London Student V.32 Issue 7 by London Student

www.london-student.net

JANUARY 16 -JANUARY 29 VOLUME 32 ISSUE 07 FREE

COMMENT

Does the US have its priorities wrong? And other debates in our Comment section - pages 9-14

FEATURES

COMMUNITY

A student tells us why they won’t be making any new resolutions for 2012

We catch up with Nicko Williamson, the young entrepreneur behind Climate Cars, to talk about his opening gambit

The Anti-Plan for 2012 - page 19

Young Entrepreneur

- page 23

SPORT

United, Henry and University injuries

As well as a look at the return of ‘The King’, our sports reporters continue to look at the issue of injuries in UoL sport

Universities charge students £50m in library ﬁnes

ULU President calls for alternative sanctions to “severe ﬁnes”

- pages 29-31

King’s College London amongst highest chargers

Hesham Zakai Editor Universities have raised nearly £50m from students in library fines over the past six years, according to recently released figures obtained by the Press Association. KCL was the highest charging London University, with nearly £1.2m in fines since 2004. At the other end of the scale, Imperial College charged the least of all the 101 universities which responded to the Freedom of Information request. They collected just £26, 703. A student at KCL with an unpaid fine of £140 told London Student: “Fines are an outrage. Knowledge at University should not be subject to profiteering by library administrators. Students are exploited enough, libraries should not pile on the pressure even further.” Up to a maximum of £20 per item, King’s charge 10p per day

The President of the National Union of Students, Liam Burns, has wri4en to King’s College Principal Rick Trainor urging him to sever the College’s links

Play brings you all the latest reviews, interviews and previews from the world of culture.

vere”. Not all students are averse to the fine system, however. Maria Holmbald, a student at UCL, said: “Although they are sometimes excessive, library fines are a positive thing. They’re needed to ensure that students return books so that they are available for others. Nobody likes paying fines, but they’re an effective deterrent.”

ULU President

for four week loans which are overdue, 30p per day for one week loans which are overdue, and 50p per hour for short/one day loans which are overdue.

with Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories. Burns was buoyed by overwhelming pressure from the NUS Executive Council, University of London Union and KCL Students’ Union, who each passed motions supporting the campaign to lobby King’s to withdraw from the NanoReTox research project.

Illustration by Millie K Nice

Vraj Domalip, ULU President, has appealed to universities to diversify the measures used to tackle overdue books. He said: “Universities must seek

alternative penalties to fines which many students cannot afford. It’s important to return library books, however charging students upwards of £100 is se-

In his le4er, Burns says that Ahava is “deeply complicit with violations of international law, speciﬁcally concerning declaration of their products origins within occupied Palestinian territories.” He adds that “a swi3 resolution, which we believe involves severing ties with the NanoReTox project whilstAhava is still a

partner, with the ultimate aim of Ahava complying with international law, is in everyone’s best interests." NUS’s Society and Citizenship Vice-President, Dannie Gruﬀerty, has also wri4en to the European Commission, expressing her concern at the “prevalence of EU funds supporting research projects with companies based in Israeli se4lements.” As part of its Global Justice programme, NUS is currently encouraging Students’ Unions to lobby their institutions to cancel contracts with two companies that are

Student organisations condemn King’s partnership with Ahava Writer Hesham Zakai Editor

24 PAGE CULTURE PULL OUT

Universities must seek alternative penalties to ﬁnes which many students cannot aﬀord. It’s important to return library books, however charging students upwards of £100 is severe

A second-year Chemical Engineering student who’s recently been on the receiving ends of one of these fines reluctantly agreed: “I got charged £90 last year, which is a ridiculously high cost. But I suppose other students may have needed the book. I think the whole affair should act as an indicator to libraries that they need to get more books”. Financial penalties aside, some univesities also prevent students from progressing onto the next year of their course or graduating (if they are final year students) until they have paid all outstanding fines. See The Great Debate on page 12 for two competing views from students.

“directly implicated in maintaining the occupation [of Palestinian territory]”, Eden Springs and Veolia. The campaign against Ahava at King’s College has garnered a lot of a4ention, and a petition launched has over 1,000 signatures with high-proﬁle signatories including Noam Chomsky, Ahdaf Soueif, Jeremy Corbyn MP and Nurit Peled-Elhanan. KCLSU voted to condemn the collaboration between King's and Ahava by 25 votes to 1.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Editorial team LONDON STUDENT Malet Street ULU WC1E 7HY 02076 642054 www.london-student.net facebook.com/london-student twitter.com/london-student

Editor Hesham Zakai editor@london-student.net

News Editors Hattie Williams Toby Thomas Bassam Gergi news@london-student.net

Comment Editors Rosa Wild Tom Chambers Abubakr Al-shamahi comment@london-student.net Features Editors Amy Bowles Ingrida Kerusauskaite features@london-student.net

LS strives to be green, which is why our paper is printed on 100% recycled paper and all copies le" over are recycled by our distributors. But you can do your bit too by recycling your copy once you're finished. For all things environmental, see Ben Parfi 's Green Column on p.21

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The recycled paper content of UK newspapers in 2010 was 77.4%

Community Editor Victoria Yates community@london-student.net Science Editors Harriet Jarlett Rachel Mundy science@london-student.net

Academia Editor Valeriya Nefyodova academia@london-student.net

Entrepreneurship Editor Ahmad Bakhiet

entrepreneur@london-student.net

Sport Editor Natalie Kahn sport@london-student.net

Guest readers

London Loves Jessica Broadbent love@london-student.net

Sub Editors Katie Lathan Niki Micklem Ayala Maurer Cathryn Parkes Jonathan Brunton Neha Srivastava chief.sub@london-student.net

Art Director Rahim Hakimi design@london-student.net

Designer Nathan Clutterbuck

Production & Development Manager Alireza S. Nejad Photo Editor Danielle Bergere

Broadcast Editor Freya Pascall broadcast@london-student.net Libel Checker Caz Parra

Suzanne Kimman is a third year Geography student and President of the KCL Geography Society. She also works part-time at ULU, which is an ideal place to pick up a copy of London Student!

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Ex-Mubarak Minister slips out backdoor of LSE lecture

Writer Bassam Gergi News editor The first forty-five minutes of Harvard Professor Roger Owen’s lecture at the LSE on the Egyptian revolution were quiet enough. However, as the forum was opened up for questions and the microphone was handed to Dina Makram, an anthropology student from Cairo, the mood swiftly changed. Visibly shaken up, Makram said, “I apologize Professor Owen, I was not able to concentrate on your lecture, I was distracted by the presence of Mubarak’s ex-Finance Minister.” Until then, the audience for the most part was unaware that Youssef Boutros-Ghali, former Egyptian government minister wanted by Interpol and on the run

from a 30-year prison sentence, was sitting in the front row of the LSE lecture hall. The unexpected revelation caused a brief furor as the audience erupted in applause for Makram’s audacity to call out Mr. BoutrosGhali. Mr. Boutros-Ghali fled Egypt days after Mubarak’s resignation and has been living in London for several months. Speaking after the event, Makram said, “I was enraged and insulted. I was in Tahrir Square during the revolution; I was there when Mubarak fell. It is an insult to every single Egyptian who was in Tahrir Square over the last year that he was sitting comfortably.” Alia Moussallam, a 30-year-old PhD student from Cairo, who was also at the event, was one of many to phone the police to report Mr. Boutros-Ghali's presence. Mousallam reported that the police

phoned him back and said, “that they would not be able to do anything until they heard back from Interpol but they would be verifying Mr Ghali's status with them.” According to an Interpol spokesperson, “A member country is not obliged to arrest the subject of a red notice”. And yet, in perhaps the most jarring part of the story, shortly before the event drew to a close, LSE officials escorted Mr. BoutrosGhali out through a private back entrance. An LSE spokesperson said, “Our primary concern before that was security and the safety of everyone there and the man himself. At that time we weren't aware of the Interpol red notice – that was only made aware to us just as he was driving away. Once we were aware of it, we did call the police and let them know.”

advised the society that it would be "prudent" to take it down. The pressure from the Union prompted members of the Atheist Society to launch an online petition calling to "Defend freedom of expression at University College London.” As of January 12, the petition had garnered nearly 3,000 signatures, including that of Richard Dawkins, who le6 a comment stating, "Jesus and Mo cartoons are wonderfully funny and true. They could oﬀend only those actively seeking to be offended, which says it all." The Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association, one of the Islamic soci-

eties at UCL, put out a statement that said, “Let it be clear: they are within their legal rights to keep their cartoon up.” A6er receiving word of complaints from Muslim students, the Atheist Society went a step further and posted nearly one dozen similar images. Reacting to the escalation by the atheist society AMSA said, “To further inﬂame the sentiments of Muslims and Christians by adding more cartoons in the name of freedom of expression is, to say the least, absurd; freedom to insult is the very worst aspect of freedom of expression.”

UCL Atheist sparks row with Muhammad cartoon Writer Bassam Gergi News editor

University College London's Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society sparked a row with the university's students’ union over the use of a Muhammad-related cartoon on its Facebook page. The image in question is the title page from a comic book, Jesus and Mo, Volume 2: a well-known web comic that depicts the title characters engaging in theological and philosophical debates. In response to complaints, the UCLU

No Place for Hate: NUS hate crime report tackles disability Writer Hattie Williams News Editor

National Union of Students (NUS) have released a new report calling on universities to do more to reduce disability hate crime. Figures show that nearly a quarter (24%) of students with a physical impairment and 15% with a sensory impairment have experienced antisocial behaviour or crime motivated by a prejudice against their disability. Rupy Kaur, NUS Disabled Students’ Officer, said: “When one in four students with a physical impairment are the victims of prejudice, it’s clear that more needs to be done by our universities. “While it appears that universities o6en do an effective job of responding to hate incidents, they need to take note of our recommendations and be more pro-active in stopping hate crime before it happens.” NUS have offered 10 recommendations for universities and colleges to prevent and tackle incidents of hate crime, including the establishment of multi-agency support services and the reporting and documenting of incidents. Kaur added: “Our research shows that hate incidents and hate crime can have a profound impact on disabled students' mental health, affecting their study, social life and participation in societies, clubs and activities.” In a survey of over 1000 disabled students, 43% had altered their behaviour, daily routines or personal appearance to avoid incidents of hate. It was found that only 12% of disability related hate crimes are reported to police. This latest report, ‘No Place for Hate– Hate crimes and incidents in further and higher education: disability’ is the second of four reports investigating the affects of hate crime at Universities. The enquiry forms part of a larger project funded by the Home Office to reduce student victimisation.

In a recent summary, NUS said: “Across the four reports we found that 16 per cent of all respondents had experienced at least one form of hate incident at their current institution. Moreover, compared to victims of non-bias incidents, those who experienced hate incidents were more likely to be repeatedly victimised and suffer more negative effects as a result.” In December last year, NUS published an executive summary to their report on the impact of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) hate crimes and incidents in further and higher education. The report said: “For many lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT) students, college and university is also a time where they are able to explore and define their gender and/or sexual identities, unrestrained by previous school and family life. Such an environment is destroyed when students are targeted by antisocial behaviour or crime because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Unfortunately, this report shows that these negative experiences are a reality for some students. Moreover, in many cases, these incidents occur in and around the college or university campus, perpetrated by fellow students.” Nearly one in three lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) students said they had experienced at least one hate incident related to their sexual orientation during their current studies. The report also indicates that almost half of trans students (45%) had experienced hate incidents motivated by prejudice against their gender identity whilst at University. The results of the NUS report preceded a candle-lit vigil against hate crime in Trafalgar Square and across the world last October. Those who gathered in London held a two minute silence to remember people affected by hate crime. The Hate Crime survey’s first report, on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans) students, is available on their website. The final reports on “race and ethnicity” and “faith and religion” will be available in early 2012.

Richard Dawkins weighed in on the controversy. Photo: Shane Pope

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

University of London staﬀ in Queen’s New Year Honours List Writer Hattie Williams News Editor

Five University of London staff members and several of the University of London’s alumni have been recognised in the 2012 New Year Honours List. Professor Ursula Martin of the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Queen Mary has been awarded a CBE for “services to computer science”. Professor Martin gained her professorship age 36 and specialises in the application of abstract mathematical concepts to problems in so5ware design. “I’m delighted that my contribution has been recognised in this way”, Professor Martin said. She now leads the major knowledge transfer initiative program ImpactQM and is also a member of the UK’s Defence Scientific Advisory Council, forwarding computing for women through the British Computer Society. The CBE follows her accolade at the UKRC’s Women of Outstanding achievement awards, where she was announced runner up for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Professor Simon Gaskell, Principle for Science and Engineering at Queen Mary, said: “This is a well-deserved recognition for the many exceptional contributions that Ursula has made. She has become an outstanding role model for young computer scientists both within Queen Mary and nationally.” Three staff members of University College London have also been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours List. Professor Sir Mark Pepys (UCL Medicine) has received a knighthood for services to biomedicine. Professor Clare Fowler (UCL Institute of Neu-

rology) and Dr Eileen Vizard (UCL Mental Health Sciences Unit) have been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to uro-neurology and for services to children and young people respectively. UCL’s honoured professors praised their colleagues and staﬀ for their contribution to the awards. Professor Pepys, Principal Clinical Research Associate, said: “It is a very great honour and pleasure to receive this recognition, for two particular reasons: it is an accolade for my outstanding colleagues and collaborators over many years and for the very supportive institutions, the Royal Free and

Professor Clare “I will be accepting Fowler

the award on behalf of all the nurses and doctors who have helped me care for patients and build up the department of uro-neurology. What is more, I know that the development of this new neurological speciality would not have been possible at any other hospital and I am grateful for the vision of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the years of support from UCLH.”

UCL, as much as it is for me personally.” Professor Fowler of the Brain Repair & Rehabilitation department at UCL explained: “I will be accepting the award on behalf of all the nurses and doctors who have helped me care for patients and build up the department

Professor Dinesh Bhugra, KCL

of uro-neurology. What is more, I know that the development of this new neurological speciality would not have been possible at any other hospital and I am grateful for the vision of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the years of support from UCLH.” Dr Vizard said: "I am honoured and delighted to accept this award in recognition of work I have developed with deprived and abused children over many years. However, I also accept the award on behalf of the many clinical colleagues who have worked with me to build our national service for children and young people. The award also acknowledges my long standing academic links with UCL and the research I have undertaken with colleagues in UCL and the ICH." Professor Dinesh Bhugra, King’s College London, has been awarded the title of CBE for services to psychiatry. Professor Bhugra is the Chair of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at the Health Service and Population Research Department (HSPRD) at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) and Honorary Consultant at the Psychosexual and Relationship Service at the South London NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2003 to 2007, and President from 2008 to 2011, he is also an honorary fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. Professor Bhugra has been instru-

Seven Imperial researchers awarded prestigious Fellowships Writer Bassam Gergi News Editor

Seven may be a lucky number, but it was undoubtedly hard work and dedication that allowed seven Imperial academics to receive Fellowships totaling more than £6 million this month. The fellowships are designed to help the academics develop their potential as the next generation of world-leading scientists and engineers. Four of the researchers were awarded the Career Acceleration Fellowships (CAFs). They are receiving a five-year grant to help them at an early stage of their career, with the expectation that they will have established an independ-

ent career of international standing by the end of the award. The Imperial recipients are Dr James Bull, from the Department of Chemistry, Drs Amelle Zair and Piers Barnes, from the Department of Physics, and Dr Thomas Reddyhoff, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The other three researchers were awarded Leadership Fellowships from the EPRSC. Their Fellowships run for up to five years and aim to help academics develop into international research leaders who can set and drive new research agendas. The Imperial recipients are Dr Fernando Bresme, from the Department of Chemistry, Dr Simon Colton, from the Department of Computing, and Professor Claire Adjiman, from the Department of

mental in developing training packages for health service professionals and strategies for psychiatric education around the world. He said: “It is a great honour and I am particularly delighted as the honour recognises psychiatry and the exciting and hard work we do in the ﬁeld. It would not have been possible without the support of so many colleagues both in SLaM and in the IoP, and I would like to pay tribute to them for their sterling support.” Professor Shitĳ Kapur, Dean and Head of School at the IoP said: “Dinesh’s research has signiﬁcantly enriched the IoP’s portfolio of scholarship and his recent accomplishments as the President of the Royal College and his election as the President of the WPA will allow Dinesh to leave a lasting impact on the profession of psychiatry and medicine.” King’s alumna Dr Rachel Carr was awarded an OBE for her services to education. Dr Carr completed her BA (1986), MA (1987) and PhD (1998) in English at King’s and is the founder and Chief Executive of IntoUniversity. The charity provides programmes of support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to a7ain either a university place or another aspiration. Lord Carlile of Berriew, QC, graduated from King’s with an LLB in 1969. He was awarded a CBE for services to national security. Lord Carlile sits as a Liberal Democrat peer and was elected a Fellow of King’s in 2003. Dr Daniel Abse, King’s alumnus (1950) and Fellow (elected in 2009), was awarded a CBE for services to poetry and literature. He has combined a career as a poet and novelist alongside that of a senior clinician in chest medicine. He was President of the Poetry Society from 1978 to 1992. Miss Wendy Barber, Administrator at the Institute of Education, University of London, has been awarded an OBE for services to Higher Education.

Professor Clare Fowler, UCL

Dr Eileen Vizard, UCL

Professor Martin Pepys, UCL

Other University of London alumni in 2012 list: UCL

•Sir Alexander Allan (UCL Statistics 1974) – KCB for services to the state sector •Professor Karin Barber (UCL Social Anthropology 1973) – CBE for services to African studies •Colonel Hugo Fletcher (UCL Laws 1978) – OBE for services to The Parachute Regiment, British Army •Hilary Lane (UCL Fine Art 1970) – MBE for services to the arts in Sussex KCL

Chemical Engineering. Upon receiving the news, Sir Keith O’Nions, Rector of the College, said, “Competition for these Fellowships is fierce and I am absolutely delighted to see so many Imperial researchers receiving these prestigious awards. It’s a testament to their hard work and outstanding ability.”

Photos by UCL

•Dr Neslyn Watson-Druee (MSc Education 1989), Chair of NHS Kingston who received a CBE for services to healthcare •Dr William Cunningham (Medicine 1974), a GP at Corbridge Health Centre, who was awarded an MBE for services to primary care •Fionna Macgregor Gibb, Deputy Head of Mission in Yemen, received an OBE for diplomatic services •Jack Livingstone, who received an OBE for charitable services in Greater Manchester Military received honours •Captain Stephen Dainton (MA Defence Studies 2004), Royal Navy, received a CBE •Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis (Guy’s MB BS Medicine 1977), Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Health) and Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director General (Navy) received a CBE •Commodore Robert Thompson (MA International Studies 2009), Royal Navy, also received a CBE

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

4214% APR: Wonga’s Student Loan Marketing is irresponsible, say NUS Writers Hattie Williams News editor The National Union of Students (NUS) have responded to a marketing campaign from pay-day loans company Wonga, saying that the targeting of financially vulnerable students was incredibly irresponsible and should be immediately withdrawn. Information on the Wonga website suggested that students should supplement Government borrowing with short-term loans from Wonga to pay for things like holidays. Governmentbacked student loans currently offer interest rates of 1.5% APR; Wonga’s representative APR is 4214%. Pete Mercer, NUS Vice-President (Welfare), said: “It is highly irresponsible of any company to suggest to students that high-cost, short-term loans be a part of their everyday financial planning. “Students should think long and hard before choosing pay-day loans over any other form of borrowing, including government-backed student loans. If students are struggling to make ends meet, there is o3en other support available and anyone worried about their finances should talk to their students' union or financial advisers at their university.” He added: “Wonga should immediately withdraw this predatory, which contains information that appears to be inaccurate, and is aimed at financially vulnerable young people.” Wonga responded by removing the material from their website. “We took it down because we do not actively target students as potential customers and we wanted to clear up any confusion about that,” Wonga said.

“It was clear the old article gave rise to misunderstanding. We would like to clarify that Wonga does not target students. Yet we do not discriminate against working, adult students who may choose to apply either, because all applications are assessed in the same robust and completely objective way.” Wonga also added that the previous article “was several years old” and the content’s purpose was for “search engine optimisation”. The Helena Kennedy Foundation, an educational charity providing ﬁnancial support to poorer students, has also attacked Wonga for “exploiting cash strapped students to promote their high interest loans.” The foundation also expressed con-

cerns over cut backs to university bursaries totalling £14m for the poorest students, saying it will lead to more students turning to “legal loan sharks” and unsustainable credit card debt. Wes Streeting, Chief Executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation, said: “Wonga’s suggestion that students should resort to their rip oﬀ rates instead of a low interest student loan is self-serving and potentially very misleading to students. Taking out commercial debts through credit cards and companies like Wonga should always be the last resort, in order to avoid being caught in a cycle of unsustainable debt.”

Government funding for teaching and research drops to lowest point in over a century

Writer Bassam Gergi News Editor According to a report published by the University and College Union (UCU), the reforms implemented by the government will see annual public spending on teaching and research in England fall to its lowest proportion in over a century. Commenting on this startling information, Sally Hunt, the UCU general secretary, said, “This study shows how over the last thirty years higher education funding has shi3ed from the state to the student. This govern-

ment’s regressive university reforms will accelerate this process further and see annual public investment in teaching and research fall to its lowest proportion in over a century.” The report is part of a concerted eﬀort by the UCU to highlight a “retreat from public investment in higher education in England” and is part of growing anger over government actions that continue to starve higher education institutions. It comes as ministers prepare to announce the 2012 higher education grant le4er, and it forecasts that by 2014/15 annual government funding for teaching and research will make up just 15 percent of universities’ in-

come. Shabana Mahmood MP, Labour’s Shadow Higher Education Minister, said of the UCU report, “We have a world class university sector, but the actions of the Government will result in teaching and research funding being reduced to its lowest levels in over a century and risk decades of progress being undone.” Hunt followed up her earlier comments by asking, “Our universities are a public good that currently generate billions for economy, why put that at risk by starving institutions of public funds and forcing students to foot the bill?"

Student activists declare 2012 to be year of campus democratisation Writers Bernard Goyder 2012 looks to be another year of intense political activity by students’ in London. Arianna Tassinari, CoPresident Welfare and Education at SOAS Students’ Union expects a resurgence of student activism in 2012. “I hope to see a widespread mobilisation over the issue privatization, with the government legislating for increased private sector involvement in the universities- students must work together with communities in confronting these challenges”. Michael Chessum of the NUS National Executive Commi4ee believes the vote of no confidence in UCL Provost Malcolm Grant is a sign of greater democratic activity. “If UCL students vote ‘no confidence’ on Malcolm Grant, it is a way for students to affect the outcome of the debate over NHS reform”. Grant has been appointed to head the NHS Commission by the Coalition Government, but students have criticised his lack of qualifications in the field of public health. According to one UCL student, “If UCL students’ have no confidence in Grant, why should NHS patients?” Chessum and Tassinari agree that the democratisation of campuses will be the political ba4leground of 2012. Chessum believes that the UCLU referendum puts the democratic deficit in the university system into the spotlight. “[UCL] managements fear over the ‘no confidence’ motion being passed highlights how undemocratic campuses are already, and how cosy their managements are with government.” Chessum is critical of UCL management’s decision last year to name thirteen students individually in High Court injunction documents. UCL management have implied that they would reduce the funding the union receives from the College if the vote is carried forward. In a le4er to union trustees, Rex Knight, the Vice-Provost, wrote, "the vote is bound to have a significant impact on...our approach to future investment."

Chessum believes that the ‘no conﬁdence’ furore is part of a wider attack by university managements on democratic student institutions. “It highlights how undemocratic our management are already, “strands of university management at UCL are now engaged in a life and death battle with the democratic process”

Credit to flickr user bobaliciouslondon

The deteriorating relationship between student activists and management changes the context in which the upcoming White Paper on Higher Education will be challenged, with recent High Court injunctions against occupations at Birmingham, Sheﬃeld and SOAS. Tassinari sees an opportunity for students to “reclaim the language of democratic structures” by subverting the subheading of the 2012 White Paper ‘pu4ing students at the heart of the system. “We need to challenge the rhetoric of students as consumers, if managements really wanted students at the heart of the system; they would allow us a greater role in decision making processes.” For Chessum, the pressure that university managements and the government put the student movement under represents an opportunity rather than a threat, “the harder they ﬁght us the broader our appeal gets.” The outlook for the coming year is that activists have learnt not just to oppose policy they disagree with, but to propose their own democratic alternative to a privatised future.

World News 06

Illustrator Nathan Clu erbuck

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Writer Bassam Gergi News Editor

“If you don’t vote, you don’t matter!”

This week’s London Student explores the upcoming ULU elections and the statements of the candidates seeking to represent their peers. And yet, there is a general perception, at least among a handful of our editors, that the UofLstudent body does not pay the a4ention to the elections that they should. Over the past year, millions of Arabs have marched for freedom and at long last they are holding fair and free elections. In the USA, a nation with a more developed democratic tradition, the Republican candidates are squaring oﬀ in primary-a3er-primary for the opportunity to face President Obama in the General Election next November. Whether it is in Egypt, Tunisia, USA or even in the ULU, voting is a powerful form of expression that should not be taken for granted. Without further grandstanding, let me present this weeks world news which focuses on the elections taking place across the globe. We hope you are inspired by these examples.

1)Republican primaries USA

The GOP primary ﬁght began in the plains of Iowa where former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum upset the ﬁeld by winning the caucus by just 34 votes. In a close second place was former Governor Mi4 Romney who is the heavy favorite to win the nomination due to his fundraising prowess and well oiled organization. It therefore came as no surprise when Governor Romney won the New Hampshire primary one week later. His victory forced weaker candidates such as former Ambassador Jon Huntsman and Governor Rick Perry to exit the race. Many thought he was well on his way to a smooth victory. In South Carolina, however, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made a stunning comeback. He won the primary with over 40 percent of the vote and reframed the primary as a two-man race. It boils down to Florida, the sunshine state, which holds its primary on Tuesday, January 31st. If Romney wins he will be expected to clinch the nomination. If Gingrich manages to stun once more, he may be able to leverage his back-to-back victories into the eventual nomination.

2)Front for Victory ARGENTINA

Roxanne Eliana Yanez Parada and her son le3 Canada to visit relatives in Chile and did not return. Despite the fact that Canadian courts have awarded full custody to the father and ordered that the child be returned, the mother and child remain in Chile. While the number of cases of international child abduction is small in comparison to domestic cases, They are o3en the most diﬃcult to resolve due to the involvement of conﬂicting international jurisdictions. Twothirds of international parental abduction cases involve mothers who o3en allege domestic violence.

World News 07

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

4)Assaadi Gaddafi LIBYA

3)Zine

El Abidine Ben Ali TUNISIA

Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January of 2011 a7er he was ousted in the first revolution of the Arab Spring Ben Ali sought refuge in Saudi Arabia with his wife Leïla Ben Ali and their three children. The interim Tunisian government asked for Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant, charging him for money laundering and drug trafficking. He and his wife were sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison on 20 June 2011. The Saudi government continues to refuse Tunisia’s requests to extradite Ben Ali. Estimates of cash, equities and property belonging to Ben Ali and his cronies range up to billions of dollars. Some of the money remains outside the country, locked in bank accounts or investments.

Interpol issued a Red Notice for Assaadi Gaddafi on September 29, 2011 a7er the Libyan National Transition Council accused him of "misappropriating properties through force and armed intimidation" when he headed the Libyan Football Federation. Assaadi is one of the deceased Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's sons. Interpol confirmed reports that Assaadi Gaddafi was last seen in Niger and wanted countries "neighbouring Libya and Niger, and those with travel connections to Niger" to help locate and arrest the Gaddafi's son and bring him back to Libya. As the Commander of military units allegedly involved in the repression of demonstrations by civilians during Libya’s uprising, Assaadi Gaddafi is also subject to a United Nations travel ban and assets freeze issued in March this year.

5)Mikhail Zhivilo

RUSSIA

Mikhail Zhivilo is accused of plo8ing to assassinate Kemerovo Gov. Aman Tuleyev. Unfortunately his arrest took place a7er he applied for asylum in France. Since 2001, Zhivilo has sought asylum in France to avoid prosecution. Once a high-level mobster, he has faced a political exile. Then Interpol Prosecutor Vladimir Vodolazsky said at the time, "We have enough evidence to prove a link between Mikhail Zhi vi lo and the a8empt to kill Aman Tu le yev," he said. "There is nothing complicated about it. It's just a clearly criminal oﬀense." Vladimir Gordiyenko, then head of Russia's Interpol branch, said that in addition to a8empted murder, Zhi vilo is accused of "several other economic crimes."

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

KCL Think Tank draws a ention with invite of Mexican Ambassador Writer Imogen Holroyde Since its foundation in 2010, the KCL Think Tank has been providing students with the opportunity to have intelligent discussions and write journal articles on a wide range of topics. The first studentled policy institute in London, KCL Think Tank is composed of different policy institutes and has attracted lots of attention from high profile speakers ranging from doctors and journalists to the former UK Government Chief Information Officer. The KCL Think Tank is one of the fastest growing societies on campus, gaining a following of an impressive 1400 students in its first six months. Students are encouraged to attend lectures arranged by the different policy centres and subsequently write follow-up articles for the accompanying journal The Spectrum with the aid of writing workshops. It was during one of the final events of 2011, however, that the KCL Think Tank really caught people’s attention. The former Mexican Attorney General, and current Mexican Ambassador to

the United Kingdom, His Excellency Eduardo Medina Mora, spoke at a lecture organised by the KCL Think Tank’s Healthcare Policy Centre, the first healthcare student led policy institute in Europe. Also in attendance was the President and Principal of KCL, Professor Sir Richard Trainor, who praised the Think Tank for taking full advantage of KCL’s role in teaching, researching and advising public policy, and commenting

Sir Richard Trainor

KCL Think Tank engages their audience at recent event

“Students teaching

themselves is an important part of what we do.”

that the KCL Think Tank also demonstrates the talents of the “variety and vitality of students KCL has long prided itself on...students teaching themselves is an important part of what we do”.

The aim of KCL Think Tank was neatly identified when His Excellency opened his lecture cautioning his audience that “I have very few answers, but a lot of experience. I have more questions than answers, but this is the point of public policy”. As the world changes around us, KCL Think Tank encourages students to look beyond the confines of their degree programme and push themselves not only to reflect on

information they are given, but to question it. Supported by the KCL Annual Fund, the Think Tank is using KCL’s resources and vast network of alumni to create exciting events that are not only of interest to many students, but which are increasingly relevant to society today and offers students the chance not only to contribute to university life, but also potentially to influence public policy.

Writer Zafer Khattak

Lining the entrance way to King’s Strand Campus are the pictures and biographies of various alumni who have made a mark in the fields of politics, literature, and science. Although Chibundu Onuzo is only a third year undergraduate history student, she is well on her way to joining these accomplished ranks. Onuzo has just completed her first novel, "The Spider King's Daughter," and she is the youngest woman ever to be published by prestigious British publisher Faber. Onuzo moved to England to study for GCSEs five years ago, and while at King’s she began working on an independent book. She submitted the first several chapters to a handful of agents, and before long she had inked a book deal. Onuzo’s editor at Faber, Sarah Savitt, describes her as a "very talented writer at the beginning of an

Chibundu Onuzo

Sarah Savitt

“Chibundu Onuzo is a

very talented writer at the beginning of an exciting writing career.”

exciting writing career." The publishing house has already commissioned a second novel from the 19-year-old. The novel is a compelling, tender and heart-wrenching debut from the young Nigerian writer. A mod-

ern-day Romeo and Juliet set against the backdrop of a changing Lagos, a city torn between tradition and modernity, corruption and truth, love and family loyalty. Onuzo speaks over it saying, "There's something in the water in Nigeria. I guess we just have a lot of interesting stories to tell." Onuzo is the latest of a new generation of talented young Nigerian writers - many of them female who have made their mark in the literary world in the past few years. Nigeria has a rich literary tradition spanning the 50 years since its independence, including one Nobel Prize for Literature, one Man Booker Prize winner, one Man Booker International Prize, one Orange Prize winner, and three winners of the Caine Prize for African Writing, which is often described as the "African Booker." Who knows, perhaps Onuzo might be the next Nigerian writer to win such a prize?

Image by Faber&Faber

King's undergraduate writes 'The Spider King's Daughter'

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Damascus: Bashar’s achilles heel? Ayya Harraz - page 10

Image: Millie K Nice

James Heywood President, Goldsmiths SU

“With NUS’s recent moves

on human rights advocacy in Palestine the student movement in the UK is once again positioning itself on the right side of history.”

Reading the riots gives a fresh perspective Jaskiran Chohan - page 11

Are library fines fair or extortionate? The Great Debate - page 12

Time for an elected house of lords?

We need a new anti-capitalist left

Paul Haydon - page 14

Mark Boothroyd and Simon Hardy page 14

NUS should look to its anti-Apartheid roots and show solidarity with the Palestinians

In 2012 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) and the 90th birthday of the National Union of Students (NUS). The significance of this coincidence shouldn’t be overlooked; ask the previous generation what they think of when you mention the NUS and they are likely to mention the Anti-Apartheid Movement. To this day, NUS is continuing its proud history of international activism from Burma to Swaziland, yet there’s been a large elephant in the room when it comes to solidarity with a particular group of people – Palestinians. Which is strange, because Palestine is the biggest international human rights issue on our campuses. Thousands of students up and down the country, with over 30 Palestine Societies, are advocating and campaigning on the issue. Back in 2009, no less than thirtythree universities went into occupation over Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza, the biggest student mobilisation in this country since the 1970s. And just last term, hundreds of students in London crammed into a Palestine meeting at ULU sponsored by no less than 12 London Palestine Societies. Yet for years within our national body these passionate and dedicated students have been written off as "divisive", "alienating" and of course, "anti-Semitic". Thankfully times are changing, and

the NUS is taking heed of its membership. Free from many of the careerist politicians-in-the-making which have plagued our union of late, serious work is now being done in the student movement to change the discourse around Palestine and Israel to one of human rights and anti-racism, not divisiveness and controversy. Two very recent developments illustrate this point: one is NUS President Liam Burns publicly denouncing the academic links between KCL and a private cosmetics company based in an illegal Israeli settlement on Palestinian territory. The other is the NUS’ Society and Citizenship Zone launching a divestment campaign encouraging students to campaign against two companies in particular: Eden Springs, an Israeli water company based illegally in yet another settlement, and a French company called Veolia. The latter holds huge investments in a profoundly racist transport infrastructure for the Israeli settlements, connecting them to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv at the expense of Palestinian schools, farms and normal life in general for these “unwanted” peoples. Both companies operate many services on British campuses, so keep an eye out! While there are terrifying similarities in the racist apparatuses of both pre-1994 South Africa, and presentday Israel, there is actually a more

important comparison emerging from these recent developments in NUS. Finally, like with the AntiApartheid Movement, we are taking our lead from the oppressed themselves, not from our own "solutions", not from self-ascribed "experts", and certainly not from Western powers looking for short cuts to keep their dominance stable. Following in the footsteps of Mandela’s ANC, Palestinians have called for international supporters to launch similar campaigns of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with International law and respects their human rights. And when I say “Palestinians”, I mean civil society as a whole, not one faction or political party but the grassroots: Students’ Unions, disabled people’s organisations, refugee groups, LGBTQ activists and many, many more. This international campaign has scored huge successes already. Agrexo, an Israeli agricultural company exporting goods made in settlements, recently filed for bankruptcy. Veolia are losing millions of pounds worth of contracts through diligent campaigning in local communities, the most recent success being West London council. No doubt there will be follow up articles to this one accusing me of rejecting dialogue, negotiations, “peace”, two-states etc. But you have to ask these people, whom are

they speaking on behalf of? Certainly not the millions of Palestinians in refugee camps, not the Palestinian Gandhis being shot at on their weekly non-violent protests, not the Palestinians of Gaza suffering treatment worse than animals, and certainly not the Palestinians living inside Israel facing the daily barbarity of a racist government that doesn’t want them there. Far from cutting off Palestinians from their Israeli sympathisers, the BDS movement has united Israeli activists and Palestinians together on an equal footing in a genuine spirit of solidarity. The Israeli Government are only too aware of the danger this movement poses to their regime; a recent law passed in the Israeli parliament makes it illegal for Israelis to advocate for BDS. Malcolm X once said that he wasn’t “anti-American”, but was interested only in telling the truth and “if the truth condemns America, then she stands condemned.” In exactly the same spirit, campaigning for Palestine is not “picking on Israel” any more than campaigning for Tibet is “picking on China”, or any country abusing peoples' human rights. Campaigning for the rights of our fellow students abroad is one of the most rewarding things to take away from your University experience; it breaks down barriers of race, nationality and religion.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Agree? Disagree? Your views: comment@london-student.net

Paul Haydon UCL

“In these times of austerity we need more than ever a second chamber strong enough to constrain an otherwise all-powerful executive.”

Elle Pountney

“I very much dislike this sense of entitlement face book has created amongst people”

Is it time for an elected House of Lords? The House of Lords represents a long-standing paradox in the UK. Despite proudly proclaiming ourselves as the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy, we continue to grant significant powers to an unelected elite, some of whom are selected solely on the basis of their noble birth or religious affiliation. But whilst all three major political parties are officially commi5ed to democratic reform of the upper house, achieving this goal any time soon remains an unlikely prospect. The democratic deficit posed by the House of Lords has been a hotly debated topic since the early 20th century. Since then there has been a growing acceptance that whilst a chamber made up of noble and religious peers may have improved accountability in a medieval feudal system, it has no place in a modern society founded on the principles of equality and justice. It is therefore somewhat baffling that non-hereditary peers only began to be appointed 1958, allowing those who weren’t part of the nobility as well as women into the chamber. In fact, membership as a right of birth remained the norm right up until 1999, when the majority of hereditary peerages were finally abolished. Yet these reforms have only slightly improved the democratic legitimacy of the Lords. While representation of the population at large may have improved slightly, the overwhelming majority of Lords continue to be elderly, white males from the SouthEast. Furthermore, 90 hereditary peers remain, along with 26 Church of England Bishops, ignoring the other faiths in our society as well as the fact that less than 10% of British citizens continue to regularly a5end church. The system of political appointment by the main parties has also proved to be highly problematic, as high-

lighted by the "cash for peerages" scandal, in which some of those appointed had made significant donations to the governing Labour party. The fact that the House of Lords is increasingly serving as a "retirement home" for ex-MPs further reduces its credibility and shows the absurdity of the current system. Despite having been voted out of office, some politicians are rewarded with a permanent seat in Parliament, with some even taking ministerial positions. Perhaps most worryingly, the Lords is increasingly seen as subservient to the Commons, with political appointees more likely to toe the party line in order to placate those who put them in power. The House of Lords’recent rejection of proposals to reduce benefits for disabled children and cancer patients in the Welfare Reform Bill has emphasised the crucial role that it can play in curtailing the excesses of the Government. Yet this was a rare show of assertiveness. In general, the Lords is unwilling to challenge the government, largely because it is not elected and therefore does not have the same popular legitimacy as the House of Commons. This is why introducing democratic reform in the House of Lords would be so significant. It would improve the second chamber’s independence, allowing it to properly fulfil its role as a brake on the otherwise unfe5ered power of the executive. Critics of reform have argued that an elected House of Lords would lose its current "quality" and "expertise". Yet this overlooks the fact that while the supposed experts in the House may have been an authority in their field 20 or 30 years ago, most have not kept up with current practice. Other part-time members who continue to work, such as Sir Alan Sugar, are too busy to really con-

tribute. Signiﬁcantly, critical expertise in cutting edge areas such as the internet cannot be provided by experts who were handpicked decades ago. In reality, embedded expertise can be provided more easily by advisory commi5ees, as it tends to be in most other political systems. The most important a5ribute for the Lords is good judgement rather than specialist knowledge. Others have suggested that elections would lead to a high degree of politicisation in the Lords, preventing it from scrutinising legislation in a neutral, non-partisan way and turning it into a mirror image of the Commons. While this is an important point, the fact is that the House is already highly politicised due to the fact that the majority of peers are currently appointed by political parties. Also, measures such as having 15 year non-renewable terms should give a reformed House of Lords more neutral, long-term perspective. In any case, having politicians subject to a popular vote is surely preferable to the current system in which political cronies and former MPs enter through the back-door. Perhaps the most persuasive argument against House of Lords reform is that now is simply not the right time. With most people being preoccupied with economic concerns, constitutional change just isn’t on most people’s agenda. Yet as recent events have shown, the truth is that, in these times of austerity, we need more than ever a second chamber strong enough to constrain an otherwise all-powerful executive. That sort of power will only exist if the Lords has the popular legitimacy bestowed on it by a transparent, democratic process.

As a 19 year old university student, I am well aware that I am part of an ever-decreasing minority by not being on Facebook. This is entirely by choice and, as I see it, does not hinder my social or personal life in any notable way. However, sometimes I feel I need to give not only my reasons for not being part of the largest social network in the world, but also give voice to a stance which is o4en neglected when it comes to Facebook. As I have always been a notoriously private person, the concept of putting a bevy of sensitive information online for everyone to see makes absolutely no sense. I hate the fact that there is this expectance to be able to view other people’s information even when we barely know them. I have had people suggest to me that there must be something weird and "freakish" about people who are not on Facebook, because only people with something to hide would choose not to represent themselves online. To this I can only respond

with the question: since when did it become "freakish" to not want everyone to know everything about you? I’d say it’s just being cautious and wanting to retain a mystique and having a part of yourself and an aspect of your individuality that is kept safe. Similarly, I very much dislike this sense of entitlement which Facebook has created amongst people, where certain people feel it is their right to know as much information about you as they are willing to research. The boundaries between private and public life seem to be fast eroding and Facebook seems to be speaking for us when it says "My personal life is your business". And to be perfectly frank, its not. Don’t get me wrong, I think Mark Zuckerberg is fascinating as much as the next person. The Social Network is a brilliant ﬁlm and it is nothing short of spectacular that a small business venture now has over 500 million users. I respect Mark Zuckerberg for having the obvious intelligence and clear business expertise to

create something that is now fully ingrained in our social consciousness before he was even out of university. But here’s the catch: I may admire him, but I don’t trust him. I don’t trust him with my information because I don’t believe a venture like Facebook is set up for any reason other than monetary profit. As nice as it is to believe Facebook exists purely for our benefit and to create an open and boundless world, I can’t bring myself to believe this, even if this is truly what Mark Zuckerburg had in mind when he created it. I’m not suggesting that Facebook is a wholly sinister internet phenomena and nor am I expecting people to agree with me on many of these points. However, I am suggesting that we don’t fall into complacency and that we start considering the possibility that Facebook could be being used against us rather than to benefit us.

Why I decided to spurn Facebook

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

The US needs to look a er its own

Zoe Gardner LSE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A community that grew out

of the demand for slave labour on the fields has been severely lacking in economic opportunity since the mechanisation of agriculture.â&#x20AC;?

Ayya Heraz SOAS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;From Cairo to Tripoli, capturing the capital was proof of victory to the rebels and revolutionaries.â&#x20AC;?

In 1967, photographer Al Clayton made a tour of the Mississippi Delta region of the US and captured images that shocked: young children standing by empty fridges, clearly suffering from malnutrition; dilapidated homes where families lived in cramped, unsanitary conditions - the pictures looked more like a charity appeal for a developing country than a report on living conditions in the "Land of the Free". Four and a half decades later, the view from the same small town of Belzoni, MISS, is alarmingly unchanged. A community that grew out of the demand for slave labour on the fields has been severely lacking in economic opportunity since the mechanisation of agriculture. Although almost all the homes now have such luxuries as running water, living conditions are still dire: many go without any heating through the winter and the outlook is bleak, with no local jobs and no public transport to any jobs there might be further afield. The US is one of the most successfully "branded" countries in the world; the particularly vociferous rhetoric of US civic nationalism reminds us that this is a land where "all men are created equal", and hard work will deliver material reward to any person regardless of background.

And with their first black president, Barack Obama has supposedly blasted through the last remnants of racial discrimination. On top of these lofty, egalitarian principles, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that we are talking about probably the most powerful and one of the richest countries in the world: the GDP per capita of the US outstrips that of many equal (though far from perfect) European states. But this rosy image of a "postracial", truly meritocratic society seems pretty hollow on closer inspection. I will never forget the comment made to me by an American study abroad student from Missouri in my first term at King's: "Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so great here is that all the different racial groups socialise together as if they were all the same." Now, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe the UK is an ideal model for good race relations, but this comment only highlighted to me the level to which racial inequality in the US is reflected in the segregation of all parts of society. The white kids do not generally hang out with the Hispanic, Asian or Black kids, and what is the impetus for them to do so? Each group generally has a completely different social reality to live in. Belzoni is, again, an illustrative case here: the black and white populations live separate

lives within the same town and this phenomenon is repeated in other areas such as Detroit and Chicago. A report by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California in 2009 showed that 39% of black and 40% of Hispanic youths across the country attend deeply segregated schools, often also as a result of residential segregation and housing discrimination. There is a notable absence of measures from the government to improve integration, and ethnic minorities are disproportionately over-represented in gaol. A land where a black man can become president ought not to be a land where, according to recent Census Bureau data, a black family is more than twice as likely as a white one to live in poverty. A land which so stresses equality of opportunity ought not to be one where the share of aggregate income for the lowest earning 20% of society is 3.4% of the total, or where social mobility levels are low by comparison to the rest of the developed world. It ought not to be the case that, 43 years after Claytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exposition, a new photographer, Kike Arnal, displayed a similarly troubling set of images of the 20% of the population of Washington D.C. who live below the poverty line, mere blocks from the Capitol building.

Damascus: Basharâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achilles heel?

What seems to stand between Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freedom and Bashar al Assad is Damascus. As an Al Jazeera correspondent once claimed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;only when the uprising really reaches Damascus will we see its ďŹ nal stage.â&#x20AC;? Damascus is the last fort for Bashar al Assad; as GaddaďŹ fought from his fortress of Sirte until his dying day, so it seems will Bashar. Eight months ago, the capital city had started turning into something quite similar to a state of emergency. Bab Touma, the old city, was completely shut oďŹ&#x20AC; to Syrians and, strangely enough, open to foreigners. Soldiers as well as security forces dressed in plain clothes were all holding guns and AK-47s. Lined up or si4ing down, the soldiers formed a wall around Syrian homes. A brave Syrian friend screamed down the phone that he was forbidden to leave his house. We (the foreigners) roamed the eerily empty streets of Damascus, completely aghast at what we were seeing. But this, a cheerful Syrian taxi driver explained, was because it was a Friday, any other day would be a normal busy day here in Damascus.

Eight months on and Damascus continued to see its "busy normal days", until just before the arrival of the Arab League observers. Twin bomb blasts and a "suicide attack" saw, even before the dust had se4led, the government pointing their ďŹ ngers at al-Qaeda or terrorists or whoever tickled their fancy. The Syrian National Council (SNC) was quick to respond and claimed they were not responsible for the a4acks, but instead blamed Assadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regime for planning these a4acks to "discredit its critics". This is clearly a possibility as the bomb blasts that took place on December 23 had actually targeted security and intelligence buildings in central Damascus. The "terrorists" behind this can be responsible for generating two crucial reactions, both of which will inďŹ&#x201A;uence the course of action on Syriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revolution. First, Bashar al Assad may actually get his way and have successfully instilled enough terror and fear among the Syrians in Damascus to persuade them that only he can secure their safety. Or that fear could evolve into anger, and the residents of Damas-

cus may turn against the Assad regime. Then the possibility of a strong uprising from Damascus can lead to the point of defeat against the Assad regime that hundreds of thousands of Syrian protesters are ďŹ ghting for. Is this too optimistic? Maybe, but one of the main factors shared by all the Arab revolutions is the inďŹ&#x201A;uence the capital city has on a revolution. From Cairo to Tripoli, capturing the capital was proof of victory to the rebels and revolutionaries. Revolutions only really gained and maintained international a4ention when they were happening in the capital cities. Likewise, the capital cities tend to become the ďŹ nal ba4leďŹ eld, as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the strongest base the dictator has. Once claimed by either the opposition or rebels, the capital symbolises the conquest against their dictators. As Damascus slowly enters into a state of emergency, Bashar al Assad will pull all his tricks to ensure that his capital does not become occupied by "terrorists"; he is fully aware this is his last ba4le ground. But unlike the Libyan rebels, the Syrian opposition are not receiving any arms,

Given the glaring inequalities, perhaps it is time that the American government stopped playing "world police" and started devoting more of its resources to its own citizens. The Obama administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defence spending is to make up 25% of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget in 2012, while welfare has 12% and education, a stunning 3%. Although I specifically didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to address the "Occupy" movement in this article, as I feel it would deserve an article of its own, given these last figures I will end with a slogan from posters Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen on Wall Street; "If only the war on poverty were a real war, maybe weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d actually spend some money on it."

funding or, in fact, any sort of help by the international community. As Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m writing this now, a pro-government rally is taking place in central Damascus. Regardless of the situation, there is no turning back. One thing is certain: Bashar cannot expect Syria to return to what it was ten months ago.

THE GREAT DEBATE

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Agree? Disagree? Your views: comment@london-student.net

Are college library fines fair?

Do you find library fines exorbitant, or fair? Llast year universities collected £50 million in library fines. We're looking for two writers to argue for and against high library fines for students. Does it fund libraries and ensure students treat books responsibly, or is a li le bit of forgetfulness being exploited for a massive profit?

YES

Rosa Wild SOAS

When I was a small child, my mother was a librarian. From this, I learned one or two important things. A tantrum may be dealt with with a sharp “ssh”, to begin with, but more importantly: books were sacred. You did not draw in them. You did not eat near them. You did not bend their spines or fold over the corners of their pages to mark your place. You did not read in the bath, because this would crinkle the pages. And for the love of God and your own skin, you never, never lost a book which wasn’t yours. Fast forward eighteen years and I’m standing awkwardly in front of SOAS’s librarian (a bit of a legend in his own time, a radical poet with a voice like zen dripped in honey) trying to explain how I lost a rare firstedition book on Israel. Missing from my mother’s life lessons had been: “you do not put a book called ‘the death of Zionism’ in a bag with a laptop and a notebook full of doodled words like ‘rage’, then leave said bag una1ended in a French train station” and the security guards had been oddly intransigent, explaining that they had to blow the entire thing up under controlled conditions for everybody’s safety. I’m slapped with an £85 fine; if I don’t pay it I can’t use the library, and if I don’t pay it by the end of my degree, I won’t be allowed to graduate. I picture myself on graduation day, in my cap and gown, reaching for my certificate and being interrupted by a smooth voice: “wait. She has outstanding library fines”. It could be worse, I think as I hand over the cash equivalent of a cheap flight to a sunny Italian seaside town and a pizza once I get there: my mother would have lynched me. At the time, I felt infuriated – it was

unfair. But looking back, the book I lost was understandably valuable. It had been wri1en in the 1950s; it had been read by countless people, countless students at SOAS and countless others before SOAS bought it. It had laid on countless café tables, had been surreptitiously doodled in by countless essay writers, and it had ended its existence in a French police station because I’d been stupid enough to think nobody would notice if I just le0 it for 5 minutes. And what would that £85 be spent on? The library was in the middle of a refurbishment. It might go towards a new computer terminal (and we all know how short of computer terminals our library is) or towards a couple of new books which might be the difference between some stranger in the future ge1ing a 2.2 or a first in an essay. It might buy a chair comfortable enough for me to fall asleep in the day before an exam. The amount which libraries make from our fines is obscene, but the individual fines themselves are usually very li1le, unless we manage to leave a book under our bed for eight months and never check our email. That they add up to a lot isn’t a ripoff for students: it’s a badly-needed injection of cash to keep our libraries stocked and working. We’re always demanding be1er facilities and later opening hours, and every li1le helps. If investment in our universities is flagging and dying, every li1le really helps. And if we didn’t have them – well, it would be lovely to think that our selflessness would ensure we brought every book back on time, neatly presented with a li1le bow, but unfortunately, we’re humans – forgetful, occasionally selfish, and cut-throat around exam time. Some nasty person, probably someone who was already top of the class, would have his hands on the book we desperate needed for our dissertation – and keep it for most of the year. And besides, as my mother said – books are sacred. Those who lose

them, damage them, or withhold them from others, are lucky to get away with just a short fine. Some would want to see them cast into the final circle of hell, the one with the boiling oil, for inflicting cruelty on these precious sources of knowledge. 50p a day is a fair alternative to eternal torture.

“the security guards had been oddly intransigent, explaining that they had to blow the entire thing up under controlled conditions for everybody’s safety”

“So it’s time to lighten up and lets have a bit of clemency for this victimless crime, allow students to quench their thirst for learning without having to worry about such petty things as money.”

Tom Chambers Goldsmiths

Books are not sacred. A book is simply a part of a tree with some ink strategically sca1ered over it. The ideas and stories within may hold a special value, but books themselves are merely vessels. So why are people punished so harshly for their forgetfulness? In the public library in Lewisham I was charged a mere 10p a day for my absent mindedness, whereas at Goldsmiths, this shot up to £1 a day per book. My turkey at Christmas dinner was sullied by knowledge that I was spending a few quid a day for the privilege of possessing some books that were now hundreds of miles away gathering dust on a desk at home in London. One can argue that library fines are a tax on the stupid and careless to improve facilities for all. But this is a somewhat underhanded way to do so. If the library is short of money then the case should be made for their funding to be increased. The University of Leeds collected £1.8 million in fines in the last 6 years, so this isn’t exactly pocket money, students are being exploited for going a few days over on their due dates. The free use of books is an essential part of university studies, and fines simply put students off absorbing themselves in books. Its important that students are able to write essays and immerse themselves in knowedge without having to worry about the costs of the information they are borrowing. Knowledge should be as close to free as possible for those who consume it, not paid for by the hour like a TV in a cheap hotel room. It may seem insignificant, but increasing library fines are a li1le footstep in the marketisation of education. So seriously do universities take the issue of fines that some will essen-

tially excommunicate you from the campus and ultimately bar you from graduating if you get to the end of your degree and forget to, as I did, return your copy of Models of Capitalism in the 21st Century for a solid 6 months. So it’s time to lighten up and lets have a bit of clemency for this victimless crime, allow students to quench their thirst for learning without having to worry about such pe1y things as money. Let’s leave such ma1ers till we get to the real world.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Agree? Disagree? Your views: comment@london-student.net

We need a new anticapitalist le

Simon Hardy & Mark Boothroyd Birkbeck

“This should be a time when

le4 wing politics is ascendant. But the massive challenges of the current period – in particular the vicious oﬀensive on the jobs, services and incomes of working class people – also bring into sharp relief the problems of the le4.”

Tom King SOAS

“inconvenient and gruesome facts will not get in the way of those advocating an a5ack on Iran”

You lnow capitalism is in trouble when people start to talk about ‘capitalism’. Thanks in no small part to the global #Occupy movement there is a growing public discussion about the capitalist system.Anew generation are starting to fundamentally reconsider prevalent assumptions. Criticism of the banks is no longer the preserve of the radical few. It is common currency in workplaces, schools, our communities and perhaps especially amongst the jobless who see a rich and aloof class of financiers get bailed out while millions can’t even find work. That the government are still buying aircra4 carriers and investing in nuclear weapons, turning a blind eye to corporate and rich tax dodgers, and are prepared to veto EU treaties to defend the City drives home to millions the capitalist class interests behind the government. For all these reasons and more this should be a time when le4 wing politics is ascendant. But the massive challenges of the current period – in particular the vicious offensive on the jobs, services and incomes of working class people – also bring into sharp relief the problems of the le4. Without a doubt there are long-term challenges. Alternatives to capitalism are o4en associated with Stalinism and the collapse of the Soviet Union – seen as a ‘failed project’. In Britain in particular the unions still feel the legacy of defeats in the 1980s. But there is also a new opportunity to build a fighting radical le4. We are living in times when suddenly the idea of an alternative to capitalism doesn’t appear as a flight of fancy but a pressing need to millions. Most of the hyperbolic rhetoric about the ability of capitalism to bring peace, prosperity and democracy to every corner of the globe is now li5le more than an embarrassed whisper. Instead arguments resolve simply on the negative – that if there is no alternative to capitalism, then austerity and

hardship for many are the only solution to the capitalist crisis. The question though is this – can the Le4 in its current form answer this pressing need for an alternative? Are we presenting a political challenge to the Con-Dems? And, if not, how do we need to change, organisationally and politically, in order to win? The challenges we face are undoubtedly enormous. The government is intent on the privatisation of large chunks of the welfare state, the slump economics of structural unemployment, and an apparently unending series of cuts to education and services. Even if the next recession is only half as bad as the last then another million will join the dole queue. None of this has been taken lying down. Resistance is widespread and growing. Students have been central to it ever since the spectacular occupation of Millbank in November 2010. Hundreds of thousands have marched – and now millions have struck too. The mass resistance must not only be celebrated nor just continually built. It also serves to underline the challenge that we face of how we can connect the resistance to a vision of a fundamentally diﬀerent type of society – how do we connect the ﬁght back to this goal? The challenge is felt particularly for the organised le4, because many of us have seen movements on this scale before. Like the huge anti-war movement that erupted over Iraq and the anticapitalist movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s that put G8 meetings under siege. But none of these movements were able to really change British politics. None of them le4 a mark behind at the level of political and working class organisation. Many activists who have come into the movement in recent years have seen grassroots and horizontal networks build vibrant and inspiring campaigns, when the traditional labour movement has shown inertia and passivity in the face of today’s new tasks. But they are

also coming to realise that the millions of people still organised in the labour movement, able by strike action to bring the proﬁt making system to a halt – will be essential for our ultimate victory over it. The organised le4 – while it straddles both the labour and social movement – with its divisions and in-ﬁghting appears una5ractive in its current form to these new layers. Some of us on the le4 are therefore taking a new step. We want to launch a new project. Many of us from the student movement last year, along with some socialist organisations and trade union activists, want to establish a new anticapitalist organisation. We want to bring activists together who see the need for grassroots activism in the unions, who support the Palestinians and the Arab Revolutions, who want to see a mass strike wave bring down the government, who don't believe that socialism is synonymous with Stalinism and don’t believe that death of the Soviet Union put paid to any hope of an alternative to capitalism. We don't see this as just 'one group amongst many'. We aim to bring a greater unity and shared commitment to the le4, to change the co-ordinates of our debates and expand our reach beyond the already existing activists. Email address for more information: anticapitalistalternative@gmail.com

For many years whispers of a war with Iran would occasionally appear in newspapers, but in the shadow of Iraq any military action would have been political suicide, not to mention stretching the armed forces close to breaking point. The political climate today is different. Blair has been out of No 10 for almost half a decade and Labour in opposition for over 18 months. Not only this, but of course, you should also remember “Iran isn’t like Iraq”. Or at least that’s the line being pushed by those eager to talk up military action against the Islamic Republic. NATO’s involvement in the Libyan Civil War has prepared the ground for a shi4 in what liberal interventionism looks like, and has been roundly declared a success by the political classes. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mission

creep pushed NATO from the sanctioned protection of civilians to regime change, and not for the ﬁrst time in the Arab world. When it comes to saving civilian lives, NATO’s mission was an u5er failure, with the death toll for the 8 month intervention at 30,00050,000 (compared to 1,000-2,000 deaths before Western military involvement). These inconvenient and gruesome facts will not get in the way of those advocating an a5ack on Iran. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have moved his preparations from planning to implementation and, as a leader of a nuclear state, repeats the threat to Tehran that “all options are on the table”. The Ministry of Defence has said they have contingency plans for an a5ack on Iran and the UK Government has indicated they would be prepared to support Western mili-

tary action. Foreign Oﬃce oﬃcials say Israel may begin missile strikes before Christmas or early in the New Year. Iran is accused of being a rogue state with the intentions of developing weapons of mass destruction from their civilian nuclear programme. Iran is accused of funding and supporting terrorist groups such as Hezbollah. Iran is accused of posing an imminent threat to Israel and the West. But remember, “Iran isn’t like Iraq”.

“Iran isn’t another Iraq”

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Agree? Disagree? Your views: comment@london-student.net

Reading the riots gives a fresh perspective Jaskiran Chohan UCL

“This was not only a free for all fun fair, as many stated their disobedience was a revolt against unfair policing. Outrage at the o1en racially motivated ‘Stop and Search’ strategy was apparent”

Rosa Wild Comment editor

It’s an odd feeling to be the conservative one. A1er a lifetime of listening to and joining in with cries of “Progress!”, it’s odd to be the one turning around saying “defend”, “protect”, “prevent”, "keep things the same, please.” I never wanted to open myself to accusations of being afraid of change. Yet since the Browne report, since the tuition fees bill, since the release of the White Paper, since the entire bundle of diﬀerent cuts we’re facing, that’s exactly what I’ve been saying. “Save” this. “Stop” that. “Protect” this. And every time, I look up into the smug airbrushed face of an MP who can comfortably claim they’re the real radical, the one with the courage to create a new, bright future, I ﬁnd that I’m the one who’s scared, trying desper-

August saw Britain experience some of the most serious social unrest since the riots of the 1980s. Media and political commentary during the three days of upheaval repeatedly highlighted the criminality and mindlessness of the hoodied thugs on "our" streets. Images recurred of the few burning buildings in Croydon and To2enham, windows being smashed in and loot being carried away. Vitriol spewed from COBRA, daddy Cameron and the Metropolitan Police, on the lack of discipline in current society. They were out to teach the kids a stern lesson. Amid the street cleaning campaigns in Ealing and the stories Sky News played of neighbourhoods being terrorised by children who stole dumpsters, the questions of why the riots took place were drowned out. The observations of veteran broadcaster and writer Darcus Howe were met with accusations of his rioting past. Others who a2empted to provide a reasoned social analysis connected to poverty and systemic exclusion were attacked for sympathising with the riots. This very response has now been toned down to a whisper by the LSE/Guardian study "Reading the Riots". Common opinion at the time delegitimised the riots for their apparent lack of ideological foun-

dations; the youths were not seen to be following any agenda other than self-enrichment. The report contrarily flagged up overarching issues over which the majority of rioters were enraged. Selfish consumerist aspirations were at play, but their roots were conveniently ignored. Interviewees talked of the social pressures they faced, the need to own the next new half-model of iPhone or Nike trainers. Advertising agencies vociferously push products upon all, leaving no grey area un-flyered or postered over. Such companies did not and do not factor in the frustrations and limitations caused by poverty and the minimum wage. With unemployment reaching new highs and jobs becoming an increasing scarcity, the consumerist thirst is more consistently being le1 unquenched. Three quarters of those who appeared in court were aged 24 or under, a third of all claiming they had no qualification higher than GCSE. The demographic of rioters highlights that these are youths who have been excluded from the riches of the capitalist market, blocked from accessing the wealth that taunts them from billboards. Social inequality has only become more apparent, feeding the sense of injustice that many rioters expressed over those three days.

This was not only a free for all fun fair though, as many stated their disobedience was a revolt against unfair policing. Outrage at the o1en racially motivated "Stop and Search" strategy was apparent. Its specific targeting of ethnic minority groups has only further validated mistrust of the police in communities such as To2enham. Even though the riot assumed a life of its own, it is o1en forgo2en that it initially rose from anger at the unnecessary killing of Mark Duggan. These may not expressly have been race riots, but exclusion, as a result of either race or class, was an undoubted cause of the violent flare-ups. The report was essential in giving the socially motivated causes of the riots a scholarly backing. The cross section of people interviewed and the comprehensive presentation of data make it a convincing indictment upon the government and judicial system’s handling of those involved in the a1ermath. Scapegoating vague ideas of poor parenting instead of the corrosive values that rule in our society has been typical of the Tory response. The report has helped define the arguments in favour of correcting the economic imbalances that have caused this crisis of values. Yet whether the necessary steps to correct this will be taken is another issue.

ately to cling onto my comfort blanket as it’s dragged away by the forces of progress. Let’s not get into the fact that most of the “progress” this government is selling us is recycled Victorian policy with a Twi2er account. There’s actually a point here. We’re struggling to protect institutions and processes which are a long way from perfect. Surely we can do be2er than that? But I think there’s some interesting changes to that beginning here on our campuses. In our efforts last year to protect our universities, we ran up against some interesting questions. Why is it that so many managements came out in favour of the government’s new HE policies, or only expressed the mildest of concerns, while their students and staff were infuriated? Why did we have to occupy to even start conversations with them about this? Why is there so li2le transparency, so li2le accountability? Why do those of us who care about the future of education o1en feel we’re locked in a conflict with the people running it, rather than working together with them? The White Paper is

presenting us with a future for our universities which has been put together by administrators, bureaucrats and businessmen, not students, staff and workers. And we’re responding with “but we like it this way”. Do we really? Not necessarily. We need to be responding by actually deciding what we want, and pushing for it. It’s actually happening. UCLU’s no-confidence motion against vice-Provost Malcolm Grant isn’t just passing judgement on a single member of staff, it’s raising questions about the way universities are run and the relationship between students and management. SOAS SU is planning a student-staff forum to discuss exactly what we want out of the university as staff and students, and how we can get it. It’s odd that it’s a conversation that we so rarely have; it’s a conversation we need to have. In March this year, there will be an annual forum held on the future of higher education. Invited to this forum are management figures, business consultants, those who wish to invest in universities. Not invited are students, academics or sup-

port staff. Tickets are over £300. When we come to university, we enter into a community, we don’t just purchase a service. We tie ourselves to an institution, and the decisions made by that institution can radically affect our lives and the way we develop, and we have no say about those decisions whatsoever. The best we get is a consultation. And if that’s odd for an undergrad student, imagine how it is for a member of staff, who will be dedicating more than three years, maybe more than three decades, to the institution. I have family members who work in universities, who can do nothing except stare in bewilderment at the decisions made by their managements. What’s going on at the moment is that a few people are saying “why is that?” and “how do we change it?” And in that question, and in every other question about how our universities are run, lies the only real way we can resist the White Paper – and move beyond resistance to real progress.

We must move from resistance to progress

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Conspiracy Theories

The Lyric Pic

Special pictures with a special meaning

Research Spotlight

In a new regular feature, PhD candidates take us through some of their latest research

True or False? Getting to the bottom of the infamous David Icke - page 1

- pages 16 & 17

- pages 18

New Year, New plans?

War Child

- page 19

- page 20

One students talk abouts why they won’t be making any plans for 2012

A special report from a children’s charity

The Pear Shaped World and the work of David Icke. WRITER

STANLEY WILFRID MERTTENS

PHOTOGRAPHER TIM MORGAN

What is true and what is false? Who gets to decide these things? Academia - from the science lab to the archaeological dig - is certainly one of the major players on the scene. The powers that be: governments, the media, multinationals and the like, endorse academia as producers of truth. They also fund it, and act upon its findings. The way people understand stuff: material reality, history, themselves, their bodies and so forth, is related to academia through the endorsement its experts get as the official producers of truth. Of course, much of academia’s findings arrive in the public sphere regre+ably garbled, but this doesn’t change the fact of their authority. You may not know why your face has gone blue, but you know that a doctor trained in a good university will be able to find out. Academia’s claim to fame is its methodology: experiments, fair tests, questionnaires, critical thought, thorough research, and so forth. I wouldn’t go today and say I had discovered that the world is actually pear-shaped, because I know I would be laughed at by geographers. What if I was determined to make this claim though? As far as academia goes I would have to use their methods of generating truth, not to rely on anything already labelled as ‘fiction’, probably I would have to have been trained in an accepted institution, and definitely to have my findings published by accepted publishers. In short, I would not be able to claim to earth is pear-shaped. Instead maybe I could just make up my own epistemology (method of acquiring truth), such as “a swan told me the earth was a pear”. But

no-one would listen, because people just don’t think you can get truth from swans, just broken arms. So I would be out on a limb: hanging on a source of truth no-one else believes in. It would be easier for me to say that God told me, and then perhaps I have a case: people know God; many of them like Him, and try to listen to what He says. But then again, I would be going against what the es-

a statement like 2 + 2 = 4. But there are several things to take into account. Firstly, the statement is only true in a system (a language - mathematics) that shows it to be true. Secondly, such claims serve a function: they endorse the system, and thus those who generate the system. When we teach children about math’s we use 2 + 2 = 4 as proof of the systems eﬃcacy. The institution in which we teach them it, as well as

tics, and the separation between them. The reaction of the studio audience was that mechanism that we humans use against those who refuse to respect, or have lost completely, the proper boundary between truth and fiction, acceptable and unacceptable, sanity and madness. For several years Icke fire-walked through what The Guardian called a ‘media crucifixion’. All a comedian

tablished authorities on God. They have no desire to indulge in a pearshaped earth, having only just got used to the idea that it might be a globe. I would look like a right muppet without the support of the tradition. Despite their squabbles, the discourses of religion, science, politics all work together to police the boundary between truth and ﬁction. Now, I’m not saying I don’t believe in truth. I respect say, the veracity of

the certainty with which everyone speaks of it, present to the child the fact that anybody who is anybody knows that 2 + 2 = 4, and that subsequently, anyone who says different is going against the school, the people, the government, everything, and they are thus certifiably insane. In 1991 the football commentator David Icke appeared on national television and made a series of truth claims that defied orthodox conceptions of science, religion, and poli-

had to do to get a laugh was say his name and his children had to move schools to escape the bullying. However, having suﬀered the ultimate public humiliation, Icke had nothing to lose. He was liberated from that conservative force that tells us to keep our discourse within the public bounds of acceptability. In his own words he was ‘ridiculed to freedom’, and he continues to expound his brand of meta-physical conspiracy theory today.

Not only that: Icke’s transgressive, upside-down, pear-shaped theories are enormously popular. His website gets over 600,000 hits a week and he is just completing another world tour, where regularly lectured to stadiums full of people. The reasons for this popularity are many, and I am in the process of investigating them. What I will say here is that Icke redefines the boundary between truth and fiction. The ‘official’ truth is shown by him, just as I claimed above, to be contingent on political realities, and to have the function of keeping certain powers in the right and others in the wrong. However, he goes further than me and sees this contingency as proof of the accepted ‘truths’ ultimate status as a manipulative fictions. Likewise, fictions become truths; many sci-fi themes for instance, are understood to be actually true. Dreams and coincidences likewise become gateways to the truth, defying the laboratory and the classroom. Icke turns the tables, creating the space for the solitary individual to make radical truth claims about a whole load of things they are not ‘qualified’ to speak about. Thanks in part to Icke’s symbolic sacrifice to the forces of humiliation, the web is now choc-a-bloc with homebrew deconstructions of academia, religion, and politics. I have many criticisms of Icke, the most relevant here being the question of why, if ‘their’ truth is contingent, is yours not? Despite my disagreements I hail Icke as the harbinger of a kind of ‘reformation’ in epistemology: a heist job on The Truth undertaken by the marginalised ‘inexpert’ masses against those authorities who guard it so jealously. I doing research among people who follow the work of David Icke. If you are interested in speaking to me, anonymously, or know someone else who may be, please get in touch! yeswilf@soas.ac.uk

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

THE LYRIC PIC

Every issue, we open up our centre spread to submissions from photographers in a new competition called ‘The Lyric Pic’.

The idea is to shoot an image that you associate with one of your favourite lyrics. For example, you may choose to take a pastoral picture of forests to accompany Bob Dylan’s ‘upon four-legged forest clouds the cowboy angel rides’ lyric. Send your submissions to: photo@london-student.net

The best submissions will feature in the paper throughout the year. NAME: DANIELLE BERGERE

INSTITUTION: NEWYORK UNIVERSITY, LONDON

CAMERA SETTINGS: Camera: Nikon D3000 Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250) Aperture: f/8.0 ISO speed: 400

LYRIC: Li le darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter Li le darling, it feels like years since it's been here Here comes the sun Here comes the sun, and I say It's all right Here Comes The Sun-The Beatles

LOOKING THROUGH THE LENS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER: This photo was taken at the Bloomsbury Festival in Russell Square last fall. I was drawn by the sunlight that back-lit the tipi made from a collage of colored paper. This photo gives me a sense of hope as there was so much vibrancy and imagination that could be felt throughout the festival. I think the photo reminds me of this Beatles song as even though January could still be part of the "long cold lonely winter," it's a new year; it's a chance for a fresh start--so there is hope.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Fieldwork practicalities for Palestinian historians Research Spotlight

Writer andPhotographer Lauren Banko LONDON STUI first began my research into the history of the Palestine Mandate during my Master of Arts degree dissertation in the United States. Since completing my MA, my academic situation has changed slightly, but I continue to work on the same time period in the history of Palestine and am currently in my third year as a PhD student at SOAS. I completed my archival-based fieldwork in the Palestinian West Bank, Jerusalem and Israel in 2011 and have since returned to London to write my PhD dissertation. Most PhD candidates are quite capable of speaking for hours on end about their topic and its intricacies, but for the purpose of this article, it is perhaps more beneficial to discuss the li4le-mentioned practical problems of completing archival research in a place such as Palestine than it is to discuss my specific research topic. At a university such as SOAS, courses and events on the history of Palestine and the PalestinianIsraeli conflict have long been popular among undergraduate and MA students, but in order to do a PhD on Palestine or the conflict, one has to be quite pragmatic about choosing a topic and their ability to carry out research on it. In the first place, due to the activism and interest around the subject, it is not only difficult to mark a niche and research a new angle, but the field is also competitive and dissertations and journal articles on Palestine and Israel saturate the broader field of Middle East studies. Secondly, as an academic, it is o3en necessary to distance academic work on a particular topic in the study of Palestine from personal passions or activist work. It is difficult to do objective work on Palestine and Israel in light of current conditions. In order for a dissertation on Palestine to be taken seriously in the academic community, its author must be as objective as possible to keep biases from leading to certain conclusions. Finally, for archivebased historians of Palestine, documentary sources present difficult problems of both access and subjectivity. My own research focuses on the period from 1918 to1939, which constitutes the majority of the time the British administered the Palestine Mandate prior to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The mandate has been studied from

many different angles by Western and Palestinian historians, and my topic of the creation and discourses of Palestinian citizenship by both the British colonial officials and Palestinian populist leaders has not been historicised in any significant way. Despite the fact that the mandate has been a focus of scholarship in recent years, histories from the perspective of the non-elite Palestinians has not been studied as intensely as have the actions of the British. This has a lot to do with the available sources and difficulties in accessing these sources. Only in the past decade or two have historians really used Arabic sources, rather than official British records, to construct historical narratives of the mandate. However, these documentary records have been censored, are o3en inaccessible, since they are scattered through archives in the West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel and other Middle Eastern states, or they have been systematically destroyed. When I arrived in the West Bank capital of Ramallah to begin my fieldwork, I knew that the task of locating Palestinian press archives and other documents would be difficult in terms of logistics of travel. To reach the Palestinian West Bank, it is necessary to be given a visitor visa and either by transiting from Tel Aviv and then continuing on to one of the West Bank checkpoint crossings, or from the Israeli-controlled border between Jordan and the West Bank. It is not advisable to tell the Israeli border officials on arrival that you plan to visit or live in the West Bank and academics can have a difficult time ge4ing a visa and then renewing it a3er three months if they indicate their research is on or in Palestine. It is necessary to have contacts in Israel since the border officials will call them to verify any story about where one will be living and working. My constant worry was that my visa would not be renewed because of my research topic and that I would be forced to return to London without gathering the data I needed. Fortunately, my story and contacts (and the border officials’ lack of knowledge of what the British mandate was) meant I was able to receive a new visa every three months during the seven-month period. Since I lived in the West Bank and most of my archival research was in Jerusalem, I was required to pass through a checkpoint every morning on my way to research, and to show my Israeli visa to gain entry into Israel. The entire trip from Ramallah to West Jerusalem, the distance of about eleven miles, o3en took two and a half hours due to the wait to cross at the checkpoint. When I returned in the evening, the traffic was o3en so bad at the check-

A checkpoint to enter the old city of Hebron

point that it could take the same amount of time to reach Ramallah again. Travel restrictions such as this meant my research time was limited. Although I used some archives in the West Bank, it was nearly impossible to find the type of newspaper or unpublished memoirs I hoped for. This is not to say libraries and research institutes are not staffed, but rather they usually do not hold complete records of Palestinian mandate newspapers, of which there were many. They also do not have unpublished memoirs from non-elites or documents from social organizations such as protests against the British, or records of boyco4s, strikes, or demonstrations. Instead, I relied heavily on archives in Jerusalem. These have their problems as well for historians. My main sources came from the Hebrew University Jewish National Library, which contains one of the best archives of Palestinian newspapers and is accessible to foreign scholars, although Palestinians from the West Bank or Gaza are barred from entering Jerusalem or Israel proper and are unable to access their own native archives in these places. Further, the library’s holdings of memoirs and other Palestinian books from the mandate are in the library as a result of looting of Palestinian homes and libraries in 1948 and during subsequent times of conflict. They are listed as “abandoned Arab property”, although their owners for the most part did not abandon them. The newspapers come under the same classification. It is problematic as a historian of Palestine to know that Palestinian sources are not accessible in Palestine or managed by

the actual owners of the sources. The Israel State Archives are also accessible to foreign researchers and have thousands of pages of documents from the mandate and even O4oman records of its administration in Palestine, but these documents are diﬃcult to properly locate since there are so many and are classiﬁed in various ways. The Arab documents here from the mandate are also held under unclear circumstances. Although the documents were the property of the Arab leadership of the mandate or of Great Britain, they have not been returned to their owners. A3er the British le3 Palestine in 1947, they had packaged these records to be shipped to London. They never arrived, and so the records of the mandate held in the British archives are missing a great deal of material which is still in Israel. Many of the Arabic documents were deemed too sensitive to return to the Palestinian leadership for their own records. Finally, Palestinian family libraries and research centres in Arab East Jerusalem do not fare well: they face looting, closure, and destruction by the Israeli military authorities. For me as a PhD student hoping to utilise these types of archives, it was devastating to discover the problems of presevation. Several small, familyowned libraries in the Old City have been served evacuation or demolition orders to make way for Israeli housing. It is risky to move many of their records, some of which are hundreds of years old. Other centres of scholarship have been looted several times, such as the former PLO headquarters and research institute in East Jerusalem. O3en, looted institutions were closed by the authorities

and have not reopened, or have been demolished completely. The location or status of the records they housed is unknown. Other libraries are unable to stay open on a regular schedule and the entrance to the al-Aqsa Mosque Library in the Haram alSharif complex, for example, is controlled by the Israeli military authorities. Other institutes are cut off from regular access due to route of the separation wall through East Jerusalem which has enclosed some towns on three sides. My hope is that historians will continue in larger numbers to use the Palestinian press and other sources in Jerusalem libraries and in the West Bank—but this is o3en a daunting task for a PhD student. I was able to live in the West Bank for seven months and complete my research, but it took a great deal of time to locate and access archives and I was unable to use several due to their location or destruction. Although Palestine is a popular topic for students to study and it is o3en seen as a cause to rally around, for researchers it is a maze of impracticalities that need to be overcome in order to give it an accurate, objective history. I was lucky to get the chance to do fieldwork in Palestine and my thesis will undoubtedly reflect the problems of archives. Despite those problems, the narratives that the archives yielded are invaluable to my thesis and as a contribution to the field of Palestinian history. RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT is a new regular feature in the London Student. Students working on research projects in all disciplines are welcome to submit articles about their research. Email features@london-student.net

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Student diaries from abroad Writer Janna Jung-Irrgang

In a plane 50000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, moving (not so) slowly toward the US east coast, the Lufthansa crew is hardly coping. It’s no wonder, with pre-ordered special meals or needs, passengers either sleeping or fighting for the last drop of alcohol on board (Baileys for breakfast anyone?). I, however, cannot but swing back and forth from worry to excitement. There are at least two ways to see the current situation: are the four months I’m going to spend studying in Chapel Hill, NC, just a repetition of what I experienced as a fresher moving to London last year? After all, will it not just be a lot of new English speaking people again, living in halls (call it whatever - dorms) and finding their way into (university) life. It will mean bad catering, little sleep and not enough time for working properly. And the culture should be more or less the same: people gain weight instead instead of losing it, psychological illnesses are on the forefront - a proper western developed country. Then again, it is definitely going to be different. This is the country where one major party is denying Climate Change and no one ever thinks of maybe driving their cars a few miles less, where the infamous beauty queen just so mistakes Europe for a country; where super-sizes change every small snack to a full meal... I could probably go on forever. There will definitely be differences and if I were a native English speaker, I would be sure to bring accents up at this point. When I was still in school, a friend of mine went to the US on a student exchange program. I remember her coming back completely flushed from the experience (she had taken up cheerleading and was wallowing in the “school spirit”), eagerly awaiting the day she could book a flight back to what she then considered “home” - as soon as possible, for as long as possible and definitely eventually move for the rest of her life. This picture of her comes back to me today, and I wonder whether I will find what she found then total freedom, no limits, the American Dream? However unlikely it is that there will be an actual difference in the thinking, I am definitely hoping to meet with open-mindedness, readiness to look beyond borders and also to take students from far (or not far) away up in their circles for 4 months.

The Anti-Plan for 2012 Writer Katie Keegan

Annually there arrives a generic multitude of New Year’s resolutions that become scribbled in our diaries or sit on post-it notes, littering our walls at this time of year. The general consensus for another encroaching year is that time moves too fast and, yet again, we’ve not achieved enough. We never did that three month hike around Asia in the summer, never sent off those CVs for magazine internships or went for those rigorous crack of dawn runs to lose a stone. All of which are great goals, brilliant in fact. Setting targets and reaching them is important, none of us would be doing what we are otherwise. Yet, once caught in the turbulence of University life, it seems there comes a subliminal pressure to consistently set ourselves a series of unending aims from year to year in order to enrich and project ourselves. And by not adhering to the persistent nag-

The New Year was welcomed in style once again. Photo by Flickr user p_c_w

ging of the over achiever in all of us, that begins to aggressively harass come the New Year, we feel an unwelcome mount of pressure building. So here is not so much a proposal as a plea, that while high achieve-

ment is all well and good, crucial even in the right circumstance, how about we also recognise the importance of doing the everyday, seemingly minimal things which are actually achievable and still make a difference? Clear out the

years old. But in universities across London, hundreds of Christian students are telling another story. Almost every university in the capital has a Christian Union or CU, a group of Christians who try to g i v e every student on their campus a chance to hear t h e m e s sage of Jesus. A n d these C U s a r e coming t o gether t h i s month to put on a week of events tackling life’s big issues and the relevance of the Christian faith to them. So what are these “big issues”? In a unique London-wide survey, each CU spent a week in

December trying to find out what their fellow students thought. They asked two simple questions: “What’s your favourite film?” (not one of life’s big questions, but bear with me) and “If you could ask G o d o n e question, w h a t would it be?” A n d t h e y g o t s o m e interesting a n swers. S t u dents m o s t w a n t to ask Photo by Nabeel Yoosuf G o d why he allows suffering to exist, followed by “What is the meaning/purpose of life?” Perhaps showing a slightly morbid streak, “Is there life after death?” was third in the list and the simple “Do you exist?” was

clothes you’ve inadvertently hoarded and never worn for the past five years and take them to a charity shop.One better, volunteer a few otherwise whittled away hours in that charity shop. Guys, get up for the old/pregnant/attention grippingly attractive woman on the tube or the bus; I’m adamant that chivalry cannot be truly dead. Ring your parents more, despite having to listen about your Dad’s sleep patterns and your Mum’s observation of the abundance of squirrels that seem to be accumulating in the garden recently; listening to it makes their day. Oh and, possibly the most prevalent, acknowledge that you’re doing a degree and be proud of that and where it is taking you. Hence, let’s stop squinting so much to see forward that we’re causing ourselves epidemics of stress headaches and look back at what we have managed to achieve: an education we should each be proud of. My New Year’s plan this year? To plan to stop planning.

Spotlight on... Christian Unions in London Society Spotlight Writer Tim Wyatt

Christianity is dead in the UK. At least, that’s what we’re told on an almost weekly basis. Whether because of further decline in church attendance, or supposedly outdated and irrelevant teaching, Christianity is a faith that seems to matter less and less in 21st Century Britain. Despite 70% of the population in the last census claiming to be Christians, a survey in 2005 showed that only 6.7% of the country goes to church regularly. “We are a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so”, said David Cameron in December. However, in a 2008 poll, only 17% of people agreed with him. The picture is even more striking when it comes to the young. According to the Church of England's own research in 2010, the average age of a churchgoer was 61 and 59% of churches had no members between 15 and 19

also a popular choice. In amongst these comparatively straightforward enquiries were more profound philosophical questions such as “Do you have a beard?”, “Why is my hair falling out?” and “What is your favourite film?” London students’ favourite films were less esoteric, with the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy topping the poll. Using these results, CUs in London are holding Uncover: The London CU Project from January 23-27. During the day each CU will host lunchtime talks and other events such as debates or “Grill a Christian” panel discussions on their campuses. On the evenings of the 24-26 there will be a central event at All Souls Church, near Oxford Circus, presenting the Christian faith with opportunities for discussion via three of the most popular films: Lord of the Rings, The Shawshank Redemption and Inception. Starting at 7pm, these events will include a café and chance to ask any question. For more information, search for “London CU Project” on Facebook.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

It’s easy to convince children that killing is a game. We’re all familiar with the image of a gun: many of us had toy guns as children; we see them in films and on television; and they’ve always been a staple of computer games, from pointand-shoot arcade games like House of the Dead, to console-based games such as Call of Duty. In the world of gaming, realism is everything. You see the enemy die from life-like wounds and in a pool of their own, high-definition blood. But for hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, switching off the PS3 when the scene gets too graphic is not an option. Earlier this year, the British Military sent four underage soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan due to an “administrative error”. Yet around the world the problem is much more extensive. In Africa alone, over 100,000 children are associated with armed groups in one way or another, and many of these are far younger than 18.

A ma er of survival So why are children used to do others’ dirty work? Children are typically cheaper to employ than adults, and slower to challenge authority. And a child takes just 45 minutes to master the use of an AK-47. Armed groups also find it much easier to get the young people to enlist. A child’s initial contact with an armed group is o2en a violent and traumatic experience. Abductions are commonplace, and unless schools and communities have solid protection systems in place, they can provide fertile grounds for new recruits. As part of their recruitment, children are sometimes forced to kill or maim a community or family member - thus breaking their bonds to home, and making it difficult for them to return. But children are not always forced to conscript: economic and social pressures can drive young people to sign themselves up. When families and communities lack the capacity to provide their children with protection and meet their survival needs, children can be forced to look elsewhere for safety. Armed groups can offer children without a stable living environment guaranteed protection, food and clothing, and a future career in the absence of education. For many, enrolling can be a ma3er of survival. Guns are not the whole story But the problem goes above and beyond gun use: the use of children in all military se3ings is worryingly widespread. In Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, over 66,000 children are thought to have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army. This isn’t, however, just an African problem: children are deployed by mil-

itary groups in at least 24 countries around the world. The recruitment of child soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan is a li3le discussed issue, but the use of children as suicide bombers is becoming more common. Many children associated with armed groups are not sent to the “front line”; they may be used as human mules to carry weapons and equipment, cooks, messengers, and domestic slaves. Many are also used as “wives”. The most common image of a child soldier usually features a boy with a gun, but this picture does not represent the whole story: 40% of children associated with armed groups are girls. Girls between the FACT BOX Children are deployed in nearly 75% of all armed conflicts worldwide. 80% of age of 12 and 17 these children are younger than 15. are most likely to It is estimated that between 200,000 and 300,000 children worldwide are in the be recruited or enranks of armed groups. listed, and they constitute one of Girl soldiers have been present in virtually every non-international conflict . the most hidden Roughly 40% of child soldiers are girls. and marginalised groups of children in conﬂict-aﬀected Case Study: Juliet countries. Juliet was 12 years old when she was abducted by the Lord’s ResistanceArmy. For six Many of these girls years she was forced to act as a ‘wife’to one of the LRA commanders, and at the age are forced into sexof 16 she fell pregnant. ual relationships When she went into labour, the rebel group was on the move, and she was not able with the comto seek medical treatment. The baby died during childbirth, and a doctor was brought manders of armed into the bush to remove the child from her body. The operation, without anaesthetic groups, who are o2en much older and with only crude equipment le2 her in very bad health. than them, exposDuring peace talks with the Ugandan government, the LRA leader allowed Juliet to ing them to risks of seek medical treatment across the border in Kenya. Here, a nurse helped Juliet to esinfection and pregcape and board a plane to Kampala, Uganda. nancy. And the A2er several months, Juliet was reunited with her family, but she had missed out on psychological efalmost all of her secondary school education. War Child helped to get her into a spefects are felt long cial academy for girl mothers who have missed out on education through LRA aba2er their physical duction or displacement. Juliet became head girl of the school. wounds have When she was 21, Juliet came to England to act as an advocate for girls who have been healed. abducted by armed groups, and former child soldiers. She has now graduated from the academy and hopes study law at university, so she can help bring the perpetraDamaged goods The trauma for tors of these abuses to justice. girls associated “Children who experience terrible things can achieve great things in life – if they are with armed given an education...If you are not educated, you are nothing.”

groups does not end when (or if) they escape from their captors. Stigmatisation seriously limits the prospects of former child soldiers, especially if they have been forced to commit atrocities against their communities. If girls fall pregnant or have children as a result of their recruitment: they are o2en viewed as “damaged goods” and can no longer contribute to the economic situation of their families by bringing in a “bride price”. Faced with exclusion and discrimination, these girls live on the margins of communities, or gravitate towards urban centres where they can become anonymous and search for work, much of which is dangerous and exploitative.

Rejected by society Where armed groups are dissolved officially, soldiers will go through a programme of Demobilisation, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR). And although reintegration is a vital part of the programme, taking guns from hands is just the first step: for a culture of peace to come about, so much more has to happen first. However, these programmes

tend to focus on the needs of boys. While girls make up over a third of child soldiers around the world, they account for only 12% of those who go through DDR programmes. As a result, girls are o2en a very vulnerable and marginalised group, even among children who are already excluded and rejected by society.

The bus fare home The reintegration process takes a long time, and o2en isn’t accessible in the first place. In cases where local capacities are lacking, demobilised child soldiers are o2en just given the bus fare home and sent on their way. Lost years of education may mean that these children have few prospects, and a2er their violent recruitment they may not be accepted back into their communities. Picking up a gun again can o2en be the easiest way of regaining the respect of their community. Education offers another way, providing children who may have missed years of school with a means to make a living. With an education girls can support themselves and their children. And in doing so, they can limit some of the stigma their communities a3ach to them as a result of their wartime experiences. And children can get a lot more than just the three R’s from the classroom. With every year of formal education that a child completes, the risk of becoming involved in conflict is reduced by 20%. But over two-thirds of the world’s children who aren’t in school live in conflict-affected countries, which can make the transition from child to child soldier all that much easier. To these children, an education can mean all the difference. It can mean the difference between spending what should be their school days with a pencil in their hand, or a gun. War Child is a small international charity that works in some of the worst conflict-affected countries in the world, including Uganda, DR Congo, Central African Republic, Iraq and Afghanistan. We help to get children out of army uniforms and into school ones. War destroys children’s lives. To help stop the exploitation of child soldiers, text “GUNS25 £2”.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

COMMUNITY

London’s 2012 diary is full of noteworthy events. We take a lighthearted look at the year ahead - page 21-22

Victoria Yates

COMMUNITY EDITOR

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

We catch up with Nicko Williamson, the young entrepreneur behind Climate Cars, about his opening gambit - page 23

Ahmad Bakhiet

ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDITOR

Made in Chelsea Goes East

Tickets now on sale for Fusion@London’s main event

You saw our rave reviews of the launch event but tickets are now available for Fusion@London’s main event on the 25th and 26th of February. The extravaganza at Troxy (Limehouse, E1), features celebrity headline acts, renowned designers & models, up and coming London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins design graduates and a cast of more than 150 London student dancers and choreographers. At just £15 you can experience a remarkable night and help Cancer Research UK in their life-saving work. Continued overleaf.

It’s the End of the World as We Know It On London’s Big Year Writer and Images Victoria Yates Community Editor

So, our li7le world is soon to go out with a whimper (or a bang, it isn’t particularly clear). We’ve murdered our last polar bear, and watched our last season of Christmas Coca Cola adverts. In a year promising the return of the devil and the landing of UFOs, avoid mountainous France, any Procter & Gamble Headquarters (you can never be too careful), and watch as, if nothing else, London’s big year guides us towards armageddon with a drizzle of patriotic fervor. Continued overleaf

I told them we should have gone Gregorian.

SCIENCE

With Jan 17 the most depressing day of the year, Science decided to focus on Depression and the problems it can cause. Learn more with our feature on SAD - page 25

Rachel Mundy Harriet Jarle*

SCIENCE EDITORS

ACADEMIA

A new perspective on teachers for a new year, we uncover some academics resolutions for 2012 - page 26

Valeriya Nefyodova ACADEMIA EDITOR

The Green Column

PSYCHOLOGY

Time for a change? Saul walks us through the cardinal rules of making (and keeping) a new years resolution - page 27

Saul Hillman

PSYCHOLOGIST IN RESIDENCE

Predictions for the year ahead Writer Ben Parfitt UCL

We could see the Gulf of Mexico re2012 is going to be rubbish, we are cover from the 2010 BP oil spill. It is told. “Harshest test in decades,” estimated that more than 50,000 barMerkel, Chancellor of Germany, rells of oil spilled in to the Gulf, unreckons. We’ll need to be “couraabated for three months solid, but geous,” says Sarkozy, President of the human cost is soon expected to France. be se7led. But the crumbling Eurozone may “For every claimant who is eligible be the least of our worries if the other than oyster harvesters, we beMesoamerican Long Count calendar lieve that it is reasonable to conclude and one Hollywood movie is to be full recovery by the end of 2012,” believed. Catastrophe – probably of claimed Chief Feinberg, who indesome environmental sort – is going pendently controls the purse strings to end the world as we know it. The date for your diaries is 21st December – the end date of the calendar’s 5,125year-long cycle. Some stars and planets will on that day be aligned in some way or other and something pre7y bad will happen, I’m told. But wait… they may have got it wrong. A few spiritual happy-golucky types have seen hope in the termination of this obscure li7le Franz Josef Land, Arctic Ocean, August 14th 2011 calendar and Image NASA Goddard Photo and Video have stated that 21st December for the $20 billion victims compensa2012 will, in fact, mark the beginning tion fund. of a new era. Annihilation or spiriMeanwhile, companies will seek to tual awakening improve eﬃciency to squeeze the – you decide. pennies and improve their green creIf, like me, a chilling predentials. IBM plan to cut greenhouse you’re a more diction for all gas emissions by 7% and Microso6 than slightly Frozen Planet looks set to become 30% greener this skeptical of this enthusiasts and year by improving energy use in its whole ‘end of Attenborough buildings and operations, reducing the world’ fan-boys. air travel, and increasing the use of malarkey – a6er renewable energy. all, it didn’t Their motives? Let’s just say that happen in 2011 when the crazy fools Mr Gates and his fellow shareholdcried it would – don’t give up on the ers have already been able to save predictions game just yet. Apocaover $90 million of company travel lypse aside, the environment has expenses by using remote conferencmuch to say this year.

ing technologies. Here’s a chilling prediction for all Frozen Planet enthusiasts and A7enborThe trouble with ough fanpredictions – let’s boys. 2012 be honest – is that may be a tipno one really ping point for knows. Except the global warm‘Great Wizard’ of ing as the Mexico, of course! Arctic ocean reaches a state of despair. “At this rate, the Arctic Ocean could be nearly icefree at the end of summer by 2012, much faster than previous predictions,” said NASA climate scientist Jay Zwally back in 2007. But as Sir David himself notes, “climate change is going to aﬀect us much more profoundly than the loss of the polar bear.” In this respect, 2012 can, at most, be taken as a sign of things to come. The trouble with predictions – let’s be honest – is that no one really knows. Except the ‘Great Wizard’ of Mexico, of course! Each year, the Wizard – known by his friends, family and the tax man as Antonio Vázquez – casts his tarot cards and makes his predictions for the 12 months to come. He’s not always right, but he’s the go-to man in Latin America. His prediction? That theories of doomsday in 2012 are "big fat lies." And that’s all you need to know… until next issue. Follow Ben on @bparf

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Made in Chelsea Goes East Tickets now on sale for Fusion@London’s main event Go to fusionatlondon.com for the inside scoop, updates, and the all important ticket sales.

Some things to look forward to in Community’s year ahead 1/4 Climbing the Ladder [ACADEMIA]

Academia’s piece of advice for this new year of 2012 is to carefully consider University League Tables before you decide where to go for your Masters. These statistics may not reflect the actual state of what’s happening in your chosen institution, but, in academia as in most things reputation is key, if nothing else it would definitely give you a flavour of where in the hypothetical University hierarchy your choice appears!

2/4 Soul-Searching [PSYCHOLOGY]

Urban Fusion Image Courtesy of Fusion@London

It’s the End of the World as We Know It Continued from p.21

The UK continues to strengthen its friendship with europe

All these doomsday prophecies foretell a year of soul-searching and life changes. Even for the naysayers, the possibility of an end cannot help but call forward a few reflexive moments. The study of humanity’s enduring belief in doom and the personal journey this sort of year affords are the perfect time to start reading about modern psychological debates, and experiencing new ideas be they in research or pop-culture.

3/4 Time to Confer

[ENTREPREUNERSHIP]

It’s that time of year again – NACUE’s National Student Enterprise Conference (NSEC) is back for it’s 3rd year! If you’re a student / graduate looking to start up, or a young entrepreneur keen on taking your business to the next level, then join over 300 like-minded students and some of the UK’s top entrepreneurs on startup crash courses covering everything from financing your start-up to building a top-class team. 18th – 19th February. Tickets available now.

Cameron pledges to ensure the success of the Olympics any way he can

See http://studententerpriseconference.com for more information and tickets

4/4 Full Steam Ahead [SCIENCE &TECH]

Can’t we settle this over a nice game of wiff-waff?

We’re due for a busy year of solar activity. Flickr user Lights in the Dark

There's lots to look forward to in 2012 for science, from the confirmation of Higgs sightings to Curiosity landing on Mars. This is also expected to be the year of the solar maximum, making it the best year ever to try and glimpse the Northern lights, particularly around the equinoxes in Spring and Autumn. Book that holiday to northern Finland now!"

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

London’s Green Taxi

We talk to Nicko Williamson, the young entrepreneur behind Climatecars Writer Ahmad Bakhiet Entrepreneurship Editor

While his fellow university classmates were chasing jobs with law firms and banks, Nicko Williamson, took a job as a taxi driver as part of his larger plan to run his own taxi firm. A taxi firm with a difference, Climatecars was to be a carbon-neutral car service targeted specifically for corporates. Nicko’s hybrid taxi fleet all feature leather seats, air conditioning and even provide mineral water and magazines to each customer. Nicko, now 28, launched Climatecars in London in June 2007 and has moved quickly from university graduate with an idea to an established business. Having started out with just 2 office staff, Nicko and 5 cars, Climatecars has now secured contracts with major organisations such as Unilever, Absolute Radio and Virgin. Four years on from establishment the business employs 18 office Ernst & Young awarded Nicko staff and a fleet the Young of over 85 cars Entrepreneur of and has a £2.2m the Year award annual turnover. 2011 Ernst & Young awarded Nicko the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award 2011. Judges were impressed with Nicko’s customer service levels, strong growth in both turnover and profit and ambition of making Climatecars a £100m turnover company. Aside from the accolades, however,

fuel business. The idea was that you could convert a normal car to run on liqueﬁed petroleum gas, which was much greener and the emissions much lower. "I always loved cars but felt guilty about owning them, it was at that point I suddenly thought of taxis, as I had been in and out of London and I just thought ‘why can’t I make this greener?’” During his degree, Williamson had a couple of internships with various hedge funds in the summer holidays

but "it didn't click with me". Having firmly set his objective to start his own business he sought investment from his family and friends and put together a business plan while writing his dissertation on American slavery in Florida. "I'd be in the British Library and when I was bored of case studies of another slave, I'd do a bit on Climatecars." A streak of entrepreneurial flair meant that Nicko realised he could use some experience in the taxi industry before starting a business he knew nothing about so worked for a taxi company which allowed him to get the necessary experience he needed. Nicko tell us “I got advice from a mentor who said if I was planning on being an entrepreneur I should understand the industry I’m entering, so I did”. A6er a few months he was off to set up his own version of a taxi firm. Nicko then raised initial funds of £150,000 from friends and family, before contributing £50,000 of his own savings, giving an initial seed round of £200,000. Part of the money Nicko put in was thanks to winning business plan competitions. He entered competitions at London Business School at the GSVC (Global Social Venture Competition). Nicko told us this was time well invested as in addition to prizes he won he was able to work with two MBA students (one of which was an investment banker) to raise another £300,000 from business angle investors. Nicko is quick to note it wasn’t always easy and there are always chal-

To book a Climatecar, visit : www.climatecars.com or call: 020 7350 5960

iffy from the start could trigger denial and self-deception. You could get into a situation where you are hanging on, hoping and praying that the following week’s sales will go through the roof and ameliorate the company’s bank balance. Imagine being in a plane plummeting through the sky, yet telling yourself that you will be OK. Both are easy mistakes for an inexperienced entrepreneur to make and can result in equally fatal consequences. Ge7ing good advice and doing research is one way to disabuse yourself about whether an idea is going to work or not. Not investing all of or a large part of the money coming in from the business back into it could be another bad scenario for a young entrepreneur to get into. Should sales flourish and big money start to flow in, it would be completely understandable to want to pop down to Foxton’s and put the deposit down on a swish pad. Bad idea: it may well be be7er to keep the money in the business and in fact to hold off even paying yourself a wage. Be patient and reap even be7er rewards in the future. Success in business can have the unwanted a7ribute

of being fleeting and ephemeral. Big sales in September may not lead to even bigger sales in November. So keeping cash in the business for when money isn’t flowing in as readily as usual is worth considering. Changing things too readily is another possible mistake a new entrepreneur could make: if what you are doing Big sales in works for you, September may stick with it. If not lead to even you find success bigger sales in in selling simple November. quiz game apps for smart phones for small amounts of money, don’t suddenly wake up one morning and decide it would be a good idea to try and enter the video computer game industry. Or, if success comes easily to you by selling t-shirts online, this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll make money if you start selling t-shirts through a high-street shop. It can be hard enough to find success in any industry for the inexperienced. Changing things for no valid reason may waste time and money. Perhaps wait until you have become a master of your

ﬁrst product before trying out new concepts or markets. Another big mistake you might make as a new entrepreneur is to start thinking of yourself a6er an early taste of success as the new Richard Branson or Carol Bartz. You might start to believe that you can take on the big boys by entering a market you know li7le about, or try to take the business to a level which you have little experience of. If you were the manager of a third division side, unless you were slightly mad, you wouldn’t think your team could take on a premiership side and win: apply this thinking to business. The most able businessmen and entrepreneurs o6en have more than twenty years of experience, and it is unlikely that a young entrepreneur would have the knowledge to compete. Instead of trying to force expansion unnaturally, take it easy and let the business grow organically. All of the world’s great entrepreneurs and businessmen have made a fair few wrong turns. One of the best ways of learning is through misadventures. And without a doubt, the biggest mistake a young entrepreneur can make is not to learn from these.

there is a much more captivating story as to how Climatecars came to be and it’s vision for where it is going. The inspiration for the business came when Nicko was still a student. “I kept driving past a gas convergence station that was advertising itself as a green

lenges including not being profitable for the first two years (given the high start-up costs of the venture). I ask him to tell me about the challenge of developing a management style given the fact most people he employed were much older than himself, “The first employee I hired was sixty but I think it would be a challenge if I was 28. There were advantages of being young, including that others “The first employee were more willing to I hired give me advice, perwas sixty” haps because they saw me as less of a threat. Starting up was also very stressful and being young definitely helped in my case, I don’t know if I could have taken that level of risk if I had a family and other commitments”. I ask Nicko to tell me a bit about running a 24 hour business, “I have to make sure there are the correct processes for the business to function when I’m not there but I still get bugged even if I’m skiing on holiday by the office!” When I enquired about his ambitions for the future Nicko responds confidently, "We are already the greenest possible car company you can use, but alongside that offer one of the highest levels of service, we want to grow this business into one of the biggest car companies in London and introduce more electric cars to our fleet."

Where a young entrepreneur can go wrong...

Writer Martyn Hopwood

Taking your start-up from an idea to fruition, like all things worth doing, is going to be a pre7y hard undertaking. Tenacity and diligence will be required; mistakes will undoubtedly be made. One of the biggest errors an inexperienced entrepreneur can make is giving up too soon. A6er spending a one-hundred-andfi6y grand investment on marketing, premises and staff, as well as an arduous five years of hard work, obtaining hardly any sales can easily lead to defeatism. You may start to think the potentially brilliant product you took to the market isn’t that brilliant. And just before sales could have picked up, you give up, with all the hard work, investment and perseverance wasted. On the other hand, persevering with a rubbish concept that was never likely to lead to good results is another easy fallacy to make. Using up two hundred grand, a difficult sum to raise, along with four years of travail to achieve only ten thousand pounds in sales on a product that seemed a bit

Entre, Entreprendre, Entrepreneurship Writer Carolina Mostert

Entrepreneurship is everywhere. Most of the times it crops up in the world of economy, of business. O6en it is solely connected to the sphere of financial relations, governed by numbers and calculations. It would however be a limitation and a mistake not to consider the many other ways in which entrepreneurship may develop, the shapes it may take, the many fields it covers. Entrepreneurship has to do, in the first place, with all people. It’s not only a potential job to dive into, an activity some decide to take up, an inventive way of making money. Entrepreneurship is a style of life which, to a certain extent, concerns and belongs to everyone. Let’s take what may be considered as the principal nucleus of society: the family. We can see families as products of entrepreneurship. For two people to meet up, marry (or be together) and se7le down is a bit like se7ing up a company. There’s a certain degree of chance in choosing the partner, organisation goes hand in hand with luck when the family is formed and is set to work out. Chance, organisation and luck are aspects which characterise entrepreneurship: the bigger companies, the smaller ones, those that are stronger and the less successful ones all have them in common. Children are the parents’ li7le start-ups: the family, in this light, is a business, of a social kind. Our lives are games of chemistry. They depend on mixtures of circumstances, on the environment, on our personal ambition. They rely on what we can do, as much as on what we are brought up to wish for and what our own desire pushes us to achieve. Just like life, it is the result of a balanced chemistry. In the same way, entrepreneurial ideas and works depend on the resources that can be invested–in terms of money, time and energy-, on the role played by the Just like life, enenvironment and trepreneurship is by one’s educathe result of a baltion, on the aims anced chemistry of one’s work. The main appeal of entrepreneurship is this: the ease with which people can relate to it, the similarities they find it bears with their very own story. Entrepreneurship is, on the whole, about not being alone. It is a way of reaching out, by throwing challenges to oneself and to others. If we analyse the term, two French words come to mind: firstly, ‘entreprendre’, the verb which the English ‘entrepreneur’ is borrowed from and which alludes to the dimension of the challenge. The opening ‘entre’ catches the eye. In French, this means ‘between’, ‘amongst’, ‘together’: since the very beginning, entrepreneurship as a word itself takes us back to the importance of bonding, of creating liaisons with each other.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Research in Brief

Chickenpox Scared of Sun ST GEORGE’S [MEDICAL SCIENCE]

We, in the UK, are more likely to suffer from chickenpox than someone living in a warmer, sunnier climate. Findings, published in Virology Journal, suggest that UV rays are crucial for stopping the virus from spreading. This explains why chickenpox is less common in the tropics, and why the virus has its most proactive period during the darker months of winter and spring, when UV rays are limited. The findings are an essential first step towards developing routine procedures for stopping the transmission of chickenpox and the related, but more serious, shingles virus.

An Elephant’s Toes RVC [ANIMAL SCIENCE]

For the last 300 years scientists have wondered why elephants have an unusual growth at the back of their feet. Recent research published in Science has concluded that this structure is, in fact, an additional toe. The function of this sixth toe is to help support the immense weight of the animal. It seems to have originally appeared around 40 million years ago - 15 million years into the existence of elephants on earth. As they evolved to become heavier, and spent more of their time on land, it went from being a small piece of cartilage to an essential structural support made of bone. This is a fascinating example of evolution in action.

Abused Children Shell-Shocked UCL [NEUROSCIENCE]

A study of children exposed to violence at home has shown that their brain patterns are very similar to soldiers who have recently experienced heavy combat. Two particular brain regions, normally associated with reactions to fear and preparing for danger, are more active in such children. These regions are also connected to a host of anxiety disorders later in life. The study, published in Current Biology, raises awareness of the seriousness of maltreatment at an early age. It might, with the help of doctors and social workers, contribute towards strategies for targeted and effective treatment.

Self Harm

QUEEN MARY [HEALTH]

In the first population-based study to chart in detail the course of self-harming behaviour. 1,652 young people were followed from Australia, through their teens to young adulthood.Self-harming has been related to depression and anxiety with one in twelve teenagers reporting this behaviour. The Lancet published findings that show adolescent self-harm behaviour is resolved spontaneously in the majority of cases - only 14 of the original study population still self-harmed after they were 29. The study gives encouraging hope for the early treatment of self-harm symptoms as an effective cure.

Maria Botcharova

The Science of... Resolutions Writer Aamna Mohdin

It’s a new year, a new start, and for many Londoners it’s time for a New Year’s resolution. Thousands across the city have taken the pledge to lose weight and get healthy. London Student spoke to Miguel Alonso Alonso, Instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, whose research is based on eating behaviour and obesity, to find out the secrets of what makes a diet plan successful. Professor Alonso says that most diets end in failure as dieting “requires big effort”, he goes on to explain: “On a normal day, deciding what to eat is usually pre0y easy and far less demanding in terms of effort: we eat what is available, tasty, appealing, or what people we trust or love cook for us. So dieting, a form of goal-oriented behaviour, is hard to maintain over time.” With a new diet fad surfacing every other week it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pick a good diet plan over those based on ‘junk’ science. “If a diet promises too much, that should raise a red flag,” says Professor Alonso, “people should be very cautious when they hear for the first time about a new diet that looks exciting and magic...At this point it should be clear to everybody that there is no magic diet or magic pill to lose weight.” Picking the right diet is only half the battle, many struggle to let go of bad eating habits. What’s the secret to sticking to your new diet?According to a new study from the Harvard Neurology Professor, exercise is more important than initially thought. The study, published in Obesity Reviews, showed that exercise improves your awareness of being full, reducing the likelihood of overeating during meals,

Writer Alex Badrick

60 seconds with...

On average you accidentally eat 430 bugs in your life. According to some, beetles taste similar to apples whilst wasps taste like pine nuts.

LS Science would like to welcome onboard Hugh Osbourne as our Social Media Manager. Follow us @LS_science

Diary of a PhD

and this awareA great diet and ness can also have exercise plan longer-term efmeans very little fects on how a if you’re not in person responds the right state of to being around mind when makfood. Exercise can ing your resolualso help suption. Realistic press impulsive expectations, eating urges. The and a positive atstudy draws on titude are past research that needed too. has shown exercise creates more connections in the prefrontal part of the brain, improving cognitive functions, which can help you resist ‘forbidden food’ and overcome temptation. A great diet and exercise plan means very li0le if you’re not in the right state of mind when making your resolution. Pro-

Read more at: www.london-student.net/science

If the theme of Depression this week hasn’t got you too down, pick us up again on January 30 2012. We’ll be telling you all about the mathmatics behind the new Fame Factors app and reviewing the Royal Society Faraday lecture.

link, but it’s likely to be a combina-

Psychological Therapies (IAPT), all

netic factors. External factors too,

self refer, even online. When in

evidence to suggest there’s a genetic

go and work in that area, most of the

tion of environmental factors and ge-

people in the nursing home had de-

mentia and they were completely

such as taking cannabis, which if you

LS What sort of mental health issues

to fullblown Schizophrenia. Also in

powerless, totally disenfranchised.

that one in four British adults will suﬀer

about is a depressive illness. For

MP One of the big things to think

from one form of mental illness, we sent

people coming to university, the ﬁrst

Pemberton, a medical journalist, author

sive expectation that they’re sup-

year is very diﬃcult. There’s a mas-

Science Editors

fessor Alonso said: “Motivation, a0itude and mood are very important. A person who is trying to lose weight should be determined and able to set realistic expectations, have time and energy for this effortful process, and be able to keep a positive a0itude to work hard, accept failures and learn new skills.” Your new diet should be less focused on immediate weight loss and more on a gradual lifestyle change. Professor Alonso emphasises the importance of being “long term-oriented”, as previous research has shown this is key to not only losing weight but keeping it off. Dieting, while a popular resolution, still remains one that most people break. It’s important to remember that dieting requires changing a fundamental aspect of yourself, and this requires a great deal of effort.

people were locked in rooms – it was

absolutely awful. It motivated me to

are most likely to aﬀect students?

Alexander Badrick to speak to Dr Max

In her third instalment of the ever popular ongoing blog Ruth Angus treats us to the delights of first day nerves. Turns out, whether you’re 3 or 23, the butterflies are still the same!

The top resolution every year is to get fitter and loose weight Elizabeth Eisen

With January 17 the most depressing

day of the year and statistics showing

LS_Science Online Tweet of the Week

are genetically predisposed can lead

boys it’s most likely to develop at the age when they’re at university. De-

pressive illnesses again have a ge-

netic component, but social and

Harriet Jarlett Currently studying an MSc in Science Communication at Imperial College. Rachel Mundy A 'Science Communication' student at Royal Holloway.

Next Issue

a service called Improving Access to

GPs have access to this or you can doubt, always go to the GP.

LS Why do you think there is a

stigma associated with mental illness?

MP Part of the stigma is the idea that

it’s not a real condition, it’s not a real

illness, and someone should pull

environmental factors come into it.

their socks up, knuckle down and get

posed to have great fun, but in

with a mental illness to get treat-

vasive and is something that needs to

LS What is your background in psy-

times - it’s a big transition from liv-

MP First, go to your GP and talk to

MP I’ve worked in mental health for

pendently. There’s a big ask on

and practicing psychiatrist specialising in student mental health.

chiatry?

the least eight years since graduat-

ing. I’ve always wanted to go into

mental health, that’s why I went to

medical school. I’d worked in a nurs-

reality it’s really traumatising at

ing at home, to then living inde-

ment?

them about it. They might be able to

help themselves or if it’s something

young people to expect them to

more complicated they can refer you

LS What are the causes of mental ill-

health team - they would assess you

seamlessly deal with it.

ness?

ing home, it was really horrendous,

MP The area of mental health could

to chairs with dressing gown cords,

Schizophrenia there’s very robust

real abject abuse – people were tired

LS How would you advise someone

determine what the cause is, with

on with it. That a0itude is very per-

be challenged. We need to in some way break down this artiﬁcial dis-

tinction between what is mental health and what is physical health,

because it’s like saying there’s leg

on, usually to a community mental

health and there’s arm health – it just

and initiate treatment. For depres-

enmeshed; it’s pointless trying to

sion there are two main treatments:

tablets like antidepressants, and talk-

ing therapies. The government set up

doesn’t work like that. It’s so tightly

separate the two out. I think every doctor knows this, and has to contend with it in their practice.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Friends who yawn together, stay together Writer Charlie Stokes

Winter break has ended. For the sleep deprived and listless among us, the holiday won’t stop us settling into the soft linings of our hoodies and trying to hibernate through a large majority of second term. However, you'll be pleased to know that the yawning you become so self-concious of as your 9am lecture drags on, is empathetic. A yawn can signal fatigue, stress or boredom and yawning can be contagious, but scientists have now shown that yawning is transmitted faster and more frequently between people sharing an empathic bond. Statistical analyses, of the be-

havioural patterns from 100 adults representing 400 ‘yawning couples’, showed yawning can be a form of emotional contagion between friends, loved ones and kin. “What appears to be most important in affecting contagion is the relationship quality that links the yawner to the ‘yawnee’. It is, in fact, more likely that a person will ‘yawn back’ if the first yawner is a loved one,” explained Ivan Norscia from the University of Pisa. The study, by Norscia and Elisabetta Palagi from Cnr-Istc of Rome, published in PLosOne, also showed that the time it takes to respond to yawns is shorter if a person shares a close personal relationship with the yawner. “Strangers and acquaintances

showed a longer delay in the yawn response comparedto friends and kin,” the authors wrote.Similarly, s m i l e s a r e stronger and more sustained when inspired by loved ones, according to a 2009 study of mothers and their infants. In the situations analysed, yawning was shown to be due to empathy with the person who is yawning, rather than boredom. These results seem to concur with previous neurobiological studies. “Some of the brain areas activated during yawn perception overlap with the areas involved in the emotional processing,” says Elisabetta Visalberghi, coordinator of the Unit of Primate Cognition at Cnr-Istc. Spontaneous yawning, not prompted by anyone else,

tion. Widely known as the ‘party season’, increased food and alcohol intake during winter months is seen as abnormal behaviour, made normal by its prevalence. This prompts researchers to continually challenge what can, and cannot, be attributed to SAD. SAD is often misdiagnosed. The mainstay of diagnosis is the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). A questionnaire with such poor sensitivity that a research group, in Holland, deemed it “unfit for diagnostic protocol”. Dr John Eagles, a consultant Psychiatrist at Royal Cornhill Hospital, blasted the questionnaire. Asserting that SPAQ overestimates the prevalence of the disorder leading to health care professionals deeming it “not serious”. Light, or lack of it, is widely regarded as the cause of SAD. Light is needed to regulate circadian rhythms, the body’s internal alarm clock. Light therapy is the most effective treatment for SAD. A light source with at least 2500 LUX, Light Intensity Unit, is needed to treat a sufferer for 3090 minutes daily. An ordinary bulb, with 250-500 LUX, does not provide enough intensity. In fact, no man-made light source is able to compete with the Sun. Even on a cloudy overcast day, the Sun is able to emit enough light to dwarf any light source used currently in therapy. Dr Norman Rosenthal, who first labelled the condition, described his amazement when he first saw a ‘light

lounge’. “In Sweden colleagues routinely unwound in a room with eight intensely bright lights to help brighten up the workforce's attitude to work and life.” Because patients with SAD must also fulfil criteria for depression, several randomized trials have assessed the use of antidepressants for this condition. How-

evolved more than 200 million years ago in bony fish. The type of activity that starts yawning is different in each animal group and can indicate stress or boredom, or signal an activity change. However, as Elisabetta Palagi explains: “Contagious yawning is a completely different, and more ‘modern’ phenomenon, demonstrated, so far, only in gelada baboons, chimpanzees, and humans.” The contagious yawning documented in this study showed that, in humans, a yawn can usually be evoked by another yawn within five minutes. So, if you see someone else in your lectures yawning, yawn back. You’re just showing sympathy.

I’m not SAD, I’m just misunderstood! Writer Jonathan La Cre e

“I feel like a vampire. I don't even want to see the sun anymore because it isn't the same sun of the spring and summer. Fall and winter to me represent the death of everything pretty in the world. Spring is like being reborn again,” a Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferer, writing on depressionforums.org. As I write this, the skies are grey, rain lashes pavements and windows scream from the harsh treatment of gale force winds. We are well into the heart of winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has the highest incidence in twenty year olds between October and March. I then look at my age, 20, thinking now is a better time than ever to talk about feeling SAD. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, SAD stands distinct from other depressive conditions by having episodes recurring only in winter. With the long nights, many assume it is common to feel winter lethargy. The book Why We Get Sick makes the argument that SAD is a healthy, evolved adaptation from the remnants of hibernation. Yet it is a more serious form of ‘winter blues’, as sufferers ruminate over suicidal thoughts, which of course concerns clinicians and sufferers. Although SAD has a clear profile, the signs of weight gain and mild alcoholism may not necessarily be attributed to the condi-

ever, prescribing drugs like Zoloft to treat SAD will be met with stern resistance in light of concerns that use of antidepressants has risen by more than a quarter in three years. “I just feel like I am losing bits and pieces of myself along the road of life,” member of depressionforums.org

Events under the microscope The Story of Astronomy BOOK REVIEW Reviewed by Tarli Morgan

It was with a layman's knowledge that I read Peter Aughton's The Story of Astronomy: a book that summarises man's study of the stars, and the evolution of our understanding of them. Certainly, the topic is interesting. The book is, however, flawed. Though the factoids represented are scintillating (for example, the reason time uses base 60, and not 100 as you might expect, is a system taken from Sumerian astronomers), they lack citations so it can be unclear whether Aughton is presenting his own interpretation or citing someone else. At times, Aughton oversimplifies to the point of being patronising. At others, he provides insufficient explanations, leaving the reader stranded with unfamiliar units of measurement, rarely converted to modern ones. Diagrams are lacking - they would have aided discussions of the spatial relationships between planets, which I had difficulty visualising. Nonetheless, the book is intriguing. Dividing the astronomical data, which can become dry and tedious, are segments of narrative, lending emotional weight to the analyses that follow. This, coupled with a focus on the scientists and their methods, leads to a more personal tone. Overall, as a short book, it is certainly worth reading. With facts that relate to our everyday lives, Aughton presents a fresh, well-structured account of man's ingenuity and timeless fascination with the stars.

Bright Club

EVENT REVIEW [WILMINGTON ARMS] Reviewed by Harriet Jarlett

Bringing together the funniest experts with the coolest (ahem) audience, Bright Club is a one-of-a-kind public engagement event, and their New Year’s eve party was certainly an original evening. Despite low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised as we were taught how to solve a rubiks cube by Matt Parker and techniques to spin faster when pole dancing. The latter slot, hosted by Suze Kundu, admittedly dragged on as she delved into the science of inertia, but she was quickly forgotten as Megan Whewell exploded a doll’s head. The next event on January 17 promises to be even better with ‘musical maestro’ Jay Foreman- a BBC fringe award winnerand a wealth of other scientists becoming comedians for one night only. If your looking for an alternate night out, then Bright Club can’t be beaten.

Upcoming Events SAD occurs during winter months Elizabeth Eisen

ANTIBIOTICS: WEAPONS OF DESTRUCTION [DANA CENTRE] JAN 24 2012

Discussing the arms race between antibiotics and bacteria.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

How Much Would You Pay For An Essay? Writer Valeriya Nefyodova Academia Editor

It is not a big secret that writing is a huge necessity in academia and the professional world. Most of the courses in universities require submission of thesis papers, research papers and reports, not to mention ‘the dissertation’- the devil of one’s final year of undergrad, MSc or PhD. Moreover, on the daily basis, ‘pulling an all-nighter’, relying on packs of cans of Red Bull mixed with coffee and a side of take-away Subway or pizza has become a common scenario of an ordinary night before the essay/lab report/research proposal deadline. But only for some students, mind you, as there are those well-organized and always-prepared individuals still in the wild, who have all the work done and ready for submission, and well done those. Have you met another kind of students with a different strategy that allows them to sleep peacefully before their deadlines: those who pay others to do the writing, the clients of custom essay writing services? Now if you are naïve enough to think that this is not relevant to

you/your course/institution, think again, or rather google ‘custom writing’ or ‘essays for money’ and be amazed how flourishing this business is. Personally I found the topic in an American newspaper targeted at American Higher education providers, but I guess the same thing may be present in the UK as well (simply add ‘UK’ at the end of your Google search request) and I believe that it should be brought to the public attention. The story of Mr (or Ms?) Ed Dante caught my attention in the press. This writer tells the story of how he makes his living writing custom essays for sociology, business, psychology, administration, accounting, you name it. He calls himself ‘a doctor of everything, an academic mercenary’, and he probably is. He attended three dozen online universities, completed 12 graduate theses of 50 pages or more, all in different subjects and all for someone else. This guy (let’s assume he is a guy) contacted the Chronicles of Higher Education in order to share his story with the hope to draw the attention to the massive industry of cheating and start a discussion about custom papers and their consequences. In his confession story, Ed Dante highlights three main groups who comprise his clientele: lazy and wealthy students from very posh

families, English-As-A-SecondLanguage students, and some hopelessly dumb students. While for the first group education is simply another thing to buy, for the latter two having a degree may have a very big difference on the outcome of their lives. Some may suggest that this problem affects only the highranking universities because of the demand they put on students. I would say that cases of custom essay submission could be found everywhere and this is worrying if one considers the consequences of this hardly-detectable plagiarism. These consequences are easy to see: the faked admission essays close the routes for those who are genuinely suitable for the course (as the number of places is limited); after graduation those who cheated would either do nothing relevant to their diploma or the worst scenario takes place and a student with fake diploma gets hired in the relevant field. What comes next may be a real disaster: patients get the wrong medication (nursing students), clients are unknowingly sent into the land of tax fraud (business students), and on and on… What can be done to detect the cases of such plagiarism? Letting students work on their papers during class, giving very specific assignments as well as seeing and

Picture: Library images2010

Photo: Drift Words

grading the work in stages. This may make it harder for the students to submit the work of others. So why don't just make all writing assignments in-class? Students get a pencil and paper. Tutors watch them. That's it. Unfortunately, it is not that simple: exams and papers measure two different things. There is a need for independent work outside of classroom, a need for brainstorming, deep thinking, and personal growth and development. Another suggestion: how about asking students to summarize the work that they've "written"? Inability to explain oneself may then give a signal for more careful consideration of one’s work. But how about Computer Science students, who sometimes simply cannot explain how their code works? For those who lack some skills in language use or critical thinking, some courses may be a good idea. Such courses would help them to get the basics of grammar and style and have a sufficient grasp of the language of instruction to understand the material, whatever their field. Even if sometimes such courses are often viewed as little more than necessary evils, they may lead to a reduced demand for the custom essay services.

The detection of the plagiarism of this kind is very hard because most professors do not "know" their own students well enough. The class sizes do not allow for personal communication and enforces that ‘mere acquaintance’ relationship. As a result, tutors do not know one’s distinct writing style and cannot detect a paid essay. Were professor to truly know his/her students, cheating of this nature would be much easier detected, and eliminated. Finally, the problem also lies in the distorted perception of education in some students. Education now is turned into economic pursuit and job-getting tool instead of what it is supposed to be: learning, growth and development. This chasing for a diploma creates the demand for the ‘paid essay writers’ who enter this thankless road with bitter consequences, followed by genuine disappointment in the HE system in general. What we need is to reconsider what having a diploma really means for students, and more attention, involvement and personal help from tutors. Otherwise, the highly-valued ethics in Academia is just a series of lies.

guage. One common theme that touched me almost to tears is how Academics care about their students: ‘I will make more of an effort to be a cheerleader in getting students to do enough work to progress instead of being a drill sergeant.’ They do have heart as well. They know about the amount of work we have to do. Check out this one: ‘I am afraid my major resolution is going to be to assign less reading. I'm realizing they only do half of what I assign anyway’. Of course there are angry ones who think that there is too much of academia in their lives. Those guys end up with resolutions like: ‘My most recent resolution is do not

check email after 9pm just in case one of my online students (100+) have emailed me’ ‘I will not spend more time on my teaching than on my research’. It is good to see that teachers care about their students, at least some of them really do. Those academics deserve the warmest words of gratitude; there are others, however, who may feel too stressed about their jobs. What I suggest is to try and put yourself in their skin and probably think twice before sending that 25th e-mail at midnight on their day off.

New Year Teaching Resolutions [UNCOVERED] Writer Valeriya Nefyodova Academia Editor

‘I will definitely exercise twice a week’ or ‘I’ll give up smoking’ and the most popular one ‘I will get more organized’…we all make those resolutions on the New Year’s Eve. Guess what? Academics do the same thing! Surfing the web after my breakfast one morning I found a nice blog with Academics sharing their New Year resolutions, which gave me a good hour of giggles and titters. Then I realized how similar some of those are to an average student’s resolutions: ‘I will organize my time so that I have

Picture: Marta Baroni

at least ONE WHOLE DAY each week in which I spend zero time thinking about students, class prep, grading, etc.’ – Show me any student who’s not dreaming about a day off in his sleep… ‘Seriously, I will clean my office. I will recycle or shred those papers I haven't touched in years. If I want to keep something, I will scan it and save it that way.’ – Reminds you of your grand clean-up plan for the house, doesn’t it? ‘I am going to try and give myself a margin of error; that is, I am going to try and do things at least 24 hours ahead so I'm not scrambling if something unforeseen occurs.’ – Studentfavourite ‘Getting more organized’ resolution in the academic lan-

Happy New Year, everyone, and may your resolutions work this year!

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

London Listens

Dr Saul Hillman works as a psychologist at The Anna Freud Centre/ University College London. He also has his own practice as a hypnotherapist/life coach/NLP practitioner.

NEXT ISSUE

Ch Ch Changes

We will be looking at relationships. Please email me with any letters or experiences you have in this or any other area

Saul can be contacted on 07939 523 025 or saulhillman@blueyonder.co.uk. For more information and resources visit www.saulhillmantherapy.com

Flickr User hebedesign

The New Year invariably leads us into trying to make changes in our lives but why do so many of us select this point in time to change certain things, and then proceed to fail at them? The most common ones many of us ba3le with are exercise, eating be3er and reducing consumption of alcohol, tobacco, caﬀeine and other drugs. A recent survey found that three quarters of people who make a resolution fail on their ﬁrst a3empt. Furthermore, the biggest mistake people make is se3ing far too many goals or resolutions. Psychologically, it might be interesting to ask what exactly determines how many goals we set and the success of reaching these. Researchers Mukhopadhyay and Johar (2005) concluded that people who believed that self-control is something dynamic and unlimited (e.g., “I can stop smoking”), tend to set and achieve more resolutions. However, those who believe that we all are born with a limited, set amount of self-control that one cannot change (e.g., “I can’t help myself from eating all this chocolate”) and who also

have li3le belief in their own capabilities naturally did worse on obtaining their resolutions or goals. As the researchers summarized, those with high self-efficacy a3ributed failure to insufficient effort, while individuals with low self-efficacy related a lack of success to a lack of ability. In sum, higher self-efficacy leads to a greater likelihood in achieving our goals. Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, conducted research on 700 people about their strategies for achieving New Year resolutions. Of the 78% who failed, many had focused on the downside of not achieving the goals; they had suppressed their cravings, fantasised about being successful, and adopted a role model or relied on willpower alone. On the other hand, people who kept their resolutions tended to have broken their goal into smaller steps and rewarded themselves when they achieved one of these. They also told their friends about their goals, focused on the benefits of success and kept a record of their progress. We also tend to do be3er with our resolutions when we have • a firm commitment to making that change; • coping skills at hand to deal with problems that will arise; • a way of checking or monitoring how we are doing; Solutions 1. Choose specific and realistic goals Rather than selecting an ambiguous goal such as ‘losing weight’, focus on something more concrete that you can realistically set your sights on. For example, you might commit to losing 10 pounds or running a half marathon. Choosing something concrete and achievable gives you the opportunity to plan your journey to this target. 2. Pick just one or two resolutions

You should pick just a very small number of 2 or 3 resolutions and focus your energies on these rather than spreading yourself too thin among a number of diﬀerent objectives. 3. Start with small steps Focus on taking tiny steps that will ultimately help you reach your larger goal, so if you want to work towards running a marathon, start out by going for a jog two or three times a week. If you are trying to eat healthier, start by replacing only some of your favourite junk foods with more nutritious ones. 4. Avoid repeating past failures If you have previously failed with the same resolution, then do not repeat this as you have already failed. If you do opt to reach for the same goals, see what strategies worked best and worst in the past, and this will allow you to change your approach. 5. Visualise success Visualise yourself having achieved your goals successfully though it can be helpful to also picture struggles which are inevitable. 6. Remember that change is a process Unhealthy pa3erns take years to establish so positive change can be a slow and resistant process. Be patient in allowing the new behaviours to become ingrained. Once you have made the commitment to making such changes, it will be part of your make-up. 7. Don't let small stumbles bring you down Encountering a setback should not derail you yet it o2en happens. If you suddenly decline into a bad habit, don't view it as a failure. The path towards the goal may not be a linear one so relapses are simply learning opportunities. 8. Renew Your Motivation If the initial wave of motivation

In Conversation with the Doctor CW is a third year female student at LSE.

PROBLEM: I know I’m out of shape and had all these ideas of losing weight, cu3ing down on booze and going to the gym. It’s not working and I’m losing the will! Saul This sounds like a lot of things on your wish list! CW Sure, I know, I like to have goals (laughing) Saul It must be quite exhausting to have such a list of goals that you are wanting to achieve. CW Yeh, it is! Saul And it leaves you feeling quite overwhelmed too. CW Yes Saul Am I right in thinking you have tried this approach before, whether it’s been a New Year resolution or at any other time? CW Probably for the last few years!! Saul Thought so, you may well be approaching it with a negative mindset if you are approaching the same objectives you’ve not been successful with? CW Well, why bother then? Saul I am not saying that but wondering whether you need to simplify your list, both the number of targets and within those, trying to make the steps smaller. CW Sure, but they all go hand in hand, I need to lose weight and

wanes, ﬁnd ways of reminding yourself why you are doing this and consider rewards to maintain the momentum. 9. Self Reflection It is important being self aware so one can start to identify triggers for anything you are trying to modify. It is o2en a good idea to write a diary to record your thoughts and feelings so you can detect what may be hap-

doing exercise and cu/ing down on booze will help. Saul Of course, in theory it will, but in reality, your goals are very non-specific. We function be3er with specific and small targets. In that way, we can observe how we are doing and are more likely to see progress and feel motivated. CW Okay, I get you, so are you saying I agree to go the gym 3 times a week, drink once a week and eat no chips! (laughs) Saul You’re ge3ing much more specific and this will be much easier to work with. I still think you should keep it simple and also frame things in the positive so you don’t feel like you are losing out. CW But how can I replace the chips and beer? Saul We o2en need to find healthy positive replacements whether these are eating / drinking ones or other types of reward. CW Okay, so I should have a plan. Saul Absolutely, and you make it, not me, not your Mum, and you can then monitor it, change it and congratulate yourself when you start to make progress, and you will! CW Right, I am going to lose 10 pounds by June (I have a friend’s wedding to go to). I am going to go the gym Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays…and I’m... Saul Stop there!!! That’s enough. Good luck with everything! CW Thanks.

pening. 10. Get Support from Your Friends and Family It is worth ge3ing close friends or family to be involved as they can help you achieve your objectives. Finally, it is worth remembering that we don’t have to ba3le by ourselves and that professional help through student counselling or other psychological therapies is available.

LONDON LOVES with Aphrodite

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Bertie,

Katharine,

English

Philosophy Bertie promised that his love of football and Kant

would not overbear his conversation.

An English student and a Philanthropist, uniting in the midst if their January blues. Having just handed in mounds of work Katharine was ready for an evening of relaxation, and what could have been more perfect than an evening with London Loves! Bertie was reluctant to leave his pad after a similarly tiring weekend of sport and make the journey to Covent Garden, suitably dressed for the outer world. I feared that pairing a self-declared book-worm with a self declared footballman was perhaps asking too much. But their conversation seemed to find the places where their interests intertwined – was it enough to keep the evening sweet? Let’s see…

The Date: Bertie’s Report

After a weekend of City-stress I arrived at Fuel with the need for some good…well...fuel! Football takes it out of a man you know! It seemed as though Katharine was in the same boat, having spent a slightly more stressful weekend writing third-year essays. As a second year I feel I am excused for my minimal preparation for the exam that was loom-

ing the day after our date… right? The evening was great, anyhow. The restaurant was nice, although their choices of music were a little interesting. As I arrived they were onto a full-on MJ session, the sort of thing that made me want to get up and dance – not the most respectable thing to do on a date, though…. The food was very good, I had pizza and Katharine pasta. We opted out of the set menu as the choices on the regular menu suited us better, but that wasn’t a problem at all, and the waitress was very accommodating and helpful. A few glasses of wine helped the conversation flourish far beyond the likes of what I’d been used to over the weekend. In our house, boys and football usually just constitute food-tv-beer. So this was very refreshing. Without being too gap-yah we discussed our travels in Asia, she her jungle adventures in Thailand, and me my time in the Nepal mountains. She expressed her wishes to travel a lot more once she has finished uni, alongside a desire to go on into further academia (yikes!). She left me at ten o’clock, having spent all of the previous night doing work, she said. I am hoping that was the case and it wasn’t just the company chasing her

A third year English student. Katharine

is heading towards the latter months of her degree

and wanted a chance to find that “university one”.

away… Time will tell, I guess!

The Date: Katharine’s report

Michael Jackson, a noisy basement and Penne Carbonara might not sound like the perfect ingredients for a first date. However, with the right company and a bottle (or two) of chardonnay, I can vouch for it being a great way to spend an unseasonably warm January night. I met Bertie in Covent Garden in high spirits after handing in some crucial coursework. He didn’t seem to notice (or mind) my slightly delirious post-allnighter, over-caffeinated state, and conversation got off to a great, if slightly hyperactive start. We talked about travelling – he’s recently returned from a month in Nepal, and I spent last summer in Thailand – and a bit about our families, our courses, and our various London experiences. When the food arrived we both liked the look of what the other had ordered, so the waitress helpfully gave us spare bowls so we could share. I felt immediately comfortable withBertie and as the wine flowed, we got into a fairly deep and meaningful conversation about the values we’d like to instil in our children (not our children, I

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hasten to add, but our hypothetical, respective future children) based on our own upbringings. First impressions would have led me to see Bertie as a bit of a lad, but these conversations, combined with his sensitive willingness to share chocolate mousse with me, changed this opinion. We ate in a small alcove of the basement part of the restaurant, which would have been claustrophobic with more than two people, but was suitably intimate for a date. The music, as previously mentioned, was an interesting mixture of disco hits, Lady Gaga and lots and lots of Michael Jackson. At first this was a bit off-putting but by the fourth loop of the track list (and the second bottle of wine), we were indulging in some serious sitting down dance moves to ‘Blame it on the Boogie’. As Bertie put it, you can’t not dance to that song, it’s basically the law. Overall the night was great fun, with lovely company and lots of laughter. By the time ten o’clock rolled around, my half an hour of sleep the previous night was beginning to catch up with me so we said goodbye and parted ways. We did exchange numbers though, and hopefully will see each other again soon.

London Haunts: King’s College London’s Flora Neville tells us why the Curzon is the place for romantics to be... It's January, it's cold, it's soggy. The tree lies in the gutter and christmas was not fruitful, so dawns the deep dark depression of the winter blues. The only thing to do on such a sorry occasion is to sit in the dark for two hours, with a large glass of something and zone out from people, conversation, and exams as yet unprepared. However this time of year requires more than the lurid, neon blue of the odeon, at this time of year we must all hail the Curzon, king of the cinema world in London. Whether you are in Mayfair, Soho, Bloomsbury, Chelsea or Richmond, you can visit this cinema beyond other cinemas, though it is important to go with a film in mind (there is not a huge choice don't go hoping to see New Year's Eve or the like). It is more expensive than its less sophisticated counterparts but infinitely more memorable. Snacks and drinks obviously go well beyond cardboard popcorn and buckets of hissing fizz, though again, be prepared to fork out. If you visit the cinema in Soho, round off the evening with supper at Andrew Edmunds in Lexington Street, past a few brothels and down a less popular side alley you will find this gem of a restaurant. A few dates like this and before long spring will appear...

Afterthoughts from Aphrodite

So 2012 is off to an optimistic start for London Loves. Covent Garden hasn’t lost it’s shine post-christmas baubles and our couple had a lovely night, if cut a little short. If you are striving to blast away the January Blues, or have forgotton how to cook after the lengthy array of Christmas feasts, you know where to call. As tesco’s keep reminding us, Easter is around the corner (ughh), but that means Valentines day is even closer… so if you are looking for cupid this year there’s no better place to start your search than with Aphrodite.

If you are a Lonely Londoner and fancy some good old fashioned romance to bring in the new year - AND a free meal, do contact Afrodite at: love@london-student.net with your name, age, university and 3 words to describe you. Find some romance today....

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

Injuries in university sport

Jonathan La Crette investigates some excruciating sports injuries from the University of London. In this issue he interviewd Toby Spittle, Imperial Rugby Club Captain. - page 30

The Inside Track

Feminisation of the female athlete

Vimbai Dzimwasha reports on a controversial campaign in women’s sports. Does “Strong is Beautiful” undermine femininity of female athletes? - page 30

Daniel O’Donnell brings you up to date with Olympics preparation - page 30-31 Photo: Flickr user vramak

Henry Makes Emphatic Return For Arsenal

Sports reporter, Has Mustun, looks at the recent return of the man Arsenal fans call The King - page 31

United's Cup victory only serves to mask the club's flaws Writer Alex Hess Manchester United’s 3-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday afternoon was an undeniably signiﬁcant one.

both individually and as a partnership, are demonstrably substandard.

Of course, the circumstances which resulted in the abrupt loss of Darren Fletcher’s valuable gra5 and tenacity

does not take much investigating to see that the inability to match his wage demands proved the central stumbling block, and such a ﬁnancial shortfall is not something normally associated with one of the grandest

Not only did the win advance Ferguson’s men into the fourth round of the FA Cup, but Wayne Rooney’s role as City’s tormentor-in-chief that a5ernoon helped quash the (seemingly substantiated) speculation that had been looming over his future as a Manchester United employee. The most signiﬁcant aspect of the result, though, was a more symbolic one, in that it allowed United to, at least partly, avenge the already infamous humiliation they received on their own turf from the same opposition in October.

However, as vital as the win was for the immediate state of the club, such a seemingly-good result will only really serve to temporarily disguise the defects of what is an inherently creaking and unconvincing United side. Indeed, Ferguson’s reaction a5er the ﬁnal whistle was a telling one, choosing to describe his team’s performance as “careless” and admi7ing that they had “scrambled away with a victory”.

He was not wide of the mark. Despite going in at half time three goals to the good, the display from United was one that certainly hinted at some uncomfortable truths.

Most central to this (quite literally) is their colossal shortage of both quality and depth in the middle of midfield. With Michael Carrick Michael Carrick having proven having proven himself over the himself as a past three seaplayer who simply sons as a player cannot assert any who simply canauthority against not assert any top-class opposiauthority against tion, and Andertop-class opposison has utterly tion, and Anderfailed to develop son having u7erly failed to develop as a player in the way that Nani has done, United have a firstchoice central midfield pairing who,

Carlos Tevez’s transfer to Manchester City increased the rivalry with Manchester United. Photo by dullhunk

cannot be accounted for, while it should also be noted that the ankle injury sustained to Tom Cleverley has immobilised the player who was fast becoming the creative hub of United’s midﬁeld. This fact in itself, though, tells its own tale. It does not say a great deal about the state of the squad that such importance has suddenly been allowed to fall at the feet of a player who has made seven career appearances for the club. United’s interest in Wesley Sneĳder over the summer was well-publicised, but the worrying aspect of the saga was their failure to lure him, despite the player’s reported interest. It

and well-supported clubs in world football. While the raw sentimentalism of the Paul Scholes narrative may provide a quick fix for any disconcertion amongst the fans, it only reinforces the shambolic state of Ferguson’s midfield. Not only could the move easily be argued to smack of desperation from the Scot, but the message it sends out about the club’s much-hyped youth team graduates, chiefly Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison, is astoundingly pessimistic.

At the back, things are not much better. Nemanja Vidic, by far the clubs most commanding defender, will not

play again this season and turns 31 next term, while Rio Ferdinand, for years the most assured centre half in the country, is exhibiting the harm done by his recent affliction of knee and hamstring injuries. He now audibly creaks with each change of direction, and his mismatched duel with Sergio Agüero on Sunday only served to illustrate how inferior he can now be made to look in terms of mobility and pace. Phil Jones will undoubtedly mature into a fine player, but, as he demonstrated at St James’ Park he is far from the finished article. Behind that, neither David De Gea or Anders Lindegaard offer the eff o r t l e s s l y reassuring presence of their predecessor. In a7ack, while the wide positions, lead by Nani and Antonio Valencia, are hugely productive, the same cannot be said for the strikers. Rooney appears unable to score in anything other than fits and starts, and Javier H e r n a n d e z ’s predatory instincts are not as they were last season. Danny Wellbeck is another to bracket as “promising but raw”, certainly not yet a title-winning centre-foward. Dimitar Berbatov alternates between invincible and invisible, generally depending on the quality of the opposition. Underlying all of this, of course, are a family of American elephants in the room. The Glazers’ lack of investment has le5 the club quite astonishingly trailing behind the likes of Blackpool and Burnley in net spend across the past three years, with only Ferguson’s canny use of limited

funds and the team’s famously resilient mentality that has kept them challenging for titles. Such intangibles are all well and good, but the club’s state of aﬀairs is not a sustainable one.

Their neighbours’ noisy spending only highlights the deterioration of United’s financial muscle, with wages proving no obstacle for City to a7ract the likes of Toure, Silva and Agüero. United’s The Glazers’ early exit from lack of investthis year’s Chamment has left pions’ League the club quite served as a reastonishingly minder of their trailing behind fallibility, while, the likes of perhaps more Blackpool and worryingly, their Burnley in net much-famed respend across silience, so nurthe past three tured by years Ferguson, was far from apparent in Sunday’s near-squandering of a three-goal lead to a City side shorn of the two best players. The fans’ continued protesting over the club’s disgraceful, money-sapping ownership structure is admirable, but apparently ineffective. The Glazers show no signs of vacating their lucrative boardroom. And, if we return finally to Rooney, it doesn’t only seem to be the fans who are sensing the consequences. While another episode of adolescent discontent appears to have been quelled, the brightest jewel in Ferguson’s now-modest crown surely cannot help but steal a glace or two across town. Whether it was indeed the promise of trophies that finally encouraged him to stay at his current club a year ago, or simply a lavish mark-up in wages, both will surely be more readily available in a skyblue shirt as England’s finest talent enters what should be the pinnacle of his career. The Stretford End would be foolish to read Sunday’s badgekissing exploits as any long-standing commitment of loyalty. The boy who once proclaimed he was “once a blue, always a blue” could – perhaps should – find himself tempted once more to don the colour, only this time a slightly lighter, much richer shade.

VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7 LONDON STUDENT

Injuries in University Sport Investigation

Case Study: Toby Spi le, Imperial Rugby Club Captain Writer Jonathan La Crette

While I’m busy preparing the Ask the Experts edition of the series , I’ve included extracts from an interview I had in early November with injured Imperial Rugby 1st teamer , Toby Spi6le. Jonathan: So Toby, what do you study? Toby: Mechanical Engineering at Imperial Jonathan: Your position? Toby: Prop Jonathan: What’s that? Toby: Fat guy at the front of scrums Jonathan: What happened? Toby: The most innocuous thing that has ever happened. Someone fell into my knee. The knee is supposed to go forwards, but it went backwards and to the side. Jonathan: What’s the damage? Toby: Grade 1 tear of PCL, complete tear of ACL, bucket handle tear of the meniscus and bone fragments in the knee Jonathan: I’m guessing you need surgery? #Toby: November 24 is when I’ll be having a two to four hour operation. The injury happened in April.

Jonathan: If you haven’t had surgery, how are you walking? Toby: I can do anything besides change direction. Jonathan: Which team injured you? Toby: We were playing against the Bank of England. Jonathan: With all those bankers I’m guessing the ground was nice? Toby: Yes, yes it was. Well the bits I saw whilst hobbling on crutches. Jonathan: Do you know the name of the person who injured you? Toby: Wouldn’t have an idea. I doubt they would’ve known anything was wrong. Jonathan: Imperial is quite good at sport, no? Toby: We take it more seriously than other teams. We train Monday and Friday with matches on Wednesday and Saturday. UCL medics o5en come to play for the Imperial Medics Saturday team, as they disapprove of the a6itude at UCL. Jonathan: Is it possible to claim compensation if you thought that the injury was due to someone else’s recklessness? Toby: Yes, we all have insurance polices. The RFU will pay under most circumstances.

I’ve got a funny story for you. I had two MRIs. Had the ﬁrst and then a week later I had a sense of déjà vu when the same admissions form was given to me. The radiologist checked her notes and came back agreeing I would like that I had an universities to MRI the previsupply sports ous week. I reateams with sonably asked free physiofor my results therapists. It’s only to be told pretty small she can’t. Why? minded that It breaches docinstitutions tor patient contrain physios ﬁdentiality. by offering Jonathan: But the course but it’s your knee! wont give Speaking of them experiwhich, let’s have ence with a look at your sports teams knee who are in Toby: It’s a bit need of their loose and you services can pull the le5 knee a li6le more than the right- seven to eight millimetres. Jonathan: Typical Imperial precision. How do you feel watching from the sidelines?

Toby: When the team is winning, it’s fine. When we lose, I get the feeling of wanting to help the team. I feel I could make a difference. I suppose everyone gets a serious injury. It’s be6er to get them out of the way early. Jonathan: Would you encourage any additional measures to prevent injuries? Toby: I would like universities to supply sports teams with free physiotherapists. It’s pre6y small minded that institutions train physios by offering the course but wont give them experience with sports teams who are in need of their services. Why look externally when we have our own?

I followed up Toby a month later to see how his surgery went. He sent me the email below. “The operation went well. They only needed to repair the ACL and meniscus rather than the whole list they had from the MRI scan. The recovery timelines are fairly set for this operation, so I should be back playing a5er 9 months. The physiotherapy is good - there’s a speciﬁc ACL reconstruction class at Chelsea and Westminster where

Feminisation of the female athlete Writer Vimbai Dzimwasha

When the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) unveiled its “Strong is Beautiful” campaign in May last year, followers of the WTA tour seemed to drive themselves into an excited frenzy. Finally, they said, here was a campaign that focused on the Capturing the athleticism of athletes in acthe tour’s supertion, their stars. The camstrength and paign would intensity was include photo accentuated shoots, but its by ultra slowtrue start was its motion that videos. Capturcaptured ing the athletes every single in action, their sinew and strength and inmuscle as tensity was acplayers ralcentuated by lied, served ultra slow-moand hit daztion that capzling foretured every hands and single sinew and backhands. muscle as players rallied, served and hit dazzling forehands and backhands. The campaign ultimately does a rare thing: it a6empts to draw fans to a woman’s sport without turning to the age old model of feminising its athletes.

The feminisation of female athletes American equivalent Dancing with and can only be deﬁned as the the Stars, treating audiences to process of pu6ing the female chartomboys like Hope Solo awkwardly acteristics of something or someone on display. It is arguably an answer to the old age criticism levied towards female athletes, sports are for men and any woman taking part is displaying unladylike behaviour. While in the early 20th century, the simple solution would have been simply to disband female teams or ban athletes from competing, the solution in recent times has been to feminise the athlete in order to remind the world that the athlete competing is a woman. The process is evident when sporting bodies decide athletes should wear skirts as part of their kits, or in the case of volleyball, measurement speciﬁc bikinis; or athletes are involved in photo shoots that seem adamant to give athletes makeovers that scream Photo: Flickr user vramak “Look! Under all that muscle, she’s a girl!”; or when an ti6ering around in heels. agent advises them to make quesWhile there is nothing wrong with tionable appearances on shows femininity, there is something such as Strictly Come Dancing, or the

they make sure you’re making progress and ensure you’re okay. I’ve also seen the specialist a couple of times; these are just basic, 5 minute, check-ups which just enable you to ask questions. I’m now oﬀ crutches and out of the “Robocop Brace” so I can move around pre6y freely. There has been some severe muscle wastage which means the leg is really small so I’ll need to spend some time getting that back up to normal.” Toby Spi6le in December 2011.

wrong with the reduction of female athletes to just their femininity. That is the only thing that can be said when FIFA’s president Sepp Bla6er suggests female players wear tighter shorts or when the International Amateur Boxing Association suggests that female boxers compete in this year’s Olympics in skirts in order to look more ladylike. Potential, and existing, audiences are encouraged to watch and keep watching not because of the skill and talent that is on display, but because of what Bla6er referred to as the “female aesthetic”. Worse still, the message being sent to the athletes themselves: if you’re going to be involved in a traditionally male sport then you be6er look like a lady when you throw your punch or put in a hard, two footed tackle or else no one is interested.

The suggestion that no one (read: male audiences and so media companies) is going to be interested in women’s sports without allure of womanliness is heartbreaking at the very least. It is this that three members of the French Woman’s National Team were all too aware of them when they posed naked for German newspaper Bild during the

Woman’s World Cup. Above the admi6edly tasteful image was the mo6o: “Is this how we should show up before you come to our games?” When asked why they did it, they all agreed that it was to “provoke and generate discussion” but also, undoubtedly, to gain publicity.

There is nothing wrong with ﬁshing for publicity, but let that publicity be gained through campaigns such as the WTA’s Strong is Beautiful and not risqué photo shoots. Or be6er yet, by focusing on the athletes competing. Focus on Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova slugging it out for four hours and forty-four minutes at last year’s Australian Open, rather than debating whether Maria Sharapova’s shrieks should be outlawed. Encourage people to watch Sweden’s Lo6a Schelin in action because of her knack for scoring cracking goals, not because she’s like a female Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In the words of Lady Macbeth, unsex these athletes. Let audiences be drawn to woman’s sports, and not by forcing them to be overtly feminine. But mostly, let audiences remember and know that for the duration of ninety minutes or three hours, they are watching athletes compete and nothing more.

LONDON STUDENT VOLUME 32 ISSUE 7

The Inside Track: London 2012

Every issue, Daniel O’Donnell examines issues, triumphs and decisions made by various organizing commi ees. In trying to determine how well the Olympic games will run, why decisions have been made and how will it all aﬀect the city and the country next summer. Writer & Photographer Daniel O’Donnell "The whole country can benefit from the legacy of the Games because of the inspiration they will bring to people young and old." - David Cameron

It’s the buzz-word, one that has been used here, there and indeed everywhere. The word of 2012, and if you thought we’d heard enough of it in 2011, 2010 and previous well, think again. For probably one of the most prominent legacies to come out of the games is most likely to be the word - legacy! Heard it enough yet? Last week, on the official 200days to go announcement (whoopee) another few venues have been found a suitor, once the games end, which, let’s face it, is pretty good news regardless of what’s going to happen to them. As long as it’s something - it’ll be miles better than that thing where venues just get left to rot - like the olympic stadium in Athens or Sydney. The Olympic legacy itself, in many ways, is a poor one. London is trying to buck the trend. The Aquatics centre, the handball arena and the Orbit observational tower have been found metaphorical carers. They’ll be pretty well-off carers soon too, with an estimated 3million visitors per year to these three sites alone. The Aquatics centre will be run as a facility for local people and Greenwich Leisure Limited, the new lease-holders, have promised that swimming will cost “as much as a the average local pool”. The handball arena - which is adequately termed the ‘multi-use arena’ will probably inspire more

creative events than it’s name suggests. It’s claim to fame is that it will be the 3rd largest “events, exhibitions and concert venue in the UK” which is a little baffling. Not because that isn’t a useful thing to be, by any means, just that the other two of the highest in these rough categories are already in east London. The ExCel Centre and the O2 Arena, just how many events, exhibitions and concerts does east London expect to host post-games? The flip side I suppose would be that maybe anyone could find a very large party venue for celebrating birthdays and what-not at a knock-down price. The Orbital tower on the other hand, although not strictly a venue, has found new suitor too. It seems this controversial structure will attract a million people per year by itself. I obviously haven't been up it yet, but it seems the views must surely be - well - the Olympic Park? Which if it’s all sold off and there is no-one running around the track inside the stadium will just make for a boring view of Hackney Marshes and the Westfields at Stratford. Bojo seems to have a found a means to love it; “We think we will be amply recouped after Games-time from the proceeds of renting out a very attractive dining facility at the top.It will be a corporate money-making venture.” Boris Johnson seems to love it, but then when doesn’t he love anything going on in London? So, who am I to judge?

This now means London has managed to find homes for six out of

the eight venues at the site. No other previous Olympic games has managed to find credible suitors before the games even begin. This is the aim - what are the other two?

I hear you ask? pieces written for the London Student Just the broadcast centre and much on his website: fabled Olympic Stadium to sell off. www.daniel-odonnell.com Anyone? Daniel writes a blog to accompany

Henry Makes Emphatic Return For Arsenal Writer Has Mustun

Thierry Henry made a sensational comeback when he scored the winner in the FA Cup against Leeds United. The Frenchman prolonged his legendary status to score the only goal of the game with his savvy trademark finish. It was a moment to savour as the Emirates crowd roared in North London. Henry’s sheer passion and love for the club was depicted in his celebration as he ran over to thank Arsene Wenger and all the Arsenal fans. The game was flat before Henry’s introduction: the home team kept hold of possession without creating any major chances; Andrei Arshavin managed a couple of wayward shots but it was not until the hour mark until a shot on target.

Henry was brought on to a standing ovation from the fans. It’s not every day a player who has a statue outside the stadium comes back to play for the club. Within ten minutes of being on the field, Henry found space on the le3 hand side. Song spo4ed the run and passed. The ball was collected with immaculate control, and he curled the ball around the Leeds goalkeeper into the bo4om corner. It was the trademark finish from the Arsenal legend which many had seen many times. It was the perfect script. Thierry Henry, coming back for his second debut to score the winner to set up a fourth round game against Aston Villa. Leeds managed to test the Arsenal keeper into late saves through Mikael Forssell and Ross McCor-

mack. But the Championship side’s journey in the FA Cup ended. “With 12 minutes remaining, Henry scores his 12th goal against Leeds in 12 appearances wearing the number 12 shirt in 2012” – BBC Sport Thierry Henry described this moment as a “dream”, but the Frenchman urged fans not to expect the same from every game. "I know I scored, but that is not going to happen every time I play. I don't know if my runs were intelligent or not but that's the way I play," he said. "I am going to try to bring what I can. Maybe another time it won't be enough, but I will always try my best." (SkySportsNews) Henry has expressed his desires to prolong his two months loan deal until the North London derby between Arsenal and To4enham.