THE NAB EVERYMAN HAS HIS DAY: STUDENT CENTRE DOESN’T WIN STIRLING GONG
Beaver
the
Issue 815 | 21.10.14
newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union
Men’s Rugby Leaflet Scandal
KPMG to Pull Athletics Union Funding in Wake of Men’s Rugby Scandal Alexander Fyfe Managing Editor IT HAS BEEN REVEALED THAT accountancy firm KPMG will no longer be providing financial support to the LSESU Athletics Union, in the wake of the Men’s Rugby Club scandal. Despite being long-term supporters of the AU’s activities, the company decided last week it would be withdrawing the £22,000 a year sponsorship. The decision comes as the LSESU Men’s Rugby Club was disbanded for distributing racist, homophobic and misogynist leaflets at the 2014 Freshers’ Fair. LSESU General Secretary Nona Buckley-Irvine said that it was “Disappointing to see that the actions of one club have cost the rest of our sports teams the funding that they need and deserve.” KPMG’s decision has effectively negated the £15,000 AU budget increase, leaving the union with a £7,000 deficit for the coming year. Nona added that the SU would be working with the AU Executive to help them to revise their budgets accordingly. The firm will not be completely severing ties with the AU, however, as they will continue to work on issues regarding equality and diversity in sport with the union. Regardless of this, the
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KPMG logo is not to be used on any kit or communications from now on. Any kit orders that were to feature the KPMG logo have been stopped. On the issue of outstanding clothing, in an email to Club Captains AU President Taylor Rampton said: “We currently seeking clarification from KPMG on how they want us to cover up the logo, as obviously it would cost us thousands to replace every single kit item with their logo.” Nona Buckley-Irvine added, “The impact that this has had on the wider AU reinforces that disbanding the club was the right decision to take.” “We are working to make sure that no team is financially disadvantaged by the actions of the rugby club.” The news was broken to Club Captains on Friday, with AU President Taylor Rampton writing: “We have just received confirmation from KPMG that as of today, our contract with them is being terminated as a response to recent events. KPMG could not yet be contacted for comment. Do you have an opinion on the KPMG decision? Go to www.beaveronline.co.uk to get writing or e-mail Comment
ONLINE THIS WEEK Part 2 of Sam Povey’s interview with LSE alum Muzaffar Khan beaveronline.co.uk/category/features
Photo: Students and staff posed with this ‘LSE Needs Feminism Because...’ sign on Wednesday as part of an awareness-raising initiative organised by LSESU Women’s Officer Gee Linford-Grayson. More photos page 12.
An Apology
The Beaver would like to apologise to Malvika Jaganmohan, whose quotation in the article ‘LSESU Disbands Men’s Rugby’ (issue 814, page 1) was lifted from the private Feminist Society Facebook group without her permission.The Beaver appreciates that closed Facebook groups are generally off limits as a source of quotations and will endeavour to ensure that this editorial oversight will not be repeated.
Room 2.02, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, LSE Students’ Union London WC2A 2AE
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the
the
Beaver
Executive Editor Jon Allsop
editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Managing Editor Alexander Fyfe
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Established in 1949 Issue No. 815 - Tuesday 21 October 2014 - tinyurl.com/beaver815 Telephone: 0207 955 6705 Email: editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk Website: www.beaveronline.co.uk Twitter: @beaveronline
managing@thebeaveronline.co.uk
News Editor Sophie Donszelmann
news@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Comment Editor Sebastien Ash
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PartB Editor Vacant
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The City Editor Vacant managing@thebeaveronline.co.uk Features Editor Vacant
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The Nab Editor Vacant
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Sport Editor Vacant
sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Design Editor Liam Hill
design@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Online Editor Harry Maxwell
web@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Collective Chair Vacant
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The Collective:
A Afridi, A Badwe, A Doherty, A Fraser, A Fyfe, A Howells, A Laird, A Leung, A Lulache, A Moro, A Qazilbash, A Santhanham, A Tanwa, A Thomson, B Phillips, C Holden, C Hulm, C Loughran, C Naschert, C Hu, D Hung, D Lai, D Sippel, D Tighe, D Wong, E Arnold, G Cafiero, G Kist, G Linford-Grayson, G Manners-Armstrong, G Rosser, G Saudelli, H Brentnall, H Prabu, H Toms, I Mosselmans, I Plunkett, J Allsop, J Cusack, J Evans, J Grabiner, J Heeks, J Jackman, J Momodu, J Ruther, J Wacket, K Kalaichelvan, K Owusu, K Parida, K Quinn, L Hill, L Kang, L Kendall, L Erich, L Mai, L Montebello, L Weigold, M Akram, M Banerjee-Palmer, M Brien, M Crockett, M Gallo, M Jaganmohan, M Johnson, M Malik, M Neergheen, M Pearson, M Pennill, M Petrocheilos, M Rakus, M Rakus, M Strauss, M Warbis, N Antoniou, N Bhaladhare, N BuckleyIrvine, N Stringer, O Hill, O Gleeson, P Amoroso, P Gederi, R Browne, R J Charnock, R Chouglay, R Chua, R Huq, R Kouros, R Park, R Serunjogi, R Siddique, R Uddin, S Ash, S Barnett, S Crabbe-Field, S Donszelmann, S Kunovska, S Sebatindira, S Thandi, T Maksymiw, T Mushtaq, T Poole, V Hui, Z Chan If you do not appear on this list and have written three or more articles, please email: collective@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Any opinions expressed herein are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the LSE Students’ Union or Beaver Editorial Staff.
The Beaver is issued under a Creative Commons license. Attribution necessary. Printed at Mortons Printing
Jon Allsop on why the successful LGBT+ vote is a ringing endorsement of online voting
From the Executive Editor LAST T H U R S DAY WE published an online editorial urging the LSE community to get behind Alex Leung’s proposal to change the name of the LGBT Officer to LGBT+. This seemingly minor change, we wrote, represents “a vital step, an open-ended symbol with limitless potential for inclusivity. Students who are asexual, intersex, polyamorous or any other orientation under the sun should be in no doubt that the Students’ Union’s excellent services for LGBT people are for them as well. Names matter, and this motion ensures that LGBT+ people are visibly represented on campus. Whether they are fully open or struggling to come to terms with their identity, this simple name change will make everyone at LSE feel like a recognised part of our community.” We were delighted to learn on Friday night that the motion
carried with quoracy, as this is a change which brings LSESU up to speed with other Students’ Unions around the UK, and which will create a positive discourse around liberation issues on campus. Alex deserves great credit for driving such an impressive turnout on an issue which, to the lay student may have seemed dry at best and unnecessary at worst, explaining his proposal with a potent mix of passion and clarity and getting students from across the LSE spectrum on board. His achievement seems even more remarkable when you consider that many students had real difficulties with the online voting system. The fact that the motion reached quoracy in spite of these widespread technological problems is a testament to the real positive energy he generated around the change and proves that it would probably have carried with an almost
unprecedented numerical majority in favour had the voting issues not occurred. As well as representing a victory for all those on campus who care about LGBT+ issues, the motion was a victory for our student democeacy. We wrote in Thursday’s editorial that “We saw our UGM gain a stay of execution this week. We must not let the LGBT+ community down by failing to make the most of this”, and it seems that students repsonded. The fact that turnout at UGM itself last week was minimal is disappointing and shows that we must not be complacent. The success of the online vote, however, proved beyond doubt that LSE students will rally behind important causes and engage in great numbers. After all 300 people utilising their direct vote is always better than 45 people making decisions for them. Tweet @beaveronline
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Letter to the editor 10th July 2014 Dear Editor, I’m sure this has come up before but really, I wonder what Beatrice and Sidney (Webb) would make of the below? I don’t doubt there’s an entirely sensible [commercial] decision for its existence, but if I were a student and saw that in the SU shop I would run a mile. So too if I were a prospective student, or here at the Summer School. As a member of staff it’s no less embarrassing. Let’s at least try to pretend LSE is not a hotbed of elitism and snobbery; instead Houghton Street is brazenly rubbing it in our faces. What’s the deal? Many thanks, Michael Etheridge MSc Regulations & Assessment Administrator
From the Managing Editor
Alexander Fyfe on why KPMG’s decision to cut AU funding is heavy-handed
KPMG’S DECISION TO pull the entirety of its financial support to the LSESU Athletics Union is, quite simply, tarring everybody with the same brush. To revoke all £22,000 of its sponsorship, the vast majority of which goes to supporting hard working AU teams and clubs, is a knee jerk decision; a decision that doesn’t even penalize the people responsible, because lets not forget, Men’s Rugby no longer exists. Instead of appreciating the widespread condemnation of the incident, and standing by the equally condemna-
tory AU, KPMG have left them financially high and dry with a £7,000 budget deficit. The SU has promised to help them balance the books; how this will happen is yet to be revealed. It’s also a shame that the clubs proud to represent the LSESU now have to, in some fashion, remove all the KPMG branding from their kit and literature. Again, this hassle doesn’t plague those responsible, because they no longer exist. Evidence from pictures of LSESU women’s football shows that liberal use of black gaffer tape will become the de-KPMG method of choice.
KPMG will still be nonfinancially involved with the AU, working to improve diversity and equality in sport. Details on this, again, are still to be finalised. And again, the club that clearly would benefit most from such an intervention no longer exists. If KPMG was serious about tackling those responsible, perhaps it would have prevented anyone associated from signing on to its graduate scheme, rather than causing unrelated individuals suffering. Fo l l ow A l ex a n d e r o n Tw i t t e r @ F y f e A D
Sustainability Volunteering Opportunity Do you want to get more involved in sustainability on campus and get some project management experience? The Sustainability team are currently recruiting students to become Green Impact project Assistants. In this voluntary role, you will help a departmental team to reduce their carbon footprint, as part of the national environmental competitionGreen Impact. Find out more about the role on the sustainability website at lse.ac.uk/ sustainableLSE, if you are interested complete the application form on the website by 25th October.
Kirsty Kenney @kirtsyken Overheard at #LSE “Can’t see her again, even if I wanted to. Like, she’s fem soc and it’s not fair on the rugby boys” Andrew Farrell @andrewxfarrell @beaveronline @lsesu well we didn’t quite make it but brilliant to have been a finalist in such a prestige competition thanks to all LSESU Ultimate Frisbee @LSESUUltimate Lots of negativity re LSE sports. We know there’s been a lot to be -ve about. But now’s the time to give exposure to good clubs doing good things! #beavers
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News
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Section editorial: BY THE TIME YOU READ this on a Tuesday morning, the Beaver will have hosted its editorial elections and we will have another News Editor on board. A bigger News team means that we can be bigger, better and even more ambitious in our endeavors to hold the School accountable and keep the Fourth Estate alive and well on campus. Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to welcoming another journalist to the Ed Board and I am very excited about what we can achieve: future communication to the News department can now be addressed to the “Budding Woodward and Bernstein.” Sticking with this can-do spirit of ambition, I’m also trying to revamp our News Team Facebook group. Mainstream journalism is fastpaced and interactive and there is no reason why we shouldn’t be too. This group will be a space to foster communication between writers, to discuss issues and concerns and to suggest new articles or long-term investigation pieces. So much occurs during the working week, after we have already sent out our story list and assigned writers, and hopefully this page will help us cover the stories that pop up. You can join it by searching Facebook for the term “The News Team - The Beaver” – an apt title as we are, after all, a team and a team works best when we have more enthusiastic writers.
News
Sophie Donszelmann
Section Editor: Sophie Donszelmann
Something to say about this week’s News? tweet @beaveronline
news@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Musty Kamal Removed from Board of Trustees Saira Ali ONE OF THE FIVE ELECTED student members from the SU Board of Trustees has been formally removed from his position during the previous Lent term. Former trustee member Musty Kamal had originally won the Lent term elections for a position on the Trustee Board but was dismissed by the Board shortly
after. According to the LSE Students’ Union Trustee Board, Kamal was dismissed from his post due to a failure to attend the scheduled trustee meetings. In reference to the LSESU bye-laws, the Board referred to bye-law 19 which states that “in the event of a Student Trustee member of the Trustee Board failing to attend three consecutive meetings without presenting proper apologies, he/she shall be
deemed to have resigned.” On the 7th March 2014, the Board declared that Kamal had failed to attend three meetings as well as not providing the proper apologies or mitigating circumstances for the absences. In addition, the Board stated that Kamal had been notified, alongside the other trustees, of the occurrence of the meetings. Following the dismissal, Jay Stoll, former LSESU General Secretary and Chair of the Trustee Board, stated: “It is a genuine shame we had to resort to this, and I am really frustrated that despite repeated attempts to engage Musty in the Trustee Board he failed to take the opportunity to do so. All of our Trustees are elected by students and they have a right to be represented by people who turn up to the meetings. “By resigning Musty this means we can reopen the position he occupied, elect another student, and ensure the Trustee Board consists of individuals who are able to actively contribute.” The removal raises questions as to what transpired in the Lent term for the former trustee to suddenly stop attending the
Board meetings. According to a third year undergraduate, Kamal’s actions are not irresponsible nor are they inconsiderate but rather reflect a deeper issue at hand that Kamal experienced. When describing the trustee board, some students have explained that there is a strong sense of disillusionment within the Board as “changes weren’t discussed” noting that the trustee Board was a “a place where ‘tea was to be drank, and changes couldn’t be made.” In addition, this has in turn caused them to become “so disillusioned by the process of SU politics.” Indeed, a former member of the SU comments on the sense of disconnection that exists between the SU and its students as well as the sense of “disillusionment” they experienced when exercising their student roles. This raises some interesting questions about the internal activities of the SU as well as the concerns that some members may feel. In light of Kamal’s removal, perhaps a closer consideration is needed. The election for the position now vacated will transpire in Michaelmas Term 2014.
According to LinkedIn, “LSE = Investment Banking” Kanan Parida LINKEDIN RECENTLY published a definitive ranking of UK universities in terms of employment sector. In this ranking, the LSE has been named first for investment banking, finance professions and marketing and fifth for accounting. These rankings are based on the percentage of students employed at the top firms in each sector from each university. Hence, the data suggests that the LSE is the best place in the UK to go to kickstart a career in investment banking or in the finance sector. Placed ahead of Oxbridge, LSE has been found to have better employability in the banking and financial services sector. With better access to London and more connections to firms in the city, LSE has been able to achieve higher employment
in these sectors. LSE was also placed ahead of UCL, a competitor in terms of employment in this sector. This demonstrates that its connections with top firms in banking and financial services are extremely strong. In the milieu of the remnants of the global financial crisis, Times Higher Education reports that unemployment levels are the lowest since 2008, with students flocking towards investment banking; this is the most highly applied to sector with 8.5% of students applying for investment banking. In
2013, QS world rankings reported LSE as the top university for employability, largely due its presence in the banking and financial sector. However, as a predominantly social science university, most of the degrees offered are not quantitative and do not directly link to the finance sector. Nevertheless, there are many students who pursue unrelated degrees and then go into the financial sector. From History to Sociology to Anthropology, there are no restrictions on which degrees can lead to a career in invest-
ment banking, marketing or financial services. In fact, as of 2013, nearly forty percent of students in the UK who got involved in investment banking came from social science and humanities backgrounds. Nevertheless, the production of investment bankers from LSE may have nothing to do with academics. One LSE student says, “LSE may be the best for investment banking- not due to the standard of students- but because students are pushed toward the financial sector. Quantitative courses are more celebrated and career advice is largely given to those who want to pursue investment banking.” Hence, this prompts the question as to whether LSE is academically the best for these sectors, or whether it simply provides connections and motivation to students to pursue investment banking?
News
Tuesday October 21, 2014
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LGBT+ Motion Passes Despite Problems with Online Voting Sophie Donszelmann News Editor
MANY STUDENTS HAVE faced problems having their say on a Union General Meeting motion due to errors in the LSESU’s online voting system this past week. Several students, including a significant number of first year students, were unable to use the online portal or record their vote. The vote in question was to rename the LSESU LGBT Officer the LGBT+ Officer.
After logging into the system, those affected found the voting portal did not list the LGBT motion but rather a closed election from September 25 2014, what can be presumed to be a test election. After several student complained, those experiencing difficulties voting were told over social media to e-mail Laura Burley, LSESU Democracy Coordinator, with their vote. These barriers caused concerns among those with interests in the motion that voting would not reach its quorum of 250 votes cast.
Alex Leung, LGBT Students’ Officer and proposer of the motion, expressed his frustration with the failure of the system saying “Most Freshers could not vote on the motion on Thursday or even Friday. I campaigned in Rosebery and Carr-Saunders last night and I got feedback from (many students) being very frustrated that they couldn’t vote.” The error appears to have been resolved by Friday afternoon, shortly before voting on the motion was due to close. On Friday evening the Stu-
dents’ Union announced that the motion passed with 297 votes in favor, 17 votes against and 11 undecided. However, it can be expected that these figures would have been higher had voting been possible earlier for more students. “Despite the technical problem that many people could not vote and for some reasons some students are not registered as vot-
ers (where the root of the problem still cannot be found) I am pleased that the majority of LSE supports the motion and that we reached quoracy to pass this,” Leung said. “The LGBT+ community fought to achieve this goal and I am very proud that we did.” Read more in Jon Allsop’s editorial, page 2
LSESU Marks World Mental Health Day TO MARK WORLD MENTAL Health Day (WMHD) on Friday 10th October, the Students’ Union (SU) signed the Time To Change pledge to tackle the stigma around mental health. Time To Change is a campaign run by mental health charities Mind and Rethink to empower people with mental health problems to feel confident talking about the issue without facing discrimination. The area outside the Saw Swee Hock was transformed into a living room, complete with tea and cake. Students were able to chat on the sofas and share their
LSESU Community & Welfare Officer Seb Bruhn said, “It was great seeing such a great turnout and positive reception to the SU’s initiatives during WMHD. The SU believes that awareness surrounding mental health is incredibly important. We want students to feel comfortable speaking about mental illness and seeking support and also think that it’s vital that the student body as a whole has a much better understanding of mental health in general.” The School also took part in the event, with staff from the Disability & Well-Being Service (DWS), Student Counselling Service, Careers, and Peer Support running a stall all day to publicise the services offered by the School.
& Wellbeing Advisor at DWS, said: “1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in any year. It is very common but can be hard to talk about. Talking about mental health can help us break down barriers and end stigma and discrimination. The event was a great success and lots of fun.” A video created by the Students’ Union about World Mental Health Day was premiered on 17th October in the Saw Swee Hock, followed by a screening of A Beautiful Mind – the biopic of John Nash, a Nobel prize-winning economist after whom the famous equilibrium in Game Theory is named. Nash has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a condition that affects around one per cent of the
thoughts and experiences with each other and LSESU Disabled Students’ Officer Mark Malik, who has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Students were also able to sign the Time To Change pledge themselves and contribute to a video made of the event. The SU’s advice team also ran extended opening hours to enable students to speak in private about mental health issues.
People who came to the stall were asked to complete a “Keep Calm And…” poster, giving ideas of how they manage their mental health and wellbeing. Eighty -seven people contributed ideas of how they relax and how they maintain their mental health and wellbeing ranging from “have a cup of tea” or “take a deep breath” to “dance” or “study” Stef Hackney, Mental Health
population. Since World Mental Health Day, a number of students have opened up about their mental health issues. Malik said: “We all have a mental health, just as we have a physical health. If any students would like advice about having a mental health problem at LSE, or indeed any other disability issue, feel free to email me at su.disability@lse.ac.uk.”
Mark Malik Disabled Students’ Officer
News Editor Sophie Donszlemann was among those affected by problems with online voting
Owen Jones’ “Slightly Wordy Call to Arms” Joe Grabiner THIS YEAR’S SPECIAL RALPH Miliband Programme Lecture series got started on Monday 13th October with the journalist and activist Owen Jones speaking in the Old Theatre to a large audience, introduced by the chair of the London School of Economics (LSE), Dr Robin Archer. The speaker, Jones, turned up several minutes late, drenched from the London rain. Yet none of that held him back from igniting the evening’s conversation with a passionate appeal to the School’s radical past. Pacing up and down the front of the stage, Ipad in hand, Jones started with a brief summary of the thought of Miliband Senior, who did so much to deepen the intellectual tradition of Marxism in Britain. He quickly moved on to his own new work, the recently released book ‘The Establishment: And how they get away with it’. Before saying much else of the content he made it clear that the evening’s aim would be to try and inspire enthusiasm and discomfort, even remarking of his own book ‘I don’t really care if you read the book…you should see it as a slightly wordy call to arms’. The bulk of Jones’ speech was dedicated to his righteous
indignation against those elites who control the financial power in society. He took apart the big accounting firms, corporate taxation lobbyists, the Conservatives, New Labour, and bankers in general. It seemed like no group was safe from the journalists’ fury. Much of the latter part of his speech was devoted to decrying the unfortunate nature in which the public’s mistrust of politics has given birth to the rise of the populist Right. He hammered UKIP, although in reference to their anti-establishment ways declared ‘good luck to them’. In the final forty minutes of the evening the audience had the opportunity to put questions to Jones. Queries were voiced regarding the future of the Labour party, the views of Ralph Miliband, Italian electoral candidates, and whether LSE graduates were bound to become part of ‘the establishment’ itself. The public lecture attracted many visitors to the School. One audience member, who requested to be referred to only as ‘Jim’ remarked, “it’s been a bloody cracking night. I thought everyone here was a banker but this was wicked”. The Special Ralph Miliband Programme Lecture series continues with Professor Kimberely Hutchins speaking on ‘War and Moral Stupidity’ on Wednesday 12th November.
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News
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Michaelmas Term Public Events Series Killian Troy THERE ARE MANY BIG NAMES yet to speak during the Public Events Series (PES) this Michaelmas term, including the CEO of Guardian Media Group, three current or former prime ministers, Rowan Williams, and Editor-in-chief of the Economist John Micklethwait. Students have been excited by the line up in general, but disappointed by the lack of “superstar” speakers that have adorned the London School of Economics (LSE) public events series in previous years. Freddie Bettles, a third year BSc Government student, is “excited for [Robert] O Keohane’s talk on globalisation and its conflicts with democracy,” but disappointed that “this year’s series has no Boris Johnson, [José Manuel] Barroso, or Amartya Sen,” who all featured in last year’s public events. The Public Events series has still packed crowds this term, with video links being set up in second theatres for those who cannot get into talk venues. Not only have the traditional lecture hall events been oversubscribed, but also the ‘Guerilla Lectures’ set up by Professor Conor Gearty, where students and other members of the LSE community queued up for
the chance to be taken, via bus, to ‘secret’ seminar venues in London. In the Public programme this month are Wu Jianmin, the former Chinese ambassador to France and the UN, talking on China’s new global strategy (Wednesday 22nd), and Wolfgang Streeck, Director of the Max Planck Institute, presenting on the delayed crisis of democratic capitalism (Monday 20th). Other highlights include Alaksandae Vucic, the Serbian Prime Minister who recently signed significant agreements with Russia (Monday 27th), and Russell Roberts’s exploration of Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand (Thursday 30th). Many events this term have already received positive responses, with an analysis of Martin Wolf ’s presentation printed in the Evening Standard, or Danny Dorling’s heavily oversubscribed lecture on inequality described on Twitter as “Fascinating, scary and interesting.” Public speaker events at LSE have hosted important moments in the past, with speakers including Nelson Mandela, Ann San Suu Kyi, and most recent UK prime ministers. The events are often thought to be important in driving the School’s global reputation, and appeal for top academics in the social sciences.
Employability and Development LSESU HAS LAUNCHED a new Employability and Development program, offering skills workshops on areas such as Commercial Awareness, Public Speaking, Event Management, Marketing and Campaigning. Over 70 students attended the Launch event on Monday 13th October, hosted by Alastair Duncan, Student Activities Officer. The sessions will be delivered by external companies such as Nomura and Procter & Gamble, as well as charities such as ONE Campaign and expert staff within LSE Careers and LSESU. The next session will be on Pub-
lic Speaking, delivered by Jenny Blakesley, Head of LSE Careers at 6pm, 23rd October, Clement House room 3.02. Book your place at: http://www.lsesu.com/ents/ event/2891/ Additional info can be found at: http://www.lsesu. com/activities/employability/ · Priority booking will be available for representatives across LSESU · Sessions will be uploaded to PDAM immediately after attendance · LSESU will be launching an individual STARS accreditation based upon the program
In Brief First female President of Malawi to launch LSE programme on women in public life DR JOYCE BANDA IS AT LSE as a Visiting Professor as part of the Above the Parapet programme, which examines the experiences of high profile women who have shaped public life. It will engage with women who have held high profile public positions throughout the world in order to explore the obstacles they have faced throughout their careers, the impacts they have had, and what they feel could be learnt from the way that women occupy public space.
Liberian Minister at LSE appeals for help on Ebola LIBERIA’S MINISTER OF Commerce and Industry appealed for more international help, warning that the Ebola epidemic could explode beyond control.“We have a crisis on our hands”, he said in a briefing at the International Growth Centre’s annual Growth Week conference at LSE. “My briefing this morning is that there are about 3,000 cases. We are in a race against time. Our entire health sector has been crippled by this new invasion.”
LSE launches specialist entrepreneurship unit
Library Announcement on changes to Course Collection THE LIBRARY HAS opened extra study space for LSE students in the Course Collection. The Library has opened 36 additional study spaces in the Course Collection on the ground floor of the Library. The changes were prompted by feedback from LSE students to increase the amount of quiet study space available to them. The Library has listened and as a result there are now 56 seats in the Library’s Course Collection area, giving LSE stu-
dents priority use of a substantial new area dedicated to quiet study. The space was made available by removing unused and outof-date material, although copies of all titles within the Course Collection have been retained and remain available to students. The move follows changes earlier in the year to designate the Library’s fourth floor as a quiet study area. If you have any feedback on these changes at the Library, please email Library. enquiries@lse.ac.uk
A SPECIALIST UNIT dedicated to promoting and understanding entrepreneurship’s potential as a powerful force for driving change around the globe has been launched by the LSE. Through courses, public lectures, debates and networking events, LSE Entrepreneurship will foster discussions around entrepreneurial activity and its impact on individuals, societies and economies, as well as enterprises.
Pulse Radio Looking for News Reporters “WE’RE LOOKING FOR FUN people to join our news crew. This involves writing and recording a short news segment, once a week, to be broadcast to all our listeners. If you’re interested please email Suhanya Suresh (s.suresh1@lse. ac.uk) for further details.” If you are an LSE staff member, student or alumnus with an announcement to make then News in Brief wants to hear from you! Email news@thebeaveronline.co.uk
News
Tuesday October 21, 2014
The Word on Hari Prabu Do you want to be our roving reporter for a week? E-mail news@thebeaveronline.co.uk While the motion on introducing a student council to LSESU didn’t make it to last week’s Union General Meeting (UGM), part of the reasoning behind the motion was declining UGM attendances and their lack of a broad and inclusive appeal. I wanted to find out the reasons why many people have this opinion of UGMs. This week’s ‘Question on Houghton Street’ was, very simply, ‘What would make you go to a UGM’? “If the discussion concerned me, if I was interested in it.” What sort of issues would get you to go? “Sort of like the bigger issues in a way. So like the Rugbygate, I felt that that was a big thing. So I felt that was pretty interesting. The LGBT one yesterday, I thought it was very important. But again I was going to vote yes anyway so I didn’t really have to make up my mind. So if there’s an issue where I’m interested in seeing the different sides of the story [then I would go.]” Jenny, BA Geography “I don’t actually go to that many UGMs. That’s because they’re not very advertised and I never know where they are.” So more publicity? “More publicity and more accessible times I think. They’re usually at lunch times.” Esther, BSc International Relations “If I heard about how it would involve me directly.” What sort of issues would interest you? “I would say maybe improved sports facilities close to campus as I had some problems going to trials to try out because they were really, really far away from the accommodation.” Manfredi, BSc Government and Economics “I would be encouraged to go if the issues discussed would be relevant to my daily routine, my daily life. For example, in this particular case (LGBT+ motion), I don’t think I would be encouraged to come to that.” Kotryna, MSc Economy, Risk and Society “They’re on Thursdays at 1, aren’t they?” From 1 to 2 “The Chaplaincy does a communion from 1 to 2 and it’s always [been their time slot]. My priority is that. If there were less other things going on... I know there’s probably not meant to be things going on from 1 to 2. I don’t know whether food might bring people in…” Jodie, BSc Social Policy
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The Summit: The Biggest Battle of the Second World War Sheila Subbiah AT THIS YEAR’S LSE100 PRIZE giving ceremony, prizes were given out by Sir Robert Worcester, and a public lecture was deliviered by Ed Conway. As a Sky News Economics journalist and commentator, Ed Conway is in touch with the issues of the day; he proposes that out of a number of significant topics (such as global financial stability and the current UK deficit) Europe’s uncertain economy may be the most imminent concern, and we may learn lessons from Breton Woods to find ways to tackle it. Europe is heading back into economic crisis, with worries over chronic growth issues. Even the so called ‘driver’ economies, such as Germany, are on the brink of recession. The IMF recently revised the chance of another EU recession at 40%. As the biggest economy in world, in nominal dollar terms, this a significant global concern. In his speech on ‘The Summit and the Decline of Internationalism’, Ed Conway outlined his belief that an international monetary system, such as that of Bretton Woods, is a great force for global financial stability. Ed describes a number of the misconceptions surrounding Bretton Woods, in his book ‘The Summit’, and clarifies that at the time of the Bretton Woods conference, World War II was still occurring. Countries such as France were still occupied, not sovereign, meaning that currencies had to be reestablished. The economists of the time (e.g: Keynes and White)
had lived through the great depression, and blamed economic problems on the lack of replacement Gold Standard and lack of proper settlements. Perhaps economists and politicians at Bretton Woods had more urgency to make big decisions and correct the problems with international monetary framework than politicians today. Never the less, looking at the causes that brought about the Bretton Woods system, we see that some of those economic and financial forces are likely in existence again today, for example, the top 1% are taking an increasingly large share of wealth. What lessons can we learn from Breton Woods? It is a relevant question today, especially in light of the fact that the IMF has been trying for many years to negotiate its own structural reform (voting rights given per nation). 1. Decision making during crisis is easier than implementation during peacetime. 2. International institutions tend to be less effective in combating chronic weakness. 3. Internationalism is in a long-term secular decline. e.g: in 1930 domestic concerns were suppressed in order to prioritize globalization. Nowadays, the nation is more prioritized. Ed Conway left the lecture with some questions When will the death of dollar happen? As we well know, the Euro has been experiencing problems. The Renminbi hasn’t been fully liberalized yet. How can the world remain stable when there are so many world powers vying for dominance?
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“If I felt that the issue was actually important, because I feel that a lot of what the UGM does is [with regards to] not very important issues.” What sort of issues would really get you engaged? “Ok, well for example last week I went to the UGM on the rugby thing. It was a pressing issue. And last year, there was the one on the ‘no platform’. I thought that was an important one. I went to that one. But I feel like often at times it’s very trivial, trivial stuff.” Gregory, BSc International Relations “Firstly, [if there was] an interesting and impactful motion, something that really impacts the student body, something that’s relevant. Not something outdated or you know maybe changing the name of something. That’s not really that important. But rather a massive change [like] an introduction of a new officer. That’s one of the main things that might make me go to a UGM. Another one might be if it’s something that has had a lot of momentum in the past, you know, campaigning. Like last year we had the [motion for a] BME Officer. There was an article in the Beaver before [the UGM].” Kabu, BSc Government and Economics “Well, I think I would go to a Union General Meeting if it was important. But usually I don’t go when it’s just representative, as in when the Union tries to make a statement [with regards] to outside, global, political events. I don’t think that’s very important.”
Interested in writing for News? Every week the Executive Editor sends out an e-mail with news stories for the week. Reply to reserve articles. Alternatively, e-mail Sophie at news@thebeaveronline. co.uk to get in touch or suggest a article. News is covering student issues in articles written by students. You can write too.
Comment From the Editor: IN THE FIRST WEEK OF term we published a well-written but tightly-worded piece from the incoming LSESU LGBT Officer, Alex Leung. The suggestion: to change the name of the LGBT Students Officer to LGBT+ in order to reflect the great diversity of people and sexualities the position represents. A few weeks on and that suggestion is no longer a suggestion but a reality, having passed through the UGM with a resounding chorus of ‘yays’. A little selfishly, I like to think that part of the reason for that was the good publicity it got right here. So, once again, not to belabour a point but to make the most meaningful point I can in a Comment editorial without actually saying anything of much substance, it’s very satisfying to imagine that what you write here can make a difference - for me as it should be for any of my writers. If you’re thinking of writing or have a cause that stirs the blood and makes you want to shout it from the rooftops, take Alex Leung as an example and write about it.
Comment
Sebastien Ash
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Section Editor: Sebastien Ash Deputy Editors: Mallika Iyer comment@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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Time To Disaffiliate
The NUS simply no longer represents the views of LSE students
Hari Prabu
LSESU Liberal Democrats Chair WHEN I DECIDED TO write the motion calling for a referendum on our membership of the National Union of Students (NUS), I did so in the firm belief of the importance of giving you, the students of LSESU, a national voice which deals with the issues that impact you most and cares about what you think. However, the voice of the NUS consists of undemocratically formed opinions, spoken by an unaccountable executive, on subjects that have little to with improving education or student life. We cannot continue to pay in excess of £34,000 a year to this organisation simply because we enjoy being able to get occasional discounts through an NUS Extra card, many of which can be got for free through other student discount providers e.g. UniDays. We should start caring about what it is said and done in our name.
“NUS policy has become visibly skewed and focussed upon controversial political issues.” The NUS may claim to be democratic yet, this past academic year, we could only potentially influence 43% of NUS policy, those which were voted on at the annual three day NUS National Conference by just two delegates from each member institution. This system of representation itself is not effective because delegates from each institution are often only elected by the minority of students who feel engaged with the NUS’ work and take an interest in voting. Sadly, the remaining 57%
of policy motions last year were voted on in an even less democratic manner than the delegate system through the meeting of the NUS Executive Council (NEC). The NEC even took the liberty of voting on 20 motions (21% of the total number of 95 motions) which, instead of being submitted by member student unions, were proposed by itself. There is minimal opportunity at NUS National Conferences for delegates to scrutinise the NEC’s activity over the year and so the majority of NUS policy is very liable to become an expression of Executive members’ personal opinions. NUS policy has become visibly skewed and focussed upon controversial political issues instead of being targeted towards the needs of students in Further and Higher Education. This year the NUS has passed motions which include: Amendment 101c at National Conference, calling for ‘opposition to UKIP’ to be made ‘a central part of [NUS] campaigning in the run up to the general election’, a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy against Israel passed by the NEC, and Motion 314 passed in the same NEC meeting, calling for ‘full public ownership of the banking sector and the creation of a publicly owned banking service’. While I am partly, and you may be to an extent, in agreement with one or more of the above examples of NUS political policy, it is impor-
tant to remember that the national student movement should be inclusive for all students. The NUS should not alienate or be antagonistic to Eurosceptic, Jewish, Conservative or any other students expressing their views in a civil and considerate manner. While as a community of students we are divided by our widely varied views, we are united in our common desire to together receive the best standard of education and the best student experience and this is what a national student union should focus on delivering and not repetitive and meaningless political arguments.
“It’s clear that the NUS is in desperate need of reform.” Some though claim that this almost entirely top-down imposition of NUS direction and policy is a price worth paying because they believe that without NUS advice our student union’s liberation campaigns will fall apart. I strongly appreciate the value that these campaigns can bring because without positive discrimination enabling my father to get a medical education in India (his family were ostracised as untouchables, the lowest of the low in the Indian caste system) I would not be
an LSE student writing these words today. Therefore, I am campaigning to leave the NUS with the certainty that LSESU by itself is more than capable of producing effective campaigns to support minorities and stop discrimination. It is able to do so through its extensive budget and highly motivated officers and staff who continue to offer far-reaching support and engagement with students from all backgrounds. It’s clear that the NUS is desperately in need of reform but it appears very unlikely that the necessary level of reform is ever going to occur when members of the NUS Executive Council occupy such comfortable positions of power. A truly accountable and representative national student union is only ever going to come through our LSESU Sabbatical Officers working in partnership with other students’ unions which do not belong to the NUS, such as those of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Southampton and Imperial College London, to form an alternative, democratic organisation. If we win this referendum and disaffiliate from the NUS, we will win back a national voice for LSE students and we will spend the money we save on ensuring LSE students will always be safeguarded against government cuts to the Disabled Students’ Allowance. We can only win it though with your help and your vote on the 29th October.
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Comment
Tuesday October 21, 2014
A Humanitarian Disaster Unlike Any Other
A stronger humanitarian response is urgently needed to tackle Ebola in West Africa Bella Mosselmans “Ebola is destroying my community. Our people are suffering. The situation is causing more and more people to die from hunger, childbirth, diahorrea and malaria. Over 50 people I know have died. My 3 year old cousin survived Ebola but lost his uncle, mum and dad to the disease. I have also lost my brother and so many of my friends. Please, please tell people that the citizens of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia need more help” -Mohammed Papa Bangura, 26, an aid-worker and radiopresenter based in Makeni, Sierra Leone Last summer I spent 3 months living in Sierra Leone surrounded by a community of kind, inspiring and ambitious people. This summer I spent over 3 months feeling frustrated and helpless as I received countless phone calls from friends and colleagues, like Papa, explaining the devastation that their country is going through. According to the latest WHO figures, in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, Ebola has killed 4,546 people and there have been 9,191 confirmed cases of infection. The number of Ebola cases in West Africa are currently doubling every month. Oxfam has stated that it will be the “definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation” unless we step up efforts to tackle
Ebola. The West needs to put things into perspective, wake up and send the necessary resources to the three countries worst affected by the outbreak. If we do not, we are in danger of losing thousands of lives. Misperceptions in the media In Europe and the US, a lot of the media discussion remains centered around a handful of cases in developed countries. People need to realize that our focus should be on the people of West Africa. While hospital procedures that failed in Dallas and Madrid need to be improved, a substantial outbreak in the West, where infrastructure and health systems are strong, is extremely unlikely. The virus is transmitted only by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic. As both the Guardian and Financial Times have noted, “People in the US and Europe are far more likely to die from flu than from Ebola.” West’s inadequate response Nonetheless, in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the disease is a serious threat. Without the infrastructure and expertise, everyone in the region is at terrible risk of infection.
Both the WHO and the West have been widely criticized for their slow and inadequate response to the emergence of the crisis. While Medicines sans Frontiers warned in April that the disease was out control, it was not until August that the WHO declared a global emergency. Furthermore, Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the UN, has expressed that he was “bitterly disappointed” with the international community’s response to the crisis, which would have been different if it had emerged in the West. “If the crisis had hit some other region it probably would have been handled very differently. In fact, when you look at the evolution of the crisis, the international community really woke up when the disease got to America and Europe.” Annan explained. Less that a third of the UN’s $1 billion appeal has been pledged. The Financial Times notes that the campaign to stop Ebola where the disease has taken root is currently “barely off the ground”.
as many as 10,000 new cases per week by December. If the death rate remains at 70%, that will be 7,000 more women, men and children dying each week from the disease. Aid agencies have also reported that the secondary impacts affecting the economy, education and healthcare systems are causing a severe increase in deaths from hunger, pregnancy and treatable diseases. Quarantines have led to inflation of food prices, and access to usual medical treatment is increasingly difficult to obtain. Christian Aid calls for scaled up, specialised medical care and training, rapid disbursement of flexible emergency funding, and support for addressing these sec-
ondary impacts. The US and UK have recently made the largest efforts in terms of military deployments and money but many other states are still neglecting their responsibilities. Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, and David Cameron have noted that EU members such as Italy and Spain need to step forward with resources and act now. The international community will be accountable for a substantial loss of life unless the medical and financial response to Ebola is significantly increased. Please help by donating online at http://www.msf.org.uk/ebola.
More needs to be done Ebola has the potential to cause the death of many more people in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia - ruining their economies and citizens’ livelihoods. It has been warned that there could be
Photo Credit: Flickr: European Commission DG ECHO
Nationalist Conceit in Science
We should be keeping territorial and extra-terrestrial matters separate Nandi MARS ORBITER MISSION IS the least expensive mission ever to Mars. It is also the first time a space program has been able to reach the Red planet in its maiden voyage. To the cynics, the Mars mission proved the capabilities of the Indian Space Research Organization. That a country still battling developmental issues, poverty and high infant mortality rate and social intolerance encourages a space programs is an amazing testimony of the Indian people and its government about liberalism in science. After all, Indian public schools do not say ‘no’ to teaching evolution, neither do they not squirm at the meshing up of religion and science. However, the continuing nationalistic reaction to the success of India’s Mars mission in the media may
be adjudged ominous for science. I agree, Indians should salute their scientists but let’s stop things there. Let’s not put an Indian flag on another world. It signifies hypocrisy, arrogance, and conceit. Do we really want our descendants, when they settle on the Red planet, to mock our conceited pride in nationalism? Unfortunately using space as a form of national pride is not new. The United States and the Soviet Union began the space race in the 1960s. Each has flags on the moon, and space debris displaying national images. During the Cold war, successful space missions were a source of national pride. For those of us, who hoped that nationalism was removed from scientific enterprise, the reaction of the media in India and internationally was a set back. The CNN quoted the In-
dian Prime Minister, “we have gone beyond human imagination.” The Times of India concentrated on celebrating how the country was congratulated by the Chinese, American, and Pakistani foreign ministries. Suddenly, a purely scientific enterprise had turned into a competition between nations with space programs. Granted that about 80% of research funds are from tax payers in India, one should perhaps carefully draw the line between an urge to explore the universe and a desire to become the strongest nation on earth. More newspaper articles have concentrated on the relative failure of other missions and the historicity of the Indian mission, than the actual specifics of the Mars Orbiter Mission. National pride in science is a result of public unawareness and gross misrepresentation of the history of science. The In-
dian scientists used data available from previous missions. They had collaborated on plenty of NASA’s missions to Mars. I’m in no way taking any credit from the ISRO but as a historian of science, I must object to the assertion that they did it all by themselves. This is not Second Century BCE. No nation can claim to have a definite hold on the repository of human knowledge. A deeper understanding is due. No one group of individuals can claim scientific achievements without contribution from different branches of science. There ought to be a global conscience - a tribute to the entire species. Newton was spot on, when four-hundred years ago he stated that he had achieved his discoveries “standing on the shoulders of giants.” As the New York Times quoted Pallava Bagla, “In this Asian space, India has won the race,”
I was reminded of the immortal words of Carl Sagan: “National boundaries are not evident when we view the Earth from space. Fanatical ethnic or religious or national chauvinisms are a little difficult to maintain when we see our planet as a fragile blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars.” Make no mistake. India’s Mars mission is a magnificent technological achievement for any country. If, however, we are to hope for a future without national boundaries, where we as a species will be united in our exploration of the universe, we need to shred our evolutionary baggage of territorial-nationalism and look forward to a world where we celebrate our heritage as a species.
Comment
Tuesday October 21, 2014
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Why is the UN so obsessed with Israel?
Is our Israeli tunnelvision causing us to undervalue other important issues? Regont Pula I HAPPENED TO BE SITTING in at the U.N. Human Rights Council this summer, zealously making notes on behalf of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose primary objective is to monitor the U.N. What a strange concept, the UN is, I thought, at the time of applying for the internship. The United Nations has one of the most sparkly clean names in politics, where the classic mental image that accompanies the organisation is that of a U.N. Peacekeeper saving a starving child from some sort of terribly bloody armed conflict, donning the non-partisan, blue U.N. flag and reporting back to his peaceloving colleagues in Geneva, Switzerland - the home of Patek Philippe and neutrality. If one ever dreamed of becoming a haut-status politician that is well loved, he or she would aim one’s ambitions like a feather dart towards the light blue bullseye that represents the Secretary General’s office. And yet, deep in the depths of agenda item 7 of the Human Rights Council (HRC), one could sense something more sinister - an iron dorsum to accompany the peace hand sign. For those not aware of the intricacies of the HRC, item 7 refers to a permanent agenda item in which the “Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories” is discussed. If that does not sufficiently quench your thirst for knowledge, in non-U.N. language, this simply translates as “how to blame Israel for each and every one of your problems.” Human rights in Palestine must be discussed. When over 2000 people die, and over 500 are children, it is necessary that all concerned parties are held to account, and that a peaceful solution is pushed forward which puts the victims and potential future victims first. This is somewhat understating a complex and heavily politicised conflict, and similar conclusions can be applied to tensions in Syria, Sudan, Sri Lanka and so on and so forth. One key difference between such conflicts and the Israel-Palestine conflict is that the former are civil conflicts, while the latter is predominantly referred to as a bilateral conflict. As such, state aggression against civilians (a key component of war crimes and crimes against humanity) is easier to pinpoint in the former case, allowing the HRC to speak out against
violations of international law, including international humanitarian law. In theory, at least. According to the United Arab Emirates (speaking on behalf of the Arab Group on agenda item 7), however, which stated that Israel demonstrated a “barbaric aggression” in the “siege of Gaza”, spotting violations of international law in a bilateral conflict is too easy. And, unsurprisingly, there was no mention of Hamas’ actions. Moreover, Syria accused Israel of “discriminating against Palestinians”, finding no contradiction between such statements and the killing of over 2000 Palestinians since the beginning of the Syrian civil war by government forces. As for blaming Israel for all their problems, Syria demonstrated this clearly by accusing Israel of aligning with Qatar in the financing of “terrorists” in Syria. One cannot imagine Israel and Qatar playing tennis doubles together, let alone as allies in some sort of anti-Assad conspiracy. The EU and states such as the U.S.A, Australia and Canada opted not to speak on this item, which is the only permanent item that systematically attacks a single country. The latter states or groups of states prefer to speak on individual cases under agenda item 4, which is known amongst diplomats as the “naming-and-shaming” item. Here, any member state or observer of the HRC can call out any country for any potential violations of human rights. For example, the U.S. recently expressed concern over the situation of human rights in Iran and Syria under this item, whilst Germany expressed concern for the human rights issues in Palestine, and Iran expressed concern on the rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. While this item is not particularly productive due to its heavy politicisation, it is fair. All countries can express their concern with alleged human rights violations anywhere. And yet, the human rights situation in “Palestine and other occupied Arab territories” receives its own, special item as if somehow the rights of people living there are superior to those of others worldwide, so much so that they deserve a separate category of discussion in key U.N. bodies. Not convinced? Consider these other facts. A resolution to establish a commission of inquiry (COI) on the human rights situation in
Photo Credit: Flickr: Barbara Muller-Walter
Eritrea was adopted in the 26th Regular Session of the HRC in June 2014, while a resolution to establish a COI on the human rights situation in Palestine was adopted in the 22nd Special Session of the HRC in July 2014, a whole month after the Regular Session. At a recent NGO meeting with the HRC President, Baudelaire Ndong Ella, in late August, one NGO expressed concern that the COI on Eritrea had not even begun to be set up yet. The President reassured the NGO speaker that the COI will be set up, but certainly not before January 2015 due to “funding” concerns. The COI on Palestine, however, has already seen the development of a committee chaired by William Schabas, who is raring to go like a greyhound when it sees the furry, toy rabbits at the races. The commission of inquiry is a powerful tool because a specially mandated U.N. committee is sent to investigate human rights issues in the concerned country or area, the report and results of which can be used in Security Council decision-making. Essentially, when COIs say you have a terrible human rights record, government denial is not an option. But there is more. The aforementioned William Schabas is seemingly desperate to make international headlines. COI committee chairs must show impartiality at all times of the COI process, and are chosen on the basis of being non-partisan, so that the COI report is as close to the truth from a neutral perspective as possible. However, Schabas once suggested in a speech that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, should be “in the dock of an international criminal court.” The statement alone is not particularly wild, and probably enjoys
the support of many. However, a man who has already publicly decided Israel’s guilt prior to any inquiry cannot be the chair of the COI, a process which can have such a grave effect on states. While it is understandable that, unless you have been living on Saturn, you will most likely have an opinion on the matter, speaking out in public in clear favour of one side undermines the process of impartiality which is necessary for a fair and believable conclusion to the COI. Having such a biased committee can be likened to going up in court against someone who regularly shares a couple of Jager Bombs with the judge. George Clooney’s wife, Amal Alamuddin, an international lawyer who was set to be recruited for the committee, did well to stay away. And then there is Richard Falk, the former Special Rapporteur for the “situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967”, mandated by the U.N. from 2008 until recently. Impartiality, as always, is a necessity. However, in Richard Falk’s case, being an American Jew who hates Israel seemed to create a cancelling out which satisfied “stringent” U.N. criteria on bias. Prior to his appointment, in an article titled “Slouching Towards a Palestinian Holocaust”, Falk remarked that it is not “an irresponsible overstatement to associate the treatment of Palestinians with this criminalized Nazi record of collective atrocity.” His subsequent U.N. reports were also full of mass bias. If you are wondering about Falk’s views on other subjects, you will be enlightened to know that Falk wrote the preface for a 9/11 conspiracy book written by David Ray Griffin, highlighting the writer’s “courage” and once also blamed the Boston Mara-
thon bombings on the “American global domination project [which] is bound to generate all kinds of resistance in the postcolonial world.” Moreover, in a recent UN Watch study, between 2006 and 2014, 52% of U.N. condemnatory resolutions had been launched against Israel (first on the list), while only 13% against Syria (second) and 6% against North Korea (third). Such details clearly demonstrate that the human rights force of the U.N. is only secondary to the realpolitik that seemingly dominates international society, a mere sugary icing on a cake that tastes like brick. It is not for myself to decide whether Israel is guilty or not, for I do not know of the full facts, figures, witness accounts (which rarely seem to gain access to actual Gazan citizens) and how they can be applied to interpretations of international law. What I do know, however, is that there have been over 190,000 civilian casualties in the Syrian civil war, according to the recently completed COI report on Syria, and yet there has been no attempt to form a specific permanent agenda item for clear and consistent violations of international humanitarian law by Assad’s brutal regime.
“The UN remains obsessed with Palestine and Israel, implicitly demonstrating that the lives and freedoms of others are secondary.” Mass violations of human rights have occurred and are occurring in Eritrea including torture and arbitrary detentions in notorious military prisons, and yet the U.N. lacks the “funding” to establish a COI, having used all their francs on the Palestine COI. In Ethiopia and North Korea, the freedoms of speech and assembly are priceless luxuries. And yet, the U.N. remains obsessed with Palestine and Israel, implicitly demonstrating that the lives and the freedoms of all others are secondary to those of people living in this particular region of our big, ugly world. And back to the headline question. Why is the U.N. so obsessed with Israel? I’ll let you decide for yourselves.
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Comment
Tuesday October 21, 2014
British Politics In Focus
Step Right? Labour Must Jump Left
It’s been a bad week for Labour and a shockingly good one for UKIP Alex Skirvin LABOUR HAS A PROBLEM. As the dust settles on the Heywood and Middleton by-election, the threat of UKIP becomes ever clearer. The thought of a radical right-wing party very nearly out-polling Labour in a working-class Northern seat has shaken the collective consciousness of the party. Naturally, the question is: what is to be done?
But first, a word of caution. Heywood and Middleton was not a disaster for Labour, it was a spell of miserable political weather in what should have been the perfect storm. Typical of safe seats, Labour’s activist base was simply too dormant to match the insurgent zeal of UKIP’s ‘People’s Army’, and John Bickley - a local self-made business tycoon - provided Farage’s party with a uniquely cred-
Photo Credit: Flickr: Paul Bednall
ible candidate. This was all set against the backdrop of a terrible week for the Labour leadership, and more importantly, the racially-charged furore at the child sex abuse scandal in the not-too-distant Labour heartland, Rotherham. Yet the popularity of UKIP among some traditional Labour voters cannot be ignored. A recent report by the Fabian Society, Revolt on the Left, indicates that UKIP could directly threaten five Labour seats in 2015 and a further sixteen indirectly. However, with the Greens and the SNP already beginning to cannibalise the Left, the party cannot electorally afford a rightward shift on immigration. Labour needs a solution to its UKIP problem - a means of holding together the constituent parts of a core vote strategy. Addressing voters’ concerns about immigration – its impact on housing, health and jobs - with posturing would surely be seen for what it is: calculated and
disingenuous. Now is not the time to reprise Gordon Brown’s ‘British jobs for British workers’ maxim. One cannot ‘out-UKIP’ UKIP.
“If Labour wants to solve its UKIP problem, it must bear left.” However, it would be wise to address concerns about immigration for what they conceal, that is, feelings of economic insecurity in a globalised economy. Few traditional Labour voters begrudge immigration per se, but instead fear its consequences for themselves, their families and their communities. UKIP’s nostalgic appeal is not so much about looking back fondly on cultural homogeneity, but on a time when wages were sufficient, jobs available and housing attainable. Tellingly, YouGov poll-
ing in 2013 revealed that eight in ten UKIP voters want energy brought into public ownership, with nearly as many feeling the same about the railways, and two-thirds in favour of substantially increasing the minimum wage. To out-manoeuvre UKIP, Labour must address the root causes of voters’ disaffection. Punchy populist policies to improve the lives of ordinary people must be offered to voters in an age of retail politics – just consider the success of Ed Miliband’s energy price freeze pledge. Only a more radical approach will hold together Labour’s electoral coalition, keeping UKIP, the Greens and the SNP at bay. The Labour party must rediscover its commitment to full employment, strengthen the minimum wage, create wellpaid jobs in the green economy, nationalise key public services, build affordable housing and tax high levels of wealth. In short, if Labour wants to solve its UKIP problem, it must bear Left.
The Beginning of the End
The result in Scotland was a critical juncture in the division of the Union Ceri Morgan SO THAT’S IT THEN. SCOTLAND has decisively rejected independence and saved the United Kingdom. Nationalism on these isles has been defeated and the Scots’ desire for greater autonomy within the union is going to be swiftly and effectively heeded. What’s more, the English question is finally being dealt with and Wales and Northern Ireland are to have their respective people’s aspirations for further devolution met. Oh, and not to mention that Alex Salmond – the single biggest threat to the union’s existence – is going to retreat into the shadows. In short, the U.K’s long-term viability looks secure. Such an analysis is tempting in the wake of the referendum but, unfortunately, (or indeed fortunately, depending on your point of view) is complete nonsense. What the world witnessed on the 18th of September 2014 was not the high water mark of the independence movement in Scotland. More probably, it was the beginning of the end of the U.K, and not just because of
Scotland. Why’s that? Firstly, let’s remind ourselves of some facts. With no significant political crisis and a resurgent economy 45% of Scots voted to secede from the U.K. 1.6 million people- including a majority in the U.K’s third largest city Glasgow- opted to go it alone in the face of a lack of clarity over currency arrangements in an independent Scotland, doubts over EU membership and the appeals of a huge majority of the British political class and, in particular, the once dominant Labour Party. For a supposedly ‘united’ kingdom this is remarkable. But when we consider that (according to Lord Aschroft’s post election survey) the strongest backers of the Union were those older than 65 and that the under 55s gave majority support for independence this unity looks even more fragile. Surely it can’t be expected that the hugely impassioned younger generation will switch allegiance to the union in future or that they will accept this result indefinitely? A further problem for unionists is the so-called ‘vow’, which by any measure was a panic in-
duced response to a poll that showed majority support for independence. The vow was a solemn pledge by the Westminster party leaders to deliver “extensive new powers” for the Scottish Parliament at a rapid pace and may even have been crucial in the final outcome of the referendum. Thus to break it would be hugely controversial and yet this, or at least the perception of this having occurred, seems highly likely. This is because the vow was essentially taken to be a promise for ‘devo-max’, which none of the three main unionist parties are ready to offer Scotland. Even if Parliament manages to rapidly agree (bearing in mind that each of the parties’ pre-referendum proposals differ) on legislation to transfer significant new powers to the Parliament they will be seized upon by the SNP and others as insufficient and a betrayal of the Scottish people. One does not, therefore, have to look very far into the future to see how the arguments of those favouring independence are likely to be given additional succour. Indeed, considering another potential scenario, it does not take
any great foresight to imagine the clamour for another referendum for Scotland if the U.K as a whole were to vote to leave the EU but Scotland voted to stay.
“For the UK to have a chance of surviving in the long-term its structures must be fundamentally altered.” The problem for unionists is that decisions made in Westminster that are unpopular with Scots will increasingly be seen as illegitimate and this stems from a more fundamental problem – the idea of Britishness. Ties to the UK are growing weaker amongst its population and British identity is weaker than ever. More and more people see themselves as Welsh, English, Scottish or Northern Irish alone rather than British or having multiple, for example British and Scottish, identities. Contrary to the perception that the Scots were just voting by proxy against the Tories in
the referendum, when YES voters were asked in the aftermath for their main reason for voting as they did a vast majority said it was because of the principle that ‘all decisions about Scotland should be taken in Scotland.’ On the other hand, only around a quarter of NO voters cited ‘a strong attachment to the U.K’ as their primary motivation. David Cameron likes to refer to the U.K as a ‘family of nations’ but at present the family is dysfunctional and without much affection. The Scots’ have nearly broken it up, the English are finally making their powerful voice heard, the Welsh are in favour of further autonomy (the Welsh Assembly already controls over 50% of spending within Wales) and Northern Ireland is not, to put it mildly, united behind the Union flag. For the U.K to have a chance of surviving in the long-term its structures must be fundamentally altered because as Alex Salmond defiantly said as he announced his intention to resign, “although this campaign is gone, the dream will never die.” For many across the nations of the U.K it most certainly won’t.
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
Section editorial:
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The Beaver’s Fashion editor Sanya-Jeet Thandi The Beaver’s Visual Arts editor Maryam Akram
THIS WEEK THE PHOTO section features the ‘LSE Needs Feminism Because...’ campaign run last week to raise awareness of women’s issues on campus. Organised by LSESU Women’s Officer Gee Linford-Grayson, the whiteboard was passed around campus on Wednesday 15 October, with students, Sabbatical Officers and staff all given the opportunity to pose with their thoughts on why LSE needs feminism.
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Do you fancy yourself as a budding photographer? Do you just like taking pictures of what you see? Whatever your experience, The Beaver wants to hear from you. We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals to take snaps for us and send them in to be featured in this new section. Whether it’s photos of a public event or conference, action shots of our sports teams in action or that picture that speaks a thousand words about life on campus, we’re interested in featuring it. To find out more or to be given an assignment, e-mail editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk.
LSESU Women’s Officer Gee Linford-Grayson
Netball Firsts Captain Eve Turner
Pro-Director of Teaching and Learning Professor Paul Kelly
LSESU Community and Welfare Officer Sebastian Bruhn
LSE Director Professor Craig Calhoun
LSESU General Secretary Nona Buckley-Irvine
Third-year student Andrew Bax
Athletics Union Executive members Taylor Rampton and Molly Brien
The Beaver 09.10.2012
PartB Credits: Mathias Ripp
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
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FASHION BY SANYA-JEET THANDI
1. Great Outdoors
Team earthy tones and pile on the plaid to nail this season's affinity with the great outdoors. To keep from looking like a Boy Scout be sure to balance heavy layering by keeping the bottom of your look streamlined in skinny trews, or dare to do bare legs.
5. Winter Pastels
Don't banish those summery sorbet shades to the back of your wardrobe just yet, because they're big news for AW14. Texture is key to keeping this look fashion-forward, so look for leathers, tulle detailing or even touches of fur.
2. Sweater Dressing
Be prepared to receive plenty of hugs this season as oversized and cosy-ascan-be knits are the new statementwear du jour. Bonus: They're warm enough that you can face the cold sans coat.
6. Folk & Western
Whether baroque, floral or animal prints are your bag, don't be afraid to clash them up to nail this wintry take on boho dressing. Breezy maxis and wrap dresses may seem like summer-only staples, but Burberry showed us that if you throw on a shearling jacket and a few hits of fur, they're winterworthy, too.
3. Tailoring
4. All That Glitters
This season's take on tailoring comes in two tiers - choose from clean-cut trouser suits in block colours, or pop a tomboyish, outsized jacket over your shirt and shorts for a more relaxed approach. Whichever takes your fancy, be sure to wear with super sleek locks to show you mean business.
7. Monochrome
The magpies among us are spoiled for choice this season, as there's not an autumn/winter staple that hasn't had a glittery makeover - so don't be afraid to go to town with this look.
8. Let's Get Ravey
Monochrome is the trend that comes back around each and every season, and this one's no exception.
There was a serious case of '90s nostalgia on this season's catwalks. So stock up on slogan tees, get acquainted with metallics and splash out on some luxe trainers to follow suit for your off-duty wardrobe. Add some smudgy eyeliner and you're ready to rave on!
PARTB EDITORIAL TEAM
PARTB
FASHION
FILM
Alexander Fyfe (acting) Deputies: Vikki Hui & Alexandra Lulache
Sanya-Jeet Thandi
Jade Jackman Maryam Akram
partb@thebeaveronline.co.uk
FOOD
Dorothy Wong food@thebeaveronline.co.uk
fashion@thebeaveronline.co.uk
film@thebeaveronline.co.uk
LITERATURE
MUSIC
TECHNOLOGY
THEATRE
VISUAL ARTS
Ellen Wilkie
Conor Doherty, Will Locke & Dominic Tighe
Rohan Soni
Vacant
techonology@thebeaveronline.co.uk
theatre@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Jade Jackman Maryam Akram
literature@thebeaveronline.co.uk
music@thebeaveronline.co.uk
visualarts@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
TECHNOLOGY/MUSIC/LITERATURE
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iPad & iMac Launch: Has Apple Lost Its Spark?
he technology world once again waited in anticipation for the Apple conference to launch the new iPads. Unfortunately for the systematically secretive company, who shroud their product releases with a veil of secrecy, a leaked user guide revealed the new devices will be called the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Air 2. The biggest change to the current line-up will be the addition of the TouchID fingerprint sensor on the home button, as found on the iPhone 5S and 6. An upgrade to the Apple A8X chip will facilitate more streamlined multitasking. An improved camera is a welcome addition, as the iPad camera has traditionally be substandard in comparison to the iPhone. Although, this will undoubtedly bring about a hoard of tourists roaming Piccadilly Circus wielding iPads to capture the brightly glowing advertisements.
At 6.1mm, the new iPad Air 2 is once again a remarkable 18% thinner than the previous version. If this trend continues, soon enough Apple products will be invisible to the naked eye. These admittedly minor changes are somewhat underwhelming, and a number of critics are suggesting Apple have lost their magic. The disappointing level of changes did not warrant the caption “It’s been way too long” on Apple’s promotional materials. Perhaps the wonder of the iPhone launch merely
one month ago has detracted from the significance of this press conference.
along the river through the country. In his misery, he considers suicide, and reflects on the value of his own life. But in the end, he becomes reconciled to his new position, and seems contented with being alone. Throughout the drama, the emotions of the poet are reflected in the music. In 'Ruckblick', where he flees his home, and later toys with the idea of returning, the angst is reflected in restless, troubled syncopated rhythms in the piano part. Similarly, when caught outside in a storm in Der stürmische Morgen , the poet's mind is a storm of depression; the sharp, violent accents represent both thundering rain and dark impulses.
sic itself is pleasing to the ear. Winterreise is full of the sort of lyrical tunes and melodies that leave you humming as you exit the concert hall. It is not Ligeti or Berio, where the music does a good job of expressing violent thoughts and disturbing the listener, but won't find you singing along to it the next day. Winterreise is in many places catchy; I particularly like 'Gute Nacht' and 'Erstarrung' for their singability factor.
far as to say, Kaufmann's rendition is a testament to the human voice; and the great expressive power it has, if treated in the right way.
With this in mind, I came to acclaimed tenor Jonas Kaufmann's rendition of the work. I wasn't sure what to expect. Just the week before I'd listened to a CD of him singing 'Die Schone Mullerin' and I was unconvinced. That cycle is about a 19 year old and his experiences of growing up, and the dark, virile and big sounds of Kaufmann sounded more like what he is, a sophisticated man in his 40s than what he was acting. But in the more mature 'Winterreise' I was blown away. He is a singer of incredible technique, and the range of colours, dynamics and expression he brought were astonishing. There's one point in 'Wasserfluth', in the last phrase of each verse, he went from almost a whisper, to unleashing the full throttle power of his dramatic tenor voice. I was almost fell out of my chair. Throughout the work, Kaufmann maintains a sense of line, as If he really were telling a story about his experiences, rather than just singing phrases. There's always a feeling of energy and direction in this performance. Indeed I'd go so
Literature Society AGM
However, the event was not solely underwhelming. The iMac has been upgraded to join the ‘Retina’ club, with a new ‘5K Display’. This provides a resolution of 5120 x 2880, meaning an astounding 14.7 million pixels, more than 7 times the amount of pixels of an HD television. With 27 inches of screen real estate, this is a remarkable number of pixels, and the clarity of images is something we are looking forward to experiencing
first hand. It is likely to be priced around £1,800. In combination with the launch of Mac OS X Yosemite, providing a flatter, more streamlined and more functional operating system. It is available to download from the Mac App Store as a free update. So the question remains, has Apple lost its unique spark? People used to be excited about Apple product releases, marvelled by creativity and gorgeous design. This iPad launch did not provide us with anything Jobs-esque to shake up the tablet market. The Tim Cook era of leadership seems reminiscent of catching up to the rest of the technology market. We can only hope future refreshes of these products fill us with the childish excitement from Apple’s inventive ideas shaking up design and technological progression. ROHAN SONI
Photo Credits: All fashion pcitures attributed to the levant fashion houses. Shubert, and Apple logo all WikiCommons.
Winterreise: A Masterpiece with Depth
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f I were asked 'What is your favourite Classical work?' I'd be tempted to say this. The 'Winterreise' song cycle may not be one of those 'cool, classical chillout' pieces, but for me it is a work I feel myself wanting to return to again and again. It is a masterpiece with depth, which, each time you listen to it, you feel yourself being drawn deeper into the story. And when you have a really good performer, it has the intimacy of a hushed camp-fire story. Composed by Schubert in 1828, shortly before his death from syphilis, Winterreise quickly came to be regarded as a work of divine inspiration.(albeit for the music, not really the worldly story). It tells the tale of a poet and lover, whose beloved starts fancying another man. Falling into despair, he decides to flee the town, traipsi n g
This is a work which really effectively expresses emotion in music, but more than that, the
mu-
I was struck, in other reviews about Kaufmann's Lieder singing, that some people think he is too expressive and too dramatic, however I think here he got the balance right. On the one hand, his interpretation is interesting and impressive, but on the other, he almost always sings warmly and fully and
I
f there’s one LSE society for the Literature Section of the Beaver to have an interest, it makes sense that it be LitSoc. On Thursday eveningtheir AGM saw the election of their new committee as well as a preview of what we can expect from them in the coming year.
One of the major successes of last year for LitSoc was founding their weekly book club which is being carried on into the future. In order to not to exacerbate our already weighty reading lists, the book club tends more towards short stories and poems than dusty tomes. In the coming year these are set to become more internationally focussed than the previously Western slant of the readings to reflect the international nature of the university. This will be helped along by some of LSE's national societies; collaboration with the Japanese society was discussed, with names like Murakami and Natsume sweating up palms around the room.
doesn't dabble in detached, weedy sounds for dramatic effect, or tip over into a show of psychosis. For me, this really was a consummate performance, of a great masterpiece. Whether you're a seasoned lieder lover, or have never heard of Schubert, I'd say have a listen of this recording and see what you think, you may be surprised! DOMINIC TIGHE CLASSICAL EDITOR
An ‘honesty book shelf ’ for the Saw Swee Hock Centre is another project the society are undertaking this year. To be a fixture in the SSH cafe, the shelf will allow students to borrow a book which they may return or replace with a read of their own possession- it goes without saying that out of date textbooks and Goldman Sachs internships leaflets are not appreciated. The society are also working on reinstating 'Muse'- an anthology of the creative writing of LitSoc members which was once at the heart of the society, all the while continuing to stage pub crawls, book sales and other opportunities for artistic enlightenment on campus. PartB would like to offer our congratulations to the new Lit Soc Committee on their election, and express our excitement to get involved in the events that they have planned in the coming year. ELLEN WILKIE
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
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FILM/THEATRE
BFI Film Festival: 'Timbuktu' Review
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o one can say that ‘Timbuktu’ is not a timely film. The film engages with all the current concerns regarding Islamic militantism and places the viewer in Timbuktu, in Mali, an area which until recently was actually occupied by Islamic militants. The film’s director, Abderrahmane Sissako, was keen to note, in the post-screening Q&A, that the concept of the film as well as the filming preceded the current spread of ISIL into the Middle Eastern geographic. In many ways, this fact is irrelevant to the film’s potency since it does not rely on a situational awareness of the conflict. Instead, ‘Timbuktu’ explores the tragedy of extreme imposed principles through a socially realistic exploration of relationships in such a setting.
This film meticulously brings alive a scenario in which Islamic militants hold control of Timbuk-
Furthermore, as the fundamentalist elite become more entrenched in the community, ruling becomes a matter of quelling their own moral and religious doubts through increasingly stringent rule - it is only through the maintaining difference through which extreme ideology thrives. In several scenes, regretful or morose expressions on the face of the junior militants suggest faltering belief but they are too embroiled inadvertently the organisation to be able to leave. Despite an underlying intention of drawing attention to the inhumane torture inflicted by the militants, Sissako is not content in setting his ambition as simply displaying the militants as ‘evil’ but
manages to open a space for dialogue for understanding the social position of the militants and their subjects. In the film, he militants and their subjects often co-exist in harmony (which is disconcerting to watch as it suggests that sometimes normality ensues in a perverse setting) yet over a course of a series of mundane events, fear is introduced as persecution by the militants sets the leadership against the locals. The progressive hardening of the interactions instil a sense of unnecessary suffocation - the fleeting moments of peace and harmony (in which rules are not discussed) are destroyed by suspicion and persecution of the mundane (listening to music, playing football). This is a film that raises questions more than it answers. However, this is a strength since discussions on violence are so often decontextualised from the locations within which they occur. This is an understandable consequence: this violence consists of abhorrent acts which are unjustifiable. However, it is just this outright rejection of violence which inadvertently blocks our gaze lingering on the perpetrators and victims of violence to see the ways it is justified, situated and perpetrated through discourse - an element which will affect locals long after the physical violence stops and the regimes of power change. BOBAK SAADAT
“Review of screening of ‘Timbuktu’ at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday 11th October.” 5/5 Stars
Image credist: All images bleong to the theatre or production company.
It is easy to view the recent conflicts in the Middle East and to ‘other’ the perpetrators of uninhibited violence such that they appear irrational. However, this reductionist view distances us from the ways in which these tragedies are manifested. Although we can shame the perpetrators of this violence, it is a much more difficult task to explain the emergence and rationality of violence which are themes that this film tackles.
tu. Sissako manages to humanise the social actors and shows the process by which local Islamic ideology is dismissed in favour of a distorted form of Islamic theology to suit the rulers’ politics. Throughout the film, Sissako exposes the contradictions which necessarily arise between fundamentalist ideologies and their practice. The militants themselves can not conform to their own standards and rejection of the globalised West, often become impassioned in their debates about football (although playing football is a punishable crime), smoking (when smoking is also a punishable crime) and wearing Western trainers.
Review: Little Revolution, Almeida Theatre
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lecky Blythe’s new production is verbatim theatre in its purest form. Playing real characters at the heart of the London Riots in 2011, actors relay ‘verbatim’ the language, accents, stutters, and timing of recordings that Blythe collected on the streets and in meetings that year. This play sits somewhere between journalism and theatre, dropping the audience directly into the heart of the riots. As a concept it works well, the characters really are brought to life, but the story is perhaps too weak to draw the same acclaim as Blythe’s previous work. The play is set around Blythe (who plays herself) and her interactions with various characters, who jump in and out of the performance depending on whether they are in earshot of her ubiquitous voice recorder. This manages to create a realistic feeling of chaos that surrounded parts of East and North London: we are aware of those who are close by, but as helicopters ‘roar’ overhead, there is a feeling of insecurity built by the ‘unknown’ outside the perimeter of the sound recorder. This allows Blythe to jump characters in and out - capturing, as a reporter might, snippets of laugh-
ter, anger, dismay, and aggression.
But the production is less effective than her previous attempts, and other recent verbatim plays. London Road, which Blythe is making into a film (reportedly due out next year), was a resounding success not only for its realistic relaying of conversations, but also for a strong and relevant storyline. The slightly flat storyline of a community group attempting to raise funds for a local shop keeper who has been looted during the riots (named Siva, but referred to as ‘Shiva’, ‘Seeva’, ‘Shiver’, and ‘Sive’ by various characters) drains the play of the dramatic effect that that the construct deserved. This is a price that Blythe pays for sticking to the recordings rather than using them as a tool, as Nadia Fall’s Home did at the National earlier this year, or as David Hare has skilfully managed. A less verbatim production might also have been able to elevate the characters to more rounded and relatable subjects. The characters in Home are no less believable, but extend as dramatic subjects beyond what is achievable in sticking rigidly to short recordings.
The ‘verbatim’ technique follows pioneering work by Blythe herself, David Hare, and Nicolas Kent. Ear pieces relay the recordings to the actors throughout rehearsals and at times during the performance. Blythe is on the purist side, refusing to use any material that has not actually been recorded (although she is happy to squash time-frames, and create dialogues from two monologues.) In Little Revolution, this manages to act as a feature piece might in a broadsheet newspaper: it brings to life the experiences and stories that lie at the heart of an event which had so much media coverage, in a way that traditional media forms might struggle to achieve. Little Revolution is a realistic, engaging, and interesting insight into the people at the heart of the London Riots. It is often humorous, and more often slightly awkward: the characters are so alive that their shortcomings are painful to watch but at times hilarious. A stronger storyline would have put the production on par with London Road, but worth a look nonetheless. KILLIAN TROY
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
THEATRE / FOOD
Shakespeare in Love: Review
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fter watching Shakespeare in Love as an international student I could only conclude: the English are simply the best at anything that has to do with theatre arts. Nothing lacks quality, albeit the singing of the choir, the staging, the acting, the humour. The Oscar-winning film is translated to the stage and this might even be a more appropriate setting. Shakespeare in Love is a genuinely lovely play packed with hilarious jokes and makes you feel good for the rest of the evening and even the day after. The play starts when the young
FOOD On this page... Herman Ze German in Fitzrovia: The Germans have arrived! & the next... Chocolate Week Special: Valrhona X Cafe Hotel Royal 's lovechild, the Profile 66
Shakespeare (Tom Bateman) suffers from a writer’s block. The name of is his play? “Romeo and Ethel, the pirate’s daughter.” The auditions for Romeo in his play are terribly poor, provoking the audience to burst into laughter every single time a new actor enters the stage. The last applicant for the role of Romeo is Viola de Lesseps, disguised as a boy actor (Lucy BriggsOwen), the daughter of a rich merchant. This is the actor who is worthy of speaking Shakespeare’s lines out loud. Little does William Shakespeare know that his Romeo is actually the beautiful Viola he has fallen in love with earlier. The
unreachable Viola he has only seen from far away at dances. The rest of the play is a chain of misunderstandings in which Viola switches between her life as a daughter of an influential merchant and a boy actor who has to listen to the play director. The double role allows for hilarious scene after hilarious scene in which Shakespeare changes from being an insecure lover of the same woman who is the actor he directs with no mercy. The plot can hardly go wrong, but the cast does not disappoint either. 28 Actors are involved and a real dog does not lack: the cast is
massive. The choir sings purely and we can even hear a countertenor. But what makes the play special is the obvious chemistry between the two beautiful main actors of Viola and William Shakespeare. They manage to put on a touching story of a funny but difficult love, crossing social classes and etiquettes. The parallels with Romeo and Julia are a trip down memory lane. The play does not have much more to do with Shakespeare’s real literature, but some familiarity with Shakespeare’s quotes can enhance humorous scenes. “The course of true love never has gone smooth,” is one of the classy lines our Wil-
liam Shakespeare orates. The play is a burst of energy and exuberance. This does result in some chaos in a few scenes in the play. One also expects the play to end after multiple scenes, which can be confusing. But if these are the only negative remarks on a play, I can only admit that I was happy to be wrong about the expected ending. The longer the better, give me more! ANNA KOOLSTRA Showing at the Noel Coward Theatre.
THE GERMANS ARE HERE t long last, Herman Ze German, Bristol wurst masters, have launched their third London outlet on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia.Here’s what you can expect:
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and very mild sauce) and lashes with shakes of curry powder.
The Menu is catered to an appropriate range of budgets, from a wurst roll at £4.95 to schnitzels at £9.99. All meat is sourced from a family butcher in the Black Forest, and there are gluten free choices for those planning to ditch the roll anyway.
The Premises are done up really nicely. With most cafes and restaurants in London competing on the interior design to stand out, there’s a risk of looking generic or like a copycat. HZG keeps it simple with a cheery country vibe, and pay homage to their butchers with meat grinders decorating the stairwell. However, thanks to the choice of plastic tables and chairs, some areas have a fast food feel, albeit a wood-floored, vintage-era fast food joint.
On a diet? Luckily for you, HzG's chips are air fried and at only 3% fat, won't induce much guilt. Tried and liked: HzG's Curry Wurst. A good sized sausage smothered in “curry” (really more of a tomato based sweet
Verdict: Perhaps not date night, but late night, or any time of the day is good for a visit! HERMAN ZE GERMAN Fitzrovia 43 Charlotte Street W1T 1RS 020 7323 9207 Soho 33 Old Compton Street W1D 5JU 02077340431
Photos courtesy of Herman Ze German
Charing Cross 19 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NE 020 7930 4827
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
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FOOD alrhona, stalwart of pastry chefs and patisseries worldwide, has teamed up with Executive Pastry Chef Andrew Blas of Cafe Hotel Royal to engineer the Profile 66, a proprietary blend of couverture birthed by beans from South Africa and Kenya.
Unsurprisingly, Valrhona already has other dark blends in the 60s. Its Grand Crus range already features 61, 66, 67%s darks and its Pure Origin Grand Crus stable boasts another 8 darks ranging from 61 to 69%.
The Rise Of A New Middle Ground
What makes Profile 66 special then, is not only its being the firstborn of Valrhona and any UK-based chef, but more importantly, the requirements that Chef Blas set for it.
V
Dark used to be dark, milk used to be milk, and white simply wasn't discussed. Not too long ago, the trend was for "serious" chocolate makers to chase cocoa percentages to the high 90s, priding themselves on making a 99% or 100% bar still edible. During those dark days, most darks offered started at 70%. Milk's cocoa content was almost never listed. Then came a change, and percentages begin dipping. The 60s were back. Milk started boasting "a high cocoa content". This summer alone, one chocolatier pursued Milk to the tune of 65%. Against this backdrop, it's easy to see why Chef Andrew Blas chose 66% - not too sweet nor too dark, an agreeable palate pleaser.
The New, Profiled ast week, amid many wine glasses and gustatory works of art, Profile 66 was unveiled.
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Tailored To Taste
Unsatisfied in his search for the perfect couverture that would enhance all the desserts and chocolates he had in mind, he turned to Valrhona, which encouraged him to pursue his ideas. Together with Valrhona's engineers and experts, he tried 8 different blends before finding what he wanted in this one: Initial floral notes, followed by nuttiness and a hint of spicy citrus, and ending with a silky cocoa finish. From 14 October 2014 it has been used in all chocolate patisseries, petits fours and drinks in Hotel Royal's food & beverage outlets. And it will be available for £5 a 100g bar from Easter 2015.
Valrhone X Hotel Ca
Also on hand to wet our lips, in honour of Chocolate Week, were specially made cocktails based on a liquor of the Mayans and Aztecs - Cocoa liquor.
also the Pearfect £13, a delicious melange of Pampero Especial rum, Amaretto, chocolate liqueur and pear purée.
Our favourites by far were the Madame D £13, a scented mix of Amarula liqueur, Kahlua, peanuts and cinnamon. And
As Chef Blas plans to work rather exclusively with Profile 66, fret not if you missed the treats during Chocolate Week.
As the experts from Valrhona had so tirelessly contrived to engineer, Profile 66 did indeed start on a light and fragrantly floral note, which melted into the roast that came a second later, before the heavier cocoa notes finished the entire experience off. To prove what Profile 66 was capable of, Chef Blas then brought out skillfully-crafted chocolate petit fours made with Profile 66. Each one was a delight; utterly delicious but not overpoweringly heavy in the way many desserts leave your mouth dry.
Café Royal Hotel 68 Regent Street, London W1B 4DY
+44 (0)20 7406 3333 enquiries@hotelcaferoyal. com
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
FOOD
afe Royal: Profile 66
Photo Credits: Centre Photo & Right: Cafe Hotel Royal Photos on the Left: Rolphy Lu - Morrell
The Beaver 09.10.2012
PartB
Photo Credit: Flickr Paul Kitchener
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The City
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Section Editor: Alexander Fyfe managing@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Top 5 Tips To Break Into Finance Sam Povey City Blogger Apply early From spring weeks to internships to graduate roles, it always helps to apply as soon as possible.
Features: Sport: Taryana Odayar on Syria LSESU Boxing Page 22 Page 32
The Financiers’ Book Club
A former UBS Investment Banking employee who co-founded their London Office Book Club shares her top finance-related reads. Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt, Michael Lewis
The Chimp Paradox, Steve Peters
L’Argent, Emile Zola
Images: Attributed to respective publishers.
Applications are almost always reviewed on a rolling basis and applying early gives you a greater chance of getting telephone interviews and assessment centres out of the way as soon as possible, letting you worry about stuff that actually matters . . . like your degree.
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, Nassim Nichola Taleb
Join career societies LSE offers more careers related societies than you can count on your fingers (and indeed toes). They hold numerous events throughout the year from networking evenings to hosting distinguished speakers and technical workshops. Even better, LSE’s career societies attract large employers from the City and Canary Wharf, bringing them right to your doorstep. Network smartly Look, let’s be honest: you’re a first year uni student, now is not the time to be exchanging business cards. Instead of worrying about little bits of paper, actually engage with the people you meet at networking events. For the love of God, proof read!
I guarantee you there is no feeling more cringe inducing, more gut wrenching than reading back through an application and finding a typo AFTER you’ve sent it off. And there is a no more sure fire way of having your application binned than misspelling the name of the company you’re applying to or adding an extra “e” in “Economics”. Don’t follow the hype train, do what you’re good at If you’re heart isn’t in, HR will be able to tell. The online screenings, the interviews and assessment centres are designed to weed out those who just aren’t that up for it. Just because, “all the cool kids are doing it”, doesn’t mean your route to success in finance (i.e. making more money than is deemed acceptable by polite society) will be via those much sought after jobs. Finance offers literally thousands of different jobs and if you have a passion for the industry, you’re sure to find one that suits you.
Mika Morrisette City Correspondent THE FIRST BOOK DISCUSSED by the club was this non-fiction sensation by financial journalist and LSE alumni Michael Lewis. It deals with how technology is changing the trading business and is creating murky unregulated areas, specifically describing how the installation of a secretive fiber optic cord between Chicago and New Jersey enabled high-frequency traders to make transactions faster than the exchanges’ own pricing algorithms. It delves into the secretive world of Goldman Sachs programmers and private “dark pools” and was supposedly so influential that the FBI announced an inquiry into high-frequency trading the day after its release. Trade Idea: Short EUR/GBP (15/8/14) Entry: 0.8020, TP 0.7770 SL: 0.8080 (Rough 4:1 R/R) •Why not against the USD you might say. We think that risk premium for long USDs has risen significantly over the last week, judging how the market reacted towards a weak retail sales (-0.3% MoM vs -0.1% Expected). It mimicked how USDs were offered after increasingly cautious FED speeches and releases. We are waiting for some retail shorts to be shaken out before considering entering some fresh EUR/USD shorts. Widening yield differential and differing economic fundamentals are what we are watching. USDX shows a respect of a multi-year resistance
ANOTHER BOOK STUDIED by the club, this hit lists several Olympic athletes and pro league football players as its fans. Though not necessarily about finance, it discusses the science of human behavior and human decision making. It argues that our ‘nurture’ can never overcome our ‘nature’ (i.e. that of the chimp) but that we can use this to overcome our breaking points, be more resilient and make better decisions. Basically, it’s about channeling the chimp into your job, which in this case would be finance. Though the book tends to delve into the dubious pseudoscience of mind-management, anyone who has ever worked in a trading desk (or, alternatively, watched The Wolf of Wall Street) can say that there is a lot of untapped animal in the banker. at 86.1 •EU Periphery 1OYs continue to take a beating. Greek 10Y yields have leapt a massive 3.1% and safe haven inflows into GBP might manifest, supporting a EUR/GBP short. We welcome this reversion given how strongly this market has performed over little or no fundamentals. Credit Agricole has a GBP/CHF long and has identified EMU short term securities inflow from EMU to UK in its latest available August data. •Risks: Weakening UK inflation and growth prospects from contagion of weakening EU growth posts the greatest risk. The UK has posted 1.2%, a 5 year low. Benign wage inflation data continue
THIS IS SUCH A CLASSIC that it can be found in the Course Book section of the LSE library. After years of being the black sheep of the financial community, Taleb took the Sub-Prime crisis-struck world by storm by introducing the layman to Black Swans, events so random we cannot predict but must become resilient to. A highly-cultured man, Taleb’s writing style is beautiful, often taking rambles into the meaning of randomness, the availability of truth and the limits of human knowledge. Alternatively, the chapter on Taleb in Michael Gladwell’s mind-blowing What the Dog Saw offers fascinating insights on the art of speculating on the improbable and a touching portrait of the man himself before his success. to fade expectations of a rate hike in Q1 2015. Indeed, Soc Gen has pushed back expectations of a rate lift off to Q3 2015. Carney and company might have previously reiterated that ‘interest rate hikes must come soon’. However, given economic data, we are highly doubtful of that. In relation to GBP/USD, the downtrend since this June’s Mansion House speech continue to be respected. We do not think that the pair will fall below 1.5850, which is the base of the weekly Ichimoku cloud. USDX also continues to respect multi-year resistance levels at 86.1. We are neutral to slightly bearish on pound. •Techs: EUR/GBP has continued
L’ARGENT, OR MONEY AS the title is often translated, is a dark exploration of human greed from a contemporary of Chekhov and Nietzsche. The story is set in the Paris Bourse in the late 1860s and offers an interesting historical perspective on the early days of unregulated financial speculation in Europe. The human-drama is intense: L’Argent is part of multi-tome series where each volume chronicles the rise and fall of a member of a Second Empire family. It might seem a little highbrow but Zola’s writing style is clear and moving, making it a classic of French literature and a must for anyone who lists “reading” in the interest section of their CV. You’ll definitely stand out if you can casually quote an 18th century French master in a banking interview.
to respect the down trend since last June, failing at the 200D Moving Average and respecting the top of the trend line, which we take to be moderately bearish. •We think that the sell-off in equities is overextended and are actively looking for some points of confirmation to establish fresh longs. US corporate earnings did not disappoint. GS did previously point out that fears over Ebola and a ‘deteriorating global growth environment’ are not material. While this may not be true with respect to the US, investors have begun pricing in weaker EM and EU core and periphery growth. Trade Idea courtesy of the LSESU Trading Society
Features Section editorial:
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Section Editor: Liam Hill (acting) features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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The Syrian Dilemma: Identity, Culture, Genocide and War Taryana Odayar First year undergraduate AS THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES leaving Syria continues to swell in an unceasing flow, political analysts are touting the Syrian War as the harbinger of one of the greatest refugee crises in human history, since the Second World War. But this is arguably only just one of the pressing concerns facing the Assad regime, for another far more disturbing threat to the Syrian people is rankling. As more and more Syrians leave the country due to in-fighting and the divisive socio-political factions created by war, the sense of National Unity in the country is quickly diminishing, and we seem to be witnessing a rapid deconstruction, or fragmentation, of the Syrian National Identity. This could inevitably have negative spill-over effects on the rest of the Arab World, according to American political journalist Robert D. Kaplan, who says that, “The identity question is important: events inside Syria reverberate throughout the Middle East.” The Identity Crisis in Syria is one that has been brimming for centuries, and goes back as far as the era of the Ottoman Empire, with the recent Syrian War only aggravating the situation further. Indeed, after spending 400 years under the oppressive thumb of the Ottoman Empire, in 1918, Syria broke away under the leadership of Emir Feisal whose Arab troops captured Damascus from the ruling power in one fell swoop. Soon after however, Syria’s geographical position made it a sitting duck for intervention from Source: Wikimedia: Russavia
Features
Features has two articles this week about the Labour Party’s relationship with Scotland: JonRhys Foster considers the possibility that Gordon Brown could be of use to Labour during the election campaign and George Harrison explores the West Lothian Question. Both of the articles touch on the ongoing trend of the malaise of mainstream political parties, and what could be done to counteract it. In much of England, the backlash is embodied by UKIP’s anti-immigrant, antipolitics populism. North of the border, the SNP’s blend of populist leftism and nationalism is the outlet for widespread frustration with Westminster politics. Perhaps a Gordon Brown comeback or parliamentary reform can make a small difference to the mainstream parties’ fortunes, but people’s discontent and disinterest in politics will not diminish until more fundamental change either to politics or to people’s expectations are realised. More locally, what I like about having articles on similar topics in the same section is that in a small way it sums up what is great about LSE: different perspectives on universally important issues. That is, I hope, something that this section and The Beaver can continue to tap into throughout the year.
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Europe, culminating in what Kaplan termed an “Anglo-French rivalry for spoils.” As a result of the English and the French vying for supremacy in the region, Syria was divided into six zones, with a portion of Northern Syria joining Turkey, the eastern desert and Southern region coming under the British mandate to form Iraq and Palestine, Transjordan respectively, and the French claiming the remnant land which they further subdivided into Lebanon and modern day Syria. The Syrians have yet to come to terms with the problems wrought by imperialist border divisions, and in 1953, President Adib Bin Hassan Al-Shishakli, lamented that Syria was only "the current official name for that country which lies within the artificial frontiers drawn up by imperialism." Until this point, Syria did not have any nationalistic sentiment – how could it? It was a puppet whose strings were being pulled by different sets of hands; all seemingly hell-bent on pulling it in completely opposite directions. Syria’s historic territory which is so crucial to establishing its National Identity, seems to have been irrevocably wrested out of its grasp. The fierce hostility between Syria’s minority groups, which has its origins from the time of the zonal division of the country by the French in the 1900s, were a direct result of France’s vigilant strategy of divide et impera. During the French occupation of Syria, France flooded the Syrian military with Syrian ethnic minority groups in order to control the majority Sunnis, recruiting Alawites, Druzes, Circassians and Kurds into the Troupes Speciales du Levant; their occupation force. The Sunnis, especially those in the Damascus region, were under constant surveillance, forced to pay higher taxes than the minorities, and for the most part severely repressed. This was a strategy that would have repercussions for the Syrian people decades after the French had left, and when the military, now brimming with Alawites, came to power in 1970 during a bloodless coup under Hafez al-Assad; placing Alawites in key government positions and antagonizing the
Sunnis further. The gravitas of the situation is aptly evoked in MiddleEast Historian Daniel Pipes’ statement that “An Alawi ruling Syria is like an untouchable becoming maharajah in India or a Jew becoming tsar in Russia—an unprecedented development shocking to the majority population.” Indeed, although Alawites made up only 12% of the populous, they were ruling the country, and were determined to remain in power largely due to a persistent fear that if the Sunnis regained control they would push them to the boundaries of Syrian society. They had good reason to fear this, as they had already been marginalized under Sunni rule from as early as the 1900s, and first rebelled against them in 1918,
in each sect’s struggle to establish the validity of their brand of religion as the symbol of the Syrian National Identity, they realized only too late that they; mere mortal men, and not Gods, were bringing the country to its knees. Even the economic system is not allowed to flourish in the context of the Syrian war. Syria’s flagship oil industry has been burdened by the brunt of civil war, with oil production falling by 96% to an all-time low. According to Jihad Yazigi, Editorin-Chief of the ‘Syria Report’, “Depending on where they are located, oil fields are either controlled by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party in the northeast or by various Islamist and tribal militias (in the eastern region near Deir Ezzor), which can
Source: Flikr: Freedom House
but were again subjugated during a long period of Sunni dominance from 1946 to 1963. Interestingly enough, during French occupation, the Alawites had reportedly pleaded with the imperialists to allow them to establish their own state along the Mediterranean Coast; a motion strongly supported by Suleyman alAssad; the grandfather of Syria’s current President, Bashar al-Assad. Had the Alawites been permitted to set up and maintain their own autonomous state, with their own social, economic and political ideologies, Syria’s history would have taken a very different course, and the ongoing conflict may have easily been prevented. These flames of ethnic tension, with each group discriminating the other, grew into a raging, all-consuming civil war that has been going on for three years to date. Former Syrian President, Shukri al-Quwatli, complained about his people, declaring that “Half claim the vocation of leader, a quarter believe they are prophets, and at least ten percent take themselves for gods." Tragically,
explain decline in production.” The fact that Syria’s most important industry has fallen under the arbitrary control of sects, political groups and militias highlights Syria’s domestic economic fragmentation. The Syrian National Identity is indeed a fragmented one on historic, cultural and economic grounds. Given Syria’s weighty geo-political bearing, being “geographically and politically in the middle of the Middle East” according to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, it needs to resolve the fractures in its National Identity quickly, lest its sectarian issues spill over to surrounding countries. Its identity is in a fragile, almost pitiful state; the revival of which depends largely on the will, fortitude and collective psyche of its people. The Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad recognized the importance of this, saying “If we develop and become a nation that no longer has its identity and no longer has a sense of its being, I believe we’ve fundamentally lost the most valuable asset we have. And once its gone, its impossible for it to return.”
The Features section is the home of analysis, essays and interviews in The Beaver. Sign up on www.beaveronline.co.uk to write for us, and tag your posts under ‘Features’. If you have an idea for an article or an interview, let us know. Email features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
Why Both the Conservatives and Labour Have got Featurettes Working Benefits Wrong and How to Fix Them Global Financial George Greenwood First year postgraduate WELFARE HAS BECOME A core political issue in recent years. Cameron claims that it is simply not fair for benefits income to rise more than average earnings, in defending his 3bn freeze on working benefits recently. Miliband, broadly parrots the Conservative line on the need for cuts, with minor, merely adding minor points on increasing benefits for those who have been long term taxpayers, and a small increase in the minimum wage. Let us be clear, instead of offering solutions to the problem of long term unemployment and reliance on state benefits, both Labour and the Conservatives are simply engaging in electoral propaganda that panders to the prejudices of their core voting demographics. With the rise of UKIP, this has only worsened. This is neither serving those who are trapped in a cycle of benefits dependency, or the tax payer who is picking up the bill. The problem with the benefits system can be summed up in a few words. A persistent lack of economic incentive to return to work. As the Spectator recently reported, by moving from the basic rate of Job Seekers Allowance, to 20 hours a week at minimum wage, the newly employed benefit claimant will be effectively taxed at 90% due to the corresponding reduction in tax credits.
This is little reward for the newly employed worker, often having gone through the confidence sapping experience of countless rejections previously, and it is no small wonder that many in such a situation make the very reasonable choice to act in their own basic economic self-interest and either return to JSA at the first opportunity, or leave the workforce entirely. This cat and mouse game of looking for work, finding a minimum wage job, before returning to JSA sadly defines the life of many of the poorest of our society, and does not allow them to find any sort of employment that might give them stability or meaning in their lives. Dependencies and mental health issues often result, and the far higher rate of suicide among the worst off is a tragic indicator of this trend. The Conservatives have at least recognised this point. There must be an economic as well as moral incentive to find work. And the idea of a universal credit is a very useful tool in reducing the massive cost of welfare state. But by decreasing the incentive of long term employment to remain on benefits without also offering an increase the ability of the worst off to actually find work has fundamentally failed to offer the counter incentive of hope that is needed. Thus cuts to welfare have not been a magic pill to cut long term costs and solve the issue, but offers no way out of this state of affairs to benefits claimants. In the
longer term, with near zero wage growth, it will merely entrench the worst off in this self-destructive cycle, especially when the economic growth in the UK economy is largely London based. Labour’s current response has been fairly dismal. Accepting most Conservative cuts to benefits, while offering a paltry rise in minimum wage to 8.80 by 2020 wont do. If as is likely we face a slim Labour majority or Lib-Lab coalition at the next election, this will be an economically distortive and expensive solution sticking plaster to a more fundamental structural problem. So what is needed?
Yes, we may need measures to limit the attractiveness of life on benefits. Policies that should be explored are things such as freezing benefits for those unemployed in the very long term as extra incentive, as well as the use of programmes such as charge cards, allowing the purchase of basic foodstuffs but not some luxuries , to add extra incentives to employment. But crucially, we need to offer these people a large carrot of hope
too, something the Conservatives have currently failed to do. Quite simply, we need to keep paying in work benefits for longer for those who re-enter the working world. In the short term this may cost more, but in the longer term, getting rid of the long-term unemployed is can reduce the benefits bill significantly. Additionally, we need to offer real opportunities to retrain the long term unemployed. Many of these people barely have GCSE’s, and thus we need to provide them with the tools required to be able to sell themselves in an increasingly competitive job market. Thus, we need a massive expansion in practical adult learning too. The public opinion and resultant self-view, of those on benefits as a social underclass, fuelled by polemics such as Benefits Street and How to Get a Council House, is destructive to the extreme. A fundamental reform of benefits payments is needed both to reduce the increasing burden of the welfare state on the taxpayer, as well as to prevent the cycle of unemployment these people face. And crucially, both parties need to stop looking at these people as numbers, or more precisely, votes, and instead treat them as the vulnerable people in need that they are. Only with a fundamentally redesigned incentive system, and the opportunity to gain useful and employable skills, do we give these people the hope of a brighter future.
One Step Forward? Parliament Votes For Palestinian Statehood Saira Ali First year undergraduate ON MONDAY 13TH OCTOBER, UK MPs took to the forefront of international politics as Parliament voted majorly in favour to recognise Palestine as a state. With a majority of 274 votes for and 12 votes against the motion, MPs voted “recognise state of Palestine alongside state of Israel". The move marks an increased sense of momentum occurring within the international sphere to recognise Palestinian statehood. The vote follows from Sweden’s recent pledge to recognise Palestine as a state with the new Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven stating in his inaugural address that “The conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law… MPs voted 274 to 12 to recognise Palestine The vote will not have any impact on Britain’s official policy 6 Conservatives, 5 Democratic Unionists and 1 Lib Dem voted against
A two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence. Sweden will therefore recognise the state of Palestine.” Such political will is not unheard of with the event of the UN General Assembly vote in 2012 saw the de factor recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in 2012. However the UK’s vote for the recognition of the Palestinian state is a landmark step for a member of the European Union as it is one of the first EU members to officially vote to recognise the state. For some, Monday’s vote in the House of Commons can easily be dismissed due the non-binding nature the motion had and the seemingly little effect it will have on foreign policy. This is not excluding the fact that the Prime Minister and his ministers were free to abstain from the vote due to the fact that ministers usually abstain when voting takes place on a backbench MP’s motion. The vote saw the participation of just under 300 MPs, whereas 364 MPs chose not to vote. However, to disregard its significance is to largely miss the point of what the vote means for
the long-term. LSESU Palestine Society President Haneef Choudhary commented on the vote as being majorly “symbolic” yet nonetheless expressed that the vote should be not be disregarded as it is a sign of “momentum” and of further progress to be made. Some may argue that the Commons vote symbolises the growing sense of frustration within the international sphere over the lack of progress towards a long-lasting solution for the peace process, but also over the highly controversial actions of the Israeli government. The period between July-August 2014 saw Israel’s Operation Protective Edge initiate a substantial halt to the peace process. The seven weeks of hostility between Israel and the Gaza strip saw the deaths of more than 2,200 people, with approximate figures of 66 Israelis and over 2000 in Gaza. This saw a public outcry over many countries of the severe attacks that transpired. Yet what were the opinions of some of the MPs who voted in the Commons? Labour backbencher
Grahame Morris, who claimed Israel would be “finished” if a twostate solution could not be agreed stating “recognition is not an Israeli bargaining chip, it’s a Palestinian right.” Conservative MP Sir Richard Ottoway vocalised his frustration at the actions of what occurred in the summer and how this affected his opinion of the Israeli government’s actions. In the Commons vote, Ottoway expressed the following sentiment; “Under normal circumstances, I would oppose the motion tonight; but such is my anger over Israel’s behaviour in recent months that I will not oppose the motion. I have to say to the Government of Israel that if they are losing people like me, they will be losing a lot of people.” Such sentiment perhaps reflects the increasing apprehension that is pervading the international community concerning the situation between the two regions. With the conflict that persisted between July and August, the political will and public opinion seems to be urging for a solution for both Israelis and Palestinians sooner rather than later.
Markets Volatile
GLOBAL FINANCIAL MARKETS experienced one of their most volatile periods since 2008 last week, with macroeconomic and political concerns rocking investor confidence. A slowing global economic outlook, the rise of the far-left, anti-austerity Syriza party in Greece, and concerns over the spread of Ebola all contributed to market volatility. At their worst, European equity markets were down over 3% Wednesday, and Greek 10-year government bond yields soared towards 9%. Investors’ nerves were eventually calmed a little towards the end of the week, thanks to reassurances over the speed and timing of interest rate rises in the UK, and suggestions that from the Federal Reserve’s Jim Bullard that tapering of bond purchases could be delayed.
Juppé 2017? ALAIN JUPPÉ, MAYOR OF Bordeaux and former French foreign minister, has taken the lead in an opinion poll for France’s main centre-right party, Union pour un Movement Populaire. Juppé is among the candidates for the UMP’s nomination for the French presidential election which is due to take place in 2017. Juppé’s fellow candidates are likely to include the previous inhabitant of the Elysée Palace, Nicolas Sarkozy. The poll for Le Nouvel Observateur is the first time Juppé has headed the group of prospective UMP nominees, and shows Juppé ahead by 12 points, at 47% compared to 35%. However, this poll of all potential primary voters differs from the figures gathered from UMP members, who still prefer Sarkozy to Juppé by a margin of 51% to 37%.
TUC March THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE marched through British cities last Saturday to demonstrate against low pay and falling living standards. The Trades Union Congress’s ‘Britain Needs A Pay Rise’ marches in Belfast, Glasgow and London on Saturday, it has been claimed, were attended by upwards of 90,000 people.
If you are interested in writing Featurettes for next week’s edition, please email features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Features In the News this week... Fears of Ebola and Islamic State IN A RECENT POLL FOX News asked Americans what makes them feel the more threatened, the Ebola virus or IS terrorism. The outcome:
IS terrorism: 50% Ebola Virus: 27% Equal: 18% While the situation in West Africa, Iraq and Syria is concerning and deserving of international solidarity and attention, the growing fear and paranoia is reaching worrying levels, too.
Source: Flikr: CDC Global
In a Washington Post poll 43% of respondents saw the Ebola virus as an immediate threat to themselves or their family. Over 4500 people have died of Ebola in West Africa. While there have been two cases of Ebola infection in the United States in the last week, authorities emphasiye that there is little need to panic. A Texan community college has cancelled all offers to students from countries with confirmed cases of the virus. Meanwhile the Daily Mail quotes ‘experts’ suggesting that IS could use the virus as a biological weapon. A CBS poll states that 44% of respondents are in favour of deploying US ground troops in the fight against the Islamic State.
And also:
Source: Flikr: Tristan Ferne
A FLOCK OF SHEEP FROM a Surrey farm apparently consumed £4,000 worth of Cannabis, according to the Surrey Mirror.
By Camilla Naschert
Tuesday October 21, 2014
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West Lothian: Labour’s Unanswerable Question George Harrison First year undergraduate SOMETIMES, THE WORLD OF politics is rocked by the emergence of questions that seemingly have no easy answer, and one such question is more prominent now than ever before: the so called ‘West Lothian Question’. Despite being shrouded in confusion, this political hot potato has punctuated debate in postreferendum Britain and remains an issue that every British citizen should be engaged with. So what is the West Lothian question and what does it mean for 21st century British politics? The question relates to the notion of “English votes for English laws”, challenging the fact that, due to devolution of the Scottish, Welsh and Irish parliaments, English MP’s have no control over laws exclusively affecting other British countries, yet non-English MP’s are still entitled to vote on laws that only concern England. This first arose as a political sticking point in 1977, when Tam Dalyell (then MP for the constituency of West Lothian) raised the matter in parliament, yet after further Scottish devolution was promised in the frantic build up to the independence referendum, the issue
has once again achieved national prominence. The political battle lines are being drawn as I type, with the Conservatives and the resurgent UKIP pushing for a conclusion that favours English decision making; this would result in legislation that ensures that issues exclusively affecting England are only eligible to be voted on by English MP’s. Yet Labour refuse to engage in cross party discussions. The reasoning behind this is simple; with polling showing such a fine margin of expected Labour victory in 2015, Labour will need their considerable cohort of Scottish MP’s to help swing the parliamentary balance and avoid painstaking deadlocks when it comes to voting in the commons next year. However, many believe that for Labour to oppose the introduction of English votes for English laws would be political suicide, providing ammunition for the Tories in the run up to the general election; this leaves the under fire Ed Miliband under vast pressure to find a palatable solution that wouldn’t result in an ineffective and stagnant parliament whenever English matters are raised. William Hague describes any non-conclusive outcome as “inconceivable”, and as pressure mounts
there seems to be nowhere for Labour to hide, resulting in their election strategists loathing the West Lothian question. However, the strategy seems to revolve around playing it cool, as opposition ministers point to the fact that out of over 3000 votes since 1997, only 21 would have had different outcomes without the influence of Scottish MPs. The fact remains, however, that vital votes regarding the NHS are numbered in the “West Lothian 21”, which have, and will continue to, change people’s lives. Labour also point out that issues that affect England will have knock on impacts north of the border, and some suggest that the introduction of English only votes would herald the ultimate collapse of the British political union. Whilst Labour deliberate, however, nationalist English sentiment is growing, as people are angry about the perceived inequalities of Scottish voting rights and the loaded concept of the Barnett Formula, which results in considerably higher tax expenditure per head for Scottish citizens than English citizens (despite the English being the main tax revenue contributors). Perhaps there is no easy answer, yet many commentators predict that the English, who seem to get
a raw deal whenever the rest of the UK is considered, could end up winning here, despite the painfully desperate grovelling to Scotland exhibited by David Cameron a few months ago. As Scottish devolution slowly progresses, it becomes more acceptable to raise questions of English devolution, which look to ultimately result in a pro-English answer to the West Lothian question. Likewise, do not be surprised if Westminster tentatively renagues on its promises to the Scottish people; whilst the Barnett Formula is undoubtedly here to stay, rightleaning English politicians may well be able to walk away from the West Lothian question completely Scott-free.
West Lothian Case Studies: Labour’s election performances without Scotland Without Scotland, the Conservatives would have won a majority of 19 in 2010. Furthermore, Labour would not have won elections in 1950, 1964 and February 1974 but for their Scottish Members of Parliament.
Labelling: More Than Just A Sticker Perdita Blinkhorn
LGBT+ Officer, LSESU Fem Soc
LABELLING IS THE ACTIVITY of describing the characteristics of people, activities and objects. It can be useful for helping us understand the world around us. But labelling, especially when applied to people, can by definition be very limiting. Moreover, it can lead to negative activities such as stereotyping, externally classifying and de-humanisation. So here’s the question: why do we still do it? The power of labelling can be seen in a very famous sociological study, where researchers Rosenthal and Jacobson told teachers in a US school that 20% of their students were “Bloomers” i.e. that in the long term they would be academically superior to their fellow students. The catch was that these so-called Bloomers were chosen completely at random, so if the Bloomers did do better than the other students by the next year it could only be a result of the teachers’ labelling. And guess what? That’s right, the Bloomers did in fact do better as the teachers, thinking they knew who would do best, had subconsciously created a self-fulfilling
prophesy. It can be quite easy to see the negative impact of labelling in this particular case study, even when we do not mean to.
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that every single person is different; it is impossible for two people to have exactly the same biology, personality and psychology. Labelling, however, implies that humans can be neatly slotted into categories, thus ignoring the importance of originality and individualism. For the members of the LGBTQ+ community, this is a particular problem faced often on a daily basis. A gay man might know the frustration of being told by his parents when he comes out that he simply MUST be
straight, because he dated that girl for 2 weeks a few years back. A bisexual might feel their sexual identity being erased by their friends as they are told they must either be straight or gay, as you can’t have an in between. And I shudder in pain for transsexual people who have been told by society they just cannot be a different gender than what they were assigned at birth. This obsession with labelling comes from people’s desire to comprehend; we are so focused on fitting people into our subjectively defined categories that we never stop to ask whether it is our practice of categorising itself that needs to be changed. The LGBT+ community is plagued with the external allocations of “butch”, “manly”, “femme”, “sissy” and so on, used even by LGBTQ people themselves. In the eyes of society, if you are beyond the comprehension of labelling, an outlier, then you must either be forced to conform to social norms or rejected in your entirety. Labelling is an issue that effects race, gender, sexuality, class, social activity and every other kind of premise you can conceive of, frequently leading to discrimination and offensive stereotyping. Adam Atler, a contributor to Psychology Today, explains that
“Categorical labelling is a tool that humans use to resolve the impossible complexity of the environments we grapple to perceive.” He goes on to make the point that while some labels are useful and necessary in everyday life (for example, the media labelling an escaped murder as “dangerous”) most merely create self-fulfilling prophesies. In other words, we make ourselves believe that people are living up to the labels we give them, not only seemingly justifying our use of labels but also making unfair judgements about people. What I urge readers to take away from this, is that the only labels that can rightfully stick to you are the ones you give yourself. If you know that above all else, you are a person who is happy and comfortable with who you are, then you will be; because there will never be a label that can describe the whole of the one, the only, the unique you. Every week, the Features section will publish an article exploring liberation issues. But you have to write it! Let us know if you’re interested by emailing features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
Gordon: He’s a Union Man Jon-Rhys Foster Third year undergraduate
by Electoral Calculus, Labour are likely to be in turmoil come May 2015. Eleven seats belonging to Labour and one belonging to the Lib Dem’s is thought to be in play for Labour and the SNP. Of these Labour currently hold a lead in just three and in those three that leads is no bigger than 3 percentage points. The Nationalists lead in 8 seats and the Tories lead in 1, but in all 12 Labour still have a chance. Whilst 12 seats may sound minuscule in the grand scheme of building a majority, in an election as uncertain as next years is predicted to be, those 12 seats could be the difference between the
plush benches of Government and another 5 years in the desolate wilderness of opposition. That is why it is vital for Labour to hang on across Scotland. And maybe Gordon Brown can make that happen. For the SNP, life after Alex Salmond remains an unknown. There is an opportunity for a big, unifying character in Scottish politics to lead the crusade for social justice. And whilst just a few short months ago it may have sounded ridiculous, a fired-up Gordon Brown may well be the answer. He may not quite be the saviour of the Union, but if used effectively, the last Labour Prime Minister could well guarantee the keys to Number 10 for the next.
Source: The Scotsman: John Devlin
T H E NAT I O N I S S A F E . Middle England sleep soundly in their beds. Ed Milliband has scrapped the envelope upon the back of which he was concocting plans of a future Labour majority. Apparently even the Queen is purring. Turns out we are better together. So, having had a couple of weeks to reflect, here is your inevitable Gordon Brown, saviour of the nation article. As has by now been almost universally proclaimed, Gordon Brown supposedly single-handedly saved the nation; the zeitgeist has anointed him as protector of the realm - the man who rode in, designed an effective plan for devolution and kicked Alex Salmond once again into the political wilderness. Unsurprisingly, this writer doesn’t quite subscribe that evangelical assessment, it cannot be denied that Brown is once again in the spotlight. In that one 13 minute speech, now something of folklore, Brown showed us all the Prime Minister he could have been. He was passionate. Ferocious. Emphatic. He was the leader Labour so desperately wanted him to be. He tugged
the heartstrings, stirred the blood, stiffened the sinews. Brown sold his vision not only of the Scotland’s future but the future of the Union. The question now, is what’s next? Brown himself has rubbished any suggestions of a front bench return, having stated he is “too old to be the comeback kid, too young to be an elder statesman.” Not even the most loyal of ‘Brownites’ is likely to agree; the thought of visibly placing the former PM anywhere near the 2015 election campaign is something Labour strategists and the wider public could not stomach. However, there may just be a role for him. ‘Too old to be comeback kid, too young to be the elder statesman’ could well be the perfect age to wreak havoc. Brown could, and perhaps should be utilised by Ed Milliband doing what he has already proven to be best at. One of the shrewdest moves available to Milliband right now may be to give Brown free reign to barnstorm his way across Scotland, and whip up a Labour frenzy. To allow Gordon to play Tory attack dog and help secure the base. According to the latest polling data
Solidarity and Double Standards: Why Palestine but not Kurdistan? Zwan Mahmod First year undergraduate THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IS well known and many, all around the world, stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. A people without a state who have been struggling for one for nearly 70 years. This support is generally underpinned by the principle of self determination. Compare this, though, to the campaign for Kurdish independence and statehood and the support vanishes. It is important to note that A protester in Australia, 2011. Source: Flikr: Takver
the Kurdish are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own, not a well known fact. Their struggle, furthermore, has been ongoing for a century since the fall of the Ottoman empire. Yet despite this, the Kurdish cause is curiously neglected by those who campaign for Palestine. There are two broad groups who support the Palestinian cause. Firstly, there are the Palestinians themselves and, more broadly, the world’s Muslims. The former have an obvious direct interest in the issue and the latter commonly appeal to their sense of religious duty to their brothers and sisters. The notion of the Ummah, the Arabic term for the “community” or “brotherhood”, of Muslim peoples is the reason it is argued that the Palestinian cause is not only an Arab issue but a global Muslim one. The second group are predominantly westerners who stand in solidarity with the Palestiains and argue that Israeli policy has been and is wrong or illegal. This is most common amongst the left and liberals but exists more generally in Western populations. The question for both of these groups is why do they fall so silent with the Kurdish cause?
Last week posters were scattered across the LSE campus which asked “Can Palestine be free?” The SWP (Socialist Workers’ Party) were also on campus giving out leaflets and asking people to attend a meeting on Palestine. Has such action been taken on behalf of the Kurdish people, by the SWP or by any other far-left groups? If so, how rare is it compared to the flood of protest on behalf of Palestine? There is, of course, an explanation for this. Some can genuinely claim ignorance as the media and journalists do focus on Palestine and ignore Kurdistan but it is still the responsibility of these individuals to familiarise themselves with the Kurdish cause once they are alerted to it. Muslims who exclusively support Palestine have the most to answer for in regard to the question posed. Are the predominantly Muslim Kurds not also part of their Ummah? What allows the Palestinians to receive such attention, especially in light of the Kurds fight against theocracy in the form of IS? The question, unfortunately, is not a matter of who the victim is but seems rather to be who the aggressor is. For this reason some believe it to be honourable to de-
fend the Palestinians against what to them is the primary enemy and consequently can barely recognise another legitimate cause, in this case, that of the Kurds. The antiSemitism of many on the Palestinian side is not direct but indicated by their exclusive obsession with Israel. In this regard, Iran provides a useful case study. Quite often when Iran’s nuclear programme and its human rights record is brought up the topic is instinctively flipped to Israel’s weapons and their treatment of the Palestinians. Can one not condemn Iran whilst simultaneously condemning Israel? The disproportionate focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict seems to be precisely because it is Israel is the chosen enemy, an easy target. The Kurds fight for independence against Turkey, Syria, Iran and now IS. But taking issue with Israel above all else, often to the exclusion of anything else, is such an embedded meme among the two groups I identified earlier, that the Palestine lobby very often finds itself incapable of showing its solidarity with the Kurds. It remains to be seen what kind of event or geopolitical shift would shake them into an honourable and consistent position.
corner Katie Budd RAG President At RAG we spend lots of time considering which charities to work with each year. The decisions are tricky and so many factors need consideration. Though our 3 main charities are decided entirely by a university-wide vote, we are much more limited when it comes to who we can work with for our big external challenges. Only a few charities have the capacity to support these kind of treks! Nonetheless, Kilimanjaro alone raised over £33,000 last year, so we take the decision very seriously. Our choice for the last two years has been a small international development charity called Dig Deep. We’ve always been conscious of the potential problems related to development charities: from the debate about whether aid actually works, to problems of British charities imposing solutions on local people, to accusations of post-colonialism. When we decided to work with Dig Deep these issues were at the forefront of our minds. Dig Deep, however, is a development charity with a difference. To put it simply, Dig Deep’s aim is to give rural communities in South Western Kenya access to clean water and sanitation. What sets them apart is the way they do it. All the projects are led by communities themselves and the charity builds long term relationships with them. Rather than having solutions imposed upon them, Kenyan communities lead and are central in the project planning, implementation and monitoring. By running their treks inhouse, the charity cuts out the middle man, increases the proportion of money raised that’s going to charity, and ensures that the Kilimanjaro porters get the best wage on the mountain. The size of the charity is our final reason for partnering with them. With an annual income of under £350,000 and a focused geographical scope, we know that the money our trekkers raise is really going to make a difference and we can see exactly where it’s going. Disagree with any of our writers’ analyses? Send in your own to features@thebeaveronline.co.uk or submit online!
Photo
Tuesday October 21, 2014
Politics and Forum breakfast Croissants and conversation Baking The society tries making some no-bake cheesecakes Hot Sweaty Beavers Tom Maksymiw and Alastair Duncan give Ultimate Frisbee a go
Hockey
Ju Jitsu A&D Officer Alastair Duncan gives Ju Juitsu a go. The Beaver believes he has not suffered any major injuries.
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“Can’t talk Richard, I’m busy using a search engine. It’s called Google, you might have heard of it”
EVERYMAN: BETWEEN A HOCK AND A SHARD PLACE The Saw Swee Hock building is not the best new building in the country, after it was pipped to the Stirling Prize by Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre.
In a glitzy and horrendously overpriced ceremony on Thursday night, in which architecture’s great and pretentious gathered to nibble vol-au-vents and make jokes about
girders, the LSE delegation was left disappointed.
The director of the Everyman Theatre said that “this prize is dedicated to the people of Liverpool, who have proven that this great city has finally moved into the 21st century”, before adding “don’t buy the Tab”. She strongly denied that the name of the building was gender norma-
tive.
LSESU General Secretary Nona Buckley-Irvine-U-turn said that “we pulled out all the stops, but sadly it wasn’t to be this time. Even our last minute attempts to imitate the Everyman by plastering our faces all over the window of the Tuns didn’t work.”
Saw Swee Hock, the Statistics Professor who lent the building his name, was unconcerned. “The heteroscedasticity of Stirling in comparison with the Yen is particularly galling with regards to purely inelastic goods, which contributes to its weakness in global markets. As long as we perform better in the Yuan Prize and the Dollar Award I’ll be happy.”
THE CONTENDERS: IN LANGUAGE YOU’LL UNDERSTAND!
THE SHARD
WHAT THEY SAY: A mostly-empty monument to Mammon and a totem of Qatari investment WHAT THEY MEAN: Quite expensive and very tall (you leave our Qatari investment alone- Ed)
MANCHESTER SCHOOL OF ART
WHAT THEY SAY: An airy “design shed” of open studios, designed to encourage cross-fertilisation between departments. WHAT THEY MEAN: Walls knocked through so you can shout to your mate rather than texting him.
LONDON AQUATIC CENTRE
WHAT THEY SAY: A piece of liquid drama. WHAT THEY MEAN: There’s lots of water.
LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM
WHAT THEY SAY: It is a place of permanence, of storing material ideally for ever, and of passing through, a contrast that the design brings out. WHAT THEY MEAN: It may look shit, but it probably won’t blow down in a storm and there are lots of books.
Tuesday October 21, 2014
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A NAB GUIDE: HOW TO FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
The last week was hectic for everyone. Some were trying to select their courses, others trying to find the best pubs, trying to find the best looking studs/babes, finding ways to recover from hangover, trying to get a job in a job fair (sic!) and few trying to catch “The Apprentice” show after job fair at 9.30pm. Maybe everyone had different reasons but I tried doing all those things and was unsuccessful in all. The reason? If you run after things, they will run farther. Like love. So, stay in your bed and enjoy all of the above. Yes. Home delivery style. I am not master job hunter but I am definitely experienced job seeker. Also I have seen job markets across regions from Asia to Australia, America to Europe. Yes you guessed it right, I have not been to Africa so far. You are already smart. You are almost there. You may need some finishing touches. I would like to share few tips on internship and job hunting.
After all the reading list and assignments, you are too tired to even listen about home work. Ok bed work. To impress the interviewer, you need to have some background about the company, about the industry challenges and some general topics. The only way you can achieve this is by regularly reading newspaper, journals and debates in TV. Wait what? Who reads journal in these days and what is TV? Ok the solution is let’s add some dash of facebook into it. Nowadays every other news site has fb page and you can like those pages to stay in touch with all the news, right in your news feed. Also subscribe to news channel in youtube and watch few debates after you watch some reality shows in youtube. Try to read about the industry rankings to
have broader view of the industry. Also look for the challenges in the industry you want to work for. Rule no 2: Presentation- Dress up and wear a big smile
Alright, now you have got enough info about the company, industry and some of the challenges and opportunities. You are ready to speak but even before you speak, your own presentation speaks louder than words. Spend your money for the best suit and be clean shaven unless you are Ryan Gosling or Brad Pitt. Match up your suit with new tie and you are ready to go for a professional. For girls, I would advise to dress in professional attire. Rule no 3: Attitude with an aptitude Now you know what to speak and you look smart, next throw some attitude. But with an aptitude. Show eagerness. Raise your hands. Be proactive and show your positive attitude in everything. Try to show team work in whatever way possible, show empathy and be sensible. Today’s corporate wold is very diverse and they want you to understand that. Speak to your senior to know about corporate culture or if you don’t have attend some meetup event (www. meetup.com) where senior professionals from industry network. We are working in a very diverse working environment and employers want you to be sensible of that. Try to make sure that you fit in the corporate culture through all these. Rule no 4: Covering letter and Resume/CV After all the background and lecture this is like exam. Your whole career of study and work is presented in the 2 pager CV. Employers are interested to know more about you, where you come from and what have you done, where you want to
Picture: BBC
PIcture: CC Licence
By Anup Aryal
Rule no 1. : Do your homework - by using Facebook
reach from these two pages.
Pizza with toppings?
Use commonly used format but try to personalise it over the time with your own words. The covering letter is more of a brief synopsis on who you are, what you are doing now and what you want to do if you get a job in the company you are applying. Put yourself at the centre of it and the company you want to work just around. CV and covering letter writing session at University can help more if you have not yet started or have a dustbin CV. Dustbin CV is a CV which is thrown to dustbin and a good CV is one which is simple, flowing and readable in 6 seconds.
Experienced or Zero experience? This is for those who do not have work experience. Fake it till you make it. I saw one resume which said the person worked for the elected representative. While it can be just weekend volunteering but you still can write you worked for 6 months. So join any activity, where volunteer, paid part time or any society clubs. You can also become freelancer (freelancer.com) in internet and boast about it in your CV. Employer like people who take initiative, show leadership and can work in team. These can be proved through experience only. And remember any type of experience is better than no experience.
Rule no 5: Social Media savvy Make a linkedin profile if you do not have one yet. Also Linkedin provides a whole lot of avenues to explore companies, industry, job titles, career graph of professionals. Check this data. There are 108,345 LSE alumni in Linkedin. US represents the second highest alumni after UK. 11000 work for finance and Pwc is one of the highest employes. So use data analytics and do not forget to apply with PwC. There will be many such insights. Also check for the websites like Jobindeed.com, cityjobs.com and Career page of the company you want to work for. Try to read the job descriptions and try to fit yourself, your CV and covering letter there. One last point on social media. Clean your drunken fb pics and social media presence which you don’t want potential employer to see. Google yourself and check that you do not have any unwanted internet presence. Also all these jobs and internship on job fairs will have to be processed through online. So even if you missed the career fairs you can still be the first in the internet race. Do the research and apply early. Rule no 6: Pizza without topping or
Rule no 7: Bullshitting If you can’t do any of the above, you still have a chance, if you know how to do bullshitting. There are people who are hard worker like the ones who will go through all the above steps and follow them diligently and there are the few smart workers (rather leaders) who do a lot of bullshitting and say with confidently I have done all above without investing much time. I remember one of my Managers. He joined the company recently and did not know anything about the department, process and the challenges. But still he shined. How? Bullshitting. Listening to other people, observing them, remodelling the observations, reframing them and speaking with confidence. To practice this, catch a guy from undergrad if you are grad and practice blabbering. You have to start early to gain this to perfection by the time you are in interview scenario. Second option is pick up a topic and record a video in your smartphone and watch yourself speak, your hand movements and gestures. I think this is enough to get an interview call. Once you get interview call, I will advise you how to turn it into a job and also my remuneration. No free lunch here. Alright till then enjoy your free
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Tuesday October 21, 2014
THE ALTERNATIVE Wednesday Dare 2 Think Bar Crawl: Dare 2 Drink Do you like to think that you think outside the box? You’re wrong, because the box doesn’t exist! Join us for an evening of fearless philosophising without being tethered by the pesky constraints of logic, language and evidence. Who are we? If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, is it still a tree? Was Hegel right, or was he left? The only thing we know is that we (unfortunately) exist. For more information, Dial Ectic on 012 Dr2Thnk Owhocares.
Ju Jit-SU: Floor a Sabb Ever been tempted to put Alastair Duncan on his backside? Now’s your chance!
Thursday DIY Constitution
Friday London 2230
Join the Sabb team to brainstorm your ideas for reform of student governance. Backs of fag packets are provided but you need to bring your own pen and sense of self-righteousness. No prior thought necessary. Anything that involves democracy is frowned upon. The most complicated proposal will be put to an online vote last week.
Be a part of London’s future, albeit not literally. Come and join for us a morning of imagining what EVERYONE’S favourite city will look like after the nuclear apocalypse. Inspiring! Proactive! Change-making! These are just some words. Join a DIVERSE panel of Zombie Boris Johnson, some flesheating bacteria and someone who once used Google to have YOUR say #ilovelondon #london #bojo4eva #eventhoughfuckthetories #webuiltthiscityonplatitudes
NUS March on Imperial After the success of last year’s Defending the Indefensible workshop, the nice student politicos of the NUS take time out of their busy schedule of squabbling and banning things to invite you to their latest crusade against imperialist discourse: burning down Imperial College. Join us to purge this linguistic symbol of bourgeois Orientalism. If you have fun, sign up for our future camnpaigns to ban King’s College and curds and whey.
A GUIDE TO SOCIAL CLIMBING: THE PARVENU PROBLEM You see pockets of them all over campus; dressed immaculately in skinny jeans and dark flowing coats, speaking rigid international English. Your idea of a far-flung holiday might be Budapest. Theirs: Pyongyang and Kathmandu with Grimshaw before rejoining family in Bangkok. These people are a walking, talking justification for why you left your home friends in the dust, rejected a more comfortable Russell Group university place and moved to LSE’s tumult. But, being 19 and desperate for a job in The City, you crave external validation. Until you’re friends with these people and have photos doing a ski season with them up on Facebook, your life is as empty and meaningless as the SU UGM. Stage 1: Locate The first part is the most tiresome. You
need to find out what these people do and where they congregate. On the top of the list are ECs and lectures. Sitting in the Shaw Library, eyeholes cut out of your otherwise useless LSE100 handouts, you watch patiently. In time, you begin pasting locales to your corkboard. IR200, group Meditation on Thursdays and Fashion Soc are all neatly connected by pins and coloured string. Soon you catch some of them shamelessly promoting £100+ investment conference tickets via email. Target acquired. Stage 2: Infiltrate You apply to be Senior Deputy Vice President of Operations and Marketing for the EMEA Subcommittee of the Equity Investment Conference. You have to come to uni in a fucking suit to try and convince the 17 year old Malaysian
Men’s Rugby Banter Workshop Use dribble and crayons to make your own distasteful leaflets. Prior understanding of the word ‘pernicious’ helpful but not required.
An Anonymous Satirist
Society President to take you. He asks you about your knowledge of FX risk, which you successfully bullshit. Soon you’re standing shoulderto-shoulder with Marcus, Liliane and the heir to Raf Simons in the ‘Executive Team’ photo on their website. Stage 3: Captivate
The most important rule to heed whilst inching towards friendship is to be entirely apathetic. Like all good dysfunctional relationships, power is held by the person least interested. This goes doubly so if the people you’re trying to impress are French. After the 11am venue meeting, you casually invite Oréolaurilié and friends to Fleet River (her continental sensibilities mean she’s physically incapable of turning down the opportunity to eat £12.50 quiche). Following this, you
need the wits necessary to hold a vapid conversation about the decline of the Berlin clubbing scene or how twerking is cultural appropriation. With care, commence this fencing match of words - just don’t forget to check your privilege. After half an hour, and having hopefully survived this engagement, you excuse yourself for some trumped-up reason (such as needing to submit your IMF internship application). As you leave, Marcus taps you on the shoulder and offers you his iMessage details. You’ve made it. You’ve propelled yourself so far up the social stratosphere you’ll never even hear the words Zoo Bar again. Just pray that a future faux pas doesn’t topple this newly built house of cards. Like confusing hummus for baba ganoush during a Palestinian Solidarity cook-off.
Sport
Tuesday October 21, 2014
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Active LifeStylE 5-a-side off to Successful Start in Shoreditch
ONE OF THE NEW ACTIVITIES that have already started is a 5-a-side Football league. Twelve teams have entered the league which takes place on Wednesday afternoons at Powerleague in Shoreditch. The teams will play each other once in a round robin format over the Michaelmas and Lent terms. The league gives students not involved in the FC teams an opportunity to play Football on a regular basis. The first afternoon of the league took place on Wednesday October 15, with Abacus the early table-toppers after a 19-6 thrashing of Team FC Wednesday Club. FC Comparative Ballitics, meanwhile, secured a thrilling win over Bend it Like Bentham. Speaking to The Beaver afterwards, MSc student Louis of Comparative Ballitics (above left) said “it’s a great event. The pitches are great, the organisation has been excellent, everyone is playing fair. Really it’s been alot of fun.” Bankside Athletic sit second after beating The Blackjacks 2311, followed by The Habibis.
“Hackrington Stanley? Who are they?”
THE BEAVER TEAM ‘HACKRINGTON Stanley’ went down to a valiant 20-15 defeat against the expensively-assembled European galacticos of ‘Unreal Madrid’. The Beaver team got off to a fast start as executive editor and Francis Jeffers-impersonator Jon Allsop prodded in from close range after an incisive pass from Kranjcar Hulm (or should that be Iain Hume?). This seemed to sting Unreal Madrid into action, however, and they quickly turned the tables, blasting a volley of long-range(ish) goals past versatile libero goalkeeper Liam ‘Boaz
My’Hill. Hackrington Stanley, named after npower League Two side Accrington Stanley (obviously), soon found their feet again and salvaged some pride before the break, as Allsop refused to track back and subsequently completed his hat-trick from an array of very offside positions. After a half-time reassessment which largely consisted of resentful and optimistic stereotyping of the opposition, Hackrington kept it much tighter after the break. This was due in part to the goalkeeping heroics of Bristol City fan Seb Ash-ton Gate, who through a
combination of guts, quick reflexes and not wearing his glasses somehow got in the way of all the opposition’s best efforts. Unfortunately, another blitzkrieg of strikes within the space of five minutes finished off any hopes that Hackrington may have had of a comeback. Ash clipped in a neat finish after being liberated from his Adriano Basso duties and Mike Pearson added a late 15th after Allsop’s only successful backheel (and believe me, there were a fucking lot) found him space on the right-wing (where he seems to feel at home). Pearson’s goal ensured that the re-
sult gained an air of respectability. Reports that the team will soon be renamed Hackrington Stanley Beavers by Allam Sugar, founder of Dam-strad (sorry) remain subject to SU approval. Speaking after the game, manager ‘Appy ‘Arry Maxwell said “The lads put in a good shift today, however we need more quality up front, in midfield and at the back. And in goal.” ‘Arry, however, refused to comment on rumours that he will return to former club MK Donszelmann to poach Russia utility man Alexander Gleb, merely saying that he was “a top, top player and a great lad” before winding up his car window and driving off. Maxwell will be backed by owner Sugar, who has told his manager that he will be fired if he fails to secure a top-four finish this series. Analysing the game on the Active LifeStylE League Show, Leroy RoSEnior told Manish Poly-Bashin’ “Not the best result for the lads, but I thought they were fantastic. I worked with Seb while I was at Bristol City and he’s such a lovely lad. It’s so nice to see him doing well.” Steve Claridge, who counts Hackrington amongst
his 92 football league clubs, (and Weymouth) said “I agree with Leroy, except they were terrible. If they like I’ll come out of retirement and play for them.” Hackrington will be counting (lol) on a better result against Abacus next week. They will then face a late-coming SU team featuring such stars as Wes Bruhn, hard-man striker Ali Duncan Ferguson, former Reading midfielder and Gen Sec Jay Sabb and diminutive Brazilian wunderkind Pullarinho. The team will be managed by Nona Alan-Irvine, although it is rumoured that she may soon be replaced by first-team coach Tom Maksy-Meulensteen.
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Sport
Tuesday October 21, 2014
LSESU Launches Active LifeStylE James Ralph Active LifeStylE Project Manager LSESU IS ONE OF 60 ORGANISATIONS across the country to be awarded funding from Sport England through the University Sport Activation Fund. The funding, which is for three years from 2014 to 2017 will enable LSESU to provide an exciting new programme of recreational sport and physical activity for LSE students. Our unique programme is called ‘Active LifeStylE’ and it starts this term. Through the programme LSE students will have the opportunity to take part in a range of new intramural leagues, drop-in sessions, beginner courses and one-off events. Activities will take place throughout the academic year and will be based either on the LSE campus or at venues within central London. Some of the new activities on offer include: weekly 5-a-side Football leagues at Powerleague
in Old Street, golf lessons at Urban Golf in Soho, running groups around the local area, dance classes in the Venue, table tennis events at Bounce and swimming at University of London Union Swimming Pool. Every activity within the project is subsidised in order to make it as accessible as possible to all students. Prices range depending on the activity. Some events are completely free but you will need to sign up and pay for regular leagues and classes with prices ranging from one to twenty pounds. The activities are designed to give students the freedom and flexibility to take part as little or as often as they like. Whilst many activities have already been arranged students are encouraged to give their input and to shape the future programme. If you have any ideas or would like further information about the programme then please contact James Ralph, LSESU Active LifeStylE Project Manager, J.Ralph@lse.ac.uk, or visit http://www.lsesu.com/whatson/
Running There are two new recreational Running groups taking place weekly on Monday and Thursday at 6pm. If you want to get back into Running or just want to take part in some light activity or simply meet new people then these sessions are for you. It’s completely FREE to attend and there is no need to book a place. Both sessions start and finish at the LSE campus. If you would like to take part then simply meet outside the Saw Swee Hock building at 6pm on either day. Changing facilities, showers, and lockers are available at the LSESU Gym on the 4th floor. Swimming LSE students can now take advantage of a discounted swim offer at the ULU swimming pool. For £15 (50 per cent discount) you get unlimited use of the pool for a whole month. There are only 25 passes available each month and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Once you have purchased a pass you will have the opportunity to renew it each month. If you would like to take advantage of this offer then you can visit ULU on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October to sign up. However, please e-mail James Ralph if you would like to take
up the offer as ULU needs to be provided with a list of names. Golf Get five hours of Golf lessons at Urban Golf Soho for just £35 per person. This is a 50 per cent discount! All lessons will take place on consecutive Wednesday afternoons (either 1pm to 2pm or 2pm to 3pm). You will receive one hour of coaching a week over a period of 5 weeks. The first session is on Wednesday 22nd October. There are only 10 places available and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis. You must pay for the full block of five sessions up front. To book a place please visit the website: http://www.lsesu. com/ents/event/2984/ 5-a-side Football A fortnightly drop-in 5-a-side Football session at Powerleague in Shoreditch starts on Friday 24th October. Sessions will take place from 6pm to 8pm every other Friday and cost £2 per person. Anyone who would like to come along to the first session can book their place here: http://www.lsesu.com/ents/ event/2954/ U Canoe As part of the events to mark the grand opening of the Saw Swee
Hock building there will be a ‘U Canoe’ taster session on Friday 24th October from 3pm to 4.30pm. Come along to the Activities Studio on the 6th Floor and try out one of the ‘KayakPro’ Indoor Kayaking machines. KayakPro ergometers are used for training by elite athletes and national teams. We will be running a Kayak Challenge - How fast can you paddle 500m? There will be a prize for the student who sets the best time. If you’d like some help from your friends then enter the team competition. As a team of 3 you can take part in a relay challenge to complete 1500m in the best overall time. Squash On Sunday 26th October there is an open Squash session for any student who is not already a member of the Squash club. The session will run from 11am to 1pm in squash courts 2 and 3 which are located in the basement of East Building. It’s completely free and all equipment will be provided. Spaces are limited so please reserve a place to avoid disappointment. If you would like to book a place then please sign up via the website: http://www.lsesu.com/ents/ event/3006/
Formula 1: There is no I in Team Rayhan Chouglay Sports Writer
THE ABOVE HEADLINE IS A cliché but it works to remind me of how the concept of a team is very different in every sport and is now constantly changing in most of them. Many sports you would consider to be individual sports are very team orientated and vice versa. For example tennis seems like one of the most individual sports around, often it is just you against your opponent across the net until the very end. However there is a lot of teamwork behind the scenesparticularly in the modern game. You only have to observe the negotiations Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova had with prospective coaches to realise that tennis is very much about an individual working with a team of coaches who are by a player’s side all the way until they get to the court. It is the same with golf to an extent. Furthermore in both sports certain tournaments and competitions require a team in the more traditional sense for example
the Davis Cup for tennis and the Ryder Cup for golf. Formula 1 is a sport which on the surface and in the media is very focused on the individual drivers; the main prize is the World Driver’s Championship after all. It is the star drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton that draw most of the attention. However, what many casual viewers may not notice is that the team dynamics is extremely important and convoluted within the sport. It is the World Constructors Championship that decides how much prize money each team receives at the end of the season, not the Driver’s Championship. Therefore all the teams’ main focus is on that, which is why you see them employing team orders occasionally; they want both cars to finish the race in order for them to get maximum points no matter what the psychological consequences are on their drivers. Of course, historically this has led to controversy- Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in 1989, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet in 1986 and 1987,
Alonso and Hamilton in 2007 and now most recently Hamilton and Rosberg in 2014. All of the above pairings have come to mental and sometimes physical conflicts and it is all because the team dynamic of the sport has to compete with the individual egos of the drivers. Therefore even in a sport priding itself as the pinnacle of man and machine has a team element to it. By contrast the ultimate team sport of football has become a lot more about the individual in recent years. The huge transfer fees of certain players has exacerbated that; Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85 million and Luis Suarez to Barcelona for £75 million come immediately to mind. The huge media attention on Lionel Messi and Neymar during the World Cup just highlights how teams are becoming more and more focused around one player; Johan Cruyff’s dream of total football is dying a slow death year by year. The huge wages and star power of players means that they now control the sport and what direction it moves in, not the coaches. It is coaches and managers that you
see being fired frequently while players stay in their comfortable positions month after month, year after year. Fernando Torres was an almost abject failure at Chelsea but he stayed in the team while he saw Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas Boas, Roberto di Matteo, Rafael Benitez and now Jose Mourinho come and go at the club with varying success. Why? Because Torres cost £50 million and the owner Roman Abromavich wanted to see his investment paid back. Football is no longer solely about the team. Cycling is another example which has gained more attention in recent years, at least here in the UK with Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome competing to be top dog in Team Sky in an effort to win the individual achievement of the Tour de France. In road races like that the team is crucial to victory but in the end it is only the leading cyclist who really gets most of the glory. It is a very unique and volatile situation which emphasises
the fact that being in a team is extremely complicated. Even within the LSE and other universities this conflict between individual and team can be seen. We have many teams within the school such as football, rugby and basketball. However every member of the team has come from a different department or subject or course. During training and games they are working together but outside of that within university they will have to focus on their own academic careers. This helps to highlight how the concept of a team is usually only sustained within a specific time period and context. In summary the statement that there is no ‘I’ in team is not so much a cliché anymore in both the amateur and professional spheres.
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Boxing at LSE: A Blow-by-Blow Account Kamran Miah Boxing Co-Captain GET INVOLVED WITH LSESU Boxing! The Boxing captains for 2014/15 are Kamran Miah and Jang-Gun Park. We train from 6-8 pm on Tuesday and Friday in the Badminton Court of the Old Building at LSE. A typical session structure looks something like this: Warm up - 30 mins Technical drills - 20 mins
FRESHERS IN THEIR NATURAL habitat are meek and scared. Sometimes confused about the standings in their packs, they are slapped down by their alpha superiors. Punishments of downing pints is the way to restore natural order in this jungle. A scene alumnus David Attenborough would lust about. This Wednesday was met by a variety of costumes. Most notably the apparently hilarious effort by the FC, who hilariously decided to dress in hilariously tight fitting
Padwork drills - 30 mins Sparring - 20 mins Conditioning - 20 mins So far we have had 25 to 30 people attending each session. The majority of those attending are new to the sport and the next three weeks are focused on beginners, so this is the best time to start. Boxing has many benefits: 1) Improved fitness - if you regularly attend sessions you will see a significant increase in your endurance. A single boxing session can burn over 1,000 calories.
leopardtards apparently unaware that this hilarious act is the easiest way to get cheap laughs (second only to making hilarious puns out of people’s names). One team who didn’t fit the jungle theme was NOT Rugby who seemed to have proved Darwin wrong by defying natural selection. Squash questioned NOT Rugby’s evolutionary traits, and nearly got squished. As the jungle entered Zoo Bar (oh, I get it now! V clever. AU smart, me dumb) animalistic desires took over as sweaty people got with sweaty people. Growl. Mr LSE prowled his old (and controversially-won) stomping ground by mating with the selfstyled fun Fresher from Netball 4s. Squash were determined to continue with doing something
2) Self-defence - you will be taught how to block, dodge and throw punches. These skills may be useful if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation. 3) Stress relief - boxing in a high-energy group environment helps to relieve physical and mental stress. There are many misconceptions about boxing: 1) You need to have great fitness - many people claim that they aren’t fit enough to box, but the training sessions help you work on that. Everyone does the workouts together and there are a wide range of members, so you won’t feel out of your depth. 2) It involves getting hurt - you will be taught effective offensive and defensive skills before being allowed to spar. Sparring is optional and anyone that does spar is made aware of the club’s ‘no dickheads policy’. This means that if you are sparring someone smaller or less experienced than yourself, you should not throw hard shots. 3) You need to be big, strong and powerful - boxing is a very
interesting for the first time ever while being led by The Fresh Prince of Squash, who: In west Etonia born and raised, in St. Tropez is where he spent most of his days, chilling out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool, and shooting some bird foul outside of school… He looked at his kingdom, and was finally there, to get off with WFC’s Hydair. Two third years decided to take advantage of Zoo Bar’s couple counselling, with the mediator being every embarrassed Zoo Bar patron. I’m not going to jump to any Harried conclusions here but seriously, save it for later. Fat Ronaldo waddled out of Alcamaz to seek some redemption, although we hear there wasn’t any tunnelling through shit. The Bane of the FC returned,
technical sport and other factors, such as technique, timing and speed, are often much more important than size or strength. We have many exciting plans for this year: 1) Inter-university training - from November we will have monthly sessions with UCL, Imperial, KCL, Queen Mary’s and Kingston University. 2) Pan-London University Boxing Show - those who participate in the inter-uni training sessions will be able to box for LSE against a boxer of similar size, weight and experience in February. 3) LSE Fight Night - this is the biggest event of the year for the club. If you train regularly and demonstrate your commitment to
causing rifts among members. Ra’s Nar Ula, Scareness, and Commissioner Gordon Cauldron were at first unaware of each other’s acts. When Joke comments were made, the remarks soon turned Poisonous, and the atmosphere became Freezey. Oblivious onlookers were Riddled. Penguin. As the lights rose, the nocturnal creatures of Zoo Bar decided to sleep. Some were successful in their mating, some proved their dominance at the watering hole, and some were eaten by seedy predators. Such is the nature of life. Despite being omnipotent and benevolent, the Bev Report lacks omniscience. Send in the escapades you witnessed to sports@ thebeaveronline.co.uk
the sport, you will have the chance to box in front of a crowd of more than 300. Interested in joining? Your first session is free, after which it is £3 pay as you go. If after your taster session you want to become a member, then you can buy a membership on www.lsesu.com. If you have any questions feel free to email me at K.Miah@lse.ac.uk.