The Beaver: Week of December 4th, 2012

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IMPLEMENTING LEVESON’S REPORT | MODERN DAY SLAVERY | WALKING ON THE WILD SIDE

TheBeaver

04.12.2012

Newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union FREE

RUFFLING FEATHERS Arisa Manawapat, 6WDŕ­ź 5HSRUWHU

$V WKH /RQGRQ 6FKRRO RI (FRQRP ics’ largest venue with a capacity of over one thousand seats, the Peacock 7KHDWUH KDV KRVWHG VXFK KLJK SURன OH VSHDNHUV DV .Rன $QQDQ $XQJ 6DQ 6XX Kyi and Paul Krugman and continues to seat 7,000 students per week for courses such as Economics B (EC102), (OHPHQWV RI $FFRXQWLQJ DQG )LQDQFH $& DQG /6( Built in 1911 as the London Opera House, the theatre was built for the purpose of housing theatre performances. Students, however, have questioned whether a theatre originally built for operas is conducive to university lecturing. Questions have been raised as to why the Peacock Theatre has not been properly converted into D PRUH ன WWLQJ YHQXH IRU VWXGHQWV In the past week, more than 250 students participated in the Beaver’s online survey on the Peacock’s suitability as a lecture venue. $PRQJ WKH FRPSODLQWV UDLVHG LQ WKH Beaver’s online survey, it was revealed that 75.5 per cent of respondents felt there was a lack of writing space, while 72.4 per cent found the lighting to be too dim. Other issues included the lack of WiFi (46.9 per cent) and the large, impersonal size of lectures at the Theatre (25.5 per cent). On the topic on writing space, one respondent proposed “introducing tables that fold away neatly into chairsâ€?, while another agreed with adding desks similar to those of the Old Theatre, so that theater-goers will not be disturbed. “It looks somewhat XQFRPIRUWDEOH ‍ ڕ‏DGPLWWHG 0$ 3UR

fessor Jan van den Heuvel, lecturer of 0$ ‍ڔ‏HVSHFLDOO\ LI VWXGHQWV KDYH WR do a lot of writing.â€? Respondents also suggested that “better lighting will help students stay awake,â€? and that currently the lighting was not ideal for “a learning environment.â€? One second year Economics student claimed to have completely given up on attending lectures held in the Peacock after failing to stay awake in the dimly lit theatre. Some suggested that the LSE should make the lighting more “adjustableâ€? to accommodate both purposes as a lecture hall and a theatre, saying that theatre managers should “put more OLJKWV WKDW /6( FDQ VZLWFK RŕŽ‰ GXULQJ [theatre] performances.â€? In addition, lighting can be improved “towards the back of the theatreâ€?, where “there are too many dark ‘patches.’â€? Students, however, did agree that the Peacock Theatre is a “comfortable YHQXH ‍ ڕ‏$FFRUGLQJ WR SHU FHQW of respondents, the Theatre’s comfortable chairs induced sleepiness, which makes it hard for students to concentrate during lectures. However, 8.2 per cent viewed this as a positive thing, and were fond of sleeping in lectures in general. Professor 0LFKHOH +DUYH\ RI 0$ DJUHHG WKDW VRPH VWXGHQWV â€ŤÚ”â€ŹŕŽŠ QG LW KDUG WR FRQFHQ trate in that warm comfortable atmosphere.â€? Other respondents suggested that students should be able to receive WiFi and phone signals in the theatre, as many would like to access their lecture notes online or “check where friends are sitting. â€?Should the LSE Continued on page 3, col 1.

Library expansion raises concerns over study space The expansion into the Lionel Robbins Building and the Earlier this month, the LSE other upgrades taking place Library announced that the will result in a new group study building will be under con- space with PCs for LSE stustruction over the rest of the GHQWV RQ WKH ன UVW ŕŽ‹ RRU D QHZ academic year as it expands seminar room for information XSZDUGV LQWR WKH IRXUWK ŕŽ‹ RRU skills training and outreach of the Lionel Robbins Build- work using archival materials, ing. While the expansion is and improved public toilet faexpected to increase and im- cilities in the Library. Furthermore, the Women’s prove library space for its users, many students have Library, which is currently voiced their concern over how held by London Metropolitan the construction would re- University, will open in the listrict the already scarce study brary as the Women’s Library @ LSE. It will have its own space in the library. Ira Lorandou, 6WDŕ­ź 5HSRUWHU

dedicated reading room, an exhibition space, a new collection store on the lower ground ŕŽ‹ RRU DQG /6( $UFKLYHV RQ WKH IRXUWK ŕŽ‹ RRU $W WKH PRPHQW the Women’s Library is the oldest and most extensive collection of women’s history in Europe and in combining it with LSE’s existing holdings, “they will undoubtedly make one of the best international collections for the support of research on women’s lives and gender issuesâ€?, as publicly declared by LSE Director Craig Calhoun.

However, in order for these upgrades to take place, works have already begun and will continue to take place during term time. Construction has resulted in constraints on the already limited study areas and group spaces. The study desk area around the Help Desk has been closed as well as the PhD study area. Moreover, from December 7th to the 10th, one of the group study rooms, R127, will be also be closed. In the New Year the storage space on the lower JURXQG ŕŽ‹ RRU ZLOO EHJLQ EHLQJ

extended, which will result in further closure of group study areas (spaces 001-065) and restrictions to the last resort of group study areas: the bean bag area. In addition to this there will also be noise disruption on the 8th and 9th of December. It remains, however, that the issue of restrictions on space has got many students riled up. The Beaver has received comContinued on page 6, col 1.

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Editorial

2

Editorial Board Executive Editor Liam Brown

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Managing Editor Matthew Worby

04.12.2012

TheBeaver Established in 1949 Issue No. 780

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PETTING ZOO

The Beaver is issued under a Creative Commons license. Attribution necessary.

Alex Peters-Day cordially invites you to join her in a heavy petting session. It will involve reindeer and a special someone as Santa. This festive occasion will go down on December 14th. There will be alcohol involved.

CLARIFICATION Last week’s edition of the Beaver, issue 779, contained an article entitled “FT Managing Editor on the economy� that misquoted LSE lecturer in Economic Anthropology, Jason Hickel. The views expressed on Mr Hickel’s behalf were not accurate and the Beaver apologises for this error.

At the risk of repeating Well, it’s that time of year again. We’re in week nine, and hurtling towards the Christmas holidays once again. Tis the season to be apathetic. Even we’re not immune, this editorial has been punted between each of us, no one really has anything that really grinds our gears. It’s dark when we get up, it’s dark when we go home, without sunshine everything seems worse. Despite all this doom and gloom we can be pleased that we’re nearly there. Just one and a half weeks left to go until we can step away from campus, get home and all start our internship applica-

tions in earnest. But before we all despair we implore you to try and attend some of the events the Students’ Union are putting on. You might EH EXV\ EXW WKHUH LV GHன QLWH ly time in anyone’s schedule for the reindeer that PetersDay will be bringing onto campus on December 14th. At the risk of repeating ourselves, we would like to, once again use this space to once again highlight the feedback work that is currently being undertaken by the Sabbatical Officers, and Education Officer Duncan McKenna in particular, on your behalf. We all moan about it, but now we actu-

ally have someone who’s JRW RŕŽ‰ KLV DUVH DQG LV WU\ ing to do something about it. If you complain next term about lousy feedback, and \RX KDYHQ‍ڑ‏W ன OOHG LQ KLV IRUP then you can go play in traffic. It’s punishing work, but he’s still plugging away. The thing that would make his goal attainable is if at least a couple of hundred students actually bothered to turn their griping into survey responses. This university is what you make of it. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey. c o m / s / f e e d b a c k- o n - y o u r IHHGEDFN DQG ன OO WKH GDPQ form out. I’m sure the website is iPad friendly.

2ŕŽ‰ HQGHG" (PDLO us! editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk

8QLRQ %DVKÄ? Run DLC. Point of order bro, lets hold these Sabbs to account. Do you even lift? %DVKÄ? is the Beaver’s haiku poet. Some say he once bench pressed an entire MA203 coursepack in one go.

News

The Beaver | 04.12.2012 LSE term time.� Geid also says Sadler’s Wells “contribute to the running costs of the theatre.� Jess Winterstein, Deputy Head of Press at the LSE revealed that the School does generate income “on the rare occasions� that it hires out the Peacock Theatre. She assured that “any income generated goes straight back into the School ‘pot’� – but adds, however, that this income is “minimal� compared to the costs of running the Theatre. Winterstein said she did not believe the School had any plans to renegotiate the

make the Peacock Theatre a better venue for lectures?’ 48.5 per cent of survey participants answered “yes.â€? 20.6 per cent of respondents said that students should EH PRUH ŕŽ‹ H[LEOH FODLPLQJ PD MRU UHQRYDWLRQV PD\ DŕŽ‰ HFW WKH Theatre’s use as a music and dance venue, while 24.7 per cent answered that “the PeaFRFN 7KHDWUH ZRUNV MXVW ன QH DV a lecture venue.â€? One student commented, “The Peacock, I’m sure is a great revenue earner, but for OHFWXUHV D GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW YHQXH LV DO most essential. It’s terrible for lectures and another brighter, more compact, more comfortable venue would be MUCH appreciated.â€? Sam Geid, Peacock Theatre manager says the building’s lease was acquired with the help of notable LSE alumni Michael Peacock in 1995. However, the Theatre Trust and Westminster Council only agreed to sell the Peacock Theatre under one condition – that it was to remain an entertainment venue. This, according to Geid, explains LSE’s partnership with the Peacock Theatre’s management company, Sadler’s Wells. :KLOH VSHFLன F ன QDQFLDO ன J ures were immediately unavailable, the LSE Press Office says the Peacock Theatre is not, LWVHOI SURன WDEOH 7KH UHODWLRQ ship between the School and Sadler’s Wells is, as a result of the stipulations of the lease, forced. Despite this, Geid says the LSE’s use of the theatre is JHQHUDOO\ QRW DŕŽ‰ HFWHG E\ 6DG ler’s Wells shows which mainly “use the Peacock Theatre on evenings, weekends and out of

lease until it is up for renewal which, she says, is still many years away. Regular LSE lecturers were JHQHUDOO\ VDWLVன HG ZLWK WKH Peacock Theatre and its facilities as a lecture hall. Professor Heuvel of MA100 had “no issues with the Peacock Theatreâ€?, as it provides “good VXSSRUW VWDŕŽ‰ WR PDQDJH DQ\ eventuality.â€? Similarly, Professor James Abdey of ST102 has experienced no problems, and appreciated the “especially KHOSIXO‍ ڕ‏WKHDWUH VWDŕŽ‰ 3URIHV sor Michele Harvey of ST102 says that the Peacock Theatre has served its purpose, “being

able to give one lecture to over 500 students.� An additional improvement suggested by Professor Harvey was on lecture equipment: “There should be a way for me to see what is on each screen behind me when I am at either Visualiser, without the large computer monitors there.� However, she acknowledged that the current system “does work� and “may be needed for other lecturers.� According to Winterstein, “Sadler’s Wells describe the Peacock as ‘a truly unique venue ideal for conferences, seminars, pop concerts and award

ceremonies,’ so we are fortunate to have it as a venue for LSE events.â€? Similarly, Geid kindly offered, “I would like to invite you to come and have a look IRU \RXUVHOI \RX ZLOO ன QG D YHU\ comfortable venue with good and environmentally friendly lighting and well maintained by LSE Estates.â€? Considering LSE’s agreement with the Theater Trust and Westminster Council, it seems that a full-scale transformation of the Peacock Theatre into a lecture hall is highly unlikely.

KOTOMICREATIONS

Continued from page 1.

UNION JACK Christmas gave every appearance of having come early to Oz this year, as Santa Claus appeared at the Munchkin Meeting. Before he could get a word in edgewise, though, a very old Munchkin, who should probably be summarily thrown out of Oz, did his best interpretation of a master debater attempting to sound stentorian and bellowed a Point of Order. Jack thoroughly disapproves: it was some nonsense about accountability. Jack thinks we should go back to one man, one vote - Jack is the man and he has the vote. The Guardian of the Gates shot the very old Munchkin down - apparently, he wasn’t being respectful - but he did promise we could ask questions at the end. Perhaps the very old Munchkin jumped the gun a little, but Jack distinctly remembers the vice-chair promising we could ask Dorothy & co.

questions last week. Anyway, Jack listened with eager intent to Santa Claus. Sadly, he hadn’t brought presents so much as a career in a party that has seen him move, despite not changing his political positions, from spitting distance to the right edge to a stone’s throw from the left edge. Nevertheless, Santa was deeply concerned about how much Munchkins were having to pay to stay in Oz. Back in his day, not only was he paid to stay in Oz but he actually started being paid before he arrived. Not only that, but once in Oz, the poor little 0XQFKNLQV FRXOG EDUHO\ DŕŽ‰ RUG WR keep a roof over their heads. Are there no bridges? Is there a shortage of cardboard? Is there no-one on the transplant list? It turns out that it’s all the fault of the jungle of capitalism and we really should put in some air-conditioning. Under the Guardian of the

Gates’ strict instructions, the very old Munchkin, who really should ன QG VRPHWKLQJ EHWWHU WR GR ZLWK what passes for his life, had three quick questions. The Tin Woodsman said he’d look into whether Dorothy’s left hand knew what his right hand was doing; the Guardian of the Gates promised that minutes would start appearing; and Matt de J said he’d start doing proper reports. Jack cannot approve of that at all; proper reports from a hardworking officer, instead of join-the-dots that allows Jack to paint him in a less WKDQ ŕŽ‹ DWWHULQJ OLJKW PLJKW OHDG to more happiness and Jack is damned if he’s going to be miserable alone. Dorothy must have deeply offended Our Baum in Heaven, as she had an all-day meeting of the Sub-Committee Sub-Committee of the Committees Committee. On that note, this week we cel-

3

ebrate Rainbow Munchkins, and Jack Pumpkinhead was present to tell us about everything that’s been going on and what is yet, DV \RXU KXPEOH -DFN ன UPO\ JULSV his pencil, to come. Next week, Oz will be celebrating Well-Travelled Munchkins. Sadly, Elphaba couldn’t take time out of her busy schedule to tell the Munchkins about it. Despite the Guardian of the Gates protestations about giving Santa Claus enough time to read his list of who’d been naughty and who’d been nice, the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion had time at the end for a shave. Jack is sure that the Tin Woodsman could do wonders for his complexion with a tin of Hammerite, but surely shaving a lion is a scene in Narnia? “JACKâ€?

4

News

04.12.2012

| The Beaver

Calhoun on the nature of protests of global attention and social media. Calhoun then took the audience on an accelerated trip through history, demonstrating the distinction between a protest and

K\SRWKHVLV WKURXJK ன YH SRLQWV ன OOHG ZLWK KLVWRULFDO examples. First, movements have multiple timescales. One event by itself does not achieve the change. Indeed, it is what goes on between

one other, disseminate tactics. Third, movements are international, and fourth, Last week, Craig Calhoun, they seldom win an imDirector of the London mediate victory. Thus the School of Economics gave a American and French Revlecture on the roots of radiolutions, the anti-slavery calism and the relationship movement, the Second between social movements Great Awakening in the US and social change. in the 1820-50s, and a comCalhoun’s lecture was bination of civil rights, New part of the Ralph Miliband Left, women’s, environmenseries that recognises the tal and charismatic Chrisintellectual contribution of tian in 1960s America. one of the twentieth cenFinally, movements retury’s most important social ŕŽ‹ HFW WKH GHYHORSPHQW RI thinkers. participatory society. As “soCalhoun began by excietyâ€? becomes a “projectâ€? ploring the nature of prorather than a found article, test movements, showing the objective is to shape the a colourful array of photoremaking of the basic congraphs documenting recent ditions of life. Hence the protest events. He argued inherent link between soWKDW ZKLOH WKHUH LV D VSHFLன F cial science and projects of tactical focus on achieving social reform. The Webbs’ political, social or economic socialism and their involveends, people join protests ment in the founding of the for more than purely ideoLSE are a salient example. logical reasons. Movements may shape He recalled his own stustate policy (the UK welfare dent days in the Students state, for instance) or create for a Democratic Society non-state institutions such protest movement in the US as trades unions and NGOs. which he joined out of deepBut their greatest achievely held conviction and bea movement. More than an the high points of protest ments are won by shaping cause “it was a great place immediate mobilisation, activity which is often the cultural change through to meet girls.â€? opposition or challenge, more important. public communication, inHe noted that protest or strategic action, history Second, movements ŕŽ‹ XHQFLQJ WKH ZD\ SHRSOH movements are often interreveals that such events come in waves, often made think over an extended penational (Occupy crossed SOD\ RQO\ D SDUW LQ HŕŽ‰ HFWLQJ XS RI PDQ\ GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW PRYH riod of time. Whether or not the Atlantic, the Arab change. ments. They build on previ- nation-states are less imporSpring many international Calhoun articulated his RXV PRYHPHQWV LQŕŽ‹ XHQFH tant now as objects of moveborders) and will make use LSE EVENTS

Abigail Malortie

ment activism, Calhoun was content to say he was unsure. Facetiously borrowing from Nixon on a recent revolution (though the question had in fact been about the French Revolution), he quipped, “it’s too soon to tell.â€? There was time for only a few questions, but two reVSRQVHV VWRRG RXW 7KH ன UVW was to an Occupy protestor and former LSE student disputing Calhoun’s judgment of the “ephemeralâ€? nature of the movement: doing a movement justice, Calhoun said, meant acknowledging its meaning within the larger movement of change which can often be narrated only in reverse. The second, answering a question about what he, Calhoun, proposes to do as Director of the LSE, was one that is becoming familiar to LSE students: to embrace the Webbs’ vision that the LSE has a public role to play in making a better society, guided by the production of knowledge. Social change will come about not by making technocrats but by producing people who can shape culture and society in and through the public sphere, he added.

Olympus CEO reveals why he blew the whistle Samirah Haujee

When Michael Woodford took over as president of the electronic giants Olympus in April last year, he was hailed as the man to turn the company around. However, in the space of a few months he would blow the whistle on a $1.7 billion scandal at the heart of the company he ran, placing Olympus at the centre of a media storm. Speaking at the London School of Economics last week, Woodford told the story that took him from his dream job as CEO of Olympus to the nightmare of unravelling a string of hidden secrets and the dark past of a company he had grown to love. Woodford described how not long after stepping into the shoes of president, he soon got wind of misconduct on the part of Olympus from friends and former colleagues whose names he still protects today. An article in the local private eye magazine Facta revealed a series of suspicious transactions including the pur-

chase of what Woodford describes as “three Mickey Mouse� companies for a staggering $1 billion. This included a face cream company so far from Olympus’s own camera and medical equipment businesses that it left him questioning whether “we were trying to compete with Revlon,� but this would soon turn into dark humour for Woodford. On his return to the To-

fan, Woodford told how the table was set with the “most wonderful selection of sushiâ€? but in front of his seat was a tuna sandwich, there to tell him his place in the world. “That’s when things really blew up,â€? and despite pressure from Woodford, Mr Kikukawa refused to explain the suspicious payPHQWV LQVWHDG KH ZDV PHW E\ D VWUDQJH VPLOLQJ ன JXUH who told him “not to worry.â€?

fate could easily have been “Michael has been under a lot of stress, he’s been drinking and taking sleepLQJ SLOOV +H MXPSHG RŕŽ‰ WKH top of a building.â€? But what ensued was described by Woodford as something “out of a John Grisham novel.â€? He began commissioning investigations into the payments of $700 million for “legal adviceâ€? in the suspicious

kyo office he was shocked WR ன QG QRUPDOLW\ LW VHHPHG as if everything had been carefully brushed under the carpet. After 30 years of dedication to a company he clearly loved and starting to feel uneasy, Woodford quickly demanded a meeting with the mysterious chairmen, Kikukawa who KH GHVFULEHV DV D ன JXUH “out of touchâ€? with humanity after years at the top. A self-professed sushi

But things were to get worse. For Woodford the facade would soon break and he would come to realise there was something ‘terrible and wrong’ at the top of the company he ran. A second article by Facta linked the suspicious transactions to “anti-social forcesâ€? in Japan – a euphemism for the -DSDQHVH PDன D :RRGIRUG describes how even telling the story a year on “I feel my hands going cold,â€? his

deals, tracing the money to the Cayman Islands and threatening Kikukawa with a very public resignation if he didn’t step down. Sending evidence to the worldwide team at Ernst and Young, Woodford worried that should something happen to him, the secrets would remain buried. But within days he was ousted as CEO in a surprise meeting, told to pack his things and leave the coun-

WU\ 5HFDOOLQJ WKH ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI hands in favour of his dismissal like it was yesterday, Woodfords’s description has the air of a corporate execution, but what worried him the most was the way in which they were so quick to sack him. What could they have been so afraid of? Fearing for his own life now, Woodford made his way to a public park, contacted Jonathan Soble from the Financial Times and revealed all. By the time he was safely in the air on his way to Hong Kong and then onto the UK, the story would be front page news transforming him from CEO to whistleblower in a matter of hours. Woodford’s story, full of dark humour, wit and an ounce of suspense gripped the entire audience that evening. One attendee commented that after hearing the “very intimate account of his life during those months,â€? he got the sense that Woodford “still can’t quite believe his own story and that he may always be looking over his shoulder.â€?

News

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

5

Loud and Proud on Pride Week Shu Hang

Last week, the LSE Students’ Union Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Alliance held its annual LGBT Pride Week on campus. The aim of Pride Week was to educate the student body on LGBT issues, involve them in the debates on LGBT rights, and tackle sexual and gender discrimination. The week started with a SUH ODXQFK ன OP VFUHHQLQJ LQ

conjunction with the Gender Institute, followed by a free public lecture with Prof. M.V. Lee Badgett on equal marULDJH D WHD DQG FRŕŽ‰ HH PRUQLQJ for undergraduate LGBT students, and a panel debate with representatives from the Kaleidoscope Trust and Amnesty International on LGBT asylum. Despite the sub-zero temperatures and rain, the Alliance also ran a Houghton Street stall for most of the last week in order to raise awareness of international LGBT rights and

raise money for the National AIDS Trust. 7KH ZHHN ZDV URXQGHG RŕŽ‰ by the annual Pride Crush

- of course - great companyâ€? RŕŽ‰ HUHG E\ WKH ELJJHVW /*%7 event by the Students’ Union of the year.

event, where the LGBT community from all over London gathered to enjoy the “great music, great drinks deals, and

Commenting on Pride Week, John Peart, LGBT Officer of the Students’ Union, said, “Pride Week this year

has been a huge success this year. We’ve engaged over 400 people through the events we’ve raised money for a great cause, and made the LGBT community at LSE visible.� He added, “What’s been unique this year is our crosscollaborative work with many other groups and societies on campus. It was great to see so many people proactively wanting to work with us on LGBT issues.�

LSE screens tragic biopic of Ugandan gay activist Sophie Beardshall

Last week LSE Arts and Africa hosted a screening of “Call Me Kuchu,� the much-anticipated documentary about the life and tragic death of Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato. A discussion was then led by Beau Hopkins, author of the play The Mountain and the River about homosexuality in Uganda, and Rahul Rao, professor of gender politics at SOAS. The controversial 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill, infamous for the extremism of its proposed sanctions including execution for certain consensual sex acts, has just reappeared on Uganda’s parliamentary agenda, sparking furore in the West and making the timing of this event highly interesting. The biopic itself was irreverent, funny, sad and immensely human, frequently making the audience packed into the

New Theatre laugh as one and VQLŕŽ? LQJ LQ WKH KDUVKHU PR ments. Combining footage, interviews and news extracts, the ன OP LV D UDZ MRXUQH\ WKURXJK David and his group of LGBTI activists’ lives and stories. Taken in by Kato’s wry humour and contagious joie-de-vivre in the darkest situations (“I am not sure I can claim asylum in your countryâ€?, he muses about the threat to his life, “I like the sun too muchâ€?), the audience witness their explosive gay parties, enduring optimism, but also tales of ostracism, corrective rape, and fear for their life following the publication by tabloid newspaper Rolling Stone of the “faces of homosâ€? with the caption “hang themâ€?, outing them and urging people to discover their whereabouts, eventually leading to Kato’s murder. In interviews Giles Muhame, managing editor of Rolling Stone coolly explains the

reasons for publishing the pictures. “We think Ugandans like looking at pictures of homosexuals,â€? he smirks. Far from expressing sympathy, he is proud RI KDYLQJ KHOSHG ன JKW KRPR sexuality, whose sinfulness American and Ugandan evangelists proclaim throughout. In one particularly poignant scene, the preacher in Kato’s home village causes uproar by announcing to his friends mid-way through his funeral service that “we did not know (that he was gay), but now we do, we pray for your group to be eradicated completely.â€? $IWHU WKH ன OP 5DKXO 5DR raised some interesting points. Calling it a smokescreen, he warned against giving the Bill too much importance, starkly calling it “a victory for the Ugandan government, in a sense, that we are sitting in this room discussing it.â€? He called attention to the corruption scandals which have rocked the Ugandan parlia-

ment in the past month, including allegations of funding M23 Congo rebels, and the abuse of donor funds in the Prime Minister’s office, which failed to account for nearly Shs 50bn (ÂŁ11.5m). By periodically reintroducing the bill, the government has been able not only to divert attention from these abuses, but perhaps even unite the country, evoking the rhetoric of neo-colonialism. Beau Hopkins urged us to try to understand the powergame beneath the surface: ZKR LV EHQHன WLQJ IURP LW" 'D vid Bahiti, the MP who drafted it (and, interestingly, came up with the idea during a trip to America), is now Chief Whip. Meanwhile, evangelists’ position in society grows as the cultural wars rage on. Then came the question of Western pressure, a hot issue at the moment with donor countries which have not already suspended aid because of corruption including the

Netherlands, Italy, France, Japan, Spain and Finland, threatening to do so if the bill is passed. The Ugandan government reacted angrily to aid suspensions over its stance on gay rights in 2011, viewing them as an infringement on state sovereignty motivated by what presidential advisor John Nagenda termed “an ex-colonial mentality.� Rahul concluded that the perception of LGBT rights as western-imposed and un-African is reinforced by economic coercion. Adding that modernity “is not a package�, he suggested that Southern countries such as South Africa should be doing more to lead the way. All in all, the event left the audience with two, perhaps contradictory, impressions: while David’s story speaks directly to the heart, we should make sure we understand a country’s politics before interfering in them.

Badgett on “When gay people get marriedâ€? in the debates. She saw that same sex couples’ reasons for Speaking in front of a standing getting are married were not room only crowd in the New DQ\ PRUH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW DQG OHVV ID Theatre last Monday, M. V. Lee miliar than straight couples’. Badgett, research director of She found that alternatives to the Williams Institute for Sex- full marriage are not adequate ual Orientation Law and Pub- substitutes for same-sex coulic Policy at UCLA, delivered ples and there has been no a public lecture on what hap- change in heterosexual behavpens when societies legalise iour, including the propensity gay marriage. Entitled “When to get married, as a result of Gay People Get Marriedâ€?, she same-sex marriage. Her research indicated that presented key evidence from her research on the US and gay and lesbian couples believe European experiences with that marriage will enhance marriage equality for same-sex their commitment, ensure legal recognition, and increase couples. Craig Calhoun, Director of social visibility. The changes LSE, remarked in his welcome in the nature and tradition of address that the lecture was marriage over the years have “about one of the most impor- almost all been committed tant issues in social equality by heterosexuals, she stated. which we face today and one Based on her study of the 1999 which we should take very se- European Values Survey, Dutch residents in their 30s to 50s reriously.â€? Badgett treated Nether- ported shifting values around ODQGV WKH ன UVW FRXQWU\ WR OH marriage even before samegalize gay marriage in 2001, sex marriage was legalised. DQG 0DVVDFKXVHWWV WKH ன UVW Mutual respect, communicaAmerican state to do so in tion, understanding, tolerance, 2004, as “social laboratoriesâ€? and faithfulness were heavily WR ன QG HYLGHQFH LQ UHVSRQVH favoured according to the surto the questions that come up vey, while having children and Joseph Peralta

sexual relationship fell below the 50 per cent line. Using survey data from Massachusetts and The Netherlands, Badgett provided evidence that family and community acceptance, security, better health outcomes, and greater visibility were the impacts of getting married on same-sex couples. They waited to get married before having children, a negotiation that is not unlike one straight couples make. Same-sex parents in her study also reported that their families felt more normal. In California, same-sex couples in domestic partnerships and marriages reported having lower levels of depressive symptoms. Couples also felt more visible and comfortable to “come out� as gay or lesbian when they talk about their partners. In response to the argument supporting an alternative status, Prof. Badgett made the case that same sex couples were more likely to choose marriage over civil unions or domestic partnerships. Couples believed that the alterna-

tive arrangements lack emotional and social value and, as Dutch respondents say, were “designed as political compromise.â€? Same patterns exist in the US. Thirty percent of gay and lesbian couples chose to JHW PDUULHG GXULQJ WKH ன UVW year when states allowed it, compared to only 18 per cent when civil unions have been allowed and 8 per cent for limited statuses. In the UK only 12 per cent entered civil partnerVKLSV GXULQJ WKH ன UVW \HDU When asked to make a prediction around the fate of California’s Proposition 8, Prof. Badgett opined that the Supreme Court of the United States would “rather not decide hard questions right away and just let it go away.â€? The Court on Friday indeed took no action on the petitions to hear same-sex marriage cases. Addressing a question on the fate of same-sex bi-national couples, Prof. Badgett claimed that President Obama’s injunction against the deportation of foreign partners is “only a temSRUDU\ ன [ WKDW ZLOO DSSO\ WR RQO\ a small number of couples.â€?

But given the current composition of the US Congress, having a standalone piece of legislation would have a better chance of passage than being part of a comprehensive immigration reform, she opined. On the question of gay divorce, Badgett pointed to the ZHDNQHVV RI GDWD EXW RŕŽ‰ HUHG “In the US, dissolution rate of domestic partnerships is similar to straights divorce rate.â€? In the UK, the dissolution rate for female couples is 4 per cent in UK, 2 per cent higher than that for male couples in domestic partnerships. The lecture, organised by the Gender Institute, the LSESU LGBT Alliance and LSE 6SHFWUXP NLFNHG RŕŽ‰ /6(‍ڑ‏V Pride Week. John Peart, Student Union LGBT Officer, was very pleased with the event: “The reaction to this event was fantastic! People were actively getting involved in the discussion, and the guest speaker presented some fantastic evidence that proves beyond reasonable doubt that equal marriage won’t result in the apocalypse.â€?

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04.12.2012

| The Beaver

SU encourage students to put ‘I want better feedback’ stickers on class surveys 2Q WKH LVVXH RI IHHGEDFN the LSESU are also gathering 7KLV ZHHN 'XQFDQ 0F.HQQD GDWD WKURXJK D VXUYH\ ZKLFK the London School of Econom- will be emailed to all students. ics Students’ Union Education 7KH VXUYH\ DLPV WR JDWKHU Officer outlined his plan to more data so that the LSESU promote and encourage better can approach the School with statistical and anecdotal eviteaching feedback. The LSESU plans to en- GHQFH GLUHFWO\ IURP VWXGHQWV courage students to put stick- DW DOO OHYHOV RI VWXG\ 6LPLODUO\ LQ WHUPV RI WKH HUV RQ WKHLU FODVV VXUYH\ IRUPV which read “I want better *UDGXDWH 7HDFKLQJ $VVLVWDQW feedbackâ€? in an attempt to LVVXH WKH /6(68 DUH SURPRWpressure the School and to ing the NUS Postgraduate help them understand that 7HDFKHUV 6XUYH\ ZKLFK LV DQ there is student demand for 186 VXUYH\ DLPHG DW JDWKHUing data on what it is like to better feedback. 0F.HQQD VWUHVVHG KRZHY- WHDFK DV D 3*5 LQ XQLYHUVLWLHV HU WKDW ‍ڔ‏WKLV LV QRW DQ DWWDFN DURXQG WKH FRXQWU\ It is the intention of the on individual teachers.â€? LSESU to gather data through “We also want students to this and similar mechanisms provide us with good and bad examples of feedback that and then work on the issue WKH\ KDYH UHFHLYHG VR WKDW ZH next term. McKenna stated that KDYH VSHFLனF GHWDLOHG DQHFGRWDO FDVHV ZKLFK ZH FDQ OREE\ “we’re waiting on the results the School with. We would of of this before we can take inFRXUVH PDNH WKHP DQRQ\PRXV formed action on the issue and னUVW ‍ ڕ‏VWDWHG WKH /6(68 (GX- further to that I shall then be taking the problem to various FDWLRQ 2ŕŽŒFHU committees next term.â€?

In terms of current evidence based on the NSS staWLVWLFV WKH JHQHUDO VWRU\ LV RI VRPH GHSDUWPHQWV EHLQJ YHU\ JRRG DQG VRPH EHLQJ LQ VSHFLனF FDVHV YHU\ SRRU DW IHHGback. The Statistics Department KDV UHFHLYHG FRQVLVWHQWO\ ORZ levels of satisfaction from stuGHQWV ZLWK RQO\ SHU FHQW RI SXSLOV LQ VWDWLQJ WKDW WKH\ UHFHLYHG GHWDLOHG FRPPHQWV RQ WKHLU ZRUN DQG per cent suggesting that feedEDFN KHOSHG FODULI\ WKLQJV WKDW WKH\ GLGQ‍ڑ‏W XQGHUVWDQG +RZHYHU WKHVH னJXUHV are in direct contrast to the Department of International 5HODWLRQV ZLWK SHU FHQW RI VWXGHQWV LQ VXJJHVWLQJ WKDW WKH\ UHFHLYHG GHWDLOHG comments on their work. The LSESU wants to bring to the attention of the School that students demand better feedback and stickers will be available from their stall on Houghton Street throughout the week.

in LSE having an exhibition VSDFH DV LW ZRXOG PHDQ D VSHcial “interaction between the School and outside communities – LSE should not be a forWLனHG HQFODYH‍ ڕ‏ 7KH 'HSXW\ RI /LEUDU\ 6HUYLFHV 1LFROD :ULJKW H[plained that construction needed to take place during WHUP WLPH DV ‍ڔ‏WKH /LEUDU\ LV YHU\ EXV\ WKURXJKRXW WKH \HDU DQG WKLV SURMHFW LV WRR big to be completed over the summer vacation period. The initial works‌ are being carried out now to enable more intrusive works to be undertak-

HQ ZKHQ WKH /LEUDU\ LV FORVHG for Christmasâ€? and “in order to ensure that the number of student PCs is maintained at the start of the Lent term when PDQ\ VWXGHQWV UHWXUQ HDUO\ DQG ZDQW WR XVH WKH /LEUDU\ WR VWXG\ IRU /6( H[DPV‍ ڕ‏ $FFRUGLQJ WR 1LFROD :ULJKW ‍ڔ‏WKH ODVW VLJQLனFDQW ZRUN WR GHYHORS WKH /LEUDU\ VSDFH ZDV FDUULHG RXW LQ 6LQFH then it has become increasing FOHDU WKDW PRUH OLEUDU\ VSDFH is needed to meet demand and WR SURYLGH GLŕŽ‰HUHQW W\SHV RI VWXG\ VSDFH IRU VWXGHQWV DQG researchersâ€? and the expan-

John Armstrong

Continued from page 1.

-plaints from students who are experiencing problems ZLWK னQGLQJ D VWXG\ VSDFH LQ WKH OLEUDU\ GXULQJ EXV\ KRXUV and are worried that the construction would further exacerbate the problem. &RULQQH 5LGGHUKRI D *OREal Politics student reported KRZ VKH RIWHQ KDV WR VWD\ WKH HQWLUH GD\ LQ RQH VSRW LQ WKH OLEUDU\ LQ IHDU RI ORVLQJ KHU place if she leaves. *URXS VWXG\ DUHDV DUH DOVR UHSRUWHG WR EH VHULRXVO\ OLPLWHG 0DQ\ VWXGHQWV ZLWK intensive group work often face difficulties in obtaining one of the precious few group VWXG\ URRPV 5RKDQ %DVX DQ (FRQRPLF +LVWRU\ VWXGHQW UHODWHG KRZ KH VSHQW ‍ڔ‏OLWHUDOO\ one hour looking for a simple place to have a group meeting‌and there were none. The fact that there’s one small JURXS VSDFH GRZQVWDLUV DQG D IHZ VWXG\ URRPV WKDW DUH FRQVWDQWO\ ERRNHG MXVW VKRZV KRZ LOO HTXLSSHG WKH OLEUDU\ LV IRU group work. And unless it’s MXVW P\ FRXUVH WKHUH DUH D WRQ RI JURXS SURMHFWV WKDW UHTXLUH meetings and practicingâ€?. 1DG\D 3RQRPDUHQNR DQRWKHU (FRQRPLF +LVWRU\ VWXdent commented that “if LSE KDV PRQH\ WR SXW LQWR OLEUDU\ PRGLனFDWLRQV WKH\ VKRXOG DFWXDOO\ ன[ WKH FRUH SUREOHPV rather than concentrating on XQQHHGHG DGGLWLRQV ‍ ڕ‏WKLV ‍ڔ‏XQneeded additionsâ€? being the :RPHQ‍ڑ‏V /LEUDU\ It seems that this extension in itself is not the problem per se; in fact it has been met with HQWKXVLDVP &DURO\Q 7KRPDV D 06F &XOWXUH DQG 6RFLHW\ student expressed an interest

NUS Postgraduate Teachers Survey Are you a postgraduate who teaches at university? Would you like to help improve the treatment of postgraduate teachers at your university and others all around the country? NUS have launched the first UK-wide postgraduate teaching survey to collect data on the treatment of postgraduate teachers. There is currently no national data on graduate teaching. Yet there are serious concerns over the treatments of postgraduate teachers at some universities. Some postgraduate teachers are appointed without contracts. Let us know how you feel you have been treated as a postgraduate teacher. Your input will help NUS, in partnership with students’ unions and the UCU, to identify good practice and highlight the issues nationally and within particular institutions.

Take the survey now at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/NUSPGteach

sion seeks to meet this demand. <HW LW LV KDV EHHQ SHUFHLYHG E\ VWXGHQWV WKDW WKH SURMHFW LV IDLOLQJ WR DGGUHVV WKH ODFN RI VWXG\ DUHDV ERWK LQ LWV failure to provide alternatives for the spaces that will be out of action during construction DQG WKH FUHDWLRQ RI RQO\ RQH PRUH VWXG\ DUHD $FFRUGLQJ WR 1LFROD :ULJKW WKH /LEUDU\ 6HUvices are looking into providing alternatives for the spaces that will be out of action due to building works. In the meanWLPH WKH\ GUDZ DWWHQWLRQ WR WKH DOWHUQDWLYH VWXG\ VSDFHV LQ

the school such as the rooms available in the New AcademLF %XLOGLQJ She added that the noise resulting from the construction LV EHLQJ FRQVFLRXVO\ VFKHGXOHG to be kept at a minimum and works are being programmed to avoid impacting on stuGHQWV VWXG\LQJ IRU H[DPV GXULQJ $SULO DQG 0D\ Students are encouraged to voice their concerns reJDUGLQJ DQ\ GLVUXSWLRQV E\ FRQWDFWLQJ OLEUDU\ SVP#OVH ac.uk.

News

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

Street Art Week pays homage to innovative movement shop commented that London is a difficult city for street artThis week, the Visual Arts so- ists, as their work routinely is ciety held ‘Street Art Week’ torn down and painted over. which paid homage to this But as Pan responded, street newly appreciated art move- artists have adapted to this and are still able to “leave ment. The week began with a their mark.â€? Further to the workshop guided walk to the ArtRepublic Soho, a London boutique and the unplanned Street Art gallery space which special- walk to the ArtRepublic Soho ises in “continuing the tradi- gallery, there was a screening WLRQ RI VKRZFDVLQJ WKH ன QHVW of Banksy’s Exit Through the cutting-edge art.â€? What was *LIW 6KRS D ன OP WKDW UHDGLO\ a surprise, was the Street UHŕŽ‹ HFWV WKLV WHPSRUDO IHHOLQJ Art on the way there – which of Street Art in its documenaccording to its organiser, tation of the shifty lives of Pan Panayotov, a BSc Man- street artists. Overall the events of Street agement student, “was not planned.â€? He said that that Art week were a nice way to was the beauty of Street Art: engage with this largely underground movement that its “randomness.â€? Pan explained how this has primarily been articubeauty of Street Art makes a lated in the infamy of Banksy Street-Art-lover into a “scav- and his political cheekiness. enger of the city,â€? always What the visits to the gallery, searching for that newly WKH ன OP DQG WKH ZRUNVKRS spray-painted message to showed was the “good funâ€? of transform the unseen en- street art’s way of integrating claves of London. The bur- social and political messages geoning artists of the work- into the corners of our daily lives. Ira Lorandou, 6WDૼ 5HSRUWHU

Students discuss “Religious freedom in Britain� Ali Issa

Last week, the LSE Students’ Union Islamic Society hosted a student-led interfaith seminar, putting together a panel of students from the three monotheistic traditions as well as an atheist contributor. Titled “Religious freedom in Britain today: The Boundaries Between Freedom of Conscience in Religion and Secularism,â€? the aim of the event was to confront forms of religious intolerance in Britain. The talk started with a prologue by Mehri Niknam OBE of the Joseph Interfaith Foundation, who highlighted the work her organisation has been doing regarding interfaith dialogue particularly between Muslim and Jewish students. :LWK WKDW FRQFOXGHG WKH ன UVW of the speakers made his ten minute pitch. Frederick Laker of the Catholic Society focused on the “paradoxical natureâ€? of religious freedom in Britain. He acknowledged the free platform for dialogue that people had but emphasised the institutional discrimination facing Catholics particularly the “archaicâ€? law prohibiting a Catholic Prime Minister. Frederick also pointed out the fact that the church and state are still intertwined in Britain and how this should not be a reason to give preferences to cer-

tain Christian denominations. +H ன QLVKHG E\ KLJKOLJKWLQJ WKH pervasiveness of “boutique religionâ€? in modern day BritainSHRSOH GHன QLQJ WKHPVHOYHV DV a “Christian nationâ€? when opposing Islam but then being against Christian’s rights of religious expression. Following Frederick, Abhishek Phadnis of the Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society spoke predominantly of the threat religion posed to freedom of conscious in Britain today. He stressed the need for religion to be a personal matter and at the same time called for the maintaining of religious diversity. After answering several questions on his views, he ended with a sobering note: 72 per cent of people are concerned by new faith schools which is enough to vindicate the need for dialogue with faith groups. After that, the Jewish representative Hannah Geis gave her frank portrayal of freedom of conscious in her appropriation of Judaism. In what was seemingly congruent to the orthodox school of thought, she mentioned the lack of rigidity in faith being due to the ‘unreliability’ of human consciousness. Following her personal view, Geis gave a broader depiction of the freedom of consciousness in Judaism through the example of “God’s conver-

sation with Abraham.â€? Anneessa Mahmood from the LSE Islamic Society focused on the rich tradition in Islam of contemplation and the fact that “intelligent questioning is half good knowledge.â€? She mentioned the importance of intention and why Muslims FRQVLGHU WKH HŕŽ‰ HFWV RI WKHLU DF tions. After her opening statement she answered several questions on Islam’s opinion on apostasy and several other contentious issues. Anneessa mentioned several examples of Islam’s promotion of freedom of choice and freedom of religion. After almost an hour of fervent debate and counterdebate, Tasif Zaman, organiser of the event had to draw the event to an end. Despite the polarity of people’s views, those attended all agreed that it ended too soon, which was made evident by the continuation of the debate after the event. One attendee commented, ‍ڔ‏7KH VSHDNHUV DOO IURP GLŕŽ‰ HU ent religions and beliefs not only shed light into their religions, they showed the eagerness of the LSE campus to engage in dialogue. Despite the tentative start to the night, the over-politeness shed away and sensitive issues were touched XSRQ LQ D GLJQLன HG DQG FRQ trolled manner.â€?

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Comment

04.12.2012

| The Beaver

Cameron must implement Leveson in full Opportunity to reform print media should be seized, according to President of LSESU Forum

SWANKSALOT

cians for getting too close to the press without pinning Before Lord Justice Leveson disproportionate blame on published his 2000 page re- DQ\ RQH ன JXUH RU PDNLQJ port into press ethics and unfounded accusations of regulation on Thursday explicit conspiracy. He pinafternoon, I was left with points the poor decisiona sharp sense of nervous making of senior police ofDQWLFLSDWLRQ +LV ன QGLQJV ficers whilst clearing the whatever their nature, were force over allegations of sure to prove a watershed widespread corruption. He moment in the history of notes that Jeremy Hunt’s the British media, shaping a special adviser Adam Smith once-in-a-generation oppor- was too easily ensnared by tunity to improve the way lobbyist Fred Michel durour newspapers behave. ing News Corporation’s bid I, for one, was extremely for BSkyB but blames his nervous that Leveson would conduct purely on his inexfudge his report, blandly perience and absolves Hunt recommending the sort himself of any wrongdoing. of self-regulatory system Finally, he clearly accepts whose failings facilitated that a culture of unethical, the immoral conduct his in- careless and occasionally quiry was created to investi- illegal journalism did exgate. Thankfully, my nerves ist at various levels across sections of the British press were to prove unfounded. The Leveson report’s without prejudicing any onrecommendations for a new going criminal investigaprint media regulator are tions. While some might be backbenchers and the Mur- the objection that the methoroughly excellent. He disappointed that he didn’t doch press, Cameron has dia, unlike these institurecognises that self-regula- use his leverage to slam endorsed the view that any tions, must not be state-run tion is no longer adequate, those complicit in media legislative response would is valid, the clear public inslamming the old Press misconduct more forcefully, be a fundamental assault on terest inherent in a properly Complaints Commission Leveson has boosted the media freedom; the top of a regulated press (and defor its toothlessness and credibility of his sugges- slippery slope leading to to- monstrable public loss when proposing a new regulator tions by keeping his report talitarian state censorship. it is given free reign) makes which ought to be strong- nuanced and consensual, Just like his repeated com- this comparison entirely leer in two ways. Firstly, its avoiding the mistake that parisons between national gitimate. Leveson has at no Watpoint come anboard will be genuinely in- Tom son and his ywhere close dependent and not comIdeally, we should absolutely resist any Labour colto facilitating posed of newspaper editors legislative interference in our free press. political in“marking their own home- leagues on the workâ€? (even if it will still Culture, Me- I am convinced, however, that Leveson’s terference in be able to take advice from dia and Sport report only restricts its freedom to do the media. To editors serving on a mixed select commit- whatever it pleases regardless of basic moral suggest otherwise is insult“code committeeâ€?). Sec- tee made last The stunning abuses ing to both the When considerations. ondly, it will be statutorily year. underpinned by a legally-en- they inserted perpetrated by our print media in recent public’s intelligence and shrined certifying body able the last-minyears cannot be repeated. those whose to review its performance ute claim that Murlives have every few years and judge Rupert GRFK ZDV XQன W WR UXQ D PD and household debt, Cam- been ruined by the unforwhether it is doing a good enough job. The report’s jor corporation into their eron is attempting to scare givable recent immorality of recommendations on incen- report on phone-hacking its the public into believing Britain’s press. Ideally, we should abtivising publications to sign force was critically under- something with absolutely up to the regulator are intel- mined, as their Conservative no basis in reality. Quite solutely resist any legislaligent too, stopping short of colleagues seized this seem- aside from the fact that he tive interference in our free illiberal forced compliance ingly partisan accusation has explicitly recommended press. I am convinced, howbut suggesting both a role as an excuse to reject the a clause enshrining press ever, that Leveson’s report for Ofcom as a “backstop whole package. By making freedom to be included in only restricts its freedom regulatorâ€? for those out- his tone judicial rather than any resultant legislation, to do whatever it pleases side the system and a new polemical, Leveson has clev- Leveson has merely sug- regardless of basic moral arbitration process for mis- erly boxed David Cameron gested that an independent considerations. The stunconduct that will be quicker into a corner from which he public agency should guar- ning abuses perpetrated by antee the quality of an inde- our print media in recent and cheaper for newspapers cannot easily escape. Confronted with a con- pendent system of regula- years cannot be repeated. than long court battles. His pronouncements on sidered report he cannot tion. This suggestion seems Never again can reportprevious misconduct are simply denounce as biased, fairly uncontroversial to me, ers be allowed to illegally also superbly balanced; Cameron has had to resort akin to the sort of inspec- access people’s private inprobingly and quietly criti- to the worst sort of Tory tion systems which ensure formation without immedical without ever resorting scaremongering to justify that our schools, hospitals ate scrutiny of their public to hyperbole or partisan at- his position. Once again and care homes are of an interest motivation for dotack. He admonishes politi- bowing to the sensational- adequate standard. Whilst ing so. Never again can big ist clamouring of his unruly corporations be able to cow Jon Allsop

the police into suppressing criminal investigations against them for fear of the public relations fallout that might be triggered. And never again can the gutter press and its paparazzos be allowed to stalk celebrities without the possibility of swift and painful redress. It is undoubtedly sad that we have to resort to legallyunderpinned regulation to guarantee these standards. Newspapers should know that intercepting the mobile phone messages of abducted schoolgirls, victims of terrorism and war heroes is disgustingly abhorrent without needing a law to remind them. The print media has, however, spectacularly DQG SUROLன FDOO\ YLRODWHG LWV chance to regulate itself responsibly. David Cameron needs to prove that his promise to the victims of its misconduct was more than mere opportunism by implementing the Leveson proposals in full. Failure to do so will cement his legacy as a cowardly lightweight, terULன HG RI WKH ULJKW ZLQJ YHQ om of his own backbenchers and Rupert Murdoch. The government has a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to reform our print media to ensure its proper accountability. Anything other than LWV IXOன OPHQW ZRXOG EH DQ inexcusable tragedy.

Comment

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

9

Gay marriage and equality 'LVFXVVLQJ WKH LQWHQVLW\ RI HPRWLYH DUJXPHQWV DJDLQVW JD\ PDUULDJH DQG WKH GDQJHU RI LQGLрн╝HUHQFH Jim Pomeroy

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Reclaiming тАЬReclaim the nightтАЭ Why feminism is becoming a weapon of isolation rather than a tool for change Rachel Bleetman

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RQH RI XV 6R ZK\ LV LW WKDW KRZ GR ZH JHW PRUH ZRPHQ OLYH LQ IHDUтАл ┌ХтАмDQG RWKHU VLPLWKRXVDQGV UDWKHU WKDQ KXQ- on the streets and how do we ODU VORJDQV DQG FKDQWV 7KDW GUHGV RI WKRXVDQGV RI ZRPHQ UHPRYH WKH VWLJPD RI EHLQJ D LV QRW WR VD\ WKDW WKH OHVELDQ DUH RXW WKHUH SURWHVWLQJ" тАл┌ФтАмIHPLQLVW"тАл┌ХтАм PRYHPHQW VKRXOG QRW EH GL0DQ\ ZRPHQ SHUFHLYH 3HUKDSV WKH SUREOHP LV UHFWO\ OLQNHG WR WKH IHPLQLVW WKH роКJKW IRU HTXDOLW\ DV RYHU WKH EUDQGLQJ RI IHPLQLVP LW- PRYHPHQW DV PDQ\ RI WKHLU VRPHWKLQJ RIWHQ UHIXWHG E\ VHOI" 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ IHPLQLVP EDWWOHV DUH WKH VDPH EXW LW IHPLQLVW PRYHPHQWV DQG WHQGV WR FRQQRWH тАл┌ФтАмPDQ KDW- LV WR VXJJHVW WKDW WKH KHWULJKWO\ VR +RZHURVH[XDO IHPLHYHU :HVWHUQ QLVWV RU SRWHQG H P R F U D F L H V IHPLQLVWV Feminism is not about being a lesbian and WLDO VWLOO IDFH SURERI WKH ZRUOG OHPV RI GLV- itтАЩs not even about being a woman. It is PD\ IHHO DOLHQF U L P L Q D W L R Q about equality. It is a global cause that both DWHG DV OHVELDQ DQG YLROHQFH genders, all sexualities and every age should ULJKWV DUH QRW 7KH *XDUGLDQ WKHLU EDWWOH EH рн╜JKWLQJ IRU UHSRUWHG LQ 1R7KH PDUFK DOVR YHPEHU DOLHQDWHG PHQ тАл┌ФтАм,Q (XURSH SHU FHQW RI LQJ EUD EXUQLQJ OHVELDQV тАл ┌ХтАмZK\ FDQтАл┌СтАмW PHQ FRPH RXW RQWR ERDUG PHPEHUV DQG SHU :K\ VKRXOG VWDQGLQJ XS IRU WKH VWUHHWV WR YRLFH WKHLU KDFHQW RI WKH ERDUGURRP FKDLUV ZRPHQтАл┌СтАмV ULJKWV UHQGHU \RX WUHG RI UDSH DQG VH[XDO DVDUH PHQтАл ┌ХтАмDQG WKHUH ZDV VWLOO D OHVELDQ" ,V тАл┌ФтАмPDQ KDWLQJтАл ┌ХтАмD VDXOW" 6XUHO\ WKLV ZLOO ZLGHQ D тАл┌ФтАмJODVV FHLOLQJтАл ┌ХтАмWKDW QHHG- SUHUHTXLVLWH IRU EHFRPLQJ D WKH DXGLHQFH DQG FUHDWH D HG WR EH UHPRYHG 6LPLODUO\ IHPLQLVW" 6DWXUGD\тАл┌СтАмV PDUFK PRUH EDODQFHG SURWHVW" ,WтАл┌СтАмV WKH 7HOHJUDSK UHSRUWHG LQ UHYHDOHG VRPH RI WKHVH DQ- QRW MXVW WKH JLUOV RI WKH QH[W 1RYHPEHU WKDW тАл┌ФтАмWKH VZHUV JHQHUDWLRQ ZKR PXVW XQGHUDYHUDJH IHPDOH FRPSDQ\ $PRQJVW WKH тАл(┌ФтАмQG 9LR- VWDQG WKH LVVXHV ZH IDFH EXW H[HFXWLYH HDUQV PRUH WKDQ OHQFH $JDLQVW :RPHQтАл ┌ХтАмSODF- DOVR DQG LI QRW PRUH LPSRUe OHVV WKDQ D PDOH DUGV тАл┌ФтАм/*%7 /DERXU 3DUW\тАл ┌ХтАмWDQWO\ WKH ER\V RI WKH QH[W FRXQWHUSDUW RYHU KHU FDUHHU тАл ┌ХтАмSODFDUGV ZHUH DOVR YLVLEOH DV JHQHUDWLRQ ZKR PXVW XQGHU*HQGHU LQHTXDOLW\ LV VWLOO D ZHOO DV тАл┌ФтАм:HтАл┌СтАмUH KHUH ZHтАл┌СтАмUH VWDQG WKHVH LVVXHV DQG WKHLU EDWWOH ZH QHHG WR роКJKW EXW TXHHU DQG ZH GRQтАл┌СтАмW ZDQW WR FRQVHTXHQFHV

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10

Comment

04.12.2012

| The Beaver

What’s wrong with feminism?

Discussing the hypocritcal view of feminists on what “equality� means Hayley Fenton

My motives for writing this article lie mostly in how feminism seems to have developed its own distorted view of what “equalityâ€? is, and how this completely undermines the whole purpose of a concept that is supposed to promote women’s rights. First of all, what is feminism? This painfully simple concept is one that has generated an astonishing complex of controversy and legal action. Feminism is one of the most misconstrued concepts of the 21st century, and unfortunately it is the feminists themselves who are responsible for the contempt that has become associated with the movement.Feminism is nothing more and nothing less than advocating equal rights. If feminism presses for equality, it is important to respect the equality of others. If we have freedom of speech then we are free to say things that are sexist. The point of feminism is to make people aware that these things are sexist, not to stop people saying it. 7R EULHŕŽ‹\ WRXFK RQ WKH Hayek Society’s campaign two weeks ago, it was not feminism’s duty to stop the campaign. Had Nishma Doshi attacked a Palestine stall for being “deliberately antagonisingâ€? there would have been absolute uproar, yet because she operated under the pretence of feminism, the matter has been largely overlooked. Nishma argued that she tore out page three because “women have a right to wear whatever they want without a newspaper using WKHLU ERGLHV WR SURனW ‍ڕ‏ It is true that we live in a society where certain women DUH PDUJLQDOLVHG REMHFWLனHG

and at an economic disadvan- crimination, and when there tively. Surely, rather than fotage. Maybe if women didn’t are redundancies around the cusing on meeting gender live under the thumb of the corner, many employers are quotas, a more pressing issue patriarchs (as some would ar- UHOXFWDQW WR னUH ZRPHQ DQG to look at would be why we gue) they wouldn’t need mon- minorities, regardless of who live in a society where being ey to feature topless. How- is most capable at their job. a banker is consider a more ever, just as “free subjectsâ€? As a woman, I should not viable career than a nurse? are people who can exercise be positively discriminated A chasm has emerged besome type of choice, “free against. To practise posi- tween feminism and equal subjectsâ€? are those whose tive discrimination towards rights. Feminists seem to be subjection operates through women entails being sexist pushing for “equalityâ€? at the the exercise of choice. In the towards men. Women may expense of prioritising female same way that free speech en- be underrepresented on cor- rights over male. For examWLWOHV WKH ULJKW WR RŕŽ‰HQG IUHH porate boards, but when you ple, at The Sun UGM, Ben choice entitles the right to leave that top 0.1 per cent, Green was heckled for “not be subjected, providing that WKLQJV ORRN GLŕŽ‰HUHQW ,W‍ڑ‏V LP- understanding feminismâ€? beis what the person chooses. portant that more women be cause “he was a guy.â€? Had I am by no means condoning on corporate boards, but only Ben been a woman, I have no oppression and sexism, but because there are more wom- doubt he would have been init is important that feminism en capable at these jobs than undated with support against draws a distinction between WKH னJXUHV VXJJHVW +DYLQJ /6(‍ڑ‏V னQHVW PLVRJ\QLVWV , voluntary subjection and op- an underrepresentation of am yet to hear of any accupression. women does not mean we are sations of misandry to those In The Sun who heckled UGM, Alice Stohim. The hytt made a valid Feminists have developed a very arbitrary pocrisy unpoint. If we are line between what is and isn’t acceptable derlying a lot to stop stocking “feminismâ€? female nudity. Somehow, it’s alright for of The Sun in the is appalling. SU shop on the women to parade topless around New York There is a mispremise of sex- or on a nudist beach but it’s not alright to conception of ism, then why pose topless in page three; to do that only what “objecdon’t we ban tifyingâ€? someThe Independ- encourages the men to leer at women through one is. A man patriarchal-tinted glasses. ent, which has looking at a the lowest perpage three centage of female writers? a failing, sexist society and to model might be castigated Why don’t we start prevent- impose a “quotaâ€? system to as sexist and not respecting LQJ EDQNV DQG ODZ னUPV FRP- close the gender gap (for ex- women. However, lesbians ing onto campus, seeing as ample, the EU is pushing for looking at a page three model less than eighteen per cent a 40 per cent quota of women somehow forgo this type of of people on their boards on corporate boards and the treatment, even though their are women? The exploitation UK has developed an initia- motives may be the same. and harassment of women tive called “The 30 Percent Feminists have developed LV SUHYDOHQW LQ DOO னHOGV QRW Clubâ€?) does not “solveâ€? sex- a very arbitrary line between just page three, and it is ex- ism. what is and isn’t acceptable tremely arbitrary, not to menWith regards to the top 0.1 female nudity. Somehow, it’s tion discriminatory, for soci- per cent, it is supercilious for alright for women to parade ety to decide that a woman society to decide it is a more topless around New York or posing topless in a magazine important issue that women on a nudist beach but it’s warrants a greater degree of are underrepresented in the not alright to pose topless in “feministâ€? focus than the un- னQDQFLDO LQGXVWU\ WKDQ PHQ page three; to do that only derrepresentation of women XQGHUUHSUHVHQWHG LQ னHOGV encourages the men to leer in certain industries. like nursing. The percent- at women through patriarOn the issue of under- age of UK female nurses and chal-tinted glasses. Feminism representation, employers teachers in 2012 is 89.8 per needs to staunchly support often practice positive dis- cent and 76 per cent respec- women who choose to model

on page three, rather than telling them that what they are doing makes them a “marginalised sex worker.â€? Studies have shown there is no evidence that sexually explicit material causes violence against women. It is sexism, not sexually explicit material that degrades women. And sexism towards women isn’t bred by sexually explicit material but from long-term economic, political and emotional factors. Address these problems னUVW 7KHUH DUH ZRPHQ DOO over the world who have no legal rights, who are the property of men; comparatively, women in the West have it easy. Feminism should focus on helping these women - removing page three will not change attitudes. If people want to look at topless women, it is irrelevant whether it’s on page three or not. Historically, censorship has hurt the progression of women’s rights. Censorship has never reduced sexism. If the issue is that people don’t respect women who take WKHLU FORWKHV RŕŽ‰ WKHQ WKHUH LV something inherently wrong with society, not with page three. If one group may be FHQVRUHG EHFDXVH VRPH னQG LW RŕŽ‰HQVLYH DOO JURXSV PD\ be censored, including women. The best protection for women’s ideas and voices is to protect free speech. Feminism, both at LSE and across the UK, needs to get RŕŽ‰ LWV KLJK KRUVH DQG VWDUW focusing on more important issues. It needs to target the victimisation of women who legally, economically and morally have no rights: women who speak the language of the oppressed.

Letters to the Editor Dear Sir, I am writing to complain about what is, quite frankly, shoddy editing in the %HDYHU VSHFLனFDOO\ WKH LVVXH RI WK November 2012). The cover stories DORQH FRQWDLQHG PRUH WKDQ னIWHHQ HUrors. Most were grammatical, but some betrayed an inexcusable lack of basic fact-checking and editorial care. Fool’s Gold by Gillian Tett (amusingly just Gillian on your pages) was twice given as “Fools Gold,â€? and Alan Greenspan had become “Allen Greenspanâ€?, demonstrating either a lack of professionalism or serious incompetence. This artiFOH OLNH PDQ\ RQ \RXU SDJHV VXŕŽ‰HUHG from confusion with regard to proper nouns and names more generally, including but not restricted to “naomi kleinâ€?, her book “the shock doctrineâ€? and “iraqâ€?. In the lead story, for example, Liam Burns became “Liam Burnâ€?

on occasion, his surname amputated by an apostrophe. This continues throughout the paper. Anne Applebaum is described as Philippe Roman Chair in History and ,QWHUQDWLRQDO ‍ڔ‏$ŕŽ‰DULV‍ ڕ‏DQG KHU /6( IDEAS lecture was apparently delivered for “LSE IDEAâ€?. I also doubt whether she would agree with labelling the deaths caused by the Gulag system as “the Stalin murdersâ€?. To demonstrate the pervasiveness of these issues I shall list a few more examples from elsewhere in the paper. I would have the editors of “Antidisestablishmentarianism?â€? know that “2/3rdsâ€? is not suitable for a newspaper. After reading “Gay Marriage and the Churchâ€? I would note that the word “universityâ€? in “our University experienceâ€? is not a proper noun, and also that Keith O’Brien is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in

Scotland, not “Keith O’Brianâ€?. Moving through the pages, Great Expectations is a Dickens classic, not “the Dickens’ classicâ€?, and the song “Eyesdownâ€? was presumably a collaboration with Bonobo, not “Bononboâ€?. I enjoyed “Getting PXJJHG RŕŽ‰â€Ť ڕ‏EXW , PXVW DVN ZKDW D “uiversityâ€? is. Jermain Defoe is a Tottenham striker, not “Jermaineâ€?. I could continue. Finally, I was very amused to discover novel but clearly confused terms in your articles, such as “short fallingâ€? and “after-matchâ€?. This really will not do and editors at any level should know better. I appreciate that some errors are inevitable, but not on this scale. I suggest you take more care in the future. Aameer Patel

Dear Sir, As a graduate in Media & Communications from the LSE I was staggered to read that the SU had banned the sale of The Sun from the SU shop. We live in a democracy in which a sigQLனFDQW QXPEHU RI SHRSOH UHDG 7KH Sun, it is a legitimate news paper, that is entitled to an opinion, as we all are. Restricting any form of free speech that does not break the laws of the land has too be wrong, restricting the sale of a main stream news paper really this the thin edge of the wedge on the road media control that has to be challenged. Martin Garthwaite, MSc New Media, 2006

Comment

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

11

Questioning the Hayek Society Adam Wright believes that the “Knights of Liberalism” have got it wrong

Adam Wright

Before I begin, I would like to state that I deplore both the actions of MSc Global Politics student Nishma Doshi and the now infamous comments made by LSE Students’ Union General Secretary Alex Peters-Day. The Hayek Society were well within their right to be distributing The Sun newspaper on Houghton Street two weeks ago and free speech should have no limit on the LSE campus. However, The Sun hasn’t been banned from campus, regardless of what Alex Peters-Day or the Hayek Society says. If you are found ogling at page three in the library or the NAB, your newspaper will not be confiscated from you. This is why the Hayek Society were there for several uninterrupted hours giving out free copies of the paper on Houghton Street (before the incident involving Nishma Doshi). The SU has simply stopped selling The Sun. I think people need

reminding that the SU shop isn’t a newsagent. The shop doesn’t sell a wide variety of publications, and has probably ceased selling some over the course of its history for various reasons. The Hayek Society could quite easily jog round to Kingsway, grab a copy of their favourite newspaper and read it in the Sabb’s office right in front of Peters-Day herself, but the SU would not do anything. The decision to stop selling The Sun has not infringed on student’s liberties and their free speech. The Hayek Society have distorted and manipulated the issue and have declared that they are in fact defending free speech. But their free speech is not being impinged. They were protesting about an issue which didn’t exist. I would also seriously question the methods of the Hayek Society in this debacle. If this was an issue they felt so passionately about, why didn’t they mobilise their members and supporters for the UGM vote? As someone

who is not heavily involved in student politics (this was my second ever UGM and I’m in my third year), I managed to see enough posters around campus to find out what was being debated and when. Jason Wong and co. may moan and complain about the removal of online voting from the UGM, but they knew full well that at this current time, this is how the UGM operates and they should have prepared accordingly, if they felt that strongly about the issue. I would suggest they did not. I personally arrived in the Old Theatre undecided on how I would vote, and I heard the arguments put forward by both sides in an open and fair environment. However, I didn’t hear any members of the Hayek Society speak up during the Q and As, and I sympathised with the “Stop Page 3” campaign, eventually voting in favour of the motion. That’s what happens when you have “debate and discussion” in an “open and free society.” I’m sure the Hayek Society will especially

be happy to hear that’s how I came to form my opinion. It may now appear petty to mention the subsequent actions of the Hayek Society on Facebook, but unfortunately most of the debate has since taken place on social media websites. I was annoyed when reading Ms Doshi’s boastful tweets, but was disgusted by the responses of the Hayek Society. It is ironic that these self-titled “Knights of Liberalism” have barked on so much about open debate during this episode, yet when Ms Doshi took to Facebook to defend herself on the Hayek Society’s “Free Sun giveaway” Facebook page, her arguments were dismissed by Hayek Society member Jason Wong, as he twice posted a link to the 1983 Mental Health Act as a reply to her comments. Does this mean, by the Hayek Society’s standards (as Wong’s links were met with a couple of “likes” and “lols” by society members), open and free debate involves suggesting someone is mentally ill if you

don’t agree with them? Can these hypocrites please clarify how their actions encourage debate and discussion in a free and open society? If the Hayek Society is demanding an apology from Nishma Doshi, I would encourage all those who have personally experienced or been affected by mental health problems to also demand an apology from Jason Wong. The Hayek Society need to learn that mental health problems are not a laughing matter before they continue their crusade for free speech. The Hayek Society may have set up their stall on Houghton Street with the intention of promoting free speech, but it was a provocative move. I was saddened to hear that Ms Doshi had been foolish enough to react the way she did and was annoyed by the General Secretary’s comments. However if the Hayek Society really did believe it was wrong for the SU to stop selling The Sun, they should have pursued more effective methods.

Omnishambles Part Two?

Secretary of the Great Britain Working Group at LSESU Forum discusses the upcoming Autumn Statement

Rayhan Uddin

same time last year. This rise was as a result of low tax income receipts and an increase in day-to-day departmental spending. If anything should be cut, then, it is the Whitehall wastage that has no doubt played a key role in the rise in borrowing. In addition, the coalition should continue to cut the excessive number of quangos that exist in carrying out the government’s bureaucracy. George Osborne’s key justification for poor economic indicators was that it was all in aid of “sorting out the public finances.” To think that even that is now not materialising, brings Osborne’s Plan A into even further disrepute. A worrying trend that is developing within mainstream media and among politicians, and now feeding through to the public, is the demonisation of those on benefits. Blaming the vulnerable in society has become the norm, whilst those at the top end of the spectrum receive tax cuts worth up to £40,000, remaining relatively criticism free. Indeed, so called “benefit scroungers” are deemed to be the root of the “squeezed middle” and the cause of the general decline in public finances, as opposed to the tax-avoiding

multinational corporations. A similar demonisation occurs when it comes to international development. The UK still fails to meet a target of merely 0.7 per cent of its GDP towards helping alleviate poverty around the world, yet hours of discussion and pages of newspapers are filled with criticisms and demands to cut the ID budget. If George Osborne does decide to cut welfare further to that which already exists in the radical Welfare Reform Act, the poor will once again continue to pay for a deficit they did not cause.

Cuts, especially in the way the coalition has implemented them, have had a disproportionate effect on the poor. Higher taxation on the rich is the only way that this effect can begin to equalise. Be it a mansion tax, a higher top rate of tax or a higher level of capital gains tax, taxation must be increased to avoid another omnishambles. The ONS figures make it quite clear that austerity is not enough to keep the government coffers at a sustainable level, and many would argue it is indeed causing the reverse effect and increasing the deficit further. THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE

The last time George Osborne stood before Parliament to announce measures to help heal the economy, “omnishambles” was the most common word used to describe his Budget. It has since been voted the word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary. With that in mind, on December 5th, Osborne will announce the second most important economic event of the parliamentary year, the Autumn Statement. He will, of course, be hoping for less of a public outcry than the response to the Budget earlier this year. If, however, as many commentators are suggesting, he decides only to announce cuts to expenditure with no plans for increases in taxation, public outcry is indeed what he will receive. The government has made itself adamantly clear that there will be no Plan B: it’s austerity or the highway. The result of this plan has been drastic. Research by the International Monetary Fund predicts that government spending in the UK will drop from 45.5 per cent in 2012 to 39.2 per cent in 2017. This 6.3 per cent fall is the third largest fall in any developed

country, behind only Greece and Ireland. This means in 2017 the UK is set to have a smaller public sector than the US, who will experience only a 1.3 per cent fall. If US employment or welfare provisions are anything to go by, a waning public sector will be catastrophic for the UK. The concept of universality is likely to become all but nonexistent by 2017. To cut the public funds further than this Tory-led government has devastatingly done so already, would be to ignore the fact that austerity is not working. It is no coincidence that there is a housing crisis, mass unemployment and squeezed incomes when social housing has been cut, there have been hundreds of thousands of public sector job losses and public sector workers have endured a real wage fall in their incomes. The fact that most of the cuts are yet to even be implemented confirms that times are set to become increasingly bleak. Despite the government’s rigid austerity efforts, they are still failing to bring down the deficit. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that public sector net borrowing was £8.6bn in October 2012, a marked rise from the £5.9bn figure at the

12

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PartB

INTERVIEW WITH ENTER SHIKARI

13

FOOD & DRINK MOSOB

14

04.12.2012 PartB

. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

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COURTESY OF JULIE REINTJES

DREAMWORKS

Music

R

ise of the Guardians is the new animated adventure released by Dreamworks made to complement a series of stories written by William Joyce. The film follows a host of folkloric favourites in their quest to save children from fear. The team consists of Santa Claus (or ‘North’, voiced by Alec Baldwin), the Easter bunny ‘Bunnymund’ (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fischer) and an endearingly mute ‘Sandy’ the Sandman. They are joined by reluctant hero Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who has been summoned by the ‘Man in the Moon’ at a time where the children of the world are in great jeopardy at the hands of nightmare-weaving Boogeyman, ‘Pitch Black’ (voiced by Jude Law). The Guardians must unite, and use their unique abilities to rid the world of nightmares. To do this, they must keep belief and wonderment alive. Each of the main characters has an intricate backstory and their own meticulously sculpted realm. From the Tooth Fairy’s giddy pastel colours to the bustling warmth of North’s grotto, the film is aesthetically diverse and truly a feast for the eye. However, the fusion of six individual and very distinct personalities is

difficult to capture in merely an hour and a half, especially one that is intent on so much action, and they sometimes feel crassly handled as a consequence. The characters’ idiosyncrasies derive directly from Joyce’s stories and are generally very imaginative and likeable. The depiction of Santa as a hearty Russian, complete with ‘Naughty’ and ‘Nice’ tattoos, works particularly well and provides the main source of comedy throughout the story, particularly with the added dynamic of the very cute and foolish elves. Jack Frost is your typical all-American protagonist, but with a crucial difference. In his longing for recognition, he is endowed with vulnerability and a sense of sadness that make him far less saccharine than his animated equivalents. Tooth Fairy and Sandy are both engaging but the characterization of Bunnymund as a boomerang-wielding Australian seems perplexing and is never truly utilised to its full comic potential. Jude Law’s very eloquent villain is suitably sinister, complete with macabre horses that are reminiscent of Rowling’s dementors. Unfortunately, the role is monotonous and the well-trodden ‘good versus evil’ tropes are transparent in

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The heart of the story really needs to be found in the plight of Jack, who longs to rediscover his lost memories and to one day be visible to children. Jack’s personal pursuit interweaves with the main plot and serves as the emotional crux of the action. Furthermore, his juxtaposition with Pitch, alike in their isolation but critically different in their emotional response, establishes a steady moral contrast in the plot. However, Jack’s moment of reckoning, discovering himself—his ‘centre’ as it is described in the film—is to bring fun, is anti-climactic and I feel this is typical of the dramatically sparse nature of the film. Rise of the Guardians is visually spectacular. It spins relentlessly. But every tornado has a centre and unfortunately the film’s, like Jack’s, is difficult to find.

Elizabeth Sandell IN CINEMAS NOW Director 3HWHU 5DPVH\ Writers 'DYLG /LQGVD\ $EDLUH :LOOLDP -R\FH Cast &KULV 3LQH $OHF %DOGZLQ -XGH /DZ ,VOD )LVFKHU +XJK -DFNPDQ Run time PLQXWHV LSESU DRAMA SOCIETY PRESENTS JEAN-PAUL SARTRE'S

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This adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian fable about ERRN EXUQLQJ LV 7UXŕłˆ DXW‍ݰ‏V ೉ UVW FRORXU ೉ OP DQG KLV ೉ UVW (QJ OLVK ODQJXDJH ೉ OP 7UXŕłˆ DXW GH scribed it as his ‘saddest and PRVW GLIILFXOW ೉ OP 6WDUV 2V kar Werner and Julie Christie.

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an otherwise original film. The 3D element is fully exploited and accentuates the gleeful splendour of the fastpaced action sequences that make up much of the film. The seemingly endless flying, chasing and fighting scenes, typical in the 3D genre, seem a little gratuitous and leave an older viewer somewhat desensitised, not to mention a little queasy. It also makes the dialogue sections, which are few and far between, seem static in comparison. From a child’s perspective, the experience should be sufficiently thrilling but I worry that the creators consistently chose spectacle over substance. A film with a little more integrity and a heightened sense of irony (à la previous Dreamworks successes, Chicken Run, Antz or Shrek) would have been preferable to this sentimental whirlwind which at times, is too exciting for its own good.

Starring Ava Mayer, Dara McGrath & Loedwijk Vriens Directed by Pip Willett

15

The Beaver 04.12.2012

& THE HUNTED FILM I VÄST & ZENTROPA

L

Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunted.

ed by a devastatingly measured performance from Mads Mikkelsen (most memorably Le Chiffre in Casino Royale), The Hunt charts the avalanche of painful change that overcomes a small rural village when divorcé kindergarten teacher Lucas (Mikkelsen) is falsely accused of molesting one of his students. His innocence is almost beyond doubt and in the place of our suspicion, his community—people he has known all his life—forcibly press theirs. Watching his ordeal is as gripping as it is unsettling: an everyman and a strong, realistic supporting cast effectively becoming a microcosm of our society.

Lucas is a loving guardian for his young charges, none more so than his alleged prime victim, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), daughter of his best friend and devotee of his dog. Her bitter reaction to his rejection of her crush combines with her noted imagination and she incurs devastation with a few 'foolish' words that she cannot then take back— her efforts to this end are dismissed by her guardians. Thus begins Lucas’s descent, and just when he had seemingly recovered from a painful divorce, with a blooming love interest and strong custody case for his son. Above all, perhaps, we prize innocence in children.

naturally, they had their suspicions. The men beat their chests. His persecution is excruciatingly painful to watch, but only because it is at the hands of lifelong friends and neighbours. They do not fall to group hysteria and are neither savages nor simpletons—they could be anyone, in a town or village anywhere. Merely to be accused of this crime will break the strongest of bonds, and render the accused too deplorable to be considered innocent until proven guilty. The significance of such accusations were only recently underlined by an error committed by the BBC's Newsnight programme. Once sullied, names are difficult to clean. At the same time and in relation to the larger story Newsnight had been investigating, reluctance to make an accusation because of its repercussions is even more dangerous. Given his innocence and stubbornness, both Lucas and his son are eventually accepted back into their community, with the latter initiated

A victim’s innocence is tarnished, but it is not necessarily lost—certainly not in this case. Lies and false accusations however, are much more significant. Further, victims, like children, require care, and parents often thrive on its provision. They would prefer their child to be a victim than a liar. Ironically, Klara’s crush is sparked by an episode in which Lucas kindly intercedes to make up for the inattention of her parents. They never stopped loving her, but she had been growing up. Klara the victim is their helpless child once more. The suspicious mind is liberal in accepting evidence and is often irrationally single-minded in seeking it. The malleability of the infant mind and testimony derived from it prove to be fertile ground for the suspicious. Depraved Lucas is unlikely to have restrained himself to one child, and a highly improbable and then clearly impossible list of victims emerges. Any apparent impropriety in his life strengthens the case against him, whether it is his divorce or current attachment to a foreign colleague. To the children, it is a game where they will naturally claim to have visited the bogeyman’s nonexistent lair; to their parents, it is vindication; for Lucas, it means persecution. The women whisper and gossip—

into his first hunt. He stands where his father stood decades earlier, in an unchanged world. For Lucas however, the same world is very different, having been at the other end of the rifle he now holds. He was always innocent, as was his accuser. Others are not so innocent, yet they are far from villains. So what were they, and why? In its maturity, the film does not provide an answer. The cool yet vivid Danish autumn and winter provide a fitting backdrop for an admirably coolheaded work directed with tact and devoid of sentiment or excess of any kind. The script, a second collaboration with Tobias Lindholm, finds room for dark humour while maintaining its crushing intensity. Michael Vinterberg, a co-founder of the Dogme 95 movement, has produced a devastating, engrossing and timely film that is neither a simplistic indictment nor one that stoops to condemnation.

Aameer Patel

IN CINEMAS NOW Director Thomas Vinterberg Cast Mads Mikkelsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Thomas Bo Larsen Run time 115 minutes

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TALKING HEADS - REMAIN IN LIGHT

Each week we catch up with a PuLSE DJ and see what they have to say for themselves.

ince his band Passenger went separate ways in 2007, Mike Rosenberg from Brighton started a solo career of singing and songwriting—mostly as a street musician—until the Indie scene in Australia discovered his unique talent. Like a modern-day Bob Dylan he adresses social issues and wraps his critisism into a melodic, pure guitar sound. Producing most of his music with the sale of CDs and concert tickets, project Passenger is a true success story. Without show effects, photoshop and adverts, Rosenberg is selling out the largest concert

halls in the UK. His new album All The Little Lights tells the story of making mistakes, pursuing dreams and giving second chances. It is the perfect soundtrack for students in a big city. As a christmas gift, it could inspire a new start for the new year. ’Let her go’, ’Life’s for the living’ and ’Circles’ are my personal favourite songs on the album. Do yourself a favour and give Passenger a listen. It could be the beginning of a great journey.

ੇ Camillia Naschert

16

04.12.2012 PartB

A ENTER SHIKARI chris batten

HEY CHRIS, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US! HOW’S IT GOING? Yeah good thanks! SUPER! I IMAGINE YOU’RE PRETTY HYPED ABOUT THE UPCOMING TOUR. OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS ARE QUITE WELL ESTABLISHED NOW IN THE UK; WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACHIEVE FROM THE UPCOMING TOUR? Well, I guess with any walk of life, once you reach a particular standard, you want to work really hard to try and maintain those standards. So, what we’re really aiming to do on this tour is to give the fans a really great show each night, with people coming away thinking that they have witnessed something which they haven’t ever seen before... YOU PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS INTO THE COMPLEMENTARY ELEMENTS OF YOUR SHOWS LIKE LIGHTING AND SET DESIGN. WAS THIS SOMETHING

ENTER SHIKARI

E

nter Shikari is a unique alternative British band from Hertfordshire. They are currently on tour promoting their third studio album A Flash Flood of Colour. The British leg of their tour in December will coincide with the release of their next single 'Pack of Thieves'. Sanam Shah has a chat with their bassist, Chris Batten.

WHICH WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR AIMS WHEN YOU STARTED THE BAND? Well no, not really. When we ன UVW VWDUWHG RŕŽ‰ LW ZDV DOO MXVW about playing shows in small venues like town halls and litWOH SXEV VWXŕŽ‰ OLNH WKDW %XW as soon as we got the opportunity to incorporate other performance elements into our show, it was something we didn’t hesitate to do. I remember at the Asotria show back in 2006, we were told that we could either use all the money we had accumulated from that show on lighting and sound making an awesome show, or we could use that money as our “paycheckâ€? for that show. So we said, we don’t want to get paid for this, we MXVW ZDQW WR PDNH WKLV VKRZ as good as possible. We’ve always had that mentality, I guess; we’ve always wanted to put on a spectacular show. DO YOU PREFER PLAYING AT BIG VENUES OR THE SMALLER, MORE INTIMATE ONES? For us, growing up playing LQ SXEV DQG VWXŕŽ‰ OLNH WKDW LW is always nice to play at the smaller venues every now and then. Also, not a lot of our fans want to be sitting down for our shows, and a lot of the bigger venues have balconies and seating areas, so one of the ideas of this upcoming tour was to play in slightly smaller rooms where every-

one can be standing and feel more involved in the show. GREAT! NOW, FOR OUR READERS WHO DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YOU, WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE BAND’S FORMATION? Well, Rob, Rou and I have known each other since we were 5 years old. We started playing music together at around 11 years old, but we didn’t get really get serious as a band until we were 16 when Rou went from guitar to electronics, and Rory came in and picked up the guitar. That’s when we actually made a decision to try and put ourselves on the map by playing shows and hitting the road. ONE OF THE FACTORS IN YOUR SUCCESS HAS TO BE THE BAND NAME. IT’S SO PECULIAR, ONE CAN’T HELP BUT REMEMBER IT! WHO CAME UP WITH “ENTER SHIKARIâ€? AS A BAND NAME? Rou’s uncle had a boat which was named Shikari, and I remember us thinking, “what does that meanâ€?. It turns out that it means “The Hunterâ€? in several languages spoken in Asia, and we liked the vibe that WKH QDPH JDYH RŕŽ‰ $W WKH WLPH we were going through a very atmospheric phase with our music, we were experimentLQJ ZLWK GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW HOHFWURQLFV and trying to create soundscapes, so I guess the mystery

surrounding the name Shikari suited the type of music we were making at the time. WOULD YOU SAY THIS SENSE OF MYSTERY HAS PROVIDED THE INSPIRATION FOR MUCH OF YOUR MATERIAL? WHAT ELSE HAS INFLUENCED THE BAND’S MUSICAL DIRECTION? , ZRXOG VD\ RXU PDLQ LQŕŽ‹ XHQFH is our surroundings. The four of us are into such a diverse range of music, and we had such an energetic local music scene which we were heavily involved in. Also, London was only a twenty minute train ride away, so were exposed to DOO WKH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW JHQUHV RI PX VLF ZKLFK WKH FLW\ KDV WR RŕŽ‰ HU DO YOU PREFER THE WRITING/ RECORDING ASPECT OF BEING IN A BAND OR THE TOURING AND PERFORMING SIDE? [Wry chuckle] Generally we ன QG ZH ZDQW WR EH GRLQJ H[ actly what we are not. So, after a few weeks in the studio, we wil be itching to hit the road. But after a while on the road, we being to get excited about writing new material and getting it recorded. We’ll probably feel like this during our upcoming tour, but it is some consolation to know that we will be back in the studio sometime next year! IS THERE A PARTICULAR “COMFORTâ€? ITEM WHICH YOU TAKE

ON THE ROAD WITH YOU? My tracksuit bottoms!! IF YOU HAD A SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? The ability to learn whatever I wanted to instantly. INTERESTING CHOICE‌ WHY? It would be really helpful I guess. For example, if I wanted to learn a new instrument, like the drums, I could do so with ease! IF YOU COULD OWN A FAST FOOD CHAIN, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE? Wagamamas. IF YOU HAD THE POWERS OF GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THEM? Where to start? I guess I would try and do as much as I could for my friends and family. VERY NICE. FINALLY—AND WE WON’T TELL ROU WHAT YOUR ANSWER IS- WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE BETTER SINGER, YOURSELF OR ROU? Ha! Rou’s better! WELL, THAT CONCLUDES THE INTERVIEW. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, IT WAS A PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU! GOOD LUCK ON TOUR! Cheers!

Ɖ Sanam Shah

17

The Beaver 04.12.2012

Æ MOSOB

L

ondon is a food-lovers' haven by anyone’s standards, but it’s particularly exciting if, like me, you grew up in the English countryside. In these dark backwaters, the only restaurant serving ‘foreign’ cuisine is a Pizza Express or an occasional Ask—unless you count the obligatory Chinese and Indian take-aways. Such a background means that London presents itself as a gourmet gauntlet, where each cuisine must be sampled and the best restaurant found. It was with this mission in mind that I found myself trusting the Circle Line and heading out to the distinctly suburban Westbourne Park for some Eritrean cuisine. This was JXDUDQWHHG WR EH GLŕŽ‰HUHQW Unassuming from the outside, Mosob is tastefully furnished with wood and basket lampshades, invoking an Eri-

trean theme. The term ‘mosob’ refers to the traditional, circular, handwoven table, on which Eritrean food is served and communally enjoyed. Sadly, while there were examples of Eritrean serving plates with their basket lids dotted around the restaurant, diners do not actually enjoy a meal from one of these beauties, but must accept a plain old table. On arrival, we were initially worried by the absence of other customers, but we were early and the restaurant VRRQ VWDUWHG WR னOO ZLWK GLQHUV and their discussions of which dishes to share. We were greeted warmly and were talked through our dining options, settling on the Massawa two-course set menu (ÂŁ33.95). This is especially designed for novices, or to get diners to eat more than they would normally, or perhaps both.

For those who are new to Eritrean cuisine, an integral part of any meal is injera, a ŕŽ‹DW URXQG EUHDG WKDW HVVHQtially looks like the love-child of a crumpet and a pancake. Spongy and sour, it is used as both cutlery and a plate. Dishes are served on top of the injera plate, and separate rolls of injera are used to scoop up the food, with the base being saved until last. A spoon should only be used for applying sauces, but may be appropriated for eating if you’re sneaky and realise that the scooping method is a lot harder than it looks. Our starters proved that injera really does come with everything. We had spinach injera rolls, timtimo (red lentil) injera rolls, and some falafel. Though tasty in their own right, these were enhanced by the accompanying spiced yoghurt and awaze, a fermented chilli paste that is similar to kimchi in its tanginess. On instructions to mix the two, we quickly discovered that our preferences were divided, much to the amusement of our waitress: “That is how it always works out. One person loves the chilli, the other loves the yoghurt.â€? +DYLQJ SROLVKHG RŕŽ‰ WKH starters, we were promptly served a giant plate of four dishes and salad, smothering an injera base. Before tucking in, we were given further etiquette instructions. You must eat only with the right hand and you should never lick \RXU னQJHUV :LWKLQ PLQXWHV however, it was too late: food

a BODEAN'S BBQ

P

BODEAN'S BBQ

erhaps one of the longestrunning debates in American cuisine is which regional variation of barbeque is the best. A Briton can be forgiven for not recognising the subtle (and sometimes not so VXEWOH GLŕŽ‰HUHQFHV RI WKH SLW Dry rub versus wet rub, sweet sauce versus vinegar-based sauce, even what type of meat to cook—there is little a Carolinian and a Kansan will agree on, save for the primacy of smoke in the cooking process. Bodean’s BBQ is the brainchild of Kansas City transplant Andre Blais, a man who saw the need for some good oldfashioned Kansas barbeque in London. With four locations, Bodean’s is doing a formidable job providing Londoners with their share of brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. Our visit was to the Tower Hill location, a restaurant with an intimate view of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. We did not make reservations, but were seated after a forty minute wait spent across the street at Fuller’s Hung Drawn and Quartered pub. The bar at Bodean‍ڑ‏V ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ னQH had it not been packed with people—a clear indication to

us of the restaurant’s success with workers in the square mile. Beers from North America, including Blue Moon Wheat Beer and Samuel Adams Boston Lager, were on draft with other an even more eclectic mix of lagers and ales available by the bottle. Perhaps the biggest surprise for us, however, was the quality of the

Bodean’s mojito. While it could have been a tad less sweet, the drink was a commendable attempt at a cocktail so easy to make, but so difficult to perfect. $V , னQLVKHG WKH ODVW VLS RI my mojito our nachos supreme arrived. Nachos, not a typical Kansas City classic, tend to include some sort of meat—usually in the form of chili con car-

dribbled over our hands, as we scooped and gorged our way through a meal of spectacular tastes. The meat dishes consisted of derho quluwa—cubed chicken sautĂŠed with peppers and onions—and the smoke-inducing zigni. Listed on the menu as a “richly spiced lamb stewâ€?, this description did not even go half way to encapsulating the GHSWK RI ŕŽ‹DYRXUV WKDW HUXSWHG and evolved with every mouthful. Those who struggle with spice should avoid this dish. I must confess that I required an extra pot of yoghurt but our waitress approved: 'I always eat it with yoghurt,' she explained, 'not because the spice is too much for me, but because the yoghurt brings RXW WKH ŕŽ‹DYRXUV EHWWHU 0\ hardened, spice-loving friend suddenly began spooning copious amounts of yoghurt onto his plate. The show-stealer of the evening, however, was not the zigni, although it was a very close call. It was not even a meat dish. Surprisingly, the

timtimo crept up on us and won. It simply consisted of red lentils cooked with onions, garOLF DQG VSLFHV EXW LWV ŕŽ‹DYRXU went beyond the straight heat of chillies to a warm spiciness that was infused with a faint hint of sweetness. The Massawa set defeated us: ‘the best bit’—the base of the injera soaked with all the sauces was left shamefully unனQLVKHG 7KH PHDO HQGHG ZLWK some rather weak tea, but this could not detract from the overall happiness from satisனHG EHOOLHV IULHQGO\ VHUYLFH and a pleasant atmosphere. For a reasonably-priced, superb set meal, and with plenty of other options on the menu, a trip to Mosob should be an imperative. Gather a group and go and gorge. The weather may be cold and Westbourne Park may be a trek, but Mosob is less than half an hour by tube from campus, and they have enough spice to warm you up for weeks.

Phoebe Amoroso

339 Harrow Road, W9 3RB 020 7266 2012 Mon-Fri 6-11:30pm, Sat-Sun 3pm-12am

Cuisine Eritrean Average spend ÂŁ17-25 Meals Dinner Reservations Yes

ne—but these did not. While good, we failed to see what the difference between normal nachos and their supreme cousin was other than the price. Almost as soon as the naFKRV ZHUH னQLVKHG GLG RXU main courses arrive. I had the full-rack of baby back ribs served with fries, coleslaw, and a chipotle aioli. True to the Kansas-style, the ribs had a rich, sweet sauce that was underscored by the dry rub the kitchen used during the smoking process. I would hazard to say that these were the best ribs I have had in London, even if the fries accompanying them were, without question, an afterthought. The other dish on the table was a duo of pulled pork and

brisket, again served with fries and coleslaw (we switched out the coleslaw for baked beans—unfortunately at an extra charge). The pulled pork was tender and had a deep VPRN\ ŕŽ‹DYRXU 7KH EULVNHW burnt ends, while good, were a tad one-dimensional with the sweetness of its sauce slightly taking over the dish. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the barbeque at Bodean’s. There is an attention to detail that makes this chain seem more than that. The principles of Kansas barbeque have found a home in London, and we hope it stays for a long time to come.

,Liam Brown

16 Byward Street Tower Hill EC3R 5BA 020 7488 3883 Mon-Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-10:30pm

Cuisine American Average spend ÂŁ25-30 (with alcohol) Meals Lunch, dinner Reservations Yes

18

04.12.2012 PartB

) LAKWATSA LAKWATSA

F

or anyone who loves bubble tea or is looking for an excuse to try this heavenly beverage, run, don’t walk to Lakwatsa, Notting Hill’s new bubble tea lounge that adds unique twists to the bubble tea experience. For those who aren’t familiar with bubble tea, it originates from Taiwan and is fruit or milk-based with tapioca pearls or “bobaâ€?. You can also order it with jelly. It can be served hot, but is typically shaken over ice. Lakwatsa’s founder Claire Buyson, a Londoner of Philippine descent, discovered bubble tea in California and was inspired to open a lounge that combined her heritage, travel experiences, and love for the bubble tea. :H ZHUH KDSS\ WR ೉ QG RXW about Lakwatsa, which means “to chillâ€? in Filipino, and were eager to see how the product compared with some of the better bubble teas we had

tried in places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vancouver. We were also intrigued by the merienda, which is Filipino for “light mealâ€?. For us, the ideal bubble tea is sweet, but not too sweet, and the tapioca pearls must EH ೉ UP \HW JXPP\ <RX FDQ always tell a quality bubble tea by its tapioca pearls. Substandard pearls equals a trip to the trash for the tea. As you might have guessed, when it comes to bubble tea, we mean business. After sampling four different bubble teas, including fruity and milky based, our verdict was clear: the only thing more perfect than the tea and the pearls was Lakwatsa’s atPRVSKHUH DQG IULHQGO\ VWDŕłˆ We arrived at Lakwatsa, ORFDWHG MXVW Rŕłˆ WKH EXVWOLQJ Portobello Road, completely rain-soaked on a miserable Saturday afternoon in desperate need of a pick-me-up. We

vides an unexpected twist on the bubble tea classic. I would gladly trade in my usual StarEXFNV FRŕłˆ HH GULQN IRU WKLV While overall the milk teas here are slightly heavier than a lot of bubble tea, the intense PLON\ ೊ DYRXUV DQG TXDOLW\ WHD base are thoroughly enjoyable to the last pearl. In Hong Kong, where the bubble tea can run as low as two for a pound, you could often see us with our four bubble teas walking down the street, one in each hand. A sad but true fact about two bubble tea addicts. While we probDEO\ ZRQ‍ݰ‏W EH GRXEOH ೉ VWLQJ Lakwatsa’s milk tea (but hey, never say never), they really are such a treat. Last, but certainly not least, we sampled some of the merienda (think Filipino cuisine meets Spanish tapas), which really complement the sweetness of the bubble tea. We loved the mushroom gyoza and vegetable lumpia, spring rolls with sweet, tangy chilli dip. Our favourite was the adobo VWLFN\ ULFH EDOOV D ೉ QJHU IRRG edition of a traditional Filipino dish, consisting of marinated

7 Blenheim Crescent, Notting Hill 11am-11pm daily Cuisine Filippino Average spend ÂŁ5-10

planet ‘Requiem’, a forerunner world with a new race of enemies to fight. The cybernetic ‘Prometheans’ are successfully distinct from the Covenant in terms of both ability and strategy. The flying ‘Watchers’ are capable of resurrecting their allies, whilst the ‘Knights’ can warp out of danger and surprise the unwitting. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Crawlers’: fighting in packs, they can quickly overwhelm you if you fail to master the all-important head shot, and it’s extremely satisfying once you do. With new enemies come new weapons, though I was disappointed by the lack of any Promethean vehicles to try out. Thankfully, the improvements made to the armour abilities from Halo: Reach make up for this. No longer do you have to sacrifice your ability to sprint in favour of an immobilising shield. Now jet packs, boosters and shield upgrades flow seamlessly into combat. Heading this new threat is the ‘Didact’, a general of the oft-mentioned “Forerunners� of previous games, who had been at war with the ancient spacefaring human empire. Voiced by Keith Szarabajka, he makes a genuinely challenging villain: one who Master

Chief cannot fell with bullets alone. The new cast of human characters is surprisingly well constructed, from the overly cautious Captain Andrew del Rio to the hardened Spartan veterans you run into. I just found it unfortunate that Master Chief and Cortana were still around at this point. They had their own allies who we loved, and none of them show up. Despite the new backstory elements, the older characters sometimes just seem out of place. The essential gameplay elements of the Halo series remain, and as ever it is a joy to play. The term ‘Combat Evolved’ has never quite suited a series where players can jump and glitch their way to victory with minimal strategy, but this is what has always made the series enjoyable. Online matches remain intense and fast paced, demanding teamwork and precision aiming to avoid being blindsided, overwhelmed and humiliatingly tea-bagged. A new addition to this is the story driven ‘Halo: Infinity’, which sets the player’s customised Spartan on a quest that runs in parallel to the aftermath of the campaign. The player must help establish humanity on Requiem and uncover the

HALO 4 343 STUDIOS

T

he Halo series holds a special place in my heart. Halo 3 was the first game I played which successfully blended accessible shooting mechanics with gripping online gameplay, whilst also possessing endearingx characters and storyline. With Halo 3 having brought to the franchise a stylish sense of closure for its main characters, the newest instalment revives them in addition to labeling itself as the beginning of an entirely new trilogy. As this didn’t work with Star Wars or the Prince of Persia series, I was not expecting anything miraculous. The campaign adds a new depth to the series, especially regarding the back-story of humanity’s super-soldiers, the Spartans, as well as the establishment of new antagonists

to replace the sundered Flood seen in the original trilogy. Having awoken on the derelict spaceship ‘Forward Unto Dawn’ four years after Halo 3, the player character, Master Chief, is immediately attacked by a Covenant elite, the lead enemy from previous games. He quickly points out that humanity is supposed to have a truce with the Covenant, with his AI sidekick, Cortana, forced to fill in the gaps. She informs him that these are the ‘Storm’, a splinter organisation still at war with humanity. In fact the only discernible difference is that these Covenant have no quirks or character traits as those in older titles did. Not that the campaign is just another token battle royale with old enemies. Master Chief soon crash lands on the

chicken. The merienda menu is great for sharing, with lots of vegetarian options. A lot of people who have never tried bubble tea may feel intimidated by the vast array of ೊ DYRXUV RQ WKH PHQX RI PDQ\ bubble places, but not here. There isn’t an overwhelming DPRXQW RI ೊ DYRXUV EXW PRUH than enough to get creative. The menu is clear and concise, found either on paper or the oversized board on the wall where large scrabble pieces VSHOO RXW WKH ೊ DYRXUV 7KH prices, just over 3 pounds for a bubble tea and maximum of 6 for merienda, are an added incentive. Whether you’re a bubble tea newbie or a seasoned bubble tea connoisseur, Lakwatsa will surely provide a memorable experience. The emphasis on the atmosphere and personal touches, like polaroid photos on the wall of customers with loyalty cards, is what makes Lakwatsa far more than just bubble tea.

were surprised to enter an inviting and colourful space, ZLWK ZRRGHQ ೊ RRUV H[SRVHG brick, hanging love swings with comfy pillows and cushions, and plenty of room to work on a laptop or hang out with friends. The laid back Californian vibe was apparent. We had never seen this combination of a bubble tea shop, which are typically catered to those on the go, and cafĂŠ/ lounge. We liked what we saw. 7KH ೉ UVW WZR WHDV SDVVLRQ fruit and honeydew, arrived in jam jars a really fun and inventive touch. Both are as appealing to the eye as they are to the taste buds. The vibrant hues of yellow and green were enough to lift us out of our rainy day blues. The passion fruit is particularly refreshing, blending nicely with the jasmine green tea base. Not usually fans of IUXLW\ WHD ZH ZLOO GH೉ QLWHO\ RU der this again. Next round we tried the milk-based teas, which includHG RXU IDYRXULWH ೊ DYRXU RULJL nal black tea, taro, a southeast Asian root vegetable, and cofIHH ೊ DYRXU ,W PLJKW VRXQG RGG to have root vegetable mixed with milk, but the end result is a nutty drink packed with D XQLTXH ೊ DYRXU 7KH RULJL nal black milk tea was incredibly balanced and really showcased the intense Assam tea EDVH $QG WKH FRŕłˆ HH ೊ DYRXU one of Buyson’s top picks, pro-

,Rachel Browne & Louis Hayes

nature of the Prometheans, and with a mere 5 missions released weekly it offers a lot of enjoyment to the fans. The cutscenes in Halo: Infinity are impressive yet comes across as unnecessary. The gameplay aspect of Halo: Infinity can also be repetitive. Certain maps can just involve minor variations on fighting waves of Covenant forces until extraction, and having unlimited lives can take away elements of excitement when playing alone. Ultimately however, it is an extremely enjoyable addition for the multiplayer experience and a good opportunity to rack up experience without having to spend days at a time playing Slayer. In retrospect, perhaps it was harsh to be so pessimistic about the future of the Halo Series. Halo 4 plays competently, and the new campaign does succeed in drawing the player in. Having acquired the franchise from Bungie, 343 Industries have, however, amused me with this fourth instalment, and although saying so leaves a sour taste in my mouth, I am looking forward to their future works.

Sanjay Quail

19

The Beaver 04.12.2012

9 THE DAY TODAY/ BRASS EYE COCKTAIL

fade-out or over-the-top introGXFWLRQ KDV D UHDO IDPLOLDULW\ WR DQ\RQH ZKR KDV ZDWFKHG more than fifteen minutes of &11 WKH %%& RU 6N\ 2QH memorable example sees a mid-program break spliced ZLWK D UDSLG &*, IO\SDVW RI WKH titular Brass Eye IRU WKLUW\ seconds, with the final bar of the theme tune repeating itVHOI D GR]HQ WLPHV :KLOVW DE surd at the time, it will be faPLOLDU WR DQ\RQH XQIRUWXQDWH HQRXJK WR KDYH KHDUG WKH %%& News Channel’s pips at the FKDQJH RI WKH KRXU %RWK SURJUDPV GHDO ZLWK different subject matter, with Brass Eye being far more rootHG WRZDUG UHDOLW\ ‍ݳ‏7KH 'D\ 7RGD\‍ ݴ‏GRHV KDYH PRPHQWV RI GHOLJKWIXO VXUUHDOLW\ LQFOXG ing an episode where Morris’ provokes a war between Australia and Hong Kong pureO\ DV D PHDQV RI ODXQFKLQJ ‍ݳ‏:DU‍ ݴ‏VSHFLDO FRPSOHWH ZLWK cameras on missiles, a war FRUUHVSRQGHQW KDSS\ WR WXUQ civilian houses into legitimate PLOLWDU\ WDUJHWV DQG WR UHOHDVH DOO IRRWDJH DV D PXVLF YLGHR Crass though it is, it perfectO\ UHSUHVHQWV WKH YLHZHU ZKR ORQJV IRU FRYHUDJH RI DQ\ FRQ flict to be peppered with gratuitous shots of ordinance and SHRSOH SRLQWOHVVO\ DWWDFNLQJ WKH VN\ ZLWK $. V

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SXEOLF ILJXUHV LQ VXFK D ZD\ but when notes that a fauxcampaign aimed at stopping children from using drugs ZDV HQWLUHO\ IURQWHG E\ ZKLWH middle-aged men, it is clear that Brass Eye did a sterling job in showing the perils of such groups not representing WKH SHRSOH WKH\ FODLP WR 7KDW VR PDQ\ QHZVUHDGHUV GHPRQ VWUDWHG WKH DELOLW\ WR UHDG RXW REYLRXV QRQVHQVH VLPSO\ EH cause it was presented to them on an autocue is a clear sign WKDW PDQ\ OHDGLQJ MRXUQDOLVWV have long become divorced from investigative reporting, VLPSO\ UHSHDWLQJ VHFRQG KDQG information verbatim for monH\ 7KH VDPH LV WUXH IRU WKH YDULRXV 03V WKDW ZHUH GXSHG LQ WKH VDPH ZD\ XVLQJ SDUOLD PHQWDU\ WLPH DQG UHVRXUFHV to front unknown charities for fictitious causes when even a FXUVRU\ ORRN ZRXOG KDYH UH YHDOHG HYHU\WKLQJ Brass Eye’s most controversial episode, an hour-long special looking at the broadcast approach to peadophilia provoked a then-record number of complaints whilst vinGLFDWLQJ HYHU\ SRLQW LW VHW RXW WR PDNH $ QRWDEOH H[DPSOH of this could be seen in the 'DLO\ 6WDU QHZVSDSHU ZKHUH WKH KHDGOLQH ‍ݳ‏6LFN 6KRZ *RHV 2Q 5HJDUGOHVV‍ ݴ‏ZDV SODFHG GLUHFWO\ QH[W WR D SKRWRJUDSK of Charlotte Church, then fifWHHQ ZLWK D EULHI VWRU\ WKDW pointed out the growth of her EUHDVWV %RWK Brass Eye and The Day Today are excellent shows GHWDLOLQJ WKH UDQN K\SRFULVLHV of the media and the viewing SXEOLF $V WKH 8QLWHG .LQJGRP debates the role of the state LQ PRQLWRULQJ WKH SUHVV WKH\ more than warrant re-watchLQJ

Jack Tindale

CAMPUS STYLE

oughton Street was a sea of umbrellas and thick winter coats this week, but in amongst bouts of ridiculous weather the FashLRQ 6RFLHW\ PDQDJHG WR VSRW some shining examples of exFHOOHQW /6( VW\OH Last week we held the castings for our annual charLW\ )DVKLRQ 6KRZ WR EH KHOG LQ /HQW 7HUP 7KLV \HDU WKH show will be in support of the Microloan Foundation, a UK EDVHG FKDULW\ WKDW SURYLGHV small loans, business training and mentoring to women in VXE 6DKDUDQ $IULFD There was a brilliant turn out with large numbers of aspiring models descending into the Underground, donQLQJ WKHLU KHHOV JLUOV RQO\ DQG VKRZLQJ Rŕłˆ WKHLU EHVW ZDONV 6HYHUDO EDUV RI )ORU ence and the Machine’s ‘Spectrum’ gave the girls a chance to channel their inner Cara Delevingne, while ‘One More 1LJKW‍ ݰ‏E\ 0DURRQ DFFRP SDQLHG WKH ER\V GRZQ WKH

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eeing as there has been just so much going on in the news over the past week or so, we here at Cocktail Corner thought we would summarise some of the major stoULHV WKDW Dŕłˆ HFW \RX RXU UHDGHU

LEVESON’S SQUASH (OF THE PRESS) 15 ml Advocaat 15 ml Midori 1 dash Grenadine Put the dash of grenadine in the bottom of the shot glass. Layer Midori and Advocaat on top.

MODERN DAY PHAROAH 15 ml Sweet Vermouth 15 ml Scotch PO &KHUU\ %UDQG\ 15 ml Orange Juice Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

PYONGYANG ROCKET PO +HQQHVV\ &RJQDF ;2 15 ml Grand Marnier 15 ml Lemon Juice Shake and strain in a sugarrimmed cocktail glass.

PDNH VKLIW FDWZDON 3KRWRV were taken, details recorded and the Committee were left with the unenviable position RI KDYLQJ WR VHOHFW WKRVH OXFN\ HQRXJK WR PRGHO LQ WKH VKRZ 7KH VWDQGDUGV ZHUH H[WUHPHO\ KLJK WKLV \HDU DQG ZH‍ݰ‏UH FRQ ೉ GHQW WKH VKRZ ZLOO EH EHWWHU WKDQ HYHU

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL MAID 44 ml Gin PO %UDQG\ 15 ml Triple Sec 30 ml Lemon Juice Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

SAVE THE FASHIONISTAS... SAVE THE WORLD

SHORTCUT TO STATEHOOD

The tickets for LSE SU )DVKLRQ 6RFLHW\ V DQQXDO FKDULW\ )DVKLRQ 6KRZ ZLOO JR RQ VDOH DIWHU &KULVWPDV For more details on the show, the society and general fashion news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and the blog: l s e s u f a s h i o n s o c i e t y. wordpress.com

CORNER

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he recent media furor RYHU WKH /HYHVRQ ,QTXLU\ into the ethics of the press has made Chris Morris’ satire of televised news all the PRUH SRLJQDQW 5DWKHU DV WKH viewer is compelled to see Dr Strangelove HYHU\ WLPH WKH world witnesses the birth of another nuclear scare, or The Third Man when a beloved public figure is unmasked for misdemeanors, so too must Morris be returned to when a media miasma of corruption DQG VKRGG\ MRXUQDOLVP LV EUR NHQ E\ D PDVV RXWFU\ IURP WKH FKDWWHULQJ FODVVHV $OWKRXJK WKH H[HPSODU\ Four Lions doubtless raised his profile, Morris remains one of the most obscure figures LQ %ULWLVK FRPHG\ <HW ERWK The Day Today and Brass Eye are as relevant to the viewer DV WKH\ ZHUH ZKHQ RULJLQDOO\ broadcast in 1994 and 1997 UHVSHFWLYHO\ Satirising both the medium of rolling news and the concept of the prime-time current DIIDLUV VSHFLDO 0RUULV‍ ݰ‏VWD\LQJ power can be see from his abilLW\ WR UXWKOHVVO\ H[SORLW WURSHV and cliches before either of them have become wideVSUHDG &RPSXWHU JUDSKLFV and bombastic indents were QRW ZLGHO\ XVHG LQ WKH PLG QLQHWLHV EXW HYHU\ RYHUORQJ

Other episodes are less FRQFHUQHG ZLWK GLUHFWO\ DW tacking journalism in particular, focusing instead on ribbing economics correspondents WKH UHGRXEWDEOH 3DWULFN 0DU EHU SOD\LQJ WKH FOXHOHVV 3HWHU 2 +DQUDKD KDQUDKDQ VSRUWV pundits (with Steve Coogan SRUWUD\LQJ $ODQ 3DUWULGJH IRU WKH ILUVW WLPH DQG ZHDWKHU reports (David Schneider as a floating head prone to mixed PHWDSKRUV 7KH FDVWLQJ LV superb, and Morris’ deserves credit for launching the caUHHUV RI VRPH RI %ULWDLQ‍ݰ‏V PRVW WDOHQWHG FRPLF DFWRUV +LV own characters are also suSHUEO\ UHFRJQLVHG HVSHFLDOO\ ZKHQ SRUWUD\LQJ DQ DQFKRU man with all the worst aspects RI WKH %%&‍ݰ‏V -HUHP\ 3D[PDQ who was able to move a woman to tears whilst giving a supSRVHGO\ FR]\ LQWHUYLHZ DERXW D -DP )HVWLYDO Brass Eye retains the surrealism of its spiritual predecessor, but ditches the wimVH\ IRU D IDU EOHDNHU PHVVDJH about the exploitative nature RI PDQ\ UHSRUWHUV DV ZHOO DV the shameless self-promotLQJ WHQGHQF\ PDQ\ FHOHEUL ties have when the promise RI JRRG SXEOLFLW\ LV ZDYHG LQ WKHLU IDFHV 7KHUHIRUH 0RUULV provides the viewer with the glorious sight of seeing Neil )R[ FODLPLQJ WKDW ‍ݳ‏JHQHWLFDO O\ SHDGRSKLOHV KDYH PRUH LQ FRPPRQV ZLWK FUDEV WKDW WKH\ GR ZLWK \RX RU PH‍ ݴ‏%HUQDUG 0DQQLQJ VROHPQO\ LQWRQLQJ WKDW ‍&ݳ‏DNH LV D PDGH XS GUXJ ,W V QRW PDGH IURP SODQWV LW V PDGH IURP FKHPLFDOV E\ VLFN EDVWDUGV‍ ݴ‏DQG IRUPHU %OXH 3H WHU SUHVHQWHU 5LFKDUG %ULHUV WDONLQJ HDUQHVWO\ DERXW WKH SHULOV RI ‍ݳ‏KHDY\ HOHFWULFLW\‍ ݴ‏ FUXVKLQJ YLOODJHV LQ 6UL /DQND At times, it is rather hard to think what Morris’ was KRSLQJ WR VKRZ E\ VHWWLQJ XS

10 ml Anisette PO &UHPH GH %DQDQH 10 ml Irish Cream Layer in shot glass. %HDYHU %DUWHQGHU

BARBORA - Coat: Zara / Skirt: Pull and Bear / T-shirt: H&M / Shoes: Gino Rossi

20

04.12.2012 | The Beaver

LEVESON SHUTS DOWN THE BEAVER that her imperial majesty, Putin-Day, completes. Indeed, it LV UXPRXUHG WKDW WKH னUVW HGLThe Beaver will be closing tion will be entirely devoted to its doors permanently after KHU னVFDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ ZKHQ this issue. It was a good run, choosing to purchase two but alas all good things must pitchers for herself, rather eventually be censored. In a than individual bottles. move sparked by the Leveson This editor looks forward inquiry, and subsequent reto the stimulating, exciting, port, Putin-Day has decided challenging, good publication, the Beaver will be removed esteemed organ, newspaper, from campus and it’s editorial work that will come from the board re-educated for more KDQG FKRVHQ VWDŕŽ‰ WKDW 3XWLQ appropriate positions within Day will choose to employ. WKH 68 FOHDQLQJ VWDŕŽ‰ 3XWLQ Executive Editor Arsebeaden Day used the Leveson report, will undoubtedly, without a as summarised by several of doubt, bring the requisite reKHU VWDŕŽ‰ LQWR SULPDU\ VFKRRO quired levels of literacy to the english, to declare that the newspaper that Putin-Day aspress must be more looked at pires to. then ever, because they’re doWhen asked how she ing well bad things like asking came to the decision to end questions. the students’ newspaper that To replace this useless, has been running for over 50 feckless, rag “the Huuneyâ€? years Putin-Day commented will be launched at the be“I hate you all. Shoddy Jourginning of next term. With nalists and free speech arsethe stated aim of “being real holes, the lot of you. I shut nice, using small words and you down cos you’re well annot being mean at all to P-Day. noying and refuse to make me Evarâ€? it can certainly be said look clev when you quote me that this editor hopes that the after asking a real hard quesHuuney will be a complete tion.â€? success. And would also like Tindick, one of Putin-Day’s WR RŕŽ‰HU WKHLU QRW LQFRQVLGHUunderlings commented that able experience at feigning an he was sad to see the newsinterest in the wider actions paper go, especially before

Ginger Whoreby

his fourteen page pullout on the various trains that could be found in and around London could be published. Fear not, if you are a train enthusiast I’ve been assured that it will be published online, at Mr Tindick’s personal blogspot. What you see on this page is an artist’s impression of what exactly the new publication might look like in the new future. The artist explained, “it is in keeping with Putin-Day’s personality, and because faketan orange won’t print that well, we went with nauseating pink instead.â€? When quizzed about the font the artist, who wishes to remain nameless “who gives a fuck? What is it with all you people who care about the font? You realise no one will read this, or even UHDG WKH %HDYHU RQ WKH னUVW place? Leave me alone you weirdo.â€? It is only hoped that the Huuney won’t spiral into the same self destructive spiral that befell the beaver. When Putin-Day inevitably forgets her passcode, and has to hack into her own phone this paper wonders whether she will be quite so Stalinist in her response to the Beaver’s phone hacking. Only time will tell.

theHunney Hunney ISSUE 01 / WEEK 01 / OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE LSESU GENERAL SEXRETARY

CAMPUS WEATHER

WED

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FRI

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5 5 5 5 5 SUNNEY ALL THE TIMES

KEEPING YOUR PET OBEDIENT Hi I am Alex Putin-Day and i really love myself and the job that i do. Today I am going to be writing about how to keep your pet in check. The way i keep my tindale under control is to carefully regulate both his sexual diet, and sleeping patterns. If my tindybaby starts to JHW UHDOO\ DJJ\ LQ WKH RIĂ€ FH , OHW him sit in my lap and then I gently rub his back. He thinks I love him, EXW UHDOO\ ,¡P MXVW DVVHUWLQJ P\ mama dominance on the issue. Another thing I do is give him a

put down compliment, like “you look nice, for someone who clearly gets dressed by their motherâ€? and then WKDW ZD\ KH OLNHV ZKDW L¡YH VDLG EXW also suffers from a sever lack of FRQĂ€ GHQFH 6R LI , QHYHU Ă€ QG ORYH , can pack it all in, and have loads of tindale babies whilst living by the side of the railway tracks and looking at trains for the rest of my life. A different way I occasionally have to ensure my dominance is by pinching the soft skin on the back RI KLV XSSHU DUP ,W¡V Ă€ QH LI , GR LW EHFDXVH L¡P D ZRPDQ DQG DV ,¡YH

VDLG UHSHDWHGO\ P\ SHW GRHVQ¡W NQRZ what oppression is about because KH LV D ÂśVWUDLJKW¡ ZKLWH ÂśPDOH¡ ZKR should never be allowed to do anything ever because he might take a job away from me. Finally I also let him watch \RXWXEH YLGHRV LQ WKH RIĂ€ FH DOO day. not those weird tentacle ones he watches at home, but the nice music ones that anyone can watch. That way mama general sexretary can get on with her work without having to deal with a whiney tindy all the time wondering why no one

emails him or ever askes him to do any real work. Then occasionally I pay for someone to send him some bullshit email and have him go to a made up committee full of just random members of the LSE WKHDWUH JURXS ,W¡V JUHDW EHFDXVH LW keeps him nice and entertained but also makes some work that I can claim I was doing all along for when those pesky journlists ask me what , JRW XS WR RQ P\ KROLGD\V ,W¡V UHDO stressful sometimes. But some huXQH\¡V JRW WR GR LW $QG WKDW KXXQH\ will forever be me.

LSESU RAG CAN’T TELL ITS BEAVERS APART Nota Bucksome-Vine The LSE RAG society was IHQGLQJ RŕŽ‰ SRLQWHG TXHVWLRQV last night, after an allegation of racism was brought against them, and their mascot. An enraged Canadian broached the issue at a special meeting late last week, angrily demanding why the RAG society continually discriminated against the North American beaver. This rabid Canadian cited this “newspaperâ€? as an example of an organisation that had managed to overcome a position of institutional racism, and now actively encourages depictions of both the Eurasian beaver, and it’s North American counterpart. :LWK WKLV SRWHQWLDO FRQŕŽ‹LFW

still raging, Private B has decided to give you his own particular guide to the beaver, and it’s many varying looks. At னUVW JODQFH LW LV RIWHQ KDUG IRU the inexperienced observer to tell a North American beaver apart from a European one. However, there are several im-

SRUWDQW GLŕŽ‰HUHQFHV EHWZHHQ the two that any self respecting beaver enthusiast should be aware of. The Eurasian beaver has a narrower muzzle, and a larger, but less rounded, head. The two species also have differing nasal openings, Eurasian being triangular, North

American is distinctly more square. ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR GLŕŽ‰HUHQFHV in the physical structure, wikipedia indicates that there is D VLJQLனFDQW GLŕŽ‰HUHQFH LQ WKH likely colouration between the pair. The North American variety have a greater tendency

to be either reddish brown, or brown. So if you’re in a conundrum over exactly which variety of beaver you’re promoting, take a step back and think exactly what kind of image you’re forcing onto the wider beaver population, and act accordingly.

21

Features A shift of focus to Russia The Beaver | 04.12.2012

ly intervene. Whilst these lines are being written, the 12,500 ton, RFS Moskva cruiser is patrolling the shores of Syria in an alarm-

current creditors of Greece have already been decided, for the case of Cyprus and Due to a myriad of factors future eventualities, Russia including the European could be an option; a stramess, the recent Gaza skirtegic shift to a benevolent mish, the American Elecfellow Orthodox entity easttions or Syria, attention has wards. Such is the direction been reasonably diverted that the so-far fruitless Calelsewhere. Nevertheless it YLQLVW னVFDO GLVFLSOLQH DGYRcould be argued that Russia cated by the ‘triple-A’ counhas been clumsily left out of tries under the auspices of the picture and thus current Angela Merkel, could force predictions and analyses are debt-trespassers to. Unless bereft of a major and imporEuropean countries enhance tant factor. their ties, re-direct their It is essential to move begeopolitical priorities and yond the determinism which provide a sustainable soludominated the way we pertion to the current debt criceived global dynamics in sis, countries will most likely the past, through a ‘develturn East, where funding can oped/underdeveloped, ‘exbe abundant if the strings ploitative/exploited’ dichotattached to it are accepted omy. by national political elites. Most of you will have While such a strategic shift seen HSBC’s brilliant ‘fact’ to Russia is extremely hard poster-adds on your way to imagine for Eastern Euroto board a plane: ‘South to pean countries, unlike in the South trade routes will domcases of Greece and Cyprus, inate future trade patterns’ China and Saudi Arabia both ‘Hong Kong has almost twice have even larger foreign exas many skyscrapers as New change reserves and both York’. FRXOG EHQHனW SROLWLFDOO\ E\ However it would be danEHFRPLQJ LQŕŽ‹XHQWLDO FUHGLgerous to call it a day for the tors. geopolitical and economic While economic ties prosuperpowers of the past, vide the ideal way to enomitting their importance KDQFH RQH‍ڑ‏V VSKHUH RI LQŕŽ‹XDQG UROH LQ FXUUHQW DŕŽ‰DLUV ence, edging at the border In the context of the Eastof resource self-sufficiency ern Mediterranean, Russia allows Russia to fair pretty is becoming an increasingly well during times of insecuimportant variable, issues rity where dependence on ranging from the ongoing exports can be impairing. Syrian Civil War to energy On a sharp contrast, Chiand debt related issues in na and the US have no such Cyprus and Greece. capacity. Despite the ChinaDuring the Foreign Afbashing rhetoric to which fairs Debate in the American both Presidential candidates Elections, the topic of Syria resorted to convince the ‘pawas extendedly discussed triotic-protectionist’ constiton the basis of what stance ing anticipation of France’s recent activity in the area. the Republic of Cyprus and uency, Sino-American trade should the US adopt towards and Britain’s contingents led With the ongoing search for the Russian Federation, in accounts for more than 500 the Rebels and the Assad re- by the Charles de Gaulle car- gas and oil in Greece and order for the latter to pro- billion dollars and it would gime. Similarily, the French rier and the HMS Illustrious Cyprus, that could provide YLGH D னYH ELOOLRQ HXUR EDLO- be interesting to see how President, Francois Hol- respectively, which will un- valuable income for their out to the former, who has HOHFWLRQ SURPLVHV DQG னQJHU lande decided to recognise dertake drills in the area. depressed economies, Rus- come under the austere eye whacking will be consigned the rebels as the Clearly, a Libyan-style sian energy companies are of credit rating agencies to oblivion post-electorally. Legitimate Representa- QR ŕŽ‹\ ]RQH ZRXOG EH D JULP likely to contract several given its exposure to Greek With its vast natural retive of the Syrian Army while escalation for the whole re- னHOGV JLYHQ WKH LQFUHDVLQJO\ banks. Gas and oil-rich Rus- sources reserves, an ambihe is currently contemplat- gion, given that Russia is pro-Russian stance of many VLD KDV EHQHனWHG IURP KLJK tious modernisation proing whether the imposed unlikely to allow for another politicians in these countries oil prices and has seen its gramme for its gargantuan arms embargo should be unfavorable regime change that stem from the dissatis- foreign exchange reserves army, a notorious but exlifted in favour of the Free in one of its few Middle- faction with other Western soar and thus making the tremely skillful leader which Syrian Army. While the me- Eastern partners. The down- partners. Such a strategic possibility of strategically has managed to slow down dia has primarily focussed ing of the Turkish reconnais- shift which would require meaningful loans a mode and reverse his country’s its attention on the legality sance jet earlier this year the backing of a nearby sta- of ‘rapprochement’. It has decline, Russia still ticks the and possibility of such sup- through the use of Russian tioned naval contingent to been rumored that former box as a force to be reckport within the context of anti-aircraft systems is a avoid any eventualities that Greek-PM George Papan- oned with. While this article International Law, few powerful reminder to those might arise from Turkey dis- dreou, evidently pro-West- would go short of backing have questioned whether that ignore the current ex- puting the two aforemen- ern unlike his late father, Romney’s claim that Russia NATO or Turkey in particu- ternal dynamics in the Syr- tioned countries’ exclusive ZDV RŕŽ‰HUHG D ‍Ú?‏5XVVLDQ SODQ‍ ڑ‏is the US’ and the West’s lar - given its willingness ian Civil-War. economic rights. but turned it down in favour No.1 geopolitical antagonist, WR ŕŽ‹H[ LWV PXVFOHV QRZ WKDW It hardly is surprising On a broader context, of a quadripartite memo- it certainly has become once its regional status has been that Russia is backing the debt-ridden countries such randum with the ECB, the more a powerful Variable. XSJUDGHG FDQ HŕŽ‰HFWLYH- Assad regime, given that its as the aforementioned two, EC and the IMF. While the WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

Georgios Barzoukas

only naval base in the Mediterranean is located in the port-city of Tartus; a privilege that one would be foolish to put at risk given the

could essentially slip away from Europe and into the VSKHUH RI LQŕŽ‹XHQFH RI UHsource-rich Russia. There are ongoing talks between

22

Features

04.12.2012 |

The Beaver

Taking a stance against corruption “Corruption not only erodes WKH WUXVW DQG FRQனGHQFH WKDW citizens hold in one another and in their governments, it also robs the citizens and governments of resources that could be invested in a brighter futureâ€? – Hillary Rodham Clinton’s address to the IACC. Brasilia, an entirely man made city, constructed in the 1950s and inspired on Don Bosco’s 1883 prophecy, was the meeting place for more than 2,000 international participants. From the 7th to the 10th of November this airplane shaped city became the venue for the 15th edition of the international Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), organized by Transparency International (TI) and inaugurated by Brazil’s head of 6WDWH 'LOPD 5RXVHŕŽ‰ Identical Ministries lined up one after another, somber, sober, futuristic, exempliனHG %UDVLOLDvV GLVWLQFW DUFKLtecture: tall buildings, wide streets, open curves, sharp angles, eclectic geometry and a peculiar anti-pedestrian urban design. Brazil’s political epicenter welcomed a large variety of top notch activists to share their local experiences and give their thoughts on corruption from endless perspectives: environmental, gender, grassroots, developPHQW னQDQFLDO MXGLFLDO KXman rights, and more. Domas Burkauskas a EURDGFDVWLQJ MRXUQDOLVW IURP Lithuania interviewed Transparency International’s cofounder Frank Vogl. This HFRQRPLVW MRXUQDOLVW DQG DQWL corruption activist worked as a senior official in the World Bank throughout the 1980s, yet moved by how corruption JUDYHO\ DŕŽ‰HFWHG WKH OLYHV health and well-being of local communities in Africa, teamed up with Peter Eigen, former Director of the World Bank in East Africa, to create a group against corruption. “And so together we started Transparency International in 1993, a small group of us, and today we are in 100 countries, we have thousands of members and a dream of 20 years ago is becoming a realityâ€?, states Vogl. As an LSE Global Media and Communications Masters VWXGHQW DQG DVSLULQJ MRXUQDOLVW WKH 7, QHWZRUN RŕŽ‰HUHG D worth wild opportunity to engage in multinational debates with local practitioners and international political icons. One of such experts included Richard Goldstone, a South $IULFDQ MXGJH ZKR OHG NH\ inquires like the UN Human Right Council investigation on humanitarian law violations in the Gaza War of 2009, the International Independent Inquiry of Kosovo, and the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia

and Rwanda. In an interview conducted by Transparency’s international “Young Journalists� team, Goldstone is asked, what is needed to end impunity? In a nutshell, this UN Judge says Humanitarian law has led an important movement against impunity but what is truly necessary to attack corruption are institutions that work, that are accessible to all and that are owned by local people. “You are not going to stop corruption on international and local levels if people don’t believe they are going to get caught,� says Goldstone.

artists and musicians shared their thoughts and local battles; their empowerment was contagious. Andrew Ochieng, D .HQ\DQ \RXQJ MRXUQDOLVW interviewed Pauline Wanya, a Kenyan founder of GYAC who explained that, “3 years ago the World Bank had an LGHD WR MRLQ \RXQJ SHRSOH network them, and provide a platform for shared learning RI SURMHFWV RQ FRUUXSWLRQ DQG governance. There were only 10 young people but now the forum has grown to around 1,500 onlineâ€?. The GYAC platIRUP RŕŽ‰HUV D VSDFH WR FRQQHFW youth, exchange initiatives, it

Baltasar Garzon, former 6SDQLVK MXGJH ZKR LQ issued a warrant of arrest for former Chilean president, Agusto Pinchoet, who is currently suspended from the Spanish courts for his investigations of corruption and human rights violations during the Spanish Civil War and who represents Wikileaks’ Julian Assange, has become a controversial and enigmatic னJXUH LQ WKH னJKW DJDLQVW FRUruption and a key speaker at the IACC. 6SDQLVK MRXUQDOLVW 0DULD 0HGLQD UHSRUWV RQ %DOWDVDUvV strong stance in promoting MXGLFLDO UHIRUP WR PDNH FRUruption a crime in international law; a systemic vision of corruption which goes beyond malfeasance, and looks at the social, economic and KXPDQLWDULDQ HŕŽ‰HFW RQ VRFLHties. Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International stated in an IACC Plenary of the Rio +20 Conference, “we need to broaden WKH GHனQLWLRQ RI FRUUXSWLRQ‍ ڕ‏ precisely because its consequences are also, and in a big way, environmental, “we have to recognize that nature does not negotiate, we cannot change the science, we have to change the policy.â€? The IACC constituted a dynamic intergenerational an interdisciplinary hub that transcended the ‘big shot’ discourse format. Two days before the event, the Global Youth Anti-Corruption Network, created and supported by the World Bank, held its forum as a prelude to the IACC. <RXQJ DFWLYLVWV MRXUQDOLVWV

provides grants for ICT proMHFWV DQG RŕŽ‰HUV D VSHFLDO SODFH for artists through its “Fair Play Anti-Corruption Music Competitionâ€?. This year’s 1st place winner Yussra El Hawary whose song and music video portray an example of police resistance to the Egyptian revolution, performed in the LSE last week. In an interview with RaMQHHVK %KDQGDUL D PXOWLPHGLD MRXUQDOLVW EDVHG LQ 1HSDO Pablo Zapala, member of Tactical Technology Collective, who does training in digital VHFXULW\ IRU MRXUQDOLVWV DQG DFtivists in Latin America, says “it’s a little tricky to understand how the internet works and where all this information can go, but you have to start learning and understandingâ€?. ICTs was a big part of the IACC’s strategies to promote transparency and Tactical Tech is an NGO that uses technology to promote change, to mobilize, to investigate, and to help activists empower local communities. Like Technical Tech, dozens of other institutions, tech savvy investigators, programPHUV DQG GDWD MRXUQDOLVWV WRRN SDUW LQ WKH ,$&&‍ڑ‏V னUVW Hackathon. Throughout the Conference, Hackers and organizations worked together LQ FUHDWLQJ SURMHFWV VXFK DV websites, social network applications, smartphone apps and all types of technological innovations, that propose solutions for problems and corruption related issues previously submitted to the IACC. Hafawa Rebhi, a young TuQLVLDQ MRXUQDOLVW LQWHUYLHZHG

WATCHSMART

Maria Paula Brito

Narcisse Mbunzam founder of Technova Group, who dedicates his time developing ICTs and environmental techQRORJLHV WR னJKW FRUUXSWLRQ in Africa. As part of the IACC Hakathon, Mbunzam was deYHORSLQJ D SURMHFW WKDW DOORZV citizens to see in real time the taxes paid by oil and mining companies and how the governments spends it. The digital gap in unequal societies poses many questions as to how useful ICTs are in the னHOG \HW DFFRUGLQJ WR 0EXQzam, mobile applications and web applications “will be increasingly used especially in the developing world, where the problem of corruption is the most serious.â€? In the context of this debate, Manish Bapna from the World Resources Institute states that “for those of us who work on environmental issues, transparency is helped by technology.â€? Bapna illustrated how WHFKQRORJ\ VSHFLனFDOO\ LQ WKH creation of maps, has played a key role in the battle against deforestation: “Take Indonesia, before, the maps publicly available in Indonesia were from 2006, analyzed in 2007, and put on the internet in 2008. But now, technology will let us put up global maps that are actualized every sixteen days, in any place in the world,â€? putting a strain on illegal logging, over deforestation and land grabbing. Other related examples reported by Jessica Weiss, DQ $PHULFDQ MRXUQDOLVW ZULWing from Argentina, include Change.org, an initiative that provides a platform for citizens to denounce corruption, which has grown to have 25 million users and that played a key role in the Mexican protests against Walmart. Whilst the Conference took place, Brasilia’s new stadium for the 2013 World Cup was being constructed only a few miles away from the IACC venue. Yolaan Begbie a South $IULFDQ PXOWLPHGLD MRXUQDOist, David Klaubert, a German political editor, and Manuel Medina a Mexican sports writer, reported on the network of illegal activities that are meaning to take advantage of the 2013 mega event. ,Q D SDQHO WKH MRXUQDOLVWV covered, Dago Kos, an International Commissioner at the Independent Joint AntiCorruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee in Afghanistan, stated that measures must be taken to provide transparency and a clean games environment next year. For this, Brasil will create an Anti Corruption Agency for Sports, relies on existing institutional framework: its Sports Code, and has recently created websites to make information on spending transparent. “Silencing corruption is

VLOHQFLQJ MRXUQDOLVWV‍ ڕ‏VWDWHV Anthony Mills, Director of International Press Institute. In the panel “corruption grows LQ VLOHQFH‍ ڕ‏5XVVLDQ MRXUQDOist Galina Sidorova stated that MRXUQDOLVWV KDYH GLHG VR IDU this year. Andrea Arzaba, MexLFDQ IUHHODQFH MRXUQDOLVW FRYered this event and reminds us of how important transparHQF\ ODZV னQDQFLDO VXSSRUW and personal security are to LQYHVWLJDWLYH MRXUQDOLVWV ,Q D similar tone, Andrew Ochieng interviews Michela Wrong, author of “It’s our turn to eatâ€?. Wrong tells the story of a Kenyan whistleblower, and states for the interview that when the book was released, she was highly advised to stay clear of the country. Wrong says the problem is WKDW ‍ڔ‏.HQ\DQ MRXUQDOLVWV GRQ‍ڑ‏W have that luxury. They have to write about corruption, they have to expose people, then they have to go home at night and they are vulnerable. I have a real luxury of not having to live in the country where sometimes I have exposed people.â€? Despite ups and downs in the media industry’s reputation, reminding us of current 8. GHEDWHV WKH UROH RI MRXUQDOLVWV LQ WKH னJKW DJDLQVW FRUruption, has in the IACC proven to still be central. As part of this transnational whorl pool invited to attend the IACC: Ministers, State representatives, diplomats, NGOs, think tanks, academics and organized civil society worldwide; Transparency International, in a unique initiative to empower youth and communicate the contents of the Conference, selected a diverse group of talented “Young Journalistsâ€? to meet in Brasilia to report. Throughout the four days, this absorbed batch of watchdogs, documentarians, photographers, social media exSHUWV DQG VWRU\WHOOHUV RŕŽ‰HUHG their audiences a multimedia glimpse of what the conference was all about. This group of driven professionals represented a vast variety of countries: Nigeria, USA, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Germany, Ukraine, Lithuania, Tunisia, Canada, Egypt, and the UK, and as you PD\ KDYH QRWLFHG WKHLU HŕŽ‰RUWV have constituted the main input for this article. Mary Jane Ncube, Executive Director of Transparency International Zimbabwe, stated in an interview with RaMQHHVK %KDQGDUL ‍ڔ‏%HLQJ LQWHUested in Governance doesn’t mean that you have to be a Politian, it means that you are a concerned citizen, and we feel that every young person should a concerned citizen. So we say get involved, be interested, be part of the governing system of your countryâ€?.

Features

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

23

Modern Day Slavery, an issue far from abolished Lucie Rehakova, Anti-Slavery Society

Slavery: is it still present in the 21st century? Yes. Although slavery seems like an obsolete and long-since-abandoned concept, it continues to have an impact on numerous lives. In IDFW DERXW ன YH WKRXVDQG RI WKRVH DŕŽ‰ HFWHG DUH LQ /RQGRQ on these very streets. There is a thin line between injustice in an employment relationship and slavery and it is being crossed far too often. Slavery, as a form of ownership of human beings has been legally abolished, but so has been racism. However, legal abolishment does not translate directly into human behaviour, as we all are reminded of quite frequently. Earlier this month the SU

anti-Slavery Society held a talk with Michaela AlfredKamara, a representative of the Anti-Slavery International. Those who attended the talk left with their jaws dropped. Michaela managed to put the concept of slavery into perspective the audience could relate to. “Students might not be directly concerned with sex trafficking, but there is no need to take it that far. There is a great deal of forced labour going on in the building industry. The toilet attendance in your favourite club is most probably not enjoying much labour protective legislation either.� Arguably, the topic of the biggest interest was the UK legislation concerning overseas domestic workers in private households. The law allows for foreign

domestic workers to obtain a UK visa. However, the visa binds the migrant to their employer, which they are not allowed to change. This law also includes a clause stating that the status of a domestic worker does not entitle one to the UK regulations on maximum working time, minimum wage or safety at workplace measures. This is because domestic workers living in households are legally treated as family members. Further, their immigration status is entirely dependant on their employer’s will. Therefore, should the situation be unbearable, the only alternative to slavery becomes homelessness or deportation. In sum, the UK law allows a de facto legalplatform for an employment relationship that ANTI-SLAVERY INTERNATIONAL

resembles the concepts of slavery or servitude. Hidden in the privacy of the employer’s house, the people concerned can easily be abused physically and mentally, their freedom of movement might be restricted and their passports taken away. Surely, we can all imagine the potential dangers that emerge from the lack of protective legislation and implausibility of regulation. The percentages provided by a community advocate Jenny Moss from Kalayaan, an organisation concerned with justice for domestic workers, are disturbing. Half of those immigrants in contact with the organisation work for more than sixteen hours a day. Fifty-seven percent say their passport has been kept by their employer and a similar percentage of them were not allowed to leave the household on their own or without permission. Seventeen percent were subjected to physical abuse and weepLQJ ன IW\ HLJKW SHUFHQW RI GR mestic workers were abused mentally. Why, then, is it that not much attention has been devoted to this issue? Being deliberately ignorant to slavery should certainly be of a concern in a developed Western country. The aspect of the laws which seems to be most ‘suspicious’ is the dependence on the employer. Hence, being allowed to change employers might be an essential part of the solution. However, as Michaela from AntiSlavery International said, immigration in general is a hot topic in the UK and the tendency is to restrict rather than to loosen the legislation. The Coalition, in its programme, has vowed to reduce net immigration.

“We also recognise that to ensure cohesion and protect our public services, we need to introduce a cap on immigration and reduce the number of non-EU immigrants.â€? It must be said, however, that not all domestic workers who come to this country on this visa are subjected to slavery or exploitation. It is, ultimately, an opportunity for foreigners to come and earn some money for their families back home or to learn English. However, the balance between domestic labour and VODYHU\ RU VHUYLWXGH LV ன QH and the impossibility of controlling private households UHQGHUV LW HYHQ ன QHU 7KH GL lemma is whether or not to abolish the domestic workHU VSHFLன F YLVD DOO WRJHWKHU However, it is, after all, a platform which facilitates employment for thousands of people from usually underdeveloped countries and an opportunity for them to send remittances back home. (15,350 domestic worker visa admissions in 2010 according to the UKBA). Sadly, domestic labour is only one of the categories under the umbrella of modern-day slavery. There are twentyseven million people currently enslaved in the world according to the Polaris Project. The perception of slavery has changed. In the times of post-Darwinist morality it has become more of an economic exercise rather than a naturalist, race or caste-based notion. However, the concept remains the same. There are real people being exploited in real time and we have a chance to do something about it. If this issue is of any interest to you, come along to the SU Anti-Slavery Society’s

Government Headache Over Prisoners’ Votes Liam Hill, Politics Columnist

The European Court of Human Rights’ ruling that Britain’s blanket ban on prisoners voting should be overturned is continuing to cause the government problems. David Cameron has previously said that the idea of votes for prisoners makes him “physically ill.� Parliament voted overwhelmingly, 234 to 22, against giving votes to any prisoners, early in 2011. Despite all this, it seems likely that, in some form, at some point, Parliament will pass a bill which allows some prisoners to vote. This has implications for Britain’s relationship with the ECHR. Some have suggested that complying with the demands of the ECHR presents a challenge to the sovereignty of Parliament. However, Parliament signed up to the rulings of the ECHR in 1951 of

its own accord. Furthermore, Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, concluded that is Britain did ignore the ECHR’s ruling the repercussions would be “ultimately political and not legal.â€? Britain has a reputation for upholding the rule of law, which poses another problem to those who would rather not comply with the ECHR’s ruling. 2QH MXVWLன FDWLRQ JLYHQ IRU why Parliament should allow some prisoners to vote, in compliance with the Court’s ruling, is that Britain would have less moral and legal authority when criticising regimes who fail to uphold the standards of human rights and the rule of law if it failed to do so. While drawing equivalence what happens in Russia or Belarus or Hungary and not allowing prisoners to

vote seems imprudent and irrational, it could be the case that countries whose citizens GR VXŕŽ‰ HU UHDO KXPDQ ULJKWV abuses could call Britain hypocritical for asking them to comply with international human rights, when Britain herself has such an aversion to certain aspects of it. Part of the main debate surrounding prisoners’ suffrage centres on whether voting is a civic right or a human right. If it is a civic right then it can be just as easily removed by the state as it can be provided. If it is a human right then perhaps more careful consideration is necessary. However, the human rights of prisoners are already constrained by the mere fact that they have been incarcerated: their liberty, a basic human right, has been taken away by the state which, in most cases,

is considered the sensible and just thing to do. The purpose of incarceration, then, becomes central to the debate. Are prisoners being punished for their actions or is the purpose of prison to protect society and rehabilitate criminals? If prison is punishment then taking away certain rights and privileges enjoyed by free citizens, like voting, seems wholly acceptable. If the purpose of incarceration is the protection of free members of society from harm or loss then allowing prisoners to vote is hardly antithetical to this. The positive case for prisoners’ votes might be supported by the idea that allowing some prisoners to vote would have a positive rehabiliWDWLYH HŕŽ‰ HFW DQG ZRXOG PDNH them re-engage with society. However, it is probably right to be sceptical about how

much a vote can make a person engage with society, and any claim that people being allowed in prison would bring GRZQ UHRŕŽ‰ HQGLQJ UDWHV UH TXLUHV HPSLULFDO MXVWLன FDWLRQ This debate will carry on. The legislative timetable for the bill containing the legalisation of votes for prisoners, if that is what the government chooses to do, could mean that it is delayed until after the next election, which PLJKW PHDQ D GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW JRY ernment dealing with the issue. Indeed, votes for prisoners could become a topic for debate around election time, with parties likely to be trading blows about the criminal justice system and Britain’s relationship with the ECHR. Prisoners’ voting is an issue unlikely to disappear from the political landscape: it will NHHS RQ UHRŕŽ‰ HQGLQJ

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Features

04.12.2012 | The Beaver

Seven Egyptian Christians sentenced to death Jamie Pelling, Amnesty International Society

sentence. Christians make up around 10% of Egypt’s population of 83 million and as a minority, are said to be subject to constant abuse and discrimination. Anti-Death Penalty campaigners such as Amnesty International point out that this is a worrying backwards step for Egypt, as their human rights record had been said to be improving, despite the arbitrary nature of the judicial system in post-Mubarak government. However, since the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) assumed power in February 2011, over 12,000 civilians, mostly protesters, have faced military trials, often on trumped up charges

without lawyers, the right to call witnesses or to appeal. In addition, the SCAF added QHZ RŕŽ‰ HQFHV WR WKH UDQJH RI crimes punishable by death in Egypt, including rape, sectarian violence, and “thuggery,â€? the Amnesty report said. This in turn poses questions about the fragile state of countries in which revolutions have taken place. Perhaps the most important lesson to be drawn is from history. Overthrowing tyranny does not in itself establish democracy, but more often yields anarchy. And from anarchy and disorder comes renewed tyranny such as in the case of Egypt. This is not to oppose revolutions, which are products of

historical forces that cannot be stopped. Nor is it to criticise brave revolutionaries. Rather Benjamin Barber in ‘The Guardian’ maintains that the West is to blame for its impatience and its belief that democracy can be imposed in a hurry from the outside. The blind and unconditional support of Western governments in London, Paris, or Washington in supporting revolutions, often leads to human rights crises, and it is unrealistic to deny that this is foreseeable. Western nations must help movements within the nation in question to build up democratic institutions and stop the arrogant, post-colonial interfering.

BEAUTIFUL FACES OF PALESTINE

A court in Cairo has sentenced to death seven Egyptian Christians who were tried in absentia for participating in an anti-Islam video that prompted violent protests in many Muslim countries. In 2011, 123 civilians were executed in Egypt, and this year human rights activists remain concerned that the death penalty is being increasingly employed as a suppressive tool in the aftermath of Arabic revolutions. The low-budget video ‘Innocence of Muslims’, was produced privately in California and triggered anti-US pro-

tests and attacks on western embassies in September. It depicted the prophet Muhammad as a religious fraud, a paedophile, and a womanizer. Cast members have said they were misled into appearing LQ D ன OP WKH\ EHOLHYHG ZDV DQ adventure drama called “Desert Warrior.â€? The defendants were implicated in its crime against Islam although absent from Egypt at the date of trial. “The seven accused persons were convicted of insulting the Islamic religion through participating in proGXFLQJ DQG RŕŽ‰ HULQJ D PRYLH that insults Islam and its prophet,â€? said the judge, Saif al-Nasr Soliman. Many are outraged at the

The rise of Bal Thackeray Gurdeep Chhina

Three weeks ago hundreds and thousands of people packed the streets of Mumbai to mourn a controversial man. Bal Thackeray, who lead the right-wing Hindu nationalist SDUW\ 6KLY 6HQD VWDUWHG RŕŽ‰ as a cartoonist but went on to command huge amounts of power in Mumbai. A charismatic man with a natural talent for captivating audiences, he reportedly admired Hitler and once played host to Michael Jackson. There is, however, more to this quirky man than can be assumed by looking at his huge following. The brand of nationalism he inspired was often xenophobic and violent. At his whim books were banned and businesses boycotted. His death marks the uneasy closing of an era of Indian politics marred by violence and divide. Shiv Sena began in the late 1960s as a party pushing for the preferential treatment of native Maharashtrians in proWHVW WR DQ LQŕŽ‹ X[ RI PLJUDQWV who were reportedly “stealing

jobsâ€? in Mumbai. The party claimed to be simply defending the rights of Maharashtrians but in reality this often translated into violence against Muslims and Southern immigrants. Immigrant owned businesses were often attacked or boycotted. Members of Shiv Sena were involved in WKH QRWRULRXVO\ ன HUFH ULRWV that took place in Mumbai between Muslims and Hindus in 1992. Thackeray’s stance till recent times has been consistently anti-Muslim. His rhetoric speaks for itself “Islamic terrorism is growing and Hindu terrorism is the only way to counter it. We need suicide bomb squads to protect India and Hindus.â€? His opposition was not limited to minorities, it sometimes spanned to western culture. Thackeray’s party bizarrely campaigned against Valentine’s Day, and he was also heavily involved in the reversion of Bombay to its pre-colonial title of “Mumbai.â€? Thackeray also seemed determined to keep open India-Pakistan rifts. Despite be-

ing bed-ridden by his illness, a few weeks before his death, he wrote an article in a Shiv Sena publication condoning the cricket matches that had been scheduled between India and Pakistan. He was not one to let grudges go easily. Populist nationalism was used to gain much of the Shiv Sena leader’s support amongst ordinary people. He quickly gained a reputation for being an excellent orator, and his addresses in Shivaji Park soon became an annual event. It does, however, seem strange that the death of a man holding such intolerant and far right views would receive so much attention from India’s Congress government, which after all is supposed to be secularist. It seems that the lack of criticism from the Indian government is a testaPHQW WR KLV LQŕŽ‹ XHQFH Thackeray’s nickname, “the Tigerâ€?, is telling of the sheer power he held in Mumbai. From its conception Shiv Sena quickly began to gain inŕŽ‹ XHQFH DUPHG ZLWK LWV VWURQJ nationalism it had formed

a tough network bolstered by the support of often violent street gangs. In the late nineties Thackeray himself chose to stay out of an official elected position. Instead, he chose to install others in state government and opted to pull the puppet strings from behind the scenes. His control and ability to incite created an aura of power and immunity from the law. Despite his clear involvement in religious clashes, he has never been convicted for them. The silencing of Thackeray’s critics is yet another sign of his unusual hold on control. In 2010 Mumbai University was forced to drop Rohinton Mistry’s “Such a Long Journey� from one of its reading lists as it contained a negative portrayal of the Shiv Sena party. Even Following the death of “the Tiger� two Indian girls were arrested for posting comments on Facebook questioning the need to shut down Mumbai for his death. It seems that in recent times though there has been

much less of an appetite for WKLV NLQG RI ன HU\ UKHWRULF amongst Marathi people. The number of seats held in state elections dropped gradually over the years. A breakaway group formed by Bal Thackeray’s nephew has revealed splits in the party. In a modern India which holds the memories of the Mumbai riots fresh in its mind, there is little room for politicians like Thackeray. More clued up voters are less likely to fall for this kind of populist appeal. The extremely well attended funeral and the arrest of those speaking against Thackeray can be seen as the last dramatic twist in his colourfully commanding career. When considering what he actually stood for it seems strange and wrong that this man held such popularity. What Thackeray stood for is not necessarily admirable but his ability to foster support around the cult of the personality is. It can be looked at as an aspect of Indian politics which is hopefully becoming outdated.

Features

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

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The Clever Authoritarian Egypt? At present, one can only say is that the Revolution has not yet exited the perilous stage where it may simply result in the re-emergence old authoritarian regime, only this time Islamic. There can be absolutely no doubt that Morsi knew what kind of reaction his new powers would inspire, nor how it would be interpreted in view of a Revolution that has already taken many unexpected twists and turns. In short, President Morsi is not a man to be underestimated – where others might have faltered in the face of massive opposition, he does not appear to be rescinding his decision anytime soon. This is vital for any future consideration of the Egyptian path to democracy – the President is more than willing to undertake

The timing of Mohamed Morsi’s declaration granting himself sweeping powers and placing himself beyond judicial oversight could not have been better, coming in only a day after the official end of Operation Pillar of Cloud in Gaza and at a time where much of international attention was directed towards the suffering of civilians there. On 30 November, Egypt’s constituent assembly (which had been boycotted by liberals and Christians) rushed through and approved a draft version of a new constitution, leading some to label it the ‘Muslim Brotherhood constitution’. While much of the Arab world busied itself with the standard fare of condemning the Israeli tyrants, the Egyptian President has been able to avoid the international spotlight that might make his latest move in securing power more difficult. Dictator in the making, or protector of the Arab Spring? It is still too early to tell – what we do know, however, is that Morsi is a very clever man. When the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) took over in Egypt, many expected nothing less than the continuation of the old regime under a military junta, not the new supposed figurehead of a president dismissing their decree curbing presidential powers. When this in turn seemed likely to result in a showdown in the constitutional court, even fewer expected Morsi to place himself beyond their jurisdiction as he had done so on 22 November, effectively combining a strong executive, an ignored judiciary and a legislature controlled by Islamists – the perfect mixture for authoritarianism. Already several major protests have taken place in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt, protesting the decree of a man the parliamentary opposition has derogatorily labeled ‘the new pharaoh’. Yet without the same degree of international coverage or support from the Arab world, again too busy concerning itself with Gaza, the protests could not sustain themselves. From the classic slogan of ‘the people want the downfall of the regime’, the protests slowly reduced to calling for the removal of President Morsi, to calling for constitutional reform, to a mere occupation of Tahrir Square. The ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ constitution is likely to spark major protests again, something that the Egyptian people must never cease to conduct if they wish to secure the freedom that they had fought so hard for. What does this mean for

DONKEYHOTEY

Dominic Hung

controversial actions others may shirk from. The major worry now is that Morsi will utilize this power to its greatest extent even after adopting the new constitution in a few weeks time, allowing himself and the Muslim Brotherhood to further dictate the future course of Egypt. Already Morsi has shown himself to be more ideologically close with Hamas in Gaza, playing a pivotal role in securing the ceasefire there – though this should be considered from a strategic aspect as well, in attempting to lure Hamas away from the Shiite fold of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. One of the greatest dangers challenging emerging democracies like Egypt is who gets to define how the democracy works and who

gets to be part of it – at the moment, the Islamists appear to be inching ever closer to being the only ones fulfilling both criteria. Egypt’s fate may not lie in the hands of one man or group, as the overthrow of Mubarak certainly showed, but its current direction certainly does. The key indicator is yet to come – will Morsi relinquish this power when the time comes for him to do so and ensure the new constitution is one that will not only serve the interests of Islamists, or is this merely another stepping stone to achieving the kind of power the Muslim Brotherhood could only dream of having under Mubarak’s regime? We will know in a few weeks time – until then, the Egyptian people must never stop making their voices – and discord – heard.

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| The Beaver

Is Ed really the future? Liam Hill, Politics Columnist

plans to make the economy work for ordinary people. Labour is focusing on reforms which would improve fairness in the economy without LQFUHDVLQJ WKH GHனFLW OLNH the Living Wage, reforming the banking system and creating competition in the energy sector. Labour will push the claim that the Tories are out of touch with issues that really matter to working people, by attacking the Tories on the economy. The Tories will do the same by attacking Labour on immigration and on other social issues, if their

However, if Lib Dems can claw back some of their vote from Labour, either by changing leader or breaking clean from coalition policy somehow, this could damage Miliband’s chances of being handed the keys to Number 10. 8.,3 PD\ JDLQ LWV னUVW MPs at the next election, after a strong showing likely in the European elections in 2014 (pollsters are saying either they or Labour will win that election), but more crucial will be the share of the vote it achieves in Labour-Tory marginal seats. The more

will, of course, be a major determinant. If the Tories can reasonably claim to have almost HOLPLQDWHG WKH GHனFLW DQG grown the economy simultaneously then this will be strong for them. Similarly, /DERXU KDV WR னQG D EDOance between winning over swing voters with a credible message and keeping the core and trade union vote by opposing the government enough. Whether supporting the government’s projected spending plans for, perhaps one or two years, as Blair and Brown did, would win or lose Labour votes overall is one of the touch decisions Labour’s leadership is having to make. The Tories will claim that /DERXU LV னVFDOO\ LUUHVSRQVLble and might borrow more WKDQ WKH FRXQWU\ FRXOG DŕŽ‰RUG Labour will claim, depending on the economy, either that the government’s economic policy has utterly failed for Britain, or that the plan has delivered only for the richest in society. The Labour narrative could focus very much on the unfair distribution of prosperity in our economy, and its

campaign manager Linton Crosby’s previous record is anything to go by. Which narrative penetrates the soul of Britain and translates into electoral success will depend upon the formulation and the execution of the vision each party presents. The decrease in the Lib Dem vote and the increase in the UKIP vote will also KDYH D JUHDW HŕŽ‰HFW RQ WKH UHsult of the election. The Lib 'HP YRWH IDOOLQJ ZLOO EHQHனW Labour: Labour will gain a higher proportion of disaffected Lib Dem voters than the Conservatives, and this will be crucial in swing seats. Theoretically, Labour could win the next election without winning over a single voter who preferred Cameron over Brown in 2010, simply by winning over a large enough number of former Lib Dems. The Lib Dems are likely, however, to have a strong incumbent advantage, as many of its MPs are regarded as good constituency MPs. This is bad news for the Tories as half of their 40 target seats at the next election currently have a sitting Lib Dem MP.

votes UKIP gets from Eurosceptic conservatives unhappy with David Cameron, the PRUH LW EHQHனWV /DERXU 3Rtential UKIP voters, however, might well be fully aware of this and less willing to vote for a minor party if the policy outcome is more pro-European than it would otherwise be. Europe will be a divisive issue, as ever. Pressure will be on David Cameron to promise referendums and to try to negotiate the return of certain powers to parliament. Ed Miliband’s increasingly Euro-sceptic stance (“Europragmatismâ€?, he calls it) may undermine David Cameron as the prime minister tries to balance credibility with populism on Europe. There is likely to be a referendum of some sort on Europe at some point: Labour’s policy chief Jon Cruddas supports one, and if Ed Miliband announced his support for one after the next election, Cameron would either have to follow his lead or risk infuriating his backbenchers and losing many votes. Equally, if voters judge that Miliband is purring a

ARCHIVED DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

The lines along which the next election in Britain will be fought are beginning to become clear. The state of the economy will, of course, be a major factor, but the other issues will also be crucial to the prospects of each party. In what is just less than two-and-a-half years between now and the next general election the strategy will be chosen, the troops readied and the messages prepared. What do we already know about what will happen when the United Kingdom votes in 2015? We assume we will be electing 650 MPs to the House of Commons. The planned constituency boundary changes, which would have cut the size of the ComPRQV E\ KDYH EHHQ HŕŽ‰HFtively vetoed by Nick Clegg, in response to Conservatives blocking his own attempts to replace the House of Lords with a democratically-elected Upper Chamber. There have been reports that Conservatives have negotiating with the nationalist and Northern Irish MPs in the House of Commons in the hope that they might still pass the reIRUPV ZKLFK ZLOO EHQHனW WKH Conservatives. If the Conservatives do manage to negotiate with enough minor party MPs to pass the boundary reforms into law long enough before the next election to secure the implementation of a new arrangement of 600 constitXHQFLHV WKH HŕŽ‰HFWV ZLOO EH considerable. The current system instils a bias towards Labour, explained principally by the fact that the turnout in urban, working-class constituencies, which tend to vote Labour, is lower than turnout in rural, more prosperous constituencies, which are more likely to go blue at election time. This is why the Conservatives need to be further ahead of the second placed party in terms of the popular vote to win a majority than Labour does. David Cameron won 306 seats with 36% of the vote, whereas Tony Blair won 355 with 35 னYH \HDUV EHIRUH If the current constituency boundaries are upheld, this would make winning an outright majority more difficult for the Conservatives, and easier for Labour. Neither side will want to throw away an advantage: Conservatives think they are addressing an unfair imbalance in the system, and Labour think that Tories are attempting to change how the system

ZRUNV IRU HOHFWRUDO EHQHனW On a uniform swing, Labour needs a three point lead for a majority without the boundary changes and four point lead if they do go ahead. Similarly, the Conservatives need a lead of seven points with the boundary changes but an eleven point lead without them. I should mention this is based on a model which treats the Lib Dem vote as a constant, which, of course, it is not. This shows how difficult it will be for the Conservatives to win an outright majority. The state of the economy

crude populism above his principles, they might punish him for his opportunism. If Scots vote for independence in 2014, there will be a considerable electoral HŕŽ‰HFW RQ /DERXU ZKR ZLOO lose far more parliamentary seats than their rivals. This does not mean that Ed Miliband could never be prime minister of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but it would make his task greatly more difficult. Tories are in the strange position of campaigning against an outcome ZKLFK ZRXOG EHQHனW WKHP electorally, but the Conservative and Unionist Party would be betraying its founding principles if it secretly hoped for the break-up of Britain. In order to win, David Cameron will need to increase his share of the vote; a feat no sitting prime minister has achieved since 1974, when Harold Wilson added two per cent to his share of the vote compared to election held nine months previously. He will have to overcome a historical precedent, which stacks the odds against him. Ed Miliband, in a way, has already done this. The Labour Party has not, as it did following its defeats in 1931, 1951 and 1979 fallen into a cycle RI GLYLVLRQ LQனJKWLQJ DQG DQ inward-looking disregard for the electorate. Precedent, though, exists WR EH EURNHQ :LWK DQ HŕŽ‰HFtive message and a strong campaign, as well as the right economic and international circumstances, Cameron could win a majority in 2015. The Tories need to gain just 21 seats to win a majority, while Labour need 72. But, in reality, it is the Tories who have greater obstacles to overcome. If Ed Miliband can fashion a narrative based on LaERXU‍ڑ‏V HFRQRPLF DQG னVFDO credibility, their competence as a party of government, in contrast to the ‘omnishambles’ coalition, and creating fairness in the economy without reckless spending, then it has a good chance of needing the coalition to simply stay on track. David Cameron faces greater obstacles than Ed Miliband: the lack of boundary changes, his incumbency and the advantage the Lib Dems and UKIP will provide to Labour will all count against Cameron. The race is wide open, and while underestimating the Conservatives would imperil Labour’s chances, it seems not altogether unwise to start talking about the prospect of prime minister Ed Miliband.

Social

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The Beaver 04.12.2012

27

Take a walk on the wild side

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enjoy reading books in the early morning with a cup of hot chrysanthemum tea sending forth its sweet aroma beside me when the sun rises above the horizon. However, even though I cherish that moment of quiet, I have never been a shut-in homebody. As soon as there is a spring break or a summer vacation, interesting travel plans dive into my mind all of a sudden. Travel is a break from quantitative and suSHUனFLDO OHDUQLQJ DOORZLQJ IRU D PRUH TXDOLWDtive and intensive experience. Suffice to say, even if you have only been to a few spots, you can learn history, integrate into a culture, discover more about yourself, change your old attitudes towards life, gain new perceptions RI ZRUOG YDOXH DQG னQDOO\ UDLVH \RXU VSLULWXDO condition to a higher level, it is then you realise the real aim of travel. When people ask me how many countries I have been to, I answer frankly: “Besides my home country, only two, the United States and the United Kingdom.â€? Faced with their surprise that I am no world WUDYHOHU , DGG FRQனGHQWO\ ‍ڔ‏%XW , FDQ WHOO \RX every street name in Boston and I can give you a brief presentation about Seattle’s culture and KLVWRU\ IURP ZK\ WKH னUVW 6WDUEXFNV ZDV ERUQ there to how the city elevated its downtown height.â€? Granted, traditional tourist sites can let \RX WDNH JRRG SLFWXUHV WR VKRZ RŕŽ‰ RQ VRFLDO networks later after going home, nonetheless, what impressed me or even gave me indelLEOH PHPRULHV DUH RŕŽ‰ WKH EHDWHQ WUDFN YLHZV These views are not on my planned itineraries; I meet them unexpectedly. In Cambridge, after I walked out of King’s College Chapel, I went straight, turned right, crossed the bridge over the River Cam, and noticed a stone with four Chinese lines on it: “Very quietly I take my

OHDYH DV TXLHWO\ DV , FDPH KHUH JHQWO\ , ŕŽ‹LFN my sleeves, not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away.â€? It was hard to describe my gracious and excited emotions upon seeing a Chinese poem engraved onto the white marble, sitting silently on the green grass surrounded by golden leaves at the back of the college, not to mention that these lines were written by my favourite poet Zhimo Xu. Xu is one of the most renowned romantic poets in 20th century Chinese literature. His promotion and contribution to modern Chinese poetry laid the foundation of his great fame. Xu’s importance to Chinese poetry is like Words-

Yet, the architecture did not impress me and King Arthur’s round table looked underwhelmingly like a dart target. It was my wandering feet and curiosity that led me to stroll into a residential area. The day was cloudy and rainy. My right hand felt a little cold holding the light purple umbrella. Suddenly I stopped, feeling a peacefully poetic charm from Winchester. After eras of legendary pasts and years of splendid changes, this old city went back to its tranquil rhythm. Winchester’s quietness comforted me; the rain didn’t look hateful any more. Rain is the disposition and symbol of England. The day England has strong sunshine everyday, that would be the day global warming had gone too far! That silent road I stood on turned out to EH RŕŽ‰ WKH EHDWHQ WUDFN YLHZ ZKLFK UHOLHYHG P\ ‍ڕ‏9HU\ TXLHWO\ , WDNH P\ OHDYH DV upset and provided me with positive energy. TXLHWO\ DV , FDPH KHUH JHQWO\ , ŕ­žLFN Visiting places isn’t about seeing things, it’s P\ VOHHYHV QRW HYHQ D ZLVS RI FORXG about feeling things. My eyes may have been underwhelmed but I certainly felt the history of ZLOO , EULQJ DZD\‍ڕ‏ Winchester. 7UDYHO UHIUHVKHV PH RŕŽ‰ WKH EHDWHQ WUDFN worth’s position in British literature. This white views enliven me. I can never imagine what marble was installed in July 2008 to commem- things I will gain and learn during a trip. Surorate Xu. Although I had heard that Xu once prise may not stand every three miles like bus studied at King’s College, I did not expect to stations on our path in life, but if you keep movனQG KLV OLQHV RQ FDPSXV 7KHUH , VWRRG DORQH LQJ IRUZDUG \RX ZLOO னQG VXUSULVH LV MXVW DURXQG for a joyous ten minutes, trying to suppress my the corner and hope is always there. The real inner ecstasy. I am proud of him and proud of LQŕŽ‹XHQFH RI WUDYHO LV QRW DERXW KRZ PDQ\ FRXQmyself being Chinese. tries you have been to; it is about what kinds of I have embraced travel around the UK, to experiences and feelings you have had. Books VHH ZKDW PRUH LW KDV WR RŕŽ‰HU WKDQ /RQGRQ , may inform us of history and places to better recently visited Winchester, the former capital understand the world, but nothing beats gocity of England on a trip to see the famous Win- ing there. It is time to open the door and upchester Cathedral. I saw the Cathedral, famed date yourself, just like what Mark Twain said: for the longest nave and overall length of all ‍ڔ‏7KURZ RŕŽ‰ WKH ERZOLQHV 6DLO DZD\ IURP WKH Gothic cathedrals in Europe. This city is also safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. RI KLVWRULF VLJQLனFDQFH EHLQJ KRPH WR $OIUHG Explore. Dream. Discover.â€? the Great and King Arthur and his knight’s.

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Missing: Modern Day Gentleman Nona Buckley-Irvine gives a eulogy for Prince Charming. girl relation, we simply can’t take chivalry to be true. This may seem a cynical view to take. But since coming to university and spending many a night in a club, it’s a view that is most certainly true. Take your typical clubbing experience. You can expect to be groped, ogled, and the only chivalry you may encounter is the possibility of a free drink. Whilst that is nice, more often than not the aim of the free drink is to loosen your inhibitions so that you’ll loosen your lips and pucker up. Then comes the dreaded act of ‘conversion’, where the guy then tries to convert that kiss into a trip back to his. So you get back to his. The next morning, perhaps he will make breakfast and give you some clothes for the walk of shame. If you’re lucky. Instead of this being chivalrous, this is just a meagre exchange and way of thank you, “Thanks for sleeping with me, here’s some food.â€? The Athletics Union is most symptomatic of this – lovely looking boys will take even lovelier looking girls back and then the next GD\ னOO LQ WKHLU HQWLUH WHDP

of their sexual escapades. Where’s the chivalry in that? Clubs are one particular example. But it represents a fundamental idea: that chivalry is just a means to an end, that end normally being getting the woman to believe that they are a nice guy and feel comfortable enough to sleep with them. ,W FDQ EH GHனQHG LQ VR many ways: opening doors, walking the girl home, paying for a meal, giving the girl your jacket. However, having listened to conversations between various boys and men, it is a subtle contrived attempt for them to get what they want. Women can agree that men often do not know what we want or how to treat us. Those who do know are the ones who are chivalrous and the ones who are most dangerous – they know what we want and they are prepared to give it to us. As Phil Collins once sang, “It’s a game of give and take.â€? They know if we bite the bait, we’ll have to give something back. Chivalry should not have hidden motives. It should be about respect. Chivalry is entirely alive among friends

and family, but this is because there is no secret (or not-so-secret) agenda. There is no Darcy, but there is a crazy family to look after you, or

your best friend to treat you. And besides, in an age of female empowerment, is chivalry really of any use to us?

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veryone remembers that moment when Mark Darcy arrives DW %ULGJHW -RQHV‍ Ú‘â€ŹŕŽ‹DW to see her cooking blue string soup, he grabs a whisk and helps her produce a mildly less atrocious Birthday meal IRU KHU னUHQGV 2U ZKHQ -DFN gives Rose the piece of wood to lay on in the freezing cold ocean whilst the Titanic is sinking. And sigh. These are all pure, unadulterated acts of chivalry that we’ve all witnessed in FODVVLF URPDQWLF னOPV 9LHZing these makes us feel hopeful that in our own lives we’ll னQG VRPHRQH ZKR FDQ FRPmit these chivalrous acts of adoration and make us feel as special as Jones does ZKHQ VKH னQGV VRPHRQH ZKR can tolerate her lack of culinary skills. As nice as it may be to hope for these things, this is wasted hope. Chivalry is PRVW GHனQLWHO\ GHDG DQG WKHVH னOP VFHQHV ZLOO QHYHU be recreated in our lives. I’m not saying that chivalry doesn’t exist – because it does. Friends can be chivalrous, brothers and sisters to one another, strangers on the street. But in terms of a boy-

Inviting the world to your party Amelia Thomson celebrates the diversity of the festive season.

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s the usual Christmas lights and decorations begin to appear on our streets the all too common question of whether Christmas has lost its true meaning and become too commercialised surfaces. Typically people suggest that celebrating the birth of Jesus has become overshadowed by a focus on how many presents one can receive. Indeed sources such as Family Action submit that most UK families will spend between £530 and £682 on gifts, decorations, food and drink during the festive period. I myself confess that excitement runs high in my family (consisting of 6 adults) on Christmas morning upon discovering that Father Christmas has come after all and that presents can now be opened. In fact I’m not sure I see anything wrong with this as anything that brings happiness to a world which is for the most part rather scheduled and repetitive can only be a good

thing. Moreover despite beLQJ D &KULVWLDQ P\VHOI , னQG it difficult to criticise those who are not but who still celebrate Christmas. I wonder how often I’ve wished someone Happy Diwali or hoped that they have a good Thanksgiving without really knowing the true origins

inspection it seems to have D ORW PRUH KLVWRULFDO VLJQLனFDQFH 7KH னUVW FHOHEUDWLRQ associated with what we would now call Thanksgiving took place in 1621 when pilgrims of the Plymouth colony and a number of Wampanoag Indians celebrated surviving a harsh winter dur-

following this, Thanksgiving was banned by Thomas Jefferson only to be reinstated later and become a national holiday in 1863. Nowadays it serves as a constant reminder and source of pride to the American people of WKHLU னJKW IRU DQG WKH VLJQLனFDQFH RI IUHHGRP :KHUH the turkey comes into it I’m still not sure (perhaps they were just in great abunPerhaps commercialisation has a lot to andance!) swer for however if it promotes multiculturalSimilar to the ideas of ism and understanding of ‘the other’ surely this Thanksgiving the origins of Diwali are possibly even can only be a good thing. foggier in my brain with my only thought being that it of the festival. So perhaps ing which almost half their is a Hindu festival of light. before becoming a hypo- population had died. Simi- ,QGHHG 'LZDOL OHJHQGV GLŕŽ‰HU crite and condemning those lar celebrations took place depending on which region who celebrate Christmas in the years which followed you celebrate in with DiwaI should attempt to under- and were centred around li not being an exclusively stand the origins of some being thankful for surviving Hindu festival as Jains and festivals which I really know various droughts and fam- Sikhs also mark the event. nothing about. LQHV 7KH னUVW 7KDQNVJLYLQJ However the general conFrom my perspective which would be recognised sensus is that Diwali celethe origins of Thanksgiv- as that of the modern day brates good overcoming evil ing have been related to was celebrated in 1789 by and the reaffirmation of the vague notions of American WKH னUVW $PHULFDQ 3UHVL- joys of living. The focus on independence and of having dent, George Washington, light and lamps symbolises something to do with tur- to praise the new constitu- the allowance of the godkeys. However upon closer tion of the USA. However dess of wealth, Lakshmi,

into people’s homes. Following the discovery of the origins of just some of the festivals I recognise within my year I cannot help but feel that the celebration of these festivals by all should be encouraged. Perhaps commercialisation has a lot to answer for however if it promotes multiculturalism and understanding of ‘the other’ surely this can only be a good thing. Encouraging respect for other cultures will assist in bridgLQJ GLŕŽ‰HUHQFHV EHWZHHQ communities who often feel at odds with one another. For my part I believe that WKH PHDQLQJ DQG VLJQLனcance of all festivals should be promoted much more widely and the celebration by all encouraged. This can only serve to enrich our own personal lives and that of the wider world through improving understanding and rapport between cultures. Therefore all that remains for me to do is say “Merry Christmas, one and all!â€?

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

Social

29

/HW‍ڑ‏V JR ૺ\ D NLWH

Andrew Bax WKURZV FDXWLRQ WR WKH ZLQG RQ WKH .LWH 6XUŕ­˝QJ 6RF WULS

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weekend break from fast-paced LSE life is much needed at this VWDJH RI WHUP )ROORZLQJ week 7, the week of stress, although you may have wrested control of the pile of work that has mounted during mid-term essays; the end of week ten is just too far from sight. The mental strength that is required to keep up the hard-work over the next 3 weeks is disappearing and stress is turning slowly to despair. This is where the LSE NLWH VXUனQJ VRFLHW\ FRPHV in! Last weekend the society organised a (yes, you JXHVVHG LW NLWH VXUனQJ WULS to Poole. A trip designed for all abilities (though particularly beginners) it was GHனQLWHO\ WKH UHOHDVH WKDW we needed. The weather was awful, the sleep was little, and the days were long but it really was a gem of a weekend. Six of us went from the LSE and about twelve from the equivalent

society at Imperial College signalling the start to a long-term partnership with many more joint trips planned. 2Q )ULGD\ ZH JRW WKH coach from Victoria Station at 7pm and arrived in Swanage – a town near Poole – 3 and half hours later. As soon as we arrived; we got lost. But after wandering around this ghost town – a huge contrast to London – we arrived at our mansion of a youth hostel. I felt like I’d stepped back into a 1920’s country house; and it was only ÂŁ13 each for two nights. On the Saturday morning, after a 7.30 wake-up and a couple of Tesco value bacon rolls we squeezed into the Imperial mini bus DQG KHDGHG RŕŽ‰ WR 3RROH :H னOOHG LQ WKH IRUPV SDLG WKH e IHH DQG ZHQW RŕŽ‰ WR D QHDUE\ னHOG IRU NLWH ŕŽ‹\ing practice. It might sound pointless to practice such a basic skill, but these were not your average kites - they

ranged up to 12 metres in length and with winds of 30 knots, rain (and occasionally hail) hammering down, it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. The result? A mud bath ... DQG ORWV RI ŕŽ‹\LQJ SHRSOH That afternoon the wind direction was unfavourable for kiting, so instead we ZHQW ZLQGVXUனQJ LQ ZDWHU that was cold enough to warrant wearing two wetsuites at once. The basics RI ZLQG VXUனQJ DUH TXLWH easy to pick up (although being good is hard) so we had quite a satisfying afternoon. After learning another water sport, and having a bit of tear on the wind surf boards around the harbour, we headed back to Swanage, where we went for a cosy pub meal. The meal was our starting point for an evening which ended in Swanage’s only club; a dreadful place, but a fun night anyway. Then, after having been exposed to more types of alcohol than

was humanly possible we walked past a late-night karaoke bar and a ‘beautiful’ rendition of Enrique Iglesias’ “Hero� was impossible to contain. Yes, I did suitably embarrass myself.... and needless to say the next morning was terrible. Although nothing a 9am jump into the freezing cold Poole harbour couldn’t resolve. On the Sunday the wind was perfect and we spent all day with the kites and

boards in the sea. By the end we beginners were actually managing a couple of seconds of kiting! In total I spent £130, for a water sporting weekend break from the hustle and bustle of the city and I would say this trip was more than worth every penny and second of my time. I’ve come back refreshed and raring to go! I’m already looking to another similar weekend next term.

Fight or Flight

Olly Johnson EHDWV KLPVHOI XS RYHU FRQŕ­žLFW UHVROXWLRQ

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very time each of us has the conversation about London that we all know is coming, we answer in the same way, a dismissive “oh, it’s a lot safer than you think it isâ€?. It’s an answer I always give with outZDUG FRQனGHQFH EXW ZLWK this niggling angst itching in the back of my mind – “but is it?â€? With the backdrop of the London Riots a few summers ago and the knowledge that a straw haired yet loquacious gibbon is running our city’s police force, do we have any real hope of escaping university with our lives intact? Well, probably, yes. Despite this though, regardless of how utopian the city or how efficient and conscientious the police force, there always must be the teeniest, tiniest chance WKDW RQH FRXOG னQG WKHPselves in a confrontation. What would you do if you were accosted, attacked? How would you react to a direct physical assault on your wellbeing? Unfortunately I know the answers to these questions. As you may have already

been able to determine, I am (if only by my own estimations) an upstanding fellow. You can tell this because even when describing the likes of Boris Johnson, I managed to slip in a vague compliment, and his extensive antiquated vocabulary really is his only point of merit. I mean no harm and ZRXOG QHYHU VHHN னVW\ FXŕŽ‰V so much so that I genuinely just referred to combat as ‍Ú?â€ŹŕŽŠVW\ FXŕŽ‰V‍) ڑ‏RU H[DPSOH during a more vigorous onனHOG UXJE\ EUDZO , RQFH VLPply ran into the middle of the action waving my hands in the air shouting simply ‍ڔ‏, GRQ‍ڑ‏W OLNH னJKWLQJ‍ ڕ‏$OO the while, close friends were losing teeth. Clearly, I would do anything in an attempt to keep the peace and dissipate tension, at least that’s what I thought. It was around 11pm on a Thursday evening in Kentish town. I was waiting for D EXV LQ D JURXS RI னYH VRber, calm and unthreatening people. Suddenly, one of my companions was being shouted at by a fellow bus stop patron (someone I assumed would feel some solidarity towards us having fallen victim to the same

LQDGHTXDWH 7)/ VHUYLFH DV us). Naturally, rather than bellow a war-cry, pound our chests and prepare to FKDUJH WKH னYH RI XV ERZHG our heads, moved away and did all we could to ease this clearly upset gentleman’s torment, thinking all had returned to normalcy. But as soon as the doomsday clock was reset and all was well, this demented Snorlax of a man was upon us. I instinctively thrust myself between him and one of the girls we were with (treading the tightrope between chivalrous and chauvinistic) and mimed surrender. Backing away, I knew I had done the sensible thing, avoided conŕŽ‹LFW DQG WKDW ZH ZRXOG DOO have something interesting to discuss for the next few days. And then it hit me. Not some profound realisation of universal peace and love in the world. Oh no, our disgruntled, demented ogrepokemon had lashed out ZLWK D FORVHG னVW DQG FOLSSHG my trendily unkempt facial hair. There seemed no other option, nothing else entered into my mind except this blind, totalising eclipse of a thought: full and imme-

diate retreat. It is this last decision that I thought was objectively the correct one, amongst the myriad of errors that had come before it that had allowed this situation to develop. It wasn’t until telling this story several more than a thousand times this week that there appears to be some debate on the matter. Apparently I was supposed to hit back. “He resembled Santa if he’d been a crackhead for the last 12 years Olly, what were you thinking? You could have battered him mate.� “There were girls there and you allowed that? Come on, man up.� It is this strange concept that I found most interesting from this experience. Surely all that can be gained from engaging anyone in physical hostility is loss. Either I hurt him (unlikely), he hurts me (likely) or we both hurt each other. The common denominator seems to be that someone is getting hurt which surely can’t be good. In light of all this, I stand by my decision to walk (/ run) away. It was a good,

sensible decision, right? )ROORZLQJ DOO WKH DGYLFH (mainly from people I would never have thought were VWUHHW னJKW YHWHUDQV , KDYH been considering the insult that came with this injury. We had given him every chance not to make this the road the encounter would go down, I had done everything I could to prevent this from being the conclusion and he had let me down. And it was that that hurt me most, my beard would recover. He shattered the EHOLHI ,‍ڑ‏G KHOG VR FRQனGHQWly, ‘if you don’t ask for trouEOH \RX ZRQ‍ڑ‏W னQG DQ\‍ ڑ‏WKDW was keeping me safe, even in the big bad city. This confrontation has left me with a lasting, inQHU FRQŕŽ‹LFW $Q XQQHUYLQJ XQFHUWDLQW\ DERXW னJKW RU ŕŽ‹LJKW SUHYDLOV DQG WKDW‍ڑ‏V what worries me most. I was so sure that being casual and laid back about the dangers of London town was the way to avoid them. And, in my experience so far, everyone seems to follow largely that same mantra, except the infamous Abominable Kentish Town Busman.

30

Sport

04.12.2012

| The Beaver

From the Eyes of a Ginger Matthew Worby

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Sport

The Beaver | 04.12.2012

31

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot $W SP RQ 6DWXUGD\ UHIHUHH *HRUJH &ODQF\ EOHZ WKH ன QDO ZKLVWOH RQ D game of rugby which shall be rememEHUHG IRU GHFDGHV WR FRPH 7KH ன QDO VFRUHOLQH (QJODQG 1HZ =HDODQG $ ZLQ ZKLFK GHன HG ORJLF IRUP DQG KLVWRU\ LWVHOI 7KH ன UVW ZLQ DJDLQVW WKH $OO %ODFNV LQ RYHU QLQH \HDUV D UHFRUG breaking margin of seventeen points and the announcement of the arrival RI D FRPSHWHQW FRPSHWLWLYH DQG FRP SRVHG (QJODQG VLGH $Q (QJODQG SDFN with less caps than Richie McCaw and a back line which had not looked threatening against a top defence simSO\ RXWSOD\HG WKH ZRUOG FKDPSLRQV The English defence denied New =HDODQG DQ\ TXLFN EDOO DQG VWRSSHG them playing with any of their characWHULVWLF ŕŽ‹ XHQF\ IRU ODUJH SHULRG RI WKH JDPH 7KH SDFN SLOHG LQWR UXFNV ZLWK such vigour that the Kiwis struggled WR PDLQWDLQ WKHLU RZQ EDOO &KULV 5RE VKDZ D PDQ SODFHG XQGHU WKH JUHDWHVW VFUXWLQ\ WKH SDVW ZHHN VHHPHG WR RP QLSUHVHQW DW HYHU\ UXFN KLWWLQJ FOHDU ing and grasping at every half chance RI D WXUQ RYHU +LV EDFN URZ SDUWQHUV :RRG DQG 0RUJDQ ŕŽ‹ HZ XS LQ WKH GH fensive line pressurising the half backs and putting in hits which reverberated DURXQG WKH KRPH RI (QJOLVK 5XJE\ The back line were also consistHQWO\ VHWWLQJ XS ŕŽ‹ DW WKHUHE\ GHQ\LQJ WKH 1HZ =HDODQG EDFNV RI DQ\ WLPH RQ WKH EDOO %UDG %DUUHWW YLQGLFDWHG KLV VHOHFWLRQ DW QXPEHU WZHOYH E\ ŕŽ‹ DWWHQ LQJ ŕŽ‹ DWWHQLQJ DOO WKRVH ZLWKLQ UDQJH ,W WRRN ன IW\ PLQXWHV IRU WKH $OO %ODFNV WR EUHDFK WKH (QJOLVK GHIHQVH WKLV ZDV WKH ன UVW WLPH VLQFH 1HZ =HD ODQG KDYH NHSW RŕŽ‰ WKH VFRUHVKHHW LQ WKH ன UVW KDOI RI D JDPH (QJODQG GLG not crumble or collapse like England RI ROG WKH\ EHOLHYHG LQ WKHLU GHIHQVLYH system formulated by Andy Farrell and IRUFHG 1HZ =HDODQG WR WU\ UHFNOHVVO\ KDUG LQ RŕŽ‰ HQVH EHIRUH UXWKOHVVO\ H[

ploiting these mistakes; Farrell’s metronomic boot piling on twelve points in WKH ன UVW KDOI +RZHYHU HIILFLHQW (QJODQG‍ڑ‏V GH IHQFH ZDV LW ZDV RYHUVKDGRZHG E\ DQ attacking style of rugby not seen by England supporters at Twickenham since the world cup winning side of 7KH IRUZDUGV VXUJHG XS ன HOG with Tom Youngs and Launchbury penetrating the All Black defensive line

RXV RFFDVLRQV :LWK 'DQ &ROH (QJ land’s stand out forward this autumn he must be a serious contender for the /LRQ‍ڑ‏V WHVW WHDP QH[W VXPPHU Owen Farrell staked his claim to be England’s starting ten with an astute SHUIRUPDQFH FRXSOLQJ ŕŽ‹ DW SDVVHV RQ the gain line and incisive kicks with WUDGLWLRQDO ORQJ WRXFK ன QGHUV HQVXULQJ England played the game in the New =HDODQG ZKHQHYHU SRVVLEOH 7KH

ZLWK KDUG GLUHFW DQG IRUFHIXO UXQQLQJ This pair also aided the smooth runQLQJ RI (QJODQG‍ڑ‏V OLQHRXW ZLWK *HRŕŽ‰ 3DUOLQJ HQVXULQJ D FRQWLQXRXV ŕŽ‹ RZ RI quick line out ball for Youngs to disWULEXWH 7KH (QJOLVK VFUXP DOWKRXJK QHYHU GRPLQDQW DOZD\V ORRNHG WKUHDWHQLQJ with Dan Cole’s silencing Tony Woodcock and Alex Corbisiero announcing his return to Test rugby from injury by standing up Owen Franks on numer-

centre combination of Tuilagi and Barret also demonstrated yet unseen subWOHW\ LQ WKHLU RŕŽ‰ HQVLYH SOD\ FRPELQLQJ beautifully to exploit an All Blacks defensive error with Barrett receiving a FODVV\ RŕŽ? RDG IURP 7XLODJL WR VFRUH KLV ன UVW LQWHUQDWLRQDO WU\ 0RPHQWV ODWHU 7XLODJL VWUXFN DJDLQ running over Dan Carter and shrugging RŕŽ‰ WKUHH WDFNOHUV EHIRUH GHOLYHULQJ DQ RWKHU WU\ VFRULQJ SDVV WR $VKWRQ ZKR ZDV ன QDOO\ UHZDUGHG IRU KLV WLUHOHVV

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Thomas Meaden

running of support lines through this DXWXPQ $OWKRXJK WKH ‍ڔ‏$VK 6SODVK‍ ڕ‏LV a bone of contention for many rugby SXULVWV IHZ FRXOG EHJUXGJH $VKWRQ D moment of celebration after an eleven WHVW PDWFK WU\ GURXJKW The interception try that soon folORZHG ZLWK 7XLODJL QRQFKDODQWO\ MRJ ging to the try line after a poor pass IURP 5HDG FRPSOHWHG (QJODQG‍ڑ‏V ன JKW EDFN 7ZHOYH SRLQWV DQG WKUHH XQDQ swered tries put England in full control RI WKH JDPH )UHGGLH %XUQV DOVR FDPH on to make his international debut reSODFLQJ )DUUHOO DIWHU PLQXWHV 1RW overawed by the occasion he played well bringing his natural attacking style to test match level and kicking two penalties to keep the scoreboard WLFNLQJ RYHU $OWKRXJK 1HZ =HDODQG UDOOLHG WR exploit their man advantage near the GHDWK DIWHU 9XQLSROD ZDV ELQQHG IRU SUHYHQWLQJ D TXLFN WDS SHQDOW\ ZLWK Savea scoring and Cruden converting to bring them to 21 points they ZHUH MXVW WRR IDU RXW RI WRXFK 7KH ODVW IHZ PLQXWHV D ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI IXPEOLQJV DQG knock on’s from the All Blacks was a world away from their usual smooth and cold blooded performances ,Q SHULRGV RI WKH JDPH SDUWLFXODUO\ HDUO\ RQ LQ WKH VHFRQG KDOI 1HZ =HD land looked dangerous with ball in hand however dogged English defence ensured that these periods were too IHZ DQG IDU EHWZHHQ 7KH (QJOLVK KDG ripped the heart from the All Black team and made the extraordinary WHDP ORRN YHU\ RUGLQDU\ LQGHHG ,W PD\ EH WRR HDUO\ WR VD\ WKLV (QJ lish team have gone from a team in WUDQVLWLRQ LQWR 6L[ 1DWLRQV FRQWHQGHUV Two years ago bold predictions were made after an emphatic win over AusWUDOLD DQG WKH\ IHOO YHU\ ŕŽ‹ DW LQGHHG +RZHYHU RQH WKLQJ LV LQGLVSXWDEOH what the English rugby team did last Saturday will be remembered for genHUDWLRQV 6ZLQJ /RZ 6ZHHW &KDULRW

Freddie shows his flintstones Dennis Mooney

A full house at the Manchester Evening News arena gasped in despair on Friday night DV $QGUHZ ‍)Ú?‏UHGGLH‍) ڑ‏OLQWRŕŽ‰ Lancashire and England cricketing legend and outspoken 79 SHUVRQDOLW\ WRRN D KHDY\ blow to the side of the head from opponent Richard DawVRQ DQG UROOHG WR WKH ŕŽ‹ RRU Six months of hard graft and ascetic devotion looked for a moment to have been in vain; defeat would have been all the more painful given WKDW )OLQWRŕŽ‰ LV IDPRXVO\ QRW DYHUVH WR SLHV RU SLQWV $V KH so often picked up a toiling England side in his cricketing FDUHHU KRZHYHU )OLQWRŕŽ‰ VKRW WR KLV IHHW FROOHFWHG KLPVHOI DQG WKUHZ D ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI UHWXUQ SXQFKHV WR D URDU DV ORXG DV

DQ\ $VKHV FURZG Although he gave away nearly 30 pounds in weight to KLV RSSRQHQW )OLQWRŕŽ‰ ‍ڑ‏V KHLJKW and reach meant he had the EHWWHU RI WKH VSDUULQJ ,Q IDFW the brief moment at which he hit the deck was the only point the 34-year-old looked in trouEOH +H ZDV FULWLFLVHG IRU EH LQJ RYHU HDJHU WKURZLQJ WRR PDQ\ SXQFKHV , VXVSHFW KH wanted to silence those who had slated him for returning WR SURIHVVLRQDO VSRUW IRU EH coming a TV personality rather than an athlete and those who doubted his commitment WR ER[LQJ +H ZDQWHG WR GR VR in spectacular Freddie-fashion ZLWK D NQRFNRXW ,W ZDVQ‍ڑ‏W WR be; the third and fourth rounds ZHUH FDJH\ )OLQWRŕŽ‰ WRR RIWHQ slipped inside his opponent’s guard without delivering the

NLOOHU EORZ DQG 'DZVRQ ZDV OXPEHULQJ ORRNLQJ GDQJHURXV RQO\ RQ WKH FRXQWHU 7KH ன JKW ZDV QHYHU LQ GDQ JHU RI EHLQJ D FODVVLF EXW QRU was it the disaster many had SUHGLFWHG ,W LV WHVWDPHQW WR 6KDQH DQG %DUU\ 0F*XLJDQ both former boxing champions DQG UHSXWDEOH WUDLQHUV WKDW D man who hasn’t competed in anything at a professional level in over two years was able not only to come through even a brief encounter with a proIHVVLRQDO KHDY\ZHLJKW EXW WR ZLQ LW )OLQWRŕŽ‰ DFNQRZOHGJHG WKHLU HŕŽ‰ RUWV DQG WKH VXSSRUW RI WKH FURZG FDOOLQJ WKH ZLQ KLV greatest personal achievePHQW +H DOVR DFFHSWHG WKDW KH PD\ QRW UHWXUQ WR WKH ULQJ citing the lifestyle concessions and being out of his natural

HQYLURQPHQW ,Q ER[LQJ DV LQ FULFNHW WKH statistics of his performance would not necessarily back up the aura that he carries; his test averages of just under 33 with the bat and just under 32 with the ball do not suggest the greatness with which he is DOPRVW XQLYHUVDOO\ DFFODLPHG ,W ZDV DOZD\V KLV DELOLW\ WR lift the crowd as well as the WHDP DQG WR WDNH ELJ ZLFNHWV or score big runs at vital moPHQWV WKDW PHDQW (QJODQG could rely on him; like his JUHDW KHUR ,DQ %RWKDP )OLQW RŕŽ‰ VHHPHG WR FRPH DOLYH DW moments of extreme adverVLW\ Boxing has provided him with a consistent supply of personal adversity over a VXVWDLQHG SHULRG RI WLPH DQG )OLQWRŕŽ‰ DGPLWWHG WKDW KH

needed something to replace the focus in his life that was lost after injuries forced him WR TXLW FULFNHW +LV LPSRVLQJ physical presence and largerWKDQ OLIH FKDUDFWHU ZKLFK KDV seen him captain a team on Sky’s sporting quiz ‘A League 2I 7KHLU 2ZQ‍ ڑ‏DQG WUDLQ DV DPRQJVW RWKHU WKLQJV DQ (OYLV 3UHVOH\ LPSHUVRQDWRU VWDQG him in good stead should he ever decide to continue his ER[LQJ DGYHQWXUH Former Australian opening batsman Justin Langer famously said on his own retirement from cricket that he was glad he ‘wouldn’t have to see that big bugger running in DW PH‍ ڑ‏DQG ZKLOVW )OLQWRŕŽ‰ PD\ EH D ER[LQJ QRYLFH WKHUH DUH more than a few heavyweights ZKR PLJKW IHHO WKH VDPH ZD\

Sport

32

Sport

04.12.2012

| The Beaver

Inside

‍ښ‏6ZLQJ ORZ VZHHW FKDULRW ‍ښ‏7KURXJK WKH H\HV RI D JLQJHU ‍ښ‏:KDW KDSSHQV LQ =RR %DU

8SVWDLUV GRZQVWDLUV The Premier League’s latest sitcom begins

to be officiating in Stamford Bridge any time soon. Chelsea’s reputation with the public is at a low, and Benitez may be hoping that Chelsea NHHS D ORZ SURன OH IRU WKH IRUHVHHDEOH future. Whilst Benitez was hired to lead a team disappointingly only four points from the top of the league, QPR are ன YH IURP VDIHW\ DW WKH PLQXWH 7RQ\ Fernandes has acted sooner rather than later in order to keep his club playing premier league football next season: QPR are a team on the edge. They’re bottom of the league and are FXUUHQWO\ VKRZLQJ WKH IRUP UHTXLUHG to beat Derby County’s record of fewest points in a season. Redknapp has seen this situation before. Fighting relegation seems to his specialty, he’s danced this particular dance at Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton and, most famously of all, at Tottenham. Surely, if there’s anyone with the experience UHTXLUHG WR NHHS 435 LQ WKH 3UHPLHU League, it is him. If he does manage to keep them

up, it’ll arguably be his greatest feat to date, trumping even his work with Tottenham. The dressing room is divided, between the players who slogged to get QPR promoted two seasons ago, and the players who were brought in as part of Mark Hughes’ spending splurge. Key to the divide, as always, is money. The wage disparity between the two sets of players is vast – new signings like Bosingwa are reportedly earning more than twice the wages of players present in last season’s team. WIKIMEDIA

Recently, the Premier League has had the delight of welcoming back, not one, but two familiar faces into London dugouts. In Loftus Road, the fans’ “Harry come and save usâ€? banners have been heeded, ‘Arry Redknapp has been parachuted in as new QPR manager. Closer to the river, one Champions League winning coach has been replaced by another – Rafael Benitez is the latest to have a game of Chelsea manager roulette. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where they both rent a house in West London. Not only would it be convenient geographically, but neither of them will be eager to make long term plans. The situations of QPR DQG &KHOVHD DUH ZLOGO\ GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW EXW the likelihood of either of them still managing in the Premier League is in grave doubt. (I for one would love to see a sitcom based on these two UHQWLQJ D ŕŽ‹ DW WRJHWKHU

Rafael Benitez has proved a contentious appointment to Chelsea supSRUWHUV 7KH DWPRVSKHUH DW KLV ன UVW two matches in charge – both bore draws – is testament to that. Looking at the domestic league table shows Chelsea hanging on to the coat tails of the Manchester clubs, and it is felt by some that the recent run of bad results weren’t enough to justify the sacking of Roberto Di Matteo. But they’re struggling in Europe, the competition Chelsea owner Abramovich really cares about. If Juventus GRQ‍ڑ‏W ORVH WKHLU ன QDO PDWFK &KHOVHD ZLOO EH WKH ன UVW WHDP WR IDLO WR TXDOLI\ from the group stages the year after winning the competition. With Chelsea, being manager is a lot more than simply choosing a starting eleven. Benitez will have to deal not only with the chorus of boos from the stands, but with Abramovich. His aura and reputation lurks in every shadow in Stamford Bridge, DV GRHV KLV UHFRUG IRU KLULQJ DQG ன U ing managers. Benitez knows that he only has a job for as long as nobody better is available. Just ask Mourinho. Or Ancelotti. Or even Roberto Di Matteo. If he chooses to wield the axe again before next season (especially with his admiration of GuardiROD NQRZQ IHZ ZRXOG EH VXUSULVHG Benitez however is expected to not only deliver results in the form of a trophy, but to play “properâ€? attacking football. He certainly has the resources to attack, but Chelsea this VHDVRQ KDYH FRQVHTXHQWO\ ORVW WKH solidity of a defence that ultimately

won them the Champions League last season. How Benitez accommodates Hazard, Mata, and Oscar with an increasingly fragile backline will most likely decide his Chelsea future. If this wasn’t enough to contend ZLWK WKHUH DUH DOVR WKH RŕŽ‰ ன HOG DQ tics that Chelsea and its players seem to attract. The problem with racism will simply not go away, and Terry and Cole provided enough headlines even before the Anton Ferdinand incident. Mark Clattenburg is unlikely WIKIMEDIA

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players and try to buy familiar faces in the form of Michael Dawson or Jermaine Defoe, he’s welcome to. So if this sitcom ever appears, you’d be looking at the halfway point for clues as to who’ll still be here for season two. This episode would probably focus on January 2nd, when Chelsea play QPR. A clash that has sparked controversy in the past, the results in the December run up to it will be a test of both managers’ mettle. Chelsea supporters will be thinking that their run of matches until then are pretty palatable over December. Four away matches before the derby may seem daunting, but Benitez may well be glad to get away from his more vocal critics in the Chelsea stands. If he can survive a cold night in Sunderland, and safely navigate a path to three points against giant killers Norwich, he should start to win over some fans. A victory away against Everton would be his most impressive result given their form this season. Failure to gain points in these matches in a stylish way will, however, leave Benitez at risk. 5HGNQDSS PLJKW QRW EH TXLWH DV optimistic as Benitez, but he will target matches against Aston Villa and Wigan as must win matches if QPR are to start dragging themselves up from the bottom of the league. 1HZFDVWOH DUH VXŕŽ‰ HULQJ IURP LQMX ries thanks to their Europa league exploits, and Liverpool are reliant The logic behind gambling mil- on their only senior striker, Suarez. OLRQV RQ ன ULQJ +XJKHV DQG KLULQJ Two points in these matches would Redknapp is explained by these be seen as a positive for QPR. For high salaries. Without the sponsor- as long as QPR look more competiship money and television rights af- tive than the team playing for Mark forded by the premier league, QPR’s Hughes, Redknapp is unlikely to face already spiralling wage bill will be hostility from fans any time soon. XQWHQDEOH 7KH EHQHன W RI WKLV ZDJH On balance, Benitez is the more bill is of course that ‘Arry has a vast likely to be sacked. But there will VTXDG WR ZRUN ZLWK DQG D ORW RI WKHP be many who cannot see a way for aren’t half bad. In Green and Gomes QPR to avoid the drop, even with he has competent keepers with pre- Redknapp at the helm. And there are mier league experience. Add to this, serious doubts over whether RedD PLGன HOG ZLWK VRPH JHQXLQHO\ FUHD knapp would want to manage a team tive players – think Taarabt, Faurlin in the Championship at his age. For a or Granero for example. On paper manager who’s paced the touchlines 435 FDQ ன HOG D VWDUWLQJ HOHYHQ FD of A.C. Milan and Real Madrid, the pable of giving a game to any side, prospect of away games at Derby and if Harry can take the individu- and Burnley will hold little appeal. als and mould them into a team, The prospect of either manager beyou wouldn’t put money against him ing around for a second season of keeping them up. the sitcom is unlikely. The only way Unlike Benitez, Redknapp’s brief to know however will be to tune in is simple: Avoid relegation. Whilst next time for another episode of the there are unlikely to be many funds Premier League. available for him to do this, he’ll be given free reign with the players he has. If he wants to sell unwanted

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