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23 The award-winning student newspaper of Imperial College . 10 Guardian Student Newspaper of the Year . 09 Issue 1,441 ffelixelix felixonline.co.uk This week.... Solving a Rwandan crisis Freshers’ Festival fails to attract crowd Imperial’mperial’ss e.quinox pioneer a solution. See page 4 News, Page 2 Genetic passports: scientically flawed? Science, Page 12 Let your childhood dream soar: Pixar’s ‘Up’ reviewed Degree’s over, now Film, Page 22 Tribewanted: felix stays a for the hard part week in eco-paradise 1 in 10 of the class of 2009 face unemployment in an unforgiving job market, see page 3 Travel, Page 30-31 2 felix FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2009 News Editor Kadhim Shubber NEWS [email protected] Freshers’ Festival fails to attract Freshers. Or anyone Just what went wrong? Dan Wan reports on the Freshers’ Festival Weekender 2009 and its miserable turnout he first ever Freshers’ Festival Weekender severely strug- T gled to attract the crowds projected for an event of its size last weekend. Even after all entry charges were waived and drinks were set at Sports Night prices, the festival held in Beit Quad came close to being empty at several points throughout its three day duration. Original ticket prices were £15 for all three days of the weekend, whilst entry to a single day’s proceed- ings cost £7.50. However, after a poor turnout on Friday, the first day, the re- maining two were made free of charge. The organisers hoped the cheap drinks would help pull in more peo- ple, but the £1.50 pints seemed to do little for the crowd numbers, and one attendee described the place as “deserted”. Despite the impressive line-up, the Union’s chronic problem of poor stu- The Ghostcat lead singer, Ali Cat, is so overwhelmed by the Freshers’ Festival she collapses on stage (left), whilst the meagre crowd stare at the ceiling or floor (right) dent turnout to its events lay injury to weekend festival. Reports on Saturday and Sunday night approximate a maxi- festival, headlined Saturday night in ties at Imperial to give their backing, two weeks into the new academic year the errors made are to be learnt from mum crowd number of around 140 which was described as the “biggest” including Jazz and Rock, Photo Soc, meant the spread of publicity for an if the Freshers’ Festival is set up again people. day of the three. Their disappointment felix and especially DramSoc. The fail- event of its size and duration was limit- next year. IC Radio Station Manager and fes- at the small audience was evident and ure to lure in punters comes as a sur- ed on campus and by word-of-mouth. It comes as a great shame to many tival organiser Dan Fowler felt the fes- Fowler himself was let down by the prise, as the manpower and collabora- Posters for the event were only seen people across the Union; from the soci- tival was a reaction to student’s bore- band’s reaction. tion behind the weekend should have around campus approximately a week eties involved to the Union’s entertain- dom of previous Union events. “They have also fallen into the trap of meant a packed Beit Quad all weekend. before the event, and this was clearly ments team. Both of whom could have “How many times have you been sat thinking they are a lot bigger than they As part of Union President Ashley not enough time for them to have any benefited majorly from the boost in on the small wall outside DaVinci’s and are and so sulked through the entire Brown’s manifesto, he pledged that effect on the student population. Mr reputation the Freshers’ Festival could over heard some drunken fool moan- performance on the night when seeing more live music and entertainment Fowler was happy to admit mistakes have provided. ing that ‘This place only puts on drum the small crowd. Fair enough, it wasn’t would happen at the Union; the Fresh- were made, but suggested that more of Festival-goer and Fresher, Alex Ka- and bass nights?’ great, however when you’re being paid ers’ Festival certainly provided this. De- the blame laid elsewhere. rapetian, gave his honest and fitting Well the aim of this event was to you’ve got no excuses to not just go out spite being a society organised event, “Maybe the event started too early, opinion after initial bewilderment at change that mentality. I’m just looking and do what you do best.” the Union backed the event financially maybe the pricing was wrong – these the emptiness of the event. through the set timetable now…house, The Freshers’ Festival was the brain- and administratively. Three of the ma- are all lessons that can be learned. “[The festival] gets 2/5 in my opin- indie, metal, rock, electro, acoustic, child of members of ICRadio, Impe- jor acts were said to have been booked However, if we want a Union to be ion¬ because of the overall sufficiency pop, hip hop/jazz – for me, this aim rial’s budding radio station. With fruit- through Union contacts, and money proud we need to support it and events of the bands and the good work of the was achieved to the highest standard.” ful contacts, and dedicated organisers, for advertising and publicity were pro- like this which are flagship and trail- ICRadio DJs. The greatest limiting fac- Chew Lips, releasing their material the event looked to be a resounding vided. The timing of the event could blazing occasions for Imperial.” tor here was that we didn’t have any- with Kitsune Records and arguably the success. Impressive initial artwork for also have been the root cause of the Where the blame actually lies will where near the amount of people need- band with the biggest reputation at the publicity attracted several other socie- weekend’s problems. Occurring only be debated in the coming weeks, and ed to be able to fully enjoy ourselves.” 23 Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, 17 Brest Road, . 10 Derriford, Plymouth. Registered newspaper ISSN 1040-0711. 1,441 Jigsaw font by typotheque.com Z . felix T Copyright © Felix 2009. Front cover photo by Layton Thompson. 09 felix was brought to you by: CA Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor Deputy Editor Copy Chief Dan Wan Kadhim Shubber Gilead Amit Sasha Nicoletti OL L LOLCATZ News Editor Business Editor Science Editors Clubs and Socs Editor Kadhim Shubber Sina Ataherian Brigitte Atkins Alex Kendall Nathan Ley Medic News Editor International Editor Sports Editors OF TEH WEEK Dina Ismail Raphael Houdmont Nightlife Editor Mustapher Botchway Charlotte Morris APPLY NOW Assistant Editor Film Editors Web Editors Jovan Nedić Zuzanna Blaszczak Music Editors Arts Editors Chris Birkett Eddy “The OH” Knock Kadhim Shubber Caz Knight Ravi Pall Layout Editor Alex Ashford Rosie Milton Carlos Karingal Technology Editor Lucy Harrold Copy Editors Samuel Gibbs What’s On Editors Rhys Davies Comment Editor Rachel D’oliviero Photography Ken Wu Ravi Pall Fashion Editor Lily Topham Ben Smith Alex Karapetian Kawai Wong Tom Roberts Matt Colvin Politics Editors: Coffee Break Editor Alex Karapetian Sabrina Castiglione James Goldsack Travel Editor Charles Murdoch Lizzy Griffiths Katya-yani Vyas Dylan Lowe Games Editors Ayyub Kamaludin James Lees Puzzles Commodore Mike Cook Joanna Cai Phillip Murray APPLY NOW! Neil Dhir felix FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2009 3 [email protected] NEWS Doom and gloom on Graduation Day Kadhim Shubber finds the class of 2009 facing the prospect of unemployment after graduation n the summer of 2009, the UK’s for jobs. A view that a HECSU survey Higher Education Institutions will showed is shared by many university I produce 400,000 new graduates. careers services around the country. They will be entering the labour While, of course cutting costs, compa- market at perhaps the worst time in a nies are still keen to recruit wherever generation”. possible, keen to avoid a repeat of the This damning verdict from the Con- 2001 recession where a sharp cutback federation of British Industry perhaps in recruitment resulted in an “employ- most bluntly sums up the employment ment gap” several years later. crisis that Imperial graduates find In addition, many small- and me- themselves in. dium- sized businesses are continuing They are by no means short of com- to recruit, offering new, less traditional pany, it is estimated that graduate un- opportunities for graduates. “Most employment will rise by 22,000 with 1 students recite the same half dozen in 10 graduates destined to remain out companies when they consider job of employment six months after re- opportunities, it’s key that graduates ceiving their degree. looking for jobs think outside the box The cause will come as no surprise, a little” says Ms Farrar. large companies, traditionally the larg- Ms Farrar is well aware that Imperial est recruiters of graduates, are reeling will be affected by the fewer vacan- from the effects of the recession and cies available but insists that Imperial have as result cut graduate vacan- graduates are still “well-regarded in the cies on average by 25%, increasing to job market” and as a result are likely to 56% for City-based investment banks. feel the impact of the job drought less There are simply less graduate level severely than the majority of other jobs and this year’s students are feeling graduates this year. the pinch. Many students have chosen to con- But the environment is not as clear tinue in higher education in order to cut as one might initially believe.