The Beaver - #943

Making Sense of LSE Since 1949.

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ISSUE 1

AT WEEK 1

2025

A Freshers’ Week Handbook:

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Angelika demystifies the LSE freshers experience

NEWS

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LSE announces changes to the course selection process after major technical difficulties in early September

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multimedia

FEATURES Vasavi examines how home-international student friendships at LSE flourish

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OPINION Jahnavi dissects the death of VEVO and music video artistry

& flip for James

Meet the Team Executive Editor

Janset An executive.beaver@lsesu.org Managing Editor Lucas Ngai managing.beaver@lsesu.org

AT Week 1 2

www.thebeaverlse.co.uk

‘What is !e Beaver?’

Lucas Ngai Managing Editor

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run from, and a growing disillusionment with the fleeting, superficial nature of university life.

News Editors Amy O’ Donoghue Jack Baker

When I look back on my first year, there definitely were many fun times. But what I remember most is that crushing feeling of loneliness I so desperately tried to

Two years later, though, I’ve come to realise that like many things, it’s simply a matter of perspective: the finite-ness of our time at uni is a beautiful thing, too. Isn’t it so cool that when we, from such different walks of life, can find our own enjoyment in each other’s company at this time, in this place we call LSE? In this brief moment we cross paths, time

Features Editors Vasavi Singhal Angelika Santaniello

Mini Crossword

Flipside Editor Skye Slatcher editor.flipside@lsesu.org Frontside Editor Suchita !epkanjana editor.beaver@lsesu.org Multimedia Editor Sylvain Chan multimedia.beaver@lsesu.org

Opinion Editors Shreya Gupta Aaina Saini Review Editors Jessica Chan Iman Waseem Part B Editors Shahzaib Ali Khan Zara Noor

s Social Sciences students, we get used to asking the pithy but necessary questions – indeed, why should you, dear reader, care about our quaint, little student publication? I’ve been thinking about this question as I take in the chaos of Welcome Week for the last time.

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Social Editors Amelia Hancock Aashi Bains

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Sport Editors Emerson Lam Harry Roberts

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Illustration Heads Vivika Sahajpal Laura Liu Photography Head Yuvi Chahar Podcast Editor Salma Abuletta Website Editor Natasha Pinto Philippa Park Social Media Sophie Alcock Yashve Rai Anika Balwada Anisha Shinde Khushi Khandelwal Formatting Editor Oliver Chan Social Secretary Isabella Liu

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To me, this is the Beaver.

When you are ever swept away with coursework, internships, or post-graduation plans (or quarter-life crises), beelining

from point A to B, the Beaver is an open invitation to take a deep breath and live in the moment – to share the highs and lows of campus life with each other, to advocate for the issues we care about most, to give form to your passing thoughts and emotions that help you make sense of your inner world.

So do come along for the ride – we cannot wait for what’s in store for the rest of this year. It’ll be fun, I promise!

We Have Stickers!

By a Very Nice Beaver 1

seems to slow down. I look around, intrigued and inspired by those around me, each doing their best to navigate our messy world through 48.8 gsm newsprint. And at the end we each part ways to our own journeys, carrying an eternal slice from that sublime moment we shared together.

Believe it or not, we have to recuperate production costs one way or another... between printing these copies, , and enticing people to socials with food, !e Beaver can only do so much on an SU and membership budget!

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If you’d like to decorate your laptop or notebooks with subtle LSE-related stickers, and support our humble publication, head to !e Beaver’s student union page and purchase them!

Collect them at our inperson stalls on !ursdays!

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Across 1 Tabletop RPG 4 Zombie’s want 6 Doubly 7 Shakespeare’s Katherina 8 Rowboat propellor

DM us on Instagram @ Scan to purchase the stickers (or buy beaveronline for inquiries. membership!)

Down 1 Time-travelling Dalek destroyer 2 Nigerian currency 3 Kitchen gadget 4 Director’s extras, for short

£1 / sticker £4 / 9 stickers

Any opinions expressed herein are those of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the LSE Students’ Union or Beaver Editorial Staff. !e Beaver is issued under a Creative Commons license.

Attribution necessary. Printed at Iliffe Print, Cambridge.

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NEWS

3 News Editors

Jack Baker Amy O’Donoghue news.beaver@lsesu.org

LSE Commits to New Course Selection System after Registration Crisis Jack Baker News Editor

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fter widespread frustration amongst the student body, LSE has committed to overhauling the outdated course selection system following a consultation later this year. On 2 September 2025, the system reportedly crashed numerous times as students attempted to choose modules for the year ahead.

This resulted in many complaining that they were unable to select their desired module choices, with some suggesting that this would harm their academic and career prospects.

Shortly before 10am, the system placed students into a virtual queue, indicating that they would be able to choose courses once they had reached the front. Problems arose

almost immediately when those who had ascended the queue were still unable to enrol. This was rectified in around 10 minutes, before another issue arose: no modules amounting to over 1.0 units were able to be selected.

These problems seemingly occurred to different students at different times, with some able to make selections earlier than others. This disparity resulted in the most competitive courses filling up fast.

ty applications”. He hoped LSE would make improvements to the system so future “students’ academic careers are not jeopardised by technical failures”.

At 11:41am, the LSE course selection team sent out an email confirming that all technical failings had been resolved.

However, by that time, many had already missed out on their first choices.

One of those affected was Jack Hotchkiss, a second-year Politics and IR student, who said the advice given was “confused and uncertain about the complex web of regulations.” Similar to Francisco, Jack found the “technical problems I and other students experienced may well have limited me.” He believes that “given the cost of tuition fees…systems need to work”.

Speaking on behalf of the School, the media relations team has promised to launch a “consultation this year on the principles by which LSE degree programmes should be designed.” They hope this new “academic model” will s u b -

Francisco Cigarro Jr., a thirdyear Politics and IR student, told us that he was “unable to register for the modules [he] had carefully planned for months”. Some of the modules he was hoping to enrol on were “particularly important given their relevance to [his] post-graduate universi-

Snippets of Welcome Week

sequently pave the way for the design of a “new course selection system that moves away from the current ‘firstcome, first-served’ process”.

They also recognised the “challenging experience” of course selection, and stated that they were “very sorry for any disruptions this caused”.

Alfie Bayliss, a third-year History and Politics student, welcomes the proposed change, stating that students “heavily indebted themselves for a premium product, yet receive one that is simply not fit for purpose”.

LSE has yet to comment on the time frame for the introduction of this new system.

However, the proceeding consultation is confirmed to begin sometime this academic year.

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The Welcome Fair of 2025, across the span of 3 days, hosted 10,229 attendees. The societies that set up stalls reflected the distinctive interests on campus: they ranged from Cultural, Academic, Sports, Media to Campaigning Socieites. In addition, many students interacted with third party stalls such as Deliveroo and Debatemate.

Students were also given free, staple food of some restaurants that set up stalls like Pho.

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1 - Taekwondo Club 2 - Pilates Club

3 - Anime Society 4 - Majilis Society

5 - Dance Club 6 - Filipino Society

7 - The Raccoon 8 - African & Caribbean Society

9 - Debate Society

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NEWS

New Renters’ Union Launched for LSE Staff and Students Amy O’Donoghue News Editor

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SESU members have formed a new Renters’ Collective, aiming to represent the needs of tenants and educate renters at LSE on their rights and resources.

In their introductory statement, they describe themselves as an organisation that exists “to represent the needs of our members through campaigns focusing on rent, conditions, and rights”. The issues renters in London encounter are well-documented, with tenants facing the highest median rents in the UK and intense competition to acquire a property.

One student described an estate agent encouraging them into “bidding wars” with other potential tenants, advising the student to offer the highest

amount they possibly could for the flat. Problems with mould, broken facilities and poor landlord communication are all common.

The Renters’ Collective also alleges that LSE’s Guarantor Scheme is insufficient, arguing that the criteria a student must meet to access it are too narrow.

Currently, the scheme stipulates that you must be “an international student who found their house on the UoL housing platform, with a rent that does not exceed £1,000 per month”.

The Renters’ Collective wants LSE to expand the scheme so that low-income home students can also benefit from its services.

Jack Baker, chair and founder of the Collective, told the

Beaver: “We started the group earlier this year in response to the dire state of both student and private rented accommodation. We wanted to provide students with a voice to fight for better rent, conditions, and rights.

There have been welcome developments from the government in the Renters’ Rights Bill, but they still don’t apply to student accommodation, leaving thousands of tenants in difficult conditions.

Landlords think that tenants are powerless and so act how they want, but they aren’t.

There is power when renters come together and demand more. That’s why we formed this union.

We want LSE to do more for tenants, through expanding the guarantor scheme, adopting the relevant aspects of the

RRB, and increasing the eligibility for the accommodation bursary. If they fail to do this, they will see the power students have when we band together. LSE has a long history of activism; it’s brought change in the past, and we hope it can bring change now.”

A LSE spokesperson said: “The Rent Guarantor Scheme, run by LSE’s Accommodation Office, is primarily targeted at international students as they tend to struggle most to provide a UK-based guarantor.

It is also open to care-experienced students with ‘home’ status. The scheme was expanded in December 2023, increasing the guarantee to £250 per week/£1000 per month. It was also expanded to include PhD students, and the terms of the scheme were relaxed so

that students no longer needed to have lived in an LSE/University of London Hall of residence previously to be eligible - they just need to provide a letter of reference from a previous landlord. While there are no immediate plans to expand this, the Residential Services team is happy to work with the LSESU and willing to listen to further proposals.”

The LSESU Renters’ Collective plans to officially launch their campaign on 30 September, promising that further information about their plans to make change for tenants is soon to come.

LSE’s Response to Supreme Court Gender Ruling Divides Students and Staff Anonymous Contributing Writer Amy O’Donoghue Photography

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ollowing the Supreme Court decision on the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers, LSE Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has launched a consultation on how the ruling will impact the university’s Transgender Inclusion Policy and access to facilities on campus.

In April 2024, the UK Supreme Court ruled on the case raised

by For Women Scotland, over whether a person with a full Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) is female for the purposes of the Equality Act (EA 2010).

ance for service providers, which states that trans men and women cannot access single-sex facilities and must use those that match their sex assigned at birth, rather than the ones that match their gender identity.

The Court ruled that references to ‘man’, ‘woman’, and ‘sex’ — in the eyes of the EA 2010 — refer to sex assigned at birth.

In response, an appeal by the Good Law Project has been launched over concerns that trans voices were not heard during the case, arguing that the Supreme Court has placed the UK in breach of the Human Rights Act.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published interim guid-

Reacting to both sets of legislation, LSE has begun a Listening and Engagement Exercise on a set of “strategic principles” led by its EDI team and its new General Counsel, Elizabeth Messud. The focus of this exercise is to ascertain the views of staff and student groups on campus to inform future policy, such as the Trans Inclusion Policy and the use of school facilities. This has been facilitated through focus groups (led

by LSESU) and one-to-ones (led by the LSE EDI team). The exercise finishes on 6 October

with two final sets of focus groups for LGBTQ+ students on 29 September and 3 October for everyone.

Various staff and student groups have responded differently to LSE EDI’s consultation. The staff unions have issued statements in support of the trans community and have argued for the protection of transgender staff and students at LSE. Similarly, a representative of the LSE LGBTQIA+ staff network, Spectrum, said: “LSE has always championed an inclusive facilities policy for our trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming staff and students. We acknowledge the uncertainty and fear that the UK Supreme Court judgment has created for our queer community.”

priate access and safeguards are in place to protect trans and non-binary students.”

Separately, the SU has launched a new campaign – TransFormation. This includes a Student Policy which commits the SU to “resist any and all future attempts … to scrutinise or police toilets” and to lobby the School to increase the number of gender-neutral facilities on campus. This policy exists alongside further internal lobbying by the Sabbatical Officers and LGBTQ+ Officer.

A LSE spokesperson said: “LSE is fully committed to upholding equity, diversity and inclusion and works closely with multiple departments, teams and networks to improve the experience of all.”

On the student side, the LGBTQ+ Society has issued a statement of solidarity with its students, saying: “Trans students at LSE deserve clarity and not to feel fear when they come to campus.

LSE must ensure that appro-

Read the full article and LSE’s response online.

NEWS

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International Students at LSE Report Fears Following Anti-Immigration Protests Joe Card Staff Writer Pexels Photo Credits

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ith around 70% of LSE’s students coming from outside the UK, the student community has been affected by widespread anti-immigrant rhetoric and the government’s changes to immigration rules. International students have raised concerns over personal safety, their long-term prospects in this country, and the atmosphere created by right-wing protests and politicians.

Throughout the summer protests have been organised across the country, opposing asylum seekers and the hotels housing them.

More recently, the campaign ‘Operation: Raise the Colours’ has seen St George’s flags and Union Jacks appearing on lampposts, on zebra crossings, and in other public places, sparking debate over the flags’ significance.

On Saturday, September 13th, this reached a peak when over 110,000 protesters marched through central London in a demonstration against immigration organised by rightwing extremist Stephen Yax-

ley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson. The protest culminated with speeches from a range of far-right figures, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former French presidential candidate Éric Zemmour. Musk’s speech in particular has attracted criticism for its divisive rhetoric, and 25 protesters were arrested for violence towards the police.

This has had a profound effect on international students at LSE, and at other Russell Group universities. Most significantly, the rhetoric has left students concerned for their safety in the UK. One student from India, who preferred to remain anonymous, said they felt “unsafe” after being chased in a Tube station while travelling to their accommodation near Whitehall, only two days after the protest. Concerned that they may have been targeted because of their race, the student said they would be “more cautious”, “more careful going out late, and a little more wary of random people”.

International students are divided on whether seeing the St George’s %ag or Union Jack concerns them. A South Asian student returning for their second year, who also asked to remain anonymous, said they weren’t aware of any particular significance to the %ags and

News Editors’ Digest Jack and Amy’s Top Picks of Upcoming Events

Launch of Revolutionary Pamphlet Agitator 2.0

03 Oct

Association for Research and Change (ARC)’s First Event

09 Oct

LSESU German Society Oktoberfest LSESU Student for Justice in Palestine’s Student Conference for Palestine

12 Oct 18 Oct

“would have thought it was to do with national pride” rather than discrimination. In contrast, the Indian student who was chased argued that the %ag “signals the wrong thing” and clearly isn’t just about patriotism.

One Ukrainian student felt that the %ag campaign is “related to a sense of Englishness”, and a desire to defend the “white English population against an in%ux of people”.

This echoes concerns noted in a report for the Russell Group, which found that...

30%

of international students reported experiencing xenophobia.

When asked whether they felt personally targeted, the South Asian student said no, given their impression that the protests and policy changes seem “mostly focused on low-skilled workers”, rather than on students. Similarly, the Ukrainian student said that as they are here to study, “as more of a guest” rather than as a “refugee”, they don’t feel targeted in the same way they might have otherwise been. Commenting on his family’s experience as refugees living in a hotel in Ireland, the student said he empathises with how difficult it is for “people to survive in that situation.”

Beyond the rhetoric, students are also worried about the government’s changes to immigration rules and the opportunities for international students to stay in the UK after graduating. This has a direct impact on students’ career choices, where one interviewee reported that “their friends who originally aimed to do a PhD are ‘giving up’ on their dream and instead aiming for “high finance…just so they can stay in the country.” The Ukrainian student similarly felt that they

A student... argued that the flag “signals the wrong thing” and clearly isn’t just about patriotism. had become “more conservative” and “more risk-averse” in return, for more certainty about being able to stay after graduation. In addition, students cited the increase in salary requirements for the Skilled Worker Visa to £41,700, and the fact that the time required to earn indefinite leave to remain has doubled from five to ten years.

In response to a request for comment, the new Welfare and Liberation Officer for the LSESU, Isabel Howe, stated that “myself and my colleagues at [the SU] strongly condemn the rise of racism and xenophobia in the UK over this summer.

We know that anti-immigration rhetoric in the UK is detrimentally impacting international students. To all students a!ected, the Student

Union is a space for you to find community, seek guidance, campaign for change and, most importantly, enjoy yourself!”

She urged students to email su.campaigns@lse.ac.uk if they want to take further action.

FEATURES

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Features Editors Angelika Santaniello Vasavi Singhal features.beaver@lsesu.org

'I'm Very Lucky to Have Her as a Friend': an Analysis of International-home Student Friendships and Relationships at LSE

Vasavi Singhal Features Editor Sylvain Chan Illustrator

tween home students or between international students, appear to have in-built differences that make it harder to get on.

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What makes these relationships work in spite of cultural di!erences?

or new students joining us at LSE, making friends may be nerve-wracking and difficult to navigate – let alone bridging the home-international divide.

In endeavouring to support students on their journey through the university with the highest percentage of international students in the UK (65%), I spoke to three international-home student pairs about friendships, relationships, and cultural clashes.

Alice* and James* met in their "rst year, becoming close over regular walks from campus to Rosebery Hall. They suggest that it can be difficult for international students to form relationships with home students.

James, a British-Chinese home BSc Econometrics and Mathematical Economics student, reflects that “it's a natural thing” for people with a “common language” to "understand each other’s experiences.” Alice, a BA Geography student from Hong Kong, adds that grouping together with other international students can help gain a sense of “cultural familiarity” in an “unknown place”.

Culture is also important in that it can determine the way people interact.

James argues that “British hangout culture is more casual” and o%en involves drinking: “Who doesn’t love a good pub?” On the other hand, when Alice hangs out with other international students, it's o%en activity-based, like “get[ting] hot pot” or playing games.

Their analysis suggests that home-international relationships, unlike friendships be-

For Daksh and Zoe, a couple who met through the Private Equity Society, a discussion about cultural differences circles back to their similarities and how these come about through culture.

Daksh, a British-Indian home student, highlights that their cultures prioritise the same goals “in terms of life… we both want to…excel in life and [we’re] very family orientated…we have a lot of family gatherings on both ends.”

Zoe, who is Malay Chinese, adds that “he’s Hindu, I’m Buddhist”, so neither eats beef.

it “means something” for Sho to be able to share his “fully Japanese” side with Amy, he doesn’t feel like he “needs [his] Japanese identity to be… shared with someone when [he’s] in the UK.” He has become “totally comfortable” with his home friends as his two identities become “mixed up”.

Unlike Daksh and Zoe, their cultures don’t necessarily entail similar life goals: Amy says that Sho is far more “driven” by “achievements”, whereas she “enjoy[s] the act of just existing without having a speci"c purpose.”

"Anything we can do together, we do together."

Although Sho and Amy consider Japanese and English cultures to emphasise politeness, they joke that “there’s not a lot of respect in this friendship.” Instead, they consider culture to be something not all that relevant to their relationship. Although

nonsensical and stupid…we're on the same level quite a lot…

We tend to know, like, vaguely what [the] other is thinking.”

It seems that, although culture is important, it doesn’t necessarily define these relationships. These pairs pick and choose what aspects of their cultures they allow to de"ne their relationships and which they choose to leave by the wayside. Instead, they unite over their humour, values, interests – which can be culture-based, but don’t have to be.

“I think it works out really well,” she says.

Sho, a Japanese BSc Economics student, has developed somewhat of a “second identity” to adapt to UK culture when he interacts with his home student friends like Amy, an English BSc Social Anthropology student. “I really like the skinship,” he says. “[British and European people] hug a lot…we don't have that in Japan.”

"Although people at LSE might be different to you, there’s so much potential for cross-cultural exchange and cultural appreciation – as well as the opportunity for creating amazing bonds."

Rather, their friendship emerges out of having the “same sense of humour…I don't think I found any other person who loves [listening to] someone blowing into a mic [as much]” says Sho. “We just have a lot of inside jokes,” Amy adds. “And they're just like

Members of these cross-cultural relationships seem to benefit immensely from learning from each other.

Daksh has tried to “engage in Chinese culture”, such as Chinese New Year festivities, whilst Zoe says that Daksh has “[helped her] explore [her] culture even more” by asking questions. Amy says: “Sho’s corrected a lot of my assumptions” about Japanese culture that she “comes across…online”, whilst for Sho, visiting Cornwall for a week and experiencing the lifestyle of a “typical English family” and having “beans in the morning” was “very fun.”

Although it may be difficult to make friends with people who are culturally different, “you’re kind of limiting your own experience if you only have a certain group of friends”, says James.

You get to “learn about the world, basically – just through people,” says Daksh.

“I have learned so much from my friends who aren't Indian and aren't British.”

Home-international relationships are rarer and in some ways, harder to create. But they’ve enjoyed spending time with each other by forming these deep personal relationships, whether that’s studying, going to cafes, playing games, or chatting.

“Anything we can do together, we do together,” says Daksh.

If these pairs have any message for an incoming new student, it's to remember that, although people at LSE might be different from you, there’s so much potential for cross-cultural exchange and cultural appreciation – as well as the opportunity for creating amazing bonds. If you’re nervous about trying to meet new people, I invite you to think of Amy and Sho. In their "rst year, a simple, brave move – Amy walking up to a group of strangers and joining their conversation – was all it took to spark a lasting friendship. *Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

Read the full article online!

FEATURES

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A Freshers’ Week Handbook: More than just ‘Top Tips’ for Starting First-Year Angelika Santaniello Features Editor Sylvain Chan Illustrator Content warning: The online-only version of this article briefly mentions rape culture.

Reader discretion is advised.

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Freshers’ ‘Survival Guide’ toys with the possibility of conceiving a single university student lifestyle model. Writing this article as a third-year LLB student, I inevitably noticed the LSE campus’s vibrancy during Welcome Week, bringing a wave of nostalgia as I try to remember my first year experience.

From seeing Felix the Beaver around campus, to hearing the all-time famous question – “What do you study?” – between slightly nervous breaths around campus, it is important to remember that there’s more to starting first year than simple icebreakers, introductory lectures, and attending LSESU society give-it-a-go sessions.

to during Welcome Week seemingly anticipated a question about student nightlife.

Ava* was perhaps as surprised as Vasavi: “I kind of expected no nightlife” but was proven otherwise. Bella* anticipated a greater inter-collegiate experience but nonetheless enjoyed it.

However, does point to there being some truth in the assumptions that a freshers’ week experience is largely dictated by clubbing events?

Eve*, who is also in first year, “[doesn’t] really think about” it. This hints at a reality of varying degrees of enthusiasm about an emphasis on clubbing. For some, it is what they look forward to. However, this emphasis perhaps brings pressure to conform to a singular model of a night out.

“!ere’s a big assumption that you need to go out every night.”

Skye (a third-year LLB student) not only affirmed the “big assumption that you need to go out every night”, but also believed it is seen as “the only way to make friends”. Vasavi offered an alternative perspective, describing the “internal pressure” to go clubbing despite not regretting her first year experience.

One of the most infamous problematic misconceptions pervading an ‘LSE Freshers’ Week’ experience is that about socialising – you must go out every night. It is the only way to make friends.

While the group of first years unanimously admitted to not feeling personally pressured to go out, Sam* explained that someone “was asked [to go out] multiple times even though [they were] Muslim.

Sam* explained that someone “was asked [to go out] multiple times even though [they were] Muslim. There was a cultural unawareness in that sense.”

On the one hand, some may deem an immersion in the London clubbing scene a new experience. For Vasavi (a second-year Politics student), the London nightlife was unexpected: “I hadn’t been clubbing before, but it was a lot of fun” and many “expect it to be something that it’s not”.

A group of first years I spoke

There was a cultural unawareness in that sense.”

Deconstructing and rejecting the assumption that one must go clubbing at least once to claim they had a ‘fresher’s experience’ would improve a sensitivity to one’s peers around them, ensuring students feel safe and comfortable socialising, and aiding in improving

the inclusivity of a Freshers’ Week experience.

Moreover, a misconception about the need to go clubbing dangerously synthesises with an expectation to consume alcohol to socialise. Worryingly, this hinders a greater discussion around decentering alcohol when socialising, which leads to many students (who are sober or sober-curious)

scary] until [she] found [her] group of friends and knew what [she] was doing and was sure [she] had someone to be with all the time.”

Moreover, LSE “surpassed” Vasavi’s expectations: “I really enjoyed my first year. [It] is very much what you make of it – there are a lot of opportunities.”

“First-year was really hard [and scary] until [she] found [her] group of friends and knew what [she] was doing and was sure [she] had someone to be with all the time.” feeling discouraged from socialising if there is an expectation to consume alcohol.

“Everyone is in the same boat”: Hearing from the LSESU Team

So, maybe, as Skye said, “the best way to make friends is to go to events on campus”.

Talking to Skye, Vasavi, and the group of first year students on an afternoon in the jubilance and livelihood of Welcome Week leads one to wonder what happens behind the scenes.

Starting an academic journey at LSE However one chooses to spend their evenings, it is nonetheless important to reflect on the infamous question – “Why LSE?”.

Bella and Carrie* (also a first year) elaborated on this. “I just picked based [on] the course [which] I really like,” Bella said. Carrie noted that “the professors [..] top of their game [...] I can talk to [and be taught by] these people who are super involved with [my] field of study.”

Does this attitude towards academics remain consistent throughout one’s academic journey at LSE? While Skye was equally excited about the quality of teaching, she mostly anticipated “knowing that there were going to be so many new people around me and so many international students and connecting with people from different cultures.”

However, Skye explained that “first year was really hard [and

Sachin, the LSESU Activities and Communities Officer, discussed the importance of Welcome Week for first year students, emphasising that it is a pivotal period to deconstruct “misconceptions”: “It is a chance where everyone comes together [and] is in the same boat.”

Sachin offered general advice to first year students, emphasising on attending all lectures and classes: “I think a lot of

students at the moment feel really nervous – I completely understand.”

Providing an anecdotal perspective, Sachin furthered the importance of an immersion in the LSE community: “I never picked up a lacrosse stick before I came to LSE [but] had the best memories [with the LSESU Lacrosse Club] … It was an active club [and] I was able to do […] [a] different [type of] fitness [while meeting] new people and [socialising].”

Inclusion and engagement with the LSE community are at the heart of what it means to start an undergraduate degree at LSE. So, a ‘top ten tips’ for freshers’ week is realistically unnecessary. Whether it involves picking up a lacrosse stick, attending a social at a university hall, or sparking conversation with someone, students should find what propels their own definition of a ‘university experience’. *Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

Read the full article online!

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FEATURES

Lessons from the Rape Crisis Helpline: Dr. Julia Costet on the Language of Sexual Violence Suchita Thepkanjana Frontside Editor Sylvain Chan Illustrator

The most common answer will probably describe a young woman in a sketchy alleyway at night. But the reality is much more complicated.

Content Warning: This article mentions rape and other forms of sexual violence, including domestic abuse

“Being on the helpline is very shattering because you realise that [rape] a%ects very di%erent regions,” Julia claims.

ape’ is an ugly word.

So ugly, most people actively avoid saying

For example, she has learned from the helpline that most rapes occur within families and intimate relationships.

But, sexual violence operates in “the spaces where people are especially marginalised”.

'R it.

‘Rape’ conjures an image of violence so intense that we often prefer to leave it tucked away in the darkest corners of society, where it is easily forgotten.

pened to them”, and they had survived through multiple traumatic ordeals.

“This just shows that certain patterns of violence, certain lives, experience so much precarity and vulnerability,” she explains.

According to her, we need to complicate who the ‘Rapeable Subject’ is. Rape does not exclusively happen to the average woman on the streets at night.

Believing it does obscures how rape is intrinsically enabled by a “wider landscape of social su%ering”, by intersecting structures of oppression that leave

olence with what Julia calls ‘Speaking Rape’, arguably the most important thing she learned from the helpline.

That means, #rst and foremost, getting past the ‘ugliness’ of the word that makes us so vehemently avoid saying ‘Rape’ at all.

“It’s a dark topic, but it’s also something that happens so often to so many people that if we keep stressing how dark it is, we’re only going to discourage people from coming forward and feeling comfortable to talk about it,” Julia explains.

But for Dr. Julia Costet (Department of Government), this word and all its connotations come up daily – not simply in the news, but in her career.

And this is what she has learned…

“Rape is not as straightforward as we would like it to be.”

To whom does sexual violence happen?

Spaces like these, furthermore, allow survivors to “map where this violence takes place, what renders it possible, and what conditions enabled each individual iteration to be possible.”

Julia hesitates before saying, “I need to believe that it is possible.”

The core of this research is the lived experiences of rape survivors whom she herself has helped.

For her, ‘rape’ is not merely an ugly word – it is a very harrowing, very complex reality that she #ghts on the frontlines.

She explains, “there’s something really politically important about this because … what rape does is disempower or impose some kind of narrative on someone … so having the space to be able to put your own words to rede#ne this experience is really important.”

Yet in a world where sexual violence shows no sign of stopping – the ONS reported an 11% increase in sexual o%ences over the past year – we must ask: is it even possible to end sexual violence in its entirety?

She recently #nished her PhD thesis entitled, ‘Speaking Rape: Engaging Experience for a Feminist Social Practice of Rape Survivorship’. Inspired by the #MeToo movement, her research explores the development of a lexicon surrounding sexual violence and its relationship with survivor silence.

Julia spent the past two years volunteering for the North London Rape Crisis Helpline, where she supports anonymous callers through the aftermath of their rape.

of rape.

At the North London Rape Crisis Helpline, for example, volunteers are trained to give survivors “complete agency” by “never putting words onto the experiences that they’ve had.”

“I think it’s important that we remember that change is possible, that rape isn’t a necessity. It’s something that was created and enabled and rendered permissible.”

She continues: “[Sexual violence] is interwoven and interlocked with a lot of di%erent political dynamics, race, gender, residential status, employment…”

She recalls that an alarming portion of callers to the helpline were minors, while other callers were migrants, sex workers, and students.

Perhaps most surprisingly, for many callers, rape was not the “worst thing that has ever hap-

certain groups less protected.

As Julia articulately puts it, “Rape is made possible by institutional and structural features of our lives, where certain people are rendered vulnerable to this kind of violence.”

"We need to sit comfortably with ‘Speaking Rape’" On a more hopeful note, we can begin to tackle sexual vi-

“I’m not saying we should do that so that people will be less afraid, but for us to identify what the source of that fear ought to be,” she continues, “Because now, [that fear] is the dark alleyway. But should we be questioning broader patterns that are politically enabled by institutions?

Should we be more fearful or resistant to that?”

Furthermore, she believes safe spaces like helplines are the places that foster this speaking

“I think it’s important that we remember that change is possible, that rape isn’t a necessity.

It’s something that was created and enabled and rendered permissible.”

Ultimately, we can only envision a world without rape by addressing its existence and the structures of oppression that enable it head-on. Given that sexual violence thrives in silence, the #rst thing we can do to end it is to speak.

If you or a close person to you have experienced rape or sexual violence, reach out to the North London Rape Crisis on 08085002222

OPINION

9 Opinion Editors

Shreya Gupta Aaina Saini opinion.beaver@lsesu.org

!e Dictator Who Isn’t (Just Ask Him!)

Lila Özler Contributing Writer

O

n August 26 2025, a seemingly arbitrary Tuesday would soon carve its place in history as the greatest piece of cinema televised. Longer than Avatar by a cheeky #ve minutes, it was the longest Trump Cabinet meeting yet. Clocking in at three hours and seventeen minutes, the meeting put Trump—a narcissist with a soft spot for puffery and some real talent for foolish babble—head-to-head with Putin’s record-breaking press conference of four hours and forty minutes. One wonders if Trump were ever to break that record, would the “fantastic relationship” he so incessantly gushes about to the media survive the dethroning? Or would their bromance buckle under the weight of stopwatch envy, as it tends to every two weeks or so?

As is often the case, the variety show was merely a catalogue of lavish thanks to Trump from his cast members and partisans, all with an itch for a sliver of eye contact and a pat on the head, throwing out almost any praise to get it. Barely thirty minutes in, Iris Tao, a reporter

for The Epoch Times, recounted how she had been mugged in Washington and laid bare her gratitude to the President for sending in federal troops to #ght crime in the city:

“Thank you for now making D.C. safer. For us, for our families, for my parents, on behalf of my parents, and now my baby on the way.

Thank you so much.”

Amid the spectacle of sycophancy — and Trump’s usual shibboleths about the “magic” of his tariffs and their promise to resuscitate the American economy — it is easy to lose the thread. Yet the meeting managed to offer a revelation of sorts: Tr u m p’s recognition of his unbridled reign, something long apparent but now made brazenly explicit. “I’m the President of the United States,” he declared almost giddily, while shamelessly insisting

he had “the right to anything [he] want[ed] to do.”

What left the audience even more baffled was his response to critics who accused him of acting like a dictator with his sweeping use of police authority and push to extend military presence. “The line is that I’m a dictator. But I stop crime. So a lot of people say: ‘You know, if that’s the case, I’d rather have a dictator,’” Trump said. What enchantment has bewitched the American people that they cannot recognize, as Trump’s commitment to democracy waxes and wanes with his political fortunes and mood swings, their country has become nothing short of an imperialist na-

tion, increasingly governed by a class of kleptocratic oligarchs?

But never fear — Trump reassures us: “But I’m not a dictator.” Right. Naturally.

However, the show had just begun. Enter Steve Witkoff, a real-estate lawyer/Trump’s golf partner/self-styled envoy /ironwilled troubleshooter, who con#dently asserted that the war in Ukraine would end “before the end of this year”. This came only weeks after he and Trump had spoken of an immediate deal that they planned to seal by welcoming Putin on a red carpet in Alaska. At least Trump conceded, “we didn’t get there,” when asked about the pantomime they both insisted on calling “great progress”. If there is one thing Trump and this new generation seem to share, it is their propensity to procrastinate.

But not to worry: Trump will indeed succeed. After all, he is...

“the single finest candidate since the Nobel Peace, this Nobel Award was ever talked about,” ...as Witkoff so perfectly put it.

After a long tail of loyalty declarations and inflated praises, I ransacked my vocabulary for a word to capture this circus and settled on “brainwashing” or “indoctrination”. But perhaps thinking of Republicans as brainwashed is too generous.

Brainwashing would imply they are victims of a grand conspiracy, coerced into blindness by external forces. What we are witnessing is something closer to political paganism — a self-sustaining cycle of belief in which participants #nd comfort in tugging at intellectual (?) threads where #delity outweighs evidence. To reason is to beat a dead horse, and listening is a forgotten luxury.

Political dialogue is now devoid of the intellect that once — if ever — was the grist of its mill.

To explain away their loyalty and grave need for approval as brainwashing or indoctrination, rather than a willful abandonment of reason, is to hand them an undeserved pardon. But who needs reason, after all, when you’ve got three hours and seventeen minutes of applause?

!e Death of Vevo Culture Jahnavi Menon Contributing Writer Jessica Chan Illustrator

I

t was prom night, and my best friend was flashing her Kodak Pixpro in my face.

The song playing was Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber (ft.

Nicki Minaj), and when that song comes on, my friends and I rapidly assemble into a circular formation, imitating the iconic music video where JB walks around a crowded pool party and #lms it with a handheld camera.

We grew up glued to screens showing the hottest new music videos. I have endless fond memories of watching them as a kid. My sister and I were hyper#xated on the Bang Bang music video – so much so that I have Nicki’s entire rap verse memorised to this day.

It’s clear that this culture died in the 2010s – long past are the days when we anxiously awaited new music video releases with their familiar VEVO watermark; now we just wait for the 15-second excerpt of the song that’ll go viral on #relatable TikTok. This difference is heard in the songwriting, too,

‘Not to be one of those people, but it IS the damn phone. If we can barely sit through a 30-second TikTok without putting it on 2x speed, how can we expect ourselves to engage with a four-minute music video?’ with more and more artists overusing widely used slang or lingo instead of carving a storyline unique to their artistry with their music.

It’s no surprise, then, that the VMAs Video of the Year Nominees in 2025 were far from memorable. Not one video had a long-lasting impact on our culture.

Visual iconography dies when music videos are neglected. The one medium in which almost all demographics can connect universally is the music video – it’s digestible, fun, and replayable. Not only does it promote the music being played in it, but it promotes cinematography, storytelling, and fashion.

Perhaps the demise of the music

video started when MTV veered away from pushing them all the time. I’d attribute its untimely passing to the rise in short form content, which seems to be the cause of the degeneration of various art forms nowadays.

This makes it harder for releases to make a mark. The masses are starving for some authenticity– albums like Brat, with Charli XCX believing that the “album won’t appeal to a lot of people” and picking the off-putting chartreuse colour for the album cover to save money.

(Continued on next page)

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OPINION

We can’t blame artists for not making videos, however.

Some of the biggest pop hits in the last few years don’t have videos because they blow up on TikTok, an easy way for artists to market their music without spending the extraneous effort, time and money they would have to with a music video, which also comes with loftier expectations from fans.

The culture within the music industry has changed entirely. Forging a connection with fans is as important as the quality of a single. The consequence? Storytelling is neglected artists become vapid husks even though we’re technically getting closer to them on social media platforms. Short-form media may be more economical, but it’s a threat to artistry. Not to be one of those people, but it is the damn phone. If we can

barely sit through a 30-second TikTok without putting it on 2x speed, how can we expect ourselves to engage with a four-minute music video?

Commentar y on the consequences of high-speed technology and its link to the degradation of society’s collective attention span is honestly overrated, so I’ll veer away

from that. It saddens me that kids aren’t growing up with high-quality music videos an-

ymore. Whilst my friends and I will forever reference Ariana Grande’s 7 Rings the kids are being bombarded with con-

stantly moving cycles of trends, catchphrases, inside jokes, and memes that lose relevancy and grow outdated in under a year. Contrastingly, music videos like

R i c k A s t l e y ’s Never Gonna Give You Up are immortal in terms of meme quality. What will be Gen Alpha’s Rickroll?

While I am nostalgic for the familiarity of that white VEVO

emblem, what will the kids of our day be nostalgic for? No chance they’ll remember the TikTok dances that get recycled every week. Will it be their dependence on AI chatbots?

Their love for Labubus?

I plead that record labels move their money away from social media marketing back to the music video. It is truly unfortunate that the children don’t have a Justin Bieber Beauty and the Beat of their own.

That’s a cultural loss worth mourning. No, Benson Boone is not a worthy replacement.

Read the full article online.

Charlie Kirk: A Victim of his own Violence?

Suchita Thepkanjana Frontside Editor Sylvain Chan Illustrator

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n the hours after Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead, the news was flooded with messages condemning political violence.

The bottom line? An individual should be entitled to life and basic human rights, even if they have different beliefs from you.

I agree. But Charlie Kirk himself evidently didn’t.

Although his debate sessions were (at least in theory) a noble attempt to start important discussions, let us not pretend that Kirk was an advocate for peace and tolerance. He championed political violence, lauded it, and encouraged it, but only when it wasn’t against people like him. This absolutely does not justify his assassination, but his actions arguably paved a raging, lawless path through American society that led to the events of September 10th.

This was a man who, after 254 school shootings in the US in the past year, stated that “it’s worth it to have a cost of some gun deaths” in exchange for bearing arms. He is now part of that “cost”.

This was a man who sent over 80 buses of rioters to join the January 6th attack on the Capitol, an insurrection against the Right’s political opponents that left 174 police officers injured.

This was a man who called for a “full military occupation” of American cities like Chicago and New York, who declared, “We got to go hard…We’re talking national guard, tanks -- every street.”

This was a man who launched the Professor Watchlist, a database that named and shamed academics for promoting ‘leftist’ ideology, resulting in many of them

receiving rape threats and death threats.

His past comments on people of a different religious or racial background regularly contained violent and extremist imagery. He tweeted:

“Islam is the sword the left is using to slit America’s throat” and labeled Muslims “some of the most disgusting people on the planet.”

‘Kirk’s assassination did not happen in a vacuum. He was not a saint martyred by a spontaneous act of division and violence. Division and violence was the language that he spoke.’

He even went as far as to say that the concept of empathy, the very thing that makes compassion and solidarity possible, is a “made-up new age term that does a lot of damage”. The empathy so many people expressed over his death was exactly what he preached against.

Given what he so vehemently promoted, I do wonder if Kirk would be applauding this exact same event if the victim were instead a socialist, a Muslim, or a member of the opposing political party.

Evidently, Kirk’s assassination did not happen in a vacuum.

He was not a saint martyred by a spontaneous act of division and violence. Division

and violence was the language that he spoke.

He fought for his killer’s right to carry that gun onto that campus. He preached the same extremism and intolerance that his killer showed towards him. He taught that violence is what you use when someone disagrees with you, the way his killer disagreed with him.

Creating a hateful, intolerant America was his hill, and he died on it.

Let this be an illustration that in a society where difference – in religion, race, gender, or political stance – trumps humanity, where individuals do not respect each other’s right to existence, no one is truly safe. At the end of the day, your opposition is still your human equal.

OPINION

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Queerbaiting: The Social Construct of Sexuality and the Breakdown of Privacy in a Social Media Age Sophia Rose Contributing Writer Sylvain Chan Illustrator

H

arry Styles, Billie Eilish, Kit Connor – a few celebrity names who have recently been accused of a phenomenon termed ‘queerbaiting’. Publicly slated for sexual ambiguity, they have been forced to expose themselves to the world. In attempts to become more inclusive, how has society become so extreme in our invasion of privacy, and so stuck on the very labels and stereotypes we worked hard to break down?

Sexuality is a Social Construct The notion of ‘sex’ as we know it, and therefore the identities associated with it, are socially constructed, dependent on context. For decades, the gay rights movement has attempted to break down the idea that there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ to sexuality. Today, it is largely accepted that sexuality is a fluid notion and lacks the binary structure that society tried so hard to impose for centuries.

So why are public figures being forced out of the closet? And how has sexuality become a spectacle for society to probe, pry, and pick apart?

What is Queerbaiting?

The official definition of queerbaiting, as defined by Oxford Languages, is “the incorporation of apparently gay characters or same-sex relationships into a film, television show, etc. as a means of appealing to gay and bisexual audiences while maintaining ambiguity about the characters’ sexuality”.

Queerbaiting allows creators to capitalise on the emotions of the queer community with the promise of queer representation, yet fails to fulfil such promises. This strategy on viewership allows producers to profit from the queer community without providing them with a substantial return.

One of the most notorious examples of queerbaiting in modern media is in the popular British TV series, Sherlock.

Many viewers point out both explicit attraction between the characters Sherlock and Watson, and implicit subtext hint-

ing at a queer relationship, before marrying Watson off in a heterosexual relationship.

Life in the Public Eye – the Absence of Privacy Despite queerbaiting’s formal definition being restricted to fictional media, social media has brought it into real life.

From diet and exercise to relationships and social routines, readers are enthralled with the ins and outs of their favourite celebrities.

With social media allowing us to feel a level of relatability to celebrities, entitlement to their private lives, and most notably their sexuality has become a rather large and harmful phenomenon.

In attempts to show diversity and inclusion in the public sphere, the expectation for public figures to share elements of their sexual lives is prominent.

And those who are reluctant, quiet, or ambiguous are certainly not met with kindness.

However, as we previously established, the very definition of

queer baiting limits its use for fictional media. So why is it now being used for real people? The idea that we are entitled to know the sexuality of public figures sees those who lack a label or a binary being abused to such an extent that people are being prematurely outed. Fans’ vain attempts at diversity expose a deeper contradiction: by trying to embrace queer identities, the narrative has shifted from celebration to surveillance. A movement meant to foster liberation now risks reproducing the very pressures it sought to dismantle.

Kit Connor, star of Netflix’s hit queer show Heartstopper, came out as bisexual in October of 2022, by little choice of his own.

Being the subject of harassment and claims of queerbaiting, Connor wrote on Twitter: “Back for a minute. I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show.

Bye.” Some fans had linked Connor’s portrayal of a gay man in the show with the silence in his real life surrounding his sexual orientation to accuse him of queerbaiting.

The rise of queerbaiting accusations against real people reveals a troubling flaw in how society approaches inclusivity.

Beginning as a term to critique fictional media, queerbaiting has been weaponised against real-life individuals, forming a culture of entitlement where personal identities are treated as public property. In our search for clarity, we reduce queerness to inflexible categories. If we are to be a more inclusive society, we must allow space for ambiguity and privacy – not force premature announcements. We can only hope that both heterosexual and queer communities alike adapt their attitudes and beliefs to permit public figures the respect and acceptance they deserve.

Read the full article online.

The End of Illusions: the EU’s Geopolitical Reckoning Irene Bonzi Contributing Writer Laura Liu Illustrator

something must be done. Still, no one seems to agree on what that ‘something’ would look like.

n 24 February 2022, Europe woke up to a reality that was once thought to be left behind with the onset of the 21st century: war on the Continent. Since then, the continent has unsurprisingly fallen into an anxious spiral of what-to-dos.

How do we defend ourselves if Russia attacks? What would a European defence structure even look like? While European leaders frenetically meet and attempt to shore up relations with President Trump, they all share one certainty:

Confronted with its weakened role in the global geopolitical order, the European Union is in a desperately urgent need to build an inter-state consensus on defence and security initiatives. Two key structural issues stand out: the stepping back of the United States and nationalist, anti-EU sentiments stirred up by far-right populist parties across several member countries.

O

The union of European nations has never developed a concrete defence strategy or structure.

The closest attempt was the

signing of the European Defence Community (EDC) treaty in 1952 – an effort ultimately aborted due to individual states’ ambitions and the prevalence of NATO. From the outset, European integration relied on the protection of NATO’s – essentially the U.S.’s – security umbrella.

The Trump presidency merely brought to the surface what has long been clear to scholars: the US cannot be relied upon due to their other

concerns. It is time that all European leaders, without exception, come to the realisation that they are all on the same side.

is no state in the European Union that has sufficient defence capabilities to fight off a hypothetical attack by an external state.

It is difficult, however, to imagine how all European countries could reach such a realization under the looming shadow of far-right nationalism and anti-EU sentiments. How do you defend and preserve something that so many want dismantled?

Anti-EU movements and sentiments have been stirring up in the past decade in virtually every European country and have opened a major crack in the alliance.

The necessity of defending the continent could also represent an opportunity for the Union to reform itself and tackle its many bureaucratic and internal fragmentations.

Such an approach simply avoids seeing a very clear reality: there

What it needs in order to survive is concrete proposals that European states can all agree upon, which work towards the common goal of preserving statehood and sovereignty of members while establishing a sound defence strategy.

Read the full article online.

12 shelter from winter winds and bask in the warmth of pho at this vietnamese place tucked away in holborn’s corner.

completing coursework won’t be so bad, so long as it’s over an airy dessert at this laptop-friendly and cozy cafe!

swing by this rustic, student-friendly cafe on your way to the sir arthur lewis building – between us, their mocha is absolutely incredible.

the amount of mid-lecture or late-day meals that took place over a tantalising beef burger... maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe they’re just that good.

on the rare occasion where brunch fits on the schedule and you’d like to treat yourself, do so at these two places. where raw matcha and hojicha come to shine. sip on their brews of ‘just-right’ sweetness and meditate within its minimalist interior.

don’t underestimate the power of an uncrowded lunch spot or stroll with nature surrounding you to take the edge off of lse’s hustle and bustle. this is where the top secret comedy club is.... but honestly, angel comedy, moth club knock 2 bag, always be comedy, and the girlfriend comedy club are the better options.

every day i think about how good their satay chicken noodle salad was... but for our peanut-averse friends, they’ve got tons of other delicious singaporean dishes. you’re tired. you’re hangry. you’re stressed. you’re cold. you take a bite of freshly fried churros dipped in dulche de leche.... and all is well.

tired of everyone telling you about hidden gems? want something consistent, delectable, and appropriately rated? here’s our recommendations for spots near lse!

a comprehensive guide to cool near-campus spots with minimal gatekeeping

sketching through the freshers welcome fair

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Excited freshers crowding around The Beaver’s stall

Reportage illustration is a type of visual journalism where artists sketch on location and capture the immediate dynamism of a moment in time. Just as photo journalists use cameras, reportage illustrators use their trusty pen and paper – a common example of such is courtroom sketch artists!

People writing their favourite books at Literature Society’s Stall

Volleyball society and the security guard manning the fair

Mahjong Society and Badminton Club’s various advertising methods

Intense matches at the Chess Society

The Beaver looking at a Craft Society bear plushie

Syl, The Beaver’s Multimedia Editor, takes to the packed floors of the Marshall Sports Hall, absorbing moments across Day 2 of the Freshers’ Week Welcome Fair in their sketchbook.

Live sketching was something I got into over the summer after viewing the works of Kevin Zych, so getting the opportunity to extend this practice into LSE was exciting, albeit daunting. With the Welcome Fair, I had to decide on my feet which fleeting moments to create stories about – would it be the freshers crowding around stalls, eyes glinting with intrigue, or the society members gesturing expressively to attract their attention?

Committing to a pose that would immediately shift 2 seconds later was an exercise in my pre-existing grasp on anatomy and ability to adapt on the spot – adjusting to showcase fluidity even if it was at the cost of ‘accuracy’. This was not an inherent detriment, though, as it is common to find a unique fluidity in reportage sketches that would otherwise be hindered in focusing on proportions.

I lapped back and forth in the Sports Hall for about the entirety of the day (I had never been so thirsty in the immediate aftermath), though it was rewarding getting to see my friends at their stalls and feeling accomplished having honed in on this skill.

SPORT

EDITED BY EMERSON LAM & HARRY ROBERTS

An Ode to the Unforgiven: Daniel Levy's Legacy Written by SHREYA GOSH The mere mention of the name Tottenham Hotspur Football Club often brings to mind many visuals. For many, it is a harbinger of weekly rollercoasters of turbulent joy and sorrow, and for others a lovely introduction into the global extravaganza that is London. For the last twenty years, however, Spurs have stood forth as a bastion of the European National Investment Company (ENIC) under the watchful eyes of Daniel Phillip Levy. In 2001, when the club was taken over by ENIC, Mr. Levy stood forth as the chairman of the football club. At that point, it seemed like it was a fresh breath of baby-breath-infused air. Baron Sugar had run the club into the ground for the last 9 years, and there was only so much harm that could be done to a fringe member of the top 5 that had failed to finish in the top 6 in the last decade.

Enter Daniel Levy; and what followed could only be laid down in the laurels of history. Many feared the worst at first, as Levy was at heart an accountant and seemingly would repeat Baron Sugar’s misdemeanors at the helm of the club. However, thanks to him, Tottenham Hotspur have only evolved forward since. Infusing fresh blood into the club, he did so through signing world-class talent such as David Ginola while reinstating the old guard through Jurgen Klinsmann and Ted Sheringham. This brought through a generation of starlets led by Gareth Bale and Luka Modric, and finally culminated in Tottenham lifting the 2008 League Cup. Unfortunately, turbulent times followed and Levy $uctuated between one manager to the next. He finally settled on one man: Mauricio Pochettino.

What followed was history, but unfortunately for Daniel, he wasn't always on the right side.

Despite Poch becoming a daredevil at the heart of the Tottenham faithful, pushing the club into memorable runs for the 2015 Premier League title, League Cup, and the Champions League final, he failed to convert any into a trophy. This was the result of untimely injuries, key players departing, but ultimately due to Daniel Levy underspending and undercutting transfers.

Finances began to grow for the club, and so did dissatisfaction. The need of the time meant that he was forced to invest into new training facilities at Enfield and the mighty Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at N17. Greed seemingly began to blind Levy as well, as he increasingly viewed the club as a financial asset rather than a footballing unit, which culminated in the infamous 2018 window wherein Spurs failed to splurge on even a single player.

He also hiked his salary to $6 million, becoming the longest-serving and best paid chairman of any club in the league.

All in all, enough about football history - where does Levy’s heritage rank amidst Premier League stalwarts and faithfuls?

For many fans, his recent misadventures have left sour tastes in their mouths, and the vast majority of the fanbase will be more than happy to see him gone. Yet, for others, he will remain a fresher to their memory of an old-school chairman, running his tight puppeteering strings over the operations of the entire team. History, surely, would be much kinder to Levy.

Blurring the Line Between Sports, Fashion, and Music Written by SKYE SLATCHER Athletes are no longer just athletes - they are full-spectrum cultural figures. Simply said, they are the new style icons and stadiums are the new runways.

Whether it’s NBA or NFL stars donning luxury outfits in the tunnels, footballers appearing in fashion campaigns, or grime artists repping Premier League club kits on stage, the sports world is no longer just about stats and performance. It has become a central player in the fashion and music spaces.

In 2024, Burna Boy performed at the Champions League final, not just as entertainment, but as a symbol of the crossover between sports and music.

We have seen this again and again since then. F1 teams like VCARB curate ‘Garage Playlists’ for race weekends, and athletes are launching music careers and fashion lines. Sports culture can no longer be separated from style and sound.

10 years ago, fans would await lineups and injury reports

before games.

Now, they’re refreshing their Instagram feeds to see their favourite players’ fits.

The NBA and WNBA have most clearly embraced this trend, with teams and central accounts posting the pre-game outfits.

We see it in street fashion too. In the last few years, football shirts have exploded in popularity, far beyond the pitch. They are being seen at festivals, clubs, and in fashion editorials. Whether it’s a classic Thierry Henry Arsenal shirt or iconic national kits, they are being reinterpreted as style staples, not sportswear. Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, and Tyler, the Creator are all musicians who have been wearing team kits as fashion.

The cross-over is not one-way. Athletes have been making their way into music and performance too. Dutch footballer Memphis Depay has dropped multiple songs. So has NBA player Damian Lillard. Social media has no doubt supercharged this convergence of sport and music. Athletes curate Spotify playlists, wear custom headphones to matches, and collaborate with musicians in ad campaigns.

Lewis Hamilton encapsulates this whole trend. On one hand, he is an iconic sportsperson and the most accomplished F1 driver in history. However, he also has two Lifestyle capsules with Dior and regularly provides some impeccable looks in the paddock. He has also featured on a Christina Aguilera song, ‘Pipe’, under the name XNDA. He is far more than an athlete - he is the epitome of a full-spectrum cultural icon.

This phenomenon is huge. It marks a shift in what we mean by ‘athlete’.

They are now measured on cultural in$uence. It also means sports are being opened up to a wider audience. Fashion-forward fans might not know (or care) about the offside rule, but they may know that Angel Reese wore a Versace dress in her Winter 2025 Vogue cover.

For athletes, this is a chance to rewrite their own narratives - to be creators and icons outside of their sports. For fans, it is a reminder that sports aren’t just something to watch, but something that they can wear and hear too.

Doing Sports in London: a Reflection Written by EMERSON LAM Illustrated by VIVIKA SAHAJPAL Growing up, I never put much effort in doing sports.

While I enjoyed casual games of table tennis, badminton, and baseball, I never committed to excelling at any of them.

However, that all changed when my friends convinced me to join my high school's Varsity Track and Field team.

Being part of that championship-winning team made me feel like part of a community, !nally motivating me to condition myself and improve my health.

For the !rst time in forever, my interest in doing sports grew beyond table tennis and badminton, as I started to try out events such as track and shot put.

However, this newfound passion vanished when I moved to London for university.

My built-in support system was gone, and I didn't feel motivated to try out for new teams. The dull, drab and often rainy weather was annoying to run in. Worst of all, I was held back by my own doubts; how would I !nd fellow badminton or table tennis players in such a diverse environment that’s so different from home?

Quickly, I was proven wrong.

My journey back to !tness started in the most obvious place: the common room of my student accommodation. With its default setup, the table tennis table was used more for beer pong than actual games, but it also served as a way for me to get my exercise in. Most table tennis matches were casual, relaxing games after dinner, but when competitive moods struck, we would host a mini tournament, round-robin style. More often than not, these games would help me both burn some calories and improve my table tennis skills by facing others. !en, I rediscovered running. Coming from Hong Kong, I was very much used to the blazing hot sun beating down on me every time I went out for even a slight jog, resulting in me coming back home drenched in sweat. However, in the UK, it was very different. Although sometimes drizzling, the weather was mostly perfect for regular intervals of running. With the incredible bonus of having the amazing Regents Canal a mere !ve-minute walk away from my residence at Rosebery Hall, I was able to run 5Ks on a regular basis, though not at an ideal speed. The breeze and generally relaxing environment made for a stark contrast with the hustle and bustle of the center of London, rendering these runs a perfect escape from the regular student life.

As I slowly grew out of my comfort zone and started to meet other like-minded, athletic friends, I even began to try working out. Whether at the LSE gym in between classes, or at a Gym Group before I went to bed, I started !nding working out to be a nice addition to my weekly routines. It certainly wasn’t easy to start from scratch, as I had to !nd the right workouts that suited me, but I was lucky enough to see some levels of progress eventually.

Maybe you’re reading this article not knowing which direction to take in terms of continuing your pre-existing exercise patterns. My advice to all incoming freshers who wish to stay active is this: go for it! London is a city of endless variety, where you can easily continue old hobbies or discover new ones. If you seek out a team or a place to play, you will almost certainly !nd it.

University is a time for reinvention. If you wish to excel at a sport, just practice - you will undoubtedly find your way.

The AU: Where LSE Comes Alive Want to learn about what the Athletics Union is, and what social life they have to offer?

Scan to read their article all about their events!

SOCIAL!

EDITED BY AASHI BAINS & AMELIA HANCOCK

A Reflection on my Freshers Written by AMELIA HANCOCK Illustated by VIVKA SAHAJPAL Over two years ago, I le! my small Midlands town to pursue my dream of living in London. A decision I can’t imagine having made any other way.

Now, as I enter my third year with my future certain and my friendships solidified, I’ve found myself looking back on the whirlwind that was my freshers.

My first year began at Sidney Webb House, where I was kindly welcomed by a bomb threat at a nearby school, as well as a treacherous fi!y-minute walk to campus. A real contrast to my previously quieter life near the countryside. Still, my room was cosy, modern and blessed with an en-suite, all for a reasonable price.

From there, London itself became the real backdrop to freshers. Infamously, LSE has never had a reputation for being a party university, but living in the heart of London meant there were so many clubs to explore, right at my doorstep. Compared to the dire turnouts I saw when visiting friends at other universities, London’s clubbing scene felt alive and energetic. So I threw myself into it. For ten nights straight, I went clubbing armed with the alcohol from my recent eighteenth birthday. Two years later, I’m quick to leave Sway a!er half an hour and have only been convinced into a singular event this freshers.

With the hangxiety that followed each night and my current attitude towards clubbing, would I push people to follow in my footsteps? At LSE, it’s easy to get swept into the culture of spring week applications and networking events before you’ve even unpacked your suitcase. The clubbing scene can seem like a breath of fresh air in comparison. But with the constant ‘What’s your name, course, and where are you from?’, it’s difficult to decide if the allure of going out is any less shallow.

The friendships you make alongside this excitement of living in a new city start to become equally as doubtful. Initially, I thought my flatmates would be my lifelong friends, but the unclean kitchen and age gaps stopped that dream dead in its tracks. No friendships arose from the girls I met in club bathrooms or the people I sat with in lectures, either.

Instead of expecting these surface-level connections to develop into something real, look for genuine friendships in your classes, societies, and shared interests. It took a few months, but that’s when I finally began to feel a true sense of belonging.

A Guide to Nearby Lunch Spots Written by ISABELLA LIU O!en on campus, more o!en “stuck” in the Peacock Theatre listening to a lecture, I find myself thinking about what I’m going to get for lunch. So, as the new academic year starts, I’d like to take the opportunity to share some of my favourite lunch restaurants around campus.

1 Viet Eat

Starting with a restaurant that almost all LSE students have either tried or walked past, this is easily my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in London.

Especially during winter, a good bowl of pho can warm you up from the cold weather, with a perfect balance of green vegetables and choice of protein. The atmosphere is cosy, and ideal for a casual catch-up with friends.

That said, it can get busy and feel a little crowded, but don’t worry—there are many other options!

2 Kangnam Pocha

This Korean restaurant is located near LSE’s High Holborn accommodation, with a good selection of lunch boxes that are affordable and tasty. My personal trick for avoiding the long lunchtime queues is to ask for takeaway and bring it back to LSE, given it’s only a 10-minute walk. Some of the best spots to enjoy a takeaway on campus are the Library Escape, the ground floor of the Marshall Building and Lincoln’s Inn Fields during the warmer months.

3 Kintan Japanese BBQ

This Japanese barbecue place also offers affordable lunch deals, and it’s nicely located near Chancery Lane. On the way to this restaurant from LSE, you’ll be greeted with lots of greenery as well as legal societies and chambers, which are indeed beautiful on the outside (although I’m always curious about the inside). The ambience is really nice, making it perfect for hosting visiting family or celebrating with friends.

4 Din Tai Fung (Covent Garden)

The story of XiaoLongBao begins in Nanxiang, a village that is now a suburb of Shanghai. Growing up in the city, I’ve visited Din Tai Fung (known for its XiaoLongBao) since childhood. Although well known for its XiaoLongBao, Din Tai Fung also makes great Chinese noodles, dumplings, and fried rice. Since Din Tai Fung takes over an hour to deliver on Uber Eats, walking from LSE is more convenient, particularly as I can avoid the delivery premium. Despite this restaurant not being the most affordable out of the options around LSE, due to the menu’s incredible flavours (and maybe a tiny bit of my own personal bias), I’m including this on my list. You can get a decent meal here for under £20, which I’d argue is pretty average, relative to comparable restaurants around Covent Garden. Perfect for those special occasions or when you need some comfort food from home (or if you are going on a date)!

5 Corner Shop

This shop was introduced to me by a close friend, and their coffee is brilliant. They also provide healthy lunch boxes, including salads, rotisserie chicken, pastries, and even wine. Despite being known as the shop that sells the British version of Erewhon drinks, the pricing for pastries and other lunchtime essentials is affordable. Moreover, there are numerous seating areas for chatting with friends. It has become one of my go-to spots for catching up with friends over good coffee, although it lacks as an alternative study space due to its no-laptop policy.

Is the American Eagle Ad Really that Big of a Deal?

Accommodation Review

Written by CHLOÉ CERISIER Illustated by VIVKA SAHAJPAL Sydney Sweeney is everywhere.

She’s on your screen, starring in the new romcom, ‘Anyone But You’. She’s taking sel!es with the latest Samsung Galaxy phone. She’s selling her bathwater. And lately, she’s been making news for her great “genes” (or was it jeans?).

The latter arrived in late July in the form of an American Eagle campaign for denim. In one advert, the camera pans over to Sydney Sweeney lying down, as she’s zipping up her blue jeans and performs what is now a viral line: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.” In another cut, she says, “My body’s composition is determined by my genes,” as the camera zooms in on her cleavage. The commercials were a clear reference to Sweeney having “great genes,” while wearing “great jeans”.

If it was meant to be a funny play on homophones, it quickly spiralled into a broader discussion around beauty standards, white supremacy, and the denim industry.

The main critique of the campaign lies in the meaning of having “great genes”, suggesting the existence of inferior genes. Some have argued that the ad alludes to eugenics, a pseudo-scienti!c theory based upon the human race improving itself by breeding out “less desirable traits”. Therefore, Sydney Sweeney, a conventionally attractive actress, arguably represents what the brand considers “great genes”. I may even venture to say that she represents what part of the American population may deem as admirable genetics: white skin, blonde hair, blue eyes.

Many, therefore, felt the campaign was playing into the current rise of right-wing glorification of whiteness in America.

After all, it has not even been a year since President Donald Trump, who was at the time out of o&ce, identi!ed “bad genes” as the cause of crimes committed by immigrants.

Politicians quickly stepped into the debate. Vice President JD Vance announced on the ‘Ruthless’ podcast that “The lesson they’ve apparently taken is, ‘We’re going to attack people as Nazis for thinking Sydney Sweeney is beautiful.’” Governor Ted Cruz wrote on X, “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I’m sure that will poll well….”. Even President Trump wrote on his social media Truth, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there. [...] Go get ‘em Sydney!”.

However, beyond being a semantic conversation, it is also important to remind ourselves of the backstory of denim wear. Before denim became typically fashionable, it was seen as a fabric of control. After the abolishment of slavery in the United States, many formerly enslaved people became sharecroppers working on the same land, under the same white authority, but now earning just enough for it not to be denoted as slavery. Across the U.S, they wore the same blue denim uniform, chosen for its durability and utility.

Continue reading Chloé’s analysis online!

Hong Kong Milk Tea: a (Liquid) Slap on the Back Written by LUCAS NGAI Illustated by SYLVAIN CHAN We’ve all had those days – getting unceremoniously awoken by your alarm clock for that 9 am lecture, paralysed by existential dread at what lies in store for the day, debating on whether to spend !ve more minutes under those sweet, sweet covers. But it’s not like you have a choice. The day isn’t going to wait for you.

Hong Kong milk tea is like that friend who slaps your back a little too hard. Your breath gets briefly knocked out of your lungs, but you stagger along, just enough to get on with it when you feel like you’re about to pass out. And like hurried, overworked diners in Hong Kong, that’s exactly what you need sometimes.

Trying to recreate the flavours of home has been one of my proudest side projects (and has doubled as a great procrastination activity!). Oh, to seek the perfect level of astringence, the soothing smoothness of evaporated milk, the irreplaceable, full-bodied aftertaste – it just never gets old. I’m still trying to !gure it out, but this is what’s worked for me so far. So do try it at home! You’ll need a sieve, saucepan, and another container.

Ingredients (per cup):

~50 mL evaporated milk 4 PG tips teabags (green box) – NOT loose-leaf Half a teabag of M&S Extra Strong (dark-blue box)

Instructions:

1 Boil ~400 mL of water in a saucepan.

2 When the water is boiling, rip open the teabags and pour their contents into the water (unless you like drinking even more microplastics). Make sure only half of the M&S Extra Strong bag is emptied.

3 Let the tea continue boiling for 6-8 minutes on low heat.

4 While the tea boils, carefully rip open all the empty teabags so each te bag becomes a rectangular sheet.

5 Place the sheets next to each other in the sieve so they form a single layer of “teabag”, which acts as a makeshift !lter for the tea leaves. Water helps to stick the teabags’ edges together.

6 Carefully pour your tea through the makeshift !lter into another container (to catch any remaining tea leaves and improve texture). If you’re afraid of spilling, use a ladle instead.

7 Carefully pour the tea back into the saucepan through the sieve.

8 Pour ~50 mL of evaporated milk into your drinking cup.

9 Pour the !ltered tea into your drinking cup (it should be a bright orange).

10 Add sugar and evaporated milk to taste.

PART B

ebbing of the poisoned river that beckons, a flash in dark eyes or the glint of gunmetal. While the sea pulls my feet into the ground and drums out a steady beat against my ankles, the river draws the dull roar from my mind and curls it away into the mud and silt, to be dredged up for mudlarks to find.

EDITED BY SHAHZAIB KHAN & ZARA NOOR

Into the Offing Written by ERICA COUSINS The water’s edge is just as much my home as any house.

I’ve spent every summer of my childhood, and now young adulthood, splayed out on the toasted sugar sands of my beloved seaside town. Warm rays of the sun are synonymous with the feeling of cool water wrapping itself around me, like a sleek cat rubbing its soft body against my ankles, buffeting its head against my leg. When I can’t be by the sea, those warm rays press themselves tight against my skin, goading that the soles of my feet are stuck fast on tarmac roads or encased in brick and glass. They penetrate an itch into the marrow of my bones, the core of my being. The claustrophobia of the sun has diffused into other aspects of my life. It’s now not only in the height of summer that I long for the refreshment of the sea, but in the depths of despair, confusion, or indecision.

On every worst day of my life, I stand barefoot on the shoreline and look out into the offing until I find resolution. This is my ritual, whether my feet are numb from the icy midwinter swash, or gusts of wind are whipping streams of sand against my calves. There’s peace in having something inconceivably vast on my doorstep, like living at the edge of the universe – the trivialities of life are nothing to the infinite and impenetrable. My troubles are quickly forgotten while watching vigorous currents squabble over the borderless surface of the sea, threatening to pull me out.

As a consequence of university, I spend most of the year living away from the sea now, following the tides of footfall up and down the conduit roads of London. Though rivers don’t offer the scale of an ocean, I know I can call on the Thames to drown my sorrows when mania creeps into the periphery of the mundane. My feet carry me past blank-faced buildings to the seam of the city, the crevasse into which avalanches of flagstones and office blocks tumble out of sight and drift away. I walk for hours up and down the Southbank, bearing footprints into the pavements, a big cat in captivity, hypnotised by the writhing, inky waters below. There’s something in the

Despite mapping my life against the flows and tides of water, I feel that my connection is not exclusive but universal. As I stand at the water’s edge, I feel the immanence of humanity in it. The ocean is a creator, bringing about conscious existence on earth and tethering it with an umbilical connection. Our bodies are palimpsests of genetic selection which chronicle our voyage onto land. Every mammalian feature paints a portrait of an ancient fish: our eyes are shaped as a product of being first used to see underwater, then repurposed to capture light through the atmosphere. A humanity, or any land species, that wasn’t born in water would be unrecognisable to us. Maybe not everyone needs the water at their feet like they need the water in their blood, sweat, and tears, but if the babbling brook is met with a listening ear, I think it holds a message for every one of us.

The sea runs through every river, settles in puddles at the side of the road, and streams out of taps and showerheads.

When the rip currents of life draw me away from the shoreline and break waves of cement over my head, I know I can rely on my home to come back to me.

Young and stupid, the ‘real world’ bears down on you tempestuously. I push my hand out past the boundaries of childhood, grasping at glassy fistfuls of promised wisdom, met with rushes of joy and freedom, but also with lessons rather left unlearned. In every case, I look for water. I look for reflection against its surface, for the route which turns me out at the doorsteps of my loved ones. I follow the fibres of time which stretch down the length of the river and out into the offing of the sea.

I don’t know yet what I will find, but I know I will belong there.

People Spotting Written by ZARA NOOR Illustrated by LAURA LIU

This city is unkind to wanderers. I watch boys watch girls on the train. Gazes felled in the swift close of a door. I watch myself watching their reflection.

Tonight, I live my world through glances.

I can fold myself motionless. Slip past unseen as a stowaway. Hitch-hiking, to be carried far from here by strangers. This is the lightest I will ever be. I drink it in from a slow cup.

I am

They will not remember me here.

Buried, as static bodies are.

so still I could be anyone.

The Man with Ash at his Feet

No Home

Written by TOMMY KING Illustrated by JESSICA CHAN

Written by IBRAHIM ALOM

I walked for what felt like days until I stopped by a small coffee shop – the squat type that surely didn’t turn over much revenue. It occupied the street inconspicuously, its old and haggard owner slipping a mere handful of cups into the dishwasher. She might have occupied herself better had she washed them by hand.

Outside was more charming than inside, so I stood for a moment. Only one passenger accompanied me – the man with ash at his feet. Several cigarette butts were strewn in and around his toes as he sat smoking another.

My years of walking have known only one constant: for each cigarette, an entire story can be told.

The other wanderers, with phones at their ears and laptops at their fingertips, were invariably less interesting.

We jointly embraced the rich tastes of tobacco; each sprinkle of ash on the floor unfurled a new story. His stories emerged like dolphins driven under the merciless waves of time.

As it is with people of this kind, the chronology did not begin at childhood.

What good are the years of becoming when one has been left to rot by time, never becoming anything at all? The causality sustaining all things had betrayed him. In one moment, he might be a caterpillar, recalling the leaves he had devoured and the branches he had been knocked from. But what good would that be when, in another moment, as the layman anticipates his becoming a butterfly, he begins to speak of himself as a hyena scavenging on arid plains?

More expedient for the ash at his feet was to start with a person, presumably the first that ever made sense. We become when we are seen. Which is why, in forlorn childhood, wasted, miserable, decrepit, neglected, we do not exist at all. Grace brought him into existence.

Grace was her name. One could see his eyes light up as he mentioned her - the fire at the end of his cigarette was indistinguishable from the hazy wonder between his eyelids.

Grace was her effect. That something so named should correspond to its word was of fantastic puzzlement to him. The entire enterprise of language – formed in Eden, desecrated in Babel, consecrated by the first croak of a frog, and diversified by all its descendants thereafter – was justified by this one woman.

“In those eyes, caring and kind, I met God”. He flicked another butt onto the floor. Grace was God, and God he peered into. He took a brief pause from his cigarette just to soak in the air that she, through his words, had suffused and purified.

For one cigarette, a story; for one inhale, an exhale.

The streets are loud, the placards glare.

Their chants are sharp, their anger bare.

They cry for walls, for lines to divide, A land that tells me I’m denied.

But I remember those before, Who left their Sylhet to reach this shore.

My grandfather mourned as Bangladesh bled, Yet chose to stay, to forge ahead.

My parents grew with two worlds inside, Sylheti warmth and British pride.

At home they kept the tongue, the prayer, Outside they wore the weight of stare.

And I, their child, have never seen The rivers where their lives had been.

Yet in their stories I still know The soil from which our roots can grow.

I ache for what we had to leave, The history I can barely grieve.

But still I try to piece each thread, To honour those who fought, who bled.

Though crowds may rage and headlines blame, We have endured and will remain.

Their love my anchor, their faith my guide, No storm can cast me from their side.

His brief moment of overwhelming joy dissipated in a tranquil melancholy.

God might be the culmination of all the hopes we toss into our existential cauldron, but very rarely does He live up to our expectations. We depend on Him for our salvation, but He is indifferent.

He saw Grace vividly, but for her, he was a mere shadow. Another butt on the floor, another scattering of ash beside his feet, another life forsaken.

Radiant sun sprayed through the distant clouds, scorching my hair and making me nauseous. We had been speaking for a while. I looked towards my own feet and saw several butts surrounded by thick, protuberant remnants of ash. My companion must have caught the last train home. Or was it the first? I searched around frantically for him. The streets were bare.

Who was he – the man with ash at his feet? The ash now squarely at my feet, an answer, like all things in this world, wouldn’t have mattered at all.

REVIEW

EDITED BY JESSICA CHAN & IMAN WASEEM

Why I Love Nier:Automata Written by JESSICA CHAN “Everything that lives is designed to end.”

NieR:Automata was released in 2017 as the third installment to the Drakengard series, and is now renowned in the JRPG community as a cult classic. The first time you play the game, you might think that it’s nothing special: attractive characters, slick gameplay, but a sci-fi story that seems average. So why is there still a dedicated fanbase lauding it with so much enthusiasm? If you have the patience to sink 50 hours into playing until the true ending, then you might just be able to understand why. Yes, it sounds crazy, but there is a method to this madness that any fan of the game can attest to.

Firstly, for any of you that are at all familiar with NieR:Automata, the first thing that might come to mind is the character 2B: the white bob cut beauty that wears the blindfold better than Gojo Satoru ever could. In my opinion, white-haired androids might as well be trademarked and slapped with a big NieR stamp on their face. Needlessly elegant and detailed uniforms, high heels, and those blindfolds – just why on earth would a combat android wear heels and a blindfold? Whatever the reason, each character is undeniably stylish and forever iconic.

Each part of the map is a desolate portrayal of Earth, overrun by machines and nature persevering through the destruction. The landscapes and environments are gorgeous works of art that speak for themselves. It’s a masterfully entrancing way of letting the player get as much from the game as they put in. Exploring feels undeniably smooth. You slide in the sand like a hot knife through butter; you can triple jump and swing on your Pod to get more airtime; you run like a racehorse in a G1 race with nine-star speed. The controls in this game are incredibly slick, to the point of feeling slippery. The perfect evades that morph into slowed time sequences are immensely satisfying. Is there anything that feels better than parrying? !e care and thought put into every design element, graphic, and cinematic cutscene creates a game brimming with such a unique identity. The UI and sound design integrates so neatly into the playable characters being androids, which I find utterly charming. I love the plug-in chip menu that acts as your stats and skills tree. I love that you can take elements of the HUD away to make room for upgrades. I love that there’s a self-destruct button and an OS chip that kills you if you take it out. They make it blatantly clear to you, the player, that you’re an android built of code and mechanical parts, and I find that wonderfully immersing.

What I like about the design team’s philosophy is that it’s both a case of Chekov’s gun and just an aesthetic choice. You can see them as intentional design choices in a sci-fi setting where things are more flexible and advanced, but also appreciate that the main character simply looks attractive because the director “just really likes girls”.

So, what is special about Nier:Automata apart from the surface-level polish that makes it look good? What makes it play good?

Read Jessica’s deep dive online!

It’s Okay to Enjoy The Weeknd’s Music, Even if it’s Perverse Written by RONAK MAITI Around a year ago, The Beaver published an article by Angelika Santaniello on how The Weeknd’s music contributes to ‘society’s disengagement with, and detachment from, sensitive topics’, as one of the most successful musicians globally despite the morally problematic elements of his output.

It’s a well-evidenced, thought-provoking piece which I recommend reading.

This article, however, seeks to defend The Weeknd (or ‘Abel’, from ‘Abel Tesfaye’) as an artist and, more importantly, the millions of people who love his music in spite of, or indeed because of, its perversity.

First, I note that I appreciate most of Santianello’s reasoning. Bertolt Brecht, a playwright, claimed ‘Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it’; Santaniello is right to be concerned about problematic elements in art informing and supporting an unethical culture. Across art forms, from music to film to architecture to poetry, exclusion and debasement of oppressed peoples has led to ‘distorted mirrors’ of reality which incorporate ‘monstrous cliches’ instead of honest ‘cultural reflection’, as Zadie Smith, a novelist, phrased it.

The analysis of The Weeknd’s lyrics in Santianello’s argument, which covers his discography, are fair: the lyrics do disscuss misogyny, manipulation, violence, and abuse in unsavoury ways.

Allegations of creepy behaviour outside of his songwriting, like in his poorly-received TV show The Idol, seem to condemn Abel even further.

In a world where art is commodified and cannot be enjoyed apolitically nor without consequence, we must remember that our consumption of music doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and can empower problematic individuals and cultures.

However, we can interpret the popularity of Abel’s music through a different lens which is more forgiving to the millions that adore his music: a view that reconciles his lyrics with how they generate authentic enjoyment in the demographics they affect — namely, women - and beyond.

According to StarNGage, 51.8% of The Weeknd’s Instagram followers are women. As one of the biggest artists globally, this constitutes to an estimated woman fanbase roughly equal to the population of England. Is it really the case that so many women, presumably affected by misogyny and objectification, are desensitised and disengaged from these themes in their enjoyment of Abel’s music?

Is it possible that their enjoyment could even be fuelled by these elements? An answer to this question may lie in understanding perversion and transgression as a virtue of art, when done well.

Continue Ronak’s gothic analysis and rebuttal online!

Why You Should Read Jane Eyre: A Review of the 1847 Novel Written by IMAN WASEEM Illustrated by JESSICA CHAN While reading this novel, a consistent thought festered in my mind: “Is this book incredibly ahead of its time, or have human beings, on a very innate level, been the same all these years?”

As I perused the last page, I realised the answer lay somewhere in the middle.

Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Brontë, is arguably one of the most prominent books in literary history. Written a!er her first book, The Professor, was rejected for its dullness and lack of drama, Jane Eyre carries with it, in every chapter, Brontë’s determination to prove herself to the publishers who rejected her. Thus, the novel embraces a genuine commitment to capturing the passionate, tempestuous, and beautiful human experience of feeling life.

Jane has felt a wide range of emotions: rejection, deprivation, isolation, desire, love, cruel and unrelenting grief, separation, anger, ambition, and helplessness. This is common for many characters, and does not make her special per se. However, what does is the uncannily realistic, scattered, opposing, and nonsensical, but deeply emotionally resonating thoughts which she conveys while narrating these events.

There were many times when I had to physically shut my copy because it increasingly started to feel like a mirror.

How is it possible that the way Jane reflects upon her grief is the same as I do in 2025?

How is it that the anxious-ridden thoughts that plague her mind and that aggressively carve their way into her dreams also make their way into mine?

The novel follows the story of Jane Eyre, a lonely and resented orphaned girl living in her aunt Mrs Reed’s house, who was bestowed the responsibility of Jane’s primary care by her uncle. Jane goes on to join Lowood School, a reprimanding, repressive, and religious school. Eventually, at the age of 19, she progresses to her stay at Thornfield Hall, a house where she becomes a governess—a role that raises her status and thus places her in a position of respect. At Thornfield Hall, Jane forms an unconventional relationship with the wealthy, older, and brooding Mr Rochester. The novel picks up pace here and revolves around the turbulent relationship between the two, slowly unravelling dark secrets, deep desire, and ardent love.

The emotional sensitivity with which the novel was written, to me, its unique and sadly overlooked beauty. Most books that take on the narration strategy fail to meet the criteria for which details a narrator would include in their summary of events.

The plot of Jane Eyre was unconventional for its time, to say the least, so much so that the novel was published under the male pseudonym Currer Bell, as publishers were concerned about prejudiced responses due to Brontë being a woman.

Brontë thus proved that despite social stratifications and the complexity of emotions, humans will forever, on an innate emotional level, remain the same. The same things will always defeat us, and the same things will always save us.

Much changed for Jane, but ultimately, she too desired one thing: love (bonus points for not just romantic love but also familial and platonic!).

However, there have been many books that resisted the norms of their societies and were revolutionary, so why, then, does Jane Eyre stand out?

Anyone who has read Jane Eyre understands how heart-warming it felt whenever Jane, amidst all her worry and serenity, addressed us as if we were her friends hearing her out at a sleepover with sentences like, “Reader, I married him.” Jane Eyre, although enriched by complicated themes like feminism, religion, social class, and gender relations, primarily, for me, reads as a deeply intelligent and relatable commentary on the psychology of humans.

Jane, our lovely and memorable protagonist, has been stratified into rigid categories since she was a child. She was: the provocative and lying child for Mrs. Reed,

Wouldn’t their mind be scattered?

Wouldn’t they go on and on about what they endured?

It’s incredible how Brontë managed to give off this impression within her writing without making it scattered or illogical.

the bad influence at Lowood, and the repressed and formal governess at Thornfield.

However, as Jane is also our narrator, we see a consistent rejection of these ascribed traits with her powerful and confident inner dialogue and outward behaviour, as well.

What makes this book so brilliant, then, is that while building Jane as a remarkably resilient, confident, and vocal character, it very realistically portrays her stormy inner world, dominated by a deeply feeling heart and a mind that constantly works overtime.

This is why, nearly two centuries later, Jane Eyre is not just read—it is felt.

“I never thought I could be adventurous.”

JAMES FROST: Buzz, Fashion, and Life after LSE interview by SKYE SLATCHER As the summer break draws to a close, evenings get darker, rain gets heavier, and LinkedIn becomes a lively hub of LSE students who are all thrilled, humbled, and excited to announce that they have received return offers from their summer internships. Such is the path of an LSE student it seems.

We have no doubt all seen it. Bankers, consultants, corporate lawyers – LSE’s main export.

In the midst of all that, one thing that has been growing this summer is Buzz Social – LSE alum James Frost’s app.

Many of you have likely seen at least one post about it over the last few months. It aims to connect people with events across fashion, music, and art in London. It collates all of the most exciting things happening around the city, making them more easily discoverable for everyone. Being so deeply involved in the creative industry is not exactly the typical MO of an LSE student, much less an Econ and Politics graduate.

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s the app reaches new milestones, I was lucky enough to chat with James about his journey from LSE into this entrepreneurial career in the creative space.

James is a SW-Londoner and went to school there. Discussing his choice to attend LSE, he said this: “I kind of want to go into finance.

Wanting to go down the finance route and make lots of money, I knew that LSE would probably be the best route to do that.” Undoubtedly a sentiment that many of us can relate to. Despite his creative drive, James did not quite escape the corporate path of LSE, at least initially. Surrounded, as we all are, by people applying to internships in !nance, FinTech, AI, etc., he interned with a climate-focused venture capital fund and an AI company.

It was also at LSE, while living in Bankside, that James met his best friend. He lived down the corridor and also studied econ. Together, they developed the !rst iteration of the Buzz app. James explained the birth of the app to me, and it is perhaps best understood in his words: “We came up with this idea for an app that capitalised on the COVID restrictions being removed, right? Because while we were in Freshers, it was COVID times and all the pubs were closed and all the clubs were closed… So we wanted to make an app that basically capitalised on those restrictions being taken out. We started building and then pitched it to a bunch of developers and then built a team… We developed everything ourselves and then we launched it and we got to like 10,000 users. The !rst version of the app was basically focused on organising events. You could host parties, you can generate your codes, you could then scan the QR codes on the door if you’re the host. You can invite plus ones, you can see all the people who are coming, and this was great, right? It meant that, if we were hosting a party on the Friday, all that week, everyone at LSE would be like, ‘oh, who’s going to this party?’

You click a tick or a cross, so then people were obviously looking to see whether their friends were going or their crush was going.”

Things took off pretty quickly for them. With their 10,000 users, they managed to organise a party in collaboration with some major events and brands. They collaborated with Levi’s, Sainte (a London rapper), and London Fashion Week (LFW). It was clearly a format that worked.

I was curious as to how those partnerships happened. James reflected on his second-year self, being at a Burberry show in the morning and in a seminar that afternoon. Through juggling both of those facets of his life, he developed some strong connections. He had written for New Wave Magazine, through which he connected with Levi’s.

After graduation, they both took a step back.

James went to gain some more concrete experi-

ence in the creative industry across fashion and music. He worked for an agency on projects with clients like Adidas and Jäegermeister, and attended Fashion Week events for Complex, Hype Beast, and other major outlets. In that year or so, he learnt the ropes of how the industry works. It was with all of that experience under his belt that he developed the idea for what Buzz is now.

Buzz has moved away from generic events and uni party hosting and instead caters to people who want to go to creative events, from popups to listening parties to brand activations. It is increasingly clear that clubbing culture is not so enjoyable when one double vodka lemonade might set you back £12 or more. It is also clear that brands are funnelling more money into these types of activation events than ever, with Nike and Migos being two examples James mentioned in our conversation. Buzz is there to connect those two realities. Instead of having to follow the brand on Instagram or know someone who is going to the event already, you download Buzz. It is almost like a modern TimeOut magazine.

James made a point of shouting out his developer, Jon: “He is like one of the best developers I’ve ever worked with. He is so easy to work with.”

Buzz is clearly making an impact.

Most recently, it hit number six of all Lifestyle apps on the App Store. 113th out of every free app in the world - an undeniably immense achievement.

When I checked recently, it remained four spots ahead of Tinder.

The app is the product - there is no success without a good, clean app.

He also emphasised the value of distribution and social media in getting Buzz out there. James currently does all the marketing and social media himself, but is garnering huge traffic, with millions of views per month. His latest campaign featured a longer video, featuring actors and animation. I thought it was brilliant (you should go watch it, if you haven’t yet!). After seeing the actor, Max Mckenzie, in the Mango Habanero milkshake ad for Wingstop, and having previously connected with him, James decided he wanted to !lm something with him. The video highlights parts of London culture, even getting a view from Chunkz and a follow from SchoonerScorer.

Alongside Buzz, James runs a mentorship programme which covers building up portfolios, !nding inspiration, outreach, and all the skills needed for a successful creative career. Through this scheme, he has helped over a thousand people from all around the world.. Any aspiring creatives should de!nitely check it out.

I couldn’t end my call with James without asking for some advice for LSE students wanting to break out of the corporate conveyor belt and move into a creative space:

“I’d say make the most of the fact that you’re in one of the greatest cities in the world… Go to the events, meet people, speak to people who are doing similar things outside of LSE. You don’t have to limit yourself socially to just LSE… I feel like there is an LSE bubble where people hang out with just LSE people and you kind of forget that the outside world exists… It does get a bit overwhelming if you’re just surrounded by people doing spring weeks the whole time. Obviously, I’ve had people being like, ‘Why is he doing this fashion stuff? It’s stupid?’ But honestly who cares?... It’s just about chasing what you care about. As cringey as that sounds, it’s true.”

I asked what events James was looking forward to, and he mentioned London Fashion Week. When this article is published, LFW will have already happened. I was fortunate enough to attend my !rst LFW event this year, enjoying the work of four Taiwanese designers. I heeded James’ advice from our conversation - just go.

Personally, I can’t wait to see what James does next and how Buzz will continue to grow. Perhaps one (or a number) of the people reading this article have also met their best friend in their !rst year halls and will hatch an idea together that will become their focus for a number of years. A future Flipside editor might DM you on Instagram asking for an interview too. For now, I’ll keep checking Buzz and seeing what fun events are going on around London.

ISSUE 943

AT WEEK 1 2025

JAMES FROST

Founder of Buzz Social REVIEW

Jess’ love for Nier:Automata

PART B

‘People Spotting’

by Zara Noor

SOCIAL

SPORT

Lucas’ Hong Kong milk tea recipe

Skye on where sports and fashion collide