Glasgow University 3rd March 2009 Scottish Student Newspaper of the Year Gran Master Bolivin' la vida loca Claire Strickett is impressed by Clint Robin Perkins joins the carnival Eastwood in what could be his last role at Bolivia's cultural celebration Film Features Scholarship initiative is Seats left announced Ishbel Begg vacant in THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES Kennedy MP, last week launched this year’s Glasgow University Talent Scholarship drive. Designed to aid students who student could face financial difficulties in taking up their place to study at Glasgow, fifty scholarships worth £1000 are being awarded each year. Mr. Kennedy, the current University rector, delivered the elections15 out of 20 positions at the SRC awards to the first 76 beneficiaries News Staff have been left either uncontested of the scholarship at a ceremony THE FOUR MAJOR STUDENT or unfilled. attended by recipients and donors. organisations at Glasgow University Both the SRC and GUU have only Kennedy told Guardian why he is have announced the nominations one candidate for their President. The promoting the scheme. for their upcoming elections, and a SRC will be holding an election He said: “It’s about widening number of governing positions have with just one nominee, Laura Laws, the opportunity for people from been left without candidates. while the union has announced its backgrounds where financially The elections for all four of the new president, Chris Jubb, ahead of they wouldn’t be able to come to organisations will be taking place the elections. university, although they’ve got the this week, although many of the The QMU has three candidates academic qualifications to do it. important jobs have no students for its presidency, but a number of “I was the first member of my running for them. other board positions are currently family ever to go to university, and The Students’ Representative without nominees. I’m the youngest of three, but my Council (SRC), Glasgow University In contrast, GUSA’s elections are parental income was such that I quali- Union (GUU) and Queen Margaret set to be one of their most-con- fied for a full maintenance grant. But Union (QMU) will be holding tested for years, with two students suppose I had been the eldest of three, by-elections later in the month for competing for its head position and and there were two other mouths to some of their most crucial spaces, 20 nominees for the six Ordinary feed, I wonder if that would have after the initial nominations process Member places available. been a contributing factor. resulted in too few applicants. (Continued on pages 2 and 3) Sean Anderson (Continued on page 5) Occupation members come under fire A TOTAL OF £673.27 WAS RAISED FOR George Binning we would have been able to raise significantly “Without enough notice you can’t expect the DEC appeal on the University’s fundraising more money.” people to drop everything to do the collection, day. However the preceding occupation of the charity sends 49% of its proceeds to help chil- Raymie Kiernan, a representative of the we got as many people as possible on a shift Computer Sciences Department provoked a dren in Palestine. Stop the War Coalition (SWC) rebuffed, criti- rotation for the four cans we signed out.” wave of complaints from students in Glasgow. Although around 30 students took part in cising the haste and lack of consultation with There were also concerns as to the aggres- The occupying activists had won their the occupation, the group only signed out four which the day was organised. sive nature of a number of the slogans that the demand to publicise the DEC Appeal but were collection tins for the whole fundraising day. He said: “The fundraising day wasn’t group chanted. The SRC took a strong line of heavily criticised for both their low turnout on Gavin Lee, president of the SRC, criticised the organised properly, the agreements weren’t disapproval against the reported antagonism. the fundraising day and their refusal to collect occupiers’ lack of positive action saying: stuck to and the university didn’t give much President Gavin Lee told Guardian that the for Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli-based “We’re extremely disappointed that those notice that it was happening and that had a council had received anxious reports from charity that supports children from developing who called for the fundraising day didn’t actu- serious impact on the money raised. Everybody students across campus. nations who suffer from heart disease. The ally support it. Had more people participated knows Friday is not a busy day.” (Continued on page 4) 2 NEWS [email protected] 3rd March 2009 IN BRIEF 14% rise in students applying to Glasgow THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW HAS seen undergraduate applications rise by 14.3 per cent this year. The rise is the biggest increase for any of the Russell Group institutions, a group of the top 20 research-intensive universi- ties in the United Kingdom, which includes Oxford, Cambridge and the London School of Economics. Figures released by the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) show that home, EU and international applica- tions to Glasgow, including applications in 2009 for entry in 2010, rose from 21,147 in 2008 to 24,171 for 2009. Fiona Andrews, Director of the Jim Wilson Recruitments, Admissions and Participations Service believes the rise in figures reflect the University’s increasing stature as a leading institute. Geography scheme goes ‘Global’ She said: “We are delighted to see an Ross Mathers Vanessa Collingridge have already shown their He said: “The RSGS, through initiatives increase in applications to Glasgow which support for the scheme. like Global, aims to help make these connec- speaks volumes for the reputation of the STUDENTS AT GLASGOW UNIVERSITY, Dr. Gordon Curry of the Department of tions between people, place and the planet University and the high esteem in which in conjunction with the Royal Scottish Geographical and Earth Sciences, speaking to for the decision makers and geographers of our teaching and research activities are held, Geographical Society (RSGS), have launched Guardian, has argued that although there is a tomorrow.” both at home and abroad.” an initiative to encourage more people to study problem with Geography recruitment there is The initiative has already been piloted with Overall, applications for the Russell Geography at university. still success to speak of. Glasgow students Alyson Meeke and Emma Group’s 20 institutions rose 7 per cent year- The move comes as figures show the He said: “Although Geography recruitment Culley delivering a talk for school pupils. And on-year, with a total of 1,890,236 applica- number of students being recruited to study into Science Faculty declined last year, Earth it is now hoped that the scheme will be imple- tions made. Geography at Glasgow has been declining for Science recruitment increased. In a recent mented throughout all Scottish universities. the past three years. In 2006, 107 level one survey it was revealed that a higher proportion Speaking to Guardian, Emma explained the students were recruited through the Science of our Earth Science graduates were in full- ultimate aims of the initiative. New Director of Legal Faculty and by 2008 this number had dropped time employment or further study than for any She said: “Hopefully RSGS Global will to just 47 students. other UK Earth Science department.” help to dissolve the idea that Geography is just Practice announced While recruitments to the Earth Science Explaining the falling numbers of learning about rivers and capital cities, and course have been increasing gradually for Geography students, Mike Robinson, Chairman show the great range of things which can be DOUGLAS MILL HAS BEEN NAMED several years, the 2008 recruitment figures for of the RSGS, told Guardian that it was in part studied within the discipline.” as Glasgow University’s new Director of Geography are the lowest since 2000. down to applicants choosing newer subjects Mike Robinson of the RSGS claims Professional Legal Practice. The project, named ‘Global’, will be aimed over Geography. issues such as climate change make studying Mill, a Glasgow University graduate at engaging school pupils and will attempt to He explained: “Geography is not attracting Geography more crucial now than ever before. with 18 years’ worth of experience in introduce them to new and exciting concepts in as many students as it once did, but this is He said: “Geography is a brilliant subject private legal practice and 11 years as Chief order to bridge the gap between Geography at partly a consequence of the array of subjects for today’s students as it draws together science, Executive of the Law Society, will be school and at university. now available and partly a low image and self arts, humanities and the environment. working to strengthen the Department of In addition, membership of the RSGS will esteem, so there is no question that it needs to “It is a way of teaching citizenship, respon- Law’s links with the legal profession as be widened to allow for a younger group. The do more to promote itself.” sibility, giving a sense of place in the world and well as managing the return of the Diploma BBC’s ‘Coast’ presenter Nick Crane and the He therefore supports any attempts to encouraging joined up thinking, so it has never in Legal Practice. writer, broadcaster and Glasgow PhD student increase in interest in Geography. been more critical.” Professor Tom Mullen, Head of the School of Law, told Guardian that the