" I " £Sk H £3k n W FH14 M Wm gfeiH HH |H| Hifl \IBl jm fiHH Mgr I ¦¦ H thebeaveronline.co.uk flBn dHh facebook.com/beaveronline Blood Bank event unites « / LSE students listen to the " tales of women from both sides of the Israeli-Pales-tinian conflict at an event held by the LSE Students' Union's International Officer, the LSE Students' Union Israel Society and the King's College London Israeli Palestinian Forum. The event also featured a short film produced by Saatchi & Saatchi about a project by which Israelis and Palestinians donate blood, which is given to patients across the border. Many of the attendees had participated in a blood donation earlier that day. Students struggle to reclaim earl}/ payment reward A number of students experienced delays of receiving their Early Repayment Award which was given to students who paid their full tuition fees between 31st August and 31st October. Instead of receiving the award as a 1.5 per cent discount for their fees, the award is transferred to the LSE sQuid card, which can be used in designated places on campus or in student halls. Some students complained about this change, commenting that it is not a real discount. Bhangra Crush a success ^ g Bhangra Crush, organised by the Sikh-Punjab Society, attracted above average turnout last Friday with foreign music, animated dancing and live drummer. Alex Bond, a regular Crush organizer, said that the purpose of Bhangra Crush was to offer an alternative to the regular theme. The overall comment on this event was positive, and members of the Sikh-Punjab Society was glad that they were able to express their own culture this way. LSE Interim Director speaks at UGM Stephanie Gale Judith Rees, Interim Director of the LSE, spoke at the Union General Meeting (UGM) this week on issues ranging from tuition fees to the School's relations with Libya. Rees began by saying that although raised tuition fees were regrettable, those within the School have to "help ourselves as much as we can" given the current economic climate and competition among universities. She also noted that she would like to "dispel any myths" that may have arisen, in particular noting that the university has no plans for compulsory staff redundancies or increased class sizes. Despite these comments, Rees expressed a number of concerns she has for the LSE, beginning with the government's seeming intention to let an increasing number of private providers into the sector. The LSE received some of its government funding on the condition that it has to provide private providers' students with access to the LSE library, which is already heavily used by students at the School. Rees also said she is concerned about staff visas, given recent proposals that have suggested overseas staff will only be able to work in the UK for five years. "Given that our reviews for staff is currently at five years, this makes no sense," she said, adding that the LSE will be "lobbying like frantic" over the issue. Rees went on to express doubt about recent proposals for students to apply to university via UCAS after they have received their A-level results in August. Under such proposals universities would have just six weeks to complete the entire admissions process. Currently, professional 1SE staff consider applications in great detail, which may not be achievable in six weeks with temporary staff. Rees also spoke about the School's relations with Libya, saying that the Woolf Report will hopefully be released by the end of the month, pending the completion of a University of London inquest into the academic integrity of the PhD Saif al-Islam completed while attending the LSE. Following suggestions on the Politics Show that the LSE may be involved in future associations with Libya, she commented that the School had received no formal approach. She added that any future dealings will be entirely up to the Council, which will have to know in certainty that there is a "reasonable regime" in Libya before the LSE is to have any association with it. Regarding the Kanazawa controversy, Rees said she would like to establish that "staff as well as students deplore his views," and that the School has done what it must to punish Kanazawa under employment and trade union laws. She said, "As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed." Rees then stayed for a five minute question and answer session with UGM attendants. In response to a criticism of the scheduling of the LSE100 examination on the 6th January 2012, several days before the official start of Lent Term, she argued that staff searched for » g viM' *r M| NO PUBLIC sector CUTS PROTEST . STRIKE - OCCUPY I FREE J, i education p a TAX I * fPUCA Tt( NOT BUSIt\t£§ STOP TN WH PAPe* HCAXC HC AtC LSE takes pail in National Demo I K,II I I OK IHEE IDITITIOX gySlNE tu education not business OUCATION Naomi Russell Sydney Saubestre Thousands of students took to the streets last Wednesday despite a heavy police presence. An estimated quarter of the 10,000 anticipated protesters showed up to protest the rising tuition fees proposed by the coalition Government of Prime Minister David Cameron. Around 60 LSE students left Houghton Street at midday to join students from across the country, united in their stance to "protect education, fight privatization" in light of the changes proposed by the White Paper. Around sixty students from LSE joined students from across the greater London area in the protest. Scotland Yard had announced that it would be deploying 4,000 police officers in anticipation of the damage done by the student demonstration last March. Omnipresent neon jackets were a constant reminder that they were authorized to use rubber bullets in case of "extreme circumstances." Students were led through a preset path, which began at the University of London Union and finished at London Met University, by mounted police officers. The police officers, though generally amiable, were adamantly trying to contain the protesters, urging anyone carrying a sign to stay within the delineated group. When the protest reached Trafalgar Square, a faction broke off to pitch tents in Traflgar s Square, chanting, "Whose square? Our square!" Police officers mobilised quickly to remove the twenty tents at the foot of Nelson's Column. Several people were arrested and removed from their tents. The rest of the march was relatively peaceful. A few incidents involving plastic bottles and sticks being thrown at the police resulted in tension and brief scuffles. They were quickly resolved with minimal damage. No rubber bullets were used and though riot squads were deployed, they did not have to intervene beyond forming lines to prevent demonstrators from making their way to St. Paul's Cathedral where the News 15.11.20111 The Beaver Editorial Board Executive Editor Nicola Alexander edtior(§> thebeaveronlme.co.uk Managing Editor Duncan McKenna managing(a)thebeaveronline.co.uk News Editors Bethany Clarke Heather Wang Sydney Saubestre news^thebeawronline.co.wk Comment Editor Rimmel Mohydin comment@thebeaveronlme.co.uk Features Editor Alex Haigh Gurdeep Chhina features@thebeaveronline.co.uk Design Editor Ahmed Alani design(a)thebeaveronline.co.uk Social Editor ShrinaFoojara 80cial(a)thebeaveroiiline.co.uk Sport Editors Maz Fletcher Maxim Owen $porf$C|)theheaveronline.co.uk PartB Editors Kerry-Rose O'Donnell Aameer Patel partb@thebeaveronline.co.uk Photo Editor Aisha Doherty photo@thebeaveronHne.co.uk Web Editor Liam Brown web(a>thebeaveron!ine.co.uk General Manager Anoli Mehta info@thebeaveronlme.co.uk Collective Chair Chris Rogers With thanks to our Copy Editors Kanika Singh Ehae Longe Lisa Strygina Alex Alisson Union Basho Rees-ly good Nostalgia Director's Questions was tamer than in the past. And that's a good thing? Basho is the Beaver's evasive haiku poet and goes to the Union General Meeting so you don't have to. ^ The Beaver is printed on \ 100% recycled paper. In 2006, recycled paper made up 79% of UK newspaper raw materials. Please recycle your copy. fte|0p*.s€nD£«m> 1 Ht m&p . '"™j WHITE ! Police walked in front of the protesters. | Photo: Sydney Saubestre 1 ? Students carried an LSE Students' Union banner as they walked in the protest. [ Photo: Annie Ren Pulse dismisses D Js over discriminatory comments Bethany Clarke The co-hosts of Pulse Radio's Guilty Pleasures FM show have been dismissed after making several discriminatory comments on their 29th October 2011 show. One of the co-hosts said that he used the term "window-licker" in reference to people with disabilities, although he said he "was unaware what it actually meant." His co-host corrected him on air, and an immediate apology was made. The two co-hosts also used the term "trannies" while discussing their plans to attend a clubbing event called "Tranny Shack," advertised on the TimeOut website. One of the Guilty Pleasures FM hosts said, "we apologise for any offensive language we may have used during the show in question. The last thing we want to do is offend any listeners and lose the show we love hosting and want to continue to host." A decision was made at an internal meeting of the Pulse Committee to remove all the offending material from its website and to not make the incident public, according to a source inside Pulse. Pezeshki said that it was taken down from the website "to avoid causing any further damage," and because its content "does not reflect our views." At present Pulse have refused to release the tapes of the show. At the internal meeting, the Pulse Committee also concluded that they should cancel "Guilty Pleasure FM" show and ask the presenters to leave. This decision came after "Guilty Pleasure FM" had been recorded for a subsequent two shows. According to Heung, "When the show was found to contain offensive material, the committee member who found it spoke to the presenters and also informed the rest of the committee. We then took a democratic vote and the majority decided to remove the show." One of the presenters commented; "timing was a little bit suspicious - we were told that we were being fired from the show last Friday evening, two weeks after the show had aired... I fear that a politicised agenda is beginning to grip the administration of Pulse radio, enforcing a toxic level of political correctness which will stifle the content of the radio shows." The present- ers have fought the decision and have asked to appeal their position at the next Committee meeting. Following the offensive language used in the "Hot Boyz" show last year, Pulse has implemented a system to ensure better accountability of presenters. Pulse takes "serious preventative measures about this kind of incident," said Pezeshki. At the beginning of the year it drafted a Code of Conduct contract to be signed by all show DJs before they go on air. The contract disallows DJs from including offensive material in their shows, and gives Pulse the right to remove presenters and/or shows in the case of a breach of contract. Several Pulse DJs have confirmed that they had to read and sign a contract before airing on the radio station. "The comments made on this show directly breach the equal opportunities section of the code of conduct, and hence we are obliged to take disciplinary action," Pezeshki added. According to the presenters, they "have not been presented with a contract to sign and have never seen a copy of the contract." It is not yet clear how this oversight happened. Pulse radio is regulated by independent regulator Ofcom. According to Ofcom's terms of license, radio programmes broadcast in public spaces must not include "offensive language, sex or violation of human dignity." Benjamin Butterworth, the Students' Union's LGBT Officer said: "People sometimes question why we need liberation officers in this day and age, but these defamatory remarks illustrate just how far we have to go in achieving proper understanding. There's a great deal of ignorance around trans and transgendered people." "I hope the Pulse presenters in question understand the unacceptable nature of their remarks," he added. Polly McKinlay, the Students' Union's Disabilities Officer said, "jokes made about disabled people at their expense and with no understanding of their lives are totally ignorant and very offensive. Equality and diversity training for the media group as a whole could be very useful in raising awareness and making sure people know where the line is." News in brief- HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS AT LSE Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, outlined his view on how Eastern Europe could stimulate economic growth and prosperity last Thursday in a public lecture held in the Shaw Library, Old Building. Orban has held this position since the 2010 general election and the Hungarian Government has taken measures, including simplifying and reducing taxation, increasing the flexibility of the labour market, and abolishing regulatory obstacles of the market entry by businessesm, to create a competitive economic institutional framework. IPHONE APP SAVES LIVES? It has been suggested that a new iPhone application, tested at the Lord Mayor's Show in the City of London on Saturday 12th November, not only makes return journeys less stressful but also saves lives as it could detect the density of a crowd following disasters. Eve Mitleton-Kelly, Director of LSE's Complexity Research Group, and her team have been researching the implications of the installation of this app. They said that the app could help crowd safety during major disasters, but it will only work when the number of usership is large. TOP UK INSTITUTIONS LOOK TO THE EAST FOR FUNDING Oxford, Cambridge and the LSE have drawn increasing financial support from the East, especially from China and Hong Kong, according to South China Morning Post. The article on their website reports that, last year, Hong Kong businessmen donated at least £2 million to these three universities and the number is expected to increase this year and next. The article also stated that the LSE said donations from Hong Kong had surged from just £19,000 in 2007 to £45,000 in 2009 and more than £775,000 in the last academic year. PEOPLE HAPPIEST AFTER SEX George MacKerron, an LSE researcher, developed a iPhone app named the "Mappiness" which was used by 45,000 iPhone users to record their level of happiness at least five times a week. This study shows that people are happiest after having sex, followed by exercising, going to a movie or a concert and then singing or performing. And being sick in bed is ranked first on the list of things that make people unhappy. Waiting in line, commuting, caring for adults, working and studying were not enjoyed by many, either. ECONOMICALLY-TROUBLED COUNTRIES BETTER TRAINED The finance ministers of the economies that are experiencing more severe economic crises are more likely to have received high levels of economic training, according to a new research conducted by Dr Joachim Wehner of the LSE and Professor Mark Hallerberg of the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. The research looked at the education of the political leadership of twenty-seven European countries and eleven non-European Organisations for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries since 1973. G©TA§C©©P? Got a story that you think we should be printing? Send us an e-mail: nevvs@thcbeaveronline.co.uk 4 News 15.11.20111 The Beaver Students encounter difficulties claiming Early Payment Reward Alice Dawson Students hoping to take advantage of LSE's Early Payment Reward scheme have been disappointed by delays in receiving their rewards. When a portion of a student's tuition fees are received by the School before 31st August, they are given the opportunity to claim an early payment reward which equates to 1.5 per cent of their fees. Between 31st August and 31st October, students can only claim a reward if their payment constitutes the full amount of tuition fees payable. The Early Payment Reward scheme is also open to General Course students. Moreover, alumnus students already enjoying a ten per cent fee discount are able to combine the reward with their discount. The reward is accessed via the sQuid card, described on the LSE website as "a sort of campus card." It may be used as a method of payment at a variety of locations on campus, including the Library and catering areas such as LSE Garrick and the Mezzanine Cafe. In addition, students at Rosebeiy Hall use the sQuid card as the method of payment for evening meals. Information provided on the LSE website regarding fees and student finance indicates that "rewards are transferred to student card within five working days of the advertised deadline dates." For example, students who meet the 31st October deadline will receive their early payment rewards via the sQuid card within five working days of this date. Despite this indication, some students waited longer than the advertised five working days and have expressed their discontent at the amount of time it took to receive their early payment rewards. Heather Wang, a second year BA History student, com- mented that, "It took so long to get the reward. And by putting the money on our sQuid account, the School is basically forcing us to spend this money on the School itself?' Furthermore, Xiaochen Yang, a second year BSc Actuarial Science student, is dissatisfied with the relatively low amount of locations on campus that accept the sQuid card, reducing the value of the early payment scheme. She commented: "This is not an actual discount! I never eat on the fourth floor or in the Garrick, and we can't even use it in the SU shop." Bernadette Roy, a second year BSc Mathematics and Economics student, is "not happy with the way LSE handled the reward scheme at all;" she labelled the process "very long and unclear" and indicated that it took "quite a few weeks, maybe a month" after submitting her payment before her reward was available. During the process, she was given "no indication of when the money would be available." Students wishing to make a claim for their early payment reward have until December 1st 2011 to submit an application. All cards must be registered with sQuid prior to application and rewards must be spent by 31st July Q pay with sQutd Photo: Bethany Clarke LSE launches new Global Masters Programme Bethany Clarke The LSE has launched a Global Master's in Management programme, aimed at executives looking to study global management while continuing their jobs. The degree is now accepting applications for 35 places, and will begin in September 2012. The programme will consist of seven one or two week modules spread over the course of seventeen months. This means that participants will only have to spend ten weeks away from the office over the course of almost two years. Two of the modules will be taught abroad, in Singapore and Istanbul. These sessions will focus on the specific challenges facing professional life in their respective regions. Dina Dommett, Associate Dean in LSE's Department of Management said: "Global management is geographically varied as well as fast-moving and we've reflected that. By travelling to Singapore and Turkey, participants will get genuine insight into business thinking across the globe." Between the class sessions, participants will continue their study through online material and discussions. Dommett said, "We'll make it easy for working people to take the degree but that doesn't mean we'll make it easy. It will be intense and it will be thorough." Despite its international nature, the course's core teaching and content will be provided by the LSE. The LSE hopes that the international nature of the course will appeal to applicants from across the world. The School will also be bringing in prominent speakers from business and government. The new programme is intended to complement the full-time Master's in Management currently offered by the School. Motion for censure fails at Beaver Collective Bethany Clarke A motion for censure was made against the Executive and Social Editors of the Beaver at Tuesday's Collective Meeting, The motion for censure against Nicola Alexander, Executive Editor, fell by 10 votes for to 37 votes against. The motion put forward against Shrina Poojara, Social Editor, fell by 7 votes for to 38 votes against. Duncan McKenna, Managing Editor of the Beaver, said, "I think this motion did not focus on the issue at hand, as it has been suggested several times. I therefore think that logic prevailed, and fully support Nicola." According to the Beaver Constitution: "Dissatisfaction with an editor or member of the Collective maybe expressed via a vote of censure or a vote of no confidence." A motion for censure "shall constitute a serious disapproval of an individual's actions in regard to the paper." The paper also elected a new Photo Editor, Matthew Worby, at the collective meeting. Blood Bank bridges Gaza divide Connor Russell Two women from either side of the Israeli-Palestine conflict spoke at the LSE last Thursday as part of the Parents' Circle Bereaved Families Forum. The event was hosted by Hannah Geis, the LSE Students' Union International Officer, the LSE Students' Union Israel Society and the King's College London Israeli Palestinian Forum. The speakers told their stories of loss and renewed hope for the future, which brought together people who had lost family members to discuss their situations and the projects they have undertaken to bring about empathy across the entire region. The event began with a short film produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, entitled "Blood Relations," in which one of the speakers, Seham Abu Awwad, was featured giving blood and telling her story. The film covered a project set up by the Parents' Circle and Saatchi & Saatchi, in which Israelis and Palestinians donate blood which is then given to patients on opposite sides of the border. Many of those present in the room had also taken part in the project, as a blood donation session had taken place earlier in the day in London, and so the screening proved an emotional experience for some. After a brief introduction by Aimee Riese, president of the Israel Society, and Professor Jim Hughes of the Government Department, Robi Damelin and Awwad told the room of their background and motivation for involvement in Blood Relations and the Parents' Circle. Damelin's son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper while guarding a checkpoint on Israeli Army reserve service. A Masters student at Tel Aviv University, he had expressed objection to war generally but undertook service regardless as he felt it was a duty to demonstrate respect to fellow Israeli soldiers. In 2000, one of Awwad's brothers was killed by an Israeli Defence Force soldier and another was critically shot in the leg, which led to a radical change of perspective for Awwad's mother who, along with Ms. Awwad herself, joined the Parents' Circle. They both described initial anxieties and apprehensions about the group and how over time they began to overcome attitudes that had been ingrained in them from birth. They have since met many others in the same situation, as the Parents' Circle now stands at over 500 members and Awwad is the Women's Committee Chair. In addition to Blood Relations, the organisation holds regular meetings in both Israel and Palestine, with what Ms. Damelin described as a "fair amount" of permits for Palestinians to travel into Israel, since the Parents' Circle is not affiliated to any political party. Alongside working directly between members, the group holds talks and seminars in Israeli and Palestinian schools and with youth summer camps that emphasise cultural interaction. Damelin highlighted the presence of an entire generation of Israelis and Palestinians who have been completely segregated from one another, as a key reason for hatred and the fact that group seeks to bring about empathy on the most basic level. The event had been criticised for promoting "normalisation" on its Facebook page, as some activists feel that the work of the Parents' Circle accepts the political status quo. Awwad responded particularly strongly to this criticism, arguing that the organisation rather points out eveiything that is not normal about the status quo, on a human rather than a political level. The Palestine Society did not return comment on the event. Aimee Riese said: "The Parents' Circle not only show the essence of the conflict, humans and human suffering, but also offer hope for reconciliation and peace - something we hope activists on all sides of the conflict are working towards." "The emotional messages by the speakers allow us to think carefUlly about how we 'export' the conflict outside of the conflict zone and how to connect with the real people involved," added Riese. The conclusion of the evening focused on the situation at the LSE, as both speakers warned against both sides "importing" the conflict without empathising with one another and expressed an interest in creating a future event at the School with representation from both the Israel and Palestine Societies. The Beaver 115.11.2011 [ News Perry talks about need for a "special relationship" with China Vincent Wong Senior Reporter Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club and managing director of the London Export Corporation, criticised Western efforts to build relations with China in his public lecture at the LSE last Tuesday. His talk, entitled "Doing Business with China: problems, challenges and opportunities" surveyed the 48 Group Club and the London Export Corporation's trading histories with China and outlined his views on the country's future development and its commercial implications. It was the third lecture in an annual series hosted by the Confucius Institute for Business London, which is based at the School. Sino-Western relations, Perry thinks, have been one-sided: "The Chinese know they need the West. They know they have to work with the West. On the other side, the Western effort has been fragmented, with its relations with China dominated by Chinese demand and supply. They are operating where China wants them to be." He went on to say:" [rebalancing relations] depends on identifying Chinese policy, foture trends and finding ways to work with that." He also said that Chinese policy is motivated by two considerations -meeting the needs of its population and building self-reliance which are reflected in the two stages of its development model - export-led growth and the move towards a domestic-driven and high value-added economy. China's building up of huge dollar reserves, he claimed, are an attempt to manage U.S "aggression" and thereby sustain progress towards these goals. He continued: "Trying to undermine China will leave conflicts as undermining to us all as the euro crisis." Britain, Perry thinks, needs to approach China less like the U.S and more like Germany, which he sees as representing the "accepting face of Western power," and which has reaped economic benefit from its stance. "We don't need to choose between China and the U.S," he said, "We can work With both. I'm confident we can get there. But we've still got some way to go." "The business world needs to become intimate at all levels with the Chinese to create prosperity for us and China. It is too narrow to have a plant and operations in China, and have your CEO or chairperson go there once or twice ayear," he later said. "No major company can afford not to have a major strategic approach and partnership with China." In the question and answer session following his talk, the chair, Nick Byrne of the LSE Language Centre, asked where Britain could help China. Perry said that the Chinese are weak in high-technology areas and that Britain had a role in technology transfer. He also suggested that British firms could help China take care of its elderly by becoming preferred partners in its health industry. Later questions concerned the business environment in China. Perry was asked about what motivates Chinese firms and the role that corruption and business ethics plays when working with them. "Market share, not profit," he said, "is the main motivator of Chinese firms." "But if you want to do business with [them], they'll fight you for every penny." He added, "They're not light-touch." On corruption, he said: "Nobody knows how important corruption is. But if it provides stability and the opportunity for development, it shouldn't be a major problem. That's [China's] model, and we need to understand that. But any company which gets involved in corruption in China is a hostage." He went on to say that business ethics in China were at an early stage in development. Other questions concerned China's future. Periy was asked whether the Chinese authorities will be able to manage its development. "It's an enormous operation," he replied, "The risks and challenges are phenomenal. Problems of resistance are major. But China is focused, and its actions are well-researched and planned." Perry was also asked whether China has imperial ambitions. "Unless the West gets things right fast, China has that option," he said. "We should pay attention to the negative scenario. If we are smart, we will work with them to get to where they want to, in exchange for mechanisms that will make us feel safe. This won't come from attacking China on human rights." The last question concerned the extent to which China can remain self-reliant. "If China had to choose between developing quickly but having to make concessions on sovereignty, and developing more slowly but retaining sovereignty, it would choose the latter. If they are pushed too hard on sovereignty, they will react." Perry also added that "at the same time, their sense of independence might frustrate others. That's the risk China faces every day with the U.S, which has the power to hurt. You have to deal with all this in a very sensitive way." Frank names Darwin father of economics Shu Hang Robert H. Frank, economics professor at Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management and author of "The Darwin Economy," argued that Charles Darwin will replace Adam Smith as the intellectual founder of economics in a public lecture he delivered at the LSE last Thursday. The lecture, entitled "The Darwin Economy: liberty, competition, and the common good," was chaired by Paul Mason, Economics editor of BBC 2's Newsnight. Throughout the lecture, Frank reiterated the fact that "individual interest and group interest often do not coincide," and that in such cases, people often forgo what is good for the group for their own agenda. Hence, he argued, self-interest does not always lead to the common good. Frank began his talk by declaring his respect for Adam Smith, but added that he takes issue with the "modern caricature of Smith" adopted by his disciples who claim that the economy will "magically" benefit everyone through the act of "turning selfish people loose in the marketplace." He argued that Charles Darwin's understanding of competition describes economic reality far more accurately. According to Frank, regulation plays an essential role in the market. He illustrated his point by saying that if a hockey player decided to take off his helmet to gain a "competitive edge," his opponents will have no choice but to "restore the balance by taking off their helmets" as well. Consequently, "no one gains anything," though they all lose the protection provided by the helmet. The solution, he argued, is simply to make helmets compulsory. Frank applied this analogy to the current economic situation, in which bankers have to take more risk in order to secure a high wage. He stressed that the practice is not justified as the risk is taken at the public's expense, and that bankers are the real "welfare queens." Frank argued that bankers have a tendency to willfully misconstrue Smith's work: "anything that prospers in the market is morally celebrated." To Frank, this "self serving rhetoric" makes light of the real implications that banking can have on the market, simply because it is "well received by the market" and allows a small group to make money. He went on to say that bankers are "fighting over a piece of pie without creating a new pie," and that "we are not sending the right amount of people to the industry." Frank also said that people are spending too much money on un- necessary luxuries due to expectations to conform to the "standard" lifestyle of people in their social circle. He proposed a new tax regime whereby civilians would be taxed based on how much they consume, with the marginal tax rate increasing as consumption increases. This would discourage "waste" and the money can be invested in projects that would benefit society, he said. When confronted by a representative from a libertarian society for defending the act of taxing, Frank said that a tax-less country would have no army, thus making invasion inevitable, and citizens would end up paying taxes to the invading country instead. The witty response was met with laughter from the audience, while Paul Mason, event Chair, jokingly suggested that Frank was referring to Greece. Responding to the question as to whether it is wise to reduce consumption given the economic climate, the author said that the crisis was not caused by increased savings - as Americans "weren't saving anything at all" - but by the undue risk that financial institutions undertook. He concluded that the government needs to change the structure of the market to disincentize recklessness. Benjamin Ng, a first year BSc Economics student, was intrigued by the tax system that Frank proposed, saying that "it should work in theory." He also praised the speaker for his "awesome hair." 6 News | LSE students win Deloitte Competition Winners of the Deloitte Case Study Competition. | Photo: Suchita Singh A team of LSE students competed and won the Deloitte Case Study Competition which took place from 1st November to 7th November with the shortlisted teams presenting their solutions for challenges on the last day. Deloitte Case Study Competition was organised for all London and Oxford Master's students. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited is one of the Big Four accountancy firms along with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young, and KPMG. Suchita Singh, MSc Management and Strategy, Suna Yeltekin, MSc Organizational Behaviour, Gabriela Francki, MSc Organizational Behaviour, and Arjun Mehta, MSc Environment Policy, represented the LSE. The 2011 Deloitte Consulting Case Study Competition was launched on Tuesday 1st November at Stonecutter Lecture Theatre, Stonecutter Court. On 2nd November, twenty participating teams were presented with the case study challenge, which was based on a realistic business scenario similar to problems Deloitte had to tackle on behalf of its clients. This case study presented to the students revolved around a telecom company that was facing various problems and challenges. The fictitious company was witnessing a cultural disconnect between different departments, undergoing a Customer Relationship Management implementation in which various internal leaders were not very confident and looking into options for offshore acquisition. Each team then had three days to discuss and find ways to solve the real-life business issues. The solutions for the challenge, presented by Powerpoint, needed to be submitted before 4th November to be reviewed by a panel of judges. After the shortlisting process, four teams were selected who then presented their solutions to a panel of Deloitte Partners and Directors and other participants on Monday 7th November. According to Suchita Singh, "after a lot of cross questions and answers, the LSE team was judged to be the best team". As a reward, the team received a prize bag with chocolates, mugs, key chains and an Amazon voucher, but the real prize was a dinner scheduled for next week with the Deloitte partners. Suchita Singh said, "The LSE community will be glad to know that we beat Oxford Business school, Kings College, UCL and Imperial!" Crush a Bhangra-ing success --------------------while ind Alice Dawson A novel mixture of Bhangra, R&B and the usual "Top Forty" hits blasted through the speakers. Though little change was made to the decor, the venue felt different; the foreign music, animated dancing and live drummer were enough to transport students out of Crush for an evening and into a party in central New Delhi. Crush was transformed last Friday to ring in the eleventh year of the highly anticipated Bhangra Crush, organized by the Sikh-Punjab/Punjab Society. The night began quietly, but as the clock struck eleven, an above average turnout was witnessed on the Quad. The Sikh-Punjab/Punjab Society seems to have bettered with age, as none of the issues seen in the previous years reoccurred. Student ID cards were not collected at the door and bouncers were well behaved. The Sikh-Punjab/Punjab Society's members were thrilled with the opportunity to express their own culture while indulging in the Three Tuns' well stocked bar. Daler Mehndi, a member, emphatically pointing out that the event was a chance to "drink the Tuns' Bacardi and JD supplies dry." The more official stance from the society was that the event "showcased Punjabi music and dance to the LSE." The event also attracted many LSE students who have not previously been involved with the society. Bhangra Crush also attracted students from the larger University of London network, with students from King's College London and Queen Maiy attending just to show off their dancing skills. Alex Bond, a regular Crush organizer, welcomed the change. "The main goal of the event is to provide an alternative to our normal Crush night," he said and continued, "the aim for Crush is to be seen as a night that reflects the multi-cultural nature of LSE, and events like this help promote this image." Perhaps other societies will see this as an opportunity to light up Houghton Street with their own particular flair. continued from page 1 another time, but the 6th "was the best they could do." When asked if the university would consider going private, she replied that it would be "madness to go down that route." Rees was also asked about Peter Sutherland's role in the Council. Sutherland, who is Chair of the Council and of the Court of Governors at the LSE, was the subject of controversy during the Libyan scandal due to his role as the Chief Executive Officer of BP when Libya and the U.K. signed oil deals worth billions in 2004. Rees responded that a separate group, not including Sutherland, may be established to vet donations in the future. She also said that any committee set up in reference to future ethical investment would have to be considered by the Council following the release of the Woolf Report. Following Rees' departure the sabbatical officers then offered a summary of their week. Most of them commented on their viewed success of the protest against the government's Higher Education White Paper last Wednesday. After the UGM, Lukas Slothuus, Community and Welfare Officer, said, "I was happy to hear the Interim Director deny that LSE will go private, and that she had considerable sympathy for the students' anti-cuts struggle. It's a shame we haven't heard her say those things in the media. I hope the new Director will be a loud and strong voice against the Toiy-led government and its savage cuts to education." See where you're going. Be where it's at. Elevating viewpoints. Expanding horizons. Exceeding expectations. Graduate leadership, cargers and selected internships in Retail and Business Banking, Human Resources, Marketing & Products, Marketing Analytics, Credit Risk Analytics, Credit Risk Delivery & Information Management, Technology - Product & Process Development, Finance,and Tax. Prepare for a future at the top of the financial services world. Visit seemore-bemore.com to learn more fe ©barclaysgrads f Barclays Graduates $ BARCLAYS 15.11.20111 The Beaver LSE Pakistan Society celebrates Eid... & 1 u u S ff < / / . »• F 5; s|8f Ji Kfl iSF 11 Singer at the Eid celebration. | Photo: Courtesy of Pakistan Society The Beaver 115,11.2011 Advertisement 7 -y : - - WEEK 201 Discover just how international our campus is with a week of stimulating debates, interesting talks, and delicious international food... * TUESDAY 15th* 11:00 -14:00 - International fair on Houghton Street Come along and discover Brazil, India, Chile, Hong Kong, Colombia, Albania, and Korea on Houghton Street. In addition, learn about Asian Careers, A1ESEC, and get some coffee and tea from Sustainable Futures when you purchase a special LSE international sustainable mug... 18:30 - NAB.2.09 - international Film night with LSESU Film Society: Screening of "L'Auberge Espagnole" ("Pot Luck") 19:00 - 20:00 - CLM 3.02 - LSESU Debate Society: 'This House Believes That the Nation State is Dead'. There will be 4 speakers, 2 for and 2 against and there will be the chance for audience discussion. 19:30: Tower 1 U8 - 'From Eleanor Roosevelt to Gaddafi: The Rise and Fall of Human Rights at the UN' An insider account by Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of Geneva based UN Watch with LSESU UN Society and LSESU Israel Society. * WEDNESDAY 16th* 18:00 - 19:30 - CLM.2.05 - 'Development in the Wake of Recession' Join the discussion with the LSESU Development Society * THURSDAY 17th* 18:00 - 20:00 - NAB 2.06 - 'Different but interdependent' How can we create a greater feeling of regional and global togetherness?' Join the discussion with LSESU Think Tank Society 18:30 - St Clements S221 - International Film night with LSESU Film Society: Screening of "The Gods must be crazy" 20:30 - The Underground - Open MIC Night with LSESU Music Society. All international students are welcome to participate! Email s.shah40@lse.ac.uk * FRIDAY 18th* 11:00 -14:00 - International Food Fest on Houghton Street Come along and sample cuisine from across the world. All proceeds are going to charity. Participants include the Singapore, German, French, Israel, Bangladesh, Punjab, Israel, Albanian, Chinese, Benelux, Colombian, Pakistan, ACS, and Mexican Societies. The whole week there will also be an INTERNATIONAL PHOTO EXHIBITION and a special international menu in the 4th Floor Restaurant. For an updated calendar of International Week, go to www.lsesu.com or email Hannah Geis, your International Students' Officer at su.internationaS@lse.ac.uk LSE° STUDENTS' UNIONS# LAW 3jr&eat& Q)rink& reeeMixm 3 - course tneaJ/ < (fler lwrty SF/UCATIO " '"/ NO PUBLIC •7 SECTOR ¦ ,/ CUTS PROTEST STRIKE I - OCCUPY HCJUC ^foucATIONj a, not /.' / BUS'N£SS « I «rop rwF /' / W <*u>gf h / /.ATI ON /JOT ilNESS OP THE AHITE 'APER ANTCCUTS COM Flickruser: CGAphoto Behind these walls of green Jack England ponders the shifting sands of environmental change i n recent decades it has been near impossible to avoid the issue of global climate change and the bottomless pit of worries concerning what's going wrong and what we should do about . it. However, it is with ft., less frequency that one comes across an actual example of the effects climate change and a plan of action to combat them. The Sahel has, for many years, been struck by famine and desertification and now a solution is being implemented to combat these extremely damaging phenomena. The solution is one of a proposed "Great' Green Wall" being built to combat desertification in the area. As the Sahara desert continues to encroach on inhabited areas, the UN forecasts that two thirds of Africa's farmland may be swallowed by Saharan sands by 2025. The Great Green Wall is heralded as a panacea for Africa's woes but it ^is not an entirely new idea. China sees 3,600 square kilometers of grassland overtaken every year by the Gobi Desert and has already taken steps to set k up its own Green Wall project to curb the , moving sands but the benefits of its own scheme have not been so clear cut. The term Great Green Wall Project could be interpreted in the same way as any other piece of climate change jargon to the average person. It is, in fact, exactly what it sounds like: aband of suitable vegetation and water-retaining ponds spanning thousands of kilometres in length and tens of kilometres in width, used to combat desertification. The job of these "bands of life" is to strengthen soil in order to reduce the movement of loose topsoil, protect local water resources that will enable biodiversity, provide energy resources and, potentially, improve agricultural productivity for local communities. To many these Green Walls appear to be a solution solely to an environmental problem, but the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which will be providing Jugm to support the construction of the Sahelian project, as well as associated members of the UN, have highlighted this project as a measure to fight poverty in the largely rural area that the new African Green Wall will affect. Powered by the extra resources they provide and the economic prospects that will accompany them, these projects could reduce youth migration, which in turn will contribute to increasing political stability and a general improvement in quality of life. Boubacar Cisse, African co-ordinator for the UN Secretariat against Desertification, this wasnt's capitalized but i feel it should be? 'against' too? . described the idea as 'metaphor for j/the co-ordination of international projects for economic development, environmental protection and to support the political stability in the heart of Africa.' His statement reveals the sentiment of many involved in the project, that it will be a solution to myriad hardships encountered by the citizens of the 11 countries that it will pass through. These views paint the picture that these Green Walls will bring untold benefits and very few, if any, woes. However, these proposed schemes have faced fierce scepticism, even from people and countries directly involved with the implementation of the projects. It has been suggested that many of the 11 countries' leaders are ready to forget the project. This scepticism has been put down to unrealistic expectations related to the project even concerning the environmental benefits it will bring. Humans have failed to overcome the harsh reality of the Sahara desert and the powerful nature of its growth for thousands ofyears, so why will now be any different? For the environmental benefits of the walls to be realised, the plants and processes used need to be completely suitable to the Saharan climate and soil. Many people fear the project will not be implemented correctly believing it will be , yet another expensive, failed development initiative in Africa. Adding to the environmental worries are questions of corruption. There are beliefs that the links between local communities and economic resources that are being created will simply line the pockets of the crooked politicians. Despite the strong sense of doubt shown by some Africans regarding the project, the original optimistic view is - at least for now - being vindicated. The first implementation of the project in Senegal has shown promising signs. Malek Triki, from the UN World Food Programme has stated that vegetables can now grow in the area, extremely important if the area is to support its population into the future. But there is no guarantee that these optimistic signs will last forever. The project is very much a long term process, which is why it must be implemented in a correct, concise way. The project in Africa has gone well in its earliest stages of employment, but the situation in China gives a contrasting view of the fortunes of the Green Wall idea. China's project appears to have fallen at the exact hurdles which worry leaders in Africa; Poor, top-down planning, below-par execution and corruption. Millions of trees have been planted in China at the border of the Gobi desert, but few have survived, grasslands continue to be overcome by sand dunes and many farmers have been forcibly displaced. The failures of the Green Wall as a solution to desertification in Asia will stand as a unavoidable warning sign to the on-going project in Africa but this should not mean the plan should be discarded entirely. If, as the GEF and UN have stated, the Green Wall uses completely suitable - and sustainable - plants and farming techniques, co-ordinates with local communities to create external benefits, and is completed with assertion and commitment, not corruption, then it may well stand to stop the encroaching Sahara. Nevertheless, without the full support of the 11 countries, the downfalls we have seen in China may well come to fruition in Africa and the project could still fail. You're sexy, you're cute, take off your riot suit takes a closer look at police tactics during student protests Everyone will remember the astonishing scenes of last year's protests: the Conservative headquarters at Millbank invaded and occupied; bricks thrown at the Treasury in Parliament Square; and the students carrying the protest to Westminster Bridge in the late hours of the night. Last Wednesday's student protest was marked not by violence, as last year's protests were, but by its conspicuous absence. Although there were rumours of potential violence on Twitter, and moments of tension felt by those on the march, nothing dramatic materialised. The police say only 20 were arrested, compared to 153 at the protest in Trafalgar Square in December last year. What was also notable was the new aspect of "total policing" employed at the protest. This was the tag line to leaflets distributed by the police during the march - "Metropolitan Police - Total Policing." This seemed to amount to turning the protest into what student Nadia Mehdi called a "moving kettle." All side streets off the route of the march were guarded by police; protestors were forced to halt at intervals and were dispersed by the police through filters at the end of the march at Moorgate. This might seem reasonable enough. After all, the violence at Millbank and Parliament Square was considered by many to have weakened the student cause, by alienating those at home watching the protest. So, by reducing the chance of splinter groups running off and causing havoc, this was in most people's interests. Last year, the police were accused by the public of not having enough of a presence at the Millbank protest, a claim impossible to make about last week, where the police were felt to have outnumbered protesters on some areas of the route. But aspects of the policing were controversial - in the run up to the event the police announced that in "extreme cases" the use of plastic bullets on protesters would be authorised. As well as this, letters were sent to any persons who had been arrested by the police at earlier protests, even if they had been cleared or if charges had been dropped. This included people who had been involved in sit-ins, consciously not harming property or any people. The effect of both of these aspects of "total policing" was to discourage young people from attending the march. The idea of plastic bullets, albeit only to be authorised in "extreme cases," would have been enough to frighten anyone from attending, from fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The indiscriminately sent letters were seen by many as intimidation tactics - telling protesters with no criminal record that they would be arrested at the "earliest opportunity" if they engaged in antisocial activities. Some blamed these police tactics for the turnout being smaller than expected on Wednesday, arguing that police had scared people into not attending. On the other hand, many may have abstained from attendance as last year's, much larger, protests seem to have led to nothing and to have achieved no concessions from the government. John O'Conner, a former Metropolitan Police Commander, told the BBC that the management of the protest on Wednesday would "define the whole of [new Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe's] stewardship" of the London police. So, stakes were high. But the policing of the protest came across to many as heavy handed, with National Campaign against Fees and Cuts co-founder Michael Chessum saying the police had attempted to "pre-criminal-ise the protest." People in the United Kingdom have a right to protest peace -fully - this is what marks us out from , dictatorships where the public are not allowed to demonstrate against the government. Marchers pointed to this in one chant - "this is what democracy looks like" - highlighting how they saw the protest as a necessary part of the British political system: For most of the students involved however the day was still "enjoyable" and a "good time" was had, according to student Annie Riser. There was music, dancing and good natured slogans ("you're sexy,you're cute, take off your riot suit"). Likewise signs such as Students had the opportunity to meet and make friends with students studying at opposite ends of the country, as young people from many different universities made the trip down to London. Unlike in the protest in Parliament Square last year, where inside the kettle peaceful protesters had no protection from violent members of the march throwing bricks at buildings, the students on Wednesday felt generally safe. But after the protests last year, and perhaps with the memory of the summer riots fresh in everyone's minds, the police had a big presence at the demonstration. Nadia Mehdi, a student from Edinburgh University commented that '"total policing' is an accurate description - the march was led by the police and finished by the police." While it was indeed in the interests of everyone that the march went off without disturbances and the police did a very good job in achieving this, if the fear of heavy policing put students off attending, then something went wrong. In the future the police need to show even more how they are working with protesters not against them, not threatening that the march might involve the use of plastic bullets, frightening off the young people in our democracy. _ 2Z»___Features 1 __15.11.20111 The Beaver The Beaver 115.10.2011 Features 25 Trapped in the slow lane tiirah Haujee examines how India's poor are being left in the dust Flick* user: Rahuldlucca As India enters the fast lane of Formula One, the poor are left trailing behind Two very different pictures exist in India today, the first of dust ridden roads alive with children and women struggling under the weight of water jugs perched precariously on their heads. Further down straw lined carts are pulled along by cattle moving slowly in the blistering heat. The second image is one punctuated by shiny, high-octane sports cars racing forward from this old rural scene. The Indian Grand Prix, held two weeks ago, comes to mind. A different kind of track exists here, one still gleaming from the new tarmac recently laid down. On the other side of India's new £i3om track though, is a world ever so far away from the thrill and glamour of Formula One. It is not just a picture of two very different scenes, but of two worlds drifting even further apart. Can we justify all this extravagance with the boost it will provide to India's growing economy? Out of reach from the trappings of new glittering tarmac, India's poor find themselves quite literally trapped in a cycle of poverty. It is a world that may never see a penny of the £i30m spent on the new track alone. Instead, without food and living on less than a dollar a day, they are forced to look on at the glamorous world so far beyond them. It seems then that the new circuit is a big fat slap in the face for India's poor. Will they ever be helped out? The answer is probably a no, and instead the vast quantities of money being splashed out are solely for the thrill seeking elite. But as the world stared wide eyed at the brand new circuit, in India the desire to launch itself into the alluring world of a multi-million dollar sport has become almost blinding. The stark contrast between the glossy circuits and the dark streets of poverty stricken India is plain to see. Yet the country has turned a blind eye to the swathes of poverty engulfing its divided society. Instead this becomes a cruel story, one of the new world and its forgotten past. Can we, like the chairman of the construction group, "safely say that India has arrived in the 21st century?" Unlike the colourfully dressed folk dancers lining the new tarmac there is little cause for celebration in the nearby villages. If we, too, were to look at the "new" India in the same way, then perhaps it wouldn't be long before we were accused of gazing at this picture through rose tinted glasses. Considering what £130111 could have bought for the poor of India, spending on this scale becomes ludicrous, a joke even. How do we balance food, shelter and safety for the poor with speed, thrills and vainglorious parties? Certainly, this new circuit will lead to ever more development, creating a new city, one with tourism, wealth and prosperity. But what of those on the sidelines, forgotten in the lands of abjection and underdevelopment? It seems they will be left to look on as India carries on down the long and winding path to the 21st century, without ever glancing back at what it's left behind. Can we justify all this extravagance with the boost it will provide to India's growing economy? The building of the track should create jobs, greater incomes and in turn encourage spending, increasing the living standards of the population. However is everyone in society better off? What grows along-side wealth and prosperity is, in fact, an ever more disturbing image of inequality. Entering a country where both the wonders of wealth and pits of poverty exist, the high-spending thrills of Formula One seem to have done little to bridge that gap There are few who win in the greater scheme of things. The beer and airline company who sponsor the Indian Formula One team certainly do. Even the hotels are doing well, running brunches and frivolous nights. Describing the "huge hunger for any kind of activity that brings the feeling of being part of a global elite," the director of market research in Delhi has shown that this new track is a cause for celebration. It's an alluring new gem of India and the middle class clearly want to be a part of it. Many of us though would frown in anger listening to the owner of India's Grand Prix team explain that he' [doesn't] know why the international media keeps focusing on the poor part of India, sure we have poverty, why don't you focus on what India actually has... a growing middle class.' How can we simply enjoy the sport for what it is when it is so quick to brush away the problems for India's poor? Entering a country where both the wonders of wealth and pits of poverty exist, the high-spending thrills of Formula One seem to have done little to bridge that gap. The vast sums of compensation paid to farmers after buying their land is really only a short term solution. Now amongst cattle and open sewers one may find shiny new SUVs, the product of the farmer's new found wealth. For now they may feel part of the wealthy crowd with their new cars and fast rides, but what will happen when the money runs out and these farmers realise they have nothing left to live off? This is probably a question the developers never asked themselves, or one they simply chose to ignore. Despite hosting one of the most important events in the automobile racing calendar, they still find themselves ranked 126th in the world in terms of car ownership. The disparities it seems remain for all to see. Even the prospect of construction jobs seems a cruel illusion with many claiming they received little or nothing for those long hours spent in the blistering heat of Indian summers. If for one moment we were able to tear our eyes away from the sparkling trivialities of India's new circuit, then perhaps we would see a world where life isn't so fair, one where the poor are left caught up in the dust clouds of the glossy Formula One cars as they cruise down the narrow road of the 21st century. £ 26 Features 15.11.20111 The Beaver Money's not everything discusses Conrad Murray and the disincentive from high incomes Last week Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's doctor, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter as a result of the inquiry into the death of Michael Jackson. This came as a surprise to most people, after all he was a doctor who had taken the Hippocratic Oath to never do harm, but if you think about it then this should not be the case. Imagine you were Dr Murray and you were hired to be Jackson's personal physician; in this case you would be paid significant amounts to do this job. What would motivate you? Earning money or helping to protect the health of the King of Pop? Some may argue that whether it was the money or altruism that motivated you, both forces should work in the positive direction of you being a better, more productive doctor. Now imagine that for you, earning more money was your priority. If you were in a position where you could make more money if your clients stayed ill, there would be a strong disincentive to improve your care. It is not difficult to think of a case like this. If you were a doctor, deep in debt and you were suddenly made the personal doctor to a rich and famous client, wouldn't keeping your client ill for longer make you better off? Provided you were not obviously causing harm to the patient, allowing them to remain sick would be in your economic interest. The more care your patient needs, the more money they would have to pay you for your time. We are more motivated to get up each day and work hard if there is an opportunity for self-direction and self-improvement in your work If you think that doctors actually working to make their patients worse off is a preposterous notion and that doctors more often than not have their patients' interests at heart, the fact still remains that high pay has been shown to limit performance according to the work of Dan Ariely, set out in his book Predictably Irrational. According to Ariely, it turns out that pay has two effects; one as a motivator to perform better in order to earn more; and the second impact of stress inducement, sometimes to the point that it overwhelms the incentives for productivity - high pay becomes counterproductive. He found that we are more motivated to get up each day and work hard if there is an opportunity for self-di-rection and self-improvement in your work and a sense of a bigger picture or of purpose in the work you are doing: a important piece of information for LSE students. The invisible hand of the market cannot always be governed by money. As Adam Smith said, "by pursuing his own interest [the individual] frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it," but if his self-interest is purely financially motivated, this may not always be the case. Whether its doctors and their duties to their patients or bankers and the financial crisis, time after time human beings have been shown to react in more complex ways when they are encouraged through different stimuli, separate to that of pure income generation. i 'V Flickr user: faulty box Measured musings | Freedom Incarcerated Seven of the 14 Irish activists who have been detained in an Israeli jail for almost a week are to be returned home to Ireland today," read the Irish Examiner last Thursday 10th November. The 11th attempt to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip ended in failure after two ships, the Tahrir and MV Saiorse - Canadian and Irish respectively - were intercepted by Israeli forces. The Gaza Strip has been under an air, sea and land blockade since an eight day war in June of 2007 that resulted in Hamas - widely branded a terrorist organisation - seizing power. The region, which has a population of 1.6 million and one of the highest population densities in the world, was likened to a "prison camp" by David Cameron as a result of the siege. The Palmer Report - a UN investigation into the deaths of nine activists on board a Turkish boat, the Mavi Marmara, which was involved with an attempt last year to break the siege - declared the blockade lawful but stated that Israeli intervention in last year's case was wildly out of proportion. Despite the report, five experts reporting to the UN Human Rights Council claim that the blockade is a "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law." Outside the UN there have been similar calls to end the blockade and the International Committee of the Red Cross claims that it contravenes the Geneva Conventions. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Gaza Strip - if it were a recognised country - would have the 169th highest per capita income at purchasing power parity. One million of its population of 1.6 million are refugees, 80 per cent of whom are on emergency rations from the UN; the remaining non-refugee population are also almost entirely dependent on food rations from the World Food Programme; and 70 per cent of the population are living below the poverty line. According to Olivier de Schutter, one of the five UN experts which declared the blockade unlawful, the siege has prevented Gazans from using one third of Gaza's arable land and 85 per cent of its fishing waters. The blockade has drastically slowed down the delivery of supplies for healthcare and sanitation which have, according to Medical Aid Palestine - a group dedicated to delivering basic healthcare to Palestinian refugees - resulted in 90 per cent of Gazan water becoming undrinkable and the provision of healthcare to Gazans being considerably hindered. It cannot be denied that the blockade is causing much hardship and suffering within the Gaza Strip. However, Israelis state that the blockade is in place to stop Palestinian terrorist and guerrilla attacks on Israeli soil. This is a legitimate statement. Hamas is widely classified as a terrorist organisation that is responsible for thousands of terrorist attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings in Israeli cities and the launching of thousands of rockets into Israel from Gazan soil. All of these acts have put Israeli citizens' lives in jeopardy. Israel has therefore tried to cripple the Gaza Strip's Hamas government to prevent it from engaging in these heinous acts of violence. But Israeli actions have been accused by many of affecting innocent Gazans unfairly. As a result, some activists have taken it upon themselves to break the blockade from the outside. The attempt this month to break the blockade was attempting to improve on the "Freedom Flotilla «l ' au» 2" earlier this year, which ended in failure after only a single ship left port for Gaza from an original 10 that had planned to. The Dignite Al Kamara, a French yacht, was allowed to sail from Greece - where the flotilla was based - after it claimed that it was sailing for Alexandria in Egypt. The boat changed its course and attempted to enter blockaded waters so was picked up by Israeli naval forces and taken to the port of Ashdod in Israel. The failure of the "Freedom Flotilla 2" set in motion preparations for the "Freedom Waves Flotilla" this month. The Tahrir and MV Saoirse attempted to carry an estimated $36,000 worth of aid into Gaza. The two ships encountered "three warships [...] four Zodiacs, four water cannon boats, as well as four regular gunboats," according to Jihan Hafiz, an American journalist on board the Tahrir. The Israeli ships fired water cannons at the Saiorse - which means freedom in Gaelic - flooding the boat and cutting off all of its electricity. The crew members of both ships were taken into custody and the contents of the boats were searched. Interestingly, some of the aid was in the form of rugby balls and rugby kit to be given to Palestinian children. The crew included Irish MEP, Paul Murphy, and Irish international rugby player, Trevor Hogan, who were both detained alongside the other crew members. This most recent attempt at breaking the blockade was unsuccessful in its stated goal but it did very effectively promote its cause. This was particularly the case in Ireland where the activists were met by a crowd of supporters on their return. These almost constant attempts are testament to the strong feeling held by many that Israel's use of force to protect its people is too heavy-handed. The disputes surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict are likely to rage for many years in the future but one thing is for certain, this will not be the last time we see external pressures to stop the Israeli blockade nor, indeed, are we likely to see the back of the Saoirse or its crew. Alex Haigh Features Editor The Beaver 115.11.2011 /^F^i Social as London's as myself Ali novel and We Found Laughs In a Hopeless Place Hannah Richmond on what it means to be a Third Culture Kid Livin' La Vida Local Laura Aumeer 011 how to enjoy International Week Ybu may think it's obvious why we celebrate International Week at LSE: the large international student population lends itself to a celebration of different cultures. As students with different heritages have set up different societies to preserve and promote their cultures, the week provides a great opportunity to learn from others and try something new. But I would like to propose another international aspect of life at LSE, and that is London's own international heritage. To this day, it surprises me, how little some realise that London has been multicultural, not just in the past few decades but in the past few centuries. The mixing of British and international culture has been a part of London life for ages, and not just from the first vindaloo on a takeaway menu. I'm sure many of you are aware of Brick Lane, whether you know it for drunken, messy nights at BYOB curry houses or, for the more fashion conscious ofyou out there, for its vintage shops and the American Apparel warehouse sale/moshpit. Due to its place in modem culture (for example, the Monica subsequent film), many will be aware of its Bangladeshi immigrant population. But Brick Lane has been home to immigrants from various communities for many years. This goes some way to explaining the plethora of bagel shops and the various markets. The most obvious example is 19 Princelet Street, just off Brick Lane. An inconspicuous building, without a recognisable address and only open to the public for a few days a year as the Museum of Immigration. For those of you who aren't interested in social history which I imagine w everyone - I'll keep the history lesson short: the building was first was used by Huguenot silk weavers, then became a synagogue founded by Jewish immigrants, was later used for early anti-fascist meetings and, more recently, was used by Bangladeshi immigrants. From 1719, it has been home to various groups and cultures and one can't help but notice how it represents London's multiculturalism. The building has also garnered infamy for being the home of the recluse, David Rodinsky. He left the building one day for his room to be unlocked decades later, just as if he had popped to the shops and never come back. The building has become a puzzle for some, yet more importantly shows the multicultural heritage of London i^that we should be promoting. Coming here, I was soon made aware of another side of London that I hadn't yet encountered. My own heritage is rather mixed and I like to consider myself culturally aware. But even I keep finding aspects of London's international history that I was not aware of. This is the case for many of us I am sure. Why do certain roads house certain shops? What explains the markets and the restaurants we take for granted in London? What is that old building tucked away in the corner? Which brings me back to International Week. Yes, it is important to celebrate new things that various communities are bringing to campus but it really is also the perfect time to explore the older international heritage in and around campus in good, old Londontown. lickr User: jamesomalley Meeting new people at university always starts with those three overused and, if we're honest, slightly awkward questions: "What's your name?" "What are you studying?" And then finally, "Where are you from?" The answers for me are: Hannah, Environmental Policy, and er... This is where it gets confusing. Where am I from? I was born in England, I lived here until I was 13, then I left for Hong Kong, lived there for ayear, then Indonesia for 3 years, and now my family are back in Hong Kong while I am here. I am definitely a Third Culture Kid and with that label comes a number of different characteristics. A third culture kid (TCK) is a child who has spent a portion of their development years in a culture outside of their parents' passport culture, so for me: Hong Kong and Indonesia. A result of this is that a culture is formed that differs from the home culture and from the host country culture. TCK's can sometimes experience an identity crisis as they have a sense of not belonging in their home country or their host country. For many of my friends from high school, this was absolutely the case. We soon found we all longed for the tight, close-knit community that we had all become used to from our days together at school. Coming to uni was a big shock; we were no longer big fish in a small pond, able to do almost whatever we liked with minimal repercussion, but small fish in a big pond, where no one cared who you were or what you did. It was hard for many of us to connect with our university peers as our experiences and behaviours were foreign to the students who had lived in England all their lives. Third Culture Kids have a number of characteristics, which are said to separate us from our British peers. Firstly, we adapt quickly to new situations, something that might be expected given the fact that we move so often. There were many people at my school who had to move every 2-4 years as their parents worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The fact that we have lived in many different countries means we can generally speak more than one language to varying degrees of fluency. TCK's are seen to be more politically astute, compared to their British peers, although perhaps not at the LSE, where political activism seems to have become part of everyday life. Finally TCK's tend to seek fellow TCK"s to socialise with, due to our similar experiences and lifestyles. The life of a TCK can be very privileged and it is not uncommon in many of the countries we move to for us to have maids, drivers and gardeners. Coming to university with this sort of background can be very difficult; it can be hard to talk openly about our lifestyle as it can be interpreted as bragging yet for many TCK's, we don't know any other way of life. Speaking to some British students, it seems that they believe there is a small gap between the international students and the home status students, namely that they are not here for the same university experience as the British students. Perhaps it is due to the higher fee payments but the international students seem to have less interest in the social side of university and more interest in studying and doing well. The TCK's that I have spoken to find that there is also a small gap in our understanding of each other, mainly around childhood experiences that a TCK may have missed out on as a result of moving overseas. Despite these potential problems that result from coming to university, integration and adaptation is second nature to TCK's so any problems that arise when moving are unlikely to remain a problem for long. To anyone who has moved to England after a living a nomadic lifestyle, just remember being a TCK can give you invaluable experiences which will be beneficial in later life when starting your career. Just look at the world's most famous TCK, the president of the United States of America, Barack Obama. ? ? ? ? 28 Social 15.11.20111 The Beaver here's My illl m SUM Money? v, Fresher Kirsty Kenney on expensive city life Money has been playing on my mind a lot for the last three weeks, a lot more than the looming deadlines, even more than my ex-boyfriend issue. I'd say that, recently, money has been playing on my mind 80 per cent of the time, and the other 20 per cent doesn't count because I've either been asleep or drunk. So, on Wednesday, I decided it must be time to check my balance. Of course, I had an idea of the damage; I tried to add it up in my head and I reckoned about £150 a week since Freshers', which saw more than £500 disappear. I decided £1,500 all in was a good guess. I couldn't have spent more than £1,500 in 6 weeks. I just couldn't. But I did! I've rinsed all 3 of my bank accounts and one of them is in £489 overdrawn. Shit. Calculator in hand, I went through my statements adding up all the money that I've spent since I've been here: £1,853 m the last 48 days, and that's forgetting the £200 cash that I brought with me. Put my accommodation bill on top of that and we're talking about spending some serious money. I wish I could say that I've spent £200 on textbooks, but I haven't spent a penny on one. I had a travel card for the first month and haven't taken public transport since. I don't buy much food, I live in catered halls. There was one trip to H&M and the American Apparel flea market but that only accounts for £80.1 bought stationary and a printer, and then printing credits because I can't work out how to set the printer up, but I'm not going to lie -that can't have cost me more than £80. The printer was less than half price. I insured my laptop too - that was £60-and spent £50 on makeup but that's it. I'm sure. Still if you take away all those things, I'm averaging nearly £40 a day. That is not normal is it? What am I doing wrong? There aren't many people who seem to be in the same boat or is eveiyone in the same boat and just doesn't want to Some of Kirsty Kenney's Recent Account Activity 26th September- £18.60- Vibe Bar 26th September- £27.80- Vibe Bar 3rd October- £39.99- Big Chill House 12th October- £90- ATM Goodge Street (I don't remember this) 15th October- £100- ATM Hol-born (nor this) 31st October- £39- The Court 31st October- £7.00- The Court 31st October- £9.95- The Court 04th November- £15- Zoo Bar 04th November- £17 Zoo Bar sb« talk about it? Because, you know, it's money, and people don't like to talk about money. I don't really care; I just want to know where the hell has all my money gone? And it's not like I don't carry cash. I know for a fact that I took £30 with me to Zoo Bar last Wednesday. £60 later and I woke up with a stonking hangover, ripped tights and a second year in my bed. 10:00am class was fun to say the least. So, I spend most of my money on alcohol. Hardly a surprise, as many students do. I just appear to be doing it on a bigger scale. This all started the night before the first night of Freshers'. I arrived a day early (my mistake) and went out in Shoreditch with my friend, Hannah, from Queen Mary. Things got a bit messy early on: lots of shots, triples vods, some cute French boys and lots of "pervin into cock central" if Hannah's Facebook status from the night is anything to go by. After chips, hummus and cheese to soak it all up, I made it back to halls, £90 less well off, ready to make Fresher friends. The following night saw me ride home in a TukTuk with a new friend after a failed attempt to get into M&M world in the early hours of the morning. The night after that, I fell asleep on the floor on Houghton Street and was woken up by a second year that veiy kindly put me on a bus home. Things didn't get much better the next week: the freshers' ball saw me leave with an unknown econ student. I should tell you that there is no real gossip to report: I barely make it to my room before passing out in my drunken state. But, oh the shame of walking across central London at 8am, mascara everywhere, in a full length black dress and 7-inch heels in hand. It's all a bit of harmless fun, right? But it's harmless fun that's really eating into my budget. I'm not sure just how long 1 can keep this up for, because at this rate I'm less than 2 weeks away from maxing my overdraft and calling the parents is not something that I want to do. It's so much fun at the time, and that's the problem. After a couple of drinks, everyone's happy and everyone's your friend. A couple more drinks and we're taking photos like we've been friends forever. A few more and we're having a bloody good time. Well, at least I think we are but I don't really remember. But I'll tell you what's not fan. It's not fan bumping into the night guard sober, knowing that you entertained him in the common room the night before with your rendition of "The Jamie Song," (my personal speciality, something I wrote when I was 15 and thought I was in love with a shaggy haired rocker called Jamie). Apparently the night guard liked my dancing- I've seen the video, I bet he did. It's not fan when you only know what happened the night before when you look at your texts. The awkward encounters around campus, "Did I meet you last night?" Please don't remind me that I tried to do the bridge on the dancefloor and fell flat on my head. And it's not fan when you get banned from your favourite late night food fix for giving abuse about their "battery farmed burgers." And, looking at my bank balance right now really isn't fan. Someone please tell me how you do it. How do you have fan and not spend a fortune. Not going out isn't an option, not drinking isn't an option. I like to take enough cash/ my card for emergencies, something bad is bound to happen at some point, but the twelve drink round I bought at the pub last week was hardly an emergency. Recently someone said to me, "I'm doing so well with money, I've only spent £170 since I arrived." A little bit of me was jealous, but really I can't help thinking that you must be having such a boring time, or more that I would be having a boring time if I was doing whatever you're doing. I maybe getting drunk and stupid and I may be a couple of weeks away from maxing my overdraft but who cares; I've been having a great time. The hangovers won't stop me and the overdraft is interest free, so until the work drags me down, I'll make it work. Getting ready for zoo bar as I write.e. We Found Laughs In a Hopeless Place Andrew Sivanesan on LSE's new sketch comedy group What sandwich would Subway need to introduce in order to put people off eating there forever? What if X-box released a video game where you had to solve the Greek debt crisis? If a guy from LSE rapped about their student experience, how would that rap go? It's these sorts of ludicrous questions that brought about Coffee and Smokes. "What is Coffee and Smokes?" I hear you cry. The short answer: we're an LSE sketch comedy group that films sketches every Saturday afternoon, releasing videos online every Thursday. The fuller answer is that we're a group of people who not only love to laugh, but love to make other people laugh too. We're unashamed of not taking ourselves too seriously on the LSE campus. We're unafraid of causing a stir with our comedy. We want to show everyone that even if you can't play football or rugby, there's a group that'll accept you with open arms and show you a good time. We're a bunch of uni kids who just want to have fun before we get too old (and too married) for it! When I first came to the LSE as an eager eighteen-year-old, there wasn't a proper sketch comedy group on campus that I could join. I'd only just started writing comedy and had no prior acting, filming or directing experience. I would have loved to join a group which would teach me new acting and filming skills week in and week out. A group which denounced stiflingly competitive atmospheres. A group which allowed me to be myself every Saturday afternoon. I've now created such a group and it's called Coffee and Smokes. Coffee and Smokes has been around for just five weeks now, but we've already filmed a music video (the "University" music video - a parody of "A Milli"), some mock video gameplay (the "Houghton Street Fighter" sketch), a spoof fast-food advert (the "Cannibal Marinara" sketch) and much more. Do we plan on stopping any time soon? Hell no. We're only just getting started, and we plan to keep growing in size and stature over the course of this year and beyond. So now you've got the flavour of Coffee and Smokes, support us by either watching our sketch videos on our Facebook fan page, following us on Twitter (#CoffeeSmokes) or being an absolute maverick and joining our group! Whether you're a plucky fresher or finishing off your PhD thesis, have never acted before or tread the boards at the Edinburgh Fringe every summer, you're welcome to become a new member of the family! All you need is a passion for comedy and a willingess to get stuck into the film-making Photo: Andrew Sivanesan process! In laughter we trust. E-mail Andrew at A.P.Sivanesan(a)lse.ac.uk ifyou are interested in getting involved. The Beaver 115.11.2011 1 Social 29 1 a (oMHUMBIE) Ml We're always listening... I 'Jl§f§S' V i , - Guy 1:1 really wanna apply for this internship but it's only for students from underprivileged backgrounds. Guy 2: No problem, just apply and turn up to the interview in a Primark suit... EC210 class teacher: And if the economy is in this state, it collapses. Which is what will happen to Greece. Lecturer: The Chinese leadership thought they could just nationalise the railways, and rake the profits - simple. Or as meerkat says, "SIMPLES!" IR class: "You can go check this on Wikipedia tonight. But don't tell the professor I told you that, he'll do nasty things to me. Things that don't involve alcohol." 1 ¦ MLI)I Journey into an Emily Bronte Novel From scones to the Queen: Sarah Carr on her quintessential^ English experience Every year, the International History department takes a number of students, who are mostly postgraduates, to Cumberland Lodge in Great Windsor Park. Originally a country estate built in the 17th Century, it has been inhabited by a range of influential people, including a number of members of the royal family. It is now a retreat for students to go to discuss the issues of the day. In light of current events in the Middle East and North Africa, this year's theme was "revolutions." As occurs on all university trips, the education was also laced with a good deal of socialising and excitement. On arriving, it was pitch black as there isn't any outside lighting on the building so we were not aware of quite how grand a building we were entering. This soon changed when we " got inside and discovered tapestries, grand pianos and period style drawing rooms. We had set foot into a Jane Austin novel without realising it. Actually, with the fog that had surrounded the house, it was more like " Wuthering Heights." After the initial excitement, We went to find our rooms, which took longer for some of us than others, as half of us were sent out the back of the house and pointed in the direction of a dim light and then left to fend for ourselves. As with any trip, there was the obligatory admin errors that led to that awkward moment when two people realised they had been put in a room With someone of the opposite gender, put that was soon rectified. Once we had all made our way back down, they kindly opened the bar as we were very tired from traveling such a long distance- at least 25 miles -and needed reviving before dinner and the evening lecture. After dinner, we were all summoned into one of the classrooms expecting the standard run down of all the rules and regulations, only to find there were none and instead we were treated to stories of Colin Firth and the Queen, which I think we all agreed was a lot more interesting. The theme continued from there (sadly minus Colin Firth) with the first lecture which was on the Palace "Revolutions" in 18th Century Russia. It was definitely interesting to learn about something outside of what is covered in class. Needless to say, once all this heavy intellectual work was out of the way, we again descended upon the bar. Once the bar closed at 12 (apparently they don't have Friday night drinking in the Berkshire countryside), there was a mass exodus to our rooms to get pur beauty sleep find prepare for the Kin and frolics of the next day. If I had known quite how exhausting Saturday was going to be, I would definitely have had my Weetabix, but a combination of fiy up, fruit and a continental breakfast proved to be just as good. Possibly too good as some of us spent so long at breakfast that we missed the first lecture of the day. I have, however, heard rave reviews about it so I am little disappointed that I missed it. However, we used this time wisely and went to explore some of the grounds of the house. After a little more exploring, we eventually made our way back inside for tea and coffee before the next lecture covering the stillborn revolution in Ireland between 1916-1922. Again, this was very informative and offered a nice contrast to the lecture of the previous day. Later in the day, a number of us undertook the four and a half mile walk to Windsor Castle - although we probably made it a little longer as the result of a couple of unplanned detours due to us only possessing a rather ambiguous map from reception to guide us. This actually worked out well as it meant that we got to see a stag close up and visit the large copper statue of George III overlooking the castle, which was just about in view from there. According to our estimations, it was a half an hour walk to the castle from the statue; in reality, it took over an hour. We have now learnt that long, straight roads are deceptive. When we finally made it there, naturally we went straight to the pub. Whilst here, some of us decided, as we were in Windsor, to do something quintessentially English and go for tea and scones, leaving the others in the pub. It was here we embarked on what can only be described as some rather poor decision making. Despite knowing how far we had to go, and that the light was about to fade, we decided to walk back. There was a well-established path through the park but what we had failed to notice is that it wasn't lit. Naturally, the first thing we did when it got dark was to creep ourselves out by talking about the possibilities of what could happen to us and telling horror stories. This stopped abruptly when we caught site of a man behind a tree. Although he was probably an innocent walker like ourselves, we immediately quickened our pace and took up arms: two umbrellas and a torch, as that was all we had on us. We continued like this for some time, planning contingencies for if we were attacked, strategizingfor situations that ranged from the gruesome to the downright obscure. Eventually about 15 minutes from the lodge, we caught up with the group we left at the pub. j Unfortunately, they were not visible as the fog had begun to set in, so made us jump out of our skins when we came across them. After dinner, it was back to the classroom for the last lecture of the weekend entitled, "The Age of Revolutions Reconsidered," which offered an overview of how many of the revolutions that occurred were linked. Although sad when it was over, we were all very eager to get started with the quiz. Naively, we assumed it would be a standard pub quiz with a history round thrown in. We were wrong; it turns out that International History quizzes are hard. Once this was over, we again returned to the bar until it closed, either to celebrate or commiserate depending on the levels of success. Many of us stayed in the bar after this and decided to try and order take away. However, rather unsurprisingly, no one would deliver. In the end, we had to settle for crisps and KitKats foraged for us from the kitchen by the helpful man on the front desk. Still, not a bad midnight (well 2am) snack. Fortunately, we got a lie in on Sunday morning, giving people the time to get glammed up for church. Everyone was rather excited about this as earlier that weekend, we had been informed that the Queen regularly worships there. This meant everyone was subject to extensive police checks and we were not allowed to bring anything to chapel with us. Despite this, the Queen did not show up, disappointing many, especially tho who had only gone in the hope of seeing her. Upon returning from the chapel, there was just enough time for a last minute exploration of the house. In doing this, we came across a section of train, part of an engine and some rather unusual artwork hanging among the traditional portraits. When the time came, none of us wanted to leave but essays were calling and we had to get back to reality. Fortunately, we got back to London relatively early so we all got the opportunity to relive the weekend vicariously by watching Downton Abbey. All in all, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who gets the opportunity to go. Sketch comedy that goes down smooth Scan this code to watch our sketches on your smartphone! LSE sketch comedy group -looking for new actors and USSMMHNi actresses! Interested? Send an e-mail to A.P.SivanesanOlse.ac.uk for more info! Follow us on Twitter at #CoffeeSmokes 0rsc^ (H Oh my...who would have thought that Wednesday would end that way?! The bitter loss experienced by the "Rest of the World" team to England led to the signs of early onset alcoholism. As veterans from Rugby and Netball were joined by the token AU team of the week, Rowing. Shirts flew off early, to the surprise of a family caught unaware in the Berrylands bar, and sportspersons were showing signs of passing out by 8pm. Those who soldiered on through the night had their efforts rewarded with a spectacularly underwhelming fireworks show. Despite being representative of its meagre £800-odd budget, spectators seemed suitably awestruck by the lacklustre fireworks, though copious jugs of beer and the flowing gin could account for the dumbfounded individuals. Before the somewhat offensive deaprture from Berrylands, other skills and talents were put to the test with the annual game of Musical Chairs. Imagine the sight of the first team rugby players ripping small plastic chairs to shreds. Now imagine your Netball Captain fighting them off, and you'll be close to carnage that ensued. As the survivors staggered into the welcoming arms of Zoo Bar, it seemed like sexual escapades were already well under way, with unkowns pulling in every corner. Clearly "on it" though, was your little blonde social IDN6SDAV CnvHy. 8ths Netball Captain. She got more than platonically social and was seen locking lips with your head of "social" Tennis, Mike "The Lawyer" - like Mike "The Situation", but just not quite... Credit though, has to go to Captain Mateer, who seems responsible for most of the content in this section throughout the year. She was seen heavy-handedly forcing your AU President into submission as her lips missed his and locked onto his nose. The pair were seen bulldosing others out of the way as they as they escaped the prying eyes of Zoo Bar, for the more private setting of the back of a cab. Classy. Correction The Beaver Sports Editors would like to apologise to Miriam Mirwitchfor incorrectly crediting her article in Week 5's issue and incorrectly correcting the creditation in last week's issue. The article entitled "Mario Balotelli: Why Always Me?" was mistakenly credited to Amit Singh instead of Miriam. We would like to thank Miriam for accepting our apology and agreeing to continue writingfor the Beaver Sports Section. Maz&Max Sport 15.11.20111 The Beaver The Beaver 115.11.2011 j Sport - 31 Match Report Netball Seconds Smash Match Report Badders Success Neil Shah On Wednesday, all three Badminton teams had a great start to their Knockout Cup campaign with all teams winning at home and proceeding to the next round. With the Men's 1st Captain away after flying out to his homeland in Bangkok, the team were up against King's 1st. The team played excellently, with Anu Barmecha smashing both his singles and Matt & Neil maintaining their 100% record in the doubles. The final score was very tight at 5 - 3, but after a great performance it takes the team into the last 16 against Kent 1st. This year's team is extremely strong and are looking set to build upon their success of last season. The 2nd team also had a blinder, being captained by Kaushal Inna who led the team to an awesome 6-2 victory against Buckingham ist. The team has had an up and down start to the season, but this win has undoubtedly raised the confidence of the team, who have the potential and talent to make it very far in the competition this year. The Women's team achieved their best result of the season so far, with a 7-1 win against Brighton 1st. Initially having a few technical difficulties due to a shortage of badminton shoes, the team secured a fantastic win after some strategic borrowing and morale boosting cookies from Xuewei. Jess Cheng played phenomenly as always, maintaining her unbeaten record. Tiffany Toh and Jamie Chew, returning to the team for a third year, as well as our new editions, Tiffanie Lau and Xuewei Zeng, all played exceptionally well being crucial to the success of the team. Well done girls! Cool Runnings An update on the LSEAU Running Team's progress so far this season Nathan Converse The LSE Running team have gotten the 2011-12 season off to a memorable start, with strong showings from both the women's and men's teams. Indeed, both the cross country squad has showed a depth not rarely seen in recent years. The season opener at North Lon- don's Parliament Hill saw the women's side led by Californian Becca Tisdale, who placed fifth in the University of London standings and finished well ahead of the entire King's squad. Making the transition to cross country running, former Princeton heptathlete and west London dodgeball legend Jess Laney followed, while Anna Jo Smith and promising fresher Chantal Longdon rounded out the team. The season's second race at Royal deer preserve Richmond Park again saw another strong performance from Tisdale, who finished second in the UL standings, while fresher Rebecca Windemer's experience as a triathlete demonstrated served her well in her debut appearance for the LSE. While injuries and something called 'lectures' have kept post-grad powerhouses Becky Webber and Shanthi Blanchard off of the cross country course so far this season, many expect that this dynamic duo could prove a game-changer for the squad later in the season. Bronx bad boy John Korevec led the men's team to victory at Parliament Hill, who bested the whole of the KCL lineup and came within reach ofUCL's lead runner. After a heated 5 mile race newcomer Luke Sperduto edged out the King's two man as well as LSE captain Nathan Converse. Victory was clinched by a strong debut performance from Northern legend Tom Smith, making the transition from middle distance. Korevec inexplicably opted to focus on his training for the rowing team and skipped the second race (rumor has it they would let him go after seeing his gladiator fancy dress on Halloween). However, Norewegian Martin Holm stepped up, posting a blistering time of 28:40 on the gruelling 5.3 mile course. Mexican sensation Miguel Montes de Oca brought the heat at Richmond and came within a hair of besting King's lead runner. The potential for a lethal pack was much in evidence at both races, with Chris Martin, freshly posh from an undergrad degree at St. Andrew's ; the furious Fresher Joel Rosen, hardened by years of Alpine training, and veteran marathoner Keith Jordan all well within reach of the leaders. As the cross country team prepares for their final race of the term on November 16 at Wimbledon Common, the newly minted LSE Athletics have dived into an impressive regime of pres-season training. Expectations are high that founding Captain Michael Obiri-Darko will lead the team to an impressive showing at the University indoor championships and ensure that the LSE is well represented at the BUCS outdoor championships, to take place in the Olympic Stadium in May. into the Season in Style Pepita Barlow This season, the Netball 2nds have had their eyes on the prize from the word go: BUCS promotion. Having suffered the severe injustices of a misinterpretation of BUCS regulations last year - an ineptitude that irritated many - we've entered this season treating every goal like championship point. And make no mistake, our delivery is on point. Last year saw half the team graduate, giving us room for 4 freshers to build a solid squad of fine fodder. Somehow surviving initiations with a functioning heart and liver, these girls have proven they've got what it takes to become true Wednesday night troopers. And despite playing opposite attack/defence positions on court, our Social Sec Shooter and Pri-yeeehh-boi Defender have certainly managed to more than overcome their differences, giving new meaning to 'off-court bonding' with a clear example of that old adage "opposites attract." Last week was the 2nd's most successful of the season so far. First up, we faced the Medics of St George's. Now, it is common legend that medics are a tough nut to crack - 5 years on court together and they can read each others' moves with a masterful predictability. Nevertheless, we 2nds - a dedicated band of Wednesday night -ers, united on court as we are in our weekly tribute to Bonnie Tyler in The Tuns - totally eclipsed the medics in a stunning 60-21 victory. Time after time, a solid defence squandered any hope the medics had of swimming to the surface, and with our spectacular shooters making it rain with goal after goal, they were eventually left to drown their sorrows in sore defeat, an ailment with no prescription. The legend of the medics was slayed - this time, when faced with the dragon, George's had met their match. Having taken down the medics on Monday, Wednesday saw us face rival number two: University of the Arts. The previous week saw us beat Creative Arts in Surrey 65-25, so we wanted to round off the arts students domination. I should point out that a victory would be no mean feat - with just 7 players to hand and a re-shuffling of our defensive half, there was no room for error. But what a mighty blow we dealt. Time after time, interception after interception, we proved that quality not quantity is, as always, the recipe for success. Fresher Royle brought her farmer's tactics on court, stretching 'faaarrr and wide' in the attacking half and deservedly named Player of the Match. Bouncing Bertorelli was up to her usual tricks, diving for the interceptions with a level of speed and agility that made us wonder if she'd stolen the AU Exec's fireworks and ingest them pre-match. An end score of 54-22 was certainly a sweet score to set us up for another night of standard Wednesday mess. As always, we rounded off our victorious few weeks with a cheeky few (too many) bevvies, and our optimism for BUCS victory, as ever, on fire. 32 15-H-20111 The Beaver Sport Inside- • Cool Runnings • I Know Who You Did Last Wedneday • Netball: The Story So Far Carroll's straggles set to continue Andy Carroll likely to continue to struggle as the Target Man appears to be dying out Am it Singh The target man is traditionally a tall, strong forward with great aerial ability, who can score goals and bring others into play by holding it up. However as the make-up of the Premier League has become more continental the target-man has began to die out, a view corroborated by a recent UEFA report picked up in The Independent. It is indicative of the recent trend that in the recent U19 European Championship there were no headed goals scored. Further evidence compounds this, in last season's Champions League strikers scored 103 goals, of which only three were headers. Why has the game changed? There are several reasons for the shift in tactics that has led to a decline in both headed goals and the target man. The emphasis on route one football has declined as the Premier League has gone more in line with its continental neighbours adopting high tempo, ball playing tactics instead or direct long ball football. Of the 355 goals scored in the Champions League last season 82 came from through balls in behind defences. Even with regards to goals from crosses of which there were 57 the majority of these were low crosses into feet rather than aerial balls. The reason for this in the EPL is that one of the key aspects of the target man's game was to hold the ball up, slow down the play and bring others into the game. This feature of play is largely redundant with the aforementioned increased tempo of the game. Modem tactics are ever evolving and even with teams like Barcelona often play two support strikers who would look to come inside more than they would try and cross it, how many times do we see Pedro, Villa or Messi play an aerial cross into the box? This is in line with the trend of teams playing left footers on the right wing and vice-versa who will cut in on their stronger foots rather than hit the by-line. Teams such as Barcelona now arguably don't even play with a traditional forward. Messi sometimes plays as the one up top looking to pick the ball up deep rather than getting in behind or holding it up. Rooney too plays a similar role for United when operating as a lone striker. Andy Carroll and Liverpool. A £35 million British player is always going to make head-lines, but Carroll has simply failed to hit it off since joining Liverpool. There are of course several factors for this: Carroll has struggled with injuries since arriving at Anfield, as well as there being questions regarding his personal life. He has also suffered as a result of the signings of several key players such as Bellamy but also midfield players like Adam and Henderson who could block his route to the first team dependent on tactics. In big games Dalglish has opted for one up top, namely Suarez with Gerrard in Hail Photo: wikimediacommons m behind. It seems hard to envisage Liverpool realistically playing with Gerrard, Carroll, Suarez and Adam in the same team, this would no doubt leave the side very, very open in midfield. Suarez is clearly the favourite for the role at the moment. As mentioned earlier he fits into the mould of skilfiil, penetrative forwards who can make something out of nothing. Regardless of what you think of the player, he is clearly far better technically than Carroll. Liverpool look to play on the ground, hitting balls in behind for the pacey Suarez to latch on to. Gerrard is always quick to try and play the pass, as is Adam. Were Carroll deployed in that role, he would undoubtedly slow down the play some-what. The majority of Liverpool's goals this season have come by threading balls in behind defences and with Suarez running in behind to latch on to said passes. A comparison of Suarez and Carroll makes dim reading for Carroll. Suarez has 7 goals in 12 to Carroll's 3 in 11. With regards to Suarez's far better build up and technical play Suarez enjoys better passing stats with 79% completion compared to Carroll's 66%. Perhaps an even more worrying stat for Carrol] is that for a player who is 6 foot 4 and widely assumed to be a good aerial player he has only won 58% of his aerial duels this season, less than Charlie Adam. Carroll is a target man by build, however he does have more to his game than this. He is strong and quick, something that is rare for a man of his physique. What is for sure though is he will need to improve his technical game if he is to fit into Liverpool's new style of play as well as his prowess in and around the box. At such ayoung age he still has plenty of time to identify his role in the side or even move on to a side who will play around him. The signing of Bellamy who is more of a like for like replacement for Suarez does leave it questionable how many starts Carroll may get this term in the long run if Liverpool want to keep continuity in their style of play. It should also be noted that whilst teams are shying away from the target man at least in their starting line-ups many sides have the option within their squads. In the national game for instance the idea of a 'plan-b' is key. Even the best technical side in World football Spain regularly give at least sub appearances to the less technically gifted but more aerially competent Fernando Llorente. This could mean there is a place in the England squad for a target man with Crouch and Carroll being favourites. Carroll will however need to gain a decent amount of starts to have a chance at making the squad with Crouch enjoying regular football at Stoke. Read more of Amit's work at www.tliiiildbotball.co.wk Lk TACT Premier League Defenders Have Gone AWOL Timothy Poole Two years ago, a centre back was injured during a friendly and defending has never been the same since. That centre back was me... yet, as much as I'd like it to, my sad departure from the game fails to explain the sharp decline in the quality of Premier League defending this season. Watch any recent episode of Match of the Day and you'll see a showcase of defensive frailty and errors that have cost teams vital points. In the modern game, fans, teams and coaches alike are concentrating solely on attack, but they've made the ultimate sacrifice with a significant opportunity cost: forgetting the basics at the back. The new approach is wrong. People look at the likes of Spain, Barcelona and Manchester City and think 'wow, this is what we need'. Heavy investment has gone into recruiting new strikers, new midfielders and focussing on an attacking style of play. Yet, it seems that coaches have forgotten how teams really win titles- through good defending. Spain won the World Cup with a sensational back four; they won games by scoring the odd goal then shutting up shop at the back. Similarly, the last two winners of the Champions League (Barcelona and Inter Milan) won it via world-class defending. Yes, Messi and the strike force he spearheads make Barcelona what they are, but without Alvez, Abidal, Puyol and Piquet- a magnificent defence- they would not be half as successful. The evidence for my concerns is everywhere, in almost every game. Manchester United's back four has struggled this season due to the lack of a strong central partnership and this led to conceding six at home to Manchester City. Arsenal, similarly, have had serious problems at the back, letting in eight earlier this season against Manchester United. Though, the biggest example of woeful defending is to be found in Chelsea's 5-3 defeat at home to Arsenal. Naturally, people have tended to get carried away with the undeniable attacking prowess that was demonstrated; Robin Van Persie, Juan Mata and Theo Walcott all showed how beautiful football should be played. Yet, as Alan Hansen explained, it is bad defending and bad defending alone that accounted for the goals that were given away so cheaply. One has to wonder what Andre Villas-Boas works on with his Chelsea team on the training ground. Judging by their defending, it is quite a wild assumption to make that they do any work in training at all. Of course, I could be judged as being too harsh, but even the most loyal fan cannot dismiss the defensive problems that Chelsea and so many other teams are experiencing. The irony is that Arsenal's defending was just as bad- if not worse. For John Terry's tap in from a corner, the man at Arsenal's front post had drifted off towards the middle of the goal. Why? No one will ever know-but it was embarrassing to watch. I am obliged to mention that it is indeed not just Chelsea and Arsenal who demonstrate such basic defensive errors. Liverpool's defence is, statistically, the third best in the Premier League, but the goals they have conceded recently against Manchester United and Stoke show that it has huge room for improvement. Moreover, at the lower end of the table, defend- ers are doing such a bad job that they might be better off not turning up. The only defences that don't look shaky are that of league leaders, Manchester City and high-flyers, Newcastle; for a 20-team league and a league that is supposedly the best in the world, this has to improve. The solution is simple: coaches must get back to basics on the training pitch. Teams must practice holding their line, defending set pieces and stopping creative players from getting the ball. Although attacking football is as exciting as ever, the current level of defending is unacceptable; once this has been addressed, Premier League matches will be a better and more enjoyable watch for its variety of audiences around the world.