Friday May 15th 2009 e Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 Issue no 695 | varsity.co.uk »p3 News »p6 Comment »p8 Fashion Roger Norrington e evil ways of Zac e Amnesty comes to CUMS Efron. Boo! Hiss! fashion show Foreign fees set Peterhouse Ball MICHAEL DERRINGER to rise by 10% Gemma Oke Proposals forwarded by the University President quits Council could see fees for international students increase by as much as three times the rate of in ation. As revealed in the University Re- porter, the Council, which is the poli- over ‘illegal’ party cy-making body of the University, has agreed to fee increases for international be involved with or even attend the Ball students in 2009/10 of 4.5 per cent, and Lizzy Tyler on Saturday June 13th. a proposal of fee increases of 10 per e President of the Peterhouse May Some Petreans have been shocked cent in the year 2010/11. Ball committee has been forced to re- by the severity of the College’s actions, e projected increase – substantially sign in a recent disciplinary action by a breach of which could result in a ban higher than the in ation rate of 2.9 per College authorities. from their graduation ceremony later cent announced in March – is expected is step was taken following an un- this summer. A Facebook group called to cover “an expected sharp rise in Uni- authorized house party in Peterhouse ‘Rallying Old Petreans (ROP)’ has re- versity utility, pay and pension costs”. accommodation. e Ball President, Ben cently been set up to protest against the Fees for home and EU postgraduate Margereson, and the Food O cer, Maria “draconian measures” taken by the col- students are expected to rise by 2.7 per Onyango, were involved in organizing lege. e group calls for old members of cent in the next academic year. the party on April 24th, which was closed the College to express their disdain for e University has been quick to stress by the Head Porter and the police. the authorities’ actions and show their the provisional nature of the fee increases. Varsity has learned that windows solidarity with the students a ected. A University spokeswoman emphasised were broken, re alarms were set o e group alleges that the students are that whilst the fee increases for 2009/10 and the party, held at 7 Tennis Court also banned from College grounds from could be con rmed, “nothing has been Terrace, was “pretty rowdy”. 1pm on every day of that month, making decided” on the proposals for fee levels One room had been turned into a ball them unable to attend any event held in beyond the next academic year. pit, one of the hostesses wore a small Peterhouse over May Week. Overseas students have expressed “but very much alive” python around e group expresses a feeling that “the disappointment at the proposals, citing her neck and the walls were plastered administration has grown too somber in that fees for international students at with “some pretty skanky porn pic- recent years”. Cambridge are already comparatively tures”. When the re alarm was set o A Peterhouse student involved with the higher than those at other universities. for half an hour, comments such as “is Ball told Varsity that “a couple of commit- One student described the suggested this what trendy house music sounds tee members simply feel a bit let down rise as “unacceptable”. like these days?” were elicited. by the behaviour of those involved, they He said, “Although I am funded by A source at the party said, “ e Col- knew they had responsibility for the Ball, a University trust, and may not be af- lege knew about the party all the while and it was clear that College would react.” fected as much by the rise, the reasons that it was being planned, as someone is feeling seems ampli ed by the for it are unacceptable. e University in the house told them early on. On the fact that the Ball was cancelled last year should be looking at various ways to evening the porters came an hour before in reaction to the poor academic per- cover expected rises in utility, pay and the guests were due to arrive so there was formance of Peterhouse students. pensions, such as requesting additional nothing anyone could do to stop it.” Another third-year member of the government funding, or drawing on in- e porters initially came at about College, who is not on the Ball commit- You’ve got to hand it to him vestment income.” 10.30pm and were accompanied by the tee, has also faced the same disciplinary Fees for international students, un- police about an hour later. e students action. ondon-based sculptor David Begbie poses in front of one of his pieces at like the standardised fees paid by home inside barricaded the doors and contin- e Ball is set to be a grander occa- the Fitzwilliam Museum. Titled Palm I, 2007, Balbie constructed the piece and EU students, vary according to the ued partying, only stopping when eve- sion than normal, falling on the 725th fromL a bronze mesh and galvanised steel-frame easel. e work is part of a new subject studied, with some scienti c un- ryone was asked to leave later on. anniversary of Peterhouse, as well as the showcase for contemporary sculpture, unveiled on April 28, which occupies the dergraduate courses costing £12,768 per Margereson and Onyango are under 800th anniversary of the University. Museum lawns fronting Trumpington Street. e Sculpture Promenade will be year. Levels of nancial support are lim- instructions to leave College accommo- Peterhouse refused to comment, and open until January 2010. ited, o en forming a partial contribution dation by June 1st and are not allowed to Ben Margereson was unavailable. to total costs on a means tested basis. Mathematics named the cleverest department in the University Beth Staton University Library also made it into the conspicuously lacking from the team’s with just 55 points each. School narrowly defeat the Department nal four, who competed in the Union’s intellectual repertoire. “ e team had “ e competition celebrates the in u- of Medicine, and organisers attempted A quiz held for the University’s 800th Debating Chamber last Monday. a very balanced pool of knowledge,” ence the university has had on the world to put another long-standing rivalry anniversary has named the department Team captain Vicky Neale claimed she commented. “We like to show that we live in,” said Simon Spiro, one of the to rest by pitting the Divinity Faculty of Pure Maths and Mathematical Statis- that the winning team didn’t spend pure mathematicians have more than organisers of the competition. “Each against Genetics. Although Divinity tics the cleverest in the University. much time worrying about their per- just numbers up their sleeve.” question is somehow linked to the Uni- won the quiz, scholars have not used A er winning against Physics in the formance. “We were pretty consistent 24 academic and administrative versity, though not explicitly - for exam- the victory as evidence for creationism. semi- nal, DPMMS defeated History through the rounds,” she said. departments took part in the first ple a question about physics may some- Cambridge Quizsoc hosts a pub quiz with 170 points to 110 in a nal hosted Ms Neale also didn’t accept claims round of the quiz, which sent Music how be related to Newton’s theories.” at the Cricketers in Melbourne Place, by Clive Anderson. e team from the that knowledge of popular culture was and MML to a shameful elimination e early rounds saw the Veterinary every Tuesday at 9pm. Something to say? [email protected] Friday May 15th 2009 2 Editorial Call the Editors directly on 01223 761541 varsity.co.uk Varsity is looking for an Online Editor to rejuvenate our website. Apply at varsity.co.uk/jobs Contents Friday May 15th 2009 Got a news story? varsity.co.uk Taking 01223a 761543 / [email protected] News 5 against Tripos xams are undoubtedly important. e Tripos system is generally an excellent way of measuring academic achievement, Games & puzzles Eand anyone who takes theirCambridge time at Cambridge seriously should want to do as well as possible in their exams. News p1-5 However, they are not theSpies be-all and end-all. ere is far, far more to Cambridge than the Tripos, as we all recognise for at Varsity Crossword no. 504 Sudoku 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 least two-thirdsThe object is to insertof the numbersthe in the boxes year. to satisfy only one A balance must be struck: Cambridge is justly famed for extra-curricular pursuits such as music, form (5) condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once. 9 24 Love note about Eastern European Expenses furore p4 capitaldrama made of elegant and paper (7) sport, and some of its best-known alumni – Lord Byron and Hugh Laurie spring to mind – would have put little 10 11 25 Small, sensitive circles are nothing left above boundaries (7) 1 5 9 8 26 Toplessstore nude love infollowing exam maid- success. Moreover, it is slightly disheartening, if not surprising, to see people suddenly ock to the library in e bad news is, MPs are bastards. e enhead compromise (4,2) 9 3 6 1 27 Good girl to notice a prosthetic 12 13 6 4 partthe (5,3) Easter term – if your subject is so important, then why not work for it all year round? It is this cramming attitude which 5 4 1 2 good news is, our MP David Howarth Down can make Cambridge1 3 such9 6 an unpleasant place to be in this term.