www.thecourieronline.co.uk Tuesday 4 March 2014 Issue 1287 Stan Calv Free er C Pull- up Spec t o win ut guide ial s t this yand losse o the so ear’s Toon famed f rivar ly
The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students
BLIND DATE REVISITED From Spiderman kisses to mayo obsessions and even true love p.13
HIP-HOP-CRISY p.31
Est 1948
SUPER BUG SUPERIORITY p.35
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Poly pip posh to end Stan Calvert drought
Rowdy students cough up £20k in new ‘on-the-spot’ noise fines
EXCLUSIVE
By George Sandeman Editor Noisy students have been fined more than £20,000 under a new university policy aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour. As previously reported by The Courier in October 2012, the new ‘on-the-spot’ noise fines disciplined first-time offenders for excessive noise without any prior warning. The fines can be issued up to £200 per student and came into effect last academic year on 24 September 2012. The Courier can now reveal that during the last academic year (2012-13) 169 student households were issued with fines with the university collecting
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University has collected £22,887 in 18 months
£12,692. During the current academic year (2013-14) 86 student households have been issued with fines with the university collecting £10,195.
for implementing the policy, about what impact it has had in areas such as Jesmond, Heaton and Sandyford. She said: “The university is most reluctant to take action against students
To date, during the 18 months the policy has been active, 255 households have been issued with fines and the university has collected £22,887. The Courier spoke to Maggie Donnelly, head of the student progress service which is the university body responsible
in the community. “Unfortunately a relatively small number of students do seem to create a fair amount of disturbance, especially at key times of the year and late at night. It is deeply regrettable that some students were not following the guidance that we
“It is deeply regrettable that some students were not following the guidance that we have been proactively communicating for years”
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New policy has been enforced on 255 student households
have been proactively communicating for many years. “Therefore Newcastle University, as with a number of other universities with large student populations in some residential areas, was put under considerable pressure to take action.” However, some students have described the fines as unfair because the process doesn’t allow them to make their case before being told to pay up. Speaking to The Courier, second year law student Ria Fretwell-Deery described how two men knocked on her door, took down everyone’s details and issued them with a £240 fine without any kind of consultation. She said: “It seems to me that many students are getting hit by, in my opin-
ion, undeserving and excessively high fines. A scheme with prior warnings – perhaps a three strike system and an agreed definition of what amounts to a ‘disturbance’ – would be a fairer and more reasonable approach.” Rebekah Finney, a third year ancient history and archaeology student, spoke about her attempts to appeal a £150 fine. “We tried to dispute the fine but the university and council came to Continued on page 4
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