On Thursday night, the Union held an emergency debate discussing whether the new £16m sports centre being built in West Cambridge was money well spent.

It was clear from the outset that the two sides would approach the question with different degrees of seriousness.  Arguing against the sport centre, Steve Squirrell was quick to adopt a satirical tone, condemning the development as “morally disgusting”, and the “worst move since founding Churchill”.  Perhaps acknowledging the potentially indefensible nature of the proposition, he suggested that the University’s stake (£10m) would be better spent on cows for King’s and struggling Cindies, winning laughs.  His fellow proposition speaker Josh Heath took a similar line of attack, suggesting that 50 million Freddos might be a better investment.

By contrast, Ospreys’ President Anna Harrison took a more serious approach.  She focused on the benefits of sport to individuals, and the importance of sporting prowess for University reputation.  She also compared the £10m to the £46m spent on the new Materials Science building. Hawks’ President Andrew Dinsmore was equally straight-faced, discussing the merits of sport with regard to employability and again emphasizing the prestige associated with top-class University sport.In the end seriousness won out, and the audience voted that the sports centre was a good investment.  All were also relieved to learn that Cindies was “alive and well”, Mr Dinsmore having been there “only last night”.

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