Union Redevelopment

Th e student newspaper of Imperial College London Issue 1,391 felix Friday 11 January 2008 felixonline.co.uk Inside Giant 2008 games preview Pages 25 to 31 Monopole discovered? Page 4 Who the heck is Bob Dylan? Page 23 Brand new Technology section Union redevelopment College agrees to fund phase two, see page 3 Page 32 2 felix Friday 11 January 2008 News News Editor – Andrew Somerville, News Goblin – Matty Hoban [email protected] Election fever’s in the air Fresh delivery of chocolate As the race for the (Union) Presidents’ offices begins, Felix gives logs turf to Queen’s Lawn readers the odds on who they can expect to see in the running Tom Roberts Editor-in-Chief Across the pond there may be some fairly important election preparations going on, but closer to campus students will soon be out and campaign- ing for positions of power that really matter. The Spring term is here bringing blossom back to trees and this year’s Sabbatical elections. Election fever is rife in the Union at the moment, so Fe- lix is here to give readers the odds on who they can expect to be standing for positions within the Union once next month’s elections come round. For clarification, the Union is run by four student Sabbatical Officers: the Union President and three Deputy Presidents, along with a team of per- menant staff members. During Febru- ary campus-wide elections will be run to select who will be their successors, along with an election for the next Felix editor which is also a Sabbatical position. Any IC student can run and the rest The current favourites to run for Union President. Clockwise from top of the student body will vote online. Fe- left: Jennifer Morgan, Jon Matthews, Luke Taylor and Tristan Sherliker lix will be covering the event in much more detail over the coming weeks, but for now here are the predictions DP Finance & Services (DPFS) Felix Editor for who you can expect to see running for nomination. Note: they are not pre- Andrew Mason – 5-1 Obligatory Joke Candidate – Taking dictions on who will win! Lily Topham – SCC Chair, SAC no more bets staffer – 10-1 Greg Mead – Nightlife Editor – 2-1 President Victoria Gibbs – Current DPFS’ First Jovan Nedić – Sport Editor – 6-1 Lady – 25-1 Andrew Somerville – News Editor Jon Matthews – Former DPFS, – 12-1 former GSA Chair – 3-1 DP Clubs & Societies (DPCS) Mike Cook – 20-1 Tristan Sherliker – CGCU President Matty Hoban – Music Editor – 25-1 – 7-1 Eugene Chang – RCC Chair, NCC Ed Henley – Science Editor – 33-1 Jennifer Morgan – RCSU President member, SAC staffer – 3-1 – 10-1 Luke Taylor – 8-1 In case you were wondering: Luke Taylor – ACC Chair, Felix cen- Lily Topham – 10-1 CGCU – City & Guilds College Union Re-turfing of Queen’s Lawn began on Wednesday. The £250k trefold regular – 15-1 RCSU – Royal College of Science marquee which had been up for over half a year was eventually Andrew Mason – SAC staffer, NCC DP Education & Welfare (DPEW) Union taken down one week after the College’s planning permission member – 20-1 ACC – Athletics Clubs Committee expired on 16th December, leaving a vast muddy bog. Some Ashley Brown – Live! Editor – 40-1 Ryan Dee – SAC staffer – 5-1 SAC – Student Activities Centre students have reported pain in their eyes, diagnosed by doctors as Stephen Brown – Current Union Lily Topham – 15-1 NCC – New Clubs Committee Greentitis – a sudden acute pain of the sarcastic gland in the eye. President – 50-1 RCC – Recreational Clubs Committee Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London felix 1,391 SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, 17 Brest Road, Derriford, Plymouth. Registered newspaper Friday 11/01/08 ISSN 1040-0711. Copyright © Felix 2007. Felix was brought to you by: Editor-in-Chief Business Editor Games Editors LOLCATS Tom Roberts Afonso Campos Azfarul Islam Sebastian Nordgren Deputy & News Editor Politics Editor Andrew Somerville Li-Teck Lau Technology Editor James Finnerty News Editor Arts Editors OF TEH WEEK Matty Hoban Rosie Grayburn Travel Editors Caz Knight Nadine Richards Layout Editors David Paw Ahranyan Arnold Jemil Salami Sally Longstaff Welfare Editors Fashion Editor Nigel Cooke Sarah Skeete Copy Editors Kirsty Patterson Louise Etheridge Sports Editor Tom Culley Nightlife Editor Jovan Nedić Anthony Maina Greg Mead Gilead Amit Photography Film Editor Sally Longstaff Science Editor Alex Casey Vitali Lazurenko Ed Henley Thanks to Matty Hoban Friday 11 January 2008 felix 3 [email protected] News Operation go for Beit phase two The Union secures funding for the second part of its Masterplan. Improvements to the Union building will include a brand new Student Activities Centre and a new gymnasium due to be completed in January 2009 Tom Roberts & Andrew Somerville During the final days of last term, the Union announced that it had finally secured funding to proceed with phase two of the Beit Masterplan redevelopment scheme, following the approval of a grant from College of £1.93m, bringing the total funds raised to £3.322m. The Beit Masterplan is the Union’s much needed strategy for rejuvenating and updating its current aging facilities. The 2nd phase of the Masterplan aims to update parts of the West side of the Union building, upgrade the ancient electrical and mechanical infrastructure, and prepare the building for the final phase. Work is planned to begin in March once the current ten- Floor plans for the new Student Activities Centre on the second mezzanine floor. There will be a new gym on the floor above too dering process has been completed and it is due to be completed in Janu- ary 2009. SAC will be completely redesigned to into a brand new gym with a sprung, gency) was discovered to be in great with complaints about the lack of sig- The Student Activities Centre (SAC), become a more centralised element of mirrored dance floor replacing the difficulties in the early part of last nificant change in the central core, and currently located in the East Basement, the Union, a hub for all student clubs one currently on the second floor, in term, but following a full audit it has a lift that often breaks down apparently is due to move to the second floor mez- and societies. order to give clubs and societies a flex- been restored to healthy levels. It cur- costing the best part of £1.8m. zanine of the main Union building. The The third floor will be converted ible space that is free for them to use rently stands at £1.2m and the planned Some of the improvements in phase (Ethos charges societies approximately expenditure of £196k is considerably two are in preparation for the third £45 per hour to use its facilities). The less than the £750k+ that the Union and final phase, in which it is planned meeting rooms that are currently on feared it may have to spend. to totally renovate daVinci’s and dB’s, the 3rd floor are planned to move down Speculation over the progress of replace the old gym with a games into the East Basement, occupying the phase two has been rife for roughly room and move the Union offices to space where the SAC used to be. nine months after the poor reception the third floor and settle on a use for The gym will be accompanied by of phase one which as Felix readers may the space left behind. After the long new female and male changing rooms recall overran and prevented use of the and protracted financial negotiations in the central core of the 3rd and 2nd central core for approximately four during the preparation for phase two, floor mezzanine, respectively. The months. Phase one has been dogged by it remains to be seen when, or if it will renovation of the central core (the controversy over its dubious success begin, who will fund it and how much stairwell and lift) will be completed even after doubling its completion time it will actually cost. and energy efficiency measures will be implemented throughout the building. The financial support will be coming from a number of sources. College Phase two at a glance has given the Union a £1.93m grant. Grants of £500k and £300k have also Cost: £3.322m come from the Harlington and IC Project start/finish: March 2008/January 2009 Trusts, with the remainder to come 2nd floor mezzanine changes: New Student Activities Centre, male from the Union itself. Reclaimed VAT changing rooms from phase one makes up £396k whilst 3rd floor changes: New gymnasium with sprung, mirrored dance £196k must be taken from the Union’s floor General Reserve. Further improvements: New energy efficiency measures, upgraded As readers may remember the Gen- electrical and mechanical infrastructure eral Reserve (a large pot of money in- Artistic impression of the Student Activities Centre tended for use in the event of an emer- Railcard Oyster discounts Science Challenge is coming Tom Roberts Daniel Burrows Editor-in-Chief & Alex Guite As 2007 bowed out, Transport for Lon- The Science Challenge, which last don’s (TfL) fare packages for the New year gave away £4,500 of prize money Year came into effect. Single fares were for short essays guessing the scien- frozen on all tube journeys, including tific breakthroughs that will shape the when paying by cash, whilst Oyster future, is back again in 2008. The or- card bus journeys fell in price by 10% ganisers are promising bigger prizes to 90p.

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