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 the help of Hutson and other star setting for the film. The Boys' for tell-tale signs, such as wear king Hanah Pakal as belonging 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 shown in the Leeds International Games medallists and British University. one of the members on his tomb was translated 30 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 Leeds University Union, PO Box 157, LEEDS LS1 1UH Editorial: Tel: (0113) 243 4727 Fax: (0113) 246 7953 Leeds Student Email: [email protected] wwwhaedsodotstakot.co.uk Advertising: Tel: (0113) 231 4293 Fax: (0113) 244 8788 Leeds Student is an independent newspaper serving students at Leeds University, Leeds Metropolitan University and other colleges in and around Leeds. An our journalists abide by a code of conduct but please contact the editor if you have any problems. Comments and contributions are always welcome. EDITOR Alex Gubbay DEPUTY EDITOR be Feller ADVERTISING MANAGER Dominic Barry 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.