AGENDA
Scots universities boycott Loaded magazine
Student associations at Scottish universities and colleges are boycotting Loaded magazine following an embarrassing mix-up by the National Union of Students (NUS).
Only one of Scotland’s NUS affiliated Higher Education institutions, Dundee’s University of Abertay Students Association, has agreed to distribute a free edition of Loaded supplied by the NUS.
The union intended to include a copy of the new lads’ bible in the ’sub bags', welcome packs distributed free to new students in freshers’ week. But a storm of protest has forced a hurried change of plan.
The union’s women’s committee denounced Loaded as sexist and passed a motion condemning the NUS national executive for sanctioning its inclusion in the packs.
Student associations now have to ‘opt in' to receive the special edition of Loaded. The NUS report that of l20
student associations consulted, lOO agreed to distribute the magazine.
Student officers in Scotland have been less enthusiastic. ‘1 don’t think it’s a good idea for the NUS to have anything to do with a sexist and often soft-pom magazine.’ said Ailie Hunter. womens' officer at the University of Strathclyde Student Association. ‘NUS should not have left the decision up to individual student associations.‘
The sub bags are organised by NUS Services Limited (N USSL), a company jointly owned by student unions and the NUS. Nora Flannery, Sales Manager at NUSSL denies supplying Loaded has been controversial. ‘Everybody that has taken the sub bags has been aware of the content. There are certainly no surprises.’ she commented.
The special edition of Loaded includes a description of Oliver Reed in the bath with an au pair girl. a topless photograph of Kathy Lloyd and a
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Students: Watch out, It’s loaded!
feature entitled ‘lf people were biseuits.‘
Loaded staff are unrepentant at the outcry. Deputy Editor, Tim Southwell responded with characteristic bravura: ‘The magazine’s selling 300,000 copies a month. so if students don’t like it that‘s of absolutely no consequence for any of us. They can stick it up their arse,’ he said. (Peter Ross)
Doubts raised
A new American-style anti-crime drive will lead to a dramatic reduction in street disorder, violent crime and fear of crime, according to Strathclyde Police.
launching the ‘Spotlight’ carnpalgn, Chief Constable John (In said the three month programme would
“a”,
Iii
Street crime: u e otllg
specifically target street disorder such as vandalism, under-age drinking and littering.
But the campaign, based on the so- called ‘Broken Window’ scheme, first tried on the streets of law York, is the subject of vigorous academic debate.
The ‘Broken Window’ initiative was launched in January 1994. Its aim was to employ intensive ‘quality of life police enforcement’, involving the lePD in a proactive approach to dealing with low-level street crime.
Since its introduction, incidences of violent crime in flew York have fallen by 28 per cent while the homicide rate has tumbled by 38 per cent in the same period. But the overall level of recorded crime in the city has continued to climb.
Professor David Smith, of Edinburgh University, explained that there was only circumstantial evidence for the success of the ‘Droken Window’ theory. lie added: ‘There has been a
over Glasgow crime drive
reduction in the incidence of violent crime, but the overall level of crime in ilew York hasn’t been affected. Ilo one can say for sure whether the fall In violent crime has anything at all to do with the crackdown.’
Figures released by Strathclyde Police show that recorded crime in Strathclyde has fallen by over 19 per cent since 1991. liowever during the same period, fear of crime has steadily increased.
Spotlight will help address this, Chief Constable Drr argued: ‘We have not been getting the message across that there has been this massive drop in overall crime. Fear of crime remains way out of proportion to the actual incidence of crime.
‘Dy undertaking this initiative, I hope to drive home to the public and the criminal that we are determined to hammer those who seek to disrupt the life of our community.’ (John Richardson)
HIV woman willjoin Scottish tour party
An HIV-positive Edinburgh woman has been selected as part of a team to represent Scotland in South Africa. Ann Iiimmo, a drug user for 23 years, was diagnosed HIV-positive ten years ago. She will form part of the Shifting The Balance Taskforce, organised by the charity Scottish Education and Action for Development (SEAD), visiting South Africa In February next
year.
The team of twelve will spend three weeks touring Johannesberg, Capetown and Durban, to discover how ordinary South Africans mate their voices heard in the new democracy, and to exanine poverty in the country.
For Iiimmo, the tour is an opportunity
to visit AIDS hospices and discover what support is available to HIV sufferers and people with drug problems. Since she became drug free, she has been working with the lothlan Drug Users Iletwork.
After two decades of addiction, Iiimmo sucessfuliy completed a methadone reduction programme over a year ago.
‘If It wasn’t for methadone, I’d be dead,’ she said. ‘Although I was on it for ten years, It saved my life.’
Iiimmo believes her selection for the tour will be a source of hope for drug users and will help persuade others who are HIV-positive that life must go
on. ‘Some people have the attitude that
their life lust stops when they find out,’ illmmo said. ‘Dut being illV- positlve won’t stop me from going to South Africa and doing something with my life; in fact it’s making me stronger and more determined.’
Yet when she first heard about the tour, Iiimmo almost didn’t apply, feeling that she wouldn’t he considered because potential problems with insurance, health and dependability usually discourage organisers from selecting an HIV- positive person.
Now she is Iubliant. ‘I’ve been given a chance and I want to tell everybody that they can do it as well,’ she says. ‘I’II be walking around with a big banner on my back!’ (Peter floss)
Return of The 13th Note
The 13th Note, second home to most of Glasgow’s underground music scene, is to re-open its doors this Friday (4 Oct) at 4.55pm, after a four-month closure to allow vital repair work on the building’s upper floors.
The venue’s protracted absence had led rumours to circulate that the Merchant City haven would be forced to move premises, but now staff are being reclaimed from other pubs or from a spell on the dole. Leaseholder Craig Tannock has been encouraged by positive feedback throughout the hiatus.
‘Most places that closed for four months would probably have serious problems re-establishing. but we’ve had masses of calls from people wanting their dinner,’ he says. ‘l’ve had people say to me they haven’t had a pint since it shut!’
This weekend’s re-opening celebrations have been organised in a matter of days as a host of bands and DJs who have been supported by the pub in the past agreed to lend their services for three nights of free live music, starting at 9pm each evening.
Following this, The 13th Note will become an official Ten Day Weekend hangout (see listings) and Tannock promises further developments in the near future. (Fiona Shepherd)
Film Festival director goes out on a high
Fresh from a triumphant 1996 event, the Edinburgh Film Festival is this weekwithout a director or a sponsor.
Mark Cousins, director since 1994, has decided to step down, stating, ‘My work here has come to an end’, while a three-year sponsorship deal from Drambuie is not to be renewed.
The Festival board are positive about the changes however. During Cousins’ reign the festival has been turned around, its international reputation restored and its books balanced. This leaves it in a strong position to face the future, they claim.
‘All the ambitions Mark had for the festival have been fulfilled. lie has other ambitions and wants to go off and fulfil those,’ said a spokesperson.
Cousins’ achievements include broadening the appeal of the festival as well as taking in more cinemas - even some in Glasgow.
lie explained: ‘(The Festival) has become my whole life, my passion, my addiction. But it seems to be healthy again. We have realised my plans for it, so I should move on.’
ills colleague Cinnle Atkinson stays on as producer, providing continuity, whoever ls chosen to replace Cousins. ‘The double-headed leadership adopted two years ago is good for the stability of the festival,’ she
. explained. (Stephen Ilaysmith)
4 The List 4-17 Oct 1996