The Student Newspaper of Imperial College 15 November 1999 : Issue 1157 Guilds Union forced to cancel again ANDREW OFORI President Dinesh Ganesarajah explained his intention was to try and The innovation of the City and Guilds keep the students entertained during Union is yet to impress its students, the winter term, viewing this as a forcing them to scale down their lat• weakness of Guilds in previous years. est venture. Mr Ganesarajah took the view C&GU intended to take a bus that risks needed to be taken in order load of students to Brighton on Sun• to find appropriate entertainment, day 7 November in support of Bo1 saying "The experimental nature of (the Guild's mascot) who was taking the previous events always meant they part in the veteran car run. The held the possibility of being unpopu• antique car successfully completed lar to the masses, hence the minimal the journey in 7hours. Unfortunately expenditure." with only 12 people showing any A few Guildsmen still made it to Brighton Photo: Archive He hopes that the combination of interest in the 72 possible places, him to the car run in their Guildsmo- the perimeter fencing and then stood a strong reputation and creative pro• C&GU was unable to justify the cost bile1. It was decided to go ahead if it by as Mr Butt appeared from behind duction will make the upcoming of the coach. could be done legally. They formed a wall and shot at them with a Super- C&G Fresher's Dinner a success. Despite the withdrawal of the bus an alliance With Chris Campbell, the soaker. The event is to be held in Sher• trip the Guilds had intended to take a London Student Editor, and arrived at This latest flop comes soon after field on Friday 1 9 November at 7pm. special guest supporter to Brighton Mr Butt's house on Sunday morning, the Star Wars party where only 35 out Tickets are available at Waterstones for the day - the ULU President. They only to learn they had been set up. Mr of a possible 100 tickets were sold and the CCS shop costing £15 for hatched a plot to kidnap and drive Campbell refused to let them through resulting in a loss of £236. C&GU Freshers and £1 7 for other students. Newton sets out plan for an NUS free future for all SUNIL RAO a bulk discount. The sheer size of Many student unions that disagree December, will present a range of this student market has resulted in with the political stance of the NUS options to the unions, including set• Imperial College Union is to host a NUSSL reaching the maximum level are remaining with it because of ting up a "Southern Services" group, conference for independent student of discounting that most suppliers NUSSL. Tasha Newton, ICU Presi• or expanding TUCO. Both would unions and those who are consider• can provide. However, a student dent, believes that the rate of disaf• offer considerable buying power for ing disaffiliating from the National union cannot be a part of NUSSL filiation will rise dramatically as members and be a viable alterna• Union of Students, with the aim of without paying a large subscription - soon as a local alternative that is tive to NUSSL. They would also setting up a buying consortium. This if ICU were to join, it would mean demonstrably as good is offered. allow ICU access to greater dis• would be an alternative to the paying around thirty thousand ICU buys from a range of sup• counts and therefore better value National Union of Students Services pounds annually. pliers including Northern Services goods. Limited (NUSSL), the NUS purchas• NUSSL is inextricably mired in (annual fee £25), a consortium set When contacted, Tasha Newton ing group. the politics of the NUS, and it is up to serve the Scottish Universities, commented, "This is potentially Currently, NUSSL provides a impossible to leave the NUS without and TUCO, the College purchasing something really exciting, but my platform to buy beer and other also leaving NUSSL [as described in group. priority will always be getting the goods that student unions require at Them and NUS in Felix 1155]. The conference, to be held on 4 best deals for IC students". 2 News Felix . 15 November 1999 Dawn of the Virtual University? ANDREW OFORI sity depicted large scale institutes versity) runs its courses in 15 linked to a global information states, 1 00 of them conducted via Advisor Martin Thomson pro• A new breed of virtual universities base. Educational institutes will the internet and television. vides some much needed quid- is set to change the face of further develop around digital connec• Wall Street has shown an inter• education, leaving traditional uni• tions and a demand, rendering est in the concept of the virtual versities "well and truly stuffed" existing universities useless. Sixth university, but its commercial via• according to 'Universities in the form colleges are predicted to bility is presently limited by regula• Future1. take their place. tions. Sir Alec Broers, the Vice In his book, Michael Thome, Electronic lectures (similar to Chancellor at Cambridge said We address1 one of the major Vice-Principal of Napier University, those currently underway in the "unless their government allows issues of the day in the way that discussed the vulnerability of Med School) will put an end to the them [universities] to operate as only Felix can. British universities. Virtual universi• face to face sessions and tutorials publicly traded corporations, their ties will offer students tailored will be a combination of video• growth will be limited by lack of learning where and when it is conferencing and e-mails. capital and... by their inability to Itlnion required, jeopardising the reputa• Coursework will be carried out generate maximum performance tion of Britain's Universities. online. by providing them with the oppor• "The image of the isolated A number of US universities tunity to build personal wealth Once again it's C&G Union's computer buff is no longer realis• have already taken the first steps through stock options". The former tic" commented the chief executive towards this method of teaching, principal of Strathclyde University, and why they exist. of the Scottish Higher Education Wester University has 15 000 stu• Sir Graham Hills was among those Funding Council, Professor John dents at 64 locations and the unconvinced by this new era, ask• 0gMwts§m p;:4;!^ip:''":-; --;:: : : Sizer. Southern Regional Electronic ing "What would we do with all the One view of the virtual univer• Campus (Similar to the Open Uni• professors?" leiephene; con'rous and politics seem to he the 1 of the day. In Brief SUMMER BALL CHAIR ing that time he oversaw the intro• tative body for the leaders of all The postbag'S'back up to it's nor• FINALLY ELECTED duction of IC's first Summer Ball. Britain's Higher Education institu• mal i " " 11 - He promised to keep ticket levels tions) looks set to effectively veto Last Tuesday's meeting of Imperi• below £50, and hinted that the government's new plans for al College Union Council saw the Alexandra Palace is now almost post 1 6 education, with Vice Pres• election process for this year's certain to house this year's Ball. ident Roderick Flaud suggesting ICU Summer Ball Chair reach a We'll bring you further develop• that "it is very unlikely that we will successful conclusion. After a ments as they happen. require any of the new qualifica• I wo major films - Fight Club and string of no-shows and failures to tions for entry to higher educa• Sixth Sense - receive ihe officio! find any willing candidates, two tion". If colleges and universities Felix ma\ of quality. Union members eventually put CVCP BLOCK NEW refuse to accept the new A-level their names forward, with Andy QUALIFICATIONS alternatives then it is believed that Heeps the run-away winner. Mr there will be no desire from Heeps was ICU President in the The Committee of Vice-Chancel• schools or students to implement 1 997-98 academic year, and dur• lors and Principles (the represen• the new scheme. , . || r, ll, i i "I n l lers for • intent. FELIX NEEDS YOU WE'RE LOOKING FOR WRITERS, REPORTERS, Turnip Henry, king lh= alternate i, »e I! n (:;:: •• i i « -1r| 11 n PHOTOGRAPHERS, REVIEWERS, PROOF READERS, GRAPHICAL DESIGNERS, COPY EDITORS, COLUMNISTS ARTISTS & SUB-EDITORS Team Bo report or a vey luccessfui (rip ft: Bj II :i, COME AND FIND US IN Sport THE PORTACABINS BY PHYSICS, We win everything again OR EMAIL [email protected] L- ii i'i:ng to get repsBtive;, 15 November 1999 . Felix News 3 ICU Careers Fair Pugwash lecture THE NEWS TEAM ment in the near future. PATRICK BRANNAC weapons. This is the biggest independ• Dr Hassard argued that if dra• For all final year students there are ent careers fair in the country, and Student Pugwash continued its series matic changes to the climate did few more stressful things in life is a valuable chance to check out of lectures with a talk given by Dr occur over a time scale of years, than traipsing around a seemingly a wide range of different opportu• John Hassard from Imperial Col• then nuclear energy could be a endless succession of companies, nities. Companies attending lege's Physics department. The title short-term solution, halting the trying to find yourself that career include a cross section of the of the lecture was 'Will Climate increase in CO2 levels in the atmos• opportunity that helps to make management, technical, financial Change Drive Nuclear Prolifera• phere until renewable energy three or more years at IC worth• and consulting world, with Ander• tion?' and it focused on whether sources become viable.