Tuesday 7th March 2006 Published by the USSU Communications Office. Issue number 1099 Free The University of Surrey Students’ Newspaper Pie Fighter Konsumer Revoltees And the winners were... spent their spare time By Neil Boulton eating pies Editor-in-Chief this week. Eating pork pies in the name of science? Another year, another round of Sabbatical Definately.| Page 7 Elections – The two weeks of fury (commonly known as ‘campaigning’) have finished, the decisions have been made and the votes counted. Chancellor’s was the glamorous location for the results announcement, the room was packed and the air was heavy and sweaty with tension. Then the results were announced and the twin feelings of joy and frustration swirled in Chancellor’s pink-painted interior. Leading us quickly to the part you started to The FM Schedule... read this article for - The winners: GU2 continues its month on the FM waves. See their President: Gregory ‘Greg’ Scott action-packed schedule VP Education & Welfare: inside| Page 17 Gabriella ‘Gabby’ Sholk VP Societies & Culture: Thayana ‘Thay’ De Paula Manakin, Gabby, Thay & Greg, all joyous with victory. VP Sports & Recreation: Nick ‘Manakin’ Short Then later on the 4 winners were then paraded before the part of the student body that decided to go to Rubix that night. Going Postal Their work doesn’t begin until July, when How far can you puch the hopefully they’ll put their manifestos into postal service? Barefacts action and improve student life for everyone. investigates | Page 6 ...continued on page 11... Their battle field, Our campus Comment |Have the NUS signed their own death 20% pay claim will hurt students, warrant by supporting the AUT? |Page 4 ...Fake News |More of say university employers the stuff that didn’t really By Marcin Stylski The 20% pay increase is being pursued by examination season. Their aim is to create happen. You’ll think News Editor The Association of University Teachers and needless disruption now, despite the fact that again before the next Natfhe say that with the introduction of the the next review of higher education staff time you steal a trolley!| The lecturers “unreasonably high” pay £3000 tuition fees means that universities are salaries isn’t due until August,” said a Ucea Page 21 claim will leave less money for student now able to restore salaries which have fallen statement, which pointed out that the other bursaries and student facilities, university behind for decades. They said the employers five higher education unions had not even Arts Section |Film, Music, employers said. The lecturer’s union and had failed to come up with a serious offer submitted their pay claim yet. Gig reviews... The art universities are both appealing to students and explained their case to students and Dr Geoffrey Copland, who chairs Ucea, section has it all. |Page and their parents for support, as the situation parents in a full-page advertisement in the said: “The academic unions’ real threat to 14 escalated on the verge of a pay strike. The Guardian this week. students is twofold. If their new pay claim Puzzles| Another unions have been accused by the Universities The unions were refusing to suspend is not agreed to by employers, students’ selection of mind- and Colleges Employers Association for industrial action while talks could talk learning and qualifications will be affected bogglers from barefacts refusing to negotiate and says that strike place said Ucea. “It is now clear that they by the unions’ actions. But meeting such very own PuzzleLord!| action will result to boycott exam marking designed this industrial action timetable from an unreasonably high claim would leave Page 23 and assessment would hurt students the outset so that it would start in March universities with much less to spend on unnecessarily. - the beginning of most universities’ main student bursaries and facilities.” May the farce be with you 2 NEWS 7 March 2006 Editorial Team Boris Johnson claims UniS Classical All these addresses are @surrey. ac.uk (unless otherwise graduates “not fit for Concert: What a mentioned). Editor-in-Chief workplace” marvellous evening Neil Boulton: ussu.comms@ By Marcin Stylski By Marcin Stylski & Kem K G Anyalezu News Editor Editor Saturday February 18th saw a very beautiful and wonderful perform- Chris Ward: cs21cw@ According to shadow education minister Boris Johnson, some ance by the University of Surrey Symphony Orchestra and Choir. The university graduates cannot even have “cannot even have a sustained event was held at the Guildford Cathedral. One of the exciting things Deputy Editor conversation.” The remark was made by the Henley MP ahead of Stu- about the concert was that two of the conductors are postgraduate Joshua Bates: cs52jb@ dent Volunteering Week 2006, which he launched earlier this week. students here while the other two conductors are staff members of the “Too many gradu- University. What an excellent balance and opportunity for the students Deputy Editor ates are simply not that took part. Similarly, among the choir are students from various Sophia Hawkins: li52sh@ ready for the work- degree disciplines, including music students. place, and it is ter- The music pieces performed on the night began with Handel’s News Editor rifying to discover Coronation Athem: Zadok the priest, conducted by R. McMillian. The Marcin Stylski: li12ms@ that some of them next was Bach’s, Cantata no.170: Vergnugte Ruh, conducted by C. cannot even have a Clausen, countertenor by R. Cross and Organ Obligato by A.Lo. Features Editor sustained conversa- The last piece before the interval was Handel’s Coronation Anthem: Lia Parker: ps41lp@ tion” he said on his The King shall rejoice, conducted by S.Forbes. After a short interval, website. The comments were made in response to the survey by the the Orchestra performed a wonderful piece by Ravel – Suite: Ma Arts Editor Association of Graduate Recruiters earlier this month which Mr John- mere l’oye, conducted by N. Conran; while the last performance was Beth Heale: [email protected] son claimed showed too many graduates lacked basic skills for work. Stravinsky’s Symphony of Palsms, which was conducted by S. Forbes Graham Allcott, director of the charity Student Volunteering England again. Arts Editor says that students who volunteer have “higher levels of teamwork, It was a very joyful and entertaining performance by the Orchestra Nicole Heel [email protected] leadership and time management.” He continued by saying “If the top and Choir. There was no doubt, all those that attended the concert firms really want better graduates, perhaps they should invest more would have thoroughly enjoyed. On that note, I say a big thanks to Fashion Editor in supporting student volunteering programmes. With the chancellor, UniS Symphony Orchestra and Choir, the department of Music and Natalie Dowle: ms42nd@ Gordon Brown, currently offering to match funding for those who do, the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral. I do hope a similar event will and Conservative leader David Cameron also keen on the idea, we’re be possible soon. I am sure all those classical concert lovers will now Fashion Editor excited that this issue is high on the public agenda.” be looking forward for another one. Jamila Gangadeen: ms41jg@ Webmaster & Students support timetable change for Muslim prayer Puzzlelord By Marcin Stylski this can lead to other problems. You have to choose between lectures Colin Everett: ma41ce@ News Editor and prayers and that is not fair.” Postgraduate The new proposals would mean that lessons would end one hour Editor Students at Newcastle university have supported calls for a change later on a Wednesday afternoon and in return get an extended in the timetable to allow Muslim students to pray. The students are lunchtime on a Friday. The Student’s Union communication officer, Anne Abeygunasekera supporting a proposal to reschedule classes to avoid a clash with Ally Robson said “The motion was passed after more than 200 Proof Reader Jumah prayer time. The university already allows students to attend students turned up to the meeting. We will now be having a meeting prayer sessions during lectures and tutorials but the Islamic society with the university to see what is possible.” A spokeswoman for the Toby Shannon are concerned its members are missing out on crucial lessons. university said: “The university does its best to accommodate the Adverts & the like The society persuaded the students’ union to back its motion at an individual needs of all our 18,000 students, and we operate a policy of Aaron Salins: a.salins@ emergency meeting yesterday. flexibility and tolerance with respect to this.” The motion called for “the right to education without discrimination They continued to say “Currently Muslim students make against religious needs.” They also called for a change in the arrangements with their tutors to make time for prayer, and they university’s timetable to allow students to be off between noon and have a place of worship on campus. We look forward to hearing Contributors 2pm on Fridays. Jumah, Friday congregational prayer is the most from the union society about the motion, and intend to give it our important Muslim prayer session of the week. President of the full consideration under the committees set up to deal with student The list should go here, but we university’s Islamic society, Raed Al-Ahamdi said “Nobody stops us issues.” haven’t had the time to compile from praying but it means we have to miss lectures and tutorials and it. Damnation. Do you have a complaint against this newspaper? barefacts is an editorially independant newspa- Contributions must be submitted per and is published by The University of Sur- by the Monday before publication If you have a complaint about any item in this newspaper which contains inaccuracy, rey Students’ Union Communications Office.