Soap opera Acton

The new halls saga continues.

What’s interesting in all of this is that the finances of keeping Evelyn Gardens seem to be being used as a reason for retaining the halls. The lease is still going to last for another 30 odd years. In 30 years time I will be a very old Felix Editor. The amount of money that would be spent renovating the halls is deemed too high. First of all, how much will it cost? I was told by College that actually they haven’t had a proper evaluation done. Secondly, are you saying that all of these students having the best possible time at university is not worth that? If you are, then, well, that’s your opinion, and it’s not a palatable one: it’s essentially putting a monetary value on their heads, with a decision made that they are not good enough to warrant a bit of a loss – how would you like that to be done to you? What atmosphere does that foster in the students? Being told that, unlike L’Oreal, they aren’t worth it. If you want alumni to rave about Imperial and donate to it you need to show them that sometimes they are worth a bit of money being spent on them. This may make me sound like a massive radical, but sometimes it’s worth investing in people. It’s understandable that businesses (Imperial is a business in a way, as they need to make money to survive) must not lose money. However, not every single little part has to make money. Some things can just be a service, such as having cheap halls near to campus. Why not just refurbish the halls to the standard they were at before? The fact that they need refurbishment shows either neglect or inept management: you have either saved money by not fixing cracks etc, or you have hired bad builders who haven’t done a good job – the latter is a management failure and/or could be from trying to save money. Those students’ happiness is worth the money to refurbish, even if we have to give the keys over to the Wellcome Trust in just over three decades.

That all got a bit abstract and “let’s do it out of the goodness out our hearts-y” didn’t it? Frankly, I don’t care that it did, as being nice to people isn’t a crime. Examining the lease terms again: there are over 30 years left. If nobody can negotiate an extension in that time then wow that’s poor. Seriously, you have 30 years.

For comparison, in 30 years the following things happened: The Beatles managed to meet, form, become an incredibly successful band selling absurd amounts of records and break-up to pursue solo careers; Shakespeare managed to write most of his plays; two World Wars were declared, fought, and resolved; the internet burst onto the scene and became as huge as it is now; and my parents managed to raise five children and send them all off to university (thanks by the way!). Not to hammer the point home too much, but before the lease runs out the majority of Americans will be too young to remember the iPhone being launched. The list goes on. What Imperial has to do in that time is ask if it can keep paying to rent something. When you consider that in the past someone like Lord Byron could be born, create a character type so enduring that they are still used all the time today, and die, all in just over the space of time they have, you think that maybe we’ve got a bit soft as a species really. College has an incredible asset in Evelyn Gardens; they must use it, don’t lose it.

The bars and other such things there are not as innocent as it seems. The money made from them will go back into Campus Services’ pockets. Plus, the development is in a place with two hotels near by. It’s well know that halls are rented out during summer, and, coincidentally, W3 will be set up with a concierge service and 24/7 reception; making the switch into money making summer hotel that little bit easier

This backup option will hopefully remain that: a backup. The thing is, last week I had a photo that I titled “Scott Heath Backup”. That was the photo that went in, as I moved on to other work and didn’t keep looking for a replacement. There is the crux of the problem really: once you have a solution, you don’t usually seek out a better one unless you have the time. How many times have you re-written an essay in an exam? Or copied an answer in neater handwriting after thinking “that’s messy, but I’ll copy it up again later if I have the time”?

In an ideal world, the Union would be able to search for alternatives to bring to the table. However, they don’t have the staff and resources for that. Besides, their job is to advise, which they have done.

Hard to translate

This week brings news that the decision has been pushed back until June. They’ve also been asked to find a new home themselves. This seems slightly odd. Wouldn’t the people at the top of College have all of the best contacts in other universities? Would it not therefore be easier for them to find another institution to house the Translation Studies Unit? Would it not be more polite and respectful? Especially as you have stalled it until June, and are then going to give them a very short amount of time to pack up and leave. I also question how you can complete a degree without your supervisor. Find them a home elsewhere, and allow enough time for a smooth transition.

Mistakes

Last week I made some atrocious grammar/spelling errors in the Editorial. I worked myself to near madness, but I still will strive to improve the quality of the paper.