The Student Newspaper of Imperial College Cults threaten Union Council disruption GARETH MORGAN Union officers have been warned may now use them. A recurring In the meantime, ICU President about the possibility of harass• issue has been the College Tasha Newton has issued a warn• Imperial College Union has been ment. branch of Christian Union. They ing about the 'London Church of warned of the chance of disrup• The Metropolitan Police are are prevented from becoming an Love', a group who are sending tion to tomorrow's Council by a apparently taking the matter seri• ICU club because their constitu• out email questionnaires, offering fundamentalist Islamic group ously; both Scotland Yard and tion requires their officers to sign the chance to become a priest. It called Almaha Sharin. The Uni• College Security may make their a declaration of faith, which con• asks for a credit card number, versity of London Union has alert• presence felt at Council. travenes the Union's equal oppor• which is then stolen, and the ed the London colleges, as the Religious groups who are not ICU tunities policy, but is required by owner threatened. Anyone who group are apparently threatening clubs were not given stalls at the their own funding rules. Christian receives this email should inform to disrupt Student Union meet• Freshers' Fair, and were prevented Union are currently trying to the Centre for Computing Ser• ings. The group has homophobic from using Union noticeboards rewrite their constitution in a way vices ([email protected]), enclos• and anti-Semitic views, and during October, although they that is acceptable to both parties. ing a copy of the email. Menigitis victim turns onto the road to recovery SUNIL RAO ly sad thing to happen, and I hope Early symptoms - a feeling of necessary if any of the following that he is in the thoughts and feverishness, nausea, severe symptoms are exhibited: Meningitis, the killer disease prayers of everybody at Imperial, headache, and a stiff neck and • a rash of small red bruises already notorious for hitting stu• and that we'll all be looking after back accompanied by joint pains that do not fade under pres• dents across the country, has each other even more closely - can appear characteristic of sure (say from a glass) struck again - this time much clos• now." influenza or a hangover. However, • a severe dislike of or feeling of er to home. On Saturday 30 The disease is caused by the within a matter of hours, this can unease at light October, a resident of Falmouth meningococcal bacteria which grow into something more seri• • a feeling of disorientation Keogh Hall (part of the Southside reside in the nose and throat and ous, so it is recommended that and/or drowsiness complex in Princes Gardens) was are passed on through prolonged you get a friend or friends to Further advice can be obtained admitted to hospital, with symp• intimate contact. There is no check up on you regularly. It is from the following sources, which toms of what was soon confirmed greater risk of catching the dis• absolutely imperative that you offer professional and confidential to be meningococcal septicaemia. ease from an affected person than seek urgent medical attention if advice: The student, a male Biochem• from the general public, unless these symptoms are not relieved • Imperial College Health Cen• istry fresher, is now apparently sta• you have been in extremely close by standard over-the-counter tre, Prince's Gardens - ring ble recovering, with his parents contact with the individual. As a medication. Although vaccination 020 7584 6301 (external), permanently by his bedside. He is precautionary measure people is now standard practice for First 49375 and 49376 (internal on the road to a long, slow but should be vigilant over the next Years, this does not offer protec• extensions) steady recovery. few days; be especially watchful of tion from all forms of the disease. • Meningitis Research Founda• When contacted, Tasha New• yourself and your friends as the Vaccinated students should not tion - 0808 8003344 ton, Imperial College Union Pres• symptoms can suddenly develop ignore possible symptoms. • The National Meningitis Trust ident, said "I think that it is a real• very rapidly. Prompt treatment is absolutely - 01453 768000 News Felix • 8 November 1999 Trinity reap the rewards of RAG GARETH MORGAN ULU; Costly White Elephant or glue that holds london together? Imperial College Union Rag Felix investigates the role of a raised over £11,000 last year, federal students union. and on 28 October cheques were presented to the four main chari• ties: Shelter, Avert (AIDS aware• ness and research), the Imperial Cancer Research Fund and Trinity Ten years ago everyone thought Hospice in Clapham. Sarah the world was doomed - so what Coburn, last year's Rag Chair, happened? thanked everyone involved in the fundraising for their help and pre• sented cheques for £2431 to ew each charity. This year's ICU Rag Week will felix interviews Chris Edwards, be 4-1 1 March 2000. The chari• principle of Imperial College ties are Alone in London, Hope School of Medicine for Children, the Dyslexia Institute Rag Chair, Sarah Coburn(left), presents Trinity Hospice the donation Photo: Jonas and the Red Cross Agent Orange Appeal. Although Rag week is the involved, contact Joint Chairs Hall, above dB's). If you can find Union focal point of the fundraising, Martin Lord and Farhad Cooper it, everyone is welcome. there will be events and activities on (0207 59)48099 or There will also be a sale ol The RCS return to give us the latest throughout the year, including the [email protected]. old Rag pint glasses in the JCR on on what they're up to. Friday night cloakrooms. There is a Rag meeting on Tuesday 16 November, 12-2. The For more information on Rag, Thursday at 1200, in the Rag price is simplay a donation to this or if you would like to get Office (behind the Union Dining year's Rag. s Breakpoint and Mishmash focus on the imminent replacement of In Brief the Rector. Joy. ical Science students studying at college seeking full university sta• PORTALOO UMDS. Having undergone a tus will have to demonstrate an feedback major £800 000 refurbishment impeccable record of quality over Michael Portillo, the former Secre• over the summer, Boland House, at least five years. Applicants will A slim postbag this week surely sug• tary of State for Defence, has been which bore the brunt of the flood• automatically fail if an institution gests I'm doing something wrong. selected as the Conservative can• ing, had only be open for three has received a single unsatisfacto• Most distressing. didate for the Kensington and weeks. The cost of repair will be ry grade in any quality assessment. Chelsea by-election. The safe met by insurers and Thames water. As well as several current appli• Tory seat was left vacant when cants, dozens of existing universi• Reviews Alan Clarke, the previous MP, died ties (including East Anglia and earlier this year. The constituency MCKINSEY MADNESS Leeds Universities) will also fall We go four-out-of-five tastic this does not include Imperial Col• foul of the rules if forced to re• week, with endless pages of quality lege's South Kensington campus Two Imperial College students apply under the new criteria. material itself, but residents of Evelyn Gar• were escorted from a McKinsey It is also understood that min• dens will be eligible to vote, on 25 Consulting presentation last Tues• isters are planning to adopt con• November. day night after one became the troversial plans to force institutions [Seven Days worse for drink. "They shouldn't to apply separately for degree have kept topping up our glasses," awarding powers at undergradu• We have a Diary Editor! Hurrah! KINGS FLOOD the more sober of the two later ate and postgraduate level. Expect content to improve. commented. One of Kings College medical school sites has been hit with a NO SEX PLEASE... major catastrophe after a a main ARE YOU A UNIVERSITY? water pipe burst. The resultant Felix would like to offer its regards On one hand a comedy profile, on flooding left to the brand new Ministers have announced strict to the couple who were caught in the other a fiendish crossword. building being submerged under rules governing the use of the title flagrante delicto in the Maths six feet of water, causing millions "university" which will instantly locker room on Wednesday morn• of pounds worth of damage. The rule out bids for university status ing. Their identities remain ort building in question is situated on from at least 1 1 higher education unknown, due to the fortuitous the Guy's Hospital site near Lon• institutions. layout of the lockers. We didn't More impressive performances this don Bridge, and is the main site Any college aspiring to univer• think that anyone here had it in week - silverware begins to beckon. for Medics, Dentists and Biomed• sity college status or any university them. 8 November 1999 . Felix News 3 Cocktail of Chaos Major Mines Makeover JAMES HOLIAN peak when one undergraduate RICHARD HOEY member of the Chemical Engineer• The annual fresher's chemical engi• ing department was found face Funding shortages have disrupted neering cocktail party was a night down on the concrete just off the plans to refurbish the Royal School most of the revellers would like to main walkway. Having consumed a of Mines. The building is amongst forget. The Chemical Engineering plentiful amount of alcoholic cock• the shabbiest in the University, but Society had planned a lightly alco• tails it was thought that the delin• a full makeover would have cost a hol fuelled evening of November 2, quent may be suffering from toxic massive 90 million pounds.