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INKYTEXT 300
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FINAL NW REGION EURO-RESULTS: 5 CON, 4 LAB, 1 LIBDEM
John Whittaker's UKIP (7%) pips John Whitelegg's GREENS
but neither win a seat
Issue No 300 Monday 14 June 1999
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancaster.ac.uk
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EDITORIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Inkytext Human Resource has spent the past 8 days in hospital and
is currently being reflated. Two hospitals actually. Many thanks to the
casualty departments and medical wards in the Royal Infirmary of
Edinburgh and Lancaster Royal Infirmary. Expect A Tale of Two City
Hospitals in due course (though not before the story of the highly
successful works outing to Montpellier).
Apologies to correspondents for the silence or other sins of omission,
and to advertisers whose messages didn't appear timeously
Subscribers are again urged to direct relevant adverts elsewhere.
Campus MSOutlook mail users are reminded that they do NOT need to
subscribe to Inkytext: they should indeed UNSUBSCRIBE and learn to use
the Outlook public folders, which provide a more network-efficient way
to read this journal.
The seventh prestigious INKYTEXT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR award will
be announced next week. Once again no nominations are invited since the
winner became obvious some time ago.
MENU
----
1. News: Nigel Rogers, Women in HE Register.
2. Events: Monkey Bucket, Footlights Farce, City Centre Bike Ride,
ULMS Proms Concert, Failing Students Symposium.
3. Small Ads: House to rent, Clarinet for sale, Rooftop flat for summer,
Student Accommodation, Table and wood burning stove, Nissan Sunny,
Computerate Volunteers, Addaction sponsorship wanted, House to rent.
4. Readers' Letters: Mitchell's Beer, Kosovo Appeal, Cyclists and Pedestrians,
Disability and Democracy, Women in HE Register.
1. NEWS
-------
MANY CONGRATULATIONS to long-standing subscriber DR NIGEL ROGERS
Director of North American Programs and Senior Lecturer in Chemistry,
who was presented with the SECUSSA Education Abroad Leadership Award at
the 51st Annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators
conference held at the end of May in Denver. Dr Rogers was the first
winner of the new award, which recognised his lifetime achievement and
lasting contribution to the field of study abroad, in particular his
pioneering work in broadening opportunities for North American science
and pre-medical students to spend a period of their degree course
abroad.
A NEW REGISTER OF WOMEN EMPLOYED IN HIGHER EDUCATION has been set up
under the auspices of the CVCP. All female university employees are
invited to join a new mailbase entitled "WHERE". It offers its members
an information centre, resources and opportunities for networking with
other members as well as support for career and personal development.
Members are welcomed from all staff groups, service providers,
administrative and managerial staff, as well as from women in all
academic disciplines.
The list is intended to become a forum to provide members with access
to discussion of the complete range of issues affecting women in HE.
See the official website at http:/www.where.ic.ac.uk
2. EVENTS
---------
THE NEXT MONKEY BUCKET ALBUM IN THE WORLD - EVER!
Pants of Peace
will be released on:
Wednesday 16th June
at the Bobbin.
Fun starts 8.30
(stops when band come on - so be there early.)
THE CD IS STILL ONLY 5 QUID. CHEAP AT HALF THE PRICE.
-----------
THE GRAND THEATRE
presents
The Lancaster Footlights production of the Ray Cooney farce
'IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY'
Tuesday 15th - Saturday 19th June
7.30pm.
Tickets 4.75 & 4.00. concessions 3.75 & 3.00.
First night all seats 3.00.
Dr Mortimore is about to deliver the Ponsonby lecture and the last
thing he needs is an old flame to reappear - particularly with their
son, whom he didn't even know existed! Add to this mixture his wife, a
couple of cross-dressing doctors, a doped up matron and a very wet
policeman and you have the makings of a classic farce.
--------------------
CITY CENTRE BIKE RIDE
JUNE 18TH
Alex Square, 3:00pm; Market Square, 3:30pm
In co-ordination with hundreds of events taking place across the globe
on Friday June 18th, an international day celebrating the vibrancy of
local communities in the face of global corporate capitalism.
Riding the streets together, we feel safe and strong: a glimpse of
Lancaster freed from the stranglehold of carmaggedon. Bring friends,
bells, whistles, flags, fancy dress, music and food for a post-ride
picnic.
WAKE UP LANCASTER! CELEBRATE!
----------------
ULMS PROMS CONCERT
Our annual homemade version of the Last Night of the Proms is to take
place on Sunday 20th June at 7:00pm, in the Great Hall on campus. Our
four main bands are performing a wide range of music, ranging from
Shostakovich's Festival Overture to the theme from Sesame Street.
Tickets will be on sale in Alex Square from 1-2pm Monday to Friday,
and cost only 5 pounds for adults, 3 pounds for students/concessions,
and 2 pounds for ulms members. You can also order your refreshments in
advance when you book your tickets (the traditional strawbs & cream,
wine and fruit juice).
For further information, look out for our red/white/blue PROMS '99
posters around campus or the display cabinet at the top of the steps in
Alex Square.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW AS THEY'LL SELL OUT LIKE BEER ON A PROMO NIGHT
(hopefully).
-----------------
The Higher Education Development Centre
and the Counselling Service
are jointly running a symposium on
FAILING STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
15 - 16 July 1999
Lancaster University
This national symposium is designed with practitioners in mind: anyone
who, as a teacher, counsellor, adviser or policy-maker comes into
contact with students who are failing or have failed at University. Our
focus is on the experience of what failure can mean for both students
and practitioners and we set this in a wider political and
institutional context.
Speakers include: Elsa Bell, Head of Counselling, Oxford University,
Dave Boyle, Academic Adviser, Lancaster Students' Union, David Cannon,
Research Fellow, London Business School, Roderick Floud, Provost,
London Guildhall University, Moira Peelo, Study Consultant, Lancaster
University, Lesley Wareing, Head of Student Registry, Lancaster
University, Mantz Yorke, Professor of Higher Education, Liverpool John
Moores.
The programme will start at 11 am on Thursday 15 July and close at 1pm
on Friday 16th July. The fee for Lancaster staff is 45 GBP, which
includes, registration and refreshments., , Bookings can be made
through Linda Cook, HEDC, Lonsdale College. l.cook@lancaster.ac.uk.
Tel: 92137
[NOTE: The unfortunately ambiguous title thus refers to students who
are themselves in the process of failing or in danger of doing so, and
should not be construed as the gerundal phrase which it would more
normally be in current English. Perhaps it could equally refer to the
fact that in yet another sense we too can 'fail' (i.e. let down)
students. (Ed.)]
---------------------
4. SMALL ADS
------------
HOUSE FOR RENT: August 15th -January 28th 1999. Ideal for visiting
academic. 200 year-old terraced cottage, overlooking the Forest of
Bowland, in small, quiet village 5 miles from University campus. Double
Bedroom/study, bath/shower, fully-equipped kitchen and lounge with sofa
bed. 375 GBP. Contact: j.stacey@lancaster.ac.uk (01524-594184).
-----------------
CLARINET FOR SALE: B & H B12 Clarinet, good beginner's instrument.
Excellent condition. 270GBP. Contact Ian Sommerville
(is@comp.lancs.ac.uk). Ext. 93795 or home phone, 824358.
------------
ROOFTOP FLAT ON CAMPUS. Available July to end September. Quiet
location. Large sunny patio with outside storage cupboards. Double
bedroom, kitchen/lounge, bathroom. For further information contact:
Karen 5(92588) or Sue Dunkeld 5(94502)
------------------
BIG HOUSE TO LITTLE HOUSE - Large pine kitchen table, hand built, 6' x
2'10", 120GBP; Cast iron Trolla woodburning stove, 160 GBP; 3 piece
suite, cotton multicoloured covers, 150 GBP contact: Maggie 594077 or
m.mort@lancaster.ac.uk
---------------------
VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT TO SUPPORT DISABLED PERSONS USE COMPUTERS
The Workability project aims to address the issues faced by disabled
people in their exclusion from the workplace. By providing 10,000
disabled people with free computer technology and training it is
anticipated that they will develop the skills to compete for jobs from
a stronger base. The scheme needs to attract a number of volunteers to
assist participants in the Northwest.
Volunteers will play a crucial role in supporting disabled people in
getting to grips with using their computer technology. Specific tasks
might include: - Assisting the client to unpack and set up the computer
and printer - Checking the equipment is fully functioning - In case of
fault, to rectify hardware/software problems if possible and/or assist
the client in liaising with the supplier - To stay in regular contact
with the client - a mix of home visits, telephone calls and e-mail
Volunteers do not need to be technically skilled, but should be
conversant with using computers for word-processing, e-mail and the
Internet. An understanding of how to set up a desktop PC is also
necessary (no software setup or configuration should be necessary as
machines are supplied pre-configured) If you can help, by offering just
a few hours of your time to support a disabled person, you could be
helping them take the first steps towards finding gainful employment
and a greater sense of self-worth. Please help if you can.
Contact: David Whittaker, Northwest Regional Co-ordinator,
Workability, Oaklands, Dimples Lane, Garstang, Preston, PR3 1VA. Tel:
01995 602 290, Mobile: 0403 301 555, E-mail: djwittaker@cableinet.co.uk
URL:
http://www.leonard-cheshire.org/Leonard2/tools/Pubsearch2.qry?function=detail&a
rticle_uid1=59&publication_uid1=30
----------------------
HOUSE TO RENT: 3 bedroomed furnished house available for rent in Galgate,
Close to schools, and University. Briefly comprising 3 bedrooms, lounge, four
piece bathroom suite, separate dining room and kitchen (fully fitted) to
include washing machine, gas central heating, gardens to front and rear,
off-road parking for up to four vehicles, would suit visiting academics or
postgraduate students. 400 pcm, available from 1st September 1999. Further
details please contact k.gammon@lancaster.ac.uk or ring 594172
--------------
CAR FOR SALE Red Nissan Sunny 1.4. 3 door, 5 speed, 74,000 miles, G
reg (1990). Very good condition. Central locking, radio-cassette
player. Owner leaving the country, hence reason for sale. Phone 01524
848537 after 7.00 pm and ask for Angela.
--------------
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION FOR 1999-2000 3 spacious, well furnished study
bedrooms Non-smoking students only. Available from June 1999 if
required. Close to Railway Station and Town. Each room has its own
cooker and fridge Shared microwave, Shared bathroom for three rooms
(with bath and shower), Central heating, Use of washing machine and
drier. 39 or 43 pounds (largest room) per week including bills
Please, call to telephone number 01524 37288
--------------
FLAT FOR LONG TERM RENT Luxurious ground floor flat. Situated on St
George's Quay overlooking the river Lune. Very spacious. 2 bedrooms,
both with fitted wardrobes. Very modern kitchen and bathroom. Living
room overlooking river. Wooden flooring throughout. Fully alarmed.
Central heating. 500.00 per four weekly unfurnished. Contact no:-
01524 841115 for appoinment (best after 5 p.m.). Enquiries can also be
made to the landlord's neighbour at ext. 93462.
------------------
4. READERS' LETTERS
-------------------
The closure of Mitchell's brewery, and the disappearance of the
insipid potions that emanated from within, will not be as much of a
loss for beer lovers as you make out. In four years of giving the
wretched stuff more second chances than Slobodan Milosevic, I managed
to find only one decent pint of it - in Fylde bar, which was then under
the command of Ron Price, an all-round miracle worker when it came to
the cellar. Apart from this isolated revelation, every glass was as
pisspoor as the last. Best, Fortress, ESB: all of it vile, and the last
commanding extra contempt for having the having the nerve to share a
name with Fuller's impeccable strong ale.
As I recall, the dreadful Mitchell's Best gave way in my final year to
the marginally better William Mitchell's Original ("brewed using water
from William Mitchell's original spring", according to the PR bumf - an
unfortunate line that led many to question whether this wasn't a polite
way of referring to the old man's bladder), but by then, the damage was
done.
Louis Barfe
New York - London - Paris - Forest Gate
----------------------------
I have now heard from Workers Aid. The Lancaster closing date for the
first shipment will be July 9th. The collected materials will now be
taken to Pristina and handed over to a fraternal organisation. Regular
shipments will continue to be made for some time. Thus a
lorry-accessible location for six months would be ideal as a collection
point. However, it might be best to focus on the July 9th shipment,
and then follow with one at the end of October when students can
respond. Perhaps someone would organise a stall at the Fresher's Fair
and undertake to paper campus with posters?
The International Aid Trust also have collection points in Morecambe:
Elaine 413 310; Bill 413 345.
As well as collecting items from the campi of Lancaster, it might also
be possible to involve local colleges and schools. Requirements thus
are:-
# a vehicle-accessible room / garage at Bailrigg where our
contribution can be assembled (we used a library facility for the Books
for Russia a few years back - did we send the right ones?!)
# the e-mail addresses of all schools/colleges in the area.
Offers please.
Michael Jackson (mike-de-hest@talk21.com)
01 524 823 573
---------------------------------------
Grateful thanks to all who helped by donating goods for the Kosovo
Appeal. These were taken to the collection point on Sunday, June 6th,
and will be on their way to Kosovo shortly.
Iris Dootson.
-----------------------------------
Nick Bardsley's comments on Union Council's unwillingness to take a
decision strike me as, well, just a little fascistic. The current
situation regarding the strike is complicated, not least by the muddle
of facts and plentiful speculation presently doing the rounds.
Is it not also utterly fatuous for someone who hasn't sat on Union
Council for a few years now to comment on the democratic processes of
the Student's Union? I would suggest Mr.Bardsley exercise a little
patience as the clear picture of what happened and its repurcussions
will surely emerge in time. Until that time I hope Mr.Bardsley
continues to give his two pennies worth on every subject under the sun
- entertainment is so scarce these days.
Huw Owen, student.
----------------------------------
Perhaps the last but one issue of the Higher gives a clue to Nick
Abercrombie's whereabouts. On page 60 Alison Goddard revealed the
existence of the new 'University of Central Lancaster'. Is this being
set up to compete with our older institution and enable the Deputy VC
to pursue thwarted past restructuring plans etc....?
[NOTE: Nah. Merely another symptom of the new illiteracy. (Ed.)]
-----------------------------
If you have space in your columns for parish pump matters after the
recent excursions into global politics, can I make a plea for a better
understanding on the part of pedestrians who use the cycle path of the
needs of cyclists?
I've been partially hors de combat for the past three weeks, having
fallen off my bike (a classic cartoonish over-the-handlebars affair) on
the morning of Saturday 15th May, while on my way to invigilate an
examination.
I braked far too quickly in a (successful) effort to avoid a collision
with a man who was standing at the very end of the cycle path where it
joins Collingham Park. He remained immobile and apparently insensible
to my presence despite my hand signals and increasingly urgent and
varied gestures as I descended the hill and prepared to turn left.
Hence the accident - and yes, in retrospect the right thing to do was
to stay on the road and not try to turn left, but this is not a thought
likely to occur to the conscientious would-be invigilator at 9 a.m. on
a Saturday.
I will spare your readership an account of the resulting injuries and
their progress towards healing, though anyone who asks will receive a
full and gory medical and dental history.
From his demeanour I think it unlikely that the pedestrian directly
involved is an InkyText subscriber, but though his blankness at the
sight of a cyclist trying to use the cycle path was an extreme case the
basic phenomenon is common: pedestrians on the cycle path tend to react
to the approach of a cyclist with facial expressions on a continuum
from astonishment to outrage.
Without trying to develop a full code of etiquette here for
pedestrians vis-a-vis cyclists, I suggest that such a code might
include a recognition that cyclists have a right to be there, an
appreciation that cycles are wheeled vehicles that need space in which
to manoeuvre and time in which to stop, and a readiness to make the
appropriate behavioural allowances - such as stepping to one side -
preferably without manifest ill-grace - at the sound of a polite cough
or a discreet gear change, and finding somewhere to stand other than
the very entrance to the path in the event of a need to meditate or
otherwise enter a trance-like condition.
David Smith
Applied Social Science
-------------------------------
Please help Addaction. We are David Harding and Mark Walker, two
Lancaster students taking part in the "Vietnam Life Cycle Challenge"
from 22 October to 3 November 1999, in aid of Addaction.
Addaction is a charity established in 1967 to help individuals, their
friends, families and the communities in which they live to manage the
effects of drug and alcohol abuse. It currently runs 20 projects across
the UK, and last year offered help to over 20,000 people. The work
includes counselling, health care and rehabilitation. Our cycle
challenge aims to raise much-needed funds for the development of drugs
prevention and intervention with young people, in order to reach them
before they become involved in serious criminal activity.
The challenge involves cycling over 360 miles along the famous "Ho Chi
Minh Trail", following the Vietnamese coastline from Hanoi to Ho Chi
Min City (formerly Saigon). We each need to raise ?2300 in sponsorship
money, and hope for your financial support. Every contribution will
count. For example, 5GBP funds a drug education pack for a school age
child; 25GBP provides two weeks of vitamin and mineral supplements for
homeless clients; 50GBP funds a telephone help-line for a day; ?100 funds
a display briefcase of visual aids showing different drugs and
injecting equipment - an essential education tool.
If you would like to support us, please contact us at the addresses
below:
David Harding
60 Barley Farm Road
Exeter EX4 1NN
01392-218669
d.s.harding@lancaster.ac.uk <mailto:d.s.harding@lancaster.ac.uk>
(outside term: jamesharding@breathe.co.uk <mailto:jamesharding@breathe.co.uk> )
Mark Walker, Tyroler, Nyetimber Lane, West Chiltington, West Sussex
RH20 2NA Tel. 01798-812882.
------------------------------------
In a follow up to my recent letter to your publication regarding
access to polling stations in the recent local elections I thought I'd
share my experiences this time voting for a voice in Europe.
It started badly on the 8th of June when I was sitting in Cartmel
coffee shop with my parents and some friends. Surrounded by what can
only be described as an 'entourage' someone who I can only surmise was
a Labour party candidate for the European elections, was whisked in on
a hand shaking expedition. After identifying a good subject for his
attention - a friend of mine sat in my wheelchair - he came across to
be introduced. He asked us whether or not we were going to vote in the
elections, and I, being unable to contain myself, said "..yes, if I can
access the polling station".
He turned to his entourage for information at this point and generally
mumbled something sympathetic and promised to do something. Politeness
restrains me from publishing the details of the next five to eight
minutes where he could offer no answer to my questioning or statements
of disabled peoples impressions of his party's efforts with disability
or indeed offer any sort of debate or defence - not even refuting
anything I said which may have not been the party line. A most
disappointing example of a prospective representative.
I digress however, the upshot of it was that assurances were received
and added to those received last time, about attempting to make the
access to polling stations more inclusive. So, to in an effort to
discover if any attempt had been made, I invited a journalist and
photographer to my local polling station to discover whether or not
efforts had been made.
Needless to say I haven't been disappointed, the access was, if
anything, worse, being situated at the back of the school in question
and up several more steps, and yet again I was forced to cast my vote
in the playground - in public - and hand my voting slip to the
returning officer. This was after he had made the attempt to make me
leave my wheelchair and climb the steps - making me insist that
climbing steps was not an option - almost making it my responsibility
that I couldn't access the building.
So again inclusivity is pushed to the bottom of the agenda, and again
I have had to try and ascertain which party is committed to the cause
of forging an inclusive society, taking issues surrounding disability
seriously and not just using them as a 'tokenistic' vote winner. Events
such as the Green Party's 'No Car Day' become pretty meaningless if one
can't access the commonest of public transport methods - buses - if I
were not to use a car (Taxi or friends car in my case) I would be faced
with a four mile push onto campus, uphill. I can do it, but it doesn't
mean I want to. But it is an example of the naivete of politicians and
their parties about the real issues surrounding people with
disabilities.
Initiatives by political minds to bring disabled people into the
workplace are all well and good, people with disabilities do want to
work in the mainstream of society, but forcing them off their benefits
to go and look for employment when it is the employers who are
preventing them get the post in the first place, the right way of going
about it?
The inference met time and time again is that somehow disability and
being lazy or work-shy are somehow related. We are made to feel like
parasites, unwilling to get off the free ride of the benefits system to
become useful and worthy members of society.
Am I being unnecessarily bitter and negative? Well possibly negative,
but my story of rejection is by no means unique - indeed it is all too
common When even organisations who buy into the 'Positive about
disability' symbol, who are required to interview all applicants with
disabilities who come up to the minimum criteria for the post, and when
one reaches on the reserve list (ergo minimum criteria) and is still
not interviewed, some negativity is bound to occur.
See what happens when I can't get into polling stations?
Rob Bracewell
-----------------------------------
As well as pointing out the illogical nature of placing the subsection
heading "To all women members of staff" into a e-mail that is
distributed to a much larger audience, I'd like to offer a better
alternative to
WHERE W(omen in) H(igher) E(ducation) RE(gister)
namely
THERE T(he) H(igher) E(ducation) R(egister for) E(veryone)
Or are we non-women to get our own register ?
NOWHERE NO(n) W(omen in) H(igher) E(ducation) RE(gister)
Kevin M. Buckley e-mail: K.Buckley@lancaster.ac.uk
-----------------------------------
QUITE A LOT OF NEWS ACTUALLY BUT IT WILL HAVE TO WAIT