“We’re all really, really excited about the competition” said Laura Horton, York team captain and first-year History student. At eighteen years of age, Horton will be the youngest ever captain and will be accompanied by second-year teammates, Tom Emmett, Peter Searle and Meriel Whalan.

“In terms of the team as a whole, we’re one of the youngest this season, with an average age of nineteen. We also don’t have any postgraduates on the team which really distinguishes us from our competition,” said Horton.

The team will not discover which team they will face until the 19th of June when the filming will begin in Manchester.
Horton said, “Although a lot of people have come up to me and said that if we are put against Oxford or Cambridge then it’s pretty much game over, I don’t think that’s the case.”

She continued, “I want to use this opportunity to get people to sit up and realise that actually, we’re a really fantastic University, which is why I want to get the team at least past the first round.”

Despite the program’s long history since it was first aired in 1962, there has never been a winning team from York before.
“I’d love to see the York team this year do better than we’ve ever done before, that would mean getting to the semi-finals” commented Horton.

The meeting saw a wide variety of proposed motions. Of the most successful was the motion to improve data capture and gender options proposed by Peter Warner-Medley.

Part of the proposal resolved to ensure that all forms involved in data capture refer to ‘gender’ as opposed to ‘sex’. In the motion speech Warner-Medley said, “This is point-blank an invasion of privacy to ask for sex. This is asking what’s between our trousers; this is like putting on a form what cock size are you or how big is your penis. It is not fair.”

In the motion speech Warner Medley also raised the issue that all gender fields should be optional “because these are personal issues that might cause people distress.” If successful, the motion resolves the union to “make data capture always refer to ‘gender’ rather that ‘sex’, to make all gender fields optional, to provide… a choice of ‘other’ with an empty text box and ‘rather not say’ where possible.” The policy would come up for review after two years.

Another motion to be raised by Warner-Medley and to carry LGBT implications was the ‘Toilets For All’ motion. Elanin Vince, in the motion speech, said, “Gender Neutral Toilets are a highly important provision for LGBT students. Not everyone can use the standard “men’s” and “women’s” facilities and this is particularly so for those who identify under the “trans” umbrella.” If successful, the motion will “provide, in addition to gendered facilities, at least one gender-neutral toilet at all events where possible.”

Other student welfare issues were raised by Jason Rose who proposed the motion to provide greater support for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities and Em Brownbill who proposed a motion in favour of supporting students’ rights to be identified by their preferred name.

The UGM can now be voted on online at http://www.yusu.org/ugm

Charlie Thullier was disgusted to find his room had become the home of pigeons over the duration of the Easter holidays, and that he was left to clear up the mess without the college’s assistance. He said, “I came back to find that my bedding, my entire floor and all of my belongings were covered in pigeon mess and feathers. I was told that the cleaners were not prepared to clear it up and I was advised by the Vanbrugh porter to call in pest control.”

Pest control failed to completely remove the pigeons, and Thuillier, aided by his housemates, was forced to remove the nesting pigeon himself only to discover that the bird had also laid two eggs.

He added, “I am impressed by the University’s response, but I was disgusted to find that pest control had managed to miss the pigeon that was nesting under my bed.”

Charlie Leyland, YUSU’s Academic and Welfare Officer, said: “As happy as I am that our visually acute flying friends found a cosy nest, my sympathies lie with the students having to deal with them in their personal space.”

The incident called into question the hygiene of the bedrooms following each incident because the birds, which are renowned for the number of diseases that they carry, left behind them a mess of faeces and feathers.

It is believed that the birds have entered five student bedrooms, gaining access via open windows.

Vanbrugh’s College’s porter have commented that “residents should shut their windows.”

Scottish & Newcastle, one of Britain’s biggest brewers whose beer brands include John Smith’s Bitter, Theakston’s and Newcastle Brown Ale has increased the price of their beers by £22 per barrel due to rising costs in fuel and raw materials.

Coors, which produces Carling, has also said it is putting up prices by 7p a pint. This has put increased pressure on pub landlords who are struggling to compete with the supermarkets’ beer prices. The issue has been taken to the House of Commons after a meeting that took place on Wednesday.

The idea was brought to Union Council by President Tom Scott, who pointed out that Langwith will be the centre of the campus.

This move is being considered after it has become clear that Langwith College will join Goodricke in moving to Hes East in the near future. YUSU have not yet confirmed the decision, and are still considering whether a move would involve a refurbishment of the current buildings, or a redesign of the entire site.

The RAG organised charity fundraiser saw eleven campus ‘celebrities’ pair up with a member of York Dancesport to perforom one unique piece. Upon their victory, the pair were presented with a trophy and a £25 voucher for the Fancy Dance Shop.

“This is my seventh year at the university and it is probably the most exciting thing to happen to me during my time here” Flynn said during his victory speech.

Judge Joel Chapman commented that the pair’s award winning quickstep performance was “amazing to watch.” The routine, to Amy Winehouse’s ‘Valerie’, earned them a generous seventeen points which placed the couple in joint first, along with Sam McCormick and Kate Senior, before the audience vote had even been cast.

“Not only was it great fun but we were all very impressed with the generous donations” said Joey Ellis, who co-presented the evening. The audience voting system, which made up fifty per cent of the final scores, involved a series of buckets each labeled with the name of a different dancing pair.

The audience were invited to contribute cash to the bucket of their favoured pair. The event raised a total of £779 which will be divided amongst the charities; Help for Heroes, York St John’s Ambulance, Médecins Sans Frontières, York Spinal Injuries Association, Martin House Children’s Hospice and Student Action.

“It was a very close call as to who would win” said Ellis. The runners up, Nouse editor Henry James Foy and his dance partner Harriet Waghorn lost to Flynn by just nineteen pence. Had Matt Burton raised that amount more in donations he would have ranked third which would have resulted in Flynn coming second overall. “It is fantastic that it came so close. It would have been lovely to have won but I had a great time and I am so glad that so much money was raised for RAG,” said Foy.

Campus ‘celebrity’ Dan Taylor raised eyebrows when he exposed his bare chest beneath a black blazer. When later asked about his outfit and his status as a “ladies’ man,” Taylor made the comment: “Women are God’s gift to me. “ Judge Sarah Chapman praised the “entertainment part” of Taylor’s routine, however his samba to ‘Lollipop’ by Mika came under fire, with the judges commenting that it was “a bit flat.”

Taylor faced a further slating from Alex Fink who described him as, “so cocky and so confident” in an interview with Ellis. Fink, who entered the competition at the last minute after Derwent Chair Joe Rankin, dropped out, expressed hopes that Taylor would not be the one to win the competition.

Despite being a last minute entrant to the competition and as a result having had a shorter period of time in which to rehurse, Fink went on to raise the most money, with a total of £249. With his partner Gail Kidd, he danced the Foxtrot to Gabriella Cilimi’s ‘Sweet About Me’.

True to form YUSU President, Tom Scott danced the Paso Doble in full pirate regalia with partner Clair Cornock, wife of competition presenter Matt Cornock. Other highlights from the evening included a dance from members of York Dancesport and a routine from the judges themselves during the intervals.

Final Standings

1 Tom Flynn and Rosie Portas
2 Henry James Foy and Harriet Waghorn
3 Sam McCormick and Kate Senior
4 Alex Fink and Gail Kidd
5 Matt Burton and Sarah Cook
6 Charlie Leyland and Sum Mistry
7 Helen Adams and Richard Barker
8 Miranda Thomas and Luke Malkin
9 Tom Scott and Claire Cornock
10 Jamie Tyler and Sarah Naylor
11 Dan Taylor and Emily Sargeant

The winners

22:17

What a great night! Many thanks to RAG, YSTV, Dancesport, The Rock Academy of Dance and everyone involved. Check out Nouse on Tuesday for a full write up and further pictures.

22:11

Joey Ellis and Matt Cornock

Flynn’s supporters

Dancesport Performance

The judges

22:06

Tom Flynn receives £25 from the Fancy Dance shop on Micklegate as his prize, as well as the Vivienne Westwood-esque orb now dangling from the necks of all the contestants.

22:05

A generously loathsome group hug has exploded onto the centre of the floor. The world cup final, winning X Factor – none of these merited such warmth and affection.

“All the celebrities, we get on so well”: Tom Flynn

22:01

In terms of money raised, Henry Foy was second with £95 – a total absolutely dwarfed by the Finkster’s £249.

21.57

Results:
11th – Dan Taylor and Emily Sargeant
10th – Jamie Tyler and Sarah Naylor
9th – Tom Scott and Claire Cornock
8th – Miranda Thomas and Luke Malkin
7th – Helen Adams and Richard Barker
6th – Charlie Leyland and Sum Mistry
5th – Matt Burton and Sarah Cook
4th – Alex Fink and Gail Kidd
3rd – Sam McCormick and Kate Senior
2nd – Henry Foy and Harriet Waghorn
1st – Tom Flynn and Rosie Portas

Flynn wins!

21.45

Why is Harriet Waghorn not dancing in these performances? Frankly, we are appalled. Her eye-catching kicks keep us coming back for more. Certainly the best dancer of all the professionals on show tonight.

21.39

Ok, the buckets contained £779 in total. Hardly democracy but that’s a great total for RAG, kicking off RAG week in style.

21.37

A few of the Dancesport members are shaking their dormant appendages in enthusiastic style.

21.34

The winner (Alex Fink) is soon to be announced. But in the meantime we are to be treated to a medley of professional performances. Again, on information from a Dancesport member, we reamain dubious as to their entertainment value.

21.31

A selection of choice photos:

The judges weren’t exactly kind to Ladies’ man Dan Taylor

The infamous John Sargeant farmyard drag

21.21

The wait continues… but we shouldn’t complain, it must be hard work counting all of those Fink millions XOXO

21.21

Gossip girl here ladies and gentlemen, the sweet smell of scandal well and truly in the air tonight! Was that just Mrs Fink with a nice little contribution to party funds? My lips are sealed ladies

You know you love me, XOXO

21.15

Matt and Sarah

The bucket voting system.

21.13

Final Judges’ Leaderboard

1 =Sam McCormick and Kate Senior- 17
1 =Tom Flynn and Rosie Portas- 17
3 =Henry Foy and Harriet- 16
3 =Charlie Leyland and Sum Mistry- 16
3 =Tom Scott and Claire Cornock- 16
6 – Matt Burton and Sarah Cook- 15
7 – Helen Adams and Richard Barker- 14
8 – Jamie Tyler and Sarah Naylor- 13
9 =Alex Fink and Gail Kidd- 12
9 =Miranda Thomas and Luke malkin- 12
11 – Dan Taylor and Emily Sargeant – 11

The bucket voting system has now closed.

21.02

Burton scores 7 and 8 for their competent performance. Foy luckily beats his rival by a point.

20.59

More images from Gorgeous George Lowther

Henry and Harriet

Alex and Gail

Tom and Claire

20.55

Looked decent to us at the desk. A bit ‘stompy’ says Joel. Something a bit nerdish about it, but fun nonetheless.

They score two 8′s for 16

Up last it’s Matt Burton with the Viennese Waltz.

20.51

The pirate is up next. The movements looked a little awkward to me in their run-through.

20.48

A sturdy performance from Alex and Rosie. The judges are impressed by the effort he has made, given that he stepped in for dropout Derwent Chair Joe Rankin.

They score 6 and 6 for 12. Alex is overjoyed at beating Dan Taylor.

20.45

Miranda and Luke

Dan and Emily

Tom and Rosie

20.42

They score 8 and 8 for 16. They’re not happy.

Alex Fink next.

20.40

Great dance there (no bias obv). Judges like it. “A definite connection” says Sarah, praising the characterisation of the dance.

20.35

Tom scores 8 from Joel and 9 from Sarah for 17. They go joint top with a surprisingly good dance.

Henry and Harriet up next. He’s wearing a beautiful Dior shirt and there are stories of ‘sexual tension’ on the VT. They dance the raunchy rumba.

20.31

Charlie Leyland and Sum

Sam McCormick and Kate

Jamie Tyler and Sarah

20.29

“Women are God’s gift to me” – Dan Taylor
Tom Flynn up next with the quickstep.

20.28

Well played to Dan, but that ebbed between ‘entertaining’ and ‘painful’
“Well done Emily”, says Joel.
They score 5 from Joel and 6 from Sarah.

20.22

Good effort and a nice dress to go with it. Joel labels it a nervous performance. Sarah loved the static opening section. They score 6 and 6 for a new lowest score. Miranda holds back the tears.

Next up Dan Taylor doing the samba – I think there’s going to be a striptease. Who sanctioned this?

20.17

Near fall!

20.16

Miranda Thomas and Luke Malkin up next. The keenest couple by a country mile, they pose audaciously in the VT. Her eyes wild, her lips red, they dance the tango.

20.13

A bouncy performance there. Lots of, erm, enthusiasm.
‘Very entertaining” says Sarah Chapman. Joel says “you lost your way in the middle.” The middle?
6 and 7 (boos from the audience) for 13 – the lowest score so far.

20.08

They score 8 from Sarah and 9 from Joel for 17.
More presenting marvellousness:
Joey: “are you excited about The Full Monty?”
Sam: “Yes”.
Jamie and Sarah are up next doing the jive. Will they replicate Jill and Darren’s performance from strictly? From the training videos it would appear not

20.06

Well Holly and I thought that was a bit unconvincing but the audience love it. As do the judges.
“The presentation of the whole thing was fantastic” says John. Sarah Chapman describes it as an “elegant” piece.

20.03

Next we Have Sam McCormick and Kate doing the waltz. “General campus celebrity is the only way we can describe him”, says Matt Cornock. According to the VT they have a few timing issues, but are determined to win. Photo of the judges above.

19.59

Great hip action from Charlie. The judges are impressed: “Lots of personality” says Joel, but “too many heel leads”.

They score 8 and 8 for 16.

19.56

Richard Barker and Helen Adams

19.54

Charlie Leyland (Academic and Welfare officer) and her partner Sum are about to dance.

19.53

Lots of lifts and frivolity. Judge John says it lacked extension of the upper body. The post dance interview was a masterclass in presenting
“Was it good, Yes?”
“Yes”.
They score 7 and 7 for 14.

19.50

Hoping to channel Fred and Ginger, they’re dancing to Paul Anka’s version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. They look a little like bride and groom. It’s all a bit tentative.

19.47

Helen Adams and Richard Barker are about to dance the American Smooth.

19.45

Live feed has returned, but there may be problems – apologies. The judges, Joel and Sarah Chapman, are presented to the audience. Dan Taylor gets a loud, abrasive cheer upon entering.

19.42

It has started. Joey Ellis, now single, and Matt Cornock take the stage. Alex Fink noticeably gets the biggest cheer in the introductory segment. My phone goes off – how embarassing.

19.39

On the floor across from us is one of The Yorker Editors. Any presence from Vision is at this point conspicuously lacking – still upset perhaps by their non-invitation to compete, as highlighted in their most recent edition by Samantha Cowley.

19.34

Word from YSTV – their web stream has reached capacity so we’ve removed it from our site – if you want to watch it you’ll be best trying their site directly!

19.30

Some keen spectators have brought posters supporting Tom Flynn. I am informed by one member of the Dancesport team that he will need more than posters to dance his way to the top half of the judges’ leaderboard. The charismatic representatives of St John Ambulance are carrying out a risk assessment.

19.20

The sellout crowd is gathered, beginning its happy entry into the lecture theatre-cum-dancehall. Seemingly unenthused by YSTV’s proposition of getting everyone to stand up, there is something of a school assembly feel to the proceedings.

19.12

In the interim, let’s speculate on the favourites. Henry, Sam McCormick (who apparently works in Vanbrugh bar) and Charlie Leyland are apparently the best dancers. The winner, however, will be decided by whichever celebrity possesses the richest friends. A collection bucket has been assigned to each couple, and whoever raises the most gets the ‘popular’ vote. Indeed. Early favourite on this front is Alex Fink.

18.58

Well we’re half an hour from the start. Tom Scott is in full pirate regalia to everyone’s delight and amusement, and Dan Taylor is, somewhat scarily, topless. The practice sessions have just ended, and Matt Burton’s dance certainly appears to be one to watch out for.

18.41

Welcome to the Nouse live blog of tonight’s York Come Dancing! We’ll be giving you all the details throughout the night, and you can watch the YSTV live stream by clicking the button on the right.

Everyone’s still setting up now, but everything should be kicking off around 7, so not long to wait.

Third-year student Tom Daltas, an ecotarian who staged a three-day hunger strike on campus to raise awareness of climate change issues, explains his reasons to Holly Hyde and YSTV’s Anna Bucks.

Academic Registrar Sue Hardman commented: “A charge of up to £476 should be levied on a student who intentionally and unnecessarily activates a fire alarm.”

The University’s decision to update the policy was prompted by numerous cases of false alarms: in 2007 North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service’s (NYFRS) reported over 400 false alarms at the university alone. NYFRS has warned that each false alarm costs the fire service valuable time and money and that “the fire service expects the university to deal with these incidents robustly.”

University bosses have used the figures outlined in the NYFRS 2007 report for approximate cost of sending two appliances and fire crews to the University. The bill accumulated to £476.

The implementation of the £476 fine follows the release of statistics that suggest that, since 2004, twenty students have faced fines ranging from £25 to £100 for smoking in forbidden areas.

The report suggests that students in Halifax College have been behind the most fire-related offences; five students were fined £50 and two were fined £100 for smoking, whilst an additional two students were fined £30 for the misuse of fire extinguishers.

In total, the University has received £1,860 in disciplinary fines over the past five years. The University insists that all disciplinary fines are reinvested back into the colleges from which they were taken.

York Dancesport will host the charity fundraiser, which is to take place on Sunday 8th February, in conjunction with YUSU and RAG. Jamie Tyler, YUSU Student Development and Charities Officer commented: “Dancesport is a really great society which has been fantastic in helping us organise the event.”

There are set to be eleven couples competing, each comprised of one campus ‘celebrity’ paired with a Dancesport team member. Confirmed ‘celebrities’ include YUSU chair Tom Scott, Nouse Editor Henry James Foy and political activist Dan Taylor.

Jamie Tyler, who will himself be performing a jive to ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen, has commented: “I’m really excited to see Dan Taylor in action doing his Samba.”

Taylor, who has been paired with Emily Sargeant, will be performing to ‘Lollipop’ by Mika, and it has even been reported that he has, “promised a special outfit for the night.”

The contestants will receive the guidance of dance instructors Joel and Sarah Chapman, from the Rock Academy of Dance.

The Chapmans will also be responsible for judging fifty percent of the competition on the final evening along with audience votes which will make up the other fifty percent.

The Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor described the finding as a “stunning discovery” and went on to comment, “its further study will provide us with incomparable insights into life in the Iron Age.”

The brain was found within a skull that is believed to be at least 2,000 years old, and was unearthed at the university’s Heslington East site during exploratory excavations. The university commissioned York Archaeological Trust to carry out the dig on the £500 million site consisting of prehistoric fields, track-ways and buildings that are known to date back to 300BC.

Rachel Cubitt of the trust discovered the skull in a muddy pit. Upon cleaning its outer surface, Cubitt was surprised to discover a “yellow substance” which, she comments, “jogged my memory of a university lecture on the rare survival of ancient brain tissue… we gave the skull special conservation treatment as a result and sought expert medical opinion”

CT Scans performed at York Hospital have shown the substance to be brain-shaped with patterns and folds closely resembling a modern organ although it is approximately one-third of the size of a normal brain.

Phillip Duffey, consultant neurologist at the hospital said, “I’m amazed and excited that scanning has shown structures which appear to be unequivocally of brain origin.” The mystery lies as to how brain tissue, which usually decays rapidly after death, could have been so well preserved and for such a long period of time.

“It will be very important to establish how these structures have survived, whether there are traces of biological material within them and, if not, what is their composition” Duffey added.

Dr Sonia O’Connor, Research Fellow in Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bradford added, “The survival of brain remains where no other soft tissues are preserved is extremely rare. This brain is particularly exciting because it is very well preserved, even though it is the oldest recorded find of this type in the UK, and one of the earliest worldwide.”

In terms of identifying the skull Dr Richard Hall, director of archaeology at the York Archaeological Trust, said, ‘From the size, it was probably an adult but we can’t say whether it was a man or woman.” The skull was discovered alone bar a few vertebrae. No other remains from the skeleton have been found which suggests that the body was a victim of decapitation or that the head was removed soon after death. This has led experts to believe that it may have been part of a ritual offering enacted to appease gods or to ward off evil spirits.

This find follows a similar discovery at the Heslington East site where a team from the university’s Department of Archaeology unearthed the skeleton of a man, thought to be one of Britain’s earliest tuberculosis sufferers. The human remains were found in a shallow grave on the development site. Radiocarbon dating, suggested that skeleton originated from the fourth century, late-Roman period.

It is hoped that Radio carbon dating tests, to be performed next year, will help to accurately pinpoint the skull’s age. Further testing using chemical analysis should reveal why it has survived so well.

Provoking fears for student safety and security, the student returned to her locked room to find that a white rose had been left on her pillow.

Keith Lilley, Director of Facilities Management, told Nouse that the University “takes the issue very seriously”, and that “security officers will be following this up with the student in question”.

Last fortnight, Jess Moore, a Philosophy undergraduate from Goodricke A-block, returned home to discover that an unauthorised person had accessed her room whilst she had been out. Moore returned to her college at around ten o’clock, after an evening out with friends, to find that a white rose and a novel by Jodie Picoult – which featured a rose on its cover – had been placed on her pillow.

Moore confirms that she had locked the door before going out and that it had remained locked upon her arrival home. This raised fears that the perpetrator may have gained access using a duplicate key. Moore endeavored to change her lock as soon as possible.

The incident has brought into question the actions of a Goodricke porter, who advised Moore to wait until the following morning for the issue to be dealt with. Moore commented that the porter in question “was not very helpful”. She revealed that, rather than calm her fears, he informed her that someone with mental issues had just been removed from Goodricke A-Block.

Jane Clarbour, Goodricke Provost, supported the University’s handling of the situation. She said: “We take student safety very seriously in Goodricke College, and arrangements were made to have this lock changed immediately”.

However Moore remains unsatisfied: “The porter could have called maintenance and had the locks changed then and there; but he didn’t,” she said.

This case follows a similar security issue that took place earlier this term, when an undergraduate student found that a note had been left on her desk. The message, including a telephone number, was written and deposited by a workman who had entered her room whilst she had been out.

Rory Shanks, YUSU Societies and Communications Officer encouraged “any student that believes their accommodation to have been subject to unauthorized entry to contact Security & Support Services immediately”.

The lock on Moore’s door has now been changed, and Lilley states that the University hopes to “ascertain if there is any information that can be followed up to progress this matter”.

He notes: “Once the investigation has concluded, any action that can be taken dependent upon the findings will be followed through”.

At the time of print, the intruder remains unknown.

Derwent JCRC Chair Oliver Lester said: “YUSU has a commitment to support all colleges; it’s clearly looking after its own here. On a personal level, issues such as this disgust and dishearten my belief in campus politics. YUSU have acted selfishly and I believe students will be worse off overall.”

Rory Shanks, YUSU societies and communications officer contests this opinion: “We believe that the new venue will complement campus, encouraging Commercial Services to up their ante, and everyone wins.”

The Union Bar, currently under construction in Langwith College, will be in direct competition with the colleges for similar events such as open mic nights and bar quizzes. Chris Kummelstedt Derwent JCRC Vice chair has commented: “YUSU securing all Saturdays for their own bar is not optimal. It may very well lead to the end of a long and good tradition of college events.”

It is vital for YUSU that its events sell-out as the proposal for opening a Student Venue in Heslingtion East depends on the success of the new bar.

However, some JCRC entertainment representatives have claimed that the competition between YUSU and college events is not fair after a vote was passed preventing any attempts by colleges to host competing events on a Saturday night.

Kate Taylor, Vanbrugh Entertainment representative, has criticised the “undemocratic voting system – at Ents committee they have eight votes… whilst the colleges who represent thousands of students only receive one vote each, totalling at seven.”

Additional hostility stems from the fact that YUSU owns both the bar and its events and as a result the profits made on drinks in the bar can be spent on improving YUSU events with more expensive prizes in bar quizzes and cheaper tickets.

Taylor notes: “The capacity for the YUSU bar on a regular night is 400 and on an event night between 800-1,000 people. This means that even when we have an event on the Friday, we’re competing with a bigger, probably cheaper, event on the Saturday.”

As Nouse went to print, Shanks was calling a meeting at eleven o’clock on Monday morning in an attempt to rectify the issue.

North Yorkshire Police are currently searching for a young male after three separate attacks on students on the morning of Sunday, October 19. Three female students returning from Access All Areas were approached while walking back to Halifax College past the 22 Acres sports pitches.

Police are looking for a male described as being of Indian/Asian origin, aged 20-25 with dark brown hair, thought to have been wearing dark trousers, a t-shirt, jacket and a beanie hat. The suspect is thought to have been lurking by the car park near the sports centre or along the path by the sports fields at around midnight on Saturday night.
The University issued a statement describing the attacks and location, stating: “The police have been informed and are actively pursuing an investigation. Extra University security patrols have been deployed in the area.”
YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer Charlie Leyland urged students to be careful on and off of campus. She said: “You are not exempt to attacks just because you are with other people or because you are male, the recent attacks have highlighted this so please remain vigilant.”
“Students should not walk around with headphones in at night, which leaves them very vulnerable. Porters can also accompany you if you would like to cross campus if it’s late,” she added. “I don’t want to scare people, York is generally a very safe place but as with anywhere, never take risks, for example, because a certain option is cheaper or quicker.”
One victim of the attacks near Halifax, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It was a frightening experience, and I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone. It hasn’t been a nice start to my university career and I would like to thank the University, YUSU and the Police for all the support they’ve given me. I know they can’t guarantee your safety, and the safety guidelines seem tedious, but they are definitely valuable and worthwhile,” she added.
Halifax College Chair, David Sharp is currently in talks with the College Provost about improving the lighting along all entrances to the college, particularly those along the infamous ‘rape alley’, which runs into Halifax from Heslington village. Sharp and the Halifax College Students’ Association echoed Leyland’s advice that students should never travel to and from the college alone, and that they avoid the alley after dark.
Welcome Week also saw a number of clashes between university students and local York residents. A number of first year students found themselves victims of verbal abuse in their new town. Luke Simpson, a first year English undergraduate, faced a homophobic attack whilst enjoying his first night out in York.
“A group of local youths approached me and proceeded to launch a tirade of homophobic abuse at me. It wasn’t the greatest welcome to York,” he said.
Hattie Buxton, a first year History of Art student, experienced similar intimidation during her first week: “I felt that the fact I was wearing a University of York hoodie made me a target,” she said, after being subject to comments on her social background and status as a student by local youths.
In response to the recent attacks, Leyland said: “I have been working closely with the University for better safety provisions for off-campus students.”

Moving the event, which has traditionally been held on Vanbrugh Paradise, would place it in direct competition with the Derwent event for the space.

Derwent College’s high- profile Big D event has long hisbeen one of campus’ most successful, selling out within 24 hours last year and featuring acts such as MC Verse, Chesney Hawkes and Pendulum. In direct competition to this, Woodstock, which runs in the same week of summer term each year, is a RAG-organised festival featuring live music acts predominantly from campus.

YUSU Student Development and Charities Officer Jamie Tyler proposed the move at the Union Coordination Committee last week: “It makes sense to move it to Langwith, as it would coincide with the opening of the Union Bar. It would be a perfect opportunity,” he said. “In addition, once our bar is established, if an event this big took place in that area it would be easier for us to provide more staff support, as we will have more in that area whose remit will be to aid events in that venue. ”

Concerns have been raised by those within Derwent that this proposal could have a negative effect on their event, with the University opposing the pressure of having two large scale events in the same area in one week. When questioned about the knock-on effects of his plan, Tyler appeared relatively unconcerned: “Well that is something that they are going to have to think about,” he said. “Big D is in fact never a guaranteed event. Anyway, it’s just a thought at the moment. Nothing is set in stone.”

Oliver Lester, chair of Derwent College, remains optimistic and denied that Woodstock’s planned move would be at the detriment of Big D: “I promise now that Big D will go ahead like it has for the last 40 years, sell out like it did last year in 24 hours, and be the best end of year party at the University of York.”

“Different areas around campus need to be considered in making Woodstock bigger and better; Derwent being one of them,” he added. “There are advantages and disadvantages to each venue, and these will be fully discussed over the year,”

Hostility between the organisers of the two events has been long standing, and emerged last year when Big D organisers supposedly undercut RAG by securing a £1,000 grant from Deloitte. It was suggested that the sponsorship was originally intended to fund Woodstock.

Tyler has been keen to quell the fears, saying: “this move is nothing to do with Big D, nor is it an attempt to take over the event.”

The University have declined to issue a statement as regards the proposed move, and have emphasized their desire to support both events. “From a support perspective, it’s a purely practical question,” said Director of Facilities Management Keith Lilley

“The DFM and the University have always supported these events and will continue to do so,” he added.