Piece originally published in The Independent. Students are the masters of procrastination. There’s always something more interesting than work. As a deadline nears, vacuuming the house and cleaning the windows suddenly begin to appeal. They can be an ergophobic bunch, but there is one force that compels even expert procrastinators to work: The Fear. The Fear... »
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ZOMG, THEY’RE TEACHING TERRORISM!?!?!
My head hurts. I just spent 20 minutes reading the comments in this article and I need to lie down. It’s by Rizwaan Sabir, a PhD student who was arrested for downloading an Al-Qaeda manual (and being a bit brown). That seems fair enough, you might think: surely someone who downloads such a manual... »
Universities are places of learning, not terror
No, I have no intention of strapping myself to a bomb. And, no, I am not an extremist and during my time at University haven’t come across anyone that is. “But you’re a Muslim Student! Not just any Muslim Student but one who studies in London!” Yes, I am. But I shouldn’t be defined... »
Detroit bomber was president of UCL’s Islamic Society
Suspected Detroit terror attacker was head of UCL’s Islamic Society, it has been revealed. According to the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, who graduated from UCL with a degree in Engineering and Business Finance, served as the President of the University’s Islamic Society between 2006 and 2007. In a recent press release,... »
Don’t worry: your university is not trying to kill you
Yesterday, I wrote: “Following Mutallab’s alleged actions, there will probably be a purported crackdown on ‘extremism’ within universities.” Today, as predicted, the Daily Telegraph contains an editorial jumping on this bandwagon, pointing the finger at universities for failing to fight Islamism. Its headline is the completely reasonable: “Academic liberalism is a danger to life”. The editorial... »
UCL student accused of plane bomb plot in the USA
A student at University College, London is in custody after reportedly attempting to blow up a plane in the USA. Thankfully Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab was studying engineering and not pyrotechnics: his explosives failed to go off and he ended up burning just his own legs. More here. Following Mutallab’s alleged actions, there will probably... »
Heads roll at the Student Loans Company
After months of incompetence and thousands of students stranded at university without any money, two members of the Student Loans Company have resigned. The man who oversaw the entire sorry operation remains, however. The two who took the buck were Wallace Gray, the SLC’s ICT director, and Martin Herbert, the marketing and customer services director.... »
