News p5 Features p16 My Degree p14 University Press adopts We talk to some Straight from the horse’s a giant panda cub. overactive freshers about mouth: an architect prepares Rejoicing ensues. their experiences for Saturday’s revels FRIDAY 19TH NOVEMBER 2010 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1947 ISSUE NO 730 | VARSITY.CO.UK Student assaulted Cambridge le mobilises against cuts near Grange NOAH B. KATZ Road area ABTIN SADEGHI A female Wolfson student was assaulted at around midnight on Tuesday at the junction of Sidgwick Avenue and Grange Road. The attacker was described as a dark-haired male, wearing a leather jacket. Based on the description given, it has been suggested that the same attacker may have assaulted a Robinson student last Thursday morning on Adams Road. The Senior Tutor at Wolfson Col- lege, Dr Jane McLarty said that “neither student was hurt and noth- ing was stolen” but they “were both very upsetting incidents for the women concerned.” According to a Wolfson College student said that “Cambridge was a very safe city overall, but some Businesses and banks to be targeted as student activists claim “it is just the beginning” areas feel really deserted, particu- larly at night. things are really heating up. We fl ags and music. But we will stop and panel will consist of an “academic “The recent assaults have made TRISTAN DUNN & NATASHA PESARAN have had a lot of new faces at meet- protest outside every locale which training session in how to go about me much more wary and vigilant Following national protests last ings and new names added to our has a stake in what’s going on. doing direct action in a way that has whilst coming home from a night week, the Cambridge left are plan- email list. We’re hoping the teach-in “After the march, we will see what political impact but does not cause out,” she said. ning further action to voice their and demonstration next week will the vibe is like. I don’t know what any damage to persons or property.” Following the incident, many col- anger at government proposals. build interest and new involvement. will happen. If people want to con- Speakers include the socialist leges have sent precautionary emails Cambridge Defend Education, We’re doing everything we can to tinue protesting, we will go with it.” writer Richard Seymour, CUSU to their students, urging them to be a student organisation which was get the word out.” Sixth-form students from around President Rahul Manisgani, and careful when venturing out late at started in October to fi ght funding A demonstration will take place Cambridge will stage a walk-out on professors from the University night. cuts and fee increases, have decided next Wednesday, starting outside the same day and join the protest. of Cambridge and King’s College Dr McLarty advised students to to hold a teach-in on Sunday to raise Great St Mary’s at noon. Cambridge Defend Education will ,London. take a “common sense approach” awareness, to be followed by a dem- The group will march through also hold a “teach-in to fi ght to fees Cambridge Defend Education’s by “keeping to well-lit areas when onstration in Cambridge city centre Cambridge targeting businesses and cuts” at King’s and Clare, which promotional material says they hope coming home at night” and trying to next Wednesday, which will coincide and institutions that are in some includes a number of talks, discus- the event will “shake up the debate “travel with companions if going to with a walk-out of sixth-form stu- way linked to the cuts. In particu- sions and workshops. on education funding, train up to and fro, late at night in the Grange dents from the Cambridge area. lar, banks and the phone company, The title of one panel discussion resist cuts, fees and outsourcing” Road area.” A member of Cambridge Defend Vodafone, which has come under had to be changed after King’s Col- and “build a movement to defend The assault comes weeks after Education told Varsity, “A lot of charges of tax evasion, have been lege expressed anxiety about its education.” Varsity conducted an investigation people were saying at the time, and singled out. radical overtones. The group estimates that between into street safety. The investiga- this was repeated by ministers and A member from the group told Var- The panel, which was originally 200 and 300 students will attend. tion revealed Grange Road as being others, that the protest last week sity, “Once everyone is assembled entitled ‘Direct Action Workshop’, All members of the campaign who a higher-risk area for student was just the beginning. But that’s we will march through Cambridge. was renamed ‘Sharing Stories of commented wished to remain anony- assaults, with two female students the reality. We’re not done yet. It won’t just be a ramble, there will Activism’ at the College’s behest. mous as an expression of the group’s from Homerton being assaulted ear- “Since the protest last week, be people leading the parade, with According to a spokesperson, the democratic collectivist policy. lier in the year. Corpus JCR leaves Dean criticises press A royal connection for Explore careers at the News Interview: Sir The Question p12 CUSU treatment Cambridge? European Union Martin Gilbert Corpus In an overwhelming 71% Dr Priyamvada Gopal, Dean Cambridge residents are The European Union (EU) Renowned historian and offi - disaffi liation: vote, Corpus Christi JCR of Churchill College, has criti- excited to learn that newly is in the market for talented cial biographer of Winston Is CUSU has decided to disaffiliate cised sensationalistic coverage engaged couple Prince William graduates looking to build Churchill, Sir Martin Gilbert from CUSU. In the wake of of the College in national and and Kate Middleton are likely careers as EU civil servants. has written over 80 books. useful? the decision, Varsity consid- international press, after Free- to take the titles Duke and Varsity spoke to David Lid- Varsity sat down with him ers the value that CUSU dom of Information requests Duchess of Cambridge, accord- ington, the Europe Minister, to discuss the ways in which provides and the impact the were used to obtain student ing to bookies. The Palace has about the opportunities avail- colliding historical narra- 46 > disaffi liation would have on disciplinary reports for the so far remained tight-lipped able and the skills graduates tives have contributed to the CUSU’s budget. ❯❯ p3 last fi ve years. ❯❯ p4 on the issue. ❯❯ p7 need to be successful. ❯❯ p6 Middle East confl ict. ❯❯ p8 9 771758 444002 19th November 2010 Something to say? 2 EDITORIAL www.varsity.co.uk [email protected] Online this week Established in 1947 ARTS COMMENT Issue No 730 Handsome wretch, Conrad Old Examination Hall, Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3RF Steel on why Harry Potter is Telephone: 01223 337575 Fax: 01223 760949 so bloody good. NEWS Storm clouds gather as student movements prepare to carry on the fi ght for Corpus disaffiliation higher education orpus’s decision to disaffl iate from CUSU has met a whether their JCR is affi liated or not, the affi liation fee mixed response from the wider student community, is essentially an expensive goodwill gift from the college Calthough the reaction of the majority is probably the communities. SPORT endemic (and ill-advised) indifference that seems to dog There is also the troubling and terminally unanswered most CUSU activity. question of what exactly CUSU do. Varsity, with CUSU’s Catch up on thrills and In Varsity this week, Clare College JCR President help, has tried to shed some light on this murky topic this spills of Botswana’s No.1 meat packing James Tiffi n claims that Corpus have deprived “CUSU of week. football team a considerable chunk of their funds , which means that the Calling for disaffi liation seems churlish when there are services they are able to offer could be severely diminished more interesting questions at hand. We ought not ask this time next year. If every JCR committee decided that whether CUSU should exist or not, we ought to ask if it they didn’t want to pay, CUSU could not function.” is effi cient, if it is meeting the needs and demands of the Fortunately, Corpus JCR have offered an eloquent student population and if it ought to be run for less. defence of their position, accompanied by fi gures that make Importantly, Corpus point out that affi liation fees Tiffi n’s comments seem hyperbolic. Corpus’s affi liation constitute 20% of the CUSU budget. The onus is upon fee constitues only 0.6% of CUSU’s budget – hardly ‘a CUSU to prove that they cannot provide necessary services considerable chunk of their funds.’ with 80% of their budget. Unfortunately, CUSU aren’t Inside this week particularly vocal on this topic. As long as JCRs remain in he source of CUSU’s problem is confusion and the dark about what exactly it is that CUSU do, it will be consequent ignorance about what services affi liation easy to persuade them to disaffi liate. If only TCS would do FEATURES Tfees provide. Since all students are automatically their owners a favour every once in a while, CUSU might entitled to the services CUSU provides, regardless of be able to get their message out. Five freshers spill the beans about what they’ve been This implies that I invented abolish fees entirely. the proposed reduction in fees doing in their fi rst term Le ers to the the story and deliberately Regardless of later was baffl ing when considered misled in my article.