7«yn997^ ek's edition of The Beaver BRITISH LIBRARY OF POLITICAL ffliptSPaQe l' J ECONOHC SCIENCE LA Confidential Tuesday, November 4 1997 Issue 469 First Published May 5,1949 The Newspaper of the LSESU THE BEAVER Students Say "Fees, No Way!" Students in fourteen cities around the country tool< part in the anti tuition fees rallies on Saturday. Passions were high despite Students crowded Hyde Park on Saturday morning in order to participate in one of fourteen marches across the country as part of the National Union of Students' national campaign against tuition fees. The event attracted a number of speakers from Phil Woolas, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Higher Education to Billy Bragg. The London rally was addressed by left wing Labour MP, Diane Abbott who did not receive a warm reception and Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat MP who stated that, "if we can't defend Higher Education we might as well go home." The policy of the NUS' executive was brought into question after a number of universities openly criticised the Union's approach to the 'Say no to fees' campaign, describing it as everything from 'disorganised' to 'deliberately designed to fair. The turnout to the marches was varied. 5,000 attended the Sheffield rally compared to the 2,000 at the London demonstration. The relatively low turn out the relatively low turnout. Matt Brough and Dhara Ranasinghe. Photo: Sim Chi Yin was seen by some as result of the lacklustre approach of the NUS rather than the media friendly perception of student apathy. Specific criticism was levelled against NUS President Douglas Trainer. The elusive executive was not present at the main protest in London, but attended the Oxford rally instead. It was reported that Trainer had decided the rally should start at 9am, at least two hours before most other protests were scheduled. In another controversial incident Trainer was apparently involved in the NUS suppression of Plymouth NUS exec member, Jo Cardwell, who was prevented from speaking at the Plymouth march owing to her open opposition towards the NUS' fees policy. As a result suspicion was relatively apparent on Houghton Street on Saturday, one source within the LSE SU stating "The NUS appears very much to be toeing the government line. The executive are selling us out, not trymg to upset anybody. Ihey want to get careers out of this." This view was also supported by the Institute of Education's Student Union President, Seth Atkin, who stated that "the NUS is completely letting us down over fees and grants." As LSE Entertainment's Sabbatical Jasper Ward put it, "the [NUS] leadership is very disjointed. Their priorities are in areas that are definitely not stopping student fees. Not naming any names of course... definitely not Doug Trainer." The turnout from the individual London Universities was mixed; approximately 250 from Royal Holloway to 30 from SOAS. The Central School of Speech and Drama had 30 of their members in attendance including their Student Unions' President Gareth Miles complete with massive foam skeleton puppet, symbolising "the death of free education". Miles told The Beaver that he hoped the march would have some effect, "otherwise we wouldn't be here." This was a sentiment reflected by one sixth form student from Leighton College who expressed concern about starting higher education with fees in the pipeline. Despite this controversy, students arrived for the Hyde Park march in high spirits and the rally was initiated by the release of black balloons. Potential infants' teacher Mr Yuan Potts, Education and Welfare Sabbatical, together with LSESU General Secretary Narius Aga led the LSE contingent from Houghton Street to the underground where the tube was taken to Hyde Park. Suggestions that a taxi should be taken were duly scorned. Nevertheless, Aga was pleased with the LSE turnout and hoped the demonstration would "make the government re-think" and realise that "students are not going to accept fees lying down." Despite initial confusion, the overwhelming feelings of demonstrators made up for the minor flaws in organisation. Elections high turnout, low key affair News Team THE COUNT FOR THIS YEAR'S SU elections was a relatively low key affair. However, this was not a fair reflection of the impressive and unprecedented 951 strong voting turnout, despite a change of venue. In previous years the ballot box has been situated in the Old Building, but it was moved to the Quad this year, apparently to draw more voters. First place on the Court of Governors was taken by Independent candidate Baljit Mahal, who seemed keen to get on with the task of fulfiling his election manifesto, promising to "honour the pledges that have been made". Many felt that Mahal's active campaigning had helped to erase memories of his political past. Dan Lam, who gained the highest votes for the SU executive elections last summer, finished in second place in the election of five LSE student Court of Governors. He reacted to his success by commenting, "I will do my best to repay my supporters and voters". Lam, who believed that it had been a very "smoothly run election", dismissed suggestions that he would stand in any future elections. The elections also saw a surprising turnaway from the main political parties. There has been speculation over whether this is a reflection of general student apathy or of the current division in national student politics over fees. It has also been suggested that students were voting without any real knowledge about the candidates and any of their policies. Joe Roberts, Secretary of the LSE Labour Club, told The Beaver that he was "obviously disappointed" and that it was "a bad night for all political societies, not just the Labour club." However, LSE Conservative Club Treasurer, Mark Turner, was elated by the only Conservative victory of the night. He responded to Kenneth Clarke's election as honourary Vice-President of the SU with "it's a great day for conservatism at the Continued on page three Inside; Economics Page 7 International Page 8 Music Page 9 NEWS THE BEAVER Issue 469 - NOVEMBER 4 Clear off, Brits Aruni Muthumala SOMK OK YOU UROWSINC; THROUCJH the LSE home page on the internet earlier this term might have come across a message that indicated that places were still 1 available for foreign students on certain undergraduate and graduate courses. This message might have led you, like Narius Aga, the General Secretary of the Student Union, to believe that LSE was going through "clearing" for the first time. This would naturally be a severe blow to the School's reputation as, like Oxbridge, it prides itself on never having to go through the process of "clearing". However, as the Admissions Office will tell you with alacrity, LSE did not have any places available for clearing in the UCAS system this year, like any other year. In fact George Kiloh, the Academic Registrar reported that LSE may be in danger of having more than its government allocated quota of home students and consequently being fined. Although the LSE has to keep to a government quota for home students, it does not face such restrictions with foreign students, where it is free to make its own internal target. The message on the LSE home page indicating that there were a few places available for overseas students was broadcast by the Academic Registrar's Office because it was initially thought that the internally set target for foreign undergraduate students, which was higher than last year, might not be met. This fear appears now to be unfounded as recent information from the Planning Unit suggests that the LSE is not far off its target for foreign undergraduate students. Even the turbulent economic events in South East Asia have not seemed to deter students, with there actually being a rise in the number of South East Asian students admitted to the LSE from last year. The message on the LSE home page was therefore not indicative of any significant fall in the demand for places in LSE. However, it does show the problems facing LSE with regard to its admissions policy. With the intake of home students strictly controlled by the government, LSE has to rely increasingly on foreign students for funds. It is vital to correctly estiinate the proportion of these students with offers who will take up places in the School. Underestimation will lead to too few places being filled and consequently less money for the School. Over-estimation may lead to over-crowding in what many believe to be an already over-crowded institution. L.S.E.'s doors open to clearing Photo : Library Building for the future Cowdry House Zoe Peden LSE HAVE BOUGHT THE freehold on Cowdry House, the rather elegant looking building next to the library behind the book shop, Dillons. LSE already owns a small part of the building called Tymes Court and a solicitors office will continue to own the section nearest the library. The School will be taking over the 15,711 sq feet former home of the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors. Alas, it will not be used to help ease students breathing and circulation problems in cramped classrooms. Michael Arthur, Head of Site Development Services, Photo: Nina Duncan informs The Beaver that it will be used as academic offices. He expects that LSE will lose the sixth floor of St Catherine's House next year as it was on a very short lease. The Cowdry House office space is a similar size to that of the academic offices found there. Mr Arthur also ensures The Beaver that the LSE has not suddenly become awash with cash and that the money used to rent the sixth floor will simply be transferred to funds for Cowdry House. But do not despair, ideas are afloat to turn the basement into a sea of student lockers to ease the stampede at the beginning of term. That won't do at hall Rose Rich A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF controversy has flared surrounding the LSE's perceived policy towards new halls of residence. Two members of the Rosebery Hall Committee have voiced concerns after being shown proposals for a development near Lambeth North tube station by David Segal, the head of LSE's Residential Services. Patrick Neary, the Secretary of Rosebery Hall, told The Beaver that he was disappointed with Mr Segal's apparent predilection for a Bankside style facility, which he felt was beyond the needs or means of many students. He also claimed that Mr Segal showed a certain blindness to the hazards of the area, which is badly lit and potentially hazardous for students returning at night. He added that he found Segal's "condescending" attitude towards the student representatives present irritating and offensive. Mr Segal spoke guardedly to The Beaver on the issue, slating that the site in question was only one of several which were being considered by the LSE in an attempt to meet the spiralling demand for university accommodation. He denied that a "Bankside 2" style hall was the specific plan, but was certainly one possibility. The current boom in London property prices has not made the acquisition of moderately priced sites in a central location particularly easy, and Mr Segal claimed it would be possible to provide cheaper accommodation if students didn't object to living further from the LSE. Segal cited a "fairly comprehensive" survey he had conducted which indicated that students were prepared to pay more money for superior accommodation. However, he conceded that students were generally less enthusiastic to part with the additional money when they received their rent bills. He added that "personally" he would choose to find more lower priced residencies in the Carr-Saunders / Rosebery mould, but the decision ultimately rested with the Inter-Halls committee, his role is more that of a "civil servant ". It is true that the more expensive halls provide valuable extra rent during the Summer months owing to their salubrious nature. The question is whether this is' adequate compensation for the high rents which students face themselves. New course guide in the pipeline LSESU EDUCATION AND Welfare officer Yuan Potts has initiated an Alternative Course Guide, to provide a more realistic view of LSE courses. The guide will be written "by students, for students" said Potts, who hopes that all second year and third year students will complete the form, which asks for comments and opinions on the quality of the teaching and lecturing.Comments arc also asked for on the availability of books in the library and materials in general and the requisite workload. The Alternative Course Guide will be available as a companion to the current Andrew "Vule LSE Calendar, provided bty the school and written by the individual departments to outline the requirements for and contents of all the courses currently available at the LSE. While the official calendar is informative. Potts feels that students will have a fuller picture of what the courses entail from students who are currently taking them. The task of producing an alternative course guide has been outlined within the job description for Education and Welfare Sabbatical since the position was established in 1992. however, one has never been produced. It is still unclear how the guide will be funded, though Potts is hoping that he will be able to secure some form of sponsorship as the circulation and thus the publicity will be substantial. This would also mean that the guide could be distributed without any expense to the students. Without sponsorship the cost would have to be met by the Education and Welfare budget, thus meaning a small fee would have to be charged to the student for the publication, to cover costs. Racists deface Islamic prayer room Chris Roe RACIST VANDALS HAVE targeted the LSE's Muslim prayer rooms for a hate campaign. The most recent and disturbing incident involved the scrawling of obscene and blasphemous graffiti in the area set aside for worship by males. One regular user of the facility, who would prefer to remain anonymous, expressed his regret that "it has come to this." He said that the Islamic society held "forthright" views but stressed that the organisation, like the religion, is of a "non anti-Semitic and pacifist nature". He blamed the attack on the prejudice and ignorance which has aroused "Islamophobic" feelings in some individuals. The attack raises the issue of security for those using the worship rooms, which are kept permanently unlocked to allow access for those who wish to pray. King's Chambers, where the rooms are located, already has a security camera on the door, but The Beaver's contact questioned whether this was sufficient. He was particularly concerned for the safety of female worshippers, and mentioned the idea of a numbered keypad on the door to the sister's prayer room. Narius Aga, the SU General Secretary, told The Beaver that he felt the school was already taking adequate precautions against such incidents, and added that it was conducting an investigation into the matter. He also stated that he "utterly condemned those responsible for the cowardly attack." Yuan Potts, the Education and Welfare sabbatical, said that it was "deeply upsetting"; this would seem to be a fair description of this manifestation of virulent bigotry in the centre of the campus. I THE BEAVER NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 NEWS Elections - continued from page one_ LSE and this will send shock waves throughout the nation." This was a view seconded by outgoing Honorary Vice President Bernardo Duggan who expressed his delight at this result. Sticking with the SU's tradition of electing internationally respected figures as Honorary President, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was elected in memorium by a landslide. Last year, the union elected Nelson Mandela, rejecting a national trend amongst universities to nominate and elect minor celebrities, such as the Spice Girls. The populist candidate, Shawn the Sheep from Wallace & Gromit, came second after Mother Teresa. Tony Blair, did not even make it through the first count of the voting. This years elections, however, were not without the usual skirmishes between candidates. On Monday, a complaint was submitted to the Constitutional and Steering Committee by Dan Lam. Lam alleged that co-candidate for the Court of Governors, Baljit Mahal had breached section CP.9.7.7c of the constitution by placing his flyers "on the wall, on floors of the building over plastic sheets" in the Myddleton Wing in Rosebery Hall. The matter was investigated by the Assistant Returning Officer, Bernardo Duggan,who found that there was nothing on the walls to sustain his complaint and therefore no action could be taken. Allegations of candidates defacing each others posters were also submitted to the Constitutional and Steering Committee. Nevertheless, it appeared that this year's elections had run relatively smoothly. Narius Aga, LSESU General Secretary dismissed the complaints made earlier in the week as a "hiccup", and on the whole believed that the campaign had been "very peaceful". This was a view reiterated by fellow sabbatical. Yuan Potts, who summed up the general feeling on the elections by stating that they had been "quite unremarkable". Democracy at the LSE. Photo:Alex Trojanow The Results So Far Honorary President: Mother Teresa (in memoriam) Honorary Vice President: The Rt Hon Ken Clarke MP Equal Opportunities Officer: Demetrios Charalambides. Court of Governors: Baljit Mahal (Independent) Dan Lam (Independent for postgraduate and undergraduate unity) Eric Wemevi (Independent Green) Sri Surya Pathnamathan Claire Conan Academic Board: Carsten Boers (LSE growing up to its reputation) Anita Majumdar (LSE Labour) Karrin J Smole (Independent) Inter Halls Committee: Carsten Boers. Anita Majumdar, Women's OfTicer and successful academic board candidate waiting to vote. Photo: Alex Trojanow Jelly Babies' world goes wibbly wobbly Zoe Peden THE UGM IS SET TO HEAR A constitutional amendment in the next three weeks that puts Jelly Babies lives at risk. Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SWSS, Hayek and the Jelly Baby society are all associate societies. They are not bound by Student Union regulations, they do not apply for a budget and do not bank through the union. This may be about to change. Some wheeler dealer associate societies have in the past been using the LSE name solely to make profit. To stop any dirty handed dealings in the future the Union Executive have proposed that the associate societies should bank through the union. Through this they will be able to prevent "dodgy" societies from being established, taking Freshers' precious pounds and than doing a runner. The Exec will be able to keep track of all societies and threaten the withdrawal of their budget if they do not conform to rules. Significantly, it will stop ad hoc payments to people within the society if the reason is not income generating i.e. coffee and crisps all round. The Exec have the power to enact this amendment to the constitution alone. However, they have decided to raise the issue at the UGM so anyone with any complaints can be heard. Pro-Choice lobby makes its voice heard Andrew Yule FOLLOWING LAST WEEK'S anti-abortion, pro-life march across London, Anita Goldsmith, the NUS's Women's officer led a pro-choice march from ULU to Red Lion Square, Holbom. The torchlit march was well attended by a large contingent of predominantly young females, though the older generation and the male sex were far from totally absent. The destination of the march was Conway Hall on Red Lion Square, near Holbom. Hundreds filled the main hall of Conway Hall to listen to various speakers representing the National Abortion campaign and the Welfare State Network, as well as influential individuals supporting the campaign in general. However, despite the pro-choice nature of the event, it was not without internal controversy. Labour MP Audrey Wise, member of the parliamentary Select Committee on health, met with heavy criticism from some of the more outspoken members of the audience. Mrs Wise supported the 1967 Abortion Act with the argument that it allowed people to go ahead and have kids even after losing previous children due to what she called "gross deformity". She said that the abortion legislation allowed parents to conceive without the risk of having to raise "suffering and grossly deformed kids." This was shot down by two women professing that her opinions were "disgusting" and that deformed children should in no way be discriminated against and were as entitled to life as any other child. Mrs Wise reiterated that she did "not like abortion", but that it is essential that the choice is available. She continued that she could not understand how to raise a "grossly disabled child" could be preferable to a "healthy child". While these arguments are at the heart of the whole abortion controversy, and she speaks for a large section of the pro-choice contingent, the phrasing of her opinions could be considered insensitive. Archives From This Week 12 November 1964 On November 12 1964 The Beaver declared that LSE was "bursting at its seams" with the increased intake of students. There was widespread feeling of overcrowding and confusion across the college. The refreshment facilities no longer facilitated refreshment but were described instead as precipitating "tiredness and indigestion"! Lectures were also said to have been so over-attended that learning became impossible and "the sound of the building construction. . . [made] the library at times only marginally more conducive to study than Paddington station"! However, the most pressing question . all at 'lyjknc was thjjtof secession; the |ue of Iphetlw LS^hould ha^ it. The maivrityVcIt pat aid ei>j«f^nore sTOstSntial free its development. It was felt that LSE possessed a worldwide reputation in its field and yet "at times there [was] a nagging feeling that this reputation [was] not fully justified". The reason behind this was mainly that there was no freedom in the making of senior academic appointments, no freedom in determining the curricula and standards and no freedom in assessing the qualification for degrees. In addition, LSE was unable to discuss university matters at the national level. If LSE were to secede from London University, The Beaver declared that it would be like "a well developed country C06NOSCF6P leaving the British Commonwealth and much that is good would probably [have been] lost. Nevertheless, LSE was proud of its virility and adaptability and would not give it up if it meant greater freedom. IVliriain Chalabi UNION JACK liwt: Jack alway.s thought that Branguaao was transport ftom Sarajevo, Renton Potts disgBStimg ifi, impfmpaim piMes idea. Jack beara that the LaMtif eltjb did it just- Im wedt l>y Etmick Strtiy to lead ihejn trosj the Cropper 'wildetaess. titey say? if they are truJy new La&Oiir, why are they off (puttitjg) aot MaadI««oa •sufould wear THAT jamper, Kirby, the M«shM{iow of the LSE, 'look^ i»oi« lifce'ati off dtJty Tory than a Stepbefl Twigg, is a beiieves j« tile ^preniacy of the aboaf Kaclteritife Oeetipat^oft the iaorBt«g - It siseB tike Jade -woaid like, to begia takisg credit it is. due. NaiftfesrEssm is obviotisly lo crttksssas tjf JsoH»namb«H«i^ $y-c«^!dag b^a J{te. As fer Tat^k <3jr! Jtsal heard it,he«i1r«L it riiiiibling do«r. Hc>ii»hlbvioit\ly Kaihcrme » led lud cardi^sani indit-ateti an amari.ijily ijUtck clian^r of position, iaek had alvi-a>N htaiti shi couid do that but It W.1C nice for to '>07 it!«: BclnsnL ; A quick «o«i jliiiul Ma:J:eu>s "Roinit.i Medtllcr, the over.seas tsfficcr Wu have WAvs ot making luin talk, and lack vriil SM htiii off to be hnitttliy abuicd l>> tho-.cj noting students in Melbourne ot whum iSWSS M-ein so kten One more insul| ifasJW Lnt'lufu!. IfctkN Eufeljnd. and we '«'ill nin him tlirougii hke the peasant he is' Liing dci*n' Never! Peibap\ wj CDliTat SWSS tt> ocjupy his bedroom onlil' he rooiin.s ' The Ijit monoti berore the bousie! S'how.eJ whAi u real {'CM cou d be aNiul.^ An riterestins motion ti.c no mention of '&x 1 alx'tir club f«« jl^^cassine it Jii!eilf)tentiy iind pmpsHv Ar^ •you hsiening Stum Locke f ,'\tid did how Herr Hick, frrvh back Irom biJ ii. they cr.ed: And J ^3. 4 NEWS THE BEAVER Issue 469 - NOVEMBER 4 DESPITE the government's long overdue ban on firearms, I have received an unprecedented number of reports from the more barbaric and less law abiding of Britain's universities, suggesting that weapons and violence are still very much around and kicking back today. In Oxford (god forbid..) a CID raid on a student's room uncovered a handgun and both student and gun have been remanded in custody to await trial. This heinous incident is proving to be something of an embarrassment to the university as is demonstrated by the denouncement of the young offender given tne by the uni's newspaper office. I was hysterically informed that the youth involved is a "paranoid psychotic", and to top it all a "complete wanker". In case I didn't catch this phrase first time round, it was repeated a total of four times throughout our conversation. So, he's a complete wanker is he? Also joining the lauded ranks of the complete wanker society are the Bristol Metropolitan Police Force who arrested the entire university's comcdy group this summer for possessing an AK47. This, to those uninitiated, non Guns-and-Ammo reading members of our little community, is a gun. Eeecek. The comedy group. Club Seals, were mistaken for members of the IRA. They must be some comedians... Another ease of mistaken identity has resulted in Bristol students being thoroughly skanked by a bogus lecturer from Hawaii. In the absence of further information about this little scandal we are forced to speculate that a grass skirt-toting, flower garland-sporting. Lilt-drinking chap, posing as a lecturer has in some way been accepted to teach (hula-dance classes?) at Bri.stol. Now that's what I call comedy. If it was up to me I'd un-ban hand guns and shoot the f****r. By Tasha Kosviner "I've had a lot of shit go through me this week...." Successful candidate for the Court of Governors election, Dan Lam, commenting on the SU elections. 30/10/97. LSE Labour Club Split Healed Chris Roe Reports of simmering disputes within the ranks of the LSE Labour club have been greatly exaggerated, according to newly elected chair Nick Kirby. In a communique to The Beaver Communications Officer Andy Charlwood stressed the "united" nature of the society, which chose a new executive in largely uncontested elections last Monday. In his inaugural speech Kirby said "whatever our political beliefs there is more that unites us than divides us". It certainly appears that ideological differences have been put aside for the foreseeable future, since Kirby was elected unopposed, after another candidate was disqualified on a technicality. Kirby was critical of the club's previous direction when he said that "the LSE Labour Club finds it hard to get speakers because it has defined itself by opposition to the national Labour party." This is reflected in the club's current list of prospective speakers, which is somewhat less illustrious than that of the LSE's Conservative club. Kirby vows this will change. He also de.scribed the club's start to the new academic year as "slow at best", citing the lacklustre stall at the Freshers' Fayre as one example. Critics have suggested that some of the responsibility for this lies with Kirby, as the only reelected member of last year's executive. Although it should be kept in mind that he held only a mino. non portfolio position. Whatever the cause, Kirby is now coiTimitted to "making this Labour club the best in the country." Speaker's Corner _Joe Ycarsley_ Addressing a mainly Bangladeshi audience. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Mini.ster of Bangladesh, spoke about "Vote Rigging and the Solutions" last Tuesday in the Old Theatre. Bangladesh is a young democracy and a young country. As a part of British India it became known as East Pakistan in 1947. Hasina's father. Sheikh Mujibur, was President of the Awani League which was at the forefront of the campaign for independence from West Pakistan - a campaign that resulted in civil war. Since independence. Bangladesh has been contaminated by corruption, and it is part of Hasina's vision of a "Golden Bengal" to stop this problem. Subjected in the past to military coup d'etats and martial law, Bangladesh now seems to be moving closer towards democracy, albeit a fragile and fragmentary version, with the advent of Hasina. She has constantly striven for "free and fair elections" and consensual politics in Bangladesh. As Prime Minister since June 1996, she has introduced "Question Time" into Parliament and has attempted to ensure the independence of the Judiciary. However, she did not produce any lucid solutions for her crusade against vote-rigging, which still seems to be rife in Bangladesh. A Bangladeshi sitting next to me informed me that the party who wins the Sheikh Hasina speaks to the LSE next election will still be the party who has the most success in vote-rigging and that includes Hasina and her party. Indeed, Hasina did not command undivided support from the audience as she was questioned about the number of people she has imprisoned under the "Special Powers Act." Similarly, the LSE Islamic Society were distributing leaflets outside the Old Building accusing Hasina of sabotaging opposition rallies and of Photo: Dan Salaman sponsoring terrorism in higher educational institutions. Thus, despite her saintly rhetoric, it is difficult to ascertain the true extent of change towards democracy in Bangladesh. The most densely populated country in the world has a formidable task ahead -Hasina's strong words must become a reality, and the seeds of democracy nurtured to ensure they bear fruit. Opposition to Trainer Intensifies In an unprecedented move earlier this month, Leeds University Students' Union passed a motion of no confidence against various members of the NUS movement, in particular, NUS President Douglas Trainer. According to the NUS stipulations, twenty-five university unions must pass such a motion for an emergency general meeting to be held with the specific objective of ousting Trainer, who has been dubbed Douglas 'Traitor' by a number of his critics. London Institute, Kingston University, the School of Oriental and African Studies, the School of East European Studies, the University of East London, Sheffield Hallam University, Oxford Brookes University, Reading, York and Cambridge, Sunderland, Newcastle, Goldsmiths College and the" Institute of Education have followed in Leeds' footsteps. There has been particularly strong criticism of the failure of the student cr News Co movement to resist the Blair government's plans for tuition fees. At the recent NUS Media Conference, The Guardian's Education Editor John Carvel remarked on the NUS executive's weak attempts to fight the on-set of university fees. Anger is widespread throughout the student movement over what many have seen as a pro-Labour NUS Executive ignoring student demands. Commentators have accused Trainer of facilitating the implementation of Labour Education policy at the expense of the .students for the benefit of his future political career. A NUS representative has argued that the "certain people who would like to divide the student movement" may not have obtained enough information concerning the role played by the NUS in lobbying the government, declaring that "we're winning the argument" (referring to the recent government policy debacles over Scottish University fees and gap-year students). It was contended that it was "not necessarily true that the wider audience" would support such a motion to oust Trainer, for the proponents were actually "quite small in the wider picture". An emergency general meeting would take place in January or Febmary. The LSE was the first university to contemplate the introduction of fees, with a decision by the Court of Governors late last year. The LSESU also considered disaffiliation from the NUS last year, under General Secretary Daniel Crowe. Trainer was re-elected for a second term at the NUS confercncc earlier this year. School s Out Ulric Nijs, 2 year Anthropolog}' This Week's Questions: 1) Will you go to the march on Saturday against top-up fees? 2) Do you think the march will achieve anything? 3)What do you think of top-up fees? Bromwcn Pctrie, 2 year Law & Anthropology 1 No. 2 If many people go it'll show that students care. 3 I'm undecided, I acn see both sides of the argument. Dan Hunt, MSc International Kelations 1 Probably not. 2 1 think it could, if there's enough protest. 3 No, I think it makes sense because it seems the fees will be a small orice to pay for upholdmg the quality of education. 1 1 would but I can't 2 No 3 Yes, I feel the state should provide entirely for higher education. WiJatluk - Ging Sinsrat, MSc Economic.s 1 No. 2. I don't think .so; it will mean pressure but nothing will change because of it. 3 I don't really mind. Rachel Rae, General Course 1 No 2 Can't really tell 3 No, I agree with them. I think it makes it more meaningful and makes you appreciate your education more if you put money into it. THE BEAVER NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 LISTINGS 5 ..................EDITORIAL................. And so it's goodbye to Liz and hello from me. May my reign be as long as my predecessor and hopefully as good. This has been a week of a well attended election and a poorly attended demonstration. Although, the LSE was fairly well represented at this week's tuition fee demo. The fact that just over two per cent of the Student population of London decided to turn up provides little encouragement to those who are fighting vigorously to prevent the introduction of fees. It seems that most students now see the introduction as inevitable and that there is little point in campaigning against it. Maybe those ardent campaigners should also concede defeat and accept the reality of fees and move on to the wider more realistic issue of who exactly will pay the fees and how they will pay. University is a choice you make at the end of your school life. In the area where I live, many people struggle to get a decent secondary education, especially those with learning difficulties. They are left to struggle in underfunded schools that do not prepare for the modem society. A point that should not be lost on those of us who are lucky enough to attend university. In the perfect world, nobody would pay for anything, however, we live in reality where people face a budget. I would much rather pay fees and know that the money that was previously used for funding higher education be spent on equalising education. Those people who want equality in society can surely see the reasoning behind giving to the worst off as opposed to subsidising those minority of us who choose to continue their education. This issue of fees is one that is expressed solely from the perspective of the student. I believe it is sensible that as students we start seeing with a more long term perspective and look to a time when we will be paying taxes. Will we want higher taxes to pay for a minority of people? I doubt it very much. I personally believe that everyone should have access to a university education and anything that seriously threatens this is wrong, but I do feel more for those who leave school unable to read than with students who have had a moderately good education and who are currently enjoying the highs and lows of university education. CRAIG NEWSOME Letters to the Editor Dear Beaver, I feel that I must correct the impression given in last week's Beaver that the Labour Club is close to civil war. Anyone who attended our AGM would have seen a very different Labour Club than the one portrayed, a club determined to shake off its slow start to the year. The Labour Club contains a broad spectrum of opinion. However, I believe, as I said in the AGM that there is far more that unites us than divides us. Chris Roe's article also makes the serious allegation that while preaching unity I was advocating divisive policies such as Labour candidates standing under "New Labour" rather "LSE Labour". If this were true it would indeed be damaging to my claims to try to unite the club. Unfortunately for the thread of Roe's article I did not propose at any time that we stand for Michaelmas term elections under the banner of "New Labour", a fact he would have known if he had bothered to ask me during the interview. If Chris Roe has evidence that I made this statement then I urge him to come forward and share. Otherwise, I believe he owes me an apology. Yours, Nick Kirby Chair, LSE Labour Club. Dear Beaver, The Michaelmas election 1997 for the SU representatives to various school committees was completed on the 30 October. Congratulations to all the winners, and to the losers, please do not get distressed and try again in the near future. For the list of winners, please see the third page of this issue of the Beaver. I feel that after running in four SU elections, I should share my viewpoints about the elections with the readers. However, I will try to be as objective as possible, since I myself was a candidate in this election. Firstly, I was very happy about the turnout of voters: 951 members of the union voted, which exceeded last year's number, 850, by a considerable extent. My explanation of this is: 1) Certain postgraduate candidate and his team campaigned quite vigorously, resulting possibly in a higher postgraduate voting turnout, 2) The Court of Governors election had quite a few seasoned campaigners: these "political heavyweights" canvassing efforts raised the profile of the election to a considerable extent. As Communications Officer, 1 had to advertise for the election, and was extremely nervous when I learnt that the voting venue had been changed from outside the Old Theatre to the inconspicious Quad. Now I am happy that at least I can keep my job as Communications Officer for a while. Secondly, I am concerned about the number of people who voted in halls, which was less last year's Michaelmas election. Hall voting costs the Union money, and this time it does not seem to improve the turnout of voters. There are ideas to replace it with a whole Wednesday of voting. However, in the Lent term election, where the posts contested are of a higher profile than the ones in this election, hall voting turnout will usually improve dramatically. It is not this article's purpose to dwell on this complex subject. Thirdly, an extremely influential individual of the union commented during the campaign that most candidates do not even know what the committees that they are running for do. For example, library opening hours are more likely to be decided by the Library committee, not by the Court of Governors. Hardship funds can be discussed in the Court of Governors, but nothing concrete can be decided. Moreover, a lot of the voters thoroughout my years at the LSE commented that every candidate had the same policies, and it turned out to be a personality contest between the candidates. I am not going to comment on my opponents, but 1 do urge the members of the Union to think hard before casting their votes. All's well that ends well. I hope that all the winners can sincerely carry out their election promises, and do their best for the members of the Union who supported them during the election. Dan Lam, Exec Officer _ What's On THE BEAVER Wednesday, November 5 Debating Society A220 !pni "This house would charge US style fees at the LSE Ail welcome, featuring two Sabbatical speakers, Imogen Bathurst and Yuan Potts. Editorial Staff Executive Editor Craig Newsome Advertising l\/lanager Moshe Merdler News Editors Dhara Ranasinghe and Andrew Yule Political Editor Simon Retallack Economic Editor Hector Birchwood Features Editor Nadezda Kinsky Arts Editors David Balfour Yasmine Chinwala Music Editors James Crabtree Zak Shaikh Campus Editor Vicky Seabrooke Sports Editors James Mulligan Ben Newton Photographic Editor Nina Duncan Collective Amir Absood, Narius Aga, Shaista Ahmed, Mark Antony, Sherrina Anuwar, Shama Aslam, David Baln the b:4st>:s to Moiii-y I.anniifring So, Jpij't complain I'ntI thin)> hfi-r at the I,SE becousc Midas is. Ihte to give yoa llio kni)wtc4i!i: to ptt by in tlir woilU of >(ni the Uht two parPi, go to K(»»n C02') and pick up ihe bt tfif Btavisr Now ttie problem with iatindering money thmugji ki tliuir snoupy trank fCjiulMtui'i {n the L-S , for exampli:, national hank4 are an: rivttrlapi>m(! stini-Wt*? of Uic Comptroller n) tlhi Cuircncy. the Fctlural Re^erve, imd the F(5dtfr:il IVpoiit Insuianc,; f'.jipora.u.n And it you have ptihiiclv-irddttl •.touk, vou also havf SliC ii-portui).' rcnuirement'.. ^nd probably have lo :1k firi.'.nLiaI •¦t.itoni.inis .tudiicd by a inajor :ui.ouniin)! iiim hkc Arthur ArJcrun Alt: mis incifajci your tost ot dojns busaif-N. fSfif"ial!y if you iwvc to paj olt a let o^ pcorilo to gel the job dono tho s*.j> vn.i w.(int u litinc. ConMdjr piK'r Chiiitophei f'tofoul .>i Banv.i Nit/ioiwlc dei l.jvoro iB.\L) int AtUoU. (icorgiJ Ho Imit.d .i motH-V: ni.ichtnf III makins; gU3r.aid ' Hosi> wuuli! >t>'i hkc ft) lo.in uiORcy to so thoy tan buv some ot ouf; ll tuined out tiir (.S was eagri to gft iood (tr.d ajms to the IrjqiN, aiui T'lW Comiiioduy Crodit C'oipot.itiijn tCC't'i \aHt "Wf'II gu BNl. OS icnis on tlie dolltir (the cciils coimfli.'. "natiinilU, (ro.r the .•\iticrKan (axpdyer), Tbus.' l)r(>^()uJ had the worid of intcrnattonti} lending, and there was Victually no ri a Ct'C-bat-kcd $556 Trutlion line ot et«du that tht; hiint; hr«id of t'inAiici: hadn't de-iu'.' ipij i \ J-ilji of reneging oit the toan. i:togc>ut simply made it disappear At the or.:' ct ih.: rjr.rti u if. >Lhrni-i..d lii«. report Jo headi)iiari«>j:.«. Iw !>tnf)ply hxi the toan ^and us faixiing four>x) otf the books. Tbr next dav, (lie loan went bock on f)KS< huoVa lie udied fhi& 'Skipping'. But Iiitii" k'pt ,eliin5 -ii i! took dtem oft' ^ bank';; book's entirely. ODd put them in f s^pitrate set of ' gr«!» hm)k«" kept m a cUisiet The grey tnKikt were .i ^"rl ct ^e|i(>rj.e ' ('."n* » i'. i.i u bank" Wlien audttoi'. were iicheduled to visit, the btiok-s vvsw xsnK^vdi tntf ^ the hutldin^' eniirely. Eveinuall; AtUnta. wag libie lutms billm in •/-nLUitUI-j] liJIilli M ll'Ji Okliiitg them "«gricnifur»r Juamt allocked foi CCC guarantees, but in faci proceed)) can he Imndered jit^r iik# I le traiKhipinem point for gondi going fu Baghdad was the pcin ot .^qaha nx Jordan The port wav contcolied by the; >i)iTlir.iiUi ininiklilv tud r ^ 'fiu rjiyailt :md h« woidil sfmpiy-$wAp tlhs grain weepont, ^*1uci:ontc ^oodis, or whatever ilie ha«) wiis in the inartK't for. lOtlij^ purchases would .simpiy be mivlabelledi,,' och as tlK tons of yam" that HntiMtt shipped to the Aiomio l^ner|^ Wt,l ll'n wraj". up iIk •vhil e.jj.-st n Mone> iauodn-bif, by know you fcn- cnnii,!.! IT lililition lO launacrisg «ervit:i:s to desiersv J1 j tht -I' of Itic, LIS and fore>|tn govrrikit>enf». feiiieniiMr, if yonifcs^f hardcore tracks should be obstructed immediately. DJ Dougal is unclear as to what the view of the commercial radio stations would be. Obviously we are all concerned that some arrogant wanker may just sit back and take the piss out of the music while continuing to play Oasis every second of every day although the hardcore track may be sitting higher in the charts. Key individuals on the scene also remain fearful that the loss of hardcore's underground status may lead to it being trapped between a world of wonderful pop music and a new, perhaps more versatile underground explosion from abroad. On the other hand, commercialisation would leave the door open to DJs like Slipmatt and Dougal to show the world just how real dance inusic should sound. It would also offer them the opportunity to dethrone the supposedly messianic kings of house and techno with their basic mixing techniques and only a handbag full of overplayed, uninspiring, trashy anthems- ^ When SL2's "Ot^i I^gj#'I^"ftarted in i^pr^eff a great boost for the %rmsh underground music scene but there wasn't enough quality tunes around to back it up. Today, nearly every track is of a quality never experienced in hardcore's glorious past. If the same mistakes are avoided this time around, commercialisation would lead to an increase in record sales, more venues for the raver and a safer and more secure raving environment. Commercialisation would allow the top DJs to travel the world with great ease, exporting this British phenomenon in countries like Japan, Malaysia, Australia and America. Every year millions of tourists flock to Amsterdam for the open availability of drugs. However, the Dutch hardcore scene is shit compared to ours and the buzz gained from the hardcore sound is better James I hope that ^ you have been using jH this within the plastic bag. If not, ¦wKm 1^1 will get the doberm^o bite off 1 yourmts, again than that gained from any marijuana plant. If our scene becomes more sought after then more people will want to come and experience it. 90% of foreign students and tourists have never heard our hardcore music. This is because up until now, it has been kept behind closed doors. Let us open these doors and unveil the distinctive vibe! Let us make the breakthrough which we have all been awaiting! Let us show the world the undiputed amazement of the kicking bassline and the uplifting pianos! Let us breath an air of superiority back into the commercial British dance scene! Enuff respect to all the raving massive. Lee Federman. Feline - next weel('s featured band Hence the headline. Ahem. Recoil Unsound Methods \jji^hile»-Dave Gahan recover.^ from life Wwithout heroin and Martin Gore got a new haircut, the. speccy ofie out of Wpecfie Mo3e, Jkfeti " synths home and now attempts eternal Seems as if they didn't really need him there over the last year. So what do ;^iihpdite!y itinetnpi^y^ iimsicians with shitloads of money do? They sulk off to lovelyiSasseit Line, take ¦ all their technology with : tliem, add a few guest i nstru mentalists and ^ vocalists and record an album. His solo project 'Recoil' isn't new,; however, but exists sincc several years. With changing iinc-up, of course. This time, as the NME sharply Observed, Alan Wilder discovered the exciting button marked atmospheric Effects on his syntJi, Simon Raymonde Blame someone else , -------« ..if his first solo album "Blame someone else' '"""'•'h . » ^ adds a touch of indie there, drifts inio tradition-il folk elem -m He s very mainstream pop here, really expect front him. However one c^n Z u ^tlvi c" " with one or two exceptions ntayb ll. ^vrd cs HLom , " albtun -Mercury falling'. Bui overall he can', "et away fmm his roots it's s.il t, r '• ' '''' Twins drummer .Mitsu Tate and auitarist Robin Gulhrie ioin for ¦. l - snrpiising. as the to the beautia,I highlight -irs raiting today' and I be, yotl couldnVl:;^ rdi.feiK: -fshness: A se,.por.ra,., lyrics and soiig-wriling. as is reneclcd in sonus like 'li-s a faniilv thin..'' 'ir i L " '-¦M'ciience of sign lor pa.ssionale iiuisicis music ahom one's own nr.- .-mnf'; if" '"')sell or'A fault of mine'. The best tta\ disappoints the principle: Ills son>>s ire iri"ic ind "-'i'' exactly thai and in no sometimes clainnng iheir riiht for Fra/er -Worship me' and you'll understand. It's all ihese ihou-hls vou'r- l" "" "i'" ""I' HIi/abeth summer afternoon while uatchinu .he ...indnls i ' V T " ¦™">' uncleaned windosv sill. Unfor.unately ihis miuhl beconie -i bit bo,in-. IfTr"' V?'"' ^loos -Blame someone else': ,h<,u.h I'l.her pr^misii'^i, "u ! ^ A.ul so It's just... very nice. And well, it's still the Coc.eau Twins .h -n' VI- ',h""i'-" someone el.se'?.Maybe .hem? (6) ' "lal s why .Simon Raymonde finally wan.s .o'Blame pressed it arid was bewildered (haha)J He added slow: breakbeats, paid a threathy wfoman who smoked and drank too tnocli to do the singing and c^e up with some kind ;of;slQping low: level; trip-hop, The.Teslilt. surprisingly is roost; : impressive. Spine#b:ete::i5ietw|e(i.^M Portishead and Tricky he put bis faith and found his master. Sure it's by far not as good. But it's still pretty damn good. ^ ¦ Ail in all 'unsound Methods' is an incredjbly disturbing album. Dark and Bloody , it conjures up images of deserted places you wished you'd never seen, piss-stained subways, lonely backyards at three the:;:® your murderer.. It's all there. Oh. and sex, of conrse. No piece is shorter than five minutes, to speak of 'songs^ would completely miss the point. They're short constructs in themselves, evil and bitter, the soundtrack from hell. Lyrics are often mt>rc .spoken than sung, slowly, intensely. sexy. And they tell stories. Desperate stories, angry stories. Stories about sex, the copulation of voluptuous flesh for the sake of the flesh, in 'luscious Apparatus'. Stories about the dark past, inevitably grabbing you from behind and breaking your neck in 'Stalker'. Stories about death, the paradox making life worth living, in 'Incubus'. Alan Wilder adds a bit of scratching there, a bit of computer samples there and makes his bizarre vision complete. "Unsound Methods' is a great piece of art and sick at the same time. It's the ultimate breakdown of insanity into low-fi trip-hop beats, a traumatic experience at its finest. If you're getting nervous every time you're near a high cliff or feel attracted by sharp knives stay away from this. Maybe it's where Stephen King gets his kicks from. You have been warned. (7) Black Grape Get Higher yeah. Black Grape, the bastard Happy Mondays, storm back to force with a I' stunner. No longer ranting about religion, this time they turn their sights higher. 'Ronald Reagan: '"Nancy has been taking Cannabis for the duration of our administration". A low chart position, and the lack of a total pop hook do not go anyway to stopping this being one of Shaun Rider's finest moments to date. Ether 'Watching You' ther sound like The Rembrandts (that's a compliment!) They take Beatles style ^"-'jangly guitars, inventive music with catchy tunes, and combine them with almost punk rocker style singing to give energetic, fun, feel-good music that is a refreshing change from the drab and dreary depressing songs other bands insist on ramming down our throats. Excellent. The Soundtrack of Our Lives 'Mantra Slider' Iwas expecting "Hare Krishna' chants in this, but all I got was meaningless rubbish .over a sea of loud electric guitars and tambourines. These hippies are so superficial and false. They can shout 'til their teeth fall out, but they still won't sound good. Sunil Malte 10 MUSIC THE BEAVER Issue 469 - NOVEMBER 4 r __ The Space Cadets^ . The Space Cad • •••••• Space 'Invasion of The Spiders' V ust when you thought it was safe to X kZ step into the shower out pop Space from the depths of the sewers. The greedy little creepy-crawlies have released a special 3D-edition double CD containing "remixed and unreleased tracks." Well, that's what the cover says, but you should never judge a CD by its cover. This cheeky attempt at steeling money from the record buying public should not be allowed. Space and their record company should be pro.secuted under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. Looking at the list of 'remixes' on the first CD you will find all the favourites from Space's back-catalogue (extensive as it is) including Neighbourhood. Female Of The Species and Me & You Vs The World. However, there is a catch: the only similarity the songs have to their originals are their names! They are just dance music tracks, and mediocre ones at that. The only vaguely interesting one is a psychedelic (out of tune) alternative version of Dark Clouds, which at least has the lyrics from the original. The second CD is of 'unreleased' songs. So you wouldn't expect released tracks on it. would you? So then why does it contain all four tracks from the CD2 single of Dark clouds? (These, by the way, are the only good tracks on the 'unreleased' CD.) If the other tracks are indeed unreleased. 1 wouldn't be surprised as there was a reason why they weren't released... they're rubbish. How gullible do the record companies think we are, releasing cheep and gimmicky tosh like this? Even die-hard Space fans (are there any?) should stick with the Spiders LP and NOT buy this. Sunil Sodha Northern Uproar Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today ¦ ittle has been seen or heard of Northern Uproar in recent times. S^'^ften viewed as a band of some potential, their quick rock style won them many plaudits. Then they seem to go the way of many 'promising' bands; they never made the top grade and inevitably lose their way. So it was with surprise and delight that 'Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today' landed on my desk. The boring album cover of deckchairs lined up in a row was about the most negative feature that I could find on the album, given the quality of the music that I found inside. The beauty of the album lies not in the vocals, which at times seem a little flat or emotionless, but in the composition of the tracks, and the use of harmonising, which is a switch .away from the rock/ guitar/ vocals style of music. The track, 'More Than This' is a perfect example. There is an excellent use of drum style, whilst the backing from the violins add some quality and the vocals stand up perhaps... more albums some well. Sadly, this format is overplayed in 'Goodbye', where the blandness of the lyrics are exposed quite badly and the harmonising is reminiscent of boy bands such as Boyzone which is fine but not what you expect of a gritty northern band. However, the use of harmonising would indicate that Northern Uproar had lost a bit of their edge. Not a bit of it. The band still produce rock style hits of some flair; 'Down to Me' has a quick and loud opening style, with the use of decent drumming and powerful lyrics makes the single a quality hit. A balance is struck in the opening track, 'Any Way You Look', which combines the harmonisation of backing lyrics and an energetic chorus style to produce a little gem. Overall, 'Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today' is an album well worth buying. Those accustomed to Northern Uproan's previous efforts may be surprised by the very rellective nature of the collection, but dom't let it put you off A flash in the pan? It depends on whether the band can keep the Boyzone-esque harmonics in check. But when All Said and Done, a successful comeback. (7) Michael Epstein Bio.com Coming Up For Air A warm, dark summer Friday night, just past midnight. The stars above are .shining bright like small silver jewels in the halls of gods. The great lake stretches its vast shores silently across the land, dark blue and green water suffocating every little noise of the night. A light breeze ripples the tiny waves running ashore. The leaves rattle as they carefully float to the ground, far too early for late September. A lonely shadow stands by the sea, dreamily starring at innocent dark. Silently, he takes his shoes and shirt off and slowly walks into the water. With a smile he dives, the sea closing its quiet surface above him. Down there, in the shades of moonlight fading through the water, it's peaceful, majestically calm. He dives deeper and deeper, joining mermaids and sirens. And then he hears the music, the music of the sea. Sounds of never-ending freedom, of true life. (- bio.com are north Londoners Andy Sherrif and Simon Gotel and their first longplayer 'Coming up for Air' could perfectly provide the soundtrack for the above scenario. Already, bio.com have a bit of history between them, if you're into the scene, that is: Andy long ago graced the ranks of the mighty Chapterhouse and Simon produced and remixed work of the Well Hung Parliament. Both also worked on soundtracks for a selection of avant-garde films for the 'Score'-event at Royal Albert Hall end of last year. Now they teamed up again and release their debut album on Deepstar records. Not the typical techno chomping but modem alternative dance music it is what bio.com focus on: Harmonic electronic music, relaxed and calm. Full of samples, heartbeats and waves. A piece growing on e.va you. A piece for stress-free living. High above the clouds or deep down the sea -where men can't go, where life is pure. An ambient piece, the perfect chill-out. At least that's what bio.com expected it to be. And to a certain extent it is. A low beat, dreamy epic of electronic ambient tunes, climaxing in the twelve-minute Odyssey 'Pas De Deux', taking you to another sphere of sound. Deep down the sea. But, for heaven's sake, as so many others bio.com fail to stand out from the crowd. Nothing fascinating in particular, as heard before a thousand times. Good, but simply not good enough to be succe,ssful. -) From deep down the lake a shadow emerges, his body pale in the moonlight. The water was fine but was it really the beautiful tunes deep down the sea he expected? Slightly disappointed he's Coming up for Air. (5) Malte Gerhold Bennet Street vs. Science -JifKhese guys got another album? One * year after the mediocre Supernatural made no impact what so ever, wait, you might have been annoyed by 'Mum's gone to Iceland' once or two, the Reading Rockers Bennet have returned. Simon Mayo's pet band have become ironically post-modern, jaunty tunes with more fiendish lyrics. 'Irony, the last refuge of the scoundrel'. If only these guys had the intelligence. I only managed to pick out 2 songs that have any kind of positive attribute. 'The Horse's Mouth', the live fave Generation Pepsi renames, attempts a US piss take, but really misses it a bit. 'Built to Last' is the only song with any near beauty, but again it doesn't really hit the spot. The problem with this band is that the rocky stuff is too wimpish and the slower, supposedly more sentimental, songs are too juvenile. The singer's, Jason Applin, voice is too weak. This is real wuss-rock. I mean, the recent single, '1 Like Rock' - if sincere - makes them all sound like 12 year olds. But, most of these guys are married. If it's supposed to be ironic, then it isn't. It was simply crap. How can you possible respect a band who has a sample from Shane Richie in their first track? The music itself it incredibly basic. Lead. Rhythm, Bass, Drums and the odd bit of synth in the background. I thought music was moving on? As a result the album becomes a little repetitive. But to be fair, that simplicity does sometimes make for some good head shaking and banging, and I can see the odd track playing well at 2am in a club, but the album as a whole can get quite tiring, quite quickly.... (4). Daniel Lewis Junkie XL Saturday Teenage Kick At 2 0' clock in the morning anything sounds 'mad', but this is sure to wake you up. This CD comes with a health warning, wake up your neighbours and have a party feel the music and go crazy! The music is very 'club land' with a striking beat, the kind of music any 18 year old would listen to when high (on coca cola that is). The fact that this album is produced by Junkie XL and subtitled 'Saturday teenage kick' really does say it all. Each song has its own message, whether it be about 'underachievers' (unite don't hide) or a 'future in computer heir(LSE e-mail system).The lyrics to the main song 'S-T-K' definitely has something to say to your average LSE student "you've been living in rot, but you can say you 're not, but in ease you forgot, you gotta give it your best shot " This cyber -tech hard music is not easy listening it's meant to shake you and have you jumping around, if you like this type then I recommend this album otherwise stay well away (feel free to come and get this from me anytime). I end by quoting from the inside cover warning: DO NOT INSTALL THIS SOFTWARE IF YOU ARE DEASILY FRIGHTENED. 2) ARE OF WEAK SPIRIT.3}UNABLE TO COPE WITH L/M SATURATION (WHAT?????). DON'T SAY YOU WEREN'T WARNED Have a nice day ant Piss take? ^ Brough ............................. @LA2 As thiri > ork.f>u're bein^ ambu->htd bj a Hanson caac Hanson through hH Nirvana phase, walks on, apolitgises for being late, nods to the jjuitarist and rips into the ne« sinsle, a c<»er<.f 'Jesns ii<«sn't want me for a Siinhcam'. Their 0%>n maleriai seems to he »ithuut direction, vmie of the Ivrics sounding like the raiidnm jabbering of a madman. c«nlu>ed uroup, i (riod to arab an interview back stage b> the dressing riKim was fuli of % their hometown". Yes. tiuile. Brou^h. interesting enough, worth gi\ ing a quick peek. THE BEAVER NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 MUSIC 11 ioiog m TidketB £11-00 Hurricane #I,Sargent, The soundtrack of our lives @ The Astoria You the man. You da fucking man'. Yes quite. Marginalising Finley Quaye to the A.storia 2, Hurricane #1 and a group of misfits politely referred to as the support acts take over the big 'un next door. First up a very weird collection of individuals entitled The Soundtrack of our Lives, Soundtrack, the psychedelic Swedish in.sanity basket, all look like they've just escaped from a west-country Firkin Mental Hospital, with a singer reminiscent of a 70's retro Chas (of Chas and Dave fame) arsing around the stage in his muumuu. taking out the bassist on a regular basis with his drunken llailings and a drummer looking like a schoolteacher and a potential child molester, tossing his sticks in the air. pointing at the crowd. But they were far more intere.sting then their music. Exciting but trite. The scousers Sargent look like a re-jig of the Beatles, and sounded to a great degree identical to them. Tribes on the Amazon, yet untouched by civilisation would have recognised their second .song as Come Together. Blended with a little Ocean Colour Scene, some Cast and a dash of Oasis - So 7/8ths Beatles then - every song was vaguely familiar and adequately head shaking to provide fair support for #1. The first man to appear on stage for Hurricane #1 was the lead guitar, the freaky Beck/Graham Coxon combination known as ex-Ride Andy Bell, followed, at a fashionable distance of course, by Alex Lowe (da man). The management guys have given him a little bit of a make over since I saw him last, the Liam swagger has become more pronounced, the hair shorter and spikier, but the little wry facial expressions at the crowd remain. He's loving it up there. At least once the crowd starts getting into it. This takes about three songs. By then the 'moshing' gang has started bouncing like fools, crushing small oriental women. Then da man approaches the Mic, and announces 'this is, erm,' he peels away as he says,' Chain Reaction'. Chain reaction indeed, ripples of excitement expand to the back, bounce back and everyone finds themselves crushing forward for the first few powerchords. A great rendition. A few more songs that I've never heard then the latest single 'Step into my world' kicks off, varying from the album, this is the fresh, dancier version. A bit of 'Just an Illusion' goes down bloody well, then they stroll off to cliche, 30 minutes my arse. A brief minute behind stage, refreshing their Evians (I thought this was Rock and/or Roll), hand to ear. 'More', a couple of drunk people scream. More there is, including the passable B-Side 'Keep Walkin'. Then they finally leave. Andy Bell has stated that every track on the debut album could be a single. A little exaggerated perhaps but on the evidence tonight they do have potential. These guys are no oasis -1 could get tickets for these guys - but I'm sure we'll hear more of them. Worth a listen...if you've got nothing better to do Dan Lewis. Bush & Three Colours Red @ Brixton Aaademy lands up who fancies Gavin Rossdale? Yeah, me too. But unlike America, where [they outsell Oasis, the Brits seem to realise that they haven't got a hope-in hell of '.shagging Gavin, and as such response has been much more tepid on these shores. But you poor lads, you must be either very stupid or very brave to choose Three Colours Red as support. 3CR are always a phenomenal live act, and tonight is no exception. They deliver the goods in the quantity you want them, and gift wrapped in a plethora of guitar riffs and melodies that leave you thinking that this should be the true detmition of music. Each of their songs seems to have been formulated specifically for their live act, and current single, 'This Is My Hollywood' is a typical example: simple yet mind blowing pop-punk rock. Guitarist Chris McCormack does well in his job of eyeing the crowd and pogoing around like some deranged madman, whilst singer Pete Vuckovic delivers the passion, singing the lyrics with a venom that could very well be fatal. My only criticism (and believe me, I'm clutching at straws) is the omission of live favourites, such as 'Sunny In England' or 'Love's Cradle'. Ripping through a set is where 3CR excel, so slower tunes like 'Throughbreeze' seem a little out of place. But as I said. I'm clutching at straws, and once again the guys perform like they were born with a guitar strung around their shoulders. By contrast, headliners Bush seem not to go in for the in-yer-face style that has become synonymous with 3CR, and instead spend a set amount of time devoted to jamming around. Although this may be very well with bands that can. Bush...er...can't. Other than this fault, it's the songs that let Bush down. The Nirvana likeness is too significant to think they're doing anything original, and after the punch that 3CR packed, mediocre rock songs are less than what we expect. But there's an exception to every rule, and while songs like 'Come Down' come close to being fuck-off fantastic, the winner tonight is 'Machinehead', a song that electrified the Academy so much, that with the sweat coming off the enthusiastic crowd, there was sure to be an electrocution somewhere in the audience. Another plus point was the enthusiasm of lead singer and the aforementioned heartthrob Gavin. Throwing himself around the stage like the music was possessing him, and seeing his eyes squeezed tight whilst singing in an attempt to contain himself helped to increase that all important stage presence, and they way in which he sung the lines 'There's no sex in your violence' during big-hit-single 'Everything Zen' made you want to check him for scars. Why this momentum wasn't present in their whole set may have had something to do with the fact that they were on for nearly two hours. It would have been much better if they had played a shortened set as support, whilst 3 Colours Red needed more time to get in the 10 or 11 needed songs of theirs to make a perfect set. Swap their positions on the bill, and you would have had a faultless night. shilpa ganatra Carrie @ The Monarch, Camden ' arrie are probably hoping no-otie rash (rorn their tecoixi company was in Camden last night. Although The Monarch isn't exactly the jt^largest venue in London any band tipped as "going to make it big" should really be aiming to get it slightly more than a third full (The expanse between stage and crowd suggested that Moses was working secuiity). Looking at the crowd, or rathat the absence of one, it would seem that very few people seemed willing to pay a fiver to check out the We-st Coast's latest guitar based exports. At least Carrie had the aid of PR to drag their potential fans out of the woodwork, support acttjrouch were denied even that. And it's a shame because Grouch really do deserve to get a wider audience, definitely one bigger than Carrie's. Although at times they drifted into aknost 80's mullet rock tenitory. Grouch still managed to produce some very impressive: chunks of post-^vnge a la Foo fighters and some surprisingly memorable tunes (If you ever end up seeing them check out'out of the blues'). Cairie, on the other hand... well. From the outset it appeared as though the lead singer's ego travelled to the gig in a separate coach. Every song of the evening was graced by at least onecringingley unfunny littk ("Only Carrie would've thought of fusing Black Sabbath with Simon and Garfunkel"), each, greeted by silence from the audience. Throughout the set it seemed as though he was more concerned with getting his attitude riglit rather thiui his music. And that can really piss you off when it tunis out that music is Carrie's true strength. Despite the odd blip, (surprisingly their first single. Breathe Underwater, do^'tconieiacaioss well live) Carrier^y do kick oat some iitpessive tunes, coming across as a heavier v^ion of Fountains of Wayne. However M times you do have to wonder whetlier are all those guitars really necessary tor relatively basic melodies. I like CatiieMt maybe they're iKrt statedforUveikkforrriaiices. Overall Carrie ate still unsure of thertiselves. WM ajsat from the singer but then he's a dick (C'mon kill me with younnind powers. I dare ya, Carrie) Matt Bro! .¦ iL « 1 J "J Dirty Balfour's Filthy Poetry Corner. - or - to- /4ft*ce eUicf An ode to Aggie(and her legs) - or - Even though I'm dirty. I'm so glad you're flirty. You're the girl for mc. Although I'm only 4'3 ". Don't misunderstand mc please... Just get dow n on your knees Cos I've got a big surprise... I can look you in the eyes. I'm dirtier than thou I'll be the bull, you be the cow. Run my fingers through your hair -I'll be Sonny, you be Cher 000 I've got you babe. I've only got one caution. Alas. I'm built all in proportion. Straighter than a broken arrow Get your hands on my marrow If only you were a child We could go Oscar Wilde. Why I luv school (by Dave age 201/2) F'illh) is my mitltllc name Take nic now 1 lia\c no shame an\ labour law I ahlior More 'hanky* panky give to mc only under three Call me depraved I tell you what I cra\e. Km a short Marquis de Sade Fisting makes me really hard. Animals, children, holes in the wall. Give me something new. I've done ihcm ail. Playing at Lego-ver Barbie. Ken. and Action man. If I can'l do it. no one can at night I'll keep you warmer If 1 can play with your Transformer You ne\ cr make me gladder Than when u e play snakes and ladders AikI super ted Is in my bed An(.l. you happy cater. ril show \ou my Blue Peter. Please don'l IVighten. Cos I hale it when you lighten..... Come on hai bie l.els go |ian\ next week, poetry fans. THE BEAVER -NOVEMBER 4 L.A. Confidential Kevin Spac»y, Ouy Pearce, ftussell Crowe, Danny Oe vito, and the aging yet still one wood in the: morning Kim Basslnger A' The City of Angels shows that it can raise a tittle hell Daniel "Night" Lewis egular readers of this page would have spotted a preview of this film a month ago. You see, we were right, this film is damn good. Set in noirish fifties Hollywood this film has everything, "the complete entrails of crime's underbelly. Starting with the large intestines of drugs, down to the small intestines of mobster assassination and sleazy Hollywood hacks setting up busts, further down to prostitution. But each cliche comes with its own twist. Did they really have heroin in the 50's? Were prostitutes ever given cosmetic surgery to resemble celebrities? Were there so many bent cops? Well now I believe so. All the acting is top notch. Kevin Spacey plays a celebrity copper, advisor to a top crime show, who gets juicy busts set up by Danny De Vito, a dodgy hack who writes the Hush-Hush crime magazine. Back at the Police House leading the mob of policemen who go all out for truth and justice (however it s accomplished) is Bud White, played by the excellent Russell Crowe (an excellent piece of casting, even if his similarity to Spacey left me quite confused for the first 30 minutes). At the other end of the spectrum is Ed Exley, a golden boy policeman who does everything by the book, played by Guy Pearce (a bit of a change from Priscilla Queen of the Desert and, erm. Neighbours and Home and Away). The leading lady, who doesn't play as large a part as all the posters seem to indicate (you know, the ones where her breasts are bigger then the rest of the cast put together) is hooker Lynn Bracken, played by the 'still got it' Kim Basinger. Her acting is probably the least impressive and no, I'm sorry to relate, she doesn't gel naked. Basinger is merely peripheral to the plot, which (cliche alert) follows Ed and Bud, two cops who hate each other but end up having to join forces to try and get to the bottom of the Night Owl case. All the supposedly disparate strands intertwine on their way to a thrilling conclusion. At over two hours long this is a big movie, but don't worry you won't look at your watch once. It may be a little hard to follow in parts, but it flows smoothly enough. At times, especially during the first half there are some very humourous moments, which detract a little from the gravitas the film so richly deserves. Here too the cinematography is a little disappointing, the atmosphere needed to be darker like 'Seven', but then again how can you make L.A. dark? The sound is superb, and I strongly suggest you see the film in one of these new fangled cinemas with THX, because it really does add to the film. The ending might be a little obvious, but trust me, there are more twists here then a pile of writhing worms on a helter skelter on a mountain road. I won't give away the ending, but I blame Hollywood. If your grant can stretch to a night at the cinema this is the one to see. Superb. ¦HELFGOTT SHINES THROUGH - EVENTUAL BY DAVID RAMROOP You've seen the movie, bought the CD - and (he man himself has come to town. On Monday 2()th Oclober. David Helfgott played the Rach 111 thai precipitated his nervous breakdown, for the first time in public, in Britain. The general critical opinion is thai Helfgott's own emotion transcends the pieces; the composer s spirit is lost somewhere in ihe midst of it all. However, the Royal Albert Hall was sold out and was treated.initially to three classical pieces beautifully performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This set the night up impressively for the now world renown pianist. The atmosphere in the interval before Helfgott came on was one of tension, expectation and hope that he hadn't buckled The audience had obviously thought, sod the critics, but were there mainly because of the man and not the music - like myself. Helfgott's enlry was both comical and inspiring. He was full ol nervous excitement and was continually mumbling to himself. He shook hands profusely with the members of the Orchestra in his immediate vicinity and not so much bowed, but rocked continually directing pelvic thrusts towards the audience. He was enjoying himself. Hav ing made a fuss in adjusting his chair he played the first part ol' the Rachmaninov piano Concerto No..^. It was pretty ordinary. Any power that the music had was submerged by the mutterings of the pianist. Okay, he's not quite with it mentally, but it just spoilt the music. Furthermore, the coordination between piano and Orchestra seemed disjointed. In contrast, part two of the Concerto was simply brilliant. The Rach 111 contains more notes per second than any other piano piece and Helfgott's execution was superb. His fingers caressing the keys, the conductor's gold ring occasionally glistening in the stage lights and the sheer beauty of the Orchestral accompaniment ensured all was forgiven, and made the tortuous Albert Hall seats comfortable again. The climax of the Concerto will remain long in Ihe memory and so will the seemingly endless standing ovation. He returned to the stage lour times in response to the calls of the audience, but there was no encore. One felt sorry for the two gentlemen from the violin accompaniment, whose hands were shaken about twenty times by Helfgott as he basked in the audience's appreciation. Momldv at Riverside Studios Hammersmith 0181 741 7255 Mark's advice: Don't take your granny. If I said, "It's got tit sucking, masturbating and lesbian sex", not only would the wrong type of I person go and see this, but I would have missed the point. l.D. is not a play, it is a total sensory 1 assault. Physical, visual, aural and mental stimuli slap you around the face and make what is essentially a discussion of sexuality and the popular gay and club culture one and half hours of pure and total entertainment. Here we go: Five chairs. A long table. Glasses of mineral water. A lesbian, a gay man, two bisexuals, a straight woman and a mass of paper. It starts as a seminar (or seamanar as he said) on gay identity but intermeshed with this are dances, sketches and prose all inviting us to re-examine our views of 'deviant' sexuality. But again, saying it has just one aim would be unjust. The above is a straight blokes view.Gays, lesbians and bi-folk may have different ideas. One guy said "No closet in sight. This is me, it's in my face and I f**king love it." It's hard to sum up exactly how I feel about it. It made me laugh (although there were quite a few 'private jokes' which went way over my head) and it made me think. The one thing 1 m not sure about is when someone says "We're all different" and then professes to speak for all gay men" and "all bisexuals". (Hmmm - Ed) ^\Nice handling! Drivin s not bod either. Nina Soteri sooks up iced tea with Jason P me md Death in Long /L, ' ¦" '•"i' This page has been brought to you in association with Yasmine Chinwala,(first time her name has ever been spelt right in the Beaver), new Arts Editor If you are interested m reviewing i.e. getting free conic to the G^llective every [I he story follows a recently widowed reclusive writer "®^Giles De'Ath (John Hurt) as he discovers the realities * of the 21st Century after walking into the wrong screen at the cinema. He sees a seriously dodgy movie and as a result becomes obsessed with American teen idol, Ronnie Bostock (Jason Priestley), eventually pursuing him to his Long Island home to fill his head with dreams of Europe and a cultural career. De'Ath compares Bostock's work with that of Shakespeare, and tries to convince him that they are in the same line of business; entertaining the masses in the pit with their skills, whilst sending out a subliminal message. An interesting and rather dubious perception, especially after considering the clips from Bostock's acting career which are revealed to the viewer through the course of the film. This collision of culture involves an attempt by Giles to woo Ronnie from his fiance, Audrey (Fiona Loewi). Ironically, the story could so easily have been about Jason Priestley's own acting career to date - aspiring actor repeatedly type cast as the all American high school hunk, despite the fact that his teen days have long since passed him by - possibly a fact that Priestley himself has recognised in accepting the role of Ronnie. Full credit to him though, as he certainly delivers a credible performance, as does John Hurt playing the disturbingly obsessive and manipulate Giles, A classic comic line appears in one of the many dubious films in Ronnie's portfolio, where he refers to a kid that falls for one of his pranks as " just another skid mark on the underpants of life". Profound. Aside from that though, the laughs are few. This is a thought provoking movie, tackling one's individual perceptions on the basis of life experiences. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••** HiSMiiBS THE KEAVliR NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 ARTS 13 London Film Feature tU Starting on Nov. 6 and running to Nov. 21 the worlds largest non-competive Film Festival takes hold of London. In this the 41st year of the Festival it is again centered in Leicester Sq. Where over 400 films will be shown. Executive Arts Editor DH Balfour has obtained - by the most dubious and dirty of methods- access to all the goings on. What follows is merely a precursor to two weeks of film madness. Groovy Baby. f 1 itQlkgii hu 13 @ 9:15 Odeon West End 'reviewed last week, this French flick, takes on all the baggage of underclass france, from ethnic minorities and gangsters to all night raves and drug addiction. Pretty bold for a love story. jjaving missed the Catholic Society "meeting I saw this film in an attempt to get closer to my god. Instead of gettin; the body of Christ, my mouth opened to the sight of amazinglj fit French birds. Very cngros.sing tale of lust, motorbikes and the tedium of a small town in Francc, Thu 6@ 20:15 Odeon LaceshrSq. jjands up all those who wanna "Helen Bonham Carter. Right the have the audience of this exqui professional 30"s period film. This semi-autobiographical story by G. Orwell is eminently watchable if a little less than subtle in its intentions. Tim Bdge ^ Fri I4@ 8:30 Odeon West End is the kind of movie Craig A'oiild T like. If you know Craig, you will know to stay away from ii. For the needs to be clarified how shit this is. This is tawdry pile of yankee wank. Hopkins and Baldwin would have done belter to make a snuff movie, preferably about the scriptwriter. ailed a French family drama of !^the 'intimist' school it reall; in the incest school. Incidently N^here Zak Shaikh just graduated from. The only real reason this film is included here is the picture. What is he looking for? Actually, its exceedingly engaging. Tmnty four Seven Wed 19 ® 8:45 OdeonWestE^ l^-eaiure Film debut with Bob Ho 1* Sounds a bit like Bob's Ame Accent in Roger Rabbit? Not a bit flick is deeply touching and strangely cool. Hoskins battles gangsters and local financiers to open a boxing club to give direction to unemployed youth. Not nearly as simple as it seems. Sat I5(S) 1:15 Odeon West End A gentle innocent tale of decapi cranial splitting. Using thi narrative of a really long law blade. Set in an unrepentantly backward town in Georgia, the ascetically numb amongst us would find it slow. 70's sex stallion Jon Ritter co-stars as ageing southern "fudgepacker". shag e you iitely LLLUU rest It even kms. rican Thi ation and age old n-mower Sun 9 @8:45 Odeon West End -eSi^he worst thing about this movie is * that is actually very good. We all want Stallone to fail, but he comes up trumps. Small town New Jersey made to feel as desolate and lawless as the Old west. Star studded this movie has every hard man in Hollywood in it, De Niro, Liotta, and Keitel. 3:45& 8:45 OdeonWcstEnd d hair jokes aside, this niavee take on Pal arkers novel completely fails in attem Idling to convey the relationship between Sasson and Wilfred Owen. Oh.shit Ziegricd Sasson. That aside, it focuses on other issues of book and handles them very well Especially worth it for the Trench scenes, and J. Price's army doctor. iMoutJMr Uv^ 4:00 il:30 NFR V Zealand- Land of sheep and ountains? Not quite. This south of Ihc elquator flick is one of the most Till yovies of the year. Quirky, awkward and exciting. Feature; real live human birth in anima hospital. Rolf even couldn" guess what it was._ Love Can Seriously ,,«,«JIamamJ^ou^Usalm Fri I4@ 12:45 & 6:00 OdeonWestBid ector of last years saucy Spanish sex-omedy. Mouth to Mouth, returns with y talc of a love that never happens, over thirty years. Ami-chronological this film cleverly weaves it bizarre story together, but spends a bit too much time on the characters in middle age. Men 10 @16:00 & 21:00 Odeon West End I Uew meaning is given to the age old '"'phrase, " getting a stiffy" in the ibtle talc of fucking dead people. It ould seem that all morticians enjoy the pressing the cold flesh with their clients. They don't even carc how they died, but they sure like better if the smell of formaldehyde. ^One fligM Staad Sun 23@ 19:00 EMPIRE Leicester Sq. ike Figgis's new movie, it is stylish •and .sophisticated and proves (hat S lipes can really act as human instead the twisted ball-crushing steroid junkies he usual plays Playing on filmic conceits and making them seem natural is Figgis's forte. Fri 7 @ 23:45 Odeon West End uffer the Children I always say, and finally here is a film that does just t. Gigantic genetically altered insects provide the gore in this Mira Serving flick. Not bad, but not enough cot death for my liking._ 14 ADVF.RTTSFMENT THE BEAVER Issue 469 - NOVEMBER 4 JPMorffan o Opportunities for all degree disciplines •:r ^ Careers PresentaMon ' ; ? ^ « t €riobal Investment Banking 6.00 p.m. Wednesday 12th November - Mergers & Acquisitions Room A86, Gromid Floor, ^ < - Capt^ MOTk^tse ; % Main l^uflding^'LSE f I > . ^ ^ ; r ¦ i:-: *•* \., . P ^w.jpmorgan.Gom THE BEAVER NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 FASHION 15 The Beaver on,.. Oxford Street Zoe Peden takes a walk down London's busiest shopping street Thank God, for Oxford Street. Shoppers haven, Street of tack, call it what you like it is the busiest street in the country and the most prosperous. It starts at Tottenham Court Road tube station and continues all the way to Marble Arch, and you had better wear comfy shoes as it takes a good forty minutes without stopping. Plus you would be a fool to do so, as with this supreme guide you can find what you want where you want in the minimum time and for those who already know it all you'll just have to endure. I know shopping is supposed to be relaxed and fun but Oxford Street at anytime is an absolute nightmare - getting wedged between people around Oxford Circus and tourists abruptly stopping in front of you to ponder while thousands walk past - time is of the essence. There are a number of facts about Oxford Street you must learn before attempting to master the crush. 1. The majority of shops at the Tottenham Court Road end are trash, avoid them at all costs as they will seriously rip you off on a "dodgy" rolex and try sell you a shell suit. 2. At the crossing between Top Shop and Hennes do not wait for the traffic to stop or you will be crushed underneath a human pile up, just take the plunge and cross -hundreds of others will join you and the cars will be forced to stop. 3. There is no need to walk the length of Oxford Street as the shops repeat themselves, I have lost count of how many Boots there are. The majority of the High street clothes shops I am about to mention are for women, but I will mention some for the boys at the end. The reason for this bias is that it seems that the majority of men do not understand fashion and detest shopping, the Beaver office confirms this. For ease of understanding I have categorised the most popular clothes shops into cost, style and reputation, starting with the worst. Category 1 Mark One, New Look One small step above the dodgy shops. cheap - plain t- shirt £4.99 - trousers £10-15 casual wear, suits, lots of Spice Girl on a budget. OK, if you want something plain and don't want it more than 6 months as it is likely to fade or fall apart. These are definitely "keep the receipt shops" and provide an embarrassment factor of 10. I used to wait outside while my mum hunted for a bargain. Category 2 Miss Selfridge, Top Shop, Hennes High fashion within a couple of months Trousers £25-50 Dresses £15-70 Hennes is the cheaper of the three, with masses queues and seams that frequently come apart. The underwear is very nice. Top Shop has got a lot of separate franchises inside and is full of variety and even has a petite section and a great range of coats at the moment. The club gear isn't bad too but beware of copy cat spice. Miss Selfridge is similar to above but smaller and the make up section is great with hundreds of wacky colours. Category 3 Morgan, jane Norman, Kookai, French Connection, Warehouse, Oasis Skirts £25-60 Dresses £40-100 All of the above sell similar types of clothes with French Connection being slightly more expensive. In comparison to 1 and 2, they are much more classy, well fitting and will last. Morgan can be a bit tacky with its huge labelling and Warehouse uninspiring. French Connection have an excellent new range of charcoals and silver greys, lilac, baby pink and grape.They also have plenty of knee length skirts, with shiney and siver thread. I would buy the place out if 1 had a few spare grand. Embarrassment factor of a half for Morgan t- shirts and bags. Shoe shops can be put into the above categories too. Shoe Express definitely goes into category one Shelly's, Sacha, Faith and Dolcis, all a bit platformy and so go into category 2. Office and Ravel offer a classic range and so purchases here are definitely in category 3. Last and not least, the boys Mr Byrite is a definite 1 and should be avoided at all costs- you can buy a polyester suit for £40. Top Shop has a decent section called Top Man, large and varied. Madhouse has a great range of designer jeans and shirts, but avoid the coloured ISL shirts as they bring images of Grant of Eastenders to mind. French Connection has a very creative and attractive menswear section. Men take the hint. There are many, many more shops to see -if you have the hours and days. ¦ . ' • ¦. ¦ i.i : ¦¦ r ^ v.- • • From November 10, the collective meeting will be held on a Monday at 6pm in Room C023 All are welcome 16 FF.ATT TRF.S THE BEAVER Issue 469 - NOVEMBER 4 Put the Boot in, Blunkett Alex King on the privileges of a Canfibridge education and the price of excellence Last week's Beaver carried the news that the University of Cambridge was to set targets for the proportion of state school students to be admitted, and was to appoint an "access officer" who would put the policy into action. Well, actually Cambridge is doing neither. Mind you, the Financifil Times got it wrong too, as did The Times and The Telegraph, so perhaps we shouldn't browbeat our local newshounds too Cambridge proclaims its excellence and demands extra financial support to ensure its future harshly. To let you into a secret, eager reader, the fact of the matter is that one committee thinks these would be good things to do. The rest of Cambridge's willing gerontocracy has yet to decide. There's still a good story to be sniffed out here, though. The national focus on Cambridge's admissions statistics comes at a time when the fusty fenland institution is being investigated by Sergeant Blunkett and his trusty officers on the beat. The girls and boys in purple are trying to decide whether they should continue to shell out £35 million extra to Cambridge on top of its allocation through the national funding formula for Higher Education institutions. At present this little nest-egg is distributed directly to the colleges of the University, in order to pay for their somewhat pricey small group teaching systems. At present this debate is being conducted in the banal terms familiar to all watchers of British politics. At least, the parts of the debate given an airing by the media are. Perhaps, in smokefilled Whitehall rooms, politicians, academics and accountants are thrashing out the philosophical and practical arguments for and against the college fee system. Sadly, I think not. Is good teaching for To this observer at least, the government seems to be concerned only with a static situation, one in which Cambridge proclaims its excellence and demands extra financial support to ensure its future. The government is faced with important issues of excellence and equity, yet the only choice Blunkett and cronies seem to have set themselves is a simple yay or nay. Not good enough, I say. Anyone who is (a) a one-time Cambridge student or (b) a reasonably intelligent individual might wish the claim of excellence to be examined a little more closely. Opinionated little snot-nosed student I may be, but if Cambridge wishes to bag more cash on account of its "excellent" teaching system, it would seem reasonable to say: show me excellence and I'll show you my cheque book. Or in short: prove it. good money that much to ask? The reports produced by the national university inspectorate, HEFCE, generally praise the windy city's departments. There are, of course, ways and means of shielding the "still standing-but-only-just" kind of lecturers from the beady eye of the inspector. So maybe we should look to a pop-sociology assessment of Cambridge "excellence". An ex-Cantabridgian myself, I got Jeeves to plug himself into the old boys' network and get a few opinions on the matter. Here's what he came up with: one recent graduate said, "There was precious little teaching in Cambridge. There was the odd inspirational lecturer, various charismatic academics, but the idea of actually learning anything from those on high remained an idea". Another recipient of excellence thought that, "Most of my supervisions were, frankly crap. The one or two that weren't could hardly be said to be a product of the unique structure of Cambridge funding. A lot of the time I felt intellectually unsupported." Of course, these were both social science students, who would doubtless have a few words to say about Jeeves' sampling methods, but you get the idea. Photo: Library spend oodles on Cambridge noodles, it surely has the right to ask where its hard-earned money is going. This is the era of added value after all. Maybe we could look to that bastion of radical politics, Cambridge's erstwhile Student Union, to come up with a dynamic, modern yet realistic answer. Surely the next generation of Harmans and Browns could get together in their impressive three-room, two photocopier, no-staff building to beat out a New Deal? Er, no. The mighty CUSU thinks that the colleges should be made to publish their accounts. This is all well and good, except that as private institutions the colleges don't have to and have no intention of doing so. It is possible that a five-person rally or a six-egg attack could change this, but the college bursars don't look too worried. Put me in Blunkett's size tens and I "There was precious little teaching at Cambridge"..."A lot of the time I felt intellectually unsupported" would say this: colleges, friends, countrymen, on what grounds should I stump up? Will you spend my millions on that '47 Chateau Lafite you've had your eye on? On a new hunting outfit for the master? Or will you (for the first time) invest in training, that's TRAINING, your teaching staff? What about modernising (sorry, the m- word) your assessment system? How about some accountability -in five years show me how much better the teaching is? Don't put your foot in it, Blunkett - put the boot in. The Beaver Coll h From 1 023 Friendly Germans Ruth Harte presents the German association of friends of LSE The German Association of Friends of LSE and its work have taken a rise since the centenary week of the School in 1995. In November 1995 a new national committee was elected, the Association was reorganised and new activities were initiated. The Association today has about 120 members and wants to offer all former German LSE students an interesting platform to meet. The Association was founded in 1985 on initiative of Sir Ralf Dahrendorf, the director of the School from 1974 to 1984. The intention was in the first place to give former German LSE students an opportunity to meet, to share common experiences and come together for certain events. It is also intended to keep contact with the School and to give ideal support to the plans and activities of the School. Furthermore, the Association initiates contacts and links to other Alumni associations in nearby countries (i.e. Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Poland). The main work of the Association takes place in the different regional groups which exist throughout Germany: in the Southwest, in Munich, in Frankfurt, in the Duesseldorf/ Cologne/ Bonn region, in Hamburg and in Berlin. The regional groups are independent, this means that they decide about the events they offer, for example lectures, seminars, sight-seeing tours etc. Once a year the Association invites all members for the general meeting; a new committee is elected and a discussion takes place on next year's plans and activities. Usually a speaker is invited to the general meeting to host the members. This year Dr Anthony Giddens, the new director of the School will be our guest speaker. If you are curious and interested to get more information about the Association, its activities, its members etc, we would be happy to get in touch with you. Please write or call Mr Christof A Marre Kapellstr. 42 40479 Duesseldorf Tel: 0049-211-1383157 (day-time) He will be happy to answer your questions and of course we would like to welcome you as a new member. The annual fee is 100 DM, For those who are still studying or not yet in a working position, the fee is only 50 DM. THE BEAVER NOVEMBER 4 - Issue 469 CAMPUS 17 Julia Yowles reports back from her adventurous night at the Rainforest Cafe m m J urcd :l>y the prospect ot'.a ¦ m tropica! and exotic night (although in, Vick^?;s;; il was ih<; 'live ami animatud wildlife* whicli proved traly tempting); we; found outselves: Tiidu!gi%vi« ;tiJC culinaiy ,of ifi^ Raiaforest Cafe, v%aftesi)wy' In the annoying style of tiil good theme restaurants, you arc exiting, as yo» are bound t^:Sange your mind abour the necessity of a souvenir after you have experienced "the adventure'). Cynicism aside, the retail village .is; actually quite itnp:e-.^i\i .md "Juipriiiiiiilj not too piieey luen it >iui .'re not diniii;!. ii is worth u visit, il rmK tii h-jw.; d e'liit wilh witjiesis the wotjJd-bc fit man beitig to look like a prize prat by greeting Li.M(>mei«. v.iih a Muffid gi'tilla oil his hc.iil "I he .shop :iKo biiasi-. <1 splailiir.F lilc-M/f ^crocodile along with Mv« aitliough typically when Ttie restaurant, which occupies: the i; lower two floors of the buHdingi- sUows you to fea^t whilst being sunx)UtKied by'®fe "sights, and smeils^ibf'A; tropical wonderlaiiir- The autheaticity of the ^ simulated tropical rainfot'eiS is added to. by aaimatronic inhabitants such as the lluttering huKctflies, swinging: moiikey.si tTumpeting eiephants and chattering . gorillas, "algng with the occasidnal ; thunder-storm;for-good Bseasure^1;& be:. : quite honest, we fouiul the plastic vegetation to lie .a.litOfe oVirwhehfeg and the ,thuader,#!TOS :off-putting. Fur^emiore, .considering that we were under the illusion of being in the tropics, it Seemed odd that ; the air coiiditioning was .set to make ; everyone shiver. .As for our 'Safari Guide' / Waiter,: the title of 'parasite' would have been far more appropriate, and our meal would have certainly been more enjoyable if his back-side had not been thru.st into our faces periodically as he tried to pass (a result of utilising every last square.;i^h j»f,^ !,pace to achieve the 340 .seat capacity of However, when it comes to the food, ; the Raittforest Cafe really cannot be ipifteaSlSMiiiM problem being that there was jast too much to choose from. We each managed to md the 'Amaztm Bruscfaetta* (£5J$y that sampled definitely g«ttiag tise thambs itp. For tbc main coarse there k ati extensive .chalBei^ .saladsj saedmiiehes, ifjllirgers, flatbreada. pasta, or the, ultimate 'On Safari;enlrees'. In total no fewer than 40 .dish^s;to choose, from, witfi prices; ranging from £5.?5: for a 'pardBi) of Eden" or 'Islander" .Salad, to £13.85 for dishes such, is 'The Prima! Cut' 120/. sirloin steak, 'Tr^e 'Top Tenderltjin' |whicl! ¦ appaieinly brings out Ihc 'iMV-an or Jane in you!'?!) or .* Jatnaica, Me Crazy', oae of the •Speciality signature dishes which comprises of grilled pffc efops dusted \^ith :Iamaican and C.ajuh :seasDningSj nestled on bed of spicy red :beans,aBd rice, and served;with; apple ehathe;^! After ;spendiiig-:;what ¦seemed like ^ ah eternity pondeong;over the main course menu, the 'JottrticyTs iEnd* dessert list seemed rather limited. However, there are always; the: SrhoptMc-s (made with non-fat frozen :yoghuK;yOu yiil be relieved to hear), or the fresh juice bar if you want to be really good;:;;::;: fc;:!;; However, despite the excellent food, the highlight of the menu, even if you are ; not a ca^hg :«icohoiic, had;to lilifete of i£1.2.i). a- i.;i-!nunf:iik'd by dear William (ourpriMinal S.ilan Cluulc). was ntiihmii slwrt of f^alous, and is a rnuM (especially if you like rum). Certain cocktails such as ttie'iSpefllllsli^st' arc almost a meal in a gl8sO:i||;;fesiM;; "certainly: act.M substitute -^^^ri^;Mgp:iitile: uninspra urge to.trysome, the best advice if to sample a glass; (£2.75) before commif&g ySufsel|:sio;'a -2. litre jug«(i;f#;9S)i- incidentally, for that ;adde* soefcs. No onij cysrf drinks it: tiike i said. Tone's a bit of:» ::weird bloke.; :Hs;#Bi|(W-iasigh: