A group of York students has won the opportunity to have their very own I-phone application developed after winning The App Challenge final, held at the Ron Cooke Hub on Wednesday, January 18.
YUSU Welfare officer Bob Hughes has warned students to be vigilant after a student loans phishing scam has been revealed.
Her Majesty the Queen will be visiting York on Maundy Thursday, 5th April, as part of the 800th anniversary of York’s Charter for the traditional “Royal Maundy” ceremony.
A flood caused by a heating system “failure” forced the university IT services to shut down many essential systems on Sunday night, causing problems for many students on the eve of their exams and assignment due-dates.
Written by Tom Bishai
Although JJ’s has recently seen an upturn with many successful events, the university has decided that JJ’s is no longer viable in the form of a campus bar.
The venue looks set to re-open as a JCR.
Halifax President David Sharp seems to be less than impressed with this decision, declaring it to be “quite a big blow”.
Attempts to overturn the decision appear to have been by-passed and ignored by the university. Sharp suggested that once the recommendation had been made it was a foregone conclusion.
A report written by Sharp arguing for retaining the bar and offering potential solutions received little attention.
A Halifax first year denounced the decision as “taking no consideration of student views”.
The closure is set to bring about a number of negative consequences for students. It is feared that social cohesion will be damaged by the removal of the bar.
Given the proximity to Heslington, it is thought that first years will be more inclined to use the facilities in the village rather than campus bars.
However, there would be benefits to be gained from a new common room. Final plans for renovation have yet to be confirmed, and Halifax students are being encouraged to make suggestions regarding what changes they want.
There is a genuine concern that the closure of the bar will result in a loss of identity for Halifax, ostracising the students. Sharp is also concerned that the college may become increasingly like a “housing estate”.
I thought that was pretty much assumed by any action the University took.
The University managed to do something right with the rebranding and relaunch as Alcuin of a cocktail bar, takings increased dramatically and it's now a lot more popular than ever before. I was on Alcuin JCRC when B Henry's was relaunched and during the original barcott, and I heard the University were discussing relaunching and branding other campus bars in a similar way - juice bars and traditional pubs serving a range of ales were discussed. In fact, I remember specifically Halifax being discussed, specifically with it being turned into a sports bar, rather than just a bar that shows sports. What happened? As far as I know, none of the plans other than Alcuin were ever implemented, why is this?
I hope that yet another large scale campaign to save the bars will be mounted (I specifically remember a large delegation from Halifax coming to Alcuin one night during the barcott). Students have convinced the University to reverse decisions on bars to some extent before, hopefully this can happen again.
The answer to your question Chris, is that Louis did a hell of a job at persuading Commercial Services to implement the changes. No other JCRC worked with the same commitment to save their bar (perhaps because the threat was nowhere as imminent in other bars), and consequently no other bar underwent any real changes of the sort you suggest.
I lived in halifax in the 1st year and i think many of us would have rather had a JCR than a (not very good) bar anyway. Besides, the charles and derry are 5 mins away and they are better.
ps. Halifax college identity only really extends as far as St Lawrence.
St. Lawrence rules!
I must dispute that only Alcuin worked with such a commitment to save their bar - back in that fateful year, Halifax had a massive turnout at "Save Your Bar" events and we worked as hard as anyone to get things back on track. In fact, Halifax could have been that cocktail bar had it not been for big Rich (who moved to Alcuin) being moved away from JJ's...
But surely the evidence for that is in the results - Louis managed to save Alcuin bar and get it rebranded, Halifax have not managed it. Something's got to be different there hasn't it?
comment deleted by the author Yes: Alcuin is still within reach of most students geographicly: and is near enough to University road that some town dwellers can still frequent it.
Halifax isn't near anything other than Halifax. Anybody whose going in that direction will go to the Charles or the Derry for that bit of atmosphere that JJ's has always lacked
+agree with #4 
The fact that JJ's is in the center of Halifax should make it more popular that the Charles and the Derry. I find it bizarre that so few students use it, although I accept it's botched conversion from a common room may be partly to blame. #5 is spot on, and I'd point out that the epic Save-Our-Bars bar crawl mentioned in #1 was just one of the events we put on to try and save JJ's.
I think the damage to JJ's was done last year, when a demotivated committee failed to put on events, which could have kept turnover high, and saved JJ's.
It's noticeable that the new HCSA have organized enough events and advertised JJ's to the point where, I'm reliably informed, the bar turned a profit last month. We've also got a hectic schedule of events from next term including at least 28 bar events. Which will at the least mean JJ's goes out with a bang.
I'd also love the university to explain how there is a welfare issue involved in students leaving JJ's to goto campus bars during the annual Access All Areas events, and weekly Campus Wednesdays, which is why JJ's has never been involved in either (apparently because they have to use a zebra crossing); however there is no welfare issue in asking Halifax students to walk down badly lit alleyways to goto Heslington, or across the same zebra crossing to goto other campus bars.
Personally I believe that the University is dead wrong to close JJ's, and I hope that they may rethink when they see next terms profits. I'm also sadden by the way in which the university now puts minute profit margins ahead of student satisfaction, welfare, and the college system.
Kit Dixon
HCSA Vice-President 2006
HCSA Alumni Officer 2007
HCSA Treasurer 2008
PS. Halifax college identity DOES extend far beyond St.Lawrence.
I remember a quote I read during the original Save Your Bars campaign. It went something along the lines of:
"If the University can't sell alcohol to students, they're doing something wrong"
JJs would be the perfect music venue for York Uni. It's certainly big enough for fairly-big name bands (as the mystery jets gig showed) and its about the one positive to come out of having that high ceiling and the feeling that it's a lot bigger than it is.
A paint job, some curtains for dampening and a chat with city of york about licensing and capacity would be all it'd take, along with some joined-up thinking with the Uni in terms of parking and signage.
JJs does work well as a club venue but at the moment nobody (myself included) outside of halifax college ever goes to the events.
Again, a bit of black (or at least very dark blue or very dark red) paint and a few lights, smoke machine etc... plus some curtaining would make JJs a very attractive venue for all kinds of music, and for clubbing as well.
It's just a very antisocial place to drink. It would make more sense to shut JJs in the week and open it for live music or a club night on friday and saturdays, and treat it as a venue, not as an ordinary bar.
There's a welfare issue in crossing a road? Oh please, give me a break.
So because I have to cross micklegate from the FTR to toffs means my welfare is at risk? Or heaven forbid I walk into town because i don't want to pay for the bus!
I wish students would stop being treated like children. What do we need, a f***ing lollypop lady on the zebra?
I am frankly insulted by the idea that the university/union/whoever seems to think students don't have the intelligence or judgement skills to cross a bloody road. And its not like having to run across a dual carriageway is it? I'd love to see whoever made that ridiculous statement go to Leeds uni and tell them that crossing roads is a welfare issue and shouldn't be done! It's be like house arrest!
"The fact that JJ's is in the center of Halifax should make it more popular that the Charles and the Derry"
How about the fact that JJ's always lacked atmosphere, had very few comfy seats, and the other two serve nicer, cheaper food? The colour scheme is dark and depressing, the layout uninspiring, with it looking more like a high school dining room than a bar. Let's face it, for a nice quiet pint, the Derry is a more favourable option, with it looking, and feeling like a pub rather than a room filled with chairs. In my first year there was very little to entice people to JJ's, other than the occasional game of pool, and I doubt much has changed.
St Lawrence Court rules, and most certainly is the heart and soul of Halifax. Maybe if JJ's was where the computer room is it would be busier? All the best people live in the SLC!
JJs should've been revamped, not shut down. Events like the Mystery Jets gig on Friday, and the H Party at the start of this term, showed it had potential. The University gave up on it too easily.
And not only that, but on a monday at least, Beer is cheaper at the Charles than It is on campus! I've never understood why the Uni is happy to be beaten on price by a place just down the road, when students are such a price sensitive market!
R.I.P. JJ's.
I was pretty annoyed when I found out that JJ's was being shut down, but then again, it's hardly too surprising!
The Charles and the Derry are round the corner. The food there is cheaper. The drinks are similar in price. You see a lot more people you know from other colleges at the pubs, and if you decide to make a night of it, the bus stop is across the road. The only reason to ever go to JJs was proximity, and a quiet (very quiet) drink with other Halifaxers. Not that those factors are a bad thing, but in themselves they don't make money, which was always going to be the crucial factor. Whilst the uni should put student satisfaction before profit, we already know that U of Y is pants at doing that, and JJ's would require a lot of altruism on their part. Let's be honest, no one goes there! I've only been back about two times since first year, and I always liked the place.
And for the record, St Lawrence Court is Halifax. The other courts wish they were SLC!
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