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Founded in 1949 The Newspaper of Imperial College Union Lecture Success Audience falls asleep! Members of the recently re-formed H.G. Wells Society sat agog last Monday night to witness a startling demonstration of hypnosis. Martin S Taylor, an IC postgraduate and a Member of the Magic Circle gave an impromptu talk and demonstration at only a few hours' notice after Prof Eric Laithwaite reported sick with flu. After a brief introductory talk. Martin quickly hypnotised The first rag stunt, iiddlywinks down Oxford Street, was a storming Iburteen volunteers together with a member of the audience who success (see CCU articles for totals). After the traditional Ring O'Roses went into a trance in his seat. around Eros, everybody adjourned to the Cockney Pride for a well Martin then went on to induce a number of remarkable deserved drink. (Photo: Steve Groves) physical effects in his subjects: catalepsy, in which subjects were unable to bend their arms until released by the hypnotist, analgesia, in which the skin within a septate drawn on the subject's hand became so numb that he could not feel a pin prick, Dr Owen selective deafness, in which subjects could hear nothing until thev felt the hypnotist touch their hands, artel amnesia, in which subjects could not remember what had happened to them. Labours On Also there was some very entertaining effects: most ol them were Dr David Owen, founder member of the Social Democratic suggested by the audience: subjects were told they were orches- Party, delivered an address to a packed audience on Tuesday in tral musicians and preceeded to play imaginary instruments with the Great Hall. great gusto. One subject became an orator and gave a particu- Emphasising the need to be aware of a distinction between larly moving speech consisting only ol the fust four letters of the market and public sector economies, he claimed that the private alphabet. Some were told that thev would lind an ordinary piece sector has not flourished due to indiscriminately applied rules of prose enormously funny and they split their sides laughing at a and regulations and that the amalgamation of public and description of Wellsoe (alright, maybe that is nol so odd after private has lead to the "worst oft wo worlds". Dr Owen criticised all...). They sheltered from an imaginary shower of rain and a nationalised industries, pointing out that they did not relate to biting cold spell. When told it was unbearably hot—no, they did market trends and should be fragmented to achieve better not take their clothes oil, but thev looked distinctly ready to. running and productivity. He said that one of the aims of the The highlight of the evening came when one subject was told that Social Democrats was to achieve decentralisation, giving the when he looked through a pair ol spectacles made Biggies-style health service as an example. Irom his lingers and thumbs he would he able to sec through On the role of his party, he said that there is no single course everyones' clothes. His expression and length ol time he spent ol action in overcoming the country's problems, but that a series using his new magic spectacles was simply hilarious. Hre was told ol "marginal" adjustments "has to be made". that t he effect would last alter he came out of t he t ranee and sure Challenged by a member of the audience who said that the enough he was still gazing through his lingers w hen the audience SDPs have no leader, Dr Owen defended his position by saying left at the end of the lecture. He even passed them lo a friend lo that too much importance was attached to having a leader and' that people were misguided in "apeing the presidential system". Dr Owen also spoke in favour of reduced taxation, arms Erratum control and disarmament. He stressed the need for an improved health service for which people will have to pay. With regard to Anybody wishing to use the Royal College of Art refectory education, the SDP vv ill allow independent schools to continue should note that visitors are only welcome after 1pm and 6pm but without financial support from the government. and not before these times as wrongly stated in the ICU "We aim to make interventions which are well-judged, well- Handbook. thought-out— to last," said Dr Owen. No. 592 Friday, October 16,1981 Free! Sir adequate or do they have During the lirsHew days of In my perambulations some other good excuse for term we were subjected to round the College last week I the deplorable standard of the massive amounts of ad vert ising observed a large number of beer? by the Conservative Society. I posters produced by the Fed- Keg beer, as I understand would like the opportunity to eration of Conservative Stu- it. is designed to give a beerol respond in a cjuieter and more dents (FCS) and put up by our great consistency (even though aimA it may be too Fizzy and of poor r serious manner, without very own local branch of that resorting to slogans or insults. organisation the IC Conserva- taste to many). The JCR sur- Letters J The majority of socialists tive Society. Some of the passes itself in the consistency are not power.-crazed posters took quotations from of its keg beers—consistently to the IM dictators in the making. They leaders to the Social Demo- bad. are in fact motivated more by cratic and the Labour parties Please, can something be Editor concern for people less fortu- completely out of the context done. Can the College either nate than themselves, and for in which they were orginally employ bar stall who under- t he c nvironment which made and presented them in a stand the business they are belongs to all people equally. manner which was misleading being employed in or can the breweries be asked to explain 11 <^^^s. They are concerned less to say the least. In the case of with being powerful and the 'Social Democratic' poster to them how to keep beer? wealthy than with trying to it was not immediately appar- And finally (Esther), to all achieve a fairer distribution of ent on a lirst glance at the freshers who like a good /)«tr ,S'/V wealth. If this were not the poster that it was a FCS pint—forget the College bars, Congratulations on your case, then they would indeed poster; such a poster therefore contact me and I will be new post as Editor of our be better advised to support comes into the odious category pleased to tell them where esteemed journal, which the Conservative Party. of black propaganda. The there are pubs selling good seems to be of its usual Socialism has not yet been very fact that the Conservative beer nearby. (impeccable) standard. I was achieved; we neither support party is prepared to use such ) ours hopefully a little disappointed with the nor wish to emulate the tactics is an admission of weak- M G Robinson letters page however, what is Russian system of Commu- ness. They have no arguments the use of all this boring, nism. But Russia is the lirst by which they can defend Sir verbose and generally un- example Conservatives quote what they laughingly call poli- This College is very preoc- readable rubbish.' The letter that Socialism doesn't work; cies; they have to attack others cupied with safety, as it of Mr Smith is the obvious well neither is Capitalism in order to justify to them- should be. but the organisers example; it seems to be 2'/, working, as the world recession selves their very existence—a of the Freshers' Fair appear to columns too long. Mr Goulder and this present Government piece of dialectic if ever there have neglected any considera- is ec|ually boring, but at least have shown. Industries are was. tion of safety by placing both he has an amusing grandi- closing down, unemployment The posters which were pro- thejudo Club and the Fencing loquent style. is going up, inflation is still duced cost money. Something Club in the Gym. This in Personally I prefer the trite above 10%, public services—I that the Government has itself would have been rela- bickering of the BSH 44 hit would even say some basic been assuring us for the past tively, though not completely, squad (now the BSH re-ap hit human rights like education — two and a half years is in very safe but by taking up one squads). At least they show are being cut. Ordinary short supply. It would thus quarter of the available floor evidence ot, a sense of humour, people's standards of living seem that the Government is space with chairs from another even if it is of the type are falling; income tax cuts prepared to cut education so part of the building made the anthropologists usually con- really benefit only those who that it is now a privilege and gym a very dangerous place .nect with Homo Neanclei- pay high taxes, and anyone not a right, but pay for expen- lor both spectators and thalis. who pays high taxes has sive posters in order to try and demonstrators. I hope you get some good enough money already. discredit their opponents. When the recpiest for the (short) letters soon. II you're concerned for } ours sincerely use of the gym during the 3 ours sincerely other people first, and for Frank James Freshers' Fair was submitted J. Hollier. securing yourself a bright it was specifically requested Zoo 3 future second, please come to Sir that the whole of the floor PS: Whatever happened to IC Socialist Society meetings Returning to College alter space be available to the Judo Captain Lindley jokes, it has on Thursday evenings at ths summer vacation brings Club.

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