QMessenger issue 43

Page 1

Issue 43

Monday October 17th 2011

Find CUB inside this issue

SBCS Restructure

Changes to the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences could see staff made redundant Page 6

Is Britain The Art of Full? Ink Are tattoo’s really art and if so, how

Does an influx of immigrants help the country, or is it detrimental? Page 8

artistic is the Queen Mary student body? CUB Page 5

The Newspaper of Queen Mary Students’ Union

Union General Meeting

Read QMessenger’s report on the first UGM of the year, where a record 337 students voted on changes to union governance.

Pages 4-5

Bed Bugs Infest East London Rosie Reynolds Bed bugs have been discovered in QM halls of residences and are suspected to be part of a London-wide epidemic. Bed bugs have been discovered in Pooley House this September, and have been found in Maynard and Sir Christopher Frances in previous years. Bed bugs are becoming more and more common across London, and especially in Tower Hamlets. Experts fear that the problem is set to spread when people start to arrive from abroad for the

Olympics. Bed bugs are small parasites that feed exclusively on the blood of warm-blooded animals, particularly favouring humans. They are mainly active at night. Bed bugs were mostly eradicated in London in the 1940s, but there has been a steady upsurge in numbers since 1995. The reasons for this are unclear, but an increase in foreign travel and resistance to pesticides have been blamed. Pest control experts reported a 24% increase in the number of cases in he last year alone. Another reason for the rise

in numbers may be one that directly affects students. Some experts are blaming a more frequent exchange of second hand soft furnishings - a practice rife in houses and flats rented by students. Rachael Young, a third year biology student, said: “When we first moved into our house we requested an extra bed, as there were more of us than there were the previous tenants. I was just given a bed stand that was falling apart and a mattress that was obviously quite old. It was left in the lounge for me to take upstairs! I bought a new one. I didn’t want to risk

sleeping on a mattress that could have come from anywhere.” While many don’t want to take the risk, some students don’t even realise that their beds could be infected. A student who would like to remain anonymous told us: “We had bites after living in our house for a week; apparently the bed bugs had been there for some time but the previous tenants hadn’t noticed, as not everyone reacts to the bites. The house has been fumigated and we’ve had new beds and carpets - it took a while but it finally seems to be sorted.” Pest control experts have

warned that action against the parasites needs to be taken quickly. ‘If your home has bedbugs and you live in a flat or a terrace, prompt action should be taken to avoid spreading the infestation to neighbouring properties,’ said a spokesperson for Rentokil. Bed bugs can hitch a lift on clothes and soft luggage, and it is feared that with the Olympics coming up the bed bug epidemic in London could rival that of New York, where bed bug numbers are higher than they were during the Second World War.


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QMessenger issue 43 by Kaz Gander - Issuu