The Cheese Grater The award-winning student magazine of UCL Union
Issue 33 - February 2012
THIS MONTH Mohammed No Cry This month we’re talkin’ Dawkins p.3
Nautical CrashCourse
www.cheesegratermagazine.org
DOWN YOUR No. 25 March 2010
REFERENDUM
Once more with feeling! Your Union is pro-Provost, pro-choice and still quite provocative
The vote that rocked p.4
Delia Comes First
Meddling kids...
Expect the unexpected... egg p.5
Hot Crossed Puns We send you to the recipe corner p.6
Spoilt Rats
UCL Library’s very own Rat Pack p.6
Ed’s Willy Banned Stiff thoughts from the erected leader p.7
“The Spinning Hannier” A Cheese Grater Review p.8
O. Webb and H. Sketchley UCLU faced one of the most controversial sets of referendum questions in its history as decisions raged over whether the student body has confidence in Professor Malcolm Grant as Provost (it does), whether the Union takes a pro-choice stance (it does), and whether it should be members’ meetings that decide international issues (it should). After all those results spoilers, read on for the dirty tricks, lows and blows of the campaigns...
No Yes Provost After a fortnight of hard campaigning, the UCLU referendum dished out a big hearty bowl of confidence in the Provost, only for it to be immediately spat in by those crying foul play by UCL management. The pro-Grant campaign won motion one (Does UCLU have confidence in Malcolm Grant as President and Provost
of UCL?) by a significant margin, achieving 1,699 votes to 1,185. Alex Nesbitt, pro-Grant campaigner and former Medical and Postgraduate Officer said “the result is a credit to UCL, its students and the campaign team who worked so hard to get students to vote. Although I share the view of many of the team that this is a question that should not have been posed in the first place, it is important that students have the opportunity to put forward their own views and arguments”. (Cont’d on Pg 2)