Best Comment - Dan Hewitt / Harry Pearse - Vision

8 COMMENT&DEBATE

YORK VISION

COMMENT & DEBATE HARRY PEARSE & DANIEL HEWITT

THE VOICE OF

I Predict A Riot

W

e students used to be pro-active rioters and not drunken, fast food consuming vomiters. Often the only thing York students seem to feel is worth sloganeering about is how much they love and are willing to die for the college that they were arbitrarily placed in. Yet when crisis after humanitarian crisis deserve global attention, surely now there is more potential than ever for the return of the fiery student radical. There are hundreds of thousands of us across the country, all of whom can vote, and all hopefully with our vitality still intact, we genuinely can have an effect on government policy. Speaking exclusively to Vision, former Guantánamo detainee Moazzam Begg calls on all York students to not stop protesting against human injustice. So if you’re angry about something, don’t put it on your Facebook status, go and do something about it. Lets follow the example of those who have already headed Begg’s call, if we are angry and if we see injustice, then let’s make our voices heard.

Disappointed And Disinterested: Disaster

In light of recent events we felt compelled to address the issue of censorship. In no way are the following words intended as a criticism of specific persons, groups or events. However, never before have we felt so compromised in our attempt to simultaneously relay our point, and not engage the ridiculous sensitivity of the Student Union. (For example, the phrase ‘ridiculous sensitivity’ was suggested by Harry and agonised over by Dan. Similar processes occurred throughout the writing of this article. Writing in a dank room in our house, we felt more akin to seditious pamphleteers than idiots writing for a campus rag).

O

ur campus has an unfortunate microcosmic quality that renders, in the minds of certain familiar university figures, feelings of great self-importance. Using the real world as a template, these people impose similar structures of authority and their annexed responsibilities, luxuries and importance, onto the workings of our miniaturised campus exigencies. Take college chairs for example. The effort and skill of being elected, and the importance and

I

s it surprising that over half of York’s students feel profoundly disengaged from the student bodies intended to represent them? The sight of YUSU officers ripping copies of York Vision out of student’s hands hardly cultivates the image of a body that has the skills to engage with students. After all the student body would probably not have rallied around a joke candidate in a pirate costume if those that normally entered student politics were particularly representative of the student body.

A Vision For The Future

S

o York Vision continues to be a breeding ground for the tabloid hacks of the future. Former Vision editor Adam Thorn’s front page scoop for the News of the World has left all at the Vision office swelling with pride and hoping that one day it just might be us derailing the careers of insufferably arrogant television personalities. Considering Adam only left York 6 months ago this is a staggering achievement. If like us, you have ambitions of entering the impossibly murky world of journalism and the surprisingly exciting world of campus media then don’t hesitate to come along to our forthcoming elections on Tuesday February 22nd at 7pm in V/045.

taxing nature of the job itself, rightfully impart a certain prestige to the incumbent. However, within the context of our claustrophobic campus, the job is regularly equated with the power and influence of medieval monarchy. The relative smallness of the place, number of people and therefore, administrative responsibilities, are not accompanied by a proportionate scaling down of the importance of officials. Indeed, the contrary is often the case; the pleasure derived from enjoying importance within a small system, results in an upward turn of self-aggrandisement. This all leads to a deplorable conceit in which recognisable campus figures believe themselves to be, not only immune from criticism, but deserving of our constant adoration. University Football captains, College Chairs and Fusion personalities are just students; not sportspeople, politicians, or fashion icons, and in the same vein, we at Vision are not journalists or writers. Paradoxically, the so called ‘campus celebrities’, who endlessly seek to emulate the power relationships of the outside world in order to ascribe greater authority to their own positions, wish to strangle the media and alter its relationship with the remainder of society. Instead of reporting, analysing and holding to account, York’s big-wigs want newspapers that pander and flatter. College machinations are largely unimportant, and the campus newspa-

pers, while being serious publications, should, as compendiums of student events and opinions, be light hearted. The virtues of free speech need not be enumerated by us; they are well known and understood. Importantly, they are dictums that, along with the opposing sentiment of

Tuesday January 27 2009

tual errors exist, challenging people is a great thing. The best response to criticism or contrary opinions is not to take offence but to argue back and defend ones standpoint. John Stuart Mill once rightly said that debate should never be oppressed because the opportunity to disagree

"Campus figures believe themselves to be...immune from criticism." refraining from libel, do not just belong in an arena of serious discussion and debate. But in any circumstance, censorship is a last resort, a measure taken to prevent genuine defamation of character, not used to protect ones performance from being fairly critiqued. That very few people either read the paper we slave over, or care about the content even if they do, has bypassed those who from time to time, are the subject of the ‘media’s’ attention. Ascribing Presidential-esque importance to the decisions of campus ‘politicians’ and demanding the press write saccharine reviews of their actions gives campus life a political grandeur it doesn’t merit; a grandeur uncomfortably similar to the cult of personality. Having written a piece last year, our deputy comment editor received complaints from various parties. We couldn’t have been more pleased for her. Evidently, her words had affected people, annoyed them, made them laugh and got them talking. This section is designed to do just that. Unless grave fac-

either strengthens your position or forces you to learn something you were previously unaware of. That this paper allows anyone to proffer their beliefs often requires a great deal of patience. Every few weeks, our inbox is flooded with opinion pieces from a multitude of people covering a diverse range of subjects. Some share their far-from-expert views on the conflict in Gaza or their assessment of the Obama Presidency; others, instead of offering opinion, choose to divulge the history of Rugby or how many times a day Tom Scott brushes his teeth. What appears in each edition is indeed subject to our discretion, but never does the question of whether or not we agree with it influence our judgement. Our appraisal of each piece extends only as far as its ability to entertain, provoke or inform.

To affirm our practical, as well as theoretical support of the free press, we have opted not to replace the hideous picture of ourselves inserted by our gracious editors with a photoshopped alternative.

It may take four years to get a coffee in The Courtyard, but we all hope it succeeds.

JOSH CHAMBERS All politicians like to gamble. For John McCain, it is the thrill of craps; for Barack Obama, it's the steely calculation of poker. Matt Burton, whilst not as notable, follows closely in their footsteps. But Burton has eschewed the casino for an even riskier arena, he’s bid everything we’ve got on The Courtyard and we’ve got to hope he wins. The opening of the first YUSU venue is something that should be applauded and actively celebrated. If we don’t spend vast sums

of cash stuffing our student chops with alcohol, coffee, and paninis, we’ll lose the place quicker than you can say ‘why’s Tom Scott no longer dressing like a pirate?’ YUSU have been struggling for a student bar since their inception, but self-congratulation is only, as yet, a sabbatical circlejerk. The bar has yet to be paid for; we have to hope that it can pay its own way. Reasonable estimates suggest that YUSU still need to find around £300,000 to pay for it (luminous green

wallpaper isn't cheap). The University sunk £200,000 into the project, a testament to Matt Burton’s powers of persuasion. One YUSU official told me at the time of the fundraiser that it was, “massively failing”, and that Matt Burton was simply “calling up all his mates.” Doubtless the ranks of his chums have been greatly swelled by the beer-swilling majority at the university, but I’ll warn you Matt, the new one’s are fickle and are in it for the booze. Those who were involved probably deserve a pint, but please, don’t buy

lest we return to Vanbrugh coffee bar with our stampcards soaked in tears. We often assume the University are actively against us. This project is surely proof that, with the appropriate plans and people in place, York University Students Union can do more than ban filthy mags from Your:Shop, or hand them out again at the Freshers’ Fair. They can, and have, worked together with the University to benefit everyone here. The University’s willingness to donate a sizeable wodge of cash to the project shows someone had confidence in YUSU. "He's bid everything we've But over-confidence is the one thing we cannot algot on The Courtyard" low. The bar is fantastic; I am a huge fan and I do hope there them one. If we indulge our are enough supporters of YUSU overlords, they may The Courtyard to fill the gapforget what’s at stake. Not ing funding gap. Matt Burton only for Langwith but also has taken a massive gamble for the sake of all students, with our finances; it’s up to keep the good times flowing us to make sure it pays big.