The Sunday Times, Perth.	

	"Bennett's Beat"

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              |    Photo of D Rindos  	|
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		   Dr David Rindos . . .
 	    his case reportedly a dead issue.


		PHANTOM OF THE CAMPUS


This week BB was at the opening performance of the Phantom
of the Opera. 

While there has been mixed reaction to the *minus Andrew
Lloyd-Weber music* version, another phantom has kept
University of WA academics and administrators guessing at
his identity. 

It relates to an underground campus newspaper,
affectionately called Rumpus by its growing readership,
which keeps taking irreverent swipes at the uni's
administrators. 

One egghead, in particular, seems hellbent on tracking down
the culprit  responsible for printing and distributing the
biting publication.

At last count, "Raging Robbo" -- the name Rumpus has given
Acting  Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson -- is said to
have narrowed the  field of suspects down to 10.

But if his antennas are picking up the same signals that
related to  former UWA academic Dr David Rindos, then he
may not get much closer to  unmasking the culprit.

After a major article in The Weekend Australian a few weeks
ago about how  UWA gave Dr Rindos the flick, "Ragin Robbo"
wrote a letter to the paper  saying the Rindos controversy
was a dead issue on campus. 

It may be for the Prof but not for most of his colleagues. 
It has been the talk of the uni bar since the article and
letter appeared. 

In fact, the other day one academic, with tongue planted
firmly in cheek, told three big groups of academics and
administrators at Uni House to  stop talking about the
Rindos case because their acting head honcho said  it was a
dead issue.

"Not a day has gone by since Rindos was fired has the issue
not been  discussed at the bar," the eavesdropper said.

Perhaps someone should give the Acting Vice-Chancellor a
stake so he can  drive it into the heart of the issue.