2000-01 Semester 2 Week 9 Friday ‘We’re enemies of the people now,’ says Compton. ‘Enemies of the proletariat,’ says Ren. ‘Didn’t you see the callouses on their hands? Sons of the toil, that lot.’ ‘Whenever they were talking I … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 9 Friday A feeling of abandon begins, and spreads. Since morning began the celebratory sap has been climbing, and now it’s the afternoon the amrita is starting to bubble up into the brains of the … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 8 Wednesday Ren, Compton and Walter are at the cafeteria. ‘No, I’ve heard nothing more about Tyson other than that he was quickly transferred to a private hospital in London,’ says Walter. ‘Thank God for … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) He sees Millicent and a couple of other students pull out their mobile phones. ‘Don’t call the cops,’ he shouts as he picks himself off the ground. ‘Call an ambulance. He’s mentally … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) It’s dark outside the staff club, and there’s no sign of any bearded old philosophers running around going berserk. Ren takes a guess at which way Tyson went, and runs. Ten minutes … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) When Ren arrives at the staff club he is appalled to see that Tyson is drinking a glass of wine, and has a wine bottle in front of him. Who the fuck … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) Ren asks for some more questions. Not surprisingly, no-one is very keen to ask one. The only person putting his hand up is Alan Pettigrew. Alan is a former civil servant, now … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday (cont.) Twenty minutes later Tyson, face down on the floor, starts singing. ‘Hello carpet my old friend,’ he croons to tune of The Sound of Silence. He looks up. ‘You two still here? … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 7 Wednesday Ren shoots Compton a look to say sorry, I owe you one. Compton looks back, amused. He seems to be saying, don’t worry, this is worth it for the story. They’re at the … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 5 Thursday ‘Take them all over,’ says Derek. ‘All of them?’ says Simon. ‘The state?’ says Bob. ‘Yes.’ ‘All the public schools?’ says Simon. ‘No more private schools,’ says Derek. Ren, who has just finished … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 4 Wednesday Ren’s in his office recovering after giving a lecture, which had gone well enough but will require some extra explaining next week, on top of the extra explaining he was already going to … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 2 Week 3 Tuesday Ren knocks on Compton’s door. ‘Compton, what’s all this cuggermugger I hear about Verna winning a grant?’ ‘It’s true.’ ‘But how?’ ‘The postmodern sisterhood. They look after their own.’ ‘But even by their … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 1 Week 8 Monday ‘Come in,’ says Ren. A sullen-looking student with curly black hair and a black hoodie shuffles into the room, and sits in front of Ren’s desk. ‘What can I do for you… Sebastian, … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 1 Week 7 Saturday (cont.) ‘But why do the Universities themselves let the government push them around?’ asks Tanja. ‘The Universities sold their soul to the government,’ says Ren. ‘In return for letting government have some power … Continue reading →
2000-01 Semester 1 Week 7 Saturday (cont.) ‘So is this like the RAE that Miles was telling me about the other day?’ asks Tanja, who is fascinated now, despite herself. ‘Sort of,’ says Miles. ‘The RAE is another government … Continue reading →
