16 DECEMBER 1 998 .CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EDITION ISSUE 1130 ickets £6/£5 with eiot&ard now from torn..* ' : '' '" - "' ' Your Union - Run for You 16 December 1998 News 3 Health Centre Cut-Backs Cut backs in Health Centre opening This, he feels, is "putting students and hours are putting students and staff at By David Roberts staff potentially at risk". risk, according to senior College safety In her defence, Dr Weinreb has officials. hours, for 'administrative reasons' has claimed that the closure was publi• suggested that the problem has arisen Unbeknownst to the majority of been attacked by Keith Hatch, the cised in both felix and IC Reporter. only as a result of the technician's deci• staff, students and even departmental Chemistry Safety Rep, as "disgusting ... However, no such notices would sion not to contact the cover available first-aiders, the College Health Centre via the Health Centre answerphonc no longer opens on Tuesday after• service; "the Health Centre cannot take noons. As a result of a serious incident responsibility for those who chose not on 1 December, this decision is now to follow these instructions". She goes facing stern criticism. A member of on to add that "there is emergency the technical staff In the Biochemistry cover on Tuesday afternoons and there Department suffered serious cuts to arc very clear instructions both at the her hand, which resulted in one liga• Health Centre and on our answer- ment being completely severed and phone as to how to access it". another being 90% detached. Follow• Photo: Allkl The publicity campaign has not yet reached the front doors Nevertheless, both Mr Hatch and ing standard practice, the technician Mr Garden feel that the closure of the was taken over to the Health Centre, there can be no justification for putting appear to have been published until Health Centre during official College in Princes' Gardens. On arrival, how• staff and students at extra risk by this week (in response to a request hours is inherently dangerous, with ever, she discovered that the Health reducing the provision of emergency from Dr Weinreb, which was received Mr Hatch describing it as "something Centre is closed on Tuesday after• treatment". He goes on to criticise the last Monday). Paul Garden, the Joint I feci is totally wrong". Moreover, noons, and there is no emergency notification that the Health Centre has Trade Unions Safety Rep, has also Security Chief Ken Weir has informed cover. Although she was eventually given those responsible for College noted that "apart from some of the felix that the closure of the Health taken to casualty by taxi, according to safety, "though I've heard that the security, no others in the on site first Centre "doesn't make any difference to one safety rep "there was still a dan• Health Centre is shut on Tuesday after• aid and emergency aid know of the our response". The present situation gerously large amount of time wasted noon I don't recall getting anything reduced medical cover...at the has been summed up by one senior before the injured technician man• official". moment there is complete confusion figure with the words "just remember aged to get to hospital". Dr Weinreb, the Clinical Services after the event because of the lack of not to have an accident on Tuesday The decision to reduce opening Manager at the Health Centre, has information that has been issued". afternoons". Spate Of Thefts Plagues Campus Inside.. Letters 6 A succession of thefts took place By Ed Sexton and entirely emptied of its coins. Evidence across the South Kensington campus was also discovered which suggested Editorial 7 on the night of Tuesday 8 December. Gareth Morgan that the coffee machine in the Union Two video recorders were stolen along foyer (on the ground floor) had been Columns 8 with a sizeable amount of cash, from tampered with. Beit Quad and Electrical Engineering. Over in Electrical Engineering, Arts 12 Beit Hall lost a VCR machine, which thieves gained access to the under• was taken from the Old Hostel's com• graduate common room just inside Christmas TV Guide 16 mon room. According to Ken Weir, the main entrance, and broke into the Chief Security Officer, there was no pool table and coffee machine, steal• Computer Games 18 sign of forced entry into the hall. ing the cash within. As the machines Violence was definitely used in the contained only coins the thieves' tak• Not The News 22 Union, however, as thieves stole a VCR ings are unlikely to come to much, machine from the International but Ken Weir explained that there was Fiction 23 Enrichment Office in the north-west no way to account for the exact corner of Beit Quad by making a hole amount stolen. Amsterdam Feature 24 in the plaster-board wall. Although the incidences in Beit The intruders penetrated the outer Quad and Electrical Engineering arc Nietzsche Feature 28 door, behind the Union Dining Hall, not necessarily related, Ken Weir did which had apparently been left open, comment that there were "similarities Books 29 before trying to force the RAG office in the damage done lo the machines". door. When this failed they cut through He added that "some forensic evi• Clubscene 30 the wall, pushed over the bookcase dence was obtained from the scene of behind it, and took the VCR. Unfortu• the crime", but could not comment Music 32 nately for them it is an American further, as "it is a police matter now". model which isn't compatible with the If anyone saw anything suspicious Film 40 UK system. in the vicinity of Beit Quad or Electri• Meanwhile the drinks machine on cal Engineering on Tuesday night, they Sport 44 the second floor of the Union was Photo: Dave The vandalised should contact Sherfield security on forcefully broken into and almost vending machine Ext: 58900 Jumbo Crossword 47 > News 16 December 1998 IC Researchers Test Killer Cure A major battle has been won in the By Andrew Ofori in thc development of a British vaccine. ongoing war against meningitis. It Dr Michael Levin, the UK team leader appears that scientists in Cuba have suc• vaccination programme. Mass immuni• commented "All our team working on ceeded in eradicating the killer infec• sation has resulted in an astounding the intensive care unit would like noth• issue 1130 tion that previously plagued the transformation and the scientists have ing better than to see another child rid population of the island. almost exterminated meningitis B, with of this disease." Their results are due for 16 December 1998 The team has developed a cure for now only three cases per million people, a 1999 release. the strain of meningitis B that infects a tenth of the British equivalent. Unfortunately the Cuban vaccine is 2,000 people each year and kills 200 of An IC team has been sent to Cuba obsolete in Britain as explained by the fditor Ld Sexton those. Thc symptoms appear flu-like, in order to assess the vaccine and the medical officet for the Meningitis Assistant Fditor & Films David Roberts but can rapidly result in death as IC expe• immunity it provides. Their work was fea• Research Foundation, Linda Glennie: "In News Fditor: Andrew Ofori rienced first hand earlier this term with tured in last Wednesday's 'Tomorrow's the 1980s Cuba had a big problem with Photographic Fditor: William torenz the tragic death of a first year medic. World' programme where Professor Mike meningococcal disease which it appears Music tditors: Jason Ramanathan The infection afflicted Cuba in thc Levin, Head of Paediatrics, stated "a to have solved. The situation in the UK and Dennis Patrir kson 1980s, when epidemics had a particularly British Research team in Havana is cur• is more complicated because we have Sports Lditor: Gus Paul devastating effect amongst children, rently studying the data gathered on many different types of B strain. How• Arts Lditor: Helena Cocheme killing hundreds every year and leaving results before and after vaccination, so ever, we hope that this research project Games Lditor: Gary Smith others crippled or maimed. Since the that only a relatively short time would be will provide vital clues which will enable Clubscene: Giles Morrison 1959 revolution Cuba has invested in needed for tests in this country." Thc scientists to develop a vaccine against B Books Lditor: Kent Yip education, healthcare and science, and team, funded by the Meningitis Research strain which accounts for about 60% of Photo Lditing: Joel fewis is now the only country with a national Foundation, will appraise its pertinence cases of the disease in this country." Delivery Last Issue: David Roberts Back Beat Busted CCU dubs Come Home? However, at around 5.30pm, the tran• to the strengthening of the clubs, as By Sanjay Sikdar quillity of the inhabitants was shattered By David Roberts they would move closer to like-minded in the most dramatic manner. Police societies; "It's very hard to compare club Six months of surveillance on the Back stormed the drug fortress by abseiling Imperial College Union President Dave success and budgets when thay aren't Beat Club on Denmark Place culminated through the roof, negating the steel Hellard surprised last week's ICU Coun• surrounded by clubs with similar inter• in police storming the notorious drug doors with stun grenades. Club goers at cil meeting with his controversial pro• ests". Speaking in response to one del• den, on Tuesday 1 December. the time were clearly distressed by the posal to change the way in which egate's suggestion that this ptoposal A large proportion of the club's clien• efficiency of the execution of the raid.