The Mixer
Apathy Rules OK in York Sport Election
So, with the Student Union elections fast approaching, and five potential York Sport presidents to keep us entertained, TM sent three politics-mad spies to the sports centre to find out who the students want to win. Now, it would be vaguely excusable if in Market Square a few biology students here and there didn’t know the names of that famous five, but surely the sporties care how much they’ll have to pay in York Sport membership next year? You’d be surprised…
Thursday three o’clock, pearly turnstile gates shining brightly in the afternoon sunshine, a light breeze tickling the lush green, astroturfed JLD and the sweet smell of campus politics accosting the nostrils. But well over half of the 133 iron-pumpers, six-a-siders, occasional badmintoners and lacrosse-clad gamesters didn’t even know who the candidates are, let alone suggest a potential winner.
Oh, the apathy! But here’s the worst part: the voters aren’t actually to blame. The day before, a Wednesday, BUCS fixture day – the day that the majority of students that actually care about sport can all be found in one place – and the only candidate out campainging was the “committed” and “enthusiastic” (see useful poster) Emily Scott. Where art thou Stash? What keeps from us your graceful presence ‘our Sned’?
It all got a bit too much for Viking Kath Mildon, this campaigning lark, and she pulled out two days after ‘wetting’ appetites (water sports on the lake anyone?) in a room full of ‘our Sned’ louts and Jason Roses’ mates (ok, you got me, just a few Sned louts) at the hustings on Tuesday. The prospect of spending more than a few hours talking to us voters is too bitter a pill to swallow for these Lacy wannabees it seems.
But a few political masterminds did share their wisdom with TM. Emily Scott and Sneddon are tied after attracting 15% of the remaining votes. They are closely followed by Gemma Johnson and ‘Stash’, but a gap is quickly emerging.
Quite frankly TM wouldn’t mind too much if a few of the others followed the Viking’s lead and were replaced by someone a little more charismatic; like Mike Callis, or even Anton ‘Dreamz’ Murphy, for example. At least they might provide some salvation for our bedraggled hockey team on the lonely Wednesday nights in Northern Conference 3B next year. Why should I vote, get me a drink, I’m getting sick, of candidates that stink.
Everyone’s Right to Play
All this talk of elections is but a puff of smoke in the spring breeze, though, when compared to the Right to Play scheme coming to York next week. Third year James Grey is heading up York’s participation in a nationwide movement to raise money for a charity that “uses sport as a tool for social community development, fostering peace, disease prevention, and individual child development.”The scheme aims to see every student across the country pay £1 to play their sport for one day, with all the proceeds going to the disadvantaged children of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Right to Play is the official charity of BUCS this year and as a fairly new organisation, it relies heavily on gestures of goodwill. TM spoke to Right to Play coordinator Julian Anstee about the project and what he hopes to achieve:“On his first visit to Eritrea, Right to Play founder and four-time Olympic champion Johann Olav Koss, came across a child who he described as ‘the popular kid’. Johann asked him why he was so popular, and the child responded simply by pointing to his long-sleeve t-shirt. Johann was puzzled. The child’s teacher explained that the child’s long sleeves meant he was the only one with a shirt big enough to be rolled up and turned into a football. So, if the children wanted to play football he had to be invited. Without cooperation, no one benefits. This is the ethos that lies behind sport at university and elsewhere and we are looking to start a UK student movement with global repercussions.”
Anstee will be relying on Student Ambassadors across UK universities to get the scheme off the ground and Grey has recently taken on that mantle at York.
“Many people take the availability of sport in this country for granted,” he said. “I feel it is the responsibility of those people to provide the opportunities they have been afforded to others who are less privileged and I hope to eventually be able to coach children in the developing world.’ Grey hopes to hold York’s Right to Play day on March 18: TM implores you to be there.
>> Visit www.students4righttoplay. org.uk or Text “PLAY” to 81400 (Texts cost £1.50 and RTP receives 90p)
Flying Low
They act all serious nowadays, but in a fine example of hypocricy, SPORTS CENTRE staff told badminton that if they didn’t want to hurt themselves, they’d have to clean the perilously dusty floors themselves? Are you serious?
Going down
Ow ow! Swollen knee, very painful, please sir, can I have some ice? No. TM learnt of true SPORTS CENTRE cruelty this week when a basketballer was refused medical attention because his injury was not deemed bad enough. Disgusting.
Relegated
Oh and guess who’s bottom of the table? Yep, you got it…the SPORTS CENTRE. Volleyball captain Jack Butcher almost lost his cool when told he’d have to pay to play in the match he’d organised because he’d forgotten his uni card. Unbelievable.
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