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 motion has been proposed by Matt Burton, and is titled 'Move the University of York Summer Ball back to Campus'.
At last night's University Council meeting, Matt Burton proposed moving this year's Summer Ball to campus. Attendees approved the proposal, voting 13 to seven with four abstentions.
YUSU Societies and Communications Officer Rory Shanks said that since then, "It has become increasingly apparent that the views of the student population have been divided in their opinions of this move, and whether they would indeed prefer this event to remain at York Racecourse."
Since the proposal was approved, a Facebook group and a petition opposing the move have been set up. At press time, the Facebook group titled 'Motion to Move Grad Ball Back to the Racecourse' had 633 members, and the petition had been signed by 405 people.
Dan Taylor, an administrator of the group who attended last night's Council meeting, said: "This is clearly an issue students feel strongly about. They feel strongly that they should have been consulted before such a decision was taken.
"Matt has attempted to get this in through the back door when he could have had a UGM on it, and it's not worked. I argued it out in Council yesterday and a lack of concern for what students actually wanted was evident, to say the least. The idea in itself, for anyone who has seen it, is a complete no-brainer and that's what the students have seen."
Claire Hazelgrove, a third-year who is the Labour prospective Parliamentary candidate for Skipton and Ripon, added: "We need to make sure that everyone that’s signed the petition votes down the motion so we can have our Summer Ball back, because we deserve better."
Campaigns Officer-elect Jason Rose, who was also at last night's Council meeting, said: "I think that there are advantages and disadvantages to having the Summer Ball on campus and student opinion is very much divided on the issue.
"My concern is that the majority of the voting populace will not be fully informed on the issue and vote to resist change; but I welcome the EGM as greater democracy and think that it's a great way of informing the average student of the issues at hand. I am expecting the EGM to fall but students to welcome an on-campus Fresher's Ball."
Regarding tomorrow's EGM, Shanks said: "It goes without saying that the idea of a democratic decision making is one of the core-tenets of this Union, and is something that we vehemently uphold at York.
"It is for this reason that the President is prepared to uphold the request of going to EGM, in order to allow the whole of the student population a voice as to where they would prefer their Summer Ball to be held."
The EGM will be held at 2.15pm on Friday in L/N/028. Students will then have 24 hours to vote on the motion, from 6pm on Friday until 6pm on Saturday.
#12 = burnt.
comment deleted by a moderator Seems to me like anyone who opposes Dan tends to do so on a purely personal basis. Taylor is a cheeky one but he's smart enough to keep his arguments professional - you simply bolster his cause by making cheap remarks.
How do one's views on something as meaningless as the summer ball warrant the word 'professional'? And some of his rants concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict have been anything but 'professional'.
In the interests of balance, some you may want to read Matt's article Here:
http://www.nouse.co.uk/2009/03/19/before-you-vote-make-sure-you-think-about-whether-you%e2%80%99re-really-fully-informed-about-the-possibilities-campus-offers/
As well as doing it from behing the veil of an anonymous wall-post. Get some spine inside yourself and ally with a viewpoint.
Some people do care about where their summer-ball is being held. You might want to examine the 850+ figures in the FB group and online petition. If you don't care about where the summer-ball's being held, then put up and shut up. Many people do though.
Anon, were his comments ‘anything but professional’ because you happened to disagree with them but not have the intelligence to make a counter-case without making personal remarks? Ah. Wait a second. I thought not. Unintelligent moron.
I actually think that it would be fitting to end our time at uni actually on the campus. A 'tarted up' Roger Kirk would be far superior to a racecourse which holds absolutely no nostalgic value for many. In addition, the racecourse racecourse hasn't had any outstanding reviews, in fact, many people actively dislike it as a venue.
I'm pretty sure the Services officer is paid to make decisions about events like this.
Why not let the S+F officer and event organisers get on with the job and see what they come up with?
That's what he was elected for. Last year. In the election. To make decisions like this. Remember? You voted him in?
I think it's pathetic that after years of graduates complaining that the Racecourse is rubbish about 3 people think that it's a venue that is so "different" to campus that it's amazing.
There are some people that want something different. Some people that want something that holds value for them. Seeing Central Hall as a gig venue would be a great way to finish the degree after TWENTY-FIVE YEARS when it wasn't one! I'm well up for it.
Leave Dan Taylor alone. If he hadn't proposed something like this I know a million people who would've done, including myself!
Just stop arguing, vote for whatever you believe in and see what happens!
As a second year this doesn't really effect me too much, but I can see where Matt Burton is coming from with his desire to change the venue - especially after reading his comment piece in Nouse.
I think the main thing we have to factor in, is that the Racecourse is a very average venue. It is indeed fancy and nice, and I've enjoyed my two trips there (Freshers Ball 07, Summer Ball 08), but it's massively overpriced and not fantastic.
Campus does have the potential to be good, but there are issues. For a start, the Welfare issues can't be ignored. If I had a 9.15 exam and I was in Langwith or Goodricke I would not be too happy. Also, the RK could feasibly be a very presentable venue, and we all know the potential of Central Hall once you're inside it. BUT, it does seem a little underwhelming for a graduation ball.
There are a lot of pros and cons for both it seems. I think when people do come to vote though it's important to remember that the Racecourse is NOT as wonderful as some may have you believe, nor is campus as bad as some may claim. (This isn't to say I favour campus, just that its a tighter call than a lot seem to say).
#24:
chip?
shoulder?
I personally will miss Mr. Taylor. Standing up for what you believe in and not being afraid to take the stick is a quality more people should learn.
The man is a campus legend
cometh the hour comethe the man. dt for yusu pres!!
comment deleted by a moderator > No Confidence GFH
> Make H4H a RAG beneficiary charity, getting them a £6,000 donation in the process
> Raise awareness regarding the NUS and YUSU affiliation
> Will probably win this motion on the Racecourse.
And you sir, have done what?
I wonder if it's too late for YUSU to book the boomtown rats for the summer ball. I've heard so many stories about them playing central hall the last time it was used - they clearly knew how to make a crowd enjoy themselves!!
> No Confidence GFH
Is this a good thing? Whining and kicking up a fuss over a very minor incident, resulting in there being no welfare officer for a significant period. Most people would not have made such a fuss and better for them.
> Make H4H a RAG beneficiary charity,
Single-handed was this? I thought people voted for it. And it's not like the money would have been thrown down the drain otherwise, other charities are just as worthwhile.
> Raise awareness regarding the NUS and YUSU affiliation.
He was one player in a campaign that failed. Do you think everyone else, for or against NUS affiliation is a campus legend if they told anyone about it?
> Will probably win this motion on the Racecourse.
It's not his motion to win or lose, Dan's cheerleaders have just decided to give this impression.
I'm sorry to have contributed to this becoming a thread about Dan Taylor and not the motion but I don't think the ludicrous statements about Dan should go unchallenged. Frankly it's pathetic to worship someone just because they shout loudest about the (sometimes questionable) things they do.
#39.
People like you frequently accuse me of 'shameless self-publicity', yet by moving this comment thread to being about me, you are doing just that. Please keep comments to what this thread's about: Where you think we should have our Grad. Ball. If you don't have a thought to offer, then maybe don't say anything at all?
Incidentally, students voted on GFH & H4H so I don't class them as personal 'achievements' though I was delighted that H4H's profile has been raised on campus.
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