Campus Watch

University of St Andrews

It’s produced the future King and Queen – but can Scotland’s oldest university give us the new James Bond?
MI5 is using St. Andrew’s student newspaper to advertise for new recruits in the battle for national security.
But despite the university’s reputation for educating some of society’s elite – including Prince William and Kate Middleton – applicants to the Intelligence Service are likely to come from all walks of life.
“MI5 comes to St Andrews and other Scottish universities to recruit because it knows our graduates are highly intelligent, critical thinkers,” said a spokesman.
“They’re as likely to get replies from bright kids from state schools and inner cities as they are from boarding schools. It’s got nothing to do with class or social status, and anyone who thinks otherwise is out of touch with St Andrews today.”

University of Reading

A former Reading law student has set up a card-game website dubbed the ‘EBay of poker’.
Described as a child genius at the age of 9, John Tabatatai graduated from the University in 2007.
He came second in the World Poker Series the following year, then used his one-million-pound winnings to set up bidibot.com.
John said ““Just as eBay found a new way for people to access discount goods; bidibot.com has stripped away the financial barriers that prevent many poker players from developing their game and playing in higher stakes events.”
Since bidibot.com’s creation big names like Betfair and BET 888 have approached the entrepreneurial graduate to pledge their support.

University of London

A University of London student newspaper has been fiercely criticised for publishing a ‘DIY Guide’ to shoplifting.
It is introduced in the paper as a ‘regular series of DIY and ‘how to’ guides especially for making trouble.’
Queen Mary College, which published the guide, has attempted to defend it by calling it ‘satirical’.
Example tips from the guide include: ‘Try to find where the video surveillance monitors are and who is watching them’.
It goes on to advise:  ‘It is a good idea to keep your back to the camera as much as possible without looking suspicious’.
But the joke seems to have lost on a few, with legal experts claiming that the students behind the publication could be sued.
Consequently, plans for a similar guide in next weeks Leeds Student have now been binned.

University of Manchester

A society at the University of Manchester which deals with male health and social issues made a request not to be placed near a number of left wing and feminist groups during last month’s student fair, it has emerged.
The Masculinity Exploration Networking and Support (MENS) society feared they would be disturbed by members of feminist, communist and socialist societies on other stalls if placed too close to them.