THE PIT Issue 850 Freshers 2010 WELCOME FRESHERS! EDITOR’s NOTE EVENTS (OR, YOUR ‘TO DO’ LIST FOR Welcome. If you are reading this it means you have managed (by luck, determination or pure hard work OCTOBER) and elbow grease) to be on the brink of starting your first year in the Royal School of Mines (RSM). Shw mae freshers! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! What you have in front of you is The Pit. A Congratulations on getting into the best department at (roughly) fortnightly newsletter which provides Imperial, the RSM. The RSM union is renowned for it‘s awesome social life, here‘s a quick list of the main light entertainment for the bus ride home, depart- events we‘ve got planned during freshers fortnight. mental news about upcoming events run by the Clubs and Societies, and most importantly it will October 5th – Freshers pub crawl. First RSM event of keep you up to date will all of the gossip and news the year, a tour of 10 of the best watering holes in South of RSM events that for some reason (meteorite hit Kensington. and dinosaur attack are really the only VALID reasons...) you have missed. October 7th – Freshers bar night. What the RSMU does ‗Oh!‘ I hear you scoff, ‗theses events aren‘t that best… bar nights! All you can drink at the bar and the good...are they?‘ freshers yard of ale competition. Not to be missed (theme Well the simple answer to that is yes. to be confirmed). The more long-winded one is to read the rest of the October 15th – Freshers dinner. A formal dinner with Pit, and to see how enthusiastic everyone is, or to your very own RSM host to buy your drinks and look turn up and see for yourself! after you all night. The biggest and best freshers event of There are plenty of opportunities for you to come the lot! and meet us all, and find your place in the RSM, from sporting hero, to trips with the DLB or even Whatever your halls are doing, don‘t miss them! Keep an writing an article for this fine newsletter—there is eye out for the RSM freshers page on facebook for more something for everyone! information.

See you soon :) Hope to see you all there,

Jam Jam Fiona Ashman Events officer Pit Editor 2010-2011 2010-2011

Clubs and Socs

The De La Beche Club

Relish rocks? Fascinated by fossils? Discover geology with the DLB. Promoting social academia and arousing your curiosity about all things geological since 1914.

The De La Beche Club is the student geological society of the RSM, and is one of the oldest and most active departmental societies at Imperial College. Established in 1914, it is named after Sir , the leading 19th Century geologist and founder of the Royal School of Mines.

We run talks, day trips and weekend excursions to locations across the UK and beyond. All our events are open to undergrads, postgrads and lecturers. And, membership for our fantastic club is free!

Officially we are an academic society, and as such our aim is to excite interest in geology and stimulate the curiosity of students outside the lecture room. However we Royal Miners are social beasts, and our laid-back events let you mingle with like-minded people from all years in the RSM in a relaxed setting.

Watch this space during Fresher’s Week for details of upcoming events, and check out the website www.delabeche.co.uk

Hey! Hey, I'm Matt (Left) one of the joint DLB fieldtrip or- My name is Kirsty. ganisers. You will soon find (Right) I’m a 4th year out that us in the DLB like Geologist and the to have a good time and President of the fieldtrips are the best way DLB. As such I’ll be to do that. It's up to me your guide to every- and Robin to make sure thing cool about ge- you have a blast! My fa- ology. vourite things are Beer, Join the DLB for Travelling and Streaking! In amazing talks and my experience the 3 often more amazing trips, go hand in hand! See you and spread the geo- in October!!! love.

Geophysics Society Nick Wainwright (right) The Geophysics Society is here to help you explore Geophysics President 2010-2011 the world of geophysics outside of your lectures in a fun way, so if you‘re studying Geophysics, or a Ge- Fiona Ashman ologist who‘d like to learn a bit more about Geophys- Geophysics Secretary ics, or anyone else who‘s interested, come along and 2010-2011 see what‘s on offer. Alex Karvelas Geophysics Treasurer We will be holding events throughout the year that 2010-2011 focus on new or interesting subjects that are right at the forefront of the subject. We‘ve also got fantastic links with professionals within the geophysics indus- tries, so we‘re a great place to start looking at the sort of jobs you might want to do in the future.

We have got lots of exciting things planned for the coming year, including some great talks and a couple of trips. So keep your eyes peeled for posters around the department advertising upcoming events and don‘t forget to come and visit us and the rest of the RSM clubs at Fresher‘s Fair in the first week of term!

MatSoc

MatSoc represents the social side of the Materials department. Our aim is to provide light refreshment from any work you may be doing with the events that helped build our reputation as one of the most fun and sociable departments in college!

This year will see the return of the now legendary Hill Cup where Matsoc wage war on our sister department the DLB in events such as paint- balling, pub golf and old school sports day. As always there will also be bar nights, the occasional free lunch and the epic New Years curry night in Brick Lane.

We do also have a serious side, organising factory tours to companies such as Rolls-Royce and Corus group, and with many active alumni to help you get in with the big names prospects after graduation are looking good. Richard ―Chumble‖ Simons I‘m looking forward to seeing you all in a few months and hope you en- Matsoc Chair 2010-2011 joy student life here as much so many of us do. RSM COMMITTEE

President’s Shout

Gooooood morning Royal Miners!

Firstly congratulations freshers for obtaining your grades and making it to Imperial College! Your hard work to make it here will now be rewarded with the best years of your life. You will have fine dinners, more beers to drink than at a Barvarian beer hall and hopefully enough stories and anecdotes to keep your children entertained far in the future. Do you know why I know all these things are true? Because you are now a member of the Royal School of Mines!

The Royal School of Mines, lovingly referred to as the RSM is home to geologists and materials sci- entists since it was established in 1850 and went on to be one of the three constituent colleges that formed Imperial College in 1907. Aside from that brief history lesson, the Royal School of Mines is renowned for being the most social, outrageous, daring and overt union in the entire university. Such a reputation has been earned over time and tradition with our numerous bar nights, riotous dinners, tight knit community, the debaucherious Chaps club and how can I forget our sports teams…

That‘s just a slice of what happens in this faculty and I have barely touched the , one of the oldest varsity matches in the country! It is one of the most spectacular and entertaining events of the entire calendar with RSM‘s own rugby, football, hockey, golf, squash and netball teams doing battle against the inbred scum that is Cambourne School of Mines (CSM) for the possession of a 3ft tin beer bottle acquired by some Royal Miners in 1926. Sadly I write this next sentence with a broken heart as we lost the Bottle match this year but with new blood and high spirits from you. Yes! You! Our new proud freshers, I‘m sure we can win it back.

The one thing you will see in this faculty is the amount of passion everyone has, it has been my home for a long time now and hopefully it will be- come yours as well!

See you at the bar

Ben ―Chophouse‖ Moorhouse RSMU President 10/11 Vice President

Hi I'm Sang, a 4th year Geologist and this year's RSMU Vice President. I have been on the committee for three years through hockey, netball and DLB. I am here to help everyone to organise events and make sure that it involves lots of beer :) Hope you are excited about coming to join us at the Royal School of Mines!

Hon-Sec

Hi everyone! I'm Bungey the Hon Sec for the RSM Com- mittee for your Freshers' year! I hope you are all really excited about what we have in store for you when you arrive, I can't wait to meet you all. In terms of my roles throughout the year I am charged with organising the RSM Annual Freshers' Dinner which this year will be held on Friday the 15th of October - the most integral event in your initiation to the department. This is a dinner at which you are hosted by an older member of the depart- ment who will be able to entertain you and fill you in on all the departmental gossip...It's also a brilliant opportunity to get to know your classmates and make new friends - if you ask literally ANYBODY in the department they will tell you how unmissable this night is! Tickets will go on sale in Freshers' week within the department, check out my accompany- ing letter in your Freshers' pack for more information and also visit the RSM union web- site for loads of pictures and information about different aspects of RSM life. I also help to arrange for students to attend the RSMA Dinner hosted at the end of autumn term, a formal event with members of the Royal School of Mines Association, including alumni and staff. Apart from events I also sort out the committee meetings where we discuss the running of the RSMU and where you can raise your ideas and give your input! Most importantly, if you ever need to contact me i'll be in the Union Bar. So have a wicked summer and get ready for a year of great sport, great social events and great learning experiences. Definitely NOT all academic. xxx Junior Treasurer

Everyone at Imperial knows that the secret to the Royal School of Mines‘ brilliance is running a successful and jam-packed social calendar throughout the year. Events range from riotous bar nights and jubilant sports tours through to formal dinners and academic symposiums, hopefully ca- tering to the varied tastes of every single person lucky enough to consider themselves part of the RSM. As one of the chosen few, your new friends in Physics and Mech Eng will soon become jeal- ous of your constant gallivanting and tales of camaraderie and atmosphere never before experi- enced by scientist or engineer alike. Perhaps you will even persuade them to put down their equa- tions and come participate with us!

What with all the fun and games, singing and drinking that‘s going on, the RSM might look as if it runs itself, but the truth is that these fabulous events require quite a lot of work behind the scenes to run as smoothly as they do, particularly if the president has just downed a yard of ale in under a minute! That‘s where the exec comes in. Along with the rest of the club captains and committee officers, the exec puts together and coordinates the day to day running of the RSM. As Treasurer, my main job is to make sure that every single penny that goes into the RSM coffers goes back to its students in the best way possible.

I had a great time with the RSM in my first two years, and being a fresher is definitely a brilliant experience, especially if you take full advantage of everything going on around you. The RSM were a massive part of that experience for me, and I think I speak for everyone in the committee and the RSM as a whole when I say that we all hope that you, as a new fresher, will have an equally fantastic year with us ahead!

Mark Porter Junior Treasurer 2010-2011 3rd Year Geophysicist

Sponsorship Officer – Stuart Walters

I am now entering my 4th and final year at the RSM and have enjoyed every moment so far, I have been playing for the RSM football team since I arrived at Imperial and believe it is the best football team to play for. I was the President of the Society of Economic Geologists at Imperial for the previous year (a good society to get involved with) and will be President of MinSouth Im- perial for this upcoming year. As Sponsorship Officer I do exactly what it says on the tin and approach compa- nies to give the RSM money to stage all the wonderful events throughout the year. I am a very friendly, relaxed and approachable guy and can be found at most of the RSM events, I look forward to seeing you all there.

Publicity Officer

Hello everyone! I'm Chandra, in my fourth year and I'll be serving as your publicity officer. This means you'll receive emails from me letting you know of upcoming events, and see me posting posters around the depart- ment! If ever you want to advertise anything, you know who to come to! I wish all the freshers a wonderful first year at Imperial, and welcome back to everyone else! Much love, Chandra Taposeea

Website Officer Hi, I‘m Annabel, a 4th year geologist, and I‘m the website officer for 2010-2011. You can find the website at www.rsmonline.co.uk, and it is currently receiving a much needed make-over in time for fresher‘s week! Once it‘s updated you‘ll be able to check the website for the latest departmental news, events and gossip, and to get tickets for forthcoming events. Throughout the year I‘ll be looking for ideas on how to improve the website, so get in touch with any feedback you have. Enjoy the last bit of summer and I‘ll see you in October. attempt to steal each other‘s Davy Bearers mascots, and so it‘s our job to James Scaife and protect the Davy Lamp as well Jamie Thomas as attempt to steal the mascots of C&G and RCS. As you probably know little So how will you recognise us? about the history of the RSM I‘ll Well look for the big drunken explain our role, the Davy is a Welshman and the dopey huge 60kg mining lamp and also Manc, but I‘m sure that the mascot of the RSM. throughout the freshers festivi- Throughout the course of the ties we‘ll make ourselves academic year the different known. colleges of Imperial

Regalia We're Matt and Matt (Ginger/Scouse) we are both starting our second year and we will be in charge of Regalia this year. This means you can come for us for hoodys, polo shirts, scarfs, ties and any other RSM memorabilia, including some sexy kecks. We will hold sales before most major events of the year but also will be approachable around the depart- ment to take any orders for extra stuff. Drop us an email if you want to get hold of anything

Balls Officers - Ball‘s Officers organise The Kirsty Purnell and Christmas Dinner and The Laura Bardsley Final Finale, two of the big- gest RSM events of the year. Our first year has been abso- We are both excited about lutely brilliant and we have putting our fresher‘s year been welcomed into the RSM with open arms and experience to good use by plenty of beer. Heading into giving something back to the our second year and now as RSM. Looking forward to Ball‘s officers we have the meeting all the new fresher‘s chance to help out with this in October. year‘s events.

RSM SPORTS

FOOTBALL I‘m Joe, captain of the RSM Football team for next sea- son. We are an 11 a-side team that play twice a week in the ULU (University of Union) Division 4, and also the legendary bottle match, this year to be played on home soil here in London. We are a friendly, sociable side, and although we play to win, the focus is on having fun, and we try to get all the players as involved as possible in the social life of the RSM. I have played every year since I came to Imperial (I am now in my 3rd year), and some of my closest friends I met playing for the RSM team. We will be on the look- out for new players, feel free to ask me any questions and sign up at the Freshers fair or any of the RSM events!

GOLF CRICKET

RSM golf provides a social outlet for golfers Hello! I am the RSM Cricket captain, a new within the society. Whether you are a profes- club that's just started this year. If you want to sional golfer or new to the sport, all abilities are play Cricket casually over the year, whether welcome to come along for a quiet round on one you've played before or not, come and see us at of London‘s many courses. Throughout the year the Freshers Fair. We'll be having regular there are events too look forward to, including (indoor) net sessions over the winter and then a the Varsity Bottle Match, where each year 4 or play a couple of matches over the summer term. more golfers are selected to play a team from the (CSM). This year If you want to play then get in touch with me or the introduction of a match against the RSM As- come and talk to us at the Freshers Fair. sociation hopes to be a heated event, and keep alive the social connec- tions between RSM mem- bers past and present. So if you‘re interested in taking up golf or are already a seasoned player come along to the RSM Sports stand during fresher‘s week and sign yourself up for RSM Golf. HOCKEY

Men’s

Hi Freshers! My name is Matt, and I'm the mens team hockey captain. If you want to play socially, or in one of the most competitive matches at university level, the fa- mous Bottle Match, then come along to training. We en- joy having a good laugh on and off the pitch, especially in the bar.

Look forward to seeing you at training.

Ladies’

Hockey is a great sport for the wonderful ladies of the RSM. We welcome people of all abilities; whether you‘ve never played before or played all your life we‘ve got a place for you. Each year we compete in the hotly contested bottle match and the ULU league against other university teams and after moving up a division last year are hoping to keep im- proving this year too. We have some of the best social events around as well as a regular trip to the union after training every week; it‘s a brilliant way to meet people from the de- partment (and a few from outside too!) So if you‘re looking for a way to have lots of fun, make new friends and keep mildly fit then we are the team for you! Hope to meet you

Mixed Hi, I'm Paddy, 2nd year Geology. I'll be the mixed hockey (men & ladies on same team) captain for the upcoming season. You should definitely come to training, even if you've never played before, because you'll have fun. See you soon then.

Squash

Welcome, one and all, to the resurrection of the RSM Squash Club! Once a sport greatly reviled and played only by the most heroic and athletic amongst the RSM, it has begun to pale away over the last few years. However 2010 is the year of resurgence, where squash will once again be thrust back into the forefront of RSM culture and where the RSM will steal back its crown and glory from the inbred cross- dressing CSM pretenders at the climax of the year, the one and only Bottle Match. HAROO! And so, if you feel you are brave enough to join me in this most noble of causes/enjoy the occasional casual game of squash, please feel free Henry Debens to contact me at [email protected] or find me at our RSM Squash Captain 10/11

Rugby

If you're an RSM fresher and you're interested in playing rugby at university you need look no further. The club is renowned in IC for its wild social life and hard hitting games. The season begins with weekly training sessions and several friendly fixtures which allow us all to admire the endless flair and talent that the RSM has to offer. As the season progresses however, the intensity is raised and the focus turned towards the biggest sporting match in IC - the Bottle Match. Held every spring this annual varsity match against the Cambourne School of Mines is world renowned and over a 105 years old making it the second oldest varsity match still being played. Unfortunately, last year the cheating Camborne scum somehow managed to come out on top and consequently the Bottle no longer sits in its correct position in the union bar. It is the duty of this club to re- turn the bottle from the incestual rabble of dogs that call themselves CSM Rugby. If you're interested in joining the club then either sign up at Fresher's Fair or just get in touch with Ed Vaughan or myself. See you at training Fraser James Netball

RSM Netball is a newly formed club, branching from Imperial College net- ball earlier this year. Netball is one of the sports played in the Bottle Match, and we easily won our game this year, by outmanoeuvring and outwitting our CSM oppo- nents. If you like netball at any level, or want to take up a new sport come along to our stall at the Freshers fair and sign up. Or if you see me around, come and say hi—I might even buy you a drink! Netball Captain Lucy Byrne (right) and Vice Claire McNulty Sports Officer

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Royal School of Mines! My name is Ben and I am a 3rd year Material Scientist, and I am the RSM Sports officer for this coming year. Sport is one of the RSM‘s proudest traditions, and we have long history of success (both on pitch and later in the bar!) I hope all of you will add to this in one way or another! The RSM sports teams compete in both leagues and cups throughout the year, and despite mixed success on the field of play, the social side of RSM sports is legendary throughout the university! However the highlight of the RSM sporting calendar is the Bottle Match. The Bottle Match is played every year against the Cambourne School of Mines, and is the oldest varsity match in the world beaten only by Oxford -Cambridge. This year the 109th Bottle Match will be played at imperial, and is a chance for all of our sports teams to humiliate the Cornish miners on the playing fields before drinking them under the table in the evening! The final match of the day is the actual bottle match itself, where the RSM and CSM rugby teams compete for the 3 foot tin Bottle that the game is named after. Last year, a combination of cheating and terrible refereeing meant that the CSM managed to win the all of the matches except for the netball, and took the Bottle for only the second time in the last 15 years. We are looking to you the freshers to help us bring the Bottle and all the other tro- phies back home to the RSM bar, so whether you are pushing for the National team, or just fancy a bit of social sport look out for the RSM sports stands at Freshers Fair! A year in the life

(at the RSM)

At 23, about a sixth of my life,

Has been spent in the RSM,

A fine old time and if the choice was mine,

I’d do it again and again.

I’ve learnt a lot about many a thing,

Be it rocks, or cooking or beer,

We’ve all grown up, my peers and I,

And I know that they’ll always be near.

Though minors we are, no mining we do,

But the traditions are today much the same,

We work hard, play hard and drink harder still,

Whatever the name of the game.

With dinners galore, and bar nights even more, The Clubs and Socs are not to be knocked, There is always something on, If you’re a sporty one for sure, Be warned, the memories are hazy though, They will take you to unthinkable heights, And you wouldn’t want to bring your Mom! Like a Bottle Match or four.

It’s known that geologists love a fieldtrip,

For its camaraderie,

But the real fun begins when we take to the winds,

On a tour with the DLB.

If it’s in the UK or as far out as Spain,

Where we’re trying to get lovely and tanned,

There is one thing on which you can rely,

The DLB will get banned!!

So there you have it what more can I say,

My stories are running out,

Let’s get down to the Final Finale,

And give our send off some clout!!