Power Struggles

Last Tuesday Imperial came within one hour of a major military attack against the Shep Main dept. After weeks of negotiation ICHC ordered a full-scale attack on the Terrace building. The attack was only called off 47mins before the appointed time when The Mighty Dr G of Shep Main (TM Dr G) wrote a letter to the chief high commander of ICHC agreeing to let ICHC inspectors onto the 5th floor of the Terrace building.

ICHC believes that the 5th floor may house documents that could be used in an anti-ICHC manner. There have been repeated reports from undercover ICHC operatives working inside Shep Main that a group is being formed with the intention of taking control of Imperial from ICHC. ICHC believe that this group is under the control of Dr Pratt, part-time Shep Main lecturer, part-time egomaniac.

Dr Pratt has for a long time been of concern to ICHC; he has being trying to raise his profile within the college through a series of propaganda campaigns. Although these have been largely unsuccessful he has gained a small group of hardcore followers, albeit ones on Dr Pratt's payroll.

On the 29th of December last year Dr Pratt tried to take control of the Maths department, to bring it under SMHC jurisdiction. Taking advantage of the lacks security over Winterval, he launched the Shep Main 1st and 4th tank regiments against the Huxley building at 2am and succeeded in taking control of the lower 2 floors.

However ICHC quickly launched air strikes against the Terrace building cutting off supplies to Dr Pratt's front line and forcing him to surrender. Under the terms of the surrender Shep Main should have allowed ICHC inspectors access to the 5th floor so that it could make sure Shep Main was not withholding any patent that could be used by ICHC to fund ICHC's activities.

However TM Dr G and the head of department, both oppose this since, they argue, ICHC already controls 90% of Shep Main's academic activity, they should not need more access. They say the real reason for the demands is to undermine Shep Main's command structure, with the eventual objective of removing the present SMHC and replacing them with a puppet command controlled by ICHC. They also denied any association with Dr Pratt and said they were going to kick his head in that afternoon.

ICHC say that their only concern is the well-being of college and all it's members, pointing out that Shep Main has repeatedly flaunted college rules by taking over smaller departments unable to defend themselves and several times breaching interdepartmental rules.

Shep Main's reply to this is that they have only taken over departments that are academically related and thus able to benefit from a merger. And the only rules that they have broken are ones set down by ICHC with the express purpose of advancing ICHC's command over the academic departments.

Other departments are split over the issue. Some of the bigger departments have moved away from the official college line to defend SMHC's stance; perhaps fearful of their own position should ICHC become too powerful. Most department, in particular the smaller ones, have backed ICHC and offered military assistance should it be necessary.

It seems that for now the threat of military action has gone, but only time will show whether it will return. ICHC will remain wary of Dr Pratt and his activities. While Shep Main will continue to resist ICHC intervention.

[Copyright Ross Newell 1998]