V O I • S ; . . / . ST. GODRIC'S SECRETARIAL COLLEGE For Administrative and Secretarial Careers Intensive Courses for Graduates for well-paid and responsible posts. Active Appointments Departnnent. Expert advice on careers and individual care. Resident and day students accepted. Special Courses in Administration and Management, Journalism, Advertising, Languages and Foreign Shorthands, Hospital, Library and Political work. Atyplyio: J-W. LOVERIDGE, M.A. (Cantab.) 2 Arkwright Road, Hampstead N.W.3 Telephone: HAMpstead 5986 J sg" 50C"ri95S J anO \ NEWSPAPER OF THE STUDENTS' UNION, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE (UNIVERSITY OF LONDON) OCTOBER 4th, 1956 THREEPENCE SIMMOKDS University Booksellers Our shop is not the biggest in London, but it is amongst the best. And it's a place where you will obtain individual attention. We stock most of the books on your syllabus, and we are five minutes from L.S.E. 16 Fleet Street, London, E.C.4 (Opposite Chancery Lane) BUMPER CROP OF STOP PRESS THE REFECTORY We have been informed at the time of going to press, tliat a short pamphlet—"A Fresher's Introduction to the Refectory Question"—will be issued on Saturday, October 29th. This concise statement, which has been prepared by Keith Beaumont, the Union Refcctory Officer, deserves attention as a calm and unbiased appraisal of the situation. Anybody who does not obtain a copy on Saturday may do so by adding their names to the list which will be found on the Welfare Notice Board (next to the Official Correspondence Pigeon-Holcs). -f -f SECOMBE ACCEPTS Mr. Harry Secombe, who was elected Honorary President of the Students' Union at last year's Annual General Meeting, has informed the President that he will be pleased to accept. Mr. Secombe triumphed over opponents who ranged from Aneurin Bevan to Kenneth Home and Humphrey Lyttleton. We are looking forward with pleasure, not unmixed with a certain amount of trepidation, to the day Neddy makes his Presidential '.iVddress to the Goonion. Until such time we shall do our best to prevent Union Council from walking backwards for Christmas. ¦ilM PRAGUE 1956 A view of the building in which the Congress was held, with delegates in the fore court FIRSTS OUTSTANDING B.Sc. (Econ.) FINALS RESULTS. NOTHING COMPARABLE SINCE 1949 Perhaps the first thing that students want to know when they return for the new session is, what were last year's exam, resuhs like ? Last year, "Beaver" opened on a pessimistic, and as it happened, mathematically inaccurate, note so it makes a pleasant change to be able to open the session more optimistically. 44 THE BEAUTIFUL CITY 99 "Though the latitude's rather uncertain, And the longitude also is vague, The person i pity who knows not the city. The beautiful city of Prague." J.W.P. The IV World Student Congress was one tremendous jamboree at the expense of the Czech Government. No expense had been spared to give all attending it the impression that everything in the Eastern European garden was lovely. Greeted with flowers and food in tremendous quantities, we attended gala performances at the Opera, special art shows and exhibitions of folk dancing and a free tour outside Prague after the Congress. The Congress itself lasted from Sunday, August 26th to Sunday, leonaidjj^^ 86 Kingsway, W.C.2 Holborn 2240 ltLAZERI§ BAD€}EI§ OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS TO THE STUDENTS' UNION / deseirve an, FRlMUm •ELEPHANT' ALES LIGHT AND DOUBLE BROWN On sale al the Three Tuns liar and from Free J Off-Licences in London and the Home Cour^ies FRF.MIIX!; LIMITED ¦ MAIDSTONE AND LONDON TOM DALE REPORTS CONGRESS September 2nd, and was attended by 250 delegates from the 22 member unions and the numerous minority groups which make up the I.U.S. It was roughly in three sections: the first the plenary sessions which consisted of a supposed discussion on the first point of the agenda:—"Ways and means of regaining World Student Unity," but which in fact ranged over every international problem, from Disarmament to Atom Weapons, from Colonialism to the Israel / Arab problem and from the Suez Canal to Cyprus, as well as launching into a general attack on the 55 member National Unions which make up the I.S.C. at every opportunity. Politics As was pointed out by the leader of the N.U.S. Group, Roland Freeman, very little of the discussion was related to Student problems as we understand them, and the majority was highly political. The majority of the interventions were very long, but there were occasional fireworks which brightened the hours. The second section, the Commissions, were the most constructive part of the Congress. As the official N.U.S. Observer on the Commission on "The extension of Faculty and Cultural Co-opera-tion. Student Travel and Exchanges," I managed to make several constructive suggestions, one of my interventions lasting nearly half an hour, in an effort to improve Cultural and Travel links with the Eastern bloc. Other Commissions were on Colonialism, Student needs. Reform of Education, Student Sport, Student Press and the Revision of the I.U.S. Constitution. From the little I heard of the latter there was a crying need for an L.S.E. Constitutional lawyer! Hot Air! The executive of the I.U.S. seemed worried about their steady decline in membership and were trying hard to find some way of I.U.S. BACK ON THE AT PRAGUE regaining world unity. The students of the colonial territories, whose views were put by the minority groups, resisted "unity at any price" and were only prepared to accept it at iheir price. The Executive Committee of the I.U.S. must be disappointed. No visible advance was made at the congress and much "hot air" was expanded. The continuous use of meaningless cliches was positively nauseating. It was, however, in the informal discussions outside the Congress that it seemed to me that the only benefit to student problems was gained. It is essential that we continue to send observers to these events for two reasons: to find out what the other fellow is thinking and saying (this can be very annoying when the pronouncements a e of a political character and ti " British N.U.S. can make no comuient because it has non-political status), and to let the "Eastern Bloc" students know what we think and show them that we have not forgotten them. The Old Issue The IV World Student Congress confirmed several things, but above all it proved that the I.U.S. can never regain its position as the only medium of world student unity, and also that a conference of co-operation would serve no useful purpose except as a means of propaganda for the I.U.S. The students of the world are divided like the two poles of a magnet, on political issues. De-magnetising depends on the absence of political discussion. The I.U.S. admits it is political; the I.S.C. claims it is not. From that it follows that we should plump for the I.S.C.— but then, what is and is not political? What came first, the chicken or the egg? Tom Dale. To/ii Dale will be reporting back to the Union rather more fully in due course, on his visit to Prague. Finals Figures The figures we give here are based on the unofficial lists of results for this year, and the published results from 1949 to 1955. Reducing the percentages to round figures it appears that some 8% of the degrees gained this year by L.S.E. Students were First Class Honours; 24% Upper Seconds; 49% Lower Seconds and 19% passes. The last time that there were anything like such good results was 1949 when the approximate percentages were 7%, 23%, 51% and 19% respectively. Marked Improvement It is only by comparison with the results of the last few years that the significance of this year's figures can be seen. The approximate average of Firsts from 1953-5 inclusive, has been 3%, Upper and Lower Seconds much the same, and Passes 22%. The results of Part I, which we understand are slightly down on last year, are not yet available, but will be published in due course. * * * * JEAN ELDING We deeply regret to record the death of Miss Jean Elding in a motor accident on August 2nd last. Jean had just completed her first year at L.S.E. and she had served the Students' Union well, especially in her work on the Entertainments Committee and for the Dramatic Society. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. _ * * * * IN THIS ISSUE Page 2 UNION BUSINESS & SPOTLIGHT Pages 3 & 4 FRESHERS' BEAVER Page 5 THE SOCIETIES, THE CRITICS & GEOFF STERN Page 6 SPORT BEAVER October 4th, 1956 THE PRESIDENT'S COLUMN And so another year commences. After three months vacation, most of us will be glad to be back at L.S.E., and Freshers coming up for the first time will, no doubt, welcome the beginning of term and be anxious to settle down to life at London University's greatest college. Affairs in the Union promise to got off to a fine start. Held over from last term is a motion of censure on the General Secretary for the way in which Union appointments were handled. For Freshers a word of explanation. There are a large number of jobs in connection with Union activities which students are invited to apply for: interviews are then held by elected Union officers who make recommendations to Union Council about appointments. The motion of censure on the General Secretary, David Jones, who is responsible for these arrange- ments, promises to provide material for a lively debate. David tells me that he has a full answer for all his critics and, knowing David as I do, I am sure that his replies will be really pungent! Sits. Vac. For Freshers, and for others who did not trouble to apply last term, there are still a number of Union posts to be filled. They include important positions like Secretaries of Social and Welfare Committees, N.U.S. (National Union of Students) Officer and many more besides. In addition there is the important post of Senior Treasurer to be filled. Last term Council's recommendation for appointment was turned down by the Annual General Meeting of Union and the post has remained vacant. The two personalities over whom the controversy raged—Geoff. Read (Council's nomination) and Eric Thompson (proposed for appointment by the A.G.M.) are no longer in the field. Geoff., who is at present in hospital recovering from an operation, is not intending to re-apply and Eric is now doing his National Service: so the matter is in the melting pot. Public Business If private Union business is likely to include some interesting debates, so too is Public Business. Council has decided to continue the practise started last year of holding Public Business at less than weekly intervals. It has also decided that the main emphasis should be on Debates rather than addresses. We hope very early in the term to arrange a debate on Suez; there is also to be a debate on Government Security measures, and towards the end of term the Laski Memorial Debate will be held. m'- SPOTLIGHT on PETER FLETCHER "Rerurn Cognoscere Causas" being the School motto, we thought a little information on our President would be useful, especially for the new inmates. Fletcher is a little older than the average student. Old enough, in fact, to have participated in the defeat of the Nazi hordes from an obscure R.A.F. establishment in rural Kent, and later to enjoy the post-liberation debauche in Belgium. Since then, many things have happened. After an auspicious start in accounting, he transferred his allegiance from Mammon to the London Labour Party, becoming Assistant Secretary. After a prolonged flirtation with the B.Sc. (Econ.) Prelim, at Regent Street Polytechnic, he arrived at L.S.E. in 1954 with an L.C.C. Scholarship and the hope of a three years retirement from politics. Busman's Holiday It was a forlorn hope, however; on the School front he became the Chairman of the Labour Society, dabbled in the Union beaurocracy and was elected President of the Union in the Lent Term last, in what has been generally recognised as one of the most exciting elections in living memory. At the General Election he kept Holborn and St. Pancras safe for Labour, just by acting as Agent for Lena Jager. On the personal side he is a likeable fellow, essen- tially a bit of a father figure. He hopes all Freshers will not hesitate to approach him on any—well, almost any—problem. Although a Government specialist, he has a wide interest in the arts, with a marked weakness for Romantic Opera. This artistic bent was admirably displayed when, clad in shorts, he taught some Bulgarian children 'Ring-a-Ring-O'Roses' when an L.S.E. delegate to Bulgaria last summer. Future Plans Although a Londoner, he lives away from home in an Islington cellar disguised rather cunningly as a tourist Bureau with travel posters "gathered" from various sources. (Latest information is that he has just been evicted from this desirable residence and he and his pitiful possessions, several hundred books, will shortly be thrown mercilessly upon the streets). When asked about his future, he proved suitably coy; politics or the life academic seem to be the two most likely possibilities. During the last general election he was offered the possibility of a Seat, but declined, whilst a short period of lecturing to the Co-op. Women's Guild has whetted his appetite for teaching. As for his term of office, he looks forward to a lively year and we wish him the best of luck. Autolycus. BEAVER LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS HOUGHTON STREET ALDWYCH - LONDON - W.C.2 Vol. V No. 1 Editor: Derek Shaw Associate Editor: Sally Shulman News Editor: Jane M. Mather Art Editor: Ian Woolf Business Manager: Shirley Smith Sales Manager: David Lethbridgf, Sports Editor: Alao Aka Bashorun Secretary: Barbara Lever Staff: Jolanta Sczaniecka, Alan Hale, Lorna Whilier, Sheila Hampton « . . . HIGHER THAN WEEVILS "Lower than rats but a little higher than weevils" used to be the expression to describe Midshipmen in the "good old days" when sailors had one wooden leg, a tarry pigtail and a parrot on the shoulder. We regret to say that this epithet is equally applicable to the status of Freshers in many foreign, American and old and new British Provincial Universities. Initiation On another page you will find a graphic account of a typical Student Corps initiation ceremony which many of your Continental fellow-students are doubtless bravely suffering at the moment. \''ery amusing, unless you happen to be one of the aspirants. L.S.E., it has been said, is much more adult in its attitude to Freshers, but there is none the less a form of initiation. Initiation, however, into the wider life of a University rather than into a narrow and somewhat class-conscious Corps, Fraternity or Sorority. It takes the form of handing over the bulk of the work of the student Societies to first year students as early as possible in the session. To what extent this attitude is due to genuine enlightenment we will not enquire, though we have a sneaking suspicion that the fact that most students, at the begin- ning of their second session, suddenly realise that examinations are near at hand, plays a part. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Freshers in their first few weeks at L.S.E. find themselves attacked from all quarters in the attempt to persuade them to give their services to the many and various Societies. In the hope that advice will not be taken amiss, we suggest that you give yourself a little time to decide which Society gives you the most scopc for self-expression and then go ahead with the intention of playing a major part in the running of it as soon as you are able. Join several by all means, but make one of them your Society. "Wisdom for Others" Finally, a word about work. If the "old hands"—or at least those of them who still read Editorials —will bear with us, we would like to drive home the point we made in our last Editorial. Please do not take too seriously the oft-heard advice, "don't bother to work in the first year—nobody does". As hardy and ancient students it boosts our little egos to try to give the impression that all those hours we put in last year were not really work. It is evidence of our good intentions for the coming year. Let us have our little day; try to bear with our rather superior airs—but don't take us too seriously when we talk jabout work. POLITICS AND PERSONALITIES In a Union which divides its time between debating purely in- C ternal issues of day to day life at L.S.E., and the larger and broader problems of the British student body as a whole, and especially the relations of that body to International student affairs, there should be a place for both the politically minded, politically affiliated student, and for the student who has no axe to grind, no society to follow, but merely an open but active mind and the personality to stand alone and keep outside the group. He who can sit on a political fence without the support of the props which are L.S.E.'s Political Societies is surely worth hearing in Union. Wrong Emphasis It is true that anyone who cares to may speak in a Union meeting. It is also regrettably true that very few students who are not involved in the Political Societies bother to come to Union meetings and make themselves heard. The result is that as far as internal problems and issues are concerned. Union tends to be divided on political lines, which both confuses the issue and wraps alternative pro- S • L • i * D STUDENT LEAGUE for INDUSTRIAL DEMOCRACY A non-political organisation for the study of labour problems in Western Industrial Democracies. We will present a programme of films, records and speakers including American material not otherwise available in England. Don't miss:— " WITH THESE HANDS " a propaganda film for the Garment Workers'-Union Bill Gaussmann on "The Voting Figures after the United States Presidential Elections" John Murray of the "44 Club" THE CLARE MARKET PARLIAMENT LABOUR SOCIETY Chairman — John Greve PUBLIC MEETINGS SYDNEY SILVERMAN on CYPRUS & SUEZ Thurs. Oct. I Ith. — Old Theatre — 4.15 p.m. ANTHONY WEDGWOOD BENN-Thurs. Oct. 18th O.T. KINGSLEY MARIIN - Thurs. Nov. 1st O.T. When the Clare Market Parliament met on June 25th for its annual session the Speaker, Mr. Chapman, was faced by what the last "Beaver" described as the anachronistic sight of a Liberal government. Nevertheless, the Government could not help thinking that such a label was more appropriate for the 'Opposition'. Led by the Tories, its other half was a Popular Front (more Front than Popular)—with each half periodically threatening to abstain because it refused to vote the same way as the other. Free Trade Motion After a brief Question Time, the Prime Minister—Gus Moron—introduced the Government motion which embodied the general principles of getting rid of monopolies, restrictive practices and closed shops. He pointed out how this was completely in line with the Liberal Party's favourite principle —Free Trade. The lack of this, the Popular Front told us, had nothing to do with the growth of monopolies. Their way to create good, healthy competition was to 'nationalise the blinking lot'. Government Victory The Cheap Food League appeared with an attractive splodge of lipstick on its collar and the Radical Reform Group succeeded, for once, in getting through its speech without directly contradicting him. We then had the intentionally funny speeches, followed by a summing up for the Opposition by the Member for Ebbw Vale—Richard Whitehouse, and for the Government by Bill Capstick, who was equally appropriately Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The House then demonstrated its complete confidence in a Liberal Government, the voting being 20 for, 3 against and 15 abstentions. The three consisted of a Liberal, a Tory and Geoff. Stern. John Williamson. posals into neat little bundles labelled Lib., Lab., Com. or Con., where such labels are not only unjustified but also confusing and dangerous. It is only in the matter of External Affairs that politics should play a part and even then it should be unnecessary to pack Union meetings to get resolutions through. If Union were a little less addicted to political bickering and Constitution mongering, it is even conceivable that students would come to Union meetings regularly and not only to record their votes. A Closed Shop But by far the most shortsighted policy of the over-zealous politicians is to pack Union Council and all Union Offices and posts with students of a like political view. It is a policy that all Union Councils for the past few sessions have attempted to follow, with varying degrees of success, and it results not only in intensifying the political pressure in Union but in failing to 'get the best possible Officers and Officials. This last affects us all, whatever our views, and Council should take note and open the door a little wider to their opposites in the general interest. It is a sad reflection of the political life here that without the backing of a Political Society no-one can succeed as a candidate for Council office. While an interest in politics is all to the good, it can be taken too far and personality can be and is being pushed into unimportance. It is surely time for a reassessment of the relative values of politics and personality in the Union, when elections and the Officers we get depend on what and not who a candidate is, Sally Shulman. THE OFFICIAL SPORTS & COLOUR OUTFITTERS JACK HOBBS LTD. 59 FLEET STREET, E.C.4 FLEet Street 2139 I \RY I FREiSHESS' BEAVER LAW BOOKS NEARLY 2,000 LATEST EDITIONS SECOND HAND Special Announcement Aftsr 123 years at our present nddress, we have now extended our premises, which include a Showroom of nearly 2,000 latest edition Text-books; also a large collection of trials, Crimin- oloj;y and Legal Biographies. Inspection invited — correspondence welcomed WILDY & SONS LTD. Law Booksellers and Licenrcd Valuers since 1830 Lincoln's Inn Archway, London, W.C.2 Telephone: Holborn 5160 Telegrams: Wildy's, Holborn, London OCTOBER 4th, 1956 NO EXTRA CHARGE IN RETROSPECT To put you in the picture. Beaver opens its files to give you the outstanding events of last year as seen through some of its front page headlines 27% FAIL PART I; WHY? cause of this situation ?" The con- OCTOBER : This was the headline which greeted freshers last October. "Beaver" commented "Notorious slackers pass! Hard working syllabus stickers fail! Is this desirable? If not, what is the trovcrsy aroused by this provocative article raged through several sues. The validity of the figures was questioned but the basic queries remain unanswered. IT'S THE POOR WHAT PAYS NOVEMBER : With the question "Why do our refectory prices compare so unfavourably with prices elsewhere ?" "Beaver" fired the first salvo in a battle which led up to the boycotting of the refectory by the students on December 2nd. " Beaver's " vigorous support for this campaign led to the accusation that we had actually inspired it. Three issues later we countered with a headline "O! WHAT A WICKED PAPER!" L.S.E.'s SPRING DOUBLE MAY: "Success dogs the footsteps of our President and General Secretary." With these words "Beaver" announced that Roland Freeman had been elected unopposed to the post of President of the National Union of Students and that Tom Dale had been elected Deputy President of the University of London Union. "Expansion—bigger and better," said Roland when "Beaver" asked him for a policy statement. NEW PRESIDENT DIANA JUNE: "Bringing off what is undoubtedly the scoop of the session, the Hlm Society informed our spccial correspondent that Miss Diana Dors had kindly agreed to become the Society's Honorary President for the coming session." With a picture even more sensational than the headline, "Beaver" completely sold out. We can still hope that Miss Dors will return to Britain, if only to give her Presidential address. A STUDENT'S GUIDE TO lONDON The N.U.S. have begun this academic year most auspiciously with the appearance of their first STUDENTS' GUIDE TO LONDON. Aimed primarily at freshers, it contains a store of information to benefit those students who are no longer quite so fresh. The Editors, Geoffrey Kean, David J. Kingsley and Laurence Rosenbaum can be proud of the presentation as well as the content of their Guide, though advertisements and reading matter are cunningly and sometimes confusingly combined. Incidentally, there are special offers of reduced subscription rates for leading periodicals such as the N.S. & N., Encounter, Financial Times, ctc., which more than offset the mere 2/- which it costs to non-freshers. Apart from some amusing hints on how to (a) become a professional student, (b) get hold of mascots, (c) be a woman student and (d) enjoy London on a shoestring, the Guide is stacked with bus-route times, cinema and theatre guides of a most comprehensive kind. A witty and concise appraisal of "all kinds" of clubs, pubs, cafes and Commons (Clap-ham and House of) plus every other source of entertainment imaginable is also available—including how to gatecrash balls— "just follow the tulle and taxis." Le Sport For those freshers who honestly think they are going to work, there are thumbnail sketches of libraries, book centres and, for light relief, museums. But a section on sport and another on vacation work should restore a sense of proportion. Don Aldridge, whose work has enlivened the pages of "Beaver" and the L.S.E. Handbook, has clcverly and amusingly illustrated this guide and provided a double-page map. It is gratifying to know that this Guide is to be followed by one bigger and better next year. Si SENATE HOUSE By DON ALDRIDGE Reproduced from the Guide Readers are invited to send in suggestions and recommendations. "Students' Guide to London," c/o. Educational Publicity Co., 15 Endsleigh Street, W.C.i is the address. The Editors would probably welcome contributions too. Ian Woolf. THE COMMEMORATION BALL "STILL" FROM THE FILM "HOLBORN 7686' COMMEMORATION BALL The Annual Commemoration Ball will be held this term in the Royal Festival Hall on December 7th. Before embarking on a description of all the fun which can be had at this august function, it would be best to announce that a double ticket will cost 37/6d. (as usual). For the impecunious types, Ents. Comm. will again be offering 'Hire Purchase' terms for the tickets. This ticket will provide you with the opportunity of livening up the "Left Bank" and enjoying a night to be remembered. Those who want to indulge in the bourgeois pastime of dancing can do so to the excellent music of Nat Temple and his Orchestra. Those who wish to imbibe alcoholic beverages and indulge in less bourgeois pastimes have full opportunities to do so. It is further hoped that the Honorary President of the Union, one Harry Secombe, will comc along with some of his "goon" friends and help liven up the proceedings. Les Bkadshaw, Social V.P. Consider YOURSELVES LUCKY BEING AN OPEN LETTER TO FRESHERS Freshers, This letter is couched in terms of affection and respect. Never shall I swerve from the rigid path of politesse. Perhaps in Charlie's I might hear, or might be heard to say "those .... freshers", but even here one traces a benign sentimentality. This is an L.S.E. reception, and this is a British welcome. Treasure it! And consider its worth vis-a-vis the situation of your counterparts beyond the pale of our socicty. Your First Parade In Holland and Germany you would be at this time 'candidates' (and notice the subtlety of this word) for entrance to a student corps. Perhaps you would not, but you would be damned in the eyes of the world as a 'nihilist'. WANTED "BEAVER" WANTS TO RECRUIT NEW STAFF FROM AMONG FRESHERS. TYPISTS (VERY IMPORTANT), REPORTERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE PRODUCTION OF A STUDENT NEWSPAPER ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. MOST OF THE PRESENT STAFF WILL BE RETIRING SHORTLY AND IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT A NEW STAFF SHOULD BE TRAINED BEFORE CHRISTMAS. ANY OFFERS? Not for you welcoming arms and an active interest in your welfare. Rather would you, with head shaved bare, be parading miserably in clothes which have achieved respectability through extreme old age. One of your seniors, a new second year student or even, possibly, a fourth year, would be ambling up and down the line, pushing you into place and, with Freudian cunning, appropriate all watches and valu- FROM JOHN BROWN ables. They will be returned—of that you are assured—but what lies in store for you, this your first day as a student, if your valuables are taken for protection? You feel a strange nakedness with a watchless wrist. Forward March Right turn to the cathedral, down the tram route to the college. Not far—and a strange undertone to the noises of the city takes on reality as the frightening welcome of your future fraternity. Things seem to have been prepared—a current of anticipation runs through six hundred assorted gods and devils hanging from inconceivable positions in your new 'corps' headquarters. A crowd from the city's populace has also gathered with the same anticipation, but these, like you young fresher, regard the sccne with curiosity. Of course there is one emotion which seems to be yours alone. Naked fear. You see the first floor of the building has two large windows. Beneath one, standing almost vertically from the street to window ledge, is a contraption of wooden planks. You feel a pressure, and in moments you are herded against this boarding, below the grinning windows of your chosen Mecca. Initiation The object becomes clear—like a scientist experimenting with monkey intelligence and initiative your corps has set you a puzzle to teach you a lesson in student cooperation. You (plural) must hoist your bodies up the boarding and so effect an entrance into the corps. The ease of this feat has obviously impressed generations of your predecessors for the experience is slightly complicated by sporadic avalanches of tomatoes, water and flour. Your President, aided by a Deputy, both distinguished by huge white floral button-holes and willow switches, is conducting the business like a military operation, with the elan of a Napoleon. You no longer have a cap (a direct hit, suitably applauded by the crowd, has seen to that); a rather ripe tomato is trickling in a lop-sided fashion from your pate over one' ear; a general depression has descended upon you in the form of a bucket of water. The President, bless him, has just found one of your shoes and to the laughter of the crowd, dangles it in front of your worried eyes. However, you have more urgent considerations. You are grimly concentrating on a foothold provided by a convenient knot-hole, and one of the heads of your fellow miserables. With luck, and with an effort, you might be the next to enter. You see the window opening again, and with the apprehension of a Jonah and flung by a mighty effort, you enter the whale. . . . Into the Fire Momentarily your legs are squashed by the window descending behind you. Rough, enthusiastic hands seize you and pull you clear, into a room darkened deliberately, and you get just a vague impression of its contents before you are flung onto your hands and knees and into a religious contemplation of the floor. All hell seems to have been let loose—drums are booming, tables are shuddering and from below comes the deathly strain of the organ. For the next quarter of an hour you will only hear your tormentors, you will not see them from your animal crouch on the floor. This then is your first hour, of your first day, of your first week. Your initiation will be spread over a period of two weeks and, as an outcast and an untouchable, you will have a programme of amusement devised for you of such torment that you will remember it for the rest of your life. Just remember these things. BEAVER October 4th, 1956 THE O FF- SIDERS Newcomers to the London School of Polemics are amazed by the number of societies—political, social, cultural, athletic or religious—which vie for their attention at the beginning of the session. Few, however, will have heard of the Off-siders Society. Off-Soc. is L.S.P.'s own branch of the new cult based on a recently published book. The Off-sider : A Demonstration of the Sickness of Mankind in the mid-Twentieth Century by C*l*n W*ls*n. ("The author of this remarkable book has not yet been born."—Publisher's blurb). Last week "Beaver" arranged an- interview in which a representative fresher put questions to the president of this interesting new group. Some of his answers are reported below. Q. Why have I never heard of Off-Soc. ? Off-Soc. docs not advertise itself. Only on-side societies are anxious to recruit new members. It is terribly off to be on, and amongst off-siders one can only be on by being off. In fact, there is a danger of off-sidedness catching on, in which case it would become off to be off, and to be non-off would be on; for if it were on-side to be off then one would have to get on in order to be sufficiently off to be on with the off-siders. Q. What is an off-sider ? This is adequately explained in our founder's work, The Off-Sider. a short extract may help you to understand. There can be little doubt that ('.ripe was closely identified to the hero of his best known novel, THE MEMOIRS OF AUOLF. It is no coincidence that Adolf is shown as by Paul Stibbe spending his life in a bog, whilst (Iripe himself was born in South Kensington. In moments of supreme illumination he sees that all is dark: "Father was a sport," he writes, "and always interested in young people. I reflected upon this after his wedding to my ex-fiancee." But this was not the primary instinct of revelation. Adolf had shown that an understanding of pointlessness had comc to him earlier. In his own words: "I had realised, as I watched Aunt Ethel drowning, that Father was likely to marry again." Q. Thank you. How can I become an off-sider ? If you aren't an off-sider you will probably believe that you are one; and if you are off-side you will fear that you aren't. It is only by worrying about being on that one can really get off. No off-sider thinks that he is off-side, because if he did he would feel that he was coming on and this would put him off. Q. Are the Off-siders having a freshers' tea ? No. An off-sider feels himself to be entirely alone. He realises that life is blank and meaningless; and furthermore he is the only person who does realise that he is the only person who realises it. It would therefore be unfortunate for an off-sider to meet anyone who claimed to realise what the other realised or to realise it himself. That would be rather non-off. Q. Do any of the academic staff belong to Off-Soc. ? It's hard to tell. Some of them seem to be definitely off. Others appear to suppose that their lectures have meaning. One or two of them are potential off-siders. Professor Zimmermann, for instance, who concluded his final lecture by throwing a toilet roll at the audience, was reputed to have FOR EVENING STUDENTS There is no simple answer to the evening student who asks why, with the limited time at his disposal, he should take any part in Union or Society affairs. But as a former sufferer myself I suggest that the matter deserves some careful consideration and not simply a curt dismissal. A Cambridge Arts graduate once said to me, "What I found most difficult about my exam, was not the factual knowledge required but the development of thought which was expected". Now this development takes place not only in the quiet of your own thinking but also in the rough and tumble of exchanging ideas and contrasting opinions with others, and the society at the L.S.E. provides ideal opportunities for just this type of discussion. These Advantages Nowadays as much emphasis is placed upon personality fitness for jobs as is placed upon qualifications, and one question regularly asked is, "How does he get on THREE TUNS (in the Union Building) THE STUDENTS' OWN BAR 4- Mr. & Mrs. CHARLIE EXTEND a WELCOME TO ALL FRESHERS 4 ^ I'ake your lunch in the THREE TUNS Rolls and hot dogs and a large selection of beers, wines and spirits to wash them down PARTIES CATERED FOR with people?" Here again the L.S.E. can provide valuable experience. Mixing with the wide variety of people in the college must produce a certain understanding and some of those other qualities required of people who are to occupy responsible positions. So from both of these aspects there is a lot to be said for taking part in some Union or Society activity as it is only by this means that these advantages can be fully exploited, and that something of what is really implied in a University education will be obtained. In order to avoid the staleness that results from over - much studying it is essential to have some form of relaxation and exercise. Here again the Union Societies and the Athletic Union provide facilities which many evening students have already taken advantage of. More Progress ? Continual progress is being made towards the integration of evening students into the life of the School. There is an Evening Students' Committee, and an Evening Students' Liaison Officer who at the last Union meeting was appointed a place on the Welfare Committee. Freshers' Receptions are arranged for them and socials are held. But I should like to see an even greater integration, as I feel that there is much to be said for having the representation of a body of evening student opinion in student affairs. Whether this is possible will depend to a large extent on the response made by evening students to the facilities available for them. Alan Hale. been off-side. On the other hand, many lecturers have adopted the new form of syllabus: the first three weeks are devoted to a discussion of what the subject is about; then the next few lectures are taken up by a discussion on whether the subject should be discussed at all; and for the remainder of the course students are divided into small groups to decide whether it matters anyway. In this manner lecturers are able to avoid disclosing whether they are on or off. Q. Does Off-Soc. support the present government ? Here again we can do no better than to examine the words which our founder put into the mouth of one of the characters of one of the writers that he was writing about: "The