GSU President to Become a Paid Role
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FR IDAY, 3RD NOVEMBER, 2017 – Keep the Cat Free – ISSUE 1674 Felix The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London NEWS Event cancelled after speaker accused of rape PAGE 4 MUSIC Our guide to October’s best music releases PAGE 12 From this year onwards, the GSU President will earn £10,000 per year. // Stewart Oak FILM GSU President to become a paid role NEWS Students’ Union”, would Shamso spoke of the postgraduate representa- committee, the majority see the GSU President re- difficulties he had faced tion at Imperial”. He told of whom were voted in Fred Fyles ceiving an annual stipend as a result of taking on Felix that the President last month, the President Editor-in-Chief of £10,000. The money the GSU President role: is “placed under huge should “further student-re- would be funded by Im- “Spending a large amount amounts of pressure, not lated policy and influence The count-down perial’s Education Office, of my time on enriching only having to lead and decisions for the benefit The Graduate Students and would not come from the life of postgraduate motivate a committee of of Imperial College’s of best actresses Union President will be the Union itself. The po- students at Imperial has elected students, but also Postgraduate students”, begins paid an annual stipend sition would be part-time, had a costly effect on the having to deliver the PG “ensure that decisions and PAGE 20 in contrast to the seven progression of my PhD re- voice and opinion at many achievements of the GSU of £10,000, funded by paid sabbatical positions search...I will most likely College committees, some are clearly communicated the Graduate School. the Union offers, which stay beyond the 3-year of which are as senior as to the College”, and require students take a funding window, which Senate.” “represent the interests of year out. The proposal will add extra pressure on He said that it was the Postgraduate students FOOD he President of was initially put forward my financial health as an “absolutely imperative on decision-making the Graduate by Ahmed Shamso (the individual.” He said that that [the GSU President] committees within the Students’ Union 2016/17 GSU President) the changes should “help is not only incentivised to faculties, the College and (GSU) is to be and Luke McCrone (the alleviate these challenges carry out their work to a Imperial College Union”. Tremunerated for under- incumbent GSU Presi- for future Presidents.” respectable standard, but The result is a workload taking the role, the Grad- dent) with support from McCrone, who un- to also have the financial that occupies around two uate School announced the Union. dertook a full-time paid reassurance that they can full-time days a week. earlier this week. The move comes sabbatical role last year take time out of their PG When asked about how The plans, which the following concerns about as Deputy President (Ed- programme to fulfil their this would affect compe- Where’s the best College says were “made the impact the role has on ucation), and is currently role.” tition for the role in the jointly by the Education the President’s studies. doing a PhD, said that the The GSU President future, McCrone said “I place on campus Office, the Graduate In a statement sent out changes should help create has a range of roles: as am certain that the position to eat? School, and the Graduate by the Graduate School, a “sustainable model for well as coordinating their Cont. pg 3 PAGE 26 FR IDAY, 3RD NOVEMBER, 2017 FELIX FELIX ISSUE 1674 EDITORIAL NEWS [email protected] CONTENTS College reaches out to White City community with EDITORIAL 2 Amazon, what’s good? NEWS 3-4 – Fyles Felix E Invention Rooms nyone who’s red dit independent booksellers POLITICS 5 interested in F or and music stores. The The Felix Team campus politics article wasn’t even up NEWS Advanced Hackspace COMMENT 6-8 and changes online for 12 hours before Editor-in-Chief (ICAH). The ICAH, Fred Fyles Ato higher education will I got a voicemail and an • Fred Fyles which was founded in SCIENCE 9 have seen phrases like email from someone in Deputy Editor Editor-in-Chief 2014, provides access to ‘safe spaces’ bandied the Amazon press office, Joanna Wormald manufacturing equipment ARTS 10 around in the media like asking I get in touch with • for staff and students; there’s no tomorrow. The them as soon as possible. News Editor The centre is the latest one of their core aims is MUSIC 11-14 general idea – and I’m It seems they’d taken issue Joanna Wormald part of Imperial’s “to build a community of paraphrasing here – is with some of the things • like-minded makers and Politics Editors ambitious White City BOOKS 15-18 that the students of today we’d published, and asked Avi Banerjee Campus to be opened experimenters.” Professor are too soft, and too for clarifications. Divyen Vanniasegaram Oscar Ces, a member of FILM 20-23 mollycoddled, they’re The guy I spoke to was • to the public. the ICAH board, said ‘special snowflakes’ who perfectly nice, but the Science Editors that the new space would TV 24 don’t understand the ‘real whole thing was extreme- Chris Richardson new commu- “stimulate interaction and world’. You know the line ly unsettling – if they can Henry Bennie nity space collaboration, not just TRAVEL 25 of argument I’m talking get in touch less than 12 • was opened across the College, but Tech Editor about. hours after an article has Tom Mrazek at Imperial also with external partners, FOOD 26-27 While I generally think gone online, from a small • ACollege’s White City small and medium-sized this is a bullshit portrayal student paper (we’d like Comment Editors Campus last weekend. enterprises, industry, and C&S 29 of students, I do feel to any students who absolutely fantastic, Avi to big ourselves up, but Charlie Titmuss The Invention Rooms, strongly that Felix has a are outraged or upset describes the rise of tech hey, we’re small fry), then Alan Perfect which the College HANGMAN 30-31 vital role to play in any at things we publish: giants like Facebook and I doubt they’d have any • describes as “a unique “The space will The architects’ impression of what the White City campus will look like // Wadsworth 3D/PLP Architecture debate around free speech. please get involved! Google, and compares qualms about beginning Arts Editors space for community Indira Mallik also play host PUZZLES 32 A fundamental aspect of Drop us an email, write them to the monopolies litigation. The article has JJ Cheng innovation in White City”, “a beacon for communi- a positive impact in the Sciences Research Hub is has been campaigning a democratic society is a a response article, start a that existed in America since been taken down, Adam Gellatly were opened during a free to the Imperial ty-driven innovation”, and local area” around White set to open in 2018, and against the development free press – one in which conversation. Felix is only during the Gilded Age. pending amendments, but • public event last Saturday, said that “The impact of City, and wish to “work will provide a new home for the last six years, people have the right to biased in one way, and Back then, the dangers it will be back up very Books Editors 28th October. The venue College this will be transforma- together with White City for the Department of accusing the College of upset, or to make strong that’s towards those who of such powerful organ- soon, and I urge you all JJ Cheng includes the ‘Reach Out tive, boosting opportunity, residents, businesses, and Chemistry. acting like an “aggressive points on what the believe actually write for us – we isations was recognised, to check it out. In many Alice Peberdy Makerspace’, which Advanced aspiration and innovation organisations.” The campus is dominat- property developer when in. Just this past week, can’t promote your views and they were broken up, ways, this just proves • allows young people to in White City and beyond The Invention Rooms ed by a 35-storey tower, it comes to the planning Felix Office Music Editors Hackspace” Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road we’ve had a couple of if you don’t let us know but today we seem to be Avi’s point that the tech Andy Djaba have access to equipment for decades to come.” She are the latest section of the which saw its topping out and design of its buildings, London, SW7 2BB articles in our Comment what they are. sleepwalking into exactly giants could soon stifle Adrian LaMoury for design and manu- also highlighted the im- Imperial College White ceremony in September. and their impact on their Tel: 020 79548072 section that have prompted However, if you’re a the same situation. anything that resembles Henry Eshbaugh facturing, and will host portance of working with City Campus. Imperial The tower, whose £76.2 neighbours.” Email: [email protected] a very strong reaction. I multinational tech giant, One of the companies he criticism of their business • collaborative programmes the local community.” the community: “This College first bought land million contract was The Invention Rooms felixonline.co.uk think that this is a great then please stay out of mentioned was Amazon. practices. TV Editor with schools from the local Professor Maggie means listening to their in White City back in awarded to Laing O’Ro- will be expanded in spring @feliximperial thing – the reactions we my inbox.