Thursday 4 March 2004 Published by the USSU Communications Office issue number 1077 barefTHE UNIVERSITYaa OF SURREYcts STUDENTS’ NEWSPAPER IN THIS WEEK ’ S PAPER SAFE AS HOUSES ENTRATERRESTRIAL Matt Adams gives With some great films on THE BIG VOTE | Graphs showing all the you the low down on terrestrial TV this week, Neil results from the sabb elections | page 2 everything you need to Boulton gives you previews of FOOD | Cori Powley with some bright ideas for your tasty leftovers | page 5 know about off campus them all, so you don’t even need SOCIETIES | Hassaan Touheed on the house hunting. to go out to have fun! Pakistan Students’ Association | page 8 Accommodation | page 6 Union | page 7 All Change at USSU BY PHIL HOWARD & SARAH BUTTERWORTH the week by the over-zealous campus NEWS EDITOR & EDITOR IN CHIEF cleaners, who despite having been told to leave up campaign posters until Friday THE RESULTS OF the elections held over the 27th, removed any poster not on the new last few weeks for the sabbatical positions white boards before anyone had even had at the union were announced on Friday to a a chance to see them. This caused many nervous audience. So without further ado: problems with candidates, and resulted in an President: Hash Alsaidi extension to their posters budgets due to the VP Communications: Catherine Lee cast number which were removed during the VP Education & Welfare: Ewan Panter two weeks. VP Postgraduate Affairs: Rachel Appleyard Most of the positions went to second and VP - Societies & Culture: Simon Nutbrown third stages, where the candidate with the VP - Sports: David Glossop least votes is eliminated and their voters’ 1905 people voted, less than a fifth of the [2] votes are considered, continuing until student populous of Surrey, but almost 900 there is one candidate remaining. The fight more than previous years. In recent years, for President ran closest, with 688 votes the candidates have been well known to the against 714 in the final stage. Also close union, and have planned their campaigns were the battles for Comms (639 vs 475 well in advance. This year, however, there after 3 stages) and Ed & Welfare (630 vs 450 have been many last-minute applications, after 4 stages). Only VP Sports went through the sabbatical team 2004-5 | photo: chris hunter and many from those not well known to the immediately, with 880 taking more than half union. As a result, those that were expected the ballot papers. to win by many students have lost, resulting The count started almost on time at 1pm in a huge backlash on the union bulletin on Friday afternoon, and continued until board (bb.ussu.co.uk). 8pm. The Sabbatical election results were Boycott Backlash The main point of contention has been the announced at around 6.40pm to a packed position of President; the favourite was Jay Chancellors, noticeably divided into LAST WEEK SAW the beginning of the Students agreed to fully support industrial Butcher, well known as Union Chairperson, various campaign teams and with many of Association of University Teachers’ action by the AUT, on the grounds that and from his GU2 radio shows, who has the elections being close, there were some industrial action over pay. Beginning with badly paid lecturers lead to lower quality intended to run for president since he arrived obvious disappointments. The successful a strike, the action is ‘working to rule’ - education. Last Wednesday saw a ‘day at university. However, the campaign of candidates were then almost immediately lecturers are refusing to mark coursework, of action’, when the AUT strike and an Hashim (Hash) Alsaidi won the position, whisked off to a meal with the Vice and thereby creating disruption across the NUS led country-wide protest were held and there has been much discontent as a Chancellor, current Sabbatical Team and country. Worst hit, however, have been simultaneously. At Surrey, however, there result. Another surprise was the election various members of University and Union the students of these lecturers - despite was no ‘campus shutdown’, and few students of Rachel Appleyard, an undergraduate, staff. Later in the evening they were also much sympathy for the lecturers and their realised that any action was going on. The over Diane Carter, a postgraduate, for announced on stage in the Main Union situation, the students feel they are being action includes boycotts of call-out cover, the position of VP Postgraduate Affairs. in traditional style, though without the unfairly punished. Kirsten Green, student job evaluation exercises, staff-appraisal Traditionally few postgraduates vote in customary rendition of Queen’s “We are the at Aberystwyth, has been told that some of schemes and cover for absent colleagues, the union elections, as they feel somewhat Champions”. her results will be delayed: “I was hoping and is ‘set to last indefinitely’, according to removed from the undergraduate world that The current Sabbatical team remain in to start applying for jobs this summer, so the BBC. The UCEA has accused the AUT the union is immersed in. The position of post for another four months, and will this is likely to disrupt that. A lot of students of scaremongering. Surrey has seen little of PG Affairs is a new one this year, meant to begin an intensive handover period with the supported the lecturer when they went on the action, mainly because the AUT is one bridge that gap. Many voted on principle Sabbatical Election from June 7th. The new strike last week over better pay. But the of several unions to which lecturers can that a postgraduate should fill the post, but team will begin their year in office on 1st marking boycott is going to affect us more. belong, and the AUT’s members are mainly in the event, Rachel was elected in. Look out June 2004. We’ve received very little information about at the older universities, not ‘red brick’ for a feature on the postgraduate situation in barefacts would like to welcome the new how long this is going to last.” institutions like Surrey. This has resulted in next week’s barefacts. team, and looks forward to working with In general, students have been supportive a few students being hit by the action, whilst There was much upset caused during them next year. of the lecturers, and the National Union of most students are unaware of the situation. vote spike [1] for an unforgettable experience - weeks 8-10 2 THE BIG VOTE 4 March 2004 EDITORIAL TEAM 2003-4 The Big Vote Results Editor in Chief Sarah Butterworth President vice President communications comms @ussu.co.uk Editor Chris Ward cs21cw @surrey.ac.uk Deputy Editor Neil Christie ms33nc @surrey.ac.uk Deputy Editor Ben Berryman ma91bb vice President education & welfare vice President postgraduate affairs @surrey.ac.uk Music Editor Matt Badcock ms01mb @surrey.ac.uk Music Editor Jon Allen bs21ja @surrey.ac.uk Film Editor Neil Boulton cs21nb @surrey.ac.uk vice President societies & culture vice President sports Theatre Editor Daisy Clay ps21dc @surrey.ac.uk Literature Editor Jennifer Walker ph21jw @surrey.ac.uk News Editor Philip Howard ph02ph @surrey.ac.uk Elected to represent Surrey students at the NUS Annual Conference at Easter were: Jay Butcher (delegate leader), Ewan Panter, Chris Hunter Muddassar M Najib, Sarah Butterworth, Natalie Cropp & Neil Christie. For a more detailed breakdown of the Sports Editor sabbatical results, visit the USSU Bulletin Board at http://bb.ussu.co.uk and click on the Students’ Union section. Peter Nichols cs11pn barefacts is an editorially independent newspaper and is published by the University @surrey.ac.uk of Surrey Students’ Union Communications Office. AGMs & notices CONTRIBUTORS The views expressed within the paper are those of individual authors and do not Christian Union AGM | 8.15pm | 4th March | Tree Top in Wates House necessarily represent the views of the Editor, the University of Surrey Students’ Matt Adams Dina Mystris Mah Jong Society | Thursday 11th March | 18:00 | Union Committee room Helen Blunn Louise O’Neill Union or the University of Surrey. This publication may not be reproduced in whole Jonathan Darzi Melanie Perkins or in part, stored in any form, copied or distributed, without the express permission OFU | Wednesday 10th March | 19:00 | Media Centre Corin Douieb Cori Powley of the publisher beforehand. Scott Farmer KAte Sobczak All submissions must include the author’s name and Union or Staff Number. Orthodox Society | Saturday 20th March | 12:30 | Lady Chapel Matt Fisher Richard Sharp Submission is no guarantee of publication (Guildford Cathedral) Chris Hunter Sandeep Sohal Susannah Joughin Chris Thomson Articles submitted Anonymously and Pseudonymously will not be published. Catherine Lee Laura Tomlin Shea-Maine Lee Hassaan Touheed submit your articles online... barefacts reserves the right to edit submissions. Carol Main Arvind Virdee [email protected] | WWW.USSU.CO.UK Design & Layup: Sarah Butterworth © USSU COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE 2004 email barefacts Pete Nichols | Ben Berryman Neil Christie Printed by Sharman and Co. Printers: @ussu.co.uk Peterborough | Tel: 01733 424949 4 March 2004 LETTERS & COMMENT 3 Letters to barefacts Letters must be received by 12pm on the Friday before publication to be published in the next newspaper. | Letters may be edited for length or clarity | [email protected] Dear barefacts, all about: image, advertising, and how Dear barefacts, something against us, we do start to much you can get away within the election wonder? We start to think whether the In relation to an article that was printed in rules. You can do almost anything illegal We are writing to show our concerns supposedly higher status departments, such Barefacts a couple of weeks ago regarding you want to grab peoples attention, as long regarding the BA Dance course.