Founded in 1949
The Newspaper of Imperial College Union
Y The Union H o n o r a r y S e c r e t a r y , M a r y Freeman, has resigned her position with effect f r o m today. In a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h t h e F E L I X E d i t o r late this m o r n i n g , Miss Freeman outlined the reasons f o r her d e c i s i o n . She h a d received a letter f r o m U n i o n President Stephen Goulder w h i c h she f o u n d ' p a r t i c u l a r l y insulting', and this, together with her increasing w o r k l o a d
" I will only return if there are Ave hundred people at Tuesday's U G M and a two thirds majority vote ask me to stay. There is no other possibility of me changing my mind." a n d the fact that she is not w e l l l i k e d a m o n g U n i o n staff m a d e her r e s i g n a t i o n i n e v i t a b l e . M i s s F r e e m a n is o n l y p r e p a r e d t o r e m a i n as H o n o r a r y S e c r e t a r y i f t h e r e is m a s s i v e s u p p o r t f o r h e r at T u e s d a y ' s U n i o n General Meeting. Spec-
Shock and Surprise Reactions to M a r y Freeman's r e s i g n a t i o n were v a r i e d . K a r l S c h m i d t , Pr es ident o f R C S U , expressed a n i m m e d i a t e r e a c t i o n of shock and surprise, while M i n e s President Nigel W a l l s said " W e never a p p r e c i a t e d her, she was o b v i o u s l y a w o m a n . " O t h e r sources, i n c l u d i n g U n i o n A d ministrator Jen Hardy-Smith and City and Guilds (Mary F r e e m a n ' s o w n C C U ) refused t o c o m m e n t u n t i l they h a d time t o consider their reaction.
i f i c a l l y , i f there are five h u n d r e d p e o p l e present, a n d a t w o t h i r d s m a j o r i t y request her t o stay w i l l she r e c o n s i d e r her d e c i s i o n , a n d under no other circumstances. Since p u b l i c i s i n g the U G M is the H o n o r a r y Secretary's j o b , it seems h i g h l y u n l i k e l y that this many people will show up. Miss Freeman's immediate p l a n s are t o r e t u r n h o m e f o r a few days t o c a l m d o w n , a n d then to l o o k f o r a better p a i d j o b i n her f i e l d o f s t u d y — c o m p u t i n g . She h as several j o b offers pending, and expects little difficulty in finding employment. T h e r e s i g n a t i o n is b o u n d t o cause e n o r m o u s d i f f i c u l t i e s f o r S t e p h e n G o u l d e r , as w i t h o u t a D e p u t y Pr es ident o r a n H o n o r ar y S e c r e t a r y , he w i l l be r u n n i n g the U n i o n v i r t u a l l y s i n g l e handed.
'Why I Q u i t ' — M a r y These are the reasons for m y resignation: 1. Steve's insulting letter. 2. T h e article in F E L I X
made it plain that I was not well
liked. 3.
I had a belief that it was individual students that made up
the U n i o n and that they were the ones I was helping. 4.
A s from 12:45pm today F r i d a y O c t o b e r 22 1982, I have
therefore resigned as H o n o r a r y Secretary and will be seeking a job that pays well (as it is obvious that this is what matters to most people) instead o f the kindness and humanity that I had sought here (and found in several people: ' E r i c ' J a r v i s , C o l i n C o o p e r , J o h n F e r g u s o n , and several others (including M a r t i n Taylor
at times)). I should have known better than to expect it
of most people who centre some o f their existence around the Union In
Office. reference
to Steve's letter,
L i z and M a r c o
m a y have
worked late several nights up until 11:00pm or later, but were they doing it for two and half weeks solid? M a r y Elizabeth Freeman