Founded i n 1949
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The Newspaper of Imperial College Union
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PRESIDENT: Aftab Gujral proposed by Ian Hodgson I am a chemistry postgraduate and did my first degree at Imperial. I have been actively involved in the Union especially last session as Overseas Students Committee Chairman. I am standing for President because I believe I can make I C U a strong and active body. I hope to make the Union more friendly and increase the flow of information and discussions at U G M s . The issues I believe will be relevant next year are:
Accommodation Accommodation is possibly the most important single issue facing next year's students. Although the situation is improving there is still a lot we can do. W e could campaign for more radical and cheaper accommodation such as head tenancies and property investment. Refectories Most students find refectories expensive and u n s a t i s f a c t o r y I will try my hardest to get standards improved during my presidency.
PRESIDENT:
External Affairs and Overseas Students A l t h o u g h I want to i n c r e a se the a m o u n t of interest in internal affairs, external affairs will remain important as they have a crucial effect on the lives of all students. The College should be encouraged to maintain a high proportion of overseas students. The varied intake of Imperial is an integral part of its reputation. A n y action which threatens to reduce the number of home or overseas students at Imperial or lower standards will be fought by the Union. A n example of this is the p r o p o s e d l o a n s s c h e m e w h i c h c o u l d discourage potential students. Most of all I intend to increase participation in the Union. I have a record of efficiency and hard work. I would like the chance to improve I C U . Please give me that chance.
Nick Morton proposed by Crispin Dobson h a r d graft, N i c k M o r t o n is the a n s w e r for
The Experience Chairman IC Athletic Clubs Committee 1980/1 Chairman R C S Clubs Committee 1979/81 Sub-Warden Bernard Sunley House 1978/81 Treasurer R C S Rugby C l u b 1977/79 Fixture Secretary IC Cricket C l u b 1978/9 Secretary IC Cricket C l u b 1976/7 Organiser Rag Beer Festival 1979 and 1980
President.
Dave Musker proposed by M.
Ask yourselves, what has IC Union done for you? What the hell has IC Union ever done for you? Y o u pay, or your local council pays on your behalf £39 a y e a r for the d u b i o u s delights provided by IC Union and most of you see very little of it back again. O n the entertainment side, how many gigs, films or discos can you get into with £39? A n d how many has the Union provided? But that wouldn't matter so much if you knew that your Union was really putting up a fight on issues that hit you — things like the threat of loans instead of grants, the ever deteriorating value of your grant, the ever-increasing fees paid by overseas students, the cuts in budget that mean no field trips or industrial visits in your department? O r closer to home, the lack of accommodation and it's rising cost? The quality of College food? The rape threat to women in College? .
Crispin
Dobson
The Intentions Overseas Students: This issue is a problem to College and Union alike. W e must work together to reverse the insane government policy. Refectories: I will push hard for changes along the lines of those proposed by P W P . I am keen to investigate the possibity of the Union running its own Bar and Refectory. Accommodation: Improved facilities, more head t e n a n c i e s , m o r e College a c c o m m o d a t i o n required. Academic Affairs: T h e p r o b l e m s of b a d supervision and over-running time by research s t u d e n t s must be e x a m i n e d . G o o d l e c t u r e r training and good new four year courses must be introduced immediately. CCUs: Provide social events enjoyed by many and will receive my support. UGMs: M o re relevance, more fun needed. For all this V O T E M O R T O N on M a r c h 9 and 10.
The Man Nick has had six years' experience of I C U affairs (he is a final year biochemistry P G ) , and this is shown by his involvement above — a dedication which speaks for itself. H e will listen and talk to anybody; there will be no preferential treatment for any cliques. Nick has a balanced apolitical viewpoint and I am confident he will be able to represent Imperial College responsibly. Many students know him already and will agree with me that he is really friendly (he won't bite your head off!), and has a good natured sense of humour. If you want somebody to run the Union efficiently with a lot of
PRESIDENT:
Academic Affairs The Departmental Representatives will be more involved in the Union and encouraged to express their opinions of courses and staff. The Union will take more interest in pass rates and course quality.
Actually they aren't putting up much of a fight are they? The cause is simple enough — there is a massiue communication gap between the selfstyled hacks and the membership, you and me. Fifty percent of students don't even recognise them! Union hacks tend to blame this on 'apathy', while actually it is their job to break down this apathy and make the Union interesting to its membership. Only two examples are necessary — firstly the famous ' N o Dice' (!) gig which lost £500 because only forty people attended, and secondly the regularly inquorate Union meetings. Both are due to this communication breakdown. I am asking you to vote for me because I can at least see that there is a problem with the way things are — drop complacency and vote for a change. N O W !
Nottingham
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DEPUTY
PRESIDENT:
WHO'S NICK MORAN? I'm in Physics 3, S C A B Treasurer, the guy in Dramsoc who fixes anything from party lights and parachutes to Smoking Concert and Carnival. I've sat on U F C , where the money for clubs and societies is allocated; and sat on House Committee, where the money for running the Union Building comes from. I know the Union, the building, the organisation, the staff, what can be done and how to do it. THE D E P U T Y PRESIDENT A F F E C T S Y O U . That's why I'm standing for D P . I know the job and that job affects all of y o u ; in C o l l e g e residence, members of clubs, users of Union equipment, drinkers in the bars, and even those who want only a degree out of I C . It involves chairing six committees covering everything from safety to finance to libraries, and sitting o n College committees and Governing Body. That means it's important for the D P to know what he's doing.
DEPUTY
PRESIDENT:
Nick Moran proposed by Ruth HUdebrand SECURITY
This may have gone over your head or you might just not care, but security is something to worry about. There are legitimate shops which will cut, in a matter of minutes, any A S S A key given them. That means that, for instance, a summer cleaner could easily copy the Southside master and no resident of Southside would have a secure room; or that a guy who gets hold of a departmental master key for just half an hour, could then break into your tutor's room, where your exam scripts will be in a few months time. The solution can be read in my handouts. THINK A B O U T I T Find out how the D P affects you. Then vote N I C K M O R A N on M a r c h 9 and 10 for a Deputy President who knows the job. RAISE T H E S T A N D A R D , MORAN.
VOTE
NICK
Just under three hundred words, Steve, is that
Barney McCabe proposed by Peter Bamford
T H E D P must constantly be around to supervise the running of the Union Building. That doesn't mean he should sit behind a desk all day filling out "defects reports", but that he should keep close contact with the clubs and societies who use Union rooms, and be able to act quickly on any matter which may arise. The D P must certainly know the location and facilities of all these rooms. In addition to this he must perform the duties of a treasurer in keeping a close check on all Union e x p e n d i t u r e a n d i n c o m e , a n d be a s t r o n g chairman of the finance committee.
make the odd perfunctory decision. To me this is i n t o l e r a b l e and next year I i n t e n d to be in complete control of all aspects of my job. The Union will do much more than "tick over" with me as D P . There are many areas which, as D P , I will investigate next year. For example, the current reorganising of IC Ents. The Ents finances leave a lot to be d e s i r e d , many t r a n s a c t i o n s riot appearing on the books, which is disconcerting to say the least. O n a more general note, I would like to see U G M s made more interesting, with perhaps a set " q u e s t i o n t i m e " to s a b b a t i c a l s r e p l a c i n g the tedious verbal reports and more emphasis on forma! debate. Barney McCabe
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To perform these duties efficiently the D P must maintain the respect of the College staff and organisation with whom he'll be dealing. In the past we've seen sabbaticals getting by simply doing things by virtue of precedent. Too much is channelled through the permanent staff, so much that it is possible for a sabbatical to merely sit back, write the occasional report, and
In choosing Barney you're not just choosing a D P , but someone whose scope of activity and interest is unmatched.
FELIX EDITOR: Mark Smith proposed by Sean Giblin Being unopposed for the post of F E L I X Editor makes it difficult to gather my thoughts; on Friday morning I anticipated a full campaign, but by 5:30pm the papers were down and the job was mine. This manifesto has now become a statement of intent, and the nature of my "campaign" has totally changed. F i r s t l y , w h y s h o u l d I be a n u n o p p o s e d candidate? In my opinion the reason is linked to the nature of the job. Certain specific qualities are absolutely necessary, including a good technical knowledge, experience in the weekly routine and (not least) a working use of English grammar. Following three years working on F E L I X and other publications I feel that I am well suited to the job. No other candidate could realistically match my qualifications. How will the paper appear under my guidance? Every Editor stamps his own personality on F E L I X and the look of the paper often changes tremendously. I intend to maintain a similar layout to this year; ordered items with little space wasted. However if enough staff can be recruited I hope to produce a regular sixteen page issue
and include many more feature articles. Subjects that I have in mind range from specialist shopping guide (hi-fi, etc.) to historical features. In the coming year there are three important events: the R C S Centenary (Autumn term), Imperial College's 75th Anniversary (July 8, 1982), F E L I X 600th issue. I would like to lead in to all of these events with b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n in s h o r t , i l l u s t r a t e d articles. To my great delight, the Scaramouche puzzles will continue! Other ideas include more colour used inside F E L I X , a local entertainment guide and profiles of those people in College who make the decisions. To do all this I will, most of all, need H E L P . If you've got any ideas, come in and see me — it's not too late for you to work on F E L I X . Finally a word of warning. I will not stand by and let petty bureaucrats, bloated with selfimportance, adversely affect IC Union. Students are important, their welfare and interests. I intend to defend their interests. Mark Smith
T h e e l e c t i o n s f o r t h e S a b b a t i c a l p o s t s of President, Deputy President, H o n Sec and F E L I X Editor are upon us again. Only Mark Smith has stood for F E L I X Editor this year so his manifestoe is more of a statement of intent. Flopefully, you will have seen the candidates "in the flesh" at yesterday's Hustings U G M and their
HON
SECRETARY:
HON
Owen
Greene
A qualification particularly essential to do the job of Honorary Secretary well, is an ability to organise oneself and others. I have shown that I
Peter Newman
If you didn't attend the Hustings U G M then I think you should ask the opinions of a friend who did attend. Y o u should then consider what the candidates say in their handouts and manifestoes printed in this supplement. Some lie outright, some alter the truth. Consider for example, the difference between " W o r k e d for F E L I X in all my three years at I C " and " W o r k e d for F E L I X for three years". Candidates labour for hours over the wording of their manifestoes. They boast qualification upon qualification — take it all with a pinch of salt, after all, everyone who stands feels he/she is qualified to do the job. What I feel is more important is what they claim they're going to do, the so-called "election promises" — why are they going to be better than the next person? What better ideas have they got? O r , indeed, what worse ideas have they got? If they have no ideas, the Union stagnates, like this year. A further point to remember is not to be blinkered by the proposer of a candidate — just remember, they are usually chosen because they are "good proposers". N E V E R F O R G E T that the proposer will not be doing the job. If you are unable to come to a decision, then I urge you to A B S T A I N rather than not bother voting, by writing A B S T E N T I O N over the post(s) o n the ballot p a p e r . F o r a v al i d e l e c t i o n , a threshold of 25% of the Union membeship must vote; an abstention counts as a vote cast. Also, remember that you can vote against a candidate by leaving his space blank should you so wish. G o o d luck! Finally, congratulations to Mark on becoming next year's F E L I X Editor, let's hope a good Exec is elected who will do something for him to report.
Marco Ledwold proposed by Sara
SECRETARY:
A s a physics postgraduate, I would not have met K i r s t e n , now a third year mathematics u n d e r g r a d u a t e , h a d she not been an active member of the Union. O n many occasions we have been involved in the same campaigns (for instance, condemning apartheid, and on environmental issues). I have always found her to be a likeable and forceful character. A sabbatical officer must be able to provide the drive and initiative to innovate, and to motivate others within the Union. I have no doubt that Kirsten will perform the day to day tasks of the post well. This, together with her campaigning experience, will make her an effective and popular Honorary Secretary. I strongly recommend y o u to vote for her.
individual manifestoes, seething with glorified promises andglowing qualifications, are presented in this F E L I X Election supplement. These four people influence the state of the Union to such a great extent that it is very important that y o u should make an informed decision. Before I offer any advice about how to go about choosing who to allocate your vote to, a word on the voting procedure. The system used at IC is known as the Single Transferable Vote (STV). Y o u will not be asked to vote for one person but r a t h e r t o p u t t h e c a n d i d a t e s i n o r d e r of preference by putting the numbers 1, 2, 3, by their names on the ballot paper (or just 1, 2 and leave the third blank). However, should you only have one preference, you put a 1 by the candidate of your choice and leave the other spaces blank. The S T V system means that when there are three or more candidates for a post your vote is not "lost" if your first choice candidate is not elected but in fact could help your second choice to win over the third candidate. The system is more complicated than that and if anyone really wants to know eactly how it works, they should see J o h n P a s s m o r e . (Just remember , the election takes place on March 9 and 10 (10:00 to 5:00pm) in all departments and you need your Unioncard to vote. Now, a word of advice on how to interpret all the election bumpf produced by candidates: M o s t p e o p l e m a k e up t h e i r m i n d s o n a candidate's performance at the Hustings — while you may at first think that this gives a confident public speaker on advantage, it's amazing how a candidate's true values shine out, despite nerves.
McGuinness
M a r c o Ledwold is ideally suited to the post of Honorary Secretary. H e has been involved in all aspects of the Union however, he has not used Imperial College committees as a stepping stone to a s a b b a t i c a l . T h u s he does not have a traditional view to College affairs but rather is able to see things in a wider context. He will be able to enter the job of H o n Sec with a fresh outlook, injecting new ideas and enthusiasm into the Union. For a fresh look at I C U , vote Marco Ledwold, H o n Sec. Sara McGuiness
and updating Union and C l u b policies. The Union needs to be run democratically with more information for its members on policy decisions and discussions and also with feedback from the members to the Exec, on matters they want discussing. This is mainly done at Union General Meetings and I think that having Exec. News as an insert in F E L I X is a major step forward to having a better informed membership of the Union. People will be more likely to attend meetings and in this way familiarise themselves with procedure and eventually feel confident enough to put forward their own views.
Day to day adminstration plays a large role in the job of H o n Sec and my major concern would be to see that this was carried out efficiently and with the minimum of fuss. This would leave more time for major concerns such as Union General Meetings, dealing with Clubs and Hall Insurance,
In my capacity as part of the Exec team I can offer a Union that is much more aware of the needs of the majority of its members and which is therefore more capable of doing something about them. Marco Ledwold
Kirsten Pratt proposed by Owen Greene possess this ability through the Union posts I held last y e a r . A s I m p e r i a l C o l l e g e U n i o n R a g Secretary I showed I could work to the deadlines imposed by weekly meetings, despite my many other interests and undertakings. A s Mathematics Departmental Representative, in both academic a n d s o c i a l fields, I w o r k e d with o t h e r s o n successful ventures. A t the beginning of next year I shall have to devote a substantial amount of time and energy to promoting interest in Union General Meetings. But I also wish to spend time helping to fight education cuts and the increase in overseas students fees, and to organise a Disarmament Week. If you are looking for efficient and enthusiastic sabbatical officers o n Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 M a r c h — remember your Unioncard and vote Kirsten Pratt for Honorary Secretary. Kirsten Pratt
(proposed by Paddy Hoskin for Hon. Sec.) did not submit a manifesto.