1 June 1999 KEEP THE CAT FREE EST 1949 The Students' Newspaper at Imperial College Students Show Little Interest in Strike The Association of University Teachers' Although there was strong sup• one-day strike, which took place at port from the NUS, support from indi• colleges across the country last Tues• vidual student unions was less day (25 May), has been described as forthcoming. Leeds Student Union did a success by its organisers. The effec• actively support the strike, but ICU tiveness of the strike here at Imperial was less than vocal on the subject. is more questionable however, as is David Hellard, ICU President, hoped the overall outcome of the industrial that students had taken his advice and action. come in to college if they had exami• Services within college were unde• nations, but vowed to fight college if niably affected, with the central library any students had been penalised for closing earlier than usual and many missing them. Ms Barker stated "we departments going without key acad• avoided putting any pressure on stu• emic personnel for the day. According dents who reported that they were to Ms Laura Barker, AUT representative going in for exams". at the college, the AUT "mounted an All AUT members who were on effective picket": On the ground, how• strike are supposed to have pay ever, there was relatively little sign of deducted: The University and Colleges the strike, and most campus entrances Employers Association issued instruc• were left unpicketed throughout much The 'fat cat' Vice-chancellor on show at Imperial last Tuesday tions that the amount deducted of the day. Photo: Ed should be 1 /260th of the striker's pay. According to the Registry all exam• Most institutions, including Imperial, inations scheduled for last Tuesday or interest in the issue." She described dent support was mostly confined to have accepted the AUT's proposal that went ahead as planned. As Felix went most students as "sympathetic but NUS representation, students at the amount deducted be 1/365th of to press it was unclear whether any understandably concerned with their Aberdeen handed out stickers in the striker's pay. Pay deducted from students had skipped exams, but it own affairs". examination halls and joined in AUT staff should be given to the university's seems unlikely, suggesting wide• AUT action was more successful rallies. At most universities exams went hardship funds, but it was unclear at spread student apathy towards the elsewhere in London, with pickets and ahead, using non-AUT staff to Invigi• the time of going to print whether or strike. Ms Barker commented "stu• rallies generating much press inter• late, but at many campuses it was far not Imperial would take up this idea. dents ranged from those fully sup• est. Outside London a series of pick• harder to organise them than at Impe• Further industrial action may be in the portive and joining us on the picket ets and rallies ensured that the AUT rial. According to AUT sources Liver• pipeline for later this month and next line to those who had little information got its message across. Although stu• pool University was practically closed. year. Inside.. m Clayponds Approved L6tt6rS - Drugs & Porn 4 Editorial - Ed fills space 5 Clayponds is at last to be built a Vil• prepared to pay Ihe exlra rent in lage hall', after years of discussion By Ed Sexton order to get the hall built. Columns- Voice of Reason 6 and campaigning. The decision was If the project goes according to finalised at the Rector's Committee sonable for the project, but it could plan, the new building should be fin• Science - Herbal Remedies 8 on Student Residences, held last cost considerably less. Some money ished sometime next Spring Term, week, and should result in a new will almost certainly be provided by and possibly even by the end of 1999. Opinion - Cannabis II 9 social area for the hall, which is situ• the IC Trust, with the rest being gen• David Hellard, ICU President, was vety ated in South Ealing, opening in erated from increased rents: It seems pleased with the decision, but added Feature - Ghana 10 about a year's time. likely that residents of Clayponds will a cautionary warning on Ihe subject Details of the plans for building see their weekly bill increase by of increased rents; "presumably the Competition-Railcard 11 the social area were still vague as about £1.20 a week for the next five rents will drop back down after five Felix went to press, with neither col• years. Although many have sug• years." ReVieWS -The usual lot 12 lege nor ICU sources being able to gested it is a dangerous precedent to Dr Mark Tyrer, warden of Clay• confirm exactly how the project will fund hall projects by increasing rents, ponds, was unfortunately unavailable Sport - Clash of the Bars 23 be funded. It has been suggested a survey of Clayponds residents for comment at the time of going to that an upper limit of £120,000 is rea- revealed that 80% of them would be print. CrOSSWOrd -bySheep 24 2 News 1 June 1999 Tuition Fees: Where Are We Now? The recent demonstrations by students not covered by law, though, and fees at Leeds University (see last week's Felix) By Gareth Morgan have been rising. There are also 'hidden ISSUe 1147 are the latest in a long line of campaigns extras', such as library or internet access against the imposition of tuition fees. said that the Union, although supporting - there have been proposals to charge 1 June 1999 The most high-profile opposition to the students' claims, felt that the demon• Cambridge students for accessing web• fees has been at Oxford, where several strations had been counter-productive. sites based overseas. Editor: Ed Sexton students refused to pay on principle. Meetings could have taken place sooner Sir Ron Oxburgh, Imperial's Rector, Assistant Editor & Films: David Roberts They eventually capitulated in January, without the disruption, he said. has ruled out top up fees, which would Photographic Editor: Jonas Lindsay after losing the use of University facilities The only genuine success story so far have been added onto all students' Music Editors: Dennis Patrickson and severe pressure from their Colleges. has been at Goldsmith's College, as tuition bills. Some leading universities & Jason Ramanathan Students at Sussex University reported in Felix 1140. The High Court have contemplated differential fees, in Games Editor: Gary Smith stopped their occupation of the finance ruled in favour of the protesting stu• effect charging more for expensive Sports Editor: Gus Paul offices two weeks ago due to fears that dents, and prevented the College author• courses such as sciences, but no insti• Clubscene: Giles Morrison, it was preventing students from collect• ities from interfering with the education tution has spoken out on either side of Gurminder Marwaha &Joel Lewis ing their grant cheques. of anyone who was genuinely unable the debate. The final power lies in the Arts Editor: Helena Cocheme After the demonstrations at Univer• to pay. hands of the Secretary of State for Edu• Science Editor: Alokjha sity College London last term, meetings Meanwhile, there are increasing cation, David Blunkett, who can block have been taking place between stu• fears that the crisis in University funding any efforts by universities to charge addi• dents and staff in an attempt to resolve could result in further fees and costs for tional fees. i the situation. UCL Union, whose failure students. Rumours of top-up fees, dif• Despite the fees, many universities to support the occupations drew criticism ferential fees and even outright privati• will still suffer a drop in funding next year from both students and London Student, sation abound, although no institution of up to two percent, prompting many are involved in the negotiations. Com• has levied extra charges on Undergrad• people to wonder where the money has munication Officer Ollie Burbage-Hall uate degrees. Postgraduate courses are gone. Big Tutor is Still Drought Continues Watching You The eyebrows of sta• grals. Once again The cameras in the BMS building, tisticians have been By All Campbell Union staff were lit• allegedly used to catch out rowdy raised all over Impe• tle help in providing medics In lectures, have found their rial College this week, as once again inspiration, merely laughing hysteri• way into the Times Higher Education the summer term proves to be devoid cally when probed, but it seems likely Supplement (THES). First discussed in of any interesting news. that this is just sour grapes due to 'Mish Mash', Felix issue 1144, an article Although this perceived drought their incarceration in the Union build• appeared on page 2 of THES on 21 May. Is your seems to be far less severe than it ing during such beautiful weather The cameras and microphones in was last year, where space-wasting Chris Ince, Deputy President (Finance the building's lecture theatres are sup• articles were given the glory of the & Services) was heard to comment "I posed to be there to aid communica• pint really front page, Felix is still struggling to hate Unions", although it was later tion, and allow remote lecturing. find anything at all worth writing revealed he had in fact said "Onions". However, some students have claimed about. The editor of Felix, Mr Ed Sex• The situation seems so desperate that the surveillance equipment could necessary? ton, was heard to comment: "There's that allegations of "news-fixing" are be used to "identify the trouble-makers", no bloody news! Where's my lighter?" rife, with one intrepid amateur jour• according to THES after speaking with Senior statistician Mr J Monkey nalist allegedly considering staging his Wade Gayed, ICSM President.