Issue 267

FRESH. GUIDE INSIDE

01.10.19

YORK’S AWARD-WINNING TABLOID NEWSPAPER

XR TAKEOVER IN YUSU The new radical voices inside

ISSUE 267

YUSU’s E&E Collective

EXCLUSIVE: UNI EXEC’S LAVISH TRIPS ABROAD

FLIGHT CLUB Revealed: How much York’s Executive Board spends jet-setting BY

ADAM PHILPOTT

THE EXECUTIVE board of the University of York period.

Between August 2015 and July 2018, the University’s York Vision can reveal that

FULL STORY ON PAGES 4 & 5

FRESH. YOUR 16 PAGE FRESHERS GUIDE IS INSIDE

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NEWS

Tuesday October 1, 2019

EXCLSUIVE: STAFF MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS AT RECORD HIGH

LIBRARY FINES

BY CHRIS

SMALL

THE 2017/2018 academic year saw the Library collect slightly more in fines than the year prior.

The year saw the amount collected in fines increase from £24.7k to £25.6k, a step backwards in the library’s long-term ambition to be collecting nothing in library fines.

However, the long term trend paints a much more positive picture of the library’s aims, with the fines collected in the past two years still representing a significant reduction in the massive £112,000 collected in late return fines by the Library in the 2011/2012 academic year.

THIS YEAR’S FINES COULD BUY YOU 7111 PINTS OF KOPPARBERG BLACK AT COURTYARD

SHOCK STAFF MENTAL HEALTH FIGURES BY

CHAY QUINN

STAFF AND student referrals to mental health services have skyrocketed to record numbers, a York Vision investigation has found.

Staff referrals saw a 30% hike between 2017 and 2018 (the last full data set available) climbing to a sky-high 228 referrals.

This is the first time that the number of staff referred has passed the 200-mark.

Student mental health referrals are also at record numbers with a huge rise of 869 student referrals to the University’s Open Door service between the 2016/17 and 2018/19 academic years despite a rise of only 26 in the previous four years. This is a massive rise of 50% in just two years.

If the current increase

continues at the same rate, York could see over 3,000 referrals for the first time in this academic year.

Female staff in particular are being referred to Occupational Health and associated services in large numbers with a huge 69% of staff referrals being women despite occupying just 54% of roles.

Studies have suggested that this could be down to the 16.3% gender pay gap on campus, with women’s mental health issues linked to lower salaries than their male counterparts.

The vast majority of staff referrals come from management as opposed to staff self-referring. The increase in overall numbers is driven by an increase in these managerial referrals. These

numbers could represent greater signposting on the part of University management but will still worry those who are charged with tackling the mental health crisis at York.

These figures bring the broader questions around mental health back into the spotlight and opens up new criticisms of the University’s handling of staff mental health issues ratherthan just students.

The findings are likely to reignite question over the the University’s role in cases of mental ill health at a time when increasing funding to mental health services amongst intense criticism from both YUSU and the national press. This is the first time that a investigation into staff mental health

has been undertaken by a student newspaper at York.

When we asked the University what they though about the sudden increase in student councilling referals, they said: “There has been significant work through the Student Mental Health Strategy, which was developed with the student body, to raise the profile of emotional and therapeutic support available to students and this may have contributed to the increase in referrals.”

If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues, the University provides details of all support available here: https://www.york.ac.uk/ students/health.

You don’t need to suffer on your own.

EDITORIAL TEAM 2019/20 Editors:

Harry Clay Chay Quinn Deputy Editor: Chris Small

Technical Director: Jess Reeve

Music Editor: Helena Senior

Managing Director: Nick Lunn

News Editor: Adam Philpott

Books Editor: Zara Stubbs

Chief Sub Editor: Lucy Purkis Charters

Opinions Editor: Charlie Cooling

Thanks to YuFund for their generous support.

Got a story?

We pride ourselves on being the best news source in York.

Email: editor@yorkvision.co.uk Twitter: @YorkVision

Harry and Chay

Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, 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, 2019. Printed by Mortons of Horncastle. Pictures on front page by University of York and Extinction Rebellion.

NEWS

Tuesday October 1, 2019

SUICIDE FREE YEAR

BY CHRIS

SMALL

FOR THE SECOND year in the last three, no univeristy of York student has taken their own life, according to data collected by the University.

Both the 18/19 and 16/17 academic years saw no students take their life, whereas two committed suicide in 2017/2018.

It’s possible that there may be other unfortunate events considered suicide by some, but the University only accounts for instances in which a coroner’s verdict is given, and that inquest is passed on to the University.

Whilst it is worth noting that this is only partial data, and collecting long term trends is hard as the University doesn’t hold data from before 2014/15, any and all decrease is welcomed.

The University itself doesn’t have a policy relating to a student taking their own life, however there is some information made available online to held guide staff if a student should die.

If you need support, you can reach Samaritans at 116 123 and Mind at 0300 123 3393. You don’t need to suffer in silence.

NEW SOCIETIES

BY HARRY

CLAY

76 SEPARATE applications made to create new societies to YUSU over the last academic year.

Out of this, 34 societies were successfully ratified, whilst 36 were left unfulfilled.

Before you claim our maths is wrong, a number of student groups made more than one application, with BEAT Soc, Current Affairs, and the Military History Society only making ratification on their second attempt.

This is not the worst news from the year however, as societies celebrating Cheese and Wine and Peep Show took a second stab, and failed to make the cut.

On a lighter note, York Vision is happy to report that Turning Point UK, the fanatical right-wing student group, also failed twice to ratify a society. Maybe there is some justice in the world.

SLIP ‘N GLIDE YUSU ADVERTISING BUNGLE BY

HARRY CLAY

YUSU’S ADVERTISING deal with Glide appears to have gone tits up over the summer after students gave an overwhelmingly negative response to sponsored posts.

YUSU have made 19 posts (as of Sep 21) promoting Glide, an all-inclusive student utility bills solution, using social media.

The posts started in the middle of April, andran to the end of September.

Each post claims that Glide can make sorting utilities easier in a student house, along with the pretty bizzarre idea that Glide can help shatter student stereotypes; although paying money to have someone else sort your responsibilities out sounds exactly like a student to York Vision.

The start of the advertising deal appeared to focus on Facebook and Twitter, but after a series of particularly heated posts in July, posts are now only appearing on Twitter.

As confirmed by a YUSU insider source, this is due to the fact that the Facebook posts received some negative engagements, whereas the tweets didn’t seem to reach as many people. Indeed, around half the engagement that YUSU had on Twitter, was from the @GlideStudent Twitter account itself.

YUSU has had other dealings with Glide in the past, including similar style social media advertising, as well as more major sponsoring.

In April, Glide posted on Facebook claiming to be proud of sponsoring Roses, as one of the biggest varsity events in the country. Looks like nobody told them that it is the largest.

The seriousness of the response from students has varied wildly, with many taking a hard line. One student has responded claiming that Glide “promise a lot and don’t deliver”, while another questions why YUSU have done the deal in the first place “when they’ve ripped off so many students.”

Others have taken a more lighthearted approach, writing ‘glide are absolute goopsters, demonic goblins of the highest order. delet [sic] this’.

While some students enjoy their shitposting, it seems evident that it has had an effect.

A takeaway from the reaction data, is that there is little to no real

85% O F REACT WERE A IONS NGRY

positive student reaction.

The vast majority of reactions were angry, with over 50 posted, and although there were a few likes they were from former students, SU officers, and largely Glide themselves.

The response rate on each post is much lower on Twitter than it is on Facebook, and while YUSU are clearly contractually obligated to complete their part of the deal, it

seems to be a neat way to bury what was clearly a very poor choice for advertising.

After we asked for comment, Samara Jones told York Vision: “Students’ disappointment with Glide came to our attention from engagement on one of the paid social media adverts.

“YUSU relies on external advertising for income to invest in our charitable student activities and

we are particularly responsive to student feedback; we asked Glide to address the concerns and comments on the public post.

“We also took the decision to fulfill the contractual agreement over the summer and not work with Glide for the foreseeable future in direct response to students’ feedback.”

Vision sincerely hopes this is the case.

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NEWS

Tuesday October 1, 2019

VISION INVESTIGATION BY

OUTRAGE AS UNIVERSITY EXEC

ADAM PHILPOTT

THE UNIVERSITY of York’s Executive Board spent at least £58,000 on domestic and international flights over three years, a Vision investigation has revealed.

Between August 2015 and July 2018, the University’s 12-member executive flew to various destinations across the world, including New York, Dublin, Brussels, Ghana, Chun’an, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo, in total taking at least 88 flights and covering more than 204,000 air miles at a cost of over £58,000 and at least 35,377kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

The University’s top brass spent at least £23,600 on domestic and international flights in 2016/17, while the equivalent figures for 2015/16 and 2017/18 were at least £17,400 and £17,200, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the University’s top two executives are accountable for the biggest slice of the board’s flight costs, air miles and carbon dioxide emissions during the three year period studied.

Then-Vice-Chancellor, professor Koen Lamberts and current Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, professor Saul Tendler are responsible for 65% of the Board’s overall flying expenses, 60% of its air miles, and 59% of its carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of jet fuel.

Vision has uncovered some glaring discrepancies in the cost of flights taken to the same destination at a similar time by different members of the executive.

Most significantly, Lamberts purchased a return flight from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur in January 2018 for £3237.34 for a trip in late March that year, while pro-vice-chancellor, professor John Robinson flew to Kuala Lumpur from Leeds and back in early May 2018 for £928.47; a ticket booked just one month after Lamberts’ yet significantly cheaper, suggesting a wasteful approach to flight spending and lack of a coherent policy.

A second clear inconsistency in flight expenses was found in a trip to a Brexit workshop in Brussels in February 2017, to which both Lamberts and Tendler went. However, Lamberts’ round-trip cost £264.17,

Brussels

£0.3k Ghana

£1.4k

HALL OF SHAME

New York

£2.7k

£58,000 spent on 13 people in 3 years Executive Board flight emissions increasing

Former V-C Lamberts wasted thousands while Tendler’s was £435.87 despite both trips being booked in the same month.

Furthermore, some of the flights taken by Board members were during the period of the longest-ever strike in UK higher education history. Between 22 February and 20 March 2018, 42,000 members of the University and College Union went on strike over the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which affected over a million students in

lost teaching hours, including many at the University of York.

During this period, two Board members jetted off to destinations within the UK and abroad. Professor Judith Buchanan, then-dean of the Faculty of the Arts and Humanities, headed for Stockholm and Copenhagen on the 19 March 2018, while Heidi Fraser-Krauss, deputy registrar and director of Corporate and Information Services, flew from Leeds

to Dublin earlier that same month.

Within the flight expenses records are several domestic flights. While convenient, these are arguably avoidable and not an ethical use of University funds. Provice-chancellor professor Deborah Smith flew from Exeter to Edinburgh in November 2017. Meanwhile, the need for the dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, Professor Stuart Bell, to fly from Manchester to Nor-

wich in April 2018, - emitting 56kg of CO2 - as opposed to travelling on public transport when he took the return leg by train the following day is certainly questionable.

The emissions of these two flights combined is more than the annual emissions of a person in Mali, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, or Uganda.

The climate impact from the burning of jet fuel for the flights taken by the Board

over the three year period under review has been calculated at 35,377kg of CO2 emissions, using a calculator provided by German non-profit Atmosfair. That is equivalent to the carbon footprint of 8.4 people living in Sweden or 22 people in India for a year, or 17.6 average cars on UK roads for a whole year, according to figures from Our World in Data and Atmosfair.

The number of air miles and CO2 emissions pro-

NEWS

Tuesday October 1, 2019

5

BOARD SPEND THOUSANDS ON FLIGHTS MORE FOIS THAN EVER

BY CHAY

SORT IT OUT.. New V-C Prof.

Charlie Jeffery will be under pressure to curb this distrubing habit.

FLY GUYS... Prof. Koen Lamberts (left) and Prof.

Saul Tendler (right) were the worst offenders.

Kuala Lumpur

£3.2k

India

£4.2k

QUINN

THE UNIVERSITY of York received a record 458 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests in 2018, beating the record of 413 set in 2013.

York is also on track to again receive another record in 2019 with the resurgence of York Vision and continuing existence of Nouse doubling the student journalism institutions which make up a large proportion of requests sent.

As of 24 June, the University Information Governance team had received 216 requests under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act. York Vision believe the current figure is above 260 at the time of publication due to the volume of requests our team has sent since June.

There have been calls to make universities exempt from the FOI Act in recent years. Tony Blair considers the legislation the worst that he passed.

NOW ONLINE

FULL VEDGE REVIEW

Uni Response: “It’s important for the University to...develop our global relations. We are conscious of the need for value for money...and of the responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint.” duced by the Board’s flight habits have increased year on year between 2015 and 2018, to a climax of at least 79,284 air miles and 13,851kg of CO2 in 2017/18.

This rising trajectory reflects the trend seen in wider society. Aviation emissions currently account for 2% of global emissions and they have been increasing steadily over several decades.

More worryingly, according to estimates made by researchers at Manchester

Metropolitan University, they could triple by 2050.

If the world continues on this upward trajectory, the chances of limiting global warming to the internationally agreed ‘safe’ level of two degrees look increasingly slim, which will have catastrophic and unpredictable consequences for the planet.

The University is certainly not geared towards cutting flight costs, air miles, or emissions. With impending climate crisis and avia-

tion a major cause thereof, there is a need for transition away from physical visits to universities, conferences and panels overseas to digital conduct of these. Discussions of research strategy, meetings with senior academics, and other officials and partner organisations could be conducted digitally.

To meet the Paris Accord goal of two degrees and keep global warming at a sustainable level, flying habits need to be significantly limited. In

order to limit global warming to two degrees by 2050, everyone would have to emit no more than 2,300kg of CO2 annually - the equivalent to less than one return flight from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur - according to figures provided by Atmosfair. Ex-VC Koen Lamberts comfortably exceeded this limit just from flying to conduct university business in each of the three years reviewed by Vision, but the position at the top of the

Executive Board is now occupied by Professor Charlie Jeffery.

He left a legacy of divestment from fossil fuels and investment in renewable energy and green technologies during his time as vicechancellor at the University of Edinburgh. In his new role here at York, only time will tell if his flight habits correlate with his supposed climate consciousness or reflect a continuation of his predecessor.

VEDGE NOW OPEN

BY CHAY

QUINN

VEDGE, A NEW vegan and vegetarian restaurant, has opened in place of the old Wentworth Edge restaurant.

Not only has the outlet opened to cater for those who have plant-based diets but also offers a new option for cheap meals at a price which reflects the budget of students.

This move comes as part of a plan to revitalise Wentworth, an often-forgotten part of the University and make it a destination for students in its own right rather than just for the postgraduate students who live there.

The specialist outlet provides specialist vegan bubble waffles and Starbucks Coffee, the only place to do so on Campus West.

The move is a positive step towards creating a more inclusive campus.

York failed to make it onto PETA’s vegan friendly University guide.

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Tuesday October 1, 2019

Vısıon OPINION

OPINION

YORK

SAYS...

YUSU SHOULD STOP GLIDE, NOT HELP THEM

THE GLIDE ADVERTISING FIASCO is a prime example of the wrong sort of student engagement.

New students with little to no experience in letting a house or paying bills look to YUSU for support and guidance. If they’re a poor service, then YUSU shouldn’t be promoting them.

The lesson here is found in how YUSU operates. It is good that YUSU listened to students and will likely never work with Glide again but clearly students think that they shouldn’t have been a partner in the first place. YUSU should be protecting students from companies that make a profit out of students. Not taking money from them.

STAFF MENTAL HEALTH IS BEING FORGOTTEN IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT WE START talking about the forgotten victims of the shocking state of higher education mental health support: the staff.

The sky-rocketing staff referral rate is in line with the same figures for students and we at Vision are shocked at the University of York’s inability to see the true problem: there are too many people here.

Fewer decent rooms, longer waiting times for facilities and a less-personalised degrees have conspired to make the university experience anxiety inducing.

The same goes for staff. Imagine having 2,000 extra people to shepherd through their degrees without payrise or proper infrastructural support. No wonder this situation is deteriorating.

The top brass need to cut their student intake targets and start providing for those who are already here: lives could depend on it.

UNI EXEC HYPOCRISY LAID BARE THE EXECUTIVE BOARD’S crowing over the Global Climate Strike last week was interesting to watch because of its sheer hypocrisy.

This is the same Executive Board that Vision has revealed to be responsible for over £58,000 worth of flights in the last three years alone. Just like with the YorCup, the University of of York executives are passing the responsibility of saving the planet (which if you haven’t noticed is going to shit) onto the students whilst doing knob all themselves.

York Vision would like to issue two challenges to new Vice-Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery to buck the trend of his fly-happy predecessors, Koen Lamberts and Saul Tendler: 1. Divest from fossil fuels. Anything less than that and you are an enabler for further climate deterioration.

2. Stop flying so damn much. In this time of technological advancement, York Vision poses that the sheer scale of the Executive Board’s travel, both domestic and international could be largely replaced with telecommunication or by a wonderful new invention: trains.

If you do this, you will certainly win our support.

HELENA SENIOR: DISSOLVE THE GSA. WE NEED A POSTGRAD SABB

18 months ago, when I was in my third year of undergraduate study at Edge Hill University, I was a nervous wreck after a long hard campaign to become the union’s postgraduate officer.

It was a part-time role, and at the time I was planning to continue at Edge Hill for my MA. I never did do my MA at Edge Hill, instead getting an offer to study at York (which I hadn’t realistically been expecting) less than a month after the union elections.

My plans changed, I moved to York, and I don’t regret that decision one bit. But now in my second year as a postgraduate here (doing a PGCE), I feel like my experiences have given me some insight into the way that student life as a postgraduate at the University of York is compared with other universities.

The main difference between Edge Hill University and the University of York is that Edge Hill has a dedicated Postgraduate Officer role built into the students’ union, whereas here we have the GSA (Graduate Students’ Association).

Back before I even started secondary school, the landscape of student politics was quite similar to the current situation of York. Separate bodies representing undergraduates (primarily the NUS) and Postgraduates (the NPC or National Postgraduates Committee). In 2009, the NPC made the formal decision to dissolve as a union, and merge with the NUS, bringing postgraduates and undergraduates under the same umbrella. That’s not to say that there aren’t still representative bodies out there specifically for postgraduates, but NUS now cover a significant majority of students’ unions,

many of which include postgraduate students and have a postgraduate officer of some kind.

The ongoing segregation between postgraduates and undergraduates often isn’t solved by these mergers, but they do tend to allow for more of an overlap between the two groups.

There can be a general feeling, especially amongst postgraduates, of one group not wanting to associate with the other for reasons including perceived age gaps, different schedules, or superficial differences such as drinking habits or societies.

Whilst these stereotypes often aren’t apparent to undergraduate students, they can leave postgradu-

“Ensure that postgraduate students are intergrated into the...

University” ates feeling isolated from the general University community. Not many postgraduates that I know join societies for all manner of reasons, but from my own experience, it can be off-putting when you’re a minority among a bunch of undergrads and often left out by the inevitable ‘cliques’ that they form at the start of the year.

This feeling is only made worse by having a separate Graduate Students’ Association. The presence of the GSA

generally serves to remind me that YUSU doesn’t really represent me as a postgraduate.

Some people might really appreciate having that separate body of representation, a separate organ of support, but over the last year that I’ve spent here as a postgraduate the impression that I’ve got of them hasn’t been a good one.

I don’t really notice their impact assuming they are doing something somewhere and the one time I decided to attend a GSA event was a lacklustre affair that had worse decorations and music than my Year 6 disco, a distinct lack of communication between organisers and staff, and somebody won a scooter in a raffle.

The GSA should dissolve and merge with the student union, with a designated full-time postgraduate officer working alongside other officers to ensure that postgraduate students are integrated into the wider university community and made to feel welcome here at York.

There will always be a divide between the two groups. That is to be expected but postgraduates should be made to feel like they are equally part of the student community with their undergraduate counterparts, and not just an afterthought.

And for anybody interested, I did win my election 18 months ago, but I wouldn’t trade York for anything since I got here!

Bottom Line: There’s a huge divide between postgrads and undergrads that a postgrad sabb could help solve. @LivingHellena

OPINION

7

Tuesday October 1, 2019

CHARLIE COOLING: YORK IS FAILING ITS OFF-CAMPUS RESIDENTS

THE RECENT AND RAPID rise of off-campus accommodation in York has led to a significant increase in students turning to this option.

Those electing to live off campus are doing so mainly as a result of rising student intake leaving nowhere on campus for them to live. This rise is also down to richer students favouring more expensive options with flashier facilities than their on-campus equivalents.

The former leads many students, like myself, having to seek for off-campus alternatives. Popular options in York include Vita Student, Student Castle, and The Boulevard on Lawrence Street.

When thinking of first year, the memories of many students flash back to drunken nights bonding, forming friendships of circumstance with flatmates on their floor and in their halls, cultivated by preing for nights out or just having a chat around the kitchen table whilst preparing meals simultaneously.

I know this, not because I experienced it, but because I bore witness to

it in friends’ flats where I spent copious amounts of time to avoid the loneliness a soulless studio flat in town provides.

Unfortunately, the experience that freshers living in off-campus halls share

“It’s tougher for these students to make friends from the get-go” is often one of lacklustre activities with little structure. Take the example of my experience in Vanbrugh meeting fellow off-campus students. There was one STYC assigned to look after a group of at least 15 students when the standard number of STYC/STYMs would be 4 or 5 per flat. The ratio would be much more sensible and provide more support to incoming stu-

dents with no experience of university life.

The supposed ‘icebreaker’ activities felt extremely forced, provided by little structure due to the seeming uncertainty of staff regarding how many students would turn up/had been informed of activities armed with a low supply of tea and biscuits along with the occasional suggestion of “Monopoly, anyone?” from college tutors falling upon deaf ears.

There is, of course, a counter argument for this in saying that students who elect to live off campus aren’t after the traditional college experience that York offers to freshers and therefore the activities are catered to a more relaxed structure.

If this is the case then I understand why the colleges make this choice, but they are then failing to recognise students who are victims of circumstance, who wish to live on campus but don’t and miss out on the traditional Freshers’ Week experience.

It is tougher for these students to make friends from the get-go.

The obvious solution is to join as many societies that interest you as possible in

order to make like-minded friends.

But this is an extra effort that students in halls are less pressured to do.

The best solution that comes to mind is by putting all off-campus freshers into one college, ideally the one with the least student capacity on Campus West, and then assigning a sufficient number of STYCs to each accommodation or group if students are living at home. This will ensure activities are encouraged and socialising is facilitated.

This would at least give some structure to off-campus freshers’ start to university life and begin to bridge one of the University’s many gaps in the experience that they offer to the ever-increasing numbers of students having to live off campus.

Bottom Line: Off-campus accommodation breeds isolation and needs more specialised attention in Freshers’ Week. @Cooling_Charlie

CHAY QUINN: COLLEGE SPORT FEE IS A BLOODY AWFUL IDEA

SO THERE WE HAVE IT. The last bastion of good, wholesome sport at York is on the way out.

Like Faustus, college sport has sold its soul for a millisecond of power before its coming demise... and we are all supposed to think this is good. Free college sport, we hardly knew ye.

But sorry, I don’t. James, Alcuin and Vanbrugh’s decision to introduce a flat rate of £30 for access to college sport is an abysmal idea that threatens to mutate the accessible lower house of the York Sport Union into the bastard child of its elite cousin, BUCS. Like many I have had my fair share of college sport experiences. Bar editing the news paper you are reading now, I’d say the pinnacle of my university experience was captaining Derwent Darts to an absolute twatting by James in the first round of the College Cup last year.

Being able to rock up and play with a simple Facebook message was the only thing that allowed me to fall into the ragtag Derwent darts team. I didn’t want to

play University sport. I couldn’t afford the fees, the kit or the Thursday morning hangovers.

But alas, these colleges have sold out their members. Particularly fucked over are the sports like pool, who are being made to shell out to subsidise the training of sportspeople which will make the square root of no change to their experience of college sport (that is if they can afford to pay the fee in the first place).

Even for the optional sports, those who take the training will be immeasurably disadvantaged against those who have the means to afford training, rendering college sport with a chasm of ability to bridge.

What is the point in the college sport system if it becomes University Sport but watered down like a Lowther pint.

If I were a sporting student in one of these colleges, I’d move. Thank god Derwent had the good sense not to participate in this but on that point, one has to wonder where this leave the equity of sporting provision between the colleges.

5 sporting colleges are now hilariously

disadvantaged in their resources and it is almost certain that these colleges’ results will suffer. Who knows, the lack of even the most basic semblance of fair play will result in seasoned college sport players

“This could be the death knell for the social sport culture at York” ceasing to play any sport at all, having already binned off BUCS for a lack of sporting ability, funds or time.

This could be the death knell of social sport culture at York, flinging us back to a bygone age where accessibility is at a premium, just like everything else.

If we are so proud of the cultures brewed by our college system, and it’s

OPEN ALL HOURS

NACHO OPINION PIECE

STUDENTS ARE ON CAMPUS 365 DAYS a year and probably for all 24 hours of those days.

The fact that during nearly half the year students can’t get access to good, cheap food, coming from their union membership, is a disgrace. We know that YUSU doesn’t take a single day off from it’s “mission”, their sabbs work all year round. Why can’t postgraduate students, undergraduate students doing resits, or summer school students get access to a decent salad or a competent burger during August?

THE LIBRARY CAFE NACHOS ARE way nicer than those in The Courtyard.

For starters, they’re far cheaper than the CY ones with a decent selection of toppings. In the library you can get: tortilla chips, chilli (veggie options available), cheese, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos for £4.10, whereas the same at CY would cost you £6.20. Yes, the portions are slightly smaller, but honestly, who can eat (or afford) the amount Courtyard would give you if you asked for the same amount of toppings?

BY NICK

LUNN

BY LUCY

right that we are, then why have we made such a boneheaded move that is bound to enfeeble it?

Scrap the fee and allocate greater staff time to helping find external funding for college sport rather than leaving the JCRCs in the lurch after scrapping the preferable, though still objectively shite, college fee at the beginning of last year which was heralded as a massive win for YUSU and student consumers.

It’s about time that we stood up and say, if we are still having to pay through the nose for sport, then whats the point in us spending at poor quality campus bars and eateries which supposedly funds it?

Either prove that you are worth the monopoly or bugger off.

PURKIS CHARTERS

BY HARRY

Bottom Line: Introducing a college sport fee will damage York’s sporting prowess and create another hurdle to accessing sport @ChayQuinn

FIT TO BURST

CLAY

THERE’S NO HIDING THAT THE University is a profit driven enterprise, and through the magic of student loans, the one way they’re guaranteed to get more in the coffers is opening to more students.

But we can’t keep up when the University won’t also invest in the vital infrastructure needed to balance out an increased student population. When our library is full every exam period, how can we expect to manage with two extra colleges? It’s not working, and it’s not sustainable.

COLUMN

Tuesday October 1, 2019

Follow York’s angry queer auntie on Twitter: @Prongsey

NEW YEAR, NU-MI

NUMI GILDERT

FRESHERS’ WEEK IS JUST SO BLOODY EXHAUSTING THIS YEAR WILL BE my eighth freshers’ week here and if that isn’t a sentence that fills a girl with existential dread when she writes it then I don’t know what is.

When I started at York, Campus East only had two colleges on it, Spring Lane Building didn’t exist yet and Greg’s Place was just a solid slab of concrete known affectionately (and ironically) as ‘Vanbrugh Paradise’.

Fibbers was named Tokyo and there was a bar called Rumours that sold horrendous alcohol concoctions so potent I can’t actually remember the contents of them sober. The infamous Willow Disco was still open and the bus was £1 for a single. Am I looking back with rose-tinted glasses? Absolutely.

Life was good then. Now I’m 25, grouchy, found my first grey hair over the summer and I’m about to relinquish my quiet, peaceful campus to you lot.

So what do I really think about Freshers’ Week now that I’ve had seven years of experiencing it? If I had to summarise it in one word, it would be: exhausting. If you’re a fresher, this week is going to exhaust you no matter what.

You may be reading this thinking, foolish Numi, I do not drink and dislike clubbing! I’m not going to be like one of those idiots giving myself liver cirrhosis every night until 5am while vying for my position on the chunder chart and seeing how many housemates I can get off with! I’ll be fine!

Let me stop you right there. Every part of Freshers’ Week is exhausting whether you drink or not. Saying goodbye to your family is exhausting.

Moving in is exhausting. Trying to pay attention to introductory ‘How to Use the Library’ lectures is exhausting.

Getting lost in Alcuin for five hours is exhausting. Trust me on the exhaust-

ing.

You’re going to need to take time to relax or you will keel over. Swap out a drinking event for an ‘alternative freshers’ event like a movie night or a board game night. Get into your pjamas with your new housemates and make use of the fifty take out flyers being fed through your door each day and order a pizza. Do face masks!

If I expend enough energy to look back seven years and remember my Freshers’ Week, I was ill with ‘Freshers’ Flu’ and horrifically homesick by Thursday. I came home from dinner that night and had a little cry. Gangnam Style was our Freshers’ song so I was also really exhausted from doing the dance at least twice every night. I think we were all feeling low, so my house decided to sack in the animalthemed campus club night and watch Gladiator instead. It was great just to spend time together as a house, take a break from the booze and have a reasonably early night.

If you’re reading this and you’re not a fresher: don’t worry, the exhaustion will grip you too. Whether you are hell bent on reliving the glory days by spending the week as a STYC or you’re the president of a sport club who will spend eight hours on your feet and non-stop talking during Freshers’ Fair.

I’m a student media nerd so I’ve been spending the past five Freshers’ Weeks doing radio every day from locations across campus, annoying the History of Art Department and the wider University population with my bad music taste and obnoxious voice.

Doing any kind of student activity where you have to be ‘on’ all the time is - you guessed it - exhausting! Your face aches from smiling constantly, you’re sick of getting asked for directions, you hate having to queue for a billion hours for a coffee because suddenly there are children everywhere If you’re spending the week inter-

acting with freshers: you deserve a face mask too. You’re the real MVP. For an eighth year I think the most exhausting part of Freshers’ is the repetition of it. How many times have I told people to have a PJ party with their housemates? How many packets of Lemsip have I bought to stave off yet another bout of the flu? How many minutes have I spent playing Rather Be across campus for a feelgood freshers’ vibe? Am I thrust into the movie Groundhog Day every September?

I can’t really complain though, because I choose to get involved every year. I could have skulked off into my postgraduate office as soon as I started my PhD, vowing I’d never do Freshers’ ever again and burrowing into a pile of research papers like a small woodland creature. Instead, here I am signing up to every presenting opportunity going because as exhausting as it is, I like it.

Do you know what’s more exhausting? Being a slightly overwhelmed first year, moving away from home for the first time, and having to listen to loads of people tell you what to do and not to do during Freshers’ Week like we are the all-knowing gods of campus.

How many times are you going to have to smile through a STYC giving you their top hangover tips? How much RSI are you going to get in your thumb, scrolling through a T*b article about what not to bring to university despite the fact that you’ve already arrived?

Absorbing all the well-intentioned advice you get projected at you within your first 48 hours on campus is what is really exhausting.

So feel free to tell us to stick it up our arses and do whatever you want.

Just make sure you get some sleep in between, eat some vegetables and be at least a little sensible.

Catch Numi’s columns in all print editions of York Vision this academic year.

9

FRESH. INCLUDING:

FOOD & DRINK BNOC BINGO SPORT ACTIVITIES YORK BUCKET LIST WHAT YOU MISSED

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FRESH

THE LONG AWAITED FRESHERS’ GUIDE

WELCOME EDITOR’S LETTER Well congratulations are in order aren’t they!

You’ve managed to scrape it into the University of York! Well done, come in, take a load off your feet and sit in the comforting old velvet armchair of student media. In this top edition of FRESH, we’ve put together some top tips on where to eat and drink, a lowdown on some of the societies and sports on campus, and a load of advice on what starting uni is really like. But before that, let us run by you some of the smaller tid bits about the University.

First of all, you’re in a college. It could be a good one, it could be Alcuin, but it’ll be on your degree at the end of your study. Don’t forget that unless you play college sport, nobody cares about colleges after Freshers’ Week, so don’t get too worked up about where you are.

Then you’ve got the campus itself.

Hes East and West. East is dead, there’s nothing there and nothing to make you

go there. West has the important features, almost all the bars, and it’s closer to town.

You’ll get people who’ll tell you that student media is full of pretentious careerist nobodys, but Vision would like to dispell this rumour. The idea that anyone in Vision has a chance at getting a career is ridiculous.

The last thing we can really pass on is the sage advice that some only learn when it’s too late. First year doesn’t count. Don’t think that means you can fail, you still have to pass, but it doesn’t count to your degree. So be a bit cheeky now and again, skip a seminar for a few pints with a mate. And get involved in all the societies and groups you can, meet as many people as you can. You’ll only be aware of it after, but your first year at uni is likely, going to be the best of your life.

So enjoy it.

CONTRIBUTORS Editors:

Harry Clay Chay Quinn

Managing Director: Nick Lunn

Chief Subeditor: Lucy Purkis Charters

Contributors: Chris Small Holly Palmer Zara Stubbs Jarlath Nolan Holly Scrivner Alex Jamal Connor Drake

YOUR NAME COULD BE HERE <----

CONTENTS 13 FRESH START 14 Food & Drink ON CAMPUS 15 Food & Drink IN TOWN 16-17 TIPS FOR STARTING UNI 18 ACTIVITIES 19 SPORTS 20 BNOC BINGO 22 BUCKET LIST

Harry and Chay

JOIN THE VISION TEAM RUN IN OUR ELECTIONS

Here at York Vision, we bring the student population the latest news, features, comment, and sports news from around campus. Our news stories have made national press and our alumni have gone on to work for organisations such as the BBC, Buzzfeed, the Guardian, the Sun, the Mail and other national media outlets. We are always on the lookout to add to our family. Whether you want to write, take photographs, design our content work on our website, manage our funds, or help us with marketing and advertising, get involved. We will be holding elections in Week 3 on Tuesday. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Issuu, or visit yorkvision.co.uk for more infor-

TUESDAY 15th OCTOBER V/N/045 7pm

FRESH

Tuesday October 1, 2019

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

Vısıon 13 YORK

York

LAST YEAR It’s been the year we’ve said goodbye to former vice chancellor KOEN LAMBERTS, as he moves to take up the same job in Sheffield. His reign was tainted by strikes, the pension scandal, and falling standards. Turn back to pages 4&5 to read our latest story..

Community and Wellbeing Officer Steph Hayle struck out at First Bus with the #BUSTICE campaign. Aim ing to tackle rising bus fares, Steph has managed to secure an inquiry into tran sport in York through the council. We won der if we’ll see the impact this year...

In another brilliant exc ercise in YUSU democracy, we had a refe rendum on whether or not YUSU should support a SECOND REFEREND UM. The vote passed by 355 votes, with a grand 6.2% turnout. Both sides saw posters torn down and formal com plaints made.

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Continuing on trend, Steph Ha yle launched the #RENTRAN T campaign, designed to ta rget the Unive rsity and their ever incr easing rent pr ices. This has come along side the Cut th e Rent movement, wh o held a protes t last year and demande d change at He s Hall.

More online anger, as the Uni of York Stop the War Society , ratified last year, hosted an event ent itled Eurovision Zero (Genocide free option). The group were forced to change the title of their event to Oppre ssion free option after backlash and media attention.

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The Uni saw a stu dent campaign to demand DIVEST MENT from the University’s investme nt portfolio. Over half a million pounds are currently inv ested in fossil fuels, in direct opposition to the University’s police on ethical invest ment.

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Tuesday October 1, 2019

FRESH

WHEN IT COMES TO DINING OUT, YORK IS IN

PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

ON CAMPUS

GLASSHOUSE

LIBRARY CAFE

A long time ago on an (East) Campus far away YUSU realised that they might want to serve it with a YUSU bar of its own and thus Glasshouse was born. As a bar it feels like its copied Courtyard’s homework and changed a little to avoid being caught.

A really good place to go to in the middle of an intense essay-writing session. They do really nice paninis, sandwiches, baked potatoes, and nachos. It’s also good if you forgot to have breakfast that morning as they do pretty decent all day breakfasts.

Should be called V-Bar. The campus bar with the most pub like atmosphere. Has the most varied selection of beer on campus, including real ales from local breweries if that’s your sort of thing. The fact that it plays jazz on a Monday evening could be a positive or a negative.

YUSU’s answer to Central Perk, and only open during the hours when Vision isn’t in production, the day time.

It’s the YUSU venue of choice if you’re after a hot drink, a sandwich, or a bagel. Also hidden in Alcuin is the Alcuin Bistro, not easy to find but it’s honestly worth it, just for the pizzas.

VANBRUGH ARMS ALCUIN KITCHEN

COURTYARD

It’s probably fair to say that this is the most popular place on campus.

Great location (unless you’re on Hes East), and decent food but a fairly average range. You can build your own burgers, nachos, or loaded chips (vegan options available for all three) or choose from a range of pizzas on their late night menu.

D-BAR

Fresh from it’s summer glow up, its time for sad bar autumn at this food and drink place. In the day time it’s a mild mannered Costa Coffee Cafe, serving nice, if slightly pricey food, ranging from sausage rolls to ‘Derwent Street food’, at night it turns to a haven for debauchery, sports socials and the best place to be obnoxiously drunk.

VEDGE

If you’re vegetarian, vegan, in any way health conscious - or just enjoy trying new foods, you have to check this place out. The entire premise is accessible (read cheap) vegetarian and vegan food, and they do not disappoint. All the items are under £5! If you want a more comprehensive review of Vedge, feel free to glance on our website.

ROGER KIRK CENTRE We’d 100% recommend the waffles here. They do absolutely smashing smoothies and milkshakes, and you’ll thank God you can get a hot drink here when you have a 9am in James. Otherwise they have a selection of sandwiches similar to other costa-based eateries on campus, but yeah. The waffles.

THE LOUNGE

The Lounge is known for its cocktails (of which you can get two for one during happy hour, 8-10pm) but is also a great place for organising a karaoke night. It’s just become a bookable only space with a full refurbishment and new lighting and sound systems. We say a sad goodbye to the Uni’s worst pool tables.

THE CHARLES XII

Not technically on campus, but a very good student friendly pub in the village of Heslington. Does your typically pub food well, and good if you want a cheapish pub thats not a campus bar or Spoons. Particularly good value for money on Monday when it does cheap pints.

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A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN: HERE’S VISION’S TOP:

PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

IN TOWN FOSSGATE SOCIAL

MIDDLE FEAST

If you’re ever in town and crave a decently priced and delicious shawarma, go here. For meat-eaters, we strongly recommend a lamb shawarma, the meat is excellent. The salads and extras are very fresh and help to balance out the richness of the meat.

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4 ©Adam_Bruderer201

Fossgate Social has a nice chill atmosphere, with a good selection of drinks (especially gin and beer). A great place to suggest for first dates, or even just hanging out with your mates. They also do cake for some reason which is not unwelcome but somewhat unexpected.

©Google2

GARDEN OF INDIA

©Google2 018

HUMPIT

KHAO SAN ROAD

One of our favourite places in town sadly not one we get to go to often as its prices are a tad high. The food itself is delicious, fresh, and well-made Thai food, with a wide range of options for different diets. The ambience is warm, welcoming, and we would recommend booking in advance.

©KhaoSanRoad

This place is popular amongst a certain zesty publication. They serve brilliant curry, and the prices lean on the higher side, but to quote one of our editors “good if your student loan has just come in”. They have a decent selection of vegetarian dishes, and we would recommend.

BAMBOO THAI

This vegan chain has changed the face of affordable vegan fast food.

Offering meal deals and offers (look out for their Wednesday Hump Day special) this is the perfect pick for anyone looking for a quick, healthy bite to eat, vegans and meat-eaters alike.

Eat in or takeaway, you will not be left feeling empty!

Another really nice Thai place! Bamboo Thai have recently expanded their premises, but still have a heavy focus on takeaway. The food here is excellent, and the prices are on the cheaper side (which given the portion sizes is really good value for money).

It’s also closer to campus than some of the other suggestions.

If you like cocktails (or mocktails) then Evil Eye is the best bar in town! It’s extensive menu caters to pretty much everyone, and the drinks are well worth the price. It’s by no means the cheapest, but it’s the place to go when your student loan comes through! We reccomend the Shed 7, but only if you’re brave enough.

This cosy café offers the perfect pitstop for anytime of day. Enjoy breakfast al fresco in the walled courtyard or a cosy afternoon tea on one of the many tables inside. Offering a wide choice of breakfasts, lunches and cakes, this is a perfect choice for any culinary want.

Also, importantly, the whole menu is vegetarian.

LAS IGUANAS

POSTERN GATE

There’s not a lot you need to know about Spoons. It’s just a Spoons.

Not awful food, plenty of booze to flow, Vision prays at the church of Tim Martin. (not politically, bloody hell) ©Google2019

5 ©Dominic_Alves200

Las Iguanas is great for really nice central and south American food (we would strongly recommend the cuban sandwich). The bonus is they do a -25% student discount on Sunday-Thursday (with a valid TOTUM card) and two for one happy hour cocktails. A great place to celebrate a birthday, exam results, or even just to have a fun cocktail night.

GOJI CAFE

©Google2019

©Darcie_Ta nner2010

EVIL EYE

Pictures used under Creative Commons liscence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Picture by Darcie_Tanner2010 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

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FRESH

STARTING ANEW IS SCARY BUT DON’T WORRY,

What it’s like

BEGINNING UNI ZARA STUBBS: MOVING to drome) when I was 17. university is perhaps one of the most complicated events in a student’s life.

Physically hauling all your belongings across the country (or the world) emotionally leaving behind your homebase and family- and on a level of growth. You’re moving forward on all levels.

Consider the stress of the upheaval, the uncertainty during the application process, the slow burn of anxiety building over the summer months.

Now consider that experience through the eye of a neurodivergent individual. I was diagnosed with High Function Autism Spectrum Disorder (or Asperger’s Syn-

I’ve always been introverted, loving the learning aspects of school but living in fear of the social aspects. And so my bubble was greatly threatened by the tumultuous changes that university required. When I moved into my campus accommodation, I cringed as my family members unpacked my belongings, putting them in places that for some reason felt overwhelmingly wrong.

Like everyone, I worried I’d forgotten things.

But I also worried I would forget where things should be, and how and it took me weeks to feel right-I felt flighty and strange, and it wasn’t until the end of Freshers’ Week that I could identify this.

Lecture halls were unexpect-

edly echoey and more intimate study groups of seminar size were enough to make me feel ill.

Group projects felt like a personal affront. Joining societies was a no go, and instead I spent hours poring over my schedule, wishing a perfect method to manage my workload into existence.

Going into my third year, I know that perfect method doesn’t exist. I also know I am capable of talking in seminar groups and even giving presentations.

Confidence is such a cliché, but it’s the cement to anyone’s university experience.

My belief is that confidence comes from honesty- speaking about your experience and difficulties- and finding people who are willing to help you find what

makes you comfortable.

I was afraid to disclose my diagnosis. But now my closest relationships are with people who know it and appreciate me for it.

Neurodiversity is natural. You wouldn’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree.

My major difficuty was the fear that people would not like me and find my enthusiasm annoying.

You should never feel the need to dull your light never be afraid to be the most passionate person in the room.

So simply don’t force yourself to fit into a different shape. With time and communication, you’ll reach those heights, anyway.

Zara Stubbs is York Vision’s Books Editor and a third-year English student at York.

ture student, it really is a place that lets you have all the opportunities you could need out of uni, and I absolutely flourished.

The societies are welcoming, and you can easily find a place where you’ll be enjoying what you do and the people you do it with; the freshers fair is a golden opportunity that you can’t afford to miss.

I joined the Model United Nations society and the Debating Society in my first year because I wanted to improve my public speaking abilities, and it’s possibly the best decision I made.

Over time I found that there are other mature students who also participate in debating and Model UN, and there’s a much wider community in my hobbies and in my course that are so easy to get on with.

Everyone accepted me, and I

have developed strong friendships that will last a lifetime.

I have developed in ways I could not have imaged four years ago, the opportunities I’ve been given and those that I’ve made the best of have really shaped me into a better person.

I am now doing a Senior Status in Law to train as a solicitor, and that’s on top of my undergrad and my masters, so you can’t say that I haven’t taken the bull by the horns.

To be sure, you are expected to be more responsible, but that’s not hard to achieve, and as any of my friends can tell you, I’m likely the least mature in our close knit friend group (although for clarity, still responsible).

And once you throw yourself into your studies and whatever interests you enjoy, you will find your place just fine.

ALEX JAMAL: DAUNTED, scared, worried what other people think of you.

This may sound like any first year’s fears and feelings about starting at University, but I can confidently say that it’s no different for us older few. Back in 2016, I re-started my degree in Politics and International Relations after working as a store assistant in York’s supermarkets for four years.

There were many reasons why I felt I needed to go back, the career opportunities and the life skills being up there, but I was absolutely determined after one exchange in particular with a customer.

As I was serving them, they remarked that they would not pay 5p for a plastic bag because that would be paying to advertise the

shop I worked at.

I just remarked, ‘I see someone has graduated with a first from the Facebook school of law’.

You’d think this would get me kicked out, but I had the good fortune and luck to leave the job on my own terms.

My parents had met at university, and I knew that so many others had really made the best of their lives at uni, so there was no other path I could really push myself down.

After passing the access course, I turned up knowing what I wanted and felt that it would be a simple task of going to lectures and seminars and keeping my social life separate, but little did I know, that turned out to be simply impossible.

The University of York has been a truly remarkable place for a ma-

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VISION HAS ASKED SOME STUDENTS TO SHARE

What it’s like

BEGINNING UNI CONNOR DRAKE: Perhaps the

AS A working class person who left school at 16 with no GCSEs, university was sometimes a struggle for me - especially considering I never thought I’d go in the first place.

Despite this adversity, I graduated this summer with a 2:1 degree in Social Policy and it is safe to say that going to university has been one of the best things I have ever done.

Throughout my time at university I met people from across the UK who, in spite of different characteristics and overall life experiences, had struggled through university experiences marred by unfortunate commonalities.

most worrying commonalities were students feeling lonely and isolated due to their background not being the norm at York, as well as feeling like certain things which are essential to many, if not all, students’ university lives, such as club and society memberships and most alarmingly, somewhere to live, being too expensive.

Now, I must add that I don’t say these things to frighten freshers, nor do I pick up on the issue of social class to create a divide between students; rather the contrary: I say these things to normalise the experiences of working class students at York, as well as to try to be a catalyst for change.

The above situation is reality, and this article is being written to

bolster the platform upon which people are arguing for change.

My struggles and the struggles I saw around me pushed me to try my hardest to champion the need for representation for working class students at York, out of which the University’s Working Class Officer, and its accompanying Network, were born.

I’d urge all working class students (not just freshers!) to join the network; it’s a great place to meet friends, hang out, and gain some interesting skills too (the university are funding a research project into the experiences of working class students, which is being supported by the Students’ Union, YUSU)!

Right then, enough of the spiel!

My top tips for working class

freshers are as follows. First of all, please know the university is your space as much as anyone else’s; you earned your place there just like they did! Secondly, join as many clubs and societies as possible; they are a great way of making friends and gaining experience for your CV. Finally, be proud of where you come from; that being said, life isn’t all about where you come from, it’s about where you’re going. I am sure that this year’s cohort of working class freshers will go far.

Connor Drake was the first YUSU Working Class & Social Mobility Officer before graduating.

He also spearheaded the campaign for there to be a WCO at York.

JESS REEVE AND JOANNE REED: We decided to do this piece as a pairing because what is a university experience without being uncomfortably close to your friends doing something you ought to be doing alone.

Jess: I didn’t know what university would be like when I started - I hadn’t expected to come to York and I never really sat down and thought, “what am I getting myself into?” Though it took me a while to settle in, I was lucky to have wonderful people in my flat (some of whom I’m still living with in third year!) and get involved in great societies.

Joanne: Freshers’ week was a whirlwind experience for me: there was so much going on and I wish I had stopped to take time to

relax. Your first few weeks aren’t about doing everything: they are about getting used to a new environment, and you need to have the energy to get involved.

Jess: Cooking was something that startled me - I never seemed to have time to do it! Rather than burning through your overdraft with endless takeaways and Courtyard chip bowls, learn a few recipes you can make in 15 minutes and make meals at the weekend to freeze.

Joanne: Coming from the stress of A-Levels, first year was a pleasant surprise as I had fewer contact hours and more free time to study when I wanted. I learned to set aside some time each week to study to prevent late-night cramming - no matter how busy your course is, you can reduce your stress by working smarter,

not harder.

Jess: Make sure to get a YorKey card. YorKey cards give you one journey for £1, which is cheaper than getting a standard single or a return. You can buy a set of ten or twenty tickets through the First Bus App, or you can top up a physical YorKey card on the bus.

Joanne: Look out for free opportunities, especially at the beginning of each term. It’s never too late to start something new, and lots of societies offer free ‘Give it a Go’ sessions so you can try new activities.

Jess: Starting university can be an isolating experience - you’re away from your friends and family, and other people might seem to be having a great time on social media. If you don’t make friends at first don’t worry - university is a big place and you’ll find the people

for you. Also, remember that social media is never a fair representation of anybody’s life. Everyone feels lonely or homesick at some point.

Joanne: Finally, I cannot stress enough how important it is to register with a doctor. I put off making appointments for the entirety of first year and I wish I’d taken active steps to look after my mental health. Prioritising your physical and mental health is more important than anything else.

Jess Reeve is Secretary-General of UNA’s YorkMUN 2020. She is also York Vision’s brilliant new technical director.

Joanne Reed is the former President of Debating Society and currect DSG Personnel of YorkMUN.

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YORK

FRESH

THERE’S LOADS TO DO AT YORK OUTSIDE OF MILITARY HISTORY SOCIETY WAS ONE OF THE 30 NEW SOCIETIES RATIFIED LAST YEAR

U.N.A.

SOCIETIES COMEDYSOC

United Nations Association, a society which teaches its members about current international political affairs, as well as many important public speaking and diplomatic skills. Go along to their training sessions, and they might send you to one of their global conferences!

Get involved in this society if you’re interested in improving your comedy skills - or want discounted tickets to their entertaining shows, which are put on regularly. They provide weekly workshops (for improv, writing or just stand-up).

FEMSOC

YSC

Feminist Society meet up to discuss issues surrounding feminism, as well as hosting craft workshops and nights out. They say: “We encourage anyone who’s interested to come along and get involved”, so make sure to check out their freshers’ fair stand and sign up!

An on-campus, student-run cinema, which shows the latest blockbusters throughout the year. Due to the cheap price of membership, it is also the largest society on campus. Students who volunteer also get to see their films for free!

DOUGSOC

DRAMASOC

York has several performance based societies, including Drama Soc. Drama Soc, as its name suggests, put on plays, generally having one different play a week during term time, occasionally original material written by its members.

Again, a bit more niche compared to your average film, feminist, or performance societies but they’re the leading light in weird and fun things to do. They promise weekly events and activities (such as board games and competitions), as well as a newsletter to read.

HUMSOC

FETSOC

STUDENT MEDIA

If you (like many of us) love hummus, this society is for you. A bit more niche than some of the ones mentioned above, this society organises weekly sessions, allowing its members to meet people and discover other cultures. Apparently there’s more to the popular food than you’d think. And of course, they eat a lot of hummus!

VISION Campus’s only tabloid, a more laid back student paper. We have a very welcoming and committed team, so if you’re at all interested in journalism or the process behind making a paper, join us!

A more unique society for people who have (or are interested in finding out more about) kinks or fetishes. A progressive and sex positive society, they host discussion groups, Shibari workshops, and other meetups and socials, with like-minded, kinky people.

NOUSE No Use. Noose. There’s probably others. Doesn’t matter how you try and add it up, they’re a bit more boring than us, but they won an award for design recently, so that’s nice.

THE LEMON PRESS The Lemon Press is the uni’s answer to Private Eye, satirical, clever, and at times just… weird. They have four issues a year full of funny articles, pictures, and sometimes poems, all of varying levels of wit.

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Tuesday October 1, 2019

Vısıon 19 YORK

YOUR DEGREE, HERE’S WHAT WE GET UP TO:

SPORTS

WE DON’T PLAY A LOT OF SPORT, FAR TOO MUCH EFFORT

POOL

FOOTBALL

A lot of people say pool isn’t a real sport, and our editors would be inclined to agree if it wasn’t the only sport they could do.

There’s a great college circuit going around, but you can find tables in most YUSU venues if you fancy an easy game for 50p.

Well it’s the typical lads game isn’t it, except there are more teams than there are colleges, and at all levels of competency.

Expect more than just the sport though. The top teams are tight as, well, a really tight thing, and some of the socials that certain squads do are a sight to behold

RUGBY

QUIDDITCH

Always worth a watch, the rugby teams at York have been getting better and better over the past few years. We’ve got League and Union teams to get involved with, although the official Vision line is that Union is better. The Women’s 1st Union finished Roses last year, proving to be an incredible spectacle.

Certainly something to keep an eye on.

There’s a lot of nerdy hobbies you can get involved with at University, but don’t be tricked, Quidditch is a full contact blood sport. Hundreds, if not millions, are injured in the sport every year. Obviously we’re kidding, they’re a friendly bunch and it’s meant to be a lot of fun.

CHEER

HOCKEY

Unsurprisingly competitive, surprisingly exciting, cheer at York is big, and pulls its weight for the Uni having never lost to Lancaster at Roses.

They travel all over competing, and usually winning, so get stuck in.

Going from strength to strength, the hockey teams have proven themselves a serious force to be reckoned with, beating Lancaster away in 2018, and sweeping up a huge victory home in 2019. It’s more hardcore than you might think, they’re a seriously good bunch. Join now to be part of the next enourmous victory.

SWIMMING

PARK RUN

Every Saturday at 9am, loads of healthy people run 5k over on the East Campus. It’s easy, free, and some would say, fun. These are the fun runners, the regulars, and if that’s you’re thing then go for it. Considerably behind all those people, you’ll see our editor Harry dragging his lifeless, sweaty, corpse of a body.

We hear he’s no longer the slowest man of his age, well done Harry.

There’s an excellent pool on East Campus so it shouldn’t be too hard to get your swimming fix if that’s your thing, not too pricey, although only worth membership if you’re going regularly. The swimming teams are fun and friendly, but if you’re going for competative levels, you’ll be practising a lot.

URY

YSTV

The oldest independent radio station. Join University Radio York if you’re at all interested in radio, be that presenting, or the more technical behind the scenes aspects. Legend has it that they used to let The Lemon Press broadcast.

York Student Television, this media society is a must if everything that goes into making television interests you. They cover most on (and sometimes off) campus events, as well as making various short films and documentaries over the year.

THE YORK HISTORIAN The newly ratified York Historian prints one print edition a year, but their lack of frequency is matched with their quality. This is a magazine for students with an interest in history, and writing about history.

20 Vısıon YORK

Tuesday October 1, 2019

FRESH

IT WOULDN’T BE RIGHT IF WE DIDN’T INCLUDE

BNOC BINGO SOPHIE MEEHAN

Sophie has lifted the YUSU Women’s network to new heights during her tenure, with more events and presence than ever.

Dylan Reeves-Felllows

Dylan is an internet sensation, with almost 40k YouTube subscribers following his every exploit at University. Back from a year in Australia, look out for him expanding his modelling portfolio or his showreel.

JADE BREWER

CHRIS SMALL

Chris shot to fame in his YUSU Presidential campaign. Chair of the Yorkshire Young Liberals, Vision and Lemon Press Deputy Editor, and all around nice guy, Chris can be found in Courtyard plotting his next campaign.

THOMAS RON

CAN YOU FIND ALL THESE BIG NAMES ON CAMPUS? STEPH HAYLE

As our Community and Wellbeing officer, Steph launched the #RentRant and #BUStice campaigns to take on the powers that be giving students a hard time.

Louis sharpe-ward

Thomas Ron, or Tron as he’s generally known, Louis SW is the chair of the Derwent JCRC, is a Politics PhD student and teacher. Known and a big wig in Derwent Rugby. This means that by divine right, he should be able to all accross campus, he reached the peak of fame when his famous dinners were brought drink pints faster than D-Bar can pour them.

If you’re in that most cursed of colleges, to light in the #ComeDineWithTron exclusive your freshers’ week is of his planning. all the way back in Vision 254.

DOMINIQUE SAMUELS

SAMARA JONES

Jade has gone from strength to strength in Dominique came to prominence in the Working We have to put Samara here, partially beClass Officer referendum championing the No cause of the important work she’s done in her noteriety, from President of the York campaign, but reached noteriety as a senHornets, to the Sport Union Committee, Alcuin college and now doing in YUSU, but and in with a chance of the nation’s biggest ior figure in the highly contreversial Turning also because she was the only one capable Point UK. As of today, TPUK have yet to be BNOC in the Tab. of beating Chris Small. Re-match anyone? allowed to ratify a society.

22

FRESH

Tuesday October 1, 2019

YOU’VE GOT THREE YEARS. CAN YOU COMPLETE

THE FAMOUS YORK VISION

BUCKET LIST X

Captain a college sport side

X

Find Alcuin

X

Have a URY show

X

Run a joke YUSU campaign

X

Piss off your neighbours

X

Get your Yorfess submition rejected

X

Roll down Clifford’s Tower

X

Throw up on Greg’s Place

X

Build up a YoYo stockpile

X

Survive a takeaway from Efe’s

X

Stare down a goose

X

Commit flatcest*

X

Make out with someone on top of Central Hall

X

Sleep in the library

X

Read Nouse*

*Vision doesn’t condone reckless activities and strongly reccomend that you don’t try to complete this page

COLUMN

Tuesday October 1, 2019

UNEXPECTED PERKS

PERKIN AMALARAJ

WELL DONE TO ALL YOU DURHAM REJECTS. CONGRATULATIONS ON NOT being good enough to go to Durham. Take solace knowing that while the Head Girl of your school probably did go there and will likely end up in the city because of it, they will be fucking miserable for every second that they’re there.

York hits the sweet spot of being a cracking university, but also isn’t so far up its own arse that you can’t have any fun. As a dirty southerner coming up from London to the hard and desolate lands of Yorkshire, I must admit I was scared. I was being thrown into a deep end 200 miles away from everything I had known. Luckily, the violent urge to throw oneself into the largest plastic bottomed lake in Europe faded when I arrived at the golden gates of Derwent.

Keith Kinsella, my St. Peter, greeted us with a host of friendly STYC’s, all of whom met us with a smile and a wave. I was apprehensive at first; up to that point, my impression of uni life consisted of hating your flatmates, having a mild addiction to one powder or another, having a severe addiction to cheap wine, and being in in a permanent state of exhaustion and misery for three years.

Seeing 80 or so happy 2nd years just felt…off. two of them cheerily helped me with my bags and I paused for a second. Perhaps they were actually happy to help, and not just hiding their disdain for all those who had the audacity to apply here. As we walked up the stairs, I was being told of the many things that makes Derwent “just the best college”. But I wasn’t really listening to them. I was busy assessing my flatmates. The people I’d have to live with for the next year. The people who would either be my best mates or my worst enemies.

I had heard many a horror story of the flatmates from Hell. People who would play Drum and Bass at 3am in their room alone. People who you were

glad would never leave their rooms, lest you fall victim to the stench of their showering phobia. You always get told that the people you go to uni with make or break the time that you spend there, and it’s true.

I was really lucky with my flat. As it happens, they were, for the most part, kind, funny and interesting people who always did the right thing to make sure everyone was happy. I know people who were in flats where this was very much not the case. Whether it be a flat romance turning sour, a person being a liability one too many times, or just a good old fashioned milk stealing bastard, there are so many different things that could make your flat hate each other for a year (sidenote: flatcest will almost always be a mistake.

You’ll think that you’ve found the love of your life living three doors down, but when they find someone else, it’ll just make everything super awkward for everyone).

You’ll meet a huge range of people in your flat, which is what I liked most about it. During sixth form, there was a tendency for everyone to just stay in their cliques and refuse to interact with anyone outside of that. The football lads would only talk to the preppy girls, the drama kids would hide away in the drama classrooms and get off with each other, and the weird kids would sit in the corner giving worried glances to anyone who came within a six feet radius of them.

Here, there wasn’t really any of that. If you walked into any kitchen, you’d find people who went on a gap yah, football lads, and soft indie kids all drinking together like they were all best mates. It’s such a refreshing change from school. Obviously, there are gonna be types of people that you’ll gravitate towards, but that’s called making friends. For the most part, the people who go here are pretty nice and welcoming so don’t feel like you only have to be in one small crowd.

Of course you’ll be doing more

than just drinking with your flat. People say you need to join societies at uni, and theyre absolutely right. Otherwise, your life for the next three years is going to consist almost exclusively of getting drunk, trying desperately to pull at 2am in Salvos, being rejected, getting more drunk in attempt to avoid thinking about the concept of rejection, and ignoring the quiet but ever present worry that this might be as good as life gets for you (another sidenote: mild but frequent panics about the direction and state of your life is very common... I hope) .

At first, I thought it was going to be a bit wet to join societies, but then you’ll start to look in, and you see that they’re having way more fun than you are standing outside. Wouldn’t it be better if I just tried it for once, you’ll think to yourself? Not to sound like the head of whatever college you’re in, but just try whatever it is out. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But you could join something that you never saw yourself doing in a million years. I once tried out roller-skating because a few of us were headed to a pres in Vanbrugh and we passed the roller-skating society on the way. As fun as it was screaming as I fell on my ass, I didn’t end up taking it up permanently. But it was nice to have the experience of it.

I think the best thing about going to university is the fact that it kind of is a clean slate for everyone. The vast majority of people you meet will be completely new and different to what you’re used to back home. And there are so many different things to do. Of course that comes with its own difficulties.

The lack of familiarity can be daunting at times. There will be times where you want nothing more than to run back home and curl up in bed, but lets face it, you got into a pretty good university. I’m sure you’ll be smart enough to figure all of it out. And if not, I’m sure York St John’s is always looking for new students.

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24 Vısıon Tuesday October 1, 2019

FEATURES

YORK

features

ACHAYWORD WITH RACHAEL MASKELL QUINN speaks with York Central MP Rachael Maskell and gets the full lowdown on Brexit, abortion, and the future for the Labour Party.

MOST NEW MPS FIND themselves at a crossroads when entering Parliament in deciding what their highest priority will be; the chamber they’ve worked so hard to get elected to, or the constituents: the people who voted them into Parliament itself.

Rachael Maskell had no such trouble, she broke tradition to swear oath to serve the constituents, before Parliament. This decision has never left her, and plays into every poltical move she has to make. Chay Quinn went up to the council offices to chat with her.

“My belief is that I will do everything I possibly can to help transform our country. That’s what people elected me to do”, she says right at the start of the conversation. There’s no doubting her conviction,

‘‘I believe we have a transformative agenda” Maskell is assured in her ability to represent her constituents, and in turn, work to transform parliament.

It doesn’t take long to figure out what hot topics are driving her these days. Discussion about Brexit is now as inevitable as death and taxes, and Maskell too, is motivated by it.

“I do believe our future is best if we’re full part members of the European Union in the future, I don’t want us to leave, I don’t want

us to be isolated from the opportunities Europe gives young people, the opportunity to study overseas, the opportunity for good research at universities, the opportunity for jobs and to work in future life. And I’m not going to cut off those opportunities to people today.”

‘‘Our future is best placed in the EU” It’s easy to get lost down the ideological rabbit hole of what people believe, but if politics is anything, it’s a game to actually put your beliefs into practice. On the matter of not voting in favour of the May Deal to avoid No Deal, Maskell says “if we leave even with a deal, and it wasn’t a good deal, we’ve got to remember it created borders in Northern Ireland, it didn’t have answers to many of the challenges we’re facing at the moment”. Maskell has made it very clear that she is focused on reforming instituions such as the EU from the inside, and wants to put emphasis on “[bringing] people together”. There’s no questioning it, our MP is fighting to stay in at all costs.

The future of the Labour party is up for debate in any punter’s head, but Maskell wanted to make it clear to us, Labour is ready to take the reigns of

government. “The reality is that Labour has got a connected, secure program of governance... I am confident that Labour will do well in an election”.

Into the nitty gritty, Rachael Maskell is known as a supporter of the anti-abortion movement. She believes that abortion laws are in the wrong place, and wants to open the debate in Parliament. Hardly a vote winner in the student population.

When we questioned her involvement in the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, she denied our research that found her to have sat as a Vice Chair.

This belief was applied in the recent vote on allowing abortion in Northern Ireland, to which Maskell voted against.

When we asked if there was any connection to personal religious beliefs, Maskell told us that she “followed the [party] line”, and voted as she did due to the nature of interfering in Northern Irish politics.

Unfortunately, this seems to contradict the view she expressed earlier in the conversation, about wanting to bring people together over issues, rather than governmental structure.

The question Vision has to ask then, is why believe this when it comes to the EU, but then turn around when it’s a matter of what many would consider Human Rights?

FACT CHECK

Maskell claims to have never been a member of the anti-abortion APPG. This is contrary to publications.parliament.uk, which records Maskell as a vice chair, however, she has claimed to us that this position was recorded in error, and without her consent.

FEATURES

Tuesday October 1, 2019

Vısıon 25 YORK

INSIDE EXTINCTION REBELLION VISION gets the latest from E&E officers Mark and Merry, and the Global Climate Strike in St. Helen’s Square York.

YUSU’S DECLERATION of the climate emergency is the latest move in the ongoing radicalisation of the Environment & Ethics Collective inside the Union.

From the muted posturing from the Collective under the helm of their predecessor Oscar Bentley, current Officers Mark Matthews and Merry Dickinson have been an active presence on campus. They have been more active in the weeks on the run-up to Freshers’ Week than even the sabbatical officers. One only needed to go to St. Helen’s Square to see their activity during the Global Climate Strike in late September.

The event, inspired by the early activism of Greta Thunberg, was attended by all five sabbatical officers, Mark and Merry, and countless York students. A sight to behold after the rightful claims of impotence levied towards YUSU in years gone by. The sabbs were active and the E&E Officers, clad in high-vis jackets as loud as their message: wake up, the planet is on fire.

This radicalisation of the E&E Collective has had one huge catalyst: the rise of Extinction Rebellion. YUSU’s new vigour found its crucible within XR. The E&E duo are part of the York chapter, coordinating events over the UK during the summer including pro-

testing at a fracking site. Their comrade, Patrick Thelwell, a student who ran to be a councillor for the Green Party in May, also seems to have his eye on coming into YUSU (see our interview with him on page 27). But one has to ask, is the increasing influence of the grassroots movement going to compromise some of the things that YUSU do for students and, if so, is it the right thing to do?

Mark and Merry are already exerting influence over the sabbs. It is known that Student Activities Officer and York Sport President, Ollie Martin and Maddi Cannell are actively advocating environmental issues as part of their roles. One wonders how this issue is going impact February’s YUSU elections. There are a number of climate activists on campus, you’d have to figure one of them will run to be a sabb on an unabashedly climate-based agenda. If one did, don’t bet against a landslide victory.

With YUSU elections not far away, could the victory of a climate candidate form the base from which old-school student activism can return to campus with all the rage against the machine that embodied students pre-2011? When speaking to Mark and Merry at the Global Climate Strike, they emphasised that they are just getting started. They spoke of new Vice-Chancellor Charlie Jeffery and the hope that wide-ranging change at a university level can be affected.

Speaking to Mark and Merry, the one thing that unites them is a calmness. A directness which throws you off at first glance.

After all, this is meant to be an emergency, right? But when you dig into their words there is an unmistakable anger from there and a determination which characterises this new direction the E&E Collective has taken. The one thing that the pair embody is the aforementioned sense of student activism from a bygone age.

Students before they were seen as hapless consumers and when students’ union’s were just that: a union. Unity these days is in premium both nationally and on campus.

But just like in other times of great crisis, it seems that students have largely come together to organise and form a coherent group again. ry on

sto read our y and intero t 7 2 page genc Turn to U climate emer atrick Thelwell the YUS h campaigner P on. i view wit w Climate sect e n in our

Mark and Merry, our Environment & Ethics officers, and XR campaigners

26

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday October 1, 2019

Vısıon LIFESTYLE YORK

ADVICE

Harry gives his top tips on how to make the best of your parents hard earned cash.

IT LOOKS BIG, DOESN’T IT. All that money just sitting in your account, waiting to fuel whatever your next town bingefest or overpriced Nisa shopping spree happens to be, but it won’t be days of wine and roses.

Not really. You see, money, like time, and sand, slips away faster than you can possibly imagine. A lunch out here and a drink out there, and all of a sudden you have the bartender at Courtyard knowing your order off by heart, an addiction to Uber, and the deficit of Liberia missing from your account. Well no longer will you need to worry about sending panicked emails to Santander to ask for an extra £500 of overdraft. With this advice, you’ll make all of that government given cash stretch just that bit longer.

First of all, learn to cook. I know your parents said it. I know your grandparents said it. I know it’s on that website of important life skills, but it’s so good for saving money.

You know how much a meal out at Ask Italian costs? Far too much money, and a small piece of your soul, save it for a special occasion. You can make an unreasonably large portion of pasta with all the sauces, sides and cheese you could possibly need for a very reasonable price.

On top of that, your next major money saving advice is also food related, because you need to know where to shop. Nisa? Forget it. Co-op? Well, I suppose if you have the discount card. Aldi? Now you’re talking. It’s tricky because you’ll save money without noticing, so make sure to get into the habit of the trek up to Aldi. What do you mean you can taste the difference? Liar. Nobody can taste the difference, it’s all nonsense. One frozen meal is the same as the next. And if you’re trying to save money and decide that you can’t afford to cut down on your Waitrose freshly picked Mars Bars, then not even God could help you. Sidenote: make sure to buy bulk when you spot a hot discount.

If you know you’ll eat all that pasta over the year, then buy it while it’s only 25p a bag. Morrisions does a cracking deal on Magners.

Next, you’re going to want to keep a watchful eye on how often you’re going out. Now, don’t let me be the bearer of misery, you can still have a good time and not lose all your money, even if you went out every night during Freshers’ week. But you only get one Freshers’ week.

And in fact, after that one, you might want to take a bit of a break anyway. Going out is brilliant, but you can’t do it every night and expect to make your rent payments with ease. I find it’s best to keep it a casual thing. When you’re in the mindset of not planning to go out, you’ll end up having a fantastic night out every week or two, and you have money lying around to, you know, live, for all the time you’re not out.

Finally, and this is key, try and understand how cash flow works. That money you’ve got is meant to last you all term, so you CAN’T spend it all at once. I knew a man who would spend a week living off of the finest sushi money could buy, and then for the rest of term, lived off of a wonderful food called hardtack. It’s made of flour, water, and sometimes salt, but only for a real treat. Don’t be like this man. Don’t live like the srcubbiest person in your block, live like a normal person, and depressingly, that means keeping an eye on the old bank account.

WE ASK OUR TEAM: WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STUDY? HOLLY PALMER: WATERSTONES CAFE

FOR BOOK LOVERS LIKE MYSELF, I’d recommend studying in the café in Waterstones, Coney Street.

Tucked away upstairs, it’s a cosy, chatty and ambient snug to get some work done whilst sipping on a hot chocolate.

Taking a wander around the shop to peruse when I get there and after I’ve finished my course reading gives me enough to look forward to my little visit to my study spot, without it feeling like I am going to do studying at all.

ZARA STUBBS: MY BEDROOM MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO STUDY is in my room sounds simple but it’s quite specific.

When my housemates and I decide to study at the same time, we all prop our bedroom doors open, and study at our own desks with music playing in the hallway. (Sonos or vinylpick your era. We do both). It’s a great way to make studying feel more social without getting too distracted. Perfect middle ground and you don’t even have to leave your house.

LUCY PURKIS CHARTERS: 2ND FLOOR FAIRHURST MY FAVOURITE PLACE TO STUDY would probably be the top floor of the Harry Fairhurst Library.

I personally work really well with friends around, a kind of environment where we’re all studying but not in complete silence, where you can agree on short breaks to have a laugh or gossip about something to help unwind in the middle of intense essay sessions.

This part of the library is perfect for that, there being a choice of comfy seats, individual desks, or the larger, more communal desks. Great for studying hard in a more relaxed atmosphere!

CHAY QUINN: POSTERN GATE CHAY HAD THIS CRAZY idea when we were prepping the paper, and he won’t let us not put it in.

His argument was something on the lines of cheap unlimited coffee, wifi, and power, but we’re not sure why he doesn’t just stay at home where he has all of these things in abundance. Some of us have been to his place, he’s got endless coffee, in fact, he keeps pots of it in the office, so there’s quite a few holes in his concept. We strongly reccomend that if you see Chay in Wetherspoons studying, go and say hello to him, and remind him that this idea is one of his daftest.

CLIMATE

Tuesday October 1, 2019

CLIMATE YUSU DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY

BY

27

HARRY CLAY

York Vision exclusively revealed online on Monday that YUSU has declared a climate and ecological emergency.

A decleration was realeased annoucnig that ‘We are living in a global emergency created by the willfull disregard of our living planet and all life on earth’, along with a string of promises and changes that YUSU plans to make.

This includes campaigning for divestment, banning single use plastics in the Union, and lobbying the University to also declare an emergency.

This decision came after the City of York first declared a climate emergency earlier in the year. It’s easy to see why YUSU have made the decision, as now they have more credibility when criticising the University’s inaction. In the same spirit of things, you can now find a whole series of specialised recycling bins outside

the YUSU building, YUSU have also stated that they will be looking to reduce the carbon footprint and ecological impact of University societies. They’ll be looking to encourage society events to be more sustainable, and ‘greening’ larger events. It’s yet to be seen if print media will be encouraged to move online and print fewer copies, an idea discussed in rumours, but never in concrete proposal.

The decision was completed by the two Environment & Ethics officers, Mark and Merry. As campaigners, they’ve made stories out of involvement in marches and their arrests. As officers, this is the first of their key priorities achieved, although they intended the University to commit to carbon neutrality by 2025, not 2030. Naturally a minor setback, but still a step in the right direction.

With such quick success, it’s easy to assume that their other targets, vamping up the divestment campaign and mobilising student participation in wider activism, might be reached. The paid have made a serious stab at being some of the most effective people within YUSU, and with wider ecological concerns very serious and very urgent, we should only be thankful.

YUSU have also stated that they will be looking to reduce the carbon footprint and ecological impact of University societies. They’ll be looking to encourage society events to be more sustainable, and ‘greening’ larger events. It’s yet to be seen if print media will be encouraged to move online and print fewer copies, an idea discussed in rumours, but never in concrete proposal.

Signs and posters appeared overnight across campus, although some dissapeared in less than a day.

INTERVIEW: PATRICK THELWELL

BY

CHAY QUINN

York Vision SAT DOWN with notable student climate activist Patrick Thelwell to talk about his arrest, the Greens and his future plans.

YV: You were recently convicted of a public disorder offense for blocking Waterloo Bridge in XR’s, international rebellion received a fine, and it will not take part in such public disorder for another 12 months, will you be adhering to those commit conditions?

PT: This is so much more important than my own freedom, I guess.

So that’s something that I’m willing to sacrifice just to make sure that our government actually get the message that we need actions and not just words.

YV: So you’d be willing to go to prison for XR? PT: Yeah, I would. Yeah. And that’s not something I say lightly, by the way, because obviously, prison is a

really horrific experience, but so many people. But the reality is that it’s this kind of action that makes people actually listen.

YV: So I understand that you’re quite good friends with YUSU Environment & Ethics Officers, Mark and Merry. How much influence does Extinction Rebellion have within the Collective?

PT: That’s a good question. And well, obviously, Mark and Merry were elected. So they’ve got a mandate to represent the students. And they stood on a pretty no nonsense climate change platform. So I know that they’re doing a lot of great things, especially as well planned with the new vice-chancellor. And so yeah, just representing the students really.

YV: To that end, the University of York has over £200,000 invested in the fossil fuel industry. What is your message to the Vice-Chancellor Char-

lie Jeffrey about divesting?

PT: That people have done it before, we’re not the first institution to realize that we’re complicit in funding fossil fuels and there’s a blueprint out there for you to be able to transfer those funds into student-led food cooperatives and energy programs and other ways that our funds could just be used better.

YV: Earlier this year, usually the fourth-most votes in the race to be Hull Road councillor. You were beaten by three Labour Co-op councillors.

What’re your reflections upon the race?

PT: I was just glad that I could raise the issue of climate change, get it on the agenda and talk to as many people as I could about it, that was the best thing being able to go around Tang Hall and actually speak to people about how climate change can feel something very abstract to them.

Climate Patrick at the Global g.

Strike with his DIY fla

4

Tuesday October 1, 2019

Tuesday October

SPORT

NEWS

29

SPORT

Tuesday October 1, 2019 Tuesday October

NEW BUCS CHAIR

BY ADAM

PHILPOTT

PROFESSOR CRAIG Mahoney has been nominated as the Chairelect of British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS).

The Principal and ViceChancellor of the University of West Scotland (UWS), one of the lowest-ranked universities in the UK, will have his appointment ratified in December.

Professor Mahoney has received many plaudits since taking up the VC post at UWS in 2013, culminating in being shortlisted for higher education’s most inspiring leader at The Guardian University Awards 2018.

He also hit the headlines in July 2017 when he claimed that he could not “properly” do his job without a free residency on top of his £227,000 salary at UWS. Subject to his ratification at BUCS’ AGM in December, Mahoney will be looking to continue promoting the importance of sport in higher education.

“It is a fantastic honour to be chosen to become Chair of BUCS – an organisation I have both admired and supported throughout my career,” Mahoney said.

RUGBY READY

BY CHAY

QUINN

UNIVERSITY OF York Women’s Rugby Football Club is preparing for the first ever York season in a BUCS Premier Division.

The side will be flying the flag for York in the Northern Premier for the 2019/20 season after a monumental success in the previous two years. UYWRUFC have powered through the past two seasons with back-toback league and cup doubles taking the side to the heights of being York’s highest ranked BUCS side ever.

This season will likely be a challenge for the side which comfortably demolished Lancaster 91-0 in the closing ceremony of Roses 2019.

Despite this UYWRUFC’s participation in the Performance Pathway Clubs scheme, a YUSUbacked scheme to empower selected BUCS clubs to

PROGRESS REPORT

PERFORMANCE PATHWAY CLUBS

BY

CHAY QUINN

THE FIRST CLUB that bares thinking about is, of course, University of York Women’s Rugby Football Club. UYWRUFC is an interesting case study for the Performance Pathway Clubs programme just because it was already so successful before the PPC programme took effect.

A league and cup double in the first year of the PPC programme in 2018/19 was their second in two years and true progress will be judged this season as the Northern Premier in which they find themselves post-promotion is uncharted territory for any BUCS club.

Retaining their Premier status will be a monumental success but the continuation of the excellence that the club exhibited in 2017/18 into 2018/19 can still be seen as success for the PPC programme even if we can’t wholly put the success down to it.

Continuation of success with a revolving door of sportspeople enrolling and graduation is a tricky art to manage at best and if UYWRUFC stay up this season, it will not only be a win for this year, but a vindication for the programme against those, like me, who hesitate to attribute the victories to the YUSUbased programme.

York’s fencing club seem to be an often-forgotten sport until Roses comes around. Much like actual fencing until the Olympics. But they are actually one of the most exciting clubs to watch in the entire University of York.

Pre-PPC the men’s side was relegated and put a poor showing in the cup but their first year as a Performance Pathway Club has seen them

match the lofty heights of Women’s Rugby with a fantastic league and cup double to return to the secondbest league in BUCS. The women’s side have remained largely the same but reside in the Northern 1A league to render Fencing as one of the most consistently good clubs in York, a definite win for the PPC programme. Long may it

continue.

Often suffering in the shadow of the monolith that is their female equivalent, UYRUFC is middling in its BUCS performances in recent years as well as at Roses. Two victories out of three against Lancaster was a half decent return for a home Roses despite the 1st team only narrowly edging their match against

the Red Rose. But this is the same as away in the preceding year away (though they did lose the 1st’s game that year).

This perceived improvement could easily be put down to the impact of the home advantage upon the team. The Roses home victory for the last 11 years and counting shows this clearly.

COLLEGE SPORT ACCESS FEE IMPOSED ON STUDENTS BY

ADAM PHILPOTT

THE YORK SPORT Union has unveiled the College Sport Pilot for the new academic year, promising to re-model college sport for the better.

The scheme will initially only affect students who represent Alcuin, James and Vanbrugh colleges in various sports, with the pilot’s future coverage across campus contingent on its inaugural success.

The new-look system will require students of these three guinea pig

colleges to pay a blanket membership fee of £30 if they want to participate in any college sport, with a few exceptions applying to James College Sport.

James College Sport’s unique blueprint will mandate a fee from 10 of its 16 sports clubs , with men’s rugby, women’s rugby, darts, rounders, cricket and lacrosse all being exempt from the pilot.

For all other sports however, a £30 fee will grant students unlimited access to sports training times and

matches for a full academic year for any team, a free college sport training top, access to other college sport events such as Fitness Friday and personal development programmes; as well as digital tracking of college sport results via the Playwaze app. York Sport President Maddie Cannell launched the scheme and said: “I am really excited for the pilot to be launching.

It represents a huge step forward towards equity in the provision of the fantastic College Sport system

that runs here at York.”

The value of the new system to college students will be the biggest metric by which to critique the pilot. With t he £30 fee buying a full year’s access to training sessions and matches, this equates to around £1 per training session.

The 2020 installment of York’s annual college varsity tournament against Russell Group rivals Durham will provide an acid test for the new pilot.

SPORT

Tuesday October 1, 2019

31

IMAGE: LUKE SNELL

VISION SPORT

THE BUCS

PREDICTS

YEAR AHEAD

The expert opinions of two and a half men with one thing

in common: they all used to be a Nouse Sport Editor.

By Chay Quinn, Patrick Hook-Willers and Adam Philpott

ONE TO WATCH

IN FOR A ROUGH TIME

WILDCARD

Chay says...

Pat says...

Adam says...

Women’s rugby: Okay, yes. I have taken an easy route out of this question but you can’t blame me. UYWRUFC are entering the season as York’s first ever Premier Division side. After two years unbeaten, back-to-back league and cup doubles and royally good twatting of Lancaster home and away, I will be keeping an eye on this club which is blazing a historic trail in York’s sporting scene.

My pick as being in for a rough time is the Women’s Rugby 1s. They’ve just been promoted to the Premier Division and are unbeaten in two years, but the inevitable graduations have happened and they have lost nearly half of their settled team. Couple that with major injuries to two of the remaining old guard from the recent years of success and the massive budgets of thr teams they are now going to face in the Premier Division, I expect this will be a rude awakening for York’s highest ranked side.

Departing Captain and President Calum Goodwin will leave a chasm to fill in the University of York Table Tennis Club (UYTTC). His formidable presence lifted the team from excellence to extraordinary. However, I still expect them to avoid relegation from the Northern 1A league because the team’s success has always been shaped on a remarkable spirit and squad depth. They’ll slip slightly from their perch, but they will still be one of the most fearsome opponents to face.

Pat says...

My one to watch is women’s 1s table tennis, who went a bit under the radar last year, losing just one of their 10 league matches and winning the Northern 2B league.

They dropped just six sets out of a possible fifty, shutting out strong competition from Leeds 1s to go up a division. The Liverpool side that knocked them out of the BUCS Conference Cup last year remain in the 2A division, so back to back promotions will be a tough ask, but is an effort worth keeping tabs on.

Adam says...

Men’s football 1s: in their past 4 seasons in the Northern 2B they have always been in a relegation battle and come out on top, but it was never pretty or comfortable, feasting off scraps like a hyena to a 3-day-old buffalo carcass, just about getting by like Chay Quinn in the kitchen. Last season, however, they won just one game and finished bottom of the pack. Quite frankly, it was about time, almost as inevitable as Thanos - they’re due a season of better fortunes in 3B. Now they’ve dropped down, they will be one of the favourites to win the league and put their trophy-less past few seasons behind them in order to gain promotion back to those miserable times. It’s the black and white yo-yo reality they’ve been in for over a decade. For the next year, at least, they’ll be a worthwhile watch. The last time they were in the Northern 3B league, they won it.

Adam says...

The University of York volleyball men’s first team gained promotion to the Northern 1A league last season and so logically you can expect them to be in for a rough time this term, especially when a set can pivot on the momentum gained from one 30 second period. Since the golden years of 2006 to 2012 when they enjoyed six consecutive seasons in university volleyball’s highest BUCS league, they’ve struggled to not drop straight back down after promotion, and I expect them to struggle again this year.

Chay says...

After a really good season last year, Women’s Lacrosse 1st team have bounced back into the Northern 1A league following two seasons in the lower Northern 2B. But their high league finish doesn’t tell the whole story.

UYLC’s away form was spotty and their cup exit was away to league opponents Sheffield 1sts. Taking this inconsistency into the new season with a probable loss in personnel spells trouble and I expect the Women’s 1sts to put up a valiant effort but ultimately succumb to relegation.

Chay says...

Mixed golf: It’s been an odd few years for the golf club.

Last season, UYGC managed to bounce back from their winless first four matches to only lose one of the following six. If they can carry this form into the new season, you’d fancy them to better their 5th place finish especially after the promotion of the Durham 3rds side which comprehensively beat them 5.5-0.5 in their away fixture last year.

Pat says...

My wildcard is Ultimate Men’s 1s who suffered a terrible relegation from Northern 1A last year. It will be interesting to see how a more niche sport in terms of recruitment will cope with graduations in a lower league and to see whether they can bounce right back up after a poor season in 2018/19.

BUCS Wednesdays kicks off on October 9

ısıon VSport YORK

OUR 2019/20 BUCS PREDICTIONS ARE INSIDE TURN TO PAGE 31

COLLEGE SPORT IN PRICEY NEW SHAKE UP

WELCOME BACK PAY UP

College sport access fee imposed upon students

BY ADAM PHILPOTT THE YORK SPORT Union has unveiled the College Sport Pilot for the new academic year, promising to remodel college sport for the better.

The scheme will initially only affect students who represent Alcuin, James and Vanbrugh colleges in various sports, with the pilot’s future coverage across campus contingent on its inaugural success.

The new-look system will require

students of these three guinea pig colleges to pay a blanket membership fee of £30 if they want to participate in any college sport, with a few exceptions applying to James College Sport.

James College Sport’s unique blueprint will mandate a fee from 10 of its 16 sports clubs , with men’s rugby, women’s rugby, darts, rounders, cricket and lacrosse all being exempt from the pilot. - continued on P.29

PAGE IMAGES: LUKE SNELL