Th e student ‘news’paper of Imperial College London Issue 1,406 felix Friday 6 June 2008 felixonline.co.uk Mental statistics Inside Festivals, and more festivals Felix investigates Imperial’s sanity and College’s Counselling Service. See pages 3 to 5 Pages 16 & 17 and 24 & 25 Live(!) NUS affiliation debate Page 2 St. Laurent Page 19 Travels without my Aunt: Amsterdam Page 27 2 felix Friday 6 June 2008 News News Editor – Andrew Somerville [email protected] NUS affiliation Question OxbridgeEssays.com group Time debate: 12/06, 5:30pm advertising on campus NUS President, Wes Streeting, to face off against ICU President The debate is on: Thursday 12th June in the Upper Dining Hall on the first floor of the Union. Wes Streeting, left, and Steve Brown will be on the panel. Pitch your questions to either team: email [email protected] Tom Roberts the first floor of the Union at 5:30pm for you. You can direct them at either Editor-in-Chief on Thursday 12th June. Those attend- side, or ask a general question of both ing are advised to arrive 15 minutes teams. The NUS (National Union of Students) beforehand. A few days after the debate, students affiliation debate will move up a gear Imperial’s student news website can expect to be harassed and bribed next week, when the student media Live! (live.cgcu.net) will be teaming up around campus when campaigners holds a ‘Question Time’ style debate with student television society stoic from both teams will be urging you to with key figures from both campaign to make the discussion available to as vote in their favour. teams. many people as possible – the event Felix will be bringing you a plethora NUS President, Wes Streeting, will will be broadcast online on Live! from of comment pieces in next week’s is- be in attendance trying to convince 5:30pm onwards. The feed will also be sue, plus make sure to keep an eye on students why ICU should remain af- available to download afterwards, so live.cgcu.net/nus for regular updates filiated with the institution. Imperial that students can weigh up the panel- from NUS advocates and sceptics College Union (ICU) President, Steve lists’ opinions to help inform how they alike. Brown, has confirmed that he will also should vote in answer to the referen- be on the panel campaigning for dis- dum’s question: “Should Imperial Col- Voting officially opens from 17th affiliation from the NUS. They will lege Union remain affiliated with the to 23rd June. If you would like On Monday, Felix was handed a bunch of fliers from the Oxbridge be joined by two more panellists, one NUS?” to get involved in either team’s Editing company, offering to improve our writeing skils. The each from either side of the campaign- The debate is open to all students campaign, contact the referen- company is part of The Oxbridge Research Group which also runs ing spectrum. Felix Politics Editor and to attend, but to ensure you get a seat dum’s Returning Officer, Alistair controversial website OxbridgeEssays.com. The controversy arises Student Trustee, Kadhim Shubber, email [email protected] to reserve a Cott, on [email protected]. because students can pay to have their coursework edited by will attempt his best David Dimbleby place. You can also give the panel a If you would like to have your ‘professionals’. It’s even possible for students to buy entire essays if impression by taking on the duty of grilling yourself by emailing questions opinion on the NUS heard, they can afford to. What students do with the essays is up to them, chairing the debate. to the same address. If your question contact either Felix or Live! on but it’s widely felt the companies are damaging the prospects of The debate is scheduled to take place is selected, you can voice it in person [email protected] or honest students who work hard to write their own essays in the Upper Dining Hall (UDH) on on the night or have the Chair ask it [email protected] respectively. Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London felix 1,406 SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, 17 Brest Road, Derriford, Plymouth. Registered newspaper Friday 6/6/08 ISSN 1040-0711. Copyright © Felix 2008. Felix was brought to you by: Editor-in-Chief Business Editor Music Editors LOLCATS Tom Roberts Afonso Campos Peter Sinclair Susan Yu Deputy & News Editor Politics Editors Andrew Somerville Li-Teck Lau Technology Editor James Finnerty Deputy & Politics Editor Arts Editors OF TEH WEEK Kadhim Shubber Rosie Grayburn Travel Editors Caz Knight Ahranyan Arnold International Editor & David Paw Nadine Richards Busybody-in-Chief Emily Wilson Ammar Waraich Gilead Amit Nightlife Editor Fashion Editors Copy Editors Greg Mead Sarah Skeete Louise Etheridge Daniel Wan Tom Culley Film Editor Anthony Maina Zuzanna Blaszczak Sports Editor Gilead Amit Jovan Nedić Jesse Garman Games Editors Azfarul Islam Photography Science Editor Sebastian Nordgren Sally Longstaff Ed Henley Vitali Lazurenko Friday 6 June 2008 felix 3 [email protected] News Mental health at IC: Who cares? Imperial’s Student Counselling Service found wanting when compared with national student figures Tom Roberts & Andrew Somerville 4% – Self 4% – Transitions 4% – Abuse Felix has uncovered data suggesting & Identity that mental health receives less atten- 19% – Academic tion and fewer resources at Imperial 16% – Relationships than nationally. Also discovered was that Imperial students suffer propor- tionally far more from academic stress than comparable institutions (ie: ‘Old Universities’ comprising of the Russell Group and a few others). This week, Felix obtained the latest student mental health statistics from the Imperial College Student Coun- 15% – selling Service (SCS), coinciding with Anxiety STUDENT COUNSELLING SERVICE BY PROVIDED DATA a special feature examining student depression. The Counselling Service’s annual report documents data from the previous academic year (2006-07) and indicates a continuing increase in 12% – Loss/ the general upward trend in referrals Bereavement to the service over the last nine years, 18% – Depression & Mood Change but exhibits a massive disparity with national data obtained by Felix. The percentage breakdown of issues presented to Imperial College’s Student Counselling Service (SCS) during the 2006-07 academic year. Felix also spoke to students with ex- Depression dominates counselling services nationally, however, IC has 29% more cases of academic stress compared to other UK institutions perience of the Counselling Service, mainly being referred as individuals suffering from depression. Their opin- ions of mental health at Imperial have Undergraduates are statistically un- average of 436 cases every year. Impe- age of students requiring counselling could.” The comments were echoed by been mixed, with some highly critical derrepresented in the statistics, with rial’s service records 55% fewer individ- is compared: an average of 3.5% need SCS’ Senior Counsellor, David Allman, comments of the Counselling Service. only 55% of SCS users being under- ual sessions, and the SCS’ 2.6 Full-time counselling across the UK, whilst only who admitted that their resources were The last year showed a 10.5% increase grads, whilst they make up 64% of the Equivalent staff is more than an entire 2.1% of IC students receive counselling limited and that they would like to in- in the number of students contact- College as a whole. In comparison PhD staff member less than the national av- according the latest report. The reason crease them, “but ultimately it depends ing the SCS compared to the previous students make most use of the service: erage of 3.7 full-time counsellors. for this disparity is unclear, but appears on College’s decision.” year. This figure is almost double the 25% of the total, whilst only 19% of There are two striking differences to boil down to three possible explana- Kate, a less impressed user of the increase in the number of students at campus. between the national and Imperial tions: Imperial students are less prone SCS, told Felix: “College’s counselling Imperial year-on-year, suggesting that Overall, 2.1% of students at Imperial statistics. to mental health issues; Imperial stu- service isn’t very helpful to those who a rising proportion of IC students are required counselling in 2006-07. Firstly, when the reasons for coun- dents are not getting the help they actually need their help. I guess it looks requiring some form of Counselling Felix compared this data to national selling are compared between Imperial need; or Imperial students are seeking good on paper to have such a service for mental health issues. This increase figures compiled by the Association and ‘Old Universities,’ the most com- help outside of the university. though.” She went on to compare Im- is either due to increasing awareness for University and College Counsel- mon issues at IC are depression and Felix interviewed three depression perial to other institutions around the of the College’s counselling services or ling (AUCC). Most of the institutions academic stress. Elsewhere depression sufferers whose opinions of Impe- country: “A friend at another uni re- that more students are encountering that supplied their counselling service’s remains dominant whilst academic rial’s SCS varied. “Due to their lim- ceived regular support from the coun- difficulties during their studies. Not data to the AUCC had similar popula- stress is in fourth place (out of sixteen), ited resources, I was told that students selling service for the duration of their only are more students in need of the tions to Imperial, with IC’s 12,129 stu- averaging 29% fewer cases than Impe- couldn’t really use [the SCS] as a long studies.