Issue 120

Vision

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FREE DRUGS

SMOKING MARIJUANA is to be actively supported on York University campus. The recently established Cannabis Society has been driving for higher membership and will be officially ratified by the SU if it attracts 40 members. The students organising the proposed society held a stall in Week Four to try to recruit as many students as possible.

The three founder members of the society are Chair Adam Thornburn, Treasurer Andrew White and Secretary Tim Parris. The leaflet produced by the Society states that “The prohibition of drugs offers us nothing but an increase of

revenue into the criminal world. By legalising marijuana it can be put to use for both medical and industrial, as well as for recreational purposes... The benefits are clear.”

The founder members told Vision, “Our aim is to promote awareness on campus and within the York area, bringing issues to the fore that have been previously ignored.”

If formed, the society plans to publicise their views on campus and collaborate with other universities. They will also organise trips to marches and rallies, organise canvassing and questionnaires on and off campus, invite guest speakers and politicians to talk, and to organise trips to Amsterdam.

However, in pointing out widespread

student support for the cause, the group emphasised that they do not promote illegal activity. “Statistics from 1998 show that over 50% of people within the student age range have used cannabis on at least one occasion... while we do not promote the illegal use of drugs, we hope that people will stand up and defend their beliefs and no longer allow themselves to be classed as criminals.”

Their belief that students generally support their cause appears to be borne out by the early response to the society. The group commented, “We have had an excellent early response, and expect to be ratified. However we feel that there are still some people who would like to sign up but fear action from the University.”

The members also pointed out the

support from the Students’ Union. “We have had a very positive response from the SU. We haven’t heard from the University, but we don’t anticipate a problem... we hope that the University can appreciate what we are trying to achieve.”

Senior Assistant Registrar Sue Hardman, responsible for student welfare, appeared to confirm this when she told Vision, “Groups of students are free to form societies under the umbrella of the Students’ Union, so provided there is student support I see no reason why such a society should not be formed. The University’s response to the Society depends on how it subsequently conducts itself.”

There seems to be little prominent opposition to the formation of the society.

Chair of the Campus Conservatives, Stuart Lennon, told Vision, “I think it is very positive to have a society on campus actively campaigning for more freedom.

The sooner cannabis is legalised in this country the better.”

Many students have, however, expressed scorn at the concept of the Cannabis Society. One anonymously said to Vision, “Everybody knows that a large number of students use drugs, especially cannabis. These guys are just showing off - I can’t imagine any of them really doing much about it, which is probably why noone’s taking them seriously or raising any objections. The sooner they grow up, the better.”

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York Student Vision

24

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

2 NEWS York Student Vision

News in Brief D2 KO Controversy surrounds this year’s flagship summer event, D2K. 300 ticket holders, almost a third of the allocation, will be kicked out of Derwent dining hall at midnight, when D2K itself is superceded by Club Derwent. Concern has also been expressed with the bands chosen to play: After the disappointment of Shed Seven last year, this year will see four tribute bands, including Beatles, Abba and Wham take-offs, followed by a foam party afterwards. Many are also worried that the event will only make a profit if 96% of all tickets are sold, and that with a D2K committee of only seven, many extra stewards will need to be hired, costing the organisers even more.

URY FARCE Publicity for the URY ‘Colin and Stair’ show has had to be removed after complaints from the SU’s LGB Officers.

Defending their tag, “The show that anally rapes Chris Evans”, presenter Colin Perry told Vision: “We had the unenviable task of making people listen to URY. It was attention grabbing, but we’re not making any kind of anti-homosexual stance.” James Melly, acting Station Manager, said “I received a complaint and e-mailed the presenters telling them to take down the offending publicity.”

URY broadcasts on 1350 am.

MINIBUS CRISIS

QUESTIONS ARE being raised over the future of the SU Minibus after it was revealed at Tuesday’s UGM that a minimum fee may be charged for its use.

Since the SU sub-contracted a private firm to run the mini-bus on their behalf, any money previously retained by the SU from its £15,000 mini-bus budget is now spent on the private firm currently running it. According to Aidhean Campbell, Deputy President Services, in order to comply with law, the SU would have to buy each driver a ‘Private Service Vehicle License’ costing £500, which would then still leave the driver liable if anything happened.

This has led to the need for alternative forms of funding, including the suggestion of a 50p minimum charge which was raised at the UGM. Other ideas include a fixed fee or the introduction of a voluntary contribution.

In a further twist, it has been decided that College JCRs should help support the mini-bus by contributing up to £2,000 towards its running fund. In addition, Goodricke College has offered to hold a money-raising event some time in the future to further offset the running costs.

The SU Women’s Officers, Becky Wright and Leyla Ozkan, expressed their own concerns over the possible charges for those using, what they consider, an important service. They acknowledge that women have priority on the mini-bus, but consider that the shortfall in SU funding “Reveals hidden prejudices in the treatment of women by the University.”

Admitting they prefer the idea of having a voluntary contribution rather than a minimum fee, which would prevent anyone with less than 50 pence from using the mini-bus, they reject the idea of sponsorship from Nestle.

“Particularly from a women’s point of

SU Mini-bus - no longer a free ride? view, it’s wrong to expect women to get on a mini-bus sponsored by a company that allegedly abuses women in the Third World as this may create ethical problems.

If someone refuses to get on the mini-bus because of Nestle’s sponsorship, they then run the risk of getting attacked.”

Aidhean Campbell revealed that there were more rumoursabout Nestle than fact

ZERO TO ONE Due to York’s computers’ inability to deal with the number zero, from next term there will be no more Week Nought.

Instead, freshers will be welcomed into York with a Week One Freshers’ Week and the term will end on Friday, Week Ten. Another successful policy from campus favourites CompServ.

VISION THANKS Vision would like to say an extra special thanks to Alex Watson, and a slightly less special, but still quite nice, thanks to Kieran McIntyre, Lisa Forrest, Rob Sharp and Natalie Brabin for subbing; and to Westcountry Print and Design. Vision meetings take place in D/130, Mondays, at 7:30pm. All welcome.

Simon Collister

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGED FOR THE first time in 30 years the University of York has qualified for BBC television’s long running academic quiz University Challenge.

ACC SUCCESS The Students’ Union’s campaign to force ACC Telecom to give York students a better deal has officially succeeded. The firm, which provide the telephones in all student bedrooms, have, as been previously reported in Vision, have come under fire for not providing enough technical help, and for charging every York student for all calls made from October through to February in March, instead of every month. Aidhean Campbell, the SU’s Deputy President Services, has forced ACC to stagger the paying of all bills, to provide students with a monetary rebate, and to increase the technical support available.

at the moment and that after Nestle had originally contacted the SU, he had returned their call but, he told us “Effectively, the ball is in their court.”

As the SU is not a business and works in the interest of students any decision on where the Nestle money goes will be made by the students at a UGM.

Dan Simon as a duck and the JCR Chairs as, erm, condoms (??!!)

SU DUCKPORN TO MASSES first night review WHAT COULD attract a sixthformer to York? It won’t be the weather, as a wind and rain swept campus welcomed 2001’s prospective freshers on their visit to the University on the annual open day, Wednesday week three.

It surely won’t be the clubbing scene, a point that was made often by those pressganged into showing the kids round campus.

So what will it be? Only one group of dedicated role-models could manage to woo the cynical sixteen year olds into believing that York has charm, and that group was the Students’ Union. Yet it wasn’t to be a boring speech this year, as the SU decided to pleasure York’s guests with of all things, a play.

The play revolved around a fresher, Bob, who on his first day in York man-

ages to run over a duck. This duck then comes to visit Bob in his sleep, informing him of all the important services the SU offer to York students.

Yet a synopsis of this kind does not give the characterisations or acting ability of the players justice.

The play itself was an existentialist journey through the tribulations of Bob, a tortured soul on the brink of a breakdown. The challenging role was sensitively portrayed by Ian France, Community Action Projects Co-ordinator, who managed to combine both the boyish desire of his character to succeed with the bathos of the situation, knowing that he is, in actual fact, an average student.

Perhaps the real star of this epic performance was Dan Simon. The skill of this playwright, actor, singer, and all round Press and Publicity Officer, cannot be overstated. The panache with which he played the role of the duck, emphasising the yellowness of the situation, will always live on in the memory.

It could not be called perfect. The dedication of the condoms could be described as lacking. The actors portraying these essential parts of student life seemed almost embarrassed, and certainly not as proud as they could be to be representing such seminal roles.

Yet cameos from such established stars as Aidhean Campbell, Deputy President Services, as the wheeling-dealing barrow boy, and Stuart Lennon, Conferences and Training Officer, shifting about shambolically as a disco dancer, resurrected the experience and made it all the more enjoyable.

Ten minutes later and the ordeal was over. The students left reassured knowing that they could rely on their potential SU both for essential student services and for the ability to get dressed up and act like prats on their behalf.

Don Juan del Spatula

The University last featured in the contest in 1970, a year eventually won by Sussex. Since then a combination of the show’s hiatus during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and failure to get through Granada’s own gruelling selection process, has denied York the chance to appear on the television.

After an initial internal selection process last term, D-Phil student David Belcher was chosen as captain, taking the traditional third from the left seat during filming.

The team survived the studio’s own selection process at Manchester, when hopeful universities were whittled down from 150 to just 24. Once there, the team captain explained, “Each member listened to 40 recorded questions with ten minutes between each for separate answers; final selection depended on the cumulative result.”

Dan Simon, York Challenge team co-ordinator, told Vision that he was “Wholeheartedly stoked. Having put so much of my time and effort into it I’m so pleased that its come off. I was convinced that there was the talent here in York – it’s just stupid that we haven’t tried before. I’m just unbelievably happy.”

At this time the York contestants are unsure who they will meet when filming begins or their chances in the contest.

The only thing the captain could promise is that the whole team will “give it their best shot.”

York’s attempt to relinquish the Challenge trophy from current holders Durham begins on June 22nd, to be broadcast on BBC2 in the autumn.

Matt Goddard

YORK STUDENT VISION www.yorkvision.co.uk Editors: Ben Hulme-Cross, Wesley Johnson  Deputy Editor: Tim Burroughs, Vicky Kennedy  Managing Editor: Gareth Walker  News Editor: Tom Smithard Deputy News Editors: Tim Dean, Brendan Spencelayh  Politics Editor: Danny Goldup  Deputy Politics Editor: Fraser Kennedy  Features Editor: Ann Smith Deputy Features Editors: Victoria Cole-Jones, Barbara Stainer  Books Editor: Post Open  Wired Editor: Post Open  Arts Editor: Sarah Mort Acting Deputy Arts Editor: Matt Goddard  Films Editor: Philip Diamond  Deputy Films Editor: Christian Bunyan  Music Editor: Tom Nall Deputy Music Editor: Kate Wallis Sports Editor: Post Open  Deputy Sports Editor: Paul Wrigglesworth  Photo Editor: Post Open  Deputy Photo Editor: Post Open Chief Sub: Post Open  Artist: Helen Dempsey  Vision online Webmaster: Jonathan Carr  Deputy Webmaster: Post Open  Advertising Manager: Becca Smith Grimston House, Room V/X/009, University of York,Heslington, York, YO10 5DD. Tel/Fax: 01904 43 3720

Email: vision@york.ac.uk

Opinions expressed in 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, 2000

York Student Vision

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision NEWS 3

HARD WEEK FOR HARDSHIP

STUDENT HARDSHIP was brought to the forefront of the agenda in week three as YUSU promoted their latest hard hitting campaign. But despite everyone’s best efforts, the week’s events were disappointingly underattended.

The week was filled with a wide variety of promotional activities including the ‘Skint’ debate on Thursday night. Speakers from YUSU and NUS were there to air views and engage in discussion with York students. But a poor turnout of little more than twenty people – which consisted mostly of media representatives and exec members - meant that minimum impact was achieved. Despite this, Helen Woolnough, YUSU President claimed: “This week has gone well. Previously there has been a feeling of complacency, that we had lost the battle, but now we feel its time to put hardship back on the agenda.”

Ffion Evans, YUSU Campaigns Officer, said: “I think I would be the first to admit that hardship week could have gone better, however as an exercise to raise awareness I think it did succeed. It is important that the Students’ Union provides information to their members on current controversial government funding proposals because sooner or later it is them that it will effect.”

Innocent sixth formers signing hardship petition on Open Day

On the subject of a poor turnout to the debate, she added: “We cannot expect that students will be willing to demonstrate or show their support for the campaign for free education if they don’t know the issues.”

At the debate Lee Sargent, of the Campaign for Free Education, said: “The education system is in a mess... the NUS haven’t learnt their lessons. NUS policies have to be backed by action - organising

GOOD NIGHT NIGHT NURSE

THE WELL-BEING of students is being threatened, due to the curtailment of the night nurse service at the University Health Centre. The service is having to be restricted due to staff shortages.

The existing staff will be supplemented by agency staff, although their availability cannot always be guaranteed at all times.

Student Union President-elect, Ben Youdan said “Having had to use the walkin service at the Health Centre recently myself, it was obvious how important it is.

“There are many medical problems experienced by students that do not warrant calling 999 but do require the attention of the nurse. Hopefully the vacancy can be filled with minimum problems to students.”

Pete Campion-Smith, Deputy President Welfare and Academic Affairs, said that this “Doesn’t mean that there is no cover at all” but that the Health centre

does “need more drop in sessions.”

On occasions when the service will not be available, there will be notices put on the front and rear doors of the Health Centre. Students are being advised to use the ambulance service in the event of any medical emergency. Alternatively there is a walk-in centre at the Monkgate Health Centre in York.

The Health Centre has been under a lot of attention recently, due to the contract to run the centre being tendered for by other practices. The contract, currently belonging to Dr Keith Price and Partners, is due to run out in October. However, it is expected to be renewed, despite various behind the scenes attempts by other partnerships to tender bids for the centre.

Pete Campion-Smith added that he would like to see improvements in the centre so that “ People can be seen quicker and have easier access to help.” He would also like to see the centre “ Look for measurable targets” for improvement so that it is not just seen as a source of sick notes and assessments for leave of absence.

Tim Dean

The awe-inspiring Health Centre

York Student Vision

pickets, demonstrations, occupations and non-payment campaigns.”

Pete Campion-Smith, Deputy President Welfare and Academic Affairs, said: “The week’s events got people talking about the matter, and we convinced the University that it is a matter to be taken very seriously.

“I think in the past the Special Support Fund could have been publicised better, and we are hoping to increase students’ knowledge of all the available support in

the future.”

The follow up from the week will consist of further publicity and campaigns to increase hardship support for overseas and nursing students and York Free Education (YFE) will be producing a poster campaign in York to highlight hidden course costs.

However the SU has been far from unified in its approach to hardship.

Debate over whether representatives of York Free Education (YFE) should be funded by the SU to go to the Campaigns for Free Education (CFE) National Conference preceded the events of hardship week.

Eight places were available for the conference and had been advertised across campus in the Daily Info. Places were open to any student and were not reserved for YFE members, even though they have a direct interest in the matter.

Stuart Lennon, SU Conferences and Training Officer was against the proposal, stating: “I believe that my conferences and training budget should only pay for SU Exec officers to attend these events. YFE should pay for other members, and I disagree with Exec forcing me to provide the costs for all members.

“The CFE are a Trotskyite political party within NUS so we shouldn’t be paying for people to go out of the very limited conference and training budget. I’m sure it would be useful for a SU representative to be there and of course I do support free

education but there’s no need for nine people to be there. I don’t want to be paying that kind of money to a political party.”

Ffion Evans presented the opposition and gained the support of Exec committee. Ffion said: “It will give all the people who attend a chance to be trained on how to run effective campaigns and lobby effectively at both institutional and national level. I think it is important that our Students’ Union supports this day.”

Helen Woolnough YUSU President claimed: “YFE is a ratified society of the Union and as such is entitled to all the support that every other society benefits from. The Union also has a policy to ‘support non-payment campaigns’, so we have a direct mandate to support their campaign work.”

Richard Gill, Chair of YFE said: “Campaigning against tuition fees is Union policy. If Stuart Lennon wants to act against this then he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. He can’t go against what the Union says, he has to do his job whether he likes it or not.”

Helen added: “The allocation of funds from the C&T budget was dealt with through Exec and was perfectly within the YUSU constitution.”

Nine students from York will now attend the Conference aiming to raise awareness of the campaign against tuition fees further.

Claire New

TOFFS OUT?

TOFFS NIGHTCLUB has once again come under pressure to reassess its ‘100% Student Friendly’ image after complaints from unhappy University members worried with perceived lapses in security during Toffs’ student night every Tuesday.

The latest in a long line of complaints has come after students were mistreated outside the club on the Tuesday of Week Three. Waiting in the queue for a taxi, two students, one male and one female, were accosted by a group of non-students who tried to push in front in the queue and then verbally insulted the pair and threatened the woman with physical violence, whilst Door Security looked the other way.

The problem lay with the fact that Toffs had let in non-students on a night in which only those with a Mondex card were meant to be allowed in. The predominance of non-students who were completing a night out after a day at the

Can these people really be having fun at Toffs?

York Races, meant that, according to the female student who was threatened, “I felt uncomfortable and unsafe, and I wouldn’t have gone had I known.”

Nicholas Church, Chair of Alcuin JCR, who was also involved in the incident, told Vision that he believes that “It would have been appropriate for Toffs to inform the student body that it wasn’t going to be a normal student night.”

The matter has also drawn the attention of SU Womens’ Officer, Becky Wright. Speaking to Vision, she said: “The level of security in Toffs is ridiculous. There remains the possibility of women being verbally and physically attacked. If female students continue to be threatened like this we will take action.

“I definitely don’t think that Toffs is ‘100% student friendly’. If we as a SU had a mandate, in collaboration with JCRs, then we should boycott.”

Helen Woolnough, SU President, agrees that Toffs has problems. “Toffs are causing the SU problems and they are

certainly not ‘100% Student Friendly’.

Their sponsorship contract with the SU runs out soon and we will be putting pressure on them sort themselves out.

“Their admissions policy on student nights needs to change, and we will be actively encouraging them to do so.”

Aidhean Campbell, Deputy President Services, is just as forthright. “We have issues with Toffs management, especially with what ‘student’ ID they accept on student nights. We have a good working relationship with Northern Leisure [the parent company] but if they don’t meet certain standards we’ll take action.

“I think Tuesday should be a student night only, and although the Students’ Union is in a situation where it is fighting against stereotypes, I’ve personally been scared by many of the people I’ve seen in Toffs on Tuesdays.

“Although the money Northern Leisure give to the SU is important, it is only £4 – 6,000 and it not worth the price Tom Smithard

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

4 NEWS York Student Vision

SECURE?

YOUNGSTERS ARE wreaking havoc in off-campus residences as concerned students again question the security of their homes.

A series of thefts, disturbances and cases of serious harassment, allegedly by a group of young children, have angered many students particularly in Halifax Court.

Sean Harrison, a third year English student, told Vision: “Security have been repeatedly called to deal with these kids, and have consistently failed to do so. On the rare occasions when they actually arrive when the kids are still around, they have never made any attempt to remove them from University property, and have freely admitted they are powerless to do anything.

“There’s a group of young kids, aged between ten and fifteen, who hang around and are always causing trouble.”

He explained that this was just the tip of the iceberg, with residents in Halifax Court being the lucky ones compared to those in other off-campus residences such as Holgate’s Hall, St Lawrence Court, Eden’s Court, Catherine House, and Fairfax House.

“These residences will be used more and more as the number of first years arriving each year increases,” he added.

“We’re looking for a change of attitude from security who just don’t seem that concerned about it.

“The University have, in the past, promised to install CCTV cameras to combat crime when the porter is not present, such as at night. These have never materialised.”

He’s not delivering Milk Tray Students are also concerned about the lack of precautions being taken by University staff.

One said: “Often the cleaners will leave the door to the houses they are cleaning propped open whilst they are at work. Given that there are a group of people who have shown they are quite willing to enter student accommodation if given the opportunity, many students are worried about their property.”

Helen Woolnough, SU President,

said: “It’s ridiculous. It highlights the need for 24-hour portering on campus as there is no security at the moment. It’s something we will be working on to get enough information together to put a complaint in to the University.

“There are almost 1000 students in Halifax Court, and it is the biggest area without 24-hour portering. I think this is really stupid. All colleges need the welfare and admisistration services that porters fufil. Halifax Court shouldn’t have to wait and be subjected to more crimes in the future. There should be porters and security in place now.”

Concerns for the adequacy of security on campus are replicated in the York community at large. According to new figures released last week, York has the third lowest police cover per capita in the country.

This is unlikely to comfort the two York students who were attacked, one seriously, in the early hours of Sunday morning as they walked home from campus.

The students, in a group of six, had attended a University function the previous evening. They were attacked outside Fibbers in the Stonebow area of York.

The students were approached by another group of youths at just after 1:30am. They were verbally abused by four youths before the violence ensued.

The youths were described as white males in their late teens or early twenties with skinhead or ‘crew cut’ hair styles.

One student was left with a broken jaw and taken to York District Hospital.

No one from the University or security were available Ben Hulme-Cross to comment at the & Wesley Johnson

FREE MASONS? COMPLAINTS FROM students could force the University to reconsider allowing Freemasons to meet on campus.

The Freemasons, who have been described by one student as “a bunch of greedy little men bent on gaining unfair backstage perks through the membership of an arcane and secretive society”, have led to dismay from students who are unhappy with the University for seeming to condone them.

On Saturday of Week Three Central Hall played host to one of their cryptic ceremonies. The day before, Langwith students were up in arms when they found that they couldn’t play pool because the JCR had been commandeered.

Freemasons have been accused of institutionalised nepotism and sex discrimination. Many students have asked whether the University should be welcoming with open arms an administration which bars women and stands for nothing more than the mutual self advancement of its members.

Students’ Union President Helen Woolnough, speaking to Vision, said: “It is not an organisation that I would support

A Masonic Crest

or would want to be involved with, but it is the University’s prerogative to invite them. It is a shame, especially during term time that the University seems to value their custom ahead of students.”

Neil James, the University’s Conference Officer, told Vision that the Masons have been coming onto campus to use our facilities for over a decade.

“The University has a policy of free speech. We are not at liberty to decide who is allowed to hold their conferences here and who is not”, he added. As a basic tenet, the University lets out rooms “regardless of political persuasion.”

Neil James said that the University has had few problems with its conference guests though he eluded to a previous incident where two Masonic groups, invited by the University, clashed on campus.

He added: “These are not our conferences. This is solely about making money for the University.”

Donald Davinson, The Masons’ Northern Media Spokesman and Deputy Provincial Grand Master, stated: “If York University doesn’t want us then we’ll go somewhere else.”

However, Mr. Davinson believes the University has no problem with the Freemasons. Apparently, the University employed caterers enjoy the Mason’s meetings more than most that they deal with. He also highlighted the £7.5 million they have raised this year for the Children’s Hospice Fund as an example of the tireless work they do for charity.

He went on to mention three York University students who are currently funded by the Masons, adding that some universities, notably Cambridge and Oxford, have their own Masonic Lodges on campus, specifically for students.

BUDGET CRISES

THE STUDENTS’ Union’s Finance Committee has over budgeted for the 2000/2001 academic year by over £90,000.

Eleventh hour cuts had to be made after the University was yet again unable to meet the monetary requirements of the SU. Among those hardest hit were campus societies, many of which had been expecting funding increases.

In addition, JCRs made an over-all loss but perhaps worst of all, students with families could next year find the SU only able to pay 14% of their child care needs, a drastic reduction of approximately 30% from last years percentage.

What’s more, many student parents are nursing students from the Department of Health Studies and the Special Support Fund for students is not available to them.

After these cuts were implemented, th SU were still £28,000 in arrears. They expect the University to foot some of the difference, namely a sum of up to £20,000 to try to redress the balance.

However, this still leaves about £8,000 outstanding.

Aidhean Campbell, Deputy President Services of the Students’ Union told Vision: “Until we find another way of generating income we continue to be under-funded.”

He went on to highlight the year by year battle for extra cash: “Every year we add up all the money and then have to cut it down to size”. The £60,000 plus the SU hacked out is a pretty standard amount.

It seems everyone wants a bit of this, it’s just there’s not quite enough of it...

To ask the University of York to meet the £92,000 deficit would effectively be a 20% raise on the previous year. According to Aidhean, there is no way the University would stump up that kind of increase.

Bruno Araujo, next year’s SU Services Officer, is also unpeturbed.

“We’ll take the deficit as it comes,” he said, detailing how he expects to make up the £8,000 from money from the relocated SU Shop and also the SU Bookmart. Bruno also believes that sponsorship money from campus events will be very helpful as well.

The truth is, matching the modest £8,000 should not be problematic as a similar amount was coped with in the previous budget. The problem lies in the University consistently supplying a lack of money to the SU as a whole.

Brendan Spencelayh

York Student Vision

THERE HAVE been new calls for York to disaffiliate from the controversial North Yorkshire Area NUS (NYANUS). This body, which works as a go-between between universities and further education colleges in North Yorkshire, is seen by many as ‘out-oftouch’ and a ‘waste of money’.

The future of York’s association with NYANUS has come under discussion now as it is time to decide what money from the SU’s annual budget is spent on.

Membership costs £5,000 a year.

According to former Presidential candidate Gareth Knight, speaking to Vision: “NYANUS are a waste of money as they offer nothing for students here at York.

The conveynors [in charge of liaising between York and NYANUS] are not willing to answer questions and operate in a shroud of secrecy. I will want to look at

NYANUS’s budget to make sure that they are not wasting our money.”

The matter is provoking heated debate in the SU’s Executive Committee, where the day-to-day policy decisions of the SU are decided. As of going to press, the SU have failed to reach a decision.

According to Helen Woolnough, SU President, “In previous years, NYANUS have been given one last chance, but that will not be the case this year, either we accept them or we don’t. We’re having the discussion in Exec as it is in the best position to judge, but in the end it will be up to a UGM to decide.

“Personally, I think that Area NUS’s are really good organisations. When they work they provide beneficial services and support to SU officers, the problem is that North Yorkshire Area hasn’t functioned.

As it is I’m personally undecided as to what we should do.”

Others have stronger opinions. Becky Wright, SU Womens’ Officer and

Brendan Spencelayh

NYANUS Welfare Officer told Vision that “NYANUS have never failed me when I’ve gone to them for support. I then got involved because I wanted to give back support and reach welfare officers at all levels. NYANUS definitely works as long as you use it.”

Ange Davison, SU RAG Officer and NYANUS LGB Officer agrees. “In the future as more higher education institutions join NYANUS will become more beneficial to York. We need to raise our profile more but it has come a long way over the past year and will become even more essential.”

One of the biggest problems with NYANUS is that York is the only university that has joined. According to the Conveynors, Michael Terwey and Vicki Austin, speaking to Vision, “The Universities of Hull and Humberside have come on board next year, and we have a very positive adgenda for NYANUS. “Last year we promised a democratic, active and accountable Area. We started with huge debts but Area is now financially sound, even though we’ve had less money then we should have. We’re now well funded and well organised. We’re practically there.”

According to Vicki, “NYANUS provide York with a democratic and accountable union, training and campaigning resources, financial donations, collective action for what will now be north east Yorkshire, and communication within colleges. We are worth it.”

Whether York University agrees will be seen when the budget is passed in a Tom Smithard

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision NEWS 5

NEW FACE Editorial Vision

York Student

LOOKING BACK on our time at university will be something many of us will be doing over the next few weeks.

After the Students’ Union’s play trying its level best to attract eager sixth formers

to York, the potential review of the university applications process, and the high profile rejection of Laura Spence from Oxford, it’s easy to start reflecting on the benefits of being a student.

Cast your mind back to when you were first thinking of coming here to study.

Remember the UCAS form? The agonising over predicted grades? The hassle?

Whatever course you wanted to do, or whatever grades you needed, remember the utter powerlessness you felt as you were left waiting for months after your final exam before you knew where you would be spending the next three years of your life.

Now all that has the potential to change. But those who decide the new system need to consider what it is that will benefit students most, not just confident, assertive degree students, but sixth formers who, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, have to decide what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

What is a shame, though, is that even after all this hassle and hard work, the mentality of many once they do finally arrive here is - as has been said many times before – that of apathy.

It’s not that York students don’t seem to want to be involved: it’s just that they want to do it tomorrow.

But we’re never going to get a chance to do what we like, when we like, again.

In five years time most of us will have commitments and responsibilities. All the freedom we’ve fought for in gaining a university place will have disappeared.

Many of us moan that our SU is a mere shadow of its contemporaries at Warwick and Bath, but it still manages to provide something for everybody.

Whether your passion lies with legalising cannabis or jumping out of planes, you’re probably able to do it here. If not, it’s not hard to start a society from scratch.

Getting involved requires effort, determination and often ridiculously anti-social hours (not least in the media!). However, the immense enjoyment of achieving something you feel passionate about is something that no degree or qualification can ever replace.

Wesley Johnson

NIGHTLINE, THE confidential listening and information service run by students for students, has a new ‘Public Face’. Rania Marandos now has the job of liasing with other parts of the University network.

Nightline operates from 8pm to 8am

every term-night, and is manned by one female and one male volunteer at all times. A public face is required since all active Nightline volunteers remain anonymous.

Rania told Vision that Nightline operates independently of the University administration and the SU, and, as such, has “No political affiliations or religious beliefs.” She believes the service is there to give students a place where they will not be judged on what they say, or who they are.

Rania will attend welfare committee meetings and her main priority will be to raise awareness of the service. To this end, she is holding an Open Flat on Wednesday of Week Six from 11am until 4pm.

At the open flat students are invited to visit during the daytime to see how the system works and how approachable it is.

Rania will be offering free tea, coffee and biscuits whilst answering any questions which students may have.

Nightline public face Rania Marandos

She said: “Hopefully, students will feel free to talk to me, and get to know the kind of services Nightline can provide for them.”

Nightline itself was set up in 1972, and found a permanent home in Wentworth three years ago.

Pete Campion-Smith, Deputy President Welfare and Academic Affairs, said that

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What’s bugging YOU? Dear Editor, You report in your last issue that a Langwith student called me a ‘liar’. In justice to him I must report that he immediately withdrew this heavy (and baseless) charge and applied it instead to the University as a whole - which, he asserted, had ‘lied’ to him by issuing false or misleading information about the likely availability of campus accommodation for third years. I did not agree with him.

We have a long waiting list this year.

If vacancies occur, I will continue to do my best - as all Provosts do - to give priority to the most deserving cases.

Yours etc.

Ron Clayton Provost, Langwith Dear Editor, I’m writing in response to your article in the last issue about the ‘non-payer’.

Although it is true that only one nonpayer has been threatened with suspension, there are in fact many more. York Free Education Society has a list of twelve non-payers and there are doubtless more in the University.

Hugh was threatened with suspension because firstly, he is first in the alphabet, and secondly, he went to see the University authorities.

People’s reasons for non-payment are both political and economic. However, the best tactics to use are to keep quiet about it instead of confronting the University. The University can only suspend you if you go and see them.

It looks quite likely that these nonpayers will be able to get through this academic year with no excess hassle from the University. Non payers have the full support of the AUT and the Students’ Union, so departments will continue to

teach, assess and examine students; even if they are sent down for non-payment.

Due to data protection and freedom of information laws, it is possible for an excluded student to claim their degree from their department. Hopefully once students in general realise that are certainly no immediate adverse effects from non-payment, then they will join the campaign - being free to leave it at any moment.

If, of course, the University started doing something nasty about the issue, then we might have to start being a bit more active too.

However, at the moment, the best course of action is no action. Hope this clears up a few points. If you have any further questions please come to the York Free Education meeting at 6:15 on Wednesdays in D/130.

York Free Education Society Dear Editor, I would like to express my annoyance at a comment made in Vision’s Election Special. In the article on the elections in general a reference is made to “the three main sabbatical positions”. I would like to point out that the sabbatical officers work as a team, and referring to the President, Services Officer and Education and Welfare Officer as “the three main sabbaticals” not only undermines the positions of Community Action Officer, RAG President and Athletic Union President, but it fails to recognise the extra work which these positions put in, in order to fulfil their Union responsibilities. For the day to day running of most of the Union’s activities, the former [three] presidential positions are undoubtedly the first port of call, and no-one can deny that they work extremely hard at this. However, YSCA,

no other part of the SU can provide such an essential service.

Pete described Nightline as “a space to go to find someone to listen or talk to.”

He feels that the service will improve as more people hear about it, and he sees Rania’s ‘Public Face’ as an important element of the publicity angle.

Lynne Milford

Letters To The Editor RAG, and the AU play an important part in the development of students, and this is just as much a part of what the Union provides as the services, welfare provision, and the representation.

Comments like this genuinely make me feel that the work I do is unappreciated and unrecognised.

Aside from that, I felt that the article was excellent, and I’m sure I am not alone in saying that it was nice to receive some praise for something which several of the Union Executive worked hard towards.

Yours, Ian France Community Action Officer Dear Editor, I feel upset at your attitude towards the college which so graciously houses your anaemic journalists.

In issue 119, page four, you had a picture of Vanbrugh College with the caption ‘Would you fight to live here?’. The answer to this question for many would be ‘yes’.

Although Vanbrugh may have a distinct lack of facilities it has a college spirit and personalities which are second to none, which would attract any selfrespecting Vanbrughian back in there for the final year.

I hope that you will respect my college a little more in the future as it was the only flaw in an otherwise excellent edition.

Yours

Please

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2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

6 York Student Vision

POLITICS

Wise-man Ben Hulme-Cross offers a biblical welcome to Downing Street’s newest resident

BEHOLD, I bring you good tidings of great joy. For unto you was born last week in the city of Ken a saviour which is the Son of God. And suddenly there was with Cherie a multitude of New Labour spin doctors praising Tony and singing, Glory to Tony in the highest and back on earth peace, goodwill to all men - even Ken.

the pictures!

Never was there a family portrait like this! The babe’s asleep in the centre, content, loved, protected, Cherie oozing relief, cradling Leo and forming the bottom half of the beautiful family circle.

Tony, the tough veteran, sends a knowing, haggard smile our way. “I was there, I too have suffered” he seems to be saying. This man is a warrior, look at that Adam’s apple, that steely glint.

Yet there is something awkward behind the perfect composition. Tony is Not since the grasping a random Nativity of Christ has Not since the nativity of set of fingers that just there been such a stushouldn’t be there.

Christ has there pendous furore surHis left arm is in been such a furore rounding the birth of such an uncomfortaone child. The imagaround one child ble position around es of our new Royal Cherie’s shoulders Family have swept that no wonder he’s through the press faster than one of John got a steely glint.

Prescott’s Jags. The Blairs have had a Yes, the mother and child seem right baby and the media have had kittens. but something is troubling the PM. He’s As pieces of political PR go, this not at ease at all. Maybe he knows he one’s as close to an artistic masterpiece hasn’t really got time for all this, that no as The Birth of Venus. He’s even called matter how many images we see of the Leo! (after his Grandad of course, not the loving father we all know that this baby most popular star alive). Tony’s taking will only see his father for a few hours-asome time off, presumably as planned all week for most of his childhood years. along, Cherie’s busy glowing and the The baby may be sweet, but we baby’s gorgeous. The three wise men should pity him, not gush at him - he’s (Brown, Prescott and Cook) have come got a tough time ahead, the Son of God. bearing their gifts, and the pictures, Oh

A star is born to the new Royal Family

...in a nutshell ......in a nutshell.....in a nutshell.....

The Son of God?

Politics LITTLE LEO Blair is a distant relative of John Wilkes Booth, the infamous assassin of US president Abraham Lincoln. The link comes from his mother’s side of the family. Let’s hope he has not inherited any traits from this ancestor, otherwise President Clinton may be in for a shock when he next visits Downing Street.

In a recent interview shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe gave advice on hair and beauty products.

She told the interviewee she used L’Oreal shampoo and conditioner.

Vision advises any entrepeneurs to avoid investing in L’Oreal Garnier, which can expect a large drop in profits during the next year.

A staple game of children’s parties has been condemned in a government sponsored booklet. Musical chairs is ‘not fair because it is always the biggest and strongest children who win’, says the author Sue Fisher. As well as being unfair to small kids, it allegedly teaches them aggression. Big schoolkids can relax, however. If they can’t throw the little ones off a chair on their birthday, they can still chuck them about a muddy field during rugby practice. Much more fun anyway.

Is This Really Freedom?

Toby James talks about the lack of real democracy in Britain, the reality of recent political reforms, and the opportunity Charter 88 provides

“WE HAVE had less freedom than we have believed. That which we have enjoyed has been too dependent on the benevolence of our rulers.

“Our freedoms have remained their possession, rationed out to us as subjects rather than being our own inalienable possession as citizens. To make real the freedoms we once took for granted means for the first time to take them for ourselves.”

This was the claim of Charter 88, on the 30 November 1988 - 300 hundred years after the so-called “Glorious Revolution” of 1688.

“The time has come to demand political, civil and human rights in the United Kingdom.” Charter 88 therefore called for a new constitutional settlement which would include a Bill of Rights, freedom of information and open government, proportional representation and a reformed democratic Second Chamber.

It also demands an equitable distribution of power between the nations of the United Kingdom as well as local, regional and central government - all drawn up in a written constitution, anchored in the ideal of universal citizenship The Charter was originally published with 348 signatures, each name with different roots of fame. From Harold Pinter to Claire Raynor, Ian McEwan to Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle to Lord Jenkins, the breadth and depth of the call was stagger-

Democracy in action?

ing. To date over 80,000 people have added their name to these.

The Charter has also had a monumental effect in triggering democratic constitutional reform. Scotland - once “governed like a province from Whitehall” and Wales have achieved devolution of some sort; hereditary rule is slowly being stamped out of the House of Lords, and Britain will eventually adopt the European Bill of Rights.

But democratic “reforms” to date remain reluctant and half hearted - the result of political expediency rather than democratic will - it fails to go to the root of the problem in renewing British democracy.

Moreover the lack of a coherent shape to the reforms in the form of a fully codified constitution means that politicians

York Student Vision

have had a free hand to create a system of government that suits them, and their party - only suiting the people where it is convenient.

The proposed reforms to the House of Lords (Wakeham Commission) will mean that there will be an appointed house of ‘Tony’s Cronies’ and not elected. Many of the hereditary peers remain as life peers after a back-door deal.

These reforms will not be complete until 2007. Promises of Proportional Representation have been revoked by Mr Blair. Britain will still stick to a parliamentary system that favours his own Party and that of the Conservative Party at the expense of the rest.

The tendency of Number 10 has been to centralise and recentralise power.

Power has moved up to elites in Brussels,

and not down to local and regional governments.

The British state remains made up of QUANGOs and bureaucrats who remain unelected, unaccountable and unknown to the public.

This is reflected in the public’s perception of government and politics as a whole. At last years European elections the turnout was as low as 11% in some regions. In this years local elections it was 9%.

How on earth an elected official can claim to be able to represent the people in his region when only 1 in 20 voted for him is ridiculous.

Politics is for elites, and seen as being irrelevant to people. People do not vote as they don`t think their vote will count.

Even if they do, it is felt that politicans will do little anyway.

The politicians are arrogant and out of touch. People are being alienated from being involved and having a say in the decisions in which they have a right.

Charter Students: Acting Against Apathy aims to redress this problem. We demand that we have institutions which are just, open and accountable which means changing our system of government in line with principles contained in Charter 88.

We also aim to create a culture which protects individual rights, encourages responsibility and values the participation of every citizen. We aim to make politics more approachable and debate meaning-

ful. We call for an inversion of the political system: Parliament should be seen as our servant - a forum to represent our interests - and not our master.

Charter Students is based right HERE, at this University. We plan to launch ourselves at the start of next year at universities across the country. At this moment in time, I plea for your help and support.

We need enthusiasm and ideas for campaigns, events, etc. and people to lend their time and support over the summer.

We have the fantastic opportunity of making real democratic change. Not only in our government, but in culture and amongst the people. Help us, help you make this a reality.

Additional Information You can sign Charter 88 and become a member (absolutely free) of Charter Students at Vanburgh Stalls soon Meetings take place in Wentworth Room 203, Wednesday 6:00pm Alternatively, you can e-mail tsj100 or toby@charterstudents.com

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision POLITICS 7 University Applications The Dome is sinking, and Labour will keep it above water whatever the costs, says Daniel Goldup Overhaul

The Dome: Sink or Swim?

THE MILLENNIUM Dome has recently announced yet another change to its programme, but not one which its visitors will notice.

The management is out, behind the scenes chaos hangs over Greenwich.

Bob Ayling, former head of British Airways and close friend of Jack Straw, recently resigned from his position as chairman of the dome. This was the result of the government placing on granting the attraction a further £29 million.

Labour have already injected £509 million into the disastrous project. When you consider that a toddler recently died because no hospital bed could be found for him, it looks as if Blair has his priorities wrong.

After all, the Millennium Dome is a tourist attraction, in essence no different from Madame Tussaud’s or York Dungeon.

If these attractions were to ask Westminster for ten thousand pounds, let alone £29 million, there is no question that they would be (quite rightly) rejected.

What makes the dome so special then? Simply put, Labour has involved themselves so deeply in the project that they are desperate to prevent its failure. If

the dome goes under, Blair and Mandelson will be blamed, and the party could go down with it.

Labour fostered the project to symbolise Blair’s Britain- grandeur, boldness and innovation. They did not account for the unthinkable; that the dome would fail.

The government are now left to pick up the pieces of perhaps its worst gamble.

Faced with a parliamentary inquiry, the embarrassing reality of Blair’s other baby may come to light. Perhaps the prime minister now wishes he had left exhibitions to the Science Museum, for little can now be done to save Greenwich.

Fall from grace: Dome chair Bob Ayling was forced to step down

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME BRITISH TECHNOLOGY HAS LET THE NATION DOWN:

RMS Titanic

An

ambitious project, symbolising the optimism and grandness of the pre-war British empire. While anyone could travel, it was primarily designed to house the rich and powerful. Launched with enormous media interest, particularly in Britain where it was a sign of the nation’s supremacy. The government were keen to be associated with the ship, with ministers visiting the shipyard on various occasions. An astronomical failure. The Titanic sank with the loss of 1,500 lives; a tragedy and embarrasment to British industry. Nothing imitating the size and grandeur of the vessel has been tried since.

The Dome

A grand

project, reflecting the optimism and opulence of the Blairite era. While anyone can visit, its main function has been to house the rich and famous on New Year’s Eve 1999. Launched with enormous press interest, showing that the UK is still a world power capable of magnificent buildings. The government saw the dome as its creation, with ministers visiting Greenwich on a number of occasions. Going down fast. Half a billion pounds has been pumped into the dome to keep it afloat. It is proving an embarrasment to British industry where it has many sponsors. It is doubtful as to whether anything like the construction will ever be tried again.

PLANS ARE being discussed to further overhaul the A-level system, writes Daniel Goldup.

Local authorities are considering moving exams forward to April in order to end the infamous scramble for university places by sixth formers.

Students would apply to higher education establishments after the results have been published.

Students currently have to guess their grades, and hope they get those which will get them into their desired university.

If sixth fomers knew their results, they could apply to universities on facts, and not have to rely on guesswork.

Local authorities claim that the annual August scramble for places would be avoided. As it stands, UCAS receives a steady influx of applications from students over three or four months. This would be crammed into the few days after results day.

Phone lines would be jammed as every sixth former in Britain fought to get into the college of their choice.This would create chaos for universities and greater panic for students.

The question should be will these changes benfit those who most need it; the students.

United Colours?

Racism is still widespread in Britain despite the progress made in the last twenty years.

It is time to educate children from an early age in order to ensure that this problem is eradicated.

WE’RE STILL a long way away from the idyliic utopia that John Lennon sang about in Imagine.

And even though no-one really pretends that we’re not, most people think we’ve come a long way.

Of course, progress has been made.

The ethnic society that so many talk of as the centre piece of British society at the start of a new century, is closer to being realised.

Nowadays, people talk about wanting to prevent racism, actively promote ethnic minority talent, and talk of embracing diverse cultures and meeting their needs.

Only last month, Greg Dyke made a speech pledging to actively seek out the best ethnic minority talent and ensure it is given as fair a chance as any.

It was only a year ago that the government took the race issue seriously enough to launch an inquiry into the Metropolitiain Police, which conceded that there was institutional racism in the Police force. It seems as though not much has changed here.

Last month we had Bill Morris from the TGWU arguing that there exist fewer opportnities for ethnic minorities in the Home Office. But they are trying, you may say, it’s just that the pace of change is sometimes too slow.

As a schoolgirl in the1980s I was constantly hurled abuse whilst walking to school, it was expected that the punk with the mohican would cause us hassle as we walked, or at the very least shout out a few names.

By the time I had started secondary school, and got to university this barrage of abuse slowly filtered away. No-one at an all-girls school is ever going to admit prejudice, and most were from back-

grounds which meant they were educated to be far more tolerant.

And now, as I am about to graudate, after three years at university, I’ve never thought that people have thought less of me because of my colour. The ethnic minority population here is very low, about one percent. At uni most people are so PC that racist thoughts are at the cutting edge of uncool.

Which is why, getting to what motivated me to write this, I was so shocked when it happened.

For the first time in years - as I was walking home, I was at the receiving end of racist abuse from three young boys who couldn’t have been more than ten years old. “Paki - go back to where you are from” was what was coming out of their mouths. The same group of kids had dealt the same language my way a week or so

At uni most people are so PC that racist thoughts are at the cutting edge of uncool

before.

I can’t really explain how I felt: embarrassed, hurt, upset, angry, I chose not to respond to them and paced past them furiously. How could I let a group of boys half my age put me on the verge of tears? I’m supposed to be above all that.

I guess what hurt me most, was that despite the hope that my generation holds for ‘things to be different’ they just aren’t.

And probably won’t be for the generation below me. I’ve always argued with my parents that society is improving, things are getting better for minoroties.

And now, three boys, seem to have drained away some of that hope. These are the people that the government, the

York Student Vision

United when young, but with age racism creeps in through the playground and parental influence race relations campaigners, the teachers, need to be drumming the message to.

They’re the future policemen, firemen, whatevers of our society.

It’s clear that their racist tendencies must have developed from their families,

At school, people justified racism because minorities dressed funny but if they don’t mix with many ethnic minorities it’s difficult to see how they can overcome this prejudice. I remember,

when at junior school, talking to someone whose parents were openly racist: they believed they could justify their racism because minorities dressed funny, and had too many children.

“But once you talk to them they’re OK.” Yeah - of course we (that’s all ethnic minorities) are OK. You may find good and bad within us, but we’re no different to any other race.

Whilst this message may be a little too sophisticated to convey to my ten year old terrorisers, perhaps action that needs to be taken should be focused at educating the future, rather than placing blame on the past.

With more ethnic role models , especially at the forefront of the media, and on childrens’ programmes and soaps (where’s the ethnic minority character in Neighbours, there’s not even a token one), those who are not fortunate enough to live in diverse areas, could see that there are absolutely no grounds for racist behaviour.

Government reports can only do so much, but for the ten year old terrors, they’re as difficult to understand as the concept of racial harmony.

Rajini Vaidyanathan

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

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York Student Vision FEATURES 9

KARMA

CHAMELEON Features Editor Ann Smith talks to Mike Burns, currently starring in a new York production of The Alchemist, about the legacy of being The Brittas Empire’s Colin, why acting keeps you fit, and John Gielgud’s opinion of toilets...

BURNING WITH questions; firing answers back; scalding banter. All the puns just seemed to flow as I sat waiting for Mike Burns to appear.

In fact they flowed so easily that I was deeply worried I was going to make a gaff. Although Mike became a household name through his role as the diseased, boil-ridden Colin in The Brittas Empire, his reputation has been built on his successful theatrical TV work elsewhere, spanning almost 30 years.

To assume, therefore, that my witticisms on his name would be wholeheartedly enjoyed might have been dangerous ground; he might not appreciate my comedy banter after all.

Fortunately, my motor-mouth did not get the better of me as Mike strolled in, all-smiles, with the same jaunty gait that millions of viewers expected to see from Colin when they tuned in to their televisions after a hard days work.

Minus the unhygienic, bubbling boils, Burns looks more fatherly than I imagined him to be. He’s incredibly relaxed; that he’s in York, his home town, where everything is familiar to him, might add to his sense of ease.

But the feeling that this man is utterly calm and happy, sets the scene for the rest of the interview.

He’s currently in town, playing Face, the cunning, wheeler-dealer type in Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, a part which he was persuaded to play, but which he now

thoroughly enjoys, as he compares the experience ‘getting on an old fairground ride which you never want to get off’.

A little wink, and a chuckle accompany his explanation. He talks about the vitality of the play, and its ability to appeal to audiences of any century; his enthusiasm seems to know no bounds.

Even when playing characters which seem to have little to recommend them, he enthuses that ‘with someone with no saving graces at all, you kinda begin to like them’; again the cheeky smile crops up.

His smile is infectious; I start to beam. Speaking of infectious things, did he ever get annoyed at the unpleasant reactions which his role as Colin must have brought about?

At this point he becomes even more

emphatic, and is quite passionate to point out that “people were, are, so nice…I hear the same old jokes, but still,… I get kissed more than any other handsome leading man!”

Despite the inevitable end of The Brittas Empire series, his appearances on some of TV’s most popular shows allows him to be in the fortunate position of choosing whether he appears on stage or screen; a relative luxury for actors.

He admits that “theatre-life can be quite tiring”, but that the audience, good or bad, provide a vital role for the actor, as “the actor leans on them…”

So, does he feel that you’re physically drained by acting on stage day in day out?

“No, playing keeps you fit…I smoke 40 cigs a day and I’m fine.”

Proof, therefore, that acting is good for you? “It’s so easy,” he says as he reclines, musing on the revelation he is about to make to me.

In a hushed tone which seems to suggest either secrecy, laryngitis, or a sort of Buddhist enlightenment, he utters: “Once I’m on I don’t think. I’ve done all my thinking...I just be.” “Err...cool,” I mumble. His eyes move heaven-wards. “It’s like meditating...the time flies...”

Quite. Did he think that the training he received at LAMDA prepared him for this particularly Zen approach to acting then, or is it something which he has picked up along the long and winding road of an acting career?

FEATURES ARE

York Student Vision

...continued on page 10

SPORTS

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

10 FEATURES York Student Vision

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU...

Barbara Stainer probes the ins and outs of poor student health, the consequences of our self-indulgent lifesyles and questions whether, in pursuit of our cigarette and alcohol induced utopia, we fail to realise that youth does not exclude us from the risks THE STUDENT culture has never presented itself as the healthy ideal. We have never been the rosey cheeked, bright eyed, bushy tailed youths fresh out of Dawson Leary’s Capeside.

We have never felt an affinity with the surfing, swimming, OJ swigging teens of sunny Summerbay. Look at us. We struggle to make a pre-lunch lecture, Pizza Perfect is the first on our speed dial and every Wednesday night we push ourselves one step nearer to liver failure.

Perhaps I’m guilty of stereotyping.

Admittedly I’ve been seeing far too many familiar faces at the Barbican recently to make morning swims a relaxing and unselfconscious endeavour. And it’s been

realms of super and pot noodles.

We no longer feel the need to turn up to training sessions when we could be watching Buffy instead, and without the curfews of the duely concerned parents we

We insist on living for the moment rather than the next sixty years do what we do, into the small wee hours.

As some Irish family once put it, ‘It really doesn’t matter if we don’t eat, and it really doesn’t if we don’t sleep, coz we’re so young.’ Quite.

With the lack of respect we show our health and the apparent disregard we have for our bodies, it comes as little surprise that we are continually complaining of colds, coughs and flu.

Our sniffles are constant, our noses run eternal and freshers flu is an occupational hazard.

But at the risk of seeming melodramatic, there exists a wealth of health problems which require more than a couple of Beechams powders and an alkaseltzer to cure.

Meningitis is one students are often warned of, as there is a higher incidence amongst young adults, especially those resident in institutions. And with the national immunisation of all freshers this academic year, it is a threat which suddenly seems very real.

An infection of the lining of the brain, its classic features are flu-like symptoms, followed by one or more of fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and a dislike of bright lights. Symptoms too easily dis-

many friends who, when finally having made it to see a doctor, have left feeling a time waster, head hung between their legs and a dozen leaflets clutched between their hands.

We apologise for taking up their time, feeling distinctly embarassed by our own neurosis and self-pity. We take for granted that we are indeed fine, and that given a cuppa and a hot water bottle all shall be well again.

Other heath concerns which are so often targeted at the student population are the effects of unprotected sex, smoking or alcohol and drug related abuse.The products of our own hedonistic excesses.

Having all seen the endless ‘Know the Score’ videos and ‘There’s more to drink than you think’ handouts since our early pre-pubescence, however, running through the risks would seem both pointless and patronising.

But despite the impressive sex and drugs education of our former years, we continue to believe in our own infallibility, and insist on living for the moment rather than the next sixty years.

Blindsighted by the short term we see only the immediate effects. Too much alcohol equates to a sore head, not sclerosis of the liver. Too many cigarettes lead to

The day we leave home is the day we abandon any regard for our well being and any cheap ‘cooking for one’ receipes in pursuit of some cigarette and alcohol

induced utopia impossible not to trip over your step/handweight/flexitube these past few weeks without stumbling into someone from your corridor. Personally, I blame the weather.

In all honesty, the day we leave home is the day we abandon any regard for our well being and any cheap ‘cooking for one’ receipes in pursuit of some cigarette and alcohol induced eutopia.

Left unprepared for the aisles of cremes fraiche and extra virgin olive oil, we reject Jamie Oliver and his ‘pukka’ delights in favour of the more familair

missed as a nasty hangover.

But with between 20 and 25 cases of meningitis in North Yorks each year, and one reported case on campus last term, being so flippant and accepting of ‘feeling rough’ seems somewhat irresponsible.

More disturbing is the fact that even when we have the sense to seek medical advice for our problems, we have to wait for the minimum of a week before anyone can see us. And the majority of us are simply too proud, or plainly too lazy to pursue it any further.

We know of too many times and too

...continued from page 9

“It was very intense training...stunning training. Method acting; really superb training...but you’re always learning...you soon learn that the more doors you open, the more doors there are’.

So with this knowledge what would he say that he has learnt most from, and what does he hope to do with this learning in the future?

His lively face, momentarily lying dormant, reanimates. “Woman’s Hour.

Woman’s Hour has been the biggest influence on my life. I’ve heard some tremendous things on the radio...very liberating for me as an actor...and Anthony Sher, when he played Richard III...it was so enabling. He made you feel you could leap mountains as an actor.”

He ends abruptly, but I’m eager to hear who is the ultimate person, for him.

‘Hugh Lloyd’ he fires back; ‘he was completely real. He was the funniest because, as a comedian, when he asked questions,

York Student Vision

Leaflets demonstrating the dangers of testicular cancer stale breath rather than lung cancer, and the problems of unprotected sex are easily taken care of with emergency contraception.

We are living by some kind of fatalistic “what we can’t see can’t hurt us” philosophy, and are exposing ourselves to too many risks.

The effects of our student self indul-

gence may not be seen or detected for several years. Many STD’s have no obvious symptoms and damage to both liver and lungs is an ongoing process which will not bother us for at least another 20 years. But it remains that we have control over such health issues, and it is the choices we make that will determine them.

Take cancer however. Britain’s biggest health concern. Society’s greatest taboo. It’s our parents and grandparents greatest fear...but not ours. Big mistake.

Testicular cancer is the most commom form of cancer in young men in the UK, whilst 31,000 women (and 200 men) are diagnosed with breast cancer each year that’s 1 in 12 of us. And as we fail to realise this as a potenial threat to ourselves, we fail to take the right precautions, or recognise the symptoms.

From puberty onwards we should be checking ourselves on a regular basis for any swelling or lumps on the testicles or breasts, but in a recent Imperial Cancer Research Fund study, only 3% of us do so regularly.

Simply enough we are embarassed, or refuse to believe that at so young an age we can be affected by someting so serious.

Last week out on Vanbrugh bowl was proof enough. As York got its annual quota of sun, we were out amongst the daisies soaking it up.

Jeans rolled up to new heights, the factor 15 left safely in the bathroom cabinet, any thoughts of suncare were abandoned in the pursuit of the body beautiful.

Sure, too much sun can cause premature skin ageing, wrinkles, sunburn and

he wanted to know the answers. That’s I expect him to say Hamlet, King what made him a genius comic. Do you Lear, or Macbeth but instead he says, very know who Hugh Lloyd is?’ succinctly ‘Tartuffe’.

I feel saddened that I don’t, if only to He deliberates before continuing: have been able to engage myself further in ‘High French farce is my favourite…but yet another of his enthusiasms. I decide to after playing Face, I’d like to do Jonson move swiftly on. again...Mosca would be a lovely role to

It was very intense training.

You’re always learning - you soon learn that the more doors you open, the more doors there are Mike Burns

So, which do you prefer to perform, comedic or straight roles? ‘Hmmm, comedy generally I love… It sounds pompous really but it’s harder. You’ve got to be more real to be funny…you can’t allow yourself to enjoy it for an instance. If you enjoy yourself then the audience won’t.’

Sounds harsh. What if your dream role were offered to you on a plate - what would it be?

play!’.

He rubs his hands with glee, and his gnomish laugh erupts once more - ‘that would be wonderful’.

As I interview Burns, his character oozes a cheeky chappiness; a man content with his lot. Living in York means that he has ‘the nicest walk to work ever…earlier I was potting plants with my daughter.

When away it can be lonely, but at least

even skin cancer...this we know. But here and now its a choice of pasty and pale or golden and glowing. Well... there ain’t no toss up.

Unfortunately it is this short-sighted and idealistic ignorance that is our greatest failing. 50% of of cancer sufferers consult their doctors after the cancer has started to spread, when it has become more difficult to treat.

But as with most health problems, it is something that happens to other people, to older people.

We conveniently distance ourselves from the reality of serious health issues, and more often than not adopt the complacent and arrogant attitude that we are immune from them, as if youth has somehow privileged us, has automatically

DID YOU KNOW..?

Tobacco contibutes to 2000 limb amputations and 111,000 premature deaths in the U.K each year.

Over 100 men die of breast cancer each year. Malignant skin cancer is 60% more common in women than in men. Heavy drinking can damage muscle fibres and affect physical fitness. 10 million people have given up smoking in the past 15 years. There are 1,420 new cases of testicular cancer each year.

there’s nothing to distract you!’

Asked about any embarrassing moments, he assumes the prone position, hand on chin, with a far-away look which I daren’t interrupt. He springs forward; ‘I couldn’t tell you the worst thing that’s happened to me…’ he then does, but it’s too bad to print!

He tells anecdotes with the same vivacity that he injects into his performances; has he any more stories to pass on?

A big beaming smile appears stuck once more to his face.

‘Too many! But I’ll tell you this and then I must go…Sir John Gielgud was at the re-opening of the Garrick Club, and people were eager to have his opinion on the urinals…after paying a visit to the loo, he was asked what he thought.

He said (assumes plummy, haughty voice) “Dear boy, they were delightful; they make one’s dick look so shabby!”’

Mike Burns creases up, recovers, bids me adieu with a twinkly smile, and wan-

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

PUNCH UP Piercing Rhetoric ATTACK DEFENCE DURING MY rebellious youth (which itself amounted to about a fortnight sometime in the summer of ‘97), I briefly toyed with the idea of a piercing of some description.

At the time it was more cowardice than common-sense which put me off the idea. Someone who had to be practically carried in a stretcher to the school nurse’s office for his BCG, was unlikely to make an especially dignified display in “Big Dave’s Tattoo Salon.”

Since then, however, two hours sat in a seminar opposite someone with the unfortunate combination of a large nose ring and a raging cold, has proved more than enough to discourage me from ever reconsidering my decision.

Despite his best efforts the poor lad was incapable of manoeuvring his tissue to where it was needed most.

The unpleasant result was a distressing amount of snot either squirting forth, or dangling less than attractively from the offending nasal-accessory.

Of course it would be altogether too easy to mock most forms of body-piercing as the most foolish concessions to fashion this side of a Vivienne Westwood catwalk show.

Think of Bet Lynch, chandeliers swinging from her lobes - or else virtually any member of Aerosmith, decades-worth of loops, rings and studs hanging limply from puckering and stretched skin.

However, infinitely more irritating is the whole tedious pattern of conflict that can inflame around even the least unorthodox of piercings.

Of course, parents, teachers and employers never appear more pathetic than when they take offence at that tiny little nose-stud.

If it is just about fashion, or about your culture, or honestly does express something about your identity, fair enough.

However, if clamping on the metalwork is really just about affecting a little petty rebellion then why not save yourself the pain and dye your hair instead?

Gareth Walker

ONCE A sign of rebellion, tattoos and body piercings are now pretty much part of mainstream culture.

The rebels are now those who decline to take the plunge and increasingly they are part of a minority not to have one or the other.

You do not have to be a stereotypical sailor to sport a tattoo or piercing - both are evident in all walks of life, including royalty (for example the no-holds barred Prince Albert).

Tattoos exude sexuality and discovering a hidden tattoo or even a piercing can only heighten sexual pleasure However, tattoos and piercings are not status symbols - on the contrary they are anti-elitist. They are also a popular choice among sports and pop stars - à la Beckham or Mels B and C, which promotes greater public acceptance.

Body art (tattoos) and body modification (piercings) can be a positive experience - perhaps marking an important event in your life, and what could be a greater token of affection than having your lover’s name painfully and indelibly branded on your body?

Tattoos especially exude sexuality and discovering a hidden tattoo or even piercing can only heighten sexual pleasure.

Body art and modification is surely an expression of free will and individuality and as such should not be condemned. To damn tattoos and piercings is to damn art per se, or indeed anything that comes under the banner of freedom of expression.

So forget sailors with tattoos of naked women or girls with run-of-the-mill pierced ears; the stereotypes are gradually being eroded away.

Lighthearted or serious, body art and modification is an exciting visual addition to the body and should be applauded, not criticised.

Amy Brooker

York Student Vision FEATURES 11

FOCUS ON...

Milan

Too sexy for New York and Paris? Claire New tries Milan FOR RETAIL therapy there is simply nowhere like it. Bursting with designer names this truly cosmopolitan city could satisfy even the most hard core shopper.

Set on a backdrop of beautiful architecture Milan is also a perfect weekend destination in which to get lost in a wealth of history and to forget those everyday pressures of home.

To get to Milan you’ll fly into Linate or Malpense airports. Trams, trolleys and the subway will enable you to reach most parts of the city without any problems.

They all run from 6am through until midnight. Don’t forget to buy your tickets from news stands or vendors before you board or be prepared for a hefty fine.

During the day there are plenty of places to visit for the dedicated tourist.

The Duome is the most prominent of monument within the city. Its gothic exterior covers 11,500 square metres and is crowned with many intricate spires.

The panoramic view from the terraces amidst the spires should not be missed on a clear day.

The Basilica of San Lorenzo was originally constructed in the fourth century, and is lined with 16 huge columns and is well worth an hour or so of your time.

If it is art that interests you the Civic Museum of Contemporary art offers major works of Picasso, Kandinsky and Matisse.

Fashion is at the heart of Milan - its recent history has been dominated by it.

Now it is no longer in the shadow of Paris; Milan has become the French capital’s more understated and elegant catwalk sister. ‘Via Monte Napoleone’ is the home of window shopping, Gucci, Armani, Chanel and many others line the famous street along with neoclassical palaces and pastry café’s.

Gallerio Vittorio Emanuele is the nineteenth century shopping mall surpassed in elegance only by Red Square’s great GUM mall. The café bars here provide extortionately priced coffee, but if

Milan’s magnificent cathedral: as beautiful as the people you can make one last for an hour the people watching experience reveals the best of Italian chic on the high street.

On a less extravagant budget you may want to head to any of the outdoor markets. There is one for every day of the week dotted throughout the city.

Alternatively head for the summer sales in

can all be found in the area and there is always somewhere open to get a late night snack. Navigli during the day is just as impressive lined with art galleries, restaurants and cafés.

If you do take to simply roaming the streets, there’s something to be admired around every corner, but be wary of the

The café bars here provide extortionately priced coffee, but if you can make one last for an hour the peoplewatching experience reveals the best of Italian chic on the high street July and August.

Bacconi University and the renowned Paolo Grassi theatre lie at the heart of the student quarter known for its eccentricity and curiosity. Its also home to a host of pizzerias offering every topping imaginable at very affordable prices.

At night Navigli and Brera are the areas to be in. Clubs, bars and restaurants

afternoon thunderstorms which in true Italian style are magnificent, if you on the inside looking out.

From London Heathrow fares start from approximately £120. From Manchester expect to pay about an extra £40.

Focus-On is Sponsored by InterRail and UsitCampus.

See page 12 for our exclusive student offer, and travel europe for free!!

Vee Cole-Jones gives visitors to York their marching orders and tells tourists to take a hike IT IS summer again. And the vultures have descended once more upon us.

Holidays and day trips might be all very well if it is me who’s taking them, but people daring to visit where I live is just not on.

It is only June and already York has dissolved into a mass of cloned tour groups. Tourists! School groups! I can’t stand them. A little harsh some might say, but 100% justified in my opinion.

Picture this...you’re striding through town, getting your chores done, when crunch! The man with the Cosmos sticker in front of you has stopped dead to point

York Student Vision

out a particularly interesting cobble to his rather obese family.

I’m all for a bit of history and culture, but is it really essential to stop and admire every original piece of pavement?

My real loathing are these school trip groups with the matching coloured caps idea. Whatever happened to nice crocodile lines and walking in pairs?

There is nothing scarier than being pinned against the city walls by a thundering torrent of mini tourists in “blah blah Primary School” sweatshirts.

What about a “please” or a “thank you”? Or even an “excuse me”? Gormless tour leaders hassle their flock from stick to stone without any feelings for innocent

bystanders caught in the cross fire.

Even relaxing in my own back yard I am told to “look left to see the city walls”. Nose-to-nose tour buses contain a stream of uninterested sightseers with little else to do than to clutter our streets.

I’ll scream if I see yet another greasy pawed child with their head in a bag of “Original Yorkshire” fish and chips.

They prod every item in reach, within the kindly providing souvenir shops that contain football merchandise of every town in Britain except the one we’re in.

The most aggravating of all this, is the assumption that if you don’t speak broad Yorkshire, then you’re obviously a tourist and are herded like a zoo animal when just

going about your daily business.

It is also guaranteed to rain as soon as the tourists arrive. I have this theory that it always rains if you decide to go sightseeing in Britain.

Have you noticed that the day the tourist season starts in York it’s the day the sky clouds over and the rain begins to pour?

You can’t even walk to the corner shop without being picked at for directions from an oversized map. Can’t there be a curfew or some restrictions on these people?

Long live the city walls in my opinion: build them up and lock ‘em tight before it’s too late...

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

12 FEATURES York Student Vision

LET THE LASSES HAVE A GO!

Question: What is more frightening and intimidating than a drunk rugby team? Answer: A drunk women’s rugby team! Simon Collister investigates NOT BEING a sporty person myself I suppose I am in an ideally objective position to view women in sport from the sidelines.

Nevertheless I decided to enlist the

help of an ‘insider’ in order to get going.

Annoyingly, it turns out that this friend, who plays for the Women’s Football Team here, was actually away with the football team in Scarborough.

Rather non-plussed I asked her housemate if the other female footballer in their house had gone to play football as well.

‘Oh,’ she replied ‘they haven’t gone to play football, they’ve gone to riot against the police’.

Intrigued I pushed on and managed to uncover that having been spotted one night recently in The Deramore Arms, the women’s football team had been invited to Scarborough to take part in a simulated riot receiving £10 into the bargain.

Although an entertaining story, it hindered my search for the true identity of present day sportswomen.

I decided to approach the issue of women being adequately represented in sport. Any staunch Feminist would surely argue that the sports world in general is dominated, both at a local and national level, by men. But a glance on the internet disproves this conception.

Entering ‘women’ and ‘football’ into a search engine returned a vast array of UK based Women’s Football teams from Arsenal Ladies through to Tranmere Rovers Ladies. But the growth of

Women’s football in the UK should not come as a surprise. According to the Doncaster Belles’ website, which hosts the Women’s FA Premiership League, the Doncaster club was formed in 1969.

However men still dominate the higher levels of the game, both as players and as managers. But does this reveal the ultimate and subliminal male power behind women’s football, or is it that the rapid escalation of interest in women’s football has simply left behind the availability of women coaches and managers?

There are certainly female referees to be found watching over m a l e

players in some of the more prestigious football leagues in the UK, and as women’s football continues to emerge as a serious sport it can only be a matter of time before there are female coaches and managers, if there aren’t already.

We know of the popularity of football in general, and the laddish/laddette culture which surrounds it all, but what about the other British ‘national sports’? Where are the women’s cricket teams and the infamous women’s rugby teams?

A similar internet search revealed many UK women’s cricket clubs. I was impressed with the Lords website, which not only begrudgingly released the names of selected women’s cricket teams throughout the country, but also advertised this year’s women’s fixtures on the once infamously male only MCCsite!

Meanwhile, not quite as popular as women’s football, but equally well represented, is women’s rugby. Out of the three sports mentioned here, the English women’s r u g b y

team had the highest ranking national side to finish in an international tournament, third overall

in the 1997 World Cup. Here at York, women’s sports are very much at the fore. At last month’s Roses tournament at Lancaster University, a rough calculation puts women, or at least mixed teams, in 22 out of the 26 sports played that weekend. And the women’s team’s results for the university itself were better than the men’s.

But where does this leave us and our conception of the identity of women who participate in sport? Are they all ‘big, butch girlies’ or is this an outdated stereotype? Talking to Liz Turner, the svelte Ladies Indoor Hockey captain from 19992001, the idea of solid, buxom ladies couldn’t be further from the truth.

I asked her about the repre-

sentation or mis-representation of women in sport, and she told me: ‘We’ve all heard the jokes about women’s hockey teams, but we’ve come a long way since the days when doctors claimed that taking part in sport would damage women’s reproductive systems.

Nowadays women in Anna Kournikova

sport have more cause to complain about being presented as sexual objects rather than being vilified as masculine freaks. In the past we had Martina Navratilova, now we have Anna Kournikova.’

So is the image of the sportswoman polarised between the ‘sexual objects’ and the ‘masculine freaks’? If the likes of Manchester United are able to exploit the looks and charm of Beckham and Giggs, then why shouldn’t women’s teams use their players in the same way.

Lets face it, Tony Adams is no looker, but people don’t often complain about that. The friend who supplied me with the inside information about York University’s Women’s Football team made a valid point when she remarked that ‘women are stereotyped in certain sports’. In gymnastics and athletics women are usually quite petite and feminine, whereas women rugby players, for instance, are usually stereotyped as butch. This is a fair observation, but isn’t it the same with regards to men in sport too?

I think that my perceived intimidation by women rugby players may be located in the histrionics surrounding the perception of women in sport.

Ultimately, different sports require different characteristics, both physical and mental, for both men and women and as the number of women’s sports teams increases, so hopefully will our negative reactions decrease.

TRAVEL EUROPE THIS SUMMER !!

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Simply submit a short article about a travelling experience in the past and get ready to rock around Europe for a month. The winning article will be published in the next issue of Vision and its writer can look forward to a summer of travel and excitement with an all-zones interrail pass that will take you anwhere from Norway to Morocco. This exclusive opportunity is available to York students only. Email entries of 300 - 400 words to vision@york.ac.uk or send through internal mail to Vision at Grimston House, Vanbrugh.

York Student Vision

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

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With literally £millions for scholarships on offer to students, there’s never been a better time to apply.

Yet, if trawling through the mountains of material concerning scholarships doesn’t really appeal, then let us do the legwork for you.

We’ve gathered together all the

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Style Guide : Woodstock

At this event less is more, but, I hasten to add, not literally. Men (or should I say boys) seem to think the relaxed atmosphere at this event is an excuse to go topless and run around like freakish baboons. Well perhaps this isn’t any different from a normal summers day on Vanbrugh bowl but my point is still the same. Wear what you want cos everyone will be too pissed to care or even see.

It all happens Saturday Week 8. The bill has yet to be confirmed but expect just about every campus band - and just maybe a few surprises as well....!

Vision brings you the authoratitive guide to all the campus hotspots for the summer term

Style Guide : College balls

Usual ball rules apply although tend to be a bit more relaxed.

The lads don’t have to wear black tie (although many do) and the girls can get away with skirts, trousers etc. Not much more to say except, since it’s a college ball it’s quite obvious who’ll be there so unless you have a specific victim in your sights there’s no need to bother unduly.

Style Guide : D2k

THE SUN is are singCoaches will once again ferry party-goers from Goodricke to the considerably more salubrious surroundings of York Racecourse for this year’s York Ball.

Folowing a four-course meal, ‘The New Matersounds’ will inject some jazz/funk; ‘The Bronx Dogs’ will lay-down the breakbeats; and Radio 1’s Mark Goodier will ladle the cheese thickly.

Elsewhere Irish folk singer Rick Jackson, a string quartet and (inevitably) a campus jazzband; will all supply music slightly less destructive to the ear-drum.Equally a bouncy castle, large-screen N64s and casino tables should keep the kids happy, erm...

Doors open at 6.30pm, and the event will finish at 1pm, Thursday Week 8. Goodricke Bar will be open from 4.30pm. Tickets are £40 and going fast.

Style Guide : AU Ball

Having never had an even near legitimate reason to attend this event I can only rely on the information of others. Traditional dinner suits are usual for men (comedy tuxes a la Dumb and Dumber are not considered polite although white jackets are thought funny if your whole team wears them). For girls there are just three points to note. Your dress should be short ( to show off your hard won tans and toned limbs), tight (for the lads) and easily dry cleanable (who knows what substances you’ll have on you by the end of the n i g h t ) .

B a s i c a l l y, ball rules with more dash than Taking place on 26th June, tickcash. ets cost £28 and are available

from the AU, SU and Goodricke.

The defiantly dignified setting of the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall is the venue for this year’s Langwith’s summer bash.

What even the most adventerous merchant would have made of the planned after dinner entertainment - including snake-charmers and belly dancers - is anyone’s guess!

Revellers will be greeted by a live jazz band and canapes upon arrival and a four-course meal will soon follow. Meanwhile pub prices should ensure the allimportant liquid refreshment is close to hand.

Meanwhile, a caricaturist will also be on hand throughout the evening. Though perhaps it would be wise to seek him out before the disco and late licence take their toll and give him all to easy a target!

Tickets will cost £23.50 and will be available Weeks 5-6

shining, the birds ing and you are stuck in revising. But, don’t give up hope.

There’s more to the summer term than hot desks and looming deadlines.

Campus is in fifth gear, one foot firmly on the accelerator and the end is in sight. Getting a space in the library is becoming more and more competitive, with late-comers having to negotiate the difficult turns of the central area to find a space.

They’re queuing in the JBM’s foyer for reserve books and waiting for hours in PC room tail-backs.

As the days warm up the stress levels are only going to rise.

‘Student rage’ is already beginning to break out in patches across the campus; couples are arguing, seminars are getting bitchy and no one ever has time for anything.

BUT RELAX! Exams and assessments will soon be comfortable memories and the party season will be upon us. In a couple of weeks it’s time to swap your trainers for sandals and your T-shirt for a tux.

It’ll be time to let your hair down, or pin it up or shave it off - and unleash that angry exam energy. And there’s an impressive line up of events being laid on to let you do just that.

Costing between £20 and £60 they are more or

less mutually exclusive, so choose and, as most sell tickets in advance, choose quickly.

For the Rugger Boys and Football Babes the AU Dinner offers tables big enough for teams to sit together, with live music and Gladiator entertainment. Graduates will be flocking to the Grad Ball for a classy evening with swing band and four course dinner.

The rest of us are left with a conundrum. The biggest event is the York Ball - amongst the most expensive but offering the chance to get really dressed up and lounge elegantly (or manfully) around the Casino.

And, if you get tired of loafing there’s always the bouncy castle to liven things up.

If you don’t see yourself as a slinky dress or tux type, but more of a jeans or trainers type then head for Woodstock, for which RAG promises an impressive line up of home grown talent, whilst D2K, currently shrouded in mystery and rumour, promises to be ‘wild’.

But, whatever you decide to do, make sure you do something.

This is an important time, not only for celebrating the end of the year and working off exam stress, but also for saying goodbye. Even people coming back in October will be leaving friends and we’re all turning our backs on a phase of our lives. Decide where you are going to go and make it a night you will blush to tell your children about!

together but necesany-

fine, Seven

Style Guide : G r a d More

- Don’t be deceived by the festival style title, Glastonbury it ain’t, so spending weeks designing the perfect casual but sexy, thrown effortlessly cool outfit is not sary. While it’s true that thing goes, don’t make the mistake of some first years two years ago who turned up in strappy spike sandals. In the sea of bouncing music lovers and crowd surfers they will single you out for nothing but ridicule. Jeans and trainers are there’ll only be Shed to impress anyway.

ball

‘She’s All That’ than ‘Pretty in Pink’, Grad has dress rules all its own. The penguin suit is a must for the males while for the fairer sex originality is the buzz word. Don’t buy the sparkly number in that shop window in town. Everyone else will have had the same last minute panic and there’ll be five of you doing a perfect Stepford Wives impression.

Money needn’t be a factor though for the cash strapped finalist.

If the dress is beautiful and the accessories stunning then you can turn heads without turning your bank managers stomach.

Taking place on 13th July, Graduation Day, tickets cost £55 and are on sale to all students at the SU centre

Words : Anna Giokas / Katie Hunt / Gareth Walker Design : Ann Smith / Alex Watson / Tom Smithard

THE TIME HAS COME TO RENOUNCE THE OLD WAYS, TO SMASH THE CHAINS OF CONFORMITY, TO CAST ASIDE THE STRAIGHT JACKET OF ORTHODOXY. THE TIME HAS COME TO SPEND HALF AN HOUR ON THE LADDER. the-ladder.com provides you with a new, unique job-finding opportunity.

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York Student Vision 17

BOOKS ONE VERY CHILLED SCOUSER Gareth Walker talks to author, (and ex manager of The Farm), Kevin Sampson about his new novel, Leisure THERE IS one man whose picture deserves to be on the dartboard of every careers adviser in the land, and that’s Kevin Sampson.

From the Cadburys production-line to film production: the man is a living reproach to anyone who believes that a regimented career plan is the only way to lead your life.

It shouldn’t be any surprise then, that Kevin laughs when - with his third novel published this week - I rather earnestly ask why he decided to turn to writing fiction four years ago.

In a broad Merseyside accent he freely admits, “I’ve enjoyed everything that I’ve done and they’ve all been great in their own way, but I’ve never had a career and I’ve never planned anything. Writing fiction just kind of happened.”

This said, Kevin does admit that there’s a little more to it than that. “From as far as I can remember I suppose I’ve always loved writing. Actually, to be honest, coming from Liverpool what I really, really wanted was to be a footballer but football reporting seemed to me to be the next best thing.”

What then, stood between Sampson and his muse for so many years. Was his way blocked by insurmountable obstacles; did he suffer from the sense of inferiority of a tortured artist? Kevin is rather more

honest, “The problem was that I was just so lazy that all my efforts just completely failed.

“I’d wake up thinking ‘Right, today I’ll write the novel’. Then I’d make a cof-

“I’ve never had a career and I’ve never planned anything.

Writing fiction just kind of happened.” fee, then some breakfast; by which time it’d be time to watch the news. Then before you know it, it’s two in the morning and time for bed. Basically, what I needed was something to get me off my backside.”

FUN IN THE SUN Lesiure Kevin Sampson Jonathan Cape, £10.00



records, the pressure of a 60-date tour of America was sufficient to drive the group into the wall and initiate a prolonged and at times painful split.

As Kevin explains, “I wasn’t expecting it. When the band split-up I was just

HarperCollins, £6.99



IF YOU’RE a biologist, you could read this book, and it would probably help you with your course.

The author really does immerse (or drown, depending on your perspective) in technical terms, and grammatically difficult terms like HERV and phage.

reclusive behaviour - who begins to emerge as a sympathetic character of any real depth.

Equally, there are moments when the novel teeters dangerously on the brink of becoming a naughtier-than-usual Mills&Boon where people ‘shag’ rather than ‘make love’.

This said, even if you have no intention of doing anything even vaguely lifeshatteringly significant on your holiday, it might prove curiously relaxing reading about people who did. If so, Leisure remains a quick, funny and entertaining read probably ideal for hungover afternoons on summer beaches.

Gareth Walker

left sitting there thinking, what do I do now?”. In the event, he moved back to Merseyside and ended-up writing his first novel, Awaydays. Published in 1998 its story of football hooliganism in late-70s Liverpool drew favourable comparisons to Nick Hornby and has just been adapted for the screen.

Powder, Kevin’s second novel, followed in 1999. The story of the rapid rise - and even quicker collapse into drink, drugs and a variety of dubious sexual practices - of a Liverpool rock group, the book tapped directly into the author’s experiences in the music business.

Anyone expecting nothing better than a jolly ‘Spinal-Tap’ style tour of rock excess was likely to be disappointed. “It’s a cautionary tale” says Kevin of Powder, “and at its centre there is this great big black heart. Its basically about decay, and about people failing prey to their egos. If it’s funny, it’s because all failures are victims and there is something in human nature which finds even the blackest things funny.”

Funnily enough in Powder, while all around him fall victim to rock-and-roll excess, by the end it is only the group’s eccentric and chronically asthmatic manager, ‘Wheezer’, who emerges a better person for the whole experience.

However Kevin doesn’t see any one character in the book as autobiographical.

“In a sense there’s bits of me in all of

GENERIC GENETICS Darwin’s Radio Greg Bear

AS SOMEONE who would rather be dipped in batter and fried as a Haddock than ever go on a package holiday again, it’s a little difficult to accept a novel where characters make life-changing decisions during the course of a week on the Costa del Sol. By the time the sun-stroke has deadened their senses and the cheap ouzo lobotomised their brain, you would generally expect the average holiday-maker to struggle with basic motor functions.

Nonetheless in Leisure we meet an ecclectic band of holiday-makers each of which, in the course of their week at a tacky Spanish resort, must confront their problems, their future and themselves.

From the pool-side, to paragliding across the Spanish landscape; down the baking mid-day streets of secluded monastery-towns and in the heart of stifling dance-floors at dubious night-clubs: the author’s observation of the familiar detail of holiday-life is acute and often very funny.

Sadly however, the novel’s characters are often left to paddle at the shallow-end.

It is only Hilary - increasingly independent since her husband’s accidents and now feeling stifled by their marriage and his

What did eventually get him off his arse, was the self-destruction of The Farm, the Liverpool band he managed from 1989 until their split in 1996. Despite critical plaudits, healthy sales and a series of hit

But for all its scientific authenticity, and frighteningly up-to-date usage of Internet terminology, and citation of contemporary branded products, perhaps this book would only help with your course if

acters, while not bland, certainly aren’t startlingly real.

A brief summary of the plot then: killer virus threatening to destroy humanity. Somehow involves prehistoric icemen, women giving birth spontaneously and a good old fashioned state of civilian panic and marshall law.

In fact, with its preponderance of exotic locales, exciting technology and tense action, this book is very like a Bond film; it may change its references from time to time, but it is fundamentally the same formula as it has been for aeons.

However, just because it’s not original doesn’t make this book bad. In fact, it’s actually quite involving – although at times there probably is too much scientific detail for some general readers, it does

For all its uber-zeitgeist trappings, the plot of Darwin’s Radio is well worn airport blockbuster territory... ultimately it’s not interesting enought to make you think about the possibilities of the science involved you were doing an elective in media studies looking at books in which a supposedly authentic but surprisingly generic killer plague is threatening to wipe out people.

Try as you might, when reading this book, it is very difficult to escape its generic roots; for all its uberzeitgeist trappings, the plot is well worn airport blockbuster territory, and the char-

create quite an involving atmosphere, although fundamentally perhaps this feeling of involvement is ultimately one of enclosure.

For all its pop-science references, Darwin’s Radio ultimately fails to make you think about the real (and quite frightening/intersating) possibilities of the sci-

them, really.

Writing Powder was a difficult experience, “My recollections from my time with The Farm had no shape to them, they were just this whole mass of different places and people and it took a long time to make sense of them and work them into a book.”

In contrast Kevin’s latest novel Leisure came much more easily. “In many ways it was a product of Powder, with all that out of my system I was able to write a novel which was more self-controlled and much lighter in tone.”

Awaydays steered through the trials and tribulations of adolescence and Powder was the story of young-men swept up in the ride from obscurity to debauchery. Against the backdrop of a week on the Costa del Sol, Leisure moves on to explore men and women struggling to cope with their relationships and reorder their lives as they head inexorably towards their thirties Again Kevin resists suggestions of autobiographical elements, though he admits “I can understand a lot of the problems each of the characters in the book is trying to unravel and I guess, in a way, writing can at times be my own way of resolving them.”

See below for a review of Kevin Sampson’s new novel, Leisure Advertisment

BLACKWELL’S Book of the month

DISGRACE J.M. Coetzee

Winner of the 1999 Booker Prize, Coetzee's novel tells of a divorced, middle-aged English professor, who finds himself increasingly unable to resist affairs with his female students.

When discovered by the college authorities he is expected to apologize to save his job, but instead he refuses and resigns, retiring to live with his daughter on her remote farm.

Alex Watson

BOOK REVIEWS in association with BLACKWELL’S

UNIVERSITY BOOKSHOP, UNIVERSITY OF YORK, UNIVERSITY ROAD, HESLINGTON, YORK, Y010 5DU (TEL: 01904 432715)

York Student Vision

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

18 York Student Vision

ARTS

Sponsored by YORK THEATRE ROYAL

WHATS ON! ART

York City Gallery (01904) 551 818 Ruins Re-viewed 3 June - 23 July Impressions Gallery (01904) 654 729 City Screen (01904) 541 155 Kay Sayer Black and White photography

THEATRE

West Yorkshire Playhouse (0113 213 7700) Balti Kings 1 - 17 June Trust Byron 13 - 29 June Grand Opera House (01904) 671818 The Rat Pack 6 - 8 June Spirit of the Dance 12 June York Theatre Royal (01904) 623 568

STUDENT STANDBY ONLY £3

MUSIC

MOVING CLOSER TO THE TRUTH

Some truths are a bit too close to home. Closer is even closer. Ben Hulme-Cross reviews a powerful play that challenges any positive feeling about love that anyone’s ever had. a lot of scattered into the audience with savage A STRIPPER, a writer, a doctor glances at each other and Too Close? Claire New clarity.

By the end the and a photographer - adulterers reassuring went on gives a girlfriend’s perauthor is writing obituaries, the photograall - are tied together in a tight afterwards (see g i r l f r i e n d ’s pher has retired to the country with a dog, spective on Closer. knot of love, pain and sex. Closer brings the “modern relationship” into a harshly honest spotlight that removes every last fig-leaf of modesty.

Infidelity bites hard and fast, all four are guilty and all four are victims. The play races you through years of the characters’ misdemeanors with each other.

Each is familiar and each is brutal Everybody hurts. Everything hurts.

This play won the Evening Standard award for best comedy and it is truly brilliant. It was written by Patrick Marber co-creator of Alan Partridge - and there are moments of comic genius. But don’t go and see this for the laughs, they’re only there to make the phenomenal intensity of the piece bearable. You laugh out of relief more than anything.

Before I saw Closer a friend told me that he’d seen it recently with his since ex-girlfriend. He emphasised the EX bit with a bitter chuckle. Everyone I now who’s seen the play, said, and I agree, DO NOT SEE THIS PLAY WITH YOUR PARTNER!!! (unless you’re rock-solid and you feel the need to test yourselves).

All the couples in the theatre were throwing paranoid or guilty sidelong

perspect i v e opposite).

Trust, love, honesty and commitment are ripped apart, dragged through the streets of London and the remnants

the doctor has sold his soul and gone private, with a new younger woman and the stripper is dead in New York.

The characters are selfish, wayward, totally recognisable figures that cheat, lie and hurt each other and yet beneath is an honesty that gives the play its real prowess.

If Eyes Wide Shut made you feel uncomfortable, this’ll make you squirm.

Do guys really only fantasise about exgirlfriends? Do women really fake one in three? Is guilty sex really the best? Do you really want to know?

Probably not, but that’s the point. You’d never have to think about any of this, you’d never make the effort to ask yourself difficult questions, especially about relationships, unless you were forced to.

Closer does what it says: it forces you closer to the truth.

CONVINCED THAT my relationship was stronger than the earth itself I ignored all the kind advice and saw Closer with my partner. I’m glad I did, it was fantastically clever. Not once did it ask questions, but somehow by the end you needed answers. Answers you were scared of hearing but could not settle without.

I needed to know whether he thought these scenes on stage were reflective of life, I wanted him to say it was just artistic imagination. It wasn’t of course, it is real gritty fact. Things can turn out that wrong, without the intervention of fate.

We can make ourselves, weak, lost, cheap, and lonely and we can make the wrong decision time and again.

Seeing the worst possible results of mistakes that you have undoubtedly made is unsettling, knowing that they are real enough that your partner has probably made them too is terrifying.

My saviour was my deep rooted romanticism, I believe in a love that conquers all. The play was not truth, it was a worst case scenario, it was pessimism rooting out my insecurities and doubts. Still, it took a few hours to convince myself of this.

FOOL’S GOLD

York Opera House Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent 10 June Jack Lyons Concert Hall (01904) 432 439

COMEDY Barbican Centre (01904) 656 688 Ruby wax 17 June

FESTIVALS Imagine Campus Arts Festival Week 7 (be involved!)

York Student Vision

Jessica Marr and Frances Lecky review the Riding Lights Theatre’s opening production of The Alchemist, which promises to strike gold.

THE RIDING Lights Theatre Company promised to bring exciting drama to York.

Its opening production, The Alchemist, by Ben Jonson certainly did not disappoint its expectant audience. The story involves Mike Burns and Nigel Forde, the play’s con-men, offering to transform their clients’ lives through the magic of alchemy and the creation of great wealth.

So successful was the director Paul Burbridge’s contemporary adaptation that the Seventeenth Century play could almost have been written today.

With clever references to the luck of Alex Ferguson, the greed of water boards and the madness of the patrons of Betty’s Teashop, the play appealed to the local theatre-goer and their sense of humour.

The set also resembled a modern twenty-something’s flat, littered with beer cans and issues of Loaded magazine.

The clients included a barrister, a Yorkshire farmer and the yuppie, with his mantra of ‘make money.’

Furthermore, the acting was so strong

and convincing it was impossible not to be caught up in the action. The actors seemed to be enjoying their roles, assuming different personas within the play to deceive and corrupt.

Nigel Forde’s performances were particularly humorous, as he pretended to be a high priest riding about in a shopping trolley, the king of fairies and of course, the alchemist.

Rhona Scott-Black gave a powerful performance as Doll Common, companion to the con-men, providing a comical seduction scene where she tricks the ‘yuppie’ character.

On a more sinister note, the audience was involved in the action, wanting to see the con-men beguile their clients who deserved to be duped because of their gullibility and greed. As the play ended, the faces of the audience were painted on the curtain.

The play seemed to offer a clear moral: beware of the con-man, but more importantly, beware of our insecurity and avarice, which make us vulnerable targets.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision ARTS 19

OLD SKOOL BEATS Gareth Walker takes a trip back in time to York’s Early Music Centre and catches an echo of Medieval melodies.

DOWN A street of squat modern houses through the roaring midday traffic, a glimpse of a Roman wall. In the city centre innumerable parish churches are almost lost among the sound and glare of department stores. Towering over them all, the constant presence of the Minster.

York is an endlessly fascinating place. What makes it so is the way in which the past and present are constantly weaving around one another, continuously remaking the City we know today.

In Walmgate over the past three decades, as the bulldozers passed through and housing association flats sprang up, St Margaret’s church sat quietly derelict in its peaceful churchyard. Its only use was as a prop store for the Theatre Royal.

Until now the concerted effort of York’s Early Music Foundation, Civic Trust, City Council - among many others - have seen the decaying church completely renovated, refitted and transformed into the ‘National Centre for Early Music’.

The £2 million cost of the conversion could not even have been contemplated without the £1.5 million grant the foundation received from the lottery commission. For Delma Tomlin, director of the Centre, the feeling is indeed that of winning the lottery, “It’s an extraordinary sensation, to have a building which is so remarkably done is just wonderful”.

What is ‘early music’? For Tomlin it is as much a philosophy as anything else, “It’s about the creation of music in a way in which the composer himself would

Children enjoying the sunshine at York’s Early Music Festival have recognised it, in the sort years.

The University itself has been vital to the of buildings and with the

And the centre will kinds of instruments with Foundation and Delma is certain that students continue to operate as a which they would be familiar. will have a major role in the future success of the community venue, forging

“You can say it’s music links with local music Centre. from the medieval period and groups and deepening its up to the 1800s, but in the connections with local Paris, Belgium, Holland and Italy. past we have gone back to Roman music, However, although it has the opportu- schools. This July, as part of a packed and you could actually do music from the nity to flower at the international level, the programme of music and events through1950s, things change so much.” roots of the centre remain deeply imbed- out the summer, St Margaret’s will be

Building upon the back of the York ded in the City and immediate community. staging ‘Noah’s Opera’, one the York Early Music Festival’s international repu- Centerpieces of its opening ceremony last Cycle of Mystery Plays, performed by tation, the Centre - the only one of its kind month were a procession through the children and actors with learning disabiliin the country - will be at the very fore- streets of local children in full period cos- ties. front of supporting musicians and promot- tume; and a shadow-puppet display in As Delma explains “Purely on the ing Early music both in Britain and, in which local citizens were invited to share level of children’s education Early music association with similar institutions in their memories of Walmgate down the is wonderful, simply because it is incred-

ibly easy to take part in. We have cupboards full of wonderful instruments that children can just blow and hit.”

The University itself has been vital to the Foundation and Delma is certain that students will have a major role in the future success of the Centre. “We have certainly utilised the skills of York students: that’s a huge resource. At the same time, they are gaining valuable experience in a variety of projects”.

University musicians and students of musical history have been working with the Foundation while Ursula Crickmay, studying for an MA in Community Education, is helping co-ordinate the centre’s educational programmes.

Within the church/centre, the old and the new co-exist. The stained-glass windows remain, but have been triple-glazed to improve the acoustics. Newly-hung speakers hang next to the memorial plaques still embedded in the wall. Empty the atmosphere of the main hall is hushed like that of a church.

Yet the debris of a recent Mystery Plays rehearsal - scripts, props and electric keyboards scattered around the room with, in a crown of thorns hung jauntily on a full-size crucifixion cross - imply a vibrant creative environment.

Ever since it was first built not long after William the Conquerors’ invasion, up until it fell derelict, St Margaret’s would have been the centre of a community.

Now - as musicians and actors work within this most enduring of monuments to the past, to recapture that most fleeting and transient of art forms, music - the past seems again to be flowing into the present.

It’s Just Inexplicable!

After the success of No Full Stops, ..inexplicable.. prepare to go to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and share some anecdotes with Tim Burroughs

YORK’S STUDENT comedy group ...inexplicable... are to do a final set of shows at the University this month before taking their surreal humour on to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The group was founded in 1997 and comprises Al Boley, Kris Dyer, Jim Gillingham, Sam Al-Hamandi, Dave Marks, Doug Cole, Peter Mendham, Mark Clements and Simon Collins, all of whom are current or former York students.

Their initial work was broadcast on URY with an AM series in the Spring of 1998 and an FM series in Autumn of the following year for which they were voted as being both the best and worst show.

“The biggest coup we staged was phoning the Oxford University SU President and

convincing him that the University was going to introduce uniforms for undergraduates”, says Kris. “We even got a friend to design a uniform and we faxed it through.”

They first performed before an audience in their stage show No Full Stops during the summer of 1998. The event culminated in a full-scale pasty fight, the food products supplied by the show’s sponsor, Ginster’s Pasties.

Most recently ...inexplicable... organised a spoof lecture last summer term, called Sit On My Farce. “People actually came and took notes, thinking it was a serious lecture on comedy”, Kris remembers. “What we wanted to show was that if you over-analyse comedy it stops being funny. Some people walked out in disgust.”

York Student Vision

Edinburgh first became a possibility after the positive feedback received for No Full Stops, but Kris is keen to point out that it just seemed like a logical step forward: “Personally, I came to university with the sole ambition of neglecting my degree and doing lots of comedy, hopefully ending up at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

Taking part in the Fringe Festival is a huge financial undertaking, though, and the group set themselves a fundraising target of £5000 of which they currently have £3000. They hope to raise more from the shows in York and subsequent performances at the Camden People’s Theatre in London in early July.

Certain York alumni working in the entertainment industry have also been generous while other more off-beat fundraising events have yet to emerge from the planning stage. “We were going to have an ...inexplicable... “nudey day” where people would sponsor us to walk round in the nude but we came to the conclusion that this might not raise much money”, Kris says.

“Then we found out that sperm banks will pay £15 a throw, so to speak, and that you could do this twice every six months.

With nine of us in the group, this would have raised £270 but the plan didn’t come off, despite Dave’s enthusiasm. He said at the time: ‘Come on lads. We all masturbate anyway so we might as well get paid for it’.”

On a serious note, the group’s website has been particularly successful. “It has been a very useful marketing tool”, says Doug.

“The venue we applied to in Edinburgh liked it a lot, as they did the show-reel we sent them. But the important thing about the York gigs is we’d like feedback about them. If stuff doesn’t work out in York before a home audience then we’d have to think again”.

Kris continues: “The scary thing is that it is a step into the real world and you can’t get away with the same things you

can on a student level. I believe people will either really like the show or think it is a load of rubbish.”

Tim Burroughs

..inexplicable... are performing in L/036 on Friday 16th June at 8.30pm, Saturday 17th at 3pm and on Sunday 18th June at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced £3.

You can find out more about the group at www.inexplicable.co.uk.

...inexplicable...

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

20 York Student Vision

WIRED

IF THERE’S one thing the internet is never short of, it’s h u m o u r.

Maybe because it’s popul a t e d the entirely by students with too much free time and bitter, disenchanted office workers wasting valuable cubicle time, but it certainly showcases some of the less mainstream aspects of human behaviour and interests.

WEB RAMBLE

Take the British Lawnmower Museum at: http://dialspace.dial.pipex .com/town/square/gf86. Some of the attractions certainly sound very enticing – such as ‘a genuine 2 Lawnmower’ and ‘the first Solar Powered ROBOT mower’, and I for one don’t want to pass up the opportunity to see ‘some of the fastest Lawnmowers in the world’, but you do have to wonder if it’s entirely real.

Anyway, once you’ve mowed to your heart’s content, you might (for totally unrelated reasons, of course) want something to perk you up.

The coffee brigade are alive and well, (working all night no doubt) all on the web. All the major chains have sites, so if you want to find out the retail philosophies behind the numerous glassand-chrome coffee shops spreading through York like the ILOVEYOU virus, check them out. www.starbucks.com is probably the best, and if you fancy making gourmet coffee at home, it has some useful tips.

However, if you feel like joining the fight club brigade after all that blatant product placement, http://www.realcoffee.co.uk offers a more brand free environment for you to indulge your love of the blessed brown beans.

Totally unrelated to the coffee and lawnmowers, if you’re starting to get depressed at the beigeness of your computer (unless you have an iMac, and you can’t ever feel fed up of y o u r whortleberry c o l o u r scheme, darling) brighten it up with Doctor Fun some visual humour from Doctor Fun. Compiled from deep within an American educational establishment, the doctor has been visiting his unique brand of humour on the web for years now. A complete archive – easily a day’s chortling – can be found at http://metalab. unc.edu/Dave/drfun.html. If you still need more humour, check out www.theonion.com – a brilliant satirical newspaper, from a bunch of Americans in Wisconsin. The only problem is some time it’s a little too sharp.

And that’s that for the moment.

A for Autumn, the rest like Luther.

LIVING LA VIDA LOCA (VIRTUALLY) It’s a brave new digital world out there, and even Tom Nall doesn’t want to face it on his own, as he assumes a sinister alter-ego known only as ‘The Editor’ when he enters the virtual world of cycosmos.com

WESLEY JOHNSON, man or myth? As our poor Editor’s leaving soon due to a bad case of reccuring tabloids, I thought I’d give him a make-over.

My mission (should I choose to accept it), was to see if Wes could survive outside of the Vision office (away from its comforting sacks of tea bags). What better way to help Wes make that fledgling flight into the real world than to have a good dry-run in Goodricke computer room.

Cycosmos.com is an online platform where users can create a visual representation of themselves called an ‘Avatar’.

Users complete their virtual persona by choosing from over 30,000 possible character attributes, offering over 30 million alternative identities. So how close could I get to creating my own little Wes on the internet?

Confronted with such liberties as creating false moustaches and having Wes as a body builder, it took some time for me to stop playing and actually enter the world of Cycosmos. I had chosen Literature and Nightlife as primary interests (one foot in the past, one in the future) and Wes was looking good.

I was now known as ‘The Editor’, had my own virtual email address and the

other online users were checking me out.

I prepared to interact with some of the site’s estimated 15,000 users accrued in the first month of being online. A guy called (VERY worryingly) Evostick sent me a virtual email saying ‘Hi’. A series of nicely presented statistics followed, informing me that we shared 13 mutual interests.

So, I was now in charge of my editor’s alter-ego and was about to make first contact, what did I say back? “How’s it

Make up your own identity on the web

going?” Wes/’The Editor’/I asked - things were getting confusing. I could say anything, no one knew who I was, certainly not me. Anonymity is something everyone deals with in different ways, so who (or what) was I really talking to?

What makes this site much more liberating than your average chat room is that it is an operating environment. Your specified interests and attributes don’t just attract very friendly characters like Evostick, they also enable market brands

to target individual consumers.

In practice this means that brands like IBM, ebookers.com, easyEverything and WH Smith can advertise to you on a oneto-one basis. This raises questions as to where the virtual nature of this site ends and the credit card starts paying but so far advertising is well regulated and nonintrusive.

However the beauty of the site is that ‘The Editor’ could do all the mundane things the real world has to offer, and have access from one central site rather than using a search-engine.

A word of warning though, as Sotiris Damianos says, “This online society will radically change and revolutionise the way that people interact, and the way that users develop brand relationships online.”

What does this mean for York, one of the most isolated, introverted university communities tuition fees can buy?

For Wes it meant he became interesting, if only as a potential consumer and to wood-glue fetishists. In a (real) world where the rise of the internet has prompted cries of ‘bring back real adverts about cars, beer and washing powder’ perhaps Cycosmos is the logical next step: let the major internet brands advertise to major internet users, whoever they are.

GAMES OF OUR LIVES

Like sands slipping through the hour glass, each level of Mario or Sonic rolls past, along with our childhood years. Ste Curran takes a nostalgic look at video games past, present and future....

IT BEGAN with Star Wars. Some disagree. Some say the stand-up arcade cabinets of Pacman, or the black electric style of Space Invaders. Or even further back, with Pong, or the dog fighting triangles of Space War.

But it was Star Wars that showed the possibilities. It was Star Wars that showed the power. Minds locked in the sit-down cabinets, still screaming up the trench, still trying to Stay On Target. Unblinking eyes cauterised by white hot metal vectors. Conduct an autopsy, and you’d find it there, burned onto the retina as if by laser : Game Over.

You know the rest of the story. Arcade games hit the mainstream. Households across the country jump with Mario, or behead Barbarian. The BBC Micro fights the Spectrum; The Micro wins officially, but the Spectrum is the people’s champion.

The Atari ST clashes with the Amiga, then both fall to the creeping popularity of the PC. All the while, Gameheads replace their 2600s with Master Systems, their Segas with SNES’s, their 16-bit machines with Playstations. When the Dreamcast is released, the nation’s youth queue through the night to get their hands on one.

York Student Vision

The face on the left shows the power of Voodoo 5 - the latest gaming graphics hardware. It’s all a long way from the primitive vector graphics of Atari’s 1985 coin-op ‘Star Wars’ game (shown on the right)

Progress is swift and inevitable.

Not everything goes smoothly, of course. The tabloids weigh in every couple of years with a ‘Games Killing Our Kids’ story. When Todd runs away from Neighbours in ‘89, Jim finds him playing Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins in a seedy arcade in the big city.

Shoplifting kids thieving cartridges lead the self-righteous to declare consoles a cancer eating away at The Family.

Recently, Channel 4 Dispatches pro-

gramme highlighted the links between violence in children, and computer games.

It is appallingly lazy journalism, with paper-thin arguments backed up by poorly researched data, but it serves to add fuel to the anti-gaming fire.

Perhaps the main handicap to gaming’s progress has been its public perception. It’s easy to be reluctant to get involved with something so often portrayed as a filthy, lonely habit for the socially retarded.

But the advent of true multi-player has meant the death of the quintessential greased-up gamer. With a console, 8 players can get joypadded up together in the same room, making washing obligatory.

On a computer - and the next generation of consoles - the internet takes a solitary pastime and makes it a social one.

So, that next generation. Dreamcast restored some confidence in Sega, but can it stand up to Playstation 2?

Come September, the midnight children will queue again, desperate to get their hands on Sony’s new black box.

Some time after that comes the Dolphin from Nintendo, then Microsoft’s X-box. And after that... Who knows?

Tron gave us one lycraed-up man being mercilessly attacked by an arcade machine. In ‘Wargames’, Matthew Broderick took a game to within minutes of destroying the planet.

David Cronenberg’s ‘Existenz’ showed a future where games are completely immersive, biologically controlled with pseudo-sexual input devices.

Prophecies are almost inevitably doomed to failure, but one thing is sure.

Star Wars showed us the possibilities.

Some day soon, we’ll get close to realising the full potential. It’s going to be fun.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision 21

FILMS

Dead On Arrival Film: Final Destination Cert 18. Review Out Now

IF THIS MOVIE does one positive thing it may well lead to the death of the teen horror genre which has reared its repetitive head since ‘Scream’.

Here, tried and tested is pretty much the order of the day. Devon Sawa takes the lead as Alex Browning and proves that it is possible to act worse than Keanu 'Whoah' Reeves.

He has a chilling premonition about his plane crashing before a school trip to France. Subsequently he convinces six clichéd teenager types to skip the flight with him and thus saves their lives.

In doing so he cheats Death who is rather unhappy as he wanted them.

Death thus decides to seek them out itself and so goes the film; with a chain of unnecessarily bloody deaths.

If this sort of uninspired pap can make money what are we still doing in university? I'm sure many a student could do better than this humourless, suspense lacking offering.

So here’s a guide on how to make a film script a la ‘Final Destination’.

First of all, start with a dramatic opening sequence to grip the audience of popcorn throwing GCSE students.

A plane crash is perfect; preferably emphasising its gory deaths so that the audience is left shocked and disgusted.

Another perfectly acceptable alternatives is a packed cinema (in an ‘it could happen to you’ kind of way).

Follow that by introducing your main characters.

These don't need to be

developed (they're just going to die after all). You just need to give them a "Quirk", that is something that allows us to tell them apart in the few minutes before their deaths.

Perfect examples are the dumb jock, arrogant stud, tough guy or ‘loose’ girl.

These characters must be a balance of heroes, comic relief characters and villains.

It always helps to introduce actors people will recognise but not know where from for a while. Thus you are guaranteed to get people leaving the film saying such things as 'Wasn't that the guy in American Pie with the hot mum', or 'Isn't he in

Whoah!

Dawson's Creek'?

Next you have to devise interesting deaths, which will leave the audience with something to talk about (this is where most of the script writing time goes).

Finally create a vague plot to link the deaths (this is the least important as to be fair no-one who goes to see films like this really cares about plot).

Rubbish dialogue is essential. This should typically drop heavy tips about what's going to happen and/or discuss the main themes of films. Good examples are talks about 'What not to do in horror films' or 'Death comes to us all, it's how we face it that's important'.

Finish off with a final confrontation between the hero and the villain. Hero wins and the audience leaves content.

Easy money.

Repeat the same formulae again and again with the current crop of 'hot' young actors when your bank balance runs low and soon you'll be held in even greater esteem than Wes Craven.

Of course, you won't create a serious piece of film but then again that hasn't stopped the director of ‘Final Destination’.

So give it a shot and remember me when you're famous and dating a top model!

Philip Diamond

Big Fat Failure Kiss of Death Film: Battlefield Earth Cert TBC Peview Out Soon

BATTLEFIELD EARTH needs a few good reviews to pull it from the nadir of failure and disgust it has been dragged into.

It has been critically panned upon release in America and is not expected to make back even a third of its $80 million production cost.

More than this it has relegated John

I'll keep short to stop exposing its many gaping holes): the year is 3000; man has been defeated in nine minutes by the Psychlos led by Terl (John Travolta). The Psychlos are now mining the Earth's resources using human slaves (not machines as that would be too easy).

Men are reduced to cave men with only the hero (Tyler), being allowed access to technology out of curiosity by the Psychlos. Not deterred by the insurmountable odds Tyler and a few other cavemen learn how to fly Harriers in ten

That's it, bar the usual Independence Day patriotic rubbish, brought to us courtesy of ‘America’s the Master of the World’ mentality

Travolta back to B-Star status and made a mockery of the once proud science fiction genre. Can it really be that bad?

YES, this is a flop of epic proportions and an embarrassment to film making.

I wasn't expecting much from this film but apparently my expectations were nowhere near low enough. This could possibly be the worst film I've ever seen, and I've seen such drivel as ‘Attack Of The Killer Lawnmowers’ and ‘The Revenge of the Mutant Flying Piranhas From Mars’.

So where has this pitiful excuse for a movie gone wrong? Is it that the plot is laugh out loud ridiculous and with enough holes to make an ‘Emmanuel’ blush? Or that the costumes look like they come from Netto?

Well in actual fact it's both of these together combined with horrible acting, stupid filming and rubbish editing.

Anyway as for the film plot (which

minutes and kick Alien ass; hooray.

That's it bar the usual ‘Independence Day’ patriotic rubbish; brought to us courteously of America’s The Master of the World Mentality.

I don't know who to pity most, the viewer or the people involved with the creation of this abomination.

Travolta especially must be regretting this one, but then again he has been pushing for this film to be made since the eighties (where Romero, of ‘Zombie’ film fame turned down the chance to make it). As for the director, everyone is allowed one mistake in their career, and he should just do better next time (not that he can do any worst).

To the audience I will say this; ‘Battlefield Earth’ is a horror that has been unleashed on the unsuspecting world of cinema goings, so in the immortal words of Monty Python 'Run away!'

Philip Diamond

York Student Vision

Film: Virgin Suicides Cert 15 Review Out now VIRGIN SUICIDES is a mixed package. Billed as a dreamy recreation of teenage life in the seventies, it is the tale of five sisters driven to suicide by their repressive parents and their failed coming of age.

Seen though the eyes of a group of boys infatuated by the girls, it seeks to distance the audience to create a cloud of mystique around the sisters.

Accompanied by a coy and haunting sound track which is universally brilliant and pivotal to the films atmosphere it could have been excellent; and it very nearly is.

If the film fails, it is due to the fact that it does not create any depth in its characters. The boy narrators, for example, are only allowed a small part in the film and, for me, are never developed beyond the stage of pathetic stalkers.

Yet it is when we get to the girls that the film’s failing is most apparent. The director (Sophia Coppola -the one who ruined Godfather Part III with her terrible acting), denies us any insight into the characters.

The only one we even remotely get to know is Lux (a character who uses people in a way that makes it difficult to have any sympathy for her).

The other four sisters remain as anonymous as most of the knife fodder characters are in teen-slashers. If we can't even really tell them apart, how can we be expected to empathise with them when

Cannes Winner Film: Of Freaks and Men Cert 18. Review Out Now SET IN St. Petersburg in the late 19th century, this film by Russian director Aleksei Balabanov is an atmospheric tale of the members of two households who are involved in an increasingly oscillating plot, revolving around the rise of the porn industry.

Constrained by their bourgeoisie culture, the main characters' secret passions are soon exhibited through their involvement with the cold-hearted porn producer Johan, until the old order collapses and is replaced by the vain pursuit of the main characters' egotistic motives.

The cold and detached atmosphere,

There is no historical and political content to draw the viewer away from the emphasised vibrant characters portrayed by the poignant acting. evident throughout the film, is one of the elements that highlight the artistic and alternative style used.

The film starts by using genuine silent movie techniques and is filmed in ‘used celluloid’ black and white.

Although it has dialogues (in Russian), it does also make use of traditional ‘narrative texts’. There is no historical and political content to draw the viewer away from the emphasised vibrant characters portrayed by the poignant acting.

Adding to the artistic style of the film, there are several silent intervals, during which the picture and the soundtrack unfold their full potential.

Of Freaks and Men surely is not the easy going, Boogy Nights-type erotic movie that will catch your attention by introducing you to late 19th century bizarre Russian sex practices.

If you are, however, sick of all the latest Hollywood productions and really

The cold and detached atmosphere evident throughout the film highlights the artistic style used.

Oh Hello....

they decide to finish it?

I, for one, can't even tell why they would want to. Their parents are not that bad and they are adored by the whole world.

Put simply, their lives aren't that bad.

Certainly they’re not as bad as the mentally challenged boy's life we see early in the film - he doesn’t even know that he's being made fun of right to his face.

So in conclusion it's an interesting story about five girls killing themselves, but we're not exactly sure why. That and the fact that its so terribly depressing mean that I can't actually recommend this film, although it's by no means a bad effort by Sophia Coppola.

Jayne Cumbor

enjoy alternative, international films, you are probably going to like this cinematic experience.

Its style addresses your emotion directly, while its clever plot will make you think.

While the impatient viewer could judge the film as quite abstract, one could still ascribe meanings to it where they are there to be found.

Yiannis Manolopoulos and Emanuel Ubert.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

22 FILMS York Student Vision

A Decent Friends’ Film murder-suspect John Coffey. Actually hearing him speak is a pleasure: he has a voice like an earthquake.

The Whole Nine Yards does have its problems, though. For one thing, Perry's Canuck wife is hugely irritating. She looks like an ancient Sarah Michelle Geller (yuck) and talks like the busty French waitresses from ’Allo ’Allo.

More importantly, the intricate plot overreaches itself and the last half hour is spent tying up loose ends. On top of this, you have to wonder why Matthew Perry, who doesn't want anyone dead, doesn't just go to the police when he discovers everyone's out to kill him.

For the most part, though, the film zips along with the speed of an Elmore

Film: The Whole Nine Yards Cert 15. Review Out Now DESPITE THE title, The Whole Nine Yards isn't about golf. That would be boring.

It is, however, about the trails and tribulations of a suburban dentist. As high concepts go, that doesn't sound too promising. Still, you have to admit it's a daring idea, especially for a Bruce Willis movie.

The hugely likeable Matthew Perry plays the dentist in question, a man whose only saving grace is that everyone thinks he's 'sweet.'

That aside, he's in debt, his wife keeps hiring hitmen to kill him, and he's in a job

Matthew Parry is perfectly cast. He turns in his usual loveable neurotic performance with consummate ease.

The film provides us with plenty of quibs and double-crosses along the way. that, statistically speaking, makes him suicidal. To make matters worse, a notorious assassin (Bruce Willis) has just moved in next door.

Perry is perfectly cast. He turns in his usual loveable neurotic performance with consummate ease. Like a young Tony Curtis, he plays the bewildered, nervy smartalec without losing his charm. All right, his few un-Chandler moments aren't very convincing - he's no good at emoting

Fancy a swap for a gun?

- but at least he knows his limitations.

There is genuine chemistry between Perry and Willis, the mobster next door.

After The Sixth Sense and The Story of Us the former John McClane proves himself capable of selecting quiet, highly competent movies in which he doesn't have to blow up buildings or hog every scene.

Considering Perry's relatively low sta-

tus, its remarkable that Willis seems quite happy to remain off camera for two thirds of the film.

Actually, the performances are generally on the mark, especially Michael Clarke Duncan's turn as Willis' sidekick, Frankie Figgs.

You'll recognize Clarke Duncan from The Green Mile, where his immense presence was wasted as the monosyllabic

Leonard novel, and provides us with plenty of quips, double-crosses and slapstick along the way.

Not the greatest film ever by any means; but definitly a film which I could recommend. It’s funny at the right moments and moves along at a decent pace. A good film to go and see with a group of friends.

Christian Bunyan

Desperately Do You Think We Saur It? Dreary Film: Down to You. Cert 12. Review Out Now

Film: Dinosaur Cert U. Preview Out in Summer

AS SUMMER approaches the film industry knows it needs to do that little bit extra to keep audiences away from the beautiful outdoors and couched up in badly ventilated cinemas.

WHEN I got the chance to do a preview of this one I jumped at the opportunity.

So as the flowers blossom, so too does the cinema with a new crop of fresh, funny and energetic films; or so the theory goes.

Down to You is a Romantic Comedy aimed at an audience of roughly fifteen to twenty year olds. So it's a pretty damming critic that neither I, nor any of the people I went with, found it even remotely funny or enjoyable.

More damming than this was that by the half hour mark I was gagging for a pint or twenty to divert my mind from the ongoing drivel that was masquerading as a film before my eyes.

For as far as average films go this is pretty much as average as they get. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl splits from boy, boy gets girl back, boy and girl live happily ever after.

It's been done with more wit in Ten Things I Hate About You, more humour in Clueless and with a better sound track in Empire Records.

The film is seen through both the Boy (Freddy Prize Jnr) and Girl (Julia Stiles) eyes. They make an attractive couple (but then again they always do in these films), but neither of them do much to make something of a dire script.

Freddy Prize Jnr of I Know What you Did Last Summer and She's Too Good fame is going nowhere with these kinds of

What am I doing in this film? films.

He seems to have condemned himself to rubbish teen films until he looks too old to pass for an eighteen year old.

Julia Stiles on the other hand needs to be moving to better films. Her performances in Ten Things I Hate About You and Hamlet were too good to follow it up with this disappointing effort.

Between them Stiles and Prize manage a shallow and demoralising portrayal of love. Any romance is overshadowed by the depressing tone that permeates the film from beginning to end.

They can't even manage three friends between them, so it’s not surprising that when they lose each other life looks pretty bleak.

This film is ninety minutes of watch watching. Rent something out from Blockbuster's instead; it's cheaper and bound to be better.

Philip Diamond

York Student Vision

It’s not that I'm a fan of Disney or even of dinosaurs, but rather that since Toy Story the idea of computer-generated cartoons has hit it off with me.

Dinosaur will without a shadow of a doubt be the summer hit of 2000.

Its initial openings in America were 40 million dollars and the Disney tag pretty much guarantees its success. I for one, however, think that for once the praise being lapsed on it is deserved. Not since Jurassic Park have I been so wowed by special effects.

The moment when you first saw the

One of the greatest visual achievemnets in the history of film-making.

dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, or when the Star destroyer covered the screen in Star Wars are in my opinion two of the greatest moments cinema has ever offered.

Now we can add the whole of Dinosaurs to this. Its plot may be simple, its script as plodding as the dinosaurs it follows, but nothing can divert from its extraordinary visual achievements.

As beautifully animated dinosaurs stroll in front of awe inspiring backdrops filmed in Hawaii and Venezuela I challenge any audience not to be totally mesmerised.

Dinosaur is, in my opinion, one of the greatest visual achievements in the histo-

Aliens in a Box

DVD WAS MADE for the day when they would release the Alien films and the Star Wars films packed full with extras.

While Star Wars has tabled a 2002 date for the release of the Trilogy on DVD, Aliens isn't going to keep us waiting. The DVD box set is out now and it doesn't disappoint.

No need to go into the films themselves, everyone knows what they're about. Alien is edge of the seat exciting, Aliens is amazing, Alien 3 is rubbish and Alien Resurrection a little better. It is the extras, which need going into for the Alien films have the best set of them I've ever seen on a DVD. Alien is the best with over fifty minutes of deleted scenes and out-takes proving the cherry on a very good cake indeed. The other extras are 60 minutes of director commentary, artwork and photo galleries, original story boards and an alternative movie track. If that's not enough for you there is even an alternative version of the film.

Aliens is nearly as good with an extra 17 minutes of restored footage adding a new dimension to an already classic film.

On top of this the DVD includes behindthe-scene footage, an interview with the director James Cameron and over two hundred still photos.

Alien 3 is the worst. There's over 50 minutes of interviews with the director and stars that fails to touch on the main question of why the film was so bad.

Otherwise the only other extra is an original theatrical trailer.

Alien Resurrection is good with a great interactive menu introducing extras including a behind-the-scenes featurette as well as its rubbish theatrical trailer.

The box sets are limited in number but if you can get your hands on one of them you get an extra DVD packed with extra features. Well worth the money in my opinion.

Marc Banister

CINEMA INFORMATION ODEON CINEMA Blossom Street, Micklegate Booking Line 01904 623287 WARNER VILLAGE CINEMAS Clifton Moor, York Booking Line 01904 691199 Smile your a star ry of film-making.

The story starts with a dinosaur egg being transported to the nesting ground of a family of Lemurs. The young dinosaur is adopted within the family and grows up with the Lemurs never questioning why they are different from him.

When meteors pierce the sky on the twilight of the dinosaur age he takes it upon himself to lead his adoptive heard to safety. Tracked by Raptors and other carnivores their task is near on impossibly but they stick together and win despite the odds (Ahhhh!).

Yes, it's a re-working of the ‘Land Before Time’, but when it's this good do we care? Everything about the film is perfectly rendered from the tiny droplets running down the beast skins to their reflection on the trees.

Go watch this one, sit back and be amazed.

SITES AND SOUNDS www.blackstar.co.uk Two day delivery, cheapest prices I’ve ever seen and the possibility of receiving videos and music before its officially released. In short, indispensible. www.empireonline.co.uk A great internet site to accompany the best film magazine on the market. www.hmv.co.uk When town seems too far for your alcohol weary body you can still buy from HMV via a stagger to the computer room.

Philip Diamond

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision 23

MUSIC

SoulWaxing Lyrical Sam Stagg locks horns with the Dewaele brothers, the Belgian delicacies that are Soulwax

SOULWAX, BELGIAN indiefunk-rockers extraordinaire, are in upbeat mood. Upbeat enough to sing the praises of Wolverhampton and Norwich, two of the dates on their recent headline tour to promote their album ‘Much Against Everyone’s Advice’ and single of the same title.

In the perhaps more pleasant sur-

roundings of the Rocket, one of Leeds’ newest venues, bassist Stefaan and frontman Stephen are impressed with their British fans.

‘There’s not been much difference between this tour and the tours we did with Muse and the Wannadies, except perhaps that there have been a lot more people who came just for us.’

And what a show they put on. Neon mike stands, a live human beatbox courtesy of Stephen’s brother David, and a version of Prince’s ‘Pop Life’ played on a Casio electronic guitar are a perfect showcase for their eclectic sound - a mix of 70s prog-rock, funk, techno and general tomfoolery that has journalists reaching for their Beck metaphors.

‘Rock music in the UK is still a very protectionist and nationalist thing’ Are they proud that people find them so hard to pigeonhole? ‘It is nice,’ remarks Stephen ‘because nobody really likes to be put in one category and as we listen to all kinds of music it’s a compliment.’

So forget categories and let’s cut to the chase, what inspires you musically?

‘It would be very hard to pin down our

influences. You can be influenced by so many things in life, it might be reading something in a newspaper, seeing a nice house, or a beautiful girl.’

O.K, any style of music that you would subscribe to? ‘Musically, there’s a lot of stuff I listen to: techno D J s , h e a v y metal, n e w stuff.

I just

We have an exclusive signed Spiral Scratch EP and poster to throw at any of you apathetic mongrels who should so want it.

Q: What do the initials HMV stand for?

A mix of 70s prog-rock, funk, techno and general tomfoolery that has journalists reaching for their Beck metaphors

John & Ryan:

Basstoy ‘Runnin’(HARDHOUSE) This record that has been around for a number of years , though with help and a full release on the record label Neo it should guarantee dance floor success.

This is the sort of Gallery-esque jumpin and pumpin party house that would be applauded by the dancing masses.

Ultimately the track seems to straddle the border between being annoying yet at the same time incredibly infectious. The sheer punchiness of this record will fill dance floors everytime.

Q: Who wants it?

Email answers to: vision@york.ac.uk

York Student Vision

music in the UK is still a very protectionist and nationalist thing. However, the situation is getting easier – the explosion of dance music has broken down the barriers and global links like the Internet mean everyone is so much closer.’

So why not sing in their mother tongue, Flemish? ‘I don’t know, English seems the natural language to sing in – I never really liked rock in any other language. It was certainly never an overriding aim to break into the English or American markets - we don’t want to be the band who are afraid to say we’re Belgian because it might affect our sales.’

It is true that guitar-based bands from Europe are becoming more popular here.

The Wannadies and the Cardigans from Sweden have been perhaps the most successful, but Soulwax are one of the first genre-bursting continental bands.

‘I’d love to promote European music on the TV show,’ says Stephen, ‘but I think it’s doing it itself. I don’t want to be on the forefront of any kind of promotion, really, because I also think there’s a lot of terrible European music. In Europe now we all watch the same TV programmes, we all watch the Champion’s League and we all go to Starbucks and Pret-a-Manger.

It’s a bit scary, but the advantage is that music has become more global.’

This conflict of interests, where the options seem to be either we can all listen to the same music, or we can maintain our cultural identity, explains Stephen’s liking for Norwich.

‘We went to Norwich, and the really cool thing about Norwich was that they had a load of little shops selling antiques, second hand records, stuff like that. It was so much more personal.’

Soulwax may be typical European tourists in their liking for provincial English towns, but they could be the spearhead of an invasion of continental indie onto these shores. Just don’t mention Eurovision… though it is worth checking out the Evolution & Science dept mixes.

Moca ‘Higher’(HOUSE) This single is the follow up single from US House DJ Dave Morales, the man who brought us the summer anthem ‘Needin U’. This time round Morales joins forces with Albert Cabrera. The result? Well quite possibly one of the best house tracks of late. This is funky house at its best. This is the track everyone is talking about, and understandably so, because this is quite simply an awesome record.

Full-Frontal John and Ryan Garner look at the latest dance releases

For those who sampled the delights of the singular Oasis album ‘Standing on the Shoulder of Giants’ earlier this year - take another look with the totally unreleased interview video!

The choice is simple: HMV have 100,000 copies to give away, one with each album sold; or you answer the following question correctly and could get both the album and video for free!

because of Soulwax’s habit of making Belgian Number 1 records.

They also host a show on Benelux MTV, and are well-known DJs. However, unlike some other bands with brothers in (Oasis, anyone?) they do seem to genuinely like each other, as their on-stage behaviour shows

Bassist Stefaan says there is no problem: ‘The brothers get along really well. I suppose we’re not the kind of band to go smashing up hotel rooms or get drunk all the time, but being on tour can be a stressful experience. We’ve got mobile phones and internet connections to keep in touch with home, and so far we haven’t fallen out much.’

One image Soulwax are definitely trying to break free of is the image we have here in Britain of European rock m u s i c as being a poor imitator of its native-English cousin.

Though Soulwax sing in English they speak ‘the international language of rock’, and Stephen admits it is harder for them, coming from a country more famous for Stella than music (except for, erm, Deus), to break the British market as a European act.

‘It’s really very difficult for European bands to get through to Soulwax: bin lid astray England. It would be the same ‘I just don’t want to be part of the whole so called ‘youth culture’ for Dutch bands or German or ‘indie scene’ because I think young people are smart enough bands - if you’re singing in English it’s hard to get across not be so easily typecast into one group.’ here and get an audience.’

So the future’s bleak? ‘Rock - Stephan Dewaele

Buzzcocks Bonanza

Once again those lovely people at HMV want to give you something for nothing!

don’t want to be part of the whole so called ‘youth culture’ or ‘indie scene’ because I think young people are smart enough not be so easily typecast into one group.’

Along with his brother Stephen is already a familiar face in his homeland – and n o t just

DJ Luck & MC Neat featuring JJ ‘Masterblaster 2000’(GARAGE) The ‘ little bit of luck’ crew have somehow managed to take a Stevie Wonder

classic and transformed it into an MC laden slice of two step Garage. This is well worth checking out and it will no doubt enter high into the charts.

BT ‘Dreaming’(PROGRESSIVE) This is BT aka Brian Transseau’s latest offering. The Beverly hills’ revered producer releases another sample of classic progressive trance. Taken from the album ‘movement in still life’, this single will without doubt be one of his strongest releases to date. This is a slick piece production from Mr Transseau both melodic and uplifting. The single tends to rotate around the huge operatic breakdown which features the vocal talents of Kirsty Hawkshaw. The original mixes are good,

DJ Jean ‘Love Come Home’ (TRANCE) It is often quite difficult to express strong enough criticism when a record is this bad. This is embarrassingly bad, a musical travesty . The sad thing is, this hideous Gallery-esque cheese will sell, and fill dance floors week in, week out. There is little else that is really worth being said about this.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

24 MUSIC York Student Vision

Minute Manchester Mafia

THE DRESS code seems as formal as a Gap advert. Sports metal branded T-shirts lie over the top of lasts years long sleeved ones.

Silver key-chains loop from the pockets of low slung baggy pants.

Is he a jean, or is he a khaki?

Irrelevant.

recent album, “Designing a Nervous Breakdown”. Their fuzzy anthemic choruses never quite catch fire, but do enough to persuade that they’re a little more than just a schizophrenic Seafood. ‘Man-chester Eng-land in-the-house’ chants the singer, bringing a little Kansas stadium rock to the darkness.

On the cover of the Get Up Kids latest single is a simple sketch of a robot Emo, the US The Roadhouse, a tiny cupid, a fey pastel alternative-rock drawing that wouldn’t movement showcased cellar in the centre of be out of place adornhere tonight, requires Manchester, is rammed to ing the latest Belle nothing except wearing your heart on your capacity with adolescents and Sebastian release.

Three chords in and sleeve, and the North’s wired on frustrated sex they couldn’t be furdisenchanted, disenther away from the and Clearasil. f r a n c h i s e d , melancholic scotfolk.

Aguileraless teens are The opener, out in force to be educated.

Five years ago they would have idol- Holidays, is shrink-wrapped power pop, ised Jarvis, but now this is skatecore. punching out from the silence into the Welcome to the punked up world of The musically tightest three minutes of the night. It’s fun, too; not in the sense of the Get Up Kids.

The Roadhouse, a tiny cellar in the puerile sarcasm of the Offspring, or the centre of Manchester, is rammed to capac- mindnumbing dumbness of The ity with adolescents wired on frustrated Bloodhound Gang, but as a gimmickless sex and Clearasil. Apprehension, scented bounce-friendly melody frenzy. ‘Red with pre-mosh anxiety, hangs thick in the Letter Day’ and Ten Minutes’ follow suit.

‘Rip it UP!’ screams a voice from the air.

We need relief, and it arrives in the crowd. The Roadhouse rises and falls as shape of Defacto. Between them they one. possess two afros, several twisted But it’s the slower moments of basslines, the potential theme tunes to TGUK’s set that provide the key to emo’s blaxploitation remakes, and a simple half- broken heart. ‘Valentine’ is a ballad so delicate and precious that tortured souls hearted lyricless beauty.

They’re a post-rock Starsky and suddenly seem as numerous as ill-advised Hutch, but perhaps this isn’t the right set- piercings. The moshing stops. Hands find ting for 15 minute freeform jazz epics. hands.

Even when the momentum picks up The respectful but We need relief, and it again, songs like ‘My ultimately confused Apology’ and ‘I’m a audience applaud comes with Defacto.

Loner Dottie, a Rebel’ them off stage like Between them they possess are tinged with the they’ve just witnessed the emperor’s new two afros, several twisted bitterness of romantic failure. Some in the pimp suit. basslines, and a simple half becalmed crowd start When The Anniversary take the hearted lyricless beauty. to jump, but most, converts to vulnerastage, expectation is bility, don’t. The meshigh. Geek-chic, eyeliner and a moog might set them on the experimental side sage behind the music is simple: relationof pop punk, but their split 7 inch with ships suck - power chords don’t.

The Get Up Kids means that the crowd The teens drift away. Key-chains are are well aware of their pogo-friendly port- slipped back into pockets, and coats slipped over the faded black T-shirts. Will folio too.

It’s a brave move, then, that they fail their instant transition last? Who knows. to play the track from that single, instead But even if it doesn’t, at least The Get Up concentrating on material from their Kids have taught them how to whine with style.

Ste Curran

York Student Vision

Belle - Ends?

Humour Tom Smithard and Gareth Walker as they worry about the smaller things in life IT SADDENS me to write this.

Back in 1996 I vividly recall listening to Mark Radcliffe, half asleep and suddenly hearing the wistful sighs of ‘The State I Am In’. I instantly fell in love.

Tigermilk, If You’re Feeling Sinister, and the three EPs followed.

Perhaps it all went wrong with the Brit Awards in 1999. I remember voting (many times) over the internet for ‘my’ band, and feeling an intensely proud as the outsiders conquered the established pop acts. But this thrust into the mainstream totally destroyed the kudos of the band, no longer could they be thought of as music’s best kept secret.

The third album, The Boy With the Arab Strap, was a disappointment. Stuart Murdoch is the band, no matter how much he might disagree. By delegating four tracks to other members, TBWTAS lost its sense of progression and became disjointed; it lost the magic of earlier releases.

There was no getting away from it, the four tracks not written or performed by Stuart were far inferior to those that were.

It has taken Belle and Sebastian two years to release new music. Tigermilk was recorded in three days, If You’re Feeling Sinister in a week, and their raw intensity was part of their great attraction.

The single Legal Man, released last week, and the forthcoming album Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant are both over-produced, overelaborate, and, quite frankly, boring.

On the three tracks that constitute the single, Stuart Murdoch sings four lines and a few backing vocals. One of the tracks is an instrumental, their first ever.

The release is almost embarrassing, a shadow of their former selves.

I hoped never to have to contemplate this, but it’s time for the Seb to split, lose a few more members (the bassist, Stuart David, has already gone), or leave their record label, Jeepster (the back cover photo of Legal Man included some blatant swipes at their bosses). Until then, us indie kids need to look elsewhere for our inspiration.

NO WONDER Belle & Sebastian have been hiding.

For a band whose whole self-image is founded upon being the oppressed underdog, beating Steps to the ‘Best Newcomer’ Brit must have come as rather an unpleasant shock.

However now they’re back with a new single “Legal Man” and their fourth album, the (as ever) cryptically-titled Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant - perhaps they’re hoping that noone’s looking.

After what was, by B&S standards at least, the daringly funky electric-sitar antics of the single, some might initially find the album a little disappointing.

Again the voices gently lilt, the guitars softly strum and the strings occasionally waft through a song.

Again Stuart Murdoch and his gang are the lone troubadours strolling melancholically to school, to the scout hut and home again: dodging the hard kids and gazing longingly at the girls who’ll show their chests for a pound.

No, nothing much changes in the world of B&S . But then again, who would want it to? In a world of pounding, monolithically egotistical rock-bands there’ll always be a place for a refreshing breath of innocence.

Although, of course, its an innocence that comes tempered with a good deal of experience. Opener “I Fought In A War”, “The Model” and “Woman’s Realm” all amply demonstrate that the band can still produce lines which slice to the quick anyone who ventures to listen beyond the aching melodies.

“Fold Your Hands” may not be the best B&S album of all time. It hasn’t that curious, distinctively adolescent combination of exhilarated youth and plaintive self-doubt which ran so strongly through their previous work.

What has replaced it - most obviously in “Don’t Leave The Light On Baby” - is a new dignity: the self-assurance of maturity, perhaps.

Bless ‘em, Belle and Sebastian are growing up.

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2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

York Student Vision MUSIC 25 Artist: David Gray Album: White Ladder Released: Out Now THE PROBLEM with music reviews is that anything that sounds stronger than a faint murmur of praise, anything that comes across as more enthusiastic than a literary shrug of the shoulders inevitably sounds false. Horribly, horribly false.

Which is a bit of a problem if you’ve got to review David Gray’s album White Ladder. The soft electronic judders, linked implausibly and beautifully together with delicate acoustic guitar of ‘Babylon’ deserve more praise than any inadequately worded music review of mine can offer.

However, the album as a whole is a remarkable achievement; all the more so given that it was recorded without a record deal in a home studio. It was made outside of the mainstream, and as a result it is probably the most genuine and honest record I’ve heard in a long time.

Lyrically, ‘White Ladder’ is amazing – from the impossibly subtle near desperation of ‘Nightblindness’, to the contemplative plea of ‘My oh my’, each song is meticulously cleverly and affectingly written.

It would be particularly harsh to dismiss this album as sounding very samey, although it’s certainly true that ‘White Ladder’ uses a fairly sparse musical palette – but then again, if you want brash salsa beats sitting next to an obligatory ballad or two, go and immolate your ears with Ricky Martin.

‘White Ladder’ is a wonderfully sharp and astute musical achieve-

GARÇON, GARÇON, I nonchalantly beckon, effortlessly combining the British class system with continental chic in one graceful gesture of a tweed-jacketed arm. Oh yes my friends, your humble narrator is on his best behaviour tonight - a right one with the ladies me when I want to be.

Except this week I'm treating the

ment. Like Massive Attack’s ‘Mezzanine’, mixed with the best parts of The Verve’s ‘Urban Hymns’, this is an album for lost and lonely reflective nights, an album which demands an involvement from the listener.

And it certainly rewards close listening. Sparse though the music is, the more you listen to it, the grander it gets.

The piano chords of ‘This Year’s Love’ seem impossibly touching, and the cold electronica of album opener ‘Please Forgive Me’ comes across as wonderfully warm and sincere.

In ‘My oh my’, Gray sings “it takes a lot of love these days to keep your heart from freezing”; he’s right, and ‘White Ladder’ is certainly a testament to the power of genuine feelings and genuine music.

Alex Watson

Singles Bar to some restaurant-style gour-

Gray approaches the whistle test

news / views / reviews

Hence, this is a departure for a man who is used to having his guitar by his side. You can tell by his husky yet soft

sparse production, especially present in the first two tracks, and two of the best: ‘So Sweet’ and ‘Wildflower’ (Martyn’s Personal favourite).

He proceeds to lend his warm growl to a cover of Julie London’s ‘Cry Me A River’, before arriving at the best track on the album ‘Can’t Live Without’.

The last track on the album is the one that will help it to sell copies. Although it does sound a little out of place, it does close the album nicely, and shows off a more bluesy side to his voice.

Recorded with the Guy Barker International Quintet at the request of Anthony Minghella, ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ appears right at the end of

voice and bluesman’s beard that he must miss it, but when you consider he has played with the likes of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Steve Winwood, Burning Spear and the Collins-meister himself, you get the impression that this is a man who can adapt himself to any situation, and who definitely doesn’t want to be categorised.

The songs on ‘Glasgow Walker’, an album about “the sweet mystery of love, the soaring ecstasy of finding it and the sharp pain of losing it”, are full of Martyn’s trademark sensual vocals and

his latest flick ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’, unfortunately by which time the majority of the audience would have left the building.

Recently described as a ‘cult musician’s cult musician’, you do get the impression that this release will not cause a great stir or attract many new listeners, which is a shame because, with a career spanning over 30 years and more than 14 albums to his credit, he is clearly doing something right, and this album deserves a listen.

Artist: John Martyn Album: Glasgow Walker Released: Out Now IT’S PHIL Collins’ fault we haven’t heard from John Martyn in the last three years. He suggested Martyn buy a keyboard like his for his next album rather than use his trusty guitar, and it took him a year and a half to learn to play it properly.

Greg Paterson

Artist: Helicopter Girl Album: How to Steal the World Released: June 19th 2000 WITH A classy name like Jackie Joyce it defies human sensibility for the Scottish singer to work under the cartoonesque name of Helicopter Girl.

Ready for take-off?

Odd name aside, however, Helicopter Girl’s debut album, How to Steal the World, promises a bright future for the girl

York Student Vision

Artist: St. Etienne Album: Sound of Water Released: Out Now NICE MELODIOUS background music or a new break into the avant-garde? ‘The Sound of Water’ is not the pure ‘pop’ album I was expecting, in fact it is inconsistent, diverse and difficult to define.

It consists of such a fusion of dreamy elements - electronic and acoustic, orchestra and pumping beats, traditional pan pipes and trip hop - that it seems like it should be the soundtrack to a film.

10 years on from ‘Any Love Can Break Your Heart’, St. Etienne’s fifth album is undoubtedly a turn to their more experimental side.

Their collaboration with the German trio To Rococo Rot has added a range of urban clicks, beats and hums to St. Etienne’s orchestral harmonies and Sarah Cracknell’s powerful vocals.

Sometimes the result is a stunning reflection on metropolitan life, such as ‘Just a Little Overcome’ yet there are often sections of songs where the beats seem nothing but a forced attempt to create a different sound.

The album begins with ‘Late Morning’, a relaxing mood piece; relaxing, yet somehow reminiscent of the dentist’s waiting room. The single ‘Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi) is much more up tempo; Sarah Cracknell’s perfect articulation throughout makes the sound essentially British - (a theme continued by ‘Sycamore’ which has the feels of the Miss Marple theme tune!)

The lyrics, though intelligent, are not who refuses to be described as a singer, but as ‘an artist’.

With the feline gravel voice of a niccotine addict and the ambient electronic beat of Moby, her music is indeed an artistic creation; but one which demands a required taste. The songs are mellow and act, in the same way as Belle and Sebastian’s music, as a delicious accompaniment to a chilled post-Ziggys moment.

In the first track, ‘Escape Cloud’, she soulfully describes her search for her father in delicate and sensual strains, possibly the best song on the album.

Whilst ‘345 Wonderful’ has a strong beat and an infectious repetitiveness, it is

striking enough to be alienating and all this contributes to the effect that it is the background music, to a British film!

Often Cracknell’s vocals are so strong and pervasive that the electronica and percussion below the melody seem like an annoying distraction - such as in ‘Don’t Back Down’. But on the other hand ‘Boy is Crying’ uses a striking bass riff and bongos to create a groovier Blondiesque effect and ‘Aspects of Lambert’ starts as a cool trip hop number!

‘How We Used to Live’ stands out as the highlight track. It begins with a mellow plucked acoustic and basic percussion, then slowly the orchestra becomes

Look, no hands: Sarah Cracknell more dramatic, the beat turns to a faster disco pop and finally it moves into a 70’s style jazz funk.

‘Sound of Water’ takes a few listens to become enjoyable but ultimately it is a stunning fusion of diverse elements.

Througout it retains a surreal dream-like quality and no song ever is the same or remains the same.

met cuisine, to apologise for the way I've treated it over the last few weeks. So, like the scratch perverts we are, let's see what's on the menu...

I've got ‘Money To Burn’ swaggers a man with the sort of jaw usually found on the horses in my stables. Poor man seems to be on his own, which is a shame because he lacks a certain verve without his friends. Mr Ashcroft mumbles an anthemic chorus into his soup for a while, loses interest like the rest of us, and leaves before the waiter gives him a tip.

A ‘Babylon’ian sound, like water trickling across Elysian Fields makes me fancy a Stella, but I wave my carte blanche and settle for the Earl Gray (that’s David) instead.

“JJ72 for you sir, ooh sir, bottom’s up sir.” fauns the waiter. Now, I like these; they're potentially powerful without the parasol - and a bit of a fruit. This colourful offering's called ‘Long Way South’ while you're down there...

“Ready to order Sir?” enquires the over-attentive waiter. “I think I'd like seafood” suggests the Singles Bar, “yes, your crushed Asian Dub Foundation please.”

And a sublime serving it is too, ‘New Way, New Life’ hasn't the usual kick one expects from ADF, but more than worth the effort of pulling it apart.

Something with a bit more balls up front was needed; Maxim's ‘Carmen Queasy’ could well fit the bill. There was certainly more Skin than I had expected to get my teeth into, but it wasn't as tough as it looked. On digestion, this collaboration isn't going to produce any new sounds, but

So, if you’ve got a long journey ahead and you like the sensation that your living Kate Wallis on ‘Glove Compartment’ that she truly experiments with the music with the enthusiasm of a blues player, as she lilts out the lyrics with accompanying twangs from her bass.

How to Steal the World is not an album for a chart listener who is abreast with the generic churnings of the Top 40, it is however aptly timed to fall into the void that Macy Gray fanaticism will leave after everyone has finally become bored of and stopped listening to On How Life Is. Cigarettes are doing a wonderful thing to the music industry.

Vicky Kennedy

then I am in polite society.

Such concerns are blown right out the window by Bentley Rhythm Ace's ‘Theme from Gutbuster.’ This has us writhing in gastronomic ecstasy like something straight out of the Cooker.

Everyone should get their hands on as much BRA as possible.

L'addition si vous plait. Normally it's the last bit on the bill that's hardest to stomach, but this time I can't get enough of it! We have Len and his post-Jurassic ‘Cryptic Souls Crew’ to thank for the spring in our steps as we left the restauN for ball rant, stillNovember, celebataires,the but rest fullylike satisfied.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

26 SPORT York Student Vision

A Splash of Success Greg Paterson talks to the Boat Club about their open day in the wake of Roses success

AS THE rowing season begins to gather pace, Saturday the 20th May was to witness the University of York Boat Club annual open day.

Cricket Nets: still unfinished

Juggling Priorities

Sandwiched between a successful regatta in Bedford and the climax of the season in Henley, the day was yet again an overwhelming success, with seven crews entering.

An event which is designed to pro-

mote the work of the Boat Club and allow those who have never rowed before to have a go in a boat, relies on good weather and good beer, two factors which were in abundance.

Although the turn-out was down on last year’s ten crews, this still represented 28 beginners attempting a physically and mentally challenging event, which as ever was to provide great entertainment for those more professional types on the river bank.

Adam Curran gets angry with University administration THE ATHLETIC Union has been greatly inconvenienced by a longrunning series of delays to the construction of new cricket nets.

“There had been a breakdown in communication between estates and the conference offices as to what was going on”, said Glen Dewsbury on behalf of the University. This farcical saga moved on “The cricket club has over 70 members, and a completion date of the 10th May many of whom could easily play for local was confirmed. The date came and went teams and a few that could even play at a and where were our nets? semi-professional level”, Ben Harding Well this time it really wasn’t Estates told Vision.

Services’ fault as the “Yet the facilities, company responsible It is simply a case of namely nets, are still for providing the batnot in place to allow Estate Services letting ting surface stopped these players with the the Cricket Club down producing it due to a aid of professional problem with quality. coaching the chance to The 16th May came reach the heights they have the ability to and went, as did three out of five BUSA obtain.” So where are the nets? Is it lack games and Roses, and still not a net in of funding? It is a simple case of Estate sight.

Services letting the club down.

The nets eventually arrived on the They were instructed to complete the 25th May but the base and matting need nets by the end of Easter but failed to do attention that cause a further week delay. so, claiming it was impossible to erect the In keeping with this comedy of errors, the nets as there was a juggling convention border to the base was fitted incorrectly held where the nets were to stand. and so the original contractors will have However, the juggling convention to be called back in to make amends. was held only in the last week of the holi- All Ben Harding can do is apologise day, hence leaving a four week window to to the Cricket Club who he feels “haven’t complete a task which should have taken got value for money” and rue the fact that two days. the lack of facilities has probably “ruined

Opinion

AFTER OVER a decade of dissapointment and failure, the national papers have once again heralded in the dawn of a new age in English cricket.

The tempation to do this after the crushing innings defeat of Zimbabwe is all too easy.

It is worth noting that England have won the first test match of the summer for the last five years so to applaud last week’s achievement would be foolhardy.

Why then should the success prove to be any different? Firstly the resounding nature of the victory was extremely impressive and can only fill the team with confidence for the arrival of the West Indies.

England were in control from start to finish and one could argue that they effectively won the game with nine players, using just three bowlers to remove the opposition. After a promising winter Gough and Caddick are now opening the bowling well.

The South Africans have Donald and Pollock, the West Indies still, though only just, have Ambrose and Walsh - can Gough and Caddick be the same talis-

by Sam Macrory manic force. Potentially yes, if Gough can steer clear of the injuries which have so hampered him and Caddick can keep believing in himself. On the batting front, Stewart seems settled at no.5 , Hussain is maturing into a world class batsman, while Atherton and Ramprakash have the ability and mental toughness to establish themselevs as a match-winning opening pair.

The Graeme Hick debate has rumbles on, but with a man who knows him better than most coaching the team, the Zimbabwean Duncan Fletcher, maybe this time Hick can get it right.

When one considers that the likes of Michael Vaughan, Graham Thorpe, and Northant’s young David Sales are fighting to get into this side then it at last appears that Engalnd have strength in depth in the batting batting department. Beneath the surface though there are problems. Six of the team are the wrong side of thirty and just two are under 25 while Zimbabwe are officially the worst test-playing nation.

Lets hope though that the England of the 21st century will continue to win. With a Captain who is eastablishing himself fast as a matchwinner, and a coach who seems

York Student Vision

The Women’s VIII at Bedford

The day climaxed with the Presidents’ race where both Captain’s crews defeated their elders. In the men’s race the Presidents took an early lead, but the Captains’ crew passed them in style to take the victory in front of the boat house.

The women’s race was much more hectic with the crews clashing oars, forcing the Captain’s cox to call his crew to a halt. This allowed the Presidents to build a lead, and set the stage for an exciting climax which would see the Captains crew power past to take the flag.

Women’s captain Grace Twelves commented on her crews victory as an entertaining climax to what was a fun and exciting day.

It has been a good year for York’s largest AU club, with the recent 9-1 Roses victory and Mens Senior IV winning at Bedford, setting the crews up for a busy few weeks.

Mens captain James Buchanan looked forward to the season ahead telling Vision “after the demolition of Lancaster and victories at Bedford we hope that the culmination of the season will bring successes at Henley”.

The next few weeks will also see competitions in Peterborough and Marlow prior to the showpiece at Henley. A crowded schedule, but also a chance for good form to continue and some silverware to return to York, as many members of the club enter their final few weeks at the University.

Not Strictly Ballroom Paul Wrigglesworth proves that a piglet can dance as he dons his jazz shoes to go on another minority sport adventure - this time to meet the Ballroom Dancing Society THE POPULARITY of dancing societies across the university is becoming an ever more noticeable phenomenon.

Whether it’s Jive, Salsa or Ballroom and Latin American Dancing the craze is taking over college dining halls near you.

As far as my own dancing skills are concerned, Patrick Swayze I ain’t! So when Vision sent me ballroom dancing I embarked with apprehension. However, as soon as I got there I realised that a lot of the myths about ballroom dancing were far from true.

The atmosphere was relaxed, the routines fun and someone was always willing to help you out. Noticeable was the higher number of women taking part, obviously not something I was too concerned about, as they pointed out one or two of the finer points to ballroom dancing!

Joanna Stephens, my very patient and supportive (and believe me she had to be!) partner for the evening beared with me through trodden toes and mistimed cha cha cha’s. She told me “I’d always fancied ballroom dancing, so I thought I’d give it a try, although its much easier if you start in week one”.

My own Wanchope-esque attempts were testament to this. I found the hardest thing was watching the instructor, my partner’s feet and my own feet - the result often being a complete lack of co-ordination and me shuffling awkwardly round the room apologising for my ineptness repeatedly. The basic steps become more intricate as you progress, as shown by the advanced dancers who floated gracefully round the room.

Society secretary Helen Wiggington told me: “Ballroom dancing has a stigma attached to it, that its old fashioned. But it really shouldn’t as its great fun.

Baby Steps “The society offers a combination of ballroom and Latin dancing. It also has exams in the routines, which other dance societies don’t”. Helen added: “The society is looking to increase the number of socials” as that is something that is undeveloped, “perhaps even by joining up with the Salsa society”.

The lessons are given by a professionally-trained teacher, which perhaps

explains the societies recent success at the Roses where one couple came first and second in two Latin dances.

If you’re interested in having a go at the foxtrot or the waltz there are lessons on Monday evenings in Vanbrugh dining hall, for absolute beginners between 6.30 and 7.30, for beginners between 7.30 and 8.30, and advanced between 8.30 and 9.30. Or you can e-mail socs151.

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

EURO 2000 York Student Vision SPORT 27

...COMING TO YORK...COMING TO YORK...COMING TO YORK...

The

places to be...

n Wall r e h t r o N e Th

ms

ore Ar m a r e D e h T

Claim your VIP seat for the final by coming to watch 10 of the 16 teams live on TV, get their flags stamped in your passport, and hand it in on July 2nd

The Hansom

Matches

Two big screens and a large capacity but get there early to get in at all. Four-pint pitchers at £7.20 (Grolsch) and Jun 10 Belgium V Sweden £6.00 (Tetleys), two Jun 11 Turkey V Italy bottles Carlsberg £2.00 Jun 11 France V Denmark Jun 11 Holland V Czech Rep Jun 12 Germany V Romania

Cab

Popular student pub with friendly atmosphere. Somewhere to get away from the bigscreen mayhem over a pint of the lovely Ayingerbrau Pils

The Rose &

Matches to be shown on the big screen and a good selection of beers.

Monday nights see free pool and the chance to recreate football action on a Playstation

Crown

Jun 12 Portugal V England

19.45 ITV

13.30 BBC 17.00 ITV 17.45 BBC 17.00 BBC 19.45 ITV

Jun 13 Spain V Norway 17.00 ITV Jun 13 Yugoslavia V Slovenia 19.45 BBC Jun 14 Italy V Belgium 19.45 BBC Jun 15 Sweden V Turkey 19.45 ITV Jun 16 Czech Rep V France 17.00 BBC Jun 16 Denmark V Holland 19.45 ITV Jun 17 Romania V Portugal 17.00 ITV Jun 17 England V Germany 19.45 BBC Jun 18 Slovenia V Spain 17.00 BBC Jun 18 Norway V Yugoslavia 19.45 BBC Jun 19 Turkey V Belgium 19.45 ITV Jun 19 Italy V Sweden 19.45 ITV Jun 20 England V Romania 19.45 BBC Jun 20 Portugal V Germany 19.45 BBC Jun 21 Yugoslavia V Spain 17.00 BBC Jun 21 Slovenia V Norway 17.00 BBC Jun 21 Denmark V Czech Rep 19.45 ITV Jun 21 France V Holland 19.45 ITV

don’t forget...

...places to miss Liable to be confused by requests to watch Slovenia versus Yugoslavia - that is if they let you in at all if you are wearing a football shirt

r

Harry’s Ba

uce

Lett & g u l S e h T

Do they have TVs in here? The major spectacle takes place on certain weekday evenings as packs of middle-aged women knock back free drinks

C

WM Tang Hall

Go in here and you are likely to be beaten up for being a student.

But then if a fight is what you want it may be just the place. Or go to the Beeswing

Brubakers

Actually boasts the largest screen in York (well, a huge bank of TVs anyway) but sadly cursed by the beige jeans and neon shirt brigade ...don’t forget

Jun 24 Winner A V R-up B 17.00 Game 1

ck

The Gimcra

One of the biggest screens in Jun 24 Winner B V R-up A 19.45 Game 2 York, cheap lagers and beers, Jun 25 Winner D V R-up C 17.00 Game 3 football shirt raffles, free chip butties at Jun 25 Winner C V R-up D 19.45 Game 4 half-time... does it get any better?

h

anbrug V & t n e w Der

Jun 28 Winner 2 V Winner 3 17.00 Semi 1

Big screens in big rooms - Jun 28 Winner 4 V Winner 1 19.45 Semi 2 getting a view shouldn’t be a problem.

Campus prices on the drinks and a short walk home Jul 02 Winner S1 V Winner S2 19.00

York Student Vision

arre Ye Olde St

Inn

The landlord told Vision: “We don’t have any big screens and there are no b e e r promotions. In fact we don’t like lots of people in this pub”. Perhaps one to miss They may have bars and screens, they may not.

enty W & in u c l A b i Frankly,

g who

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120

Vision

Sport TURFED OUT THE CLUB ONLY STUDENTS CAN JOIN

Bus Times and Enquiries (01904) 693999

Tim Burroughs looks at the latest installment in the sports facilities saga WORK IS already underway to remove one of the University’s two floodlit training areas, to make way for a new car park.

The training area, behind the Physics department, will soon be resurfaced with stone to provide parking spaces lost due to the expansion of the Biology department.

“This proposal is one of a range of proposals that are going to affect campus because there are a number of large projects going on”, explained Facilities Liaison Officer Glen Dewsbury.

The AU received notice of the proposed development just days before it began. They were at the same time informed that all activities in the area would be transferred to the remaining floodlit pitch behind the Sports Centre, which will be subsequently upgraded.

“We’ve been developing plans to use that area for quite some time”, Mr Dewsbury told Vision.

“We were working to a scale of some months delay so we would have had time to give notice. However we’ve been able to arrange a situation with the city council whereby we’ve been given provisional consent to start.”

AU President Ben Harding responds, “If we had been given the chance to argue against this, we would have done.”

“The University has got to the point where it is always working on a several month delay. Everything I have been involved with – the pavilion, the cricket nets, the Sports Centre redevelopment – has been delayed.”

The University is adamant that sports clubs will not lose out as a result of the changes.

“What we are not proposing to do is remove sports facilities to put a car park on them”, says Glen Dewsbury. “Estates Services will be liaising with the Sports Centre and the AU about what needs to be re-provided.

“If we had been given the chance to argue against this, we would have done” Ben Harding, AU President

“Anyone who is concerned with sports clubs having the practice areas they need will see that we are covered by a set of alternatives. It is a practice ground that is moving, not a practice ground that is disappearing.”

However, Ben sees it as yet another in a catalogue of changes, all of which have seen sports clubs suffer. “Every time the University takes away a facility they talk about replacing it, but it hasn’t happened” he claims, pointing out that five pitches and several squash courts have either been removed or are scheduled to be removed in the near future.

“We are not proposing to remove sports facilities to put a car park on them” Glen Dewsbury, FLO

“The AU gets bigger not smaller and the Sports Centre is consistently turning clubs away. New clubs are put off by the lack of training time.”

His view is echoed by the clubs themselves. “As a small club its difficult to find pitches at the best of times so it may add to the problems that we, and

York Student Vision

other clubs have”, says Jen Williamson, former Chair of the Lacrosse Club. “ Sports clubs always seem the last to know what the administration is doing.”

While the extension of the floodlit area behind the Sports Centre will provide more space, Ben is keen to point out that this doesn’t mean that more clubs can use it: “At the moment you have forty players squashed into a very small space at football club training and so they will easily expand to take up more space given the chance.”

“It is bad enough as it is”, agrees Football Club P&P Officer Ryan Sabey.

“We already have to share the pitch with the Rugby Club. Neither of us want to play on torn up pitches but over the past season that is exactly what we have had to do. It made training untenable.”

Rugby Club President James Crosby agrees. “The pitches are already overused and in a poor state. Now all training will have to take place there which will see overcrowding and time clashes with other clubs.

“The University has the bare essentials in sports facilities and it simply cannot afford to get rid of training pitches as this will be to the detriment of all the sports sides at York.”

With the resurfacing work already underway and the much needed investment into sports facilities still unforthcoming, sports clubs have no alternative but to make the best of the poor resources available to them.

It is something Ben finds frustrating: “We are talking about the loss of an area that is already substandard. It is not even a proper pitch. If this were a bigger university the area wouldn’t even be used for training.”

Water Torture

THE CRICKET Club’s season suffered a disappointing start as two fixtures were washed out, writes Ed Senneck.

and cancellations due to the weather against Hull and a very weak Sunderland side, meant that a second place finish in the group was not enough for any further participation in the BUSA competition.

Nonetheless, AU and Cricket Club Newcomer to the side Brendon President Ben Harding harboured high O’Donovan was the star with the bat, hopes for a successful notching up scores Roses, and believed of 95, 82 and 50. Ed the team had a genuSenneck and Paul ine chance of qualifyMackenzie also ing from their BUSA both scored imporNorthern Division tant runs, as did Ben One group.

Harding, Richard His optimism Edes and Sam stemmed from a Streatfield. number of quality

C h r i s cricketers in the first White and Ben year intake which Harding have been strengthened the first the twin spearheads and second team to the York bowling squads in all departattack, both taking ments. regular wickets, Unfortunately, as whilst Ed Senneck with most other sports, The Lancaster ground-staff and Paul Mackenzie the pre-Roses expectrolled and mowed the wick- have both proved ancy was unfulfilled. effective as et between the innings, very Despite having the spinners, both keepweaker side, Lancaster making batting second a ing the runs down performed well on the and taking vital distinct advantage day to restrict the York wickets. batsmen from posting

The club is a decent total on a difficult wicket. very disappointed that the first team did However, controversy abounded as the not manage to progress further in the comLancaster ground-staff rolled and mowed petition. It was felt that York were the best the wicket between the innings, making team in the group, and would have liked to batting second a distinct advantage. test themselves against a higher standard of York’s season improved, with convinc- opposition. ing victories against Bradford and Teeside The remainder of the season will be Universities in the BUSA competition. spent playing friendly matches against However, defeat against Newcastle local sides, culminating in an end of season

2nd June, 2000 Issue 120