Vanbrugh College Online

The GSA Executive has removed newly-elected President Luke Martin from office in the latest embarrassing twist in the graduate association’s blighted election process.

The organisation, which has admitted to “oversights” in its procedures following illegal amendments to election regulations, has been forced to declare R.O.N. the winner of its December elections and has set up a review group to “ensure that things of this nature never happen again.”

Martin, who was the fourth GSA President since August, was sacked after he was found to have contravened tampered-with election procedures surrounding the use of electronic campaigning.

The contravention was discovered when Matt Beacham, the Returning Officer for the December elections, received a complaint on 5th December stating that Presidential candidate Rui Huang had broken a rule banning the sending of mass emails for campaign procedures.

The regulation stated that email campaigning was allowed, but that “you may not send out mass emails for campaign purposes.” As a result, Huang was disqualified.

During the investigation, Beacham also discovered that the regulation in question had been altered between the dates of the two elections, without the knowledge or approval of the GSA Executive committee. This is in violation with the GSA’s constitution, which states that rule changes require a majority vote of the Exec.

As a result, Beacham was compelled to apply the text of the former regulation, which stated: “You cannot use any form of electronic media to promote your campaign. This includes, but is not limited to, the World Wide Web, emails and newsgroups. You may, however, email individual supporters for the purpose of co-ordinating your campaign.” It is currently unknown as to who changed the regulation.

After applying this regulation to the December election, Beacham found that Martin had also contravened the specifications in forming a Facebook support group. It was also found that the group was running before campaigning was allowed, which was in breach of both sets of election Rules and Regulations.

Consequently, the GSA Executive Committee were forced to declare R.O.N. the winner of the presidential election. A new election will be held next term.

This is the latest twist in a long and embarrassing election debacle for the GSA. The organisation were forced to re-run October’s election, in which Huang had been elected President, after it was deemed undemocratic by the University. Prior to this the originally-elected President Dan Carr had resigned in August before beginning his official duties.

The GSA Exec, who have appointed Carr as acting President until new elections can be held, have stated they “would like to extend our deepest apologies to both Rui Huang and Luke Martin, as well as to all graduate students, for the oversights that led to this situation.”

“We have recently set up both Democracy and Governance working groups to ensure that things of this nature never happen again,” the organisation added.

To add to the organisations worries, an externally-lead Organisational Review that slammed a number of GSA systems, including their election process, is currently being implemented. The GSA stated that in this interim period under acting-President Carr, it “fully intend[s] to pursue the necessary changes highlighted” by the review.

Production: Dick Turpin
Venue: York Theatre Royal
Rating: ****

This season The York Theatre Royal plays host to the larger-than-life pantomime ‘Dick Turpin’. Penned by the pantomime dame himself, Berwick Kaler, it celebrates his 30th year of pantomime at York Theatre Royal.

Amidst a brilliant and quirky set, we see the alternative story of Dick Turpin, who we are told, has been recalled unfairly by history. The Turpin is portrayed as a cheeky Irish-dancing rogue. He steals jewels from the women and in return for a kiss, promptly returns said trophies! His archenemy is the villainous vampire played by David Leonard, who aspires to turn the city of York into ‘Gothland’. This has been described as ‘the most historically incorrect pantomime ever written’. However, these inaccuracies ensure an original and refreshing script. It leaves the audience on tenterhooks, eager to know what else could possibly befall the characters.

There really is a bit of everything in this panto, resulting in a slight lack of coherence between scenes but this does not taint the enjoyment of it. A highlight of the production was the televised scene of Turpin’s 200 mile train ride with his trusty steed Black Bess. It depicted the journey from London Kings Cross to York station and featured some very amused commuters and a visually stunning neon show set within the York Dungeons. There are plenty popular culture references to make the show relevant. Most memorable was a Amy Winehouse-esque rendition of ‘The council offered me a pre-fab but I said no, no, no’.

The script appears to be an eclectic culmination of Kaler’s thirty years of experience in the business, and the audience is putty in his experienced hands. He successfully entertains both young and old, pulling back many dedicated followers year after year, to a professional and enjoyable shows. An especially enjoyable piece of improvisation came when the lead roles broke out of character after the villain’s lost sandwich, bought 2 hours earlier for his dinner, appeared on the set. Upon finding it, the cast stifled genuine fits of giggles.

The whole show was hugely enjoyable and visually exciting, cast, crew and audience alike appeared to have a lot of fun. At only £5 for a student ticket, embrace the pantomime spirit and throw yourself into enjoying this Christmas tradition. Even after having a particularly bad day, I couldn’t help but forget my woes and revel in this self-indulgent bit of theatre.

Dick Turpin is showing at The York Theatre Royal until January 31st

Production: Jack and the Beanstalk
Venue: Grand Opera House
Rating: ***

The pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, performed at the Grand Opera House York this December was everything you expect a small town panto to be. The word that best describes all the things that made it worth watching is probably ‘cute’. The child dancers were cute, the dialogue was cute, and the actors certainly attempted to be cute. ‘Funny’, however, is not a word that comes readily to mind.

This panto was mainly aimed at children and it was the younger audience that threw themselves enthusiastically into shouting the classic “oh yes he did”. However, it should be a good indication that even some children failed to laugh at the jokes. The comedy proved especially poor halfway through the performance, with a prolonged racist joke about the Chinese casting a sinister shadow over the jovial mood.

The costumes were entertaining, though not always in good taste. Tilly’s costumes, in particularly, were fabulous and amusing. The outfit inspired by a cow improved an otherwise average scene, and the gigantic bees affixed to another dress were very impressive. The dancers’ costumes were also remarkable, although in the final scene it looked as though the cast had been plucked straight from a low-end burlesque club. However, this was marginally better than the dance opening the second act, where the girls were dressed in short-shorts, fishnets and very little else. Worthy of their own panto, because of the near-hurricane they generated at each flutter, were the good fairy’s eyelashes. I am impressed that she managed to keep her eyes open.

Also very visually stimulating was the growing beanstalk and the giant, who was actually gigantically large. However, it must be said that the child dancers kept time better than the adults, and that much of the singing was pitched at a height where only dogs could hear it. However, from what I did manage to hear, the songs were well chosen popular classics. The inspirational message in the theme song was soppy but appropriate for the children in the audience.

Jack and the Beanstalk is aimed at children and they did seem to enjoy it. However, anyone over the age of ten must have an infantile inclination to go and watch this. Though not funny, this pantomime was most definitely fun

Jack and the Beanstalk is showing at the Grand York Opera House until 31st January

Afghanistan is historically a place of political and military unrest. It is a place where foreign powers in the past have been categorically ejected from the land by the tribal Afghan peoples. This is largely thanks to foreign powers throughout history, including the present UN occupation, which have tried to change views to promote a centralised form of government. The rebellion of tribal elders in the area simply makes the problem worse. Secondly, the ideological reason behind the presence. In the past, occupation and rule have been the goals, but this UN ratified operation is in place to improve lifestyles and to remove oppression by Taliban rulers. British troops are able to have such a positive effect because they are not fighting a mobilised Afghan public, but rather Taliban forces.

We are now at such a stage that we are not even fighting Afghan Taliban forces any longer, but forces imported from Pakistan and other neighbouring states. The local young men are much less willing to sign up to fight against us as they see the benefits gained from the British, and the other 36 countries’ troops, in the area. Projects to boost security, rebuild infrastructure, and provide humanitarian aid are both massive and effective in the country, even in the most dangerous area; British led Helmand. Many people forget that the British Army is one of the largest aid organisations in the world.

At the start the objectives were clear: Remove Taliban forces, and training camps, and to capture Osama Bin Laden. That goal has now changed. Taliban rule has been; for the most part; overthrown so the role of our troops has changed. They are there to make lives better. They do this by administering aid, but also by protecting those wishing to help.

Long term goals are set as the eventual withdrawal of troops to leave a stabilised democratic state of Afghanistan, our troops are moving more towards a mentoring role. Afghan people are policing the streets and sending out military patrols, slowly taking over from British Forces in the area. Each day bringing us closer to our eventual goal, but also closer to the ‘150 troops lost in Afghanistan’ mark; which we perilously approach. A terrible price to pay, but it is buying us far more than a warm fuzzy feeling. It is holding the fledgling democracy in place; it is denying area and opportunities to the Taliban. Through that, it is denying financial resources to many terrorist organisations worldwide, which largely rely on Afghan opium to fund their activities.

Many people believe that even the mighty NATO would be caused to fall if Britain leaves Afghanistan. We would be saying “no” to the new President elect Barrack Obama and in that, withdrawing our large contribution to NATO. This would allow several European nations currently on the fence concerning their involvement to slope away; NATO becoming an ineffective shadow of its former, very important entity.

We cannot permit leaving Afghanistan within the next year, nor even within the next five years. It would be a catastrophic mistake, leading to a reduction in the security of the area around Afghanistan, a reduction in the security of our country and a massive political boost for extremist groups who have been calling for this withdrawal for so long.

Event: “You do you just don’t”
Venue: Leeds Met
Date: 12th December

It is hard to make out exactly what I am looking at - the blurred shapes and diffused colours seem to be hinting at something just beyond my grasp - but before I can make it out, the slide changes, and another image, this time clearer, takes it place. A series of chains suspends what looks like molten clouds of mercury and lead, all of it hanging precariously against a warm tawny orange background. This is the title piece for 42 year old student Paul Ashton’s ‘You do you just don’t’ exhibition at Leeds Met University, and instantly recognizable as one his most striking works. Made using mouldy paint, the whole collection is a return to what Ashton calls the true purpose of art, the aesthetic. “I wanted to make things that looked beautiful, and pretty; things that were nice to look at.”

His work, however, is on the whole much more than simply “nice” to look at. Everything seems to be vertically suspended, channelling a curious tension reminiscent of Dali. He has chosen to project his work in a sequence of slides onto various half constructed walls, which forces audience and art to interact with interesting results. “I like the way the architecture of the room informs the art and the way people view it. just like in everyday life, really,” he muses. Indeed, the pieces almost come alive when someone moves in the way of the projectors, instantly distorting in shape and shade, momentarily wrapping themselves around the unaware person, who quickly
scuttles out of the way.

The projectors are placed in awkward places on purpose, to encourage this sort of interplay. Just as in life, our environment dictates how we see the things around us, and sometimes we must shift our viewpoint in order to see the full picture, or at least to gain a different perspective. Art, Ashton claims, is a chance for man to step back and observe, to stand still amongst all the rush and point out something beautiful to the world.

To demonstrate this point, he draws my attention to a TV in the corner of the room. For 70 long minutes, it plays a recording of Ashton sitting still in a chair with a piece of bread in hand put halfway into his open mouth, and his other hand resting on his leg. Although apparently motionless, when you look closely, especially towards the end, you can see his hand trembling, his mouth drooling, even his body swaying. In an attempt to get us to notice the small things, the artist freezes himself, proving instead that motionless objectivity is impossible to achieve.

Production: Instinct
Venue: Drama Barn
Rating: ***

Belt Up’s latest production, Instinct, was based upon a short story written by Director Jamie Wilkes. It was immediately apparent that this play was to be an unusual and exhilarating experience by a company renowned for their provocative staging and acting techniques.

From the off audience participation was key. Having entered through the side door of the drama barn, we were welcome to ‘The Instinct Project’, a semi-holographic representation of the future. This change of entrance proved to be highly successful, rejecting the stale format of typical productions. Immediately, the audience members were stripped of any individuality, being forced to clad themselves in a uniform of blue boiler suits. Unfortunately, the fumbling that ensued quelled the tension.

The Drama Barn, set in the chaos of a post-apocalyptic world, was transformed into a rubbish-filled, desolate wasteland. This debris gave birth to embryonic beings, spawned from the scraps of our civilisation. These alien bodies evolved throughout the play, exposing basic human conditions and the development of community. We observe them discovering to walk, become sexually active and establish their own “form of language” in nonsensical dialogue. As the play progressed, individual personalities subtly emerge from the cohesive group. Relationships and hierarchies form and we the witness roles of power, false idols, revolution and their consequences.

This evolution of characters was cleverly mirrored in the costumes of the troupe; initially all clothed in simple red boiler suits, individuals acquired additional distinguishing items as their psyches mature. With the audience also clad in boiler suits, all that stood between this civilisation and ours was their clown-painted faces.

In typical Belt Up style, the audience has little choice but to become totally immersed in the physical action of the performance. Cast members interact, moving the viewers around the space and engaging with them. Dynamic fight scenes are intricately choreographed and dancing is used successfully to produce ritualistic and comedic effects. However, it is arguable that some of these were overly long.

The lack of a recognisable language certainly created a challenge for the cast, forcing them to rely solely on their personifications and movements to convey the plot. This challenge was taken up masterfully, very seldom was the action lost in translation. Despite the number of actors on stage, fourteen in total, they worked energetically as an intrinsic unit and never allowed their characterisations to drop. Tom Powis, playing Bonski and Delum, performed by Dominic Allen, were particularly engaging. Marcus Emerton’s portrayal of Jerum, the scholar, succeeded in subtly highlighting his inwardness and eccentric genius. Danie Linsell’s depiction of the backward Zwagee, was also of note, ingeniously maturing throughout the play whilst maintaining childlike qualities.

Whilst this play highlights our instinctive needs and humanity’s inclination to destruction, comedy was constantly at the fore. It often took the form of absurd references to popular culture, slapstick elements, moments of misunderstanding between characters and the farcical sequential order of evolution. However, the most successful elements of the play were the strength of the cast and the conception as a whole, rather than the comedy.

Sections of the script and directing were not consistently impressive. The prelude to the play was unpolished, and whilst it pushes the boundaries of interactive theatre, it came across as a little superfluous. Additionally, despite fantastic characterisations from all cast members, the lack of understandable conversation made it harder to connect to the individuals and so some of the more emotional scenes were rather lost. Exacerbating this issue was the very nature of the interactive, immersive theatre as some of the action was difficult to view. Lastly, the play entered into the realms of the farcical towards the finale, with unnecessary and lengthy repetition. Yet, to remove or rectify many of these inferior points in the play would affect the original ideology behind this challenging script.

As one would expect with Belt Up play, Instinct was a remarkable experience and pushed the boundaries of campus theatre. The lack of dialogue, impressive emotive scenes and comedic value was reminiscent of the Slava Polunin’s famous creation, Asisyai the clown. This is particularly true of the opening scenes, yet it generally lacked Polunin’s subtlety. Instinct was not without fault and it was not the company’s best production, but overall it was a fine piece of experimental drama.

Jewish Society’s ‘Hillel House’ has been subject to a break-in discovered in the early hours of the 14th of December.

The intruder gained entry by shattering the window of ‘Hillel House’, before searching the premises.

The Police were called to the scene of the crime, near Heslington Hall, by midday. This was followed by a forensic team who dusted the building for finger-prints later in the afternoon. The Police are currently processing the information and are currently unable to identify the intruder’s identity.

Simon Winkler, the Chair of Jewish Society arrived this morning to find results of the break in. He described the events:

“I entered the house to be greeted with a smashed window and glass shattered everywhere. It was an obvious break in. I was amused however that the burglar didn’t take anything, but merely opened up a Jewish cook book. I’d like to speculate that he is making chicken soup now for all the houses he breaks into!”

Mich Allard, a First Year Jewish Society member further commented: “the whole business was quite mysterious. It’s hard to know what to make of it really. At first I thought that one of the many rabbits that we get outside the building had simply been a bit overenthusiastic. This was before I saw the density of foot-prints covering the place.” He added: “With the nature of the break in, it is difficult to discern a motive. There is seemingly no evidence that it was anything but a random burglary.”

Luke Simpson, First Year English Undergraduate said: “The series of break-ins has seriously started to worry me; first, accommodation, and now, official buildings - it’s hard to trust one’s belongings to an institution where the supposedly secure, key-carded doors don’t even lock half of the time. Especially with the holidays approaching – how can I contemplate leaving anything here?”

Keith Lilley, Director of Facilities Management, has stated that the University takes such issues “very seriously. ”

Rory Shanks, YUSU Societies and Communications Officer has instructed any student or society who’s accommodation or building has been subject to unauthorised entry to “contact Security & Support Services immediately.”

The incident comes in the wake of a series of other burglaries occurring across campus. Nouse has previously reported on a spate of intrusions into student accommodation, occurring in a number of different colleges. Such burglaries, recently including break-ins in James College and Eden Court, has led to student concern at the safety of campus accommodation.

Police were called to James this evening after a driver, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, parked his vehicle at the college before fleeing the scene.

The unidentified car, which was found parked in a disabled bay, arrived on campus at approximately 6.00pm. Campus security were alerted after the driver was seen driving erratically. He is thought to have been intoxicated.

After parking the driver fled the scene and campus security were unable to intercept him. Police were on campus for half an hour.

Police refused to comment on the situation in detail, but did say the driver was very likely to still be on campus. The car did not have student or staff tags so the driver is thought to be from outside the University.

Campus security are presently monitoring the car and its vicinity.

ALCUIN COLLEGE XV 6 vs. DERWENT COLLEGE XV 14
College Rugby Triangular Tournament, Match Two – Saturday 13th December 2008

A second-half revival from plucky Derwent, battling not only a strong Alcuin opposition but inhospitable weather conditions, means the outcome of this keenly-contested college rugby tournament now rests on a Christmas cliff-hanger. Jack Trewin’s hotly-disputed try was the pivotal moment in Derwent’s 14-6 win, which leaves the destiny of the competition in their own hands in anticipation of the New Year clash with James.

Played in an excellent spirit throughout, Saturday’s match was another landmark in the rebirth of college rugby, which has proudly risen above the scraps, squabbles and difficulties of the past to deliver a gripping tournament. The commitment of these players to their college cause was exemplified yesterday by rugby of a remarkable standard given a rapidly deteriorating surface, lashing rain and debilitating injury setbacks – notably on the Alcuin team, who lost Ben Howes with a broken nose five minutes in and had player-coach Paul Guest hospitalized with pneumonia post-match. The sizeable crowd in attendance, defying the conditions, also nicely demonstrated the interest in college rugby and often-overlooked collegiate spirit.

Alcuin Captain Giles Raymond echoed these sentiments post-match: “It was a good game. We dominated the first half, but they came back really well and dominated the second half. Overall, it was played in a really good spirit, the quality remained high despite the best efforts of the weather, and overall I’m proud.”

Aware that a second victory today would secure overall glory, Alcuin, as they had during the 13-10 defeat of James last month, started confidently. A more expansive defensive game, as well as the benefit of a gusty wind, allowed them to gain the better of the first half, with Rhys Spong and Ross Gehnich gaining good yards when in possession. Derwent struggled to clear their lines on occasion, but were effective in the line-outs and efficiently stemmed Alcuin’s progress.

Nevertheless, in a replica of the previous match against James, Guest kicked two penalties in the first ten minutes to consolidate Alcuin’s bright opening, the penalties resulting from a lack of Derwent match practice. Importantly, a third effort, some distance from the posts proved beyond his range and this permitted Derwent fly half Pete McGarry to halve the deficit on the stroke of half-time. His reply with the boot proved an ominous foreshadowing of the second half flow.

With the pitch cutting up badly, Derwent, wind-assisted, turned the screw from the outset of the second period, battering the red and blacks’ defensive line at will. It wasn’t long before their pressure paid off in controversial circumstances as Jack Trewin squeezed through after innumerable phases of slow ball, only for the ball to seemingly escape him in the muddy act of grounding. After due deliberation, referee Rob Donell awarded the try and the pendulum swung further in Derwent’s favour. Although the conversion was missed, it became clear that, for a brief spell at least, Alcuin’s mental focus had been fatally knocked. However, when McGarry stretched the lead to 11-8 with one of a flurry of penalties awarded for untidy Alcuin infringements, there still remained twenty minutes and everything to play for.

Alcuin, exhausted, committed players forward in a final push, but to no avail. Their fate was sealed in the penultimate minute, when McGarry, sniffing an opportunity to kill off their challenge once and for all, kicked a drop goal off the left-hand upright for 14-8.

Victorious Derwent Captain Joe Rankin said afterwards: “The game was really enjoyable to play in. Both sets of backs enjoyed some good runs and moves and both forward packs had a great battle. Both sides shaped up well and every player did their job impressively. I’m now looking forward to playing and beating James College next term and continuing Derwent’s 100% 15-a-side record!”

Therefore, we enter 2009 with the destination of the college rugby bragging rights undecided and with the all-important third and final match – Derwent vs. James – yet to be scheduled. Alcuin are powerless now to affect the outcome and must hope that James, who showed great potential in the second half of their game, do them a favour. It is the finale that this competition always deserved.

Alcuin line-up: 1. Matt Forrest, 2. Tom Fitz-Hugh, 3. Jordan Abbott, 4. Jonno Matlock, 5. Alex Smith, 6. Dan Hunt, 7. Steve Cole, 8. Ross Gehnich, 9. Giles Raymond (c), 10. Paul Guest, 11. James Hargreaves, 12. Ben Howes (Huw Burdge), 13. Rhys Spong, 14. Matt Bowyer, 15. Jonny Barratt

Derwent line-up: 1. Stuart Kennedy, 2. Sean Glass, 3. Joe Rankin (c), 4. Jack Trewin, 5. Will Marle, 6. Matt Lee, 7. Chris White, 8. Connor Scanlan, 9. Callum Douglas, 10. Pete McGarry, 11. Henry Clark (Sam Taylor), 12. Dan Taylor, 13. Jon Gore, 14. Dan Creehan, 15. Dave Harder

Global interest has been raised amongst the scientific and archaeological community after the discovery of what is believed to be Britain’s oldest human brain at the Heslington East development site.

The Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor described the finding as a “stunning discovery” and went on to comment, “its further study will provide us with incomparable insights into life in the Iron Age.”

The brain was found within a skull that is believed to be at least 2,000 years old, and was unearthed at the university’s Heslington East site during exploratory excavations. The university commissioned York Archaeological Trust to carry out the dig on the £500 million site consisting of prehistoric fields, track-ways and buildings that are known to date back to 300BC.

Rachel Cubitt of the trust discovered the skull in a muddy pit. Upon cleaning its outer surface, Cubitt was surprised to discover a “yellow substance” which, she comments, “jogged my memory of a university lecture on the rare survival of ancient brain tissue… we gave the skull special conservation treatment as a result and sought expert medical opinion”

CT Scans performed at York Hospital have shown the substance to be brain-shaped with patterns and folds closely resembling a modern organ although it is approximately one-third of the size of a normal brain.

Phillip Duffey, consultant neurologist at the hospital said, “I’m amazed and excited that scanning has shown structures which appear to be unequivocally of brain origin.” The mystery lies as to how brain tissue, which usually decays rapidly after death, could have been so well preserved and for such a long period of time.

“It will be very important to establish how these structures have survived, whether there are traces of biological material within them and, if not, what is their composition” Duffey added.

Dr Sonia O’Connor, Research Fellow in Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford added, “The survival of brain remains where no other soft tissues are preserved is extremely rare. This brain is particularly exciting because it is very well preserved, even though it is the oldest recorded find of this type in the UK, and one of the earliest worldwide.”

In terms of identifying the skull Dr Richard Hall, director of archaeology at the York Archaeological Trust, said, ‘From the size, it was probably an adult but we can’t say whether it was a man or woman.” The skull was discovered alone bar a few vertebrae. No other remains from the skeleton have been found which suggests that the body was a victim of decapitation or that the head was removed soon after death. This has led experts to believe that it may have been part of a ritual offering enacted to appease gods or to ward off evil spirits.

This find follows a similar discovery at the Heslington East site where a team from the university’s Department of Archaeology unearthed the skeleton of a man, thought to be one of Britain’s earliest tuberculosis sufferers. The human remains were found in a shallow grave on the development site. Radiocarbon dating, suggested that skeleton originated from the fourth century, late-Roman period.

It is hoped that Radio carbon dating tests, to be performed next year, will help to accurately pinpoint the skull’s age. Further testing using chemical analysis should reveal why it has survived so well.

A proposal to allow voting on whether or not to re-introduce the NUS Democracy card was unanimously rejected by the YUSU Trustee board on December 10.

Chris Northwood, a fourth-year Computer Science student who proposed the motion, which was referred to the Trustee board to decide if it would be allowed to be voted on at UGM, argued that the current NUS Extra card on offer is “value for money for some, but not every student at York”, and that students needed a “globally recognised” card that will provide sufficient proof of identification.

The motion under discussion urged YUSU to “immediately re-introduce NUS Democracy to students wishing to identify themselves as a student, but not wishing to take advantage of the discounts offered by NUS Extra.” Last year’s NUS affiliation referendum showed that student approval of the NUS is not universal at York. It is felt that the NUS Democracy card would be beneficial to students not wishing to pay an additional cost - YUSU last issued Union identity cards without cost in the academic year 2006/2007 – but the system now activates completely online.

A motion was passed to introduce Extra which now soon expires, but Northwood claims that “now we don’t have the power to either get rid of it, or even lessen its impact.”

YUSU President Tom Scott said that the Trustee Board’s “primary reason” for the decline of the motion was the cost of introducing the Democracy cards “versus what they’re actually useful for.” He felt that the “cost in staff time and effort of providing potentially thousands of cards - each of which the NUS would charge - could not be justified for providing a card whose only function here would be as a poor replacement for the university’s duck cards.” He said that the University cards “already function as student ID and allow entrance to NUS conferences.”

Northwood notes that the University of York cards are not nationally recognised and have no expiration dates, causing problems in particular for students when not in York, such as students on sandwich courses, visiting other towns and cities, and returning home for the holidays.

Matt Burton, YUSU’s Services and Finance Officer, was asked by Northwood if any figures were available to “back up his claim that reintroducing Democracy would severely damage the Union… but he had none.” Burton commented that the “Trustee Board voted against putting the motion forward to a UGM on the grounds of not being a good use of resources for the needs of the Union,” without providing financial information. He reiterated the problems of the card’s “impacts on the Union’s resources… and for what the cards purpose actually is, for taking part in democratic services.” It is reputed that YUSU make £18,000 from NUS Extra.

Currently, the NUS Extra card costs £10 to purchase, and offers a number of discounts at stores such as La Senza, Superdrug and McDonalds. However, its value for money has come under a degree of contention over the past few years. A Nouse investigation in 2006 revealed that the card was priced as high as £10 to alleviate NUS’ growing debt problem, which has developed from
years of mismanagement and unstable financial policies.

Haphazard communication with the companies supposedly offering discounts intensified the crisis, as many of the shops offering discounts admitted that they only needed proof of student identification to provide discounts.

If last week was the big freeze, this week was the big sneeze. The aftermath of the cold snap saw ailments decimate both York’s and opposing teams, reducing the schedule both home and away. But with the cold temperatures thankfully staying away, the damage was limited, and the last 32 of the BUCS Cup occupied the netball, football, rugby and hockey sides today. Permit Nouse and YSTV to guide you through the best of today’s action, grab a soothing Lemsip and enjoy.

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Our first port of call is the BUCS Cup, with laboured progress for the men’s football team against Northumbria fourths. A late, late winner by midfielder Joe Brennan split the teams, despite the visitors having two players and their coach dismissed in a tempestuous match littered by rash challenges and inexcusable dissent. Having beaten Northumbria’s second team 3-0 in the last round, York had good reason to expect smooth progress, but things proved much harder. Consequently, the team will be wary of avoiding some difficult-looking opponents in the last 16, including Leeds Met and Sheffield Hallam, who are familiar league and NUL foes.

Unfortunately, this was as good as things got for York in the knockout action. Facing a Northumbria fourths team in a rich vein of form, the rugby firsts tumbled out of the BUCS Cup 20-28, while the women’s hockey lost 2-0 at home to Sheffield firsts. On top of this, the netball seconds, taking centre-stage following the cancellation of the firsts’ game, failed to find any form in losing 15-48 to their counterparts from Leeds University.

All is not lost, however. Aside from the football progress, rearrangements mean that the netball firsts (vs. Teesside) and the women’s rugby (vs. Leeds Trinity and All Saints) will keep the flame burning in the business end of the inaugural BUCS Cup competition.

Consequently, today’s finest York performances came in the constant of BUCS League competition, with excellent results for the women’s volleyball and men’s badminton. The volleyball team ended 2008 on a high, shrugging off an inconsistent season to date to waltz to a straight-sets victory over Sheffield Hallam in a rearranged fixture. Instrumental Captain Lisa Breitschuh powered the team to a stunning 25-7 first set victory with an unbroken sequence of 15 serves and, while the second and third sets were tighter (both 25-20), York were worthy winners.

The men’s team endured a nightmare afternoon, with transportation problems not the ideal preparation for their meeting with Hallam, who beat them 3-0 to preserve their proud place atop BUCS League 1A. Meanwhile, the men’s badminton firsts continue their insatiable form, stretching their storming winning run to seven matches with an 8-0 whitewash, their fourth of the season, against Sunderland firsts. Ever professional, though, Captain Will Wiseman’s focus was squarely on challenges to come: “with a BUCS Cup replay on the 17th coming up against strong opposition in Leeds Met seconds, a stronger opponent would have done us the world of good today.”

Rounding-up the other badminton on Wednesday, the seconds’ patchy form continued as they were on the receiving end of an 8-0 whitewash at Sheffield Hallam, while the women’s firsts held Huddersfield to a 4-4 draw.

In a thrilling and tense match, the men’s basketball team edged out local rivals York St. John 65-64 to recover nicely from last week’s heavy defeat against Leeds Met. With this result, their third league win of the season, the team manoeuvre themselves clear of the relegation dogfight, into which St. John are being drawn.

Today’s tennis was compromised by three courts being unplayable due to ice, forcing the cancellation of the women’s fixtures. Using the two remaining courts, the men’s seconds overcame Sheffield 6-4 and now find themselves well placed to challenge table-topping Hull for promotion from league 4B.

Last weekend saw a weakened York team travel to Nottingham University for the national individual fencing championships, with some strong performances in all three disciplines. Pavel Guzanovs was York’s best-placed participant, finishing 10th in a field of 94 in the men’s sabre, backed up by Dave Ramsbottom (41st), Anthony Higgins (64th) and Andrew Hardman/Greg Ryan (joint 85th).
Ramsbottom headed up the York challenge in the foil (76th out of 140 competitors) and the épee (27th out of 109), while Higgins was 133rd in the foil and 100th in the épee, his weaker events. There were good showings from the women as well, with Lottie Kerry 20th in the épee and Rhiannon Davies 47th in the foil.

Also last weekend, York’s rowers braved a tough course at Newark to scoop winner’s medals in the men’s and women’s senior coxed fours, as well as the women’s novice category. Sophie Mottram competed in both the senior and novice boats, winning both races. This latest glut of medals caps a fine term for the Boat Club, following successes at Trafford and the York small boats event.

Coming up this weekend, the eagerly-anticipated second match of the college rugby tournament as Alcuin, winners by 13-10 over James in their opening game, do battle with Derwent. Kick-off is 12.45pm on Saturday at Archbishop Holgate School.

Captain’s Comments: Men’s volleyball maestro Jack Butcher gives his take on a difficult away game against BUCS league leaders Sheffield Hallam

The men’s volleyball team completed a gruelling week of fixtures with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of table-topping Sheffield Hallam. Having played the top three teams in the division all within the space of seven days, this proved a match too far with the squad decimated through injury and illness. In particular, the absence of Luca Accorsi with his powerful hitting and controlled back-court passing proved a huge blow to any hopes of causing an upset against an undefeated Hallam side who have conceded just two sets all season.

It was immediately apparent that Hallam considered the fixture a formality that needed completing and sadly this showed in their arrogance and lack of respect. Failing to provide a qualified referee, let alone a second-referee or scorers, gave the fixture the air of a light-hearted practice as opposed to a Division 1 BUCS encounter.

Unfortunately for us, this haughtiness was underscored by precocious talent and we never really kept pace with their superior power. A distinct height advantage and an ability to hit intelligently with great power, exposed our defensive frailties on a regular basis. Despite this, we showed great spirit in sticking to the cause and not allowing Hallam to simply run riot. There was genuine backcourt commitment to put bodies on the line and chase down every ball in an attempt to keep the points alive. Coupled with some intelligent ball placement by the hitters, we ensured that we kept the scoreboard ticking over.

However, under the sustained barrage of Hallam’s jump-serves and penetrating attacks from all positions, we struggled to maintain the accuracy of our passing. This restricted the attacking options available and meant we were unable to effectively utilise our own big middle-hitters.

While playing one of the top teams in the country at the end of such a tough weak was always going to be a challenge, there were some real positives to take from the match. Despite all the odds stacked against us, every player fought until the end. This was characterised by a late flurry of points in the third set, despite already being 23-12 and two sets to zero down.

While it’s always disappointing to lose, the team has made noticeable progress this term which, with hard work, we can build upon in the new year to cement a top-three league finish.

Archive: Captain’s Comments: Jack Butcher (26/11/08)

UNIVERSITY OF YORK SECONDS 15 vs. 48 UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS SECONDS BUCS
BUCS Cup (Netball) Third Round, Wednesday 10th December 2008

York seconds were denied a place in round four of the BUCS Cup yesterday afternoon after a disappointing home loss against their Leeds University counterparts. The team seemed exhausted far too quickly against a side who compete three leagues above them, and the subsequent 15-48 defeat will be a huge blow to team morale.

The hosts were soon under attack in the first quarter, with Leeds’ deadly accuracy passing denying York sufficient touches on the ball. York seemed panicked but after some timely advice from the sidelines to ‘take their time,’ they then began to get into their stride. Down 11- 5 entering the second quarter, York seemed determined not to allow Leeds full dominance in the match. Goal Shooter Sophia Sahin was on top form, accurately scoring another five goals for York. This, however, was not enough to demoralise Leeds who were quicker around the court and York found themselves 19-10 down by the half-way point.

(Sam Newsome)

After showing rapid signs of improvement as a team this season, the game was not a true reflection of progress made. Captain and Center Camilla Hampton made multiple chances with some fluent play, yet the side could not match her enthusiasm. Lacking the energy to attack, York were overwhelmed in the third quarter, only scoring two goals to Leeds’ 17. York seemed at an all-time low after Goal Shooter Sophia Sahin had to come off court after suffering an ankle injury after a fall.

Sahin said to Nouse afterwards, “we played well considering the side [Leeds] had trained a lot more than us, and are three leagues above.” Finally, in the fourth quarter, York displayed some vigour and began to find a rhythmic stride, and strong interceptions from Goal Keeper Jo Bradshaw denied Leeds even more goals. Yet this was not enough to match the confident unit of the Leeds team, who played a consistently fluent game compared to York’s small outbursts of good play.

York should be proud of how hard they fought today, but Leeds played with uncompromising skill, and the hosts were, in all honesty, outclassed. The team need to get back to basics to re-boost their confidence when playing tougher sides.

UNIVERSITY OF YORK FIRSTS 3 vs. SHEFFIELD HALLAM FIRSTS 0
BUCS (Women’s) League Northern Conference 2B, Wednesday 10th December 2008

York women’s volleyball team ended the year on a high by thrashing Sheffield Hallam in straight sets, taking victory by a 25-7, 25-20 and 25-20 scoreline. After a flying start, this match did get closer but Hallam just couldn’t win a set and were, in truth, well beaten.

York Captain Lisa Breitschuh commented to Nouse after the match: “I am obviously very glad we won, although we didn’t play quite as we could. We gave away some easy points early in the last two sets. In some rallies, though, we really showed what we can do when we play well. It was a great way to end the season.”

York started the first set brightly, notching up four points before Hallam could score in reply. They were the first team to get to double figures, as communication errors let Hallam down and they struggled to gain a footing in the game. York won easily, 25-7, and it looked like Hallam would really have to up their game to stand a chance in the match.

(Alexandru Hristea)

In the second set, Hallam shuffled their formation, and initially it seemed to work, as they registered six points before York could answer back, one coming from what was, perhaps, the longest rally of the match. The set tightened up, but Hallam took the lead at 16-15, despite the best efforts from York Libero, Anastasia Harunova. However, by their first time-out York were up 21-18 and they extended this valuable lead to win 25-20, thereby taking the second set to moving the overall set score to the psychologically significant 2-0, with Hallam not looking like they could come back.

(Alexandru Hristea)

York didn’t start the third set particularly well, with a poor serve gifting Hallam a point. The set was as close as the previous one, with York calling a timeout at 5-10 down, having made the set very difficult for themselves by giving away points too cheaply. York reached double figures in style, though, after the break with a well-worked point which culminated in a brilliant hit by Maiko Uesaki. Towards the end of the set, York really began to enjoy the longer rallies. The final set was close and both sides played some great volleyball. York capped an impressive day by winning with an ace served by Jeanette Chow, who played well throughout.

UNIVERSITY OF YORK FIRSTS 1 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA FOURTHS 0
BUCS Cup (Men’s Football) Third Round, Wednesday 10th December 2008

A mixture of nauseous refereeing and sulky opposition turned this BUCS Cup fixture into a farce, a late Joe Brennan goal the only high point in what was a lacklustre York display.

York certainly started the brighter of the two sides; winger Ian McKellow saw his right-footed curler tipped round the post only three minutes into the game. Northumbria had clearly set their stall out early on, defending deep and forcing the home side to speculative efforts from outside the box.

November saw York defeat Northumbria seconds 3-0 in the same competition, so it was expected that the visitor’s fourth side would be given a football lesson. Fifteen minutes in and York’s confidence was quickly quashed as Northumbria broke on the counter, firing just wide inside the box.

The Tynesiders found it difficult to build upon this early attack and stuck to their gritty defensive work with the result that York’s chances were few and far between and the two sides went in at the break honours even.

(Justyn Hardcastle)

The second half was all one way traffic, with ‘The Yorkies’ having more than the majority of possession though chances remained rare as the firsts seemed to want to walk the ball into the goal. Dom O’Shea was one of the closest to score, his 10-yard slam causing the crossbar and the home fans agony.

Northumbria became flustered as York held onto the ball, showing great touch and technique at times. The away side responded to this with two-footed tackles and by throwing their rattles out of the pram, the referee lost all control.

Midway through the second half, Mark McLeod won a fair free-kick to the despair of the Northumbria players who abused the referee, calling him some particularly creative names. This resulted in one of the Northumbria players, as well as his manager, being sent off.

The visitors continued serenading the official who eventually sent off another Northumbria player with five minutes remaining. His manager remained vocal from the touchline, leaving fans bewildered and confused at his earlier sending off.

(Justyn Hardcastle)

A football game did continue throughout this theatre and, with only a few minutes left, midfielder Joe Brennan hit a beautiful shot from inside the box – which was far too hot for the opposition keeper to handle.

This was much to the joy of the winning goal-scorer, “I hit it sweetly so I’ve gotta be happy”. Brennan remained humble, as did his captain Matt Witherwick who was out with illness.

“Nothing much to smile about with that performance, at the end of the day we’re better than that, but we’re through which is good.”

York line-up: 1.Andrew Emmerson, 6. Greg Gardner, 2. Shaun Evans, 4. Laurie Swann, 3. Ian McKellow, 5. Jonny MacWilliams (Sub: Ed Murrils), 7. Mark McLeod, 8. Tom Wilson, 11. Joe Brennan, 10. Dom O’Shea, 9. Mark Gouland (Sub: Anton Murphy)

York suffered a heavy defeat against Leeds Met on Sunday, an unfortunately-timed loss after an outstanding win against Manchester last week. York lost three straight sets 25-15, 25-12, 25-16 yet the team would derive comfort from the fact they were able to “stay with” an opposition that boasted international players.

With six training sessions a week and hundreds of pounds poured into the Leeds Met side, it seemed clear from the start that York were the underdogs. Playing point for point, however, York managed to keep up the intensity of the game. Renowned Italian duo Luca Accorsi and Pietro Galli played consistently, yet were helpless against the deadly smashes coming from the Leeds side.

In anticipation of playing the undefeated Sheffield Hallam next week, Captain Jack Butcher stated how the York men’s side “showed enough skill” here to give Sheffield a run for their money and hopefully gain enough points to put them third in the BUCS league. Throughout the match Butcher played some precise nice taps, cheering the rest of the team to keep up the precision of play, even though they faced inevitable defeat.

The sizeable crowd were not about to give up on the team throughout the match. By the third set, Leeds Met had gained a run of points but York rose to the challenge with some crushing hits from Josh Chipman and Janis Koknevics, constantly cheered by the balcony of fans. “The support we had today was great; it really makes a huge difference,” said Butcher, who noted how with enough encouragement the team don’t feel as tired and are able to deliver on their serves.

A good level of play, however, wasn’t enough to beat a huge Leeds team containing three Hungarian international players smashing the ball with a brutality that intimidated the York team. With this commitment throughout the match - and a coach that never let them take their eyes off the ball - Leeds Met gained the hard points needed for the win, doubling York’s score in the second set.

Although York lost, there is no doubt that the pressure of the game helped strengthen the team and prepare them for their next game. The atmosphere was exciting and the crowd stayed with York until the end, helping them to gain some points against the Leeds Met side. The team know they face an even better team next week, yet a number of lessons have been learnt whilst facing this relentless opponent.

Langwith college declared its election results today, joining Derwent and Halifax colleges who declared yesterday following last week’s JCRC elections.

Langwith held one of the most diverse elections this year, with both Chair and Vice-Chair fiercely contested. Sam Asfahani was elected as JCRC Chair, beating off competition from Phil Mason and Simon Wood. Maxine Wilkins and Kelly Briggs were victorious in a very close Vice-Chair election and Anna Shaw was uncontested for Secretary.

Former Bar Rep Joe Rankin was elected JCRC Chair for Derwent, while former RAG Rep Anna Claire Younger won the Vice-Chair vote. Bryn French and Siobhan Gore were elected Secretaries.

Chair was one of the only contested positions in this year’s Derwent elections, with joke candidate McLovin coming in second. There was a sizeable vote to Re-open nominations.

The new officers of the Halifax College Student Association will line up below newly-elected Chair Roberto Powell. Nick Synnott and Phil Walker were elected Vice-Chair, with Dominic Titherington elected Treasurer. The majority of HCSA positions, including that of chair, were uncontested in this election.

Other college election results are expected to be declared within the next week.

The Bar strategy group convened to decide the fate of Alcuin bar B Henry’s has stated that the bar will remain open until July, Nouse can exclusively reveal.

Nouse were informed that the extended opening period has been put in place to see how the new market conditions created by the opening of the YUSU bar in Langwith may change student habits and assess its impact on the commercial viability of B Henry’s.

MORE TO FOLLOW:

The way out of a global crisis caused by excessive borrowing? Borrowing even more! Even those closest to Gordon Brown must see the horrible irony in his recently announced budget. In what the headlines have dubbed ‘Brown’s big gamble’, the Prime Minister has announced a 2.5% cut in VAT as well as an extra £4bn to spend on public works. In total this is said to have added £20bn to the UK’s national debt, the total of which, officially, will spiral to over 1 trillion pounds next year. And this figure does not account for much of the country’s debt in the form of PFI and various other ‘investments’ the Brown government keeps off the sheets. Even if we had been running a budget surplus and could now afford to borrow money, this sort of Keynesian economic approach is very much outdated and, quite simply, doesn’t work.

Part of being in a free market economy is accepting the consequences of failure, something Gordon Brown seems to have forgotten. Recessions are a natural part of the economic cycle and no amount of borrowing or spending is going to change that. What the government can and must do in a situation like this is to ensure confidence and make sure that businesses built to weather a downturn can continue to function as normal. Instead the former Chancellor intends to throw money we don’t have at a problem he can’t and shouldn’t solve.

Mr Brown’s transparent attempt to turn around his own political fortune rather than that of the country’s economy will do a lot to harm the current situation and nothing to help.
Brown has said that the extra money the country spends will be paid off by higher taxes in 2011, when the country will, he predicts, have come out of the recession. Yet he has provided little conclusive evidence that recovery will be so quick. The general consensus amongst economists is that the mid-point of the recession will fall at approximately this time and so Mr Brown has simply created a fiscal time-bomb ready to go off when the country is least in a position to cope with it.

With all these economic initiatives Mr Brown has managed to paint the Tories as the do nothing party, as if this is something to be scorned. By tampering with the already fragile economy, Brown is creating public debt of unprecedented levels, as well as allowing unemployment and inflation rise dramatically. Letting the recession take its course, while keeping inflation low and ensuring businesses are able to function, is the only responsible action to take in a situation like this.