York Vision 208

NOMINATED: GUARDIAN STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2009

TUESDAY June 29th, 2010

ISSUE 208

vision@yusu.org

vision's Festival Style Guide

ITS VISION'S ANNUAL POWER LIST!

- Scene -

- FEATURES -

- style -

WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK

WE ARE SCIENTISTS

EXCLUSIVE: ASSAULT BRINGS STUDENT SAFETY INTO QUESTION

EXCLUSIVE

DODGY ACCOUNTANCY TERMINATES ISA FUNDING - PAGE 4 -

SAVE THE LAST DANCE? THIS YEAR'S STRICTLY

CANCELLED

STUDENTS WARNED AFTER KNIFE ATTACK

BY PAUL VIRIDES

YET ANOTHER crime has been added to the list of student-related violence this year.

Following the stabbing of a student outside the Shell Garage last week, students have been warned to keep safe and be careful, following a recent spate of crime in and around campus.

With a Vision investigation in March revealing a 72% increase in crime on campus this year, safety for students has never been more important.

In light of this, as well as other recent incidences of violent crime, Vision asks: are our students safe?

- PAGE 3 -

FULL STORY ON PAGE 5

PLUS: FRESHERS' EVENTS FACING A SHAKE UP P7

2NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

DRAMASOC WARM UP FOR FESTIVAL

UNION QUESTION CLINIC QUAILTY

SUCCESS ON THE

SURVEY CONFIRMS

FRINGES

BY TOM MCDERMOTT

YOUR WEEK QUOTE OF THE WEEK "GoodFest has the potential to be the next Big D" - Goodricke JCRC Chair Tim Ellis, keepin' the dream alive

GOOD WEEK bad week GOOD WEEK

Chickens

Your freedom is now YUSU-certified

BAD WEEK The ISA Come on guys, get your books together!

the number cruncher 30

% approx. of university students dissatisfied with the Uni Health Centre

38

cost in pounds Derwent students are being charged for 'misplaced' chairs

55

the score our new Uni Challenge Team have to beat to make up for last year...

Join the debate online!

Your constant source for everything York: www.yorkvision. co.uk Contact us: vision@yusu.org Front cover: Marcus Roby

A MINI-FRINGE FESTIVAL is currently being held on campus, allowing York students a sneak preview of some of the shows which are being taken to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.

The festival, which was initially conceived last year as a practice run for the actors who would be taking shows to the Festival, slowly evolved into a bigger and more comprehensive event as it emerged that the amount of DramaSoc members going to Edinburgh to perform this year had more than doubled.

The festival has been running since Sunday and will continue until this evening and has already featured a wide range of performances, such as the highly rated The Second Star to the Right. Also included are performances by Comedy Soc’s improvisation group the Shambles and their sketch comedy group The Sketch

Emporium, as well as many more of the shows which have featured at the Drama Barn earlier in the year.

Speaking to Vision, DramaSoc President Dan Wood said that “the fact that we’ve got a hundred people from York going to the Fringe in quality shows is a real tribute to the society.” He added that, before they go, they’d “love to show people in York what we can do!”

Wood went on to say that the event came at the end of “a good year for DramaSoc” and praised the Ex-Chair Joe Hufton and his committee for “putting the society into a position whereby the society can really kick on with ambition this year.”

He also remarked that he hoped that this event and events like it would “go some way towards forging a real camaraderie between all of the performing societies on campus.”

VISION INVESTIGATION

BY DAVID ELLIOTT

A YUSU SURVEY of student satisfaction with the University Health Centre has received very mixed results.

According to the survey, nearly one in three students rated their experience at the clinic as 'poor' or 'very poor'. A similar amount said the service offered was 'satisfactory', with the rest giving more positive responses.

The survey, conducted by YUSU, comes in the wake of a Vision investigation revealing the neglectful and patronising treatment some students have received at the hands of Health Centre staff. Incidents of misdiagnosis have driven several students to seek consultations from off-campus clinics, while others have complained of having their lifestyle choices demeaned.

"Clearly in some areas the Health Centre is doing well and some people are very satisfied," states YUSU Welfare Officer Ben Humphrys, "but we'll be drilling down into the data over the coming weeks and months to identify where the problems are and how they can be addressed."

One third year History student Vision spoke to is sceptical about the practical usefulness of the survey. "It's fantastic that something is finally being done about the situation, but it'll all just be a lot of hot air unless the lacklustre results of the survey spur the university on to take some tangible action," he explains. "Student lives are and have always been in the hands of the Health Centre staff, and they can't afford to be put at risk any longer."

STUDENTS PREPARE TO FACE PAXMAN AT THIS YEAR'S UNIVERSITY CHALLANGE

FINGERS ON BUZZERS...

BY TOM MCDERMOTT

A BRAND new team of York’s brightest and best is set to go head to head with another University over the summer as well as facing the formidable Jeremy Paxman on University Challenge.

The team, which was selected from a pool of almost 300 applicants in December, is led by first year History student and team captain Andrew Clemo and also consists of Biology student Ben Keane, English and Linguistics student Chris Caudwell and Simon Donelly, a third year Computer Science and Maths student.

Second year Politics student Tom

Coates is waiting in the wings as the team’s reserve.

Speaking to Vision, captain Andrew Clemo said he is hoping to redeem York after last year’s dismal performance.

He also revealed that the team have been training regularly by attending the pub quiz at the Victoria pub on Hes Road and Photo: bb c.co.uk having “occasional success.”

At present the identity

of their first round of opponents is still unknown although Clemo hopes “it won’t be an Oxbridge team.”

As for meeting the infamously scathing host, the team are very optimistic.

“We are very, very much looking forward to meeting Paxman, hopefully we will be able to withstand his sarcastic putdowns and maybe even get an approving comment” said the captain, before adding, “but

we’ll take it one step at a time.”

Overall the team is confident that they’ll put up a good fight regardless of who they are drawn against due to the diversity of their interests.

Clemo revealed that each member of the team has their own area of expertise: “I bring history to the table, Simon is our maths and classical music specialist, Ben obviously brings biology knowledge and Chris has great all round knowledge.

“We will do our best, and hopefully we’ll be able to show off our arcane knowledge to the full.”

Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Tuesday June 29th, 2010 Editors: Paddy Harte Tom McDermott

Deputy News: Megan Graham Paul Virides

Deputy Editors: Nicola Chapman David Elliott

Comment Editors: Laura Cress Jack Stanley

Scene Editor: Jaime Riley

Deputy Comment: James Masters Will Thorman

Deputy Lifestyle: Zoe Pinder Siobhan WardFarrell

Features Editors: Josie Cridland Jack Knight

Style Editors: Emily Brunwin Sarah Woods

News Editors: Daniel Goddard Milana Knezevic

Deputy Features: Rory Jones Lifestyle Editors: Maddie Potts Katy Roberts

Deputy Style: Helen O'Brien Helen Turnbull

Webmaster: Edward Hartwell Goose

Sports Editors: Stephen Holcroft Josh Mangham

Web Editors: Andy Nichols Jim Norton

Deputy Sports Jon Cook Rebecca O'Dwyer

Managing Editor: Merryn Hockaday

Photo Editor: Marcus Roby

Scene editorial listed in pullout

Opinions expressed in York Vision are not necessarily those of the Editors, Senior Editorial Team, membership or advertisers. Every effort is made to ensure all articles are as factually correct as possible at the time of going to press, given the information available.

Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2010.

Printed by Yorkshire Web

NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

YUSU TOO LATE IN FREE RANGE EGG DEBACLE

YUSU'S BRAINS GET SCRAMBLED

BY MEGAN GRAHAM CONFUSION WAS ranging free last week as it emerged that YUSU have accepted and passed motions - for things that have already been achieved.

Last Thursday on the YUSU website the Environment and Ethics officer posted a congratulatory message over the "egg-cellent news" that, thanks to a UGM motion to remove unethical eggs from campus, Costcutter have decided to stop stocking e ggs

from caged hens.

The motion was originally proposed by Jason Rose back in February, and was seconded by Luke Capps.

The two argued that, since animal cruelty is no yolk, and battery hens suffer some of the worst living conditions of all farming animals, a campaign should be initiated to encourage the university to crack down on the cruel practice and begin to stock and use eggs from free range hens only. However, members of the campaign are left with egg on their faces as Vision reveals that Costcutter had already egg-ceeded the free range target - over four months before YUSU claimed credit for it.

Indeed, Costcutter has admitted that it changed its policy on free range eggs back in February, as a result of a Vision enquiry.

February's edition of Vision reported that People and Planet Society hoped to hold a debate over whether or not stocking only free range eggs in Costcutter would infringe upon our right

to choose, but accepted that the opportunity to actually lobby the university for change was at the mercy of a UGM proposal.

After going to print in February, Vision reporters approached Costcutter to enquire about the possibility of running a trial period of selling solely free range eggs. The idea was accepted, and Costcutter managers later made the idea a permanent fixture in the store as a result of this enquiry, at least three months before the UGM motion managed to pass through the voting process.

When asked about the distinctly scrambled situation, Jason Rose said "I wouldn't give the entire credit to Vision," claiming that he put forward the motion before the trial run, and it was only delays in the motion reaching quoracy that caused Vision to poach the campaign.

Yet this doesn't change the fact that YUSU bureaucracy meant they took months focusing on something that had already been achieved!

You could probably have fried an egg on their faces!

3

IT JUST DOESN'T ADD UP

BY JACK KNIGHT MANY FIRST year Maths undergraduates have been left confused and angry after problems during their "Introduction to Group Theory" end of term exam last Monday.

After the exam a Facebook group was set up complaining that students were given an inappropriately short amount of time to get into the hall and sit down before the exam began. They were then not given enough time to read the instructions and were given conflicting directions for filling in their papers throughout the exam.

The Facebook group reports, "A complaint has been made to the department and the issue has been raised with the Chair of Board of Examinations, Chris Fewster, who was aware that there has been some confusion about the exam."

It goes on to encourage any students wishing to complain to contact their Board of Studies representatives. However, any ill feeling among students is failing to register a huge amount of interest on the social networking site with the group "Group Theory Exam - 21/06/10" only having gained some 29 members, as of last Saturday.

Added to this, some students have criticised the aims of the group, stating "Does it matter that much?... it did specifically say on the instructions to do it in two separate booklets and the only people affected were those that didn't read the instructions, which is their fault, regardless of time before the exam - it does only take a minute to read the front."

The Department of Mathematics and the Board of Examiners have been made aware of the complaints but have yet to comment.

ANNUAL STUDENT EVENT REMOVED FROM CALENDAR TO MAKE WAY FOR COMPETITION TRAINING

CAN-CANCELLED

BY PAUL VIRIDES

YORK COME DANCING is to be cancelled for the next academic year, amid fears that running the event would prevent York Dancesport from meeting its full competitive potential.

Following speculation over the cancellation of the event, Dancesport's President, Abigail Wilson, spoke exclusively to Vision about the decision.

"It's about the society - there's no time to put York Come Dancing on." She also claims that running the event would "adversely affect our aims."

As a competitive society, Dancesport represents the University at events like Roses and the NUDC (Northern Universities' Dance Competition). They recently won 3 out of 4 available points Photo: Matt Cornock / York Dancesport

at this year's Roses.

Wilson noted that training was very important for the society teams, and claimed that running York Come Dancing would mean "little or no training, and the event would clash with things."

Team Captain Emily Sargeant agreed with the measure, noting that it was a "very difficult" decision to make and that "ultimately it wouldn't end up working - it's hard to find a balance between Dancesport as a society and Dancesport as a team."

However, Vice-President Richard Barker has spoken out against Wilson's decision saying that "the first YCD was set up as a one off event, but the repeated success this academic year goes to show that it is an event that campus has enjoyed.

"Although Dancesport is a competitive society, this is only one element of the societies mission statement, and one of the

main ones is to provide a platform on which anybody can learn Ballroom and Latin American dance.

In my opinion, an event such as York Come Dancing brings unprecedented publicity to the society, and makes people aware of it, people who may have been interested in learning things, but simply did not know about us."

Barker, along with Sargeant, did admit that this year the timing of the event meant losing out on training for big competitions in Term 2, but noted that in its first year, York Come Dancing was held in Term 3 and worked successfully at the time.

Another of Wilson's arguments was that previous Dancesport President Luke Malkin chose to run the event "whilst jeopardising his degree" and that she was not willing to do the same.

Barker's response to this statement was that "although it is a lot of work, there is nobody saying

that one single person has to take it upon themselves as Luke did, and in elections for the society, I said that I would create a smaller 'YCD Committee' to deal with the organisation of the event."

Malkin also spoke to Vision, claiming that he would happily run the event again, but would be unable to without being a student. He agreed that it looked like the event "can't happen this year." In response to Wilson's concerns over her academic success, he noted that "yes, my marks for that term weren't great, but I was happy (or stupid) enough to do it and was really proud of what we all achieved."

Wilson has conceded that Dancesport may still run some form of event alongside RAG but was unwilling to release details of it until more certain plans were arranged.

4NEWS

student press

We read them... ...so you don't have to Hugh-ge Lad

HUGH GRANT made a surprise appearance on a New College night out, gathering around him a "harem" of young girls, the Oxford Student reports.

The foppish actor paid entry into popular club Wahoo for the girls who gave him the best compliments and was seen pinching their bums. Despite refusing to dance to ‘Jump’ by Girls Aloud, Hugh was a good sport.

“He reacted fairly well to being basically bombarded with questions and plagued for photos.”

Pub Ammo A CAMBRIDGE publican has daubed the outside walls of his pub with anti-German phrases in the run-up to the England-Germany game, reports the Cambridge Tab. The slogans include 'England vs Germany and the French have gone home… Ring any bells?' and 'Don’t mention the war'.

Pub landlord Dave Utting, 37, claims that it he’s not out to offend. “We are having a bit of a joke at the expense of our German and French friends but it’s all in good fun.”

Lifelong Earning

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

FUNDING COMPLETELY CUT FOR ISA FOLLOWING SHIFTY ACCOUNTING

UNIVERSITY PULLS THE PLUG ON THE ISA

BY DANIEL GODDARD DUBIOUS ACCOUNTING at the International Students’ Association (ISA) has resulted in the university removing its funding.

Vision has discovered that the university was not prepared to continue financing the ISA as it was not satisfied with how the association was running its financial accounts. It is understood that one of their two accounts, receiving approximately £30,000 a year from the university, was not adequately accounting for its expenditure.

Such a lack of accountability mean that the ISA could have easily signed blank cheques or simply withdrawn funds without anybody noticing.

Vision put these findings to the ISA’s newly elected President, Aaron Oong, he failed to deny them. At the time of press, Oong refused to speak to Vision or answer any questions regarding the matter.

Earlier this year David Dun-

can, the University’s registrar and secretary, had to call in the ISA’s then-president, Daria Pawlowaska, to find out what the ISA was, how it was being run and who was responsible for its various undertakings.

It was after this dialogue that the university made its decision over the ISA. Speaking to Vision, Pawlowaska denied that there was any misappropriating of finances but accepted that two accounts led to "confusion" on the university's part.

Pawlowaska also supports the idea of going under YUSU, addinng, "we will have more staff support in the future which I'm really looking forward to." Oong is reportedly not satisfied with this outcome and wants to see the ISA continue as it currently does.

It is likely the university and

the union will try to avoid any legal implications by presenting the changes as a restructuring.

At last week’s UGM, Ben Humphrys, YUSU Welfare Officer, put forward a motion to incorporate the ISA within the students' union so that there would still be representation for international students. Although the motion had support, because not enough votes were cast, the proposal did not meet quoracy.

YUSU are likely to push through the agenda in Week 4 of the autumn term, and will take responsibility of the ISA’s commitments until then.

Humphrys commented: “It’s really exciting that we’re going to be working much more closely with the ISA next year and that we’ll be able to give them the

staff and sabb support they deserve.”

If and when it passes, the President of the ISA would become a YUSU part-time officer.

The ISA would then be demoted, joining the eighteen other subcommittees in the union.

The university’s press officer, David Garner, said of the matter: “We have had discussions with the ISA President and YUSU about the relationship between the ISA, YUSU and the GSA. Those discussions are ongoing with the incoming President following the recent ISA elections.

The university will continue to support the International Students’ Association and is committed to working with it to enhance the experience of international students at York.”

The ISA is no stranger to controversy. During their elections last year, every candidate running for president and treasurer were disqualified and byelections had to be held after the summer break.

shh!

DERWENT RESIDENTS ASKED TO FOOT THE BILL FOR STOLEN GOODS

THE NUMBER of university academics nationwide receiving more than £100,000 annually has reached 2,250, an increase of 450% from the period 2005-6, Forge Media (Sheffield) reports.

The report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England also revealed that despite funding cuts and layoffs, the average salary of uni academics has risen by 20% over the same period, to £42,020.

A Sheffield Uni spokesman BY MILANA KNEZEVIC claims that this rise has not come ANGER WAS sparked among Derwent as the direct result of tuition fees. students when college administration attempted to make them pay for chairs and vacuum cleaners missing from easily accessible residence blocks.

A number of chairs have disappeared DURHAM UNIVERSITY students are being brought one step closer over the course of the year in the adjoining to Hogwarts, with the introduc- Derwent C and D blocks. The layout of these tion of a new module entitled blocks make it very easy for outsiders to get 'Harry Potter and the Age of Illu- into communal areas and both have suffered burglaries in the last term. However, the sion'.

According to the Palatinate, Dr residents were in for an unpleasant surprise Martin Richardson, the depart- when, despite this, they discovered that the ment head who has convened the college administration wanted them to foot module, claims that the module the bill for the missing items.

An email sent out to the students read: “I "seeks to place the series in its wider social and cultural context have been told that a large number of chairs and will explore some fundamen- are missing from the various kitchens of both tal issues such as the moral uni- blocks. It would be appreciated if the chairs are returned to their rightful places immediverse of the school."

A recent Times Higher Educa- ately. The cost to replace them is £36.43 (inc tion poll has revealed that 52% of VAT) per chair, costs that will be passed on to academics feel that such 'Mickey the residents.”

As there are only some 13 chairs left in D Mouse' modules are symptomatic of an overarching 'dumbing down' block, out of the initial set of around 30, the price tag for students would end up at over of university curricula.

David Elliott £600.

Whi ch e stalw x-YUSU a been rt has dero making gato men ry comts ab out Hud d Uni? ersfield No not n w that's ice i s it?

A CHAIR DEAL?

50 Points from Durham

Chemistry student and D block resident Oliver Brown commented that “it’s really unfair that we have to pay for the missing chairs when we obviously didn’t take them. Why would we want to put ourselves at a disadvantage by not being able to socialise in the kitchens? ” Similarly, when residents of second floor D block complained about their missing vacuum cleaner, they were told that if it was not back by the end of the term, they would be charged to have it replaced.

“Why would we steal our own hoover? I don’t understand what we would gain from not being able to hoover our floors for three weeks,” said History of Art student Francesca Salino.

The charges were finally dropped when Vision contacted YUSU Democracy and Services officer, Lewis Bretts, informing them about the matter.

"The security situation in Derwent is problematic in a number of ways, and it risks issues like this arising. We're keen for a more appropriate solution to be adopted, but this has historically been met with resistance. There is clearly a balance to be struck between social interaction and security, but I'd always urge

£3

7?

residents with any concerns to get in touch," states Bretts.

The university responded that “no charges will be made for lost or damaged chairs on this occasion, but we would remind residents that they are responsible for the furniture provided for their use, in accordance with the rent contract and the University policy for recovery of costs.”

5

NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

ATTACK OUTSIDE SHELL GARAGE ADDS TO ALREADY RISING CRIME RATE

BY PAUL VIRIDES STUDENTS HAVE been left "shocked and appalled" following the attack of a student outside the Shell Garage on Hull Road last Friday.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, following a night out. The victim remained in hospital through the weekend.

One second year Maths student was stunned to hear the news: "it's crazy that something like this can happen so close to campus, especially in a city as safe as York."

Another student described walking home with the victim at around 5am, and parting with him at the Barbican Centre. It is estimated that the incident took place between 5 and 5.30am.

North Yorkshire Police were unavailable for comment, but Vision has learned that an ambulance was called by a third party soon after the crime

and the police were informed in due course. It is understood that police have launched an investigation, though the precise circumstances of the stabbing are yet to surface.

After being treated at York District Hospital, the man was said on Sunday to be making a steady recovery by friends.

YUSU Welfare Officer Ben Humphrys said of the incident: “I can’t stress enough the need to take care of your personal safety. Crime may be comparatively infrequent in York but it does happen, taxis, the YUSU late night minibus, the night bus and the security escort service are all there to ensure you get home safely; please use them.”

Most striking about the event is that it is the culmination of a spate of student related violence and crime over the last academic year. Earlier this month, Vision reported on the suspected assault of a student in the Duchess

nightclub by a bouncer. Similarly, an article on Vision's website, a week later reported the muggings of three students taking place in as many days, all on or around campus. Laptop thefts have also taken place throughout the year in the library and directly from students' rooms.

Another incident involved Mickal Grabarczyk, who in the Autumn Term was on bail for assaulting a police officer and drunk and disorderly behaviour and was offered temporary accommodation by sympathetic students.

He also broke into secure accommodation blocks and stole food from student kitchens on multiple occasions, claiming that this was only possible due to poor security on campus. A condition of Grabarczyk's bail was that he didn't enter University property.

In a similar vein, ex-Women's Officers Amal Ali and Ellie Kuper Thomas

organised a march around poorly lit areas of campus last December. The march, named "Reclaim the Night" highlighted the risks posed to students from such areas of the university. More recently, students have complained of poor security in broken front doors to campus accommodation blocks.

All of these are summed up by a Vision investigation in March that revealed that crime on campus had risen by 72%, mostly relating to bicycle theft.

For many students the increase of on-campus crime has been blamed on the reduction in portering hours this year, leaving many colleges without 24hour or weekend porters. However, the University has claimed that the security presence has increased on campus, and denied this assessment.

The victim of Friday's attack remains in recovery, though Vision cannot provide full details of the event.

Photo: Marcus Roby

SMG ENTERTAINMENTS TO BID FOR BARBICAN CENTRE

YES, WE BARBI-CAN!

BY ANGUS HILL

shh!

Whi c wan h YUSU nabe was supp o Ethe rting r anti- idge's p tial s residene behi ntiment nd cl door osed s?

e.

Music to your ears? Barbican Centre to open as live venu full-time equivalent jobs created, including the potential for part-time student jobs. The apparently good condition of the site would mean that any new development would be open by next summer.

The Barbican used to be the host of the UK Snooker championships, which SMG entertainments hope to bring back to York if their bid is successful. The venue was closed by the council in 2004 after heavy annual losses were requiring taxpayer subsidies of around half a million pounds each year. Plans by leisure company

Photo: Marcus Roby

A NEW 1500-seat music venue could soon reopen close to the university, regularly bringing top music stars to York for the first time. The Barbican Centre, close to Heslington Road is on the brink of re-opening as a venue for concerts and national snooker competitions.

The City of York Council, who closed the Barbican in 2004, currently owns the site. The council refused to reveal the prospective bidders as this is "still going through the procurement process." However, Vision can reveal that top leisure venue management company SMG entertainments is interested in the site.

A spokesman for SMG entertainments, who also run the MEN Arena in Manchester and the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle as well as venues across Europe, confirmed their interest in the Barbican but said: "We're not in a position to comment at the moment as negotiations are still underway".

It is understood the SMG entertainments plans would see sixty

Absolute Leisure to develop it later fell through.

Pete Dwyer, director of Adults, Children and Education at City of York Council told Vision: "We have received final business cases from the two developers who have been kept in the dialogue with the authority on plans for the former Barbican Auditorium. We will soon be moving to formal tenders before making a recommendation for the Executive in September. A further update will also be provided to the Executive on 22 July."

Photo: Google Streetview

STUDENT SAFETY QUESTIONED AFTER SERIOUS ASSAULT

DON'T FIB TO ME

BY MEGAN GRAHAM DEMOCRACY AND Services officer Lewis Bretts has confirmed that YUSU are currently in talks with Fibbers about establishing an official student night at the club.

The plan is to launch an alternative Dubstep or Drum and Bass type event.

It would most likely happen on Monday nights in order to fit in the current YUSU calendar, which sees student nights taking place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Fibbers recently changed hands for the second time in just a few months, having first been bought by HMV and then quickly sold to new owners Tokyo Industries.

Traditionally a venue for live acts, Fibbers has seen the likes of Oasis, Stereophonics and Cold-

play perform on its stage.

The operations manager of Tokyo Industries, University of York graduate Nigel Holiday has said that the company aims to preserve what live music fans love about the club, and hopes that Fibbers' line ups can improve as a result of the company's connections.

At the same time, Tokyo Industries are expected to invest large sums of money in refurbishing the venue and installing a new sound system in a bid to increase Fibbers' capabilities as a nightclub, a plan which has most likely prompted the bid for an official student night.

Bretts has said of the possible development, "I'm really excited that we're going to be able to deliver something different to students."

6 NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

SECURITY SERVICES COCK-UP: 'EMERGENCY' PHONE GOES THROUGH TO UNANSWERED LINE

PHONE A FRIEND? IT HAS been revealed that the red security phone by Vanbrugh porters lodge has not been connected to the emergency line all year.

It was recently brought to the attention of YUSU Campaigns Committee that a number of students have complained about the security service. On several occasions, the phone has been left ringing for up to a minute before being answered, significantly longer than the maximum five seconds emergency phones should be left unanswered. It has also been reported that in a few cases the phone has not been picked up all.

Following this, YUSU Welfare Officer Ben Humphrys and the Commercial Services under Bailey Oliver launched an investigae. on ph this g through on tion into the matter. They in tt ge e m ti a hard ve ha discovered that for the ll u' Yo Emergency?

FACEBOOK FLEA MARKET SET UP TO SAVE STUDENTS' CASH

past year, the phone has in fact been connected to the 'General Enquires' line and not the emergency number.

“I’m outraged. It seems like a dangerous incident of negligence,” said first-year Vanbrugh student Jade Clifford. “What if I needed security urgently because of a personal issue and there was no one there to help?” added fellow Vanbrugh fresher James Stavrakakis.

In response to the findings, YUSU President Tim Ngwena commented that “we were shocked to discover that the red phones aren’t going through to an emergency number; its a massive oversight and one we’ll focus in on to get resolved quickly. We’re pleased that after more initial complaints, security services uncovered this information quickly and are being proactive about resolving it" When it was decided that Vanbrugh would be losing its 24-hour portering from the start of autumn term, it was argued that the emergency phone would ensure no compromise in student welfare.

YUSU Campaigns officer Luke Sanford stressed that the security blunder was “oversight and not intentional”, but he also stated that “the Red Phones were used to justify the argument that the cuts in

portering would not affect student safety, and this supposed 'emergency' phone going unanswered for more than 40 seconds, and in come cases not answered at all, is simply not acceptable.”

Furthermore he revealed that the problem might not be fixed until the start of next term, a period the campaigns committee states the need for porters is at its highest.

The committee has thus pushed for 24-hour portering to be reinstated for the first two weeks of next year in support of the influx of new students. Pro-ViceChancellor for Students, Jane Grenville, initially committed to this, however that turned out to be a mistake on her part. At the time of printing, the university has only conceded to the scheme for the Freshers' Week.

“We will continue to call for 24 hour portering in the Freshers Fortnight. Having 24 hour cover in the first week is a good start, but immediately after that in week 2 is when new students venture out on their own into York for the first time, away from organised events and without STYCs to support them, which is when they might really need the porters,” Sanford concludes.

BUILDING WORK AROUND UNI CAUSES PARKING PANDEMONIUM

FLEA-ING FROM THE HIGH STREET freshers, who may be looking to buy student essentials cheaply. Of course, the group also appeals to current first and second years who may struggle to afford all staple student accessories, as well as those hoping to make some money from unwanted or unneeded items Student Flea Market was created only a week ago and is still a fairly new project, yet it has already generated interest from many students.

However, two of the group's creators, Emeline Hui and Susan Oei stress that they are still keen to spread the word about Student Flea Market to its target audience of younger students, as the majority of the group's members are currently third years or postgraduates hoping to sell things.

Student Flea Market already has over 150 members and around 90 high quality items for sale, including dresses, shoes bicycles, printers and even a piano!

A NEW ECO-FRIENDLY and money-saving Facebook group has recently been created by University of York students hoping to offer "a platform for students to buy and sell things."

The group, named 'Student Flea Market', works on a first-come firstserved basis by allowing students to post photos or descriptions of items for sale on the wall. Those interested in buying can then message requests to purchase or reserve items to the group's moderators, who then arrange the exchange. All items on the site are very reasonably priced - some are even given away for free - and new items are added daily.

The group was created by four final year students who had the idea for the group when they found themselves in the situation of wanting to get rid of items collected over the course of university before graduating, and realised other students FANCY A BARGAIN? A selection of the items on offer might feel the same.

They have said that the purpose of the site is to offer students the opportunity to buy or sell items for a fair price, and see the group as being p a r t i c u l a rl y beneficial to next year's

Source: Facebook

BY MEGAN GRAHAM

shh!

Whi ch S abb h bein as g sexu making al in nue dos i n Un nCoun ion ci ently l? Appar he w ishe his 's s tick' bigg was er...

PARK LIFE

BY PADDY HARTE

ROADS AND pavements leading up to the university have been jam-packed with parked cars over the last few weeks, following work on Langwith and Campus South car parks.

The vehicles half-mount the pavement and obstruct both pedestrians on the street and moving vehicles on the road. Peter Rek, a second year Economics student commented, "walking past people has become a right hassle" and that "cycling is even more of a chore, if a bus is trying to

overtake you it becomes a right mess!" highlighting fears surrounding safety on the roads.

A majority of the cars display staff car park permits, which has prompted the university to send out an angry email to its employees claiming that certain staff had been "contravening parking regulations."

However, one anonymous lecturer pointed out, "with no yellow lines or parking restrictions on the road, it would seem that there are no parking regulations to contravene."

Responding to these allegations, the university press of-

Photo: Marcus Roby

cus Roby Photo: Mar

BY MILANA KNEZEVIC

ficer, David Garner, said they had "made contact with City of York Council, which has statutory responsibility for enforcing on-street parking regulations," additionally stating that they "are informing the Police of any cars causing an obstruction in this location."

The university advises that there are parts of the car park still open in addition to further parking spaces in Halifax / St Lawrence Court, Fairfax House and Heslington East (which includes a free shuttle bus to Heslington West).

YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

7

TRADITIONAL YUSU EVENTS TO BE COMBINED AND HOSTED ON CAMPUS

FRESHENED UP

BY PAUL VIRIDES

STAPLE FRESHERS' Week events Access All Areas and the Freshers' Ball are to be scrapped in a revamped Freshers' Week for new students.

Instead, a single new event is to be run, combining elements of both the Ball and Access All Areas, and held on campus. Using the facilities of various colleges and Central Hall, the new event will be held on the Saturday of Week 1.

Speaking to Vision, Democracy and Services Officer-elect Dan Walker said that the event will "represent the big-

gest campus event students of the university have ever seen."

Walker has also promised heavy society involvement, as with Access All Areas, saying that this will be "a prominent feature, along with the major acts and dress-to-impress atmosphere of the Ball. Focusing on one major event during Freshers' Week will allow us to produce something spectacular.

This will be campus as you've never seen it."

The decision comes in advance of tomorrow night's Summer Ball which is to be held at the York Racecourse, the same venue traditionally used for the Freshers' Ball. The Racecourse has typically been criticised by students as a venue for one of the first events of the year, and tickets for the Summer Ball have yet to sell out.

Third Year Applied Social Science student Sophie Brown welcomed the change,

Walker: No mean talker

claiming that "if you ask current freshers about what they least enjoyed during their Freshers' Week, 99% of them say it was the Freshers' Ball."

Image: Fa

cebook

The former 'Big STYC' went on to say that when she had talked to new students during their first week they all tended to have the same opinion. "They felt they had to get a ticket because they didn't want to miss out and in the end it's overrated, expensive and way too formal for Facebook Image: new students. Bringing a big open event on cam- pus will be cheaper, closer to home and MUCH more enjoyable for everyone!"

Walker commented on the idea of using the racecourse again, saying that it will not be used in order to provide a venue for a Freshers' Ball type event, although he did not rule out using it again for future Summer Balls. He also mentioned his promise to support a college focused first week, saying that he'd approach the beginning of the year in that way as "this week should allow new students to really get to know their colleges and the people they live with before the big YUSU events kick in."

YUSU's Comedy Night will still appear in the Freshers' Week line up despite the other changes, and the biannual Viking Raid will be moved forward to Week Two. Former Goodricke JCRC Chair, Walker also noted that Heslington East will be "supported rather than utilised" next year, saying that during Freshers' Week, Goodricke and Halifax Colleges will both be welcome to use the Courtyard's mobile bar for their own events. The bar was recently used on Hes East as part of the GoodFest celebrations, and was a topic of debate in the recent YUSU Elections.

Photo: Marcus Roby

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8 COMMENT

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

>Comment THE VOICE OF

Vision Says...

T

he redundant UGM motion prohibiting the sale of free range eggs at Costcutter is yet another example of the bloated YUSU bureaucratic machine in action.

The sentiment is of course to be commended and similar future initiatives encouraged. Neither is the situation entirely YUSU's responsibility. Lewis Bretts has acknowledged that the union is already slow to act on certain issues - obviously a comprehensive investigation into every UGM would exacerbate this and paralyze their ability to work at all.

However, the fact that seemingly none of those voting in the UGM had actually had occasion to buy eggs from Costcutter is faintly ridiculous.

In the end, it’s better to be safe than sorry, but it does strike Vision as more than a little clumsy all the same. YUSU cannot afford to waste time and money on resolved issues whilst there are other environmental/ethical concerns in more direct need of redress.

CHRIS BURGESS

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

DOES OUR LIFE EXPERIENCE COUNT?

O

n Friday I was in a car accident.

Not a serious one mind, just a rear-ending as I was approaching a roundabout. It was a car ‘incident’ really, what with it being very clearly the fault of the driver who hit me. As I got out, visibly shaken, to exchange insurance information with the other driver, I realised that this was something I had never had to do before. So I didn’t really know what I was doing. Plus we were pulled over to the side of a very busy roundabout at rush hour.

Negotiations were strained.

When the other driver got out to check the damage, I asked her if she was okay.

But the woman seemed more concerned with her insurance premium than whether I was alright. So I was angry when she immediately said, “You’re not going to say the damage cost more to repair than it really did, are you?” Clearly she was stressed as well, or she was just a terrible person.

Remaining noncommittal about her desire to keep Messrs, Arriva and Churchill out of this, I noted everything down then drove away.

As I sat in my now dented car a little

Thumbs up to...

O

ur new University Challenge team.

The last series was blighted by unfair competition: York’s team, which was composed purely of undergraduates, was matched against a team with an average age of 30.

While our performance was admittedly disappointing, such an age discrepancy is surely against the spirit of the contest: how is one to compete a further decade of accumulated knowledge?

York’s recent re-entry into the top 10 universities nationwide affirms the high academic standard achieved by students here, so we’re expecting great things from this team. We wish them all the very best.

Thumbs down to...

T

he Internation Student Association’s ‘creative’ accounting. Such financial irresponsibility is inexcusable for any sum of university-granted funds, never mind the £30,000 given to the ISA annually Regardless of whether the ISA is indeed guilty of embezzlement or not, this lack of transparency only serves to strain relations between the ISA and YUSU. This is highlighted by Aaron Oong's refusal to comment on the situation to campus media, after less than a fortnight as ISA President.

If the proposed integration of the two associations is to be carried through, such communication breakdowns need to be avoided in future – honesty is key to effective co-operation.

WILL VIGNOLES

R

eading the Comment section of any news organisation will tell you a lot – the politics of the staff, the influence of the owners, and the views of its readers.

The Daily Mail’s online comment section is a classic example of this. Alongside the apparently compulsory attack on the welfare system, this time courtesy of Martin Samuel, there are articles on the evils of Facebook, Ros Altman gleefully awaiting the end of the nanny state, and Mary Ellen Synon’s 'Euroseptic'. No wonder Daily Mail readers are stereotyped as paranoid, misanthropic xenophobes. On the other end of the scale, The Guardian has in the last few days featured pieces on London’s falling air standards, Israel, Afghanistan and the immorality of public sector cuts. And Guardian readers (and I admit this includes myself) wonder why they are caricatured as sandal wearing, North London -dwelling, middle-class lefty do-gooders.

These stereotypes may be unfair – there must be some Mail readers who aren’t nutters, and while I do come from North London, I certainly don’t wear sandals. However, what else can we expect when our media are so unbalanced in their comment? With the odd exception, they churn out comments from people who agree with their editors and readers. Obviously, people mostly buy the paper or watch the news channel

while afterwards, drinking a calming frappucino, I wondered how many other things I think I know how to do but probably don’t. I mean, I took her name and phone number, her car make, model and registration, and the name of her insurance company. But someone told me afterwards that all I really needed was the number plate. I have no idea which is right – all I know is that you’re supposed to exchange ‘details’.

Details? Like favourite film, book and sandwich filling?

I’ve not really thought about what that means before. Though perhaps I do have a tendency to avoid key pieces of information. When someone on the phone tells me how to find something like a specific book or a restaurant, once I am moving off in the right direction I subconsciously blank the rest of the details and eventually have to ask for them again. So the idea of exchanging details seemed simpler than it actually was.

I’ve been driving for four years and I’ve only just had to deal with something like this. So what about other things I’ve been doing for a while, like ordering takeaway

or getting my hair cut? Are they actually buffalo wings? What happens if they want to wash my hair? Tack on the fact that pedestrians kept coming perilously close to my wing mirror whilst carrying unwieldy bags, alongside the whole graduating in two weeks with few prospects thing, and I genuinely felt a little bit overwhelmed. Or perhaps it was all the caffeine and sugar and chunks of ice talking. I sat there for a bit, then I stallioned-up and drove home.

Later on I felt better. I felt like I’d achieved something. I remembered that even if I only live to be 42, I’ve still got half my life left to discover lots of other unknown unknowns – things I don’t know I don’t know. I also felt like I could empathise with the type of people I had previously scorned, people who are troubled by things I wouldn’t previously have called problems – like exam stress for example. In an effort to stop this sounding like Agony Chris’ Guide to Personal Harmony though, I’ll just say that I’m still pretty smug and superior most of the time. I’ve just got post-traumatic stress disorder, and whiplash, and scurvy, and rabies, that’s all.

VIA MEDIA?

PRESS PARTISANSHIP HAS GONE TOO FAR that chimes with their world-view, and so editors will mostly stick to satisfying their readers’ views. This is only natural, and having many points of view represented in the media can only be a good thing. On the other hand, by simply filtering every-

How can people understand the EU if all they know comes from our Eurosceptic press? thing through a particular ideology, any claim to 'honest' journalism is an utter fallacy. This is how we end up with a situation where Fox News, which dares to include the words 'fair & balanced' in its logo, is a mouthpiece for whichever right-wing lunatic can shout the loudest.

I’m not suggesting that the editors of the Daily Mail start advocating entry into the Euro or that The Guardian should sign up en masse to the English Defence League. Rather, our media should follow the example of the BBC or CNN, start giving more time to the opposite view and create real debate. They needn’t compromise their values, and readers can still purchase their newspaper knowing that the issues

they care about are being addressed, but by allowing more constructive argument the media would not only promote honest journalism but also truly examine the complexities that surround most issues in the world. After all, just as the Mail and the Express endlessly complaining about immigrants obscures the benefits that immigration brings, The Guardian’s opposition to public sector cuts does not allow a true discussion of the pros and cons of pruning public services.

The general election saw a lot made of the public’s apparent lack of political knowledge, but this is hardly surprising when the majority of people’s political education comes from our media. How can people understand the EU if all they know about it comes from our overwhelmingly Eurosceptic press? The Express and the Mail are very good at expressing outrage at 'Eurocrats' meddling in our affairs, but fail to acknowledge that without the EU our trade would suffer immensely. They are happy to slam those on the dole, but are strangely silent on the fact that there just isn’t much work at the moment for those lacking specialist skills. All that this type of journalism does is further divide people.

Just ask those demonised by the Daily Express’ Leo McKinstry on the 24th of June as “grasping welfare spongers”, who have “lived off unearned wealth for too long.” I wonder if he would be so quick to judge if he lost his job.

JOIN THE DEBATE AT WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK

COMMENT

YORK VISION Tuesday June 29th, 2010

9

DANCESPORT FIND THAT THE DECISION TO SCRAP YCD ISN'T THAT DIFFICULT AFTER ALL...

AS WE NEAR THE END OF YET ANOTHER ACADEMIC YEAR, WE ASK...

IS THERE TOO MUCH BUREAUCRACY IN YUSU?

ANGUS HILL

F

NO

YES

irst of all, let me be clear, I love the concept of democracy just as much as the next person - that people who are part of any society can have the chance to participate in the way that society is run and to help make the decisions that dictate the course of our lives seems like a fundamental character of any society, whether that be a national state or just a university.

But there comes a point when bureaucracy overburdens the pure principle of democracy. When you get to the point where there are nearly as many committees as members of the union it seems the situation may have gone too far. Yes, students do obviously want a say in how YUSU is run. That is why we have YUSU elections each year to elect six Sabbs to run our union for us for the next year. Surely then we have given them a mandate to get on and run the union in the most efficient way. We knew when we voted for them what they intended to do and in them we placed our trust. This is the whole principle of representative democracy; we give the people we elect the power to act on our behalf because the vast majority of people do not have the time, skills or inclination to get involved in politics.

But it seems that this is not enough.

YUSU is also made up of an abundance of committees whose role seems relatively vague. We have NINETEEN of these committees. But it’s not just the number; it appears that many seem to overlap. Is it really necessary to have an ‘Equality, Welfare and

Diversity Committee’ as well as individual committees for LGBT, racial equality and women? Currently YUSU are setting up new committees for the ISA and a ‘Societies Committee’. Do societies really need a seperate committee to be able to run effectively? They don’t appear to have suffered in the past without one.

And the question must be asked, what do these committees actually do? Do they implement policy decisions? Surely that is the role of the Sabbs whom we elect each year? So in that case, do they decide on policy? It seems not, as we also have a myriad of procedures for this to happen so that students can ‘get involved’. In the most recent UGM, motions were proposed that included one lobbying the university to improve the ecology of the lake, several pushing York council to open new leisure facilities, and finally one condemning Coca-Cola for being unethical. But what is the relevance of motions such as these? This ‘democracy’ brings with it little tangible benefits for the vast majority of students. Most students do not vote on these motions as they have decided whether rightly or wrongly that they will have little effects on their lives.

When YUSU is clouded in bureaucracy there is a risk that the union is unable to instigate real changes that palpably affect the university lives of students and instead simply become a talking shop. If student democracy is to succeed then the fulfilling of real policies that really make a difference is ultimately more important than constitutional changes or new committees.

L

ike it or not, YUSU does have an impact on pretty much everything you do while at university.

Whether it’s to do with your degree, accommodation, social life, sports, societies, careers, security, welfare, or even to do with your position as a student in the wider community then YUSU will have played a part.

YUSU and Students’ Unions in general are pretty unusual in the way they’re structured, and in the way they operate.

YUSU is a member led organisation – every single student at the university has the opportunity to say how it's run, and collectively the student body have the power to overturn decisions, elect officers, sack officers, sack trustees, start projects, stop projects, and even shut the union down altogether. As members of the union, you hold all the power, whether or not you choose to use it.

YUSU then, is a powerful organisation with a pretty complicated management structure. It’s no surprise that things can sometimes seem a little confusing. Aggregating the views of 10000 students into coherent and meaningful actions is no simple process. Fairness, consistency and transparency don’t often sit well with speed or efficiency, but sometimes remaining a genuinely member led organisation requires sacrificing the latter for the former. There are about 20 different policy making committees within, all made up of JCRC representatives, YUSU officers, and people you’ve

LEWIS BRETTS elected, absolutely it can be slow, but taking things through the committee process means that we come to the right decision, rather than the quickest one.

However – YUSU’s current systems and structures do need to change. At the last Union General meeting I submitted a proposal for us to review our democratic structures. Having opportunities to engage isn’t enough – YUSU needs to ensure that all its processes are clear and accessible enough that people want to take part. It’s been evident recently that not enough of you do – this needs to change. If a perception of ‘bureaucracy’ is discouraging people from engaging, then it’s vital that this is resolved. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in rules and meetings that we lose sight of the bigger picture - for YUSU to be an effective organisation it needs outcomes, not processes. As I said at the YUSU awards last week: YUSU is, and will only ever be, only as strong as the sum of its parts; it’s the membership that give YUSU its strength and power. In the coming months we’ll be trying to find ways to make things simpler and easier while maintaining the core democratic principles that underpin YUSU – if you’ve got some ideas then get in touch.

WANT TO RESPOND? EMAIL VISION@YUSU.ORG

10 COMMENT

YORK VISION Tuesday June 29th, 2010

ERY'BODY GETTING TIPS-Y TOP TIPS ON TIPPING THIS SUMMER

F

JAMES MASTERS

or me, going to the restaurant is a rarity; I go about as often as Fabio Capello cracks a smile.

But the other day I thought “sod it” and crept out of the shadows of student debt and into one of York’s murkier establishments. The meal wasn’t what you’d call haute cuisine, it looked like Play-Doh and wasn’t as tasty. By the end of the evening I was seriously opposed to tipping the nervy waiter who served me stone cold soup with a dead bluebottle for a crouton (fly-tipping?). When the bill came and service charge had been added, ‘for my convenience’, I turned as grey as my soup.

I warn you now; tipping is a tricky art. If you’re going abroad this summer make sure you’ve done your research because I’ve done a little and blimey its confusing...The Portuguese want 5%, the Germans 10%, the French add 15.5% to your bill then charm you into chucking a few Euros in for good measure and the Spanish – nobody knows. I just say pour all the coins you don’t want onto the dish and make a speedy getaway.

The problem is you can’t get away with this sneaky and stereotypical

British tactic across the pond. Our American chums want 20% and they’re not happy bunnies if you don’t oblige. But then why should they? The high tipping in the USA is crucial due to the cheap food, gargantuan portions and the fact that on average, waiting staff only earn $3 an hour (before tips). This figure is 17% lower than the average salaries for all other sectors

Surely you can afford a few quid for hardworking waiting staff nationwide.

However, before we sigh, tut and shake our heads at the situation in the ol' land of liberty we have to realise that this issue is closer to home. The problem of infinitesimal salaries continues despite new rules implemented last year to ban employers using tips to make up the minimum wage. The Government’s aim was that waiting staff would receive the minimum wage as well as tips and in return would have to pay National Insurance

on their extra income.

However figures released by The Office for National Statistics earlier this year revealed that waiting staff receive the lowest salaries in the UK. The average annual salary is a mere £11,930 – which is roughly equivalent to two years of student debt.

So whether you are home or abroad this summer I oblige you – if the service and food is good - to dig deep into your pocket and give the waiter a tip of some sort. Here in the UK it is a welcome bonus but is crucial in the USA or in EU countries such as Spain where the average is half of that in the UK, Germany and Holland.

I know money is a little tight at the moment but if you pop into a restaurant for a treat surely you can afford a few quid for the hardworking waiting staff.

As I was leaving the restaurant I held the door open for a little old man; as he shuffled in he thanked me and asked, in jest, if I was the doorman. I joked that he should give me a tip for my exertions; he turned and whispered: “Aye son, don’t stand there holding open the door like a plonker.”

And on that note, I think I’ll bring this article to a close.

DEGREES OF SUCCESS

JASON ROSE

S

o it’s time for THE BUDGET. I am certain that all of you are interested in it…and you should be. For the first time in decades we have two things; a coalition government from opposite sides of the spectrum trying to work together and the need for budgeting our way out of the deficit. But who will the budget hit hardest? What effect will it have on students? And how bad will it be?

When the Liberal Democrats have less control, they will need reassurance that the poor won’t be hit hardest; George Osborne is adamant that it won’t. If you look at the increase of the income tax threshold and the national insurance threshold then he may well have a point; the changes will benefit those in poorly paid jobs.

However, Osborne claims that income tax will save £175 each, but the Liberal Democrats’ 2010 election posters said that the VAT rise would cost £389 each and more recent estimates suggest £425. Adding to that the freeze on child benefits, reduction of welfare support and housing benefits etc and you see that those on low incomes are suffering a little, and that those without incomes are really going to suffer. It’s not as bad for the poor as many feared, however, and our VAT rates are still lower than in Ireland, Denmark, Hungary, Belgium, Greece

WHAT WILL THIS GOVERNMENT MEAN FOR STUDENTS?

and Sweden. Overall the changes may cost around £610 per person.

And whilst VAT is rising to European levels, income tax is staying virtually level. It’s worth noting that those earning £42k per year were

Anyone graduating this year or next will struggle to find employment paying 60% income tax from 1979-1988 (and much more at times), so those above £20k are probably fairly lucky.

Some have feared that the economic effects will cause a secondary recession. It is definitely a possibility, especially with tax increases, but the fact that the VAT increase doesn’t come into effect until after next Christmas gives us hope that there will be ample spending in the final quarter of this year. More support is given in the budget to the middle classes, in general, and they’re generally the ones who will change their spending. But, even if it’s not as bad as it could have been, we’ll have to wait and see how the economy is affected. Though the UK economy has dropped in value

over the last week, it hasn’t faired as poorly as expected.

Obviously, the one thing that unites the country is the welfare state.

Everyone is affected by it and damaging effects would be seen as almost as bad as another period of negative growth. £11 billion of cuts are heading towards the welfare state and that is a lot of money. Housing benefit cuts, child benefits’ freeze, public sector pay freeze etc will all cause some problems. But, there isn’t much damage done to pensions, to lower-paid public sector workers etc if we believe the budget at face value. Again, it’s bad but it could be worse.

As for students... Well I’m sure you’ll all be glad to hear that alcohol costs aren’t going up (yay) and that food isn’t always affected by VAT. Unfortunately, various other things that we buy are. Out of a standard £3,000 student expenditure, we’ll probably see £50 extra per year, around the rate of inflation. However, unemployment is planned to peak at just over 8% in early 2011. We’re not far off the maximum at the moment and what that means is that anyone graduating this year or next will struggle to find employment. For those still in university: the higher education budget is likely to see sizeable cuts so expect more YUSU campaigning against facility cuts in the next couple of years.

LAURA CRESS

TEXTBOOK WHINING

W

riting an article about the York University library and its shortcomings should be the easiest task in the world – it is after all, “the study space everyone loves to hate™.” Nevertheless, there is something niggling away in the back of my head whilst I list its many flaws, and really there are some humdingers on that list. It’s not enough just to complain about the heat of the place – obviously the library is a place of books and since books do not feel the heat (unless it’s Fahrenheit 451) why on earth should the library be air conditioned? It’s not as if there are actually going to be people wanting to read these books, is it? York University has clearly put a lot of work into making the library a homage to Apocalypse Now with the second floor a bomb site and the smell of asbestos in the morning gently wafting through the humid air. The only escape from this is the North Room, of which I’ve been told Kurt Cobain disappeared into over 16 years ago, but is yet to resurface because the shelves are too difficult to operate (occasionally you may hear the faint sound of someone singing 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' in there, which some academics have noted points to his existence, but it may well just be the sound of books that no one will ever reach getting into grunge).

A sign near the Audio Visual room (a treat for the eyes and ears, not so much the nose) points to an “extra study area” – however, in what I can only imagine has been lifted from that classic text, the cartoons featuring Roadrunner, the sign has clearly been switched, for this area for studying, which is generally considered to be a quiet act, is situated right next to the Fresher’s cafe.

Whilst studying we therefore get to hear how Matt got really wasted last night, and “vommed” all over the toilets in Langwith. Next time, I’d rather have the cartoon anvil please.

I think a past experience that summed up the shortcomings of the library for me was when, at a school reunion, we went to check out (surprise!) the library.

Everyone laughed at how small it now looked, but whilst outwardly I chuckled, inwardly I could not help but contemplate York University's library and think "sure, it's bigger, but not by much!" before sniggering childishly like the immature person that I am.

However, the library cannot be blamed for all of its faults, one of its most exasperating qualities being the people who flock there every day. You know the type, the people who think that by slightly lowering their voice, they’re allowed to carry on speaking, even though lowering your voice does not, and I repeat, does NOT constitute as whispering – if I can hear you speak with your dull little conversations of “what book are you reading – oh I read that yesterday, it’s so boring – now I’m reading this book – it’s very boring” then you are NOT WHISPERING! And yet, for all the anger I have vented about the blessed library, there is still something that bothers me, and it is the fact that I’ll even now end up going there to study. It’s the same with everyone else who complains about it – you’ll still see them there, probably typing annoyingly fast on their laptops or chewing on something a fraction too loudly. In a bizarre way, the library and its flaws makes me think of life outside the university bubble - where undoubtedly there will be things worth complaining about, yet some will never attempt to actually take action and change these irritating qualities in their work or lives as a whole, preferring the safety of muted complaining. Sadly I seemed to have fallen under this category, and will rant and rave quietly under my breath whilst the building work disrupts what precious little learning I have managed to accomplish.

Whilst wild and raucous protests aren’t the order of the day, perhaps the next time people find themselves complaining, whether it be about the library or any other numerous faults university life has (must...stop... complaining) then they should try to take small steps to improve that situation. It may not get you very far, but hey, at least then you can complain about that instead.

YORK VISION

SATIRE

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

11

THE SKETCH FAKE press REF IN WORLD CUP SHOCKER We make them up... so you don't have to...

Headlines That Explain Whole Story Ruin Articles

Photo: Flickr

CONTROVERSY HAS gripped the governing body of international football legislation FIFA following the England versus Germany match, specifically concerning the decisions of referee of the game, Jorge Larrionda.

The game, which was watched throughout the world on Sunday 27 June, has had officials and pundits alike questioning the credibility of referees and their important role in matches, and whether they take the role as seriously as would be hoped.

The controversy began when only after the 3pm game, when it became apparent that throughout the match Larrionda, currently one of the world's top referees, had forgotten to wear shorts that day.

The mistake was realised only after the game by FIFA officials, because Larrionda was often shot from above the waist by television cameras, and if ever a full body shot was

"He would keep gesturing to us to look at the sky and not at his touch-

shown, a player's foot or head just happened at the time to be consistently blocking his inner circle.

Fans at the match were unsurprisingly angry at the display, with one particularly irate fan stating "You just don't expect referees of that quality to be making those kind of mistakes on such a high profile game." Football pundit and retired English footballer Gary Lineker sounded equally bemused, stating that it was "A sad day for football. I could have spotted something like that from the half way line. Or at least I would have asked an official for a second opinion."

It is as yet unclear what action FIFA will take on this strange, but not completely unusual mistake. What is certain is that referees governing matches in the World Cup in the future must be prepared to admit their shortcomings, even some would remark that it's all just a load of balls.

line" - Wayne Rooney

Visit our famous tea rooms and enjoy York specialities such as coffee - with or without the milk!

There's a great deal going on in York...

HOW TO FIND US

Why not start off the day with a quick swim at York's premier swimming club, the River Ouse. Now with only 80% chance of Typhoid and a complimentary stomach pump.

We are here.

We're here.

Photos: Flickr and Wikimedia Commons

In a recent study taken by a nondescript research body, it was found that newspaper headlines explaining exactly what has taken place ruin the following articles.

Headlines Found To Have Nothing To Do With Story Even Worse The most money ever paid for a cow in an auction was $1.3 million

Film The Matrix Found To Be True 000010110100011001011010100110101010 101010110000101010101010101011010101 0101010110101011010101101010110101010

This fine Yorkshire lad enjoys one of our best kept secrets. Easy on the milkshakes buddy!

A trip to York is never complete without a visit to one of our many country house pubs, including 'Wetherspoons' and 'Yates'.

Guest ales include Fosters and Strongbow.

(Canned, naturally).

12 FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday June 29th, 2010

>Features

A YEAR ON HES EAST

RORY JONES has a look at the University's premier development a year on from its opening...

T

the second time, having left Old Goodricke A Block at the end of the first term in 2008 after deciding to go on ‘an unplanned gap yah’, I was amazed by the contrast of the gloriously old, and unashamedly grotty buildings of old Goodricke to the now almost too shiny, new, luxury accommodation of Heslington East.

For me personally, as well as for Goodricke and the University, the first year on, Hes East has given us a year to remember, although not always for the right reasons.

October was a make or break period for Goodricke College on the new development, but from the very start of the year the two JCRCs under the leadership of YUSU Democracy and Services officer elect Dan Walker and Tim Ellis have relished the challenge.

Personally, my second Fresher’s week was better organised and better attended, and undoubtedly more successful, although perhaps there were hints of problems to come with the brand new buildings, as an impromptu party in the Goodricke common room had to be interrupted to move all the new furniture to the side.

Needless to say, the loss of McQs and lack of a bar was al-

October 2010 - The Heslington East campus opens for business.

addition of two sandwich bars serving food in the Ronald Cook Hub next year goes some way to combating the sense of isolation felt by students this year, with somewhere to eat and act as a further social space.

Goodfest, which took place in Week 4 was a notable success and I can honestly say that the true Goodricke vibe was most definitely resurrected as the beautifully sunny Saturday brought everyone out of their individually numbered flats to come together as a community, for perhaps the first time this year. Ellis sees Goodfest as being "bigger and better with every year, especially once Langwith have joined

V

V

It's been a very long and eventful year, but from here in it can only get better.

to secure a cash machine (despite Ellis’ best efforts) and recent complaints of cracks in the buildings and overheating in kitchens, which in my experience is a genuine concern to some students.

However, as Ellis is quick to point out "complaints of cracks is the simple fact of such a new building setting in place and to my knowledge there are no long term or significant issues other than a bit of cracked plaster." Ellis, however does accept the overheating issue: "It’s quite unbelievable with such a modern building that such a poorly designed heating and ventilation system has been implemented, but everything that can be done is being done", with corrective work being carried out over the summer.

The lessons learnt from the continuing problems this year have most definitely been taken on board - this October students' blocks will be accessible to everyone, with key card locks being fitted over the summer on kitchen doors at considerable cost to stop people stealing food from other kitchens.

Perhaps more importantly, contractors are being called in over the summer to fix the ventilation system.

College administrator Gill MacDonald sees the fact that over 200 application for 117 STYC places as a litmus test of the

survival of the spirit that in my opinion makes it so great. YUSU President Tim Ngwena, as well as Dan Walker and Ben Humphrys are all choosing to live in new Goodricke next year, with an unprecedented number of returners, shows that for many the year has been a positive experience.

It has been a trying and tumultuous year for the Hes East development. But, as the year has progressed the situation has dramatically improved, with far fewer incidents of water supply cutoffs, early morning wake ups by maintenance staff conducting water pressure tests or room surveys this term, and personally none at all this term.

While teething problems persist, New Goodricke still has much to be proud of - 2 beautifully equipped common rooms, luxurious accommodation surrounded by large fields of newly grown grass and situated in the heart of the soon to be expanded Heslington East site. Equally, although security precautions have changed the spirit of the college, there has been almost no criminal activity on the site, with not a single reported break in.

This is in stark contrast to the 72% crime increase on the main campus. The success of Goodfest and Prince Andrew's visit has done much to boost the spirit of the college and the JCR, with all parties I spoke to praising the work of Provost Jane Clarbour and Gill MacDonald as being pivotal to the success of this year despite all the maintenance issues and challenges. The reason Goodricke was sent over first is because it could cope with the inevitable problems that had to be addressed. It's been a very long, eventful year but from here on it can only get better.

V

Complaints of cracks is the fact of such a new building.

V

us", boldly proclaiming it to "have the potential to be the next Big D." Dan Walker deserves credit for his leadership and vision of ‘the big move’, but as he is quick to point out it was Phase 1 begins - Heslington East building site mid way through the build! equally down to what he calls "the stupid he story of the Univer- ways going to be an issue for amount of time and effort put in sity of York this year has such a previously socially active undoubtedly been the lift college with the contrast of the by staff, STYCs and the JCRC" off of ‘phase 1’ of the Hesling- available social spaces of McQs with the planning of Fresher’s ton East development. To you and Goodricke Hall, to just two week starting from the summer and me that’s translated as New common rooms. With weekly term of 2009.

Away from Goodricke College Goodricke. The fears of a very ‘barless quizzes’ in the JCR, well it is easier to identify the faults tight construction deadline were attended socials such as pub golf, forgotten as students pulled up ‘You Wouldn’t Start a Night Like of Hes East this year. Many stuto the immaculately new, albeit This’ and a massively attended dents persistently complain of isolated, building site of New weekly post-Ziggy’s CU toastie the lack of security along the Goodricke. session, there is most definitely infamous and intimidating ‘yellow brick road’ connecting the In October I was entering still hope for the resurrection of Goodricke as a first year for the ‘vibe’ of old Goodricke. The site to Heslington. Security serv-

ices drive down the road several times a night, and although there are help points (which were on the wrong side of the fence for the first two terms), most girls I know make an effort to avoid walking down the path alone at night.

The arguably over-zealous security decision to only allow student access to individual flats has directly resulted in less integration between blocks and the community spirit of integration and friendliness that triumphed in old Goodricke.

For many people this has caused a 'James effect’ in Goodricke this year, with people often sticking to a very limited social groups.

Other teething problems inGlorious Goodricke - The year ends with Goodfest, complete with man auction. clude the failure

YORK VISION

FEATURES

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

13

A RIGHT ROYAL AFFAIR Vision's NICOLA CHAPMAN gets the VIP treatment at Buckingham Palace

T

he Queen. The nation’s Grandma. Being offered the chance to take tea in Her Maj’s company is not something a girl is offered regularly.

So when I was told that I had been invited to the Queen’s annual Garden Party my heart skipped a Royal beat.

Four Royal Garden Parties are held each year, three at Buckingham Palace and one at Holyrood House in Scotland. The one I attended was the first of the summer and it was a very exciting affair.

Our invitations had arrived in the post two months before the party. It included a personal invitation from the Lord Chamberlain and a leaflet on what was appropriate to wear. Ladies had to wear a hat, and men a lounge or morning suit. My Dad was set, as was myself and my Mam. My sister on the other hand ended up with a too-big gold hat and what can only be described as an orthopaedic shoe.

Making my way down to London with my parents and my sister, I found out that I had only been able to go with them because I was under 25 and unmarried.

So, apart from that depressing and a touch insulting fact, I was worried as what to expect.

Our hotel was a short distance from the Palace and was filled mostly with Garden Party guests.

Worryingly, those guests seemed to be of a certain a g e , that b e ing

over 65, so I began to think that I would stick out like a sad little sore thumb.

My dress already made me resemble a melting ice cream and my shoes were a touch inappropriate. But now the day had come I couldn’t go back on my choices, I had to lie in my ‘practically deemed a spinster’ bed.

After months of watching YouTube videos of pillocks in hats meeting the Queen, the day had finally arrived. I got dressed in to what I deemed an appropriate outfit for a ‘yes I’m 20 and unmarried but I’m not a cat-lover just yet’ girl and headed to the Palace.

Although we were only 500 metres from Buckingham Palace, we got a taxi. It was a very hot day and who wants to prance about in their finery when you were no doubt going to get caught up in a tourist group tramping on you with their platform trainers.

Paying all of £3.20, we headed to the back of the welldressed queue that was beginning to form.

We became a bit of a tourist attraction in the e n d , G o d k n ow s h o w many photos I will be on in China, and I must admit it added to the overwhelming atmos-

.kind of . .

F F B w e n y Her Maj: m

phere of the day. Paparazzi also photographed me twice and, yes, I did feel special.

We walked through the heavily policed gates and made our way through the house to the garden. It was like a sea of very welldressed people, with a few questionable hats and skirt lengths thrown into the mix.

There were two tents, one for the peasant masses and one for (actual) Royalty. We headed there first after a quick pit stop at the barley water stand (I’m not even joking). The choice of twee was huge. Egg and cress sandwiches, sans crust, and triple layered Victoria sponge graced the white linen tables, all in mini form of course.

I chose some Sandringham apple juice and walked around the rose garden, trying, very uncoolly, to be in every shot for the DVD. Whether I was successful or not remains uncertain.

The gates had opened at 3pm and the Queen was coming out at 4, so we decided to wait to fill our slightly-posh boots.

We were instructed to form lines for the Queen’s entrance with enough gap so she could move through and meet the lucky few who were going to be introduced.

The RAF brass band began tooting the national anthem as the Queen arrived and took her place alongside Prince Philip on the top of the stairs. She was wearing a buttercup yellow dress and long jacket with a silver embellishment across the front. She had a matching hat and white gloves and, surprisingly, a little black handbag.

We ended up at the front of the queue, near the Royal tea tent after what felt like a lifetime’s worth of bustling about between Yeoman and clucking women.

We finally got our place at the end of the line, however, looking back, this was probably a mistake. We were waiting for nearly an hour until she came past.

Our entertainment in the wait was banter with the Beefeaters and wondering whether that man opposite was Feargal ‘a good heart these days is hard to find’ Sharkey. Turns out it was.

After the best part of an hour, and after my ankles had swollen like a sponge, the Queen finally made her way

past a lady emulating a human Oscar and walked our way. Two girls were pulled out from next to us to meet her; I’m not bitter about that still, honest. Everyone stood stock still as she came into the vicinity. She looked lovely and her hair looked like a cloud up close. A proper little Granny.

And then she looked at me and smiled! I nearly died with excitement. Feargal Sharkey and his bit didn’t even get a look in!

Serves you right matey for wearing brown loafers with cream chinos at the Palace. Fool.

Once the Queen was out of sight (i.e. mobbed by her bodyguards – some cheery Scouts and Guides) we hot footed it to the tea tent. We were greeted by a disappointed few who had done what we had – sacrificed a fruit slice to see her Maj up close.

We spent the rest of the time sitting in the sun with our fifth glass of barley water and wondering what on earth Feargal

Sharkey was doing there. Many guests had made a half moonshaped gathering around Her Maj and Pip’s tent, and watched them eat cake. That did not sound too much of a plan to me.

At about 5.30pm the Queen left the party and headed back, again with the brass band playing ‘God save the Queen’ after her. We left at about 6.30 after a policeman asked us ‘kindly’ to leave.

And the party was over. After two ice creams, a fair few barley waters and a smile from the Queen, it turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.

We walked out of Buckingham Palace knowing that it would be very unlikely that we’d step foot back in the place.

Well, until I marry Harry that is.

Here’s hoping.

The queue to get in: unimpressed

Party's over: resembling a melted ice cream and still keeping an eye out for Harry.

14 FEATURES

YORK VISION

Y

es, it’s time once more for the original campus ‘list’ - Vision's legendary Power List. It’s not about who tried their hardest nor is it about who’s on the most committees; this list is about pure power, the power to affect students’ day-to-day life, the power to actually get things done.

This year we’ve included a number of secretive Hes Hall big wigs such as the elusive Keith Lilly, to offer a real perspective on who does what. But position isn’t everything, this year there’s been a real emphasis on knowledge with regular students like Miles Layram easily making it into the top 30.

So sit back, relax and get to grips with York University’s real movers and shakers...

FADING GLORY HENRY FOY

The media mogul is out in the big wide world now but has he peaked too soon?

PETER WARNER-MEDLEY Been very quiet since his election defeat... we would be too

RISING STARS ABIGAIL WILSON

The Dancesport President has already been putting YUSU in their place

FIONA LAVELLE

Editor of the Yorker and now Fusion President... does a move into campus politics beckon?

DIDN'T MAKE THE TEAM TOM FLYNN

Ex-GSA something or other and still dining out on it

GRAHAM OSBOURNE Low level YUSU position, serial meeting attender... sound familiar? *Cough* Jason *Cough*

1

6 TREVOR SHELDON

Director of Facilities Management

A

2

A

s director of facilities management Keith Lilley is in charge of the entire non-academic side of the University. This broad role means that Lilley rules the roost in the distribution of key services areas such as cleaning, catering, securi-

3

D

W

ence on the student body than one might imagine.

Despite this, his actions do affect the student body, with one anonymous YUSU insider describing him as the University’s “chief

salesman”.

If anything Cantor’s power lies in what he can do for himself, lets not forget Vision’s investigation last month which exposed Cantor’s enormous expenses.

DAVID DUNCAN

Registrar and Secretary floors of the library cut-off causing chaos in peak exam periods.

Duncan will continue to reign over the project next year as the library works look set to continue.

Duncan also controls computer services, human resources

and health and safety in the University, as well as a taking a key role in the quality and assurance of academic assessments. A source close to the University described him as “a very, very busy man”.

TIM NGWENA YUSU President

hen Ngwena won his first term as president, he entered the union as a very non political individual, however over the past year Ngwena has positioned himself in the mainstream of campus politics, swiftly embedding his authority.

5

it is alleged that he personally pushed through the portering cuts in key Hes Hall meetings and as director of York University Pensions Funds Ltd., he is also responsible for the University’s continued investment in unethical investments such as BAE systems.

University Vice Chancellor

avid Duncan is relatively new to the job, joining the University in 2008.

Duncan has become an influential figure in the multimillion pound library renovation, a project which has seen whole

4

ty, timetabling and University bars.

With the campus doubling in size, inside sources tell Vision that Lilley has been charged with carrying out Hes Hall's masterplan which will see the Heslington East project through the recession.

However Lilley’s mighty plans are not always student friendly,

BRIAN CANTOR

lthough he describes himself as the University's “most senior administrative officer”, Cantor has substantially more power on a national scale, and thus has less influ-

P

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

Nevermind the imitators, Vision brings you the original University of York Powerlist!

KEITH LILLY

Tim has pushed through YUSU’s ambitious ‘strategic plan’ which sets the stage for YUSU objectives over the next 4 years.

Another term as president next year will further cement his already powerful position in not just campus, but University politics. How-

JANE GRENVILLE

Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students

oor old Grenville hasn’t had the best of years, and it’s reflected in this year's ranking – number five as the Pro Vice Chancellor for STUDENTS ain't great.

Over summer she is said to have buckled

under pressure to cut portering hours, a further exposé on the front page of Vision didn't help her reputation.

It isn’t all bad news though, Grenville continues to have major sway, chairing influential

Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of learning and information.

7. YUM

Campus' eyes and ears. The coolest kids in town, or so we've heard.

8. STEPHEN TOWN

Director of University Library and Archives.

9. LEWIS BRETTS

YUSU D&S Officer/promise breaker.

Bretter luck in your next job.

10. GRAHAM GILBERT

Director of Finance. Keeping his hands on the purse-strings in this time of recession.

11. ELIZABETH HEAPS

Most important figure for Hes East besides "The Beast".

12. BEN HUMPHRYS Welfare officer Humphrys has shown himself to be an assertive sabb this year, leading relatively successful campaigns such as ‘Keep Your Cool’ and ‘Crime Week’. His successful bid to become next years’ academic affairs officer confirmed his strong support base and has further boosted him up the power list.

13. JON GREENWOOD

Director of Commerical Services. Not barred yet

14. BAILEY OLIVER It’s been a tough year for our Security Operations Manager Bailey Oliver, with a restricted portering service and increases of crime on campus. Oliver was, however, instrumental in ensuring that Prince Andrew's visit ran smoothly earlier this term.

16. CHARLIE LEYLAND ever, this has led some to question his authority – is Tim too close to University bosses?

Having said this, Ngwena seems to have defied troublesome set-backs in the portering campaign and even avoided a motion of censure.

bodies like the Special Cases Committee and the Student Services Committee.

She is also in charge of the college

Provosts.

YUSU's leading lady after two years at the top

16. PHIL KEMBER

As head of the Conference Office, which looks after the University’s most important visitors, Phil Kember wields enormous power over the University community by securing vital revenue. Outside term-time, his conferences effectively take over campus completely.

17. RHIANNA KINCHIN

Steering societies and wrangling RAG

18. EMILY SCOTT

YorkSport President - lost Roses but won our hearts

19. KATE DODD

FEATURES

YORK VISION

THE POWERLIST 2010 Tuesday June 29th, 2010

Should you get into trouble, Kate Dodd, the University’s Academic Registrar, is the person who will decide whether or not to kick you out. She also plays a pastoral role for the university.

20. UNION TRUSTEE BOARD

Guiding YUSU and making the big decisions

21. SUE JOHNSTON

Head of Campus Services. A very importer-ant figure

36. TIM ELLIS

Leading students over in Hes East

37. LGBT COMMITTEE Having a gay old time

SOCCER SABS Tim Ngwena YUSU President

is...

Known as a heavyweight and definitely someone we'll see next time round.

Brazil

38. DAN WALKER

Lewis Bretts is...

Democracy & Services

23. TIMETABLING OFFICE

39. RACHEL HESSELWOOD

24. MILES LAYRAM

40. CHRIS ETHERIDGE

Aimed for the sky and had everyone's hopes up but ultimately failed to deliver in the end.

22. SAM ASFAHANI

YorkSport President elect and Bluto from "Popeye" lookalike Keeping tabs on who goes where, when and why

He has no position in YUSU, yet English Ph.D student Miles Layram has used his years of YUSU knowledge to assert himself on campus. A cleverly timed censure on Tim Negwena and Ben Humphries didn’t succeed but had a lasting impact on the way students viewed YUSU sabbaticals in action

25. CHRISTIAN UNION

Spreading the word whether you like it or not.

26. SUSIE FOTHERGILL

Fundraising for societies just like us.

Wonderful!

27. NICK SCARLETT

King of Kids Camp and Student Activities Sabb elect

28. DOORSAFE

Overzealous campus gatekeepers

29. CHARLIE ROWLEY

Cheesy Pop fan and Council Chair

30. HOLLY BURTON

Darts Darling and Derwent Chair

31. DAVID CLARKE

D&S Officer elect and apparently the son of a hegdehog

Volunteering Veteran - well liked by YUSU and others May not be in YUSU anymore but recently proved he can stir up quite a bit of trouble

41. TAHIR SHETTY Vanbrugh Chair

42. MATT BAILEY

Influential Chemistry Course Rep

43. YUsnow

Snowbotherers and Yeti lovers

44. YUSU ENTS REPS The union's wannabe party boys

45. LAURA BO BO 'electa!

46. YUSU WOMENS OFFICERS YUSU women’s committee are planning big things for freshers next term, the committee features a well connected bunch and they are looking more and more influential.

47. RUGBY CLUB Scrum chums

Environment and Ethics for a second year running, David Clarke is building up contacts and gaining momentum in YUSU. He has is tipped to be an intergral player in campus campaigns next year.

48. SAM WESTROP

32. JASON ROSE

BBCause he has a bit of sway with the VC

Still a prolific meeting attender and insatiable UGM proposer

33. LYDIA BLUNDELL

Halifax President and yet another cheese fan

34. GSA - RUI HAUNG Helping the aged

35. YORK ENTREPRENEURS

Thanks to their various events, these campus Del Boys are easily one of the richest societies.Their competition launch parties often run into the thousands and feature some of the most expensive speakers on campus.

NUS Delegate and Freedom Society founder

49.GREG DYKE 50. RAG

Like the list? Want to respond? Email your views to vision@yusu.org or go to yorkvision.co.uk Powerlist Compiled, Written and Designed by Tom McDermott, Paddy Harte and Nicola Chapman.

15

England

Rhianna Kinchin is...

Student Activities Expectations and targets were low going in so anything after a certain point is just a bonus.

Ghana

Charlie Leyland is...

Academic Affairs

A veteran of the game who knows how to win points should never be written off too soon.

Germany

Emily Scott is...

York Sport President

Good at the job in hand but doesn't really feel the need to shout about it.

Holland

Ben Humphrys is...

Welfare

Very strong defensively but still comes under fire for poor tactial choices.

Uruguay

16FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday June 29 th, 2010

.COM CONFIDENTIAL

JIM NORTON looks at the work of Wikileaks - the website famous for publishing sensitive government documents and diplomatic secrets.

"O

n the morning of July 12th 2007, two Apache helicopters using 30mm cannon fire killed about a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad”, explains the video on collateraldamage.com. “Two children were also wounded. Although some of the men appear to be armed, the behaviour of nearly everyone was relaxed. The U.S military initially claimed that all the dead were ‘anti-Iraq forces’ or ‘insurgents’.”

The video then shows footage of the incident. Two of the victims are photojournalists from Reuteurs and their cameras are mistaken for weapons. The video was meant to be kept secret. Reuteurs had used a Freedom of Information request to see the video, but it had remained behind closed doors. That was until a young US Army Intelligence Analyst found the video and decided to leak it.

The analyst in question was Bradley Manning, who it turns out had been disillusioned with the Army since an incident earlier in his military career. After fifteen Iraqis were accused of printing ‘anti-Iraq’ literature, Manning was tasked with finding out who the ‘bad guys’ were. However, when he translated the literature, he found that it was “nothing more than a benign political critique.” But instead of understanding, his superior didn’t listen and asked how to find more detainees.

So when he found the video, Manning decided to release it to the world, to show what was really going on. Anonymity was a necessity as Manning’s career would be in jeopardy if he were to be found out. So he turned to Wikileaks, a website that’s sole premise is to publish truth that is too contentious for other media outlets.

The resulting media frenzy gave Wikileaks a huge amount of publicity. But the collateral damage video has not been the only instance of Wikileaks making and creating a media storm, and in a sense they are a media insurgency rather than a organisation. After only three and a half years of existence, Wikileaks has become an impressive force, exposing a number of high profile secrets: the ‘Climategate’ emails, BNP membership lists, Guantanamo Bay procedures among many.

The founder of the site, Julian Assange, is an elusive Australian constantly relocating to avoid prosecution. As a former computer hacker, he has created a site that is incredibly hard to stop. It is so

well protected that Assange has boasted "a government or company that wanted to remove content from Wikileaks would have to practically dismantle the Internet itself." Content is uploaded through servers in Sweden, a country that assures anonymity of sources in digital media.

Once it is online, Wikileaks maintains the content on twenty servers across the world and hundreds of domain names.

With only half a dozen or so full time staff, these members have code names.

Unsurprisingly though, Wikileaks has acquired a vast amount of adversaries in it’s short life span. Legal threats have come from all over: a Kenyan politician, lawyers from Northern Bank, and the dreaded scientologists have attempted to sue the site and founder. The US government is also said to be searching for Assange now that he has admitted to holding incredibly sensitive data of 260,000 secret cables between US diplomats and foreign leaders, data that has the potential to be a diplomatic disaster.

With the stakes so high and the data proving so powerful, why is Wikileaks so important?

Democracy and good gover nance

The Iraqi photographer, Namir Noor Eldeen whose shooting by American forces was revealed on WikiLeaks.

according to the website. They use the example of their exposé of Kenyan corruption that was awarded an Amnesty Award.

Malaria is almost totally eradicated in the developed world, yet in Africa it still kills over a hundred people an hour. We know how to stop it, yet the problem persists in countries where bad governance persists. This is where Wikileaks believes it can help, by revealing the corruption and holding governments to account."In this case, Wikileaks exposed corruption that amounted to $3,000,000,000 just before the 2007 national elections, which swung the vote by 10%. The new government radically revised the constitution and a more open government was formed. Fingers crossed this can lead to the improvement in malaria eradication that is so desperately needed.

Yet, Wikileaks still has its critics. How can the site guarantee authenticity? Its first leak was a secret Islamic order written by Sheikh Hassan Aweys, but there was instant speculation that it was a fake and the question of credibility reduced the impact. Wikileaks respond to the question of authenticity by claiming that so far they are

yet to make a mistake. They go on to note the failings of other prestigious media organisations that are often duped by fakes.

One would hope that with the exposure of documents to millions across the world, a fraud could be found out – although if Nick Davies book, Flat Earth News, is anything to go by, then it’s unlikely.

Wikileaks is perhaps a paradox in itself. A highly secret organisation that exposes secrets. The necessity to keep a highly secretive operation is understandable. In 2007, a member of the Wikileaks advisory board, John Young, left Wikileaks after accusing them of being a CIA conduit. Following the fallout, Young published 150 pages of emails charting the beginnings of Wikileaks. He believed that Wikileaks should be subject to the same scrutiny that others receive. Yet Wikileaks were unfazed and have even published their own leak. When a member of the organisation sent an email that revealed the numerous donors to Wikileaks, they proudly exposed their own leak. One wonders whether this was an example of transparency or self-promotion, but either way Wikileaks seem to have answered their critics in this respect.

Yet, there is still one more albatross; are the leaks always in the public interest?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal

by L. Gordon Crovitz questioned the ease of exposing and the threat to national security. Crovitz uses the example of Philip Agee, a former CIA official who released the names of hundreds of CIA agents in the 1970s and, as a result, several were murdered across the world. Wikileaks upload whatever they are sent and fraudulent data inevitably gets through – it is up to the discretion of the half dozen to decide whether to continue the leak or not.

Before the age of the Internet, to expose a story, one had to interest a journalist, and then an editor to decide whether it was in the public interest to publish. Now it is far easier to sidestep these problems and release them to Wikileaks.

It is easy to criticise Wikileaks and it has its obvious flaws, but in a world of churnalism, surely a website that endeavours to ensure accountability should be embraced. Either way, it seems impossible to stop the rise of Wikileaks and time will tell as to how powerful it can become.

Julian Assange - The founder of Wikileaks who is avoiding questioning by a number of governments.

YORK VISION

FEATURES

HOT PROPERTY

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

17

JACK KNIGHT talks to Sarah Beeny - star of TV's Property Ladder - about her career, her views on the property market, her renovation advice, her media career and her future plans.

T

ype “Sarah Beeny” in to YouTube and there might be some slightly suspect results. “Sarah Beeny – the beauty”, “Sarah Beeny’s boobies”, “Sarah Beeny – milf ”, “Sarah Beeny Sexy – a sexy slideshow”, probably the most lecherous being “Big bosomed beauty Sarah Beeny” by a person with what can only be described as a disturbing (and unprintable) user name.

But the star of Channel 4’s Property Ladder and the UK’s perfect property princess laughs this off when questioned about her sexy presenter status.

“Ha ha, very kind, but not sure I qualify.”

Sarah Beeny’s place as a TV regular and well known media name marks a remarkable career for the development guru. After studying Drama she had a series of jobs ranging from working for the charity Save the Children, window cleaning, door-to-door vacuum cleaning salesperson and running a sandwich making business. However, it appears Beeny’s passion was always for property. “I always had a keen interest in property so I studied that at weekends when I could.

I then bought my first property having saved up for a deposit and from there started my own property development company with my brother and husband.”

This long history allows Beeny to be philosophical about the prospects of what seems like a dilapidated sector. “There are

lots of predictions of a house price crash looming – but I think we won’t see this for some time, we will just keep steady at the same level, with prices dictated by demand and supply.” The real estate expert is keen to point out where she thinks there need to be changes in the sector – “I think too many people don’t think of property as a long term investment” and “one of the biggest problems is the availability of finance. Something needs to be done to get the banks back to lending again.”

Howe v e r, Beeny is realistic about the property market, stating her golden rule as “Don’t rush into anything. Take your time, do your research and spend some time in an area before you make up your mind.” And with this she is more than happy to impart her time honoured and well-honed property acumen to Vision readers. “Carry out thorough research... an appealing property rental is one that is close to transport links...all of the bedrooms should ideally be doubles... think low maintenance...be prepared to do some hard work...chose a property close to home...steer clear of large gardens.” It is with these simple, but devilishly

V

V

"If you 're a first time buyer it's all about raising a deposit - you're likely to need a hefty one"

effective, ideas that Beeny has become one of Britain’s most successful and notorious property industry success stories.

But it was through sheer luck that Beeny got her most notable break – “I got into TV through a chance meeting with a producer at a hen party I went to and they arranged a screen test shortly afterwards.” With this the property developer became a television schedules stalwart with a crosspopulation appeal that sees both university students and OAPs tuning in to see her programmes.

With this media friendly presentation she has been able to crop up in such programmes as Gordon Ramsey’s F Word where she lent her g ar-

den to his sheep to graze and Bob the Builder where she values Bob’s house as “Two Bob”. “I enjoy them. In general , save I’ve had some great 1. Save, save opportunities and 2. Borrow love the variety. It’s um and Dad 3. Bank of M lovely to be invited to do some of these 4. Co Buying n ctio things.” So does she see 5. Buy at au ferent area if herself as an entrepred a in 6. Buy neur or TV celebrity? “I te va o 7. Ren think a mixture of both; n 8. Buy off-pla duty I started out with TV and p m a st id refully am now enjoying start9. Avo mortgage ca r u yo se o ing new businesses. Most o h 10. C people probably know me 11. Negotiate nership schemes from television though.” w 12. Shared o m So what are these o o -r a tn e 13. R new businesses? “Mysinuy -b to tn e ies glefriend.com and tepilo.

14. R ority propert th u a lca lo com – the former is a x s 15. E ise sometime matchmaking dating 16. Comprom site where you set your friends up on rathdates, and Tepilo is er than planned my new property website – to help peo- events.” Beeny seems smitten ple sell or let their with these new websites, reproperties with no laying that both are going recharge or commis- ally well and saying “It’s great to sion. My sites are hear back from people who have generally born sold their houses or got married out of frustra- via the sites.”

Property guru, media pertion with the ways things are sonality, internet success – what currently done, or could be next for the nation’s the lack of simi- housing advisor? “I’ve got a new lar sites – so series out soon, and I’m looking the move into another couple of websites. to the Can’t say too much at the mointernet ment though. I’m also working was re- on a Cancer Research campaign ally a to get people to de-clutter their s o l u - houses and hand stuff they don’t t i o n need into the Cancer esearch shops. There is plenty to keep me busy."

TIPS FOR P O T 'S Y N E BE BUYERS...

FIRST TIME

18 LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

>Lifestyle

HOME SWEET HOME

Katy Roberts gives handy tips on how to make a house a home...

W

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TO SH

ave goodbye to halls and say hello to your new house! For many first-time renters moving into a little home of their own with friends is an exciting prospect; a cosy living room to snuggle up in rather than squeezing onto a small uncomfy bed, a bath (for some lucky people), a double bed... ahh! With this in mind we at Vision Lifestyle have decided to look into some of the best places to buy 'home furnishings' and some ideas on how to spruce up an empty shell into what will become a home.

k te, Yor rices almga W e able p n d o r B o f f a a y Dog t prett Give a ings a h s i n r iness nice fu l kook a r Next e n e ters - g y Outfit e price Urban usly it mor b e l t , obvio t i s l l r a i g t irly Habita l the g - for al n o t s id dies IY goo Cath K D r u o for y ar orks henwe The W e' kitc v i t a e nd - 'cr ious Lakela Y ite obv u q s for DI s seem apers i p h t n i n IKEA ariatio huge v e s a ch York Paper egate, n o t S art Wild H

In order to make your new house warm and welcoming we recommend that you make it as personal as you can; a comfortable atmosphere will ultimately mean a more productive you!

It's worth checking with your landlords what actually comes with the house as, from experience, if something you feel essential is lacking they seem happy to accommodate. For example our lovely terrace had no table and chairs to eat meals, and feeling this was a necessity we asked if it was possible to pop one in. Subsequently we have been promised a fold-away for when we move in. Otherwise, don't forget to look at parents' or friends' houses for furniture that may be gathering dust in a loft, it will save cash on buying new.

Cushions and throws instantly brighten a drab or worn sofa, giving a homely, more inviting feel to a room - Cath Kidston do gorgeously girly cushions, but at £18 each they are quite pricey.

Try IKEA for plain coloured cushions at £2.69

each - an absolute bargain! For small rooms, try to keep colour choice light and bright to widen that illusion of space.

Most personal to you is obviously your bedroom and whilst posters are a good way of making a blank canvas feel 'you', we suggest something more creative such as this memo board from Urban Outfitters. If £18 seems too much to fork out - DIY it, ugly pin boards can be brightened up with a nice fabric or wrapping paper (definitely see Paperchase). If a memo board seems too much why not simply wrap paper round a blank canvas for instant artwork!

Photo frames will clutter your desk; why not string your pictures up with wooden pegs, across the wall or above your desk, it's arty and practical and need not only be used for photographs. Postcards as shown in the picture below look lovely, and as an alternative to string you could also try fabric, ribbon or even white fairy lights. Plants and flowers, whilst obvious, add a pick-me-up to a dull room creating that peaceful atmosphere. Pick them up cheaply at York market stalls for around £2; its simple, easy and better decor than a pizza box or an empty bottle of vodka. Ok, so we realise that your house is your home and do with it what you please but accessorizing is fun, especially if you add in a little DIY - why not create a photo montage amongst your housemates for your living room, perhaps of your first year at uni together?

That way the memories are always there and the house will feel all the more like your own .

Cushion, tUrban Ou fitters, £24

Cardboard Deer, Clock, modcloth. com, £20 Floral Memo Board, Urban Outfitters, £18

'Solve Some Time' Clock, modcloth. com, £30

Wooden Pegs, Poundland, £1

th Towels, Ca , n o st id K From £5 th Throw, Ca 0 Kidston, £3

YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

WEEK EIGHT: WE ATE!

Siobhan Ward-Farrell and Kate Sanders explain why dieting at University is a lost cause...

B

eneath the Ray Bans and St Tropez that appear as soon as the sun begins to shine, there is a secret flash of terror on many female faces. For girls, summer often means one thing: bikini time. Almost every Sunday evening we find ourselves making desperate dashes to the vending machines for our final fix of chocolate before our diet begins the following morning.

However, come Monday, there always seems to be an excuse that makes the impossible task of weight loss even more impossible. But here it is, our very best effort: our week of detox and diets to prove how easy it can be if you actually put your mind to it...

Monday Shopping day: Twenty-seven weeks into the year it is becoming apparent that the amusement of being able to buy the things that our parents would always disallow us as children is unlikely to ever wear off... We did, however, begin with good intentions. We wheeled our trolleys to the fresh fruit, vegetable and salad sections, and as we were eyeing up the Innocent Smoothies, reality hit- it was going to be expensive to be healthy! Choc ices were on offer, though, as was candyfloss flavoured squash and bags of sweeties. We are students after all, and we do have to budget...

Tuesday Essay Writing: In an attempt to protect our new purchases from wandering hungry hands in the kitchen, we had whisked our tasty treats away to our bedrooms.

But, it would seem that our Jaffa Cakes, bourbons and marshmallows were no safer in our rooms than in our cupboards. We both found that a day which was meant to be spent writing essays swiftly became a day stuffing our faces. “It’s essential essay sustenance,” we lied to ourselves at the end of a long day of sitting in front of the computer and stuffing sugary treats into our increasingly pudgy faces.

Wednesday Visitor: It had been eight weeks since we last shared a cuppa, so when my best friend from home came to visit for the day, the odd slice of cake was inevitable. We’d planned a relaxed day of catching up, shopping and coffee. And, I am very proud to announce that we stuck to our guns and managed to steer well clear of both Nag’s and Ziggy’s, avoiding the colossal calorie content of trebles. I am less proud to confess that, during the day we managed to have not one, but TWO picnics in the park.

After indulging in hummus, ham, pitta bread and malt loaf, we decided that giant double chocolate chip cookies, chocolate topped rice crispy cakes and cherry beer were the only acceptable accompaniment to our much missed gossip session. As we lay in the sunshine, cackling with laughter and sharing childhood memories, we were blissfully oblivious to the fact that our denim shorts were growing ever tighter.

Thursday Alcuin Summer ball: A selection of tapas for starters, healthy Spanish Chicken for main and Chocolate Fudge Cake for pudding. We had treated ourselves to this celebratory end of term gathering, and planned on enjoying ourselves. Unfortunately we were so overwhelmed at the endless supply of delicious starters that neither of us could eat our relatively healthy main course, but we did manage to find room for the fudge cake...and the slice of the poor girl we were sitting next to, who didn’t want hers...and that of the poor boy opposite us, who decided against his. Major fail. We waddled home at the end of the evening fully aware that we had sinned, but it would have been unfair of us to send the cakes back to the chef who had worked so hard, right?

Friday Volunteering: Surely, there is no room for disaster here.

At the end of a long week we took on the challenge of painting a mural in a primary school as this term's volunteering project. No time for breakfast or lunch, so we ended up purchasing large quantities of sweets and ice cream as we waited for the bus at the end of the day; we had done a good deed, after all. It would appear that working in a school brings out the inner child however, as I have been snacking on sweets and craving chicken nuggets ever since...

Saturday University events: The initial blow to our diet was struck by Alcuin College Fête. All day, near gale force winds wafted the mouth-watering scents of a whole fairground our way, while we sat at a table laden with sweets. At first, the tempting scents of popcorn, candyfloss, burgers and onions tickled our noses, then later our taste buds too. In the evening, attending the YUSU awards brought yet more calories our way. Free Pimms, followed by free wine, cheese, crackers, chocolate and lollipops destroyed all hopes of healthy eating.

Sunday Parents Visit: I hadn’t seen my parents for roughly six weeks, so they wanted to treat me to some nice things. We paraded around the shops, snacked on ice cream, munched our way through a box of delicious chocolates I had bought my dad for Father’s Day, and then decided on a late lunch. Eating out in restaurants is a true luxury these days; I was overwhelmed at the choice so naturally went for the largest sounding item on the menu. It’s not every day that my parents visit, so I wanted to enjoy it and my parents wanted to make sure I was eating properly... if only they knew!

Monday Harry Potter Muggle Soc Pudding Party Feast... need we say more?

It would appear dieting at university is not quite as easy as we imagined. Our bikini bodies are as far away as ever... but we did notice that it is not a mere coincidence that ‘DIEting’ and ‘stuDYING’ both allude morbidly to death; we soon learned that combined they are a fatal duo!

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19

20 LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

NOT QUIT E

Jack Knight prepares for his transatlantic voyage...

A

year in America? Hmmmm...sounds like a holiday....I'm a taker, I thought to myself last October. I had just received an email from the International Office about studying abroad and I was in a jovial mood. I was thinking of a year without York. A year without the stench of the lake. A year without the inevitable trips to Ziggys (with the inevitable mix of glass and vomit in your shoes). A year without having to look at Central Hall. Where do I sign up?

Oh bugger. Apparently there is an application process. Forms and data and more forms and a few more forms and a bit more data and then another form. Ok, I can hack that for an American holiday.

So I set to it, presenting myself with uncharacteristic (some may say false) energy and competence. I shall overcome the paper monster.

At this point I am imagining myself as some hybrid form of Jack Kerouac and Christopher Columbus, without the obvious alcoholism and imperialistic genocidal tendencies. The lone explorer, the wise traveller, the intrepid writer.

Then I found out there is an interview. Seeming intelligent and respectable on paper is one thing.

Appearing intelligent and respectable in person is quite another. But I set to it. I practised the timeless art of oratory, otherwise known as not opening your gob without saying something frivolous, stupid or gormless. I reread my application essay. Apparently I had a burning interest in Native American history.

Better go to the library then.

I sat waiting for the interview with what was now a genuine interest . (How could you not be interested in societies that used skunk oil to treat common colds)? That was my trump card, my Oscar winning fact. Unfortunately skunk oil was not mentioned in the interview (and it's impossible to crowbar that one in!) American social culture in Japan did though. Thank God I can blag!

My trick to appear intelligent worked: "We are pleased to offer you a place at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey".

All I had to do now was get my visa sorted. This, I quickly learnt, was easier said than done. SEVIS fees, MRV fees, financial agreements, exam transcripts, A Level certificates, 2 inch by 2 inch photos, J1 visa forms, DS2019 forms, etc, etc, etc! One trip to the American Embassy in London later and I have my precious visa.

I started to get emails for Rutgers. I was living in a place called "Rockoff Hall - aka THE ROCK" I was told. (Yeah, does Hull Road sound so good anymore)?

I had to pick modules out of a choice of hundreds - "The Modern Middle East" sounded more interesting than staying in York for "Neighbours: Social Relations in the Age of the Reformations".

And then I had to fill in my student finance. Not only would I like living in THE ROCK and studying great modules, but as an exchange student I would only be paying a third of my fees!

Staying in York's not sounding so great anymore is it?

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY Maddy Potts brings you all the goings on over the summer...

I

'm sunburnt. And that means that it is officially, unquestionably, indubitably, Summer. And while my frazzled skin and I convalesce there are a host of exciting, unusual, and occasionally downright odd activities for you to be getting on it. Whether you're staying in York over the Summer, or just popping back for the occasional visit,

add some of these not-to-be-missed events to your diary.

We've searched high and low to bring you the absolute cream of the crop of this Summer's happenings. Lace up your running shoes for a charity 10k, take them off again for the naked maze night, and channel your inner Alan Partridge for the Festival of Cheese.

Jane Thomlinson's 10k 1st August Get some exercise, enjoy the scenery, raise some money.

York Early Music Festival 9th - 17th July Week of folk, jazz and medieval music concerts.

Rhod Gilbert Live, Opera House 2nd September Enjoy some live comedy - but tickets are running out!

Vintage Clothes Fair 18th July Shop affordable vintage stalls in the Museum Gardens.

York Races Now - 1st October Get your glad rags on and place a bet.

Book fair 10th September Largest rare book fair in Europe!

Naked Maze Night 24th July Explore the Heslington Maze. Naked.

Cheesefest 18th-26th September Smell their cheese.

York Farmers' Market 30th July Scrumptious local goodies sold by the producers themselves.

Yorkshire Vision Curry Contest 23rd September No relation, unfortunately, but there will be much free curry.

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YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday June 29th , 2010

21

THE FINAL CHAPTER GREEN WITH ENVY

Mika Bhatia reflects upon her time as a visiting student at York…

A

ll good things must come to an end. We’ve all heard it time and time again, and while it might be clichéd and overused, the sad reality is that this statement is 100% true.

And once again I’ve found myself coming to terms with it as I wrap up my two terms as a visiting student at York and prepare to head back to Los Angeles to begin my final year at university.

Studying abroad is something I’ve wanted to do for years. My original intent was not, however, to come to York, a town in England that I had never heard of. I wanted to be in exciting and glamorous London (like every other American who plans to come to England and hasn't heard of anywhere else). But when I found out none of the London universities offered my study abroad programme, I decided to go with York and kept my fingers crossed that it would be a decent place.

Little did I know that six months later I would decisively say that I couldn’t have imagined any place more decent.

Prior to leaving California, friends who had previously studied abroad kept saying that it was the best experience of their life. And while I heard them, now I can finally understand why.

Only someone who has studied abroad can really understand this— you find yourself in an unfamiliar country, suddenly immersed with students who already know each other, the university, and its customs. From then on, life is on high speed - from

making friends, to fitting in, to learning a new lifestyle. It takes a lot of effort; everyone else has already had time to carve out their niche, but for a visiting student time isn’t a luxury.

The effort is completely worth it though. I for one will leave England with incredible friends, unforgettable memories, and a real attachment to York. The one downside is the end of it all; never again will I walk past Central Hall on my way to lectures wondering how any building could so resemble a UFO; nor will I again be able to walk into my kitchen and have a cup of tea with one of my seven flatmates who made me feel so welcome here.

It’s incredibly sad having to think about leaving a life I love so much.

Some things I will miss - lazy days spent lying on the quad, watching unhealthy amounts of Prison Break and Desperate Housewives in the flat, queues for cash machines (only in England, I swear), chips and cheese (again, only in England), nighttime runs up Clifford’s Tower, accents I can barely understand and how strange it is that everyone signs their texts with kisses.

But most importantly? All the fun, outgoing, kind, caring, energetic people I’ve met along the way.

All this; this is why I don’t want it to end. But as we unfortunately know, there’s no way around that.

Zoe Pinder investigates the ethical beauty industry...

T

he global cosmetics industry is worth approximately £6.2 billion with females everywhere regularly stocking up on the latest girly goodies to stuff into their already bursting bathroom cabinets.

Worryingly, many cosmetics firms use a large number of unsustainable ingredients and scarily named chemicals to create their products. News about how much damage our consumption and waste is causing to eco-systems has seen support for cosmetics brands conscientious about green issues grow significantly. The recent oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico only highlights how much damage humans can cause, so here Vision looks at the companies flying the flag for environmentally kind cosmetics.

LUSH offer a great range of environmentally friendly cosmetics that are a treat for your skin too. Their green ethos means that the company are limiting the damage they cause on the environment. The company prides itself on using sustainable sources rather than denying the planet of its resources and practically all the products themselves are biodegradable. Tasty, natural produce, such as coconut oil and vanilla, dominate the ingredients list meaning that the soaps and shampoos smell good enough to eat. The products are fun and quirky with the choices of products ranging from colourful bath bombs, solid shampoo and massage bars. The lack of synthetics means that even those with more sensitive skin can enjoy these lovely treats without having to worry about the products causing aggravation.

The company's pledge to cut down on packaging means that gift sets are boxed

in recycled materials and stuffed with popcorn instead of polystyrene to ensure your purchases aren't damaged on their journey home. If you return just five of the signature black pots used for holding moisturisers, facemasks and other body washes, you receive a free fresh facemask as a reward for your earth loving antics!

AVEDA, who specialise in botanical hair products, produce gorgeous smelling shampoos that give you glossy locks while you do your bit to save the planet. Not only are the products more environmentally friendly than your normal Pantene Pro-V, they also have a positive impact on the communities that the products are sourced from. By using naturally sourced ingredients from all over the world, Aveda helps support the economic development of impoverished communities.

The veteran of the green cosmetics market is, of course, the BODY SHOP, founded in 1976. Not only does the company use both environmentally friendly resources and support fair trade ingredients but it also does a number of highly successful charity campaigns. Through the sale of limited edition products, the Body Shop aims to help raise awareness for global issues such as child sex trafficking and HIV. It has an extensive range of products from high end make-up to complete skincare regimes for any skin type.

Therefore, you can get your hands on some delicious toiletry treats while helping support several worthwhile causes.

So the next time you're looking to update your wash bag staples, spare a thought for the ethics behind your beauty.

SALIVATION IS NIGH!

Maddy Potts is lovin' it.

L

aunching at Fashion Weeks around the world, The Cool Hunter brings you McFancy, "an upmarket temporary McDonalds store." London, Paris, New York, Sidney, Milan and Hong Kong will see the art installation/restaurant this year, if the designers behind TheCoolHunter.net have their way.

The Cool Hunter is an online magazine with 950,000 readers per month across the globe. And now the makers of the website are launching a branding agency, Access, which hopes to revolutionise household brands by spinning them in an unexpected way.

"The surprise element," according to the brains behind McFancy, "changes the thinking patterns, and makes the experience memorable." The first brand to be put through the process is McDonalds, with this Access created profile of exactly how customers' perceptions would be turned upside down.

Turning cheap food of rather suspect quality into a luxury commodity, with beautiful packaging and designer influences is the core of this particular rebrand. Whilst the food itself is accessible to the masses, the presentation nods to the high end, luxurious lifestyle of those who frequent the Front Rows.

Among The Cool Hunter's ideas are silver service waiters dressed in tuxedos and private, exclusive

dining areas. The real spectacle, however, is the food.

Without changing the product itself, the redesign allows for real comfort food amidst the cocktails and canapes of the fashion world (though we doubt many of the models will be tucking into a fillet'o'fish).

Our personal favourite in the office is the Paul Smith McFlurry, complete with ice cream parlour stripes and artistically drizzled chocolate sauce.

This truly is a world away from our usual two a.m. dashes for a burger, and surely with this level of sophistication the calories don't count?

Although not a fan of the old Golden Arches myself, I could definitely see those fries looking more tempting complete with Chanel quilted leather, and you might even persuade me to eat a burger if I felt I was sharing in a little bit of Burberry love.

So all this fancy food got us thinking here in the office, and we reckon we could give this Cool

Hunter fellow a run for his money. Remember those candy necklaces that featured heavily in Party Bags (ie. the days when you left a party with more than an impending hangover?) and tasted inescapably of string?

We would like to rebrand these little beads of nostalgia to have them packaged in individual turquoise boxes, Tiffany style, with enticingly expensive looking gilt labelling.

Polos, of course, practically rebrand themselves, and should clearly feature a tiny man on a tiny horse, using a mint in place of a polo ball.

And while those good folks are busy being sued by Ralph Lauren, they should bring back the Polo Citrus too.

Whether or not designer fast food will take off is yet to be seen, but it would certainly make us see our post-lash grub in a different light if Efes was a bit more Erva, and the Viking Kitchen a bit more Vivienne Westwood.

Hermes Fries with that?

22

YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday June 29th 2010

>Style

FESTIVAL FEVER

Sarah Woods gives us the top tips, style secrets and fashion musts for your festival trip!

L

uggage and space may be limited at festivals, which means you won't be able to bring your entire wardrobe along with you to pick out what to wear on what day. The best way to keep your suitcase/backpack light is to decide on what you NEED to take and what you don’t.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR Steer clear of playsuits and bodies. Fumbling around trying to get them off and on in a tiny tent or claustrophobic cubicle can be a nightmare. They may look great but they aren’t the easiest of garments to put on!

White is never a good idea - there are muddy fields, and there are never any decent places to wash. A white pair of shorts or a pristine white vest wont stay white for long. Stick to colours which wont show dirt – especially if you’re planning on wearing the item more than once!

To avoid sinking in the mud and toppling over when you’re pushed in all the crowds, don’t wear high heels. Stick to some comfy, cute ballet pumps or a pair of stylish military boots – or you could just grab some good old wellies! Then there’s no need to worry about them getting dirty. You may have limited space for your clothes but that doesn’t mean you can’t look stylish! Many festival-loving celebrities have turned the muddy fields of a festival into the catwalks for the latest fashions. Just look at Pixie Lott and Kate Moss – they have made wellington boots look amazing by teaming them with denim hot pants and a cute waistcoat!

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s blocking their view! And definitely don’t bother with a coat or anorak. They may keep you dry but they don’t look so great! A Parka will do just fine, it also looks great AND won’t take up to much space in your bag! Take a look at Topshop’s Pac-A-Parka range, there’s plenty of colours and patterns; you’re bound to find one you’ll love.

Of course, along with your clothes, accessories and toiletries you need your camping equipment! If you're going to buy a tent why not stand out from the crowd with a funky design? Funkyleisure.co.uk have a fantastic range of festival tents with lots of different patterns and designs which will mean you'll be able to spot your tent from miles away!

Have fun!

ESSENTIALS Be sure to take as many accessories as you can! A flowery hair piece or a cool necklace can transform jeans and a vest top to something a lot more stylish! Some cute flower hair clips will look great, even if your hair is looking a little worse for wear; check out Miss Selfridge’s Diva collection for some cheap hair accessories.

British weather can be a bit… temperamental (to say the least). So, to avoid being caught in the rain, be sure to pack a Parka with you! Don’t bother with an umbrella, the people behind you watching the band won't be too impressed if you’re

Quick Pit ch - Albarin SS Tent o Pri £34.99 nt funkyleis ure.co.uk

GET A BLOG ON...

Emily Brunwin surfs the web for style tips...

T

here’s no denying the omnipresence of the internet. Wake up, log on: it’s part of our daily routine.

Want to read the news? No longer is a stroll to the shop necessary, a multitude of websites are but a click away, constantly updated, and absolutely free. Same rules apply for a fashion magazine; it's simply not a pleasure to be assaulted page after page of glossy adverts for beautiful things that you cannot afford. Fashion blogs on the other hand are prolific, progressive, and they are taken seriously - today it is the norm for the front row seats at catwalks to be reserved for bloggers, who sit along side Paris Hilton et al, posting catwalk images live from Milan, directly to your laptop.

The Sartorialist, distinguished as one of Time magazines top 100 Style Influences, is an enduring (five years old and with a rather beautiful coffee table book under it’s belt), not to mention, elegant, way to start. Creator Scott Shuman first took to the streets in 2005, with a digital camera and the notion of capturing individuals ‘the way designers looked at people.’ His work has now extended to catwalks, and his search for style gone global, capturing the innovative and interesting stranger in cities worldwide. Shuman goes easy on the commentary and keeps his opinion to a minimum, with the occasional comment directing ones attention to the turn up

of a hem, or the tilt of a hat, he generally lets his photographs speak for themselves.

If you can get past the concept of receiving sartorial advice from a rather whimsical thirteen year old, then The Style Rookie is well worth a browse. A combination of beautifully styled, staged and modeled (by creator Tavi Gevinson herself) photography, irreverent snippets from daily life, and commentary on current designer collections, this makes for a varied and engaging read.

And my favourite, as my most visited pages will (sadly) testify, has to be the frankly massively amusing ‘GoFugYourself‘. The ‘Fug Girls,’ as authors Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks are widely known, are blessed with the uncanny ability to put into words EXACTLY what we were thinking with regards to Lindsay Lohan/Ashley Olsen/Peaches Geldof ’s latest ensemble. Indeed, Lohan causes much contention: ‘You know how -- say, back when you were very young -- after a night of dancing and open bar, you would wake up the next morning and roll over and smell something and think, "what IS THAT?" and then you'd realize that the thing you smelled was YOURSELF? This outfit is the sartorial expression of that moment," was the Fug Girls eloquent summary of a recent misdemeanor. A website conveniently arranged both chronologically (updated daily), by event (Oscars

etc) and by celebrity, allowing for the casual browser to love-orhate according to mood, it certainly makes for a delightful essay/ revision procrastination session.

A quick Google search will unearth hundreds of amusing, insightful and thoughtfully composed blogs.

They have considerably less advertising to work through than your average copy of Vogue, an inherently edgier take on fashion than say, Look Magazine. Furthermore, with live commentary and constant updates, your average blog will be more of the moment then any publication can possibly be. Perfect for procrastination, at your fingertips, absolutely free: wake up, log on, refresh page.

YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday June 29th 2010

>Style

23

GOT THE LOVE? HEAVEN SCENT

Helen Turnbull tells us why to fall back in love with fashion this summer.

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ever have John Paul Young’s song lyrics been more true than this summer; love is truly in the proverbial air. That ‘air’ being: the catwalks and the high street. Romance is back with a vengeance. Think pretty pastels, gentle ruffles and lacey trims with all the frills.

My high-street hot spot for this fairytale fashion fix is Miss Selfridge. Admittedly somewhat hit and miss, but it is bang on for enviable romance pieces right now.

Try one of their light-as-air dresses or blouses (or both) on its own or with a pair of staple denim shorts if the hem-line is a bit risqué. Don't confine romance to daytime dressing; vamp up your evening with statement platforms, guaranteed to get you the love, or at least a handful of compliments.

And with a new branch opening in York's Topshop soon, what better excuse to treat yourself.

Lace is fast becoming a timeless classic; starting off as a mini-trend back in Autumn 08' it shows no signs of disappearing.

Lucky for me and you I say. Lace is a lust-have for the romance trend.

I bought a lovely white lace shirt from a vintage store in Newcastle recently. Worn with the appropriate undergarments, buttoned up and tucked into a pair of worn denim shorts or thrown over a tea dress it prettifies any outfit. Be sure to check out the likes of DEEP and Purple Haze for a romantic steal before the end of term.

When it comes to jewellery, think delicate

and dainty. Quaint vintage boutiques are your best bet if you want a piece that every other person won't have in a few weeks time.

Failing that, dig out or invest in the number one jewellery box staple: the string of pearls.

Now for the boys (yes you!), a masculine take on ‘Romance’ is guaranteed to earn you brownie points with your female associates. Get in touch with your feminine side.

The same rules apply except, but leave the lace alone. If pastel skinnies cramp your style try a light coloured tee. Topman's are two for £12 at the moment, plus student discount. The classic deck shoe has had a 'romantic' colouring make-over. Asides from your standard brown and leather numbers, there are an assortment of grey scale pairs on the high street ideal for a Summer update.

If you are struggling and find yourself blushing in the mirror with embarrassment and not the usual vanity, then check out Channel 4’s Frock Me! with Alexa Chung and Henry Holland. Episode five is dedicated to the summer romance trend and has some valuable pointers. Girls like boys who (don't pretend to) know about fashion so see it as killing two birds with one stone so to speak.

Sorted, for a summer ed n of love.

You just need n i Sequf, that hot summer fling 2 f cu OS, £1 to provide the perfect AS accessory.

Helen O’Brien sniffs out the best summer fragrances.

A

ccording to Christian Dior, “A woman's perfume tells more about her than her handwriting." A good perfume is the ultimate accessory and with smell being one of the best triggers of memories, it’s important to make sure you’re making the right impression with your aroma.

As we head into summer, it’s time to refresh your fragrance collection and invest in a scent that reveals the new, relaxed summer you.

Traditionally, summer fragrances are light, fresh and fun and DKNY’s newest release Love From New York fits the bill perfectly. The smell instantly makes you think of holidays, sunshine and general good times. It’s fruity and feminine without being overly sugary and so retains an air of sophistication- an ideal perfume for a warm summer evening filled with cocktails and girly chat.

Not wanting to lose their loyal customers, many designers are producing summer versions of their classic fragrances. Last summer, Dior released Miss Dior Cherie L’eau, the fun-loving summer sister of their best-selling classic Miss Dior Cherie, and this summer it returns to stores. A simple floral scent, it’s every girlygirl’s dream, from its gentle lily-of the valley aroma down to its beauti-

ful bow adorned bottle, this fragrance is pure femininity. Another floral fragrance given a summer revamp is Paul Smith Rose. The new summer edition has added bursts of citrus, giving the traditional and delicate rose fragrance a summer pick-me-up.

If you prefer a bolder and more energetic perfume, then Marc Jacobs’s new limited edition Apple Splash may be the way to go. Apple, Pomegranate and Biscotti are all new summer additions to the Splash series, inspired by sitting outside a patisserie on a warm summer’s day. Each has a different feel; however the uplifting fruity aroma of Apple is a personal favourite, it’s deliciously upbeat and refreshing.

In a world where Lindsay Lohan has her own line of leggings and Katie Price is designing make-up for children, it’s not surprising that celebrities have also taken over the perfume counter. Not content with being in the must-see film of the summer, Sarah-Jessica Parker/Carrie Bradshaw is also attempting to market the mustsmell fragrance of the summer. SJP NYC was apparently “inspired by the essence and spirit of Carrie Bradshaw walking down her favourite New York City street” and whilst the packaging, with its bright contrasting patterns and prints, is unquestionably a Carrie outfit in bottle form, the saccharine strawberry scent is perhaps not the best interpretation of the chic New York fashionista.

Whether you’re spending your summer relaxing by the beach, discovering new cities or clearing tables for minimum wage, the right scent can create a whole new you, so choose wisely!

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24 SPORT

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

>Sport

SPORTS TEAM FANCY DRESS RAMPAGE DRUNKEN INVASION At 8.45pm around 30 fancy dressed members of the football team rampaged through the doors of the library, chanting in unison - “I’m Vanbrugh till I die”; however it has been alleged by witnesses in the library that the students were in fact members of Halifax College, who were using the Vanbrugh chant as a cover.

As they stormed up the stairs one first year philosophy student told us, “They were all calling each other names like ‘lads’ and ‘man beast’, but it was a quite funny because one of them was drinking cherry lambrini.”

But it wasn’t so funny for the staff on duty: one librarian who wished to remain anonymous informed Vision, “It really was bad, they started chucking books off

COMMON PRACTICE All of this came after Vision reported on a similar incident in the library 8 months ago, although we have learned that these are not two isolated incidences, and such occurrences have become common practice at the end of every term.

The team continued their rampage ridiculing studious students; one drunken lout pointed to a girl and bellowed, “If you gave that one a few pints, I bet her clothes would fall right off for me…she’s gagging for it”.

Surprised security guards tried to calm the situation, but seemed

to wind the sports teams up even more.

Mike Bailey, a second year maths student commented, “It was really strange. It was a chase between a podgy security guard and a sporty drunk; they were dodging shelves and computers and all sorts.”

Such behaviour has allegedly been increasing in frequency, especially for the Halifax squad, who after every term celebrate with a debauched tour around campus. The anonymous librarian added,

“We have become used to it, but it is pretty disrespectful and these types of incidents seem to be growing”.

The library staff did however have the last laugh. Around half an hour after the team had disbanded, one lone footballer was forced to walk back to the library in leopard skin Speedos and log a lost property request for his wallet. The anonymous librarian smirked, “He was pretty ashamed of himself”.

SPORT SPOTLIGHT

Photo: Paddy Harte

THE UNIVERSITY library was thrown into chaos on Thursday night as a group of students drunkenly invaded the library - kicking up a serious fuss and leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Following a tip-off from an anonymous student, Vision was there to take exclusive secret photos and witness the debacle unfold.

the shelves and spilling beer all over the carpet”.

Photo: Paddy Harte

BY PADDY HARTE

UNIVERSITY OF YORK KENDO CLUB

VISION'S ROGER BAXTER DRAWS HIS SHINAI AND COMBATS THE UNIVERSITY'S KENDO CLUB...

Then I learnt how to walk. This was more difficult than I thought, especially given that I reckoned I was alright at it beforehand. This was a day for the shattering of

preconceptions though. I still don't quite understand what went on, but I do know that it involved the members of the club gliding effortlessly back and forth across the floor, bearing ominous resemblances to the terrifying Wringraiths of Lord of the Rings. Meanwhile your gallant correspondent mentally laid on curse after curse while attempting to shuffle along at the least embarrassing pace.

After stretching (which never helps to improve your mood, really) we formed into two lines, three of us without armour, the rest in the whole sweltering caboodle. Subsequent exercises involved striking your opponent on the men (head), do (side), cote (wrist), and in the throat with a tsuki (thrust). Excused from being hit due to having no armour, the note-from-mum excuse of many a Kendo master, I slashed ineffectively for a while until there began a sequence of blows that can't even be remembered, let alone carried out; so I sat on the sidelines, sweaty and frustrated.

And then a strange thing happened. The cries (ki-ai) when people struck, which had seemed utterly random (and, in the case of Geoffrey, visiting from Oxford, utterly terrifying), gradually began to correlate with where the blows fell. The strange staccato footwork started to make sense,

albeit vaguely. Given that I enjoy hitting people with a stick as much as the next man, I went back in, and by the end of the session I had really savoured these exercises.

Photo: Kendo Club

ly hidden away again, and someone muttered, "No, not that one-that one breaks bones."

Photo: Kendo Club

UP TO THIS point in my life I hadn't been aware of any particularly masochistic tendencies in myself, so you might imagine that I wasn't initially that thrilled at the prospect of, as a certain gleeful sports editor termed it, "Getting your ribs broken in the name of journalism". And yet I somehow found myself wandering down to James College Hall on a Saturday evening for this very purpose; sayings about curiosity, and in particular its unfortunate effect on cats, filled my mind.

As soon as I toddled in I was met by bemused looks, presumably due to the fact that I wasn't wearing an ankle-length blue robe. It might sound difficult to feel abnormal in a room full of people that look like they're impersonating Japanese housewives; let me assure you that it isn't. And then my induction in Kendo, or "The Way of the Sword", began. This involved learning how to hold the sword in question (it's called a shinai, in case you were wondering), which, I was slightly surprised to discover, wasn't the full Uma-Thurmandisembowelling-the-Crazy-88 job, but several bamboo sticks wrapped around a core. Faint hope was provided by the sight of a wooden katana, but this was hurried-

Watching the armoured members going at each other like tigers at the end dispelled me of any delusions over my own extremely crude abilities; what was even more impressive was the fact that the club has only been going on for two years, and has only had funding for one. Based on what I saw, they deserve more.

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

SPORT

MURRAY MANIA

25

VISION'S JON COOK ASKS WHETHER THE SCOTTISH GROUCH CAN GRIMACE HIS WAY TO WIMBLEDON GLORY AT TIMES during Mahut and Isner’s epic, never-ending tennis marathon, it was difficult to remember that something called Wimbledon continued to unfold around them. The American’s gruelling win was intense, emotional viewing-truly riveting-but in the bigger picture of the world’s premier tennis tournament it was all a bit pointless.

Neither player was going to trouble the trophy engraver this year, which will probably be of minimal consolation to Mahut if he ever finds the will to pick up a racket again. Plucky underdogs are likely to be demolished in depressing fashion, in a men’s draw which is packed with quality players. The last few years have been something of a golden age for men’s tennis and Wimbledon 2010 may be its culmination. Her Majesty certainly picked a good time to visit for the first time in 30 years.

Unfortunately for Liz she will have seen very little of her own subjects in action as she sauntered regally around the grounds.

British tennis has been more than a little sub-standard for a long time now. Our best players have either been foreign born, such as the Canadian Greg Rusedski or our Aussie teen prodigy Laura Robson, or trained overseas, such as Andy Murray who emigrated to Spain to find decent coaching. On the female front Britain has not had a serious contender in living memory and the LTA’s policy for producing decent male players seems to mimic the tagline from Highlander, namely, ‘There can be only one’. The world appar-

ently can only contain one British tennis superstar, one man who annually has to carry the hopes of, and ultimately disappoint, the most demanding of nations.

Thankfully for us, our current number one is actually quite good. Best to say it quietly but Andy Murray may be the best chance of a British Wimbledon champion in quite a while.

To win though he’ll have to run a gauntlet which consists of some of the best players ever. Federer is not quite the player he once was, but he is still Federer. It has been suggested by commentators that he has lost some of the fleet-footedness of his younger years, and recently his staggering record of reaching 23 consecutive semi-finals ended on the red clay of the French Open. On his day though he resembles a machine designed specifically to play flawless, precision tennis, and he has won so many tennis titles it must be a little confusing for him when he occasionally does not get to take home a trophy.

His arch-nemesis Nadal has the advantage of being younger and ridiculously honed physically. He will also be extremely motivated, having missed the last Wimbledon, and much of the last 18 months, through injury. Even if neither of these two tennis legends wins, an event which hasn’t happened since 2002, the rest of the competition is not too shabby. Any of Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling, or even former champion Lleyton Hewitt, to name but a few, could throw a spanner in Andy’s works.

Murray however does have one advan-

tage over all the others: he is on home turf, and the crowd are on his side. At least that is the situation on paper. Murray, a proud Scot, may not feel quite as at home on an English court as Henman did. Nor will he ever enjoy the unadulterated adulation that Tiger Tim enjoyed. There is something about Murray that has not always endeared him to the English public.

Clearly his Scottishness is a problem for some, but his mannerisms are not instantly loveable either. He is a dour man who rarely smiles, and constantly wears an expression as if he has been locked in a cell all day with only a copy of Nouse for company.

His fierce desire to win may lose him friends too, and is at odds with the strawberries-and-cream, middle-class reservation that, even in 2010, is still characteristic of Wimbledon and the competition's spectators. It’s not uncommon to see him lose his cool with

an umpire and throw a tantrum if things don’t go his way.

Champions are not usually likeable people though. Michael Schumacher, Alex Ferguson and Shane Warne all had their critics, largely because their drive to win occasionally led them to stretch the rules to the limits. Murray has a similar singlemindedness, a determined focus, an unattractive disregard for anything else but the win. In the light of recent failures for the English football team, and Henman's appealing but ultimately excessive niceness, perhaps it is Murray's unquenchable thirst for victory, a very un-English character trait, that has prevented him from achieving the same level of admiration that timid Tim did. This won't bother Murray one bit, and he is not at Wimbledon to win friends. His disappointment at losing the Australian Open final in January was there for all to see, and after two Grand Slam final defeats Murray is desperate to jump over that last hurdle and win his first Grand Slam. Henman Hill may never truly be Murray Mount, but if Andy can do what Tim never did and win Wimbledon, he will be eternally thankful that he traded some popularity for success.

EMILY SCOTT: "I HAVE LIVED UP TO MY MANIFESTO"

BY JOSH MANGHAM A YEAR of sports came to an end last week with the York Sport Dinner, in which awards were presented for this year’s outstanding teams and competitors. The event, which took place in the Roger Kirk Centre last Friday, was significant in that it also represented the end of Emily Scott’s year as York Sport President. In an exclusive interview this week with Vision, Emily Scott reflected fondly on her year as head of the Sports Committee, and talked passionately about the challenges university sport faces over the coming year.

VARSITY PRIDE Looking back on her year in charge, Scott says she was “most proud” of her re-introduction of Varsity, although she admitted that in order for the tournament to become more competitive what “perhaps needs to be looked into” was a change in the weighting of sports. After saying “throughout” her election campaign that she would bring back the competition between St. Johns and York University, she was glad that the decision to hold Varsity over the weekend for the first time ever paid off, with “more sports and more people involved than ever before”.

Reflecting on what she had learnt over the past twelve months, Scott conceded she “did not realise at election time how many other things would come up throughout the year”, and that she had learnt the importance of “delegation”. The Sports President went on to say however: “I feel

I have lived up to my manifesto, with the key exception of my aim to win this year’s Roses.”

According to Scott, the main issue for Sports President-Elect Sam Asfahani is finance. “Hopefully I have left things in slightly better shape than how they were when I came into office, but that doesn’t mean things will be easy”. She did stress however that Asfahani's experience as Langwith chair, and his “better background” in student politics, would leave him more prepared than she had been for the job next year.

HES EAST POOL When drawn on the subject of the Heslington East swimming pool project and its progress, Scott was coy, saying that the details “remain confidential”. However she did reveal that essential to the project’s success was gaining the approval of three more committees within the next couple of months in order to secure funding.

“The Heslington East swimming pool project will have plenty of public access as well as specific times for the York Sport Clubs to train in. The proposal not only includes a county standard eight-lane swimming pool, but also a fitness suite and a number of 3G pitches - one full size and three 5-a-side pitches”. The outgoing Sports President went on to state that a swimming pool on campus is something the University

“really needs”, and is something she “really hopes” gains approval.

GRANTS With provisional grants for sports clubs having been decided recently, although still remaining to be confirmed, Scott once again kept her cards hidden. She did reveal though that the University’s Senior Management were intent on developing the way sports at the university is funded: “The hope is that sports membership will change drastically over the next year, which might change how sport is funded”.

On the topic of the recently launched University Sports Strategy, Emily Scott’s enthusiasm for the initiative was palpable. According to Scott, the Sports Strategy is “crucial” to ensuring the University “begins to acknowledge sport at the level it deserves, and hopefully to support it in the way it needs”. With the Strategy “now signed off”, Scott confidently stated that the University “has a commitment to sport”, and as a result “can’t just sweep it under the carpet”.

On a final note, Scott praised those she had worked with, and expressed her confidence that next year would be a successful one for university sport: "YUSU has some fantastic support staff and there is also the York Sport Committee. I would like to wish Sam Asfahani and the Committee the best of luck for next year I have no doubt they will do a sterling job!

YORK SPORT AWARD WINNERS 2010 College Sportswoman of the Year: Beth O'Leary - Wentworth College Sportsman of the Year: Samik Datta - Wentworth College Team of the Year: Wentworth Volleyball Justin Taylor Memorial Award: Frankie Hall - Halifax Sportswoman of the Year: Marlies Neuner - YUsnow Sportsman of the Year: Michael Walsh - Pool & Snooker Service to Sport: Adam Shergold Most Improved Team of the Year: Cricket Men's 1sts Roses Team of the Year: Mixed Volleyball Team of the Year: Pool 1sts Club of the Year: Men's Rugby

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26 SPORT

YORK VISION

Tuesday June 29th 2010

COLLEGE CUP

BY STEPHEN HOLCROFT

Photo: Daniel Gilks

IT'S CRUNCHTIME in the College Cup as Alcuin and Derwent 1sts lock horns for the second time this year in a mouthwatering final clash on the JLD. A tough match lies in store for both teams as the top two sides of this year's competition go head to head on Wednesday afternoon.

Derwent will look to their formidable defensive record for inspiration, having conceded in only two of their six matches en route to the final. Derwent however will unquestionably be tested against an Alcuin side who have been scoring freely, most impressively hitting pre-tournament favourites Halifax 1sts for five in the semi-final encounter last week.

GROUP STAGE RESULTS DERWENT 1STS Lost to Alcuin 1sts 3-1 Beat Vanbrugh 3rds 1-0 Beat Vanbrugh 2nds 3-0 Beat Wentworth 2nds 2-0

ALCUIN 1STS Beat Derwent 1sts 3-1 Beat Wentworth 2nds 3-0 Beat Vanbrugh 2nds 3-1 Beat Vanbrugh 3rds 6-0

GROUP C TEAM

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Alcuin 1sts 4 Derwent 1sts 4 Vanbrugh 2nds 4 Wentworth 2nds 4 Vanbrugh 3rds 4

QUARTERS

W 4 3 1 1 0

D 0 0 1 0 1

SEMIS

L 0 1 2 3 3

GD 13 4 -2 -6 -9

FINAL

Pt 12 9 4 3 1

HISTORY FAVOURS ALCUIN If history is anything to go by Alcuin have the clear edge, with the Cup holders clinching victory in their three previous encounters. For Derwent the most significant of these defeats was of course the opening tournament game between the two sides, when Alcuin sealed a 3-1 victory over the team they now face in this week's final.

Yet that match was almost seven weeks ago, and Derwent have improved immeasurably as the Cup has progressed. The Derwent Army will be boosted by the return of Dave Attwood in goal, the goalkeeper having missed the semi-final clash with Vanbrugh 1sts, and he will be aided by the ever-reliable central pairing of

COLLEGE CUP CHAMPIONS

Dom Henney and Steve Walwyn in a possible 4-5-1 formation. Underrated Joe Broughflower provides stability to the backline along the right side, and at left back slot captain Matt Hallam must choose between either Ric Burne or Paul-Ward Jones.

Deploying a five man midfield, Hallam will position himself in his customary central midfield position, with star player Chris Barnett and Alex Cooper operating either side of him. Ben Smith is likely to operate in the attacking midfield position as he aims to provide support for Ed Lacaille, who will seemingly operate as the lone striker. Expect also to see some of Nav Jabarkhyl if Derwent are trailing going into the final quarter.

Alcuin's line-up should remain consistent with that of recent weeks. Veteran university goalkeeper Michael Wynd will get the nod in goal, with full-back and captain Miles McDermott most probably favouring a 4-4-2 formation. In front of Wynd will be Simon Reiss and Jack Crane, and Jake Delaney given the left back slot.

The amount of attacking options at McDermott's disposal can only give him and his side confidence in this encounter. Joe Cooper and Dan Cox are almost certain to lead the attacking line, but Udy Onwudike, much like our beloved Emile Heskey, provides an extra physical dimension if the need arises.

There was a sense of disappointment amongst some observers when Halifax were paired with Alcuin in the semi-finals, with some feeling the match-up between two of the tournament's

FINAL

SEMIS

STRANDED CHALLENGERS Vanbrugh are another side who many felt would grace this year's final, yet their subdued 1-0 semi-final defeat to Derwent came as a surprise. After the culmination of group stages in which Vanbrugh stunned Halifax 3-0 and impressed with their attractive football, whilst Derwent persistently underwhelmed, punters would have had their money on Vanbrugh to sweep past the Blues and reach the final. This was not to be, however, and Vanbrugh showed little resistance as they were suffocated into submission in their semi-final with Derwent.

It is a well worn saying that football is a team game, but Vanbrugh suffered greatly with only a half-

QUARTERS DERWENT 1STS

ALCUIN 1STS ALCUIN 1STS

DERWENT DERWENT 1STS

1STS

LANGWITH 1STS ALCUIN 1STS

JAMES 1STS

DERWENT 1STS VANBRUGH 1STS

HALIFAX 1STS

GOODRICKE 1STS

most skilful teams should have been saved for this week's final encounter. Much like last season's Champions League, when we wondered what happened to the Barcelonas, the Arsenals and the Manchester Uniteds of the competition, some confusion still surrounds the collapse of Halifax.

As a collection of individual players, Halifax's pedigree this year was unrivalled, but their inability to gel as a team proved to be the Fax's downfall. In the wake of this country's miserable exit from the World Cup last weekend, it is tempting to draw comparisons between a team that defended like 8-year-old amateurs and Halifax, although that would be harsh on the team many, this paper included, considered favourites for the College Cup. Halifax's failure to become more than the sum of their parts was a great disappointment though.

HALIFAX 1STS

VANBRUGH 1STS WENTWORTH 1STS Photo: Marcus Roby

YORK VISION

SPORT

Tuesday June 29th 2010

THE

TIPSTER

FINAL 2010

fit Ali Prince leading the line against Derwent. Deprived of the creativity and deadly finishing that brought Prince 7 goals in 6 games, Vanbrugh's attacking edge was blunted, and once Derwent took the lead they never really looked likely to lose it. Vanbrugh were the surprise package of this tournament, yet in the end they ran out of steam against a Derwent team that has built up momentum after a slow start to the competition.

Both sides have a style of play that can combine physical, long passing football with crisp, smooth flowing play, whilst Alcuin have the option of classical wing play with the talented Laird.

Still, don't fall under the assumption that this is all the sides have to offer.

FIREPOWER Derwent don't possess great firepower in attack, lacking a talismanic leader of the line in the shape of a Bruce Starkey or a Ali Prince, but their threat comes from a Rolls-Royce midfield run by the roaming Chris Barnett, a player whose technique, range of passing, and deadly shooting will be key to the Blues' chances of success.

Alcuin look the more dangerous team going forward, with potential match winners all over the field, from Miles McDermott to Christy Cormac through to the strike duo of Joe Cooper and Dan

Cox; Derwent must be wary. Cooper and Cox have yielded seven goals between them so far.

Nevertheless, Alcuin must find a way past a Derwent team that really have improved since their opening group stage disappointment at the hands of the Cup holders. Derwent's backline has been rock solid since their defeat to Alcuin, an attribute highlighted in their ability to hold out a pressing Vanbrugh in the semis, and in the statistic that they have only conceded once in their last five games.

An electric atmosphere will surely not be lacking along the sidelines, with both colleges' supporters not shy of participating in the merciless but jovial banter that has epitomised what the Cup is about.

Alcuin have been the most consistently impressive side in this year's competition, and possess match winners all over the team. Derwent are out for revenge though, and will be quietly confident of victory if they can run the game like they did against Vanbrugh. With both teams in bullish form, this will be a captivating final.

VISION PREDICTION: ALCUIN 3 DERWENT 1

AFTER ENGLAND'S HUMBLING AT THE HANDS OF GERMANY, A HOT-HEADED TIPSTER THROWS HIS CARDS ON THE TABLE

HOW THEY COMPARE: THE TEAMS ON PAPER 1. PROBABLE LINE-UPS Alcuin 1sts: Goalkeeper - Michael Wynd; Defence - Jack Crane, Paul Reiss, Jake Delaney, Miles McDermott; Midfield - Matt Stopforth, Christy Cormac, Ali Laird, Phil Bowers; Forwards - Dan Cox, Joe Cooper.

Derwent 1sts: Goalkeeper - Dave Attwood; Defence - Dom Henney, Steve Walwyn, Joe Broughtflower, Paul-Ward Jones; Midfield - Matt Hallam, Chris Barnett, Alex Cooper, Ben Smith, Matt O'Connor; Forwards; Ed Lacaille.

2. ATTACK VS DEFENCE Both teams have a fantastic defensive record they've only conceded seven goals between them so far in the competition! Statistically, Alcuin have the advantage condeding 3 compared to Derwent's 4. But, aside conceding 3 rivals on Wednesday, Derwent have only conceded once more.

In the attacking deparmtent, Alcuin have the clear advantage, and score an average of over 3 goals a game. The Blues aren't as dominant in this department, scoring only 11 goals in the competition, 3 of which have arrived from defence. It really is all about those 3's!

3. KEY BATTLES Dom Henney and Steve Walwyn (Derwent) vs Dan Cox and Joe Cooper (Alcuin): The Derwent centrebacks have been excellent so far in the competition, but will have be tested to their limits against the in-form Alcuin strike force.

Matt Hallam (Derwent) vs Matt Stopforth (Alcuin): Derwent's captain leads by example in the middle of the field, and will be hoping to inject his inspiration into the Blues' play once again. Stopforth and the other Alcuin midfielders will hope to prevent Hallam ceasing advantage of any foothold in the game.

4. STAR PLAYERS Derwent: Chris Barnett

SURE THING STUART PEARCE TO BE NEXT ENGLAND MANAGER I write this column two days before you even pick up the paper. I’m so confident that Fabio Capello will be sacked within that time that I’m going to jump straight into speculation over his successor.

The blame for the dismal 4-1 defeat to the Krauts, though not entirely attributable to Capello, rests mainly on the irate Italian’s shoulders. A baffling stubbornness over his tactically poor substitutions and an unbending refusal to deviate from the flat and uncreative 4-4-2 has lead to an early World Cup exit for England, and fans calling for his head.

The obvious successor is Stuart 'Psycho' Pearce. His brand of passionate motivation coupled with the tactical nous he gained from his stint as the England U21’s boss may be able to rescue the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ from more ignominy. With qualification for the Euros coming up I think the country is quite ready to put the sorry incident of South Africa far, far behind us.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

3/1

long shot DERWENT TO WIN THE COLLEGE CUP This summer's College Cup has once again provided us with heartbreak, excitement and rough tackles. The early exit of a solid Goodricke side, as well as a surprisingly resurgent Vanbrugh team, added to the unpredictability of the tournament.

The upcoming final sees Alcuin look to defend their title against rivals Derwent. Alcuin have performed imperiously of late, routing Halifax 5-1, and beating Derwent over the past 3 years, this year's competition included, and thus must be considered favourites. Alcuin aren't infallible though, and no final is ever set in stone.

Derwent have a difficult but not impossible task; their strength and physicality could cause problems for an Alcuin team who need space to dominate.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

6/1

absolute madness GERMANY TO BEAT ARGENTINA

Alcuin: Christy Cormac

PREVIOUS MEETINGS Photo: Marcus Roby

27

23/06/2009: Alcuin 1sts 3 - 1 Derwent 1sts 31/10/2007: Alcuin 1sts 5 - 2 Derwent 1sts 13/05/2010: Alcuin 1sts 3 - 1 Derwent 1sts

It’s difficult to care about this match. The Krauts may have ripped apart the England team but even Argentina’s defence (featuring Newcastle’s headless chicken Jonas Gutierrez and the lackadaisical Bayern Munich centre back Martin Demichelis) wouldn’t make Terry and Upson's errors.

Coupled with the clear problems of the German defence, the trio of Messi, Tevez and Higuain should rip apart the slow and stupid pairing of Mertesacker and Friedrich without much difficulty.

Some may think it’s a big shout to say that Germany have no chance against the Argies, but having seen their performance against Serbia and the scraped victory over Ghana it’s one of the easiest predictions I’ve ever made. The only hard thing about the match is working out who I’m going to support.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

15/1

Tuesday June 29th, 2010

Issue 208

EMILY SCOTT'S LAST WORD

YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR ALL UNI SPORT

P24

SPORT SPOTLIGHT: THE KENDO CLUB

P25

ALCUIN VS DERWENT:

ROUND TWO >DERWENT SEEKING REVENGE AFTER EARLIER COLLEGE CUP DEFEAT TO ALCUIN

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MURRAY MANIA! VISION ASSESS ANDY'S CHANCES OF A WIN AT WIMBLEDON

>ALCUIN LOOKING TO BECOME CUP CHAMPIONS FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW >ALCUIN APPEARING IN FOURTH CONSECUTIVE FINAL

BY JOSH MANGHAM AND SO this is it. After seven weeks, fifBY

ty-four matches and numerous goals, the College Cup final has arrived.

It is Derwent versus Alcuin this week in what will be a titanic clash between two very different footballing teams.

Derwent and Alcuin are no strangers however, having been paired in the same group in the tournament's early stages. Back then Derwent were made to look pedestrian by a rampaging Alcuin side, and were comprehenContinued on Page 24 sively beaten 3-1. Written off by many observers after only their first game, the Blues have managed to engineer a startling turnaround,

coming on in leaps and bounds as the Cup has progressed. Following a drab start, Derwent are brimming with confidence after assured wins over James and then Vanbrugh in the knockout stages. Keen to avenge a defeat that scarred their early experience of this year's Cup, Derwent will be raring to go come kickoff.

Yet if Derwent are to go on and depose the current champions, they will have to overcome an Alcuin side that has been in devastating goalscoring form. Alcuin routed fellow giants Halifax in the semi-finals, embarrassing Mark Lund's side 5-1, and must be considered

favourites for the trophy. Derwent will also have to deal with the fact that Alcuin, who will be apearing in their fourth successive final, have unmatched College Cup pedigree.

This year's College Cup has shown that anything can happen, although amidst all the glorious spontaneity there remains one certainty: this final will be a feast of football.

FULL PREVIEW Pages 26 & 27

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