THE AU IS receiving strong criticism from many quarters of the university’s sporting community as wholesale changes to its charging system and large developments to the sports centre are having a negative impact on nearly all clubs.

On behalf of the Athletic Union, welcome to York. Regardless of whether this will be your first year or your last year, I hope that it is enjoyable and that the AU can play a role in making your time as valuable and rewarding as you wish.

The AU is here to help all students get involved in sport as it is the best way to get to know new and exciting people. Your time here is the single best chance you will have to get involved in something new or further develop you passions, be them sporting or otherwise.

November 2004, 24 Hours of Sport - Ex-AU President Stuart Leslie and current President Nik Engineer complete a marathon 24 sports in 24 hours for charity.

IT WAS A YEAR of mixed fortunes for York in sport during the 2004/05 season. Ex-AU president Stuart Leslie holding the Carter-James trophy after an emphatic victory over great rivals Lancaster in the Roses was the undisputable high point of a year which also saw relegation for the football men’s firsts and a disappointing year for rugby after Lancaster’s rugby team were banned from the Roses competition.

York University could be in line to receive a huge financial boost to improve its sporting facilities with the economic benefits of the London Olympics in 2012 looking likely to be felt all around the country.

Last week saw the ten year anniversary of York City’s famous 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the league cup at Old Trafford, and after a decade which has held very few fond memories, York’s promising start to this season’s campaign has finally brought some optimism back to KitKat Crescent.

Jamie Merrill uncovers the spiralling cycle of violence in Iraq

Simply put things in Iraq are not going according to plan. Now almost 1000 days since the invasion and occupation of Iraq the country is standing on the brink of civil war.

Andreas Masoura examines Sudan’s prospect of sustaining a peaceful future in the aftermath of Africa’s longest civil war

After over two decades of violence seen in Africa’s longest civil war peace may be a realistic prospect for the Sudan.

For those that wish to put their money where their mouth is, and act upon their ideals, here is a brief overview of some of the possibilities to do so. What follows is a compilation of abridged articles submitted either by societies on campus or individuals who have taken matters into their own hands.

NEW ALCUIN STUDENTS have been been forced into temporary accommodation for the duration of freshers week after University building work has failed to meet its deadline.

YORK UNIVERSITY’S ethical policy has been thrown into serious doubt by the discovery that the University has a substantial number of shares in the arms company BAE systems.

A DIRE WARNING for the future of York was issued by a University Professor last week, who revealed that the city could suffer a catastrophic flood event within thirty years which would cover the town, suburbs and even submerge the University campus.

A TERROR REPORT published this month condemns York University for harbouring BNP extremists, but a Nouse investigation has revealed that the evidence these claims are based on is questionable.

A YORK GRADUATE who stole £30,000 from a University professor has been ordered to pay back £17,365 or face a 12 month extension to his sentence.

THE TWO BIGGEST clubs in York have been given permission to extend their opening hours.