By Jack Knight
Before coming to university here I had heard dark rumours of the dreaded “cell block C” accomodation in Goodricke, with facilities so grim and rooms so small you would be lucky to see out the year.
However, my initial relief at being placed in Vanbrugh, away from the grime, has proved shortlived; Vanbrugh Block A has some serious problems of its own.
Obviously we all like to have a little moan about our accommodation’s pitfalls and problems – it’s part and parcel of living in campus flats.
But upon arrival in October I was shocked to find accomodation that, besides the people within – some of the nicest, chirpiest, most optimistic people on campus – leaves a lot to be desired.
In the face of truly crap accommodation and having to pay exactly the same as the other ninety percent of Vanbrugh residents who now have plush and shiny refurbished accommodation the residents of Block A maintain an upbeat demeanour.
Their steely resolve is more akin to a WW2 Home Front housewife than a university fresher.
They know their accommodation is rubbish, they know they shouldn’t be paying a standard price for sub-standard flats.
They know it’s weird that a whole bedroom has been locked off and stacked full of old cookers, but they are going to smile and grimace and laugh through it.
They may only live there for one year, but already Vanbrugh Block A appears to have left a permanent impression, mostly scarring, on its victims that they will never forget.
“I knew some student digs were bad,” said one, “but this really took me back. I’m just glad everyone is so nice that we can forget about it.”
“I know York isn’t the prettiest architecturally,” said another, “but it gets even uglier once you get inside.”
The university should count itself lucky that residents maintain that attitude and refuse to let the conditions get the better of them – but surely they can do better than this?