University of Exeter: Former member of IT department jailed for selling drugs to students
A member of the IT department at the University of Exeter has been sentenced to prison for selling drugs to students on campus.
Obaid Asif, 29, was stopped by the police on the 10th July 2018 whilst driving. When they checked his car they found cannabis and cocaine as well as three mobile phones.
The IT worker pleaded guilty to possession and selling both illegal substances to students on campus and has been sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Exeter Crown Court.
Prosecutor Felicity Payne commented: ‘One of the phones contained messages showing the defendant dealing to university students at the campus where he worked’.
When searching his house, police found traces of drugs as well as pictures on his phone of a large bag of cannabis which he sent out to people as a form of advertising what he could supply.
Asif, who graduated from Kingston University wth a first class honours degree in computer science, lost his job in the IT department in August 2018 after working there for more than a year. It appears he had gotten into financial difficulties and started to sell drugs.
–George Solano Davis, News Editor
University of Cambridge: Outrage as PhD student’s application to stay in the UK is rejected
Asiya Islam, a Cambridge research fellow, was denied to stay indefinitely in the UK by the immigration office which consequently disrupted her plan to continue studying and teaching at the university.
Islamis a highly-regarded academic. She won an award for best degree performance from LSE (London School of Economics) as well as the Dr Zakir Hussain medal for her outstanding contributions from Aligarh Muslim University. She now works at the sociology department at the University of Cambridge and has lived in the UK for more than 10 years.
The government rejected her appeal for indefinite leave to stay in the UK because she spent too many days out of the country. However, Islam explained that she had to travel to India to complete her PhD project.
Over 250 academics have contributed to an open letter to the government strongly suggesting to reconsider their decision. They say that the Home Office’s rigid handling of applications from immigrants could discourage international citizens to come to the UK to pursue their careers.
–Yasmine Moro Virion
University of Oxford: Students grow all out for Movember
In light of the start of men’s health awareness month, more than 50 organisations in and around Oxford have agreed to grow out their moustaches for a month to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.
University of Oxford students have raised an astonishing £14,519 in just the first week of November, promising a successful month of fundraising. Oxford Brookes students are following with £3,660 so far. While most funds go to Prostate Cancer UK, charities that support men’s suicide prevention are also recipients of this money. All participants will document their moustache-growing progress on the Movember page for the rest of the month.
But Movember is no longer just for growing moustaches, anyone can get involved by Moving for Movember or Hosting a Mo-ment thereby creating much-needed awareness and funds for men’s health issues.
–Lea-Sophie Montjoie
Glyndwr University: Student to row the width of Wales to raise awareness for student mental health
Student Thomas Porter-Hargreaves has organised a day-long row equal to the width of Wales in a bid to raise funds for a mental health charity.
Hargreaves, who is studying to be a primary school teacher at Wrexham Glyndwr University, has struggled with his own mental health issues and is keen to support others.
“I wanted to do it for November as it’s a big push for mental health, keep people talking- there’s Movember which is for men’s mental health. I’ve struggled myself in the past and I was hospitalised for my own issues five years ago.“
The row will take place on the 22nd November from 8am to 8pm at the student union. The target is to raise £1,000 and the event will also include live music, food and drink and a potential visit from Wrexham football club.
Hargreaves wants to raise awareness about student mental health.
“What spurred me is we knew a man who took his own life in Wrexham nd it’s had a big effect on the students here. A lot of students have been affected by poor mental health at this uni”.
-Elliott Hodgkin, News Editor
University of Cambridge: A family affair – daughter, mother and father all enrol at the same university
A mother, father and daughter have all started their courses at the University of Cambridge in the same semester.
After graduating from the University of Leeds with a first class degree in Theology, Lily Mead secured her place to study for a masters in Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge for the 2019/2020 academic year.
Joining her at the university is her father, Steve Mead, who is doing a postgraduate in electrical engineering after completing his masters at Anglia Ruskin in the summer. The duration of Mr Mead’s course is 4 years and includes a masters and a PhD. Lily’s mother, Sarah Mead, started her 3 year undergraduate degree in Music at the university in October, alongside her husband and eldest daughter.
Discussing their achievements, Miss Mead told the Gryphon, “It’s so funny because we didn’t plan this at all, it’s a complete coincidence. We all went to the same open day but didn’t imagine that we would all be accepted in the same year!” She added, “Mum and I had our matriculation on the same day as well, despite being in different colleges. It’s all such a coincidence”.
–Charly Loughlin, News Editor