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.
The first motion of the night was to ratify the Union Council minutes from October to January. This was proposed in the last UGM, but did not reach quoracy.
Next was a constitutional amendment proposal, proposed by the Union Council and seconded by acting Council Chair Tom Langrish.
The proposal is to approve the new constitution, which has been amended by Langrish. In his speech Langrish said: “Governance has to be flexible, it has to change to suit the changing needs of the student body.”
If the motion is passed, it will complete a number of changes made by the union, including rebranding the Athletic Union’s as York Sport, reviving the York University Media (YUM) Committee and splitting the Academic and Welfare Officer position into two roles. Langrish added: “Please vote for it, otherwise I’ve wasted quite a bit of time.”
The proposed changes to the constitution can be found at this link.
Next up was the first of Jason Rose’s many motions, which was seconded by YUSU Officers Jamie Tyler, Alex Lacy and Charlie Leyland and Labour Club Chair David Levene. If passed, YUSU will be mandated to oppose any attempt by the government to increase the tuition fee cap.
Rose said: “At present, I will be leaving university with £35,000 of debt, including £12,000 of tuition fees. If the cap is lifted to £7,000, this would increase to over £50,000 of debt.” He added that the current system is “very dodgy and unfeasible for over half of all students”.
The fourth motion of the evening was submitted by Jonathan Krasner-Macleod, and seconded by Amit Sinha, Charlie Leyland and Therese Hermann.
Krasner-Macleod put forward a proposal whereby provision marks would be returned within four 'term' weeks, and adequate feedback returned within six 'term' weeks. If this motion is passed, YUSU will be mandated to campaign for this.
Krasner-Macleod said: “If they [exams] are meant to help us learn at all, to engage our understanding of a topic, to see where we need to refocus our attentions then we need feedback when we can still remember sitting them.” He added that he’s “not asking for the impossible, the ridiculous or even the overly optimistic” but didn’t think his proposal was “unreasonable”.
Next was Jason Rose’s second motion of the night, seconded by Chris Northwood. If passed, YUSU will be mandated to lobby Sinclair Properties and other landlords in York to bring all of their properties up to the standard described in the Code of Best Practice.
Rose said: “There have been allegations of theft, allegations of breaking contracts, allegations of poor management, poor assistance, problems on a variety of levels.”
Though he did not give a speech last night, YUSU Societies and Communications Officer Rory Shanks has expressed his support for the motion. He said: “This is a great chance for students to let us know what they think about some of the local companies with which we deal.”
Rose then took the stage again to submit a third motion, seconded by David Levene and YUSU Student Activities candidate Ella-Grace Kirton. The proposal requires YUSU to label vegetarian and vegan items on the menus when they need to be replaced, and to make more vegetarian and vegan meals available.
The union would also have to consider other dietary requirements and, where possible, provide full ingredient lists for their menu items. Rose defended the union in his speech, saying: “This was obviously an oversight, because so much was going on at the start of term.”
The seventh motion of the night was proposed by Ralph Buckle, and seconded by Anna Appleton, Matilda Sheppard, Craig Martin and Sam Westrop. The motion proposed mandating YUSU to campaign against the introduction of National ID cards.
Buckle said: “Even if you do support ID cards, still support this motion. This motion is against the forcing of ID cards onto students.” He then explained that the current proposals would mean students needed ID cards to apply for their student loans, and all international students would require cards.
The penultimate motion was proposed by Daniel Renwick, and seconded by John Nicholls, Freddy Vanson, Jason Rose, Sanja Bilic and Farzana Khan. The motion called for YUSU to speak out against events in Gaza, and lobby the university to issue a similar statement.
If passed, the union would also be mandated to lobby the university to offer assistance to the Islamic University of Gaza and to lobby the government to investigate Israel’s conduct and recognise the Hamas government.
Renwick said: “I do not believe that YUSU will bring an end to the humanitarian crisis... but I do believe that the small victories and changes matter.”
The UGM ended on a humorous but controversial note, with a motion proposed by ex-Derwent Chair Oliver Lester and seconded by Jason Rose.
Lester was unable to attend the UGM, but he told The Yorker: “I feel very passionately about renaming the Student Centre to the ‘The Matt Burton Dance Hall’. Burton has tirelessly devoted himself to YUSU; he has given students their own bar and he has brought world class acts to York Balls such as Alphabeat, The Saturdays and Booty Luv.
“But more importantly, on a personal level, Burton has been a father figure to me. This UGM motion was York's way of saying ‘Cheers Burton, we'll miss you and don't forget us... we'll never forget you!’ I'm sure every York student will strongly agree.”
If the motion is passed, not only would the Student Centre’s official name be 'The Matt Burton Dance Hall' for the next three years, but Burton would be mandated to lobby the government for a new national holiday called 'Matt Burton Day'.
Rose spoke on Lester’s behalf at the UGM. In his speech, he noted that this would not cost the union money – the sign will not be changed, but 'The Matt Burton Dance Hall' would be the Student Centre’s official name.
This was the only motion which saw more than one speech given, with Tom Scott and Alex Lacy expressing their support and Matthew Pallas and John Nicholls speaking against it.
Scott said: “Many years ago, the Athletic Union submitted a motion very much like this to change it to ‘The Vaseline Centre’. As a result they won £6,000 for their creative marketing campaign from Vaseline. I’m in favour of this because it may spark off a string of name changes and York Sport may get even more money from its sponsors.”
Lacy added: “Matthew Burton is the quintessential YUSU Officer... He has spilled his blood, sweat, tears and many other bodily fluids in the YUSU building, and you can’t go through the Student Centre without feeling the musk of Burton in the air.”
Pallas had another name for the Student Centre in mind, saying: “This motion is plainly ridiculous. The Student Centre should not be called ‘The Matt Burton Dance Hall’. It should be called ‘The Trevor the Duck Memorial Dance Hall'.”
Nicholls was also in favour of renaming the Student Centre, but not after Matt Burton. He said: “I’m not going to say that it’s silly and ridiculous, I think it’s quite amusing...We should have another consultation as to another, perhaps a wider leader, or a society.”
Rose then opposed his own motion, saying: “Come to think of it, this is a silly motion, don’t vote for it.”
Voting for this motion takes place from Monday at 12pm to Thursday at 12pm. For more information about the motions submitted, click here.
You miss the point so much. Will someone take the blinkers off your eyes. I'm sorry, but if your common sense doesn't tell you how biased and one-sided this motion is, then I question your intelligence, I'm afraid. It's plain for all to see which is why it's meeting so much opposition from people who see it as transcending the Israel/Palestine question.
That's not what it's about. This is about what we think YUSU should be campaigning for. It should be focusing on issues that affect US at York; issues that broadly represent and further the interests of York students.
This doesn't. This makes pretnetious political points and asks our Union to represent us all on an area that is so polarising and one that would alienate Jewish students, but then again, that's what some of you wish to do so it seems!!
Stop playing petty global politics with our union and campaign on things that don't reek of niche political motives. Honestly Jason, this has come extremely close to losing you an election. I've said before, sometimes it's best to keep quiet!
dan taylor for yusu president!!!!! he's have derwent behind him. those nutters screaming stuff outside derwent was enough to make me want to thrown lacoste and fruit of the loom all over them, perhaps with a cluster bomb in the mix as well. i did promise to offer you all a collective haircut if you stopped protesting though..................................
I wonder if it's possible to have a motion that bans this kind of stuff and limits YUSU's activities to student stuff only, or would that require a constitutional amendment?
Has it occurred to anyone that we might actually have Palestinian students here as well as Israeli and Jewish ones? And that this motion might aid them in a very tangible way?
Admittedly, a lot of Palestinian students were trapped when Israel last closed the borders but there are those who have scholarships to study in the UK and who have escaped the worst of the violence - other than the psychological violence of the latest bloodbath at home.
Oh and Dan - I'm posting anonymously as I'm Jewish and have been targeted previously by Jewish and non-Jewish Zionists for daring to suggest Palestinians be treated as human beings.
second #84. My most sincere respect.
What about all the Palestinians who were brutally murdered when Hamas violently took control of the Gaza strip, maiming and killing Fatah party members because they happened to reject terror and the right of Israel to exist?
Wow, it must be so horrible being an individual from such a nasty, freedom-hating nation such as Israel.
Are you talking to me, Dan? No. 84? Why do you assume I'm from Israel?
And how does your point address mine?
#84, I must say I've never looked at it like that before, certainly an insightful view. I would certainly never stand in the way of a motion that aims to help Palestinian students who are already here at the University, but I still feel the motion is far too over-reaching and is playing with international politics, rather than keeping issues at home.
(btw, I'm not saying international issues aren't important, just that YUSU shouldn't really be getting involved with it).
"so polarising and one that would alienate Jewish students, but then again, that's what some of you wish to do so it seems!!"
Need I remind everyone that you suggested that Palestine "should be wiped off the map"? I believe that I know several people with proof of this saved. HOW DARE YOU suggest that other people are biased or alienate a section of that conflict? Go away and leave the counter-arguments for people that aren't Islamophobic. Some people have raised valid concerns but you continually spout the crap that we are anti-Semitic when we continually respond that we aren't and even Jews are replying "on our side" (I say that tentatively because it seems as if #87 supports the motion).
And as I said before, Dan, I have been chatting with some people currently living in Gaza. They don't hate Hamas, Fatah or Israel but wish that the fighting would end. So please get over your ridiculously supremicist attitude towards the middle east.
"Wow, it must be so horrible being an individual from such a nasty, freedom-hating nation such as Israel."
I am sure that Israel is not horrible against its citizens. What is actually horrible, however, is the fact that an entire population does suffer because of its policies. And it is some of those people that this motion would help, through scholarships and material aid, to the great horror of people like Taylor, Coen and Merry who can hardly hide their disgust at the prospect of helping the Palestinian people. The same old three reactionists, using the same old filthy lies, in the same old disgusting ways. Please just go away and save some of your dignity.
Since I can't be bothered to read the past NINETY comments about Gaza, I'll assume the following has taken place and summarize it for everyone else:
<Taylor> HEY ROSE
<Taylor> INSULT
<Rose> RETORT
<Taylor> COUNTER-RETORT
<Rose> NOTATION THAT YOU CREATE A VACUUM
<Taylor> RIPOSTE
<Taylor> ADDON RIPOSTE
<Rose> COUNTER-RIPOSTE
<Taylor> COUNTER-COUNTER RIPOSTE
<Rose> NONSENSICAL STATEMENT INVOLVING PLANKTON
Give your circular arguments a rest boys - neither of you are ever going to change your standpoints.
You really are blinkered, or plain stupid, aren't you Jason and #90.
Can you not see how biased this motion is? Where is the call for Hamas supporters to be rejected from York Uni? Where is the 'help' for victims of Hamas rocket attacks in S.Israel? (Sdrot, etc). It's not there because this is all part of a wider, deeper agenda and you know it. Also, why the hell would I want our President to 'mandate' the government to investigate Israeli war crimes. What about Hamas ones? It doesn't mention them. I would love to see the face of Mr. Brown when whoever is Pres. "trots off to Downing street" in the YUSU minibus to get them to take this action. Honestly, you are wasting our time, money and your own credibility (or what's left of it).
Jason, cut the patronising crap about 'speaking to people left, right and centre'. My mum has been in and out of Israel and the Gaza strip/West Bank for the past 15 years, so spare the patronising bollocks of "I know this and you don't".
As I said though, you don't quite grasp why people oppose this. Many don't DISAGREE that strongly with its wording. Some do more than others. People are just sick of a small group of people pursuing through their narrow political points onto the rest of campus via a student body that is not there for that purpose. YUSU should be campaigning on Hes. East, library hours, etc. Not wasting money fulfilling this ridiculous motion that bares no benefit to 99% of people on this campus.
here, here.
jason rose, you are wasting my time and your computer keys endurance. go to bed and try not to get ron'd.
comment deleted by a moderator "Where is the call for Hamas supporters to be rejected from York Uni?"
Where's the call for Israel supporters to be rejected from York Uni? There isn't one - so that's another pointless argument.
"Where is the 'help' for victims of Hamas rocket attacks in S.Israel?"
In terms of the UGM, where is the help for victims of Israeli attacks in Gaza? There isn't any. The UGM's not about that.
We raised £2,500 for victims of the conflict on both sides of the conflict - money has found itself much easier to help Israelis than Palestinians because of certain restrictions in place around Palestine but probably a majority of the money helped Palestinians since, I might point out, 13 Israelis died to 1,300 Palestinians. I acknowledge that Palestinian rockets damaged a lot of buildings too but I suspect that the air strikes and tanks did more (including Gaza University, of course) so the disproportionate levels seems reasonable in this conflict. In other conflicts, the money might have been in Israel's favour. Either way, the money raised by many of the people proposing this motion was unbiased and went to both sides as the most acclaimed charity we could find in the area was allocating them.
I don't know how you can say that there is bias when you're suggesting that we ban Hamas supporters. I mean they're a government - you might as well ban USA or UK government supporters for the civilian deaths in Iraq...
Unless we call for an investigation into who was right. At present, there have been no formal charges by the UN of illegality by either side so it would be insane to expel the supporters of a democratic government.
"It's not there because this is all part of a wider, deeper agenda and you know it."
We want peace in the middle east. We raised over £2,500 for both sides of the conflict. How is there a hidden agenda?! You've gone mad, Taylor. There's no hidden plans behind this motion other than honest intentions. We have a strong moral core that means we want to push for improvements where possible - writing an e-mail to the PM to say that a motion was passed to call for an investigation into war crimes in the conflict isn't exactly difficult and there's no minibus called for as you well know.
There is only one element of truth in what you've said and that's that there is no call into Hamas war crimes. I will submit that myself if this passes - and if it doesn't then why don't we all have a cup of tea and discuss how to make the motion fair? I can't imagine anyone on our side of the table disagreeing to more scrutiny.
Why does YUSU need to do it? The PM's going to take as much notice if YUSU if you did it off your own back. You want to drag the name (and membership) of the Union into it for whatever reason.
It doesn’t matter that I PERSONALLY agree with this motion. I do not represent the totality of York's student body. Neither does Daniel Renwick, John Nicholls, Freddy Vanson, Jason Rose, Sanja Bilic, Farzana Khan, Dan Taylor or anyone else. This motion is ridiculous, is provoking apathy because of its unrealistic nature. It should be withdrawn.
I agree with Taylor
"People are just sick of a small group of people pursuing through their narrow political points onto the rest of campus via a student body that is not there for that purpose"
That's right Dan, UGMs should only be about kicking out our welfare officers - they should be put forward by politically motivated individuals, based on hate campaigns and justified by a ridiculously small margin in a UGM that uses a student body that is 'not there for that purpose'.
You are so thick you do not even realise the irony behind what you're saying and what you are actually doing.
Be honest with yourself, if the UGM only condemned Hamas rockets you would be the first to campaign for it. You do not mind that it contains a political message, you react like that because it's a political message you disagree with.
the debate's futile really - the people discussing the issues here are not representative of the student populus as a whole - who (generally) are apathetic or lack knowledge about the issues. Whether or not we should demand a resolution in the way the motion asks isn't relevant - this whole subject should be absolutely nothing to do with YUSU.
GFH has cock-all to do with it. Even linking this up with this motion shows your continued bitterness and clear lack of logical thought on this issue, which itself amounts to no more than a lack of intelligence. Students voted, not just me, or Dan Coen or Tom Merry. Over 1600 of them. Get over it.
In a way, this comment thread is going no where here. I agree with #99. Issues like this have no place in YUSU or YUSU shouldn't represent students on them. Aside from my own views on the conflict, this is what people as a whole oppose about the motion, aside from the clear political undertones of it.
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