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.
Freshers' Fortnight saw the likes of Viking Raid, Access All Areas, Comedy in Central Hall, and Fresh, with The Vengaboys, Basement Jaxx vocalist Vula and Radio One's Steve Lamacq, starting off the year in style.
In early October, Robert Ailwood, a third-year York Archaeology student, was discovered dead in the River Foss, following a massive police operation after his disappearance on a night out the previous Wednesday.
Ailwood, aged 22, had been reported missing by his girlfriend after he failed to return home after a night out on Wednesday 11 October. Following his disappearance, a full-scale search began with local emergency service officers and a specialist police team including divers to search York’s rivers.
Nearly a week later, the body of a young male was discovered in the River Foss near the Blue Bridge next to the Foss Barrier in Fulford on Tuesday 17 October. The body was later confirmed to be that of missing Robert Ailwood. The coroner was unable to disclose whether the circumstances involving Ailwood’s death were suspicious.
York students were faced with another battle for services when the University announced the reduction of portering in late January. Students were told that the cutbacks were due to a staff shortfall of 14, 26% of the workforce, leading to full closures of Vanbrugh, Wentworth, and Derwent lodges.
The University claimed that the shortages were “unforseeableâ€, much to the ridicule of students. After another arduous campaign, ‘Save Our Porters’, the University announced it’s decision to return services to the October 2006 benchmark in early February. Protests had resulted in full services being restored to every college bar Langwith, where currently the lodge is closed during the night.
York Crown Court convicted English student Clive Manyou in late January of raping and sexually assaulting another student as she slept. Manyou, 36, raped a 19 year-old female student after “manipulating†his way into her bedroom during the early hours of 8th June 2006, after a night out at York nightclub Ziggy’s. Manyou was studying English and Related Literature at York, and was lead singer of campus band Mitus.
Manyou was in his first year at York when he was arrested on the 9th June 2006 before being charged with rape on 28th July 2006. In the intervening time Manyou continued to play with Mitus at various campus events. Manyou was subsequently suspended from the University and sentenced to six years in prison at a trial in York Crown Court in January 2007.
The White Rose of York was once again victorious over The Red Rose of Lancaster at Roses 2007, in early May. York led the competition throughout, with only a short period where victory looked in doubt. Wins included sports such as swimming, sailing, equestrian, badminton, and cricket to name but a few!
In May, two students were found guilty of fraud after one asked his friend to sit an exam on his behalf. Third year economics student Qiu Shi Zhang had asked his friend Xin Zhang on May 11th, but invigulators caught Xin after realising he did not resemble the photo on the proof of identification. Both were sentenced at York Magistrates Court to 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay £35 of court expenses. Qui Shi Zhang was subsequently suspended from the University.
The University finally received government permission to proceed with its £500m Heslington East expansion onto Green Belt land, in June 2007. The project was given the all clear despite controversy over environmental implications and disruption to the general lifestyle of local residents.
The face of the university is set to change forever. The expansion will substantially increase the overall size of the University and facilities offered. The student population will increase by approximately 50% with new facilities including a central student venue, swimming pool, and athletics stadium. The development will also see the addition of many new departments, including Law, and Theatre, Film and Television.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Brian Cantor, who presided over the bid for expansion, welcomed the decision as beneficial for the University and the wider community. Building work is set to begin in spring 2008, with many calling for the University to provide an environmentally sustainable campus, a campaign headed by student society People and Planet.
In recent weeks, York has felt the impact of freak weather events, causing flooding on campus and the cancellation of the much anticipated event York Proms. Student organisers of the concert were thought to have lost a whopping £40,000 after the cancellation was announced just an hour before the event was due to begin.
Cancellations were made after on of the two access routes for emergency vehicles flooded, whilst the other had a dangerously high water level which would have exceeded should other rainfall occur. Much of Rowntree Park had escaped immediate flooding but Health and Safety officials could not guarantee the safety of visitors, who were met with advice upon how to receive refunds upon arrival.
A collaboration of the talents of York students, BBC Radio York, and City of York Council, the event was to showcase 400 local performers, with all proceeds going to charity.
Despite predictions of bad weather, York University’s biggest outdoor live music event, RAG Woodstock, went ahead on Saturday of Week 9. Woodstock involved 12 hours of live music split between two stages and was headlined by Make It Better Later, Fenna Rhodes and the True Ingredients, Accept Instruction, and Apply the Breaks.
Not to mention the overwhelming contribution of many student societies, resulting in the event achieving its fundraising target of £5000, to be split between 10 beneficiaries.
As we leave our now slightly sodden campus for three months, some of us forever, we can look back at some of these events as defining times of our York student experience. Whether you are off too see the world, off to start your career, or off back home for comfort, The Yorker wishes all readers a fantastic summer and best of luck to this year’s graduates, the class of 2007.
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