Five star Bouncing around In good company Taking aim The Chemical Drum and bass at the Union with Dennis Quaid excels in his new The Rifle and Pistol Club hit Brothers, page 15 Brian Gee, page 16 movie, page 18 the road, page 22 The student newspaper of Imperial College ● Established 1949 ● Issue 1317 ● Thursday 24 February 2005 ● www.felixonline.co.uk Election results Next year’s Imperial College Union President, Deputy Smoke free Masterful Medicals Presidents and Felix Editor were elected last week by a record number of students. Over 22% of the student body voted. bar on trial uNEWS page 2 By Dave Edwards Felix spoke to students in Confidence vote Editor Da Vinci’s earlier this week, The President of Imperial and opinion was divided over College Union faces a motion Smoking will be banned in the issue. of no confidence at an emer- Da Vinci’s Bar for a three Timothy Brinded, in his first gency Council meeting tomor- month trial period beginning year of an electronic engi- row evening. The motion on Tuesday 1 March, Imperial neering course, said: “It’s alleges that he is “guilty of College Union announced this probably a good idea to keep gross misconduct”. week. some sections smoke-free... uNEWS page 2 The bar, on the South when this place gets really Kensington campus, will be packed, it’s quite smoky, and Attack on Felix smoke-free all day every day some people don’t like it.” A Christian evangelist web- during the trial period, and Another first year student, site has launched a scathing the ban will be enforced by a smoker studying chemical attack on a science article staff. engineering, had a different published in Felix. The web- The idea was proposed and point of view. She told Felix: site has also accused The passed at the Trading and “I think they shouldn’t ban Washington Post and CBS Retail Committee, following it. A lot of people smoke in News of “journalistic un- suggestions from students via here, dBs isn’t as nice, and integrity”. The Utheni oUnion’sn has strategicfour b reviewars t o ctheho Unionose fBarrom isn’t: as wel- uSCIENCE pagedB 4s Cprocesslub, T hande U‘Yoursay’nion B afeed-r, Dacoming.”Vinciʼs Cafe Bar, back forms. A government White Paper I built Southsidethe Wye Bar and the CharingonC publicross health,Bar. published in “So, at long last, Southside is November last year, outlined coming down. After all this plans to outlaw smoking in all time it has outlived its useful pubs serving prepared food purpose and has to go. Good by the end of 2008. Smoking riddance say most of you – will be banned in workplac- perhaps a few are nostalgic, es and most enclosed public but for me its demise has a areas, but will still be permit- special meaning as I actually ted in pubs which limit their helped build it.” food sales to snacks such as uCOMMENT pageBi g7 scDaree Vinci’sn tv, wBar,ee kwherely tr ismok-via quizpeanuts, com eanddy, ccrisps.lub Private ing will soon be banned members clubs will also be Sport & society nights, inexpensive bexemptar pric fromes a thend ban. Our bumper sport sectionsoft driSameenanks, plu Misbahuddin,s a safe an thed f un pDrla cJohne to Reid,mee tthe Health includes in-depth Varsity ycov-our fUnion’sriends . DeputyWedne sPresidentdays an d FSecretary,ridays ʻ tsaid:il la te“People. do erage plus other reports and (Finance and Services), told not have the right to dam- results. Felix: “The trial will be used to age the health of others... We uSPORT page 21 make a decision as to whether will ensure that people will there should be a permanent be able to go to their work- non-smoking outlet. We need place, or choose to go out for to get student feedback and a meal or a drink, without the THIS WEEK assess the social and finan- damage, inconvenience or News page 2 cial impact of the ban.” pollution from second-hand Science page 4 A senior member of Union smoke.” Comment page 6 staff voiced opposition to the Simon Clark, of smok- Columns page 8 Souproposals:th “IC knowhari nofg noX other Wers’ye group Forest, said: “We Clubs and Societies Kensinuniversitygton that has tried this vehemently oppose what has page 11 and met with a positive out- become a systematic attempt come. There has been very to demonise smokers.” What’s On page 13 little discussion or investiga- The national chain JD Music page 14 tion into this whole subject.” Wetherspoon recently Nightlife page 16 Ms Misbahuddin said: announced plans to ban Arts page 17 “Other unions have tried sim- smoking in its London pubs Film page 18 ilar things – some working from May this year and Coffee Break page 20 and some not – but we can nationwide from May 2006, Imperial Medicals captain Peter Russell lifts the JPR Williams Cup after his team beat only give it a go and see how ahead of government regula- Imperial College by 20 points to 8 in the 2005 rugby Varsity match. Reports, results and Sport page 21 it works in practice.” tions. photos from the expanded Varsity day: pages 24-28 Felix 2 www.felixonline.co.uk Thursday 24 February 2005 NEWS [email protected] Issue 1317 Wye students want answers Editor Dave Edwards College management will finally address Wye students on the changes affecting Business Editor Numaan Chaudhry their campus, but this may not be enough to satisfy a disgruntled majority Science Editor By Nichola Hawkins fast, on issues including mini- Darius Nikbin Wye correspondent bus provision, club funding, Music Editor the Union’s dissociation from Andrew Sykes This Monday, the Deputy the Wye Beagles club and the Rector of Imperial College, losses made by Imperial’s Nightlife Editor Professor Sir Leszek summer balls when Wye’s Simon Clark Borysiewicz, will travel to own ball is expected to break Wye to speak to students. even. But the main issue of Arts Editor The event, arranged at the evening was, inevitably, Paola Smith the request of Wye College the restructuring and the Union Society President future of the campus as a Books Editor Dawinderpal Sahota when centre of learning at Imperial Martin Smith the Deputy Rector met with College. Film Editor him in January, will be the When security came to lock Alan Ng first chance Wye students up the building at midnight, have had to hear from those many questions remained Felix involved in determining the unanswered and students Beit Quad future of their College. pointed out that some of their Prince Consort Road The Deputy Rector has colleagues who had not been London SW7 2BB been tasked with the restruc- so interested in the hustings Telephone: 020 7594 8072 turing of the Faculty of Life might also like to hear about Email: [email protected] Sciences, a process set to the future of Wye. As a result, Web: www.felixonline.co.uk result in the closure of all Union President Mustafa Arif but one of the undergradu- has also arranged to visit Wye Registered newspaper ate courses (BSc Applied on Monday, and he will be tak- ISSN 1040-0711 Business Management) at ing questions. Wye. The Wye College Union Copyright © Felix 2005 The lack of information Society will be holding their Printed by Sharman and given to students so far has own question and answer ses- Company, Peterborough caused resentment amongst sion this evening (Thursday). the Wye population, as have Whilst Wye students will the proposals themselves, as hopefully welcome this late An angry Wye student questions Imperial College Union officers about the future of his demonstrated by responses gesture towards communica- campus at the recent election hustings. Wye students will be keen to discover more about to the Union’s recent online tion, many are disappointed the College’s plans for the campus when the Deputy Rector visits next week survey. that the Deputy Rector does This resentment was par- not intend to take students’ at each campus over the aca- was due to information being cantly less forthcoming. ticularly apparent during the questions. Furthermore, the demic year. ‘leaked’ by staff unions. The Department of recent sabbatical election Rector’s face-to-face event at The proposed closure of The Department of Environmental Science and hustings at the Wye campus, the Wye campus, which last most courses at Wye was Agricultural Sciences subse- Technology and the Division at which students seemed less year took place during the announced in August. Some quently issued a statement of Biomedical Sciences will concerned about quizzing the Easter holidays, has yet to students first heard about the guaranteeing that all cur- also be significantly affected candidates than about asking be announced for this 2004- plans through the national rent students would be able by the restructuring process, some questions of the current 5 in spite of the College’s press while they were at home to complete their degrees at but with less drastic changes president and his deputies. Spectrum intranet saying over the summer, although Wye, but longer term infor- for biology and biochemistry Questions came thick and that an event will take place the College has said that this mation has so far been signifi- students. Election results Union President may announced face dismissal By Dave Edwards and Societies) by 816 votes to By Dave Edwards Mr Arif said: “I’m happy to Editor 672 for James Thatcher after receive and respond to criti- votes for a new election had Mustafa Arif, President of cism done in the right way.