Henry’s First Term
Sport p31
Follow Henry, a fresher at Queens’, through the highs and the lows of his first term at Cambridge on VarsiTV. This week, Henry meets the neighbours and goes to the freshers’ fair. Next week: his first bop...
FRIDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2010
Eliot D’Silva considers how our fascination with footballers’ sex lives is played out on the pitch
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1947
ISSUE NO 725 | VARSITY.CO.UK
Browne Report sparks row over funding
LAFAYETTE PHOTOGRAPHY
Prospect of unlimited fees and higher interest on loans TRISTAN DUNN & ABTIN SADEGHI
Lord Browne’s review on the future of higher education financing was published on Tuesday. The panel, set up by the previous Labour government, was tasked with suggesting alternate funding options for higher education in the UK. After months of speculation, the review has sparked nationwide debate. The keystone of the review is a controversial scrapping of the current cap on tuition fees (now set at £3,290). Under the proposals, there would be no
£3,290
The cap on tuition fees which is set to be scrapped
£12,000
The annual fee which Cambridge could charge
limit on how much universities could charge students. This free market system would lead to a rise in fees to at least £7,000 a year and even higher for institutions such as Cambridge. Despite the Liberal Democrat’s manifesto pledge, Vince Cable endorsed the reports findings on Tuesday morning saying that scrapping fees was “no longer feasible”. The report also predicts an 80% cut in teaching grants
to universities, with only so called “priority” subjects such as medicine, science and engineering having any protection. As a result universities will be forced to raise fees to £7,000 just to fill the gap in funding. Therefore students are likely to see no additional teaching value for this doubling in fees. A further controversial suggestion is to increase the interest rate on student loans to incorporate the government’s funding costs. This amounts to an extra 2.2% per year on all loans. In order to ease the burden on loan repayments, Lord Browne has suggested students begin repaying once they earn £21,000, up from the current £15,000. A spokesman for the University said: “We welcome the publication of the Browne Review. We will now consider its recommendations, assess the implications and await the Government’s response.” However the report’s findings were quickly condemned by both the NUS and CUSU, who are backing the introduction of a graduate tax as a more balanced solution. NUS have stated it “would hand universities a blank cheque and force the next generation to pick up the tab.” The Cambridge Union held a special debate on the Browne review on the eve of the report’s release. At the debate, CUSU president Rahul Mansigani stressed that “Cambridge is not immune”
and urged students to join the demonstration in London on 10th November. Susan Nash, vice-president of NUS, emphasised that the review painted a “bleak picture” for the future of higher education with the possible creation of a two-tier system whereby richer institutions become richer whilst poorer ones lose out. Michael MacNeil, UCU National head of higher education, warned that the possibility of university closures would lead to a “weakening of the UK’s position as a centre of knowledge.” Matt East from Anglia Ruskin University gave an emotive speech in which he stated “education should be a right, not a privilege”. Speaking to Varsity regarding the Lib Dems’ “U-turn” on policy Miss Nash said, “we do feel betrayed. Nick Clegg and Vince Cable signed the pledge like all the Lib Dem MPs. They also made a manifesto commitment. They went further than us, calling for a scrapping of tuition fees.” She expressed concerns that “poorer students would be priced out” and a “fear of debt” would lead to students choosing courses based on cost. Vince Cable must now prepare a response to the report with the aim to implement the new fee structure by 2012. With the possibility of a Lib Dem rebellion and a student protest, it is uncertain as to which of the proposals will come into effect. SEE P5 FOR REACTION TO THE REPORT FROM STUDENTS AND POLITICIANS
Women’s body shape is genetic, scientists find ELIZABETH BATEMAN
Scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge have discovered a link between a woman’s genes and her body shape. The research, conducted with the University of Oxford, has led to the identification of 13 new sets of genes associated with differential fat distribution. The genes, expressed in both sexes, influence the amount of fat stored either around the abdomen or on one’s hips and thighs, leading to the aptly named ‘apple’ and ‘pear’ shaped figures. It was found that seven of the genes had greater expression in women than in men. Dr Ruth Loos of the MRC Epidemiology Unit said: “These two studies are the beginning of new insights into the biology of obesity and body shape, which in turn may lead to more targeted approaches to obesity prevention.” A snapshot of Queens’ 2010 Matriculation photo
All the Queens’ Men
Queen’s College students returned this year to discover a striking gender disparity among the fresher intake. Of the 157 first-year students, 107 are men and only 50 are women. While gender imbalances are common among science-focused Colleges such as Trinity and Churchill, they are an unusual occurrence for Queens’, a fact which has led to some unease within the student body. Varsity spoke to Queens’ freshers, College authorities, and access officers to get to the bottom of the gender imbalance. SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 3
The Essay p12 A cure for ageing: Aubrey de Grey 41 > 9 771758 444002