e LSE World Cup

by EMMA SOMOS

‘Football is life’ – that’s how I would describe the atmosphere on Coram Fields. With the 2022 World Cup coming up, four LSESU societies hosted their own tournament. I arrived at the Italy vs Spain match, and the Italians wanted to prove that they deserved a place in the World Cup – even though their national team couldn’t qualify for the past 8 years. e Italian team beat Spain 1-0. A erwards, France lived up to the reputation of their world cup defending champion national team beating the Germans 3-0.

e “World Cup feeling” clearly arrived at LSE, but did the human rights concerns come along with it? Many media outlets in Western countries reported the huge human costs that made it possible for Qatar to host the World Cup. Investigative journalists covering the issue of labour rights in Qatar in the past 10 years revealed that 6,500 migrant workers died due to poor working conditions and forced labour in Qatar since the country was awarded hosting rights (Guardian, 2022).

While ree Tuns is showing the World Cup games, the SU issued an accompanying statement encouraging donations to charities supporting LGBTQ+ rights. e LSESU LGBT+ society shared a post saying that they “don’t disavow any student” choosing to watch the World Cup, however encouraged students to be aware of the complicity of FIFA in supporting a government that criminalizes homosexuality. In light of all this, I reported on if LSE students will boycott the World Cup. Is football still ‘life’ when it can cost human lives?

Interestingly, there was a gender divide at LSE. When I asked about students’ views on the Qatari world cup, girls were more likely to say that they will boycott watching the games. Some highlighted how there is not enough attention given to gender in football – speci cally the pay gap. However, there were also girls who said they don’t usually follow football, so it won’t be a big sacri ce on their part not to watch. With boys only a few Italians said that they will boycott the world cup – partially in uenced by the fact their country is not involved. ree male students said politics and sports should be separate.

I’ve heard many meaningful points regarding boycotting. Many men distinguished between watching matches on TV versus travelling to Qatar. An American girl said that individual boycotting is not e ective and misplaces the responsibility: it is not the fans who allowed these conditions and who will pro t from the world cup. Many students echoed this by questioning why big brands haven’t pulled their sponsorships.

A French guy highlighted his support for the Le Quotidien newspaper which refrains from covering the World Cup. An Italian student forced me to re ect on my own position writing about the world cup, “ e more you talk about it, the more attention Qatar gets.” On the other hand, someone told me that the media should highlight what is happening – both questioning where the ne line is between the responsibility of human rights reporting vs indirectly supporting an oppressive regime.

Some suggested that countries (especially Muslim countries) shouldn’t change their culture for the World Cup. is is a point which can help us think why and how the West could position itself outside of such moralisation. Someone brought up the hopeful notion of how the ‘internationalisation’ of Qatar can bring democracy to the region, but I must ask: was it not internationalisation –the embeddedness of Qatari stakeholders in the football industry – that brought the World Cup to Qatar in the rst place?

A er Qatar announced the no alcohol policy at stadiums, LSE students were guided to leave the pitches by Coram Fields security a er receiving complaints regarding children training next to students smoking and drinking. No beer in Qatar, no beer for us. Football really unites. Luckily we were allowed back on the pitch for the last game: the nal between Italy and France. e French team became LSE World Cup champions beating Italy 1-0. e captain of the French team hoped that this win encourages their national team to take home the real trophy!

We shouldn’t give up on the uniting power of football. In a time when there is increasing recognition that football is intertwined with business and politics, LSE students lived up to their reputation of learning to become critical social scientists who also have a so spot for the game. But football is more than just a game. Football is life.

Deji vs Floyd Mayweather, and the youtube boxing hype train by ALEX BOWLEY

On the 13 November, Floyd Mayweather beat Deji Olatunji when the referee called o the ght in the 6th round, giving Mayweather the technical knockout and the win. e ght turned out as expected, with Mayweather dominating the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Deji. During the ght, Mayweather was seen interacting with the crowd and taunting Deji’s corner. e ght came to its end when Deji did push-ups between the rounds, inciting Mayweather to deliver a combination of quick punches forcing the referee to get involved.

Now, despite the result of the bout being all but decided since the ght was announced, there were multiple subplots that were brought to the fore during the ght. Firstly, this ght was the rst to be streamed in Zuckerberg’s Metaverse. Secondly, it was another example of the success of YouTube boxing.

Read the rest of this article online on e Beaver website.

Every morning without fail as I arrive onto campus, I see Simon slowly setting up the bookshelves and tables outside Alpha Books. Once he is done setting up the shop, he takes o his coat and hangs it on the front door. A truly comforting and never-changing ritual, one that symbolises the warmth and joy that Alpha Books brings to LSE. With this interview, I am excited to tell you the story of Simon Coady and Alpha Books, our beloved second-hand bookshop on campus.

There is something quite magical about entering Alpha Books. For a few minutes, you get to forget the stress of university, essays, application deadlines, and the pains of becoming an adult.

While we took pictures for the interview in Alpha Books, I interviewed Simon in George IV, the postgraduate students pub instead. I was told many times that if I did not see Simon at the shop I would most probably nd him there. He seemed to know everyone, and as I arrived for our interview, he was having lunch there.

Alpha Books has been a xture of the LSE campus for nearly 26 years. It began as a pop-up stall in the now-destroyed East Building. Simon explained that the putting up and taking down the stall took a lot of work, “It began to drive me crazy. You have a fantasy that you open the shop door and put the lights on. at was not the case.” A er three years of doing that, Simon asked the SU if he could have a shop on the mezzanine oor of the East Building.

at is when Alpha Books rst became a permanent store. However, it was quite hard to nd. It started o badly as people wouldn’t go up there. “People would ask ‘What kind of shop is it?’ I would go, ‘Isn’t it obvious? It’s a bookshop.’”

A er 19 years of Alpha Books being in the East Building, the building got demolished. In early July of 2015, the bookshop upgraded to its current location on the corner of Portsmouth Street. “I have to say, I’ve always had a good feeling about the SU. ey are the reason I got a call from the architects about the bookshop. I had been there many years. But I thought that was the end of everything. But thanks to the SU of that year, it was only the beginning.” e bookshop is now in a much livelier area of campus which attracts more foot tra c. Simon explained that he now gets three primary audiences: the students, the lawyers on their way to the Royal Courts of Justice, and tourists. e bookshops follow the passage of time at LSE in a way no one else does. “ ere is a most denite LSE rhythm which follows the seasons. And there is an enormous stretch within the summer term comprising exams and summer school.” Simon explained a noticeable degree of insecurity in the post-exams period, which is why there is an appetite for escapism, ction, while “some uncertain future looms.” Alpha Books o ers both ction and academic texts. “ e ratio between the two changes, but I would say that ction is an essential sideshow.”

“Sometimes I liken to customers that they should think of [Alpha Books] as a beam from a lighthouse. A lighthouse beam sweeps across an area, so customers may nd some things they need.” Simon also tried to stock books that students ask for as it increases the variety of books and authors sold in the bookstore.

Simon mostly hires students from LSE to work in the bookshop. He likes to hire students, except for rst years. “ is is no prejudice really, they get swamped by their work a er four or ve weeks. ey realise they all want to do work here but haven’t got the time.”

Simon has a long-running rapport with the student body and is a beloved gure on campus. I spoke with two students who work at Alpha Books: Sierra Herring, a third-year student in Geography, and Madison Weisend (see picture), a postgraduate student in Environment and Development. ey were both very enthusiastic about working with Simon, explaining how he randomly quotes Hamlet, goes to used-book sales on weekends, and has created a lovely atmosphere at the bookshop. Sierra explained that “he’s very accommodating and actually very caring. It feels a bit like a bookshop family, I like it.”

Simon praised the initiative and enthusiasm of students, “ ey’re easy to be with, funny to be with and they get the work done. ey’re very industrious, and sometimes have good ideas. Not o en, but sometimes.” He added that the reason Alpha Books has managed to survive is the adaptability that they have shown: adapting to the weather, to new locations, to new expectations, and to changes in the courses at LSE.

Simon explained that now that Waterstones is gone, there’s more expectations placed upon Alpha Books, which is sometimes hard to meet. “I felt that even when Waterstones was here, and I was very sad to see it go. ey’ve been here for 30 years. ey had a big history.”

For Simon, there are two elements to second-hand bookshops. “It’s like a museum in the sense that it calls on past authors, authors long dead who produced important work. And on the other hand, there is trying to stock newer authors and more current contemporary thinkers as well. So, there is both the past and the present.”

Simon added something that personally made me very happy. “I’m always pleased to stock a small percentage of early or rst novels by contemporary writers.” He explained that despite being a place that relies on classics, it’s very important to introduce rst novels.

“It’s important for the sake of writing for the present and into the future.”

“New writing is risky. New writing is like the salmon swimming upstream. It’s di cult. A lot of work goes into writing of any kind. And so if we can, occasionally, as we can’t do it very often, introduce unknown contemporary writers, it’s great.” Simon explained that people gravitate towards books with names that they know. If he can get them o the beaten track and sometimes try a new writer, it can be quite interesting.

“It does have risk, but it should be a risk that we encourage in an increasingly monetized culture. A monetized culture is not necessarily the best friend of real innovation.”

“My mother thought up the name Alpha Books. She was a great crossword puzzle-doer and wordsmith, she loved language.” As Simon spoke fondly of his mother, he explained that she was amused by the use to which we put language, which is a trait he believes to have inherited. “Language is mutable, it changes. It’s something quite special.” When his mother o ered the idea of Alpha, he thought that it was great. “It’s got a great connotation and it’s the beginning of the alphabet. If you shop and come anywhere near Alpha books, perhaps your chances of getting a rst are increased.”

As we reached the end of our conversation, Simon explained that his main goal now going forward is seeing the shop go on. “I think we’ve been here long enough to make our case.” As I asked if he sees himself continuing to work for a long time, I could see the determination in his eyes as he answered “I am. Much of my life has been spent here. And I’m very fond of the LSE for all sorts of reasons. It’s been very good to me and it’s been very supportive of me. I can say to you two things. I continue to oat face up. And as to my continuing here, I can only say watch the skies.”

Interview by Ambre Pluta, Flipside Editor

SIMON COADY AND ALPHA BOOKS

SIMON COADY AND ALPHA BOOKS

25+ years in the making

25+ years in the making interview by AMBRE PLUTA photography by OLUCHI EGBOM interview by AMBRE PLUTA photography by OLUCHI EGBOM