Glasgow Herald Student Newspaper of the year 20p WALDEGRAVE TR OLTA .. a gentleman still ali e ... abroad jut HAPPENING . .· . New four page listings pull-out inside. Welcome to Edinburg by Neil Rafferty Emilia Cri n told tud nt how ~mch. he w enj ying h r tay LAST WEEK , NINE • 9 Romanian students begin month-long m Edmburgh. Sh d ribed lh Romanian students arrived in Scottish pc plc . "very friendly" Edinburgh University to begin and said there was no differ n visit to University between Scot and Romanians, . a month long visit, during as in both countri s "you can which they will take an easily find . m n 1 talk to", English Language course at the Institute for Applied M Crisan, a medical ·tudent, ha already had th chance to .Language Studies examine how her Edinburgh The nine come from the counterparts deal with their Universities of Bucharest, Cluj, ubject, by attending lectures Timisoara and Iasi. As well as and even a dissection in the studying at the Institute they will medical faculty. The one be undertaking projects on conclusion he draws is: "studies Scottish culture and society. arc very serious, you have to At a press conference on 9th work lots, where ever you arc April, the students told of their you have to work hard." experiences during the revoultion in December and their hopes for ]IC'nnifcr Douglas-Homc,the a new Romania as well as their representative of the M1hai life under Ceasescu. Eminescu Trust was cnthu ·iastic about the opportunities the visit loan Opris, a third year history present . She pointed out that student at the University of Romania "has been very cut off Bucharest, described the. from western thought for many atmosphere in Bucharest during years" and that projects such as the revolution: "It was verY' this will help to e tablish "long dramatic, there was asuch a. term relationship ". movement , you could hear shots all around ". Casting light on the Meanwhile the University run up to the over throw of the Library i appealing for English regime Mr Opris said that there The Romanian students who arrived for a month long visit. relaxing after their lecture~. Language teaching books to be was ,"something in the air for a sent to Romania. While in the few days before hand". country a· part of the Flander · Emilia Crisan, a medical student All the students testified to the connections'. loan Opris told of students living and travel Scottish Alliance Convoy, in Cluj told of life under the fact that not much has changed in the the organised protest in the expenses, while the institute has Edinburgh student, Stcphen Bax communist regime: "they tried to Romania since the National History Faculty at Cluj, where waved the normal tuition fees. noticed a pecific and urgent destroy our memory, they Salvation Front took power. students boycotted the classes The students, who were chosen need for Engli h teaching· destroyed old buildings but they They pointed out that too many of communist professors. by the Romanian Education Authority will, in addition to material . The ability 10 pealc a · couldn't manage to destroy all figures still connected with the foreign language L seen a old government still held The visit has been organised improving their English language · the buildings". During the skills, be examining student life essential in Romania a the · revolution Ms Crisan had spent positions of influence. Within the jointly by the IALS and the country auempt.S to re· tabli h Universities, they believed it Mihai Eminescu Trust, a London in Scotland in comparison with itself a a member of time in the hospitals of Cluj their own experiences back helping those wounded by the was "necessary to remove based non-political organisation. international community. home. Securitate. Professors with communist The trust has met the cost of the Alumni Raise a Million Extra-Mural studies. buy a new Janou ek coxed four athletic ability." university in the U.K to have set racing boat and £800 for four new · . ___b.;.y_A_n_d_r_ew_H_ea_v_en_s __ .. up a fund-raising appeal relying The Veterinary Science ra ing blades. Dorothy Blackic, Str Da' td Smuh ha. almost wholly on the good-will of have benefitted from £3,000 for a c welcomed th Gen ral Counc1l FIVE THOUSAND past graduates. The model is an research program me to Boat Club President, de cribed Trust a a triumph. "Thi Edinburgh graduates have american one and exists as a investigate the pain caused by the donatio~ a ."marv llous" and upport repre ent · ey together raised £1,000,000 for responce to government calls on castration in lambs and calves. said that "tt w1ll be u."cd at all contribution to h lp maintain lh the University's General universities to generate more A further £125,000 has been prestige regattaS leadmg up to momentum of inn v ti n and internal income. donated by the Nancy Masscy the National Champi n. hip ". ·tandard of lien t th Council fund-raising appeal. Univc 'ty" he id. The money raised has Charitable Tru t for a research · The target was reached She ·e it a an been used to generate or keep project on the early detection of last month when the Edinburgh AIDS. "important tep forward a. ~ lh Club of London handed over a afloat projects in al the branches of University activity. Among A further notable .Aiumni are reali ing the cheque of £3000 to Edinburgh donation has been made to th importance of prom tin athleti Principal, Sir David Smith, at a these are £27,000 th the International Office to contiue University Boat Club, re cntly excellence". ceremony. in Old College. ·voted the be 1 Sports Club in the "College in th United Slat s" Edinburgh/Pennsylvania student after all " ell th m cl c u: Edinburgh is the first exchanges and £460 to subsidise Univer ity. £5,500 has gon to 2 thursday, april19, 1990 news student City honours Harvard Prof. This year's winner.'of the familiar "condensed evolutionary then "why did it take so long?'· time," so beloved of Sir David Edinburgh Medal was Pro­ and "why, when it did happen, did Attenborough in Life on Earth. it happen so suddenly?", he asks. fessor Stephen Jay Gould of l f evolutionary . He pointed out that, though 'Harvard University. The time becomes the Eiffel Tower, extensive work has been done on hiS (or her)' contribution to we come the (peeling) paint on the British Columbia seam of fos-. science and society, was top. silized soft-bodied creatures, no awarded to Prof. Gould for Having introduced grave evidence has yet surfaced to doubts as to whether humans suggest why some survived to his work toward "a better should be so precociously understanding of the evolu­ become the ancestors of present regarded as the high-poin~ of day fauna·, whilst others did not. tion of the human being." evolution, he suggested that ,.If we He talked on two major could rewind time and do it again,. Luckily for us it seems (though possibly not for the rest!) and indi­ themes, introducing them as "the might it not al} b~ very different ~ human status as regards evolution The unpreaictability of the vidual, Pikaia, did survive and it and the ideals we have", "the con­ world and its inherent total became the ancestor of today's cept of the individual within the dependence on what has gone vertebrates and so, eventually, theory of evolution." . befort>J make it impossible, says humans. But what if it had not sur­ Beginning by asking "why IS It a Gculd, to believe that the evolu­ vived? Obviously those individu­ common misunderstanding that tion of humans was in any way als that did make it were very .human beings are the inevitable inevitatbe "unless the future con­ important, and Gould stressed 'end' of evolution?" trols the present, which I don't that in this scenario of chaotic . He firmly quashed any delu­ believe it does." . progress each individual may sions of human importance within If there was a predictable dnve always be an important source of the audience with · of the towards complexity and humanity change. Lords give loans a rough ride by Louise Wilson replace student entitlement to . which entitles the Secretary ot · h ·h.l R 0 berL Rho<les ~ certification of eligibility from Income Support, State to amend without free speec w ! e . their academin institution before THE STUDENT Loans Unemployment and Housing parliamentary debate the 'James (C, Cambridge) said ~.he. they can complete an application , Government had acted with\ form for a loan. This is then Scheme is continuing to Benefit , . definition of those students eligible for loans. This is in "temerity, arrogance and posted to the Student Loans create trouble for students, The success, however, addition to concessions already stupidity" in tryi!lg to fo~ce Company by the student with a Opposition MPs and the was short-lived, and despite a forced by Opposition peers that through the btll desptte certification document frnm the . Government alike. The 98 to 51 majority the Lords' vote !' require any amendments on substantial opposition" institution . · was overruled by the Speaker of interest rates, levels of Meanwhile, Education biggest blow for the . the Commons, Bernard · Secretary John MacGregor has The Access Funds Government over the Easter Weatherill. He declared the repayment and deferrals to bf debated in both Houses before issued a paper which clearly which are to be available to break was the success of Lords in excess of their they can be passed. outlines the role of the academic those students in financial Oppostion peers in the House constitutional powers their ~ince The Government has institutions in administration of.