PartB: THE GAZE- JADE JACKMAN’S INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST MARK NEVILLE
Beaver
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Issue 823 | 13.01.15
newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union
LSE Rent Guarantor Scheme Important Step Closer to Reality Kanan Parida Staff Writer IN 2014, LONDON HOUSING PRICES were, on average, twenty percent higher than the UK average, placing the housing prices at a rate higher than ever before. Not only are prices high, properties are so in demand that flat rentals have become a major concern for London students, such as those studying at the London School of Economics (LSE). With only first year, postgraduate and general course students being guaranteed LSE accommodation, the rest of the student body has been struggling with the problem of sorting out accommodation for the year; this can be particularly tough for international students. The School’s Sabbatical officers have been working for years to introduce a rent guarantor scheme. This could be enormously beneficial to LSE students on two fronts. Firstly, many lease agreements for students require a Rent Guarantor, or a parent/guardian living in the UK who will take
responsibility to pay rent in the event that the tenant fails to do so. The LSE sabbatical officers have been pushing for the LSE to become a rent guarantor for students, which will be hugely beneficial to international students for whom it may prove more difficult to find a guarantor in the UK. Moreover, the rent guarantor scheme means that LSE will be able to sign the tenancy agreement on behalf of students so that they may not have to pay months in advance. Though the scheme has not being passed yet, it has been taken as a matter to the Financial Committee this month and is under review. LSESU General Secretary Nona Buckley-Irvine commented that this motion to the Financial Committee is “a huge step, and if it passes, we will finally have this scheme in place!” Chief Financial Officer of the LSE, Andrew Farrell, wrote that “It is right that this is something Sabbs have pressed for for years. We will now go forward with a positive recommendation to implement a scheme similar to that which operates at UCL.”
Comment: Why I’ll Be Backing This Week’s Assessment Boycott Dr. Pat McGovern
LSE UCU Branch Chair, Reader., Dept. of Sociology
NOUS SOMMES TOUS
ON FRIDAY THE 16TH OF JANUARY, LSE academics will probably resume the boycott on the assessment of exam-related work. Assuming that the USS Trustees endorse a much-disputed valuation of the pension fund at a meeting on the 15th of January, universities across the UK will find themselves in an unwanted and unnecessary ‘winter of discontent’. None of us are looking forward to this. This marking boycott is part of an ongoing struggle against the commercialization of UK universities. Student fees have risen astronomi-
Features Sport
Mike Otsuka on pensions dispute Ski Trip Round-up Page 27 Page 32
cally, while, except for VCs and top management, terms and conditions of academics are declining across the UK university system. For instance, a recent analysis by Deloitte shows that UK lecturers earn less than their counterparts in Australia, Canada and the USA. So despite our university system being ranked second after the United States in various studies, UK academics’ pay is amongst the lowest of the major English-speaking countries. Now, the academic pension scheme is under attack. Those of us who work in the longestablished universities belong to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which is one of the largest and Continued page 9
Room 2.02, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, LSE Students’ Union London WC2A 2AE
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Executive Editor Jon Allsop
editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Managing Editor Alexander Fyfe
Established in 1949 Issue No. 823- Tuesday 13 January 2015 - tinyurl.com/beaver823 Telephone: 0207 955 6705 Email: editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk Website: www.beaveronline.co.uk Twitter: @beaveronline
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PartB Editors Jade Jackman Vikki Hui
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The City Editor Julia Wacket
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Features Editors Liam Hill George Harrison
Tuesday January 13, 2015
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The Beaver would like to thank the LSE Annual Fund, whose generous financial support will soon allow us to replace our existing hardware. We intend to redistribute our existing Macs within the LSE community, more details to follow. We will also be running a fuller feature on the work of the Annual Fund in due course. This year, competition for grants was fierce, with only 44 of 122 applications receiving funding. We are delighted that the Annual Fund recognised our contribution to student life in their award. Tom Maksymiw @TomMaksymiw This is incredible: @LSESU is selling a ‘Wright’s Bar’ t-shirt @beaveronline @ LSESUFashion
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Design Editor Liam Hill
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The Collective:
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 Morgan, C Naschert, C Hu, D Hung, D Lai, D Sippel, D Tighe, D Wong, E Arnold, E Wilkie, G Cafiero, G Greenwood, G Harrison, 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 Foster, J Grabiner, J Hodsoll, J Heeks, J Jackman, J Momodu, J Ruther, J Wacket, K Budd, K Kalaichelvan, K Owusu, K Parida, K Quinn, L Hill, L Kang, L Kendall, L Erich, L Mai, L Montebello, L Schofield, L van der Linden, L Weigold, M Akram, M Banerjee-Palmer, M Brien, M Crockett, M Domenech Ensenat, M Gallo, M Jaganmohan, M Johnson, M Kamal, M Malik, M Morissette, M Neergheen, M Pasha, M Pearson, M Pennill, M Petrocheilos, M Rakus, M Rakus, M Strauss, M Warbis, N Antoniou, N Bhaladhare, N Buckley-Irvine, N Stringer, O Ampuero-Villagran, O Hill, O Gleeson, P Amoroso, P Blinkhorn, P Gederi, R Browne, R J Charnock, R Chouglay, R Chua, R Huq, R Kouros, R O’Rourke, R Park, R Serunjogi, R Siddique, R Soni, R Uddin, R Watt, S Ali, S Ash, S Barnett, S BrS Crabbe-Field, S Donszelmann, S Kunovska, S Povey, S Sebatindira, S Thandi, T Maksymiw, T Mushtaq, T Odayar, T Poole, V Hui, Z Chan, Z Mahmod 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
Gareth Rosser @GarethRosser1 Well that’s next year’s Literature section sorted
Jon Allsop and Alexander Fyfe on showing solidarity with Charlie
From the Executive and Managing Editors WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH the editorial policy of Charlie Hebdo or not, and whether you think that the depiction of religious idols such as the Prophet Muhammad are distasteful or entirely fair game, there can and must be no disagreement on the central lesson of this tragic week: freedom of expression is an inalienable right. Those who condemn the massacres but maintain that we should not sacralise such a controversial magazine miss the point. Ultimately, Charlie Hebdo was targeted because it was controversial, its editorial staff sickeningly massacred in their office for their uncompromising attitude to satire. If we do not express solidarity with ‘Charlie’ then we risk blurring our key message: that free speech is essential whether we like it or not, and that it is of-
ten most challenging to stand up for those views we do not like. When we write ‘Je Suis Charlie’, we do not do so with the intention of wholeheartedly endorsing their message or tactics. Very simply, we are all Charlie because we all have a right to say what we want. This is both the crux and the full extent of this issue. Those who would tell us, from both left and right, that identifying with Charlie Hebdo necessarily entails trenchant support for all of their past activities, have quite frankly misassessed this issue. The debate over Muhammad cartoons has already started, as you will see in our Comment section this week. It is right that this debate should be had and it is imperative that it is conducted freely; without censorious constraint but also with the keen sense of responsibility that free speech should always en-
tail. Whilst it might seem needless to so adamantly condemn such a cowardly abhorrence, this betrays a complacency that we cannot afford to bely. There are those in the world, and sadly they are not few in number, who would bully and terrorise us into shutting our mouths because they can’t stomach what we might have to say. These people are visibly prepared to enact the severest form of censorship with little care for collateral damage. We are reminded with great poignancy that whilst some very famous journalists lost their lives last week for their freedom to ridicule, so did a caretaker, two police officers and unconnected members of the public. We must put obfuscation aside and say with one voice that ‘we are Charlie’, because these troglyditic thugs with their arrogant misinterpretation of theology cannot win.
Nij T @NijTee Lol this random man at kingsbury is wrapping something up with the LSE beaver newspaper??? @beaveronline .@NijTee makes excellent wrapping paper for friends and family, apparently
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News
Tuesday January 13, 2015
Section Editors: Megan Crockett and Mahatir Pasha news@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Photo credits: Wikicommons
Change at the Top: Myners to Replace Peter Sutherland as Chair of Governors Jon Allsop Executive Editor The former City Minister Lord Paul Myners will become the new Chair of the LSE’s Court of Governors in February, after the body approved the recommendation that he should succeed Peter Sutherland in the role. Lord Myners served as Financial Services Secretary in former UK Premier Gordon Brown’s ‘Government of all the talents’ from 2008-2010 and has worked in the City since 1974. He has chaired numerous major organisations, from The Tate, to the Guardian Media Group, to Marks and Spencer, to the Low Pay Commission. Serving as City Minister at the heart of the financial crisis, Lord Myners was instrumental in implementing a £500 million bank rescue package. He became embroiled in controversy in 2009, after former Royal Bank of Scotland Chairman Sir Tom McKillop disputed Myners’ assertion that he had played no part in authorising a large pension payout to disgraced former RBS Chief Executive Fred
Goodwin. McKillop told a parliamentary committee that every aspect of Goodwin’s payout had been discussed with Lord Myners. Lord Myners also made headlines in 2009 and 2010 after criticising the ‘greed is good’ culture permeating the UK financial services industry, telling The Guardian that “we need to re-examine an economic model that seems to work much better for investment banks than for businesses and workers”. The Daily Mail reported, meanwhile, that Myners planned to become a theology student as he was disgusted by the greed he had seen in the City. Lord Myners will replace Peter Sutherland as Chair of the Court of Governors. Sutherland, who has held the post since 2008, is the former Chairman of British Petroleum and the current non-executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs. Sutherland was Chair during the Gaddafi scandal in 2011, when the LSE was found to awarded a doctorate to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Sutherland was criticised at the time for his links to the Libyan regime, with whom he had overseen
a major oil contract during his time at BP. At an LSE Council meeting in 2009, Sutherland declared a conflict of interest and so recused himself from accepting a £1.5 million donation to the School from a charity headed by Colonel Gaddafi. Sutherland was further criticised by former BBC Panorama journalist John Sweeney, who alleged in an interview with The Beaver in October that Sutherland and LSE Director Professor Craig Calhoun had publicly over-ruled an internal decision not to call for Sweeney’s documentary ‘North Korea Undercover’ to be pulled by the BBC in April 2013. In an e-mail to students yesterday, Professor Calhoun said that “Peter Sutherland has served as Chairman since 2008. His term of office has seen rapid and profound changes in the higher education sector and at the School. Throughout, Mr Sutherland has brought outstanding wisdom and leadership of the highest quality to the School’s Court and Council. LSE is deeply grateful to him for the support and stability he has provided during a period of significant challenge and transformation.”
Analysis The arrival of Lord Myners represents something of a coup for the LSE but whether it will signify a new direction or not is unclear. Myners is an impressively credentialled individual with government experience, and his key role in Gordon Brown’s under-rated handling of the global economic crisis post-2007 certainly proved that he has what it takes to operate effectively in a highly pressurised and scrutinised job. The LSE goldfish bowl has tended not to refract too much attention on the Chair of the Court of Governors at moments of crisis and scandal, although at a university so frequently beset by controversy it cannot be under-estimated what an important and influential effect the holder of this position exerts as effective leader of the School’s governance. What is so impressive about Myners’ appointment is the balance he will hopefully strike between maintaining LSE’s tight relationship with the world of finance and bringing a keen moral eye to
questions of financing and development. A life-long City worker with a plethora of high-profile contacts, he has more recently made headlines for his sharp criticisms of City cultures and calls for a culture of responsibility within finance. Given the myriad ethical questions surrounding LSE’s financing, it is to be hoped that Myners will be bringing his moral compass with him as he enters the job. The Sutherland era at LSE has undoubtedly seen our ties to big City institutions strengthen, and has coincided with a solidification of LSE’s reputation as a training ground for the UK’s financial elite. Sutherland’s personal ties to Goldman Sachs surely cannot be ignored in any analysis of this focus. The defining moment of Sutherland’s tenure was clearly the Libya scandal, and when his links to Libya from his time at BP was examined by the Woolf Report, it emerged he had recused himself from a meeting to discuss LSE’s acceptance of money from the Gaddafi regime. Myners will hopefully show sensible foresight when it comes to considering foreign donations, in what is a critical period for the School’s reputation.
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In Brief London School of Economics is the ‘Best Uni Knighthood Awarded to LSE Professor Professor Julian Le Grand has been awarded a knighthood for services to social science and public service. Julian Le Grand has been the Richard Titmuss Professor of Social Policy at the LSE since 1993. From 2003 to 2005 he was seconded to No 10 Downing Street to serve as Senior Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair. In addition to chairing a number of government groups he has acted as an adviser to the President of the European Commission, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, the OECD, HM Treasury, the UK Department of Work and Pensions and the BBC.
LSE Faculty Member Dies on New Year’s Day On New Year’s Day 2015, LSE lost one of its most famous and distinguished faculty members. Ulrich Beck was among the first Centennial Professors recruited to LSE when that programme was created by then-Director Anthony Giddens in 1997. He identified strongly with LSE and its cosmopolitan vision and remained an active part of the School until his death. Beck studied Law and Philosophy before turning to Sociology, in which he did his PhD under Karl Martin Bolte at Munich. LSE Director Professor Craig Calhoun paid tribute to the worldrenowned sociologist.
‘Feeling Delighted’ about Two New Microwaves The General Secretary of the LSESU, Nona BuckleyIrvine, posted a picture of a microwave on Facebook during the Christmas break. The caption “We’ve just bought two of these to put on campus... stay tuned for the latest updates on microwaves,” and the tag ‘feeling delighted’ accompanied the picture. The day before the start of Lent term, their installation was unveiled.
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
for Nightlife’ According to Student Survey
Kallum Pearmain Staff Reporter The London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) has broken the mould by being the first London University to be voted top for nightlife in a survey carried out on students. The survey, which was carried out by undergraduates, focused on pubs, clubs and the music scene around the uni; which is no surprise when the swanky bars of Covent Garden and the wide variety of music scenes, such as Camden and Shoreditch. The Guardian suggested that perhaps the reason behind the School’s arrival at the top of the charts is because the nightlife at the School perfectly suits its students; claiming that perhaps the nightlife consists of ‘waltzing with each other after a hard day’s studying of
command economics, to the strain of “I’ve danced with a man who’s danced with a girl who’s danced with a former policy advisor to Ed Miliband”?’. An alternative theory put forward by the Guardian is that the students at LSE are so ‘depressed by the recession, lack of skilled jobs for
those with higher qualifications and their £27,000+ debts, they’re downing tools in favour of nights of hedonistic abandon’. Of course, there could be an alternative explanation. Perhaps the LSE Students’ Union’s (SU) strap line of Work Hard Play Hard is finally getting through to those on
Wikicommons
campus. Perhaps its the influence of northern students, as up until now the Scottish and Northern Universities have enjoyed the greatest reputations as party places; it could be the case this mindset is rubbing off on the students flocking to the LSE. There is no doubt that this news comes as some what as a shock, when told of the new rankings a Reading Student and Club Promoter had to google the claim to ensure it was true as it sounded so ‘nonsensical’ to them. However, it seems the students at the School believe the School is exactly where it should be in the rankings; a second year Social Policy and Politics Student exclaimed, ‘I had the time of my life last year, Freshers Week kick started the party instinct in us all and it didn’t stop. Freshers Week this year has been even bigger, so I can only assume first years are partying even harder than us.’ Read Perdita Blinkhorn in Comment, p9
LSE 3rd in REF 2014 Table of Excellence Megan Crockett News Editor The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) ranked third in the 2014 Times Higher Education Research Excellence Framework (REF) moving up one place from 2008 and beating both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The Times Higher Education’s ranking of institutions based on the grade point average of their results continues to be dominated by traditional research powers; the Institute of Cancer Research topped the charts followed by Imperial College London. There was movement within the result table despite the Institute of Cancer Research retaining its position at the top of the chart from 2008. Imperial College London has risen from sixth to second, while the University of Cambridge fell to fifth place. Medical institutions tended to dominate the REF 2014 top 10 by impact; despite being a medical institution the School came joint tenth with the University of Bristol. As well as the chart for excellence, The Institute of Cancer Research topped the chart by impact. Ranked solely on quality of outputs, LSE finds itself joint top with the Institute of Cancer Research, followed closely by Oxford, then Cambridge and Imperial College London. Margot James, Conservative
MP for Stourbridge, said on Twitter that she was ‘Proud to hear LSE has topped the research tables for British Universities, beating Oxbridge for level of world-leading research. More broadly, the research showed that London universities are breaking up the traditional dominance of Oxford and Cambridge.
The LSE has the highest proportion of “world-leading” research among UK universities. In addition, in rankings based on research grades, University College London has overtaken Cambridge for the first time. These findings are based on a massive funding-council project evaluating the quality of research at universities across the UK, with
the last similar exercise having been published in 2008. The ranking of research is important as research ratings will determine the allocation of £2bn public funding for universities each year. It can only be hoped that the School continues to improve and go from strength to strength with regards to their research rankings.
Research Excellence Framework
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
New Years’ Cheer for London Commuters London Uni Suyin Haynes News Reporter January 5th was the first working day back to work in 2015 for millions of London commuters, some of whom found a series of ‘cheerful’ quotes printed on posters on the London Underground, telling them their jobs are ‘bullshit’. The quotes in question come from an article by London School of Economics (LSE) anthropology Professor and activist David Graeber written in 2013 entitled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs”. It is estimated that there are roughly two hundred posters in circulation on different lines of the Underground, with fun and optimistic lines such as “It’s as if someone were out there making up pointless jobs for the sake of keeping us all working.” and “Huge swathes of people spend their days performing tasks they secretly believe do not really need to be performed.” Interestingly, the force behind the creation of the posters remains a mystery, and even Graeber himself has no knowledge of who has put these posters up, saying he was “amused” by the appearance
of extracts from his article to brighten up London’s day. When asked whether he thought the timing of the appearance of the poster coinciding with the back-to-work blues of 2015, Graeber said “yes, it’s my understanding that was the point; Christmas is a time you spend with your family, friends, people you really care about, thinking about how the imperatives of economic life are secondary to what’s really important. To be jolted back into
the workaday world is already a wrench. I think the idea was to take that vague feeling that there’s something hollow and wrong going on, and give it more of a political content.” Graeber said that the most interesting comment he saw on the campaign on social media came from someone who responded to his remark that “it seems the more obviously your work benefits other people, the less they’ll pay you,” by offering a corollary, or perhaps cor-
rective: “the more moral compromises required by the job, the higher the pay.” On a final note, Graeber’s word of advice to LSE students is “we don’t have to live this way. If there’s anyone who has the power to start the world in a direction that makes some kind of moral sense, you do.” The original article by David Graeber is available on STRIKE! It can be viewed here:http:// strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/ .
Vice Media
Lilian Knowles House Evacuated After Power Outage in Michaelmas Week 10 Sam Barnett News Reporter Students of LSE’s Lilian Knowles postgraduate residence were left without utilities for a few days during the last week of Michaelmas Term as the surrounding area experienced failures from the electricity and water supply. The hall, located near Liverpool Street station in East London, was struck by the outages on Tuesday morning. After restoration efforts from the independent operating firm Sanctuary Students, the outages were restored to full operation by 10am on Thursday. Residents of the halls, which has a capacity for 365 students, as a result, were evacuated on Tuesday. Whilst repair work took place they were unable to return. Dozens of Lilian Knowles residents faced uncertain conditions at such short
notice; many slept on the floor of the conference room at Rosebery Hall, and occupants received an email stating that “We strongly advise students who can stay with friends to continue to do so”, from LSE Residential Services. Compensation for hotel rooms was also offered, but residences expressed concern about the availability of rooms in the immediate LSE area. The LSE also offered hotel rooms and alternative accommodation to students through LSE residences, as well as £25 in credit for all residents as a compensation for the inconvenience. MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation student Sasha Jattansingh told the Beaver “LSE and Sanctuary are trying their best to rectify the situation and are providing frequent updates to the residents”. Director of Finance Andrew Farrell apologised for the continuing problems on Twitter, calling them ‘not acceptable’ and thanking students for their patience.
Sanctuary Students
Round-up
KING’S College London (KCL) are in the process of rebranding after a three-year-long project costing more than £300,000. The new name will be ‘King’s London’. Although the plans propose changing the brand name to King’s London, the legal name of the university would remain King’s College London. In an email to staff and students, KCL Principal Ed Byrne admitted there had been “much concern” over the changes, which led to a 11,000-strong petition against the plans. One student is even thinking about taking legal action against the institution. King’s will now rethink the controversial rebranding — with the Principal confirming the name is ‘not fixed’ and new consultations will take place in the New Year.
A major glitch in the Admissions Office mailings system at University College London (UCL) sent thousands of emails to current and prospective students, as well as former applicants. Those who recieved the emails were informed of “changes in their application statuses”, in the second major email spamming scandal at UCL in a single term. Pi Media recieved confirmation from UCL’s press office, that emails had also been sent to prospective applicant and sixth-formers. However, claims made by other media about offers being made as a result of the glitch, have been strictly denied.
The London Student relaunches after being shut down as a result of failing to secure funding of £54,000 from the University of London Union (ULU). The paper is based online for now. The paper came back into business, independent from ULU on the 5th January. A former editor of King’s College London’s student newspaper, is overseeing London Student this year as an interim editor until a new democratic structure is put into place later this year.
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How have they done? Sabbatical Officers’ halfway reports Nona Buckley-Irvine General Secretary Successes: Leaving the Men’s Rugby controversy aside momentarily, Nona oversaw LSESU’s biggest Orientation to date, and has to her credit a better schedule of events not revolving around alcohol and the first Freshers’ Ball. Operation Liberation, designed and pushed forward in lieu of the scandal at the beginning of term, has seen a number of steps taken within the SU and some small progress on liberation issues being made at school level, as well as having achieved a more broad and wide-ranging discussion of liberation on campus than in previous years. One concrete example of progress in the area is the SU having been signed up to the Good Night out campaign, which should train bar staff to deal with sexual harrassment cases. The Annual Fund budget set aside for societies and clubs has also been incresed from £250,000 to £300,000. Meal deals, such as the pizza with wedges deal, at the first floor café are the most prominent examples of reduced-priced catering and have proved popular. Furthermore, new squash courts will be in place next year when the old ones are demolished.
Coming up: Nona’s priorities for Lent term include the passing of the rent guarantor scheme at Finance Committee, the creation of a campaign to freeze hall rents and look into other ways of cutting the cost of living for LSE students through the School, the creation of a campaign to “fix” international fees, the continuation of Operation Liberation including the achievement of long-lasting structural changes in the SU, and to lobby political parties at the general election to adopt a student-friendly agenda. Also in the manifesto: “SU TRANSPARENCY. I will publish budgets with every penny accounted for.” Comment: Nona has clearly been an extremely visible representative for students and must be credited with revamping the Sabbs’ communication strategy. She has been most recognised for her decision to disband the Men’s Rugby Club, which, while divisive, was a strong and, ultimately, unavoidable move. Her one big failure was the rushed and abortive attempt to institute a ‘Student Council’, and it is to be hoped that any reform proposed this term will much more clearly thought through.
Tom Maksymiw Education Officer Successes: Despite the fact that the Education Officer’s role consists often of meetings with department, library and school officials, Tom has been a visible presence on campus, leading the no campaign in the referendum on NUS disaffiliation and organising an excellent (the Beaver team won) Christmas pub quiz. He has also made himself accessible to students by putting on the ‘Course Rep Congress’ and ‘Re-Imagining Your Education’ events, to liaise with students about their priorities with regard to changing how teaching, feedback and exams are structured at LSE. He has also worked to secure his manifesto promises regarding study space, with space added on the lower ground and fourth floors of the library and with space to be added in 32 Lincoln’s Inn later this year, and course collections. Tom is also working to secure exam feedback for students across all departments, to which end he has also spearheaded the creation of a working group on Academic Board to focus on summative assessment. Plus, beanbags in student centre!
Coming up: Tom’s priorities in Lent Term are to continue his efforts to ecure exam feedback for students, expand and improve student study spaces, to increase opportunities for staff and students to interact, including pub quizzes and a dodgeball tournament, to lead a registraion drive in the run up to the General Election in May and to organise and host on-campus events. Also in the manifesto: “Get all students basic exam feedback, so they know exactly what they need to work on to improve.” Comment: Precisely because the Education Officer’s role consists mostly of activity invisible to most students, it is difficult to assess Tom’s work this term, although, like Nona, he has consistently succeeded in communicating often dry policy detail to the student body, often in these pages. Exam feedback for IR students is a great start, but there is much work to be done to ensure that this is rolled out across the School, and it remains to be seen whether this is a realistic, achievable objective.
Sebastian Bruhn Community and Welfare Officer Successes: Among Seb’s most recognisable achievments last term are the inagural training sessions for halls committees, which should make for more efficient and receptive halls committees. He has also worked to organise World Mental Heatlth Day with Mark Malik, the Disabled Students’ Officer, and Interfaith Week. Seb has also been as part of Operation Liberation, working with SU liberation officers and consulting on how best to gather information about sexism and homophobia within the school and involving himself in the School-wide review of equality and diversity training. He has also worked with Nadia Raslan, the Environment and Ethics Officer, to promote sustainable development projects, and takes some of the credit for how far the Union’s long-standing goal of creating a Rent Guarantor has come so far. Coming up: Seb’s priorities for Lent term include the ‘Wellbeing Project,’ which should be in place
to provide support during the exam period in Summer term. ‘Global Village’ week will also take place this term and Seb will no doubt play a considerable role in organising and supporting it. Other prioities include organising general election-related events, supporting and campaigning on behalf of international students, and to put on a ‘Green Week,’ which will highlight the world’s environmental challenges and pose potential solutions. Also in the manifesto: “I would push for integration between the university’s counseling and support services.” Comment: The chief role of the Community and Welfare Officer is to be approachable and open to any students who need advice or guidance. Seb has performed this role well in conjunction with liberation officers, as can be seen above. If passed, the rent guarantor scheme will make a hugely positive difference to the lives of students and will rank as an outstanding achievement and tangible legacy. Perhaps, however, Seb could be a little more proactively visisble when it comes to leading on divisive issues such as the Men’s Rugby scandal, on which he has allowed other Sabbs to take the lead.
Alastair Duncan Activities and Development Officer Successes: Alastair has spent much of his time this year working to improve the AU. His ‘AU For All’ campaign has been an overarching theme to his time as Activities and Development Officer so far. The first ever AU forum and the Men’s Rugby Working Group are examples of this, as well as the coordination of inclusive sporting events like touch rugby. In Freshers’ week he coordinated entertainment for students, often in guise as ‘MC Naughty’, including events for those who didn’t buy a RAG band. Popular schemes like Give it a Go have been expanded, with 15 societies and clubs running free taster sessions in one day, and another festival planned for Week 2 of Lent term. He helped allocate a record amount of Annual Fund finance to students, including a £40 000 Travel Fund which will open soon, and has been in constant contact with both societies and students, running weekly dropping sessions on Friday in the ARC. Communications-wise, he has begun to organise footage of sports fixtures and has helped launch LSESU Stories (see opposite)
Coming up: Alastair’s priorities largely entail continuing his Michaelmas work, with an AU Leadership Day and AU For All banner both in the pipeline. More events (such as Student Talent Saucy in week 9), Annual Fund allocations and student contact also feature prominently. Alastair also plans to organise a 1000 student petition to secure a sports hall for student use, which should be popular with the AU. Also in the manifesto: Push for creation of an SU events officer. Comment: Dubious hats, bad DJing and cringey nicknames aside, communication has been Alastair’s strong point and in the role of A & D Officer that is crucial. His first ever Beaver article earlier this term, which he admitted to finding a challenge to write, was a clear and earnest expression of what is clearly a real desire to make the AU more inclusive. He has made sound early steps in this direction, but has admitted that attendance at the first Men’s Rugby Working Group event was ‘disappointing’. He will ultimately be judged in progress he makes on reforming AU cultures, an unenviable task.
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News
Tuesday January 13, 2015
News Analysis: Sabb Report Cards
Megan Crockett On reflection of the Sabb Report Cards, it seems that our votes were not misplaced last Easter, the officers are clearly performing their roles to an extremely high standard. Who else could be McNaughty other than Alastair Duncan? Who else could throw a term-ending Pub Quiz like Tom Maksymiw? And how could we possibly forgot the mind-blowing event that was ‘Your Union’ Week? Teasing aside, the Sabbs have worked hard throughout Michaelmas Term to ensure inclusivity for the whole student body, above and beyond what has been seen before. Alastair Duncan, Activities and Development Officer, held a Bowling Night during Freshers
Week for all of those who missed out on the exclusive RAG band, ensuring all Freshers had a week to remember and got to meet people before Week 1. Nona Buckley-Irvine, General Secretary, also held non-alcoholic events during the week and throughout term to ensure that those who do not partake in a “cheeky bevy” still get to participate in nights out; but this time it is with like-minded people who are not relying on a designated driver. Seb Bruhn, Community and Welfare Officer, has worked to ensure there is more Halal and Kosher meats being provided around campus, catering to the needs of a wider variety of students. There is no doubting that this year’s Sabbs have worked extremely hard to make Houghton Street an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Another achievement boasted by Buckley-Irvine and Bruhn is the Rent Guarantor Scheme; a scheme that many Sabbs before them have attempted without making as much headway as this years. However, celebrations on social media sites still may prove premature; the scheme has not as of yet been
passed, rather, it is currently going before the Finance Committee, to be tweaked before implementation is considered. If passed, the scheme will make the lives of the student body, especially the lives of international students, a lot easier, by removing the stress of having to find a UK resident to guaran-
“The Sabbs have worked hard to ensure inclusivity for the whole student body, above and beyond what has been seen before” tee their accommodation in their second and third year should they choose to live outside of halls in the private rented sector. Tom Maksymiw, Education Officer, claimed that one of his achievements last term was ensuring that the Students’ Union remained affiliated with the National
Union of Students. There was a strong campaign for both sides of the argument on campus, with students such as Josh Hitchens and Hari Prabu advocating disaffiliation, however, Maskymiw fought to keep our Union affiliated and more importantly perhaps, keep our student discount! However, the lack of broader campus debate surrounding the motion and the failure of the ‘no’ campaign to gain quoracy (despite an admittedly daunting threshold due to the constitutional requirements of referenda) perhaps reflects that apathy also played a large part in our decision to remain in the NUS. Activities and Development Officer Alastair Duncan has spent much of his time dealing with the fallout from Men’s Rugby and has been proactive in his attempts to reform working cultures within the AU. However changing attitudes can rarely be reduced to workshops and whilst this is clearly the only immediately feasible way forward, tangible targets for AU behaviour should be made clearer going forward to assess how much progress has really been made ahead of any move to reinstate the club.
One final achievement mentioned by both Buckley-Irvine and Bruhn is the reduction in catering costs on campus. Although it is acknowledged by all cash-strapped students that the Weston Café is perhaps a little too pricey, the cost in most of the outlets on campus were considered by some to be out of reach. However, although prices have dwindled, so has the appearance of the trusty Squid card. In previous academic years, one would earn points when using their Squid card that could be redeemed later against food in the cafés; this system has seemingly vanished, with rumours that the money spent on the ‘free food’ from the points is now given to the SU instead. This also seemed to happen with very little consultation with the student body. Of course, it all evens itself out, as the money you save purchase-on-purchase would have made up the majority of the money spent on the item you redeemed using the points. All in all Michaelmas Term was a successful one for our Sabbatical Officers. Let us hope that the candidates standing this Easter can fill these rather large shoes.
Comment
Tuesday January 13, 2015
8
Section Editorial:
Section Editor: Ellen Wilkie Deputy Editors: Mallika Iyer, Natasha Su Sivarajah comment@thebeaveronline.co.uk
WHILST I WOULD like to be writing an editorial expounding my New Years Resolutions (this year to ‘work hard, play hard’; thanks for the idea Nona), the start 2015 and to Lent Term has been overshadowed by the shooting of 12 satirists and writers at the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris. Pages 10 and 11 this week are devoted to opinions relating to the shootings. I find Samiha and Rahat’s article to be particularly pertinent considering the diversity of belief present at the LSE. The shock we all feel following the actions of a minority of Islamist extremists must not divide our little Houghton Street melting pot, and we should not ask those who do belong to the Islamic faith to answer for the actions of those that do not represent them. Whilst such sentiments do not seem fitting given the events which began 2015, I would like to wish a Happy New Year and a Happy Lent Term to all.
Why I’ll Be Backing This Week’s Assessment Boycott
Comment
Ellen Wilkie
Dr. Pat McGovern Continued from Page 1 most stable pension schemes in the country. Most members have a pension that is calculated on the basis of the final salary that we earn before retirement. So if you don’t become a full professor until late in your career because you wanted to devote extra time to teaching, you could still enjoy a decent pension for your efforts. Regrettably, there are proposals to make significant changes to the pension scheme that will mean the closure of the final salary scheme, increases in subscription rates, and significantly reduced benefits that will slash retirement incomes by as much as £12,000 a year. This is on top of earlier changes imposed on the scheme three years ago which have already reduced pension benefits for in-coming members.
Why is this happening? Following a recent valuation of the USS pension scheme combined with plans for reducing financial risk, the employers and some USS board members claim that the scheme suffers from a £12.3 billion deficit, making a final salary, defined benefit scheme unsustainable. However, the calculation of the deficit and proposals to restructure the pension scheme rest on some distinctly dubious premises which have been highlighted in a letter by UK professors of statistics, financial mathematics and actuarial science, including some LSE Professors: http://www.maths. bath.ac.uk/~sw283/USSTrusteesDeficit21Nov2014.pdf. Official statements by the University of Oxford, the LSE, Warwick University and Imperial College have publicly criticised the proposed changes in academic pensions for relying on what Warwick University referred to as ‘over–pessimistic assumptions and inappropriate methodology’. The UCU’s financial advisors not only contest the deficit projections but also insist that the scheme is actually in very good financial health. The pension fund’s investments, for instance, have grown by £8bn since 2011 and annual income easily exceeds annual expenditure. These points have been recognized by students’ unions
from across the UK, including national NUS and NUS Scotland officers, who wrote to the Independent in November laying the blame for the current action firmly on university managements and Universities UK. In order to resist this unnecessary attack on an important collective asset, the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) felt that it had no alternative but to ballot for industrial action back in October. In the largest turnout for a national higher education ballot since the union was formed, 87% of those who voted were in favour of action short of a strike such as an assessment boycott. When compared to an all-out strike, an assessment boycott allows more time for this dispute to be resolved before the action starts disrupting the academic year. More recently, more than 17,000 academics have signed a petition calling for ‘a fair method of valuation which reflects the underlying strength of the USS fund’ and ‘a decent guaranteed pension income.’ Never in my twenty years of union membership have I seen an issue raise so much concern among my colleagues. The evident determination of academics to defend the pension scheme produced a swift response from the UUK, who agreed to resume talks on the matter. When talks actu-
Cartoon - by Jack Hodsoll
ally began in mid-November, the union suspended the assessment boycott until after the crunch USS board meeting on January 15th. While we hope for the best, chances of a fair resolution are doubtful. Much as I dislike the idea of disrupting the education of any student I believe I have no choice but to protect our right to a fair and decent pension. Whatever the current salaries of LSE academics there is no question that the proposals can only hurt the LSE’s ability to attract and retain talented faculty from across the globe. Even within London, academic and professional support staff would get a much more favourable pension if they were to move up the road to Baker Street and the University of Westminster. It is clear from the progress of this dispute that an overwhelming response from the university community will lead to a more rapid resolution, minimizing the effect on students. More than 17,000 academics have already signed a petition What can you do? Simply email Craig Calhoun at directorsoffice@lse.ac.uk and encourage him to press the national negotiators for a fair and sustainable proposal. Together we can make a difference. Further information on the dispute can be found at http:// defenduss.web.ucu.org.uk
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Comment
Tuesday January 13, 2015
Ain’t No Party Like An LSE-Club Party
Should we be so surprised that LSE’s nightlife has been ranked #1 in the UK?
Perdita Blinkhorn MUCH TO THE SURPRISE of students, LSE was recently voted by Which? as the number 1 university in the UK for its nightlife. Perhaps readers will be even more surprised to learn that this noble title was awarded on the basis of student feedback and reviews. I found this personally hard to fathom considering that one of the biggest turn-offs for students when they were applying to the LSE was its reputation for the poor social scene, with many joining sports clubs as social members in the hope that Wednesday night Zoo would fill this gap in their student experience. Traditionally, it seems
northern and Scottish universities have had a far better reputation that London for providing a good night scene for their students; they have lots of accessible clubs, but more importantly the drinks don’t end up costing more than your rent. Indeed, this was the first time any London uni had come top of the Which? survey. Despite this, LSE came out with 92% of correspondents (a high rating) agreeing that the university possesses the characteristic of “diverse local nightlife”. Even more mysteriously, this rates higher than any other factor of the uni, including the 89% of students who agreed the LSE was “political” and the low score of 45% when it came to “sport”. The actual comments from students may reveal a more balanced picture, as while many seemed happy to agree that the LSE possessed some for m of nightlife, comments such as this 2nd year student’s give a more mixed view: “Nightlife can be a little uninspiring, but that can be compensated easily if you make the effort to go out and do things. London is expensive, really expensive.” Other concerns expressed
about the social aspect of the university included how it was lacking if you didn’t live in halls, the hostile environment of the city and a need to rely on London clubs rather than SU organised activities due to their poor quality. So why was there such confusion when this achievement was recognised? Maybe the Beavers just know
“When I returned home over Christmas and met up with friends from other universities, I was shocked to hear that I seemingly did have the best nightlife out of all of them.” how to party? When I returned home over the Christmas holidays and met up with friends from universities including Exeter, Birmingham and St Mary’s, I was shocked to hear that I seem-
ingly did have the best nightlife out of all of them. The biggest advantage I have is certainly location; with LSE being in central London it is close to the big clubs like XOYO and Ministry of Sound, while also being a stones throw away from Soho. Public transport is cheap and runs practically 24 hours, despite the fact that loyd of things are within walking distance anyway. While prices seem to be the greatest disadvantage, many LSE students have become savvy to where they can get cheap drinks, student deals and free entry. As one commenter explained “ [I]n London so there is a huge range of diversity for local nightlife with loads of pubs, the best music venues in the country and lots of clubs, many offering student nights during the week.” The lack of popular activities organised by the Student Union seems to be the downside that is constantly being echoed, with some students now saying that the move from the old SU club “Crush” to the new “Saucy” has done very little to improve their student experience. However, students seem to have little problem in compensating by joining in
sports club socials, which by far seem to contain some of the most drunken activities of the week. Concerns have been raised by members of the AU however, that the sports clubs and LSE as a whole does not cater to non-drinking students. Which? didn’t seem to
“92% of correspondents agreed that the university has “diverse local nightlife”. Mysteriously, this rates higher than any other factor of the uni.” factor this aspect in. It seems that there is still an awful lot to do in London for LSE students, even if their wallets may be aching at the end of the weeks. For those still doubtful that LSE does possess the best nightlife in the UK, be good LSE students- go out and test the hypothesis.
We Should Be Excited About The Modern Slavery Bill
Realities of trafficking in the UK will be confronted by new legislation Beth Carlow OFTEN WE FIND OURSELVES cynical of UK politics, critical as to whether our politicians instil much hope or positive feeling in us at all. But, it’s not all bad news in Parliament: over the past few weeks the ‘Modern Slavery Bill’ has been passing through the House of Lords. This bill is ground breaking in many ways, and can be seen as a breakthrough in the fight against slavery today. It is easy to see slavery as a thing of the past, dealt with many years ago - especially with so many recent films dedicated to the plight of slaves. However, slavery is as prevalent in the world today as it has ever been. Globally, this shameful business rakes in $32 billion dollars a year (an estimate from the International Labour Organisation) and there are an estimated 21 million people trapped in some form of it. It’s easy to find many individual horror stories
from charities, some detailing the tragedy of young children being sold into sex slavery by their own families. It can be hard to believe
“While we are able to choose our futures there are people in this city like us with no choices and all their options torn away from them.” but the tragic reality is that this kind of slavery –trafficking - is growing in the UK. In this country these horrendous circumstances are inflicted on hundreds of victims each year. Taking the focus to the sex industry to illustrate the truths of this problem in the UK, 1128 people were identi-
fied by the National referral mechanism as sex slaves in 2013 (Spot the Traffik). This number of victims can sadly only be seen as the tip of the iceberg as there are expected to be hundreds, if not thousands more, victims who have not been referred. Of these victims it is estimated that the vast majority are aged 18-20. While we are able to choose our futures, and work to have every opportunity we want, there are people in this city like us with no choices and have all their options torn away from them. Even through just this brief outline of the facts concerning slavery in the UK, it is hard not to feel that something must be done to eradicate this. There are many great charities that have been set up to tackle this issue, some specific to the UK. Just a few you may want to look into are: International Justice Mission, Hope For Justice and the A21 Campaign.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has also produced a very interesting report on this issue, which is available online. This report for ms part of the basis for the drive behind The Modern Slavery bill. The Modern Slavery Bill
“Making the process of conviction simpler and clearer will also lead to a broader picture of the scale of this crime in the UK” (which is also available to read online) is so great because it proves that our Government is taking decisive action on this issue. Some of the key ac-
tions of the Bill include: the consolidation of human trafficking and slavery offences in the law to make it simpler to convict; increased sentences, including life imprisonment; and the introduction of slavery and trafficking prevention officers. Not only are the actions of this bill significant in that the Government is clearly making a stand against this issue, but making the process of conviction simpler and clearer will also lead to a broader picture of the scale of this crime in the UK. This Bill should give us more faith in politics. The law has such a capacity to be a powerful tool for positive and liberating change, and this Bill is a perfect example. The fact that slaves may be freed, and that this Bill may be another step in ending this atrocity once and for all makes it one worth watching as it continues its way through our parliament and into fruition.
Comment
Tuesday January 13, 2015
10
Charlie Hebdo: Your Reactions
I Am Only Accountable For Myself
The Muslim religion is not represented by the Paris shooters Samiha Begum and Rahat Siddique THE INCIDENTS IN PARIS between the 7th-9th Januar y have shocked us all and have brought, once again, deeprooted global issues to the forefront. The usual questions have been asked; ‘what is the future of Muslims in Europe?’, ‘when will these Muslims learn?’ and ‘why are we still tolerating Muslims in our communities?’ There is no doubt that the Charlie Hebdo attack has had a devastating effect on the Muslim global community. But are these the correct questions to be asking Muslims? Like the rest of the world, we condemn the acts committed by the Charlie Hebdo gunmen. The unfortunate reality is, the failure of a small group of individuals to respect and love humanity has been associated with Islam. As a Muslim, it becomes natural after each such act of extremism to explain to the entire world that these are of course the actions of a small group of people who aren’t reflective of the true spirit of Islam. It’s as though the world suffers from a perpetual state of amnesia and forgets you cannot hold an entire religious group account-
able for the shortcomings and ugliness of a few individuals. It is by nature that killing innocent people is considered barbaric and unacceptable, yet the world still questions the mental stability and humanity of 1.6
“Fundamentalists may claim to act in the name of Islam, but it’s not in the name of my Islam” billion people that they live alongside on a regular basis. Since the attacks, there has been an obligation imposed upon the Muslim community to apologise and feel collective guilt for the actions of these extreme fundamentalists. The call for all Muslims to apologise is based on the premise that this terrorism was committed ‘in the name of Islam’. As this is the logic we are following, then it is necessary to ask all Germans to apologise for Pegida’s anti-Muslim protests against the ‘Islamisation’ of their nation, all Lutheran Christians to apologise for 2012 Aurora (US) cinema shootings, all Hindus to apologise for the murders
of 2000 Muslims during the Gujarat riots in 2002, all white people to apologise for slavery, colonialsation and imperialism and if you happen to be a twitter user, please apologise for Rupert Murdoch’s tweets, and if you believe in democracy please apologise for all the western leaders killing families and children in other countries every day in your name. Fundamentalists may claim to act in the name of Islam, but it’s not in the name of my Islam and like James O’ Brien so perfectly said on LBC Radio, “Ahmed was in Berkshire, why should he apologise?” The response to the attack escalated quickly, from solidary hashtags such as #jesuischarlie to ambitions of genocide with #killallmuslims trending on twitter. When we compare this to similar incidents, such as the hostage situation in Melbourne which led to the hashtag ‘#illridewithyou, it speaks volumes about the disparities between how each case has been dealt with. Instead of standing in unity with the Muslim community that have unjustly been stigmatised with responsibility for this attack, Muslims are instead being further vilified and shunned by the global community. After an attack on
a mosque in Sweden, locals responded by ‘love bombing’ the mosque door with messages of support and solidarity. Instead in France we find that the Charlie Hebdo incident has legitimised attacks on mosques as some sort of retribution for the actions of a minority group. President Hollande said last Friday that his ‘free nation won’t give in to these attacks’. Playing on George Orwell’s words, some people are quite obviously freer than others in France. In a nation that has banned the hijab and niqab in schools and public service jobs, banned protests for Palestine and where the French fascist and racist National Front party won the highest score of any in the European parliamentary elections last May, if you’re a French Muslim, you’re less free than the average French person. What’s more, Charlie Hebdo even fired Maurice Sinet a cartoonist who published anti-Semitic drawings in 2009 on the grounds of ‘inciting racial hatred’. Where were the cries of free speech then? And, for those of us in the UK, well the 2011 Global Press Freedom Rankings placed the UK in 26th place. Clearly, the Paris shootings haven’t trig-
gered outrage at the lack of free speech, they’ve triggered an attack on Muslims. Secondly, who’s to say these cartoons were the reason for the shootings? Once the gunmen were found in a standoff between them and the police, they were shot; no confession, no jury, no actual reason was given. In our angry innocence, we persist in thinking this is an attack on our use of freedom of speech and satire. Do you truly think murderers care about satire? Do you truly believe a Muslim setting out to kill even cares about the Prophet Muhammad? Our hearts are with the families of the dead, but also the 33 Yemenis who died on the same day, anyone who was harmed from the NAACP bombing a couple days before and the Muslims in Europe that are going to suffer as a result of this shooting. We need to re-evaluate the questions we’re asking and to whom we’re asking them to ensure they build strong and constructive societies where everyone feels safe, regardless of their personal identity. We wish to see that justice prevails, but we also hope that intercommunity relations at all levels are not harmed.
Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie Hebdo
Declaration of ‘I am Charlie Hebdo’ expresses more than just solidarity with victims Beth Warne THIS ARTICLE CONDEMNS the actions of the gunmen who this week took the lives of 12 people in Paris: 10 staff of the Charlie Hebdo Magazine and two police officers. It was a senseless act of violence for which there is no justification. If you were seeking support for the “they had it coming” argument please stop reading now. Secondly I will defend to the hilt the rights of the Charlie Hebdo magazine to print what it wanted. Free speech is a necessary condition of any democracy, if you want to publish the moon is made of cheese and the censors tell you no, then call me up and we can stand in the rain with our signs until the rights of man are restored. But I am not Charlie Hebdo,
and people changing their profile pictures to the phrase need to think about the views they are rep-
“ The portrayal of Charlie Hebdo as a champion and not a victim is a step that should not be taken lightly.” resenting. Charlie Hebdo was an extreme publication; its radical atheism and lack of respect for religion were, to many people, religious or secular, extremely offensive. Just as moderate members of liberal, secular so-
ciety are outraged by the rhetoric of extremist religious ideologies, so too were they often incensed by the cartoons that appeared in this publication. Therefore before making the change, be aware the phrase “I am Charlie Hebdo” expresses more that solidarity. The “I am” suggests identification with a set of values, which, I would be very surprised to find matching with the personal stances of many of my friends who have chosen this method to express their grief. In the wake of such a tragedy such a minor linguistic point may seem crassly pedantic. However the fires of extremism are fed off the idea that religious ideology is irreconcilable with the societal values we enjoy today and such a show not only of support, but crucially of identification with the views often expressed in that pub-
lication does little to challenge this notion. It is important to condemn the actions of these terrorists, and subsequently to defend the right to free speech; but the portrayal of Charlie Hebdo as a champion and not a victim is a step that should not be taken lightly. I was moved to write this article after attending a Guardian Live event where Alan Rusbridger publicly pledged to re-print Charlie cartoons to show a lack of fear towards the violence suffered by his colleagues. Though touched by his bravery, I couldn’t help but wonder if two members of the EDL had shot an editor of a radical Islamist publication, whether Alan would be making the same commitment to print those victims’ controversial material in the name of defending free speech. Furthermore how many I AM AN
ISLAMIST profile pictures you would see changed in solidarity.
“ It is important to condemn the actions of these terrorists, and subsequently to defend the right to free speech” In times of crisis we naturally seek moral purity, to label the enemies bad and the victims good. However beware of a slide from mourning and seeking justice for the victims of this tragedy, to openly identifying yourself with the positions of Charlie Hebdo.
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Comment
Tuesday January 13, 2015
An Attack On Our Freedom To Offend
We must not be scared into silence by the events in Paris
Ryan O’Rourke THE ATTACK ON CHARLIE Hebdo last Wednesday was more than just horrendous and barbaric. In targeting a group of journalists who did nothing more than practise their rights as civilians of a western democracy, Cherif and Said Kouachi targeted the basic principles that most of us hold dear; not just the freedom of speech or expression, but the freedom to think and act freely. Now more than ever it is vital that two things take place. First, that editors and journalists as much out of principle as an act of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo both publish and write what they choose, and that those who do publish cartoons or articles which could be deemed blasphemous or “offensive” to a few be protected. Second, that the topic of discussing and critiquing islam is not turned into a taboo. Fear of Islamophobia and reprisals against law abiding Muslims who themselves find jihad repulsive is understandable. But to shrug off Islamist extrem-
ism as the act of a few will give far right movements and individuals such as Marine le Pen the initiative to take hold of the debate. It would be a victory for those who stormed the offices of Charlie Hebdo and those like them who will continue to hold a monopoly on the public face of Islam. The reason for this was best expressed by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a first hand victim of radical attack. There is a minority in Islam which is both transnational and lethal which is introducing into all societies the vision that if you do not live by their way of life they will kill you or make you submit to it. What Cherif and Said Kouachi did in the middle of Paris, and later on Friday by Amedy Coulibady is the fulfillment of this. As terrorists, their aim was not just to kill the cartoonists and editors who did no more than put pen to paper, but to make us fearful of even questioning what they believe. If media outlets or society at large do give in, both out of fear to criticise Islam and Islamism or out of fear of being labelled Islamophoblic, the terrorists will have won a victory. This should not be allowed to happen. First, said journalists should not be afraid to publish what they choose too. Editors of major newspapers in Britain, a country which prides itself on being the birthplace of the enlightenment and liberal values, have said they will not publish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons. This
is not out of shying away from offending but out of fear of reprisal. Unfortunately this shows terrorists are winning their war. And it gets worse, as this has precedent. In 2006 when a Danish cartoonist drew cartoons of Muhammed only one London based journalism outlet, Liberal, posted not the cartoon but a link to it. In response the London metropolitan Police told them to remove it or they could not stop them, their offices or workers from being attacked by fanatics. This should not be repeated. It is one of the many ways we should respond. The first is not to give those who gunned down journalists excuses which they did not ask for, whether these are socio-economic, a lack of social integration or foreign policy based. When the Kouachi brothers stormed into the offices, they did not shout these reasons out; they made very clear that their actions where to avenge the publication of cartoons of Muhammed they deemed blasphemous. Second, anyone who dares mention the phrases responsible speech or journalistic responsibilities should be held in contempt. There is a clear distinction between freedom to offend and freedom to incite hatred. A little more than 12 hours after the shootings when the gun smoke had barely settled over Paris, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, a former head of the Muslim Council of Britain went on national television and stated that we
should consider limiting freedom of speech; earlier on Wednesday a Muslim activist was quoted as saying publishing cartoons of the Prophet was equivalent to racism. This is as bad as terrorism; in-fact it is worse. Such statements are made with an air of respectability and essentially have the same objective; to stop us from criticising or expressing ourselves freely. Most important, is is vital that the topic of Islam is not dropped out of the public discussion, first because the terrorists themselves want this, and secondly because doing so will leave the discussion for the far right to have. It is true that the centre ground, particularly in the past decade, has lost its confidence when it comes to this issue out of fear of sounding like the far right. But it is undeniable that Islam suffers from many issues. Ordinary muslims do not benefit from a spokesperson or people for their religion in the same way Christianity or Judaism has. Into this vacuum has come the likes of Bin Laden and al-Baghdadi, who have hijacked the religious texts in the way they want. Law abiding, peaceful muslims themselves have to take back their faith and how it is presented in public; this includes criticising and allowing others to criticise their faith in the same way mainstream Christianity and Judaism has. This will achieve two things. First, it will take the initiative away from the extremists, and it will mute those who are truly
Islamophobic. It is horrifying that only two days before, thousands in Dresden again marched against what they see as the Islamic-takeover of Europe. A scan down a social media timeline may or may not reveal similar sentiments; reading the comments of the French National Front does. We should remember Muslims are first and foremost victims of Islamist terror, particularly in the Middle East. Second, it will tackle the primary reasons for radicalisation and terror. Social media and security are secondary to Islamism in why terror takes place. Peaceful Muslims, not we in the West, have to finally take a stand against those who have hijacked their religion. A stop to labelling criticism as racist or Islamophobic would be a start. The journalists of Charlie Hebdo were massacred merely for publishing cartoons that poked fun at Islam, as they did to all other religions and politicians of all strips. They were killed not for harming people or inciting hatred, but for expressing their opinions through pictures. We should not allow their deaths to lead to an impingement on freedoms, most of all the freedom to offend through satire and writing. Stephane Charbonnier, the editor of Charlie Hebdo who was killed on Wednesday said he’d prefer to die than live like a rat in a society where free speech is restrained. We should bear this in mind.
Photo: Dan Kitwood - Getty
Photo
Tuesday January 13, 2015
LSESU Education Officer Tom Maksymiw:
Kit Moran reports from the Charlie Hebdo rally in Trafalgar Square
Photo
At Trafalgar Square, just hours after the mass murder of journalists and police officers in Paris, a gathering was organised in remembrance of the victims and in support of free speech. French nationals, of whom there are tens of thousands living in London, made up the majority of the crowd, but there were also journalists, academics and LSE students paying their respects too. As the event was impromptu there were no speeches, merely silence broken by spontaneous singing of ‘La Marseillaise’. Some of those present raised pens, ‘Je
Suis Charlie’ posters or copies of Charlie Hebdo cartoons, most prolifically the cover cartoon bearing the slogan ‘L’Amour Plus Fort Que La Haine’ (love is stronger than hate). This small gathering on Trafalgar Square took place just hours after the first attack but the tragedy in France would continue for another two days, claiming at least another four lives. Further larger protests also took place in Trafalgar Square the following two days, at one of which the ‘Tricolore’ was projected on the National Gallery.
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The Beaver 09.10.2012
PartB Photo: Flickr Massimo Variolo
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
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technology THE ULTIMATE IN SUPERCAR LUXURY So, you have purchased a supercar north of £150,000. But what makes you stand out from the other ‘Average Joes’ who have similarly made the same investment? Here is where customising companies and luxury divisions of the most elite supercar brands step in.
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he first of these is Aston Martin’s bespoke personalisation service, ‘Q by Aston Martin’. The name, we can only assume, originates from the eccentric designer from the James Bond franchise, with which the Aston Martin brand has been closely associated over the past 20 years. The Q division are able to create custom gloss and matte exterior paint colours, exclusive interior leather combinations and contrasting stitching colours. Every minute detail of the exterior and cabin can be customised by particular owners, including carbon fibre trims, unique patterns stitched into the headrests and rose gold Aston Martin exterior badging. The cost of this level of uniqueness? It can push the £189,000 Vanquish coupé to well over £220,000. A small premium to pay for the über-wealthy to have one up on their friends at the golf club.
Bespoke car customisation is an expensive industry, but with the elite supercar buyers refusing to let their purchases blend into the Knightsbridge streets without every head turning, these divisions are essential parts of supercar companies, meaning customers feel special and unique with their often eccentric creations.
Photo credits: GFWilliams.net
The Range Rover has become a staple luxury car in the vast collections of the elite. But if it is just too bland in its current form, you can send your Range Rover Vogue over to Holland & Holland, a gunmaker founded in 1835, who have partnered with Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. Each panel is replaced with single pieces of veneered walnut; door handles are replaced with embossed Holland & Holland crafted aluminium; and reclining espresso leather seats and walnut tables allow owners to work or relax while being chauffeured. This unprecedented level of Range Rover luxury comes at a £70,000 premium over the ‘standard’ car, bringing the total to £180,000.
What if these options are just child’s play? For something truly special, the discerning supercar lover may turn their attentions to McLaren Special Operations (MSO). This division of the McLaren brand state that over 20% of cars leaving the McLaren factory have passed through the personalising hands of MSO. From the very noticeable changes, such as satin paintwork, to the minute details, MSO covers all bases. Unique heritage logos from the McLaren F1, custom interior buttons, wing details, custom Alcantara bucket seats and colour coding across the car are all possible from MSO. These special edition P1s can also feature 24-carat gold heatshields around the exhaust, and custom aluminium grilles around the rear diffuser. One wealthy businessman from Canada, Miles Nadal, even requested his P1 to be covered in Gulf racing colours (light blue and orange) with orange detailing on the brake callipers, side skirts and rear diffuser. With MSO, the sky is the limit, providing your bank account has no limit, with the average MSO McLaren P1 costing as close to £980,000 as makes no difference.
ROHAN SONI
partb editorial team PARTB
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FILM
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
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THE PATB INTERVIEW - MARK NEVILLE FLICKERING, PRESENCE, thoughts and a sense of potential are wrapped up in the filmmakers gaze. If you have the pleasure of sitting down with a skilled one, you won’t notice. From MARK NEVILLE’s list of highly acclaimed projects, you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that he surely is one of those. However, sincerity and intensity are not skills – they have to flow from the person holding onto the camera and it is these attributes that distinguish him as an artist. His thoughtful and considered attitude is reflected in his working methods; he described how he aims to spend long periods of time within communities in order to provide an deeper understanding of their circumstances. Although commonly defined as a photographer, his in-depth approach to his work aligns him with social scientists who seek to embed themselves in their communities. This sense of richness allows his work to visually communicate the kind of changes in society that are more frequently documented by academics. How would you describe your own work? I am commonly defined as a documentary photojournalist or a photographer and that is absolutely wrong. I do make photographs but I also make films, I publish books and distribute them. It feels very strange for me to be described as a photographer because taking the photo is only part of what I do… I am far more interested in how images end up being disseminated and the way that certain images are presented to us by the media. My work is about those structures and I sometimes use photography as my medium to question them. The work I produce is about challenging those frameworks, thinking about the audience and considering the ways art can have a direct affect on society. It makes it conceptually far more interesting! So, what do you think the social function of art should be? Art should aim high! …Even if it misses it is better to aim high and fail rather than stoop low but succeed. I definitely take that attitude with my own work… My project ‘Deeds Not Words’ was an incredibly long project that aimed to change the government’s environmental policy. We sent it out to the councils and got a couple of letters back but nothing happened. All the time I had been asking myself can an art book change policy? No, it couldn’t. It seemed like it failed but then a few years later things started to develop with the project in terms of impact… Personally, I am interested in wealth inequality, war and injustice so these are the topics I will try and address in my work. I also think art should have a direct impact on communities. For example, the Port Glasgow Book
Project, I asked members of the local boys football team to deliver copies of the book to all of houses of the local community. This idea was generated a direct response to the people I was working with. Is that what you meant by ‘empowerment of the subject’? I regret using that word now… It sounds like I am calling them oppressed and that I see it as my duty to lift them out of their oppression! That isn’t what I meant… What I wanted to say is that we, as artists, should make our subjects part of the process on all levels. We should making them our primary audience and not restrict our vision to the art world. I usually begin my projects with a community. My work on the on the Isle of Bute is a good example of this. I lived there for a couple of years and the output of the project was a film and slideshow dedicated to the farming community – not the London art crowd! Nevertheless, the Scottish Parliament later bought the photograph of Annie with the goat in the kitchen. I arranged in the contract that they should send a chauffeur driven jaguar to take her to Edinburgh for the launch of the photo! It was the first time she had left the village for fifty years, it made sense to me that she should go. More often than not it is just common sense, I get a lot of my ideas from the community that I work with. It isn’t me having a brilliant mind – just pragmatic response and a desire for them to benefit from the photo as well. People seem to want to separate their audience and their subject matter as much as possible! How do you manage to achieve such intimate shots? Experience! I have been taking photos in pubs, clubs and discos for about ten years now. It might sound obvious but I always get permission. On top of that, I always make sure that I give a few days notice because a key part of what I do is about making people feel comfortable. As I said before, it relates to me spending months and years in certain communities – it is about building trust. That is completely the same with pubs and clubs. I also bring a big flash unit… People are drunk and dancing and so they don’t mind… and I’m usually drunk and dancing as well! Had you been interested in war before your work as the United Kingdom’s official war photographer in the Afghan province of Helmand? No, I had never been interested. It had a huge impact on me and I was in an absolute mess when I came back. The whole experience had left me with so many ethical questions… I came back and there was no sense of continuum. Pavements greeted me, there was
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
THE PARTB INTERVIEW - MARK NEVILLE
chocolate, gin and tonic… It was a terrible experience that I had been so ill prepared by the museums. They’d promised me a major exhibition and a platform of my series of work. It didn’t happen till three years later when we were pulling out… I’d felt robbed. Not from the personal perspective of my career, I’d wanted to feel like my work would challenge the misrepresentation of war in Britain. I was also frustrated by the contextualisation of my work at the war museum. Tanks and rockets flank your route, building up this theme park of war and then you’d arrive at my work. After coming back, I really believed they could go much more to engage with issues. British people have a very sentimental relationship war and we need to try and address that in society. Can you fully address those issues without sending artists to conflict zones? That is a very good question… and, truthfully, I don’t know. Something needs to change in the way
war is reported but I don’t think that is down to the reporters. I know plenty of amazing journalists and photographers who have amazing stories – amazing stories that also represent a different side to war. But, it is doesn’t matter. Our news channels already have a format for the six o’clock news – ever wonder why you never hear about the people who loose arms, legs and other limbs everyday? What is your favour piece of work? I think I have three. To me, there is something deeply attractive but also sentimental captured in ‘New Born Lamb’. However, I also love the photograph of Betty dancing at Ports Glasgow Town Hall… we put up so much rigging to get those shots. The photo of the boy at Somerford Grove Adventure Playground in Tottenham has something very Dickensian about it and I also enjoy how it looks much more like a painting.
Mark Neville’s work is currently on show in the Atrium Gallery till the 23rd of January. Additonally, he is speaking as part of a panel on the 13th of January. The panel will discuss effective ways of communicating and changing inequality, centring on the work of artist Mark Neville and feature several academics and journalists.
JADE JACKMAN Photographer and Artist Mark Neville. All pictures copyright Mark Neville.
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
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LITERATURE/MUSIC
A MALCOLM GLADWELL-FREE CHRISTMAS:
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AN EVALUATION OF MARSHMALLOW-ESQUE ACADEMICS
HIS Christmas has been one of firsts. The first time my Christmas list included a colander. The first time I trekked back to London between Christmas and the New Year. And most pertinently of all, the first time in recent memory that I had a Malcolm Gladwell free Christmas…
lent to waving a red cape to academics, many of whom are experts themselves. How dare Gladwell promise people that the only thing
Yet there is something compelling about the reassurances that disparate and complicated events are following some general underlying trend. Readers seem to agree; there is a reason that readers continue to devour the marshmallow insights on offer. The books are often written with clarity and wit, entertaining readers as much as informing them. Indeed, the rise of Gladwell-esque books show no sign of abating, which can make finding the diamonds of the bunch that little bit harder.
This Gladwell drought was, to put it mildly, a little unnerving. Alongside many others I have become accustomed to his easily digestible brand of social science making a regular appearance in my life. From The Tipping Point to David and Goliath, Gladwell’s liberal use of analogy and case study to simplify the complicated has become the stuff of legend to a certain type of reader. So famous has his approach become that there even exists a parody Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator online. (My personal favourite being Subtitles: How Secondary Titles Inflate a Sense of Importance).
Whatever their academic merits or flaws, there is a certain sense of satisfaction in seeing readers from outside the ivory tower of academia engage with these books. If the readers choose to disagree and debate some of the conclusions brought forward, all the better. (Personally I struggle with Gladwell’s suggestion that Chinese students are better than Americans at mathematics because their principle crop is rice rather than corn or wheat.)
So imagine my shock at realising that I had avoided receiving a book by Gladwell or a similarly Gladwell-esque author. After all, part of Gladwell’s ubiquitousness lies not in his own work - he has published 5 books to date - but in the style he epitomises. From Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs and Steel) to Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt (Freakonomics), presenting non-fiction in an accessible way has become a genre of its own. All of them attract their fair share of critics, often from academics who believe Gladwell et al oversimplify topics, and that their readers are too quick to take their word as gospel. There may be a point in such complaints. Often the headline theory resembles an academic marshmallow - sweet and light, but ultimately soft and ill-defined. Consider the 10,000 hour rule that first brought Gladwell to fame. Hearing decades of research condensed into one sweeping statement was the equiva-
R
their concerns - after all, the minimum requirement of a non-fiction author is correctness, isn’t it?
Better still from my perspective is the way Gladwell acts as a gateway drug to slightly more rigorous academic work. Tim Harwood’s works are a definite step up from Freakonomics, but nobody reading the latter would hesitate to turn to The Undercover Economist. If some readers progress from Jared Diamond to Francis Fukuyama then by all means let them.
standing between themselves and their career as a world class violinist is 10,000 hours of practise? The academics raged. I understand
However the best news was undoubtedly the revelation on Boxing day that my secret santa had bought me a book by Daniel H. Pink entitled Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Order was restored… GARETH ROSSER
REVIEW: SHADY XV BY EMINEM
AP God' Eminem has ' released a compilation album, 'Shady XV', celebrating 15 years since the creation of Shady Records. It features a disc of old hit songs and another disc of new material. Although it provides some of the most lyricbashing music of the year, the final result is much more flawed and inconsistent than it should be. Shady Records has been responsible for putting out the works of 50 Cent, Obie Trice and D12 that this compilation
celebrates on the second disc with some of their most memorable tracks. However, with a lot of changes in the label, Eminem is ready to boast the vast array of new talent he’s recently signed that he aptly calls 'Shady 2.0'. The crew has a few vital players missing; there is no other rap ‘superstar’ now that 50 Cent has left the label and D12 have become practically non-existent. However, to call these new artists up-and-comers in hip-hop would be gravely insulting; Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf have gained large followings due to their lyrical intensity. Eminem opens up with the track
'Shady XV' where he aggressively raps with the comedic cartoon violence we expect of him to create a song Eminem calls 'classic rock acid rap'. Like his single 'Berzerk' from last year, Billy Squier is sampled to get a unique crunching guitar beat and Eminem cracks jokes at himself for large portions of the song – even rapping a few bars in his old high pitched voice. For the most part his double entendre jokes work, including a crude one with 'Monster' collaborator Rihanna. Eminem’s self-reflecting critiques of himself make for a fairly interesting listen, but on lead single 'Guts over Fear',
Eminem admits he’s no longer as creative and original with his music, which is a point that is confirmed on the rest of the album. As far as Eminem's other solo songs are concerned, they mostly deal with Eminem’s romantic trauma and his psychotic nature tainting future relationships. It makes for some interesting content, yet 'Die Alone' feels very disjointed as Kobe’s passionately sung chorus is mixed badly with an extremely weak and disinteresting beat that fits awkwardly with Eminem’s motor-mouth flow. 'Right For Me' and 'Fine Line' are much superior as his wordplay takes center stage. The latter track has simple bouncy piano keys through most of the song that goes extremely well with Eminem’s pinchnerve flow but again he recycles the topic of fame. As far as the rest of the label goes, Slaughterhouse member Royce da 5'9" impresses most with stellar wordplay over the most menacing cut on the album 'Psychopath Killer' as well as having arguably the best verse on the long awaited 'Detroit vs Everybody' song. Both the songs work best on the album due to the fitting instrumentals and a diversity of talented emcees that all have a strong presence on the microphone. Slaughterhouse sound very fresh on 'Y'all ready Know' over some classic DJ Premier production with a sampled hook with scratching and simple effective piano keys throughout the song. Out of the two Yelawolf solo tracks, 'Till it's Gone' comes off best with lyrics about no longer being an underdog and he also fits like a glove with his hook on 'Psychopath Killer'. There are some very low points on
the album too, take the first D12 song in a very long time - 'Bane'. Despite having an interesting beat reminiscent of El-P, the simple auto tuned hook simply downplays the lyricism and beat in such a way that it can't compare with the lyricism on the rest of the album. 'Twisted' sees Eminem and Skylar Grey singing a duet whilst Yelawolf;s rapping feels out of place here, resulting in a pop experiment gone wrong that doesn’t belong on a compilation album. Throughout this project Eminem is desperately trying to show that no one has conquered the art of rapping more than him. He backs this up with a variety and complexity of flows so sublime and overbearing that sometimes the production and beat becomes close to being obsolete. Topically, he unfortunately emphasizes his point on lead single 'Guts over Fear'; his content feels too recycled and outdated to the rest of society. So regardless of how proficient his rapping skills are, he's unable to create as impactful music as he has done before. Overall, 'Shady XV' will please Eminem fans due to the lyrical battering throughout most of the album. However as far as putting light on his newly signed artists he perhaps doesn’t give them enough time to impress as a compilation album should – Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz only get one verse each. However, even if this compilation tells us more about Eminem than the artists under him, Shady XV is still a fan-pleasing album. Rating: 7/10 DHRUV BHANOTHA
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
THEATRE/FOOD
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TOP 5 SHOWS TO SEE IN LENT TERM
ERHAPS the best thing about the LSE is London itself; something which is easy to forget when knee deep in internship applications and problem sets. This is particularly true, with respects to theatre after all, LSE as an institution isn’t always the most conducive to artistic creativity. Never fear, if you are theatre fanatic, mad for musicals or are simply looking for filler activities for when family comes to town there is something out there in London’s creative wilderness for you. Here are my top 5 shows to see at some point amidst the whirlwind that is lent term:
1. THE AUDIENCE
2. SWEENEY TODD
Starring Kristin Scott Thomas Apollo Theatre 21st April - 25th July
With Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel English National Opera 30th March - 12th April
In my first year I was lucky enough to see Helen Mirren star as the Queen in the first run of Peter Morgan’s brilliant play, which returns this spring. It is a very ‘LSE’ show, depicting the secret conversations between Queen Elizabeth II and her Prime Ministers and promises to be both touching and hilarious (even if it not always historically accurate). With Kristen Scott Thomas (Four Weddings and Funeral; The English Patient) its well worth a look.
With Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel as the demon barber of Fleet Street and Oscar winner Emma Thompson as Mrs Lovett, this take on Sondheim’s classic dark musical promises to be quite a show. With a limited run and tickets available from £10, you’ll need to act fast to get a seat.
3. MAN AND SUPERMAN Starring Ralph Fiennes The National Theatre 17th February - 17th May
Described as ‘a romantic comedy, an epic fairytale, a fiery philosophical debate’ this promises to be another great piece of theatre. Fresh from his BAFTA nominated role in the Grand Budapest Hotel, Voldemort himself takes the lead role in the classic penned by LSE founder George Bernard Shaw. With rumours of a Drama Society trip later this term, you’d be wise to keep an ear out.
4. BOOK OF MORMON The Prince of Wales Theatre Ongoing
Winner of 9 Tony’s and 4 Olivier Awards, Book of Mormon is still the show to see. Written and directed by the creators of South Park, it offers a barnstorming script and outrageously hilarious songs (seriously youtube ‘Hello’ and ‘I believe’). But be warned, tickets are as rare and hard won as a library study space come exam time.
5.
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH'S HAMLET Barbican 5th August - 31st October
The theatre event of the year; whilst this isn’t strictly lent term, if you want a ticket you need to start planning your assault on the box office now. In fact advance tickets sold out in August 2014, but there is still a chance if you want to see the Sherlock actor taking on theatre’s most prestigious role. The theatre will be releasing 100 tickets priced at £10 for each performance - Information on ‘who is eligible’ for these tickets (read students) will be avaliable at some point in Spring/Summer - all a bit vague I know but make sure to be on alert! JON RHYS FOSTER
M
a british fix of fish n' chips
ANY LSE students come from abroad, meaning that most international students at LSE have probably never had a proper plate of fish n chips.
I hate to break it to you, but you
You walk in to a traditional décor of a fish n chips joint, meaning that there really isn’t that much décor at all. Wooden chairs, plain tables, each of them decorated with a bottle of vinegar, salt and pepper. Although the menu does have some other options for those who want to try something else (but really, why would you go and not have fish n chips?), the highlight of the selection is your choice of haddock or cod, fried or grilled. You can choose
your sides, be it chips, mushy peas (a must in my books), bread and butter…the works. The waiters are very friendly. They are patient but they make sure to get all the orders in so that you won’t wait longer than you have to. It takes a little while, but once that fish is served, you forget that you even had to wait at all. They serve a real serving of fish, a huge serving. The plates are long and oval shaped, allowing the fish to take all the space it needs to make you want to eat it even more. My haddock tasted fresh and light, and the batter was not too thick and perfectly crispy. The two textures complemented each other beautifully. I had my fish with mushy peas and shared chips with my friends, but you can just have the chips if you’re not a fan of nonfried items on your plate. Our dinner began in silence, which is always a good sign. No time for talking when you’re too busy enjoying the food! By the end of the meal, I was rather filled, but their dessert menu was so darn British, I just had to try one of their puddings! If you’re like me, i.e. not British, you have no idea what Treacle syrup is. Treacle syrup, in my view, is ridiculously sweet syrup that British claim to be very tasty, whereas I just think it’s ridiculously sweet syrup. Nevertheless, I had a treacle syrup sponge cake smothered in custard and I have to say it was the most
British dish I ever tasted. Yes, more so than fish n chips or scones. Personally, I wasn’t a big fan, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant! The point of my dessert anecdote was to show you that if you need a British fix in this new country of yours, or even if you’re from the UK but are not quite sure where to get a proper fish n chips in this giant city, The Golden Hind is the place for you! So British and so delicious! CAROLINE SCHURMAN-GRENIER
Photo credits: Flickr - Ewan Munro
I am not referring to that drunken meal you devoured at 3 am on a Saturday night and you thought you were eating the best thing in the world.
weren’t. Fish n chips is one of those dishes that can either taste amazing, or it can just taste like a massive excess of deep fried food in your stomach. If you go to the Golden Hind, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. The restaurant, located in the lovely area of Marylebone, has been around for over ONE HUNDRED years. That’s a pretty long time if you ask me. Come on, admit it: you’re thinking to yourself “one hundred years, well it has to be good in that case”. And guess what? You’re right!
The Beaver 09.10.2012
PartB
TOM MAKSYMIW’S TIPS FOR ACING LSE100!
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1. GOOGLE ‘JASON WONG’, AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN SPITE OF YOURSELF 2.DESIGN AND PUBLICISE TRITE MEME USING THE WORDS ‘LSE100’, ‘LOL’ AND ‘POINTLESS’ 3. GET ARBITRARY MARK BECAUSE THE MARKING STRUCTURE IS FUCKING ILLOGICAL
REBRAND ON THE STRAND: LSE TO COPY KING’S NEW NAMING MOVE
EXCLUSIVE: After Kings removes the word ‘College’ from its name, LSE drops ‘School’ in svelte new logo overlaying L and E
Disclaimer: misleading artist’s impression of logo designed using state of the art Microsoft word processing technology. After it was revealed that King’s has dropped the word ‘College’ from its name in order to avoid confusing overseas students, LSE have announced that they will be following suit by dropping the word ‘School’.
When asked whether the ‘LE’ intended to follow King’s in opening up a student consultation, Academic Registrar Simeon Under-worked stifled a laugh
Metric
INTO THE 21st CENTURY: Other unis re-brand too in attempts to dispel impressions of backwardness
before shuffling off to whitewash the ‘S’s from every building on campus.
Photo Credit: Roar News
SU General Secretary Nona Irvine came out in support of the move, saying “no longer will we be mistaken for a place of learning and intellectual
curiosity. We are nothing more than a training ground for bankers and our new name, ‘London of Economics’, clearly reflects this singularity of purpose.”
This new gender neutral designation will reportedly not entail a relocation to Cheshire.
Helpfully bringing Imperial up to speed with the latest scientific measurements (LOL SCIENCE!!!)
Tuesday January 13, 2015
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Things to do in London after 3am when you’re a skint student by Esohe Uwadiae Living at home as a student, I didn’t think I’d be able to fully experience university life because I needed to get home before the trains stopped. Having said that, it has not stopped me from attempting to experience this side of university life and so yes, I have somehow managed to go clubbing. Yes. Clubbing.
Well, if you’ve ever found yourself in this predicament like me or you just want to enjoy London after 3 am, then this is the list for you. 1) Go to another club Depending on what day you decide to explore London at this time, there are a number of clubs that remain open past 3am. For example, Heaven near Charing Cross starts 11pm on Monday and finishes 5.30am Tuesday morning. However, last entry is 3.30am so make sure to get there on time. If you’re looking to go on a day other than Monday, Heaven finishes no earlier than 4 am. Bonus, if you
2) Get some food There is never a bad time of day to eat and if you’re out and about at 3am then you may as well. Even if you’re not hungry, at least you’ll be warm and have somewhere to sit whilst you cringe in embarrassment as you remember the night before. Obvious places to go include the very cheap 24/7 McDonalds just around the corner from Holborn station (I’m a regular) or the 24/7 Subway about 20 minutes down the road near-ish to Bloomsbury (if you live at Passfield, you’ve probably stopped off there more than once after a night out). There’s also Tinsel Town in Farringdon which is very close to Fabric, and if you don’t mind travelling a bit you can go to Bar Italia in Soho. 3) Go for a walk One of the most enjoyable things for me after a night out is just going for a stroll around London and killing time. It’s a wonderful way to learn and appreciate the beauty of the city without the hustle and bustle of cars and people that accompa-
ny the daytime. Plus, it’s a great way to bond with friends as you stumble across random nice people who sing and dance for you in the street (Leicester Square is pretty good for this). However, I do not recommend that you do this alone, remember, there’s safety in numbers. 4) Do some work This definitely isn’t the most enjoyable activity on my list but it is an option. The LSE library is 24 hours as of Lent term and considering how hard it is to find somewhere to work during the day, this could be your best shot at getting to use the library. If you really don’t want to work at least you have the beanbags to nap on. On the other hand, the UCL Bloomsbury library is also 24 hours and a 25 minute walk away from LSE if you felt like mixing up your environment. All you need to do is sign up for a yearly pass which only takes about 5 minutes.
Photo Credit: Flickr: Quasic
But what to do when the club is over, everyone’s tired and has gone back to halls and you’ve got nothing to do until the trains start running again in 3 hours or so?
go on a Monday, entry is free for students (obviously bring your student ID!). Storm in Leicester Square stays open till 5am (Friday and Saturday) and entry is free when you go late enough.
5) Crash a hall If you’re truly desperate and not willing to do any of the above then there is a final option. Find a group of nice people who will let you into their halls so you can sleep in their common room. It may be cold and uncomfortable but at least you can sleep for a few solid hours. 11am - 12pm: Student Journalism in the International Written Press: Tristan Barclay, Editor at ESPN; Rachel Oldroyd, Chief Editor at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism; Prof. Charlie Beckett, Head of POLIS and LSE Dept. of Media and Communications. 12-1pm: In Conversation with Archie Bland: A feature writer at The Guardian, Archie Bland edited Cambridge University’s student newspaper and was the Guardian’s Student Columnist of the Year 2005. 3-4pm: New Media and Student Activism: Hannah Perry, Vice-Chair of Amnesty International; Dr. Bart Cammaerts, LSE Dept. of Media and Communications; James Lo, LSE Student and Activist; James Blair, Campaigner at 38 Degrees.
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Tuesday January 13, 2015
Photo Credit:
BEAVER ON THE LOOSE! A Beaver team of Seb Ash, Jon Allsop and Jade Jackman will be journeying to who knows where in an attempt to raise awareness and support for Spires, a charity that works to support young people and people who are homeless in London. To sponsor them, please visit: https://www.raise2give.com/jailbreak-2015/beaver-on-the-loose
The City Section Editorial:
WELCOME BACK TO LSE everyone, I hope you enjoyed your well-deserved break and are ready for an exciting term ahead. We have now already reached mid-January, so it’s definitely time to get going on those New Year’s Resolutions of yours. If you still need some inspiration, check out Mika Morissette’s review of ‘City-approved’ societies that you should definitely join if you haven’t done so already. Given the Paris attacks, it feels almost wrong to draw your attention to the economics news of the week: i.e. the Euro dropping to its lowest level in nine years or another debate on Greece’s possible exit of the Eurozone. So I just want to mention these important numbers this week: 1.5 million people and 50 heads of states showing up for the solidarity march in Paris, one million copies of Charlie Hebdo hopefully being sold next week- all proving that the world stands united against terrorism, that ‘we are all Charlie’.
The City
Julia Wacket
Tuesday January 13, 2015
Section Editor: Julia Wacket Deputy Editor: Mika Morissette city@thebeaveronline.co.uk
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Features: Sport: 2015: A Year in Prospect Taylor Rampton Page 29 Page 30
Introducing: The Beaver Business Team The six individuals chosen to help The Beaver’s commerical activities AT THE END OF MICHAELMAS term Beaver executive editor Jon Allsop appointed a Beaver Business Team of six individuals who stood out from the application
process. The team, to be headed by Nicholas Wendland and Robyn Connelly-Webster, will aid The Beaver’s diverse commercial activ-
ities. Responsibilities will include contacting potential advertisers and sponsors, both in the immediate community and nationally, to boost the paper’s revenue flow,
Nicholas Wendland: Project Manager MSc Political Theory
Robyn Connelly-Webster Deputy Project Manager BSc Government, second year
I was President of my school’s Fundraising Committee and participated in Young Enterprise Switzerland, a national start-up competition. I have previously written for the City section of the Beaver, and have interned at a developmental agency in micro-finance and at several commercial law firms in different jurisdictions and languages. I look forward to working as a team to expand and diversify the Beaver’s readership by improving distribution across campus and to getting the paper involved with new and different types of local and national sponsors.
Last summer, I spent 3 months working in Communications in the Met Office. I really enjoyed setting up and running the B2B Twitter feed as well as writing copy for the website to promote the launch of a new commercial sector. This year, I am especially interested to see how we can use social media to raise the profile and reach of The Beaver. It’ll be great to create engaging promotional materials that get more people at LSE reading their student newspaper but also to attract potential advertisers and show that the advertising space we offer is a profitable investment.
reviewing and overseeing the distribution of the print edition and designing new strategies for social media and communications. Here, we meet the team.
Yuqi Zhao MSc in Accounting and Finance I was born and brought up in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China. Before LSE I attended DePauw University, a liberal arts college in the US. My interest in publishing started in high school, where I co-founded the first English student magazine with my classmates. I was responsible for editing, fundraising and marketing of the magazine. I also have experience in advertising and marketing due to an internship in a real estate company. As a part of the business team of the Beaver, I am looking forward to working with the team in advertising and promotion projects to expand the impact of the newspaper.
Anup Aryal MSc Regulation
Ximena Minan BSc Government, first year
Stefan Kitic BSc Mathematics with Economics, first year
I was born in Nepal, studied and worked in India and recently moved to Australia. After completing an accounting qualification, I worked in consulting for two years and banking for five years. I am interested in technology and creative arts and in my spare time I like to volunteer. As part of the business development team of The Beaver, I am looking forward to working with the team in getting advertisements and initiating social media projects to engage with the student community.
I am from Lima, Peru. This is my first proper experience working in a business team. However, back in high school, I was co-editor of the school magazine, where we worked towards raising funds for the Peruvian Multiple Sclerosis Association. I am looking forward to working on social media and contacting sponsors. I feel that interpersonal relations and communication are really important for connceting people and working effectively. My dream job would be to work in the PR department of a magazine.
I assisted a guitar maker back in Austria in manufacturing, sales and advertising. I also had some promotional jobs for a marketing company, which involved talking to customers about different products, but also once included dressing up as a gigantic eyeball and rolling around on a segway. What I really look forward to is ensuring that the Beaver reaches even more people. I am also looking forward to getting in touch with local businesses to explore possible collaborations.
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The City
Tuesday January 13, 2015
LSESU Societies: Something for Everyone Want to nab a job or learn more about the City in 2015? Join an LSESU Society! Mika Morissette Deputy City Editor
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP UP those good resolutions for 2015 – whether they be learning more about the domestic or
international economy, exploring interesting career options or getting a foot in the door towards that dream job – there
is no better time than the first week of the new term of the new year to explore some of the great societies the LSESU
ACADEMIC Economics Society: One of LSE’s most prestigious societies, the Economics Soc offers a number of fascinating talks and guest speakers ranging from policy leaders to Nobel Laureates. Worth following at the very least for event updates! Contact: su.soc.economics@lse.ac.uk Management and Strategy: A good society to join for Management students or anyone interested in learning more about business strategy, this society has a valuable body of alumni backing it. Contact: su.soc.mscmanagement@lse.ac.uk Information Systems: This society has as its main goal to keep students informed on both how technology is changing the present and how students can keep up to date with technology. A great society to join for vital skills and insights on major industries. ALTERNATIVE & SPECIAL INTERESTS Artichoke: Worried about being pigeon-holed into a few narrow and stifling career options? Artichoke is a respected society which aims to help students find socially-beneficial jobs post-graduation as well as aiming to contribute to the debate on graduates’ wider role in society. Contact: info@artichokesociety.org Social Entrepreneurs: If you are interested in Ent Soc but also want to do something socially valuable and get involved in the dynamic field of social enterprises, this society is a perfect mix of skill-based events, interesting talks and the opportunity to get involved in a network of people inside and outside the university. Contact: su.soc.socialentrepreneurship@lse.ac.uk LSE Energy Society: From underpinning many major investment portfolios to fuelling all human projects, energy plays a part in almost all sectors of the economy. This society aims to bring together students from a wide variety of faculties with an interest in working in connection with energy. Contact: lsesuenergysociety@gmail.com
REGIONAL INTERESTS Asia Careers Society: Boasting an impressive list of partners and sponsors including some major City law firms, this society is an interesting choice for anyone considering a job or just wanting to learn more about the business community in one of the most dynamic areas in the global economy at present. Contact: su.soc.asian-careers@lse.ac.uk Emerging Markets: A great choice for understanding the bigger picture, this society’s flagship event, the Emerging Market Forum, promises to offer interesting talks as well as targeted workshops. Contact: info@lseemf.com Many country/cultural societies also run events sponsored by employers looking for foreign students or students with foreign language skills so those are worth a look at if you are interested in looking for a job in a particular country.
has on offer. The City gives you its shortlist of cool and useful societies to consider this term. CAREERS
Entrepreneurs: A really dynamic and well-established society which often hosts interesting events and skill-based sessions, Ent Soc also hosts an annual “Spaks” Conference in
February well worth attending for its inspiring selection of topics and influential speakers. Contact: nwhitworth@gmail.com
Business Society: Business Soc is a classic and wide-ranging society which draws together insights and networks from across the business spectrum into a comprehensive package well adapted to those interested in everything from Banking to Consulting. Contact: su.soc.business@lse.ac.uk Finance: Another well-established LSE society, Finance is your one-stop-shop for any banking and finance related resources. Boasting an impressive list of industry sponsors, Finance Soc offers useful workshops like CV reviews or mock interviews as well as interesting talks and conferences. Contact: su.soc.finance@lse.ac.uk
Actuarial / Accounting: Two great societies with the main purpose of helping students interested in careers in Accounting or Actuarial Services learn more about career opportunities and navigate the path towards a career Contact: su.soc.accounting@lse.ac.uk | su.soc.actuarial@lse. ac.uk
WOMEN Women in Business and Women Leaders of Tomorrow are two amazing societies which won prestigious Silver and Gold (respectively) STAR Awards. Both aim to help women get a foot in the door of the business world through networking schemes, workshops and guest talks. A great way to meet awesome like-minded women! Contact: su.soc.women-inbusiness@lse.ac.uk | lsesu.womenleaders@gmail.com
TIP: To join a society post-Michaelmas Fresher’s Fair, simply log on to the LSESU’s website, go to “Societies” and click “Join” on the page of the society you want to join. Most societies charge a membership fee between £1.50 and£ 2.50 for students.
Features
Tuesday January 13, 2015
26
Section editorial:
Section Editors: Liam Hill and George Harrison
OVER A NUMBER OF days, the world has had to reconcile itself to several acts of truly shocking barbarism, attacks that represent a threat to a fundamental tenet of what our democratic society stands for. The deadly attacks on the office of Charlie Hebdo and the subsequent hostage crises have rocked Paris, and as Paris rocked, the free world rocked with it. This was not just an attack on the brave journalists and policemen who lost their lives, but an attack on the very ideal of freedom – both freedom of the press and, more broadly, the notion of freedom of expression were in the sights of the terrorist attackers. A future in which journalists live in fear of retribution for asking important questions is no future at all, as is a future in which offending the wrong radicals is a crime punishable by death. This vile attack upon not only people doing their job, but upon ideals that they held dear, can be traced back decades to other attacks on novelists and cartoonists.
Remembering Bosnia
Features
continued next page...
features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Deputy Section Editors: Zita Chan, George Greenwood, and Taryana Odayar tweet @beaveronline
by Rahat Siddique, Nadia Raslan, Riz Nasrullah, Mustafaen Kamal, Anisa Ahmed A FEW LSE STUDENTS WERE lucky enough to accompany a delegation of students and professionals to Bosnia in December. It was a truly eye opening experiencing and although words cannot do justice to the emotions felt, we have diarised what we were able to see. Our trip was organised by the Remembering Srebrenica charity, which is an organisation dedicated to preserving the memory of the innocent people that died along with the countless others who still live with the consequences of war today. When talking about the Bosnian genocide one has to realise that this occurred only 2 decades ago when most of us had been born. 8000 people died and 30,000 were expelled from their homes due to their religious beliefs. Although it is true that what happened was bleak, the thing, which really struck us, was the resilience of the Bosnian people who have lived through so much but have chosen forgiveness. This foresightedness was exemplified by Resad, our tour guide, whose twenties were robbed by the war. Yet he stilled showed immense pride in showing us around beautiful country. International Commission for Missing Persons Around the world today there are millions of reported cases of missing persons from armed conflict and human right abuses. When persons go missing as a result of State actions, the ICMP’s assistance. ICMP is one of the few Bosnian exports that are in demand. Tarik Samarah Having arrived in Sarajevo, our first trip was to the city centre to visit Galerija 11/07/95, a memoriBelow: An example of work by Tarik Samarah.
Above: A skeleton recovered by the ICMP.
al gallery showcasing Bosnian photographer Tarik Samarah’s work from the aftermath of the Srebrenica massacre. The date, 11th July 1995 marks the day Srebrenica fell to the Army of Republika Srpska and resulted in the ethnic cleansing and mass rape of Bosnian civilians. On arrival we were shown a documentary entitled Miss Sarajevo, which followed a variety of Sarajevans’ lives as they navigated through the besieged city. The film captured these people’s stubborn refusal to be demoralised and insistence on living life despite the siege and the civilian targeted offense by the Serbs. This ranged from underground gigs to a beauty pageant which the film is named after, in which the contestants held up a banner “Don’t let them kill us” as an attempt to get attention from the international community. These acts of resistance showed that although the Serbs destroyed buildings and schools, they were unable to take away the spirit and the will of the people to live and love. The walls of the first room of the gallery is covered top to bottom with 640 personal portraits of male victims of the war, powerfully humanising the impersonal and systematic mass execution of 8372 men. The gallery consists of haunting photographs of rows upon rows of coffins and bodies, scenes of the lives of survivors, the scattered remains of the victims, broken family portraits and offensive graffiti by the Dutch UN soldiers who were supposed to be there to protect them. All the photographs on display were monochrome; the sharpness of the contrast reflected the harshness of the content of the images and the stories they told. The experience was sobering and poignant. Following our guided tour of
the gallery, Tarik Samarah spoke to us about his work and experiences and we had an opportunity to ask him questions. Through all the horrific things he’s lived through and documented, he insisted that hating on another, even an oppressor, was an admittance of one’s weakness. This inspiring sentiment of forgiveness and tolerance was echoed by many of the people we later met, despite the injustice and loss they have faced.
Srebrenica The journey began, early in the morning, where we drove from Sarajevo to Srebrenica in a coach, the journey was long and I slept through the majority of it. When we finally arrived, we went straight to the old headquarters of the Dutch battalion during the war (it has now been transformed into a memorial Centre). Here we met Hasan Hasanovic, who had been a resident in Srebrenica throughout the war; he told us about his experiences, at the time only a young boy and how the city has changed since. We also heard the account of a survivor of the massacre, which was a sombre yet humbling moment for us all. The trip to Srebrenica cemented the detailed accounts of the massacre that had been shared over the past couple of days in Sarajevo. I remembered the voice of the one Bosnian stating ‘Srebrenica was just a grand finale of an ideology that started 3 years ago’. We then progressed to the memorial and cemetery in Potocari, where we were able to meet the Mothers of Srebrenica. The Mothers are the women that lived through the war and had their fathers, son, husbands and brothers killed by the Serbs. One mother lost 43 male members of her family in the genocide. The Mothers are now extremely old, and some still wait to hear about the indemnification of members of their family even 20 years later, yet they remain resolute and strong.
Above: A skeleton recovered by the ICMP. Below: A graveyard in Srebrenica.
Sarajevo Sarajevo was for centuries an exemplar city of the world, a site of religious and ethnic cohesion in a world fraught with intolerance. The city was founded in 1461 following the conquest of the Ottomans and the social legacy left is astoundingly visible as you walk through the streets of the Old Town, passing by Synagogues, Mosques, Orthodox and Catholic Churches within just a few metres of each other. Yet the scars and bullet holes, which still mark these grand buildings, are constant echoes of the pain of the war and the end of such a remarkable period of peaceful coexistence. The Siege of Sarajevo lasted for three and a half years, the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. These were years of survival, mass loss and destruction where friendships were shattered by the necessity to take sides. A survivor of the siege recounted that he had only one regret, that he lost his youth. The crucial period in his early twenties which many of us are experiencing now, the freedom and unbounded fun that is a point of blissful recollection in adulthood and a time which we hark for when we are old. The sweet joys in between the transition from youth to adulthood were skipped for him, a sombre regret that he will forever have an unfinished chapter in his life.
If you’d like to get involved with a similar trip, or are just interested in finding out more we recommend visiting the Remembering Srebrenica Website (http://www.srebrenica.org.uk)
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Features
Tuesday January 13, 2015
LSE Professor Mike Otsuka Explains the Background Behind the UCU Strike Liam Hill Features Editor TO ADD SOME CONTEXT to the ongoing dispute regarding pension provision, I interviewed Professor Mike Otsuka, an LSE Professor and a member of the Pensions Advisory Group, about the ongoing situation and the rationale behind action being taken by staff. As you may have already read in the article by LSE UCU branch chair Dr Pat McGovern on page 8, some LSE members of staff are involved in an ongoing dispute involving proposed reforms to the USS [Universities Superannuation Scheme] pensions scheme. “The people that will be most affected by the proposed closure of the final salary pension scheme,” Otsuka tells me, “will be mid-career academics, say someone at the LSE who is an Associate Professor, or who is a senior Lecturer or a Reader at other universities. They have been making financial contributions to the pension scheme for a long time. In fact they have been putting in somewhat more than those who are on the new career average pension scheme are putting in, because the final salary pension is somewhat more generous than the career average salary pension scheme. “They have been contributing a bit more, themselves, but then the final salary scheme will be closed in April 2016, and their pensionable ‘final’ salary will become whatever they are earning at that date rather than the much higher final salary of a full professor they will be earning when they actually retire. Their 2016 salary will be uprated by inflation until the point at which they actually retire, except that the uprating – I think everyone agrees – will not actually keep pace with inflation. So they’ll end up with a much lower pension than expected, and a much lower pension than they would have got for what they have already contributed these past several years if the final salary scheme hadn’t been closed.” These proposed reforms have arisen as the result of pressure from some of the Trustees of USS -- specifically, by a number of independent Trustees, those not appointed by university management or by the UCU trade union. The key issue relates to the sustainability of the pension scheme. A meeting takes place on the fifteenth of this month to
determine the long-term financial viability of the USS pension scheme. Why is there such great disagreement about the sustainability of the scheme? “There is something called an ongoing valuation, and there is something else, which is known as a solvency or self-sufficiency valuation. As the name suggests, an ongoing valuation assumes that you’ve got an ongoing pension scheme. “For example, you have a university sector including a number of universities, such as LSE and others in the Russell Group, that are going to be around for the long run, in the same way that we think that schools will be around for the long run – they are just part of the social fabric. Even if some universities close down – although it hasn’t happened to any in the group of universities that are part of USS – but even if some universities close down we know there are still going to be a large number of universities around. For this reason, it seems that the appropriate valuation is one which assumes that the pension scheme is ongoing. On such an assumption, there isn’t a problem with the sustainability or the solvency of the pension scheme. “Now there is another type of valuation. It is known as a solvency or self-sufficiency valuation. That’s the one that the USS Trustees are attempting to impose on us and which shows the pension scheme to be in deficit. Here, the idea is that we have to value the pension scheme based on the assumption that it is going to be wound up, which
is to say it will be closed to any new members and also any future contributions, and everyone will get the pensions they have accrued through their years of past contributions, when they finally start drawing their pension in retirement. That’s what you do when a firm goes bankrupt.” While the rationale of the independent trustees might well make sense if the university sector in Britain was as liable to go bankrupt as a typical private firm with a pension scheme, there doesn’t seem anything more than a minute possibility that a number of the top British universities will close down. Why are the independent trustees so adamant to treat the USS pensions as if they are private sector pensions? “Interestingly, it is simply because of the legal status of places like LSE, the so called pre-’92 universities, the non-former Polytechnics. Now we think of all these universities as part of the public sector -- as state universities rather than private universities -- but technically we’re all private corporations. We’re not for profit. None of the universities in the USS pension scheme is for profit. There are a number of different arrangements. Many of these universities – though not the LSE – are incorporated by Royal Charter. But technically we are all part of the private sector. “By contrast, there is a different legal arrangement for the former Polytechnics. Their form of incorporation makes them part of the state sector, and for that reason, they have been allowed to join the same
pension scheme as schools: the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), which actually for the amount that is paid in is more generous than the USS pension that people at the LSE and other so-called pre-’92 universities will get. TPS can afford to be more generous, because it is not valued in the manner of a private sector pension scheme.” “The independent trustees are taking an approach to pensions that is reasonable in the private sector, with which they are familiar, and trying to impose it on us, I’m sure in good faith, because they also think it is appropriate for universities.” I ask if that makes them foolish. “It’s not appropriate for USS.” The practical next step is the meeting on the fifteenth. “There is going to be a meeting of the USS Trustees to determine whether or not there is, in fact, a £12.3 billion deficit that needs to be recovered from through a series of cuts. That is in a huge amount of dispute, whether there is this problem that needs to be solved. If it turns out that there is no problem with the financial sustainability of the pension then there will just be no call for any changes to the pension. “Now, if in fact there is not a deficit – or isn’t such a great deficit – then the changes we made back in 2011 would be deemed sufficient, and they wouldn’t be calling for such radical changes. We have to figure out if there is a problem, and how great the problem is before trying to hammer out a solution. What we’re saying is that there’s a lot of controversy regarding the valuation of the pension fund and whether or not there is any sort of problem at all. We need to sort that out first. We need to take the time that is necessary to figure out whether the scheme is financially sustainable or unsustainable before we can accept the proposed drastic cuts to our pensions.” Should UCU and Professor Otsuka win the argument, either by convincing the independent trustees or the trustees appointed by the senior management of the universities that the reforms are unnecessary, then not only can a strike affecting students be avoided but our professors will receive a more equitable deal as well. Mike Otsuka is a Professor in LSE Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, and he sits on the School’s Pensions Advisory Group. You can see an extended version of this interview at www.beaveronline.co.uk.
continued... With freedom of expression under attack, there is only one response; we would like to add our voices to the millions who have already expressed both solidarity with the victims and a restatement of the principles under attack, a restatement of notion that everyone has the right to freely discuss and express ideas. As the marches and demonstrations of solidarity that have unfolded have shown, this attack will serve only to strengthen the resolve of those who battle global injustice, defend crucial principles and do it all without resorting to violence. These battles are won by constructive analysis and passionate debate, be it in print form in newspapers or spoken to anyone who will listen. While we think that most LSE students do not need to be told that people who murder journalists and cartoonists are unrepresentative of the world’s Muslim population, or of Islam, it remains the case that there are fascist movements across Europe who will use sickening events like those we have seen in Paris to justify oppression and victimisation in turn. The piece on the page opposite about Bosnia is a timely reminder that the consequences of anti-Muslim bigotry are far from academic. It is especially important to express solidarity with Muslims who face prejudice and judgement by association with the repugnant executioners who distort their religion for violence. We who respect each other’s’ freedom to believe as we wish and to express and those beliefs in free and open debate. We are defiant in our defence of what we know to be right. We will not be silenced or intimidated. We are Charlie, and we hope that you are too. Separate from the harrowing news and our proselytizing is a fantastic year upcoming for Features writers. Check out our hastily thrown together look ahead at the next 12 months on page 29. There will be plenty to write about! Do get in touch. Liam Hill and George Harrison
Features
Tuesday January 13, 2015
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The General Perplexion: No Overall Clue What’s Going On Perdita Blinkhorn First year undergraduate WITH SOME BOOKIES PLACING the odds of having to no overall majority after the 2015 general election at 4/11, experts saying there is a 90% chance of having a hung parliament and Jeremy Paxman helpfully suggesting that "only an imbecile would call the next election", this one is seeming nearly impossible to predict. No matter how unpredictable, hard-fought and frustrating this humdinger of an election may be it is sure to shake up the political scene. Toto, I have a feeling we're not in a 2 party system anymore. A significant reason for this lack of predictability according to Ben Page of Ipsos MORI is because the rise of UKIP has lead to previously reasonably secure seats becoming marginal, meaning established parties will have to work a lot harder to gain constituency votes. Moreover, the current state of churning political alliances has rendered traditional prediction tools, such
as measuring the national swing, useless for this election. Some commentators seem to think that while the Conservatives may get the most votes at the next election, Labour will have marginally more seats in Parliament. On top of this, significant gains in polling for UKIP and Greens will not be hugely reflected in seat numbers, but perhaps not surprisingly the SNP are likely to see relatively good gains after their achievements in securing the Scottish referendum and the added powers Scotland will soon possess. Despite a turbulent past few years for the 3 main parties, they may be sweating a little less at the thought that UKIP was the only fringe party to be allowed into the BBC's televised pre-election debates. 2014 in particular has left voters and politicians alike with much to consider. Whoever wins the next election will have to deal with questions on ISIS, the NHS emergency, post-Scottish-referendum constitutional reform, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, immigration, the rise of European extremism and much, much more. T h e p u bl i c ' s priorities have become so conflated in the last few years and so differe n t to that of previous elections past results p ro -
vide little to go on. The one significant problem this coming election has constantly highlighted is how broken our voting system is; at present, the voters have little to do with determining the outcome of an election. The call for a more proportional system has been steadily growing, especially with the rise of the fringe parties.Voters wishing to cast votes for these parties may feel that they are not really having a say, their vote is a wasted vote because there is little chance that an MP of their preferred party will come from it. The deals cut behind the closed doors of the Commons are also significant factors in deciding the government, with coalitions forming and cross party alliances in constant shift. Despite Mr Gove's assurances on the BBC's Newsnight that the Conservative are not thinking about what deals they might be cutting because their priority is “not to anticipate what might happen [after the election]”, it seems highly unlikely that party leaders do not have their possible allies floating in the back of their minds. One of the most interesting things for me about this coming election is the increasingly divided demography of partisan voting. With UKIP and the Conservatives attracting more votes proportion-
ally from older voters while Labour and the Greens are collecting more support from younger voters, the outcome of this election could influence age based priorities of government. Pensions verses student loans, housing allowance verses the winter fuel allowance; much of this may be down to voter demography. According to Parliament UK, “Members of the three main political parties were more likely to be male than electors in general, more likely to be retired, to hold either professional or managerial occupational status and to earn over £40,000” so interests between social groups will clearly be different. The Conservatives and UKIP seem to have the biggest advantage in terms of age though, as older people are more likely to turnout to vote. So what are the likely outcomes? We can all but rule out a majority government and perhaps expect to see a rainbow coalition, probably Labour led; whose ally the Lib Dems will be is hard to place, but I'm sure siding with Labour would be preferable for them than another 5 years with the Tories. Not only has it been a difficult run for them, the coalition lead to huge embarrassment and loss of support over key
policies, such as caving in when it came to raising tuition fees. Many political spectators are in agreement that the Liberals will face heavy losses, meaning they are less likely to make up the numbers needed for a convincing majority government. Neither Cameron nor Miliband have ruled out a coalition with Nigel Farage's UKIP, which seems set to hold 8-10 seats in May, but this seems highly dependent on who would grant UKIP their desperately desired in-out EU referendum. The SNP will likely be very significant in forming a government too, but are highly unlikely to get into bed with the Tories even further boosting the chances of a Labour led coalition government. The sad news for the Greens, however, is that despite the online polling group "Vote for Policies" suggesting they have the most popular policies among voters, they are likely to remain holding only 1 seat and consequently being too insignificant to get into government. If the help of one seat is needed to form a majority, however, the next 5 years are sure to be interesting, and have the potential to inspire some anxiety.
Charlie Hebdo Attack: Extremism, Security and Free Speech Zwan Mahmod First year undergraduate ON THE 7TH JANUARY, THE offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, were attacked. The two suspected gunmen have now been killed in a raid on a warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town 22 miles north of Paris. Yet the attack which killed 12 people raises important points about Islamic extremism, free expression and security. Firstly, was security neglected at the offices of Charlie Hebdo? After all it was infamous for its cartoons mocking religion and this was not responded to lightly. In 2011 the offices were firebombed and the editor of the magazine had 24 hour police protection. Yet there were only two police officers on duty at the offices. Considering the history and nature of the magazine, this shows a neglect of security. Additionally, both
suspects, Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi were known to French intelligence. The former appeared in a documentary in 2005 about jihadism. And in 2008, according to a testimony in court, he had dreamed of attacking Jewish targets in France. This showed a history of radicalisation known to authorities and therefore a lapse in security both at the local level where the offices are and at the national level in regards to potential terrorist suspects. Secondly, the usual questions are being asked about the implications of such an attack. Although a consensus has formed that this was a blatant attack on western values, how we should respond and what is responsible is where people diverge. Some argue that western foreign policy is primarily responsible for the radicalisation of Muslims especially those who live in Europe but feel no affiliation to the values or peoples of the nations they live in. This problem is not isolated
to France but persists in Western Europe. Cherfi Kouachi initially sought to go to Iraq to fight against American troops and this is cited as proof of the detrimental effect of western interventions in Muslim countries. However, this view is opposed by those who argue that either Islam or political Islam is responsible in inspiring terrorism. Such attacks, they argue, would not cease if western interventions had not occurred and are a result of reactionary attitudes towards freedom of expression, amongst other freedoms. Either way, it seems it is largely agreed upon that the majority of Muslims living in Europe do not endorse the views of the gunmen and live peaceably, even if not necessarily cohesively, among their fellow citizens. Aside from issues of security and extremism, freedom of expression is the third vital element to be considered in light of the attack. The proclamations of the need to
NOUS SOMMES TOUS
defend such a freedom is needed and welcomed but rather hollow. As Douglas Murray pointed out in reaction to the recent attacks, when the Jyllands-Posten newspaper published cartoons mocking Muhammed, a prophet for Muslims, no national European newspaper, with the exception of Charlie Hebdo, reprinted the cartoons. There was a mass self-censorship whereby the cartoons were not reprinted either in solidarity with the newspaper or in order to elucidate the subject under discussion. This, quite understandably, resulted from fear. After all, during the Danish Cartoon Controversy nearly 200 people were killed across the world as a result of attacks on Christians, Danes and the Danish embassy. Yet while this can be understood, the lack of publication of the cartoons shows while there may nominally be free speech, people are too afraid to speak freely. Charlie Hebdo, whatever its political alignments or the degree of vul-
garity, did speak freely about Islam. Several have made claims against the magazine including the charges that it is xenophobic or racist. These claims are not only unfounded as Islam is not a race but a religion, but they are also irrelevant. The freedom of speech extends to the very things considered most offensive, derogatory and degrading. If this freedom is only applied to things with which we agree or are not are widely divergent from our views then this freedom no longer exists. These are elementary points routinely ignored by those who either misunderstand what free expression means or have contempt for it, as the gunmen did. To surmise, the attacks should not be discarded as another example of terrorism simply to be denounced. Anyone can denounce murder. The importance lies in recognising what should be valued and how this is to be defended not only in what we say but in ours deeds.
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Features
Tuesday January 13, 2015
2015: THE YEAR AHEAD
The Features team takes a look at the next 12 months
In World Affairs, UK Politics, Science and Anniversaries WORLD AFFAIRS
JAN
UK POLITICS
SPORTS
SCIENCE
Australia hosts AFC Asian Cup (Soccer)
Greek parliament election that could see leftist coalition SYRIZA come to power
Release of the Apple Watch
FEB
MAR
Israeli legislative election. Netanyahu faces threat from centre-left coalition
APR
JUL
Australian Open (Tennis)
GENERAL ELECTION: Parliament will be dissolved on March 30th the run-up to the general election.
The election itself will take place on May 7th.
Germany will host the G8 summit in Schloss Elmau
Given the likelihood of a hung parliament, it may be negotiations between the parties after the eleection itself that will decide who governs Britain in lieu of the election.
US Open (Golf ) 200 years since the Battle of Waterloo
South Africa will host the World Economic Forum on Africa
British Grand Prix (Formula One)
US hosts Special Olympics World Summer 25 years since Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait
Queen Elizabeth II will surpass Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning British monarch (if she is still on the throne).
SEP Canadian Federal Election: The Liberal Party seem the most likely to challenge Steven Harper
Party conference season. Expect at least one of the main parties to have elected a new leader by this point.
UK hosts Rugby World Cup
Bulgaria and Italy host the Men’s European Volleyball
NOV
DEC
50 years since the first US troops arrived in Vietnam
Victory in Europe Day to mark 70 years since the defeat of the Nazis
AUG
OCT
80 years since the legalisation of abortion in Iceland, first country to do so on medical grounds
(Early 2015)
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is expected to arrive at the dwarf planet Ceres
The scheduled debates could have a significant impact, if broadcasters and party leaders can agree upon a format.
MAY
JUN
George Osborne’s final preelection budget is scheduled for March 18th.
Release of Samsung Galaxy S6
ANNIVERSARIES
United Nations Climate Change Conference to take place in Paris
Morocco hosts the FIFA Club World Cup 2014
Expected iPhone 6 launch. Will Apple TV and iWatch launch?
CONSUMER TECH TREND of 2014: Wearable tech will finally integrate into our every daily lives. Fitness trackers, smartwatches and augmented reality are here to stay
40 years since Indonesia’s invasion of East Tiimor; the occupation did not end until 1999
Sport
Tuesday January 13, 2015
30
AU President On Lent 2015 Taylor Rampton AU President ‘Youth is not a time of life but a state of mind … a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease.’ Samuel Ullman, “Youth” (1934). With this in mind we embark on another term of AU activities. After a rocky start to first year, we begin this term with a Leadership day on Wednesday with full
attendance from club and team captains across the AU. The session is designed specifically for leaders of the AU to address sponsorship, equality & diversity information, and conclude with a networking session. Week two is RAG week, where there will be a Netball versus FC Netball match, a Row-athon, a raffle on Wednesday night among other exciting activities. Re-Aunion will also return in Week 2 with AU-Alumnus re-joining us to try and revive their now
redundant Uni lives once again. Other events this term include Mr.LSE, where a selection of the AU’s most eligible bachelors will fight for the most coveted title at LSE (debateable, I know). Another heavily anticipated AU event is Fight Night, where a selection of our finest boys and girls fight in our very own boxing ring after 6 weeks of intensive training prior to the event itself. Other exciting events such as AU Ball and AU Hustings will be explained later in the term. In ad-
dition, many of our sports teams have done notably well last term, with all 7 Football teams expected to achieve promotions, if not league and cup titles – can they out do the 5 league titles that were achieved last year? Netball have 3 teams still in the running for league titles and their 2nd team are still undefeated so far this season. Women’s Rugby 1st team back themselves to succeed in both their league & cup competitions, which would finish off another brilliant season for them,
particularly due to the emerging success of their newly formed second team. Women’s Football are currently second in their league with 3 games coming up in the next week, still in with a great chance of clinching the title. Women’s & Men’s Hockey are also both top of their leagues. With so many AU clubs with both the chance and ability to win silverware at the end of this season, I wish everyone the best of luck in what will undoubtedly be another incredibly successful term.
LSE Cricket Club Plans For Crucial Lent and Summer Months To Come Rohan Mehta LSE Cricket Club Captain 2014 was one of the most successful seasons for the CC with the 1st XI winning every single match in the BUCS and LUSL leagues, and the 2nd XI only losing once despite a depleted squad. The great team perfor-
mances were capped off by immaculate individual ones – notably 1s captain Bhavya Bishnoi averaging OVER 100, with a standout 197 vs. Kent. Sachin who? With cricket being a summer sport, there’s often very little to do over the winter period, except a few nets sessions or (can’t even write this with a straight face)
fitness. The LSE Indoor League successfully completed its 3rd year in December, with Deeptanshu Kotru’s tournament favourites being blown away by the plucky underdogs led by Rugby’s own Max Gumpert (Von Fabers) in the final. So what does 2015 have in store? We saw a record number sign up for the club at fresher’s
fair, mirroring our own aspirations for the season ahead. This included, for the first time, a strong female interest and it’s our hope to be able to field a Women’s XI team this summer. We are looking to build on the solid foundations set by Ricky Uppal and his team last year, both on and off the field, and ultimately to make the Cricket Club one of the most
successful teams at the LSE. Has your sport season ended? Do you want to learn a new sport? Or do you just love the sound of leather on willow? From January 21st, join us for our regular nets sessions at the MCC academy at Lord’s – the home of English cricket. Email Rohan Mehta (r.mehta7@lse.ac.uk) for details.
Beaver At The Bridge For Blues-Spurs Jon Allsop Executive Editor
spots in big games. Their strength in depth is also impressive, as substitute Loic Remy brilliantly proved when he nonchalantly side-stepped the hapless Federico Fazio to roll the third goal of the game beyond Lloris. LSESU Amnesty International Society President Bella Mosselmans said “As part of a campaign for Child Rights, the LSESU Amnesty International Society ran a bake sale and raffle to raise money for Street Child on the 18th-20th November. Street Child is a charity that works to help orphans in Sierra Leone and LIberia. They currently estimate that there have been more than 20,000 children orphaned by Ebola – a figure that is rising everyday. The bake sale and raffle managed to raise a total of £762.87 for Street Child’s Ebola Appeal. Just under 100 people signed up for the raffle! A member of the Student’s Union picked out Liam Hill as the winner. Street Child has managed to reach over 5000 orphans with emergency support so far and is hoping to scale up this support to tens of thousands more as they receive more funds from their emergency appeal.”
Photo credit: flickr: aj1634
TheBeaverwasinattendance at Stamford Bridge on 3 December, after Features editor Liam Hill won LSESU Amnesty International Society’s raffle for free tickets to the clash between league leaders Chelsea and underperforming Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs made a bright start, with ‘the future of English football’ Harry Kane proving a thorn in the side of the Blues backline. He craned his neck impressively to arc a header against the crossbar from Aaron Lennon’s clipped cross, before wriggling free of Gary Cahill to flash a finish agonisingly across the face of Thibaut Courtois’ goal. It was the hosts, however, who first took the lead against the run of play and then sealed their victory with a devastating quickfire double midway through the half. Eden Hazard opened the scoring as he quickly exchanged passes with Didier Drogba to drive a finish through the sluggish Hugo Lloris at his near post. Lloris then gifted possession to Oscar 30 yards from goal, and his
cute slide-rule through pass slipped in the evergreen Drogba to ram a finish into the top corner. Spurs wilted after that setback, demonstrating the same frailties that have seen them struggle to make an imprint on this season’s Premier League. Kane proved an increasingly ineffective target man as John Terry and Cahill got the measure of his direct, galloping style, whilst his midfield support team passed the ball nicely between themselves without ever looking at risk of penetrating the Blues’ backline. Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb, meanwhile, added insufficient steel, frequently finding themselves overrun by the ethereal Hazard and Oscar, and the effervescent Willian, whose rambunctious and driving forward play will have reminded Spurs fans all too acutely of what they allowed Chelsea to prise from their grasp last summer. Chelsea for their part look like certainties to secure the title this season if they continue to grind out such comfortable wins from sub-par performances. Jose Mourinho’s side were not at their vintage best but possess the defensive grit and attacking quality to dig them out of tight
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Sport
Tuesday January 13, 2015
ICC World Cup NZ Team Preview Robin Park Sport Editor When England last came to New Zealand Geoffrey Boycott described the bowling pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee as ‘workmanlike’, which many inferred to mean something along the lines of ‘not-very-good’. At the time I wanted to violently execute this man who had clearly no idea what was coming out of his deranged Katy Perry-obsessed mind. Perhaps after seeing the pair recently against India I’d expect Boycott (and the rest of the UK television commentary team) to now realise how foolish they were. There are many great bowling partnerships out there: Anderson and Broad, Johnson and Harris, Steyn and Morkel. Yet they’re not real partnerships, but rather something more like a dual-headed strike force, attempting to pummel the opposition out of concentration. Boult and Southee work together, in sync, making the most out of their similarities, putting batsmen under a false sense of security, before ripping apart their wickets with late swing and seam movement. And if these two don’t get 10 wickets per match, they now have a highly effective labour force supporting them in the guises of Milne, McClenaghan, Anderson, Vettori and McCullum. Milne in particular is an exciting prospect due to his raw speed. Aside from Johnson and Steyn,
very few bowlers hit the magic 150km/h in the current era. Milne arguably has a better action than these two as well, a Shane Bondesque thump with a more relaxed rotation than most. Batting wise it’s very difficult to see anyone better than Brendon McCullum at the moment, in ANY format. It’s easy to forget that it was less than a month ago when this man was one hit away from claiming the fastest double century in terms of minutes and balls faced, in a test match scenario. Then there’s Corey Anderson, the current holder of the fastest ever ODI century, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, the latter’s ODI average a touch above 42 but at a strike rate of 80, which is surprising considering he’s meant to be the rock of this New Zealand team. He’s also not a bad bowler when he’s not chucking. Thank goodness he can also bowl with his left-arm. Is there anything this man cannot do? Arguably no, seeing as he has been seen to defy gravity in a number of flying maneuvers against Sri Lanka in the recent test and ODI series. However, this is nothing new, considering the general fielding prowess of this country. New Zealand has long been one of the best fielding teams in international cricket, if not the best outright since at least the Stephen Fleming era. It has been scientifically proven that Mathew Sinclair is capable of flight, Shane Bond able to extend his arms beyond human capability, and Brendon McCullum immune to all forms of pain. If doubtful, watch his recent
videos deputising for Watling as keeper and you’ll notice he’s actually done away with all forms of protection minus gloves. But what about captaincy? Again, it is difficult to think of a better captain in international cricket than Brendon McCullum. After the Taylor-HessonMcCullum threesome went badly, it has now become obvious that the carnage was necessary for the good times that lay ahead. Stephen Fleming, widely regarded as the best captain ever, was truly amazing. But he was someone who had to make the most of limited resources. McCullum arguably goes further and actually drags a team to victory, regardless of situation. There’s a winning mentality in McCullum, only matched perhaps by the bloodthirsty Michael Clarke. Yet there must be a weakness in this New Zealand side? Surely no team is without an Achilles heel? Well the opening partnership is undoubtedly a worry. I’m personally unconvinced Guptill is up to the job, and I’m utterly confused as to why Williamson opened last week against Sri Lanka. The keeper position is also a cause of concern. As good as Ronchi is, an injury to him will mean McCullum putting on the gloves, when it is arguably better for him to rest up and cause havoc with the bat. So there’s a preview of the New Zealand ODI team, only a few months before the country co-hosts the ICC World Cup with Australia. The promised land approaches for this New Zealand side.
*** Reminder*** Send match results to sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Photo credit:Ritesh Vyas
FANTASY FOOTBALL UPDATE by Robin Park
Join online: 1923555432233 Habib Rahman is still continuing to dominate in The Beaver Sports League with Black Hand Gang, and close second is still Dynamo Chicken Kiev, managed by Shintaro Miyazaki. Black Hand Gang also won the December aggregate. Overtaking Jon Allsop in the editorial battle for supremacy is my very own Red’s XI, surging into the overall top 10 with a strong December month based around Harry Kane and David Silva. Liam Hill languishes on 879 points. Former editor Gareth Rosser is still wooden spooning. It is very possible he has given up on his team, which is why it’s omitted from the screenshot.
Sport
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Editor: Robin Park Email: sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk
LSE Snowsports See Off Les Deux Alpes and Rise Festival Ellen Wilkie Comment Editor THE END OF MICHAELMAS Term for a number of LSE students saw not a return to our respective parental homes for mince pies and LSE100 revision, but a 20-hour coach journey to Les Deux Alpes for LSE Snow’s annual ski trip. Many embarked on the coach journey with an attempt to ingratiate themselves into French culture with an impressive commitment to the consumption of wine of a 2014 vintage from le ‘Holborn Sainsburys’ province. Whilst many found the aftermath of ‘Port to Port’ in the coach toilet to be the most distressing part of their journeys, this was trumped by coach 30a’s nights sleep on the cold hard floor of a service station just out side of Dijon. 30a were delayed in their arrival at the resort by a fire in the tyre of their coach and their driver’s subsequent encounter with the French police. The ski conditions were ropey, with the whole lower half of the
SHOULD OLD ACQUAINTANCE be forgot and never brought to mind? Not here, don’t fear, not our AU, stay ‘friendly’ all the time. Out with the old, in with the extra old. The end of term saw our Au-ers swap their Zoo
Bar shoes for skis and see 2014 out with a bang, or two. Swimming in vodka and drowning in beanies (Tinder only, you wouldn’t want someone to lose their job now would you? And yes, it is a real thing), the LSE team and Ex-Pres-will-youever-let-go-Craston took to the slopes to show off their moves. An FC-lad took a Costelly turn and wound up house bound. A 6th team too big for her boots lady fell down gently and ended up Fah-Fah away. And a rugby-wait-what-areyou-doing-here ‘lad’ lost con-
trol of his bodily functions, or maybe just forgot where the loo was? It’s all ‘banter’ anyway. Right? A 4th team veteran left her Moltiple accomplishments for a trip down memory lane but Will’ed herself away when he left for MacDonalds. A Strom did her best to reach the UK. And Harry Max’ed out on luck and fell Well behind. One fresh baller went to Um-believable lengths to land the prize. A non-rugby man CO(r)NORED a fellow chap for the win. And two commit-
tee members jumped on the bandwagon, will either be left wanting Maure? And finally, our main party starter Mill’ed his way through the crowds until he found the one for him. A ski trip couple, oh how lovely. Drained, pained and definitely not sane, they eventually made it home, ready to start Lent Term. With Re-AUnion, Mr LSE and AU Ball to look forward to, we’re almost worried to see what you will get up to. Happy New Year folks, and good luck.
mountain shut and terrible visibility on the runs that were open. Some spirits were dampened, but most skied and snowboarded on through the week. The Snow committee’s decision to make Rise Festival a compulsory part of our booking was heavily questioned, especially when Jackmaster failed to turn up and a number of the events were held in a two-thirds empty sports hall. Wednesday night saw a flurry of snow and a bass heavy set from Hannah Wants that was a highlight for many. Nightlife looked a lot like Zoo Bar abroad, and Le Petit Beaver kept all informed of all of the hedonism that took place in Smithy’s and Avalanche the evening before. On the last night of ski trip things got messy. Things got particularly messy for one tripgoer who manifested his messy night into a mess in the hotel corridor. Ski trip was a tour de force in heavy drinking, dangerous skiing and mediocre music events. I’ll be going back next year (unless it’s at Rise Festival again).