Room 2.02, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, LSE Students’ Union London WC2A 2AE
Beaver
the
the
Beaver
Executive Editor Alexander Fyfe
editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Managing Editor Liam Hill
Established in 1949 Issue No. 831 - Tuesday 10 March 2015 - tinyurl.com/beaver831 Telephone: 0207 955 6705 Email: editor@thebeaveronline.co.uk Website: www.beaveronline.co.uk Twitter: @beaveronline
managing@thebeaveronline.co.uk
News Editors Megan Crockett Mahatir Pasha
news@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Comment Editor Ellen Wilkie
comment@thebeaveronline.co.uk
PartB Editors Jade Jackman Vikki Hui
partb@thebeaveronline.co.uk
The City Editor Mika Morissette
city@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Features Editors George Harrison Taryana Odayar
features@thebeaveronline.co.uk
The Nab Editor
nab@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Sport Editor Robin Park
sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Design Editor Ellen Wilkie
design@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Online Editor Leen Aghabi
web@thebeaveronline.co.uk
Collective Chair Dorothy Wong
collective@thebeaveronline.co.uk
The Collective:
Abir Qazilbash, Alec Howells, Alex Leung, Alexander Fraser, Alexander Fyfe, Alexandra Lulache, Amelia Thomson, Ameya Badwe, Anuradha Santhanham, Ben Phillips, Bronwen Mehta, Camilla Naschert, Ceri Morgan, Chloe Holden, Choudhry Azizuddin, Christopher Hulm, Daniel Sippel, Dominic Hung, Dominic Tighe, Dorothy Wong, Ellen Wilkie, Ellie Peake, Gabrielle Beran, Gaia Manners-Armstrong, Gareth Rosser, Gee Linford-Grayson, George Greenwood, George Harrison, Gregory Kist, Hari Prabu, Hayley Toms, Isabella Mosselmans, Jack Hodsall, Jade Jackman, James Evans, Jasper Heeks, Jennifer Ruther, Jodie Momodu, Joe Grabiner, Joe Walters, Jon Allsop, Jon Foster, Julia Wacket, Kanan Parida, Katie Budd, Kavita Kalaichelvan, Khushboo Khanna, Koko Owusu, Laura Weigold, Leen Aghabi, Lena Schofield, Liam Hill, Louis van der Linden, Mahatir Pasha, Mali Williams, Malvika Jaganmohan, Mark Malik, Martha Petrocheilos, Maryam Akram, Matthew Pennill, Maurice Banerjee-Palmer, Megan Crockett, Mercedes Domenech Ensenat, Michelle Warbis, Mika Morissette, Mike Pearson, Milan Neergheen, Monopoly Rakus, Molly Brien, Minerva Rakus, Nona Buckley-Irvine, Ollie Hill, Perdita Blinkhorn, Phoebe Amoroso, Rachel Chua, Rahat Siddique, Raisa Huq, Rayhan Chouglay, Rayhan Uddin, Rian Watt, Richard Serunjogi, Robert Charnock, Robin Park, Rohan Ahlawat, Rohan Soni, Ronda Daniel, Ryan O’Rourke, Sam Barnett, Sam Povey, Samantha Jury-Dada, Sanya-Jeet Thandi, Saran Richards, Sebastien Ash, Sophie Donszelmann, Suyin Haynes, Taryana Odayar, Tom Maksymiw, Tooba Mushtaq, Vikki Hui, Zita Chan, Zwan Mahmod. Any opinions expressed herein are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the LSE Students’ Union or Beaver Editorial Staff.
The Beaver is issued under a Creative Commons license. Attribution necessary. Printed at Mortons Printing.
From the Executive Editor Alexander Fyfe on censorship, cars and his newest idea: foie gras Fridays WHAT DID I TELL YOU? Being Executive Editor is most definitely a dicey business, and this year was no exception; even before we’d gone to print. As I have a statistics project due, I sadly have no time to take responsibility for every word inked upon these pages this week. Therefore I’m being extra careful to make sure there is nothing the plethora of campus factions can dispute. I’m sure some will take up the gauntlet regardless, and no doubt harangue me for some editorial indiscretion. Despite this, I can’t go further without mentioning last week’s shenanigans, but it’ll be brief, so persevere. Firstly, I regret the use of such a powerful image to get our message across; we were heavy handed in that respect. I stand by our point however, and say this. As Executive Editor, I took a stand against the limitation of students’ and commentators’ free speech at their elections, in their paper. I wasn’t claiming my personal human rights had been trampled upon; I was standing up for students’ voices, to have
the freedom to comment on issues pertaining to them in their forum. I think the byelaws that were in place last week were misinterpreted, and fundamentally I believe the laws are a sledgehammer where a scalpel is needed. We’re working with the SU to clarify them for the future. And on the topic of Jason Wong, it’s Jason Wong. I’d hope that by diversifying The Beaver’s coverage to include him we could reach out to more students. I also thought that students’ would be erudite enough to recognise who he was, and critically appraise what he said. Finally, given that everyone seems to have read the offending material, there seems little point to reprint it; particularly given we have a packed issue what with the LSE’s 120th Anniversary and International Women’s Day. If anyone would like a copy, please email me and I’ll get it to them. Moving on, it was the Geneva Motor Show this week! I’m hoping nobody can take issue with me discussing this; last time I checked there wasn’t a liberation group for
bicycles that would have their voice trampled upon by discussion of petrol so we should be safe from militant keyboard warriors. **** I was planning to finish this article about cars, but as I wrote a new thing grabbed my attention: the UGM proposing Meat Free Mondays. Thankfully the ruling doesn’t look like it’ll affect the delicious pies served in the Saw Swee Hock. I sadly won’t be supporting the motion, chiefly because the proponents didn’t get in touch to see if we could run a join campaign and include a fair milk price clause. I’d also be tempted to support it if we could have more diverse meat choices the rest of the week, and I hope someone proposes an amendment to this effect. Foie Gras Friday’s anyone? Ptarmigan Tuesdays? The list is endless. No doubt ardent leaf muncher Liam Hill will be in full opposition – sorry Liam, nobody’s up for Tofu Thursdays. If anything, serving insects would be a more sustainable solution. Enjoy the paper!
Tuesday March 10, 2015
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Beaver Elections Coming Up After LSESU elections are over this term, with some of our staff graduating this Summer, we will be looking for some new editors. We will want: News editors x2 Comment editor x1 PartB editor x1 The City editor x1 Sport editor x1 Online editor x1 Collective Chair x1
DOES YOUR SOCIETY NEED A COMPUTER? We are getting rid of our old Macs, as the annual fund has given us some shiny new ones. The old ones aren’t actualy that old, and if your society would be interested in gettting one for free, email the editor. The Beaver @beaveronline Jon Allsop is interviewing Alastair Duncan, opening with the vital question “where did you buy your hat?” The Beaver @beaveronline @JayStoll takes a poo in the green room #celeb
Liam Hill savours being back home in Devon, if only for a day. You’re all invited
From the Managing Editor AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE seen from my new facebook profile picture – an image of me ambling over a big chunk of granite – I have been out of London this weekend. I put up with two five-and-ahalf hour coach journeys to justify about 40 hours actually spent at home or out with my parents. I headed home on Friday to recuperate and to reenergise, but writing this Editorial on Sunday I realise I will probably have to wait until after the end of this term to actually manage that. I was, perhaps, at my very most relaxed while ambling over the big rock in question – it’s called Haytor, on Dartmoor National Park, if you’re interested. Miles from my laptop, wi-fi or any possibility of picking up some 3G on my phone, I could properly escape from LSE and anything to do with it, if only
for about half an hour. As much as I enjoy being at LSE and engaging with and in the activities of the SU and societies, I am very much in need of a rest and a holiday. Relentlessly dragging myself back into the real world, I suppose this means I should spend the rest of this editorial complaining about the lack (up until soon) of a reading week; or asking nicely that departments and elected officers ensure that, for the sake of students like me who study courses from more than one department, reading week is the same week for all departments. But since I have just concisely covered that, all that remains is for me to recommend a break in Devon. Amble over big rocks on Dartmoor, sample genuine Devon cream tea in Widdecombe, visit Ye Olde Cider Bar – the UK’s first (al-
legedly) ever public house specialising in cider – in my hometown of Newton Abbot and, of course, visit the seaside at any of Devon’s (literally) tens of beaches at which an enjoyable time might be had by someone, at some point, presumably. At the very least, you might bump into me doing all of this as soon as Lent Term is over. **** You leave Tofu Thursdays alone, Fyfe. Meat Free Mondays is a fabulous idea based on really important, environmentally sound principles, and I urge everyone to support the motion on Thursday. As for the the notion that Pie Minister might start serving up grasshopper pie with two mash, peas and gravy, feel free to begin the insectivore revolution if you so wish, Alex, but I’m sticking to leaves for now.
K atie Budd @klebudd “Sleep is the first step” Katie Budd on her plans now she has been elected. Taheri @RuHLAM @liamjlhill still waiting for your censored content mate Editorial Note: In the unlikely event that the former Beaver feature of ‘Houghton Street Hotties’ returns, Liam Hill will be the first to get his censored content out. Until then, you’ll have to wait.