April 2008 | 2
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Transcript of April 2008 | 2
thelinc Issue #10April 2008Biggest ever!
T H E O N L Y S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R F R O M T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F L I N C O L N
It’s all kicking off!Landlords share their anger at ClubEasyadvertising deal with Students’ UnionNews, Page 5
Varsity SpecialWe are victorious! Special double-pagereport inside!Sport, Pages 14 & 15
CAMPUS ONCRACK
Linc investigation reveals Class A drugs use in EVERY university building
READ THE SHOCKING REVELATIONS INSIDE, PAGE 3
CLASS A drugs are being
used all over the
University of Lincoln, a
Linc investigation can
exclusively reveal.Using a drug-testing kit
which detects traces of cocaine
use on surfaces, the Linc found
specimens of the drug in every
building tested.
The Atrium, Media
Building, EMMTEC,
Architecture Building, Library
and Engine Shed were all test-
ed.
The University’s newest
asset, the Lincoln Performing
Arts Centre (LPAC), came out
worst in the survey, with evi-
Dave Lee
EXCLUSIVE
2 thelinc.co.uk
Welcome...
Ten issues down and it’s time to hang up
my boots. I’ll be finishing university in a
matter of weeks. Incredible. If you’re in
first year, take it from me, your time
here will soon go. Enjoy it while you
can.
To mark ten issues, the Linc team took a
little time to reflect on all that this paper
has achieved in its short life.
I started The Linc way back in my first
year, and to say I’m proud of where it is
now is an understatement. At the heart of any community is com-
munication. I sincerely hope that we have helped add to the
University of Lincoln spirit.
I’m writing this at 2:27am in a freezing room in the Media
Building, but I’m certainly not alone: Huge thanks to everyone on
The Linc team that has made it such a success.
Long may it continue. To Dan Ionescu, next year’s editor: I wish
you the best of luck, and look forward to seeing what you do.
Dave Lee,[email protected]
Corrections and Clarifications
In Issue 9, we incorrectly headlined a story “University
slammed for poor recycling facilities”. This was inaccurate. It
was the Pavillions, NOT the University. The Linc apologises for
the error.
Issue 9’s back page story (“Robbed”) was written by Paul
Smith, not Gary Moss. Apologies to Paul for the error.
The articles and opinions in The Linc do not represent the
University of Lincoln, the University of Lincoln Students’
Union nor the Lincoln School of Journalism.
Produced by www.quotemeprint.com 0845 1300 667
Editor: Dave [email protected]
Assistant Editor/Joint Head of News: Dan [email protected]
Joint Head of News: Gemma [email protected]
Chief News Reporter: Dan [email protected]
Sports Editor: Gary [email protected]
Deputy Sports Editor: Paul [email protected]
Pictures Editor: Ben [email protected]
Design Assistant: Hayley [email protected]
Web Editor: Daniel [email protected]
thelinc Your newspaperYour voice.
TheLinc’s website is very kindly
hosted by RGHosting - specialists in website hosting
services for students.
www.rghosting.com
Coming Up...
THE GUILLEMOTS: Birmingham’s indie rockerswill hit the Engine Shed in May
WEDNESDAY 23rd APRILWKD Olympic GamesGames including: Inflatable Jousting (12-4), darts, pool, poker, Wii, various board games
(yes, including Twister)
All day @ Library Bar
Price: ₤10 with NUS, ₤12 without plus booking fee.
TUESDAY 20th MAYThe GuillemotsOff the back of the second album 'Red', released on March 24th, The Guillemots are
about to undertake their national tour.
7pm @ Engine Shed
Price: ₤13.50, over 16’s only
THURSDAY 22nd - SATURDAY 24th MAYLincoln Beer FestivalA regular feature at the Drill Hall, the Lincoln Beer Festival returns for its traditional
bank holiday slot.
From 12pm, Thursday @ Lincoln Drill Hall
Price: ₤2 Thursday, ₤3 Friday & Saturday
STUDENT complaints across the
country have risen for a third
consecutive year, according to a
new report.
The Office of the Independent
Adjudicator for Higher Education
(OIAHE) announced in their
annual report that the number of
student complaints nationwide
have risen by 25 per cent this
year.
Out of the dissatisfied stu-
dents, 64 per cent of complaints
related to academic results and 11
per cent accounted for discipli-
nary matters.
Complaints from Lincoln
have fallen from previous years
however, according to Paul
Walsh, Clerk to the Board of
Governors at the University of
Lincoln.
The reason for the fall,
according to Walsh, is that much
more is being done to resolve
complaints informally with deans
of faculties, rather than from
higher levels and outside regula-
tion bodies.
“Students are encouraged to
deal with any concerns informal-
ly and promptly at the ‘local’
level before raising the issue for-
mally under the complaints regu-
lations,” he said.
The University Secretariat
team has been working closely
with the Students’ Union over the
last year to encourage students to
overcome the barriers that they
may perceive prevent them from
approaching tutors (in the first
instance) to register their con-
cerns and seek early resolution.
“During the last 18 months,
the overwhelming majority of
complaints were resolved at the
Head of Department Stage, with
66% of all cases not progressing
beyond this point. The remainder
were dealt with at the dean level,
and no complaints proceeded to
the University level,” Walsh
added.
The number of complaints
nationwide reached 734 in 2007
compared to 586 in 2006 and 537
in 2005. 36 per cent of them were
from post graduates.
Higher Education Minister
Bill Rammell dismissed the
results however, claiming the
results weren’t representative.
The OIAHE conference
addressed the issue along with
delegates from 20 countries on
Wednesday.
“The six hundred com-
plainants represent less than two
hundredths of 1% of the student
population,” he said. “And only a
quarter of the complaints
received were upheld. That's
about 150 cases out of almost
three and a half million students
in the system.”
The OIAHE are not allowed
to give out information about
investigations into the University
of Lincoln.
The Linc welcomes the new team:Editor: Daniel IonescuSports Editor: Hayley CookPictures Editor: Samuel CoxDesign Assistants: Sadie Geoghegan & Lucy TantIf you are interested in joining the team for next year, email [email protected]
Lincoln Uni bucks national complaint trendDan Downham
thelinc.co.uk 3E-mail the newsdesk: [email protected]
Lincoln students attemptto get their hands onDoritos cash prize
A GROUP of university students
are competing for a £20,000 cash
prize by entering a Doritos
advertisement competition.
Steven West, 20, Jonathan
Waite, 20, and Christopher
Rushbrooke, 22, are working
together to produce the 29 sec-
ond advert for the Walkers crisp
brand.
The competition, open to any-
one wishing to take part, states
that the judges are looking for
innovation, creativity and a cer-
tain special something.
More than 150 videos have
already been posted on the web-
site to be viewed by the public,
but the boys still believe they are
in with a chance to win the
money.
Steven West, 3rd year adver-
tising and marketing student,
said: “Obviously I think our idea
is better, we are currently in the
process of making our advert
which we are all very excited
about.
“Winning would be great, we
are all students so the money
would come in very handy.
“The chance to have an
advertisement made would be a
great opportunity for when I fin-
ish this year, it could hopefully
open a lot of doors for all of us.”
The final deadline for submis-
sion is 18th May. All videos
posted by this date will be rated
by the public then whittled down
by a jury of advertising experts.
The final five videos will then
be put to a public vote and the
video with the highest number of
votes will be announced on 13th
June.
Hayley Ledgard
The Linc up for mediaaward titles
THE Linc has been nominated
for several awards at this year’s
Students’ Union Media Awards.
The Linc is in the running for
several awards, including best
headline and best issue, as well
as individual awards for assistant
editor Dan Clough and editor
Dave Lee.
Len Bentham
Next president shines atnational conference
UNIVERSITY of Lincoln stu-
dent and next SU president Dan
Hutchinson impressed at the
NUS national confernece after
debating views on allowing the
military to recruit on campus.
Current acting president Mike
Beddoes said: “He was fantastic.
He changed the opinion of the
entire room.”
thenews Got a story? Email: [email protected]
Cocaine campus:Lincoln’s hidden habit
dence of heavy cocaine use.
The test sampled a selection of men’s, women’s and dis-
abled toilets in various locations around the Brayford cam-
pus.
A high level of drug use was found on the second floor of
the Media Building, near the photography labs. In the
Atrium, the toilets closest to Computer Services showed sig-
nificant traces of the drug.
Both the men and women’s toilets outside the Vice-
Chancellor’s Annexe tested positive.
The Engine Shed Tower Bar toilets gave positive results,
but The Linc was not allowed to test toilets in the main hall
as Supergrass were preparing for their gig.
The test kit, kindly supplied by Drug-Aware Ltd, consists
of wipes which turn blue when in contact with cocaine. The
wipes can detect Cocaine HCl (powder) or Cocaine Base
(crack or freebase).
Acting Students’ Union president Mike Beddoes said: “If
The Linc’s findings are correct, this is extremely worrying
information.”
Christopher Evans, technical director at Drug-Aware,
said that it would be naïve of the University to assume there
isn’t a lot of drug use on the campus.
“The stereotype of the typical drug user has changed.
Cocaine is becoming a recreational drug – this is very wor-
rying as it is very addictive.”
The Linc contacted Student Services, security and the
health centre, but nobody was available for comment.
What do you think? Email [email protected] with
your comments.
TESTING POSITIVE: Buildings included in the report,clockwise from top-right: EMMTEC, LPAC, Library, ScienceBuilding, Engine Shed, Architecture Building, MediaBuilding and the Atrium. All showed significant traces ofcocaine use. Picutres: Samuel Cox
Linc investigation revealscocaine use all over theUniversity of Lincoln Brayfordcampus, writes Dave LeeContinued from page 1
FAMILIAR SIGHT ON CAMPUS? The test was conducted using specialist detection wipes. They turn blue when coming in contact with cocaine. Picture: Ben Reeves
ONLINE:Watch videos of the drugs testingwww.thelinc.co.uk
FUTURE: Hutchinson
4 thelinc.co.uk
GOODTIMESCelebrating good fortunes from the past week or so...
BADTIMESNot so good lately for the following...
For Carl Kelly (far left)Random bloke from Hertfordshire who blagged his way into
Hollywood film ‘Iron Man’.
For Neil KingLost ten stone in nine months after eating six cans of baked beans a
day!
For University of Lincoln Athletic UnionBasking in glory after the Varsity victory.
For University of Lincoln’s automatic doorsWhy are they so useless?
For Robert NapierLeft a £180,000 violin on a train.
For Lincoln United FCRelegated after 29 years in the Unibond Premier league.
“It’s stupid frankly. We have to selffund our productions, which cancost £30-100, if we had a littlehelp with this it would be much bet-ter.”
Stephen Taylor, 22, 2nd yearmedia production
“I sometimes wonder where allthe money goes. I only have tenhours teaching a week and I wish Ihad more.”
Karen Briesacher, 22, 3rd yearEuropean business
“I think we media students neednew computers, especiallyMacs.”
Hannah Mason, 19, 1st yearmedia studies
“I would like to see the moneyspent on better quality teachingand I would like the library to beopen for 24 hours.”
Ary Sharif, 20, 1st year businessand finance
“I do contemporary lens media. Ithink it could be spent on betterequipment.”
Matthew Roberts, 20, 1st yearcontemporary lens media
The Linc learnt that the Universityspends £12,000 year on transportfor the Vice-Chancellor. We askedstudents if they could find a betterway to use this amount of money.
THE CAP on university tuition
fees could double to £7,000 a
year in the near future, a new
study suggests.
A new report from the Higher
Education Policy Institute states
that there will be a review of the
current system of higher educa-
tion funding in 2009.
It outlined considerations that
the tuition fee cap system could be
double the current cap of £3,300
rising up to £7,000, and that fees
could also be paid up front.
The report stated: “It is possi-
ble, although by no means cer-
tain, that the maximum fees that
universities will be permitted to
charge full-time UK and EU stu-
dents (the fee cap) will rise fol-
lowing this review.
“Although the outcome of the
2009 review cannot be predicted,
there are likely to be influential
voices in both the higher education
sector and the Government argu-
ing for a rise in the maximum fee.
“One of the options consid-
ered would require students to
pay part of the fee upfront. This
would represent a major break
with the principles of the 2006
reforms, which established that
no student would have to rely on
their family for any part of the
cost of tuition.
“Additional institutional sup-
port would therefore be vital to
help ensure that no student is
excluded from a course because
of financial constraints.”
The study also outlined the
estimated extra income retained
for the average institution to be
over £26million, an increase of
67 per cent.
Mike Beddoes, Acting SU
president of the University of
Lincoln is very concerned about
the review.
“This review is extremely
worrying for potential students,”
he said. “I heard a proposal that
they may allow universities to set
their own fees, if that happens
then that means that people will
be priced out of education. It
could turn into a price war where
nobody wants to look like they
giving a lesser course.”
Tuition fees onthe rise again
Michael BeddoesActing SU president
“In 2009/10, they’re looking to
review the cap on tuition fees.
The capped limit at the moment
is £3,000. If they remove it, the
suggestions at the moment are
that it could be £6,000 per
annum, £7,000 per annum or
universities may be able to set
their own fees.
“If that happens, the big fear
is that larger universities with a
reputation to uphold could
price people out of education.
“The other view is that uni-
versities such as ours don’t
want to look like they’re offer-
ing a budget version of the
same course.
“Should a course that we
offer be offered at, for example,
Birmingham Guild and they set
a target of £6,000, our universi-
ty will want to keep the price at
£3,000 in his heart of hearts,
but they also don’t want to give
the impression that they’re
offering a course that’s half as
good for half the price.
“If our Government can
afford to bail out banks like
Northern Rock or send troops
around the world, if they can
find the money when it’s a
necessity, why is there no
money left in the pot? Why are
they always looking to cut
money out of higher education?
It’s because it’s an easy target.”
Dan Downham
by Gemma Huckle
thelinc.co.uk 5E-mail the newsdesk: [email protected]
‘Help catch the scum who arecarrying out attacks in Lincoln’
A FACEBOOK group has been
set up by a young woman in
order to track down sex attackers
in Lincoln.
The group, called ‘Help catch
the scum who are carrying out all
these attacks in Lincoln’, is
growing in popularity and now
has over 1800 members.
Anna Wade, 25, lives in
Gainsborough but she started the
group to raise awareness on what
was going on in Lincoln. “I have
since found out that a lot of peo-
ple didn’t even know it was hap-
pening [sex attacks],” she said.
“People are too frightened to
stand up against things like this
these days and this makes it more
likely to happen again.”
According to the police, there
are four unsolved sex attacks in
Lincoln, which occurred over the
last four months. The first took
place in St Peter’s Passage in
February. The other three hap-
pened in March in Gaunt Street,
Tempest Street and Water Lane.
“The group was started in the
hope that someone knows some-
thing and if they didn’t want to
go to the police for whatever rea-
son they may feel more comfort-
able coming to me so I can then
pass the information on” added
Anna.
The Facebook group also
hosts a testimony of Anja
Zurbrugg who was attacked 18
years ago. In her case though, she
says that “The person who kept
watching (the attack) couldn’t get
my screams out of his head and
went to the police and handed
himself in.” Another noticeable
member is a girl who claims to
have comforted the victim of the
Tempest Street attack.
“Now Lincoln is generally a
safe place full of friendly people
and so long as you are safety con-
scious you hope you'll be fine.”
said Vanessa Hardy, a member of
the group.
Tom Haughton, welfare and
liaison officer for the Students’
Union said, “The SU reiterates
the message of getting home
safely and keeping an eye on
their drinks. Many bars, pubs and
clubs have free ‘spikeys’, just ask
for them at the bar. Spikeys are
also available from the SOAP
centre along with personal attack
alarms.”
FINAL year Graphic Design
students have raised more than
£7,000 towards their end of year
show by organising the
University’s first world wide
design auction.
The auction, held on 9th
April, received a huge response
from designers around the world.
Many donated pieces for the auc-
tion, including Milton Glaser,
designer of the 'I Love NY' logo.
His signed poster of an advert for
the Metropolitan Opera in New
York sold for £75.
Items which fetched high
bids included work placements
with reputable design compa-
nies: Sea Design, Dowling
Design and auctioneer Jonathan
Barnbrook’s company,
Barnbrook Design.
Jonathan, a highly regarded
graphic designer, said: “I really
admire the students for organis-
ing this kind of event. The
University of Lincoln seems to
be producing some top-class
design students who are really
enthusiastic.”
Programme leader for
Graphic Design, Tim Fabian,
said: “The students should be
congratulated for this excellent
initiative. They have displayed
great creativity and high levels
of professionalism in the brand-
ing, organisation and staging of
this exciting event.”
First world wide design auction
CHANNEL Five’s Gadget
Show recently visited the
University of Lincoln’s Human
Performance Centre and Sports
Centre to test out some of the
latest fitness gadgets.
Presenters Suzi Perry and
Jason Bradbury were put
through their paces by
University staff to test their
current fitness levels. They are
undertaking a six-week mind
and body challenge using the
Power Plate and Nintendo Wii
Fit, which is due to be released
on 25th April. They tested their
initial fitness levels on their
first visit to the University and
will be back this month to see if
they have improved their fit-
ness and memory skills.
The University of Lincoln
was chosen as the site for film-
ing due to the high-tech facili-
ties that the Human
Performance Centre and Sports
Centre offer, and the expertise
of the University staff.
Director of Sport for the
University of Lincoln, Robin
Wright, said: “This was a fan-
tastic opportunity for us to
showcase our facilities. The
new Human Performance
Centre and Sports Centre have
so much to offer our students. I
am really pleased that the
Gadget Show has recognised
what the University has to
offer.”
THE University and local letting compa-
nies have attacked the Students’ Union’s
‘special relationship’ with student housing
giants ClubEasy, calling it ‘unfair.’
The SU signed a sponsorship deal with
ClubEasy this year worth around £40,000
which included 1,800 t-shirts, hoodies and
training tops for AU clubs and societies, all
with the housing company’s logo on the
back. The deal also includes full page
adverts in Bullet Magazine, a banner advert
on the SU website, leaflet drops and stalls at
the Freshers’ Fayre.
As a result, other student housing com-
panies in Lincoln are not happy. They say
that this deal with the SU means that they’re
not getting a look in when it comes to pro-
moting themselves to students:
“We believe that the SU is not giving
students a fair representation of the accom-
modation available in the city” says Tim
Clark, Managing Director of Lighthouse
Property Services. “We’re not being critical
of ClubEasy at all, what they’re doing is just
fair, competitive business; but we don’t
think it’s right for the SU to just have a deal
with one housing company. We’ve never
been given the opportunity to advertise with
them.”
This criticism of the SU is backed up by
Janet Cook, external residences lettings co-
ordinator at the University: “I, personally,
do not think it’s a good idea for the Students’
Union to work with just one landlord” she
said. “We do not have any authority over the
Union - it’s independent - but we do under-
stand the concerns of the other landlords
who do not have this special relationship
with the Students’ Union. This is a discus-
sion we’ve had on several occasions with
the SU and the discussions are ongoing.”
The deal with the SU means that it’s dif-
ficult to avoid the ClubEasy logo when
walking around campus, with nearly 2,000
branded AU tops in circulation and adverts
on the back of every copy of Bullet
Magazine. However the SU deny that they
are pushing one particular housing company
on students:
“Although there are signs that could
indicate we are promoting ClubEasy above
anyone else, we’re not, we’re promoting all
landlords” says the Union’s welfare and liai-
son officer, Tom Haughton. “If a student
comes to ask me about housing I will offer
independent, impartial advice. We do run
the housing fayre with the University and
this year we produced the Housing Book
which featured all accredited landlords. We
know some members of the University are
not happy, but we are an independent organ-
isation and this money allows us to do an
awful lot of things of benefit to students.”
But with such a lot of money involved in
this deal, is there a potential conflict of inter-
est?
“No,” says Tom. “If a student has a hous-
ing problem with ClubEasy they can come
and see me and we’ll take the complaint as
far as we need to get the matter resolved -
even at risk of upsetting £40,000 worth of
sponsorship.”
ClubEasy have refused to comment on
the matter.
Daniel Ionescu
Michael French
Landlord anger over‘unfair’ ClubEasy deal
Gadget showfilms at University
Student attacknear JunxionTHE spate of attacks in
Lincoln continued on
Thursday night when a uni-
versity student was
attacked near the Junxion
accommodation.
Laura Hatton, 19, took a
shortcut down the side of
the student accommodation
on Thursday 17th April, at
around 1am.
Miss Hatton was
approached by a man, who
had been hiding behind a
concrete pillar, who when
asked if he wanted to get in
the building said: “Can I
touch you?” and then
grabbed the student.
The attack has left Miss
Hatton very shaken up: “I
managed to shake off his
hold and run into the build-
ing. I locked myself in my
room and just sat there cry-
ing, I won’t be walking
home alone from now on.”
The University of
Lincoln’s Students Union
gives out rape alarms to
protect their students but
was unable to provide one
for Miss Hatton.
A spokesperson for the
SOAP centre said: “We have
had a lot of students come to
collect alarms and have seen
an increase in the last few
weeks. We welcome anyone
to come and collect an alarm
if it will help protect their
safety.”
But on the day Miss
Hatton went to get one the
staff couldn’t get into the
storage cupboards where
they were kept.
“It wasn’t that we had
run out of alarms but we
were unable to distribute
any on one particular day as
a member of staff had mis-
placed the cupboard key,”
the spokesperson continued.
The attacker, described
as 6ft, early thirties and
muscular, fits the descrip-
tion of the police’s suspect
for the previous rapes in the
city.
HAYES WHARF: ClubEasy have new advertising deal with university
FACEBOOK: The group campaiging to find the Lincoln rapist
Kate Smith
STAY SAFE: free rape alarms
ALL FOREIGN students can be put into
five different ‘tribes’, according to one
UK market research firm.
The study, carried out by research
company i-graduate, asked 25,000 inter-
national students what made them pick
their university and country of study, 80
per cent of whom were studying in
Britain.
After asking the students these ques-
tions, they then organised them into tribes
according to their answers.
Seeker
Firstly there’s the ‘seeker’ who is driv-
en by their parent’s wishes for them to get
a good job. However, they’re not fussed
about earning lots of money, they are
happy if their parents are happy. i-gradu-
ate says seekers are often from Hong
Kong and that they often study engineer-
ing, science or a business degree. About
24 per cent of the 25,000 international stu-
dents asked were seekers.
Gekko
Next, there’s the ‘gekko’ named after
Gordon Gekko, the power-hungry charac-
ter of 1987 film ‘Wall Street’. 23 per cent
of students asked fit into this category.
The Gekko craves the respect of their
peers, but more importantly they like to
control huge sums of money. i-graduate
says Polish students are most likely to be
in this tribe, as are those studying business
or a creative degree.
Bono
Then comes the ‘Bono’. Members of
this tribe are more idealistic than the rest,
usually found worrying in a corner about
how to help the environment, and can usu-
ally be found on language, science or cre-
ative degree courses. They listen to their
tutors more than their parents and accord-
ing to i-graduate, postgraduates are more
likely to be part of this tribe, as are stu-
dents from the Netherlands or America.
22 per cent of people who took part in the
poll were in this tribe.
Kids
Then there’s the ‘kid’ who’s usually
seen wandering aimlessly around campus.
The kid can't stay focused, and usually
wants something quite easy to guide them.
This tribe is more influenced by universi-
ty league tables than any other tribe. i-
graduate says a lot of students from
Pakistan are in this tribe, along with engi-
neering students.
Surfer
Finally there’s the ‘The Surfer’ who's
in it for the fun, and is less ambitious
than any of the members of other tribes.
They care less about their future or
securing a job. Surfers can be found at all
universities, not just those near the coast.
They often study language courses and
according to i-graduate Spanish and
Japanese students often fall into this
tribe.
Will Archer, director of i-graduate,
says that the survey aims to give universi-
ties a better insight into their international
students and that it should stop stereotyp-
ing.
However, not everyone agrees that this
survey is steering away from stereotyping.
“I feel that the survey is very illegiti-
mate and prejudiced, not to mention
stereotypical,” says Romanian student
Dana Stancu. “Who is to say which ‘box’
you belong to?”
“This research is not doing anything
more than further segregate the interna-
tional student community,” adds another
foreign student. “Nobody likes to be
labelled and certainly a website does not
have the authority to do that. Meanwhile,
the number of students polled is insignifi-
cant in comparison to the actual number
of international students in the UK.”
Do you agree? [email protected]: Dana Stancu
6 thelinc.co.uk
LINCOLN’S STUDENTS’
Union has abstained on a national
vote to deny the British National
Party (BNP) access to student
media.
The National Union of
Students ‘No Platform Policy’,
raised at the recent NUS confer-
ence, was intended to deny the
BNP access to British campuses
for rallies, meetings and speech-
es.
By abstaining from this vote,
the Lincoln SU has not incorpo-
rated this into its own policy.
Acting SU president Michael
Beddoes said: “Policies and
motions submitted at a confer-
ence are taken in their entirety if
voted upon, and there were ele-
ments of the no platform policy
that we did not agree with.
“There were elements of the
motion that said that the BNP
should be banned from any
access to the student media,
which we disagreed with due to
the enormous amount of media
students we have here.
“We felt telling students who
they could and could not inter-
view was patronising, as students
are adults and should have the
right to decide who they do and
do not interview.”
While student media will
continue to be allowed to quote
radical parties like the BNP, this
does not mean that the BNP will
be allowed to canvas on campus.
Beddoes added: “Through our
own rules here at Lincoln SU we
would not let them rally, meet,
organise or pres-
ent to students
on the campuses.
We have our
own no platform
stance against
certain organisa-
tions, but this
does not include
the media.”
The NUS
have said that
the policy was
devised to protect their members,
many of whom are foreign
nationals or from ethnic minority
groups.
NUS president Gemma
Tumelty said: “Academic free-
dom and freedom of speech are
often cited as reasons to afford a
platform to racists and fascists.
But the right to freedom of
expression must not be separated
from, or take precedence over, the
right to freedom from oppression.
“Of course, people of all polit-
ical persuasions have a right to
engage with the public for local
and parliamentary elections, even
if they cause panic and fear. But
NUS is not the
public.”
The BNP’s
local representa-
tive, Geoff
D i c k i n s ,
approved of
Lincoln SU’s
decision: “I’m
glad to see that
the youth of
today has the
confidence to
question all political parties and
to hear all opinions so that they
may draw their own conclu-
sions.”
Lincoln says “no” to No PlatformBen Reeves
What kind of foreignstudent are you?Students get pigeonholed and stereotyped all the time. Now, though, a UK firm has identified five categories of foreign students,each with their own level of spending power. Lucy Tant explains about the Seekers and the Surfers, the Gekkos and Bonos.
NO QUARTER: NUS national president Gemma Tumelty’s policy gave the BNP no access to universities.
“Students areadults andshould have theright to decidewho they do anddo not interview.”
Are market research companies right to separate the different ‘tribes’ of foreign students? Should student media beallowed to quote the BNP? Email your thoughts to:
What do you think?
LINCOLN’S skyline is set to
change after plans for a £10 mil-
lion hotel were approved.
The news comes as a blow to
local campaigners who have
fought to stop the plans going
ahead, amid fears of environmen-
tal damage.
City planners have given the
go-ahead to the plans after
months of speculation to the
future of the Brayford waterfront
developments. Although the final
plans have yet to be set in stone, it
is looking likely that the demand
for extra tourist accommodation
will outweigh the environmental
concerns of campaigners.
Kate Bell, a representative
from environmental group
Ecolincs, said the plans were like-
ly to be approved due to the
demand for tourist accommoda-
tion in the city.
“The Brayford developments
are certainly good for business
but the new hotel will undoubted-
ly encroach upon the view of the
city when approaching from the
south of the country.”
LW
Brayford hotel plansconfirmed
NOT enough people are failing
degree courses, sparking rows
that universitys’ pass marks are
too low.
According to Times Higher,
‘student juries’ at Manchester,
Bristol, Sheffield and London
were held in which students gave
their ‘verdict’ on university life.
The juries, set up by the
Government to let students have
their say, found that students
believe academic standards are
too low.
They also found that teaching
standards are unsatisfactory.
Many teachers are said to be too
busy doing research to teach at a
high enough standard.
“One of the downsides of the
Government trying to up the num-
bers in higher education is that
universities don’t fail enough
people any more,” said one of the
jurors. “There are students who
don't even know how to use the
library by their third year. This
kind of approach will only be
counterproductive in the long run,
because it’ll devalue degrees.”
DC
More fails, please!
BBC One’s ‘CountryFile’ filmed
at the University of Lincoln’s
Holbeach campus.
The CountryFile team, along
with presenter John Craven, were
at the campus, near Spalding, to
film the University’s sensory
suite, test kitchen and processing
line as part of a feature about the
International Year of the Potato.
“Lincolnshire is widely
known for its potatoes, so it
seemed very apt to do the feature
here. It is great that we could also
utilise the University of Lincoln’s
high-tech facilities and gain the
opinions of their highly trained
staff,” said CountryFile’s director
Dean Jones. “Lecturers Linda
McWatt and David Stainton made
the whole morning work really
well; I cannot thank them enough
for their considerable contribu-
tion.”
DC
University on BBC One
thelinc.co.uk 7
NO ACCESS:How disabled students struggleIT CAN be taken for granted how easy it
is to get around in Lincoln. But how
would you cope if you had lost the use
of your legs?
Relying on the use of a wheelchair can
make it extremely difficult for people to
do what would normally be simple,
everyday tasks.
The real problem facing people in
wheelchairs is their loss of independ-
ence. Having someone there to push you
around makes it a lot easier, but for
some it can be humiliating to have to
rely on others to help them.
In order to see what problems were
faced by wheelchair users in Lincoln’s
city centre and at the University, the
Linc’s Assistant Editor Dan Clough took
to a wheelchair to see for himself…
Burtons
Unable to access the
menswear section of the
clothes retailers. The
clerk explained how a
member of staff could
bring things down for
me to look at, but I
wanted to browse!
LN2
I decided to go for
lunch at the LN2 bar
on the High Street.
Unfortunately there
was a big staircase as
soon as I went through
the door.
HSBC
My bank was ok,
despite the steps at
the front there was a
disabled door
around the side. I
did need help open-
ing it however as it
was difficult to manage from a seated position.
Steep Hill
Says it all really! With the Lincoln landscape as
it is it is difficult for people in wheelchairs to
access the most picturesque area of the city.
University
The University has a few areas which are diffi-
cult to get around in a wheelchair, particularly
on your own. The library has a large runner for
the automatic doors which is difficult to get
over, and the aisles are narrow and hard to
manoeuvre around in places. The lifts are often
out of order, particularly the one in the MHAC
which is the only one in the building. Another
problematic lift is the one at Student Services,
which ironically leads up to the D.A.R.T office
which is designed for people with disabilities.
General
It is difficult to realise until you are put into the
position of someone in
a wheelchair how hard they can be to steer. The
general undulation of the ground we walk on
makes it very tough to push yourself around,
again, raising the question of independence.
Are you a disabled student? Tell us about
your experiences: [email protected]
The Linc would like to thank Shop
Mobility for donating the use of the
wheelchair for this article.
The Linc’s Assistant Editor Dan Clough took to a wheelchair forthe day to find out how tough it is to get around the Cathedral City
8 thelinc.co.uk
thelinc Picture Special7th and 9th April 2008: AU Varsity
thelinc.co.uk 9
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN REEVES, SAMUEL COX AND GEORGE McLELLAND
JAMES Gilbert is 25 years old
and in his final year of a business
studies degree. He is a single
father of two boys; Harry, 6, and
Corey, 8 weeks.
For James, being a father
means dividing his time between
doing his university work and
travelling to and from Grantham
to spend time with his children.
“I catch the bus up to four
times a week to go back. It’s
hard. It’s a lot of travelling, but
luckily the University has been
quite understanding.”
Being in his final year means
handing in a dissertation, but for-
tunately for James, with the
recent birth of his youngest son,
the University were quick to give
him a two week extension. He
has nothing but praise when it
comes to the University allowing
him extensions on his work, say-
ing how quickly they were will-
ing to help, however he has not
been so lucky with the adminis-
tration side of things.
“They did award mitigating
circumstances but it’s been lost
in the lines of communication, so
in that respect the University’s
pretty poor, but initially they’ve
been very understanding.”
As well as being a father and
being a student, James also
works part time up to 25 hours a
week, yet still does not feel the
need to seek social support with-
in the University.
“I don’t really look for help,
but I do understand that there are
people out there who do need
that support.”
James’ advice for prospective
single parent students is to be
totally committed.
“It’s a struggle and it does
test you, but it is definitely do-
able.”
10 thelinc.co.uk
WHEN it comes to being a stu-
dent, most people struggle with
the work load as it is, but imagine
having the responsibility of being
a single parent as well.
Single parent students are
being urged to get in touch with
university chaplain, Les Acklam,
in an attempt to get a group
together following a recent
request from one particular stu-
dent, asking to be put in touch
with others in a similar situation.
“I’ve got a varied job, so
somebody thought it might be
me that could help them to do
this,” said Les, “I’ve never been
asked before but it’s something I
felt I could do.”
Having been approached by
the student, Les then circulated
an email around the University
network, encouraging single par-
ent students to get in touch and
consider meeting together to
share their experiences. Around
nine students showed interest, so
a meeting was arranged for
Friday 14th March.
Only one parent turned up to
the meeting, which is one of the
problems Les is trying to over-
come because being a student
and being a single parent no
doubt means leading a busy life.
“All I would do is bring peo-
ple together. I’m just trying to
get a self-sufficient group off the
ground. If there’s anything else I
can do, and people tell me, then
I’ll do it. But that’s all I want to
do - start it off.”
As part of the University’s
widening participation policy,
every effort is made to ensure
that any prospective students
hoping to come to Lincoln do
not feel that there are any obsta-
cles getting in their way. This
includes encouraging single par-
ents to not back down when it
comes to getting a degree.
Despite this, the general feeling
is that it would not be appropri-
ate for the University to ask on
application forms for students to
state whether or not they are a
parent. The University should
respect confidentiality when it
comes to this matter.
Les therefore hopes that some
of those existing single parent
students, willing enough to do
so, could set up a group or a stall
at the next Fresher’s Fayre and
give single parent students the
option to join if they wish to. It
is vital for them to know that the
support is out there, not just from
fellow students, but also from
the University itself. And as it
says on the University website;
“The Student Services depart-
ment has a dedicated team to
support you whilst you are
studying at the University. We
provide a central point for gener-
al information, advice and guid-
ance on any issue you may need
support with. If it matters to you,
it matters to us!”
Any single parent student in
need of some extra support or
just someone to chat and share
experiences with can contact
Student Services or email Les
Acklam at
HELEN Dearnley is a 31 year old
mother of two, studying a joint
honours in Fine Art and
Illustration.
Helen has managed to juggle
both studying for her final year at
Lincoln and being a mother to her
two boys, Kurt, 12, and Brett, 8,
despite all the challenges that
have been thrown in her direc-
tion.
This year has been more diffi-
cult than most, with her eldest son
moving to secondary school and
no longer being eligible to use the
kid’s club at his previous primary
school. Finding a child minder
who would take a child older than
11 proved to be quite a problem
for Helen, but nevertheless, she
did manage to find one and both
children are in Ofsted registered
childcare after school, which is
paid for by childcare grants from
the University.
Despite the financial help that
she receives, Helen would very
much welcome the support of
other single parent students
because she feels that there is not
enough social support from the
University for single mums.
“There should be a group for
mature students, and within that a
group for single parents to meet
up. It’d be really good if there
was something for us.”
Helen’s advice for single par-
ents looking to do a degree is to
not give up when faced with dif-
ferent problems.
“I think that’s part of being a
single parent, you’ve got the kind
of determination to do that. We
kind of cope because we have to,
it’s not really a choice. It’s going
to be really hard and you’re going
to face no end of really tricky
problems that are going to get
thrown at you. It is very hard to
juggle but I think it will be worth
it in the end.”
DONNA Gooding is a 25 year old
student studying social work at De
Montfort University, Leicester.
She is in her final year of the
course and has a four year old
daughter, Maddie.
Juggling both Maddie and uni-
versity has meant having to be
more organised than her fellow
students, but for Donna, this is
how she works best. It also means
that she gets to spend summer hol-
idays with her daughter, although
financially this has proved diffi-
cult.
For Donna, getting through
university would have been
impossible without her close
friends and family.
“I didn’t really know of any uni
services for parents and I suppose
I felt quite isolated as I was young
and a parent and none of my peers
at uni were in similar situations.”
Donna is particularly opposed
to the label so often given to single
parents, being accused of raising
children with no morals, and so is
keen to steer clear of this stereo-
type. Taking on the challenge of
raising a child as well as complet-
ing a degree must surely prove that
she is a capable parent.
“I’d advise anyone to go to
university if they have an interest
in the course. Obviously think
about the financial implications,
childcare and emotional support
available to you, but being a single
parent does not mean opportuni-
ties like university are not open to
you.”
lincfeaturesThink you’vegot it tough?
Helen DearnleyJames Gilbert
Donna Gooding
“There should bea group for maturestudents, and withinthat a group for sin-gle parents to meetup. It’d be reallygood if there wassomething for us.”
Imagine your coursework, deadlines and other responsibilities youstruggle with at uni. And then, add a child. Sadie Geogheganmeets some of the single-parents at the University of Lincoln
thelinc.co.uk 11
linclettersDear The Linc,
When holding a position in the
Students’ Union, you learn to
take criticism with grace and
then act upon it to make sure it
does not happen again.
But, I take offence at how
inaccurately reported this article
is [“Shape of things to come”.
The Linc, Issue 9]!
When I read that “the official
figures counted almost 10 per-
cent of the total student popula-
tion” voted, I was amazed to say
the least, as the figures I have in
front of me right now from the
election committee state that
18.8% had their say.
This in turn means that ‘a
poor turnout’ did not plague the
elections this year; in fact it was
an amazing turnout for student
elections. The University of
Leicester, which has a great his-
tory of student involvement,
recorded 17 per cent this year,
while the University of Derby
took only 2 per cent. Looking
outside of the East Midlands,
another established university,
Liverpool, also had 17per cent,
with University College London
taking only 10 per cent.
This article seems to actively
want to cause concern to the
reader by using powerful words
like:
“Controversy”- I cannot see
what was so controversial about
the elections over any other
process that takes place at other
universities.
“Distress”- There will always
be distress, its an election to
decide peoples futures!
“Campaign sabotage”- We
did have reports of this but most
of it was found out to be misin-
formed porters and members of
security removing things.
“Arguments”- Rumours only,
nothing reported to the elections
committee. Plus it’s an election,
debate over ideals and mani-
festos are encouraged, otherwise
how do the voters know who to
choose.
I am not moaning for the sake
of it, but as a graduate myself of
the Lincoln School of
Journalism, I know that poor
reporting must be held to
account.
The Students’ Union, the
University of Lincoln and the
students here have had a number
of successes, why don’t we instil
a bit of pride in being from
Lincoln and celebrate these,
rather than looking to find the
negative in something all of the
time.
I have just come back from
the NUS national conference
where people on a national level
have nothing but praise for the
students and the Students’ Union
here.
No university will ever be
perfect but let’s take a bit of
pride in Lincoln, because it
seems that everyone else is doing
that except us.
Mike Beddoes, Acting SU
President
Give Lincoln some creditfor our election success
Why don’t youget invovled?Dear The Linc
In response to Abbi Quinn’s
article [Who ‘Raise and Gives’ a
sh*t? The Linc, Issue 9]: If
you’re so bothered about it then
get into the RAG team and help
us out.
We worked really hard on
RAG week this year and raised
more money than we ever did
before. And it took a lot of hard
work. Getting broke students to
donate their money to charity is
hard at the best of times, they’d
much rather spend it on a night
out at the end of the term, than
donating it.
Getting people involved is
difficult, but we did a netball
tournament and the tug of war,
both of which were successful
and really good fun. Especially
when its around dissertation and
hand in times, its very difficult to
get good participation when peo-
ple, especially third years, are
snowed under with work!
The problem is, like with a
lot of stuff, we can’t use the
Engine Shed to do events as its
not directly affiliated with the
SU. This means we have to do
events that people want to get
involved with, without going out
each night. We were trying to get
people involved in different
ways.
If you think the RAG team
didn’t work hard enough then
you should have got involved
really. Have you been on one of
the RAG fundraisers, the Pirates
V Sailors night at the beginning
of the year or the Mr Men night
out just a month or so ago?
Don’t think so…
The problem RAG have is
that people like you complain
about it, but still don’t get
involved at all… do something
about it and get involved.
Kayleigh Turner
Dear The Linc,
People don’t get involved
because we don’t know how to.
All that happens is we see a
poster go up on the day of an
event, and it’s not enough notice
to rearrange ready made plans.
This article has done more to
raise the profile of RAG than
anything else all year in my hon-
est opinion.
Steph Senyszyn
We won’t takecriticism if youdidn’t take partDear The Linc,
Correct, £3000 isn't the biggest
amount we could have raised but
it is triple the amount the RAG
society made last year and at the
moment is heading towards
£4000.
Secondly, we refuse to take
critisicsm from someone who
has done nothing to help all year.
As a candidate running for the
elections I would hope she
would be up to date on all the
goings on from the Students’
Union and RAG society.
In terms of RAG raids the
RAG society has already attend-
ed two and has done numerous
fundraisers externally of RAG
week including the RAG cloak-
room, the RAG quiz, the two
pub crawls, pirates and sailors,
the ‘Mr Men’ big night out, a
cake sale and stall at the volun-
teers fayre, a performance in the
AU talent show, Children in
Need RAG raid on campus,
breast cancer RAG raid on cam-
pus, raffle and doughnut sale
which raised over £450 on
Freshers’ Fayre.
Also the car fundraiser did
not raise £800 it raised £545
which we thought was an amaz-
ing fundraiser and fully support-
ed and helped organise along
with the duck race, netball and
football tournament, quiz, tug of
war, miles for sport relief, spon-
sored silence and 24 hours in a
cage.
As for the promotion and
publicity, three siren shows, arti-
cles on all the University face-
book sites, numerous posters,
articles on the website and the
Rag website and the universty
portal seemed addequite enough.
Abbi also complained that no
one knew what RAG was and it
wasn't visible enough depsite the
fact that on both the Tower bar
and Engine shed we have the
collection tins with Rag labels on
them!
Finally comparing us to
Bristol is ridiculous, they own
their commercial services and
include their block grant that the
university gives them in their
total!
If we owned the Engine
Shed, shop and Riseholme bar
then sure of course we would
want to look at a massive total
but unfortunately we don't so we
have to work with the resources
we have, which when I last
checked are minimal and with
volunteers something that Abbi
has not put herself forward for
despite obviously being so pas-
sionate about it.
Fingers crossed next year we
can triple our total again!
Maria Yesufu
Societies Officer, SU
Same eventsas last year...Dear The Linc,
How does one get involved in
the RAG team? Or is it a friends
invite only? Where is the adver-
tisement to get involved?
This year was the first year
that RAG elected a committee,
but how many people were actu-
ally aware that it was happening?
Most people, still, even in their
third year, do not know what
RAG is. RAG is such a good
idea and such a good opportunity
for students to have a laugh and
to do something good for the
local chairites but it is not adver-
tised enough.
I speak from experience. Last
year I was involved in RAG as a
volunteer. But it was pretty much
Dan Windross doing most things
with help from myself, Junior
Mayala and Mike Beddoes. It’s a
good idea to elect a commitee
but its still the students that don’t
know a)who you are and b)what
you do.
“It’s advertised on Facebook
and at the Engine Shed”... well
congratulations but that is not
getting out there and meeting the
people telling them what you do.
It is informative to get on the
social networks and invite peo-
ple. But most people decline
groups anyway. The only time
people ever hear about the events
or nights out that RAG organise
is when they see the photos on
Facebook of them a day after the
event.
As for variety of the events
that apparently happened, but
slipped everyone by, thumbs up
for originality, the same events
that were on last year.
At no point does the writer of
this article individually target a
member of the RAG team. It was
simply an investigative piece that
mainly states fact. I think this
article has raised more awareness
of RAG than this years team did.
Kerry Freeman
RAG reactionLast issue, Abbi Quinn made her feelings clear about RAG week. Hereare a selection of the responses received by The Linc
From the Web:
Dear The Linc,
In response to Hayley Cook’s
article in the last edition of ‘the-
linc’ we would like to provide
some feedback and clarity to the
story; “Giving £’s to lose
pounds”. First of all, I would
like to thank Hayley for her arti-
cle which highlighted the cost of
using gyms to stay healthy and
keep fit.
As Hayley states “prices at
the University gym are reason-
able” during peak and off peak
usage. At the University Sports
Centre we do try to provide clear
prices, with no hidden extras; so
often fitness companies do use a
number of techniques to confuse
the purchasers such as bundling,
add ons, etc.
It can be a minefield in deter-
mining the real price you pay for
your gym membership; that is
why the University gym prices
are kept simple to follow.
Remember ‘all that glitters is not
gold’ but some people will be
drawn towards the glitzy market-
ing which surrounds these com-
panies.
It is also good to have the
opportunity to use other gyms in
the area; after all, we live in an
open market economy. In the
future we will be developing an
off peak monthly membership
which will provide an even bet-
ter gym use opportunity; this is
aimed at depressing demand at
peak times when it is extremely
busy.
We should also remember
that the University gym has
excellent equipment and was
only refurbished last year. We
also provide one to one training
at £10 per hour with trained and
friendly staff; were competitors
are charging £25.
Customer service is very
important to us and we do carry
out standard customer service
checks. We always expect our
staff to be highly professional
helpful and to keep a customer
focus to the highest level.
Finally, we fully understand
that ‘you do not have to be ill to
get better’, so if you do have
suggestions which would
improve the use of the facility
and can be sustainable please do
contact us. Again thank you
Hayley for highlighting the gym
and as you said at the very end
of your story “the University
seems like the right choice”
Robin Wright, Director of
Sport
Don’t be fooled by glitzy marketingat other gyms, says director of sport
JOIN THE DEBATE: [email protected] and www.thelinc.co.uk
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player I
have ever seen. For me, he is better
than George Best.
He will definitely get the Premiership
player of the season and maybe even the world
crown. He has scored 34 goals this season. It
is unbelievable. Absolutely remarkable!
He has got absolutely everything. He is
one of those players who is probably quicker
with the ball than without it.
With the Portuguese winger in such fine
form, I am confident in Manchester United
beating Barcelona so hopefully we will have
an all English final in the Champions League.
If Sir Alex Ferguson gets all of his players
back to full fitness, they will have more than a
good chance of winning the competition for
the first time in nine years.
For England to have three sides in the
semi-final of the European Cup for the second
season in succession is a massive achieve-
ment.
It shows how far the Premiership has come
in recent years to be competing consistently
with the very best in Europe. The English are
dominating the competition and it is some-
thing we should all be very proud of.
I think the English clubs have taken a lot
from the foreign players who have come to
play in our country. We can learn from the
way they have been brought up to play the
game.
Perhaps there is too much physical empha-
sis in this country whereas players from the
continent are far more focussed on the techni-
cal side of the game. This has helped to
improve the standard of football on our
shores.
It has been a remarkable Premiership cam-
paign as well and I do not think we have seen
the last of the twists for the title yet either.
Arsene Wenger will not rule Arsenal out of
the running and you would be stupid to do so
with the way they play the game.
I love watching the Gunners. The way they
pass and move is a truly stunning sight.
Chelsea could still come out of the season
with two trophies to their name as well.
They lost to Tottenham in the Carling Cup
final back in February and boss Avram Grant
got some bad press but since then his results
speak for themselves.
He deserves far more credit for how he has
he turned around the Londoners’ campaign.
Perhaps because he hasn’t got that aura of Jose
Mourinho, he is not as highly rated. He is a bit
quieter and stays out of the newspapers. He
hasn’t got the same characteristics but looking
at his record, he deserves some praise.
Lewis Hamilton:
Home hope Lewis Hamilton is having a
tough spell at the moment despite winning
the opening Grand Prix of the season in
Australia.
I still back him to win the championship
though. You need strength of character to be a
world champion in any sport and Hamilton
has certainly got that.
He is very, very strong. He has all the
ingredients to be a top sportsman for a long
time to come. Ferrari are looking very quick in
the last two races but I don’t think he will be
worrying too much at the moment. He has the
quality to make a fight of it.
World Snooker
The World Championship snooker looks to
be another fascinating tournament. There are
a lot of good players, especially the younger
guys on the circuit this season.
I think Ronnie O’Sullivan will win it this
year. I really love to watch him when he is at
his best. He is so quick around the table and
he will take some stopping if he hits top form.
12 thelinc.co.uk
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THEREYNOLDSVIEW
As Chelsea prepare to meet
Liverpool for the second successive
year in the Champions League
semi-finals perhaps it is time to talk about
the great things in English football.
For instance, what a superb advert
Liverpool and Arsenal created for the
national game with their two pulsating
quarter-final matches.
Arsenal’s footballing brilliance and
Liverpool’s never say die sturdiness provided for one of the
greatest second legs in Champions League history.
The games were competitive without the usual ten-man
brawl. The referee was given total respect and both teams, on the
whole, did their best to play entertaining football.
To be honest, the only shame was that we weren’t treated to
another thirty minutes of enthralling action, as it had looked for
so long, that we would be.
At the same time in West London, ‘ugly’ Chelsea’s belea-
guered fans were treated to a typically workmen like perform-
ance by Michael Ballack and co., scraping to a 3-2 aggregate win
over Turkish side Fenerbahce.
Not wanting this to sound like sour grapes, but I would prefer
to watch Arsenal lose than Chelsea win every day of the week. A
ridiculous statement I hear you say, but I think it’s more because
I’m a fan of ‘football’ and to be honest I’m not a fan of paying
40 quid to watch
John Terry and
Ricardo
Carvalho shut
up shop after
half an hour.
But fair play
to them, if foot-
ball’s about win-
ning then they
are certainly very good at it, but if my club were so uninspiring
in victory, I would be asking some very serious questions.
At the end of the day, football has evolved, with the amount
of money players are now paid winning ‘ugly’ is no longer good
enough, footballers are showmen, they must entertain and that
perhaps is where Chelsea are light years behind.
Further north and just a day earlier Manchester United
wrapped up a 3-0 aggregate win over Roma showing just why
they are the finished product.
Sir Alex Ferguson has created the complete football side,
skill, guile, controlled aggression, and most of all that killer
instinct.
And as they prepare to wrap up yet another title win, perhaps
it’s time for rival manager’s to take their hats off to the real,
‘Special One’.
I would prefer towatch Arsenal
lose than Chelsea winevery day of theweek
English brillianceshines through
EXPERT EYE: Ben Wright - Striker
Gary Moss
“Ronnie O’Sullivan will win
this year’s world crown. When
this man plays, there is really
no stopping him. And, he will
be hungry for a third world
title; there can be no doubting
that. The decade was supposed
to belong to ‘The Rocket’ but
a crop of fine young players
have stopped him having it all
his own way in recent years. I
think he will serve out a lesson
or two at Sheffield this year.”
Paul Smith
“I think Peter Ebdon will win
it this year. There is no denying
for me that Ronnie O'Sullivan,
on his day, is unstoppable. But
he doesn't like playing Ebdon
because of their different
styles. O'Sullivan likes to get it
over and done with and gets
frustrated by Ebdon's slow
approach. This will tell, and
with them in separate halves of
the draw, it would make a great
final.”
Hayley Cook
“I would love to see Mark
Selby in the final of the World
Championship this year, and I
hope the ‘Leicester Jester’
wins. He surprisingly reached
the showpiece at the Crucible
last season and beat Ronnie
O’Sullivan in the final of the
Welsh Open 2008 back in
February. He has proved that
he can play at a high standard
now.”
Aaron Scott
“Mark Selby will be the man
to beat in this year’s World
Championships in my opinion.
After winning the Masters on
his first attempt in January as
well as being last season world
runner-up, he is now estab-
lished as one of the circuit’s
big-guns. Shaun Murphy could
well be in with a chance after
an impressive showing in
China last month.”
lincpanel: WORLD SNOOKERThe Crucible Theatre raises its curtains to another 888.com World Snooker Championship as theworld number one Scot John Higgins bids to retain his crown. The Linc’s sports writers bring youtheir informed opinion on the Sheffield showpiece.
Ben Wright tops the Imps scoring charts in only his first season at Sincil Bank since joining fromNorwegian outfit IK Start. Linc sport editor Gary Moss caught up with the City marksman to dis-cuss the Champions League, amongst other sporting issues.
The 27-year-old has been a hit with SincilBank supporters, following an impressive13 goals since becoming a regular inDecember.
Why not add your own views?Email the Sport Desk: [email protected]
PREMIER STARS: Arsenal’s Abou Diaby and Liverpool’s XabiAlonso were part of a thrilling all-English Champions League tie.
“”
t
UNIVERSITY footballer Paul
Keeling could be facing David
Beckham next season in
America’s MLS.
The president of the football
society has applied for a scholar-
ship which could see him plying
his trade professionally in
Florida.
The promising goalkeeper had
his season restricted to just two
appearances for the third team
due to a string of injuries to his
elbow and back.
But the third year student is
hoping to enjoy more action with
a move to the US.
“It’s important to get your
confidence up after you’ve been
out for so long, this could be the
chance,” he said.
“I want to continue my studies
because I’m not sure what career
path to take yet, but the chance to
play in Florida would be fantas-
tic.
“If I get the scholarship I
could be out there for anything
between one and four years, it all
depends on how much the univer-
sity wanted to invest in me.
“Personally, I would want to
stay out there for a couple of
years – it would be a fantastic
experience.”
Keeling is hopeful a possible
move to Florida will see him
playing on a regular basis once
again, while he considers his
future.
The 22–year-old, who has
enjoyed pre-season spells with
Garforth Town and Belper Town,
hopes to continue studying Media
Production and has not ruled out
the possibility of working in
Florida.
“Of course I’d consider stay-
ing there if I had the opportunity
and if it agreed with me,” he
explained.
“However, if I went into the
College Draft where professional
clubs look for players to sign, I
think I’d be out of my depth –
playing in the same league as
David Beckham!”
The custodian says several of
his friends have done similar
things and are currently enjoying
themselves in Florida and
California and he is hopeful of
following their example.
thelinc.co.uk 13
sportnews Got a story? Email the sportsdesk:
Stephen Rudd
AU Update with Chris RobertsLET me take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Chris
Roberts and I have been elected to take over from Gavin Sumner in
his role of Athletic Union (AU) Sports and Teams president when he
leaves in June.
This is my first column for student newspaper, The Linc, and just
one of many ways you can keep in touch with what is going on in
the sports scene at the University.
Firstly, I would like to wish Gav the best of luck with his future
endeavours and thank him for the fantastic job that he has done. He
has certainly set a benchmark for any future AU sabbatical officers.
We have had a lot of success in the sports teams at the
University, highlighted by our recent victory in the Varsity against
Derby.
It was a fantastic sporting occasion and a fine way to end the
sporting year. But this was just one of many successes enjoyed.
The women’s football team were just one of three Lincoln sides
to win their league title this year. The pinnacle of their campaign
was marked by an emphatic 21-0 victory over Newman College.
The rugby league team and men’s football side were also
crowned champions in an excellent season of achievement.
With the University cricketers and athletes still to begin, it could
mean even more triumph for us. So, good luck to those students as
they represent our colours in the coming weeks.
It has been an incredible season already and I cannot wait to start
to help next year’s teams replicate this year’s feats.
I look forward to writing many more columns for The Linc once
I am in the full swing of the job, writing about the successes that we
have had both on and off the pitch.
Iffy Banks on City progressLINCOLN City acting manager Iffy Onuora is looking forward to
the next league campaign and the prospect of progress at Sincil
Bank.
City linger in the mid-table safety net of League Two after steer-
ing clear of relegation in the early months of 2008.
But Onuora is now focussed on getting things right for the next
campaign.
“We want to do things the right way. We have got good ambi-
tions to push on for next season,” he said.
“We are not going to be one of the big spenders next season so
we have to utilise what we’ve got to the best of our ability.”
The Imps chief believes all the signs are right for success.
“We have some fine young players and that helps us to root the
Football Club in the community,” explained Onuora.
“We have a good set of players so that is an excellent platform.
“We need to bring in the right players to improve us.
“It is hard to look into the future without a crystal ball this is a
club that can move in the right direction.”
Gary Moss
Keeper hopes for US scholarship
University goalkeeper Paul Keeling hopes to play in America
Cricketers aim to hit opposition for six
CRICKET captain Rob Cook
believes an exciting summer lies
ahead for his side as they aim to
“dominate” the league in their
first season of competitive com-
petition.
The team was formed early
last year and looks likely to excel
after being placed in the lowest
division possible – according to
BUSA rules.
They enjoyed a taste of suc-
cess last term in some friendly
matches against established sides
in much higher divisions.
And, with five fresh faces on
board this season, Cook insists
the squad is more than capable of
winning every single league fix-
ture.
“The lads that have joined the
side this season have given the
team an extra boost and some-
what of a makeover,” he said.
“They have added much need-
ed depth to the squad and brought
something new to nearly every
area of the side.
“Nothing less than a win from
every game will be accepted to be
honest, because I know we have
more than enough talent here.
“The lads are capable of play-
ing at a much higher level which
we demonstrated last year when
we went to Derby who are two
leagues above us and gave them a
lesson in cricket.
“And because of that I feel we
should really run away with the
league this season,” he explained.
Cook picked out England
indoor under-19s fast bowler
Mike Worne, who will make his
debut for the University this sea-
son, as a player he expects to
make the biggest impact.
And with many key batsmen
from last year still in the ranks,
runs should also be plentiful for
Cook’s side if they can stay
focused.
“Mike (Worne) should really
scare the death out of all the bats-
men in this division,” insisted
Cook.
“His pace is unbelievable for
this level of cricket and I can eas-
ily see him taking a hat full of
wickets this season.
“We should also have no prob-
lem piling on the runs either, as
batsmen like Nick (Tennant), Dan
(Wakeling) and Edward
(Bosworth) can be brilliant on
their day.
“But at the end of the day con-
centration is the key to our suc-
cess.
“As long as we keep our heads
and don’t take any games for
granted then it should be a bril-
liant season for us.”
Aaron Scott
IMPS IN BRIEF:
Lincoln United relegatedWHITES IN BRIEF:
LINCOLN United have been relegated for the first time in twenty-
nine years, but manager Mark Shaw has vowed to bring them back
even stronger.
The Whites dropped out of the UniBond Premier division with
three games of the season still to play, having won just seven games
over the whole campaign.
A 3-0 home defeat against title-chasing Fleetwood Town saw the
inevitable become a reality as Shaw’s men fell from the safety zone.
Shaw is determined to stay in the Ashby Avenue hot seat next
season, and believes he can lead them back into the UniBond’s top
tier at the first attempt.
“I think it is a great club. I’d like to be here next season, I’d like
to be given a fair crack of the whip and a full chance,” he revealed.
“We will bounce back, we will become stronger. As daft as it
sounds, as bad as it sounds, football clubs sometimes need to go
back a step to go forwards two.
“I think we will come back stronger, we’ll come back better pre-
pared, more organized and there will be more stability.
“And hopefully there will be a few more supporters coming
through the door when we do get to the next level in the new
league.”
Despite his ever-glowing optimism, Shaw couldn’t hide his dis-
appointment at United’s first relegation since the 1978/79 season.
“Obviously it is disappointing, after getting promoted last sea-
son at another club to go to this, it is a new experience.”
Shaw displaced John Ramshaw in December, and completely
overturned the whole squad, with little success as results continued
to dwindle. Paul Smith
COOKIE: Rob Cook hopes to win the league this summer
30th April ………………............Staffordshire 2nd team (H)
4th May ……………………….. Aston 2nd team (A)
7th May …………………... .......Coventry 2nd team (A)
11th May ………………….... ....Lincoln 2nd team (A)
14th May…………………. .......Northants (H)
18th May….………….. ..............Birmingham Col (A)
FIXTURES
Emergency striker Connie Wain helped Lincoln’s womens to the first point of the 2008 Varsity, but the
men couldn’t make it a double.
Wain, 20, who usually plays in goal for the first team enjoyed a fruitful spell up front, bagging twice
in a 4-2 win.
“I was pleased to get two goals on the day and my first for the University. To say I’m a goalkeeper,
it’s not a bad effort,” she explained.
“I enjoyed playing up front for a change.
“More importantly than my own performance, it’s good to do our bit in the Varsity.”
Vicky Poole and Christine Hagan were also on the goal trail as the Minerva’s raced into a four goal
lead.
The visitors stole in for two late strikes, but it was not to deny a Lincoln side inspired by an outstand-
ing Simone Upton.
The men’s team could not avoid defeat in a ferocious clash despite taking an early lead through Matt
Woodhouse.
Lincoln ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline following a spirited Derby fightback.
Goalscorer Woodhouse reflected on a hard fought encounter, he said: “It was probably the toughest
game we’ve played all season but we were the better team throughout, it’s just a shame they nicked a
winner.”
14 thelinc.co.uk
Lincoln’s netball team steamed to a 37 - 18 win in a game which was closer than the scoreline suggests.
The Minerva’s were strong out of the blocks, securing an eight-point lead by the end of the first quar-
ter, thanks to goals from EJ Pritchard, Helen Mycroft and Charlie Moore.
However Derby came back into the game in the second quarter with their goal-attack causing the
Lincoln defence problems, cutting their lead to three by half-time.
But a rallying cry from vice captain Sophie Pemberton assured a better performance in the third quar-
ter with Lincoln extending their lead to an unassailable margin.
Following the win Stef Downing, who was outstanding throughout, spoke about the game, “first quar-
ter was really good but second we dropped a little, but after half time we were on top and went on to win
the game,” she said.
She also gave credit to a Derby side who at times looked close to an upset.
“Derby played really well, their goal-defense was probably the best player in the game,” she admitted.
But Downing also gave her own side credit, “we’re delighted to have beaten a team that on the day
played at a similar level to us.”
The edge was taken off of the victory somewhat by the news that the second team were defeated by
Buxton, 58 – 36 in an end to end encounter.
Skipper Sean Knight celebrated his last game with a six-point win in the Varsity, but the women nar-
rowly lost by two points to leave it honours even on the court.
Knight pulled in a man-of-the-match performance as the Lincoln Lakers celebrated victory in a tense
contest. He said: “It feels good. It was my last game and I’m glad I left it on a win.”
Lincoln worked hard to claim their Varsity point in a game that could have gone either way.
“The team played well. No-one messed up and everyone enjoyed it so I’m happy,” explained the
impressive Knight.
“Derby are a good team. We’ve played them before and they beat us so it was good to get a bit of
revenge, especially in the Varsity.”
On the next court, Lincoln’s women narrowly missed out on completing the double despite a valiant
effort.
Adiam Solomon congratulated her team nonetheless.
“It was a really, really close game. Last time we played Derby, they won by two points in the last
minute – exactly the same as this time.
“There was some mix up in the middle but we played really well, especially compared to the start of
the season.”
It was late agony for the second successive year for the American footballers, as Derby clinched a
last gasp win.
The hosts ran out narrow 20-14 winners owing to a touchdown six minutes from time leaving
Lincoln to stew on another dramatic Varsity defeat.
Karl Halpin and Daniel Wood scored but it was not enough to deny Derby their win in a physical
encounter.
Society president Alex Robson could not hide his disappointment but was philosophical in defeat.
“We thought we could beat them but once again it has happened in the final quarter and it is just a
case of unfortunate events,” he explained.
“We have to accept it, that is the way it goes and it happens in every sport.
“We have to take it on the chin and move on.”
NETBALL...
HOCKEY...
AMERICAN FOOTBALL...
BASKETBALL...
The Linc’s sports writers Gary Moss, Paul Smith, Hayley Cook and Adam Reynolds bring you the full round-up of Varsity action...
VARSITY SPECIAL
thelinc.co.uk 15
It was plain sailing for the men’s football sides who secured two crucial points to determine
the destiny of the Varsity Shield.
Two mixed sides went goal crazy with 4-0 and 5-2 wins over Derby and Buxton respectively.
The hosts defence simply could not cope with a rampant Lincoln.
Greg De Souza, who led his side to a demolition of Derby, insists the Varsity point means
more than his sides victory itself.
“As long as Lincoln win that is the main thing - two points from the footballers is the most
we can do,” he explained.
“It’s a great result, the Varsity is a big thing for us third years.
“We wanted to get another win over Derby and in the Varsity is the most important time to
produce it.”
Simon Mowbray bagged a brace with Peter Williams and Mark Bottomley also on target for
De Souza’s side.
Callum Lester captained the side who beat Buxton, with goals from five different sources.
Carl Russo, James Hood, Adam Hindhaugh, Chiedu Oraka and AU President Gav Sumner
were on the goal trail, leaving Lester delighted.
“There were five different scorers and everyone has had an input, even the ones who didn’t
score,” he enthused.
“We’ve had about 14 lads who have played and they’ve pulled their weight which is the
main thing.
“We grouped together and played them off the park.”
A second half masterclass saw the women footballers run out comfortable 6-0 winners, but this year’s
league champions were hungry for more.
Natasha Murray and Kirsty Smith struck two each, while Jen Purnell and Emily Hill also got in on the act.
After a goalless first 45, Lincoln rallied to a convincing win, leaving goalkeeper Rosie Millbrow just
about satisfied.
“We will take the second half performance and take the win but we’ve played better than that,” she
said.
“It was a very tense first half because I thought we were going to absolutely annihilate them.”
Scorer Purnell was pleased Lincoln adapted their game against a physical Derby outfit.
“They were so aggressive they didn’t really care about taking the ball, they went straight through us,
we had to have the same mentality,” she revealed.
Stopper Millbrow, who has conceded a mere five goals all season, reflected on the value of securing a
crucial Varsity Series point.
“The Varsity means a lot to us, for some people this is their last year so it’s good to contribute to the
fact that Lincoln have won the Varsity again.
Captain Sophie Lepper was left stunned as Derby cruised to a shock 63-5 hammering of her
Lincoln side.
The Minerva’s have enjoyed a string of comfortable victories over the opponents in previous
meetings, but a rejuvenated Derby side turned the form book on its head to leave their mark on
the series.
Lepper, who scored Lincoln’s only points, admits complacency may have cost them.
“We might have come down here expecting to win,” she declared.
“It did not go as planned I have to admit.
“We’ve beaten them in the last five games in a row so it was unfortunate but they were the
best team on the day.
“We didn’t expect Derby to come at us as hard as they did but it was a good game.”
The skipper has now played her final match for the university but has high hopes of the squad
will reclaim the trophy when the sides do battle next year.
“That was my last game as captain and it’s pretty sad as there are four of us leaving, but hope-
fully the girls can get the Varsity back next year,” she said.
“It’s a shame we didn’t finish on a more positive note but we had our tour last month and
enjoyed ourselves there.”
MEN’S FOOTBALL...
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL...
MEN’S RUGBY UNION...Lincoln made sure of the Varsity crown with a fine 25-10 to deny Derby a dramatic draw.
Andy Appleyard’s warriors raced into a commanding 25-0 lead and despite a late Derby fightback
it was not enough to rescue the Varsity as a superb James Fricker had already done the damage with two
tries in front of partisan travelling support.
Tom Wright added to the points tally with a try of his own.
Skipper Appleyard felt the backing of the Lincoln crowd spurred his men on.
“The crowd here gave us extra incentive,” he explained.
“It was brilliant, we wanted to get some points on board early doors and we did that, once we got
such a commanding lead there was no coming back.
“The quality from our boys was exceptional, they all put up great games.”
Star man Fricker played down his contribution but was delighted with the win.
“I got lucky with the tries because they aren’t the best defensive side, there were a lot of gaps in their
defence and it was just easy to attack them,” he revealed.
“We should have put them to bed but we’re very happy with the win.
WOMEN’S RUGBY UNION...
Lincoln finished the first day’s play on home turf on a high condemning Derby to a 6-2 defeat in
the Badminton, leaving the Minerva’s ahead overnight.
Captain Jonathan Waite was delighted with his sides performance.
“It went fantastically well and although we expected to win our performance made it all the bet-
ter.
“Everyone played a good game and it was great to get involved in the spirit of the Varsity.”
But in the first event of the second day at Derby, Lincoln were on the wrong end of a 4-1 score-
line in rowing.
In an event new to the Varsity schedule for this year, Derby took the lead for the first and only
time in the entire competition.
Vice-president Richard Mehrtens insists Lincoln deserved more.
“The contest was closer than the score would suggest - it was probably Derby’s extra training
which made the difference on the day though.”
ELSEWHERE...
lincsportThe wheelchair challengeLinc assistant editor Dan Clough takes tohis wheels to see how he gets onNews feature, Page 7
The best and most comprehensive coverageof University of Lincoln sports news.Got a story? Email the sports desk: [email protected]
N U M B E R O N E S O U R C E F O R S P O R T
LINCOLN have won the Varsity
Shield 2008 with an 8-6 margin
over fierce rivals Derby.
The Minerva’s came from 5-4
down to win the competition for
the second year in succession and
preserve their 100 per cent
record.
The men’s rugby union team
sealed the crown with a final
match 25-10 win over their East
Midlands rivals, to deny Derby a
series leveller.
Athletics Union (AU) presi-
dent Gavin Sumner was delighted
with Lincoln’s superb perform-
ance to end a fine season in style.
“It is absolutely wonderful; it
is the second Varsity we’ve had
and the second we’ve won,” he
said.
“I am over the moon to be pre-
sented with the shield and to
retain the Varsity.
“It is nice to see everyone
together and winning for Lincoln.
“It was as much fun off the
field as it was on it.”
Sumner admits he was wary
as Lincoln trailed the series 5-4
early on in the second day at
Derby last Wednesday.
“I was really panicking at one
stage,” explained the AU presi-
dent.
“It has been very close this
year – it is a great testament to
Derby because they have
invested their time and money
into the event.”
But after a superb comeback
which saw the Minerva’s win
four of their last five games for
the shield, Sumner was ecstatic.
“This year means so much
more, last time I was more wor-
ried about making the event a
success whereas this year I knew
we had everyone behind us,” he
said.
“All of the teams have done us
proud. There are no winners and
no losers - you are doing it for
your university.”
The Varsity shield marks the
end of Sumner’s reign as AU
president. He admits he will miss
life without Lincoln’s sports
teams, but is sure the Varsity will
continue to develop.
“It has really grown and you
could see from the support we
took to Derby that everyone is
having fun, and that is what mat-
ters,” explained Sumner.
“It is a fairly emotional day; it
is very difficult for me because it
is such a big part of my life.
“It is the end of an era for me but
it is fantastic for someone else to
take on.
“The banter at Lincoln is fantas-
tic and I’m going to miss it.
“Hopefully this event will grow
and grow. I’ll come back in a few
years time and it will be massive
- I’m looking forward to coming
back to the Varsity as a supporter
next year and not having to
worry.”
Gary Moss
BACK HOME
RETURNING VARSITY SHIELD: Proud Lincoln team captains bring shield home after fierce contest with East Midlands rivals Derby. (from left to right): Sophie Pemberton, Sophie Lepper, Adam Bull, ConnieWain, Dan Howard, Bev Andrews, Shaun Knight, Caroline O'Shaughnessy, Callum Lester, Hanna Benihoud, Andy Appleyard and Gavin Sumner (front). Picture by Ben Reeves.
Lincoln return victorious with Varsity Shield
Chris RobertsThe newly elected AU officer writes for thevery first time for lincsportSport, Page 13