819

THE NAB “HE WAS SWEATING PROFUSELY” - PAUL KELLY STUCK IN OLD BUILDING LIFT

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Issue 819 | 18.11.14

newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union

LSE Inclusivity Report Proposes Increased E-mail Surveillance

Consideration amongst those published in interim report ‘Proposals For Actions In Response To Sexism And Homophobia On Campus’ in wake of Men’s Rugby Leaflet Scandal Jon Allsop Executive Editor Alexander Fyfe Managing Editor

News and Features: Renowned environmentalist, author and climate change campaigner Bill McKibben recently talked to LSE Divest. Sophie Donszelmann covers his talk on page 6 and interviews him on page 25

IN PROPOSALS DRAWN UP

by Simeon Underwood, Academic Registrar and Director of Academic Services, the School is investigating whether to make more frequent use of its powers to monitor individual email accounts. The report was put together in the wake of the Men’s Rugby club scandal to investigate a broader culture of discrimination on campus.

Section 27 of the report states that “Under the ‘Conditions of Use of IT Facilities at LSE’, the School has the right to monitor students’ use of its

IT facilities, including e-mails sent and received and web pages accessed”. It goes on to suggest that “the Dean of Undergraduate Studies (should) discuss this area with the Director of Information Management and Technology, with a view to considering whether more frequent use could be made of the School’s powers to monitor individual e-mail accounts in cases of alleged harassment (though not as a general “trawling” exercise); to report to DMT by the end of the Term.”

Legal research conducted by The Beaver, which can be read in its entirety on page 7, indicates that the LSE does have the right to monitor student emails for ends of “ascertaining

regulatory compliance, detecting unauthorised use and prevention and detection of criminal activity” and can also “monitor emails to protect its facilities and investigate breaches of the conditions of use... (and to pursue) ‘pressing academic and business interests’.” However, it seems that the School does not currently have in place a disclaimer sufficient to gain permission to monitor e-mails involving senders or recipients outside the School, and that even internal e-mails which are private in nature may be protected under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Elsewhere in Mr Underwood’s 12 page report, a selection of proposals were drawn up Continued page 7

Comment: We Must Now Work Towards an AU For All “I feel it is my duty to say something when I have not been strong enough before”

Alastair Duncan

LSESU Activities and Development Officer

AFTER THE MEN’S RUGBY CLUB was disbanded and an appeal rejected by the Students’ Union Trustee Board, a newly created Men’s Rugby Working Group met for the first time last Monday. Opening the meeting, I made it clear that the group would act as an opportunity for them to engage in the sort of positive action required by the

Trustee Board in order to reform a Men’s Rugby Club at LSE next academic year.

Yet, it will not suffice for the group to operate solely around this purpose. In my opinion, the attendees need to come with a mind that is not purely focused on setting up a Men’s Rugby Club next year but with a heart that is seeking forgiveness from

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our student body and a strong willingness to lead a real change in the club’s culture to ensure a scandal like the ‘Purple Warrior’ leaflets never happens again.

Despite the disappointing attendance, perhaps the most disheartening outcome of the meeting was the lack of interest from the participants in attending Equality and Diversity train-

SU Liberation Campaign Launched Interstellar Review Pages 3 and 5 Page 17

ing. The Official Men’s Rugby statement in response to the leaflets said they were “organising a workshop for all our members” to “learn about the pernicious effects of ‘banter’”. However, it is clear to see that there has been no obvious effort to act upon this, nor attitude from the group, as of yet, to suggest that this is an Continued page 9

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

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Executive Editor Jon Allsop

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Managing Editor Alexander Fyfe

Tuesday November 18, 2014

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A Afridi, A Badwe, A Doherty, A Fraser, A Fyfe, A Howells, A Laird, A Leung, A Lulache, A Moro, A Qazilbash, A Santhanham, A Tanwa, A Thomson, B Phillips, C Holden, C Hulm, C Loughran, C Morgan, C Naschert, C Hu, D Hung, D Lai, D Sippel, D Tighe, D Wong, E Arnold, E Wilkie, G Cafiero, G Greenwood, G Harrison, G Kist, G Linford-Grayson, G MannersArmstrong, G Rosser, G Saudelli, H Brentnall, H Prabu, H Toms, I Mosselmans, I Plunkett, J Allsop, J Cusack, J Evans, J Foster, J Grabiner, J Heeks, J Jackman, J Momodu, J Ruther, J Wacket, K Budd, K Kalaichelvan, K Owusu, K Parida, K Quinn, L Hill, L Kang, L Kendall, L Erich, L Mai, L Montebello, L van der Linden, L Weigold, M Akram, M Banerjee-Palmer, M Brien, M Crockett, M Gallo, M Jaganmohan, M Johnson, M Malik, M Morissette, M Neergheen, M Pasha, M Pearson, M Pennill, M Petrocheilos, M Rakus, M Rakus, M Strauss, M Warbis, N Antoniou, N Bhaladhare, N Buckley-Irvine, N Stringer, O Hill, O Gleeson, P Amoroso, P Blinkhorn, P Gederi, R Browne, R J Charnock, R Chouglay, R Chua, R Huq, R Kouros, R O’Rourke, R Park, R Serunjogi, R Siddique, R Soni, R Uddin, R Watt S Ali, S Ash, S Barnett, S Crabbe-Field, S Donszelmann, S Kunovska, S Povey, S Sebatindira, S Thandi, T Maksymiw, T Mushtaq, T Odayar, T Poole, V Hui, Z Chan, Z Mahmod Any opinions expressed herein are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the LSE Students’ Union or Beaver Editorial Staff.

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Jon Allsop and Alexander Fyfe on the Registrar’s report’s problems

From the Executive and Managing Editors IF THE ACADEMIC REGISTRAR’S interim report into cultures of discrimination at the School were submitted as a formative assessment it would receive a 2.2 and a note reading ‘must try harder’.

The report is a rushed piece of work which makes very few substantive recommendations for action. In places its conclusions are outright dangerous. Although some welcome steps are suggested, one can’t help but be left with the impression that this is a piece of work that has been conducted with careless haste in the wake of the Men’s Rugby scandal and whose conclusions are designed to make the School look like it is taking positive action when in fact it is doing little more than kicking the can down the road.

Let us first turn to the proposal to make wider use of email monitoring when dealing with cases of alleged harrasment.

First and foremost, it is manifestly unclear what counts as an accusation of harrasment behaviour. Will the School monitor the emails of those who don’t know that they have been accused of wrongdoing? Will such surveillance continue after the resolution of disciplinary proceedings?

Whatever the answers to these questions, monitoring the emails of students and staff is an illiberal measure that will set a chilling precedent for freedom of communication at the School, and which is legally uncertain. Clearly, it is troubling that certain societies and clubs abuse their mailing lists and they should not be allowed to do this with impunity.

In the first instance, however, it is to be hoped that where this occurs improved reporting procedures will make it very likely that

at least one recipient will refer the e-mail for disciplinary action.

At least the email monitoring proposal is a concrete idea.

This report is largely notable for its complete lack of proactive recommendations. When action is recommended, most of the time it merely entails tasking members of the LSE administrative hierarchy with conducting a review into often arcane areas of School practice. The biggest problem with this is not that the answers to questions of institutionalised discrimination on campus are effectively being captured by the school’s institutional architecture. It is not even that a particularly heavy workload is being placed on the shoulders of the acting School secretary, who is not even a full-time confirmed employee. It is rather that this review is itself at risk of becoming lost in bureaucratic procedure. This review was supposed to yield positive steps towards tackling poisonous behaviour on campus, but will instead yield only further reviews. The risks of a cycle of inaction are obvious.

When a major university sports team can liberally distribute sexist, homophobic and racist material, the time for words is clearly long over.

There are some good recommendations in the report and at least some students have had their say with regards to the proposals. These suggestions are clearly very welcome and must now be implemented straightaway. The majority of suggested courses of action are, on the contrary, liable to seem like meaningless platitudes at best and excuses to do nothing at worst. It is outright bizarre, for example, that concerns that LSE complaint procedures are intimidating as they

are identity biased will be conducted by professor Paul Kelly, who is a white man. This newspaper would never dare impugn the professionalism of any staff member and would never dare to suggest that the privileged cannot play an active role in combatting discrimination. That being said, however, can we really expect that those who evidently don’t have confidence in predominantly white and male deans will have confidence in a report into their visibility and effectiveness authored by another white man with an unclear job title? The section on equal opportunities at LSE, meanwhile, makes for bleak reading, as problems of representation within the university hierarchy are acknowledged but met with a completely toothless and insubstantial response.

What is further concerning to us is that students and staff alike have not been given adequate time to comment on proposals which are not only self-evidently worthy of comment but actually designed to engage as many people as possible from across campus. This report has already closed itself and “the plan for the rest of the year will be fixed shortly.” Quite aside from the inappropriately short period we were given to file comments and the fact that the report was apparently not sufficiently publicised, it is deeply concerning that a piece of work designed to protect students and improve responsiveness to their problems and complaints will go forward as a fait accompli without so much as a modicum of flexibility. This, like much that is in the review, is very simply not good enough. It is an oasis of barren mediocrity that will not help those it was created to serve.

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2

Housing Survey Calls Students: T H E P ROV I S I O N A N D affordability of student housing is a crucial issue for all Institutions in London and over the last six years, University of London Housing Services (ULHS), London Higher, the NUS and others have been lobbying the Mayor of London to address these issues through the planning process – in particular the London Plan, which sets the strategic framework.

That group of organisations now wishes to recommend to the Mayor that the affordability of future student housing developments needs to be addressed in the London Plan, and that where a developer is not working in partnership with a Higher Education Institution, they will need to provide a proportion of their rooms at rents that are affordable to the majority of students. The group needs to provide evidence to support the proposal and to define affordability.

They aim to do this through an extensive survey of students, gathering information on rent costs, travel times and satisfaction levels for different types of housing. This will build on previous surveys conducted

by ULHS and the NUS. (The last survey, in 2012, had nearly 7,000 respondents.)

The survey closes at 5pm on the 15th December. The incentive is a prize draw for £1,000 worth of prizes. The survey is sponsored by both UPP and Cass and Claredale. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZBJ3YPS For questions regarding the survey (including publicity), please contact Roland Shanks, ULHS (E roland.shanks@london.ac.uk).The survey results will be summarised as a panLondon report for the Mayor’s Office.

Charlie Beckett @CharlieBeckett The LSE’s student paper @ beaveronline has a terrific Remembrance issue out today Kara Dunford @kedunford .@beaveronline offers an excellent tribute to LSE WWI personnel for #RemembranceDay Tom Maksymiw @TomMaksymiw @dutchman1943 great stuff in the @beaveronline on exam feedback- something I’m working on this year! @lsesu

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

Section editorial: FEMINISM SEEMS TO HAVE surrounded Houghton Street this week with the first Operation Liberation event focusing around Sexism as well as the launch of the LSESU’s Women’s Network. Women’s Officer Gee Linford-Grayson along with the rest of the SU have clearly been busy; I hope that the enthusiasm and support for the cause can gain even more momentum and ensure a better future for those at LSE. The Men’s Rugby Working Group had their first meeting this week, discussing how to re-instate Men’s Rugby. Following the events that took place earlier this year, this process is not one that should be taken lightly. Full details can be found on page four in Activities and Development Officer Alastair Duncan’s article on the process.

I was shocked to see that our fellow London Unis are suffering from some crises at the moment; UCL students have been left without heating and hot water in their halls, a Kings’ Student has been taken to court on charges of terrorism and Imperial have been facing problems with their Rugby Football Teams, who like ours, have had to be suspended. For the full stories turn to page five.

We’re more than half way through Michaelmas Term now and I hope you have all enjoyed the Beaver so far, but remember it is never too late to join the News Team and write for News! If you fancy picking up a pen and writing away those mid term blues, get in touch on news@thebeaveronline.co.uk

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Sexism First Topic Dealt With

by Operation Liberation Robyn Connelly-Webster Staff Writer OPERATION LIBERATION was launched by the London School of Economics (LSE) Students’ Union (SU) last week with the ‘Sexism at LSE’ forum. Gee Linford-Grayson, the SU’s Womens’ Officer, chaired the event that was attended by Nona Buckley-Irvine, General Secretary of the SU, and Taylor Rampton, President of the Athletics’ Union.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the problem of sexism at the School and to attempt to find some solutions for how to move forward. Respect for everyone’s thoughts and ideas was immediately introduced

by Linford-Grayson and this shaped the atmosphere of the conversation throughout.

Further information about the launch of the “Women’s Network” was revealed with the opportunity for women to make connections, network and be proactive about their careers.

The Women’s Officer also mentioned her plans for this academic year, “Good Night Out”

training for bar staff members to make them aware of sexual harassment and lobbying Transport For London to create adverts that are less “victim-blaming”.

Discussion was opened with the observation that “lad culture” is dependent on a group environment and that men, before being a part of a team within the Athletics’ Union (AU), are engaged in “banter” but it is not sexualised. Stories of being called a “slag” were shared and seemed to be a reoccurring issue for various women. Moving on from the AU, the conversation also implicated political societies for being heavily maledominated and having an atmosphere of male elitism.

A key theme that emerged was the difficulty of alerting someone to their sexist or misogynistic behaviour. While it is important to “check your privilege”, making someone else do so can be uncomfortable. There was quickly a consensus that men who make these types of comments must be reprimanded by their male peers within their team or friendship group because that is where sexist “ban-

ter” is mostly accepted and used.

There was also the acknowledgement that many perpetrators of this type of language are not aware of the offence they may be causing and are quick to assure those around them that they are not sexist. There was a call for positive male action in order to speed up the diffusion of the message that sexist humour is not acceptable.

The initial hold that sexism takes over certain members of the School’s community was suggested to start at halls of residence. This year, certain halls have no female members on their committees and this seems to be less about women not winning votes but more about women simply not running. This is not just a student body issue but also a School issue that must be tackled with the targeting of certain people with the required experience, better descriptions of the roles and workshops on women’s empowerment and confidence in leadership. In order to see some change this year, these proposals would be best implemented before the Lent term elections for Sabbatical officers including the

General Secretary of the Students’ Union.

Finally, an idea that emerged from this vital conversation was compulsory consent and antiharassment workshops during freshers’ week for all new students. Having this as a compulsory was unanimously agreed to be the only way the group could see the message getting across to people who don’t believe they need to hear it. Katie Budd, a third year BSc International Relations student and RAG President, felt that “If it’s not reaching the right people, it’s a waste of time”. However, first year BSc Sociology student and LGBT+ Officer of FemSoc, Perdita Blinkhorn felt hopeful that Operation Liberation would help the LSE become a “safer space for all”.

“Sexism at LSE” was an insightful and necessary conversation and its significance was enhanced by the attendance and contribution of key members of the Students’ Union. However, without the attendance and contribution of clear perpetrators of “Sexism at LSE”, the question still remains: will these attitudes will disappear?

LSESU Feminist Society Hosts Celebrity Feminism Debate Rian Watt Staff Writer ARGUING IN FRONT OF a packed house on the evening of Thursday 13th November, the Opposition scored a narrow but definite victory over the Government on the proposition that “This house regrets the rise of celebrity feminism.”

Despite strong performances across the board, in particular from Saskia Neibig, a second year Social Policy student, and Lena Schofield, a second year Social Policy student, the Government was unable to effectively combat the Opposition’s contention that celebrity feminists like Emma Watson and Beyoncé have effectively rebranded feminism in a way that widens its appeal without compromising on its more contentious aspirations.

Co-sponsored by the London School of Economics (LSE) Students’ Union (SU) Debate Society and the LSESU Feminist Society, the debate ranged

widely in its early arguments before centering on the contention, first and best articulated by Tena Thau, MSc Philosophy and Public Policy 2015, that celebrity feminism serves as a powerful “gateway drug, like marijuana” for more radical feminism by first legitimating the use of the term and only then exposing the uninitiated to the more complicated and contentious propositions made by feminists in academia and outside the public eye.

Although the Opposition left the metaphor of celebrity feminism

as marijuana unextended, the Government was never able to recover the ground gained by this argument.

The Government argued from a point of some existential disadvantage: would over a hundred people have crowded into Tower 1 at 8:30pm on a Thursday, the Tuns nearly in sight, if their newsfeeds had not been flooded for the past nine months with cleverly-titled clips of goodlooking celebrities putting their names and brands to the cause?

One imagines not, and thus the

Opposition’s point was in part made for them by the size and composition of the crowd, at least a third of which was men.

Without suggesting that no man would have called himself a feminist before the recent invitation extended by Emma Watson on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly, their presence and enthusiasm was noticeable.

The Opposition’s victory notwithstanding, arguments from both sides received enthusiastic responses from the audience throughout the night, and the final margin between the two sides was no more than a dozen participants. As the chair, Luc Bovens, for the Department of Philosophy, noted in his introductory remarks, all speakers self-identified as feminists; this perhaps took the edge off of what might have otherwise been a more sharply pointed debate. As it was, the shared cause of all present allowed for a rather collegial call, at the end of the debate, for the audience to join the speakers at the Tuns for a pint.

4 News Men’s Rugby Working Group Meets for First Time: Attendance ‘Disappointing’ Tuesday November 18, 2014

‘Rehabilitation process’ begins with discussion of what must happen before the club is reinstated Alastair Duncan LSESU Activities and Development Officer

LAST MONDAY, THE MEN’S Rugby Working Group met to discuss what action should be taken in order to re-establish a Men’s Rugby Club at the London School of Economics (LSE) next academic year. The group was created to act as the vehicle for the ‘rehabilitation process’ the club is required to undergo by the LSE Students’ Union (SU) Trustee Board. In order for a club to be set up again, the Trustee Board will review whether or not there has been sufficient ‘positive engagement’ in this rehabilitation process when it meets in May 2015.

Chaired by Alastair Duncan, the meeting began with a clear message that the group was focused on discussing future actions and that it was essential to move on from any disagreements over whether the decision to disband

the Men’s Rugby Club was the right decision. The meetings are an ideal opportunity for students interested in the reformation of a Men’s Rugby Club to come up with their own ideas for positive action, to take a lead on these and, ultimately, to take ownership of the group itself and the clubs’ future.

Despite reaching out to the previous members of the club and a relatively good interest shown from students to attend the first Men’s Rugby Working Group meeting, the attendance was disappointing. Nonetheless, they were still excited by some potential projects they had come up with themselves as well those suggested by Duncan and other Student Union staff members.

One student had prepared a pitch for a panel-orientated event with high-profile guest speakers who had experienced discrimination within the sporting environment. The other members were keen to execute this and were further inspired by the potential

of setting up regular mixed team Touch Rugby competitions, a simple energetic game suitable for all fitness levels championed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as a ‘social and inclusive sport’.

Furthermore, the importance of working with relevant groups internal and external to LSE was recognised. These included, but were not limited to, the LSESU LGBT society, the LSE Women’s Rugby Club and the RFU. It was also agreed to donate the old rugby playing kit to a good cause which will be decided at the next meeting.

The exact expectations of the Trustee Board for what constitutes ‘positive engagement with a rehabilitation process’ is still unclear and it would be too early to know whether the actions discussed would be enough to guarantee the future of a Men’s Rugby Club. In order for the Sussex Men’s Rugby Club to be reinstated this year, they became trained National Union of Students I Heart Consent workshop

Launch of LSESU’s Women’s Network Gareth Rosser Staff Writer LAST TUESDAY SAW THE launch of the London School of Economics’ (LSE) Students’ Union’s (SU) Women’s Network, a network created this year with the aim of empowering LSE women in all aspects of life. LSESU Women’s Officer, Gee Linford Grayson hosted the event, which featured several high profile guest speakers.

The Venue, a room more accustomed to hosting infamous student night Saucy, was transformed for the launch, with students visibly surprised by the level of sophistication on display.

Featuring feminists with a wide range of experiences to share, the audience was treated to speeches from Nona BuckleyIrvine, Asiya Islam, Ava Lee and Reni Eddo Lodge. BuckleyIrvine, General Secretary of LSESU was the first to speak, relaying her increasing awareness and exposure to sexism during her time as a student at the LSE.

Speaking about the call from some for a rebrand for feminism, Nona dismissed the idea saying ‘Feminism doesn’t need rebranding. Feminism should be revealing the ugly truth of sexism, misogyny, and harassment’ Next up was Asiya Islam, LSE’s Equality and Diversity Advisor, who described her experiences of sexism in the inequality and diversity sector. She advised the audience to ‘learn quickly how to have difficult conversations’ about sexism in the workplace.

Islam was followed by LSE alumnus Ava Lee, a Policy and Campaigns Officer for the Fawcett Society. Lee shocked the audience with some of the figures regarding gender pay inequality - women typically earn nineteen per cent less than male counterparts in full time positions, and the difference is even greater in part time roles.

The final speaker for the night was Reni Eddo Lodge, acclaimed journalist and purveyor of the night’s best quote by a country mile: Lad culture

is ‘Heteronormative patriarchy on crack.’ She spoke about her experiences in media, where feminism has gone from an untouchable subject to some leftleaning newspapers’ biggest selling points.

It was undoubtedly a successful evening, with the guest speakers inspiring discussion amongst the audience members long after the event had finished. LSESU Women’s Officer Gee Linford Grayson said, ‘The night was a huge success. It was great to hear from such a diverse group of speakers, showing the breadth of women’s achievement. The feedback from those who attended was that they found the event really inspiring, and I look forward to many more in the future!”’.

Second year Social Policy student and attendee Lena Schofield said, ‘I thought the launch was brilliant, all of the speakers were really inspiring. I can’t wait to go to the next women’s network event!’. No doubt the Women’s Network hope that future events will be able to build upon the success of this evening.

leaders, ran Good Lad workshops for all other male sport clubs at their university and supported anti-hate crime charities such as GALOP. At the meeting it was further agreed that the Men’s Rugby Working Group will meet on a weekly basis every Monday at 5pm in the Students’ Union meeting room on the third floor of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.

It is open to all first and second year male students who are interested in re-establishing an LSE Men’s Rugby Club next year.

The Men’s Rugby Club were disbanded in response to the ‘Purple Warrior’ leaflets which were handed out at the Freshers’ Fair and caught national media attention for the misogynistic, homophobic and racist content it contained within. The Men’s Rugby Working Group is also part of wider Student Union ef-

forts to fight discrimination on the LSE campus ran by the SU sabbatical officers, part-time officers and AU Executive including Operation Liberation and the AU for All campaigns.

If you would like to attend please register your interest by sending an e-mail to su.activitiesdevelopment@ lse.ac.uk with MWRG as the subject.

If you cannot attend but wish to have your concerns raised regarding the Men’s Rugby Working Group, please feel free to e-mail Alastair Duncan or pop in for a chat during one of the drop in sessions in the Activities Resource Centre (ARC) on the first floor of the Saw Swee Hock building on Fridays between 11am and 2pm.

5

News

Tuesday November 18, 2014

LSE 10th in Billionaire Detrimental Effect Graduate Rankings; of Visa Removal Only UK Uni On List Nadimah Mohammed THE LONDON SCHOOL of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) has not had the best relationship with university rankings. Despite an outstanding academic record and international reputation as a leading higher education institution, the QS World University Rankings 2014/2015 relegates the School to a disappointing position of seventy first, while the Guardian’s University League Table 2015 places the school at seventh in the UK. However, it has recently come to light that the School has some incredibly affluent alumni, which could be said to be a better judge of a successful university.

Appearing tenth, just behind the University of Mumbai, LSE is the only UK university to make it to the list of twenty elite institutions that billionaires most commonly call their alma mater, and one of just four non-American institutions. With the University of Pennsylvania taking the top spot followed by Harvard, Yale, University of Southern California, and Princeton rounding out the top five, this ranking is part of the second edition of the Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census.

The census which boasts being “the only comprehensive, global study on the composition and dynamics of this top-tier segment of the world’s ultra-affluent population,” finds that sixty five per cent of today’s billionaires hold university degrees and that

most of them have made their fortunes through the finance, banking and investment industry.

The study also reveals that entrepreneurialism is critical to reaching this upper echelon with eighty one per cent of this cohort being self-made billionaires as opposed to inheriting their wealth.

So could your BSc in Accounting and Finance from LSE set you on the path to billionaireship? In short, probably not.

Apart from the fact that only one in every three million people is a billionaire, the twenty universities in this ranking account for just sixteen per cent of the billionaires holding undergraduate degrees; the rest being educated in some seven hundred universities across the world.

The eleven billionaires produced by LSE, therefore, account for just 0.5 per cent of today’s uber-rich and 7.3 per cent of those who pursued higher education. Further, with the average billionaire age of sixty three, and ninety-three per cent of this cohort being over forty five, this ranking ultimately says very little about the School’s current propensity to churn out the next Bill Gates or Richard Branson, neither of whom hold degrees.

Still, reaching billionaire status is a rare occurrence and having educated eleven of them is something to be proud of. At the very least, this ranking comes in handy for superiority disputes with our counterparts at Oxford and Cambridge; both of whom are noticeably absent from this list!

Megan Crockett News Editor

ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE published by the Times Higher Education (THE), “international students are being distracted by the need to acquire work experience or apply for jobs during their course following the removal of the post-study work visa in the UK”. The abolition, which took place in January 2013, could very well be having an impact on London School of Economics (LSE) students as only twenty nine percent of students at the School regard the United Kingdom as their domicile.

The survey also discovered that seventy seven per cent of the 1,336 respondents suggested that “learners were less likely to come to the UK from overseas as a result of [the] immigration reform”. These finding were among a survey carried out by the School on current and recent students.

Forty nine per cent of respondents claimed they had planned to work in the UK after their studies had ended. However, due to the problems stemming from the removal of the post-study work visas, many foreign students are doing internships and applying for jobs alongside their studies in a bid to secure a job at the skill and salary level they want within four months of graduating. One student claimed they were “pushing [themselves] past [their] limit”, as they were attempting to carry out an internship as well as their studies at the School.

The survey also highlighted

how the visa process deterred many smaller employers from employing overseas graduates. Alternatively, it was suggested that employers often withdrew job offers on learning the immigration status of the applicant. One LSE graduate recalled applying for more than two hundred jobs yet only receiving one job offer for a post that was outside their field at “the very lowest salary possible”.

They claimed that this offer was due to the fact employers know that non-European Union citizens were “desperate for a visa”.

Simeon Underwood, the LSE’s academic registrar and director of academic services, told THE that visa restrictions were “tantamount to closing off opportunities for post-study work altogether” for many students.

Yet this “hasn’t stopped them from looking for it, and some of them are having a horrible time as a result”.

Dominic Scott, chief executive of UK Council for International Student Affairs, said that the evidence suggested the removal of the post-study work visa had been “disastrous, harming our recruitment, our reputation and our employers’ access to very considerable international talent on its doorstep”.

The School’s response to the inquiry claimed that students should be entitled to a one year work visa if the post-study work visa could not be restored. With so many international, and more importantly, non-European Union students at the School, only time will tell what the long term effects of the abolition of the post-study work visa will be.

Video Released Marking the Launch of Operation Liberation George Greenwood Deputy Features Editor LONDON SCHOOL OF Economics and Political Sciences (LSE) Students’ Union (SU) President Nona Buckley-Irvine has announced a new campaign to root out discrimination on campus. In a video released to launch Operation Liberation, Nona states, “Elitisim, Sexism and Homophobia .. these are just some of the issues to have surfaced at LSE over the last few weeks”, the campaign aims to make progress in finding out in what situations students are still experiencing discrimination.

The campaign is aimed to tackle these issues that have been highlighted after the offensive material released by mem-

bers of the former Rugby Club was picked up in the national press. There is a flyer campaign to collect stories from students from on how they have been personally victimised while at the School, and how they think such attitudes can be changed.

This will work in tandem with SU engagement events to look at examples and student experiences of discrimination around campus and public meetings to discuss homophobia and sexism specifically. The LSE SU will then use the findings of this campaign to set up a plan of action to tackle discrimination in specific areas.

Edward Jones, a first year Postgraduate student, agrees that this is a “step in the right direction” after the rugby debacle.

London Uni Round-up A KING’S PHYSICS student appeared in court alongside four other men on terrorism charges on 27 October.

Suhaib Majeed, appeared at the Old Bailey accused of involvement in a plot to kill UK police officers or soldiers The charge sheet includes alleged arrangement to purchase a handgun equipped with a silencer, swearing oaths of allegiance to proscribed terrorist group Isil, and conducting “hostile reconnaissance” of Shepherd’s Bush police station and White City Territorial Army Barracks.

HUNDREDS OF UCL STUDENTS have become that little bit more disillusioned with university after losing access to hot water.

Despite paying between £130 to £170 per week for the privilege of a place in the affected halls, students have been forced to go from cold rooms, to cold showers, and back to cold rooms.

The victims are long-suffering, with one student expressing shock that the radiators in his halls were functional at all. What only adds to the nightmare is that the halls involved are notorious for their alleged cockroach and mice problems.

Anger at the conditions of UCL student accommodation has resulted in an increasingly activist student population, with students in halls having held an assembly in which they made several demands, including the lowering of rent and transparency on where rent money goes.

IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT incidents concerning anti-social behaviour, Imperial College Union released penalties that will be held against both Imperial College Union Rugby Football Club (ICURFC) and Imperial Medicals Rugby Football Club.

These suspensions follow claims that one ICURFC team stripped on the District line, while Imperial Medicals Rugby Football Club smashed a coach window.

News

Tuesday November 18, 2014

The Word on

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Beaver Reporters

This week has seen the launch of the Students’ Union’s Operation Liberation, the first event of the LSESU’s Women’s Network and the initial meetings of the Men’s Rugby Working Group so it is no surprise that sexism, feminism and lad culture are hot topics of discussion in and arond campus. This week our Beaver reporter put these questions to those on Houghton Street: Following the LSESU Women’s Network Launch, do you believe ‘lad culture’ is ‘patriarchy on crack’? Do you think lad culture causes problems at the LSE? The disrespect for people we see as “other” comes from our complacency towards everyday elitism, sexism, homophobia and racism. The lad culture supports this, and gives a bad name to all LSE students, even those who are actually victims of offensive banter.

Perdita Blinkhorn, First Year Sociology Bsc I think the focus on combatting “lad culture” is a gross simplification of the gender issues facing men in our society. It simply packages the disruptive behaviour of some men into a convenient cause celebre to fight against. A more productive approach, would be to explore and deal with the roots of the problem, that is, why some men feel being a “massive lad” is a role model of masculinity to aspire to. It is engagement not conflict that will move us closer to gender equality by changing attitudes at a grass-roots level.

George Greenwood, International Relations MSc

I dislike the term ‘lad culture’. It makes it sound like we can end sexism by just being stern with some misbehaving man-boys.

Sam Barnett, Environmental Policy and Regulation MSc

‘Lad culture’ is sexist, loutish behaviour that is defined by the term “patriarchy on crack”. It is extremely prevalent at the LSE. Gone are the days when LSE was represented by a forward thinking and progressive student body. Though majority of the students do not engage in this, the few that do have made it clear that is a real problem, which must be addressed.

Kanan Parida, Second Year International Relations and History BSc

The rugby club incident highlighted two things, firstly that whole sections of our community feel alienated and secondly that we finally have a gen sec and exec team willing to confront this. We live in a society where 1 in 5 women aged 16-59 have experienced sexual violence. Much of the misogyny which belies this national disgrace is expressed in some of the worst forms of lad culture. The objectification of women, sexism and lad culture doesn’t just damage our community it contributes to one of the worst stains on our national life and I commend the LSESU exec for combatting it in our school.

Josh Hitchens, Second Year History BSc

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Top Climate Change Campaigner: ‘Time Is Not On Our Side’ Sophie Donszelmann Staff Writer “W E N E E D TO F I N D another currency to work in: passion, spirit, numbers, creativity and people...This is the first time in history where localism does not have to mean parochialism.” This was compelling rallying cry of climate campaigner Bill McKibben as he addressed a full and applauding Venue audience in his lecture “Now or Never: A conversation with Bill McKibben on fossil fuel divestment, global activism and why we have no time to waste.”

McKibben introduced himself as the author of the first book on climate change, a “professional bummer outer” and the founder of the climate campaign organization 350.org; a group which derived its name from the acceptable amount of carbon, in parts per million, that will allow for sustainable life on this planet.

The current amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is four hundred ppm. Now the audience could see where the “professional bummer outer” came into effect.

Wasting no time in getting to the crux of his argument, the climate campaigner covered much of the ‘math’ to the climate change debate, highlighting that we are in a process of “de-development” as the world was no longer in a position to stop climate change. The focus now was to slow it down and to be aware of the detrimental effect of fossil fuel companies and to divest the administration’s financial holdings from these companies.

The audience watched a slideshow with photos of climate campaign groups in protests and meetings around the world, ranging from the Maldives to Minnesota. “There is a misconception that environmentalism is for righteous white people,” McKibben laughed. “However, it turns out that if you don’t know

where your next meal is coming from due to the effects of climate change, you will care, regardless of where you are or what your skin color is.”

At times the speaker appeared to be a public figure of repetitive sound bites, telling the audience to “act now” because “time is not on our side.”

However, McKibben was also capable of showing a more spontaneous side, conceding that the movement needed to be realistic with its goals. “Look, we won’t bankrupt BP by divesting from them,” he said. “But we can politically bankrupt them, taking from them the legitimacy they require to operate the way they do.” With many of the questions coming from audience members who introduced themselves as “fellow divest advocates” and climate campaigners it was clear that McKibben was preaching to the choir.

The lecture was organised by the London School of Economics (LSE) Divest movement which states its mission is to, among others, have the LSE “immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies” and to “shift its investment portfolio towards low carbon technology and clean energy companies.”

Last year, the movement exposed the university’s financial holdings in several fossil fuel companies and denounced LSE administration for its contradiction with the School’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy, which claims to invest in a “a socially responsible and ethical manner” and consider “relevant environmental, social and governance issues.”

McKibben concluded his lecture with a stirring call for action to an already charged audience.

“We are capable of standing up to the fossil fuel companies, albeit a lot of work. You can get on the tube for five stops and be in the center of world power. That’s you guys. Now go do something about it.”

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News

Tuesday November 18, 2014

Report Recommends Greater E-mail Surveillance Amongst Suggestions on Combatting Discrimination Continued from page 1

to deal with sexism and homophobia within the student community. These included e-mails to be sent round in the name of the LSE Director outlining student rights and responsibilities (including their responsibility to draw significant events to the School’s attention), a suggested review of the LSE100 curriculum to include citizenship elements, a review of pre-arrival literature for students as “a clear statement of intent” and a discussion around (potentially mandatory) workshops on issues of discrimination for LSESU societies and clubs. He suggest-

ed that funding for these clubs could in future be tied to behavioural incentives.

The second part of the report, on sexism and homophobia’s effect on staff and the whole School community, contained recommendations in areas such as inclusivity training for GTAs, better SU-School coordination on disciplinary procedures, an examination of the legality of publicly releasing penalties given to offenders, and the consideration of unequal representation within the School’s hierarchy.

The report has received a markedly mixed response from student officers. LGBT+ Officer

Alex Leung said that “I am happy that the School has started making progress on bringing diversity to the campus. However, the report is just a very small step and more is needed to be done on top of the suggestions provided in the report.”

Anti-racism Officer Esther Gross was critical of Underwood’s work, telling The Beaver that “I was very underwhelmed by the report. The few proposals that were actually put forward were anything but groundbreaking.”

LSESU General Secretary Nona Buckley-Irvine, meanwhile, said that “I have mixed feelings about the report. I wel-

come certain recommendations such as reviewing disciplinary procedures and the speed at which the School comes to decisions, and looking at the functionality of the Dean system, as these have been a long time coming and have been issues raised consistently by part-time officers.

“However, I feel the report is in danger of compromising the independence of the Students Union by its ‘suggestions’, and the recommendation that sports club funding be tied to workshops. While workshops are definitely a good idea, we are working with the AU to come up with the solutions to the

problems posed by the conduct of the rugby club in the incident earlier this term.

“If we are to change a culture, change needs to be owned and be coming from students, not imposed by the School. It is also completely wide of the mark to say that funding should be tied to workshops.

The SU is given a block grant by the School which we then distribute to the AU and societies. The distribution of this money is under our jurisdiction, not the School’s.”

The opportunity to comment on the proposals passed last Friday, November 14th. The report states that this is effectively “a closing date” and that the plan for the year will be “fixed shortly after.”

The LSE and E-mail Surveillance: The Beaver investigates the legal ramifications of the proposal to increase monitoring of LSE e-mails

THE REPORT’S PROPOSAL to increase monitoring of LSE e-mail accounts should raise questions for anyone concerned with the privacy of their communications on campus.

Currently, the LSE has the right to monitor certain communications in line with The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000.

By using LSE IT you are agreeing to be bound by the ‘Conditions of Use of IT Facilities at LSE’ policy.

The policy says: “The School reserves the right to monitor your use of the IT Facilities, including emails sent and received, and web pages and other online content accessed.”

Under UK law, established in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), as a general rule the interception of emails without lawful authority is prohibited unless both the sender and recipient consent. However, there are exceptions to this under The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000, which gives the LSE the right to monitor emails on the following grounds: ascertaining regulatory compliance, detecting unauthorised use and prevention and detection of criminal activity. The School can also monitor emails to protect its facilities and investigate breaches of the conditions of use. Finally, it can monitor where necessary to pur-

The equality and diversity report is an interim document.

The School has received many responses and suggestions from students and staff over the past

sue, as the LSE defines, “pressing academic and business interests”.

Such a vague statement does effectively intimate that the School can surveil where and when it sees fit, which is a worrying precedent.

Whilst they can claim such a proviso for surveillance is within the regulations, it is a very opaque statement that is likely to remain so unless challenged in court.

Generally speaking, email monitoring requires both the consent of the sender and the recipient unless it is matter of business and grounded in one of the provisos above. However, the LSE IT policy sets out that it undertakes “routine monitoring” whilst not explaining how such “routine” monitoring is restricted to emails they are allowed to access. Arguably, routine monitoring requires the permission of both sender and recipient, which means the LSE would be required to gain permission of recipients and senders outside the School.

Gaining such permission is relatively easy, as it is required to be placed in email disclaimer clauses that attach themselves to emails sent from LSE accounts.

The disclaimer reads as follows: “The London School of Economics and Political Science (the School) is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, under registered number 00070527, and having its registered office in Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. The inclusion of this information does not of itself make this email a

business document of the School and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the School accepts no liability for the content and opinions in any nonbusiness emails.”

There is a legal requirement to inform of any email monitoring within such disclaimers, yet it is not mentioned here.

With the law and LSE’s IMT policy set out, we must now turn our attention to the report in question. In clause 27, it says LSE has the right to “monitor students’ emails both sent and received”.

This is incorrect; it has such a right only when it can prove it has one of the grounds to do so outlined above.

Crucially, personal emails - even if sent from an LSE regulated account - are private and their interception unlawful under RIPA. This is taken from Article 8 of the European Convention On Human Rights which states: “1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.”

A personal email does not have to be between LSE and non LSE emails, it is simply a communication that is personal in nature.

That means if you send or receive a private email, the LSE subsequently intercepts it on the basis that there has been an allegation of harassment you would also have grounds to sue the School for a breach of your Article 8 rights. It also throws into questions whether any evidence of harassment obtained from pri-

vate emails could legitimately be used in disciplinary proceedings.

Yet, what would happen if you decided to take the LSE to Strasbourg?

In 2007, a case came before the European Court of Human Rights where the applicant, Lynette Copland, claimed her private email communications had been monitored, breaching her Article 8 rights. She won her case, with it being ruled that her rights had been violated despite it being a business email account. The human rights organisation Liberty said at the time that “This judgment makes perfectly clear that employers who spy on their staff are infringing their privacy.”

The School, if intercepting private communications even when sent through their email system, would be effectively spying on students. This both breaches RIPA, and an individual’s Article 8 rights. Yet the school nor the report does not set out how it avoids intercepting private communications, and openly admits: “If you do make use of the IT Facilities for personal use you should be aware that it may be possible for personal information to be inadvertently accessed during enforcement of these Conditions of Use.” Arguably, if the school happened to “inadvertently” read your private emails that would still be breach of your Article 8 rights, and RIPA. Earlier this year, Richard Scudamore, Chief Exectuive of

A Statement from a School Spokesperson

two weeks, including on this particular question. Work is now being done to take account of this input and produce a final report.

It is therefore too early com-

ment on the implementation of any proposals.

In general, email monitoring of a member of staff or student is exceptionally rare. It is only used

following a specific request - for example, when there is suspicion of serious misconduct. There is also a strict process of approval and control for this action, set

the Premier League, faced a barrage of criticism of emails sent from a business account that included highly sexist material. Obviously, the content is to be condemned, but the fact that both the communication was private and the emails were inadvertently accessed and subsequently leaked by his PA meant he could not face disciplinary action. At the time, Gannons law firm partner Matt Gingell said: “When it comes to monitoring, employers should also consider the interception of communications framework.

Before an interception, normally consent from the sender and recipient is required.

Employers may, however, intercept communications which are “relevant to the business” without obtaining consent.

The difficulty though is how will an employer know for certain if an email is relevant to the business without opening it? Answer: not easily, and then it could be too late!

“If you have a monitoring policy; consider your options carefully when faced with difficult privacy issues; and unless you know what you’re doing don’t spy on your team!”

All of these legal issues raise important questions about the privacy of communications at LSE. Details are not forthcoming on exactly how routine and individual case monitoring occurs. The fact that such operations could be expanded on such vague grounds as set out in the interim report is deeply troubling, and The Beaver will watch developments closely.

out in the Conditions of use of LSE IT facilities: http://www. lse.ac.uk/intranet/LSEServices/ IMT/about/policies/condits. aspx.

Comment Section Editorial: I’D LIKE TO START OFF BY congratulating [Insert Name] on becoming the new Comment Editor. It’s times like these that I’m reminded of the words of Uncle Ben in the first Spiderman Movie: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

The election has done nothing if not confirm the success of our encouragement of diversity this year at The Beaver. I couldn’t quote the exact number but flip to Page 2 and just have a brief scan down the list of editors and you’ll see the great improvements that have been made.

I think we can now truly say that we have a staff that is more fully representitive of the students we have here at the LSE. It seems apposite then that much of what we have this week concerns diversity at LSE. Both ‘Operation Liberation’ and ‘AU For All’, I think we can all agree, are steps in the right direction. Much as I remain firm in the belief that LSE students have the reason and judgement to understand much of this for themselves as was the reasoning behind the dismissal of ‘No Platform’ - it does no harm for us to restate our commitment to liberation and equality on campus.

Comment

Sebastien Ash

Tuesday November 18, 2014

8

Section Editor: Sebastien Ash Deputy Editors: Mallika Iyer, Natasha Su Sivarajah comment@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Operation Liberation

The importance of calling out discriminatory behaviour on campus Perdita Blinkhorn A NEW LIBERATION campaign is being launched at LSE in an intersectional effort to combat disrespect and discrimination by students. This movement is being headed by the LSE Sabbatical Team and liberation officers and will use various campaigns and events throughout the year to find out what you want to do about discrimination. Gee Linford-Grayson, the LSESU Women’s Officer described the groups aims: “We’re aiming to tackle all forms of discrimination at LSE, for example elitism, sexism, homophobia, racism and ableism” In a video made by the LSESU Sabbatical Team to promote the operation, Nona Buckley-Irvine, General Secretary of the SU stated “Now is the time to question discrimination at LSE, and now is the time to fight it” with a resounding echo of “We can change this” from the liberation officers. Nona outlined the operations plan to gain information from the student body about what they want to do to tackle discrimination on campus and join force with other campaigns already happening on campus, such as A Good Night Out, AU for All, LSE for All and The Women’s Network.

The LSE for All campaign, being headed by Alex Leung, has already made its first steps to promoting LGBT+ equality in the University by filming a video featuring openly Lesbian and Gay athletes in the AU. When asked about why he wanted to create the video he explained “The purpose is to show that the LGBT+ people are part of the daily life at LSE and that we are people, not only a political message.” He believes that working with Operation Liberation is a way of making LSE more comfortable for a diversity of people, adding that there is “absolutely no tolerance on homophobia and people should know how to report it.”

The Women’s Network is another section of the operation aimed at inspiring confidence in and proactively promoting careers for women. They are also campaigning for better training of LSE staff on the topic noticing and dealing with sexual harassment, as well as looking to lobby Transport for London

about their victim blaming adverts. The groups launch was last Tuesday and outlined their plans to use workshops and campaigns to empower women to take on sexual harassment and aim for the top jobs.

Operation Liberation also had its first meeting last week in

“Concerns were also raised about academic gender divisions, notably in the notorious LSE 100. It was suggested that it can be very difficult for female students to discuss gender issues freely when, in some cases, they are the only women in the class.”

an attempt to spark discussion about why discrimination occurs and how LSE should be tackling it. One attendee, Maria Cannatella, suggested that people come to LSE with an existing sexist and homophobic attitude that “starts from home... it creates this kind of culture.” She noted that the AU is a great thing to be a part of but can turn misogynistic very quickly, and even some male dominated societies use demining and sexist terms such as “babe” and “love”.

Concerns were also raised about academic gender divisions, notably in the notorious LSE 100. It was suggested that it can be very difficult for female students to discuss gender issues freely when, in some cases, they are the only women in the class.

Gee Linford-Grayson, suggested that a way to combat this may be though better staff training.

However the issues within subjects did not end there, as Nona suggested that the idea of “mutual respect” on campus is played down when male students resist the notion in the class room, particularly for quantitative subjects.

Halls were also highlighted as an area of concern, as many students noticed the disproportionately male hall committees.

It was suggested that male stu-

dents are far more reluctant to vote for women in these roles as there’s a desire for male oriented social events, which they feel female students could not deliver to a satisfactory standard. Katie Budd, President for the LSESU Rag, added that “Halls are a hotbed for sexism. It’s away from the rules of University.”

However, it seems one of the biggest challenges all the students present at the meeting faced was calling out sexist behaviour, despite the face it may actually be easier for men to call out offensive language than women. “It’s bringing these scandals to light that makes it easier” explained Tom Maksymiw, “you can just be like ‘mate, don’t be an idiot’ in term of men calling out sexism.”

One idea that arose to combat this is to introduce a mandatory diversity workshop during fresher’s week which includes a “how to call out your friends” section.

This is in line with suggestions for improvements in the recent report produced by LSE on discrimination.

The operation is determined to continue with its endeavours, with its next meeting on Homophobia at LSE on Tuesday 18th of November, 4pm at CLM 4.02.

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Comment

Tuesday November 18, 2014

We Must Now Work Towards An AU For All Activities & Development Officer Alastair Duncan says it’s time we talked about the AU Continued from page 1 as of yet, to suggest that this is an appropriate way forward.

The exact expectations of the Trustee Board for what constitutes ‘positive engagement with a rehabilitation process’ is still unclear and, at this moment in time, would probably be under the discretion of the Trustee Board.

However, with the current action plans from the group being limited to positively-framed sporting competitions and high-profile speaker events, I do not believe their actions will be sufficient to guarantee a Men’s Rugby Club next year.

To strengthen their case, the Working Group needs to first, grow in size - if it does not have enough members to even constitute a single team, how can it expect to recreate a club next year?

- and second, it must be willing to take on more arduous endeavours with less obvious direct benefit to its members in order to prove the club’s genuine desire to change its culture for the better. With what has happened, they need to earn a club.

While I am making these suggestions, it is vitally important that such a rehabilitation process does not come across as if it is simply a checklist of actions prescribed by the Students’ Union. It is essential that the ideas are championed and enacted by the team. This is what ‘positive engagement’ means to me. I, therefore, urge the Men’s Rugby Working Group to take a hold of their club’s future so as to prove to the rest of the Athletics Union (AU) and the school, that they want to change.

“Meetings with the Directorate of the School have revealed that they have started to question whether they want to support the Students’ Union in funding the AU.” The actions of the Men’s Rugby Club have caused severe, unfair damage to our AU and our school community. The AU has been heavily scrutinised from those high up in the school, external sponsors and the student body itself. Its clubs have been, time and time again, tarred un-

der the same brush, with many people’s criticisms being placed on the AU as a whole rather than individual clubs, members or their actions.

The decision by KPMG to pull the AU’s funding was incredibly damaging to a lot of clubs that in no way deserved to have their funding cut. Meetings with the Directorate of the school have revealed that they have started to question whether they want to support the Students’ Union in funding the AU at all and various discussions I’ve had with students reveal that there is a perception that the socially toxic values exemplified in the Men’s Rugby leaflets are ones the AU similarly holds. I believe that this treatment of our clubs is on the whole unfair.

The AU is in no way misogynistic, homophobic or racist as a whole. With 2000 members and over 40 clubs, the AU is one of the most diverse student bodies at this university and thus to make any generalisations about it is truly misrepresentative. As well as this, having been a part of the AU for what is now my fourth year, I can confidently say that I know of no club or individual within the AU who truly identifies as holding these values.

As a whole it can be a welcoming student body for all, as shown in LGBT+ Officer Alex Leung’s AU for All video.

The AU also regularly gets criticised and yet rarely gets the credit it deserves. It contributes so much to the LSE community and there really isn’t anything else like it at the university. Not only is it incredibly successful in a sporting sense, with 20 teams winning their BUCs or LUSL leagues last year, but it also has easily the biggest social community within the School with its members playing sport every week and a large contingent of them regularly meeting at the Tuns and going to Zoo Bar on a Wednesday night.

I am incredibly proud of the sense of community that the AU can provide. Like many other students I know at this university, if it wasn’t for my involvement in the AU I may not have finished my degree. Being a member of the AU was one of the few ways in which I felt I could have a fun university experience while studying at the often labelled boring, dull and too-career focused LSE. It can also be a platform for many of our students to go and do amazing things. My involvement in the FC has provided me with so many opportunities including allowing me to develop essential

skills on and off the pitch, helping me to be voted in to my sabbatical position and making a lot of good friends along the way.

For all these benefits that the AU can provide its members, I am immensely grateful, and I wish to leave the AU in a stronger position when my term as the Activities & Development Officer finishes. Nevertheless, for the AU to truly move forward and become stronger, I believe it must accept that the behaviours which led to the disbandment of the Men’s Rugby Club are not wholly unique to that club alone.

“The AU also regularly gets criticised and yet rarely gets the credit it deserves.”

My experience within the AU, while being mostly positive, has not always been so beneficial to my development as a person. I have sat quietly when others use discriminatory speech on the pitch, in the changing rooms and over e-mail threads. I have been told that I was not being picked for my team because I wasn’t attending the predominantly alcohol-orientated socials and at the time I wasn’t confident enough to question it. I have ignored when students have publicly humiliated team mates for what they have got up to on nights out (of which evidence can usually be seen on the back of this newspaper). I have listened to and participated in the chanting of morally unacceptable songs. Finally, on the AU Tour in my first year, I was encouraged to drink so much on my birthday that I ended up falling off a fifth floor balcony.

I know these experiences are shared by many other sports men and women at LSE and probably by some of the rest of the student body. I know that many of you will probably have thought the same as me at these times.

You’ve probably questioned yourself, thinking, that this isn’t something you’d do as an individual and it’s strange that you’ll do it in a group. You know that you don’t really mean the things you have said or chanted but other people are finding it funny so you’ll keep saying or chanting it.

I think it is about time we took individual responsibility for these actions. Now that I am in a position of leadership, I feel it is my duty to say something when

I have not been strong enough before. It is also my responsibility to actively challenge these things when I see and hear about it. University can be a time for experimenting, having fun, making stupid mistakes and learning from them. But in the case of this sort of bullying, discriminatory and peer-pressured behaviour we’ve got to be able to stand up with the confidence to say ‘I don’t agree with that’, ‘I won’t do it’ and ‘you shouldn’t either’.

Let’s be honest, these behaviours are by no means a problem purported by AU members alone. This is of course a wider problem across campus, among different universities and within societies and organisations around the world. My experience says things need to change and I believe we can all act to fight this. The LSE as a whole has a unique opportunity to become a positive case study of how to tackle these things at a university level and to act to inspire other institutions to follow our lead as we do in many other fields. The AU, like the Men’s Rugby Working Group, has a unique opportunity following recent events to move forward and catch the media headlines for something positive.

“The AU is an incredibly diverse student body but I know from experiences... that the inclusivity of the AU has a lot to do to improve.”

The AU is an incredibly diverse student body but I know from my experiences, and from students I speak to on a daily basis, that the inclusivity of the AU has a lot to do to improve. That’s why I am extremely proud that the AU President, Taylor Rampton, and the rest of the AU Executive, are taking this need for action seriously and are joining me to lead on rolling out a campaign I have been preparing over the summer called ‘AU for All’.

The idea is simple and difficult to disagree with. If you are technically good enough to represent your university at a sport you love, then you should be able to.

‘AU for All’ is about tackling any barriers that exist which act to prevent this from happening.

The AU Exec have sent a letter to Craig Calhoun detailing

the vast range of positive actions they will take alongside myself moving forward from the Rugby leaflet scandal which includes the Equality and Diversity training they attended run by the SU, a positive photo campaign where teams will take photos with a banner with ‘We Support an AU for All’ written on it before their competitions as well as working with relevant societies to host events including the LGBT Pride themed Wednesday night this week.

“On the AU Tour in my first year, I was encouraged to drink so much on my birthday that I ended up falling off a fifth floor balcony.”

For campaigns like this to really work, we’ve got to hear from you whether you think these barriers do exist and whether or not they prevent you from representing your university in a sporting environment. If you have a view on this then please make sure you fill out the Operation Liberation survey to have your say about whether or not the school, the SU or the AU are inclusive enough. They can be found at the reception of the Saw Swee Hock building or online at lsesu. com/operationliberation Members of the AU, we really need you to get fully behind the AU Exec events and to attend the AU Forum I will be holding in week 8 which will be a space for AU members to discuss all the issues I’ve raised in this article as well as some bigger questions. Team and Club Captains, we need you to rally your members to attend these events and to be willing to take photos with our banner.

This was the first article I have written for The Beaver, and I hope that it can encourage more members of our student body to pick up a pen, get on their keyboards and to open their mouths to shout about their opinions of the AU. Whether you think there is nothing wrong with it and the AU should be left to just have their own way of fun or whether you think its behaviour is not inclusive and actively discriminates against students’ on campus; it’s time to hear from you. It’s about time we talked about the AU.

Comment

Tuesday November 18, 2014

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The Long Road Home For ISIS Fighters

Returning Islamist jihadis are a problematic opportunity for the West Ryan O’Rourke IT WAS ONLY A LITTLE over 16 months ago that the British Parliament debated arming rebels fighting Bashir el Assad, Syria’s disgraced president. 12 months later, many of those rebels who fought in the Free Syrian Army have been declared members of a terrorist organisation in the form of ISIS, an offshoot of Al Qaeda deemed so extreme by their parent group that they broke off all ties with them. That has since changed.

What has not changed is the level of nihilism such members subjugate the populations of Northern Iraq and Syria to, many of whom have travelled from the West to their proclaimed caliphate to carry out. That some of those now want to come back has worried many in the police and secret services in western democracies.

They are right to be, but have to be careful not to miss an opportunity.

First, it is vital to describe what the ISIS crusaders are not.

As a group, there is little if any ideology behind ISIS. The vast majority of jihadi Joes are not go-

ing out to fight for the caliphate with the hope of establishing an Islamic Republic which abides

by Sharia laws and customs; most have never had a religious text in front of them. Such people want to feel powerful and to make those they subjugate flinch in their presence. ISIS exists as a call to all sadistic homophobes, all rampant anti-semites, all power craving nihilists to come to their flag and their banner to beat and kill with impunity. It will continue to do so in the same way members of the Schutzstaffel did in Nazi Germany, as members of the Khmer Rouge did in Cambodia. They are a power craving, vulgar group whose members should be despised and treated with contempt.

Such people are likely to stay and die fighting. There are however, a small minority of those who did go out to fight with the (perverted) romantic idea of forming an Islamic caliphate and who, like all the rest of us, despise the violence. Such people now want to return to the West.

This is somewhat of a problem for western governments. Only days before Remembrance Sun-

day, police foiled a terrorist attack aimed at services. Many in the secret service believe an attack under such circumstances against Western Europe is almost an inevitability. In such a climate, it is entirely rational for those in power to be uneasy about exjihadi’s coming back and blending into society. David Cameron, the Prime Minister only just expressed this view on a tour in

“The stories of those who are brave enough to leave would be the most effective tool in bringing down ISIS.” Australia this week.

Whilst it may be the best form of defense against any terrorist attacks planned by ISIS militants, banning those coming back who have been traumatised by the experience is in many ways a lost opportunity. It is often those who

have become disillusioned with hardened political ideologies that end up being the most efficient opponents of such ideas.

Maajid Mawaz, an ex member of the extreme jihadi group Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an example.

After becoming disillusioned with Islamism he set up Quilliam, a counter-extremist think tank which aims to challenge the arguments of extremists. Such people are key in the de-radicalisation of extremists precisely because they have been there themselves. It is far better for those who see the Islamist caliphate as a romantic notion to hear from someone who witnessed the merciless slaughter of children than to be lectured by a middle aged member of the elite on the profound horrors that the organisation does in the name of Islam.

Such a policy is in more than one way a poisoned chalice. It would require both bravery on the behalf of politicians and of communities where such ex-jihadis would integrate back into society. The cost, both political and human, could be immense if it failed. However, dropping bombs on ISIS targets in North

Iraq is failing to destroy the most lethal weapon at the disposal of radical Islam: their false ideological draw. It is the stories of those who have witnessed the brutal massacres done in the name of Islam and who are brave enough to leave which would be the most effective tool in bringing down ISIS. It took 12 years for National Socialism to burn itself out, 3 years for Pol Pot’s reign of terror to end. How long the caliphate takes to loose sight of its aim and burn itself out through nihilistic impunity is as much down to itself as it is down to Western leaders. If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything, it is that dropping bombs does not fix problems. As with Communism in Soviet Russia, ISIS will only destroy itself. We in the west should help them do that by letting those who once idolised and now despise it reveal it for what it really is: a despotic organisation whose aim is to carry out genocide and to enforce it on peaceful Muslims with a set of stone age laws and customs which will turn those societies back to the dark ages.

Midterms: Blame, Incompetence and Credibility Ben Hobbs PRESIDENT OBAMA’S Democratic Party took a historic thumping in the U.S. Midterms.

Last week, two writers for this paper tried to explain away the election results by distancing themselves from their ‘apathetic’ countrymen and playing identity politics.

The truth is much different.

The US midterms were about the incompetence and failed credibility of the Obama presidency. For incompetence, please see; terrorist attacks in Benghazi, blatant political corruption in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Justice spying on journalists, drug cartels using US government weapons, etc. On credibility, Obama loves making promises and drawing red lines he knows he has no intention of keeping. For reference, “If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor” or “I am drawing a red line for Syria and the use of chemical weapons.” Obama has lost so much credibility that Democratic candidates didn’t even want him campaigning for them.

Yes, Republicans won because more Republicans voted.

If Democrats had won it would

have been because more Democrats voted. That’s how elections work. I’d hate to assume that those who didn’t vote in the election because they were watching Breaking Bad would have voted Democrat simply because of the color of their skin or “penis-having” – something my colleague has no problem doing. Only an

“Only an elitist leftist would play identity politics and insult the dignity of minorities’ voting choices” elitist leftist would play identity politics and insult the dignity of minorities’ personal voting choices in this manner.

The leftist elite probably wish the 47% of women who voted Republican, the 44% of Hispanics who voted Republican in Texas, and the 26% of blacks who voted Republican in Ohio would have stayed home and watched Breaking Bad. I can’t even imagine how they feel about “Uncle Tom” Republican Tim Scott, the first African

American elected to the US Senate from the south since reconstruction.

These Americans rejected the regulatory overreach and heavy handedness of government that suppresses growth. They voted for the party of choice and opportunity. They voted for the party that fights for the rights of people to choose what type of healthcare they want, where they go to school, how to spend and save their own money, whether to join a union or not, how to run their own businesses, and how much soda they want to drink.

Voters swept the party of opportunity into power not only in traditionally conservative states and swing states, but also in democratic strongholds. Illinois Democratic governor, Pat Quinn, oversaw a state with high unemployment, low growth, and $100 billion in unfunded liabilities. The voters of Obama’s home state decided they didn’t want to double down on these failed policies and elected the Republican. The same held true in other democratic states such as Maryland, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts.

The left screams that these elections are stolen by big money and corporations and want to

extend the regulatory claws of government around the democratic process and free speech.

However, considering the U.S. government spends over 40% of the GDP each year and the enormous consequences of U.S. elec-

“Republicans are outspent seven to one by Democrats when all is said and done” tions on for foreign affairs, the $3.7 billion spent on this election seems a pittance when compared to the $7.4 billion spent on Halloween. As for those evil Koch brothers, they rank 59th in the list of top contributors, behind eighteen public and private unions. According to Dr. David Horowitz and Jacob Laskin, Republicans are outspent by Democrats 7 to 1 when all is said and done.

The American public is rightfully frustrated with partisan gridlock in Washington.

Approval for both congress and the presidency are at an alltime high. When Bill Clinton lost the 1994 midterm elections to Republicans he accepted re-

sponsibility and understood that the American public was more conservative than he. By doing this he helped his party shift to the right and make landmark compromises with Republicans, cementing Clinton’s bipartisan legacy.

President Obama, on the other hand, has done just the opposite. He has sounded a defiant tone that the election results were more about Washington dysfunction than his leadership and policies. Instead of extending an olive branch he has doubled down on divisive policies including “Net Neutrality” and threatens to circumvent the new Republican congress by immigration reform on his own through executive order. This is hardly the way to build trust and reach compromise that the American public so desperately want.

With Obama’s lack of leadership and humility the American public may have to wait another two years for real change. As for the left’s savior in the next election, Hillary Clinton, I leave you with this quote; “Don’t let anybody tell you… its corporations and business that create jobs.”

Sounds like just the person you want in charge of the world’s largest economy.

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Comment

Tuesday November18,2014

This House Regrets The Rise Of Celebrity Feminism Those In Favour

Those Opposed

Celebrity feminism is unrepresentative

Celebrities bring feminism to the masses

Saskia Neibig AT THURSDAY’S DEBATE, WE argued that we regret the rise of celebrity feminism and would prefer a world in which Beyonce, Emma Watson, Nikki Minaj, Elle magazine and Chanel did not co-opt the word to promote their brands.

They do it to capitalise on a recent resurgence of feminism amongst younger people harnessing the internet to inform, promote, and deliver their activism. Jumping onto that bandwagon helps celebrity brands seem current and cutting edge. Their every interview on the subject refers to feminism’s allegedly poor public image as aggressive, man-hating and unappealing, and the celebrities involved present themselves as the solution. By being the pretty and appealing face of feminism they claim to contribute to the movement, benefit from its popularity while promoting their own participation as especially significant. In a career where publicity and appearance is your livelihood, they become the subject of a media story on feminism, rather than sharing column inches with concrete issues.

“Celebrity feminism enables a wealthy industry to profit from inequalities by selling more products on the back of their brand as benign and benevolent liberators” But when Karl Lagerfeld has a “feminist” catwalk of size 0 models touting signs with the slogan “feminist, but still feminine”, he says that the only feminist worth listening to is one who still conforms to patriarchal notions of femininity. By presenting themselves as the attractive, man-loving and nonthreatening solution to all of feminism’s hairy, lesbian image problems, celebrity feminists reproduce those inequalities that feminism should tackle. Celebrity feminism enables a wealthy industry to profit from inequalities by selling more products on the back of their brand as benign and benevolent liberators.

When they present feminism as nonthreatening, celebrity feminists undermine what should be a powerful fight for social justice. Feminism is threatening to many people because it requires those who have easily held onto power and privilege to relinquish some. When Emma Watson says “if you believe in equality between men and women, you are a feminist”, she tells even the most

conservative misogynists who advocate gender segregation that they are feminists, since most misogynists will say that men and women are equal but different, which is why women should be housewives. You don’t need to be an expert on bell hooks or have a favourite “wave” to be a feminist but you do need to recognise that gendered inequalities exist currently, that they are wrong, that no one should be constrained by their gender and that we need to address the way that women are oppressed by cultural, social, political and economic means. Celebrities and the institutions that profit under the status quo have no incentive to significantly change it, or to scare off those customers who profit under it too. So they dilute the message to get the best of both worlds, while any actual feminist goals get covered up by empty catchphrases.

While the movement shouldn’t pander to the lowest common denominator, its image does matter. But in a world where feminists are told to “calm down dear”, to take a joke/compliment and stop making a fuss about nothing, the main PR problem facing feminism is perceived triviality. Much of what feminism still needs to fight in the western world is outside the legal sphere. Social expectations, norms and behaviours limit women’s freedoms, safety, and achievements but challenging everyday sexism can seem trivial compared to voting rights or reproductive rights.

Celebrities, whose entire industry and lifestyle is perceived as trivial are poor brand ambassadors and exacerbate this problem when the media story ends up being about them, their breasts or pay inequalities between millionaires.

This might not be such a problem if the media were to cover all feminists equally but it doesn’t. It likes famous, wealthy, slim, sexy “feminists”, while avoiding discussing the likely endangerment of prostitutes’ safety in Northern Ireland under new legislation, or the attacks on a woman’s right and ability to choose abortion in the US. These controversial issues actually need discussion and debate and carry a massive stigma so would damage celebrities’ brands with the controversy, and media outlets don’t focus on women’s issues.

The most marginalised women in our society struggle to get media attention at the best of times, but when an editor feels that he has covered enough feminism for the time being thanks to Kiera Knightley’s boobs and Beyonce’s neon signage, that crowds out those who most need the feminist movement.

The most marginalised women are left with a movement that neither resembles them nor represents their interests, while the world at large is given a pat on the back for their progressive credentials, without actually changing any of their behaviours.

Julia Slupska THE FIRST SPEAKER OF opening opposition, Manú Bartlett, started out with a good question: “If you asked a thirteen year old girl whether she cares more about Beyoncé or Bell Hooks, what would she say?” To many, especially those outside of liberal university bubbles, ‘feminist’ is a dirty word: both man-hating and sex-hating, but also convoluted and inaccessible.

Polls have shown that although 80% of the public supports the concept of gender equality, only 17% will admit to being feminist. This means that the core, fundamental message of feminism has been lost somewhere along the way.

Opposition argued that Beyoncé and Emma Watson’s feminism functions well in modern society, with our short attentions spans and fixation on media and celebrity. The only way to get an ideology accepted is to make it part of the mainstream. Celebrities are in a unique position to do that; their most ardent supporters, adolescent girls, are the ones the feminist movement most needs to address. Unlike other important role models, like female politicians, they regularly speak about emotions, making them profoundly more persuasive.

Often they are powerful women who run their own businesses, like Beyoncé.

Lastly, they run much better campaigns than academics.

In response to proposition’s arguments that celebrities’ feminism is necessarily watered down, inoffensive, and distorted by the sexist and capitalistic media industry, closing opposition rightly pointed out that the feminist movement, much like men, should not tell Beyoncé what to wear. Celebrities do not need to give us a full breakdown of intersectionality and heteronormative discourse to have a good effect.

Watered-down feminism works as a gateway to more important discussions; Emma Watson’s speech led to a flood of blog posts closely examining the role of men in the feminist movement, and, among other things, this show debate.

Opposition also argued that it is impossible to change men’s behaviour without

engaging them. Martin Luther King’s efforts to achieve race equality in the United States were a lot more successful than Malcolm X’s because he united all races in his movement.

“To many, especially those outside of liberal university bubbles, ‘feminist’ is a dirty word: both man-hating and sexhating.”

Interestingly, much of the debate focused not on celebrities but rather on what feminism should be. Proposition argued that celebrity feminists ‘take up the space’ that should go to serious feminists who have dedicated their lives to battling discrimination. They make feminism a sexy trend rather than an unfinished and challenging struggle. This argument ignores the fact that every political movement needs a brand, and celebrities help feminism be a better one. Political capital is not fixed; subjects that are discussed widely in popular media are more likely to be examined closely than those that rarely make it to the public consciousness.

Deriding celebrity feminists as trivial and attention seeking makes feminism seem even more difficult and unapproachable. It also alienates those who most need to hear its message. Furthermore, the feminist ideas that celebrities endorse do not contradict more difficult ideas, like internalized oppression.

As the last speaker, Hannah Tyndall, said, “The reason I became a feminist is not the reason I am one now.” Celebrity feminists help young girls (as well as boys and adults) own the word and relate to the basic ideas of feminism deeper understanding and engagement with the issues is more likely as a result.

For that reason, they deserve our support and praise.

The Beaver 09.10.2012

PartB

PartB Photo credits: Flickr Adrien Sifre

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

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LITERATURE

THOUGHTS ON REMEMBRANCE I wear a necklace around my neck. It is small and gold. Suspended from a simple chain hangs an unassuming heart. This is my memory of her. For most observers, it looks like nothing more than a polished band. But to me it has a face. It has strong, wrinkled hands, creased with rich memories. Each fold a tale. A few of which I was lucky enough to hear.

When I think of her, I see a lighthearted, bold laugh and warm smile and beneath it a collection of stories. The oldest of fourteen. A mother, sister and grandmother. She lived through depressions and wars and knew of sacrifice and struggle.

Her life was a portrait, made of brushstrokes singular to her and images collective to her generation.

Tracing the grooves of the heart dangling around my neck reminds me of her. When I remember, I feel a strange mix of sadness and comfort. The sadness caused by the abruptness and finality of a life ending and the comfort through knowing that her past gives me a place in this boundless timeline of humanity. She is a part of my string, the line that links me with history.

When we share these fragments with others, our disparate strings tie together into chains and we realize something. Love, Sadness and Empathy are not singular to one story of remembrance but are part of a shared consciousness grounded in universal feelings and experiences. Through them we recall the faces of those who came before us and remember the sacrifices they made so we can be here today. Sharing our memories then becomes an act of humanity.

Walking the streets of London I see ornaments punctuating coats and dangling from earlobes. It is so easy to march by, assuming without a second thought that detail and decoration is all there is. But often, there is something hidden under the surface. A small, physical reminder you carry with you to not forget, reminding us of who and where we come from.

ALANNA HOFFMAN

PARTB EDITORIAL TEAM PARTB

FASHION

FILM

Jade Jackman Vikki Hui

Sanya-Jeet Thandi

Jade Jackman Maryam Akram

partb@thebeaveronline.co.uk

FOOD

Dorothy Wong food@thebeaveronline.co.uk

fashion@thebeaveronline.co.uk

film@thebeaveronline.co.uk

LITERATURE

MUSIC

TECHNOLOGY

THEATRE

VISUAL ARTS

Ellen Wilkie

Conor Doherty, Will Locke & Dominic Tighe

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Jade Jackman Maryam Akram

literature@thebeaveronline.co.uk

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

LITERATURE/MUSIC The latest part in our LSE reading list series....

READING LIST FOR AN OPERATION LIBERATION LSE

W

elcome, readers, to a new LSE. An LSE that is inclusive for all, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or hair colour. An LSE where students can dream big as Goldman Sachs internships fall from above like beautiful raindrops, rejuvenating and refreshing in equal measure. An LSE that will prove even more effective than capitalism in spreading joy and prosperity worldwide. In short, an Operation Liberation LSE. As we enter this Brave New World (it’s a literary joke, d’ya geddit?) let The Beaver provide you with a reading list for the LUE (London Utopia of Economics and Political Science).

The Handmaid’s Tale

The Fifth Elephant

Survey Methods in Social Investigation

Although a slightly left-field choice, Pratchett brilliantly captures the tensions of multiculturalism throughout his fantasy Discworld series. Don’t believe me?

Read The Fifth Elephant.

The high levels of dwarves coming to the city AnkhMorpork in search of work cause tensions in both the human and dwarf communities. The different minorities (dwarves, trolls, werewolves, vampires etc.) struggle with historic enmities as they coexist. And in every race and culture in this series the tension between tradition and modernity is in plain view, and never more so than in this novel. I mean, this is practically a case study in how to deal with a multicultural society. But with dwarves. And wizards. And trolls. Ok, maybe it’s not quite a textbook per se, but it’s a fun and easy read that can still give you food for thought as you think about how Operation Liberation can best accommodate its myriad communities.

A staple for social scientists worldwide over the past three decades, Moder and Kalton’s work details the best ways to go about conducting research when trying to obtain the most accurate results possible. The higher the quality of the research currently being undertaken by the Students’ Union, the more legitimate the actions taken as part of Operation Liberation.

Award winning Professors in the LSE still recommend this textbook to their students, and The Beaver has no hesitation in advising it to our readers. It may be a little dated - it barely references the possibility of internet surveys and considers telephone interviewing to be cutting edge - but the principles it advocates continue to help researchers gain unbiased and useful information.

by Margaret Atwood

Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale details a dystopian future in which the USA has become a patriarchal theocracy.

The gritty realism that is a hallmark of Atwood’s self styled ‘alternative fiction’ gives food for thought for anyone who argues that the patriarchy doesn’t exist. It’s impossible to read without seeing parallels with modern society, and should provoke anyone who reads it into supporting feminism. The Handmaid’s Tale also provides some hope for proponents of Operation Liberation: the story shows how quickly ‘the public’ can adapt to new social norms. There’s no reason to think that ‘the public can’t adapt to a life without the patriarchy as quickly as they do to its opposite in this tale.

by Terry Pratchett

by Sir Claus Moser and Graham Kalton

GARETH ROSSER

ORGAN RECITAL REVIEW

H A L L OW E E N : A T I M E F O R C E L E B R AT I O N , T R I C K- O R -T R E AT I N G A N D THAT “MONS TER THAT NEVER BREATHES”

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amously regarded by Igor Stravinsky as “the monster that never breathes”, the organ is a powerfully elusive creature that features minimally in modern day thought as an instrument stereotypically associated with old churches and Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Thus with this 'beastlike' reputation in mind, the prospect of attending Oliver Hancock's lunchtime organ recital at St Dunstan-in-the-West this Halloween seemed most enticing to me given the eerie connotations that often accompany the antique figure of the organ, connotations which were to be intentionally aroused through Hancock's careful weaving of the spooky theme into his programme combined with the venue's Neo-Gothic exterior.

It is a bitter-sweet reality however that this 'king of instruments', as Mozart described, should bear a reputation that is more monstrous than regal, a fact that was reflected in the sparsity of the audience. Nevertheless, it can be said that Hancock compensated for the array of empty pews, mastering a technically demanding repertoire that demonstrated the instrument's full-throated capacity without overpowering the listener, leaving me with an overall impression that this “monster” when tamed by a thoughtful organist can be made to “breathe” and pleasantly so.

Hancock's programme, structured

around seven composers, involved a collation of contrasting genres and tonal colours where each piece introduced a new Halloween-related sentiment. An underlying gothic tone was established from the outset, opening with Bach's “Great” Fantasia and Fugue in G minor where the counterpoint in the Fantasia, typical of Bach's style, added breath to the performance and Hancock's nimble technique subsequently mastered the chromatic Fugue. Bédard’s Variations sur “Sine Nomine” that followed provided an audible contrast in genre, encompassing virtuosic embellishments and rich colours that are characteristic of the composer's style. Bridge's Adagio in E major added an introspective quality to the programme, demonstrating the full dynamic range of the organ where the piece started and ended in a whisper (pp) whilst reaching a midway climactic fortississimo (fff). The programme culminated in Boëllman's Suite Gothique, ending in the Toccata of breathless intensity where Hancock skilfully carried the main theme via the pedals through to a textural and dynamic climax.

Ultimately Hancock's recital was thoughtful and expertly delivered. His experience not just as a performer of the organ but also as an academic was evident in his well-rounded technique and considerate approach to each piece, balancing virtuosic passages with an acute loyalty to the composer's inten-

tion. As Evgeny Kissin once suggested of Sviatoslav Richter that “(he did not employ) virtuosity for the sake of virtuosity” (Art of Piano - Great Pianists of the 20th Century [2000]), so too do I believe that this can be used to describe Hancock's approach to performance as he allowed the personality of each piece to project itself, refraining from succumbing to the tendencies of many performers to exercise too much discretion in interpretation and to allow their own idiosyncrasies to dominate the music. I have now been left with the impression that the organ's reputation as a breathless monster, as Stravinsky suggested, is only partly accurate. As an instrument that requires an ability to multi-task, it is immensely difficult to master which can often trick the inexperienced performer into producing an asphyxiating and almost mechanical sound. With an experienced performer however, as Hancock has demonstrated himself to be, the musical passages can be articulated with clarity so that the organ can be made not only to breathe, but also to sing. The only disappointing aspect of this recital was the near-vacant church nave, but fortunately there still remains another opportunity in which to observe this monster in action with the next organ recital scheduled to take place on Friday 28th November at 1.15pm.

EDEN HOWARD

Photo credits: Flickr [Duncan]

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

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ART

SKETCHES BY VISUAL ARTS EDITORS JADE JACKMAN AND MARYAM AKRAM PartB WELCOMES ORIGINAL ARTWORKS FROM LSE STUDENTS TO BE FEATURED IN THE PAPER. PLEASE EMAIL IMAGES TO PARTB@THEBEAVERONLINE.CO.UK

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

FILM

REVIEW: INTERSTELLAR

"Whether this film will win lots of awards and possibly give Nolan his first Oscar is unclear, however any film that endeavours to combine such cerebral themes with breath-taking visuals should be applauded."

C

HRISTOPHER Nolan's latest blockbuster is an ambitious attempt to engage a mainstream audience with a story that explores our place in the cosmos, the human instinct for survival and some pretty lofty theoretical physics.

The film begins in a particularly bleak (although not unrealistic) vision of the future, where environmental recklessness on earth has resulted in a planet unsuitable for human habitation. All available resources, including the intellectual curiosity of chil-

dren, are to be allocated towards the harvesting of enough corn to feed the dwindling population for the immediate future.

This is to the dissatisfaction of Cooper (Mathew McConaughey), an ex-astronaut turned second-rate farmer, who laments "we used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt". The first quarter of the film is spent on earth following Cooper and his family as they try and meet the needs of everyday life. However waiting around as the earth’s environment gradually deteriorates

is not his nor his daughter’s, (“Murph”, who is played by Jessica Chastain as she becomes a woman), idea of living. Hence after a seemingly accidental meeting with NASA and an emotional goodbye with his children, the film quickly leaves the barren and desolate earth as Cooper is sent on a mission through wormholes and across galaxies in a search for planets that will sustain himself, his family, and the rest of humanity.

It is apparent from the outset that Cooper’s primary motivation for going on the mission is to secure a future for his children.

This intensifies the drama of his mission as due to relativity hours on these distant planets equate to years back on earth.

If he and his team of scientists don’t act quickly enough there may be no one left to save. The relationship between McConaughey’s character and his children, particularly his daughter who becomes vital to the mission, adds something to this film that other Nolan pictures lack. That being real human drama!

In a lot of Nolan's previous films the characters become nothing more than an outlet for philosophical subtext or narration of often complex plots. For example when Inception ended abruptly asking the question was Leonardo DiCaprio still in a dream, there had been so little character development I couldn’t care less where he was. Many of the characters in Interstellar also fit this description (the scientists aboard the ship, even Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, seem to be there solely to explain the relevant physics to the audience), yet there is enough between Cooper and his daughter to make you invest emotionally in his attempts to find a suitable planet and return home to his family.

One area that Interstellar bares the unmistakeable marks of a Christopher Nolan blockbuster is the spectacle. Head down to the Leicester Square Odeon and see this film in 70mm IMAX if you want the full experience. The journey the ship takes through the cosmos, the extreme conditions found on the alien planets, and the theatrical action sequences can't be fully appreciated if watched via a dodgy stream on your laptop.

Hans Zimmer's score is also just as impressive as Nolan's visuals. The loud organs that preside over large parts of the film have been criticised for drowning out dialogue, however they also perfectly reflect the foreboding and cold universe that the team are faced with. As the mission advances the universe seems at worst malevolent and at best callously apathetic. There is also a thought-provoking cameo from Matt Damon who takes drastic measures to survive that will interest evolutionary biologists as much as the scenes involving black holes will interest physicists.

The science underpinning the film has come under some scrutiny. Anyone who has Neil DeGrasse Tyson on twitter will have seen him pointing to aspects of the film that make no sense to someone with a PhD in astrophysics. However there seems to be nothing central to the plot that is based on pseudo-science, and Nolan uses his artistic license mainly in areas where there is no scientific consensus. It may also put your mind at ease to know that the Nolan brothers did consult a well renowned physics professor when writing the screenplay, and even if some of the science isn’t strictly empirically correct, this is a Hollywood produced film that will introduce millions of people to high end scientific theory as well as the possibilities of inter-planetary space travel. That has to be a good thing.

Interstellar may be Christopher Nolan’s finest big budget movie to date. In addition to the well written screenplay and masterful directing, the acting is exactly what you would expect from such a distinguished cast. Michael Caine (who plays the head theorist at NASA) and Anne Hathaway are solid. Mackenzie Foy, who plays Murph as a child, and Jessica Chastain both turn in great performances. As for McConaughey, he is brilliant although recently everything he does is so it’s barely worth mentioning. Whether this film will win lots of awards and possibly give Nolan his first Oscar is unclear, however any film that endeavours to combine such cerebral themes with breath-taking visuals should be applauded. Yet above all that, this is a film about the relationship between a father and daughter, and to what extent people will go to save the ones they love. In the end it is this human drama that sets Interstellar apart from Nolan’s previous blockbusters.

JOE WALTERS

Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

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Tuesday November 18, 2014

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FILM/FASHION

REVIEW: THE YOUTH THE 9

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ANNUAL LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL

"Hauntingly beautiful, this omnibus film encapsulates the dark struggles of young adults. Contrary to the lightness of its title, the film brings the viewers on a journey in which four different groups of young people face the heavy burden of the future and social confinements in a reality that resonates with youths all over the world." 4/5 STARS

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outh Korea's film industry has been growing exponentially along with the international reach of Korean pop music (K-Pop), and the Annual London Korean Film Festival (KFF) is the perfect opportunity to experience Korean cinema at its best. This year's festival, which was held from the 6th15th of November in London, featured a star-studded programme with appearances from big names such as Donghae and Eunhyuk from the famous K-Pop group Super Junior and actor Gang Dong-won (Kundo: Age of the Rampant).

Going into the cinema, I confess that I had not done any prior research into the film as I was going to watch it regardless, being a fan of the K-Pop idol actors in the film. I was pleasantly surprised by the plots of the four shorts, each showcasing the dark side of growing up with intense storytelling and brilliant performances by the actors. The movie is paced nicely, with a touch of lightheartedness and dark humour in the midst of haunting stories making you think twice about yourself and your relationship with people around you.

tions quickly into an intensely suspenseful short Enemies All Around (Sesange Miteul Nom Udda) about three strangers working together to rob a bank.

The tinge of dark humour in the short prepares the viewers for the darkest short - Play Girl (Peulrei Gul) - where a group of high school girls set out to hunt down fellow classmates on the 'Bitch List' set by their leader and cast judgement upon them with violence.

I would say that out of the four shorts, I had enjoyed Wonderwall the most. As a penultimate year law student, I can related to the two main characters and their reluctance to join the military. The weight of the future and the amount of work we need to do to secure it is daunting, and the youths' adventure in the short gives me motivation to push on and do whatever needs to be done.

The cinematography is fantastic, showcasing the beautiful local scenery in South Korea, while maintaining the dark undertones of the film. The use of different angles and the pace of editing contributed effectively to the crafting of atmosphere, especially in Enemies All Around. The generous use of vulgar phrases in the dialogue adds to the raw performance by the actors and actresses, resonating with the reality of youths nowadays.

The only criticism I have is that Play Girl's plot is rather rushed, and it was quite difficult to understand what the short was trying to convey underneath the violence, which is why I held back on the 5th star.

I would definitely recommend checking this movie out, you will not be disappointed!

VIKKI HUI

The film begins with Rumour (Somoon), a short about a newly elected Student Body President haunted by a malicious rumour and his struggle to cope with it. Rumour is then followed

by Wonderwall (Hoonryunso Ganeun Gil), a short about two youths facing their imminent military conscription and how they came to terms with it.

Wonderwall's lightheartedness transiPhoto credits: M-line Distribution

THE POLITICS OF FASHION

M

DMA fuelled visions of neon lights and sporadic electronic dance music vibes followed by a hedonistic concoction of colour, dimension and texture. A backdrop simplistically reminiscent of the trippy Goan beach raves of legend reflective of a fought for liberal lifestyle; this was the scene set by Manish Arora at the French Embassy in New Delhi. The show to follow will leave you in awe.

Some say India Couture Week parallels a level of creative skill otherwise found only in Paris. The works of the Indian masters like Sabyasachi, Monica Jaising and Varun Bahl are unmistakably skilled. Their intricacies of work reflect a depth of ancient Indian artistic skill second to none the world over.

However, there is one couturier who outdoes the world.

Alas, the Paris & Delhi based couture does not yet compete with the work of this man in particular. Seduction by a luxurious colour palette incomparable to anything you’ve seen before. An

FEMINIST COUTURE ON ECSTASY intensely decadent sense of design and proportions. One wonders which mind altering substances man must take to reach such levels of creation.

Incomparable to the work of anyone who has gone before, Manish Arora takes the world of Indian fashion and global couture to another level of indulgence. Arora’s work not only reflects the freedom of his mind, but also the liberation of women, the liberation of beauty.

He says “What the f*ck, let’s just do it!” when speaking of letting go of being safe for his Indian audience. This year “not a single woman was wearing a scarf or a dupatta”, he explains that a woman has no need to cover her head or her face; if a man doesn’t then why should a woman? Why should a woman be aware of people looking at her? Breaking down the societal boundaries of overbearing traditional Indian modesty, Arora went so far as to send bare chests down the runway. Given the chance he says he’d have sent the models out completely bare breasted.

Let’s just ground this prose for a moment. Let us remember that Arora

has studied and been brought up in India, a country where even today in the 21st century, the suppression of women is hugely problematic. Arora goes on to say Indian women should be louder, there is no need to feel shy and embarrassed about female beauty “because if they do, then men should do the same”.

This is couture so bold and empowering it envelopes you on a journey of pure sensual indulgence. A collection embodying the strength that femininity can so easily incur. This collection epitomises the level of confidence the new age Indian woman must grasp in order to succeed. This collection is unmistakably pushing traditional boundaries, yet undeniably it remains Indian.

SANYA-JEET THANDI

Photo credit: Vogue India

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17

Tuesday November 18, 2014

FOOD

Deliveroo:

Takeaways Made Premium

A bit of history: When William Shu, one of Deliveroo’s founders, moved from New York to Canary Wharf, he was in for a rude shock. Back in New York, Shu could order nearly anything he wanted, while slugging it out way past dinner time in the offices of Morgan Stanley. In Canary Wharf, he was reduced to living on Burger King. From the dissatisfaction of too many burger dinners, dreaming of better stuff, the Deliveroo was born.

How it works: Enter your postcode and choose your delivery time. Because Deliveroo is selective about which restaurants it partners, you’re not inundated with 500+ listings of every eatery in London. Even if you live in Central London, you get a carefully curated list of 50-70 choices, and a diverse mix of cuisines.

Photo from Rentmycoolvan Twitter

C

ity hopefuls and all you workaholics, listen up! There’s a newer food service in town that’s catering to all those who need takeaways but want better than takeout food.

Clicking on one presents you with a neat and well organized menu, beautifully designed. If you’re the type who loves perusing menus, Deliveroo’s shows that you can order online without losing that joy.

If you need to change delivery time, location, it’s easily done in a second, without having to choose your restaurant again.

Launched in February last year, Deliveroo is a premium takeout platform that intends to make happier those days when you can’t spare a minute but don’t.want.no.more.takeout.fare. They take “premium” very seriously, so you won’t find the likes of your corner kebab shop on offer (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but instead restaurants you wouldn’t hesitate to take a date to.

When you’ve loaded up your food basket, checkout is quick and simple, after paying card and delivery fees (£0.50 and £2.00). If you’re feeling generous, you can add a tip for the driver too.

Why Deliveroo is different: 1. Deliveroo actually delivers... not the restaurants.

In line with the provision of providing premium service, they decided to take responsibility over deliveries, to ensure that food gets to you on time, and consistently so. To this end, they have built their own delivery and logistics service, allowing them to train their drivers and maintain quality control, evident in the fact that the average delivery time is 8 minutes. This is where your £2.50 goes to, and if you need that food on time, and you need it to be premium food, it probably is a reasonable deal.

2. Deliveroo’s partners are higher end restaurants that typically don’t deliver.

So if you’re craving something from your favourite restaurant but chained to your desk, check out Deliveroo, where it

the company’s full-suite service.

Most high-end restaurants tend not to deliver except for catering agreements, so we feel that Deliveroo really does bring something new to the takeout table. Some of its partners are names you wouldn’t ever have connected with delivery service: Brindisa, Cay Tre, Busaba Eathai, GBK. Rossopomodoro, Bea’s of Bloomsbury (yes, premium dessert takeout!)…

3. You can order for the next day.

Saving you time and anxiety!

If you, you know, tend to be forgetful.

What could be improved: 1. Delivery Range.

Deliveroo does pride itself on quick speed and being local, but I once found myself 0.12 miles out of range of a favourite restaurant. After spending 30 minutes on Google maps trying to figure out which street behind my house had a public postcode I could use to place my order, I gave up and tried something else.

Deliveroo does mention that it’s working on that, so I’m hopeful that I won’t have to resort to us-

postcode to place my order and waiting sheepishly on the sidewalk.

Test Drive Brindisa on a rainy day & with roads closed.

Two Fridays ago, with the Mayor’s Parade and pyromaniac loving crowds taking to the streets of London, the roads for closed for a while.

I placed an order for Brindisa’s Shoreditch location using Deliveroo for two, and my friend commented that we could’ve taken the bus or walked. 15 minutes later he had a change of heart and was very grateful that we’d not done so as it began to pour. (And he’d worked out the math that £2.50 is less than a round trip on the bus for a single person.)

Despite the rain and pent-up traffic from the earlier road closure, our deliveryman arrived right on time and handed over a still hot bag from which wafted out the most delicious smells.

Marcona almonds, Jamon de Iberico Bellota, Grilled Iberico Pork Loin and Galician style Octopus, as good as having tapas at Brindisa itself, with literally no hassle at all.

Two thumbs up! https://deliveroo.co.uk Available in Central London & most other areas.

may have taken advantage of

ing an unsuspecting

eighbor’s

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Photo credit: Flickr lubats

SHAFTED!!

PROF KELLY IN LIFT ORDEAL The Beaver has conducted an exclusive interview with two of the nine students who were stuck in an Old Building lift after Professor Paul Kelly forced his way in despite it being at capacity. It subsequently got stuck for half an hour between floors two and three.

danger, the pair said:

The pair said discussion in the trapped lift did turn to intimacy, but “Paul was very nervous and sweat- conversations about stripping off ing profusely.” He later got out a were strictly “practical” Joe clarihandkerchief to dab his forehead. fied.

As the reality of the situation set in, the students said “Professor Kelly Professor Kelly was worried he was pussyfooting around not taking would be chopped in half if he was control, someone had to say press forced to climb between floors and First years Joe Vera Sanso and Sa- the alarm button mate.” the lift started moving reported Sarah Foss recounted the tale, and put rah. the blame firmly at Paul’s feet.

With ten people in the lift, things quickly got steamy. “People were If things had taken a turn for the “It was his fault, he was the last stripping off” said Joe, “It was al- worse, conversation in the lift one in” said Joe, with Sarah adding most exactly like Zoo Bwar with the quickly turned to who would be eat“Paul risked it, risked it and half- lights on” en first. Both Joe and Sarah agreed way between floors 2 and 3 the lift Paul would not have been on the stopped.”

“The mirror steamed up but he kept menu, stating: “He was sweaty, he his jacket on.” added Sarah. had effectively steamed himself so Asked about Paul’s reaction to the I wouldn’t have eaten him.”

The mood in the lift was apparently jovial, with Professor Kelly not once mentioning his educational reforms. Apparently there was a friendly camaraderie during the sticky situation, “in terms of trapped lift etiquette, he was exemplary” added Joe. Clearly not wishing to take responsibility for breaking the lift, Kelly “scarpered” as soon as the group was released.

Both students looked fondly upon the situation, with Joe saying “You’d have to pay a lot of money to have that level of intimacy with Paul” and they remain big fans of the ProDirector for Teaching and Learning.

LIFT LECTURES: PROFESSOR KELLY’S NEW COURSE

PLATO

In his famous ‘Allegory of the Lift’, Plato describes mankind, trapped in a lift, seeing only shadows. I escaped from the lift to see the perfect form of the Old Building.

But remember, “It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend in the lift but to be willing to descend”

HOBBES

Life in the state of the lift is ‘nasty, brutish and short’ and ‘a war of all against all’. This is why those trapped in the lift compact together, quite literally, in order to escape.

MACHIAVELLI

“If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”

This lesson serves us well in the lift, where the prince must use all his cunning to protect himself. After all, lift politics is strictly amoral when it comes to self-preservation.

MARX

“The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: Abolish all lifts.” For Marx, the lift is a symbol of bourgeois capitalism, representing how some climb at the expense of the others.

Tuesday November 18, 2014

Society Listings LSESU WOMEN IN BUSINESS SOCIETY CMB Image Workshop: “Is your amazing personal brand in all the right places?”

Date: Tuesday 18th November, Time: 18:00 - 20:00 Venue: KSW 1.04 LSESU WiB hare holding the second CMB Image Workshop: Workshop 2 “Is your amazing personal brand in all the right places”, hosted by the great Dr Mandy Lehto. She is an Executive Coach and a Corporate Image Consultant who helps people to optimise their presence and professional appearance - and hence their careers. Dr Mandy believes that the core of strong personal presence is authenticity. Her unique combination of senior corporate experience, coaching and image skills give her clients access to powerful bespoke tools to identify and exude their best possible selves.Before launching her own company in 2008, Mandy was a Director at an international investment bank in London. She has a PhD from Cambridge University, and took her coaching qualification at Performance Coach Training. She is an award-winning Corporate Image Advisor with CMB Image, the corporate wing of Colour Me Beautiful, Europe’s leading Image Consultancy.

This workshop will cover points like: Social branding consistency Executive Presence Networking Etiquette

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LSESU DRAMA SOCIETY Script by: Charlotte Hussey 24 Hour show: For the first time ever, the Drama society will be collaborating with RAG to write, produce,direct and perfom a play in 24 hours! The fun will all start on Friday 28th November (Week 8) with an opening ceremony in the Tuns.The writers will work through the night and then meet with the cast and crew early on Saturday morning,and then everyone will work together to bring the show to life.The performance will be on the Saturday evening, and the whole time we will be raising money for a great cause! If this sounds like your cup of tea and you would like to be involved, we will be holding an information session on Thursday 27th November in CLM B.05. We will be looking for actors, stage hands, writers, costume and prop coordinators and a tech team, so there are plenty of ways you can get involved!

LSE Sketch: For all comedy lovers, please come along to the meeting for the chance to be involved in a writing/acting comedy group. We’ll write and perform comedy of all types, impressions, sketches, satire etc. As well as recording sketches throughout the year with LSESU LooSE TV and lending our talents to a variety of on and off campus oppurtunities. We’ll also be preparing for a live show in Lent Term. If you are interested, come along, and if you have around 2 minutes of material, all the better! (sketch, stand up or whatever you are passionate about!). If you would rather only act or write for the group, just email Michael McHardy at M.Mchardy@lse.ac.uk Scene. Exit, pursued by a bear

To register for the first workshop, fill out the google form: http://goo. gl/forms/ltb0B2vvSm

LSESU STUDENT CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT SOCIETY This Wednesday (19th) at 5.40 the Student Christian Movement Society are having a comedy night called stand up (stand up for Jesus!) In the Faith centre . It is free entry and should be a lot of fun. The event will be open to everyone and no attempts will be made to convert people.

Bentley Browning, who has been on Channel 4 and ITV is coming and he runs stand up comedy courses for vicars, so he will be bringing some of his comedy priests as well!

Meanwhile, next week the SCM have teamed up with the LGBT+ society to put on a panel on LGBT and faith for pride week which should be a really nice celebratory event which again is open to everyone. More details in next week’s Beaver!

LSESU ITALIAN SOCIETY: The Italian Society is delighted to invite you next week, Friday 21 November at 2.30pm in CLM 4.02, to the first event of its new panel discussion series: Situation Room Italia Chapter I: Reforms and Macroeconomic Performance with Alberto Gallo, Head of European Macro Credit Research Markets at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Fabrizio Pagani, Head of the Office of Italy’s Minister of Finance chaired by LSE Professor Francesco Caselli

MUSTARD SEED PITCH SECURE UP TO £500,000 FOR YOUR START UP: Mustard Seed Fast-Pitching Event Do you run a start-up or early growth stage company?

Can you demonstrate your commitment to delivering lasting social or environmental impact?

If so,we want to hearfrom you! Angel investors AlexPitt andHenry Wigan of MustardSeedare returningtoLSEonNovember28th tofindthebestSocialEntrepreneurstheUniversityhastooffer.

ABOUT MUSTARD SEED: Alex Pitt and Henry Wigan met at LSE,worked together in investment banking at Goldman Sachs,and founded Mustard Seed in 2013. Mustard Seed aims to make up to 20 investments annually. Mustard Seed’s target hold period is 3-5 years or longer,though they may retain a strategic interest in some companies over a longer period.

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN- To apply to pitch to the panel visit: http ://www . mustardseedimpact . com/forms/lse-Sub/

Tuesday 18th Nov: Operation Liberation: Homophobia at LSE, 4PM, CLM4.02 Wednesday 19th Nov: Pride Zoo Bar NEXT WEEK IN THE BEAVER: PRIDE WEEK SPECIAL EDITION!

The City

Tuesday November 18, 2014

Section Editorial:

Section Editor: Julia Wacket city@thebeaveronline.co.uk

THIS WEEK THE CITY section is analysing three recently struggling American companies and how they can bring back their old success stories. A helpful exercise, since most of the time we can learn more from our failures than from our successes. Not only managers, also country leaders seem to have learnt this lesson last week. Both the Asia-Pacific and the G20 leaders convened to find measures to revive growth. China and the US for instance, after years of playing a game of chicken, finally struck a historic climate change deal in Beijing. G20 heads of state set out plans to reduce tax evasion and money laundering after the revelations about the Luxembourg leaks. Only one man seems not to like looking at failures: capital flight, a fall in currency and oil prices, sanctions. Mr Putin however decided to leave the G20 summit early. The reason why? Controversial political leaders need to catch up on sleep too before going back to work on Monday.

The City

Julia Wacket

Features: Sport: Ebola: Double spead Women’s Rugby Pages 26-27 Page 31

Fast Food, Slow Sales Perdita Blinkhorn City Correspondent READERS MAY KNOW THAT familiar, internal battle that occurs every time I walk past a McDonalds, pushing myself not to fall for their endlessly unhealthy, but oh so delicious meat and two buns. Thankfully for me I am often surprisingly successful, but this going health mentality may be part of the reason for the decline in the last quarter’s sales for industry giants McDonalds and Coca Cola.

It’s seems McDonalds is faring the worse of the two, as it reported a 30% fall in profits, despite making $1.07bn. Don Thompson, the CEO of the chain explained the company’s disappointment: “By all measures, our performance fell short of our expectations.” Fearing a paradigm shift in attitude away from unhealthy fast food, the super-chain did make attempts to introduce healthier alternatives and sides, such as salads and wraps; however, this seems to have only resulted in a more complicated menu that slows down service times. It has also been

suggested that consumers are not only looking for healthier options, but also better quality as we see a growth in so called “fast casual” restaurants, such the Mexican chain Chipotle.

This is not the end of good ol’ MaccyDs’ woes however. Recently a scandal in Russia, Germany and China has seriously impacted on their revenues, particularly from Asia. It transpired that the chain’s meat supplier has delivered out of date products to many of these country’s branches, potentially permanently damaging consumer trust in the brand. Some of their busiest restaurants in Russia have also been closed in what Guardian journalist Katherine Rushton described as “ a symbolic attack against the US.” All the controversy and competition, in conjunction with some higher tax bills for McDonalds contributed to their losses.

Comparatively, Coca Cola’s earnings fell by only 14%, with analysis suggesting that part of this could be due to changes in currency, notable the ever-strengthening dollar. However, there was a clear 1% decline in sales, which, like McDon-

alds, is likely to have something to do with more conscientious consumerism and healthier alternatives than the sugar filled fizz they are famous for producing. Readers will have noticed the company’s attempts to push the 82 out of 145 lower sugar, introducing fewer calorie drinks in Europe, such as Coke Zero and the mysteriously branded Coke Life. Even these products may be causing concern to aware shoppers, as they become increasingly alert about the types of sweeteners used in such artificially tasty drinks.

Coca Cola does seem to at least be publically acknowledging that 9 spoonfuls of sugar per can may not be in their best interests of public health, as they last year released an advert entitled “Coming Together” that addressed the problems of obesity. It emphasised its role in encouraging community sporting activities and the consumer’s role in taking in a balanced diet.

A significant part of the decline seems to be due to business deals. In August Coca Cola bought over 16% shares in Monster Beverage, an energy drink brand. The deal included a swap, whereby Monster took on

Coca Cola’s lesser known energy drink line while handing over their own non-energy drink products, such as Hubert’s Lemonade. This deal cost Coca Cola $2.15bn. The question is, will it be worth it given their flat lining revenues?

The company is trying to tackle their financial problems by implementing cost cutting procedures,

Photo credits: McDonalds trademark and Twitter Inc.

23

hoping to save $3bn in annual costs by 2019, a step up from the procedure they had already planned on implementing. Despite this Coca Cola saw a global increase in sales on 1%, so perhaps there is hope for everyone’s go-to beverage company. Time will tell if McDonalds and Coca Cola will manage to open happiness and start lovin’ it again soon.

Happy Birthday, Twitter Julia Wacket City Editor BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERsaries are always a good time to reflect on past successes and failures.

On the November 7th, the social networking giant Twitter had time to do this, as it celebrated its first year anniversary as a public company. At its launch one year ago, its stock jumped 73 per cent and opened at $45.10 on its first trading day, ushering a new wave of consumer tech public offerings. However, one year later the picture does not look as rosy. New users are coming to the site very slowly, revenue is growing, but so are losses. Resignation and leadership issues have worried investors. Last week Twitter CEO Dick Costolo tried to reduce these worries by laying out his vision of Twitter’s future: “Our ambition is to have the largest audience in the world”. But will he be able to do so?

Since its founding in 2006, Twitter has emerged as one of the leading social networking platforms. It has around 500 million users worldwide who tweet their 140 character long messages out to the world.

Similar to other social-networking sites it earns money through digital advertising and through licensing its

data. Overall, the micro-blogging site has quadrupled its revenue since 2012, expecting $1.4 billion this year and is valued at a high of $25 billion. Twitter has also played a big role during political revolutions like the Arab Spring and generated high user growth during big events, such as the World Cup, the Super Bowl or the Grammys. One only has to think of Ellen Degeneres’ celebrity Oscar selfie, which was retweeted more than 3.3 million times. When it comes to major social or news events, Twitter has become the main force. Commercially, however, it is still lagging behind.

The company still remains unprofitable, which is unlikely to change until 2017. User growth is slow and revenues are increasing at a slow pace. One of the reasons for this is that Twitter gives stockbased compensation to its managers, which come to 45 per cent of its rev-

enue; a big sum compared to the 15 per cent that Facebook gives. In an age where everyone wants to work for Google or new start-ups this is Twitters’ way of keeping its top employees.

Despite these high compensations however, the Twitter executive was riddled with management troubles over the last year. Five of Costolo’s executive managers, such as his chief operating officer, his chief financial officer or his product head left, the company since its IPO. The leadership problems have worried investors, who fear that the Twitter executive does not know where it is going. Twitter will therefore need more promising strategies, to keep its employees, but also to keep its users.

Facebook, for instance, has over four times as many monthly active users as Twitter and it is still the dominant force in digital advertising. It has more precise targeting capabilities due to the masses of demographic data that it collects and is more user-friendly. Twitter on the other hand can be hard to understand for new users. It takes time to learn how to follow other users or how to set up your own page. Content is ordered chronologically, not selected for you through algorithms like on the Facebook newsfeed.

Realising these problems, Cos-

tolo and his team have presented a new strategy outlook last Wednesday. They will introduce a private direct messaging style similiar to Whatsapp and Snapchat, in appphoto and video options and launch more independent apps. Most importantly, they will try to widen Twitter’s user base, by integrating the 500 million users, who visit Twitter every month, but who never sign up.

They will try to do so by making it easier to find posts in Google searches and by presenting more content recommendations to logged-out users. Costolo also promised to make it easier for users to sign up to Twitter, providing specific instructions and creating an ‘instant timeline’ for users when they first sign up.

If Twitter manages to pursue these strategies successfully and gets its management turmoil under control, the future of the social media platform should look bright again.

However, all these things, privatemessaging function, separate apps, instant-timeline sound a lot like what Facebook is doing. It seems that for Twitter to become more successful, it has to become more like Facebook.

Time will tell whether users will like that idea. Investors seem to do so already- after Costolo’s announcement on Wednesday share prices picked up 7.5 per cent to $42.52.

Features

Tuesday November 18, 2014

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Congratulations to my new co-Features Editor. I have a decent idea of who this might be, but at the time of writing we do not have the final results.

With articles this week on British culture and nationalism, Ebola and UKIP, I might as well take this opportunity to editorialise a little (while I still can, because my incoming co-editor - should he not be pipped by RON - is a raving Thatcherite): Great Britain’s role on the international stage is in jeopardy. UKIP’s forward march and the renaissance of British right-wing nationalism in recent years, combined with the failure of the Iraq War and parliament’s vote against intervention in Syria have all contributed to this. However, I happen to think, despicable Blairite that I am, that Britain still has a role to play in leading the world and in improving lives beyond our own borders. We need a strong voice that will defend Britain’s foreign aid spending and our membership of the EU. And when another opportunity comes along to prove that not all military interventions end in failure, we should take it.

Finally, the obligatory grovelling for articles. Next week is Pride Week and we want your articles about LGBT+ people all around the world. Send us stuff !

Liam Hill

The Crisis of British Identity:

Features

Section editorial:

Section Editors: Liam Hill features@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Deputy Section Editors: George Greenwood, George Harrison and Taryana Odayar tweet @beaveronline

On Nationality, Culture and Religion Zwan Mahmod First year undergraduate DESPITE CONSTANT DEBATES on the topic, no one seems to be able to it figure out: what is British identity? One suggestion seems to be largely associated with English nationalism and as a result many minorities, racial and religious, distance themselves from the term British.

We can broadly define Britishness as a belief in democracy, the freedom of the individual and the rule of law. There are, of course, additions which can be made, and individual views of what being British means at a social level, whether that be humour, literature, history. Yet the three concepts I’ve identified are arguably the foundations for being British. Most people believe in these concepts or principles yet when associated with ethnic minorities, the term British is dispensed with.

Have you noticed, that when asked "Where do you come from?" the questioner is not referring to the city or area you’re from, but rather your country of birth or the country your parents or grandparents came from. You can always notice this with the emphasis (if you've misunderstood the initial question) "No, where do you come from originally?". Your racial identity, as opposed to your political one, is seemingly more important. This is by no means a malicious question and is very ordinarily asked.

But why do people insist on asking where you come from, rather than assuming you're British?

A contrasting example is the United States where race is irrelevant to citizenship. The US has greater social and economic problems than the UK and has had a bloodier racial history but who now imagines Americans as exclusively white? It doesn't seem difficult for racial minorities in the US to call themselves Americans. In part it’s due to time. The US has had a two hundred year head start and generations of both violent and peaceful struggles has meant racial minorities have integrated successfully as

“Americans". Unfortunately this has not happened in the UK and time is not the only reason.

Britain seems content to have minorities but averse to integrating them, as if any such attempt would be racist or culturally insensitive.

However some are decidedly non-British. This group are a minority but do exist. They would prefer a theocracy in place of our current system. The teachings of their holy books are superior to man made laws, there-

where Christians or the West in general were waging war and the Ummah needed to unite in defence. With this is mind, Muslims in Britain have found it difficult to reconcile being ‘British’ with Muslim and often the latter is strongly and even violently chosen.

The majority of Muslims, though, if asked, believe in the right to vote, freedom of speech and economic freedom, yet they do not call themselves British.

They live here, work here and

ever, where there is a contradiction a decision is needed, meaning where being British is not compatible with the traditional practices, the individual in question needs to decide what they believe and how they will identify themselves. The question may be asked why does it matter what people call themselves as long as they abide by the law and don't cause trouble?

Aside from the political problems identified with the radicalisation of some young Muslims,

were educated in Britain, yet they are not British, odd isn’t it? Culture influences this mindset. It is not uncommon to hear someone being called ‘Westernised’ by friends or family members for expressing views or acting in ways which diverge from the traditional teachings of the ethnic group. The older generations are keen, understandably, to retain their culture and pass this on to their children. Yet where no contradiction exists none should be sought. Being British does not mean someone cannot respect and celebrate their cultural or religious traditions.

As implied by the initial definition of Britishness, diversity is encouraged and accepted. How-

there are social problems. This is seen in groups congregating and keeping to themselves. A sort of self imposed social segregation.

Despite celebrations of multiracialism and multiculturalism, this too often means separate groupings based on race or religion and is not something to be venerated.

This further fragments the idea of a British identity as one sign of true integration is when diverse communities can live together comfortably. It is up to those who have a conflicting identity to reflect on what they believe rather than simply where they came from and to decide what is worth having and keeping.

Photo credit: Flikr: Roberto Trm

fore it is only logical for them to distance themselves, explicitly so, from the term British. BBC Panorama released a programmed in 2009 called Muslim First British Second. It explored the issue of conflicting identities. The people spoken to were either indifferent or actively hostile to British values. Anjem Choudary, the preacher, was heard saying they would overthrow the British government.

This is the most extreme form of anti-Britishness and certainly not the mainstream but the question is why are such views held?

A significant influence are the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

To many, it was a war against Islam. A repeat of the crusades

Get in touch with your articles and your ideas by emailing features@thebeaveronline.co.uk We are always interested in publishing your analysis, essays and interviews.

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Features

Tuesday November 18, 2014

Interview with Bill McKibben:

Letters to “What does the Rockerfeller family, Desmond Tutu, and the Editor the Governor of the Bank of England have in common? Faulty assumptions They all believe we should divest from fossil fuels.” about the ‘Falklands’ BILL MCKIBBEN, AUTHOR, professor, journalist and environmentalist, is one of the most influential climate campaigners of this time. As founder of the anti-carbon campaign group 350.org and New York City’s 2014 People’s Climate March, Mr. McKibben has coordinated several climate campaigns across the United States and now world-wide. Mr. McKibben briefly sat down with the Beaver before he spoke at LSE to deliver his lecture on “fossil fuel divestment, global activism and why we have no time to waste.”

In 1987 LSE students occupied the School’s main administration building to protest the university’s investments from companies profiting from the apartheid in South Africa. The sit-in lasted until the Court of Governors agreed to withdraw its investments of nearly £1.7 million from transnational companies operating and profiting from South Africa at the time. Do you think it will take something as drastic as this to have action taken?

In a reasonable world, with reasonable political systems, such action would never have to be taken. We shouldn’t have to go to such extremes. However, because your school is still investing, we have to step up the pressure. Universities are where we found out about climate change in the first place and it’s absurd that they continue to invest in what is creating the problem.

So protests and sit-ins are necessary?

Yes. I’ve chained myself to a few fences over time. I always say, for every 5 protests you go to, you should spend at least 1 night in jail. The case of fossil fuels is exactly the same as South Africa, they have the same players, with movements taking place in the same places. And both enterprises were undeniably in the wrong.

If divestment is as necessary and serious a cause as you suggest, why do you think more people aren’t

down to consciousness and moral reasoning.

The main reason why we are not acting rationally and divesting is because of the sheer power of the fossil fuel industry.

What advice do you have for the LSE Divest Movement and students interested in supporting divestment?

With the international focus of the LSE’s student body, you need to remind people of the traumas occurring around the

LSE Divest facts Bill McKibben fails to Divest the Beaver. Credit: Sophie Donszlemann.

Sophie Donszlemann Third year undergraduate

engaging with the campaign?

We really can’t underestimate the power of the fossil fuel industry. These are companies that have more money than anyone else.

So, we have to work to build movements big enough to matter and it’s a good sign that we had 40,000 people protesting [at the People’s Climate March] in New York this year.

There is nothing radical about this movement. If any-

Fossil Free requests that LSE divests from the 200 most publicly traded fossil fuel companies.

The Fossil Free movement is responsible for an estimated $50bn of divestment so far.

In October, Glasgow university became Europe’s first university to divest from fossil fuels.

350.org estimates that we are currently emitting 5 times the “safe” amount of carbon dioxide.

The Rockerfeller divestment was to the value of £37m.

Fossil Free states that the Divestment sign-up rate has doubled in 2014.

thing it is deeply conservative; we’re saying that we’d like to live in the world that we’ve had for the past 10,000 years. It comes

world that are caused by the companies we are investing in.

Hurricanes in the Philippines, droughts in Sao Paulo; these ef-

fects can be felt across the world.

Your goal is to publicly embarrass your university administration as they should be embarrassed. Even the Rockefellers have divested. [In September of this year the heirs of one of the world’s largest fortunes, the Rockefeller Family Fund, divested over £31 from assets in fossil fuels.] There is no engaging with these companies to change them, they are holding companies for exploitation.

The endowment of Harvard is $32 billion, greater than the GDP of Jordan and several other small countries combined. The endowment of LSE is much smaller.

Does that make it easier for us to divest?

It is much easier to divest with small endowments. However, at the end of the day, it is just symbolic. It is clear that these companies won’t make significant changes in their operations. You may not be able to change the way these companies operate, but you can certainly take a stance and tell them what they’re doing is wrong.

So how do we get a Divest campaign off the ground at LSE? Get the real message out there: ‘What does the Rockefeller Family, Desmond Tutu and the Governor of the Bank of England have in common? They all believe we should divest from fossil fuels.’

Even Ban Ki Moon has urged pension funds to divest.

What is wrong with the LSE that it is so radically in the grasp of the fossil fuel industry that they can’t even divest when so many others have?

This campaign needs to stress universities that have successfully divested, such as Stanford [University]which has divested from coal, gas and oil. Stanford is a good example and starting place. If enough elite schools start doing it, then it might be less scary.

It is once in a generation that this kind of full on campaign works.

Even if you are not succeeding, if the university does not listen to you and continues to invest in fossil fuels, it is the fight, it is getting the word out that matters. And this Divest movement is just the right vehicle for doing that.

Paul Whitehouse LSE Library DEAR SIR, I am member of staff at LSE and I take issue with your correspondent’s partial view regards the sovereignty of the ‘Falkland Islands’. He presumes UK citizens support its government’s position.

I do not. John Strong’s landing on the islands in 1690, mentioned in the article, took place during a backdrop of English attempts to penetrate Spanish colonies and to disrupt its trade.

No formal occupation of the islands was declared and the landing itself was in contravention of existing treaties. It was simply an act of bluster aimed at riling the Spanish govt. Nor was England the only country attempting to topple the Spanish. A number of French navigators also visited the area but it was the Dutch who placed the islands on navigation charts.

Your correspondent proclaims the landing of “over £45million of squid, in spite of Argentine attempts to deliberately target the local squid population before they could reach British territorial waters, a triumph”! Quite how the British can lay claim to waters over 8,000 miles away from Britain is not explained, though. Nor does he clarify how the supposed windfall benefits the local economy?

Most of the £45million will not reach the islanders. As with profits generated by the islands’ numerous sheep ranches, revenues are not retained and reinvested in the local economy. Absentee landlords withdraw their profits and reinvest them in Britain and elsewhere. What more proof is needed that the ‘Falklands Islands’ today remain an antiquated out of date subservient colony?

Reply: sovereignty is paramount George Harrison Deputy Features Editor DEAR SIR, I thank Mr. Whitehouse for his comments, although my reply is a simple one; the only proof needed that the Falklands is not merely a "subservient colony" is the will of the residents. If they were such victims, then why would they vote so overwhelmingly to remain British and maintain the status quo?

Features Ebola in facts Cases 14383 Deaths 5165 Countries mainly affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Other countries affected: Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, USA and Spain (Centre for Disease Control, as of 11/11) British Response: £25,000,000 in direct aid.

Hospital Ship RFA Argus sent to Sierra Leone with 800 personnel to set up a 62 bed medical unit to treat victims. (www.gov.uk) According to the UN, $988m is needed to combat Ebola, but NBC puts the figure that has been received at $250m.

Infection: It takes between 2 and 21 days from initial contact for symptoms to manifest themselves.

Tuesday November 18, 2014

The Hidden Effects of Ebola “WE ARE NOT YET WINNING the fight against Ebola. People keep dying around me. Not just from the virus but from hunger, childbirth, diahorrea and malaria. So many children, so many of my friends, are becoming orphans. I just want the suffering to end.”

- Foray Sawanneh, 15, from Makeni, Sierra Leone The spread of Ebola in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea is not just killing the infected but also undermining health services, devastating communities, and hindering people’s abilities to support themselves.

According to the latest figures, in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the Ebola virus is known to have killed over 5000 people - and there have been over 14,000 cases of infection. Given that the fatality rate is currently 70%, the WHO has acknowledged that the death toll is probably far higher.

bring an end to the spread of virus. Nearly a third of the country’s population, across 14 districts, are under curfew.

While it is clear that such limits on movement are necessary, they’re only part of what’s needed to end the deaths caused by the outbreak.

NGOs have warned that such quarantines could lead to “mass starvation” if they are not accompanied by necessary resources reaching the people inside them.

Papa Bangura, 26, an aidworker from Makeni, Sierra Leone states: “Because of the quarantines rice is becoming too expensive.

People cannot afford it. My community is in dying need of food, but we are yet to receive any supplies.”

Christian Aid has also noted that while deliveries fail to reach them, thousands of people in Sierra Leone are being forced to violate Ebola quarantines to find food - potentially contaminating many others.

Without stronger efforts being made to ensure people inside the

The UN Population Fund estimates that 800,000 women across the three countries will be due to give birth within the next 12 months. 120,000 of those are likely to face complications, such as obstructed labour or infection that usually result in death without treatment.

Care International notes how: “It may be impossible to count how many people will die of easily treated illnesses or injuries simply because Ebola cut off every avenue of treatment.”

Children are also suffering in the crisis. Schools in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea have been closed until further notice and the number of orphans or children without their primary caregiver is exponentially increasing.

Tom Dannatt, the chief executive of Street Child, a charity that works to help orphans in Liberia and Sierra Leone, noted that: “Looking at extrapolated figures from our own field teams, we would estimate that there are likely

Furthermore, the secondary impacts affecting the economy, education and healthcare systems are causing a severe increase in deaths from hunger, pregnancy and treatable diseases. Most of which is going unreported.

Despite an improvement in recent efforts to tackle the crisis, Jeanne Kamara, from Christian Aid Sierra Leone states ‘The medical response to the Ebola crisis will only work if we respond holistically to all elements of the outbreak.’

Quarantines have led to inflation of food prices, and access to usual medical treatment is increasingly difficult to obtain.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella organization for aid agencies, has noted that quarantines, designed to control the spread of Ebola are having a devastating effect on the countries’ economies.

The restriction of movement, disruption of farming practices and closure of markets has led to severe inflation in food prices - leaving thousands struggling in the face of food insecurity.

In Sierra Leone, the government has quarantined more than a million people in an attempt to

zones have enough food, water and other vital supplies - these quarantines will not be effective and could lead to even more deaths.

A further consequence of Ebola is that the healthcare systems of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are overwhelmed; leaving extremely limited access to medical treatment for vaccination, treatment of common illnesses and maternal care.

Many hospital workers have either been directed towards the Ebola Treatment Units or are too scared to treat patients if they have not been tested for Ebola.

For instance, Nakita Forh, a young woman, died of an asthma attack after having been refused treatment by medical staff until she had been fully tested for Ebola. This incident led to protests in the streets of Monrovia with people chanting “Stop Preventable Deaths”.

It is true - vast amounts of people are unnecessarily dying of preventable diseases and problems.

In particular, maternal deaths have soared since the beginning of the crisis. It has been estimated that one in seven women in countries hit by the Ebola epidemic could die in pregnancy or childbirth due to a severe lack in hospital services.

to be in excess of 20,000 children that have already lost their primary caregiver to Ebola. And clearly that number is growing daily.”

The Guardian has noted how the Ebola response has been “so focussed on the containment of the disease that there is no team of officials working in the slipstream of the burial teams to register the orphaned dependents” There is thus a desparate need to step up efforts, and support charities such as Street Child, to make sure that children left without their primary caregiver are able receive the food, medical supplies and support they need.

Currently, extensive efforts are being made to stop the crisis. It is important to acknowledge the crucial role that nationals have been playing in fighting Ebola in their countries since the beginning of the crisis. Not only do many run the NGOs in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, hundreds of nationals are volunteering to help burial teams and hospitals.

Furthermore, after being widely criticized for their slow and inadequate response to the emergence of the crisis, both the WHO and the international community have

Bella Mosselmans Third year undergraduate

Symptoms include fever, headaches and joint aches, with acute cases resulting in hemorrhaging and impaired organ function.

The disease is transferable by contact with infected people, clothing and animals, although it is less contagious than viruses such as flu.

This outbreak has seen most infections come about through caring for Ebola victims: nurses, doctors and carers are most likely to contract the disease.

Whilst there is no current vacination or liscenced treatment for the disease, research is being undertaken and a cure is being developed.

ZMapp is an experimemtal treatment which is awaiting conclusive testing in humans.

Fatality rate: The WHO estimates the average fatality rate of Ebloa outbreaks to be at 50%, with past fatality rates ranging from 25% to 90%.

Despite posing a substatntial risk in African countries, the risk to the UK and other European states is expected to be minimal.

Origins: Whilst the exact origins of the disease are unkown, it is believed by researchers to have originally developed in fruit bats.

The disease was first recognised by the Ebola river in 1976 in Zaire, yet this is now the worlds largest outbreak.

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increased their support to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Nonetheless, as has been demonstrated by this article, there are still many issues surrounding the crisis that need to be addressed and more support is required.

Recently G20 leaders made a statement calling for action on Ebola, but Oxfam have critized the Brisbane Statement for being characterized by a “lack of urgency and specific commitments”.“ They also previously noted that Nine of the G20 countries have failed to deliver adequate support in the fight against Ebola despite calls for more help and the fact they are the largest economies in the world”.

Stigma and isolation also need to be addressed. A substantial outbreak in the West, where infrastructure and health systems are strong, is extremely unlikely. The virus is transmitted only by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic. Multiple NGOs have thus noted that the suspension of direct flights to the affected countries and travel restrictions imposed by Western countries are unfounded and are holding back the delivery of emergency supplies.

While new cases appear to have slowed in Liberia, Ebola is spreading nine times faster in parts of Sierra Leone than it was two months ago.

As, David Nabarro, the UN Ebola coordinator states “As long as there is transmission of this virus, we have a global public health emergency and need to intensify our efforts to help people avoid being infected” Scaled up, specialised medical care and training, rapid disbursement of flexible emergency funding, and support for addressing these secondary impacts are still needed.

It is vitally important that Ebola in West Africa and its hidden impacts receive the attention they need.

The Amnesty International Society, of which Bella is the President, is running a bake-sale and raffle to fundraise for a charity called Street Child - that works to help orphans in Sierra Leone and Liberia. According to correlated figures from the WHO and UNICEF, there is the potential that by December there will be 1000 children orphaned by Ebola every day. The top prize of the raffle will 2 tickets to the Chelsea-Tottenham game on the 3rd December.

Please come along to our stall on Houghton Street today, tomorrow or Thursday.

Don’t miss out!

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Features

Tuesday November 18, 2014

“I am a Liberian, not a Virus”

Exclusive Interview with Zekar Payweyne, Executive Director of the NGO Action Oriented Minds in Liberia Taryana Odayar Deputy Features Editor IT IS NOT EVERYDAY THAT you come across a youth activist who is so passionate about his cause that he is willing to found an NGO, create a movement against electoral violence, and organize a national peace march, to bring about change in his country, Liberia.

Apart from being a passionate advocate for the empowerment of African youth, Zekar is the Executive Director of the NGO ‘Action Oriented Minds’ (AOM) in Liberia, as well as the Chairman of the Movement Against Violence (MAV) and the Movement Against Electoral Violence, whose members have acted as local and international observers during Liberian and Sierra Leone elections. Currently the National Youth Chairman of the Coalition of Women, Youth and Students for Sustained Peace; which comprises over 50 youth organizations in Liberia, Zekar also organized a peace march under the theme, “PEACE IS IN OUR HANDS.” This week, although we were on two different continents, I had the privilege of interviewing him about the prevalent Ebola crisis in Liberia.

What is the current situation in Liberia, and is it improving? What is the situation like in West Africa and other parts of the world?

Liberia has reported the highest number of suspected and confirmed cases (6,878) and deaths (2,812) of the Ebola infected countries. Thankfully, the situation has greatly improved and the number of new cases are said to have decreased significantly. The outbreak originated from our neighbouring country, Guinea, and spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. These three countries are the most affected by the Ebola pandemic.

The outbreak is prevalent in rural Guinea and Sierra Leone, while in Liberia the majority of cases have been reported in the urban areas.

Nigeria also reported 20 cases and 8 deaths, Mali 4 cases and 3 deaths, and Senegal 1 case, no deaths. Outside of Africa, the first case reported was in Spain where a nursing assistant contracted the virus from treating an infected person evacuated from Sierra Leone. The infected person died, but the lady was declared

Ebola free. Also an infected Catholic brother was previously evacuated from Liberia to Spain but he also died. There have also been 4 cases in the United States with one death. The victim Thomas Eric Duncan had come into contact with an infected lady in Liberia before travelling to the USA where he fell ill, and he later passed on at the Dallas Hospital in Texas.

On August 6th, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf declared a 90-day State of Emergency, instating emergency measures such as quarantines on the worst-affected communities to repress the epidemic. Have these measures helped significantly?

Yes, since the declaration of the State of Emergency there have been significant improvements. It was very important for the government to take tough measures like the quarantine because it was very essential in limiting the transmission of the virus from one township to another. The President has lifted the State of Emergency and extended the curfew to 12pm. Let me add that the civil society organizations as well as International partners have played a major role in the reduction of new cases in Liberia. Liberia still remains at risk because the situation in neighbouring Sierra Leone hasn’t improved much.

Liberia has established a national task force, led by the President and supported by the United Nations and other partners, to coordinate the response efforts to the crisis.

What is the prog ress so far?

The national task force with the support of the United Nations and other international and local partners have done a great job in combating the spread of the virus and reducing new cases. According to the World Health Organization, the various Ebola treatment centres in the country are being emptied rapidly because they are not receiving new cases at these centres. The mortality rate of the virus has also decreased because people are now reporting for early treatment as soon as they start to experience the symptoms of the virus. Receiving early treatment can greatly increase a person’s chance of survival.

What are the other measures that the Liberian government has taken to curb the spread of the virus?

The government ordered that everyone travelling into and out of Liberia should go through a screening process which includes a temperature test. This temperature test is also required for entry into all public facilities. All offices, schools, businesses as well as homes were mandated to have hand washing stations. Furthermore, a 9pm - 6am curfew was also imposed and public gatherings excluding religious functions were suspended. The number of people travelling per vehicle was also reduced and even religious places like churches were asked to reduce the number of people sitting in a pew.

What are the measures AOM has taken to curb the spread of the virus?

Most organizations, including AOM, have been focused on sensitizing the citizens on how to take preventive measures. We

initiated outreach programs in the various communities to ensure that people receive adequate information on what the virus is, how it is spread and what to do if they suspected that someone had come down with the virus. We donated buckets and other materials like soap, Clorox, bleach and chlorine to help in the hand washing routine.

Have these measures been effective? What were some of the challenges faced by the government and AOM and were you able to overcome them?

Definitely these methods have been effective because the first problem we had in Liberia was denial. Many people did not believe that Ebola was in Liberia, which contributed to the rapid spread of the virus. Creating the awareness and educating people on how to stay safe was essential to reducing the number of cases.

For us, our major problem was at first when people thought that we were implementing government propaganda, but with consistency and the increased numbers of reported cases and deaths, people started to pay more attention to these messages. At times the government was resisted, especially in some violence-prone communities, and some people even got severely injured when the police tried to enforce the quarantine. Another problem for the government was that families of people who had died from Ebola were refusing to turn the bodies over to the government. However, when the State of Emergency was declared the government could exercise more absolute powers and these resistances reduced.

What are the sentiments of the Liberian people towards the deadly viral outbreak?

Are they worried, afraid?

Who do they look to for help and support?

Of course many people are very worried and terrified now especially with the loss of close relatives and friends. Liberians are usually friendly and lively people, but since the outbreak things are not the same. The cultural greetings of handshaking have been abandoned and people are even afraid to move from place to place. The most disheartening thing is that Liberians are being stigma-

tized globally. The primary reason is because two Liberians, Patrick Sawyer and Thomas Eric Duncan took the virus to Nigeria and the USA. People should know that the virus didn’t originate in Liberia, but that it started from another country and was brought into Liberia, and that even then the Liberians didn’t stigmatize anyone.

A global campaign titled “I AM A LIBERIAN, NOT A VIRUS,” was started by some Liberians to help create awareness against the stigmatization of Liberians worldwide.

What are the long term socioeconomic implications of the Ebola outbreak for Liberia?

We will definitely have a shortage of medical practitioners after the outbreak because a significant number of doctors and nurses died from the virus. Another issue is that since the outbreak of the virus, all academic institutions were shut down, some businesses were closed, other government projects were halted; the country has been at a standstill. The outbreak is already having a negative impact on the country’s economy but I do believe that once everything is over we will be able to recover rapidly. If I could take anything positive out of this situation it would be that the outbreak exposed the major lapses in the health sector.

There is a need for a major reform in the health sector.

What does the path to recovery for Liberia look like?

This outbreak has shown us how fragile our country is, and I believe that people should put aside their differences and personal interests so that we can collectively work to ensure that the country is back on track to economic recovery. I can sit here and give suggestions, but I believe that the government should set up a committee, organize a conference, summit or whatever they would call it, but the major thing for me is that every sector of the society needs to be a part of this. This committee should look at the lapses we had when combating the virus and proffer recommendations going forward. This committee can also develop a draft national reform of all sectors affected by the virus. I think it would be a better way to contribute ideas rather than just individually making random suggestions.

Read the full interview with Zekar Payweyne on www.beaveronline.co.uk

Features The Pocket Philosopher: Why do we value money?

Louis van der Linden Pocket Philosopher AS JOB-APPLICATIONS TO consultancy firms, investment banks, and law firms fly from many LSE 3rd-years’ desks, it may be healthy to question, for a moment, what we are trying to achieve. Is it happiness? Freedom? Or is it simply money?

Asking these questions poses another: why does money have value? Until 1931, the pound sterling was based on the gold standard, but this merely refines the question to why gold has value.

Rarity, molecular stability, and beauty are all answers, but the fact that we value those qualities says more about us than it does about the metal. There are many other materials that fulfil those criteria.

What really makes gold special is that we all, as a human community, agree on its value. This realisation brings us back to being able to talk about money. A pound coin is understood to have a specific value that doesn’t change from person to person. It is this consensual understanding that gives it its value.

More money gives us the flexibility of choice, which is what we really value. But should we value choice as much as we do? Modern society is inherently hedonistic: when people yearn for money above the minimum required to cover living costs, they assume that being able to make more choices will make them happy.

That assumption may be flawed: there is a well-known paradox behind choice. Barry Schwartz famously argues that the assumed connection between choice and well-being is mistaken.

From polling data, the current generation seems to be less happy than previous ones, despite being more economically affluent and having more choices available.

Too much choice is demotivating: it’s exhausting to have to choose from a hundred types of mattresses, while it is much easier to simply make two dichotomous choices between, say, spring or foam, and thick or thin. Maybe it is not freedom, but consistency, that we’re really after? After all, many of us find that true sources of happiness, like stable family-relationships and long-term friendships, unite rather than liberate us.

Want to Philosophise for the Beaver next week? Email features@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Tuesday November 18, 2014

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Russian Tanks Roll into Ukraine George Greenwood Deputy Features Editor THIS WEEK, WE HAVE SEEN additional evidence from OCSE monitors of Russian Tank units rolling into Luhansk. And more ominously, trucks labelled “cargo 200”, the Russian military term for the bodies of soldiers killed in action, rolling back. Clearly, we are now seeing more and more brazen Russian support to sustain the separatists, to keep the insurgency going and to further plunge the Ukraine into crisis.

But what is Putin’s game here?

His policies have driven the rump of Ukraine firmly into the arms of the west. Why does he continue stoking the conflict?

In part, this is to make good on the threats that Putin has been making behind the scenes. The choice for Poroshenko was simple. Either you come back into line, and negotiate a return to the Russian near abroad, with a firm Russian voice in Kiev, or I will wreck the East of Ukraine. As Poroshenko has refused to do so, Russia has stoked the tension, upping arms and personnel supply, as well as backing elections which have been held in an attempt to legitimise the government of the region.

In addition, Putin has been pushed into a corner. Despite

the delay in Western support, NATO is more or less united behind Ukraine’s actions. Putin has miscalculated both the strength of resolve of Europhile Ukrainians looking west not east for their future, as well as the power of Western Governments to re-

back down, or he will face the guillotine.

So what does the future hold for Ukraine?

Well, the West will likely continue to ramp up the economic pressure on Russia to change its ways. It has already registered

Photo credit: Flikr: Dmitry Terekhov

sist the threat of the gas tap being turned off. Arguably, it’s not really in Putin’s interests to gain Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk due to their deprived and backward economic status, and integrating them into the Russian state would cost billions of dollars. That said, Putin’s entire domestic power base relies on looking strong and playing into traditional Russian nationalism.

Thus, it is unlikely that he will

near zero growth this year, and the rouble has dropped 25%. This puts pressure on Putin to back down, by threatening his vertical of power from business interests which are feeling the squeeze.

While in in the short term, Putin is strong enough to resist these, in the medium term this may force Putin to ease his approach.

That said, the West faces a wider strategic problem, and that is how China will react. China

has traditionally been very wary of aiding or engaging with Russia. During the latter half of the Cold War, they engaged in intense security competition, and there remain some big unanswered questions between them over influence in central Asia.

But each has something the other needs. For Russia, China’s growing economy can provide the guaranteed source of income that Europe may not be able to provide due to growing animosity. China, having eclipsed Russian power, no longer has to fear becoming asymmetrically dependent on Russia for energy, in the current geopolitical situation between the two it is a buyers’ market.

Thus, with the 400 billion dollar energy deal between the two countries reached in the Summer, and another deal looking likely to be in the pipeline for Russia to provide up to 20% of China’s natural gas needs, Russia may well be far less dependent on the West as a market for its energy. Thus, the West faces a problem. If it keeps pushing Russia, in the near future, Russia may well be able simply to turn off the tap.

Thus, the West’s ability to influence the outcome of the Ukraine crisis may lie less in diplomacy with Moscow, but in Moscow’s diplomacy with Beijing.

Liberation: Bisexuality in a Binary World Kritti Tantasith Bisexual Officer, LGBT+ Alliance MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT bisexuality still exist in society.

And this is not surprising given our inclination to categorise everything into binary opposites; you're either a cat or a dog person; you’re either masculine or feminine; you’re either liberal or conservative; you’re either heterosexual or homosexual. Controversies, sometimes discontent or even disgust, arise when such boundaries are crossed.

This was true before the turn of the 20th century; Hardy’s eponymous protagonist from Tess of the D’Ubervilles caused an outrage among the Victorian public when her sexual appetite and morally dubious behaviour pushed the frontier of what constituted good and evil. And it remains true now in society where the notion that bisexuals are just self-loathing homosexuals is prevalent.

Even the LGBT+ community itself still sometimes finds it difficult to see sexuality and gender from a non-binary perspective.

From where I am from at least (Bangkok, Thailand), it is still believed that male homosexual relationships are strong only when they are formed between partners who are distinguishable in terms of their masculine and feminine traits.

Sexuality is a matter of experience. And I’m sure that each experiences his/her/their sexuality in a different way. My experience as “bisexual” has not exactly been smooth. I did not learn the difference between sex and gender until I was in high school. This resulted in me struggling to develop my gender identity in accordance with my sexual orientation. How is it possible that a man who is rather effeminate can be attracted to women? Does this mean that a relationship requires one to be feminine while the other masculine? After all, is this not what society often portrays as an ideal relationship? All these questions occupied my mind. Are these questions a consequence of gender expectations and norms in which I unsuccessfully tried to fit myself ?

I put the word "bisexual" in inverted commas because its defi-

nition and implication does not completely reflect my experience.

Having said that, different people have come up with different interpretations of the term, a few of them I find persuasive being that bisexuality does not imply one is equally attracted to men and women, and that it also includes attraction to any gender identity.

Although I do identify myself with the LGBT+ liberation movement, I still find the term "bisexuality" insufficient because of the limited nature of language. A writer describing her character as sad when she is melancholic would perhaps be an analogy of this.

Bisexuality, let alone sexuality, is a complex and debatable concept. Whether or not I could and should strictly define what it is I do not know yet. I do not claim that what I have experienced so far is bisexuality although I do think that it has, at certain points, come close to it. Regardless of one’s attitudes or interpretations, what is ultimately tangible is one’s experience. Identity struggles faced by each individual are real and this is why I think a more pressing task should be for us to learn to not devalue another person’s experience

just because we do not understand what they have gone through.

In the wake of Halloween and to end this piece of writing on a less serious, perhaps spooky, note, and I think this is applicable to anyone, Dr Frank’s most memorable line from the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show is “I'm just a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.” While I respect Dr Frank’s decision to be wholly defined by sexuality, I strongly believe that sexuality is just one among countless other parts that make up who a person is.

Different experiences, different perspectives.

Next week is PRIDE WEEK! We want to fill the Features section with articles about issues facing LGBT+ people all around the world, about oppression, expression and liberation in every part of the world. Most importantly, we want you to write them.

Get in touch with us by email.

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Features

Tuesday November 18, 2014

The ‘People’s Army’ Marches On George Harrison Deputy Features Editor WITH MERE DAYS UNTIL THE hotly contested Rochester and Strood by-election, bookmakers are certain that former Tory rebel and current UKIP candidate Mark Reckless will retain the seat and become UKIP’s second elected MP. The result would be a vast blow to Cameron’s Conservatives, who are hemorrhaging votes to the purple menace at a remarkable rate, in a seat which ranks at over 270th in UKIP’s list of target seats. Perhaps more alarming, however, is the fact that this is merely a two party byelection: Labour aren’t even in the running in a seat which they controlled from 1997 until 2010.

Analysts suspect that the selfstyled “People’s Army” and its general, Nigel Farage, is bolstered in Rochester and Strood by legions of disenfranchised reservists, who are switching to UKIP, temporarily at least, in order to strike a blow to the

political class of Westminster. The success of UKIP comes in a turbulent political epoch, marked chiefly by the collapse of the Liberal Democrats as the traditional party of protest. Simultaneously, discontent with the politicians of both Westminster and Brussels is rife, whilst Farage presents an image of normality that some voters seem to find more palatable and plausible than the images portrayed by his Westminster counterparts.

Whilst Rochester and Strood is causing Conservative HQ a headache, as demonstrated by the decision to “go long” and set the date of the by-election for the 20th, it is perhaps more painful for Labour.

Following Farage’s promise to “park the tanks on Labour’s lawn”, Ed Miliband’s party finds itself left in the dust of both the well-oiled Conservative campaign machine and the guerrilla forces campaigning for UKIP. Perhaps this is indicative of the leadership crisis that has engulfed the Labour party; confidence in Ed

Miliband’s ability to lead the party and become a PM has dropped to an all-time low, amid mumblings of discontent from Labour back benchers who are allegedly briefing against their leader. Ed has managed to dodge talk of a potential coup, yet he is looking far from safe, despite the declarations of solidarity he has received via the #WeBackEd social media campaign. Indeed, confidence in “Red Ed” is so low that many Conservatives have hijacked the campaign in an attempt to ensure that retains his leadership, hoping that he will inadvertently win the General Election for the Tories.

The most recent polling by Lord Ashcroft suggests UKIP will win Thursday’s by-election with 44% of the vote, whilst a Survation poll conducted in late October places the purple share of the vote at 48%, giving a 15% lead over the Conservative candidate Kelly Tolhurst.

Despite the typically turbulent and unreliable nature of by-elections, this is still likely to be a significant

result for Mark Reckless, who will send a strong message to Westminster that defection does not equate to political suicide, and that voters expect better from Parliament.

Indeed, the vote comes mere days after the Government was accused of chicanery by disgruntled backbenchers, who were denied their promised vote on the contentious European Arrest Warrant in a bizarre session of Parliament last week.

Even if it is largely composed of the Rochester reservists, the People’s Army looks set to march triumphantly on from this by-election on the long road to the General Election. Expect more defections in the coming months, both from hardline Eurosceptic Tories and perhaps even from disgruntled Labour MP’s with more working class constituencies. Unless the political class - both of Europe and Great Britain learns to engage with this swathe of disenfranchised voters, more MPs will consider defection their ranks of voters will continue to swell.

Xi and Obama: Breakthrough on Climate Change?

Alexandra Stenbock-Fermor First year postgraduate THE CHINESE AND AMERICAN presidents have, this Wednesday, agreed on an environmental deal called “historic” by Mr. Obama.

Both leaders have set a goal to eventually cap their greenhouse gas emissions, and China has additionally promised that at least 20% of its energy would be renewable by 2030.

The news comes as the world has witnessed many deceptions in international environmental negotiations, most notably the 2009 Copenhagen accord. A year ahead of the much-awaited 2015 climate conference in Paris, the two usual stumbling blocks have sent the message that they are ready to make things work… But to what extent?

China has, for some time already, come to terms with the fact that taking environmental action is in its interest too. Its latest fiveyear plan includes a wide range of environmental policies, and recent levels of pollution have increased domestic pressure on the government to take action. As such, Wednesday’s deal is not unexpected, but does mark the first time the Chinese government has proved willing to add facts and figures to its promises.

“It’s a significant breakthrough, because so far, for years, the Chinese have refused to put any numbers on the table”, says Dr. Falkner, Associate Professor of International Relations at the LSE, who specialises in global environmental politics.

As mentioned in the deal, Mr. Xi expects Chinese CO2 emissions to peak around 2030, after which they will either start to plateau or decline. For a country that resists environmental measures in the name of its right to develop, the breakthrough might come from its foresight towards becoming a developed country, and perhaps taking an active part in environmental protection.

Indeed, Mr. Xi’s pointing out of a “limit date” for Chinese exponential CO2 emissions can arguably be considered an environmental commitment. As voices oppose on the question, some researches find that China’s emissions would peak by 2030 anyway if continuing business as usual, without extra environmental measures. Different studies, on the other hand, find a 2030 peak to be an ambitious environmental target set by Mr. Xi. According to Dr. Falkner, current data seem to indicate that Chinese emissions will, more or less naturally, reach their peak in 2030.

“I don’t think that the Chinese are willing to make demanding commitments that are hard to achieve”, he adds. “I think [this deal] is probably something they’ve worked on for a long time.”

If China is able to hit this – admittedly reachable – target of 2030, it is notably because the country has been continuously improving its energy efficiency. This is partly due to China entering a new, steadier phase of economic growth, and partly to its growing urge to address rampant pollution.

Thus, China’s deal does not come out of the blue, but rather adds an

official dimension to a process that has already been underway for a few years.

Coming from the world’s biggest – and still growing – economy, the news may also have more immediate positive impacts on the business of green energy. It could spark investment in China’s renewable energy industry, which already hosts the biggest industry for solar panels in the world. It could also hint the possibility for producer countries to explore China’s huge potential market for renewables.

Moreover, Dr. Falkner points out that from a business point of view, such a pledge from the Chinese government “has a quality of certainty to it”, when compared to promises from democratic regimes that come and go. The growth of a potential green Chinese market would therefore have the advantage of stability.

Finally, this much awaited – if minimal – move from the US and China breaks a deadlock where both main emitters remained on the margin of environmental negotiations, in order to preserve their competitiveness. None would get engaged so long as the other did not. Thus, this joint move reverses the so far downwards spiral, and puts pressure on other still-cautious countries to join the momentum.

China, as a developing country, could lead an example for India, while the American move could convince Japan to take part, too.

Following this deal, what are the prospects of an agreement in Paris, in 2015?

“I think it’s really created momentum for the Paris talks”, con-

cedes Dr. Falkner. “It is certainly helpful, but the idea of a legally binding treaty is unrealistic.”

However, as Dr. Falkner further explains, it is not the question of whether a treaty is legally binding that matters most. As we’ve seen when Canada left the legally binding Kyoto protocol, there is often a possibility to use the withdrawal clause when a country fails to hit its target.

Rather, the condition for a country to make significant commitments is, above all, a domestic green light. As seen with the US Congress’s fervent criticism of this present deal, that can pose a challenge. On the other hand, the debate is shifting favourably in China, but its top priority, and the basis for its government’s legitimacy, remains economic growth first and foremost.

“The US and China are not going to be the core stumbling block anymore. They are willing to get on, but they’ve already made clear that these pledges reflect domestic priorities”, says Dr. Falkner.

As such, neither China nor the US has made a groundbreaking commitment this Wednesday, and the numbers they have advanced still won’t curb climate change.

But they are now ready to talk environment, and this could be the stepping-stone for further environmental negotiations.

“The numbers are not good enough as yet. But that’s not the end of the game, it’s important to get the countries to talk about these numbers, in years, in targets, and then drive up the ambition. That’s the game we’re playing”, sums up

corner Mattia Barina IntoUniversity LSE ambassador INTOUNIVERSITY PROVIDES local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve. Everything started ten years ago, when IntoUniversity’s founders realized the scale of underachievement of Britain’s poorest families and decided to take action. The basic problem, they observed, was that children that come from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to do considerably less well at school compared to their middle class peers, and this compromises their chances of going to university.

IntoUniversity offers innovative support programs in order to solve this issue. One of these is Academic Support, where volunteers help children with homework, coursework, literacy and numeracy. A second program is Mentoring, where children are paired with University of London undergraduates who provide help with schoolwork, social and inter-personal skills, and confidence building to encourage them to think about their future and raise their aspirations. A third scheme is FOCUS, which offers young people learning experiences that aims to immerse them in a single topic or subject area, that is similar to the concentrated, passionate learning that is delivered in university.

The results obtained by IntoUniversity are staggering: 77% of IntoUniversity high school leavers progress to higher education compared to an 18% average for children coming from a similar socio-economic background. IntoUniversity’s success is best expressed

by Abdul, grade 5: ‘They make me feel better not just in my work but they also make me more confident, so that’s why I love coming here.”

Mattia Barina is a volunteer and student ambasador for IntoUniversity. The charity was chosen as RAG’s national charity of the year. If you’re looking for volunteering opportunities, get in touch with the LSE Volunteer Centre.

Dr. Falkner.

“It’s easier to get them all to agree with something they feel comfortable with because they can deliver it domestically, and then we can begin the process of diplomatically raising the level of ambition.”

We could expect the Paris conference to reach a more comprehensive agreement than previously attained, but most of the work remains to be done over a longer run.

Sport

Tuesday November 18, 2014

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Hot Sweaty Beavers: Introducing LSE Ultimate Frisbee Peter Lyon and Amrish Patel write an introduction to the sport and a review of Regionals Peter Lyon, Amrish Patel LSE Ultimate Frisbee

Classified Results

FOR THOSE OF YOU STILL living in the last century: welcome to Ultimate Frisbee! It’s one of the fastest growing sports in Europe, with a huge London base. The sport is played on a rectangular field, 100m long and 37m wide, with endzones 18m deep at either end. The objective is to catch the disc in the opposition ‘endzone’. No running with the disc and no intentional contact. Believe it or not, there are a wide range of different offensive and defensive strategies to suit different weathers and various

team compositions.

Having only thrown a Frisbee a few times in my life before coming to LSE, I had no idea what to expect when I signed up to LSE Ultimate (Hot Sweaty Beavers) at Freshers’ Fair. However, after a month of intensive training sessions with some of LSE’s finest Ultimate players, my fellow beginners and I had mastered the forehand flick and were ready to compete. In our first tournament at Regent’s Park, against beginners from UCL, Imperial, UAL and Roehampton, LSE finished third after winning three out of four matches. We certainly improved as a team, with Teddy Woodhouse adding to his han-

dling experience and Daniel Cayford excelling in long cuts to the endzone.

The first official competition of the season came just three days later at the Men’s Indoor Regionals at the University of Hertfordshire. As LSE 2 (composed of almost all beginners) had no prior indoor experience, we struggled against some of the most established teams in the region, such as UCL, Imperial and UEA. However, the team improved tremendously over the weekend, achieving a closely-fought win against the hosts, Hertfordshire, on Day 2.

Meanwhile LSE 1 played some high quality, technical disc,

but missed too many opportunities. Going into Sunday, only the top 8 seeded teams had a shot at nationals, thus making Saturday extremely important. In LSE 1’s group, Brunel 1 came first comfortably. LSE 1, Imperial 2 and Cambridge 2 all lost two matches each and were therefore in a three way tie for the 2nd and 3rd positions, both of which were important as they provided a potential route to nationals. Due to point difference, Cambridge were awarded the 2nd position and LSE the 3rd, with Imperial 2 left at 4th. One of those sporting oddities given that LSE 1 had beaten Cambridge and Imperial 2 had beaten LSE 1!

As a result, LSE 1 had a final crossover match against Hertfordshire 1. The winner would take the 8th seed and progress into Sunday with a chance of nationals, and the loser would take the 9th seed and have to defend it on Sunday. Sadly, LSE 1’s lack of indoor training really showed against a Hertfordshire team that were happy putting up hammers and knives to good effect. We battled hard on our outdoor, flat disc principles, but were left with a 10-5 defeat.

The Beavers now look forward to outdoor regionals in March, where the club’s twice-weekly outdoor training sessions should prove useful.

Men’s Football

Men’s Badminton

Women’s Rugby

Netball

LSE 3s 2 - 4 UCL 2s (Cup)

LSE 1s 8 - 0 Imperial Medics 4s (Cup)

LSE 1s 29 - 0 King’s 2s (GKT) (League)

LSE 2s 40 - 10 Imperial 6s (League)

UCL 3s 5 - 4 LSE 2s (Cup)

Men’s Squash

Women’s Hockey

LSE 3s 46 - 34 Medway 2s (Cup)

Greenwich 1s 2 - 0 LSE 5s (League)

LSE 1s 4 - 1 UCL 1s (League)

LSE 1s 6 - 4 Hertfordshire 1s (Cup)

LSE 2s 2 - 3 Chichester 5s (Cup)

LSE 4s 15 - 65 Imperial 1s LSE 6s 8 - 50 SOAS 1s

Send results to sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk !!! (Win, lose or draw)

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Sport

Tuesday November 18, 2014

A Club For Everyone: LSE AU Women’s Rugby Club Robyn Connelly-Webster writes about the 2s and her recruitment efforts

Robyn Connelly-Webster WRFC 2nd Team Captain I NEVER THOUGHT I’D see the day where I was writing an article for the sports section.

Seriously. I was the child who faked a sprained ankle to stop doing cross country or purposefully fell over the hurdles if I thought I was going to lose. A teacher once told my mum that ‘She’s good at swimming because, thankfully, it’s not a team sport’. All in all, wasn’t promising. But, with the arrival of LSE women’s rugby 2nd team, all that’s changed.

Since the beginning of this year, women’s rugby have taken on a new venture with as much commitment and enthusiasm as we give to everything else: the first team, training and, of course, Zoo bar. While our firsts are beating Millwall Ladies and King’s College Medics, over 20 2nd team members have been to merit league festivals, nearly drawn with UCL 2nds and had some great coaching from the RFU and our lovely 2nd team coach, Chantelle, who plays for London Wasps.

The start of this article may have alluded to my lack of sporting finesse, which I don’t deny, but

our team is filled with girls with a lot more skill than me. We’ve got Georgia ‘I-love-the-game-but-Ilove-my-face-more’ Haigh who runs rings round the opposition, we’ve got Marie Bell who’s qui-

The 1sts’ match had been cancelled so, for our first attempt ever at playing some form of a game, we had over 20 fans cheering us on. Initially, I’m pretty sure we shocked them with our

rugby player, playing with us that day and to see her wipe girls out was strangely very, very satisfying.

Must add, I thought we scored 3 points that day, apparently that’s not quite right and it’s 15…

et on the sidelines but has been known to wind the odd girl on the pitch and we’ve got Julie Nadeau, the French Canadian who will just walk through your tackle.

A highlight for me so far has got to be our match against UCL.

complete unawareness of how to actually play but by the end of that match, the huge progress we made had definitely been noted.

We were fortunate enough to have Gee Linford-Grayson, netballer turned women’s officer/

Sorry, Captain Jules. As you can probably tell, prior knowledge is not a requirement for the LSE WRFC. Essentially, the convoluted point I’m trying to reach is that women’s rugby truly does have

THE WORD WEDNESDAY derives from Old English Wednesdei. A calque of ‘dies Mercurii’, “day of Mercury”.

Mercury is an ancient Roman God. Rome was built on seven hills. Primrose Hill is located near the London Zoo. Zoo Bar is a club in Leicester Square. Thus, the AU go to Zoo Bar on a Wednesday night, and thus it shall be for time immemorial.

Netballs IV’s displayed their elitist attitudes and decided to adopt a UCL Fresher to save him from his horrible future.

One member claimed that they changed his name from Shane to Henry in order to give him a better start in life.

SwivELINg across the dance floor whilst the Zoo Bar DJ played Led ZeppELIN, this girl was rocking to some psychedELIc beats with her man. But whether

they ended up TravELINg home together, we do not know.

Thankfully Little Sam’s size prevented him from getting stuck when he got sucked up by a Henrietta Hoover in the smoking area.

A Rugby (no need to specify the gender) fresher marked her territory and had a fling with an FC’er.

Sheepsy found himself in a confrontation with the enigmatic, mysterious, surreptitious James Wakefield. He told him, “You’re not even CC anymore” and was left red in the face for his honesty. After running from that Maddness crying, his tears were wiped by a sympathetic lady.

The NOT Rugby former 1st Team captain got an unwanted, and extremely late, ALS Ice Bucket challenge from a netball veteran. She also gladly helped him out with it. His nominations

are Craig Calhoun and Jon Allsop.

Finally, Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Power is of two kinds.

One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment”.

Said by a man who slept naked next to attractive young girls to test his will power. Just as Sam the Face slept through a Strom in a challenge against his own temptation. (And through the hurt of her telling him she didn’t like him anyway. Ouch.)

Despite being omnipotent and benevolent, the Bev Report lacks omniscience.

Send in the escapades you witnessed to s p o rt s @ t h eb e ave ro n l i n e. co.uk

a place for everyone. Last year, there was a place for everyone that wanted to be part of the family, go out and just get to know the best group of girls but this year we’ve upped our game.

I’ve gone from 100% attendee drinking member to (unknowledgeable but very enthusiastic) 2nd team captain. We’ll be at another merit league festival on Wednesday and I’m hoping for another friendly fixture in a couple of weeks. None of this touch rugby rubbish though, tackling is perfect for an effective outlet for LSE stress.

We had a little chat on Gee’s radio show the other night that probably made me sound a bit desperate for members. Also not sure if trying to recruit girls in the toilets at Saucy is a particularly good look but I do mean well. Being captain means being a full-time recruitment officer nowadays. We had a new recruit just this week who loved it and I genuinely loved seeing her love it.

We want you to be a part of the rugby family. It’s time, girls, you know it.

Drop me an email for more info on training times and rugby life at R.Connelly-Webster@lse. ac.uk – and we’ll see you Wednesday!

Sport

BEVERAGE REPORT NOW INSIDE - Send gossip to sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk

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Beaver

Editor: Robin Park Email: sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk

This week’s Sport: LSE WFC 1st XI after beating King’s GKT 1st XI 5 - 3. Read the full match report online at beaveronline.co.uk/category/sport

Strong Victory For Men’s Hockey Gareth Rosser Staff Writer THIS WEDNESDAY SAW THE LSE 1s welcome divisional and local rivals UCL 3s to their homeground in Mile End. Tensions were high even during the warm up, and those who braved the November chill could tell they were in for a spectacle. The game began at a rapid pace, with UCL keen to catch LSE off guard. But fortunately for LSE their goalkeeper proved up to the challenge, catching and batting away all of the shots coming his way.

Surviving the early pressure LSE worked their way back into the game, creating some chances of their own. In particular they began to find openings down the flanks, and it was one of their

increasingly frequent mazy runs which gave LSE their first goal. A darting run down the left was followed by a pinpoint pass, and the ensuing snapshot gave LSE the lead. Despite the score the game was still balanced between both sides, and the next goal seemed likely to prove definitive. Again it was LSE who scored, the great work of their midfield in intercepting UCL shots providing a platform for their attacking players. Catching the UCL team on the counter, the LSE team drew a foul from a scrambling defense: the resulting set piece gave LSE a second goal. This goal seemed to galvanise the UCL team, and as the half drew to a close they threw everything, up to and including figurative kitchen sinks, at our LSE men.

It wasn’t enough however, and

the first half ended 2-0 in favour of LSE, with UCL visibly disappointed that a closely balanced half had ended that way. However if LSE were lucky to be ahead by two goals at half time they were desperately unlucky not to score more than one in the second half.

LSE threw players forward and attacked with abandon - UCL were forced into desperate saves and cynical fouls in their attempts to stem wave after wave of attacks.

But their ability to cling on to their two goal deficit was at least as much the result of LSE profligacy as UCL defensive play - LSE repeatedly failing to take advantage of set pieces as successfully as they had in the first half. Ultimately UCL failed to fashion any chances of their own during the second half, and LSE’s third goal felt inevitable - a great mid-

range shot that ensured the final five minutes of the match passed without nerves. A tougher game than the 3-0 scoreline suggested,

at least in the first half, the LSE’s team’s efforts to turn their Mile End home into a fortress continued.