ISSUE 1662 ... the ‘fuck me there’s one more term’ issue FRIDAY 5 MAY 2017 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON elix Tie Clubs f paper passed PAGE 3 News Student debt on the rise PAGE 4 News We deserve to be entitled PAGE 10 Comment Reviewing a play about a paper PAGE 14 Culture Who loves Drake? We do PAGE 17 Culture Don’t hate the other woman, hate the game PAGE 21 Millennials 2 felixonline.co.uk [email protected] Friday 5 May 2017 felix EDITORIAL We’re back. Pitches? “ ay! The Easter break is over! Yay...” He pressed and held backspace. He couldn’t start his editorial with “Yay!”. “I’m not Drew Barrymore,” he Lef suddenly stopped typing, an thought. Indeed he was going for something between overwhelming feeling of sadness taking Liza Minnelli and Jane Fonda. over him. He thought of all those hours He typed “Sup” followed by “cunts”. Again he he’d idly spent in bed, no stupid print stopped, lips pursed tight forming a grimace of sassy deadlines,Y no stupid paper distribution cutting his indigestion. “Now that’s really wrong”, he thought. sleep short. He thought of all that nutritious cooking “I sound Australian. Not sure what kind of Australian he’d have to kiss goodbye, replacing it with packed but definitely not the cool kind you wanna be friends lunches and canned energy drinks. He thought of the with.” Met Gala. “Seriously Katy Perry what was going on He stopped. Was there really a point in this exercise with that head piece. Veils are cool and all but those of self-indulgence? Does anyone ever even read side mirrors and bed springs that were glued on your editorials? What is an editorial? Is he trying too hard? head were questionable at best.” He eye-rolled but How many questions can he ask consecutively before there was no one there to see it. it gets too much? Ten? Twenty? Lef reigned his easily distracted brain in and tried “Fuck it,” he thought and concluded that whoever focusing on that overwhelming feeling of sadness. it is that picks up the paper anyway would have to He tried not to smile as he revelled in self-pity in fear do without an editorial. It’s not like they don’t know of ruining the sadness. Not many things gave him what’s in the paper. Some news, some nudes, some pleasure like a good dose of drama did. horoscopes, the usual. He was going to go home early. Editor-in-Chief | Lef Apostolakis || Deputy Editor | Mattin Mir-Tahmasebi || News Editor | Matt Johnston, Joanna Wormald || Comment THE Editors | Vivien Hadlow, Tessa Davey, Jonathan Masters || Culture Ringmaster | Fred Fyles || Culture Editors | Indira Mallik, Meryl Anil, Anurag Deshpande, Theo Farah, Simran Kukran || Puzzles Editor | Hamish Beck || Clubs & Societies Editor | Abigail de Bruin || Science TEAM Editor | Lizzie Riach, Ipsita Herlekar || Millennials Queen | Tessa Davey || Millennials Editors | Saad Ahmed, Sanjay Battacharaya, Matt Johnston || Sports Editor | Sam Smith || Illustrator | Nathan Macabuag || Copy Chief | Mattin Mir-Tahmasebi || Copy Editors | Selin Olenik, Vivien Hadlow, Alex Adler, Aishwarya Pattar, Anna Shukla || Centrefold | Joe O’Connell-Danes Address | felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BB || Telephone | 02075948072 || Printed by | Mortons Media Group Ltd Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JR || Registered Newspaper | ISSN 1040-0711 || Copyright © felix 2016 Friday 5 May 2017 [email protected] felixonline.co.uk/news 3 NEWS felix Controversial Tie Clubs paper passed Lef Apostolakis But not without drama (and extensive amendments) uring the final vote it was decided that voting \\ When pressed Council Meeting would not be anonymous of spring term, As soon as the paper was for details on the a paper was put to discussion, protests process behind passed that started pouring in from the will limit the floor, which saw a higher the invite only Dpresence of the Tie Clubs at the number of students that usual, mechanism Tie Club Union. The invite only ‘secret’ presumably Tie Club members clubs have been accused of and students that had come to members said it’s sexism, discrimination, and show support for the paper. about “meeting” elitism among other things in Almost immediately, ICU the past and the Union has time President Nas Andriopoulos and “interacting”, and time again reiterated it is protested allegations that his whatever that not in any way affiliated with involvement with the Tie Clubs them. The paper, proposed could interfere with carrying means \\ by Andrew Olson, attempted out his role. “I have no problem to limit tankard use by Tie separating my professional to Clubs by enforcing the Equal personal life and I found any and that is why I’m supporting Opportunities Policy. insinuations in the paper and this paper.” Olson argued that according on Facebook groups that I A&E Chair Rob Garside literally eating popcorn at Council \\ felix When pressed for details to the policy, the Union should couldn’t quite unimpressive,” on the process behind the “try and foster an environment he said. Contrary to his invite only mechanism Tie free of unfair discrimination opening statement he have one female member who be part of one. The clubs don’t Club members said it’s about and harassment” and that any proceeded to argue almost is currently a student. want people to feel like they “meeting” and “interacting”, club which fails to comply with every point raised by Olson. James Cox Deputy President can’t come along if they want whatever that means. this policy as a consequence He also voted against Note for Clubs and Societies and to even if that’s not coming After a lengthy discussion shouldn’t have access to Three which put on record that a Tie Club member also across. These are students of amendments, the paper Union resources. He argued concerns have been raised took to the floor to defend facing the same financial, passed with a majority that merely the invitation only surrounding “certain alumni the organisations. Cox physical and mental health vote. Notable votes against mechanism in which the clubs groups” (referring to the Tie claimed there’s been a lot of issues as everyone else, not several notes, beliefs and operate should exclude them Clubs) and Resolution Two misinformation surrounding privileged private-schooled resolutions predictably came from using Union resources. which basically would amend what these “public facing, boys as people might believe. from Andriopoulos, Cox, The paper is an attempt to the Tankard Policy in order self organising alumni I can’t personally seem to get and Winstanley but also tackle concerns of a culture of to ban groups that violate associations” do and do not my head around as to why from RSMU President Noah discrimination thought to be the Safe Space Policy (again get up to and proclaimed groups renowned for the Hawkings and ICSMSU prevalent within these clubs. referring to the Tie Clubs) from his disappointment in the promotion of free expression Academic Affairs Officer It did however cause many using tankards. marginalisation of Tie Club have rallied in support of a Claudia Caravello. The full Tie Club members to view it Ellie Winstanley current members to several audience paper that marginalises a breakdown can be found as a witch-hunt and request ACC Chair and XV’s club members’ amusement. small minority of students and online. president as well as several “The motion today ignores how they spend their free Alex Adler a postgraduate other Tie Club members and the efforts of recent years to time.” Council members was satisfied \\ Merely the representatives also took to allow anyone who wants to Several students also showed with the result. “I’m glad invitation only the floor to protest certain come along and wants to get up to push for measures the paper passed despite points. Winstanley claimed to know the club members to against Tie Clubs. Notably the amendments which I mechanism in which certain club leaders had been Fintan O’Connor, newly feel slightly weakened the the clubs operate trying to “modernise” certain elected Deputy President for sentiment. I’m happy to see clubs to make them “more Welfare was unforgiving. that a subject could raise such should exclude them progressive” and maintained \\ James Cox “This paper is not out to smear vigorous debate in Council, from using Union that the XV’s were in fact Tie Clubs or to smear their although I would rather see a sister group to the 22s. proclaimed his members”, O’Connor said it also happen with issues resources \\ Regarding the XV’s she said disappointment in adding that it was an effort to more relevant to the student “We do not discriminate based create an inclusive and open experience, like tuition, on gender and on race and I the marginalisation community and concluding bursaries and racism.” both anonymous voting and feel like not acknowledging of Tie Club that “it’s inconsistent with our The Union spearheaded amendments that would the progress that we’ve beliefs to continue to support by Deputy President Finance remove references of the Tie made is in fact hindering it.” members to several a relic of institutionalised and Services, Rachel Blythe is Clubs (namely the 22 Club, Though this change might be audience members’ privilege [referring to the expected to soon start dealing the Chaps Club and the Links happening it should be noted invitation only policy] even in with the Tie Club tankards. Club from the paper). After a that the Links for example only amusement \\ such ways as tankard storage 4 felixonline.co.uk/news [email protected] Friday 5 May 2017 felix NEWS How high can student loan interest rates go? Stephen Naulls It’s unlikely they’ll be going anywhere but up post Brexit ou probably Year RPI % RPI + 3% Total Debt £ Total Debt £ at a 3.9 tuition loans; not only are missed the tuition fees themselves now memo, buried now constant interest rate subject to increases with deep under a inflation, so too is the interest pile of revision 2014 0.9 3.9 9,351 9,351 due to the RPI + 3% system.