GUARDIAN STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2011-2012
YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
Issue 228
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STUDENTS THREATENED WITH EVICTION -PAGE 9-
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2 NEWS
YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
By Joe softley VODKA REVOLUTION’s clubbers were given an unexpected surprise last Sunday night, as a fleet of horse and carts , other wise known as ‘traps’ queued up to give willing students lifts home. Revellers reported the animals stationed outside the club but it is unknown how many actually took up the unique offer. One astonished clubber told Vision: “the state I was in, I fancied a late night
ride round York strapped to the back of a horse, but looking back on it now I’m glad I didn’t. It looked like a death trap.” The part time taxi service is thought to have been a group from the traveller convoy which had assembled outside the Tang Hall Working Mens Club earlier that day. The group consisting of over 30 horses and carts, assembled on the Hull Road site after initially setting off from Murton, before proceeding down University Road and into Heslington after a delay of
around an hour. Students were amazed to witness the event passing the library, with one bemused fresher telling Vision “it felt like I’d gone back in time!” Despite taking local police by surprise, the event passed off peacefully, with members of the traveller community having convened from all over Yorkshire and the North East. It is thought the occurrence was in tribute to a recently deceased community leader.
MY BIG FAT GYPSY TAXI YOURWEEK YORKVISION Guardian Student Publication of the Year 2011-2012
?
ER WAS G N I S LEAD OVER WHICH IN EVIL EYE D SPOTTE E WEEKEND? TH
Good Week for the library, the JB Morrell is full of students and exams are still months away. Bad Week for sleepy students, as 9:15s may change to 9am starts for lectures on Hes West.
Photo of the Week: Snow briefly visits York for the first time this year.
The number of students in the library at the peak time of 3pm.
£6.75m
456
Editors: Alex Finnis Georgina Strapp
Deputy Editors: Jack Bradshaw Sarah Cattle
Scene Editors: Jo Barrow Niamh Connolly
Managing Editor: Oliver Todd
Advertising Editors: Ben Huckle Ali Thurold
Online Editor: Fred Nathan
News Editors: Bethany Porter Joe Softley
Features Editors: Philip Watson Zena Jarjis
Sports Editors: Dave Washington Michael Thurloway
Deputy News: Aggie Chambre Jordan Connell
Deputy Features: Patrick Greenfield Zoe Biles
Deputy Sports: Jess Paisley Nick Burke
Comment Editors: Nina Pullman Olivia Head
Lifestyle Editor: Poppy Danby
Chief Sub-Editors: James Scott Jess Paisley
Deputy Comment: Oscar Pearson Sam Earle
Deputy Lifestyle: Francesca Martin Helena Kealey
Scene Editorial list in pullout
The amount being planned to spend on a redevelopment of the Biology Department.
Photo: Jack Bradshaw
Got an opinion? Get involved at www.yorkvision.co.uk
Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, senior editorial team, membership or advertisers. Every effort is made to ensure all articles are as factually correct as possible at the time of going to press, given the information available. Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2012. Printed by Mortons of Horncastle.
YORK VISION
BANNED!
Tuesday October 30, 2012
By JACK BRADSHAW ALL SECOND and third years in Halifax Football Club have been banned from league action this term following incidents which took place on their annual ‘World Tour’ social at the end of last year. According to York Sport President Charlotte Winter, the footballers caused “substantial damage” to The Courtyard, as well as the library, during their annual “rampage” around campus.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE Winter continued: “There were also a number of other incidents during this period which meant that for a prolonged period our security were having to attend to these matters rather than be available for any other issues which may have been occurring on campus. “For this reason Halifax
DAVE WASHINGTON SPORTS EDITOR
SO HALIFAX’s footballers have been banned from playing friendlies as well now. Harsh you may say, but in reality their punishment is rather lenient. If you look beyond the sporting terms, they have gone unpunished for their atrocious actions at last year’s “World Tour”. In
HALIFAX FOOTBALLERS IN DISGRACE AFTER ‘RAMPAGE’
second and third years have received a ban. ‘World Tours’ are now banned and if any do take place further punishments will be enforced.” Vision understands DeputyVice Chancellor Jane Grenville made the final decision to enforce the ban. However, she was unable to provide any further details on their actions, stating: “We have to protect the reputation of the University. If there are any further problems, unless the responsible realthey h ave g o t o f f lightl y
ity
for marauding around campus and leaving a trail of havoc and destruction in their wake. If you perpetrated such a heinous crime at school or on an individual level here at York, you’d in all likelihood be excluded from the institution. It must be highlighted that this is the act of the minority, not all of the Halifax
There are also a host of unconfirmed allegations against the team which include vandalising a security officer’s car and abusive behaviour towards other students. Halifax first team captain, Matt Darling, told Vision: “I wasn’t on the social that night so
I cannot comment on what happened. But whatever happened is not condoned by any of the current captains and we are all working hard with the University to find the culprit.” Fellow footballer Dave Lewis said: “People are trying to get hold of some footballers who were freshers last year and didn’t actually play football but came on all the socials.” Another added: “I didn’t get involved in anything outrageous or against the rules. The social isn’t meant to be a forum to vandalise the University at all; it’s meant to be fun. But some individuals just
team were responsible. However vandalising campus is a serious, if not criminal offence, and the protagonists of this scandal have emerged relatively unscathed. Although they may no longer be part of the autumn league, that is not a matter which will cause them to lose sleep. The highlight of the calendar is the College Cup, and by the summer term, the misdemeanours will long be forgotten and forgiven. The punishment which has been dished out, which is essentially non-existent, doesn’t send out the right message. Severely punishing the responsible individu-
als would have hammered home a non-tolerance stance on such actions, yet as it is the guilty parties have largely got away with their disgusting crime. The problem is the protagonists of this crime have refused to pluck up the courage and come forward, and thus the whole sporting body is suffering as a result. Someone has to pick up the pieces in terms of cost for the repairs, and it will be us as students who will pay for the damage caused by a few individuals. Who is to say that such despicable actions will not be replicated at this year’s “World Tour”?
individuals are identified or come forward, the ban will extend to the whole university career of each second, third and fourth year member of Halifax FC.” An unnamed source told Vision that the footballers’ behaviour in D-Bar was acceptable this year, unlike the previous ‘World Tour’ when staff members were egged.
“DRUNK AND STUPID”
NEWS
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get drunk and stupid and give it a bad name.” The ‘World Tour’ is an annual event for the club which involves members going around campus completing a variety of challenges, both in bars and elsewhere. The incident is the latest in a history of problems connected to the infamous Halifax ‘World Tour’ social. Last year, several footballers swam in the University lake and threw a chair down the library stairwell, and in 2010 a number of students and staff were verbally abused in the library, books were stolen from shelves and beer was spilled on the carpet. Although Halifax played a friendly match against James during the Sunday of week 3 on 22 Acres, further such matches have been banned by York Sport in an attempt to increase the severity of the punishment. Individuals from Halifax may be guilty this time around, but it could be any of the other colleges in the future. A shadow has been cast over the reputation of college football, and the off field antics have served to overshadow the fantastic action on the pitch. It’s a sad fact that the act of the minority, who have gone unpunished, has tarnished the reputation of college football as a whole. A host of superb contests have already taken place, yet everyone is talking not about these matches, but about the scandal which is menacingly lingering over college football.
4 NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
PLANS REVEAL REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES TO UNIVERSITY
NO MORE 9:15s
By bethany porter THE UNIVERSITY have revealed plans to potentially convert the academic year from the traditional three term timetable to an American-style two 15-week semesters. Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, John Robinson, has also proposed a shift in teaching hours, meaning that lectures on Heslington West would begin at 9am and on Heslington East at 9.30am. The University Teaching Committee have yet to make a final decision, but it is expected that if the plans were to go ahead we could see timetabling changes as early as next year. Semesterisation would come in after 2014. The staggering of teaching hours between Heslington East and West will make it easier for courses to be located across both campuses. Moving the start time on Heslington East
back to 9.30am is also likely to ease transport difficulties some students have reported since the cancellation of the number 4 bus service between the two campuses. John Robinson spoke to Vision about the plans. “We’ve taken a hard look at the practicalities of introducing a half-hour offset between the Heslington East timetable and the rest of the University. “I’m now bringing to University Teaching Committee (UTC) a proposal that we move to on-thehour starts for lectures/ seminars/labs/etc. everywhere except Heslington East, and half-past-thehour starts at Heslington East. This replaces our quarter-past-thehour offset with start times that are simpler to schedule.” He went on to explain the semesterisation proposal. “There’s a University Teaching
Committee working group that has now met twice, looking at the structure and schedule of the academic year. The group has considered issues like workload, placement and length of the common assessment period, weeks 8-10 of summer term, the needs of visiting students and so on. We looked at possible adjustments to the shape of the academic year. “We are now surveying the university sector to look at models that are used elsewhere.” Several other high ranking universities have already adopted the semester system including St Andrews and Bath University. The plans have divided student opinion. Third year student Heather Wills approved of the shift to semesterisation. “I think it’s a good thing as it will put us in line with other universities. It’s also going to benefit the sports teams as they currently have fewer weeks than other universities to play matches and have to catch up on these missed games later.” However, Law student Katie Coates expressed dismay saying: “No! Three ten week terms split the year nicely and we finish early
enough for summer as it is.” Speaking to Vision, YUSU Academic Officer Graeme Osborn said: “The proposed changes could make timetabling a lot easier and produce a better timetable for students. “We have to make sure that the needs of students with children or dependents and those who have to travel to and from York are taken
joe softley
NEWS EDITOR
THE INCREASED staggering of lecture times between Heslington West and Heslington East is well overdue. With the well documented deterioration in the inter campus bus service following the diversion of the number 4 bus, to expect students to get to the opposite campus in under 10 minutes is unrealistic at best. Most people, when confronted with the red “travel time warning” on their timetable don’t bother making the trip, as the journey could take them any-
BECAUSE SHE’S ALL OUT FOR RAG WORTH IT
By GEORGINA STRAPP
IT WAS announced earlier this month that Professor Pratbha Gai, the head of the JEOL Nanocentre in York will become the L’Oréal-UNESCO Laureate for Europe in 2013. Gai will be presented with the award at the 15th annual Women in Science Awards ceremony in Paris in March. She will receive the award alongside four other laureates from different regions, Africa and the Arab States, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Northern America, each winning a prize of $100,000. Laureates were chosen after a competitive process of nominations and reference with the overall winners finally chosen by a panel of internationally renowned scientists. The award is a career research award after many years of dedicated scientific research and it is based on the nomination and supporting references. Gai is hugely respected in her field as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Insitute of Physics, as well as being the winner of the Gabor Medal and Prize of the Institute of Physics
in 2010. Regardless, speaking to By DIANA LOIS RIGG Vision Gai expressed her extreme happiness at being awarded a prize WITH Volunteering Week comreserved for women: “I would like mencing in Week 4, ‘Raising and young women to be successful in Giving’ charitable society RAG science. I would like women to have been releasing the many focus on their chosen professions exciting fund-raising efforts and to be the best they can be.” they have lined up for throughRecognised for research that out the Autumn, Spring and will help scientists in their devel- Summer terms. opment of new medicines or new In the coming weeks York stuenergy sources, Gai plans on con- dents will have the opportunity to tinuing her research on a “world sign up for a range of events includstage.” She hopes the internation- ing expeditions to Kilimanjaro and al recognition from her award will the Great Wall of China. help her access further funding for this. Having originally been educated in India, Gai’s studied at CamOn the third and fourth of Nobridge and Oxford before her work vember, York RAG will be joining with took her to DuPont, USA and other RAG societies from universithe University of Delaware. She ties across the country for the Lonhas now been in York since 2007, a don ‘Mega Raid’ in aid of Oxfam. move she found hugely fulfilling. Week 4 will also see fun“Working in beautiful York draising challenges ‘Mofor me has been nice vember’ for men and ‘One with very good stuDress One Month’ for the dents and colgirls. Which campus hack had an leagues. I am Other outlandish events intimate encounter in The very pleased you can get involved with in Willow? to bring the aid of RAG include ‘Tough Guy’, award to York and skydiving, cycling from Leeds to increase its visibility inAmsterdam and even a walk across ternationally.” hot coals in Vanbrugh Paradise.
VOLUNTEERING WEEK 4
Thea Burden
into account when deciding what time to start the teaching day. “We are discussion the possibility of moving to semesters at Academic Assembly (Tuesday, 6:30 in Your Space). I think it’s a very important discussion and it is vital that students are engaged because it would fundamentally change how students at York experience university.”
thing between 5 minutes to 20 minutes. The changes in lecture and seminar times may cause initial confusion but it really shouldn’t prove too taxing. In regards to the semesterisation proposal it is difficult to see how the uprooting of the “term” system will bring any serious benefits. Despite claims that the propose change to “semester system” is a nationwide trend, the truth is that the majority of universities still operate of the traditional 3 term system, with the holidays being an opportunity to catch up with friends and family, but more importantly presenting different options when it comes to securing internships and furthering experiences away from an academic experiences.
YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday October 30, 2012
UNIVERSITY ACCOMODATION FAILS TO MEET REQUIRED STANDARDS
UNIVERSITY IN DENIAL By OLIVER TODD FIRST YEAR students at the University of York have voiced their complaints regarding the on-campus accommodation conditions. Vision can reveal that the University has received warnings about the quality of accommodation blocks in the annual campus condition survey earlier this year. Many students still feel their accommodation is not up to standard however. The survey, conducted by respected chartered surveyors Drake & Kannemeyer, sent out warnings regarding the poor kitchen provisions and inadequate shower facilities amongst a myriad of other problems with some of the less desirable blocks on campus. The condition survey described how in the old Langwith E Block, there was an “overall major redecoration and upgrade required imminently”, whilst multiple blocks in James College were judged to have their communal facilities “not acceptable to current standards.” Issues with heating
NOT ACCEPTABLE regulation systems were also noted in a number of blocks, although little appears to have been done to correct this. Fairfax House, the off-campus accommodation which was passed over to York St John earlier this summer was said to have “Inadequate provision of kitchens, bathroom/toilet facilities, all not to current standard. All requires significant upgrade finishes etc.” One first year James resident, who asked not to be named, told Vision: “I was told the accommodation allocation system was being sorted out this year but I still had a ton of problems. The toilets and showers are grim, and during peak times there just isn’t enough room
for everyone to use the kitchens. Our STYCs told us it wasn’t great but I didn’t expect this!” The survey also detailed a number of problems with heating regulation systems and problems with fire regulations in accommodation blocks. The survey on postgraduate accommodation block Constantine House described how there was “new carpets being fit-
“REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE” ted at time of survey, other works should have been prioritised,” whilst facilities across campus were described as being in “poor condition”. In her annual executive report presented to University Council
in July, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jane Grenville admitted that some of the on campus accommodation offered to students was “less appealing” and that residents in these blocks suffered an “apparent adversity” although students commented that this “ensured a closer community.” One second year Langwith student reacted to the report saying: “Whilst living together in ‘apparent adversity’ last year was fun, it doesn’t excuse how bad it really was - our bathrooms were almost unusable.” Grenville also reported that “catered accommodation continues to be popular,” despite YUSU’s issues with the system that were voiced by President Kallum Taylor in blog posts during the summer period. The YUSU survey on the subject is yet to be published. The University of York responded with a statement: “‘It is
not true that the University has ignored the results of the condition survey. We have already begun our programme of refurbishment of student accommodation on Heslington West in addition to building new accommodation on
“INADEQUATE PROVISION” Heslington East. A large proportion of rooms in our older buildings are catered and, therefore, kitchens are only used for meals at lunchtimes and at weekends. “We shall continue to give the upgrading of student accommodation on Heslington West a high priority. However, this has to be done over a number of years as removing accommodation from use all at once would lead to a temporary shortage of rooms.”
THIS IS not the first time York students have been made to suffer poor accommodation. York Vision has brought similar concerns forward several times in recent years, yet students are still left living in accommodation that is deemed sub-standard. February 2009
October 2009
October 2010
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PLAYING FOR LAUGHS By Dave washington THIRD-YEAR music student Tom Taylor’s comedy empire is set to expand to York, as his first York comedy night will be held at the Best Western Monkbar Hotel on 22nd November. The show will be headlined by Welsh comedian Lloyd Langford, described by the Guardian as “one of the sharpest comedic minds on the circuit.” The line up is completed by Dana Alexander, and Stephen Carlin, writer on The Now Show and The News Quiz. Taylor, who is currently undertaking a dissertation on the importance of music in musical comedy, will be acting as MC for the night. Taylor, who ran an unsuccessful satirical campaign for YUSU president last year, has been running the Sitting Room in Harrogate for the past 15 months, and is in the future looking to expand further with more comedy nights in York. Taylor told Vision: “Sitting Room York is an opportunity to see live stand-up comedy away from the synthetic, contrived situations present in Live at the Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow etc. It’s a totally different experience to watching stand- up on television; enthralling, exciting and with a real buzz. Which BNOC has slept his way through the RAG committee?
VC ADVERT
By Bethany porter
THE SEARCH for a new ViceChancellor for the University has begun in earnest, with the first advertisement appearing in the Times Higher Education supplement last week. Brian Cantor announced that he would be stepping down from the position in May of this year. University-wide consultations were held at the beginning of this term to discuss what was wanted from the new VC and proved popular with students. University Registrar David Duncan told Vision: “The consultation went very well. The advert and person spec undoubtedly reflect the things people said in the consultation round. “Among other things, we are looking for someone with a strong interest in student experience, an understanding of research strategy, an excellent track record as a leader, someone with first-class ambassadorial and interpersonal skills and a team builder.” YUSU President Kallum Taylor told Vision that he was “reassured in how the student voice has been taken more seriously.” Applications are expected to close on 23rd November for all viable candidates.
6 NEWS Vision's Aggie Chambre sounds off on Halloween happenings...
student press HALLOWEEN. The one day a year you can dress up like Lady Gaga without anyone trying to section you. Meat, leather or lace, you are totally within your rights. Whilst I’ve been in York I have only seen the more conservative witches, wizards and occasional zombies, but this year some universities will be taking a different approach. The Daily Nexus, Santa Babara’s student paper, has posted an article urging all students to pursue the traditional path of wearing as little as possible in the hopes of getting laid. There are costume ideas (in the loosest sense of the term) to help get away with some of their more blatant seduction attempts. Meanwhile, trick or treat has begun in earnest over in Leeds with the local police putting arms into people’s letterboxes, a strategy which, if we’re being honest, is more likely to scare than inform. One officer even admitted to the Leeds Student that to emphasise the “safety first message” he goes into unlocked houses, taking all the laptops, before bringing them all back with an annoying “I told you so”. Seems likes someone’s taking the festivities a little too seriously. Cambridge students will presumably be wearing a little more than those in sunny California, if only to prevent inevitable bouts of hypothermia. However it seems not all will be enjoying parties this year with The Tab reporting that St Catherine’s College May Ball is being cancelled for the third year in a row. This may or may not have something to do with events at next door Queens College ‘Halloween Bop’ which left the ancient buildings covered with “vomit and faeces” the day before a memorial service for a deceased fellow. For those not affected by the exuberant celebrations, The Tab suggest mixing up a “Brain Hemorrhage Cocktail” and attempting to seduce “that porter that you’ve fancied for ages.” It’s not only Cambridge that are trying to cancel parties. Writers at The Mancunion reported predictable outrage over a “pimps and hoes” themed Carnage after complaints from a city councillor. He feared that the event would turn Manchester into Magaluf. However disturbing the idea of a British hipster filled Magaluf is, the notion of Oxford Tories singing anti-Semetic tunes during meetings is truly stomach turning. The Oxford Conservative Association, the gift to student journalism that just keeps giving, has been cast out by the prestigious Oxford Union following the revelations of Association insiders last year, labelling them “ a better dressed version of the BNP.”
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30th, 2012
UNI MONITORS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
IMMIGRATION REGISTRATION By SARAH LANE & ezgi boyraz UNIVERSITY OF York staff have been told to use registers to keep better track of the attendance of international students. The move follows the UK Border Agency’s decision to penalise London Metropolitan University for accepting ‘bogus students.’ This removes the university’s right to admit students from outside the EU, stopping 2,700 international students from starting or completing their courses. International students who want to study in the UK can apply for a visa to remain in the country as a student, but those from overseas will now find themselves being monitored more strictly by seminar tutors in order to meet government requirements. Although it is an issue that predominantly affects universities in larger cities, the problem has prompted some concern that York is may not be implementing all the necessary precautions. Those who do not consistently attend the University after obtaining a visa will not be complying with regulations outlined by the home office and UKBA, therefore living illegally in the UK. York students will notice tutors handing out registers in all seminars in an attempt to make monitoring attendance easier, thus reducing the risk of foreign students obtaining a visa and subsequently failing to attend lectures and seminars. University of York Registrar David Duncan told Vision that the move hopes to “improve aspects of the way we approach attendance monitoring” with the goal being
Photo: stormygameone@yahoo.com
ISA President Mike Anstey
to “make sure that the system is robust enough to pass any future inspections, but is not unduly onerous on students.
NECESSARY PROCEDURE “However we were pleased to pass a recent inspection by the UKBA, where we retained our highly trusted status, with one inspector commenting that it was one of the best organised universities she’d been too. “At the moment we are thinking of basing the attendance monitoring on the submission of assessed written work, and attend-
ance at supervisions. This should be applicable across all departments and all students. We will draft a document and consult academic departments and student representatives over the coming weeks. “We will continue to lobby through usual and other bodies for the government to reduce the burden of regulation so that we can continue to recruit excellent overseas students.” YUSU International Officer/ ISA President Mike Anstey told Vision: “YUSU are aware of the enforcement, and it has been seen as undesirable by many parties, including staff and students. Many have stated that this is a form of
discrimination by the University. “Although I do see their point, unfortunately it is a necessary procedure that the University of York must take, especially off the heels of the most recent UKBA decisions regarding London Metropolitan University. “YUSU will be monitoring the situation closely for the upcoming academic year to totally ensure the welfare of international students is still a top priority.”
will vastly improve the working environment.” On the developments, second year chemistry student Sam Lobato commented: “It’s fantastic that the University are improving the department’s facilities. New laboratories will definitely benefit
students’ experiences, and some of the old buildings were dilapidated and in need of replacement before last year’s fire anyway.” The building will offer space for over 100 researchers in the new high quality, purpose built laboratories.
www.facebook.com/ jamestphoto
CHEMIST RY-CONSTRUCTION
By dave washington
THE CHEMISTRY department has sealed a £6 million deal with VINCI Construction to design and construct a new teaching and research block. After the serious fire in Chemistry in February, C Block was demolished in July to allow replacement constructions to take place. The planned two-storey building is part of a £29 million redevelopment of the Chemistry estate, which will include new laboratories and research facilities for undergraduates. The latest development will provide a large teaching laboratory capable of accommodating 160 students, with 80 two -person fume cupboards. The aim is to complete the
project by late 2013, and it is hoped that it will further establish York University as one of the leading institutions for Chemistry in the UK. David Duncan, the University’s Registrar and Secretary told Vision: “The renewal of the Chemistry estate was planned before the fire, and would have had to go ahead anyway. Phase one of the works has been completed on time and on budget, and provides first class research facilities. We have already raised the old building and will now build new teaching facilities on this footprint. “Chemistry is a key department for York - unlike at other institutions, we recruit excellent students. The department gets very high NSS scores - among the highest in the sector. The new facilities
YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday October 30, 2012
By AGGIE CHAMBRE A RADICAL proposal for a student common room in Heslington Hall was crushed at the community assembly last Tuesday. Third year Patrick Evans attempted to pass the motion, telling the assembly that the historic building was “a great attraction for the University,” and felt it important for students not to be “banned from it.” Evans claims that the move would “provide an opportunity for interaction between senior
management and students.” However, despite his plea, the motion was voted down unanimously by the YUSU official dominated assembly, in contrast to the “very warm reception” received on both the YUSU and Student Development Assembly websites. The motion was then changed to “we should lobby the University to improve accessibility of Heslington Hall as a matter of urgency” which was subsequently passed. The original motion’s opposition was led by YUSU Presi-
dent Kallum Taylor, who whilst praising the manner in which the motion got people thinking about the relationship between students and senior staff, asked the question: “what would come of it?” Taylor said: “Heslington Hall is used for meetings and offices; trying to ‘gain ground’ from this would be nothing more than a token gesture.” Other concerns discussed at the meeting also included the lack of footfall near Heslington Hall and difficulty in procuring it from senior management.
However Evans told Vision the experience left him with a bad taste in his mouth. The onesided nature of the electorate prompted him to speculate that “he wouldn’t have annoyed if it was voted down by actual students.” Evans also cited the influence of Taylor. “The fact that they all have to work with Kallum means that it would be awkward for them to vote against him. “Vanbrugh Chair Matt Stephenson said it was a good idea then Kallum went against it and he changed his mind.”
HES NOT FOR H-ALL
Photo: Murad Mammadov
“YOU’RE FRESHERS - ACT LIKE IT!” By HARRY PICK STUDENTS FROM all years are flocking to the library in record numbers according to statistics released by the University Library Services. At peak time (15:00) the number of students working in the library already reaches 456, a 28% increase on the same period last year, when Library Services recorded peak time usage of 357 students.
Speaking to Vision, University Registrar, David Duncan, conjectured it was “perhaps an indication that new students on the higher fees regime are taking their studies even more seriously than previous generations, or possibly a reaction to adverse economic conditions and the increasingly competitive jobs market for graduates.” Disgruntled third year Politics student Judith Marzo bemoaned: “I’m always notic-
ing freshers wondering around looking lost in the library, ‘cramming’ the reading for their first seminar and saving spaces whilst they have two hour long lunch whilst I’ve got assessed work due in soon and can’t find a quiet seat! “You’re freshers - act like it! The new students need to know their fresher priorities. I didn’t even know the library had a second floor until summer term of first year.”
TWEETS OF THE WEEK Jack Baker, Langwith Chair
Bob Hughes, YUSU Welfare Officer
Emma Brownbill, Computer Science student
Joe Lawton, University football referee
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#DEMO2012
By JORDAN CONNELL
YORK STUDENTS are set to take part in the national student demonstrations in London on November 21, with YUSU set to provide coaches on the day. The event, a repeat of the controversial 2010 protests in which two York students were arrested, is in response to the coalition’s cuts to higher education. The demonstration was announced by NUS president Liam Burns in a video message to conference in June, in which he accused the coalition of stealing benefits and systematically attacking the education of students. “In a year in which there are no votes in parliament and no legislation coming before politicians, it’s about time we started setting the agenda.” YUSU President Kallum Taylor has thrown his full support behind the demo. He announced that York would be joining students from across the country calling it a day to “stand up for education, denounce damaging cuts, demand value for money and make a stance against youth unemployment.” You can buy tickets on the YUSU website now, one ticket for transport and a demonstration pack. Photo: Murad Mammadov
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YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday October 30, 2012
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STUDENTS IN BADGER HILL THREATENED WITH EVICTION
By zena jarjis
THE TENANTS of up to seventy student houses in York could face eviction due to the illegal conversion of family homes. The City of York Council is currently investigating student houses in Badger Hill after it was discovered that the landlords of the homes may not have obtained the correct planning permission to convert them into student residences. In April 2012 the Council, opposed by YUSU, invoked an Article 4 Direction in areas where over 10% of houses were already HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupation). This made it illegal for a landlord to convert a family house into an HMO or to convert a small HMO to a larger one (with six or more bedrooms) without getting planning permission. Numerous student houses in Badger Hill, a housing estate near Hull Road and the Heslington East
campus, are thought to have been converted in violation of the Article 4 Direction. As part of their investigation, members of the Council are knocking on the doors of students and neighbours in Badger Hill and asking them what they know about the history of their house. If a house was not a student house last year, it is likely that it was converted illegally. If it is discovered that the correct planning permission was not obtained before the conversion of a house, the landlord will still be allowed to apply for planning permission. However, because of the Article 4 Direction, permission is not likely to be granted. If planning permission is refused, the Council may issue an Enforcement Notice against the landlords. The tenants of HMOs could subsequently be evicted. The Council has assured YUSU that any enforcement action will happen over a long period of time
BIOLOGY BUILDS By JACK BRADSHAW
THE UNIVERSITY has revealed exclusive plans to Vision about a £6.75 million redevelopment of the Biology Department. The development looks set to get underway in 2013 and finish in time for occupation in October 2014, according to Pro-Vice Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, Elizabeth Heaps. Vision understands that, as part of “Phase One”, a range of
new facilities will be built. During Phase Two, existing biology buildings are to be knocked down and replaced with further new facilities. The department’s new buildings will be equipped with the latest energy efficient designs and scientific equipment. Furthermore, there will be extra computing space and extended student support. The masterplan is currently being finalised, so it is not yet
and that students will receive plenty of notice. The Deputy Vice Chancellor has confirmed that the University can guarantee alternative housing to any students affected. University Registrar David Duncan echoed this. “We would encourage students only to sign up to leases with landlords who can show that they have the necessary permissions from the City Council to let to students. However, if students are in difficulties, then the accommodation Office will be happy to help them - we have a number of empty rooms on campus which could be made available to them.” YUSU Welfare Officer Bob Hughes says “It’s important that no one worries at this stage. We’re working hard to ensure that both current tenants and students signing new contracts after February are protected. If any students have any concerns at all, please get in touch with me.” known where exactly the buildings are going to be situated. There is also some way to go before a contractor is sealed. Jon Meacock, Director of Estates and Campus Services, said: “The University is planning to construct a new building close by the existing Bio-Sciences Department. “This building will include new laboratories and offices and be the centre for a Biomedical Sciences course to be offered from academic year 2014/15.” In addition to the Biomedical Sciences course, Natural Sciences is to be offered to students from in 2015/2016. At the moment, it is a course offered only at Durham and Cambridge. Head of Department, Professor Deborah Smith, commented: “These will build on York’s acknowledged international reputation in the sciences and offer new and exciting opportunities for student training. “The existing facilities, while still fully functional, are increas-
is landlords like these who see their student tenants as nothing more than a money-making opportunity. This is only confirmed by the fact that seventy students could now be evicted from their EDITOR homes because their landlords AS A general rule, the rela- have decided to take a risk to tionship between landlords bring in some extra cash. To allow tenants to go withand their student tenants is out gas or central heating is negall too one-sided. When they don’t feel the ligent, but this goes far beyond house is clean enough, or that that. Yes, the University have the grass needs cutting, they will be on you like a rash until stepped in to guarantee any you sort the issue, but too fre- evicted students alternative quently they abuse their posi- housing, but the quality and tion of power when it is them location of this housing, for instance cannot be guaranteed. who have an issue to sort. Many landlords do a very I know of people who have job, it must be said, gone weeks without a fully-func- good but to those who do tioning cooker or a faulty boiler not, it’s time to because of their landlord’s realise that this unwillingness to hold up is a two way relationtheir side of the Which college sports rep was ship. bargain and it
alex finnis
spotted on the walk of shame after Viking Raid?
ingly difficult to maintain at the standard required to support first class activities across all student groups.” Second year biology student, Robert Johnson, said: “Biology at York is already great but we could end up overtaking Oxbridge.” The development follows on from the £5 million extension of the Centre for Immunology
and Infection in 2010 as well as the £21.6 million Technology Facility and the Structural Biology Laboratory, which opened in 2003. With a quarter of research being classed as “world leading”, the University of York is rated as the sixth-best institution for biology in the UK, according to the Complete University Guide 2013.
10 NEWS
YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
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YORK VISION
COMMENT
Tuesday October 30, 2012
COMMENT DON’T BE A WASTEMAN
11
www.yorkvision.co.uk/comment comment@yorkvision.co.uk
SAM EARLE
SUPERMARKETS’ NEEDLESS WASTE CAN BENEFIT POOR STUDENTS AND POOR FAMILIES ALIKE
DEPUTY COMMENT EDITOR
S
ociety can be a truly peculiar thing. Many men and women have strived to make sense of the madness in vain. It seems that in the transition from man to society, a great deal of common sense gets lost along the way. Our treatment of food is strange to the point of infuriation, and how it ever got to the stage where an estimated three million tonnes of food, much of it perfectly fine for human consumption, is wasted every year in Britain, I do not know. I will not try to put that number into perspective because I don’t know how - I can’t quite fathom what three million tonnes of food looks like either. A significant portion of this waste is down to food not meeting the high aesthetic standards we demand of it, or at least the standards supermarkets think we demand of it. Aside from the blame game, however, this emphasis on how fresh produce looks is absurd – most of the time you’re going to cut it up anyway. To dwell, fret
and fuss over the size and shape of one’s pepper makes about as much sense as agonising over what kind of windows to have on a house you are set to demolish. To the happiness of poverty and food campaigners everywhere, Sainsbury’s have recently announced their plans to relax its strict rules on the cosmetic appearance of fruit and vegetables after an exceptionally bad harvest – the worst in many decades. It is sad how it so often takes a negative event for positive change, but it seems we only learn when we have to. With supermarkets struggling to fill their shelves, they cannot afford to be picky. Prior to this, food deemed too ‘ugly’ would simply be rejected and then ploughed back into the fields. A procedure which I hope, when so many in the country, let alone in the world, go hungry, does not warrant further discussion for it’s senselessness to be clear. I will concede that food which is set to be ploughed back into the fields is beyond salvation, there is not much one can do about that. But this is not the case for all food waste. Every day, across the country, all of the nation’s biggest supermarkets throw out vast quantities of more than edible food due either to health and safety laws, i.e. they are past their official sellby date, or because the packaging is blem-
ished and subsequently fails the supermarket’s high standards. Such food, most of the time at least, can be found quite easily in the bins behind the supermarket. If the bins are empty, it is probably be-
Every day, across the country, all of the nation’s biggest supermarkets throw out vast quantities of more-than-edible food due to health and safety laws cause someone has beaten you to them. The problem with this waste isn’t necessarily health and safety laws – expiry dates do have to exist, and as a rule should probably be on the safe side of things; what is frustrating is supermarkets’ compulsion to keep their shelves filled at all times, something which invariably leads to there being a huge, wasted, surplus. Here it must be said that supermarkets should not shoulder all blame for this reckless habit, rather, most food vendors, independent and corporate, are just as guilty. It is part
IT’S A TEAM GAME
of the business strategy that shelves are brimming. It is an appearance they wish to uphold based on the belief that, say, a pile of croissants looks far more seductive and enticing than a lonely two or three. Fortunately there are certain groups and individuals like myself happy to counterweight the excesses of the food industry. Fareshare, for example, are a British charity nobly rescuing food destined for the landfill and then redistributing it for use in soup kitchens, food banks and the sort. The foods they receive are very often fresh and well within sell-by dates; why it would otherwise be heading for the landfill borders on insanity. Lobster bisque, Chinese black fungus, fresh kiwi fruits, these foods are fit for kings. Given that Fareshare estimate they only handle a measly 0.1% of the UK’s food waste, the outlook is very bleak and depressing. Why, oh why, must the world be like this, I hear you say? I would love to say it doesn’t, that there is a magical fix, but in truth it is merely a by-product of our insatiable appetites for consumption. Alas, it seems, the world is full of wastemen. There is nothing to be done but drown our sorrows in those hateful hallowed bins of Waitrose; bins which contain all the riches of this world, and all its sin.
FERDINAND, ROBERTS AND LESCOTT NEED TO STOP ACTING AS MAVERICKS AND GET BEHIND THE ‘KICK IT OUT’ CAMPAIGN
KIERAN GENNOY
K
ick It Out, the organisation aimed at eradicating racism in football, is facing its biggest challenge in its nineteen-year history as players and fans alike begin to lose faith in its ability to tackle racial discrimination. Rio Ferdinand, Jason Roberts and Joleon Lescott have all recently turned their back on the movement, deciding not to wear ‘Kick It Out’ warm up t-shirts as is customary during a specifically targeted K.I.O fortnight. This comes on the back of two high profile cases, those of Luis Suarez and John Terry, whom many feel were not dealt with severely enough by the F.A. At the end of last season, Joey Barton, a player perpetually hounded by both the media and the public for his aggressive manner, lashed out at Sergio Aguero, receiving a red card and a 12-match ban. The punishment was questioned by few; though his reputation might have proceeded the length of the ban, the F.A sent a clear message that such behaviour would not be dealt with lightly. After all, a game which
showed children everything that was right about competitive sport was threatened to be tarnished by an act which offered a glimpse of the everything that isn’t. The problem is not the length of Barton’s ban; it is the ludicrous inconsistency when it is compared to the punishments dished out to Luis Suarez and John Terry, both found guilty by an F.A. tribunal of racially derogatory behaviour. Suarez received eight games, Terry, who at the time was the captain of our national football team, got just four. There is simply no justification for treating kicking the back of somebody’s leg as an act three times worse than racially abusing another player. English football should be proud of its efforts to eliminate racism both from the domestic and international game. The Premier League stands at the forefront of world football in this regard; a league built on a firm basis of multiculturalism and racial tolerance with players from 73 different nationalities competing. When other countries fail to meet England’s high standards, as occurred only too recently in Serbia where England under-21 player Danny Rose was on the receiving end of monkey chants, the F.A. should lead calls for FIFA to enforce tough punishments. But this position is seriously weakened if the F.A. continues to act toothless in the face of domestic racism. Change
must come from the top, there is no way the problem can be eliminated unless those in charge radically alter the way they look at the actions of players like Terry. If our very own captain can be found
When other countries fail to meet England’s high standards, as occurred recently in Serbia where Danny Rose was on the receiving end of monkey chants, the F.A. should lead calls for FIFA to enforce tough punishments guilty of racially abusing a black player and handed a ban only one game worse than that earned by a bad challenge, how much weight does a call for Serbia to be banned from international football hold? Though the decision not to wear the ‘Kick it Out’ t-shirts is borne out of an understandable intention, it is entirely the wrong thing to do. The organisation is not to blame for the weak punishments handed out by the F.A, in fact its aim is to bring about the exact opposite. Rather than shun
Kick it Out, Ferdinand et al. would have had a far better, and more positive impact if they actively endorsed it. Their actions have seriously threatened the long term future of the movement and its effectiveness in dealing with a problem which is showing no sign of disappearing. Going forward, Kick It Out needs the support of each and every player in the football league and below if it is to achieve its aim. Moreover, there is talk of the creation of a black football players association, similar in organisation to the Black Police Officers Association. Clark Carlisle, current chair of the PFA, is right in his assessment of such a move as being divisive. It would almost certainly be a step backwards in efforts to end racial intolerance. Much has changed since the 70’s and 80’s, when racism was systemic and black players were forced to endure brutal hostility from fans and players alike. But there should be no complacency within the game that the problem has been solved, recent events are surely enough to make it clear this is not the case. Kick It Out has had terrific success and will continue to do so if it receives the backing, both financial and otherwise from the F.A. and the Premier League. Not wearing Kick it Out t-shirts may have highlighted the problem, but wearing them alone is not the solution.
12 COMMENT
YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
AWHYWOMAN OF THE PEOPLE THE FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD PAKISTANI BLOGGER
THE VOICE OF
YORK VISION
T
Vision Says...
he revelation that the University could not address accommodation deficiencies across campus is more than a little concerning for students. So much accommodation on campus, including parts of Derwent, James and the infamous Wentworth E block, are eyesores. No, worse than that. They look like Soviet prison cells crumbling to pieces. This may be a slight exaggeration, but the point stands that we have incomprehensibly poor university accommodation for the 21st century. People talk about why York has fallen out of the top ten universities in the UK; take a look at our Roses rivals, Lancaster University. Almost all on-campus accommodation is excellent value and modern, not the crumbling 1960s mess we’re left with here. Talking to people living in these places, it is clear they are not best pleased with what they have been offered, and many are once again unhappy with the selection process. Perhaps the best example in recent years has been Fairfax House. What is now York St John accommodation, “the forgotten block” only served to solidify student determination to fight for a better deal in the face of adversity. We hope such feelings will be a thing of the past and the university can confront the issue soon.
R
OSCAR PEARSON
DEPUTY COMMENT EDITOR
T
he freedom of expression is something we all very much take for granted in society today. Some of us feel it is prominent and fair, whereas others find the legislation against obscenity and sedition prevents us from making extreme comments – and this even drives some to ask whether free speech exists in Western Europe at all. However, the political right to communicate opinions and ideas is not absolute in any country and is commonly subject to limitations. Despite being recognised as a human right in the Universal Declaration, “everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds” it does maintain that people have “special duties and responsibilities” and “therefore are subject to certain restrictions” when necessary. But the attack on Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old girl who was shot after she blogged about the Taliban’s restrictions on education for women, highlights the reality and puts into perspective the difference between freedom in Western and some Asian cultures. The subject of frequent death threats, Yousafzai was targeted for spreading feminist messages, a Taliban spokesperson said. She was injured when armed
Thumbs down to...
econd and third year Halifax footballers. Once again, the college has been punished for their ridiculous behaviour on their “World Tour” social at the end of last year, which caused havoc across campus. Security services were alerted by their stupid, selfish actions, which involved damage to the Courtyard and the Library. Of course, not all second and third years committed such offences, and it is likely only a small minority went beyond the line. It is time for these offenders to step forward so the university can punish them properly; otherwise they are damaging their college’s reputation as exemplified by this term’s ban.
activists stopped a van carrying her and fellow students home from school, and once she was identified the men began shooting at her. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and have vowed she will not be safe if she recovers. In Yousafzai’s blog, which has reached millions of readers worldwide, she expresses her dread of going to school amid fear of Taliban attacks. She hides her books under her bed, terrified of a house search, which the Taliban would conduct to investigate whether she is watching television or studying - the group had banned girls from attaining formal education in her community.
We should be inspired by Yousafzai and must jump at this modern opportunity to spread our own observations The fact her writing stretched across numerous nations, stressing her own personal difficulties growing up surrounded by constant threats, meant vast numbers of people, authorities and establishments became aware of her struggles. And the power of blogging and social media is only now beginning to come clear: with an estimated seven million new pages added to the internet each day; information, opinions and world news are more easily accessible than ever before. We should be inspired by Yousafzai and
must jump at this modern opportunity to spread our own observations: if Cameron’s policy to make students pay more for their education is unfair then tell the world. But more importantly, if we feel discriminated against within society, or are unhappy with certain governing bodies or policies which we think are prejudicial and harmful, then we should write about it and aim to make a difference. Provoking such attacks and action from the Taliban meant the blog was obviously doing its job: making Yousafzai’s struggles in society known. “I had a terrible dream yesterday with military helicopters and the Taliban”, Yousafzai wrote in her blog. “I have had such dreams since the launch of the military operation in Swat. My mother made me breakfast and I went off to school. I was afraid going to school because the Taliban had issued an edict banning all girls from attending schools.” In November 2011, the teenager earned the National Peace Prize and was clearly on course to motivate action and change. With Yousafzai’s writing raising awareness of the struggle for women in Pakistan and sparking a “wake-up call” within governing bodies, it has quickly become a real advert for blogging, revealing the true power of the weightless economy. With unlimited numbers of people now able to access such writings, future bloggers should look to the inspirational 14-year-old for motivation and stimulation: what better way to express beliefs, provoke thought and inspire action?
WHAT’S TAT ALL ABOUT?
Thumbs up to...
AG! It seems the volunteering arm of YUSU is scaling greater heights with every passing year, as some superb projects have been lined up. Not only does this include the high-profile expedition to scale Mount Kilimanjaro and a walk along the Great Wall of China, but also a whole host of other exciting activities going on. This includes increased collaboration with other UK universities, for example as part of the ‘Mega Raid’ for Oxfam. This will strengthen RAG’s ties with other institutions, ensuring bigger and better events can be organised in future. This can only benefit increasingly ambitious students and should go a long way to fulfilling Chris West’s manifesto promise to increase the number of fundraising events with RAG. Also encouraging of late has been the proliferation of college RAG events, most recently seen during the attempted world spooning attempt earlier this month organised by James and Alcuin.
S
MALALA YOUSAFZAI IS AN INSPIRATION IN THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
TATTOOS ARE AN EXPRESSION OF INDIVIDUALISM AND SHOULDN’T BE A VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE POLICE FORCE
aggie chambre
DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
T
raditionally one might expect tattoos to be found on the skin of sailors, labourers and Hell’s Angels, depicting quite negative connotations. However this has become an incredibly outdated position with the rise of beautiful body art forms and sentimental designs printed on the skin. Even Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt were famously inked. Now that Scotland Yard Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has ordered a ‘tattoo amnesty’ for the Metropolitan Police, an uneasy controversy has been created. The amnesty decrees that any visible tattoos must be covered up, or failing that, registered to prevent further inking. Despite sounding extreme, this means that an arm tattoo is allowed as long as your sleeves can be rolled down. Such a major decision splashed across all media outlets has put in jeopardy questions of freedom of action, and the right to autonomy over one’s own body. Surely tolerance of difference itself is breached when displays of difference are banned? However the reality is that these men and women have chosen to wear the police uniform. This is an emblem to signify immediately the authority of the police.
What it also does is levels differences within the force whilst on duty. The police cannot be seen as woman, man, gay or straight; only as a police officer. The point of their uniform is that personality is essentially left at home. Such explicit showings of, for example, religious persuasion or football preference has no place while dealing with the public or each other. The degree of professionalism required from a police officer leaves no space for explicit adverts about personal lives and this is essentially what a tattoos is. Ian Pointon, Kent Police Federation chairman claimed that they could act as an
The police cannot be seen as woman or man, gay or straight; only as a police officer. The point of their uniform is that personality is essentially left at home icebreaker. However while they may make the officer more personable, they could quite easily to do opposite. For the tattoo to be a problem, it has to be one the face or hands, therefore being “visible” and unable to be covered up. A marking covering ones face could make someone far less approachable. I have consistently been led to believe, by the media and my surroundings, that generationally we are the most accept-
ing, racially and religiously. This by no means implies that the older generation are all racist or intolerant, yet they have not grown up with the same level of diversity tolerance, awareness of politicized rhetoric and enforced political correctness. This changing environment relates directly to the issue of tattoos as they were not so common fifty years ago, and therefore there is less understanding. The generational difference will not affect the way the police do their job as long as there is a staple uniformity amongst the police. This is certainly helped by the new amnesty on tattoos. I therefore completely agree with the new rule. Our supposedly free and developed society should allow freedom of speech and everyone to wear and say what they want. However in a job where one represents the judicial system there should be absolute uniformity. Hogan-Howes’ decision only refers to noticeable markings; therefore a tattoo on an arm is not a problem. The fundamental thing is that officers with a facial tattoo are not being removed from their posts, merely prevented from getting more ink. The most concise argument I have seen against this is: how does a tattoo stop someone from doing his or her job? However, if, as I believe, so much of a police officer’s job is about making people feel secure in their community, and if this can be helped by rolling down their sleeves, or thinking twice about the next painting on their hand, surely this can only be viewed as a good thing?
YORK VISION
COMMENT
Tuesday October 30, 2012
13
Patrick Greenfield
THE ‘SLAG’ PILL OLIVIA HEAD COMMENT EDITOR
A IS EDUCATION A RIGHT OR A PRIVILEGE?
RIGHT
PRIVILEGE
PATRICK GREENFIELD
THOMAS BANKS
DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR
U
nless you are an unfortunate citizen of a totalitarian state, knowledge and understanding, as a general rule, are defining factors in the overall success of your existence. The ability to read, write and complete basic mathematical tasks is vital to the mere survival of the modern civilian and I am sure that nobody reading is in the business of manslaughter. The restriction of education has always been used by governments perusing policies of ethnic and social cleansing. In his novel 1984, George Orwell famously describes a state in which the only source of information is Big Brother and civil servants actively reduce the size of the dictionary in order to restrict the human mind because ultimately, knowledge is power. Every student at the University of York has benefited from an environment in which they have been encouraged to explore the human condition, form opinions and fulfil potential. For this we are immensely privileged but it is wholly obscene to assert that education is a privilege. Firstly, who has the right to decide who deserves an education? I do not want to see the day people have the quality of their education dictated to them by an education judge. Moreover, what kind of person will be denied schooling? Criminals?
The poor? The work-shy? Education is bound up in so many of our human rights that it seems insane to even question its assumed universality. By educating, we pass on the soul of our society to the next generation in the hope that they will continue to build on existing achievements. Every day students rub shoulders with the engineers, the scientists and the writers of the future so why restrict this cycle? All the clichés are true. To educate is to draw out what is within. Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance. Simply, the right to universal education undercuts the inequality and unfairness of capitalism and inspires people to change their lives for the better. Finally, ignorance is the most corrosive part of a modern society and education has a vital role to play in the eradication of unawareness and misunderstanding. All types of bigotry are founded on misinformation and slander that are easily combated with a detailed explanation - education provides this. To conclude, education must never be restricted. The censorship ruins lives and condemns many to perpetual poverty across the world. Nobody owns education and, certainly, nobody has the right to decide who is entitled to better themselves.
W
hilst you are reading this, YUSU will be busy preparing the buses, painting the posters and manning all stations for “#demo2012”, the NUS’ brainchild of a protest march on the streets of London on the 21st November. Their protest is aimed at hammering home a message of “scrapping fees and cuts” to name one of several soundbites. This protest raises more questions than it is bound to answer, with the overhanging one being the “right to higher education” conundrum. In short, there has never been, and never will be, a right to Higher Education. It is a privilege, a fantastic one at that, and that is exactly how it should stay. As far as ‘rights’ go, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) have a statutory duty to ensure that education is available for all children of compulsory school age (5 to 16 year olds) in their area. This does not include Higher Education, or even A-Levels. So on a very basic, legal level, there is not, and has never been a right to Higher Education. This is not to say that I don’t believe there is no right to an education. On the contrary, between those ages everyone, regardless of circumstance, should have free and simple access to education. However, when Labour came to power in 1997, they declared an ambition for 50 per cent of school-leavers to go on to higher education,
and it was this demand that has ultimately caused grave issues. It cannot be denied that every pupil should have the right to sit exams to gain entry to university, but such a concept is different to the right to go to university. This insistence on steering school-leavers towards university has created a generation of young people who feel university is the only option to forward their careers. Long gone are the polytechnic colleges that offered practical qualifications for those who weren’t the brightest at school but possessed real talent in more hands-on fields. Now apprenticeships are seen as a less desirable option even though they are a real alternative route to a professional career that doesn’t have to involve Higher Education in its traditional format. The move towards university as the only viable option has undoubtedly led to the feeling that it is a right that students must obtain a degree in order to progress up the life ladder. And what’s more, #demo2012 want you to believe it should be cheaper, if not free, and everyone should be able to access it. But that’s the problem. The movement for a right to higher education has already harmed a generation of students who sleepwalk into university because they feel it is their only option. Let’s not create another generation of the same.
dmitting what it is that I am about to admit may very well scupper my chances of ever being offered the job of my dreams. Well, here goes. After having spent the entirety of my university life enslaved to student media, dedicated to the cause of championing a certain campus newspaper and sacrificing precious time that would otherwise be spent on securing a decent degree, I will graduate full of spunk, sit back and wait for the job offers from Britain’s finest newspapers to start pouring in. After some time I will begin to realise that I am waiting in vain and, slightly disheartened, begin to apply for internships. Months will pass before I hear back from the only publication that will deign to take me on - the Bath Chronicle. By this point I will have reached such levels of desperation that I will snap up the offer like a hungry dog snaffling up a dirty pudding. I’ll spend the next six years of my life living with my parents and writing an obituaries column before fate will, at long last, throw me a juicy bone. The Editor-in-Chief at The Week will lose his most beloved friend to a rare tropical disease (this is not the juicy bone) and this friend will just so happen to come from Bath (this, my friends, is the juicy bone). Being the most sensitive, intuitive and innovative obituary writer in the land, I will write a dazzling description of the deceased’s life and his best friend will just so happen to read it. Moved to tears by this beautiful account of his friend’s time on this earth, the Editor-in-Chief will ask an aide to find out more about the person responsible for writing it. Typing my name into Google, all sorts of articles I have written during my time at York will come up. Impressed, the aide will begin to read some of my pieces, before coming across this very comment piece. Scanning the page, they will see what it is I am so ashamed to admit and recoil in horror. They will decide then and there that I will never be allowed to work for a highbrow publication. Never. Ever. Brace yourselves. I love the MailOnline. There, I said it. I love the headlines - ‘The Promiscuity Pill: £30 morning after tablet ‘will lead to unsafe sex’...slags! I love the pictures which accompany them - attractive girls in pants and crop tops sit with their heads in their hands looking sad... slags! I love nothing more than reading the pages and pages of user comments - ‘Perfect for the modern ‘liberated’ chav-about-town! You can now have five one-night-stands in a row and just pop one pill on the fifth day!’ Sleuth - East London... slags! I love it because they even manage to turn what could be an informal article about a new type of morning-after pill which can be taken up to five days after sex and is available for women over 18 to buy across the counter, into a story about... yep, you guessed it, SLAGS! Of course I have not allowed my love of the MailOnline to replace my love of The Guardian online. Instead, they sit side by side, bookmarked at the top of my search engine, so that once I’m done reading the proper news I can re-read the DM’s version of it and have a good old laugh. I mean, it’s only once you learn to ignore everything they say and just appreciate the revolting hilarity of it that you can come out and admit ‘I love the MailOnline’. And if that means losing out on my dream job, then so be it. It could also be argued that it doesn’t matter what the hell I say seeing as I’ll never actually be considered as a writer for The Week. But I prefer the other ending.
14 COMMENT
YORK VISION
THE BIG OPINIONS
CAT-ASTROPHE AT NO.10
WHAT SHOULD THE NEW VICECHANCELLOR’S PRIORITIES FOR THE UNIVERSITY BE?
WILLIAM LAWRENCE
F
rom the ‘betrayal’ of the Lib Dems over the Jeremy Hunt vote to the vicious Tory tactics of the ‘no’ campaign which led to open rowing at Cabinet, the ‘calm and businesslike’ relationship between Cameron and Clegg has now surely been exposed as a myth. However, when the history books are written about the 2010-2015 period, the Cameron-Clegg relationship will feature as something of a footnote. Behind the scenes at No 10 there is a much greater tension rising between two great political animals. The other week police had to be called in to break up a full-scale cat fight outside No 10. Larry, the Downing Street cat, and Freya, the feline in residence at the Treasury, battled tooth and claw over the soul of mouse-catching duties in Downing street. On this occasion the treasury came out on top, with Larry having to be escorted back inside No 10 with his tail between his legs. But this now very public struggle between pest-control partners is far from finished. The feud can be traced back to January 2011 when a large rat was twice seen scuttling past live TV cameras, prompting the PM to draft in an urbane killer. Larry was seen at the time as a perfect candidate for
Larry, the Downing Street cat, and Freya, the feline in residence at the Treasury, battled tooth and claw over the soul of mouse-catching duties in Downing Street the tough task of rodent reduction. He had a “strong predatory drive”, according to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and having been a stray cat in London, possessed somewhat of a common touch, giving him an ability to really connect with fellow cats in the area. Early indications were that Larry showed every sign of being able to adjust to his new position,with a No 10 spokesman describing Larry as ‘chilled’ in the new role. However, it took Larry six months in the post before he made his first ‘confirmed kill’, with his regime constantly being undermined by his lethargy. It has become clear that Larry has come as far as he can simply as a populist. His record stands at only one rat killed. Larry needs to add substance to his style. This substance is something that is certainly provided by Freya since she re-joined the Osborne household in June. The prodigal cat, after going missing from the Osbornes’ family home in Notting Hill three years ago, turned up again this year and has since joined Larry in mouse-catching duties in Downing street with great effectiveness. However, whilst there are still nearly three years to go until the next general election, the ruthless logic of rodent reduction makes the coalition partners’ task dauntingly difficult. Larry’s act of defiance is a message pleading No 10 to hold on, to wait and see, to bear with him as the pair sort out the rats. But the rats do not look very sorted out right now. We can expect growing cat calls for Larry and Freya to part company altogether in the 12 months before 2015.
Tuesday October 30, 2012
kallum taylor yusu president
BECKY MURSELL RAG CHAIR Brian Cantor’s main issue as Vice-Chancellor has been communicating his work to the students, and his remoteness has been interpreted as being unresponsive to student needs. Students at York achieve incredible things and there is no underestimating the value of engaging with us directly. Maybe at this year’s RAG Parade the new Vice-Chancellor could be the one to decide the hotly contested ‘best fancy dress’ prize. A small piece of advice to the new Vice-Chancellor - do not forget that it is not shiny new buildings that make the University but it is us - the people who live and work here - the students.
The new VC should continue Brian Cantor’s enthusiasm for the internationalisation of York. The value of this cannot be measured. Something which many have talked about to me, is the cringeworthy notion of ‘facetime’. As unrealistic as some might brand the expectation of a more ‘personal’ type of VC, it is important that students feel they matter. Whilst we as students might demand a fresh approach it’s equally imperative that we recruit a leader who is no newcomer to the field, with academic expertise along with respect and familiarity amongst big players in the global economy and in Whitehall.
MATT STEPHENSON VANBRUGH CHAIR I think that it’s really important for the new Vice-Chancellor to listen and actively react to the needs of students at this University. Currently there seems to be a real divide between the University’s management and the students themselves, and it is vital that this is changed under the new VC’s leadership. Similarly, greater levels of communication with the student body about the key roles which are being undertaken by the VC would really help encourage students to understand the direction in which the VC is moving the University of York forward.
GRAEME OSBORN ACADEMIC OFFICER We need the new VC to provide strong leadership in a number of areas. Firstly, addressing the University’s weaknesses - improving league table rankings, addressing the issues created by the substantial growth in student numbers and improving the graduate employment figures and embedding employability at the heart of the curriculum. Secondly, maintaining York’s strengths - supporting our world-class departments, maintaining research funding and ensuring the university continues to attract the best students from all backgrounds. Thirdly, driving innovation and encouraging new approaches.
AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH
RAG KILIMANJARO CLIMB OFFERS YORK STUDENTS THE CHANCE TO MAKE LONG-LASTING MEMORIES
NINA PULLMAN COMMENT EDITOR
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ith the clocks having gone back on Saturday and the days getting shorter, there comes that sharp reminder that time is flying by. That faintly panicky sensation in the pit of your stomach when you consider what you’ve actually got to show for almost half a term’s worth of work. Because rather than being immediately immersed in intense, academic research, realistically, a lot of the first term goes into building new friendships if you are a fresher, or re-forging old ones if you are a returning ‘re-fresher’. As one of the most valuable things about going to University is arguably the opportunity to make potentially life-long relationships, this is no bad thing. But whether you create these memories and enjoy this company while discovering anew your shared love of 241 cocktails in Dusk, cheesy music on Ziggy’s top floor, or just a night in with a film, memories at Uni do have the danger of blurring into one fast-forwarded, sensation of having a good time. That’s if you remember them at all. But why limit your memories to a series of short-term, short-lived indistinguishable moments? University is a unique point in your life
where there really is so much on offer; we should make an effort to do something different and experience things which will stand out from the rest in forty years’ time. And it seems York students are actually beginning to do just this. Thanks to a phenomenally thorough promotional campaign, RAG’s first challenge for the year, ‘Climb Mount Kili for Hope for Children’, has received unprecedented interest and sign-ups. So far around eighty lucky students have signed up not just to a charity-fuelled physical challenge to climb the highest mountain in Africa, but
In fifty years time you won’t remember that night you had another averagely good night with the same people, in the same places they have, effectively, secured for themselves a lasting, meaningful experience to be shared with friends while raising funds and awareness for a good cause. Hope for Children is a global charity working with poor or orphaned children, and the project specifically targeted by RAG to benefit from this Kili climb will help street children find shelter and education in the Tanzanian town of Moshi. It is a brilliant cause, and with such high
popularity this year there are strong hopes that the project will be passed down to future committees in an enduring legacy and support for the project. It may seem trivial with such a commendable cause at the root of the project, to remember the benefits for the students taking on the challenge. But it is so easy to float along in a week by week routine in our campus bubble here at York, that signing up for something out of the ordinary and potentially life-changing like a RAG challenge, does deserve some notice. Clearly, it’s very far from being a case of ‘Climb Mount Kili with RAG or have a boring, non-descript time at Uni’. Noone said doing the same things, week in, week out, wasn’t fun and if you want to spend the three years at York doing just that then be my guest. There’s a great quote occasionally circulated on Facebook, usually with reference to a clubbing culture, “You won’t remember that night you had a good sleep”. Perhaps it should be altered to “You won’t remember that night you had another averagely good night with the same people, in the same places, but you will remember that time you fund-raised your ass off in ten months to raise £2650 for a good cause, and then spent two and a half weeks seeing something amazing every day”. Not quite as succinct as catchphrases go, but you get my point. Maybe this year is the year to take control of what you are going to remember in fifty years’ time. Get out there, sign-up to something amazing and find yourself some memories.
FEATURES
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
FEATURES
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www.yorkvision.co.uk/features features@yorkvision.co.uk
A HAIRY ISSUE
ZENA JARJIS examines the debate surrounding hair removal and the possibility of a shaving-free future...
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very year the hair removal industry makes $1.8 billion in America alone from men and women desperate to remove hair from their faces, legs, arms, eyebrows, upper lips, bikini areas and underarms. From the age of 13, girls and boys are taught that their natural body hair is unsightly and that they must spend hours removing it only for it to grow back again. The controversy arising from the images of dangerously emaciated models in magazines and on TV has resulted in countless beauty campaigns urging women to love their bodies regardless of what society thinks they should look like. Young women are being told to have a positive body image and to not change for anyone, but at the same time we are receiving the contradictory message that every strand of body hair must go, whatever the cost. Hair removal, for both men and women, has been a vital part of most people’s beauty regime for thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered flint blades used for shaving from at least 30,000 years ago, cavemen reputedly scraped hair from their faces to prevent mites and Ancient Egyptians used bees wax and strips of cloth to remove fuzz as a sign of wealth. Paintings of naked women throughout history show them to
Emer O’Toole from Ireland can confirm having hairy armpits has not affected her love life might suggest. She is an attractive, intelligent research assistant anpostgraduate student at Royal Holloway who has simply decided that it would be a waste of her time to get rid of hair which will only be back within a few days. The doctorate student says that her decision has not affected her love life, men do not find her repulsive, that
I shave my chest for the lols. But also for heat reasons. be completely hairless, proving that to be regarded beautiful, a person has never been able to be too hairy. This convention is not limited to women; men shaving their chest hair seems to be emerging, with one second year student commenting: “I shave my chest for the lols. But also for heat reasons.” However, in a phenomenon similar to the reaction against the fashion industry’s size zero obsession, more and more women are rejecting the idea that their bodies must be flawless and completely hair-free. Instead, some are embracing what they believe makes them feminine and are refusing to remove their body hair. Most notably, 28-year-old Emer O’Toole has appeared on This Morning and Radio 2 flaunting her natural body hair. Emer is not a disgusting, unclean hippy as society’s message about hair removal
she has not been rejected by her friends and she doesn’t feel less hygienic. Similarly, comedian Shazia Mirza stood up to such criticisms of hairy women in 2007 when she chose not to shave, wax or epilate her hair as a New Year’s Resolution for BBC Three’s acclaimed Body Image. The documentary examined various issues with body image with one episode exploring why women feel the need to constantly remove their body hair. Mirza, the presenter of the episode entitled F*** Off I’m A Hairy Woman, did absolutely nothing to her body hair for six months in an attempt to challenge the commonly held belief that women’s body hair is disgusting. Welsh artist Tracy Moberly also participated in the programme, sending unshaven women down the catwalk wearing lingerie of human hair.
Journalist Emily Gibson recently wrote an article for The Guardian entitled ‘Pubic hair has a job to do - stop shaving and leave it alone.’ In her article, she attributes the past decade’s preoccupation with removing pubic hair - 60% of women aged 18-29 choose to get rid of all of theirs - to “a misguided attempt at hygiene”. Indeed, when one second year student was asked why he shaves his pubic hair, he said: “Because it feels nice and otherwise I get all sweaty.” However, Gibson dismisses common myths responsible for the “declaration of war on pubic hair”. She warns both genders of the increased risk of infections, open wounds, boils, abscesses and cellulitis, assuring readers pubic hair is in no way unhygienic. So why are more women all over the country fighting back against what one journalist calls the “pornification” of beauty? Perhaps the decision to abandon hair removal is a feminist one. It isn’t difficult to understand why some women view the idea that women should be hair-free as incredibly sexist, as, although increasing numbers of men are choosing to shave their chests, genitals and legs, it does seem to be more socially acceptable for men to be hairy than it is for women. Jo, a second year at York, says: “It’s just not fair that I have to spend hours of my life, years probably, shaving my hair and men don’t.” We stand up to double standards in educa-
tion, at work and in relationships, but when it comes to beauty and fashion, it seems generally accepted that women are expected to put a lot more effort in than men. Some women may be making the decision for practical reasons. Hair removal is both timeconsuming and costly, and many women can probably think of millions of ways to better spend their time and money. Personally, I have spent £60 and probably about three hours over the past year on eyebrow threading alone. A DIY laser hair removal machine costs around £400. Think of all the things you could do with
structively. With the fashion and beauty industries losing their ability to dictate what is beautiful and with increasing numbers of prolific women choosing to let their gardens grown, is a future world full of hairy women a possibility? In a few years, could hair-free women be viewed just as underweight women are viewed today: as slaves to image and vanity, putting themselves through a great deal to reach an unnatural and unattainable standard of beauty? Probably not. When asked if she would consider going out without removing her body hair, one second year student said: “I wouldn’t, I’d feel embarrassed! I like having no body hair.” In an article for the Daily Mail, novelist Nicholas Coleridge points to research which reveals that out of the 60% of women aged 18-24 who said that they would have cosmetic surgery if they could afford it, most put laser hair removal at the very top of their wish list. None of the brave women who are binning their razors have managed to convince me to follow suit and stand up against societal pressures either, and for cosmetic reasons, I still refuse surrender the neverending battle with my body hair and I still spend way too much time and money shaving, waxing and threading. However, even though most girls will probably shudder at the thought of leaving the house with stubbly legs, the actions of women like O’Toole and Mirza could still engender a change in society’s attitudes to body hair. Thirteen years ago, a famous image of Julia Rob-
Is a future world full of hairy women possible? £400! As well as being expensive, threading and waxing result in painful ingrown hairs which take weeks to grow long enough to be removed again. Mirza acknowledged the amount of effort required to remove unwanted hair when she admitted “I have done everything to remove my hair. I have waxed, shaved, used my dad’s lawn mower. It has taken so much time, so much effort, so many red blotches,” Some women refusing to shave might not be making a feminist statement at all - perhaps it is an attempt to be more frugal or to spend their time more con-
erts revealing hairy armpits on the red carpet was received with widespread disgust and disbelief. However, in her Radio 2 interview, O’Toole said that her friends and boyfriends have been supportive and she is not looked upon with revulsion and several listeners phoned in to express their admiration. So while the entire world isn’t ready to give up on body hair removal just yet, the minority that have given up are not being treated in the same way they would have been in the 90s; instead, they are being supported and respected.
16 FEATURES
YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
PAEDOPHILIA: TIM
PATRICK GREENFIELD investigates one of the most controversial subjects in Bri
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spent last summer as an au pair caring for two boys in a sweltering Madrid. Felix, a mischievous 12-year-old, took great pleasure in torturing his little brother Juan, a resilient yet depressingly gullible nine-year-old. Felix loved to lure his brother into the swimming pool shortly before a family gathering, wrestle off his brother’s trunks and disappear into the house. Consequently, Juan was left to confront his entire family naked whilst Felix gleefully watched from a nearby window. It was an incredibly funny trick and as someone who has never had an older brother, I remain impressed by Felix’s determination to humiliate his sibling. Nonetheless, I was subsequently horrified when I considered the scene from the perspective of the arriving relations. The extended family would have emerged from the house to find a disgruntled, naked boy begging them to pass him a towel and a 19-year-old man, whom they barely knew, in hysterics at the other end of the pool. My first thought was to explain the situation; however, after a period of frantic deliberation, I realised that assuring the family that they had not employed a paedophile to care for their children would be an unwise decision. When I told the story to my mother, she mocked my unfounded anxiety. Nevertheless, I am sure that many male readers can relate to my unease around naked children. It may seem absurd to many women that childcare, the least sexy and, at times, more than a little unpleasant aspect of adult/parenthood, should provoke such an odd crisis of sexuality among men but, regrettably, it is a common preoccupation. Male sexuality is certainly a complex subject and deep discussions of sexual disposition are not a typical masculine pastime. Moreover, the last century has seen huge progress in eradicating the worst excesses of masculinity in public life as strains of feminism have rightly characterized some men as predatory and opportunis-
Sex education focuses heavily on consent, safety and pregnancy while an understanding of pleasure is left to the awkward process of trial and error. Whilst I have no intention on belittling sexual best practice, pleasure can be hard for a teenage boy to explore when he is taught sexual etiquette under the assumption that he is naturally predatory. It is time for a rethink. Sexual pleasure is a confusing knot of conflicting desires that are unique to every human and unfortunately, many do not understand their own preferences. Furthermore, we actively avoid discussing sexual pleasure in its entirety as we are confronted with difficult subjects like paedophilia. Some men desire sexual relations with children and the consequences of these desires are so obscene that we prefer to avoid the subject completely. Before we begin to explore paedophilia, I feel it is important to highlight the reasons why this exploration is necessary. Firstly, as I have previously mentioned, relations between adult men and children are unnecessarily charged with sexual soul searching. Everyone is on the lookout for a prospective paedophile and men are often intimidated by this unspoken concern. Secondly, labelling Muslim men as paedophiles has been a recent tactic employed by the British far right in their continuing crusade against Islam. High profile cases like the recent crackdown on an Asian paedophile ring in Rochdale provide useful evidence to their scandalous conclusions, yet, the issue is far more complex than Tommy Robinson and his fellow morons would have you believe. They rely on the knowledge that it is socially acceptable to treat “paedophiles” sub-humanely and will continue to mercilessly exploit this norm if we do not confront it. Finally, after researching the medical treatment for paedophilia in Britain, I am concerned for men who may have these unfortunate urges but choose not to act on them. Few would assert that we have a choice
“Nobody is brought up to become a paedophile” tic when it comes to matters of sex and childcare. Nonetheless, could it be that we have become obsessed with the most negative expressions of male sexuality? Distressing stories of paedophiles, rapists and other sexual deviants plaster the pages of our national newspapers and arguably, these disgusting indulgences have come to dominate our understanding of male sexual expression.
in our sexual desires and whilst I unequivocally agree with the protection children receive against sex, men with paedophilic urges must be granted effective treatment as the devastating consequences to their repression appal us all. Nobody is brought up to become a paedophile. The word itself is charged with homophobic rhetoric and the idiocies of radical feminism that make a sensible dis-
cussion on its nature tiresome. A brief history of Western attitudes towards paedophilia is required. Paedophilia has not always provoked panic; Victorians were far more worried about the perceived threat from homosexuals. The emergence of the modern paedophile is unquestionably linked to the rise of gay and feminist activism in the 1970s and 1980s. Colliding social revolutions in gender, family roles and sexuality shifted the tectonic plates of intergenerational sexual relations and the pro-paedophilia movement was eventually forced into isolation. Indeed, at the beginning of the sexual revolution in the 1970s, some academics even asserted that laws on intergenerational sexual relations should be relaxed to aid the sexual development of children. It is at this point that we begin to note the development of the modern day paedophile as groups attached to the homosexual liberation movement attempted to amalgamate their “Man-Boy Love” cause with the gay movement. At the same time, feminist critiques of white, middle-class masculinity highlighted the tyrannical dominance of the topical gender and generational structures. Whilst these criticisms were almost entirely aimed at the realities of the traditional nuclear family in the 70s and 80s, the masculine assumption of sexual access to women and children was under assault and the pro-paedophilia movement was largely ignored. Throughout the 80s general feminist discourse became an evaluation of masculinity. As researchers began to prove that children were at far more risk of abuse from family members than strangers, attacks on the nuclear family intensified. Accusations from revolutionary feminists that men were predisposed to rape and abuse provoked a backlash from men. Despite the fact that, as mentioned, the majority of child sexual abuse is carried out by heterosexual family members, the recent decriminalisation of homosexuality meant that gay men were chosen as an easy scapegoat for these disgusting excesses and the demands for a universal age of consent for homosexuals and heterosexuals were construed as a demand for the legalisation of paedophilia. We have now reached the stereotype of the predatory loner that lurks opportunistically in a neighbourhood waiting for children. But is that an appropriate typecast? What actually is a paedophile? The academic definition of paedophilia is as follows: “a psychiatric disorder in persons who are 16 years of age or older, typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in pre-
The late Jimmy Savile, accused
YORK VISION
FEATURES
Tuesday October 30, 2012
ME FOR A RETHINK?
17
itain...
d of sexually abusing children
pubescent children. The prepubescent children must be at least five years younger than the adolescent before the attraction can be diagnosed as paedophilia.” (Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2009) It is obvious that we often misuse “paedophilia” when “hebephilia” or “ephebophilia”-sexual interest in adolescents- may be more appropriate. Moreover, the statistical analysis of sex crime data paints a surprising picture of the average offender. According to the NSPCC, 23-40% of alleged sexual abuse of children and young people is perpetrated by other young people, mainly adolescents. Furthermore, a recent study in Northern Ireland shows that the percentage is much higher with regard to sexual violence against children and young people. 56% of sexual violence against children was carried about by offenders who were aged between 10 and 29 in 2008/10. There are more myths that need to be confronted. According to the Centre for Sex Offender Management in the USA, only 30% of sex offenders have been sexually abused as a child and most children who were sexually victimised never perpetrate against others in the future. Can we continue to characterise the average offender as a tortured adult who is simply continuing the cycle of abuse? At this point I would urge readers to question their understanding of what we flippantly refer to as “paedophilia”. Men, how many times have you unknowingly admired an overdeveloped 14 year old and been fooled by the powers of modern makeup? Does that make you a sexual deviant? Plan B’s funny hit “Charmaine” explores this subject. Women, how many of you flirted with men five years older than yourself in your teenage years? Were you not indulging a paedophilic fantasy? The division between teenage and adult sexual relations is by no means clear given that we do not spend our teenage years as immature fools and complete a radical sexual transformation as we become an “adult” on our eighteenth birthday. Nonetheless, the law arguably treats sexuality in the aforementioned manner. Is it not better to understand all sexual journeys, including those we describe as deviant, as a type of flourishing? Our sexual preferences are certainly dynamic and the same is true of paedophiles. For example, those who abuse as juveniles usually do not abuse as adults. My point is that sexuality is impossibly complicated and our absolutist treatment of sexual offenders often further isolates victims and potential offenders in need of help. We view
child abuse as extreme, animalistic behaviour but is that a healthy attitude? Take the recent Jimmy Savile scandal. BBC staff refused to believe that a prolific entertainer was capable of such terrible crimes. Nobody wanted to break the mould and accuse an apparent philanthropist of being a paedophile and consequently, editors spent their careers avoiding the rumours and accusations directed at their star man. The damage that Savile
tioned to associate deviant sexual arousal with the consequences of acting on their desires- being raped in prison for example. Support therapy is also widely used in conjunction with other treatments. Many child sex offenders are reluctant to admit to their condition and the process of acceptance can be exasperating for a therapist. At the start of the process, violent and non-violent criminals are separated appropriately. Vio-
“This militant, absolutist attitude towards socalled ‘paedos’ hinders understanding” caused might have been restricted if people understood the condition better and focused less on the heinous consequences of paedophilia. Indeed, could it be that the time has come to dismiss the use of “paedophile” in everyday language as empty? The current definition certainly does not account for the spectrum of deviant sexual offences. What is the similarity between Savile and a twenty year old who begins a consensual, sexual relationship with a teenager? One is mentally ill and the other could simply be guilty of not respecting the modern construction of age. Either way, there is a big difference. As someone who believes that we have no choice in the nature of our sexuality, I am incredibly pleased that my preferences are in no way paedophilic. But imagine if they were. What would my options be? Firstly, I would be obligated to inform my GP and depending on the nature of my desires, I would receive the relevant therapy confidentially which is often very effective as patients are taught to have control over deviant cravings. Offenders have similar options. Chemical or physical castration, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and support therapy are all used in the treatment of paedophiles. Obviously the success of therapy is dependant of the condition of each offender but castration remains the most effective treatment. Recidivism rates are in single digits but the testosterone-lowering drugs used in chemical castration have dangerous side effects that can cause extreme weight gain and thinning of the bones. Even so, for many patients, having control over their urges is worth the sacrifice. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is currently favoured by most Western penal systems when used in conjunction with support therapy. Although there is great diversity in this treatment, the ultimate aim is the rehabilitation of the patient. Patients are condi-
lent criminals are often mentally ill and receive fitting treatment alongside permanent incarceration. Non-violent child sex offenders, however, are divided between those who openly admit to their crimes and those who deny their state. Those who deny their state are encouraged to admit to their condition and subsequently, partake in group sessions in which they speak openly about their sexuality and the crimes they have committed. The admittance of their condition is believed to help patients rationalise their thoughts and ultimately, stay in control. Ultimately, men need to discuss their sexuality in its entirety. Homosexuality and paedophilia are words men use to categorise other men and the hegemony of the alpha-male is blatantly poisonous in the general understanding of each stereotype. As I understand it, a successful modern man has managed to find an appropriate balance between his alpha-male attributes and the apparently effeminate compromises of feminism. The notion of the gallant, wise alpha-male is a simply ridiculous one. Research shows that paedophilia is mainly an alpha-male phenomenon that has falsely become linked to homosexuality due to a feminist backlash in the 80s. We should all question our understanding of modern “paedophilia”. The academic description is specific yet we insist on lazily using it as an umbrella term for sex offenders in general. This militant, absolutist attitude towards “paedos” hinders the development of an appropriate understanding of deviant sexual conditions and also contributes to the isolation of victims. A world in which men could speak openly about the dark side of their sexuality would certainly lower offending rates as they could easily access appropriate treatment. Moreover, the current norm of simply not believing victims might be challenged. It is time for a rethink.
18 FEATURES
YORK VISION
TIME TO COP A FEEL
Tuesday October 30, 2012
ZOE BILES exposes the lack of awareness of self-checking for breast cancer and what is being done to combat it...
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oobs. A social taboo? A personal insecurity? Some Friday night fun? What about the killer of 12,000 people every year in the UK alone? Breast cancer is one of the most common and fatal diseases in the world, with roughly one person being diagnosed every ten minutes, but little is being done to educate men and women on the preventative measures that can be taken to strengthen our fight against cancer. It is now time to stand up, man up, and start feeling our boobies. Startlingly, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under the age of 35, yet most women in this age group are too young for routine breast screening under the NHS. With regular screening proven to prevent up to 75 per cent of breast cancers, why is more not being done to raise awareness for the people who are not given this privilege? One organisation trying to combat this ignorance is CoppaFeel! CoppaFeel! is a charity committed to educating people about breast cancer, aiming to increase the likelihood of early diagnosis through regular self-checking. The organisation targets its campaign at both women and men between the ages of 18 and 30 as a way of breaking down the assumption that it is only possible to contract breast cancer if you are over a certain age. CoppaFeel! does all this with a cheeky grin, by organising boobs on the bus days, ‘boob-ball’ events and asking celebrities to pose dressed as giant breasts. Lucy Carty, the University of York Boob Team Leader, says that “not enough is being done to promote breast cancer awareness for students and young adults”, and she, along with 36 other Uni Boob Teams, are hoping to spread the word about self-checking in campuses nationwide. With 20 people on her team, Carty hopes to “engage the active and enthusiastic” student body in participating in one of the biggest cancer awareness campaigns yet, following in the footsteps of Fearne Cotton,
Fearne Cotton provides celebrity endorsement for CoppaFeel! and cancer victim Kristin Hallenga is the CEO and founder of the organisation who is both a patron and a huge supporter of the cause. Cotton recently ran a half marathon in aid of the charity, and, along with fellow sponsor Dermot O’Leary, has begun a media blitz in hope of raising further awareness of the cause. On being asked when she cops a feel, Fearne responded, “In the mornings, in the shower – it’s easy to do it when you’re having a wash. It becomes part of a routine, like brushing your teeth”. Although CoppaFeel! is “all good fun and cheeky”, as Carty put it, the issue is as grave and serious as ever. CoppaFeel!’s founder and CEO Kristin Hallenga’s story is both tragic and inspiring. Having been misdiagnosed twice due to her young age, she is now suffering from Stage 4 cancer which has spread from her breasts to her liver and spine. Struck with endless medical exams and operations, having been just 23 at the time of diagnosis, Hallenga has committed her life to the hope that “one day we will live in a world where no one dies of breast cancer
Feeling your breasts regularly is the key to early detection of cancer
due to late detection.” CoppaFeel! is not alone in its fight against breast cancer. This year has seen some of the grandest and most successful campaigns move from strength to strength, as awareness of the cancer increases in correlation with the use of social media and broadcast advertising. Just last week, Channel 4 organised its first Stand Up To Cancer telethon event, with stars such as Cheryl Cole, JLS and Kylie Minogue turning up to show their support. Moreover, this month marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with celebrities all over the country such as Davina McCall and Alan Carr taking part in events aimed to raise as much money and awareness for the cause as possible, such as sponsored skydives and marathons. Celebrity endorsement and media campaigns are clearly our greatest weapons in the war on breast cancer. However, as much as we are bombarded with information from the media and as much as this disease continues to affect men and women everywhere, people are still able to live in denial and alienate themselves from the disease. Ordinary people, including me, are struggling to comprehend the chances and probability of contracting breast cancer as there are so many myths and uncertainties regarding its origin and development. Speaking to one second year student at the university, it is easy to see how so many people have difficulty facing up to the reality of cancer: “For so long I thought the possibility of breast cancer was tiny. There was not a history of it in my family, and I led a perfectly healthy lifestyle. It was only when my aunt, just 27 years old, fell ill with breast cancer that I realised
the absurd nature of the disease. It can happen to any woman at any time, and yet it never occurred to me to self check my breasts or talk about breast cancer with my GP.” However, it is important to remember that there has been progress and that everyday new scientific research becomes available to help the fight against breast cancer. The Johns Hopkins University in America has instigated a multi-million dollar research programme to investigate how it is possible to interrupt signals between cancer cells. A new concept called the ‘Smart Bra’ is currently in development and awaiting FDA approval. Three clinical trials involving 650 women showed that the bra could detect early tumour development up to 6 years before mammogram imaging would have been able to.
year. Peter Flemming, a 79 year old civil servant from Manchester, was diagnosed with breast cancer after experiencing chest pains. Even though men do not have breasts in the same sense as women, this cancer is indiscriminatory and unpredictable. It can kill absolutely anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, size or lifestyle. As a way of promoting the importance of self-checking breasts in the hope to increase early detection of cancer, CoppaFeel! have organised many events in the hope of getting people involved and aware of the cause. On the 26th November, a flash mob will erupt near Central Hall on the University of York’s campus. Following the flash mob will be an evening of ‘booby-themed’ cocktails and a comedy show to mark the ‘CoppaFeel! in the Shower’ campaign.
One day we will live in a world where no one dies of breast cancer due to late detection. Many untrue myths still remain about the causes of cancer, and many people will try to tell you that underwired bras and anti-perspirants lead to tumours. However, there is very little information available to us about what actually causes the disease, and all doctors stress the importance of early detection and self-checking in fighting breast cancer. Smart Bras may be the way forward for women, but what about the men who also suffer from the disease? What is being done to warn them about the early signs and symptoms of breast cancer? Most people assume that men are immune from this particular type of cancer even though 77 men died from the disease in the UK last
Upcoming events also include ‘Cake O’Clock’ and 5K runs being orchestrated by Boob team leaders and students alike, and CoppaFeel! urges more university students to get involved with this fantastic organisation. Breast cancer is silent and deadly and we do not know when or if it will ever happen to us. Nothing is as effective in fighting breast cancer as self-checking, which most people still fail to do. However, organisations like CoppaFeel! are giving us the knowledge of how to check and cope with what can be the earliest, most detectable signs of the disease. It is as important to cop a feel as it is to continue fighting this cancer.
YORK VISION
LIFESTYLE
Tuesday October 30, 2012
LIFESTYLE Helena Kealey & Emily Hagan
19
www.yorkvision.co.uk/lifestyle lifestyle@yorkvision.co.uk
FANGTASTIC FASHION
As always at Halloween the question arises as to what actually is an appropriate Halloween costume? The tradition dates back to around 1895 and the Scottish tradition of ‘guising’ where villagers in disguise carried turnip lanterns to neighbours’ homes where they were rewarded with treats and goodies. Although the essence of this tradition still remains, the masquerades people adopt on this holiday have completely altered. Halloween, according to Mean Girls is “the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Halloween seems to have become a secondary festival of steaminess. Don’t worry, Vision are here to help you navigate through the difficulties of balancing sex appeal, the scare factor and your budget just in time for tomorrow night.
FOR HIM
FOR HER
On Halloween the options for men are, for once, incredibly varied. Unused to such freedom, you are probably out of practice and standing agape outside the joke shop, afraid to enter the world of deviant possibilities. Poor, untutored fool that you are, you’ll end up begging a female friend to take pity on you and make up your face. ‘I’m a scary clown,’ you’ll murmur lamely, standing in the queue for Willow in a Comic Relief nose... Well, my useless friend, we’re here to help. When looking for the perfect Halloween costume, play to your weaknesses. Bring forth all that is dark and hateful about yourself. The hirsute gentleman can finally make use of that hairy back (assuming there’s a full moon), the emaciated can take advantage of that visible rib cage. Fat boys, you owe it to yourselves to go as an ogre and put the morbid in morbidly obese. More importantly, be original. In its most obvious sense, try to eschew ghoulishness this Halloween and instead embody something topical (see right for the guy from LMFAO). Some costumes can be both new and scary at once, of course, but while Zombie Romney may be hilarious if all your friends are Time subscribers, it’s way too soon for Savile. But in a broader sense, embrace the spirit of Halloween – NO shop costumes, NO morph suits, NO ironic ‘Too Cool for a Costume’ T-Shirts, (bottom right just you and that longhidden GCSE in textiles.
Here at Vision we have finally found the answer to the perpetual Halloween scary vs. sexy debate. It hasn’t been an easy task. For years we’ve been turning up in bunny costumes and insisting that we’re a special eastern European breed of Easter Bunny that kills small children in their sleep. This year, however, dressed from head to toe in Topshop’s finest and with the help of a generous housemate to do your make up, you can go as the Black Swan, which is all elegant, sexy, insane and murderous. Excellent. Your other options include slutty jilted bride, (quick warning: it’s quite hard to pull dressed in a bloody white dress), or Margaret Thatcher in fishnets. Terrifying. Anything else is a useless cop out. Wearing a short dress and painting pumpkins on your face is a total fail. This Halloween ladies, try to embrace the scary theme and really go for it. If you insist on having some sex appeal, then, really, the Black Swan is the only option for you. Buy lots of black and silver eye shadow, the makeup usually takes more than one attempt to get right, and you might want some hair grease to perfect that shiny, murderous scalp look.
and om tard fr Leo a both irt r k a S i , T p sho ican Top Amer from rel a App
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ON THE CHEAP In the future, looking, smellrowed money day of rest. into Topshop. Now I am rules of deof your white, morning when loween I will be charity shop (£3), high socks, some appropriate
someone writing a social history of today will describe our lives the constant fight to avoid ing or being revolting. Because of the fear of repulsing, we students must spend our boron clothes and toothpaste. But, all is not lost. God in his kindness has bestowed upon us one We call this day Halloween. Many people, not recognising this day off, bury their money I am here to remind you to save your money for the important things. Like tea. aware of the problem the digital camera has caused for anyone hell bent ignoring the cency. Although it might seem fun on the night to strip across Vanbrugh: the photographs droopy behind ratting in between the vending machines will appal everyone the next the rules have re-established themselves. So a happy medium must be found. This Haldressing as Mona the Vampire. A red cardigan from a charity shop (£3), a black skirt from a a cape made from a bin-liner (pence) a bow tie (£2.50 from Festival of Fun on Goodramgate) and knee purple eyeliner and the odd straw to stick in your hair and low and behold! You have a cheep, theme costume for in which you look utterly bizarre, but not actually mentally ill.
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20 LIFESTYLE
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
Style Insider: FRASSY Francesca Martin chats to top fashion blogger Audrey Leighton Rogers...
A
udrey Leighton Rogers, 24, is a pretty big deal in the blogosphere. While studying English Literature at Durham University, she found herself in need of a creative outlet: so she created FRASSY, an online blog on her sporadic personal style and more. She is now living the dream as a style blogger in Paris and has been blogging for five years. Alongside this, she works as a freelance writer, photographer and runs her online shop, Frassy Rags. How many views do you have per month? Between 850,000 to 900,000. What does your working day in Paris now involve? Emails - planning brand collaborations etc. I blog on a daily basis so I am usually out on the streets once a day with my photographer (Anastasia Nielsen) shooting. I have meetings with brands, sponsors and my agent plus I run my own online boutique, so that involves sourcing new stock and designing new tees. I also work as a freelance photographer, so I will usually be photographing maybe 3 or 4 times a week. I stay pretty busy! Can you describe your personal style?
It’s totally sporadic. I don’t think I could ever stick to one style - I like to mix it up and try them all! What advice would you give to others following in your footsteps? In terms of blogging professionally, you have to make your blog, just that - professional. That means good quality photography and developing a voice and style of your own. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t a fashion blogger? I’d probably end up working full-time as a photographer or a visual merchandiser, not that I have any training in the field, but I think I would enjoy it! Do you have any other collaborations in the pipeline? I’ll be working with an Italian Brand called Raoul this week plus I have some fun styling shoots coming up with Nike. There are always collaborations in the pipeline, when you blog to pay your bills you are always out looking for projects! What do you consider to be your greatest achievement? Definitely my blog. I’ve been blogging for 5 years now and to have turned it into a full time endeavour, that is something I am very
proud of. What do you like most about your job? The clothes! Seriously, I get paid to wear clothes- I mean really, I am so lucky! The thing you like the least? I spend a lot of time editing photos. I am a little OCD about it, so it takes up a huge chunk of my time. What is on your playlist at the moment? ‘Ride’ by Lana Del Rey, ‘Losing You’ by Solange Knowles, ‘Freaks & Geeks’ by Childish Gambino, ‘Oldie’ by Odd Future. If you could ransack anyone’s wardrobe, who would it be? Miroslava Duma, she is amazing! Which sites inspire your fashion and photography ideas? Sincerely Jules, Native Fox, Making Magique, Peony Lim, Ulrikke Lund. Which 5 words sum up you? Loud, goofy, sociable, sartorially-obsessed and completely geeky!
Check the blog out on: www.befrassy.net
FESTIVAL FLOPS
Sarah Cattle takes a look at some summer shockers... From the merrymaking at King Glasto to cosy shindigs at Lounge on the Farm, these celebrations of music, otherwise known as festivals have become a staple summer outing for the masses. Where else can you get away with drunkenly cavorting between stages dressed as a bird of prey? Or watch an old band you thought to be dead (awkward) perform live followed by a dubstep producer within the space of minutes? There’s something pretty special about the atmosphere at a festival that just can’t be found elsewhere. But it’s time to take off the rose-tinted RayBans of nostalgia, and remember music festivals aren’t always quite so peachy. The downfalls of a weekend of hedonism include expensive beer, a total lack of showering and the dreaded, rancid port-a-loos by day three. These little negatives, however, are all part of the fun. The feelings of exhaustion and satisfaction as you stumble back to reality, having left behind your broken tent and your dignity make the general lack of hygiene feel worthwhile. Although some of the festivals I’ve attended haven’t been quite so fantastic (Harvest, anyone?), with just lame acts and the presence of the prime minister to whine about, none of them have been as diabolically cocked up as these three. Whether just down to overcrowding, money problems or freak weather storms, these ill-starred festival flops sadly weren’t the place to be that weekend...
BLOC 2012
Having previously been held at holiday resorts such as Butlins Minehead, electronic music festival Bloc relocated this summer to London Pleasure Gardens, hoping to accommodate several thousand revellers. With a hyped up bill boasting Orbital, Battles and Snoop Dogg (sorry, Lion) alongside the promise of a late sound license. The festival before long suffered overcrowding problems, causing it to close prematurely after the Met police intervened with concerns for crowd safety. Frustrated festivalgoers took to Twitter to vent their anger at the organisers of “the worst festival ever”, who later released an apology on their website putting overcrowding problems down to site layout and insisting they had not, despite reports, oversold tickets. The company have since gone into administration.
PUKKELPOP 2011
The popular Belgian festival was forced to cancel after huge storms rampaged through the site, causing widespread devastation and resulting in five deaths and many more injuries. One student attending tells Vision: “Huge poplar trees were flying through the air. The scariest moment was when the seams of the tent we were in started to split and water gushed through.” With the tragic suicide of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool’s lead singer on site the year before, it would seem Pukkelpop hasn’t had the best of luck. Nevertheless, this determined festival devotee returned for this year’s event, and can confirm it was worth the hike “A minute’s silence and a firework display were held in respect for last year. The place had good vibes… and perfect weather, which was kind of ironic.”
ZOO THOUSAND 2008
Organisers conjure up all sorts of crazy hooks to entice punters into their festivals each year. In this case, the word ‘zoo’ hoped to bring in savage beasts of the human kind. The first timer, held at an animal park in Kent, suffered major money problems. Acts pulled out last minute after not being paid, Mark Ronson was rumoured to have been paid with a wheelbarrow of pound coins from the bar, and the constant set changes meant nobody knew what was going on. This, combined with little security and a lack of drinking water meant chaos descended, narrowly salvaged by bigwigs from the zoo stepping in to pay up. I remember receiving a flyer a week before the festival began offering half price tickets – a warning sign that Zoo8 was going to be well under its capacity and short of cash.
LIFESTYLE
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
21
BEAT THE BLUES Feeling down? Rachel Jackson explains why you might be feeling SAD this winter...
I
t’s nearly the end of October, the days are getting shorter, the temperature is getting lower and the amount of clothes we have to wear is getting greater… winter is definitely upon us. But, the wintery days soon become dreaded and unwanted. We become tired, grumpy and may as well hibernate for all the good winter brings to us. However fear not, the terrible depressing feeling we get during the dark winter months has a name - Seasonal Affective Disorder a.k.a. SAD.
SAD or “Winter depression” is considered a mood disorder, which can affect up to one in three of us and mostly, goes undiagnosed. But why do we get it? Why does the change between Autumn to Winter have such an impact on our mood? Well, it comes as no shock that the human body craves light. Light increases serotonin levels, brain activity and decreases melatonin levels (which makes us sleep). The lack of light lessens our mood, willingness to socialize and work and increases our need and desire to eat. SAD can be associ-
ated with minor symptoms such as fatigue, larger appetite and lower effort levels, however it can also result in more severe symptoms such as anxiety disorder, alcohol/ drug abuse and in some severe cases has resulted in suicide. So what can you do to prevent the symptoms of winter depression? Firstly, there are a few different ways to avoid SAD in the first place. Eating healthily with plenty of foods from different nutrition groups, alongside avoiding carbohydrates and increasing intake of B vitamins and protein will increase energy levels and minimize fatigue during the day, battling the potential effects of SAD. By partnering healthy eating with exercise, the body becomes more alert rather than sluggish and lethargic, helping to maintain both social and work obligations. However, make sure you balance work and social life accordingly, high levels of stress amplify the symptoms of SAD. Most importantly of all, take advantage of natural light. Staying in bed in the morning hoping to feel better won’t help, by getting up and going outside the body will positively respond, minimizing the effect of SAD.
C r e e p y
For some, self help techniques won’t cure nor curtail the emotions winter depression creates, therefore, doctors have advised feasible courses of treatment for potential sufferers. Here, individuals are firstly advised to invest in bright lamps specifically made to enhance serotonin levels in the body. Bright light therapy is one of the most successful treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder, ranging from a general high voltage light bulb to a specific dawn
Bright light therapy, B vitamins and plenty of protein will help you beat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
light, which mimics a sunrise within your bedroom. Bright light therapy retains the brains activity level that is created during the summer months. However, bright light therapy isn’t cheap - SAD lights on Amazon come to about £50 for medically certified lamps. But for your health and mood in the winter months, investing in a SAD light is definitely a worthwhile spend. Winter brings many different problems, the common cold, tonsillitis and the dreaded man flu. But SAD is one of the most common conditions during the winter season. With regular treatment, SAD is believed to be able to cure two out of every three individuals, with one out of three patients having minimal recurring symptoms long term. If you think you have symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder it is definitely worth a trip to the doctor to treat the condition. And with winter just around the corner (snow in October?!) make sure you stock up on SAD light bulbs, vitamins as well as fruit, vegetables and protein. When the dreaded cold finally arrives, remember that before you know it, Spring will be here and the Michelin Man style of Winter will be in the past. Until then, wrap up, keep warm and carry on!
C u p c a k e s
Nicole Grundy shows us how to make some scarily good cupcakes...
W
e all see Halloween as a chance to go over the top and be creative with our outfits and there’s no reason the same can’t apply to your baking! So why not create these delicious, Halloween themed cupcakes? If you’re planning a get together they’re the perfect treat for guests, or alternatively, it’s the perfect way to have fun with your flatmates. You can be as creative as you want by adding various food colourings to your icing; but I’m going to show you a simple and cheap recipe which still tastes and looks just as good.
Baking the cakes: Preheat oven to 170 degrees C/325F (gas 3), put the flour, sugar, baking powder, a pinch of salt and butter in a mixing bowl. Mix until the consistency is fluffy and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until mixed. Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated. Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the blend is smooth. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until If you’re feeling steady handed, try a 2/3rds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a light golden colour. spider’s web or writing! Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before putting them onto a wire cooling rack, when they are no longer hot, spoon the vanilla frosting on top. Making the icing: Beat the icing sugar and butter together until mixed. Combine milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture, a couple of table spoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated continue beating for at least 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Spider: Simply spread a layer of white icing over the cupcake, making sure there is no sponge showing through. For the body and head place two chocolate drops in the centre of the cupcake. For the spiders legs you could use either black liquorice or red strawberry laces (everyone’s childhood favourite), cut your desired choice into eight pieces (about 1-2 inches long) and then place them around the body. To finish place two dabs of vanilla icing on the head to create eyes. Ghost: Probably the easiest - all you need is white icing for the base with two red M&Ms on top for the eyes and a black one for a mouth. Monster: Add green food colouring to your white icing for the base, use small pieces of liquorice for hair and a beard and any type of small sweets for the eyes, nose and mouth. If you want to be a bit more adventurous and use traditional Halloween colours, simply mix equal portions of blue, yellow and red food colouring to create black, red, yellow to create orange.
Ingredients list:
120g plain flour 140g caster sugar 1 ½ tea spoons baking powder Pinch of salt 40g unsalted butter 120ml whole milk 1 egg ¼ tea spoon vanilla extract 12 holed cupcake tray
Icing mix: 250g icing sugar sieved into bowl 80g unsalted butter 25ml whole milk Couple of drops of vanilla extract
22 LIFESTYLE
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
York's Most Haunted Frances Jennings takes a look at the spookier side to York...
T
here’s something downright spooky about York. From the distorted houses lining cobbled streets that haven’t changed much since the 16th century to the dozens of costume actors dotted around town. You can’t help but be enticed by the dungeons, towers and gory tales our humble city has to offer. Alongside tales of grisly murders and unfair trials you can find the ghosts of Catherine Howard and Thomas Percy wandering the streets and historic buildings; Roman soldiers have been spotted storming the Minster and even M&S is said to be haunted by the ghosts of York’s past. There are daily walks all over town, starting at the Minster, the Shambles, outside Fenwicks and Evil Eye, in which seasoned experts guide you through dark streets and spooky back-alleys, sharing the stories of York’s colourful characters and horrible happenings as they go. I endeavoured to check out one of the city’s lesser-known attractions; a 700-year old house on Stonegate known as ‘Haunted’ (opposite Betty’s Tea Rooms and the House of Trembling Madness) which doubles as an occult boutique when it isn’t scaring visitors. The house is said to be full of spirits from guests to residents, even the ghost of an unfortunate feline who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t lucky enough to experience a ghostly presence upon my tour; however a quick read of the visitor’s comments is enough to convince anyone that you’ll never be alone. If you find yourself passionate about delving into the occult itself then Haunted holds regular séances, as well as running a successful Wicca shop that
sells crystal balls, wands and spiritual trinkets. The price for a student ticket to Haunted will set you back £5 – making it one of the cheaper attractions available within the city – and the tours run from 10-5 daily (10-7 at weekends). If you can’t quite bear to part with £5,and find yourself longing for a night-time thrill that won’t leave your head hurting in the morning, then check out one of the three popular Ghost walks – ‘Ghost Hunt York’, ‘Ghost Walk York’ and ‘The Original Ghost Walk of York’ (something tells me there’s no love lost between these three events). These are a mere £3 (or £3.50 for Ghost Walk York) and will provide an evening of terror with the added bonus of you having enough for a pint at the end of the night. All-out Halloween fanatics can treat their loved one to a romantic meal at the Golden Fleece; believed by many to be York’s most haunted hotel, this pub offers several frights for any enthusiastic ghost hunter at a reasonable price for a student budget.
I’ve spent the last week acclimatising myself with the spook-friendly activities around York in the hope of meeting some of its less earthly residents, and I hope that you’ll be tempted to spend your Halloween doing the same. As for me? I’ll be watching Casper.
Utilise your spare car park and bus tickets for a discount at the popular York Dungeons; it’s much less terrifying than the walks and haunts – more of a theme park for the ‘kinda naughty’ – however you’ll still find yourself embarrassing yourself by leaping out of your seat, while the hardened seven year old next to you fails to bat an eyelid.
LET'S MO Alex Cochrane-Dyet prepares us for Movember...
W
ith November almost upon us, it is once again time for men across the globe to prepare for a month of serious grooming armed with an aggressive sounding, hi-tech razor, a can of scientifically mastered foam, and an aftershave lotion that promises to turn it’s user into a sex panther. The Movember Foundation’s scheme gives men an incontestable excuse to thrust their finely preened moustaches upon the world and take part in a spot of masculine, homosocial competition whilst incidentally raising money to combat cancer. The moustache has been an object of fascination since the dawn of man, with the earliest portrait displaying one (belonging to an ancient Iranian horseman) believed to have been created around 300 BCE. Although in recent years the moustache has increasingly become a rarity in the Western world, the lack of facial hair being associated with more liberal political tendencies, nearly all men still nurse a secret desire to sport one of these fine aesthetic symbols of masculine grandeur. Symbolically associated with strong military figures, including Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, male sex symbols such as Freddie Mercury and Tom Selleck and successful professional sportsmen, like Rollie Fingers and Ian Rush, it is not surprising that given half a chance men everywhere will proudly exhibit the largest moustache they are able to grow, caring little if their girlfriends object.
The rules of Movember, as laid out on the Movember website, are simple: 1. Once registered at movember.com each mo bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. 2. For the entire month of November each mo bro must grow and groom a moustache. 3. There is to be no joining of the mo to [one’s] sideburns. (That’s considered a beard.) 4. There is to be no joining of the handlebars to [one’s] chin. (That’s considered a goatee.) 5. Each mo bro must conduct himself like a true country gentleman.
of facial hair, or for all men during the first week of Movember, this style looks casual and unpredicable, and is frequently used by male celebrities who want to appear more masculine, such as Orlando Bloom. Be wary though, this style is actually the product of some careful trimming and without the necessary commitment you’ll be constantly told you’ve got bum fluff on your face. The Chevron
Why not try one of these superb styles: The Pencil
‘Did I forget to shave? I was probably just too preoccupied being cool and looking good’ is what The Pencil moustache would say if it could speak. A great choice for those who struggle to produce large quantities
The Handlebar
‘Solid’, ‘reliable’, ‘manly’ are all terms that spring to mind when faced with The Chevron. A straight forward choice for those with a square face and defined jaw line, a Chevron wearer is the sort of man who has a steady income, drinks whisky, says little, and makes love to any woman within range (missionary only), including your wife. A timeless symbol of sex and confidence, the Chevron-wearer is lean, serious, drives a Dodge Viper and absolutely incapable of putting up with bullshit. Don’t wear it if you aren’t hard.
Elegant, refined, and somewhat sinister, The Handlebar is the moustache that Dorian Grey would have worn had he taken part in Movember (which is unlikely considering he was evil and fictional). One can picture a Handlebar adorned man sitting by a fire in a richly furnished room sipping fine wine and plotting a high-stake corporate take-over, whilst enjoying Mozart’s Violin Concerto in B-flat major, or discussing philosophy. You’re not wanted by the police only because you own the police. The drawback to this style, other than the necessary maintenance, is that without a top hat and waistcoat it will seem slightly out of place on your face. And with a top hat and waistcoat you’ll seem slightly out of place, wherever you are in this century.
Register now for Movember: http://uk.movember.com
YORK VISION
LIFESTYLE
Tuesday October 30, 2012
23
Kink on Campus Poppy Danby strips FetSoc bare and ponders alternative sexual desires...
F
etSoc is a concept that has intrigued, enthralled and been a source of much controversy since it burst onto the York campus scene earlier this year. With rumours flying around everywhere as to what actually takes place at these meetings (everything from orgies to dungeons of sexual doom) I was thoroughly fascinated and although not into ‘kink’ myself, couldn’t help but want to find out more. For many, the whole idea of a fetish society, although deemed in its description as ‘relaxed and friendly’ is fairly questionable. It’s fair to say that images of leather clad, sexual deviants with long flowing hair and obligatory whips and chains are what filled my mind when considering who’d be sitting alongside me in my venture into the unknown depths of alternative sexual desire. I was wrong. As I opened the door into this new world (otherwise known as Alcuin) I was greeted by a group of exceedingly normal looking people. So, that was stereotype number one smashed and I couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed – the dark intrigue that the fetish scene holds
was being transformed into something more ‘normal’ before my very eyes. I can’t deny that one of my greatest concerns when I entered into doing this was that the scene into which I was joining would be extremely cliquey and unaccepting of people, like myself, who just wanted to understand everything a bit better. After all, sexual relations, whether of a kinky nature or not, are generally held as something private and personal, however, the group were extremely welcoming. Despite being open, I quickly learnt that this was not the kind of place where you could simply thrust questions at people about what their preferences were and certainly not expect justifications. It’s not the (sober) etiquette. Despite the opening phrase of “we take you in and pervert your minds” casting a resounding concern of corruption in my head, I couldn’t help but notice that these individuals could find a way to laugh at themselves. There was a distinct clarity of knowledge in how they were perceived by other people. But this ongoing awareness
seemed to create an instability in the group – one which after meeting those involved I felt extremely concerned about. The recurring theme of the world outside fetish brought many deep questions to mind. One of the main areas of thought to interest me, spanned from the conversation of whether those with a fetish should have to lose jobs because of it. This was certainly an aspect that I’d never considered and to extent revealed to me that it was the ‘vanilla’ world that had a dark side. Whilst this struck a chord with me, I couldn’t help feeling edgy when the issue of whether it was a problem if school teachers had fetishes, came up. Children are innocent, impressionable and need to be protected, so when this topic arose my initial thought was that in this case perhaps the issue of employment could come under question in relation to kink. But, then the question came to pass – how would the children find out? I suppose it’s true. Had I not been to the meeting and simply met the people that I did there elsewhere, I’d have no idea of their sexual preferences. On top
of this, even in the discussion group, the individuals did not once refer to their own specific fetishes or force their views upon anyone else. “So what if they wear a gimp mask at weekends?” One member added “people expect their teachers as adults to be having sex with their partner so why should it matter how?” It was a fair enough point and the more I heard the more I realised that perhaps the fetish scene wasn’t quite as niche as I first thought. There seems to be a vast network of those interested in all things kinky in York alone; including groups such as York Munch and on a wider scale ‘playhouses’ and websites which could only be described as kinky “versions of Facebook”. It occurred to me, with such a large underground community, surely it’s impossible to say who is and who isn’t involved in something of this nature, be they teachers, doctors, or Managers. This being the case, you have to ask yourself, if you can’t tell if someone is into kink - or even if you can – with the knowledge that fetish won’t be forced upon you, does it really make a difference?
BLIND DATE
Vision's resident matchmaker BEN DILKS sets up... English Literature student Ben and English Literature and Linguistics Diana! Diana on Ben What’s your usual type? My usual type is a guy who has a good sense of humour and who is always keen for an intellectual chat now and then. Hopes and fears before the date? I was hoping it would be someone who was really laid-back. My one fear was that we would have nothing in common. First impressions? He is a very lovely and happy person who is enjoying life.
Ben on Diana How were his table manners? He had very good table manners and acted like a true gentleman. His best feature? His charismatic personality. His worst feature? He had no worst feature How did you part? On a very happy and casual note. Any awkward moments? None at all
What’s your usual type? I’m not sure I have a usual type; people are unique and uniquely attractive. Having said that, I’m tall and enjoy similarly tall women. Hopes and fears before the date? I wasn’t really expectant beforehand; I was just hoping it wouldn’t be someone unbearably awkward. First impressions? She had a sparkling eye yet seemed alluringly and surprisingly shy.
Any awkward moments? If you could change one thing about the Yes, but it was just that there was a little bit evening, what would it be? of confusion with the food. Nothing at all to be honest. It was a lovely evening. How were their table manners? I don’t pay attention to table manners - why Marks out of 10? would you be mannered when you’re eating 8 out of 10. anyway? That’s like trying to gulp in an unobtrusive manner or have sex without Would you like to meet again? getting dirty. Definitely.
Her best feature? Her smile. Her worst feature? Her height. What did you chat about? We talked about everything and anything. Marks out of 10? 8 out of 10. Did you go on anywhere? No Would you like to meet again? Well we are in the same college, Derwent, so we’ll see each other around undoubtedly. What year are you in? Second year
The Rose & Crown Pub and Restaurant
"Blind Date" is kindly sponsored by on Lawrence Street. If you or a friend would like to participate, enjoy a free meal and the chance to find true love, please email your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@yorkvision.co.uk
24 LIFESTYLE Got manly problems? I’m here to help, brother.
Kealey's...
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YORK VISION Tuesday October 30, 2012
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n o i s s e onf
C
o this week, I’ve been asked to write about male problems. Men. Hello men. Manly, aren’t you? Can you feel those muscles? Smell that musk? Yeah, that’s right, you grow that beard. Or not. Maybe you’re a skinny, smooth cheeked kind of a guy. That’s cool too. All men are welcome here in the place where male problems are discussed. Now, just before I delve into helping you through your problems, I‘d like to point out that I’m not a man, just in case any of you later decide I’d be the perfect wing man for your manly exploits and I turn up with a disappointing lack of todger. But I’m sure I’ll be just fine at sympathising with your problems. I’ve met many a man after all, and spent much of my childhood in Spiderman costumes and sword fighting with the stinging nettles in my garden... I’m a kind of ‘If Carlsberg did women who are actually men’ scenario... So let’s begin: Baldness, that must suck. A hairless, shiny, squeaky when wet wilderness on the top of your head. You’re going to have to start applying sun cream to your scalp in summer, or risk burning and having a head like a turnip (without the green sprouty bit, obviously). Now, clearly doing a Wayne Rooney isn’t much of an option, unless you’re loaded, which you’re not, so I have a plan. Together, let’s make that flirty little bit of skin poking over the top of your hair line really sexy. The image women should have in mind when they see you is a kind of beautiful, yet erotic snow capped mountain. In order to do this we’re going to need to find something really sexy about the scalp. There’s that scene in Cool Runnings when Sanka suggests drawing a line down the middle of Derice’s bald head, to make it look like a butt. Not very sexy... but, what if we drew a line down the middle of every bald head, and made it look like cleavage? Yeah? I’m not entirely sure what’s sexy about cleavage, but I’m told as a general rule, that the more of it you have, the sexier you become. With a line down the middle of your head, we could apply the same logic to bald heads. Excellent. What other problems have you got? Erectile dysfunction: Anne Summers does a very lovely little number in willy pumps. Next. Women: I’ve never actually gone out with a woman, but I’d say the best way to get women to fancy you is to make sure you’re tall, attractive and really, really good in bed. Maybe, on second thoughts, try to avoid the whole bald head/cleavage thing. Well, that’s it, as far as I’m aware. If you do have any problems that I’ve missed, feel free to write to me. I’m always here... thinking manly thoughts.
Raising the Steaks
Tom Monk takes a look at which supermarket steaks meat student standards...
I
like to think that men haven’t changed much in the last 4,000 years. Given a sharp enough spear and a field of semi-tame bovine, today’s man would have no problem in providing generously for his adoring, admiring and ultimately obedient family. Of course, Jurassic man was unencumbered by the shackles of modern life - the late afternoon saunters to Hendrix Hall, the allure of cheap Sambuca at former Chinese restaurants, and the lack of readily available stone spears. Let me be your guide through that uncharted world of the supermarket meat aisle - the final resting place of animals deemed too tasty to live; conveniently refrigerated, packaged and butchered for our pleasure. We picked out prime hunks of cow from these meat Meccas and attempted to find the perfect student steak; the ideal mix between the right amount of bloody animal on your plate, and pound coins in your wallet. We made a nice, simple, creamy mashed potato and sat down with four pieces of rare, bleeding, slightly blackened beast; ready to sate our prehistoric needs.
Meat from campus favourite Costcutter was our first tasting. The nondescript, generic red meat, at a price which could only inspire confidence about the goods under the wrapping, failed completely to deliver any kind of carnivorous satisfaction. It felt almost like a Heston Blumenthall creation; consisting of water, red food colouring and perhaps some gelatine . A cattle substitute had been born. Incredibly, the master chefs at Costcutter had even managed to develop some true-to-life gristle, which really provided value for money through the next few hours of toothpicking. To get some real calf, we decided we must have to venture further than our front door.
Morrisons was our next beef outlet, and we got lucky. We picked up 200 grams of fourteenday matured dry-aged fillet steak, reduced to under £2. With an apparent incapacity to actually decipher the adjectives used to describe our meaty find, we just settled on the widely accepted mantra that longer must be better. It was, juice and blood seeped out of the dark red muscle as my Wilko’s own butter knife glided through. The taste was mellow and the essence of cow covered the tastebuds. Altogether an excellent steak.
Watching Delia Smith caress a hunk of beef in a Come Dine With Me advert break had me set on including Waitrose in this line-up. For only £3 I was able to purchase a 21-day aged Aberdeen Angus sirloin. Those extra 7 days were worth every penny. The Morrisons sub-standard faintness was blasted from my pallette by full on farm flavour. Rich, juicy meat, marbled with tender fat, melted in my mouth, revealing an earthy, punchy, cattle sensation - which was over in 4 mouthfuls. This tiny amount of food provided such an incredible experience it feels almost like blasphemy to criticise, but the thirty seconds of pleasure just left me craving much much more.
Our final steak was there to fill this void. £8 provided us with a full 20 cm of Celtic pure breed, straight from the Irish butchers. As the only steak which lacked multicoloured plastic packaging, it surely couldn’t disappoint. A thick layer of white fat spooned the meat beside it, seared to a deep brown. Oozing as my fork pierced this barrier, the cow submitted to the knife without any retaliation - the tenderest steak so far. The flavour was deep, beefy, almost winey, providing a rich base upon which the meat could melt. But and it hurts me to say this, at about a fifth of my weekly food budget I can’t say that it was truly worth it. Perhaps as a one-off to impress that girl you met at the aforementioned Chinese.
So we’ve discovered, in our adventure through the depths of the bovine carcass, price really does matter. Overall, I think we saw that Waitrose provided a perfect compromise between price and quality. But perhaps I’ve also reaffirmed that you can buy whatever nice looking, matured slab of meat that catches your eye; cook it lightly, and serve it simply, that’s where the real pleasure lies. At the end of it all, meat is meat. You can’t count for that basic connection between meat and man, you can’t count for the primal pleasure it provides and you certainly can’t better it.
YORK VISION
SPORT
Tuesday October 30, 2012
sport UYRUFC
25
www.yorkvision.co.uk/sport sport@yorkvision.co.uk
LEARNING THEIR LESSON By ALEX FINNIS
YORK’S RUGBY 1st XV banished the memories of a year ago, when they let a 17-0 lead slip and slumped to a 20-17 defeat to Leeds Met 2nd XV, by beating the same side 35-13 on Wednesday. Much like last November, a dynamic first half display propelled York into a commanding half-time lead, but this time they were more clinical. Although they didn’t manage to rediscover their intensity of the opening half hour, UYRUFC never allowed Leeds back into the game, preventing the away side from registering even a point in the second half after going in 21-13 down at the break. The York back line played with fluidity and pace - Watson and Powis ran onto the ball from deep and made a huge impact in midfield. Leeds Met struggled to deal with Watson in particular, and the inside centre was rewarded with two tries, one either side of half-time. However, it was wing Will Sharp who stole the show, bagging himself a hat-trick which including a storming 80-yard score from a breakaway deep inside his own half. It was his third and final try that was most encouraging though - Sharp came of the wing and burst through the middle of a tired Leeds defence - a move which highlighted the adaptability within this season’s
Photo: Ian Packard
back line. Behing every good back line is a solid set of forwards, and this was certainly the case on Wednesday. Stand-in captain Adam Gaskell produced a typical performace out of position at second row whilst Tim Ross was outstanding at flanker. UYRUFC 1st XV have pushed hard for promotion to the Northern Premier in the last two seasons and missed out both times. Sheffield and Liverpool’s 1st XVs will provide stiff competition again this time around, but if York can continue to be this clinical, this could be their year.
UYRUFC 1ST XV
1
2
3
9
Burd
Draycott
Kirkley
Cormack
10
4
5
Pampiglione
Gaskell
6
8
7
Thorpe
Woods
Ross
Chadwick
12 Watson
13 Powis
15
14
Osborne
Duncan
11 Sharp
HOCKEY CLUB PLAYING CATCH UP
By DAVE WASHINGTON
IT’S ALWAYS fun to laugh at your friends from home when they’ve returned to University, and you’re still on holiday. Yet in sporting terms this puts York on the back foot before the season has even begun. When it comes to the first fixtures of the year, then the opposition have been playing together for weeks, but York teams have only just come together.. This applies to the University of York Hockey club as much as anyone. The day after this year’s freshers’ trials, all five University sides were scheduled to play their first match of the season. Therefore York are at an immediate disadvantage, playing a well organised team when they themselves are a side consisting of a group of individuals, who have never played together.
Yet last Wednesday UYHC Men’s 1st XI managed to overcome this hurdle, by defeating formidable opposition in the shape of Durham 3rds. Two early goals set York on their way to victory, and despite being pegged back by Durham, York showed great determination to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory. It might only be October and a long time until we reach the final standings, but this truly was a valuable victory. The side flirted with relegation last year, but after their away trip to Northumbria was cancelled last week, the victory on the JLD was the perfect way to start the season. The attacking prowess demonstrated by the side was impressive, as their movement and link up play caused havoc amongst the visitors’ defence in the early stages. There are some fantastic individuals in the side, but it was a team effort which helped them to record victory, rather than reliance on the
brilliance of one or two men. This team effort was vividly demonstrated by the team’s press, which saw the opposition left frustrated. For vast periods in the second half Durham dominated possession, but due to York’s organisation, they were unable to breakdown a stubborn backline. However it would be unfair to attribute the defensive success to just the defence and new keeper Callum Chaundy, who pulled out a string of impressive saves. In fact it was the efforts of the whole team, from front to back which was responsible for resisting the attacking pursuits of Durham. Striker Leo Watton may be relied upon for his creative prowess and goalscoring ability, but his workrate epitomised that of the whole team. For it was Watton, aided by his fellow forwards, who led the press, limiting space and time on the ball for Durham’s players all over the pitch. It takes time, work
and determination to master such a system, yet York seem to have established the basics and beyond even at this very early stage of the season. Everybody worked for each other and there was a genuine desire to win which could be seen in each and every player’s eyes. We may not be talking about international level sport, but preparation is still crucial in achieving success. Whether it be mentally, physically or tactically, you have to be in the right shape and frame of mind if you want to deliver the ideal results. In past years York teams have started the season slowly, but aided by this year’s pre-season week, and a newfound determination to break into the top 40 of British sporting institutions. York sides have started the season in fabulous fashion, if they can build on this momentum over the coming weeks then a promising season lies ahead.
26
YORK VISION
SPORT
SPORTS NEWS IN BRIEF
MEMBERSHIP LEVELS for sports facilities at the University of York have exceeded expectations, as figures continue to soar for both the York Sport Village and the Heslington West sports centre. Over 3,200 people have signed up to the new Sport Village, while a further 1,000 have joined the highly-affordable gym on Heslington West. The £5 add-on for the gym, which is becoming increasingly weights-orientated, has proved highly popular. The past few weeks have seen numerous new students sign up, and membership levels are increasing daily. The balance between students and members of the public has tipped towards students, but the new gym has proved popular with both groups. What is particularly encouraging is the warm reception that the new facilities have received, as both sites revel at the arrival of a new intake of students. YORK’s CYCLING expansion looks as if it won’t stop with the construction of a new track, as there are plans to hire a professional Go-Ride coach in the form of Andrew Samanjoul. BUCS are also looking to create a series of university-based cycling hubs across the country. With the funding being poured into the latest project, which will see the cycling track open by May next year, York is hoping to become one of these hubs. Funding for the project from British Cycling has been confirmed. There are also plans to host a cyclo-cross event on 22 Acres this December. PLANNING APPLICATION to place a dome over the existing tennis courts will be put forward in December, with the University hoping the council will approve the plans. The plan also involves hiring a tennis coordinator, who will oversee an expansion of tennis at the University. This is aimed at benefitting the University teams and providing more opportunities for students and staff. In other news, £10,000 has been invested in gym equipment this year with six new benches added to the gym at Heslington West. The gym is focusing on weights, with heavier dumbbells being added to the existing weights.
NEW STRENGTH and conditioning coach, Peter Ashcroft, has made an immediate impact at York, and has been running sessions for UYRUFC. Ashcroft formerly held a similar role at the University of Glamorgan and in that capacity worked both with university societies and Cardiff City Academy. He is now translating that experience to benefit the students at York, by running sessions which are tailored to the particular needs of individual sportsmen. He has run sessions for the rugby club, which have focused on building up key physical attributes such as strength and speed. In the future he is looking to increase this service to other clubs including rowing, athletics and football. Reporting by Dave Washington
Tuesday October 30, 2012
BIG INTERVIEW: BEN PIPES
NICK BURKE SPEAKS TO GB VOLLEYBALL CAPTAIN BEN PIPES ABOUT HIS CAREER AND OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE THROUGH YEARS of hard work and dedication, Ben Pipes progressed up the ranks to captain the Great Britain volleyball team in this year’s London Olympics. He has spent seven years plying his trade abroad, and currently plays for Dutch team Landstede Zwolle. Volleyball is a sport that Pipes is fully committed to. It is a sport with a fairly low profile and suffers from a lack of funding; something that Pipes has had to struggle with and is continuing to struggle with to increase participation within Britain. When asked how he first got into the sport he answered: “My volleyball career started when I was 14 when a PE teacher recommended a volleyball weekend course run by his school. It was a real chance encounter, but I fell in love with the sport.” Ben tried his hand at a number of sports before settling for volleyball. “I was a jack of all trades, trying every sport. I could use my height advantage and had a broad base in a sporting background so I picked it up quickly, and never really looked back.” By the age of 16 Pipes had somewhat dedicated his life to his sport, and declares that he “was very lucky with the fact that my junior coach let me move into his attic so I could train four times a week with the university team based in Sheffield.” He eventually turned professional and made his senior debut for England at the tender age of 18. Pipes was one of an extremely fortunate generation to be able to represent Great Britain at the home Olympics and it is clear that he cherished every moment. When asked to describe his experiences, he commented: “I still haven’t found the right answer. Even just talking about it still gives me goosebumps today.” The sheer amount of hard graft put into reaching his goal of representing his country seems to have clearly paid off and he is still riding on a wave of euphoria. The main ideal for the London Olympics was that it would ‘Inspire a Generation’ of young people to take up a new sport, and emulate the successes of the heroes of the games. In terms of inspiring the youth of today to take up volleyball the GB captain was initially disappointed with his team’s failure to qualify from the Olympic group stages. Yet he was surprised with the response he has received with “kids wanting to know how they can get involved.” He went on to state: “It was really about legacy and we’ve got to take this chance, this snapshot that we’ve been
given.” It appears that Pipes is in for the long haul and is dedicated to inspiring a generation. As well as continuing to play volleyball, Pipes works for Leaf Athlete Academy, a programme which attempts to increase public involvement in volleyball. The fact that volleyball is a less widely played sport in the country has led to some funding difficulties. Back in 2009, Team GB’s volleyball team had their funding reduced from what they originally believed they would receive. When queried upon whether more funding would have led to improved results at the Olympics he retorted: “It would be bold to say we would have done better.” Although he did admit that “more friendlies and tournaments could have been arranged” in order for the team to bond together and prepare for future tournaments better. He believes that GB have got their budgeting wrong for volleyball. With the current system of funding the budget is set every four years. This means that the amount of money given to each sporting body is often based upon their level of performance at the previ-
ous Olympics. Pipes suggested that the money “should be given in longer ten or twelve year terms so you could make long term plans and that’s what it has to be in this sport if they are going to succeed.” Moreover, he believes that it would be advantageous to British volleyball and other smaller sports if they had advice from successful sports such as cycling. “Give me access to the kinds of people that I can pick their brains so I can find out some values that are worth more than money.” He wishes “for sport in the UK to be a bit more transparent with each other and share the opportunities.” An interesting ideal but one that may ultimately fall short. Looking to the future Pipes comes across as a true optimist. He understands that qualifying for the Rio Olympics of 2016 may be a tough challenge but states that his “experiences have led me to believe that I’m almost invincible. I’m going to keep dreaming.” It is really refreshing to meet someone who believes in themselves as much as he does. Yet who can blame the man who has captained his country at the grandest stage of them all.
CAN I HAVE MY GAME BACK, PLEASE? alex finnis EDITOR
FOOTBALL has become a mockery. It has become difficult to remember the last time we were able to enjoy the sport without it being caught up in some external controversy which has always managed to overshadow the game itself. Pundits are finding themselves analysing a handshake (or lack thereof) rather than the game of football everyone has turned up or tuned in to see, and we are forced to listen. It has got to the point now where being a football fan has become frustrating. We have the Luis Suarez situation, the John Terry saga, and just when that looked as if it may finally become a closed issue, or at least leave the limelight to some extent, Sunday came.
Chelsea vs Manchester United was shaping up to be a classic; two early away goals were followed by a storming Chelsea comeback, and then the referee took centre stage. The decisions made on the field were bad enough, but that you just about accept as a darker side of the game itself. The whole fiasco then truly kicked off in the tunnel and withing hours both the Telegraph and the Guardian mentioning allegations of racial abuse on their Twitter accounts. This situation cannot end well. Should Chelsea’s official complain be disregarded it will be a PR disaster of massive proportions for the club, considering current circumstances. But if they are proven to be true, the FA will be forced to take the strongest possible action. Clattenburg’s integrity will be in tatters, as will the result of the match and much more beyond. It would be nice, if, soon, we could just get talking about the football again. That is the whole point of the sport after all.
SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
SPOTLIGHT: SAILING
JACK BRADSHAW TAKES TO THE WATER TO UNDERGO THE SAILING EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME SAILING IS one of those sports which is universally recognised, and has existed in some form for thousands of years, but is notoriously misunderstood in a competitive sense. During the Olympics, we were updated by the BBC on Ben Ainslie’s progress, but neither the presenters, nor most of the viewers, had any idea what was really going on. For this reason, I decided to partake in a sailing session organised by YUSWC (University of York Sailing and Windsurfing Club) on a lake near the town of Goole, to find out what all the fuss was about. Meeting up with the members outside Derwent garages, we ventured south in a convoy of Ford Fiestas. Fortunately, the weather was perfect; a slight breeze swept through the air and the skies were relatively clear. However, if I thought my day was going to be plain sailing, then I was very much mistaken. Upon arrival my first task was to thrust myself into a drysuit, a word which now causes my left eye to twitch from the memory. It was incredibly difficult to get into, and eventually after about fifteen minutes I succeeded and let out a little cry of joy (I later realised I was wearing it the wrong way round). After shifting the boats out onto the water, the time had come for some action and we departed in pairs. To alleviate my fears of drowning, and to compensate for my general incompetence in the sport, was Matt Goacher, one of the more experienced members of the club. At first, I was tasked to control the jib – the smaller of the two sails – while Matt
Photo: Tom Wooldridge
IN A weekend of high stakes, York University’s Ultimate Frisbee team proved a force to be reckoned with at the Open Indoor Regionals tournament in Sheffield, yet narrowly missed out on qualification for the nationals. Saturday saw a mixed bag of games, with losses to Sheffield and Lancaster, but confident victories over Chester, Liverpool 2nds and Leeds 2nds, leaving the team third in their pool, and still with a chance of qualification going into Sunday’s games. The early morning crossover began well for York 1sts, taking an early lead of 2-0. However, Newcastle showed themselves to be the much stronger side (later qualifying for division one), and the game ended 9-5 to Newcastle. York 1sts managed to hold seed coming in 11th in the 25-team tournament, while York 2nds won every game on the Sunday, finishing 21st.
TIPSTER PAYS FOR HIS TEQUILA SHOTS IN WILLOW WITH £50 NOTES
sure thing RED BULL TO WIN 2012 F1 CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Photo: Tom Wooldridge
dealt with the main sail and rudder. My job was relatively easy to carry out; I just had to assess which direction the wind was coming from and try and pull the jib sail into a taut position. This way, our speed was maximised and we sailed along at a healthy four knots. The lake itself was beautiful; a line of trees crossed the lake from one side to the other, interspersed by a small gap through which we had to sail. You could always tell whether or not a strong wind was coming judging by the size of the ripples, allowing you to prepare for the stretch of water ahead. However, the wind was occasionally tricky to predict depending on how closyou were to a bank or any other obstacles, creating a buffeting effect. Turning the boat 90 degrees was a complicated and dangerous task. I had to release one rope whilst moving swiftly to the other side of the boat, ensuring the boom, being moved by Matt, did not lop my head off. Thankfully, that did not happen and I escaped with just a bruise to the forehead and no serious injury. I was a proper sailor now, Matt reassured me. Before long, we switched roles and I was controlling the main sail and rudder, operated by a stick called the tiller, and could therefore control where the boat was going. I just had to make sure not to crash into any other unassuming sailors
or windsurfers and things would probably be fine. Turning the boat was a logistical challenge as I had to pull the sail rope the other direction while moving the tiller behind my back as I switched sides. Occasionally the boat veered wildly to one side as I struggled to control it but I seeon grasped the movement. My awareness of space had clearly improved since that tango session. After a quick break for lunch, where virtually all members of the club tucked into their delicious Brown’s sandwiches, I was back on the water but with a different partner – a fresher in fact – who had some prior experience at her school. However, the session did not go especially well. Half way through our trip, in the middle of the lake, we realised the rope connected to the main sail was caught underneath the boat around the rudder. As a result, the boat veered wildly from side to side as my partner struggled for control, and I nearly fell out in my attempts to untangle the rope. Eventually, the boat was returned and I was able to clamber out, spending the next ten minutes getting out of the drysuit. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. The club members are extremely welcoming and are looking out for new talents, or just enthusiastic people wanting to try something new. So seize the opportunity and set sail!
NO ULTIMATE SUCCESS
By RACHAEL VENABLES
THE
27
competition will be a hotly contested affair. ABSOLUTE MADNESS When asked to comment on the result,
The squad, led by captain Jamie Smith, has fantastic promise, but York’s late starting term means that training time is often cut several weeks shorter for the Open division than many of their top competitors. Nevertheless, Lancaster’s surprise failure to qualify for nationals, alongside a fantastic game against York on Saturday in which Lancaster scraped a win in the last 20 seconds, means that this year’s Roses
York’s squad captain Jamie Smith said: “Our teamwork has improved over the weekend and is something that we will carry through to the outdoor season. We can take our close game with Lancaster as a sign that we stand a good chance indoors at Roses, although our strength should be the outside game.”
Photo: Alan Jeuken
Red Bull racing have had an interesting existence. From humble beginnings seven years ago they have risen to prominence, dominating the sport and winning the last two constructors’ championships with the champion driver on board in Sebastian Vettel. For the past three races of this current season, both Red Bull drivers, Vettel and Mark Webber, have locked out the front row of the grid. While this season’s championship is not officially sewn up, it is unlikely a rival team will make up Red Bull’s lead of 91 points with three races to go. They have the best engine in the sport right now, and have overcome the rule changes brought in to stop them bulldozing their way to victory like in 2010 and 2011. With Vettel poised to collect a hat-trick of titles, the team have never been in stronger shape.
TIPSTER'S ODDS:
1/200
long shot
MANCHESTER CITY TO REACH THE CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE KNOCK-OUTS Since the Arabs took over the blue half of Manchester in 2008, the club have won the Premier League and FA Cup. Yet after a poor debut in last season’s Champions’ League, Roberto Mancini’s men have had a disastrous start to this campaign. The squad is one of the world’s best, consistently doing the business on home soil. Mancini, while admittedly a tinker-man, is still an impressive operator. The best reason I can give is the weight of expectation on their collective shoulders. Chelsea took nearly a decade to finally win it for their owner, who saw the accolade of being the best club side in Europe as the be-all-and-end-all. So far, they have lost two and drawn one, and the likelihood of progression looks painfully slim.
TIPSTER'S ODDS:
6/1
absolute madness ANDREW FLINTOFF TO BECOME WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Not content with being one of the world’s most famous cricketers, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has announced he is turning his hand to professional boxing. Having been forced to retire from cricket through injury, he has become lean and fit under the tutelage of Barry McGuigan’s son, Shane. Flintoff has been given a 12 month license by the Boxing Board of Control, allowing him to fight in Manchester on 30th November. The secretary of the Boxing Board of Control remarked that “it is fair to say we are not expecting Freddie Flintoff to be the next Sugar Ray Leonard.” Rubbish, he’s clearly got the desire, determination, coaching staff, physique and public support to beat his unnamed debut opponent, and anyone else who stands in his way. Haye? Easy! The Klitschkos? A doddle! The man clearly chose the wrong sport as a kid! I have the proof to back that up, honest guv!
TIPSTER'S ODDS:
10,000/1
28 SPORT
SPORT’S GREATEST SCANDAL? VISION ASSESSES WHETHER LANCE ARMSTRONG’S DRUG ABUSE WAS THE GREATEST SCANDAL IN SPORTING HISTORY
NICK BURKE
YES
DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
“I’M SORRY you don’t believe in miracles,” were the words Lance Armstrong declared after his momentous seventh Tour de France victory in 2005. No miracles were performed by Armstrong. His miracle of deliverance was one brought about with the aid of sports-enhancing drugs. He was a cheat. Armstrong was regarded as one of the greats in sporting history; fighting against all the odds to return from life-threatening cancer to achieve unparalleled success. Yet his sporting achievement was all based upon an intricate web of lies, doping to ensure his success at the pinnacle of cycling. The evidence against him is damning with the US Anti-Doping Agency producing a 1,000 page document loaded with forensic evidence. He was the ring-leader of the whole operation, fully in the knowledge that he was taking banned drugs. One glimmer of redemption is that with his success and fame he set up his cancer research charity ‘Lance Armstrong Foundation.’ Set up in 1997, by 2010 the foundation had raised over $30million. He was an inspiration, hero and role model for many. Now he is a fallen idol, denying any wrong in the face of uncompromising evidence. One last chance of minor redemption would be to admit his wrongdoings and apologise. But no, Armstrong is standing firm on the grounds that he never cheated. A cheat in a sport full of cheats, but one of the biggest cheats ever nonetheless.
DANIEL JONES
NO
THE SCANDAL engulfing Lance Armstrong continues to unravel, transforming a once heroic figure of bravery and persistence, into a serial cheat who conned the world for over a decade. Whilst there are few examples of such a well-known and celebrated individual being disgraced so publicly, I do feel that the fact it has taken place in the world of cycling limits its impact. Had it featured in a sport such as football, rugby or cricket, the effects would have much wider ramifications. There are simply too many scandals to name in full, such as ‘Bloodgate’ in Rugby Union, Allen Stanford and the Pakistani spot-fixing debacle in cricket, and football match-fixing in Italy and Turkey. However, a lesser known scandal, yet one that is just as staggering, is the mysterious takeover of Notts County Football Club in 2010. Notorious businessman Russell King fronted a bid to buy the League One club for a nominal £1 fee claiming to be backed by the billions at the disposal of the Bahraini royal family. Such was the success of King’s fraudulent lies, he even convinced former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson, and former England international Sol Campbell, to jump on board. The club was sold five months later, with an astonishing £7 million worth of debt which almost crippled it. Whilst the occurrences at a third-tier club may not appear to compare to the plight of a sporting superstar, scandals cannot be defined by their coverage in the media.
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
THE FAKE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DAVE WASHINGTON INVESTIGATES HOW CRICKET’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS REALLY A FAKE
A TEAM from Yorkshire in the Champions League, what am I talking about? Leeds, Sheffield United, Doncaster, even York, now I’m being totally ridiculous. Leeds have been in the Champions League in the past, but this time I’m not talking in a footballing capacity, but instead about cricket. Yorkshire CCC had the honour of representing their nation in this year’s T20 Champions League, and qualified for the main stage, before bowing out without winning a game in the group stages. The problem is it isn’t really a Champions League. A Champions League suggests the best teams from throughout the world, but this isn’t a truly global competition. Instead it is geared towards the demands of the IPL and is another way of branding T20 cricket primarily in India and to TV viewers across the world. India has an obsession with the shortest form of cricket and the world’s most passionate cricketing nation has once more seized the opportunity to take T20 cricket to a global audience, in the form of a competition which not only involves the strongest IPL teams, but also teams from across the world. However, a Champions League where four out of the ten teams are from India is not really a representative and fair competition, which reflects the best of cricket from across the world. Not all four of the Indian sides are champions and don’t all justify their places in the competition. Yorkshire finished 2nd in the English T20, they and the winners of the competition Hampshire both had to qualify for the main stages, a task that the southern based county failed at. Meanwhile the fourth-placed Indian team still qualified automatically, so essentially half of the pre-awarded places were handed to Indian sides. How is that representative? It sends out completely the wrong message before the tournament starts. Two Australian teams and two South African teams made up the automatically qualified eight alongside the IPL squads, so teams from only three nations were guaranteed entry into the main section of the competition. Again I rest my case that this is a “fake” version of a Champions League, when the top club sides from all the other nations of the world have to qualify. The beauty of football’s Champions League is the diversity of sides, and how an English team can be drawn in a group with teams from nations as varied as Ukraine, Turkey and Romania. Yet in cricket’s ver-
sion such diversity simply doesn’t exist. West Indies won the recent world T20, England and Pakistan have been recent victors, yet none of those sides were handed an automatic place. In fact if you look at all of the major test playing nations then Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and West Indies were all completely unrepresented in the main stages of this tournament, half of the ten main nations. How can a competition that claims to be a Champions League be run in such a way? If it wants to uphold that title, then quite simply things must change. When you dig deeper you further find the advantages of the Indian teams and how the tournament is tilted in their favour. Not only do they have the numerical advantage, but each of the Indian sides can select four international stars, some of which are paid exorbitant wages. These teams are often reliant on their overseas players, and in fact if you take these players away, the Indian sides would be amongst the weakest of the competitors. This is in comparison to other sides who have a single or in some cases no foreign players and instead rely on solely domestic individuals. However far the competition may be weighed in their favour, the Indian sides are still failing to dominate, and instead it is the South African and Australian teams which look strongest, with Delhi Daredevils being the only Indian team to qualify through to the semi finals, in which they crashed out to
South African side Highveld Lions. Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s an excellent competition, and T20 can provide some enthralling cricket for the supporters and TV viewers, but this isn’t all it’s billed to be. To attach the title “Champions League” is wrong, when in fact it is a competition which only incorporates a few of the major cricketing nations. The standard may be excellent and the entertainment of the highest order, but that fails to deflect the notion that the description of this competition is quite simply fake. In the future it could be a real Champions League, but in my mind major amendments to the organisation of the competition have to be made before this can even be considered. For now it will continue to be branded as a Champions League, and my mundane protestations may just seem like someone who has nothing better to do than have a good old moan. Yorkshire can claim they have been represented in the Champions League, and the cricket club did the region and nation proud, but I still refuse to agree that this competition is a true Champions League. Yet the money in cricket belongs to T20, and such tournaments are a source of great income with their allure and widespread appeal. Whilst the television audience remains around the world and the appeal for such a competition continues, the fake Champions League will rumble on for years to come.
dered the best chance of the game, heading Matty Blair’s cross wide, when unmarked six yards out. Blair himself was also denied by a sprawling double save from Southend keeper Paul Smith. Southend though had opportunities of their own late on, in a game of few chances, as Chris Barker and Kevan Hurst both failed to convert late chances. The game was by no means a classic, but York will be satisfied to make the trip home with a point from the Shrimpers, who sit just below York in the table. After the game, York manager Gary Mills [pictured] told BBC Radio York: “I thought we were excellent after playing three games in a week. When we had to dig in during the second half and head it away at the back we did so, we deserved the point. We could have had three but we definitely deserved a point, there’s no two ways about that.”
York’s busy schedule continues with three home games in a week, starting with an FA Cup first round encounter against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday. Bootham Crescent will then play host to Northampton on Tuesday 6th November, before AFC Wimbledon return the following Saturday, this time for a League Two match. Positive results in those three matches could see York start a realistic push for a play-off position, whilst helping to seal their progression in the cup.
DULL BUT NOT POINTLESS
By DAVE WASHINGTON
YORK CITY may have played out one of the dullest and least media-friendly games of the season today, as they drew 0-0 away at Southend, but the point has helped them maintain their position in the top 10 of League Two. The draw was York’s seventh of the season, and follows on from two consecutive wins over the past week. Indeed it has been a superb week for the Minstermen, as a 3-2 triumph over Dagenham & Redbridge was followed by a 1-0 away victory at Accrington in midweek. Today’s draw extends York’s unbeaten run to five games, and the side have settled in well to life back in the football league, seamlessly making the transition to a higher level. It could have been much more than a point today for York, as Jason Walker squan-
SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
RUGBY: JAMES CRUSH GOODRICKE
29
Photo: Giulia Ballone
By Charlie Burton A VERY physical pack and strong back line helped James to a devastating 67-5 win over a Goodricke side which lacked numbers and structure. The first try came within the first 40 seconds, as scrum half Ben Brummit played the ball down the blindside for winger Phil Scott to run 60 metres down the pitch for the first of his five tries. Good work from back rowers Jamie Boyd and Ed Reay, coupled with strong running from second row Toby Tremlett set up the ball for the backs. Scrum half Ben Brummit and fly half Charlie Burton worked well together, to provide good ball for centres
Chris Smith and Huw Davenport to carry at pace and break the Goodricke line. As it became apparent that this was a very one-sided affair, James continued to gain momentum with two tress from Burton and one for second row Tremlett. Since the James front row were demolishing Goodricke at every scrum, it was decided to go to uncontested scrums. The Goodricke inside centre made some good runs and fly half Alex Macdonald tried to ignite an underprepared back line, however it was to no avail as the side from Heslington East struggled to stamp their authority on the game. James continued to run in tries, with winger Matthew Collins running past three
defenders before scoring, while Scott added his fourth and fifth tries of the match. Goodricke however did manage to put some points on the board with winger Andy Monyard intercepting a pass from the inside centre and running in for a try in the corner. However perhaps to the disappointment of Goodricke, and annoyance of James, he was in fact a James player helping them out due to a lack of numbers. After 50 minutes with James in complete control and with no sign of the try onslaught stopping, the game was ended, the final score a one-sided 67 -5. After the match James captain Jamie Boyd commented: “The boys played
BUT THE MEN IN GREEN GET REVENGE ON THE JLD
By DAVE WASHINGTON
GOODRICKE PRODUCED a sublime display of resilience and graft, to grind out a deserved 2-2 draw with a James side packed with university players. Two goals by Alex McDonald cancelled out strikes from Rohit Rana and Ashley Collinson, and helped to secure a point which establishes Goodricke as one of the top sides in this year’s competition. Goodricke started the game in a positive fashion, but neither side was able to get a grasp on play. Both teams had goals disallowed for lifted balls, before Goodricke opened the scoring midway through the half. A quick passing move found McDonald in space, allowing him to slot home into the vacant net. James seemed reinvigorated by this setback, and began to pile the pressure on the Goodricke defence. Yet led by Tom Mer-
riman, Goodricke weathered the storm and went into the break a goal to the good. Goodricke’s lead didn’t last long after half time, as James’s pressure finally told, Charlie Tyler embarked on a surging run, picking out Rohit Rana in the box, who equalised for last year’s league winners. James then took a crucial lead as Ashley Collinson fired home from only five yards out, to complete the turnaround. Goodricke, however, were determined that their efforts would not be in vain, and they levelled the scoring through McDonald’s second. The point however was far from sealed, and James again pressed for a third goal. James’ enigmatic and extremely vocal captain Chris Butterworth almost scored from a short corner, before the last play of the game saw James awarded one of many short corners, and this time they almost cruelly broke Goodricke hearts. Yet their defence was not to be breached, and a pow-
erful shot was cleared off the line to safety, ensuring a point for the team in green. After the game a delighted Goodricke captain Ben Crawley told Vision: “James were the team to beat and we held our own today. I’m pleased with the performance and the result.” James were less thrilled by the final result, with Butterworth commenting: “It’s like a loss today since we dropped points.” The match was a fantastic advertisement for college hockey, with a combination of skill and true college spirit on display, creating a fascinating spectacle for onlookers throughout the encounter. The same can not really be said about the one-sided contest between Vanbrugh and Alcuin, which saw Vanbrugh, inspired by hattricks from Jess Winnan and Ollie Martin, run out 10-1 winners against a beleaguered Alcuin team, which seemed devoid of confidence and structure.
RAMPANT ALCUIN STORM TO NETBALL VICTORY
By amy ballard ALCUIN, HALIFAX and James secured solid victories in the College Netball 1sts league on Sunday afternoon, to start their campaigns in fine fashion. Alcuin beat Vanbrugh 37-11 with a polished performance. Shooters Olivia Rainey, Grace Clarke and Charlotte Winter were on top form, rivalled only by James’ goal attack Tessa Russell in the day’s netball 1sts matches. Vanbrugh for their part showed persistence, and Alcuin’s sloppy start to the second half nearly let them back into the
game. Luckily for Alcuin, they settled down and came to dominate the second half scoring. Alcuin captain Megan Knight was impressed by her team, especially as it was “an integration of old and new players.” Drawing the short straw, James and Goodricke played outdoors in the chilling wind and light drizzle. Undeterred, James won 29-7. Wilmink, the James captain, said “it felt like we’d been playing together for ages though for most of the team it had only been a few weeks. Finally, Halifax beat Derwent 8-1 in the tent. The race for the title, and to represent the university at Varsity, is well underway.
Photo: Tom Wooldridge
well, and considering the circumstances Goodricke put in a solid effort, but it will be good to test the team under more challenging conditions next week.” The final result showed that James are a force to be reckoned with this season, and perhaps unlike Alcuin and Halifax they are the team to beat Derwent this year. Derwent’s 55-7 demolition of Halifax on Wednesday reasserted their dominance of college rugby, and they have so far brushed aside the challenges of Halifax and Alcuin. Alcuin meanwhile received a walkover this week, allowing them to claim their first victory of the season, as Langwith were unable to field a team.
VANBRUGH SMASHED
By MICHAEL THURLOWAY
ALCUIN COMPLETED a commanding 10-0 badminton whitewash victory over their Vanbrugh opponents on Sunday afternoon. Alcuin’s more experienced team outclassed their opposition. Vanbrugh put up a spirited fight, however, which meant none of the games were a complete walkover. Alcuin’s players utilised the powerful smash time-and-again to overcome their opponents with a minimum degree of difficulty. It was a game of short rallies, as Alcuin regularly smothered Vanbrugh’s attempts to get into points. Alcuin’s aggressive play made the result very convincing in their favour. Halifax ran out winners in their encounter with Derwent. This match-up was a closer affair, but ‘Fax never looked in too much trouble as they lost only two games. Their deserved 8-2 victory was a testament to the strength-in-depth that gave them the upperhand. Goodricke and James served up an entertaining encounter, with Goodricke coming out as victors. Every game was closely fought, including one which finished a particularly nail-biting 21-19 in favour of James. Goodricke took an early 3-1 lead in the match, but James pulled it back to 4-4 and set up a decider. But it was the team in green who came up with the goods in the final game to take the bonus point for the match victory. In the final game, Langwith overcame Wentworth in another match which went right down to the wire. This was another toand-fro encounter, with Langwith’s captain commenting on the closeness of the games. But the decider itself belied this closeness. as Langwith emerged with the 6-4 win.
30 SPORT
YORK VISION
VANBRUGH LEAVE IT LATE
Tuesday October 30, 2012
A LAST GASP CALLUM WOODALL PENALTY EARNS VANBRUGH A POINT AGAINST ALCUIN IN AN EXCELLENT COLLEGE CLASH
ALCUIN
10
Kimber (34)
VANBRUGH
1
Woodall (89 pen)
By DAVE WASHINGTON A LATE Callum Woodall penalty rescued a point for Vanbrugh against a determined Alcuin side, as for the second week running they had to fight from a goal behind to salvage a draw. Alcuin opened the scoring after 34 minutes through Graham Kimber, but a second half resurgence saw Vanbrugh seal a deserved equaliser in the 89th minute after Adam Lewis had been brought down in the area by Harry Billimore. Vanbrugh started the encounter brightly, Elliot Ross forcing a save from Alcuin ‘keeper David Marshall low down to his left. The wet and muddy 22 Acres pitch was not conducive to attractive passing football, but both teams attempted to move the ball around crisply. One pleasing Alcuin move saw Danny Matthews pull a shot wide of the post, after being fed by Kimber. Moments later Kimber came closer to opening the scoring as he placed a shot inches wide of the far post after a slip by Matt Graham. The same player soon drew a challenging save from James Wilson, as he rounded off a free flowing passing move with a powerful shot goalbound, which was deflected off a Vanbrugh leg. Vanbrugh’s main threat was coming from Rory Sharkey and Ross down the left wing. Gradually both teams settled into the game, and clear-cut chances became a rare commodity with both defences looking increasingly solid. However after 34 minutes, Alcuin, who had enjoyed the greater share of possession and looked a stronger side than during last year’s College Cup quarter-final, took the lead. Greg Fearn whipped a dangerous freekick into the area from 30 yards out, and Kimber diverted the ball past Wilson with his outstretched right boot to hand his side a deserved lead. Another Fearn freekick was unconvincingly dealt with moments later, as set pieces proved a constant threat. In the closing stages of the half, a reckless challenge on Ross earned Alcuin captain Chris Boyd a booking and handed a freekick to Vanbrugh on the edge of the area. Sharkey wasted the opportunity though, curling his effort harmlessly over
Photo: Emilien Tortel
the bar. As the half time whistle sounded, Alcuin’s performance justified their lead. The second half saw a revitalised Vanbrugh team emerge, and they immediately started in lively fashion. However the early chances fell to Alcuin as Matthews turned sweetly before cutting the ball back for Kimber, whose shot scuttled wide. The middle of the park proved to be an excellent battle with Will Dodgson and Fearn matching their Vanbrugh counterparts Woodall and captain Johnny Grout. Kimber had been one of Alcuin’s most influential players, but on 53 minutes he spurned a gilt-edged chance to double his side’s advantage. James Homer slid a lovely ball through to Kimber, who was free of the last defender, yet his finish verged on laughable as his attempted chip dribbled hopelessly wide of the post. The miss was almost immediately punished as Marshall made a shocking error, dropping a simple Woodall freekick, but Adam Lewis somehow managed to put his shot over the bar from three yards, when it appeared easier to score. Marshall though
ALCUIN PLAYER RATINGS David Marshall- 7 Chris Houlgate- 8 Chris Boyd- 7 Harry Billimore- 7 Luca Nazzicone- 8 Greg Fearn- 7 Will Dodgson- 7 Tom Simpson- 6 James Homer- 6 Graham Kimber- 8 Danny Matthews- 7
Photo: Emilien Tortel
Subs: Josh Allen (68)- 6 Federico Quintana (76)- 5
avenged for his mistake with a fine save from Ross minutes later, after the Vanbrugh forward made a surging burst down the left flank. Vanbrugh began to pile on the pressure as they went in search of an equaliser, Lewis heading a John Sanderson corner wide of the far post. Alcuin’s back four continued to be equal to the challenge, remaining resolute throughout with full backs Luca Nazzicone and Chris Houlgate particularly impressing. Grout almost equalised with a quarter of an hour remaining as his fizzed shot clipped the outside of the post with Marshall beaten. The pressure continued to build on Alcuin, and Fearn was booked for a rash tackle, one of many strong challenges in a feisty encounter. Sharkey had another shot deflected over the bar, whilst at the other end Matthews threatened the Vanbrugh defence with a burst of pace, which saw him find half a yard to unleash a vicious shot off target. Alcuin substitute Josh Allen was then set free by Matthews, and as he rounded Wilson, the keeper clipped his heels. Yet Al-
VANBRUGH PLAYER RATINGS
Shots 11
6
9
James Wilson- 7 Jack Coy- 6 Max Brewer- 7 Matt Graham- 6 Henry Cust- 7 John Sanderson -5 Johnny Grout -7 Callum Woodall- 8 Rory Sharkey- 8 Elliot Rous Ross- 7 Adam Lewis- 6
0
Subs: Harry O’Brien (70)- 5
Shots on Target 2
3
Fouls 9
8
Offsides 3
1 Corners
7 Yellow Cards 2
len honestly stayed on his feet, only to be denied the chance to unfurl a shot by some last ditch defending. As time ticked down, Vanbrugh finally got their reward for all of their efforts, Adam Lewis’ persistence winning a penalty after he was fouled by the otherwise imperious Billimore. In the 89th minute Woodall stepped up to take the penalty, and crashed his effort against the underside of the crossbar. The ball bounced down, and was adjudged to have crossed the line by referee Rob Longley, despite the vehement protestations of Marshall and his fellow Alcuin players. Seven minutes of injury time were played, but neither side could produce the decisive winner. Alcuin’s Boyd told Vision: “I’m really pleased with how we played, we battled well. Credit to Vanbrugh as well for their determination in the second half.” Vanbrugh’s Grout summed the game up excellently saying: “They outplayed us in the first half. In the second half we were unlucky not to win it though. In the end a draw was a fair result.”
TEAM Wentworth Derwent James Goodricke Vanbrugh Alcuin
PLD
PTS
2 1 1 2 2 2
4 3 3 3 2 1
GD 5 2 2 -1 0 -2
NB: Halifax results don’t count towards table
SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 30, 2012
JAMES START OFF IN STYLE JOPSON AND BRYERS WITH GOALS AS JAMES PROVE TOO STRONG FOR MEN IN GREEN
JAMES
2 0
By ALEX FINNIS JAMES KICKED-OFF their college football campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Goodricke on the 3G pitch at Heslington East. Andrew Jopson and James Bryers scored either side of half-time in a game which James controlled for all but a ten minute period in the second half, and they never looked like losing their lead as Goodricke struggled to create any clearcut chances. An error of judgement from Goodricke goalkeeper Noel Rodgers gifted James their opener on the half-hour mark. Freddie Ferrao swung in a corner from the right and Rodgers came to catch, only to see the ball sail over his head, leaving Jopson with the simplest of tap-ins to make it 1-0. Bryers added a well-taken second ten minutes from time. He latched onto a long ball and cleverly flicked the ball over his own head to beat his marker, before lobbing the on-rushing Rodgers to seal the win. The game had started slowly, with both sides struggling to forge opportunities on a slick 3G surface, but James were able to grow into the game as the half drew on. Freddie Ferrao looked lively in patches and Matt Bainbridge made a couple of well-timed runs into the Goodricke penalty area without being able to find a shot, before Jopson gave James the lead they probably deserved. Ferrao looked to double his side’s lead two minutes later as he jinked his way past two Goodricke defenders only to see his shot blocked, before Rodgers was forced into two saves from midfielder Ralph Gill late in the half. Both opportunities came courtesy of raking free-kicks; the first from Ferrao which found Gill at the back post, but his headed effort went straight into the arms of Rodgers. The second saw Matt Bainbridge swing in a ball from deep on the right-hand side, which once again found Gill free at the back post. He aimed his header low but Rodgers was level to the effort, and ensured his side went in just one behind at the halfway mark. James continued in the ascendancy at the start of the second half. Josh Spurl-
Photo: Nicole Sorlie
ing, Ferrao and Bryers linked up well before Rodgers made a simple save from the James forward. They went close again on the hour mark as Matt Bainbridge curled a freekick towards the top left and produced a sprawling save from Rodgers. Two minutes later they should have doubled their lead. Jopson broke away from his marker and James found themselves three on one. He chose to play in Josh Spurling on his left but he overhit his pass and the chance was spurned. Ralph Gill struck a long range effort against the post on the hour mark and Bryers forced Rodgers into a routine save minutes later as he turned sharply to get a shot away from the edge of the area, but they were unable to find a second goal. With just 20 minutes remaining Goodricke were able to put a bit a pressure on James for an equaliser, but were still unable to create a real goal scoring oppor-
JAMES PLAYER RATINGS Luke Bradley- 5 Ben Roper- 6 Matija Pisk- 7 Callum Elliot- 7 Harry Woodman- 6 Matt Bainbridge- 8 Josh Spurling- 7 Ralph Gill- 8 Freddie Ferrao- 7 Andrew Jepson- 7 James Bryers- 8 Photo: Nicole Sorlie
POSTGRADS HIT TOP SPOT By JACK BRADSHAW
Jopson (30), Bryers (80)
GOODRICKE
31
tunity. Herd saw a half-volley fly well over the bar, before Osbourne tested Luke Bradley with a long range effort. The James ‘keeper spilled the initial shot, but managed to gather the ball just in front of the onrushing Goodricke striker Rob Young with the goal gaping. Bryers put the game beyond doubt on 80 minutes with his cool finish, with Goodricke’s only remaining chance coming courtesy of a Young free-kick which was easy for Bradley. “It was a good game, I think we were on top throughout the game,” said James captain Josh Spurling. “We tried to play football and we got the result we wanted so I’m happy.” “We matched them for 90 minutes but let them knock in a couple of goals,” said Goodricke captain Dave Bullock. “We’ll try and do well for the year, we just need to keep up the work rate.”
GOODRICKE PLAYER RATINGS
Shots 17
6
Shots on Target 2
7
Fouls 7
8 Offsides
0
2 Corners 11
WENTWORTH CRUISED to a 5-0 victory over a luckless Langiwth side on 22 Acres to send out a clear message of intent to their rivals. Wentworth, often the whipping boys, have started the season in impresive fashion, and the emphatic victory follows a 2-2 draw with Vanbrugh, leaving them top of the table at these early stages. Dan Bowden’s crisp finish after half an hour gave the postgraduates the lead, before Lachlan Murray, Ben Weaver and a Dom Green double sealed an emphatic victory. Too often, Langwith were architects of their own downfall with some horrendous defensive errors from the goalkeeper and centre-backs, they will be looking to recover in time for their match against Derwent next week. In fact, Langwith made the more confident start with Andy Hutt in midfield controlling possession. The Heslington East college fashioned a decent early opening when Matt Jones fluffed his lines after Macdonald’s shot rebounded off Cook. A corner swung in by Marcus Campell was then headed wide by an unmarked Andy Doyle as Langwith squandered another golden opportunity to take the lead. They were duly punished seconds later as Wentworth went straight up the other end with a neat passing move, as Weaver laying off Bowden, whose low finish beat the right hand of Chris Cheshire. After the half time break, Langwith pushed for an equaliser as Macdonald tripped himself in the area after Starkey’s excellent pass, before Macdonald sliced an effort over the left upright from a tight angle. Wentworth were happy to soak up the pressure and hit their opponents on the counter-attack, and the second goal arrived on 56 minutes. After Weaver missed his kick from Dom Green’s initial cross, the ball ricocheted around the penalty area in pinball style before Murray’s shot deflected off the unfortunate Christian Sandmann. Langwith continued to press but failed to test Cook in any way, and problems at the back worsened their afternoon. A long Wentworth ball was going to be dealt with by two Langwith defenders but ‘keeper Cheshire crazily came off his line, lost the ball and saw Green tap into an open goal. A fourth came soon after, when the ubiquitous Weaver crossed for Green to slot home his second after Sandmann misplaced a backpass. The fifth and final goal came with ten minutes to go as Murray raced straight through the Langwith defence, prodded an effort at goal which was blocked by Cheshire’s face, before Weaver had the presence of mind to deliver a delicious chip over the ‘keeper. Afterwards, Wentworth captain Sutton said: “It is our biggest ever win in the autumn term. Langwith started better but we controlled the game, were solid defensively and great up front.”
5
Noel Rodgers- 5 Luke Parker- 6 Tom Finnerty - 6 Michael Olson- 6 Alex Herd- 7 Dave Bullock- 7 Chris Osbourne- 6 Luke Inness- 6 Joe Mann- 7 Mizan Ally- 5 Rob Young -7 Photo: Emilien Tortel
BIG INTERVIEW: BEN PIPES
COLLEGE SPORT
SPORT
V
BUCS ANALYSIS
P25
P29-31
P26
OUTGUNNED
By DAVE WASHINGTON JAMES BREEZED their way to victory in the first game of their league campaign on a thrilling Sunday of college football, whilst Vanbrugh relied on an 89th minute penalty to salvage a draw against a determined Alcuin side. However it was Wentworth who stole the show, with a crushing 5-0 demolition of a lacklustre Langwith side, which now sees the postgraduate college sitting top of the table after the first two rounds of matches. A wet 22 Acres played host to one of Wentworth’s best ever performances while also witnessing late drama, as Vanbrugh equalised from the penalty spot despite vehement claims from the Alcuin playersthat the ball had not crossed the line. Goals either side of half time ensured a comfortable victory for James over a Goodricke side which never really hit full throttle on the 3G pitch. Meanwhile the controversy surrounding Halifax continued, as they have now been banned from playing friendlies against other colleges for the rest of the term. Reports on pages 30 & 31
> JAMES OVERPOWER GOODRICKE IN SECOND WEEK OF COLLEGE ACTION > ALCUIN held BY VANBRUGH AND WENTWORTH EMBARRASS LANGWITH Photo: Nicole Sorlie
Issue 228
@YorkVisionSport
Tuesday October 30, 2012
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8 pages of sport