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Ben Whitehead: Editor of Platform

1 October 2001 Student safety in the wake of America/ Platform short-listed for three awards.

The concern over the potential racist assaults on Muslim students in the wake of the terrorist attacks, makes the front page "everybody should be able to live in harmony, after all we are all British people" states M. Qasim president of the Islamic society.

This is shared by the more positive news that former Platform feature writer Olav Bjortomt made the short list for the Guardian student media awards three times for best feature writer, students critic of the year and the diversity award.

8 October 2001
Take Care
"Please, please be more careful when walking around Nottingham is all I can say", states second year student Joanne Miller after being mugged in Dryden Street next to Byron house just after freshers week.

Crimes are rife on the returning students.

Again more positive news gets its share of the front cover with the government discussing the return of grants…yea right Tony.

15 October 2001
Guinea Pigs /High Flyers
Winston the guinea pig of Clifton makes the headlines to personify the feeling of all those students with mounting debts, after the government confirms the re-examination of the loan scheme that has failed so miserably.

The balance is once again met with Fly FM, as Platform reveals it has been short-listed for best station and best show for "The Lounge".

"It’s a fantastic achievement to have got this far, " claimed a jubilant Station manager James Thompson.

22 October 2001
Outstanding, Olav Scoops double award
OLAV OLAV.. Former Platform gem Olav makes the headlines after picking up two Guardian student media awards for best feature writer, and best overall writer.

At the awards presented by T4 favourites Vernon Kaye and June Sarpong, Olav's name was chanted over and over.

After picking up a cheque for £1600, six weeks work experience at The Guardian and some Easyjet tickets Olav said: "It was a surprise to win, but now I am happy to get back into writing".

A drunken former editor Vicky Ward stated "It’s nice for Platform to get some recognition at last".

5 November 2001
Outrage, student killer given reduced sentence
Over 1,500 students signed a petition in protest of Gursharan Panesar, who saw his sentence reduced from 7 1/2 years to 6. The drunk driver tragically ended the lives of Trent students Robert Bradley and Alexandra Veeder in December 2000, after Christmas celebrations at Byron House city site. "His sentence being reduced is just a sin," exclaimed, a friend of the victims. " Where’s the deterrent for drink drivers when they get their sentences reduced?" she added.

12 November 2001
Student sex shocker, porn perverts and prostitution
It was revealed that poverty stricken students are being shamelessly exploited by the sex industry, after a Trent student looking for sponsors to fund a masters degree received offers of an illegal nature from "watching you make love with your partner" to working in porn films. Sara, another Trent student, openly admitted to making hardcore porn films to fund her degree: "Nobody is going to pay £300 to watch me **** rubber" she added, after being asked if she performs safe sex.

26 November 2001
More fees less students? / Fly FM wins national award
At the regional rally against fees held in Nottingham, students from all over the East Midlands joined the march from Byron house to Market Square. On arrival a handful of Nottingham drama students were campaigning in favour of fees. "It’s unfair for people to pay taxes simply to make people drink and waste three years of their life". Unsurprisingly it turned out to be a hoax.

Fly FM show "The lounge" won the best show at the prestigious Radio 1 awards. "It still feels weird saying we have the best show on student radio" remarked Lounge host Adam Leventhal.

3 December 2001
Stop the war
Platform supports the stop the war coalition, as it urges students to join the anti war demo in Nottingham. In a letter written to Platform from one of the organisers, Tom Unterainer revealed "By the end of today 24,000 people around the world will have died from hunger, another 3 million will need food this winter directly because of U.S an British military action, while the U.S alone spends over $10,000 per second on it’s military." Money well spent then…ummm.

10 December 2001
Death threats
A Trent student makes the front page after a friend contacted Platform about how she had to leave University after being victim of a vicious hate mail campaign in St Annes. Over a period of weeks Sue experienced bricks being thrown at her house, followed up by racist, abusive letters and death threats, telling her she would be "gutted like a pig". JD Properties, notoriously unpopular amongst students, admitted they were still making her pay rent, despite the circumstances, but defended themselves, saying: "We are trying to find someone else"…how nice.

14 January 2002
Perverse
Professor Stephen Gray makes the headlines in the first paper of the new year, when it is revealed the former Nottingham Trent lecturer admitted 10 cases of indent assault. He is described by the judge as having a "penis fixation ", after using research projects as a cover for his sexual fetish. The highly respected pioneering scientist filmed himself taking intimate measurements of male models, and then sent the images to his hard drive at home via the Internet.

28 January 2002
Irving not welcome
Platform supports the Jewish society by revealing that racist historian; David Irving is set to be a guest speaker at The University Of Nottingham. Irving branded an "anti-Semite and racist" by a high court judge, was due to speak about the difficulties of writing the history of the third Reich. Danny chairman of the Jewish society at The University of Nottingham stated " both current and prospective Jewish students will now feel they have to stay away from Nottingham" he went on to add, "this invitation causes offence and intimidation, first and foremost Irving is an anti-Semite" The University of Nottingham, denied an official invitation had been made.

4 February 2002
Irving date cancelled
Following a quote of around £8000 to police the event, Platform discovers that the University of Nottingham have cancelled the visit of David Irving. Mr Butler from the Nottinghamshire police stated: "Controversial speakers form all ends of the political spectrum can promote counter-demonstrations and this no doubt influenced our decision".

In response to the cancellation, Irving slates the police saying: "I call them the ‘traditional enemies of free speech’ but they are also freaks…control freaks that is."

11 February 2002
Graduates Reunited
In a week short on news, two ex-Trent students launch their own website ‘www.graduatesunited.co.uk’, inspired unsurprisingly by Friends Reunited. Emma and Amanda discovered there was no website that catered just for graduate reunions. In the first ten days of the website opening, they had almost 600 hits. "The idea was massively complex. It sounds simple but it really became difficult once we started doing some research", said Amanda.

18 February 2002
**** Fees
It’s funny how quickly popular things become when they have **** written on them. This week the whole front page was used to promote the national demo against fees in London, with a return trip to the capital costing just £4. The perfect chance to get some shopping done. Over 16,000 students attended the demo nationwide, to protest against a funding system that is crippling so many students…and still is.

25 February 2002
Who’s going to fill the exec boots?
It’s that time of year again, when the students decide who they want to run the Union next year. A great big pair of boots appeared on the front page to kick people of the backside and get them to vote. With most of the positions at least being a three-way battle, the competition looked good for an intense election campaign. It was emotional.

4 March 2002
NUS no more?
In probably the biggest story of the year, Platform discovers the Union President Matthew Nunn is questioning the Unions affiliation to the NUS.

Making a saving of £45,000, the disaffiliation would help compensate for the unions massive loss the previous year.

It would mean students would loose the right to a vast number of discounts available with an NUS card. Platform was inundated with letters and phone calls, resulting in a petition being set up.

It was also voting week in the elections.

11 March 2002
Mixed emotions
In easily the busiest week of the year, the men get thrashed 5-1 in the emotionally charged varsity cup; with the woman celebrating a hard fought 1-0 victory.

"I shouted myself horse, drunk myself silly and swore like Peter Reid," claimed Platform sports reporter Matt Bellotti.

A late edition also managed to catch the election climax, with the new executive celebrating their hard work, with a drink or sixteen. Lucy Coleridge who gained the presidency said: "Lets make Nottingham Trent Union the best ever."

There were also various reactions to the NUS story, as it looked like the first quorate union council meeting was going to take place.

18 March 2002
NUS fight back
With only 25 people attending the meeting, missing the quoracy by just five, the Union council had to settle for a debate only.

"I can’t say how disappointed I am about the number of students who turned up", stated the president.

Brooks Duke the Vice President for education for the NUS turned up to convince those at the meeting that staying in the NUS was beneficial for many reasons.

He faced some fierce questions, and seemed far from convincing: "The key thing I want to emphasise is the NUS offers a national voice to over 3.5 million students."

A valid point, the situation was far from resolved, with affiliation fees set to rise.

22 April 2002
NUS drop fees
Platform returns after Easter with a bang, and the news that the NUS have dropped their affiliation fees to just £20,000 for Nottingham Trent Union, after the recent exposure and pressure from Platform and it’s readers prompted a reduction in fees, planned due to the financial state of the union. A delighted Donna Woolston who set up a petition signed by over 1,300 students said: "Reducing the fees is an all-round solution, the Union saves money and we get to stay with the NUS."

The news ended any plans to disaffiliate from the NUS. Fly FM also made the news, returning on air with a new frequency.

29 April 2002
Bandit Horror
Nottingham Trent student Klare England made the headlines, and appearing in almost all of the national papers, after she was held at gunpoint by bandits whilst chasing eclipses in Madagascar: "They basically ripped open my tent and stuck a riffle in my head and demanded money."

Luckily for Klare and her companions, she was saved by a spear-welding tribe, known as the 'Bara' tribe.

"They put our tents in the middle of their mud huts and stayed up all night guarding us." Klare’s story also earned her a place on Richard and Judy.

13 May 2002
Cancelled
After only 518 tickets were sold, the grad ball is pulled for only the second time since the early nineties. The decision was based on the inability to provide those who had bought tickets, the lavish event that was advertised.

A defiant president vowed to put on an event, stating: "I will not give up, if people want me to put on an event I will. I owe it to the students of Nottingham Trent to at least try."

This was also a historic week for Platform with the launch of Flare, the first ever fashion supplement to appear in Platform.