NOMINATED: GUARDIAN STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR 2009
20 Ed 0th itio n!
TUESDAY October 13th, 2009
ISSUE 200
vision@yusu.org
WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK
nick hewer
- features -
EXCLUSIVE
YORK FIGHTS FASCISTS - PAGE 6 -
BOMB SCARE - PAGE 3 -
BIOLOGY SEARCH Claudia hunt moves close to home
- PAGE 7 -
freshers' simon magazine bird - pullout -
- SCENE -
FORGOTTEN CAMPUS BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN UNI TOP bosses delivered a stab in the back to students by slashing essential services over the holidays. Without consulting students, the University has SCRAPPED 24/7 portering and DITCHED Derwent bar. The multi-million pound Hes East site opens its doors this week to 600 new freshers - but the Uni has abandoned students and staff on the old campus. Despite a massive boost in income generated by the new students, Heslington Hall big wigs have failed to invest in student safety and welfare. Instead, resources have been stretched across the two campuses, resulting in 24/7 porters being AXED from Langwith, Vanbrugh and Derwent. Claims by the Uni
that "porters do not fulfil a welfare role" have been slammed by students and porters as "INSULTING". Many believe that this is just the latest step in plans to scrap the roundthe-clock service entirely. To add insult to injury, the University shut down Derwent bar without warning. Although YUSU have leapt to Derwent's rescue, the bar can only stay open if the Union is able make a profit from the venue over a 5 week trial period. "The University handled this entirely poorly," said Derwent Chair Joe Rankin. "The bar is an essential social space and provides a heart to the college, the closure of which would leave the college dead." Screwed over continually by the University, students have been left wondering- exactly WHERE do those tuition fees go?
FULL STORY PAGES 4 & 5
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HES WEST?
2NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
UNI: VISIONARIES 'STUDENTS YOUR WEEK SHOULD PAY MORE'
YORK MEDIA WINS NATIONAL ACCLAIM
BY NICOLA CHAPMAN
QUOTE OF THE WEEK "Porters are not part of
the formal student welfare system"
- Uni's insult to their dedicated staff
GOOD WEEK bad week GOOD WEEK
Goodrickers
BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN
Just moved in to a brand new home.
BAD WEEK Anti-fascist campaigns are brewing!
bnp
the number cruncher 55 200
£100,000
... £3000 A YEAR JUST ISN'T ENOUGH!
York's University Challenge score
Issues of York Vision to date
Pounds lost by Ziggy's in shareholder funds recently
VISION IS ONLINE! Our award-winning website it back! Your constant source for everything York: www.yorkvision.co.uk Contact us: vision@yusu.org
TUITION FEES must be higher, according to the University of York. In a statement the University has explained: "The current level of Government funding and the fees paid by UK students do not meet the cost of the high quality education that universities provide.” This follows the recent release of a report by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which said that students should be paying bigger interest rates on loans and accept a rise in tuition fees as “inevitable.” Currently there is a cap on tuition fees of £3,225 a year. The government subsidiSes the cost of student loans, keeping interest rates paid by students low. The business leaders’ proposals have been welcomed by the 1994 group of universities, of which York is a member. 1994 Group Executive Director Paul Marshall said that higher fees and heavier inter-
est rates are the only way that universities will be able to avoid a “valley of death” over the coming years. However, York, the most socially-diverse of the UK's top ten universities, has insisted that safeguards such as means tested grants must remain. “No-one able to benefit from a university education should be denied the opportunity for financial reasons,” said a spokesman for the University. NUS president Wes Streeting has hit back at “the fat cats at the CBI”, labeling their recommendations “a gross hypocrisy”. “At a time of economic crisis, when many hard-working families are struggling to support their offspring through university, I am astonished that the CBI should be making such offensive recommendations", he said. YUSU have meetings with the University lined up over the coming weeks to discuss the issue of tuition fees.
YORK VISION Tuesday June 23rd, 2009
Editors: Jim Norton Martin Wiliams
News Editors: Nicola Chapman Emily Fairbairn
Deputy Editors: Samantha Cowley Andy Nichols
Deputy News: Tom McDermott Paddy Harte
Scene Editor: Jenny McClarney
Comment Editors: Daniel Hewitt Harry Pearse
Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Knox Kate O'Loughlin
Deputy Comment: Chris Burgess Alex Dale
Deputy Lifestyle: Max Callaghan
Managing Editors: Patrick Harte Rachel Knox Josie Whittle
Features Editor: Kelly Holt Deputy Features: Rachael Healy Will Wainewright
THE GUARDIAN Student Media Awards has yet again named York Vision one of the country’s leading papers after shortlisting them for ‘Student Newspaper of the Year’ for the fifth time. Vision writers have also had success in individual categories, with both Vision Editor Martin Williams and Deputy News Editor Tom McDermott shortlisted for ‘Student Reporter of the Year’. Jim Norton, Vision's other editor is shortlisted for ‘Sports Writer of the Year’. Nominee Tom McDermott said of his success: “I am very happy to be nominated. It’s a great achievement for the team that we have been shortlisted in so many categories.” York Vision has won ‘Newspaper of the Year’ in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 - more than any other student newspaper. Editor Martin Williams commented: “We are delighted that Vision has yet again been nominated for this prestigious award. All our hard work is definitely paying off !” Jim Norton added: “The Guardian Awards are like the Oscars of student journalism, so it's fantastic to be nominated. I know it sounds cheesy, but everyone's hard work
and dedication has really paid off.” Nouse have also been triumphant, with nominations for ‘Website of Year’, ‘Sports Writer of the Year’, ‘Diversity Writer of the Year’, ‘Columnist of the Year’ and ‘Feature Writer of the Year’. Editor of Nouse Henry Foy said: "It's a great honour to be recognised on a national level for the hard work the Nouse team puts into the newspaper and website.” “The continued national success of York publications is fantastic, and I congratulate all of York's talented nominees on their deserved nominations." The awards ceremony will take place in London on the 25th of November.
RADIO GO-GO BY NICOLA CHAPMAN YORK'S RADIO station URY has also achieved national recognition this week, as it has been shortlisted for a host of awards at the Student Radio Awards. Nominations include ‘Best Journalistic programming’, ‘Best Specialist Music programming’, ‘Best Entertainment Programming’ and ‘Best Female Presenter’. URY’s Station Manager Scott Bryan told Vision: “The awards
are a great way for students who are in this industry to get their foot in the door. These nominations reflect the talent of so many people from the station.” “It’s certainly a good time to be involved in York’s student media!” he concluded The Student Radio Awards will take place at the indigO2 on the 5th of November.
Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Style Editors: Will Booth Jude Hull
Photo Editors: Dan Birchinall Matt Bunting
Deputy Style: Jenny Thompson
Sub Editors: Kevin Day David Elliott Emily Hodges Jake Soule Jess Sweney
Sports Editor: Joe McDermott Deputy Sports Andy McGrath Will Marwick Pete Stanley
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, 2009. Printed by Yorkshire Web
NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
STUDENT STREET EVACUATED AFTER WW1 GRENADE IS FOUND
OH MY GORD! BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN A BOMB scare on a popular student street prompted a mass evacuation last week. Police swooped on Gordon Street, just off Heslington Road, when a World War One hand grenade was found in one of the houses. Residents were evacuated for around an hour and the street was cordoned off whilst the police and Catterick Bomb Disposal Squad made the area safe. “I thought it was a wind up,” said thirdyear History of Art student Hettie Dix, who lives nearby. “The policeman didn't exactly whip up a panicked frenzy, people were gathering at the end of the road behind the police tape to see what was going on.”
The grenade was first discovered by the residents at Number 5 whilst they were clearing out their house. The bomb disposal squad were later able to confirm that it was not live. Third-year resident Apoorva Rao, said: “I wasn’t exactly scared but I was shocked... this is York, nothing is ever meant to happen!” The Politics and International Affairs student explained that she and her neighbours were told by police to leave their houses immediately due to the danger the grenade could pose. “I was planning on going to the library,” she added. “I’ve run out of time now, but I don’t think the Politics Department will be very understanding!”
YORK LEFT EMBARRASSED AFTER SHOCKING DEFEAT
UNIVERSITY CHALLENGED BY TOM MCDERMOTT THERE WAS disappointment for York students last week as they saw their university achieve the worst score for over five years on the popular BBC2 quiz show University Challenge. York’s team were seen off in the first round after being thoroughly beaten 200 points to 55 by St George’s, University of London. The team from the specialist medical college had an average age that was 11 years higher than that of York.
The unfortunate defeat meant that York has failed to get passed the second round of the competition for the third year in a row. Team captain Laura Horton said that although she was disappointed she is not being bitter about the defeat. “I think it went wrong pretty much because we just weren’t as quick on the buzzer as the other team,” she said. “We knew most of the answers to the starter questions but they got there a split second quicker, and that’s the second that really counts.”
“On the upside,” she continued, “the BBC actually did receive some complaints from viewers who said that the questions had been unfairly biased with a scientific/medical slant. So I guess at least some of the viewers were on our side!” In spite of her lack of success Laura is still optimistic that next year York will be able to reach greater heights in the competition. “I really would encourage anyone to try out. It was an amazing experience and something I
know the whole team is so proud to have done.”
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ch Whiege l l o c ir was cha high "tooay 'hi'" to s eeds at Ltival? Fes
3
A NOVEL IDEA BY EMILY HODGES A YORK graduate is making her name as an author, with the publication of her debut novel in September. Child of the Hive is the first book by Jessica Meats, a former Maths and Computer Science student at York. Described by Meats as a "science fiction thriller," set in the future. Meats started writing Child of the Hive in her first year at York, "in those annoying gaps when I had an hour between lectures". She finished writing after graduating in 2007 and admitted she was "incredibly excited" to find her book would be published.
"This is something I've wanted for as long as I can remember." She said, when she heard the good news she "danced around the kitchen! It was an amazing feeling." While at York, Meats founded Word Salad and Art Chips, the University's creative arts magazine. The current editors have said the whole team is "incredibly proud" of Meats success. "We have always known her to be a brilliant writer, and we are thrilled that finally her talent and hard work have paid off. Meats added: "I'd love to be the next J K Rowling, but my realistic hope is that this book gets a good reception."
CREDIT CRUNCH CLUBS
BY MARTIN WILLIAMS D O C U M E N T S LEAKED to Vision have revealed a financial crisis facing York nightclubs. Shareholder funds for Ziggy's, which has recently re-branded, have plummeted by over £100,000 over the last three years. Credit ratings for the club have also fallen dramatically, with its credit limit now only a fourth of what it was. The effects of the credit crunch hit worst in the spring, when Ziggys'
credit limit fell from £7,000 to £3,000 in less than three months. The Autumn term will be critical for the club which may be forced to scrap its free entry policy. Club Salvation is also struggling through wor rying financial situations. Although the business profited by trying to attract more students last year, its credit limit remains almost half of what it was in 2007. Ziggy's were unavailable for comment.
4 NEWS
student press
We read them... ...so you don't have to
Tuesday October 13th, 2009 Tuesday October 13th, 2009
Strip Slease LONDON SCHOOL of Economics promoters were left hot under the collar when complaints were received about a regular student fiesta night where exotic dancers were used Aptly named LSE student newspaper, The Beaver, reported that Students’ Union officials had refused to claim responsibility for the presence of the scantily clad dancers. A student who attended the event eagerly recalled his experience, “It was incredible. One of the girls was doing the splits, then bouncing up and down with her legs spread-eagle.”
ANOTHER BAR BITES THE DUST BY PADDY HARTE
CAMPUS' DETERIORATING bar system was dealt another blow this summer, when the University unexpectedly announced that they would close Derwent bar- beginning this academic year. Only a quick fix by Lewis Bretts, YUSU Democracy and Services Officer, that has enabled a 5 week, YUSU - run trial period STUDENTS AT Lincolnshire Uni- for the failing bar. versity were shocked to discover Irate Bretts complained that that local traffic police had handed he was “extremely disappointed out almost 1,100 parking tickets on that the seriousness of the situaa single stretch of road outside one tion facing Derwent Bar specifiof their halls of residence last year cally was not communicated at reports, The Linc. an earlier point in time”. One third-year student estiDerwent Chair Joe Rankin mated that he had received up to 30 is said to be ‘fuming’ at how the tickets alone, which at £30 a ticket fiasco was handled, with the is sure to have taken a sizeable bombshell announcement taking wedge out of his student loan! the Derwent JCRC, bar staff and students totally by surprise. “The University didn't threat-
Fine Line
Eye-ful Power
THE DIRTY old man who astonishingly does the job of vice-chancellor at Buckingham University has branded young female students "perks" for male lecturers. Terence Kealey has been heavily criticised by feminists across the country following remarks he made in an article about lust for the Times Higher Education Magazine, in which he suggested that girls would “flaunt their curves” in front of lecturers. He also revealed a more than passing knowledge of strip club etiquette. The women’s officer for the NUS, Olivia Bailey said: “It is completely unacceptable to compare a lecture theatre to a lapdancing club!”
Tom McDermott and Paddy Harte
5
CAMPUS CUTBACKS - WHO WILL BE NEXT ? E T A G R E T R O
No more head for 2nd years HEAD AND neck dissections have been ditched by Cardiff University School of Medicine due to a shortage of human bodies, Gair Rhydd reports. One second-year student complained: “Dissection was a major selling point for me coming to Cardiff ”. But it’s not all grim news; if a student really wants to dissect a head, they can if any are going spare.
NEWS
YORK VISION YORK VISION
en the closure of the bar; they closed it, outright and entirely. Moreover, it was without warning,” he said. “The question is not whether the University were right to threaten the closure, because they didn't even do us that favour.” Thankfully YUSU have stepped in to operate the bar in the evenings from Tuesday to Sunday, meaning that it will be open for the first five weeks of term. “Should income from the initial five week period cover the operating costs, we would continue the service”, explained Lewis Bretts. “Should the service not cover its costs for any five week period, the service will be stopped”. Ironically, Vision has learnt that the University is investing in late licenses for other campus bars, at the same time as planning to shut down Derwent.
P
ED X A s r e t r 24/7 po pus m a c s s o r Anger ac
STUDENTS KEPT IN DARK
RANKIN: disgusted Many students have called for the Univeristy to invest in a revamp of the bar, with the bar’s current canteenlike design pin-pointed as one of the reasons for its faltering popularity. A second year Derwenter confessed: “The Courtyard has a great design and has proved that campus bars can be successful. Although in fresher’s term our bar was awesome, in summer time it was deserted on most nights”. Rankin has hit back at these suggestions, insisting that: “Derwent bar has shown before it is a space capable of making a profit; even when it's so poorly designed. Events continue to be a success, and people use the bar regardless of the atmosphere.” Press officer David Garner insisted: “All College bars are under a University review as there is a continuing national de-
cline in bars patronage. This trend has now been evident for the past four years. Derwent bar has not been singled out.” The Derwent JCRC is keen to revive their unsuccessful bar, however it is set to be a serious challenge. “The only side that isn't working hard is the University who should invest in the space, and address their management structure which can be obstructive and unresponsive,” said Rankin. The row over Derwent bar comes just months after Alcuin’s college bar ‘B Henrys’ was threatened with closure, again due to falling profits. A compromise of reduced opening hours was only achieved after a lengthy campaign to keep the bar open. The new focus on Derwent has left many students wondering which bar will be next for the chop.
BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN
PORTERS WILL no longer operate 24/7 across campus, raising fears over the safety and welfare of students. The dangers that a reduction of porters could bring have already been demonstrated out of term time, when less porters are on duty. An illegal immigrant locked himself into a room overnight after gaining access to a Derwent residential block when no porter was present in the college. Derwent chair Joe Rankin said: “I hate to think of other situations that could occur. The least worrying being financial damage to the un-manned College facilities, the worst not worth speculating about.” Arrangements have not yet been finalised, but it is thought that Langwith, Vanbrugh and Derwent colleges will have their own porters during unconfirmed “office hours”, but overnight will share a porter between them. Additional security officers will also patrol campus. This replaces the previous system of round the clock portering in every college.
BUDGET CUTS
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literWho's b e e n a l ly k i n g d r i non the piss al cirfestiv cuit?
Langwith lost their 24 hour porters in 2007, prompting a high profile ‘Save Our Porters’ campaign across campus However, the plan to scrap allnight porters in the other colleges was taken over this summer whilst students were away from campus. This is because the Heslington East development requires a porters lodge of its own, and the University has decided to stretch resources between the two campuses. “This is a difficult time finan-
GOODRICKE TOLD: "YOU ARE BARRED!" BY TOM MCDERMOTT
GRENVILLE: grouchy
SHOCKING PLANS to cancel all Courtyard events for Goodricke has left JCRC members outraged. Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students Jane Grenville has cancelled all of the college's post-freshers week events at the Union bar, to the anger of Goodricke students. Goodricke ENTs Rep Emily Saunders told Vision that the short notice decision
was particularly annoying seeing as the Goodricke ENTs team had booked the dates last term and had already begun planning them. “They make a lot more money with an event than a normal night [at the Courtyard], it just doesn’t make sense.” She went on to say: “It’s also bad for Goodricke freshers, having a Student Union bar is the one thing that connects us to the main campus. With this decision we are more isolated than ever
before. "We’ve been left with very limited options and as we see it, it may be beneficial for us to become more affiliated with a bar in town.” The Hes. East based college, which no longer has a venue of its own, has had college events in Week 3 and Week 7 cancelled after Grenville decided that there were “too many events in the Courtyard this term”. Courtyard this term”. The decision has caused
much controversy as it essentially means that only Langwith College is able to use The Courtyard to host late licence events. This is despite the fact that the venue has been billed in the past as a resource for all colleges, especially those which do not have the use of a bar. A Goodricke second year told Vision: “Campus events have been one of the most
important things in terms of building up the college spirit that Goodricke is famous for, taking this away may have a larger impact on the college than Jane Grenville has considered.”
SAUNDERS: gutted
cially for the University,” said YUSU President Tim Ngwena. “We do not welcome these cuts but at least they are not cuts from academic provision.”
SAFETY JEAPORDISED
Porters play an important role in ensuring the safety of students and are seen by many as a reassuring presence. They are the first port of call if there is a disturbance or emergency, let students who have lost their keys into their buildings and are trained first aiders. They even supply an emergency taxi fund to students who have run out of cash on a night out, meaning that lone students should always be able to get home safely. “Last year we had an incident with a room being flooded in the middle of the night,” said a second year Linguistics student. “I’d hate to think what would have happened if the porters hadn’t been there to call on.” This year college welfare teams and block tutors are expected to fill the gap left behind by porters, and have been given extra training. A statement released by the University said: “Porters are not part of the formal student welfare system. There is an extensive welfare network in place to support students and many of the members of that system are resident on campus.”
STUDENT ANGER
However, Derwent chair Joe Rankin has slammed this claim, insisting that welfare teams will not be able to adequately play this role or match the experience of porters. “To suggest porters aren't suitable for a welfare role because they haven't taken some box-ticking, commonsense welfare course is frankly insulting to them and damaging to Colleges,” he said. “Moreover, college tutors aren't
on duty all night, nor should they be. Student volunteers aren't able to give a 24/7 presence.” Vanbrugh chair Dani Fill defended the welfare role played by colleges, but added: “It does sadden me to know that the porters will not there as often because in Vanbrugh they were always there no matter what; any problem they would try and help.”
FAULTY PLANS
The new scheme kicks off in week 3, but Tim Ngwena has said that the University is yet to finalise how the new system will work. “An issue that really needs addressing is room access,” he said. “Societies will need to be able to get keys for their rooms, and at the moment there is no procedure in place for what to do if there is no porter there. This really needs sorting out before the start of term.” Derwent JCRC are also concerned that college members will not be able to get into their common room. Vision reported last term that the room has recently had an expensive lock fitted, the key to which is kept by the porters. The University insists that they carried out adequate discussions with students about axing the 24/7 porters. “There were meetings involving the JCR chairs, YUSU and the pro vice chancellor for students at the beginning of the summer to discuss the proposals. Further meetings are planned to confirm the arrangements,” said University press officer David Garner.
CLEANER CUTS
Vision has also learnt that cleaning provisions will change this term. Bedrooms will no longer be cleaned and bathrooms cleaned monthly rather than weekly. The Uni insists: "The change brings York into line with the majority of higher education and private student accommodation providers.”
UNI TOLD TO FORK OFF! BY TOM MCDERMOTT YUSU AND College chairs have damned new plans to make all “lowerband” accommodation compulsory-catered. The idea is in the developmental stages and has so far neither been confirmed nor fully dismissed by Commercial Services. When the issue was raised at a College Council meeting last term many college chairs opposed the plans, believing it to be a
"money-grabbing" scheme on the part of the University. YUSU President Tim Ngwena confirmed that compulsory-catered accomodation is "being looked into.” Should the suggestions be implemented, students who move into low-spec accommodation in Vanbrugh and parts of Derwent would have to pay higher rent and eat all of their meals in campus cafeterias.
Ngwena believes that the University needs to do much more to make their plans a realistic option. “The current MAD system is not meeting students’ needs in terms of opening times, nutritional values or pricing.” He admits that the current rate that the University is thinking of charging is "far too expensive." Further meetings are planned to discuss the scheme.
6 NEWS
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: EX-YUSU PRESIDENT BEGINS ANTI-FASCIST CAMPAIGN
BNP'D OFF BY PADDY HARTE
TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN, FIND US AT FRESHERS' FAIR AND SIGN THE PETITION
AN ANTI-BNP campaign is being launched today by ex-YUSU president James Alexander and backed by Vision. Alexander, who is the Labour prospective MP for the area, is spearheading the anti-fascist crusade across Yorkshire, focusing in particular on the University. The action is a response to the election of BNP member Andrew Brons to one of Yorkshire and Humber’s seats in the European Parliament last June. The BNP won more than 120,139 votes in the Yorkshire region during this summer’s elections. This figure was slightly less than in 2004, but still enough to take one of the six seats on offer in the region. Alexander and York Vision has seen information that shows there to be at least 48 BNP active members in York alone. Last year the University saw BNP material distributed by a member of staff in the internal post.
There are even rumours circulating campus that a BNP student group holds secret meetings at the University. Talking exclusively to Vision, Alexander outlined the aims of his anti-racist crusade: “I am taking the lead in this campaign to undermine the mandate of the elected BNP MEP for Yorkshire and his chances of re-election in 2014 through a democratic and patriotic Yorkshire campaign.” Using the slogan ‘The BNP Do Not Speak For Me,’ Alexander and Vision aim to show the rest of the country and the rest of the EU that
the BNP MEP for Yo r k s h i r e does not speak for us. T h e BNP, however, contest this claim, arguing that instead they were “democratically elected” but their racist policies cannot be tolerated. Alexander plans to use a petition and Facebook page titled 'The BNP Do Not Speak For Me', in an attempt to popularise the campaign. In December there are plans to take the petition to the European Parliament. “I encourage all to sign up to this very important campaign, irrespective of political persuasion,” said Alexander. To join the campaign and sign the petition, you can find Vision at the Freshers' Fair or go to www.yorkvision.co.uk.
COUNCIL AND STUDENTS AT LOGGERHEADS RUN TIMES FOR ALL BY PADDY HARTE YORK-BASED texting service 'Waverun,' which was established by students, has expanded to Leeds. Set up with the aim "to help people make the most of a night out," Waverun has long been a favourite tool of students on a night out in York, with an estimated 1 in 3 York students regularly using the service. Speaking to Vision, managing director Joe Pearce explained: "The idea is that if you are going heading out, you text 'Waverun York' to 60777, for the next four hours, you will automatically receive any offers that are available then and there like drinks deals, Q jumps and anything else worth knowing about!' To use the service in Leeds, just text "Waverun Leeds", to 60777. As in York the service costs the same as a normal text message. Pearse also commented that this expansion 'has gone really well so far' and that his ambition was to see Waverun 'spread nationwide'.
THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US
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BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN CRITICISM HAS been fired at students living off campus, with the local council demanding a new law to limit student housing. Roger Pierce, Labour Councillor for the Hull Road Ward, said: “Local people perceive students as living in their own social worlds and avoiding contact with older residents.” A lobby of councils of which Pierce is a member is now calling for tougher planning controls on landlords wishing to change private dwellings into student lets. This will limit the number of student houses is any one area. Last year there were 547 student lets in the Hull Road area, which is about one in every six houses. Students formed half of the adult population and, according to
Pierce, “the number is rising”. Pierce claims that the large student population has caused school rolls to fall and the departure of students during the summer months has also left older residents feeling isolated and lonely. Students are also accused of causing a negative physical impact on the area. “This is a combination of overgrown gardens, unclean windows, wheeled bins left apparently permanently in front gardens, blankets used to screen ground-floor study bedrooms, the tarmacing of front gardens to provide car-parking and parking on verges,” said Pierce. YUSU president Tim Ngwena has hit back at Pierce’s criticisms, arguing that students “don’t just take, they also put a lot in.” “A lot of great work is done by stu-
dents in the local community through volunteering,” he said. “Plus they bring a lot of business to the area, and many businesses rely on students for their survival.” Ngwena says that the tension between students and locals is a “communication issue”, something he says YUSU is trying to rectify. University Press Officer David Garner has slammed Pierce’s suggestions that the University should be doing more to police student housing. “The University has no legal power to regulate off-campus housing”, he said. “We ask all of our students to act responsibly and with consideration for their neighbours. We operate a Good Neighbours group, chaired by the provice chancellor for students, at which local councilors are welcome,” he added.
YORK VISION
NEWS
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
CLAUDIA INQUEST ONCE AGAIN CENTRES AROUND UNIVERSITY
Biology dept searched as police pick up pace on Claudia BY NICOLA CHAPMAN
to Police: "We're just tryingof build up a better picture Claudia."
THE UNIVERSITY’S Biology department has been searched by North Yorkshire Police in the continuing investigation into the whereabouts of missing chef Claudia Lawrence. The news came after police were sent out to the Greek island of Cyprus to interview possible witnesses and friends of Claudia. Although no suspects were found, the University was once again at the centre of the investigation after some hopeful
leads showed it to be a place of interest. The campus was at the forefront of the investigation in March, when it was reported that 35- year old Claudia, who worked at the University, was last seen near the roundabout at Wentworth. In past issues, Vision has reported that police were enquiring after two students who were seen on CCTV footage in Goodricke at the same time as Claudia. A police source told Vision, “We interviewed witnesses in Cyprus
who knew Claudia, as we know she visited the island several times. We are just trying to build up a better picture of Claudia and her social life.” They added: “We are still calling on anyone who knows anything that could help find Claudia to come forward.” The University says that it “continues to offer assistance to the police”. If you have any info, please contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
YORK STUDENT POACHED BY TOP TV COMPANY
WE WANT YOU(TUBE)!
BY DAN HEWITT
YOUTUBE VIDEOS filmed in his bedroom have helped launch the television career of one York student. History Student James Hill caught the eye of bosses at Hat Trick Productions after a series of videos he posted on YouTube reg-
ularly dragged in over 100,000 views. The television production company, whose past creations include Father Ted and Have I Got News For You, were so impressed with the ’vlogs’ that they asked him appear on their brand new BBC 2 show Chartjackers. "I did a few videos on
YouTube during sixth form and didn't think much of it really", said the Vanbrugh second year, "But as I started to get more and more subscribers I started getting a couple of offers from television companies which was completely unexpected." The show, which appears as part of the
BBC Switch brand, follows four "YouTube celebrities" in their quest to make a number 1 single for Comic Relief. The lyrics and music, as well as the video, must be comprised only of contributions from internet users posting content online. During filming James and his three colleagues have met a number of celebrities including pop sensation Chesney Hawkes. James is already a big hit online, boasting over 30,000 subscribers, making him the 55th most subscribed video maker on YouTube. His new role with Hatrick has to be juggled with university work and shows for
shh!
is W h o tening t h re a " w r i t e to about sh*t" a f t e r , o wh in c e r t a ni a u y c pon was m a g own? d t shu
URY, and James admits that the travelling has been frustrating. “It’s hard work”, he admitted, “I travel back and forth between London and York every week and spend many nights alone in hotel rooms. But I’m not complaining, I have been given an amazing opportunity and am loving every minute of it.” Chartjackers airs every Saturday at 1pm on BBC 2 until November, but you can catch James closer to home every week on his URY show Dan and James LIVE.
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A LOT TO YORK OUT FOR BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN
YORK is the most expensive city for students to live in, new research suggests. Natwest’s Student Living Index, which measures cost-effectiveness by comparing average student earnings with the cost of living, put York at the bottom of its 2009 table. Brighton ranked top, with students earning an average of £128.29 a week from part-time jobs. York students earn half this amount, a measly £64.14 per week. Generous employers in Brighton pay 40% of student workers more than £9 an hour, which is practically unheard of here in York. Third year Eleanor Webster, says that she earns about £52 a week. “I think I am quite well paid,” she said. “I’m a bit gutted that they get so much more in Brighton, they must be very lucky there!” The index takes into account accommodation costs, plus student spending on alcohol, books and course materials. Birmingham has the cheapest weekly living costs, at £171.14 a week, whilst Oxford is has the highest at £238.38.
KIND ACTIONS
BY NICOLA CHAPMAN
‘MINDS IN MOTION’, a Student Action project, has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards. The first award is for the ‘York Community Pride Award’ which celebrates the work of individuals and groups and their contribution to the community. The prize is awarded by the City of York Council and is sponsored by York’s newspaper, ‘The Press’. The winners will be announced at York Racecourse on the 22nd of October. ‘Mind in Motion’ has also been shortlisted for a ‘Guardian Public Services Award’ in the Citizenship and Volunteering category. Student Action is up against KPMG and The National Grid. Winners for this award will be announced in London on the 24th of November. Rachel Hesselwood, Student Action Chair, commented, “It really is an honour for the students at York – especially those involved in the project.”
ENTRE-PRIZES BY TOM MCDERMOTT YORK’S ENTREPENEURS Society is celebrating after winning a “Society Award” from the prestigious International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference 2009. The award was presented to the society by Victoria Lennox, the founder and president of the National Consortium of University Entrepreneurs, the award’s sponsors, during a three day conference in Edinburgh. The society, which can now proudly claim that it is “one of the best enterprise societies in the United Kingdom and Europe”, fought off stiff competition from many universities across the country including King’s College London and Cambridge University. As a result of their success, the society can expect to receive close support and advice from NACUE on how to enhance and improve their already successful enterprise events which include the ever popular summer term competition “The Apprentice York”.
8 COMMENT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
>Comment THE VOICE OF WALK BEFORE YOU RUN
Vision Says...
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elcome to all new students at York. We're sure you'll have a cracking time and make the most of this once in a life time experience. Equally, we hope you enjoy flicking through your copies of Vision during your time here. This edition is a special one, not only because it is our 200th, but because it also marks the launch of our website, www.yorkvision.co.uk! If you'd like to get involved, or if you have any questions or comments, the Website should have all the answers. If in doubt, send us an email: vision@yusu.org. Have fun!
Thumbs up to...
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ongratulations to Student Action for having their project 'Minds in Motion' shortlisted for two prestigious awards - the ‘York Community Pride Award’ and the ‘Guardian Public Services Award’. Vision wishes you luck! Their nomination is testament to the good work that York students do in the local community and inspiration for Freshers of what can be achieved during your time at York. Get involved!
Thumbs down to...
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he BNP. Although Vision was founded on the basis of political neutrality we find the fascist BNP's views so abhorrent that they are outside what is both politically and morally acceptable. We are backing James Alexander's campaign to show they do not represent our views and we can safely say "The BNP do not speak for us!" We would encourage all students who feel the same way to take the opportunity to sign up to the petition at the York Vision stand at this Saturday's Freshers' Fair.
YORK VISION'S EDITORS: 'IT'S PEOPLE NOT PROFITS THAT MAKES YORK GREAT'
dreds of students, but Commercial Services just can’t seem to do it. After their recent abandonment of Halifax, Alcuin, and Langwith college bars, it is apparent that students come below profits on the University’s list of priorities. Pro Vice Chancellor for Students Jane Grenville has argued that investment in bars is a chicken and egg situation. She wonders whether the bars should only be improved once students start using them. But the answer to her chicken and egg conundrum is simple: the university came first. No sane businessman would wait for customers before providing a decent service. Derwent has one
MARTIN JIM WILLIAMS NORTON
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he University loves investing - just look at the £500 million extension into Heslington East. So why can’t they invest for anyone’s benefit but their own? The University have stabbed us in the back over the summer by slashing student services when we weren’t looking. With complete disregard for our views, we’ve come back to find a barless Derwent and no 24-hour portering - two services that provided a crucial service for student welfare. Both decisions were made without proper consultation and at a time when students could not voice their resentment. It is time the University started to appreciate and improve what it already has before getting distracted by new multi-million pound projects. The Derwent bar debacle is the final curtain call for campus bars. Run at a loss and you’re out, no matter how important you are to the social structure – all very well if there was any investment. It is astonishing that a bar can fail to sell alcohol to students. Major bar chains would jump at the chance to locate on the doorsteps of hun-
Heslington East: The University's new toy
"The way the university has acted is deeply insulting to students" of the fiercest college spirits, the bar being the nucleus and social hub - it’s losses represent nothing more than Commercial Services’ incompetence. This neglect of student interests is becoming all too common: the cut backs to the portering service do not only leave students in a dangerous situation; the way
the University has gone about it is deeply insulting to both students and porters. By claiming that porters have not acted as part of the student welfare system, Uni bosses have shown themselves to be totally detatched from campus life. Infact they only seem to show an interest in us when we’re paying our fees. Bridges are left halfbuilt, and sports facilities unsafe and inadequate. The failure to improve even basic infrastructure on Hes West whilst gallivanting forward to Hes East is growing ever more worrying.
Like shareholders in a business, students should be granted a voice – we are the ones who are paying for a most of it after all. We should not have to fight for decent facilities in a supposedly top-ten University. YUSU are in constant battle to protect students from the University’s ravenous appetite for profits. It is students, service and spirit that hold this place together and Heslington Hall bosses should realise this.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
THE CHANCELLOR INTRODUCES YOU TO THE UNIVERSITY THAT MADE HIM
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GREG DYKE
elcome to York and congratulations. Congratulations, because the first decision you have made in higher education is a wise one. You have come to York – a great historic city with a fantastic University that fully warrants its top ten ranking in the UK. When I came here in the early 1970s, it was a life-changing experience for me. I was in the my mid-20s and with only modest ac-
ademic qualifications – but I was amazed at the opportunities that university life opened up for me. The great thing about York is its informality and complete lack of stuffiness. It is a University that, by and large, does not stand on ceremony. That said, in three, four or five years’ time there will be a ceremony for you to attend -- your graduation. At that point, you will become a member of a growing, but I like to think, still an exclusive club. You will become a graduate of the University of York. I have never yet met a single York graduate who did not enjoy his or her time here. So as
you start out on your University career, you can look forward to
"The great thing about York is it's informality and lack of stuffiness" a fulfilling experience, one that you will find both intellectually stimulating and socially rewarding. You will meet people here who will be your friends for life. You are about to embark on one of the greatest experiences of your lives. Enjoy every minute of it.
JOIN THE DEBATE AT WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK
Greg in his student days
COMMENT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13, 2009
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KELLY HOLT
CELEBRITY DEATH WATCH
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Commercial Services closes yet another watering hole in the wild Hes West
DON'T BELIEVE THE TRUTH FROM WIDE-EYED FRESHERS TO CYNICAL THIRD YEARS: YORK, ENJOY THE JOURNEY... SAMANTHA COWLEY
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his weekend I have watched from Vision Towers the hordes of brighteyed freshers moving. Weary parents in tow, clutching odd assortments of books, pans and soft furnishings, they’ve proudly written their names on their new college t-shirts, met their flat-mates, been accosted by over-excited STYCs and cracked open the obligatory first day wine. Amongst all this nostalgia I realised that my friends and I were laying up a paper that would, in all likelihood bring reality crashing down. Freshers’ week is a great time simply because the world weariness of your latter years hasn’t had time to set in. Your first college event IS brilliant, that first bar crawl novel and the first time one of your flatmates steals a road sign it IS hilarious. Then come Tuesday, the papers come out and its 24 pages of ‘err you might have made a mistake here’. We love a good misery story, another f*ck up, another plan gone awry. Yet we are not alone. Across campus freshers will hear sighs of ‘it wasn’t like this when we were freshers ’ they mean even add their own ‘at my friend’s university they have...’. It would seem that the students who
come to York like nothing more than one big moan. I’m even moaning right now. Moaning about moaning. It doesn’t make sense. Amongst this tirade of apathy I would like to offer a ray of hope to our bushy tailed freshers. York is not the worst university in the world, you have not made the wrong choice coming here, and you will have the best three years of your life... so far. Those same party-boy STYCs who conspiratorially confide to you that York’s night life isn’t
"York is not the worst university in the world, you have not made the wrong choice coming here." up to scratch will have declared hundreds of nights out ‘mental’ and will in the same breath give you enough typical, ‘so we were bladdered and there was this road sign’ stories to fill several freshers’ weeks. Your friendly bar rep (it might even be the same guy) will complain about the University’s lack of support for the student community and whilst this is undoubtedly true for every sour faced Jane Grenville, counting out the coppers so your society JCR can fund sports or buy a ping pong table for the JCR, there is a happy smiling porter cracking jokes with you as you lock yourself out of your room for the third time that day. For eve-
ry time the scary goose outside James attacks you there’s a bevy of baby ducklings or a cute-until-it-gets-older gosling. It’s the gosling stories, the happy porter memories that never seem to quite make it to your saged self ’s rants. So for all freshers and also for any 2nd and 3rd years who think they don’t quite know it all I would like to propose a freshers’ fortnight of positivity. York has so much to offer from rowing to pantsoc, JCRs to world cinema soc. Not only does York have a lot to offer but it also achieves, Student Action has been nominated for two presitigious awards, Nouse and Vision have both been nominated for multiple national medioa awards, we won Roses and an ex student called Kirk won Coutdown! There’s plenty of time to discover, when your clubs in desperate need of new oars, pants, polo shirts or DVDs , just how many hoops there exist to jump through, how little money there is in the YUSU coffers or even just how much a knob your JCR Chair really is. For now it’s all games of Never-have-Iever where the divulgences are still new, flirting with your JCRC Chair until you realise he's gay and playing corridor cricket. And freshers be warned. If I catch you saying ‘I’m bored of Ziggys’ before at least term three you’re transferring to Hull.
here are two ways to ensure you will get away with murder. The first is to display some sort of outstanding creative talent. It doesn’t matter what, just something that gets you talked about in the papers and in the pub, and endears you to the Great British public. Take Roman Polanski, the director convicted 30 years ago for having sex with a 13-year-old. He fled the US before he was sentenced. It was only a couple of weeks ago that he was finally arrested in Switzerland, on a US arrest warrant. Amazingly since his conviction, rather than being an international pariah, he's been hailed as one of the world’s greatest directors, and worked with everyone from Ewan McGregor to Johnny Depp. He even won an Academy Award which he couldn’t collect to avoid being arrested should he set foot on US soil. The second way to be forgiven for a crime is to die. Preferably of a horrific illness, or unexpectedly. Harsh as it may sound, most people have a strange idea that once a person is deceased, they are also automatically up for canonisation. They might have been the most garrulous bastard you ever came across, but once they’re buried, so are their faults. So once Jade Goody, bless ‘er ‘eart, died earlier this year, I, along with everyone else, cried like a baby at the footage of her funeral - forgetting of course, that just a couple of years ago I was incandecsent with rage when she was blatantly racist to Shilpa Shetty on Celebrity Big Brother. Keith Floyd, who we lost less than a month ago (see, look how I’m making it sound like I knew him personally), used to drive me bananas with re-runs of his show Saturday Kitchen with his drunken slurring, dragging the poor cameraman from one hazardous vat of boiling water to another. The second I heard he’d had a heart attack I was on the phone to my housemate, talking him up like he was a favourite uncle. On the same day, Patrick Swayze finally lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Now I’ll be fair, Swayze didn’t really do anything wrong, but I never did like Dirty Dancing - until he died. I’ve watched that bloody film six times in the past month. Of course, Michael Jackson is the best example of our selective memory. Combining his undoubted talent, with the fact that he has finally (probably) been buried, means even those who were repelled by the accusations of child molestation, have dug out their old LPs and bought tickets for the memorial concert. When I reminded my mum of the strange activities at his big fairground, and calling his child Blanket, I got the biggest telling off since I was 12, ending with: "and you DON’T speak ill of the dead." Now, I know that he’s still alive and only famous in that ghastly ‘campus celeb’ sense, but in a similar way, ex-YUSU President Tom Scott, having left us for better things, has become a venerated figure in my mind. A real swashbuckling hero of a man, who went against the grain, standing up for what he believed in and overhauled the university's political system. A Che Guavara in a tricorn hat. What? He was just a computer science student who pretended to be a pirate, you say? It was all a big joke? The parrot was actually a toy duck? Rubbish. I distinctly remember him making Brian Cantor walk the plank.
10 COMMENT
YORK VISION
CLASSIC TECHNOLOGY NECESSITY MAY BE THE MOTHER OF INVENTION BUT FRANKLY WE PREFER A GOOD READ... to accommodate academic demands I could access all sorts of critical texts from my room without the worry of their absence from the library. It could greatly speed up and improve essay writing as well as compliment any seminar reading and instead of the boxes of wood pulp and ink that I dragged to university to adorn my shelves, I could have brought one silvery sleek box of plastic that has a library beyond my immediate financial means. The product claims to emanate the act of reading to a point that is uncanny along with realistic page
LYNDON ASHMORE
Y
ou sit down with a classic piece of literature – nearly two hundred years old, but still being devoured and appreciated by modern readers. The tension builds, the plot thickens, page after page you form the characters in your head – maybe falling in love with a couple of them – until finally you are reaching the denouement. Pride and Prejudice is hotting up, literally hotting up, when all of a sudden, out of the blue, Austen’s batteries go dead. Sound familiar? Not to me either, but by the insistence of technology companies and the apparent demand of consumers, this is set to be the future: a fusion of electronics and erudition that fits neatly in your hand. Book accessibility is understandably an issue for all students, regardless of their degree, so the introduction of various electronic reading devices (most notably the Sony Reader) is a progression that could be felt most deeply in academic arenas. When it comes to books I tend towards Puritanism, but for once the issue seems problematic. As a student the potential benefits of such a device are obvious; if the system is set up
"part of the wonder of words and storytelling is in the dog eared or crisp cover of a book."
emblems of another’s equal appreciation. When I get that rare opportunity to read for actual enjoyment, part of the pleasure is to be able to pick up a book that separates one from the computer, from technology and from the modern and instead is a level of escapism concerned with the specific attributes and world of the book. For me, having a couple of seconds delay on a page turn detracts from this and ends up disappointing the intention of the book. Perhaps though, some will argue it is just the natural evolution of reading that mirrors the introduction of the printing press hundreds of years ago and as the system is refined and improved it will slowly become more viable for use until eventually we don’t know how we lived without it. Until that time comes though I am happy to leave the technology in the whirring box on my desk and take my chances with a paperback that won’t cost half of my student loan if I’m caught in the rain.
transitions and a backlight that won’t numb the mind after prolonged use. However, for me (and I know many literature orientated students feel the same) part of the wonder of words and storytelling is in the dog eared or crisp cover of a book. The leaves of yellowing pages, the grubby thumbprints of past readers whose eyes have roamed the same syntactical contours and decorated the page with thick underlining or probing annotations – all serve as
FRESHERS' WEEK: IS IT REALLY ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE?
BEAR DALE
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nother summer’s hard grafting, in order that I might just afford this year’s rent, and you can imagine why I’m pretty excited about coming back to Uni. Four hours a week contact time, lying in past midday when work just seems out of the question, a decent set of mates to go out and get shitfaced with whenever we want; yes it’s easy to see why the grass is definitely greener in York. But for the freshers it’s something almost entirely new. The most anticipated week of their year is finally here, as they set out to begin their student life. Yet, call it old age wisdom or Miserable Old Bastard Syndrome if you’d rather, but I can’t help but feel that this year’s Freshers' Week is going to be a let down, just like its predecessors. All week freshers will be bombarded by ticket sellers from YUSU and the Colleges, then rounded up like sheep into dimly lit venues, which strongly resemble their college bars with a few balloons jotted about the place, then forced to listen to shit acts, like some bloke who auditioned for Pop Idol in 2002 or some
posh Berk from Eton who thinks he’s some kind of MC. People talk a lot about a drinking problem within youth culture, but how else do you propose our freshers should get through this crap and still manage to have a semi-good time? Before writing this article, I decided to do some research; godforbid I make some outlandish claim without backing it up. When I found out who was playing the Fresher’s Ball, I have to admit I was impressed that they’d booked Wiley. But then when I imagine him actually playing the Ball, I can’t help but see a load of tossers in the audience giving their watches to girls during ‘Wearing My Rolex’ and I literally cringe at the thought of being anywhere near such a scene. (My housemate actually tried
"yes it's easy to see why the grass is definitely greener in York" this with a girl and still managed to pull her. Honestly, what is society coming to?) As for the other acts, its more of the same from the last few years: Eoghan Quigg, the High School Musical loving, X-Factor gimp, whose face I could never get tired of punching, and Paper Heroes, some other indie pop dribble for the cardigan-wearing, NME reading masses to swallow
whole, like everything else that’s fed to them. Then comes the whole STYC system. I can see that the intentions behind having STYCs are good. It is nice to have someone to welcome you, show you where your room is, offer you a beer and give you some good advice on the nightlife. There is, however, an inherent problem with the system. The colleges rely on second and third years to be decent, trustworthy human beings (shame on them). I recall several incidences last year of freshers passing out by 8pm on their first night because their STYCs had told them that not eating was the best way to get pissed quickly. I realise by this point that some of you may be regretting your decision to enrol here at York, but it’s not my intention to scare people away. Despite what I’ve said, I did still have a good time on my freshers week and I’m sure most people will this year. The thing I resent is being told that freshers week will be the best week of your life, because in reality it doesn’t even come close. The second and third weeks of the term are much better, because you’ve settled down, met some decent people and have much more choice as to what you want to do with your time at York. So my message is this: keep your chin up and persevere the dodgy events... it really does get a lot better.
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
CHRIS BURGESS DIVIDED BY AGE, BUT UNITED BY OPINIONS?
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ne evening over the summer I was on a train home from the capital. It was quite busy, so two strangers were sat together in the seats in front of me. For about 20 minutes there was silence between them. Then the woman’s voice: “You don’t happen to have an iPod charger do you?” Innocuous enough, really. But with the man next to her clearly on the further side of 60, his reply was the stereotypical “I’m too old for all that, really.” And with that she should have been done, silent once more, allowing me to drift off to sleep until I got home. But she would not be stopped. “No,” the young woman I saw between the seats declared, “plenty of people your age are into things like that.” Talk of iPods quickly spilled over into musical taste. The old man would name a classic rock band; the woman would feign some knowledge about them. She had started this, so she was never rude, but it was obvious the retro cool she attributed to all of them was a far cry from actual appreciation. That is until they reached the Beatles. United by a shared passion, the conversation took a turn. The gap between old and young began to close as her favourite track turned out to be “All my Loving” despite her being more of an Elvis girl. Whilst to begin with the pair had shared vastly different tastes and experiences in relation to music, after this one agreement their opinions became markedly similar. They were able to agree that the breakdown of modern society could be attributed to a lack of both manners and a proper work ethic. I was now listening to a “kids today aren’t like they were in my day” style conversation, with one willing participant only four or five years out of range of attack herself ! Once the issue of binge drinking was raised by the old man, this spiralled into pessimism and a view of the futility of continuing society. The young woman could see no end to the problem of excessive drinking amongst her peers unless something radical was done, and the old man agreed.
"The gap between young and old began to close..." Pretty dispiriting stuff. But it did hit home that there is no such thing as a “generational” opinion. These two people had seemed to me to have nothing in common and 40 years between them, yet they were agreeing on social problems that they shared a view on. Yes, you may say that there are only so many opinions, and that you often share yours with the older generation. But I had witnessed a technophobe and a hipster spend just ten minutes discussing Lennon and McCartney before agreeing a roadmap for ensuring social harmony. Never mind whether I agreed with them or not, what’s important is that my expectations were challenged. Or that the Fab Four are some sort of all-powerful unifying force. Either way, I was reminded that allthe time we spend living doesn’t force us into a stereotypical set of opinions: that I won’t become a grumpy old man because I’m old, but because I’m grumpy and a man. Oh, and that everyone loves the Beatles.
"Talking 'bout our generations"- old and young united music
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13, 2009
SCOOBY YUSU
The Sketch
SKETCH
The gang arrive at Heslington Hall...
...and the mystery of the missing profits
Scooby YUSU and the team trek to the haunted hes hall... who's the dodgy man closing all the bars? CRIPES!!! Who allowed you in here? If
If you're here to save Derwent bar, forget it - I've screwed it right over!
Hooray! We can solve the mystery with with my tempting temporary takeover!
SHAGGY BRETTS FINDS SCARY MR KEMBER - THE COMMERCIAL SERVICES CARETAKER.
determined for Derwent to lose money, Caretaker Kember creeps quietly, taking all it's dosh to the Courtyard.
Let's go to the Courtyard and celebrate!
You pesky kids! If it wasn't for your meddling, the Courtyard would be the ultimate student bar... and my legacy would be complete! I might 've finally been able to leave!
But SCOOBY YUSU's mystery busting works - under the mask it was none other than mr burton!
taken away by bouncers for being boozy, mr burton'S time was oveR. students were free to get all pissed up and chunder on their own doorsteps once more...
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12 FEATURES
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
>Features
WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF? KELLY HOLT chats with Britain's only Wolfman: alpha male Shaun Ellis.
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There was a daily battle for survival, going without food for up to a week...
or adhere to family rules - discipline for myself as well as other wolves took place around the face and throat areas - natural disciplinary areas for a wolf. To have your entire face in the mouth of an adult wolf with 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch is quite a scary moment." Whilst Shaun is still in one piece, others like him have not been so fortunate. Timothy Treadwell, the American bear enthusiast and environmentalist, lived alone with grizzly bears for 13 summers in the Katmai National Park, Alaska, filming himself and them. Treadwell believed that the bears were his friends and his footage makes for frequently uncomfortable viewing, suggesting a dangerous lack of respect for what are wild, and essentially deadly animals. The difference between Treadwell and Ellis is that, whilst Treadwell interacted with the bears as a human, Ellis is completely immersed in wolf behaviours and methods of communication. In 2003, Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by the bears. But Ellis suggests that "anyone who tries to speak for animals that they clearly feel a great affinity with should be commended... I never lose sight of the great honour that has been bestowed upon me, to be able to live among my wolf family." He mentions the late Steve Irwin as another example of someone who, in his opinion, should be remembered for "what they were saying, not dwelling on how or why their life ended." Despite his refusal to condemn Treadwell and Irwin, Ellis does not seem blinded by his love of the wolves - he is well aware of the negative associations that wolves have for many people and takes a very analytical view. "Wolves are
the most maligned creatures. My own theory is that people fear the mere idea of wolves, where they live and how they hunt. They can see in the dark, and we fear it. They live in the forest, and again, this conjures up all sorts of negative misconceptions. They feed not only on the meat of an animal they kill, but also the animal's emotions prior to death. All of these things fuel our negative imagination." For Ellis, however, these animals are his family. At the moment, he lives just outside the wolf enclosure at Combe Martin Wildlife Park, where he spends a substantial amount of time each day with his pack of eight wolves. He holds the rank of 'omega' within the pack, which he describes as a 'diffuser', or a peace keeper. He has previously lived with the pack full time for thirteen months and, before that, for three years. To maintain his position in the wolf pack, Ellis eats lunch with them each day. As wolves eat different parts of the animal according to their status, Ellis has his portion "slightly cooked" and placed in a canvas bag inside the carcass of the animal , and then, like the wolves "is forced to defend" his lunch. Having raised three male wolf pups, Yana, Tamaska and Matsi, he has also had to feed them chewed up meat from his own mouth, as their mothers would in the wild. An uneviable task by anyone's standards, though for Ellis, "living with and being able to take responsibility for these three wolves to adulthood, to see them grow and take their rightful place in the natural world filled me with an immense pride, that would be very hard to rival." So why does Ellis do all this? And why does living with the wolves inspire such passion in him? His answer is suitably profound for a man who lives with
...To have your entire face in the mouth of a wolf is quite a scary moment...
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A former marine, Ellis met a Native American biologist at a wolf seminar, and from there ended up in Idaho, living with the Nez Perce Native Americans for the next seven years whilst volunteering on a project to study wolves at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. In this time, he was able to get in amongst a wolf pack and live with them. Although his methods may be unorthodox, he is extremely eloquent: he describes the wolves' "daily battle for survival," their "feast and famine diet which could mean going without food for up to a week at a time, sometimes longer," but also the simplicity of a life where "we lived by nature's law, which comprises of trust, balance, respect and need." Although he is keen to emphasise that wolves care little for "the emotional side of our human nature," he admits that "cold was combated by other wolves huddling with you and keeping you warm, almost sensing my vulnerability as a human." As he describes this life, one can't help but think of some of the stories that paint wolves in a better light - the myth of Romulus and Remus who were suckled by a she-wolf, and of course, Mowgli of the Jungle Book, who was raised by a pack of wolves like one of their own, and begin to wonder if 'friendly' is an adjective that can ever be applied to an animal. There is no escaping the fact that wolf attacks on humans do happen, notably in the winter of 1450 when forty people were killed in Paris by a pack, the 1880s when 22 children were killed in Turku, Finland and in Bihar, India in the 1990s when 60 children were killed by wolves. Attacks have grown rarer in recent years, however, and most wolf attacks are now believed to be by rabid wolves, and many others have occurred during especially harsh winters. Ellis admits that there have been occasions where "there were warnings if I stepped out of line or failed to respect,
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omewhere in the heart of the English countryside, a wolf howls. The sound, not heard in Britain since the seventeenth century, when the last of Britain's wild wolves were hunted to extinction, still sends a shiver down the spine. Perhaps it's the evolution, or perhaps because so many fairy-tales involve Big Bad Wolves. Whilst the werewolf myths, the Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, and even verses from the Bible have contributed to the 'bad rep' of the wolf, that alone is not enough to explain the primal fear that the wolf still inspires in many. On this occasion though, the howl is emanating not from a wolf, but from a man: animal researcher, Shaun Ellis, who has made the study of wolves and their behaviours his life's work. But his uncanny ability to impersonate the wolf's howl is only the tip of the iceberg: Ellis does not simply impersonate wolves, he's a member of an eightstrong pack of captive wolves at Combe Martin Wildlife Park, in North Devon, three of which he raised from being pups, something he was only able to do by living with them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This kind of dedication to the study of one animal raises many questions, but the first is simply 'why'? When asked why he feels it necessary to live as one of them, something he has done full-time for years, his response is remarkably sensible. "I found that there was a missing area of wolf research, wild wolf research was done from a distance, in a very un-intrusive manner, or in a captive environment that seemed vastly removed from the wild reality of their natural world."
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FEATURES
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
Prof on a Plinth: Public lecture sees uni lecturer trade students for tourists in Trafalgar Square
YOUR:VISION Witness: Professor John Robinson Location: The Fourth Plinth,
Trafalgar Square, London
O
ne York academic used the summer break to speak on his subject in surroundings a little more exciting than the Physics lecture hall. Participating in Anthony Gormley’s One & Other project, which gives members of the public the chance to speak, perform or lecture from the top of the vacant fourth plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square, Elec-
tronics Department Head Professor John Robinson spent his hour sharing his love for engineering with the crowds. He recalls the experience: My hour started at 7am so I didn’t have the biggest of crowds but it is important that academics take every opportunity to engage with the public, explain
the research we do and how it can solve the problems we face. I looked at how we go about choosing the best solution from a range of answers, a process known as optimisation. It included examples from across electronic engineering, with brief excursions into other disciplines including psychology, music and art, and a focus on the area of
image analysis. I am used to standing up and talking in front of large groups of people but not in such an unusual and challenging venue. One & Other was a great opportunity to be part of a unique project while doing something I really enjoy and am passionate about.
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FEATURES
YORK VISION
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th 2009
Tuesday October 13th, 2009 DUNCAN-SMITH THE RAPTURE IAIN > FEATURES
BEHIND THE SCENES
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>LIFESTYLE
AU THREW MATCHES
THE SCENE
>FEATURES www.yorkvision.co.uk
vision@yusu.org
> SPORT
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P44 WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK
ISSUE 178
NUS SMALL-BUDGET PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR
Tuesday March 13, 2007
BRYAN ROBSON
STEPHEN GRAHAM
DEREK ACORAH
sport
scene
features
TOP BOSS
£90K
EXPENSES WRITE OFF EXCLUSIVE BY ADAM THORN
EXCLUSIVE
SECRET REPORT EXPOSED
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ong before the MPs' expenses scandal, Vision was on the game, exposing the shocking claims of our Vice Chancellor, Brian Cantor. Luxury hotels, flights and car hire
200th EDITION SPECIAL
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and threatened legal action if it was printed. Vision was forced to blank out the bully's name. This has meant he still continues to work on campus.
TUESDAY December 11th, 2008
ISSUE 193
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vision@yusu.org
FOUR TIME WINNER OF THE GUARDIAN STUDENT MEDIA AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT NEWSPAPER the bnp - a LEAK IN OUR DEMOCRACY? p13
CAGE THE ELEPHANTsCENE.
How to save on christmas shopping...student style. P17
MY STORY:
been the training ground for many of the country's hottest journalists, with alumni now working on a range of national papers, TV and Radio. In 2007 the paper won the Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year award for the 4th time, makng it the most awarded British student newspaper. It has recently been nominated for the 2009 award.
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ast year Vision exposed the story of a gay York student who was hiding from authorities in his home country where homosexuality
FACING DEATH BECAUSE I'M GAY
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ision's first edition was published in January 1987 and was dubbed a campus revolution. Although only 8 pages long, it became an instant success, breaking away from the then shambolic and disgraced Nouse. Vision quickly became known for its exclusive news stories, interviews and anarchic humour. For years it has
is punishable by death. His parents had forced him to quit uni and face the threats, despite efforts from the University to protect him.
FULL STORY PAGE 4-5
EXCLUSIVE
BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN AND MARTIN WILLIAMS
> Students "very
> Future uncertain
worried" for friend
for LGBT member
SPEAKING EXCLUSIVLY to Vision, a gay York student has confessed his fears after returning to his home country, where homosexuality carries the death penalty. "I cannot help but worry," says the student. He explains that, in his country, many people "still don’t recognize people for what they are and believe that a certain lifestyle or habit is 'foreign' and therefore dosent exist."
In a revealing interview he tells of his parents' shocked reaction, the vital support of his friends in York and his current unsettled situation. "Its still hard to comprehend the fact that I’m at a standstill," he says. "Waking up everyday not been able to look forward to anything is a very depressing thought."
ON PAGE 4 FULL STORY FULL STORY PAGE 4-5
VISION TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO THREATENED STUDENT
were among the things expenses which totted up to a whopping £90,000. Following this expose in 2007, Cantor has reduced his claims but still claimed over £7,000 this year.
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are threatening to resign due to poor pay deals and 10 weeks after 14 porters quit over contract disputes. Responding to the revelations, the university said in a statement: “The Vice Chancellor’s expenses result mainly from the international missions he leads several times a year with teams of senior academic staff.” But other leading industry figures have expressed outrage at the massive expenses claims, which make Cantor one of the most wasteful university bosses in the country.
HOW HE SPENT OUR MONEY ON HIS LUXURY LIFE
YORK VISION senior Uni staff member was exposed by Vision for bullying other staff. Hours before printing, the University found out about the investigation
Vice Chancellor Brian Cantor has blown £90,000 of university money on flights, hotels and car hire – in just three years. The VC and his team of nine senior bosses have racked up a total of £150,000 in expenses since 2003, according to figures revealed to Vision. This year alone Cantor is planning foreign business trips to China, India and the United States. It is the first time that the accounts have been broken down to show individual expenses claims for each of the top university administrators. The news comes as catering staff across campus
n 2003, Vision exclusivley reported a History lecturer's conviction for downloading over 16,000 child porn photos. He turned out to be one of the Uni's most popular lecturers with one student describing him as "one of the nicest people I have met at York." He escaped prison but took a three-year community rehabilitation.
a prison cell... all because she LIED EXCLUSIVE
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16 FEATURES
YORK VISION Tuesday October 13th, 2009
SUGAR AND SPICE... AND NICK'S QUITE NICE EMILY FAIRBAIRN spends the afternoon with the Prince of Put-downs, Sir Alan Sugar's right hand man, star of The Apprentice, Nick Hewer...
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eing Sir Alan Sugar's right hand man takes much more than pulling faces behind the backs of hopeless apprenticies. Much more. When I meet Nick Hewer at his country home, he shows me reams and reams of notes on Apprentice hopefuls; whole notebooks are filled up on just one task. Who said what to whom is all painstakingly recorded, right down to the minute it was said and the reactions of other team members. "Sugar needs to know everything because he doesn't see an inch of footage," Hewer explains; "His ability to be completely in control is down to the input Margaret and I give him." Hewer is about to embark on the sixth series of The Apprentice, the BBC show that searches for Britain's brightest business mind to serve as Sir Alan's protégée. The show has been massively successful, with the last series watched by 8.1 million people. Hewer was at first only reluctantly involved with the show. He had been retired from PR for only a few months and was set to "sail off into the sunset" when he got a call from his former boss asking for advice. Sir Alan had seen The American Apprentice and had become determined to front the British version. The trouble was that Sugar was a bit passé, and the producers were much more interested in names such as Phillip Green, Richard Branson and Stelios. "Sugar was something of a has-been," explains Hewer "He was an 80s business man, he'd sunk from view so he wasn't really the one they wanted." The producers were going to need a lot of persuading if Sugar was to get the gig so, on Hewer's advice, Sir Alan whisked them off in a private jet for a weekend of luxury at his villa. In Marbella. Evidently the producers were impressed, as just days later Sir Alan was asking Hewer to join the show with him. Hewer was adamant that he wasn't going to be involved in the show, despite Sir Alan's insistence he was. It took several days of being on the receiving end of the rage of 'Britain's Most Belligerent Boss' for Hewer to give in, he says on the grounds of "how amusing it would be for Sugar to have to fight for my fee from the BBC, when for years I'd been having a nightmare of a business getting a fee out of him." Of course it is difficult now to imagine The Apprentice without Nick's presence; the dream team of Hewer and Margaret
Mountford as Sir Alan's advisors has been part of what has made the show so popular. Their withering put-downs and disgusted faces as they witness the depths of the candidates' idiocy are often the best bits. The news that Mountford will not be returning for the next series (she wants to focus on finishing her PhD in papyrology) has saddened Hewer almost as much as Apprentice fans. "Both us old, grey haired, establishment; it just kind of worked," says Hewer. Since I talked to Hewer it has been announced that Margaret's successor is to be Karen Brady, the Managing Director of Birmingham City Football Club, who has made several appearances on The Apprentice before. But Brady may be in for a tough time in her new position. According to Hewer, the workload is demanding; when filming, the team work 12 hour days, 7 days a week with a crew of 60 filming about 100 hours of footage for each one hour episode. And when watching those agonising fifteen minute boardroom scenes next series, spare a thought for the candidates - Hewer tells me that they can take up to 5 hours to film. "It's very hard, it's tough," he freely admits, "You've got to take it very seriously because the contestants deserve to be represented accurately." Although Hewer is Sir Alan's eyes and ears during the process, when it comes down to who gets fired, The Boss makes the decision on his own. "He doesn't tell us what he's going to do, so for hours and hours we just sit there not knowing who he is going to fire," says Hewer, "But when he's got the final three in front of him, his skill is such that he can sort of tee them all up to the same degree of culpability, so when he comes to fire one, quite often
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Sugar was a has-been, an 80's business man... he wasn't the one they wanted...
even if it's not who we wanted to go, we are quite happy about it." Hewer certainly has a great deal of admiration for his boss, who is also a good friend. The week after I interviewed Nick he was due to fly to Sugar's private yacht in the south of France for a holiday. "He is formidable, he's very quick, hardworking, fast thinking, straight forward, don't mess with me, sort of character," says Hewer, "He doesn't suck up to anybody, doesn't suffer fools gladly... he is thoughtful, generous but not ostentatious." In other words, what you see is what you get; the 'Sir Alan' of The Apprentice is no on-screen persona, but the real thing. Although Sir Alan may not suffer fools gladly, when the next series airs, we can be certain it will supply us with glorious moments of stupidity from cocky candidates. Hewer's lip curls as he recalls the infamous 'sandalwood' moment from the last series, when a team of contestants made a monumental error on pricing, after mixing up two fragrances they were using for a soap, which put them well over budget. It fell to Hewer to drop the bombshell on the open-mouthed candidates that they had spent over £700 on fragrance, and it was with obvious relish that after breaking the unwelcome news, he delivered the immortal line "I'll leave it with you". Although he acknowledges that this was one of the biggest mistakes ever made on the programme, Hewer's greatest scorn is saved for the hapless team from series 3 who thought it might be a good idea to take cheap processed cheese to France and try to flog it to the French. "Taking bloody breezeblocks of cheese, from Costco, awful cheese, to France... it's not possible! You do not do it!" exclaims Hewer. He spends a lot of time himself in France, where he says "no-one knows me from a hole in the road". Hewer also trav-
GETTING TO KNOW THE MAN BEHIND THE DESK... Nick prefers Strictly Come Dancing to the X Factor: "as long as the women are pretty." His desert island essential would be the internet. Is currently reading 'A Quiet Sunday at the Pool in Kugali': "a very black book about the Rwandan genocide." In his own word he never eats crisps because he "can't be bothered with them". If he could have one wish, it would be that his grandchildren "have a better life than that which currently confronts them in the future". Nick is scared of crocodiles. els a lot; last year he raised £12,000 for charity driving the Mongol rally in an old Renault 4, across 16 countries in 50 days ("not bad for an old bloke like me"). He's just come back from visiting Rwanda for Hope and Homes for Children, the charity he supports, and this summer completed a trek across central Asia, with ex-Apprentice candidate Saira Khan for a BBC documentary. He's a big fan of vintage tractors ("Massey-Ferguson everytime") and I'm shown a few he owns before I leave. Hewer cites his grand-children as what makes him happiest in life. He loves the Cassetteboy YouTube clip that splices together clips to make Sir Alan say ridiculous things. The night before our interview he'd had a boozy night with the crew from the Asia documentary, and had to recover with copious amounts of coffee. During the course of our interview, I notice that he wears bright orange socks. By the end of the afternoon, it's apparent that Nick Hewer is really not as icy and stern as he seems on the telly; infact he's witty, personable and, dare I say it, an all-round nice guy. But would you really want to be on the receiving end of one of his chilly stares? I'll leave it with you.
YORK VISION
LIFESTYLE
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
>Lifestyle
17
WE KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN THIS SUMMER... Barcelona
Some of the more adventurous members of the Vision team share their summer travel stories...
India
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Patrick Harte
B
arcelona is a city with a wealth of cultural delights, so naturally I was ecstatic when my friends and I decided to head there this summer for my twenty-first birthday (courtesy of a £30 Ryanair return) . It didn't disapoint; Barcelona is an incredible city with a wealth of interesting and inspiring sights. From the legendary Camp Nou Ground of FC Barcelona to the equally impressive architecture gems littered throughout the city. But as you imagine any lads holiday we moved away from these more graceful settings to life in the city. We explored further away from the centre of La Rambla (which amusingly enough turns into a real illicit centre with prostitutes and drug dealers peppered all over at night), going into back streets to find litres of Estrella Damm for only 3
Jerome Joel Josy
Interailin T
euros, bars that offered only shots (and over 300 varieties of them, at least a quarter of them involving setting the bar on fire too). One of the most interesting such concoctions we came across was a drink in a supposedly affluent bar that served up a free cocktail on entry that consisted of vodka, ice and Listerine. Yes. Listerine. In fact, as we were initially drinking it and we had no idea of the ingredients, we were ribbing jokes about the cocktail tasting like mouthwash - but no, it really did consist of Listerine, information which we cleverly managed to gather just as we'd finished the drink. Surprisingly, following this my memories of the remainder of my time in this wonderful city have turned somewhat hazy.
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here a re sev eral s things ome I want do befo to rou sleep, the num re I die s Span erous, a : sky dive, se moeE descend ish couples w ing on o h World c ngland in a ur make o kept mitory up final, shift do ensure have a threes rwe had nigh om a sleeple Asia. O e and ‘do’ W t. ss hen 5am ne thin g I a came w manage e fo d to c ross r ur hour wait fo woke up, With off my eleased r the bu imagina rumour lls to be r list wa s that a s the r y tourist had n Engli u b n- rou een gore ning of sh nd d to dea th th rang in Pamp e bulls war n the crowd. My lona. m ings um’s ea It seem rlier As the ti were ringing ed the in me got n w h o le earer th my ears. grew ten a fair fe of Spain e ser and w drun were try the crow atmosphere k Austr and of the in ds on th course alians no train g to get to Pam e side g rew bois den plo ti terous. no know cket, no accomm na; we had w ly a shot was Sud fi e ledge of odation re relea r sed. The ed and the bu to do th a e runnin how we actuall nd surged u lls c r o w ds p y got g. ing the each oth the hill, desper of runners only re However after a e te r buy- th maining £50 each ly out of th ) ti e e way an pushing (f it and th ckets for the tr irst class, b side. What we d diving thought ulls cha to ain, mis en jump rged pa were all sin without in st in an the a ticket g on another tr g to be foll ins ow plona. ain w we arriv hich left ed later by se tant only ed in P veral m The pop am- to us pinn ore ulation ed to a uching of Pamp w d over 1,0 all w is ta nce of heaving lo 00,000 fo their m ithin frames. r the fes na swells to medieva uscular With th tival, its l at it w sma with rev streets were as over, ellers en overflow ll miles and thousan joying s bands a ing tw h ds o nd an o minu undreds of po unds fo f te adre night. A samba parades gria, brass li naline ke noth fter disc long into rush. It r a ing I ha ov awake a the a ve expe was t 5am to ering we had mixture r ie to be nced be of relief, make su in the r fo a unning n r re e d e la o a ti f a plac c of the b to retrea e sure hievement . A on, excitement ulls we t to the n ly fe e d n li e ot be m cided ng that earest p atched will achieve ark and until I that thr catch finally eesome.
Andrew
Nichols
18 LIFESTYLE
EVERY JOE BLOGGS BLOGS LIFESTYLE
Kate O'Loughlin discusses everyones obsession with internet blogging...
T
he rise of internet blogging has seen the broadcasting of communication taken into the hands of the masses. The website Twitter is now a hotspot for virtual self-expression. But what has caused this demand for the articulation of one’s inner thoughts on a global platform? It appears that in a society that places increasing emphasis on egalitarianism, everyone believes they have the right to be heard. Not just by one’s friends and perers but by the world at large. The internet provides a platf o r m for amateurs to acquire the exposure usually reserved for those who have done something to deserve it. However, in this age of reality television and multiple mediums for the creation of celebrity, merit is no longer necessary to draw attention. Yet the vacuous nature of fame does not deter people from equating it with status. Perhaps people go as far to believe that their thoughts are not valuable unless they are valued by a wide audience, a notion that can only create anxiety and insecurity in those who believe it. An internet blogger can measure the precise value of his or her opinions in numerical terms through the amount of hits their blog receives. The social networking site Facebook contributes to this culture of superficial identity, through its open publication of each member’s amount of friends; one’s personal worth is reduced to a number. Facebook is another internet resource that offers the opportunity for people to validate their experiences by making them known to a wider audience than is usually accessible, in this case through status updates. Are these tools for selfexpression positive democratic resources that encourage creativity and increased literacy? Or are they in fact another example of modern culture’s proliferation of information, devaluing the literature available to people and ultimately amounting to little more than white noise? What’s so bad about anonymity anyway? Celebrity has become vulgar. Perhaps there should be a return to the inner meditation promoted by writers such as Wordsworth and Austen. It might be healthier for people to take themselves away from their computers and instead embark upon solitary walks and reflective contact with nature, as promoted by these writers. Instead people are opting for the ego enhancing option of internet exposure.
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
THE VISION RECIPE BOOK Tasty Recipes with a student twist... Chicken and Mushroom Pie Ingredients... 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 Chicken breasts 8 rashers of bacon , cut into large pieces 1 onion , halved and sliced 250g pack button mushrooms 2 tbsp plain flour 400ml chicken stock 200ml milk 500g pack fresh puff pastry , or frozen and defrosted 1 egg , beaten
Method... 1) Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and fry for 5-8 mins until golden brown, turning occasionally. You may need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Lift the chicken onto a plate and tip the bacon into the pan. Fry for 5 mins until crisp. Add the onion and mushrooms, then fry on a high heat for another 3 mins until the onions start to colour.
2) Tip the flour into the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 min. With the pan off the heat, gradually stir or whisk in the stock, followed by the milk, then add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins. Spoon the filling into a large pie . or baking dish and leave to cool red surface, roll the 3) Heat oven to 220C. On a flou £1 coins. Cut a long pastry to the thickness of two the pie dish and, of rim the as e strip as wid to the edge of the fix using a little of the egg, lift the rest of then egg, with sh Bru pie dish. the pastry over the pie. Gently press the edges with your fingers and trim with a sharp knife. Brush lightly with egg to glaze, then bake for 30 mins or until the pastry is risen and dark golden brown.
Make use of
brand new
music equipment in Langwith from Music Soc ! SIGN UP AT FRESHERS' FAIR FOR USE OF MUSIC FACILITIES AND UNIQUE MUSIC DISCOUNTS
STUDENT STUNNERS GET THE LOOK:
Cardigan: Fred Perry on Ebay Playsuit: Topshop Bag: Topshop Boots: New Look Headband: Urban Outfitters
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Laura Howes
James Carr
YORK VISION
INTERNSHIPS:
LIFESTYLE
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
WHO, WHAT, WHERE WHY?
19
HOT
Andrew Theodosiou takes us through the ins and outs of finding an internship...
I
t is unfortunate that as soon as we have just properly adjusted to university, made a decent set of friends and started understanding that it is simply a fact of life that Thursday morning lectures will never be attended, we have to start thinking about life after university. For second years this reality appears in the form of the gaining of a summer internship, and whilst third years fret about graduate positions even freshers
have to be mindful of their CVs and employability as fewer and fewer positions become available due to the global recession. People may hope the worst is over, but as the USA announced another quarter million job losses last month things are indeed looking dark for the graduating classes of ’10,’11 and possibly even ’12. A decent degree from York simply doesn’t look like it’s going to be enough. For those of you who still have no idea about what you want to do upon
Where to go A short list of the “big names” in banking that offer internship programs are: Morgan Stanely, Goldmann Sachs, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, RBS (70% of interns are offered full time places upon graduation), Barclays’s Capital, Lloyd’s TSB, Citigroup, Merill Lynch (part of Bank of America), UBS, Standard Chartered, Rosthcild, Investec, ABN, Bank of America, Wells Far-
go, Wachovia, Bank of England and Nomura. This list is by no means comprehensive, there are a myriad of fantastic places to apply to and work. The application process is long and arduous so the sooner you get started the better. They often offer position abroad and so present a great way of combining travel and work.
On the internet A good idea is to sign up to a graduate recruitment website. It takes about 20 seconds to sign up and does half the work for you; firstly, in terms of finding jobs, and secondly, of reminding you of deadlines, what is required (CV, cover letter, etc.) Most importantly though they are perfect
for finding that mystery unknown profession you are tailor made for as they show the gargantuan amount of varying jobs that exist in the world today. A particularly good one is the Graduate Recruitment Bureau which you can sign up to at www.grb.uk.com
graduating an internship is a perfect way to find your 'calling'. Maybe you were always meant to be an auditor or go into consultancy! Cast your net wide, apply to absolutely everything and anything and once you get your offers decide what looks the most enjoyable. After all, it might be something you’ll spend the rest of your life doing. Here are some top tips to help find the right internship for you...
Most importantly, read , read and read some more. There are some great (and hilarious) blogs on the internet about what it’s like to work in different professions and these give you the inside scoop and behind the scenes picture of what it’s like to work in a given sector. A great one for finance for example is “Merges & Inquisitions.” Maths, IT, Engineering, Economics and other scientific degree graduates are particularly geared towards finance and quantitative positions. Banks and firms offering financial services have a particularly strong internship culture. In fact, if that’s what you want to get into after uni it’s almost impossible to do so without having prior work experience. This list is by no means comprehensive, there are myriad other fantastic places to apply to and work. The application process is long and arduous so the sooner you get started the better. They often offer position abroad and so present a great way of combining travel and work. History, Management, Business students could consider consulting or working for one of the “Big Four” – Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PWC. Another exciting branch to work in if you love negotiating and fast changing environments is brokering. One of the big brokerage firms – ICAP is always at the careers fair so be sure to go up and ask at the stall. Always remember though, almost no professions are exclusive to certain degrees – literature students could end up working in insurance and mathematicians could end up as journalists. The rule, however, isn’t universal; if you want to become a doctor and are doing linguistics, you might want to consider changing course, The Economics Society will be arranging several talks from some of the big names in the industry so look out for those this term. You can join the Economics Society on facebook - and automatically receive updates about when and where they’re happening, even if, and actually especially if, you’re not an economics student. Ultimately don’t be scared of applying – it doesn’t hurt you and if you’re worried about your degree title and its relevance to the position you’re applying for just remember that employers look for skills you’ve learnt, rather than specific content. No economics student is ever going to use demand and supply analysis working for a bank.
We're completely addicted!
Everyones back in York and we can't wait to go out!
The cold is coming... and we're excited to buy the winter wardrobe.
Fresher's flu! Everyones got it and we don't want it!
9:15s Freshers will soon learn to hate them.
Mantyhosewe hope this is one craze that doesn't hit York
NOT
20
FRESHERS FLEW O ne of my best friends from home started at Leeds university a couple of weeks ago, and as the older university-wise friend I was the first port of call for all kinds of student related advice (from sensible queries about student loan forms to hysterical phone calls from IKEA about how many sets of cutlery to take). Of course I was happy to help and extremely pleased she would be so close to York but as she was receiving accommodation letters, buying plates and pans and worrying about getting lost around Leeds, I started to envy her excitable fresher's bubble, especially seeing as my own bubble was mainly Lauren enjoys her freshers week! work related. This envy only got worse with pictures of her having a crazy freshers' week filled my Facebook news feed (complete with the compulsory 'I've got a cone on my head how funny am I?' picture), while I was still in Durham feeling very homesick about York, with an unreasonable amount of dissertation reading to do. Thinking back on my own freshers' experience, my
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
Rachel Knox reminisces about being a fresher...
jealousy only grew. I wish I was still that na誰ve little fresher moving into my tiny Eden's Court room two years ago. I want to have that 'first time' feeling back again; my first Viking Raid t-shirt, the first time I had a Nag's treble, getting lost finding my first lecture, my first Ziggys visit. Now when I walk home from nights out and pass Clifford's Tower I'm thinking 'Jeez, it really hurt when we rolled down that in first year' instead of the impulsive 'We have GOT to roll down there' thought that the majority of you new fresher's will undoubtedly be thinking this year. Fresher's week as a third year just isn't quite the same; this will be my seventh Viking Raid and my third Access All Areas (which frankly isn't as fun when you're not getting lost drunkenly between colleges like in first year). That nervous-excited feeling you get as your parents drive you up to your new accommodation for the first time can only be felt once. Things just seem more sensible two years on, now my essays do count, word counts have at least doubled, I do have to make sure I get to that Friday morning 9:15, and next year instead of coming back to York and head-
ing to the Charles for a catch up I'm going to have to go into the big wide world and get a job. I'm sure third year won't be quite as dull as I'm painting it out to be, and there are some perks of being a third year during freshers week; knowing which freebies to blag in fresher's fair, you know which events to avoid, and you don't get ripped off by the drinks prices at the Fresher's Ball. And this year my friends and I will still be falling out of Gallery on a Thursday night and I'll probably still have to ask the porters where my seminar rooms are in the first week of term, but things won't have the same carefree edge that they did in first year. I guess what I'm trying to say is make the most of your time at York, because mine is running away from me! I've turned into one of those scruffy sleepdeprived people I once saw sitting in one of the many university computer rooms desperately trying to finish an essay at three in the morning while I skipped passed on my way back from a night out.
My Fresher's week...
YORK VISION
LIFESTYLE
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
>Style
FRESHERS' FASHION
Jude Hull advises this year's newest freshers on fashion at York...
S
tarting university is nerve-racking at the best of times so here at Vision we want to give you a heads up to the clothing prerequisites that will make the transition to Uni all the easier. Many of you have probably spent the summer in a kinder climate to this, where the warmth and light make for effortless glamour. Well in the same way that your bank balance will get a severe reality check this term, so will your wardrobe. The first fashion essential for any fresher is the leather jacket. This season it has had a sexy revamp with studs and shoulder pads making it all the more desirable. Opt for soft leather and never longer than hip grazing. A real leather jacket can be a strain on the pennies but thankfully there is a great selection of faux ones in the high street. If the biker look is not for you then a denim jacket is the perfect alternative.
Far Right: Over the Knee Boot, River Island £119.99 Right: Studded Bag £18 Miss Selfridge
There really is nothing worse then sitting through a lecture with wet feet, so protect your pieds with a good pair of boots. River Island has a great selection and could work well with any outfit day or night. And for that little bit of extra warmth, throw on a silk scarf or a comfy snood. Regrettably at least one trip to the library will be a necessity this term... even if it is to ask for directions! Grab yourself a good satchel in the hope it will be filled with various books of interest, or alternatively it could always double as a shopping bag! Likewise seek out a good evening bag; the clutch is fabulous, but impractical. A small over the shoulder purse will always mean extra hand free for another drink. York dressing really is climate dressing. Never has the weather influenced a wardrobe as much as when I moved to York. Outfits con-
stantly have to be adjusted and added to in order to keep warm or dry. And alas this is no exception for going out. If you hit the town at the wrong time you are guaranteed a trembling wait in the rain. Long sleeve dresses are an easy way to avoid the shivers and American Apparel has a fantastic selection. Likewise if you see a good fur jacket, don’t resist but don’t break the bank as we are spoilt for choice in H&M and Topshop. Invest in a good pair of flats there is nothing worse than bruised feet after a night at the Duchess. And lastly complete your Yorkshire wardrobe with a pair of coloured tights. A great alternative to the leggings look and will always find additional use in one of many fancy dress socials!
Right: Leather Stud Jacket, Topshop £160 Above: Pretty Bow Pumps, Dorothy Perkins £20
AUTUMN UPDATE
21
yorkshire's finest... Vision gives the heads up on the best places to shop in York…
Sarah Coggles Location: PETERGATE Open since 1976 and multiple winner of 'Designer Store of the Year' and 'Retailer of the Year', Sarah Coggles is an internationally renowned fashion store with over 200 designer collections. Best buys: Bubblegum scented Melissa shoes and Villa sequin dresses.
Deep
Location: FOSSGATE Recently opened Deep Vintage Clothing has won over student hearts for its excellent range of customised vintage finds. Pop in to check out their great new range of over the knee boots
Rachel Knox tries to make the summer to autumn wardrobe transition
I
t's got to that annoying time of year where every time you leave the house you have to ask yourself 'coat or no coat'? The summer to autumn changeover is always a tricky one, it's hard enough to have to say goodbye to your gladiator sandals for another year, never mind having to fork out for an entire new wardrobe. But for students with limited funds this isn't an option (especially seeing as our tiny student rooms simply don't have the closet space), so we've kindly scouted out some autumn essentials that won't see you into the red as soon as your brand new loan has just arrived. We're cleverly keeping our summer wardrobe but swapping in some warmer must haves to see us through the colder season. The first step is swapping your sandals for some cosy boots. Footwear sections of all of the high streets shops are full to the brim with deliciously tempting boots, meaning you'll have as much choice as a kid in a candy shop. Alternatively recycle last year's Uggs (always the student favourite) but remember to give them another coat of Ugg protection spay to see them through the autumn showers. Last year's chunky knit socks are also recyclable and worn just peeping above your boots give a fashionable edge. Next swap flimsy summer cardigans for a funky blazer or a classic mac. Both are perfect solutions to the 'coat or no coat' situation and let's face it, we're desperate to get at least one of them. Again, student budgets mean we need to hit the high street, All Saints
have some gorgeous mac's, they're a little on the expensive side but what the heck, they're an investment! If you really need to keep an eye on your pennies take a look in peacocks for a bargain blazer. The next essential is a chunky cardy, this is an absolute wardrobe staple and vital for allowing you to wear your summer dresses through autumn. Topshop's knit section is huge this time of year or instead give York's vintage shops a visit to dig out a more individual piece. Ebay is also a good place to look, and after being hit hard by the credit crunch chances are your unlikely to be outbid. These three absolute essentials should see you through autumn rather stylishly and hold off the shopping addiction until winter.
Top Right: Long Knitted Cardigan, Topshop £65 Bottom Right: Leonda Mac, All Saints £160 Above: Ankle Boot, Office £75
THE BLUE Ballroom Location: GILLYGATE It may be a little out of the way but Blue Ballroom is worth the walk. It is the best place to shop for lumberjack shirts and warm knits to keep you wrapped up this winter.
22 LIFESTYLE
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
FASHION FIX
Style M ust
Have:
Sarah Jordan explains how to get the best fashion fix, at the cheapest price!
L
et’s face it, students are not known for their ample supplies of money. Unless the bank of mum and dad is particularly willing to give you a little financial help, the only option is to muddle through and forget about it. Yet despite knowing that we students survive entirely on money that is essentially someone elses, the fashion industry still loves to show us what we could get with the money we wish we had. Sometimes we just need a fashion fix, something that can tide us over until the next loan date or birthday. This nearly always requires spending too much money, in my case in Topshop, which I can scarcely afford and regret wholeheartedly the next day. So to remedy this I have been scouring the land (and of course the internet) to find ways in which you can get your fashion fix totally free or for a fraction of the cost. I have looked at books, movies, blogs, magazines and television shows in order to find something that provides a burst of fashion which can take the edge off the craving to whip out the debit card.
Books:
There are some great fashion books around, one that I especially like is Nina Garcia’s The One Hundred (£8.50 play.com). Garcia as the fashion director of Marie Claire magazine in New York, drips class and sophistication. I will admit her writing style does imply that £300 for a black leather bag is a total steal yet underneath this she has produced a fantastic book. The One Hundred is a well thought out list of items that every fashionable female should own. The best part is that most of us probably own half of it already, a little black dress, tailored jacket etc. Ok, she recommends Balenciaga and I shop in H&M…but still.
Blog: When I first heard of
Tavi Gevin-
son the thirteen year old blogger taking the fashion world by storm, I was totally and utterly confused. In the first picture I saw of her online she was wearing a pirates hat and massive clear specs….. enough said. Yet her blog ‘Style Rookie’ is inventive, interesting to read and full of backstage gossip from this seasons fashion shows.
Movies:
It's obvious, The September Issue is sure to be one of the most eye opening fashion docu/dramas ever made. This behind the scenes documentary about the creation of US Vogue’s September Issue shows its editor Anna Wintour as what she really is….a cold hard ice queen with no emotion or social skills. Do we really want fashion recommended by this woman? Look for yourself. (DVD £9.99 Play.com)
Nooka Mens w atch Sarah C oggles £125 Televsion:
STYLE NEWS Designer Take overs The High Street is being taken over by top notch designers. Christopher Kane has produced a gorgeous collection for TopShop of embelished dresses and sequined trousers. Meanwhile primark-wannabe, Peacocks, has persuded Pearl Lowe to design a collection with daughter Daisy fronting the campaign. Finally, Yasmin Le Bon has teamed up with Wallis to create a collection of autumnal essentials.
I hate Gok Wan, there I said it. Frank- . ly I don’t understand his sense of style or touchy feely approach to women. If you want a fashion Tesco the country's fourth-biggest fix watch Gossip Girl, clothing retailer has just launched its all the characters are very own clothing website. Following constantly dressed in designer clothes and in the footsteps of Marks and Spencer, the lead guy Chuck the official sponsor of London Fashion Bass should be a male week is tapping into one of the fastest style icon for the rest growing retail markets. Check it out at of time. Or tune in clothingattesco.com Copying the likes to E4 and check out of Jimmy Choo and Matthew WilRunning in Heels liamson, Sonia Rykiel has created a a totally hilarious range of exclusive pieces for H&M for behind the scenes winter ’09 and spring 2010. This marks look at three clue- the first time that H&M has e-tended less interns at Marie Claire mag- its designer collaboration to the world azine who can barely of lingerie and related accessories for tie their own shoelaces, let alone women. Look forward to their launch have a worthwhile contribution to a mag- in-store on the 5th of December azine.
Online Fashion
Magazines: Although you may think
Vogue would be the obvious choice here it isn’t for one very simple reason. It costs too much for a pretty book of adverts. Pick up a good in store magazine for free from places like Topshop and H&M. Or go for Glamour magazine instead, its only £2 and has actual articles and real life stories mixed in with all the fashion and beauty you could ever want. Bargain.
So if you start to feel desperate in a few weeks time, check out some of these first. They are all easily accessible, cost no more than £10 and may even open your eyes to the real fashion industry.
jil sander is back... And finally five years after walking away from her own label, Jil Sander is back, this time on the high street. The German designer is returning with +J, a collection for Uniqlo. Our favourite, the micro mini at £24.99.
UNLIKELY STYLE DIARY OF A POOR (RICH) ICON: MARY POPPINS BOY Vision's resident fashionista Will Booth tells of his oh-so-fashionabel summer...
W
e all sensed it coming (well I did at least) but now, thanks to Chanel A/W09 it is official: Mary Poppins is back and damn me if she isn't 'oh so hot' right now. Admittedly this is a hard look to pull off in its entirety whilst maintaining a modicum of fashion credibility, but don't worry my doubting darlings, Monsieur Lagerfeld has done it. The Jacket is still there in its everlasting perfection and its pairing with the full length tweed skirt is the recipe for happiness. The skirt clings to the figure in all the right places, and the high victoriana lace shirt is just lovely. Truthfully it is all that can be said, just lovely. Miss Poppins has been chanelled by Chanel in its creation of an outfit that exudes feminine mysticism. Though entirely covered, the figure is enhanced with the expert tailoring of Chanel and merely hints at what very well could be and probably is, underneath. A detail of which I am sure Miss Poppins would approve.
M
y God, WHAT a summer it has been! Have we actually seen the sun once? Of course I have, down in St Tropez with Peaches and the second husband. I told her not to worry about the first, as I said, he had good FHM (First Hubby Material). But don't let others fool you, it can be exhausting being down in the south of France. The constant need to be seen from the beach, lounging on Daddy's yacht meant I was never in one place for more than two hours. I kept having to get darling Ricardo (the cocktail
Style M ust
Have:
Leathe r Stud Gloves Topsho p £18
waiter) to move my lounger. Then again, as little Paris Hilton confessed to me over dinner at Club 55, the public needs us. After all, we are the kind of people who create aspiration in others. I did of course do the festival rounds, sharing Kate Moss's luxury Camper Van - she thinks of me very much as a younger brother and besides, being the same jeans size we are always in each others clothes. I saw a few brave attempts with the limited edition Hunter Wellies but I was way ahead in the new Prada waders and short shorts a la Ronaldo. Alice Dellal was an absolute darling and made a real attempt with her punk revival costume, but one could tell the leather was chafing
somewhat. And so we are back to little old York! Daddy has been ever so generous in renting me a suite of rooms overlooking the river, they belong to Uncle Elton, but he said it was fine and is going to donate all the rent straight back to me! Such a darling, and the fact that he is lending me his littlest Helicopter so that I am not late to campus is just the sweetest thing. Oh! Must dash, we are late for dinner with David and Samantha Cameron, such darlings. Am wearing the new Alexander MacQueen grey tween suit with thigh high PVC boots, what a life. I told you it was exhausting didn't I?
VISION LOVES Please welcome to centre stage once again... THE SCULPTED JACKET!! With shoulder pads that could be mistaken for Radar equipment and itsy bitsy waists, we so know what we will be wearing this autumn..
YORK VISION
Nothing woolly. Straight talking from KPMG. Graduate Programmes – All degree disciplines There are lots of good things about joining KPMG when you graduate. The fact we’ve been voted The Sunday Times ‘Best Big Company to Work For’ is just one of them. Get ready to flock our way. Come and hear what life’s really like at KPMG. Visit www.kpmg.co.uk/careers to find out more.
ADVERTISMENT
24 SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
>Sport NEWS IN S BRIEF
YORK SPORT PRESIDENT EXPLAINS THE VIRTUES OF UNIVERSITY SPORT...
ROWING TO SUCCESS
BY TOM McDERMOTT
Y
ork Graduate and Ex-President of the University of York Boat Club, Hester Goodsell has achieved massive success over the summer by winning a bronze medal at the Rowing World Championships in Poznan, Poland. Goodsell won the medal in the Women’s Lightweight Double Scull; the same event in which she had represented team GB at the Beijing Olympic Games one year before. Hester and her rowing partner Sophie Hosking have been tipped by national newspapers and rowing aficionados as one of Britain’s “best chances for an Olympic class gold medal” during the coming London 2012 games. It is almost certain that her time here in York, training with the rowing team on the Ouse, played no small part in helping her to where she is today.
Goodsell and Hoskings will row for gold in 2012
o you’re reading the sports section of a campus newspaper? Why not go beyond a mere passing glance and get actively involved? York Sport is the sub-committee of YUSU (your Students’ Union) tasked with supplying sport at the University of York. It does this through the 59 individual sports clubs as well as through our inter-mural system: College Sport. You can find out more about all of these clubs and about the college sport programme in the Sports Centre at the YUSU Fair on Saturday. If you can’t wait that long, have a look at our brand spanking new website at www.yusu.org/sport which will give you details on all the different clubs. Last year was one full of change, from the more obvious things like the name change and re-brand, through to more subtle changes such as the composition of the York Sport committee and coming under the YUSU umbrella, rather than being
EMILY SCOTT
a separate Athletic Union. This year, all York teams will be playing in black and gold kits with the York Sport logo emblazoned across their chests, so it should be much easier to recognise the York teams from those of the opposition, whoever they may be. As YUSU is becoming a registered charity, there are charity law implications which have come into play. These mean that clubs can no longer fund raise for external charities, so will instead be re-focusing their fund-raising efforts on their own club development. The effects of all these recent transformations are still being felt and rather than trying to make any changes for change’s sake, I wish to help support the clubs through this transition period and focus instead on the development of York Sport as a whole, in terms of unity, crowd support, partici-
ENGLAND'S FIRST COMPETITIVE DEFEAT PROVIDES A MUCH NEEDED REALITY CHECK... S
aturday was a poor evening for English football. After we made such light work of qualification it was disappointing to slump to such an awkward defeat to a much overrated Ukrainian side. Instead of using the match to intimidate our future opposition we exposed our team’s frailties to the world. Rio Ferdinand displayed none of the skill and composure that makes him a regular in the English’s champion’s first eleven while Glen Johnson showed that he is hardly a defensive rock. In front of goal we once again lacked the cutting edge that turns teams into world champions. Is this a sign of things to come in the approaching World Cup? No, or at least I rather hope not.
Though this first defeat may be a bitter pill for Capello to swallow its best that he takes it now before it’s too late; England may have bared their vulnerabilities to the rest of the world but we can now stop kidding ourselves that the team is the finished product. The problems are obvious even to this most naïve of football writers: we need wingers who can track back and cover our roaming full-backs; we need a proven goal-scorer to partner Rooney and we need to drop Rio Ferdinand. The last statement may seem drastic but it’s the only way to stop the rot of complacency. If we carry on allowing Ferdinand to turn out poor performances in an England shirt then we’ll end up in the bad ol’days of Steve McLaren. It would be the death of
pation and success. Last year York moved 6 places up the BUCS Overall standings to 41st. One way of looking at this is saying that we are the 41st best sporting uni in the UK, which is a great achievement. I would love to see us managing to push into the top 40 this year and believe that this is certainly do-able. But sport at York is about much more than prestige and success in a limited number of sports; we have a huge amount of diversity, catering for almost all sporting whims. If there is one thing you don’t miss in Freshers’ Week, let it be the YUSU Fair on Saturday. Each of the 59 clubs will be at the Sports Centre to tell you why you should join their club and answer any questions you may have.
JOSEPH MCDERMOTT
our hopes of 2010 glory if England is allowed to return to those days of laxity; when playing for your country had become a chore not a privilege. Capello has already done much to engender a sense of competition for places and it would be a shame if that was to end over the continual use of sub-standard players. When we have talent like Jagielka, Lescott and Upson all ready and waiting to fill the gap in central defence there's nothing stopping Capello from putting a rocket up Rio. There is still time to fix the problems before we head to South Africa and our upcoming match against Belarus will hopefully be used to showcase our intentions for the 2010 World Cup.
RED CARDS GET THE GREEN LIGHT BY JOSEPH McDERMOTT
A
new sports society is proposing a dramatic change designed to improve college football. The recently formed clubs calls itself University of York Referee Society and will begin the new term officiating all collegelevel football matches. President of the society Andrew Case told Vision that ‘the society is aiming to improve the quantity and quality of college referees and to improve the attitude of players towards referees.’ The society has come about after many complaints about the standard of refereeing in college football: ‘I’ve experienced the situation in college football from both points of view, as a player and as a referee, and I felt that there was room for improvement. As a footballer I found that often games were being played without a referee and if we
can prevent this happening it should lead to a better quality and fairer standard of game at the college level.’ Complaints have also been raised against the attitudes of players in college football and Case explained that ‘as a ref, I encountered more abuse than was acceptable and witnessed other refs being scared of giving the correct decision due to pressure from players. Hopefully with the structure and refereeing community we will be creating with our meetings and peer assessment, we can help the performance of referees here and give them the backing necessary if they receive unfair criticism, in turn encouraging more people who previously wouldn’t have done, to referee college football.’ So far the society has the support of York Sport President Emily Scott who
has backed the cause by saying that ‘greater consistency and quality of officials at any sporting match is obviously something to aspire to and, with college football in particular, this was perhaps something that needed to be addressed’. She added that the society could work well alongside the current York Sport committee structure: ‘It also complements the work of the College Referees Coordinator and will allow more focus on the co-ordination and development of College Sport. It is great to see this passion from students aiming to improve the quality of officiating, through peer mentoring and discussion, which should positively influence
the quality of the matches.’ While the University of York Referee Society will currently only work with college football Scott has indicated that should the scheme be successful then we may see the society expanded to include other sports.
YORK VISION
SPORT
SPORT SPOTLIGHT
Tuesday October 13th, 20099
YORK'S SECRET SPORTS Ultimate Frisby
BY JOSEPH McDERMOTT AND RACHEL KNOX
A
t the University of York we have been gifted just under 60 sports clubs and the choice of which sport to try can be overwhelming. With each club competing to try and atBY JOSEPH McDERMOTT tract new members some of the lesser known sports can become overlooked. Here at Vision we made it our mission to try and pull together a list of the more obscure sports on campus. There is never a better time than university to try a new sport so why not towards one of the smaller campus clubs.
Squash
We can all remember the unbearable P.E. lessons of secondary: hours spent skidding around a muddy pitch on a cold monday morning trying to play God-knowswhat-sport. Well those days are gone and now sport is there to be enjoyed. It need not be high pressure, it need not even be competitive and above all else it should not be a chore! So let Vision enlighten you and introduce you to some of our University's secret sports!
Membership: 80
D
espite a successful BUCS campaign last season, the squash team is still a relatively small club and looking to encourage more people to pick up a racket. Last year, the Squash team enjoyed unprecedented success - maximum points in their Roses battle and winning the Women's BUCS cup. For those searching for a friendly game and like minded mates, the club boasts a healthy social calender. Club sessions are twice weekly and cater for any levels. Socials are as raucous as any other sport and charity tournaments such as 24 hour squash and the quadracket tournament are annual highlights.
Clay Pigeon Shooting
A
s a newly formed team the Clay Pigeon Shooting Club are still trying to make a name for themselves on campus. They plan to try and compete in as many interuniversity tournaments as possible this year while expanding the club beyond the initial 20 members. The club claim that no feeling compares to that of getting a perfect stand, apart from finally breaking a particularly vexing target! Since it's a brand new club, joining up with the shooting team would be an ideal opportunity to be the first on a
Futsal
Membership: 60
onsidered to be one of the fastest growing sports on the planet Futsal is ideal for gaining new skills and improving your 11-a side game. Essentially this is a version of indoor football played on small courts with a smaller ball designed to encouraged a greater degree of ball skills. With the pace of the game ensuring that halves can only be 20 minutes long you can guarantee there will be a dramatic improvement in
Polo W
Membership: 25
ith a membership of only 25, the polo club are looking to expand their membership this coming year and are a great way to enter national level tournaments if your an inexperienced player. After taking 3 teams to the summer national championships (a record for the club so far) they're hoping to increase their club size and increase peoples awareness of Polo. Their performance in the summer national championships, with even the beginners team winning at least one chukka, proves how much progress can be made with the right commitment and passion for polo.
erhaps one of the strangest sport societies on campus the game of Ultimate Frisbee is relatively unknown in Britain outside of universities. However amongst universities there is a thriving community of players and plenty of tournaments to compete in. The club describe last year’s season very positively: ‘We had a good showing at all the regional tournaments we attended and we won the Plate at December’s Regionals in Sheffield. Also to cap it all off
your fitness levels. President David Ambrozejczyk admits that ' it's a very high energy sport and often your working close to your maximum heart rate, so getting used to that is tough'. With a club size of around 60-80 students Futsal has gained some measure of infamy about campus especially since the amazing results of the two previous seasons in which they came 8th and 10th in the world!
Membership: 35
we won Roses.’ With a choice of playing indoor or outdoor ultimate frisbee is available all year round.
Inline Hockey
Membership: 15
D
escribed by the club president ‘fast, high scoring and physically demanding’ the sports inline and ice hockey could seem slightly intimidating but we have been assured that they also ‘have a lot of fun’! Despite having a good season in 08-09 the club is aiming to improve on last year’s performance though will need more squad depth in order to do this. The team are counting on new members to improve their position in both the Yorkshire and University leagues, and are aiming to reach the semi-finals in the University Nationals.
Membership: 20
brand new bandwagon. The club is destined to be a surefire hit with wannabe rambos and most of the Conservative society. It'll definitely hit the bullseye, unless, of course, you aren't keen on standing in muddy fields in the rain.
C
P
25
Cave and Pothole Club
The biggest perk of the Cave and Pothole Cub is that it he biggest of the Cave runs over 100 that tripsfew a year so allows you to perk experience some incredible places people and Cub team is that is plenty to get involved ever getPothole to see. The hasit an there incredibly varied travel plan: allows to experience some in but everywhere remember: you get havingyou spent last year exploring caves fromwill Yorkincredible places that wet(though that’s half the fun!) shire to Slovenia the few people everis get to see. clubs currently The team has an for infinalizing plans credibly trava 2010 varied expedition eltoplan: having spent Montenegro. last exploring The year club runs over caves everywhere 100 trips a year so from there Yorkshire is plenty to Slovenia the in clubs get involved but isremember: currentlyyou finaliswill ing a 2010 get plans wet for(though expedition to fun)! Monthat’s half the tenegro. The club
Membership: 68
T
Pole Exercise T
Membership: 20
he club have spent the last year promoting the club ‘as an exhilarating aerobic fitness activity rather than the stereotypical view most people have about it!’ And to some extent this has worked: membership is on the up and the club has managed to set up an entire committee. Despite some setbacks last year concerning equipment this year the issues have been ironed out and York has been left with a well run club full of passionate individuals. President Emily Tran describes it as ‘a way to get fit that is fun and sexy!’ Though be warned you may run the risk of a few bruises.
26 SPORT
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
SHAMEFUL HISTORY... Vision 04-03-08
BINGE DRINKING RUINING YORK'S SPORTS TEAMS
BY DANIEL HEWITT & JOSEPH McDERMOTT
A
Vision 24-06-09
Vision investigation has found binge drinking, nepotism and exclusion is putting off many potential sportspeople joining York's sports clubs at both university and college level. Too great an emphasis on excessive alcohol consumption has also led to the deterioration of many players abilities, many stating that they felt they had become a worse athlete since coming to York. One high profile university footballer, whose identity is being protected by Vision, believes that York ‘will never be able to compete with the best sporting universities’. This, he argues, lies with the teams ‘amateurish’ mentality. "It felt like the socials were put before the game." Player A, who has since left the football club due to the unbearable drinking culture, felt there was a serious pressure to join the team on every social and "get smashed". He added, ‘I don’t really agree with the "'we play as a team and get smashed as a team' mentality. When I was a player there was no professionalism in the squad. We would just turn up and play. I feel like I haven't learnt anything footballing wise through playing university football for nearly two years. All I've really learnt are the rules for a sports social at Ziggys!" OVERLOOKED In the course of Vision’s investigation we found a number of disillusioned footballers who shared the same concerns as ‘Player A’. One student, who has played in several teams for over two years, said that unless you attend socials you get overlooked on match day. “I would find that the weeks I attended the socials were the weeks I got in the teams. Even though I attended every training session, it seemed to me that you only got picked if you got pissed with the top players.” When asked whether there was a clique in University football, ‘Player B’, whose identity is also protected, said that it was undeniable.
“Get pissed with the captains and you get picked in the team, simple”, he said, “But even when you attend the socials I feel like an outsider, people don’t really make an effort to include you in the ‘banter’.” Football President Greg Gardner however said that huge efforts were being made to pick players based on ability and not on their behaviour on socials. He said, “We keep drinking separate from the football. Some other sports clubs which I won’t name get pissed on the way back from away games and run around naked but we start our socials in Ziggys not on the coach.” He did however admit that integration has been a problem in recent years: “Last year most of the lads on socials were 1st and 2nd team players, so we do need greater integration between all four teams. This year we’re hoping to improve communication across teams so that best players play in the right teams. If I suspected a captain was picking players on the basis that they could neck a VK quickly then I would be very annoyed.” Our investigation however was not limited to university teams. The initiation of freshers in college football is largely centred on the consumption of vast amounts of alcohol. One second year described how college football captains told freshers to buy a VK, pour a shot of black sambuca into the bottle, take off a sock, place it over the bottle, pass the bottle to the left and drink the VK through somebody else’s sock. A student from another college described how he once urinated into washing machines full of clothes. One college captain even went as far to admit that he had ignored the welfare of players after they had expressed concerns over the team's antics on several socials. The captain who asked not to be named told Vision: "the socials can get quite rowdy and there have been times when we've taken things too far. Some students don't last long and I'm sure that we've had people drop out because of what goes on during our socials." Various other sports have been ac-
cused of alienating students through the aggressive promotion of binge drinking. One of the main offenders in recent years has been the Rugby club. One student commented that "it seems to be a requirement [in the rugby club] to vomit due to stupid and quite frankly dangerous drinking traditions." This student had attempted to join the rugby club but was put off by such 'jockish' attitudes towards alcohol. "I enjoy a drink, like most people, but when its undertaken in such an intimidating manner I’d rather not join in.' ‘Player C’ had previously played rugby at a high level but upon seeing the 'anti-social and confrontational behaviour' of his fellow players he decided to play rugby at a lower level rather than be associated with that type of behaviour. SOCIAL CHANGE York Sport President Emily Scott reacted to the accusations by highlighting that steps are being made to combat this problem: "YUSU has a social policy which each of the club presidents signed last Thursday. It says that socials must not focus purely on alcohol so those who do not drink are not alienated. No-one's "performance" on a social should affect team selection". She added that "it may be a bit of a social change, but I do think it has made those people who run the clubs think more responsibly and thus hopefully cater for all their potential members". Although the UYAFC's decision to hire outsiders to coach the team is a step in the right direction Vision believes that the problem of binge drinking and nepotism is still epidemic amongst the York Sport clubs. This issue will continually hold back York sport's teams and stop us from achieving the high standards in sport that we have in academics. Any students worried about their levels of alcohol consumption or pressure to consume alcohol should contact YUSU through welfare@yusu.org for advice or support.
UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL: PRE-SEASON BEGINS
START OF SEASON STALEMATE BY MIKE REGAN
T
UNI 1sts 3 UNI 2nds 3
wo contrasting goalkeeping performances decided the result of this preseason run out for the university football sides. Whilst 2nds stopper Tim Green denied the new look 1sts with a string of impressive saves, it was an error from his opposite number Sam Clitheroe that allowed York's second string back into the game. The 1sts started the stronger and made their superiority pay with two neat finishes from Joe Cooper giving them a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. But a powerful shot from seconds captain Ben Smith halved the deficit just before the break. Despite dominating pos-
session the 1sts appeared a little off the pace and their colleagues grew in confidence with a few long range efforts before man of the match Miles McDermott capitalised on Clitheroe's rash decision to race from his goal by slipping it through his legs for the equaliser. As the game entered its final stages McLeod's first string finally began to create the chances that their possession deserved, finally resulting in Joe Cooper completing his hat trick with ten minutes remaining. But that would not be enough for the win. In the final seconds of the game a swift move and pinpoint cross from the right allowed the busy Aquilino to prod home for the equaliser.
YORK VISION
Tuesday October 13th, 2009
VISION: N0.1 FOR CAMPUS FOOTBALL
THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL LEAGUE BY DANIEL HEWITT
H
ere at the University of York college football is one of the most inclusive sports on campus. Each college is united by their support for their team and the College Football League is one of the most hotly contested competitions on the calender. The fact that each team has its own specific style is key to the charm of college football. Every college has their rivalries: get ready for grudge matches between Goodricke and James; Halifax
ALCUIN 1st Team Captain: Miles McDermott Star Man: Parris Williams Premier League Team Most likened to: Manchester United The current College Cup holders host some of the university's finest players and will benefit significantly from retaining most of their cup winning side. The only notable departure is Ed Murrels, but new captain McDermott has a very strong crop of players which include Parris Williams, Dan Cox, Jack Crane and Jake Delaney. The team to beat this year.
and Alcuin as well as Derwent and damn near every other team. Each college captain will be looking for the strongest possible start to the new season and this will mean looking to replace the key members of college football who have since departed the university. Vanbrugh in particular have been hit hardest by the latest round of graduations and will have to look closely at the freshers in order to flesh out their team.
VANBRUGH DERWENT GOODRICKE 1st team Captains: Dan Hewitt and Paul Taylor (joint) Star Man: Ali Prince Team Most like: Stoke Vanbrugh gained a reputation for being a big, strong, long-ball outfit last year but it did not stop them winning the league and reaching the college cup final. Traditionally a strong college outfit, Vanbrugh have suffered most from 3rd year exits with only 4 of the 11 players who started the College Cup final still studying at York. Captains Hewitt and Taylor have a lot of work on their hands to replace some big names.
HALIFAX LANGWITH
1st Team Captain: Don Henney Star Man: Alex Cooper Team Most Like: Everton
1st team captain: Adam Leadbeater Star Man: Adam Leadbeater
Team Most Like: Liverpool
Usually one of the contenders for league titles, Dom Henney’s Derwent will no doubt be disappointed with a semi-final finish in the College Cup. Arguably in possesion of one of the best team spirits in college football, Derwent boast some of college football’s greatest socials. The departure of Dreamz Murphy leave the likes of Ed Lacaille with some pretty big boots to fill.
If the College Cup is the Champions League, and the College Football League the Premiership, then Goodricke are York’s very own Liverpool. They traditionally fair much better in the Cup than the league. But the loss of Uni legend Dom O’Shea is equivalent to Man United’s loss of Christiano Ronaldo, and in order to win anything this year Goodricke must replace him with a very special fresher
JAMES
WENTWORTH
1st Team Captain: Mark Lund
1st Team Captain: Bruce Starkey
1st Team Captain: Joe Jenkinson
1st Team Captain: Old guy
Star Man: Connor Brennan
Star Man: Bruce Starkey
Star Man: Mark Mcleod
Star man: Older guy
Team Most Like: Arsenal
Team Most Like: Hull City
Team Most Like: Aston Villa
Team Most like: Chelsea (Pensioners)
One of the strongest teams in college football. Being one of York’s biggest colleges in terms of students, Halifax football has a huge number of players to pick from. They were pipped to the league title last year on the final day of the term and Mark Lund will be looking to start strongly this year and replace the likes of Alex Richards and Joe Harrison.
This is doing Hull a huge injustice. In recent years Langwith have overtaken Wentworth as York’s worst college football team. Most weeks they struggle to turn out a bare 11, with last years captain reportedly sending texts out the night before games to see if anyone ‘fancied a game’ but in Bruce Starkey they have a very quick, nifty player who will have to turn his footballing skills to managerial magic if he is to turn the college around.
James boast two of York’s finest players in Mark Johnson and uni firsts captain Mark McLeod, but it is likely that neither will take part in James’ league campaigns this year leaving two very big gaps to be filled. Traditionally the college have a very strong seconds team, but the firsts have been unable to make a notable impression in recent years.
Being a post-graduate college Wentworth host players of all ages and have in recent years improved beyond recognition. Usually battling it out with Langwith to avoid last place, Wentworth are a team steeped in mystery, for you never know whose going to turn up and play. All ages, all shapes and sizes- Langwith v Wentworth is a must-see fixture
McLEOD'S KEY PLAYERS
Greg Gardener
Ian McKellon
Mark Johnson
A solid, no nonsense centre back.
A versatile midfielder.
A central midfielder who is unafraid to venture forward.
SPORT
27
UNI FOOTBALL HERALDS NEW ERA OF PROFESSIONALISM BY JOSEPH McDERMOTT
T
he University of York Football Club has announced ambitious new plans to boost the success of their various teams. The club has enlisted the help of Leeds United Youth Coaches Peter Renton and Terry Curran (who enjoyed a successful playing career including a stint under Brian Clough) in a bid to add an edge of professionalism that Football Club President Greg Gardener admitted "has been missing for the past few years". Gardner went on to tell Vision that "having Peter on the sideline gives us a little extra boost. For the last few years the captains have been running the training but now we’ve got Peter it's a lot easier; he gets instant respect off the lads". The move to appoint Peter has come after a mediocre league campaign last season which saw York University end midtable. Together with team captain Mark McLeod, Gardener has hinted that the team will be pushing for promotion this season: "promotion would be an incredible achievement but its certainly possible. We’ve got great squad depth even though we’ve just lost a huge amount of our first team regulars". He added: "We’re an underrated team, coming from such a small university and playing in the same league as the first teams from universities like Newcastle, Hull and Sheffield. We don’t always get the credit we deserve." Despite the positive moves forward it would be foolish to ignore the fact that so many of the previous year’s players have left the University. Gardner agrees: "We’ve lost our main strike force, players who are going to get us at least ten or fifteen goals a season. We’ll be using the upcoming trials to look out for a fresher with an eye for the goal." He added that though there was an emphasis on searching for a striker there was still demand for all other positions in the team: "we already have one promising fresher, a post-graduate student from Greece who has played as goalkeeper in his country's 2nd division and was also capped for the Greek national youth team. He could be an impressive addition to the club." Gardner was keen to stress exactly how important it would be for freshers to get involved in the club. "The club is holding trials everyday of freshers' week and there are several starting places in the first XI still up for grabs. We need plenty of players to come down and try out."
Football Trials are being held Mon-Fri at 2pm on the 22 acres.
Tuesday, October 13th 2009
Issue 200
YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR ALL UNI SPORT
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPECIAL
SPOTLIGHT: YORK'S SECRET SPORTS PAGE 25
STUDENTS TELL VISION:
I QUIT UNIVERSITY "SPORT BECAUSE OF
BINGE DRINKING
PAGE 27 YORK SPORT PRES. EMILY SCOTT WELCOMES FRESHERS
CULTURE "
U YO D AN S IN TA P CA E TH H IT W D SE IS P ET “G GET PICKED IN THE TEAM. SIMPLE." “IT SEEMS TO BE A REQUIREMENT TO VOMIT ON EVERY SOCIAL." “THE ATTITUDE IS TOTALLY UNPROFESSIONAL."
PAGE 24
VISION SPORT EXCLUSIVE CONT. PAGE 26