Issue 591, 16 Jan 2004 THE INDEPENDENT CAMBRIDGE STUDENT NEWSPAPER www.varsity.co.uk Cambridge Power100 of computing and security in an increas- The list was researched in a number of 47 percent of the total, women comprise Jo Hartley and Daud Khan ingly insecure world. ways, both through an open appeal to 23.4 percent of those. Varsity can today unveil the most From James Crawford, President of candidates and through investigation into This list reinforces Cambridge’s repu- powerful people in Cambridge. The International Law Commission, to the ‘al- the brightest and brightest stars in our tation as premier scientific institution, most talented, innovative and influ- most famous’ Sarah Solemani, a West End bubble. It was a project that began in with 20% of the list made up of scientists, ential people attached to the performer, the list comprises a cross sec- summer 2003, and has been constantly in with seven of these Nobel Laureates. University have been scouted out tion of fellows, academics and students, flux, with updates as to who was achiev- Student-wise, we have Entrepreneurs and are exposed in our exclusive all of whose credentials had to undergo ing what up to the moment we went to such as Azim Mumtaz, who is hoping to four page supplement. rigorous analysis in order to be kept on the press. As compilers of the list, we were secure easy to use solar energy systems for The internationally acclaimed Ross list. The list includes Nobel Laureates and keen to include a wide cross section, but third world countries. These could poten- Anderson sits at the top of the list. He is Fields Gold Medalists. Cambridge is there was no criteria or statistics to fill tially be used by any household to secure renowned for his work in international stuffed with people whose positions are other than needing to be powerful. This electricity and would alleviate the plight security systems covering a vast range internationally recognised even if their is a list that is subject to no quotas or ex- of millions of people. from banking and ATM security to pa- faces and names aren’t. Lord Wilson, who ternal agendas. This resulted in women With a host of talent such as this with- tient confidentiality and involvement ranks fourth place in the list, is former comprising just ten percent of the top in City’s boundaries, Cambridge cannot with nuclear weapons. The fact that head of the civil service and sits on the 20 positions and 15 percent of the whole fail to continue to attract the finest minds Anderson is top reflects the importance Board of BskyB. list. In terms of students, which comprise of the future. The region’s best guide to what’s on – see next Thursday’s Cambridge Evening News NEWS EDITORS: JONATHAN WOOD, BENJAMIN BLAND, LAURA-JANE FOLEY 02 Jan 16, 2004 www.varsity.co.uk What’s inside... News pg2 Going over the top-up Oxford don attacks Cambridge interviews, King’s rent strike Richard’s article, published on Cambridge’s proposals to introduce undiminished. He believes that Mr. ends and the attractions of lust Amol Rajan Tuesday, comes in the wake of a bursaries of £4,000 for students from Clarke’s ultimatum to Labour MPs Features pg6 Cambridge Vice-Chancellor: frenzied national debate over top-up poorer families will be unaffected by amounts to “emotional blackmail”. Clarke’s proposals are not enough fees. In a bid to appease Labour Mr Clarke’s changes. This could CUSU in conjunction with Pulling power - one man’s Alison Richard has said that the rebels, Charles Clarke last week mean students have up to £7,000 a Cambridge MP and top-up rebel mission to return to true government’s proposed Higher amended his initial proposals to year whilst at Cambridge, and no Anne Campbell have also launched romance Education Bill does not go far offer students from poorer families fees to pay before graduation. an on-line survey to find out what Comment pg7 enough in addressing the funding up to £3,000 a year, to cover the cost CUSU President Ben Brinded says students really think about fees. A look at animal rights and crisis of Britain’s Universities. of their higher education. that his opposition to top-up fees is See varsity.co.uk for the survey wrongs, and the capture of Writing in The Guardian, the Students from homes earning Saddam University’s Vice-Chancellor said under £15,000 a year will be given a chive that, “without a significant and £1,200 fees subsidy and a £1,500 pg8 rapid increase in our income, our means-tested grant from the govern- The Ordinary arsity Ar Your fun is their challenge position in the first rank of world ment for each year of their higher V universities will be in peril... teach- education. They will also be eligible ing is underfunded by at least £24m for annual £300 bursaries from their per annum”. universities. Student loans will rise Editorial pg10 Her comments reflect personal by £110. All outstanding debt shall Varsity’s view opinion rather than the university’s be written off after 25 years. official policy. Officially, the univer- The Education Secretary claims sity continues to believe that the that with these amendments no poor introduction of top-up fees will student would be worse off as a Interview pg12 deter students from poorer back- result of the Bill’s introduction. Robin Cook and his furry fer- grounds. Meanwhile, Varsity has learnt that ret POWER 100 pull out Bursaries assume Uni remains elitist The great and the good of Cambridge However, the university’s figures the extra funding that top-up fees the bursaries scheme, was disap- Tim Moreton assume that the undergraduate were meant to provide. pointed when Varsity approached A Varsity investigation has sug- body’s make-up remains as it is at Cambridge is unlikely to be able him with its analysis, but empha- Listings pull out gested that Cambridge present, where only 10% of stu- to sustain such a cost. Last year it sised the importance of mainte- Your four-page guide to what’s University’s scheme of mainte- dents’ parents earn less than made a loss of £4m and several of nance bursaries for poor students. on this week nance bursaries, will rapidly be- £15,000, the lowest proportion of its colleges are running annual He said: “This issue highlights that come unaffordable if it actually any university in the country except deficits of more than £1m. if the university is going to meet the Fashion pg13 succeeds in improving access. London. Its other options would be to requirements of the Office for Fair The scheme, predicated on the Cambridge’s bursary scheme will scale back the bursary scheme, or Access, and charge higher fees, it A guide to the best charity university charging the full £3,000 provide assistance to students with push the Government to increase needs to maintain its commitment shops in Cambridge fee, plans to provide annual grants parental incomes of up to £35,000 – tuition fees. Although Charles to widen participation.” of £4,000 to the poorest students, a group who make up a third of Clarke has ruled out any increase in Charging the full £3,000 top-up Travel pg14 with support on a sliding scale for Cambridge students but two-thirds this Parliament, fees of just over fee will give the university a signif- students with parental incomes less of undergraduates nationally. £4,000 would allow Cambridge to icant windfall for the first few Getting away from it all as than £35,000. Cambridge estimates If Cambridge’s intake became follow its original plan and receive years, but the bursaries’ financial Varsity uncovers the world’s that the cost will be around £8m per representative of the national stu- around £12m additional income continuation depends, perversely, hidden hotspots year, paid for out of the £20m addi- dent population, the bursaries after the cost of the bursaries. on Cambridge failing to reform its Arts pg15 tional income it stands to receive would cost the university more CUSU President Ben Brinded, image as an elitist institution. from top-up fees. than £17m per year – virtually all of who played a part in formulating Two fingers up to an OBE - Zephaniah and other ‘refuseniks’ Music pg16 Downing deny bullying The King’s Non-Mingle, musi- sions, the best known of which came accused her of “inflating her daugh- tence to be told she was wrong; cal resolutions for 2004 and a Archie Bland from Laura Spence. ter’s alleged experience into an Downing denies this. She also guide to student bands An Oxford University admissions Downing’s robust response, attack on the whole Cambridge sys- described her daughter watching Film pg17 tutor has claimed that her daugh- signed by the master, the senior tem of interviewing”. In a break while, in “a final humiliation”, “one ter was “bullied”and “intimidated” tutor, and the admissions tutor, from normal practice, the letter dis- interviewer cut short the other mid- The lowdown on College films in a Downing College interview. called Dr Chatty’s account of events cusses specific details of the inter- question to announce that he and ‘Lost in Translation’ But Downing is to hit back in a “thoroughly distorted,” “inexcus- view. Dr Chatty alleged that her thought that was enough and the strongly worded letter to the Times able,” and “disturbing”. They daughter had been cut off mid sen- interview was over.” Downing says Theatre pg18 Higher Education Supplement “neither interviewer recalls doing Brenton’s ‘Bloody Poetry’ at (THES) which has been shown to so”, but that if they did, it was to the ADC Varsity.