4 News Parents push for ‘Harry’s Law’ following death of Exeter student Aarti Malhotra Executive Editor Klara Woxström News Editor
Content warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide.
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n June 2021, Exeter University student Harry Armstrong Evans took his life after receiving “devastating” third-year exam marks. His family is now pushing for the adoption of ‘Harry’s Law’, calling for coroners to inform universities when the suicide of an enrolled student is registered, and for universities to release yearly statistics of student suicides. An inquest into Harry’s death was carried out and concluded on 31 October, which condemned Exeter University for failing to respond to Harry’s demonstrated need for help. The
inquest further stated there was “a risk of further deaths” at the University. The inquest found that the welfare service at Exeter University had not done enough to respond to Harry’s attempts to reach out to the university. According to The Guardian, Harry is one of 11 Exeter students who have taken their own lives in the past six years. Harry’s family is also urging for the Department of Education to be given the power to investigate universities where suicide rates exceed the national average. The Office for National Statistics estimated this figure at three deaths per 100,000 students in the academic year ending in 2020. The parliamentary petition for Harry’s Law has nearly 700 signatures and expires in May of next year. To garner further support for the petition, Exeter’s student newspaper,
The Exposé, reached out to various other student publications across the UK. As of 2 December, 19 UK student publications have expressed their support for the cause, including The Beaver (LSE), The Oxford Student (Oxford), Palatinate (Durham), Roar News (KCL), and The Saint (St. Andrews). When asked for data regarding student suicides at LSE, an LSE spokesperson responded, “LSE records the fact that a student has died, but not the cause of death. We would only be aware that a student had died as a result of suicide if notified that this was the case by a Coroner’s Court and, as such, we do not hold this information. The LSE Spokesperson further stated, “On the very sad occasion when a student passes away, for whatever reason, we provide appropriate shortand long-term support to the student’s
classmates and staff and offer whatever support we can to the family.” Fiona*, a third year history student said, “We as students are faced with enormous amounts of pressure having to balance classes, coursework, exams, and application deadlines amongst other things. In my case, I also have to juggle a part-time job. Given this, it is not surprising that there is a mental health epidemic across UK universities. Universities are businesses that thrive on the money that students put into their pockets, yet many universities, like LSE, fail to commit sufficient resources to support students suffering from poor mental health. The bare minimum that universities could do to help combat this mental health crisis is for them to be transparent by providing statistics on suicide.”
*Names in this article have been changed to preserve anonymity.
Minouche Shafik calls for sustainable investments at COP27 Alan Nemirovki Contributor Photo sourced from LSE
“For example, we constantly look at ways to lower our carbon emissions and have pledged to be net-zero carbon by 2050. We aim to have a ‘zero impacts’ campus, actively minimising the environmental impacts of our estate and operations – from waste reduction and water usage to our construction and refurbishment projects.
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n 7 November 2022, LSE Director Minouche Shafik delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, where she discussed the global economy’s future and called for further sustainable investments towards a “green industrial revolution.” Shafik’s speech was delivered alongside many influential figures, including President Joe Biden, UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres, and European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. Their speeches similarly converge on a call for sustainable investments, with Biden and Simson outlining sustainability and investment goals for the United States and the European Union, respectively. In her speech, Shafik presented a choice between maintaining the current state of unsustainability or evolving towards a “green” future, characterised by the universal use of low-carbon technologies and global cooperation, as opposed to individual solutions for every country. She also noted public sector investment, reducing high debt in developing countries, and the involvement of the private sector as key steps to generate the next revolution
to make global economies more sustainable. Shafik’s speech has been applauded by the LSE, whose sustainability team tweeted they are “proud” to see the Director speaking at COP27. However, not everyone feels the sentiments and believe that ideals expressed by Shafik in her speech are not reflected on campus. The largest criticisms by Honour Astill, an LSE student and member of LSE’s Sustainable Futures society, involve the lack of sustainable practices at LSE, the institution that Minouche Shafik leads. Astill commented,“LSE’s embrace of finance doesn’t square with their purported support for sustainability. LSE engages in high-profile greenwashing, like becoming the first
carbon-neutral university in the UK, but doesn’t make meaningful changes on campus, even something as simple as making their disposable cups recyclable.” A spokesperson for LSE commented on LSE’s sustainable practices, including the School’s sustainable investments, “Creating a sustainable LSE is one of the commitments of LSE’s 2030 strategy. In close partnership with our diverse community, we developed a Sustainability Strategic Plan in 2020, focusing on six key themes to maximise our impact in shaping a sustainable world – including campus operations and sustainable investment. The LSE spokesperson further stated,
‘‘LSE’s Catering services take sustainability seriously’’. Their initiatives include ‘‘[promoting] low-carbon, plant-based choices using behavioural science approaches, and [looking] at the whole supply chain through a sustainability lens, from sourcing highquality food items to reducing food waste. Other initiatives include a 25p levy on single-use water bottles and coffee cups, which goes in to funding the Sustainable Projects Fund, and the active promotion of LSE KeepCups at all catering outlets to encourage the use of reusables. “In terms of sustainable investments, LSE’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy guides our investment practices, taking into consideration Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. The policy is currently under review, following a consultation in March 2022 with the LSE community. An updated policy is to be published soon. LSE is also a signatory of the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment.’’