SP The student newspaper of Imperial College Issue 1036 FELIX October 13th 1995 Rag Man Awash with Free Spirit BY ALEX FEAKES the Rag idea. As an incentive, IC Rag Chair, Richard Willis, drinks were offered to is facing a union disciplinary prospective raggies, a common committee after giving out free practice for freshers' events, and whisky and vodka at the club's one endorsed by the Union. meeting last Friday. Unusually in this case, the drinks College security were offered where strong spirits such alerted after a fresher was found as vodka and whisky, not the incapacitated from alcohol on the normal beer or wine. The spirits Sherfield walkway last Friday were bought off campus and afternoon. The first year consumed at lunchtime, just a biochemist had been attending few days after the Union stated the Rag Freshers' event in the that it did not approve of Union Ents Lounge at lunchtime, lunchtime drink promotions. where free shots of spirits where Concern has been expressed being offered as incentives to get as to how the fresher got into involved. such a state, especially as the The fresher was found by people at the meeting were the newly appointed Project limited to two shots of spirits, Manager of Estates, Ian Frame, in one at the beginning and one at a 'barely conscious state' outside the end. One person said that the the Bookshop. Mr Frame, fresher had been acquiring drinks concerned for the young man's throughout the meeting, and that health, alerted security, and the Mr Willis, seeing the fresher was fresher was subsequently the worse for drink at the end of escorted to the Health Centre in the meeting, advised him not to Princes Gardens. After have another. The fresher was examination, the Health Centre later seen buying a pint of strong were satisfied that he was in no cider in Da Vinci's, before being danger and contacted Mr Willis PlidtoiWilliam Loronz taken to the JCR 'to find a with regards to the incident. In control of one's faculties: Richard Willis at Tuesday's council. coffee' by a friend. When they The Rector has been made were on the walkway, near to the aware of the incident, and has increasing across college in the least once. JCR, the first year collapsed, and also received a copy of the wake of a spate of media reports The Rag Freshers' Meeting his friend went to find help. One security report. Concern at the in which Imperial College has was just a short 20 minute levels of student drinking are been mentioned explicitly at gathering to introduce freshers to continued on page 2 Eric Allsop is New Council Chair Accommodation Worries Summer fears that the main overwhelmingly voted in as IC students are increasingly decision making body of ICU council chair. Much of the first becoming victims of unscrup- would start the new year without meeting was spent in heated ulous letting agents. One group a chairman were allayed on discussion of the proposed union say they lost £350 to a leaser Tuesday when Eric Allsop was move to Sherfield. Page 2 they cannot trace. Page 3 TWO . FELIX FRIDAY OCTOBER 1 3TH 1995 NEWS Hizb-ut-Tahrir Strike Again BY ANDY SINHARAY sexist and homophobic. An extremist Islamic group The student went on to who were caught illegally theorise that some young male exhibiting at Freshers' Fair last Muslims were drawn to the week appears to have struck group not so much due to its again. ideology as its notoriety. It is believed that Hizb-ut- Other students reported the Tahrir, a group entirely separate unsolicited delivery of leaflets at from IC's own Islamic Society, Falmouth-Keogh Hall, though have been attempting to none of the staff nor security distribute unsolicited leaflets personnel appeared to be aware through departmental pigeon of their distribution. The holes as well as putting leaflets Warden of the Hall, Professor under students' doors in Prince's Geoffrey New, said, "It's very Gardens. Reports have reached difficult to control. If it's a Felix of literature being placed in student I'm not really sure what the departments of Physics and we could do to stop it." Aeronautics, issued by what calls Though it has come to light itself the "Hizb-ut-Tahrir that more othodox Muslims have Cultural Commitee", although it had leaflet campaigns in the is unclear whether or not IC Prince's Gardens area, Hizb-ut- students are responsible. Tahrir have been similarly One orthdox Muslim distributing material. Felix did student who did not wish to be attempt to contact Hizb-ut- identified, seemed to have taken Tahrir on the contact telephone the law into his own hands and number that had been given on Sitting down: Eric Allsop takes the chair Photo:William Lorcnz disposed of some of the the leaflet. The number itself literature himself having seen it turned out to be a switchboard The vacant position of meeting was taken up with talk in his department. He said that extension of a company which Imperial College Union Council of the proposed Union move to the majority of Muslims distance had said it didn't have knowledge Chair was filled by a Mechanical Sherfield. The mood of Council themselves from Hizb-ut-Tahrir of any religious groups. Engineering Postgraduate, Eric was clearly hostile to any "and it's quite common to see Hizb-ut-Tahrir were Allsop, in a two man contest on relocation away from Beit Quad, people go up to them... and ask particularly active last academic Tuesday night. The post had with many questioning the what they're doing and why." year when their behaviour was become vacant because the practicality of cohabitation with However, he seemed condemned by London Colleges intended incumbent, Vinod the administration. surprised at the apparent including KCL, SOAS, and the Fernandez, is no longer at Following protracted, and tameness of the literature itself; University of London Union Imperial. The first meeting of often heated discussion, Council "They've never been that quiet itself, which consequently the year had to fill a number of unanimously agreed to back before... they've been quite open banned them from its premises. vacant posts, including that of ICU's approach of arguing for about what they do." Set up in On Wednesday Brunei Women's Officer. the best facilities in a possible the 1950s the group, which University shut down its own After considerable diff- Shcrfield-based Union, while claims to have been continually union's Islamic Society as it had iculties were experienced in the campaigning for the extension misrepresented, has been widely been so overrun with Hizb-ut- election of the four Ordinary of the existing base in Beit accused of being anti-semitic, Tahrir members. Members, the bulk of the Quad. continued from page 1 raised the matter at a Union get them from an off-license. commendable'. However, Matt raggie said that 'He didn't seem Finance Committee, and Responsibility for the Crompton stated in a any worse than many other received assurances there, and incident is confused, with a letter memorandum that he held it to people get throughout the year.' later from Matt Crompton, Dep. from Security seemingly be, 'the responsibility of the A spokesman for Rag said Pres. Finance and Services, that absolving Richard Willis from society concerned to control the that Mr Willis had been very the idea was acceptable blame, saying that 'every effort quantity and ensure that people careful about obtaining 'assuming that he was aware of was made to ensure that new do not have too much to drink...I permission for the event, the licensing rules'. When Mr students were not encouraged to think that it is the- responsibility especially with regard to the Willis inquired at the bar in order over-indulge,' and that his actions of Rag to ensure that they didn't funds for the drinks. He had to get the spirits, he was told to following the event were 'highly drink to excess.' FELIX FRIDAY OCTOBER 1 3TH 1995 . THREE NEWS Rowing Row BY TOM However, neighbours of the Controversy still surrounds Putney Embankment site claim the proposed extension of that the expansion will destroy Imperial College rowing club's the character of the local area. boat house. "College is bending over The club hopes to receive backwards to accommodate local planning permission for the £1 residents wishes," Mr Murray million project in November, but said. He claimed that after five years of planning and consulations with those affected nine months of consultation, have resulted in 6 - 7 changes local residents are still unhappy and modifications to the plans. with the scheme. Bill Mason, Boat Club Coach Sports and Leisure Manager says that they have a water tight Frank Murray insists that the case for the spend. Imperial extension is a vital upgrade of College rowers have won just facilities that have remained about every major competition in more or less unchanged for the the last few years. last sixty years. When it was built Tim Townend, Deputy in 1937, the designers did not see President (C&S) was unsym- the need to include women's pathetic to the locals' comp- shower rooms, or indoor training laints: "If they live on a river, facilities. what do they expect," he said. the local Trading Standards expand the student facilities in Officer. She also advises that a their current Beit Quad location complete inventory should be had not been considered. carried out with a witness, and On Tuesday night the BY JEREMY CLARKE and ask anyone with information this inventory be given to the Student Council voted to back a request to the College from the AND MARK of his whereabouts to contact agent or landlord.