841

Beaver

Issue 841 | 24.11.15

the

Newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union

LSE Divest Campaign Heats Up Over Green Week Ellen Wilkie Executive Editor

LSE DIVEST, A CAMPAIGN FOR the London School of Economics (LSE) to divest from Fossil Fuels, Tobacco and Armaments companies has taken a step up during LSE SU (Students’ Union) Green Week. Their Day of Action on Thursday 19th November saw a march around campus to deliver a letter to Craig Calhoun, Director of the LSE. This week they also increased lobbying of Council prior to their meeting today, Tuesday 24th November, where a decision on divestment will be made ahead of COP21, the Paris Climate Change Conference, next week.

The Day of Action on Thursday was arranged following the leak of a document, seen by The Beaver, prepared by the Socially Responsible Investment Group to be proposed to council today, whose contents the LSE Divest campaigners found disappointing.

The Day of Action saw a group of around 30 students march around campus chanting and holding banners emblazoned with slogans such as ‘Carbon is Dirty’ and ‘SOAS Divested, Why Can’t LSE?’. This march culminated at the office of Craig Calhoun to deliver a letter outlining LSE Divest’s concerns and demands to the Director himself.

This renewed effort on the part of LSE Divest comes alongside a recently released study by Corporate Knights, a Canadian research firm, showing that LSE has lost £2m over the last three years as a result of not divesting from fossil fuels. LSE Divest believe that this demonstrates divestment to not only be ethically, but also financially responsible.

The Divest campaign is pushing for ethical investment by the school. The LSE has an investment portfolio, much the same as as many other UK universities, and these investments are handled by fund managers.

The money made from these investments is reinvested back into the school. LSE Divest are pushing for the LSE to instruct their fund managers to not invest our money into Fossil Fuel industries such as Shell and BP,

so that the LSE will no longer be funded by the Fossil Fuel industry.

Following the ejection of Occupy LSE from the Vera Anstey room late last academic year, Calhoun promised meet some of the occupiers demands, including to prepare a statement in support of divestment from fossil fuels before COP21. There has been, in the eyes of the occupiers, a disappointing lack of action to fulfill this promise and the time to fulfil it is running out, as the Council meet for the final time before COP21 today.

The letter to Craig Calhoun contained the Divest campaigners’ disappointments at a leaked document to be submitted to Council by the Socially Responsible Investment Group. The letter put forward the points of the proposal that the Divesters find particularly concerning: that it does not mention divestment from oil and gas companies, only divestment from coal and tar companies, and even those were without a recommended timeline. The broad support for divestment from students and staff were overlooked in the proposal.

A spokesperson from LSE Divest told The Beaver that “LSE Divest are disappointed by the lack of ambition shown by the School on divestment. Despite active engagement with the School through all the relevant official channels, the recommendations made to Council by the Socially Responsible Investment Group are disappointing in two ways. They fail to recommend divestment from oil and gas companies, despite the fact that these fossil fuels are also responsible for damaging climate change.

There is no justification in the SRIG proposals for the focus on coal and tar sands only. While we recognise partial divestment from coal and tar sands as a small step in the right direction, we are disappointed by the absence of any timeline or commitment on this action, as well as the silence on oil and gas. We want the School to make a credible commitment to full divestment from the top-200 fossil fuel companies in the next five years. LSE’s inability to meet this demand represents a failure of moral leadership, from an institution that ought to be pioneering the path to a responsible investment philosophy, and a zero-carbon future.”

Comment: Give LSE Democracy A Chance Katie Flynn Democracy Committee Chair

Two weeks ago Peter Lyon submitted a scathing critique of democracy at LSE to The Beaver, this is Katie Flynn’s open letter to him.

DEAR PETER, The first thing I’d like to do is thank you for your comment piece in The Beaver last week. You’re right in that UGM’s do typically start slowly in Michaelmas term, and after all any publicity is good publicity. I must admit, however, I was conflicted on how to react.

After my initial wave of anger which may or may not have involved me brandishing a copy of the article in the faces of various innocent parties in the ARC, Library and Wasabi, I decided to not to reply. Why acknowledge an article which contains so many inaccuracies?

Your piece expressed concerns which have been written about more times than an exam

Features partB

timetables apology (ask Liam Hill and Conor Rohan). Add this to the irony which arises after reading the article citing alleged ‘repeated’ motions, I decided it wasn’t worth it. However, after todays successful UGM, I feel the need to respond.

As a wise man* once told me, every now and again in life you need to just press the big red button, so this is me doing exactly that (Corbyn, watch and learn).

Starting from the top, you claim there to have been one UGM so far this term. Having just happily chaired our fourth successful one of the year, this is confusing. While I must admit that I don’t find poor mathematics surprising from a prominent member of the Hayek society, this inaccuracy needed to be challenged. However, the part I did find particularly concerning is that you personally attended and proposed a motion at the third UGM of the year. I might politely suggest you...

Continued Page 8

Exclusive interview with Amartya There’s been a Pussy Riot in Stoke Sen on ‘The Country of First Boys’ Newington Page 26 Page 16

Room 2.02, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, LSE Students’ Union London WC2A 2AE Executive Editor Ellen Wilkie

editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Managing Editor Megan Crockett

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Established in 1949 Issue No. 841 - Tuesday 24 November 2015 -issuu.com/readbeaveronline Telephone: 0207 955 6705 Email: editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk Website: www.beaveronline.co.uk Twitter: @beaveronline

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News Editors Shwetha Chandrashekhar Suyin Haynes Greg Sproston news@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Comment Editors Mali Williams

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PartB Editors Kemi Akinboyewa Vikki Hui Flo Edwards

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The City Editor Alex Gray

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Features Editor Alex Hurst Taryana Odayar

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The Nab Editor

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Sport Editor Alex Dugan

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Online Editor Gee Linford-Grayson

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Collective Chair Perdita Blinkhorn

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The Collective:

A Doherty, A Fyfe, A Laird, A Leung, A Lulache, A Moro, A Qazilbash, A Santhanham, A Tanwa, A Thomson, B Phillips, C Holden, C Loughran, C Morgan, C Hu, D Hung, D Lai, D Sippel, D Tighe, E Arnold, E Wilkie, G Cafiero, G Harrison, G Kist, G Linford-Grayson, G Manners-Armstrong, G Saudelli, H Brentnall, H Prabu, H Toms, I Plunkett, J Cusack, J Evans, J Foster, J Grabiner, J Heeks, J Momodu, J Ruther, J Wurr, K Budd, K Owusu, K Parida, K Quinn, L Kang, L Kendall, L Erich, L Mai, L Montebello, L Schofield, L van der Linden, M BanerjeePalmer, M Crockett, M Gallo, M Jaganmohan, M Johnson, M Neergheen, M Pasha, M Pennill, M Strauss, N Antoniou, N Bhaladhare, N BuckleyIrvine, N Stringer, O Hill, O Gleeson, P Amoroso, P Blinkhorn, P Gederi, R Browne, R J Charnock, R Huq, R Kouros, R Serunjogi, R Siddique, R Uddin, R Way, S Ali, S Crabbe-Field, S Kunovska, S Povey, S Sebatindira, T Mushtaq, T Odayar, T Poole, V Hui, Z Chan, Z Mahmod

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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.

Ellen Wilkie on the terrifying prospect of leaving the LSE and entering the real world

Aysha AF @AyshaFekaiki #LSE nursery and the children are celebrating their 40th Anniversary today outside the SSH - come and show your support! #childcare #now LSE @LSEnews Be #partofLSE by joining our live Q&A with LSE Director @CraigJCalhoun next week #AskTheDirector

From the Executive Editor LSE, MUCH AS WE ALL complain about it, is a fairly comfortable place to be. Sure, the essays can be stressful, the constant pressure from sabbatical officers to reimagine your education is confusing (seriously, what does this actually mean?) and the reading lists are unreasonably long. It’s not really that bad, though. For the three years that you’re here you’ve got a task to do, which may be occasionally boring, difficult and unsatisfying, but there is always a definite set of things necessary to do to achieve your task. Essentially we’re all just indulging the whims of our Year 13 selves, and studying more of the A-level that we enjoyed best.

The real world is terrifying.

Come July of this year, I’m going to be plunged into an abyss where I can’t just decide which module seems the least bad and run with that. My choices will actually have to include some consideration of my financial situation as to whether they’re viable. I’m assuming that this means no more fairly self indulgent choices such as to study

eighteenth century history or European literature.

Another question; how do you fill your time when you’ve finished your degree? There will be no deadlines. There will be no exams looming. There will be no weekly timetable of classes and lectures.

The days and weeks will be empty but for the applications to jobs that I will only have myself to answer to if I don’t do. There will be no class teacher to provide excuses of the ‘dog ate my homework’ ilk to. If I don’t do anything then I will just remain unemployed until I actually do more applications. And what happens if the applications that I do do are just idly thrown away by an intern and I never get a job?

What happens then?

The trope of the recent graduate forced to move back to their parents house is becoming all too real. When the contract for my nice, if loveably shabby North London flat runs out, where will I go? Do I get a megabus (because without a student loan I can’t afford the train) back to my teenage bedroom and its single bed and

posters of The Smiths and just live there? Will my parents not be disappointed that after all their supporting me through getting a degree, I’m in no better position than I was as a 17 year old?

The post graduation (by which I definitely don’t mean Postgraduate much as I may wish for it to) life is a mystery. It is a terrifying mystery that is getting closer each day and I have no way of stopping its approach and am making no progress in finding any ways to make it bearable. I am scared.

I may be wasting my breath (or rather, editorial space) as the ever popular Grad Scheme, a path heavily tread by LSE Students seem to give the same security as university, but despite my many, many searches of LSE CareerHub, I’m struggling to find myself a nice cushy Grad Scheme outside of the dreaded fields of banking and consultancy. I even considered HR for a short period of time.

If anyone happens to have any advice for what I should do with my life feel free to email editor@ thebeaveronline.co.uk.

From the Managing Editor Megan Crockett on Cats vs Cucumbers and finding her purpose THIS WEEK, IN AN EFFORT to sort out what the hell I’m going to do with my life after LSE, I travelled to Edinburgh for the University Open Day. Although I’m still debating whether to do a Masters in Journalism, Political Sociology or just pull pints at my local for the rest of my life, what I do know for sure is that I am in desperate need of some sort of direction before it’s too late.

To be quite honest the latter option is becoming more and more attractive, perhaps because it doesn’t come with a five figure price tag, or perhaps it’s because I just absolutely love talking about real ales and taking orders for Hunters’ Chicken. However, on Wednesday I cast my barmaid tendencies aside and travelled to Edinburgh in order to find my purpose (similar to the residents on Avenue Q).

I think now is the perfect time to

thank my boyfriend’s parents, Lynne and Denis for putting me up for the duration of my stay, feeding me, reinacting cats vs cucumbers with their resident feline, Nugget and watching the Apprentice with me. In addition, I’d like to thank Lynne especially, for attending the Open Day with me and sitting through two mind numbing presentations, I don’t think I would have lasted without the moral support! I came home with the best intentions to go out and buy a thank you card to send up to them, however, this had since slipped my mind so my thank you will come in the form of my editorial.

My day at Edinburgh University filled me with hope; sitting in a lecture theatre listening to the department heads talking about all of the opportunities available to future students I felt as though I had the rest of my life mapped out, I felt calm, I

had a purpose, and then I walked into the funding talk. It seems clear to me now that the journey to postgraduate study is unlikely to be as smooth as the transition from sixth form to LSE. Before any transition takes place I’m hoping someone, somewhere decides I’m worth the investment, because I definitely don’t have £11,000 to pay for myself, at the time of writing I have a grand total of zero grands to put towards my MSc, and I can’t see the situation changing much in the near future. I know it’s all about being proactive, but the task ahead seems so giant that I am finding it hard to start professing my love for political sociology and explaining why I am just the best person ever and totally deserving of sponsorship.

I’m hoping I wake up next week with the motivation to sort out my future, I keep reminding myself that if I don’t no one is going to do it for me!

Katie Budd @klebudd Today I found my first diary, from 2003. Clearly had a lot to say aged 9.

Dennis M @Dennis_R_M Speaking from experience though, @beaveronline editorials and contributors aren’t necessarily a reliable bellweather... #LSERadical George Burton @George__Burton Surprisingly enjoyed wearing a toilet costume at Euston for lsesu rag in aid of #WorldToiletDay. #wateraid #giveashit #partoflse LSE Faith Centre @LSEFaithCentre Still a few autumn leaves to fall from our Refugee Welcome Pack Giving Tree.

Drop by the centre to pledge #IFWeek

Tweet us @beaveronline to see your 140 characters in print!

Walk Out Staged For International Students’ Day Of Solidarity Shreyash Johri Postgraduate Student ON I N T E R N AT I O N A L Students’ Day on 17 November, LSE witnessed a one-of-a-kind walk-out as an outcry towards the oppressive policies of immigration for international students. The rally was organized by the LSESU international student body in conjunction with 600 other universities across the United Kingdom.

A group of International Students and community members assembled at 10.30am in front of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre for a rally lasting 30 minutes, before embarking on a march towards Houghton Street in front of the Director and Pro Director’s office.

The directive to all the participants of the walk out was to maintain the sanctity of the event and find alternatives for their productivity all throughout the day; some wrote testimonials on a white board whereas some simply took up other activities that were important to them.

The agenda of the walk out was to urge LSE to justify the latest regressive policies of the state and the consequential amendments in the internal framework of international student welfare. The student action was directly in response to the trigger of an increase in fees at the rate of 4% per year without adequate welfare reforms, such as an international students’ hardship fund or financial support. The student body were concerned about the inability of LSE to enhance

teaching quality and fulfill promises of increasing contact hours that directly hampers their learning, development and career progression.

As LSESU International Students’ Officer Damien Kemfack commented in an official statement, “I am dissatisfied with blatant commodification of international students and a regressive political climate that pathologises our presence here going hand in hand, and I am disheartened by a frank disregard for people desperately in need of refuge. The walk out is to demonstrate to the School and the country that we have a stake in our welfare, and that there is strength in unity, self-organisation and solidarity.”

Overall, the bigger picture was disagreement with the state policies which suppress international students to the core. The Right to Rent scheme launched by the government in February this year has empowered landlords to openly discriminate amongst prospective tenants, particularly students of non-British origin, which poses inconvenience for accommodation.

The contribution of international students to the education sector in the United Kingdom is worth billions in monetary terms and priceless in terms of knowledge, intellect and culture. As a recent study by University UK has indicated, international students churn out 20% of the net output of UK universities, highlighting their major economic contribution and yet, they are still hindered by lack of access to public funds or post-study work visas.

In keeping with the campaign,

Section Editor: Shwetha Chandrashekhar Suyin Haynes Greg Sproston Deputy Editors: Joseph Briers Bhadra Sreejith

a motion entitled “Lobby LSE to Increase Financial Support for International Students Studying at the Institution” will be debated at the next Union General Meeting on Thursday 26th November from

1-2pm. LSE has the highest percentage of international student enrollment in the UK, and it is clear that the student body feels it is time to establish a beneficial symbiotic relationship.

LTI Grants Available For Students FOR THE FIRST TIME, STAFF at LSE’s Learning, Technology & Innovation (LTI) this week expanded their grant scheme in order to include student proposals.

Formerly composing of three streams relating to E-assessment innovation, innovation in teaching and learning and students as producers, LTI have now developed a fourth stream, with a framework that allows any LSE student to formally submit a project application.

Previously, the students as producers program offered students the chance to get their hands on multimedia gadgets to promote the sharing of studentcreated content, but this is the first time direct funding for a successful project proposals will be an option for LSE students.

Successful projects do not have to address a specific issue, but are

intended to in some way innovate the academic experience through the use of technology.

As the scheme was formally only open to academics, previous applications for LTI grants that were approved were generally concerned with streamlining the academic process with a particular focus on administrative effectiveness, with successful proposals including the usage of iPads for electronic marking and the integration of online and offline marking through Moodle.

LTI hopes that with increased student input, the learning side of the academic experience will also benefit from the positive impact of technology.

Any students wishing to make an application must have the sponsorship of a member of LSE academic staff and all applications must be submitted

by Week 9 of Lent Term. Project leads will also be expected to submit an evaluation report in summer term of the following

year, meaning all projects should have a duration of no more than a year. Successful proposals, which are judged by a 9 person committee including representation of the student body via the LSEU Education Officer, will receive full funding for implementation along with an iPad for the student who proposed it.

Timetabling issues, the lateness of exam date publications and inconsistent academic feedback remain key concerns for many LSE students, and it is hoped that the LTI grant

will encourage entrepreneurial students to develop novel ideas to enhance the student experience, either by addressing these specific issues or by providing a more general benefit.

One student proposal has already proven successful this year, with undergraduate Government student Jack Winterton using LTI funding to create the LSE Undergraduate Political Review, a peer assessed journal aimed at allowing students around the world to talk about their research and disseminate their ideas in a broader context.

News

Greg Sproston News Editor

News | 3

4 | Tuesday 24 November, 2015

“Enough!”- Exploring Youth Protests And Political Change In Africa

Alina Ryzhonkova Postgraduate Student

“JUST GETTING BY” TOOK on a new meaning in Alcinda Honwana’s talk about the disillusioned youth of Africa and their struggle to carve out a place in the world for themselves. A visiting professor of International Development at the Open University and former director of the Africa Program of the Social Science Research Council in New York, Alcinda Honwana’s work on youth in conflict and postconflict societies has garnered much acclaim. Author of two books, The Time of Youth: Work, Social Change and Politics in Africa and Youth and Revolution in Tunisia, Professor Honwana has a profound understanding of the issues at hand and a unique perspective, raising mportant questions about the role of youth in society not just in Africa, but the world over.

Expanding on the notion of

‘waithood’, or waiting for adulthood, Professor Honwana described the disenfranchisement and disaffection of the youth in Africa that has led to protests and youth action. She drew important links between waithood and extremism; even more pertinent in light of recent events. Although the talk focused on youth movements in Africa, Alcinda Honwana highlighted that these issues are not singular to Africa, especially when it comes to waithood fuelling extremism.

Drawing parallels across borders and continents, the speaker emphasised the importance of the issue and the need for global actions.

However, she also pointed to the reluctance of global actors to address the root causes of issues such as migration, revealing a worrying tendency in the West to view certain global issues as purely African.

One of the main arguments made by Professor Honwana was that youth movements have, so far, been unable to bring about sys-

Life Drawing Raises Money For Blue Dragon Victoria Cheah LSESU UNSoc Secretary AFTER A VERY SUCCESSFUL ‘Universal Children’s Day’ photography exhibition, the LSESU United Nations Society’s Blue Dragon Outreach Initiative will be holding a fundraising life drawing event, “Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls”.

As we approach the end of 2015, the Blue Dragon team wanted to present an initiative that would allow the LSE community to appreciate the UN Society’s successes, memories and achievements over the past year.

Thus, on Friday 27th November, students from the University of Arts London will be drawing life portraits of the LSE community, for a suggested donation of £4.These can be individual, or of pairs, and will be open to all members of the LSE student and staff body outside the Saw Swee

Hock Student Centre from 11am2pm.

The UN Society’s Blue Dragon Outreach Initiative supports ‘Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation’ in Vietnam, a NGO that focuses on getting kids back into education, training and apprenticeships, working for the longterm benefit of children in need.

They also help children and women involved in drug-trafficking and sex-trafficking, saving them as well as providing them physical and mental support.

Hence, the funds raised from the life drawing event will go to supporting the Foundation’s Christmas initiatives and activities, making a child halfway across the world smile for Christmas.

The LSESU UN Society’s Blue Dragon Outreach Group and the LSESU UN Society as a whole would like to thank you for all your support thus far and hope you will all continue to support them in their efforts.

temic change, even when they have succeeded in overthrowing regimes.

The idea that many have been put off by the lack of long-term success appears to leave little room for hope, especially when coupled with a global reluctance to take concrete action and treat the underlying illness rather than merely the symptoms. Nonetheless, Professor Honwana finished her talk on an inspiring and very hopeful note, saying that many recognize that change will not happen overnight and will continue to fight for a better future.

A lively and thought-provoking discussion, chaired by the King’s College London’s Professor of Security, Leadership and Development Funmi Olonisakin, followed the talk. Unfortunately, Professor Olonisakin did not get a chance to ask her own questions and give her thoughts on the talk due to time constraints, but that was just a testament to the quality of the discussion which followed the talk.

Women’s Interfaith Panel Janis Wong LSESU Women Leaders of Tomorrow President

A S PA RT O F L S E S U Interfaith Week the LSESU Jewish Society, in association with LSESU Women Leaders of Tomorrow Society, last week organised a Women’s Interfaith Panel. Exploring what gender and faith meant to them, the speakers provided a great amount of insight not only in regards to their personal relationship with faith, but also how their beliefs provide the foundation to the work which they do.

From an academic perspective, Lindsay Simmonds, a graduate of the LSJS Susi Bradfield Women Educators’ Fellowships and PhD candidate at the LSE, discussed her work with the Cambridge Co-Exist Leadership Programme. Having explored a wide range of religions during her upbringing, much of her work today focuses on promoting respectful, deep and long-lasting friendship and collegiality between religious leaders, regardless of their faith community. Starting from the bottom-up, Lindsay emphasised the importance of education to encourage acceptance and understanding the ever-evolving meaning of individual faiths.

Within her own religious community, Cannon Mandy Ford described the challenges she faced regarding her role in Church. Despite having priesthood, there continues to be individuals who do not believe that

she has authority to act as the leader and perform ordinances.

Moreover, Navpreet Atwal, an associate solicitor and ambassador for City Sikhs, explains her struggles within smaller communities to challenge the status quo. Whilst historically, Gurus have emphasised their support for gender equality beyond the context of religion, Navpreet illustrated that the message has become lost over the years. As a result of continuing pressure and expectations from society, women become entangled between the dichotomy of following traditional religious values and embracing feminism. Society often considers the two to be incompatible but the speakers, through looking at Red Lips Project question of ‘What makes you feel powerful?’, have identified through different means that the two categories are not mutually exclusive.

From a historical perspective, Fabiana Barticioti, an Assistant Archivist on the LSE Archives and Special Collections team discussed her work on the publication of the Movement for Ordination of Women Archive (6MOW). Beyond the common perception of the Suffragette Movement as the main symbol of liberation, Fabiana guided us through her work and discoveries. The 6MOW Archive will be publically accessible in 2016.

Furthermore, Nava Ashraf, an Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, joining the LSE in the next academic year, shared her experiences practic-

ing the Bahá’i faith. In addition to her research in behavioural economics in the context of global development, she shares her faith’s teachings which assert the full spiritual and social equality of women to men. As a fundamental principle, gender equality extends past correcting historical, socio-economic injustices, and encourages the pursuit of education and social opportunities. Despite our panelists practicing different religions, it is clear that education plays a key role in challenging the culturally institutionalised social constructs which destabilises gender equality.

Drawing from her own experiences at LSE and sharing with us her perspective on the importance of Intersectional Feminism, Sana Musharraf, a postgraduate at LSE, underlines the importance of faith in her life. Explaining her exploration of different religions, she describes her journey of selfdiscovery and how her beliefs gave her the drive and strength she needed to work to her successes today.

In light of recent events, the LSE Women’s Interfaith Panel was an inspiring session, prompting an exploration of the meaning of faith relative to understanding of gender.

As society’s values change, it is crucial that we disband pre-existing religious stereotypes and seek interpretations of religion which better reflect the multicultural, pluralist communities we live in.

The Beaver and The Women’s Network Present ‘Women in Journalism’ Shwetha Chandrashekhar News Editor FOR AN INDUSTRY WHICH is overwhelmingly male, it was a refreshing break to witness five female journalists come together to discuss their experiences and challenges alike in their work with students at the LSE, on Monday, November 16. Hosted by The Beaver and LSESU Women’s Network, the evening unfolded into a pivoted discussion between the realities of working in journalism as a woman, the challenges which come with the territory, and upcoming ‘opportunities for women in a digital age of journalism.’ Chaired by Ellen Wilkie, Executive Editor of The Beaver, the panel comprised of five female journalists: Jade Jackman, Katy Balls, Habiba Khanom, Lynette Nylander, and Mari Shibata.

Khanom, a BBC News video

journalist and blogger for The Huffington Post, shared her advice to young women looking to start their career in journalism: “Gain as much work experience as you can – it is key.” During her undergraduate studies, Khanom was extensively involved in student media, reporting for her campus student radio, and as a health and fitness editor for her student newspaper. Her resilient approach to her applications landed her a big break after graduation with BBC. Balls, a former reporter for The Telegraph and current journalist for The Spectator, encouraged students along the same note: “Do lots of internships. Your first job may not always be your dream job.” She emphasized the importance of working on what you as an individual can bring to a publication that others cannot.

Lynette Nylander, Managing Editor of i-D magazine, the world’s leading youth and style title, celebrating 35 years in print, with

5.2 million unique users a month stressed that journalism should be seen as a self-sustaining passion, saying “if you want to write, just do it. Publish for yourself.”

Adding to Balls’ advice, Nylander extended that students should do their homework, and know the publication they intend to work for in great detail.

Mari Shibata, an independent multimedia freelancer, prompted students to realize that “you can teach yourself anything.” Shibata shared that she only began writing in her third year as an undergraduate student, when she began interviewing politicians.

She continued to advocate for student leadership, “if you have the initiative, approach people.”

The panelists moved into further discussion about receiving backlash for written work, on which all agreed that as a writer, you have to stay true to your beliefs, with an acute awareness that what you release has the potential to remain

‘out there’ forever.

With a closing note on diversity in journalism, Nylander shared one of the greatest dilemmas diversity and inclusion in journalism faces today: “How do you explain to people who are not of color, that there is an issue?” Also shedding light on the gender issue in an industry which is gradual in its endorsement of change, Balls shared that journalism is currently ‘a man’s game,’ although her magazine is over fifty percent female.

Despite a consensus on the difficulties female journalists face in breaking ground in such an insulated field, the evening left attendees with lots of food for thought on what it means to be a writer, and the love for multimedia reporting. The spirit of journalism was recapped to all by Nylander who pointed out that, “the best writers write in a way that anyone, in any circumstance can read and relate to.”

LSE Celebrates a Decade of the ‘Urban Age’ Joseph Briers Deputy News Editor

THE URBAN AGE PROJECT began its 10th birthday celebrations on Thursday with what is to be the first of five debates on the boom of the world’s cities. The topic: can cities be the solution to the climate change problem? The answer: essentially yes according to the panelists; mainly because they cause much of the problems to begin with. Yale Geography Professor Karen Seto summed up just how significant the role our cities are playing in rising temperatures is with one startling statistic - if the top 50 emitting cities were a single county, it would rank 3rd in the emissions league table, just behind notorious polluters China

Photocredit: Creative Commons: Guardian Cities

and the USA. Of course, cities are not just of environmental interest, they are pivotal in a vast array of social scientific topics, and indeed the lives of hundreds of millions across the globe. Perhaps this is why the Urban Age Project has garnered so much interest and attention, not just in academic circles but in the mainstream media too. Anyone who happened to tune into Radio 4’s Today Programme on Thursday will have heard Professor Ricky Burdett, director of the Urban Age Programme, extolling the significance of the role of our cities across the airwaves; whilst the birthday debates are also being serialised in The Guardian ahead of December’s Paris Climate Change Summit.

On Thursday Professor Burdett was obviously excited by what the Programme had managed to achieve in its first ten years. Not only had there been an ‘enormous’ amount of research, he told a sold-out crowd SheikhZayed Theatre, but they had been able to bring together key players ‘who don’t usually talk to each other - mayors, designers, transport planners, environmentalists’ despite the immeasurable value of such interactions.

The Urban Age Programme has attracted big names. David Cameron, Boris Johnson, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are just some of the distinguished gaggle of policy-makers that have attended its conferences.

It is clear that cities, and the

Urban Age Programme itself, are massively important. However, Thursday’s climate change debate served as a reminder that such things draw a significant amount of this import from their role within the all-encompassing and crucial discourse of global warming.

As Nicholas Stern pointed out during last week’s debate, ‘we are in a hurry’ and ‘the next two decades are absolutely critical’. Cities present a particular challenge to those who will be attempting to limit emissions in Paris next month Stern says. We are in the midst of a ‘unique event in human history - our city populations will double over next thirty years but this will not happen again, this is a special responsibility’.

News | 5

London Uni Roundup

Earlier this week, the president of Goldsmiths’ Student Union Adrihani Rashid, the welfare and diversity officer Bahar Mustafa, and the two senior editors of the Goldsmiths’ Student Union newspaper all resigned amidst claims of bullying and creation of a hostile environment. Sources claimed Ms Mustafa, 28, and campaigns and activities officer Alex Etches created a “hostile” working environment, undermined Ms Rashid, “badmouthed” her to other students and accused her of behaving “undemocratically” when she refused their demands to issue public solidarity statements backing protests and occupations carried out by other students.

The UCL Institute of Education has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for higher and further education. The awards, which are presented by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, are a biennial award scheme and are the most prestigious form of academic recognition for a UK academic or vocational institution. The IOE is the largest provider of postgraduate teacher education, and was ranked No.1 in the 2014 and 2015 QS World University Rankings.

The London College of Fashion’s annual Fashion Matters gala dinner and auction took place on the 12th of November at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. There was an exhibition of work by current students and entertainment by the Stratford East Singers. Auction items included M.A.C cosmetics, a VIP tour of Chelsea Flower Show, and original Matisse, Dali and Picasso lithographs. The funds raised by the event will be used to create scholarships and bursaries for future students.

6|

Tuesday 24 November, 2015

LSESU Islamic Finance Society Introducing The LSE Arts Forum Examine UK Muslim Poverty Rahat Siddique Staff Writer ON TUESDAY 17 NOVEMBER, the LSESU Islamic Finance Society hosted MP Kate Green and Humera Khan for a panel discussion to explore potential solutions to the high levels of Muslim poverty in the UK. The event was chaired

by LSE’s Sociology Professor, Suki Ali and was based on Professor Anthony Heath’s working paper commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation titled ‘How can we explain the high levels of Muslim Poverty?’

The research found that Muslims in Britain are 50% more likely to be in poverty than the average citizen, compared with 13% for Jewish individuals. The research is the first of its kind, distinguishing ethnicity from religion as a factor of poverty. Previously, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities were associated with the highest levels of poverty in Britain, but recent research shows that even amongst other ethnic groups, Muslims are consistently the most impoverished.

Professor Heath suggests three potential causes of this phenomenon: transitory factors such as language barriers and unrecognised qualifications, intrinsic factors namely larger families and lack of appropriate childcare services, and prejudice and discrimination affecting labour market participation and social mobility. Interestingly, Muslims also have the highest levels of unemployment and economic inactivity; research by Bristol Uni-

versity found that religion matters far more than skin colour when applying for jobs, in fact Muslim women at 65% less likely to be employed compared to Christian women.

The findings of the paper set the context for an interactive discussion by the panel, who endeavoured to provide solutions to this phenomenon. Humera Khan, founder of the An Nisa Society, emphasized the need for an influential voluntary sector that has the listening ear of government so that resources can be allocated appropriately. Sadly, the onset of the Prevent agenda and the government’s extravagance in funding anti-terrorism programmes in Muslim communities will only strain an already vulnerable group.

The Muslim community does not have the capacity to organise itself to address genuine issues it is suffering from, such as poverty, while also feeding into an apologetic narrative about extremism which the majority of Muslims in Britain have no association with.

Kate Green MP stated ‘the Muslim community in Britain is a

very young community (48% of Muslims are under the age of 25) this means if we (the government) get this wrong we’ll get it terribly wrong’. By ignoring the high levels of deprivation associated with Muslims in Britain, this will set the precedent for the future where the current youth are let down entirely by the government. Young British Muslims should have the opportunity to grow up and grow out of poverty by having access to the correct provisions; million-pound projects such as Prevent miss the mark entirely and leave the young Muslim community, and in turn Britain, in a helpless position.

The discussion wasn’t all doom and gloom, and there is hope that transitory and intrinsic factors such as lack of fluency in English and poor childcare facilities will eventually cease to be a cause of deprivation and lead to convergence with other faith groups. The effect of prejudice and discrimination, largely immeasurable, would have to be dealt with by tackling Islamophobia in the media, and monitoring the behaviour of the labour market to Muslim participation.

A GROUP OF LSE STUDENTS organised a get-together in the university recently to discuss the plans on setting up an Asian society. The constitution and the general plans for the first broadly Asian-centered society are under the works and are expected to be formally established in December.

As of present the society is gathering membership from students of LSE to become the founding members. Benedict Nisperos, a Chevening scholar recipient and the convenor of the society remarked how it would serve as a focal point for students belonging to the Asian community to establish and strengthen their networks.

“The society would also serve as kind of a bridge to promote cross-cultural and socioeconomic understanding among Asian student community. It would also serve as a catalyst to promote awareness on the importance of the region to the university students here.”

THIS WEEK WE HELD THE first ever LSESU Arts Forum - a long awaited meeting of the LSESU Societies that showcase the creative side of our students. The forum’s purpose was to shape how we best represent students interested in Arts at LSE, and tackle the challenges they face.

Students from a large variety of societies including Drama, Music, Photography, Dance, Visual Arts, Digital Arts, Literature and Film came together to address the main challenges they face and potential solutions. Answers included dedicated rehearsal spaces, an Arts Network (a platform for sharing information between societies) and joint socials for arts societies. It was great to hear the passion in the room, the range of solutions that societies came up with, and a real willingness to implement them this year and beyond.

Fuelled by snacks, the conversation turned to one of the most popular election issues of last year – a

One of the tentative plans the student society is set to carry out in the coming months is to organise a general meet-up session to discuss ideas and issues facing Asian LSE students. The session is going to be facilitated by Singaporean second-year undergraduate History student, Jacelyn Lin. In an interview, Jacelyn Lin spoke of how she hopes the society will provide a comfortable cultural platform for Asian students to get together, as well as stimulate intellectual interest and debate around current Asian affairs. Abdul Ma-

lik Omar, a Brunei government scholar recipient studying MSc in Local Economic Development at the LSE, sees potential in the group as something which could develop students’ leadership abilities and to help foster a deeper understanding of what it is to be Asian in today’s globalised world.

“I am also keen in to promote the Sultanate’s Vision 2035 in the university through this society. I am sure others want to share and discuss their countries’ economic development plans as well ,” said the 23-year old scholar.

representative body for Arts at LSE. As Katie Budd, Activities and Development Officer, had met with a lot of students before the event three options were presented that took into account their views. The three options debated were: a regular Arts Forum (like the one held this week), an Arts Council for representatives of arts societies, chaired by the A&D officer and run alongside regular arts forum, or an Arts Committee with elected positions, also run alongside the arts forums.

After some discussion, it was unanimously decided that the second option was right for this year, but we should be working towards the third option in the long term.

To get involved one can join the newly formed Arts Network Facebook group which is open to anyone creative at the School.

The first Arts Network meeting will be held before the end of term, where we will begin to plan the year ahead.

The network will be launched with our very own Arts Festival in the second week of Lent Term.

LSE Library’s i-Roam Service Receives National Recognition Bhadra Sreejith Deputy News Editor

Asian Society in the Making Ryan Monday Undergraduate Student

Katie Budd LSESU Activities and Development Officer

THE I-ROAM LAPTOP LOAN service, which became available in the LSE library in November last year, has received attention on Networkworld.com, an IT website that provides news and information to network executives. iRoam is a MacBook Air “vending machine” that allows students to borrow Apple laptops in the LSE Library on the first floor. The laptops automatically connect to the LSE wireless network and can be borrowed for up to four hours during termtime. iRoam laptops can only be removed if they have an 80% positive charge, in which case the green light on the charging cabinet is lit. According to Networkworld.com, “the MacBooks are essentially treated like books,

available for students to borrow for four hours at a time”. To borrow a laptop, an LSE PIN code and ID number is required.

The availability of iRoam laptops reduces the number of static computer areas, leading to more flexible and mobile learning spaces. MacBook cabinets also take up less space than computer labs. As is evident by the renovation of the fourth floor to include 276 new study spaces, the LSE is moving towards a less traditional library structure, prioritising open study spaces.

Yannis Lagogiannis, Apple Systems Specialist at LSE, is responsible for the efficient mobile computing infrastructure available for students, noting in an interview with Networkworld.com that, “we started the pilot with about 36 MacBooks last year.

We’re now over 100, and we get requests for more every day.”

News Analysis: Where Art Thou?

Sophie Barbier Undergraduate Student LAW, BANKING, NETWORKING, Zoo Bar… The arts tend to hide at LSE. On Tuesday, representatives from societies ranging from Visual Arts to Drama, Photography to Dance (didn’t know we had them?

There’s more: Literature, Digital Animation, Visual Arts, Music, Anime and Manga…) got together in an Arts Forum organised by Katie Budd, LSESU Activities and Development Officer, and Jon Rhys-Foster, LSESU Education Officer.

A preliminary meeting to voice challenges facing the arts at LSE, and to open a network to further support and appreciate them, the Forum demonstrated refreshing solidarity between societies.

It started off with shared concern at the arts taking a backseat on campus and in the student body.

Room bookings, storage spaces, promotion issues and competition with networking events are all challenges that were voiced across the board amongst those present. Even from “within” the community – if there is such a thing – there was surprise at the discovery that certain societies existed, or that what they do is so exciting. How can the arts be shared with the rest of the student body, if they are so scattered from the inside?

It is fantastic that there are all these societies, and so much more can be done to maximise their reach and impact upon ‘artists’ and

‘non-artists’ alike. Realising that different groups had similar ambitions – e.g. a big, fun arts appreciation social – was a reminder of all the benefits of working together.

Economies of scale, society-style.

The lack of such cooperation is not for lack of trying, until now; rather, the bureaucracy involved in communicating with each other at various levels plays a strong part in encouraging individual work.

Tuesday’s Arts Forum kickstarted this network of arts society representatives to work together to coordinate events and promote their work to like-minded individuals. Spreading the word out into broader LSE community and inviting others to be a part of the movement, with a more cohesive group spearheaded by the Students’ Union, will hopefully have greater influence on access to resources.

Confession: I am neither a member of any arts society, nor do I self-identify as an artist – and yet I am an advocate of raising the profile, and facilitating the work, of those groups around campus.

I have had fantastic interactions with various arts societies through creative fundraising for a Vietnamese NGO (Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation): a Photography Competition, Life Drawing project, and upcoming World Dance Festival…

Having a vibrant arts community at university is important. It brings people together from across backgrounds and disciplines; it allows us to appreciate the huge talents that so often go unnoticed; it is a healthy distraction from & complement to academics; it goes

crucially hand in hand with free expression, and can channel as well as trigger important discussions.

More broadly, it contributes to the life of the student body.

Since September this year, the Global Arts and Politics Alliance has highlighted how powerful the arts can be, particularly in light of recent international affairs. Wanda Tiefenbacher (LSE) and Dragana Comagic (University of Montenegro) started GAPA with the idea that art is crucial in political issues, debates, critiques and awarenessraising. “The GAPA vision stems from exactly this interaction between art as a medium, and the domain of politics as a subject with a touch of social change,” Wanda

explained in an exclusive with The Beaver. “Involving students from within and without arts communities is highly potent.”

To be perfectly honest, this movement should have happened at LSE a long time ago – but it’s great to see the SU behind this now (the Forum was brought up at this week’s UGM in the Sabb report).

It’s with excitement and hopeful optimism that we watch this come together now… watch this space!

[If you’d like to get involved in the Arts Council as a member of any society, affiliation, or none, find the Arts Forum on Facebook or get in touch! GAPA is also recruiting; you can find them at www.ga-pa. org.

LGBT+ Alliance and Athletics Union Fly Rainbow Flag On Pride Night James Clark Staff Writer

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SAW THE return of rainbows both in The Three Tuns and Zoo Bar for the annual Athletics Union’s Pride Night. Organised by both the AU Executive and the LSESU LGBT+ Alliance, the night embodied the motto of ‘AU for all’.

The LGBT+ Alliance Committee, who were decked out in rainbow facepaint, were out in full force and launched one of their many programs this year: AU Ally. The program actively gives club members of LSESU teams the skills and the knowledge to make their club more inclusive and to actively encourage “out” role-models through events and workshops. The Alliance signed up many members of AU clubs such as Men’s Rugby, Women’s Rugby, Football, Hockey; many of whose members backed the campaign by wearing rainbow flag face paint to symbolise LGBT+ flags, showing their support.

Apart from Men’s Rugby belting out their regular tunes at Tuns,

the night also showcased a number of LGBT+ themed songs with Women’s Rugby vocalising a fantastic version of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”, and apart from a small amount of inappropriate behaviour from a DJ that was quickly sorted out, the night was a success and continued on into another night at Zoo Bar. Both AU engagement officer Jenny Johanson and LGBT+ Alliance President Perdita Blinkhorn put in a massive amount of effort to make sure that the night was a safe, inclusive, and incredibly vibrant.

The success of the night comes after the Tackling Sexism and Homophobia in Rugby event held

by Men’s Rugby, the AU and the LSE Equality and Diversity Taskforce, which invited “out” referee Nigel Owens to speak alongside many other guests.

Further information on how AU members can get involved in the AU Ally program can be found by emailing su.soc.lgbt@lse.ac.uk.

This week’s edition of the Beverage Report can be found in the sports section.

News | 7

News In Brief ‘Milifandom’ Founder Receives LSE Offer The seventeen year old creator of the Milifandom craze that swept the hearts and minds of young Labour party supporters in this year’s General Election has received an offer to study BSc Government at the London School of Economics. Abby Tomlinson is a political writer for the Guardian and Huffington Post, as well as having over 35, 000 followers on Twitter.

She tweeted the news of her offer earlier in the week, saying she was “absolutely ecstatic” and noted “we all know who is included in LSE alumni”.

LSE Development Shortlist Revealed The final six firms bidding to be the ones to design and build the School’s new Paul Marshall Building have been disclosed after they were shortlisted from an original 87 applications. Architects Journal revealed that half of the potential winners are women-led firms.

Amanda Levete’s AL_A, along with Grafton Architects, will vie with various other leading architects for the contract which is understood to be worth around £100 million.

Julian Robinson, LSE’s Director of Estates, said - “This was the hardest choice. The response was amazing, with many high profile firms from across the world submitting.

We have tried to pick a stimulating shortlist which will produce a range of different design responses to this extraordinary site”.

Winnie the Pooh’s Skull displayed at LSE neighbour The Skull of what has been deemed the ‘real’ Winnie the Pooh is to go on display at the Hunterian Museum located at Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

A. A. Milne’s world famous honey fanatic, based on his son’s teddy bear, is said to have borrowed his name from Winnie the black bear, a resident at London Zoo whom Milne used to visit when he was a child. When Winnie sadly passed away in 1934 another LSE neighbor, the Royal College of Surgeons, kept her head. The famous cranium will now take pride of place at the Hunterian. Winnie, like her eponymous Pooh, certainly had a sweet tooth. Experts at the museum told the BBC that she lost most of her teeth due to children feeding her honey and iced buns.

8 | Tuesday 24 November, 2015

Sexual Harassment On Campus Although sexual harassment is common, it is still shocking to experience Sadi Pokharel Postgraduate Student

Comment

Section Editor: Mali Williams Deputy Editors: Dina Nagapetiants Hakan Ustabas Nina Webb

I WAS GETTING FOOD AT Wright’s Bar earlier today. The place was crowded as always.

Wright’s Bar, an old family-run business, is famous for being one of the cheapest places to eat, not just at LSE, but probably in the entirety of Central London. The lady who runs it eventually managed to make space for me (if you go to LSE you know that you don’t get your own table at Wright’s - even if you’re a regular like Dean, getting your favourite bacon omelette).

There was a group of three construction workers sat at one of the tables, and a group of older police officers sat next to them. I pulled up the chair closest to me, next to one of the construction workers, and the police officers made some remark about me deciding to sit at the “younger” table. I ignored their comment and took my place.

The guy next to me was trying to squeeze mayo on his food, but it exploded and he got the mayo all over himself - and some on my

coat. The men burst out laughing, and one of the police officers said, “See, that’s why you should always go for older men.” I felt disgusted, and very uncomfortable. The men continued to laugh.

“I never expected a police officer to make such a comment. I have always had this idea that police officers are there to protect you... and respect women.”

I deal with such sexist comments every single day. Last night when I was walking home from Liverpool Street tube station, a stranger crept up behind me and whispered, “Hey babe, how you doing?” in my ear.

What I’m trying to say is, not a single day goes by without me encountering such sexism, be it on-campus or off-campus. It is sad but I have to admit that I have reached a point where most of those comments feel natural. Since I’ve been dealing

with them ever since I was a little girl, they’re almost expected now.

However, I never expected a police officer to make such a comment. I have always had this idea that police officers are there to protect you, that they are decent people who care about everybody’s safety, and respect women. I’ve always felt secure in an environment where an officer was present. But would a police officer who goes around making unnecessary sexist comments at young students take any action when he sees a female getting sexually harassed on the streets?

I was only in Wright’s to get some food. I was wearing a woolly hat. I had a big coat on. I had my glasses and my backpack, but to those men I was nothing but a body to be looked at and commented on.

We say the problem is with the law. I keep hearing people saying strong laws are needed to deal with everyday sexual harassment, that men who catcall must be seriously punished - but punished by whom? If our police officers are going around making sexist remarks at young students, whom can we

expect to punish those men who creep up behind us in dark alleys?

Sexual harassment is a crime punishable by law. Isn’t unnecessarily objectifying a female student getting food at a café, making sexist comments at her, making her feel uncomfortable - isn’t that a form of sexual harassment? It is easy for people to say I’m overreacting, but isn’t it unfair that I have to deal with such comments and bullying every single day simply because I am female?

“Real change is not possible until we stop ignoring everyday sexual harassment - no matter how ‘minor’ it may seem.”

The problem is not the law; the problem is the mind-set of society.

Real change is not possible until we stop ignoring everyday sexual harassment - no matter how ‘minor’ it may seem.

Give SU Democracy A Chance

A response to Peter Lyon’s recent article, ‘The Slow Death of the UGM’ Katie Flynn Democracy Committee Chair Continued from Cover

...pay more attention to your whereabouts, or maybe invest in a TomTom. Secondly, while the UGM is ‘supposed’ to happen weekly, historically we hold UGMs when students have motions that they actually care about being debated, not just for the sake of filling an hour on a Thursday. If Joe ‘Democracy’ Anderson didn’t convene a weekly UGM, that’s good enough for me (according to the Bye-Laws, it is the General Secretary’s responsibility to convene UGMs). It’s probably worth reminding you that these Bye-Laws are almost six years old, written at a time when every student had the hour blocked out by timetabling, which is no longer the case.

“I, like most people, said goodbye to UGMs in the Old Theatre kicking and screaming, nails clininging on in a manner that would have impressed Occupy LSE.”

Furthermore, I find your assertion that ‘most LSE students are fed up of hearing about point-

less motions in favour of free education’ rather interesting. I find it hard to believe that the 314 people who voted online were ‘fed up’ of this subject. This motion was extremely popular with a high voter turnout, unlike one you may have heard of recently regarding Uber, which failed to reach quoracy. I think on this occasion it’s more appropriate to accept the LSE student body as a better authority on what they consider relevant. The motion in question was discussed at length

by Democracy Committee who, after careful editing, deemed it significantly different to last year’s motion. This you already know,

because we replied to your email at the time. But thanks for raising it again.

Thirdly, and I’ll give you this one, the venue situation has been just a little bit crap. Which is why I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that after weeks of tears, tantrums and sabotaging yoga, which by the way I’d like to thank you for your (non-existent) help with, we have secured the 6th Floor Studio for UGMs. I, like most people, said goodbye to UGMs in the Old Theatre kicking and screaming, nails clinging on in a manner that would have impressed Occupy LSE. However, as another equally wise

woman (my other mate, Layla) keeps reminding me, it’s actually 2015 and things change. Venues are sacrificed. The 60s LSE is long gone, and Sean Connery no longer plays James Bond. The 6th Floor Studio is our Daniel Craig, and we’re going to make it work.

So this is me ‘paying lip service to SU Democracy’, and extending a formal invitation to you, Peter, and anyone else who may feel underwhelmed by the current democratic processes at LSE. Consider the red carpet rolled out from the 6th Floor Studio. As you kindly pointed out, this is a twoway street. UGM Chair, unregulated Uber and out.

A Letter To The Editor: Divestment

Comment | 9

LSE should think twice before divesting

DEAR EDITOR, As the winter term progresses at the London School of Economics and Political Science, I urge my fellow alumni to keep in mind the disadvantages of making the decision to divest from fossil fuels.

The outcome is crucially important, and I write due to the clear adverse effect divestment will have on the university’s incomes, and therefore students’ education.

While I wholeheartedly support the Board of Governors’ decision to give closer consideration to ethical issues, I am concerned that students and local communities alike are in the dark on the potentially negative implications divestment could have on the future of this world renowned institution.

With the topic currently so much in the news, it is easy to overlook the fact that this is the fastest growing non-divestment movement in history. A large number of other leading UK universities have rejected the idea, not to mention councils, the London Assembly, and major international financiers.

How can we, as a community

concerned about climate change, influence the energy industry’s environmental policies if we proactively disengage ourselves as shareholders? Engagement, not divestment is the correct strategy to pursue. We should invest in our future through the expansion of knowledge and avoid creating situations that limit academic progress or the ability to research and develop studies. If LSE goes forward with a divestment approach, we stand to lose £97.2 million in support for everything from teachers to entire programmes and scholarships, not to mention lost earnings on the fully optimised portfolios we currently hold.

This is not an issue to be decided on the basis of pressure from well-meaning, but ill-informed, activists who fail to consider the full repercussions of their actions.

Again, I urge you to follow the example set by institutions such as Harvard University and respect the fiduciary responsibilities of LSE, communicating with, rather than ostracising an industry on which our society will, in all likelihood, continue to rely for decades to come.

Credit: GoFossilFree.org

Andrew Williams LSE Alumnus

Andrew Williams MSc Politics and Communication (2008); MSc Government (2007)

In Response To The Divestment-Sceptics

Despite the enormous fossil fuel lobby, there is a viable and promising future for divestment Anna Koolstra LSE Divest DEAR ANDREW AND OTHER DIVESTMENT-SCEPTICS, It is really great to see that alumni remain involved with the LSE and are following the latest developments around the Socially Responsible Investment Review that is being undertaken. However, I must point out that the letter above from Andrew Williams on the topic of fossil fuel divestment contains flawed argumentation that leads to deeply mistaken conclusions.

In Mr. Williams’ letter, two main arguments are put forward against divestment from fossil fuels: one, engagement is a preferred strategy over divestment and, two, divesting from fossil fuels will pose a financial risk to the school. Let me address these arguments one by one.

First, it is pointed out that engagement, instead of divestment, is the more effective strategy to combat climate change. LSE, as a shareholder, can push for progress in research and development and pressure fossil fuel companies to dramatically change their business model. However, these companies’ core profits and activities

are intimately tied to the production of fossil fuels. It is not at all in their interest to move to a fossil free market and, indeed, we have historically seen these same companies actively misinform and conceal information to avoid such a shift. In the transition to a lowcarbon economy, the real drivers of innovation changing the markets are companies such as Tesla and SolarCity, not Shell and BP.

“In fact, research by Corporate Knights has shown that LSE has lost £2m over the last three years by not divesting.”

The 2015 Climate Survey asked sustainability experts from 69 countries and ranked the performances of different companies as leaders in the fight against climate change, none of the fossil fuel sector companies made it to the list.

These companies are widely seen as having failed to shift business models to address climate change concerns. Engagement with these companies is not going to lead us to a sustainable future.

Secondly, we are warned that if the LSE goes forward with a di-

vestment approach, we could lose £97.2 million in support for everything from teachers to entire programmes and scholarships. We all want to preserve our funds and ensure high levels of return in order to maintain all our high-quality services and activities. In fact, we are legally bound to do so as a charity.

However the letter makes no mention of the risks of investing in an industry that is actually based on exploiting a global negative externality. The Bank of England has recently warned for the huge risk of stranded assets. Research shows that 80% of coal reserves have to stay in the ground in order to avoid blowing the safe budget for carbon emissions. But in 2013 alone companies have spent £436bn on searching for more fossil fuels. This all becomes worthless if action on global warming allowed emissions.

Additionally, it is highly likely that a climate deal at COP21 will further reduce the profitability of fossil fuel investments. In fact, research by Corporate Knights has shown that LSE has lost £2m over the last three years by not divesting from fossil fuels. This just adds to the growing body of evidence that divestment from fossil fuels is certainly as profitable, if not more, than sustained investment in fossil fuel companies.

As a third point, a small clarification around LSE investments themselves, the school currently has approximately £5 million in fossil fuel companies. Divesting would not endanger the entirety of the endowment, as fossil fuels comprise only 5% of its endowment.

Not divesting, however, would mean that this £5 million is less likely to be recovered or generate as great returns as it would have in a fossil free portfolio.

“And despite the huge fossil fuel industry lobby, the divestment movement has managed to build an incredibly strong case - one that is supported by prominent academic and leaders.”

To conclude, we at LSE Divest welcome any questions, critiques and comments of our campaign and our research. Amongst ourselves and with others, we discuss and refine our reasoning constantly as new information comes forward. And despite the huge fossil

fuel industry lobby, the divestment movement has managed to build an incredibly strong case for divestment - one that is supported by prominent academics and leaders. To name a minority: Thomas Piketty, Ban Ki-Moon and Christiana Figueres, and Mark Carney from the Bank of England. This has manifested in divestment commitments adding up to $2.6 trillion across the globe, amongst which are Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Stanford’s endowment fund and two of the world’s biggest pension funds in California.

We can be reached at lsedivest@gmail.com, on Twitter or on Facebook. A healthy debate is welcome and necessary. We are eager to address any concerns members of the community have regarding fossil fuel divestment. Lastly, we would encourage future arguments published in the Beaver to be supported by sound research and facts.

Do you agree?

Tweet @BeaverOnline or email

comment@thebeaveronline.co.uk

10| Tuesday 24 November, 2015

Cameron And Corbyn’s University Romance Oxford University records reveal how the two opposition leaders once shared a room...

Daniel Spillman Undergraduate Student

THE ABOVE IS OF COURSE a fabricated lie, but I wonder how many were attracted by the headline, believing it to be a perfectly plausible story. With a bit of Googling, it’s not hard to learn that Cameron is seventeen years younger than the Opposition leader, and what’s more, Corbyn didn’t even attend the university. And yet, a worryingly large proportion of social media users are subconsciously sharing or believing unverified information to be true.

We live in a world dominated by technology and social media. It’s hard to deny the advantages we’ve seen from these various platforms, and with around 1.5 billion monthly Fa-

cebook users, people have become more informed and better connected worldwide.

“The above is of course a fabricated lie, but I wonder how many were attracted by the headline.”

Nonetheless, more exposure to so many streams of information and news has had unintended consequences. Too often I’ve logged onto Facebook or Twitter to find a range of scaremongering or politically motivated, completely false, articles. If I were to believe everything I read, Kate Middleton would have six children, David Cameron would be having an affair with a pig, the world would be coming to an end next

week, and I’d be an incredibly misinformed human being.

A frequently shared Facebook link I’ve often found on my feed is a picture of a man yielding an ISIS flag amongst crowds of ‘refugees’ in Germany. Scepticism and research showed that the picture was actually from a 2012 anti-Islam rally, and yet without questioning it, a worryingly large proportion of users would no doubt have accepted the report to be genuine. What’s worse is that they then go on to share it to fellow users.

The recent Paris and Beirut terror attacks have shaken most of humanity. Parisians were able to offer shelter with the use of the hashtag ‘#PorteOuverte’ and users worldwide could show solidarity to a nation in grief – social media at its best.

At the same time, a sceptical narrative surfaced regarding a terror attack in Kenya, supposedly in the ‘same week’, and its lack of media attention. The latter is true, the media should have given it the coverage it deserved, but in April, when the event actually took place. The hunger for big news stories and controversial events has resulted in hot headed users taking

“The unfortunate reality is we’ve become passive zombies, willing to accept an article from the LadBible or unkown news outlets as legitimate sources of information.”

everything at face value.

The unfortunate reality is we’ve become passive zombies, willing to accept an article from the LadBible or unknown news outlets as legitimate sources of information. While the sharing facility on social media is an excellent tool for spreading awareness of good causes and verified news, the inadvertent cost of this comes in the form of unconfirmed ‘facts’ spreading like wildfire.

Next time you’re aimlessly scrolling through the depths of your Twitter feed or Facebook timeline in an attempt to forget your looming deadline, question whether the article you’re reading about the end of the world is genuine.

You may well have only 5 days to live, but at least you’re spending them that little bit wiser.

Nicky Morgan Could Be Next Tory Leader Conservatives should not be too quick to dismiss the Education Minister’s chances Hugo Bromley Undergraduate Student LABOUR HAD A LEADERship contest a while back, with well-publicised and potentially earthquake-worthy results. Yet the Conservative leadership contest began at the Tory party conference, with leadership contenders speaking well beyond their briefs in an attempt to seem like ‘the one’.

This has received relatively little consideration in student circles, even though the winner may be given a guarantee, rather than just an outside chance, of being Prime Minister.

“Perhaps part of this is because everyone thinks they know who the new leader will be...”

Perhaps part of this is because everyone thinks they know who the new leader will be (and it is not Boris Johnson). George Osborne has now been winning in polls (conducted by the ever-accurate YouGov) since mid-July, while Theresa May seems remarkably out of step with the average Conservative voter. The storm over tax credits will not be a particularly lethal blow, especially since the House of Lords has just given him an excellent opportunity to do some serious rethinking (though I doubt he sees it quite like that). However, as one visitor to the LSESU Conservative Society said a few weeks ago, don’t rule out an outsider. Ted

Heath, Margret Thatcher, John Major, David Cameron and even, God help us, Ian Duncan Smith, were all considered unknowns before they assumed leadership roles in the party. Why should it be any different this time round?

If so, our current Education Secretary deserves some consideration. Brought in to the Education department in the run up to the election, she has imposed a degree of order to a department which was beginning to resemble a policy Gatling gun run amok. She has also been successful in pushing through the core triumvirate of Conservative education policy: Academies; Free Schools; and no more AS levels, despite opposition. Since the election, she has provided a remarkably steady hand on the tiller in a normally frenetic department, ably assisted by Jo Johnson. [Side note: Johnson junior is another potential star, competent, popular (to those who don’t do African Lion impersonations every time the word PREVENT is mentioned) and a better public speaker than his brother. Don’t rule out Miliband style fratricide in the next leadership cycle after this.]

In a way, she has become something of a victim of her own success, in that she has been associated with competence rather than the brilliance and wizardry that is George Osborne. Help, however, may be at hand, in selective-education based form. The decision to allow a grammar school near Sevenoaks to perform a kind of biological cell stretching (not quite division) to accommodate a new school premises some distance away has opened up a world of opportunities. It is also

difficult to imagine a fight more popular with the rank and file Tory.

The restoration of an age-old system, first implemented by Churchill’s coalition government in 1944, which supports meritocracy over mediocrity, against the opposition of a deeply unpopular union (in these circles), the NUS – it’s just like old times. However, there are more serious issues with her candidacy. With Osborne and Boris both running, she would have to court the Tory that wants to see a ‘fresh face’ at the Party’s head. This is not implausible, but there might not be quite enough space in this lane, even without mentioning certain other colleagues (Sajid Javid being

Credit: Flickr:Policy Exchange

the most obvious case), who might also try their luck. Her previous policy positions represent another issue. She opposed marriage equality at the time of its introduction, though she has since changed her

“There was once a female Education Minister, who pushed through several unpopular policies... eventually assuming the office of Prime Minister...”

mind. Europe is also a potential problem. A ‘No’ vote, especially one backed by Boris (surnames not required in his case) would be bad news for the Europhile Morgan.

None of these challenges, however, are insurmountable, especially in a world where many Conservatives believe that competence and confidence alone will be enough to beat Jeremy Corbyn. Furthermore, I leave you with this passing thought. There was once a female Education Minister, who pushed through several unpopular policies, before challenging the incumbent in a close race, eventually assuming the office of Prime Minister. And didn’t that go well?

Comment | 11

The Quest For A New Arab Socialism

For peace and a true Arab Spring, the Arab World must find its Leftist voice once again Giorgio Cacciaguerra Undergraduate Student

W H AT H A P P E N S TO A society when the Left loses its voice and becomes a non-entity? The current state of the Middle East offers some insight to a right-wing libertarian’s wet dream. I am by no means a seasoned follower of MiddleEastern politics, nor do I want to make gross generalisations, but if there is one thing that surprised me in the wake of the Arab spring, it was not the violence in which it came to be, nor was it the initial triumph of Islamist forces, nor the ripple effects it had throughout the wider region. What surprised me the most was the practical non-existence of mass left-wing parties in the modern Arab World. In the few ‘free’ elections that occurred in the last decade, there has been a conspicuous lack of major left-wing political forces (under 10% of the electorate) in the elected

“In the few ‘free’ elections that occurred in the last decade, there has been a conspicuous lack of major left-wing political forces in the elected parliaments of the main Arab countries.”

Credit: Wikipedia Commons

parliaments of the main Arab countries, from Morocco to Iraq.

The Middle East has become a Terra Incognita for the social democratic and democratic socialist alternative to the neoliberal paradigm of our age.

This is surprising for a land and civilisation that has been confronted by the main ideological movements of the day such as nationalism, liberalism, and then socialism. Long gone are the days in which Arab socialism inspired millions of young Arabs and speakers such as Nasser, and where socialist mass parties projected the vision of an alternative society to the rest of the world and it was not inconceivable to have Marxist members of the government. In the matter of a generation all of this changed. No longer are Arab countries imitated or admired for their mighty endeavours such as the construction of the Aswan Dam or the breaching of the Bar-Lev line. Indeed, it seems that with the death of Arab Socialism in the region came the death of the Arab World’s stand in the world, further distorted by the consumeristic excess and brutality of some Gulf regimes.

Instead of being lionised for their defiance, some of the previous most functional Arab states are now presented as basket cases to avoid by politicians.

Colonial or Post-colonial machinations aside, many of these previously revolutionary re-

“There will be no Arab Spring until true politics returns and the Arab World finds its Leftist voice.

Without it, it would have lost its reformist and modernising streak...” gimes have also much to blame for the present state of affairs.

Their undoing was moving away from their progressive and revolutionary course and steering towards kleptocracy and crony capitalism instead. Moreover, the preservation of tribal mentalities and special interests worked against the construction of strong political and economic institutions, with failed economic policies serving only two traditionalist constituencies: the army and ruling classes. Authoritarianism in many of these countries dried out traditions of civil society and strengthened leader worship and the reliance on a male Deus Ex Machina figure instead of normal political processes. The various regimes’ flirtation with political Islam in overt and covert forms, instead of enforcing secularism, has affected the development of a coherent political thought among Arab masses, and ensured that regimes could stay in power under the pretence of fighting

extremism. Finally, the preservation of sectarian systems in Syria and Iraq further combusted the current onslaught in these lands.

Yet despite the failure of previous forms of socialist inspired Arab regimes, from Algeria to Yemen, the Arab World more than ever needs a truly socialist voice in order to tackle many of its longstanding issues.

Truly secular regimes would ensure that the Arab World’s various denominations live in peace and inter-mingle safely, while holding similar aspirations. New economic thinking would target inequality and tackle the dysfunctional monopolies currently chocking the wealth of these nations. A new welfare state would aim at providing some of the basic services now missing or currently apportioned by Islamic charities. A new interest in national development would bring back

“Long gone are the days in which Arab socialism inspired millions of young Arabs and speakers such as Nasser, and where socialist mass parties projected the vision of an alternative society to the rest of the world...”

the focus on science and technology, which in turn would lead to growth and innovation.

Fundamentally, Leftist ideas would bring back attention to workers and women’s rights and re-introduce real politics onto the political scene. These ideas would further contribute in filling the current vacuum in many of these countries due to political and religious quietism and re-initiate crucial socioeconomic conversations.

There will be no Arab spring until true politics returns and the Arab World finds its Leftist voice. Without it, it would have lost its reformist and modernising streak, and abandoned itself to division, creeping conservatism, and absolutist patriarchy. Hopefully Arab countries will be praised again for their efforts in disenfranchising individuals and nations, and be seen as models the world over.

To do so, the diverse nations of the Arab World must find their own course to modernity and progress, defying massive odds from geopolitical and poisonous national-religious intrigues.

A strong socialist and democratic voice would be effective in tackling many of these ills if allowed to flourish, without offering necessarily a complete panacea, but returning some of the forgotten gains of the previous Arab socialist experiences and addressing their flaws.

Hopefully, there will be a spring after the winter.

12| Tuesday 24 November, 2015

‘Our Education Matters, It Is Time We Take Ownership Of It’ Jon-Rhys Foster LSESU Education Officer

The Union

IS LSE PERFECT? For the vast majority of students, the answer to that question is a resounding no.

LSE is not perfect, and it needs to be better. That can be seen from a cursory glance at this year’s NSS scores or by having a short conversation with any LSE student. The school absolutely must be doing more to fulfil its student’s expectations and to create an environment where teaching is valued at least on a par with research.

At every level, education is undergoing significant changes. Internationally, the education sector, not necessarily renowned for being the quickest to react to significant global change is finally beginning

to embrace technological advances.

Nationally, the debate surrounding the governments new Green Paper (which could and indeed is, easily filling dozens of column inches) and its implications have the potential to reshape higher education as we know it.

Here at LSE significant change is underway as well. Not only in the form of seemingly never-ending building works, but more fundamentally in redefining what an LSE Education looks like. It is of paramount importance that students are at the heart of that conversation.

LSE is in the process of designing an Education Strategy and Covenant for 2015-2020. These documents have the potential to completely transform what an LSE Education looks like. The new strategy will affect everything: from

quality of teaching, professional development and academic support, through to lecture capture, assessment, feedback and having the opportunity to study abroad.

It is vital that students are the ones driving these changes. That is why we are asking you, the students, what you want. Asking you what is working and what isn’t; asking you what could, should and needs to be better.

We have been running various consultation events such as the Course Rep Congress and last week’s Re-imagining Your Education: The Unconference. We will be running a further Re-Imagining event on Wednesday 2nd December on the Education Strategy specifically to gather further student input.

In addition, we have launched an online consultation which has

thus gathered over 120 responses.

Most people don’t enjoy filling out surveys because ultimately most of them are meaningless. This survey matters and it will mean something – your observations and suggestions will directly impact the drafting of the new Educational Covenant and the way change is implemented for the next five years. Whatever is in there, the school will need to abide by – we cannot afford to miss this chance.

Unless you think LSE is perfect as it is, we need you to fill out this survey and to get as many other people as you can to fill it out to.

Our Education matters, it is time we take ownership of it.

LSESU’s consultation is open until 4th December - fill it in here: bit.ly/EdCovSurvey

E&E Officer Explains Why Green Week Was Mint

Elena Bignami LSESU Enivornment and Ethics Officer

LSE GREEN WEEK’S ultimate purpose was to reach out to students and challenge them to realise that the environment and climate change cannot be put in a box. That is, the physical changes that the biosphere is experiencing – including extreme weather events, melting ice caps and higher temperatures – are affecting human societies under a wide range of perspectives, therefore the multidisciplinary nature of climate change has to be appreciated for us to understand the roots of the problems and the kinds of solutions needed to address the causes and consequences of environmental issues.

The week kicked off with the creative finals of the LSE Climate Competition: “What does climate change mean to you?” Undergraduates, postgraduates, PhD students and faculty members were encouraged to submit artworks, including photographs, paintings, music, poems and sculptures, to express how they understood climate change. This was a first step to pin down the environment in absolute terms and to erase some degree of confusion and uncertainty as to what this popular con-

cept really means. With over twenty submissions displayed around the Saw Swee Hock centre, the artworks successfully captured the variety of issues that fall under the global environmental challenge and climate change through the lens of the exhibition.

LSE Divest, a student movement lobbying the School to divest from fossil fuel companies, shouted out their presence on campus at their Day of Action. Students marched together from Saw Swee Hock, to the Library, into the Old Building and to Director Calhoun’s office with music, drums, banners and high-volume pledges to deliver a letter stating their demands for full divestment from coal, oil and natural gas.

It was truly inspiring to see so many student activists addressing the climate crisis and pushing for direct change towards a sustainable and low carbon future. This week, on November 24th, the LSE Council will take a final decision on divestment; LSE Divest is pushing for a meaningful statement to be released by the university leading up to the Paris climate talks.

LSE SU’s trip to The Crystal, an exhibition on sustainable cities, was also successful as it was a unique opportunity for students to think about how the transition to

a sustainable future will realistically shape out. Cities, the main poles of social and economic growth, will inevitably have a central role in maximizing energy efficiency and implementing renewable technologies that will reduce large-scale carbon footprints.

Students were very impressed and fascinated by the ongoing efforts to raise environmental standards at the urban level.

Overall, Green Week transformed LSE into a locus of student environmental action. LSE societies including FoodCycle, Ethical Business and CSR, Visual Arts, Sustainable Futures, LSE Divest and Animal Rights raised awareness about ongoing environmental struggles and topics including food poverty, fair trade, sustainable finance, animal exploitation, and fossil fuel divestment.

Now that LSE Green Week has come to an end, environmental and social challenges are still with us and I will do my best to engage with the encompassing issue of climate change throughout all the academic year. In the coming weeks, LSE Debate Society will be holding a debate on the role of major polluters in opening their borders to environmental refugees. This is a unique opportunity for us to understand how the effects of

droughts, changing sea levels, famine and natural disasters are being experienced by vulnerable social groups, and think about how should states respond, and who should bear this responsibility.

In Lent Term, I will liaise with LSESU’s Women’s Officer to organize a panel event for Women in Energy and Business, with a special attention to environmentally sustainable companies including Acclimatize and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). I am also organizing a joint event with the Energy Society to address the key question of the base-load energy that has, in the long-run, the capacity to replace fossil fuels. I will also take time to address the question of student dissatisfaction with water fountains; I plan to push for a fountain in the Lower Ground floor of the Library as well as one in the 1st floor cafeteria of the Saw Swee Hock Centre.

Finally, I believe that this year LSE Green Week was a huge success that had the privilege to witness student passion for important environmental challenges and opportunities that will shape our livelihoods in years to come. I am therefore looking forward to new events and initiatives planned for the rest of the year!

NUS EXTRA: THE ESSENTIAL STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD Available to buy from the LSESU Shop and online: www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra

AND MUCH MORE

RAG share their stories RAG Gets Lost Most Successful It Has Ever Been SATURDAY 14TH NOVEMBER saw twenty one teams hitchhike back from Cromer completing challenges along the way, all in the name of charity. This year RAG Gets Lost was raising money for Papyrus, a charity that works for the prevention of young suicide.

Gets Lost 2015 was without doubt the most successful it has ever been for LSESU RAG, raising near £4,800 with more money still coming in. A HUGE shout out

to the Hiking Vikings team, made up of Matt, Jess & Ariana who raisin an awe inspiring £733.25 and our RAG Gets Lost winners 2015 MA100 (lol).

All our teams documented their journeys back to the capital, filming themselves completing an assortment of challenges along the way, head over to the RAG Facebook page to see our RAG Gets Lost 2015 video made our very own Valerie Wiesner.

Calling All Tough Guys (And Girls) AFTER BEING INUNDATED with messages we are happy to announce LSESU RAG will once again be taking part in the annual Tough Guy race. To whet your appetite here is what Eloise, one of last year participants had to say about the experience.

Completing the Tough Guy challenge was a testing but no doubt rewarding experience.

The 15/12km obstacle course encounters sky high climbing nets, icy waters and underground tunnels... least I say that it’s not for the faint hearted! Nonetheless, the accomplishing feeling you get when you cross that finish line is indescribable, and the bond you build among your team mates when undergoing the ac-

tivity can only be experienced through trying something that really pushes you to your limits!

Tea, biscuits and blankets surround you at the finish line and that, combined with the buzz you get from doing something for an incredible cause makes it all worthwhile. Having experienced the pain once, there’s nothing that would put me off doing it a second time (although I would make a conscious effort not to touch the electric fence when coming out the water at the end (don’t worry, this wasn’t actually meant be part of the course))!!!

For more details, come along to the info session on the 1st December @ 6pm in PAR. LG.03

“How Quickly Can You Get To City Airport?” - RAG Jailbreak Is Full Of Surprises THE INFO SESSION FOR Jailbreak is being held at 6pm on Thursday 26th November in CLM5.02 come along to find out more about possibly our most exciting event all year.

Last year LSESU RAG’s Jailbreak hit new heights with the winning team managing to blag a private jet to Madrid! Here is their story; As part of LSE Rag Week, Gee Linford-Grayson, Robyn Connelly-Webster and Julia Ryland, from team Motherruckers, managed to get the furthest out of London with only their fine-tuned blagging skills to aid them.

The girls finally ended up in the remote town of Almunecar in the south of Spain, a huge 1666.4km from London town.

They were helped by Barry, a supporter of LSE Women’s Rugby, who flies private planes. It was this connection that secured the Rugby girls a phone call from FlyLEA on Friday afternoon bagging a last

minute flight.

Gee said: “FlyLEA just called up and asked ‘how quickly can you get to city airport?’”

As it turned out the private jet company were flying the empty jet to Madrid to pick up a passenger, and helped the girls out along the way.

It was the chance encounter with Rob Varley and his generous cash donation which secured the girls a bus to Granada, helping them ace their jailbreak competition.

From Granada the team hitch hiked their way to the most remote place in southern Spain. So obscure that the only article about it on the internet is by Limbet Öpik.

This year our Jailbreak is going to be in aid of our international Charity, Farm Africa. We hope to see loads of you at the info session.

Send us a message on Facebook if you are unable to attend but still interested in taking part.

Photos below: Teams for RAG Jailbreak preparing for their adventures outside the Saw Swee Hock, Beaver On The Loose preparing to hitchhike to Vienna, Jailbreak winners, the Motherruckers, on the plane ready to fly from City Airport, Students taking part in Tough Guy, the aftermath of Tough Guy

The Union | 15

16 | Tuesday 1 December, 2015

FILM

14

REVIEW

RUBY SPARKS Sarah Ku Created by the directors of “Little Miss Sunshine”, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, “Ruby Sparks” is a creative and humorous film that revolves around Calvin’s experience of witnessing his novel character, Ruby (Zoe Kazan), come to life. Calvin (Paul Dano) is a young novelist who had his first novel published at the age of nineteen. However, ever since the book’s commercial success, he has struggled with penning his next book, partly due to the burden of his past success, and partly due to his insistence on perfection. Now twentynine, Calvin is lonely and visits a therapist regularly. After a dream about a girl called Ruby, he becomes obsessed with writing about her. One day, he suddenly finds that Ruby is in his house, living and breathing as a real human being.

While Zoe Kazan wrote the screenplay of the film, she also starred as Ruby alongside her real life partner, Paul Dano, who portrayed the protagonist Calvin. Kazan certainly did not disappoint. Throughout the film, especially in the latter part, Ruby switches between different moods and characteristics very rapidly. Kazan could clearly grasp and handle the differences between various emotions to give a convincing and nuanced performance.

Dano also gave his character a very consistent persona.

Calvin is an introverted and soft-spoken writer who uses old-fashioned typewriters and dresses like a stereotypical hipster, which creates a sharp contrast between him and the bubbly Ruby. Besides, Kazan is a very promising writer as the screenplay is brimming with

originality and humour.

In a certain way, Ruby and Calvin are similar to Summer and Tom from “500 Days of Summer”. Ruby and Summer are both doe-eyed, quirky and child-like with an air of innocence. You could argue that they can both be characterised as Manic Pixie Dream Girls (MPDGs), a popular term coined by Nathan Rabin that describes girls who “exist solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures”. In the film, it is Ruby’s coming-to-life that motivates Calvin to rebuild his life in multiple ways, such as moving away from his isolated lifestyle after his previous breakup and learning to maintain his connections with his family.

However, interestingly, Kazan has said in interviews that she rejects this term, as she finds it reductive, diminutive and misogynist. As the film goes on, Ruby moves away from the archetype of Manic Pixie Dream Girls when she becomes less of Calvin’s perfect dream girl but more like a real human being with self-awareness, an independent mind, and a myriad of emotions. Therefore, in this perspective, Ruby rebels against the archetype and illustrates the ridiculousness of subjecting a real person to one’s control and manipulation, especially in intimate relationships.

Although the film comes with a slightly predictable ending, it is overall a very enjoyable and original film that brings a breath of fresh air to the usually cheesy genre of rom-coms.

part

B

PartB

Flo Edwards Kemi Akinboyewa Vikki Hui

editorial team fashion

film

Jamie Lloyd Maria Maleeva

Sarah Ku Tom Sayner

music Rob Funnell Will Locke

food & lifestyle

literature

Alexander Lye Camila Arias Caroline SchurmanBuritica Grenier technology theatre visual arts

Edward Tan

Noah D’Aeth

Hanna Lee Yo-en Chin

MUSIC

MUSIC

FIGHTSTAR IS BACK...

p a r t 17

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BEHIND THE DEVIL’S BACK Rob Funnell

IT DIDN’T MATTER that Fightstar had released three fantastic albums that had illustrated the four piece’s incredible talent and cemented them as one of Britain’s leading post-hardcore bands. It also didn’t matter that through a disappointingly short first stint of 7 years they had been prominent of the main stage of many festivals and sold out many tours with future breakout bands such as You Me At Six. Throughout Fightstar’s career, the shadow of lead singer and guitarist Charlie Simpson’s past as one of the three members of the massively popular boy band Busted has always hung over the band, with incessant rumours of potential reunions and popular cynicism of the band either from those who have never listened to them or people who believed they were selling purely on the past endeavours of Simpson and not on their own merits or sound. Suddenly in 2010, Fightstar went on hiatus and it seemed that a potentially influential career was snuffed short.

However Behind The Devil’s Back, which is the first new piece of music the band have released since their grand reunification in 2014, may be the definition album in the band’s career and finally shake off this stigma. While only

10 songs long, this collection of songs is by far the best Fightstar have released and for the first time in their career it seems they have found their own sound and excel in developing it to its creative limit. The title track is a particular highlight - while there is a hint of a Deftones influence, the transition from a heavy and dark verse with chugging guitar riffs to a soaring chorus is effortless and is the best example of the unique sound Fightstar have developed over the years and taken from their individual solo efforts during their 4 year hiatus. ‘Titan’ follows in a similar vein, with exceptional performances from all band members and while being the heaviest song on the album is still extremely accessible to the casual listener because of the fantastic use of dynamics and hauntingly beautiful vocals from Simpson that completely dispel any associations with his boyband past. The drumming in particular is excellent on ‘Titan’, and is consistently great throughout the entirety of the album. Furthermore, the co-lead vocals

by Alex Westaway add a great contrast in timbre throughout and coming to the forefront of ‘More Human Than Human’ saves what could have been a relatively average track by making it a noticeable break halfway through the album.

‘Murder All Over’ may be more focused towards radio play than the brutally heavy ‘Sink With The Snakes’, it’s a testament to the versatility of Fightstar that such songs are extremely creative and only enhance the album - they show how modern mainstream rock music should be done. Furthermore, ‘Sharp Tongue’ and ‘Animal’, being the two main songs released in the weeks leading up to the album’s release, excellently nail the shift between heavy and rising verses to extremely catchy and memorable choruses. If one criticism could be levelled at the band, however, it’s the length of the album and some songs in particular.

The ending track ‘Sink’, while extremely powerful and being an excellent culmination of the many positive elements of Behind The Devil’s Back, the outro could have gone on for longer to make it a truly epic closer similar to that of Fightstar’s other album. The combined length of only 36 minutes for the album is disappointing, however such a complaint only reinforces how brilliant Fightstar’s comeback record truly is. This is certainly one of the best albums of 2015 from a band that have always promised so much and have finally lived up to their immense potential. Fightstar are back with a bang, and hopefully this time here to stay.

While songs such as ‘Overdrive’ and

LABEL OF THE WEEK

L.I.E.S RECORDS Will Locke

“A truly forwardthinking dance music label.”

L.I.E.S. STANDS FOR LONG ISLAND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, which sounds like a family-run local handyman business, but is actually a truly forward-thinking dance music label that releases fucked up, scuzzy, and, at times, abrasive music.

Founded by Long Island-resident and die-hard punk enthusiast Ron Morelli in 2010, the label represents the coming together of two seemingly disparate musical spheres: the experimental DIY post-punk scene of the 1980s, and modern day dance music. In other words, it’s like the synthesis of Thrasher and Resident Advisor, condensed into a single label. Needless to say, this has yielded some powerfully unique results, and has helped popularise noisier dance music in recent years. It also represents a new hope for American underground electronic music, which has notably lagged behind its European counterparts in recent decades (see Ultra Music Festival), despite being the birthplace of dance music’s most popular and influential genres: house and techno. All in all, it’s a fantastic and unique imprint, and below I share my five favourite tracks from its relatively short five-year history.

‘Supersonic Transport’ – Daywalker & C.F. (from Supersonic Transport [2014]) For a label that prides itself on gritty analogue textures, this unusually clean-cut house banger seems an odd fit for L.I.E.S., but I couldn’t care less. I’ve yet to hear this on a decent club system, but the day I do, I might lose my mind.

‘Time of the Assassins (Steve Moore Remix)’ – Professor Genius (from Hassan [2012]) Steve Moore is an integral part of the L.I.E.S. roster, and his

specialty is luscious and celestial synth workouts. This remix makes me feel like I’m lying alone in a snowy wilderness, gazing at the Northern Lights – a pleasant reprieve from the hydraulic drills of the building site outside my front door.

‘African Rhythms’ – Bookworms (from Love Triangles [2012]) As it says on the tin, this track opens with rolling yet driven African percussion, which is gradually accompanied by ghostly chords and then a distant echoing chant. Put simply, to call this a psych jam is an understatement, and its nine-minute length is over as quickly as a good dream.

‘In Argo Teurano’ – Gunnar Haslam (from Mirrors & Copulation [2014]) Mirrors & Copulation is Gunnar Haslam’s third LP on L.I.E.S., and although much of explores a more ambient theme, its closer ‘In Argo Teurano’ rounds things off with incessant drum rolls, acid refrains, and foreboding drones, for one of the most moving and most club-ready tracks off the album.

‘Sark Island Acid’ – Legowelt (from Sark Island Acid [2011]) What is there to say about Legowelt that hasn’t already been said? The Dutchman is a wizard, as proved by his awe-inspiring FACT Magazine feature covering his production processes, and also by his striking resemblance to a 30-something year old Gandalf. He creates possibly the most mellow acid techno track of all time in ‘Sark Island Acid’, and any label that puts out a tune as accomplished as this as their fifth release is always destined for great things.

1814| Tuesday 1 December, 2015

FOOD

FOOD

FOOD

FOOD MARKETS NEAR LSE

YOU NEED TO VISIT! Caroline Schurman-Grenier

Royal Festival Hall,Belvedere Road,Southbank Centre Square,Southwark

ONE OF THE THINGS I TELL EVERYONE to enjoy when they live in London are the food markets. Seriously, they’re the greatest thing. They cost roughly the same price as Pret or Wasabi, but the food is definitely a million times better. London is a city that is filled with things to do for every budget. The problem is that you need to do a little research to discover these fantastic places; this is where I come into your life - my goal is to make this task a little easier for you.

There are 3 food markets walking distance from LSE. Less than 20-minute walk, and worth every penny. They all have varied stands, allowing you to avoid a fight with a group of friends who can’t agree on what to eat.

St Giles Food Market Located in Covent Garden, right in the hustle and bustle of tourists, shops and overworked employees, it’s a great little place to relax and enjoy a sandwich outside. The market is quite small and is on the grounds of St Giles Cathedral.

Falafel, Indian beef sandwiches, REAL Greek souvlakis, coffee, or pies and mash: these are your options. Just because there are few, it doesn’t mean they’re less good than the ones with 56 choices. It may actually be easier for you to choose in these circumstances.

Southbank Centre Food Market Southbank? THAT’S SO FAR. Wrong. So wrong. Citymapper told me it only takes 16 minutes to walk to this market.

Trust me on this one, it’s not that far. Also, you study in London, in CENTRAL London. How many times have you walked along the Thames between classes? That’s what I thought. Not enough times. This market is really fun because you get a nice view, a wide range of options to choose from (forcing you to buy a main and a dessert at different stands, you’ve been warned), and it makes you sound cool to say you know about this market that not too many people have heard of. You can go simple with sautéed mushrooms on sourdough toasts, you can have brownies, you can have falafels. You can have it all.

Leather Lane Market This one is right near Farringdon or Holborn station. Leather Lane is closed off Monday to Friday from 10 am to 3 pm for you to enjoy walking on a street without fearing being run over by a cab driver. They don’t only have food, they also sell a wide range of useful clothes and accessories. In any case, it’s where many Citi workers go for lunch when the idea of enjoying a meal deal on their desk is anything but enjoyable.

They have falafels, ßburritos, venison burgers, different Oriental cuisines, fish and chips - they have it all! Do check it out.

60 St Giles High St

Leather Lane, Holborn Your lunch just became a lot tastier. You’re welcome.

A ROAST CHICKEN

TO REMEMBER...

Will Locke TO ALL YOU YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN who think that cooking meat is the hardest thing to do and that you will never succeed, ergo you will never try, I am about to prove you wrong. With this recipe, you will knock the socks off any guest that will come over to your house, unless he or she is vegetarian (have them over another night and I promise to keep you posted with an equally delicious vegetarian dish).

Seriously, your parents will think you’ve become a cooking god (or goddess) overnight, your special someone will ask for more and your friends will come over far more often.

This roast chicken can be served at any time of the year, with any side dish of your liking, and guess what? It makes a terrific leftover chicken sandwich for lunch the next day. It’s one of those recipes you remember by heart because it’s just so darn easy to make! Believe you me; it’s the best thing that ever happened to chicken.

To prepare your miracle poultry dish, you will need: - One Chicken (Organic or grain-fed gives it a better taste, but it’s not necessary) - One Lemon - Two Cloves of Garlic - 1 tbsp of Honey - Drizzle of olive oil - A sprinkle of sea salt Preheat your oven to 375 F. Rinse your chicken, pat the water off with a cloth and put your chicken in a roasting pan (or the closest thing you have to one).

Put your hand up the chicken’s backside and remove the liver and kidney (sounds gross but it’s really easy to do). Cut your lemon in four and stick 2 pieces, once again, up the chicken’s backside.

Your next step is to peel the garlic and crush each clove slightly with the side of a knife and stick them up there also.

Now add the honey and the remainders of the lemon in the chicken.

Drizzle the oil on the outside of the chicken. Make sure that the entire chicken is covered, but don’t drown the poor guy in it.

Now, sprinkle the sea salt all over the bird and rub it in with your hands. It may seem strange to be massaging a raw chicken, but you’ll be thankful you did it once it comes out of the oven.

Now for the best part: put the chicken in the oven and leave it there! Your chicken will probably take about 2 hours to cook, but it really depends on the size of your bird.

You need 20 minutes of cooking time for one pound so you may have to do some math, I apologize. About 10 minutes before your poultry feast is ready, take the chicken out and spoon some of the sauce at the bottom of the tray over it, then put it back in the oven for the last 10 minutes to let it bronze.

Your chicken is now ready to be gobbled up by your guests.

Make sure they leave some for you!

THEATRE

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STAYING ALIVE

THE PRESENCE THEATRE Noah D’Aeth

THE PLEASANCE THEATRE is a cosy gem of a venue. It sits, like all theatres should, above a bar and grill, and specialises in giving space to small production companies.

Tickets are often cheap enough to leave room for a double cheeseburger and pale ale downstairs.

‘Staying Alive’, written

by Kat Roberts and performed by the Blackshaw Theatre Company is the latest work on at the Pleasance. Developed in co-operation with the bereavement charity, SLOW, the play is a gritty exploration of grief. Though the production can lose its way at times, it benefits from a script which is tender and sometimes darkly funny.

It follows the story of Mary, who has recently lost her young son in an accident. After this tragic event, she tries to piece her life back together, and meet up with some old friends, Jack and Jen. A cloud of grief still hangs

over her though, and she finds it difficult to engage the ‘Surrey set’ that Jen and Jack frequent.

Rachel Nott plays Mary with a good deal of pathos, and searches bravely for the tone such a difficult circumstance demands. Her performance can come across a little too earnest, however. When reaching for the spot between grief and anger, she often ends up looking more flummoxed, with a thick top lip protruding and a blank look on her face. Opposite her, Jack and Jen, played

by Alexander Pankhurst and Eleanor Burke, can also feel a bit wooden.

This is a shame, given that their Islington dinner parties - full of chrome wine coolers and organic soy milk - are a rich comic source. Indeed, when Jack tries to pull off a sympathetic gawp, Alexander Pankhurst makes him appear less like a man confronted with tragedy, and more like someone confused by the olive selection

at his local Waitrose delicatessen.

As the play progresses, we are introduced to more of Jen and Jack’s yuppie friends, who come on in a vain attempt to cheer Mary up. Will, a marketing manager played by Stephen Ashmore-Blakely, brings a bit of gusto and a touch of political incorrectness to the piece.

Although his character is thoroughly unlikable, Ashmore-Blakely nevertheless provides some comic relief, and Will is at his best with a glass of Pinot in his hand and his foot in his mouth.

Moving through several dinner parties, the play could fill a wheelie bin with the wine bottles its cast consumes. It never fails to keep sight of its core dynamic though, and it soon becomes clear that Mary’s grief is driving a wedge between her and her friends. Jen and Jack now move on tip-toes awkwardly around Mary.

The script thus does a good job of throwing grief

into a harsher focus. It reveals not just the heavy clouds surrounding Mary, but also the uncertain squalls hovering above her friends. Along the way it fosters a mood of tension and claustrophobia.

The set, designed by Michelle Bristow, helps develop this atmosphere.

A simple child’s drawing is taped to the back curtain. At the front of the stage stands a crib, which is empty except for a lone teddy bear. It is a sparse design, yet it thoughtfully captures the essence of the play. You can often catch Mary looking over at the bare crib; she can never quite lose sight of the trauma which defines her, and as we head to the drama’s conclusion, this only seems to grow in importance.

To get to this conclusion though, we have to take a couple of surreal detours, as the play loses its focus a touch. Interspersing flashbacks into the narrative sounds like it might be a good idea to

help the audience. Here though, it only serves to confuse. At one point Will’s character is stood shouting ‘You didn’t replace the blinds’ at Mary, in an effort to conjure up the experience of a Police interview. The result is just baffling. Will comes out sounding like a demented screw-fix salesperson and the story doesn’t really advance anywhere because of it. Instead it feels slightly at odds with the play’s direction.

Nevertheless, the script is good enough to hold this production together, and to let you ignore the times it loses focus. It portrays grief quite perceptively and adds a good deal of humour to what would otherwise be a terribly depressing subject.

In the end it is a reasonably polished production, and is well worth sitting down to dissect over a burger and a beer. Kat Roberts and performed by twho has resite heworld. It’s how we turn experi

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| Tuesday 1st December, 2015

PRIDE WEEK FICTION Camila Arias-Buritica REPRESENTATION IN ALL FACETS OF LIFE and society is important for the sake of inclusivity, freedom and equality. Literature is no exception, whether we are talking about gender, race, or sexuality. Last week on the LSE campus was Pride Week, I thought that this reading list would be fitting. These novels are just a few examples of LGBT+ stories in literature.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit – Jeanette Winterson

The young protagonist of this autobiographical novel Jeanette fancies girls, and this makes growing up in a close-knit, religious community that sees this as unnatural a challenge to say the least. Throughout her life, Jeanette’s parents have been preparing her for life as a missionary, but a relationship with another woman leads to her being condemned by her community and Jeanette must decide how to carve out a life of her own. I love the way that Jeanette’s religious upbringing is reflected in the book itself, with chapters being named after books of the Bible and religious stories being blended in with her own story. Although metaphors are very heavily used in this book, it doesn’t get in the way of Jeanette’s story and the message,

Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides

Middlesex deal with the transition from child to adult, from native to immigrant, and from female to male. The narrator is Cal, who is initially Callie, an intersex man with a genetic condition causing him to have feminine traits. Cal was raised a girl, until his intersex identity is discovered in his teens. Over the course of the novel, which is written in the form of a memoir, the protagonist switches genders several times. This is a coming of age family saga unlike one you have probably come across before. The only problem you may have is that this is a very multi-faceted story, telling not only the story of intersex Cal, but also of Greek immigrants in the US all against a background of the 1960s Detroit riots.

Maurice – EM Forster

Forster’s novel about a young gay man was only published in 1971, as Forster believed that its subject matter made it unpublishable. We meet the main character Maurice when he is a young boy of 14, and follow him through university and his adult life. He is quite an unremarkable man, except for the fact that he is gay, which he hides from those around him. He battles with his homosexuality, both having relationships with men and trying to ‘cure’ himself, and must ultimately decide whether to accept his sexuality. This book was written a year ago, and times have changed, but with the practice of ‘curing’ homosexuality still around and it being a taboo in many circles, the novel doesn’t feel all that dated.

LITERATURE

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UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES Florian Roithmayr- ‘with, and, or, without’ Exhibition preview at Camden Arts Centre: Friday 11 December, 6.30-8.30.

2015 British Street Food Awards UK Final - Invitation to attend and possible interview with founder, Richard Johnson. December 5th & 6th.

‘Un Certain Regard’ - Screening invitation: Friday 20th December at 18:00 for 18:30 & Monday 30th December at 18:00 for 18:30.

LSE Arts festival - Save the date!

Week 2 of Lent term.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR DEPUTIES TECHNOLOGY AND THEATRE ENTHUSIASTS IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN WRITING UNDER THESE TWO CATEGORIES FOR PARTB

PLEASE EMAIL US AT PARTB@THEVEAVERONLINE.CO.UK

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| Tuesday 24 November, 2015

MUSIC

MUSIC Alex Gray

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AT THE NIGHT SHIFT

ON THE 23RD OF OCTOBER, a small pub in Hackney was razed to the ground. The Night Shift came to London. For the dedicated fans this was always destined to be one of the most lit nights of all time, and it didn’t disappoint.

The Night Shift (TNS) is a series of parties hosted by Ernest Baker, Brian Padilla and Alex Russell. You could call Ernest Baker the frontman - friends with Drake; responsible for the title of the most recent Drake x Future mixtape; writer and reporter, but all are cultural icons in their own right. Responsible for producing phenomenal items of cultural interest, for instance a tee with ‘Whole Squad Gay’ written on it, with the ‘Whole’ in the same font as Wholefoods (see the pic). Artistry on this level doesn’t need to be understood, just appreciated.

TNS is not a DJ mix, nor is it a rap show, it is purely aux cording from a laptop. You mad? You should be. These three travelled from Brooklyn to LA, and now across Europe simply to press play on a screen and turn up with one of the most dedicated fanbases of all time, to a collection of the best in contemporary music. You keep worrying about your intern ap

plications whilst these three get paid to party and be great.

The night itself started with Ernest Baker coming out to London Calling. From then on, most of it is a blur of Future, Biggie, Young Thug and of course the songwriter of our generation, Drake. The fans were euphoric. It soon became clear that everyone there was united by a combination of enraged fandom and an appreciation of Future’s late oeuvre. At points, Ernest and Brian would jump into the crowd and flip out with the already lit mob below the stage, Know Yourself by Drake stands out as a point of almost nirvana (who were also played) esque pinnacle. Alex stayed at back in sades, “either on molly or a rockstar, who knows?”.

TNS’s most loyal fans were periodically climbing on and off the stage, reducing the already weak barriers between performer and participator. After the set and the house lights came up it didn’t take long for a gaggle of dazed looking fans to coalesce around the stars of the show, who were readily taking photos with their supporters, and readily sharing anecdotes. ‘its lit’ is overused. We all stood around, by now no more than 10 of us in total

chatting to TNS’s organisers; talking in rapturous terms about the previous 4 hours. Many could be heard questioning where their lives would go from there, now that TNS was over.

I don’t expect everyone who reads this to really understand what went on in Hackney that night. It was as simple as 3 guys who have cultivated an exceptionally loyal and interesting fanbase

playing songs on a laptop and geting turnt; whilst simultaneously not giving a shit about all the reasons that you can’t do a European tour centred around playing songs on a laptop.

MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC

23

LABEL OF THE WEEK

HOTFLUSH RECORDINGS Will Locke THIS WEEK’S LABEL IS HOTFLUSH RECORDINGS, an imprint started by Paul Rose, or as he’s better known Scuba, in 2003. It’s one of the most celebrated labels in electronic music, and run by one of the least celebratory men in the UK (see below, chin up Paul), yet it has helped define dubstep, post-dubstep, and now house and techno with its diverse and esteemed roster. Even though Paul dislikes the name Hotflush, after his ex-girlfriend recommended it, other people seem to like it, me included, and these are my five favourite songs the label has ever released.

‘Hyph Mngo’ – Joy Orbison (from Hyph Mngo / Wet Look [2009]) Probably the most well-known and least-pronounceable song Hotflush have ever released, ‘Hyph Mngo’ thrills and moves in equal measures, whilst splicing apart dubstep, UKG, and house in the process. Fond memories of Martyn dropping this on my 19th birthday night.

‘Maybes’ – Mount Kimbie (from Maybes [2009]) Rarely do guitars and electronic music mix well, but Brighton-based Mount Kimbie do it better than it’s ever been done on ‘Maybes’, a song that abided by no rules in the bleak post-dubstep climate, and subsequently achieved Mount Kimbie cult status.

‘Anaesthetic’ – Vaccine (from Anaesthetic / Destroy [2007]) This ethereal and melodic dubstep single was oddly created by Californian husband and wife, Christine (Vaccine) and James Clements (Intex Systems, ASC), who, aside from being happily married, are two incredibly talented individuals, with Christine widely considered to be the first female dubstep producer and DJ, and James pushing the barriers of electronic music to this day under his ASC guise and his Auxiliary label.

‘Dream Within a Dream’ – Locked Groove (from Heritage [2013]) With its transcendental arpeggios and warm cosy hums, this track couldn’t be titled any more aptly. Although I’m more of a fan of the seminal post-dubstep records Hotflush released towards the end of the noughties, this house record features all the spirit and expression of those records within a four-to-the-floor template.

‘Flesh Is Weak’ – Scuba (from Aesaunic [2009]) I couldn’t make this list without featuring at least one of founder Paul Rose’s many Hotflush records, and although ‘Flesh Is Weak’ is a lesser-known track from an evenlesser-known EP, its grimy and eerie echoes, lilting and effortless groove, and subtle techno drum pattern elevated it into this list.

24 | Tuesday 24 November, 2015

Section Editor: Alex Gray Deputy Editors: Henry Mitchell

BDS and Labelling of Products; The Difference

The labelling of products is merely a correct interpretation of EU law, and it is information consumers need

Muhummed Cassidy LSE Undergraduate C U R R E N T L Y, I S R A E L I produced goods in occupied Palestinian territories, are labelled as produced in Israeli. The EU - through the recent publication of is Interpretative Notice ‘on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied

by Israel since June 1967’- has sought to fix this misrepresentation so that consumers are properly informed of the true origin of these goods. Hence, the notice provides that ‘since the Golan Heights and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) are not part of the Israeli territory according to international law, the indication ‘product from Israel’ is considered to be incorrect and misleading’.

The City

“Would an actual boycott of Israeli products be unjustifiable?”

The interpretative notice further provides that ‘for products from the West Bank or the Golan Heights that originate from settlements, an indication limited to ‘product from the Golan Heights’ or ‘product from the West Bank’ would not be acceptable. Even if they would designate the wider area or territory from which the product originates, the omission of the additional geographical infor-

Photo Credit: Flickr: Alex Chis

mation that the product comes from Israeli settlements would mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product. In such cases the expression ‘Israeli settlement’ or equivalent needs to be added, in brackets, for example. Therefore, expressions such as ‘product from the Golan Heights (Israeli settlement)’ or ‘product from the West Bank (Israeli settlement)’ could be used’.

Yet, some have branded this as a ‘boycott’ of Israeli goods and the Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz described the measure as “disguised antiSemitism”. It is occasions like this that the word ‘anti-Semitic’ comes to be seen as a word tossed around indiscriminately when Israel is not getting its way.

Branding the move as a ‘boycott’ is simply misconceived. The EU has made clear that that its plan has nothing to do with a boycott of Israel and merely responds to “a demand for clarity from consumers, economic operators and national authorities.” How can consumer’s right to know fairly be denied? Consumers are entitled to request that Europeans label their products accordingly.

The definition of a boycott, as provided by the Oxford Dictionary, is a withdrawal from commercial or social relations with (a country, organisation, or person) as a punishment or protest. Clearly nothing of the sort is given rise to from the interpretative notice, as its underlying principle is not to bring about Israeli compliance with international law. Instead, its underlying principle is that of

a “technical step”, as described by the EU itself, to ensure that European consumers have confidence in knowing the origin of goods they are purchasing.

Even if the move was part of a steadily stiffening position by the EU on settlements and their produce, and an indication of frustration and anger at Israeli intransigence on its activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, would this really be unjustifiable? Would an actual boycott of Israeli products be unjustifiable?

The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, amounting to approximately $32bn in 2014.

There are some who would submit that the EU should be more proactive in condemning the illegal settlements. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, for example, has said that ‘EU labelling of Israeli colonies’ products is hardly enough to bring about European compliance with international law’.

Indeed, given that the European Union, in line with international law, does not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel, the EU could be justified in officially boycotting all goods produced in the illegal settlements, as opposed to merely labelling them.

“...since the existence of the settlements seek to unjustifiably eliminate Palestinian people, and their territory” Supporters of this proposition have pointed to the fact that over the years the condemnations of illegal settlements have been falling on deaf ears as the Israeli government has shown no interest in advancing a two-state solution. This has been demonstrated, for example, through Israel’s continued settlement building; an estimated 550,000 illegal Israeli settlers currently live in over 200 settlements built in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967.

Rafeef Ziadah of the BDS movement has said that ‘the UK government and all EU member states have a duty to take a proactive approach to preventing businesses from contributing to Israeli violations of internation-

al law and Palestinian human rights.” Mustafa Bargouthi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has also commented that given that Israeli occupation is illegitimate, “all the byproducts of that occupation, including business and commerce, should also be delegitimised”.

An engaging article by Louis Klineberg in last week’s City Section, questioned ‘why the EU feels the need to label goods specifically from this region, noting there are currently 200 different disputed territories worldwide’. Yet to suggest that we should follow the status quo simply because there are many disputed territories worldwide is a cowardice logic, and it is important to note that the interpretative notice does not create any new rules. It is established by reference to requirements and interpretation of existing Union legislation.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, made a personal appeal in which he said that the plan would embolden those who seek to “eliminate” Israel. Yet this is somewhat ironic since the existence of the settlements seek to unjustifiably eliminate Palestinian people, and their territory. What Netanyahu needs to understand is that people who speak out against the unjust Israeli occupation do not seek to ‘eliminate’ Israel but rather they seek to eliminate Israel presence in legally recognised Palestinian territory.

Louis also suggested that that the ‘real victims [of the interpretative notice] would be the Palestinians it professes to protect’. Ambassadors to Israel have made similar remarks, pointing out that many Palestinians are employed by Israeli business in the regions effected, which could damage their economic fortunes if the new measures damage Israeli business. Yet this seems to be a very desperate argument to make and as one Facebook user commented: ‘Israeli, do you really give a F*** about the Palestinians [sic.]’. These claims can also be dismissed on more robust grounds. If the new measures have the effect of putting the Israeli business in the effected regions out of business, then the only thing that will happen is that Palestinian factories will be established and provide jobs for Palestinian people, using Palestinian resources. This would compensate for any Palestinians laid off work.

Stop The Bolshie Bullying

The City |25

A response to the OccupyLSE piece in last week’s Beaver; Bolshie Bullying is the real issue Xiaoyuan Li Business Finance Group President LAST WEEK, MR L BLISSETT wrote an article complaining about ‘city careers’. The discussion space at the LSE is dominated by loud voices denouncing neo-liberal capitalism and the patriarchy. The reason for this is not a lack of moral conviction or eloquence on the part of the accused - very simply, it is that most of us are more interested in writing cover letters than articles that promise little tangible return on investment.

But at some point, one does just get rather sick of it.

There were three things that triggered me in this article. Firstly, the blind and wilfully ignorant generalisation of ‘bankers’. The second is the lack of any suggestion of Socratic wisdom regarding the worldviews espoused.

Lastly, there is the lack of basic regard for the wishes and feelings of others.

The first thing that strikes one is the unsurprising ignorance on the part of Mr Blisset of the clear divisions within the financial services industry. Master Sun quoth, famously, that “he who both knows himself and his enemy will not meet a single defeat

in a hundred battles”. Had Mr Blisset taken the time to make the acquaintance of his enemy, he would have realised that there are meaningful differences between the different branches of banking.

Accessible explanations of the differences between the M&A banker who advises corporations on synergistic acquisitions and the proprietary trader who buys and sells for the firm’s books are available on most institutions’ careers websites, and I would encourage Mr Blisset to peruse them. He might even discover a vocation suitable for his interests and skills.

I reckon it’s true that some of the buying and selling of securities does little but redistribute wealth between various gamblers. Indeed, it is my view that many of the gains that are made in securities markets are simply ‘borrowed’ against the future.

However, the fact remains that the main body of what banks do matching the supply and demand of capital - is socially valuable.

It enables the investment that drives so much of progress, creates jobs, advances technology, and increases living standards.

But the actual details of how and why Mr Blisset is wrong about the social value of ‘bank-

ers’ are quite beside the point.

I am of the view that everyone should read a little of Socrates, and bear in mind his simplest lesson - that the most basic wisdom is the appreciation of the limits to one’s knowledge. This very importantly extends especially into the moral sphere, and much of Plato treats of Socrates’ search for moral certainty.

The really dispiriting thing is that the article indicates that Mr Blisset is not aware of the limits of his understanding, and moreover hasn’t taken steps to push back the boundaries. One of the most cherished values of university education is intellectual open-mindedness, and through that, integrity. The world-view displayed in Mr Blisset’s article is archetypal of the close-minded, prescriptive certainty that’s central to the activist malaise. Without any sense of irony, Mr Blisset writes that universities should be “free and liberated spaces” when his very aim is to shut down a world-view with which he disagrees - free and liberated, so long as I agree with it. There is no acknowledgement that those who wish to pursue ‘city careers’ have arrived at their conclusions after careful, independent thought.

Instead, Mr Blisset strips them of agency, of awareness, and as-

cribes these decisions to ‘the System’.

This brings me to my final point. The line of reasoning displayed above is fundamentally insulting, their actions are callous, and their judgement is simply rude. It is rather annoying to be characterised as either stupid and powerless to resist the corruption of the system, or morally bankrupt (“ignorant at best, callous at worst”). Kindly extend to me the same tolerance and courtesy that I imagine you freely offer to Hezbollah militants - I have my reasons, I have my beliefs, and you should respect that.

Institutions and structures are influential, certainly, but ultimately, what affects you and me is the actions of individuals, and when Occupy sabotage career fairs, they are trampling on the wishes and feelings of other people. I’m not going to suggest that this is ‘morally wrong’; it is simply nasty. Mr Blisset ends his article by suggesting that those who want an internship at Goldman should be laughed out of university for being unimaginative, power-hungry and bland.

Mr Blisset, that is a very rude thing to say, and it amounts to little more than bullying.

The purpose of these words was not to rebut Mr Blisset’s sug-

gestions regarding an alternative post-graduate life. I lack the certainty of knowledge and purpose to do so. What I object to is the callous demonisation of the banking class, and of those of us who would join it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should note that, as a member of the executive committee of the local branch of the evil capitalist system, the Business and Finance Group, I have a vested interest in defending the reputation of ‘City careers’ at the LSE.

The Women Are Working For Nothing The gender pay gap means that women are working for free from now ‘til New Years Janis Wong LSESU Women Leaders of Tomorrow President ON THE 9TH NOVEMBER, women would effectively be working for free until the end of the year. According to the Fawcett Society, Britain’s average gender pay gap is at 14.2% for those working full time. Given the negligible reduction based on statistics from the past two years, it would take 54 years to reach wage parity.

Despite the introduction of the Equal Pay Act more than four decades ago, women still earn far less than their male counterparts.

In the City, women earn £21,070 less, only 66.6%, of their male counterparts. There remains a lack of women representation in executive roles in FTSE 100 and 250 companies, with figures at 9.5% and 5% respectively. Even though earlier this year in July, blue chip firms hit their target of 25% female directors, more certainly needs to be done. Following this publication, David Cameron introduced pay transparency to be implemented in the first half

of 2016. Companies with more than 250 employees will be required to publish what they pay men and women. These proposed regulations will implement Section 78 of the Equality Act 2010.

Perhaps most significantly, UKCES found that female students outperform males – from GCSE all the way to postgraduates. However, in academia itself, twice as many male academics as female scholars earn over £50,000 a year. In spite of real achievements in education, women are still disadvantaged by cultural, institutionalised factors.

Dr Vicki Belt, assistant director of UKCES indicates that occupation segregation is a key factor to the resulting pay gap. “Women are under-represented in a range of sectors and occupations that offer higher paying roles – for example fewer than 10% of British engineers are female.” Currently, there are only eight local authorities in the UK where women earn more than men.

Looking past the ‘average’ statistics, women in their fifties earn approximately a fifth less than

men of the same age. Moreover, it is unsurprising that black, Asian and minority ethnic workers make

“Perhaps most significantly, UKCES found that female students outperform males – from GCSE all the way to postgraduates.” up a disproportionate number of people in low-paid jobs. Regarding job promotions, white British employees get promoted almost 4 times during their career. British African, Indian and Pakistani employess only get promoted 2.5 times. With Transgender Day of Remembrance having taken place just last week on the 20th November, it is upsetting to find that trans women are more economically vulnerable, earning almost a third less after transitioning. Ben Barres, a Stanford female-to-male

transgender neuroscientist, found his work more highly valued after his gender transition. One of his collegues reportedly said that “[Ben’s] work is much better than his sister’s.” Of course, Dr. Barres doesn’t have a sister in academia.

Another year has passed and it is clear that the glass ceiling is far from being broken. Following the LSE Gender Institute’s ‘Confronting Gender Inequality’ report, it is evident that more needs to actively be done. From the lower income range, the Fawcett Society called on companies to become living wage employers, with women making up more than 60% of those earning less than living wages. Furthermore, a National institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills study highlights that women are only given generic training. Not only do women get paid 22% less on apprenticeships, companies also pay more for men to become better leaders.

As more and more reports indicate internal and external factors contributing to the gender

wage gap, we must, as individuals, continue to make our environment as inclusive to all as possible. Whether this may be helping others practice interview questions, listening to their concerns, or simply providing a boost of confidence, it is important that we expand our supportive networks.

With a more diverse, encompasing community, we can all flourish to our full potential and reach the goals we seek to achieve.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

26 | Tuesday 24 November, 2015

The Amartya Sen Interview: An exclusive interview with Amartya Sen, who visited the LSE to

AN AGED GENTLEMAN wearing a bright yellow raincoat slowly shuffles into the lobby of LSE’s Old Building. He is unaccompanied and moves gingerly with unhurried yet deliberately measured steps.

He takes a seat on one of the cushioned black chairs in the lobby and begins a lengthy phone conversation with someone.

Students eager to get home before the torrential downpour of rain that threatens to break rush past him, barely giving him a second glance. Little did they know that the stooped figure under the yellow raincoat was none other than Amartya Sen, who was at the LSE to discuss his new book, “The Country of First Boys.”

Amartya weaves a degree of lucidity and clarity into his speech and work through the use of rich, anecdotal evidence and sound analysis of economic indicators, that is refreshingly different to the sometimes tedious and highly technical Economics jargon found in other publications, which result in a deficit of understanding..

During my interview with him, it became apparent that his socio-economic views and philosophical tendencies are linked by an underlying sense of ethics and an understanding of the human condition. Indeed, at 82 years old, Amartya Sen shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Sen is the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize for his contributions to welfare economics. He is also credited with developing the Human Development Index (HDI). Currently, he is the Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University, and an honorary fellow of the LSE. (Special thanks must be given to the LSE South Asia Centre, Dr Nilanjan Sarkar and Sonali Campion for organising the interview.)

Features

Section Editors: Taryana Odayar Alexander Hurst Deputy Editors: Stefanos Argyros Daniel Shears Sebastian Shehadi

Taryana Odayar and Sonali Campion

(TO) In your essay, ‘A Wish A Day for A Week’, you ask a Goddess to grant you seven wishes. Yet the Goddess tells you that her plea is inferior to the power of the Indian people. Has your faith and optimism in the power of the people and democracy ever wavered?

No – I think the Goddess was right. Of course the Goddess’ thoughts were not entirely independent of my own thoughts!

But you have to recognise that if the Chinese decide that things are going wrong, as they did in 1979, they respond very quickly.

They privatised their agricultural

sector with enormous success.

China in the 1980s grew faster in agriculture than any country has ever grown. And they privatised quite a lot of other industries with great success. Not as much as agriculture, but by and large with great success. They did not privatise the hospitals, but they eliminated universal health insurance for all. They did that by simply abolishing it, because the rural areas used to be covered by it and in the urban areas it was mostly by the state. And the Chinese health progress faltered.

In fact, between 1979 and 2004, India steadily reduced the gap between itself and China in terms of life expectancy. There was a 14-year gap earlier, which fell to 6 or 7 years. Not that India was doing anything right, but the Chinese were doing more things wrong as far as healthcare was concerned. But then the Chinese recognised that things had gone wrong. Once they recognised that, which was by about 2002, they realised they could change that by about 2004. By 2009 they could bring in a scheme of universal healthcare and by 2012 they were well in the 90s in terms of percentage coverage of health insurance. China are able to do that if ten people at the top are persuaded.

“India is the only country in the world which is trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force.”

In India, ten people is not sufficient. You have to carry the population. Against the blast of propaganda that happened in the general elections last year, fed on one side by the activism of the Hindutva Parivar, and on the other side by the gigantic money of the business community which had great hopes at that time – I’m not sure where the hope stands now, or that Modi will do all the good things – democracy is slow to correct these things. It is very fast when there is a crisis.

So if there is a threat of famine, India could stop it straight away.

If there is a threat that a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal could kill a million people, they can move two million people out of its course. In an emergency, all the Indian apparatus comes into force. But if you want to change the system and have much more money spent in state

schools, state hospitals, provide health coverage for all, that requires convincing the people.

The rhetoric has been so badly distorted in India that most vocal Indians – which tend to be upper classes – don’t even recognise how bad the healthcare is for the bulk of the Indian population.

So I have never wavered my faith in ultimately democracy as the most stable way of doing things. On the other hand, are there big changes which the nondemocratic system of China can bring about much more quickly?

Yes. (TO) And China has now introduced its “Two Child Policy.” Will this have a strong impact?

I don’t think that its going to have any impact whatsoever.

In the ‘New York Times’ there was an article showing that the fall in fertility was not due to the One Child Policy. It was due to the women’s education. In 1968 China’s fertility was close to 6, and it had fallen to below 3 by 1978 when the One Child Policy was introduced. So 6 to below 3 came in the decade before One Child Policy, which was when women’s education was expanding rapidly under the Maoist period. From 1978 to today, they’ve come down from 2.9 to 1.7, which is roughly where Kerala is without its One Child Policy.

(SC) You have said that looking at the end point of a debate is not an ideal way of understanding the wider discussion.

This seems relevant in relation to economic policy today, where developing countries aspire to high and continuous growth. What’s your view on the current Indian government’s manner of pursuing growth?

Well let me make a clarificatory point first. The point about the end point not being the only issue asks what were the counter arguments that were considered? What were the different points of view that may or may have not have been aired as relevant, even if the end point is correct? That becomes relevant when you agree with the end point but you think the reasoning was derision. In the case of the policy as it stands now, that is not the case. I think the end point is wrong too. In addition, the argumentation process is wrong as well, so there are two distinct issues here.

India is the only country in the world which is trying to become a global economic power with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force. Its never been done

before, and never will be done in the future either. There is a reason why Europe went for universal education, and so did America. Japan, after the Meiji restoration in 1868, wanted to get full literacy in 40 years and they did. And so did South Korea after the war, and Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

The whole idea that you could somehow separate the process of economic growth from the quality of the labour force is a danger and a mistake against which Adam Smith warned in 1776. Its an ancient danger, and he might have been right to think that the British government at his time did not pay sufficient interest in basic education for all. Unfortunately, that applies today to government of India as well. So I think the basic reason why this is a problem is because it doesn’t acknowledge sufficiently the relevance of the quality of human labour, and generally human capability to do things for one’s self as well as for others in being a productive member of society economically and politically.

That is the foundation of their mistake; their conclusions therefore are wrong. For example, they are trying to go suddenly for everything to be done by cash, which is meant to be an experiment. In one of his first interviews after winning the Nobel Prize this year, Angus Deaton said this is purely an experiment, but its an experiment with the lives of the poor. And I’m afraid I agree with him, and I also agree with his skepticism as to whether it will work out. There was a reason why somebody as intensely keen on the market economy as Adam Smith thought the government has to make the country fully literate. America is meant to be very anti-government but every American has a right to primary school education paid for by the government, you’re picked up from you’re home by government buses, delivered to your state school and educated there.

India is trying to be different from America, Europe, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and China – all of them. This is really not good way of thinking of economic development. So foundationally, the government’s understanding of development underlying their approach is mistaken.

Having said that, the previous government was terribly mistaken too. But one hoped there might be a change, and there has been, but not for the better. All the sins of the past government have been added up.

On Democracy and Justice discuss his new book, “The Country of First Boys.”

Features | 27

The Pocket Philosopher Edmund Smith Undergraduate Student

Credit: Creative Commons: Wikipedia

(SC) Do you see the current challenges to secularism in India as a threat to the country’s economic progress?

Recently Raghuram Rajan, Governor of the Reserve Bank (of India), said that economic goals require a tolerant economic climate and I think he is basically right. I’ve done no independent research on that; my dislike of the lack of tolerance is because it is terrible for human beings and the society, but I respect Rajan enough to think he is also right and that it is not good for economic growth.

of healthcare and education.

Now this argument is not very sophisticated but on the other hand it could make a dramatic difference between life and death. Many of my colleagues – I won’t mention who in particular - at Delhi School of Economics said that I’m just leading people up the garden path, and that as an Economist I should be more critical, because Kerala was the third poorest state in India then.

How could they afford it? And my claim was this economic argument. Also there being externalities and the “public good feature” as Economists call it. I was certain that on top of that, for reasons which we began with, that the policies would also stimulate economic growth and economic development. In the latest round of national sample survey, if you put the urban and rural together, Kerala has now the highest per capita income in the whole of India. I would have thought that some people who thought I was leading them up the garden path, would say that they were mistaken. Have I got such statements? I’m afraid I have not! Am I happy that my expectations have been fulfilled?

Yes, very happy indeed. Not for myself, that’s a trivial thing. But the fact that a people-friendly education and health policy could make a difference, not only to their lives – which happened immediately, life expectancy shot up in Kerala straight away – but also ultimately on economic growth.

“There’s something interesting about the Benthamite thought on punishment, namely that punishment is never justified by retribution but by effect.”

(TO): You’ve said before that your favourite play is Shudraka’s ‘Mṛcchakatika’ (The Little Clay Cart) and that it has deeply influenced your understanding of justice. How so?

It is indeed one of many favourite plays. Its interesting you see, the play was performed in New York in the 1920s and the critic from ‘The Nation’ thought that it was the best

play he had ever seen. It had the view of humanity that was totally uplifting and he hadn’t ever seen that in any other play.

My view was very similar to that.

And unfortunately most literary critics don’t emphasize that.

But there is the last scene with Vasantasenā, the Courtesan, and her boyfriend, Chārudatta, who has fallen to bad times, meaning he is poor. The play is a critique of bureaucracy and a critique of moneyed peoples’ behaviour pattern as opposed to the little clay cart, Mṛcchakatika, and carriages made of gold. It’s a revolutionary 4th century play.

But it is at the last moment when the person who has been trying to kill Chārudatta has been caught, that Chārudatta says “let him go.” And then Chārudatta exclaims that what he’s really interested in, is that the governance would be such that society goes well. And are we going against retribution here?

There’s something interesting about the Benthamite thought on punishment, namely that punishment is never justified by retribution but by effect. So that’s a very strong statement about the social effect of legal punishment, and therefore that did influence my understanding of justice.

Photo Credit: www.businessinsider.com

(SC) India has a lot of lessons to give the rest of the world and vice versa, but you write about how India can learn from itself – could you tell us more about that?

When I first strongly supported Kerala’s policy for universal education and universal healthcare, it was when the Communist Party first came into office in 1957, and they declared their policy in 1960. In 1963 I was in Delhi teaching at the Delhi School of Economics and people asked me, “Do you think its feasible?” And I said, “its absolutely feasible.”

Primarily for one economic reason, being that a poor country has less money, but medical care

and education are extremely labour intensive and the wages are lower, so you need far less money than you would need in, say, Britain, to provide that level

THIS WEEKEND, THE BRITISH Undergraduate Philosophy Society met for their Autumn conference. For those of you who missed it, it was a fantastic event both for the exchange of ideas, and also for finding others interested in same fields of philosophy as oneself. The BUPS will be opening their next call for papers soon, so watch this space!

Perhaps the most salient theme of the conference was the question of what exactly philosophy ought to be doing.

Geoff Keeling noted during his talk that unlike in the past, modern physics and modern philosophy of physics rarely interact, likely to the detriment of both fields. Hettie O’Brien explored the territory surrounding the notions of harm and liberty - under what conditions is it acceptable to restrict liberty to limit harm, and under what circumstances should we refrain from doing so?

So perhaps this would be a good time for me to note that much of the best work being done in modern philosophy is not necessarily happening within pure philosophy itself.

A particularly fine example of this is Daniel Kahnman’s work on the heuristics and biases that guide the choices we make in everyday life. Philosophy is a practice for the whole of the social sciences and this was well reflected this weekend.

Interested in writing for Features? Email us at: features@thebeaveronline.co.uk

28 | Tuesday 24 November, 2015

Brexit : You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, But You Can Never Leave!

The potential consequences of Brexit for Britain’s domestic politics and the rest of Europe.

James Wilken-Smith Postgraduate Student IN 1975, THE UNITED Kingdom held its first ever nationwide referendum and voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the European Economic Community, committing itself to the process of European integration for the foreseeable future. Now, 40 years later, battle lines are being drawn for another round of nationwide argument over the very same issue. However, it is unlikely that this referendum, likely to be held some time in 2017, will give an outcome as decisive as the first. But, even though the day of the vote is still far away, it is possible to see the outlines of the campaign to come and the implications of the vote for both the UK’s future as well as Europe’s.

The official ‘stay’ campaign, “Britain Stronger in Europe”, launched on October 12th.

Their core strategy ought to be rather simple, as the strength of the ‘stay’ campaign comes mostly from two different but connected points. First, inertia has an incredible influence on human behaviour, and British politics is no exception. For example, in the 1975 referendum on the EEC, the 2011 referendum on AV, and the 2014 Scottish referendum on independence, the electorate decided to stick with the status quo. Second, the UK business community has

always supported the EU due to the economic benefits that are gained from membership in the Common Market. This is why Sir Stuart Rose, formerly the CEO of Marks & Spencer, was selected to chair their campaign.

Business owners are far more respected than any politician in the current political climate. If a politician says that leaving the EU is an economic threat then it’s just another talking point, but if a business leader says the same thing then suddenly it becomes an important, and perhaps unbeatable, argument. Expect to hear the business case for the EU to be repeated constantly by the ‘stay’ side until the day of the referendum. The ‘stay’ campaign will attempt to win the referendum by minimising the role of politicians as much as it can, and by framing the debate in terms of an economic costbenefit analysis which it is sure it will win.

On the other side of the debate there is significantly less unity.

UKIP has already launched its own campaign, “Leave.EU”, with Nigel Farage as the figurehead, while more moderate voices have joined to form the cross-party, “Vote Leave”, campaign instead.

Nevertheless, the ‘leave’ side already has a significant amount of support to work with due to the persistence of Euroscepticism in the UK. Polling from the Eurobarometer has consistently shown that trust in the EU is significantly lower in the UK than

the EU average. Furthermore, support for the European project has been declining ever since the beginning of the financial crisis as the EU has not shown that it can deliver efficient solutions to its member states’ problems. Finally, concern over immigration has grown in the UK and is now one of the public’s areas of most concern. The ‘leave’ campaign will therefore have a variety of strategies to choose from. While it will argue about the economic merits of being an EU member, it will likely draw attention to the various crises that have hamstrung Europe for the last decade. It will also highlight the fact that continued membership of the EU would mean continued acceptance of the free movement of labour; a policy which is a lot more popular among students and staff of the LSE than it is for the median voter.

But interest in the referendum is almost certainly due its potential consequences, and especially what the aftermath of a ‘leave’ vote would be.

The eyes of Europe will definitely drift Britain’s way over the many months to come.

In particular, France might be holding its presidential election at roughly the same time as the referendum, and a Le Pen victory is already no longer unimaginable. If Hollande is the candidate for the Parti Socialiste then it would not be surprising to see her go through to the second round, and a French referendum could be promised

to prevent future support moving to the Front Nationale.

The Scandinavian countries are all having to accommodate rising Eurosceptic parties, Switzerland’s nativist party emerged victorious from its most recent election, and in Poland the Eurosceptic party won the first parliamentary majority in the nation’s post-communist history.

Many of these parties may use a ‘leave’ vote to say: “If the British people get to vote about their future, how can we deny our people that same right?”.

“...continued membership of the EU would mean continued acceptance of the free movement of labour; a policy which is a lot more popular among students and staff of the LSE than it is for the median voter.”

The question would then become how many national publics would decide to reject the EU, and how many secessions the EU could accept before its

position became untenable.

Finally, we must consider the domestic consequences of a referendum, especially if the result is extremely close either way. Should the UK vote to leave, expect a second Scottish referendum as soon as conceivably possible, one that would quite possibly lead to the break-up of the Union. Should the UK vote narrowly to stay, expect the Conservative party to have difficulty reconciling a damaging internal conflict, and for the Labour party to potentially face losing a substantial number of its Eurosceptic voters to UKIP. In conclusion, there is a very long and uncertain road ahead for both sides. While the ‘stay’ campaign begin the race to the referendum as frontrunners, they know that their lead is tenuous.

Furthermore, it is not clear that either result would be definitive.

A narrow ‘yes’ combined with more Euro-crises involving failing economies and more refugees is probably the ‘stay’ campaign’s worst nightmare.

A knife-edge ‘yes’ vote would land the UK in protracted negotiations to leave the EU, and the public’s preferences may reverse during the course of those very negotiations, presenting an awkward constitutional conundrum. It remains to be seen whether any of these scenarios actually come to pass, but if the unpredictable political events of 2015 are any indicator, we may have to start considering them seriously very soon.

Credit: Twitter

Features | 29

One “Two” Many; China’s Two Child Policy

Will China’s Two Child Policy be the solution the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) needs?

Kyi Yeung Goh Undergraduate OVER THE PAST FEW months, surprise policy announcements made by the Chinese government have become a seemingly regular feature in global news headlines.

Here, policy moves ranged from the economic sphere, as illustrated by China’s stimulus package aimed at stemming a stock route, to environmental ones such as the decision to implement a nationwide capand-trade program.

Last week on 29th October, the Chinese government continued the trend by announcing that it will revise the decades old “One Child Policy” and instead, seek to ease family planning restrictions under a “Two Child Policy”.

The reasons for enacting the “One Child Policy” in 1980, as noted in an open letter by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, were

overwhelmingly due to material concerns. Here, the CCP cited the need to maintain a certain standard of living, stable food supply as well as the desire to increase the gross domestic product per citizen. Arguably, little has changed in those 25 years with economic issues still featuring heavily in the official explanation for the policy revision. Firstly, one can look to the shrinking labour pool to gain some sense of why a shift was undertaken. To illustrate the scale of the problem, the number of citizens aged 15 to 59 fell by 3.7 million to 915.8 million in 2014. More alarmingly, under the current social regime, the Chinese population will be expected to peak in 2025 at 1.37 billion citizens.

This, when viewed in conjunction with the recent economic slowdown in China, underscores the need for China to revamp its population policy if it is to increase its potential for future economic growth. As

many commentators point out, the stability and legitimacy of the CCP is linked to the economic growth it can deliver.

Here, an economic problem may trigger a larger political one.

Furthermore, the increasing oldage dependency ratio could also provide an explanation to the revision. It is projected that by 2050, 50 percent of women over 60 would be supported by a single child should the “One Child Policy” continue. The economic strain arising from the need to support an ageing population may complicate matters further.

However, the declining birth rate and its link to the economic issue has been observed for a period of time. Therefore, the question is why has the Chinese government only altered the policy at this juncture?

Foremost, could the issue be riddled with bureaucratic conundrums? Currently, around 1 million government officials are involved in the enforcement of the policy. This, coupled

with leeway for corruption, has created some resistance to change.

Secondly, it could be an issue of “saving face”. Clearly, the Two-Child policy was a natural evolution from the policy revision made in 2014 to allow a second child in certain circumstances. Had the Chinese government repudiated the TwoChild policy immediately it may have indirectly called to question the soundness of the OneChild policy implementation and by extension, the CCP’s legacy.

Next, the social implications of the policy may also shed light on the timing of the announcement.

Indeed, the revision of the ‘OneChild policy’ can be seen as an attempt to build social trust and boost political support for Xi and the party. Revising an arcane and perhaps, resented policy may build up political capital to tide through an economic slowdown.

Next, the growth of illicit activities such as bride smuggling due to the severe imbalance

in gender ratios, has made a revision of the policy even more pertinent.

Yet, the policy change is not without its problems. Here, Didi Tatlow cites the entrenchment of a ‘One-Child’ mindset in the Chinese populace, one that requires much effort to alter.

The increased cost of living as well as that of educational attainment adds much weight to the argument. Arguably, even if a population boom does occur, it will largely occur in rural areas where the additional labour will be engaged in agricultural or lower-skilled activities.

Here, one may even consider the further widening of the ruralurban divide as possible fallout from the policy shift.

Clearly, the lack of a comprehensive strategy to address the need to increase birth rates as well as the idiosyncratic policy of ensuring that couples have only two children may create a slew of longer-term problems.

Bevs With The Beaver ft. Phil Sheppard

LSE Student Phil Sheppard on why he heckled David Cameron during his EU speech at the CBI.

Daniel Shears Deputy Features Editor

my views. In reality, if I were to form my own party, I’d be the only one in it because I hold very unique views.

(Q) The pro-EU organisation ‘Stronger in Europe’ has described your stunt as “grubby”, whileEric Pickles accused your organisation as employing “nasty tactics”.

What would you say to them?

I would say that the tactics were a bit unorthodox, but political groups and pressure groups have always used these kind of tactics; they are perfectly legal and they make the point. I could tell you that I was working at CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) before the general election and we did similar stunts where we wore masks of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon and held up banners saying “I’ll prop you up Ed”, “Ed Miliband you’ll play to my tune”, and things like that. They were a bit intimidating but it’s always been like that, and perhaps this stunt got us more attention than other stunts I’ve done because it targeted the CBI and happened while the Prime Minister was there, as well as major news agencies being present in the room.

(Q) What about UKIP? I was actually considering joining UKIP about two years ago because I was very angry at the fact that David Cameron had not promised a referendum, and he was very proEurope. I was also much more right wing back then than I am now; maybe I was a sort of “youth maverick”, but I’ve become more libertarian since then. What I’ve found about UKIP is that they are too narrowly focused on immigration, and also they are a single-issue party because they just want Britain to leave the EU, and once Britain leaves the EU, what are they going to be? They can’t be the United Kingdom Independence Party anymore.

(Q) Is it just the issue of Europe you disagree with the Tories on, or are you opposed to the party full stop?

I am against about a third of what the Tories do. I am quite independently minded, but I support the Conservative party because they are the closest party that represent

(Q) You are a member of ‘Students For Britain’, which campaigns for “fundamental reform of Britain’s relationship with the EU”. However, the stunt was organised by ‘Vote Leave’. Can you clarify whether you want a re-negotiation of the terms of EU membership, or do you support a Brexit?

I support a Brexit because I believe that you cannot re-negotiate with the EU. David Cameron will only get one or two of his re-negotiation aims. The first will be a safeguard for countries which aren’t in the Eurozone, which I think we already have. Secondly, an end to “ever

closer union” for countries which aren’t already in the Eurozone, as he won’t get that for all European states.

But there is significant opposition from Eastern European countries to prevent one of [Cameron’s] crucial renegotiation plans which is for benefits to be stopped for all EU migrants for 4 years. I don’t think he’ll get that, even though his allies have just been elected in Poland, they will not concede to that due to the Polish citizens in our country, and they cannot discriminate against future potential voters. The other [re-negotiation aim] is treaty change, which will not happen.

The negotiation for treaty change will only happen in the period of five years, and we’ve only got a maximum of two years before the referendum.

(Q) What are your main personal objections to continued British membership of the EU? The first one is sovereignty, and along with sovereignty comes a lot of other things. Currently, 75% of our laws are made in Brussels. People say that “oh yes, Brussels is democratic because we elect the EU parliament”, while the truth is that the EU parliament is made up of a coalition of centre left, central and centre right parties, but the only two parties to be represented in that coalition are Labour and the Lib Dems, and between them they only got about 30% of the vote in the last European parliamentary elections. That is representing the views of a minority

of people, rather than the majority which is a combined Conservative and UKIP vote. Another issue is that the European parliament hardly ever proposes legislation, and in some cases can’t veto anything the EU Commission proposes, which is unelected and the main source of legislation in the EU. Another point about sovereignty is trade, which is closely linked. We cannot form any free trade agreements without the permission of the EU. The trouble is the EU will never give us permission because they always emphasise that the EU is one trading bloc, and so we cannot take seats at the World Trade Organisation, and we cannot negotiate free trade agreements with countries like China and Brazil, which are major economies and are only going to grow over the next fifty years while ours declines.

(Q) So where did the idea for the stunt come from?

It was organised solely by Vote Leave by one of their directors, Paul Stevenson, who has conducted stunts before; he’s even done stunts in Lisbon before the signing of the Lisbon treaty, so he’s quite experienced in this field. When I first head about it I was a bit naïve at the time, and I though, you know what, I can really do this. I had my doubts of course, obviously gate-crashing the CBI conference, it’s a hell of a thing to do, especially considering either David Cameron or George Osborne was going to be speaking, it was going to be a big thing. I was very nervous to do it, and was

almost tempted to wuss out at the last minute. It was Peter who said to me, you know, “I can’t just hold half of a banner up”, so I was like f*ck it, I’ll do it.

(Q) You mentioned in an interview with Sky News that Iceland, a non-EU nation, has been able to strike up a free trade deal with China.

However, it has been widely observed that China’s vested interests in the Arctic have driven the trade deal, as it would give China access to natural resources like gas, oil, diamonds etc. Does this make it comparable to Britain?

Well in a way yes, because we’ve got Northern Scotland, which has quite a large oil supply, and we do have access to the Arctic in the form of the Shetland Islands. Yes, they might not be in the far Arctic but there are a lot of natural resources there I’m sure China can exploit.

And we have got far more to offer to China than Iceland do; Iceland only have minerals and fish really, and we’ve got our financial services in the city, so China would really to invest and trade with the City of London.

(Q) Finally, have you got any more stunts or campaigns planned for the future?

Not me personally, no. I probably won’t get involved in any future stunts as my face will be recognised by the media. However, as Dominic Cummings, our Director, said: “You ‘aint seen nothing yet”.

30|Tuesday 24 November, 2015

Crucial Win for Netball 1st Team Netball 1st Team 35 - 23 Canterbury Christchurch Maisie Simmonds Netball 1st Team ON WEDNESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER LSE’s Netball 1st team played Canterbury Christ Church Netball 1st at home, which promised to be challenging. However, the 1st team were up for a demanding match having won 3 matches prior to this against Imperial 1st, Brighton 2nd and RUMS 4s.

LSE 1st team started the match confidently against Canterbury Christ 1st with Kathleen Murty intercepting the first centre pass and taking it straight to goal. The attack capitalised on their early lead taking the score to 4-0 in the first few minutes. Maisie Simmonds shot confidently exploiting the expert work of the defence and centre court whilst Felicity Flynn challenged her defender and played an excellent quarter.

By the end of the first quarter LSE had a comfortable lead with Molly Tinker and Christie Chapman working determinedly in the defence taking frequent interceptions and putting the opposing attackers under constant pressure. Molly Tinker, a netball fresher, has proven to be an exceptional player and has significantly contributed to the success that the defence have had this season so far, bringing

her Junior Super League expertise to the team.

Canterbury came back strongly in the second and third quarters but Kathleen Murty and captain Jihea Kim worked hard in attack feeding perfectly placed balls into the shooters and putting pressure on the ball coming down the court. Kathleen, playing C, was consistent throughout the entire match helping connect the defence to that attack and securing the win. Harriet Arnone, LSE 1st team’s first choice GA, put up some beautiful shots from just inside the shooting area, completely catching the defence off guard. Jenny Stockell, reliably put pressure on Canterbury’s attack and took key interceptions helping LSE to keep their comfortable yet convincing lead. Molly Avery at GS fought off a strong defence and fought hard to get rebounds adding crucial goals in the third quarter.

In the final quarter LSE hit their stride, gaining and retaining a 12-point lead. The defence continued to consistently take interceptions and crucially work the ball up the court to the attack. The attack worked the ball round the attacking area, expertly feeding the shooters with precision and chasing every loose ball with utmost determination. Every single player in the team contributed to the outstanding win.

Ultimate Men’s 1s vs Essex won 6-5 Volleyball Women’s 1s vs Kingston won 3-0 Mixed 1s vs UCL won 2-1 Table Tennis Men’s 1s vs King’s College won 15-2

Hockey Women’s 1s vs Royal Holloway 1s won 3-2 Women’s 2s vs Brunel won 2-1 Men’s 2s vs Westminster won 10-0 Men’s 3s vs Hertfordshire 2s won 9-1 Futsal Men’s 1s vs Men’s 2s won 12-9

Basketball Men’s 1s vs Canterbury Christ Church won 61-25 Football Men’s 1s vs UCL 3s won 3-0 Men’s 1s vs Hertfordshire won 3-2 Tennis Women’s 1s vs Hertfordshire won 12-0

Win, Lose or Draw, send your results to sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk

F RO M A S T R I C T LY etymological standpoint, the name chosen to represent our collection of sporty-types, the Athletics Union, is intrinsically linked to an idea of fellowship, of universality, of unity. It was in a manner aligned with this tradition that the renowned colours of the LGBT+ movement were donned by clubs union-wide, that the presence of balloons Transformed the Venue’s atmosphere, that the Gaytes were opened to allow for the inclusion of students

of any Persuasion, that face paint adorned the masses. And, LesBihonest, it was a resounding success.

Bravo to all.

Not that a night that began with the intention of alerting us to a truly serious issue cannot end in intoxicated insanity. If anything, the gravity of the pretext pushed us to levels of tomfoolery as yet unseen.

A Women’s Rugby elder became embroiled in a Saga worthy of a BBC drama starring Damien Lewis from 2002, Jamming Graycefully with just one man for much of the night. A Netballing captain took what she was Owed and Gingerly absconded with a Rugby MC. Elsewhere, ground was Gained with an invite home, but with Phillings reportedly just a touch south of mutual little other than a good Joshing around occurred.

While love blossomed in every nook and cranny of Bear Street, so too did its bedfellow: war. Things Headed off early on, as a Footballing cashier, a real Nikhy Butt, lost a few brain cells in the name of chivalry. Others atop the Footballing tree were likewise easily irked, with one epic Face-off ending in a shredded Moncler. Meanwhile, a man who allegedly Luked far too much like Branislav Ivanovic was given the full Suarez treatment, in another incident at which scientists are looking closely to determine whether Zoo Bar is actually a Zoo. It’s certainly not short of vets or Green-lovers, and some who are both!

As the night drew to a close, kissing continued Inèvery corner, and the Soething voice of one boy earned him an escape with a girl with a Pauerful allure. Elsewhere,

one girl, in what should have been a real no-brainer, no Tinking required, was palmed off by a man so Cald he might well be immune to charm.

But alas, this article must end with some bad news. Next week, in the infinite wisdom of the Generalissimo of a Union even bigger than our own, our usual pre-drinking hole will be unavailable. However, whether or not we convene at an alternative venue to watch each other move from the security of sobriety to the uncertainty of inebriation, let there be no mistake that a convention will occur on Bear Street later in the night. Until then.

Got good gossip?

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Sport | 31

Women’s Rugby Battle Queen Mary A View from the Sidelines Jessica Davies Women’s Rugby Club Captain SO ITS GAME NUMBER 2 for LSEWRFC 1st XV. Opposition was Queen Mary; were we scared? Well no, with the 1sts in a new league with new competition, an old rival like Queen Mary felt like it would be the same old story. Unfortunately, myself and my fractured rib weren’t out on the pitch amongst the action, so for the first time it was the side-lines for me. K.O time arrived and as the first big hit was made I heard “Oh wow they play full contact” from QM Men’s’ Rugby team behind us, yes we do guys, we don’t fuck about. Funnily enough this game was the perfect example to prove that; Queen Mary came back with a bang. Gone were the girls who fluffed their tackles, struggled to pass and couldn’t scrum. Here was a team with momentum, drive, and a thirst for payback for all those points we’d put on the board against them last year; a team to match us.

The game heated up quickly and LSE found their backs against the wall, QM put 2 tries on the board in quick succession as we found ourselves losing ball and, despite some fantastic rucking from the forwards, not gaining it back.

With a few stern words from coach, we were back in the game. A pen-

alty kick to touch from Merritt gave us a huge territory gain and with 5 metres left to cover, the heat was on. Pressure doesn’t phase our pack though, textbook lineout; catch and drive; TRY TIME - with a quick ball to the backs we drew them out right, quick switch up and the ball fell into the hands (or should I say hand) of new prop and all round badass Tiana, through the gaps and over the line – now we were playing proper rugby.

With a new energy we were back; AU president Julia Ryland got her hands on the ball, with a triple side step/hand off combination she was channelling the footwork of Israel Folau – however this was quickly followed by a George North-eqsue concussion. With Julia off we couldn’t lose focus.

LSE were quickly back on the ball with a new intensity. Another try was made by skipper Eloise, stealing a QM line out and trampling through their defensive line. With only a conversion difference there was everything to play for.

Halftime came and went and LSE hit the ground running. Pressure was high and before we knew it QM pushed us back to our half; and with our arses on the try line Alice Rowland stormed the opposition pack like a rabid Jack Russell on crack. The pressure worked though and the ball was stolen; but in a flash QM had it back, down the hands and over our line. 17-10,

with enough time left on the clock.

We were back in the wrong half but hooker Anna (doing what she does best) steals the ball from their scrum, following this up with what can only be described as a stunning hybrid of gymnastics and rugby; a break-though, a run, a forward roll over their line and its TRY TIME for LSE. No time to rest though, still a 2 point difference and only 15 minutes to go.

The pressure was mounting but brand new centre Muriel made a break for it and slipped through the QM tackles like she’s been covered in baby oil (no wait that was men’s rugby, right?). Ball comes out to the wing and fast paced Rochelle gives it some gas, putting in superb footwork to gain us valuable territory. The final 10 minutes can only be described as a stalemate – with both teams puffing out their arses, giving it their all and keeping up the intensity it made for nail-biting viewing. With skipper Eloise keeping momentum up there was still chance for a win. But then in a heart-breaking 80th moment QM make a final gut-wrenching (albeit stunning) break and put the nail in the coffin with a try. The whistle blows and for the first time in 2 years, Queen Mary beat us, final score 22-15.

The mood in the team was low, to say the least. However, the squad response surpassed my expectations. Whereas I expected

to see them dejected I saw determination, where I expected to see pessimism, I saw passion. I have always been proud of my club when we win, but I have never respected them as much as when we lost.

There is an understanding within our club that we run hard, ruck hard, are a family. That was never more evident than within these 80

minutes. No one backed down, no one gave in. Winning feels fantastic, last year it was a feeling we basked in for all bar 2 weeks. But Rugby; real, hard, battered and bruised rugby, that is what we’re here for. We’re coming back with a vengeance – LSEWRFC 1st XV have a big league ahead – watch this space.

Basketball Smash St Mary’s 64-14 Megan Beddoe Women’s Basketball Captain

LSE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM came away victorious from their first round match in the BUCS South East Conference cup. They played against at home St Mary’s University Basketball Team on 11th November.

LSE went into the game having lost a close match to Essex 2nd team the previous week, so were even more motivated to get the win this time around. The match was controlled by LSE from the start, with strong offensive plays putting the LSE girls up 16-4. The LSE team continued to dominate into the 2nd quarter, by the end of the first half they were up by 26-8, having conceded just a single basket and 2 free throws to St Mary’s in the entire quarter. The rest of the game followed in the same vein, with LSE extending their lead in the second half, before eventually winning the match 64-14.

The LSE team was able to put into practice a number of offensive strategies which they have been practicing over the last few weeks of training, which is especially im-

pressive given that the team have only been playing together for a few short weeks. Post-grads and former Science Po players Ndeye and Myriam were the team’s joint top scorers, each with 15 points over the course of the match. The offensive effort was also boosted by great 3 pointers from Melody and Maria in the second half.

The LSE girls put in a fantastic defensive effort, and remained strong in defence throughout the game, which allowed them to extend their lead and concede only 14 points to St Mary’s in the whole game. Fresher Emike used her height to her advantage to take a number of rebounds, and Melody put in a valiant effort in hustling for the ball, gaining the ball for LSE on numerous occasions.

Overall LSE defensive pressure forced the St Mary’s offence into mistakes which they could capitalise on, such as committing a back court violation and allowing LSE to take an easy inbound which led to a basket.

LSE will be in action in the second round of the BUCS South East Conference Cup against Portsmouth University on 25th November.

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Rainbows & Facepaint:

AU Ally Campaign Can And Will Mean More Perdita Blinkhorn President LGBT+ Alliance

Section Editor: Alex Dugan LAST WEDNESDAY WAS AU Deputy Editor: PRIDE, hosted jointly by the LGBT+ Alliance and the AthletIndia Steele

Sport

ics Union in the Venue. It was not only the annual celebration of LGBT+ people in sport, but also the launch of the Alliance’s brand new inclusivity campaign, “AU Ally”. This program is our flagship campaign in inclusive sport at LSE, which seeks to get clubs actively involved in diversity promotion. While receiving some positive feedback, this writer has some serious concerns about Pride night, which is somewhat awkward considering I organised much of it.

The evening consisted of the standard AU Pride night set up; rainbow face paint, colourful decorations, photos with flags. This year however, the Alliance’s core focus had been on making the event less of the tokenistic gesture than it had been seen as previously and instead, utilise it to promote a genuinely more inclusive sporting community at LSE. Thus, I spent the days leading up to it getting photos of straight allies and filming existing LGBT+ AU members for a short video to promote the launch of the AU Ally program.

The video not only included an interview segment with the openly gay Welsh international lacrosse player, Erin Walters, but also film of a professional football coach who had never publicly put on record that he were gay before.

At first, it seemed like the evening was going to be reasonably successful, with more non-AU members of the LGBT+ Alliance showing up than expected. This was fantastic, as part of the point of the evening was to encourage LGBT+ students from outside the sporting community to experience the social aspect of university sport in a safe environment. This optimism was short lived, however.

Many of these students were left feeling high and dry, as clubs generally stuck to their groups and, beyond asking them for face paint and briefly discussing the Ally program (essentially a requirement to obtaining said face paint), there was no real effort to talk to the LGBT+ students at all.

Many left early, as they felt left-out and unwelcome. I take some responsibility for this; I encouraged non-AU members to come, but didn’t explicitly ask clubs to mingle with them. This does raise the question however; should I have to?

The turn out to the Venue was noticeably less than your average

Wednesday, but the downstairs still felt dominated by the usual clubs. One Alliance member even had to negotiate for one table just so we had somewhere to set up the paint and sign-up sheets. There were also complaints about some of the overly sexualised actions of the karaoke crew, one of whom, after having learned it was Pride night, threw themselves into some exceptionally enthusiastic pelvic thrusting into his colleague’s face.

Even some members of men’s football were concerned about the behaviour of the DJs; the fact they raised concerns with us is in itself was incredibly praise worthy (I’d also like to thank them for their help blowing up balloons for the event).

The photos of the straight allies being displayed both on the walls and on the large projector appeared to be reasonably well received, all be it by many people who were possibly too drunk

to really appreciate the point of them. The video which had been given hours’ worth of attention in terms of filming and editing, was nowhere near as successful. Due to the not-so-wonderful sound quality of it when being played on speakers in the Venue, barely a single word could be made out.

I personally regret not putting subtitles on the video, but unfortunately I had simply run out of time to do this. Thus, the full impact of the video was lost.

Despite this, since posting it on social media last Thursday, the promo video has gained a lot of strongly positive feedback and the Alliance has already had more clubs show interest. Moreover, we also have a significant number of emails from the sign-ups on the night, even if it is just a list of people who wanted face paint.

Essentially, I am losing faith in the point of AU Pride Night. I truly believe that the AU executive is

committed to a more diverse base of LSE athletes, but I am not convinced this event, which may as well be called Rainbow Face Paint Night, will have any genuinely positive affect. The key message of the AU Ally programme is to get straight allies in sport to stop just saying that they support inclusivity, leaving it and that, and instead get them actively promote diversity and safe space. Perhaps in the future, the efforts of all parties involved would be better spend on more sober and sobering events.

Editorial Note: There was not enough sufficiently balanced material to cover the booking out of the Venue on a Wednesday for this edition of the paper. It would have also been unfair to print the story without the event having taken place. It will be covered in full in next week’s edition.