FELIX
Michael Williams
THE COMMON line was found. The third sabbatical will remain with the Editorship of FELIX for the next year. FELIX is safe for the time being. L a s t Monday's council decision can only be described as a victory for c o m m o n s e n s e i n a s m u c h that a n y major d e c i s i o n r e g a r d i n g the t h i r d s a b b a t i c a l h a s been deferred u n t i l a w o r k i n g party h a s thoroughly i n v e s t i g a t e d the w o r k i n g s o f the F E L I X O f f i c e a n d the U n i o n C e n t r a l A d m i n i s t r a t i o n . A n y such enq u i r y , I s h a l l p e r s o n a l l y w e l c o m e for only after prolonged d i s c u s s i o n and d i a l o g u e i n a w o r k i n g party a t m o s p h e r e c a n one b e g i n to e x t e r m i n a t e the n a i v e technical misconceptions that swirl around F E L I X ' s new situation l i k e a diseased mist. O n e o f the a p p r o a c h e s o p e n to the e n q u i r y w o u l d be to s e e w h i c h c o n c e r n ( i . e . e i t h e r F E L I X or the s o o n - t o - b e has c r e a t e d j o b o f Junior T r e a s u r e r )
p r i o r i t y i n terms of i m p o r t a n c e a n d s o w a r r a n t e d a f u l l s a b b a t i c a l ; that w o u l d s i m p l y a n d i n e v i t a b l y l e a d to a d i v e r g e n c e o f o p i n i o n . However,, if the approach were to be the determination of which area could least afford to do without a sabbatical, then the resolution of the matter would be more clear cut. B e that a s i t may, one further a s p e c t o f the w h o l e a f f a i r must n o t go u n b r o a c h e d : a s i n the c a s e of the F E L I X E d i t o r / P u b l i c i t y Officer anomaly, it was the i n i t i a t i v e s h o w n by the D e p u t y P r e s i d e n t w h i c h p r o v e d to be the i m portant s t e p p i n g - s t o n e t o w a r d s u l t i m a t e l y r e s o l v i n g the m a t t e r . Ron K i l l has once a g a i n p r o v i d e d the m e a n s by which the majority has expressed its feelings overwhelmingly.
The President's Office, The National Union of Students, i Endsleigh Street, London, WC1H ODU 10th January,
1975.
Dear Sir, I must take e x c e p t i o n to the statement p u b l i s h e d i n the l a s t edition of your paper that I took no i n i t i a t i v e to c o n d e m n the bombings recently perpetrated i n Birmingham. May 1 d r a w y o u r a t t e n t i o n to the f o l l o w i n g r e m a r k s that I made i n o p e n i n g the N a t i o n a l Conference o f the U n i o n on November 29. O n that o c c a s i o n I said: 'There have been for some time those who have sought to this Union by a discredit deliberate misrepresentation of our policy on Ireland. In the wake of the tragic events in Birmingham may I make it clear that at no time has the NUS condoned acts of indiscriminate terrorism, or the murder of innocent people, be it by the extreme Provisional IRA, the loyalists, the SAS, or the army. Let me repeat what was said on behalf of the Union after the Birmingham bombings. As an organisation that has campaigned for an end to internment and for a Bill of Rights for Northern Civil Ireland, we condemn unres" ervedly the bombings. They will only serve to hinder progress towards social justice in the six counties. I must add sympathy of also the specific the Union to those Birmingham students who were injured and maimed in the explosions. But in so doing I must state that our views of condemnation for the bombers and of sympathy for
* C a n i t be the w i n d of c h a n g e that i s r u s t l i n g through the p o r t a l s of I C W A ? I u n d e r s t a n d that c o n s t i t u t i o n a l m o v e s are a f o o t to i n c o r p o r a t e a p o l i t i c a l a s p e c t i n t o the A s s o c i a t i o n . We a w a i t further d e v e l o p m e n t s .
*
*
Incidentally, Dave Lea's 'vicious band of rustlers' (Council Highlights, p a g e 5) w e r e t h o s e who k e p t o n r u s t l i n g their papers.
John R a n d a l l ' s letter leaves me unmoved. The paradox so grubbily e x p l o i t e d by the D a i l y E x p r e s s r e m a i n s
F E L I X
L E T T E R S A L E T T E R FROM JOHN R A N D A L L
intact: (i) Tfce N U S d o e s not s uppo r t v i o l e n c e ; ( i i ) T h e N U S d o e s not s uppo r t the I R A ; ( i i i ) Some of the N U S p o l i c y on N o r t h e r n I r e l a n d c o i n c i d e s w i t h the a i m s of the I R A ; but does the N U S totally condemn the very concept of the IRA and its aims? B y p r e m i s e ( i i i ) , i t w o u l d appear not, but the s p i r i t o f s u c h a conclusion appears to c o n f l i c t with p r e m i s e ( i i ) . I f e e l s u r e at some time or other, someone must have said 'Paradoxes can be construed'.
their victims extend, as they have always done, to those who have lived through the hell of in the six the last five years counties. The best memorial we can offer to those who have died, be they in Belfast or Birmingham, Deny or London, is a continuing and unrelenting campaign for civil liberties in Northern Ireland. At this time we must ask whether the measures announced by the Home Secretary will assist in achieving a solution to the problems of the six counties. My view is that they will not. The existence of the Special Powers Act and the Emergency Provisions Act in Northern Ireland have not brought an end to violence, nor a political solution to the problems. I fear that the new police powers may be used indiscrimately against the left in this country, and against those groups, such as the official Sinn Fein, who pursue by peaceful means the legitimate political objective of a united Ireland. The tragic lessiort of Northern Ireland is that we will not establish civil liberties by accepting their erosion'. I am g l a d to l e a r n from yornr editorial that you are not c o n d e m n i n g me for t h i s a t t i t u d e but I am somewhat d i s t u r b e d to f i n d that i t i s not a p o s i t i o n y o u f e e l a b l e to s u p p o r t . Yours sincerely, John Randall, President.
ENTS CRITICISED Imperial January,
College, 1975.
Dear Editor, When 1 came b a c k for t h i s my f i f t h term at c o l l e g e , I w a s a g a i n e x p e c t a n t at the b a n d s
Š
Office, FELIX Imperial College Union, Prince Consort Road, South Kensington, London SW7 1UB
1975
Michael J . L . Williams Editor
Published by the Editor on behalf Imperial College Union Publications Printed
Offset-litho
of
on the Union
the Board.
premises.
Paul Ekpenyong, Sub-Editor R i c h a r d W a r i n g , News Editor R i z Shakir., Features Editor Editor R a m o n N e w m a n n , Photographic R o b J o n e s , Sports Editor Roger W i l k i n s , Photo-Journalist C h r i s K e e n a n , Business Manager J o h n M c C T o s k e y , Technical Manager Many thanks
to Ian,
Catherine,
COPY
Julia,
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and
Andrew.
DEADLINE
MONDAY,
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Int. 2881
01-589 5111 Ext. 2166
who w e r e to be o n t h i s term. H o w e v e r o n s e e i n g the E n t s Sheet p u s h e d out on the s e c o n d d a y I found for the fifth time there w a s no one I p a r t i c u l a r l y w a n t e d to s e e . O n c e a g a i n the l i n e up of a c t s s e e m s to c o n s i s t of tired and s t a i d rock bands w i t h the o c c a s i o n a l A m e r i c a n F o l k i e (?) w h o s e e m s to get b o o k e d to a p p e a r at I C on a l l h i s B r i t i s h tours. T h e i n c l u s i o n o f N i c o , I p r e s u m e , i s to a p p e a s e t h o s e w i t h s l i g h t l y more avante garde tastes, w h i c h i s O . K . i f y o u h a p p e n to l i k e a s i n g l e l a d y on s t a g e r a m b l i n g on for an hour or so a c c o m panied only by harmomium. C e r t a i n l y not e v e r y b o d y s cup of t e a . However one o n l y h a s to r e a d the m u s i c p r e s s or t a l k to f r i e n d s from o t h e r u n i v e r s i t i e s before one r e a l i s e s the number o f d i f f e r e n t a c t s w h o h a v e done U n i v e r s i t y tours o v e r the l a s t few months and presumably h a v e n ' t been a p p r o a c h e d by I C .
A.M.
B y t h e s e I d o n ' t mean the Y e s ' s or P i n k F l o y d ' s of t h i s w o r l d , w h o a p a r t from b e i n g a bit e x p e n s i v e aren't much above the s t a n d a r d o f the b a n d b o o k e d already, but t h o s e s u c h as Hatfield & The North, Fairport C o n v e n t i o n , the G l i t t e r B a n d , 10c.c. etc. S u r e l y the a t r o c i o u s l o s s e s made at the H e a v y M e t a l K i d s and Chapman-Whitney-concerts l a s t term h a v e s u n k i n , so why not try a b i t of a c h a n g e , a b i t of adventure. A b o v e a l l , my m e s s a g e to E n t s Committee i s , c a n we have a b i t o f v a r i e t y i n the a c t s booked ? A.P.Stevenson, Metallurgy II P.S.
I would welcome r e p l i e s to t h i s . Cont'd
on page 9.
any