Vision Says…
It’s about time… Way back in May 2010 we revealed how York students were effectively footing the bill for University Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor’s lavish lifestyle, with our fees contributing to such needless expenses as a £90 limousine trip from campus to Heslington East. On 1st May however, it was revealed that Cantor is to step down from his position at the end of the 2012/13 academic year.
With his departure, we will hopefully gain a replacement who is less inclined to spend university money on extra bubbles for his jacuzzi and more study space for his own personal library and will actually bother to turn up to take part in the annual Roses croquet match (thankfully Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jane Grenville more than capably stepped into his beautifully handmade brogues on this occasion).
Despite his status as a universally hated man however, we can’t help but feel that, in a strange way, he will be missed. Cantor has been at the university since 2002 and when he leaves after over a decade in charge, we’re going to have to find someone else to blame for our slide down the university rankings and a new butt for all of our jokes. Let’s be honest here though, as soon as we find out Brian’s replacement, I think we know who that person is going to be. Who’d be a VC?
Thumbs up to…
We hate to say it, but the University of Lancaster, for putting on a fantastic Roses tournament, and also to York’s sportsmen and women who got very close to victory considering we were playing away. The Lancaster sports facilities were exceptional; not only were all the pitches in immaculate condition but they even had a climbing wall and a pool that was able to cater for the likes of canoe polo. Of our white rose heroes, special mention must go to the York Centurions and the men’s hockey thirds who won at Roses for the first time in the history of the tournament, the Centurions with a dramatic touchdown in the game’s final stages.
The men’s rugby club continued their history of domination by once again coming away with a whitewash, whilst some unexpected gems came in the form of the men’s darts and water polo, at which York were inspired to victory by some extremely vocal support. Our loss overall just proves that us Yorkies are too loyal to play away…
Thumbs down to…
The York men’s football club. Despite what we said above, this was one club who did not do their university proud. Several members of the club were spotted out drinking in LUSU nightclub Sugar House the night before their big fixtures on Sunday, and it was perhaps fitting that Roses was won by Lancaster when they defeated UYAFC 1st XI by three goals to one after they fell away towards the end of the game.
Not only did the club harm their own chances of winning in the tournament but their behaviour on returning to the lecture hall-cum-bedroom in the early hours also woke up many members of clubs who decided to take their games a little more seriously.
For some reason, our football club don’t seem to care about the largest inter-university sports competition in Europe, and, you never know, had they managed to win their matches we could be celebrating an unlikely rare away victory. Let’s hope the College Cup makes up for it.