Felix Issue 632, 1983

The Newspaper of Imperial College Union CCUs NET CASH After Gross Tactics By Council Members The Union Finance Committee's mental Representatives and decision to cut Constituent Col- delegates, the Major Sub- lege Union grants next year was committee officers estimated reversed at Monday's Council that they would be defeated and meeting after several Union therefore attempted to close the officials attempted to block the meeting before the vote. In order reversal by making the meeting to do so, Jonathan Miller, Ian inquorate. Bull, Mike Prosser and Matthew The original motion, pre- Tonks, the SCC, ACC, Publica- sented to UFC last Friday, was tions Board and SCAB Chair- proposed by the Recreational men respectively, walked out of Clubs Committee and seconded the meeting leaving John Mc- by Atheletics Clubs, Social Callion, ICU DP, to call quorum. However, the challenge Clubs, Publications Board and was unsuccessful and an attempt SCAB. It suggested that CCU by a non-voting person to call estimates for 1983/4 were quorum after John McCallion exaggerated and represented an and Hugh Southey had left was unrealistic position and thus defeated by Jon Barnett's could justifiably be cut. Items to oratory ability. The motion was undergo cuts included entertain- then passed by an overwhelming ments and exec honoraria. majority in the absence of the A new lion on Queen's Lawn heralds the year of the pig. Details inside. According to the motion, the opposing officials. ICU President was to ensure that Major Sub-committee's de- mands are met more readily thus channelling money into IC Union clubs rather than CCU IC STUDENTS ON FIREARMS CHARGE clubs. This motion was passed by 'shot' it through the back released on bail, although they UFC, where Major Subcom- Four students were arrested for possession of a toy pistol in window. The police car followed claim that they were never mittee representatives out- Cumbria last Saturday. Carl them for some twenty miles, and formally charged—in fact, this number CCU representatives. Fairhurst, Tony Collier and Julian when they turned off the motor- was the first indication that they But at the Union Council Barber, all undergraduates at way they were intercepted by had been arrested. They were meeting on Monday night, Imperial, and Martin White from more cars. In all, ten policemen told that the lorry driver had President Stephen Goulder Cambridge have been released on —two of them armed—and five reported a shooting incident, included an item on CCU bail. police cars were used. and that because the students expenditure in his report, which The four were on their way to The four students were had been stopped by Lancashire concluded that the CCUs' cash the Lake District for a weekend searched, the gun was confis- Police they could not be charged limits would have to depend on a of climbing. They had with them cated and they were driven, at Kendal, which is in Cumbria. priority determined by UFC. a cap-pistol which one of the handcuffed, to Kendal Police They are expected to attend At this point the meeting, four had been given for Christ- Station, about five miles distant. Lancaster Police Station on chaired by John Passmore, mas, and when a lorry pulled out There they had their shoes and March 12, where formal charges became heated as the CCU in front of them on the M6, Mr belts removed and were kept for may be made—probably for presidents presented an emer- Collier wound down the car one and a half hours in a cell Breach of the Peace, according gency motion which would window and 'shot' the driver while individual statements to a police spokesman. He said reverse the UFC decision which on the way past. Some time were taken from all four. Their that th" charges would not be they described as "unrepresen- afterwards, they noticed a Police fingerprints and photographs seriou„, out that it was 'a stupid tative and undemocratic". Due Range Rover behind them, and were taken before they were thing to do in this day and age'. to the strong presence of Depart- No. 637HHHHH Friday, February 18, 1983 HHHNMMHMHI Free Did you know that: Since 1978/9 average earnings form. Theoretically, you can have risen by 57%; the Retail claim for daily travel into Price index has risen by 50%; THE GRANT GAME College plus three return student grants have risen by only —and how to play it journeys to your parental home 39%. per year by the cheapest means Most people who have been of travel. This usually means Minimum Grant Vacation Element buying a student railcard in 'ordinarily resident' in the UK The minimum grant for 1982/3 The student grant includes ;in for three years prior to the which case you can claim the remains at £410. This is the element to cover eight weeks cost of that back too. However, commencement of their course amount you will receive if: vacation at Christmas and are entitled to a mandatory in practice, authorities only have a) your parents' combined Easter. For 1982/3 this amounts award for a first degree course. to pay what they consider to bke income exceeds £21,000 (approx). to £23.62 a week which is slightly This means the relevant Local 'reasonable' and many authori- b) your parents refuse to sign more than the single person's Education Authority will pay ties do set conditions such as the grant forms. rate of supplementary benefit. the student's tuition fees and reimbursement ceilings. The c) your parents' income for This is why students arc not make a contribution towards Student Services Office may be the relevant year cannot at eligible to claim supplementary their maintenance. How much able to give you some guidelines present be confirmed, eg if benefit during the short vaca- they pay depends on a number to the particular conditions set they're abroad or self-employed. of factors, the most important tions. However, because there is by your authority but it is no element for rent included in being: Basic Rates of Grants essential that you check with the grant for the vacations, Most of you probably realise your authority before running up students can claim their rent Parental Contribution that the basic full grant for a huge trave bill. back from the DHSS but only if Unless you are over 25 or have undergraduates studying in In addition to the above there they're living at the address for worked for at least three years, London for 1982/3 is £1,900 but are a number of extra allowances which they're claiming. For your grant will be assessed on do you know what that figure is which the authority may award DHSS purposes your income in your parents' income. For supposed to cover? eg extra money for dependents, the short vacations, will be 1982/3 the starting point for mature students, or vacations. calculated as £23.62 irrespective parental contributions remains The Student Services Office has of whether your parents pay at £6,600 leaving the vast details of these and a list of their contribution. majority of students reliant on Vacation 8wks at £23.62 189 addresses and telephone num- Board and lodgings 1249 their parents to make up their Travel bers of education authorities. If grants. Although it is virtually Books, equipment etc 165 Clothing, laundry & misc The grant includes £50 for your you have any queries or diffi- impossible to avoid having your 105 Travel 50 'travel costs. Any travelling costs culties with your grant then call grant assessed on your parents' Pocket Money 146 necessarily incurred above that into the Student Services Office income, there is no way that you £1904 amount should be claimed back and we should be able to help. can force them to pay their from your Local Education Karen Stott contribution if they refuse. Authority on an excess travel Welfare Adviser The Horns of guilds Uncertainty present's nun* Khia BEGINS FRIDRV IBu miDNIGHT*1™ ™m 6: Hexasperation GUILDS OFFICE Page 21 February 18, 19831 I FELIX No Report for Weeks The College's long awaited residence report will come too late to have any influence on this year's accommodation policy, according to Union President Stephen Goulder. It cannot, he said, be seen by both Residence and House Committees in time for its recommendations to be carefully considered. The seventy-five page report was commissioned by College Secretary John Smith last year, and was to have been ready for the beginning of this term. But John Lauwerys was unable to produce the report in time, and although the first draft has been seen it is not yet ready for printing. This means that important decisions based on the report's recommendations may The traditional British Lion looks on with interest as IC Chinese Society perform a lion dance on the not be made until the summer Queens Lawn. Last Friday was the eve of the year of the pig, and despite the inclement weather and a vacation, and so if, as expected late start, the dancers were well pleased with the result. Weeks Hall is to become purely for the use of postgraduates, it may have to wait until next year. Mr Smith explained to FELIX Dancing that he had commissioned the Mascots: 'Mines is Ours' report because decisions over the past year have been made with Success no firm policy in mind, leading Two teams from Imperial to anomalies in the system. But College Ballroom Dancing Club he did not feel that the timing of came third after University the report was critical, as in his College London and Oxford opinion House Committee University in the St Ives compe- would not be considering it—it tition last Saturday.

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