19 The award-winning student newspaper of Imperial College . 03 “Keep The Cat Free” . Issue 1,458 10 ffelixelix felixonline.co.uk New Sabbs announced This week... Computing PhD student After an intense election season, next year’s arrested for fraud Sabbatical team have been chosen , see pages 4 - 5 Students say no to News, Page 2 An interview with dubstep smoking ban and grime producer, MRK1 Music, Page 15 A guide to some of the best short fi lms on the internet Film, Page 22 The Medics, as always, whomp IC in the JPR Cup Referendum blocked at Council, and felix survey shows 76% of students oppose the ban, see page 3 Sport, Page 34 2 felix FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2010 News Editor Kadhim Shubber NEWS [email protected] Imperial tightens security after thefts last month Computing student imprisoned academic year across all UK universi- ties, the UK Border Agency’s (UKBA) Points Based Immigration System stip- ulates, by law, that the College report when a student misses 10 ‘expected interactions’. These can range from ar- ranged meetings with staff to work deadlines. This news is unlikely to benefit the college’s standing with UKBA. Official material from the College states that it is now “a College regulation that stu- dents are required to attend to the satis- faction of the Head of Department”. The College has taken it upon itself to make sure that the scheme applies to non- LLawrenceawrence WWeetmaneetman Live! Editor currently being discussed and will be international students as well. announced over the next few days. The Huxley Building where Computing student Minzheng Du worked The Department of Computing, of There will also be extra campus-wide which Du was a student of, has been Imperial College is inviting local police patrols at weekend and CCTV pictures unwilling to comment on Du’s attend- into college and stepping up weekend will be used to monitor people “tailgat- MMattatt CColvinolvin a fraud offence and given a custodial ance in college before the incident in security after a number of “opportun- ing” others into buildings. sentence, following which he is due to December, casting further suspicion on ist thefts”. The security team will be frequent- be deported from the UK. Since he will the suitability of the regulatory system. Imperial College has reported a rise ly checking offices to see if they have An Imperial College international stu- no longer be present to complete his UKBAs involvement in university in “criminal activity” in the South been left unlocked, locking any that dent found guilty of fraud has been course he has now ceased to be a stu- policy across the country has not been Kensington area, stating that during they find and registering them in a da- imprisoned for six months and threat- dent of the College.” without its share of criticism. February there have been twelve op- tabase along with an inventory of valu- ened with deportation, throwing fresh Questions have been raised as to how Ashley Brown, current Imperial Col- portunist thefts on the South Kensing- ables left unattended. controversy on the College’s policy of Du was allowed to operate illegally out- lege Union President, voiced his disap- ton campus alone - all of which had no Westminster Council currently pro- monitoring students. side of Imperial despite the College’s proval of the introduction of the system evidence of forced entry. vide college with “SmartWater” to Minzheng Du, a 28 year old Chinese stringent policy on ensuring that the in a sabbatical blog post on the union The thefts have largely been in build- mark all of its equipment, and two po- national in his second year of postgrad- attendance of international students website last year, citing that “[it] looks ings which have immediate entrances lice officers have been assigned to as- uate studies, attempted to take an Eng- meets high government standards. set to be an exemplar of incompetent onto public roads, such as Mechanical sisting the college’s security during this lish language entrance examination for Newly introduced for the 2009-2010 bureaucracy”. Engineering, Huxley, Blackett and the time. the University of Warwick on the behalf RSM building. Students and staff are advised to of another person last December. He In order to try and crack down on register personal equipment with the was able to provide falsified identifica- thefts in the Huxley building, local police’s immobilise website, look out tion in order to achieve this; however, police will be setting up “crime preven- for suspicious activity and avoid leav- he made the critical error of providing tion desks” to give out advice and leaf- ing valuables lying around - especially exam invigilators with a passport photo University chiefs’ salaries soar lets informing people as to how they in areas such as college cafés and the that looked entirely dissimilar to his can reduce the likelihood of becoming library. own face. JJoannaoanna CCaiai operate very differently to educational a victim of crime. Anybody who witnesses anything or Du was one of a group of three in- institutions, and therefore offer much In addition to this, Imperial College’s anyone suspicious should contact Col- dividuals who were arrested and sen- higher salaries. security will be patrolling the area lege’s Emergency Security number on tenced in February in connection with The salaries of senior university staff Combined with the state funding more frequently whilst there is a lot of 4444 from any campus phone, or 0207 fraudulent behaviour concerning the have come under scrutiny after it has that educational institutions usu- people movement: at lunchtime and 589 1000 from any other phone. If pos- same examination. A statement from emerged that certain salaries have ally receive, top academics are seeing from 4pm until 6pm when people are sible, try to remember the description the Imperial College Press Office con- doubled or even tripled over the last their pay packets grow, amidst surveys typically leaving College. of any suspicious persons seen around firms that, “an international PhD stu- decade, far overtaking the salary in- showing that two-thirds of vice-chan- Measures for other buildings are campus. Sourced from live.cgcu.net dent at Imperial has been convicted of crease of the average higher education cellors believe tuition fees should be teaching professionals. increased to £5000. 19 The positions that are seeing this The idea of higher tuition fees for Felix, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BB. Tel: 020 7594 8072. swell in pay are mostly the vice-chan- students will no doubt serve to bal- . Fax: 020 7594 8065. Printed by The Harmsworth Printing Ltd, Northcliffe House, 03 cellors within universities, who are ef- ance out the cuts that all universities Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2BH Registered newspaper ISSN 1040-0711. fectively the heads of the university, as will face, and it is feared that junior Jigsaw font by typotheque.com. Congratulations you Iraqi giraffe twat! well as academic administrators, medi- lecturers will experience redundancies 1,458 . felix 10 Copyright © Felix 2010. [I owe you, Lizzy! -Ed.] cal consultants and scientists. as a consequence of the salary increase It has been found that there are cur- amongst senior staff as well as the omi- rently 80 vice-chancellors who earn nous funding cuts. This issue of felix was brought to you by: more than the Prime Minister, includ- The universities justify the soaring ing Imperial’s ex-Rector Sir Roy An- salaries of senior academic staff by ar- Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Prowling Deputy Editor Copy Chief derson, some of whom saw pay rises guing that competition amongst uni- Dan Wan Kadhim Shubber Gilead Amit Sasha Nicoletti of 15-20% last year alone, compared to versities requires an appealing remu- the average higher education teaching neration to attract the best academics Assistant Editors Online Editors Fashion Editor Clubs and Socs Editor professionals’ 45.7% pay rise over ten possible. Therefore, they argue that the Jovan Nedić Ravi Pall Kawai Wong Alex Kendall years. remuneration packages should also re- Charlotte Morris Chris Birkett Politics Editors: This dramatic rise in salary amongst flect these demands. Comment Editors Puzzles Captain James Goldsack senior higher education staff has been News Editor Business Editor Ravi Pall Sean Farres Katya-yani Vyas described as being hidden “behind the Kadhim Shubber Sina Ataherian Charlotte Morris James Lees clandestine world of remuneration Arts Editors committees”. Such committees are set News Reporters International Editor Science Editors Caz Knight Feature Editor up by each university to decide on the £429,000 Rox Middleton Tom Greany Brigette Atkins Rosie Milton Afonso Campos salary of staff by making comparisons Joanna Cai Nathan Ley Lucy Harrold with the salaries of other higher educa- Imperial College Rector’s Alex Karapetian Film Editor Dave Walsh tion institutions. annual salary Alice Rowlands Ed Knock Nightlife Editor Photography Renny Norman The comparable average salary be- Charlotte Morris Ben Smith Holly Farrer tween all the institutions continually Layout Editor Technology Editor Alex Karapetian Rox Middleton increases due to competition between Carlos Karingal Samuel Gibbs What’s On Editors Matt Colvin them for the best staff, as well as there Rachel D’oliviero Catnip Editor Lizzy Griffiths being simply a greater number of uni- £132,923 Music Editors Sports Editors Lily Topham Rhys Davies Ayyub Kamaludin versities. It is also said that these edu- Kadhim Shubber Mustapher Botchway Jamie Beal cational remuneration committees Prime Minister Gordon Alex Ashford David Wilson Coffee Break Editor Travel Editor Richard Howard make comparisons to private and com- Brown’s annual salary Luke Turner Indy Leclercq Charles Murdoch Dylan Lowe Stefan Zeeman mercial organisations, which generally felix FRIDAY 19 MARCH 2010 3 [email protected] NEWS Union consider smoking ban on campus Afonso Campos reports on Union Council’s deliberation upon the implications of a campus-wide smoking ban No smoking a national trend? fter smoking was banned in 2007 in all enclosed public and work spaces, the issue of smoking on campus is one that many universi- A ties began to take heed.