Sports Review of 2002/03: ‘Kings of London’ Page 22
ROAR’s new Features Editor and News Editor take us through a year of international events Pages 4 & 5
Review of the Year
Review of the Year A YEAR AT KCLSU The year began well for King's College London Students' Union the Spring elections had returned an all-new team of Sabbatical Officers, who had begun to change the image of the Union even before the first term began - never before had so many pictures of the President been seen on the walls of the Macadam Building!
The year's first Student Representative Council got off to a shaky start, but council members soon got the hang of it, resulting in one of the most credible years for student representation that King's has ever seen. November saw the National President of NUS, Mandy Telford, coming to address the SRC, and the Head Honcho himself, KCL Principal Arthur Lucas, came in
January to listen to the views of the assembled students on issues as wideranging as tuition fees and sports grounds, equal opportunities and photocopiers. In December, an infuriated SRC voted unanimously to oppose the College's attempts to charge a £150 penalty fee for late payment of tuition fees - something which KCLSU has now succeeded in having abolished. Among the motions your Union has passed this year: a motion to increase the NHS Bursary payments for finalyear medics, a motion to support National No-Smoking Day, a motion for better services at St Thomas' Library, to name but three. The Union has succeeded in its endeavours in many of these areas and more: the College changed its term dates in order to increase the NHS Bursary and the St Thomas' Library is now open later. We are now working with the College on making replacement examinations and academic appeals simpler and fairer, and continue to ensure student views are consulted on the forthcoming Strand Site Redevelopment.
Left to right: David Utting (current President), Chris Piper & Abby Wilson (ex Presidents), and kneeling is David Dunne (President elect) All brought together on election night.
Special full page of Reggie on page 8 & 2002 - 2003 ‘Spotted’ on page 23
In RAW:
Continued on Page 2
Union Anti-Racism Campaign as Voters say NO to BNP 53 000 racially motivated crimes were reported in the 2000/2001 National Crime Survey. According to "Understanding and Responding to Hate Crime" by the Metropolitan Police, there has been a 6 per cent increase in the number of racially motivated incidents following 9/11. The BNP are an increasing threat to the safety and security of students on campus and have recently made gains in the national political arena. All students have the right to go through the 'student experience' without fear of intimidation. Racism exists on campus. Racism attacks not only the individual but also the collective confidence and well-being of minority communities in Britain and on campus. Racism must be eliminated to protect the welfare of all students. On 25 March the BNP announced that its leader, Nick Griffin, would stand in Oldham's local council elections on 1 May. Griffin said, "Oldham is very important to us and we have stronger support there than anywhere else." Racist attacks increased by 75 per cent in Oldham between April 2001 March 2002, a period of increased BNP activity. Nick Griffin did not win a place on Oldham's council, suggesting to many that their grip in certain areas was greatly exaggerated to increase media interest in them. The BNP contested over a dozen seats in Oldham and stood in 200 seats nationally, compared to 68 last year. The BNP has a youth section, which targets campuses across Britain. The BNP calls the Nazi Holocaust a 'hoax' and supports 'an all-white Britain'. Continued on Page 2
Exam Survival Pullout:
All the best in arts Contains items on revision, stress, from this year exam tactics & contacts for academic Starts on Page 17 advice and representation Page 9