Exams Cancelled Amid Travel Chaos
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Fashionp16 -17 Featuresp18-19 Profilep7 Brng out the Photography competton Meet wnnng shades and slap the best student snappers n CUBC Presdent on the sunscreen Cambrdge Deaglan summer’s on ts McEachern way FRIDAY APRIL 23RD 2010 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NESPAPER SINCE 1947 ISSUE NO 717 | VARSITY.CO.UK JET PHOTOGRAPHIC Oxbridge state Exams school pupil intake on the cancelled amid rise travel chaos NICOA ATTT Figures published last week by the Higher Education Statistics Agency have shown an increase in the MML orals and mocks postponed after number of state school pupils getting students and examners left stranded into Oxford and Cambridge. In 2008-9, 54.7% of new pupils at a student of French and Italian at St Oxford and 59.3% of those at Cam- ATI OT John’s College, said: “I was stressing bridge came from state schools out about having an exam before the compared to 53.4% and 57% of the The start of the Easter term has been start of term and so I was absolutely previous year’s intake. disrupted for many students and aca- elated when I heard that it had been But despite the increase, both uni- demics due to the fl ight chaos caused postponed.” versities fell short of their target. For by the volcano eruption in Iceland. Other University-wide exams that 2008-09 this was just under 70%. Exams that were scheduled were scheduled for this week include Oxbridge were not the only uni- for this week were forced to be papers for Engineering part II, a versities to fall short of their target. cancelled as many lecturers and paper for part III Physics, prelimi- Other universities included Bris- students were unable to fl y back to nary exams for History part I, and tol, Durham, Exeter and Oxford the UK from their homes or holiday the exam for Master of Finance. Brookes. destinations. Students at St Catharine’s College The only Russell Group universi- All fi rst-year and some second-year received an email from their Senior ties to exceed their targets were MML students received an email last Tutor, reassuring those worried that Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liv- Friday from their faculty informing the fl ight problems would not harm erpool, Southampton and Queen’s them that their oral exams, which their academic performance this University, Belfast. were to take place this Monday and term. A spokeswoman for University of Tuesday, had been postponed to a Students were told: “Please do Cambridge told the BBC: “The Uni- later date. NOT worry about missing examina- versity welcomes the way in which The exams take the form of a short tions, presentation deadlines or any this year’s performance indicators 15-minute discussion of an article in other scheduled academic commit- refl ect its efforts on widening partici- the foreign language studied. Some ment,” and, “you will not be penalized pation, with state sector admissions exams, such as Spanish orals, have for delays outside your control.” reaching a high point of 59.3%, up been rescheduled for two weeks time St Edmund’s College students sim- more than two percentage points on in mid-May. ilarly received a message from their the previous year’s fi gure.” Shannon Rainey, a fi rst-year MML Senior Tutor, reassuring them not to “Cambridge makes great efforts student at Christ’s College from Bel- worry as alternative arrangements to ensure that bright students from fast, had been unable to return to were being made. all backgrounds are admitted to the Cambridge. She said that it was a In addition to University-wide University,” she said, and Cambridge “relief” that the orals had been can- exams, many students were also is “committed to maintaining those celled as she would not have been scheduled to write mock exams Grand old Duke marches up hll efforts in the future”. able to make them. within their Colleges, which had to be tudents and staff at Fitzwilliam College were treated to a visit from “I had a fl ight booked for last Satur- rescheduled on a case-by-case basis. Sthe Chancellor of the University, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, on > day but it was cancelled, so I booked The eruption of the volcano Monday as part of the offi cial opening ceremony for the New Library & Essayp11 6 another for Tuesday but that one was Eyjafjallajökull in Southern Ice- IT Centre. The building, which cost £5 million, was designed by Edward 1 cancelled too. The ferries are full and land has caused widespread chaos Mark Cullinan Architects. The library is expected to house 60,000 volumes, 2 0 it looks like I won’t be back until this in Europe, notably the cancellation McCrum 0 as well as spacious study space featuring stunning views of the College 4 weekend at the earliest. I emailed my of all UK fl ights, which were only 4 grounds. After a short ceremony, HRH went on a tour of the College The 4 tutor and they were really nice about fully resumed on Tuesday evening. and admired the new building. HRH has taken an active interest in the 8 5 it, luckily.” It was estimated that a million nustces of 7 development of the College: he was also present at the opening of the 1 Some students, however, have people were left stranded abroad in 7 Fitzwilliam Auditorium in 2002, as well as the College’s recent 125th ghost-wrtng 7 been very pleased about the post- the biggest disruption to air traffi c 9 anniversary. ELLEN DAVISWALKER poning of the exams. Alice Kitcatt, since 9/11. 2 Friday April 23rd 2010 News Team Ma hew Symngton, Helen Mackreath and Osama Sddqu NES wwwvarstycouk news@varstycouk Jesus College to auction Union pole dancing Protesters disrupt off hand-crafted College lessons attract national international conference On varstycouk ths week oars used in the 1930s attention at King’s Jesus College has decided to auction The Cambridge Union’s decision Protesters attempted to disrupt COENT off fi ve hand-crafted wooden oars to offer pole dancing lessons has International Monetary Fund Read Laura Freeman’s reflectons on two mcro- that were used in College races in the attracted national media attention, (IMF) Managing Director Domin- memorals to troops who have ded n the Mddle 1930s. The oars, which are painted with renowned comedian and actor ique Strauss-Kahn’s talk at King’s East, and keep up wth the local electon n Cambrdge and inscribed with the names of David Mitchell being the latest to College this month. The talk was wth Jame Pollock College rowers, were made around criticize it. Writing in the Guardian the keynote address for the Insti- 1938. They will go up for auction on last Sunday, Mitchell labelled the tute for New Economic Thinking’s April 27th at Christie’s Interiors sale decision as “plain daft”, arguing that inaugural conference. The three-day in South Kensington. Items on the if the lessons are not intended to be conference, titled “The Economic ENTERTAINMENT auction lot include a George II Coffee sexual, as the Union claims, “Why Crisis and the Crisis in Economics”, Take a muscal trp to the 1960s wth Tom Rollns, Pot, an early-Victorian gavel, and is it only for women? Shouldn’t men brought together over 150 business, and catch up on the past month of rado news wth early 19th century glass goblets. get the chance to be empowered academic, and government policy Alastar Beddow According to Mark Stephen, too?” leaders. The conference hoped to Specialist in Objects at Christie’s, Juan de Francisco, Union Ents investigate why prevalent economic “The oars are extremely unusual Officer, responded to Mitchell’s theory was unable to predict the looking and are proving to be claims, explaining, “The classes are economic and fi nancial crisis that NEWS popular. It looks as if the oars have womens-only because the instruc- emerged in 2007-2008. The protest Follow our contnous news updates between now been passed around a tor has advised us that involved the unfurling of a banner and May Week for all you need to know about few dealers over the it is easier to teach that read “IMF is part of the what’s gong on n Cambrdge years before coming single-sex classes, and problem, not the to us. They’re old also because, while solution.” but in nice condi- the classes aren’t tion and for people sexual, most prefer the VARSITV into the country- privacy.” Stay tuned to varstvcouk ths exam term club look, will make The classes cost £2 for for more from Charle Lyons and the the perfect addition.” Union members. As of Cndes Stores team The oars are expected this week, the classes to fetch between £800 had completely sold out, and £1,200. prompting the Union to double capacity. Animal rights activists invade Downing Site as mark of protest Protestaton by Anmal Rghts Cambrdge aganst “fundamentally mmoral” anmal testng there are research students working in the past.” He went on to urge the research as “cruel, unnecessary evidence that animals are “more and N ACAT on the site. Cambridge to divert all funds being and fundamentally immoral”. She more like us in their needs and cogni- “People have a right to peaceful “squandered” on animal research to equated it to being “just like the tive ability”, which makes their use The Downing Site was besieged protest but not when it disrupts the funding for human-relevant testing slave trade”. for clinical research “more and more by activists from Animal Rights work at the university.” such as micro-dosing, DNA chips and Another protestor, Sue Hughes, inhumane”.