Friday 28th February. 1997 issue 1081 http ://www. su. ic.ac.uk/Felix est. 1949 F^LIX Student Newspaper of Imperial College Sabbatical candidate interviews. Something for the Find out what the candidates said when they Weekend says Take were really under pressure. Centre pages. me to your leader' New Election favourite after Kheir withdraws NEWSTEAM post of Union President, which now The result of next week's Imperial sees Royal College of Science Acad- Anger at hustings debacle College Union Sabbatical Elections emic Affairs Officer Samantha hangs in the balance today, follow- Baker as the single, uncontested can- ing the shock withdrawal of one of didate. Speaking to Felix, Miss the two Presidential candidates. Baker admitted "I still have to con- Omar Kheir, considered by many as vince students that I'm the best can- the favourite for the job, confirmed didate... I will continue campaigning his withdrawal from the elections as before." yesterday leaving Samantha Baker Following this week's farcical standing agianst 'New Election'. hustings, and the lacklustre cam- Mr Kheir's withdrawal follows a paigning by some candidates, many series of rumours concerning his students voting in Monday and health and the pressures of his work Tuesday's election may choose to as a postgraduate in the Electrical return 'New Election' for the posi- Engineering Department. Mr Kheir tion of President. Were this the case, met Eric Allsop, the current ICU nominations for President would be President, early yesterday morning reopened, allowing new and poten- to comfirm his withdrawal from the tially better candidates to stand. sabbatical race. Although unusual, such a result At the time of going to press, Mr seems increasingly likely as medical NEWSTEAM that I've had cream on my tits and it Kheir was unavailable for comment, students at St Mary's Hospital Med- The low turnout for both of this won't be the last." ical may choose to 'block vote' for a but Mr Allsop later outlined some of week's sabbatical election hustings, The post of Deputy President new election; It is believed that the the factors contributing to his deci- on Tuesday in South Kensington and (Finance&Services) had three candi- medics had originally planned to sion. The former candidate has been on Wednesday in St Mary's, with dates, Rob Clark, John Savery and vote for Mr Kheir, who now openly ill for the last two weeks, and was few impartial observers attending Duncan Tindall, whose manifestos supports the re-opening of nomina- only able to attend the College has once again demonstrated the and answers had strikingly few dif- tions. Many students at the South briefly to write his name on the nom- lack of student interest in Union ferences between them. One notable Kensington campus have similarly ination papers. This may explain the affairs. incident was Mr Clark's downing of expressed their disaffection towards lack of a campus-wide poster cam- Jeremy Thomson, standing unop- eight pints in quick succession. the candidates standing for all four paign promoting Mr Kheir, as is tra- posed for the position of Felix Edi- The two candidates for ICU Presi- posts. ditional for ICU sabbatical candi- tor, refused to be drawn regarding dent, Sam Baker and Omar Kheir, dates. Were the ICU Presidential elec- his plans for Felix next year, but proved the most controversial with In addition, Mr Kheir's Electrical tions to be re-held, a number of highlighted his background as Arts general incredulity at their flippant Engineering research team is report- prospective candidates have hinted Editor. He faced particular hostility approach to the South Kensington ed to be facing a critical publication that they might stand. Robin Riley, from St Mary's over his ignorance hustings and their ignorance of seri- deadline for their work, in direct ICU's Publications Board Chairman, regarding topical medical issues. ous issues. competition with other groups. Mr is alleged to have signed a statement Next up were the two candidates At first event Sam proposed turn- Kheir is believed to have been under confirming his intention to run for standing for Deputy President ing ICU into a brothel with Omar severe pressure from his supervisor, the post. Another likely candidate (Clubs&Societies), Sarah Thomas retorting with his wish to see a with a suggestion that his PhD might may be Royal College of Science and Smita Chaturvedi, who con- playpen in Beit Quad. After the sec- be in jeopardy were he to devote too Union President, Mo Dulloo. "At the firmed that they came from similar ond hustings Piers Williams, current much time to his Presidential cam- moment I can't say anything" said hockey backgrounds, and who man- DP(F&S) and co-ordinator of the paign. Mr Dulloo, but went on to say "Once aged to give similar answers to many New Election campaign, commented As returning officer for the elec- a new election's certain, it will be an of the questions. Ms Thomas' pro- to Felix that he would have said tions, Mr Allsop expressed regret interesting contest with Robin." poser got the biggest cheer of the more on behalf of New Election but concerning Omar's decision. He A precedent for a new presidential night from the medics when she felt that it wasn't needed as "all the claimed to be "saddened by the lack election to be run was set in 1974 responded to a frontal flanning with other candidates seemed to be doing of competition" in the race for the when the race was run four times. "Let's face it, it's not the first time my job for me." 2 NEWS FELIX FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY Dramsoc Professor Bryan Coles dies aged 71 ripped- off? JEREMY CLARKE nishing of the new Physics building, language, an ability founded on his NEWSTEAM Bryan Randell Coles FRS, Emeritus the Blackett Laboratory, Professor sense of humour and considerable Recent attempts to publicise Professor and Senior Research Coles took a keen interest in the knowledge of English Literature. Dramsoc's upcoming production of Fellow of Solid State Physics from development of the College. Before Professor Coles was a member, Christopher Marlowe's Edward II 1991 died suddenly on Monday at 2 being appointed Dean of the Royal and frequently chairman, of many have run into difficulties after over am. Born in Cardiff in 1926, Bryan College of Science from 1984-1986, international committees, including forty posters were ripped off the Coles attended Cardiff High School he spent the end of 1983 as Hill the International Institute Laue- Sherfield walkway notice boards. and achieved a first in Metallurgy Visiting Professor at the University Langevin, the International Council Speaking to Felix Mike Wyer, from the University of Wales in of Minnesota. From 1986-1991, of Scientific Unions Abstracting Dramsoc's publicity officer, 1947. He came to the Department of Professor Coles was Pro-Rector of Board and was IUPAP representative described how an evening's work Physics at Imperial in 1950 as a lec- Imperial College and was then elect- for several years. He served on the was mysteriously censored turer in Metal Physics and a year ed to be a Fellow of the Royal Advisory Panel on Study overnight. later gained his D.Phil, from Jesus Society, where he Chaired the Institutions, NATO Science With less than half a dozen posters College, Oxford. Scientific Information Committee Division, and was a member of the remaining from the original fifty, On leave from London in from 1993. British National Committee on speculation is rife as to why bizarre Pittsburgh, Professor Coles was the As Nevill Mott has said, Professor Physics. During 1955, Professor and possibly malicious attack International Co-operation Coles had devoted his career to the Coles married Merivan Robinson of occurred. Since the play deals with Administration Fellow at the experimental investigation of metal- St. Paul, Minnesota and leaves two sex, violence, and gay relationships Carnegie Institute for two years from lic alloys and their interpretation in sons. In his private life, Professor it has been suggested that homopho- 1954. Three years later, he was the language of quantum mechanics. Coles pursued interests in natural bic tendencies may have taken appointed Senior Lecturer in Physics Not only this, but also his work in the history, mediaeval architecture and offence. Dramsoc sources have at Imperial and then a Reader in field of spin glasses has resulted in opera. Having retired at the begin- denied allegation that they may have Physics in 1962. Professor Coles world-wide renown. Professor Coles ning of the academic term 1991, he incited animosity from other spent the summers of 1962 and 1969 provided inspired leadership in all continued to take an active interest in Imperial College Union clubs or as a Visiting Professor at the his work and warm hospitality to the both his work and the College itself, societies, and insist that they will be University of California in San many eminent people who visited being Staff Orator from 1991-1993. protesting to the Union. His death is a considerable loss to Diego. In October of 1966 he was him, and to the students taught by Suggestions that this week's high both the College and the scientific appointed to the Chair of Solid State him over his years at Imperial. His winds may be responsible for the world, and he will be sorely missed Physics at Imperial. Closely associat- inaugural lecture was received with posters disappearance have been dis- by all who knew him. ed with both the planning and fur- praise and showed his facility with counted by Dramsoc members.