Panda Bear and his animal friends The Animal Collective migrates to the Portland Arms Music, Page 19 No. 612 The Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 Friday January 28, 2005 Admissions The Varsity Talent List 2005 - 8 page pull-out in this issue director gives assurance to home students Kate Ward At present it costs up to £55,800 to put each home THE UNIVERSITY has undergraduate through their responded to Oxford’s plan to three-year degree, while over- reduce the number of home seas students will pay on aver- undergraduates by pledging its age £10,900 per year for tuition commitment to current admis- fees and living expenses – con- sions policy. siderably more than the income Director of University the university receives for each Admissions, Geoff Parks, told home student. Varsity that he and ‘other Many figures within both admissions tutors in general Oxford and Cambridge are dis- would be very disappointed if mayed that admissions could be financial necessity forced influenced by financial pres- Cambridge to contemplate sure. NUS president Kat reducing the number of home Fletcher warned against the students we admit’. Parks increasing tendency of univer- added that the University’s sities to ‘perceive their students treatment of home students as customers’, creating a ‘mar- would not change: ‘The reality ket’ for higher education. is that overseas students are In 2003/04 Oxford had a squeezed out by our commit- total of 11,086 undergraduates. ment to home students’. Out of these only 692 (6%) He said that ‘The University were overseas students, while of Cambridge is committed to 10,045 (91%) were from the admitting students of the UK. In 2003/04 Cambridge highest intellectual potential, had an undergraduate popula- irrespective of social, racial, tion of 11,850 with 12% for- religious and financial consid- eign students. But this has erations’, and that this policy been achieved without the kind shall not change. of targeted policy that Oxford In a green paper published have outlined this week. this week, Oxford University If proposals to build three CUSU abortion row continues announced plans to reduce new colleges announced in total student numbers by as May 2004 go ahead, the uni- much as 1,000 over the course versity will see a dramatic Chine Mbubaegbu The letter sets out a number Society are accusing CUSU of accountable in the slightest’. of the next five years. In place increase in the number of both of questions that CUSU are to being affiliated. The demands outlined in a ‘rigorous’ policy will seek to undergraduate and graduate THE CAMBRIDGE University answer in order to avoid fur- ‘Abortion Rights’ was the legal letter urge CUSU to attract overseas undergradu- students. By 2025 it is estimat- Pro-Life Society has taken the ther legal action. It states: “If formed in 2003 as a result of a provide information as to how ates. Oxford has said it hopes ed that the student population first steps towards legal action they fail to answer all of the merger between the Abortion they, along with the Women’s to entice the ‘very best stu- will reach 21,000, almost dou- against CUSU by issuing them enclosed questions by Tuesday Law Reform Association Union, undertook the deci- dents’, whilst at the same ble the present number. with a legal letter in relation to 9th February then legal pro- (ALRA), and the National sion to affiliate to ‘Abortion time achieving the ‘signifi- Financial pressures are of the Student Union’s apparent ceedings will be issued with- Abortion Campaign (NAC). Rights’ despite the results of cant’ cost saving that will increasing concern to all affiliation to the campaign group out further notice.” The University’s pro-lifers the 2000 referendum. enable it to fund more staff Universities, despite the ‘Abortion Rights.’ The Pro-Life Society began were ‘furious’ at CUSU Wes Streeting, CUSU across the university. The Higher Education Funding David Foster of Barlow their criticism of CUSU early Women’s Union’s decision to President, pointed to the dif- green paper warned that ‘the Council’s provision of a total Robbins Solicitors represents last term when the Women’s promote this organisation, ficulty involved in answering competitiveness of Oxford in grant of £6,322m for universi- the Pro-Life society. He Union, led by Jo Read, because a referendum that had the questions that have been the longer term is contingent ties for the 2005/06 academic issued the legal letter at the launched a campaign called been held in 2000 had result- put to them by the solicitors. on much greater financial year, an increase of 5.6% on request of Antonia Dale, ‘Pro-Choice and Proud of It’. ed in 59% of the student body He said: ‘The difficulty is that security and autonomy’, 2004/05. The funding council President of the Pro-Life Stickers with the slogan were voting against any affiliation obviously this stretches back describing it as ‘remarkable’ has not yet announced how Society. He has previously handed out at the Freshers’ with the NAC. over four years. What we’re that the university stands this money will be distributed been involved in judicial reviews Fair at Kelsey Kerridge, along Patrick Leahy, Campaigns currently doing is looking at alongside the world’s elite between the universities. over the cloning procedures of with membership forms for Officer for the Pro-Life the minutes and records that when faced with such ‘chron- the Human Fertilisation and ‘Abortion Rights’, the compa- Society, has criticised the fact ic under-funding’. Editorial - page 11 Embryology Authority. ny to which the Pro-Life that CUSU have ‘not been - Continued on page 6 APU NAME CHANGE PAGE 2 CELEBRATING EINSTEIN’S ANNIVERSARY PAGE 14 HOWARD CANCANS PAGE 15 TEARING AFASHION STRIPE PAGE 16 READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN PAGE 20 JOHN’S REACH TOP SPOT PAGE 24 2 NEWS January 28, 2005 www.varsity.co.uk News in Brief Clearing’s cut-price courses Flasher Graduate Inequality Lilie Weaver Oliver Tilley New nationwide statistics to pay more than someone who them to “shop around” for the couraging the monetization of show that non-white gradu- UNIVERSITIES COULD be fails to get a place the first time best deal. This could create a higher education, jeopardising POLICE ARE appealing for ates are up to three times less allowed to offer “bargain base- round at the same university. logistical nightmare for admis- the work towards a “fair and public assistance in identify- likely to find employment ment” courses through clear- The Office for Fair Access sions staff, who already have to transparent admissions process” ing a man who recently inde- after graduation as their white ing to fill up their under-sub- [OFFA] has made it clear that carefully weigh up the number and potentially deepening the cently exposed himself in East counterparts. The NUS has scribed courses, potentially Universities will be allowed to of offers they make and attempt present “class divide” of Chesterton. published a Black Students’ rewarding students who under cut their course rates to fill in to predict the number of accept- University admissions. Over the last few months Handbook designed partly to perform at A-level. vacancies, but warns that doing ed offers. It means that from a student’s there have been several address this problem. Such a policy could mean that so may “affect following cycles”. The NUS has accused OFFA point of view, deciding where to reports of a naked man on the a student who is offered a place In other words, students may of allowing a system of “mass apply could become an exercise towpath by the railway bridge through the first round of discover that leaving their choice inequalities” to develop, suggest- in trying to gauge the best “value of the river Cam in East Waste Disposal UCAS and obtains their requi- of course until August, when ing that the regulator is not for money” degrees. Chesterton, Cambridgeshire site grades, could end up having results are published, allows being pro-active enough in dis- The higher education minis- and, consequently, the police Cambridge city council have ter Dr. Kim Howells admits that are urging the public to come announced that black bins er University courses could become forward with any information will be collected fortnightly “products”, with students shop- which could aid them in their ing rather than weekly from rr ping round between the huge investigations. October as part of a drive to range of institutions. PC Nick Percival who is encourage people to recycle l De Robert Reich, a professor of leading the investigation, has more. The council is con- social and economic policy in the said “I would like to hear cerned it may be met with Michae US, warns that such a cut-throat from anyone who may have steep government fines if it market will encourage a system seen this man in the area. Any does not meet landfill targets. similar to the American one information, no matter how where there is a large focus on small, could prove vital in pre-career degrees, such as Law helping us to find who is Castle Mound and Medicine, to the deprecia- responsible.” tion of subjects such as English If you do know anything Work has started on a pro- and the less “applied” sciences. which could be useful, contact gramme to protect Castle This particular issue should PC Percival of Parkside Police Mound, one of Cambridge’s not affect students applying to Station on 0 84545 64564 or best-known ancient monu- particularly oversubscribed Crimestoppers anonamously ments.