Hullfire Online » News http://www.hullfire.com University of Hull Student Newspaper Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:10:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Green Concern http://www.hullfire.com/2008/11/01/green-concern/ http://www.hullfire.com/2008/11/01/green-concern/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:57:26 +0000 Online Editor http://www.hullfire.com/?p=441 ]]> - As green issues become more prominent to Western electorates, you’d expect the  notoriously liberal universities to be at the forefront of eco-friendly campaigns

Following last month’s report on MyUniSwap.com, Hullfire has found another way for students to boost their green credentials. People and Planet is a student network working from Britain to end national and international poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment. The Hull branch of the society is currently focusing on the environment,and are running the ‘Go Green Campaign’. The aim of this particular project is to improve the University’s environmental performance, with the obvious consequence of the students becoming ’greener’ along with the University. The University of Hull is currently the worst environmental performer of all Yorkshire’s higher education establishments, which is a concern given the sheer size of our student population. People and Planet run a  ‘Go Green League’, which lists each of its branches’ universities into a table, with points being awarded for environmental effectiveness. Hull lies in the third-class category of this league, one class away from a fail. Last year the society managed to gain 1,000 student signatures on a petition delivered to the Vice Chancellor, which asked for an environmental manager position to be created, as well as an environmental audit and policy to be put in place. The
petition also asked for support from the VC and senior management team. Since last year the University has introduced an environmental policy and its carbon emissions are lower than they have been. Unfortunately, however, the petition did not vastly improve recycling services, nor did it help Hull’s league performance. The society is keen to continue fighting to be heard, however, and can often be seen campaigning around campus. In February they run Go Green Week to try and alert more students to the existence and aims of People and Planet. ‘Shared Planet’ is the group’s large annual keynotespeaker conference which brings together representatives from across the country, to try and create solutions for the their initiatives. It is important for the organisation to be recognised by the University’s academic departments, as this may increase the pressure on senior management to support the cause. Students are encouraged to help themselves by organising recycling bins and boxes at their accommodation, but the society’s main aim for the year is to improve recycling facilities in and around the campus itself. This involves initiatives such as having recycling bins partnering every normal bin, introducing energy saving light bulbs and raising student awareness as to how simple and effective recycling is. Currently the organisation is boycotting RBS, Primark and Topshop in response to their support of non-renewable energy companies. They are not suggesting that everyone stop buying skinny ties and cardigans immediately, but instead to encourage people to know exactly who they are buying from and what consequence their purchase could have on others. The Hull People and Planet team concentrates on the environment, although by joining the group there are also opportunities to work against poverty and try to defend human rights. Frequently you can dip into conversations in Sanctuary about the ‘state of the world’, and how destructive our leaders are. People and Planet gives students the chance to act, and attempt to understand the real reasons behind human suffering. If you are interested in joining or simply want to understand more about the society’s initiatives, they can be found in the Student Activities Centre, and will be out in force in February during Go Green Week.

Steven Glansberg

]]> http://www.hullfire.com/2008/11/01/green-concern/feed/ 0 It’s Never Dull In Hull http://www.hullfire.com/2008/10/08/its-never-dull-in-hull-2/ http://www.hullfire.com/2008/10/08/its-never-dull-in-hull-2/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:41:05 +0000 News Editor http://www.hullfire.com/?p=816 ]]> Hull. Hardly the most inspiring sounding place in the world, is it? Never fear, however, because despite the city’s reputation as a crime-ridden hole of a place, generations of students have come and gone and thoroughly enjoyed their time here. Hull really is a city where entertainment is everywhere. For many this will involve many alcohol fuelled escapades in clubs such as the Sugar Mill or Pozition, while others may find other activities more suited to their tastes. Whatever is more your style, rest assured that there will be something here for you.
The first stop for any fresher should be the Student’s Union. Two bars, a club, the Athletic Union and a wide-range of societies of all sorts provide a ready source of activity for all students. The fresher’s bazaar in the first week is a great opportunity to take a look at the societies and teams that are available to join, so be sure to check it out. The Union runs club nights in Asylum (located within the Union building) on most nights, especially during Fresher’s Week, with Tower on Wednesdays being a particular favourite of the sports societies. The neighbouring bar, Sanctuary, is open every day until 11pm, serving  a wide range of foods in addition to your favourite tipple.
For those staying at the Lawns, the Veranda Bar is in the Lawns Centre and is open every night from 7-11 providing a cheap and convenient alternative to pubs elsewhere. There are quizzes on various nights throughout the week, and they show most big football matches and other sporting events. Cottingham has a number of pubs within staggering distance of the Lawns; the Cross Keys, the Hallgate, the King William IV, and the Fair Maid are all in and around Cottingham village centre.
If you’re staying on Cranbrook Avenue, Cottingham Road, or anywhere else near the University there is plenty to do. Aside from the Union, the Gardner’s Arms and the Hayworth Arms are within easy walking distance, both having a student friendly atmosphere and great deals on food and drink, including a yellow discount card that’s definitely worthwhile for regular customers. Fusion is a relatively new bar on Cottingham Road which serves good food and hosts club nights on certain days.
Whenever you are in Hull you’ll never be short of places to go for a night out, with many clubs either in the city centre or on or near bus routes. The Sugar Mill is popular on Monday nights, but beware of long queues and it filling up quickly. Handily, queue-jump tickets are available from the box office in the Student’s Union, or from Mission and Schnapps, bars located behind the Sugar Mill. Alternatively the Piper, on Newland Avenue, hosts a very cheap night on Mondays, but queues can be a problem here too. Attic can be good on a Tuesday night, and Revolution sometimes has decent offers on cocktails. Wednesdays are unmistakeably Tower night in the Student’s Union, complete with the infamous Asylum Text Screen.
Thursdays give you a choice between Pozition and Welly. Pozition is located in the city centre and plays a wide range of music over several floors, while Welly is on Beverley Road and caters to a more alternative taste, including a Drum and Bass night once a month. Other clubs and bars in and around Hull that are worth checking out include Spiders, Sharkeys, the Adelphi, The Linnet and Lark and the Lamp, while Fuel is the centre of the city’s gay club scene. Many bands play Hull throughout the student year, with the Union, Welly, and the Adelphi all hosting gigs semi-regularly.
If clubbing isn’t really your thing, there are plenty of other options. Hull New Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre both regularly put on acclaimed plays, with the Truck Theatre moving into a new multi-million pound home this year. The Ferens Art Gallery is located in the city centre, displaying a wide range of sculpture and painting; in addition to art ranging from the medieval to the modern, it also houses arguably one of the best collections of contemporary art in the country. The Hull Maritime Museum, located close to the Ferens Art Gallery provides an interesting look into the past of the city and its connection with the sea. No article about activities in Hull would be complete without a mention of The Deep, “the world’s only submarium”. What’s a submarium? You could be forgiven for suspecting that nobody is entirely sure, although Wikipedia probably has a page explaining it, but it makes for a good tagline nonetheless. The Deep provides a stunning look at sea life and really is worth a visit. If your idea of a good day out involves plenty of shopping, even on a limited student budget, you’ll be well served by Hull.
The St Stephen’s complex, conveniently located next to the bus and train station, opened quite recently and offers a wide range of shops including Next, H&M, Topshop, and River Island. St Stephen’s also houses several restaurants and a Reel cinema, one of two in the city centre with the other, a Vue, being situated in the Prince’s Quay shopping centre. Prince’s Quay is bigger again than St Stephen’s with a large Primark, a Zavvi, and a host of other opportunities for blowing your student loan on things you’ll look back on and wonder “why?”. The Prospect Centre is probably the smallest of the three, but includes a Currys.Digital and a Wilkinson’s for bits and bobs for your accomodation. Outside of the shopping centres, Hull has the range of shops that you would expect in any other similarly sized city.
For those of a more sporting nature, there is ample opportunity to support a Hull team. Hull City AFC, playing at the KC Stadium in the south-west of the city, are riding high (well, eleventh at the time of writing, but it’s probably best not to expect that to last too long) in the Premier League, while the city is also home to two top Rugby League sides; Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers. Both play in the Super League and, as you can imagine, the rivalry is fierce. Hull FC have been the more successful of late and share the KC with Hull City AFC, being the “West Hull” team, while Hull KR play at Craven Park in the east of the city.
Hull is also home to the wonderfully named Land of Green Ginger, a street in the “old town” of the city, which is where you can see what is claimed to be the smallest window in England. Unfortunately, Hull suffered badly at the hands of the Luftwaffe in the Second World War, but some remains of the old part of the city are on view; located here is the Holy Trinity Church, reputed to be the largest parish church in the country. If you appreciate a nice building, this is definitely a place to have a wander around if you have a spare afternoon. Also in the old town, on Silver Street, is the Ye Olde White Harte. Ignore the farcical spelling and have a pint; upstairs is where the city elders are said to have planned what prompted the first military act in the English Civil War, refusing Charles I entry to the city in 1642. Just round the corner, High Street has several old pubs that have a fantastic atmosphere.
As you can see, Hull is a city that has something to offer everyone, so don’t be put off by its shaky reputation and get stuck in; whether you find something we’ve mentioned above, or a hidden gem of your own, you can be sure that by the time you leave the University of Hull you will have found a city that truly is never dull.

]]> http://www.hullfire.com/2008/10/08/its-never-dull-in-hull-2/feed/ 0 Public Eye http://www.hullfire.com/2008/10/08/public-eye-2/ http://www.hullfire.com/2008/10/08/public-eye-2/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:36:27 +0000 News Editor http://www.hullfire.com/?p=814 ]]> Many of you will have a Facebook account and think nothing of using it to create events and give opinions. However, have you ever stopped to think about your privacy being compromised?
Students are no longer the only people accessing social accounts; they are being accessed by professionals and authority figures from both inside and outside universities. Our University students became victims of this cyber-policing towards the end of last semester when an event called the “Lawns Mashup” was created, whereby residents at the Lawns were invited, via Facebook, to a large party and football match on the fields surrounding the halls. Within a short while of this event being created a notice went up in each block from the head warden indicating the severe penalties that would result from any student attending the event, as laid down by both the police and the University.
Students at the Lawns were left wondering as to how the Wardens had found out about this planned party. When asked, the head warden confirmed that the Lawns Mashup was indeed discovered on Facebook but that he was also “made aware of a text message being sent to students as well”by the organisers themselves.
Apparently there had been a decision taken due to earlier unauthorised parties in the year to ban all parties which were not in the Lawns Centre itself.
However, did the wardens have the right to ban the Lawns Mashup and other parties when students were paying to live there? Would the party, if it had gone ahead and not been cancelled by the head warden, have classed as a breach of our contracts?
It does state in the Lawns Residence’s conditions that residents must “refrain from doing anything which would damage or litter the grounds, gardens and pathways around the Residence” and “refrain from any behaviour which may be perceived as riotous or disorderly”. Therefore the wardens were fully within their rights to stop the event taking place.
Despite this, it was the fact that the University found out about the event via Facebook which, to some, indicated the use of cyber-policing by the University. There has, naturally, been a backlash in response both online and through word of mouth as students resent having what they see as harmless fun put to a stop.
The issue at the heart of the matter seems to be not about the cancellation of the Lawns Mashup or the penalties put in place for attending; it is the issue of privacy. The University were correct to stop the event but was it right that our communications were screened to find out about it? The Lawns Mashup is not the only instance of the University stepping in in response to events on Facebook and it will probably not be the last. They are in their rights to prevent these events but ultimately, are the ends justified by the means?

Jennie Harrison

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