The Beaver: Week of November 20th, 2012

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NUS DEMO: DON’T STAND BACK IN APATHY | READING BETWEEN THE HEADLINES | THE CLUBBING CONSPIRACY

TheBeaver

20.11.2012

Newspaper of the LSE Students’ Union FREE

Stick it where the Sun don’t shine Hayley Fenton

Following an indicative vote at the Union General Meeting last Thursday, the Students’ Union has ceased to sell the Sun in the SU shop. The Sun, a daily national tabloid newspaper boasts a daily circulation of 2,582,301, the largest circulation of any daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. The main motivation behind removing the paper from the SU shop was due to its “derogatoryâ€? and “sexistâ€? page three, which features topless female glamour models. A debate entitled “should the Sun be removed from campusâ€? was held during last week’s UGM to discuss this issue. The debate sparked controversy on the UGM Facebook page, with MSc Regulations student Hao Li arguing the censorship of any paper would be a “violation of Freedom of Speech, Press and Expressionâ€?. Yet despite being labelled as a “pointless motionâ€? by numerous people, at 1:00pm on Thursday the Old Theatre saw a larger than usual turnout. Jay Stoll, recently elected as LSE’s NUS Conference Delegate, chaired the polarised topic. After a brief introduction by the Sabbatical Officers, where Alex Peters-Day’s proposal to bring reindeer onto campus was greeted with a loud round of cheering, those debating the motion gave a ன YH PLQXWH VXPPDU\ RI WKHLU views. 6SHDNLQJ ன UVW 06F *HQ der student Caroline CriadoPerez stated that it was imperative that LSE follow the lead of other universities in publicly not supporting a magazine that violates women. Criao-Perez spoke of Page three as an “image of misogyny that constitutes sexual harassmentâ€? and argued that LSE should not be supporting a newspaper that not only

LSE graduate salaries continue to rise Shu Hang

repeatedly ignores media guidelines but has a worrying prevalence of a trivialised attitude towards rape. Criado-Perez concluded her speech by posing the question: “do we, at LSE want to support a narrow and racist conception of beauty or do we want to take a stand?� to a loud round of applause. Opposing the motion, SU Women’s Officer Alice Stott immediately countered Criado-Perez’s comments on sexism, stating that sexism is rife across the national press. If LSE was against an issue that marginalises women who make their own decisions about how they utilise

their body, then it is “too easy to single out the Sun.â€? Stott went on to explain that endorsing the removal of The Sun would simply alienate a particular group of women who are “currently represented as sex objects.â€? If feminism was the reason for banning the Sun then LSE should be supporting all women, not just those who conform to an idea of a soFLDO QRUP 6WRWW GHன QHG VH[ ism as the continual underrepresentation of women, not simply nude photos, and provided an example of the Independent, where only twenty per cent of written content is by women. Stott summarised

Despite harsh economic conditions, LSE graduates continue to command respectable graduate salaries. Data from the LSE Careers Department reveal that the average salary of graduates from the class of 2011 six months after graduation is ÂŁ34,555, up from ÂŁ32,652 in 2009 and ÂŁ31,861 in 2008. 7KH ன JXUH LV VLJQLன FDQWO\ higher than the nationwide average of ÂŁ26,500, according to a poll conducted by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR). Nevertheless, the proportion of unemployed graduates after six months remains high at 8.9 per cent, almost triple the proportion at 2008 EHIRUH WKH ன QDQFLDO FULVLV where only 3.5 per cent of graduates were unemployed. 7KH ன JXUH LV FRPSDUDEOH to the national average. According to the official website of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), approximately nine per cent her argument stating: “to of leavers from the 2010/11 single out the Sun would be academic year were “asclassist when misogyny and sumed to be unemployed.â€? According to the Telesexism are pervasive across graph, 9.6 per cent of Oxford all newspapers.â€? In response to Stott’s com- graduates were left jobless ments, Nicole Rowe, MSc six months after graduation, Gender student, called for while at Cambridge the unFODULன FDWLRQ RQ WKH PRWLRQ employment rate stood at 8.4 stating that the debate was per cent. “The job market is really about being anti-Sun, rather than anti-women. Rowe also tough right now,â€? said Alice drew attention to the preva- Dawson, a second year Law lent homophobia in the Sun, student, “it’s hard to even citing a page 2 headline from ன QG SDUW WLPH ZRUN ‍ڕ‏ On the other hand, 74.5 1989: “Straight sex cannot give you AIDS.â€? Rowe por- per cent of graduates from trayed the removal of a pub- 2010/11 were either worklication that “normalises the Continued on page 3, col 1.

Continued on page 7, col 1.

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Editorial

Editorial Board Executive Editor Liam Brown

editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Managing Editor Matthew Worby

20.11.2012

TheBeaver Established in 1949 Issue No. 778

managing@thebeaveronline.co.uk

News Editors John Armstrong Shu Hang news@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Comment Editor Alice Dawson

Telephone: 0207 955 6705 Email: editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk Website: www.thebeaveronline.co.uk

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Social Editor Cleo Pearson social@thebeaveronline.co.uk

Sport Editor Dennis Mooney sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk

| The Beaver

Collective A E Dawson, A Doherty, A Fyfe, A Krechetova, A L Cunningham, A L Gunn, A Moneke, A X Patel, A Peters-Day, A Qazilbash, A Riese, A Sulemanji, A Young, B Arslan, B Butterworth, B Clarke, B Nardi, C S Russell, C V Pearson, D McKenna, D Ming, D Yu, E Beaumont, E Delahaye, E E Fraser, E Firth, E S Dwek, F Bennett, G K Chhina, G Manners-Armstrong, H Brentnall, H Burdon, H Dar, H J Sheppard, I M Silver, J Allsop, J Attueyi, J Austin, J Curtis, J M Palmer, J M Still, J R Peart, J Stoll, J Tindale, J V Armstrong, J Wacket, J Yarde, K C Hughes, K Pezeshki, K Rogers, K Singh, L A Yang, L Atchison, L Aumeer, L Brown, L Kang, L Slothuus, / 9DUGD[RJORX 0 & +H૸ HUQDQ 0 Fletcher, M Jenkins, M Veale, M Worby, N Antoniou, N J BuckleyIrvine, N Jaroszek, N Mashru, N Mateer, N Russell, P Gederi, R A Coleman, R Al-Dabagh, R Cucchiaro, R Gudka, R Hamer, R Holmes, R Illingworth, R J Charnock, R Serunjogi, S Chaudhuri, S Desai, S Gale, S H Low, S Lindner, S Newman, S Nissila, S Poojara, S R Williams, S W Leung, S Hang Low, T Poole, V A Wong, V Chan, X T Wang, Z Sammour

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STUDENT SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT The LSE Students’ Union has a weekly meeting called the UGM or Union General Meeting. This meeting is designed to allow all members a forum to debate issues and hold their elected officials to account. 8*0 LV KHOG DW SP RQ Thursdays in the Old Theatre and is open to all.

Wishful thinking

Another month, another demonstration. On Wednesday, If you have would like to the National Union of Stulearn more about UGM dents will take to the streets RU ૽ QG RXW KRZ WR VXEPLW in support of education, ema motion, contact Laura ployment and empowerment. 3HGOH\ DW O SHGOH\#OVH The cause is a worthy one and the planning behind this ac.uk. demonstration seems to have EHHQ GRQH ERWK HŕŽ‰ HFWLYHO\ and carefully. Liam Burns, while speaking at the LSESU UGM, gave a defense of this week’s demRQVWUDWLRQ DQG WKH HŕŽ‰ RUW KLV SODQQLQJ VWDŕŽ‰ SXW LQWR HQVXU ing the official demonstration will be a peaceful one. We have to recognise Burns’ commitment not only to

peaceful protest, but also the NUS’ cause as well. In a statement on the NUS website, the organisation has been sensible in reminding demonstrators that “we all have a responsibility to make sure that our actions don’t alienate any supporters.â€? While a repeat of the MillEDQN ன DVFR LQ RU HYHQ the smaller acts of vandalism on Oxford Street just weeks ago at the TUC march may be exhilarating for certain sectors of the student movement most commonly associated with the Black Bloc, Anonymous and the Solidarity Federation, the general

public will not support these acts or the cause, rightly or wrongly, they are associated with. We encourage LSE students to march with the NUS if they support the cause at hand. However, when anarchists become involved in any of these demonstrations, the message gets lost. It is time to regain the name of student demonstrations back from the anarchists who have so hardheartedly hijacked it. A message will be sent to politicians and the public on Wednesday, let’s hope it is the right one.

2ŕŽ‰ HQGHG" (PDLO us! editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk

8QLRQ %DVKÄ? )OX૸ UHDGLQJ Now that The Sun’s gone, I’ll have to change lit. What’s left? Oh no, not Cosmo! %DVKÄ? is the Beaver’s haiku poet. He wonders if there is money to be made from bootlegging newspapers and whether the GenSec’s fervour last Thursday was just a cover for her wanting a ladies’ pull-out in the Sun.

News

The Beaver | 20.11.2012 the women at large who are subject to worse forms of sexism?â€? A further question highOLJKWHG WKH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQFH EH tween a paper that espouses

ideology behind hate crime and rapeâ€? as a necessity. Last to speak was Ben Green, who approached the issue from a satirical perspective, announcing that if the LSE were to remove The Sun then it “may as well remove the Daily Express and all other publications that are KRUULன FDOO\ VH[LVW ‍ ڕ‏7DNLQJ on a more serious frontier, Green questioned whether the motion has commercial or political motives, arguing that people have their own discretion whether they want to buy a certain newspaper or not. After all the speakers gave a brief pitch, the UGM turned to a rigorous question and answer session. A large set of questions focused on the marginalisation of sex workers, characterisations of women, institutional gender oppression and the arbitrary line between “acceptable sexismâ€? in some newspapers and “unacceptable sexism.â€? The response from those supporting the motion was that given the Sun’s low readership on campus, removing the Sun would not be economically detrimental, but more of a political move that would signify an intolerance towards sexism towards women; an attitude most prominent in Page three. One speaker asked: “If removing the Sun is characterised as an attack on Page three women, who model consensually, then what about

LEON PUPLETT

Continued from page 1, col 4.

an opinion and one that is out rightly criminal. Referencing the phone-hacking, the speaker asked those opposing the motion “why they would propose a publication that was pending criminal investigation should remain on campus?� To this Stott swiftly replied that the case on removing the Sun largely concerned Page three, not criminal investigation. By passing motion to remove the Sun, LSESU would be sending out the message that, as an institution, it doesn’t value Page three women or respect their

choices, and it would be “alienating a group of people who are already disproportionately frowned upon by the patriarchy.� Green supported Stott’s

$IWHU WKH ன QDO URXQG RI questions, votes were taken. Of those attending the UGM, 64 per cent voted in favour of the LSESU removing The Sun from the SU shop.

mates, who make banning and opposition their default position do not represent me.â€? Meanwhile, Chris Moos, a postgraduate Management student was unfazed by the decision. “There is no human right to buy the Sun on campus, so if the SU decides they don’t want to sell it, that is ok to me.â€? In response to these accusations, Jay Stoll tweeted “if you don’t like the decision, try turning up [to the UGM] next time!â€? According to Alex PetersDay, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, “if women feel uncomfortable with a newspaper being sold which promotes a certain stereoW\SLன HG YHUVLRQ RI D ZRPDQ then absolutely we are well within our rights to remove such a publication.â€? She added, “It’s not about ‍Ú?‏VWLŕŽ‹ LQJ IUHH VSHHFK‍ ڑ‏DQG LW‍ڑ‏V not about censorship, it’s about respecting women and argument by reiterating the $ ŕŽ‹ XUU\ RI FRQWURYHUV\ ensuring that we do not profact that it is not up the SU’s surrounded the result of the mote sexist materials.â€? responsibility to decide who UGM, with numerous people According to the store can and can’t read The Sun. tweeting that as an institu- manager of the SU shop, the However Stott’s com- tion which prides itself on Sun sells “maybe oneâ€? copy ments sparked retort from liberalism, it was ironic that per day, and that publications Rowe, who accused Stott of LSE was resorting to “press such as the Guardian and misconstruing the question censorship.â€? the Financial Times are a lot DQG DJDLQ FODULன HG WKH GH Rupert Pickering, a sec- more popular in the shop. bate was about the removal ond year Anthropology stuHe said that the newspaof the Sun, not banning Page dent was bewildered that due pers were obtained through a three. Rowe addressed Stott to “twenty peopleâ€? who voted wholesale retailer, which supand stated the motion was in the UGM, “the choice of plies all the publications sold about “taking a stand against 10,000 is limited.â€? in the SU shop. He also noted racism and sexism, and when “Until the SU becomes WKDW WKLV LV WKH ன UVW WLPH ‍ڔ‏DV trying to make a political a representative body I will far as I can knowâ€? that the SU point, you choose a paper consider every decision of shop has cease selling a pubZLWK KXJH FLUFXODWLRQ ன JXUHV there’s to be a farce. A cou- lication. to raise awareness.â€? ple of left-wingers, and their

UNION JACK Lo! He came with clouds descending! All the way from Jinxland, the former Prime Minister and now King, Phearse. First, though, a brief announcement from the Guardian of the Gates: three Sabbs will be growing mustaches in support of Movember. What a worthy cause! What an opportunity to make jokes about Dorothy! Onto the oration of the mighty Phearse. Phearse and others from Jinxland want all the Ozites to come on a protest in favour of education. We think. Two years ago, Ozites went on another Jinxland protest that ended up with much naughtiness. Phearse agreed that a repeat would be most unbecoming. Apart from that, the last protest had ‘too many minutiae’. To avoid that, this protest will focus on not LQŕŽ‹ XHQFLQJ D SDUOLDPHQWDU\ SURFHVV sending a message to the media, saying that MPs lied in their election prospectuses, the false dichotomy between fees & EMA but EMA is more important if we have to make

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a choice, begetting the next generation of student activists, not just having occupations and demonstrations, education, employment and empowerment, young people, fees, mobilising, Nick Clegg is naughty, and a list RI WKLUWHHQ EULHன QJV WKDW -DFN GLGQ‍ڑ‏W even have time to scribble down, QR PDWWHU KRZ IXULRXVO\ KLV WLQ\ ன VW gripped his pen. So, under no circumstances should the message for this demonstration be described as confused, PHDQLQJOHVV ZDŕŽ? H IURP DQ RU ganisation that is half-composed of Munchkins wanting to bring about the revolution, some of whom have started on dubious ‘art’ courses so they can keep reappearing at the annual Jinxland Parliament, with the other half full of wanton careerists with both halves so full of factions that getting a single, coherent message is like getting money out of Jack’s wallet. Jack was disappointed in the rebuttal to Phearse’s speech from Sir Hokus of Pokes. Sir Hokus wore his colours on his sleeve and, indeed, the rest of his rather attractive blue

sweater. The good knight was at pains to appear moderate and reasonable, with a speech that belied his origins in the Debate Hall. Jack knew that Sir Hokus didn’t quite understand the politics of Oz when he said that a rational decision should be PDGH :HOO ன UVW WLPH IRU HYHU\WKLQJ Jack supposes. When Sir Hokus started talking about mandates and FRVW EHQHன W ULVN DQDO\VHV -DFN knew something was wrong. Long gone are the days of foaming-at-themouth soundness that used to grace the stage. Phearse dealt with a couple of the points well enough by batting them away – the mandate came from the election of officers, so that the last motion passed in support of Jinxite protests was two years ago doesn’t matter. It should, however, matter, but we don’t seem to be doing motions any more. That, and the government is naughty because it doesn’t have a mandate. Oh, and WKH FRVW EHQHன W ZDV EDWWHG DZD\ similarly – the government’s costEHQHன W DQDO\VLV LVQ‍ڑ‏W YHU\ JRRG -DFN is sure that style of argument would go down very well on Question Time.

The last point wasn’t touched at all; Phearse hopes that there’s no repeat of last year and, er, that’s it. We did have a written report from 'RURWK\ DERXW KHU WULS RŕŽ‰ WKH <HOORZ Brick Road. Jack notes with some disappointment that we have not heard this year from Jack Pumpkinhead, who arrived late this week, the Patchwork Girl, Tik-Tok, the Good Witch of the South, the Good Witch of the North, the Wicked Witch of the West or the Wicked Witch of the East. We’ll give the Patchwork Girl, Betsy Bobbin, John Dough and Eureka the Cat a pass for the time being, but the other Munchkin Leaders had better start showing some reason not just for their having been elected, but why we need those positions at all. Anyway, Jack must go now. He has been listening to Die Antwoord and the new album has just dropped onto his doormat. Rest assured, though, WKDW KH ன QN X IUHHN\ “JACKâ€?

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News

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Road ahead ‘not easy’ for Obama After Obama’s narrow victory, how will America tackle the challenges at home and abroad? Last Monday at the /6( 2OG 7KHDWUH KLJK SURனOH speakers Anne Applebaum, Craig Calhoun, Michael Cox, and Gideon Rachman were engaged in a thrilling debate on the topic of “America and the World – After the Electionâ€?, chaired by BBC Journalist Justin Webb. There was a general sense of agreement with Pulitzer Prize winner Professor Applebaum’s statement that the recent election “was not just about the economy.â€? Race and ethnicity was heavily emphasized. According to LSE Director, Professor Craig Calhoun, republicans are still appealing to the “old, white, male.â€? Other speakers supported the view that republicans could make a come-back by winning the immigrant population of America. While FT columnist Gideon Rachman pointed to the importance of Latino voters in New Mexico and California, Professor Applebaum argued, “Immigrant groups, especially Asians, are huge users on the education system and can be republican voters.â€? Calhoun believes the repubOLFDQV PXVW RŕŽ‰HU PRUH WR LPmigrant voters than “simply

cutting back institutions.â€? With their defeat, will the republicans in the House refuse to compromise with Obama? Professor Michael Cox, founding director of LSE IDEAS, argued the opposite, “Republicans are forced into a more accommodating position.â€? Applebaum agreed that the republican’s strategy of “opposing Obama in every wayâ€? for the past two years had failed, while Calhoun predicted a “bad mapâ€? for the democratic mid-term elections, highlighting the LQŕŽ‹XHQFH RI IDU ULJKW JURXSV which “hate Obama.â€? With regards to the economy, speakers agreed that â€ŤÚ”â€ŹŕŽŠVFDO FRQVHUYDWLVP VRFLDO liberalismâ€? is generally appealing to the American public. According to Calhoun, “public school funding plays a marginal role, and there is no sign of change.â€? In terms of American foreign policy, Cox stated the next four years “will not be so easyâ€? for Obama. Apart IURP WKH JOREDO னQDQFLDO crisis, the President faces a “tougherâ€? US-China relationship. Rachman highlighted the recent trip made by former US senior delegations to Beijing, concerning the Senkakus islands, “America is essentially saying they will go to war if China attacks Japan.â€? Cox commended Obama’s planned trip to Burma

as part of America’s “Pivot to Asiaâ€? strategy to “balanceâ€? China. Unlike US policy towards Asia, the speakers strongly diverged on Obama’s policy to Iran. Calhoun ruled out US military intervention, “The end of American hegemony is real‌If there is any military response, it will more likely be done by Israel.â€? Similarly, Applebaum agreed that if military approaches were successful they “would have

been done already.� On the other hand, Cox argued that the military must not be ruled out, as America is “hostage to its own rhetoric.� Gideon predicted that in the likely event of failed US-Iran talks, there will be two paths, “either war or Iran gets its nuclear weapon.� Despite the consensus that Obama will sail into uneasy waters in his second administration, the president has a few factors on his side.

Cox believed that America has still retains an enormous amount of “soft power.� Similarly, Applebaum was skeptical of “relative decline� highlighting the US’ “high living standards� and “freedom of speech.� Moreover, according to Calhoun, Obama can use his “cool and calm� personality to his advantage. “It reassures people�, agreed Cox, “it reassures me.�

THE WOMANHOOD PROJECT FACEBOOK

Arisa Manawapat

The dark charisma of Adolf Hitler With the launch of his latest book, Laurence Rees, British historian and documentary னOPPDNHU VSRNH DW WKH /RQdon School of Economics last Thursday on “The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler.â€? The fundamental question of the book and his lecture was why it was that such a “total jerkâ€? FRXOG EHFRPH D னJXUH RI DGulation for so many millions of Germans. His answer: it’s something in us. Rees, who wrote and directed the 1997 TV series “Nazis: a warning from historyâ€? began his lecture as he starts his book; by describing Hitler on the date RI $SULO ZKHQ KH னUVW arrived in Munich. He was “a nobody, an oddball.â€? He’d never had a girlfriend and earned money drawing tourists. He was socially inept, and always certain, dogmatically so and with ludicrous VHOI FRQனGHQFH $OO LQ DOO KH was “a real jerk.â€? But it was these qualities, claimed Rees, amid such levels of despair and hatred post World War I that brought Hitler to power. He was able to speak to the needs of the people. Many Germans were

already hostile towards Jews so it only took Hitler to put the blame on someone else and to depict it as a secret conspiracy and he had captivated a particular type. He made what was a psychologically clever and persuasive move. Rees pointed to how extraordinary it was that from 1932-33, Hitler went from receiving 2.6 per cent of the vote and “over 97 per cent wanting nothing to do with this jerk� to only years later when he became chancellor. What was the cause of this BBC

Holly Brentnall

dramatic transformation? From Rees’ perspective, “it’s something in them and in you.â€? “What is it in you that PDNHV \RX னQG VRPHRQH attractive?â€? he asked the audience. “How do we imagine being one of those Germans?â€? The truth is that we can’t. “Nobody knows themselves,â€? said Rees. It is impossible to imagine the fear and desperation that was spread throughout Germany at the time. Hitler’s certainty was very attractive in times of crisis. Thus, between him

and his followers there was a binding charismatic attachment. To demonstrate the absurd certainty of Hitler, Rees drew upon some of Hitler’s ‘grand schemes.’ Upon meeting Lord Halifax he had suggested that to solve Britain’s problems in India they should னUVW VKRRW *KDQGL WKHQ H[ecute more and more people until the whole population became compliant. Other of his ideas included composing an opera despite being thoroughly unmusically; and remapping the whole of Vi-

enna’s sewage system. Following the publishing of his books and the success of his documentary ‘World War II behind closed doors,’ Rees has received Neo-Nazi hate mail, often starting, “I am not a holocaust denier, merely a sceptic,� followed by threats along the lines of “You are a liar. We will get you.� His whimsical response to such abuse is to ponder why this would not have been the case had he written about Stalin. The key, Rees explained, is charismatic authority. This is what drew the line between externalisation in the Soviet Union where, when asked why they did what they did soldiers would reply “if I didn’t they would have shot me;� and internalisation in Hitler’s Germany so that in Auschwitz the major problem with the workers was not that they wanted to leave but stealing. The lecture ended on a darker yet realistic note. Questioned “Could the holocaust happen again?� Rees replied that yes it could, “Just as horrible things are happening even as I speak.�

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The Beaver | 20.11.2012

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Oxbridge deadline applications increase John Armstrong

Statistics reveal that every year thousands of undergraduate applications to the London School of Economics’ are submitted in time for the Oxbridge deadline. University and College Admissions Service applications to the LSE received by the Oxbridge deadline of October 15th have increased dramatically since last year from 4904 to 5753, yet this may be down to a lower than usual amount of applications last year when tuition fees rose to ÂŁ8,500. +RZHYHU WKLV \HDU‍ڑ‏V ன J ures indicate a return to pre2011 levels illustrating that the LSE is still able to attract high quality applicants. Cath Baldwin, the LSE’s Head of Recruitment and Admissions, told the Beaver, “this is very encouraging news.â€? However, Baldwin went on to say that “we are only halfway through the admissions cycle and we expect the majority of applications to arrive between now and 15 January. It is likely that the spike in applications seen around the Oxbridge deadline will dip

DQG OHYHO RŕŽ‰ E\ WKH WLPH DSSOL cations close early next year.â€? “We are not complacent DERXW WKHVH GHPDQG ன JXUHV and we will continue to promote LSE’s degrees to prospective applicants through our programme of school visits, outreach activities, webbased materials and social media,â€? stated Baldwin. As of October 22 2012, the LSE received 5753 applications for 2013 entry. This is an increase of seventeen per cent on the same time last year and four per cent on the same time in 2010. However, the Beaver has been approached by students who applied for the Oxbridge deadline but did not apply to either Oxford or Cambridge University. This is done by some students who see this as a tactical measure in order to give the impression that they too are Oxbridge applicants. The course with the highest Oxbridge deadline applicants is BSc Government and Economics which has consistently received over 300 applications per year over the past three years. This year, LLB Law saw a dramatic increase of 196

from the average Oxbridge deadline applications. 7KHVH ன JXUHV UHYHDO WKDW of the total number of UCAS applications in 2011 for LSE, around one third were submitted before the Oxbridge deadline. Admissions have also been DŕŽ‰ HFWHG E\ WKH LQFUHDVH LQ academic requirements over the past two years. For 2012 entry, the departments of Accounting, International History, International Relations

and Government increased their A level entry requirements to three As. The LSE have responded to this stating, “this resulted in an increase in the overall quality but a decline in applications for these four departments.� The department of Management merged its three undergraduate programmes into one Management programme for 2012 entry and also increased its minimum

entry requirement to AAB at A level. This also resulted in an increase in the overall quality but a decline in applications for this department. Duncan McKenna, LSESU Education Officer states, ‍ڔ‏WKHVH ன JXUHV VKRZ WKDW LSE remains one of the leading universities in the country and attracts some of the brightest minds from across the world.â€?

Calhoun’s inaugural lecture Richard Serunjogi

The LSE Director, Professor Craig Calhoun, delivered his inaugural lecture at the LSE last week, outlining his ambitions to further develop the LSE as a research university committed to the public good. The former New York University Professor and Director of the NYU School of Knowledge addressed a packed out Peacock theatre and spoke with great passion about the LSE history, dating back to 1895 and his vision for its role in the 21st century. The American-born intellectual talked about the legacy of the LSE being a university of the city and unique from other elite universities as it made itself accessible by admitting a broader student body. Calhoun, who was both commanding and humorous stated that “being public is not something that is settled by the budget or its sources, being a part of the state or directly funded by the state does not guarantee that any institution will pursue a public agenda or will work in broadly public ways at it engages people. Being public is a choice and one will be encouraged by state funding encourages it. But our determination to be public is one that we choose and take on as part of our mission at the LSE.� Anne Lapin, Vice Chair of the LSE Court of Governors, introduced Calhoun and paid

a personal testimony to him as “already [having] shown himself as a forceful and openminded enthusiastic leader fully committed to LSE lifeâ€?. She also spoke about his links with the UK which date back to his time studying at Oxford and Manchester Universities gaining a (PHD and MA) respectively. She also shared with the audience that Craig has been working with the LSE since 2001, as he cofounded the joint research network NYLON with the LSE, whilst Professor of Sociology at NYU. The new Director in his lecture asked and answered the question: why research should be at the heart of a great university and its developments, he stated that we will no longer be a great university without research being at our centre and we should answer the question through our teaching and mission to engage with the public good and building a better society. He went on to cite the great resistance by Oxbridge in the founding of research universities, suggesting that the LSE would not be here today without some resistance and the public would be less for it. He spoke about the progress of research universities practicing the principle of specialisation, and the LQŕŽ‹ XHQFH LW KDG RQ WKH SUDF tices of medieval universities, which included people moving through academic chairs according to seniority–after hav-

ing proven themselves in law it was common for individuals to become professors of medicine and vice-versa! After his speech, the Q&A session followed. Ron Barnett from the Institute of Education asked whether the challenge to develop a public mission is more difficult at a research university than at a teaching intensive university. Calhoun conceded that in researching local issues regional universities have an upper hand, however, being in LonGRQ RŕŽ‰ HUV D JUHDW RSSRUWXQLW\ due to its diversity, to address international issues and develop and build relationships with government. The question that received applause from the audience asked the Director to ensure that students who come to the school with ambitions of improving society leave the LSE with a career that allow them to. He replied by saying he hoped “we’d empowered students with strength of reasonLQJ DQG D UDQJH RI GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW intellectual experiences that allow people to make their own analysis through their careersâ€?. LSE Student, Rosina St. James who attended the lecture said “it was a very inspirational lecture and I look forward to getting more involved with outward facing activities at LSE, especially as Professor Calhoun seems committed to using the school to improve society.â€?

COME AND SEE

FRANK DOBSON MP

UGM FRANK DOBSON LABOUR MP NOVEMBER 29TH 1-2PM THE OLD THEATRE

6

News

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Heseltine on encouraging growth other countries. ,Q KLV VSHHFK /RUG +HV eltine fully endorsed the creation of elected mayors, EXW DUJXHG WKDW HOHFWHG PD\ ors for city regions such as greater Manchester should also have been introduced. While regarding industrial development he argued that though there was certainly a need to preserve England’s “Green and pleasant landâ€? this should not be allowed to hold back growth. Lord Heseltine said that what would be seen as his most controversial proposal ZDV OLNHO\ WR EH KLV UHFRP PHQGDWLRQ WR UHOD[ LPPLJUD tion law in particular areas WR ன OO WKH VSHFLDOLVW UHTXLUH ments that Britain is unable WR IXOன O RQ KLV RZQ )RU H[ DPSOH /RUG +HVHOWLQH DU gues that we needed around PRUH HQJLQHHUV ன OO all the job requirements at the moment, however the UK is unable to match this QHHG DW WKH PRPHQW E\ XQL versity graduates, and if the UK economy is to operate at maximum efficiency the only ZD\ WR VROYH WKLV GHன FLW LV WR import experts from abroad.

UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD

this had seriously impacted its industrial performance. $ NH\ REVHUYDWLRQ UHODW Lord Heseltine expounded the need to rejuvenate the ing to this was the waste of north of England, based on money that was produced as WKH ன QGLQJ RI KLV UHSRUW UH PDQ\ FLWLHV UDLVHG FRQVLGHU cently published, in a talk DEOH VXPV RI PRQH\ IRU FHQ tral government via taxation, last Wednesday. Speaking in the Sheikh only for central government =D\HG 7KHDWUH /RUG +HV to return almost equal sums eltine, a minister in the straight back to the cities Thatcher Government, and themselves. These sort of problems deputy Prime minister under FDXVHG D ODUJH JXOI WR GH -RKQ 0DMRU VSRNH SUHGRPL QDQWO\ RQ WKH ன QGLQJV RI KLV velop between the South of reports. Lord Heseltine was England and particularly welcomed by LSE Director London, with the rest of the &UDLJ &DOKRXQ DQG LQWUR UK. Lord Heseltine argued duced with a brief biography WKDW WKRXJK WKLV ZDV SURE lematic, the aim should not of Lord Heseltine’s life. 7KH IRFXV RI /RUG +HV EH WR VORZ RU OLPLW WKH FRQ eltine’s talk was centred tinued grow of London, but DURXQG WZR VLJQLன FDQW to enhance the opportunities points: First, the need for a that exist outside the capital QHZ LQGXVWULDO VWUDWHJ\ LQ RU to help bring the gap within der to encourage the growth acceptable limits. Lord Heseltine then listed of sections of Britain which KDYH GHFOLQHG RU EHHQ RXW PDQ\ RI WKH UHFRPPHQGD paced over the decades by tions of his report designed DUHDV VXFK DV /RQGRQ 6HF WR KHOS VSHHG XS WKH GHYHORS ond, the need for radical ment across the UK, which GH FHQWUDOLVDWLRQ DFURVV WKH KH GHVFULEHG VLPSO\ DV WDN 8QLWHG .LQJGRP /RUG +HV ing ideas that other countries eltine argued that Britain had are already implementing, so become far too centralised WKDW ZH ZLOO QRW GHFOLQH FRP over the last few years, and pared in relative terms to Chris Rogers

SU prepares to demonstrate Shu Hang

7KH /RQGRQ 6FKRRO RI (FR nomics Students’ Union is set WR SURWHVW DJDLQVW LQFUHDV ing tuition fees, educational cuts, youth unemployment and “draconian restrictions on international studentsâ€? in the annual National Union of Students’ (NUS) National Demonstration on November 21st. 1DPHG ‍ ڔ‏GHPR (G ucate, Employ, Empower,â€? the demonstration aims to unite students from across the United Kingdom to ‍ڔ‏VWDQG XS‍ ڕ‏DJDLQVW ‍ڔ‏D JRY ernment that is consistently taking students’ futures from themâ€?, and is expected to

have a turnout of 10,000. “As students we are facing a multitude of attacks – from VN\ KLJK OHYHOV RI GHEW WR UHFRUG OHYHOV RI \RXWK XQHP SOR\PHQW ULJKW XS WR WKH EUR ken promises students were given at the last election,� VDLG $OH[ 3HWHUV 'D\ *HQHUDO Secretary of the Students’ Union, “demonstrating is just one way students can have their voices heard.� “LSE students have a proud history of campaigning DQG FDPSDLJQLQJ VXFFHVVIXO ly, and I hope LSE students will join tens of thousands of students from all over the country in marching on the 21st.� The LSE Students’ Union

will also be campaigning for international students’ right in this year’s demo. Diana Yu, International 6WXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏2IILFHU RI WKH 6WX GHQWV‍ ڑ‏8QLRQ IHOW WKDW LQWHU national students should be aware of and take an active role in the demo. ‍ڔ‏,Q \HDUV SDVW WKH\ SURE DEO\ IHOW WKDW LW ZDV QRW UHO HYDQW WR WKHP 3URWHVWLQJ ULV ing fees doesn’t exactly apply to students paying around 14,000 pounds a year,â€? she said, “This year, however, the 186 DQG /6( 6WXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏8Q LRQ DUH ன UPO\ WDNLQJ D VWDQG for international students DJDLQVW SROLFLHV WKDW YLFWLP LVH WKHP RU PDNH WKHP VXV pects.â€? “LSE’s section of the PDUFK ZLOO EH KROGLQJ EDQ ners focusing on the issues of international students. This demo is important to the rights of all international VWXGHQWV DQG VR WKH LQWHUQD tional students of LSE should proudly march on 21 Nov,â€? she added. Earlier this year, various VFDQGDOV UHJDUGLQJ LQWHUQD WLRQDO VWXGHQWV FDXVHG RXW UDJH LQ WKH FRPPXQLW\ ,Q $X gust, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) revoked the London Metropolitan University’s ‍ڔ‏KLJKO\ WUXVWHG VWDWXV ‍ ڕ‏DI fecting the university’s ability WR VSRQVRU VWXGHQW YLVD DSSOL

cations for students outside the European Union (EU). Furthermore, the UKBA also revoked the existing visas of WKH XQLYHUVLW\‍ڑ‏V SUH H[LVWLQJ QRQ (8 VWXGHQWV FDXVLQJ them to be excluded from the 8QLYHUVLW\ DQG OHDYLQJ WKRX sands with the possibility of being forced to leave the country. ,Q 6HSWHPEHU LQWHUQD WLRQDO VWXGHQWV IURP ‍ڔ‏KLJK risk countriesâ€? were found to be lining up overnight to register with the police GXH WR WKH SROLFH VWDWLRQ EH LQJ XQGHUVWDŕŽ‰ HG OHDGLQJ WR &UDLJ &DOKRXQ /6( 'LUHF tor, condemned the police registration system as “an inexplicable act of gratuitous

embarrassment.� Over the past week, the Students’ Union has been holding a range of events to raise awareness about the GHPR LQFOXGLQJ D EDQQHU making session on Monday and a stall on Houghton 6WUHHW DLPHG WR HGXFDWH VWX dents about the demo on Thursday. 3HWHUV 'D\ VDLG ‍ڔ‏, DP YHU\ JODG ZLWK KRZ WKH SUHS DUDWLRQ IRU WKH GHPRQVWUD tion has been going. Students seem to be very receptive to the demonstration and we are looking forward to seeing plenty of LSE sutdents on the GHPR DW DP RQ :HGQHV day!�

News

The Beaver | 20.11.2012 Continued from front page

ing or working and studying, with 95.6 per cent of those working in graduate level jobs. 13.5 per cent were in further study. Jennifer Kwong, a second year Economics student believes that LSE students fare better in the job market as they are “better equipped.� “We have so many banks coming to our university to give talks and provide networking sessions,� she said, “our careers office are also quite active in providing load of opportunities for us to get to know each sector in depth.� Meanwhile, Bong ShangYi, a second year Statistics student simply said that LSE students are “smarter� and thus viewed more favourably by employers. Other students believe that LSE’s average graduate salary has been heavily

skewed by the high percentage of graduates entering the lucrative banking industry. ,QGHHG EDQNLQJ ன QDQFLDO services and accountancy remains a popular destination for LSE students, attracting 32.1 per cent of the graduating class of 2011. Consultancy comes at a distant second (10.6 per cent) followed by Development, NGOs & International Organisations (9.9 per cent), Education (9.7 per cent) and Central & Local Government (8.0 per cent). According to the poll by AGR, investment banks, at e DQG ODZ ன UPV DW ÂŁ38,000 have the most generous graduate pay rate, On the other end of the spectrum, the public sector, at ÂŁ22,200, and retailers, at e RŕŽ‰ HU WKH ORZHVW SD\ to its graduates. According to a spokesperson from LSE Careers Department, “Studying at LSE puts graduates in an enviable

Getting chilli this winter competition was revised. Instead the winner would be Last Friday, the Students’ whoever who managed to Union Environment and Eth- JURZ D FKLOOL ன UVW D PXFK ics Officer, Naomi Russell, more realistic target, conbraved the bitter cold for sidering the increasing chilly more than three hours to temperatures - with the cominitiate a highly compelling petitors’ progress being folchilli growing competition lowed on Facebook. called “The Big Chilliâ€?, leadThe prize for the winner ing students to grow their of “The Big Chilliâ€? competiown chillis on the Students’ tion will be, as summed up Union roof garden. by Russell – “eternal glory‌ According to Russell, the plus some fun chilli based chilli growing competition gifts.â€? aims to be a fun initiative to As well as growing chillis, engage students in the world students also discussed what of gardening and to help stu- other plants they thought dents become more environ- would be good to grow at mentally savvy. Furthermore, this time of the year, such as it strives to raise awareness garlic or onions, with weed of the Students’ Union roof being the clear front-runner. JDUGHQ RQ WKH ன IWK ŕŽ‹ RRU RI The competition received the East Building. positive reception from its Interest towards the com- participators. One student petition was high, and the looks forward to enjoying the free chilli growing starter fruits of her labour, saying, kits were swiftly running out “With fresh chillies at hand, by noon, with an impressive at least my winter comfort 50 given out in total by the food will be heated to the end. max. After all, as students it’s Each chilli growing as- QRW H[DFWO\ UDUH WR ன QG KHDW pirer was given a free bio- ers become obsolete as soon degradable plant pot, along as the heating bills come in.â€? with compost and chilli A lively roof gardening seeds, generously donated session will be held once per by “Wahacaâ€?. week on Tuesday. Due the increasingly chilly Students with any ideas temperatures, the chillis on what to grow in the SU were grown indoors, set to roof garden or would like become the new fashionable more information about the windowstill ornament of the competition or to be kept upseason. dated with the roof garden’s The initial target for the progress are encouraged to “biggest and most impres- email SU.Environment@lse. sive specimenâ€? to win the ac.uk. Anisa Ahmed

position, both in terms of getting a graduate level job and going on to higher levels of study. The Careers department has an excellent working relationship with a broad range of graduate recruiters, SMEs and entrepreneurs.â€? Furthermore, the departPHQW RŕŽ‰ HUV DQ ‍ڔ‏H[WHQVLYH programme of events and activitiesâ€? aimed to “help our students get valuable experiHQFH LQ PDQ\ ன HOGV LQFOXG ing law, education , politics, development as well as EDQNLQJ DQG ன QDQFH ‍ ڕ‏ “There are currently 899 live vacancies on our online opportunities board,â€? the spokesperson added. LSE came 1st for employability in the 2012 Sunday Times Good University Guide, 3rd in the 2012 Guardian University Guide for graduate prospects, and 5th for employability in the 2012 Complete University Guide rankings.

7

Calhoun to dress as Santa Craig Calhoun is expected to put on his Santa Claus costume during the “Winter Wonderland� event planned by the London School of Economics Students’ Union, said Alex Peters-Day, LSESU General Secretary during the UGM. “We’re planning a huge winter wonderland for the last day of term (Friday 14th) complete with reindeer on campus, more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at and so many fun things,� Peters-Day said, “I’ve been in negotiations with Westminster council, environmental health and the city vet and things are looking very positive thus far!� Josh Babarinde, a second year BSc Government stu-

dent expressed his excitement towards the annouce-

ment. “I have always thought that Calhoun bears an uncanny resemblance to Santa!�

8

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20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Comment

Don’t stand back in apathy /6(68‍ڑ‏V ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 6WXGHQWV‍ ڑ‏2୿FHU XUJHV XV WR PDUFK LQ WKH 186 1DWLRQDO 'HPR

BEAVER ARCHIVES

Diana Yu

All international students at LSE should march in the NUS National Demo on Wednesday November 21st. That is a pretty bold statement, I know. And there are probably more than a few students thinking, “The NUS and the LSE Students’ Union care only about fees for home students. Why should I march for something that has nothing to do with me?â€? This \HDU KRZHYHU LW‍ڑ‏V GLŕŽ‰HUHQW LSESU will be symbolically marching for international students and holding banners that highlight its dedication to international students with slogans like “Students not suspects.â€? We will be taking a strong stand against the government’s detrimental policies towards international students, and we need as many international stu-

dents to come as possible. It’s also not just LSE, universities across the UK are mobilizing their international students to march in the Demo. This year was an especially rotten one for international students. Starting with the government scrapping the Post-Study Work visa, to the very same government essentially leaving over 2,000 international students to face deportation after it removed London Metropolitan University’s visa sponsor status. On top of all that, the academic \HDU NLFNHG RŕŽ‰ ZLWK QLQH KRXU lines for international students who had to register with the police. Not a great way to start your time in an unfamiliar place. If you’re an international student, you probably already know about all of these things. The government’s erosion of the rights of international stu-

dents, though terrible, is not exactly news. (And it’s fueled in part by false stereotypes of international students and sheer, blind determination to cut net migration.) Yet, these SROLFLHV GR QRW VHHP WR DŕŽ‰HFW LSE students very much. In our little campus bubble, it’s hard to believe that at other universities international students have to be routinely monitored to ensure they are not out stealing jobs somewhere. We can easily get into the mindset that it’s those universities that face these problems, not us, not LSE. The likelihood of LSE’s highlytrusted sponsor status being removed like London Met’s is practically nonexistent. However, we have to remember that we are international students, and all international students are at risk when the UK government takes a deliberately antago-

nistic stance. In our heads we can separate students at LSE from those students at those universities, but the government’s policies don’t GLŕŽ‰HUHQWLDWH :H KDYH WR UHmember that it is our rights being curtailed as well, and our ability to work in the UK after our studies that is being diminished. International students at LSE should march on Wednesday to show the government that it cannot continue on in this fashion, that its policies will not be tolerated. Among all UK universities, LSE stands out for its diversity and huge international population. Moreover, LSE needs international students to survive. If enough international students from LSE go on the Demo, it will send a strong message that international students across the board can no longer be treated like political footballs. Our

presence at the Demo is therefore extremely important and symbolic. And to those who say that 'HPRV GR QRW PDNH D GLŕŽ‰HUence and that nobody is there to listen, I will respond that when it comes to our rights, QR HŕŽ‰RUW LV ZDVWHG 7KHUH LV always the possibility that, this year, the government will have to seriously reconsider WKH UDPLனFDWLRQV RI LWV DFtions when thousands of international students join UK students to march in London. If we do not go, we give our silent assent to the government’s policies and they will see no barrier to harsher stances down the road. Let’s not stand by in apathy and silence. The government sent international students the world over a loud message with its indefensible attack on London Met; let’s send a message just as loud right back.

Comment

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

9

Whither our institutions? Contemplating the series of shattering revelations about UK institutions debate in many academic ன HOGV DERXW WKH LQWHUDFWLRQ between structure and agenF\ ‍ ڋ‏ZKDW LV ன [HG DQG ZKDW LV GRLQJ WKH ன [LQJ WR ZKDW H[ tent human beings create the

their formation and so when they fail, take ownership of our part in that. Though I may not have been responsible for the decision to cover up Jimmy

way to get out in front, or get ahead. Multiply all the tiny little compromises we make every day; multiply the times we know we haven’t entirely acted with integrity, but no-one saw so who cares anyway; multiply this a thousand-fold and more, across any institution, and are you surprised that systemic failures result? What, then, are the sorts of banks, government, press, care services, media outlets that we want? We would hope for justice, integrity, fairness, a sense of what is right DQG ZURQJ 5HSRUWLQJ RQ WKH WRUULG 6DYLOH DŕŽ‰ DLU WKH HPL nent reporter John Simpson 6DYLOH‍ڑ‏V KRUULன F DFWLRQV QRU GHFODUHG RI WKH %%& ‍ڔ‏DOO ZH participated in illegal phone have is trust – and if we don’t hacking, I ponder my own have that then it’s a dangeractions in failing to stand up ous thing.â€? Though we may for a bullied classmate, or in legislate and regulate and glancing at someone else’s enquire and scrutinise to the private correspondence and nth degree in an attempt to choosing to keep reading. create structured institu%HFDXVH DW WKH KHDUW RI WKH tions which do our bidding, failings of our institutions is it is still our involvement in a whole collection of people, them that makes them what just like you and me, who they are. Perhaps the lessons don’t always tell the truth of these failings are not exbecause sometimes it costs clusively for our institutions, them status, money, privi- rather they are for society, lege to do so. It’s where be- for us. For whither you and I, ing true to your principles thus our institutions. (heck, even having principles), is not always the best 5$-$1 0$1,&.$9$6$*$0

be much poorer. No government, no democratic order; no police, no rule of law; no In case it has escaped your media, no free speech; no notice, the last year or two %%& IDU OHVV FXOWXUDO RXWSXW in the UK has brought a seno banks, no means to manries of shattering revelations DJH ன QDQFH about our institutions. The 2XU LQVWLWXWLRQV DUH SLO scandal of MPs’ expenses, lars in our culture and soalleged phone hacking by ciety. What do we do, then, journalists at some national when faced with such apparnewspapers, revelations of ent failings as we have, and EDQNV ன [LQJ WKH /,%25 UDW still are, witnessing? If we ing and then, most recently, don’t take the Samsonite apthe discovery that one of the proach, grow our hair long most beloved of television and in a show of strength presenters at the UK’s most push down the whole strucinternationally-renowned ture such that it collapses broadcaster was allegedly on top of us, what is our rea paedophile, including the course? Should we ask our fact that the story has not institutions to be better than, surfaced for decades. Not to demonstrably, they are: to mention the Newsnight deserve our society with greatbacle which rumbles on as I er integrity, accountability, write, as heads roll all over fairness, a better ethic and, WKH ŕŽ‹ RRU $QG WKH %%& WKH dare I say it, even a moral government, the police, print backbone? The outcry at all media, even the National that has happened indicates Health Service - all have that indeed this is exactly been implicated. what we expect. If, then, that It doesn’t need an enquiry is the case, how do we make (or an enquiry into an enit so? quiry) to uncover some of the There is another similarsimilarities between and thus ity between all these pillars connections in all this. What and the events that have do the police, the NHS, the shaken them. They are all print media, banks, the govinstituted by, run by and led HUQPHQW WKH %%& DOO KDYH LQ by human beings. That’s hucommon? Well, for one, withman beings as in people just out them our country would like you and me. There is a

Abigail Malortie

society and culture around them, or whether they are formed by it. If it is the result of human action that our culture and society has come into existence, and if in order to structure and give life and freedom in our society we have created institutions to govern us, to give us a voice, to look after our money, our artistic talent, our sick, our children and our safety then not only do we have a right to expect those institutions to do the job we have asked of them, but, perhaps more importantly, we have a responsibility to contribute to

Reclaiming the spirit of Chamberlain Examining how the full potential of cities other than London can be reached Jack Tindale

$ VSHFWUH LV KDXQWLQJ %ULWDLQ - the spectre of localism. It is somewhat of a buzz-word at the moment. In the post-war period, the term was almost solely the preserve of the ROG /LEHUDO 3DUW\ ZKLFK LV probably understandable for a party that had control of &RUQZDOO )LIH DQG YHU\ OLWWOH in between. Now however, it provides a level of utter fascination to the entire political mainstream, The Prime 0LQLVWHU‍ڑ‏V ‍ڔ‏%LJ 6RFLHW\‍ ڕ‏PD\ KDYH ŕŽ‹ RXQGHUHG OLPSO\ VLQFH being launched at the start of the 2010 General Election campaign, but the ethos KDV LQŕŽ‹ XHQFHG WKH ZKROH RI Whitehall from a party that had centralised greatly from the time of Ted Heath onwards. (TXDOO\ /DERXU KDV EHJXQ to regain a sense of the municipalism that formed the bedrock of the pre-war parW\ $W KLV FRQIHUHQFH VSHHFK this year, Mr Miliband spoke in frank terms of the need to EXLOG D ‍ڔ‏2QH 1DWLRQ‍ ڕ‏VHQVL bility amongst the activist

EDVH %ULWDLQ LV RQH RI WKH most centralised countries in Europe, and for cities and citizens to realise their full potential, they must be given the power to do so. This is not without historical precedent. In the PLG WK &HQWXU\ -RVHSK &KDPEHUODLQ D VXFFHVV ful businessman turned local politician, transformed WKH FLW\ RI %LUPLQJKDP ,Q an era of grinding poverty, ‍ڔ‏5DGLFDO -RH‍ ڕ‏DQG KLV SROLWL cal allies brought power and gas corporations into public ownership, established new schools and hospitals and encouraged the hypothecation of local tax rates into city KDOO FRŕŽ‰ HUV &KDPEHUODLQ UH mains the arguable founder of the localism within the United Kingdom, a fact that was pay homage to in Michael Heseltine’s report on industrial strategy, which has both a portrait and quoWDWLRQ E\ WKH 5DGLFDO SROLWL cian on the opening page. &KDPEHUODLQ QRWHG XSRQ entering Gladstone’s adminLVWUDWLRQ WKDW ‍ڔ‏XQOHVV , FDQ secure for the nation results

similar to those which have followed the adoption of my SROLF\ LQ %LUPLQJKDP LW ZLOO have been a sorry exchange to give up the town council for the cabinet.� Sadly, he somewhat failed in this endeavour, but his legacy of health and education boards, &KDPEHUV RI &RPPHUFH and urban redevelopment groups remains something WR EH SUL]HG :KHQ /DERXU introduced devolution in :DOHV DQG 6FRWODQG &KDP berlain may well have tolerated it more than he did the LGHD RI ,ULVK +RPH 5XOH EXW he would have certainly apSURYHG RI WKH IDFW WKDW /RQ GRQ %ULVWRO DQG /LYHUSRRO now have elected Mayoral authorities. It is a tragedy that the citizens of Manchester, NewFDVWOH /HHGV DQG PDQ\ RWKHU of England’s leading urban areas rejected the idea in the referenda held this May. Yet WKLV LV D WLPH RI ‍ڔ‏DQWL SROLWLFV‍ ڕ‏ and given that the government failed to sell the idea in terms of areas of control, it is perhaps to be expected. It is no reason for not giving

them another go. When given the option of an elected Mayor, many people tend to like WKHP HVSHFLDOO\ LI WKH\ RŕŽ‰ HU a means of breaking a singleparty stranglehold that stiŕŽ‹ HV WKH OLYHOLKRRG RI PDQ\ RI our cities. It would be hard WR LPDJLQH /RQGRQ ZLWKRXW D Mayor these days and in only twelve years, the capital has advanced further than it had in the sixty years between the retirement of Herbert Morrison and the ascension RI .HQ /LYLQJVWRQH Even if Mayors are eased in over the next decade rather than the next year, cities must be given more accountability through responsibility. $W SUHVHQW PDQ\ SHRSOH IHHO fundamentally ignored by their local council, but that can be expected when most responsibilities consist of simply re-distributing money given by local authorities, to Whitehall and back again. It is a highly inefficient means of running a community and one that demands reform. If councillors are able to actually make substantive policy and provided with the pow-

ers to make real decisions on tax rates, an upswing in the health of our cities will follow. There is no reason why %LUPLQJKDP FDQQRW EHFRPH WR %ULWDLQ ZKDW %DUFHORQD LV to Spain, Manchester can aspire to be Munich and Newcastle likewise with regards to Nice. The current political climate almost demands that %ULWDLQ‍ڑ‏V FLWLHV DUH DOORZHG WR ŕŽ‹ RXULVK OLNH WKHLU FRQWLQHQWDO peers, to ignore this would be to the intense detriment of the national zeal. /RFDO JRYHUQPHQW FDQ GR far more than simply empty WKH ELQV DQG ன OO LQ SRWKROHV It should be given the ability to integrate local transport, to operate science parks and to formulate development plans away from the hand of Whitehall. To achieve this would mean Ministers giving up more power than they have done for a century, but as the lessons of devolution have shown, giving autonomy to local people is not something that should be dismissed. The legacy of 5DGLFDO -RH LV VWLOO VRPHWKLQJ to cherish.

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Comment

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

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Comment

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

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Occupy won’t leave you a loan Why the Occupy movement is onto something with the launch of “Rolling Jubilee” MICHAEL FLESHMAN

Adam Wright

Earlier this October at the LSE, the American sociologist Todd Gitlin shared a stage with our very own Professor Craig Calhoun and discussed the legacy of the Occupy Movement. A movement which they both admitted had fizzled to the back pages just a year after it began. In his concluding remarks, Professor Gitlin argued for the evolution and progression of Occupy, stressing the need for others to build on the platform the movement had built, whilst warning against a recreation of the events. His calling has now been answered, as Occupy Wall Street launch their “Rolling Jubilee.” The Rolling Jubilee is a plan to buy distressed consumer debt from creditors at a lowered price. How? Debt collection agencies do this all the time. As part of the deregulation of finance since the 1980s, the buying and selling of distressed debt has been legalised. When a bank realises there is very little chance of them receiving the money they are owed, they will sell the debt for a knock-down price to someone else, normally a debt collector who will harass and aggravate the debtor.

The Rolling Jubilee plans result of the 2008 finan- clares “we are all in this to buy up this debt in a cial crisis, the government together.” If lenders block similar fashion, but instead cancelled a percentage of debt cancellation, they of harassing, they will mortgage debt instead of will be branded avaricious cancel the debt, with no bailing out their banks. and after the 2008 crisis, strings attached. This enThe Rolling Jubilee will the banker bonus culture tire scheme is being fund- come under scrutiny for and the Libor scandal, this ed through a donations a number of reasons, but is something most banks page on the Rolling Jubilee there is a lot of good that will want to avoid. It does website. Anonymous ac- will come from it. Occupy not matter to the banks counts are bundled togeth- Wall Street have managed who their debt is sold to. er and sold as The Central a whole, which Banks across means multiple Europe and “Debt is a serious, widespread problem. people’s debt America have 77.5 per cent of American households are c o n s t a n t l y can be bought currently in debt with one in seven together and bought debt then cancelled. from the priAmericans being pursued by a debt Occupy Wall vate sector collector. In the UK, 299 people are Street have and bailed declared insolvent or bankrupt every day, out financial proclaimed it according to Credit Action. That’s the “a bailout of institutions. the people, by The Rollequivalent to one person every four the people.” ing Jubilee is minutes and 49 seconds.” And they’re merely trying on to something. Debt to create a non-partisan to do the same for ordinary is a serious, widespread scheme that will help rid people. problem. 77.5 per cent of some of the vicious tools Should the Rolling JuAmerican households are used by debt collectors, bilee take off, there are currently in debt with one namely harassment, prop- some fears it could have an in seven Americans being erty seizure, garnishment adverse effect on inflation. pursued by a debt collec- of wages, denial of employ- But as long as wages rise tor. In the UK, 299 people ment and imprisonment. at the same pace, a little are declared insolvent or This will undoubtedly af- inflation is not necessarbankrupt every day, ac- fect people’s stress levels ily a bad thing. People do cording to Credit Action. as well, as the severity of not need to be in debt for That’s the equivalent to default is lessened. This an economy to be stable. one person every four min- in turn will create rising Some more short-sighted utes and 49 seconds. The demand, fueling employ- people may argue that Rolling Jubilee will seek ment, wages and economic cancelling debt merely reto reduce these figures, in expansion. wards the frivolous who America at least. And they It is a scheme which is spend beyond their means. can take some inspiration hard to attack politically But this is simply not the from Iceland, where as a as the Rolling Jubilee de- case. In America 62 per

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cent of all bankruptcies are caused by a medical illness and 40 per cent of all indebted households used credit cards to pay for basic living expenses. People are falling into debt because they cannot afford the necessities. Of course there are some who have spent more than they should, and the anonymity of the Rolling Jubilee may mean some of these consumers will have their debt cancelled. But the vast majority of recipients will be those who have got into debt through no fault of their own. Debt cancellation may still leave consumers with a poor credit rating, but there are creditors out there who will still lend to these individuals. My only concern with the Rolling Jubilee is that it appears to be a short term solution to a deep and structural problem within society. Perhaps as well as cancelling debt, the Rolling Jubilee should look into ways to help people avoid getting into debt in the first place. Questions may also arise over its status as a charity- is it really a legacy of the anticapitalist movement? Or is it merely propping up the exploitative nature of the system its creators supposedly set out to destroy?

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Cover Art COURTESY OF CYRIL RUELLE FLICKR

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Peter O'Toole in his iconic role as the titular T.E. Lawrence, and Omar Sharif in his star-making turn as Lawrence's friend, Sherif Ali.

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awrence of Arabia 'DYLG /HDQ‍ݰ‏V JUHDW HSLF LV IDPRXV IRU LWV H[SDQVLYH images of the Arabian Desert, populated with both large armies and solitary figures that become tiny dots on the hori]RQ 7KH ILOP RSHQV ZLWK D PR torcycle crash in the English FRXQWU\VLGH 7KH PDQ NLOOHG LQ WKH DFFLGHQW LV 7 ( /DZUHQFH 3HWHU 2‍ݰ‏7RROH ZRUOG IDPRXV for his military exploits in Arabia during the First World :DU $IWHU KLV IXQHUDO YDUL ous dignitaries, military men and journalists gather outside 6W 3DXO‍ݰ‏V &DWKHGUDO ZKLOH D young reporter searches for quotes to get a better underVWDQGLQJ RI /DZUHQFH :KLOH some claim knowledge of him, it is clear that nobody here reDOO\ NQHZ WKH PDQ And from there we are transported back in time WR PHHW WKH \RXQJ /LHXWHQ DQW /DZUHQFH MXVW EHIRUH he is sent to Arabia to aid a %HGRXLQ UHYROW DJDLQVW WKH 2W WRPDQ (PSLUH ,W LV WKH EHJLQ ning of one of the greatest adYHQWXUHV LQ DOO RI FLQHPD WKH VWRU\ RI D PDQ ZKR KDV QHYHU felt at home with his own people finding a new home among

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the disorientation and confusion experienced by Joan of $UF KHUVHOI 7KH SURFHHGLQJV of her trial are captured in such a way by cinematographer Rudolph MatÊ—who went on to make Hollywood classics such as Dodsworth, Gilda, That Hamilton Woman, To Be or Not to Be, and more—that the interrogators seemed montrous and grotesque, despite the otherwise realistic art diUHFWLRQ Maria Falconetti's naturalistic turn as the titular heroine has often been hailed—absoOXWHO\ MXVWL೉ DEO\‍ݍ‏DV WKH JUHDW HVW DFWLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH HYHU FDSWXUH RQ ೉ OP $OO RI -RDQ V VLQFHULW\ DQG LQQHU VXŕłˆ HULQJ are nuancedly expressed by Falconetti's surprisingly modHUQ DFWLQJ

The history of The Passion ZDV ORQJ DQG EUXWDO %XWFK ered by censors, the original QHJDWLYHV ZHUH HYHQ ORVW LQ D ೉ UH DW 8)$ SULRU WR UHOHDVH Dreyer himself had to reconVWUXFW WKH ೉ OP IURP DOWHUQDWH WDNHV /XFNLO\ WKH RULJLQDO FXW ZDV GLVFRYHUHG LQ D MDQLWRU V FORVHW LQ 2VOR 7KLV QHZ KL GHI restoration of the original master can possibly do Falconetti and Dreyer justice; 84 years ODWHU QR OHVV

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UHQFH‍ݰ‏V %HGRXLQ DOOLHV -DFN Hawkins and Anthony Quayle DV /DZUHQFH‍ݰ‏V VXSHULRU RI ficers, and Claude Rains as D F\QLFDO SROLWLFLDQ %XW WKH standout is Omar Sharif as 6KHULI $OL /DZUHQFH‍ݰ‏V FORVHVW ally and essentially his conVFLHQFH 7KH VXSSRUWLQJ FDVW is incredibly important beFDXVH ZKLOH ZH MRLQ /DZUHQFH on his journey, we rarely, if HYHU VHH HYHQWV WKURXJK KLV H\HV :H DUH DOZD\V ZDWFKLQJ him and trying to understand him, often from the perspecWLYHV RI WKH FKDUDFWHUV DURXQG KLP The set up at the funeral recalls films such as Orson :HOOHV‍ ݰ‏Citizen Kane and $NLUD .XURVDZD‍ݰ‏V Ikiru, in

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WKH %HGRXLQ %XW RI FRXUVH KH is still an outsider, so as he OHDGV WKH UHYROW DQG EHFRPHV its symbol, he sees himself not as one of the Arabs, but as WKHLU VDYLRU +H VD\V WKDW KH LV JRLQJ WR JLYH WKHP WKHLU IUHH GRP %XW WKLQJV DUH QRW WKDW simple (the parallels to AmeriFDQ HIIRUWV LQ ,UDT DQG $IJKDQ istan are striking; this may be WKH ILOP PRVW UHOHYDQW WR FRQ temporary politics that you VHH DOO \HDU DQG /DZUHQFH‍ݰ‏V journey to understanding the limits of his power is as perilous and important as the physical journeys he takes WKURXJK WKH GHVHUW 2‍ݰ‏7RROH‍ݰ‏V SHUIRUPDQFH is one of the most famous in ILOP KLVWRU\ DQG GHVHUYHGO\ VR :DWFKLQJ KLP DQG OLVWHQ ing to him, we can tell without KLP HYHU WHOOLQJ XV VR MXVW KRZ uncomfortable he is around KLV IHOORZ %ULWLVK VROGLHUV DW WKH EHJLQQLQJ $QG ZH FDQ tell how he becomes much more comfortable among the Arabs just through his way RI LQWHUDFWLQJ ZLWK KLV DOOLHV There are great performances throughout the film from Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal, AnWKRQ\ 4XLQQ DV RQH RI /DZ

which characters attempt to understand a man after his GHDWK :KLOH WKH VWUXFWXUH RI /DZUHQFH RI $UDELD GRHV QRW explicitly mirror these films WKHUH DUH QR LQWHUYLHZV VHW ting up separate flashbacks, no scenes based on one perVRQ‍ݰ‏V PHPRU\ WKLV RSHQLQJ establishes an emotional and thematic principle for the ILOP WKLV ZLOO EH DQ DWWHPSW WR WUXO\ XQGHUVWDQG D PDQ‍ݰ‏V OLIH 7KLV SULQFLSOH PHDQV WKDW Lawrence of Arabia is not just D ZRQGHUIXO YLVXDO H[SHULHQFH but also a fascinating characWHU VWXG\ %XW RI FRXUVH WKH YLVXDO experience is absolutely fanWDVWLF 7KH ILOP LV EHLQJ UH released with a new 4K digital restoration, and while at times the motion onscreen was so FULVS WKDW , PLVVHG WKH VOLJKW flutter of 70mm film print, it is impossible to deny the aweinspiring clarity and detail of WKH LPDJHV 6WLOO MXVW VHHLQJ LW on the big screen anyway is a fantastic experience, the best ZD\ WR VHH )UHGGLH <RXQJ‍ݰ‏V gorgeous cinematography and to hear the great score E\ 0DXULFH -DUUH 1R PDW WHU KRZ PDQ\ WLPHV \RX KDYH ZDWFKHG /DZUHQFH RI $UDELD RQ D 79 VFUHHQ \RX KDYH QRW truly seen it until you see it in D FLQHPD $QG LI \RX KDYH QHY er seen it before, what could be a better way to experience RQH RI WKH JUHDWHVW ILOPV HYHU made for the first time?

OUT ON DVD / BLU-RAY NOW RRP: ÂŁ18.37 / ÂŁ20.42 Director &DUO 7KHRGRU 'UH\HU Year Country )UDQFH

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MOMENTUM PICTURES

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16

20.11.2012 PartB

) BRAD MEHLDAU @ the barbican

or subdivisions is remarkable, always helping keep the tune fresh. Solos by Grenadier and Mehldau were both suitably restrained, resulting is what was a highly thoughtful rendition of McCartney’s composition. The trio display their astonishing ability to always remain faithful to a song; yet never did I feel their interpretation was predictable on any level. Remaining vaguely along the same lines was a bossanova take of ‘And I Love Her’, a 1964 Beatles tune. Ballard was particularly impressive again, never running out GLŕŽ‰ HUHQW ZD\V WR SOD\V WKH drums. It was here however that I begun to experience a strange division between what I was seeing and what I was hearing. Mehldau was visibly connected to the music, his head either held skywards or WXUQHG GRZQ WR WKH ŕŽ‹ RRU KLV back arching and writhing, but his solos remained lowkey, perhaps a bit lost. It felt as if he couldn’t change gear, despite the building groove

from bass and drums. My hopes were high for Mehldau when the trio launched into a Parker blues titled ‘Cheryl’. The rhythmic setup was superb, and Grenadier’s lightning technique came to the fore here in his VROR DFFRPSDQLHG DW ன UVW MXVW by drums. Again however Mehldau delivers a more subtle solo, a sort of drop-2 collection of chords that felt went a bit in circles. Not unpleasant, but not particularly pleasant either. It was here that Mehldau then picked up the microphone much to the delight of a packed Barbican Centre. His rhetoric however begun to make me slightly suspicious; his slightly jumbled thanks to be at the Festival reminded me of his marijuanafuelled episodes in his past. However the following song was to be the highlight of the entire hour and a half set. Mehldau’s own composition ‘Ten Tune’ was highly reminiscent of the trio’s cover of Radiohead’s ‘Exit Music (For

BRAD MEHLDAU

P

erformances from jazz giants like Brad Mehldau always carry such a great sense of an ‘event’. The last time I saw Brad Mehldau he was supported by the Britten Symphonia for the European premiere of Highway Rider. Two years on from that Mehldau’s legendary status is as secure as always, but after his latest gig for this years London Jazz Festival I was left wondering why. Although it was certainly an enjoyable concert, Mehldau, and Mehldau alone, seemed to be far more introverted and understated than expected. The trio opened with a tune by one of their most loved artists, Paul McCartney’s ‘Great Day’, with its relaxed groove engineered by Mehldau’s longWLPH SDUWQHUV -HŕŽ‰ %DOODUG RQ drums and Larry Grenadier on bass. Ballard begun with his hands, reminding us how he is a percussionist is every sense of the word. Switching eventually to sticks, his ability to punctuate the groove with sudden exclamations, rubato

a Film)’, and its hypnotic, cyclical descending chord progression absorbed the listener. Mehldau’s arpeggiated left hand and subdivided melody in the right was enthralling - think Beethoven meets ReLFK *UHQDGLHU ERZHG ŕŽ‹ XWWHU ing trills (using a bow from one of the audience members no less) and Ballard skittered and dashed around the cymbals, using the other ends of his brushes. The piece gradually evolved to dramatically leave the piano to explore on its own. It was here I hoped for the resurgence of the Mehldau I had been waiting for the whole gig. He certainly gave his best solo of the night here, exploring the full scale of the piano, hands crossing over each other in his signature style. Mehldau is one of those pianists who still knows how to use the piano as a piano. The interlude took ‘Ten Tune’ on a a remarkable adYHQWXUH OLNH 5DFKPDQLQRŕŽ‰ RQ acid. Grenadier and Ballard looked on with admiration and

respect, and the conclusion of the solo got the biggest audience reception of the night so far. 7KH ன IWK VRQJ RI WKH FRQ cert was bluesy-ballad version of ‘Since I Fell For You’. It’s pretty incredible the range of sounds this trio can produce; too often a piano trios stay within their comfort zones. There was great tenderness LQ ZKDW ZRXOG EH WKHLU ன QDO piece of the evening, and a solo which featured extreme reharmonization from Mehldau helped bring the evening to a simmering, gently bubbling conclusion. Three encoes followed. A I-IV vamp somewhere along the line made you feel like you were at a Keith Jarrett concert for a split second. Their third DQG ன QDO UHWXUQ WR WKH VWDJH was a particularly free version of Coltrane’s’ ‘Countdown’. Despite astounding work by bass and drums, Mehldau was again reluctant to really go for it – this was no Art of the Trio Volume III rendition by any means. Too many of Mehldau’s improvisational passages climaxed with octave melodies prodding vaguely around. Mehldau’s highly lackadaisical movement on stage, and IRUJHWWLQJ KRZ WR JHW RŕŽ‰ VWDJH twice during encores, perhaps FRQன UPHG ZKDW , GLGQ‍ڑ‏W ZDQW to know. In my view at least the encores were for the legacy and reputation of Brad and the trio, not so much for the evening’s performance. By no means was the gig a disappointment, but a short listen to any record of the trio’s highly impressive discography would highlight the lack of energy and guts that has elevated the group to jazz royalty. If Brad had been more in the zone (more sober?), it could have been a unmitigated triumph, but when you look at the level of jazz being put on at the London Jazz Festival 2012 alone, even jazz royalty FDQQRW DŕŽ‰ RUG WR GURS WKH EDOO

THE PULSE LIST Each week we catch up with a PuLSE DJ and see what they have to say for themselves.

and, mostly by accident, some listeners may be compelled to dance.

ASA THOMAS Noble 21st c. Industrialist

3 TRACKS WE WILL HEAR:

Thursdays 8-10pm www.pulse.co.uk

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?

ONE REASON TO TUNE IN? Because every Thursday evening needs a freaky soundtrack.

IF YOU WERE A TUBE STATION WHCIH ONE WOULD YOU BE AND WHY?

Elephant and Castle. Vast abandoned council estate around the corner. And corsica studios.

Ɖ Emir Nader

DEMDIKE STRIKE

The aim is to drag people into the sometimes uncomfortable depths of noisy music, drill into their heads the sound of a relentless kick drum, provide some ocasional ambient relief,

1) Learn Your Lesson - British Murder Boys. Probably the most iconic incarnation of british industrial techno. The recently reunited pairing of Surgeon and Regis know how to push it. 2) I Come By Night - Shed. A show will not pass without the sounds of Berlin technodon Shed appearing someZKHUH 7KLV FXW LV RŕŽ‰ KLV QHZ album. 3) Forest of Evil (Dawn) Demdike Stare.

7KH HQGOHVVO\ SUROLன F 0DQ chester group are doing something that no one else is and their doing it well. Expect to hear their ominous ambiance gracing the show.

Demdike Strike sleeve by Andy Votel.

Ɖ Tom Barnes

17

The Beaver 20.11.2012

! A CHAT W/THE CHAPMAN FAMILY WHY DO YOU MAKE MUSIC?

THE CHAPMAN FAMILY

O

n June 18th The Chapman Family of Teesside released their newest offering: Cruel Britannia. The Beaver popped down to the Old Blue Last on Bonfire night to see them in the flesh have a go at convincing us of their take on modern Britain and after the show we caught up with the singer Kingsley for a few words. The Family greeted the audience with a truly apocalyptic opening. Clad in allblack (that never-failing attire of a band haunted by a dark cloud), we were treated to just over an hour of tightly-strung aggression that accorded with the darkness and subversion of Bonfire night. Having spent my formative years listening to end-

less bands over-indulging in guitar effects it takes a lot to impress when a band tries to breath life in to this type of ensemble. The Chapman Family were able, however, to strike that very elusive balance of well-employed distortion and restraint; the ability to say ‘no’ is an artist’s hardest challenge but if met, it really augments the frenetic - ‘no darkness without light’ and all that. It is promising for The Chapman Family that the tracks that cut-through the strongest live were from their newest release Cruel Britannia. During ‘No More Tears’, Kingsley cut a resolute figure through the chaos on-stage with a conviction that few front-men command as the guitar-player released blood-

curdling screams behind; it made for fantastic watching. This passion that coursed through every song and every band member brought sincerity to their interpretation of modern Britain and it distinguishes them from other guitar-band peers. Testament to this was the size of the crowd they managed to draw on a Monday night and who, by the end of the show, were as infected by this energy as those on-stage. The denouement of the performance was a cacophony of noise and a salute that was fitting for a band that sounds like a salvo of every frustration you have ever had. I met Kingsley Chapman, singer of The Chapman Family afterwards to have a short chat:

In the beginning when we were starting off, every band in the North, Midlands etc. wanted to sound like Pete Doherty. Now I’ve got nothing against The Libertines, I quite like them, but when you’ve got people from the North-East or Scotland pretending they’re from London with a f*cking trilby on I just found it embarrassing, I didn't like it. I was sick of it and I thought ‘I’ve never been in a band I wouldn’t mind trying it because I’m bored of what I’m watching, try and make something I would enjoy doing and hopefully other people would enjoy too’ – It wasn’t an ego thing about wanting to make f*cking pop records.

THE CHAPMAN FAMILY HAVE SUCH A STRONG MESSAGE, DID THIS JUST NATURALLY FOLLOW OR WAS IT MORE PLANNED?

I’ve always been interested in why people aren’t concerned about things, about this huge apathy that’s overriding not just the country, but the Western world. You ask people ‘did you vote’ and they say ‘oh I don’t get involved it doesn’t make any difference’, they’re more concerned with voting for X Factor or even being a popstar and the whole thing just seems empty of meaning.

WHAT DO THE CHAPMAN FAMILY BRING, I.E. IF YOU DIDN'T EXIST WHAT

WOULD BE MISSING? WHY DO YOU BOTHER?

Haha, I’m not sure… We’ve certainly had a lot of opportunities over the last four years to not bother, getting music industry types telling you ‘you are a load of sh*t’. Then having a bit of steam, and then the steam fades away. If we weren’t doing this, I’d probably just turn in to a Facebook moaner; the band gives me an excuse to do it

DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE BEING A BAND IN THE NORTH? IS IT A HELP OR A HINDRANCE?

I think it works both ways. In one sense, coming down and playing in the South people look at you like you’re some Victorian curiosity, like ‘look its those weirdoes from the North who speak funny and they act funny’. But it helps not being in London, I can't think of anything worse than being here and trying to be part of a music scene because it passes so quickly and it doesn’t give bands a chance to develop. So, away from that big scene mentality you don’t sucked in to any of the bollocks. That’s why in Teesside no band is like another, there’s room to breath.

IN A SENTENCE, WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE CHAPMAN FAMILY? Yeah, just give a shit. Try harder.

े Emir Nader

MAURIZIO CATTELAN MAURIZIO CATTELAN

H

ailed simultaneously as the contemporary art world‘s court jester, provocateur and prankster, Maurizio Cattelan has created disconcertingly realistic artwork that aims at revealing contradictions at the core of today‘s society. While defiant and insolent, the work is also deadly serious in its withering critique of authority, nationalism and the abuse of power. The Whitechapel Gallery currently offers the rare opportunity to view selected

pieces of Cattelan‘s work from the Sandretto Re Rebaugengo Foundation Milan, many not seen in the UK for 20 years. Despite focussing on Cattelan‘s early artistic creations the exhibition at the Whitechapel displays a comprehensive panoply of the artist‘s main concerns that thread much of his work - his Italian identity and the country‘s ever-shifting political as well as social landscape, the dogma of death and his striking selfeffacement. Although an ironic humour pervades much of his work, a profound meditation on mortality forms the core of Cattelan‘s practice. His most famous piece Bidibidobidiboo (1996) features a taxidermied squirrel that has committed suicide in a miniature kitchen modelled on the one Cattelan grew up in. With no glass separating the viewer from the scene it feels more engaging and inevitably prompts an inquiry into the reasons for its tragic death. His recurring use of taxidermy, which symbolises a state of apparent life on actual death, encapsulates the artist‘s acerbic wit and his

melancholic worldview. Cattelan claims that his art merely functions as a mirror to society without providing any commentary or judgement. It simply reflects, he asserts, what he witnesses around him. 'I actually think that reality is far more provocative than my art...If you think my work is very provocative, it means that reality is extremely provocative, and we just don‘t react to it. Maybe we no longer pay attention to the way we live in the world.. We are anesthetized'. Despite his alleged indifferent attitude, Cattelan‘s work provides substantial critique of political events, in particular with regard to Italy‘s fascist leanings and xenophobic tendencies in the past. A photograph entitled Cesena 47 (1991) at the Whitechapel draws attention to racism in Italian football featuring an elongated football table with eleven white players on one side and North African migrants on the other. The African players are wearing shirts sponsored by a fictional transport company called RAUSS (following a Nazi Slogan that means ‘get

out’). Maurizio Cattelan, the Shakespearian fool, has often been concerned with crises of the self, boldly epitomised in a series of sculptural vignettes that promote his image as an Everyman, yet playing the part of the prankster. We are the Revolution (2000) - his shrunk wax effigy hanging from a clothes hook parodies the role of the artist as a saviour. Despite teasing the art world and challenging the limits of contemporary societal values by means of irony and humour, Cattelan never cherished the illusion of subverting a system of which he is part. His most startling projects—a cycle of lifelike waxworks and taxidermied animals—all play a role in a ‘personal theatre of the absurd’: policemen flipped upside down, the Pope felled by a meteorite, a taxidermied elephant wearing the characteristic robe of the Ku Klux Klan, an effigy of Adolf Hitler in the scale of a young boy kneeling down in a pose of deference. The scale of the solo-exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery may be disappointing at first sight, yet all eight

pieces on display provide a comprehensive overview of Cattelan‘s major core themes and merit a visit. There have not been many shows displaying his work and there is little hope that the retired artist is going to have any upcoming exhibitions in the future, not least because Cattelan is something of a nightmare for curators. Maurizio Cattelan‘s works are part of some of the most important public and private collections worldwide such as the Guggenheim Museum, MOMA, Ludwig Museum Cologne and the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and Chicago. Since the early 1990s Cattelan managed to imbue his work with an unsettling discomfort that goes deeper than the obvious dark humour, constantly challenging the paradoxes of transgression and the limits of tolerance. The exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery is only a small reminder of Cattelan‘s ingenious work and audacity to challenge society‘s paradigms.

Erika Arnold

18

20.11.2012 PartB

0 NSFW

ROYAL COURT THEATRE

L

ucy Kirkwood’s punchy new play NSFW is a fast, unsettling but nonetheless deeply comedic satire of the cut-throat media world. In the wake of the Leveson enquiry and, as such, at a time when there has been question about the normative role of the media in terms of privacy and responsibility, NSFW feels hugely relevant. NSFW has a strong feminist undercurrent, although Kirkwood’s superb writing also pumps a number of other interesting issues into the fore. The ideas in the play are not revolutionary, but they are dynamic and presented with sparkle. The title of the play refers to the acronym, Not Safe (or

suitable) For Work—referring to material which you would not want to be caught viewing by your boss. The title manages to nod towards two of the main themes of the play; the primary, more obvious one, why much of what is presented in lads and woman’s magazines is deemed suitable for work. Then secondly, it draws attention to the sudden multitude of graduates, in primarily the creative industries, who are essentially Not Suitable (read over-qualified) For the Work they are doing. Both these ideas are obviously substantial, and as such the play covers a lot in 80 minutes. Arguably, the play’s main problem is a lack of time; the

subsequent pace of the play is slightly overwhelming. The script is, however, sharply written and enveloped in comedy (massively propelled by the stand-out performances of Sacha Dawan and Janie Dee)consequently these criticisms should be taken with a pinch of salt. The first half of NSFW presents the office of a Nut’s style lad’s mag, ‘Doghouse’, a magazine that (presumably) delights its readers with Man Challenges, man jokes and… boobs. All this is considered light-hearted ‘banter’ until Doghouse publishes a picture of the new winner of their Local Lovely competition, a buxom (and obviously topless) 18 year old who likes ‘Twilight books and theme parks’. Unfortunately, shortly after her framed picture is proudly hung up in the office, there is a call from her father. He informs the magazine that this particular Local Lovely is in fact 14, the photos were taken by her 15 year old boyfriend— who also took the liberty of signing the consent forms for her—and as such, said father will be taking legal action. The ‘Doghouse’ (geddit?) part of the play is funny and undeniably probes our understanding of when objectification of women is ‘acceptable’. Unfortunately, however, this was somewhat let down by the actors choosing to overplay the comedy somewhat. Despite this, Sacha Dhawan and Esther Smith were both brilliant in cleverly portraying bright, young, would-be intellectual journalists struggling with their involvement with Doghouse. The set is then brilliantly transformed from the bachelor-pad-esque Doghouse of-

fice, to a sleek, chic office of women’s magazine, ‘Electra’. Although the Doghouse office is openly crass, (Local Lovely pinned on the wall), it also manages to be lived in and playful, not taking itself too seriously. In stark contrast, the women’s office is stylish but the minimalism feels almost severe, in a way that made it seem cold and harsh. The set designer, Tom Pye, has done more than created a clever transformation, he has somehow managed to encapsulate the essence of Lucy Kirkwood’s polemic. Indeed, the second half of the play suggests that although we are fully aware that men’s magazines are often sexist in their objectification of sexuality and the female body, women’s magazines are often the hidden, but equally culpable, offenders. This is, of course, not a revelation—particularly to feminists—but definitely an interesting point to be emphasised. Sam (Sacha Dhawan) turns up for an interview at Electra, having been fired from Doghouse, and is asked to look at ‘beach shots’ of famous women and identify their physical flaws. Janie Dee as the editor of Electra is brilliant and easily steals the show managing

to be hilarious and maniacal in equal measure. In explaining Electra’s manifesto to Sam she frequently references the ‘feminist agenda’ of the magazine and explains (deadpan) that the magazine cares ‘about achieving a two state solution in the Middle East and we think female genitalia mutilation is out of order but actually you know that’s not all we think about, and is that a crime?...We love shoes! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!’ Kirkwood’s script perfectly captures the way women’s magazines patronise both their readers, and the ‘real issues’ they occasionally touch on. NSFW is a witty and absorbing play. The second act is arguably more thoughtful: the idea of women’s magazines appropriating a once positive notion that ‘nobody’s perfect’ to mean it is possible, and necessary to find flaw in all females, I found particularly interesting. Kirkwood’s writing is excellent, and although the acting sometimes fails to stand up to it, the play as a whole is highly entertaining. Tickets are selling fast so get one if you can!

Jess Austin

THE ROYAL COURT until 24th November 2012 Written by Lucy Kirkwood Directed by Simon Godwin Starring Julian Barratt, Sacha Dhawan, Janie Dee, Esther Smith 80 minutes

5 AS THE FLAMES ROSE... fore to create an overarching notion of the fragility of existence—the impermanent, nonsensical and ridiculous nature of it all. Arana moans her confusion about having to act as a mere mouthpiece for a ‘house of blood and bones’; what follows is a stylish and mature exposition of the relationship between mind and body that leads to a raging condemnation of human activity. We find ‘meaning’ in books, TV, bars and the rest

As the Flames Rose we Danced to the Sirens, the Sirens (Sleepwalk Collective) BARBICAN CENTRE Performed by Iara Solano Arana Directed by Sammy Metcalfe 60 minutes

but it means nothing because we are each of us certain to die. To evade death opens the door to meaning but the desire for immortality develops into something of a wicked salvation for Arana. The permanence of an old movie is an appealing prospect and she frantically longs to become part of it, to have ‘an image to fall into’. To be black and white appears to provide an answer to the monotonous not to mention temporary alternative but it’s elusiveness results in her hysterical demise. Arana had no need for her didactic opening. I believed her when she laughed and I believed her when she cried in a masterful piece of thoughtprovoking theatre wild and gritty enough to give the impression of a genuine séance— if you believe in ghosts, that is.

Laurence Vardaxoglou

THE ROUNDHOUSE

FUTURA TITTAFERRANTE

I

ara Solano Arana entreats the audience to believe her, to imagine she is crying ‘for real’ if she cries and to imagine she is laughing ‘for real’ if she laughs as she assumes the role of an anonymous ethereal seductress in a mesmerising solo performance at the Barbican Centre. A founding member of Basque experimental theatre group Sleepwalk Collective, not much can be seen of Arana on stage—only parts of her body illuminated in an eerie light – but her voice scratches clear over Esme Squalor’s un-

settling score as she delivers a series of beautifully written and striking monologues. Each one dainty and sombre at the same time in a script bordering on the surreal but laced with enough eloquently put truths to keep it grounded: ‘a real lover is he who knows your tricks but still sees the magic in it’ is just one example. As Arana flickers between worlds and characters the absurdity of life and her affinity with death come to the

PREVIEW The show that took London by storm and re-opened the Roundhouse in 2006 is back by popular demand for a strictly limited four-week run. Featuring mind blowing visual effects that must be seen to be believed—the iconic image of a man bursting full throttle through a series of moving walls, an incredible scene in a watery world suspended just inches above the audience— Fuerzabruta is a theatrical experience that floods the senses. Fuerzabruta is on at The Roundhouse 27th December – 26th January. For tickets: www.roundhouse.org. uk / 0844 482 8008

19

The Beaver 20.11.2012

6 THE FISH TALES OF ALASKA

A

THE YARD THEATRE

simple story in a much more complex context, The Fish Tales of Alaska tells the account of a fisherman’s wife’s loss of her husband to the ocean because of his pillaging of the seas’ resources. Far from a typical piece of theatre, the cast of six women act as mere additions to a precreated wash of mixed media and sound, including documentary, animation and video montage. Indeed the beautiful original score, created by artists of Goodbye Leopold, really stood out; a mix of soft, New Age, electronic music layered with folky vocals helped to create a continuity throughout the piece with unintelligible lyrics providing anaphoric references to subtle points of interest earlier in the piece. The use of pre-recorded video, particularly documentary, complemented the cast’s movement; movement which represented both the sea and fish in an intimate way, embodying the beauty, power and change of the ocean—and

man’s relationship with it. Stories told by those featured in the documentary clips added to a basic story told by the only vocal actor and allowed the narrative to be much more multifaceted. This provoked the audience to consider their personal experience or views on environmental change. The Yard itself is a curious space found by passing through metal fences and car parks but this raw perfor-

mance space was worth the mini-ordeal. An exposed light and sound team high in a wooden structure, set within a converted garage, creates the sense of being on a boat—fitting, then, for the bombardment of marine-based imagery and sound that was to follow. Although executed with creative beauty and integrity on the part of the performers there was an inherent flaw to The Fish Tales of Alaska—the

7 A WINTER’S TALE

LANDOR THEATRE

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oward Goodall’s latest music venture A Winter’s Tale is certainly a successful one. Adding to his ever-growing collection of musicals, Goodall has set about tackling one of Shakespeare’s later works, The Winter’s Tale, and the consequent product reminds us how capable a composer he really is. With book by Nick Stimson, the overall production comes Rŕłˆ YHU\ VHOI DVVXUHG DQG DE sorbing, if a little too conservative all round. From the moment you sit down, you are immersed in a strange new world; the icy FDOP RI 6LFLOLD UHೊ HFWHG LQ 6D rah Weltman’s subtle sound design along with the highly Hŕłˆ HFWLYH OLJKWLQJ RI +RZDUG Hudson. It sets the scene for what is a largely dark, broodLQJ DQG WKRXJKWIXO ೉ UVW DFW DQG WKH ೉ UVW PXVLFDO QXPEHU ‘Allies!’ is performed with great focus and conviction by the cast of 18, creating a

stirring opening. Cressida CarrÊ’s highly thoughtful choreography perfectly toes the line between a full stage and an overcrowded one—a commendable feat in a tiny space such as the Landor Theatre. Pete Gallagher’s portrayal of King Leontes is a true highlight. He towers, quite literally, above the rest of the cast to deliver various paranoid episodes with great intensity, displaying astonishing dynamism in the role. Alistair Brookshaw undoubtedly does Polixines justice, working particularly well with Gallagher; and Helena Blackman as Paulina gives the strongest vocal performance of the night—instantly bringing the audience onside as she proves to be a vital support for Ekatarina. The two women are perhaps most poignant during ‘The Trial of Queen Ekatarina’ whereby the Queen’s laments her situation; she sings of how “the hangman’s noose would

be more a hell than thisâ€?. The dramatic change of mood in Act Two was very well received, driving the performance forward, as the opening act was beginning to verge on monotony. Such was their precision and focus in Act One, your eyes fell almost always on the leads, yet in our new setting—a sunny, rural Bohemia—we experience a few small surprises. Fra Free as Florizel, son of Polixines, and Abigail Matthews playing Perdita, are particularly convincing as a couple—’When You Sing’ was a particularly sweet song. A host of lighter songs inject healthy doses of humour into A Winter’s Tale; ‘Sheep’ and ‘Found On a Beach’ providing to be real ZLQQHUV ZLWK VSHFL೉ F HPSKD sis on Ciaran Joyce’s performance as a thief of impeccable comedic timing and Denis Delahunt whom you can’t help but fall in love with. The latter VRQJ LV SHUKDSV *RRGDOO‍ݰ‏V ೉ Q

concept. Rather than being at the centre of the performance, it was isolated in a way that made it seem as though the

(very pressing) issue of environmental change and marine exploitation was added as an afterthought—to give an unmistakably beautiful piece of art greater substance perhaps. As such the point felt contrived: rather than leaving with a sense of concern for our exploited oceans, new or reinvigorated, I could only appreciate the great skill exhibited in performance and visual art. It is unfortunate that I couldn’t help but feel a concern that The Fish Tales of Alaska trivialises one of humanity’s biggest challenges.

Michelle Warbis

THE YARD THEATRE until 24th November Created by the Unhidden Collective Directed by Olivia Preye Bradbury Multimedia by Donshades

est lyrical moment, yet it takes us as far as possible from the ೉ UVW DFW 7KH UHVROXWLRQ DQG end of the play therefore feels rather sudden, but even so the highlight of the entire piece comes at the awakening of the statue. It was a very carefully handled scene, although I wish it would have just lasted that bit longer. However, relying just on excellent performances is not enough to compell a good show to a great one. Andrew Keate’s direction, along with Goodall’s score lack scope for personal interpretation, and as a result surprises are too few and far in between. Once our winter world was established, events unfolded mostly as would be expected, and one yearns for a few more risks, particularly in Act One. Clearly there are touching moments in Goodall’s music, and many of the songs are successful in their intention, but there is an absence of anything strikingly fresh and so at times the play IHHOV VOLJKWO\ ೊ DW A mention must be had for the highly impressive work of

musical director George Dyer. His masterful watch over the four-piece band provided a rock-solid accompaniment WR WKH KLJKO\ SUR೉ FLHQW FDVW Dyer must also be commended for his work with the cast: the choral moments, although not particularly challenging harmonically, are practically ೊ DZOHVV ZLWK H[FHOOHQW FODU ity and balance. Moreover, the band superbly navigates what is a fairly diverse score, and UHೊ HFWV WKH SOD\‍ݰ‏V G\QDPLFV extremely well. One can understand why Howard Goodall had wanted to adapt this play for so long, and the creative team have been successful in telling the tale. A particularly strong cast, along with some truly mesmerising leads, is what really stands out with this production, and for that alone A Winter’s Tale is a joy to watch and worth seeing. However when it comes to the legacy and impact of the piece on new British theatre, I am a bit more doubtful.

Tom Barnes

LANDOR THEATRE until 1st December 2012 Music and Lyrics by Howard Goodall Book by Nick Stimson Directed by Andrew Keates Starring Pete Gallagher, Alastair Brookshaw Helen Power, Helena Blackman, Christopher Blades 120 minutes

20

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21

The Beaver 20.11.2012

2 CABANA

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Overall, there was a good combination of healthy, fatty and unique recipes for customers to try. Upon ordering our food, we were given an innovative card that was to be used to gain staff’s attention. On one side was a green “thumbsup� and on the other, a red “thumbs-down�. If we wanted food, drink, or just a chat, we just had to place our card green side-up. That we did, and within seconds we had a waiter by our side ready to answer any questions. Soon enough, the food arrived. I opted for the Malagueta half chicken, which definitely gave Nando’s a run for its money. Less of the PeriPeri and more of the spicy chilli sauce, it was a welcome change from the usual chain restaurant food. The chicken was delicious, well cooked and tender, just as you would want. The accompanying sweet potato fries were equally well made, although incredibly moreish at times. Possibly the best thing about the meal was the accompanying cocktails—Cabana take traditional cocktails and put their own Brazilian spin on them. Cabana Colada was delicious, but Red Tail Parrot was by far and large our favourite cocktail of the night; creamy and sweet with the perfect alcoholic kick. Meanwhile, our waiter kept coming by for a chat and to discuss Plato’s analogy of the Cave: the personalised service we were given made the night

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or all of our American friends it is Thanksgiving on Thursday so we here wanted to help celebrate. We understand that shopping is a very important part of the Thanksgiving experience, so to help you battle the hordes here are some Thanksgivinginspired cocktails! Now you can both celebrate Thanksgiving in style and manage the crowds down at K-Mart with ease.

COCKTAIL CORNER win tickets to a swanky party. best food article wins. EMAIL

3 1 1 5 3

This perfected a magical evening of tasty and different food, a vibrant atmosphere and fantastic service from the team. Although the prices may not look friendly on a student loan budget, it is a more than reasonable price for taking someone on a hot date or having an evening out with a friend, at around £15 per head. Cocktails weren’t cheap by all means, but in London, £6.25 for a cocktail is not bad at all, especially when you’re

drinking them in such a lively and exotic location such as Cabana. If you want to try something different and go out for more than a meal—a memorable evening—by all means head to Cabana. This new restaurant runs like clockwork and will attend to all your culinary needs and desires. Nona Buckley-Irvine

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THANKSGIVING 101

parts Gin dash Grenadine splash Passion Fruit Syrup blackberries grapes

59 ml Wild Turkey 101 Proof Bourbon Cranberries Sprig of rosemary

148 ml Apple Cider 30 ml Rum

Serve Wild Turkey over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Combine in a warmed mug. Garnish with a dash of nutmeg, allspice or cinnamon. Curl up LQ IURQW RI WKH ಟ UH

Muddle the syrups and fruit together in a shaker. Add ice and the gin, shake and pour into a rocks glass.

GRIMM

WEDNESDAY 10PM WATCH

Police drama with a fantastical twist based on the original works of the Brothers Grimm. Monroe investigates a robbery at a church.

ELEMENTARY

WEDNESDAY 8PM SKY LIVING

(Another) spin on Sherlock Holmes, with Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Watson; and this time in New York City, USA!

THE PILGRIM’S STONE WALL

Beaver Bartender

TELLY RECS

CBS

FOOD@THEBEAVERONLINE.CO.UK BEFORE THURSDAY (22 NOV) FOR YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE A MICHELIN STAR MEAL WORTH ÂŁ200 FOR FREE!

even more special. Around us, everyone seemed to be having a great time in the lively yet personal atmosphere. Frozen yoghurt was one of the best offerings on the dessert menu, with the opportunity to add toppings ranging from Smarties to nuts—perhaps a more sophisticated version of Pizza Hut’s Ice Cream Factory for those with a sweet tooth. The rest of the menu was fairly limited but with excellent ideas such as Cabana Cheesecake. By that time, we were stuffed to the brim from the main menu and were instead offered more drinks by the restaurant, which we gladly opted to go for. By the end of the meal, we were considerably happier and merrier than when we had initially arrived, tired and depressed from a day of essay writing! When we were about to leave, we thought that the night was over. We were wrong. Our waiter, Maw, told us he had something for us. He brought over a small basket of different covered ribbons with a Brazilian phrase printed on, and told us that if we tied these ribbons around our wrist and made three knots, we could make a wish for each of the knots. We had to keep the ribbon around our wrist until they fell off naturally, and then put the ribbon under running water for our wishes to come true. Of course, we loved this idea and Maw even wrapped the ribbons around our wrists for us.

CABANA

ute, quirky and fun: three buzzwords that could certainly be used to describe Cabana, the new Brazilian street-food style restaurant chain that lays claim to branches in Westfield (West and East) and Covent Garden. Upon arrival, we were guided straight away to a cosy booth, complete with candlelight, to add to the vibrancy of the dÊcor. Seated along the restaurant terrace, my friend and I were struck by the cooler-than-cool aesthetics: styled in true Brazilian fashion with bright lights, colourful flags and denim jean sofas. Almost instantly we were greeted by a very friendly waiter, who took the time to find out where and what we studied and took time to engage us in philosophical discussion later on. Showing us the menu, he listed every single vegetarian option to my non-meat eating friend. Although she did not need to be told that fries and onion rings were part of the vegetarian menu, this helpfulness and attentiveness added to a unique dining experience. The menu did, however, lack vegetarian options, with their flagship skewers having only one nonmeat meal. For meat eaters, there was a feast of things to try: chicken wrapped in bacon skewers, steak, turkey‌ the list goes on. Culinary quirkiness at Cabana definitely worked: it was a unique, different, fun menu to try something a bit unusual, whilst not requiring too daring a spirit.

HUGH’S THREE GOOD THINGS SUNDAY 2.35PM CHANNEL 4

Marathon catch-up of the food show. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall frolicking in the countryside with pigs and vegetables —what’s not to love?

THINK YOU COULD BE THE NEXT KATE MOSS OR DAVID GANDY? The LSE SU Fashion Society

is looking for models for our Annual Charity Fashion Show that will take place in Week 5 of Lent Term. Taking part in the show is an amazing opportunity to try out something new and unique, make new friends and simply have fun! We will ask you to show us your walk, and take a few VQDSVKRWV LW LV GH೉ QLWHO\ nothing to be intimidated by! Girls, make sure to bring high heels (stilettos only please no boots or wedges). Join us on the 20th of November at the Underground (below the 3 Tuns) between 12 and 3pm!

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20.11.2012 | The Beaver

THE WORLD WAITS, MS. PUTIN-DAY Ginger Whoreby

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Features

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

Reading between the headlines Nicholas Robin discusses media ethics following the recent scandals presenter, however, has plunged the organisation into a crisis that has been seized upon by the Corporation’s enemies. Newsnight and the BBC clearly do have questions to answer over the disastrous editorial decisions on Savile and the subsequent story wrongly linking a Member of the House of Lords to sex abuse in a children’s home. Nevertheless, the BBC has accepted responsibility for its mistakes and has moved relatively swiftly to demonstrate its accountability to the public. The editor of Newsnight resigned, the Head of News has been suspended and the DirectorGeneral George Entwhistle stood down, just a few hours after he was given a humiliating roasting by interviewer John Humphrey’s on BBC Radio Four’s Today programme. In contrast, when the tabloid press made false accusations against reWLUHG WHDFKHU &KULV -HŕŽ‰HUies following the murder of Jo Yeates in 2010, not one newspaper editor resigned. 0U -HŕŽ‰HULHV ZDV VXEMHFWHG to a two-week media witchhunt, after the press seemingly decided he was guilty on the basis of his appearance. His face was plastered his face all over the front pages, branding him a

‘sexually perverted voyeur’ linked to paedophiles. Accountability at News Corporation after the phone hacking scandal was not much better. Sun editor Rebekah Brooks hung on and on even after it was revealed that the paper had paid police, corrupted ofனFLDOV DQG KDFNHG LQWR WKH voicemail of terrorist victims and murdered school children. She eventually resigned but only after overwhelming pressure from an outraged public. Sky News did not put awkward questions to executives Rupert or James Murdoch on air in the way the BBC routinely does when it is accused of wrongdoing. The tabloids and the BBC both claim to represent the public, so why is there such D JDSLQJ GLŕŽ‰HUHQFH LQ WKHLU accountability when things go wrong? Unlike the BBC’s – which is governed by the rules and structures set out in its Royal Charter - the press has historically been completely self-regulated and only subject to direct regulation on libel, defamation and the reporting of court proceedings. The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) was supposed to regulate press standards and adjudicate on complaints according to an Editorial Code of Prac-

tice. The code, drawn up by the industry itself, set out a number of rules relating to issues such as accuracy, privacy, intrusion, harassment and the protection of minors and other vulnerable groups. The PCC’s failure to expose the systematic law breaking by the tabloid press however, has delivered a fatal blow to the industry body’s credibility and it has been wound up while the industry awaits WKH னQGLQJV RI /HYHVRQ Newspapers continue to argue nevertheless, that only complete self-regulation can guarantee free expression and political independence and they have proposed a new tougher self-regulatory body. The Daily Mail has even launched a hatchet job on the Leveson inquiry itself, calling it a ‘coup by the Left’s Old Boy network’. Even the Guardian newspaper, which played a key role in exposing the illegal activity of the ‘free press’, has publicly come out against any legal regulation. Others such as the +DFNHG 2ŕŽ‰ FDPSDLJQ 0Hdia Trust and National Union of Journalists would argue that the press has had its last chance to show selfregulation could work and the time has come for some form of independent over-

sight underpinned by law. Even some Conservative MPs – not usually known for their fondness for red-tape – have come out in favour of legally binding regulation. In a recent letter to the Guardian a group of them pointed out: “no one wants our media controlled by the government but, to be credible, any new regulator must be independent of the press as well as from politicians.â€? The contested terriWRU\ LQ WKLV FRQŕŽ‹LFW LV RQH of the world’s largest and most developed media markets, worth tens of billions of pounds every year. The political stakes are even higher. Political scientists debate the extent to which the media can decide elections, but what seems undeniable is the media’s power to frame debates and shape people’s perception of politicians. The combatants realise that the political response to the phone hacking and 6DYLOH VFDQGDOV ZLOO DŕŽ‰HFW the shape of the UK’s media market, the freedom of the press, the future of public service broadcasting, and ultimately the political complexion of the UK’s media. With so much hanging in the balance, it is more important than ever to read between the headlines. RANDOMCURIOSITY

Read between the headlines on the BBC crisis and it is clear that the UK’s media wars have gone nuclear in the run up to the publication of the Leveson report on phone hacking and press regulation. Threatened with the real possibility of statutory regulation, private media interests and newspaper editors have pressed the red button. Channel Five executive David Elstein has slammed the BBC’s ‘arthritic’ response to the Savile sex abuse allegations and called for the public service broadcaster to be broken up. Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper has run screaming front-page headlines accusing the BBC of abusing the licence fee. And Boris Johnson has used his Telegraph column to condemn the BBC’s recent editorial mistakes as “more cruel, revolting and idiotic than anything perpetrated by the News of the World�. The BBC obviously does need to take a long hard look at itself after the allegations about Jimmy Savile’s sickening criminal behavior in the seventies and eighties. But is the UK’s public service broadcaster really too big, bureaucratic and biased, as some of these critics claim? Or do these attacks have more to do with economic and political interests than genuine outrage and indignation? The BBC is the largest provider of news and media in the UK with its TV channels, radio stations and website commanding over half of the total market. But, as it is Governed by a Royal Charter, agreed by the Government every ten years, it has to abide by strict rules of impartiality and act in the public interest. Its public service requirements range from catering for minority interests to providing documentaries and in-depth news programmes. A purely commercial broadcasting free-market would not provide niche stations like 6 Music and high quality cultural channels such as BBC Four or Radio Four. The BBC’s decision not to run the original report revealing allegations against its creepiest children’s

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Features

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Time for a change for Republicans STEVERHODES

Elli Palaiologou

On November 6th Barack Obama won the US elections, securing a second presidential term. Even though unemployment was persisting at just below eight per cent and his approval ratings were less than 50 per cent, he succeeded in defeating Governor Mitt Romney, gaining 332 electoral-college votes over the 206 of the GOP candidate. President Obama may have extended his time in the history books, yet the WUHPHQGRXV GLYLVLRQ GHனQing US politics indicates he has a rocky road to pave. The outcome of the 2012 Presidential race has sustained the balance of pow-

genuine conservatism, the GOP is likely to preserve its uncompromising political stance, after all, why should they cooperate? The answer lies in the changing face of America. The dynamism describing the current US demographics threatens to undermine the relevance of the Republicans in contemporary politics. Research indicates that while white voters, the backbone of GOP supporters, were 87 per cent of the electorate in 1992, their percentage decreased to 72 per cent in the 2012 elections. Moreover, Hispanics, comprising a mere two per cent in 1992, are now ten per cent of the electorate. As a result, focusing on white vot-

Had Romney not adopted an exceedingly harsh stand on illegal immigration, including statements advocating “self-deportation�, the majority of Latino voters might have voted for him. er within Congress, with the Democrats obtaining a majority in the Senate, and the Republicans maintaining their advantage in the House of Representatives. The profoundly inconsistent political agendas of the two parties undermine the potential for a bipartisan cooperation that will resolve the enduring gridlock evident in American politics. While moderate Republicans may argue that it was extreme conservatism that ultimately deprived them their electability cloak, Tea Party advocates will insist that Romney’s appeal to the centre during the general election was the causal factor. Given their solid majority in the House, and their utter devotion to

ers appears to be a relic of traditional politics, which is increasingly becoming out-of-date. While Governor Romney achieved a solid victory among white Americans, with six out of ten voting Republican, his weak performance among minorities is certainly a troubling factor. The Republican Party lost by a margin of almost 40 per cent among Latino voters, by almost 50 per cent among Asians, and by more than 80 per cent among African-Americans. Moreover, according to Brookings, a Washingtonbased think tank, the growing population of ethnic groups, and the Hispanics in particular, will increasingly dominate US natural growth. Therefore, the ap-

parent change in the electorate’s identity should be taken into consideration when determining the future path of the GOP. The Republicans are not completely out of reach with minority groups. Had Romney not adopted an exceedingly harsh stand on illegal immigration, including statements advocating “self-deportationâ€?, the majority of Latino voters might have voted for him. The Hispanic population is inherently closer to a conservative ideology, embracing the Catholic religion, being family-orientated and opposed to liberal views, concerning abortion for example. Newt Gingrich, a contender of the Republican nomination in the US primaries, seems to have realised the essential demographic challenges the GOP faces, stating that “there is an objective reality that if ethnic minorities voted for their economic interests, we would have a 65 per cent Republican majorityâ€?. The necessity for moderation is also evident when one considers the unpopularity of the GOP among unmarried women and gay voters. While the majority of women in the US are prolife rather than pro-choice, WKH H[WUHPLW\ GHனQLQJ WKH Republican position regarding the ban on abortion and their tactlessness toward the delicate issue of rape, is a severe setback in their quest for female support. Furthermore, the gay rights movement has been stimulated by recent ethQLF JURXS HŕŽ‰RUWV WR OHJDOLVH same sex marriages. Aaron Blake of the New York Times mentions that,

besides young and non-religious people, the recent revolution is also due to the rising support by Hispanics and African-Americans. On election night, Maine, Washington, and Maryland succeeded in passing new gay marriage laws, while voters in Minnesota prevented its ban. These achievements, together with Obama’s HQGRUVHPHQW RI WKH னUVW openly gay person to be elected in the Senate, namely Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, indicates that an increasing proportion of the population will be able to identify with the Democratic Party, dreading the profound hostility of the GOP when addressing these issues.

es, even if the corresponding spending cuts were ten times greater. However, their failure to regain the Presidency despite the substantial unemployment rate, and with 54 per cent of the people still claiming that the country is on the wrong track, means their turn to extremism was not the cause of their mid-term election triumph. As the Economist states, the Republicans’ defeat in a country where conservative voters continue to outnumber liberal ones, is a clear indication that the party has gone too far without the voters’ approval. The GOP must overcome its extremist tendencies and return to the average conservative voter if it

The necessity for moderation is evident when one considers the unpopularity of the GOP among unmarried women and gay voters. Consequently, observing the increasing political inŕŽ‹XHQFH H[HUWHG E\ PLQRULW\ groups, their disregard is a strategy the Republicans QR ORQJHU DŕŽ‰RUG WR SXUVXH Following its victory in the 2010 mid-term elections, the GOP attributed its rising popularity to the espousal of core conservative values and was convinced that by opposing Obama’s liberal health care and economic stimulus policies, it would secure its victory of the White House in 2012. In the two years that the Republicans were the majority in the House of Representatives, they admittedly concentrated on making Barack Obama a one-term President, with Romney claiming that he would not compromise on any policy involving tax ris-

wishes to regain its electoral base. Reconciliation with the Democrats on the budget GHDO ZRXOG EH D னUVW VWHS as the impending erosion of the Bush taxes and the concurrent decrease in government spending will make the US economy vulnerable to a second recession. A more temperate strategy toward economic policy, in combination with an increased attentiveness to minority groups, could reinforce the legitimacy of the Republicans and provide America with the conservative party it wants. As Charles Krauthammer argues “the GOP must adapt to evolving demographics or forever be a minorityâ€?.

Features

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

25

Hamas: Israel’s foreign policy asset? Dominic Hung

settlements or criticism of lack of progress with talks for a two-state solution, all it has to do is strike at a few militants in Gaza. This inevitably leads to some form of military retaliation by Hamas or another Islamic PLOLWDQW JURXS WKH HŕŽ‰HFWV of which are then touted up by Israel as ‘evidence’ of the necessity for further

some semblance of psychological vindication or victory for the militants since the Zionist dogs have been punished for their crimes, but little more. Meanwhile, the equally predictable Israeli escalation has already occurred, with nineteen people killed in Gaza and two hundred more injured in further strikes and the

sault on Israel; with Arab nations grappling with their own internal problems, miliWDQWV னQG WKHPVHOYHV DORQH in their military struggle against the enemy. Israel has Hamas on a leash that they do not yet recognize. Whenever Israel feels that international pressure against it is mounting, perhaps because of illegal

military action, non-negotiation and rejection of peace. Meanwhile, the settlement building continues – Israel wins, Palestine loses. Likewise, Hamas fails to XQGHUVWDQG KRZ LQHŕŽ‰HFWXDO னULQJ PLVVLOHV DQG FRQGXFWing acts of terror in Israel actually are. So what if three Israeli civilians are killed? The reward may be

SRWHQWLDO IRU D JURXQG RŕŽ‰HQsive heightened by the callup of Israeli reservists. This knee-jerk reaction makes Palestinian militants little more than puppets of their enemy, to be brought out of the closet when it is useful to do so as an example of the monsters Israel must னJKW DJDLQVW IRU LWV RZQ VXUvival.

LEFTMEDIA

When Ahmed Said Khalil al-Jabari, leader of Hamas’ militant wing, was killed by an Israeli air strike on November 14th the response of the Palestinians was predictable. Hamas warned the killing would “open the gates of hellâ€? for Israel, civilians in Gaza called for revenge for the killing and URFNHWV ZHUH னUHG LQ UHWDOLation back into Israel, the only notable development being the fact that Tel Aviv is now in range of these rocket attacks where such a capability had not existed before. It is perhaps a sign of how WHUULEOH WKH FRQŕŽ‹LFW LV WKDW none of this is surprising any more. Israel kills militants and civilians in Gaza, PLOLWDQWV LQ *D]D னUH EDFN Israel escalates, potential peace talks are stomped into the ground, rhetoric is VWHSSHG XS FLYLOLDQV VXŕŽ‰HU rinse and repeat. Sometimes one or two die, sometimes a hundred, sometimes a thousand. Sometimes soldiers are killed and sometimes children are mutilated - yet the game never changes, only the scale of it, and how long before the QH[W URXQG RI PLVVLOHV ŕŽ‹\ across borders. Unfortunately, this latest bout has only showed that Hamas has not yet learned the art of winning a struggle in which they cannot hope to achieve military vic-

tory. For all the talk of the gates of hell and of revenge for the crime, it is merely that – empty words that are completely detached from the reality that Israel, if it so chose, could easily wipe *D]D RŕŽ‰ WKH PDS LI LW VR desired. This is no longer 1973, where a coalition of Arab states could successfully launch a full-scale as-

It should be noted here that it continues to be absolutely pointless to engage in the blame game that has so GHனQHG WKLV FRQŕŽ‹LFW IRU GHFades. One could spend a whole lifetime arguing the semantics of Zionist tyranny and Islamic terrorism; who’s right and who’s wrong; who has moral high ground and who are the morally depraved devils when all that really matters is that both simply want to destroy or suppress the other long enough for its own ends to be achieved. At the moment, Israel is winning that game because they know how to play it better than Hamas does. Until Hamas gets a grip on the strategic reality that னULQJ PLVVLOHV LQWR ,VUDHO LV symbolic rather than helping achieve any practical objective, it remains the Palestinian people who will bear the brunt of the conŕŽ‹LFW ,V LW KDUG WR VHHPLQJO\ ‘surrender’ to Israel by renouncing violence? Undoubtedly. But the stark choice is WKDW WKH\ FDQ னQG DOWHUQDtive strategies that will give them a better shot at legitimacy than persist in a losing solution. Might does not make right – but in this situation, Israel has all the might it needs to silence Palestine even before there is even a chance to discuss ‘right’.

A question of intervention in Syria Martha Averley

Up to 28,000 Syrians have been disappeared over the past 19 months. Civilians have been snatched from the streets or forcibly abducted by government troops or security forces. It is a bleak story being told by human rights groups on the ground in Syria. Relatives had been unable to discover the fate of their loved ones. Many of those abducted are almost certainly dead, while others are alive and being held in Syrian prisons or secret detention centres where they were tortured, the groups claimed. $ KDUURZLQJ னOP UHleased on Thursday by the global campaign network Avaaz shows disturbing

footage of the forced disappearances. In one incident, three soldiers grab two women dressed in black abayas walking down a street. They hit them and drag them away. In another, soldiers abduct a Syrian man, yanking him by the hair past a tank. Alice Jay, Avaaz’s campaign director, said: “Syrians are being SOXFNHG RŕŽ‰ WKH VWUHHW E\ Syrian security forces and paramilitaries and being ‘disappeared’ into torture cells. Whether it is women buying groceries or farmers going for fuel, nobody is safe.â€? Many people talk about the uncertainty of not knowing their relatives’ fate. Mais, whose husband

Anas was forcibly disappeared in Talkalakh in February this year, said: “The children need a father in their lives. It has been difficult to adapt. I have had a very hard time explaining his absence. They always ask me: ‘Where is Dad? Who took him?’ And I don’t know how to respond. I have to lie to them. I tell them he is at work, that he is OK.â€? LSESU Amnesty International held its Syrian Awareness Week: ‘28,000 Disappeared: Who cares?â€? The student body were eager to expose the plight of Syrian civilians through an LQIRUPDWLYH னOP QLJKW DQG a discussion panel with experts in the Syrian Human 5LJKWV னHOG LQFOXGLQJ 'U Wael Aleji, member of the

General Commission of the Syrian Revolution and a spokesman for the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria. The evenings were a great success and highlighted the SU concern for Human Rights worldwide. This week Prime Minister David Cameron is to chair the National Security Council later to discuss the FRQŕŽ‹LFW LQ 6\ULD Senior UK ministers will consider military, humanitarian and diplomatic options for dealing with the violence and the growing refugee crisis. There is speculation as to whether, like France, Britain should recognise Syria’s opposition coalition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian

people. Western powers have been reluctant to intervene in this politically charged uprising, but this recognition by France could signal a change in the policy of the Western nations and set the path to future intervention. Opposition and human rights activists estimate that more than 36,000 people have been killed since the uprising against President Assad’s rule began in March 2011, which asks, with increasing urgency, should the West intervene in Syria? Last week Amnesty International society held a week on the Syrian con୞LFW )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ see LSESU Amnesty InterQDWLRQDO‍ڑ‏V )DFHERRN SDJH

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Features

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

The power of photographs Abigaii Marlotie

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or is it worth more? The draw of sharing our lives via our pictures is undeniable. Whether it be through posting our vacation pictures on Facebook or Instagram, those we text, or the photos and images we display in our home, many of us take great pleasure in showing others what we see through our camera lens. But why are we drawn to images? Why can their impact be so powerful, eliciting emotions that are sometimes indescribable through language? Researchers argue that images have the ability to activate deeper components of our consciousness than verbal communication as our ability to process visual information is evolutionarily older than our ability to process verbal information. We are physical beings that occupy a physical world, and our understanding of it is not based solely in our ability to articulate thoughts, but is also embedded in our corporal experiences. Pictures act as catalysts,

triggering memories and meanings that can take us back to the very moment the picture was taken. They also have the ability to invite others in, to connect with them on a fundamental level. Dialogue is not just about words; it is about communication on all levels. Many researchers argue that it is through dialogical interaction with others that our sense of self, our very identity, is created. Images are powerful, not just because they trigger memories and emotions, but also because they speak to the essence of who we are as inGLYLGXDOV DQG KRZ ZH னW LQWR and make sense of the world we inhabit. The London School of Economics is a highly diverse community that engages in dialogue on a daily basis, ZKLFK LV UHŕŽ‹HFWLYH RI WKH LQcreasingly diverse communities in the West. The debates RQ FDPSXV UHŕŽ‹HFW PDQ\ RI WKH public debates that produce headlines in London and beyond. LSE students frequently engage in discussions centered not just on politics, but also those steeped in culture, race, and religion. The LSE

Student Union and faith community has, on many occasions, been at the center of campus debates. The Interfaith Forum, comprised of student representaWLYHV IURP GLŕŽ‰HUHQW IDLWK VRcieties, was formed with the intent to improve dialogue and cohesion between stuGHQWV RI GLŕŽ‰HUHQW IDLWKV DV well as those who are secular. The new LSE Faith Center, part of the new Student Center, is due to open in the summer of 2013, and with it comes a more public face of faith on campus. Not only are the diverse faith groups coming together via the Interfaith Forum, but they will also be coming together in quite a physical way. These groups are undertakLQJ WKLV HŕŽ‰RUW ZLWK QR URDGmap, no guidelines. They are engaging in, though on a smaller scale, the same negotiation process currently underway in the UK government. The UK, along with other European countries, is struggling to enact successful multicultural legislation and to incorporate citizens’ increasingly diverse voices. The LSE faith community is a

mirror of that struggle: multicultural students coming together to make decisions about how to not only interact, but to also live with one another. And, it is because of this diversity that it provides an excellent grounding for multicultural research. How does one tap into these diverse voices? How does one understand the embodied, lived experience of so PDQ\ GLŕŽ‰HUHQW SHUVSHFWLYHV" How does one explore complex identities and how a sense of belonging and community are constructed? A research project based at the LSE’s Institute of Social Psychology is attempting to do just that, to better understand this dialogical process from a social psychological perspective. The goal is to construct the foundation for a framework for understanding how identity shapes and is shaped by space and how this impacts the decisionmaking processes regarding the use of space and intergroup contact in a diverse, multicultural context. This framework can be applied to a variety of contexts, aside from just interfaith. Space

and inter-group boundaries are negotiated on a daily bases in many contexts, and this framework could potentially help improve inter-group dialogue and debate via spatial LQŕŽ‹XHQFH The project is participantdriven, asking current LSE students who actively identify with a faith or with atheism/secularism to give the researcher a glimpse into their lived community exSHULHQFH RQ DQG RŕŽ‰ FDPSXV via photography. Students have been photographing places, objects, people (who consent), and activities that are meaningful to them and that they associate with their experience of faith (or non-faith) and the faith community at the LSE. The photographs not only speak to how space is utilized and interactions managed, but also to the often-unarticulated emotional experiences that permeate our every-day lives. What is emerging is an intricate interweaving of life trajectories, all intersecting to create a sense of place, a present that gathers both the past and possible futures together.

David Lipton discusses the economic crisis Igor Cesarec, Lincoln Hill and Manueal Stadb

Dr David Lipton, Deputy Director of the International Monetary Fund, (IMF) talks to The Beaver about the current economic situation and the development of a new policy consensus post-crisis. On striking a balance between consolidating debt through austerity and encouraging growth:

their austerity measures forward with a concern for the growth challenge then the long-term credibility of the government’s entire project will be called into question.� On prioritising the stability of the monetary union ovr more regional economic concerns

“This is up to members [in the Eurozone] to decide and they have decided to do all they can to uphold the zone. “The problem is that simulThe IMF’s role is to protaneous debt deleveraging is vide advice and analysis on taking place in households, how best to achieve that. in banks and governments There are plenty of reain many countries across the sons why Eurozone nations ZRUOG 7KH FRPELQHG HŕŽ‰HFW should seek and have sought of this process is insufficient interconnecting support. It growth. is well known, the troubles Our belief is that coun- of one nation will often have tries need to deal with their D NQRFN RQ HŕŽ‰HFW RQ RWKHUV debt situation at a pace that either through trade or debt is growth- friendly, either in cycles.â€? the short term if their situation is really bad, or over a On politicians rendering longer period at a more grad- a platform against an interual pace. national institution overly They need to look at how politicised to cut debt, but they must cut in a structured way, which is “This is what we call the as growth-friendly as possi- issue of ownership. It is clear ble. There is no ‘silver bullet’ that we have most success as to how to manage this and with the countries which it will vary from country to decide on a course of action country. and are committed to it. If countries do not carry These are the countries

that are willing to explain the situation and timeframe to their people and to give them realistic expectations. The IMF in recent years has increasingly tried to have a dialogue with other groups in the country beyond the government. The crucial point remains that countries themselves embrace the program assigned and the changes caused and explain the process to their people.â€? On communicating to Greek citizens over new changes “It’s understandable that SHRSOH LQ *UHHFH DUH னQGing this a hard process to go through. Now they have a new government and the IMF is in the process of discussing this process with it. It is crucial that the Greek government explains as clearly as possible what its aims are and how it sees this process working. The Greek election showed that the Greek people do want to do everything in their power to remain in the Eurozone.â€? On the growth of inequalities within the Eurozone

“It’s true that this crisis has laid bare the fact that (XURSH VXŕŽ‰HUV IURP D VWURQJ risk of asymmetric shocks. The banking crisis also exacerbated this problem by interacting with sovereign indebtedness. So the IMF is working with the EU to change the architecture of Europe to deal with these shocks. We’re talking both about EDQNLQJ XQLRQ DQG னVFDO XQion – risk sharing and the automatic sharing of funds to lessen shocks for mutual EHQHனW ‍ ڕ‏ 2Q ZKHWKHU ૽QDQFLDO UHJulation should transcend national borders in both Europe and the wider world ‍ڔ‏,QDGHTXDWH னQDQFLDO UHJulation played an important role in the development of this crisis. It is by nature a national issue, however in Europe there is a much more of a regional discussion. The IMF’s role is to discuss how countries can harmonise their approach so there are no gaps left that can undermine the program – no ‘weaknesses in the net’.â€? On integrating developing countries into these pro-

cesses “It is more important to focus on developed countries, which are the most active right now as they enact laws that will do most to VKDSH KRZ னQDQFLDO DQG UHJulatory systems will interact with one another.â€? On the possibility of the emergnce of a new policy consensus emerging at the national, regional, and global level “We and the G20 are looking at two questions: how can we end the current crisis and how can we make sure it never happens again? Someday, someone clever will think of a way of summarising the consensus that will emerge from this process. The ingredients will include support for continued global integration and broader coordination of macro policies and regulatory approaches. The IMF will continue to look at how the rules of many GLŕŽ‰HUHQW FRXQWULHV NHHS WKH ZRUOG னQDQFLDO V\VWHP VDIH ‍ ڕ‏ Full coverage of the interview is available through LOOSETV, at http://loosetv. net.

Social

The Beaver 20.11.2012

The clubbing conspiracy

Kirsty Kenney questions the status quo

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arrive at a club at badly cordoned smoking What’s more is that around 11:30pm. I areas and enter through nobody’s going to search pay my entrance, I the fire exit. It was fun you on the way in, then put my coat away when you could afford charge you, and later and I go to the bar. I a new dress in Topshop make you feel obliged to buy a double vodka Diet every week and you had pay again for a couple of Coke, in fact I buy two the time to spend half sheets of stiff budget toiin a tactical bid to avoid an hour in boots decid- let paper. standing in the queue for ing which false eyelashes Some clubs are refifteen minutes for a sec- and fake tan to buy. And ally cool, but most are ond time. I then set about maybe it was alright that not. Most clubs are horfinding my friends, who, you were willing to sac- rible. They’re overpriced of course I have already rifice your dignity to let dens with tacky decoramanaged to lose. a twenty something year tions and music pumping As the night goes on my old (two out of ten) buy so loud through the hotarms and legs get looser, you a WKD and a shot of crotch sweaty air that you and I find myself busting tequila, which no doubt can’t hold a conversation some seriously terrible would send you flying. without spitting in the moves while simultaneBut no longer must you other persons ear. This is ously attempting to avoid muster your grin and tear why we spend our nights a sweaty forein the smokhead and the ing area, even Whoever told you that clubbing was camera phones those who don’t documenting it. smoke. cool and that anyone who doesn’t like By 1:00am I And it’s a lot clubbing must be boring was lying. am on a night of hard work bus home, or in for a somewhat McDonalds. strange kind of It’s as if my night’s are up the town. reward. Waking up to ten set on loop, this sequence From the cheesiest dreadful photos already is just becoming all too fa- sweat dens to the most pre- on Facebook, your smudgy miliar! Every week, with- tentious straight backed mascara dribbling glazed out fail, I make the same haunts I’m just not feeling over eyes for all the world mistake of going to a club it and I’m not convinced to see. And/ or a wasted with the hope of enjoying you all are too! Do we like day in bed slapping yourit. But, I’m not going to the clubs themselves, or self for having woken up pretend anymore, I just more the associated sub- with a minger, again. don’t really like clubbing. stances? Take the pitchThat’s not to say stop Whoever told you that ers out of the equation and the party, I’m no killjoy, clubbing was cool and you soon realise we don’t and I don’t mean to offend that anyone who doesn’t enjoy clubbing, we just because nights out with like clubbing must be bor- like drinking. friends should be nothing was lying. I remember Neck enough vodka ing but endless carefree being sixteen moments of fun. and thinking Neck enough vodka and you could have And we do have clubbing was fun, and that’s the best night of your life in an empty the grown up why we keep gothing to do being back. room with a couple of friends cause that’s It’s a strange what Shauna, kind of love hate Henrietta and all the and you could have the relationship, but the bal‘popular’ girls were do- best night of your life in ance seems to be tipping ing. And soon I started an empty room with a the wrong way. So perdoing it too. Back then, couple of friends, listen- haps it’s time to be a litwhen we were sixteen, I ing to good music and eat- tle bit more adventurous suppose there was some- ing sour cream and chive again, do things a little thing fun about clubbing, Pringles. It won’t even differently. at least it was forbidden matter that they make But we’ll have to see, then. your breath smell, and somehow I know that I’ll It was a mad adven- you’ll probably find you be crawling to Zoo bar ture when you had to hop don’t need all that Vodka come tomorrow night. over barriers, sneak past anyway.

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28

Social

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Overusing that four letter word

S

lut. It’s a common word, almost too common in today’s lexicon. If you happen to be of “the fairer sexâ€? you will have likely had it shouted at you as you walk home from a night out. You may hear it used to describe who your male friend got with last week or you may read of a female celebrity having been branded with this label in the gossip pages of the tabloids. Its connotations are disparaging and UHŕŽ‹HFW D SDWULDUFKDO YHUVLRQ of society and its norms. Yet, we seem to take this little four letter word far too lightly at times. Sara (name changed), an economics student was given the nickname ‘Sara The Slut’ by friends when she moved into High Holborn last year, after, in her words “a reputation from Freshers’ Weekâ€?. It was according to her friends, ‘just a joke’ and just starting at university and wanting to make friends, she felt she couldn’t do much apart from go along with it and laugh as well. Sara started to become more uncomfortable with it however, especially as those she wasn’t close to started to use it. The nickname was used by some as a way of “slutshamingâ€? her. Slut-shaming is the insulting and shaming

ticular way that they enjoy and lays a dangerous precHGHQW IRU EODPLQJ VXŕŽ‰HUHUV of rape and assault: claiming the women or girls in question were “asking for itâ€?, due to the nature of their clothing or behaviour. With one in seven female students having been the victim of sexual assault or physical violence whilst at university, you will probably know several people who have been assaulted. The stories behind their assault are likely to be varied, but they have one thing in common, none of the girls can be blamed. Some, such as current Government student, Hannah (name-changed) will have been assaulted on a night out. Talking to me about the incident, Hannah admits she was very cautious DERXW ZKR VKH WROG DW னUVW as she was worried blame would be directed at her, for going out getting drunk and wearing a fairly revealLQJ RXWனW 6KH FDQ GHVFULEH WKH RXWனW VKH ZDV ZHDULQJ exactly that day; it was new and she had worn it out that night because she liked how she looked in it and the conனGHQFH LW JDYH KHU ,W KDV VDW in the back of her wardrobe ever since. For others, such as Jane (name-changed) it was her (now former) boyfriend who

A girl who sleeps around (or is even just perceived to be) is a slut, a boy who does the same is a lad. of women for not conforming to expectations surrounding sexuality. It perpetuates the idea that women are not acting how they should if they go out and have casual sex. The same moral rules do not apply to men however. A girl who sleeps around (or is even just perceived to be) is a slut, a boy who does the same is a lad. Often, the opinions in question are formed on presumptions, based on the way a girl’s dressed, if she’s on a night out or if she’s been drinking for example. For those that think that identifying someone as a slut, is just a joke or only affects the person in question, slut-shaming does not just have a negative impact on those it is directed against. It perpetuates a view in society as a whole that women should be ashamed of their sexuality, that women don’t have a right to act in a par-

assaulted her, in her own ŕŽ‹DW ,Q FRQWUDVW WR +DQQDK she was wearing an old pair of “rather uglyâ€? pyjamas. Choosing to report the incident, Jane was told by the police that they believed her, but there was nothing they could do. It took them several months to come to that conclusion, her phone ZDV WDNHQ RŕŽ‰ KHU WR XVH DV evidence and she had to retell her ordeal repeatedly to various people. With the statistics telling us that we’re likely to know one girl in every class we’ve been in (if we take a class of fourteen students with a 50:50 male/female divide) who has been assaulted, maybe it is time that some of us start taking sexual violence and gender equality more seriously. Last week’s UGM involved a serious debate that was respectful and good to hear. But, we still

JAMESREA.DE

Laura Aumeer on the impact of words on the treatment of women

study on a campus and live in a society with sexism. We can’t address this, until we address our attitudes behind it, leading back to that four letter word, slut.

Consensual sex between two adults is not something to insult and shame. Rape and sexual violence on the other KDQG LV VRPHWKLQJ YHU\ GLŕŽ‰HUent. Slut-shaming is blurring

this divide, shaming some for things they shouldn’t be ashamed of, while letting others to get away with things they shouldn’t.

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

Social

29

I’m an intern, not a joke

Cleo Pearson searches for the line between intern and employee

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’ve got a joke for you. :KDW‍ڑ‏V WKH GLŕŽ‰ HUHQFH between an unpaid interning journalist and a paid journalist? You want the tag line, the funny riposte? Unfortunately, there isn’t one and it took me over a month’s worth of my time to realise this. The real joke being realistically on me, I wasn’t getting paid. I began working at Flavour Magazine for an agreed month of unpaid work. It was great; I got involved in all aspects of production for the online and print departments of the magazine. I got to cover stories and interview people, some interesting and others less to my taste but fundamentally, I was doing what a real journalist would do. During my time working, although I didn’t receive pay, I was given various freebies whether that be: nights out, ன OP VFUHHQLQJV RU IUHH VDP ples given to us by companies. Fortunately, at this time money wasn’t an issue, I was cycling to work and

living in halls with food provided free. Once my month came to a close I left to go travelling in India but with eager feedback, on return from my trip I began working with Flavour again. Two weeks later and I was out of the country

once more being left with the positive feedback from my bosses to continue working for the magazine, especially as I seemed to be creating a large proportion of

one day a week, without any mention of money. I decided to email her and outline my situation in the hope of reaching an agreement. However, instead the conclusion reached was that for now my contributions to the magazine would be on hold. I felt used. Admittedly, this magazine has a line of interns waiting to work for them, but the feedback from my seniors had given me reason to believe that I had perhaps contributed more than some of their average volunteers. Upon interviewing musicians or attending ன OP VFUHHQLQJV , FRXOG VL dle up to journos from the likes of Q magazine and talk to them on a level that made me feel legit. Yet, there was not a tear shed, nor a fond farewell given when I told Flavour that I could no longer commit my time for payment because it would free. I can understand why PHDQ VDFULன FLQJ P\ SDLG P\ ன UVW PRQWK ZDV XQSDLG job or another of my jour- I was learning a lot on the nalistic commitments. My job. Yet, it didn’t take long boss had asked me wheth- before I knew what I was er I could work for Flavour doing and had acquired the their online content, ringing in my ears. This time on my return, I was back for good, ready to start uni again. I weighed up my options and decided that although I would like to continue working for Flavour, I would need some form of

majority of skills that the MRE KDG WR RŕŽ‰ HU PH So what can be done about it? As long as there’s that waiting list of applicants, very little I fear. Although I have left Flavour, that doesn’t mean to say I won’t be queuing up at the door of another publication before long. I am one of them, one of the hungrily ambitious and naively hopeful students who feels like they can make a valued contribution to a company. Ultimately in this case I don’t think what left me with a sour taste in my mouth was a desire for money, simply a desire for respect. There seems to be an assumption that in the two years from now when I will no longer be a student, I will also develop a large array of rights and deserved respect. But employers should recognise that with their better young talent, treating them mean won’t keep them keen and they may be discouraging some of their most able graduates of tomorrow.

You’re going to get through this Jiayi Fan on learning your alphabet twice. From China to London

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hen I think back on my years of learning English as a second language, the song from My Fair Lady begins playing through my mind: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.â€? Even for Eliza, a native English speaker, it was a challenge deserting her Cockney accent in order to adopt something upper class. So imagine how hard it is to learn a foreign language. It depends on what your native language is and which foreign language you want to know. 0\ ன UVW ODQJXDJH LV Mandarin Chinese, but I ன UVW DGRSWHG (QJOLVK DW school when I turned eightyears-old. It was hate at ன UVW VLJKW ,Q P\ YHU\ ன UVW week of class I confused the Chinese phonetic alphabet with the English. When my mum discovered my confusion, she sent me to a bunch of mandatory extracurricular English classes on weekends, making my weekends as taxing as my week days. By the time I joined high school, I could recite every single text of Longman New Concept English (a popular

English language textbook). The collection of four books, from “First Things Firstâ€? to “Practice and Progressâ€? to “Developing Skillsâ€? to “Fluency in Englishâ€? are all still imprinted into my memory. (YHQ WKH YHU\ ன UVW OHVVRQ of the “Developing Skillsâ€? Book, that is “A Puma at Largeâ€?: “Pumas are large,

class to bring my imaginings crashing down. I didn’t know how to feel. Was I disappointed? Desperate? Depressed? Sat in the classroom, I was surrounded by Americans listening to the lecture and taking down notes, whilst I remained VWXSHன HG XQDEOH WR HYHQ understand a sentence! The

I was surrounded by Americans listening to the lecture and taking down notes, whilst I UHPDLQHG VWXSHŕ­˝ HG XQDEOH WR HYHQ XQGHUVWDQG a sentance! cat-like animals which are found in America‌â€? My VWXGLHV EHJDQ WR SD\ RŕŽ‰ and I gained from my large amounts of reciting with perfect scores in my English classes and awards in English oral competitions. +DYLQJ VDWLVன HG WKH grades of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), I was able to go to the US for an exchange SURJUDP , H[SHFWHG WR ன QG my time at college easy considering that I had half a lifetime’s worth of learning under my belt. However, LW RQO\ WRRN WKH ன UVW GD\ RI

teacher’s fast speed and the large amounts of new vocabulary beat my conன GHQFH XS 0\ ன UVW WKUHH PRQWKV LQ )ODJVWDŕŽ‰ $UL]RQD were like never ending dark nights. If an American student needed half an hour for one reading, it took me fourfold. 'XULQJ P\ ன UVW \HDU LQ )ODJVWDŕŽ‰ , PDGH D IULHQG from one of my Critical Writing group meetings. Llayne and I were in the same group for several workshops. When we waited in the hall, we talked about papers, weather, accents, and

his military training. I even interviewed Llayne about his decision to join the Air Force and published my article in the Beijing Youth Daily. However, in the second spring semester, I didn’t see him once on campus. I texted him, receiving a quick response: “Haha, Joyce, I’m QRW LQ )ODJVWDŕŽ‰ ‍ ڕ‏, WKRXJKW he was joking with me: “Alright then, where are you now?â€? Llayne texted back: “Hawaii, I transferred back.â€? Surprised, I said: “ You should have told me!â€? Llayne was silent for two minutes, before he said: “I think I did.â€? What? He did? Despite the improvement in my language skills, I was obviously still missing some things. It is a Chinese tradition to buy someone an ice-cream by means of an apology, so my best friend in Beijing comforted me: “That‘s okay. You are not a native speaker; Llayne understands that. If you are really sorry, buy him an icecream!â€? I burst out laughing: “Buy him an ice-cream and mail it to Hawaii? I think it might melt before it gets there!â€?

Gradually, very gradually, my English improved. From having treated readings like the plague I began to enjoy them, I had survived the torturingly painful English learning process. After all no pain, no gain. I wrote an article whilst in Arizona titled “Bridging the Gap�, describing my experiences with diversity and multiple cultures. Although I written articles in China before, it was a marvelous feeling to see a whole piece in English with my name above it. Later, the Department of English awarded me one of the ten “Distinguished Senior� awards based on professors’ recommendations. It was such a great honor for an international student whose native language is not English, but after my two years of hard work, it was well deserved. I hope this article about my experiences can help motivate and encourage other international students who are struggling with huge amounts of reading and writing at the moment. You are going to get through this, just like I did, I promise.

30

Sport

20.11.2012

England put through the spin cycle hardship. Stuart Broad struggled to maintain a good line Watching a Test cricket match and length and Tim Bresnan is like reading an engaging ZDV LQHŕŽ‰HFWLYH After an exhausting outnovel. The plot is interesting, the characters memorable, LQJ LQ WKH னHOG (QJODQG‍ڑ‏V and the story exciting. At the goal was to close out Day 2 end of Day 3, England are set without catastrophe, sleep to re-write their story against soundly, and return focused India, a team that has domi- the next day to face the Indinated chapter after chapter an bowling attack. M.S. Dhoni had other plans, however, in the heat of Ahmedabad. It is a story that England and launched an immediate have come to dislike: dusty VWUDWHJLF RŕŽ‰HQVLYH GHVLJQHG cracking pitches that favour to put pressure directly on the delicacy of spin-bowling, England’s inability to handle a lesson learned harshly in the spin. With two slips, a short the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan, where leg, and a silly point, PragSaeed Ajmal and Abdur Re- \DQ 2MKD DQG 5DYLQGHU $VKhman exposed England’s win had the stage set to orchestrate their masterpiece. weakness away from home. England does not have 2MKD DQG $VKZLQ IHOOHG 1LFN a glowing cricket record Compton and night-watchin India. But after compe- man James Anderson to put tently disposing M.S. Dhoni England in a desperate situand company on home soil ation. 1RW HYHQ WHDP FDSWDLQ 4 games to nil in 2011, England are aware of the uphill Alistair Cook looked comfortEDWWOH LQ PXFK GLŕŽ‰HUHQW FRQ- able in the crease. Jonathan Trott’s duck in the 16th over ditions. India won the toss and aggravated the situation furFKRVH WR EDW னUVW 2Q D IDVW ther, as England sat at 31 for pitch and great weather con- LQ D GLVDVWURXV னQDO VHVGLWLRQV D னUVW LQQLQJV FRXOG sion. Kevin Pietersen clubbed produce 500 plus runs. India Yuvraj Singh for four shortly batted menacingly through- after Trott fell, creating the RXW WKH னUVW WZR GD\V 5HWXUQ- only aesthetically pleasing ing to form after a two year moment in England’s opencentury drought, Virender ing innings. Unlike other sports, crickSehwag smashed England’s seamers all over the ground, et exposes an individual’s hitting 117 in as many deliv- greatest triumphs and their deepest weaknesses. As a eries. Cheteshwar Pujara per- batsman, you are the centre formed brilliantly, scoring of attention for up to several 206 not out and lasting un- hours, and while a hundred til India’s second day decla- well-negotiated balls may go ration of 521 for 8. Graeme unnoticed, a single poorly Swann picked up a tidy 5 judged shot can loom negawicket haul for England, the tively over the entire team. only positive note in a day England acquainted themthat was marked by bowling selves with disaster during

'D\ ZKHQ 2MKD WULXPSKHG with 5 wickets, nearly taking a hat-trick. Ian Bell continued his poor sub-continent performance by attempting to play DJJUHVVLYH IURP KLV னUVW GHOLYHU\ +H ODXQFKHG KLV னUVW EDOO RŕŽ‰ WKH WRH RI WKH EDW DQG into the soft hands of Sachin Tendulkar, a batting decision that was met with palpable ridicule from the England bench. In six Tests away from home, he has managed a score of only 13.40. After bowling England out for 191, Dhoni decided to have them follow-on. Beaten psychologically, tactically, and physically, it appeared that England might capitulate on Day 3, pack their bags, and head to Mumbai for the next match. Like all great stories, though, there is an element of hope for the protagonists. Alistair Cook DQG 1LFN &RPSWRQ RSHQHG once again, but their disposiWLRQ ZDV HQWLUHO\ GLŕŽ‰HUHQW Instead of the insecurity DQG QHUYRXVQHVV RI WKH னUVW innings, the two batsmen had a point to prove. Playing an array of sweeps, pulls, and cover drives, Cook managed an inspiring score of 74 with Compton adding 34. While certainly not in command, England have won a small YLFWRU\ DQG LQ D னYH GD\ VHries, this could be the moment that decides their fate. Matt Prior sounded optimistic: “There’s no point in sulking. We have a big second innings coming up.â€? He continued, “As a professional sportsman you have to look forward, look at a day and take the positives. The way Compo and Cookie went

about their business this afternoon was fantastic.â€? “Cookieâ€? and “Compoâ€? resumed on Day 4 full of spirit, ORRNLQJ WR WDNH RQ WKH GLŕŽ‰Lcult spin, the splitting pitch, and the powerful Indian side that is carefully calculating their defeat. Compton struggled though, having lost the composure he had the previous evening, and departed early to Zaheer Khan. This prompted a vintage English middle-order collapse; Jonathan Trott nicking a very JRRG EDOO IURP 3UDJ\DQ 2KMD to Dhoni behind the stumps before Kevin Pietersen wafted a ridiculous sweep at the left-arm spinner and was bowled around his legs. Ian Bell followed not long later, lbw to an inswinger from Umesh Yadav. A controversial decision from umpire Tony +LOO VDZ 6DPLW 3DWHO VXŕŽ‰HU the same fate from Yadav’s very next ball, and England fans would have been fearing the worst. Wicketkeeper Matt Prior strode out to join Cook however, and the two of them batted out the day, ending on 84* and 168* respectively, with England on 3405, an overnight lead of ten. All that remained on the னIWK GD\ ZDV IRU ,QGLD WR PRS up, and attain the eighty runs required for victory, which they duly did just after luncheon. With Bell returning to England for paternity leave inevitable questions over VHOHFWLRQ ZLOO VZLUO 2QH KDV to wonder where England’s fresh ideas will come from. Stay tuned for another intriguing test match, starting Friday.

WK 1RYHPEHU 3Hter Herbert, chairman of the The contentious question Society of Black Lawyers, folhere that nobody dares to lowing the past years events ask is whether Mikel, hav- claimed “the FA is instituing witnessed the incidents tionally racist.â€? He called the of racial abuse over the past penalties on Terry and Suarez year and in the heat of the “derisoryâ€? and was astonmoment, decided to falsely ished this was being “swept accuse Clattenburg. It is not under the carpetâ€?. Furtherimplausible, since the referee more, it was him that reportSHUKDSV KDUVKO\ VHQW RŕŽ‰ WZR ed Clattenburg to the police of Chelsea’s players and that over Chelsea’s allegations, arguably lost them the game. not Chelsea or the FA. He has Indeed, none of the four offi- a point, and his dissent may be “exactly what the game cials, all of whom wear microphones that allow needs to shake it out of any them to hear what each oth- complacencyâ€? as BBC Sport er is saying throughout the highlighted. Indeed, Kick It PDWFK KHDUG DQ\WKLQJ 1RWD- 2XW DQ DQWL GLVFULPLQDWLRQ bly, claims that another play- body, has recently been wideer was supposedly abused, ly criticised by black players Juan Mata, were dropped by Chelsea. Thus, here we see IRU LWV LQHŕŽ‰HFWLYHQHVV PRVW a danger being posed by this notably by several players’ clampdown on racial abuse; UHIXVDO WR ZHDU D .LFN ,W 2XW it may, spitefully, be utilised T-shirt whilst warming up beby players to wrongly accuse fore a match. This particularly gathered others. This is not to say Mikel was lying. It is just, you know, momentum once Rio FerdiClattenburg could have lost QDQG D KLJK SURனOH SOD\HU followed suit; a gesture which his career and reputation.

his manager, Ferguson, publicly denounced. Why? Ferguson believed “a union is stronger than an individualâ€?, a wise comment. This brings into question whether protests by those such as Herbert are having a divisive, and thus counterintuitive, efIHFW RQ WDFNOLQJ UDFLVP 1RW a single player has publicly backed Herbert’s concept of a Black Players’ Association, a supposedly more “radicalâ€? and “vigorousâ€? approach to combating racism. The chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Clarke Carlisle, echoed this sentiment concerning Herbert; he favours a “collaboUDWLYH HŕŽ‰RUW‍ ڕ‏UDWKHU WKDQ WKH “divisionâ€?, a dangerous “us and themâ€? mentality, which Herbert is creating. Moreover, Carlisle argues Herbert was speaking “from a position of little or zero evidenceâ€?. Therefore, it seems Herbert’s prominence should not be mistaken with popularity. Many saw it as a step too

far when he threatened to formally complain to the police if Spurs fans did not stop chants labelling themselves as the “Yid armyâ€?; a reference to the FOXE‍ڑ‏V -HZLVK VXSSRUWHUV 1RW only are the Jewish community split on the use of the term but many see it as a badge of appreciation and pride. Will racism ever be VTXHH]HG RXW RI IRRWEDOO" 2I course. Just not any time soon LW VHHPV 1HYHUWKHOHVV DV /RUG 2XVHOH\ VDLG WKH ‍)ڔ‏$ KDV shown leadership and intentâ€? by having “invested time and H[SHUWLVH‍ ڕ‏2Q WKH RWKHU KDQG the 10-point plan proposed by the Society of Black Lawyers to tackle racism, broadly, calls for harsher punishments and better opportunities for black managers and coaches. This does not seem unreasonDEOH ULJKW" 1RERG\ VDLG LW LV but the emotive and antagonistic way in which Herbert is directing his campaign is not the right path either. A united front needs to be formed, something which, despite the

Timothy Feller

Continued from back page, top

| The Beaver

SPORT IN BRIEF Southern hemisphere dominates Australia beat EngODQG 1HZ =HDODQG EHDW Scotland and Samoa caused an upset against Wales in the Autumn ,QWHUQDWLRQDOV 2XW RI DOO the home nations only Ireland managed a win, against.

Red Bull Rodeo Hamilton beat Vettel, riding the bull in Texas until the 42nd lap, where a sublime overtake allowed him to take the lead. While Red Bull secured the construction championship after this weekend, it’s all to UDFH IRU LQ WKH னQDO UDFH next week.

Froch Out In a pulsating encounter Carl Froch layed down a marker before what many are suggesting LVKLV WKUHH னJKW னQDOH By knocking Mack down in his home town RI 1RWWLQJKDP KH DOVR retained his super-middleweght title.

hardship they have recently VXŕŽ‰HUHG HYHQ the Ferdinand brothers recognised; they made a joint statement assuring they are “committed to working with football’s existing organisationsâ€?. We have all had a wakeup call this year. We have uncovered a thorny issue which we thought we had largely resolved. These are only the PRVW KLJK SURனOH LQFLGHQWV There are many more, including Danny Rose being abused in Serbia and a “monkeyâ€? gesture being made towards Danny Welbeck by a fan at 6WDPIRUG %ULGJH 2XWVLGH RI football, it is a problem that continues to pervade many parts of the UK. Some things are bigger than clubs, players and even the game itself. Yet, we can be reassured by this uproar; clearly, most of us have a clear conception of what is acceptable and unacceptable in our society. Racism is not.

Sport

The Beaver | 20.11.2012

31

Triumphant Women’s Racing Debut Tatum Summers

On Friday November 16th 2012, LSE sent two crews to Cambridge to row in the seaVRQ‍ڑ‏V ன UVW FRPSHWLWLRQ WKH annual Cambridge Winter +HDG 7KH HYHQW WDNHV SODFH on a notoriously windy 2,500m stretch of the river, and having never rowed there before, nerves were running extremely high. LSE entered one women’s eight, and one men’s four; WKH FUHZV ZHUH FRPSRVHG RI KXJH YDULDWLRQV LQ H[SHULHQFH but after six weeks of grueling training together everyone was raring to go. The results were a real tribute to our collective hard work, with our ZRPHQ‍ڑ‏V FUHZ SODFLQJ VL[WK out of sixteen. 2XU SHUIRUPDQFH ZRXOG QRW KDYH EHHQ SRVVLEOH ZLWK RXW WKH SKHQRPHQDO FRPPLW ment of every member of the team since the beginning of term. Every week has involved circuits training, erg (rowing machine) sessions, and of course, extremely early morning outings from the University of London boathouse in &KLVZLFN (YHU\ DVSHFW RI WKLV UHJLPH LV D PHQWDO DQG SK\VL FDO EDWWOH ‍ ڋ‏URZHUV DUH RI D SH culiarly masochistic breed. Erg machines are torturRXV DQG WKH SURFHVV RI D SDU WLFXODUO\ KDUG SLHFH DOZD\V follows the same sequence: ன UVW D VLFNHQLQJ IHHOLQJ RI GUHDG DQWLFLSDWLQJ ZKDW \RX NQRZ IURP H[SHULHQFH LV JR LQJ WR EH SDLQIXO 7KLV SKDVH is characterized by: tightening

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...with success stories across WKHLU ன UVW WHDP 7KH \LHOG RI Mario GĂśtze, Marcel Schmelzer and Kevin GroĂ&#x;kreutz are a testament to the sysWHP‍ڑ‏V RSHUDWLRQ )XUWKHU more, with the majority of WKHLU SOD\HUV WLHG WR ORQJ term contracts Dortmund DUH LQ JRRG VWHDG WR EHQHன W HLWKHU ன QDQFLDOO\ RU RQ WKH SLWFK IURP QXUWXULQJ \RXQJ talent. In terms of business JURZWK 'RUWPXQG RSHUDWH an innovative commercial strategy. Their largest revHQXH SURSRUWLRQ FRPHV YLD commercial income. ExemSOLI\LQJ WKHLU DYDQW JDUGH VSLULW WKH FOXE EHFDPH WKH ன UVW LQ WKH KLVWRU\ RI *HU PDQ IRRWEDOO WR RŕŽ‰ HU WKHLU RZQ 79 SDFNDJH DV KDYH VH cured long term stadium, NLW DQG PDUNHWLQJ SDUWQHU VKLSV 7KH FRPELQHG HDUQ

DQG UH WLJKWHQLQJ IRRW VWUDSV checking and re-checking the QHZHVW HUJ SOD\OLVW RQ \RXU L3RG FRQன UPLQJ DQG UHFRQ ன UPLQJ ZLWK ZKRHYHU‍ڑ‏V LQ charge which stroke rate you should be aiming for – it is JHQHUDO SURFUDVWLQDWLRQ IRU DV ORQJ DV SRVVLEOH EHIRUH \RX WDNH WKDW ன UVW VWURNH DQG NQRZ WKHUH LV QR VWRSSLQJ XQWLO \RX KDYH FRPSOHWHG ZKDWHYHU KHOO LVK SLHFH KDV EHHQ VHW 7KH QH[W SKDVH LV RQH RI RYHU FRQன GHQFH <RX EHOLHYH \RX DUH KDYLQJ IXQ <RX EHOLHYH you can sustain your current VSOLW IRU WKH UHPDLQGHU RI WKH SLHFH <RX EHOLHYH LQ IDFW WKDW

requires far greater focus; is my back straight? Are my VKRXOGHUV VTXDUH" $P , SXVK LQJ ZLWK KLSV RXW ன UVW" :KHUH is my handle height? Where is D VDQH SHUVRQ WR SXW DQ HQG to this madness? This is when \RX DUH PRVW OLNHO\ WR JLYH XS an urge best overcome by staring down the bastard enemy – the tiny screen hovering in IURQW RI \RXU GULSSLQJ ZLWK sweat eyes counting down the seconds or metres remaining - and forcing yourself to reach each incremental landmark to ன QDOO\ ன QG \RXUVHOI LQ WKH ன QDO stretch. For this last minute or VR \RX VSULQW H[SHQGLQJ HYH

haze of smugness that all nonURZHUV ன QG LQIXULDWLQJ WR ZLW ness. This smugness is nothing, KRZHYHU FRPSDUHG WR KRZ ZH IHHO DIWHU ZDNLQJ XS DW DP making the hour-long trek to the cold, dark and wet boathouse in Chiswick, and hauling an enormous boat out onto the Thames. The whole struggle LV RI FRXUVH FRPSHQVDWHG IRU a hundred times over by the wonderful feeling of actually URZLQJ WKDW FDQQRW EH UHSOL cated on an erg, the boat gliding smoothly beneath you, the loud clunk as all eight blades feather simultaneously in a

\RX FDQ SUREDEO\ SXVK \RXU VSOLW HYHQ ORZHU IRU WKH UHVW RI WKH SLHFH 7KLV EULHI GHOXVLRQ LV VZLIWO\ GLVSODFHG E\ WKH RK myfuckinggodhowcantherestillbetwentyminutesofthishellOHIW SKDVH <RX DUH VXGGHQO\ SDLQIXOO\ DZDUH RI HYHU\ PXV cle in your body straining WR PDLQWDLQ WKH SUHVVXUH WR ZRUN LQ V\QF IRU HDFK SUHFLVH movement. What came naturally mere seconds ago now

ry remaining morsel of energy, WU\LQJ GHVSHUDWHO\ ன QLVK RQ D KLJK QRWH DQG EHDW DQ\ SUHYL ous results. Seeing the timer KLW ‍ Ú?‏VHFRQGV‍ Ú‘â€ŹŕŽŠ OOV RQH ZLWK REVFHQH SOHDVXUH )ROORZLQJ WKLV \RX JHW XS RQ VKDN\ OHJV IHHOLQJ GHOLJKWIXOO\ VDWLVன HG with how sweaty and invigorated you feel as you tenderly SODFH \RXU RSSUHVVRU WKH HUJ away in the locker. The rest of WKH GD\ LV W\SLFDOO\ VSHQW LQ D

soothing rhythm. It is for this reason that we forego those H[WUD KRXUV RI VOHHS DQG IRU this reason that we were all so excited for the Cambridge Winter Head. After a team carbo-loading dinner the night before, we ZRNH XS LQ RXU EXQN EHGV DW WKH &DPEULGJH <+$ KRVWHO buzzing with energy. We ate as much breakfast as our nervous stomachs could handle,

ings from commercial ventures saw Dortmund achieve WKH KLJKHVW SHUFHQWDJH RI total revenue from commerFLDO VWUHDPV SHU FHQW RI any club across 2010/2011 (for further information see Deloittes Money League tables). Dortmund’s revenue growth has been highly imSUHVVLYH GRXEOLQJ IURP ۲ PLOOLRQ \HDUV DJR WR ۲ million today. The same canQRW EH VDLG IRU JURXS ULYDOV 0DQFKHVWHU FLW\ ZKR UHSRUW HG D ORVV RI ۲ PLOOLRQ LQ the 2010-2011 season. This GHன FLW LV WKH JUHDWHVW LQ WKH history of English football. With a quintessential dither, football’s governing bodies have caught on. Amid FRQFHUQ YRLFHG E\ WHDPV RS erating sustainable business PRGHOV DW WKH KHDY\ VSHQG ing of clubs such as ManFKHVWHU &LW\ LQ 8()$ DQQRXQFHG WKHLU ன QDQFLDO IDLU SOD\ UHJXODWLRQV DLPHG DW SUHYHQWLQJ FOXEV IURP VSHQG ing more than they earn. The

LGHD LV VRXQG SURYLGH VDQF tions against clubs that do not VSHQG ZLWKLQ D VHW EXGJHWDU\ framework over several seaVRQV )LQHV GLVTXDOLன FDWLRQV IURP (XURSHDQ FRPSHWLWLRQV and transfer bans loom for WKRVH XQDEOH WR NHHS WKHLU ORVVHV DERYH ۲ PLOOLRQ EH WZHHQ D ன JXUH ZKLFK SURJUHVVLYHO\ IDOOV WR ۲ PLOOLRQ LQ WKH season. +RZHYHU LQ SUDFWLFH WKHVH regulations may not be so easily enforced. Last July Manchester City entered LQWR D VSRQVRUVKLS GHDO ZLWK the airline Etihad. Etihad belongs to the Abu Dhabi royal family, of which City’s owner is a member and critics claim this arrangement is an atWHPSW WR FLUFXPYHQW 8()$‍ڑ‏V rules via backdoor funding. It will be interesting to see how UEFA chief Michel Platini’s ‍Ú?‏LQGHSHQGHQW SDQHO‍ ڑ‏MXGJH such arrangements in light of WKHLU VWULYLQJ IRU D OHYHO SOD\ LQJ ன HOG

3ULYDWH RZQHUVKLS LV WKH GRPLQDQW PRGHO LQ WKH SUH PLHU OHDJXH 7KH LPSOLFLW DV VXPSWLRQ LV WKDW LQ RUGHU WR FRPSHWH D FOXE PXVW RSHQ XS VKRS WR SURVSHFWLYH EX\HUV However such a model does not come without its own frailties. Unlike the electHG SUHVLGHQWV RI FOXEV WKDW DGRSW D FR RSHUDWLYH ‍Ú?‏PHP bers’ model (Barcelona) or SXEOLFO\ RZQHG ‍Ú?‏VKDUHKROGHU‍ ڑ‏ FOXEV 'RUWPXQG SULYDWH owners can to an extent make GHFLVLRQV DV WKH\ SOHDVH GH FLVLRQV ZKLFK FDQ KDYH SUR IRXQG LPSOLFDWLRQV RQ SOD\HU DQG VXSSRUWHU FRPPXQLWLHV Take Sheikh Abdullah al Thani at Malaga C.F. whose business methods have result in SHU FHQW RI SOD\HUV IURP ODVW VHDVRQ VWLOO RZHG SUR SRUWLRQV RI WKHLU VDODULHV $W Manchester United fans have been crying out for a muWXDO RZQHUVKLS PRGHO ZLWK D ZHDOWK\ VXSSRUWHU JURXS known as the Red Knights DWWHPSWLQJ D WDNHRYHU ELG LQ

DQG VHW RŕŽ‰ IRU WKH ZDON DFURVV Cambridge to the Queens boat club. Decked out in our bright SXUSOH W VKLUWV ZH EHJDQ WKH ORQJ VORZ SDGGOH XS WKH QDU row river to the starting line along with dozens of other boats. We took it as a good RPHQ WKDW WKH VXQ ன QDOO\ EURNH WKH FORXGV DV ZH VHW RŕŽ‰ DOORZ LQJ XV WR UHDOO\ DSSUHFLDWH WKH beauty of the quaint river we KDG WKH SULYLOHJH RI URZLQJ LQ And before we knew it, were OLQLQJ XS VKLYHULQJ ZDLWLQJ for the signal to move. The next eleven minutes were a blur. Every single movement required intense concentraWLRQ DQG SUHFLVLRQ DOO DW D UDWH RI VWURNHV SHU PLQXWH RXU H[SHULHQFHG FR[ 1DWDVKD GHIW O\ VZHSW XV DURXQG HDFK FRU ner, and before we knew it we KDG RYHUWDNHQ WKH ன UVW FUHZ LQ IURQW RI XV %\ WKH ன QDO VWUHWFK every muscle and our lungs ZHUH LQ EXUQLQJ SDLQ DQG VWLOO ZH SXVKHG PDLQWDLQLQJ that 30 stroke rate, sustained by the cheers for LSE on the sidelines, the knowledge that everyone in the boat was reO\LQJ RQ HDFK RWKHU WR ‍Ú?‏HPSW\ WKH WDQN‍ ڑ‏DQG ன QDOO\ 1DWD sha’s thunderous bellow ‘COX – MOVE – OUT – OF – OUR ‍ ڋ‏:$<‍ ڑ‏WR WKH ERDW GLUHFWO\ LQ RXU SDWK :H VDLOHG WKURXJK WKH ன QLVK OLQH KHDUWV EHDWLQJ ZLOGO\ DGUHQDOLQH SXPSLQJ DQG DOO HFVWDWLF ZLWK RXU SHU formance. A brilliant start to WKH VHDVRQ KHUH‍ڑ‏V KRSLQJ WKH rest of the year follows suit.

2010. Frustration at United KDV SURJUHVVLYHO\ LQFUHDVHG since the Glazers took over in 2005 with rising season WLFNHW SULFHV DQG WKH VDOH RI Cristiano Ronaldo being imSOHPHQWHG WR FRYHU LQWHUHVW SD\PHQWV RQ WKH GHEW WKH owners incurred when buyLQJ WKH FOXE LQ WKH ன UVW SODFH +RZ ZLOO RZQHUVKLS WUHQGV GHYHORS" %DUFHORQD DUH VKRZLQJ KRZ IDQ SRZHU across its 170 000 member FR RSHUDWLYH LV SURYLQJ EHQ Hன FLDO ERWK RQ WKH SLWFK DQG ன QDQFLDOO\ WKH\ KDYH EHHQ SURன WDEOH VLQFH /LNH ZLVH 'RUWPXQG ZLWK SHU FHQW IDQ RZQHUVKLS GHPRQ strate that footballing and ன QDQFLDO VXFFHVV FDQ EH achieved without the assisWDQFH RI D SULYDWH WDNHRYHU ,W seems that combining clever EXVLQHVV SUDFWLFH WKURXJK SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK FOXE VXS SRUWHUV RŕŽ‰ HUV D VXVWDLQDEOH DOWHUQDWLYH WR WKH SULYDWH RZQHUVKLS

Sport

32

Sport

20.11.2012

| The Beaver

Inside

‍ښ‏/6( 6SRUW ‍(ښ‏QJODQG ,Q ,QGLD

Kicking racism out... slowly As the issue of racism reared its ugly head, this past year saw the football industry under scrutiny like never before. All the good work done till now has arguably been undermined and the reputation of English football has certainly been damaged. For WKH ன UVW WLPH WKH JHQHUDO public has been given an insight into the interaction between players on the pitch. 15th October 2011. Liverpool’s prominent striker Luis Suarez was handed an eightmatch ban and a ÂŁ40,000 ன QH E\ WKH )RRWEDOO $VVRFLD tion (FA) after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. Suarez pleaded that he called Evra “something his team-mates at Manchester call himâ€?. However, having taken advice on the context of the abusive words employed, the FA decided Suarez used them in a “hostileâ€? rather than “friendlyâ€? IDVKLRQ 7KH FRQŕŽ‹ LFW ZDV HV calated further when, in February 2012, Suarez refused to shake Evra’s hand before NLFN RŕŽ‰ :DV 6XDUH] RŕŽ‰ HQGHG WKDW (YUD had decided to report his racial abuse to the FA? Or, rather, was it that he was frustrated at how he had been

misunderstood and was now VXŕŽ‰ HULQJ XQMXVW FDVWLJDWLRQ" As will soon become obvious, in each incident there have been two sides to the coin; a problem that is exacerbated by neither party being necessarily correct. RUARAIDHG

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23rd October 2011. John Terry, captain of both Chelsea and England, allegedly racially abused Anton Ferdinand following a 1-0 defeat at Loftus Road. Terry’s case was that he had only been re-

peating words he thought the QPR defender had accused him of saying. However, on 5 th October 2012, Terry’s defence was labelled “improbably, implausible, contrived� by the FA panel; he was banned for four games and

the ban for Terry and that which was handed to Suarez. 7KH ன UVW H[SODQDWLRQ LV WKDW Terry only used the word “blackâ€? once whilst Suarez repeatedly abused Evra; “at least 10 timesâ€?, according to the Frenchman. Although

to be a logically false statement, upon further thought it becomes clear why the panel drew such a conclusion. Terry, as the panel’s report wrote, was simply “angry at Mr Ferdinand’s taunting and provocation of him, angry at the way the match had gone, and angry at the way in which it seemed likely to endâ€?. Furthermore, there was testimonial evidence, including statements from black footballers, to suggest he is not a racist. Indeed, the chairman of Kick It Out, Lord Ouseley, stressed nor is Luis Suarez a racist; the charge is “saying, on this occasion, he used racial languageâ€?. If you kill a man are you not a murderer? 29th October 2012. Following a controversial 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, Chelsea immediately made a formal complaint against referee Mark Clattenburg; they accused him of using “inappropriate languageâ€? towards Juan Mata and John Obi Mikel. Three days later Sir Alex Ferguson himself publicly announced that he ன QHG e <HW 7HUU\ this then raises the ques- doubted Chelsea’s claims. Inwill remain as Chelsea’s cap- tion of whether some forms deed, the FA and MetropoliWDLQ :KDW NLQG RI PHVVDJH of racism are more accept- tan Police have since both does that send out? However, able than others. The other FRQன UPHG WKHLU LQYHVWLJD an even more contentious is- is that, interestingly, the FA tions would no longer prosue is why there was such a stressed Terry “is not a rac- ceed. clear discrepancy between LVW‍ ڕ‏:KLOVW LQLWLDOO\ VHHPLQJ Continued on page 30

Borussia Dortmund - sustainable contenders corded the highest average attendance across the whole ‘If Borussia Dortmund get of European club football through the group, they are (80,500). Dortmund are concandidates to win the tourna- WHQGHUV 2ŕŽ‰ WKH EDFN RI ORV ment’. A stark warning given ing their group in Europe by Jose Mourinho after his and buoyed by their stylish Real Madrid side narrowly retention of the Bundesliga, scraped a 2-2 home draw they have the motivation and against the Schwarzgelben FRQன GHQFH WR SURYH WKHP last week. It was the sec- selves in this years’ Championd time in four European ons League. The 2011-2012 games that the German team domestic season saw them have conceded an equaliser enter record books twice; for in the closing stages; Ozil’s the highest points total in the goal following on from Mario Bundesliga (81) and for the Balotelli’s last-minute pen- longest unbeaten run in a alty in their 1-1 draw against single season. The team also Manchester City on October VHFXUHG WKHLU ன UVW GRXEOH LQ 3rd. Dortmund were two the club’s 103-year history by minutes away from a perfect winning the DFB cup. Under record, four wins from four, charismatic manager JĂźrgen having played their strong- Klopp, the German chamest competition away from SLRQV DWWDFN ZLWK ŕŽ‹ DPER\ WKH :HVWIDOHQVWDGLRQ WKH ance and pace, racking up 22 stadium that last season re- shots in their game against Charlie De Montfort

Manchester City. Evidently they are unwilling to rest on the laurels of last season. It would be easy to restrict the credit we award Borussia Dortmund to their strong performances in Europe this season. However in order to comprehend the extent of their achievement, topping champions league group D ahead of Real Madrid, Manchester City and $MD[ FRQVLGHU WKH WHDP‍ڑ‏V GLV SDUDWH ன QDQFLDO UHVRXUFHV At the top of the group with 8 points, Dortmund boast D QHW WUDQVIHU SURன W RI ۲ million since the 09/10 season. On 2 points Manchester City sit at the bottom of the group. Their net transfer expenditure over the same WLPHIUDPH UHDGV D GHன FLW RI ۲ PLOOLRQ ,Q IDFW EHWZHHQ 2008, when Abu-Dhabi based

oil magnate Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bought the club and the end of the 2011/2012 season City’s total cash outOD\ ZDV RYHU ۲ ELOOLRQ D PHUH ۲ PLOOLRQ RI ZKLFK was generated from their own operations. Mansour balanced their books by supplying the remaining sum. Furthermore, the two sides’ DQQXDO ZDJH EXGJHWV RŕŽ‰ HU an interesting point of comparison. Dortmund’s relatively meager bill is in the reJLRQ RI ۲ PLOOLRQ ZKHUHDV &LW\‍ڑ‏V H[FHHGV ۲ PLOOLRQ For comparison, Dortmund’s wage bill is similar to Sunderland, Everton and Fulham VKRZLQJ MXVW KRZ H[WUDRU dinary their achievements have been. As opposed to City’s private ownership model, Borussia Dortmund adopt

a bottom-up management strategy. Having learned from past mistakes, notably their teeter on the brink of bankruptcy in 2005, the club QRZ HPSOR\ D VROLG ன QDQFLDO strategy grounded in achieving maximum sporting success without taking on more debt. In the absence of a rich benefactor they rely on organic business growth. For growth on the pitch their focus primarily lies with youth development, the establishment of their BVB academy in 2011 aims to provide an infrastructure by which players between 19-23 can achieve full potential. Their investment in cheap, young SOD\HUV UDWKHU WKDQ ன QLVKHG articles has already proved fruitful Continued on page 31

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