lives. With this in mind, one question becomes apparent: given that we are capable of responding well to flooding, exactly what went wrong in recently in Somerset and indeed the most part of Southern England? Why was so much devastation caused to the region?
But has human activity made it worse? While the crisis is resolved, it’s important we focus on saving as much property and, most importantly, as many people as possible, rather than playing the blame game, but once the smoke has cleared people will inevitably look for answers. But who is truly to blame? For starters, it must be remembered that Somerset is a very low-lying part of the country. Much of the land is below sea level and there’s no obvious way for it to drain away, meaning shifting all this excess water is taking a long time. Other natural causes that we have to remember include the fact
that this January was one of the wettest ever, so some form of flooding really should have been anticipated. But has human activity made it worse? There’s a view often thrown about by the media (and shared by many disgruntled owners of now flooded houses) that the Environment Agency should be held accountable for both failing to prevent and respond to the floods; but this view is pretty ridiculous. Flood defence, like almost every other public department, has been cut hugely since 2010, losing about 15% of its budget. Consequently, proposed new flood defence schemes had to be abandoned because there simply wasn’t the available money to pay for them. You can’t accuse somebody of not doing their job right if you don’t give them the means to do so, even when more extreme weather is making such spending more invaluable than ever. However, human error is still undoubtedly to blame for the level of devastation. If we build thousands of new homes on flood plains and then remove trees from hillsides (which absorb water and prevent surface runoff) should we really be surprised when said new homes get flooded? Not really. Building in areas liable to flooding and removing natural defences without replacing them is asking for trouble. We saw similar things in Hull almost ten years ago and it seems we’ve yet to learn from our mistakes. As depressing as it is, with the waves of
climate change lapping ever closer to home, the weather is only likely to get more extreme. With very little we can do about this, our response will be critical if we are to survive future floods better. There’s currently lots of talk of dredging, but this process is expensive and has to be done throughout a river to have any impact. A better solution would be to plant trees to prevent surface runoff and provide natural stores for water; a more cost effective and environmentally sound solution.
If we build new homes on flood plains, should we really be surprised when said new homes get flooded? Furthermore, while little can be done about already built homes, we should introduce more stringent rules about where new homes can be built. While river view properties may be desirable, having your watery next door neighbour invade your living room uninvited definitely isn’t. Building more responsibly would mean less actual flood defences would need to be built and maintained, reducing the strain on the budget. We certainly can’t end flooding for good, but we can prepare for it and we can handle things better than we did.
12 COMMENT
YORK VISION
CORPORATE PRIDE? IS GOOGLE’S DOODLE JUST AN EMPTY GESTURE?
THE VOICE OF
YORK VISION
INTOLERANCE IS STILL A FACT OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE
W
ith the blanket coverage of LGBT abuses during the Sochi Olympic Games it’s often easy to gloss over the fact that extreme homophobia isn’t only confined to the Russian Federation. Intolerance is still very much present in today’s society whether homophobia, racism, sexism or any of the other multitude of discriminations proliferating in the world and moreover in the university. Too often we’re keen to assert the fact that such intolerance is a thing of the past because it’s embarrassing to acknowledge how close-minded society remains to a great extent. The anachronisms in the homophobia debate are the cultural and religious justifications that have been used for centuries to justify intolerance. They still persist in the UK regardless. Even at University, supposedly populated by intelligent and intellectual people intolerance can and does still exist. Actively confronting these issues is key rather than turning a blind eye to it.
HARASSEMENT IS AN ISSUE TO CONFRONT NOT IGNORE
I
n the 21st Century it’s unacceptable to sweep harassment under the carpet. We’re so de-sensitized to the problem because of its acceptability in popular culture that we rarely bat an eyelid now if it emerges someone has been suffering domestic abuse. It remains abhorrent and something as a student community we should tenaciously oppose rather than apathetically roll our eyes at. Harassment has to be put back on the agenda because, as with intolerance, it is still heavily present in society. It might occur behind closed doors but that doesn’t make it excusable. There needs to be more clarity of process so people know where to go about harassment and they know they’re going to be taken seriously instead of being turned away.
NEKNOMINATE HAS BECOME A SINISTER MENACE
N
ekNominate was at first an extension of the simple past-time of downing a pint. Admittedly the videos were exhibitionist in the extreme but they were largely an extension of the bingedrinking culture that’s part and parcel of student existence in 2014. Unfortunately it’s taken a sinister turn. People have now died from toxic combinations of high percentage spirits. It may have seemed like innocent fun at first but it is now a deadly menace and there have been threats of manslaughter charges for those who have nominated people. It’s a particularly sinister extension of binge-drinking when people are being bullied into drinking something that might kill them and it’s something that we should be deploring instead of revelling in. There’s nothing wrong with fun and games if that’s all it is but when people’s lives are endangered it is surely time to call it a day on it.
LIZZY ROBERTS
@ lizzyroberts93
T
he start of the Winter Olympics earlier this month for many was a greatly anticipated event, not least because of various controversies surrounding Sochi 2014. Whilst journalists arriving only a day or so before the opening ceremony were tweeting pictures of unfinished and unfurnished Olympic accommodation, the main focus was supposed to be the greatest showcase of outstanding athletes from around the globe. Olympic sporting events are a time to unite different cultures, set aside differences and compete together, upholding the core values of friendship and peace. That’s something to be proud of, and pride is certainly a feeling most would associate with any major sporting event like this. Pride, of course, is a touchy subject in Russia right now. The word itself is today often associated with the LGBT+ community, and they certainly aren’t allowed to be proud of themselves in Russia. Recent legislation has minimised the amount that people can vocalise that pride and acceptance of their sexuality, and it’s tragic. In the UK, we take for granted the fact that every summer across the country; people of different genders, sexes, races, backgrounds and, most importantly, sexualities gather together to celebrate their unique identities – pride week. Often we dismiss it, it’s so normalised as part of our culture
Michael Cooper
to be an increasingly accepting nation that we’d probably complain more about the traffic jams the festival causes than the abundance of sequins and feather bowers that adorn hundreds of gay men. It’s difficult to draw the line at where to impose our values and acceptance onto other countries, and how far we should take a stand against those that disagree with them. Talk of boycotting the Winter Olympics was hot on everyone’s lips a few months ago, and many have anticipated a great gesture of public support of the LGBT+ community in the middle of a medal ceremony. On the opening day of the games, Google took a big leap and changed its doodle to something rainbow themed. The last time I checked, Google was a pretty big corporation, with its search engine homepage being on the vast majority of screens around the world every single day. It was a brave move, to help brave people suffering cruel legislation and attitudes in their own country for simply being themselves. It begs the question though – should companies get so politically involved in everyday life? And if it’s the best thing since sliced bread that happened, then where’s the rainbow tribute to those suffering under a similar and even more brutal set of laws in Uganda every day? Why isn’t Google doodling about Saudi Women being allowed greater freedoms with perhaps a cute comical car whizzing around, roof down with a burka gently blowing in the breeze behind? What about pressuring governments to take in Syrian refugees, again suffering people, by doodling about them? In a similar move, the Guardian and Independent newspaper logos changed to ap-
Tuesday February 25, 2014
pear rainbow themed in what seems like a growing trend of corporate solidarity with LGBT+ Russians. Whilst it’s a nice gesture to say the least, does it really help? Perhaps not. Maybe all Google and other companies have achieved by supporting LGBT+ communities is make Russian authorities angry that they’re the butt end of a joke – I’m not so sure if I was a serious homophobe, a series of colourful blocks on a screen would change my mind. If companies like google, the Independent (even Oreo or Ben & Jerry’s for their campaigns to support same sex marriage in the USA) actually want to make a difference then why can’t they donate some of their profits to organisations that work on a ground level to support LGBT+ Russians? Campaigns that work to change the mind set of homophobic legislators are surely more effective than changing the colour of your logo for 24 hours right? They have demostrated that they care so why are they so reclutant to transfer gestures into real action? Perhaps I’m a bit of a cynic. Solidarity and support from big corporations must mean a lot to such an oppressed and threatened group of people, knowing that outside the borders of your country there are people who wield great power and think that who you are is something to be proud and not ashamed of. You and I have probably never felt what it’s like to be in that dire a situation, perhaps it means a lot just to know there’s some support out there. If you’re going to get so political and you’re a big company, use your power to change minds but remember that money for support goes further than a rainbow flag design.
YORK VISION
COMMENT
Tuesday February 25, 2014
STRIKE IF YOU LIKE
SURVEY SADNESS
WE NEED TO REVALUATE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS INDUSTRIAL ACTION
MICHAEL COOPER
@MichaelCooper09
W
hen the RMT union scheduled a walkout over the potential loss of over a thousand jobs there was a lot of outcries from the media and politicians alike. As there is whenever industrial action is threatened, people are frustrated by the potential disruption to their everyday lives. Why is this? Why do we have such a negative attitude towards strikes? Perhaps it is still a hangover from the past but whatever it is I do not believe it is either healthy or desirable.
It is our individualistic view of society that has got us in the mess we are currently in Whenever unions even speculate strike action – as the RMT recently did – there is always a disproportionate outcry from the media and the politicians. They often speak of union bosses ‘holding the country to ransom’. They are very quick to point out to the general public that the action could cause disruption to their lives for up to 48 hours! It seems to me that we have got this all very, very wrong. Whatever happened to solidarity with the workers? Are we not concerned that a politician is completely going back on his promise and cutting jobs from a sector he specifically campaigned to pro-
tect? If these workers lose their jobs they will be joining the same dole queues that a large amount of Britons current waiting in, desperately in search of a job in a poor economic climate. Do we not realise that as individuals we cannot exercise power the same kind of power on the government as we can as a collective? Since Thatcher brought in this seemingly religious devotion to neoliberal economic policy we have forgotten what solidarity between working people is. The Mayor of London is playing a very obvious political game – he knows that if he frames the argument as worker against workers then he can undermine the very thing that makes industrial action effective. It is our individualistic view of society that has got us in the mess we are currently in – if we are unable to see that in fact if our neighbours pay, working conditions and ultimately job are threatened then that could have implications for us as well. Perhaps Bob Crow and the RMT union do not have a mandate for strike action; regardless of this however, is it not the case that these same arguments are used against all industrial action? Do we ever hear Conservative politicians or Daily Mail columnists accept that strike action is justified? Of course we do not, because they do not believe it is ever justified. They do not possess this belief because strike action is rarely effective; they possess it because their vision of Britain’s economy involves a passive workforce. Furthermore, we do not acknowledge that strike action is effective because we do not empathise with the workers. I can accept that the London Underground must modernised but why does this mean that people must lose their jobs, why does modernisation have to result in a shrinking job
market rather than an expanding one? This issue is not the fault of the unions or the working people who are scared of becoming unemployed. On the contrary, it is a result of post-humanity economy policy which successive governments have pursued since Thatcher. Boris Johnson refused to meet with Bob Crow to discuss strike action but he is aware that he is in hopeless position. Getting rid of ticket offices does not have to result in a decrease in the work force: RMT is perfectly willing to discuss putting more workers on the platforms. There are genuine options which can result in modernisation that does not result in a decrease in the labour force.
Whatever happened to solidarity with the workers? I think that we really need to change our attitude towards industrial action in this country. Yes, it is annoying when you cannot get to work or school but surely we all realise that this men and women are only taking this decision because they feel they can do nothing else. We must be aware that if we continue to let politicians cut hundreds of thousands of jobs under the name of ‘modernisation’ or ‘efficiently’ then ultimately we are just building an economy that is based on low paid jobs and insecure labour. And if we do not express solidarity with those men and women crying out to prevent these injustices, then really there is nothing to stop this from occurring.
IT IS TIME FOR ACTION WE MUST BE THE CATALYST TO END THE SYRIAN CONFLICT
ELIZA GKRITSI
@legreechee
O
n February 15th the UN mediator for Syria apologized to the Syrian people about the non-existent progress the talks in Geneva brought about. The bloodshed that has been raging for two years now has cost the lives of more than 135,000 people and has led some 9.5 million to flee their homes. And it doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to winding down. The Free Syrian Army, the Westernbacked rebel group, seems incapable of stopping or talking down extremist factions who have time and again carried out suicide bombing at the expense of civilians. The largest of the rebel coalitions, the Islamic Front, and to a lesser extent the FSA itself, accept its members co-operation with disclosed affiliates of Al Qaeda. Meanwhile, the government and Assad himself are oblivious and dismissive of any notion of a truce. Its open use of chemical weapons and its unwillingness to destroy them is nothing if not a middle finger to UN peace negotiations and talks of multilateral intervention. His new plan of attack includes making peace with some rebel groups whilst obliterating others. The icing on the cake is the peace talks themselves. The USA block all discussion of
giving arms to the rebels for fear they might end up in the ‘wrong hands’ (ie. Al Qaeda), albeit they have found a fruitful source in the land of Saudi Arabia. At the same time Mr. Obama ‘notes’ Russia’s involvement in the issue, which he regards as the support of an illegitimate government which the people of Syria wish to be freed of. He may be making a fair point, but if he doesn’t try to work with Mr. Putin, the chances of the end of this illegal occupation of sorts are dim. And as has been made clear at this point, no country is willing to step up and force an army through the Syrian lands to Assad’s front door. And the body count keeps rising.
The truth of the matter is that a truce is a far-fetched hope The truth of the matter is that a truce is a far-fetched hope. The rebels consider it treason even to talk with governmental forces, whilst Assad has made it clear that he won’t lay his sword. The belligerents may be just a bit too equal for the fighting to stop just yet. So, how does one tip the scales? The answer is easy, yet sounds ill-advised at best. If a peaceful resolution is nowhere in the horizon, the belligerents are uneager to step
down and foreign intervention is a dead-end, in order to stop the deaths and unprecedented flight of civilians, then one party must be strengthened as to overpower the other. In other, more straightforward words, the rebels must be given guns. Of course this will only pour oil to the flame, but in the short term. The rebels, most importantly the Syrian National Coalition, need the means to fight and overpower a president who is self-righteous enough to breach international laws of warfare to fire chemical weapons against his own people. It can even be said that they deserve it. They have fought long and hard enough to no avail, and if the West is reluctant to shoot the fires for their sovereignty, they should be given the chance to. Why talk of democracy – often force it – and not facilitate those who demand it? Especially since all diplomatic meddling has led nowhere. The rebel coalitions may not be exactly the ones we would like firing freshlystamped ‘Made in the USA’ bazookas. Many of them are affiliated with terrorists, their vision of a free Syria may be dubious. But they are their country’s best, if not only, fighting chance. At least who gets what will be under control, instead of decided on by Saudi Arabia. This may help Mr. Obama sleep better, and better manage the borders his armaments cross. At the very least it will bring a long-overdue end. And this time, the West will not only have forged ties with the winning side; it will have created it.
13
JO BARROW @JoBarrow
A
ny third year (or indeed, humanities student full stop) dreads the question, ‘so, what are you going to do after university?’ With that in mind, it must take an absolute masochist to answer a 75 question survey on their plans post-graduation. And yet, that is what I found myself doing during a library break this week. The Times Leavers Survey is a comprehensive (and terrifying) questionnaire that grills you on what you’ve done so far at university in terms of gainful experiences, and what you expect from your job as a result of it. It is, without a doubt, the most agonising experience I have undergone throughout my degree. Consider this question: ‘In ten years’ time, what do you hope to have achieved?’ In all honesty, my answer would probably be something like, ‘Well, I’d like to have got over the year-long depression that follows my two or three years of job-seeking in vain, rued my 8 years spent getting work experience in sectors that I now have no interest in joining, come to terms with the prosperity of my friends who chose to not go to university and adjusted my expectations for happiness in inverse proportion to inflation rises and the housing market. I’ll probably have settled down into a job in fast food management and may have even convinced myself that that’s what I wanted all along.’ However, this being The Times, the options raised from the mildly inappropriate (given the nature of the survey) ‘I will be married’ (look forward to the headline: more women eschewing marriage for careers in shock survey results) to the outright ludicrous, ‘I will be earning more than 100k a year.’ There were 13 options to choose many from, and I considered them for a while in frustration before scribbling a giant ‘N/A’ next to all of them. The people who crafted this survey are remarkably out of touch with what our generation really expects from their time after university and even more so when it comes to understanding how we picture our lives in the future. We are lucky if we have a solid plan for a year’s time, let alone five or ten. I know what all my peers are planning to do to put off employment, but as for what they’ll do after that? No one has a clue. The days of walking into a job, of renting a place in London before moving out to the suburbs with your life partner, of affording children in your 20s or even early 30s are long, long gone in all but the minds of the conservative old. We have inherited a shit heap of a world from our parents’ generation, and yet they are surprised that, if anything, we don’t have too many job offers. Is it any wonder students are stressed in third year? Even if you do get a good grade there is no grantee of anything at the end of it. But take solace in this, fellow doommongers: you are not alone. It is the grownups, with their false ideas of life’s narrative putting this pressure and fear on us - and it is the freak outliers who have their lives planned out; the rest of us, the terrified, clueless multitude, are the norm. Alas worry not! Enjoy your late nights in Willow, we’ve got another 60 years to hit The Times’ arbitrary boundary lines for success; why waste our youth while we’re young?
14 ARE YOU HAVING A GIRAFFE?
YORK VISION
COMMENT
ANGUS QUINN @Angus_Quinn17
G
iraffes aren’t endangered. In fact, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, they’re of least concern. Rare among the exotic animals of the African continent, giraffes have not been hunted to within an inch of distinction and are not used as furniture to better the Feng shui of the houses of luxury collectors around the world. That doesn’t, however, make the cold blooded murder of Marius, a two-year-old giraffe at Copenhagen Zoo any less devastating. The fact is a zoo murdered an animal and there wasn’t a thing anyone could do to stop them. The flimsy justification offered was that Marius was too closely related to other giraffes in the zoo and consequently endangered the European breeding program. Despite an offer to house Marius at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park with four other male giraffes, the call was ignored and Marius was killed, publicly dissected and then ignominiously fed to lions. It’s not the only avoidable death of a young animal. In October last year London Zoo lost a Tiger Cub because it strayed into the one area not covered by surveillance – a pond – and drowned. Zoos have an immense amount of power over animals. It’s a power that can theoretically be used for good in preventing the extinction of species who would otherwise have been harried out of existence. Of late, though, zoos seem either negligent or actively counter-acting this aim. The giraffe isn’t an endangered species but imagine if we were discussing a tiger? There are only 4000 tigers left in the wild but if the risk of incestuous breeding were the same then the Danes could kill a tiger for exactly the same reasons they put Marius to death. In the 21st century the role of the zoo has to change. Originally an extension of the Victorian freak-show, zoos’ exploitative nature cannot carry on. As institutions dedicated to the preservation of species on the brink of being wiped out, they have a place in the modern world. They can’t continue to be places where an animal can be brutally murdered and then butchered for public entertainment. Moreover, zoos cannot be negligent anymore. As much as there is an argument to make enclosures as natural as possible, at the end of the day, the zoo is responsible for animal welfare. Jyllands Zoo’s plans to kill a second giraffe named Marius have met even more international uproar than the actions of Copenhagen Zoo. Jesper Mohring-Jensen, Jyllands Chief zooligist’s defence hinges upon the professional nature of zoos and the fact that they must advance zoology. He uses the example of inbreeding in White Tiger conservation programs as a justification for murdering the giraffes, since it prevents deformities developing further down the bloodline. His argument ignores the fact that in conserving animals there is also a duty of welfare. Zoos fundamentally have too much power. As much as there is scientific responsibility to the future of giraffes in Europe, there’s also a welfare duty to animals as a whole that has been ignored. Animals are in zoos care and these actions display that zoos need to be more attuned to them, especially where they can prevent abuses happening. Conservation should be the modern zoo’s objective: not exploitation.
Tuesday February 25, 2014
IS THE UK ACCLIMATISING TO COALITION STYLE GOVERNMENT?
CHARLIE KINGSBURY
YES
@YorkVision
F
irstly, it’s important for us to note that coalition government in the United Kingdom is far from a new phenomenon. Throughout the last century, there have been numerous examples of successful coalition governments which proves that Britain’s political system has already adapted to this supposedly new form of government. From 1915 to 1922, there was a coalition between the Tories and the Liberals; from 1931 to 1940, a Labour/Tory coalition; from 1940 to 1945, a government which accommodated all parties was represented in parliament at the time. To say that Britain has not adapted to coalition government is to ignore a substantial amount of political history of the last century. And whilst Liberal Democrats and Conservatives battle to place their own brand on policies popular with the general public in a fashion reminiscent of adversarial majoritarian politics, there’s substantial evidence which suggests that the coalition partners have governed the executive competently. Despite a few public disagreements, the Ministers of the coalition have seemingly adapted to avoid disputes which would destabilise the government. Some notable disputes have included boundary changes and
Lords reform, and although this caused tensions, the coalition remains. As the partners continue to work together, united on the issue of deficit reduction, Whitehall’s executive machinery slowly but surely has adapted to the familiar note of coalition government. The leadership of the coalition parties are seemingly comfortable with working together given the monumental task they have before them. Compare the discourse of leaders in recent media publications to the views of prominent politicians 40 years ago: in the 1974 election politicians repeatedly used coalition-bashing to encourage voters to throw their electoral weight behind either Labour or Conservative parties. However, it seems as though politicians are required to be more mindful of not alienating their most likely coalition partner. It appears as though our politicians have congenially adapted to the practical realities of coalition government, but the question remains as to whether this sentiment is shared by the vast majority of the electorate. It seems as though the majority of people are divided on which party to support, and it seems even more appropriate that this is reflected in the government’s composition.
LEON MORRIS
NO
@ LAMorris91
C
oalition government in the UK certainly doesn’t have a good name. We have seen a development of a certain type of UK Politics; a politics that has a hint of contempt and corruption about it. We’re told it’s good for us and further told our politicians are working together for the greater interest. But let me tell you why the UK should never favour the Coalition style government – and why we’re not moving towards that style of government (and is impossible to do so). Have you ever seen the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions? Love or hate it, it’s marvellous TV. Why? The nature of adversarial politics. This country has always adopted an adversarial form of government. You may call it Yin/Yang, good/bad, Labour/ Tories – in the UK we support opposites. That’s how this country flourishes and remained ‘Great’ for so many years before the decline. Parties should, and must, be forced to openly criticise each other to ensure the ‘right’ policy is delivered in the interests of the masses. In fact, we’re quite good at it. The distinct lack of that ‘middle ground’ is what makes us efficient – and, cliché commence – great. With a set up like that of the
House of Commons, it is difficult for us to imagine how a coalition government could ever function in the UK. It certainly hasn’t done so in the last couple of years. Yes, it has managed to sustain some sort of public image but it isn’t functional. When two parties come together, the image orientated politics that political leaders have been keen to pursue has turned upon them and spawns an reputation of corruption, decay and narcissism. Actually, why is this debate even relevant? It all stems from the vague idea that the political elite are colluding to produce a Lib/Lab coalition, if the electorate is indecisive enough! When Alastair Campbell visited a couple of weeks ago, he acknowledged my worst fears – “we’re going to get a Lib/Lab coalition”. Coalition governments spawn corruption. The idea that political parties will come together to work in the interests of the British people is laughable. We certainly don’t have the infrastructure for that style of government in this country. Even if it would be nice to follow a more European style of coalition government that has seemed to work, on face value, it just simply doesn’t work in our best interests here in the UK.
CAN WE FIX IT? YES WE CAN! OBAMA NEEDS TO BE MORE RADICAL IN ADDRESSING INEQUALITY
JOONSOO YI @joyiparr
A
sk any American what he sees as the biggest problem in America’s economy right now, and he is likely to recite the following response by rote: rising income inequality. This well-documented phenomenon is hard to ignore, especially when you observe that the top 1% of households owns roughly 50% of the country’s wealth. In effect, America gradually resembles a banana republic, a quasi-kleptocratic state where the rich are getting richer, and the poor poorer, while the middle class is rapidly shrinking. So, what has Obama been doing to fix the economy? Well, it’s hard to make a concrete assessment, but very little. During his first term, Obama said one of the primary aims of his administration is to address the rising wealth gap through income redistribution. This would mean replacing many of the regressive taxes with progressive ones, so the rich pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes than those who are less financially viable. Unfortunately for most of us, Obama appears to
have changed his mind. Now it is important not to downplay Obama’s decision to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. The wage hike will make a significant difference to the working poor. In fact it is expected to lift more than five million people out of poverty. However, one can’t help but feel that Obama is addressing only half the problem. Yes, raising the minimum wage will help the poor, but the rich are getting richer every day. So although the general welfare of the country might improve, the wealth gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen. Ideally, I would like to see a direct implementation of income redistribution. This means, quite simply, the rich need to pay their taxes. The reason the rich pay very little taxes is that they accumulate a lot of their wealth from capital gains (in bonds, stock, real estate, etc.). The taxation on profits resulting from capital gains? Only 15%. This mere 15% tax rate has resulted in a lot of back-handed practices, such as filing normal income as capital gains in order to avoid having to pay more taxes (the income tax rate stands roughly at 40% for those earning $400,000 a year or more). Loopholes like this need to be addressed. Additionally, payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare need to be progressive, so
that those who have the financial capacity to pay contribute more into the system, while those who can’t benefit from it. The inherent hypocrisy that lies in the regressive tax system to fund welfare is that it actually makes the poor poorer. For most people, these taxes are a huge chunk of their small income. Then there’s Obamacare, a pseudo-single-payer system that requires everyone to buy a health insurance. Obamacare will actually reduce health care costs for majority of the people in the long-run because people with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied a coverage; this means when people have a condition, they will be treated straight away through early diagnosis (why? – cheaper co-pay) rather than having to wait, see their conditions worsen, and have to pay a lot more for their treatment. Most people can’t pay for these treatments so hospitals often end up assuming the costs, stirring providers to hike up the prices for their plans to make up for their losses. Now, with more people being covered by Medicaid, and health care expected to become more affordable to everybody, Obamacare tackles the income inequality issue rather well with new taxes being imposed on rich people as well to fund the program. Still, it’s difficult to imagine that Obama’s policies will do much to address income inequality in the US.
15
FEATURES
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
FEATURES CLOWNS TO THE LEFT, JOKERS TO THE RIGHT
www.yorkvision.co.uk/features features@yorkvision.co.uk
BARTO JOLY DE LOTBINIERE investigates the prevalency of joke candidates in student politics and beyond...
‘Maniac Machievelli’ - LJ Trup
A
ccording to a recent Vision survey, during the last five years of YUSU Presidential elections, there were more joke candidates than women and ethnic minorities. A Guardian poll with the question “Are clowns more honourable than politicians?”, returned with 87% of people saying ‘Yes’. Why are these non-candidates more inclined to nominate themselves while other sections of student society are underrepresented? Firstly, one has to ascertain what a ‘joke candidate’ actually is, but due to their unconventional nature there is no clear definition. Usually they distinguish themselves from other candidates with outlandish clothing. 2008’s YUSU Presidential election victor, Tom Scott, dressed as a pirate for the duration of his campaign, referencing his leadership of the UK arm of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. 2014’s OUSU President LJ Trup’s ecletic outfit and outlandish headgear made him resemble a washed out 90s raver. The need to be visually different from other candidates, in the case of joke candidates to a garish degree, is a unique feature to student politics; you don’t see Nick Clegg dressing up as a giant yellow bird to get the vote. This physical manifestation of the joke candidate is almost always accompanied by absurd policies. L.J. Trup’s manifesto was written entirely in crayon and proposed the building of a monorail network connecting the university’s more distant colleges, ending with “The mob has spoken”. Here, Trup combines childishness with a satirical comment on the government’s obsession with infrastructure projects. Tom Scott further supports this link in his 2010 campaign for a seat in Westminster, promising to fix ‘Broken Britain’ with a free roll of duck tape
‘Pirate Politician’ - Tom Scott sent to every home, taking the opportunity to satirise the demagogic phrases that politicians love. Yet this might be seen as a cunning political tactic to disarm the voter with humour and avoid actually engaging with issues that need to be addressed: such issues as student apathy towards the union system, with only 33% voting in last year’s elections considered a relatively good turnout. This drive for student political subversity worldwide, responsible for a fire hydrant coming third place in the University of British Columbia elections in 2006, could be harnessed positively to generate a new wave of enthusiasm in a beleagured system.
A cunning political tactic to disarm the voter with humour and avoid actually engaiging with the issues It is noteworthy that after victories of both LJ Trup and Tom Scott, they pledged to treat their new position not as a joke, the very opposite to their stance in their candidacies. “I was only running for comedy value, but now I’m in, I will be doing the best damn job I can!” promised Scott who later fell foul to a controversy surrounding complaints by his fellow officers of his lack of YUSU experience. Trup’s campaign video demonstrates that his absurdism was just a façade, ending with “behind this video is a serious message”. In The Oxford Student, he explained it was not a sarcastic comment as his position was not anti-political
‘A Breath of Sanity’ - The MRLP rather anti-establishment, “I am clearly not a careerist... OUSU positions should not be seen as stepping stones. We should have fun students working for fun students”. Obviously the key to a joke candidate’s charisma is his everyman persona preferable to the perceived humorlessness of ambitious career politicians. The success of joke candidates is evident in student politics yet on the national stage this has not been the case, as seen with Tom Scott’s bid for the constituency of Westminster in 2010 that landed only 84 votes, 0.2 % of the total. Many ‘joke parties’ became popular in the 1990s but experienced a rapid decline once their initial novelty waned. The Monster Raving Loony Party, founded by the Rock musician Screaming Lord Sutch in 1983, of which their manifesto include such points as “Pokemon to be considered an endangered species” and “seperate passports for terrorists” is this country’s most notorious joke party. Although thankfully, they have never have managed to win more votes than the three main political parties in a general election. They did however gain national acclaim after achieving more votes than the beleaguered Social Democratic Party in the Bootle by-election of May 1990. This led to the dissolving of a party that had once held 25% of the national vote whilst in coalition with the Liberals. Joke parties in the rest of Europe have been more successful; the Polish Beer-Lovers’ Party won 16 seats in Poland’s first free elections. The party stood on an anti-vodka, pro-beer platform in a satirisation of Eastern Europe’s opening up to the West during the democratic transition-period, with the movement spreading to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The party soon split into “Large Beer” and “Small Beer” factions, with the
former taking up the more serious name of the “Polish Economic Programme” running in coalition with other small free-market parties in successive elections. Similarly in Iceland, the leader of the Best Party (of whose theme song is “Simply the Best” by Tina Turner), the comedian Jón Gnarr, managed to win the position of mayor of the country’s capital, Reykjavik. Although the party’s success was as a result of a serious public backlash against Iceland’s main parties for their mismanagement of the country’s economy leading to deep recession after the 2008 global financial crisis. Perhaps the most successful comediancum-politician, is Beppe Grillo and his “Movimento 5 Stelle” or Five Stars Movement. M5s caused a stir in the 2013 Italian General Elections when it won 25.5% of the vote. As in Iceland this was a popular reaction to Italy’s corrupt political establishment. Grillo’s novel policies played on this disenchantment, by promising to reduce MP’s pay, using the extra money to investigate party corruption and by using crowdfunding from their supporters for their electoral campaign, having enough left over to donate 400,000 euroes to the victims of the 2012 Mirandola Earthquake. Yet after initial promises that it would be a leaderless movement supporting direct democracy, Grillo has remained the party’s leader, promising that there would be “consequences” for his MPs that had defied the party line for not abstaining from choosing a speaker for parliament. Worringly, Grillo held the Italian Government in gridlock in 2013 after refusing to accept a coalition with the centre-left Democratic Party, even though he himself does not have a seat.
Joke candidates can operate on a wide range of humour from the absurd, bordering on the insane to farce and satire Joke candidates operate on a wide range of humour, from the absurd bordering on the insane to farce and satire. The selfreferential humour of joke candidates and parties allows them to rise above their more self-important and grandiose rivals, as they are usually they are made up of people with a sideline in comedy. Where they have been particularly successful is where the traditional political establishment has fallen out of favour with the general public, most notably in the recent European economic crises. This can also be translated to the perceived ineffectiveness or even irrelevancy of current student politics. The final stage of a joke politician’s development is a transition into serious political debate once they have achieved a substantial support base and the novelty wears off. Nevertheless, it can be argued that joke candidates are supported for their fresh approach to politics and dismissed as deceptive and fame-hungry in equal measure.
16 FEATURES
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
LAND OF THE FREE
PEOPLE YOU MEET ON TWITTER... ANGUS QUINN discusses the most irritating characters in the micro-blogosphere...
TOM DAVIES ventures into the city centre to see what he can get without having to stick his hand in his pocket...
THE POLITICAL ACTIVIST No matter the ridiculousness of their cause, the activist will force it down your throat until you swallow. Unusually aggressive if they find a single chink in anything you’ve said, expect to be attacked by them for even the most innocent of tweets until you’re a sobbing wreck and have apologised profusely for ever offending them. Causes vary wildly, but whatever the point of their activism, you’ll know about it.
GOSSIP GIRL WANNABE Anonymous, devoid of humour and undoubtedly less glamorous than the teen drama, Gossip Girl wannabes are the worst kind of human being. They try to be funny by imitating the mystery of the show but in the real world nobody cares. Gossip relies as much as anything on word-of-mouth and more importantly nobody’s lives are actually as dramatic as in a TV Show. You still follow them though because occasionally they get into bitch-tweet wars.
TWEET VOMITER They. Tweet. Everything. From when they wake up in the morning, ‘til they go to bed at night, their entire day is documented on Twitter. They desperately try to be funny and relevant but they aren’t really. Nobody wants to read a Tweet synopsis of the entirety of ITV2’s daytime schedule and both editions of Millionaire Matchmaker.
PROSPECTIVE PUNDIT Throwing it out there but football really isn’t that interesting. There isn’t much stock put by what commentators are saying, never mind the scores of Tweeters condemning whatever catastrophic blunder a manager’s made. There’s nothing more annoying than seeing your feed awash with everyone clamouring about groups of men kicking glorified bladders around a muddy field for ninety minutes.
York: a freebie hotspot?
T
hey say there’s no such thing a free lunch. Who said this is quite frankly unclear, but most people seem to agree that it’s a broadly unerring analysis. You get nothing for nothing in this world, said your mother – if your mother was a hard-nosed, provincial matriarch from a TV soap opera. However, it was the opinion of the editorial leadership of this newspaper that I should go into the city of York and attempt to prove this well-worn adage wrong. My objective; to get all the free crap I could physically lay my hands on and prove that we student shysters actually can scrounge something for bugger all. Well, OK, that’s faintly erroneous – what I was actually told to do was get a string of increasingly preposterous items on a list devised ad hoc at the Features meeting. However, unfortunately I appeared to have misplaced this list when the day came to venture into town. Which is definitely what actually happened, as opposed to be deliberately leaving it at home because I severely doubted my chances of being able to swindle a “piece of One Direction merchandise”. My guide for the day was Maddi Howell, our very own Lifestyle Editor, who had been press-ganged into leading me around the streets like a lost puppy. This was due to her seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of the independent small businesses of York, which in this town is quite some achievement. It was with an empty stomach that I arrived on Parliament Street to meet Maddi and begin my ‘research’. You might think this was deliberate, and showed a startling journalistic commitment to this piece, to see if I could satisfy my hunger on a budget of zero pounds and zero pence. I could claim this and you’d probably believe me, but I’m going to level with you
and say that I was just in a rush and missed breakfast. I had, admittedly, a stroke of luck in choosing to do all this at the same time as the Jorvik Festival, as the majority of Parliament Street had been taken over by a string of food stalls, most of which were offering free samples; primarily cheese, it seemed. I strongly suspect that in one sweep of the festival I was able to sample more or less every single envisionable type of cheese, including one flavoured with beeswax, which was surprisingly pleasant. I finished off the succession of free cheese with half a glass of hot cider. As a West Country man, people are consistently aghast at my lack of enthusiasm for the drinking of cider, which they assume we south westerly rubes are 96% made of. This stuff was excellent though, and perfect for a cold winter’s morning, although I appreciate that you once again didn’t ask. After more or less exhausting the pickings of the festival, I concluded that I should probably diversify my search, lest I be forced to conclude that the principal way to get free stuff in York is to go to food festivals when they happen to be on. We moved on to Boots to try every single one of their free aftershave testers. Now, is it just me, or are aftershave bottles getting more and more outlandish? I get my yearly supplies of aftershave from semi obscure relations who can’t think of anything else to get me for Christmas and birthday, but as far as I can remember, it usually comes in a fairly normal shaped bottle. I however sampled aftershaves in bottles shaped like, in order: as skull, a fist and a bull moose. The skull one smelt pretty much as you’d imagine, like a product which is being marketed in a bottle shaped like a skull. The fist one was an improve-
ment, not that I could ever justify shelling out for it. So with that I left Boots smelling like an explosion at a cosmetics factory and immediately ran into a trolley with a sink and a selection of free hand wash outside Ritual Cosmetics. At this point my initial fears about this trip being fruitless were quickly disappearing. It seemed as if you really could get a tonne of free crap in York just by wandering aimlessly around, and we were far from done. After failing to sucker a string of confectionery outlets into handing over some complimentary goodies on the grounds that we were writing an article about the York chocolate trail, we finally found a willing participant in the York Cocoa House. They gifted us with a free blue cheese truffle, which was disappointingly un-cheesy but surprisingly un-vile, and one of their famous classic hot chocolates, which are apparently made from the essence of childhood innocence and are perhaps the most wondrous creations of mortal man. Plus I was able to stuff a number of the orange truffles they kept in a taster bowl by the door into my pockets as we were leaving... By this point my hunger had been broadly relieved, and after managing to pick up a free chicken and potato on a stick thing in some sort of white wine sauce from a guy standing out the front of a restaurant by the Minster – I forgot to get the name of (sorry guys) – I had basically eaten a fairly balanced meal, so decided to do what I always do when I feel as if I’ve achieved something tangible with my day – get drunk. The first port of call for us was Vom Fass, where Miss Howell’s ingeniously devised scheme of claiming that we were looking into buying a birthday present won us a string of free tasters. Having drunk a shot of a spirit of every colour of the rainbow it was time for the some free ale samples at The Last Drop Inn, followed by a full pint, which admittedly wasn’t free but as far as I’m concerned I was off the clock by then. So, what have we learnt from all this? That you can eat and get slightly tipsy in York without spending a penny, but mostly just through claiming you’re a member of a York student newspaper. So feel free to do that, but don’t get caught, because I think that might be fraud. Or at least if you do, you didn’t hear it from me.
17
YORK VISION
FEATURES
Tuesday February 25, 2014
INTERVIEW: JO BRAND OSCAR PEARSON talks to comedian Jo Brand about stand-up, politics, the NHS and the Royal Family
L
ondon bound, I anticipated a relaxed chat with legendary comedian Jo Brand, but it proved to be quite the opposite: gripping and unpredictable throughout. Jo attacked the Royal Family, confessed to being unaware of the charities she supports, and then admitted she never goes to see young up-andcoming comedy talent. No mistake, it was a pleasant encounter and Jo was so genuine: her informal custom shone through with her messy office and the offer of a cup of coffee or two. She was funny and welcoming but it is, however, Jo’s unprovoked outbursts and out-of-character faux-pas that will live long in the memory, rather than those quirky happenings – asking my permission to say ‘bollocks’, for instance, and then mimicking my southern accent. Jo criticised royalty and maintained that her comments about Prince Harry taking cocaine were perfectly valid: “The Royal Family don’t really lift a finger,” the BAFTA-winning comedian bemoaned in that droll, somewhat nasal twang. “We support the Royal Family because we pay our taxes, and they use our money to live on. They own all this land and all these castles, and in my book that’s really unfair. The very least they can do is be gracious about having the piss taken out of them.”
elation perhaps better suited to a tête-à-tête rather than a full-blown interview. “For all I know, I’m not a patron of the National Self Harm Network and you could be having me on here…” I couldn’t help but shrivel in discomfort. “It’s a shame that charities feel they can’t get any recognition or attract people, unless they have a celebrity figurehead. The advice that other comics or actors tend to bandy around is only be patron of a few things. With me I’ve decided to go the other route of saying yes to pretty much everything, but making it clear that I have no time at all to do events. Who knows... I don’t know what my work involves really.” Instead of endearing her to the public, Jo’s anti-men, somewhat caustic nature has often served to irritate: “There’s a section of the male community who over-objectify women,” said the 56-year-old Londoner when I asked what if she was actually a ‘brand’. “My product would be a gas you could spray over men to make them respect women.” Jo went on to lash out at her haters, highlighting the regular ‘menopausal’ and ‘lesbian’ labels often forced upon her. Jo has, though, been married to nurse Bernie Bourke for many years and has two daughters, Maisie and Eliza – crushing those unpleasant typecasts. With recent scandals calling into question the care and com-
There’s a section of the male community who over-objectify women Jo continued: “They seem to think going to charity events is hard work, but I can tell you, I go to charity events and it’s not hard work,” she said. Understandably, I thought it fitting to explore those involvements, but in an astonishing few minutes Jo admitted that she is unaware of the charities she formally supports: her rev-
passion of nurses, Jo outlined her concerns over current NHS shenanigans. Jo trained to become a psychiatric nurse and spent 10 years helping patients with severe mental health issues, and by the time she left the profession to try her hand at stand-up she was a senior charge nurse in a 24-hour emergency clinic. She highlighted
Psychiatric nurse turned comedian, Jo Brand the “more than a few bad things” going on and stressed that not all are down to privatisation. “A lot of the things that have gone wrong are about targets: managers at all costs trying to meet targets. And bollocks to the consequences.” Jo revealed that her comedy material consists of setting up a joke with the truth, but her punch-lines will be a lie. She explained that some comics simply live off their personality: “You’ve got comics whose material might be crap and a bit dull, but their personality is so huge that they even make dross seem like comedy gold.” Jo went on to pick her favourite comedian ever, but expressed concern over some recent material by Frankie Boyle. She also admitted to nev-
er seeing young comedians or upcoming talent. It was on the matter of politics that Jo seemed to be most fervent, claiming Ed Miliband might be too posh for the job of Prime Minister. “I know he went to a comprehensive,” she said, “but he does come across slightly posh. Tony Blair managed not to be as posh as he is. And Cameron’s really muffled his poshness.” Jo spoke of her “struggle” to continue supporting the Labour Party and stressed that the media have created a caricature out of its leader. “I think the whole issue of Ed Miliband is a complex one. When you caricature politicians, it’s really difficult for the public to take them seriously – they are
too involved in the whole antiestablishment movement and that perhaps she viewed that specific audience as guffaw aficionados: people for whom comedians are idols. It was a fascinating take on what many associate with Jo’s persona, and it brought us towards the end of what was a remarkable interview. We had spoken at length for over half an hour about topics rarely touched on by comedians – but Jo demonstrated her breadth of knowledge, compassion and integrity throughout. Beyond those humorous witticisms viz. outlining her intentions of annihilating the American government, which in fairness are to be expected from
You’ve got comics whose material might be crap and a bit dull, but their personality is so huge that they even make dross seem like comedy gold reduced in people’s heads to a cartoon. I think that’s a big issue for Ed Miliband and his supporters to think about.” I was interested in Jo’s take on the 80s’ boom in alternative comedy: the rejection of society’s deadening preoccupations – consumerism and domesticity, for instance. Jo described how some comics “just pretended to be alternative comedians for the sake of being swept along by the tide of enthusiasm and anti-Thatcherism.” It seemed she was never
comedians whose jobs revolve around making people laugh, there is a serious cognizance of the quandaries facing society today. Stylish, red-haired and sharply amusing, Jo has a warmth entirely at odds with her deadpan on-screen delivery. It wasn’t until I dared show her my appallingly inaccurate (most probably due to nerves) impression of her voice that I genuinely felt uncomfortable… although her impression of mine wasn’t much better.
25
LIFESTYLE//CAREERS
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25, 2014
Page 19 - Kickstart your Career Page 20 & 21 - Charity Shop Takeover Page 22 - Blind Date Page 23 - Food: Surf & Turf Page 24 - Travel and Explore Another City
19
Peaking
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ew York Fashion week and LFW have passed by but an exhibitionat Somerset House celebrating the wardrobe of editor and muse Isabella Blow is still going strong, featuring an exciting selection of Philip Treacy’s outrageous hats and of course a large number of pieces by Alexander McQueen. A beautiful way to remember a passionate patron of fashion.
Trending
As we start to look forward to the summer
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ahead, thoughts turn to careers and developing that dusty CV. POPPY DANBY spoke to the CEO of GradQuiz to get some invaluable tips...
S
adly university doesn’t last forever, and it is easy to forget about life post-graduation. Degree in hand, the daunting badge of adulthood becomes firmly fixed and this can mean only one thing: it’s time to find a job. With recent reports showing that nearly half of graduates are stuck in work that doesn’t require a degree, finding the right job is not a task for the faint hearted. However, CEO of the company GradQuiz, Finian O’Kane, explains that there is no reason to panic when searching for a job and that both the changing job markets and developments in social media can be used to our advantage. “I was inspired to set up GradQuiz after my own experiences of finding work as a graduate”, Finian commented. “Nothing was available to tell you what you could or should do, so, I thought, why not build a more intelligent site to give students the help that they need?” GradQuiz currently works with 45 of the biggest graduate recruiters, helping to match students with the right companies and jobs for their skills and requirements. However, despite having so many options it’s not always best to just apply for everything and hope for the best: “Companies want the top candidates for their positions and with an average of 85 applicants per role it’s important to stand out. “By sending off a large number of applications there’s a risk that you’ll not spend an appropriate amount of time on each. It’s important to be aware of the business and what it’s looking for.” With so little time and so many places to apply, thoroughly researching each company may seem daunting - but in most cases, all the information you need can be found on the company’s website: “Youtube channels and the press sections of the recruiters website are always a good place to start”, explained Fin. “If you really want to make a good impression, find out about what’s currently happening with the companies in the news. From this you’ll be able to not only realize their problems but also give feedback. This will demonstrate that you understand the business so that
Boucle Scallop Hem Jacket £55, Topshop
you can properly tailor your application.” But it’s not just about the application process itself. It’s important to make the most of social media: “Whilst on the whole it’s probably better to keep your Facebook and Twitter accounts private, if you are visible to the public it’s important to weigh up whether you should make your account more professional or personality based. “It obviously depends on the sort of job that you’re looking for, but either way it’s definitely a bad idea to let your future employers know quite just how much you hate your boyfriend.” Social media is also crucial for engaging directly with employers: “Remember that behind every profile or brand is actually a person sat at a computer. “As a company, GradQuiz created connections through sources such as Twitter and you can do the same. Why not try sending a CV over in this unconventional way? Or even just contacting a company to show how passionate you are and how you could add value to them.” Whilst these are particularly valuable tools for final year students, even freshers should not be neglecting their impending futures. “If I could give any advice, it would be to start early,” commented Finian. “In your first year try to get some internships and work placements. “More and more companies are looking to hire apprentices, so it’s vital that you have as much experience as you can, even if it might not seem relevant at the time. “Not only will this help you to align yourself with employers but you’ll also get to see whether that area of work is right for you – there’s no point in eventually landing a job if you don’t like it.” With the right insight, knowing where to direct your passion can mean a lot in the daunting world of graduate recruitment. So next time you think that the only way to cope with becoming an adult is drowning yourself in Sambuca, remember: enhance your skills, focus on positive engagement and get to know the companies that are right for you.
Satchell £48, Urban Outfitters
Nude Pencil Skirt £30, Celeboutique
e’re excited about figure skating - since Adelina Sotnikova scored gold for Russia, we’ve been jealous of the simple glamour of their outfits which celebrate perfectly toned figures! Aside from aiming to stretch more often and more impressively, we’ll be opting for sequins and stocking up on bodies from high street stores like Topshop ready to layer our way through Spring.
Fading
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edge trainers: they were fun for a while, but now they are so over. Trainers are trainers and heels are heels ladies, I know it can be difficult not to conflate the two concepts.
Poppy Danby & Maddi Howell
20LIFESTYLE//SHOOT
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25 2014
The Charity Shop
Takeover Credits Creative Directors Selina Pope, Maddi Howell Photographer Jack Western
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n our last issue, one of our contributors, Louise Essex, inspired the lifestyle team to hit the charity shops in York to find some great bargains for our readers. In true Gok Wan style, we also found similar purchases from the high street to prove that you don’t need to splash out on the cash to find some great purchases. Our first stop was Mind charity shop on Goodgramgate. Upon entering, we were greeted with warm, friendly faces and plenty of stock to choose from. Immediately we found a timeless floral smock dress with a fitted upper body band and flowing skirt: Pairing this with a brown (faux) leather bag made for a simple, fresh spring look, for a third of the price of the matching Topshop version. Our second look was found in the Sue Ryder Care Shop across the road. We were very impressed by the upstairs ‘vintage’ dedicated section which was complete with an easily accessible
changing area. After raking around through the racks of treasures, we picked created an outfit comprised of an intense tan coloured leather jacket, and a delicate silk scarf, the colours of which contrasted nicely with the leather. We were shocked to find that the jacket only cost £20, compared to a £65 leather River Island comparison, in a slightly darker leather colour. Finally, whilst sifting through the stacks of clothes, we came across a rare find - an elegant, black velvet dress, complete with a gold beaded trim, which we concluded would have been perfect for a sophisticated cocktail or evening party. We thoroughly recommend all students to make the most of York’s plentiful range of charity shops. Whether you’re looking for some cheaply priced basics for your wardrobe, or something special, there is something for everyone - and after all, you know your money is going to a good cause!
‘Mind’charity shop
SPRINGTIME FLOWER POWER
Topshop / New Look
LIFESTYLE//SHOOT
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25 2014
coat - £20
Outfit 2 leather chic
scarf- £3 scarf- £12
‘Sue Ryder’ charity shop
coat - £65
River island
Outfit 3 black, gold & velvet
With Thanks To: Mind www.mind.org.uk Sue Ryder Care www.sueryder.org
‘Sue Ryder’ charity shop
21
Motel Rocks
22 LIFESTYLE//BLIND DATE
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
Blind Date
@TomDavies111
Davies’ Diaries
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here in the name of sweet Jehovah has all the damn money gone, was my first thought as I put the phone down having just set up my overdraft with the Nationwide. Things were never supposed to get this bad, but as the wise man Freddie Mercury once sang: it never rains but it pours Ee do ba be ee da ba ba ba these are our lives under pressure. One broken laptop, one broken laptop charger, an eye infection, a pair of emergency glasses which I stepped on and broke during the writing of this column, a new box of contact lenses, all unforeseen overheads which have driven me hurtling headfirst towards the red and turned me to the daily comforts of Gin and Schweppes. I don’t care if it’s effeminate, you can’t even taste the Gin, and Schweppes Lemonade is the soft drink equivalent of crack cocaine. But I digress. I was recently confronted by a fantastic but ultimately sobering image on the internet which presented life at university as an octagonal paradigm of friends, class, work, family, essays, sleep, hobbies, food, resume building and love life. You try and do it all and then end up breaking down, giving up and crying softly into your pillow whilst considering if the whole Howard Hughes reclusive, storing your urine in jars lifestyle would really be so bad. I laughed when I first saw it, then cried, then laughed again. The upshot of this little diagram is that University is not so much a balancing act as like trying to juggle a house brick, three live hand grenades and an angry pit viper. As you progress further and further along your degree and the learning curve dramatically steps up, the natural response is to go to ground, dive under the covers and say “Nope, not doing this anymore, you can all fuck off ” and dream of how you could fashion a career out of eating ice cream in bed and watching TV on your laptop. University, however frantic and both physically and mentally unhealthy, is still way better than working full time, as my two months as a key accounts coordinator for a pest control company in the back rooms of a Cheltenham warehouse taught me. For people who have about on average about 10 hours of scheduled work a week, with half of that being optional and the other basically optional, University doesn’t half seem to all too frequently get the drop on us. I suppose it’s probably because we technically have so little to do that we end up doing so little, and the freaking out about how little we’ve done, and then trying to do everything at once, freaking out some more and then eventually ending up passed out on Coney Street cursing the day we sent off our UCAS applications. But the show must go on. This is post crash Britain after all, and we all have to do the best we can to minimize our chances of perishing in the great post University jobless austerity wilderness, or at least try and make the most of our time here, where we still don’t have to deal with it.
SARAH ON HUGO
HUGO ON SARAH
What do you look for in a guy?
Are you looking for anything serious?
Nothing in particular, I don’t have a ‘type’ that I would always
No not at the moment, the date was really fun but I just
go for. As long as they’re funny and fun to be with!
don’t think I would have time for a relationship
What was the first thing you noticed?
How did she look?
His ring on his right hand ( his ex gave it to him but he can’t get
Really nice, not too casual, not too dressed up, I was im-
it off now)
pressed.
What did you have to eat and would you go to the
What was the funniest thing she said?
Rose&Crown again?
Talking about her antics in school was pretty funny, hear-
I had macaroni and cheese with ham hock. I would recommend
ing about all the rude things she said to teachers made me
it, it was a nice pub and a good place for drinks with friends.
laugh!
What did you talk about?
What did you have to eat?
All sorts - subjects, freshers, families, our pet hamsters, the
I had Chinese noodles with chicken (although it was more
schools we were at before uni (we are both in first year),
like really thick spaghetti), was nice though.
Was he a gentleman?
Did you end on a hug, a kiss or more?
Yes he was, even walked me home.
We hugged in the rain-it was so romantic haha!
If you met him in Willow would you go home with him?
Where would you take her for a second date?
No, I’m not that type of girl. For the ideal second date I’d like
That is a very tricky question, we have already been for
to go clay pigeon shooting or for another meal. I’ll probably see
a meal, and the cinema is a bit cliche, I would want to do
him on campus again at some point anyway as we are both in
something fun, so I think I would take her to a cake deco-
Derwent together and in first year!
rating class...
Marks out of 10?
Marks out of ten?
Definitely 7, it was a really good evening
A solid 7.5/10
Dating Update Although Verity and Vincente had a wonderful time and their alliterative names suggested chemistry, there was sadly no spark and after some rudeness from one side, the other gave up. They have been relegated to their separate boudoirs and have not spoken since.
Blind Date was kindly sponsored by The Rose & Crown, Lawrence Street. We also recommend the cocktails and the pies in this cozy setting not far from campus or town.
LIFESTYLE//FOODFORTHOUGHT
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
23
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Q u i n n ’ s Kitchen
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omehow chicken became the student staple meat. Dippers and nuggets are dubiously fried at dozens of York’s alluring takeaways; somehow everyone has fallen fowl (ha!) of poultry. An altogether more mystifying, frightening and seemingly complicated food is fish. We might eat it in Fingers or if we’re feeling insane a Filet-O at McDonalds but otherwise we keep clear of it. It’s expensive, a ballache to prepare, oily and smells foul if you let it go off, which, as students is a worryingly likely possibility. The truth of the matter is a lot of that is sadly true. Fish does smell, is gross to handle with your bare hands and won’t keep for terribly long in your fridge. Neither does chicken though, unless you bung it in the freezer and we all know that that’s a death sentence for meat because really who has time or the pre-planning ability to defrost the chicken? Don’t even mention using the microwave because you inevitably balls that up as well and then you’ve just got chicken that looks like it was subjected to a nuclear explosion in miniature. Fish doesn’t have to be hard and I am not talking about fish fingers. If you can stomach the walk to Morrisons you can easily get some nice fish fillets over the counter and they aren’t going to break the bank. Cover them in flour, dunk egg and then roll them around in bread-crumbs and fried you have super tasty and more importantly fresh fish. There’s nothing wrong with ready breaded fish but it tastes so much better if it hasn’t been sat in a fridge for three days and then dried out to a crisp crunch in your oven. Fish cakes are also an easier and healthier alternative if breadcrumbed white fish doesn’t quite appeal. You can also give them a cheeky chilli kick if you want something that’s a bit bolder than what you’d get in blighty. Blending together a mix of prawns, chilli, ginger, spring onions and a little white fish meat (whatever you can get your hands on) and then moulding together into patties will give you a supremely filling dinner but it won’t leave you bloated and will be surprisingly light on the palate. If a one pot wonder is what you’re after, cod in white sauce with all manner of greens could be just the dish for you. Fry the cod first and ensure that it is cooked all the way through: the last thing you want is raw cod in the middle of what ought to be a warming treat for you and your housemates. Then add the sauce over the top and once it’s simmering through add some mangetout, frozen peas and green beans and let it all come to the boil and cook through. Once you’re content you aren’t going to food poison yourself dish up and tuck in. If you’re willing to stretch to another dish a portion of mash with this is absolute potted perfection. Fish can be fabulous, you just have to dip your toe in the water and before you know it you’ll have dived in.
RECIPE: SURF & TURF Jim Dee revamps a dated dish and gives us a delicious combination of both meat and fish to try
S
urf and Turf was a popular and ‘posh’ dinner in the 60s and 70s, usually consisting of a garish combination of steak and lobster. Thankfully it has largely gone out of fashion, but if chosen carefully a combination of meat and fish can still be well worth the effort. The French Laundry cookbook is easily in my top five books of all time, and offers its own three star Michelin take on surf and turf: monkfish, oxtails, salsify and crepès. Monkfish and crepès are in-
gredients at the costly end of the spectrum, and salsify is almost impossible to come by, so for student cooks this recipe is perhaps not ideal. However, well written cookbooks are there to teach us proper technique and to inspire us. Oxtail is inexpensive and easy to cook if you have the luxury of a free oven for a few hours, and if cooked with good stock will also provide its own sauce. As for the fish, skate and ray wings are both cheap and in season at the moment. They have a
great flavour, plus their texture will complement the oxtail nicely. For the garnish you could either continue down the same soft pathway and make a smooth mash, or provide a little textural contrast- something with a little bite will give the dish a bit more backbone. Gnocchi would be great, ideally homemade (there are countless recipes online), but a good quality shop bought brand would be good as well. For final touches an oil or some chopped parsley are perfect.
‘Surf and Turf’- Roasted Skate Wing, Braised Oxtails and Gnocchi. Ingredients: 2 Skate (or ray) wings 400g oxtails 1 onion, 1 carrot and a quarter of a leek Thyme, garlic, black peppercorns 200ml each of fresh beef (as usual veal is better!) and chicken stock Enough homemade or good quality gnocchi for 2. Parsley/Herb oil.
Get the oxtails on early. Begin by seasoning lightly and then searing in plenty of oil until nicely coloured on all sides. Then transfer to an oven dish with a lid. Add the roughly chopped vegetables to the pan and colour without burning, then add the thyme, 2 cloves of garlic (whole is fine) and 5 or 6 black peppercorns. Next add the two stocks to the pan, scraping off anything stuck to the bottom. Pour this on top of the oxtails, put on a lid and put in an oven at about gas mark three. Four hours is good, five hours is better. When the oxtails are completely cooked and falling off the bone, remove them and strain the remaining liquid through a fine sieve into a sauce pan. Skim and discard the fat from the top of the liquid and reduce what’s left by half. Pick the oxtail meat from the bones, removing any large pieces of fat, and add to the reduced sauce. Continue to reduce until the sauce has thickened and the meat looks shiny and glazed, chill and reserve until you are ready to cook the fish. Season the skate liberally with salt, and heat a large amount of oil in the pan over a high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the skate wings and reduce the heat to medium high, cook for 1-2 minutes depending on size, then turn over and add a few knobs of butter. Transfer to a hot oven (Gas mark 7) for 2-3 minutes. While the skate is in the oven, heat the oxtail through and check the seasoning. Brown your cooked gnocchi in a pan over a medium heat. Remove the skate, baste with the butter and rest for a minute.
The Food Team Loves...
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ore than halfway through the term, we have lost some of our resolve to eat healthily. Keep your seven-minute work out and unsatisfying salad, we are trying traditional Indian dishes and street food instead of greasy takeaways as a compromise. We love chana chaat (chickpeas) and we’ve even been adding potatoes to the mix.
T
hese spicy delights taste perfect with watermelon and mint juice, a classic palette cleanser to counteract the spices. Watermelon is even rumoured to be able to soothe the muscles - ideal for the more athletic amongst you as spring training gets under way or if your in need of a refreshing de-stress. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint; your taste buds will transport you to sunnier skies. Why not spice up your everyday, bland vegetables? Palak curry (spinach and sweetcorn) is a great one to try hailing from North India, and it’s easy to get hold of all the ingredients. Nutritious and delicious.
LIFESTYLE//STUDENTTRAVEL
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25, 2014
TRAVEL
Explore a New City
A journey across Eurasia: Cycling from Hong Kong to Norfolk
R
ecently, Theodore Brun gave a talk at the University of York to share his epic cycling journey from Hong Kong (where he had worked as a lawyer) to Norfolk, his hometown, a total distance of 17,096 kilometres. An inspirational fundraising feat and certainly enough to inspire the travel bug! In terms his motivation, Theo revealed that firstly, he likes to mark his travels on the map. It was a big dream to pedal from China to the UK, crossing eight time zones. However, he succeeded and thought it was a worthy endeavour to raise funds for two causes: Wellspring International aiming to raise money to help under-privileged women and children, and Harry Mahon Cancer Research Trust - which works hard funding machines to diagnose cancer. Inspired by his adventure and perseverance, people expressed their support by donating money to the two charities. Donations came to £13,000. The journey lasted one year and nine days from October 2010 and was composed of five parts: China, Central Asia, Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. In China he cycled at first from Hong Kong to Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province, moving across Hubei, Hunan and Chongqing - covering half of the cross-section of China, a distance of approximately 2,100 km. He rode from Xi'an to Kashgar in Xinjiang, covering over 2,230 km passing through the Qinghai desert, the Taklamakam Desert
and frontier of Tian Shan, known as the Heavenly Mountain. He stated he appreciated the friendly Chinese people, who kindly helped him, even though he speaks little Mandarin. Throughout the journey, he found that many people especially in rural area believe that it is possible to acquire luck by using lucky numbers, words and names and the principles of Feng Shui. In Xi’an, he was surprised at the relatively large population of Muslim there, which results from Xi’an being part of the network of trade routes that make up the Silk Road. In Kashgar, he found that at least 70% of population are Uighur. Therefore, Uighur language is dominant and Mandarin is the second language. When crossing Taklamakam Desert, he said he was stunned by the desert scenery at sunset, which was amazing. On the other hand, he still couldn’t help feeling lonely for he had nothing to look at except the patch of dust in front of him, and the only change was the distance meter! Worse, fear infected him with the quiet environment. Without traffic around, all he could do was to carry on moving ahead to get access to food, drink and rest. Later he completed his cycling journey in Central Asia from Kashgar in Xinjiang to Aktau in Kazakhstan. From Caucuses he passed through the Caspian Sea and around the Black Sea into the Crimea. Crimea became the starting point in Eastern Europe jour-
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ney, which ended in Vienna before his last part of journey in Western Europe. He enjoyed a couple of days’ rest in Lake Hallstatt, Vienna, after disembarking from a boat in Sochi, Russia. The sky in Lake Hallstatt was always spotless and bright. As far as he was concerned, the quality of life there is higher than almost any other city he has been to. Although people can feel its cultural atmosphere for free, the price of commodities there is expensive. He arrived in Munich in October 2011, conveniently during the Oktoberfest Beer Festival. There were no pubs but only tents, each of which represented a different brewery, such as Lowenbrau, Hofbrau, Augustinerbrau and Hippodrome to name just only a few. Of course, he took the opportunity to get drunk. H then rode the bike slowly around Munich and dropped into the BMW museum to be amazed at the ingenuity of the design and manufacturing. For Theo, the cycling journey across Eurasia was not only a test for his physical strength but for his belief. It was a spiritual journey. He emphasized that he believes God gave him the power to carry on no matter how challenging. In addition, the new scenery he saw along the way, the different cultures and customs he got to know, and his new friends are all significant reasons for the long and tough cycling journey – obviously alongside the funds he raised for charity!
Manchester York is not well-known for its urban sprawl and buzzing nightlife. Whilst we are lucky to live in a beautiful historical city, we are also incredibly fortunate that York lies within easy distance of a number of other exciting cities and locations worthy of exploration. For this edition, we decided to check out what Manchester has to offer an hour and a half away by train.
CHINA TOWN – the second largest in Britain (after London) and the third largest in Europe. Sapporo Teppanyaki is our recommendation for performance-style cooking right in front of your eyes. THE TRAFFORD CENTRE – a large
leisure and shopping centre to while away the hours in if you have exhausted the delights of the York Designer Outlet. It boasts lavish architecture, a huge food hall known as ‘The Orient’. Allegedly, the Great Hall contains the largest chandelier in the world. Not to mention a plethora of high street AND designer stores, from Apple to All Saints. Check out the Sealife Centre, opt for a skydiving session or play a spot of miniature golf.
THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT –
A club night with the infamous exclusivity of only occurring seasonally on a huge scale. If you’re looking for one of those crazy nights that York is distinctly lacking in, this is the ticket to get hold of. Since its launch it has taken place in locations such as an old air raid shelter and has hosted artists such as Aphex Twin, Dizzee Rascal, Disclosure and The Prodigy.
MATT & PHREDS – If
the heavy Warehouse Project or the usual city centre haunts aren’t quite what you fancy, Matt & Phreds is a unique jazz club in the Northern Quarter, an established joint in a trendy area. Book a table to enjoy the pizza and cocktails, and check out the live folk, gypsy, swing, salsa and ska on offer as well as jazz from the likes of the Dagda Quartet and Manu Delago. For the more mainstream, try the Phones 4u Arena or listings at the 02.
THEATRE
Check out student cycling holiday packages abroad; you can even combine Croatian island-hopping with saddle, sea and sand. If you're looking for a journey a bit closer to home, the most popular British route will take you from coast to coast. The North York Moors National Park is a popular scenic destination not far from York - something to look forward to whilst pedalling up University Road hill to that 9am... Doris Xu
– You really have too much to choose from if entertainment is what you’re after. There is no need to trek to the West End when you can access productions such as Wicked, the hilarious Avenue Q, Swan Lake, the Johnny Cash musical and Shrek the Musical at the Palace Theatre. It’s also worth seeing what’s on at the Apollo, the Lowry and the Royal Exchange. If you want to feel cultured, the Royal Exchange will usually be able to offer you a hefty dose of Shakespeare.
Maddi Howell
YORK VISION
SPORT
SPORT
Tuesday February 25, 2014
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Web: www.yorkvision.co.uk/sport Email: sport@yorkvision.co.uk Twitter: @YorkVisionSport
PREMIER LEAGUE: THE TRAP DOOR
THERE HAS been no season in recent years as exciting and unpredictable as this. At both ends of the table, teams are fighting it out for Premier League glory and an all-important Champions League place, or for survival in the greatest football league in the world. Whilst much focus is placed on the teams chasing the top spot, and rightly so, an even more interesting situation is being played out at the foot of the table. As it stands at the moment, only seven points separate the bottom nine teams, and with eleven games to go, this means that many clubs are facing possible relegation. Along with this, the current bottom six teams have all faced managerial changes since the beginning of the season, a point which Sir Alex Ferguson has lambasted within the last few weeks as part of the “sacking culture” within the modern English game. The three promoted sides from last
years Championships have all fared different fortunes so far, reflective perhaps of decisions made in the boardroom and the manager’s office. Cardiff ’s problems can certainly be traced back to the poor transfer dealings in the summer, the apparent cause of Malky Mackay’s sacking, but the dealings of new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are also a worry too. Solskjaer, legendary in English Premier League history as Manchester United’s prolific baby faced assassin, has hardly proved himself as a manager, only having managed at a junior level at the United academy and then at the financially endowed Molde in Norway, is undoubtedly a managerial gamble from Vincent Tan. The signing of Kenwyne Jones is potentially disastrous, as any Stoke fan will tell you, as he isn’t a grafter and he isn’t motivated sometimes at all. For a team like Cardiff who have done well defensively, but struggled for goals upfront, Jones seems a strange choice from Ole, having failed to really find the back of the net at Stoke, a club strikingly similar to
Image: Isaac Lister
Cardiff. Hull, a club promoted at the same time as Cardiff, recently thumped Cardiff away from home, scoring four goals, having had a very different season so far. Doing well and effectively safe from the drop, all be it without any catastrophes, Hull proved themselves with astute signings in the summer and in January. The signing of Tom Huddlestone, a master passer and seasoned professional has shored up any midfield frailties, to the extent that a call up for the World Cup is a distinct possibility. The one area not really sorted in the summer, the strikeforce, was covered in January, with the signings of Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, both proven goal scorers capable of helping raise Hull’s game. Crystal Palace, another recently promoted side, have shown that managerial changes mid season can certainly work for the better. Tony Pulis has taken a side that had
struggled under Ian Holloway, languishing in last place, and raised them out of the relegation zone, in part aided from a few wise acquisitions in the summer. The signing of Tom Ince on loan, a surprise to many, has clearly sent a message to other relegation teams that the club means business, with other signings such as Wayne Hennessey from Wolverhampton and Scott Dann also big signings. One club with an outside chance for the drop is Chris Hughton’s Norwich City. Goalshy with a meagre 20 strikes this season, the Canaries have struggled to correctly utilise purchased firepower in the form of Gary Hooper and Ricky van Wolfswinkel for a combined princely sum of £13.5m. For the money the Canaries have spent on their attack, they should be scoring far more goals. The fact that they aren’t could well do for them come May, and they would be one of the best teams ever to go down.
TENNIS: IS THIS THE END OF THE BIG FOUR? JAMES PASCOE
YES
IT IS true that the 2014 season bears the hallmarks of what could turn out to be the end of an era in men’s tennis. But that is not to say it is the end of sport’s golden age - just merely the beginning of a glittering new chapter. The real issue is not the decline of the big four but the coming of age of their challengers. Stan Wawrinka has finally made the step up after years in the shadow of compatriot Federer. Del Potro has shown signs of an overdue return to the remarkable form which saw him lift the 2009 US Open. Wawrinka’s win will inspire the likes of Berdych, Gasquet and Tsonga to strive for what previously
seemed impossible. Rising stars like Dimitrov, Raonic and Nishikori aren’t too far over the horizon too. Of course, as a sporting phenomenon, the cycle of the big four will not formally be broken until one of them, most likely Federer, retires from the game. Yet, 2014 could see the beginning of the end of their stranglehold on the major titles. Despite talks of an apparent Federer rejuvenation, he has yet to convince his doubters that he can climb the rankings again, let alone seal another slam. Meanwhile, Djokovic looked out of sorts at times in his defeat to Wawrinka in Melbourne last month. Does the desire still remain? And, of course, SW19 hero Andy Murray has yet to return to form following surgery. Falling out of the top four rankings has shown just how hard his task to add to his two majors will be this year. Exciting times lie ahead for tennis. Tennis’s fab four aren’t finished yet, but the warning shots have been fired.
ISAAC LISTER
NO NO, IT is not the end of the big four. You can rule out one, the imperious Serb Novak Djokovic straight away. Nole reached 100 weeks as number one in the world in 2013, and went on to storm into the quarters dropping a set before ultimately losing to Stanislas Wawrinka. This strong, if ultimately disappointing start to the calendar year shows how dominant Djokovic continues to be on the world stage. While it is true that Rafa Nadal’s position in the big four is in jeopardy, this is only because he is perpetually plagued by injury. His ability, when fit, is unquestionable- so to pontificate that his time at the top is over
based purely on injury speculation is firstrate idiocy. The same can be said of Roger Federer - though his Achilles heel is not one of injury but of age, he has had to wrap himself in cotton wool and guard against playing too many matches. At 100% though, Federerr will still overwhelm any opponent not bringing his Agame,and yet again, to speculate on his decline is just that, to speculate. His Grand Slam appearances these days have a swansong element to them, but he still oozes class. Andy Murray’s back problems are an enigma of their own. A glorious Wimbledonwinning 2013 was at last ‘his time’. As he eases back to full match fitness, there is no doubt in his ability to win more Slams and dominate the world stage. But can he, like Nadal, fight off injury and remain at the pinnacle of world tennis for much longer? With the rise of the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, it remains to be seen, but it ain’t over yet.
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YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
Derwent 39-7 Halifax Derwent beat Halifax in confident display
Der-molition men Photo: Jack Western
DERWENT SEALED their place as 1st seeds in College Varsity as they dispatched Halifax 39-5 in what turned out to be an enthralling match. The hallowed turf of 22 Acres resembled Murrayfield’s pitch of late, with the surface badly chewed up in places. Halifax kicked off into a strong headwind and the wind proved to be a significant factor in the game. With the wind behind them, Derwent chose to kick more often than not, with fly half Kristian Elgheim and centre Alex Cochrane-Dyet repeatedly launching kicks into Halifax territory. Derwent looked very solid from the setpiece, with both scrums and lineouts functioning well. From one such lineout, the ball was shipped to Cochrane-Dyet, who delicately chipped the ball behind the Hali-
fax backline. A footrace ensued, with Derwent’s outside centre Marcus Goss outrunning the covering defenders to dot down in the corner. Elgheim missed the difficult conversion from the touchline, with the score remaining at 5-0. The game restarted in a similar fashion,and after choosing to keep the ball in hand, Derwent spread the ball left and found themselves five metres short of the try line. After several phases of pick-andgo, the determined Halifax defence finally relented, allowing flanker Josh Clewes to score in the corner. Following quick recycling of possession, Cochrane-Dyet scythed through the Halifax defence. He drew the final Halifax defender, and popped the ball to full-back Hugo Marino who ran in a try under the posts. Elgheim converted Marino’s try, extending Derwent’s lead to 17-0. Derwent now started to control the
game, with captain Cameron Strange dictating the play from scrum half. Strange sent a box kick long down field, with the ball eventually bouncing out for a lineout ten metres from the Halifax line. Derwent stole the lineout, and set up a maul, allowing Clewes to grab his second of the match after the Derwent pack rumbled over the line. The first half was brought to a close with Derwent leading 22-0. The conditions aided Halifax’s cause as Derwent’s kicking game became less potent in the face of a strong wind. After spending several minutes camped in Halifax’s half, the Derwent backs fed the ball through the hands, releasing their winger to score in the corner. Elgheim slotted an excellent kick from the touchline, taking the score to 29-0 after five minutes of the second half. A lovely move from the Halifax backs resulted in winger Tom Giles scoring in the corner. An impressive conversion from
Batchelor reduced Derwent’s lead to 29-7. Derwent’s scrum still had the upperhand, and this was strengthened even more with the introduction of influential prop Chris Judge. Minutes after his introduction, Judge embarked on a barnstorming run which resulted in a try. In the final minutes of the game, Derwent forward Paddy Reilly-o’Donnell crashed over the try-line from close-range to cap a fine individual performance. Despite a late spell of pressure from Halifax, the game ended 39-7. Derwent will be pleased with the professional performance they put in, whilst Halifax will look to sharpen up a few aspects of their game ahead of College Varsity. With the standard of College Rugby at all-time high, the fixtures against Durham’s Colleges are definitely not ones to be missed. Derwent Captain Cameron Strange said, “It was the perfect performance ahead of Varsity and above all great revenge.”
TWO TEAMS of four from York entered the National Universities’ Chess Championship which took place last weekend in West Bromwich. The tournament was divided into two sections for the first time, with a record twenty-five teams entering from twenty-five universities. Each team would play five others over the course of the weekend, with York 1 seeded fifth of all entries.
The York firsts came up against UCL 1 in their first round match, winning 2.5-1.5. Their run of good form continued in the next round, defeating the Durham first team 3-1, before beating the tournament second seeds, Edinburgh, 2.5-1.5. Unfortunately, the reward for the good results was a match-up against Imperial College, the top seeds for the tournament, where we consequently lost 2.5-1.5. A win in their final match would have guaranteed York second place in the competition, but York managed to lose from a drawing position in one player’s game, and slip from a winning position to a draw-
ing one in another. Obviously a weekend’s worth of chess was taking its toll. The resultant 2-2 draw against LSE 1 meant that we finished third, on the chess version of goal difference, behind Cambridge. Imperial came first. The York second team had two wins and three losses in the second section of the championship, beating the second teams of Bristol and Nottingham, but losing to Durham 2 and the first teams of Birmingham and Swansea. Individually, James Adair and Martin Brown, boards one and two for the first team respectively, won prizes for their indi-
vidual performances throughout the tournament. James had the best tournament of any board one, effectively making him the best player of the whole tournament, with four wins and one draw from five games. Martin also had 4.5/5, but came second to the person he drew with, due to them facing higher ranked opponents overall.
YORK CHESS TO IMPRESS AT NATIONALS
First team: James Adair, Martin Brown, Chris Bak and Alex Freeland Second team: Joel Wagg, Jakub Brezonak, David Rowland and Ben Rothwell
YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
SPORT
SPOTLIGHT: FUTSAL
VELODROME GIVEN GREEN LIGHT
ISAAC LISTER GETS TO GRIPS WITH ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR SPORTS
KNOWING THAT the Futsal lads were preparing for a vital BUCS match against Lincoln did nothing to ease my nerves with respect to a two-hour training session in the Tent on Thursday evening. I was greeted by a chipper James Briars and coach Junior Roberti, who promised to get me ‘involved as much as possible’, but with intense tactical preparation for the Lincoln match included in the session, I knew I’d have to sit out some of the drills. The session began with some classic P.E style circuit training, with quick sprints and shimmies the order of the day. I was able to keep up with initial drills despite shortness of breath, but as they became increasingly complex, I became unable to cope with the demand, and I was grateful when James Briars told me I could take as ‘much time as I need. Meanwhile, the other lads got on with a drill involving jumping on each others’ backs, crawling through legs then running back around to start again. Once the warm-ups were out of the way, coach Junior called everyone over and began to get into the meat of zonal defending and how best to counteract it. His knowledge of the game and attention to detail was astounding, even more so the way in which the players (particularly the seasoned National League campaigners) carried out his
BY JAMES PASCOE CITY OF York Council has confirmed that it has officially sanctioned plans for the construction of a new velodrome at York Sport Village. York City Council approved the plans last Friday, with the new cycling track scheduled for competion by the end of the calendar year. The outdoor Olympic-standard velodrome, the first of its kind in Yorkshire, will be built alongside the existing roadcycling circuit adjacent to the York’s Hes East campus. It will cost a reported £1 million, with financial backing from British Cycling and Sports England. The developments are a huge boost to cycling in York, particularly in a year where the city will host the start of Stage 2 of the Tour de France on 2nd July. The university’s Registar & Secretary David Duncan told Vision: “We are extremely pleased that the velodrome project has the approval of City of York Council. “With the support of British Cycling, we are committed to building on the success of our floodlit road cycling circuit.” And York Sport President Cass Brown was also pleased to hear the news, telling Vision: “The plans for the new velodrome are very exciting. “Having such an impressive structure as this come to York is testament to how far York has come in sporting terms in recent years. “Hopefully the development will also attract some nationally recognised athletes to the University but additionally the development should go along way to boosting the participation of people cycling, in and out of the velodrome.” The velodrome will be open for public use as well as by York students.
instructions. Eventually, he signalled to me to come and take part in the drill. I took up a position as one of the attackers in a ‘diamond 4’. In this role I would need to make a quick pass and immediately move to overlap and put a defender under pressure. While I was surefooted in the pass, the movement and fitness of intensely tactical Futsal soon took its toll on me, and I was huffing and puffing, frequently ball-chasing, and getting nowhere fast as the ball pinballed around. I was thankful when Junior swapped the players around, but there was no rest for the wicked as I found myself pulling on a defender’s bib and lining up against the best of our Uni Futsal players. Defending in a drill is simple enough- don’t press too high and drop off on the overlapping man when he goes round the outside. The challenge arose when I found myself in the thick of the action in a match situation, remembering when to stick and when to drop off is challenging when you’re busting a gut just to keep up. Luckily, I was on a team with National League players who were able to guide me through the final game. I left the Tent far more educated (and far more knackered) than I arrived, and with far greater respect for the fitness behind the beautiful game.
Photo: Jason Archuleta
FUTSAL: YORK STORM INTO QUARTERS BY OLLIE MEAKIN
A THRILLING game was played out in the Tent on Sunday evening as York men’s Futsal team thumped Lincoln 9-3 in a crucial Round of 16 BUCS Cup match. Buoyed by a large crowd, with a vuvuzela thrown in for good measure, York showed their dominance over a bedraggled Lincoln side, and now progress to the quarter-finals of the BUCS Championship. The first-half saw an even display from both teams, but it was in fact Lincoln opening the scoring with a quick goal from short range. A quick York reply from Arnarson, however, saw parity restored. A commanding performance from Jonny Sim in goal saw most of Lincolns efforts either
saved, or tipped round the post for a corner. A searching cross from out wide from York saw Lincoln’s number four turn the goal into his own net, but once again the scores were quickly levelled from a stinging shot from the Lincoln number ten for his second of the game. The White Rose’s prolific goalscorer Alex Tringham was to give York the lead before half-time, ending a tight fought first half. The actions of Sim in goal and York’s strong defence are to be praised for keeping Lincoln out. Unlike the first-half, the second period proved far more one-sided, with York showing why they are such a force at this level. Four more goals from Tringham suppressed Lincoln from any chances of re-gaining a foot-
hold, along with three other goals from McCoy, Gill and Bourden. The expanse of the York domination was only broken with a solitary Lincoln goal ten minutes from time, but it was too little too late. The role of the crowd in both buoying York and aggravating Lincoln was self-evident in the second period, with away tempers boiling over. The strong turnout had created a hostile atmosphere for the visitors, and obviously riled the team. However, special mention must be made for York players Alex Tringham and Jonny Sim whose outstanding performances stabilised the Black & Gold before the break, and then secured the rout after the interval. Vision’s man-of-thematch goes to Jonny Sim for his reflex saves.
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Photo: Zoe Bennell
DOWNED DOME RE-INFLATED BY JAMES PASCOE IT WAS supposed to protect tennis players from the elements, but the University’s newly-built tennis dome couldn’t even protect itself as it was blown down by 70 mph winds and battering rain last week. The dome was unveiled just last month amid grand fanfare, but treacherous weather saw its untimely demise, rendering the tennis courts out of use as workers assessed the damage. Now, restoration work has finally been carried out, and normal service resumed for tennis players from campus and the local community. York Sport President Cass Brown told Vision: “I’m relieved that the tennis dome is now back up and in full use. Thankfully it hasn’t taken very long to be repaired as I’m sure York’s tennis players, including myself, are pleased about the repair works being carried out as quickly as possible.” And College Sport Officer Dave Washington added: “Obviously the collapse of the dome was disappointing so soon after it was put up, but thankfully repair workers were quick on the scene. Blame the Yorkshire weather!” The irony of the unforeseen collapse of the dome was not lost on many York students. Second-year Biology student Sam said: “The dome’s collapse really burst my bubble, but thankfully it’s been resolved and I can get back to playing tennis!”
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YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
MEN’S FOOTBALL
COLLEGE VARSITY - T RUGBY
DERWENT
JAMES
V HILDE BEDE
V
HALIFAX
HATFIELD
V COLLINGWOOD
HALIFAX
BADMINTON
V HATFIELD
HOCKEY
GOODRICKE
JAMES
V ST. CUTHBERT’S
V
HATFIELD
WENTWORTH
V JOSEPHINE BUTLER Men’s Football
The men’s football matches promise to be two of the weekend’s most exciting events, with James College kicking off proceedings against Durham’s Hatfield on Sunday morning. Ralph Gill’s side were victorious against Halifax in the qualifiers final and have taken apart most other colleges this year, and they will hope for more of the same success against Hatfield on 22 Acres. Key players include winger Freddie Ferrao and prolific marksman Matt Singleton. Meanwhile, Halifax play Durham side Collingwood in the afternoon. Connor McCoy will aim to lead his side to glory after sealing their Varsity place with a penalty-shootout win against Derwent in the qualifiers semis. The pace of Connor Meckin and defensive solidity of Oli Bull will prove critical if they are to win.
GOODRICKE Rugby Union
Derwent College sealed top spot in the varsity qualifiers with a comprehensive drubbing of Halifax on Sunday. There had been fears that Derwent would be the only York college not to be represented at Varsity, but those fears were quashed by their perennially strong rugby team, who will face Hilde Bede on Sunday. Derwent have blown every other college away in recent years, with a defeat against Halifax last term the only blot on their copybook. Key players in Cameron Strange’s side include forward Paddy Reilly-O’Donnell and full-back Hugo Marino. Halifax have been a side firmly on the rise this year. A 12-0 win over Derwent was a highlight, and crushing wins over Alcuin and Goodricke have proved that Wiz Collins’ side deserve their place at Varsity, where they will face off against Hatfield on Sunday.
Hockey
V ST CUTHBERT’S
James College thrashed Goodricke 5-0 in the qualifiers final, and will line up against Durham’s Hatfield on the JLD this weekend. The Swans, who have a huge squad led by captain Oli McGaw, will fancy their chances, and will hope that key players Chris Butterworth, Nick Mitchell and Polly Sedgwick will be firing on all cylinders come this weekend when they push back at 1:30pm. Goodricke conjured up something of a surprise when they beat Langwith on penalty flicks in the qualifying semi-finals. They were outclassed by James in the final, but have talented and industrious players in the form of Dhyan Patel, Tara Annison and Ben Crawley. They will face a formidable challenge against a strong St. Cuthbert’s side from Durham, but will take plenty of confidence into their Varsity showdown.
Badminton
Goodricke will not fear the challenge of St. Cuthbert’s when they take them on Sunday afternoon. The likes of Meredith Daniel, Chivarn Huang and Adam Langerveld played brilliantly in the mixed doubles victory over James in the qualifiers. The team have been in stellar form this year, finishing second in the Autumn table. Other key players include Leah and Dylan Langford. Wentworth have been the undisputed kings and queens of badminton this year, however, after winning the Autumn league and currently topping the Spring table. Recent highlights have included a 10-0 whitewash over Langwith. Captain Shawmon Fu will aim to lead her troops to victory over Durham’s Josephine Butler College.
SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday February 25, 2014
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE BASKETBALL
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WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
LANGWITH V TREVELYAN
WENTWORTH V USTINOV
LANGWITH
ST MARY’S
V
VANBRUGH V USTINOV VOLLEYBALL
NETBALL
WENTWORTH
HALIFAX
V TBC
V VAN MILDERT
JAMES ALCUIN
V HILDE BEDE
Basketball
Wentworth will cross swords with Ustinov College this Sunday in the inaugural College Varsity. The talented Siritas Kettanurak and Kai Li will spearhead the attack, and will be confident following their dismantling of Langwith in the qualifiers final. The postgraduate college can also draw on the likes of Kenisha Hanson and the agile Shono Koko when they play Ustinov. Elsewhere, Langwith will face off against St. Mary’s. Although they were well-beaten by Wentworth in qualifiers, they can draw on the talents of Nicolas Katsafados, Will Oldfield and Sam Smith when they come up against their Durham conterparts. Wentworth will play Ustinov in the Tent, while Langwith will take on St. Mary’s in the Main Hall.
Netball
The qualifiers final between James and Halifax was an enthralling encounter. James College, led by captain Ellie Redwood, were unlucky to lose, but they will attempt to return to winning ways against Hilde Bede on Sunday morning. James boast a strong all-round team in the form of Rebecca Pay-Savage and goal attack Samantha Hall. Their form has improved this term, and it will take a strong Hilde Bede side to keep them at bay, especially with home advantage. Halifax, meanwhile, will be buoyed by winning the qualifiers final. Captain Sarah Moody has some fine talents to choose from when they face Van Mildert in the Tent. Becky Gabbitas is a skilful shooter, and the talents of Emily Woodings, Penny Figgis and Mary Sutherland will surely cause Durham problems on Sunday.
V TBC
Women’s Football
Vanbrugh will take the stage to face Durham’s Ustinov College after they beat Derwent en route to the final, where they lost to Langwith. Nevertheless, Vanbrugh boast great attacking prowess, with Rhiannon Roy, the centre-back who also has an eye for goal, and Aimee Hardy particularly deadly in front of goal. Captain Maria Davies is aiming high in Varsity, and they have every reason to be confident going into Sunday’s game in the Tent. Langwith came out on top in the qualifying games. Captain Ruby Callister led her side by example throughout, scoring multiple goals in a virtuoso performance against James in the semis. Trevelyan will prove a sterner test, however, and Callister’s troops will need to be prepared if they are to continue their form.
Volleyball
Wentworth and Alcuin are the two sides chosen to represent York.The Durham colleges taking part have yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, York Sport President Cass Brown said in advance of the event: “College Varsity gives college sport players a similar platform to that of Roses for our University athletes, which is exceptional. “What most excites me though is that our college players are representing not just their college but the University of York - this and the prospect of beating Durham! It’s also been the York Sport Committee’s first project to work on together and they’ve all done a fantastic job. “College Varsity is going to be brilliant and is an exciting new chapter in the history of college sport at York, so I urge as many people as possible to be a part of it.”
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YORK VISION Tuesday February 25, 2014
James 3 - 1 Alcuin James snatch win from dominant Alcuin
Jammy James ALCUIN WILL have no idea how they lost this game 3-1. It was a game they dominated from start to finish, but opportunistic finishing from the Black Swan allowed them to grind out the win. The start of the match was inherently sloppy. Alcuin found themselves carving out a couple of half chances, with Andy Fernando firing harmlessly over the bar, but nothing clear cut. Luca Nazzicone was particularly impressive, making a couple of game saving tackles in a display of no-nonsense defending. Alcuin dictated the play for the majority of the match, and by playing their own game, they were able to create a couple of clear cut chances towards the end of the first half. Both chances were spurned by the profligate Alcuin winger Sarin, who in spite of impressive agility, when played in by striker Hinchcliffe, saw his dink over Balzan cleared off the line. If you could forgive him a goal-line clearance, there could be no such sympathy foor the second miss. Sarin danced around Balzan following a great burst of pace into the box, and with an open goal at his mercy completely neglected to shoot. He twisted, he turned, he tried to do far too much, and in the end Balzan smothered the effort. James were well-oiled in midfield, winning the ball from Alcuin with consummate ease. They just seemed incapable of creating anything themselves, so all were surprised
when they took the lead at the end of the first half. For the first time in the game, Alcuin lapsed, giving Joe Fox a free header to flick on to Ralph Gill. The big man made no mistake, driving a powerful shot past stand-in keeper Harry Smith to give his side the lead. In the second half, Alcuin continued to play their game, and by finding winger Ben Bugeja they fashioned an opportunity for Leonidas Kanonis, who latched on to Bugeja’s reverse pass, jinked past Callum Elliott, but could not find a shot to beat Balzan. Alcuin finally found their deserved equaliser when a well-hit Nestor free-kick found Kanonis unmarked at the back post. He unselfishly cushioned a header into the path of Luca Nazzicone, who drilled the ball past Balzan from point blank range. Though Alcuin continued to dictate the play, with another powerful run from Kanonis creating an opening for the indecisive Sarin, and a goalbound acrobatic hook by Bugeja well saved by Balzan, James took the lead against the run of play. A high ball into the Alcuin box permitted Ralph Gill to tower above the Alcuin defence and cushion a header neatly into the path of Callum Elliott. The centre-back’s header nestled in the net for 2-1. Alcuin’s Achilles heel had always seemed to be defending from set pieces, and it was this sloppiness in terms of man marking which cost them the game. There was just time for that man Nestor to bend a brilliant freekick towards Balzan’s top left hand corner, just to see it glance off the outside of the post, before James grabbed
a galling third. This time the goal was cheap, and one which typified the plight of a team of Alcuin’s ilk but certainly not of their morning this time around. A harmless looking flick into the area should have been gathered comfortably by Smith, but his indecision allowed James Edwards to beat him to the ball, and he toepoked home for an easy goal. James captain Ralph Gill was a relieved man following the contest. He told Vision “I thought we were absolutely dreadful today. We were very resilient though, and had Joe Fox not dominated the midfield, I feel we would have lost that game. “The important thing was to grind out the win when not playing well. That’s what good teams do.” Alcuin captain Greg Fearn remained upbeat in spite of his team’s defeat, telling Vision “That was absolutely crushing. Everyone hates to lose, but when you’re the better team, play the better football and deserve the win, it’s even worse. “If you don’t score, you don’t win, but the performance was promising and shows what we’re capable of. JAMES (4-3-3): Balzan, Sangha, Elliott, Axford, Alhasan, Wheldon, Fox, Gill, Edwards, Baker, Jopson ALCUIN (4-4-1-1): Smith, McConnell, Kennick, Nazzicone, Petrides, Kanonis, Fernando, Sarin, Nestor, Bugeja, Hinchcliffe Subs: Harget, Fearn
MATCH STATISTICS Possession 40%
60%
Shots 7
9
Shots on Target 4
3
Fouls 4
6
Offsides 0
1
YORK VISION
SPORT
Tuesday February, 2014
DERWENT STALEMATE DERWENT
1
VANBRUGH
1
DERWENT AND Vanbrugh played out a score draw in blustery conditions on 22 Acres as Callum Woodall’s controversial Vanbrugh penalty cancelled out Adam Highland’s volleyed opener. In a match where neither college were able to field a full-strength side, Derwent will feel that they should have sealed the victory after creating chance after chance, only to be thwarted by poor finishing or confident goalkeeping from Calum Lenox. The game fizzled out towards the end as some farcical officiating clouded what had been a tightly-fought contest, with Vanbrugh’s late equaliser and a series of poor refereeing decisions proving to be the postmatch talking points. The game was characterised by a cagey
opening from both teams with several high balls and throw-ins due to the strong winds. After a scrappy first ten minutes, Derwent set the blueprint for the rest of the match, enjoying the lion’s share of possession through Sam Weighall and Tom Shelbourn pulling the strings. Lively striker Jamie Trant also had a penalty appeal waved away. Derwent were firmly in the ascendancy, with the guile of Ryan Gwinnett and the industry of Trant a constant thorn in Vanbrugh’s side. The breakthrough came when a searching ball from Weighall was met by Highland at the back post, who duly finished with aplomb to make it 1-0. Shelbourn had a header cleared off the line as Derwent went into the interval firmly on top. Vanbrugh attempted to hit back in the second period but were well-marshalled by Michael Whitall and Alex Metcalf in the absence of captain Dave Belshaw. Joe Lund had a chance when he was sent through on goal, but lacked composure and fired wide. At the other end, a surging run from Trant saw him play in Ryan Gwinnett oneon-one with the ‘keeper, but his side-footed finish was well-saved. Metcalf volleyed goalwards from the resulting corner, but again Lennox was equal to it. The referee put his stamp on the game late on, as he bafflingly awarded Vanbrugh a
31
penalty, for a reason which escaped both sets of players. Callum Woodall stepped up and dispatched it confidently into the bottom corner to give Vanbrugh an unlikely equaliser. Derwent piled forward in search of the winner. Gwinnett came closest when his freekick hit the inside of the post. Trant and Masashi Nozaki both had good chances late on but were unable to convert them. Tensions rose as the referee struggled to control the game, with Trant booked for dissent and Liam Craine also carded for a scything challenge on Weighall. Some further dubious offside calls marred the last ten minutes, and the match ended with the scores level. After the match, Derwent’s Dave Belshaw told Vision: “I can’t believe we didn’t win that, we were the better side throughout. The penalty was inexplicable, we’re very disappointed with the referee, but it was a good penalty from Woodall.” Vanbrugh captain Max Brewer was in a noticeably upbeat mood following his side’s point, telling Vision: “I’m very pleased with the performance. It was a dubious goal, but we earned that today. The last few weeks we’ve been under a lot of stress. We haven’t been able to field a full strength side all term. To draw against Derwent with all their university players is a great effort.”
Photos: Philip Mourdjis
Photo: Jack Western
COLD HARD FAX
LANGWITH
1
HALIFAX
2
WITH COLLEGE Varsity fast approaching, a 1-1 draw with Langwith will have done nothing to satisfy Halifax’s desire to bounce back from defeat by Goodricke last week.
This was a game with few clear cut chances with both sides lacking end product. Langwith will have fancied their chances with Halifax missing a number of key players and though the first half failed to excite, Langwith were able to take the lead with five minutes of the first half remaining after they were awarded a penalty when Kearney handled the ball in the box. Parsonson stepped up for the yellows and placed the ball perfectly into the left corner of the goal.In typical fashion, Langwith were unable to hold onto their lead and in the first few minutes of the second half Halifax drew level when Langwith goalkeeper Cheshire was unable to hold onto a
cross, and Marsh was on hand to equalise for his team. Moments later Halifax took the lead through a brilliant curling finish from Heath which Cheshire got a hand to but couldn’t keep out. Langwith never seemed to recover, and though they pressed to equalise, a second goal never looked likely. Halifax captain Connor McCoy was in a buoyant mood, telling Vision “We were missing quite a few players but I thought we pulled it together quite well”, and looking ahead to Varsity next week he seemed confident of his team’s chances “We should have a pretty strong team and I think we’re stronger than James”.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SPORT
V
SPOTLIGHT: COUNTDOWN TO VARSITY: FUTSAL ULTIMATE PREVIEW & FIXTURES
P28-29
P27
P30-31
REVENGE IS SWEET
Photo: Jack Western
DERWENT SECURED the top rugby spot in this weekend’s forthcoming College Varsity extravaganza by thrashing Halifax in Sunday’s varsity qualifier final. On a blustery and sodden 22 Acres, tries from Marcus Goss, Josh Clewes, Hugo Marino, Chris Judge and Paddy Reilly-O’Donnell were enough to avenge last term’s surprise 12-0 Halifax victory.
Halifax secured a consolation try through winger Tom Giles, with Johnny Batchelor converting. The Derwent win means Cameron Strange’s side will face Durham University’s Hilde Bede next Sunday, while beaten Halifax will come up against Hatfield in the inagural Varsity event. Elsewhere, the football teams of Halifax and James both warmed up for next Sunday’s showdown with routine wins over Langwith and Alcuin respectively - full reports on pages 30-31.
Report: Page 26
Issue 241
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DERWENT SEAL TOP VARSITY BERTH AFTER MAULING HALIFAX AVENGE SHOCK AUTUMN DEFEAT WITH CRUSHING 39-7 WIN FULL REPORT ON PAGE 26
Tuesday February 25th, 2014
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