York Vision - Issue 227

GUARDIAN STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2011-2012

YORK VISION Wednesday May 9, 2012 Tuesday October

Issue 224 227

STUDENT CRASHES INTO OWN HOUSE

vision@yusu.org

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DAVID YORK UNI ATTENBOROUGH SURVIVALINTERVIEW GUIDE - LIFESTYLE - - SCENE

WILLOW KING INTERVIEW TOMMY WITH FONG KATE NASH INTERVIEW - -NIGHTLIFESCENE -

AMNESTY YOUR GUIDE TOON INTERNATIONAL YORK'S NIGHTLIFE CAMPUS - -FEATURESFEATURES -

THE NEW WILLOW? By sam earle RUMOURS OF a ‘new Willow’ have been sparked by another Chinese restaurant’s recent application to significantly extend its license for sale of alcohol and opening hours to 3.30am.

A notice which is currently outside the restaurant’s window declares that, under the Licensing Act 2003, Mr Chong Hung Chun aims to extend his restaurant’s hours for regulated entertainment and sale of alcohol to 10-3.30 and “add entertainment facilities with a similar description to making music and dancing from 10-3.30.”

The establishment, Regency Restaurant, situated on 16 Barbican Road, is in an ideal loca-

tion for students returning to the University from town after a night out.

Whilst Mr Chong Hung Chun was unable for comment as he is currently not in York and does not speak English, York Vision tracked down his wife and fellow owner of the restaurant, Annie Peng.

Describing what the current refurbishments would entail, Peng spoke with some pride about the construction of a “new high-tech disco-hall to play records” and “several other rooms for socialising.”

Though she admitted that the dance room itself would “probably not be able to fit too many people,” she assured that “at night there will obviously be no customers in the restaurant so we will push back the tables and make more room for dancing there.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

NEW CHINESE RESTAURANT/NIGHTCLUB SET TO OPEN ON BARBICAN ROAD

2 NEWS

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

BRAKING AN ENTRY

By Derek williams A UNIVERSITY of York student who crashed his car into his own house on Friday looks set for a hefty fine from his landlord after causing significant damage to the front door and brickwork of the house.

Although the student in question was not available for comment, local residents who witnessed the incident described it as "ridiculous" with one alleging that it was "an amateur driving lesson gone very, very wrong."

The crash occurred on Windmill Lane in Heslington and involved a recently purchased BMW car.

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WHICH D COME UEPARTMENT H PAYING NDER FIRE AVE FOR STU MINIM DENTS BELOW UM WA GE?

Good Week for fans of York nightlife - it's Freshers Week and there's something new on the way!

Bad Week for third-years - the hard work starts now while everyone else is partying...

Photo of the Week: Vanbrugh freshers enjoy their first night at York

York's new worldwide ranking according to the Times Higher Education Guide

103

amount Biology underpaid its over 21 year-old ÂŁ13.33 The helpers on the recent open day Got an opinion? Get involved at www.yorkvision.co.uk Or contact us at vision@yusu.org

Photo: Oliver Todd

YORKVISION

Guardian Student Publication of the Year 2011-2012 Editors: Helena Kaznowska Oliver Todd

Deputy Editors: Alex Finnis Fred Nathan

Scene Editors: Jordan Lloyd Maddy Pelling

News Editors: Bethany Porter Joe Softley

Deputy Features: Katherine Birdwood Bella Boman-Flavell

Deputy Sports: Charlotte Ferris Oscar Pearson

Deputy News: Sally Dolton Sam Earle

Lifestyle Editors: Rachel Longhurst Georgina Strapp

Chief Sub-Editors: Alex Cochrane-Dyet Sally Dolton

Comment Editors: Olivia Head Max Sugarman

Deputy Lifestyle: Frances Jennings Helena Kealey

Photo Editors: Adam Green Vivan Jayant

Deputy Comment: Ben Dilks Nicholas DunnMcAfee

Sports Editors: Jack Bradshaw Dave Washington

Webmasters: Vivan Jayant Magnus Tripp

Features Editors: Sarah Cattle Harry Pick

Scene Editorial list in pullout

Web Editor: Vish Nithi Advertising: Sarah Cattle

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

Copyright Vision Newspapers, 2012.

Printed by Mortons of Horncastle.

YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday October 9, 2012

YUSU FAILS TO MEET EXPECTATIONS IN NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY

3

STUDENT SURVEY SLAMS YUSU

RECENTLY RELEASED results of a major national student satisfaction survey reveal that the YUSU, York University Students' Union, have once again failed to perform.

YUSU received a satisfaction rating of just 61%, ranking 79th of the 123 Universities included.

Local rivals York St John were placed 21st.

change this over the upcoming year.

Taylor told Vision: "We certainly recognise that YUSU can up its game in certain areas. It's pretty laughable to ask 22 questions on a university's impact on students' experiences, and then compare all of that data to just the one question chucked in right at the end of the survey. 61% doesn't do it justice, and we'll be looking to prove that this year."

"We're looking to do a lot

TAYLOR: "61% DOESN'T DO US JUSTICE" more now to involve off campus students in our work, and really trying to make YUSU become approachable, rather than something exclusively for the usual suspects. This will no doubt increase the participation which we really welcome. I want our students to not just have opinions,

YUSU BEATEN BY LOCAL RIVALS Sheffield University's Union, SSU, topped the survey with a 95% student satisfaction rate.

The National Student Survey is completed by third-years at every university in the UK each year. The survey comprises 23 questions on every aspect of uni life and is a crucial factor in most league tables.

YUSU President Kallum Taylor ran his campaign on an antiYUSU platform, claiming that the majority of students didn't know about the Union, and those that did didn't care. He pledged to

quires paid membership.

York's collegiate system may also be a factor in its relatively low rating, with JCRCs taking on much of the entertainment and welfare responsibilities of a typical students' union.

Third-year Accounting, Business Finance and Management student Jess Parmar agreed with the survey results: "Although the students' union has improved, it still has a long way to go to compete with other universities.

There needs to be a better central hub where the Union can put on bigger university events."

University Press Officer David Garner expressed confusion over the results. "We are unsure how these rankings are derived.

YUSU plays a vital role in representing students, organising events, providing welfare and supporting and running facilities. The excellent new student centre next to James College is now available for use by students and we also anticipate that the Glasshouse Bar will offer a signification enhancement of social facilities on Heslington East."

Overall, the University achieved satisfaction rate of 88 NH_Advert_105x170_v1_Layout 1 24/09/2012 15:58 a Page 1 per cent. but to have a say on what we say, what we do and how our services are run. Being bolder on campaigns, and not being ashamed to celebrate our wins and stand up for students will speed this up."

The worst performing students' unions in the survey were predominantly collegiate-based.

Oxford University and Oxford Brookes tied for joint last place, with Oxford not only having a strong college-focus but also having two unions, one of which re-

BOUNCING BACK THE World Rankings and moved up from 16th to 11th in the UK, overtaking Sheffield, St Andrew’s and other top universities. We will, however, not be happy until York is back in the Top 100 where it belongs."

YUSU President Kallum Taylor commented on the rise to Vision: "I think the University should congratulate themselves here - again it’s another testament to just how much of a highly credible institution we’re part of.

"Reassuringly too, I know we’re not going to rest on our laurels either. The University’s Senior Management Group really does want to keep our university at the fore-front of innovation and achievement."

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YORK IS finally enjoying some success in the league tables again as the University moved up 18 places to 103rd in the Times Higher Education's university world rankings.

York’s overall score was 57.1, scoring highly in areas such as ‘citations’ (effectively research), with 83.4 out of 100, as well as an equally noteworthy 71.9 in ‘international outlook’ – a score which highlights York’s emphasis on diversity as well as the extent to which the institution seeks to forge links with foreign universities.

This is a considerable step up from last year, when York was languishing down in 121st place, and beaten by the likes of Sheffield, Durham and Bristol.

Roses rivals Lancaster came well below York in 145th this year, whilst Hull and York St. John did not appear in the top 400.

Other high scoring British universities were predictably Oxford and Cambridge, who came in 2nd and 7th place respectively.

Imperial and UCL also appeared in the top 20, coming in 8th and 17th place.

The vast majority of the top 20 was filled by American universities, with the California Institute of Technology coming in 1st for the second year running,

scoring a whopping 95.5.

Asian universities also proved to be rising stars and could scupper York's chances of climbing back into the top 100 in the coming year.

Two years ago York could boast of a place in the world's top 100, coming 81st in 2010 with a score of 59.1.

This year's 103rd place finish could foretell York’s rise back into the national top 10, as the University also came in at a highly commendable 8th in The Times' 100 universities under 50 years old.

University spokesman David Garner said on York's new position: "We are very pleased that York has leapt 18 places in the

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YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday October 9, 2012

A FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW CHINESE RESTAURANT/CLUB OPENING IN YORK

A CHALLENGER TO KING FONG'S CROWN?

By SAM EARLE continued from front page.

When asked for more definitive details on what the principle aims of the refurbishments would be, she cautioned that at the moment it was simply “too early to say because we won’t be ready for a few more months.”

After questions were asked about the proposed entrance fees, she insisted that this “is also something we still think would be premature to discuss – there are a few important meetings with the Council to come in the next few weeks and after that we will know more.”

It is not completely certain if the City of York Council will accept the restaurant’s application, with the deadline for opposition being the 24th of October. Regardless, the Regency Restaurant is currently undergoing serious refurbishment, suggesting that Mr Chong Hung Chun himself is confident the proposals will be accepted.

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"I'M ALRIGHT, WILLOW'S ALRIGHT" Certainly, the restaurant's similarities with the infamous student night spot Willow are striking, but when asked whether they were copying Tommy Fong’s pioneering concept, Peng denied ever having been to the clubrestaurant. Once informed of Willow’s unique features, in particular the policy of giving free prawn crackers over the course of the night, she expressed interest and said she would “talk about it with the boss” as something to replicate.

Despite their similarities, it would seem that the original York institution is not unduly troubled by the recent developments.

When asked about the emergence of serious competition to his clubbing empire, Willow owner Tony Fong told Vision: "that's the first time I've heard of it."

s ' t a h W The Quack?

Clockwise from the top: what will be the main dancefloor; renovations in progress; the bar After enquiring whether Willow would be able to survive the new competition, Mr Fong pointed to the dance floor, smiled, and said, "well , look at it."

"I'm alright, Willow's alright, if not the best," the man commonly-called the 'Willow King' added.

University of York students seem similarly sure that Willow

Another view of the potential dancefloor

has nothing to worry about.

“What makes Willow so great is its uniqueness and its history,” second-year Vanbrugh student Max Brewer told Vision. “You have to realise that Willow was not built in a day.

“For me the miracle of Willow is somewhat akin to the miracle of life on this planet: it requires the simultaneous existence of so many different factors that it is very unlikely it could exist and flourish anywhere else – Willow would be nothing, for example, without the admirable initiative and genius of the Fong family.”

Joel Brocklehurst, secondyear Derwent student, seemed to agree: “Can you imagine there ever being T-shirts with 'Regency Restaurant' on the front? No. "Personally, I think that playing Tommy Fong at his own game – if that is what they are doing – is not a good idea and would strongly advise against it. It is a well-known fact among those in the right circles that Tommy Fong is a dangerous man to mess with.”

On the other hand, many wel-

comed the prospect of a potential rivalry.

“I think it can’t be a bad thing if Tommy Fong is given a bit more competition,” History of Art student and Willow-regular Isabella Clark told Vision. “At the moment I think he is a bit too comfortable in his boots – he knows he doesn’t have to do anything because, when it gets past a certain hour, students have no-

"THIS COULD GO DOWN AS A BIG MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF YORK CLUBBING" where else to go.

"I actually think that, if these rumours are realised, this could go down as a big moment in the history of York clubbing.”

Only time will tells what this new development will mean for the unique face of York’s night life.

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5

6 NEWS Vision's Sam Earle examines the trials of freshers across the country...

student press AH, HERE we are again. Summer has gone and winter is coming; the wheel of student life is set to roll once more.

For many, this is a time of great hope. Much like with New Year Resolutions, feelings of ambition and confidence can run freely through the soul spared from the burden of reality. Hope and expectations know no bounds and I shall try not to encage them: that is neither my desire nor duty, and it is something which, most of the time, happens completely naturally.

For those students joining us this year, you have most likely arrived filled with hope and sprinkled with nerves or filled with nerves and sprinkled with hope, but whatever the case, at least you did not arrive to a mob of eggthrowing protesters.

This was the fate destined for the freshers of the new private university set up in central London by A.C. Grayling. The university officially opened on the 24th of September boasting impressive “star lecturers” such as Richard Dawkins and Niall Ferguson. The students were greeted by chants of ‘bourgeois scum!’ but since they are willingly – some may say even enthusiastically - paying double the 9k a year so many students fought so vehemently against, it is quite hard to feel sorry for them.

This is less the case with Tom Beardsworth, the Oxford Student who has recently been the victim of a vicious personal attack by VICE Magazine after allegedly plagiarising ‘The VICE Guide To Dating Rich Girls’ for the Oxford Student. Tom, whose article is entitled ‘A Guide To Dating Posh Girls’, denies plagiarism. As to whether he did or not, it is not my place to say, but VICE’s reaction was nonetheless over the top.

Vice Staff unleashed a tirade of venomous twitter-abuse on poor old Tom. Clive Martin, a regular VICE writer, started it by tweeting: “some Oxbridge wanker has totally ripped off an article my colleagues and I wrote. Send him some hate plz.” Yet before long it had escalated to Clive later tweeting that Tom was going to “love the new arsehole we rip him on Monday”. Poor old Tom. Then again, Tom’s treatment pales in comparison to the poor little hamster who so unfortunately found its way into the hands of a 21 year old “York student”, as reported by the BBC. Whether “York student” means he is a student at the University of York, or St John’s, or even a student from anywhere in the world that merely lives in York, remains unclear.

But nevertheless, there is a real possibility which we must not ignore: there may be a hamsterkiller among us. In fact, he could be sitting next to you right now.

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

BIOLOGY SHORT CHANGES STUDENTS

By Helena kaznowska STUDENT HELPERS have been paid below the minimum wage by the Biology Department in a move YUSU President Kallum Taylor called "disgraceful".

Biology, Biochemistry and Genetics students were employed from 9am to 4pm for a flat fee of £30 at an open day on Saturday 29th September.

This meant that the students, who worked for seven hours without a scheduled lunch break, were earning £4.29 per hour.

Volunteers aged 21 and above, for whom the minimum wage is £6.19 an hour – were being underpaid by £13.33 over the course of the day, over a third of their total earnings.

UNDERPAID

The History department paid volunteers a flat fee of £50 for the for the same day's work.

While the Biology students were provided with Cookies Cafe vouchers for a complementary sandwich, many of the helpers did not have time for a lunch break and had to eat on the job.

"CHEATED" The law says that the national minimum wage should be adhered to regardless of full- or part-time employment, or how the payment transaction takes place.

Those employed for a set number of hours or duties and doing “real work” – not shadowing – are workers and entitled to the national minimum wage.

Emily Booth, a second-year

Since the national minimum wage for 18- to 20-year-olds is £4.98 per hour, student helpers in this age bracket were also being underpaid – by £0.68 per hour or around £5 over the course of the day.

The Biology helpers fare poorly compared to Universityemployed Student Ambassadors, who earned £6.95 per hour on the Open Day, and student helpers employed by other departments.

Photo: Oliver Todd

SWEET CHARITY CHANGES

By Helena kaznowska CHANGES TO the University's charity fundraising system mean that raised money no longer has to be divided within RAG but can now be given directly to one charity.

As a result of the changes, individual societies are now able to fundraise for their selected beneficiaries – as long as they are not using money from their own funds or grant accounts.

The charities must also have any event where fundraising is planned cleared by RAG beforehand, and after the event the amount raised – as well as the intended recipient – must be declared to RAG. The alterations have been welcomed by worldwide organisations who have societies based on campus, such as Oxfam and Amnesty International.

"Fundraising stands alongside campaigning and raising awareness as one of the most effective ways our student group can support the wider work of Amnesty International," Amnesty Co-Chair for the University Robin Sukatorn said.

"Alongside our campaigns, we’ve worked hard on raising money for Amnesty International UK, and are delighted that YUSU has changed its stance on raising and giving to charities independent of RAG.

Biochemistry student, said: "Knowing this would stop me from offering my help for an open day, as I would feel slightly cheated.

"I personally don't understand why Biology thought it was necessary to pay less, but they must have had a reason to have underpaid by such a large amount.

"I hope in the future they either pay the same amount which is only fair as Biology is a department in this university like all the others, or give valid reasons next time."

YUSU President Kallum Taylor criticised the Biology Department's poor reimbursement of its student helpers, telling Vision: "If this is true then it’s disgraceful and the students should be paid the proper amount. Simple."

University of York Press Officer David Garner said: “Our

"It’s so important that all forms of charitable initiative are encouraged, so to have the support of YUSU’s RAG is both welcomed and appreciated."

Having raised over £800 last academic year, University of York Amnesty International hopes that the new YUSU changes will mean their hard-earned cash, raised before the changes were put in place in 2011/12, will also go directly to their charity.

Harriet Milligan, spokesperson for the University of York's Oxfam society, also expressed delight at the decision.

"It will give us a chance to put on a wider variety of events for our society members. Instead of purely awareness-raising we can now hold fundraising events that will directly benefit the charity.

"Although we are still keen to work with RAG on fundraising events, these changes have given us the freedom chance to do more independent fundraising activities."

York Student Activities Officer Chris West said: "I am happy with this being the case, as it allows our students to raise money for the causes they are passionate about, and will hopefully encourage more students to be involved in the wide array of activities on campus."

All events with planned fundraising will be assessed on a caseby-case basis.

policy is that all students should be paid at least the minimum wage while working for the University or its subsidiaries.”

"DISGRACEFUL" In response to questions surrounding the open day, the Department of Biology commented: "Our students enjoy doing this and we have always viewed their contribution as essentially voluntary. Nevertheless, an honorarium of £30 has been paid whatever the length of the day. In addition to the payment, students helpers are provided with lunch, drinks and snacks throughout the day and there is plenty of opportunity for breaks and lunch throughout this time.

"The Department also provides its students with opportunities to undertake casual work such as demonstrating that is clearly offered and accepted on the basis of payment for hours worked. These types of activities are paid at the University hourly rate, as published on Human Resources website."

In view of the suggestion that students involved are unhappy with the arrangements for Open Days we will be discussing the matter with student representatives before the next one takes place."

AIN'T GOT A TICKET TO RIDE By bethany porter FIRST TRANSPORT's number 4 bus service has once again come under fire from students.

Not only are students still outraged at the scrapping of the service between the two campuses, but First have continued to advertise discounted University season tickets on their website as including drop-offs at Heslington East.

STUDENT BOYCOTT YUSU President Kallum Taylor said: "If any students have bought any type of multi-journey or season-long bus ticket with First, on the assumption that they'll be covering Heslington

East (as their website suggested up to October 7th) then please get in touch. The tickets they advertised are valid only after October 8th, which is of course the day after First scrapped their route."

It's rumoured that some Colleges and societies may be planning events centred around the number 4 bus boycott. To date 184 people have liked the facebook protest page, encouraging students to boycott the service between the city centre and Hes West.

A First spokesman said: "We are keen to talk to the Student's Union to address their concerns about the recent service changes.

We are also in the process of updating our website and will have these changes in place as soon as possible."

YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday October 9, 2012

NOISES OFF

NEWS IN BRIEF HALIFAX BOLLARD BREAKS FRESHER'S CAR ONE ARRIVING fresher's parent had a somewhat bumpy journey after their car was trashed by a rogue bollard.

The incident, witnessed by members of the HCSA, happened by the St Lawrence exit. The retractable bollards, designed to be activated or withdrawn back into the road enabling cars to pass over, rose unexpectedly, causing severe damage to the vehicle.

The road block had reportedly been causing minor issues all day.

Halifax College offered to pay the cost of towing the vehicle to the mechanic as well as his bill.

They also offered to pay for his taxi and travel fares for the day.

In order to ease the gentleman's financial costs even further, Halifax volunteered to help cover his car insurance costs, which could rise after a claim which would also erase any no claims bonus.

New Halifax provost Oleg Lisagor refused to comment to Vision on the matter.

7

YUSU SUPPORT YORK CITY COUNCIL MOVES TO CURB STUDENT 'NOISE POLLUTION'

By JOE SOFTLEY YUSU HAVE stepped in to try and ensure the building of 250 new student flats, amidst increasing complaints of excessive noise and litter.

Black Lion LTD has applied to build the new student accommodation on an area of Lawrence Street which has since fallen into disrepair and become a popular location for squatters.

In a letter to the City of York Council, YUSU outlined their support for the development, whilst also accepting the significant concerns of local residents.

They pledged to help implement 'Night Marshalls' in order to maintain acceptable noise levels.

weekends and having parties at home, which inevitably leads to more complaints about noise in residential areas.”

The City council have responded by increasing funding to the infamous York 'Noise Patrol'.

The group were responsible for 41 notices being served in the last year, and seizing 11 sets of noise generating equipment.

11 HI-FIs SEIZED Additional funding from the safer York partnership will allow

the Environmental Protection unit to carry out increased patrols over the course of freshers' week in an attempt to curtail an expected spike in student misbehaviour.

The group aim to “provide advice to students on how to control noise and provide assistance to those affected by noise."

Councillor Dafydd Williams, cabinet member for crime and stronger communities, praised the groups work saying: “Excessive and persistent noise is a genuine nuisance and the noise patrol team in York is renowned

"NIGHT MARSHALLS"

The move comes following concerns of excessive noise levels in student areas. Complaints have skyrocketed by 17% in the last year with officials citing an increase in student house parties as an alternative to going out.

Mike Southcombe, environmental protection manager at DERWENT'S D-BAR has ac- City of York Council, said: “There quired Sky satellite television. is increasing evidence that more Derwent College Chair Franc- and more people are staying in at esca Knight told Vision: "Sky was put in before the start of term and it's already proved to be a great success. It's been a really popular addition to D-bar, the el Classico on Sunday night brought in a large audience."

NEW SKY FOR D-BAR

Photo: Oliver Todd

The Lawrence Street site of the proposed student housing blocks.

for the role it plays in helping to reduce this problem. This extra funding which has been targeted where we know noise problems traditionally arise will help ensure that some people’s fun doesn’t spoil that of others."

YUSU President Kallum Tayor said: "YUSU have been doing a lot of work with the Council and local residents’ groups to reduce noise complaints, and it’s a big part of the Joint Community strategy that I launched with the Mayor and Council last week.

We’re really committed to reducing these sorts of complaints and improving the perceptions of students in the city.

"That said, we’ve all got to be realistic. Thousands of young people in a small City are going to cause some disturbance, and I don’t expect our students to walk around in silence.

“On the other hand, they’ve got to appreciate that we’re living amongst local working families and older people who have the right to feel comfortable in their own homes. We’re doing a lot more than most students’ unions to help students get along better with their neighbours and the vast majority of residents, as well as the Council, have been really appreciative of our efforts.”

SALVO? SAY NO

By HeLENA KAZNOWSKA

YORK PIONEERS "STUDENT WATCH" YORK STUDENTS have been encouraged to play their part in fighting crime in the city through a pioneering 'student watch scheme'.

The move comes after a recent spike in the number of burglaries in York, with student residences proving popular with thieves due to the abundance of hi-tech equipment.

Many student homes also lack the level of security necessary to foil potential burglars.

The initiative hopes to reduce both crime and antisocial behaviour through .

York Neighbourhood watch is hoping that existing neighbourhood watch programs will make an effort to include students in the process.

The University of York has already provided 14 representatives to help progress the scheme.

Neighbourhood watch secretary Thom Wiseman said that having students and their neighbours looking out for each other “will strengthen ties for the community and reduce crime".

If the scheme is a first of its kind, and if successful, could be rolled out nationwide.

FOR THE first time in three years Salvation does not feature as part of the University of York Students' Union (YUSU) club nights.

The establishment, which formerly offered a popular Tuesday night out in partnership with YUSU, has controversially been replaced with the newly-revamped club, Kuda.

Salvation underwent a change of management last term and have since released new club nights, including a new Monday event: 'F**K ME I’M A FRESHER!' The decision has been met with mixed reviews from students.

Bertie Baker-Smith, a third-year Economics student, commented: "Salvo is the best night spot in York, so I think I'll be heading back there quite a lot still. And with deals including £1 J-bombs it's impossible to go wrong. Long live Salvation!"

Second-year Philosophy student Matt Graham said that he was impressed with YUSU's choice of clubnights: "It's exactly the same [as Gallery] except for the joke Tiki bar. I loved Salvo, but Kuda as a venue, is better."

Rumours have circulated that YUSU have fallen out with Salvation over their decision to continue targetting York students despite no longer offering an official night.

Manager of Salvation, Mathew Trolle told Vision that problems arose during negotiations with the Students' Union. "It became apparent to me that [YUSU] were not happy with us launching the session under the branding of 'F**K ME I’M A FRESHER!' And specifically targeting York University Students. I attempted to reassure them that this was a deliberate campaign to grab peoples' attention, and that the intention was for the brand to evolve week on week, e.g. F**K ME IT’S HALLOWEEN... or F**K ME I’VE FINISHED MY EXAMS and so on and so forth.

"We honestly thought that this idea was no more controversial, than say... French Connection using FCUK on their T-shirts, or F*** ME I’M FAMOUS, on the enormously successful David Guetta world tour Album."

YUSU President, Kallum Taylor, said: "We chose the clubs for the official YUSU student nights after quite a tight tendering process. Salvation didn't quite fancy what we offered them, and instead chose to run with a York St John night. It's a bit of a shame because it's a good venue.

"To be honest though, we got exactly what we wanted with Kuda, Tokyo and Revs and I just can't wait to get on with working with them in pulling off the best, and by far the busiest, student nights in York."

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8 NEWS

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

JOHNS INVADE FAIRFAX

By FREDDIE NATHAN FAIRFAX HOUSE, the Vanbrugh accommodation block situated on Heslington Road, has changed hands for the current academic year, with York St John taking the lease up on the 90-room listed building.

Applications by students to on-campus Vanbrugh blocks and the University as a whole have fallen since the implementation of the £9,000 fees which, coupled with the opening of Langwith College on Heslington East, has meant there is a surplus of study bedrooms.

have made significant improvements, such as refurbishments to study bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as additions to the breakfast service provided by the University.

However, it is believed that there are long term plans to keep Fairfax on the roster of accommodation for University of York students, by using the rent from York St John to complete a total refurbishment of the block.

Meanwhile, 2nd year Fairfax residents who were due to be STYCs in the block, have been re-

assigned to Donald Barron and Barbara Scott courts.

YUSU President Kallum Taylor said: "It's a shame, especially with the progress made.

"There's no getting away from a shortfall in applications to the university. Better to section a block off than have 2/3 spare rooms per floor, per block.

"They'll be using the rent from the St John's students for a proper refurbishment, which was the initial plan, only current Uni of York students would've paid for it!"

RAG LIGHTS THE WAY

By SARAH CATTLE YORK STUDENT Hayley Carr is in the process of setting up a children’s charity, with the support of the YUSU RAG community fund.

The project named Lauriston Lights, after her primary school, aims to run a summer school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in order to help them reach their full potential and develop to become vocal young advocates in society. Working alongside her is Cambridge student Jessica Clark-Jones, and Adam Seldon, fellow Derwent RAG representative.

APPLICATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY HAVE FALLEN

DERWENT RAG REPS START SUMMER SCHOOL

In contrast, St John has seen an increase in applications, hence the decision to take up the option of 50 rooms in Fairfax House.

Fairfax, which has been student accommodation for a number of years, initially for post-graduates, has been plagued by facilities issues, garnering a reputation as dilapidated and isolated. However, student committees in the past two years

The project has been partially funded by the newly formed community fund, an initiative provided by YUSU RAG. 10% of all funds raised by the RAG committee each year are allocated in order to "allow for the hard work of students at the University of York in fund-raising for RAG (Raising and Giving) to directly benefit the local community." The school is likely to be based in London and will run for two weeks next summer, directed entirely by univer-

Photo: Oliver Todd

THURSDAY 18TH OCTOBER

Student fashion night will run from 4pm until 8pm.

Free shuttle buses will be running to and from York University.

Visit our website for more details.

YorkDesignerOutlet yorkdesigneroutlet.com

sity students from varying backgrounds who will work directly with the children.

HELPING KIDS REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL Carr firmly believes education is the key to providing and changing children’s opportunities in life, and hopes the school will teach talented young children oral and debating skills, helping them to speak up with confident vocal energy so they can engage with people from all social an cultural backgrounds. The school also seeks to teach children’s philosophy to young members of society and host cultural workshops, educating in valuable life skills, introducing new activities and sparking an interest in subjects that disadvantaged children are unlikely to have been introduced to before.

Lauriston Lights will initially run for thirty Year 6 students, in the summer transition before they start secondary school.

The charity aspires to expand past York and Cambridge, to other cities in the UK, creating a handbook model meaning students from other universities can pick up and continue the idea without “the boring admin stuff.”

YORK VISION

NEWS

Tuesday October 9, 2012

ACCOMMODATION: SYSTEMS FAILURE

By ALEX FINNIS THE UNIVERSITY'S accommodation system has once again come under criticism from new students, despite the process being amended back in May of this year.

The new system was designed so that e-mails would be staggered, and every students would be able to choose from all colleges and rent bands. This, however, has not been the case, leaving several students with extremely limited options, a problem that has been exacerbated by the increased number of catered rooms on offer this year.

"I was really looking forward to applying for accommodation at York", said first-year Halifax resident Terence Eley. "I sat and waited in for my email to come through, thinking that I would have a choice of any of the colleges, so long as I at least applied for accommodation on the first day it was available.

"However, my email didn't come through until after 4pm and when I clicked it to apply for accommodation, it gave me only Halifax College and Vanbrugh, but that was purely catered accommodation which I definitely didn't want, which meant I was left with Halifax.

"The price of my room is the same price as an ensuite in Alcuin which really annoyed me because I'm not fussed about an 'upgraded standard' with a sink, I actually would have preferred the ensuite for that price! I think it would have been a much fairer system if everyone who applied for accommodation within the deadline was asked to pick a first and second choice and then were drawn in a hat to allocate accommodation fairly. It was thoroughly unfair the way people received emails at 10am, 11am etc. and were able to choose from any of the colleges and then get their choice. I think the accommodation system is a farce, utterly rubbish."

Sarah Roughton is another first-year who ended up living in Halifax because of the lateness of her email, and has labelled the current system "distressing".

"I didn't get my email till about 4pm, and having wanted Alcuin or James I ended up in Halifax as the only alternative was catered which I really didn't want. I'm excited and happy for it now, but wasn't at first," she told Vision.

"My main issue would be the unfairness of the system, with the emails in random orders. I think not getting what you want in a system where you've set

Photo: Oliver Todd Wentworth E Block: Vanbrugh accomodation block

priorities, like college, location, room type etc. would be less distressing as they could try and accommodate you on something, whereas picking from what's left could mean you get nothing about it that you wanted.

"The other issue I have is the price I am paying for my particular accommodation, which is upgraded standard. And so I am paying the same price as a standard ensuite room, despite not being in a desirable location, and having one of the worst people to shower ratios in the University. I think there should be more rooms without ensuites priced at the cheaper prices", she contin-

YORK FIRST FOR TEACHFIRST

By ADAM COE A £1000 BURSARY is to be given to each York student accepted onto the charity TeachFirst's graduate teaching scheme this year, it has been announced.

This summer also saw an incredible third University of York student in a row elected as Participant President for TeachFirst.

The President represents the tens of thousands of TeachFirst teachers and students in parliament, to corporate stakeholders and more during their year-long position.

The York Career's Service and Widening Participation team are making the bursary available to support the charity's mission of eradicating educational disadvantage.

OVER £30,000 AVAILABLE FOR YORK FINALISTS York is one of only a handful of Universities offering this encouragement which, taking last

Education Minister Michael Gove at a recent TeachFirst conference

year as a precedent, could mean well over £30,000 made available for York finalists taking TeachFirst's route to teaching.

TeachFirst's two-year Leadership Development Programme is regarded as one of the toughest and most competitive graduate training programmes available.

Gayle Johnson, Operations Manager for the York Career's Service commented that “from a careers perspective, we are delighted to promote high quality graduate opportunities.”

The bursary is aimed to assist with "relocation, travel and living expenses." Eligible York students also agree to further the cause of TeachFirst and the Widening Participation team in making the UK's educational landscape fairer and more accessible.

Two former Halifax students Sam Butterfield and James Townsend are the TeachFirst Participant President and the outgoing President.

Sam described his experience as being able to work with “the most creative and inspirational people” and added that he “can't wait to get going.”

Outgoing President, James Townsend added: “I've thoroughly enjoyed working as Participant President for TeachFirst, supporting a great cause, and banging the drum to external audiences about the great work they are doing.”

ued.

First-year student Daniel Hill stressed how the system "could disadvantage poorer students. If they get their email late in the day, they could be forced into accommodation that doesn't quite fit their budget," he said.

YUSU President Kallum Taylor said on the issue: "It's difficult for there to be a truly fine system, with there not being enough of the right 'type' of rooms to accommodate all of our students' wants. On the current system, it's more 'transparent' rather than fair however. Regardless of how the University can't meet the 'exact' demand, it's utterly ridicu-

9

lous to expect students to be happy if they get the last email of the day, with the most limited choice.

"That isn't to say however that the whole perception of choice can't be handled better, and increased. Luckily, the University is listening and they're looking at whether we can pull of a genuine 'first come first serve' system which is transparent, and more 'fair' than what we've had before.

"Previously, technological capacity has prevented them from pulling this off. Also, it goes without saying that certain factors need addressing with this type of system; where do international students in various time-zones, and disabled students come in the 'queue' for example?"

University Registrar and Secretary David Duncan defended the system.

"This year we had more than 600 additional rooms to offer in the new Langwith College - consequently, there was more choice for students, and many more students secured their first option.

In addition, we made a number of changes to the process which went much more smoothly than in 2011. We monitored the traffic on social networking sites and addressed any areas of concern promptly. We will make further improvements for 2013."

10 ADVERTISEMENT

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

YORK VISION

COMMENT

Tuesday October 9, 2012

>Comment

YEARNING FOR LEARNING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SHOULD VALUE KNOWLEDGE FOR KNOWLEDGE'S SAKE

sam earle

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riting in 1932, Bertrand Russell defined work as being of two forms: “first, altering the position of matter at or near the earth's surface relatively to other such matter; second, telling other people to do so”. “The first kind”, he continued, “is unpleasant and ill paid; the second is pleasant and highly paid”. However vague a definition this may be, and despite its age, Russell’s words still describe very broadly the most part of work in the modern world – certainly, at least, that which is considered most important, the ubiquitous ‘paid-work’.

Omitted from this definition is another kind of work which is of almost equal prominence in society but of an altogether different complexion. So different, in fact, that it is quite surprising that they can even fall into the same box. This ‘work’ is neither ill paid nor highly paid and, though we are told to do it, our compliance benefits no one more than ourselves. It does not involve exploitation or forced labour; we are not alienated from the fruits of our travail; it is work where we are our own boss. What I am referring to is the kind of ‘work’ which most concerns us, the kind set by the University.

Work in this sense can simply be defined as the practice of learning; a means to an

max sugarman

A

11

s an issue of both legal and moral importance, it is surprising that the status of burglary victims who have fought back against their intruders has never been truly put to rest. Instead, the debate over whether such people should be charged or congratulated is one that is continually cropping up amongst the national press and in court rooms across the world. It seems an issue that the public can never quite sort out, with every few years the debate rising back into the public zeitgeist. As always, the more right wing among us begin foaming at the mouth about how ‘burglars should get what they deserve’, while the day-dreaming liberals cry back that ‘they have rights too!’

The problem is that the issue is more complex than many of us take into consideration. So instead we sit back and let our opinions be moulded by soundbite-spurting politicians or some over-opinionated commentator who takes little regard of the nuances or particular details of each case. The polarisation gets so bad that you wonder if some people are actually listening to themselves; one man on the radio station LBC went as far as claiming that his own property was more important than a human life.

It is, of course, easy to see why we get into such a mess. In one corner of the metaphoric boxing ring are the concerns that

end where the end is knowledge. Or rather, the end should be knowledge. Unfortunately, the structure of society is such that this is rendered almost impossible. Whereas in an ideal world knowledge would be celebrated for what it is, sadly, in the apparently spherical but deceptively square world in which

Rather than being an institution with intrinsic value, university has become for many a mere preparatory school for the adult, working world.

Consequently, a significant part of university is undermined. we live, knowledge, along with everything else, must always, always have a purpose.

It must be for something. Anything else is unnecessary and superfluous. Essentially, if it won’t help you move matter relative to other such matter, or, if you’re lucky, help you tell other people to do so, then what’s the point?

This way of thinking has the unruly ef-

fect of corrupting the practice of learning.

It implants within it ulterior motives. Most regrettably, the current government seems intent on reinforcing this state of affairs.

As the fees for university increase, so too does the emphasis on what you do after university, rather than in it. Rather than being an institution with intrinsic value, university has become for many a mere preparatory school for the adult, working world.

Consequently, a significant part of university is undermined.

The Government’s neglect of the arts provides further cause for concern. The arts are a perfect example of a human activity whose predominant value goes beyond mere utility and economic benefits; it does not fulfil any easily defined ‘purpose’. This, however, should in no way diminish its significance. On the contrary, it is an essential part of any nation’s culture and heritage. In spite of this, not only have funding for the arts been drastically slashed in the last two years – causing some university’s art and music departments to close completely, as at the University of East Anglia, for example – but the government’s new EBacc seems set to likewise marginalise art, music, drama and the such through its inflated emphasis on English, maths, science and history. The fact that when universities were originally

conceived in north-western Europe the primary focus was on the arts and theology, rather than law and academia, is a good indication of where the original/first priorities of university lie.

The sad reality of the world is that work has embedded itself as what we are defined by; our profession is what we are. You can buy however an expensive a car as you like, wear the flashiest of suits, express yourself in any which way you please, but, finally, what people will judge you on is your profession.

This, however, is not a cry to raise the white flag, to surrender yourself to the future job that awaits you, it is merely a suggestion that university and paid-work be kept as separate as possible. Though it seems part of the human condition that we cannot help but look towards the future, studies at university should not be tarnished by oppressive expectations of what is to follow. All that the practice of learning at university should share with your work afterwards is that it is an activity which occupies your time.

When I leave university, I do not wish to move matter relatively to other matter, nor do I wish to tell others to do so. Quite where this will leave me, I am yet to find out, but long may this be the case.

INTRUSION CONFUSION THE RIGHT TO ATTACK INTRUDERS SHOULD BE THOUGHT ABOUT CAREFULLY BEFORE WE LEGISLATE FURTHER

in our current welfare conscious society, we are getting too preoccupied with rights to give culprits any form of proper punishment. We take pity on the beaten up burglar and we blame the victims defending their property. In the other corner, we get worried that we don’t want to open the flood gates for people to do whatever they like when someone steps onto their land. We’re scared of creating a world in which people have all manner of weapons ready to inflict maximum damage on anyone who might break in.

We must be willing to listen to victims of theft who choose to defend themselves, but we should not encourage a culture of retribution Two incidences that occurred this summer show the problem well. Although they were in two separate countries and ended in very different ways, the similarities of both cases were somewhat startling. The first happened in the UK and concerned a cou-

ple who had fired at a burglar with a legally owned shotgun, seriously injuring him. The burglar had asked the court for leniency in his sentencing, claiming that the injury he suffered from their attack should be taken into consideration. The judge ruled that such a claim was absurd, saying that if you burgle someone’s house you take the risk you may be attacked.

For many, the judge’s ruling was a refreshing change to the usual clemency shown, MP Alan Duncan calling for ‘three cheers for the judge’. Yet, with the judge’s decision came those who believed the law should be changed to give homeowners more rights of defence, and that is where we enter murky ground.

The second incident, which happened in less than a month after the first, shows why.

This time, the episode happened in America and involved the tragic mistake of a father who shot his son dead as he thought he was an intruder. The son, who had been wearing a ski mask, was thought to be attempting to break into his aunt’s home next door when his father approached him and killed him.

The similarity of the two examples is hard to deny. Both shooters used legally owned weapons, fired without warning (although there was some provocation in both) and were defending their property. Yet, the outcome of each couldn’t have been more

different. The first is seen as the victory of the victim over his assailant, while the other is a horrific and unimaginable tragedy.

These two examples should teach us something important: that when it comes to this problem, we must be willing to listen to the details. We must be willing to listen to victims of theft who choose to defend themselves, but we should not encourage a culture of retribution by writing into law that defenders can do whatever they wish. I do not blame the American father for killing his son, nor do I think he should be charged.

But his case reveals that the outcome of attacking a burglar will never be simple or clear-cut, and for that reason we should think more before we speak.

Currently, the law allows for such discretion. It claims a ‘reasonable’ amount of force can be used to expel a burglar. Many people wonder what ‘reasonable’ means, and yet, perhaps we should leave the definition unclear. With a jury allowed to come to their own conclusion of what ‘reasonable’ means, the law allows for protection of defenders without encouraging them to attack all that may enter their house. Leaving a legal grey area benefits the system and all parties involved, including both the victims and culprits of the burglary. It would be wise to remember that when another inevitable example arises.

THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? EMAIL COMMENT@YORKVISION.CO.UK

12COMMENT

THE VOICE OF

YORK VISION

W

Vision Says...

elcome to all of you new students at the University of York! You've sat through all of your Facebook friends "amazing" photos from their respective Freshers Weeks' across the country, been bombarded by flyers through the post and struggled through the desperately poor accommodation allocation system, but you're FINALLY here. So, before lectures start and you finally realise you're here to learn, make the most of it. Throw the reading list out the window, pull down that timetable your mum printed for you at home and go wild. Very rarely do you get the chance to spend a week trying out a variety of excesses with a bunch of strangers with a similar mindset. Don't talk about your pretentious gap year, your A-Level results or the fact that you flopped at your Oxford interview, just enjoy yourselves! Discover the joys of Willow, join as many societies as possible, build up a bank of ridiculous stories about your new flatmates and try to scrape your way to 40% at the end of the year. Freshers Week, and ultimately Freshers Year, is one that people never feel they take real advantage of, looking back over their time at university whilst working over their dissertations, and from those who are currently in such a situation, take advantage of your time -it's something you'll never get to experience again.

T

Kieran gennoy

Thumbs down to...

he University of York Biology department who've been caught paying under the odds to students working for them on the University's recent open day. At just £30 for a day's work, their pay came out below the national minimum wage. Following last year's publicity surrounding the Living Wage campaign and the University's failure to pay a number of its staff at that level, this is a new low. A lot of students will already been scraping together the pennies for their £2 Willow entry, new textbooks and rent, typically waiting on Student Finance until the very last minute to provide them with much needed funds; so a couple of extra quid for the day wouldn't have done any harm. Ultimately, it's just disrespectful, and that's without even mentioning the legal complications associated with such a low pay level. Next time the University are looking for students to brighten up the campus on an open day, they should first make sure they've got the money to reward them a[ppropriately.

#DEMOCRACY2015 CHANGING BRITAIN'S DEMOCRACY HYPOCRISY

D

emocracy 2015 is a movement recently started by the Independent’s founding editor Andreas Whittam, aimed at tackling a “nationwide disillusionment” with the institutions and practices of Westminster.

It wants to change the way we look at politics, how we interact with our politicians and, most importantly, how they interact with us. But can Democracy 2015, along with other social movement like Occupy, expect to have any impact on British politics as a whole?

Whittam’s call for change comes on the back of growing public disenchantment with the three major parties, triggered by the expenses scandal and the broken Lib-Dem tuition fee pledge. Voters are turning away from a system that has stood by them for so long. Only 65% of the British public turned out to vote at the last general election, compared with 80% in the French Presidential election.

Of course, some might say that a vote counts for more in a presidential election, but it was not that long ago that nearly 90% of Brits would turn up at the ballot box. Clearly many people are beginning to feel that voting is futile, as no party ever honours the grand promises made in the run up to elections.

Such a backlash was perhaps inevitable in light of recent events; in fact it almost seems surprising that no real opposition has emerged until now. After all,

Thumbs up to...

hose purveyors of justice, protectors of freshers, and paying volunteers at the parties across campus, Second and Third Year Contacts have been drawing praise from all over.

After Kallum Taylor praised their "monumental efforts" and Bob Hughes passing on his own "massive kudos", Vision want to edge in with our own praise for the boys and girls in the college-coloured shirts. On Saturday night, a Halifax STYC rescued a fresher from a fairly brutal fight with locals in town. There's probably numerous other stories that we'd be proud of since going to print too. Aside from the bag carrying, car unloading and box unpacking, this exactly the sort of thing STYCs are there for - it's a support network that York can be proud of and that new freshers should feel comfortable within. So, STYCing isn't just all about drinking and partying with the freshers, much to the surprise of many - just don't come running to us when one of them gets a little over-amorous after a few drinks and breaks their contract...

T

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

OLIVIA HEAD

C

few can be expected to trust a parliament which recently lost four MP’s and two peers to her majesty’s prisons for fraudulently spending taxpayer’s money.

It is not the system that is faltering, more the people who are a part of it. A “political class”, as Whittam puts it, has come under scrutiny over the last 25 days, a group whose only interest is in “winning elections and gaining power”.

Our prime minister’s background is in public relations, the chancellor’s as a Tory researcher; in fact an enormous 90 members of the present parliament have

What Democracy 2015 is calling for is a new brand of politician altogether, cast from a very different mould. spent their entire lives working in politics, with no experience of a world not dominated by spin, electioneering and party politics. What Democracy 2015 is calling for is a new brand of politician altogether, cast from a very different mould. Doctors, lawyers, economists successful in their vocation and ready to make the move into the Commons.

Whittam believes that such an influx would really make a difference; the difficulty however lies in bringing it about.

Social media plays an important role in

Democracy 2015’s vision of growth, galvanising small pockets of support and bringing them together on one platform.

This is all well and good, but hashtags don’t win elections, votes do. The challenge lies not in getting people to understand the concept of the movement, but to believe in it enough to vote for it if offered the chance.

One advantage that Democracy 2015 has over the myriad of similarly aimed independents at the last election is organisation. Stray independent successes do little in the long-term and quickly lose momentum but together each achievement can be built on, with support increasing gradually over time.

There is no doubt that the movement faces an incredibly tough challenge; breaking into British Politics is notoriously hard. Even the Liberal Democrats, who appeared to have fostered massive support pre-election, failed to make considerable electoral inroads. But Democracy 2015 is offering something distinctly different.

The next general election is still some way off. The test will be how quickly Democracy 2015 can find its way into the mainstream, becoming more of a viable option and less of an alternative.

Andreas Whittam has certainly founded something with the potential to change British Politics for the better but it remains to be seen whether or not we are ready for that change.

COUNTING THE COSTS

all me crazy but I've never given a flying fig about missing my lectures and seminars. My housemates' feelings towards my lackadaisical approach to my studies changed over the course of first year from the kind of consternation tinged with quiet respect which is unique to nervous freshers, to mild amusement, to slight frustration and, finally, into total despair.

They feared that I would find myself in trouble for my poor attendance, that my course administrator would get sick of chasing me up and eventually kick me off the course. They worried that I'd lack vital knowledge needed to pass exams and that I'd end up falling short of the 40% needed to guarantee my place in second year. Failing that, they worried that my flippancy would turn into flagrant disregard for university and that I'd just stop turning up altogether.

Of course I knew all along that their fears were in vain, or else I wouldn't have been able to sleep so soundly through all those Victorian literature seminars and Beowulf lectures. Not caring was liberating. Not caring meant staying up as late as I wanted safe in the knowledge that there was going to be a nice long liein the next morning. Not caring meant consuming as much gin as was humanly possible without having to worry that there was no need to function like a normal human being. Not caring made me happy. And yet, it also made me sad.

On some level I envied my housemates get up and go. They would come and sit on the end of my bed at the end of what had been (for them) a jam-packed

MO' MONEY, MO' MOTIVATION day and gush to me about all the things they had learnt. They would rush around going to group meetings and would come home to run through their funky Prezi slides with me. Last time I'd put together any kind of presentation the zoom on PowerPoint was as state of the art as it got. They were busy. More than that, they were inspired. I could feel myself getting left behind.

Not caring about my degree was liberating.

Not caring made me happy. And yet, it also made me sad.

The internal struggle between my natural inclination to be lazy and my newfound desire to get inspired played out for some time - I would resolve that next week I would get up for every lecture, get myself ready for every seminar on Friday afternoon but by Monday morning I'd be fumbling around for the snooze button on my alarm and ignoring my housemates knocks on my door. Eventually I resigned myself to the sad truth that I was never going to be 'inspired'. I lacked the drive that was needed to make the most of my university education. It was no use.

You know how in romantic comedies the beautiful single woman always seems to find true love just has she has given up hope of ever doing so? Well, that's kind of what happened with not-so-beautiful

me and finding my motivation to start squeezing every last drop out of my university degree. And it happened to me in a way I could have never expected.

I had the epiphany one night at the end of a particularly soul-destroying night working as a waitress at a Carribean-themed night at a restaurant in Bath. I could elaborate on all the ways in which my soul was destroyed that night - the five Bob Marley songs on loop which played throughout the duration of my eight hour shift, the beanie hat complete with fake dreads which my manager insisted on wearing to name but two - but that won't get you any closer to understanding what happened to me that night.

As I counted up my tip left from a table of two old ladies on whom I had waited on hand and foot all night, and found that it amounted to just £3 and 25 pence, it struck me: university is stupendously expensive. I broke my back to earn less than a mere £5 that night.

Imagine if I actually had to earn the money to pay for my degree?

Walking home I did something that changed my life. I worked out the cost of my degree. It boils down to exactly £27.40 an hour. I can't even fathom how many hours I'd need to spend sucking up to old women to make that kind of money.

Now, whenever I feel like I might just not bother getting up and going to my lectures and seminars, I think about how long it would take to earn two hours of contact time. Then I think about the fact that I'm wasting that money, and I know I have, at long last, found my motivation.

YORK VISION

COMMENT

Tuesday October 9, 2012

13

Patrick Greenfield

THE TERMS OF YOUR LIFE ALEX FINNIS

“I

SHOULD STYC'S HAVE TO SIGN A 'NO SEX WITH FRESHERS' CONTRACT?

adam seldon

H

ealth and safety bureaucracy is a bore and has the ability to arouse pretty virulent resentment, given how dull the subject matter usually is. Suffice to say that when there is a form which all STYCs are obliged to sign which so unambiguously inhibits their sex life, it has not only disappointed all you opportunists out there, but also riled up those that resent being told what they can and can’t do.

The most obvious point against the need for such a form is that sex is a consensual act. If a fresher decides to sleep with a STYC then that is their decision. Can’t we just trust in the ability of each participant to weigh up the pros and cons of partaking in such an act?

Unfortunately this is a real grey area. Clearly, the requirement to sign this form is a reactive measure. In a STYC meeting I attended at the end of last year, where there was much sniggering when a certain infamous Derwenter enquired whether STYCs are allowed to indulge in the fresh meat, the delightful Bob Hughes explained there had been issues in the past where a fresher had spoke out and claimed that a STYC had taken advantage of them.

Those kinds of scenarios are very sticky and this form will go some way to ensuring they don’t take place. Why? Because signing this form will make a STYC think twice. The value of this form is that it defends the vulnerable, which some freshers undeniably are.

Leaving the comforts of home life and moving onto university is daunting. It’s the kinds of people that will find this

YES NO

transition most difficult that are most likely to find comfort in sleeping with a STYC, then regret their act and potentially lodge some form of complaint.

Bear in mind that in reality this form is not enforceable.

We all know that some STYCs will break their promise and should they choose to do so, they do so at their own peril.

But this form obliges STYCs to consider whether this fresher is the kind of person that it’s worth going ahead and doing the deed with.

And if nothing I’ve said resonates with you, permit me to tenuously claim that this form attempts to protect the sanctity of sex. If you do have sex with someone during Freshers' Week, it’s going to be an alcohol fuelled affair. My thoroughly unscientific conclusion is that sex in a drunken stupor is often a decision which one tends to regret. If you do happen to encounter a fresher who you bond with, why not wait a while, get to know each other a wee bit better, before you head straight for ‘fifth base.’ (Theories diverge on which each base actually denotes, but you get what I mean.)

As is often the case with bureaucracy, although this form may appear unnecessary, it's actually just a little bit of effort to try to avoid the situation where a fresher says they’ve been taken advantage of. At least with this form, we’ll know who’s in the wrong, and that can never be a bad thing.

While such incidents are rarities and thankfully not the norm, it is an issue which YUSU must take seriously to ensure full and effective welfare for all students.

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o one, be they fresher or STYC, male or female, at university or home, in freshers week or term time, should take advantage of anyone when they are drunk, or physically or emotionally vulnerable in any way (and by the time we are in Willow, let’s face it, we are definitely all three).

Having a ‘no sex with freshers’ contract that STYCs have to sign will not change this.

What undermines the contract the most is how totally unenforceable it is. If STYCs were advised to avoid sex with the freshers with the reasons explained to them, and with discussion and understanding of the issue, it is much more likely to be listened to and have an effect. If any STYC behaved indecently and ignored the advice, the University could still take action and moreover, the police could, regardless of any contract.

A contract is patronising and offensive to many who will feel they are being branded as some sort of sexual predator. It has, in fact, made a serious issue into a joke.

There is also a grey area in many of the college contracts, in terms of what ‘sexual relations’ are banned. Are they allowed to kiss? Is hugging banned or just sex? The Goodricke contract forbids even kissing freshers, which at least is slightly more enforceable as it's easier for people to notice. And yet even this could better achieved with clear discussions as opposed so slightly to these marginally offensive contracts.

The contract is there to protect younger freshers from any inappropriate advances or manipulation by their STYCs, and yet behaviour like this is

georgina strapp

punishable by the law anyway, and not just university law.

The university welfare teams are also already set up to provide help and support to those that feel taken advantage of. So if a fresher was taken advantage of, the contract would be irrelevant as it is a police matter and won’t change the support that is in place. It could actually become dangerous if for example, in the drunken confusion of a York nightclub a totally innocent STYC became accused of something.

The contract would then make what would already be a horrible situation even worse for them as their degree, career and social reputation would be put at risk regardless of any legal action taken.

STYCs are told clearly that they are not here to advise, or tell freshers what to do in any way. They are there as an organised body to act as friends to help new freshers settle in.

STYCs are in a voluntary position where they are helping people of the same age who they will be socialising with.

Normal STYCs (as opposed to head STYCs or any JCR members) are in no position of authority or power and are in the same position as anyone that knows an area slightly better would be.

This is not a professional relationship. Freshers could take advantage of STYCs if a STYC became (admittedly irresponsibly) drunk, or just happened to be physically smaller and less authoritative, and yet they are signing no contract. The STYCs are being given disproportionate restrictions when it comes to their sexual relations compared to the minute responsibility they hold in their role.

’m going to university to get a degree.”

That’s what you tell your uncles and aunts, your parents’ friends and your old boss who cannot comprehend why you would want to leave behind a cushy £5 an hour for the thrill of mopping up Dolmio from the supermarket floor to move up north and ponder over what it would mean for the world should the moon really be made of cheese (no, I’m not making this up).

As you’re reeling off this spiel though, the one about how you can’t wait to really immerse yourself in your chosen subject, come out with a first and walk into an office with your name on the door, there is that little guilty feeling inside – the one that whispers, actually, it’s really because I want to spend the next three years of my life pissing about, having loads of sex and drinking my liver to ruins. But you can’t really tell granny that, can you?

In the same way, you can’t really tell your mates that what you’re most excited about is getting stuck into your degree. There’s no point – they’ll know you’re lying because they feel exactly the same way as you do.

Whilst the point of university, on a totally economic basis, is to gain yourself the qualifications you’ll need to get a good job, with a good wage that will eventually lead you to a place in life where the benefits have far outweighed the costs, it is not the sole reason people go. Nor should it be.

I do English Literature, so my case is probably a little more extreme than those of you who are about to launch yourselves into three years of Economics, but sitting here now, I genuinely cannot think of one thing I have learnt during the first two years of my degree that will be at all useful in later life. Actually, to be brutally honest, I can’t really think of anything I’ve learnt from my degree at all.

Sounds massively depressing, I know – I’ve basically just admitted to spending three grand a year (yep, just the three for me) on something that will prove to be completely useless. Apart from that’s not the case at all – and not because I will (hopefully) be coming out with the qualifications I need next summer whether I have learnt anything or not.

It is because university really is more about the experience than the end product of a piece of paper with some numbers on it. Not the experience of getting smashed every night, as fun as it may be, but of university life as a whole.

I know it’s a massive cliché, and I’m now risking sounding like the pretentious literature student I prayed I would never become, but it really is true. There is a good chance you will learn more about yourself and what you want to do with your life from getting involved in societies than you ever will over the course of your degree. I know I'm biased, but an involvement in media societies will be of far more use and enjoyment to someone who wishes to tread that career path than a 2:1 in Philosophy, for example.

You’ll probably even gain more simply from meeting the array of people from across the world, all from different backgrounds, than you will during three years’ worth of 9.15 Thursday morning lectures.

So, I guess the lesson is, next time Auntie Joan, Dad’s mate from the office or the Sainsbury’s Portsmouth branch manager asks you why you’re going to university, don’t be afraid to tell them the real reason. Just like your friends, they probably never believed the rubbish about your passion for your degree either.

JOIN THE DEBATE AT WWW.YORKVISION.CO.UK/COMMENT

14COMMENT

THE BIG OPINIONS HAS THE UNIVERSITY LET INCOMING

MAKING RADIO GRIM

nina pullman

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his week marks the third week of new breakfast DJ Nick Grimshaw’s takeover of the prime time show, formerly helmed

by Chris Moyles. There are plenty of opportunities at this point to review how well Grimmy is doing: is his show funny? Does he, too, favour more jingles than it is possible to stomach at that time in the morning? And the favourite question: is he managing to attract those transient ‘youthful’ listeners that everyone seems to want so much? Unfortunately, as I’m not an avid Radio One listener, I don’t feel in a position to answer any of these questions. Instead I felt drawn to an analysis of how a culture of exclusivity and a trend of elite ‘in-jokes’ and ‘in-crowds’, in some ways embodied by Moyles and his team, is becoming typical of Radio One in general, and has been highlighted in the pervasive and incessant promotion of Grimshaw’s new show.

First of all there is the man himself. I do not wish to review him personally; from the little I’ve seen he seems nice enough – cheerful with a sharp sense of humour. The papers have been quick to notice his bevy of famous friends, notably, Daisy Lowe, Agyness Deyn , Peaches and Pixie Geldof, Jaime Winstone… the list goes on. He has been described by one broadsheet as “central” to the new, select group of the London party scene.

The ‘it-crowd’, if you like. As Grimmy becomes

Radio One tried to make radio more accessible, but ended up giving the opposite impression almost a celebrity in his own right, he brings this sense of elite coolness to Radio One. It may arguably attract listeners to a show run by a man who has first-hand friendships with many of the celebs we follow in the tabloids. But personally I find it a strange paradox that Radio One, which goes to such length to generate a feeling of inclusivity among listeners through request shows, a huge twitter presence, jingles and jocular informality, should back the most recent symbol of a culture of elite celebrity.

As mentioned previously, I am not what you might call a regular listener of the station. But in no way have I missed the #teamgrimmy phenomenon. Every single time you switched on radio one over the past six or so weeks, there has been a DJ promoting #teamgrimmy here and #teamgrimmy there, with celebrities, listeners and twitter all joining the trend. Congratulations for the marketing – you really can’t fault it. However, as an initial by-product of such intensive advertising and not an exactly relevant one at that, I find myself imagining exactly what kind of team this was. It starts to form images in the mind of one bizarrely large and diverse ‘team’ setting, perhaps a vast rounders match with Grimmy up to bat first. Less digressively, I wondered whether by creating the team concept, Radio One have not only created an in-group, but an out-group. Those who, (just imagine!), have a life outside sitting on twitter or backing an already successful Radio One DJ. For those poor souls, the teamgrimmy mantra may have begun to sound more like a school experience, when not being picked for the cool-kids sports team leaves you with feelings of indignation, irritation and a couldn’t-care-less face.

Obviously this has all died down now. All that remains is a breakfast show, which by all accounts is doing fairly well. But the memory remains of when Radio One tried to make radio more accessible, but ended up giving the opposite impression. Perhaps in future they should focus more on the music, and on regaining the reputation of a station that once attracted listeners for the talent of the artists it played.

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

STUDENTS DOWN WITH ITS ACCOMODATION SYSTEM? bob HUGHES CHRISTOPHER AUSTIN WELFARE OFFICER DERWENT fresher

Everybody wants a proper choice on where they’re living, whether ensuite, catered or in their preferred college. I disagree with the random batch allocation system YUSU have been working with University to try and change this for years, and we are currently making some headway in reaching a more legitimate system. It comes down to whether there are enough rooms that are competitive with student housing in the city and other universities, both in terms of price and quality. The accomodation system majorly impacts your first impression of the University. It’s important to note that complaints are down from previous years, so things are slowly improving. We are going to keep the pressure on the university until we have a system that works for everyone.

Sara thompson LANGWITH FRESHER

The accommodation process wasn’t that much of an ordeal for me compared to the stress it caused some other freshers. I applied for Langwith self-catered blocks as my first choice and this is what I received, but the time leading up to the application day caused quite a lot of stress and worry -thinking I wouldn’t get what I wanted due to the random selection process. The prices of the accommodation are also quite worrying and I am lucky to have secured a job to cover the large cost of the en suite. However, I do feel most of this cost is justifiable as it is on the new campus and hasn’t been used by previous students. The distance from the Heslington West campus is a slight problem, however there's the brand new facilities and excellent bar.

adam coe

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I’m lucky in that I took a gap year, and hence had a confirmed offer. As a result, I got first choice of accommodation. I chose Derwent as I read on the Student Room about its strong social aspect. I don't believe it is fair to an extent, but on the other hand there are only certain ways to roll the dice. You are always going to have people who are upset - I'd have been if I hadn't have got what I wanted. My main gripe was the lack of information given to us beforehand about which college, or block to choose. We just got a list of names. While I found a bit about services and facilities, I think there should be more comparison and honest assessments from students about which block is best to apply to. Most people want somewhere with a social atmosphere, which I got no sense of.

Jack Baker Langwith chair

There are certainly problems in how the University handles accommodation applications. An improvement certainly was seen this year as two days were left between creating your IT account and applying for accommodation. This lowered the number of students let down due to IT problems on the day. But of course we're always concerned that the 'batch' system will force students into accommodation they don't want and sometimes can't afford. Servers definitely need to be updated to handle the added pressure of accommodation applications. Hopefully, it won’t have ruined anyone’s experience of coming to York or, what looks to be, a fantastic fresher’s week ahead and if anyone has had serious problems with the accommodation process they shouldn't hesitate to contact YUSU.

STUDYING AWAY WILL PAY YORK'S STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMME IS AN FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS

reshers, I'm sorry for something that you will be inevitably forced to encounter. Every year they get bombarded with advice on how to maximise time at university. The same cliches get reeled off every year and just because this year you got royally screwed by the government, doesn't mean you'll be saved.

As happen to students years before you, you'll get bombarded with hot-air phrases containing little meaning or use.

Gems like, “cherish your moments, you won't get them back” are the soundbites of your first weeks at University. Expect STYCs to take you aside, and with a stern look explain the wisdom of the world: “learn from your mistakes”. Now, please tell me that was completely obvious to you beforehand...

Good advice is everywhere of course, but this year it's more valuable than ever. You want suggestions with practical application, and you want something which makes the bewildering figure of £9000 a little more acceptable. Read on: If you don't seriously consider doing Study Abroad for your second year (and health or family issues aren't preventing you from doing it from the start), you are causing a serious injustice to yourself.

York's Study Abroad opportunities are fantastic. An under-appreciated offering which truly differentiates York's undergraduate life from other Universities. Almost no where else in the country (only Sussex, that I know of) will allow you to keep on a three year course with a sandwich year in the sun during your second. Most Universities require you to extend your overall course by a

year.

Not York, which fosters a truly valuable exchange. Work abroad is translated into York credits, and you return like nothing has changed for your final year.

That's unique in and of itself, but it's not the main factor the doomed cohort of £9000 a year might consider. Money is obviously on your mind so let's move onto numbers, which is where real maximisation of an exchange year lies. Studying at one of York's International partners or with Erasmus in Europe, means you only pay 35% UK fees inclusive. That's right: £3150 and nothing else.

York's Study Abroad opportunities are fantastic. An under-appreciated offering which truly differentiates York's undergraduate life from other Universities Your tuition in second year, which could be of an Ivy League standard (Columbia University in New York, or the University of Pennsylvania) would total £3150. Nothing to the American institution, nothing to the government, who will, in fact, subsidise a couple of return flights for you. Maintenance Support is not only protected, it is increased.

Grants are handed out left right and centre for all students on Study Abroad.

If you were to go to California like I have,

your only experience of the exorbitant University fees Americans have to pay will be the better facilities they provide.

The up-shot of this is even in your yeargroup, you could end up feeling smug about the cost of University. If you take an exchange year in America, just ask students there how much they are paying.

So why is the deal so good? Why do they seem so desperate to get you out of here? Well, one explanation is that there's nothing quite like an exchange year to knock you into shape.

Your personal development: living abroad with a totally new range of people; seeing and travelling the world; adapting to a new system of study, makes you far more employable (I mean, isn't that the point, though?). I know you just got here but you have to start thinking about this opportunity right now, with applications due first week next term.

That part is a decision only you can work on.

You chose to come to a £9000 a year institution knowing you had to make it worthwhile, and Study Abroad is still heavily incentivised. Of course, everyone has fair hesitations about leaving and trying something new and I wouldn't want to undermine them. Working out whether you could handle going abroad for an extended period of time is something you have to do yourself.

But for me it was a fantastic experience, and one that I would recommend to anyone, no matter what degree their doing. If I had to sum it up, I'd say something like this: nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Oops, the clichés just won't die.

FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

>Features

15

"A CANCER ON GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT" NICHOLAS DUNN-MCAFEE looks into the many problems with unpaid internships and their threat to social moblity...

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ick Clegg laconically declared at the launch of the government's Social Mobility Strategy in April 2011 "When a child is born, they shouldn't be condemned by the circumstances of their birth."

His ethical musings continue in a similar manner: "It's just not right that in Britain today where you're born, who your parents are, how much they earn, what job they do has a much bigger influence on what you then achieve later in life than any other equivalent country."

Clegg's rhetoric is not as baseless and scaremongering as you might expect. In a 2010 economic growth report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) entitled "A Family Affair: Intergeneration Social Mobility" the investigation found; "In southern European countries, the United Kingdom and Finland, having a father with tertiary education raises a son’s wages by at least 20% or more, compared with a son whose father had upper secondary education."

This same interim report however did find one glimmer of hope for social mobility in this country; it concluded that education was the greatest means of social mobility. Even with headlines such as “Priced out of university by soaring fees” (Daily Mail: 31st January 2012), “Philanthropy steps in as the state retreats” (Guardian: 13th July 2012) and “Tuition fee hike ‘puts 15,000 teenagers off university’” (The Telegraph: 9th August 2012) the truth about higher education still stands.

In our current economic climate however, nothing is ever that simple - no longer is it enough to work hard at A-Level, study at a reputable university and seamlessly transcend into the upper echelons of the graduate world. The formerly insoluble bond between "education" and "employment" slowly withers away under rising youth employment and one of the biggest threats to employment facing graduates: unpaid internships.

The law on workers is clear.

Under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 a worker is entitled to national minimum wage unless they fall under certain exceptions. Section 54 (3) defines a worker as “an individual who has entered into work” either through (a) “a contract of employment” or (b) “any other contract, whether express or implied […] whereby the individual undertakes to do or perform personally any work or services for another party to the contract.”

If you have set hours, duties

Internships are becoming crucial in securing a graduate job, yet only a select number of students can afford to do them

and are performing “real work” (not merely shadowing) you are a worker and entitled to the national minimum wage. Companies are exploiting ignorance, employment fears and a lack of legal definition of an intern to breach employment law on an unparalleled extent.

When speaking to NUS Vice President (Society and Citizenship) Dannie Grufferty about unpaid internships, she criticised the very term itself: "The plight of young people today with millions of them not in employment or education is not helped with the jargon of the unpaid internship. It is literally a term plucked out of the sky so employers can avoid paying people, often when they first enter the world of work.”

Having undertaken an unpaid internship for the entire summer, third-year York student Megan Cross worked for nine weeks at a consultancy: “It was an opportunity to live in a completely different city and living a life that was poles apart from the average routine of an English Literature student. I was also lucky enough to secure an offer for a job with the company after I graduate as well as priceless

advice and a fantastic reference.

Despite the blow to my bank account, I would recommend the experience to any student who wants to be put in the best position possible in the competitive world of graduate recruitment."

Although Megan has benefited from the spate of unpaid work, the tragedy of this experience is that, in reality, it’s only open to a select number of students. She

taking work experience during term time for months on end.

Natalie*, enrolled in the UK but currently on her year abroad, is spending a year working unpaid in the European parliament: “I’m just so worried about employment it seemed the only thing I could – I know that a good degree and fluency in three languages won’t be enough to get me a job in politics, so I’ve resigned myself to just putting up with menial task so I can get something more on my CV. I’ve had to turn down part-time jobs here and often miss university.”

Robert Mead, a third-year student at the University of Nottingham, is one of the many students who aren’t able to take on unpaid work due to where they live and work: “I can’t even complain about being exploited since I can’t afford to give up paid work in the first place. The more I learn about unpaid internships the more I think they’re just a cancer on graduate employment.”

National campaigns such as Intern Aware are taking on the exploiters of unpaid internship.

Ben Lyon, Co-Director, says: “It’s just about getting enough so you can afford to do it. It shouldn’t be free labour – it should be about getting new ideas, sparking interests and ultimately bringing new people into the business.” Shockingly, since the National Wage Act’s introduction in 1998 HMRC have only made eight prosecutions in relation to the entire act.

Intern Aware receives more tipsoffs and pleas for help than in a month than HMRC claim to receive in an entire year. Ben even suggests that unpaid internships work to sabotage a business by narrowing the people entering the field saying, “Thinking of recruitment, they should want to be employing the right people

The formerly insoluble bond between "education" and "employment" slowly withers away under rising youth employment and one of the biggest threats to employment facing graduates: unpaid internships admits that the bursary available certainly wouldn’t cover the cost of living in London and without the use of a family friend’s house she would have been faced with the difficult task of commuting from home or forgoing the internship entirely.

Far from simply giving up an entire summer to work unpaid, some students have turned to

– there’s no meritocratic process in unpaid internships.”

Universities seem to share Ben’s concern with meritocracy.

Institutes such as Manchester and York offer paid internships through their career services.

York even goes so far as to offer a mentoring scheme for alumni allowing individuals to offer career advice and paid internships to

current students. The University of Birmingham offers some of the most comprehensive support for students, offering bursaries of up to £2000. Given that a vast swathe of internships are located in London, where a month’s living can dwarf the amount a student lives on per term at university, the university is one of the few that understands the plight of unpaid internships.

Intern Aware, however, are still encouraging and working with university career services to do much more to combat unpaid internships: “We’ve got to work with some services to help them make the changes. We recently worked with Oxford, Exeter and Bristol, and many others have been persuaded to stop advertising unpaid work all together." Ben’s suggestion that university career services disregard and neglect the role is far from hyperbole or overzealous rhetoric; ironically, career services are propagating the existence of unpaid internships by advertising them. If these services used the significant power they have it would incentivise companies; not just because it’s the right thing to do but because there’s real pressure being applied.

PR is one example of an industry in more need than others of a diversity galvanisation.

Thankfully, this is one of the rare occasions where the industry itself recognises and is trying to remedy its own problems.

Together with Intern Aware, a comprehensive breakdown of internships within the industry has been produced. 61% of internships are in London and despite being the most expensive city in the UK 72% of interns are illegally paid less than NMW with 23% of that group receiving no expenses.

Worryingly, despite the huge number of young people working for less than NMW in the industry 77% of internships did not lead to employment in the same organisation. Francis Ingham, PRCA Chief Executive, said: “Internships are not just a vital route into PR for young graduates, but a vital resource for employers as well. We need to avoid the easy option and accept that interns deserve to be paid for the service they provide.”

We want the invaluable training. We want the real experience.

And we want legal paid experience to be available to as many people as possible - not just those who can afford to work for free.

This is uncivilised social engineering just by another name – “unpaid internships.” *name changed for confidentiality.

16FEATURES

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE 1

The newest addition to York's clubbing scene, Kuda is now the official YUSU Tuesday club night. Formerly known as Gallery, the venue underwent a ÂŁ750,000 renovation over the summer. Laid out over three floors, there is a good number of bars, including Tiki Bar on the basement level which offers good deals on cocktails and is the perfect place to chat before heading up to the dancefloor.

Flares Flares is hidden away behind Society and is unknown to many students, however it is argu-

ably a better version of the ever popular Reflex. A '70s bar by trade, Flares will also play '80s and '90s favourites and has a large, light-up dancefloor rather than a pointless revolving one. They now strike deals with sports clubs for their socials.

Evil Eye The story goes that Evil Eye is Johnny Depp's favourite bar in England.

Whether it is true

or not is unknown, but you can see why it would be. The decor is all quite surreal - there are beds on the top floor - and the cocktail menu is something to behold. There are hundreds of options in varying strengths, and a shop selling other exotic beverages.

2

Tokyo is a freshers' favourite and YUSU's official Thursday night out. It has three different rooms which means whether you happen to be a fan of indie, RnB or simply mainstream pop, you are catered for. The main dancefloor can get extremely busy and feels a bit like a pit at times, but their top of the range sound system more than makes up for it.

Bars can get busy but drinks are cheap.

Society Salvation's little sister, Society, is a bar/club hybrid.

You can probably expect the name to change soon - it has been BPM and Bar Salvation in the last couple of years. It is the perfect place to warm up for a big night, with both seating areas and a dance floor, good drinks deals and Salvation just across the road.

3 5 7 Vodka Revolution, or Revs as it affectionately known, is the classiest of York's nightclubs (though that isn't saying much). Students tend to make a bit more of an effort when getting ready for Sunday night Revs however, mostly because of the now famous group photos taken on entry (the more inventive pose the better). Lacking a proper dancefloor, but still a great and very popular night.

4

Mansion will always be known by its old name, Ziggy's. On Wednesday nights sports clubs, dressed head to toe in some form of fancy dress, descend on Ziggy's for their weekly socials. More like a giant house party than a club, with walls that drip with sweat, it doesn't sound pleasant, but there's a good chance some of your best nights out in York will be had here. Always messy.

Rumours Situated right next door to Nags, Rumours is another fixture of Freshers' Week bar crawls. Their cocktails are notorious, particularly 'Kryptonite' - the word 'cocktail' suggests a certain elegance which this drink can in no way be associated with. The rooftop terrace is sometimes used for BBQs and there is a good sized smoking area outside.

4 2

Gibson's Rock Cafe Gibson's is set towards the top of Micklegate and has a good selection of cocktails available on two-forone deals. As you might expect from the name, rock music is what you should expect here.

Nagshead One of the most popular student destinations in York, Nags is known for its 'tre-

bles for singles' slogan. They also sell cheap shots and bottled drinks however, and have a sizeable heated smoking area.

Nags is just along the road from Mansion and if you leave through the back you're basically in the Tokyo queue. Ideal.

YORK VISION

FEATURES

Tuesday October 9, 2012

17

TO YORK NIGHTLIFE 5

Thirteen Thirty One More of a restaurant than a bar, but still a nice place to go for a drink if you fancy a more civilised night out. It is in one of the nicest locations in the city, surrounded by bars, restaurants and the Minster.

Dusk One of the places to go if you're a fan of cocktails.

Dusk do a two-for-one deal during the week, which means you can find yourself sipping on two David Hasselhoffs or Milky Bar Kids for just ÂŁ5. An added bonus is the cashpoint opposite, however this can also be very dangerous!

Salvation no longer holds an official YUSU club night, but will undoubtedly still prove popular this year. Downstairs you will find the main dancefloor, with the indie floor above. As a venue Salvation is one of York's best, its main downside being that it can take quite a while to get a drink when it starts to get busy.

The upstairs smoking terrace is a good place to cool down and have a chat.

6 8

Fibbers Fibbers is primarily a music venue but also hosts various club nights such as Ego Mondays and Stone Love. A good place to go if you're bored of the same old pop anthems, Fibbers boast more of an indie music scene.

6

A York cult, you will never find anywhere else quite like the Willow. Formerly a Chinese restaurant, Tommy Fong and co. have somehow turned the place into York's favourite late night venue. Due to it staying open until 4am, students will flock to Willow after getting bored of a regular club, and revel in the cheesy music, cheap tequila and free prawn crackers. Magically odd.

3 7

Blue Fly Right next to Dusk and another place where it's all about the two-for-one cocktails. The inventively names Blue Fly is a particularly good one. The inside is very small which leads to a number of people trying to cram as close to the outdoor heaters as possible. Still a decent bar.

1

REFLEX York's favourite '80s nightspot, you will most likely either love or hate Reflex.

The music is a cheesy as it comes, there is a revolving dancefloor the size of a small table, old, overweight men and women trying to cling on to a little bit of their past by hitting on unsuspecting students to the theme tunes of their youth, and even a bucking bronco. The drinks are pretty cheap too.

8

The Lowther The Lowther is famous for two main reasons - firstly for its cheap trebles for singles offers, and

secondly because of its yearly problems with flooding.

A student favourite situated very close to Kuda, The Lowther is also a mainstay of many a pub crawl route and has a nicer feel than many of the city's other bars.

They also serve food.

Stone Roses Probably the home of the best music in York, Stone Roses is the place to go if you'd much rather hear Defintely Maybe than 'Call Me Maybe'. Another bar where cheap trebles are the order of the day, Stone Roses is one of York's best.

Often seen as the upmarket rival to Willow, Vudu is another venue which tends to get busier as the night draws on.

There is a good choice of cocktails, and generally a better choice of drinks than at Willow, but they are a bit more expensive. The VIP area can be hired out for parties and socials, whilst the music is also pretty decent, and the dancefloor is not a bad size for a fairly small venue.

18 FEATURES

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

FELLWALKING FOR THE CYNICAL NINA PULLMAN shares her experiences of fellwalking and encourages fellow students to take a hike...

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any of us are led into a fear of, or apathy towards, walking up hills from an early age. Whether from distant childhood memories of being dragged up sweaty inclines on little legs, or perhaps just from the human’s natural love of comfort and warmth. For this reason, a fellwalking holiday in the Lake District may not be on your list of potential holidays for next year. Or rather, it may not be on your list yet.

To give you a bit of context,

what they don’t tell you are the realities of the experience that is Lakeland fellwalking. The sheer beauty of peaks that stretch as far as the eye can see, the satisfaction of reaching the summit of a ‘big name’ mountain, the weather which changes mood as quickly as the enigmatic person in the Katy Perry track, ‘Hot N Cold’. The excitement of setting out for a full day, map in hand, bag full of supplies and snacks you cannot feel guilty about is huge, because after five hours

Campus lake is a puddle compared to even the tarns of 'Lakeland'

the Lake District, or ‘Lakeland’, is the second largest national park in the UK, situated in the county of Cumbria, about two hours drive west of York. It begins on the coast and spreads inland as the highest mountain range in England, including England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike.

Inevitably, there are also lakes.

But on a scale so far from the campus ‘puddle’ that they may as well have a different name.

Ranging from Windermere, the longest in length, to Wast Water, the deepest lake in England, they

walking, who really cares what you’ve eaten that day? Walking in the lakes is a freedom largely unexperienced by the student population, made only the more exclusive and valuable by the overcoming of any hard walking.

We may as well address early the issue of ‘hard walking’, that many people may not find appealing. It is undeniable that there will be a steep incline, there will be some sweat, there will be aching muscles. In short, the usual symptoms of exercise.

But this should be looked at not

The excitement of setting out for a full day, map in hand, bag full of supplies and snacks you cannot feel guilty about is huge, because after five hours walking, who really cares what you’ve eaten that day? are a tourist attraction in their own right. Less well known are the thousands of ‘tarns’ (small lakes), that are to be found at any given level in the fells; marked on a map but for the most part unseen by visitors to the lower lakes and just waiting to be discovered by the fell walker.

The above information can be found at just about any site about the lakes. It comprises the geographical facts, the impersonal, the unchangeable. However,

as a stream of never-ending pain and unnecessary discomfort, but as a route to smoother ground, i.e. the summit, and a warm feeling of achievement rarely felt in our everyday, comfortable lives.

More literally, although Lake District ascents are steep, they are also short, relatively speaking. When you reach the top, the next part of the walk is always flat, and then there is the down, making the uphill only an easy third of the day, which is a great

incentive. Another, perhaps unforeseen, advantage to the uphill, is that that no one ever said you had to do it in one go. Have as many rests as you like, take photos, eat one or two or three of the multi pack of chocolate bars you brought, drink coffee while gazing at an adorable Lakeland sheep (much cuter than a normal sheep, take my word for it).

And then set off again. Before you know it you’ll be at the top, thinking, ‘Hard walking? What hard walking?’

So, on to the walks themselves. The Lakes have been a popular walking destination for years, the result being that there are hundreds of wellworn routes and old favourites varying in length, difficulty and landscape. From the relatively short but popular (and also fairly busy!) Cat Bells starting at Keswick and Derwent Water, the list of swathes of beautiful horseshoes such as The Newland Horseshoe, The Mosedale Horseshoe or the Fairfield Round, the iconic climbs to Hellvellyn, Haystacks or Scafell, the list goes on and on and despite the Lake District’s increasing popularity you can still go hours on some of these walks and not see a single soul. Probably the most famous Lake District fellwalker of all time is Alfred Wainwright, whose years of traversing his beloved fells every which way and in every weather, led him to publish several books as a collection of his favourites. Wainwright is long gone, but his books and his walks still continue to gain fans.

There is a personal connection to the lakes and the fells that comes across in his writing, that makes them a delight to flick through and a fantastic compliment to the bare bones of a map-planned walk. Even if you don’t pick up a Wainwright and become tempted to follow in his steps, and most, if not all B&B’s will have one lying around, walking in the lakes does become something of a tick box. Sitting over your freezing pint in a gorgeously welcoming Lakeland pub, conveniently found at the end of most walks, you will perhaps occasionally pick out from the conversation of others, names that you will soon come to recognise. There are many incentives to come back to the lakes, but the desire to do ‘that one next’, has got to be among them.

An article about the lakes should probably make some reference to the weather. With high ground situated so close to the coast, inevitably rain is not an uncommon icon on the local weather charts. But saying that, I have never visited the lakes and experienced a full trip of wet weather; the changeable skies are a godsend and make the

landscape even more dramatic when every time you look away the light has changed again, the rain has cleared or the clouds have dropped. A mountain climate is anything but a simple mix of rain or shine: there might be hail, with horizontal sliding rain, or the clearest blues skies with not a cloud in sight. Or there might be a gently warming sun with blustery showers. Or you might see the brightest gem of all; tinges of soft mist swirling round peaks and flowing through deep valleys. Lower down the air will be wet and chill, but as you climb above this settled cloud, everything is brilliant and you

pleasant having wet legs all day.

Hoping to have almost converted you, I will run through a few practicalities. A car is definitely the easiest method of getting around in the lakes, but the local bus system is easily used and usefully placed. The area is used to receiving those on a budget, you really don’t need a great deal of money to set off every day with a packed lunch, and so there are many options for affordable accommodation. Campsites literally abound – there’s one on every corner – but if you’re visiting at any other time than those two rain-free weeks in mid-June, then you might prefer

Try a scree run - literally running down the slope of a mountain in giant leaps through a deep layer of small stones or ‘scree’ – a sensation like skiing and the best fun ever! seem to be suspended above a sea of cotton wool. Due to the unpredictable nature of the elements and the distance you will probably be from civilisation, the right clothing is essential.

I’m not talking a full set of top of the range bivvy-bags and microfleeces, but a few good quality pieces which will serve you well.

Number one, a decent waterproof and windproof coat from a reputable brand, such as North

a Youth Hostel where the cooking is communal, the views are stunning and the atmosphere is friendly.

As an affordable holiday right on our doorstep, the lakes are hard to beat. But there is so much more to it that I could go on for pages. If you feel like a bit of an adventure, stray off the beaten track and try a scree run (literally running down the slope of a mountain in giant leaps

Stunning views and tree-running. What's not to like?

Face.

Number two, walking boots and thick socks, as trainers do not provide the necessary support and comfort for a full day of walking on uneven terrain. Number three, unless it's summer, a hat, scarf and gloves are usually a good idea to have in your bag. Number four, lightweight trousers that dry quickly, or alternatively, a pair of waterproof over trousers – it’s not

through a deep layer of small stones or ‘scree’ – a sensation like skiing and the best fun ever), or wild camping (set off into the fells with a friend and a tent, and wake up by the side of a remote tarn at sunrise feeling like you own the world). Whatever you do, put aside any walking prejudices you might harbour, pack up your rucksack and let yourself loose on the Lake District.

YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday October 9, 2012

>Lifestyle Fall for Autumn

19

In this issue:

P 20 - Third years vs Freshers P 21 - Bags & Blogs P 22 - Superstitions & Survival

P 23 - Love Evolution & Budgeting P 24 - Clubbing & Hitching P 25 - Blind Dates & Relationships

Styles inspired by Autumn/Winter 2012 catwalks, with a little help from Frances Jennings and Francesca Martin

The Autumn season has dawned upon us but before you start squirrelling away into winter coats and waterproof trousers, pay attention to the latest trends to hit the high street.

With Baroque and matching prints set to dominate this slightly chilly season for the ladies, and Romantic styles and layering up set to be key for the men, here is Vision's definitive guide to what's what and how to wear it to styling success.

Zara £69.99

Oh so Opulent

The runways were a feast of romantic Baroque opulence, with gold, Rococo wallpaper prints in velvet, lace and brocade. Dolce & Gabbana set the decadent tone – all chanH&M £59.99 delier earrings, glittering gold embroidery and embellished footwear. Accessorise with a jewel-encrusted clutch, such as Anna Dello Russo’s new lavish H&M collaboration. There is only one rule here: more is, without question, more.

Female Topshop £60

Costume Jewellery AW12 is all about statements and embellishments, and the jewellery report for Asos £14 this season is no different. Statement necklaces, heavy wrist cuffs and oversized earrings should all have a place in your Winter wardrobe. Keep it ethnic & edgy during the day, and go all-out Hollywood glam' in the dark.

H&M £29.99

Topshop £75

MATCHY MATChy The matching-print trouser suit is one of Fall’s key trends. Designers have pushed their print passion to the limits with paisleys, florals and checks. Head to toe pattern prevailed at Miu Miu, Rag and Bone and Erdem on the catwalk. The trouser suit is feminine, fun and new. After all, spending hours putting outfits together, who has the time for that ASOS these days?

Jack Wills £129

Super LUxe

As tailoring has formed a strong foundation for AW12 pieces, the emphasis is on embellished details and the use of opulent fabrics. Silk, chiffon, velvet and fur all featured heavily on this year’s catwalks – choose silk during the day, velvet & lace for evening and accessorize with faux-fur for that super-chic look.

Zara £29.99 ASOS £65

Male Topshop £75

Layer up

H&M £59.99

Summer might be over lads, but warm shades and layering will keep your spirits up this AW12. Pair patterned shirts with the reworked ‘skinny’ cable knit for cool casual and invest in a smart woollen pea-coat or chunky knitted blazer when Winter rolls around.

The New Romantic

Crafted £10

Muted tones, clean cut shirts and layered Heritage fabrics – English tweeds, quilts and leathers. Work from a neutral palette of moss green, soft grey and midnight blue to get the look. In the Burberry Prosum AW12 show, The Gentleman, David Bailey combined the military man and city boy. It’s time to follow suit, chaps! Button up your collars, throw on a double breasted jacket and accessorise Zara £9.99 with a tweed flat cap.

Urban Outfitters £28

20 LIFESTYLE Can't work your washing mashine?

Try getting a job.

Kealey's...

M

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

Beauty Blunders

s

ion s s e f on

C

y brother arrived as a fresher in Manchester last week with a bag of dirty clothes, a toasted sandwich maker, and a doorstop.

He might have been nervous had it not been for my detailed and calming advice for surviving Freshers' Week, which was: “make sure your door is open, bring something to eat with, and always be sick in your own toilet.” He’s using the doorstop as a kind of food shovel, I imagine, and loving life.

Freshers’ Week may be the first time in your life in which you discover vegetables need only be eaten once a fortnight and you can live in a room with the smell of armpit as the only furniture. It is also, traditionally, a bit of a nightmare.

As well as the obligatory run in with scurvy, you may have to battle for the first time with unisex showers, bad drains, lack of fridge space, living with lunatics and realising you forgot to pack anything other than the fancy dress caterpillar costume your mum bought you. I have no sympathy for you.

Your current life, even if you’ve eaten Nutella with your fingers for a month, is easy. Instead I want to direct your attention to the horror of entering life as a third year.

For the entire first year of university at every slip, social malfunction or bad mark, you’ll be reminded that "it’s only your first year! It doesn’t even count."

During your second year, at every failed exam or vomit stained outfit you’ll be reminded that "it’s only your second year! It barely even counts."

During your third year not only does everything count, God suddenly demands of you a life plan.

Are you going to be one of those graduates that returns home and nods sedately along to your parents’ conversations for the next 10 years of your life?

Even though, since the age of 14, you’ve suspected at some point you’d have to become a real person with a real job, it’s suddenly a hideous, blood-curdling surprise when the universe turns around and screams, “NAME THAT PROFESSION!” At this point, I’m in desperate need of a very kind person who will bring me a sedative and kindly explain why I’m studying History and History of Art and not something with a job description in the title.

I now get enjoyment from the depth of hate that comes when I think about those people I know (who were once my friends), and are studying something genuinely useful and life directing, like Medicine or Law. Sorry that you had to find out this way, there won’t be any Christmas cards.

To all you freshers out there, with your ‘struggles', consider the plight of those sad and stressed third years, like me, who DO know how to use a washing machine, but in all honesty, absolutely nothing else. Disaster.

T

Laura Mac on looking fresh in Freshers' Week

he events of Fresher’s Week and the subsequent nights out mean that this particular term's lectures can be otherwise known as "hangover hour." Coming out of them with shreds remaining dignity is a hard feat at the best of times, so hopefully this guide to avoiding everyone's first impression being of you looking like a horror film extra will guide you through the first few weeks of term.

From this...

...To this Fake tan

is a perfect remedy to a few weeks without sleep in northern England, and while no one would admit that looking like an orange is their cup of tea, masses of people (and we're talking girls and boys...) still insist on painting their bodies and ruining the clean white sheets mum and dad bought for their new university bedroom. Similar to foundation lines around your chin, make sure that your fake tan tones with your natural skin tone to avoid looking like mahogany Barbie.

Dry Skin Alcohol dries out the skin, so remember to moisturise with products that are water-based to ensure you remain looking alive throughout campus tours and fire and healthy and safety talks ("avoid the lake"). Keep hydrated and drink 6-8 glasses of water daily, more if you've had a heavy night, to ensure your body stay in the perfect condition to last until the next night out.

Rave paint As fun as it is covering your face in neon paint, just make sure that

it won’t irritate your skin or the resulting rash will be a much less glamorous reason for people to remember you after Freshers' Week. Always test face paints on an area that isn't as visible as your face, like the inside of your elbow, before embarking on a full blown neon facial style.

Underwear Chances are you will go on a pub crawl dressed as a crazy person at some point in the term and while dressing in a sexually suggestive manner or purely in your underwear seems perfectly acceptable on such occasions, make sure that the pre-drinking spirit of frivolity doesn’t lead to crossing the line between perfectly acceptable fancy dress costume and underwear with animal ears. Unless of course you are at a Mean Girls party in which case I take that back.

Eye bags As tempting as pizza is every night now you’re fending for yourself,

water, fruit and vegetables stop puffy eyes. The skin around eyes is thinner, which is why late nights lead to eye bags. Ice cubes, cucumber and almond oil help combat the effects of late nights. Whilst Freshers' Week is busy, the secret to student success is finding time to nap in between (or during) lectures so you’re ready for another night getting to know everyone.

Wearing pyjamas

It is a safe bet to assume that in your first week at uni, probably after your heaviest night out, the fire alarm will go off at an ungodly time in the morning. Just remember, it will be colder than you ever expected outside and pyjamas are vital and perfectly acceptable attire for such an occasion, wearing anything less is probably not. Investing in a onesie will keep you warm and saved as a back-up for those last minute fancy dress parties.

Not to mention saving you flashing any unsuspecting firemen or fellow sleepy students.

YORK VISION

LIFESTYLE

Tuesday October 9, 2012

21

Bag Man-ia Jordan Lloyd dissects the fashion of man bags

A

s a third-year student, I have pretty much hit rock-bottom. My passport is currently lining the Yorkshire pavements along with my dignity and where there were formerly textbooks, the underside of my bed now contains only empty vodka bottles, club flyers and the memories of nights best left undivulged. Last year’s series of unfortunate events culminated in my being mistaken for a homeless person by a kind-hearted yet misinformed member of the Armed Forces, so I think it's about time I smartened up my act, and where better to begin than with a brand new bag.

I have started the year with the healthiest of livers and the best of intentions to look, feel and act like a fine and upstanding tenant of rented accommodation. Which is where a bag comes in.

From Mary Poppins to Hermione Granger, the literary world suggests bags as the key to such tasks as being practically perfect in every way to escaping from Death EatThe Dream Bag

ers, so surely they are also the answer to keeping my cash from flying out in Subway? Problem solved?

himself tea and reaches for all parties to come The Chosen Bag to a m u tually agreeable detente.

Since Willow have ceased production of Fong-inspired totes, I have been forced onto the internet to fuel my quest for the perfect man-bag. As the name suggests, I search for a man bag; one that is waterproof, with plentiful snack storage and, obviously, one that screams employable, confident and success!

After much soul searching, and one viewing of Eat Pray Love, sensible shopBoxfresh £35 ping supersedes self doubt and whilst the Mulberry Brynmor in tan may be slightly too aspirational, something sleek and stylish need not come at the expense of one's soul.

Cyberspace does not disappoint.

Crammed with millions of metrosexual models, these bags are designed to inspire and elucidate self confidence - as well as cash withdrawal. But am I, of formerly misidentified homelessness, really the blonde in the Marni sweater with what looks like 12K worth of dental comestics and perfect skin to boot. The Devil inside me screams "YES!" whilst the pessimist Mulberry £595 quietly makes

When considering a man-bag, many variables must be taken into consideration, such as size, shape, content, functionality and durability. It is then, and only then, that design needs come into play for the perfect man bag. For me, this meant lookEastpak £45 ing at a practical rucksack or satchel as the library's worth of books I shall no doubt be carting around in all weathers requires a scholarly touch whilst also being entirely multi-functional.

So I chose the perfect combination – similar shape and size to the Mulberry, but with a printed facade of a rucksack - plus a little leather detailing and a useful woven cubbyhole that cuddles your iPod. Whilst the compassionate amongst us walk a mile in anothers shoes, I will be strolling through town with a grey check satchel from Boxfresh, at The Rucksacks least once the delivery arrives!

Asos £22

The Rise of the Fashion Blog Jocelyn Murdoch explores the changing world of style

I

t’s that time of year – holiday clothes and summer essentials you treasured across the last four months are being packed away, ready for this season’s much warmer wardrobe. But this autumn, in light of my student fees, I’ll be turning to my favourite fashion blogs instead of women’s magazines, for my Autumn wardrobe inspiration. The move I'm making from the printed glossy 'fashion bibles' to modern fashion blogs seems to be part of a growing global trend.

In August, the Audit Bureau of Circulations announced that magazine sales have continued to decline over the first half of 2012, with pressgazette.co.uk reporting women’s magazines such as Company suffering a drop in circulation of over 20 per cent. In these tough economic times, perhaps this comes as little surprise, but it’s interesting that the figures coincide with digital versions rising in popularity.

Information can go online faster than it can be printed and there is a growing pressure on the media to provide instantaneous updates. Checking your favourite blogs can easily become part of your daily routine, as much as checking your Facebook or Twitter has become the place to go for the latest news.

The advent of style bloggers has also given fashion fans a personal and downto-earth view of style, often focusing on high street brands. This month’s InStyle cover shoot featured an outfit worth over £3500 – hardly accessible for a student budget! Though glossy monthlies are the perfect place to feature such high end fashion, there are plenty of blogs that focus on designer wear, with many posting photos of fashion weeks around the world.

The world of blogging has opened the fashion world up to anyone, unlimited by location or experience, and has given a chance for women to have their say, maybe even earning money for it too. The British blogger, Liberty London Girl, who racks up 8,500 hits a day according to The Guardian, has collaborated with Mercedes Benz and Hunter boots, and has been voted one of the most influential people in Fashion Online by the Telegraph.

Magazines are being forced to evolve: several have heavily invested

Jocelyn's Top Picks

in their websites, started up their own blogs and established online networks for readers. They are beginning to look to bloggers, not just as columnists or employees, but also as interviewees possessing fashion clout in their own right.

Fashion blogs may merely be viewed as another cog within the Liberty London Girl fashion industry. Some of Not content with just posting about the most popular blogs, like fashion, the English editor and jourSasha Wilkins, also shows us the street style photogra- nalist, her travels and her favourite food. pher The Sartorialist, focus largely on pictures over written content, stepping away from the magazine style. But have blogs become a replacement for women’s monthlies, or just an alternative? Is fashion in print facing its decline or merely a reinvention?

Only time will tell.

Tavi Devinson At 16 years old, Tavi has been blogging since she was 11! She created the teen style blog, Rookie and has become well known in her native US.

Atlantic-Pacific This San Francisco based blogger always looks amazing and isn’t afraid to try out something new.

Orchid Grey Another American blogger, Julie has a passion for vintage clothing, posting a lot of Seventies-inspired outfits.

22 LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

A York Uni Survival Guide Alex Cochrane-Dyet helps us to survive the first year...

W

e’ve all seen them, those bright young people in the year above returning home from their first year at university looking pale and ill - as though they’ve stepped off the set of the latest Twilight film. Whilst your time at university is bound to be full of reckless partying and late night fries, there are various steps you might like to take to ensure your general well-being isn’t sacrificed.

might even taste nice, but microwave pizzas, delivery pizzas, cheesy chips, kebabs, and all other forms of readily available fast food will quickly transform your body into something unrecognizable. Although it is more effort, and might cost more, cooking decent meals is vital. You can always make friends with people in the supermarkets and find out when they have good deals.

Take some exercise

Although the majority of university students enjoys the drinking culture at York, it is important to appreciate that alcohol is harmful drug that should not be abused.

Whilst it would be naive to expect students to stick to the government’s guidelines of 3-4 units a day, once you’ve had a few drinks there really is no need to carry on drinking until you throw up.

If you find yo u r s e l f attending 9:15 lectures still intoxicated, or s u f fering from unbearable hangovers, then it’s safe to say that you need to rein it in a bit. There’s nothing wrong with having a casual night in or just relaxing in the pub

Whilst dancing in Ziggy’s at 4:00AM might be extremely tiring, it’s not going to be enough. Neither is walking to Costcutter and back. With so many sports clubs and societies to join there’s definitely something for everyone, whether you want to play for the university, against other colleges, or simply for fun. As well as all the major sports there are plenty of new ones to try out. Ever fancied yourself as a cheerleader? Or wanted to try out American football? Why not have a go at canoe polo? Whatever you decide to do, you’ll find all the societies extremely friendly and great fun. If you not into playing sport, and would rather just find a decent gym, then check out the new state-of-theart York Sports Village, or the discounts offered at the old sports centre on campus.

Avoid Microwave Pizzas

They might be quick and easy, and some

Know your limits

instead of getting lashed and hitting the town every night.

Don’t forget to Sleep

Staying up until three o’clock to write an essay, with a pot coffee or a case of Red Bull on hand, might seem like fun; however, it is unwise. Getting in the habit of having a decent night’s sleep when you’re not attending any social events is of vital importance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you’re c o n stantly tired you’ll f i n d yourself feeling run down, getting ill more easily, struggling to do your work, a n d

unable to take any exercise. With so much going on at university you’ll need to work at finding time

to rest. If others are keeping you up when you’re feeling exhausted then ask them to go somewhere else, or invest in some earplugs.

Look after your health

Relying on paracetamol to get you through the year is a bad move. The medical centre in the middle of campus is there to help you whether you’re feeling ill, have an injury, or simply want to pick up some condoms before a romantic date to Willow.

The majority of students will suffer some form of illness in the first year, so make sure you know where the medical centre is and don’t wait until you’re struggling to walk before heading over.

Respect the ducks

The birds that inhabit the University of York's Campus will happily attack any passing student if it gets too close, particularly if they have babies (the ducks not the students), so be wary and if necessary find another path to your lecture.

Don’t be fooled by their cuteness. In addition, the lakes are full of harmful microbes that can lie dormant in the body for years before manifesting in a potentially harmful illness, so drunken swimming is not advised. I should also add that I have it on good authority that killing and eating the ducks is punishable by expulsion.

And considering how disgusting the lake water is they probably wouldn’t taste good anyway.

WRITTEN IN THE STARS ?

Sarah Cattle explores the origin of some misunderstood traditions

S

o the other day I smashed my full length mirror on the way back up to York, by cramming giant bags into my not so giant car with the gusto of a baggage handler loading a Boeing 747. Curse my landlord for not providing a mirror (or a desk…) in my room! I freaked out a little: seven years bad luck? I have a degree to finish, a husband to find and a poodle to feed. Years of breaking stuff and generally screwing up more than usual was not an attractive prospect for my clumsy self.

And then it dawned on me; it’s only a superstition. Just some strange tradition that has been passed down the sands of time, like a fairy story. An ancient method of preventing bad luck and bringing good fortune that none of us really understand.

Yet this only marginally calmed my unease. I definitely believe in luck itself: driving up the M1 I witnessed a squirrel attempt some Watership Down strategy and bolt across the whole length of the busy motorway, completely unharmed.

Definite luck. So if I believe in luck, surely it makes sense to believe supposed methods to bring it about?

The superstitious among us insist on avoiding black cats. We irrationally judder a bit inside when someone opens an umbrella indoors. And we downright refuse to walk under a ladder, despite veering unpredictably into the pedestrian next to us. These beliefs contradict natural science which so many of us believe over religion, and yet we still opt to act upon them anyway. But do we even know where these superstitions originate, let alone why we do them? If you’re curious, I’m going to save you a trip round the internet, and inform you where some common attempts to bring luck and avoid evil forces come from. Touch wood.

Popular superstitions here in the UK, much like Chinese whispers, change as they are passed from ear to ear. Touching wood has two visible origins; Pagan and

Greek, though the principle behind both is very similar. Greeks believed touching wood was a communication with Zeus, to protect them from adversity, and Pagans believed a touch of wood was a communication with the spirits that live in the trees, thanking them for continued protection and good luck. Spirits and gods play a big part in the ancient roots of superstition - at the other end of the scale, opening an umbrella indoors is widely seen to be unlucky – this is because, in sunnier places once upon a time, umbrellas were early sun-blockers, and opening them inside was deeply offensive to the sun-gods. Now knowing the origin, it feels ridiculous to follow such a superstition with no belief in such thing.

A superstition you’re most likely to slip up on and do after a trip to the Topshop shoe section with the student loan through is place shoes on a table. Massive no-no. An old wives tale that can be traced back to mining in the North of England, it has been said that when a miner died, his shoes were placed on the table as a mark of respect. Therefore placing shoes on the table was seen as bad taste, or tempting fate.

Another relatively modern superstition that we still do today to attempt to control our fate is avoiding walking under a ladder. Ladders were used to help hang criminals on the gallows, so quickly be-

came an accompanying symbol of death.

It was said that if you walked under a ladder, the hangman would notice you.

Phrased like that, it seems absurd that we have been letting such a silly superstition cause mayhem on pavements and building sites everywhere.

And as for the mirror, the broken object of my concerns? It’s unfortunate for us ham-fisted individuals that they are glass-based and therefore easily breakable. Mirrors were seen by the Romans as representing the soul, which regenerates every seven years. With shattering the mirror, you guessed it; your soul is shattered too. As ridiculous as many superstitions seem now, no one wants a broken soul.

Thankfully, there are remedies for this: grind your mirror to dust, or knock a b r o ke n piece on a tombs t o n e.

I’ll try not to look too deranged when I do this.

LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

23

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ing alk lw o t y. A sed he da an a u t t th e ... g during n York axi use t r spo axis per i ent t . Cy ran g on t to chea , frequ nt loans travT e y n cut dly tud ntr eap elyi end Ch not r ey do t the cou your s e but it e-frien loand gh th es in drain xercis tty bik le from uld u o c tho f pla way to reat e is pre bicyc tree c g o lot quick t only y. York d-hand Gum y. e is a g is no ssivel secon es lik mone a t d clin me m g in a ine si e an m n i l el t nvesti or on you ti so i shops o save t cal k out wor

Food budgeting… don’t just watch what you buy in terms of supermarket own brand, but watch what you throw away. You can easily save around £5 on your shopping if you ensure everything you purchased last time is eaten. Buying for a group also normally works out to be cheaper, so perhaps share meals with housemates once a week to test if it could work for you. Also, only consider buy-one-get-one-free deals on non-perishable foods such as tins or cupboard staples, or share a deal with a friend to maximise the saving and minimise any wasting of money!

dent frug al s d don’t iscounts tudent… at ev be af raid indep ery o watch fo to r e p coun ndent sh ask shop portunit stut y o s cut b to studen ps are ha for them and ! ts a p affor ck on the . Univers py to offe Most d it r dis alway , unless th premium y is the t ime t ey ar items s loo o some e on k for y o u sp o gredi f them c own bra ecial offe can’t nd s ontai ents! r, and u n exa b ctly t stitutes – he sa me in -

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Mind On My Money

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Rachel Longhurst helps us plan to NOT blow our loan

Student loans, grants and overdrafts are the ultimate temptation. University seems to be full of things you need to buy and you may find yourself asking "what could go wrong if I blow it all on nights out?". If a looming future of value beans, and toast if you’re lucky, becomes less nightmare and more reality, then try these simple tips and adjustments throughout the term and to help your bank balance stay out of the red!

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n mea may k, but t i y… wor stud iversity e resourcd u o n n n ay y your u s onli arts a he wy you do countless of the payouts t e nt its wa ng big ine Chasting the rary and for stude to avoid s and onl full s u b k y y j t oo an ad lis e li ire wa ing ing g th gle b f th m usin a sure- fty read m. Goo ays, wi line. Us ritr n s e s e s o w i t h ’ e d r ou es of th iewe ing er fo nds ng y e wi thos beginn lifesav be ‘prev inhibiti ess pou l e a o t at th als are ts able t y, whilst e coun v n x r jour s and te e libra , will sa h f book inside t ok itsel o s t b x te he on t atters. ing m t i n whe

What Women Want

Georgina Strapp on the narrowing differences between men and women's relationship priorities

S

ome of the most famous love stories ever written involve young and beautiful heroines struggling against the fear of poverty if they don’t marry. They then fall in love with men who are very rich and very powerful, which seems remarkably convenient in the circumstances. And it doesn’t seem that Elizabeth and Darcy’s, or Cinderella and Charming's love stories are just a coincidence.

For years it has been argued that evolution has resulted in our choosing partners that will aid our success. For heterosexual men this means finding young healthy women that can produce and care for a family, and for heterosexual women finding a man that will protect and support her and her children physically and financially. But this could all be changing, according to recent research conducted

by University of York’s own Psychologists Marcel Zentner and Klaudia Mitura. Focusing on heterosexual needs - although, obviously, not everyone is heterosexual the professors have suggested that what had once been seen as natural instinct when looking for partners is merely a re-

sult of social conditioning.

Zentner spoke to Vision about what the change in social roles between men and women could now mean for the changes in their relationships: “Mate preferences are not random. They are dictated to a large extent by anticipated social roles.” Zentner and Mitura's research, Stepping out of the Caveman's Shadow, shows that this can be within a family or on a larger scale, as this is passed on through "mechanism of value transmission within families." What a person will look for in a partner will therefore depend largely on how different the roles were between men and woman within the environment they were brought up.

Zentner sums up the implications with this example: “a woman earning a lot of money does not need a man with high earning potential - she will naturally look out for men with other qualities. In turn, in economically difficult times, and perhaps because sex is easily available today, men look for an intelligent woman partner who can be supportive both psychologically, and economically.”

This could mean that all the old stereotypes we know so well - that men look for young attractive women with good bodies who are good in the kitchen, and that women look for a wealthy men to keep them in nice shoes, and their children in nice schools - may be about to be flipped around. Yet on this point, Zenter was un-

sure; whilst he did say that the results suggest we are moving in this direction, no country in the world is close enough to total equality between the sexes for us to tell how far this pattern will continue. So whilst imminent role reversal may not be a reality, Zenter’s research stresses that the changes in mate preferences could signal "the intriguing possibility that gender differentiation may be bound to erode across a broad range of psychological attributes in societies where women and men are treated equally."

So does this mean that we should ditch the makeup and the tight dresses in favour of some glasses and a book if we want to get some male attention? And should the boys care less about their career and more about their tan and their cooking skills? (From a totally unbiased perspective I am very supportive of the latter…) But perhaps not.

Societal roles between men and women do not change just between families and nations but also over age. Zentner explains: "We had a cohort of 20 to 30-year-olds, to compare our data with previous ones, but also because mate preferences are more easy and natural to express before you get married and committed to a long-term partner."

And it would appear our students are a very long way away from choosing marriage partners. Freya Sydney-Smith, a second-year History student, said that initially the most important thing in a man

is "an instant physical attraction, mainly their smile and cheekbones. But I could never stay with someone based just on that they have to have a good personality I can get on with well."

That could arguably be in line with research, with a lack of care about power and some focus on personality even if that is minimal... and yet our boys still seem to be as interested in personality as the cavemen were. Jamie Tobin, a third-year Economics student, said that the most important thing in a girl is "definitely looks.

I think effort plays quite a big role in it as well, if a girl's all dolled up and stuff I'd be more likely to notice her than if she was attractive but quite shy about it."

So, York men may not have kept up with the research, but in the next few years we might see them picking media society girls over cheerleaders. You never know.

But maybe I won't chuck away the padded bras just yet. And as for the boys, they might have to find a way of getting attention without just flashing the cash at the bar.

24 LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION

AM AYIA SLAPPER?

Tuesday October 9, 2012

Kathryn Burke rejects the clubbing holiday stereotype

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avos, Ayia Napa, Magaluf…. Or maybe you know them better as ‘Chavos’, ‘Ayia Slapper’ and ‘Shagaluf ’? Either way, these destinations attract the notorious clubbing British teenager. This summer I was among the thousands of young people flocking to Kavos (on the Greek island of Corfu) for clubbing, sun and general fun. I was so excited at the prospect of spending eight days and seven nights with four of my best girl friends that it was all I could talk about wherever I went - except of course, at work.

views, and yet the general perception of these holidays is somewhat different.

The stigma attached to clubbing abroad is

a few too many Headfuckers and Liquid Ecstasys, but let’s be honest, who of us at York can honestly say that we haven’t done that at least once before a big night out?

Despite earning all the money for this holiday myself and the prospect of cocktails on a beach under the stars being what kept me going whilst cleaning toilets and waitressing, I found myself disguising my holiday destination from my co-workers instead of being proud of my ideal holiday. Why should I have felt that I needed to hide this trip from my colleagues? Is the idea of being slotted into a clubber’s stereotype really so dreadful?

The unfortunate answer is that yes, it is.

I didn’t want the people I work with instantly imagining me swinging around a pole or throwing up in a ditch. After years of bad publicity, the teenager who lets loose abroad is instantly branded as an irresponsible mess who takes part in everything that you would expect to see on a particularly outrageous instalment of Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents. Before I went, even I was anxious about what to expect. What I had heard from friends was nothing but good re-

holiday need to be as responsible abroad as at home and not get carried away.”

In 2011 494 people were hospitalised, and a high average of 4.97 cases in every 10,000 needed FCO assistance according to the Guardian, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Our typical night involved leaving our hotel at about 1am and meandering down the strip, dodging club reps’ attempts to carry us into bars, and searching for clubs with good music; and by that I mean anywhere with any song other than 'Starships'. We just wanted to dance on the beach until sunrise (avoiding the creepy guy dancing too close to us even though he insisted he was gay…) and spend time together after a year of being apart.

There were of course a few messy nights where perhaps the last few shots were a mistake, but there was never a night when any one of us couldn’t have made it home alone. By day we sunbathed and swam in our uniquely decorated pool (urinating dwarf statue water features are a fashion the UK has sadly missed), and embraced some of the water sports the island has to offer, although regrettably this did lead to some serious bikini malfunctions for those of us who were thrown out of our rings!

applied to the undeserving many as well as the deserving few. In Greece in 2011, 111 Brits were arrested, but this is a small proportion of the thousands that flock to the islands each year. It would be a lie to say that there weren’t some people who had clearly got carried away with the impossibly cheap drink deals and certainly had

However, we did see things that would make a grown man blush, and unconscious clubbers and panicked friends were abrupt reminders that just because we were on holiday didn’t mean we were invincible. A second-year York student and Zanté survivor puts it quite simply: “people who go on this kind of

I wasn’t a chav in Chavos or a slapper in Ayia Napa, I was a teenager having fun with friends in Corfu and shouldn’t be judged as otherwise. I have fallen in love with the European party spirit and can’t wait to go back next year.

You can take the girl out of Kavos, but you can’t take the Kavos out of the girl!

Hitchhiking - A Traveller's Tale

Josh Clewes explains an old style travelling pursuit...

W

e all have a fairly clear conception of what it is to hitchhike, often finding vast pop culture references and far-flung anecdotes involving this economical mode of travel. But like all things, the public image is often a long way from the real experience.

Hitchhiking, how we would recognise it today, originated in the United States during the Great Depression, when travellers were unable to afford gas or public transport. However, in the UK, it’s typi-

cally synonymous with stingy students of the 80s and 90s. Today, with the advent of low-cost coaches, and the continuous advancement of public transport systems around the UK and Europe, hitchhiking looks to be a dated culture of the past, with the exception of Jailbreak sponsored and university-organised hitchhikes. Yet few are now venturing out without the aid of a university or institution at all. In the face of all this, I’m hoping a little insight into my recent experience will entice and inspire.

The splendour underlying the experience of a hitchhike, is that one requires very little when it comes to equipment or journeying paraphernalia. The essentials are obvious: passport, comfortable clothing, small funds for bad food and emergencies, water, a garden-gnome etc. Although if you’re heading abroad, having someone who is multilingual always helps.

What you will desperately require though, is luck! Imagine this scenario: we had just been driven to Royston, a town south of Cambridge, by a sympathetic ex-York Uni maths student (a coincidence which already seemed bizarre enough). My weary, travel-worn companions and I retired temporarily into a local kebab shop (much like our beloved Efes, although devoid of all its majesty) to watch the dying moments of a Euro 2012 group stage match between Spain and Croatia. Just as we had walked in, that in the 88th minute, Spain’s Jesus Navas scored the only goal in the drab 1-0 encounter. We had begun vacating this glorious culinary establishment, when one

of the kebab vendors informed us he was heading to London, with room in his car – an offer we didn’t dare to refuse. If any of the aforementioned events hadn’t taken place in the precise manner in which they did, we may not have reached London. Serendipity galore!

As clichéd as it sounds, it seems that luck is found by those who look for it. If you remain patient, open-minded and determined, you will eventually find you succeed in hitchin’ a ride. Service stations are also crucial, this I cannot emphasise enough. It soon became clear that it’s infinitely more effective attempting to coax a stranger for a ride if you’re able to have a conversation first. Rather than simply standing idly and ineffectually on the side of the motorway. Unfortunately, threats and blackmail don’t work on most. Alternatively, perhaps open with a witticism, mention the recently erratic weather, and compliment them on their complexion.

If you were to compile a list of all the cons, hitchhiking would seem a gruelling process. Ordinarily, the prospect of a lengthy wait in Skellow, a bleak locale on the outskirts of Doncaster, is one that seems totally unappealing. Yet in the context of a hitchhike, it is merely a part of the whole extraordinary experience. Insipid Tesco sandwiches, lack of sleep and stodgy small talk with strangers may sound nightmarish when compared to the comforts of a train or coach, but these drawbacks only add to the sense of adventure that encompasses the spirit of a hitchhike. A truly liberating experience.

Typically, we would plan with foresight when travelling; such planning would rest one’s mind and appease any potential anxieties or worries. Yet, strangely it is this complete uncertainty that deems hitchhiking such an exhilarating experience. Perseverance and sharp-wittedness begin to form your mentality – you have no choice but to linger patiently around motorways and service stations, ingratiating yourself with the public.

Having shed some light on the reality of hitchhiking I earnestly urge you all (especially those of you that are newly-initiated freshers) to try it for yourselves, for there is no adventure like one that is entirely unpremeditated!

York is a fabulous geographical vantage point to begin your journey, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how easy it can be to hitch a ride, provided you’re in the apt mindset. To make use of another overused platitude, it’s the journey, not the destination. Although, if you’re Paris-bound, the destination is astoundingly swell too.

LIFESTYLE

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

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SUBJECT:

Going the Distance

25

Poppy Danby with a long-distance relationship survival guide

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oving away from home and starting your new life as a student is a daunting enough task without throwing in the added ingredient of a long distance relationship. However, like many other students around the country, I found myself in this position as a fresher last year. You may think at this point that I’m going to preach and tell you how to do it all ‘right’ – but of course that would be impossible, as every individual situation is different. And besides, for me, it didn’t work out. But don’t let alarm bells of doom begin to chime in your head at this point; after all, it’s easier to learn from someone else’s mistakes than deal with the consequences of your own.

Communication is key in a long distance relationship. When I was first torn away from my boyfriend, it felt like we had been thrown worlds apart, with the promise of seeing each other only once a month or so.

With this in mind, naturally you have to find other ways to make contact. In this day and age there’s a huge variety of communication methods, ranging from Skype to the more traditional form of love letters, so there’s really no excuse not to talk. Unavoidably you’re both going to be busy and carrying on with your lives, but it’s vital that you make time for each other. I found that arranging set Skype dates helps significantly, as it allows you to plan your day and do everything you need to, whilst also having excitement in the knowledge that you’ll get to ‘see’ your other half at the end of it all. In between times of course it’s always good to exchange the odd nice text, to remind your boyfriend or girlfriend that you’re thinking of them – the more contact the better!

This being said, it’s important not to smother each other too. Starting univer-

sity is a huge step and you’re constantly going to be out and making new friends; as a result, you can’t be on your phone continuously and equally you can’t expect immediate responses all the time either.

Remember, you’re both going to be busy at different points, and whilst I know this is hard to accept after probably seeing each other nearly every day, you’ll find you’ll get on better if you’re not overbearing. As I said before, every relationship is different so strike what feels like a happy medium with your loved one. However, universally, I feel it’s a probable no-no to send multiple texts and calls questioning lack of response etc; not only does this put the receiver in an awkward position and place extra pressure on them, as a result if you’re the sender you’ll probably not receive the happy, comforting response that you want.

For me, difficulty arose in the area of equality. It goes without saying that for a relationship to function properly care and affection need to run in both directions. It’s important that one half of the couple is not constantly having to make the effort to establish contact or organise reunions. Let’s face it, while it might be the easy solution to sit back and let everything happen, the relationship won’t last if you don’t maintain an active interest.

As I found, fairness is pivotal in a relationship, if effort and love are unbalanced there’s only so long it can last before it is tipped over the edge.

I’m not by any means saying that this mutual expression has to be shown through the forms of expense or gifts. Train tick-

ets are expensive (it cost me a week’s budget to get train tickets alone!) so unless you’re either very close or handle your student loan spectacularly, spontaneous visits are probably out of bounds.

But it doesn’t all have to be about big gestures, it’s the small things that count.

Even on a student budget, making someone feel special is simple – expressing feelings costs nothing. Whilst you may not currently be doing things together, take a step back and gather an interest into what your other half is doing, to help create a link between your seemingly different worlds. Make the most of the days you can spend together by doing things you both enjoy and reminding each other about why it’s worth the wait, and in the time you’re apart embrace the moments you share ‘face to face’ on Skype. B y embracing, I don’t m e a n spending all

your waking hours on it, obviously no matter how

much you love your partner you’ll have other things to do. However, I’d advise against openly expressing your boredom by, for example, making valiant attempts to see how much of a Pringles tube you can fit in your mouth, whilst ignoring the conversation around you.

Finally and arguably most importantly is trust. When I left for university, the trust between me and my then boyfriend was, for various reasons, not the strongest; long distance inevitably put a strain on this. With this is mind, if I could advise anything it would be that if you have any worries, it’s fundamental that you talk to your partner about it, don’t tiptoe around the subject and hope it’ll go away. It won’t and your concerns will only increase. Remember, trust is something that is earned, whilst it may seem an option to try and gain a hold over a relationship by causing insecurities, these will ultimately breed mistrust, the most damaging thing of all.

When you care about someone, whatever time you have apart is too long, so make the most of a bad situation: remind each other why you are together, grab whatever time or contact you can, take an interest and most importantly help each other; after all, you’re in it together.

BLIND DATE

Vision's resident matchmaker BEN DILKS sets up...

English Literature student Alex and Music student Becky!

Becky on Alex Hopes and fears before the date?

I feared that we wouldn’t have anything in common and it was going to be the most awkward hour of my life. Hoped that he’d have a good sense of humour.

What's your usual type?

Outgoing with a good smile.

First impressions?

He seemed friendly and fairly easy to talk to.

What did you chat about?

(I cant really remember!) We worked out that we had both been on the uni ski trip last year without realising, what things

Alex on Becky we are involved with at uni, and how we had managed to be on this blind date in the first place!

Any awkward moments?

The fire alarm going off and working out if we needed to get out of the pub or not!

How were their table manners?

He was polite His/her best feature?

He’s easy going His worst feature?

He came from Derwent!

Would you introduce him to your friends?

Yes Could he/she meet the parents?

Yep, I'm sure he would make a good impression.

How did you part?

A friendly hug Marks out of 10?

7 Would you like to meet again?

Yes but as friends

Hopes and fears before the date?

I was pretty apprehensive, I didn’t know anything about her so there was a distinct possibility of awkwardness or boredom.

I was pretty confident that sex wasn’t on the cards, but I hoped that we’d get along OK and the food would be good.

What's your usual type?

I wouldn’t say that I have a specific type, but I usually like girls who are slim and often, but not necessarily, blonde. A good sense of humour is the only vital thing really, that and above average intelligence.

First impressions?

I saw Becky cycling towards the Rose & Crown. She seemed to find the whole thing quite funny, which was definitely a good sign.

What did you chat about?

Our interests, including her talent at the recorder, which she assured me is a proper instrument.

would definitely recomthink she had scampi.

mend it. I

How were their table manners?

Immaculate Her best feature?

She was really friendly which was great because otherwise it could have been a difficult evening.

Her worst feature?

Her lack of a cycling helmet. Come on, it’s not cool, it’s not impressive – it’s just illegal and dangerous and an unnecessary risk.

Could she meet the parents?

I don’t see why not

Any awkward moments?

Despite being introduced we didn’t remember each other’s names.

How did you part?

A friendly hug, made slightly awkward by her bike getting in the way. She then peddled off into the sunset

What did you eat and how was the food?

I had the steak and it was very good – I

Marks out of 10?

7 – She was really nice and funny but there wasn’t any romantic connection.

The Rose & Crown Pub and Restaurant

"Blind Date" is kindly sponsored by on Lawrence Street.

If you or a friend would like to participate, enjoy a free meal and the chance to find true love, please email your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@yorkvision.co.uk

26 ADVERTISEMENT

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

YORK VISION

SPORT

Tuesday October 9, 2012

>Sport

27

LORDS OF THE DANCE

FOUR OF VISION'S FINEST TAKE TO THE DANCEFLOOR FOR A TANGO LESSON A TRIP to a tango session might not be everyone's idea of a fabulous sporting experience, but when the chance arose Vision jumped at the opportunity to don their dance shoes and grace the dance floor.

Sally Dolton: The only experience I have of dancing was a few years of ballet as a child and jumping wildly around Ziggy’s.

But while that sort of dancing is more concerned with keeping a VK in my hand, tango was a whole new experience, and one that Strictly Come Dancing did not adequately prepare me for. We were all introduced to the large dance group by club president, Katie Haslingdon and Andrew Grantham. I soon realised this was a warm, friendly club who were really patient in teaching us the moves.

Dave Washington: I was quite confident

I’d make even the likes of John Seargent and Ann Widdecombe look talented. Thankfully though I was not alone and I think between the four of us we could count our previous attempts at ballroom dancing on one hand, yet we didn’t disgrace ourselves as we slowly got to grips with what to us was a challenging routine.

Georgina Strapp: My visions of fake tan and sequins were disappointed. To begin with, men and women went to different ends of the hall (not too primary school disco-like, don’t worry) and we mirrored each other as we learnt the steps. Starting in a practice hold, Jack Bradshaw, my very lovely partner, and I were staring at our feet as we tried to get the right steps. However even with our mutual lack of coordination and with plenty of help, we began to feel like this may look like a dance.

Jack Bradshaw: It became much more complicated and I began to lose confidence.

I was aware of eyes burning into the my back of my head as other dancers were probably thinking something along the lines of “Wowzers, he’s rubbish” or “I feel sorry for his partner”. I was told to be more masculine, to control Georgie more and take the initiative. However, this meant I almost threw her on the floor at one stage, much to everyone’s embarrassment. The tricky part was the swivel towards the end which did not sit well with my rather wooden movement.

SD: Learning the steps in the full tango hold would be extremely difficult so we started in the practice hold. We stood slightly apart with my hands on his shoulders (it was a reach) and his hands under mine. The proper hold helped aid the turns by getting close together. The last part of the dance for girls included a swivel, where we took a step forward and turned on one foot to come back to the starting position.

DW: We thought it wasn't so hard until then the more complex steps and tango tunes were added. All of a sudden the challenge of whisking Dolly around in circles, and remembering all of the steps became much more challenging. One particular sequence of steps gave us particular difficulties, until one of the more experienced dancers stepped in and demonstrated the true way of dancing the tango. After numerous attempts we finally managed to crack it.

GS: But by the time I started to really twig the whole idea of dancing in your own space - no grinding in the Tango apparently - we were able to feel a bit more coordinated. Having managed to trip Jack up again though, one of the teachers decided to step

Photos: Tom Wooldridge

in before I caused any serious injury.

JB: However, after a few more practices, we did it. We managed to complete the entire dance from start to finish. Our collective roar of celebration rang around LN/028 as the scale of our achievement struggled to sink in. My dancing career was launched.

SD: Dancing with the professional made me feel almost weightless. And lads, for anyone that says ballroom dancing is camp or for girls, it is very sexy to have a man whirl you around the dance floor so expertly.

GS: Having done a very excited high-five after Jack and I managed the whole thing with no falling over I feel we may have to go again and maybe be a bit more graceful with it next time. Even if it is just to justify buying myself a nice pair of glittery heels.

DW: Dancing is something I could never have imagined doing, but it turned into a fantastic experience. Everyone at the session was extremely helpful, patient and encouraging, allowing us to develop our somewhat limited skills, and feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Everyone should have a go.

WORLD SPORT: MONEY v SUCCESS

DAVE WASHINGTON ANALYSES HOW MODERN SPORTSMEN ARE PUTTING POTENTIAL EARNINGS ABOVE POTENTIAL SUCCESS IT'S A simple fact that we live in a world obsessed by finances, and money drives the sporting industry. Of course sportsmen have to earn a living, but we have reached the stage where individuals are putting money above success.

Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes can be construed as the latest in a string of such moves. Surely Hamilton’s best chance of adding to his 2008 World Championship title, was to stay at McLaren?

Every year McLaren are one of the main contenders, whilst Mercedes have only attained one race win in the three seasons under their current guise. Admittedly as Brawn they won the 2009 World Championship, but they started that season with a massive advantage over the rest of the main competitors, and by the end of the season had been caught in the development race. Hamilton will be getting paid significantly more at Mercedes, whilst earning more from sponsorship deals, yet that only justifies my point that he based his decision on money over success.

F1 is not the only sport where this trend occurs; football has been littered with examples for years. One of the most striking

was Sol Campbell moving to Notts County, a League Two side. The former England centre half may have passed his prime, but still possessed the ability to compete at a higher level. Yet a pay cheque lured him there, as they have done footballers such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry and recently Tim Cahill to the MLS in America.

There is an argument that these moves have been made with potential salary being put ahead of potential career success, just as the same can be argued about former Chelsea duo Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka moving to ply their trade in China.

Test cricket has also suffered due to the potential earnings individuals can make from T20 and in particular the IPL. In the space of weeks, top cricketers can earn more from the IPL than in years of test cricket. As a result the standard of test cricket has been hampered, as youngsters focus on the shorter format of the game where the money lies. The glory and prestige may be in Test cricket, but sponsorship and money is not, and in an industry driven by finance there is only one winner.

The future of English rugby has also been hampered by financial issues beyond the clubs’ control. English sides are re-

stricted by wage caps, but across the channel there are no such limits, so many of the nation’s top players have made the move to increase their earnings, whilst in the process potentially jettisoning their chances of future international recognition. The trend continues; money quite simply plays a seismic role in modern sport.

It’s amazing to think that in 1901, there was a £4 a week wage limit for footballers, and only 51 years ago Johnny Haynes became the first player to earn £100 a week.

That’s a far cry to today, when overvalued players earn over a million in a month.

Nowadays it has almost become a necessity to possess money to achieve success. It was inevitable that eventually Manchester City would win the Premier League title, just as Chelsea had done in the past. Therefore it was refreshing to see Montpellier top France’s Ligue 1 last year, yet the chances of emulating that achievement has been hampered by the presence of heavy spenders PSG. Money and success are now heavily intertwined in sport, yet at times the boundary is crossed when individuals put the former before the latter at the jeopardy of their career.

28 SPORT

YORK VISION

Tuesday October 9, 2012

INSIDE VIEW

WHY PLAY SPORT AT YORK?

YORK HOCKEY STAR KRIS SIVA OFFERS HIS INSIGHT INTO THE PRE-SEASON WEEK, WHICH ATTRACTED OVER 230 STUDENTS

DAVE WASHINGTON TALKS TO TWO OF YORK'S SPORT STARS AND ASKS: WHY GET INVOLVED IN SPORT?

THE YORK Sport pre-season week, which ran from 1st October until 5th October has genuinely gone down very well amongst all athletes from various clubs.

The problem with previous seasons was that York had always played catch-up to every other university with its late start to the academic and sporting season. The solution? A pre-season week which opened up the brand new York Sport Village facilities to the athletes as a means of preparation.

The week began with a rousing talk given

by York Sport President, Charlotte Winter, highlighting her goals for the clubs; namely a combined effort to break into the BUCS top 40 universities, after York reached 43rd on the list last year.

Activities included individual club training and various sessions in the studios of the York Sport Village; ranging from spin classes, kettlebells and box circuits to others perhaps unfamiliar such as bokwa. After a few hiccups with signing up for the different sessions early in the week, the process ran very smoothly thereafter.

The range of classes provided an insight to many forms of cross-training giving clubs variety in their schedules. Combined with

these physical sessions, were talks given by sports performance coaches, with appearances from Jess Ennis’ physio, Alison Rose, and coach of the Brownlee brothers’, Malcolm Brown. Brown (pictured) told the audience that "We are all part of why the Olympics has been so special" and "universities are key to the development of UK sport".

On Monday, Tracey Neville, former England netball player, gave an exclusive coaching session to the netball girls, many of which fully appreciated the advice highlighting both strengths and weaknesses in their game.

The arrival of several freshers to clubs around campus also promoted further integration into clubs and teams. The added hindrance of a late start to the BUCS season limits the time freshers are able to gel together with their team-mates, and so the pre-season camp was fruitful in introducing them to their respective teams.

However, not all freshers were able to make the journey due to accommodation issues within teams. Consequently, they must wait until the trials to make their impression.

Perhaps an idea for next year’s training camp could be to select accommodation for freshers who wish to attend their respective teams’ sessions. Or what about an allocation of rooms in colleges that don’t open their doors to freshers until the Sunday before term starts?

On the whole, the York Sport Pre-Season camp has positively helped all those who have attended and will certainly provide a platform for those clubs to build on. For the first of its kind, it has definitely paved the way for similar initiatives to be introduced from now on. This has been the first step in elevating the status of Sport at York – let’s just hope it continues. Surely the week can only serve to benefit the performances of our sportsmen.

YOU HAVE arrived at York, and already sampled some of the clubs and pubs in York, haven't found the location of the university sports fields. The hangovers are mounting up, you’re becoming largely nocturnal, and the healthy lifestyle you had been preaching throughout the summer has been thrown out of the window. Never fear, sport is here to provide you with the perfect cure. I spoke to two of Vision’s finest athletes who give you their take on the benefits of playing sport.

Students have a habit of overindulging in a lifestyle that involves heavy binging and long lie-ins, resulting in their oncehigh fitness levels and sporting prowess deteriorating. At least that is the view of Tom Brandreth, who plays both 1st team football and cricket: “Playing sport allows you to have good nights out and guilt-free takeaways whilst maintaining relatively fit and healthy.” It’s true; playing sport helps you to negate the effects of an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

Sport has played a major role in many students' university experience, and that applies to the current Ladies 1st XI hockey captain Sally Dolton, she told me: “Running around the astro playing hockey (or whatever sport you choose) will mean you can eat Domino's and have a couple of tequila shots at Willow, whilst still keeping in shape! The health benefits don’t end there, sport will also help you sleep, improve your brain power and your mood.”

The mention of Willow brings me onto the next point. If you join a sports club, then the much-vaunted destinations of Willow and Mansion (Ziggy’s Wednesday's) will become a regular stop for you on a Wednesday night. Indeed the social side of university sport is arguably the most inviting reason for getting involved.

Possibly one of the easiest way to create great memorable (and in some cases embarrassing) moments in your time here, Vision’s two sporting stars told me more.

Tom: “Personally, by far and away the best aspect of playing university sport is the social rather than competitive side of things. Playing university-wide sport invites you to meet a whole new group of people who share the same interests as you who you would otherwise never get to meet. Without doubt the highlights of my first year at York stem from experiences shared with teammates at training, during match days, on socials and in particular on tour, which provided some of the most enjoyable moments of the year.”

Sally: “At the risk of sounding cheesy and a bit like your mother, sport is one of

Photo: Vivan Jayant

the best ways to make friends, since with all the matches and training sessions you build up a great camaraderie. That’s before mentioning the magic word, socials. The hockey club do a ‘300’ Ziggy's social where we all dress in our Spartan finery, think togas, with red cloaks and bare chests on the boys, chilly in the Northern winters.

Ziggy’s is a club like no other, part sweat box, part cheesy rave with a reassuring lack of any inhibitions.”

I was fortunate enough to speak to Tracey Neville, the sister of footballers Gary and Phil Neville during the university’s pre-season week. Tracey represented her country in netball, and reiterated the message about the social benefits of university sport. She told Vision: “Sport really boosts your social outlook and your personality. You meet new people and get to go to other universities, whilst feeling part of a team and a sense of belonging as you are representing a group.”

The next three years are likely to be some of the best of your life, and you’ll get back whatever you give, as Sally, who is also York Sport Communications Officer, poignantly told me: “When are you ever going to have a chance like this again? York offers a huge range of sports from the conventional football, rugby, netball and hockey to the slightly weird and wonderful, polo, skydiving and canoe polo. They’re affordable and right on your doorstep.”

Continuing on the same thread, Tom made a very apt point when he commented to me that “this year’s new batch of students are granted the greatest opportunity of their lives to play as much sport and as vast a range of sports, as they could

possibly wish for.” There are in fact over 50 different sports clubs on offer, and although you may have never have dreamed of playing the likes of Ultimate Frisbee or Octopush, they might form a new passion if you just give them a go.

The joys don’t end there. We have Varsity and in particular a home Roses tournament to look forward to, and there’s nothing better than the atmosphere in the biggest inter-university competition in Europe. In Sally's words; “Expect banter, humorous rivalry, passionate play and the best day ever!”

Each and every one of you could be part of it later this year - don’t miss that opportunity. The construction of the new Sports Village has echoed in exciting times for sport, and whether your aim is to play at the highest level you possibly can, or just casually enjoy a spot of college sport, York now has the facilities to suit you.

Finally, one of the ways that York stands apart is the beauty of our collegiate system. Whilst any university student can play sport against other universities, very few get the chance to play against their fellow students or close friends. College sport is all about the camaraderie and enjoyment, and is open to all abilities. To quote Sally once more, it’s about “inclusion and opportunity. College sport is less formal and a great laugh.”

So there you have it, the complete guide as to why you should play sport at York. I could go on for longer, but I feel the point has already been proved. I’ll leave you with a few words of advice from Tom Brandreth: “I strongly urge every one of you to get involved in sport, it will be the best decision you make at York.”

Photo: Oliver Todd

Rugby at Roses 2012

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

SPORT

COLLEGE SPORT

29

VISION PREVIEWS THE MAIN ACTION AHEAD OF A BUSY AND EXCITING PROGRAMME OF COLLEGE SPORT COLLEGE SPORT is one of the things that makes York special. Almost all universities around the UK offer sporting opportunities against other institutions, but few allow you to compete against your fellow university students. Whereas university sport is typically reserved for the very best sporting stars, college sport is for you and me; ideal for everyone.

College sport means you represent your college in a league against everyone else to see who reigns supreme. Games take place

each week, and are not just limited to first teams - some colleges even have fourth and fifth teams for football. The atmosphere over on the astroturf, in the Sports Hall and beyond at the grass pitches on 22 Acres can at times can be as loud as at university games, such is the culture of rivalry within college sport.

There are the usual sports such as football, hockey and rugby, but new sports are being added every year. Badminton has made excellent progress recently, whilst squash and basketball, amongst others, are

beginning to see an exciting programme develop as membership levels increase.

During the summer term, cricket, rounders and tennis take place as well as College Cup competitions for football, hockey and rugby. Also, look out for the one-day events which take place across the year in a range of sports.

College Sports Day takes place in June including a whole host of athletic competitions from the 100m to tug-of-war.

York Sport President, Charlotte Winter, told Vision: “I think college sport is one of

scenes seen unlike in any other university.

This season, Derwent may begin as favourites as they possess a very strong squad, bolstered by the arrival of new fresher talent. But Vanbrugh will always pose a threat, as seen in the College Cup. Quite simply, this year is one not to miss for college football action. So don't miss the opportunity!

Jack Bradshaw.

HOCKEY IS one of the most popular college sports, with matches played every Sunday morning. The beauty of college hockey is that it is played in a relaxed environment, in which everyone of all abilities can thrive.

You have guys and girls of ranging abilities from university level to complete beginners, all enjoying themselves.

Last year Halifax and James dominated the college hockey scene, proving themselves to be by far the two strongest teams. Their strength lay not only in the standard of player, but their key advantage was the ability to regularly put out a full side. That is one of the flaws, since teams struggle to consistently field full sides. The reason why is incomprehensible, since for enjoyment there are few sports that can rival it.

Add to that the fitness benefits, and the opportunity to make new friends and it's hard to work out why not to get

to Heslington East, and ultimately close to the new sports centre could kickstart a renaissance in netballing strength for the college. Last year, of course, Langwith were competitive if unspectacular.

The same cannot, however, be said for Goodricke, who were often on the end of heavy defeats.

The very best college netball games are bloodand-thunder affairs, despite the fact the sport is non-contact, and points are scored within the blink of an eye.

It is not just a three horse race; freshers this year will make the league more open. It is up to the new girls to really make a difference for their newcolleges and bring home the trophy for their respective sides.

Who said college spirit is a thing of the past? Charlotte Ferris.

FOR THE first time ever college rugby is an official college sport this year, after being run by the team captains in the past.

On top of this, games will now be played on 22 Acres rather than all the way across town at York RI, meaning this year is an exciting and progressive one for the sport.

College Rugby is played to a very high standard - a good number of college players would not look out of place in University colours, but choose the more relaxed environment to huge commitment of playing for uni.

Indeed, college champions Derwent twice beat UYRUFC sides in friendly games last year.

The competition is set out in a league format, with the top four sides at the end of the season then entering into a play-off much like in the Aviva Premiership.

Derwent claimed the college title with victory over Alcuin in the final last year, and both sides look to be strong

COLLEGE FOOTBALL THE MOST popular of all college sports, football is open to virtually all abilities. Each college has multiple teams which compete in a number of leagues which take place on 22 Acres throughout the autumn and spring terms.

Last year in the top division, Derwent, captained by Joe Boughtflower, blew away everyone else with a string of stunning performances before James College won a weather-hit spring term programme under the leadership of Richard Baxter.

But what the entire campus looks forward to is the prestigious College Cup in the summer term. A total of 32 teams take part in a group and knockout format, similar to the World Cup. Last year,Vanbrugh 1sts claimed the title on penalties against Halifax 1sts in an enthralling contest.

Huge crowds line the astroturf cheering on their friends and housemates, trying to get them over the line, creating sporting

COLLEGE NETBALL COLLEGE NETBALL at York is a great opportunity to continue the much-loved school time sport in a social and relaxed atmosphere.

Alcuin, led by York Sport President Charlotte Winter, were champions last year, smashing their fiercest rivals, James and Halifax, in an end-of-season finale.

They beat James 20-9 and Halifax 17-12.

However, it is James and Halifax who are the ones to watch this year.

Both looked strong in the autumn term last year and are sure to start well again. They will also want to continue this good start and ultimately beat the champions.

Yet they need new blood in the side to continue their momentum. Freshers will be important to the outcome of this season and it really is all to play for. Langwith moving

the best things about the York Sport Union.

With over 15 sports included it’s a great way for people to just play for fun. If someone hasn’t played a sport before then College Sport is a great way for them to learn the rules in a really sociable environment.”

In the overall college sport standings last year, Derwent claimed the overall title by just 5 points ahead of James, Halifax and Alcuin.

Here, Vision previews four of the most popular college sports.

Jack Bradshaw.

COLLEGE HOCKEY involved.

The atmosphere generated on the JLD pitch rivals that of any other sporting occasion on campus.

Looking ahead to this year, it's hard to look past Halifax and James once more, but if other colleges such as Alcuin and Derwent build on their progression, they could force their way into contention.

In addition, a six-a-side College Cup competition was successfully introduced last year, and is planned to run again in the summer term this year. Dave Washington.

COLLEGE RUGBY contenders for the crown again this time around.

Derwent have lost several third-year players but can rely on a typically strong intake of freshers, whilst Alcuin have kept the base of their squad and will be keen to avenge last year's defeat.

James are a traditionally strong rugby college, whilst Halifax, Vanbrugh and Goodricke are all improving.

With Langwith making the move over to Heslington East there are hopes they may also be able to field a side this season.

One of the highlights of the College Rugby season is the one-day 10s tournament in the spring term - a gruelling yet festival-esque day of rugby which often springs a few surprises, whilst hopes are that last Summer's 13s tournament, in which University players were able to turn out for their respective colleges, will return for a second year. Alex Finnis.

30 SPORT

YORK VISION Tuesday October 9, 2012

THE GREATEST ESCAPE? VISION DEBATES WHETHER EUROPE'S RYDER CUP FIGHTBACK WAS THE GREATEST SPORTING COMEBACK OF THE 21ST CENTURY

YES

Photo: Adam Green

Photo: Adam Green

By alex finnis

THE NIGHT before Team Europe stepped out onto the course at Medinah with the task of pulling back a 10-6 defecit to retain the Ryder Cup, Gene Wojciechowski, an American sports journalist working for ESPN, gave them hope.

His smug article said that Europe could still win the Ryder Cup, but only if in form American Keegan Bradley happened to be abducted overnight, if Marty McFly taught European captain Jose Maria Olazabal to go back in time, or if Lee Westwood, who had been struggling with his form throughout the competition, gained US citizenship before the start of play on Sunday.

This is how confident the Americans were going into the final day. They were the pretournament favourites, they had dominated the opening first two days - every US putt seemed to drop whilst simply nothing was going for the European team.

That is until Ian Poulter, a man who thrives on the Ryder Cup atmosphere, birdied the last five holes on Saturday evening to give his side a bit of momentum going into Sunday. A glimmer of hope, but nothing more.

What followed was nothing short of magic.

Dressed in the colours of the late Seve Ballesteros, the Europeans came out and seemed to channel the great man himself. Rose and Garcia both came back to win their matches after being 1 down through 16, and Martin Kaymer found himself with the unlikeliest of putts to retain the trophy. The rest is brilliant history.

NO

By jack bradshaw

AT THE Ryder Cup, Europe’s players were, on average, ranked higher than their American counterparts and had the relative luxury of being able to lose four matches en route to victory.

Now, while that comeback was indeed incredible, greater comebacks have been made where there was no point of return against a far superior opposition.

An example of this is the 2002 Australian Open final between Martina Hingis and Jennifer Capriati. Capriati was 4-6 0-4 down against the five-time Grand Slam winner, only to clinch the second set 9-7 in a tie break and win the third 6-2. She remains the only player in the Open era to save championship points and still win. And she saved four of them.

The 2005 Champions League Final also fits the bill. Liverpool, who finished fifth in the Premier League, were up against Italian champions AC Milan who possessed a team of superstars. To come back from 3-0 down and then to have the guts to win a penalty shootout takes some doing against that opposition.

Similar was Tsonga’s Wimbledon semi-final victory over Roger Federer last year, who had never been beaten after going two sets up.

We also have Manchester City’s two late goals in stoppage time against QPR to win the Premier League where there was no point of return. But because I’m a United fan, the less said about that, the better.

Photo: University of York Alumni

MAKING A SPLASH

Byjack bradshaw & DAVE WASHINGTON

MEMBERSHIP AT the new York Sport Village has soared as students sign up to use the new £9 million facilities on their return to university.

The estimate for the initial membership count was 1,200 but this was broken last month to reach 1,600 members. This figure has continued to rise and stands at over 2,300, half of which are students.

York Sport President, Charlotte Winter, has praised the investment, telling Vision: "The new facilities are fantastic, and it's great to see them getting so much use during the pre-season week. With the weather being so bad of late, the 3G pitch has been particularly handy and helped to ensure that 22 Acres is in the best possible shape come the start of the season."

Head of Sport at the University, Keith Morris, said: "Feedback has been very positive from student and community members and pay-as-you-go pool access has been very popular with significant usage by families in particular at weekends."

Ultimately, the Sports Village environment is designed to be a friendly one, exemplified most in the provision of personal coaches and low-cost training sessions.

Daniel Hodkinson, a member of University of York Boat club, said: “The gym is great value for money. Previously I thought about joining David Lloyd, but the

new centre has everything I need.”

The Sports Village currently runs 68 classes a week, ranging from aerobics and kickboxing to yoga and Bokwa, a type of South African war dance. All are run by specialist instructors in one of the multifunctional studios. One of the main areas is Studio 1, which includes innovative ViPR equipment, a range of dumbbells and space for aerobic exercise. There are also plans to introduce new classes in the future, with ideas such as Aqua Zumba in the loop.

I feel the gym is great value for money. The new centre has everything I need The gym has 120 exercise stations, equipped with cuttting-edge software to manage your personal workout. It also provides four hours of free internet and docking stations for iPhones.

Membership for all of these facilities is available at a £290 a year. Many Sports Village members have also taken advantage of the popular £5 bolt-on membership so they can use the Heslington West facilities as well.

With a home Roses looming ahead in the Summer term, the £9 million invest-

ment will make staging such a prestigious tournament much easier, with one of the main venues being the eight-lane 25m swimming pool, which possesses a seating capacity in excess of 100.

But those at the top are keen to continue the good work into the future. Planning permission was granted two weeks ago for the construction of a county standard athletics track and a 1km cycling circuit.

The cycling circuit, to be opened in May 2013, will be the only one in Yorkshire and is being funded by a £300,000 grant from British Cycling. Plans are also being hatched to construct a pavilion and 140 parking spaces, subject to planning permission, and possibly a velodrome.

Facilities on the main campus are not being abandoned, but instead reinforced.

For example, a dome is to be installed over the existing tennis courts, which will allow the courts to be used all year around Furthermore, the focus on the old gym will be switched to strength and weights equipment, with weights of up to 60kg introduced.

Such improvements will only help York achieve its target of breaking into the top 40 universities in BUCS, improving on their existing rank of 43rd.

On the back of the Olympic Games, the potential for unprecedented levels of sporting involvement at the University is greater than ever before.

YORK VISION

SPORT

Tuesday October 9, 2012

BIG INTERVIEW: ALI JAWAD THE POWERLIFTER TALKS CANDIDLY TO FREDDIE NATHAN ABOUT HIS ROLLER-COASTER CAREER

THE STORY of Ali Jawad is as inspiring as it is captivating. Born in Lebanon without legs, his move to the UK and subsequent rise to become a top British Paralympian has been full of highs and lows, with crippling illness and judging decisions that denied him his first Paralympic medal this summer.

"I was born in Lebanon during the war with Israel," he told Vision. "It was hard enough to bring up kids that didn't have a disability let alone someone who did. So my parents took the decision that in order for me to have a normal and safe life, we needed to move away. Aged six months old, England was our best option as they provided prosthetic limbs which could enable me to walk."

He realised he had a natural talent for sport at an early age, whether playing in goal at the playground or getting to international standard in Judo. However, when a friend introduced him to lifting weights in his local North London gym aged 16, he did not look back: "I started lifting some weights and got spotted. When the coach mentioned that I had the potential to make a Paralympics, I thought I've been given a second chance, and so the journey began."

Powerlifting has only one discipline, unlike the snatch and clean & jerk in weightlifting. The athlete is given three attempts to lift the heaviest weight he or she can. Jawad became European and World junior champion, and soon his coaches realised he had the talent to be an Paralympian.

However, the 2008 games was not a happy experience for the then 19-year-old.

"Qualifying for Beijing was extra sweet as I broke the British record three times to qualify. The experience was incredible – I was like a kid at Christmas. I'd finally achieved a dream that I'd had for so long.

However, the experience was short lived when the night before I competed I was taken very ill. I was diagnosed with Crohns disease afterwards which could have ended my career. Yet the experience made me mentally stronger and I guess I grew up a little."

Crohns, a debilitating bowel disease, caused Jawad to retire from the sport in 2009. However, in 2010, after major surgery to remove part of his intestine, he decided to resume training just a fortnight later. "It was crazy! I decided I wanted to get to the Commonwealth games five months later. It was the most painful experience I've ever had. My body was in bits all the time but I managed to get there. I knew then that I couldn't turn my back on the London 2012 games. I'd regret it if I did. The dream was still alive.”

So Jawad went back to the gym, training 9-10 times a week. While Crohns reemerged to scupper his 2011 season, he still gained the last automatic qualifying spot for his home games this summer. “I was more excited for these games as I'd have all my family and friends coming to watch me, especially after all the suffering I went through. There are no words to describe how proud I was.”

An outside chance for a medal, Jawad arrived in the shape of his life. What transpired was in his words, “probably the most heart breaking moment of my life. I don't think I'll truly ever get over what hap-

pened.” After breaking European record, he needed 189kg on his final lift: “I thought I'd lifted it and the crowd went crazy. But I got two red lights. I couldn't believe it! We protested but the jury decided it was a good lift and I thought I'd won the silver medal. But then the jury changed their mind again, ordering a re-lift – they wanted me to come out and do it again.”

To lift at maximum energy twice in 10 minutes is nigh-on impossible, and Jawad did not make the re-lift. “I was heart-broken, in tears, I felt robbed. What makes it more painful is that I lost bronze as I was heavier than the Chinese lifter despite us lifting the same weight.” Two days later, there was a final nail in the coffin as the same thing happened to another lifter, but this time the jury let it go. “What was the difference between me and her? I really would like an explanation as to what happened that day, just for my sanity. Hopefully the authorities in charge do the right thing.”

Even so, Jawad is pleased with the way sport has changed the perception of disability in this county: “London 2012 organisers promised that the Paralympics were going to receive as much promotion as the Olympics. They haven't disappointed and the reaction of the British public has been beyond words. We are now getting treated like superstar athletes, signing autographs, having photos taken and going on television. A lot of the people I've spoken to thought the Paralympics was much better that the Olympics. This goes to show that the mind-set about disability is changing in the right direction, and I really hope Rio take London's example.

So what is next for Britain’s star powerlifter? “I've decided to not really take any time off and get back on the journey to Rio. But I have Europeans, Commonwealths and World Championships to look forward to before then.”

There are few more remarkable stories than that of Ali Jawad. Yet despite the setbacks, he is still only 23. He has future games to become a champion, and given his sheer determination, few would bet against him doing just that.

SPORT CLUBS PREPARE FOR 2012-13 CAMPAIGN [continued from back page] year. With the added incentive of free dances in the strip club should spur the players on to a heightened level of performance on Wednesdays."

Some of the best displays last year were seen from the hockey club as the first and second women's teams achieved promotion.

First team captain Sally Dolton told Vision: "I am incredibly excited for the season ahead. We lost half our squad so it will be a challenge, but I am confident that my wonderful team will rise to it."

George Richards, men's captain, said: "I am quietly confident that a fruitful season awaits. Players to look out for will be ever threatening Leo Watton and the capable Hugo Christie. Realistically, our aims for the season will be promotion in the Yorkshire League, challenge for the BUCS Cup and a home Roses whitewash.

"It will be tough again considering we have the likes of Leeds Met firsts to contend with. Our focus will be on a strong BUCS Cup run as we have a relatively easy path through the early stages."

The pre-season week has gone down very well with the clubs, few of which

benefited more than the netball club. Captain Nina Pullman said: "UYNC have had a great pre-season so far and I've been impressed with the level of fitness the girls have maintained over the summer.

"In particular, the brilliant session we had with international coach Tracey Neville has given us a fantastic boost, with lots of training tips and new drills to work on.

One of the most improved teams of late is the men's lacrosse outfit, who reached the BUCS Cup Final. Captain Wil-

liam Chun commented: "In pre-season last year we had just four members, now there are 15 of us and we have trained every day. Hopefully it will help us achieve our target of reaching the final again and finishing in the top two in the league."

A grand total of 107 York teams have been entered into the 2012-13 BUCS season, after which many will compete in the eagerly-anticipated home Roses Tournament against Lancaster in May 2013.

Photo: Vivan Jayant

THE

31

TIPSTER

WINNING YOU BACK YOUR £9000 FEES WITH HIS TOP TIPS

sure thing KEVIN PIETERSEN TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND AGAIN

The world's most unpopular cricketer was seemingly out in the cold for good. Retiring from One Day cricket because "of the increasing demands on his body," (roughly translated as "in order to maximise his bank account,") it then emerged he sent derogatory texts to the touring South African team about his England team-mates. With his popularity in the wider cricketing fraternity at an all time low, he stayed out of the limelight for all of five minutes, until he emerged recently saying he is very sorry, and that he would like to play for England again "as soon as possible." Now on a perplexing course of "reintegration" with the team, few can escape the fact he is an unbelievable batsman, who should be playing in an out-of-form national side. He'll be back to his egotistical self soon enough.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

1/5

long shot

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TO WIN THE AVIVA PREMIERSHIP

Last season, the Saints reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Harlequins. It was a strong season for the Franklin's Gardens outfit, who as recently as 2008 were relegated to National Division One. Since coming back up to the top flight, they have won the LV= Cup, reached the final of the Heineken Cup and appeared in the Premiership semi-finals in 2011. In short, they are a club on the up. This season, they have played six and won five, including a handsome 24-6 victory over Wasps. They lost this weekend to London Irish but they are still top of the league. However, it is an incredibly strong league this season, and it is debatable whether they can maintain their lead with the likes of Leicester, Quins and Saracens breathing down their necks.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

5/1

ABSOLUTE MADNESS SAN MARINO TO QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP IN 2014 Played 113, won one, drawn five, lost 107.

These are the woeful statistics of the San Marino national football team since their first ever match in 1990. They are currently the joint-worst national football team in the entire world alongside Bhutan and the Turks and Caicos Islands. To put that in perspective, Monserrat, effectively a deserted island after a volcano in 1995, is 26 places above them. Their only win came over Liechtenstein in 2004, and they once managed to draw with the Vatican City – a team full of priests. However, all is not lost for their dream of Rio 2014! They are currently NOT BOTTOM of Group H, Moldova having conceded one goal more. This meteoric rise up the table surely means one thing only: the beginning of a journey that will include convincing wins over England with leading all time scorer, 36 year old Andy Selva (eight goals in 55 games) netting hat-tricks all over the place. Definitely gonna happen.

TIPSTER'S ODDS:

10,000/1

Tuesday October 9, 2012

sport@yorkvision.co.uk

Issue 227

VISIONSPORT

PARALYMPIAN ALI JAWAD: "I WAS ROBBED"

P31

YOUR #1 SOURCE FOR ALL UNI SPORT

SPOTLIGHT: TANGO

RARING TO GO

P27 WORLD SPORT: MONEY v SUCCESS

P24 P27 WHY PLAY SPORT AT YORK?

Photo: Oliver Todd

P28 COLLEGE SPORT PREVIEWS

> UNIVERSITY SPORT CLUBs PREPARE FOR THE 2012-13 SEASON > york sport president TARGETs TOP 40 FINISH IN final BUCS TABLE By jack bradshaw YORK SPORT clubs are gearing up for the new BUCS season and hopes are high for one of the most successful campaigns in recent years.

Charlotte Winter has made it clear this week that York needs to improve upon last year's rank of 43rd and to break into the top 40 performing institutions.

York finished eight places higher than

bitter rivals Lancaster and 30 places ahead of Hull, White Rose Varsity opponents.

One of the highlights of last season was the consistency of the rugby club. The first team, captained by Sam Lord, kick off their campaign against Manchester Met firsts tomorrow on 22 Acres. Sam told Vision: "The aim for our 1st XV every season is promotion and our side is at least as talented as in previous years if a bit inexperienced in some areas. The league is as strong and com-

petitive as ever but we've prepared well so far so we're quietly confident."

However, the footballers had a very different experience last year as all teams missed out on promotion, with the firsts being tragically relegated on the last day. Captain Matt Mawdesley, said: "Primarily our main focus for the season is to get the firsts promoted after a somewhat disappointing season. We have adopted a more professional and focused set up this Continued on Page 31

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