Emily Fairburn - News Contributor - Vision

NO LIEIT'S THE W.I. BY RACHEL KNOX THE CREATION of the ‘Derwent Women’s Institute’ has got female students across Derwent college excited. The Facebook group already boasts over one hundred members even though there has only been one meeting to date - a sleepover party recently held in Derwent JCR. Created by Welfare Rep. Ciara Masterson, the group promises "book clubs, wine tasting sessions, belly dancing lessons, cookery classes, film nights or pamper parties." Masterson told Vision, "I think it will be a really good way of allowing girls from different years in the college to get to know each other and have fun." There have also been rumours of a naked Derwent WI calendar. Masterson commented: "we shall have to wait and see if there is a demand for naked Derwent ladies!" The massive success of the group has also sparked rumours of a ‘Derwent Men’s Club’ led by college chair Joe Rankin in the near future. The Derwent group is adding to a growing WI culture among younger generations, especially university students. This March the first official university branch was founded at Goldsmith’s University in London. The institute has been revolutionised by younger members and instead of knitting, bake sales and embroidery WI branches now experiment with sushi making, burlesque nights and poledancing lessons.

IT'S PAYBACK TIME

BY RUTH GALLIE

THE GOVERNMENT has broken its promises on student loans, leaving 2.5 million students with bigger debts than they expected. Student loans have always been set with inflation to prevent there being any ‘real cost’ to them. But now it has been announced that, from September, interest rates on the loans will no longer follow inflation. With inflation negative for the first time since 1960, students should have seen the interest rates on their loans drop too. However, a loophole has been exploited by the government and they are using a technicality to prevent loans from 1998 onwards matching deflation. Whilst pre-1998 students will see their interest drop from 3.8% to -0.4%, students who went to university from 1998 onwards will only see their interest drop from 1.5% to 0%. One first-year York economics student commented: “The worry is that once any principle been broken it’s very difficult to fix.” There is currently a petition for Gordon Brown to rethink whilst there’s still time.

Wednesday May 27th, 2009

UNIVERSITY PLAYS KEY ROLE IN TV RECONSTRUCTION

Claudia Crimewatch shot on campus as enquiry calls for more witnesses BY EMILY FAIRBAIRN THE LAST known movements of missing University chef Claudia Lawrence have been reconstructed as part of an appeal being shown on the BBC’s Crimewatch. Camera crews shot scenes around campus and the city that recreated the events which led up to Claudia’s disappearance. One potentially crucial scene shows a woman who could have been Claudia and a mystery man in a hoodie having a heated argument at the side of University Road. The couple were spotted by a cyclist at 6.10am on March 19th, the day that Claudia failed to turn up for her 6am shift at the Roger Kirk Centre.

A similar exchange was filmed at Melrosegate Bridge, where a woman matching Claudia’s description was seen talking with a hooded smoker at about 5.35am of the same day. Detectives investigating the case are still no closer to finding Claudia, nine weeks after she first went missing. They hope that the TV re-enactment will encourage witnesses who could prove key to the investigation to come forward. A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said: “We hope the Crimewatch appeal and reconstructions will help jog people’s memories and someone will come forward and provide us with that vital piece of information which will lead us to Claudia.” The police are also keen to

WITNESS: An actor plays the cyclist

KEY SCENE: Claudia and the Mystery Man

FILMING: The Crimewatch camera identify a man caught on CCTV going into an alleyway behind Claudia’s Heworth Road home at about 5.50am on March 19, a crucial time for the investigation. Another man captured on CCTV at the same time on the opposite side of the road is also being traced, as well as two Asian men seen at Claudia’s front door on March 10th. The investigation is now a suspected murder hunt, and Crimestoppers are offering a £10,000 reward for any information that could lead the police to Claudia. YUSU President Tom Scott has added his voice to the appeal for witnesses. “If anyone reading this remembers seeing one of the people that the police want

Photos by Anna Bucks, YSTV

6

YORK VISION

NEWS

to identify - please call North Yorkshire Police. It might just make the difference to the investigation,” he said. A spokesman for the University added: “The University welcomed the Crimewatch programme onto campus in support of the police investigation into the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence. We continue to offer our support to Claudia’s family and urge anyone with information to contact North Yorkshire Police or Crimestoppers.” If you can help, please contact please call the Police on 0845 60 60 247 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 as a matter of urgency.