Leeds Student 2241 1 1999 Volume 29: Issue No.19 THE ORIGINAL TORY BOY Exclusive interview with Conservative leader and proud Yorkshireman William Hague • PAGES 11-13 COUNCIL PROVING THAT CRIME CAN PAY TO DUMP STORE PLANS inquiry backs move to keep sports fields
CAMPAIGNERS are By KEVIN against the development and celebrating a public inquiry's staged demonstrations outside decision not to build a plan would "harm the character Leeds Town Hall. Student shopping centre on the Leeds and appearance of a prominent activist Natasha De Vere University Iiodington playing open area." commented: "This is a huge fields. Council planners are success for student Leeds City Council had refusing to comment on the campaigners and local residents submitted plans with the inquiry's decision until the who have fought these plans. university to build a retail park full report is released on March despite the combined strength on the Weetwood site as part 22. However they are likely of the university and the Labour of the Leeds Unitary to accept most of the report's City Council." Development Plan. recommendations. Harold Best. Leeds North But an inspector this week Over 1.000 students and West MR believes its a big urged that the Bodington Fields residents signed a petition PAGE TWO, COLUMN ONE DOING YOUR BIT FOR COMIC RELIEF • PACE SIX
MATHS THE WAY TO DO IT - COUNTING THE COST OF CLEVER CALCULATORS ON PAGE SEVEN
2 NEWS Leeds Student, Friday March 12 1999 Archaeologists dig up a new theory Film crew box
LONG-held assumptions By NAVEED RAJA about the short length of time that people from problem, belie ■c. the errors centuries ago lived have of the past are caused by a been challenged by local statistical flaw in the methods clever by going experts. used to analyse human bones. A group of British The team thinks the way archaeologists. including Leas hone characteristics arc linked University boffin Robert to changes with age can lead Akroyd, say that ages of the to biased conclusions people from the Middle Ages Pollard is the group may have been underestimated spokesperson and he was by up to 30 years. interviewed by the respected They studied bones found journal The New Scientist about the full monty in Britain dating from around the findings. the 1 I th Century and dispelled He said: "There's a bias... the common held belief that that depends on the degree of TEAM of trainee film By MATT GENEVER no-one at the time lived beyond correlation. The lower the makers have worked with 55-years-old. correlation, the more it tends Full Monty star Steve unison But the academics' ground- to underestimate the ages of been able to do the film if we breaking theory suggests that the oldest people in the to produce a short film about had to pay people as well. It's people then, as now, were population you are studying." a boxing altar boy. been great that so many people capable of surviving well into The findings could resolve Students from the Northern have been willing to help us out their FlOs. some long standing disputes, School of Film and Television, for free." Archaeologists determine In the 1950s anthropologists based at LW!, shot / wish could St Patrick's Gymnasium in the age at death by looking dated the bones of the Mayan fight like Roberto Duran with Burmantof is, Leeds. was the for tell-tale signs, such as wear king Hanah Pakal as belonging the help of Hutson and other star setting for the film. The Boys' and tear on hones and teeth. to someone in his 40s. actors, who worked for free. Club at the gym has produced Mark Pollard of Bradford Yet when the inscription And the film is now set to be Olympic and Commonwealth University. one of the members on his tomb was translated 30 shown in the Leeds International Games medallists and British of the cross-university group years later, it declared that he Film Festival in October and on champions for over five decades. who set to work on the had died aged 80. YTV later in the year. And the film's director Kim Joining Hutson, who played Moore, who was herself an actor the security guard in box office for ten years before deciding hit The Full Monty. are Dicken to join the school, was impressed Asworth who has appeared in with the team spirit. Inquiry rejects shopping The Bill and Casualty, and "As an actor, a tot of my time Stephen Spiers who is in the was spent trying to learn my forthcoming Star Wars film. lines, thinking about my The film stars 9-year-old Ryan performance. But there is a great centre proposal Horton, a bullied child who takes camaraderie the other side of the up boxing to defend himself - camera, which I love. but learns that true strength comes "Hopefully we can go onwards CONTINUED FROM PACE ONE from within. and upwards from here, and to Producer Joel Austin said the have a film like this to show victory. "This is a triumph for team of students were delighted people is such an advantage." good sense and for local people:* with the way the film had gone. This next generation of Steven he said. "Our argument has "We were fortunate to have a Spielhergs hope that this work always been that we mist defend great script. and that showed will be their passport to success. Me goat corritkir. Developn tents with the response from the actors Joel Austin added: "This of this scale would seriously and agents. production will be like a business damage the Holt Park Shopping "It has been such a great card.We can use it as a showcase Centre and (Vey town centre.- experience for all of us, and for our talents. However the future the of we've drawn so many lessons "Also. the actors who have fields is not total I y secure. The from this." helped us this time around may inquiry did back plans fora Park The group had full use of the hope we'll remember them if and Ride scheme and proposals NSFTV's studios and were also we get to produce a big for an office development. given a budget of f5,000 to help blockbuster some lime in the Natasha said: "It is clear that with production costs. future!" the threat to the fields remains But Joel explained that a great Editing or the film has now and we must continue the deal of the project relied on started and is set to take around campaign to protect the local PLAYING THE FIELD: aoodwil 1. "We had a crew of environment and student quality four to five weeks. After that, Developers may be forced around thirty people and the it will be shown at film festivals of life at Bodington." to look elsewhere actors, and we would never have throughout Europe and the US. A VIEW TO A KILLING: Ryan hopes the film will prove a success
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ARTS Victoria Cohen Eleanor Maivrey Law-en Pushkin Sally Young BOOKS Phil Hanlon Helen Morrissey CARTOONIST Murray Wallace CLUBS Phil Lindfield Nick Weight COLUMNIST Ross Horsley COMMENT Lola Almudevar Adam !Hertford FASHION Claire Brayford FEATURES Clare Rndebeck Jemima Sissons FOOD AND DRINK Kate Sleigh Joanne Roll INVESTIGATIONS Michelle Chappell Rebecca Smith JUICE GUIDE Andy Kelk JUICE LOWDOWN Louise Shenvood MUSIC Oliver Craner James McCarthy Fiona Smalley Sonja Todd NEWS Catherine Burt Matt Cenever Kevin Pettman Ralph Savage PICTURES City Fox Dan lliuhron POLITICS Nick Greenhalgh PROOF READERS Chinny Li SPORT Naveed Raja Jenny Thompson Seb Vance TRAVEL Polly Curtis Nick Francis Marc Silver WEEMASTER Ben Lamb
GOT A GOOD STORY? RING OUR 24-HOUR NEWSDESK ON (0113) 243 4727 Leeds Student, Friday March 12 1999 NEWS 3 FEARLESS GROUP RAISE £6,000 IN DARING ABSEIL FROM 185FT BUILDING
PLAIN ABSEILING: More than sixty volunteers completed the daunting descent down the Norwich Union building on Sunday Pie: James Senby How I faced the drop Abseilers get roped in for good cause Our reporter TOBY CHASSEAUD tells of his plunge for charity MORE THAN 60 local daredevils raised By TOBY CHASSEAUD "It's a big decision," said James. "The around 0,000 for charity by abseiling Muscular Dystrophy Group needs money for its family care network. research and essential LEANING backwards over a 185 foot vertical 185 feet down a City Square building efforts. "They were absolutely brilliant," she equipment," drop requires great faith. Despite the assurances this week. exclaimed. Muscular dystrophy is art umbrella term of the instructors and the fact that SO people had The event, which was in aid of muscular "It is usually me that organises events like for about 60 muscle-wasting conditions, and dystrophy sufferers, was organised by LM1.1 his for the charity. So fora group of students taken the plunge before me. I still had diflit:ulty the most common and severe form of the Events Management finalists as part of their to get in contact with me and say they wanted in trusting a centimetre thick length of rope. disease is Duchenne's muscular dystrophy. course. to organise the whole thing was a great load Having only alasei lec o Ice befote (down a mere 20 Iola Lyn Inman from the MDC explained how the And although had weather on SOnday off my shoulders. dit,T), I was on a very steep - literally vertical - learning disease could take hold. forced the event inside the Norwich Union "I have been to many similar events but curve , Focusing only on the rope as it pas..ed thoughough vy "This is an inherited genetic condition building, lames Se nby, one of the organisers. this one outshone them all, It was brilliantly hands, I gingerly began edging my way backwards down which is nearly always restricted to boys. The ha lecl tlic day as a big success. organised without a single hitch and raised the wall. disease becomes apparent around the age of The whole thing went even better than thousands of pounds. It's events like this that Gradually gaining in confidence. I attempted three three and a half when the toddler will begin we expected." he commando-sty le jumps down the wall. In retrospect. ] was said, "We'd been planning keep the charity going." to experience difficulty in walking. From this it since October so it was great to seethe final Glen Bowden. the finalists' tutor, also playiue out a schoolboy fantasy as an SAS serviceman age onwards the boy's muscles don't develop outcome of our efforts. praised their work. "Not only was the event storming the Iranian embassy. This fantasy proved very like they would in a normal child but gradually "We thought we were going to raise about extremely well-organised, but it also helped short-lived its I prrotimily lost my looting and ended up waste away. Sufferers will have a typical life LIAO but everyone worked really hard at the university build links with the local dangling =her limply in mid air much to the amusement expectancy of about 20 years. getting sponsorship and in the end we raised community and charity. From what I saw on of the friends I had foolishly brought along to support "At present, there is no known cure for the over £6,001) for the Muscular Dystrophy the day. everyone involved also had a great And when we discussed the day's events over a pint in disease. But the identification of the gene Group." time." the pub. we. all agreed that f should have learned to walk. abnormality raises the possibility of gene Lyn Inman, the charity's National Field The finalists haven't yet decided which before t jam*. therapy in the future." Manager was grateful to the students for their area of the charity they want to support.
3 ...... Student, Friday March 12 1999 4 NEWS Leeds
Tuesday 16th March Quiznight
Win a gallon of beer or lager of your choice!
Wed 17th March
GUINNESS. St Patricks Night Giveaway PRIME LOCATION: Prime Minister Geingob enjoys Friday's presentation in Leeds Loads of Freebies T-shirts, THE Prime Minister of Namibia this week By IINDA FULLER CD's, Glasses, Stress Pints, visited student soldiers who will 1w making an expedition to his country this summer. transition from apartheid and colonialism to slaw:my Students from Leeds University. LMLI.Hult and and social justice. Lapel Pins, Key Rings He has been awarded several honorary doctorates. Bradford who are involved in the Territorial Army but now says he wants to earn one of his own. and the Leeds University Officer Training Corps He began a PhD but had to abandon it when he Thursday 18th March ILUOTC) will he flying out to Namihia to work was called back to Namihia to set up a training with the High Altitude Athletic Training Academy. programme for refugees. Many of them are now Diamond White Night 99p, 8.4% Vol Once there, they will aid the rehabilitation of civil servants guiding the country through its new children injured by mines and disabled children era of independence. by building a school, hospital and sports facilities. Many of the student teal n are now looking forward aimed at helping the children become more independent to the opportunities presented by the trip. Civil and active. Engineering finalist and LuoTc. member Sue Elliot Prime Minister Hart Geingob, currently studying said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed the other expeditions for a PhD at Leeds Unisersity, was at the special I have been on and am looking forward to this one. presentation on Friday promoting the trips. it gets you out of Leeds at weekends. instead of just "I admire these students for playing an integral seeing LS6," part in the success of this project. The High Altitude-Athletic Training Academy is "We are all comrades in this, in the same way a registered charity that is currently involved in thal we are in the classroom where I sometimes don't projects in countries such as Namibia, Kenya and like the marks I get from tutors.- Eritrea. The site will he built on the Caprivi Strip in It aims to set up aid prognunmes and the provision Namihia and will also lie used by the neighbouring of facilities such as athletics arena, swimming pools Loads of freebies - T-shirts, Pens, ct mai es, of Angola. Zambia. Zimbabwe and Botswana and medical centres. Namibia won independence from South Africa Anyone who is interested in joining the LUDIC Lighters, CD's... in 1990, in which Prime Minister Geingob was an or the TA should visit the Menion Centre on Saturday instrumental figure, and lie is doing his PhD on the for an open day between I Oani and 3pm. Leeds Student, Friday March 12 1999 NEWS 5 Insurance firm pays out
COMPENSATION of X700 has By ADAM BLENFORD publieity, "The client wrote to been awarded to a postgraduate Endsteigh to explain that.her personal after she was refused a payout Endsleigh and was uttered £7011 circumstances would he considered by Endsleigh Insurance. compensation. different to normal students. Catherine Davenprat whose hard- The Leeds University student "The Claims Manager took her luck story was featured in Leeds was delighted with the offer "l hadn't claims into account and has decided Student last week. lost over iI500 expected to get any money at ail," in view of the circumstances to make worth of possessions from her she said. "I knew in January that my An ex-gratin payment,' he said_ permanent home in Queens Road policy didn't cover my circutustant. But Catherine is happy with during a burglary last December. and although I wrote a strong letter the end result: "However it came Endsleigh had initially refused to Encisleigh, I hadn't heard anything -about, got sonic of the money to pay and insisted that she had bought at all." I deserve and students know to be the wrong policy, although they later "1i wasn't until Leeds Student careful in choosing an insurance admitted that her case was difficult ran the story that EndsLeigh contacted policy." and drew attention to the problems me again and told me they could EraLsleigh had previously refuscd that students face in securing their suddenly offer me £71 111." a payout to Catherine because her possessions while at university. Stuart W'artolski, Marketing policy did not cover her during But last Friday, imniediately after Operations Director of Endsleigh holidays. Students are being urged her misfortune had been highlighted. UK. was quick to deny that the to check their policies for similar QUIDS St Catherine will now receive significant compensation Pie: Adam !Hertford Catherine received a call from company was only reacting to bad loopholes. GRADUATE VACANCIES AT Fresh Job Scene Admission Free • Event Open To All calls for FREE CV clinics Exhibitors include ACCA, Army, Bettys & Taylors Group, BUPA Care Services, Canada tile, Farmer! Electrical Components, GE Capital Global Consumer Finance, Insurance Related Financial Services MO, Jonathan Wren, Leeds City Council, MBNA International Bank, IVIannoliver, McDonaids Restaurants, Planet Online, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Royal & SunAlliance, Royal Air force, Royal Navy & Royal Marines, Teacher Training Agency, The Village Hotel & Leisure Club `no name' and Yorkshire Bank University of Leeds marking Sports & Exhibition Centre 23-24 March 1999 NEW research has highlighted sexist By ANGUS MONTGOMERY Tuesday 10am - 4pm, Evening opening 5.30pm - 8pm and racial discrimination in university exams across the country. the canipaign for changing the marking system Wednesday 10am - 3.30pm The NUS has been joined by the Equal across the board, adding: "Anonymous marking Opp; irtunities Commission and the Commission in essays will he the next target." for Racial Equality in calling on universities The reseatch carried out for the NUS claims to adopt anonymous marking for all asses..sments. that students from ethnic minorities and women, Currently neither Leeds University nor receive worse marks than their peers. The LMU adopt this system, sparking fears that research was carried out at four universities somecandidates are being unfairly disadvantaged. in London, Soutli-Wesl England. Scotland and - Aspokesperson for LMU commented: "A Wales. la one university, Asian students 44011111***,-- number of faculties within the university are comprised 20 per cent of those on a particular considering the feasibility of anonymous course. but represented 80per cent of those marking as part of a package of measures who failed the course. And in another university. designed to boost consistency and quality." 62 per cent of students believed that their marb The new trotting system would use Candidate would improve under im anonymous system. numbers instead of names and would extend The anonymous system is already in use ?rf.77.k through the whole of the course assessment. at several universities including Sussex and e- The Equal Opportunities Commission believe Manchester Metropolitan, The NUS want it 111111114111\, that this would he an improvement over ad introduced to all British uri iversitim especialls her systems adopted voluntarily on a faculty in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry or departmental basis. This type of system in and the scandal over institutional racism in use at Leeds University is not considered not public institutions. Andrew Pekes, NUS National sufficient. President. claimed: "Universities have the Following a senate held to discuss the opportunity to institute a system which puts matter, I GIs University has Oxided to improve them beyond criticism on this issue but until its marking system. Emma Rabin, LUU's every university in this country makes such Education Officer said; "From the start of next a commitment we will continue to campaign session it will be university policy to use for an end to discrimination." Supported tri Freecall anonymous marking in exams." The Chairman of the .Commission tie' R Employment° However, she said this would not be the Equality. Sir Herman Ouseley added: "'This Service 0500 same system that the NUS was canine for. is a very simple step which could easily he "We will introduce a system designed for taken and which would help universities.hetter use in the University of Leeds." She also deliver an educational service which does not 020120 mentioned that this was the "first step" in discriminate." 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