The Beaver: Week of January 22nd, 2013

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THE DEATH OF HMV | FRANCE: THE WORLD’S POLICEMAN? | US AGAINST THE WORLD

7KHBeaver

22.01.2013

Newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union FREE

LSE accepts more students despite national decline Shu Hang

'DWD IURP WKH 8QLYHUVLWLHV and Colleges Admissions 6HUYLFH 8&$6 UHYHDO WKDW the London School of EcoQRPLFV /6( KDV PDQDJHG to expand its 2012/13 cohort by 11.4 per cent amidst a national decline. Following the controversial tripling in tuition fees last autumn, where Home Students are charged up to ÂŁ9,000 per year, the number of students starting a degree programme has fallen drastically by 12 per cent. Nevertheless, the impact of the reform was not uniform among universities, with the London MetropoliWDQ 8QLYHUVLW\ DFFHSWLQJ per cent less students than last year. The university also VXŕŽ‰ HUHG IURP WKH UHYRFD tion of its license to sponsor international students last year - and even students with pre-existing study visas were also excluded from the university. 8QLYHUVLWLHV ZLWKLQ WKH Russell Group were also KHDYLO\ DŕŽ‰ HFWHG E\ WKH IHH LQFUHDVH ZLWK WKH 8QLYHU sity of Southampton (-13 SHU FHQW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI /LYHUSRRO SHU FHQW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 6KHIILHOG SHU FHQW WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI %LUPLQJKDP SHU FHQW DQG ,PSHULDO SHU FHQW DF cepting less student than the year before. Nevertheless, many universities were able to buck WKH WUHQG 7KH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI Bristol increased its student intake by 28 per cent comSDUHG ZLWK EHQHன WLQJ from the new AAB system, which allowed universities to recruit as many students with those grades or better at A-Level as they can. Other winners include 8QLYHUVLW\ &ROOHJH /RQGRQ

6FKRRO FR૸ HUV swelled amidst /LE\DQ D૸ DLU backlash Kelly Quinn, 6WD୼ 5HSRUWHU

SHU FHQW WKRXJK LW DOVR EHQHன WWHG IURP LWV PHUJHU with the London School of 3KDUPDF\ &DUGLŕŽ‰ 8QLYHUVL W\ SHU FHQW DQG .LQJ‍ڑ‏V College London (+12 per FHQW 6LPLODUO\ WKH /6( ZHO comed 1,416 students into the LSE this autumn, 145 more than last year. The LSE is the only Russell Group university to decline, at the time, charging

the maximum fee of £9,000, setting fees at £8,500 instead. While many have linked the increase in student cohort to the LSE’s decision to charge £500 less than its contemporaries, the school actually saw its number of applications receive drop by 8.1 per cent from last year, leading to the belief that the increase is due to a higher

acceptance rate. Judith Rees, the previous Director of the LSE has attributed the fall in application to the increase in entry requirements in certain subjects, which has discouraged “students who wouldn’t be accepted anyways� from applying, adding that the biggest fall in Continued on page 4, col 1.

The 2011-2012 academic year was a tumultuous one for LSE: the release of the Woolf Report criticising the administration for its links to *DGGDன DQG QHZ 8. KLJKHU education policies were just two difficulties the School encountered. The recently released Annual Accounts report sought to analyse the year in depth, particularly ZLWK UHJDUG WR ன QDQFHV OHDG ership, demographics, sustainability. “2011-12 has been a challenging year for the School, but we have pulled together and had a successful year in almost all important areas,â€? said Professor Judith Rees, who served as Director during this period. 7KH 6FKRRO‍ڑ‏V ன QDQFHV IRU the year remained strong, boasting a total income ÂŁ243.7m, up ÂŁ10m from the previous year. Despite retrenchments of public funding, it saw a 9.1 per cent increase in its income surplus to ÂŁ24.7m. The report attributed this spike in part to higher tuition fees, which now comprise over 50 per cent of income. Following radical reform by the Coalition government, students entering the LSE for the 2012/13 academic year are charged ÂŁ8,500 in tuition fees, nearly triple the amount paid by the previous cohort. Nevertheless, LSE remains Continued on page 5, col 1.

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Editorial

2

Editorial Board Executive Editor Liam Brown

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22.01.2013

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EDITOR ELECTIONS As the new year begins the Beaver Editorial Board is looking for new VWDŕŽ‰ :H ZLOO EH HOHFWLQJ a new PartB, Comment, and News Editor this ZHHN 7R ன QG RXW PRUH DERXW the positions as well as LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ H[DFWO\ ZKHQ DQG KRZ WKH HOHF WLRQV ZLOO WDNH SODFH \RX FDQ HPDLO RXU &ROOHFWLYH &KDLU DW FROOHFWLYH# WKHEHDYHURQOLQH FR XN 3ULRU H[SHULHQFH QRW UH TXLUHG EXW D JRRG VHQVH RI JUDPPDU DQG D VXSH rior writing ability are UHFRPPHQGHG :H DOVR ZDQW WR UHPLQG RXU UHDGHUV WKDW ZH DUH DOZD\V RQ WKH ORRNRXW I RU UHJXODU FRQWULEXWRUV IRU DOO VHFWLRQV -XVW HPDLO WKH VHFWLRQ HGLWRU RI \RXU FKRVHQ VHFWLRQ IRU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ

Interfaith Forum HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

| The Beaver

Collective A E Dawson, A Doherty, A Fyfe, A Krechetova, A L Cunningham, A L Gunn, A Moneke, A X Patel, A Peters-Day, A Qazilbash, A Riese, A Sulemanji, A Wright, A Young, B Arslan, B Butterworth, B Clarke, B Nardi, C S Russell, C V Pearson, D McKenna, D Ming, D Yu, E Beaumont, E Delahaye, E E Fraser, E Firth, E S Dwek, F Bennett, G K Chhina, G Manners-Armstrong, H Brentnall, H Burdon, H Dar, H Fenton, H J Sheppard, I Lorandou, I M Silver, J Allsop, J Attueyi, J Austin, J Curtis, J M Palmer, J M Still, J R Peart, J Stoll, J Tindale, J V Armstrong, J Wacket, J Yarde, K C Hughes, K Kenney, K Pezeshki, K Rogers, K Singh, L A Yang, L Atchison, L Aumeer, L Brown, L Kang, L Slothuus, L Vardaxoglou, M C +H૸ HUQDQ 0 )OHWFKHU 0 -HQNLQV M Veale, M Worby, N Antoniou, N J Buckley-Irvine, N Jaroszek, N Mashru, N Mateer, N Russell, P Gederi, R A Coleman, R Al-Dabagh, R Browne, R Cucchiaro, R Gudka, R Hamer, R Holmes, R Illingworth, R J Charnock, R Serunjogi, S Chaudhuri, S Desai, S Gale, S H Low, S Lindner, S Newman, S Nissila, S Poojara, S R Williams, S Sebatindira, S W Leung, S Hang Low, T Poole, V A Wong, V Chan, X T Wang, Z Sammour

7KH &ROOHFWLYH LV 7KH %HDYHU‍ڑ‏V JRYHUQLQJ ERG\ <RX PXVW KDYH FRQWULEXWHG WKUHH SLHFHV RI ZRUN RU FRQWULEXWHG WR WKH SUR GXFWLRQ RI WKUHH LVVXHV RI WKH SDSHU HGLWRULDOO\ RU DGPLQLV WUDWLYHO\ WR TXDOLI\ IRU PHP EHUVKLS ,I \RX EHOLHYH \RX DUH D &ROOHFWLYH PHPEHU EXW \RXU name is not on the list above, SOHDVH HPDLO WKH &ROOHFWLYH Chair at: collective@thebeaveronline.co.uk The Beaver would like to thank the LSE students who contributed to this issue. Any opinions expressed herein are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the LSE Students’ Union or Beaver (GLWRULDO 6WD૸ 7KH %HDYHU LV SXEOLVKHG E\ WKH /6( 6WXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏8QLRQ (DVW %XLOGLQJ +RXJKWRQ 6WUHHW :& $ $( 3ULQWHG DW 0RUWRQV 3ULQWLQJ

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Interfaith Commemoration Friday 25th January, 12 noon The Shaw Library (6th Floor, Old Building)

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All Staff and Students welcome

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LSE Choir

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News

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

3

Weekly UGM “well and truly dead� Shu Hang

Following heavy criticism from Jay Stoll, the former UGM (Union General Meeting) Chair, the weekly UGM will no longer be held every week. According to Alex PetersDay, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, instead of holding a UGM every Thursday, they will now only be held when there is a motion to be discussed. UGMs will also be held for special occasions such as the ன UVW ZHHN RI WHUP HOHFWLRQ hustings and the Annual General Meeting. Nevertheless, elected officials will still be accountable to students through the Students’ Union website. Students can submit their questions to l.pedley@lse.ac.uk, which will then be answered by the officials through lsesu.com. Writing to the Beaver, Stoll called the weekly UGM “well and truly dead.â€? He attributed the decline in interest to the

“regularity� of the meetings, urging the Students’ Union to launch a referendum so that the UGM will be held less frequently.

ready been implemented.� According to the Democracy Comittee, the UGM this Thursday will be “a ‘welcome back’ UGM where Sabbs (Sab-

port last term obtained by the Beaver, the most attended UGM was the Postgraduate Officer Hustings, where about 100 students turned up. The

“It’s time to reconsider moving to a meeting held once per month. I genuinely believe that it can only be a matter of personal egos, or a lack of initiative, as to why this hasn’t al-

batical Officers) let us know about their achievements last term as well as the Part-Time Officers telling us about their upcoming events.� According to a Union re-

meeting on removing the Sun from campus and the meeting attended by Craig Calhoun, LSE director saw a turnout of around 70. The least attended UGM

WONG’S WEEKLY COMMENT THE WOMEN’S LIBRARY AT THE LSE What’s going on in the LSE library is unfortunately quite symbolic of an overall problem at LSE: our school management, encouraged by a highly political, leftist student union, prioritises appearing ‘liberal’ and ‘progressive’ over addressing the real concerns of the moderate student majority. Back in September, little known to students, our school splashed out millions of pounds to acquire the Women’s Library. The library was so seemingly XQGHUXVHG FRVW LQHŕŽ‰ HF tive and expensive to operate that London Metropolitan University no longer wanted it. Short of the New Students’ Centre, the library, like it or not, is essentially the hub of our university and could certainly do with some improvements: more computers and study spaces are needed, printing should be cheaper, there should be more copies of core text books and the school desperately needs

to do something about the 2:1 ratio of non-LSE students to LSE students using the library, especially as exam term approaches. What we need is for the school to address these real concerns instead of politicising the library and spending millions on leftwing books which only the few fringe, unemployable sociology students will ever touch. - Jason Wong Editor’s note: As reported by the Beaver last term, the ongoing library construction, in addition to increasing and improving library space, will also bring the Women’s Library from London Metropolitan University to the LSE. The Women’s Library @ LSE is set to open this year with a dedicated readLQJ URRP RQ WKH WK ૾ RRU an exhibition space and a new collection store on the ORZHU JURXQG ૾ RRU

was held in week eight, where around twenty students turned up to hear Frank Dobson, MP of High Holborn give a speech. The report also outlined the short term strategy of increasing attendance, including “reducing the number of meetings,â€? holding the UGM LQ WKH HYHQLQJ DQG â€ŤÚ”â€ŹŕŽŠ QGLQJ RXW what students want to debate and target these controversial, topical issues.â€? The report also considers bringing back online voting, as “students would feel as though it would then be possible to pass a motion.â€? Online voting was voted out last year following the motion “UGMCentre of our Union,â€? which stated that the “system of online voting, rendering attendance at the UGM immaterial, is a strong contributing factor to low turnout at the UGM.â€? Other suggestions include introducing a “campus-wide bi-yearly referenda, which would allow students to pass motions.â€?

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News

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

LSE looks back at 100 years of social policy Arisa Manawapat, 6WDŕ­ź 5HSRUWHU

The LSESU Social Policy Society successfully launched “Looking Back, 100 Years of Social Policyâ€? through a panel discussion with Professors Howard Glennerster, John Hills, and Gill Bridges last Wednesday. ,Q WKH ன UVW RI WHQ HYHQWV WR commemorate the centenary of LSE’s Social Policy Department, panelists drew on their personal experiences to UHŕŽ‹ HFW RQ WKH VXFFHVVHV DQG challenges of the department and the wider role of social policy. The inception of LSE’s Social Policy department, GlenQHUVWHU UHYHDOHG ZDV PDGH possible by the TATA Group, an Indian-based multinational company who contributed IXQGLQJ IRU WKH VWXG\ RI SRY erty. Since then, the department underwent major changes – not all of them, KRZHYHU IRU WKH EHWWHU Bridges recalled that in the 1920s, the LSE was a “pioQHHU LQ PDQ\ GHYHORSPHQWV in social policy.â€? These inFOXGHG SDUW WLPH HYHQLQJ FODVVHV IRU YROXQWHHUV DQG

full-time master’s degrees in social work. In the past, LSE Social 3ROLF\ VWXGHQWV ZRXOG KDYH trained in institutions such as elderly homes, hospitals, DQG JRYHUQPHQWDO DJHQFLHV Glennerster reminisced, ‍ڔ‏7KLUW\ \HDUV DJR WKH ன UVW essays for undergraduate students would ask questions such as ‘What concluVLRQV KDYH \RX GUDZQ IURP working at a desk in housing policy?’â€? Hills agreed with the absence of practice in the course, “What you are studying is richer, but much less connected with actual experience.â€? Bridges noted that while the present situation is “regrettableâ€?, the department is not “anti-socialâ€?, but practical experience was YHU\ H[SHQVLYH ‍ ڋ‏SDUWLFX ODUO\ DIWHU WKH JRYHUQPHQW‍ڑ‏V GHFLVLRQ WR FXW RŕŽ‰ SUREDWLRQ funds. So what had changed for social policy in general? For +LOOV WKH OHYHOV RI RSSRUWX nity now are greater than a hundred years ago, but more research is needed to be GRQH RQ SRYHUW\ *OHQQHU ster admitted that the found-

WR VHH WKH UHODWLYH UHVLOLHQFH of the LSE, it is a damning applications are seen in LQGLFWPHQW RI WKH JRYHUQ those subjects now requiring ment’s policies that so many $ JUDGHV RU WKHLU HTXLYD capable students now conOHQW DW $ OHYHOV VLGHU WKHPVHOYHV SULFHG RXW Furthermore, as the data of higher education.â€? includes both home and inShabana Mahmood, shadternationa students, it is un- RZ 0LQLVWHU IRU 8QLYHUVLWLHV clear the impact of fees rise DQG 6FLHQFH VDLG WKH ன JXUHV on home student enrolment UHYHDOHG ‍ڔ‏WKH WUXH FKDRV DORQH 7KH %HDYHU‍ڑ‏V UHTXHVW that has been unleashed by for the breakdown of home WKLV JRYHUQPHQW‍ ڕ‏ and international student ‍ڔ‏:LWK HYHU\ W\SH RI XQL was declined by the school as YHUVLW\ UHSRUWLQJ VLJQLன FDQW the information is “intended falls in students, including for future publication.â€? many in the Russell Group, Alex Peters-Day, General this is a problem for all of Secretary of the Students’ higher education and shows Union said, “whilst I am glad once again how raising fees that the LSE has not been and implementing now-disQHJDWLYHO\ LPSDFWHG E\ WKH credited student number new tuition fee regime, the control systems has done state of education nation- such damage.â€? ally is looking dire. It is important that we keep up the SUHVVXUH RQ WKH JRYHUQPHQW and ensure that the demonVWUDEO\ ŕŽ‹ DZHG HGXFDWLRQ SRO LFLHV WKH\ KDYH EHHQ SXVKLQJ forward are changed in the future.â€? Commenting on the general drop in number of students pursuing a degree, Jack Tindale, Community and :HOIDUH 2IILFHU H[SUHVVHG (GXFDWLRQ 2IILFHU 'XQFDQ 0F.HQQD ZRUN similar sentiments, saying ing on the LSESU’s Defend Education camthat “whilst it is gratifying paign earlier this year. (BEAVER ARCHIVE) Continued from front page

ing fathers of the department ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ ‍ڔ‏XSVHW‍ ڕ‏ at the “large power of the stateâ€? and how little equality KDG EHHQ DFKLHYHG Lauren Ging, President of the LSESU Social Policy Society said, “we are really SOHDVHG ZLWK WKH HYHQW DQG

IHOW WKDW LW FRYHUHG VRPH RI the many aspects of the departments history.� Alex 5HQQLFN 3ROLF\ (YHQWV 2I ficer, we l c o m e s i n t e r e s t e d people from “all departments� in participate in WKH HYHQWV RYHU WKH FRXUVH RI this term.

8SFRPLQJ HYHQWV LQFOXGH D WDON E\ 0LNH 6DYDJH RQ “Class Inequality in Austerity Britain on January 30th, Jonathan Bradshaw’s talk RQ FKLOG SRYHUW\ RQ )HEUX ary 7th, and “Multicultural Prison� by Coretta Phillips on February 12th.

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News

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

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Borg on Sweden and European crisis னQDQFLDO GHYHORSPHQW VWDWing it was equally capable RI VKRZLQJ WKH ZRUOG KRZ WR GHFRQVWUXFW D VRFLDO ZHOIDUH state, but in such a way as to make it stronger, more sustainable in the long run. %RUJ‍ڑ‏V WDON WLWOHG ‍ڔ‏3HUVSHFWLYHV RQ WKH (XURSHDQ FULVHV IURP D VPDOO RSHQ economyâ€? centred broadly on WZR WKHPHV ZKDW WKH 6ZHGish economy can show other

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FRQனGHQFH VWUHQJWKHQHG VRcial cohesion and maintained DQ H[WHQVLYH ZHOIDUH VWDWH ,W ,QWURGXFLQJ 6ZHGHQ‍ڑ‏V PLQZHDWKHUHG WKH (XUR]RQH &ULLVWHU RI )LQDQFH $QGHUV sis extremely well, reducing Borg, to an enthusiastic auLWV GHEW IURP SHU FHQW WR GLHQFH LQ WKH 2OG 7KHDWUH RQ SHU FHQW RI *'3 DQG VWDEL:HGQHVGD\ 3URIHVVRU 3DXO OLVLQJ *'3 ZKLFK LQLWLDOO\ IHOO 'H *UDXZH KDLOHG 6ZHGHQ‍ڑ‏V six per cent, to its pre-crisis role in the post-war period னJXUH ‍ڔ‏D FRXQWU\ WKDW KDV VKRZQ 0RVW LPSUHVVLYHO\ %RUJ WKH UHVW RI WKH ZRUOG KRZ WR stated, is that employment in FRQVWUXFW D VRFLDO ZHOIDUH 6ZHGHQ LV KLJKHU QRZ WKDQ stateâ€?. LW ZDV DW WKH RQVHW RI WKH FULsis. This was achieved, Borg explained, by a combination RI FUHGLELOLW\ DQG ORQJ WHUP SHUVSHFWLYH LQ 6ZHGHQ‍ڑ‏V HFRnomic policy: while cutting FRUSRUDWH WD[HV DQG IRVWHULQJ LQYHVWPHQW 6ZHGHQ SURJUHVVLYHO\ UHGXFHG WKH VL]H RI LWV ZHOIDUH VWDWH ZKLOH GHYHOoping its economy to centre on cutting-edge technology, without which, Borg claimed, ‍ڔ‏SHRSOH ZRXOG QRW EX\ 6ZHGish productsâ€?. %RUJ‍ڑ‏V WDON IRFXVHG RQ XQGHUO\LQJ ORQJ WHUP IDFWRUV The crisis, in his view, was DERXW VWUXFWXUDO LVVXHV ‍ڔ‏WKH JRRG \HDUV KLG WKH IDFW WKDW PDQ\ RI RXU (XURSHDQ HFRQRmies have lost competitiveness, and have not been able to adjust to globalised econoPLHV ‍ ڕ‏%RUJ XUJHG (XURSHDQ HFRQRPLHV WR IROORZ 6ZHGHQ‍ڑ‏V H[DPSOH DQG GR DOO WKH\ FRXOG WR IRVWHU FRPSHWLWLYHness, productivity, growth and a more global approach /6( *8< -25'$1 to trade. IRU KLV ‍ڔ‏FDSDFLW\ IRU WKLQN%RUJ SXW FRPLQJ RXW RI (XUR]RQH FRXQWULHV RQ KRZ %RUJ GHVFULEHG 6ZHGHQ LQJ RXW RI WKH ER[‍ ڕ‏6LQFH WKH the crises down to two things DV D IRUHUXQQHU LQ PDQ\ GLI- WR DYRLG D னQDQFLDO FULVLV DQG ‍ڑ‏V HFRQRPLF FULVLV 6ZHLQ (8 FRXQWULHV‍ ڑ‏HFRQRPLF how to deal with it successIHUHQW DUHDV RI HFRQRPLF DQG den has recouped investor DJHQGD FUHGLELOLW\ RI னVFDO IXOO\ %RUJ EDVHG WKH OHFWXUH ing her tenure as Director, 5HHV HDUQHG e 6LPLODUO\ VWDŕŽ‰ PHPEHUV ZHUH the only university in the Rus- paid between ÂŁ100,000 and sell Group to decline charg- 240,000, with a high concening the maximum amount, WUDWLRQ DW WKH ERWWRP RI WKH ÂŁ9,000. pay scale. The University also de%HVLGHV WKLV LQIRUPDWLRQ ULYHG D VLJQLனFDQW SRUWLRQ RI KRZHYHU WKH UHSRUW IDLOHG WR LWV LQFRPH IURP UHVLGHQFH SURYLGH GHWDLOHG LQIRUPDWLRQ halls and catering, as well as on its other expenditures. IURP )XQGLQJ &RXQFLO JUDQWV $OO LQ DOO ‍ڔ‏WKH GDWD FOHDUO\ $QRWKHU PDWWHU RI னQDQ- LQGLFDWHV WKDW WKH 6FKRRO LV LQ cial concern detailed in the an enviably strong position, EULHI LV WKH 6FKRRO‍ڑ‏V UHOD- with 2011-2012 results better tively low endowment. Total- than the comparators on eveing ÂŁ83.2m, it is lower than ry measure,â€? the report said. WKDW RI 86 FRPSDUDWRUV 2[In recent years, the UniIRUG DQG &DPEULGJH )RU WKLV year, it is imperative that the 6FKRRO LPSURYHV ‍ڔ‏GHYHORSPHQW RI SKLODQWKURSLF IXQGLQJ to support scholarships/bursaries, research, internationDOO\ FRPSHWLWLYH UHZDUG IRU DFDGHPLF VWDŕŽ‰ DQG WKH FRQWLQXLQJ UHGHYHORSPHQW RI WKH estate.â€? The report noted, howHYHU WKDW /6( ‍ڔ‏UHPDLQV FRQcernedâ€? about the likelihood RI IXUWKHU SXEOLF IXQGLQJ cutbacks, which it believes could impact recruitment. 7KH UHVXOWLQJ IHH LQFUHDVHV combined with the UK Border $JHQF\‍ڑ‏V PRUH VWULQJHQW LPmigration policies, have the potential to discourage interQDWLRQDO VWXGHQWV IURP DSSO\ing. 7RWDO H[SHQVHV IRU WKH \HDU WRWDOHG e P RI ZKLFK VWDŕŽ‰ costs made up ÂŁ125.7. Dur-

versity has also made a commitment to the environment and sustainability. In 2011 SHU FHQW RI FDPSXV ZDVWH ZDV UHF\FOHG XS IURP SHU FHQW WKH \HDU EHIRUH /6( DOVR UHFHLYHG D %5(($0 ‍ڔ‏2XWVWDQGLQJ‍ ڕ‏UDWLQJ IRU WKH 1HZ 6WXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏ &HQWUH‍ڑ‏V ORZ LPSDFW GHVLJQ EHFRPLQJ WKH னUVW KLJKHU HGucation building in London to do so. The University hopes to continue reducing its use RI QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV LQFUHDVH community water, and miniPLVH HPLVVLRQV DULVLQJ IURP commuting.

Sophie Beardshall

Continued from front page

and economic policy (without which both investment and consumption cannot grow), and long-term perspective while devising it. Borg made it clear that he ZDV DJDLQVW D )LVFDO 8QLRQ and the idea suggested by a PHPEHU RI WKH DXGLHQFH WKDW devolving more power to the (XURSHDQ 3DUOLDPHQW ZDV D solution. Borg expressed the view that the energy wasted RQ FUHDWLQJ QHZ னVFDO VWUXFtures and institutions would EH EHWWHU VSHQW RQ னQGLQJ practical solutions to inFUHDVH FRPSHWLWLRQ LQ WKH (Xropean market, something he SXW DW WKH IRUHIURQW RI KLV GLDJQRVLV IRU WKH (8 HFRQRP\ recovery plan. ‍ڔ‏:H DUH QRW RXW RI WKH ZRRGV‍ ڕ‏%RUJ ZDUQHG ‍ڔ‏LW LV problematic to put all this HQHUJ\ LQWR னVFDO VWUXFtures.â€? Borg concluded the lecture by sounding a warning DJDLQVW WKH SURVSHFW RI WKH 8. OHDYLQJ WKH (8 YRLFLQJ 6ZHGHQ‍ڑ‏V ZRUULHV DW WKH SURVSHFW RI D UHIHUHQGXP ZKHUHE\ ‍ڔ‏DOPRVW E\ DFFLGHQW ZH would see the UK leave the (XUR]RQH ‍ڕ‏ 1RW RQO\ LV /RQGRQ WKH னQDQFLDO FHQWUH RI WKH (8 EXW WKH 8. LV RQH RI WKH PRVW SRZHUIXO DQG SURPLQHQW GHIHQGHUV RI D IUHH WUDGH SROLF\ without which there would be a huge challenge to or HYHQ D UHYHUVDO RI ZKDW %RUJ believes is the key to beatLQJ WKH னQDQFLDO FULVLV IRU DOO (8 HFRQRPLHV FRPSHWLWLYHness.

6

News

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

Social media response to LSE100 media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A website “www. As the LSE100 exam, sched- LSE100.comâ€? was promoted uled for January 11th, ap- online, and included pictures proached, social media sites RI VWXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏UHYLVLRQ Phillip Jones, a second VDZ D ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI RQOLQH DFWLYLW\ as students took to the inter- year International Relations net in a bid of procrastina- student, stated he was reOLHYHG WKDW /6( ZDV ன tion. The lead up to the exam QDOO\ RYHU H[SUHVVLQJ HQWKX SURPSWHG KHDY\ UHVSRQVHV VLDVP WKDW ‍ڔ‏QRZ , KDYH PRUH from students, who were time to focus on my degree quick to express their dis- modules.â€? LSE100 is rapidly turning pleasure at spending their into one of LSE’s most conlast few days of holiday in WURYHUVLDO WRSLFV ZLWK D VXU the library. 7KH %HDYHU UHFHLYHG YH\ FRQGXFWHG E\ 7KH %HD numerous screenshots of YHU LQ KLJKOLJKWLQJ VWXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏ tweets and memes that had desires to change the course been posted across social structure. According to the VXUYH\ SHU FHQW RI VWX Hayley Fenton

dents stated that they won’t recommend the course to other students. Student acWLYLVW DQG PHPEHU RI &RXUW RI *RYHUQRUV -DVRQ :RQJ KDV FDPSDLJQHG WR â€ŤÚ”â€ŹŕŽŠ JKW WR end LSE100.â€? LSE100’s Teaching SurYH\ UHVXOWV IRU /HQW 7HUP DOVR UHYHDO VWXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏ dissatisfaction with the course content of LSE100 UHODWLYH WR RWKHU FRXUVHV LSE100 has also been nominated for a Teaching Excellence Award in the inDXJXUDO *XDUGLDQ 8QLYHUVLW\ Awards. The results will be DQQRXQFHG RQ :HGQHVGD\ February 27th, 2013.

Some of the best ones we’ve seen...

Submit to “Catalyst� Journal Shu Hang

The LSESU Think Tank Society is calling for submisVLRQV IRU WKHLU ன UVW HYHU -RXUQDO ‍&ڔ‏DWDO\VW ‍ ڕ‏7KH Journal will be published in print and online at the end of the Lent Term. According to Azril Ikram, President of the Think Tank Society, the journal is meant WR ‍ڔ‏VHUYH DV D SODWIRUP IRU VWXGHQWV ZKR ZDQW WR YRLFH their recommendations on contemporary policy issues.â€? He said, “our aim is to publish articles that represent a broad spectrum of ideas, from a wide range of WRSLFV (YHU\ SROLF\ LVVXH FDQ EH YLHZHG IURP YDULRXV lenses. For example, a politician, doctor and patient

ZLOO DOO YLHZ KHDOWK FDUH SROLF\ WKURXJK GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW SHUVSHFWLYHV (DFK SHUVRQ has an idea on which policies should be made and how they should be implemented.â€? The journal welcomes submission of articles on business and economics, edXFDWLRQ FRQŕŽ‹ LFW DQG SHDFH HQHUJ\ DQG WKH HQYLURQ ment, health-care, gender, DQG FXUUHQW DŕŽ‰ DLUV WKRXJK the journal would also conVLGHU DUWLFOHV WKDW GR QRW ன W under those topic areas. The published journal ZLOO WKHQ EH VHQW WR YDULRXV WKLQN WDQNV DQG JRYHUQPHQW organisations, such as Demos, The Federal trust, the )RUHLJQ 3ROLF\ &HQWUH DQG the Adam Smith Institute. According to Ikram, the

journal encourages stuGHQWV WR ‍ڔ‏WKLQN GLŕŽ‰ HUHQWO\‍ ڕ‏ and “participate in the ongoing dialogue that exists within and outside the uni-

YHUVLW\ ‍ڕ‏ According to the society, a party will be held to celebrate the launch of the journal. The journal will then be

distributed for free on campus. The deadline for article submission is on the 14th of February.

News

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

7

McCluskey on “capitalist vultures� Sophie Donszelmann

General Secretary of Unite, Len McCluskey, addressed a full Old Theatre at the London School of Economics in a lecture entitled, “The Labour Movement and Protest: a working-class politics for the 21st century� last Tuesday evening. Introduced as a “strong representative� who “hits the headlines during industrial disputes,� the union leader spoke as part of the Ralph Miliband series on movement, protest and social change. Before the lecture began, one audience member said he expected, and hoped, the lecture to be “well in the left.� “Well in the left� it was. General Secretary McCluskey commenced his lecture by recounting a brief history of socialism and the birth of the Labour Movement as the “arm of the working classes.� “For me, the Labour Movement has been the backbone to political change and progress for generations,� the speaker said. “That is why the ruling class was so keen to keep trade unions in legal shackles for so long.� The reoccurring theme throughout the lecture was McCluskey’s perceived antagonism between capitalism

and democracy. The union leader stressed that rightbased media “ruling elitesâ€? have demonized the working class and unemployed with their agendas of division. McCluskey’s message to the audience was clear: there is a great need for one united YRLFH DQG HŕŽ‰ RUW IURP WKH /D bour movement. McCluskey emphasised that the ‘working class,’ which in itself is VXEMHFW WR GHன QLWLRQ VKRXOG be proud of their roots. The crescendo of McCluskey’s speech came with his emphasis on the importance of trade union freedoms as agenda items for a potential Labour Party majority government. The speaker outlined the grassroots work of Unite across Great Britain and their crusade to achieve “better pay and improved conditions at workâ€? whilst adding that the workingclass movement has “secured or guaranteed almost everything we value today: democracy, peace, equality and welfare.â€? McCluskey frequently cited the Fabian slogan “educate, agitate, organiseâ€? as a similar mission statement of the Labour Movement. This was an approach he also seemed to employ whilst addressing the audience on Tuesday evening.

The theatre erupted in applause on several occasions as the General Secretary attacked “capitalist vulturesâ€? claiming they had “no SODFH LQ RXU VRFLHW\ SURன WLQJ RŕŽ‰ WKH PLVHU\ RI SHRSOH RQ poverty pay.â€? McCluskey’s tongue-in-cheek humour regarding former Prime Minister Blair and the “un-dead, vampire-likeâ€? policies of Prime Minister Cameron and Exchequer Osborne elicited several laughs.

With many of the questions coming from audience members who introduced themselves as “proud Labour Party members� and “part of the Unite family,� it was clear that McCluskey was preaching to the choir. General Course student, Ryan Hauck, was impressed with the lecture, saying he found the amount of pride McCluskey took in his principles admirable. “McCluskey’s refusal to accept the

anti-Labour narrative that politicians and the media have told us we must take for granted is inspiring, and his passion and leadership set an incredible example for the future leaders of the world.� McCluskey concluded his lecture with a stirring call for action to an already charged audience. “Britain is broken,� McCluskey said. “But it is the system that is broken, not the people.�

LSE scraps 15th place in employability league table Hayley Fenton

A recent study by High Flier Research has revealed that the London School of Economics ranks 15th in Universities Targeted by the Largest Number of Top Employers in 2012 - 13. LSE has always been rated highly for the career prospects of its graduates. LSE boasts over 94.6 per cent of graduates in graduate-level employment according to 2010 data, and has consistently been in the top handful of universities for graduate employment, most notably being ranked top for employability in the Sunday Times University Guide 2012. Nevertheless, LSE tragically trails behind Warwick, Imperial and Durham in the league table. Fortunately, LSE managed to come ahead of its archrival - University College London and Kings College London. Yet despite this, the High Flier Research report listed that the UK’s top investment EDQNV ODZ ன UPV DQG FRQVXO tancies were more focused

RQ ன QGLQJ JUDGXDWH UHFUXLWV at other universities. Warwick, Nottingham and 0DQFKHVWHU WRRN WKH ன UVW three places respectively, whilst Oxford and Cambridge made the top 10. Other highly rated institutions, including St Andrews, did not make the top 20. The report is based on research conducted during December 2012 with the UK’s one hundred leading graduate employers including BP, Goldman Sachs, PwC, Google, HSBC and the Civil Service. 2I WKH ன UPV VXUYH\HG per cent said they planned to increase their emphasis on social media to promote their graduate schemes whereas one-in-four stated they would be lessening the input of resources into traditional university career fairs. A further report, the Graduate Market in 2013, highlighted that students are being approached earlier than before by employers. RI WKH WRS ன UPV VDLG they were more likely to proPRWH JUDGXDWH UROHV WR ன UVW

year students than in previous years and 28 per cent RI ன UPV VXUYH\HG VDLG WKH\ were targeting penultimate year students more than they had done previously. Yet many students were not concerned about by the rankings, with Sophie Munford, a third year Economics student, stating, “LSE is a great place to study and has a fantastic reputation. Everyone knows league tables aren’t entirely reliable so I don’t feel these rankings will have any detrimental impact on my employability when I graduate. Judging by the number of my friends going straight into graduate schemes in September, I don’t think employers take much note of these league tables either.â€? The Department of Accounting and Department of Economics boasting some of the highest average starting salaries for graduates in the school. The typical starting salary of LSE graduates is ÂŁ11,000 higher than the national average for 2010/11, averaging at ÂŁ33,282.

Universities Targeted by the Largest Number of Top Employers 1. Warwick 2. Nottingham 3. Manchester 4. Cambridge 5. Bristol 6. Durham 7. Oxford 8. Birmingham 9. Bath 10. Leeds

6KHIĂ€ HOG 12. Imperial 13. Loughborough 14. Edinburgh 15. LSE 16. UCL 17. Southampton 18. Newcastle 19. Strathclyde 20. Exeter

8

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The Beaver | 22.01.2013

9

2013: A year of consolidation

Committee members of LSESU Forum explain why 2013 looks set to be a truly important year WULFN\ JLYHQ WKH LQWUDFWDEOH RSSRVLWLRQ RI VHFRQG DPHQGPHQW TXRWLQJ &RQVWLWXWLRQDO HQWKXVLDVWV EXW ZKLFK KDV EHHQ HOHYDWHG WR WKH OHYHO $W роКUVW JODQFH VHHPV VHW WR EH D GDPS RI WKH QHFHVVDU\ E\ D VWULQJ RI UHFHQW WUDJHGLHV VTXLE ZKLFK ZLOO VWUXJJOH WR PDWFK WKH H[FLWH7KH 0LGGOH (DVW ZLOO DOVR EH IDVFLQDWLQJ PHQW RI тАл┌СтАмV GUDPDWLF JOREDO SRZHU VKLIWV DV LW VHHNV VWDELOLW\ LQ WKH ZDNH RI LWV UHFHQW 7KH ZRUOG VHHPHG PLQGIXO RI LWV VXSSRVHG WXUEXOHQFH ZLWK SROLF\ PDNHUV QHHGLQJ WR DSRFDO\SWLF PRPHQW ODVW \HDU OLYLQJ ZLWK WKH KDUQHVV WKH ODVW UHPDLQLQJ PRPHQWXP RI WKH UHFNOHVV DEDQGRQ RI RQH WROG WKH\ KDYH RQO\ D $UDE 6SULQJ WR VHFXUH UHIRUPV ZKLOVW VWDY\HDU OHIW WR OLYH (OHFWLRQV LQ )UDQFH DQG $PHULQJ RроЙ IXUWKHU WXUPRLO 7URRS ZLWKGUDZDO LQ LFD SURGXFHG PXFK H[FLWHPHQW DQG KLJKO\ VLJ$IJKDQLVWDQ PXVW EH PDQDJHG FDUHIXOO\ WR QLроКFDQW UHVXOWV &KLQD VDZ D UDUH QRQ HOHFWRUDO DYHUW WKH SRWHQWLDO 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GHFOLQH LQ WKH ZDNH RI FRQJUHVVLRQDO HOHFDo you agree with our predictions for 2013? 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In our view, 2013 will be a truly important year not due to the change it might bring, but as the year when 2012тАЩs IXOO UDPLрн╜FDWLRQV really come into view. Policymakers must respond by consolidating its gains and stabilising its problems.

10

Comment

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

Great expectations Discussing the impact of “IntoUniversity” on the lives of children in disadvantaged areas Connor Russell

JESSIEJACOBSON

Life at LSE can often be all-consuming. What with meeting deadlines, getting involved with societies and trying to find somewhere other than Crush to go to on a Friday night, it’s easy to forget that we live in one of the most multicultural, tolerant and vibrant cities on the planet. London has so much to offer, and to me being a Londoner is just as important as being an LSE student. London has played a major role in shaping the world and has all of the sights and scars to prove it. Nevertheless, a capital city of more than seven million people could never be without its problems. There are many fellow citydwellers who are much less fortunate than we are to be studying at a world-leading juggernaut of social science. It is a simple fact that the educational outcomes of children in schools across London vastly depend upon where they live. In London, young people born in “disadvantaged” postcode districts – defined using a complex matrix of factors and specified by being in the worst five per cent of the country averaged across them – are six times less likely to go to university than the nationwide average according to research done up at UCL. Thinking in terms of people makes it even more striking

– for every six people who make it into university from wealthier backgrounds, only one person born into these areas will get the same life-changing opportunities, education and friendships that we enjoy. London suffers from some of the worst child poverty in the UK. These are real children and young people living, on the most part, less than five miles away from Houghton Street. When you take a step out of the “LSE bubble,” this is both incredibly unfair and also a blight on the city which we call home, adoptively or otherwise. There are multiple ways that this can be changed, looking at the problem from many different perspectives (something I could have probably figured out without LSE100). There is a real need to intervene early in people’s lives to create a statistically significant change in their chances of getting good grades, jobs or university places – to try to change the dismal figures mentioned above. There also needs to be a concerted effort beyond the school gates, as too often other factors scupper teachers’ efforts. If a child is constantly told in many different ways that university isn’t for them, such as by friends or family to whom higher education is unfamiliar, the assumption that they will get a job at sixteen or even simply not

having anyone in their lives who has already made that step, then eventually they stop trying. IntoUniversity was set up ten years ago and tackles these problems using an innovative combination of methods. Children enrol through their local school as young as eight and they attend one of ten different centres (there was only one in 2003) across London, with new centres having recently been opened in Nottingham and Bristol as well. A typical student’s experience will begin with weekly primary school Academic Support, where qualified staff and volunteers trained by the charity help students to complete their homework, run activities designed to support school work and also build a social network between the children. One of the best aspects of Academic Support is allowing the students to build friendships beyond school in an environment supportive of achieving – where it is not seen as “stupid” to want to get good grades because everyone is there for just the same reason. This normalises learning as a positive thing, rather than something that “must” be done in the all too often threatening environment of school. Ideally, all students would then be paired up with a mentor who currently studies at university on either an undergraduate or

postgraduate programme. This complements Academic Support, with student then coming into the centre additionally every two weeks to meet their mentor for an hour – the pair will then work towards an academic or personal target set at the start of the pairing which lasts until the end of the academic year. Unfortunately, IntoUniversity has too few mentoring volunteers to make this a possibility for every young person it works with. The last element of the package focuses on university life. In FOCUS weeks, IntoUniversity takes over the teaching of a whole class in a primary school to teach a subject which is available in higher education but not in the school curriculum, with some practical elements about life at university and a graduation ceremony at the end of the week (complete with those hats). There are also buddy days whereby students come onto campuses to have some experience of what studying there might be like. At LSE, we’re grateful to work with SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) to run campus tours and a trading game (very stereotypical, I know, but it does involve introductory economics and gets the students actively engaged). These elements form a package which is much more powerful than a mere homework help club. IntoU-

niversity becomes a part of children’s lives early on, and remains throughout a time in people’s lives when many other things are changing. They promote aspiration as something that is realistic for everyone as an alternative to the standard narrative of deprivation and poverty. This method is based on social science and research into how social mobility works that has been conducted by many universities including our own. This is why it is so much more effective than many other schemes – 70 per cent of IntoUniversity students progress into higher education, while, for those people who have received free school meals, the figure stands at 24 per cent. As is unfortunately so rare, research has been listened to, its findings have been applied and it is working. Volunteering with IntoUniversity has been a great experience for me as well as the mentees. While I have been volunteering, we’ve done stuff as broad as trips to other universities, baking cakes with other students, brushing up on maths and making complicated hats for a competition. The charity itself has also served me well – all volunteers receive comprehensive training on campus and constant support from staff. It’s a fastgrowing charity filled with ambitious people, and new opportunities come thick and fast. In my second year with them, I was given the chance to take on the role of ambassador for LSE, to promote both the charity and the importance of social mobility, which was supported with even more comprehensive training for this pilot scheme. The charity was involved in a case study exercise when I applied for a major City firm’s internship programme, and the company turned out to be a major donor to IU – suffice to say my experience no doubt helped me to land an offer. While I am obviously biased, I cannot stress enough how great a movement this is to be part of, and one which is in desperate need of new volunteers to expand its work. Visit www.intouniversity. org for more information and to apply.

Comment

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

11

France: the world’s policeman? James Breach thinks this label goes a step too far French defence correspondents have certainly enjoyed a busy start to the New Year following the twin announcements of an armed intervention into Mali, and a failed hostage rescue operation in Somalia. The ongoing Malian crisis has received plenty of coverage on this side of the Channel, particularly since the Prime Minister announced that Britain would be providing logistical support to the French troops. In contrast, the botched incursion into Somalia, which began hours after the French offensive in Mali, has received much less exposure. The raid, in which French Special Forces sought to rescue a French citizen held hostage by Al-Shabaab, was authorized after concern grew that he would be harmed in reprisal for the developments in Mali. Tragically, this operation ended with the death of two would-be rescuers and, it appears, the hostage. Interestingly, French defence analysts were already in high demand prior to these twin events. An examination of Paris’ contemporary foreign policy draws some fascinating conclusions. Having vehemently opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq, French strategy has undergone a complete reversal. In Mali, a battalion-sized force has been deployed already, with more to follow. The arrival of French troops is intended to bolster the efforts of the Malian government to defeat Ansar Dine,a fundamentalist group with links to Al-Qaeda, which has led an uprising in the north of the country. The French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, has also confirmed that French warplanes are carrying out airstrikes in support of pro-government troops. The dramatic involvement of French forces represents a remarkable escalation of a war that had previously been somewhat

overshadowed by the Syrian crisis. Moreover, Mali is a continuation of a trend that has emerged in the past couple of years. During 2011, France found itself engaged in three wars, a level of conflict unheard of since its colonial days. The intervention in Libya is a prime example of emboldened French policy. Whatever one’s view on NATO’s operation, France undeniably played a leading role. Mr Hollande’s predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, repeatedly challenged NATO to rescue Benghazi, volunteered to lead the risky air war, and, borrowing from America’s cherished Reagan Doctrine, even began arming the rebels. France then carried out airstrikes to dislodge Ivory Coast’s (another ex-French colony) strongman, Laurent Gbagbo, bringing a quick end to the bloody four-month civil war that followed a disputed election. Lastly, French troops also fought with ISAF troops in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, although Hollande has since withdrawn them. Encouraged by the successful conflicts of the previous year, the Élysée consistently championed the cause of the Syrian opposition throughout 2012. France has emerged as the most prominent backer of Syria’s armed opposition, providing substantial humanitarian and financial support, and becoming the first European nation to recognize the rebels as the legitimate governors of Syria. While there appears to be little prospect of a Libyan-style intervention, not least because military engagement would have to be on a vastly different scale, the French government continues to agitate for definitive action amongst its NATO allies. So what explains this French shift towards intervention? Crucially, all of these incidents are legitimate under interna-

ANNE LOOK

James Breach

tional law. The no-fly zone in Libya was sanctioned under the auspices of UN resolution 1973, and the African interventions have also been in response to UN requests. Indeed, in Mali, Paris is responding to explicit appeals from the Malian government for military support. Security considerations are also evidently influential in any decision for conflict. For example, the deteriorating situation in Mali is perceived as presenting a real threat to the French state. On one hand, there are 6,000 French expatriates in Mali; they would be in severe danger should the country fall under fundamentalist control. On the other, Paris is worried that a success by hardline Islamists in countries with close ties to France might the permit the radicalization of young French Muslims. Mohammed Merah, the Toulouse gunman (trained in the lawless borderlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan) remains a painfully recent memory. France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim population - including an estimated 80,000 people of Malian descent - and a power vacuum in Mali would present Al-Qaeda and its affiliates with an unprecedented opening to launch an at-

tack on France. Security measures have already been stepped up on French transport and in public places, underlining how seriously policy-makers take the threat of attack. The domestic political motives are worth considering too. Hollande’s Socialist government is decidedly unpopular and struggling to reform the French state. Similarly, Sarkozy also endured consistently low approval ratings for much of his time in office. Cynics have subsequently suggested that both embarked upon military action with an eye on the opinion polls; successful military action is always popular with voters. For Hollande, embattled at home over his economic policies, rising unemployment, and facing a conservative backlash over gay marriage, overseas adventures represent rare opportunities to create a consensus. So far, support for the Mali intervention is widespread. Even far right leader Marine Le Pen, a strident critic of Hollande’s Socialist government, has described the President’s action as “legitimate.” So has France taken up the mantle of “The World’s Policemen”? At this stage, this appears a step too far. Whilst the French commitment to UN resolutions

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should be applauded, their operations are often limited in scope and location (prevailingly, France intervenes only in Francophone countries). Furthermore, their support is far from pre-ordained; the intervention in Mali comes weeks after Hollande conspicuously failed to rescue the incumbent leader of the resource-rich Central African Republic, another excolony, forcing President Francois Bozize to accept a power-sharing pact with insurgents. Besides, French capacity to act unilaterally has clear limitations. In Libya, the no-fly zone was made possible largely because the United States destroyed Gaddafi’s air defences in a devastating opening salvo. In an era of defence-cuts, no European country could come close to mustering such a bombardment. Most tellingly of all, even the operation in Mali is dependent on the support of French allies; Britain, for instance, is providing much of the airlift capacity. Instead, in the aftermath of President Obama’s “pivot” towards China, and his apparent ambivalence towards exercising American power, there is no longer a clear claimant to the title of “The World’s Policeman.”

12

Comment

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

Dangers of performance-related pay REGIONAL CABINET

Why Michael Gove’s latest policy completely misses the point

Jamie Pelling

Michael Gove’s new initiative to introduce performance-related pay for teachers may seem like a fairly innocuous, if misguided, attempt to improve teaching standards on a wholesale basis. Those who defend the measure point to surveys which highlight the dismal state of our education system and the staggering amounts of sub-standard teaching contained therein. Perhaps financial gain seems a logical step to encourage an up-levelling of teacher performance; it is certainly in line with the small government ideals of the Tory party, but Gove has failed to account for several key aspects which differentiate teachers from secondhand car salesmen. This policy ignores the fact that, while teachers

will enjoy the extra money, graduates who enter into pass on learning, and not the majority are not mo- education have been no- to earn the same salary as tivated by financial gain. toriously unsuccessful as a trader at Goldman Sachs. Teaching has a long his- means of attracting wellI would even submit that tory as a vocational pro- educated young men and there is something wrong fession from its genesis in women to the profession. with our education system Ancient Greece if teachers do earn through to those the same as tradwho work in our This policy ignores the fact that, ers. In my opineducation sector ion, more money today. Yes, teach- while teachers will enjoy the should be spent on ers deserve more for the extra money, the majority are providing pay, but that does students, building not mean that we not motivated by financial gain. new facilities, and should degrade creating strong their historic Teaching has a long history as a learning environprofession with vocational profession from its ments, not on docthis measure. Intrinal efforts that in Ancient Greece will have only dandeed, those who genesis are “only in it for through to those who work in gerous repercusthe money� are sions. our education sector today. unlikely to be This brings me the outstanding to my more importeachers that Michael Gove It would seem therefore, tant concern with this iniseeks to reward. that teaching remains a vo- tiative. It will exacerbate, Moreover, the recent cational profession akin to encourage and otherwise attempts to improve sala- nursing, or, heaven forbid, assist, the dichotomy beries for teachers, introduce a life in academia, some- tween schools in rich arfast-track schemes and to thing that people enter into eas and those in poor ones. pay off the student loans of as a result of a desire to Starting with the abolition

of the grammar school system, this trend has opened our education system up to the force of the postcode lottery. For a variety of reasons, schools in middle-class suburban areas receive more money, better teachers and thus better exam results than those in poor inner-cities. Performance-related pay will be judged largely on exam results. Effectively, it is already biased towards schools with a history of success and the right infrastructure to maintain that success. Teachers, already attracted to successful schools, will have an additional, monetary incentive to work at these colleges and teaching talent will be ever more distracted from the sink comprehensives where it is most sorely needed. Perhaps this is the aim of the plan, especially because the new language of the Tory party is that the poor deserve to be poor because they are lazy and scrounging off of the state. Even if this is the case (which it is not), it is difficult to argue that the children of poverty should not be given the best chance to improve their condition, starting with a good education. There is a Michael Gove parody account on Twitter called @CaptainGove. I sent the captain a tweet suggesting that Gove be put on performance-related pay; I for one would have negated his salary following the King James Bible fiasco. The reply that I received was as follows: “Easy #millionaire.� Too many would agree, and this is the problem. Gove is the new darling of the Tory party and represents everything about Churchill’s Britain that they love. I am a critic of Churchill, but I am a far sterner critic of Gove for attempting to return to the past. Education is all about progress, a belief that will be under threat for as long as Michael Gove remains Secretary of State for Education.

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n the few weeks ahead, one of the most dangerous phenomena of the natural world is about to take place at the LSE: a zombie apocalypse. Ruthless, a film directed by Joe Pearson and produced by Dominic ChakraThompson, is a major creative project involving LSESU LooSE TV, Drama Society, Music Society, and the Clare Market Review. The team needs your help as an extra— either as a human or a zombie, in the first ever zombie outbreak on Houghton Street this Sunday, the 27th of January. Last Saturday at 8am, the LSE Quad was transformed into a vibrant, full-scale acting studio, with forteen members of cast and crew on set for day one. Professional lighting screens were set up, the make-up artists put their final touches on zombie wounds, and the actors performed a last-minute rehearsal. Director Pearson enthusiastically explained, “We’re going to tear campus apart and watch students be eaten alive…which is always a cheerful thing to do on a Sat-

urday morning”. What began as a "good idea" between two friends, Pearson and ChakraThompson, over a bottle of wine on Friday night is now in the process of becoming a 20-minute film, hoping to be premiered by Week 9 of this term. According to ChakraThompson, the initial responses from LSESU societies were very enthusiastic: “Everyone loves zombies… whenever we got in contact with anyone, they said, ‘Yupp, definitely!’” The film will feature an all-star cast of LSE students provided by the LSESU Drama Society, while an original music score will be composed by the LSESU Music Society. LSESU LooSE TV has provided film equipment, while the Clare Market Review has advised the film’s art direction. With permission from the Westminster Council and the LSE Estates, this is as professional as it gets. Without giving too much away, Pearson revealed that the film is done in three parts. Three main characters start in separate places and are forced to come together by

the apocalypse. The first part is an outbreak raging across LSE’s Houghton Street on January 27th, from 10am to 3 pm, where the director hopes to show as much carnage as possible. “We want as many extras as possible—there will be five make-up artists on that day, food and hot drinks will be provided, you’ll just have to run around madly outside!”. As for the main actors in the film, Pearson explained, “We did a full audition process based on acting ability.” According to lead actor Izmir Bajrami, who first heard of Ruthless through the LSESU Drama Society, “auditions were 40 to 60 minutes long. We had to do scenes from the script and some improv as well”. Callum Ballard, head of poster design—or as he called it, “designer of promotional material”, will be acting in the role of Random Man About to Die. “It’s a fun experience – especially at the LSE, creative projects like this don’t happen too often… it’s the kind of thing you should really be doing at university”. Ballard advised future LSE actors to “stay clean” and “keep aware of the stuff that’s happening, keep in touch with creative societies, and just be involved as much as you can be”. As chaotic as a zombie film may seem, Chakra-Thompson confidently affirmed, “We’ve got a great team behind us with amazing make-up. The DOP [Director of Photography] made LSE look like the dingiest and scariest place on the planet”. Make-up artist Rhianwen Clement, currently pursuing a degree in hair and makeup design at Southampton Solent, has acutely applied terrifying zombie make-up adapted from the film 28 Days Later. “We’ve done horror make-up tutorials at university”, Clement revealed, “but this is my first time do-

RUTHLESS IS ALMOST HERE. CALLING ALL EXTRAS: SUNDAY 27TH JANUARY 10AM THE QUAD HOT DRINKS, FOOD AND MAKEUP PROVIDED. HOUGHTON STREET WILL BLEED.

ing actual zombies—we’ll see how it goes!”. Sheena Santamaria, head of costume design, first heard of Ruthless through an email from the LSESU Drama Society. Thrilled to have been involved, she said “so far, it has been a really fun experience. It’s a good way to meet new people… A lot of us met for the first time today and we have a really good energy going”. Jamie Gollings, who introduced himself as “Imperial Zombie” (“Yes, from the university, but I am also regal”), said that he heard of the film through a friend’s text and immediately said yes because “that’s just not an opportunity that’s going to come up often”. Jess Thompson, who will be helping out with make-up design, admits she joined without hesitation as “I’m one of those people who prepare for a zombie apocalypse just in case”. Although the film will “not be made for profit”, Producer Chakra-Thompson has high hopes for the Ruthless. In addition to its planned release on Youtube and as a disc format including the extras, the producer reveals, “We’re going to enter it into festivals —Toronto, New York, London —all the big ones, and maybe win an Oscar along the way. Who knows?”. So far, it seems like Ruthless has got what it takes. The big test to how popular zombies really are will be the Houghton Street shoot, on Sunday the 27th of January. The Ruthless team invites you to “Come along and give it a go, either as a scared human running away from the zombies, or don the makeup and be a zombie yourself!”. For those interested in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, please join the facebook page at www.facebook.com/ruthlessfilm or follow Ruthless on Twitter (@ruthlessfilm).

15

The Beaver 22.01.2013

v THE IMPOSSIBLE T

festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the centre of the earth and a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds towards them. In the chaos that follows the family is separated, and thus begins the unforgettable account of a family’s desperate search to be reunited in amongst the mayhem of such a devastating natural disaster. The film is essentially a heart-breaking tale of human survival, driven most notably by an exceptional performance from Naomi Watts. Her raw interpretation of a mother mentally and physically broken—suffering horrendous and stomach-churning injuries from when the tsunami first hit and terrified beyond her imagination for the safety of the rest of her family—is well and truly worth the numerous nominations recently bestowed upon her. Watts is just phenomenal. However newcomer Tom Holland is just as good, if not better, driving the latter half of the film with an outstanding display of courage, maturity and a sense of bravery well beyond his years. He shows that even in the face of such a crippling disaster and appalling personal pain (he spends the

WARNER BROS.

he initial images of the Indian Ocean tsunami destroying everything in its path as it travelled with a ferocious and unstoppable intensity dominated the news on Boxing Day 2004. As the day progressed, footage emerged showing the rest of the world the wall of water tearing through buildings, flattening palm trees and sweeping thousands of unsuspecting people to their deaths. It was one of the most significant and shocking natural disasters of the twentieth century: an environmental catastrophe that left a trail of utter devastation in its wake. The Impossible manages to recreate this very moment in history powerfully, with director Juan Antonio Bayona using the true story of the Spanish BelĂłn family with great success. Stunning visual effects and powerhouse performances render this a truly astonishing film. Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons (Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin and Oaklee Pendergast) begin their winter holiday in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in the tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas

first half of the film basically watching his mother die and assuming he’d never see his father and brothers again) it is possible to turn anger and fear into compassion. Holland is capable of depicting a myriad of emotions with simply a look, and he manages to make the transformation of a surly preteen into a passionate and conscientious human being believable. It is easy to almost forget about Ewan McGregor when faced with Watts and Holland, but he is convincing and a certain scene of his—in particular—towards the end of the film had me reaching for the tissues. Watching the tsunami tear up the coast was one of the best (digitally created) scenes I have ever seen. This was digital effects at their absolute finest, with scene after

scene a sight to behold. Seeing a shaking video shot from a helicopter posted on YouTube just isn’t the same as being right in the centre of the action, and Bayona enables the audience to gain a terrifying glimpse into what the moment was like, albeit from the safety of the cinema. Seeing Maria tossed around in the water like a rag doll being beaten and ripped by the debris was quite literally sickening, and as a result rooted the scene in reality. Bayona never once shied away from showing the audience exactly what happened and the full horror of the moment. This is definitely not a film for the fainthearted. The Impossible is a raw and shocking film that will leave you shaken and unquestionably reminded of the

via Morgan (Sophiya Haque). Of more importance though, is WKH FORVHQHVV 6WHYHQ ன QGV ZLWK ŕŽ‹ DPER\DQW FURVV GUHVVHU &DS tain Terri Dennis (Simon Russell Beale), whose character creation, glamorous nonchalance and unexpected courage help Steven to realise what it means to be a man. Simon Russell Beale—undeniably the initial big draw to the show—has succeeded in creating a real person as opposed to forming a caricature, DQ XQGHQLDEO\ GLŕŽ‰ FXOW WDVN with a character such as Terri Dennis. Russell Beale oozes glamour but cannot help but expose that underneath the unscrupulous campness there LV ORYH WHQGHUQHVV GHன DQFH and solitude. Russell Beale’s physical control must be applauded, with a consistently cocked left leg, perfectly timed eye rolls, and grimaces so well placed as not to be predictable or overused; this is a man using an ostentatious façade in an attempt to become someone else. Together, the company offers a ‘representation’ of the FRQŕŽ‹ LFW ZLWK LQVHUWV RI GLUHFW address and songs, in order to give an idea of the political context. This representation allows ribald campness and racial stereotyping to be seen as PRUH WKDQ DQ DŕŽ‰ URQW RU D UHOLF and instead pushes the audience to engage with the wider points of Nichols’ play when joined with Grandage’s nu-

ances and the company’s careful and cohesive exploration of relationships. The comedy is portrayed excellently: impeccable timing and subtleties of voice and gesture lay the ground for a much deeper level of political commentary and, to an extent, Nichols’ own musings on the on post-colonial politics—asking important questions about Britain’s overseas occupations. Nichols himself served in a song and dance unit in India 1946, and many of his experiences are transferred directly to the stage in Privates on Parade, creating vulnerability in his writing that could not otherwise be achieved. This, combined with a sparse set resonant of both traditional Malay architecture and the emptiness of military barracks, allows the characters’ feelings to be exposed without distraction. Without question, Privates on Parade serves as a means

sheer force of nature and how powerless we are in comparison. It sits in an entirely different league from the majority of the disaster films that have hit screens recently as it packs an unrivalled emotional punch through the performances from the cast. The suffering of the Bennett family was not diluted for a cinema audience but instead depicted with a disgusting and heartbreaking clarity, and knowing that the scenes unfolding on the screen actually happened gives The Impossible a chilling and harrowing edge. Aided by beautiful cinematography and incredible sound editing (the subtle hums and noises preceding the first wave is fantastic for building the anticipation) the overall picture is a stunning dramatisation of one family’s journey of hope and survival against all odds. Images of unrelenting waves; lines of bodies and Watts bleeding, weeping and clinging to a palm tree will shake you to the core for days after you have left the cinema. The Impossible should not be missed: it’s an astonishing, devastating and shining example of cinematic gold.

Emma Forth

Â? PRIVATES ON PARADE MICHAEL GRANDAGE COMPANY

N

ichols’ Privates on Parade was a seemingly incongruous choice as the opener to the Michael Grandage Company’s debut season, the eponymous director’s latest venture. A musical or a play? Entertainment or a political statement? Fiction or truth? Privates on Parade manages to be all of these WKLQJV ZKLOVW DOVR ன QGLQJ the middle ground between a large scale West End Production and a small fringe show. To all intents and purposes it should not work and I was convinced of this—but how hugely I had misjudged this piece of theatre. Peter Nichols’ tender ZULWLQJ LQŕŽ‹ XHQFHG E\ KLV RZQ experiences, combined with

thoughtful but comic direction by Michael Grandage has created the perfect season openHU 7KH RŕŽ‰ HULQJ RI SROLWLFV DQG history bathed in the glitz and glamour of a West End allows the audience to take as much, or as little from the spectacle as they choose. Set in Malaya, during the aftermath of World War II, Privates on Parade tells the story of Steven Flowers (Joseph Timms), newly enrolled in the ன FWLRQDO 6RQJ DQG 'DQFH 8QLW 6RXWK (DVW $VLD 6$'86($ Steven encounters politics, corruption, racism and love through his relationships with others on the unit—notably the up-right Major Flack (Angus Wright), and the beautiful Syl-

for Nichols to re-live his experiences; but more than that it appears a chance for Nichols to relieve his guilt, with sharp, skilful writing providing an insight into the lives of postcolonial troops. Grandage’s tender revival has created something multi-faceted and layered, allowing the audience to pass through the seemingly REOLYLRXV ŕŽ‹ DPER\DQFH RI 6$' 86($‍ڑ‏V MDXQW\ HQVHPEOH QXP bers, Marlene Dietrich covers and cabaret turns, to a backdrop of long simmering native discontent and explosive violence that sits at the core of the show. From showbiz history to post-colonial politics, from institutional racism to homosexuality, several notions lay heavy in Steven Flowers’ SRLJQDQW TXHVWLRQ 8QWLO ZH can change society, how can we change ourselves?'

Â?Â?Â?Â?

Michelle Warbis

NOĂ‹L COWARD THEATRE Ends on 02 March 2013 Written by Peter Nichols Directed by Michael Grandage Starring Simon Russell Beale, Joseph Timms, Angus Wright, Sophiya Haque

16

22.01.2013 PartB

& A$AP ROCKY

O

T

come threadbare. The hip-hop shelves of the late HMV were saturated with self-obsessed rappers many of which will not be missed. However, throughout this record, A$AP Rocky re-gilds the base and brazen so laconically that it is near-

ly captivating; in ‘Goldie’ an ethereal choir dances over a deep rhythm as Rocky boasts that 'Yes. I’m the shit. Tell me do I stink?' Regardless of whether one finds such lyrical content crass —and it is still necessary to ob-

ject to the misogynist language which A$AP Rocky has done little to expel from hip-hop— the competence it is effected with demands ‘credit where credit is due’. For instance, in a move that was as surprising and as successfully realised as Cypress Hill’s collaboration with Deadmau5, ‘Wild For The Night’ sees Rocky collide with Skrillex. The track will no doubt become a highly polarising force but, opinion aside, it is one of the most fantastically abrasive pieces of rap since Anthrax and Public Enemy brought the proverbial noise. Generally speaking, the album will be well received amongst hip-hop aficionados and go on to see extensive popularity in their blogs and playlists. However, the ‘problem’ that Long. Live. A$AP. may encounter, alongside much of the music of Rocky's peers, is that it still remains marginally unpalatable to the airwaves of Radio1 and the like. Nevertheless, whilst this may hinder total coverage in the media, of course this obstinance is only really a strength.

Ɖ Emir

Nader

AMANDO & MIRIAM

ravelling to West Africa is a luxury that cannot be afforded by everyone these days. Thankfully, for those who is filled with the desire to go there and can’t do so for any reason, there is Amadou et Mariam’s music. Listening to the album Dimanche á Bamako must be very close to the feeling of driving a car with open windows in Bamako on a lazy Sunday. Neither Hollywood nor Nollywood produce stories that are as sweet as the duo from Mali. Known from the 'Blind Couple from Mali', Amadou and Mariam met Bamako’s Institute of Young Blind People and established two partnerships; one in marriage, one in music. They have been doing the finest examples of the world music since 1980’s. However, it wasn’t until their album Dimanche á Bamako their music career started to take off towards a world music super-starship! For this album, they were approached by Manu Chao and together they produced this incredible music feast with ingredients varying from African folk, blues, rock, modern African pop, some flavour of reggae, urban and rural soundscapes, blended with a European style beat consciousness in French, Bambara, English and several other African languages. This variety of style is accompanied with a rich instrumental one including rock guitars, Syrian violins, Cuban trumpets, Egyptian ney, Indian

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Want to write for Music? You could interview or review albums and concerts! AMADOU AND MIRIAM

A$AP ROCKY

n January 15th A$AP Mob’s golden boy A$AP Rocky finally released his debut studio album Long. Live. A$AP. The release date was pushed back multiple times which, upon finally hearing the LP, seems to have been a wise strategy; the album is a consistent and incredibly strong expression of Rocky’s not misplaced ego. It is indicative of the contemporary music industry that L. L. A. is Rocky’s first studio album and yet it is no measure of his stature. Indeed, he releases the LP to a large and approving fan-base in the public and critical media alike following 2011’s singles ‘Peso’ and ‘Purple Swag’. This album convincingly cements Rocky amongst the heavy-weights of the US’ new generation of hip-hop. The majority of said phalanx appear on the track ‘1 Train’ which reads like a who’s-who of current boom-bap, featuring Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, YelaWolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson and Big K.R.I.T. It is always impressive when a musician succeeds in breathing a new lease of life into a style which has be-

GIGS

Can't imagine anything better?

tablas and Dogon percussion. Dimanche á Bamako is one of those rare albums in which all the songs are beautiful and it is hard to distinguish which song stands out more. However, the song that gives its name to the album 'Beaux Dimanches' [Beautiful Sundays has a special place for me. This song is so powerful that, after listening it over and over again, a friend of mine decided to go to Mali and she spent four months in Bamako! Along the songs such as 'Beaux Dimanches', 'Taxi Bam-

ako' and 'Senegal Fast Food' with heavy urban influences, there are songs like 'La Fete au Village', 'Dfanja' and 'Gnidjougouya' with distinctly rural melodies. However they are equally enchanting and African. When these melodies fill you with upbeat feelings, they are not free of thoughts and social consciousness either. The song 'Political Amagni' addresses the politicians, and tells them that they should approach politics with honesty and dignity; giving the mes-

sage that bad style politics and corruption should be avoided. In case somehow you haven’t exposed yourself to African music so far, listening to Dimanche á Bamako can be a great start. If Amadou’s rock guitars that mix traditional African sounds with modern melodies and Mariam’s velvet vocals won’t draw you into music of this continent, probably nothing can.

Ɖ Didem

Tali

Submit articles or just get in touch with Emir and Tom at: music@thebeaveronline.co.uk

The Beaver 22.01.2013

ˆ TOP ART EXHIBITIONS 2013 in recent years ranging from atmospheric installations to intangible sculptures which

Manet: Portraying Life Royal Academy of Arts, 26 January - 14 April ,W ZLOO EH WKH ன UVW HYHU UHW rospective devoted to the portraiture of Edouard Manet, bringing together works from across Europe, Asia and the USA. Manet‘s engagement with portraiture constitute around half of his artistic output capturing not only his family and friends, literary, politiFDO DQG DUWLVWLF ன JXUHV RI KLV day, but also Parisian society of the time.

ing provocation, subversion and humour. The Barbican celebrates Duchamp in a ma-

jor new season and showcases over 90 artworks including some of Duchamp‘s most famous ‘readymades‘ as well as works by his precursors and collaborators. Lichtenstein: A Retrospective Tate Modern, 21 February - 27 May $QRWKHU ன UVW IXOO VFDOH UHW rospective will be celebrated at the Tate Modern in honour of the American pop artist Roy

Ice Age art: arrival of the modern mind British Museum, 7 February 26 May The British Museum showcases masterpieces from the last Ice Age drawn from across

Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917

invite the visitor to experience light in all of its spatial and sensory forms. The Bride and the Bachelors, Duchamp with Cage, Cunningham, Rauschenberg and Johns Barbican Art Gallery, 14 February - 9 June Marcel Duchamp, the father of conceptual art, changed the way we think about creativity and blurred the distinction between life and art by embrac-

Light Show Hayward Gallery, 30 January 28 April Light Show explores the experimental and phenomenal nature of light, bringing together sculptures and installaWLRQV WKDW XVH OLJKW LQ GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW ways. The exhibition includes some of the most visually stimulating artworks created

Lichtenstein who is renowned for his works based on comic strips and advertising imagery. The exhibition showcases key painting lent from the National *DOOHU\ RI $UW :DVKLQJWRQ DQG MoMA, New York and promises a sensational show paying tribute to his extraordinary oeuvre. Schwitters in Britain, Tate Britain, 30 January - 12 May Schwitters in Britain is the ன UVW PDMRU H[KLELWLRQ WR VKRZ case the late work of Kurt Schwitters, one of the major artists of European Modernism. Schwitters‘ art work was condemned as ‘degenerate‘ E\ *HUPDQ\‍Ú?‏V 1D]L JRYHUQ ment and the show traces the impact of his exile in Britain. 7KH DUWLVW ZDV D VLJQLன FDQW ன JXUH LQ (XURSHDQ 'DGDLVP who invented the concept of Merz — ‘the combination, for artistic purposes of all conceivable materials‘. The exhibition includes over 150 collages, assemblages and sculptures many shown in the UK for the ன UVW WLPH LQ RYHU \HDUV

TATE

Last year London‘s art scene served up a blend of blockbuster art exhibitions, pompous art fairs and edgy pop-up displays. However, there is no reason to expect this year‘s exhibitions schedule to be any less illustrious—at least not for this term: museums and galleries in London are playing hosts to some of the art‘s biggest names, controversial thinkers, unconventional art forms and niche ன JXUHV +HUH DUH WKH WRS SLFNV for the upcoming season:

17

Europe in this groundbreaking show including the world‘s oldest known sculptures, drawings and portraits. Alongside modern works by Henry Moore, Mondrian and Matisse, these unique pieces of art illustrate the fundamental human strive to communicate and make art as a way of understanding human nature. Most pieces were created between 40,000 and 10,000 years ago and made of mammoth ivory and reindeer antler. Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901 The Courtauld Gallery, 14 February - 26 May Just a stone‘s throw away from campus, the Courtauld *DOOHU\ DW 6RPHUVHW +RXVH devotes a special exhibition to Picasso‘s breakthrough year as an artist in 1901. It was the year that the ambitious 19-year-old launched his career in Paris. The exhibition brings together a spectacular JURXS RI SDLQWLQJV RŕŽ‰ HULQJ D unique opportunity to experience the birth of Picasso‘s genius.

Erika Arnold

TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

I

launched into a live cooking demonstration. With his downto-earth attitude, it’s easy to see why he is so popular. Only Jamie can make a dish as fancy as beef carpaccio seem accessible, declaring his love for ‘rustic’ restaurants as ‘they

with prominent chefs. However, a visit to Taste is mostly— and unavoidably—spent perusing the overwhelming amount of produce, and guilt-free tasting in the name of Christmas shopping. This necessarily involves a systematic sam-

chutneys and a range of curry sauces available from stalls, Vivek Singh, founder of renowned Indian restaurants The Cinnamon Club and Cinnamon Kitchen, was presenting on stage. He deftly demonstrated his take on a Christmas din-

pling of the cheese producers’ goods. Special mention goes to Snowdonia Cheese Company’s extremely garlicky and herby *UHHQ 7KXQGHU ZKLFK VKRXOG not be eaten before a date, and to Khayri Olives’ feta cheese. Coated in parsley, it’s not too tangy, not too bland, and not too crumbly—it is actually heaven. Additionally, Indian food is GHன QLWHO\ LQ YRJXH $V ZHOO DV

ner, delicious enough to make anyone consider abandoning cranberry sauce and gravy: he GUHVVHG D WXUNH\ LQ D ன UVW PDUL nade of ginger-garlic paste and chilli powder, then coated it in a second marinade of yoghurt, chilli, fenugreek, garam masala, fried onions and cashew nut paste. His new book, Cinnamon Kitchen delves bravely into fusion cooking, with recipes for Rogan Josh Shepherd’s

TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

t’s January and gone is the month of merrymaking and goodwill. There’s no escaping the fact that it’s still grey and cold, and London can’t even do snow properly. For those with New Year resolutions of healthy diets and eating less, it might be slightly PDVRFKLVWLF WR UHŕŽ‹ HFW RQ WKH Christmas period and its associated gluttony. Or it could be a blissful reprieve from reality. Let’s take the latter option. (You weren’t really intending on keeping those resolutions, were you?) One of the gastro-highlights of last month was Taste, a giant, three-day festival, which also runs Taste of London in the summer. Opening early on a Friday morning, the queues moved swiftly as eager foodies poured into the Excel exhibition space, decorated in honour of the season. Yet whilst organisers understood the need to brighten the room with festive cheer, they did not anticipate the demand to see Jamie Oliver take to the stage, resulting in a confused crowd crushed around seats that were crammed with ‘VIP ticket’ guests. Any discomfort, however, was soon forgotten as Jamie bounded onto the stage and

feel more like home’. His dedication to good food is also extremely admirable. He invited KLV ன UVW ERVV *HQQDUR DQ ,WDO ian chef and pasta expert, to make pasta live on stage, and, of course, they both made it ORRN HŕŽ‰ RUWOHVVO\ VLPSOH For Taste visitors keen to get stuck into actual tasting, there were regular, and free, cheese and wine-tasting sessions, and cookery classes

Pie and Keralan Seafood Pie. Visitors, who weren’t too VWXŕŽ‰ HG IURP VDPSOLQJ RU ZHUH without a dining ticket, could choose to lunch on street food or more upscale dishes from quality restaurants, although the dining setting for both was very much the same—benches and tables scattered around the hall. Street food options included stews from Jamie’s Fabulous Feasts and tasty meatballs from The Bowler, a grass-covered van, which tours London’s street food markets. The restaurants section featured Indian cuisine from Cinnamon Kitchen and highly popular duck burgers from Compton Gascoir. Salt Yard served up a Pedro Ximinez and Raisin Affogato—ice-cream embedded with Pedro Ximinez-soaked raisins, doused with a shot of espresso. It was wonderfully bitter and sweet. 7DVWH LV GHன QLWHO\ D GHFD dent and indulgent day out. But with entertaining demonstrations, fantastic quality SURGXFH DQG JUHDW RŕŽ‰ HUV LW‍ڑ‏V impossible to feel too guilty if you occasionally treat yourself as well as buying for others.

Phoebe Amoroso

18

22.01.2013 PartB

TORTILLA

Seeking exclusively British sourced produce whilst dining in London? Curious about just how sensational British food can be, autonomously speaking, in the absence of being complemented by ingredients deriving from other lands? Thank god for Bumpkin. Laying claim to no less than three locations encompassing West and East London, Bumpkin’s niche is a winning combination of quality comfort-food and farmhouse chic. Candlelit, tastefully executed and immensely popular, the chain has quickly become the gastropub of choice for those in the know. With a rather extensive menu (and an equally indulgent wine list) Bumpkin prides itself on a menu that is unapologetically British. That’s right; ingredients are solely sourced from our fair Britannia. Every intricate detail is distinctly, well, British. An interesting concept and a definite must for Anglophiles like us. Our branch of choice this evening was South Kensington. You’d almost be forgiven for imagining you’re in the Cotswolds, but the je ne sais quoi splash of metropolitan sophistication that echoes from the walls (sepia prints of all things British) and in Bumpkin’s clientele (a curious combination of the Chelsea set, yummy mummies and sophisticated students) periodically reminds you that yes, you are still in London. The bumpkin theme is evident everywhere.

DĂŠcor is chic, yet rustic, sexy (at times) and consistently inviting. A welcome retreat from London’s often extremely divided restaurant world, where one is often faced with the perennial dilemma of dining at either an incredibly affected, somewhat theatrical, pretentious joint, where prices are gastronomical and service is practically non-existent, or dining at a rather low-key, nofrills kind-of-joint. I’m talking about a decidedly satisfying trip to one’s favourite kebab shop on Edgware Road. Bumpkin had us at ‘hello.’ Deliberately clichĂŠd as it may sound, it’s true. The artisan bread that first graced our plates (ÂŁ3.45) was comforting: crisp, crunchy and distinctly British. Not that as Brits, bread is especially our forte, but nevertheless, these slices proved that British is best: they were positively moreish. Staying true to the British sourced theme, the bread was accompanied by rapeseed oil

—a slightly perplexing choice we felt, as there are various other oils we felt would prove more complementary. Our starters comprised the everso-creamy Carrot Soup (Soup of the Day, £5.50) complemented by Portobello and Wild Mushrooms (£6.95), which proved pleasantly simple, yet satisfying. For our mains we, as ever, were feeling particularly indulgent and opted for the Rump Steak (£21.95), which was accompanied by a highly kitsch mini mesh-fryer containing a very satisfying bunch of (notably hot) chips. The steak was flawless: served unpretentiously, meticulously juicy and tender. Our Chicken Casserole (£16.95) featured a rather eclectic mix of tarragon dumplings, herb mash and crispy bacon. The crisp, soft combination of the dish complemented the rich taste sensations inherent within the chicken, which proved both tender and succulent—fragrant almost—the herbs hav-

I

Æ BUMPKIN

Â?Â?Â?Â?

102 Old Brompton Road South Kensington SW7 3RD 020 7341 0802 Mon-Fri 11-12am, Sat-Sun 10-12am

Cuisine British Average spend ÂŁ25-35 (with drinks) Reservations Yes

ant as it’s all folded neatly into a wrap, but the meat was tender and all the various fillings suitably spiced, with the sour cream and guacamole giving each bite a cool finish. The choice of filling is vast. Due to personal preference, I chose not to have beans in my burrito, but that is yet another option to add to your lunch choice. The biggest criticism of Tortilla is its rewards system, where a minimum of five purchases is required simply to get a portion of free nachos on the next visit along with a dip, whilst ten purchases are required to gain a free burrito. However, Tortilla is an ex-

cellent chain for a lunchtime treat, but on a student budget it is unlikely that it would fit in on too frequent of a basis. The choice and experience that Tortilla provides ensure that each customer would be glad to return, despite it being on the premium end of the lunchtime spectrum. As the success of burritos is so immense in America, hopefully soon we will also see even more establishments such as Tortilla open up in London and judging by their growing success and popularity, it doesn’t seem unlikely.

,Neraj Thangarajah

Â?Â?Â?Â?

460 The Strand WC2R 0RG 020 7930 0269 Sun-Tue Noon-9pm, Wed Noon-10pm, Fri-Sat Noon-11pm

Cuisine Mexican Average spend ÂŁ7.50 (with drinks) Reservations No

BUMPKINUK

ity of the cuisine in America. Nonetheless, their arrival is better late than never. Tortilla currently runs nine chains in London alone. The Strand branch in particular has limited seating in the serving area, but rather modestly hides seating areas both upstairs and down—the former boasting views over the Strand and parts of Trafalgar Square. Whilst the dÊcor is slightly limited, Tortilla does at least presents a warm lunchtime environment to its customers. Tortilla operates much like Subway, whereby you decide what sort of wrap or taco

TORTILLA

t seems as though lunch is becoming more of a treat in the capital. Instead of opting for a dull sandwich, whether prepared at home or bought in the supermarket, many Londoners are committing to slightly more luxurious lunch time meals and why shouldn’t they? As many chains now appeal as a healthy option whilst also providing some variety and excitement to a sometimes dull and time constrained meal. Burrito chains are the latest addition to the quick-service lunchtime scene, though their tardiness is slightly confusing due to the immense success and popular-

you’d like along with a filling, followed by a choice of rice, a variety of vegetables, and a mild, medium or hot salsa. Whilst sour cream and salad components are included, it is slightly irritating that a little guacamole comes at a cost of an additional 70 pence. The most obvious option to order was the burrito, but there is a surprising amount of choice at Tortilla, notably the healthy burritos, which comprise of normal burrito filling—just without the tortilla. The fast, precise service at Tortilla meant that I was presented with my chicken burrito within two minutes, packed full of lime cilantro rice, peppers and onions, a medium spiced salsa verde, sour cream and guacamole. The first thing to notice about the burritos at Tortilla is their size. A medium burrito will set you just over five pounds, but by the end of it you’ll feel as though you’ve eaten a large dinner and would probably also be in need of a nap, which is definitely not a bad thing. Regardless of their size, the burritos are delicious. It’s hard to pick individual aspects of the burrito that are pleas-

ing brought out the flavour of the meat within the dish. For dessert we both opted for the same dish—it would’ve been decidedly un-festive not to—the Mulled Wine Poached Pears (£6.25). It proved a heavenly combination: teamed with a hint of spice, vanilla pod and cinnamon and served with gingerbread and clotted Cornish cream. Each mouthful left us lingering for more. If you have a sweet tooth, but deplore the supposed guilt one has post-consumption, this is the dessert for you. However, those who prefer the more indulgent options will, thankfully, find no shortage of them at Bumpkin, with alternative offerings such as the Rich Chocolate Mousse (£6.25) and Sticky Toffee Pudding (£6.50). On a side note, the award winning selection of wines does offer an international se-

lection of tipple (thankfully), although empathically it also focuses on the best of British. Thus, we strived to retain the theme and ordered the flavoursome 2006 Limney Estate Blanc de Blancs. Bumpkin also prides itself with its enviably extensive cocktail selection. Whilst prices are certainly not cheap, by any means, the quality and calibre of Bumpkin’s food facilitates a fantastic option for those looking for something just that little bit special. Word of warning, however. Leaving Bumpkin was not a pleasant experience on a Winter’s night. Immersing oneself in a cozy, inviting interior for several hours, with equally comforting food, then emerging into the frightfully cold street was, quite simply, shocking.

Laura Randle

19

The Beaver 22.01.2013

9 LEGEND OF THE GALACTIC HEROES

I

am not even remotely close to being a “hipsterâ€?, but I have a few hobbies and interests that I have been irked by when they have entered the mainstream. Anime is one that seems to skirt the rain-slick precipice of eccentricity, with the growth of the internet serving to help cast it down into the wider public consciousness. I have fond memories of slowly downloading “End of Evangelionâ€? back in 2001 on my parent’s archaic dial-up connection. It took over two weeks for me to have the opportunity of seeing Asuka being torn apart by a load of mass-produced harpies. Equally, waiting urJHQWO\ WR VHH WKH HŕŽ‰RUWV RI D group of fans hesitantly subtitling the audio of the Cowboy Bebop movie (surreptitiously னOPHG ZLWK D PRWLRQ VLFNQHVV inducing camcorder) was something that I naturally took as an occupational hazard of the average geek. Now, even if our kind have not quite entered the public domain, it is depressingly easy to indulge in a spot of geekery. Amazon has rendered

eBay watching moot. I can enjoy popular manga online, for IUHH E\ WKH HŕŽ‰RUWV RI D IHZ VHPL SURIHVVLRQDOV HŕŽ‰RUWOHVVO\ scanning and translating the latest releases online. Even the inevitable eighteen-month wait for “Evangelion 3.0â€? has EHHQ PDGH HŕŽ‰RUWOHVV E\ 5HGdit and broadband (although, by the sounds of it, neither I nor the protagonist are going to be especially pleased by the result.) If you want to maintain a cheerfully obscure hobby, it isn’t as easy as it used to be. Fortunately, there is always “Legend of the Galactic HeURHV‍ ڕ‏WR VXVWDLQ \RX 5HDOO\ this should be a dissertation, but as I have already used a third of my allotted wordcount reminding myself why I didn’t get a girlfriend until I was twenty, this review will do LOGH a disservice by its brevity. The show, which runs to over a hundred episodes and the best part of a half-dozen spinRŕŽ‰V LV DV DPELWLRXV D 6SDFH Opera as anything enjoyed in the West. Despite the name, the two “heroesâ€? of the series,

historian-cum-Admiral, Yang Wen Li, and ambitious minorQREOHPDQ &RXQW 5HLQKDUG YRQ Lohengramm, are portrayed as simply the latest in a series of great men who make up the series’ thousand year backstory. By the time the series opens, various human civilisations have enjoyed their decline and fall, with the main scope of the series being played within the scope of a vast interstellar conŕŽ‹LFW EHWZHHQ WKH 3UXVVLDQ LQspired Galactic Empire and the increasingly misnomered Free Planets Alliance. Unusually, it is the former that is portrayed in the more positive light, with the latter’s gradual descent into quasi-Dictatorship forming a major part of the middle of the narrative. It is testament to the skill of the animation that the otherwise spectacular space battles are perhaps the weakest element of the 2000 hour long show. This is not to talk them down. The soundtrack works exceptionally well, despite being comprised entirely from public domain western smallc classical music. A memora-

ble scene where two armadas clash to the accompaniment RI 5DYHO‍ڑ‏V %ROÂŤUR LV VXSHUEO\ done, with a far more measured and poetic style than would normally be expected. This is because LOGH is not really about battles. Indeed, it has perhaps one of the most impressive anti-war messages of any television program. Quite often, the huge setpieces come in between political debates and faux-documentaries WKDW ŕŽ‹HVK RXW WKH PLOOHQQLD of speculative history and the series’ backstory. Strangely, these do not act to the detriPHQW RI WKH னOP SURSHU DQG the viewer can become rather sucked into learning about the war of independence fought by the people of Sirius, or the autocratic Social Darwinism of (PSHURU 5XGROI WKH *UHDW LOGH is far more concerned about the cast, which helps understand why the show has more characters than written &KLQHVH (DFK னJXUH LV LQWURduced by a subtitle, which the viewer quickly accepts, with their own ambitions, failures and foibles. Not all can aspire

WR WKH VFUHHQ WLPH DŕŽ‰RUGHG E\ Julian Minci, who goes from Ensign to the wisest person in the universe over the show’s duration, but even the most PLQRU னJXUHV HQMR\ D PRPHQW RI UHŕŽ‹HFWLRQ DQG KXPDQLVDWLRQ that few epics can aspire to. Most importantly though, LOGH can tell a story. The FRQŕŽ‹LFWV DQG FLYLO ZDUV DUH theatrical. The political mechanisations are gripping. Each wedding is accompanied by a genuine sense of joy, each death by equally meaningful tragedy. There a sense of maturity that the, at times, lackluster animation never detracts from. This probably all sounds rather gushing doesn’t it? That may not be in the best spirit of an objective review, but for once, this commentator doesn’t really care. Book a few PRQWKV RŕŽ‰ FRQWUDFW JODQGXODU fever if you must, but watch it. Just don’t tell your friends, we all have a favourite show we would rather keep to ourselves, don’t we?

middle ground between traditional sandbox games and popular modern shooters. As with most sandbox games, the player is given the opportunity to progress with the story or to go out and discover the wealth of fun their playground has to offer, though in this case your lack of abilities will make the first choice redundant quickly. Early on, you are tasked with liberating a base, and with

Enemies will spot you easily if you expose yourself, and with no quick save feature your efforts to get any stealth bonuses can be swiftly routed by the tiniest mistake. That is not to say the AI is smart. If you’re far enough away, a rocket launcher can be just as useful as a sniper rifle for clearing enemies individually, and no alarms will be triggered unless guards spot Jason, as opposed to the corpses he’s una-

satchels, Jason will also need to take on the other beasts of the island, from pigs to leopards, and believe me when I say that the player has absolutely no control over where they show up. Many a time you will be stalking a base, only for a leopard to run into the camp and do your work for you. Unorthodox maybe, but a game that successfully incorporates both explosive weaponry and leopard attacks

only a loud pistol and distracting rock-throwing, you realise that this game will not be easy on achievement hunters, particularly in the realm of stealth. It reflects the background and initial capabilities of the character: thrown into this gritty world, Jason must make do with improvised distractions and expert timing, until later on when he can incorporate silenced weapons and rocket launchers. If the latter seems out of place, it’s because the stealth mechanics are not exactly traditional.

ble to hide. Stealth is optional, though there is a lot of fulfilment to be had in the creative strategies available to you, as well as a lot of bonus XP. The environment of the island is richly organic with extensive wildlife that frequently surprises the player. Trying to cut your journey time by running through the dense jungle? Well watch out for the river crocodiles! And FYI, absolutely no building on the island is 100% snake proof. In order to craft superior equipment and larger storage

is worth at least four stars off the bat. One of the most impressive parts of Far Cry 3 is its developed and stunningly terrifying cast of villains. The game’s main antagonist and resident Pacific sociopath is Vas, a ruthless slaver whose lines alone can lead the player from a static sense of security, to a sudden state of utter helplessness. Not only does this unwittingly attach the player to Jason’s state of mind; it also succeeds in something that too many games fail to

do: they make you hate the villain. Helplessness remains key as other antagonists appear, such as the cocky and annoyingly Australian Bambi ‘Buck’ Hughes. As good as the player gets, Buck is able to nonetheless force their help as he threatens to flay, carve and violate one of the remaining prisoners, and he is utterly convincing in his enjoyment of it, giving a deep sense of satisfaction to the player as they work to wipe the smile from his face. Though Jason’s character arc will have him deal with the thrill of his new lifestyle and his gradual transition away from civilised and safe society, the villains always remain villains. Even at the lowest level, you’ll find it hard to pity the pirate menace, particularly those who waved their guns around one too many times and ended up getting the tropical clap. The main disappointment of the game, aside from a few unavoidable glitches, is that although Jason’s psychological development is present, it’s a lot more subtle than we were promised. It makes no impact outside of a few story missions, and even then it rarely goes any further than character dialogue. This doesn’t make the game any less fun, and it’s a mistake in marketing rather than design. For those looking for the best there is in shooting and sandbox fun matched with an unconventional yet utterly convincing storyline, Far Cry 3 is definitely worth your time.

Jack Tindale

FAR CRY 3

F

UBISOFT

rom the outside, Far Cry 3 appeared to personify my biggest pet peeve in video games. The prospect of endless jungle exploration was too reminiscent of Just Cause, with its endless green wilderness and famously boring side quests. Jungles, it was revealed, do not have much in the way of things to do, especially from the perspective of those accustomed to the gang warfare and barbershop quartets of Stillwater. As if building on this, Far Cry 3 advertised itself as forcing the player to experience a descent into madness. Having delved into the game, I can say that whilst my preconceptions were blown out of the water, the game advertised to me turned out to differ greatly from the end result. Far Cry 3 is a widely expansive and organic sandbox shooter which has already gathered immense acclaim, and rightly so. You play Jason Brody, a sheltered American tourist who I’m sure proves his grandmother right when he gets a tattoo and thus becomes instantly adept with firearms and gang warfare. Having escaped from a slave ring, he is left with the task of rescuing his imprisoned friends from around a lush Pacific island, taking enemy bases and skinning great white sharks along the way. The game incorporates highly competent shooting mechanics with demands for creative stealth, enjoyable item construction and rewarding exploration, reaching an impressively thrilling, involving

Philip Gallagher

20

22.01.2013 | The Beaver

LSE PLANS ENERGY INDEPENDENCE tem of cables and dynamos. The scheme starts generation at the newly opened Ivory The LSE unveiled radical Tower at 32-322 Lincoln’s Inn new plans yesterday as part Fields, owing to the inefficient of the Commissar’s radical power source provided by shake up of the School. In a the School’s current renewspeech lasting six hours, Eterable “Orphans/Treadmillsâ€? nal Secretary-for-Life, Craigie arrangement installed dur&DOKRXOLJDQ GHWDLOHG WKH னUVW ing the tenure of Discreditedof sweeping changes to the Comrade-Duvets. university as part of what has Detractors were quick to been dubbed “The Five Minsuggest that the Commissar’s ute Plan.â€? statement was made as part In a surprise statement, of a wider attempt to preempt the Commissar announced criticism regarding the LSE’s plans to make the LSE comwidespread use of Algerian oil pletely energy independent by in light of President Abdelaziz the end of 2013. %RXWHŕŽ‹LND‍ڑ‏V VRQ UHFHQWO\ EHFollowing the release of ing granted a PhD, Teaching the statement on the School’s Fellowship and Governorship Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, as part of the School’s recentBebo, FourSquare and MySly re-established Libya Packpace feeds, commentators image™. mediately began to question These matters have develboth the timing and practioped into a fourth round of calities of such a move. In the war crimes that the LSE has question and answer session been directly linked with, folthat followed the inaugural lowing the opening of the Kim statement, which Calhouligan Jong Un Theatre and former carried out entirely via the Commissar Toni Giddonenothmeans of interpretive dance ingwrong’s hunting trip to (described by one witness as Benghazi last July and the re“like the ballet on acidâ€?) the cently revealed Somali source Commissar announced that of the LSE’s “Blood Redâ€? dye. the LSE will begin to power “Rather like Big Brother,â€? a buildings from the Students’ former advisor to the Prime Union Gym via a complex sysMinister was overheard say-

Ginger Whoreby

ing “there are only so many times that a British university can do the same thing, allegedly, and expect us to even care anymore.� “Frankly,� Lard MacMountain continued, “Algeria is boring at the best of times. It is high time for the LSE to start dealing with cool people again that have proper gun collections, gold-plated yachts and hot and cold running Dom Perignon.� No announcement has been made to how the LSE intend to power the rest of her estate, with one potential move being mooted for the Library being fueled by the selfentitlement of Accounting and Finance Second Years and the solar power that shines out of the collective recta of the General Course students. Calhouligan personally admitted that it might be easier to install a number of windturbines in The Quad following the departure of the Students’ Union. The only challenge there being the need to put up some helicopter netting and ensuring that all cranes involved are made clear on the approach to Battersea Heliport.

LIBRARY HOLDS HOST TO HORROR SHOW Nota Bucksome-Vine There were red-faces at the LSE, Sunday, that weren’t just because it was a little bit chilly outside! As emergency workers attempted to free hundreds of students they believed were trapped in the LSE Library due to adverse weather conditions. The alarm was raised when a group of tourists happened upon the building and saw hundreds of students camped out, presumably stuck in the building due to snow buildup. The students were, according to John Allen, the man who called emergency services, “buried in books. It looked as though they may have been using books and beanbags for

warmth.� In a shocking turn of events “it looked as though one of them had opened an emergency survival kit, I saw toothbrushes and energy drinks everywhere.� As it turns out, the students were not stuck in the building, but instead studying for exams which take place in late May and June of 2014. Fire crews, who responded to Allen’s call, only realised the students were in the library of their own free will after they began to return to the library once they were carried out by emergency personnel. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.� Commander Mike Waterbridge said, Sunday, “What kind of people stay in the library all weekend? Do

they have no social lives whatsoever?� The B attempted to interview one of the rescued students but they refused to waste time on such trivialities as “the news� unless it someway could be added to their CV, or indicate commercial awareness. In response to the incident, School Commissar Craigie Calhouligan said to the B, “Damn son! What these peeps be doing up in my librizzle all da time? Back in the NYC we didn’t have no time for none of this shit. Man, this one time I pulled up to a house about seven or eight and thought they were home, but they totes weren’t. What’s worse is that I yelled to the cabby “Yo, homes smell you later!� so he

wasn’t gonna help me no how. I tells you, you don’t wanna be stranded in the Bronx at night.� Calhouligan began to regale us with a riveting tale of some of his late night exploits after twenty stories and the revealing of three major indictments we kindly asked him to get back on track. “Well the point be that I once went to a building and made a mistake, just like the librizzle, ya feel me?� Despite the case of mistaken library, Allen does not regret calling 999, claiming “clearly these students have severe mental issues if they are constantly in the library. Hopefully they will receive the help they so desperately need.�

Features

21

Features The death of HMV

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

Terror in Algeria causes international concern

Several Britons have been feared dead following the hostage crisis which hit Algeria. David Cameron postponed is much anticipated speech on the European Union in order act on the crisis. Snow brings Britain to a standstill

Yet again, Britain has succumbed to snow as inches have fallen across WKH FRXQWU\ (YHQ FHQWUDO /RQGRQ KDV VHHQ VSULQ klings of snow.

7KH 86 'HPRFUDW 3UHVL dent is pushing for legislation to be passed regulating the sale and possession of guns. Gun lobbies are UHDG\ WR KROG GHPRQVWUD WLRQV LQ DOO VWDWHV EXW $ODV ka in protest. Tesco burgers have become a meaty issue &RQWURYHUV\ FHQWUHG RQ Tesco this week as it was revealed that their value burgers consisted of close WR KRUVH PHDW 7KH\ LVVXHG DQ DSRORJ\ LQ DOO national newspapers over the scandal, but this has SURPSWHG 'DYLG &DPHURQ to call a further investigation into food standards. The Queen still has the power of veto, it is revealed This week papers obtained showed that the 4XHHQ DQG RWKHU VHQLRU 5R\DOV KDYH EHHQ SULYDWHO\ consulted over proposed bills and even granted the power of veto over some. In WKH 4XHHQ YHWRHG WKH 0LOLWDU\ $FWLRQV $JDLQVW ,UDT ELOO Celebrity couples enter turmoil +DUU\ 6W\OHV DQG 7D\ ORU 6ZLIW DUH DSSDUHQWO\ still together, after sourcHV FODLPHG WKDW WKH\ KDG broken up after a spat on KROLGD\ 0HDQZKLOH 5RE ert Pattinson and Kristen 6WHZDUW KDYH JRW EDFN WR gether after their relationship hit the rocks.

In the last week we have seen three well known high street retailers go into administration, Jessops, Blockbuster and SHUKDSV PRVW VLJQLன FDQWO\ HMV. With the rapid decline of stores that were the pinnacle of most high streets, we should ask ourselves whether this is this the end of the high street as we know it. FurtherPRUH WKH VLJQLன FDQFH RI +09 LQ WKH PXVLF ன OP DQG JDPH LQGXVWU\ OHDGV XV WR TXHVWLRQ the future of these respective industries now that the last KLJK VWUHHW RXWOHW WKDW RŕŽ‰ HUHG these products faces banishment from our town centres. *ORULன FDWLRQ RI RXU KLJK VWUHHWV LV PRVW OLNHO\ D UHVXOW of childhood nostalgia, with hours spent browsing a limited shopping destination not GXH WR WKH ODFN RI GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW shops but due to the size of these shops. In fact the demise of the KLJK VWUHHW KDG DOPRVW DOUHDG\ occurred well before the cloVXUH RI +09 DQG GDUH , VD\ it, even before the closure of :RROZRUWKV 7DNH 0HUU\ +LOO in Birmingham for example, a rather bitter taste remains in P\ PRXWK IURP P\ $4$ *H RJUDSK\ *&6( FDVH VWXG\ RQ the shopping centre and its XQIRUWXQDWH HŕŽ‰ HFW RQ WKH OR FDO WRZQ RI 'XGOH\ 0HUU\ +LOO opened in 1985 and was one RI PDQ\ RXW RI WRZQ VKRSSLQJ centres built in that period that has led to the demise of high streets. With Boris Johnson’s recent unveiling of plans to bring D WKLUG :HVWன HOG WR /RQGRQ OHVV SURன WDEOH UHWDLOHUV RI WKH KLJK VWUHHW ZLOO FHUWDLQO\ IHHO WKH VTXHH]H SODFHG RQ WKHP DV VKRSSHUV ŕŽ‹ RFN WR WKH FRQ YHQLHQW LGHD RI :HVWன HOG ZLWK D FKRLFH RI 6WUDWIRUG 6KHS KHUGV %XVK DQG QRZ &UR\GRQ However, the lack of Woolworths on our high street has KDUGO\ EHHQ OLIH FKDQJLQJ DV RXU VWDWLRQHU\ QHHGV DUH HDV LO\ QRXULVKHG E\ VPDOOHU VWD tioners, furthermore almost HYHU\WKLQJ HOVH WKDW ZDV VROG in Woolworths is available in most supermarkets. HMV’s FORVXUH‍ڑ‏V VLJQLன FDQFH OLHV LQ that it is the last high street VWRUH SULPDULO\ VHOOV &'V and DVDs. Whilst HMV sells JDPHV PDQ\ UHWDLOHUV DOVR VWRFN JDPHV DQG HYHQ LI WKH\

were to close, the market for gaming often focuses on a few major, well-marketed, releases that the online gaming FRPPXQLW\ DUH DOZD\V DZDUH RI 7KH PXVLF DQG ன OP LQGXV WU\ RQ WKH RWKHU KDQG LV VR YDVW WKDW WKH\ DUH PDVVLYHO\ misrepresented in stores that aren’t HMV. Just over a week ago HMV announced that it would be having a blue cross sale knockLQJ RŕŽ‰ SHU FHQW IURP PRVW products. I happened to be in WKH 2[IRUG 6WUHHW EUDQFK WKH

changing market. ,Q WKH VDPH ZD\ WKDW %ORFN EXVWHU KDG EHHQ NQRFNHG RŕŽ‰ its throne for not responding WR WKH ULVH RI /RYHன OP DQG 1HWŕŽ‹ L[ +09 PDGH D IHHEOH attempt at combating the rise RI RQOLQH PXVLF DQG ன OP Meanwhile the few independent record stores were IRUFHG WR LQQRYDWH RŕŽ‰ HULQJ an experience instead of a SURGXFW %DQTXHW 5HFRUGV LQ Kingston-Upon-Thames now sees orders from all over the FRXQWU\ DV LW PDLQWDLQV D ODUJH

GD\ EHIRUH +09 DQQRXQFHG that Deloitte was overseeing its administration and seeing blue cross stickers applied WR DOEXPV DQG ன OPV WKDW KDG UHOHDVHG WKDW GD\ ZDV D FOHDU ZKLWH ŕŽ‹ DJ RQ EHKDOI RI +09 6R ZK\ KDV WKLV KDSSHQHG to HMV? The simple answer ZRXOG EH WR VD\ WKH\ WRRN D massive hit during the recession but the more realistic DQVZHU LV WKH IDFW WKDW WKH\ IDLOHG WR UHVSRQG WR D UDSLGO\

RQOLQH VRFLDO SURன OH IUHTXHQW O\ LQWHUDFWLQJ ZLWK FXVWRPHUV over Twitter, Facebook & even 7XPEOU LW‍ڑ‏V KDUG WR LPDJLQH PXVLF DQG ன OP ORYHUV HQMR\LQJ interaction with a member of +09‍ڑ‏V 35 RYHU WKH LQWHUQHW Furthermore the independHQWV OLNH %DQTXHW PDQDJH to pull in massive names for record signings and in-store gigs whilst promoting up and FRPHUV ,Q WKH ODVW IHZ \HDUV WKH\ ERRNHG DFWV VXFK DV 7KH

52'(176 58/(

Obama takes a stance on gun control

Neraj Thangarajah

9DFFLQHV 7ZR 'RRU &LQHPD &OXE DQG /DXUD 0DUOLQJ WR name a few. 8QWLO -DQXDU\ WK %DQTXHW were even accepting HMV gift cards in-store with the news that these were unusable, an issue that has brought WKHP SOHQW\ RI FULWLFLVP QR WDEO\ IURP 6LU 7RQ\ %DOGU\ who stated that ‘directors and management must have NQRZQ WKDW WKH FRPSDQ\ ZDV DW D YHU\ UHDO ULVN RI IDLOXUH‍ ڑ‏ \HW WKH\ FRQWLQXHG VHOOLQJ JLIW cards. ,W LV DOO WRR HDV\ WR VWDWH that independents will save WKH GD\ IRU PXVLF IURP D /RQ doner’s perspective. The real losers in this situation will be the people that live in small WRZQV KRZHYHU LW LV TXLWH OLNHO\ WKDW WKHVH DUH WKH FRQ sumers that have made a sigQLன FDQW FRQWULEXWLRQ WR WKH surge of online music sales. 7KH ODFN RI ன OP RQ WKH KLJK VWUHHW VHHPV OHVV VLJQLன FDQW as the rise of online rentals is absorbing that market EXW DW &KULVWPDV ZKHUH HDV\ presents are bought through '9'V WKH ODFN RI +09 PD\ EH IHOW $OWKRXJK VXSHUPDUNHWV PD\ VWRFN ன OPV DQG &'V RQO\ WKH $GHOHV &ROGSOD\V DQG 2QH Directions of the music indusWU\ ZLOO EH UHSUHVHQWHG ZKLOVW RQO\ ELJ EXGJHW +ROO\ZRRG ன OPV ZLOO EH RQ WKH VKHOYHV 8OWLPDWHO\ LW LV D VKDPH WKDW PDQ\ KLJK VWUHHW VWRUHV are going into administration but it seems almost too remedial to blame it on the recession. The recession was a FDWDO\VW LQ FKDQJLQJ KRZ ZH consumed but the Internet LV VORZO\ UHSODFLQJ WKH KLJK VWUHHW VWRUHV ,W VHHPV OLNHO\ that more retailers will close EXW RQO\ WKRVH WKDW DUH VHHQ as irrelevant to our current QHHGV DIWHU DOO LI \RX FDQ RU GHU D '9' RU &' IURP D SKRQH in bed from cheaper online reWDLOHUV \RX KDYH QR UHDVRQ WR go out. However clothing retailers will last longer on the high street until it is possible WR WU\ RQ FORWKHV RQOLQH 2QO\ WLPH ZLOO WHOO KRZ WKH lack of HMVs’ presence in PDQ\ WRZQV ZLOO DŕŽ‰ HFW WKH PX VLF DQG ன OP LQGXVWU\ EXW WKHUH is hope, with the news that YLQ\O VDOHV DUH JURZLQJ ZLWK an increase of 15.3 per cent LQ FRPSDUHG WR whilst digital downloads have LQFUHDVHG E\ D TXDUWHU \HDU RQ RQ \HDU WR e P

22

Features

22.01.2013 |

The Beaver

The PM staked his reputation on the Arctic – now he must protect it covered gas and thirteen per cent of the world’s undiscovered oil. British companies like BP, Shell and Cairn energy and arctic states such as Norway, the US and Russia are leading this new black gold rush. Opposition to unrestrained drilling in the Arctic is growing. Last September, as the ice reached its lowest extent since satellite records began, DQ LQ஋ XHQWLDO FURVV SDUW\ FRP mittee of UK MPs published a report highlighting profound environmental and climate change risks from oil and gas extraction in the Arctic. Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) called on the Prime Minister to use the UK’s position on the Arctic council to push for a moratorium on drilling in the region and call for a new environmental sanctuary to protect at least part of this pristine wilderness. After a lengthy inquiry the MPs found that the infrastructure to mount a big clean-up operation was simply not in place and conventional oil spill response techniques had not been proven to work in such severe conditions. Oil and gas drilling is only currently feasible in the Arctic during a short summer window when the warm temperatures mean it is now relatively ice-free. The report warned that if a blow-out occurred just before the dark Arctic winter returned it may not be possible to cap it until the following summer - potentially leaving oil spewing out under the ice for six months or more with devastating consequences for wildlife. This “oil spill response gap” does not seem to worry the government though. Last week it ruled out a moratorium on oil drilling in the Arctic, despite renewed safety fears following the recent grounding of 6KHOO‫ڑ‬V .XOOXN ULJ Rஉ $ODVND Shell meanwhile maintains that it had the experience needed to drill safely in the Arctic. “Shell understands the uniqueness and importance of the Arctic, but gas and oil production from the Arctic is not new. Our record throughout 50 years’ experience of operating in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions demonstrates that we have the technical expertise to explore for and produce oil

Welcome Week One has hit and the essays, problem sets, and deadlines are beginning to pile on as Christmas feels like a distant memory. Houghton St is covered in snow, it is cold and miserable but we have a great section this week to keep you going! Make sure that you think about writing for Features - it is definitely my favourite way to keep myself sane at the LSE rather than writing essays about the moral worth of taxation. If you have a topic you would like to write about please drop us an email: Features@thebeaveronline.co.uk

So this week we saw the demise of HMV and Blockbuster. This saddens me immensely - HMV was great for browsing, and there is nothing better than owning a CD rather than downloading it. As for Blockbuster, it was the perfect remedy for a night in with your mum, your friends, or your boyfriend. And now, I just cannot romanticise these online retailers like Lovefilm and Amazon in the same way. It is sad. We have lost treasures of our high street. However, economics students at the LSE were quick to point out that this was just a market failure, and consequently there is no reason to feel sad about companies that failed to adapt to the new retail climate. Okay, so maybe their decline was inevitable because of the rise of the online giants. HMV just did not have a share of online consumers. But it being a market failure does not make it any less disheartening. What economists forget is that we place values on things. We have sentiments. We attach sentimental value to our belongings. And yet, this is something that economics consistently fails to take into consideration, which certainly undermines our framework of values in today’s society. As a philosophy student, the relationship between economic considerations and values interests me greatly, and this is definitely a debate to be had further. (See Michael Sandel). Right, so enough about whining about the cold-heartedness of economics students. When editing in the Beaver office, someone read out a Daily Mail headline, “Oops... she did it again! Bra-less Britney Spears reveals side cleavage in pink halter dress.” This riveting, interesting, and relevant article takes precedence over what is happening in Algeria, investigations into soldiers conduct during the Iraq war, even the BBC showing a repeat episode of the Tweenies starring Jimmy Saville. In today’s society where women are claimed to be equal, we still have these abhorrent stories drawing attention to the appearance of females and using it to sell papers. This chimes well with the timing of Beyonce’s interview in GQ. Beyonce is well known to be without many clothes, her hot body, and writhing around a stage seductively whilst singing songs about love, sex, and friendship. Some may claim that she is not in a position to make feminist claims, but this is simply not true. She made fantastic points about men and women still being unequal and how men “define what feminine is”. Hear hear. Which brings me to some sites that you should check out. I know that there are some sexist, misogynistic people at the LSE. There are also some people that think that feminism is lost cause, or one without good reason. There are also feminists or people that don’t care! Whichever category you fall into, have a look at the Uni Lass page on Facebook. Then the Everyday Sexism Project on the internet, where women write in with experiences of when they have encountered sexism on a daily basis. It is everywhere. Beyonce’s comments have come at a good time to raise the profile and status of women. On a lighter note, our content this week is simply fantastic. My favourite article is Julia Wacket’s on Gerard Depardieu’s departure from France, so definitely have a read. Have a great week and don’t let the full throttle of Lent Term hit you just yet! Nona Buckley-Irvine Features Editor

Political photo stunts can be risky for politicians. Get it ULJKW DQG \RX FDQ GHஊ QH DQ issue and appear statesman like. Get it wrong and the image can end up as your political epitaph. Former Minister John Gummer will forever be remembered for feeding his young daughter a beefburger before mad-cow disease spread to humans. And Nick Clegg’s lack of integrity will always remain in sharp focus thanks to his decision to pose with a pledge not to vote for any rise in tuition fees. David Cameron’s green PR stunts now seem similarly cynical. When he was elected leader six years ago, Conservative strategists were desperate to detoxify the Tory brand after three disastrous election defeats at the hands of New Labour. In a dramatic attempt to demonstrate a new caring eco-friendly brand of conservatism, Cameron visited WKH $UFWLF WR VHH WKH Hஉ HFWV of climate change for himself. The footage of him riding with KXVNLHV GHஊ QHG KLV QHZ DS proach and was “worth a thousand speeches” according to his advisor Steve Hilton. :KHQ WKH\ ஊ UVW HQWHUHG into Government with the Lib Dems it looked like the Tories might even have changed for good. The Coalition agreement had strong environmental policies on airports and clean energy and the PM pledged that this would be ‘the greenest Government ever’. Two and half years in, however, and Cameron’s green promises are looking more and more like Clegg’s hollow pledge on tuition fees. The Government’s announcement last week that it would not take action to protect the Arctic from further oil and gas drilling is a vivid example. The Arctic is one of the last true wildernesses on the planet and it is home to some of the world’s most iconic wildlife. But it is changing rapidly. Evidence from tree rings and ice cores show that the Arctic is now warmer than at any time in the past 2,000 years. Powerful climate feedbacks mean that temperatures are rising in the region twice as fast as anywhere else on earth. Since the 1950s the extent of summer sea ice has been retreating by four per cent per decade – accelerating in the last decade to ten to twelve per cent. NASA satellite show that the between 2003-2011 there was a 50 per cent decrease in ice cover and the six lowest ice extents have all occurred in the last six years. Ironically, this rapid melting of the ice cap is opening up more and more of the region to oil and gas exploration. According to the US Geological Survey the region contains 30 per cent of the world’s undis-

WWFUNITEDKINGDOM

Nicholas Robin

and gas in challenging locations.” Members of the EAC condemned the Government for rejecting the recommendations. Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “By failing to follow the EAC’s advice to impose a moratorium on Arctic drilling, or to recognise the potential risks of oil exploration in such extreme conditions – not to mention the climate impact of endless fossil fuel exploitation – Cameron’s coalition is putting the interests of the oil giants before protection of one of the planet’s most environmentally important regions.” Even if one accepts the Government and Shell’s assurances that drilling in the arctic can be done safely, there is still the question of climate change. Campaigners have warned that there are already more available oil and gas reserves in the than can be burnt safely while keeping global temperatures from rising beyond two degrees celcius. What is more, according to the Government’s own independent climate change advisors, greenhouse gas emissions of need to be reduced by at least 50 per cent globally by 2050 if we are to have a reasonable chance of limiting temperature rises to two degrees celcius. Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee Joan Walley MP believes that this means we must leave much of the Arctic oil in the ground. She insists that “concerns over climate change should be recognised internationally as a limiting factor on any new oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. The shocking speed at which the Arctic sea ice is melting should be a wake-up call to the world that we need to phase out fossil fuels fast.” Although climate change isn’t high on the public’s list of priorities, the issue is not going away. Indeed the coming ‘climate crunch’ is likely WR EH D GHஊ QLQJ LVVXH RI WKH WZHQW\ ஊ UVW FHQWXU\ &DPHURQ would do well to bear that in mind when he considers his OHJDF\ %\ PDNLQJ KLJK SURஊ OH public pronouncements on climate change and riding with huskies at the beginning of his tenure as leader of the ConVHUYDWLYHV KH KDV Hஉ HFWLYHO\ staked his reputation on taking action on climate change.

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

Features

Operation Serval intervenes in Mali

Philosophy Problems

Operation Serval, launched only days ago on January 11th, may well be one of WKH PRVW VLJQLன FDQW DQG VXFFHVVIXO LQ stances of foreign military intervention in recent times. Not only has it halted VLJQLன FDQW DGYDQFHV E\ ,VODPLVW PLOL tants, who have since pulled out of several towns including Timbuktu, it also enjoys extensive international support – something lacking from intervention in Libya and any potential intervention in Syria. Despite this success, however, it would be but a naĂŻve dream to think WKDW DOO ZLOO EH ன QH IRU 0DOL LI VKRUW WHUP French intervention will solve all of the problems that led Mali into its predicament. Firstly, the causes for Mali’s currently desperate situation lie far deeper than WKH VLPSOH LQŕŽ‹ X[ RI ,VODPLF PLOLWDQWV DQG well-armed mercenaries into the country IROORZLQJ WKH IDOO RI *DGGDன LQ /LE\D $O WKRXJK XQGRXEWHGO\ D VLJQLன FDQW IDFWRU especially given the subsequent bolstering of the then-ongoing Tuareg Rebellion, the catalyst for disaster lay with the coup d’Êtat launched by Malian soldiers unhappy with the way their government was handling the rebellion in the northern part of the country. The coup plotters had aimed to assume control of ‘national security’ to EHWWHU ன JKW EDFN DJDLQVW WKH UHEHOOLRQ an amateur sentiment that caused Mali itself to teeter on the verge of annihilation. Not only did the coup fail to restore WKH ன JKWLQJ VSLULW RI WKH 0DOLDQ DUPHG forces, it only divided the military and the Malian people even more into those who supported or opposed the coup – an unnecessary and devastating distraction at a time when national unity was paramount to ensure the state itself would not fall. Despite the questionable logic of launching a coup against one’s own govHUQPHQW LQ WKH PLGGOH RI DUPHG FRQŕŽ‹ LFW and expecting miracles to occur, the coup does raise serious questions about the character of the Malian state. Unlike many other coup d’Êtats around the world, the Malian coup has two notable characteristics: it grew out of a spontaneous demonstration by soldiers as compared to one planned out over a VLJQLன FDQW SHULRG RI WLPH DQG LWV OHDG ing members were actually junior officers with the support of lower-ranking soldiers, not higher-ranking officers as generally occurs. How poorly had the government been performing, that such a coup would even be launched and successfully implemented? Here lies the second of Mali’s many woes: the intention behind French intervention in its former colony. France has not intervened to ‘save’ Mali; it has intervened to prevent the establishment of a haven of Islamic terrorism in the territory of northern Mali, and the distinction between the two motivators is subtle but VLJQLன FDQW )RU LW FDQQRW KDYH HVFDSHG French military and political leaders as to the sorry state of the Mali they had intervened for: a divided, dispirited nation whose 20-year old democracy died at the hands of a shortsighted and foolish military coup. The continued survival of the Malian state, however weak and fragile, is a byproduct of French intervention, not its primary objective. Which leads on to another concern: France is clearly determined to ensure that its mission remains short and focused, ideally handing most of the work over to African Union troops en route to Mali within weeks. This strategy, as politically popular as it sounds following

GABONTOUR

Dominic Hung

23

The Mind-Body Problem

the debacles of Iraq and Afghanistan, would be a tactical victory but a strategic disaster for Mali and the wider region. Firstly, Mali is massive: the northern, Islamist-controlled region alone is slightly larger than France itself, composed largely of desert with few cities and towns. French air strikes are only NLOOLQJ D PLQRULW\ RI UHEHO ன JKWHUV VHUY ing only to drive most of them out into the desert where they are far more difன FXOW WR WUDFN GRZQ France and Mali also face an enemy battle-hardened by combat in Libya, well-armed and wealthy following several hostage ransoms being paid worth up to $100 million USD. So powerful had the Islamists under the Al-Qaeda for the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its allies, Ansar Dine and Boko Haram from Nigeria, been that they simply swept aside the secular Tuareg Rebellion once the latter’s aims had been achieved, assuming control of northern Mali – or Azawad, as the Tuaregs call it – for itself. The situation has become so desperate for the 7XDUHJV WKHPVHOYHV WKH\ DUH QRZ RŕŽ‰ HU ing to ally with the Malian government WR GULYH RXW WKH ,VODPLVWV ன UVW DQG VHWWOH WKHLU GLŕŽ‰ HUHQFHV ODWHU :LWK )UDQFH QRW prepared to enter a long-term mission in Mali, it is difficult to see who else possesses the capacity to defeat such an enemy. The incoming African Union force likewise remains highly questionable in its capability to defeat AQIM – though due to enter Mali within days, the soldiers have yet to be trained and properlyequipped for desert warfare, and no system of paying for the intervention force has yet been set up. The African Union force numbers 3300 – not large when FRPSDUHG WR WKH WKRXVDQGV RI ன JKWHUV $4,0 LWVHOI LV DEOH WR ன HOG EXW WLQ\ FRP pared to the sheer size of the region they are supposed reclaim. In the desert, Islamic militants familiar with the region are free to move at will, allowing them to meld away only to strike later on as the Malian-AU forces push north. France’s aim in the war is sensible; its expectation that it can swiftly resolve WKH FRQŕŽ‹ LFW HLWKHU E\ LWVHOI RU WKURXJK reliance on African reinforcements is foolish, and follows dangerously closely with expectations of earlier Western interventions in the Middle East. Its curUHQW VWUDWHJ\ YHU\ PXFK LGHQWLன HV $4,0 as a semi-conventional military force attempting to destroy the Malian state,

but does not account for the inevitable transition of the Islamic militants from its current state to a true insurgency operating via guerilla warfare as it begins to feel the pressure from French air strikes. Unlike the Libyan Civil War, there is no central target to be eliminated to achieve decisive victory in Mali. The path forward, therefore, lies in an urgent need to face the ugly truth of intervention: it must be long-term, it will be expensive, and it cannot be restricted WR PLOLWDU\ DŕŽ‰ DLUV (YHQ DVVXPLQJ WKDW France and the AU are to succeed in decisively defeating Islamic militants and help Mali regain full control over its sovereign territory, fundamental dangers of weak government, an unresolved Tuareg separatist movement (which has, incidentally, been an ongoing movement since the 1960s and has launched three prior wars of independence) and sociopolitical instability owing to the threat of future military coups remain for any Malian government that assumes power afterwards. Long-term intervention at both military and non-military levels will be deeply controversial, especially in the current scenario between former colonial master and colony. But for Mali, it simply has no choice if it wishes to avoid becoming plagued by an even longer-term FRQŕŽ‹ LFW WKDW LW SRVVHVVHV QHLWKHU ZLOO QRU capacity to resolve. The Malian political system must be reviewed and, if necessary, changed in order to re-inspire conன GHQFH LQ LWV GHPRFUDWLF LQVWLWXWLRQV ,WV military must both be better trained and equipped to better deal with its enemy in the north, but must simultaneously be sternly regulated and controlled to prevent future coup possibilities, which are RQO\ PDGH PRUH WHPSWLQJ E\ WKH LQŕŽ‹ X[ of equipment. Any Malian government must be prepared to negotiate with the Tuareg rebels; it now pays the price for ignorance over the decades, and continued ignorance will only exact its toll far into the future. There are yet no indicators that these lessons have been learned by anyone, and the time for them to be realized and worked into the strategy grows shorter with each passing day as the deadline for a French exit draws near. One can only hope that, within the quieter workings of government and military circles, such a situation has been recognized – either that, or Mali will face challenges that will haunt it long after Operation

It seems clear enough what we mean by a body: we see it, we understand it and we take out life insurance for the day it gives up on us. We have a general conception of what we mean when we talk about it. What is it that we call mind, though? We are traditionally talking about somewhere that thinking goes on —the place where consciousness, the intellect reside. The mind/body problem, concerns the relation between the two. Some people have thought that the mind and body are one and the same, these are called monists (i.e. mind and body are one). On the other hand, some consider that they must be separate, these are called dualists (i.e. there are two things at work). Perhaps the most intuitive answer people have in this post-religious age is the Identity Theory. It states that mental states and brain states are identical. If we feel a pain somewhere then this is tantamount to say that the appropriate activity is going on in the brain; likewise, feeling love for someone is just the same as a certain brain state. This seems simple and straightforward. This also solves a great problem with Dualism, that if the mind and body are two completely different substances, one physical the other not, how on HDUWK DUH WKH\ PHDQW WR DŕŽ‰ HFW one another. How can a nonextended nonmaterial spirit DŕŽ‰ HFW H[WHQGHG SK\VLFDO PDW ter? However take this famous thought experiment involving a scientist called Mary. For some reason, Mary has spent her life trapped in a room in which the only colours are black and white. As a result, she has never seen another colour. She has however spent her life studying the eye, light, what happens when light of GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW ZDYHOHQJWKV DUULYHV at the retina, and so on, so that when she says “the sky is blueâ€? she has all possible information about what it means to say that. One day Mary is released from her room and she actually sees that the sky is blue. Has she learned something new? It seems she has. Mary learns what it’s like to see the colour blue. Thus we have: Mary had all the information about the physical before she was released Mary learned some new information after she was released If we believe that Mary has indeed learned something new, does that mean there is something more than the physical world?

24

Features

22.01.2013 | The Beaver

Boundary review leaves Parliament’s future uncertain Amelia Thomson Last week saw the House of Lords vote in favour of an amendment to the proposed Electoral Registration Bill which postpones the boundary review to October 2018. Both Labour and Liberal Democrat peers ensured victory, winning the vote by 300 to 231 votes. The Boundary Commission had been set to report in October 2013 on how changes to the constituencies Members of Parliament represent could be applied. However this vote has Hஉ HFWLYHO\ KDOWHG WKH &RQVHUY atives’ plan to change constituency boundaries before the next general election in 2015, These reforms would see the reduction of the number of seats in the House of Commons from 650 to 600 through changing constituency borders. This would mean that constituencies would have between 72,810 and 80,473 registered voters, making the number of constituents each Member of Parliament represents more equal. Proponents of these changes suggest that Parliament currently lacks democratic legitimacy as citizens of the UK are not equally represented in Parliament. This is due to dwindling population in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and rising population in Southern England. It is suggested that changing constituency borders would help to rectify this by making Parliament more representative of the masses. Further to this the government suggests it could save £12 million annually if the reforms were enforced, a particularly pertinent argument in the current economic climate. However, as suggested by the recent vote, not all are in favour of the reforms. Labour believes that the reforms are just an elaborate way of the Conservative party attempting to attain more seats at the next general election. Areas which would lose the least number of seats are those within Conservative strongholds: regions such as Wales, which are Labour strongholds, would be set to lose a larger proportion

of seats. Moreover the accusation of ‘gerrymandering’ has also been laid at the door of the Tories. This is the process by which constituency borders are manipulated so as to gain an electoral advantage. To avoid this danger, the power to change constituency boundaries was given to the independent and objective Boundary Commission. Yet, with the question of boundaries once more being brought into the political arena opponents of the bill have used this as a point on which to criticise. Concerns have also been raised regarding the implication of fewer MPs in the Commons without parallel reforms in the House of Lords: some claim that this would grant even more power to the government, responsible for policy making and implementation of bills. The concern is that by making the executive even more powerful this would lead to an imbalance in control and power within the government. Apart from these general arguments, there are questions as to why Lords chose WR GHOD\ WKH ஊ QGLQJV RI WKH Boundary Commission, and the impacts that this delay will have. It was unsurprising that Labour peers objected to the bill as they are adversaries of the Tories, yet the Lib Dems alliance with Labour came as a surprise to some. It was not entirely unexpected, as Nick Clegg’s suggestions that they would hinted at the presence of fault lines within the coalition government. Indeed, the mandate of collective responsibility was removed from this vote, allowing Liberals and Tories to whip their own parties. The removal of the requirement of collective responsibility, and thought that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats could vote along separate party, rather than coalition lines, perhaps shows the strain the coalition is under. Nick Clegg stated that his parties’ stance was defendable as the Conservatives had not ‘honoured’ their pledges on Lords reform. He suggested that ‘when one side...

Disordered Eating Group The LSE Student Counselling Service is running a 6 week group on Tuesdays 11.00am – 12.30pm First meeting Tuesday 29th January 2013 Do you worry about your weight? Do you wish you could stop thinking about food, weight and body image? Do you feel out of control around food? In this six-week group participants will have the opportunity to develop new behaviours as well as more helpful thoughts in terms of their eating habits. This group is suitable for students with a range of difficulties such as bulimic, bingeing, restrictive or compulsive eating, and will contain both psycho-educational and experiential elements. This group will offer psychological help within a confidential reflective space over six weeks. The group facilitator will be Mike Bryant from the LSE Student Counselling Service. Mike is an experienced therapist who has been working with clients with eating problems as well as students in Higher Education for many years. The group will meet 11.00am – 12.30pm on: Tuesday 29th January Tuesday 5th February Tuesday 12th February

Tuesday 19th February Tuesday 26th February Tuesday 5th March

How do I find out more? Potential group members will be invited to meet Mike for a brief pre-interview discussion before committing to the group. This discussion will offer an opportunity to find out more about the group and to ask any questions you may have about it. This will also help to assess if the group will be helpful for you before joining. Participants need to be able to attend each session of the group. If you would like to reserve a place, please see the website, visit the office in KSW 5.07, email student.counselling@lse.ac.uk or call 0207 852 3627.

does not honour their side of the agreement, it is perfectly reasonable for the other side’ to defend their own interests. 7KHVH FRQ஋ LFWV SHUKDSV GR QRW bode well for the coalition’s future but further to this the Conservatives’ chance of winning a majority at the next general election may have been scuppered. The boundary changes would have purportedly redistributed votes in the Conservatives favour so without these it is just that bit harder to secure a majority. Despite these comments it was reported that David Cam-

eron was still determined to push through the reforms. A spokesman for No.10 suggested it was maintained that the reforms would make politics cheaper and ensure ‘people’s votes have more equal weight’. So what are the options open to David Cameron now? The Prime Minister could attempt to overturn the amendment to the bill through a vote in the House of Commons. However victory is not ensured due to the apathy of the Liberal Democrats to the bill which could in turn just cause further issues within the coaUK PARLIAMENT

lition. On the other hand he could withdraw the bill and allow the Boundary Commission to report as planned in October 2013 meaning that recommendations would be in place for after the next general election. This would avoid further tensions however would mean that the Conservatives would have to gain a in the next general election before being able WR Hஉ HFW DQ\ FKDQJH RQ ERXQG aries. A third option would be to just accept the amendment and focus on passing the rest of the Electoral Registration Bill however this would mean Hஉ HFWLYHO\ JLYLQJ WKH /LEHUDO Democrats a victory perhaps leading to discontent among Tory backbenchers. Ultimately a tough decision awaits David Cameron over whether to push forward his ideas on boundary changes at a cost to the coalition or to accept defeat at a cost to popularity within his own party. However, what the vote has highlighted is that perhaps tensions within the coalition run deeper than previously thought.

Features

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

The necessity of the Arms Trade Treaty Jamie Pelling

Au revoir Obelix Julia Wacket

WKH OX[XU\ D JRRGV ன UP /90+ and known as France’s richest national, was also seeking Belgian citizenship. Brigitte BarGRW DQRWKHU )UHQFK ன OP LGRO announced that she is thinking of becoming Russia as well, on the grounds of animal rights rather than higher taxes. And even before the Hollande administration, celebrities like the singer Johnny Hallyday, or actor Alain Delon left France for Switzerland and Belgium. 0HDQZKLOH QRW RQO\ 1ÂŤFKLQ but also other Belgian cities have become tax havens for wealthy French citizen. Estate agents in Brussels are benHன WLQJ LPPHQVHO\ IURP +RO lande’s super-tax, since many of the rich want to move their place of residence. Europe 1, a French radio station, reported that 5000 French citizens had left the country for tax reasons since Hollande’s elecWLRQ 1H[W WR %HOJLXP /RQGRQ and Singapore are also popular destination. And all that, although the Constitutional Council of France declared the 75 per cent tax unconstitutional on December 29th last year. The government however already announced, that it will be pressing ahead with its plans, and will introduce a revised version of the tax next year. Even without the supertax, France has a “wealth taxâ€? on assets worth more than 1.3 million euros, which Belgium does not, as well as far higher taxes on inheritance. One can therefore already see the possible downside of Hollande’s grand plan. His symbolic politics might have been a good idea to win elections, but they can quickly result in a symbolic failure. Already now, the rich are ŕŽ‹ HHLQJ WKH FRXQWU\ OHDGLQJ to tax avoidance, and capital ŕŽ‹ LJKWV ZKLFK ZLOO UHVXOW LQ further falls in consumption and investment activity. Even if the 75 percent tax does not go through, and even if LW ‍ڔ‏RQO\‍ ڕ‏DŕŽ‰ HFWV people, heavier taxes on companies and capital gains (up to 60 pecent) are already un-

derway. Business, not just the rich will increasingly move to developing markets, such as Singapore and China. French students studying abroad, are unlikely to return to their home county, and may decide to seek their fortunes elsewhere, where they face lower taxes. Furthermore, taxes on cigarettes, other basic items, and on overtime working hours will cause a strain on the French middle classes. Especially in current times, where France is increasingly losing its competitiveness in the globalised manufacturing market, WKHVH WD[HV RQO\ UHŕŽ‹ HFW D IXU WKHU EXUGHQ RQ )UHQFK ன UPV and investors, which can only further reduce the already weak French corporate spirit. The automobile industry is already declining, with Peugeot and Renault experiencing profit falls of twenty per cent and severe job cuts. What France really needs in order to avoid a long-lasting recession, are tougher reforms on the labour market and the manufacturing sector. It needs to cut government spending, RŕŽ‰ HU D PRUH ŕŽ‹ H[LEOH ODERXU market, since unions are still very dominant, and look more towards emerging markets. Even if the French economic outlook is still rather bleak, there are at least two winners: GĂŠrard Depardieu, gaining recognition and publicity in his new country, which apparently he loves more than anything and where “freedom is everywhereâ€?. And Putin, polishing his image as the shiny knight, where people even tended to overlook his approval of the scandalous anti-US adoption bill of Russian children. The equally scandalous fact that many ethnic minorities and upright Russian citizens, contrary to Putin’s powerful friends, cannot get a passport, did not make it into the newspaper headlines. Putin’s cordial invitation of Depardieu to his priYDWH 9LOD LQ 6RFKL WR KDQG KLP over his newly gained passport, is something that a Tajik RU .\UJ\] FDQ RQO\ FRQWLQXH WR

,Q 0DUFK WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV will meet again to discuss a new Arms Trade Treaty. The treaty will aim to inhibit the ability of governments around the world to sell arms to unstable regimes, militia, or various other non-state actors. What is vital is that, following unsuccessful, and ultimately disappointing negotiations last July, the international community reaches some kind of agreement. It does not need to be a revolutionary act banning the trading of all arms, merely a first step. This first step has been a long time in coming and the arms trade has been implicated in some of the worst human rights atrocities since the Second World War. Human rights and the arms trade are inextricably linked and if the UN is to live up to its reputation as outlined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, then it must take action to reduce the prevalence of the international arms trade. The case study used by Amnesty International when examining the link between the arms trade and Human Rights violations is that of the Democratic Republic of &RQJR $Q $. LV DFFRUG ing to Amnesty’s report, seen as a ‘credit card’ in the wartorn Eastern areas of the country, enabling members of the Congolese military to exchange their governmentissued weapon for substantial material gain. It is a well-documented process by which these death-dealing small arms fall into the hands of rebels. Atrocities have been committed on both sides, largely with weapons imported from countries including, China, France, South Africa, and that fine purveyor of arms, the USA. Indeed, these suppliers are well aware of the problems in the DRC, yet continue to supply the military, and thus the rebels with arms, fuelling

a deplorable civil war for the profit of their own economies. Article Three of the UDHR is that ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person’. This is violated with impunity in the DRC. Another troubling example is that of the Sudan. Here, the supply of arms far outnumbered the supply of soldiers, so much so that the use of children in warfare became the norm. A brutal civil conflict which lasted 22 years has left an indelible mark on modern Sudan; there are still thousands in refugee camps vulnerable and unable to return home. Clearly the arms trade is exacerbating civil and international conflicts around the world and the UN has a duty to regulate, if not put an end to, its existence. However, there are impediments to an agreement. While 157 nations have fallen behind the plan to write a WUHDW\ GXULQJ WKH 0DUFK talks, there are many abstentions. Even those who desire an agreement have radically differing aims. Russia, which profits a great deal from the open trading of arms, has a radically different agenda to 0H[LFR ZKRVH IRFXV LV RQ limiting the arms supply to its infamous drug barons. Article 28 of the UDHR states that ‘Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realL]HG‍ ڑ‏,I 0DUFK SDVVHV ZLWK out a treaty, the UN will have failed to uphold this article, and it is for this reason that agreement is now a necessity, for global Human Rights, and for the UN’s image as its protector. The Amnesty International Society is hosting its Arms Trade Awareness Week this week, largely focusing on the 0DUFK GLVFXVVLRQV )RU PRUH information consult the Facebook page, email the society, or visit the stall on Houghton Street. UNITED NATIONS PHOTO

In the Asterix Cartoons, Obelix is characterised by his simple-mindedness, superhuman strength and unconditional love for his home Gaul. Never would he betray, or leave it behind. But comic remains comic, and not reality. At least that is what it seemed like, when the 64-year old French actor GĂŠrard Depardieu, who SOD\V 2EHOL[ LQ WKH ன OP VHULHV presented his new pass(book) at the beginning of January in Saransk, Russia. Though wearLQJ D WUDGLWLRQDO IRON RXWன W and presenting his passport like a trophy, the show for the new native seemed more like a comedy show, than an official ceremony. Already at the beginning of December, Depardieu had announced that he would leave behind his home country to avoid the 75 per cent tax rate on incomes over one million euros, promised by socialist President Francois Hollande DV SDUW RI KLV GHன FLW UHGXF tion programme. According WR WKH DFFRXQWLQJ ன UP .30* Hollande’s super-tax would push France from the tenth WR WKH ன UVW SODFH RI WKH KLJK est income tax countries of the world, followed by Aruba, Sweden, and Denmark. Originally, GĂŠrard Depardieu wanted to settle down in the Belgium town NĂŠchin, close to the French border. However, when President PuWLQ RŕŽ‰ HUHG KLP WKH 5XVVLDQ FLW izenship in December, the 64year old actor could no longer say no. Establishing tax residency in Russia would enable KLP WR EHQHன W IURP 5XVVLD‍ڑ‏V much lower high-income tax rate of only thirteen per cent. At home, his decision to emigrate was viewed with scepWLFLVP 3ULPH 0LQLVWHU -HDQ 0DUF $\UDXOW GLVPLVVHG 'HSDU dieu’s decision as “unpatrioticâ€? and “pitifulâ€?. Yet, the actor KDV QRW EHHQ WKH ன UVW WR OHDYH behind France for tax reasons: earlier this year Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of

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| The Beaver

LAUGHINGMONK

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ery as ‘no wise man’, as Lincoln said, ‘has ever been able to’. Lincoln goes on to make this extraordinary statement that emancipating the slaves in one go ‘would be worse than keeping slavery’.

Obama nominations criticised Sabrina Lakhani Recent US elections saw a record number of women elected to Congress. However, President Obama has failed to nominate many females for top cabinet positions of his second-term administration, and now faces harsh criticism over this move. Many of the women in Obama’s cabinet have recently stepped down, granting the President the power to select QHZ &RQJUHVVPHQ WR னOO WKHVH positions. Yet, his selections for the top four cabinet positions have all been males: Senator John Kerry to replace Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State; Former Senator Chuck Hagel to replace Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense; White +RXVH &KLHI RI 6WDŕŽ‰ -DFN /HZ to succeed Timothy Geithner as Secretary of Treasury; and John Brennan nominated as Head of the CIA, causing women’s organisations and diversity advocates to express much disappointment over the nominations. This is particularly controversial considering the share of the female vote that Obama won in November 2012. During the 2012 US election, Obama won 55 per cent of the female vote while Mitt Romney won 44 per cent. Many have asserted that his all-male selection in 2013 sends out a negative message to those women who voted to SXW 2EDPD EDFN LQWR RŕŽŒFH During the past week the number of critics has grown, and they continue to voice their displeasure with the US President. Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC’s FKLHI IRUHLJQ DŕŽ‰DLUV FRUUHspondent, appeared on “Meet the Pressâ€? where she spoke out against President Obama’s male dominated nominations. She stated women in the White House are “not happyâ€? and that women in the administration are “angry with the White Houseâ€? and the president over the situation. Women are not the only ones upset. Representative Charlie Rangel, D-NY, has called the lack of women nominations dismal and “embarrassingâ€?. The longtime sup-

porter of President Obama continues by stating “we’ve been through all of this with Mitt Romney. And we were very hard with Mitt Romney with the women binder and a variety of these thingsâ€?. According to the Women and Politics Center at RutJHUV GXULQJ KLV னUVW WHUP about 36 per cent of President Obama’s appointments were IHPDOHV 7KLV LV VLJQLனFDQWO\ higher than his predecessor, George W. Bush, who had nineteen per cent of his cabiQHW SRVLWLRQV னOOHG E\ IHPDOHV but still less than Bill Clinton’s 41 per cent. President Obama responded to these criticisms by saying it is too early to judge the diversity of his second-term administration. During a news conference on January 14th, President Obama urged critics to “wait until they’ve seen all my appointments, who is LQ WKH :KLWH +RXVH VWDŕŽ‰ DQG who is in my cabinet, before they rush to judgementâ€?. He also stated, “until you’ve seen what my overall team looks like, it’s premature to assume that somehow we’re going backwards. We’re not going backwards, we’re going forwardâ€?. However, women’s rights organizations seem more concerned with the lack of women at the highest level of administration than the overall numbers of his administration. Debbie Walsh, director of Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, has stated, “what you’re hearing is that as new openings come up, there are missed opportunities to bring women in at that levelâ€?. ,I &RQJUHVV FRQனUPV DOO nominations, women will hold only two of the sixteen cabinet positions, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, if nominaWLRQV DUH FRQனUPHG LW ZLOO EH WKH னUVW WLPH LQ VL[ \HDUV WKDW there is no woman within the four “highestâ€? ranking cabinet positions; Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Treasury, and Head of CIA.

In which case, how do we get to the events such as the Emancipation Proclamation and so on?

Alan Sked Interntaional History Topic: American History So you have a book out soon about American History? Yes, I am writing a book about Lincoln, to be published this year, and its supposedly called: ‘Abraham Lincoln, a critical history of an American Icon’. Usually I write books on European history but I’ve always taught American history here. And Lincoln is the man who is very much at the centre of American ideals, and the more I was teaching him the less I was convinced about his reputation as the great liberal emancipator. That must be a controversial view, given he is perceived as the great emancipator, the man who ‘freed the slaves’. Oh I know, but if you begin to look at the documents it becomes more likely that he probably didn’t want to free the slaves, that he was an arch racist, and that he caused the war unnecessarily and probably unconstitutionally, and if the Union was in danger it was largely because of him. When a compromise was possible he was the chief person to turn it down. So far from wanting to have a racially integrated America his dream was a racially white America and his plan was to send black people back to Africa, or the Tropics, in fact anywhere but the northern states of America. This was actually quite a traditional policy, his political heroes, like ThomDV -HŕŽ‰HUVRQ DOO EHOLHYHG LQ WKLV

It’s a complicated story in a sense. You end up with more active abolitionists in the 50s, and Lincoln, who runs to get into the senate in 1858, has huge debates on this, where he says slavery is immoral ‘as such’, however, he also says that he’s racist. He says that he doesn’t believe in the political and social equality of black and white, and he sticks to that view up to his presidential election. Lincoln wins the election, but he only gets 39 per cent of the vote, nobody in the south votes for him. He’s not even on the ballot in most southern states. In Virginia he gets about one per cent of the vote. But with the northern votes he gets around 39 per cent of the vote and wins a majority in the Electoral College. You’d have thought this man with only 39 per cent of the vote, whose party has never been in power before, would be rather modest in what he tries to do, instead‌ He decided to start a civil war?

Yes. I mean by the time of his inaugural, the South have basically succeeded. They’ve snubbed their noses and said, look we don’t want anything to do with you. So the south does what the British colonies did in 1776. They hold meetings and agree they are going to secede. And Lincoln ends up being a new George III, and he decided he’s going to stop them. Does he have the right to do it? Well, no. Now it is a great constitutional issue, and this constitution, which he says is wonderful and needs defending, does actually have a Supreme Court whose whole idea is that I’ll 7KLV LV YHU\ GLૼHUHQW IURP decided constitutional issues. the traditional view, where do Does Lincoln go to the Supreme \RX ૽QG HYLGHQFH WR VXSSRUW Court? No! He doesn’t go near it. Because he knows the Chief this? Justice doesn’t believe he has Oh it comes from all the the right to supress a secession, documents of the time and - he doesn’t believe the south from Lincoln’s own papers has a right to secede either, and proclamations. There’s no but they cannot be supressed if doubt he’s racist, he’s typical they decide to do it. ,V KH னJKWLQJ RYHU VODYHU\" of Americans of his day. They Well, no, on the day of his inauare all racist. The Civil War is not a war between abolitionists gural, he also agrees to a Conand slave owners, it’s a war be- stitutional Amendment passed tween a deeply racist north and by Congress, that writes slava slave owning south, who have ery explicitly into the US Cona problem of what to do about stitution. He also says to Horace Greeley, the abolitionist, if ‘the blacks’. When Lincoln’s great hero, he can save the Union without Henry Clay dies and Lincoln abolishing slavery he would. was asked to give a eulogy, So what happens? he said that, though he was a slaveholder, he didn’t believe He thinks his militia will in slavery, however he couldn’t னJXUH RXW KRZ WR DEROLVK VODY- cross the border and capture

Richmond, the Confederate Capital, and it’ll all be over. He sends in the troops, and it starts a war, which ends up killing 625,000 Americans. During the war some of the Republican generals began to emancipate some of the slaves in the South. What does Lincoln GR" +H னUHV WKHP +H VHQGV D letter to his generals saying, they have to rescind the emancipation order, ‘even I as President don’t have the right to take other peoples property or free slaves’. In September 1862, he issues a Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which says WZR WKLQJV னUVW WR WKH 6RXWK LI you come back into the Union you can keep all your slaves, and he says to the four slave VWDWHV ZKR DUH னJKWLQJ IRU WKH Union, he says, ‘if you want to emancipate your slaves we will compensate you’, and they give them until 1900 to think this over. The south refuses, and none of the slave owning states in the North want anything to do with these plans. So that falls through. So on January 1st, you get the Emancipation Proclamation. How many slaves does it free? Not a single one. It doesn’t apply to the north. It doesn’t apply to the areas of the Confederacy occupied by the Union army. It only applies to the areas under Confederate control, and they are obviously not going to pay attention. It’s a joke to the abolitionists. But from there he is under pressure from Radical Republicans, for a moral boost, you see at this point the war is going badly. Their generals are no good, he thinks he’s going to lose the Presidential Election, he’s caused a war, so he agrees eventually to the Thirteenth Amendment, though that’s put forward by Republicans and he’s just catching up. The Republican Left are nervous about their electoral prospect, so he suggests that perhaps the vote might be given to highly educated black people. He makes this suggestion on the lawn of the White House, and in the audience is John Wilkes Booth, who then decides to shoot him at the theatre two days later. How do we then get this view of Lincoln as the great abolitionist? Lincoln, for whatever motives, does actually sign an emancipation proclamation. But the main thing is the war is won, the Union is saved, and of course he’s martyred, so KH EHFRPHV D -HVXV &KULVW னJure of American history. In the words of one or two books on the topic he becomes ‘the Redeemer President’, he gets rid of the evil of slavery, though of FRXUVH $PHULFD EHFRPHV னUPO\ segregated for the next 100 years. Its only when LBJ comes in that things change.

Social

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CLEO PEARSON

The Beaver 22.01.2013

US AGAINST THE WORLD Jiayi Fan sets her sights on the summer and plans an adventure.

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feel annoyed. Jason Castel- ZDV LQ KLW D FRZ PHW ŕŽ‹ RRGV than I thought. We used a ODQL‍ڑ‏V ZRUGV ZLOO FRPIRUW or even experienced car ac- &KLQHVH SURYHUE WR GHVFULEH HYHU\ WUDYHO SODQQHU ‍'ڔ‏RQ‍ڑ‏W cidents. With his camera, our conditions: a head full expect your travel plan to KH UHFRUGHG KLV EXV DG of gluewater. Gluewater is EH SHUIHFW LW‍ڑ‏V LPSRVVLEOH ventures in these 40 days sticky and if our heads are IRU ORQJ WHUP WUDYHO 7KLV LV and nights. He surprisingly full of gluewater, which D MRXUQH\ WKDW ZLOO EH ன OOHG found strangers were trust- they are, we are in a great with unknown.â€? ZRUWK\ ZKLOH WURXEOHVRPH mess. Our plans got com7UDYHO LV DERXW WKH XQ SHRSOH ZHUH D UDULW\ 7KHVH plicated as prepared to known and the uncertain, 16,000 kilometers from WUDYHO DEURDG 7KH ன UVW EXW WKLV GRHVQ‍ڑ‏W PHDQ \RX United States to Antarctica SUREOHP ZDV WR RXWOLQH WKH FDQ EH LJQRUDQW ZKLOH realized his personal dream itinerary: How many days JUDEELQJ \RXU EDFNSDFN RI WUDYHOLQJ VLPSO\ (YDQV‍ڑ‏V did we need to go to these and starting a different knowing-nothcountries? ing advenHow many 7KLV LV D MRXUQH\ WKDW ZLOO EH ŕ­˝ OOHG ZLWK ture. At least nights were unknown \RX VKRXOG EH we to stay in FOHDU DERXW \RXU GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW KR destination. Andrew Evans, advice for travelers was in- tels? What kinds of transwho works for National VSLULQJ ‍'ڔ‏RQ‍ڑ‏W EH D WRXULVW port were we going to use? Geographic, spent 40 days Plan less. Go slowly. I trav- 7KH PRUH UHVHDUFK ZH GLG KDYLQJ EXV MRXUQH\V elled in the most inefficient the more places we kept from Washington D.C. to ZD\ SRVVLEOH DQG LW WRRN PH ன QGLQJ WKDW ZH ZDQWHG WR $QWDUFWLFD 7KLV VRXQGV OLNH exactly where I wanted to visit. Reading a map can an epic expedition : going go.â€? EH GLIILFXOW ZKHQ WKH FLW\ LV WR $QWDUFWLFD E\ EXV :KDW 7UDYHO SODQV EHFRPH VR ODUJH ZH FRXOGQ‍ڑ‏W HYHQ KH GLG ZDV WR WDNH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW harder when there is more recognize where the city EXVHV DQG NHHS JRLQJ LQ WKH than one person going to FHQWUH ZDV DW ன UVW VLJKW same direction, south. Un- the journey, for you need Choosing hotels also took OLNH HIILFLHQW DLUSODQHV EXV to negotiate, discuss, and so long, we kept on compares are slow, which means, have some teamwork. I just ing and contrasting prices. Evans must have seen more made a travel plan with my My friend and I were on views than people usually EHVW IULHQG DQG LW WXUQHG the phone from the evendo on this trip. Buses he RXW WR EH PRUH FRPSOLFDWHG ing through until midnight,

we were online tapping RXU NH\ERDUGV DW WKH VDPH time. It was fortunate that ZH XVH WKH VDPH PRELOH company so this all-nightORQJ FDOO ZDV IUHH 7KH commonplace sayings that QLJKW ZHUH ‍<ڔ‏RX‍ڑ‏YH IRXQG one? Send it to me. Wait, ,‍ڑ‏YH IRXQG RQH WRR , KDYH VHQW LW WR \RX QRZ ‍ ڕ‏, GRQ‍ڑ‏W know how many times we have repeated these simSOH ERULQJ FRQYHUVDWLRQV EHIRUH FRPLQJ XS ZLWK RXU travel plan in the end. 7UDYHO SODQV EHFRPH less complicated when you ன JXUH RXW \RXU EDVLF LWLQ HUDU\ 7KHUH LV QR VKRUW cut of making travel plans. Everyone needs to start from deciding destinations, EXGJHWLQJ ERRNLQJ KRWHOV to having the list of all your visiting spots. But travel is QRW DOO DERXW PDNLQJ SODQV LW‍ڑ‏V DOVR DERXW H[SHULHQFLQJ DQRWKHU FXOWXUH DQG GLŕŽ‰ HU ent traditions. During your trip, always try to do someWKLQJ QHZ DQG GRQ‍ڑ‏W KHVL tate to try new foods, even if some of them look a little VXVSLFLRXV

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| The Beaver

Overcoming winter illnesses -Hŕ­źUH\ 0R VKDUHV WKH LVRODWLRQ RI LOOQHVV DV WKH WHUP VWDUWV DQHZ

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extensive extra-curricular activities, try to curb that enthusiasm as it may appear that you disapprove of their less active university OLIH 'R DYRLG NLVVLQJ WKHP ,I it goes terribly, or you just GRQ‍ڑ‏W ZDQW WR ORFN OLSV LW‍ڑ‏V probably best not to lead WKHP RQ DQG NLVV WKHP Kissing is nice and a good ZD\ WR ERQG EXW DIWHU WKUHH IRXU RU HYHQ னYH WH[WV IURP WKHP DVNLQJ KRZ \RX DUH &/(2 3($5621

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The Beaver | 22.01.2013

Social

29

Travel diary: Quito, Ecuador

3

($5621 \XS WKDW‍ڑ‏V GHனQLWHO\ P\ QDPH My legs are moving, \XS WKH\‍ڑ‏UH GHனnitely moving towards the man holding the sign with my QDPH RQ LW 6R ZH‍ڑ‏UH JHWWLQJ LQ WKH WD[L ‍Ú?‏+ROD‍\ ڑ‏XS VD\ LW EDFN VD\ LW EDFN (UUU +ROD ‍&Ú?‏RPR HVWDV"‍ ڑ‏0PP \HDK now you’ve lost me; this is goLQJ WR EH D ORQJ QLJKW Outside the taxi it’s pitchblack except for a lit billboard, the picture of which my starWOHG H\HV FDQQRW SURFHVV 7KH taxi seems to be winding its way through a labyrinth of streets that the dark steals IURP PH :H KDYH QRWKLQJ WR VD\ WR HDFK RWKHU , KRSH he doesn’t want money you know, I knew I’d get ripped RŕŽ‰ RQ WKH னUVW QLJKW , FRXOG be mugged; he’s going to mug PH :KDW LI KH ZHUH WR NLOO PH ULJKW QRZ" ,‍ڑ‏YH MXVW SDLG e IRU WKH ŕŽ‹LJKW 7KDW‍ڑ‏V WKH PRVW money I’ve ever spent and ,‍ڑ‏P JRLQJ WR GLH :HOO WKDW

ZDV D ZDVWH 7KH WD[L FRPHV to a stop at some traffic lights and in the brake lights of the car in front I see a football VWLFNHU RQ WKH EXPSHU %$5&(/21$" , EOXUW ‍Ú?‏1R 4XLWR 6SDQLVK 6SDQLVK 6SDQLVK ‍ ڑ‏ Aaaaah I nod knowingly and VR LW EHJLQV ‍'Ú?‏DYLG %HFNKDP‍ ڑ‏6LLLL :D\QH 5RRQH\" ‍ Ú?‏6SDQLVK IRRWEDOOHU ‍ ڑ‏PRUH QRGGLQJ %HIRUH , NQRZ LW ZH‍ڑ‏YH DUULYHG :KHUH" :HOO believe me, I would tell you LI , NQHZ +H JHWV RXW RI WKH taxi, no demands for money yet and no knife, we’re doing ZHOO , ORRN XS DW WKH KDXQWLQJ shadows of the tower blocks that lean over me, they’re surrounded by a tall wire IHQFH UHDO LQYLWLQJ +H ZDONV through the gate, down the steps and to one of the doors ZKHUH KH ULQJV D EHOO , VWDQG IHHW FHPHQWHG WR WKH ŕŽ‹RRU ERG\ DV VWLŕŽ‰ DV D FRUSVH $ lady comes to the door in her nightclothes, rambles some VOLJKWO\ LUDWH 6SDQLVK DW WKH

WD[L GULYHU DQG VKXWV LW DJDLQ After a little pacing back and forth the driver tries the next entrance, another woman opens it and after a little conYHUVDWLRQ VKH FDOOV P\ QDPH 7KH ZRPDQ ZDV P\ PRWKer, my new Ecuadorian mothHU 7HUHVD LURQLFDOO\ QR QRW 0RWKHU 7HUHVD +DYLQJ EHHQ shoe-horned with my suitcase into a cupboard, my new bedroom, I collapse on the bed LQ H[KDXVWLRQ 6XFK ZHUH WKH H[SHULHQFHV RI P\ னUVW QLJKW LQ 7RZHU 1LQH 6WUHHW -RVH 5DSKDHO %XVWDPDQWH 4XLWR (FXDGRU 'XULQJ P\ WZR PRQWKV spent in Ecuador, not only did I discover the many diverse and beautiful environments of the land, the disgusting sexism of Ecuadorian men and the wonderful delights of Ecuadorian bakeries but I discovered life in a homestay of a middle class Ecuadorian IDPLO\ RI WKUHH %LHQYHQLGRV D OD FDVD GH ORV %ROD³RV

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Cleo Pearson recounts her arrival in her Ecuadorian homestay.

Travel Diary: Warsaw, Poland Matthew Worby discovers the melancholic beauty of Warsaw.

A

fter a relatively quiet Christmas break, spent in London, I decided that I wanted to do something a bit difIHUHQW IRU WKH னQDO ZHHNHQG With a little inspiration courtesy of a spot of gin, I found P\VHOI ZLWK D ŕŽ‹LJKW ERRNHG to Warsaw, and a hotel room somewhere vaguely towards WKH FLW\ FHQWUH 7RWDO FRVW IRU WKH ZHHNHQG ZDV DERXW e I couldn’t for the life of me pronounce half the streets in the near vicinity, but having SULQWHG RŕŽ‰ WKH QDPH DQG D map it surely wouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to locate LW 7RXFKLQJ GRZQ LQ 3RODQG DQG JHWWLQJ RŕŽ‰ WKH SODQH JDYH me no impression that I’d left the UK at all, a modern bus took me to a modern terminal, , VXSSRVH WKH னUVW KLQW RI P\ EHLQJ LQ D GLŕŽ‰HUHQW FRXQWU\ was the fact that the border services booths were surprisLQJO\ VWDŕŽ‰HG ZLWK DQ DGHTXDWH complement of workers, who, unlike their British counterparts seemed concerned with moving the queue in a somewhat swift, but efficient, fashLRQ Unfortunately, given the lateness of the hour in which I arrived taking the train was deemed too inefficient by the very helpful man at the tourist information booth, he sug-

JHVWHG D WD[L 6R IHHOLQJ GLVtinctly non-student-like a taxi was hailed and a brief drive through what seemed like UHVLGHQWLDO :DUVDZ $V ZLWK HYHU\WKLQJ EXW WKH FRŕŽ‰HH LQ Warsaw the taxi was incredLEO\ JRRG YDOXH IRU PRQH\ 7KHUH ZDV OLWWOH WR QR FRQversation, but I was too busy gawping at the half hidden 6RYLHW HUD EXLOGLQJV DQG WKH snow falling from the sky to be of any interest to the taxi GULYHU DW WKLV SRLQW Walking through what seemed to be something of a business district of Warsaw at eleven on a Friday night was DQ LQWHUHVWLQJ H[SHULHQFH ,W was clean, well lit and at no point was there there any real VHQVH RI GDQJHU 7KHUH ZHUH a few drunken altercations, but these were mostly self contained, and everyone else was walking straight on by, VR ZKHQ LQ 5RPH HWF 7KH PL[ of architecture was also fascinating, with a combination RI VTXDW 6RYLHW VW\OH EXLOGLQJV and sleeker modern glass constructions, this area of the city had a real feeling of WUDQVLWLRQ DERXW LW 'RPLQDWing this area was the imposLQJO\ GRXU 3DODFH RI &XOWXUH DQG 6FLHQFH 6WDQGLQJ DW metres tall this controversial building was initially distinctly at odds with the rest of the DUHD 'HVSLWH WKLV , XOWLPDWH-

ly came to see the building in much the same way as the UHVW RI 3RODQG LQ WKDW ZKLOVW initially it might seem to be at odds with what I was expecting, it would grow on me over WLPH 7KH DUW JDOOHULHV DQG PXVHXPV WKDW , ZHQW WR னW LQWR this theme as well, in particular the National Museum of Ethnography, something quite unassuming on the outside, however once inside the building took on an entirely QHZ OHDVH RI OLIH னOOHG ZLWK fascinating objects and details that one couldn’t have imagined if you had just seen WKH RXWVLGH (YHU\ H[KLELW YLVited was either free, or the equivalent cost of a glass of wine, so there was no excuse to see as much of the cultural heritage that the city had on RŕŽ‰HU In a similar respect to this, it was the same set of circumstances that surrounded WKH FXLVLQH WKDW ZDV RQ RŕŽ‰HU during the all too brief stay in WKH FLW\ ,QLWLDOO\ WKH ‍ڔ‏6RYLHW era milk barâ€? was foreboding, quiet and altogether a confusLQJ SURSRVLWLRQ WR KDQGOH %XW having watched someone else have a go, everything became LPPHGLDWHO\ DSSDUHQW 0XFK like the city, the decor was functional and exactly what was called for after a long day RXWVLGH LQ WKH FROG DQG LFH

7KH IRRG ZDV KHDUW\ DQG XQcomplicated, I couldn’t think of anything else that I wanted IURP LW Another area where I spent some time was that of the Old 7RZQ 7KLV ZDV D FRPSOHWHO\ GLŕŽ‰HUHQW SDFNDJH XQOLNH WKH business area this entire area had been completely rebuilt using historical stones from VHYHUDO RWKHU 3ROLVK WRZQV DIWHU ERWK WKH 1D]LV DQG 6RYLHWV KDG ZUHDNHG GHVWUXFWLRQ 7KH intention was to recapture WKH RULJLQDO ŕŽ‹DYRXU RI ZKDW WKH WRZQ PXVW KDYH EHHQ OLNH $QG ZKLOH WKH\ VXSHUனFLDOO\ succeeded in creating an incredibly picturesque precinct, much like a lego reconstruction of a famous monument, it looks pretty, and you FDQ GHனQLWHO\ DSSUHFLDWH LW as more than the sum of its SDUWV %XW DW WKH HQG RI WKH day it is still a model, there’s something about it being a reconstructed that creates an almost inescapable air of melancholy, not even the picturesque snow could allow for this thought to truly escape IURP WKH EDFN RI P\ PLQG 7KH FRPSOHWH FRQYHUVH of this reconstructed part of town was the Wilanow palDFH /RFDWHG URXJKO\ WHQ NLOometres from the main train station the public transport was eminently easy to navigate, once you’d located ex-

DFWO\ ZKLFK ZRUG VLJQLனHG WKH VWRS \RX ZHUH DIWHU 7KLV palace was stunning, termed WKH 3ROLVK 9HUVDLOOHV LW ZDV clear instantly why one would PDNH WKDW FRPPHQW $ WRXU RI the building revealed countless beautiful views, stunning pieces of artwork, sculpture, frescos and rooms that individually could form the centrepiece of a decent exKLELWLRQ ,Q WKLV VHQVH XQOLNH WKH 2OG 7RZQ EHFDXVH WKH palace had made it through both World Wars relatively unscathed, there is a level of history that is distinctly more XSEHDW )XUWKHUPRUH ORFDWHG in the grounds was a spectacular church and poster museum that turned this single event into a day trip that was well worth both the time to get there and the exasperated explanation of exactly which bus stop we wanted from the lady at the tourist information SRLQW , ZRXOG GHனQLWHO\ UHFRPmend a trip to Warsaw, it has history, culture and is GLVWLQFWO\ GLŕŽ‰HUHQW IURP /RQGRQ (VSHFLDOO\ JLYHQ LWV FORVH proximity to the UK, there’s something for everyone and at current price levels it wouldn’t break the bank to go an enjoy the city while not having to scrimp and save to SULRULWLVH H[SHULHQFHV

30

Sport

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

Cricket awarded Annual Funds Dennis Mooney

The LSE Cricket Club were delighted to announce this week the expansion of their indoor cricket league during WKH /HQW 7HUP WKDQNV WR ன QDQ cial support from the school’s Annual Fund scheme. With H[SHULPHQWDO ன [WXUHV KDYLQJ taken place within the club before Christmas, the league will run in full form this term, taking place in the fantastic facilities of the MCC Indoor Cricket School at Lords Cricket Ground. The shortened form of the game, which sees teams of 8 face each other in 16-over-aside contests, will take place on Wednesday afternoons and is primarily aimed at those new to the sport. Batting in pairs for 4 overs, runs are scored by hitting the nets which form the boundaries to the arena as well as by running a shortened distance along the wicket itself. Overs are eight balls rather than six, and the ball is yellow. Whilst technique is fundamentally similar to normal cricket, the frenetic pace of

the indoor game makes for much more of a competitive atmosphere and the simplicity of it is a bonus for newcomers. Club captain Karan Shirgaokar was delighted with the success of the Annual Fund application, saying ‘This will really help us to get more people involved. The club has grown a lot over the past cou-

ple of years and we want to see as many of our members playing regular cricket as possible.’ The league will run alongside trials for the outdoor season, and he added that ‘It’s a bit more inclusive and it makes a nice change from solid net sessions’. With the focus on increasing participation, some big performances

are expected from the club’s new American contingent, as well as the more established members. General Courrse student Andrew Irvine is thrilled by the opportunity: ‘It’s not something we get a lot at home, and the guys have been great at introducing us to the sport!’ The club is also hoping to get a wider audience involved with games later in the term DJDLQVW DQ /6( VWDŕŽ‰ VLGH DQG one representing the rest of the Athletics Union, which promises to be a feisty contest. If you’d like to take part in the LSE Cricket Club Annual Fund indoor league, please contact au.club.cricket@ lse.ac.uk or ask to become a member of the club Facebook page. Trials for the outdoor season are also currently taking place; the next session will be at the MCC Indoor School at Lords Cricket Ground from 5-7pm on Sunday. If you’re interested in representing the ‘Rest of the AU’, please let any of the Cricket Committee know.

YOUR SPORT, IN BRIEF Seeds Progress Down Under

Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer all reached the Australian Open 4th round with relative ease. In the women’s draw, Maria Sharapova looks likely to face either Serena Williams or top seed Victoria Azarenka in the ன QDO

Armstrong Admits Doping

As widely predicted, Lance Armstrong has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs to win all 7 of his Tour De France titles. However, disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson has predicted that the American public will forgive the Texan.

Championship Race Hots Up Yes, it has been a long cold winter without the best nightspot in London but the AU braved the cold to endure the heat and burning smell at Zoo. The said smell can be attributed to women’s rugby captain whose poor choice of place to leave her coat almost set the FOXE RQ ன UH As term commenced, some could barely contain their anticipation and felt it necessary to make a pit stop at Moonies to ease the wait until Wednesday. Not content with the opportunities Monday and Wednesday SUHVHQWHG PDQ\ ன QLVKHG WKHLU week, once again heavily intoxicated, at the once loved Crush. CTR kept it classy throughout the week with a mini tour of the rugby team. Pulling this week’s birthday boy on Monday and taking him home from Moonies, she was unexpectedly joined later by Captain Craig; even after Captain Craig had visited the Ball earlier in the evening. Lovely as the birth-

day boy was CTR and Craig inevitably ended the night together. With a double pull WR PDWFK KHU 0RQGD\ HŕŽ‰ RUW Friday witnessed her taking on a new, younger apprentice and the cookie monster. Such antics so rarely seem by this young lady have been undoubtedly much appreciated by the rugby team. Almost keeping pace was General Mateer who started the week doing drills with the cookie monster, but by Friday had commandeered (VVH[‍ڑ‏V ன QHVW (VVH[ PD\ KDYH ended the week with the president but was not alone at Zoo, enjoying the company of ‘too many men’ for the night. There would have been potential for D JLUO ன JKW RQ ன JKW QLJKW EXW ‘too many men’ living up to her name found Captain Craig suitably distracting come Friday evening. Doing as well as his captain and sticking to netball girls, the cookie monster was seen leaving Zoo with a Good memEHU RI ன UVW WHDP 7KH IUHVKHU

grump made endless attempts but in his sorry state failed to impress any of the girls going home alone on all nights this week. Wednesday night drew out a strong crowd, with sizeable representation from the usuDOO\ VXEGXHG )& ன UVW WHDP The Real Darra returned to delight his many fans, whilst Social Mason managed to score LSE’s increasingly frequent fashion addition. Meanwhile )OLUW\ %LUW\ GLGQ‍ڑ‏W JHW %R\G RŕŽ‰ and was seen enjoying life at lofty heights. Another to enjoy such heights but this time from rugby’s MD was a member of women’s rugby who forwent her usual pull in the promise that big feet really do matter. But a quote from Third Team captain on Take Me Out ‘it’s not the size of the ship but the motion of the ocean’ should be remembered. The Murderer became the victim this week with a rather persistent member of women’s

rugby being left disappointed after his ski romance endures. On returning home however the terror continued as he IRXQG WZR QHWEDOO ŕŽ‹ DWPDWHV lying wait in bed to scare the couple. An interesting end of the evening was to be had for Jones, General Mateer and Dom. The discovery that McDonalds was closed lead to the threesome venturing into a hotel only to be kicked out on the assumption that the girls were strippers for Dom. Needless to say the two girls have not been moonlighting as strippers/ prostitutes. With the alcohol levels being high even for the AU our darling Bridget Jones took it upon herself to check a slightly unusual item into the cloakroom at Crush namely her bra. This week’s behaviour was appropriately concluded by the HŕŽ‰ RUW IURP -RKQVWRQ ZKR VSHF tacularly threw up in the tuns. Welcome back to the AU’s shameless antics.

The gap at the top of the Premier League QDUURZHG WR ன YH SRLQWV between the two Manchester teams as United were held to a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane.

Selby Repeats Masters Win

Mark Selby won his third snooker masters title in six years at Alexandra Palace last week. He has his sights set on April’s World Championship at the Crucible.

Ladotelli Strikes Back

Mario Balotelli allegedly enjoyed the recent snow by pelting an unsuspecting Manchester United fan with snowballs.

Sport

The Beaver | 22.01.2013

WIKIMEDIA

Three seasons were enough to drain the Catalan, and it’s worth noting that he’s signed a three year contract with Bayern, rather than a longer one. In the back of his mind he may be wary of the stresses and pressure that he’s letting himself back in for, and already planning his next year long hiatus in Manhattan. In reality, all of these doubts come back to the same key issue: was the success in Barcelona down to the man, or the players.

maybe Guardiola had less to do with the trophies than

he has been given credit for. Forget ‘Can they do it on a wet night in Stoke?’, the real question is ‘Can Guardiola do it anywhere else?’ The worriers are few and far between however, and the general consensus that Guardiola will be able to bring success to Bayern is most likely the correct one. +H PD\ HYHQ னQG WKH OHDJXH more to his liking than La Liga in some respects – not least with regards to the winter break. Alongside the short trianglular passing WKDW GHனQHG KLV %DUFHORQD side, the other key feature was the high tempo pressing

across the pitch. It was noticeable that Barcelona’s players often VXŕŽ‰HUHG IURP IDWLJXH WRCHESI - PHOTOS CC

The way in which Iniesta and company have continued to win under the guidance of Tito Vilanova has led to some suggesting that

Continued from back page.

wards the end of the season

31

due to this playing style, and if Guardiola choses to implement the same style with Bayern than he may grow to love the winter break very quickly. Whatever happens, he knows the world will be watching. His stock has never been as high as it is at the minute, and he has 6 more months to prepare himself to hit the ground running. At the very least, his appointment will add new possible levels of intrigue to this year’s Champions League – would anyone bet against D னQDO IHDWXULQJ %DUFHORQD and Bayern Munich?

From the Eyes of a Ginger Matthew Worby , KDYH WDONHG RQ DQG RŕŽ‰ DERXW how I perceive society’s relationship with its sportsmen, especially in the case of Jovan Belcher. The recent ending of the Lance Armstrong era has made me consider my own personal views on how I see the athletes that put themselves up to be either lauded RU YLOLனHG I dislike Lance Armstrong intensely. His decision to take a sport and wreck it’s reputation entirely for personal gain is something that rankles with me. And then the fact that he is clearly unrepentant, despite that vomit inducing Oprah interview I still think the only thing he’s sorry for is getting caught. As a person I despise him. His charity work is commendable, and in time, when the wound isn’t quite so fresh I think I’ll be able to see that accomplishment as ultimately far outweighing any of the cycling. But I will have to confess one thing right now, as a competitor I have to say that I have never admired Armstrong more. I mean,

cheating is wrong. I know it’s wrong and I’ve never cheated to that extent in any sport (at the incredibly low level) that I have played. But that level of ruthlessness is a sight to behold. It makes Schumacher look like a school child that doesn’t want to put on his PE uniform. You can strip away the titles or tar and feather him and run him through the streets, but that hunger to win will still remain. I hate that he broke the rules, but as Wes Mantooth once famously said “At the bottom of my gut, with every inch of me, I plain, straight hate you. But dammit, do I respect you.â€? And I suppose it is for this reason it will take me a long time to reconcile exactly what I think about Lance, I want to hate him, but there’s a grudging recognition there. This incredibly inconsistHQW DGPLUDWLRQ DQG YLOLனFDtion is what, for me, makes me unable to just stop caring about what happens to Lance. I should really just ignore articles or interviews, it’s more

than he deserves, but this is one of those stories that, like the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend saga just refuse to let you go. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a sportsman who I have nothing but the highest respect for. In an arena where heros and villans can be made in seconds he has maintained standards on the னHOG IRU \HDUV ,Q D FODVsic tale of redemption he began his career and went through an incident where he was charged with misleading the police with regards to a murder investigation. This isn’t going to be a column rehashing what far more skilled writers than I have devoted huge quantities of words detailing, and frankly to do so would miss the point somewhat. Given the option between two paths he chose to become an upstanding role model, an inspiration for one of the greatest defensive teams of all time and a charitable philanthropist with a sizeable foundation for his local com-

munity. and when he retires either this weekend or in two weekends time number 52 for the Baltimore Ravens, Ray Lewis will step from the னHOG VWUDLJKW LQWR WKH KLVWRU\ books. He owns a plethora of awards, notably a Superbowl MVP and the only member of the 40 sack/30 interception squad, that put him in the same breath as a player of the same caliber as both the Minister of Defense, Reggie White and the original L.T., Lawrence Taylor. His competitiveness and passion, not only for his sport but also in his motivation of others makes Ray a sporting idol of the highest degree. In a similar way to Lance his desire to win is all consuming, such that he has a strict diet regime and slept inside a hyperbaric chamber to recover from injuries. Whilst other sportsmen have certainly gone to such (legal) extremes to recover, Ray has played for VHDVRQV WR EH WKDW FRQVLVWently excellent and be such a positive impact on a commu-

nity is something to respect. In a way I admire both of these men for going out and opening themselves up to becoming the villain at any opportunity. Lance ultimately became that, which is his cross to bear. It would be naive to think the several current cyclists haven’t failed drugs tests because of spiked water bottles in the crowd, or that there are some that continue to dope. But then the mental fortitude and capability of Ray Lewis, to have the same desire as lance but do it cleanly, makes me think that there are sportsmen and women that can be both champions but do it without resorting to break the rules. Lance’s betrayal might rankle, but to lose faith in those that we idolise isn’t the answer, holding them to high standards and rewarding those who make them is surely the only way forward. I’d rather spend my weekends cheering on my various teams than knitting.

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Sport

32

Sport

22.01.2013

| The Beaver

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/RRN ZKR‫ڑ‬V EDFN It is official. Next season Guardiola will return to the footballing world and will manage Bayern Munich. The 41 year old coach signed a three year contract with the Bundesliga leaders, and many anticipate them adding to their historically large trophy collection with the Catalan coach in charge. There are many reasons why Guardiola and Bayern are already being touted as a good match. First and foremost, there’s the fact that Bayern is a team that can and will compete for multiple trophies. Bayern have lost only 1 game this season, and retain a nine point cushion between themselves and second place Leverkusen after only seventeen games. They also reached the knockout stages of the Champions League with relative ease this year, and seem likely to make an impact on the latter stages once again. Then there’s the quality of players available to Guardiola in Munich. He will of course be given the opportunity to make his mark upon the squad, but will also appreciate a squad which needs only minor tweaks as opposed to a full scale reconstruction. Bayern already posess some exciting world class players, and this must have featured heavily in his mind when he took the job. He’s used to working with Messi and Busquets, so managing players of Kroos and Ribéry’s calibre will be second nature to him. It is Guardiola’s philosophy that will make Bayern such a good match for him. Described as a philosopher by former striker Ibrahimovic, with Guardiola you

get more than a coach. For the second time in his career he will be working in a club previously managed by Louis van Gaal, and the foundations of the Barcelona way are already in place as a result. WIKIMEDIA

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In terms of passes attempted, passes completed, and ball possession, Bayern are second only behind Barcelona in the Champions League this season. They already have the foundations to be a new Barcelona, and

who better to lead them forward than Guardiola? The German Bundesliga is also a draw for Guardiola, with its focus on developing youth players. Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, famously provided Guardi-

ola with players who would become the key players of his team. The youth system in the Bundesliga is rightly applauded; every team has a youth academy with professional coaches and Bayern’s youth especially have top class facilities available to them. Guardiola will be looking forward to exploiting such a system to build a German Barcelona. Despite being widely regarded as one of the best coaches of his generation, there are still some reservations over Guardiola’s appointment. Not least is the name that inevitably crops up whenever Guardiola’s is mentioned: Barcelona. It is seemingly impossible to discuss the man without discussing the club with whom his reputation is entwined. Can he bring success to a club that hasn’t been so prominent throughout his life? He played over 250 games for the Catalan giants over the course of an eleven year period with the club, and prior to joining Bayern Munich his managerial CV read Barcelona B (2007-2008), Barcelona (2008-2012). His new job will require him to adapt to a new environment, all the while facing pressure that he’s never felt as a manager. In Barcelona, even when he lost, it seemed he could do no wrong. He was always the same Josep Guardiola who SOD\HG LQ &UX\உ ‫ڑ‬V GUHDP team. Bayern’s fans won’t care about that history, and will instead see him as a coach with an impossibly high reputation to live up to. There is always the worry about burnout, especially considering his year long hiatus in football. continued page 31, col 1.

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