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.
Sam Daniels: I'm already a YUSU Entertainments Officer, so I have great experience in organising events on campus. I've run everything from Alcuin late licenses to Access all Areas and Freshers' Ball. I also know how YUSU works, and will be quick off the mark to begin getting stuff done.
I was strongly involved in Alcuin JCRC in my first and second years, so I understand what JCRCs want. My policy for an entertainments review is strongly rooted in my belief and experience in the importance of the college event system, and my experience as Alcuin Ents will be invaluable in the implementation of this.
Chris Etheridge: My experience at University has been both extensive and varied. For two years I have been the Treasurer of two large campus societies, experience that will help me massively in the role of D+S, as it is the closest sabbatical role to that of a treasurer. As Treasurer, I successfully delivered large budgets at a time when all other societies were losing money. Also as treasurer, I was responsible for organising four society balls, which gives me the knowledge of how events are organised, and how to ensure a successful and enjoyable evening for all.
As the current YUSU Campaigns Officer I have a large amount of YUSU experience under my belt. The year has been fantastic, and has taught me several things. Firstly, that real change takes time. You can campaign and petition for things, but often the effects of your work will be felt at a later date. Just because your campaigns don’t produce results overnight, doesn’t mean that the change won’t come, or that the work wasn’t worth doing.
The second advantage of having worked in YUSU is that I now have a good working knowledge of the union and its mechanics. This means that I can set about working for you on day one rather than taking months to find my feet.
Dan Walker: I held the position of Bar Rep on the Goodricke JCRC then Chair the following year for the last two terms of 'Old Goodricke', which included our 40th anniversary, as well as the first term of 'New Goodricke' out on Hes East. I spent an enormous amount of time involved in all aspects of the move over to the new college, the planning of the freshers week and events throughout the term and all other parts of college life. I worked tirelessly to, and succeeded in transferring Goodricke's spirit over to a new remote location.
SD: I've had a year working in YUSU and I know what could be improved, and I believe I'm the right person to develop these improvements. I decided to run because I was confident that the ideas that I had were the right ones for the position, and that I could achieve them. I'm passionate about the Union, and running for Democracy and Services seemed a natural progression.
Democracy is integral to the running of an effective Union and Services are what make student experience as good as it can possibly be, and I believe I know the best ways to provide both of these to students, and I know that I can achieve everything I set out to do.
CE: I thought long and hard about this. I knew that I wanted to be in YUSU, and that I wanted to make a difference for students. I talked to a lot of people, both in YUSU and not, and decided that my experience was best suited to the role of Democracy and Services.
DW: I'm massively enthusiastic about this uni and want to make sure everyone else feels that way too. I feel I could really make a difference as a full time officer, by running services students want and need, and reacting through the year to the desires of the student body.
SD: As I have always had a passion for events, and the services aspect of the role involved a huge amount of this. Services are what involve students from day one, it certainly did for me, and without getting students involved, there is no opportunity for involvement in democracy.
CE: Essentially, it is the closest thing that the union has to a sabbatical treasurer, and that is the area where I have the most experience. The Democracy and Services officer is also responsible for organising events and co-ordinating people, and my experience both as a treasurer and as a society chair will play to my strengths here.
DW: Democracy and Services is simply the position I feel my experience as Chair has prepared me for above any other. I had no desire to run for anything else. I know there are people out there who could do a better job in the other roles, however due to my range of experience as college chair I believe I'm the best possible candidate for D&S.
SD: Students should vote for me because they feel confident that I have the pest potential, and the best experience to create a better Union and provide better services. From students on Heslington East needing a cash point and a shop, to students wanting to help out their societies, I feel that my policies are relevant to all, and that every student will see the benefit of the policies.
A YUSU Loyalty card will not only support our Union, it will also, without any extra cost to students, benefit their clubs, societies and colleges.
Making sure we get gigs in central hall, is so crucial - as we have a 1000 seater venue not used to its full potential.
I have already agreed with Fiona Macey - the Uni Travel Plan Co-Ordinator - that an expansion of a free bike rental scheme on campus is needed.
CE: When I have been talking to students from across campus, the one thing that they all agree on is that YUSU has been guilty of breaking promises. People are, rightly in my opinion, angry about this, and feel let down and disenchanted with the union. I recognise this issue, and have taken the time to research my policies and make sure that they are realistic promises that I can make, as opposed to merely headline-grabbing promises that turn out to be empty, because people are sick and tired of being lied to. This has been the whole overriding message of my campaign and it turns out that many, many people feel the same way.
DW: I believe students should vote for me on the merits of my policies, and with the knowledge that I get the job done (something I demonstrated during my time as chair). I'm also easy to talk to and will take the views of all students on board through the year.
SD: I think there are two main issues. (In no particular order) These are struggling campus entertainment and a weak interest in student democracy.
CE: There are several issues that are facing the university and the union at the moment. One of these is obviously higher education funding, which there has been a lot of discussion about, certainly amongst the presidential candidates.
Another major problem facing students at the moment is the gap between Heslington East and Heslington West. Often students out in Goodricke will feel alienated from the rest of campus, both in terms of distance and in terms of mindset.
I think a problem that is relevant to all within the student community is that there is a lack of trust with the Union. People look and see year upon year of broken promises, and they have had their confidence undermined. Students feel disenfranchised as they see their votes wasted with little return in the promises that were made. Ultimately, this is the biggest problem, and something that my campaign has drawn awareness to in a very big way.
DW: Without a doubt, budget cuts. They're having a huge knock on effect in so many aspects of uni life.
SD: 1) I have already begun to deal with the issue of struggling campus entertainment by submitting a UGM motion on Thursday mandating the D&S Officer to conduct a student-led, reform of campus events and then write a strategy for the best way of providing campus entertainment for the next three years. We need to find out what we as a Union are doing right, and what we can improve on. NSS data shows that over 30% of students at York are unsatisfied with the current events. This is not good enough, we are not providing for all students.
2) As attendance at recent UGMs as shown, along with poor turn out for voting, we are not involving as many students as we should be in Union democracy. This stems from a weak interest, as students are non involved in enough decision that really affect them from day one. I will re-brand Union democracy and involve Freshers in the first week with a 'Big Vote', aimed at creating an interest in a decision that will really make a difference in the short term. Once it is seen that voting really does make a difference, and students pay attention to Union democracy, we are half way there to keep an interest for student democracy as a whole. I think a rebrand is important, and that it will make YUSU and policy making much more accessible to students.
CE: On higher education funding, I've been involved in setting up a debate involving members of the University staff and YUSU officers to be held this Thursday at 6pm in PL002. Along with Jason I've also chaired several discussions on the issue in Campaigns Committee.
On Hes East, I already have the policies of a 24-hour library drop box on Heslington East, and also on Halifax, another college that suffers from the distance issue. The student that I have talked to this week have been very encouraged by the proposal to put a library drop box there, as it shows them that they are not ignored by the rest of us, that we value them as a part of the student community. Another policy that I have is to revamp the campus bike hire service, which already has an outlet on Heslington East and on main campus, but is currently far too small and is woefully under-advertised. This is a service that would be essential to those living out on Hes East, and I plan to expand it to make it a practical alternative to taking the infrequent and unreliable bus service that currently operates.
On the issue of broken promises, I have found that many students, myself included, can identify with the problem. People who voted last year have been turned off the elections because they see no sign of last years’ promises being fulfilled. I know that there are still a few months left in office for the current team, but people’s confidence has been undermined very seriously, and no-one has yet taken up this issue. I am determined that this election will be the one in which people vote for the promises of no more broken promises, which is my message, and my chief concern for my duty as an elected officer to students.
DW: Look for ways to keep expenditure down while continuing to provide the services students require. I'll basically use everything at my disposal to keep services to students alive and well through what will no doubt be a rough year for YUSU. For example if rent goes up, give students an easy way to get to a cheaper supermarket than Costcutter, with a dirt cheap minibus service running on a weekly basis.
SD: Getting involved in events in my first term at uni began the best thing I've done at uni. Alcuin Ents kick started an interest I never knew I had, and since then I've been involved in hundreds of events on campus, organised Access all Areas and ran the Summer and Freshers Balls. As YUSU Ents, I've been able to put on events for thousands of people, and there really is no better feeling than seeing 3500 people having a great time at an event you'd organised. I've created a fantastic university experience for thousands of people, and it's not just been great fun, its been great experience and a learning curve.
CE: It is difficult to say. In the long term some of the campaigns that I have started will come into fruition and will reap huge benefits for the student body in the future. Of course, here and now I can’t know the exact effects that my ideas will have on the future. In term of the short term, the organisation of the Gaza and Haiti walks was a great success, not only because it united students and raised large sums (over £5,000) for very great causes, but also because it has set a precedent of students taking an active interest and care in the outside world as a collective body. The student body can be so powerful and effective when it unites behind an issue, as the walks showed. My hope is that, in the future, others will take up this mantle and will take the initiative to raise money for relief aid and charity work with the support of all students. It doesn’t have to be walks, although the last two were, but just an initiative that raises awareness and money about really important issues. I think this will be my biggest legacy to the university, because it does not just benefit the student community, but also helps those who are most in need, and who we as students really do have the power to reach out our hands and help.
DW: Without a doubt, being chair of Goodricke for the 'big move'. Incredibly proud of that.
SD: Many students don't take any notice because they don't realise that their voice can be heard in the decision making processes that YUSU are governed by. Low voting on UGMs and poor turnout are problems that arise from a perception of complicated democratic and political processes. There is currently nothing to create excitement about voting in a UGM, or about Union decision making.
Democracy is important because YUSU is a Union, and a Union needs to represent its members. Without the say of these members, YUSU would not exist. Democracy influences every part of the Union, from welfare to sports, academic interests, political interests and the provision of events: without a process of finding out what students want, i.e. democratic processes, we would not be involving students in the running of their university experience.
CE: First of all, we do have one of the largest student turnouts in elections in the country, and that bears testament to the strength of the student community here at the university. However, the overall engagement is still very low. I think part of this comes back to the broken promises issue, but it also extends much further than that. I don’t believe that YUSU should interfere with every aspect of every student’s life, but people do need to see that YUSU does matter to them. In some ways, the problem has been the communication of YUSU by YUSU to the students. This is why I propose to make better use of the plasma screens around campus, to create a traffic light initiative to help students monitor the progress of policies that affect them, and to revamp the way that YUSU communicates with students via the newsletter. We need to open up the Union to everyone, so that people don’t feel that engagement with YUSU is for the political clique, but that it is for everyone. My policies, such as water fountains in the library and campus drop-boxes, affect large swathes of the student community, and not just those who are interested.
DW: Democracy is incredibly important. The apparent low interest of students in UGMs is worrying, however I can understand how YUSU can seem 'far away' to people. I want to open more lines of communication with students (eg. Forum on yusu.org, opinion polls) and work on a college level to show students how much effect they can have upon the union that exists to serve them.
SD: I never watched Sesame Street, but I always remember the one in the bin...
CE: This is an easy one – The Cookie Monster; as we both share a love of eating and a seemingly-endless appetite!
DW: The Cookie monster. I sympathise.
Nice answers Peter Campbell...
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