Students Slam Hazel Farm

ed980129.qxd 25/11/98 22:22 Page 1 (1,1) Issue 926 - Weekly Thursday 29th January 1998 Students slam Hazel Farm Theres more to do in a prison say residents as new questionnaire results are revealed to protect our properties during day time and our Kevin Chan safety during night time”, “Why doesn’t the laundrette take money? instead we have to hunt n a distant suburb of Guildford, there is an down Mr. Tostevin for strange shaped tokens!”. enclave of students who live a life separate There are serious concerns, however, that affect Ifrom (or should that be “abandoned by”?) the the hundreds of students that live at this remote students and staff on campus. These students encampment. Different sized rooms but same (and I am one of them) are mainly comprised of rent. The lack of facilities to improve the rigor- foreign students and postgraduates, the so-called mortis social atmosphere. The cost of taxis to ‘minorities’ which CEL consultants say the and from town due to a shortage of frequent union is neglecting. However in an unprecedent- weekend transport. ACC telephones that take ed move, which many Hazel Farm residents felt two months to repair and don’t accept Mercury was much belated, the Union President and or BT chargecards (my personal gripe). accompanying union officers visited Hazel Farm But in comparison to all these problems men- and sought out resident opinions. Many feed- tioned, the apathy-inducing, Hazel-Farm-type back forms were fed back to the Union and depression/isolation causal factor, the last straw many angry, apathetic, critical or downright furi- on the camel’s back, the riot-starting topic, the ous feelings were voiced. Not all was bad how- number one kahuna of a problem in every resi- ever, and there were attempts by residents to see dent’s bad books, is the issue of transport. the ‘silver lining’ (e.g. the Care-taker Nigel Namely, the lack of frequent buses during the Tostevin, was praised by many) and balance weekends; the lack of late-night buses on comments on the fuming forms that had asked Saturday night; the lack of frequent buses to for good and bad points; but undoubtedly the bad Tescos (the local shop’s range of goods is the outweighed the good as epitomised by one same as the corner-stores’ in a quiet suburb of a respondent who altered the wording, preferring small, debt-ridden, third-world country and as the word ‘unsatisfactory’ to ‘GOOD’. one respondent said: “The frozen kebabs at the To give readers a flavour of living á la Hazel corner store cannot be eaten 7 days a week”). Farm, here are a few and only a few complaints: Come arctic gale, pouring rain, biting sleet, resi- “In the rooms there are only bricks . .doesn’t dents must wait in the open - where’s the look too good”, “Water pressure in the shower is minibus/coach shelter? It may be argued that miserable”, “Why has it taken so long to get a financial cost prohibits transport improvements committee? Every other residence has them. but most students would be more than willing to Campus favouritism!”, “Communal room must pay a little extra for more minibus runs and less be upgraded”, “What’s there to do. No bar. No isolation. pool table. No Baths. No cleaners. No games. Asked to comment on the students’ views, Nothing. More activities available in prison!”, Accomodation Manager Richard Paxton was “No coke machines or machines to get snacks”, keen to read the suggestions for himself, but “We only have payphones, no internal phones”, accepted that life was “different” on Hazel Farm. “Only 5 washing machines for all the people “Over the last five years, efforts have been made here...” (actually there’s only 3 washing to improve things”, he said. Until recently, it machines and two dryers), “there is no security A Caravan parked next to a Hazel Farm block on Tuesday. Residents are unsure which they’d rather live in Continued on page 2, column 3 Photo: Matt Pannell News 1 n Features 3 n Letters 4 n Music 6 n Entertainments Guide 7 . Cinema and Arts 8 n Union News 9 n Notices & Personals 9 n Sport 12 . ed980129.qxd 25/11/98 22:22 Page 2 (1,1) 2 News Thursday 29th January 1998 n Continued from page 1 things that we are working to and that is the responsibility of the The news in brief seems, Hazel Farm residents had no improve.” residents themselves (with help). launderette, no common room, no At the end of the day, why should However university and accomoda- Nursing Crisis in NHS pillows, no toilet paper, and only the majority of students enjoy the tion must be willing to listen and four buses a day to campus. “We inherent benfits of campus accomo- cooperate with such an unhappy The Royal College Of Nursing patient care. Kamran Loqueman, have an ongoing programme of dation such as security and suffi- group of people. As someone wise warned this week that the profes- Surrey Student Union Nurses improvements, but we still need to cient facilities, whilst other students once said: “Responsibility lies not sion is facing its most servre recruit- Liaison Officer, said that the short- spend more money” he added. “We who are ‘dumped at the farm’, cope only in what we do but often what ment problem for 25 years. age of nurses is leading to efforts by need to get a bus shelter sorted out, with its lesser benefits when we are we neglect to do”. The NHS is lacking more than 8000 the government to cram nurses but for that we need to find £5- all students of the same university? Or as one less-wise resident said full time nurses and recruitment is through training courses. 6,000. It’s a question of balance: Equal opportunities means equal “Basically, this place is sh*te......Oh at an all-time low. The shortage of which problems to tackle first. service. shit I’m out of room. I could go on experienced registered nurses has James Buller Some of the probems out there are There are many problems, some and on . .” raised concerns for standards of down to the fact that it was built in minor and some definitely major, the 1970’s. But there are other but a committee must be organised Ah, Butt say tobacco firms Unplugged play on... A group of lung cancer suffers, hop- win, no fee” contract that they are in ing to get compensation from tobac- fact the major plaintiffs. This would co companies has become make them responsible for the £9 Harriet Sims never come, I think you’d be sur- Lastly, there is the Talent embroiled in a secondary legal chal- million costs if they loose the case. prised by the musical talents we Competition. This year, we are try- lenge. Senior judges are examining the ollowing the success of last have here and I hope you’ll drop in ing to get as many people involved Gallagher and Imperial case which could decide the form of semester, Unplugged brings to see your mates enjoying their as possible. No longer the ‘Band Tobacco claim that since the solici- all claims for damages in the UK. Fyou the best in live entertain- taste of stardom. Competition’, this year we want to tors of the suffers are under a “no James Buller ment for the new year. We began the Anyone who is interested in playing encourage actors, poets, jugglers semester on Tuesday of week 1 with should turn up in the Helyn Rose and magicians as well as musicians, Government off the Rails? ‘Jacob’s Tale’, an up - and - coming Bar by 6.45 pm to book their time so get your thinking caps on. Don’t local band of ex-Surrey students, slot and do a sound check. Please worry if you’ve never even done There is “worrying deterioration” of Meanwhile urgent efforts are under- who played to an appreciative HRB be on time, as the line-up works on Karaoke before because we will be Britain’s railways according to the way by Deputy Prime Minister John audience. ‘Calling Orson’ made a a ‘first come, first served’ basis and organising microphone lessons passenger watchdog. The Rail Prescot to save the Channel Tunnel welcome return to the stage as the we don’t like to disappoint! This is with stage crew for anyone who Users’ Consultative Committee for Rail Link. The company responsi- support band, as well as our the last chance to show off your act wants guidance. Eastern England said “recent per- ble for the project has not raised favourite bongo and organic music before the talent competition heats. Entry forms will be available soon formances highlighted the wide dif- enough cash and is now looking to society musicians. Watch out for from the Unplugged pigeon hole - ferences in quality of various rail the stock market for funding. John them all throughout the semester. Our first main event of the semes- we’ll pass on more details as we get routes”. Committee chairman Prescott also pledged action on the So what’s on? Coming up in week teris on Tuesday of Week 5 (17 them. The hears will be held on Stweart Francis added “It is simply growing problem of cars on 3 is our first Students Acts (Floor Feb), featuring ‘Quietly Torn’, a Tuesday evenings of weeks 7, 8 and not good enough for train compa- Britain’s roads.

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