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Th e student newspaper of Imperial College London Issue 1,393 felix Friday 25 January 2008 felixonline.co.uk Inside Coffee Break Have your say returns Page 35 Write for Phoenix later this term! Page 19 Battle of the swanky phones Pages 26 & 27 Squeezing into rat holes Take the Union’s Higher Education funding survey today. Turn to pages 4 and 5 to help inform your decisions Page 34 2 felix Friday 25 January 2008 News News Editor – Andrew Somerville, News Goblin – Matty Hoban [email protected] Sabbatical nominations Five Science Challenge open on Monday questions revealed Sir Richard Sykes – Imperial The quest to find the next Union President, three Deputy College Rector Presidents and a new Felix Editor begins next week How would knowledge of my genetic makeup affect my lifestyle? Tom Roberts Th e student newspa Editor-in-Chief felix of Imperial College No. 1,376 • Friday • 9 March 2007 • Dr Philip Campbell – Nature This year’s Sabbatical elections timeta- felixonline.co.uk Editor-in-Chief ble was finalised at Union Council on Monday evening. Election results at last Should healthy people take Imperial students who fancy them- drugs to enhance their cognitive selves as the next Union President, arce, free sweets and late results; this year’s elections are finally over, and here are your new sabbaticals abilities? one of three Deputy Presidents or as the Felix Editor will be able to put Andy Sykes Editor-in-chief Mr Sinclair, Mr Roberts was elect- themselves forward for nomination on ed with 625 votes, having picked tions that an event that too Sir Brian Hoskins – Director of Results were finally announced for up more second preference votes while he was President los Monday 28th January. There are also the Presidential election on Thurs- than Miss Lines (who received 576 than £25,000 (despite protes day lunchtime, completing an elec- votes). that it was not his fault), str the Imperial College Grantham tion period that has been character- Deputy President (Clubs & Socie- into last place with 140 vote two positions available on the recently ties) was contested by a ‘clubs vet- Slate candidate, Andrew H ised by Felix’s favourite five letter Institute for Climate Change word: farce. eran’, Alistair Cott, and a member picked up only 166 votes, whil formed Trustee Board and eight NUS The next Union President will be of the Slate, Alexander Balikhin. Crossword Editor Hugh Man the well-known anti-NUS figure- The experienced Mr Cott won got 239 votes. The winner was with 687 votes compared to Mr Ba- Larvin, previously RSM Trea Annual Conference delegate positions head at IC and Felix Comment Editor, Stephen Brown, who beat likhan’s 300, despite Mr Cott’s lack who was elected with 573 vote To what extent is the current Deputy President of campaigning. Deputy President (Educat up for grabs. (Finance & Services), Jon Mat- Four candidates stood for Deputy Welfare) was a somewhat pr geoengineering the solution to thews, to take the position. Mr President (Finance & Services), in- able contest, with the heavily Any Imperial student can stand in the Brown received 705 votes (af- cluding a Slate member, an ex-Wye paigning and all-round hac ter the transfer of preference President, and a relative outsider. Kirsty Patterson being el the climate change problem? votes for the other candidates), Anthony Calder, dogged by accusa- with 718 votes, compared to A Narayanan’s 319 votes. elections. All they need to do is log on while Mr Matthews received 595 votes. Mr Brown and to the Union’s website at www.imperi- Mr Matthews both re- ceived several hun- alcollegeunion.org/vote and put them- dred more votes than the ‘outsider’ Dr Paul Snaith – Vice President candidates; Diogo selves forward. Nominees then require Geraldes (he who Shell Global Solutions held a sign up over 20 “seconders”, in other words, 20 other Mr Matthews head at hustings reading “WTF?”) lead the los- Imperial students or friends who must er’s field, picking up 179 Satisfying the world’s spiralling votes, presumably from people log on to the website and recommend with a sense of humour. Sophie Spillard, one of only two female energy demands whilst reducing candidates standing for a sabb you as a worthy candidate. position, collected 143 votes, greenhouse gas emissions DPCS-elect, Alistair Cott while the “not-really-from-South- DPFS-elect, Chris Larvin The nominations period lasts for two well Slate” candidate Julian Gian- nuzzi picked up only 98 votes. presents today’s scientists with The position of weeks so students have plenty of time Felix Editor was contested by two Felix a seemingly impossible task. Tom Roberts and Emily Lines,veterans, and to decide whether they want to stand a new face, Ben Sinclair. Mr Sin- Discuss. clair, who had his name changed on or not. In next week’s issue, Felix will the ballot to ‘Felix’ as this is appar- ently his nickname, picked up 367 votes, only 100 votes less than be interviewing and grilling the cur- Miss Lines and Mr Roberts re- Professor Lord Robert Winston ceived. In the first round of rent Sabbatical Officers about their voting, the two well-known – Legend Felix names were sepa- experiences so far, hopefully to give t Union President Steve McQuee B rated by only 19 votes. H the rest of the student body an idea of Last year’s winners and this year’s Sabbatical Officers Ever since early humans what it is like to be in such a position of invented the handaxe, responsibility. technology has increased the Students who successfully manage to the Union and justify why they are up dates meeting where the results will be potential to destroy mankind. cajole 20 people into seconding them to the task of taking over their respec- announced. However, judging by pre- Are we sowing the seeds of our will subsequently embark on a month- tive mantles. The second half of each vious Sabbatical elections which have own destruction? long election campaign. Nominees Hustings involves questions from the spiralled into theatrical farce due to will have to come up with an election floor. complaints of foul play between com- On Tuesday evening, over 150 students filled Mech Eng room manifesto by Friday 15th February, Eventually voting opens on Friday petitors, this date is liable to shift into 220 in anticipation of launch of the RCSU Science Challenge. The which will be published on the Union’s 22nd February and lasts until Tues- March. five questions were unveiled covering biology, climate change, website, in Felix and on Live! (live.cgcu. day 26th February. During this time, genetics and advancements in technology, each with a smattering net). nominees will be out and about around If you want to stand, put yourself of philosophy. Over 120 schools watched the event live over the During February there will also be campus canvassing students for their up for nomination by visiting internet. The first prize for IC students is £2,500. Entrants must two Hustings, where nominees will votes. www.imperialcollegeunion.org/ write an 800-word essay answering one or more of the questions have to give short speeches about what Nominees should pencil in the Tues- vote from Monday onwards. above. For more info, visit: www.rcsu.org.uk/sciencechallenge changes (if any) they intend to bring to day 27th February as the Final Candi- Good luck to all participants Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London felix 1,393 SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, 17 Brest Road, Derriford, Plymouth. Registered newspaper Friday 25/01/08 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 Editors Andrew Somerville Li-Teck Lau Technology Editor Kadhim Shubber James Finnerty News Editor OF TEH WEEK Matty Hoban Arts Editors Travel Editors Rosie Grayburn Nadine Richards Layout Editors Caz Knight Ahranyan Arnold Jemil Salami David Paw Sally Longstaff Emily Wilson Fashion Editor Sarah Skeete Copy Editors Coffee Break Editor Louise Etheridge The Pornographer Sports Editor Tom Culley Jovan Nedić Anthony Maina Nightlife Editor Gilead Amit Greg Mead Photography Sally Longstaff Science Editor Film Editor Vitali Lazurenko Ed Henley Alex Casey Thanks to Alex McDroplet Friday 25 January 2008 felix 3 [email protected] News Ethos’ swim and gym to remain free Two years after opening, Felix went along to Ethos sports centre to say “Happy Birthday”, to see how things have been going and to investigate whether students will have to pay for the pool and gym in the future Andrew Turley This Wednesday, Ethos will celebrate its 2nd birthday, having seen over the past 12 months more students, more activities and more revenue, than LONGSTAFF SALLY LONGSTAFF SALLY before. New initiatives planned for the com- ing year focus on strengthening links with the university’s sports teams, en- couraging new sports into the centre and getting out onto campus to talk to students about sport and health. The centre has also confirmed that, at present, there are no plans to alter any of the current student benefits, such as free pool and gym. At present, Ethos compares favoura- bly with sports facilities at the capital’s other large HE institutions. The Kinet- ic gym at the King’s College Waterloo campus, for example, charges students £199 for a 12 month pass. Similarly, a swim in the pool at Energybase, the University of London’s sports com- plex, requires day membership, cost- ing £4.50.