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EVERY FORTNIGHT No
IMPERIAL
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A C WILL
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FRIDAY
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THE G O V E R N M E N T PROVIDE T H E
M L
JAN 17
I Y
MONEY?
Speculation an the fate of the Coleutt tower, orowning glory of the ahortly-tobe-lamented Imperial Ioatltute, has recently teen revived as a r e m i t of the publ i c a t i o n of the estimated cost of keeping i t .
It w i l l be recalled that two years ago the proposal to completely demolish the Institute aroused much antagonism among the natives of Kensington, whereupon the Government decided that the tower should he l e f t standing. The College was requested to plan the development of the site accordingly and to investigate the oost of the retention, both ef whioh have been done. The estimated price of this compromise w i l l he £250,000, to which must ef course he added the detrimental effect on the development scheme as originally put forward. One i s reminded of the oaption to a cartoon In the EVENIHG STAHDAHD of March 15,1956: " I f they'd get as worked up about the Empire as they do about i t s monuments, we might s t i l l have an Empire to get worked up •bout."
L
1958
L
I ON
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OTHER
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PAGES
Bar Anniversary Council Meeting Letters Sin, Crime and morals Sport "The Firstborn" Reviewed The Spanner Union liteting Viewpoint
.2 3 5 , .2 8 6 2 2 *
The building for the Physios department i s under way and i s on time, so far. There appears to be nothing at the moment that could aTfeot the completion dates, although there are s t i l l some points under discussion between the Department and the Architects. The block facing (Jueen s Gate should be finished by the start of the Spring Term i n 1959, and the block facing Prinoe Consort Road by the beginning of the session 1959-60. 1
While the Government has stated that i t wishes the tower to be kept, i t has not •aid whether *he money required w i l l he forthcoming. I t i s not altogether Inconceivable that another compromise he suggested.
Not unsurprisingly then, the position with regard to the island s i t e i s somewhat unsettled.However, considerable progress has been made i n the last two years with the plans for the s i t e , and l a t t e r l y with the buildings for the new Physios and Engineering blocks,,
RUGBY
CLUB
There has been some delay i n the progress of the new Engineering block, as the design of the steelwork i s being modified following upon comments by the University Grants Committee. However the original completion date, i . e . the start of the Session 1959-60, i s s t i l l envisaged.
I N V I N C I B L E IN
On the evening of Boring Day, 2if good men and true met i n the Queen's before delivering a challenge to the formidable rugby playing talent of The the Bordeaux region of France. channel crossing was uneventful except that Otto Gilbert studied his limiting Ticket carefully for some minutes before realisin g that i t was not a telegram, as he had originally supposed. The f i r s t evening was spent in Paris where the party joined i n the gay and varied n i g h t - l i f e with uninhibited enthusiasm and considerable v e r s a t i l i t y (details censored).
After the long coach journey to Saintes, during whioh i t was hoped the after-effects of Paris would wear off, proceedings began with the f i r s t of two vigorous training sessions.
In a 12 a-side t r i a l the "Drunks* (without Hoaksma) beat the "Sobers* (plus Hoaksma) 13-12. Reassured that they could s t i l l play rugger, the party went on to Sariat, a town in the
FRANCE
wooded h i l l s of the Dordogne, where enthusiasm for rugby runs very high. Greeted by large banners bearing the word "WBL'COME", I.e. were plunged into a New Tear's B a l l , where those selected to play on the following day revealed commendable restraint. At this function, and on many other occasions, I.e. made brave efforts to converse with the French in their own language, and made many friends. The Entente Cordiale has never been stronger. Barry Lans astonished his men by his fluency at French, although some others seemed miraculously to acquire similar powers after a few v i t e Dubonnets. However the vocabulary of D. P h i l l i p s appeared to extend l i t t l e beyond "oui", "oombien", and *ou est l a toilette?", while Milward was i n frequent trouble. Once he was given oysters when he thought he had ordered soup, and on another occasion thought the company was estimating the distance of Sarlat from Paris when in fast i t waa discussing the price of mushrooms.
Continued en page
7
...
FELIX HEATED
DISCUSSION
An ordinary I.C.Union meeting was held an Thursday December 5 t h . The accounts f a r the previous f i nancial year were presented and approved; Mr. Garnett managed to axp l a i n how ÂŁ142 were inadvertently " l o s t " at the 1956 Commemoration Ball. Mr. Chadwiok informed members that i n the future spot checks of Onion Cards would be made.
GUILDS D O THEIR N U T S OVER
SPANNER.
" I f the Spanner goes up i n this bracket i t w i l l disappear within throe days". This prophecy by Dave Stevens at the last C. and 8. Union Meeting was fulfilled. Mounted on the last Tuesday of term, I t had gone by Thursday evening. There were two attempts to ' l i f t ' I t that day, one i n the afternoon when a band of R.C.S. boys and g i r l s assembled below the bracket. Watched by at least three guildsmen, one of the maidens climbed up the wall, but went round the bend on the appearance of the Guilds porter.
Late that evening (at 9.15 PPO R.C.S. returned to Guilds and, while one of the g i r l s le d the porter into the basement (.'), took It and bracket. The booty was taken f o r coffee, whence It reached R.C.S., and was hidden i n an open locker. Next morning It had gone from the locker, leaving the "Spanner-lifters", going around i n ever-decreasing c i r c l e s , f i n a l l y vanishing i n their own confusion. Apart from a rumour that"some nasty l i t t l e fellow has threatened to chop It up and float the pieces down the Thames," and a statement from Chad i n the bar "I know where It i s " , there seems to be no clue as to the spanner* s whereabouts at the time of going to press. 1
Guilds had a Union Meeting yesterday!
AT
UNION
MEETING
PRESIDENT
SETS
P R E C E D E N T
The distribution of p o l i t i c a l pamphlets by societies and individuals was disouised at length and Mr. Chillow proposed a motion that Union Council be instructed to take action against the person or persons responsible. Action against societies oould, as at present, take the form of suspension of funds, and against individuals of suspension from the Union.
On January 3 r d a select company assembled in the Bar to celebrate the f i r s t anniversary of i t s re-opening i n the Union. As on the October Commemoration Day, the Student Orator was Richard Garnett, who delivered the opening proclamation with the dignity and zest we have come to expect of him.
Mr. Blok introduced the subjeot of petty thefts and needless damage to Union property. Mr. Chadwick commented that, "We are getting to the stage where we need to police the building." Someone cited an example at the R.C.S.Smoking Concert when, although there were only two free pints per person, over f i f t y glasses wore broken. "The drinking of a l i t t l e beer i s no licence for hooliganism? A motion proposed by Mr. Blok instructing Union Council to take stronger action against the vandals was carried.
From his hot seat i n front of the roaring f i r e our August President, Mr. Chadwick himself, announced that, as befitted the occasion, he would stand a drink for a l l those present. Vfhen the gathering had regained i t s composure he expressed the hope that future Presidents would see f i t to follow suit - this was received with acclamation and the fetching out of diaries. A toast was drunk to The Bar, and to Ted Smith, who has served behind i t so f a i t h f u l l y , and whose last year with us this i s .
Mr. Emerson expressed disquiet at the present cloakroom system having himself lost a duffle coat on the night of Guilds' Carnival; he thought that a small charge might be instituted. In reply, Mr. Stevens informed him that the matter had been discussed and i f necessary the regulations would be tightened u n t i l they became a matter of habit. Commenting on Union lighting Mr. Chadwick said that a l l Union rooms should be lighted (this, however did not apply to the hostel "Par be i t from the Union to rest r i c t social a c t i v i t i e s " ) . The meeting closed with questions on the Refectory situation.
TOUCHSTONE
Dr. Bailey took the Wolfenden Report as a point from which he plunged his audience into Sin, Crime and Morals. After reviewing the history of the Wolfenden Committee and Report Dr. Bailey explained why i t was decided to deal with homosexuals and prostitution together, there being no v i s i b l e link on the surface. However they 3hould not be isolated from antisocial behaviour.
The effect of the part of the Report relating to Criminal Law i s to declare a kind of no-man's land in sex behaviour where actions can be sinful and immoral but not criminal. On this basis prostitution i s not a crime. The criminal element arises i n s o l i c i tation and the problem of street order. The Committee f e l t the need of action by driving the prostitute off the roads, and therefore treating i t as a female problem and not as the male proMen are at both ends, as blem i t i s . exploiters and clients. I f prostitutes are driven underground rackets would start endangering the women. A prostitute i s not a depraved and a l i c e n tious woman but an inadequate person who d r i f t s through without finding a niche for herself and who cannot be reformed. Dr. Bailey carefully differentiated between homosexual condition and homosexual behaviour. A homosexual i s a
Later in the evening, by courtesy of the Union, hot sausages with r o l l s and mustard were served to the Assembly Some diversion was caused by a tremendous conflagration. A l l the logs having been consumed, a certain Mr. Oggi picked up the carton i n which they had reposed and thrust i t upon the flames. Not quite, however. A portion jutting out of the fireplace caught alight, and smoke rose billowing to the ceiling. Ted Smith, however, rose equally to the occasion. Sounding the Alarm on the Cricket Club B e l l , he snatched up a soda syphon and poured in a broadside. The inferno, thus threatened, cowered and then 3ub3ided. The soot remains on the c e i l i n g - a moment of heat i 3 recorded for ever.
SIN.
CRIME 8. MORALS
mentally and psychologically handicapped person and a3 such i3 a problem for society. It i s wrong to assume th.it a heterosexual fornicates, likewise i t i s wrong to assume that a homosexual necessarily practises. The Law3 on homosexuality need drastic revision; in their present form, they are unjust, and discriminating to handicapped persons.
It i s significant that each of the three discussion groups considered that sex eduction i3 a psychological, as well as a biological problem. A more comprehensive sexual education before and during adolescence would i n time prove a useful weapon i n the battle against prostitution and homosexuality. The balanced and non-sensational elucidation of the problems of sexual behaviour in society enlightened the minds of everyone who attended this Weekend.
There was a handsome majority of R.C.S. man and wanes present, Guilds had 5 , Mines 3, and the Royal College of Art 2 representatives. Whether because of the interesting discussion, or the lack of b i l l i a r d players, one discussion groan lasted u n t i l 2 sum. - an a l l time Touchstone record.
FELIX SUCH
/S
CULTURE
To 23-year-old William Green, s t i l l a student at • Royal College of Art, paint i s set .thing to he trodden i n . S Mr. Green only paints i n black. His three picture - Asphyxiation 1, Asphyxiation 2, and Asphyxiation 3 were lone on hardboard l a i d f l a t on the i l o o r . "I throw on stove enamel, sand and rubble, put on an old pair of shoes and skid about i n i t . The marks are fundamentally accidental hut interesting.* His three large plot-res each took about half an hour to do and he i s asking 100 guineas each for them. (Prom the nSWS CHRONICLE., 9 t h January)
COUNCIL
S L O G IT O U T
One of the longest Council meetings en record took pit., on December 9th. I t lasted from 6 p.m. u n t i l 11, with a break for dinner. Most ef the time was taken up by the presentation and'dlscussion of the reports ef representatives on committees — there were thirteen of these.
On the subject of Exploration, Council f e l t that there was i n s u f f i c ient scope f o r student discission and planning. The Board was sot able to make suggestions, and disclaimed a l l responsibility, although a leafle t was being produced f o r the benefit of students and firms. However, the advice and contacts of individual members of the Board were valuable and the j • -loosed Society ought to co-operate f u l l y with them. Feeling was that the Secretary of the Board was the best person to handle the urgentl y needed n»V i - 1 publicity.
Presenting the -report of the Entertainments Committee, i t s chairman, Kr Streets, said that they f e l t that the term's hops had l e f t something to be desired. They had been overcrowded and low In tone, and the women's c o l leges were complaining. Accordingly the number admitted would be reduced from 460 to about SSO, of which 150 would be en double tickets, and an e f f o r t made to keep out non-I.C. men. Council were not unanimous i n their approval. B i d the opinion of Council re preseat that of the Union at large; Obviousxy many people liked the hops as they were. Replying, Mr Streets •aid that his committee had no dogmatic ideas and, while they were resolved te Improve matters, would experiment to f i n d the best ways of doing so.
Mr Hodgson, ohalrman of the Sooi a l Clubs Committee, reported that four mew societies had received preliminary approval) they were the B i l l i a r d s , Exploration, Chinese and Church of England. This brought up the question of the organ!sati , of 8.C.C. The general opinion seemed to be that S.C.C. was quite unwieldy, and the fact emerged that some members had been walking out of meetings after their own business bad been dealt with. Accordingly two motions were passed:(1) That S.C.C. should summit proposals for streamlining and fer the existence ef elube to be c l a r i f i e d each year (11) That the
PAST CLOSING
TIME
S.C.C. executive should Investigate the formation of clubs with respect to the number of votes i n favour.
Following the discussion at the Union meeting on the organisation of the cloakroom i n the Union, several suggestions were made on how this could be improved. It was deoided that two attendants were necessary at rush hewraand one at a l l other times) i t w i l l also be neoessarv to have someone to man the tele;; one when the extensions are put i n . A proposal that the President shoul' engage suffic ient staff was carried.
Towards the end of last term, the Dramatic Society (vigorously assisted by two members of the Rugger Club) presented "The Firstborn" by Christopher Fry. Set i n Egypt around 1200 B.C., the play, concerned the struggles of' Moses with the Egyptian Pharaoh.
Despite a pot of paint being emptied over one of the completed f l a t s on the day of the dress rehearsal the curtain went up (almost) on time. Although perhaps getting off to a rather slow start the play gathered i n momentum and was enjoyed by the small but, on the whole, appreciative audience.
1
It Is proposed to hold an international Student Conference i n the College from A p r i l 11th to 19th. About twenty v i s i t o r s from European universities are being invited and the projected programme includes discussions on university l i f e and v i s i t s to places of interest.
Following the f i n a l night of tho production the Society revived an old custom of having a semi-formal dinner. During the b r i e f speeches praise wa3 given where deserved, and in particular to the quiet efficiency of the producer. After dinner the members and quests returned to the concert hall for- the stage hands play (a mimicry of the actual production), and one or two surprise d i t t i e s by members of the cast. Then ensued an all-night party, much enjoyed by a l l .
POINTS FROM THE MEETING The Old Students' Associations w i l l i n future not be allowed to book Union premises in advance for their functions during term time, but can book as far ahead as they wish otherwise. The Boat Club i s to have new Trophy type ligh t clinker V111 's over this and the next session ; i-ni 6 new single scullers i n the next three years. i'he Hostel w i l l he getting six or so extentiuis to an external telephone line sometime i n the near future. They w i l l be on the KEN 2963 line ; this i s the o f f i c i a l Hostel number. There i s a House Committee Reccommendation that a l l furniture and f i t t i n g s for the Union should f u l f i l a specification three times as stringent as normal. This was not followed when the l i f t was ordered. The Tours Committee has approved three tours: of the Rugby Club to Franoe, of the Hockey Club to Delft and of the Gliding Club to the Gliding Championships i n Derbyshire. A fourth tour - of the Jazs Club to Paris - i s s t i l l under consideration pending further details.
JOKES VERSUS
JAOUES
The General Studies,lecture, on Thurs. 9th Jan., by Prof. R.T.Jones (Prof, of Natural Philosophy at Aberdeen) on the "Theory of Practical Joking and i t s Application in Physios", was extremely well supported, having an audience of roughly 400 as compared with an attendance of only 15 people at the more serious alternative lecture on "The Social Structure of Industrial Concerns? by E l l i o t Jaques. The latter lecture was highly praised by those whs attended.
As Prof. Jones entered the Physics Lecture Theatre a young lady asoendea a ladder encountering some d i f f i c u l t y through her high-heeled shoes and tight skirt.
The Professor gave a most interesting and amusing lecture which incorporated an unusual number ef Jokes, while l a the background fireworks exploded at intervals. After a vote of thamks Prof. Jones produced a revolver ami Indicated that be had eeme f u l l y arepared for any out-ef-aana sltaatlea which might hare arisen.
<
4
FELIX
mwpoiNJL
EDITOR : P E T E R
MONEY
Any member of the College who thinks for a moment about the offerings of Touchstone and General Studies, w i l l realize that a not inconsiderable amount of money i s involved i n keeping up the high standard of speakers invited.
LEVIN
CIRCULATION 1500
COLCUTT The disclosure of the estimated eoat of retaining the Coloutt tower again triage f o r c i b l y to our notice the obstacles which confront progress In this eountry. Already many of our scientists and engineers emigrate to the United States and Canada whore s e i e n t i f i e development i s fostered by every conceivable means. If a concession to Victorian sentimentalism at the eost of a qquarter of a mill i o n pounds i s thought to bo r e a l i s t i c , I t i s hardly l i k e l y to encourage fewer to do so.
PHOENIX
This money i s i n the main provided by the Governing Body and i s believed to t o t a l about £2,000 per annum. About half of this i s spent on the general studies lectures, and the remainder on grants for various a c t i v i t i e s around the college. We thus have the position that less than £1 i s spent for each member of the student body throughout the whole year, but far worse than this i s the fact that non-scientific culture i s thought to be less than the worth of one professor, and any look at the Calendar w i l l show how many of these high gentlemen are apparently floating around.
SATURDAY
GETS THE
NIGHT
BIRD
Following so soon after the report prepared by i t s sub-editors, the latest PHOENIX came as a great disappointment. Rudimentary principles which should have been taken for granted seem to have been completely dispensed with. F i r s t , THE PHOENIX i s the magazine of Imperial College and as sueh should reflect the a c t i v i t i e s and interests of the College, Second, i t should provide scope for original thought. Third, articles should be clear and concise (a soientifie princ i p l e ) , interesting and readable. At on* extreme wo have Maurice Savidov's incomparable "Light Metallurgy". This i s a beautiful example of what I mean by r e f l e c t i n g the acti v i t i e s of the College (The Guinness advertisement alone attained success In this direction). The idea was ori g i n a l and expounded with simplicity. At the other extreme stands, or rather f a l l s , the p r o f i l e of Albert Camus. There i s no connection between M. Camus and Imperial College. This a r t i c l e , something under a page i n length, contained no fewer than f i v e quotations, five pickings from other people's brains. Readable? At lsast i t was short.
Unfortunately IC.Camus's profile Is by no means alone i n i t s extremity. There i s no need for me to give a catalogue hare.
So review of t h i s PHOENIX could possibly noglset "Clotty". Sething to la with I.C. anything but concise, i t nevertheless contained a spark of o r i g i n a l i t y — the use of words f o r purposes other than that f o r which they wore originally intended i s something achieved only accidentally by most people. PJt.l.
Last Saturday's hop was the f i r s t one to be held under the Entertainments Committee's improvement plan. It was unfortunate that many of the women's training colleges had not yet restarted, as a result of which there were about 50 more men than women resent. A l l the single men's 100) and double Tickets (75) were sold, but only 50 of the 100 women's tickets. About 50 men were turned away; some of the more venturesome stood by the door and introduced themselves to the f i r s t g i r l who oame along, returning In triumph to buy a double ticket.
f
THE
ARTS
Is this an equitable expenditure, or should our f a c i l i t i e s f o r broader The question education be expanded? of shortage of money may be raised, but surely this cannot be a v a l i d argument i n view of the insignificant amount already spent as compared with the general expenditure on teaching staff as a whole: would i t not be of much greater benefit to a l l concerned i f some of the relatively useless members of the present Academic Staff were disposed of and the money diverted to the furtherance of the Arts and the Humanities? I fear that this i s another case of a dictatoria l c i v i l service deciding that a s c i e n t i f i c institution shall teach nothing else but science. I t i s just as necessary for us to have a good nan-technical library as i t i s f o r the wide provision of s c i e n t i f i c books and journals. The union library, good though i t i s , i s half-strangled through lack of finance.
The Record Library supplies a much needed service to the whole college, and indeed seems very wellpatronised, but once again finance i s i t s stumbling block. Purchases of new discs can only be made infrequently and the smallness Of i t s grant precludes the widening of i t s catalogue much beyond the popular repertoire. What support do the Art Club and the Photographic Society get for their furthering of the Arts? None,so far as I know. One could work through any cultural activities of the College and the Union, a l l along the line one finds this same paucity of support.
1
There was no inspection of Union cards, and men who oame along wearing L.S.E- and King's scarves were not refused tickets while they lasted. This seems unfortunate since many I.C. men were among those turned away later.
What can be done? The answer i s simple, make available more money which surely cannot be 30 d i f f i c u l t for our well-financed Governing Body. Any suggestions that these Touchstone grants may be cut must be strangled at birth, ar.d every possible means adopted for the Governor'3 equitable support must be furthered. J. K. Taylor
WALLET GETS FIVE
There was room to dance i n oomf o r t i n the Concert B a l l , for a change, but there were few people upstairs, where the Jass Band was playing. With a f u l l complement of women things might have been quite different. Certainly one cannot Judge the E.C.'s plan on this one hopi the popularity of their innovations remains to be seen.
HALOS FOR
ROVER CREW
t
We were very sorry to hear of the death of John Perkins a second year Chemioal- Engineer. Be was a regular! member of the 1st XT and his loss w i l l be keenly f e l t .
FOR
Eight members of I.C. Rover Crew saw i n the New Tear i n rigorous fashion i n the Borrowdale region of the Lake District. Four of them camped at Sprinkling Tarn (2,000 f t . ) on the nights of January 1st and 2nd. It waa very cold i n camp - a tent, damp when pitched, froze solid and two pairs of boots were frozen overnight and H«d to be thawed out over a Primus. On New Tear's Day, the party climbed Jo the top of Soafell Pike, from whlo>> they saw the spectre of the Brooke*, a kind of misty mirage effect that bestows a halo on one's shadow.
THIEF YEARS
At the December Sessions of the Old Bailey, a man was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for the theft of a wallet from the gymnasium changing room in the Union. He had previously been convicted, in 1947, for stealing from the same place, and altogether 30 oases were taken into consideration. The thief gave himself away by using a driving licence taken from a wallet belonging to an R.C.S. man as an identification when passing worthless cheque a. He was arrested by the Police and questioned, but would at f i r s t only admit to passing the cheques. Eventually, however, ho did None of the confess to the thefts. stolen property waa recovered.
SOBER Dear Shir, Ws wash net shloahoa. fourth, Quildah Cabaret. M i tor's mote: Sherry.
5
FELIX
EXPLORATION
QfUffCH SOCIETY PMlLIAfieti/T
Deer S i r , Whilst agreeing generally with Xenophon's views on Exploration, I should l i k e to make the following comments.
Dear s i r , To should l i k e to draw the attention of your readers to the Mock Parliaments to he held i n Ayrton Hall on Thursday evenings at 7-00 pm.
Although i t i s desirable that expeditions be of the most general kind, so that members with the widest range of interest may participate, no attempt w i l l be made by the New Exploration Society to discourage expeditions which are largely specialist i n nature, since these may go to a region quite unsuited to a general expedition. In addition i t i s the specialist typo of expedition which yields the greatest amount of s c i e n t i f i c information.
Jan. 23rd Conservative Government Jan. 30th Labour Government Feb. 27th Liberal Government March, 6th Communist Government
The impression of the Exploration Board which i s given i s also misleading, f o r despite t h e i r "bureauc r a t i c trammellings", they have succeeded i n giving the leaders of past College Expeditions admirable support. Tours sincerely,
LETTERS
T O
T H E
EDITOR
I.C. ? Dear S i r , When i s a society an I.C. Society? As I understand i t , not u n t i l their provisional constitution has been road and passed by two successive S.C.C. or A.C.C. meetings. On this pretext . i r e fore the Church Society i s not entitled to c a l l i t s e l f an I.C. Society, as their constitution has so far only been read once. They should thus bo severely reprimanded for wrongly describing themselves i n the General Studies programme.
In each case the speaker of the House w i l l be provided by the Literary and Debating Society. We would l i k e as many as possible members of the Union to attend, either as Independent M.P. s when they w i l l hnve an opportunity to speak, or as observers. Yours f a i t h f u l l y , Laurie Pretty Conservative Society Frank Thilo Socialist Society David Thompson Liberal Society David Leigh Marxist Sub-group
Yours f a i t h f u l l y , J.K.Taylor.
Peter Smith
Sir,
XENOPHOBIA Dear S i r , The viewpoint of one "Xenophon" on Exploration contained an inaccurate statement with regard to the financing of the 1958 Ghana Expedition. Although the Exploration Board has given iac/\ey to the extent of one third of the origina l estimated cost, the remainder has to be made up of individual contributions t*om the student members and donations irom industrial and commercial organisations?
Ii'ijct he argi&f JbX future expeditions should be f a research nature. By definition, expeditions involve investigation of unknown " t e r r i t o r y " - whether i t be geological, geographical, meteorological, geophysical, biological or any other" i o a l " i s immaterial. Exploration i s therefore either synonymous with research, or at least an integral part of i t . To suggest the divorcement of the two i s meaningless.
In a badly punctuated and obscurely worded sentence he inferred that special i s t expeditions were undesirable, and also that t h e i r members jealously opposed other groups planning expeditions. This f i r s t l y shows his ignorance of the problems envoi ved. Sponsors do not give money out of charity. They ask and deserve reasonable results. As shown above, there i s a wide range of topios to explore. With such l i m i ted numbers, only a few can be dealt with adequately i f the reasonable results are to be obtained. Hence specialisation i s inevitable, i f only from the financial angle. As to his second point about opposition from so-called "vested interest, I know of none and would be interested to learn precisely what he means.
He next took upon himself to apeak f o r the proposed Exploration Society, a Society which dUnÂť*t even exist when he wrote the a r t i c l e . Further, the Initiators of the Society disowned the a r t i c l e when i t appeared.
PUT UP JOB
I cor ratulate the writer of the a r t i c l e on getting a few points correct, especially the aims of the Exploration Society - perhaps i t was because these l a t t e r were up on a notice board i n the Union &r the time.
Finally he complained of the "mere bureaucratic trammellings of the This i s my se(Exploration) Board". cond year of dealing with the Board and I have yet to experience these trammellings". On the contrary, where an expedition has been jeopardised by delays, they have mercilessly by-passed any red tape to give a l l possible aid.
In the Prince's Gardens' column of your issue dated December 6th, you refer to "put-you-up type" beds as being wholly unsuitable f o r your hostel project. Your advisers suggest that, i n other hostels, such beds "were v i r t u a l l y worn out" after four years of contact with the student body. We are relieved that you write of "put-you-up type beds" since, as manufacturers of the original PUT-U-UP settee-bed, we have many imitators. And although we are a l i t t l e long i n the tooth to remember preoisely the strains which student furniture must bear, we are confident that a genuine PDT-U-UP would stand the test of many more years than four. Even under Cite Universite conditions - which, wo imagine, are unlikely ever to be duplicated i n the 1.0..' Yours f a i t h f u l l y ,
I believe FELIX aims at producing controversial articles to promote discussion among readers. It i s however, the duty of the writers to oheck their facts and thus avoid i n accurate Or half true statements. These can only mislead readers who are not i n a position to oheck the facts for themselves. Tours sincerely, Robert F. Sturrock. Editor's note: To quote the f i r s t paragraph of the "Viewpoint" to which Mr. Sturrock refers: "Several highly successful expeditions have been run by students from this college during the last few years. But what of future plana? To judge from the Exploration Board's in-tray only a follow-up expedition of a research nature, which might well have been backed from other sources, i s forthcoming." No mention at a l l was made of the financial outlay i n volved. Mr. Sturrock refers to bad punctuation and obscure wording. We have printed his l e t t e r i n i t s original English, apart from correcting the more elementary mistakes, of which nine were spelling errors and ten grammatical. We wish he would confine himself to the subject under discussion.
GREAVES & THOMAS LTD.
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FELIX THE
C O M I N G
FIRSTBORN REVIEWED
E V E N T S OOTIDS 1DTOH CLUB Film Show, " U l l l o Ittglia 1953" and "Motor Baa* Marshalling" Boom 15, 5.5. R.C.SaDTOB CLUB Film Show, "I* man* 1955" and "Kick Start". Cham. Loot. Th. 5.15. ICE SKATING CLUB Arosa Mseting at Biohmond, 7.00. BOTES CHEW Surprise Item, Coma, Boom B. 1.10. PHOTO SOC. Colour Group Meet lag. Sev Cham. Sag. Lect. Th. 5.15, 5ATUSDAT 18th. JAB. Ice Skating Club Danoe T.H.A. Jordans-Ivinghoe weekend with Bedford. STOP AT 19th. JAH. GUILDS M3T0B CLUB Driving Test* at Heston Airport. Sign by 10.30, start 11.00. •PIPAT gQth. J1J LIB. SOC. General Ifcetlng. Lounge Comm. Boom, 1.15. I.C.C.U. "Why should I pray?" Bar. Douglas,Clarke. TUESDAY 21st. JAH. B.C.S. MDTOB CLUB "History of f i r e brlga des and f i r e engines" MT Trust of the London Fire Brigade. WIKC TASTING SOC. "Port" Mr Cook, Ayrton H a l l 5.30. WBDHESDAT ° a BAIL SOC. T l s l t to Bedhill T r a f f i c Control. 2Z
J A B
fHUBSDAT 23rd. JAH. JAZZ CLUB "Four's Company" at Tony Brookes. JEW. SOC. Joint party with U.YJ.J.S. i n Upper Refectory U.C. I.C. Mock Parliament, ConeerTatlres i n o f f i c e . Ayrton H a l l . fBTPsT g^wa. M . , PHOTO. SOC. "Colour - r e a l i s t i o and abstract" Mr H.J.Pearee. BOTEB CHEW The Borer T i g i l . Comm. Boom B. 1.10. y j j B B J g 25th. JAH. Dancing Club Informal Dance. JfJWttiT 27th. JAW. LIB. SOC. Talk by Mr Richard •bore of the "Hews Chronicle". Lounge Comm. Boom. 1.15. I.C.C.U. "I« decency enough*", prof. M.Guthrie. BAIL. SOC. "LooomotlTC performaaoes In the Baoe to the Worth, 1895" Mr O.S. Bock. JEW. SOC. "The changing face of I s r a e l " Mr A .Frank. THURSDAY 30th. JAH. I.C. Mbok Parliament, Labour l a o f f i c e . Ayrton H a l l . WBIDAT 31st. JAW. EHGIKEBS' BALL PHOTO. SOC. Colour Criticism.
The Sunday Mixed hookey team had a miraculous win against Chelsea Poly, ea Dee. 15. Although two short they l e s t their beaten record by 4 goals to 5.In a spirited display. There was also considerable s p i r i t at a party afterwards. Fer details please contact the lei trope 11 t a i n Felice and the Chelsea Fire Brigade.
Since Fry f i r s t became a "must" on the book-shelves of the theatrelovers of I.C., the p o s s i b i l i t y of attempting The Firstborn has presented I t s e l f whenever choice of a play was discussed. Here we have the postwar "shot-in-the-arm" of English theatre exonerating himself from any accusation of shallowness that might follow such whimsical pieces as "The Phoenix Too Frequent" or "The Lady's not f o r Burning*, both previously seen at the College. A tirade, based on the eldest and most impressive "birth of a nation" story of Moses i n Egypt and clothed i n the effervescent Cwse of Fry, calls for virtuous!ty i n the oast — and, most important, i n their voices. The advent of a "type-oast" handful of senior members and a very promising group of freshers apparently launched the venture, and the production seen at the end of l a s t term should have l e f t past members of the Society satisfied with decision to go on where others had feared to tread. Direction was i n the hands of Colin Dixon for the f i r s t time - his experience of stage matters showed oleari,i' i n well-conceived sets maJC-js f u l l use of the new theatre's height and f a c i l i t i e s . Especially striking was an opening scene on the palace balcony where the muchvaunted cyclorama lent the f i n a l touch to an Egyptian summer. His stage crew backed him well with structures of plausible solidarity and excellent colour - but the timing of 3cona changes needed reducing to more professional l i m i t s . More rehearsal seemed a remedy and I t i s i n this that I found the weak l i n k of the play. Spence and Allen were formidable and obvious corner-stones of the cast - Hoses, the sincere and i d e a l l s t i i c orator got a l l the oratory needed from' the now-familiar, r i c h Allen voice. Joining him i n authorative use of voice and movement, Mike Spence's 'Ramases' gave conviction to the whole Royal household. The newcomer, Sheila Burbidge, next claimed attention - a very successful sketch of the young Pharaoh's daughter and one that bodes well f o r the future strength of the company. Peter Morgan played Shendi - one of the moat d i f f i c u l t parts i n a d i f f i cult play - as perhaps no-one else could have done. I r i s Dickinson joined the ranks of the "known" actresses and grappled i n an assured manner with the discrepancy i n years between herself and her part. Angela Lance had a similar problem and I warmly applaud this fresher for her attempt.
If I have l e f t Desmond Turner to the last i t i s to make a general point rather than a particular criticism. As with other a c t i v i t i e s i n the College, the experienced "old hand" i s becoming rarer and here was a case of enthusiasm and potentiality largely lost by gross short-comings In technique. The voioe was strong at times - but confidence w i l l not clear a throat. And, oh those gestures An hour's firm correction would have doubled the value of his performance - this year we see an unusually talented "crop" of new arrivals, i t i s to be hoped
TWICE A KNIGHT SOCIAL
PREVIEW
Socially speaking, last term was one of the best for some time- — the success seems l i k e l y to continue. As far as major functions are concerned, The B a l l i s set r o l l i n g by the Engineers on January 31st. The dance w i l l be preceded by dinner i n the Upper Dining Hall, where the tables w i l l be arranged as for Hall Dinner, and i n the Upper Refectory, where there w i l l be separate tables for parties. On February 14th (St Talentlne's Day) the Miners present a Carnival perhaps the Queen ef Hearts w i l l bring some of her tarts along for breakfast. One month later, on march 14th, the B.C.3. gives b i r t h to another Carnival. Can even I.C. men survive two such carnalvalistic orgies withi n such a short period? There can be l i t t l e hope for the survival of I.C.W.A. — their Foraal Dance Is on March 7th.
THE YEAR'S BEST BALL
THE
ENGINEERS' DINNER & D A N C E
WHY NOT MAKE UP A PARTY ? RECEPTION 730pm DANCING UNTIL 2.30am FRIDAY 3l$t JANUARY
TICKETS ZShDOUBLC APPLICATION FORMS FROM J . BLOK, M. GCfiB, J.A. H0BS0N, BOOKSTALL, GUILDS PORTERS' LODGES. that every effort w i l l be made to Terry Wright showed nurture them. how observation and control can lead to a character i n a few momenta. Finally, I welcome this play whioh can give much to both players and audience - just recompense f o r the expenditure of valuable universi t y time. Two last bouquets success and economy of costumes - and for the long may then continue Imperial stage.
- f o r the the homo-; Rugger Club, to grace the J.L.3.
FELIX RUGBY
msovs After an even f i r s t half Saintes led by a t r y to n i l . However, the I.C. forwards, playing u p h i l l , then staged a magnificent r a l l y , thanks i n no small measure to the sterling front row of Martin, Gibbons and Topping. After a complicated series of events, Gibson scored i n the l e f t corner, and shortly afterwards Lain pounced on a defensive mistake by Saintes to put P h i l l i p s just missed I.C. ahead. with a dropped goal and was once pulled down a yard short of the line. The Saintes team, now jabbering heatedly among themselves, had one chance to equalise with a f a i r l y simple penalty, but the b a l l sailed wide and we had won!
•continued Span page 1, I.C. 3, ROTAN S This match waa played on a firm •brown-coloured pitch jji Spring-like conditions, with a cloudless sky. I.C., described i n the l o c a l paper as "les vainqueurs d'Oxford et Cambridge" f e l t that something was expected of them, and provided a good display of clean, open rugby. Dai P h i l l i p s , a tower of strength to the backs i n a l l three games, kicked a magnificent penalty goal, loudly acclaimed by the 1,200 crowd, and Sarlat equalised with a much easier kick just before halftime. The I.C. forwards, with Gibbons, Crosier and Gilbert much to the fore, obtained a large share of the b a l l . An injury to Brougham forced a r e organisation of the backs, but they threw the b a l l about well and Gibson had some good runs down the l e f t wing. Several times I.C. oame very near to scoring a try, but the Sarlat defence was keen, so a draw was a f a i r result.
After the match Sarlat threw a magnificent banquet. They had made no secret of the fact that their intent i o n was to eat and drink I.C. under the table. Sarlat i s described i n some guide-books as "renowned for i t s gastronomy", and when I.C. were called upon to drink soup-plates f u l l of red wine i n one swig, i t looked as though extremely hardy constitutions would be required to withstand the onslaught. At the end many I.C. men looked groggy and some suffered fearful repercussions later. One was even found snatching forty winks i n a side-street. However seven or eight were l e f t upstanding and w i l l i n g to oontinue when the last remnants of Sarlat had clearly had enough. This gastronomioal triumph was also notable f o r the f i r s t of three diplomatic speeches i n French by Lanz during the exchange of presentations, and some entertaining singing by persons of both nationalities.
I.C. C ,
Despite pouring rain about 2,000 watched " l e grand match international", and i n very slimy oonditions the Royan backs gave occasional glimpses of highclass handling and running which might have spelt disaster i n dry conditions. As i t was, the pitch 3O0n became a morass, with both set3 of forwards covered with mud (so much so that at one stage two Frenchmen had a fight together for some seconds before rea l i s i n g they were playing f o r the same team). The I.C. forwards and halfbacks a l l played with great vigour and a sensible appreciation of the conditions, and one forward dribble i n the second half provided the equalising try, scored by Hoeksma (to the delight of a l l Ex A members present). Royan had scored a fine dropped-goal i n the f i r s t half. So ended a memorable tour, highly successful on and off the f i e l d . On the f i e l d our players rose to the occasion. Particular praise i s due to Dai P h i l l i p s , Ray Gibbons, Barry Lanz and George Martin who played i n a l l three games and were always i n the thick of the fray. Off the f i e l d many and diverse were our a c t i v i t i e s , and they w i l l be discussed f o r many years i n the Bar. But the v i t a l factor was that, whether we were swilling Dubonnet or merely sipping black coffee, whether we were resting inertly on our beds or rushing madly about i n dodgems, whether scramb l i n g up h i l l s in the Dordogne or i n advertently alerting the fire-brigade i n Paris, fun and good humour abounded, and i t was the grand team s p i r i t which set the seal on a great tour and made i t unforgettable.
THE RUGBY CLUB HAD..
m
m
Recent marriages:Roger Sykes (ex-Editor of Phoenix).
Who are r i c h people? Poor people with money.
The Press Secretary of the U.S.A.E. C. was reported on the B.B.C. as having said "You can't take a s c i entist's baby away from him without his getting disheartened." Surely this applies to a l l of us. Prof. Jones talking on practical joking remarked that the C-in-C Eastern Mediterranean said to the • C-in-C Gibraltar (who was already a K.B.E.) after the latter had been made a K.C.B. "What, twice a Knight, at your time of l i f e ? " During some filming by M.G.M. i n Prince's Gardens Nelson overheard the following "0, here come some actresses" only to find they were ICWArians. We don't know what we're missing, do we? Mr. A.V.S. (Tony) de Reuck, seven years on I.C. council, now a 'subeditor of Nature, has been appointed a governor of an L.C.C. school by the London University Convocation. Our congratulations go to him i n this his latest appointment. A cros3 -country runner remarked that "You run behind a taxi and look at the fares you save". Presumably this accounts for their recent successes. Once again Oggi hits the headlines, he now sports a growth of beard.
WHILE
I.C.
WATCHED
The annual concert of carols and Christmas music wa3 given shortly before Christmas by the Musical Society's Choir, accompanied by the Jacques Orchestra, under their conductor -)r. 3ric Brown, It was very satisfying to note the marked improvement i n their rendition over the past year, which i s in no small measure due to Dr. Brown's leadership and his understanding of student i d i o 3yncracies. Along with the traditional carols, i n their usual gui3e, was the original setting of "While shepherds watched ..." which came as a pleasant r e l i e f from the rather hackneyed version usually sung, and an arrangement of a. Americal carol. They also performed Parry's "Blest pair of sirens", previously heard in the Albert Hall on Commemoration Day; the improvement i n this work was such that one wondered i f i t were the same choir that was being heard.
SAIBTSS 9
Saintes were not described on the advertisements as "renforoe" f o r nothing, as they included seven borrowed players, including 4 from Cognac, a f i r s t - c l a s s club. The l o c a l paper had proclaimed I.C. as among *1'elite da l a balle ovale". I t was gratifying to find that the rugby correspondent of "La Republique" appeared to think this t i t l e well j u s t i f i e d , as, heading his description of the match "L'IMPERIAL COLLEGE A FAIT UNE BELLE EXHIBITION DE JEU ODVERT", he praised I.C. f o r keeping the game open despite "l'etat du terrain qui rendait l a balle glisaanto et l e jeu a l a main parfois d i f f i c i l e *
In conclusion, i t i s to be hoped that their improvement w i l l continue, and that a performance worthy of their capabilities w i l l be given of Bach's B Minor Mass later this term. It i s unfortunate that the Musical Society i s so dependent on the financial support of the Union and the College Authorities that i t cannot have an Orchestra whose size i s i n keeping with the work performed, rather than the small string orchestra and piano with which they have to make do.
.A SUCCESSFUL TOUR
8
FELIX
SHORTS NEUS c COUNTRY University Champions Again The f l a g flew again above the Union when the Club won the University Championships on See. 7th., for the second year i n succession. The expected close struggle with L.S.E. did not materialise due to the unfortunate i l l n e s s of some L.S.E. men, and I.C.C.C.C. walked away with the Cup, unchallenged. No praise i s too high for the magnificent performances of the I.C. f i r s t team. John Evans was the Individual winner for the third year i n succession, and the whole team had the incredibly low score of M points. Their positions were: J.S.Evans 1st., J.E.Collins 3rd., J.Conway 6th., R.Landbeck 10th., A.Brown 16 th. The second team also did well to f i n i s h sixth, being beaten only by the f i v e major College f i r s t teams. The annual Club handicap race was held on V/ed. llth.Dec. and, for the f i r s t time i n many years, the handicaps were determined on a f a i r basis giving a l l an equal chance of winning. This caused a very close f i n i s h , and M.Clare i s to be congratulated on his victory. In the vacation a team of eight travelled to Dover, i n one car and a reluctant vehicle which absorbed a l l i t s passengers' energy i n getting i t there, so that the team were defeated by Dover A.C. i n the match that followed. The f i r s t match this term was on the home course against Lloyds Bank and Pearl Insurance. The latter defeated our second *eaa, whilst the result against Lloyds was declared void due to several runners going off course,
n M - tH R
was not impressed. Tne f i n a l score of 3-0 to.Heidelberg was I.C.'s biggest defeat of the season. After the match and the lunch the German side was taken to Wembley to see the Varsity match and thereafter back to I.C. for dinner and beer. Heidelberg were most impressed and expressed their desire to return this hospitality i n the future.
1
f R
With the Club started on the second half of the season, i t i s an opportune moment to look back and review the Club's progress during the Autumn Term. Very few matches were lost and there was an abundance of goals.All four teams were well placed in the Intercollegiate league. Indeed, i t was easy to visualise at least a hat-trick of d i v i s ional championships by the end of the season. However, i t i s unwise to count one's chickens, etc. and last term's excellent record must be maintained before the championships become reality.
The f i n a l game of the term against Finchley was played in the impressive surroundings of Finchley Stadium, and, I.C. f e l t indeed honoured. The College provided football worthy of the oooasion in the f i r s t half and three good goals were scored to the opponents' one. During the second half, which was goalless, the game deteriorated somewhat, and I.C, appeared content with a 3-1 win. The Spring Term began with a 2-2 draw against Q.M.C. and so another league point has been lost. Perhaps I.C.'s performance can be put down to the Christmas break from regular football as i n the next match, against the powerf u l St. Mary's College side, I.C. played much better football and finished winners by 2-0. The f i r s t goal oams from an inoredible move involving only Jeff Moss, Dave Young and Keith Codling who put the finishing touch to the movement.
The Club s p i r i t has never been higher, and there i s l i t t l e d i f f i c u l t y i n f i e l d ing 10 teams per week. The f i f t h XI, newly created this season, have performed very creditably, f u l l y justifying the Hon. Seo's. efforts i n arranging many fixtures at short notice.
The 1st XI ended last term with matches against Heidelberg University and Finchley 'A'. The German side brought Continental football to Harlington, the f i r s t for a long time. The Germans, with the wind and rain behind them, played fast, attractive football giving the I.0. defence much to contend with, Heidelberg took an early lead when the wind ourled an apparently harmless centre into the I.C. net. After this rather fortunate goal, Heidelberg asserted their superiority and soored two more excellent goals, both from ÂŁ0 yards range. In the second half, the conditions favoured I.C. and i t was the Germans' turn to come under constant pressure. I.C.'s many efforts at goal were f o i l e d by a pecked defence I.C. did score what appeared to be two perfectly good goals, but the referee
The Ist XI have a very strong programme ahead, but the present combination should be equal to the task.
The Fourth XI, who have attracted attention by their 100% record of last term, have since added another resounding victory to their t a l l y . Record to date:D. P. W. 1st XI 18 11 3 2nd XI 15 11 1 3rd XI 17 14 1 4th XI 16 16 0 5th XI 15 9 0
L. 4 3 2 0 6
F. 58 58 63 81 62
A. 33 40 23 20 55
OSS
H O C K E Y The 1st. XI have continued their most successful season by beating both Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and Guy's Hospital. The Greenwich match was played i n exceptionally muddy conditions and a score of 4 goals to 1 (King 1, Miller 1, Bhatnagar 2)was an apt reward. Guy's were also beaten decisively by 4 goals to 1, the scorers being Holmes (1), Lee (2), and H l l l e r ( l ) .
SAILING I.C. S a i l i n g Club narrowly beat Hampton S a i l i n g Club at the Welsh Harp on Sunday, Bee. 12th., after two of the closest races seen for a long time. In the f i r s t race I.C. had the f i r s t two boats home - the whole f l e e t of six f i n i s h i n g within 50 yards. The second race looked like giving Hampton a runaway win, u n t i l on the last leg of the course Graham Taylor, by clever tactics, reversed the race posi t i o n s , giving I.C. a win by one point. I.C. 37& pts. H.S.C. 36$ pts. The I.C. crews: J.Webb (eapt.) A J) anbury C .French
M.Moorhead G.Taylor J.Farrow.
In a recent U.l. Cup match, I.C. drew 2 - 2 with U.C. , after being 2 1 up only twenty seconds before the f i n a l whistle. In the subsequent extra time Macrae saved a penalty bully The 2nd. and 3rd. teams are maintaining a high standard of hookey and are, on oooasions, able to win their matches. A recent 3 - 1 win against the Institute of Education gave the 2nd. team renewed enthouslasm, and they are expected to do well i n the coming term. Jim Carter (1st. goalkeeper), proud of his good record with the 1st. team, was asked about his aohlevments with the Sunday mixed team - he made no eommentâ&#x20AC;˘
ICWSC NETBALL
It was with great trepidation that . I.C.W.A. approached their f i r s t Netball match of the season. Not only were they nine months out of practice, but their captain was down with ' f l u , and Chelsea Polytechnic had a reputation for excellence. When, therefore, they suddenly discovered that they were playing quite a good game they were very encouraged. Although relying mors on accurate shooting than on organised teamwork, they kept level with Chelsea throughout the f i r s t half, f i r s t one then the other team drawing ahead, but never with more than on* goal load. In the second. half, however, Chelsea adopted some of I.C.'s own trloka and I.C.W.S.C. wore not able to improve their speed or accuracy of throwing, so that the f i n a l score was 13 - 9 to Chelse Obviously a l i t t l e more practice as a team could bring I.C. some Botball viotories.
Published by FELIX BOARD, Imperial College Union, London, S.W.7 Printed by S-IL VOUS PLAIT Ltd., 307.. Telephone Piece. London. W.I4