York Vision - Issue 259

yorkvision.co.uk

PUZZLES! SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD

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NUS REFERENDUM

YORK

02.06.16

THE UK’S MOST AWARDED STUDENT NEWSPAPER

IN SCENE

Heads of the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigns want your vote

EXCLUSIVE

INTERVIEW

Ghostpoet

ISSUE 259

Criminals use passport details in student scare scam

BY PAUL WACE STUDENTS ACROSS the country are being targeted by criminals demanding massive payments.

York Vision has learned scammers pretending to be from the Home Office have obtained passport numbers and post codes, which they

use to threaten students who come from outside the EU. The Home Office won’t say how the criminals got the sensitive information.

YUSU international officer Roberto Avelar, right, said: “International students are being targeted.”

Exclusive - Page 5

PLUS Bestival & Parklife previews, inside SCENE

EXCLUSIVE: RIP-OFF REVELATIONS ROCK CAMPUS

UNI SWINDLES STUDENTS

BY ABBIE LLEWELYN

THE UNIVERSITY spends £10k peronyear THE UNIVERSITY spends £10k more moreand on each biology and chemistry student biology chemistry students than it does than it does philosophy and history students. philosophy, history and law students.

A York Vision investigation today exposes A York Vision investigation today exposes how how humanities students paying the odds humanities students are are paying overover the odds for for their degree, andhistory are funding other students’ studies. their degrees.

The and philosophy depart17 departments are given less than £9k per head. ments are given only £4.5k per student each year.

Full Story - Pages 6&7

Revealed: how they History & spend your ph ilosophy £9k a year £4.5k

Music

Biology

£8.9k £16.5k

Murder most fowl: driver kills campus goose

SEE PAGE 4

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NEWS

YORK

WHY EGG PROTESTER ‘CHICKENED OUT’

NEEDS YOUR HELP! YORK VISION has entertained and informed students for nearly 30 years, and brought to light important stories that spark debate.

We remain the most awarded student paper in the UK for our work exposing what goes on at the top of the uni and YUSU. Very soon we’ll be launching a YuStart campaign to raise money and ensure we stay your favourite campus newspaper.

Student media at York is underfunded, and we struggle to make enough money just to go to print.

The York Vision team have come together to make a video highlighting some of our favourite stories we’ve printed during our time at uni.

We hope you’ll check out the video when it goes online, donate some money if you can, or share it around if you can’t.

Enjoy the issue!

I’m not yolking around!

Grigg... some have egged him on

BY PAUL WACE

BORIS JOHNSON apparently convinced a York student not to throw an egg at him during a Brexit rally last week.

But the economics student, Sam Grigg, has said he didn’t chuck the egg at the Vote Leave figure because he had an EXAM the next day and didn’t want to risk arrest.

Grigg took three eggs to the rally on York’s high street. Boris

lambasted him: “There are people hungry in this country, my friend.

Don’t waste those eggs.”

Grigg told reporters at the scene he didn’t intend to throw anything at the former mayor of London. “The egg was just to mess with them,” he said.

In a statement frying the Tories, he explained to York Vision: “It was a protest against the Conservative party, a party who claim

to be for hard workers.

“They are scrapping maintenance grants and raising tuition fees. It breaks my heart to think that I could be the last person to get in before the drawbridge is raised.”

He added: “This is a party which is destroying any semblance of social mobility.”

As to why he cracked and didn’t chuck the egg: “I have an exam tomorrow. I can’t spend a

STUDENT SPEAKS OUT

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER

MARIA MUNIR has called for improvements to gender identity clinics and the introduction of a legal non-binary gender category.

Editors-in-chief: Jonathan van Kuijk Paul Wace News Editors: Katherine Bell Deputy News Editors: Steph Gabbatt Freya Kingsley Chief News Reporters: Thomas Butler-Roberts Josh Salisbury

night in the cells!”

His protest went over easy with most of the public. One poll showed 57% of people thought he should have launched the egg.

In April Boris appealed to York Vision readers to vote to leave the EU in an interview.

A survey last week revealed 63% of students don’t know when the EU referendum is, and 54% can’t even name the month. It will take place on June 23.

VANBR-OKEN INTO

BY PAUL WACE

Munir, a York student, achieved fame last month when they came out to Barack Obama as non-binary. Munir described the current service from the NHS as “oversubscribed and overburdened.”

EDITORIAL TEAM SUMMER 2016 Deputy Editors: Amara Barrett Willett Dianne Apen-Sadler Managing Director: Abbie Llewelyn Webmaster: Carl Goldsmith Scene Editor: Matt Kirkum

Battlebus... prepared to whisk Boris away

POLICE ARE appealing for information after a theif robbed student accomodation.

The crook climbed through open ground floor

windows in students’ rooms.

Inside, they nicked personal items from three students.

It happened on the 8th or 9th of May. North Yorkshire Police have asked any witnesses to come forward with information.

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Opinion Editors: James Eyermann Oliver Peters Features Editors: Ella Brown Sylvie Markes Deputy Features Editor: Keane Duncan Joshua Gillman-Smith

YORK

Chief Sub Editor: Matt Kirkum Ed Hunter Chief Photographer: Isaac Beevor Freya Kingsley Advertising Director: Amara Barrett Willett Hope Butler

Got a story?

We pride ourselves on Sports Editor: being the best news Lauren Malcharek source in York.

Email: vision@yusu.org Twitter: @YorkVision

Raj Mann Alumni Officer: Jonny Long

Jonathan and Paul

Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, Senior Editorial Team, membership, or advertisers. Every effort is made to ensure all articles are as factually correct as possible at the time of going to press, given the information available. If you do spot any mistakes or wish to make a complaint please send an email to vision@yusu.org. Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2016. Printed by Mortons of Horncastle.

NEWS

Thursday June 2, 2016

‘STICK TOGETHER WITH YOUR FRIENDS’

WOMAN RAPED ON WALMGATE STRAY Police ask: did you see anything?

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK A WOMAN in her 20s was raped on a path on Walmgate Stray late at night on Friday May 13.

Police are appealing for information describing the suspect as black, of medium build, between 20 and 30 years-old, and between 5”6’ to 5”10’. He is described as wearing a dark coloured hoodie top.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman encouraged anyone with information to call the police number 101, select option 2 and ask for the Major Crimes Unit.

Due to the proximity of Walmgate Stray to the University, police are especially asking students to try and recall any sighting of someone of the suspect’s description on the night of the rape.

North Yorkshire Police advise students to travel in groups at night and take taxis when travelling back home from a night out.

The police have also started patrols in the area to reassure pedestrians of their safety.

DI Pearson said: “Sexual attacks by strangers are rare, however, when they do occur, they can cause alarm in the local community.

“Our advice to anyone who studies, lives or works in the area is to adhere to our usual safety advice when out and about at night.

“Always stick together with your friends and get a taxi home.”

The University issued the following statement: “We are aware of the incident and we are liaising with the police who have asked for our assistance in distributing a witness appeal.

“Anyone who witnessed any suspicious behaviour or has any other information that could help the investigation is urged to contact the police immediately.”

Proximity... crime scene close to campus

Footpath... the attack happened at 2.15am

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NO VEND IN SIGHT

BY PAUL WACE THE HEALTHY vending machine removed from Fairhurst library after a supplier dispute may be back in September.

Upton’s, who own exclusive rights to all vending space in the uni, demanded the machine - maintained by an independent York-based entrepeneur - be taken away.

Students last month said the spat had taken away healthy options. YUSU sabb Scott Dawson said some “University contracts harm diversity and support for our students.”

But now Will Letts, the owner of Clean Eats, has said he hopes the popular machine will make a return for the start of next term.

HES-TION TIME

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER

Not-so-bright council: we can’t afford proper path lights

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK LUMINOUS DISKS will be installed on Walmgate Stray after the City of York Council claimed funding for brighter normal street lights is unavailable.

The Council launched discussions on lighting solutions on the Walmgate Stray path six months ago in response to a petition by YUSU President Ben Leatham with 588 signatories.

York City Councillor Andy D’Agorne backed the proposal but only managed to secure funding for far less bright lumi-

nous disks.

Leatham described the plan on Facebook as “not a full solution but a massive step forward.”

He also admitted: “they won’t illuminate up the whole field but will let off some lighting and will guide people along the path.”

York students are known to have been injured whilst cycling or walking on the path in the evening due to the current complete lack of lighting.

One student said: “I often use this path at 2/3am on my

way home from the library and feel very unsafe doing so.”

The Council will issue a feedback form on the effectiveness of the disks shortly after installation.

Lights... these will be installed on Stray

BBC QUESTION time is due to be filmed on campus on June 16.

The show will be recorded in the Ron Cooke Hub on Hes East. Panellists for the show in York have not yet been confrimed, but guests in previous weeks have included Ed Miliband and Caroline Lucas.

Those who wish to be in the audience on June 16 can apply via the BBC website.

HOPE FOR SOME

BY PAUL WACE ONE IN four York grads are still out of work six months after leaving campus.

23.8% of former students are unemployed and not in further study half a year after graduating.

But the Guardian this month has named York the 19th best uni in the country, up from 22nd last year.

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YORK

NEW SOCIETIES LIST DRONES ON

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER

GOOSE RUN DOWN ON UNIVERSITY ROAD

TEN NEW societies have been ratified this term by the societies committee.

The societies ratified cover a wide range of topics, including a non-drinkers society, a Drone society and a Game of Thrones society.

Members joining the Comic society will be treated to “debates around art styles and story lines” as well workshops for members to “develop their own individual art styles to create comics of their own.”

The Spanish Society is open to both Spanish speakers and those interested in Hispanic language and culture. The society aims to share and increase knowledge of the Spanish speaking world “through the mediums of film, music, food and open discussions about current affairs.”

Animal... the driver speeds towards goose

Students’ fury as uni says: it’s not our problem

BY PAUL WACE

Left for dead... the final frame of the video

New Societies:

Comic Society Drone Society Educational Inequality Society Filipino Society Game of Thrones Society Hip-Hop and Rap Society Non-Drinkers Society Sikhism Society Spanish Society York Union

WHAT A JETDOWN

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

THE UNIVERSITY has been discussing plans for a jetty and increased water sports on the artificial lake on Hes East for over two years.

David Duncan, Registrar and Secretary, said: “There are some restrictions on the timing of water sports across the whole lake to take account of the breeding season.”

FOWL PLAY

Harm’s way... where the bird died

THE UNIVERSITY says it can’t do anything about a van driver who ran over and killed a goose on campus.

The bird’s brutal death, as it was crossing the road, was caught on camera by a student near Vanbrugh College.

Third year politics and economics student Markella Apergi captured the video. She said: “I was honestly so shocked by the brutality of the person.”

“He had no excuse of driving so carelessly.” After hitting the goose on University Road the driver sped off. She has accused them of “murder.”

The incident occurred at 7am, when few other vehicles were on the road. Other shouting geese formed a circle around the dead bird.

The video shows the numberplate of the white van, as well as a phone number. But police and university bosses say they are

helpless to press charges, or to stop it happening again.

The RSPCA did not comment on whether the university should take action, but confirmed it had been reported to them. “The RSPCA is investigating this incident,” they said.

Other students have demanded the university intervene and crack down on the driver. Third year Kasimiira Kontio said she was “repulsed” by the video and demanded the driver “be punished.”

University registrar David Duncan told York Vision that he was powerless to stop the bird butcherer because the callous killing happened on a public road.

He said: “The university has no jurisdiction there. This would be a matter for the police.”

Hes Hall bosses have in the past said there are too many geese on campus, and made efforts to control the population by putting their eggs in paraffin.

FORMER VC DIES, AGE 91

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

FORMER VICE-CHANCELLOR Professor Samuel Berrick Saul CBE died age 91.

Berrick was Vice-Chancellor from 1979-1993, and oversaw the development of the Science Park.

The Professor was born in 1924 in West Bromwich and completed National Service for the British

Army before studying for a B.Comm at the University of Birmingham before in 1949 and obtained a PhD in 1953.

He lectured at the University of Liverpool and the University of Birmingham before taking up the VC post at York.

David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrar, said:

“The University community was saddened to hear of the death of Berrick Saul.

Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends.

“Berrick oversaw a period of consolidation; he led the University’s efforts to strengthen our science departments and was instrumental in developing the Science Park.

“His commitment and vision were crucial in helping to establish our reputation for excellent research and teaching.

“Under his leadership, the College system was reinforced and a commitment made to securing the best teachers and researchers - a legacy that all our students and staff are benefiting from today.”

Samuel Berrick Saul CBE 1925-2016

NEWS

Thursday June 2, 2016

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PASSPORT NUMBERS USED IN SCAM GREENS RED IN THE FACE

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER

THE UOY Green Party society mailing list has been leaked several times after the secretary failed to BCC the society members in their weekly newsletter.

It has been reported that the society have failed to protect their members email addresses since the beginning of the academic year.

This means that any UoY Green Party member in receipt of the weekly newsletter can see a full list of all other members.

The societies chair Robin Brabham said: “All future emails from University of York Green Party will have the mailing list added by BCC. “I hope that nobody has suffered as a result of not being BCCed in to our emails and that those on the mailing list would still like to be informed of what we do” Leaks of this kind are potentially in breach of Data Protection laws.

THAT’S ALARMING!

BY AMARA B. WILLETT

HES EAST students were tormented by the sound of a broken door alarm which could not be shut off for three hours last month.

Bungling porters in Langwith college told students they “did not have the tools or skill” to stop the alarm blaring.

The constant noise could be heard throughout Horsfield B Court, keeping up residents after midnight.

Many had exams the following morning, including first year law student Elle Calam, who told York Vision: “I need to be up at 7am, this alarm can bugger off”.

A contractor was contacted and the issue resolved just after 1am.

Criminals tell students: pay up or get kicked out of the country

Home Office... they won’t say how criminals got the information

Exclusive: Frauds terrify foreign undergrads with aggressive phone threats

BY PAUL WACE INTERNATIONAL students across the UK are being targeted by criminals demanding payment of thousands of pounds, York Vision has learned.

Scammers have obtained personal information about students with Tier 4 visas, including full names, their passport numbers and their post codes.

The crafty crooks ring up the students and use the information to try and prove they are from the Home Office.

The frauds then tell shocked students that they owe the government as much as £1500 for an “im-

migration service.”

The callers threaten victims with arrest if payment is not made quickly.

Students who come from outside the EU may be at risk at every university in the country.

A briefing from the Home Office, sent to the uni and seen by York Vision says: “Students who have been targeted have reported the fraudsters become increasingly insistent and verbally aggressive, resulting in [students] feeling coerced into making payment.”

It has been confirmed the sophisticated scammers can even fake their caller ID, so the number which shows up on students’ phones matches the number on the

Home Office website.

The Home Office have not yet replied to multiple requests for comment.

They were asked over a week ago to explain how sensitive data got into the hands of scammers.

On Friday, five days on from York Vision initally asking for their response, a spokesman said he was still “looking into it.”

Multiple students in the UK have fallen victim to the scam. Peter Quinn, director of student support, said:

Quinn...

He says “we can’t stop this affecting students”

“We need to get the message out to them all.”

Quinn said the uni had emailed all students with a Tier 4 visa to make them aware of the scam.

But he admitted: “We can’t stop this affecting students per se but in making students aware we can minimise the impact.”

YUSU international officer Roberto Avelar said: “It’s a shame that International Students in particular are being targeted.”

He said the scam was “quite clever” because “most international students don’t remember off the top of their head all of the things we are meant to pay before coming to the UK.” The personal details

could have been acquired through phishing attacks on students’ emails.

In an email to societies a YUSU staff member said: “There are an increasing number of phishing emails going round at the moment.” They said there was a “major phishing attempt” in March this year.

The university said it was doing everything it could to stop York students falling victim. A spokesperson said: “We are aware of the scam but to our knowledge no York students have been affected.

“The International Student Support team have contacted all students with a Tier 4 visa to offer advice and support.”

IN THE DOCK University Challenge contestant from York charged with rape

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK FORMER YORK student Bartolomeo Cuthbert Joly de Lotbiniere, 21, appeared before York Crown Court last Thursday.

Joly de Lotbiniere is a former University Challenge contestant for York and a previous York Vision Editor-in-Chief.

He denied one count of attempted sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of rape, all relating to the same individual and all allegedly occurring in June 2014, when he was in first year.

A trial will take place in February next year.

Accused... Joly de Lotbiniere on University Challenge

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NEWS

YORK

VISION INVESTIGATION STUDENT ANGER AS WE REVEAL

BY ABBIE LLEWELYN THE UNIVERSITY spends £10k per year more on each biology and chemistry student than it does philosophy, history and law students.

A York Vision investigation today exposes how humanities students are paying massively over the odds for their degree, and are funding other students’ studies.

All students pay £9,000 per year for their degree, but history and philosophy students see less than half of that money given to their department.

The university is making huge investments into some courses, building a £5 million new building for biology.

Nearly four times the amount of funding per student is diverted towards the biology department than is given to a range of humanities subjects.

Students taking sociology, modern languages, business, politics, and English all see less than two thirds of the money they pay go to the department they study in.

Meanwhile, the biology, chemistry, physics and computer science departments roll in budgets of over £10k per student.

Lizzie Connolly, a 3rd Year philosophy student told York Vision: “I couldn’t believe it when I found out - we pay the same as science yet get a quarter of their funding!

“Science students don’t pay for labs so Humanities students could at least get all the books on their lengthy required reading list for free.”

In all, 17 departments receive less than £9,000 per head, and the other seven departments get over £10k for every student.

David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrar, defended the mismatch: “It is true that some programmes cost more to deliver than others, especially if they involve heavy use of laboratories and scientific equipment.

“Disciplines involving professional placements in health and social care settings can also require higher levels of staffing.

“However, calculating the cost of delivering a teaching programme is not straightforward for example, should library costs be disproportionately allocated to subjects which require more reading?

“Also, we need to take into account the direct funding which the Higher Education Funding Council For England provides for science and technology subjects.”

However, York Vision can also reveal that even when lab costs are accounted for, biology students are still receiving three times the amount of funding than philosophy students.

The amount allocated for

History

£4.5k

DEGREE DOUBLE DEALING

Physics

£14k

Investigation reveals great divide in spending Low-funded courses plummet in league tables

staff costs to biology is a massive £11,779 per student compared to £3,937 per student in philosophy and a measly £3,668 in Law. Some students have pointed out that a lack of funding may be harming the quality of humanities departments.

Third year Law student Emily Morris said: “It is very disappointing to hear that the law department is one of the least funded departments especially since it has de-

creased in the league tables since I started at the unviersity.

“When I first started, it was fifth in the league tables but now it is tenth which suggests that funding and other resources are essential to improve its ranking.”

Philosophy and history that recieve the least funding, dropped six places and five places respectively in the Guardian league tables.

Modern Languages, also one of the least funded departments, has

“

plummeted from 28th last year to 46th this year in the league tables.

The Guardian also reported that spending per student in modern languages dropped from a 7/10 to a shocking 4/10 rating.

The department of sociology also saw a decrease in funding from last year.

YUSU President Ben Leatham blamed the government for raising tuition fees. He said: “I understand the concerns that students have

I couldn’t believe it when I found out - we pay the same as science yet get a quarter of the funding...”

3rd YEAR PHILOSOPHY STUDENT

NEWS

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 7 YORK

HOW YOUR £9K IS REALLY SPENT Chemistry

How much do they spend on you?

£14.3k

Department Biosciences

Electronics

£8.8k Law

£4.5k but the issue is largely out of the university’s control.

“With the trajectory of marketisation that Higher Education is on, universities have little choice but to charge full fees in order to remain financially stable...

“Regarding universities, we must influence them to do more about hidden course and accommodation costs that are financially overwhelming for many students.”

“However, students have raised

Biology

Annual spend per student

£16,529 Clinical Medicine £14,378 Chemistry £14,378 Physics £14,149 Computer Science £10,636 Nursing £10,522 Social Work £10,521 Music, dance and drama £8,915 Electronics £8,815 Environmental Sciences £8,757 Health and community sciences £8,166 Economics £8,090 Psychology £7,361 Art and design £7,277 Education £6,590 Maths £6,491 English £5,328 Politics £4,937 Business and Management £4,771 Modern Languages £4,741 Sociology £4,617 Law £4,547 History £4,486 Philosophy £4,426

Sociology

£16.5k £4.6k questions about the transparency of the university on the matter of funding allocation.”

Luke Elliott, a third year physics student, said: “Clearly there are questions to be asked regarding the criteria by which funding is allocated to departments.

“With tuition fees expected to rise following the Government’s higher education paper, it’s more important than ever that the university communicates to students

what is happening with their money.”

Some have also highlighted that there may also be a disparity in what students get for their money with regards to contact hours, with humanities having much fewer hours of teaching in the week.

Anoosh Djavaheri, a third Year Philosophy student said: “Philosophy has very few contact hours, so to find out only £4,400 out of £9,000 goes twards our degree is

very irritating.”

He went on to add: “I think the university should have to justify the rise of tuition fees to £9,000 considering we pay only £4,600 of this to our actual degree.

“The rest is going on things I probably don’t care for and on other people’s degrees. If I wanted to help fund biology, I would have taken biology. But hey, even then I would be £7,000 in pocket!”

Voice of York Vision, p. 8

BIOLOGISTS BANNED

BY PAUL WACE

SYRIAN ACADEMICS invited by the uni to take up research fellowships were denied visas by the Home Office.

The biology department at York had invited two scientists to take up places funded by a charity.

Registrar David Duncan confirmed: “The Home Office declined to issue visas to the two academics and they will not now be joining us.”

He said the uni is now in discussion with a third academic in Aleppo, who they hope will be able to join the chemistry department.

OWEN JONES ON CAMPUS

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

OWEN JONES will be be at the university on Friday 17 June as part of the annual York Festival of Ideas.

The author and Guardian journalist will be taking part in a panel event called ‘The Politics of Hope’.

Former chancellor Nigel Lawson and former work and pensions minister Yvette Cooper MP are also speaking in events at the festival.

The festival will run from June 7 to 19 and includes talks, discussions and symposiums on themes ranging from the EU referendum to Anglo-Saxon York.

David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrar, could hardly contain his excitment: “It is in effect a mini Edinburgh Festival, but one which offers us an opportunity to share the knowledge and creativity of the University with the wider world.

“Students are strongly encouraged to take part in the Festival - unlike the Edinburgh Festival, many of the events are free.”

INSIDE TODAY

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS PREVIEW PAGE 20

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NEWS

YORK

Vısıon THE VOICE OF...

YORK

DISSAFILLI-NATION

Voting is now open in the referendum on YUSU’s affiliation with the NUS. You can now go online and decide whether you want to stay or leave.

The NUS provides a voice for the disadvantaged on campus: the LGBTQ community, poor students, and those suffering from mental illness.

They may soon be an instrumental part of the debate on the government’s white paper, which proposes removing the cap on tuition fees.

However, real concerns about the NUS are widespread and the union has little reason to do anything about them. At their conference this year delegates voted against one member, one vote, which would have allowed every York student to vote on NUS policy. There is only a slim chance of OMOV being passed at the moment: the delegates who would pass it would be voting to lose all the power they have.

A close vote to stay in the NUS at Cambridge last month was heralded as a demand for change in the NUS. But if York votes to stay, another poll may be three years away, and the NUS will have little reason to make progress on its problems until 2019.

You should use your vote in this referendum. It is about whether students want a collective voice to stand up to the government, and whether the NUS in its current state can be that voice effectively.

A high turnout will show other students’ unions that there is a demand for everyone to be able to choose for themselves whether to be in the NUS. However you intend to vote, that will be a sorely needed victory for students.

SPENDING SHOCKER Even if you dismiss the disparity between spending per student across the different departments as being down to lab or equipment costs, you simply cannot ignore the fact that science departments have more money to hire lecturers.

By distributing funds in this way, the University is saying that STEM subjects are worth more than arts and humanities or social science subjects, and that students would have been better off doing a science.

For the little contact hours arts and humanities students have, we may as well call their degree out for what it is: a very expensive library card.

Just because the job market currently has a greater demand for STEM subject graduates doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be value in arts and humanities; there will always be a demand for writers and journalists and artists.

Whilst they might not be finding the cure for cancer, or a source of renewable energy, they are doing something that cannot be simulated or replaced by robots. Creativity and beauty should not be stifled simply because of employability.

VICTORY FOR VISION

GATES DONATES £3m TO FUNDS

Nestle also gave £10k while using ‘slaves’ TOP GIVERS Figures for 2011 to April 2016

BY PAUL WACE UNI BOSSES have caved to pressure and finally revealed the names of their biggest donors.

In a victory for York Vision, the bigwigs have given up the names of organisations behind gifts worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

We demanded they be published last month, but officials insisted the names could be kept secret under “data protection” legislation.

It can now be disclosed that the Gates Foundation, cocreated by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, has given the university £3.14million in gifts since 2011.

The 130 donors named by the uni also include Nestle, who gave £10k in 2015, the same year they admitted to using forced labour in their Thailand supply chains.

In the past the Swiss food giant has been accused of price fixing and aggressive advertising.

These revelations raise

pressing questions about the influence companies have over York. Donors who give over £500 are invited to parties on campus with top uni staff.

Santander Bank, under the guise of Santander Universities UK, has given £524k in the past five years.

They insist the money is used for scholarships and “academic projects.”

The vice-chancellor will have approved some of these donations personally.

David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrar, said: “We have no difficulty with sharing the names of major donors provided they agree to their generosity being made public.”

Conspiracy theorists will be stunned to learn that a freemasonry lodge founded in 1959 and based 20 miles from campus contributed cash to coffers last year.

Tateshall Lodge No. 7645 gave the university £250.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Wolfson Foundation

£3,143,624

£1,954,000 £1,275,000

Garfield Weston Foundation Bowland Charitable Trust Sigrid Rausing Trust

£750,000 £526,100 £524,286

Santander Universities UK Butterfield Trust

£477,000 £464,447

Open Society Foundations York Against Cancer

All the way to the bank... Santander have donated £520k

£429,708

Mysterious... A freemasonry lodge gave £250

JUST 12% WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE “Stereotypes are true” as department gender ratios revealed

BY ABBIE LLEWELYN AN INVESTIGATION

by York Vision into gender ratios at the university has revealed significant differences between departments.

Humanities and socialsciences are very femaledominated, but in “hard” sciences women are conspicuously absent.

In the Psycholgy department, 83% of students are women, compared to just 12% in Computer Sci-

ence.

Additionally, in Education 82% of students are women, 77% in Sociology and 74% in English.

In terms of the sciences, 16% of electronics students, 15% of Physics students and 34% of Maths students are female. However, 58% of the biology department are women.

In total, women make up 56% of students at University of York.

Priya Chahal, a third year psychology student said: “The stereotypes are kind of true! There are hardly any male students around in Psychology.”

Sam Sayah, a second year Physics student said “I feel like its a societal thing...society enforces creative roles to women and STEM subjects to men.”

Tom Allen, a third year electronics student commented on the gender ratio

in his department: “There is a noticeable lack of women in the department.

“However, it must be said that the women that are in the department are supported well, and treated perfectly equal to men.”

The universities has three options for gender: male, female and other.

However, there were fewer than 2 people in each department with “other” as their gender.

COLUMN

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 9 YORK

I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. In the mean time, follow me on Twitter: @CostasMourselas.

Costas Mourselas L

Exit, pursued by a bear

ike a young bird leaving the nest of academia, just to be shot down by the hunter of reality and run over by the bus of unemployment, I am about to graduate and enter the real world. Maybe.

Depending on how that car crash of a macroeconomics exam went.

But operating on the assumption that I did scrape a pass, I would love to tell you, dear reader, that I’m in a state of euphoria.

That feelings of accomplishment and preparedness are gushing through my being.

That I’m confident I’ve been equipped with the life skills to face ‘the real world.’

But in all honesty, I feel just like I did at the end of last year and the year before that. Like a guinea pig that has successfully demonstrated his ability to mindlessly exercise in his running wheel on command.

‘Look employers, I can succumb to authority and produce reasonable work. Hire me!’

Sorry, is that too edgy for you? Better reign it in. Wouldn’t want to seem overly cynical. Everyone knows that employers want students that are ‘passionate about finance/accounting/retail/consulting/marketing’ or whatever other bollocks people pretend to be interested in to land jobs at companies that will provide them with financial stability and respectfulness. Because it’s not enough for companies to hire the best candidate for the job. That candidate better have lived his or her whole fucking life with the express purpose of landing that particular job at that particular company.

Wanna be a banker? You better have read The Economist when you were 5.

Starting a blog to talk about how much you love financial regulation is an absolute must. Brushing shoulders with the elite in your preferred sector by the time you reach university is also important. And don’t forget joining the finance society at university.

Oh and 5 internships, preferably all before the age of 15. And you better have a

The Flatmates do nothing!

I got a house that’s full of slobs, Who can’t be arsed to do their jobs.

But everyday they’re on the phone, Trying to tell me off and moan.

I got a house that I can’t stand, Like an infection of the gland.

The situation’s got so bad, I’d rather be at home with Dad! Do they wash up? Never washed up!

Do they clean up? No, they’ve never cleaned up!

Do they brush up? Never brushed up!

They do nothing, the flatmates do nothing!

Written by: The Bard of Osbaldwick

Contributed by Panopticon on Facebook. damn good story as to why you chose ‘OUR’ company over theirs. Please, I applied to your company because there was a reasonably paid job going. Get over yourselves.

You know, I applied to a consulting company a few months ago and they made me do a personality test. A fucking personality test. I mean where is this shit going to end. From a 15 minute test, they managed to deduce that I had trust issues when it came to working with groups of people.

Well working on group projects at university does that to you. And relying on fellow editors at a student paper to carry out their responsibilities.

But anyway, enough about the real world. Let’s talk about some of the things I’ve picked up during my time here. I’ve learned that 2 weeks of last minute vision (not revision) can equate to a year of sustained learning. I’ve learned that URY eat, sleep and bathe in their branded merchandise. I’ve learned that size matters; the size of your reference list that is. I’ve learned that coming up with an entirely new theory of morality in a first year philosophy exam is not actually conducive to getting a good grade.

I’ve learned that free speech is a sacred institution at this university. That is, if you’re not criticizing YUSU, hurting people’s feelings or making statements that challenge established opinions. I’ve learned that the NUS is not as bad as people are saying. It’s much worse.

I’ve learned that I’m not nearly as clever as I think I am. I’ve learned that taking

an economics core module by choice is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done, and I’ve done some stupid shit. I’ve learned that 2 cheese onion with chutney is objectively the best sandwich in YUSU shop’s meal deal and that the brilliant chefs at the courtyard can cook a curry within 8 minutes of an order.

Finally, in the infamous words of my macroeconomics teacher, I’ve learned that ‘in developing models, economists are not concerned with reality.’

Wow. I really have picked up a lot at this institution. Definitely worth the 27 grand I (my parents) have paid to keep me at this university. And that doesn’t even include the bonus piece of paper that tells employers that ‘I’m pretty good, K?’ Ok fine. I’m overdoing it. The truth is, dear reader, that these have definitely been the best three years of my life. My assumptions have been challenged, I’ve met some incredible people and I have absolutely loved my degree. I’m gonna miss it. The late night strolls in the Harry Fairhurst, the fine drinking holes around York, the dinners with friends. The fact that there is a place for you somewhere in York, however strange your passions are. Chances are, there’s someone with them too.

What I won’t be missing are the endless stream of emails from my department. Or the highbrow and condescending emails from LinkedIn (I recently unsubscribed).

Apparently ‘If you’re boring, you won’t make it in business.’ Well thanks for that insightful comment LinkedIn. Let’s see the

hilariously self-indulgent articles you’ve attached this week.

What’s this? An article about how a forty something year old millionaire learned important life skills by constructing and painting model train sets? Why I should drop everything and volunteer in a subSaharan country to make myself more interesting for employers?

Hundreds of articles and not a single one about the value of modesty. Just a bunch of aging and admittedly, extraordinarily wealthy individuals that probably aren’t paying their taxes while lecturing me on business ethics.

And here I am, judging those infinitely more successful than me from behind my computer monitor. I’ve read Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan twice you know. Can’t you see that I have the authority to comment on the socioeconomic conditions of our society? But it isn’t really university if you can’t tell the establishment to go fuck itself with a veneer of self-righteousness, is it?

But the curtain is closing. The lights are dimming. Here is some advice from your friendly neighbourhood columnist for the last time.

Vote to leave the NUS but not the EU. Stop using jokes about ducks as a crutch for social interaction with casual acquaintances. Vision is better than Nouse. Question unsupported statements of fact. Being yourself is overrated and will not get you hired (or a girlfriend for that matter). Don’t get a 2:2.

University of York, it’s been a pleasure.

10 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

NEWS

YORK

EXCLUSIVE YORK VISION INVESTIG

EXCLUDED AND UNABLE TO SLE

STUDENT A:

Most things provided by university are catered towards those with money

The tuition fee increase meant that I had to get a job in order to survive going to a university outside of my home town. On average, I work 20 hours per week.

Having a job has affected my studies in that my ‘free time’ consists of going to work instead of actually relaxing after studying. I often sleep little of a night so I can balance my job and uni work. It’s also meant that my ability to go on social events with other students has been severely limited, meaning that I haven’t created as strong a bond with other students at university, unlike my friends who do not have a job.

Occasionally I have felt excluded at university. It’s largely down to social differences; no matter what I do or where I go, I’m surrounded by people from largely middle class backgrounds. I feel as if most things provided by university are catered towards those with the money to pay for anything, whereas I do not have the same luxury.

The level of support from the university just isn’t enough. There isn’t much done to highlight any services that might be out there to help working class people adjust. UoY is a VERY different atmosphere to school/ life in an urban working class location, and whilst there might be support services for this transition, I’ve never heard of them. I knew that hardship funds existed but only vaguely, and with no real details about the fund, like what exactly it was, or when you’d have to pay it back, or who was eligible for it.

Although obviously there are more working class students than there initially appears to be, I spent the first few weeks of university feeling inadequate: why was I here when, in reality, I couldn’t afford to participate to the same extent as my flatmates? Even my studies could potentially be affected by my background – a few of my friends who study history have a final year module which required them to buy a ‘source pack.’ Whilst £25 doesn’t sound like a lot of money, to someone who has to budget for every single expense, it can equate to a full week’s budget.

From what I can tell, there’s a tendency to try and ‘ignore’ class, to pretend that university is a classless society which quite obviously isn’t true. But I wouldn’t say that any of the literature produced by the university reflects this growing working class presence at the university; there’s next to no mention of it. People say that if you deserve to go to university, you will, but I feel that very soon, ‘deserving’ to attend will be dependent on wealth, not grades.

2 part time jobs to make ends meet Students can’t afford to join societies Participation of local areas...

Quintile 5 Quintile 4 Quintile 3 Quintile 2 Quintile 1

Quintile 1 = Lowest Participation Quintile 5 = Highest Participation Quintile 1 POLAR3 data Unknown 2013/14 1.9% 6.7% 2014/15 1.7% 8.2% 2015/16 1.4% 9.0%

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER THE NUMBER of working-class students attending the University of York has been increasing year on year.

Two Freedom of Information requests submitted

by York Vision have revealed the percentage of students in receipt of the York Bursary has increased. In 2013/14, 9% of York students received the bursary, which rose to 15.7% in 2014/15, and 22% in 2015/16.

The York Bursary is offered to UK and EU students with household incomes

between £0 and £35,000.

Those in receipt of the bursary are given between £1,000 and £2,400 towards their accommodation fees in first year, and cash payments in subsequent years.

POLAR3 data reveals that the percentage of students from low participation areas across the country has also been increasing: in 2013/14 just 6.7% were from quintile 1, but this increased in 2014/15 to 8.2%, and this figure increased again in 2015/16 to 9%.

Two students, who wish to remain anonymous, have

Quintile 2 12.9% 12.4% 12.7%

spoken out to York Vision about their experiences.

They slammed the level of support the university provides for students from lowincome families, as “there isn’t much done to highlight any services that might be out there to help working-class people adjust.”

Both students have had to take on part-time jobs alongside their studies to support themselves during the academic year.

The University recommends that students have no more than 20 hours of paid work a week, as working

Quintile 3 16.6% 16.1% 17.4%

more than could have a detrimental effect upon academic performance.

One student confessed that at one point they were working nearly 40 hours a week at 2 part-time jobs.

David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrary, said: “We work hard to try to keep the additional costs faced by students as low as possible. For example, the lowest monthly membership charge for access to York Sport Centre is only £23 a month, while the student saver membership at York Sport Village is £30.

NEWS

Thursday June 2, 2016

ATION: WORKING CLASS STUDENTS

Vısıon 11 YORK

EP: PLIGHT OF POOR STUDENTS STUDENT B:

During freshers, people in my halls compared which private school they went to

I was annoyed by the tuition fee increase as it meant I would come out of university with even more debt, but I’ve always wanted to go to university so it didn’t really effect my decision. I really wanted to be the first one in my family to go.

POLAR3: What is it?

Quintile 4 23.0% 24.4% 24.6%

Quintile 5 38.8% 37.0% 34.7%

“We provide advice to prospective students on the likely costs they will face at University.”

The university’s mental health report, released at the beginning of May, cited various changes to higher education in the past 10 years as having the potential to adversely affect student’s mental health.

One of the changes cited was the “rapid withdrawal of financial support for home students,” alongside an “increasing reliance on loans” which in turn has led to “an increase in student debt.”

Despite the number of lower income students attending the University of York increasing, those accessing the hardship funds has decreased from 1.4% in 2013/14, to 1.2% in 2014/15.

In the current academic year, only 0.8% of students have accessed the hardship fund.

The hardship fund is available to students who fill out a 6 page form detailing the various forms of income they are in receipt of, their expenditure, as well as a supporting statement detailing “why you are in financial difficulty, and why you

POLAR3 (Participation of Local Areas) data examines the participation rates of people aged 18 between 2005 and 2009, by looking at how many of these people decided to attend university between the academic years 2005/06 and 2010/11. This data is used to organize local areas into quintiles, with quintile 1 being areas with the lowest participation rate, and quintile 5 represents areas with the highest rate (see map and table). believe your situation to be exceptional and to merit additional support.” Alongside this form documents must be provided as evidence of funding and bills.

The university website states that the hardship fund is available because “[the University] don’t want money problems to stop you successfully completing your studies.”

Sports club memberships vary from sport to sport: to join a sport like Darts, it costs a measly £5 (with a £10 AU fee), whereas a mid-range sport such as Fencing would

set you back £40 (alongisde a £20 AU fee), but to compete in a cheerleading competitive squad it costs a whopping £115 (plus a £20 AU fee).

Grace Clark, York Sport President, “We are looking to investigate the wider issue of more expensive sports and how to better support these students looking to engage in these activities.

We also offer clubs the chance to apply for Contingency Grants throughout the year to subsidize activities, events and tournaments for their students.”

At the moment I work on average ten hours a week, but the most I have worked is when I had two part time jobs and I was working up to forty hours on top of my studies. Sometimes my job has left me incredibly tired but I’ve had to go straight to the library after work anyway. When doing group projects I had to organise it around my shifts, and this didn’t go down too well with others students who weren’t always understanding. This year, I’ve had to cut down my hours at work as my degree came first, and I’ve pretty much had to rely on my overdraft. I’ve had to volunteer less, something which will hinder my career progress, and something that other students without work commitments wouldn’t have to deal with.

I think I would have felt excluded at university if I had joined certain societies as I wouldn’t have the funds to join in fully. During freshers week I remember people in my halls comparing which private school they went to, but it didn’t really bother me as my education was free and we both ended up at the same university in the end.

I think there is only so much the university can do to support working class students. I know they do have a grant (I just get funding through student finance) and there is a hardship fund, but the main way the university could help working class students would be changing the price of accommodation on campus. The price of accommodation at this university is far too high, especially considering the standard of some of the rooms. If prices were more affordable this would help students when funds are tight and budgeting is essential. The money saved could be used on joining societies, sports, or even buying books and stationary I think the real problem at the university is some of the stigma between students of different backgrounds.

Whilst I have been here the vast majority of the students don’t care about your background, but there are definitely small groups of people that still look down on people that are from a working class background, and these groups tend to have a big presence on campus.

12 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

NEWS

YORK

MONTHLY HEALTH UPDATES

BY PAUL WACE

THE UNIVERSITY will now produce monthly reports on the state of mental health services on campus.

The reports will be overseen by a pro-vice chancellor, John Robinson, as well the registrar and secretary David Duncan.

It comes after the uni revealed shocking figures about mental health among students.

Half of all ambulance call outs to campus in January and the first week of February were to incidents of self harm or attempted suicide.

Duncan said: “This work will also be monitored by Student Life Committee which is co-chaired by the YUSU President.”

He said he expected the reports could be made public once they are reviewed by the executive board.

DILDON’T BRING THAT HERE!

First it was porn in lectures, now this..

BY JOSH SALISBURY

STUDENTS WERE left shocked when randy revisers flashed a DILDO in the Library during exams period.

The saucy studiers were spotted on the first floor of the Harry Fairhurst building by other students hoping to revise for their upcoming examinations.

The sex toy owners appeared to be waving the plastic phallus as part of a practical joke on a fellow library-goer.

A third year Maths and Economics student who caught sight of the doubleended object said: “I was focusing on my work and then when I looked up I saw someone swinging around a dildo.

Salicious students snapped with sex toy

Library... but students weren’t booked

THAT’S A CHAD LATE

POLITICS REVIEWED

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

THE POLITICS society launched a political analysis publication yesterday.

The York Politics Review begins life an online only publication pending a move to print in future if the launch is successful.

The Review receives contributions from both academics and students and includes a balance of analysis and satire.

The publication’s Editorin-Chief Henry Honeywood, told York Vision: “As both a politics society and a department we felt we really weren’t doing much in terms of collaboration and could be doing much more to create a better reputation of the department and foster more communication and debate between students and their tutors/academics.”

I didn’t care to be honest, I thought it was quite funny”.

A less enthusiastic third year student told York Vision: “We’re in the Library to work, that sort of thing should stay in the bedroom!”

Approached for comment, the Library stated: “The Library doesn’t have a specific policy on sex toys within the Library.

“However, our regulations do state that Library users are expected to behave with consideration and that any person behaving inconsiderately or inappropriately may be required to leave.

“We advise anyone who is upset or interrupted by the behaviour of other people in the Library to inform a member of staff.”

The original tweets...

YUSU TOOK two months to respond to a complaint regarding the alleged hijacking of the LGBTQ Twitter account by former part-time officer Jack Chadwick.

LGBTQ student Callum Shannon complained about the inflammatory tweets posted from the account, including “#killallwhite men,” only to receive a response from YUSU two months later saying they couldn’t do anything about it.

The YUSU staff member who oversaw the investigation told Shannon in an e-mail response to his two-month old complaint: “I was informed at the time that the account had been hacked.

“Our IT person was able to gain access and the account was subsequently handed over to the new officer team.”

York Vision cannot name this staff member under the YUSU staff charter.

After being accussed of hijacking the LGBTQ Twitter account by Huw James, the LGBTQ Network gay convenor, Chadwick claimed that the account had instead been hacked.

Chadwick retweeted several inflammatory tweets, which reflected his extreme views, from the LGBTQ account during the incident.

The staff member insisted nothing could be done, telling Shannon: “While

elected officers are subject to accountability rules, I was not able to establish that the account hadn’t actually been hacked, and given the post-holder had no official role around the period of the events in question, the accountability rules didn’t offer any further measures that seemed appropriate given the situation.

“I appreciate I should have informed you of this at the time but please let me know if you have any questions.”

Unimpressed, Shannon slammed the response: “They seem to have completely dropped the ball on it despite the fact that several students had death threats tweeted at them (potentially by an officer but as YUSU can’t be bothered to investigate properly I suppose we’ll never know) and union property was publicly damaged.

“The tweets were left up for weeks after the incident, and even if the account was hacked, the officer in question still committed misconduct by not deleting them.

“Also the fact that it took them two months to come up with this non-response and several reminders on my part before they even bothered to say anything is deeply worrying.

“Regardless of who was behind this, it really seems like YUSU doesn’t care about us, which is, quite frankly, very upsetting.”

NEWS

CALL TO ARMS

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 13 YORK

Academics stage walk-out

BY PAUL WACE

STUDENTS FROM the Socialist Society staged a protest on Tuesday against arms companies on campus.

A statement said they would “protest the presence of BAE and other arms companies at UoY careers fairs and tech days” at the Ron Cooke Hub on Hes East.

Lecturers strike over pay as vice-chancellor’s salary rises

RAIN MAC

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER SEVERAL MACS were removed from the library during exam period for fear of water damage.

A leak in the roof of the Harry Fairhurst library meant that macs were temporarily removed from the second floor.

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK

YORK ACADEMICS walked out in a two day strike over pay last week.

Negotiations between the University and College Union (UCU) and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) broke down after the UCU refused to accept a 1.1% pay rise for its members.

As well as their perceived inadequete pay rise uni staff have highlighted the increasing disparity between the vice-chancellor’s salary and the pay of academics.

Vice-chancellor Koen Lamberts’ pay increased by 4.1% in

the academic year 2014-2015 and is currently five and a half times greater than the pay of the average academic.

The York branch of the UCU held picket lines from 8am to 10am outside Heslington Hall and King’s Manor among other locations on both days of the strike.

A larger rally was also held at Exhibition Square outside the York Art Gallery at 2pm on the second day of the strike.

Fewer than 30% of University of York academic staff decided to walk out, minimising the disruption the strike was intended to cause.

The University also told academics to prioritise marking over research to ensure students would be as uneffected as possible by the industrial action.

YUSU’s official stance on the strike is that UCU should get back round the negotiating table making this one of the few strikes YUSU have not officially supported in solidarity.

One third year economics student said: “To have to cross a picket line on my way to my final exam was not the calming or supportive atmosphere one expects to be provided by an academic institution.

YEXIT POLL NOW OPEN

REFERENDUM GOSSIP SPAT WITH SABB CHRIS WALL and Robin Brabham were involved in a Facebook spat last week. It took place on a status by Robin criticizing YUSU sabbs for their lacklustre effort in getting students registered to vote in the EU referendum.

Wall retorted that if Brabham wanted to retract the NUS referendum motion, they’d be able to focus on getting students to vote.

Voting gets underway in NUS referendum

BY JONATHAN VAN KUIJK YORK STUDENTS began going to the polls yesterday in a referendum on YUSU’s affiliation with the National Union of Students (NUS) Voting will stay open until Thursday June 9.

YUSU announced the referendum after a policy to disaffiliate from the NUS submitted to YUSU was deemed too controversial to be decided internally triggering the referendum.

Students are being asked the question ‘Should YUSU remain affiliated with the NUS?” with a simple majority for NO required for YUSU not to reaf-

filiate after the current YUSU affiliation contract expires in 2017.

YUSU activities officer Chris Wall is leading the YES campaign and PhD student Robin Brabham, Chair of the University’s Green party society, is head of the NO campaign.

Brabham said: “YUSU has done the right thing and given York students a voice.

“We can now have a considered debate on whether or not the NUS is an organisation we feel comfortable allowing to representing us.”

A grand coalition of student politicos, including the incoming YUSU activities officer Alex Lusty, launched a campaign to disaffiliate earlier this

term, after a widely criticised NUS national conference.

The referendum is part of a nationwide mass dissafiliation campaign after the controversial election of Malia Bouattia, condemned as an anti-semite by over 40 university Jewish societies, as NUS President.

Wall said York students are “rightly dissatisfied” with elements of the NUS and it’s “encouraging” that many students are engaged in the matter.

He went on to say that “hopefully York students will make an informed decision.”

INSIDE TODAY: YES/NO special - Should we leave the NUS? See page 17

“To intimidate students before they sit potentially life changing tests is irresponsible and unethical but also completely absurd when part of the lecturer’s reputation is linked to how well they can teach therefore they have an intrinsic stake in how well we perform in exams.”

James Cussens, head of UCU’s York Branch said: “We are striking since we have had enough of many years of real-terms pay cuts (pay awards below inflation) and also due to the employers failure to address the big problems of gender pay inequality and casualisation.”

DAWSON’S DUTY

We told you so...

SABB SCOTT Dawson was meant to lead the YES campaign, but chose not to because he had jury duty. Since then he has been dismissed as a juror, and the extent of his involvement in the campaign remains unclear.

14 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016 YORK

OPINION

OPINION yorkvision.co.uk/opinion vision@yusu.org

IZZI GRAHAM: WHY PEP SHOULDN’T BE SHUT DOWN

A

s I am sure many of you are aware the University have announced a comprehensive review of the School of PEP, this has casted huge doubts over the future of the department. This review could ultimately lead to the absorption of the school by other departments, thus losing its very unique power of autonomy and freedom. The review is due to be completed in July and will be reported to the University’s planning committee.

Why is it called PEP and not PPE? That age old question that every PEP student at York has answered more times than they’ve had contact hours. The reason is because the School of PEP (Politics, Economics and Philosophy) is the department that incorporates not only PPE students but also those who study any two of the three subjects as a joint honours – Politics and Economics, Philosophy and Politics or Philosophy and Economics. This may sound like it is just a title but the department is so much more than that. Having the School of PEP as a central point of reference for students, including our own administrative team, means that any issues PEP students have are dealt with by those who are extremely knowledgeable about the difficulties of coordinating a joint honours degree. It means that we don’t have to deal with each department individually.

This coordination also allows for interdisciplinary modules between the three subjects, such as the Democratic Economy (Politics and Economics) or Rationality, Morality and Economics (Philosophy and Economics.) One of the most appealing angles of studying a PEP degree is seeing how the different disciplines overlap with each other and the ability to apply this is an extremely employable skill. The oppor-

tunity to study interdisciplinary modules of this kind is unique to universities that have a department specifically for PEP, of which York is one of very few in the UK. The School of PEP is also a prominent presence at open days, as they run their own department-specific days and have their own stalls, stands and lectures at university wide open days. This means that when prospective students view the University of York with a view to studying a PEP degree, they immediately feel that the degree is valued within the university and that there is a support network in place just for students like themselves. Having taken part in many an open day myself over the years, I can tell you that the existence of the School of PEP makes York stand out from other universities and really impresses prospective students. It was in fact the reason I chose to come to York rather than Warwick or Lancaster, where PPE was viewed as a combination degree, with separate departments, societies and modules.

“The School of PEP makes York stand out” Not only does the existence of the School of PEP aid students academically, but it also gives them a sense of identity, which brings me onto the Club of PEP. Now it is no secret that I am one of the Club of PEP’s biggest fans and as outgoing president I may seem biased, but I’m hoping that the rest of this article will show you exactly why it is the best academic so-

ciety on campus.

First of all, the Club of PEP includes all students who study a degree within the School of PEP and we are all automatically

“There is no fee for joining...

What could be more inclusive?” members when we arrive at university.

This means there is no hassle of signing up, everyone is incorporated and there is no fee for joining. What could be more inclusive? Once you arrive at university the Club of PEP makes you feel welcome straight away, with our very own freshers week run in week 2 of first term. The whole week runs smoothly thanks to the amazing PEP parenting scheme, where all freshers are given PEP ‘parents’ who are in second or third year and guide their PEP ‘family’ through the whole week. This means that freshers week not only gives you a chance to meet people on your course, but also people in higher years that can answer all sorts of questions from which module to choose to which bars are best on a Tuesday night. But of course it doesn’t stop after freshers’ week! The feedback I have had from first years about the Club of PEP is overwhelmingly positive, focused mainly on the fact that they now feel so much more confident within their degrees to so-

cialise and it makes lectures and seminars so much easier now that they have plenty of friendly faces around them. It is a true testimony to the impact of the Club of PEP that this year our committee elections saw every single position contested, mostly by first years. Show me another academic society that has brought out that sort of enthusiasm in their students!

I think it is pretty clear that the potential closure of the School of PEP would not only be damaging for the current students who will lose out on having the opportunity of having a focal point where students and lectures can work together and learn specific interdisciplinary modules.

But it will also be damaging for the future existence of the course, the School of PEP is very much a unique selling point for many students and losing this fundamental part of what makes PEP special at York will be damaging for the University. I have no regrets about choosing PPE as my degree and York as my place of study, but I hope it is also clear why. I feel genuinely honoured to be part of both the School and the Club of PEP and to have given something back in my two years on the committee. My years at York certainly wouldn’t have been the same without it, and I would be deeply saddened to see the School go.

Bottom Line: The School of PEP department offers support to all students studying Philosophy, Policics and or Economics - not to PPE students exclusively. @YorkVision

scene BESTIVAL & PARKLIFE PREVIEWS INTERVIEW: ANDY CRYER 90S FASHION LOOK BOOK

INTERVIEW:

Ghostpoet On his influences, his latest album and performing at Bestival

Music

editors’ note

S

top. Take a deep breath.

Relax. It is over. Exam season is finally finished.

For better of for worse, it is time to kick back and revel in the newfound freedom.

As summer barbecues and glasses of fruit laden Pimm’s beckon, not even York’s unpredictable microclimate can dampen our spirits.

Our Scene team have once again endeavoured to bring you all things arts and lifestyle in our latest edition.

This issue’s cover star is the critically acclaimed vocalist Ghostpoet. The exclusive interview forms part of our vibrant Bestival preview.

Be sure not to miss our pre-event coverage of Parklife as well, in what is a special festival edition of Scene.

Further interviews with campus band, Juvenile Summer and Merry Wives actor Andy Cryer are complimented with a campus bar review, a homage to ensemble cast films and our very own fashion shoot.

We are extremely excited to announce a new feature for this publication: a University of York themed puzzle section can now be found on the back page.

With all this and more, the end of exam season provides you with ample time to dip into our latest edition.

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Editor // Matt Kirkum Music // Tom Seddon Sam Huntley Film // Mia Shaw Ed Hunter TV // Carl Goldsmith

Stage // Freya Kingsley Books // Josh Salisbury

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contents 3

Interview: Juvenile Summer

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Ghostpoet Bestival

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Park Life

glasshouse Review

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Ghibli & Ensembles Spotlight: Andy Cryer

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talk dirty to me 90s Fashion Lookbook Safewords Puzzles

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~Matt Kirkum

the team

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Life & Style // Hope Butler Lily Cabot - King Food // Arthur Reynolds Want to write something for SCENE? scene@yorkvision.co.uk Keep updated with everything Vision! www.yorkvision.co.uk Facebook - York Vision SCENE Twitter - @YorkVisionScene

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Interview: Juvenile SUMMer

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Tom Seddon talks to University of York’s own Juvenile Summer on their

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aving recently played their final gig together as students, campus band Juvenile Summer have risen through the ranks. Earning their place on festival bills alongside the likes of The Blackout and Funeral for A Friend, the four piece group have showed the heights that student bands can reach. But much like death and taxes, leaving York is one of the few certainties and the torch must be passed to the next wave of budding musicians. Vision’s Music Editor Tom spoke to Juvenile Summer about their music career at York and the keys to success for a campus band.

How did the members of Juvenile Summer all come together to form a band?

We all met quite early on in our uni experience. Matt (lead guitar) and I lived 2 houses down from each other. During fresher’s week 2013, we found ourselves jamming quite a lot and I think he was the one who said, “we should start a band”, which I didn’t take seriously at first. Before I knew it, we were sat in the Deramore Arms discussing musical interests with two other guys that we’d met online. I don’t think any of us knew how well we’d do as a band. We didn’t even know if we’d sound any good really, we just wanted to muck about with our instruments.

Where was your first gig and what was it like?

Our first gig was at Courtyard for a showcase BandSoc had put together. It was the first time anyone would hear what we sounded like so I felt a bit nervous. We mainly did covers, but we actually gave our song ‘Cougar’ off our EP its live debut that night. We thought we sounded amazing at the time but things were still really rough at that point and we were still figuring out who we wanted to be as a band. We hadn’t got our sound right.

Has the dynamic of the band changed since that first gig to your final farewell?

Yes and no. I think that in terms of who we are and what we’re about we’ve always been true to ourselves and regardless of whether we’re playing to a packed out pub, or just playing to the sound-guy, we’ve always tried to just go out and have a good time. You can be the tightest sounding band in the world, but if you don’t have fun then nobody else will. We’ve always

gone on the mind-set that some local bands literally just jam in their bedrooms and don’t even make it to the gigging stage so to be able to do the local circuit was an honour. At the same time, we always wanted to push ourselves to be bigger and better. We didn’t want to be that band everyone liked, we wanted to be ourselves and I think we stayed true to that throughout the duration.

How did you manage to get involved playing festivals alongside The Blackout and Funeral For a Friend?

I was still in touch with a few people who organised those shows, so the guy who ran the festivals gave our EP a listen and liked us so had us opening up. We were so excited to be on the bill with these well recognised names - they’re pretty big bands in their respective scenes.

What was it like playing the Summer Ball and reaching the Battle of the Bands finals?

Both of them were insane. It was super surreal having your dressing room two doors down from Twin Atlantic’s dressing room. I look back on those gigs now and am amazed by how we managed to achieve that. We never expected to go on to accomplish things like that. Playing those shows was quite euphoric. Going out and performing to quite large crowds who are dancing to your music is a feeling you just can’t quite describe.

you guys hope to play live together again or is graduaDrummer Ashton Irwin, the lead writer of theDo band, got chapter the buggest cheer of the night... tion the final of your story? though his long and flowing golden locks mayI have hadinsomething to doabout withit.this. get a lump my throat thinking It’s a shame we couldn’t actually make the farewell show an actual thing. Our lives are in such different places at the moment. It’s all a case of

finding the time to sort it out. Hopefully we will play together again. Whether it’s all four of us or a combination of us in another band, I don’t know, but I definitely think we’ll all stay in touch and whatever happens next will be a surprise to us all.

I am certain we will all stay writing and performing music in some kind of guise.

What would you guys consider to be the key influences on your song writing?

We all have different musical tastes but we all meet at different points. We’ve always cited bands like The Hives, The Subways, and Cage the Elephant as influences for song writing. But then it also requires elements of thinking outside the box and incorporating weird influences into your sound. I’ve definitely taken influences from such a weird variety of artists that don’t fit with our sound, but then that’s what signwriting is all about - it’s personal to you and is what you make it. I think you can do some pretty neat things toying about with different sources of inspiration and incorporating that into your song writing.

What advice would you give to budding bands starting out on campus?

The one bit of advice I would give is ‘enjoy yourself’. You have to get to the point where you don’t take yourself too seriously otherwise you’ll just fall flat on your back. We’ve had some mental things happen at our gigs and it’s all part of the experience. Play every gig as if you were playing a sold out show at Wembley because if you truly have passion in what you’re doing, other people will pick up on that and it will play to your advantage. Enthusiasm is infectious and we wouldn’t have gone on and done half the things we’ve done if our charisma didn’t shine through in our performances.

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GHOSTPOET

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baro Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet, burst onto the rap scene in 2011 with the Mercury nominated Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. His sedative tones and synthesised electronica accompaniments saw Ghostpoet distinguish himself outside of the alternative hiphop bracket. He followed up his debut release with his second studio album Some Say I So I Say Light in 2013, before his third, Shedding Skin dropped last year.

Ghostpoet captivates with his lyrical mastery and distinctive flow of delivery. Focusing on the mundanities and travails of everyday life, his stark perception of reality stimulates an array of shared experiences. It comes as no surprise as to where his inspiration derives from: “Just from living. Just from experiencing new things as regularly as possible”, he says.

“I did a musical project in the Balkans, I was there for two weeks”, he continues, “that was inspiring as I was meeting new people, discovering new music and entering countries I have never been to before.”

It would be wrong to consider Ghostpoet as merely a rapper.

Far from it. Rather, his artistry is neatly demonstrated in his fusion between music and lyrics.

Incorporating layered melodies reminiscent of the IDM pioneer Aphex Twin, Ghostpoet juxtaposes talk of watching Masterchef in ‘Longing for the Night’ with transcendant and hypnotic soundscapes.

Probing into his creative processes, any idea that the music

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The London based vocalist talks to Matt Kirkum as

is simply an accompaniment is quickly dismissed.

“It’s always the music, it’s always the music first. I then bounce ideas off that and lyrics form and I go back to the music and then to the lyrics again until there is a happy equilibrium”.

Given both Ghostpoet’s obvious aptitude for the melody of his work, the potential for a purely instrumental album is by no means a strange suggestion.

“I have thought about it’, he admits, “maybe not in the music I do under the Ghostpoet moniker. I think I would like to do in the future. Why not?”

Ghostpoet followed up his critically acclaimed Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam with the more enigmatic second album, Some Say I So I Say Light. It marked a divergence towards a bleaker and more despondent direction that nevertheless reflected the artistic qualities that his debut release had promised. His latest album, Shedding Skin, signals both change and continuity: a live band replaces the distorting electronica which offsets a lyrical method more in keeping with his first release.

“I just decided to use live instruments. I like to try new things and I love guitar music and I love live music so it just made sense to go down that particular route”, he explains.

“Lyrically I wanted to revert back to the first record. It was almost documentary style. I really liked that and I kind of went

“I don’t feel I need to be part of a genre because I listen to a lot of genres which, in turn, is reflected in the music I make”

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away from that with the second record. I write music and lyrics that are of the moment, of the time, stuff going on in the world as well as in my world”.

This impressive capability to create such a significant variation in sound between albums demonstrates Ghostpoet’s appreciation for the fluidity of genres. Rather than categorising his music to a particular style, the absorption of other genres allows Ghostpoet the scope to experiment.

“I don’t feel I need to be part of a genre because I listen to a lot of genres which, in turn, is reflected in the music that I make. So it would be stupid of me to say that it is genre A and genre B”, he says.

“I feel that it is lots of genres”, he adds, “I’ve been saying that from the beginning but I guess now it is a bit easier because people are much more eclectic in their tastes and they are much more accepting of a myriad of genres in one track. I guess it is something that I have always believed in”.

With Shedding Skin earning Ghostpoet a second Mercury Prize nomination, Ghostpoet is sure to enthral audiences with music both new and old when he graces the stage at Bestival in September.

This year marks Ghostpoet’s second appearance at the festival having first performed in 2011. Speaking of his forthcoming appearance, he says: “I’ve played it before a while back a long time ago and it

“It’s a very unique festival and it has a lot of positive energy and really great acts play there every year.

It’s nice to be part of the history again.”

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PREVIEW: BESTIVAL

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rganised by DJ Rob Da Bank as the annual festival season’s last hurrah, the Isle of Wight’s Bestival is set to be bigger and better than ever. Celebrating its thirteenth birthday, the indie/dance music festival will return to the Isle of Wight on September 10-13 with Diplo’s Major Lazer headlining alongside The Cure and Hot Chip.This year’s theme is “The Future is Here”, and organisers hope to send festival-goers on a “an odyssey of cosmic colonisation and nanotech clothing, forging a new collective consciousness.” Whether you like it or not, with all the New Age stuff aside, this year’s Bestival lineup is truly impressive, also boasting Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Bastille, Years & Years, Skepta, Katy B, Krept & Konan and Craig David. Of course there’s also the big one, Major Lazer. With quite a few months to go until the autumnal festival, here are a few of the acts to get excited about in the meantime…

who not to miss...

Major Lazer

The trio of Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, will be headlining on the Friday night. The lively EDM group are sure to ignite a carnival atmosphere with their vibrant sound. Hits such as ‘Lean On’, ‘Watch Out For This’ and ‘Get Free’ are sure-fire crowd pleasers not to be missed. “We started at Bestival five years ago, and it was one of our favourite shows to date”, the group said. was a great experience. It’s a very unique festival and it has a lot of positive energy and really great acts play there every year.

“It’s nice to be part of the history again. I’m not exactly sure what stage I’m playing and what time, but I hope whenever that is I can put on a good show because that’s what I try to do and I hope to do it again at Bestival”.

It is evident that when it comes to performing, Ghostpoet recognises the disparity between the smaller venue and the large festival atmosphere.

“It’s a different kettle of fish. It’s just a different feeling and I like both for different reasons. I love smaller festivals and gigs because you can see the whites of the eyes of the audience and you can have a closer connection”, he notes before observing that, “you can also have a connection at a festival”.

For Ghostpoet, the expansive nature of the festival provides an additional challenge which can reap benefits: “What I do love about it, is it is a challenge especially if people come to see you play have never heard your music before. That can bring something out of you and you can garner new supporters through that”.

Ghostpoet has redefined what it means to be a rapper, shirking categorisation to allow limitless musical exploration. With gigging the main priority of Ghostpoet’s year, you will not want to miss out on the gravelly voiced artistry he brings to the fore. His indisputable uniqueness is sure to stand out at Bestival this year.

THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS Honestly. This is probably your last chance to see the resurgent duo perform ‘To Me To You Bruv!’ live, before they finally return to the depths of irrelevance. It’s worth going to so you can say you saw the Chuckle Brothers live, or at the very least get a decent Snapchat story.

BASTILLE The punchy indie rock band are hoping to build on the phenomenal success they achieved with their debut album, Bad Blood, in 2013 with a second album imminent. The band say they have been working on the album for a year and have cryptically hinted at the release in online videos. Those who have not seen them live before can expect flawless renditions of the hits you love as well as some brilliant mash ups and covers that will make you forget all about the originals.

The band are also promising a “bigger, more cinematic sound” this year. With their new release set to drop at the start of the summer, expect Bastille to be one of the biggest draws of the festival.

Hot Chip

Playing at Bestival more times than almost any other act, Hot Chip has been described as the house band for the festival. Headlining the first night on the Thursday, the Mercury Prize nominated electronic band are set to kickstart the weekend.

who to discover...

KURUPT FM

Aled Jones MC & Rob da Bank DJ Famed for ‘Walking in the Air’ and anchor of BBC’s Song’s of Praise, Aled Jones has ditched his usual repertoire in favour of old skool jungle. Jones has teamed up with Bestival co-founder Rob da Bank for a special historic tour of all things drum and bass. The duo are sure to provide one of the most unique experiences this year.

Stars of BBC Three’s comedy People Just Do Nothing, the blundering UK Garage gang are increasing their reputation as live performers. Expect hilarity and old skool bangers as MC Grindah, DJ Beats, Decoy, Chabuddy G and Steves whip up a bass intensive frenzy. With a new series on the horizon, there is plenty more to come from Kurupt FM in the future.

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DJ EZ

Afterlife Yes, I know this isn’t *technically* an act but Afterlife, Parklife’s official after-parties, never disappoint. A mix of house, grime, drum & bass, techno and disco acts are spread across 16 different offerings over the weekend, held at eight different venues. The Afterlife continues with the same quality Parklife has to offer however is arguably more intense, with a darker, Madchester vibe. Having so much choice it is hard to make any single recommendation, but excitement has been building around Chase & Status’s DJ set in Albert Hall on the Saturday.

Garage legend DJ EZ has officially taken over the bass music scene in the UK, with sold-out sets all over the country and being described by industry experts as one of the most creative mixers with instinct and technical prowess. With his signature motif, “DJ EZ”, he is bound to draw the crowds in from all around the northern city’s signature festival.

Jack Garratt Breaking onto the pop scene with his hit single, ‘Breathe Life’, the BBC Sound of 2016 winner has blown over people, not only with his great choice of beats but also with his extraordinary vocals, a real raw talent.

Expect soul infused electro-pop and neck snapping beats, a versatile act that can range from up beat to chilled out. If you’re searching for any more reasons why you should go and watch Garratt, just take a look at his amazing Radio 1 Live Lounge performances to give you an idea of the talent that will be before you.

Preview:

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ust around the corner is Manchester’s number one festival, Parklife. In contention with some of the major UK camping festivals such as Leeds, this unique urban city two day festival has a line up that is deemed unmissable with acts including The Chemical Brothers and Major Lazer headlining. From the city which cultivated worldclass acts including The Smiths, Oasis and Joy Division, Parklife sees a range of indie, dance and electronic artists from the mainstream and the underground. Heaton Park, only a short shuttle bus ride away from Manchester city center, will play host to the independent festival for the fifth year running.

who to discover...

Bugzy Malone

Mura Masa

Raw. Real. Fresh. Bugzy Malone has literally put ‘Manny on the map’ with his emotional and hard-hitting solid lyrics following the trend of the new underground grime revival, moving the UK scene away from more commercially-orientated music and towards more ‘street-level’ music. Grime fans should expect a slightly different sound to what you are used to, with a knock-out delivery and heartfelt lyrics. He will be playing on the MTA stage on the Saturday.

Alex Crossan, more notably known for his stage name Mura Masa exploded onto the UK chart with his song ‘What If I Go’. At only 19 years old he has already achieved so much, from building his fan base via Soundcloud to progressing to placing in the BBC Sound of 2016 whilst grabbing high profile admirers of his work such as Justin Bieber and Diplo. His electronic style of compilations takes inspiration from artists such as SBRKT and Cashmere Cat. Playing the Sunday on the Sounds of the Near Future stage, this is one upcoming artist you’d kick yourself for missing.

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Blossoms

A homegrown Manchester band, Blossoms have literally blossomed onto the indie music scene. From playing at small venues such as 42s, the youthful band now have an extensive line up of international tour dates ahead. Judging from the surge in popularity of the five-piece band, there is little doubt that they will in no time be serious contenders with the likes of the Courteeners. ‘At Most a Kiss’ and ‘Charlemagne’ are just some of many of the alternative indie-pop sounds from their upcoming debut album, which is available to pre-order now.

~Tom Butler-Roberts & Lauren Malcharek

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GLASSHOUSE REVIEW

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eslington East: campus legend says this is a lurid wasteland, awash with posh, Home Counties raised students who are not quite ready to leave their home comforts behind. So you’d expect the campus bar, The Glasshouse, to be a beacon of middle class luxury, serving caviar and Dom Perignon - well you would only be half wrong.

I’m going to start with a description because ninety per cent of you (and that’s a generous estimate) won’t have ever set foot in the The Glasshouse, and probably never will. It’s an aesthetically pleasing space; it’s a relatively new building.

Unlike other campus bars (cough Courtyard cough) the decor looks fresh. Wooden benches and high tables with bar style chairs create an atmosphere in keeping with Hes East’s laid back vibe. This isn’t D-Bar, you won’t see sports societies getting tanked up here. You’re more likely to see groups sharing pitcher of watered down Pimm’s than a rugby team guzzling lager. The bar has an arcing shape and is well staffed, meaning the degrading, school canteen-esque queues seen in Courtyard aren’t an issue. Well, that’s the kind way of putting it — some would say the queues are short because The Glasshouse is often empty.

The first priority for any university bar should always be to have a good selection of drinks, what else are student’s meant to do with their spare time? Here, a lager drinker like my self is faced with a terrible choice: Carlsberg or Budweiser. Both

are equally tasteless — water has a more substantial flavour.

To make matters worse, both are served in oddly shaped non-branded glasses; lager always tastes better out a glass designed by the maker. If you don’t believe me, head down to D-Bar and ask for your Beck’s in a Stella glass, or vice versa — the difference in taste is unbelievable. I expect better for £2.60. Give me a pint of Double Four, in a Double Four glass, at a Sam Smith’s for £2 over that any day. Why can’t campus bars be this cheap? Perhaps if we left the NUS, Sam Smith’s could take them over. The cocktails are no better. Most are sickly sweet, with colours almost as vulgar as those on the walls of Goodricke’s buildings.

That said, the staff, who are all students, are all pleasant and appear to be trying hard to do a good job. We’ve all had nachos from Courtyard. They come piled high, smothered in cheese, and with jalapeños for those who are feeling daring.

They are an artery clogging, hangover busting, plate of greasy brilliance. However, the nachos at The Glasshouse are pale in comparison.

There’s just not enough of everything. A sharing plate is half the size of those at CY, and comes with about a quarter of the amount of cheese. After the first few mouthfuls there’s no cheese left, leaving a pile of under seasoned lonely nachos sitting on the plate; sour cream and salsa are nothing without heaps of cheese. This cheese-less predicament wouldn’t be as acute if the salsa and sour cream were of better quality.

The salsa tasted sharp, rather than refreshing, whilst the sour cream lacked any real sourness. Jalapeños would have given the whole plate a lift, but they’re not an option at the Glasshouse. This could be a metaphor for the entire place, it’s not unpleasant, it just lacks a little piquancy.

The choice of main courses is rather limited — there isn’t even a burger on the menu — students love burgers (at least I do anyway…). I plumped for the lasagne at £5.25, naturally adding chips for an extra pound. The lasagne was a sorry sight.

It arrived looking thin and lopsided, a pitiful side of limp salad lurked beside it. Well, I say it was salad, there was more breath destroying red onion than actual salad on the plate. Fresh out of the microwave, the lasagne was piping hot, scalding my tongue on the first mouthful. Whilst waiting for the lasagne to cool, I dived into the chips; pale looking, they were exactly what you’d expect from frozen. The insides were fluffy, the outsides were slightly dry and lacking in seasoning, but for a

pound, they weren’t bad. After cooling, the true nature of the lasagne was revealed. The best lasagnes have an excess of creamy béchamel, soft pasta and deep flavoured beef, giving them an unctuous texture and a comforting richness. Here, there was a minuscule amount of béchamel, the beef tasted only of dried herbs, the pasta was hard, making it difficult to eat. There was no comfort in this lasagne.

Upon leaving, we crossed paths with a ‘chef’ carrying what looked like boxes of frozen ready meals — suspicion confirmed.

The Glasshouse reminds me somewhat of the Liberal Democrats, they have some nice ideas and are generally pleasant, yet remain largely irrelevant. As a resident of Hes East, It’s nice to go there for a drink on a quiet afternoon, but it’s not the sort of place you’d spend an entire evening; like the Lib Dems are a party you might listen to, but won’t ultimately vote for.

Those of you who venture over into the wilderness that is Hes East for whatever reason, go for a drink, get some chips, have a game of pool (the tables are decent) but don’t bother eating an entire meal. If you’re looking for good food on either campus, head to D-Bar at lunchtime — the burgers are top class.

~Arthur Reynolds

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When Ghibli Was There...

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fter three decades of creating internationally-adored animated spectacles, it seems the Japanese production company, Studio Ghibli, is to finally bid us farewell.

Suggested as being perhaps ‘the best animation filmmaker in history’ by film critic Roger Ebert, and called ‘the auteur of anime’ by the New Yorker, Hayao Miyazaki was the most significant of the Studio Ghibli founders. Directing, writing and essentially devising the animated vision for successes such as Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke and the multi-award winning Spirited Away, it was no surprise many believed the company would fold back in 2013, following his retirement. Two more Ghibli’s were produced, however, including Yonebayashi’s celebrated When Marnie Was There - to be released in the UK on June 10 this year.

Whether it is the enchantingly dreamlike worlds, headstrong female characters or surreal (and oftentimes perplexing) narratives, the existing Studio Ghibli films will continue to spirit us away as they always have. Miyazaki once said ‘“I would like to make a film to tell children “it’s good to be alive”.” Mission accomplished.

~Mia Shaw (above) ~Evie Brudenall (below)

Ensembles: Best of the Best Earlier this month, Marvel’s latest box office smash Captain America: Civil War was released in cinemas worldwide. Acclaim was largely universal, with attention being paid to the film’s stellar and extensive cast, including; Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, and even Martin Freeman makes an appearance after his stint in the Shire. In honour of the sheer volume of actors Civil War boasts, I have assembled a list of films that contain a blindingly impressive cast.

Ocean’s Eleven Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don

This 2001 heist comedy utilises it’s a-list cast beautifully; Clooney provides his trademark rogue charm, Damon effectively portrays the talented but naïve pick-pocket and Pitt is great as the level-headed criminal (if such a thing exists). Even Don Cheadle and his awful attempt at a British accent cannot drag down the calibre and star-power on screen.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Tony Revolori, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson.

Wes Anderson’s 2014 comedy contains more stars than there are in heaven, and there is not a weak link among them. The film is the perfect mix of Anderson regulars (e.g. Bill Murray and Owen Wilson) and first time collaborators The delicious looking scenery only makes the viewing experience that much more enjoyable

Love Actually Cast: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy.

The reason why Love Actually is virtually everyone’s favourite romantic comedy is for many reasons, of course – but it’s largely due to the charming and winning performances of the cast.

Consisting of a compilation of Britain’s most recognisable actors including Oscar winners Colin Firth and Emma Thompson and the late Alan Rickman, this Christmas classic leaves you feeling that love, actually, is all around.

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Spotlight: Andy Cryer Freya Kingsley interviews actor Andy Cryer who plays Doctor Caius from York Theatre Royals production of The Merry Wives How would you describe your character – Doctor Caius?

I’d describe my character as a little bit bonkers. You’d like to think with a name suggesting a Doctor that he’s a sort of caring soul, looking after the community. But, in the hands of Shakespeare, not only is Doctor Caius French, so there’s a massive scope of humour to be had there at the Frenchman’s expense, but he’s also a little bit of a mad-head. If he thinks that anybody has offended him or is trying to usurp his love for the young girl Ann Page, he’s immediately writing letters and challenging people to duels so he’s a little bit bonkers. I’ve really enjoyed playing him. It’s good fun and the audience, even after 400 years, still seem to like having a good laugh at the expense of a mad Frenchman Did you find him an easy role to fall into or did he take a lot of preparation?

I’ve got a friend who’s French, so I went round to his and I just asked him to record the French lines. The first thing Vincent said was “This is crazy! This is not French! Who is this William Shakespeare?”. So the excitingly difficult and interesting thing in rehearsals was getting the right balance between exactly what Shakespeare has written but saying it in such a way that the audience can understand what I’m trying to say, rather than being swamped in the French language. Of course, what’s grown in performances is myself and the other actor whom I have the duel with. We’ve found a lot of scope for a lot more physical comedy to creep in which is fun. And the audiences, certainly on a tour, tell you what’s working and what they’re liking so that’s good.

So, do you prefer playing comedic or serious roles?

My family would certainly tell you that I’m better at playing comedic roles! I would tell you as an actor that obviously the lovely thing to do is to have a variety. My previous but one part to this, which was also with Northern Broadsides, was The Duke of Cornwall in King Lear. If Caius is a funny Frenchman, the Cornwall is the absolute opposite of that. He’s almost a psychotic future king of England that goes about blinding poor old men. I enjoyed exploring and playing that as well, if enjoy’s the right word! I enjoyed the acting process of finding out what makes those sort of people tick as well.

You mentioned that you have worked with Northern Broadsides before – is there something special about them that keeps bringing you back?

I think so. I feel very proud of my association with Northern Broadsides. They turn 25 years old next year, and I’ve been part of it, as man and boy, for 23 of those years. Barrie (Rutter – Founder and Artistic Director of Northern Broadsides) has been kind enough to say that there’s another part waiting for me. What I think it has achieved in those 25 years is a real testament to Barrie and his company. It started off as an idea that, seeing as Richard III came from York, why not have somebody that’s from Yorkshire

playing him in a Yorkshire dialect? All those years ago, the critics were already saying this can’t possibly work, how can anybody with an accent possibly play royalty? Possibly play a king? Not only did Barrie prove them wrong, but people come to see our productions again and again. I think certainly the Northern voice gives you a quicker delivery of Shakespeare, so the poetry comes out more and people seem to think that they understand it more. There’s hardly a week that goes by when we don’t have a Q&A and people say who put the rewrites in? Well we’ve never ever put a rewrite in! We’ve never modernised Shakespeare but something seems to work for our audiences. We’re talking maybe just a little more like them that they seem to understand the storytelling better. Also, you’ve got David Tennant being allowed to play a king at the RSC in his natural, Scottish accent, so I think Barrie was at the beginning of that change and that change now being taken seriously.

How did you get into acting?

I’m originally from Scarborough, and I had a very good drama teacher, Dave Bradley, when I went to Secondary school. When I was 13 years old, he asked me

if I was aware that Scarborough Theatre in the Round and Sir Alan Ayckbourn are doing a production of The Winslow Boy, and are looking for a local boy to play the main part, Ronnie.

I didn’t know about it, but I went to the audition. I got down to the final two and I got the job! So at the age of 13, my first ever job was working for Alan Ayckbourn and that set my association with The Stephen Joseph Theatre in the Round.

The same teacher told me that I could go and study drama as an A-Level at Harrogate College of Arts so I went there. At my first time of auditioning I got into The Guildhall down in London.

Have you got any plans for after The Merry Wives?

I finish The Merry Wives at the end of May and at the beginning of June I go back to Scarborough Theatre in the Round.

For the first time since I was 13 years old I’m going to be working with Alan on three brand-new world premieres! I’m working on the official 80th play of Sir Alan Ayckbourn. He’s written numbers 80, 81 and 82 and I’m part of all three of them. For me, being a Scarborough lad, it’s really exciting!

Finally, have you got any advice for aspiring actors?

I do a little bit of teaching in Bristol and the first thing I say is if there is anything else you could possibly think of doing, do it, because it is tough. The hardest thing about being an actor is not the working. When you’re employed, when you’re working, it is the best job in the world. But what you’ve got to be aware of is that there are periods of unemployment and it’s how you handle yourself when you’re not working as an actor, and how you handle rejection. I mean you might be the wrong size, or the wrong height for a part. That’s what I say to my students.

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Life & Style

a penis gun, a golden dildo, and a lube waterslide... behind the scenes at a very uncoventional tv show

I

’m the series producer for one of the final year TV shows in our department, Talk Dirty To Me. It’s a ridiculous latenight panel show based around the topic of sex, hosted by ‘Yorkshire’s Finest Drag Queen’, Queenie Buffay. Everyone in our year has to pitch a TV show and, not wanting the extra workload, I put this one forward in the hopes that it would seem too rude to our lecturers and would never see the light of day.

That plan did not work and, as a result, I’ve spent the past couple of months working with a great group of people to try and turn this stupid idea into something suitable for broadcast (at least, post-watershed). Even as I write this I am waiting for a coat of gold paint to dry on a massive dildo, which will be the star prize in our final show. This is in no way the weirdest thing I have done over the past few weeks.

Last weekend I was making the a papier-mâché penis gun.

This was used in the final round of our first episode to fire ‘sperm projectiles’ into a giant egg in a crude rendition of the process of fertilisation.

I remember my mum teaching me how to make papiermâché masks when I was younger; I’m sure she’d be proud

of how I’m applying that skill today. Research for the other rounds has also included searching Google for “funny porn parodies” and “weirdest porn films”, as well as scouring the internet for sex facts (Did you know that Birmingham is the kinkiest city in the UK? York didn’t even warrant a mention),

and making silhouette versions of Kama Sutra positions for contestants to act out behind a white sheet.

I have spent a lot of my time at university trying to justify my degree to other people. As soon as I mention I do Film and TV Production, a question that usually goes something along the lines of “But isn’t that just watching films all the time?” is almost certain to follow. I know this is a problem for most people studying Film or Television, which is why I feel slightly

10

guilty writing this article.

It’s hard to create any sense of legitimacy around our degree when, as part of the last module I will do at university, I have visited a sex shop on multiple occasions, made a neonpink papier-mâché penis gun, and accumulated an internet history filthier than Charlie Sheen’s.

When I’m done with this article I’m going to be cooking up some home-made lube so that we can spread it over a slipn-slide. Contestants, including York Vision’s very own Dianne Apen-Sadler, will be sliding down this and grabbing dildos and condoms from the side, to try and score as many points as possible. This is going to be the very last thing I do as part of my course. Please take it seriously.

~Carl Goldsmith

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Life & Style

90’s fashion lookbook T

he 90’s appears to be a fashion decade that doesn’t want to dissapear. From Saint Laurent’s baseball caps and slinky slips to Chloe’s velour tracksuits, the 90’s trend was all over the catwalk for this SS16.

While the catwalks are a great place to get inspiration from, they aren’t always so accessible to the masses. Luckiily for us, the 90’s trend is one of those that is slightly more accessible to a student friendly budget.

From great high street finds, to vintage stores, and even our own previous wardrobe pieces, there’s easy access for everyone wanting to replicate this season’s decade.

Not only is this trend more accessible to the masses, but its a whole lot comfier than previous seasons ruffles and heels, or even worse, corsets, Trainers, the universes favourite and easiest footwear to walk, run and dance around in, are certainly a staple.

Loose fitting shapes to hide those food babies and exam stress eating along, with baseball caps to cover your unwashed hair make this trend perfect for hungover lazy days. You can pretend to be eminating a young Kate Moss or Kurt Cobain when in actual fact you’ve just got back from a night out at Phat’s and haven’t showered yet, or are still finishing up those last minute presentations.

Although the trend is quite unisex in its style there are still some important items that all girls need in their 90’s wardrobe. First and foremost the choker, which has come a long way from its tatooed esque, plastinc days, Now there is a whole range to choose from, be it ribbons, velvet or one covered in bells, a choker is a staple that’s sure to go with any outfit. Furthermore, the slip dress is one of those pieces that will easily take you from day to night and back again effortlessly.

For men and women alike, the demin jacket, the baseball.cap and the tracksuit are again essential pieces to own to rock this trend. The denim jacket is everywhere, and whether you are more of a high street shopper of vintage, you can pick up a great piece for a mere £10.

Try Best Vintage, Topshop or Urban Outfitters for a variety of options. Branded tracksuits are where it gets a little more pricey, and these items are for those of you out there who are fully committed to the 90’s trend, or who just ove tracksuits in general really.

Nevertheless, regardless of price range, shape, height or even just personal preference, the 90’s trend has something for everyone, and that is why it is my favourite trend this summer.

~Hope Butler

MODELS: LUCY WILLIS, HOPE BUTLER & JASPER HART. LUCY WEARS: Cap- Asos, Jeans- Topshop, Top- Missguided, ShoesAdidas Stan Smiths HOPE WEARS: Slip- H&M, Shoes- Nike, Top- Primark, SunglassesBoohoo, Choker- Accessories, Circular Necklace- Primark, Triangle Necklace- Asos JASPER WEARS: Jumper- Vintage, Jeans- Topshop

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TV

Top ten household objects to use as a safe word If you’re going to be engaging in anything kinky, you need to have a safe word. A safe word is a word agreed upon by two or more parties before engaging in any kind of BDSM to signify that you want whatever the hell they’re doing to stop immediately. A safe word should be something you’re not going to use casually during sex – so try to avoid common phrases such as “tickle my balls, Yvette” or “WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!” Coming up with a suitable safe word can be quite difficult, so we’ve come up with a few suggestions that were inspired by objects commonly found in the household.

2. Whisk

1. Cillit Bang

BANG! And the dirt(y talk) is gone!

3. Roomba

Lots of sucking but also invokes flashbacks of the awful hoovers in halls that meant your carpet was 90% hair

The only thing a whisk will be whipping up into a frenzy is a meringue

6. Pestle & Mortar

Grinding in the non-sexy way. The grinding your teeth as you sleep and have to have braces kinda grinding

7. Ottoman

8. display cabinet

I’d honestly just be confused if someone said this during sex, I don’t even have an Ottoman

Puzzles

Sticky Sudoku

Medium

Easy 7 3 1 3 9 5

2 7 5

1 4 3 9 1

3 2 8 4

7 1 5 4 7 6 8 4 2 7 4 2 9 6 5 6 8 2

Hard 3 9 8 5 4 6 8 7 2

6 5 1 2

7 3 5 4

2

4 7 1 4 7 3 1 2 9

4 8 8 6 7 9 3 4

7 5

4 6 5 2 8 1 7

Ridiculous 8

6

5 1

8

3

9

6

8

2

9

5

7

1 6

3

2 2

1 9

Campus Crossword

6

9

7

The person you’re sleeping with will be asleep by the time you’ve finished saying this safe word

9. LITTER TRAY

Whenever I think about bidets I just think about that stupid scene in Crocodile Dundee 3 where he washes his shoe in it. Not sexy at all

Everything in here is to do with campus news over the last two months...

Have you been reading your Vision?

3

ing Washing Machine WF70F5E2W4X

9. bidet

3

2

5. Ecobubble Freestand-

York Vision’s juicy stories are too distracting to get the juices flowing

9 8 1

1

3

Nothing more unsexy than thinking about your grandmas display cabinet with all the China you’re not allowed to touch

4. York Vision

Across 1. Nearly got egg on his face 4. Degree with the lowest budget per student 6. Thread thug struck here 7. Our departing columnist 8. Film shown at Greg's Place 11. Summer Ball headliner 13. Nobody’s favourite campus animal

Do I need to explain this one? ~Dianne Apen-Sadler

Down 1. Donated £3m to uni 2. Two years as a YUSU sabb 3. Not appropriate in the library 5. We'll beat them next year 9. A leaky Harry 10. A challenge to Big D? 12. School under threat

OPINION

I

Thursday June 2, 2016

MATTHEW DENT THE GOVERNMENT ARE RIGHT TO RAISE FEES

t is perhaps not possible for MPs called Johnson to make dry policy announcements without adding some controversy. While Boris was debating who was and was not Hitler, his brother Jo was given the simple job of publishing the Government’s plans for Universities. A short press release and Civil Service techno-babble would have ensured it went smoothly – instead they decided to announce that tuition fees are going to rise again. Cue the natural re-

action. The NUS Vice-President reiterated that they are “strongly opposed to the marketisation of the higher education ... The government’s proposals could be hugely damaging to the reputation of our worldrenowned higher education sector.”

Oddly, they are half right. The rest of what Jo Johnson said - the bits that don’t immediately boil the blood of student activists – could be a very bad thing. Let me be clear, I have no problem with the tuition fee proposals. I had no problem with the rise to £9,000 and this raise is less significant than that – those Universities judged to be sufficiently good to qualify will be allowed to raise them in line with inflation.

Instead of the current focus on the cost of our education, students need to get militant about quality, and about what a degree means. This year’s Freshers were among

“I hope, it will slowly become unprofitable to be ‘bad’ University” the record 532,000 nationwide – a rise on last year equal to another York being built.

That seems to be what the Government is planning. In the name of “ensur[ing] that a high-quality education remains open to all”, degree awarding powers and University status will be easier to achieve. There is a suggestion that Mr Johnson has got some ideological fire into him, and wants to end the ‘unfair’ practice of Universities approving the applications of new institutions.

However much he feels he is liberating would-be Universities, he needs to tread

“Blithe assumptions about ‘high quality education’ and the CBI’s promise of ‘high-skilled employees do not make for sensible policy” carefully. Blithe assumptions about ‘highquality education’ and the CBI’s promise of ‘high-skilled employees’ do not make for sensible policy. Can anyone claim that each one of the approximately half a million students who start University this year needs to be there? Even worse, can anyone claim that attending a place with ‘University’ on the signs and a nice cheap bar is synonymous with a ‘high quality education’?

Quality – the Government claims – is to be another focus of these plans, but by then the aims seem so contradictory to be selfdefeating. Excellent education, available for all, and easy to set up, seem too much like utopian thinking. In this context, the tuition fee rise ought to be welcomed – at least the Government have realised they can’t make it free as well!

So, how to untangle the contest between high quality and easy access? Well, the tuition fee rise is, somewhat strangely, the cure. If enforced properly, this will create a genuine competition and a genuine desire to be recognised as a great University. Then, I hope, it will slowly become unprofitable to be ‘bad’ University. Calling a University bad – or doing so publicly – seems to be a taboo in a way it hasn’t been for schools, but we (and especially the Government) need to get over that. If an institution isn’t providing better training, higher wages, or sufficient academic interest, to sustain itself, then why pump taxpayers’ money into it? This is not heartless utilitarianism, I am a medieval historian and understand doing a degree for academic interest rather than pure monetary motives. Nevertheless, I am doing so at an excellent institution which will add to my earning and skills. Not only should the Government not support places which fail to do this, but they shouldn’t encourage them under the guise of ‘widening access.’

Bottom Line: Very soon, we shall live in a society where only the betteroff can afford tuition. @matthewtorydent

I

Vısıon 15 YORK

FREYA KINGSLEY: TEAM PROJECTS MAKE ME WANT TO CURL UP IN BED

think that most people at university would agree that when a lecturer says the two words “Team Project” their heart sinks into a pit of soul-consuming exhaustion and fear. I would hazard a guess that this is for most, sane people anyway, because they are afraid of having a team member who doesn’t pull their weight or doesn’t live up to their expectations. For me, however, it’s a slightly different case.

I have never found working in a team easy. At school, in P.E., I was renowned by the teachers as literally not giving a shit.

This wasn’t the truth exactly. I just hated having to work with other people to succeed. I would prefer to just stand there than have to use other people to get what I wanted (this was also partly due to people taking it too seriously and pissing me off even though I am extremely competitive).

Here at uni though, I detest teamwork for two rather opposing reasons, showing just how messed up and difficult my life is.

Reason number one, is that I am a bit of a control freak and a serious perfectionist. I just want to do everything myself, so it looks the way I want it to and says what I want it to say, PERFECTLY. If I feel that somebody isn’t pulling their weight I will feel like Darwin from X-Men: First Class when that bad Nazi doctor pushes energy, which turns into fire, into him and he tries to adapt to keep it in but ends up blowing up like a volcano (spoilers soz). This is how I feel a lot of the time, except unlike Darwin, I manage to keep it in and not explode flaming lava everywhere…most of the time that is.

“I manage to keep it in and not explode flaming lava everywhere... mostly” Reason two, is that I am a chronic procrastinator. I cannot do anything until the very, VERY last minute. I need the pressure to be able to work properly, which you would think goes against the first reason as I love, no, I NEED perfection, and if I leave stuff to the last minute I don’t have the time to make sure everything is a gift from the gods, and you would be right. Which is why every day I die a little inside. With a team project, however, leaving it to the last minute is not an option, especially if you are with people who are hard-working and, well, mentally-sound.

So, as soon as we were told that we would be doing a project in a team, I panicked.

I would have to go against everything that comes naturally for me and I am a

very “true-to-myself” kind of person. So it would be hard. What we had to do was analyse 8 skeletons in our group and then write a report. Every other group had everyone working on each skeleton. I, however, managed to persuade my team that it would be easier to simply take two skeletons each and work on them. Individually. Luckily, I really enjoy skeletal analysis and with the added pressure of not letting my teammates down, I got it done within the deadline that we had set for this sec-

“I have to admit that I’m glad we have them, but one is enough” tion and felt a weird sensation I had never experienced before. This must be what it’s like to get work handed in on time!

Writing the report was another matter however. I had two weeks to write the sections I had been assigned. So two weeks of nothing but the expectation to get my share done. I fell back into my old ways. I started working the day before it was due in. That night we all met in the library and worked out muddy, archaeologist socks off and when I left the library at 2.30 in the morning I felt INCREDIBLE! I had finished!

Before the deadline! Well not completely... we met after a couple of hours sleep to put it all together and finish it off properly... but the end was in sight! Like properly in sight! And I’d done a really good job! Better than I ever had before! I even thought for a second, and only a millisecond mind, it’s worth putting the effort in to do a great piece of work before the deadline. But then I realised I was cold and tired and my bed

was a much better option for the future.

Anyway, after that long ramble on, you can probably tell that I have mixed emotions about team projects – mainly that I hate their guts but they have started a little spark in the back of my brain, that may, if fanned properly, save my degree. So I guess I have to admit that I’m glad we have them, but one is enough really.

DISCLAIMER: This article contains a lot of jokes (but not really though..)

Bottom Line: Team projects may be difficult for natural perfectionists and procrastinators. @YorkVision

16 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

OPINION

YORK

O

DIANNE APEN-SADLER: WHY I’M LEAVING EDUCATION (AND NOT COMING BACK)

kay I’ll admit it – this title is a bit misleading. I’m not leaving education in any kind of dramatic fashion, I’m not quitting my studies or dropping out: I’m lucky enough to be graduating this year. I am, however, deadly serious about not coming back.

This is somewhat of a response to Zoe Brown’s letter to Nicky Morgan about quitting teaching – a view from the other side of the table, of the student being subjected to relentless tests. I work hard and I get good grades, so in a way this education system benefits me and means I should be able to get a good job. But I’m not happy, and I’m sure other students in this country aren’t either.

From age 5 when we join primary school right up until the end of secondary school at age 18, we are subjected to compulsory tests that seem almost endless.

Your year 6 SATS dictate which secondary school you get into. Tests in year 9 decide which set you are in at GCSE, and which grade your teachers think you should aim for (and push you towards). Your GCSEs decide which college you go to, and your A-Levels decide which university. You are ruthlessly pitted against your classmates through school rankings and grade boundaries which limit the number of top grades achieved per year.

On every results night I found myself lying awake with worry about what my results would mean – would I be a failure?

A disappointment? The importance of test results are emphasised to the point where students as young as six are stressed about exam results, which means that teachers have to teach to the test, rather than to teach in a way that students will enjoy. This isn’t a criticism of the teachers themselves, but of the education system we live in.

OFSTED reports and school rankings are supposed to encourage teachers to teach to the highest standard possible, but all it’s really doing is stifling creativity. Two fifths of teachers leave the profession within 5 years and it’s not difficult to work out why.

It would be easy for me to paint a sunny picture of the Finnish school system and suggest that we emulate it and watch our education system flourish and begin to climb the world rankings. But it’s not as simple as that – what works in one country might not work in another. What we need is a serious change of the system, to one that doesn’t tell children who don’t do well in traditional academic subjects you won’t do well in life, and one that gives enough information and emphasis on alternatives to university.

For most of my degree I have viewed getting a 2.2 as the end of the world. I have often forgotten that university isn’t just the piece of paper at the end, it’s about the experiences and opportunities given to you through clubs, societies, sports, and volunteering. But the constant emphasis on employability and value for money has turned university into more of a grad scheme

factory than an institute that encourages learning for the sake of learning, and I’m sick of it.

I came to university to study a subject I have loved from a young age, and have come out the other end wanting to never touch a history book again. I will leave university after three years with nearly 40 grand in debt, and I’m not sure the damage to my mental health through unnecessary stress has been worth it. I have been juggling my dissertation, alongside other demanding modules, grad scheme applications as long as my arm as well as extra curriculars and a part-time job. Sure, I could have dropped my extra curriculars, but these are the things that have made my university experience enjoyable, and I certainly can’t afford to lose my job. I feel like a bad juggling act, and something has to give – and for me, that means prioritising my mental health over further study.

“University feels like more of a grad scheme factory” I have often wondered if it was just me who was left feeling dejected and demoralised from the university experience. Was I just too dumb for university, alone in being unable to handle the stress? No, we’re just taught that it’s a normal part of the university experience to be sat in the library day after day in the same spot, studying for 14 hours at a time, we just walk past the students that are crying at their desk because they don’t have time to take a break from their work and dismiss them as just having a “bad day.” But it shouldn’t be normal, and there needs to be a better support network or a complete change in the system before I would even consider coming back.

I am truly blessed to be able to go to university, to get an education when many others cannot, but this university experience isn’t producing healthy students: the mental health report has proven that.

I cannot wait to leave, and I’m sure many students feel the same way.

Bottom Line: The current education system places unhealthy pressures on students and staff alike. @dapensadler

CALLUM SHANNON: THE NEED FOR LGBTQ ROLE MODELS

T

he Economist recently published an article asserting that young British LGBTQ have never had it so good. They may have a point. In terms of legal protection for sexual minorities, the UK is one of the best places on earth. We have an increasingly large number of gay, bi, lesbian, trans and queer role models in the media, in politics and of course, on the internet. And we have the ability to openly express ourselves that previous generations wouldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams. When my uncle was growing up as a young gay man in a village just a few miles away from where my family lives today scarcely fifty years ago, homosexuality was still illegal.

Yet despite all this progress, the country is far from perfect. Growing up LGBTQ in a rural or conservative part of the nation is still a very lonely and isolating experience.

Most LGBTQ young people leave at the earliest opportunity, as my uncle did back in the days when it was illegal to be gay, despite the fact that these days we could (on paper at least), live a relatively full life.

Why then, despite all these advancements in quality of life do LGBTQ youngsters from rural backgrounds still get away as soon as they can?

Well, as mentioned earlier, growing up LGBTQ in a place with few to no other LGBTQ people can be a very isolating experience. You can feel like nobody understands what you’re going through and the absence of non-straight people naturally means that casual homophobia and discrimination are pretty engrained in the communities. Added to this, the fact that small towns and villages can often feel so cut off from everywhere else that they are pretty much your entire world, you feel like you’re completely alone.

“Growing up LGBTQ in a rural or conservative part of the nation is still a very lonely and isolating experience” Without a doubt, my background affected how I thought about my sexuality.

Worry about not being accepted back home was a major reason behind why I came out relatively late in my life and for a long time, I thoroughly intended to never be fully out

at home. Then, one day, something happened that changed my mind.

It was the Christmas holidays of my third year, and I was sitting in one of my home town’s local pubs on Christmas Eve sipping a cup of mulled cider, when two people I recognised from school, a few years below myself, came up to talk to me.

As it turned out, they already knew a fair bit about me. They told me they’d been following my political posts on Facebook and to my surprise, what I’d been up to had inspired them to become politically active themselves, and even join the Labour Party! Who knew my inane rants actually get read by people…

“We can become the role models that we grew up without” This little encounter got me thinking.

If, by simply being open about my political views other left leaning people in right wing areas could be inspired to be embrace their political views, maybe a similar thing could happen if I was open and honest about my sexuality. After all, there was bound to be other closeted LGBTQ people in the area, now and in the future. And that’s exactly what I did. By simply being ourselves, we can, and must, become the role models that we grew up without, for the sake of the future generations. If we do this, we can be the final generation of LGBTQ youngsters who grew up in isolation.

Some have suggested Elsa should have a girlfriend in Frozen 2 Bottom Line: There is an urgent need for more LGBTQ role models in rural conservative areas. @callum_shannon

YES/NO

OPINION

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 17 YORK

SHOULD YUSU REMAIN AFFILIATED WITH THE NUS?

CHRIS WALL

ROBIN BRABHAM

‘YES’ CAMPAIGN LEADER

YES:

The NUS isn’t a perfect organisation, but there are two parts to it. The democratic structures, and the work they do to make SU’s stronger.

Having been an officer and involved with NUS for two years, I want to clear up some myths about both. Having seen first hand the work NUS does I know how valuable it is to the York experience. Leaving the NUS doesn’t hurt them, it hurts us.

The ‘No’ campaign want to leave the NUS because they feel that the system doesn’t represent them. Currently the NUS makes all their big decisions at a 3 day National Conference at the start of third term. Here, ideas are debated and policy is put in place. These policy submissions mostly come from students at other Universities and Colleges (because NUS represents many college students too) who are submitting issues that affect their students. In the same way that the students and officers who attended on behalf of York this year submitted (and passed) policy on Mental Health and Prevent.

Like other Unions, the students who attend on behalf of York are decided upon in an election that takes place each year that every York student can vote or run in.

The number of people we send is weighted to reflect a balance of institutions, to ensure they all get a voice.

The reason that I take the time to explain this is because there seems to be this opinion that the NUS is ran by people doing shady dealings or that are superior to us.

The people who vote and decide upon things are other students across the country, who are voting on what matters to them and their institutions.

When you get students from across the country together, disagreement happens and different priorities mean we end up with outcomes we might not always agree with. However there is plenty the NUS is doing that York students will agree with.

Work on mental health, the cost of living, hidden fees. We lose out on this knowledge without them.

Central to the ‘No’ campaign’s argument is that because One Member One Vote fell, the NUS aren’t interested in reform, and we must show our dissatisfaction by protesting so they implement it.

The way the NUS works, we aren’t able to suggest or vote on policy if we aren’t a member. York keeps taking ‘OMOV’ forward because it matters to York. Who will

‘NO’ CAMPAIGN LEADER do that if we leave? Who will vote for it if we leave? It’s not a parallel to other places where this has worked.

The NUS did pass policy for reform at this years conference, and they’ve committed in a press release to make ‘OMOV’ a central discussion point of that reform, with York voices being central to that, but if we leave that goes. We don’t get a say in what the reform looks like. We cut ourselves off from having our say.

The NUS only gets weaker if York leave because we aren’t there to shape it. We have several York students on NUS committees now and we currently have a York graduate in one of their Full Time Officer positions. York has a powerful voice in the NUS. We shouldn’t lose it.

There are always going to be problems with the NUS, over my 5 years here the arguments haven’t changed much. Interestingly few of these were raised before conference. When I was a delegate, I can count on one hand the number of students who reached out proactively and asked me to vote a certain way at the conference.

That’s an issue. YUSU knows it and the NUS know it.

The way to combat the issues with the NUS is to mandate us to be stronger. Manchester Union hold votes to ensure that the delegates are voting in a way that matters to Manchester. We should arguably be doing the same.

The second part of the NUS is around the support we get as a Union.

Now, there is a reason your liberation and part time officers are standing up and asking you to vote to remain. The support their networks get is invaluable. The support we get centrally is absolutely invaluable.

We are able to act on issues that matter to York students so much more effectively because of them. Being able to ring someone from the NUS to check something, offer advice or clear something legally is absolutely invaluable to my job. That’s why I know it’s important we stay. If you want us as elected officers to be the best we can be and for YUSU to be at its strongest. We need the NUS. Many students are clearly unhappy with the NUS, it needs to become more transparent and clear in how it operates.

Let’s ride out the storm however, and not punish ourselves by jumping ship.

@yusuactivities

NO:

One hundred thousand pounds.

By any standards, this is a huge sum of money, which only seems bigger in a salary. You may expect a high-flying city banker to earn that much, or perhaps a slick corporate lawyer on their way to a partnership.

However the person in question, again receiving £100,000 a year, is Simon Blake, the CEO of the NUS. That means that students, many of whom are struggling even to feed themselves or pay for the roof over their heads, are helping to pay a six-figure salary. It’s not clear what this man does to earn a salary five times larger than the average graduate, but what is evident is that in paying such exorbitant sums to its leader while students are struggling, the NUS is fundamentally broken.

This was demonstrated at the annual NUS conference in Brighton this year, where the new President, Malia Bouattia, was elected with only 372 votes. She claims to represent seven million students, yet was elected by just 0.005% of us. Further to this, when this supposedly elected official is happy to make use of anti-Semitic tropes yet fails to be meaningfully disciplined by internal investigations, our association with NUS becomes a critical issue. Are we comfortable being represented by an organisation which is passively tolerant of these views?

The Yes campaign say that we can change the NUS; that we can work from the inside to make it accountable and representative. This shouldn’t be a surprise though, as they said this in the last referendum. And the referendum before that. And the referendum before that. In fact, as far back as 2002, the President of Southampton University Student Union said, “For decades, the NUS has refused to reform, deciding to instead to remain under the control of political factions and giving real students very little.” The NUS has been talking about reform since before many of us reached secondary school, and has consistently failed to deliver.

There is no evidence suggesting that this disillusionment-referendum-meaningless “change” cycle can be broken from within.

Perhaps much of this would be less disagreeable if the benefits we derive from the organisation were in any way substantial. The problem is that they aren’t.

It is claimed that the NUS helps to keep prices in campus bars down, but this is misleading in the extreme: the pursuit of

minimum pricing of alcohol by NUS completely contradicts this self-proclaimed commitment to saving students money at the bar. Looking at this in more depth, YUSU bars do buy from a consortium, which orders supplies in bulk. This works well for smaller universities, but we are by no means one of these. With the freedom to purchase from whoever we want using our gravitas as leverage, competition could drive prices down. We can see this by the fact that we pay 5p less for a pint in D Bar and V Bar, which are independent of the NUS, than in Courtyard. It would also give us the ability to order a greater variety of food, meaning that if we were to leave the NUS, we could have a much larger menu.

Here, as well as in many other areas, the NUS acts to constrain rather than aid us. The progressive argument is to leave: as the leader of the University’s Green party, I implore York students, who should be the torch bearers for progressivism, to throw off the shackles of the NUS. Real progressivism is about making real changes that actually benefit people, and the NUS has forgotten this. When, in the 2015 general election last year, the NUS threw away £40,000 on attacking Liberal Democrat MPs, they showed their true intentions: all about the agendas and careers of their officers and delegates, with the real needs of students being a mere afterthought. This is the national student voice being appropriated by a sectional clique who represent not students but merely themselves. Any attempt at progressive change is usually thwarted by internal bickering or institutional incompetence: tuition fees are still rising, maintenance funding is still under attack, and Prevent is still racially profiling students and infringing on their rights to freedom of expression. Unless, of course, no platforming is involved: NUS goes head-overheels for speech-restricting no-platforming policies, despite receiving legal advice - commissioned by the NUS no less - stating the illegality of such policies. In leaving NUS, we won’t be losing our political voice; we will be finding it, strengthening it, and using it to campaign on issues that York students care about.

This is why we as a Union need to say no thanks to the NUS. There is an alternative to its costly and murky waters. We need real democracy, real accountability, and a real voice.

@SixetySeven

18 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

OPINION

YORK

A

JOSH SALISBURY ALL ABOUT HALLS: WHY THERE SHOULDN’T BE LGBTQ ONLY ACCOMMODATION

few weeks ago, a series of websites reported that students were campaigning for separate LGBTQ accommodation on university campuses, including here at York. The proposal would be for students to have the choice to be placed in halls with other LGBTQ students only, to help with the transition to university life and to avoid harassment.

Despite the complete lack of such a campaign at York as reported, commentators still proclaimed that this was the start of on-campus segregation. Critics have alleged that this option would allow the ghettoisation of LGBTQ students on campus, separating them from their straight or cisgender counterparts. This criticism is over-exaggerated. Firstly, LGBTQ only halls would be a choice only for those that want them, a fact some commentators have completely ignored. More importantly, whom you live with in halls does not necessarily dictate who you socialise and mix with. LGBTQ students who chose to take the option of living with other LGBTQ students in halls could, and would, still choose to socialise and interact with heterosexual and cisgender students. It’s nonsensical to pretend otherwise. We recognise this for other options provided to students when moving into halls: for instance, in some colleges residents can choose to live in a ‘sports’ themed house, yet no-one would

pretend this segregates gym goers from couch potatoes.

Tied in with this allegation of segregation is an extra-ordinary lack of sympathy of those who do support the policy. Joanna Williams, a writer for Spiked, accuses students seeking this option of wanting to scorn equality; another writer for the same website contends that this is an example of students’ addiction to self-victimisation.

Yet support for the idea represents neither of those two things. Rather, it represents the understandable desire from some LGBTQ students that they not be bullied or harassed on the basis of their identity.

The problem, of course, is that LGBTQ only housing wouldn’t prevent harassment and bullying on the basis of a person’s identity. Having housemates that are LGBTQ

“There is an extraordinary lack of sympathy for whose who do not support the policy”

CAMPUS CALLING

is no guarantee that they won’t be homophobic, biphobic or transphobic. In fact, LGBTQ only halls could exacerbate harassment, since an LGBTQ only block would serve as an easy target for homophobes. So too would revealing that you live in the “gay house” allow easy targeting. Moreover, LGBTQ only halls could prove exclusionary to people unsure of their sexuality or identity.

For a prospective student choosing accommodation for the first time, the offer of LGBTQ only halls might confuse and mislead them. They may think that in order to feel accepted at University, they need to live in LGBTQ only halls, yet might also not want to ‘out’ themselves from the very start of University life. Rather than giving students choice and making them feel safer, LGBTQ only housing would prompt students to feel like they have to out themselves to be safe, even before they have arrived.

The policy of LGBTQ only blocks doesn’t just fail its aim to make LGBTQ students safer, but is an option that has very little demand. The only British university to offer LGBTQ housing for first year undergraduates is the University of Birmingham, and very few students take up the offer. A motion proposed at the student council of the University of Central Lancashire to provide housing specifically for LGBTQ students failed, not earning enough votes to even trigger the policy making process.

The absence of campaigns for this option at universities all over the country underscores this lack of demand further. If students aren’t demanding the option in any significant numbers, then there is little reason why universities should provide that choice.

Halls for LGBTQ students aren’t the precursor to campus apartheid that some accuse them of being, and it’s completely understandable why some might think them to be a good idea. But if they don’t make LGBTQ students any safer, confuse questioning prospective students, and aren’t even in significant demand, then universi-

Bottom Line: LGBTQ only accommodation isn’t segregation, but universities still shouldn’t provide them.

@josh_salisbury

The editorial team comment on all things campus

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDERS THAN WORDS

A

decent first step; that’s the best way to summarise the University’s decision to update monthly mental health reports. On the surface it appears that, following the recent release of the report to Vice-Chancellor Koen Lamberts, the University is taking significant physical measures to tackle the raising concern of students’ mental health. However, there shall be little long-term benefit if the University neglects the dozen or so recommendations made in the report and focuses exclusively on merely publishing monthly reports.

Put into perspective, both history and current world affairs demonstrate that efforts to resolve entrenched issues are often limited (or even impeded) by the rapidly evolving state of society. As the report clearly emphasised, the issue of student mental health is no different: the costs of higher education spiralling out of control, an increasingly hostile post-graduate job market and the rapid dependence placed on social media. These factors are all symptoms of ailments facing an increasingly digitised, neoliberal and austere society; old solutions can’t be used to tackle

new-age concerns.

Bearing this facts in mind, it is imperative that the University act beyond merely publishing monthly mental health reports.

As anyone with any inkling of bureaucratic experience will tell you; reports are published, briefly discussed, shelved and forgotten. They’re a token effort.

It is essential that the University takes measures to avoid such careless complacency when so much is at stake; when 50% of all ambulance calls between January and February 2016 are caused by selfharm or suicide attempts it goes beyond statistics – these are Human lives.

Therefore, while congratulations are in order for taking a decent first step, in order to succeed there must be dozens more. As a bare minimum, it must be ensured that publishing reports into student mental health aren’t undertaken merely as a means of providing debate, as suggested by the original report. The University’s task first and foremost must be to protect the mental health of students in the face of an increasingly unforgiving world.

Oliver Peters

DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE

S

o, a goose has been run over by a man in a white van. A white van man if you will. This is of course quite awful but what depresses me even more than the sight of the doomed goose crossing the road with ill-conceived impunity is the fact that many students’ first instinct after witnessing this tragedy was to call for the driver to be banned from campus. Presumably campus, being home to many geese, should be protected from this goose killer Why is it that the default response of so any students to a problem or event to go running to the University for help? The killing of a goose is clearly a police matter (yes, it is illegal). The University has no

reason to address it. People expect and seem to want University to control every aspect of their lives. Do we ever stop to consider why the University spends money on mental health services? Surely health issues are the domain of the NHS or your private health insurer.

Recently the NUS Black Students group has called for abolishing prisons. Are students disproportionately unjustly locked up? No, of course not. It’s not a student issue. We need to stop merely asking the question “would this be beneficial?” and instead add “is this relevant to the University’s role as a higher education establishment?”

Jonathan van Kuijk

FEATURES

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 19 YORK

features I became a jew at university

Atheist turned Jew economics student Jordan Hennessy opens up to JONATHAN VAN KUIJK about his faith and conversion University, we were often told by our parents and elders, would be the best time of our lives. This is put down in no small part to the autonomy we enjoy here, unparalleled by the school and family structures that previously defined our daily lives.

Greater freedom of course implies an equal increase in personal responsibility which places us into situations where we are forced to make meaningful decisions about how to

“I always thought that I needed no one - that if you relied on someone for anything, you were weak” conduct our lives. This latter consequence of university life will, if all goes according to plan, lead to a maturity impossible to develop in our previous circumstances.

During my interview with Jordan Hennessy, a third year economics student who converted from a lifetime of atheism to Judaism at the beginning of the academic year, I find the theme of maturity cropping up often in his no holds barred defence of his new found faith. “I always thought that I needed no one - that if you relied on someone for anything, you were weak. I now realise I was very naïve.”

Jordan grew up in a nominally Methodist but “basically secular” household.

Christianity, Jordan concluded, was too much of a quick fix to the existential crisis of man’s inextinguishable yearning for the transcendental. The hierarchies and official dogmas of the Catholic Church specifically, Jordan felt, yielded a faith too dependent on the institutions of organised religion.

“If everyone is special, no one is special” – This is how Jordan described a major theological difference between Judaism and Christianity. Whereas Christianity places a heavy emphasis on evangelism and the sufficiency of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for the salvation of all mankind, in the Jewish tradition only Jews

His family celebrated Christmas and his mum would serve fish on Good Friday but only “more out of tradition than anything else.” He arrived at university firmly convinced by his default atheism but insists he was “never an aggressive atheist.”

Jordan began to wake from his theological slumber last year during the controversial Israeli boycott referendum.

Taking a firm pro-Israel position Jordan found himself spending more time with the University’s small but active Jewish society. After the referendum, which the anti-boycotters lost, he was regularly invited to Shabbat dinner with the society, one of the few non-Jews in attendence.

Finding his interest piqued in the faith that guided his new friends’ lives Jordan attended a ‘Judaism 101’ course hosted by a Rabbi from the Liberal branch of Judaism.

This experience stimulated Jordan to start seriously thinking about spiritual matters.

“If everyone is special, no one is special” are chosen by God to share a special relationship with Him. This aspect of Judaism combined with its emphasis on our present life as opposed to the life to come broke down many of the barriers to faith Christianity had previously presented to him.

When his transition from an affiliate to a member of the Jewish faith occurred Jordan explained he felt “humbled by a higher power.” He stressed he did not undergo any sort of conversion experience but rather he describes his move to faith as a “very slow organic process.”

Interestingly Jordan’s family has also experienced a parallel move to faith. His mum now runs the Sunday School at her local Catholic Church and his brother

is currently going through the formal process of conversion to Catholicism.

I asked Jordan, whatever the existential satisfaction to be found in faith, whether it can ever be rational to believe in a higher power. He immediately conceded that he always tries to intellectualise his beliefs and therefore he is never without doubt.

Jordan pointed out, however, that an untested faith is not stronger but weaker than a tested one. He also cited the Talmund, the code from which Jewish law is derived, as an example of the strong questioning intellectual Jewish tradition; the latter half of the Talmund, the Gemara, is a record of rabbinic discussions on the written law and how to interpret it. These debates are seen as just as much a part of the Talmund as the original Mishnah, the oral law.

The Jewish Society and the Jewish faith is not merely intellectually appealing – thus is the allure of all religion. A religious community inevitably provides a support structure and an opportunity to develop a more virtuous character. Despite Jordan’s firm conviction that he has to “intellectualise” all his beliefs, he admits the unique properties of such an environment have had a profound effect on his spiritual journey.

In America, universities are notorious for being places where students from religious families lose their faith. British universities do not have that reputation, for the simple reason that students are not religious before they arrive. Jordan Hennessy provides us with an example of how the transformative experience of university life can also facilitate a move towards a profound move towards the sacred.

20 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

FEATURES

YORK

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS: what not to miss JONATHAN VAN KUIJK and PAUL WACE run through the UK’s largest free festival

I

t’s like the Edinburgh Festival – but free. This is how the organisers describe the York Festival of Ideas. Presumably it’s less funny the Edinburgh Fringe as well. Perhaps a more apt comparison would be the Hay Festival – but free, and with approximately the same number of jokes.

Presumably the Edinburgh Festival was invoked to encourage the unwashed masses to come along.

York Festival of Ideas, starting June 7, should be more confident in itself. It is a very well put together “highbrow” series of talks,

panels, films, exhibitions and symposiums. The nominal theme is Tick Tock. If this sounds vague that’s because of the wide range of topics and themes the festival explores. Events range from debates on the upcoming EU referendum to early Anglo-Saxon Northumbrian coinage. It is a mistake to think of the festival as a series of events on a unified subject. Rather, it is a showcase of scholarly work on a disparate set of topics.

The diversity of topics under consideration is the festival’s main strength. We do not attend a talk

on Staging Greek Tragedy Today (Friday June 17 6pm to 7.30pm) in the hopes of receiving an exhaustive overview of modern approaches to staging Greek tragedy, from feminist interpretations of Lysistrata to Hegel’s critique of the ethical life of the polis in Antigone, in a myriad follow up talks (as exciting is this may be).

Instead we hope to gain a tantalising glimpse into an intellectual realm hitherto unseen and bask in its self-justifying value.

G.K Chesterton wrote that “The poet only asks to get his head

into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.” This, I contend, equally applies to academic festivals. Whilst your degree demands complete devotion and understanding, the Festival of Ideas invites you to stick your head into the heavens.

This is why, just after your exams, it is still a good idea to turn up to one or two events that pique your interest and also why we should all be excited at the opportunity to attend bonus lectures at the tail end of the academic year.

‘THE POLITICS OF HOPE’ june 17 10.00am to 11.30am ron cooke hub Guardian columnist Owen Jones take centre stage in this panel discussion on the “changing political economic landscape.” The event starts with a speach by Jones before he joins a panel comprising of academcis including Vicky Pryce of the Centre for Economics and Business and GoodCorporation, Gulcin Ozkan, Department of Economics and Related Stdies, University of York, Helena Bernard, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Martin Smith, Department of Politics, University of York.

As well as scribbling for the Guardian Owen Jones wrote the bestsellers Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class and The Establishment - And How They Get Away With It the former of which launched him to fame as one of Britain’s leading left-wing political commentators.

the chemistry of breaking bad

fish ‘n’ ships: cocktails without CRIMINAL: fishing through time WHY PEOPLE DO BAD THINGS the nonsense

June 16, 7.00pm to 8.15pm merchant adventurers’ hall

June 4, 10.00am to 4.00pm kings manor

June 14, 6.30pm to 7.20pm RON COOKE HUB

June 10, 7.00PM TO 8.00PM eagle & child pub

You’ve seen the show - the story of Walter White turning to making meth when he’s diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now the chemistry department’s very own Professor David Smith, a Twitter legend, will be going behind the chemistry of the show.

If your exams went badly and you think drug dealing might be for you, this event has you covered.

The history of fishing is more gripping than it sounds. A chef will cook up a fish as it would have been done in medieval times and you can try some, and archeologists will discuss how fishing tells us a lot about historical societies. This event will go down swimmingly.

In light of debate about conditions in prisons recently, this talk from author Tom Gash will shed light on the psychology of crime, and ask potent questions about how responsible we are.

How has crime changed in the last 100 years? Does anti-social behaviour just stem from childhood? This talk has the answers.

Yes, this has actual cocktails. You can drink them. They have alcohol in them.

The event is free. Literally, this is about free alcohol. And the history of mixology, as taught by Richard Godwin, author of The Spirits: A Guide to Modern Cocktailing. So after your free booze, you can go home and make some more cocktails yourself. Why would you not go?

luma film festival

at the quentin blake: existentialist cafe artist, teacher, healer

June 11 & 12, 10.00am to 10.00pm theatre, film & television dept.

June 8, 6.00pm to 6.50pm kings manor

June 7, 6.30PM TO 7.10PM RON COOKE HUB

Screenings, workshops, masterclasses this event brings some of the glamour of Cannes to windswept Hes East. This two day festival will give you the chance to see the work done by film students at York, including a great documentary about High Speed II which York Vision really enjoyed.

From Satre to Camus, a discussion of one of an often misunderstood type of philosophy, existentialism.

Author Sarah Bakewell talks about her book of the same name, and asks what famous famous French and German existentialists can really offer us in life today.

It wasn’t quite a Roald Dahl book if it wasn’t illustrated by the legendary Quentin Blake. Now curator and lecturer Ghislaine Kenyon, who collaborated with the illustrator, tells all about how Blake worked. Did you know that Blake also drew illustrations for hospital walls as well as The BFG?

ibiza after dark June 13, 7.30pm to 9.00pm fibbers Even more incredibly than free booze, this event is free and it’s at Fibbers.

Veteran Ibiza DJ Rob Tissera lays down some club music and talks through what makes the music unique. Find out why so many people head to Ibiza every summer.

It’s not all high culture. The York Festival of Ideas pretty much does have something for everyone.

22 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

FEATURES

YORK

STUCK IN YORK? We’ve got you covered SYLVIE MARKES explores what to do in Yorkshire over summer.

This feature is devoted to a flatmate of mine who is mourning the now dead possibility of returning home to sunny Budapest after deciding it would be more financially viable to work at a café in York over Summer, not aware of her employer’s plans to streamline the workforce. You may not have sun but you shall have fun!

Fossgate Festival: When? 10-6pm, 5 Jun, 3 Jul, 7 Aug, 28 Aug Where? Fossgate How much? Free Fossgate has lots to offer on any day but walk down on one of its festival days and experience it at a time like no other! The street party will have you wishing you had more stomach space to try all the food and drink all the drink, whilst regretting your choices as you try and dance to the live music.

JUNE

A Hawk and A Hacksaw When? 30th June at 19:45 Where? The National Centre for Early Music , St Margaret’s Church, Walmgate, York How much? £5 for students I can’t say I’ve been a fan of the band for longer than an hour but I was drawn in by the description from the Yorkshire Festival, as well as their review from Pitchfork. They have a very refreshing and eclectic sound but I recommend having a listen before you commit.

“So ebullient and full of character that by the time it’s over you feel like you’ve caught a glimpse of the type of joyful festivity that always feels most rewarding after a long journey.” Pitchfork http://festival.yorkshire.com/events/a-hawk-and-ahacksaw-at-the-national-centre-for-early-music

august

Leeds Festival 2016 When? 25th-28th August Where? Bramham Park How much? £59.50 for a day ticket and £205 for a weekend ticket.

Leeds festival has the same acts as Reading festival, including the headliners Biffy Clyro, Fall Out Boy, Foals, Disclosure, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Imagine Dragons to name a few. Sales are still going so if you fancy a weekend of debauchery and are attempting to keep the uni lyf alive post-finals, this is your ticket outta reality. http://www.leedsfestival.com/

York River Art Market: When? 26 June, 3 July, 10 July, 10-5:30pm Where? Lendal side of the River Ouse by the Museum Gardens How much? Free This event is hot off the press as it begins this year in the hope of establishing itself as a staple summer event. Survey the railings along the Judi Dench Walk and be inspired by work from artists based all around Yorkshire, ‘both established and emerging’. Check out their Facebook page for more information.

ChipShopTheMusical: When? 1st – 3rd June 6.30pm (Food from 6pm) & 8.30pm (Food from 8pm) Where? Wackers Fish and Chips Restaurant,York How much? £16.50 with fish and chips.

This is a bit of a wild card on our list of summer lovin’ and towards the pricier end of the spectrum, but it could be just the ticket if you like eating fish and chips with the eclectic combination of theatre and music, ‘UK Grime, Yorkshire Brass and sounds of chip shop life’ http://www.freedomstudios.co.uk/projects/chipshop/

The Tetley Weekender: When? 25th-26th June.

Where? Hunslet Road, Leeds, LS10 1JQ How much? Free with some ticketed events I haven’t experienced much sound art before but if you fancy a trip to Leeds around this time, drop into this micro-festival. It’s an extension of one of their current and free exhibitions called No Quiet Place, focused on sound and visual art. Expect to see performers, live music and talks along with family activities.

Leeds International Beer Festival: When? 8th-11th September Where? Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow, Leeds, LSI 3AD How much? Thursday from 5-11pm is £8, Friday 12-5pm is £7.50, Friday 6-11pm is £8.50, Saturday 125pm is £8.50, Saturday 6-11pm is £8.50, Sunday 125pm is £6.

If you’re a fan of craft beer or any number of the hundreds of beers and ciders on offer, this festival is for you. Cushion your stomach with delicious selections from the street food market whilst listening to live music from the two stages. http://www.leedsbeer.com/

september

Early Music Festival by The Najuly Yorktional Centre for Early Music

When? 8th – 16th July Where? Smattered around the city of York How much? Student prices are £5 on most shows.

The music events may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for £5 shows and the smug feeling after a dose of culture, it may be worth swapping Kuda Klub Klassix for Choral Pilgrimage. The more resistant you are, the more grown-up you feel post-listen. The festival ‘marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, with music from the Elizabethan theatre and pieces inspired by the Shakespearean themes of magic, mystery and the supernatural.’ http://www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=228 The Great Yorkshire Fringe When? 15th July – 1st August Where? Parliament Street and various locations in the centre of York How much? It seems most tickets are around £10 otherwise there is also the free fringe.

The Great Yorkshire Fringe is in its second year, hoping to establish itself as an unmissable summer occasion after its huge successes last year with over 120,000 people attending 63 events. There is a large variety of entertainment centred around comedy, cabaret, theatre, music and activities. Martin Witts, the founder has been quoted in the British Theatre Guide as saying, “The Great Yorkshire Fringe in 2016 is going to be an even bigger non-stop cavalcade of laughs.

Comedy is going to take over the city centre and the sound of infectious laughter will be everywhere!” http://www.greatyorkshirefringe.com/

FEATURES

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 23 YORK

On campus and on the council

KEANE DUNCAN talks about his experience acting as local councillor for Ryedale District Council whilst studying at UoY ELECTED to Ryedale District Council in last May’s local elections, towards the end of my second year at the University of York, I have the unusual privilege of serving as the councillor for the 3000 people of Norton East ward, near Malton, North Yorkshire. Asked to share with readers my experiences as a “student politician” by the York Vision editors, this is perhaps a less glamorous and more candid reflection of my year in office than the title implies.

I knew that a Conservative victory in Norton East would require hard work, I just wasn’t quite aware of how much. Kitted out in fluorescent vest and wellies, knee deep in murky water, and fishing around for crisp packets with my litter picker while smiling at the camera – my council campaign was now in full swing.

The candidate to beat was the former Liberal Democrat MP for Ryedale, University of York research associate and councillor of thirty-five years, Elizabeth Shields.

With her considerable political and life experience, it would take three months of weekend trips back home to galvanise support for the Tory cause in one of the most deprived areas of the district.

Many campaigns have a battle bus of young activists, I had something much more effective – an old Peugeot van and an ‘OAP army’ of over 60s that helped to deliver thousands of leaflets in the three months I had at my disposal before Polling Day. These leaflet drops were combined with a personal quest to speak to as many of my ward’s electors as possible.

“I had an old Peugeot van and an ‘OAP army’ of over 60s that helped to deliver thousands of leaflets in the three months I had at my disposal before Polling Day.” Clip board in hand, my doorstep receptions ranged from perfectly positive, to positively negative. Door slams were frequently interweaved with hour-long conversations, invitations into the sitting room, and recollections of my school days, knitted jumpers and other tales from when I was ‘this’ high. This was the rough and smooth of doorstep canvassing in a town where everyone knows everyone, but that hadn’t been represented by a Conservative in my lifetime.

Unbeknownst to me as I stood on the stage on the 7th May to hear the an-

nouncement of my victory – a clear 300 votes ahead of Mrs Shields – council duties would not be confined to occasional litter picks and photo opportunities. Unwilling to stand during prayers, disapproving of the taxpayer funded buffet prior to Annual Council, attached (perhaps naïvely) to the idea of effective democratic scrutiny, and unimpressed by attempts at whipping along the Tory Party line, there were occasional generational disagreements with my fellow members alongside very valuable lessons about human nature.

Before long I would face a battle that would not only see me briefly thrown front and centre of Ryedale’s decision making, but also pit me and three other backbench Tories against the leadership of our own Party.

The development of the council-owned Wentworth Street car park for a supermarket confronted me with a difficult choice between the Party I loved and the people I represented. While the £5 million development may have been an eminently sensible one in an era when chains battled to be the biggest store in town, seven years later, with the market a very different place and £1.7 million pounds of taxpayer money spent on successive legal battles, I felt that time should be called on the failing project.

After losing an initial vote to terminate the Council’s contract with developer GMI Holbeck by a single vote, I commenced on sprinting round the room to collect cross party signatures on a petition for a meeting of council to revisit the decision for a second time.

The Tory top brass, it seems, discourages both exercise in the council chamber and cooperation with the opposition.

Courage to stick by my guns throughout

this fight came from an unexpected source – the dedication and integrity of the granddaughter of Lord Halifax (the World War Two Foreign Secretary and namesake of Halifax College), Lady Emma Brooksbank.

Whilst we were admittedly an odd pairing, we nonetheless set about on a frantic and exciting period of lobbying, publicity and planning.

Ahead of the second meeting a couple of months later, the Malton and Pickering Mercury anticipated “cross party clashes” and heralded a dramatic twist in proceedings. “In the face of a potential backbench revolt”, the Leader announced two days prior to the meeting that she would not oppose my motion and Council voted unanimously to terminate the contract.

“I was confronted with a difficult choice between the Party I loved and the people I represented.”

The final chapter of the Wentworth Street story may sound relatively trivial to the outsider reading this article, but it represented the culmination of a seven-year fight between the Council and local peo-

ple, and a personal realisation that decision making, at whatever level, should be guided by self-belief and conviction. If I achieved nothing else over the remaining three years of my term, and learned no other lesson (apart from the dangers of over indulging during a trip to a local sausage roll factory), my step into local politics had been worth it.

From dog mess to potholes, retail developments to flooding, local politics should not be seen as a quick and easy stepping-stone to Downing Street. I would advise any would-be student candidate to prepare for campaign challenges, frequent in-fighting, occasional over indulgence, verbal abuse and letterbox dog bites. These are the things that have characterised my fray into Ryedale’s decision making, and made representing my hometown while studying for an undergraduate degree such a valuable, but nonetheless time intensive and occasionally frustrating, experience.

24 Vısıon Thursday June 2, 2016

FEATURES

YORK

Meet the editors’ pussies DIANNE APEN-SADLER rounds up the York Vision’s editors feline friends Maneater... quite literally, she once bit my boyfriend’s dick

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I only had the opportunity to hang out with my cat Oreo for three days before term started again, as he was brought home just before the end of the Easter holidays. He enjoys moving up and down the bannister at my home in Buckinghamshire - we’re hoping to enter him into the bannister olympics next year!

susy

Cicero & Bacardi

DEPUTY EDITOR I have two cats - Steven (above) and Sheilagh (below). Sheilagh lives with me at home in Essex, but Steven (also known as Susy or Demon) lives with me at university. Steven is only 4 so she loves to play! She’s a total maneater... literally, she once bit my boyfriends dick!

Sheilagh is now that she’s approaching 16 (84 in cat years!) she mainly just curls up in your lap and sleeps.

OREO

STAGE EDITOR (ABOVE)The cat on the left is Cicero, one of three brothers, and the cat on the right is Bacardi. Cicero loves cuddling with one of my dogs and has luxurious fur like velvet...not to mention his wise face (hence the name). Bacardi is old and a bit of a dick. He’s grumpy with all the other animals but loves a cuddle with ANY human.

(BELOW) The cat on top is Istanbul, or Stan. All of my cats love snuggling up with each other but Stan is probably the snuggliest. He has a funny habit of watching lights reflected from cutlery move across the ceiling, all the while mewing like a siren.

Sheilagh COLUMNIST Iggy was scarred by her experiences in vietnam.

Hasn’t stopped her from being the cutest cat in existence

stormageddon TV EDITOR This is Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All (also known as Stormy). She likes to kick the dog out of his own bed (and/or) get in my way when I’m trying to edit.

Istanbul G O D S U N BO

FEATURES EDITOR Lola the dog made the cut after Vision’s cat crazy editors ran out of felines. People are sometimes scared of her but she always wins em round in the end.

iggy

Lola

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SPORT

Thursday June 2, 2016

CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S SPORT

THESE YORK GIRLS CAN

BY RAJUN MANN ON THURSDAY June 9, YUSU are organising a Ladies Day to celebrate female participation in sport, as well as to debate, discuss and challenge barriers women face in sport whilst learning new sports and being active.

A busy schedule of events has been organised for the day including a ‘Women in Sport’ panel with special guests from across the sporting field, an introduction to Cheerleading, Zumba and Weightlifting. To finish the day there will be a huge all-inclusive rounders game to which all are welcome to attend.

The day will last from 12-4, with an open event for all being held from 4 onwards. The day will commence with a ‘Women in Sport’ panel being led by the Women’s Officers.

This will be an opportunity for the panel to discuss and debate challenges women face to participation in sport and ways to encourage and increase participation.

It will be an excellent way for students as well as staff to highlight ways in which female participation in sport can improved and raise questions on what should be done to further improve the currently successful sport system in place at the university.

The Dance and Cheerleading Societies will be hosting taster sessions for ticket holders to participate in an array of dance and cheerleading activities. Two 1/2 hour sessions will be available on

the day led by these groups for participants to give these activities a go. This shows one of the many actions YUSU is taking to encourage female sport.

There will also be an Introduction to Women’s Weightlifting, a workshop to provide advice and information on how to use the gym safely and effectively, videos and tips. This event will also be used to launch the #GirlsWhoGym Facebook group to share good practice and a variety of exercises and how to conduct them effectively. Thus, the outcome of the event will be beneficial to those present as well as those who are unable to attend.

To end the day Touch Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee and Football matches will be played at Heslington West on the 22 Acres. After the event, all are welcomed to the 22 acres for a big rounders event with food and drinks provided. This will not require individuals to purchase tickets to attend.

This is the perfect event to follow on from Roses given that the theme this year was ‘Women in Sport’. It shows the concern for many within the University and outside on the need to raise the profile of female sport, echoing the change that is taking place within the professional sphere.

In recent years the female sporting sphere has seen improvement in participation and interest from the public. However, the issue still remains that female sport is still lagging behind its counterpart.

Grace Clarke has previously stated that the University has been

“

I’m working really closely with the women’s officers on various different projects... hopefully this will pave the way for the future

Scenes... the women’s basketball thrilled at Roses

GRACE CLARKE

”

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trying to improve equal opportunities this year and trying to make everything more inclusive.

Talking to York Vision before Roses about the Varsity event between York and Lancaster she stated that a big push for women sport is so important: “I was reading quite a lot over the weekend because I was on a panel on Friday about women in sport and the barriers that women face and I hadn’t really realised the difference with women sport on TV and the statistics that back it up.

“You kind of think a lot has changed but there is still a long way to go and I think having women’s football as the opening ceremony and having Saturday as a female only sport day is just a fantastic showcase of women sport. I think it can only manifest into what we’re going to do next year with a bigger push.

“I’m working really closely with the women’s officers on various different projects, such as transgender swim gear, hopefully in York Sport and different discussions on maybe women’s only swim sessions.

“Hopefully this will pave the way for the future.”

Tickets for the event can be purchased on the YUSU website and cost £3 with all the money earnt going to the Marie Curie.

A charity who provides care and support for people living with any terminal illness, and their families.

This is one of the most important events of the year given the impact it will have on the future of female sport in York.

Celebration... York’s women won the opening ceremony

UYWRUFC host touch rugby tournament after Roses success

BY DIANNE APEN-SADLER UYWRUFC ARE organising a charity touch rugby tournament this Saturday in support of IDAS, a domestic abuse charity that the club have worked closely with for nearly a year.

IDAS is a domestic abuse charity based in North Yorkshire that provides support for both male and female victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Services provided by the charity include refuge, accommodation and a confidential helpline.

Over the past year UYWRUFC

have worked closely with IDAS, organising talks with them on campus as well as putting up posters Katie Layley, organiser of the event, said: “This has been so that more people know about their charity and the work they do, and also so that more people know what counts as domestic abuse and sexual violence and how to spot it.

“Our good relationship with IDAS will continue as we do more with them, more talks, more workshops, and more fundraising.

“We think it is important that IDAS become better known amongst the community, as their help can save lives.”

The theme for this year’s Roses focussed on women in sport, and hoped to bring attention to the gender gap in sport including the large disparity between pay in professional sporting events.

Women’s sport kicked off Roses 2016 with the Women’s 1st football match at the opening ceremony, the first time a female sport

Women’s Roses rugby

has opened the competition since it began in 1965.

UYWRUFC won both of their 7s games at Roses and their 15s fought fiercely against Lancaster but ultimately lost.

Layley attributed the growth in popularity for women’s rugby to the increasing coverage of both men’s and women’s rugby matches in national media, which has helped with removing the “stereotype” of women’s rugby players as being overly muscular or prone to injury, which, she noted, puts off many women from getting involved in the sport.

Despite over half of their 1st

team graduating at the end of last season, UYWRUFC has dramatically increased in popularity – last year, they had 32 paid members, whereas this year the club have nearly 60.

For the first time this year UYWRUFC have enough members to send a 2nd team to BUCS leagues next season.

The UFWRUFC charity touch rugby tournament will be held on 22 acres from 12:30pm on June 4, with a £10 entry fee per team of 6, with all of the proceeds going towards IDAS. Food and drink will also be available to purchase by spectators.

26 Vısıon YORK

COLLEGE VASE

Rosy future ahead for Constantine 2s

3

CONSTANTINE 2s

SPORT

Thursday June 2, 2016

0

VANBRUGH 4s

BY CHRISTIAN LOVELESS FOR WHAT proved to be a dead rubber, this match gave the 2s plenty to be positive about after a disappointing cup campaign and year in general.

With no neutral referee there was a late line-up change, but the Romans didn’t let this affect them and dominated the opening exchanges - Maugham constantly threatening to capitalise on Noon’s through balls.

Inevitably, this pressure told, though not in the form they might have expected: Horne’s far post cross deceived the defenders, his own teammates and the goalkeeper, and saw it sail into the net.

Vanbrugh retaliated with some dangerous play around the box, their striker possibly at fault for not levelling the scores before the end of the half.

Loveless, who reffed the first half, brought himself on to a standing ovation for his last game as 2s captain.

His swan-song lasted just 30 seconds, as he went over on his ankle whilst laughing at Adegbenla slipping over on the rain-soaked astro-turf, and watched the rest of the match from the bench.

Fortunately for him, the Romans rallied and produced one of their best halves of football of the term, with precise passing, shots from all angles and composed defending.

Soon they found the net again, and again it was Horne who struck, lashing in a half volley after the Vanbrugh keeper parried Chambers’ shot.

Nor did they ease off after that - Chambers again turned provider as he saw his corner turned in by Dhandwar, who no one could deny deserved a goal.

By that point Vanbrugh knew they were out of the game, the odd wild shot or cross being the sole fruits of their labours.

With the captain departing it was an emotional day for all involved at the club, but be assured the players and fans that he would be returning next year, just like any other university student after summer.

Man of the Match was a close call, but Dhandwar sneaked it ahead of Horne. The future looks bright. The future looks pink.

CHARITY SPORTS DAY Beautiful day... spectators look on from the bar

Bowling for cancer

BY LAUREN MALCHAREK THE T20 White Rose Trophy match missed out on the chance to be the decisive event between the University of York and York St John, as the latter had to drop out at the last minute.

22 Acres was set to play host to the local derby showdown on May 29, alongside an inter-club tournament between the University’s Rugby, Hockey, Football and Lacrosse clubs.

The day was set to be electric, side line attractions for spectators included a bar and a barbeque, with all the proceeds going to the affiliated charity of York Cancer Research.

Unfortunately the main attraction of the day had to take a slightly different path due to York St John’s last minute drop out.

University of York Cricket Cub member Prasham Patel describing

the turn of events as “disappointing” saying, “it lost its competitive side today but it was still a great day for us and the charity.”

Despite the knockback the event wielded a great number of spectators, the interclub competition was received greatly by the crowds, as it highlighted cross club rivalry witnessed through the playing of the one same sport.

The most notable moments during the interclub face off came form the first cricket match of the day between football and hockey, with football securing 71-0 from their 6 overs and rugby smashing ing football with 36 balls to chase it down.

The day offered a perfect treat to finish off the exam period and extended through the night with an afterparty at Lendal Cellars and Revs.

COLLEGES HOST SUMMER SPORTS DAY

BY LAUREN MALCHAREK YESTERDAY WAS the last chance to settle ferocious college rivalry as the 2016 College Sports Day got underway.

The sporting hostility between campus colleges was tackled head first - and where better to settle such a tense score than the newly opened athletics track on the Hes West campus.

Colleges had to unearth their sporting legends to compete in the events of the day that range from 4X100m relays, to a college mascot race and an old school styled tug of war.

For each event that doesn’t have a college competitor points were lost.

As if doing it for your college wasn’t motivation enough, specially designed medals were awarded to the victors of the events.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE

VOLLEYBALL

TRACK

SPORT

Thursday June 2, 2016

Vısıon 27 YORK

COLLEGE FOOTBALL LATEST

FLYING HIGH Derwent 4s in Plate quarter finals

Outmatched... a major coup for the college

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DERWENT 4s

1

LANGWITH 2s

BY RAJUN MANN THIS GAME was the biggest for Derwent College’s Cup campaign so far.

The Derwent 4s had the possibility to qualify for the College Cup quarter finals, which is unprecedented for any 4s team. Their opponents have had a disappointing cup run with 4 losses out of 5.

Nevertheless, a win for Langwith would have given them some motivation moving forward into the next college football season.

The better start was made by Derwent with some pressing football on and off the ball, resulting in more chances being created and possession of the ball in Langwith’s

Last week’s fixtures...

GROUP A

GROUP B

half of the pitch.

Nevertheless, once Langwith had settled in to the game they were able to string together a series of passes and test the Derwent goalkeeper.

Just before the halftime whistle the first goal came from a surprising play which set the Langwith captain Ahuluwalia free to score.

However, the Derwent response was quick with a goal in the other end in a matter of seconds, showing the confidence, motivation and the prize that was at stake for Derwent in this match.

After a brief halftime pause, the match commenced once again with Derwent in the stronger position.

Although certain decisions were missed with the referee paying more attention to his phone than the game, both Derwent and

Langwith pushed on to play a fair match.

The start of the second half was much the same as the first with Derwent playing the better football.

However, from some unlucky decisions Langwith were rewarded a penalty which could be questioned. Nevertheless, a last minute change in the penalty taker resulted in the score staying at 1-1.

The response from Derwent was a goal for themselves with their striker being set free after brilliant play in the midfield.

Langwith, however, were not down and out they continued to test the Derwent backline and goalkeeper with intricate passing.

However, the defensive play exercised by Derwent proved too much for Langwith with the final score staying at 2-1 to Derwent.

GROUP C GROUP D

Over the moon... they celebrate first goal Continued from back page In a closely fought Group C, Vanbrugh Firsts edged Halifax Firsts on goal difference to secure first place.

Group D finished up in the same fashion with Goodricke Firsts outscoring Langwith Firsts to take top spot after both teams finished on 10pts.

With all First teams progressing out of the group stages of the cup, the knockout rounds will be hottly contested.

Meanwhile, it will be up to Vanbrugh Seconds to carry the plucky underdog banner. With shocks aplenty in past cup competitions, they cannot be discounted.

yorkvision.co.uk/roses

ısıon VSport YORK

York Sport Union up for awards

BY LAUREN MALCHAREK THE UNIVERSITY of York has been shortlisted for three honours at the BUCS Awards 2016.

The equal opportunities scheme run by the Union is up for the #TakeAStand prize for inclusivity and diversity. The scheme works towards the aim of breaking down the potential barriers preventing people from participating in sport at York.

York Sport prez Grace Clarke said she was “absolutely delighted” by the news.

Current president of the York Cycling Club Ashley Marsh has been nominated for the Unsung Hero BUCS award. “He has worked tirelessly to ensure his club is inclusive and accessible to all,” Clarke told York Vision.

The Unsung Hero title is awarded to an individual who has persistently applied their efforts in supporting university sport at all levels.

Laura Curruthers has also been nominated for the BDLA Student Leader Award. “Laura is a true inspiration and I am not suprised in the slightest she has been selected by BUCS for such a prestigious award.”

BUCS awards recognise the efforts made towards developing university sport, from individual athlete success to other contributors such as coaches and club officials.

WOMEN’S RUGBY ‘TRY’ TO RAISE MONEY See Page 37

COLLEGE CUP WEEK 7

Derwent 4s left Langwith 2s reeling

IT’S A KNOCKOUT

Running for it... next year’s York Sport prez Beevor

BY MATT KIRKUM

Colleges battle it out for final places LADIES’ DAY ON JUNE 9

BY RAJUN MANN

ON THURSDAY June 9, YUSU are organising a Ladies Day to celebrate female participation in sport, as well as to debate, discuss and challenge barriers women face in sport whilst learning new sports and getting physically active.

A busy schedule of events has been organised for the

day including a ‘Women in Sport’ panel with special guests from across the sporting field.

The day aims to highlight ways in which female participation in sport can improved and raise questions on what should be done to further improve the currently successful sport system in place at the university.

These York Girls Can - Page 37

THE COLLEGE Cup knockout stages were confirmed last week. The top two teams in each group will compete for the coveted trophy while third and fourth placed teams progress to the Plate, the second tier edcompetition.

Meanwhile fifth and sixth finishers qualify for the Vase.

All quaterfinals matches are due to begin this week.

Derwent Firsts convinclingly topped Group A, a comfortable four points ahead of Wentworth Firsts.

Vanbrugh Seconds were suprise victors in their group ahead of Premier Division stalwarts James Firsts.

No Rose cup as YSJ drop out

BY LAUREN MALCHAREK

THE T20 White Rose Trophy match missed out on the chance to be the decisive event between the University of York and York St John, as the latter had to drop out at the last minute.

University of York Cricket Cub member Prasham Patel describing the turn of events as “disappointing.”

Bowling for Cancer - Page 38

Continued on Page 39...