Upon releasing this delightful tale, the director boasted that this was a mere taste of his artistic vision, as suggested by the subtitle of the movie: “(First Sequence).” The Human Centipede II: (Full Sequence) was meant to be released this month. Six claimed it would render the first a mere “my little pony” in comparison. Such a bold, sensationalist assertion must have contained a grain of truth: on the 12th of June, the British Board of Film Classification banned the film due to “unacceptable material” which is “sexually violent and potentially obscene.”

So what is the integral difference between the two films that has incited such a firm reaction? The first subscribed to a conventional horror format with its evil German doctor kidnapping inane, vulnerable women who have the chance to make an escape. The clear insanity and amorality of the antagonist, combined with the external cinematic perspective which encourages sympathy with the victims, implicitly condemns the surgical project as inherently wrong. In the second film, however, the audience is invited to perceive the diegesis through the involving perspective of a protagonist who has in fact viewed the first film and subsequently decided to realise its central event himself. The lucky twelve (yep, there’s twelve this time) who form this sequence are submitted to “total degradation, humiliation, mutilation, torture, and murder,” culminating in the protagonist’s brutal rape of the “centipede’s” back with barbed-wire wrapped around his member. The crucial difference between these films seems to be that where The Human Centipede relied on a concept in order to terrify its audience, with little actual gore on screen, The Human Centipede II relies wholly on violent pornography.

Where the first is characterised by the conjuring of cognitive terror, the second gains its filmic life through visual terror. It is certainly true that the horror genre has itself moved throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries from the former to the latter; from Psycho to Saw. However, despite collectively containing about 11 hours of brutal torture scenes, not a single second has been cut from the Saw franchise. So there must be an intangible line which features like A Serbian Film (which offers such niceties as the rape of a newborn baby) and The Human Centipede II cross. But who gets to define this line?

Well, the BBFC, clearly. But in a broader sense, can one truly define the differentiating factors between art and straight-up pornography? This was a question first made pertinent in the film world with the release of the now infamous Deep Throat in the 1970s. Despite its graphic depiction of a girl’s proficient skills at fellatio, this feature received the same R rating as many non-pornographic films of the time. Six’s response to the BBFC’s ruling is interesting in light of this question of moral boundaries: “Apparently I made a horrific horror film, but shouldn’t a good horror film be horrific? My dear people it is a fucking MOVIE. It is all fictional. Not real. It is all make-believe. It is art. Give people their own choice to watch it or not.”

Freedom of choice in what media we consume is undeniably of the utmost importance in the times we live in. Tom Six does have a point. The existence of a board which censors what the general populace is allowed to view does act as a barrier to such liberty. On the other hand, the protection of children from such visual vulgarity is important, and the proffering of the BBFC seal grants a film the stamp of moral approval which allows it to be exhibited and distributed nationwide. Should The Human Centipede II be sitting in the “new releases” section of your local HMV? Art surely involves an experience which produces a message rather than what amounts to an attempt to merely produce a sequel profoundly more shocking than its prequel, thereby earning the crown of, as Six asserts in the teaser trailer, “the sickest movie ever.”

Ultimately, the opinions of you, me and the BBFC are of little consequence. Both sides of the fence simultaneously succeed and fail in their respective intentions to prevent or facilitate the watching of this film. The BBFC may have prevented the widespread exhibition of The Human Centipede II, but the seedy virtual cinemas of the world wide web will always be there to indulge any public desire for sadistic visual gratification. The Human Centipede II – coming to a torrent near you.

The lives of the “beat generation” writers of the 50s were filled with quirkiness, rebellion, and ‘obscenity’; be it drug culture, sexual freedom or murder scandals, this wave of writers were certainly not living a vanilla lifestyle.

On paper, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Freedman’s decision to tackle a biopic on one of the fore-fathers of beat could promise to yield a fascinating piece of celluloid. Or it could merely offer, as the trailer seems to suggest, two hours of medium shots of the bespectacled artist blowing smoke-infused self-congratulation onto the lens. The latter path is masterfully avoided as this feature adopts a collage of aesthetics, forms and narratives in order to produce an engaging and often abstract insight into the unique mind of Allen Ginsberg.

Rather than being wholly biographic Howl is a visual portrayal of its namesake. The extended animated sequences which are presented as an accompaniment to the poet’s oration are at once shocking, incongruous and illuminating, plunging you deep into Ginsberg’s mind before adeptly switching back into the reality which spawned such infernal imagery. James Franco masterfully portrays Ginsberg, adopting his mannerisms and intonation to create what feels like authentic interview footage. This intriguing portrayal sustains interest in the protagonist.

Exploration of the figure is cleverly staged around his famous court-trial in 1957 for obscenity, bringing to light the furious debate concerning 1950s censorship and legal conceptions of ‘morality’ in art. A claustrophobic courtroom is the chosen battlefield, offering a final, external perception of Ginsberg’s art. Such scenes make a contemporary audience decidedly proud to live in a time where the word “necessary” is absent from art.

This film is showing in York at City Screen. Click here for more information.

This month has seen the release of the much anticipated remake of the Graham Greene novel adaptation, Brighton Rock. Greene’s tale of violence and love in late 1930s Brighton is here retold in a swinging sixties setting, showcasing such British talent as Helen Mirren, John Hurt and Andy Serkis. What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot unfortunately. But let’s not be wholly negative. Let’s momentarily focus on some positives. This film contains some truly beautiful images and segments. The opening seconds depict visually stunning, tempestuous waves rolling into Brighton, an ominous aesthetic which foreshadows the drama of the film. The use of chiaroscuro lighting with barren lightbulb adorned rooms and dimly-lit telephone boxes accompanies an early twentieth century style orchestral score, paying homage to the film’s Noir routes. Meanwhile, Rowan Joffe playfully juxtaposes banal sea-side shots with those portraying violent murder, creating an atmosphere of constant unease.

That being said, the major downfall of the film is that, fundamentally, a considerable portion of it is laughable. This facet of Brighton Rock is due almost entirely to the protagonist. This perpetually brooding “Pinkie” is never without an irritatingly, faux-dramatic, angry expression adorning his face, completing the tableau with the never-ending collar popping. It’s Pinkie’s dialogue which catapults the character into the realms of the ridiculous. Statements like “You’re good. And I’m bad. We’re made for each other” crop up in almost every scene causing an auditorium-wide cringe. He manages to snag “Rose”, the supposed heroine of the film, with a line which amounts to “I like you; how about we go to the pictures?” Rose is annoying pathetic and is never without a slightly askew pair of awkward glasses and a quivering lip, allowing zero spectatorial sympathy. What is more, their relationship is conveniently skirted over, making her ignore all the blatant warning signs, in order to support a vicious murderer. Such convenient skirting over also occurs with Pinkie’s character. Brighton Rock begins by showing the anaemic little Pete Doherty as a green, cowardly novice who is unable to use his knife. Ten minutes later he is seemingly a cold blooded killer. It is these jumps in logic which act as a boundary to genuine narrative and character involvement.

An important element of this film is, of course, the creative decision to re-cast the story in the sixties. On paper this sounds interesting, as long as it is relevant and in some way evolves or augments the plot. It does not. After the first very Noir half an hour it is as if Joffe suddenly thought “Oh maybe we should make it sixties”, inserting superfluous, irrelevant, sustained Vespa parade shots which add nothing to the action. Then, every ten minutes or so, we will get random close-ups of women with sixties hair cuts, and reaching its climax with an utterly pointless scene showing Rose investing in some sixties garb. Then back to the film again. The dubious reason for such an epochal choice seems to be an attempt to stage the story against the backdrop of a battle of the young and the old. Once again, this fails.

The final nail in the film’s coffin is a bizarrely out-of-nowhere, Christian didactic ending. A final close-up of a crucifix shouts at the audience “GOD IS LOVE”, plastering onto the celluloid a flimsy thematic summary of the film as a whole. Fleeting moments of aesthetic sumptuousness unfortunately fail to remedy this film’s profound faults.

For some such a cinematic term is certainly alien. “Don’t like Black and Whites” is a sentence heard just a little bit too often and the involvement of French vocabulary certainly doesn’t reduce the perceived pretension. However, colour elitists are about to get their comeuppance. Why? Cos Film Noir’s back, baby.

Critics have marked its glorious return in recent years through the appearance of its themes, concerns and aesthetics springing up across the film world. A figure-head feature for this so-called revival is Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City with its monochrome rain-slicked streets, dangerously seductive females and voice-over narration. Alongside this are such features as The Black Dahlia, Public Enemies and Mulholland Drive, all in varying ways waving the flag for swell dames and alcoholic P.Is. This latter piece by David Lynch paying homage to the Noir Films of the forties and fifties; in this instance Sunset Boulevard, a Noir classic which also lays at the foundation of William Monahan’s recent feature film London Boulevard.

This interest clearly continues as the remake of another famous Noir work Brighton Rock hit British screens last friday. Reviewers have commented on its Noir stylisation, embracing the melodrama in Graham Greene’s novel whilst utilising “chiaroscuro lighting, swooping camera movements, vertiginous set ups and an old fashioned orchestral score” (Tom Charity).

The key aesthetic and thematic elements of Noir have also cropped up in such recent blockbusters as Black Swan and Inception. Whether it be the battle of dark vs. light and the vindictive femme fatale in the former, or the drab and shadowy lighting, gothic city-scapes and anti-hero of the latter, Noir coats the reels of both these works. Furthermore, this past week there has been evidence of a renewed attention being paid to directors of the Noir era.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in the case of Orson Welles, one of the most critically acclaimed Noir directors, known for such timeless features as Citizen Kane, The Lady From Shanghai and Touch of Evil. To the delight of Welles fans worldwide, an unfinished piece filmed by the auteur in the 1970s titled The Other Side of the Wind seems to be finally set to hit the screens, despite furious ownership disputes. What is more, the BFI is engaged in fundraising to allow for the restoration of nine early silent films by Alfred Hitchcock; a director who gave the world such canonical Noir features as Psycho, Strangers On a Train and Vertigo. And to top it all off film Noir classic The Big Sleep saw its UK re-release just two months ago, finding itself once again gracing our cinemas.

But wait just one second. Is this really a Noir revival? Is this really a retrospective revolution of cinematic concerns; an abandonment of the contemporary in favour of classical Hollywood? Or has Noir never left?

Just a casual glance at film history will answer this question. From films such as Bonnie and Clyde and The Manchurian Candidate in the sixties, to the blatant re-invented Noir of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown and Farewell My Lovely in the seventies, to the sci-fi noir of Blade Runner and Noir films like Body Heat and Against All Odds in the eighties, up until such hits of the nineties as The Usual Suspects and Se7en, one can be sure that our good friend was never the absentee. This is due to Noir’s sheer adaptability. A great majority of critics in this area have concluded that Film Noir is not a genre but merely a collection of thematic, aesthetic and technical styles. In this way it can appear in just about any feature, making its mark through a character, camera movement or merely how a set is lit. Thus, it has traversed genre boundaries, being used in science fiction (The Matrix, Alphaville), graphic novel adaptations (Batman Begins, Watchmen); even comedy (The Big Lebowski).

Along-side its strong visual attraction, the Noir film concerns itself with melancholy, disillusionment, paranoia, moral corruption, guilt and alienation, themes which are never going to be irrelevant in any given society. The timelessness of these elements guarantees that as cinema evolves, twisting and turning into new territories, there will always be a shady fedora-adorned character clinging on. Bogart and Bacall are no doubt smiling in their graves.

“Pure nonsense!” I hear you cry, protesting that the industry is just as powerful as ever; its culturally hegemonic presence still spreading its fingers across the entire globe. But does the mere promulgation of fashion genre movies involving post-apocalyptic landscapes, vampiric love trysts and alien invasions sustain an art form? How long can it flourish? Or is it so enshrined in our society that it is impervious to damage? This creation of supply and demand genre movies seems to be carried out in a similar manner to that of the ‘studio era’. Furthermore, obsession with the fantasy of such movies as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Twilight suggests a widespread perception of cinema as having an escapist rather than artistic function. So perhaps the urgent question is not “how long can cinema continue to flourish?” but “how long can cinema continue to flourish in its current form?” Indeed, the historical basis for Greenaway’s pessimism is the death of an anachronistic form, not the entire medium. So does Hollywood have an answer? Perhaps it does, coming in the form of those extortionate plastic glasses they sell you in the lobby.

3D is proving to be hugely successful. It has, of course, existed in a variety of shapes and sizes from the 1950s up until now, but recent technological advances have revolutionised the third dimension. James Cameron showed the world the beauty that can be achieved, showcasing a movie which utilises such technology outside of the realms of novelty. However, it cannot be contended that the new wave of 3D movies following this success are anything but economically inclined. Films such as Clash of the Titans, The Last Airbender and Alice in Wonderland were converted to 3D in post-production yielding sloppy results, fitting perfectly into the zeitgeist and allowing the addition of those few extra pounds. The bastards. But can you really blame them? Cameron has spoken out against such blatant money-making schemes, but this seems a hypocrisy in light of his current 3D conversion of Titanic and the success of Avatar. In his words, “We’ve demonstrated that the 3D market is an extremely lucrative market and this is not a fad, this is not something that will go away.” Of course he certainly hopes not.

Perhaps the wide-spread creation and purchasing of 3D televisions and video cameras confirm this statement. This movement into the private sphere could cement the form as a part of every day life. Indeed, it has already moved past the function of enhancing action, as Sky and ESPN launch 3D sports channels, and camcorder advertisements depict the benefits of watching your darling baby footage pop out of the screen. Furthermore, the gaming market is set to jump on board with Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft moving into 3D territory.

All signs seems to suggest that 3D is here to stay, the recent success of Tron: Legacy setting this wave apart from the previous attempts which have decorously crashed and burned. The industry might at present be suffocated by the grip of novelty, but this is inevitable with the birth of any new technology. This was evident when sound first hit Hollywood as much of the cinematic world was openly dismissive, with the first “talkie” The Jazz Singer containing only select dialogue scenes, aimed purely to show off its innovation. Thus, time is of the essence as scientists and directors work to explore the possibilities of this technology. But first, it seems clear that the film industry must move past the token splattering three-dimensional blood of Saw 3D and the rotating, protruding dismemberment of Piranha 3D.

A redefinition of the rom-com? The flag-bearer of a new dynasty of film, nay, a new genre? No. But is it even trying to do such things? Yes. So let’s analyse the facts. This is a film that seeks to explore the ethics and traumas confronting sufferers of degenerative diseases and their carers. And this is set on a backdrop of socio-political debate concerning the American pharmaceutical industry. Whilst this is occurring, a revaluating of cinematic sexual portrayal is attempted, leading to a reimagining of romantic comedy.

To the detriment of the sad many who have invested their time and money, none of these goals are achieved.The characters are not sympathetic. Fundamentally, Anne Hathaway is annoying. Each line she delivers drips with a profusion of self-congratulation and smugness, trying too hard to play the malcontent with enough self pity to more than account of the lack of the audience’s. Meanwhile, Jake Gyllenhaal bumbles around her as the stock player-turned-bleeding-heart-romantic, physically shaking when he utters those three beautiful words for the first time. Cheese ferments out of the screen in other standard rom-com scenes such as the stereotypical frantic climax of catching up with the lover before she leaves town; a high-speed car chase here replacing the accepted airport scene. “STOP THE PLANE”

This zenith is brought about through the solo watching of black and white grainy footage of their sentimental, bedroom vernacular. None of this is new, and neither is the poor-man’s Jonah Hill, irritating, chronic masturbator, fat brother character who adds thoroughly incongruous “humour” to the table whilst contributing nothing to the narrative.

But let’s get to the point.The crux of the advertising and subsequent reviews seems to be revolving around the film’s sex, as portrayed by the “oh surely not!” hand-over-mouth gesture Gyllenhaal adopts in the promotional posters. I will admit that such scenes of erotica are indeed different from your average rom-com. However, does lack of a seventies soul soundtrack, dusk lighting and the additions of semi-nudity and foreplay declarations like “let’s fuck” really revolutionise the genre? It does not, and even if it did such emotional barrenness gives way rapidly to a suffocating sentimentality that inevitably undermines all plans to be different.

Fundamentally, this is a run of the mill rom-com without the pleasure of mall changing room montages and made all the worse for trying to be something else. As I rose from my seat I was left with a deep sense of disappointment and enough of Hathaway’s breasts to last me a life- time.

Skyline is showing in York at Reel Cinema. Click here for further details, and have a look here to see what films are showing at Reel this week.

The ever shifting currents of cinema have, of late, been moving into extraterrestrial territories. In the upcoming months we will be treated to the likes of Battle: Los Angeles, Monsters and Paul. So how does Skyline fare as one of the initial waves of such invasion narrative? Not badly. Is this controversial? Has this critic not seen the online reviews slating it as possibly the worst film of all time? Yes.

However, what some critics have flagrantly ignored is that the possible potency of a film like Skyline must not be over-estimated. It is, at heart, a genre movie and at no point is it trying subvert such boundaries. There’s the token black guy, introduced with the musical framing of hip hop, who goes on, obviously, to possess a gun and, obviously, die first. There’s the token Mexican character that fits beautifully into the scene alongside the classic doubting girlfriend and, just for good measure, (for lack of a better word) the slut. Piranha 3D showed the filmic potency and entertainment value of such casting. Nearly all of the dialogue, briefly audible between the film’s dense bouts of almost asthmatic, perverse breathing, could consist of quotes from other, similar movies, culminating in the brilliantly familiar, “They’re not dead… they’re just really, really pissed off.”

Aside from the endemic clichés, Skyline does contain certain cinematic techniques which unite to create genuine suspense. The decision to confine the film to a single apartment block is one such method which produces a sense of claustrophobia and simultaneous sympathy with the characters. The temptation of cutting to frantic, DEFCON 1 White House scenes, featuring a gunship-diplomacy general, must have been profoundly difficult to resist. Time-lapse filming also conveys effectively the prolonged entrapment of the penthouse inhabitants.

Unfortunately, the virtues of Skyline are greatly undermined by the last ten minutes, which really should have been cut. Before these abominable scenes, the thoroughly predictable yet suitable message of Love Prevails had been ritually shat onto the audience, and we were satisfied. But this was seemingly not enough, as scenes of the invasion on a global scale appear, adding a narrative omniscience which shatters the previous claustrophobia. What’s more, the film then cuts to a bizarre, incongruous, and quite disturbing scene of the protagonist’s brain being harvested, before he takes on the form of an alien and then battles to save his wife. Love Prevails again.

Regardless of such a peculiar conclusion, this film does what it says on the tin. If B-grade alien genre movies are your thing, then don’t think twice.

Unless you have accidentally stumbled into the wrong screen, it is more than likely that you know what you’re getting when you step into Machete. The film’s satirical, Mexploitation approach makes itself abundantly lucid from faux-grainy opening shots and a deadpan Danny Trejo holding up his subtle title weapon, proclaiming, “This is the boss.” And it certainly is, casually and gratuitously dismembering corporate America for 105 minutes.

Lightly sprinkled upon this beautifully cathartic violence is textbook grindhouse female nudity, from a chica who retrieves a mobile phone from inside herself, to a cavorting Lindsay Lohan who keeps the film within its borders (unlike the Mexicans). Machete is a revenge movie, but also contains a complex political plot weaved around the ‘tits n’ gore’, necessitating the entrance of a corrupt US Senator (Robert De Niro) and his maniacal aide. Where some may criticize the twists and turns of this political subtext, it provides narrative depth whilst self-consciously parodying contemporary debate surrounding Mexican immigration. Rather than attempt to suck us into an alternate reality, Rodriguez constantly reminds us of the work’s form with superfluous shot changes and a brilliantly cheesy soundtrack. This aspect of the film flits between sentimental Spanish guitar for emotionally pregnant moments, high-speed Santana-esque guitar solos for the fast-paced action, and bow-chicka-wow-wow classic porn music for erotic scenes that feature Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez.

If ridiculous violence, nudity and latent paedophilic incest are your cup of tea, then this film is for you. If you like fun, then this film is for you also. I would pay the entrance fee just to see Trejo rappel down a wall with a human intestine.

The open-air music festival showcased the depth of the musical talent on campus across three separate stages from midday to midnight. Spectators were treated to 230 acts ranging from the ‘York Hornets’ cheerleading squad to Arctic Fury, York’s pioneering metal band.

York musicians such as Dreamz Murphy and Magnapow also played alongside acts such as York Samba Band.

This year RAG have made an estimated £2,500 profit, a marked rise from last year’s £85. This money will go to six different beneficiaries: three local charities, one national and one international.

This year’s ‘York’s Got Talent’ competition ended during Woodstock, with victory going to a dancing tribute act from Derwent, NSINK.

The group, chosen to represent Derwent College in the final at an earlier event, faced competition from fellow competing acts such as a duet from Vanbrugh’s Chris Shultz and Amelia Hogg, and Goodricke’s Bon Jovi tribute Sean Ahlstrom. They emerged successful as onlookers voted with donations to their collection bucket to give them the honour of winning.

The event was a culmination of smaller competitions to decide the entrants for each college, held in bars across campus in the weeks running up to Woodstock. While performances at the earlier events had been more varied, the acts on the day were mostly acoustic guitar playing singers, and karaoke acts.

While the heat to decide the winner of the contest was held shortly after the start of Woodstock, the winners played on the main stage later on in the day as the prize for raising the most money, despite not having enough material to fill the twenty minute long slot.

What I’m driving at here is that at the University of York, we simply organise housing too early. It seems to me that in the first few months of habitation in these hallowed halls it is impossible to grasp the character development of your ‘friends’ necessary for a year’s worth of co-occupancy. Yes, Jack McGraw seemed friendly enough, but as soon as his room full of Nazi-paraphernalia made itself known, your relationship became somewhat complex. And what about that Alice Pleasant? She seemed nice, didn’t she? Until she got out her medieval re-enactment chain- mail and her axe. That cursed axe. And then you woke up one day and thought “Shit. I’m living with a Nazi and a Knight” (I understand this might not have happened to everyone, by the way).

Where York fails, other universities have succeeded. For example, at the University of Edinburgh, housing is organised in the summer term and over summer itself. I feel that the space of time between the winter and the summer terms produces a greater understanding between people; a more wholesome knowledge which can filter the classics from the one-hit wonders: Mozart from N-Dubz (admittedly Dappy’s contribution to Tinchy Stryder’s ‘Number One’ is classic).

During my short time at York I have had the privilege of visiting a variety of second-year housing. I can safely say that not one of them deserves the adjective ‘functional’. Common features of such households are the resident isolationist who does not leave his/her room, or the non-resident who can’t get far enough away from the homestead. These people gain their daily sustenance from the comforting knowledge that they are moving for their third years; a communal knowledge which undermines any remaining remnants of cohesion. The third year houses I have entered are, in comparison, shining examples of community. The combination of being genuine friends with your housemates and bonding over anecdotes of what malcontents you lived with the previous year yields a greater happiness.

So are we to conclude that our last year is the key? Is our second year merely a crucial character-building exercise which is part of a universal curriculum? The answer is no. It does not take the erection of a roof over you and your friends’ heads to reveal true character facets. Epiphanies of hatred and irritation readily crop up at the end of the first year. The solution seems simple. I am not asking for much. No ‘character-building’ weekends away where we close our eyes and let our prospective housemates catch us. No team of psychoanalysts to test our compatibility. Just time. Give us more time. If not, then give us a room in Hes East. I hear it’s going to be fantastic.

Proposed by YUSU LGBT Officers Elanin Vince and Peter Warner-Medley, the motion aims to provide toilet facilities for all students who do not identify themselves as either male of female. Narrowly passing with a 50 vote margin, the motion has provoked an outburst of student opinion.

One dissenter, History of Art undergraduate Hattie Buxton commented: “I’ve never heard of anything more ridiculous in my life. This sort of thing shows how far political correctness has got. Firstly, there isn’t a difference between sex and gender.

Secondly, science is science. If you are born with male genitals, you are a man. If you are born with female genitals, you are a woman.”

Warner-Medley and Vince were keen to fight back against such opinions: “These sorts of people just show us how important education is,” said Warner-Medley. “People simply aren’t not informed enough about Trans issues, leading to this sort of bigotry. Imagine that someone has lived as a woman for the last two years of her life. It would be massively intimidating entering a female bathroom where women might think that they don’t belong.”

“It works on both sides,” added Vince. “It will help the men or women who are uncomfortable with people they perceive as the opposite sex entering the loos. Of course, we don’t want to promote such views, but they do exist.”

Several other motions proposed by LGBT were also passed, including the right for students to choose what name they are referred to as, and a proposed altering of data capturing methods.

Commenting on the latter motion, Warner-Medley said: “It is point-blank an invasion of privacy to ask for sex. It is asking what’s between our trousers, like putting on a form how big your penis is.”

Following the backlash of student opinion on the passing of the motions, the officers were keen to emphasise the importance of LGBT’s work on campus: “These people just show us much work we have to do. Acceptance, education: these are integral. I recommend that people go out and learn about what Trans really means. Learn. Then comment.”

This is part of a move to extend the search overseas as Peter Lawrence, Cladia’s father, admits that his daughter could be “absolutely anywhere”.

Martin Dales, a friend and spokesman for Mr. Lawence has commented “Naturally, we are trying every avenue open to us in our quest to find Claudia and it seemed a good opportunity to take our message to the Italian people, whom we ask to be vigilant and to report any unusual activity or sightings to the police.”

Dales has traveled to Sorrento, in Italy, to record a video appeal for the missing person’s programme, ‘Chi L’Ha Visto’. The show, which translates as “who has seen them?” is broadcast on a weekly basis on the Italian TV channel Rai Tre.

The aim of this appeal is to ask Italian viewers to be alert for any possible sightings of Claudia.

Dales suggested that in the field of missing person’s programming Italy has succeeded where Britain has failed:

“It is good that Italian television has a weekly programme on missing people, but it is both disappointing and short-sighted that excellent programmes such as the BBC’s Missing Live are only broadcast on an occasional basis on UK television when there are so many missing people in our country at any one time.”

Dales interview can be viewed in English and Italian on the programme’s website, www.chilhavisto.rai.it, and is due to be on the air within the next few weeks,

Claudia Lawrence was last seen more than nine weeks ago on March 18th returning to her home on Heworth Road, at about 15:10. The next morning she failed to turn up for her 6am shift at Goodricke’s Roger Kirk Centre.

Anybody with information should contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 60 60 247

Thursday and Friday night saw the result of a term and a half’s preparation. A record 1650 students attended the show and the afterparty sold out in a day.

Fusion Chair Tim Ngwena commented: “I would like to thank all 450 students involved in this years show,” referring to the 50 student designers, 30 hair and make up artists, 132-strong Fusion Cast, 140-member society cast, 20 choreographers, 30 stewards and backstage, and the Fusion committee. He also thanked everybody who came to see the show.

Last year’s show ‘Fusion In Motion’ raised close to £10,000, beating their previous fundraising targets. This year, Fusion are donating to World Vision, their global beneficiary, and Spring Hill School, a local cause.

The show depicted the experiences of a lone traveller, taken across the world by a range of guides representing each nation’s culture. Using a theme of aeroplane travel, the audience was transported from the streets of London, with its resident punks and street sellers, to Rio, where a Carnival ensued.

Elizabeth O’Dwyer, Charities and Events Officer for Fusion commented: “On behalf of the committee, I would like to reiterate Tim’s thank you to everyone who was involved in Fusion this year, and of course to all those that came to see the show. The atmosphere both on and off-stage was incredible. It was great to see everyone’s hard work finally come to fruition. I would highly recommend that everyone volunteer to be part of next year’s show.”

The results come after a survey conducted to assess student satisfaction with existing library services revealed many students to be frustrated with the current opening hours, especially in the run-up to summer exams, and as a result, the library has begun drawing up plans for a 24-hour operating schedule.

YUSU Policy and Campaigns Officer Tom Langrish, who has been involved in the fight for extended library hours for some time, described the current opening hours as “shocking”, adding that, “a world-class university like York needs and deserves a world-class library. At the moment, York’s library does not cater for the diverse student population at key points of the year.”

The issue of library hours has been a matter of contention on campus for some time. Last term, YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer, Charlie Leyland, proposed a motion, later passed at YUSU council, to action both herself and President Tom Scott to lobby for 24-hour library opening during term time. She admitted at the time that there were several hurdles to overcome before such opening hours could be implemented, most importantly the issue of adequate staffing and security.

“We need to improve security so that the library is not misused, especially by members of the public,” she said.

Although plans are now being formed for a 24-hour library, it is unlikely to be implemented this year, due to the costs and practical implications which must be considered. Currently, the library is unstaffed past 9.00 each evening, and a 24-hour opening would require a greater staffing and security presence. However, changes are underway, with the current opening time of the library being put forward to 8.00 (instead of 8.30) on Monday to Friday throughout the academic year, and the library will stay open until midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as earlier in the week. There are also plans to extend opening hours during part of April, July and September when students are in need for exam preparation.

The idea of a 24/7 library has received a mixed reception amongst students. “The idea of a “24-hour library” is ridiculous,” commented first year History of Art student Hattie Buxton. “Not only is it a drain on resources which could be better used elsewhere, but it encourages hysterical work habits. The latter is hugely detrimental to both the health of students and the quality of work that is written.”

The concern that such opening hours could be interpreted as the Univerisity and the Students Union encouraging an unhealthy work ethic in students has been recognised by Leyland, and she was keen to emphasize that help will be provided to help students manage their time: “We don’t want to be seen to condone people working for 24 hours,,” she said, “so we need to look into welfare provisions and doing campaigns about how to manage your academic workload.”

She was, however, very positive about the steps taken by the university, commenting that, “I’m thrilled to bits that the library has agreed to work towards this with some immediate improvements to opening hours happening already. By extending ‘term-time’ hours to the week before exam time hopefully students will find the doors open when they most need to use the library.”

Any students wishing to provide feedback regarding library provision can email acwelf@yusu.org or visit Charlie Leyand in the YUSU offices.

After elections at the beginning of this year, several colleges found themselves with incomplete JCRCs and unfilled positions, leading to subsequent by-elections. Two colleges in particular felt the dearth of political involvement on campus: the Goodricke JCRC was left with 15 empty positions and had to resort to by-elections. Such a lack of involvement was also evident in Halifax, where 15 places were also left without representatives.

Somewhat prophetically, following his election last year, YUSU President Tom Scott commented that “the majority of students just don’t care about campus politics because it doesn’t affect them that much. No that’s wrong, because it doesn’t seem to affect them. Most people just want to get on with their degrees and their lives. They don’t see it as a problem, they are quite happy as they are.”

The YUSU elections of last March showcased an unprecedented degree of student political participation. The total turnout rose from 2007’s 1,723 voters to 3,703. This was 33% of the university, the highest turnout at a British University that year. Anne-Marie Canning, Referendum Coordinator at the time, declared “I’m happy that we had a fantastic turnout. Clearly York students have made their voice heard.”

However, a similar turnout was not seen in the smaller JCRC elections this year. Commenting on the situation, Halifax Chair, Roberto Powell stressed the importance of college JCRCs for all students: “Student politics are integral to university life. As a force, it needs to raise its profile significantly,” he said. Currently, JCRCs are responsibile for much grass-roots welfare and representation of students.

YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer, Charlie Leyland, was keen to emphasize student involvement in Union politics, calling on the creation of the Courtyard venue and the large turnout of students to the last YUSU elections as signals of an involved student body.

“This year, after many years of hard work, is somewhat of a landmark year for us, I believe. With the bar we’re mobilised to turn revenue into more student services, and with one of the highest election turn-outs in the country, we are able to sit and declare true student representation through democracy at the highest level of decision making in the University.”

Their score of 4.4 out of 7 has come as a disappointment, placing YUSU considerably behind the other universities ranked in The Times’ survey. The universities of Exeter and Plymouth, positioned just below York, gained 5 and 5.6 respectively, whilst universities such as Sheffield and Loughborough scored marks between 6 and 7.

The Times Higher Education’s Student Experience Survey aims to show which universities offer the best all-round student experience. Students themselves choose the attributes that they deem most important to them, and more than 12,000 full-time undergraduates were asked to rate their university on these aspects.

Wes Streeting, president of the National Union of Students, commented that, “while some cynics may be quick to dismiss the results as ‘just another league table’, what makes this survey stand apart is that students themselves determine the factors important in delivering a high-quality experience.”

These results come at a time when doubt is being cast over the strength of YUSU. In a recent survey, Nouse discovered that only 42% of those asked stated that they felt represented by YUSU. Interestingly, amidst all of the hype of The Courtyard’s opening, 21% of those asked (many of whom were in the Courtyard at the time) did not think York had a student union bar. Such results raise questions about the Union’s effectiveness.

Jane Grenville, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Students commented: “It will interest students to know, I think that the results of the Times Higher Education survey have been looked at and analysed by a small group of senior management group members and we did note the issues. There are no quick fixes, and the speed of change is slow if you are an undergrad, but be patient.”

Grenville added that YUSU’s score was “probably more to do with ‘the students’ union’ as in the SU building that most universities have and we don’t.” She expressed hope that the new Courtyard venue would help make up for the lack of official SU building.

Charlie Leyland, Academic and Welfare Officer was keen to express her belief in YUSU despite the results: “I have so much confidence in this Union and the amount of work, passion and time that goes into it from so many students who choose to engage with it: whether by sitting on Union Committees, joining a sports club or society, having coffee in the bar, or going on the Student Action Kids camp.

We’re all ears, and well keep on working and working to improve the Student Experience for every member of our Union at this University.”

Tom Daltas, a PPE Undergraduate, will partake in this action in protest of government inactivity over climate change, and in order to raise awareness of environmental issues among students. He will be sat outside Vanbrugh college, and will spend the nights in the common rooms.

“Through freezing my arse off I aim to promote genuine environmentally responsibly consumption, recently dubbed ‘ecotarianism’,” he said.

Daltas went on to explain the mission statement of this movement: “Although a lot of vegans are ecotarians, the movement does not necessarily exclude meat-eating, nor is it the exclusive preserve of hippies. Environmentally, ecotarianism reduces your carbon footprint. Politically, however, the idea is that under liberal government and a capitalist market, the vote we cast with our money can be far more potent in driving change than our political vote. Change is urgently needed and governments will not act fast enough if the electorate seems disinterested.”

Daltas believes his actions will be seen as a step forward in political participation on campus. By promoting ecotarianism, he aims to raise awareness among students of broader environmental issues, with a priority on the idea of ecological citizenship. Generally, he hopes that such political action will raise the profile of environmental activism.

He asserts: “ I am not asking for any money, nor will I wave a placard in your face or act holier-than-thou (mainly because I’m not).”

Anticipating possible hostility, Daltas says: “regardless of opinion, please come and say hi during my hunger strike. Oh, and another thing. For God’s sake don’t carry any food with you.”

After eight months of work, The Courtyard has been finished, premiering at a guest-listed celebratory opening last Saturday. The refit of the Langwith College bar has cost an estimated £500,000, making it a large investment for YUSU.

Matt Burton, YUSU Services and Finance Officer whose original idea sparked the conversion project, commented: “We can now focus on running a successful venue that we’re confident both students and staff alike will thoroughly enjoy.”

The Courtyard will be open night and day, seven days a week, with extended opening hours on Saturday. The bar will offer a range of events, varying from comedy nights, to pre-nights with clubs in town.

YUSU President Tom Scott stated “the amount of work that has gone into the project is incredible, and I’m really proud of all the officers and staff that have worked so tirelessly over the past months.”

Jane Grenville, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Students, commented, “the Students’ Union has lobbied for forty years to have a central student venue and the opening of the Courtyard represents a major step towards the realisation of this dream.”