Opinion

Hall so hard, College can’t affordably locate me

An editorial on halls, the new campus, BUCS, elections, and a quick good luck for exams...

And we’re back to some more of the same. Yeah, I get it, I know, it’s been going on for a while. But, hey, if we all just forget this and say “this is boring now let’s talk about the email storm or something else” then we do a disservice to future students. It’s exactly what everyone at the top wants us to do: just forget it, get absorbed in our work/life, and let them just do whatever they want.

Here is a serious question: is it really 10 million pounds to refurbish Evelyn Gardens? If it is then that is surely worth it. 10 million pounds for thousands of students’ welfare? It is a lot of money to us, but not to a big institution like Imperial. They made ten times that much in just one year. Of course it’s not as simple as that as they are investing in other things, but surely student welfare, and the chance for all students to be able to have a great experience, is worth it? On the subject of Garden Hall, what more can be said: a lot of students have got behind the campaign. They’ve really gone all out on this, and the message to College is clear: it is the most oversubscribed hall, it is cheap and close to campus, it is what students want. You wanted student input, you got it.

New Campus

The new campus has been launched. This is for postgrads only. Much excitement for all as BoJo was chilling with the Rector and I was forgetting to bring my camera card. The fact that I felt a bit underdressed aside, this could be something great for Imperial – that is, if we use it wisely. The aims of it are to built an excellent research centre (obviously, why would you aim to build a shit one?) that turns research into a money making venture. Whilst that statement may be so souless that it will probably be cast in any new Twilight movies, it doesn’t have to be all bad. Making money isn’t in and of itself an evil thing. It’s what you do to make money that can become a bit sketchy. It is worrying as this ideology of making money from science could lead to more catastrofucks like the Life Sciences cuts that happened two years ago. I am worried that researchers will feel on edge, and as though they must immediately be showing some kind of amazing money spinner from their research. The truth is that science for science’s sake often produces that result. What I’m saying is this: we can’t go bankrupt, but let the scientists breath a little bit. Don’t let them carelessly throw away heaps of money, sure, but don’t straightjacket them.

BUCS, Elections, and exams

A quick word on BUCS: it isn’t broke, why are they fixing it?

The elections are coming to a close. Results will hopefully be announced on Friday. If you haven’t voted yet, and, statistically the majority of students haven’t, then vote. Really think about it, and make an informed decision. You can always RON and abstain if you really have no clue where to place your vote. Remember Uncle Ben’s words: “with great power comes great responsibility”. Good luck to all of the candidates that are running. It’s the end of term and I will be in Metric watching it all unfold, or attempting to read my phone doing that ‘one eye closed’ thing you do when wasted (it all depends on when I finish all the deliveries and choose to clock off).

Remember Uncle Ben’s words: “with great power comes great responsibility”

Two terms in and one more to go for me, and elections has made me remember this time last year. There are some things I still really want to do with Felix, and I am now, in public, pledging to give it my all for just one last term, in the hope of making Felix all I wanted it to be. Have a great holiday everyone and good luck if you have exams!

The petition for Garden Hall is here, sign it.

From Issue 1544

15th Mar 2013

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