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FRIDAY JANUARY 15TH 2010
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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1947
ISSUE NO 709 | VARSITY.CO.UK
Queens’ Ents suspended for four weeks
Cambridge named second most prestigious UK brand FIONA VICKERSTAFF
The fi rst four Queens’ College bops of Lent term have been suspended following a serious case of vandalism at the end of last term. The Dean of Discipline, Dr Martin Dixon, imposed the ban as a form of collective punishment, effective on the entire student body until the culprits identify themselves. The suspension has been described by Queens’ students as “disproportionate” and “a knee-jerk” reaction. The vandalism is believed to have occurred between 6.40am and 7.00am on Friday December 4th, when a fi re extinguisher was taken from a staircase in the Cripps Building and sprayed into fridges and over several kitchens. Bottles of pasta sauce, soup and cornflakes were also spread across the walls and thrown onto floors and a student’s shoes were fi lled with hot chocolate. Every staircase in
the building but one was affected, with the total cost of the damage estimated at over £1000. In an email sent to Queens’ students, Dr Dixon said that “all attempts to identify those responsible have drawn a blank”, adding, “I have no confidence that this was an isolated incident and I cannot be certain that there will not be further incidents”. Consequently, the first four Queens’ Ents and the MCR charity fundraising Ceilidh, a popular graduate event, will not take place. The Dean emphasized that the fi re safety implications of the incident raised serious concerns about the College’s responsibility for students’ and visitors’ welfare. Therefore, the banned events are those which involve large numbers of non-Queens’ students coming into College. However, the fi rst-year dinner and the iconic Halfway Hall, which marks students’ halfway point at the
University, have also been banned. Attempts by organisers to move the dates into the second half of term have been rejected. All further student requests for permission for non-academic related activities will also be refused. Speaking to Varsity, Queens’ JCR President Emil Hewage said: “There is widespread doubt as to whether any Queens’ JCR members were involved in the acts of vandalism last December. Those who have taken the time to contact the JCR Committee have unanimously expressed their disapproval at what has taken place. “The scale of the ban is unprecedented in nature, and is particularly surprising given that, on the whole, the JCR has been making increased efforts to be a constructive and supportive member of the college community.” The Dean has downplayed the severity of the punishment, stating
that Formal Halls will still be open as usual and assuring students that regular bookings for sports facilities and fi lm nights will be unaffected. But some students are reacting furiously to the punishment. Charlie Bell, Queens’ Bar Representative, told Varsity: “Every student I have spoken to utterly condemns the vandalism that took place. The JCR and MCR Committees are working with the College authorities to fi nd out who’s responsible, and at the moment this is a priority. “However, there is a general consensus amongst second years that the banning of Halfway Hall, a major landmark in the Queens’ student experience, is disproportionate, and I am continuing to work with the Dean to fi nd a resolution. I have promised the second years and I will deliver: there will be a Halfway Hall this year, in whatever form it has to take.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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Punishment for kitchen vandalism includes banning of Halfway Hall
The University of Cambridge has been named one of the most prestigious brands in the UK. by a leading research group. In their fifth annual survey, Decision Technology labelled the University as the second most prestigious brand, behind the car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The body reviewed 120 brands using a unique procedure adopted from experimental psychology. The survey measured the 'personality' of each brand by asking over 1,400 consumers to make ratings based on 45 differing adjectives, enabling researchers to establish the chief qualities of each brand from statistical models. Design Technology spokesman Richard Lewis said, “People were asked how well adjectives such as 'luxury', 'prestigious' and 'expensive' were associated with Cambridge University. It was found to have a certain cache along with Mercedes-Benz and other high-end brands." Other brands reviewed include tabloid newspaper The Sun, which was described by participants as both the least prestigious and one of the most dishonest companies. Microsoft and Tesco retained their positions as the UK's most "powerful" brands, while the Liberal Democrats were deemed the least powerful brand.