Start the year making the right film choices - Felix’s films of the year pages 6&7 Disc Doctors get a bird’s eye view of London Naked Centrefold Jamie Oliver’s New Travel Section: Kuwait Fifteen Page 14 page 8 FREE No 1339 Thursday 12 JANUARY 2006 The student newspaper of Imperial College felixonline.co.uk felix Sports centre delayed New year’s resolution to get fit? Think again! missioning systems”. ally planned. However, the squash Rupert Neate Students and staff were only given courts have suffered more serious Editor three days notice of the postpone- problems and are not expected to ment in a college-wide email sent on open until mid-February. Friday 6 January. It seems bizarre A quick tour of the facility reveals The opening of Imperial’s new that students weren’t given more a considerable amount of work still Ethos sports centre has been hit by than one working day’s notice if needing to be completed. It’s hard to further delays. The centre, which there are three weeks worth of imagine how the centre could ever will be largely free for all students building work to be completed. have opened early this week. Even and staff, was originally scheduled Sameena Misbahuddin, Union the pavement outside has yet to be to open in October 2005. Last spring, President, described the delay as laid. Steve Howe, Assistant Director the Rector himself assured students “annoying, especially for students of Estates, said “the pavement is and staff that the new centre would who’ve cancelled their gym member- not essential for opening, and is the open on time and would not be sub- ships ready for the opening... With responsibility of Westminster coun- ject to the building delays that have half the year already gone before cil, who promised to complete the plagued other College projects. it opens, College should extend the work before Christmas”. However, over the summer free gym and swim trial at the very When it finally opens, Ethos will the opening was postponed until least, better still – keep it free on a be the only University sports centre Monday 9 January. Felix was told permanent basis. It is going to be in the country to offer free workout the Rector’s estimate had been an excellent facility, when it finally and swimming to students. The “too overambitious”. Students were opens.” £17.5m centre is part of Imperial’s again assured that there would be Disgruntled student, George drive to reverse its reputation as no further set-backs and gym and Stephenson, told Felix “that at a “not a university you want to go to swimming pool would be available prestigious university like Imperial, if you’re sporting”. The four-storey at the start of this term. I expect honesty not lies and excus- centre houses a 25-metre swimming Nevertheless, the opening has es”. Jackman told Felix that the pool, fitness gym, squash courts, been put back an additional three “severity of the problems was not spa, sauna, sports hall, climbing weeks until 30 January. Paddy apparent until a walkaround inspec- wall and a Costa Coffee shop. Jackman, Head of Commercial tion last Friday.” The centre will Services told Felix that the delays now fully open on 30 January, rath- were the result of “problems in com- er than in several stages as orgin- Leader, page 19 IC Lacks British minorities are. Jane Gibbs, our (Imperial’s) the HESA state that Imperial has Chris Miles & Rupert Neate Widening Participation Officer, has only 15 Black Caribbean students said in some instances the white (including British students of Black The number of British minorities working class male is in the minor- Caribbean descent). studying at Imperial has been called ity,” said Thody. Amongst the 19 Russell Group uni- into question by Melanie Thody, The Guardian recently disclosed versities, nine have less than 30 Afro- Head of the College’s Student figures from the Higher Education Caribbean background. In contrast, Recruitment Office. Thody stat- Statistics Agency (HESA) which the London Metropolitan University ed that there is a “lack of British it stated “reveal a deeply worry- has more black Caribbean students minorities studying at Imperial”, ing racial divide amongst British than the entire Russell Group. and told Felix that white middle universities”. The report singled In an accompanying Guardian class students are over-dominate at out Imperial as having very few article, Trevor Phillips, Chairman of Imperial. students of Afro-Caribbean origin. the Commission for Racial Equality “Imperial select on ability. In Imperial has one of the highest pro- Continued, page 3 some faculties there are concerns portions of ethnic minorities (most- Despite repeated assurances, the opening of the Ethos sports centre about how few white students there ly international students), however Leader, page 19 has been delayed by another three weeks felix 2 www.felixonline.co.uk Thursday 12 January 2006 NEWS [email protected] felix 1,339 Science Museum library saved Islamic Awareness Thursday 12.01.06 Fortnight Kamran Saleem Pushca: Making plans for Alice Imperial Islamic Society’s ‘Islam New Year’s Eve comes every Awareness Fortnight’ (IAF) begins year and sometimes it’s rubbish. on Monday 16 January. The Islamic This year I was determined to Society believe that through aware- have a good time... ness and understanding they can Page 22 u create better relations, develop tol- erance, respect and harmony in our society as well as promote better cross-cultural understandings on the Imperial campus. During the coming two weeks, the Islamic Society will host a series of Revelations, public and seminars with opportunities for you private: Diane Arbus to bring questions and have them causes a stir at the V&A answered. “These are singluar people who The Science Museum’s important collections are now safe at Imperial It will kick off with an exhibition appear metaphors somewhere fur- and a grand, festive bazaar pre- ther out than we do” Alexander Antonov op a large part of the existing library senting art, food and culture from Page 11 u Science Editor building to provide upgraded stu- various Muslim countries across the dent study facilities with improved world. Where else can you pick up access to digital library materials. ‘samosa’ and ‘falafel’ for lunch at This Week Imperial and the Science Museum There will also be a separate room Imperial for free!? News 1-3 Naked Centrefold 12&13 have resolved a long-running dis- within the Science Museum where Next, there will be a talk on ‘What pute over the Science Museum’s researchers can consult special- does it mean to be Muslim?’ and Science 4&5 Travel 14&15 collection in the central library. ist Science Museum archives and ‘What is Islam?’ Hot topics with the Film 6&7 Comment 18 The future of the museum’s col- library material. The three locations Muslim perspectives are to follow Food 8 Leader & Letters 19 lection had been uncertain since it will be electronically connected to in our talks on the medical ethics of Fashion 9 TV 20 transpired that College had raised ensure efficient management. cloning and the equality of men and Nightlife 10 Agony Aunt 21 the rent payable by the museum to Implementation of the proposal women in Islam, which many of you Arts 11 Sport 22-24 affordable levels (Felix 1317). begins this month and is likely to have requested as a topic of discus- Under the terms of a new agree- take around two years to complete. sion. Is it really the case that women ment, announced on 16 December, The process will include refurbish- in the Muslim world are oppressed? the Science Museum Library’s most ment of the library at Imperial, How are women viewed in Islam? Sudoku No 1,339 important and frequently used items increasing study space for students To all you scientists out there will remain within Imperial’s Central and using digital and wireless tech- (practically all of you!), they will Complete the Library in South Kensington. The nology to improve the learning be addressing whether science sup- grid so that 5 9 less frequently used items, including environment. Parts of the Science ports the existence of God. Does every row, every some periodicals held jointly with Museum’s Wroughton site will also science provide any evidence? column and 6 2 3 Imperial, will move to a newly creat- be refurbished to meet its new role. Last but certainly not least, the every 3x3 square ed library repository at the Science The agreement is supported by the week will close with a discussion on contains the dig- Museum’s site in Wroughton, near Rector, the Chairman of the Science ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’, and a its 1 to 9. Email 2 4 8 9 Swindon, Wiltshire. The materials Museum and by the Department general discussion on the social cul- your solution to stored there will be made available for Culture, Media and Sport, the tures that we find here in Britain. sudoku.felix 9 6 to users in the Central Library with- Science Museum’s major funding Seminars will be held in the @imperial.ac.uk in 24 hours using a “modern docu- body. Sir Alexander Fleming building, by Friday 4pm 1 ment delivery system”. See the Union President’s column Lecture Theatre 2 at 5:15pm. Also, when we will Imperial College plans to redevel- on page 16 for further details. please come and explore the exhibi- randomly select tions on Mondays and Wednesdays a winner to 7 1 between 12 and 2pm on the walkway.