Editorial
UNIVERSITIES are going to become pretty crowded it seems! Regardless of which of the three main political parties wins this general election – yes, I imagine you are sick of hearing about it already – university spaces are going to be created. And all this going on while universities are being routinely stripped back by cost-cutting exercises. Doing more with less seems to be the agenda, but is it really necessary that there be more to do?
Here’s a thought, University shouldn’t be for everyone. Government targets to get 50% of people into University by this year have always been somewhat ludicrous, with big business criticising them for their lack of foresight in the past, but this clearly hasn’t been taken on board.
“A CONVICTED child porn kingpin has been kicked out of university after fears he was preying on mums of young kids,” began a recent article in the Daily Record.
It went on to discuss how the student, who had previously served a four-year jail sentence for running an “international online porn ring”, was expelled from the University of Strathclyde after a female classmate and mother realised he was using a fake name and reported him.
And yet it seems that the reason he was expelled was not entirely due to his conviction, but because he did not declare it when he applied to University. Having served a custodial sentence of more than 30 months, he was obliged by University policy to disclose it when applying, but is it any surprise that he didn’t?
Read more: Press Pressure: "Sex offenders are abhorrent, but cannot be burnt at the stake"
It’s election time again, and the Student’s Association has been gripped by all the excitement of the gladiatorial ring.
Or not, as it may be. Never has the proud banner of student apathy been waved higher than in this year’s election, where the majority of posts are uncontested, and some of the people running are choosing to do so for this very reason.
It doesn’t matter what they say, or what they’ll do, or what they inevitably won’t be able to do, the pledges are for many a token gesture before the inevitable donning of the crown.
Read more: Election Fever Grips… well, some of the candidates at least
HAPPY New Year one and all, and indeed Happy New Decade! I’d like to start the next ten years with a note of youthful optimism, but I don’t think that’s going to fly anymore.
So we wave farewell to a decade that opened with the attack on the world trade centres and went on to be epitomised by unpopular wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russian invasion of Georgia, the Israeli invasion of Gaza, further terrorist attacks in London, Madrid, Beirut, Glasgow, Pakistan, Mumbai and the latest attempt on a passenger plane to Detroit, which took place on Christmas Day.
Well Christmas is upon us, and it’s my final editorial of the year. Before we begin I thought I’d thank everyone who’s contributed to the Telegraph this year, and more importantly, thanks to everyone for reading it! Remember, the Telegraph doesn’t stop working when the paper goes to bed, stories will be coming online throughout the holiday and feel free to leave your comments! Now, as a final farewell to 2009, I thought I’d try something a little different...
‘Twas the month of December, and all across Strath
The students were working, no time for a bath.
Essays and exams were looming so near,
The thought of those deadlines filled students with fear.
The tutors were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of eight-hour-a-week jobs danced in their heads.
And I in the library, writing real slow,
Had just settled down to an essay on Poe.
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