Hobbit man Awesome Alps How to build a house Kings of the Hill How Homo floresiensis The Outdoor Club’s summer Imperial students visit The Cross Country Club start rewrites human history, page 3 expedition, page 10 El Salvador, page 12 their season, page 24 The student newspaper of Imperial College ● Established 1949 ● Issue 1304 ● Thursday 4 November 2004 ● www.felixonline.co.uk Ball boom Over 500 students attended a successful Freshers Ball last Varsity match to be expanded Friday. uNEWS page 2 Dangerous drinks “There still remains a lot of into festival of sport confusion and misinforma- tion about what happens in By Dave Edwards PHOTO: IAN GILLETT an attack and what happens Editor if you are unfortunate enough to have your drink spiked.” Next term’s Varsity match, u COMMENT page 6 already one of the most pres- tigious events in Imperial Eastern experience College sport, is set for expan- Felix Arts enjoys a feast of sion. Under new proposals, Russian music at the Royal eight matches will be played Festival Hall. in one day across three differ- uARTS page 18 ent sports to celebrate friend- ly rivalry, good sportsmanship Not Neverland and enjoyment of the game. “Suffice to say that the plot Since 2003, the annual was predictable and the Varsity match has seen characters were about as Imperial Medicals Rugby interesting as the Sherfield Football Club take on Building.” Imperial College Union Rugby uFILM page 19 Football Club for the JPR Williams Cup. The cup is Frisbee fun named after former Wales full Imperial College’s Ultimate back and St Mary’s old boy Frisbee team, the Disc John Peter Rhys Williams, Doctors, took part in a begin- who made 55 appearances for ners’ tournament in Hyde his country during a success- Park. ful career. uSPORT page 22 The event was originally conceived to promote friendly rivalry and good sportsman- ship between the two sides, whilst also celebrating the high standard of rugby they can produce. In February this year, the match was played at Richmond in front of over 800 students, staff and guests. The Medicals triumphed 43–19 to retain the cup after winning the inaugural compe- tition 12–0. The 2005 JPR Williams The Disc Doctors Cup match will take place An Imperial Medicals player holds the trophy aloft following the 2004 Varsity Match as JPR Williams (front left) at Richmond on Wednesday looks on. In 2005, eight matches are set to take place across three different sports in an expanded competition 16 February. Under the new THIS WEEK plans, there will be seven yet, but this could change in sense of identity for sport at the rivalry between the two neously, with supporters free News page 2 other ‘Varsity matches’ future years as the Varsity Imperial.” sides without any ill feeling.” to walk between pitches and Science page 3 on the same day, played at match day could be expanded The proposals were revealed Supporters will be able the bar, enjoying whichever Comment page 6 Harlington, each putting an still further. to Felix by Morten Olesen, to purchase tickets either sport they choose. Around Campus page 8 Imperial College team up Richard Walker, Deputy vice chairman of Imperial for the whole day or just for Later, supporters and par- Careers page 9 against the School of Medicine. President (Clubs and College Union’s Athletic Clubs the JPR Williams Cup. Prices ticipants alike will be driven What’s On page 14 The other teams involved will Societies) of Imperial College Committee, who said: “It’s will depend on sponsorship to Richmond for the JPR be the men’s rugby second Union, told Felix: “It’s a fan- such a good way to promote but should lie in the region Williams Cup match, before page 16 Nightlife and third teams, the men’s tastic idea. By expanding of £5. returning to Imperial College Arts page 18 hockey first and second the Varsity match to more Coaches will leave South Union, where presentations Books page 19 teams, the women’s hockey sports, we will attract more “...a better sense Kensington and Charing will be made. There will be Film page 19 first team, and the men’s foot- people to play sport and to of identity for Cross Hospital for Harlington a points system in place Coffee Break page 20 ball first and second teams. spectate. This will bring peo- early in the afternoon. Hockey, throughout the day, with a Sport page 22 For logistical reasons, other ple together and promote a sport at Imperial” football and rugby matches special award presented to sports cannot be included as greater interest and a better will take place there simulta- the overall winning team. Felix 2 Thursday 4 November 2004 NEWS Issue 1304 Over 500 Editor students Dave Edwards Business Editor attend Numaan Chaudhry Science Editor successful Darius Nikbin Freshers Music Editor Andrew Sykes Ball Nightlife Editor Simon Clark By Dave Edwards Editor Arts Editor Paola Smith A total of around 530 stu- dents attended last Friday’s Books Editor Freshers Ball, held jointly by Martin Smith the City and Guilds College Union and the Faculty of Film Editor Physical Sciences Students’ Alan Ng Union. Careers Editors Dinner was enjoyed by Cassandra Aldrich engineering students in the Gabriella Silvestri Main Dining Hall and physi- cal sciences students in Sub Editors the Senior Common Room. Zaina Nobeebux Entertainment on the Stephen Spain Queen’s Lawn included live jazz, a casino, a bar and a Felix scalextric track. Beit Quad Ticket sales for the ball were Prince Consort Road initially slow, leading to fears London SW7 2BB over its viability. Previous large-scale balls have suf- Telephone: 020 7594 8072 fered heavy losses. However, Email: [email protected] in the week leading up to the Web: www.felixonline.co.uk event, tickets for engineer- ing students were completely Registered newspaper sold out, due in part to the ISSN 1040-0711 sterling work of Guilds offic- Copyright © Felix 2004 ers in traditional dress. After the ball, Martin Chong, Printed by Sharman and the Honorary Secretary of Company, Peterborough the City and Guilds College Union, who played a key role in organising the event, immediately made his feel- ings known by resigning from his position. New Bill to create nation of gamblers? Reading the newspapers so you don’t have to: Emily Gwyer looks at some of the week’s biggest national news stories Given that I’m writing this ate 80,000 new jobs without as well, arguing that it will being seriously faulty. before Tuesday, you can a significant increase in the be a tax on the poor. Others Which brings us nicely onto understand that I’m not par- numbers of gambling addicts, argue that, like the lottery, the other big story of the ticularly keen to talk about but it is interesting that those it is not a tax on the rich or week – the news that Iraqi the American presidential papers that usually shout the poor so much as on the civilian deaths are nearer election and end up as wrong the loudest about interfering stupid. 100,000 than the 10,000 previ- as the Evening Standard ‘nanny state’ legislation are The Gambling Bill was ously spoken about. This was (with their famous ‘It’s Gore’ suddenly the ones asking the read for the second time in picked up in a big way, as headline) was last time. The government to protect us. Parliament this week and it would be, by the anti-war election has been far and The Mail spoke about a poll was passed, but only after Independent, who reported away the biggest story of the which showed Britons were a large rebellion by Labour that half of the dead were last week, and with Tony Blair ‘overwhelmingly’ against the backbenchers who were women and children. The away signing the European new bill; but for those of us only won over after conces- report estimating the number Constitution, domestic news who read the poll results, this sions from Tessa Jowell, the of deaths was published in has been pretty slow. So what was a surprising conclusion. Culture Secretary, including a The Lancet last week and have the papers been talking The Telegraph was more possible cap on the number of was studiously ignored by the about? even-handed, reporting that super-casinos allowed nation- leaders on both sides of the The Daily Mail was get- 59% of Britons believe ‘adults wide. Expect further trouble Atlantic. ting pretty exercised, in a way should be treated as grown and many more concessions The newspapers were that only it can, about gam- ups and allowed to choose on this Bill before it is settled reduced to quoting Claire bling, even setting up a ‘Kill their leisure pursuits’ and not one way or the other. Short on the issue. No mat- the Bill’ petition on its web- just that 70% thought there The Sun had a good week ter how much sense she site. The Mail was not alone would be an increase in gam- too, with the astonishing dis- may be making, she isn’t – Guardian and Independent bling addiction as a result of covery of ‘Victoria Barkham’ exactly representative of the columnists came out against the plans. – a Labrador that, with the aid Government on this particu- the bill to legalise super-casi- The Archbishop of of a wig, looks exactly like the lar subject. nos as well – but Mail writers Canterbury also spoke out, former Spice Girl. They also We may, we hope, have some are the only ones able to do it saying the casinos would lead found time to get outraged action – or at the very least with such vigour.