The Beaver - #922

LSE professor addresses pro-paedophile allegations a er charity board resignation

News

LSE pledges to stop using NDAs, page 3

Death of Mahsa

Amini sparks protest in Iran , page 4

Features

Students can’t nd housing, page 6

Loneliness and Freshers FOMO, page 8

Opinion

Dr. Jacob Breslow, Associate Professor of Gender and Sexuality at the LSE Department of Gender Studies, resigned as trustee of transgender children’s charity named Mermaids on 3 October following reports regarding an allegedly propaedophile speech he made

in 2011 at a conference held by the US organisation B4UACT. He has since issued a press release addressing the allegations and his resignation.

In 2011, Dr. Breslow, who was then a graduate student at LSE, attended a conference hosted by B4U-ACT, an organisation that allegedly “promotes support for paedophiles” according to the BBC. BBC

reported, “A published summary of a presentation Dr Breslow is understood to have given uses the phrase ‘minor-attracted persons’ instead of paedophile.” B4U-ACT has also received widespread criticism on grounds that it was founded by convicted sex o ender Michael Melsheimer. ese reports emerge amid ongoing scrutiny confronting Mermaids, which is also under

Why do students still love Corbyn? page 9

investigation by the Charity Commission regarding the supply of chest-binding devices to teenagers. Dr. Breslow, who is on sabbatical leave until January 2023, had been appointed trustee of Mermaids in July 2022.

Continued on page 3

Hustle culture is to blame for study drug abuse, page 10

& WHAT’S ON BEAVER SOUND? See page 13!

e Beaver Newsroom

Executive Editor

Aarti Malhotra executive.beaver@lsesu.org

Managing Editor Vani Kant managing.beaver@lsesu.org

Flipside Editor Ambre Pluta editor. ipside@lsesu.org

Beaver Editor Jack Beeching editor.beaver@lsesu.org

Multimedia Editor Vaneeza Jawad multimedia.beaver@lsesu.org

News Editors

Aysha Sarah

Klara Woxstrom

Features Editors

Bora Bayram

Alan Nemirovski

Opinion Editors

Sonja Belkin

Alina Chen

Part B Editor

Anouk Pardon

Social Editors

Carmel Lloyd

Liv Kessler

Matt Sudlow

Review Editor

Ben Helme

Sport Editors

Alex Bowley

Noah Poll

Podcast Editors

Dillon Loh

Lily Whittle

Head of Illustration

Charlie To

Head of Videography

Jessy Yang

In love with this coco

Aarti Malhotra Executive Editor

If you’re reading this, we probably made it through the formatting weekend. Bless.

Honestly, the past week has been beyond transformative, in the worst way possible. From moments of crippling self-doubt, third-year reality checks, and political anxieties, the list is endless.

But waking up everyday with the responsibility of e Beaver

weighing over my head has been surprisingly grounding: there’s work that needs to be done and stories that need to be told. Alas, all my personal plights get put on the backburner inde nitely. At least it’s a distraction I am proud of (?).

It’s not even reading week yet and 95 percent of my life already revolves around this paper. I guess it’s time I accept my fate. And as much as I whine and complain about it, there’s no Amy Winehouse track or rst on an essay that

hits quite the same way as being able to hold a new issue of e Beaver on a Tuesday a ernoon. I’m in love with this coco.

And on that note, I present issue #922 to you. She’s something. Despite the short turn-around, our editors and contributors have covered a lot of ground. For one, check out Lily’s follow-up story on LSE signing the Can’t Buy My Silence Pledge (about time!). Also in news is some important coverage on fees compensation, the student mental health epidemic, and the ongoing protests in Iran.

en, turn over to features for some very relatable content on FOMO and the cost of living crisis.

As for Flipside, I very much enjoyed Ambre’s interview with Katherine, a friend I already admire so much. Once again, Vaneeza’s Horrorscopes do not disappoint on the horror scale (they did, however, disappoint my fragile self-esteem. Go easy on pisces pls). Oh, and de nitely don't miss the much-anticipated Don’t Worry Darling review by Rachel.

Happy reading. Hasta la vista, baby.

Vani Kant Managing Editor

Honestly? I’m in my Descartes era. I think, therefore I am, and who I am is a fundamentally con icted person. I decided to keep myself busy over the summer by dabbling in moral philosophy and a whole lot of introspection, re: what am I really meant to do around here (earth)? Surely, it can’t be a Deloitte graduate program. Point is, I’ve been thinking a lot about human purpose and what we owe to each other just by virtue of being alive, and I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of us need to have a good, hard think about our life choices. “ ere is no ethical existence under capitalism” just isn’t cutting it anymore. We can’t keep saying “capitalism bad,” only to participate in it endlessly and in avoidable ways. You’re better than being a banker, and so am I. But what do we do when a public sector job o ers mere £24,000 annually in a city where you’ve got to pay to sneeze?

It’s scary how di cult it is to make a living in the we-careabout-human-life business. It’s especially apparent at LSE,

where so many of us learn to think critically about the world before we all apply to Goldman Sachs to work in “compliance”, whatever that means. Every job is a barter between safety, greed, and duty (if you believe in that sort of thing. I do) and the current state of a airs awards only the rst two. at’s why it’s so much easier to pick some random highpaying job without thinking about what that job really means– for society, your daily sanity, and your purpose at large. What’s important is that you’ve secured a stable and sustainable income. For some, you’ve secured more than what some people will make in a decade. But the stakes are getting higher, and I believe we owe each other more than to prioritise our convenience over the safety of the weakest among us. It’s sick that we need to sacri ce “the good life” in order to help people, but you don’t need to work at Lockheed Martin to put food on the table. You don’t need to manage milliondollar portfolios to lead a ful lling life. And I refuse to believe that hoards of people dreamt of being consultants as kids. I think we need a major restructuring in how we

understand happiness, duty, community, and progress. All that systemic change stu . I’m not going to talk about the corrupting legacy of Western individualism, but imagine that I have.

Trust me, I know the decision isn’t easy. And I de nitely don’t have all the answers– hence why I’m a con icted person. I’m looking for humanitarian jobs and they don’t want me, I’m looking at legal training contracts and I don’t want them. I might still apply. Who knows. e economy is shit and I need to put food on the table. I can’t restructure society on my own, and choosing to perish under it is a great burden indeed. at’s why this editorial isn’t some moral positing; I know it’s tricky (for those of us who really do see a problem with the world, at least. Many of you are passionate about investment banking and I will never understand you. Choose to be more.) But that doesn’t mean that questioning what we’ve been taught to value is futile. If anything, it’s more important than ever.

Media recommendation: T. M. Scanlon, What We Owe to Each Other.

Prof addresses pro-paedophile allegations a er charity board resignation

Following reports by mainstream media outlets such as e Times, BBC, and e Telegraph of Dr. Breslow’s resignation and his alleged links to B4U-ACT, Mermaids Chair of Trustees Belinda Bell issued the following statement:

“We have explained that it was only on the 3rd October that we became aware of his participation in a 2011 conference that would have disquali ed him from becoming a trustee. Once noti ed, we immediately launched an investigation and Dr. Breslow tendered his notice that same day.

“We want to apologise for the distress and concern this news has caused. It is clear that Dr. Breslow should never have been appointed to the board, and as Chair of the trustee board I am horri ed that he was.”

An LSE Spokesperson told e Beaver, “We have been made aware of a presentation at an external event in 2011 by a then graduate student, now faculty member of LSE. We have also been made aware of other material reportedly by the individual. We are investigating these reports.”

LSE Students’ Union’s Sabbatical O cers also issued a statement on the situation on 13 October, “We nd it abhorrent that safeguarding procedures and processes have been overlooked and we welcome LSE’s decision to investigate the reports of Dr Jacob Breslow’s presentation at the B4U-Act conference in 2011 and look forward to hearing the outcome.

“We also want to make it very clear that Dr Jacob Breslow does not represent the wider trans community and LSESU will not tolerate any harassment or bullying of trans students at LSE.

If anyone does need support, please get in contact with us, or our advice service which o ers free and con dential advice.”

In response to the media attention, the LSE Department of Gender Studies sent out an email to the entire department on 5 October informing them of “extra security measures” at the Department due to the nature of allegations made against Dr. Breslow. e email also stated that Dr. Breslow “unequivocally condemns child abuse of any kind” and called the depiction of his research in the media as “in ammatory.”

When asked about the enhanced security measures at the department, the LSE Spokesperson said, “We do not comment on specific security measures in place at LSE. However, we take the safety and security of all students extremely seriously. Our security are always operating and available as needed 24/7 on campus.”

ea*, a graduate student at the LSE Department of Gender Studies, told e Beaver, “Jacob’s research, from what I understand, touches upon childhood, sexuality … but [it] also touches upon trans and queer identitities. And I think people made that association way too fast because from what I understand, there is no evidence that anything this man wrote is pro-paedophile.” ea also noted how the vast majority of media scrutiny surrounding Dr. Breslow stems from “TERF networks”, referring to trans exclusionary radical feminist media networks.

ea explained, “ ere used to be a really negative association in 1970s between [queer people] and paedophilia, which is a very complicated historic association, and now, I think there’s a similar negative association and moral panic being made between queer studies and paedophilia.”

LSE pledges to stop using NDAs in sexual assault cases

them in student complaint cases.

Student activism has secured a long-awaited win for victims of sexual violence. Last week, LSE became the 77th university in the United Kingdom to sign the government-backed “Can’t Buy My Silence” pledge, that renounces the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) against victims of sexual assault and bullying.

NDAs are legal documents that restrict signatories from sharing classi ed information. While they were created for the purposes of protecting information and ideas from third parties within business and trade, powerful institutions have used NDAs to protect their reputation from damage in the case of sexual assault and bullying cases. e use of these agreements in universities drew national attention in 2020, when a BBC News report uncovered that nearly one third of universities had employed

LSE’s move comes a er sustained pressure from student activists on campus. In March 2022, e Beaver reported that an LSE student, ‘Charlotte’, twice attempted suicide a er the university repeatedly failed to support her as a victim of sexual violence.

Charlotte told e Beaver that a member of LSE sta warned her that the university may subject her to legal action if she proceeded with her complaint regarding the gross mishandling of her case. She believes this was a warning that she could be presented with an NDA.

Charlotte’s story sparked an on-campus protest, led by Hands O LSE, the student campaign aiming to improve sexual assault policy. Outside the Centre Building, students held banners that called for action from the university’s higher-ups: ‘Time to Change LSE’, ‘Shame on You LSE’.

Also in March, Hands O presented a motion to the Student Union’s Union General Meeting (UGM). e motion requested the implementation of four commitments to improve LSE’s sexual violence provisions. e nal commitment requested that the LSESU lobby the university to sign the pledge. e motion was later passed into policy with double the number of student votes required.

In a nal show of student pressure, the former lead campaigner of Hands O and vocal critic of NDAs, Anaëlle oreau, was elected as Community & Welfare O cer in the 2022/3 LSESU elections. oreau campaigned on the policy to eliminate NDAs and used her acceptance speech to highlight the issue as her most important priority pledge.

e Community & Welfare Ofcer commented on LSE’s signature: “I am beyond happy that LSE has nally signed the #CantBuyMySilence pledge, this is a real relief.” She added, “It’s

Dr. Breslow has since put out a statement on his website, “I unequivocally condemn child sexual abuse. My work is about protecting marginalised children and young people, not exposing them to harm.

“It was my understanding in 2011 that B4U-ACT was an organisation that promotes treatments to prevent o ending by paedophiles. I believed at the time that the purpose of the conference was to enable better treatments and interventions that prevent harm to children. I would not have attended the symposium otherwise. I have not been afliated with B4U-ACT since.

“I decided to resign as a Trustee of Mermaids as I did not want to distract from the good work the charity is doing to help transgender and gender diverse children.”

*Names in this article were changed to preserve anonymity.

crucial here to emphasise that this is not LSE’s idea but once again a successful campaign initiated by students…[who] should take credit for this win.”

oreau’s campaign to restructure LSE’s services is far from over, however. She intends to continue lobbying for the remaining measures from Hands O ’s motion. ese include the creation of an anti-sexual violence IT platform, implementation of a permanent Anti-Sexual Violence Team, and the publication of annual reviews on LSE’s sexual violence support system.

Charlotte agreed, telling e Beaver that: ‘‘It’s a big step in the right direction, and I hope that LSE could use this momentum to usher further changes outlined in the Hands-O motion and beyond.’’

LSE responded in light of this news: “We are committed to a working and learning environment where people can achieve their full potential free of all types of harassment and

violence. We take any reports of bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, or violence extremely seriously and any member of the LSE community who has experienced or witnessed incidents of this kind is strongly encouraged to get in touch with a trained Safe Contact for information and support or use our dedicated online portal Report it Stop it. We have a dedicated anti-harassment support advisor with expertise in this area who can provide a consistent point of contact for victims/survivors from disclosure through to any criminal or university processes.

“Anyone a ected by sexual violence can also access free, condential, independent support and counselling.”

Lily Shield Polyzoides Contributor

Fees compensation requests may be delayed until next year

Alan Nemirovski Contributor

Klara Woxström News Editor

On 11 October 2022, an email was sent to LSE students who applied for compensation due to the University and College Union (UCU) strikes’ e ect on their learning. e email stated that investigations into their complaints could potentially be delayed until the new year (2023).

Students were told last year that they could apply for compensation for teaching hours lost as a result of UCU strikes, which occurred in December 2021, and over lent term earlier this year. At the end of the 2021-22 academic year, the LSESU informed students that they could apply for a partial refund and that their cases would be reviewed on an individual basis.

During the summer, students received an email stating their complaints should be processed within 90 days and that their cases had been assigned to a member of LSE’s legal team for review.

Lily Whittle, a second-year Geography student expressed: “I had spent most of my rst year in the dark about how I was performing and felt entirely underprepared when going into exam season.”

“Strike action meant I waited months for feedback, even on formatives. Here I was at an elite institution prized for its high quality of teaching and learning and I didn't feel I was accessing any of it. Certainly not equated to the amount I was paying in fees.”

e second email sent to students in October stated the processing of complaints was be-

ing held o until the complaint portal had been closed by each department. is was to ensure that all complaints were received in a fair and equitable manner. e portal shut at midnight on Monday 12 September.

e email elaborated that, given the number of complaints, LSE is aiming to issue outcomes before the Christmas break. However, some complaint outcomes may not be nalised until 2023.

“Honestly, I had completely forgotten about [the strike compensation],” says Hila Davies, a second-year Social Anthropology student. “[It] feels like it’s just been brushed under the carpet. Or that the act of applying for compensation was just performative.”

Maarya Rabbani, the LSE Students’ Union Education O cer has commented: ‘‘While [the SU] is unable to comment on

what seems like an ongoing legal matter at the moment, please rest assured that we are doing everything in our capacity to expedite the process.’’

When asked about the delay in the timeline for responses to complaints, a spokesperson for LSE told e Beaver, “LSE aims to resolve complaints within 90 days, and o en does so in a shorter period. We may not be able to resolve formal complaints relating to industrial action within

Study shows growing ‘free speech’ concerns among students

Niina Leppilahti Contributor

Illustated by Rigona Gjinovci

Arecent study published by King’s College London’s Policy Institute, on 29 September 2022, revealed students are increasingly feeling that free speech is “under threat” at their institution. While 65% of students agree

that, “free speech and robust debate are protected” at their university, 34% feel as though free speech at university is under threat compared to a gure of 29% seen in 2019.

LSE has clear policies in place to protect individual’s rights to freedom of expression. ese policies are meant to ensure the facilitation of debates and enable all members of our com-

munity to refute ideas lawfully, whether through protest on campus or other means.

e Beaver interviewed different societies at LSE on how they feel about free speech protection at the school.

Muhammad Ibrahim, President of the Labour society, expressed: ‘‘ ough the [Students’ Union] are actually quite open to facilitating almost any sort of event where di erent views are discussed, it does seem like there is a bit of reluctance in giving students full independence when it comes to thisthis is based purely on the fact that we have been asked to nd an academic chair for our upcoming debate against the conservative society despite all the participants in the debate being students. Other than that, based upon the preparations that a society must make in terms of planning an event that the university, through the SU, does make sure steps are taken to protect against discrimination and hatred.”

He continued: “In terms of fa-

this timeframe, however, due to the complexity of cases and need to fully assess the impact of mitigations. In addition, the process is being supported by legal advisors external to LSE. is is to ensure assessment of claims for compensation or a partial refund are undertaken independently. Any relevant updates on timelines for a response will be delivered as part of the formal complaints procedure.”

cilitating robust debate, it does strike me as odd that the university doesn't possess a centralised platform - like the Oxford union for example - for students to engage in debate with each other and guest speakers - it seems to be le to societies to piece together themselves, which perhaps results in a setting where the true potential of debate and discourse within the student community isn't being completely optimised.’’

Mike Salem, secretary of the Hayek Society, expressed that LSE and its sta “tend to do a good job at protecting freedom of speech.” He praised the university for hosting debates on all ranges of issues with di erent perspectives as well as its public lectures series, which he regarded as the “pinnacle of freedom of speech on campus.’’ He added that he does not agree with introducing further top-down measures to neither protect nor obstruct freedom of speech, stating this would “shove it down the throat of all stakeholders.” He feels students should be the driving force in deciding on such matters.

Finally, the Intersectional Feminist society agrees that LSE takes “great measures to establish free speech and facilitate open discussion.’’ However, they point out that the notion of free speech o en “ignores the reality of marginalisation and stigmatisation.’’

ey emphasise, ‘‘[We] need to focus on the action dimension of freedom and attend to the intersectionality of privilege. By encouraging tact, consideration, and tolerance, the LSE can play an important role in creating a new kind of freedom.’’

Last year, the Conservative Party introduced a bill which would allow the seeking of compensation for “no-platforming” of controversial speakers. e bill’s third reading was completed on 13 June in the House of Commons; it has now progressed to the House of Lords.

Mental health epidemic plagues UK universities

Aysha Sarah Klara Woxström News Editors

Illustrated by Rigona Gjinovci

Trigger warning: is article discusses sensitive topics such as depression and suicide.

Universities throughout the United Kingdom are experiencing an ongoing student mental health crisis. In 2020/21, more than 200,000 students in the United Kingdom sought support for their mental health, according to new research by the Labour Party.

On 6 October, Cambridge University launched a campaign, called Reach Out, urging struggling students to seek assistance, as the sixth student death this year is being investigated.

Reach Out was planned prior to the September passing of a medical student. His passing will be examined alongside the deaths of ve other students who passed away between March and June.

Cambridge University has, prior to introducing this new service, come under heavy scrutiny for its ine ective student mental health services. e Reach Out campaign followed a review of mental health services at the university that began the previous year in response to a growing demand for additional support. Additionally, Cambridge University had opened an investigation a er

the death of ve of its students since March 2022.

Meanwhile, researchers from the University of York have published a major new study that suggests Universal Basic Income (UBI) could assist in reversing the epidemic of mental health issues among young people in the United Kingdom.

Professor Pickett, researcher in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York said, “UBI would raise the income oor for a lot of people, reduce inequality and take away some of the sources of anxiety which young people particularly nd so challenging. It would

also save massively on costs to the NHS and other services.”

Two universities in Leicester, De Montfort University (DMU) and the University of Leicester, have opened "crisis cafés" to provide mental health services to students in "non-clinical" settings. e charity behind the initiative, Mental Health Matters, aims to open 25 cafés in Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland that provide free mental health support to anyone aged 18 or older.

Other institutions such as Universities UK (UUK) have advised universities to contact key family members, caregivers, or friends if they have grave con-

Death of Mahsa Amini sparks protest in Iran

Jessica Pretorius

Sta Writer

Illustrated by Mithalina Binte-Mohammad-Taib

For the past ve weeks, Iran has been experiencing nationwide protests and violent clashes with police following the death of 22-yearold Mahsa Amini (her real and Kurdish name is Jina). She was arrested and detained on Friday, 16 September for not complying with Iran’s rules on women’s dress, speci cally for wearing her hijab too loosely. She died in a hospital three days later.

Protests broke out across the

country soon a er demanding justice for Mahsa’s death. However, they quickly morphed into protests about the treatment of women under Iran’s oppressive regime. Women have been seen burning their headscarves and cutting their hair in public, and chanting slogans such as “Women, Life, Freedom.”

Iranian authorities are responding brutally to the protests using shotguns, assault ri es, and handguns against protesters even in peaceful settings. As of Monday 17 October, 233 people have been killed. e government has largely shut down mobile in-

cerns about a student's mental health, even without the student's permission.

UUK has noted that although sta should make “every reasonable e ort to secure consent," there are circumstances in which “a university can and should share information with emergency services and with trusted contacts, even where they have not been able to secure consent." According to the new guidance, students should register a "trusted contact" when they enrol in college.

Currently, the LSE has the Disability and Wellbeing service (DWS), which o ers con dential advice and support to all students with diagnosed disabilities and also includes the LSE Counselling Service.

Recently, the LSE Counselling Service has prioritised counselling appointments for students who have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault. is includes speaking with a safe contact and guiding the victim through the reporting process, if desired. Alongside these, other services include workshops, group sessions, and peer support programmes.

Amran Faysal, a second year LSE History student said, ‘‘My overall experience with [the Disability and Wellbeing Service] was less than satisfacto-

ry. I found that giving students a maximum of six sessions over twelve months isn't enough to get to the root of most mental health issues. Although my counsellor was attentive to my problems, it simply wasn't enough to uncover my deeper-rooted fears and self-limiting beliefs.’’

In April last year, an instagram account called @lsestressed was launched as an initiative for students to anonymously share their struggles with academia, LSE’s work culture and mental health-related experiences at the university. Many of the confessions point to mental health struggles and pressures faced by LSE students. One such confession from a student expresses how they are “ ghting for [their] life nishing [their] degree” due to mental health issues and struggles at home.

e Beaver asked students what they think of the page. Maya*, a second year History student, commented, ‘‘LSE culture in general is just so overwhelming, it’s crazy to see all my friends at other universities who have much smaller workloads. Even though [@lsestressed] helped me realise I’m not alone, it’s clear the culture here is a systemic issue and needs to be addressed on a much larger scale.’’

*Names in this article were changed to preserve anonymity.

ternet, too, in an attempt to not only control the unrest in Iran, but also to shut the country o from the rest of the world.

Decolonising LSE, a collective dedicated to raising awareness of historic violence and encouraging decolonisation, published a statement to Sharif University of Technology in Iran on 3 October. e statement expressed that they were “inspired by the courage and power of the students and academics” and that they “stand with the student movement and progressive forces ghting against state abuses.”

Decolonising LSE also called on “our academic community to

amplify and add their voices to those of students, academics, unions, activists, and people who oppose this suppression and demand freedom.” LSE has not yet issued any statement on the ongoing developments in Iran.

e Beaver spoke to Ava*, a British-Iranian student in her third year, who said that she was surprised and also a bit disappointed by the lack of response at LSE, “I’ve only really seen Iranians talking about the protests. Maybe it’s because people feel they cannot or should not form an opinion, but in fact we need non-Iranians to speak out and help us

spread the word, particularly when people in Iran are unable to reach the international community.”

*Names in this article were changed to preserve anonymity.

£553 per week for rent: students scramble for housing amid renting crisis

Vanessa Huang Staff Writer

Illustrated by Mithalina Binte-Mohammad-Taib

Demand for rental properties in the UK is far outstripping supply, an issue that is particularly significant in London, according to SpareRoom. Data shows that there are only 15,000 rooms available for the 106,000 people currently looking for accommodation in the city on the platform, with average rent prices in the city skyrocketing to £553 a week.

The Beaver spoke to students about the difficulties they’ve faced in securing housing, finding consistent patterns of either endless rejections from landlords or being forced to endure poor living conditions.

The first hurdle comes before even viewing any properties. For every listing that’s posted to sites like SpareRoom, RightMove, or Zoopla, estate agents and landlords are bombarded with enquiries and viewing requests – so many that it’s impossible to respond to them all. One student, Emma*, has only made it to the viewing stage for five flats, despite starting her search in May. Another student, Doug Klain, a masters student from the US, shares: “whether or not you’re able to view a flat can simply come down to luck.” He later discovered that he was just one of ten to twenty people that were randomly selected to view the flat, out of hundreds who had enquired.

If they’ve been chosen as one of the select few for a viewing, prospective tenants are often all brought in at the same time, where anything less than making an immediate offer means they lose out on the flat. At one viewing, Doug explained that the landlord informed all ten prospective tenants that whoever placed a deposit first would get the flat. “On the spot, while we’ve been in the flat for maybe two minutes, this one guy just pulls out his phone and says, ‘Alright, give me your bank details right now. I’ll do it right now.’”

Furthermore, there is noth -

ing preventing prospective tenants from placing an offer above the advertised rent, meaning that the highest bidder is most likely to get the flat. In addition to the high rent offer, these tenants often have to also pay six months’, or even a year’s rent in advance.

Doug originally placed an offer on a two bedroom flat in Camden for the asking rent, offering to pay several months of rent upfront. The agent received multiple competing offers, convincing him to raise his offer. It was when they continued to push for even higher offers that he gave up. He says, “[Landlords and agents are] just trying to milk us for everything they can get. And they know they can get it because they’ve got an unending supply of people who will offer hundreds of pounds over asking price, on the spot with no [information].”

The near impossibility of securing housing has left students in situations that are far from ideal. Emma, who is five months into her search, still hasn’t found a flat. She’s opted to live at home and commute to LSE for the time being as she continues to look for flats, but she isn’t hopeful.

Issues persist even with those who have found housing. As prospective tenants are scrambling to swipe up anything that’s available, standards have fallen, meaning that poorly maintained flats are still guaranteed to be snapped up. International students are especially vulnerable due to being reliant on virtual viewings that fail to provide an accurate representation of the property.

Jean-Michel Betran, a masters student from France, met his current flatmate, who was already living in the property, over Zoom. Satisfied with the video tour, as well as the conversation with his flatmate, he decided to take the flat. Given the stress he had faced throughout his search, he was grateful to have finally found a place. This relief was shortlived. When he actually arrived at the flat, “what seemed super clean and nice and tidy in the video was a mess.”

tion while he was still in the US, he assumed he would only be able to find a flat once he arrived in London. “I kid you not, 18 hours before my flight from Washington, DC to London, I get a call back from an agent, saying, ‘Hi, the place that you enquired about is gone, but I have another place. It’s available for about 10 minutes before I’m giving it away to somebody else. Here’s a couple of pictures if you want it. Tell me right now, otherwise it’s gone.’” He took it, thinking it was the best option he had, but like Jean-Michel, he arrived at a flat that drastically differed from what he was shown. The flat had been converted from a two or three bedroom flat into a five bedroom flat. Doug’s room was one section of what would be the living room, partitioned by a cheap plywood wall.

Because of the poor conditions in his current flat, Doug spends most of his time outside, only going back at the end of the day to sleep. “The biggest way this impacts me is [that] I don’t really have a place I can call home,” he says. When we spoke on October 10, he was still looking for housing, describing it as “this constant buzzing stress in the background of everything.”

Jean-Michel was originally hoping to move into a different flat, but the thought of yet more incessant scrolling through SpareRoom has put him off. There’s also a feeling of guilt for being dissatisfied when so many people are still struggling to find a place to stay: “[Other] people’s expec -

just me?’” Though dejected, he’s thankful for “not [being] in the worst situation.”

Many students this year have reached out to the LSESU Advice Service. The Advice Service’s scope of work in previous years has normally consisted of contract checks and resolving disputes with landlords, leaving them illequipped to provide any solutions to students struggling to find housing beyond directing them to the usual listing websites. They often say that “you will find somewhere eventually. Just keep looking, keep looking and eventually something will come up.”

Becoming increasingly desperate to find a place, Doug contacted LSE’s Residential Services Office, hoping they would be able to offer some kind of support. They provided a similar response, advising him to check RightMove, Zoopla and SpareRoom. “The biggest help that I get is [from] paying 40 pounds a month for a SpareRoom subscription so that I have better access to send out more messages to places that probably won’t respond,” he laughs.

Every student we spoke to understands the limits of any support that could come from LSE – there are simply not enough places for every person that’s looking. Similar stories from other parts of the country have also emerged, such as the students in Bristol that have been placed in accommodation in Wales, or the students in Edinburgh sleeping on bunk beds in a common room.

At the same time, students have highlighted some areas where LSE can improve. Emma, for one, points to the booking system for halls of residence. Rooms in halls of residence were quickly booked up this year – an option that many students would have gladly taken. When everything has been fully booked, the current system requires students to check back every day and book as soon as there’s any availability. By operating a waitlist instead, Emma argues, a lot of undue stress could be avoided.

Doug says he would like to see LSE expand its rent guarantor scheme. While it currently covers continuing international students who are paying up to £720 in monthly rent and have lived in halls of residence in a previous year, or secured housing through LSE Student Pad or the University of London Housing Service, the guarantor scheme leaves out many students, particularly postgraduates. Lowering the bar for eligibility would reduce the number of students forced to fork over significant amounts of money upfront just to secure a flat.

The current rent crisis is unlikely to be resolved quickly. While some have called for rent freezes, as has been done in Scotland, others argue it’s only a matter of time before prices crash. But until pressure eases on the already dwindling housing supply, housing uncertainty looks to be a defining feature of student life.

*Names in this article have been changed to preserve anonymity.

Pole

Amara Otero Salgado Staff Writer

Illustrated by Charlie To

The idea of pole tness has caused a signi cant amount of controversy over the past couple of decades. One example, which some may recall, is the debate sparked on ‘ is Morning’ over whether or not children should be allowed to partake in the sport. From this, we enter into a spider web of gender politics, body-image, sexualisation of women and repression of them and their bodies. LSE’s pole tness instructor, Alex Grimshaw, maintains that pole tness is so much more than what people assume.

When Alex rst started pole dancing, “it was very di erent to how it is now”, she says. As she describes her experience with her rst class, it’s clear that the stigma surrounding the sport was much worse: “I did the trial class because I was like, ‘Oh, it’s related to dance! It’ll be a really nice, you know, just a di erent way of moving’ … I remember I went home and I talked to my partner at the time and he was like, ‘Never do that again or I’m going to dump you; it’s slutty, it’s vile — never do it’.”

While the associations of pole dancing with strippers and erotic dance have vastly diminished, this attitude is still held by some. Stigmas attached to female-dominated activities feed into the socialisation of women to feel ashamed of their bodies. In an article entitled ‘Joy, Fear, and Twerking: e Glory of Amber Rose’, Olivia Cole describes this e ect: “ ere are two kinds of women, we are taught: women who are pure and good, wives and mothers on the pedestal of femininity; and there are the other women, the whores, the sluts, the strippers. You are either one or the other, we are taught, and we, women, grow up believing it: setting ourselves up against other women in a desperate effort to delineate between us and them…”

If you nd yourself unconvinced of this systemic repression of women, you need only search

‘pole engine to clear any doubts. An yone with SafeSearch enabled will be presented with the fol lowing statement: “Your current Bing SafeSearch setting out results that might return adult content.” Now try search ing ‘men’s swimming’; you will nd yourself confronted with numerous images of men wear ing far fewer clothes than wom en usually do when attending a pole restricted nor deemed as ‘adult content’. As Alex points out, “Yes there’s the sexy stu there’s the lingerie,” but there’s actually so much more to pole.

analysing the empowering ef fect of pole

For example, ‘Pole Dancing, Empowerment and Embod iment’ by Samantha Holland found that “women initiate agency and espouse liberation and empowerment through something as seemingly prob lematic as pole classes.” It can be seen as a way of reclaiming the negative stigma attached to pole dancing and femininity, as well as an avenue for wom en to connect more closely with their own bodies and sexuality - something which is vastly and systemically discouraged in so ciety.

Having danced from a young age, Alex experienced coming to terms with her body rel atively early in life: “I guess I went through that trans formation when I was dancing more than pole dancing … I’d get a lot of ‘you’re not quite small enough to be in this, not quite thin enough maybe, tall enough? Not quite.’ But that’s because that’s what that indus try is like.” She explains that, as a result, her experience with starting pole was likely very di

already in a place of acceptance of her body: “I noticed that I only cared about what I could do, not what I looked like... If I can do this thing I’ve been working on, then that’s, for me, at this point, all I care about.”

be I don’t have the upper body strength for this.” She notes that, “Especially the very rst time, you see people, you know, biting their nails and they’re trying to make themselves as small as possible like, ‘don’t

in university, yeah, okay, you nitely female; you might know that you’re a lesbian, or whatever. But actually the reality is your body changes and you as a human being changes so much, and you have the most amount of change to go when you’re in — I’m in my thirties and I still have change

tness can be about embracing your body in its current state, and how it meets your needs now, bearing in mind that it will change as you do. For university students like those attending the LSE pole fitness classes, this could be a very healthy habit to get into.

To summarise, here are Alex’s top three ts of pole dancing:

e ability to look past what you look like would be the nd your comfort level with your body and movement as well, like, are you comfortable doing body ne! Nobody’s going to force you to. Are you comfortable going upside down? If you’re not, that’s ne! Nobody’s going to force

3. “A community of women supporting each other… women who have the same body type, same sexuality, or completely opposite body type to you, completely opposite gen-

nally, Alex’s advice to anyone thinking of trying pole

can ourish.

Alex has also noticed a di erence when teaching university students, as opposed to those in a later phase of life: “You don’t know yourself yet. If you’re

tness: ‘It’s slutty, it’s vile — never do it’

Moving past ‘small talk’: the pitfalls of Fresher’s FOMO

Liza Chernobay Staff Writer

Illustrated by Charlie To

Following

Results Day, Freshers

Week is by far the most anticipated and thrilling time for incoming undergraduate students. It is a week of polished out ts, big smiles, endless small talk and, frankly, drinking. Many LSE freshers enter this rite of passage with one goal: to make new friends. Given the overwhelming pace of social activities and an underlying pressure to participate in them, is it possible to enjoy freshers week while staying true to oneself?

Jess and Annamaria, both rstyear students, describe ‘freshers FOMO’ as missing out on “bonding experiences” and “feeling part of a community”. e fear of being le friendless stems from a primal need for “companionship” and “connec-

of a community” pushes students to join in on activities which they may not need or enjoy because they associate the sense of craving for belonging with “fun”.

E ectively, this “arti cial” social behaviour does not actually facilitate the connection with like-minded people that students seek at the dawn of university life. Students interviewed con rmed that what truly mattered to them were “meaningful”, fruitful conversations in a congenial atmosphere, as opposed to the “boring” and “one-dimensional” small talk which prevails during freshers week. Such profound communication is very hard to achieve in a nightclub, for instance - especially when you nd yourself in company of people you don’t know. When asked about alternatives, students pointed to “pre-drinks” and “house parties” as more suitable envi

tricky while constantly pretending to be someone else, and it is also incredibly energy-draining. By socialising more than we can a ord physically or emotionally, we ultimately exhaust our “social energy”, leaving us empty and too tired to spend time with the people we like, comments Daniel, another rst-year LSE student.

In the words of Dr. Anjana Bala, an Anthropology Fellow at LSE: “we live in a hyper-connected world [where] there are more ways in which one knows they are missing out.” From an anthropological perspective, this “global digital culture” in uences our decisions regarding how and when we socialise. As a specialist in psychological anthropology, Dr. Bala points out that sometimes, the life which society positions as “good” and appealing is not always suitable for us. We should therefore listen to ourselves more intent

However, vulnerability itself is powerful as it can be transformed into something creative. For Dr. Bala, the anchor which helps her feel “rooted” when

restorative.

Despite the pressures and temptations which London university life has on o er, it’s

she is “pulled into di erent directions” is dance. She suggests that “engaging with various types of knowledge and artistic practices that help you think critically of what’s happening

important to stay true to oneself and reclaim the power to choose how you want to spend your time. Some students are naturally ‘party animals’, while others prefer chatting over a ee, so the question lies not ise, but in consciously setting the right boundaries and not over-straining oneself. Choose activities which empower and

ful connection with people who interest you, and don’t neglect time for being with just yourself

Finally, if ever in doubt, consult

Does this strengthen the bonds

“E ectively, this “arti cial” social behaviour does not actually facilitate the connection with like-minded people that students seek at the dawn of university life. Students interviewed con rmed that what truly mattered to them were “meaningful”, fruitful conversations in a congenial atmosphere...[not] small talk which prevails during freshers week.”

OPINION

Student politics: Why is Corbyn still popular?

Muhammad Ibrahim Contributor

Photo sourced from Time Magazine

AsI explore the godforsaken setting of student politics, one thing is abundantly clear – students still love Jeremy Corbyn. From an outsider’s perspective, this seems rather odd. One would imagine that the left-wing students, like the rest of the country, would have moved on from a man who hasn’t been the leader of the Labour party for two years now. Arguably, the only real relevance he has in mainstream politics is in the form of illfated attacks from the Tories, attempting to remind the electorate of the “horrors” that would have befallen Britain had he gained power. Nonetheless, this is no explanation for his continued presence, and indeed reverence, on university

hair to Marxism, university students have, for decades, been picking fights with convention before graduating and settling down in their corporate jobsparticularly in the case of LSE. It is my belief that this resistive spirit compels students to reject established political norms and align themselves with figures like Corbyn.

The second, and perhaps more controversial, reason is idealism. Corbyn represented ideals, not strategy. As Keir Starmer recently pointed out on Alastair Campbell’s podcast ‘The Rest is Politics’, the Corbyn era of the Labour party was defined by people who thought winning motions at a party conference was changing the world. Radical stances were taken without much regard for what the rest of the electorate wanted. On the other hand, the electoral success of New Labour was in its ability to compromise with the electorate, rather than

immediate needs. This form of rhetoric is not without its merits – it is in part to thank for Labour’s increase in popularity amongst the youth during the 2017 elections. However, as soon as we join the workforce and have commitments beyond an essay deadline, we compromise with our principles and favour practicality over lofty ideals. This is why the Tories, traditionally the party of incremental change, perform so well with the majority of the electorate.

campuses nationwide.

I think there are two reasons for this phenomenon, the first of which lies in the allure of protest. For all his flaws, one thing that can be said about Mr Corbyn was his profound ability to protest. Though this was not enough to get him into no.10, it certainly captivated the hearts of students across the country - for protesting is really at the heart of the university experience. University is a bohemian environment where resistance thrives.

Not limited to the political sphere, the resistive spirit of the university student is boundless. Pictures of students doing what Corbynistas do best (holding placards) adorn the walls ofthe SU building. From dyed

becoming a self-celebrating protest party. Being idealistic is not necessarily bad in itself; as Bismarck said, “politics is the art of the possible”. However, the rest of the quote is “…the attainablethe art of the next best”. It is clear that “the possible” is only attainable through pragmatism and compromise. Without compromise, Bismarck wouldn’t have unified Germany, and Labour certainly wouldn’t have entered government in 1997.

So, what links university students with this idealism? Perhaps it’s our ability to be selfless. We’re cushioned by either Student Finance England or the bank of mum and dad, giving us the opportunity to think beyond our own

The Corbyn obsession isn’t the only peculiarity to be found in LSE’s political scene. The other most notable eccentricity is the profound lack of a political scene at all. It seems that LSE’s political discourse is populated by a small but vocal minority who actually care and is avoided by the apathetic majority. LSE, which was once a hotbed for resistance and protest, seems to be devoid of the activism culture which is so innate to the university experience. The cause of this is uncertain. Perhaps it’s the transformation of the Students’ Union into an administrative body rather than a true student-run union is to blame, or perhaps corporate culture has finally triumphed. The remedy for this must be at an institutional level; the university would certainly benefit from

a centralised SU-run debate platform, rather than the current arrangement - which involves individual societies piecing it together themselves. This would not only help create a “campus community”, which LSE is so often criticised for not having, but would also be able to consolidate talent in one place, therefore attracting more high-profile speakers.

The recent progression of national politics is perhaps the best indicator of what lies ahead for LSE’s student politics. Starmer’s increased confidence combined with the recent ineptitude of a scandal-ridden Conservative party means a Labour majority at the next general election is becoming increasingly certain. The Corbynite faction, Momentum, struggled to get their motions passed at the recent party conference, and the National Executive Committee elections yielded mostly moderate candidates. It would therefore seem as though things are looking bad for the Corbynistas. With their inability to compromise they have two options: join the Marxists in ideological obscurity, or the Lib Dems in the political wilderness.

Scan the QR code above to check out the Beaver Breakdown podcast and find out more details

"For all his aws, one thing that can be said about Mr Corbyn was his profound ability to protest. [...] It certainly captivated the hearts of students across the country - for protesting is really at the heart of the university experience."

e grind must stop: study drugs are the symptom of toxic hustle culture

Serena Yoon Contributor

Illustrated by Charlie To

If you have an important exam coming up in a few weeks, you might make an e ort to wake up earlier than usual, eat healthier, or do more exercise to optimise your performance. However, abuse of prescription medication when preparing for exams is becoming increasingly common - you might be familiar with its colloquial name: ‘study drugs’ (i.e., Adderall, Ritalin, Moda nil, and more).

According to a report by the Times, students from top universities – including those from LSE – are “routinely using performance-enhancing ‘study drugs’ to prepare for exams”. So-called ‘study drugs’ are prescription medications used to treat Attention De cit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, through arti cially increasing dopamine levels in the brain to temporarily improve alertness and concentration. Taking a few tablets is supposed to help you work better, study harder, and become less distracted.

However, the purported e ects

making study-drug users more susceptible to addiction and various mental health side e ects. is raises the question: why are we so willing to undergo all these risks for a few hours of hyper-focused productivity?

e pressure to succeed is ever increasing for university students. e hostile job market, expensive school fees,

culture comes at the cost of every other aspect of being a human. If you’re sleeping, surely 3 hours is more than enough; if you’re eating, it's ‘work fuel’. God forbid you’re having fun, as that’ll set you back 6 more hours in the library tomorrow. Because hustle culture puts so much emphasis on being productive all the time, you might nd it hard to enjoy hobbies and you may even feel guilty when partaking in activities without academic outcomes, something that will certainly take an enormous toll on one’s mental health.

It’s also worth noting that over-

stigma associated with admitting to usage, makes facts di cult to come by. Yet, personal stories shed light on the acute fear permeating student bodies.

Indeed, this ‘hustle culture’ seems to have even trickled down into high school environmentsI remember many of my peers taking study drugs, such as concerta, for the sake of getting more revision time prior to their IB exams. It leads one to doubt the possibility that good academic outcomes justify the use of these drugs, as long as it allows you to be ten steps ahead of others. Yet, this would o en come at the cost of a painful

overdose, and detrimental impacts to mental health. Ultimately, the colloquial name ‘study drugs’ should not fool you: at the end of the day, these are prescription medications intended for treatment purposes, not as a casual ‘boost’ for a distressing Monday.

While it’s true that ‘hustling’ can prove an e ective motivator, it’s worth questioning this mindset when it leads to doping yourself on study drugs for a competitive edge. It’s beyond time for hustle culture to change; our academic success simply cannot come at the expense of our physical and mental health.

of these ‘study drugs’ have been contested scienti cally. Studies have repeatedly disproven the link between ‘study drugs’ and increased performance in exams, invalidating any scienti c basis for their misuse. In e ect, whilst these medications may make some ‘feel’ more alert, they do not improve integral skills such as test-taking or timemanagement that are needed for better academic performance.

Additionally, repeated abuse of study drugs by individuals without ADHD or narcolepsy carries a strong likelihood of lower natural dopamine production in the future,

increasing living costs - you can’t a ord to mess things up!

e misuse of study drugs is likely to be a symptom of our addiction to ‘hustle’ rather than a simple trend.

Also known as grind culture, hustle culture refers to a lifestyle or mindset that encourages overworking in the pursuit of success – sound familiar? LSE is known for its notoriously intense working environment and high standards (you only need to look at how many LSE students have a Pret subscription to know that they are in the library 24/7).

In a lifestyle where academic life takes centre stage, hustle

reliance on these drugs echo the unrealistic expectations students set on themselves to be ‘superhuman’ in their academic abilities. An astounding number of LSE students feel a sense of impostor syndrome, constantly doubting their place in the university. It’s not hard to see how such an attitude gives rise to the attraction for a seemingly harmless drug, particularly if it promises you enhanced cognitive abilities.

e lack of long-term research into study drugs, alongside the

‘crash’ a few hours later, o en including a low mood, feelings of nausea, hyperventilation and shaking.

Similarly, anonymous testimonies in the student publication Varsity reveal the painful consequences a er taking Adderall: “your mind goes from focused to even worse than it was before.” It’s clear that the dangerous drive to succeed is placing students in the position to abuse potent drugs, creating the potential for medical complications,

“The misuse of study drugs is likely to be a symptom of our addiction to 'hustle' rather than a simple trend. [...] In a lifestyle where academic life takes centre stage, hustle culture comes at the cost of every other aspect of being human.”

“It’s not hard to see how such an attitude gives rise to the attraction for a seemingly harmless drug, particularly if it promises you enhanced cognitive abilities.”

LSE is a university, not a corporation

Liv Kessler

Contributor

Illustrated by Charlie To

LSE students are experiencing rst-hand the marketisation of universities. Taking corporations as a model, universities have become obsessed with their brand and image, as products for future investment. Indeed, a direct link could be drawn between poor student experience and increasing marketisation - a link which is particularly apparent at LSE, where student satisfaction has always

additional issue of moving the conversation away from targeting the more systemic issue protested - i.e. fair and equitable hiring practices.

Management’s focus on marketisation is further made clear by their similarly super cial focus in the realm of mental health. One new initiative of the past Summer Term was Mental Health Week, which boasted a series of events like pottery classes and promoted LSE’s mental health services - a school bus of fun. ey even brought puppies in front of the library. Along with those

tion of universities: the people who shape the school from the top come from corporate backgrounds themselves. To understand this, one needs to look no further than our director. In 2017, Baroness Minouche Sha k was appointed as Director of LSE, with a new managerial vision. For context, Baroness Sha k has had an impressive career prior to her work at LSE. She has craed a reputation as a breaker of glass ceilings, an innovator, a modern woman of the world. As pointed out in her o cial LSE directorate page, ”by the age of 36, (she) had become the youngest ever Vice President of the World Bank.” Her last job before becoming LSE director was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. ough she has taught at various universities, including Georgetown University in Washington DC, the bulk of her career was made in the corporate world of international institutions.

been notoriously low.

Marketisation was made especially clear in the 2022 Lent Term town hall. On paper, this was an opportunity for LSE students to meet and converse with the full board of directors. However, to me, it revealed why new management was brought to LSE and what they have sought out to build: a corporation. ey are simply here to improve the school’s image and capitalise on it. I didn’t know at the time, but this was only the second town hall LSE had organised, the rst being in the Lent term of 2020, only a few weeks before from the rst national lockdown. e novelty of these meetings show that new ways of interacting with students were being brought to LSE. Even then, I don’t think they were really listening to us.

In reality, this town hall gave LSE management a chance to shi the blame and reject the systemic nature of the issues students wanted to address. is was particularly apparent in the Management’s response to the discussion centred around strikes - deemed a ‘risky’ subject. e topic was instead treated almost entirely from the perspective of student compensation, a largely impossible project. is created the

awful “You’ve got this” posters in the library, these initiatives (the town hall, Mental Health week) are a part of Management’s larger goal to show that they support students beyond academics. e problem is that these changes are ultimately ine ective in combating the lack of support for students struggling with mental illness.

I believe that LSE has a particular place in the marketisa-

sible to its lower level employees. e faraway stage, the many rows of (mostly empty) chairs and the towering screen above us all felt like what I imagine company-wide conferences to be, as opposed to a platform for collaborative discussions. It seems that Minouch’s presence has translated into these new initiatives. ese in turn help boost faltering student satisfaction ratings and improve LSE’s overall University ranking. As noted in an article posted on the school website, the rates of student satisfaction have been steadily rising since its low in 2018. e fact being that student quality of life within the university doesn’t need to improve at a deeper level for the rating to go up. Rather than making expensive, but necessary, investments for the minorities who need it most, LSE is super cially investing in the majority of its students.

Another aspect of the image

ciently pensioned sociology department. e prioritisation of super cial, but expensive, material improvements to the school o en comes at the expense of long term investment in academics, students, and their voices.

e increased involvement of the LSE directorate in the lives of their students can be seen as a way to improve this much sought student satisfaction. However, my problem with many of these changes is that rather than addressing systemic issues, they perform change in student life. It’s much easier to post on social media about how wonderful LSE is for having a Mental Health Week, than to provide su cient funding to the LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service. is shi is profoundly changing what students expect of their university and how their needs are met. Instead of being provided with an education, we are being provided with an academic experience.

is was something I could sense at the Town Hall. In many ways it felt like a corporate conference, generously made acces-

driven obsession are projects like the Marshall Building. Shiny new buildings are much easier to market to the world than a su -

"I believe that LSE has a particular place in the marketisation of universities: the people who shape the school from the top come from corporate backgrounds themselves."

"However, my problem with many of these changes is that rather than addressing systemic issues, they perform change in student life. ”

Italian voting system fails the youth

On 25 September 2022, Italian citizens voted for their new government in the general election. The party of Giorgia Meloni "Fratelli D'Italia", Italian for "Italian Brothers", won with a majority, by 26,24%. This implies that Italian Brothers will have the greatest number of seats, 199 in the Chamber and 66 in the Senate respectively.

The result of the election makes Giorgia Meloni the first Italian female premier, and it will be her duty to build the government that will face one of the most dramatic and unstable Italian economic realities to date.

It would all seem very straightforward from here, yet, there is a dark reality behind the Italian voting system. In every election, young voters are disenfranchised, and in this year’s election Italy has hit the highest rate of abstention on-record.

Only 64% of Italian citizens voted, the lowest percentage voter turnout compared to the data from the last ten years. If we look closer, we can see that the majority of those who abstained were young people: 36% of young adults under 30 did not vote. The reasons behind such dramatic abstention are two-fold.

Firstly, the Italian system does not allow people to vote outside their city of legal residence. For instance, students who have legal residence in Rome can vote only in Rome, so if they are currently studying in Milan, their only option is to take a plane or a train (at their expense) to go back to Rome to vote and return the same day (fortunately elections are held on Sundays!).

Do not make the mistake of thinking this problem affects just students, all workers employed or living in different cities suffer the same problem.

Even Italian President Sergio Mattarella had to fly back to Sicily to vote - no one is spared! Of course, people with financial stability who can meet these high expenses still have a chance to vote.

On the other hand, such a voting structure entirely impedes people with a lower income from exercising their constitutional right. Namely, Article 48 in the Italian constitution states clearly that the right to vote is a core democratic principle, and it is the government’s responsibility to make it happen. In reality, approximately 5 million citizens with the right to vote had no choice but to abstain.

Of all European countries (except for Malta and Cyprus), Italy is the only country that has not updated its electoral system. As one would expect, ignoring a third of the population has significant consequences.

Indeed, the second reason behind such colossal abstention is that young people do not feel considered as part of the political decision making process.

Today, the younger generations have different visions and hopes for their future, some of which have been entirely dismissed by most parties, led by older generations. Indeed, during political campaigns, a majority of Millennials and Gen Z reported to have been unsatisfied by the quality of discussion on topics they consider essential. For in-

stance, the environment, technological innovations, career opportunities and social justice were given minimal consideration.

New generations are waiting for significant changes in the political mentality. Shutting down new ideas and modern perspectives always leads to stagnation. Italy should aim for modernisation. In order to achieve this, politicians should close their TikTok accounts and truly listen to the voice of younger citizens. In fact, from the EU Youth Policy Strategy data, we know for a fact that young people do care about politics. In Italy, young adults (15-35 years old) have one of the highest percentages of “political interest” in social activities and innovative creations.

As a matter of fact, the political passion of the young Italians created the committee 'o Voto da fuori sede", which means "I vote out of my city", with the aim to change this unfair electoral system. And guess what? One of the first letters from this committee was addressed precisely to Giorgia Meloni, who at the time was the Minister

of Youth in Silvio Berlusconi's fourth government. Since 2010, "I vote out of my city" has always been ignored.

However, on several occasions during Giorgia Meloni’s campaign, she affirmed that now politicians must take responsibility and better represent all Italian citizens, including the minorities. In her 2022 political manifesto, she promises to create “more space for the new generation” (n.7) and to defend everyone’s “freedom, dignity and choice” (n.12). We can expect that after 12 years she will make amends with young people by keeping her promises.

Unfortunately, the incoherences in her party’s ideology raises many doubts. In my opinion, the first ministers nominated by Giorgia Meloni could seriously threaten the 'fair representation' of citizens within political institutions.

In fact, the new speaker of the Senate Ignazio La Russa and the speaker of the Chamber Lorenzo Fontana are historically right-wing extremists, who during all their careers have fought to reject LGBTQ+ community integration, abol-

ish abortion and many other horrific policies.

Italian citizens can only hope that somehow this government will be effective. It is likely that Giorgia Meloni's victory would have happened in any case. However, from now on, when we talk about young people being withdrawn from politics, we should really ask ourselves, are young people the disinterested ones or is it politics that is excluding them? Nevertheless, young people will not stop fighting to shape the world according to their ideology, after all, we are the future!

Simona Gallo

SOCIAL

EDITED BY CARMEL LLOYD, LIV KESSLER & MATT SUDDLOW

e Cultural Fanatic’s Guide to

London Vol. 2

by LIV KESSLER & illustrated by CHARLIE TO

Once you’ve hit the National gallery, e Tate Modern and the British Museum, where do you go? What unites all cultural fanatics is the unquenchable thirst for new things to see and explore. In this recurring feature,

e National Opera

I know this may seem like a highbrow and elitist recommendation, but hear me out.

e National Opera gives out free seats for under 21 year olds on most of their shows. e sign-up process takes a couple of days but is de nitely worth it to get to witness some of the best opera in London. Don’t worry if you’re over 21, you get signi cant discounts on most shows if you’re under 35! e shows are funny and heartbreaking. With detailed costumes and sets, and glorious singing to top it all o . Finally, can you really refuse an opportunity to dress up to go to the opera, all for free? I think not.

e Royal Opera House

e Royal Opera House (ROH) may cost you a bit more - in the sense that it is, unfortunately, not free - but is de nitely also worth the detour. A mere 10 minutes away from LSE and in the heart of Covent Garden, the ROH is perhaps even more stunning than the National Opera. If the whole opera thing isn’t your cup of tea but you still want an opportunity to dress up and feel fancy, the ROH also houses the Royal Ballet. Keep your eyes peeled for tickets, as they go fast. I highly recommend e Nutcracker ballet if you want to make your inner four year old happy. Or if you need a place for a fancy date. e Young ROH scheme means most tickets go for £25 for under 25 year olds. You can also nd £6 tickets, though you may not see much of the stage. Don’t be fooled by low prices - sometimes, if it’s too good to be true, it’s a standing ticket.

JACK BEECHING

A er my debut recipe’s warm reception, I’ve been asked to share more pasta dishes.

is one’s incredibly simple: it takes around 15 minutes. It’s also pretty tasty; I make it weekly. Enjoy.

Garlic and prawn pasta

Ingredients (serves one): 125g pasta. 200g frozen prawns (preferably raw). Olive oil. A few cloves of garlic. One chili. Salt. Pepper. Basil. Lemon juice.

1. Finely chop the garlic and chili. Start cooking the pasta.

2. Sauté the garlic and chili in a large pan with lots of olive oil.

3. When the garlic starts to brown, add the prawns. ese should cook in around 7 minutes.

4. Once cooked, add the pasta to the pan and mix well to coat in oil.

5. Serve with salt, pepper, basil, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Pretty good pasta #2 by

Horror-scopes

by VANEEZA JAWAD & illustrated by CHARLIE TO

Scorpio

Okay: it felt too good to be true, and you fell for it. You know exactly what I’m talking about. At least this’ll give you the perfect opportunity to self-victimise, which we all know is your second favourite hobby — right a er mentally capturing your friends’ concerned faces a er your regularly scheduled, nonchalant trauma dumps. is is your birthday present from the universe. Yay!

Sagittarius

You’ve had a good month so far these transits have somehow allowed you to experience life as someone with slick communication skills, which you’ve obviously wasted on being the most annoying person in all of your classes. Like, we get it. You’ve been doing your readings. at’s all about to change, though: Jupiter, your ruling planet, begins its month-long retrograde on the 28th, so enjoy these last few days of feeling normal. Well, as normal as you can feel as a Sagittarius.

Capricorn

Guess what? e worst is over! You can nally come out of your little protective, monogrammed cocoon this week. e bad news is, you’ve e ectively been replaced by your talking stage. Who knew not texting back has its rami cations? Well, now you know!

Aquarius

If — by some miracle of nature — you manage to secure a Halloween party invite despite how you’ve been treating your friends, stick to what you know and go as a ghost. Your last situationship is doing in nitely better than you. Why not reach out again and ruin their life a little? It’s only what you do best.

Pisces

If there’s anyone who should spend reading week reading, it’s you. You’ve been avoiding work a little too much, and it’s bound to catch up with you. is week, try not to run a er people. Allow yourself to be chased, even though no one’s interested.

Aries

You’ve been louder than usual lately and it’s making people like you more. Who would’ve thought? Certainly not us. You might feel the urge to be more vocal about how you feel about a relationship you’re in. It may be hurtful, but you need to say it. ings are going to get so, so, so much worse before they get better.

Taurus

First of all, stop spending so much on things you don’t need. Why do you have a whole Pret subscription to yourself? Split it with your friends like a normal person. How you plan this month a ects everything. Ask yourself; do I want to graduate with a rst or a third? And then do what it takes to get what you want.

Gemini

Not to sound too gleeful, but this isn’t anxiety; you’re absolutely correct to feel this way. Something’s going to happen at work and you’re going to hate it. Fortunately, you were born to thrive in the most annoying of circumstances. Make a little ruckus, as a treat.

Cancer

Tonight’s full moon in Scorpio is bound to reopen old family wounds, but when has that ever truly bothered you? Allow yourself to be emotional this week, but do it with discipline. Stop ignoring the inner work you’ve been putting o Nothing else is going to satisfy you.

Leo

We are literally in the midst of a cost of living crisis. I’m going to need you to lock your Apple Pay and live like a normal person. Also, there’s nothing wrong with your hair: this is objectively the worst time to change up your appearance. Wait till Christmas.

Virgo

With Mercury retrograding, you’ve been in and out of hell this month. And guess what? It gets worse! You may end up saying some hurtful things this week — yes, worse than usual — if you’re not constantly on guard. It sounds exhausting, I know, but it’s the universe’s way of reminding you what you truly are: mean!

Libra

I don’t know how to put this nicely, but you need to get over whatever you’ve been obsessing over and put that energy into actually writing your formatives, because it’s not looking good right now. is week, be careful who you share your feelings with. Not everyone wants the best for you.

WRITE FOR SOCIAL

So here we are, the second issue of the year. e social section is edited by Carmel Lloyd and Liv Kessler, and it’s going to be iconic. ere’s going to be fashion, food, life hacks, gossip, humour, socials…

Fashion articles can be about what people are wearing on campus or current student trends. Life hacks can be eco-friendly or student-friendly (basics for living in halls or in shared ats for the rst time, your best panini press recipes, hacks for cleaning a gross pan...). Any kind of gossipy/LSE life humour (your Tuns experience on a Tuesday night, the best deal in the old building 4th oor cafeteria ...) or even LSE stereotypes ( nance bros seem to be an inexhaustible subject right?)

If you are interested in writing about any of these subjects, reach out to Liv and Carmel on slack or at l.kessler1@lse.ac.uk and c.lloyd4@lse.ac.uk.

Punchdrunk’s e Burnt City

by

SOPHIA

APPL SCORZA REVIEW

EDITED BY BEN HELME

Syed Zaid Ali’s All Time Best: 22, A Million by Bon Iver

For my all-time best, I’ve decided to go with Bon Iver’s third studio album 22, A Million. With its innovative sound and poetic lyricism, this album has stuck with me since its release in 2016. is album plays with textures which serve to build a unique sonic palette, shi ing the band’s style away from their folksy roots. For instance, the processed saxophone of “____45_____”, and the heavy, distorted bass of “10 d E A T h b R E a s T” would have been out of place on a record like For Emma, Forever Ago e production even gives meaning to the words sung; the glitchy e ects on the vocals near the end of “29 #Stra ord APTS”

(“You’ve buried all your alimony butter ies”) suggest the e ects of grief and anxiety. Frontman Justin Vernon also explores ideas of nding one’s self, especially with regards to religion – the opening track asks, “Where you gonna look for con rmation?” Vernon’s lyrics have summed up my past experiences in more ways than I can count. Perhaps they even shape my future, as I have no doubt that I’ll keep nding pieces of myself throughout this record for years to come.

Our immersion into a world of gods and mortals starts in a dimly lit bar, wrapped in red velvet. Lamps drench the space in hypnotising blue as wobbly wine glasses surprisingly bounce back when toasting. From the very beginning, we are lulled into the comfortable confusion of a dream, following strange creatures into the maze of e Burnt City.

Expectations were high when it came to the new production of Punchdrunk, which is viewed by many as the best immersive theatre company in the world. Drawing on two ancient Greek plays, Euripides’ Hecuba and Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, the production sets out to explore the topoi of the Iliad. From the sacri ce of Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia to her revenge, we are taken on a journey through a dark wonderland that is best described as a ballet performance within a massive art installation.

It would take more than one visit to uncover the treasures hidden in the vast exhibit at One Cartridge Place, Woolwich, where every corner from Clytemnestra’s royal dormitory to the precarious ats of the Trojans is designed with full commitment to detail. e manifold spaces composing the exhibition are undeniably the protagonists of the production. Most remarkably, echoing the “Walled City” of Kowloon, Hongkong, once the most densely populated place on earth, Troy comes to life as a gigantic beehive of narrow streets, stairs and Chinese lamps.

Among the dance performers inhabiting this cabinet of curiosities, the women set the pace. Even as simultaneous scenes are occurring, it is hard to look away from Omagbitse Omagbemi (Clytemnestra), an incarnation of a cunning, archaic female strength. Omagbemi’s dance following Iphigenia’s murder is dripping with palpable pain, desperation and desire for revenge. is exquisitely contrasts with the transparent weightlessness of Yilin Kong’s (Kassandra) absent gaze and light movements, which create a gure seamlessly transcending between material reality and a silent world behind objects and bodies.

While our senses are continuously absorbed by the magnetic swirl of dancers, scenes and objects vying for our attention with ever more astonishing choreography and detail, at the exit excitement drops and gives way to a sense of incomplete satisfaction.

It seems like depth of meaning has been traded o for the sake of spectacle. e over-the-top live interpretation of the Eurythmics song Sweet Dreams at the bar adds to this feeling.

Key questions remain unanswered. Is that all there is to the epos of Troy, a dream, immersing us in “a mythical world of gods and mortals”? Why had the myth of Troy, dated to the 8th century BC, interested the directors today? How should we interpret the strong images, such as that of a half-naked, bloodstained Polyxena (Chihiro Kawasaki) hanging by her feet? It is di cult to nd any clue to these questions in the production. If you are an admirer of Greek mythology and its many contemporary interpretations, e Burnt City may leave you disappointed.

While it lacks a clear, original take on the story, Punchdrunk’s new production remains outstanding. It is the most ambitious and impressive production in terms of its atmospheric scenery, aesthetic, and immersive quality that I have encountered.

Despite the thin storytelling, e Burnt City is among the truly unique and unmissable experiences London has to o er.

Felix Barrett, artistic director and company founder once said Punchdrunk aims to “create work that leaves you spinning and seeing stars.” If this was the mission, it has been more than accomplished.

Image from Pitchfork

by JEREMY RICKETTS-HAGAN

Athena is best summarised by the quote used at the end of its rst trailer.

“It is di cult to ght anger, for a man will buy revenge with his soul.”

is concept resonates throughout the lm, and is particularly relevant when considering the fate of our main protagonists.

Athena is the third feature lm of French director Romain Gavras. It is set within the titular Athena, an inner city neighbourhood of Paris. It revolves around the unjust killing of a young teenager of Algerian descent, Idir, allegedly by the French police. It deals with the riotous movements that follow it. e riots are orchestrated by Karim, the older brother of Idir. ey are being thwarted by the brutal police regime of metropolitan Paris and by Abdel, another of Idir’s older brothers.

It’s hard to overstate how stunning this lm is. Much of Athena is lmed through extended shots, with sequential cuts every 15-20 minutes creating chapters within the lm. Every frame feels like a Renaissance painting, as the architecturally cold yet lively inner-city suburb is beautifully portrayed through sweeping, tracking camerawork. is directorial style, coupled with the ominous orchestral score of the artist Gener8ion, creates a grand atmosphere which highlights the tense and antagonistic relationship between the youth of Athena and the police authorities. Gavras is perhaps best known for his direction of the Kanye West x Jay Z music video No Church in the Wild. In Athena, Garvas builds upon this past work, creating an expressive image of a grand rebellion.

ematically, Athena is a beautiful addition to French anti-authority lmography, popularised by lms such as La Haine (1995) and Gang Of e Caribbean (2016). I really enjoyed how this lm uses the individual members of the grieving family as archetypes for the POC immigrant experience. Karim, our main protagonist, is portrayed as a revolutionary gure. He is tired of the corruption and racism that befalls his community and has a charismatic personality that draws legions of inner-city youth to his cause. He is young, wise, and yet undoubtedly rash. His ideological viewpoint is directly opposed by his older brother, Abdel, who is a member of the French military. ough it is clear that Abdel feels the pain of his brother’s death and sympathises with Karim’s movement, he is the quintessential “work through the system” type of character that those from marginalised communities are all too familiar with.

Athena is an excellent watch. Not only as an investigation of the inner-city tension that still permeates within discriminated communities in France, but also as a cinematically poignant tale of a family in the midst of a theoretical and very literal war.

Plus, it’s only like 90 mins. I promise you’ve got time.

Don’t Worry Darling by RACHEL PONTING

From rumours of Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde falling out on set to Harry Styles supposedly spitting on Chris Pine at its Venice Film Festival premiere, there has been a lot of online buzz surrounding the release of Don’t Worry Darling is drama between the all-star cast is what motivated me to watch the lm. Yet, as I hadn’t seen any of Olivia Wilde’s other works, I had no idea what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique and costume designer Arianne Phillips beautifully portray life in Victory, the seemingly utopian desert town in which the lm is set.

is town appears to be an antiquated suburban dream - whilst the men leave each day to work on a top-secret project, their wives spend their days cooking, cleaning and socialising in apparent luxury. is idyllic life, though, is not as it seems. e lm follows Florence Pugh’s Alice as she uncovers the ugly truth of the Victory Project. Pugh’s amazing performance anchors the movie, as she awlessly portrays the breakdown of her reality.

e social commentary is astute and impactful. Wilde successfully illustrates the dangerous role that technology can play in upholding the patriarchy, a warning which is especially relevant in the context of the growing popularity of misogynistic male in uencers such as Andrew Tate.

at being said, the plot felt poorly executed. e major reveal about the Victory Project comes in the nal act of the lm and makes the ending feel rushed– I was le with questions, but not in a good way.

Kiki Layne, who plays Margaret, has revealed that many of her scenes were cut from the lm, which could explain some of the plot inconsistencies. However, it’s unclear whether this is also the case for Gemma Chan. Her character Shelley’s ba ing actions at the end of the lm remain unexplained.

e acting at times was questionable as well. A er seeing that viral excerpt of Styles shouting, I’d braced myself for the worst. But ultimately, I don’t think he’s a terrible actor. In fact, his character work is strong, and he and Florence Pugh had undeniable on-screen chemistry. However, he de nitely wasn’t the best man for the role and his performance at times felt at and uncomfortable, especially when contrasted with Pugh’s.

Image from IMDb

PART B

EDITED BY ANOUK PARDON

Hi there! How are you doing on the bookshelf?

by SALLY ZHANG & illustrated by XI CHEN

Have you ever wondered whether there might be a soul living inside a book? I’m not trying to start a religious discussion or invent an Aladdin-esque myth, it’s just that this question has gradually entered my mind in recent years and made me wonder about what it really means to own a book.

As a book lover, I couldn’t wait to go to the Old Book Festival once I moved to Kyoto. Unlike modern book fairs, the old book festival in Kyoto is held in the open space of a temple. O en in autumn, on the rst morning of the book fair before all the bookselling begins, the temple holds a ceremony for old books.

e monks chant sutras to express their gratitude to these old, dusty, and forgotten books that are relics of the past, and respectfully tell them that they may soon have new owners. e books become both the subject and the object of the ritual, their souls are consoled while their physical presence is o ered up. e idea that everything has a spirit is ingrained in Japanese culture. e assumption that books are inhabited by souls in need of consolation has stayed with me for a long time.

At rst, I couldn’t help but imagine that, like in Toy Story, the books on my bookshelf might talk to each other at night. Maybe Leviathan would complain that I am a pseudo-intellectual and that I have never read more than ten pages. Maybe Neruda’s poem collection would lament about how I lost his cover. Maybe the books read each other, and talk to each other about literature, philosophy and history and go to gatherings together, like a literal ‘book club’.

I don’t mean to turn this into a delusional piece of crappy science ction, the more realistic dimension of this idea lies in the moment I open the books. Whenever I buy a book from a bookshop, I always nd something between its pages. is makes me wonder if the bookshop owner slipped it in there on purpose. Moreover, when I open books that I haven’t read in a long time on my own shelves, I always nd something in them as well. For example, during the pandemic when I started rereading many of my books I found a postcard from my major crush in secondary school, a list of books that I had made for myself for no reason, and tons of notes I passed in class. I’m not sure whether the soul of the book inhabits whatever is sandwiched between its pages, but these objects do have this secret ability to suggest what made me (or the former owner of the book) happy or sad when we read it. eir cues are so pertinent and so subtle that they transcend time and space, connecting many parallel universes in this single moment when we open the book. Each reading is so di erent, but there is always some emotion that connects them, an emotion that is ine able, embodied by what is in between the pages and stirred by the little piece of soul caught in the book.

I read somewhere that today’s technological advances will make books last much, much longer than a human’s lifespan, so that the books on our shelves today will exist in silence long a er we are gone. I don’t know how they will speak to other souls in the future. I don’t know if the traces of me reading them will become parts of their soul, something to be discovered by future humans or non-humans. I don’t even know if books are inhabited by souls or not, but by contemplating this idea, I think I have opened the books on my shelves more o en. For perhaps, like all souls in the world, they need to be constantly a rmed of their existence in order to dispel the insecurity that surrounds them; and to a rm their existence, they need to be acknowledged, so that they can be remembered and never truly disappear.

e man who painted with his heart

by EMMA DO

“ is world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.”

is lyric, written by Don McLean in Vincent, has been echoing in my head since the rst time that I heard the song. Even before I understood the story of the unfortunate, incredibly talented artist, I was still deeply touched by its meaning. Vincent Van Gogh was an extraordinary and gi ed being- but a troubled soul. He had done so much, had gone so far in life, yet he was unable to witness the impact and the inspiration he le behind for future generations.

Van Gogh’s father described him as a redheaded boy who always looked glum and shunned away from people. Being distant from a young age, it seemed that all that mattered to Vincent Van Gogh was nature. e hours spent wandering in the woods and seeing everything throbbing with life became the boy’s earliest moments of happiness and laid the foundation for his creativity. Nature was his muse, and during his darkest time, it was owers and the sunshine that kept him going.

Growing up, Vincent found no home in the places he had lived, the jobs he had worked, or the people he had met. He was wounded with unsaid love, broken promises and unpleasant truths that all individuals with tender hearts are fragile to. Constantly battling depression and being con ned by religion growing up, Vincent was unable to express his raw feelings, and no one seemed to open up to him either. His only salvation was art.

Starry night over the Rhone was painted in 1888, showing a lovely couple strolling down the bank of the Rhone river under a peaceful starry night. When looking at the picture, one notices how Vincent made a vague distinction between water and sky. He added heavy layers of visible brush strokes using his usual intense blue palette. ey are thick, dark and short and look as if he made them in a hurry. All the boats seem to have emerged into the sad night sky.

Starry Night Over the Rhone can inspire various interpretations in the viewers: a calm, peaceful night along the river, or a contemplation of Vincent’s depression. e painting - like - is melancholic and the vagueness of it could represent Van Gogh drowning in the darkness of his mind.

roughout his life, Vincent Van Gogh put up with loneliness, isolation, and misunderstanding. Nonetheless, he stayed true to his values and deeply cared for others. He found comfort in teaching a little boy how to hold the paintbrush, and even companionship when crows picked up his bread crumbs. Art was a means to express how life was for him, full of madness, greed, sorrow, hope and beauty; it consoled him. Nonetheless, he always managed to look on the bright side of life, even when he was at his most vulnerable. is can be seen in the choice of luminous and golden colours in his paintings.

Yet, loneliness was a feeling he could not overcome. Overwhelmed by sadness and societal pressure, Vincent Van Gogh took his own life at the young age of 37, as his career was barely starting.

e pain, the sorrow and the burden Van Gogh bore went unknown to many. e appreciation he deserved only came long a er his death, when people started to listen to his stories, and eventually found comfort in his honest words. ere was more to Van Gogh’s legacy than his paintings. It was his faith, his unltered soul, and the unwavering passion to pursue his dreams. Vincent showed us that love can go to great lengths, and that falling in love with life, or someone, is about breaking, growing, healing and becoming.

behind glass

Written & illustrated by CHARLIE TO

saltwater rippled and stirred. we ung pebbles at imaginary foes, so they’d leave us alone.

that was summer held still, dying sun and dulcet breeze, birds warbling in the heat. later three gods rose and kept watch unwaveringly. ringed hand waved and all gave to a tapestry of fantasy: millions twinkling and pulsing like questions, while Sagittarius crept up behind the bringer of wonder, you.

joy pierced like a matador. summer’s bright howl, now in nite, is in snaps and clicks. soon the leaves will start to fall:

i guard my thoughts of you carefully (i guard my thoughts of you carefully)

Untitled by K.A.JAMES & illustrated by FAY QIAN

Don’t you remember?

e summer breeze whistled by the both of us. Your hands were clenched to so wings of straw, woven to the hat that latched onto your head. Around the brim was a congregation of owers that you picked: jasmine, tulips, lilies, and da odils. White played with pink and yellow mixed with rose in the summer glaze. Strips of sand bleached hair slipped down your shoulders, beaming its own radiant light. You always said you liked that hat.

You do remember, right?

e jade waves of grass folded and crushed with every step of ours; a ripple rst washed through the dense blades, then came the violent crash between skin and earth, crushing the grass from head to toe. e summer breeze was there too, running in its predestined course. e supple leaves above our heads swayed in rhythm with the run of the wind. e wildlife felt it. at bee (I think it was a bee) almost stung my ear! You laughed, surprising yourself, and looked away again. e eld ahead stretched out for miles, an endless expanse of emerald. Sure, it was beautiful. It wasn’t enough to rid the hazy look set in your eyes.

You really don’t remember?

In the second that lasted for minutes, raw passion and longing desire fused in an exotic mix, beating down on any remaining sense. I wanted more. More was longing for your clear blue eyes to settle onto mine. More was the so touch of your hand to brush against mine, skin on skin, nger interlocked with nger. Perhaps, more was just to hear the slightest whisper, a fragment of sound, to leave your locked lips.

Your mouth formed abstract shapes, smiling and frowning, as the words that tumbled out meshed into a shield. A toxic mix of want and need leaked onto the surface. My eyes darting, yours steady. Strands of blonde hair settled so ly past your ear, collecting to cast its shadow around your cheeks.

e silver-grey clouds dared not appear; the emerald plains below our feet danced to the tune of the breeze; the towering trees

standing as guard around the eld relaxed. Yet, nature’s religious zeal could not pry open the insurmountable defences that locked away your feelings. We pressed on as the gap grew wider between us. e wind’s whistle spoke but the deafening silence did not break its resolve. It only felt right to break it.

“I look at you and you never seem to be happy. I don’t understand.”

“I’m happy. Who said I wasn’t? You look at me and believe you understand everything there is to see. You want to understand in your own special way,” you said.

“You respond but you never talk. You have this far-away look in your eyes. It’s just me, singing my words to the void. I want to hear about your mornings or the random little things that make your heart utter. I want to hear about what you draw or the ower that you like the most.”

“None of that concerns you. How I feel isn’t something that you should feel obligated to know. I keep things to myself because I want to. What right do you have to pry into my life and claim it as yours too? You want someone who wants to talk on and on like a broken record,” you replied.

For the rst time, songs of the mockingbirds fell to a quiet hush. Overcast clouds hammered down the blue gates, spilling into the plains. You spoke once more.

“You try so hard to bend the world to your will. It won’t begin to rain just because you wish to cast your anger into the world. Flowers will not rise in winter because your happiness wills it so. You look at me as another person to conquer. Being wrong is unthinkable to you. Like a child, you grab and claim everything as yours. What am I to do with you? Should I stand here and submit to you with open arms? Is that what you want? Perhaps it’s better if I slip on the mask of the woman you think I am and play her role like an actor on a stage. You believe that an open sky or the sun burning brightly is a sign of con rmation. Spurred by anger or love, the world around you should know it, right?”

You had spoken from the heart, spitting words of venom to me at the time.

You remember now...

Find the endof the shortstory on our website!

SPORT

EDITED BY NOAH POLL AND ALEX BOWLEY

e Lionesses’ Lasting Legacy

by ALEX BOWLEY

What were you doing on the evening of the 31st of July 2022? Well if you were not glued to your television watching Sarina Weigman’s women take home the Euro 2022 title then you missed a moment in history. England football’s rst major trophy in 56 years, bringing joy to every England fan a er generations of disappointment. A moment that will live long in the memory of a country deprived of footballing success, yet, this win goes deeper. is win will ful ll the age-old cliche of inspiring little girls up and down the country, but this tournament has also changed the mindset of the country.

When England last won a major trophy, in 1966, the England women’s football team did not exist. is tells the story of the struggle that women’s football has faced to exist, and now they aim to reach the dizzying heights of the men’s game. e ght for equal pay and recognition is an ongoing one. Yet, recently there have been large strides made in the right direction with the USA national team having equal pay for men and women. Maybe a er this Euros win England will follow in their footsteps.

e England women’s football team having success at major international tournaments is not a new phenomenon. In the 2019 world cup, the Lionesses reached the semi- nal before losing to the eventual winner, the USA. What is unprecedented however is the amount of support that the 23-man squad received from the English public.

e amount of coverage of the tournament is unprecedented, both on television and in written media. e semi- nal between England and Sweden was watched by 11 million people, according to the BBC. ese numbers are normally only seen for men’s matches.

One of the things that was noticeable is the amount of coverage the tournament got on social media. English players both past and present were vocal in their support on Twitter and other platforms. Helping bring the women’s game to an audience that perhaps would not have engaged with the tournament otherwise. A surprising aspect of the tournament was that Instagram football pages were covered in memes and results of the Euros. is no doubt brought a new demographic to the women’s game.

Beth Mead, Lucy Bronze, Ellen White. Names now known by most of the nation. Icons of the Lionesses win. ese players will join the likes of Alex Scott and Fara Williams as role models for little girls and pillars of the game. e increased visibility of these women will hopefully promote the women’s game and show the younger generation that no matter who you are, the pinnacle of sports is achievable. Seeing these women on television and in the newspaper should show the next generation of girls that football is a sport for all, not just their brothers.

e Lionesses captured the attention of a country for one month, but the changes that they have brought will last a lot longer.

Changing the view on women’s football has allowed careless comments like that of Graeme Souness to be phased out of the language used around the game.

e Euro 2022 nal didn’t go very well for Gary Lineker. His most famous quote, “Football is a simple game: 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and, in the end, the Germans always win,” was proved wrong on two accounts. Germany certainly did not win, and the ball was chased by 22 women.

GIAGs: A First Year’s Opinion

by ALEX BOWLEY & illustrated by CHARLIE TO

Wakeboarding, lacrosse, squash. When attending the sports fair, I saw so many sports that I was intrigued by but didn’t see myself signed up for a whole year of. is is where the Give It A Go (GIAG) comes in.

GIAGs are one-o sessions where anybody can come and attempt a sport (or any society). ey require no previous experience in the activity and are a place where you can meet other people who are interested in trying out the sport.

So why are the GIAGs so successful in getting people to join? First, it gives the students a chance to experience a sport that would have been previously inaccessible to them. Either because they simply didn’t know the sport existed, or because of the fear of embarrassing themselves in front of fellow students who have been playing since before they could walk.

Wakeboarding has been on my bucket list for a long time. So when the opportunity to give it a go appeared I took it without a second thought. What an experience it was, thrilling and exhilarating. Without the GIAG I wouldn’t have been able to try out this sport which would have required lots of planning and research had I wanted to do it in my own free time.

Squash and lacrosse are both sports that I’ve seen played, normally in highlights on social media, but ones I thought I would be out of my depth in. So, I decided that the GIAGs would be my chance to try them out without any pressure of performing well. I was introduced to the sports and taught some of the basic skills without it feeling like I was being seen as an inconvenience.

My advice for anyone in the rst few weeks of the year would be to attend as many GIAGs as you can. My rst weeks were lled with them, I probably spent more time playing sports than I did in seminars. ese events do not only allow you to try sports that you have never tried before but come with no added pressure as you are trying them out with people who also have little to no experience in the activity.

Meeting people when you are at your most vulnerable, a er falling at on your face wakeboarding, is just an added bene t of the GIAGs. It allows you to meet people who have similar interests and who are outside of your course or accommodation.

Put yourself out there, step out of your comfort zone, and give it a go.

I heard about Katherine from one of her rugby teammates, our beloved Executive Editor Aarti. Katherine plays rugby, she plays water polo, she plays tennis, she surfs, she boxes, she knows taekwondo, she has swam competitively from age 13 to 18, and she’s one of the winners of the iconic annual LSE Fight Night. How could anyone not be in awe of her? If some people remain to be convinced, just watch the video of her sensational boxing match at Fight Night – nothing more needs to be said.

Katherine grew up in a supportive environment where the sports culture was really big. She went to the Canadian International School of Hong Kong where she tried di erent sports. “Initially, I didn’t really know what my sport was. But over time, I really got into swimming - and competitive swimming - to a level where my coach was a former Olympian and my swim mates were national swimmers.”

Katherine started swimming when she was ve, and then competitively from 13 to 18. Once she entered university, she ended up joining the water polo and rugby teams. “I eventually got into boxing because of Fight Night. But the rst time I ever boxed was in a summer camp when I was 12. It felt so empowering at such a young age. But when I got back home, we didn’t have boxing really available. So, I did taekwondo for four year and got to red belt.” is was Katherine’s introduction to martial arts.

She started boxing seriously in January 2022, only three months prior to Fight Night. She’d heard about Fight Night and just found it to be really cool. She felt a bit late to the game but turned up to training consistently. “I was not expecting to ght, because I was on the reserve team.” Several weeks into training, Coach Lewis, the LSESU Boxing Team coach, saw potential in Katherine and asked her to ght. “At the moment, I wasn’t thinking: oh, I’m a month behind and I’ve only got two and a half months to prepare, which is really little. All I was thinking was: this is so exciting.”

As Fight Night approached, training got serious. e boxing team would meet three times a week to spar. “ ose are quite intense and require a lot of physical tness and also are quite mentally challenging. Just to be comfortable being hit in the head and come back up to it in a positive way.” On top of additional tness training twice a week, Katherine also trained on her own. She ended up training almost every day, “One time I went up to six hours a day, which is pushing it a bit.”

When she started, Katherine admitted she did not feel mentally ready to ght. “ at took a while for me to get over. I was also quite skinny… I was quite intimidated by everyone else, but [that was] also a reason why I wanted to learn from everyone.” She emphasised that Coach Lewis was really supportive from the get go. “He really made mental health less of a di cult topic to talk about. Because he was so kind and open.” Katherine also asked for feedback from the Boxing Society President and Vice President, Phil Saunes and Abu Miah. She felt very grateful that they were there for every step of the way. Katherine always felt very safe while training with the LSE boxing team. “Everyone is super kind to each other. And I was the one I’d say pushing myself, but no one else was pushing me to an extent where I felt uncomfortable.”

When training by herself, she started visualising ghts a lot, and shadow boxing anytime and anywhere. “I remember once I just went into the corridors in the library, hid myself in the bookshelves and then just started shadowboxing.”

Katherine was motivated by her friends’ constant support and her own determination to feel more condent. She felt scared of being in front of everyone during Fight Night and was going through family problems at the time. “I kind of used boxing as an outlet to really prove to myself that I’m worth it… I’m still good enough… I’ll show it to everyone.”

28 March 2022: Fight Night. Katherine, representing the Water Polo Society, fought against a third year who was representing the Boxing Society. “It was quite unexpected how it turned out.”

Before the ght, Katherine was laser-focused. She had her AirPods in and was writing in her a rmation journal, visualising herself winning the ght and throwing the punches she’d practised. Her ght was one of the last ghts of the night. “By the time I was getting out to the ring, that was when I felt that sensational atmosphere.” Katherine kept her entrance very quiet, without any crazy dance steps, as she tried to hold on to her focus. She took everything in: the 1000 people watching, the shouts of excitement and then went in. “As soon as the bell went, that’s when I let everything out and went for it.”

A er that, everything happened really fast. “I don’t remember. I can only look at the videos that all my friends took... I felt more like a machine just regurgitating everything that I put in training.” Katherine remembered coming out of the ring and that “All my friends were going nuts. ey were giving me owers, hugs and kisses. And that was what I remember. It’s that moment. I knew that all the hard work and all the times that we didn’t go out, all was worth it.”

Winning the ght had lasting e ects. “I never really thought that my boxing would have such a big impact. But it turns out a lot of people are coming to me to learn how to box and it’s been a really good experience so far. I o en try to turn out to training sessions and just help out with everyone.”

Months a er the ght, people still know her as the Fight Night Girl. “I don’t think I’m quali ed to take on that name. Every single person out there was just phenomenal. And I get it. Boxing is an individual performance sport. And I’m so beyond lucky to be in this position to be inspiring girls and guys to be boxing but my performance is completely relying on my teammates and my coach because that’s who I trained with.”

e list of sports that Katherine practices seems never ending. I asked her if one had her heart more than the others. “Right now, I’d say de nitely, de nitely boxing because it really empowers you. And it makes you feel strong and able to defend yourself. As a girl, I’d say that’s something none other sports have made me feel.”

Katherine believes that sport has really humbled her as a person. “ ere’s always, always, always something that you can work on, learn from someone else, and you’re never ever, ever the best. You could be [the

best], it can be temporary. But you should always be on to the next thing.” She explained, “ e outcome is some combination of luck, a combination of your tness, your commitment, but there’s so many factors that come into it, sometimes you win by split second”. She concluded that it really taught her that failure is part of sports just as it is part of life.

Katherine is an advocate for mental health, and she especially wants to raise awareness toward its importance in sports. She explained that “One aspect of being an athlete is loneliness, because you’re being put into a rigid training schedule. And it’s kind of hard to talk to ‘normal’ students and make friends in that way. But I am so thankful that LSE people are so open and just so friendly and genuine in that way that I didn’t feel so much loneliness.” Many athletes are affected by eating disorders, regardless of their gender. Athletes are expected “to look in a certain way–to look jacked or skinny or whatever. And it really puts a toll on you.”

Katherine’s advocacy for mental health led her to work with Pomet, a social media start-up founded earlier this year by LSE, Imperial, and Cambridge students. It’s an online platform where all students from London universities can anonymously chat about shared interests. She added that it has been an interesting role to be in a start-up and see everyone working so hard as a team towards building an app that will impact students’ lives.

As we reached the end of our interview, I asked Katherine if she had anything speci c to add. I believe that what she ended up saying concludes this interview quite well. “I really want to inspire people to try new things and just go for it. It doesn’t matter, the outcome, the journey is what matters: make the most out of it, you only live once, take a risk, you never know what will happen.”

KATHERINE LO Fight Night Girl

interview by AMBRE PLUTA

photography by JACK LOVE