The Beaver - #932 (February 14 2024)

Making sense of LSE since 1949

Report claims top universities have lower entry requirements for overseas students, page 5

by Janset An, Contributing Writer

FEATURES

LSE launches competition for Bankside redevelopment

Uncovering the Union: Examining AU and sports club funding allocation

A break-up letter to alcohol: My most toxic relationship

Photographed by Ben Chen and Angus Timmons

Executive Editor

Alan Nemirovski executive.beaver@lsesu.org

Managing Editor Eugenia Brotons Batista managing.beaver@lsesu.org

Flipside Editor Sana Agarwal editor.flipside@lsesu.org

Frontside Editor Vanessa Huang editor.beaver@lsesu.org

Multimedia Editor Claire Yubin Oh multimedia.beaver@lsesu.org

News Editors

Iraz Akkus

Chenoa Colaco

Features Editors

Liza Chernobay

Amadea Hofmann

Opinion Editors

Honour Astill

Kieran Hurwood

Part B Editors

Emma Do

Julietta Gramigni

Review Editors

Christina Jiang

Sheila Mutua

Social Editors

Rhea Jethwa

Kaviesh Kinger

Sports Editors

Robert Khandzhyan

Matt Sudlow

Beaver Sound Editors

Kate Banner

Laila Gauhar

Illustrations Editors

Francesca Corno

Mithalina Taib

Photography Editors

Ben Chen

Angus Timmons

Videography Editors

Valerie Schwane Torres

Rebecca Stanton

Website Editors

Hila Davies

Christine van Voorst

Social Media Editors

Emma Gallagher

The other Asian's Lunar New Year celebration food

Claire Yubin Oh Multimedia Editor

Mentally prepping myself to attend three dumpling nights this long weekend, I share my mum’s prized Korean recipe for 떡국 (Tteok-guk, literally ricecake soup), tailored for my own lazy uni student lifestyle:

Ingredients:

Soup:

- 2 cups of sliced rice cake

- Half cup of shredded beef

- Half cup of thinly sliced

- green onion (the biggerones if available)

- 1+ spoon of sesame oil

(must)

- 1 spoon (soup) soy sauce

- Half spoon of minced garlic

- A sprinkle of salt

- A sprinkle of ground pepper

- Half spoon of anchovy sauce (멸치액젓; optional)

- 1 egg (optional)

- Salted seaweed (optional)

Beef garnish:

- Half cup of shredded beef

- 1 spoon soy sauce

- A sprinkle of sugar

- A spinkle of pepper

- Half teaspoon of minced garlic

- Splash of sesame oil

Steps:

The soup:

1. Slice the rice cakes then soak in water for at least 15min.

2. Add some cooking oil, a splash of sesame oil, and beef in a pot, and stir fry over high to medium heat so that the fat in the beef melts down.

3. Add soy sauce and anchovy sauce to the stirfry. Once all the sauce is absorbed, add water and boil on high heat.

4. Once the soup starts to boil, lower the heat

Valentine's Day mini-crossword

Eugenia Brotons Batista Managing Editor

A kind redemption

Sana Agarwal Flipside Editor

Athen add the rice cake. Boil for 20 minutes.

5. Add the pepper and minced garlic.

6. Top with beef garnish (quick recipe below, it’s a must have), salted seaweed, and sliced green onion.

Beef garnish (a must!! Known as 꾸미 Ggu-mi)

8. Marinate shredded beef with soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and minced garlic. Leave for 10-15min.

9. Stir fry with a splash of sesame oil on high heat.

Down

1. noun, practitioners of involuntary abstinence. Sometimes said of LSE students: they’re all ___ s

5. Spanish word, used in conjunction with papi __ to denote a hot guy. Americans also use it to refer to a pimp

6. Acronym, overused on Instagram. E.g., you post a story of your lone glass of wine and write: “ ___ you are single on valentine’s day”

7. Action, after doing the deed one must ___ everything clean of bodily fluids.

8. No clothes

Across

1. expression of disgust. An instant turn-off: what LSE students get when they find out their love interest is actually from King’s

2. The valentine’s day mythological icon, will shoot his arrow and make you fall in love

3. action - running away. What you must do with your King’s lover when #1 fails to materialize because remaining in London together is socially unacceptable

4. ___ is in the air

s each New Year comes along, we greet it with new expectations, hopes, and goals. This enticing new chance to turn over a new leaf, to leave what is not serving you behind, and to hold on tighter to everything that is.

Fay Qian

However, the prospect of having a clean slate often oversimplifies the complex mirage each one of us car-

ries and encounters every day like the turning over of a day can suddenly put all the pieces back into place. After all, most times the clean slate ends up being a little dusty with the residue of a lingering loss, the bad taste of a heartbreak, or a grieving of your past self. It could be an illness you were suddenly struck by or perhaps just a period of feeling motionless leaving you demotivated because you feel like you’ve missed the train already.

If you’re anything like me, and January wasn’t the squeaky clean start you hoped for, here is another chance for a kind redemption - the Chinese New Year. A chance to allow yourself the hiccups and stumbles, to gather your fortune cookies and paper cuttings, have a reunion dinner with your lost hope for the New Year. A chance not at resurrection, but rather a restoration of your hope and kindness for yourself.

LSE launches competition for £400m Bankside redevelopment

Janset An Contributing Writer

Last month, LSE revealed six shortlisted firms who will compete for the opportunity of redeveloping, demolishing and renovating LSE’s largest student residence: Bankside Hall. LSE is being assisted in this process by their chosen partners: Bouygeus UK and Equitix, the former has experience constructing student accommodations in Birmingham and Exeter.

The design competition will end on April of this year. Construction is set to begin in 2026 and will cost an estimated £400 million. A previous renovation attempt was made in 2011, when LSE received approval for a three storey extension that did not materialise. The current project is the most ambitious renovation to date.

Bankside House currently houses up to 600 students and is located near popular London sites such as the Tate Modern, London Eye, and St Paul’s Cathedral, whilst only being a 25-minute walk from campus.

It was constructed in the 1950s as an office for Bankside Power Station before being converted into a LSE student accommodation in the late 1990s.

It is projected this renovation will increase Bankside’s capacity to 2000 people in pursuit of achieving LSE’s goal of offering every first-year student a space to live by 2030. The Director of Estates at LSE, Julian Robinson, who will be a judge on the panel deciding the winning team, outlined the foci of this renovation as “affordability”, “environmental sustainability” and the display of “exemplary civic architecture.” LSE has a strong reputation of ambitious architectural pursuits which contributed to the universi-

ty earning the title of the first carbon-neutral university in the UK in 2021.

The proposed project has brought into question the impact the renovation will have on its surroundings. In 2021, LSE was in conflict with the Southwark Council over the New Southwark Plan. This plan suggested implementing a protected view of the silhouette of the Tate Modern looking from Millennium Bridge. This disagreement led to a reversal of plans to construct an additional 500 rooms in Bankside House. Inspectors who examined the plan claimed LSE’s aim to increase the height of the building was justified.

LSESU Sabbatical Election timeline: key dates

15 Jan

27 Feb

11 Mar

18-19 Mar

21 Mar

Nominations open

Nominations close

Campaigning begins

Voting period

Results night

Positions available: General Secretary, Activities and Communities Officer, Welfare and Liberation Officer, and Education Officer

UK universities face deficit risk from fewer international students

Samantha Lo Senior Staff Writer

UK universities face a serious threat of financial deficit as a sharp decline in international students’ applications is expected for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. This decline is attributed to the Conservative government’s recent tighter stance towards immigration, which is likely to deter the arrival of international students.

Undergraduate tuition fees for home students have been

capped at £9,250, a number that has eroded due to inflation. Universities UK (UUK) estimated that £9,250 will be worth £5,800 in real terms by the 2025/26 academic year. Universities have traditionally turned to hiking international student fees, which are not capped. In response to these financial challenges, University of York has lowered entry requirements for international students.

The quality of higher education in Britain has consistently been globally competitive, especially with the ‘Oxbridge’

universities consistently securing top spots in world university rankings. Leaders of the sector have however expressed that they do not expect the government to provide support in times of serious financial trouble, including possible breaches of agreements with banks. One leader describes the government as “determined to drive us out of business”.

Research from PwC has revealed that the falling number of international students is only one of many factors causing unstable financial circum-

stances in universities. Other major obstacles include rising expenditures on staff salaries and maintenance costs.

For the 2022/23 academic year, LSE reported a total income of £466,051,000, ending the year with a total surplus of £58,136,000. This is an improvement from the 2021/22 academic year, which saw a deficit of £22,110,000.

For undergraduate programmes, fees for international students at LSE increase annually.

For postgraduate programmes, the UK government does not impose a cap on either home or overseas fees; LSE has also increased its postgraduate tuition fees each year , in varying percentages across programmes. The 2024/45 tuition fee policy also states that ‘[p]rogramme fee levels may be subject to change during the academic year for those Executive Master’s programmes that operate a number of start dates throughout an academic year’, meaning that students might have to face unexpected fee adjustments.

Latin American and Caribbean academics protest against closure of research community

Saira Afzal Contributing Writer

Following the closure of the Latin American and Caribbean Centre (LACC) in October 2023, Dr Anna Cant, Dr Tanya Harmer and Professor Jenny Pearce organised a workshop on Thursday, 18 January to discuss the future of the Latin American and Caribbean research community at LSE.

The workshop gathered professors, research fellows and postdoctoral students whose research areas focus on the Latin American and Caribbean region, with the aim of addressing challenges faced by the research community.

Participants brainstormed ways to increase visibility of the community, such as disseminating new LSE research on the region via research seminars, roundtables and PhD student seminars. One

participant suggested organising events focused on current affairs to offer intellectual interpretations of recent events in Latin America. Another participant suggested formalising the research community into a network for easier collaboration.

Many participants agreed that engaging with the culture and arts scene at LSE would encourage interest in the Latin American and Caribbean region, for example through film screenings or inviting Latin American artists to discuss their work. Attendees also agreed that collaboration with Latin American student societies on cultural events could increase student awareness. It would also provide an opportunity to network with the wider Latin American and Caribbean community on campus.

Before its closure, the LACC was a “focal point” for research

covering the region, increasing public awareness of LSE’s research specifically. It promoted LSE’s research via seminars, public events and debates with scholars to encourage lively discussion on topics relevant to the region.

Many workshop attendees were involved with the LACC before it closed, and they expressed difficulties trying to create networks within the research community without the centre’s support. One participant felt the LACC had provided valuable connections that could not be fostered elsewhere, whilst another said the LACC was a “magnet” for scholars outside of LSE.

One key concern raised at the workshop was technical barriers in setting up communication channels, such as the labour and time required to manage a fortnightly newsletter. Some participants suggested a mailing list or a

WhatsApp group to tackle this issue. Another concern raised was sourcing funds for events without formal department support.

Professor Jenny Pearce, Visiting Professor at the International Institute of Inequalities told The Beaver the Latin American and Caribbean region is often left out of the intellectual, academic and policy map because people do not appreciate the unique insights the region can give on global challenges.

She added that every country in the region can provide a valuable interdisciplinary perspective to global challenges, such as inequality, migration and climate change. LSE attracts many Latin American students every year who want to see their region recognised in the intellectual sphere, thus the research community at LSE is invaluable to students from the region.

An LSE spokesperson said: “We empower and trust our departments to organise their research and teaching for the best possible outcomes with the resources available to them and via any additional funding secured through philanthropy or partnership opportunities. While on occasion this will mean that research centres housed within departments are not permanent entities, our School-wide commitment to world-leading research and policy impact across regions –in this case, Latin America and the Caribbean – is enduring.”

If students are interested in helping the Latin American and Caribbean research community, please email the convenors of the workshop: a.cant1@lse.ac.uk, t.harmer@lse.ac.uk, j.pearce3@lse.ac.uk .

Or please contact The Beaver.

London library opens to honour BBC’s first Black radio producer

Iraz Akkus News Editor

Anew library within Aylesbury has officially opened by the Southwark Council to honour Una Marson, the BBC’s first Black radio producer. This announcement comes with a larger commitment to improving the Aylesbury area, where Europe’s biggest housing estate was once situated.

Marson is the first Black woman in Britain to have a library named after her. Born in rural Jamaica, she was already a seasoned writer when she started to work for the BBC in 1939, having written a collection of poems challenging traditional notions of womanhood and a play named ‘At What Price’ about a mixed-race relationship. This would later be performed on the West End.

When she first moved to Eng-

land, Marson lived in Peckham with Dr Harold Moody, a Black activist and founder of The League of Coloured Peoples. Marson was heavily involved within this effort, attending meetings and receptions, and supporting their fight against the pervasive racism of the mid-1900s. She was also an important advocate for women’s rights.

She first started at the television studios and later transferred full-time to a programme assistant role in the Empire Programmes department, due to the suspension of BBC TV when the war began.

Her interest in poetry positioned her as a pivotal figure in elevating authors from the Caribbean; the Southwark council commented that to “honour Southwark’s rich cultural tradition”, Marson’s name was the perfect representative.

Marson also had a weekly series, ‘Calling the West Indies’, which collated a space for music, interviews and war-time stories. Importantly, it was here that she created air-time for servicemen and women to send messages to families in the Caribbean during the broadcast.

In 1942, she took part in George Orwell’s ‘Voice’ series, a platform for writers to read their work. She later incorporated a similar version of this onto her episodes of Calling the West Indies, labelling the section ‘Caribbean Voices’, tailored to spotlight authors from the West Indies. This helped the authors reach opportunities that were previously inaccessible and allowed them to build a portfolio.

Marson was previously honoured with a Blue Plaque at her home in Camberwell in 2009

and featured in Imaobong D. Umoren, an LSE professor in the International History department, influential book ‘Race Women Internationalists: Activist-Intellectuals and Global Freedom Struggles’.

LSE Library are celebrating their 10-year anniversary since

the opening of The Women’s Library Reading Room, situated in The Women’s Library which is the the largest and oldest library covering women’s activism and campaigning in Britain. The celebrations will be on 7 March 6-9pm in the Women’s Library Reading Room.

Investigation launches as claims rise around international student entry requirements

Janset An Contributing Writer

On 27 January, an undercover investigation by The Sunday Times claimed to reveal how top tier UK universities have been lowering entry requirements for overseas students by offering foundation year courses. The Sunday Times stated

these courses allegedly gave an unfair advantage over domestic students applying through UCAS.

The courses in question do not require high A-level or GCSE grades and passing these exams were described as only a “formality” by the recorded recruitment officers. Since universities can charge international students up to £38,000 a

year in uncapped tuition fees, facilitating their admissions entry may prove more lucrative than funding from domestic students at the capped £9,250.

The Department of Education has responded by launching its own investigation. Representatives of Universities UK have criticised the Sunday Times for misleading information, pointing out that these courses are used to bring students from diverse educational backgrounds on par with UK educational standards. It was further stated that, the number of domestic students in Russell Group universities have been increasing since the inflow of students from European countries have decreased following Brexit.

The scandal has brought to light surfacing issues within higher education. There has been a decline in the number of international students applying to the UK, with 2023 seeing non-EU overseas applications to UK universities grow at the slowest rate in six

years. Many account this to the tighter immigration policies under Sunak’s government, which has increased student visa fees and have made it more challenging for masters students to bring family to the UK. The graduate route, which gives two years of open working rights to international students, is also currently under review. Changes within immigration policy are likely to affect LSE’s international students, who make up around 70% of LSE’s entire student body.

Although funding from international students made up a fifth of universities’ income last year, support for further strict measures against international students is likely to spike following the alleged scandal. This may force policymakers to tweak domestic policies by increasing tuition fees and introducing caps on ‘low value’ degrees to limit the spending of universities. ‘Low value degrees’ degrees would be assessed by the proportion of students who pass, dropout and go on to “professional

jobs’.

In LSE for example, this risks the underfunding of humanities departments like Anthropology which have a significantly lower rate of full time employment post education, 49% compared to the finance department which boasts at 78%.

An LSE spokesperson said: “LSE is committed to recruiting the best students with the highest academic and intellectual potential, whatever their background. Each application we receive is considered on an individual basis, taking into account a range of information. This may include the Personal Statement, academic achievement (both achieved and predicted grades), subject combinations, contextual information and the UCAS reference. Our admissions selectors assess achievement and potential whilst recognising the challenges an applicant may have faced in their educational or individual circumstances.”

RAG hosts annual fundraiser fashion show for charity partners

Florentina Dasgupta Contributing Writer

On 7 February, LSE’s creative community and RAG presented the university’s second charity fashion show. The night was described as “an overwhelming success” by an attendee in terms of both organisation and fundraisers. Hosted across both the Marshall Building and the SU Venue, the event raised around £5000 for the charity partners.

The team of organisers was led by event manager Joanna Zackenfels and supported by creative director Caley-Maria Cavan and creative manager Joseph Spencer Glover, drew attention to the need for greater love for people and the environment through the medium

of fashion, the theme of the show being ‘Beauty of Nature’. This was conveyed through the main collections, inspired by the city, ocean, forest, as well as one collection titled ‘sublime’ by the directors, and the use of upcycled materials and second-hand clothing, which reflected ideas of sustainability and caring for the planet. Tash Arora, who attended the show, commented that “ the soundscape and visuals paired with the collections brought the looks to life.”

Also included in its social messages was a more inclusive representation of beauty, with a diverse group of models from LSE. Furthermore, models from several of LSE’s cultural societies were featured, dressed in traditional clothing. The show provided a platform

for its charity partners, Fat Macy’s, Stonewall, and Safe Passage, to articulate the missions of their respective organisations.

The show also marked an occasion where creativity is celebrated and promoted at LSE. An organiser commented that “Despite the stereotype of the university being full of ‘finance bros’, the team of talented stylists, hair and makeup artists, set designers, and much more delivered an unforgettable evening enjoyed by the whole LSE community.”

The creative director, Caley-Maria Cavan, said that “creativity will always be important, no matter what industry you’re in”, expressing her hope that the show would bring attention to a sphere that she believes is largely neglect-

ed by the upper management of LSE.

As the evening wrapped up, members of various Athletics Union (AU) societies walked

the runway, and for the final round the audience was invited to participate in the Audience Showcase.

Uncovering the Union: The mystery of AU funding

Iraz Akkus News Editor

William Goltz Staff Writer

Illustrated by Francesca Corno

LSE’s sports clubs are essential to the School’s cultural and social life, and supporting their development is a key part of the LSESU’s administrative role. While the LSE Athletics Union (AU) is in charge of organising events across the university’s sporting community, the LSESU retains control over the funding allocated to individual clubs and societies.

Through a series of interviews with key LSESU figures and executive committees of LSE sports clubs, The Beaver has examined the complex relationship between LSE’s sporting community and the resources on which it relies for support.

Every academic year, a new cohort of sporting committees begins the process of applying for AU funding. As they are often unfamiliar with the financial demands of their respective clubs, the LSESU provides formal compulsory online training sessions for the new committees before the start of Autumn Term, providing guidance on how to remain financially stable. There are also in-person training sessions during term time; attendance for these is usually lower. Clubs can also reach out to the LSESU Funds Coordinator, Pauline El-Khoury, for further help and guidance during the course of the year, especially if

there is an issue with stretching the budget for further projects or to cover potential unseen costs. However, some club members argued that “[the LSESU] could be more specific in their guidance for applications which might let us receive more.”

James* states that one error of financial competency in clubs can be seen within the transfer of committee members, claiming that “since there is no guaranteed continuity of what the role actually entails from one cohort of committee members to the next, often the same financial mistakes are made. If there is little or no communication between previous members and their successors, new committee members trek down the same avenue of applying for wrong sponsorships or pleading their case incorrectly, meaning each year valuable lessons may be lost and those that pick up the role are back to square one every September.”

James’* account is emblematic of sports clubs wanting to maximise their funding in order to facilitate their respective activities. So, how does the LSESU actually assess and evaluate how much funding to allocate to each club?

Every September, sports clubs apply for a specific sum to the Students’ Union Fund – the ‘pot of money’ that the LSESU receives from the LSE every year. Part of the application consists of budget records from the previous year to illustrate the club’s expenditure for things like renting pitches

and purchasing kit. It also requires the new committee to create a financial budget and a development plan for the upcoming year.

The highest grant every club can apply for is £5000. Moreover, this year’s Activities and Communities Officer, Chris Adewoye, explained that clubs can apply for a further £5000 during the course of the year for special events. Examples of this include new equip ment, kit and domestic and international tours that major clubs like LSE Men and Wom en’s Football and Netball are known for.

Following the application, a panel including the Activities and Communities Officer, the Societies Manager, Sports Manager and other key mem bers of the LSESU, use records and data from previous years, as well as the proposal submit ted by the new committee, to assess how much of the £5000 margin the club is applicable for. After the panel’s decisions are issued, clubs can appeal if they feel unfairly evaluated.

Sydney* referred to a “small/ medium size society paradox,” claiming that “when we do not have enough funds because of low membership it is hard to plan socials, with irregular socials attracting members becomes difficult, which in

while the number of clubs and societies remains at an all time high of more than 300.

However, the feedback and appeals process has proven to be a source of frustration for many executive committees, remaining an area that the LSESU would do well to develop. Multiple sports committee members stressed the lack of detailed and standardised criteria upon which their application was evaluated, making it hard for clubs to utilise a pivot point within the appeals process.

In a survey conducted by The Beaver, a third of all the LSE sports clubs responded with insights into their funding. 75% stated that they rely heavily on membership fees to sustain their sports needs throughout the year, while trying to stretch the budget for fun socials and events. These socials are crucial in creating a good reputation within the LSE community, thereby sustaining the club membership throughout the year and keeping the society afloat.

tracurricular activities. This grant is up to £500 a year and is intended to help students curb transport, training and even tour costs. While this information is available on the LSESU website, many of those eligible for this funding may not be aware of its existence as it is not frequently publicised.

Whether this is a communication failure of the SU or an issue of discontinuity of information passed from one committee to the next, there is a clear structural mismatch of how the information is relayed to club members.

However, the issues with AU funding cannot be solely attributed to the lack of transparency. Chris Adewoye states that the LSESU activities funding from LSE has been declining year on year, forcing the committee in charge of allocating funds to make harder and stricter decisions. The Students’ Union Fund has shrunk from “£300,000 to £150,000 within the last three years,”

Operating at half the financial assistance from the years prior, the LSESU and AU clubs should therefore work be greatly strengthened.”

Moving forward, LSESU started providing more regular training to help clubs become more autonomous with financial management, as well as added further guidance to their website to make the process clearer. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go before the funding process benefits all clubs.

Ultimately, sports clubs ought to continue vocalising their financial difficulties to the LSESU, and consider creating an official passover phase to strategically accumulate lessons learnt from the preceding years. This way, if clubs remain underfunded, the LSESU can use this documentation to lobby for an increased Students’ Union Fund yearly capital.

*Names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

A break-up letter to alcohol

Emma Gallagher Social Media Editor

Illustrated by Francesca Corno

To my dearest 2-for-1 cocktails, the happy hour shots which disguise themselves as a good idea, and the endless pints who made their claim to fame during festive pub outings: I’m sorry, it’s over.

2024 is well underway and with the bravest soldiers taking on dry January, thousands take this fresh calendar as a chance to turn a cold shoulder on their mischievous little mistress of alcohol. But without fail they will run back into her arms come February 1st, some of them are even counting down the days until they can see her again. I cast no blame on these people; not everyone has the same relationship with alcohol. For some people alcohol is like a casual fling: someone you see at the club, who adds a lit tle bit of drama and fun to your night, but you wouldn’t dare give them any of your attention once the lights come on and it’s time to go home.

For most people, that’s how the relationship starts –you only see her on special occasions or at a party. But once you start spending more and more time together it starts to stop feeling special.

‘no’secco and when i’m feeling less fancy a lemonade. But that never really works, does it? You can’t treat a breakup that way or you will inevitably fall back into the trap of a cheeky little affair which will no doubt leave you feeling even worse than when you started.

I have tried to end my relationship with alcohol before, go completely no contact and look for a rebound in non-alcoholic alternatives; mocktails,

We always think we are in control, yet the alcohol seems to be the one consuming us. People who undertake dry January are met with pity and an array of “I just don’t know how you’re doing it mate”, as if it is the greatest sacrifice any one can possibly make in the name of their own wellbeing. We laugh at stories of friends blacking out week after week, as if that’s normal? Believe me, I am not preaching from a high horse on this one – I was one of those people up until more recently than I would like to admit. But once you realise just how odd it is, it’s quite difficult to ignore. Drinking feels almost unavoidable, but not in the weird peer pressure way we were warned about from our

the club and she tells you that you look pretty in the bathroom mirror. She’s in every joke I make and she makes every laugh even bigger. Without her, it’s difficult not to worry about being boring; you break up and suddenly people worry whether you will be different, like this rela-

reality beyond alcohol – as with every messy breakup you will wonder if you did the right thing. What if you aren’t as fun? What if you aren’t as confident? What if you can no longer tolerate the drunken messes you meet in the bathroom line or dance until 5am? What if when you break up with alcohol, she takes a bit of you with her?

I hate to be one of those people that says “I hope we can be friends someday” during a breakup, but I’m sure we will get to the point where we can interact at a special occasion again, and enjoy one another’s company. Next time, I’m staying at the light and flirty stage, and making sure I go home when the lights come on.

“Drinking feels almost unavoidable, but not in the weird peer pressure way we were warned about from our parents - it’s something more than that.”

The hollowed-out degree

Muhammad Ibrahim Contributing Writer Illustrated by Fay Qian

The LSE undergraduate experience has become a hollowed-out version of a university education. The real value of university education, and the signs that represent it, have been confused, leaving us short-changed and in limbo between the two. It’s an education experienced through a Moodle page. Academic fraternity experienced only through endless SU initiatives and “you’ve got this!” hashtags. Genuine discussion reduced to a comment on the course forum page. Far too concerned with looking the part, the university has forgotten that it must be the part.

Every term I read an article in The Beaver invariably about the lack of decency left in LSE or the corporate culture, these articles give words to a deep-rooted problem within the student population we’re all too familiar with. However, I believe the Houghton Street brand of hyper-individualism is not of our own creation, but instead a product of the hollowed-out degree. We feel the university seeks only profit from us, so we seek to extract only what benefits us from the university. The university has replaced the constituting features of an undergraduate degree with the signs that represent them, and we’ve matched this energy, giving them shell societies only to embellish CVs, lecture theatres only filled for careers panels, and common rooms visited only to discuss recruitment tests.

Universitas magistrorum et scholarium, the community of teachers and scholars. The degree awarded for proficiency, achieved in a place of learning and scholarship: these are the origins of an undergraduate university education. However, as its name becomes a value exchange mechanism, a successful institution falls victim to perverse incentives through the job market. Those

that seek the genuine article, the academic experience, are replaced by those that seek the fruits of the signal LSE’s name provides, and commercial incentive on part of the institution drives its management to maximise profit from its brand value. Its name, at first underwritten by the quality of its offerings, becomes fiat. A derivative of the authentic, the sign exchange value of LSE has outstripped its experience.

Like a caricature of the greedy CEO, the university wants to have it both ways and sell the product at full price whilst trimming its academic experience down to the bare bones, but there are no easy fixes. You can’t reduce teaching to the bare bones and expect the same education, you can’t induce fraternity with a hashtag, and you can’t fix mental health issues with a ‘zen bus’ - however well-intentioned its occupants may be. How long will LSE survive on the remnants of reputation alone? The over-emphasis on selling corporate short-courses and summer schools show where the university’s priorities are. Not content with shaving down the student experience, the university sought to short-change its staff too, halted only by union action.

“A derivative of the authentic, the sign exchange value of LSE has oustripped its experience.”

the metaphorical church, if the real was put into reaching distance, if we were allowed to feel its warmth. The research produced by the illustrious and accomplished faculty remains world class, and the student population is filled with impressive and passionate individuals with the capabilities to change the world.

Yet, the aforementioned illustrious faculty is kept at arm’s length from students, interactions limited to one-hour

ly owed a large proportion of the blame for the fragmented LSE community. Cornered by London’s overheating rental market, student accommodation is the only way many of us can afford to live in London, however, there simply aren’t enough rooms on offer. Even those willing to undertake the rental battle must begin their search months in advance for any hope of securing a successful bid, eating away at precious exam season hours and no doubt adding to already high tensions. What student accommodation does exist is dotted around the city, often at great distance from campus.

With esteemed academics and former prime ministers struggling to fill lecture theatres, whilst the Business and Investment Group Society’s careers panels spawn queues wrapping around buildings, I can’t help but feel like William Blake’s Little Vagabond, preaching, ‘The Church is cold, But the Alehouse is healthy & pleasant & warm.’ However, this parable does, dear reader, bear a redemptive quality, we, the disenfranchised, would flock to

weekly seminars of around 10 to 20 people. What real and organic discussion can we really achieve in these. The swelling class sizes mean classes are either reduced to mini extensions of the lecture where the teacher will simply talk at you, or, where the teacher against the odds still tries to foster a real discussion, is a painfully silent experience where questions are met with silence and blank faces. Consider the shy fresher, for whom engaging in a discussion becomes an undertaking in performance in front of the 17 other people in the room. Not to mention the effect this has on already overworked staff who have to mark several classes worth of formative essays every term.

Dispersed and distanced from each other, the university’s inadequate accommodation provisions are most certain-

Why is this a problem you ask? Consider the effort it takes to simply get to campus. One might be willing to make the trek to avoid the passive-aggressive “you’ve missed two consecutive classes” email, but a serious mental cost-benefit analysis ensues when considering whether to make the journey for a society event or to meet a friend. With each trip to campus requiring planning and justification, how likely is it that you’ll have those chance encounters with friends if your time on campus is so limited and you’re dispersed over the city. With the newest Glengall Road accommodation project currently under construction over an hour’s walk from campus, the university shows no willingness to address this.

To achieve real change in the student population and address Houghton Street Individualism, the university must stop with the superficiality and put their money where

their mouth is. The “Zen Bus” which pops up on campus during exam season is certainly a novelty which seeks to address symptoms, but addressing the underlying issues would be far more effective. End housing anxiety and lay down the foundations for a socially fertile student body. For me, a law student, the opening of the law common room was a step in the right direction. There was a marked change in the community and interactions after it opened. Even more success from the law school comes in the recently launched Unjust Enrichment module: with two lecturers to 4 students, a friend of mine declared “I have finally gotten value for money” – although I imagine the small class size is more a reflection of the niche area of law, than any conscious attempt by the university.

Perhaps this state of affairs is the product of a consumer society relying on signs and symbols. We must pay a premium for the privilege of holding the sign exchange value we’ve drawn from the prepared reality of academia we purchase and satisfy ourselves as mark-scheme gaming Moodle students. We must distinguish the simulation from reality and demand more from our tuition fees. And to LSE management, next time you have the choice, instead of plastering faces on the side of the Old Building in another propagandaesque marketing campaign, why not spend the money paying staff fairly, reducing class sizes or investing in affordable and vicinal accommodation. We’ve had enough of platitudinous initiatives, hubs, schemes, strategies or whatever else they’ve call it this time. Without reform, the LSE undergraduate programme risks become nothing more than a test centre with an expensive library.

Put that in your TQARO survey.

How ‘old money’ lost its sheen

Suchita Thepkanjana Contributing Writer

Some time last year, the internet was obsessed with Sofia Richie’s and Madelaine Brockway’s multi-million dollar weddings that were lauded as the pinnacle of old money class and elegance. Since then, my social media feeds have been flooded with posts about this very trend.

The term ‘old money’ typically refers to the generational wealth of elite families. The term invokes images of families clad in Ralph Lauren, playing polo in front of their mansions or smoking cigars in their summer home in Tuscany while chatting about being masters of the universe. This aesthetic has seen a recent resurgence as a social media sensation that lauds the aesthetic, values, and mere existence of the old money class.

This glorification, however, extends beyond simply emulating clothes and hobbies: it also shames those who don’t fit into the old money image, ultimately reinforcing the ageold idea that money defines worth, and that respectability belongs to the exclusive, elite few who can afford it.

To be clear, I have no problem with the old money style. In fact, I would love to be given a Ralph Lauren wardrobe or a country manor. Simply liking the old money vibe doesn’t suddenly make you an elitist. But what I find problematic about this trend is when people are told what articles of clothing (among other extremely superficial things) define your character. Videos on social media, for example, label montages of (white) people in three-piece suits, gold jewellery, and vintage dresses as “classy” and “real men/ women”, and, alternatively, images of people (of colour) in hoodies, baggy jeans, and hoop earrings as “trashy”.

Fellas, are you any less of a person for wearing a hood-

ie instead of a tailored vintage Chanel ensemble?

Some internet users even claim Sofia Richie, the golden girl of the whole trend, landed herself a rich husband because she transitioned from the gaudy, “trashy” style to the old money one, which somehow increased her value as a woman. There are even videos showing classic old money items, such as the famed Burberry coat, that have allegedly become so popular that they are no longer deserving of the prestigious “old money” title. The caption of one video from an anonymous account even warns “Beware not to wear them anymore”.

What is so wrong about casual clothing? Nothing, really. Except for the fact that popularisation symbolises accessibility, which is detrimental to the realm of old money, a realm built entirely on exclusivity. Oversized, casual clothing is affordable to the masses and is, thus, the epitome of inclusivity. In the same way, the items that are now commonly used by ordinary people have suddenly lost their prestige and are seen as impure and tainted in some way.

For the elite class, it is simply not enough to be wealthy, especially in an era where lucky individuals can get rich relatively quickly if the cards fall in their favour. There are more rich people now than ever

“For the elite class, it is simply not enough to be wealthy, especially in an era where lucky individuals can get rich relatively quickly if the cards fall in their favour.”

before, meaning it is becoming increasingly difficult for traditional elites to convince us of their unwavering superiority purely on the basis of immense wealth. This is why they turn to cultural means. By branding their cultural practices as classy, dignified, and respectable while simultaneously maintaining exclusivity, the elite class shrouds itself in a mystical, mysterious aura that everyone else is implicitly led to covet and, most importantly, worship.

The glorification of old money, then, is the way the elite class reinvents their hegemony through cultural capital tailored to the 21st century.

Worst of all, however, is the inevitable constant comparison of old money to the new money class and the debate about which type of immense wealth is better. A particularly ridiculous video asks, “Why would you be this type of rich”, inserting pictures of blingy diamonds and bold brand name tracksuits (staples of new money), “when you can be this type of rich”, displaying country houses and silk, collared shirts, representative of old money.

Heated debates are often sparked in the comments sections, with some actually defending the superiority of new money, claiming that they are self-made, hardworking, and, thus, the better type of rich. However, what this wild hype around the lives of the uber-rich obscures is the very real, ever-present problem of poverty.

So, why would you be new money rich when you can be old money rich? Intriguing question. Maybe it’s because a significant proportion of the world isn’t either type of rich but actually poor. Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, the debate about what kind of rich deserves more respect is futile when 648 million people worldwide live on less than $2.15 a day.

Sure, new money entrepreneurs deserve credit for building their own businesses. However, the word “business” is often a euphemism for “corporation dependent on the exploitation of grossly underpaid workers” (for example, Amazon and its array of labour exploitation scandals, or “finfluencer” and self-proclaimed entrepreneur Grant Cardone, who was exposed for fraud ).

Sure, old money is often associated with class and sophistication. It is also intrinsically connected to predominantly white families whose wealth often came from colonial institutions. So we can debate over the Ralph Lauren coat versus the Gucci tracksuit all we want. The important part is that we’re not thinking about how ordinary people can’t afford any of that. Going a step further to frame the debate in terms of values, integrity, and worthiness of respect conveniently ignores how both the old money and new money classes are literally built on the perpetuated exploitation of the lower classes, which widens the gap between the filthy rich and the struggling poor. The old money vs new money debate shifts attention onto the superficial and imaginary rivalry between two types of rich, an effective distraction from the Manichaen dynamic of the rich versus the poor.

Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate the style of wealthiness –old or new. It is still important, however, to remember that any obsessive glorification of elites may not really be about fashion or aesthetic anymore: it’s about putting the rich up on a pedestal so high that we forget about those living in destitute poverty. When we’re so fixated

This Multimedia Spread folds into a small photo zine!

Fold along the dashed lines and cut through the solid line at the center.

ODESA

If Kyiv has historically been a place of cultural contestation and intermixing, Odesa can be, at least on superficial inspection, considered as the direct result of a Russian imperial project. While the city famously enjoyed a diversity of cultures hailing from regions around the Black Sea and a significant Jewish population, its modern origins are traced to the Russian territorial conquests from the Ottomans and beginning of construction by the early XIX century of what would become the “pearl of the Black Sea”.

Living testament of this history are the Odesa catacombs. These were limestone quarries from which much of modern Odesa has been built for centuries. With a length of more than 2,500km, the Odesa catacombs have been a key element in Ukrainian history, seeing continuous expansion from Imperial to Soviet to Contemporary times, and hiding anti-tsarist partisans during the October revolution, as well as the Soviet resistance during Nazi occupation.

KHERSON

The capital, located in north-central Ukraine, is split in two by the Dnipro river, and less than a hundred kilometers south of Chernobyl. Also a hundred kilometers north is the Belarus border, from where Putin, dictator Alexander Lukashenka’s closest ally, launched an ambitious-yet-failed attempt at capturing Kyiv and the Ukrainian government right at the start of the invasion about two years ago.

Many Ukrainians remarked to me that before 2014, Kyiv was the place where Russian, Western and Ukrainian cultures clashed and interacted. In the present day, however, the city as a whole has been the main canvas and actor of an unprecedented change. Soviet monuments have been destroyed or transformed; The Russian language is virtually unheard in the streets anymore, even though it was forcefully institutionalized for decades; Political art and war propaganda are seen every corner.

Yet reconfiguring an identity is an arduous and uneven task, and Kyiv bears the physical marks of hundreds of years of Russian imperial influence, from Orthodox temples to Soviet monuments. This undeniable past has nonetheless become resignified, from the previous imperialist veil of “brotherhood” to the material testament of Russian historical oppression.

A WINTER IN UKRAINE

This winter, I volunteered in Ukraine amid its loss of momentum from their failed summer counteroffensive, Russia’s increasingly aggressive assaults and targeting of energy infrastructure, and faltering Western support that painted a bleak picture for the future.

I witnessed a nation in the process of collectively redefining their identity while resisting imperialist aggression, expressed asymmetrically in a myriad of material and cultural channels. I met some of the most generous, tough, and resilient people; these people worked together in different roles to help Ukrainian society resist the harsh conditions of war, many times putting their lives on the line.

I hope the photos below provide the readers a small window into my time in Ukraine and make them aware of the deteriorating conditions for civilians and Ukrainian statehood under this ongoing conflict.

Photography by Tomás Gómez Revelo

Edited by Claire Yubin Oh

SPORT

EDITED BY ROBERT KHANDZHYAN AND MATT SUDLOW

Secrecy in sport

written by SKYE SLATCHER & illustrated by MITHALINA TAIB

In the world of motorsports, advancements in technology make or break seasons. The smallest differences between cars’ engines can cost millions in prize money. That is why much of the teams’ focus is on the research and devel opment side in motorsport. You might expect them to be locked in endless wars cure The re their in engage in as for merch do not mix.

On the face of it, racing seems like the ideal environment for Ferrari and Mercedes to battle over patentable inventions with their cutting-edge technologies. However, the sport relies on secrecy, as opposed to legal interventions. One key reason for this is that the sport’s competitiveness is undermined if teams do not have the freedom to develop their cars. If one team had a monopoly on a specific part, the foundations of competitiveness would quickly fall away. Blocking other teams from using certain elements would prevent the close competition we have often enjoyed (except in the last couple of seasons, thanks to Adrian Newey’s technical genius at Red Bull).

It also makes no sense for these teams to be engaging in patent wars given the time sensitivity of the advancements. The patenting process for any technology within the sport would need to be undertaken in at least every jurisdiction in which they race. Under international frameworks like the centralised Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the implementation of patent protection takes a very long time. If, for example, a team were to develop a new turbo-charger or suspension system, which made them a tenth of a second faster per lap, they would not enjoy patented security for 18 months. The procedure also requires public disclosure, meaning that for a season and a half, every other team could use that tech. It simply makes no sense for them. Beyond this, if a team created a new wing set-up which granted them improved cornering, it is unlikely that this would qualify above the high standard required for a patent. It would not be sufficiently novel and inventive – rather it would be merely a slight improvement of existing technology. It just does not make sense for these teams to be trying to attain patent rights.

The teams rely instead on trade secrets. This is defined by TRIPS (an international agreement on trade-related IP) at Article 39 as information which is known only by a limited group, which has commercial value in secrecy,

and which has been subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret. This depends on a culture of honour and an ability and will to keep secrets, much less robust than patents.

F1 has seen some high-profile spying scandals breaching this secrecy. The most high-profile of these was Spygate back in 2007. Accusations arose that over 700 pages of confidential tech and strategy information were handed over to McLaren by a Ferrari engineer. It was essentially a blueprint for the 2007 Ferrari. The engineer took it to a copy shop where the owner found the documents suspicious, being a fan himself. He reported it to Ferrari, and what followed was an unprecedented $100 million fine and expulsion from the constructors’ championships for McLaren.

Formula E, the all-electric racing series, strongly highlights how patenting can drive innovation. The series is only in its tenth season, and teams have already been filing thousands of patents. It is inevitable that these technologies will trickle down into the standard road car market. McLaren, for example, has a patent on their batteries, having been the sole supplier for the Gen2 cars. ‘Win Sunday, Sell Monday’ remains a focus of these teams. While imperfect, the current system does lie somewhere around the right balance between endless litigation and a total free-for-all. Fast-tracked patents would not work given the importance of competitor development. The reliance on trade secrecy can also make for some entertaining media coverage once in a while, so a change to this practice seems unlikely for now.

The dynamic interplay of success and survival : LSESU Kabaddi Soc

written by SANA AGARWAL, illustrated by MITHALINA TAIB, photo by Kabaddi Society

The LSESU’s Kabaddi team’s presence has been no short of a rollercoaster ride in the past few years. During one of the formatting weekends for The Beaver, a friend of mine, Aryan Khan, the Secretary of the club, decided to pay me a visit to the Media Centre after his Kabaddi training on a gloomy Sunday. We randomly sparked a conversation about the club which to me, unravelled its remarkability and legacy - something very deserving of the spotlight.

Pre-Covid the club had two women’s Kabaddi teams and two men’s teams. They had well-established membership numbers and organised many socials not just within LSE, but also with other Kabaddi clubs around the UK such as Oxford, KCL, Imperial and Manchester. However, since then the club has struggled with its survival. After COVID-19, Ahilan Parthipan, an LSE alumni, returned to represent Kabaddi Soc at the Fresher’s Fair - a clear display of their utter passion for the sport. When asked for a comment Ahilan expressed, “For a club that’s had a rich history of playing kabaddi since 2012, we couldn’t let the legacy of the club fade away due to Covid.”

Despite the club being non-existent after Covid, Ahilan managed to form

a men’s team, win the LondonZone competition and “LSE AU Sports Team of the Year”, that same year. Since then, the team has also had the support of another England player and LSE alumni Tom Dawtrey who helps coach the team every week.

The club’s main challenge still lies in the recruitment process. “At the moment our team is mainly third years who are about to graduate. It is very important for the club to keep recruiting, we need freshers to carry it forward,” Aryan Khan explained. Enayeth Hussain, the president of the club added, “Oftentimes, niche sports like us are put aside by the Student Union, which makes it difficult to carry out effective marketing to attract members.” Kabaddi at LSE has witnessed a fall in membership due to the limited pool of students, whereas “KCL our neighbours have two teams, as they benefit from their larger pool of students.” Moreover, the lack of club members has isolated the club from many social events like Carol or AU Welcome. The Women’s

club is now struggling to maintain membership numbers and has been in contact with the Student Union since, regarding their concern for its survival next year.

However, the club’s survival has left its undeniable success unstirred. The LSESU Kabaddi team emerged as champions in the LondonZone Regionals for the past two years consecutively and came in second this year. As stated by their coach Ahilan, they are striving to work harder with the ultimate goal of acing Nationals. For this, the team has been training regularly every Sunday with the guidance and mentorship of its alumni members, despite the limited funds supplied by the Student Union. The triumph of the club extends beyond the realm of the LSE campus and can be seen in its strong alumni consisting of four England players, two current and two former.

When talking about the sport, Enayeth expressed, “I was hooked by how much the sport challenges you on a physical level. A mix between rugby, wrestling and tag, the sport tests your strength, agility and speed.” He added, “my continued efforts at LSE derive from the family culture that kabaddi has. Our coaches who are LSE alumni all represent England and instil their strong passion for the sport into us. Although we are a smaller society, each and every one of us are close friends on and off the mat thanks to Kabaddi. It really breeds a strong sense of belonging when you join the team.”

The dynamic contrast between a struggle for survival, and an established legacy of success remains at the core of the LSESU Kabaddi team. A simple explanation for it - the unquestionable passion of a few individuals for the sport. The club has survived due to the dedication and resilience of its alumni coaches (who despite working full-time jobs in finance have been training the club every week) and its limited but passionate players.

LSE 1s St

Royal Holloway 2s

LSE 1s

LSE 1s

St Mary’s 2s

SOCIAL

EDITED BY KAVIESH KINGER AND RHEA JETHWA

Why you – yes, you – should leave

Club Pret by LUCAS NGAI & illustrated by CHIARA GUIGOU

Club Pret has become an established British institution. But being the contrarian that I am, I was determined not to jump on the bandwagon. Eventually I thought: maybe it’s about time I tried it. So I did. And it’s just not worth it.

With such a financially enticing offer, Club Pret’s coffee is high in demand. But think of how cheap it must be to be produced in such quantitiesthe fact is, Club Pret caters to the pragmatic caffeine junkie. Unlike the caffeine junkie, however, I want caffeine only when I need it (to maintain a lower tolerance). The subscription, however, pressures me to get the coffee daily – even when I don’t need it– which is extremely suffocating. And I don’t know about you, but these coffees do utterly nothing for me (except for a double-shot espresso, perhaps). So if on average, coffees still don’t give me the hit I need, what good is the subscription? I could literally get a month’s worth of Nescafe from Tesco for less than £5 and I wouldn’t taste the difference! Most importantly, I get to reclaim agency over how much caffeine I consume to energize myself, and how often I want to drink coffee.

Oh Lord, forgive the folk who buy Pret food, for they don’t know their budgeting efforts are futile. Think!! As a subscription holder, you’d probably get FOMO if you don’t get food while waiting in line, which likely leads you to regularly spend money you otherwise wouldn’t, so is Club Pret really a deal? Considering its current profitability, I simply believe that the house always wins in the end.

I wish I could continue elaborating on these personal gripes, but word count requirements say otherwise. Funnily enough, my Pret subscription ends the day I submit this little blurb. Farewell, Club Pret – it isn’t for me, and perhaps it isn’t for you either.

A Show Full of Surprises

by AAINIA SAINI and LO SAMANTHA & photographed by SHEILA MUTUA and BEN MARSHALL

The annual Raising and Giving (RAG) Fashion Show this year, saw crowds and statements like no other. Being run in two venues simultaneously, namely the Student’s Union Venue and the Marshall Venue did not only make it amplified in size but also was a huge organisation and coordination endeavour, which in our opinion was carried out pretty smoothly barring a few small hitches.

The theme of the event was environment and social sustainability achieved by combining the reuse of clothing for the show and ticket revenues going to charities for social sustainability. Although, one can question to what extent environmental sustainability was achieved, since the entire venue was strewn with flyers.

However, in the spirit of environment, the runway looks were categorised into several different natural biomes. Paired with creative light and music production for each biome, the show truly stimulated all the senses. Our personal favourite was the water biome under which the lights turned a dim blue and saw lots of flowy outfits and well sprinkled pearl jewellery, creating an ethereal and iridescent underwater experience.

The RAG fashion show was not just an intellectual experience for fashion enthusiasts: things were kept spicy. The show engaged the audience by voting for the best AU Club (crowning Women’s Football!) and the Pole Society had fantastic displays and performances going on in the background.

Our favourite look no doubt goes to the denim-on-denim look designed by Sophia Benabit. By incorporating baggy jeans, a classic streetwear element, the look flirts with modernity yet retains its vintage style. The combination of a fur-lined denim hood on top of the denim crop top creates a perfect blend of summer and winter, an unexpected contrast, executed harmoniously.

The yellow mini dress designed by Yeganeh Sadeghi and modelled by Elena Markantonatou also deserves our honourable mention. The dramatic, bright, and fluffy earrings are extravagant, but they complement the golden fairy lights wrapped around the model’s waist to create a coherent look. Yellow might not be everyone’s colour, but the craftsmanship and thought that went behind this look are commendable.

The variety of cultural outfits on show celebrated the diversity of the LSE student body. Models in Chinese-style ‘qipao’ shone on stage with their intricately detailed floral elements; while women in hijabs proved that modesty goes a long way in fashion. Whatever your ethnic or cultural heritage, there is certainly something to take inspiration from.

The most surprising part of the show was the ‘Audience showcase’, when members of the audience volunteered to show off their #ootd as models on the runway. It was spontaneous, yet perfectly timed - after most designer-curated outfits were shown, we found it refreshing to see something more casual. Some audience-models walked hand-in-hand, supporting one another; extending their positivity to the fervent, cheering audience.

by TRISTAN JOSEPH

ESPINOZA & illustrated by FRANCESCA CORNO

LSE Boys: The Valentines’ Cata-Love-Gue

by LIZA CHERNOBAY & illustrated by CHIARA GUIGOU

A second-year LSE student and still an ‘independent woman’, I often wonder whether our university is inherently aromantic, or whether I just haven’t been looking hard enough to find a truly significant other. Upon reflection, I realised that LSE is full of great characters deserving our feminine energy, attention, and love.

For all my fellow female students who swoon over rom-coms and fantasise about their perfect Valentines’ date, I present this cata-love-gue: a curated selection of the most promising ‘other halves’, LSE style.

Dear Tristan,

I broke up with my boyfriend last month and we’d been together since secondary school. I’m nervous about dating again while at university, dealing with my new loneliness, and still trying to have fun experiences. I guess what I’m trying to ask is how do I go about finding love as a gay guy while not using dating apps?

Earnestly, Lonely Lover

Dear Lover,

I’m incredibly sorry to hear about your breakup and the presence of your new, insufferable companion: loneliness. I’d be lying if saying that dealing with a breakup – however long its duration – was as easy as sipping on a delicious cosmo (I’m currently drinking one made by an old friend in their new flat, and I’ve been subbing the vodka for tequila; my childhood neighbor once told me it’s healthier.) The hard truth is that before you ever entertain the idea of dating again, you need to understand who this new version of you is apart from your ex-partner. I tried for so long after my most recent breakup to get back to who I used to be – a fixed idea in my mind that I was happier long before I ever met them. I clung to my feelings as if they were a rollercoaster, laying the tracks for where I’d end up next, and listened to an ungodly amount of Eloise’s Drunk on a Flight. But, nothing seemed to release me from the grasp I put myself into. I had to realize that I wasn’t just thankful for both the good and the bad in my past relationship, but that I was now stronger than any past iteration of myself because of it. And, trust me, your newfound confidence will dictate every decision you make next.

When you feel like you’re finally ready to date again, it’s important to know that Tinder or Hinge aren’t your only options – and that doesn’t mean Grindr is either. So often we (young people) are told what experiences need to happen next in our lives, what stepping stones we need to cross in order to find eternal happiness, as we’re coached into appearing older. But, that doesn’t mean love only exists online, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t go on dates without scrolling through someone’s pictures on your phone first. Some of the best nights of my life – with friends or lovers – were because of a chance encounter at a club, a random house party, or just from putting myself out there on a whim (obviously, with the help of a few cosmos). We have to remember that life constantly happens around us. All we have to do is simply look up.

I also think that everyone who uses dating apps as the only way to facilitate one’s love life is secretly a little bit insecure – myself included. Don’t get me wrong, dating apps are an incredible way to figure out what you want in a partner, what you want to better yourself in, and how to explore a new city. But, once you’ve already built the foundation for who you want to become, you have to delete the app, close your phone, and step out into the real world. Go to every club, party, or event you’ve ever wanted to go to – by yourself even – and let yourself fear the unknown. Let yourself get denied, dance like no one is watching, and have fun while doing it. I know that navigating love is hard, but you’re stronger. So, wish your loneliness goodbye and walk into the night with confidence. The time is now.

American Boy: A little tanned, always smiling, and ready to help, he loves to participate in class and pop to the gym after dinner to maintain his athletic physique. Coming from faraway lands, he doesn’t waste his time in London: after spinning on the London Eye and touring Oxford with Residential Life, he starts conquering European capitals, a weekend at a time. On the surface, this charming broad-shouldered species is a perfect date… if only he wasn’t on exchange.

Finance Bro: If you value internships over relationships, this one’s for you. A networking guru, you can catch him coffee-chatting in the CBG or scrolling through LinkedIn while munching on free pizza from the Finance common room. He is always dressed to impress, and loves to listen – his motives, though, remain obscure. With him, in ten years’ time you’ll lead a lifestyle of plenty – and should you wish, you won’t even have to see each other.

Artsy Boy: Dressed according to the latest fashions with a carefully styled mullet and moustache, the Artsy Boy somehow didn’t make it to CSM, and now roams the picturesque corners of LSE campus. He loves a good smoke in-between lectures, which he dutifully attends despite raving the night before. A film camera in hand and canvas tote on the shoulder, his eyes glimmer with mystery.

Karl: Still ecstatic from debating the nature of workers’ exploitation in class, he purchases a used copy of Das Kapital from Alpha Books to remind him of his newfound life’s purpose. Fundamentally anti-establishment, Karl has never crossed a picket line and dutifully signed every LSE student petition. He is committed, driven and values community – in short, a great partner if you are looking for a long-term relationship.

Rugby Boy: To be honest, I’ve never seen one, but apparently they are a ‘thing’. Dressed in suits, they move in packs and flood Tuns on Wednesdays before migrating to Sway for AU night. They are a noisy bunch who enjoy a drink (or ten), and befriend Netball girls on occasion. For those in search of macho energy, these mysterious sporty muchachos might be of interest.

Now that you are fully equipped with the knowledge of our LSE boys, just one task remains: to follow your heart!

PART B

EDITED BY EMMA DO AND JULIETTA GRAMIGNI

A Poem I Wrote After My Flatmate

Gave Me a Clementine

Written by SANA AGARWAL

lately i have strangely loved the act of peeling a clementine of shedding it one piece at a time to get to the citrus part picking at the curves of the peel to remove it all at once but failing to perhaps because it is supposed to be little by little my fingers starting to feel the tingling from it, the precise amount to make me feel the skin on my hands

there is a certain kind of quiteness to it, like the world is deciding to hold still so you can devour your citrus

but this is different perphaps from what i’ve known it is not a mere act of reselience or one of resurrection but rather an act of being and i’m realising only now that the act of stillness takes more courage than that of a revolt for I have spent my life training myself to peel a pomegranate, to wait patiently as i get to the seeds my hand dripping in crimson and my mouth unfoulably hungry

i’m only learning now to let myself catch the reek of a celementine from a whole room away to let the comfort of quitness be a reoccuring familarity, to sit on my kitchen counter and indulge in the simple act of peeling a clementine, this time more gently.

hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have

Written & Illustrated by ZOÉ BOCQUILLON

hope is a dangerous thing for a women like me to have

it’s January no, February it’s February

i hate hope it clings and disappoints falls heavily at the back of your neck or quietly fades behind the thin veils of busy busy days it succumbs beneath the surface of theyou cry in the shower you swear at your toes (the nail is bare and little tufts of hair are sprouting ) you look ridiculous, a fool - a beautiful little fool your pink dress, your high heels, your cardigan romances that tear the size of your heart - its small anyways sometimes you forget it is there, like church basements you feel insane no one is dancing around and the bodies come and go quiet convulsions of your legs - revolution you are born and you scream and the rest is the attenuation of the scream being alone, solitude as central as it gets never happy but content you think anxious pleasures and pleasurable anxieties in the big morning you think of what’s down there - the sanction of sexual gratification sarcasm has become the condition of the truth

/categories of difference/

i love hope

it sticks to your gut and makes it all pretty worth it

why feel shitty - when you can buy cake you talk to the walls when you get bored - and that is sort of okay you buy a really sweet orange, and as you peel the skin, yours warms knowing summer is coming right back it never left you know, you are not sad - it’s gentle like the green fig tree it branches out and the fat and purple figs drop you are sitting at the crotch of the tree, you smile you have time and hopefully time’s got you confusion and quiet collisions - but no one cares

it’s only you and there will be no ray of sunshine the sun is sneaky but it is you you are the sun

Metaphormosis

Written & Photograph by NURISABELA AMIRA SHAH

As an artist, I capture beauty within our world. To me, people are like butterflies: dynamic and vivacious - witnessing journeys from chrysalis to metamorphosis.

In art, I learn about movements, mediums, and design principles. Iconography and symbolism are my bread and butter. Above all, I was most interested in artists themselves, indulging in the lives of Kahlo and Van Gogh. I admired their stories - but most importantly, I cherished their change. Whether it was their art style or mindsets, they weren’t afraid to change and divulge the beauty it left in its wake.

The genuine honesty perturbed me - I was an outsider exposed to the fragilities and vulnerabilities of their works. I was moved that they were proud to exhibit their pasts, ghosts, and dreams in a way that I had never captured before. I shunned my pasts because of the scars they ingrained on me. I disregarded my ghosts because I feared their daunting presence. I disdained my dreams because this was all they would ever be.

Nevertheless, the passion they etched onto each canvas ignited something within me. I understood that if I wanted to progress as they did, I would have to look within - delving into what I desperately tried to hide away. To transform creatively, I would have to bear these truths and unfurl my past in all its glory: reveal the person I have become today.

With a brush in hand, I captured dynamic clashes of memories like the collisions of colour. Each momentous event was allocated a colour scheme; every vivid recollection of pain stowed away resurfaced to extract lessons I had learned from it. Red for the hibiscus in my grandparents’ garden and the burns scorched by hateful words. Pink for the flame of confidence ignited by my family’s love and my discarded cocoon of immaturity. Marble white for my grandmother’s grave.

Change takes many forms: a tumultuous tide or fluttering butterfly wings that lead to a torrential tornado. Change is inevitable; to shun the past, as I had before, is to be ignorant of this change.

Ignorance blinds us from recognising how we have grown. Regret besmirches the valuable lessons of the past. The only way to truly discover who we are and what we have become requires us to confront wholly our past, present, and future. We need to fully embrace our histories and set our eyes on what lies ahead, liberating ourselves as we descend into new heights.

Everyday, I will exhibit my past, ghosts, and dreams and place them under a spotlight of reflection. I will paint with their obsidian darkness and monochrome. I will capture the twists and turns of my life and weave it into a patchwork of memories. I will not dwell on the scars scattered across my limbs but how they linger amongst my grandmother’s warm kisses. I will not only hear taunts but my parent’s message that beauty doesn’t come from the colour of your skin or labels - but from the benevolence in your heart and the wisdom coursing through your veins. Our lives are not melodramas or tragedies; they are complex stories filled with fortuitous events, moments of serendipity, and personal introspection. To reframe the way we see our lives leads us to reinterpret our pasts. Who are we to neglect the foundations we have constructed our magnificent existences on?

hope springs eternal

Written & Photograph by SAHANA RUDRA

The word “hope” emanates from the Old English hopian; to wish, to dream, to have something to look forward to. The archaic meaning is to trust, and we have never needed trust more than we do now. We watch humanitarian disasters unfold across the world, helplessly staring at tiny screens in the dark. Our leaders prefer profits to peace, and sometimes, the enormity of suffering feels suffocating. But the powers that dictate our world rely on us losing hope, and on us repeating to everyone and ourselves that there’s nothing we can do. In environments like LSE, we’re taught to analyse, to question, to look for proof. Where can we find proof of hope?

Hope brings us together every Saturday morning, rain or shine, to march for a better world. Hope can be found in pieces of poetry scattered on the street; in the embrace of a friend who understands what you mean regardless of how you say it, the divine chorus of ‘how can i help?’. Hope exists in the markets of London, walking down Columbia Road and seeing all the people who decided to get dressed up and spend a Sunday morning buying flowers with their loved ones. Hope is found in every comforting facetime from my mother, every ‘just checking in’ message from my best friend, and every new connection made. Hope exists in the form of street musicians who sing regardless of the weather. Hope is found outside of your phone, outside of the constant flurry of news and updates of a fast-paced world that you tire yourself out trying to catch up to.

Hope takes your hand,

Stays patiently while you rest, And will return when you least expect it.

Hope exists in the delight of your childhood self’s laughter and the wrinkles you will one day have.

Hope is what got you here in the first place.

REVIEW

EDITED BY CHRISTINA JIANG AND SHEILA MUTUA

Manon BALLET

written and illustrated by FRANCESCA CORNO

I entered the halls of the Royal Opera House on opening night of the ballet Manon with very few expectations and an open mind. Though I appreciate ballet, it would be deceitful for me to define myself as a connoisseur – my personal experience with dance being limited to a measly year when I was seven. Despite this, the literature promised an exploration of love, desire and human frailty, and I was intrigued.

Manon is a dark tale centred around prostitution and materiality in eighteenth- century France, with occasional reprieves of (tragic) youthful romance. The young female protagonist, Manon (Francesca Hayward), is caught between her love for a penniless student, Des Grieux (Marcelino Sambé) and the material security offered by Monsieur GM (Gary Avis), a wealthy older man, in exchange for her body.

Kenneth Macmillan’s choreography - dating back to the 1970s - is edgy and, at times, harrowing. Its excellence can be found in the smaller details, which

youthful, blossoming romance. These are soon, however, replaced by Monsieur GM’s chilling obsession with Manon as Avis rubs his face against her satin pointe shoe, Manon’s discomfort palpable as Hayward gracefully leans away.

In Manon’s story, the audience is brought to reflect on the impossibility of the protagonist’s situation. A life of luxury as a courtesan under Monsieur GM, a haughty man who throws coins at the poor and laughs as they scramble to pick them up, is within reach. Yet what of the happiness she experiences with the fresh-faced, though impoverished, de Grieux? What is best for her, as a young woman living in an unforgiving society?

The performance was (dare I be cliché) hauntingly beautiful, as Macmillan’s ballet exquisitely portrays the complexities of the narrative, and does justice to the original novel, Manon Lescaut by Antoine François. The few expectations I had upon entering were easily surpassed, as I found myself completely immersed in the tragic tale unfolding before me. The skillful performance of the cast was incredibly moving as they brought each character to life with both grace and emotion, the echoes of which lingered long after the final curtain fell. Manon is not merely a ballet, but a profound exploration of the consequence of our choices in a world replete with moral ambiguity.

The Motive and The Cue PLAY

by ARJAN ARENAS

When The Motive and the Cue’ premiered at the National Theatre last year, my interest was immediately piqued. A play dramatizing professional tensions between John Gielgud and Richard Burton, directed by none other than Sam Mendes, sounded right up my street. Jack Thorne’s play was engagingly written, performed against a ‘60s set stylishly designed by Es Dev, and was brought to life by an impressive cast, all of which successfully illustrated a clash of personalities between two theatrical legends.

The play takes place in New York in 1964, where Gielgud (Mark Gatiss) is Hamlet, with Burton (Johnny Flynn) playing the Dane. The 60-year-old Gielgud, once the most respected classical stage actor of his generation, is directing the production because, as he confesses glumly at one point, “I haven’t had an offer this good in years.” The 38-year-old Burton, on the other hand, has enjoyed a stratospheric career rise and is newly and (apparently) happily married to the world’s most Tuppence Middleton). While the first rehearsal gets off to a promising start, hostilities steadily emerge between the notoriously alcoholic Burton, a loose cannon, and the man the rest of the cast reverently call “Sir John”.

Although the rest of the cast do well, they inevitably dissolve into the background compared to the three central personalities of Gielgud, Burton and Taylor. It’s impossible for any actor or actress to perfectly replicate such uniquely charismatic personalities, but for the most part, Flynn makes an impressive, clearly studied effort. It’s no mean feat for him to reproduce Burton’s distinctive accent – Hollywood transatlantic with a sprinkling of Welsh – and he conveys the man’s mercurial nature in his increasingly converging professional and personal lives. However, Flynn mainly focuses on Burton’s more outrageous, drunk side, with his quieter, more introspective side only emerging towards the end of the play. Middleton – a good actress, also tackling a tough role – is satisfactory enough as a gregarious Taylor, whose influence lingers over her husband. Yet the play ultimate-

ly belongs to Gatiss, who is exceptional as Gielgud. He expertly captures the actor’s famously smooth voice and precise diction, savouring every syllable, and he makes the most out of having the funniest lines, delivering scathingly catty critiques of Burton’s acting. However, he is also excellent in displaying Gielgud’s inner turmoil beneath the composed exterior, stemming from both his ailing career and his struggles as a gay man at a time when male homosexuality was still illegal in the UK, and only recently legalised in the States. It’s a stunning performance, one for which I hope Gatiss will at least be in the running for a well-deserved Olivier Award.

Thorne’s script offers great insight into the contrasting personalities and acting styles of Gielgud and Burton. Nonetheless, the dialogue when they reflect on their different backgrounds often sounds impersonal, like it has been lifted straight from their Wikipedia pages (sometimes literally). Still, Mendes’ direction keeps the play going at a quick pace. The music also does a great job of personifying the two men: many of Gielgud’s movements between scenes are accompanied by some up-tempo Bach pieces, while composer Benjamin Kwasi Burrell uses brooding, jazzy piano to reflect Burton’s angst.

Overall, The Motive and the Cue is an enjoyable play which does a great job of bringing its protagonists back to life and reflecting on the struggles faced by actors in playing an iconic, demanding role. Theatre buffs won’t be disappointed.

Mean Girls FILM

written by VANESSA HUANG & illustrated by

FRANCESCA COMO

“This isn’t your mother’s Mean Girls,” declares this film, adapted from a stage musical which was in turn adapted from Tina Fey’s original film in 2004. And it’s true: despite its beat-for-beat recreation, a lot has been updated in the 20 years since its emergence, enough to bring something that feels entirely different this time – something much worse.

There’s the matter of the original’s timeless cardigans and miniskirts, supplanted in this musical version by boxy Shein microtrends: ultra-fast fashion leaving already cheap-looking fits feeling woefully dated. The same goes for its TikTok-ification of high school social dynamics, doing little beyond soullessly pandering to Gen Z’s fickle sensibilities.

Then comes the sanding down of the comedic bite, making tepid what was once searing. We are to make do with “fugly cow” (let a girl be a slut!) and heavy-handed faux feminism – as if to forget that the girls are supposed to be mean in this story.

But sounding the death knell for this hap less adaptation is its entire raison d’être: the music that was so clearly meant to set it on the successful pipeline of film to stage musical to musical film, –among the likes of Hairspray Little Shop of Horrors, for exam ple. How disappointing that the songs are middling at best, feel ing like hasty appendages tacked on to justify continued iterations of a cultural phenomenon.

The film’s one saving grace? Rapp, whose vicious Regina George feels utterly captivating in this cha risma drought. Grool indeed.

written by ARUSHI ADITI & illustrated by PAAVAS BANSAL

A typical enemies-to-lovers romcom, this movie stars Sydney Sweeney (as Bea) and Glen Powell (as Ben). The movie begins with an instant romantic connection between both characters, however a misunderstanding sours their relationship. They soon find themselves reunited at a wedding in Australia where their constant bickering turns into friendship and, eventually, love. However, hurdles are continuously thrown their way as they fail to accept their true feelings for one another.

Being a bit of a biased rom-com lover, I found this film to have an admiring balance of entertainment, light-hearted humour, and heartwarming love. Sweeney and Powell’s intense romantic chemistry (as popularised on social media) and simple comedic dialogue leave viewers with nothing but positive energy by the end. Many argue that this movie could pioneer the renaissance of typical rom-coms appreciating the mere simplicity of two people falling in love. This movie could also be seen as a loose adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, making it part of the Shakespeare-to-romcom pipeline.

From a more critical lens, the lack of originality of this movie could be seen as a mere repetition of a classic rom-com plot but translated into the Gen-Z world: it spices up the sexual scenes, brings in more TikTok slang, and includes some LGBTQ representation. Moreover, certain interactions seemed a little awkward, and parts of the dialogue were clumsily thrown into the movie without a second thought. I cannot get past the wedding vows, where one of the brides says: “You are the peanut butter to my jelly.” For a successful romcom, there must be a succinct balance between realism and obvious fiction. While Ben’s grand romantic gesture (hint: it involves a helicopter ride!) is acceptable, as it emphasises the importance of love and the extent to which characters can go to ‘win someone over,’ the writing strayed away from the necessary realism that would have connected with viewers.

Nevertheless, I left the theatre with ‘Unwritten’ stuck in my head and a desire for a man like Glen Powell to run up the Sydney Opera House stairs to confess his love for me. If you love romcoms and simple movies about the beauty of finding true love, this movie is for you. However, if you are looking for a film with depth, substance, and a realistic portrayal of today’s world, I would suggest opting for something else.

LARRY KRAMER: introducing the new LSE president

LARRY KRAMER: introducing the new LSE president

interview by MATT SUDLOW

photography by ANGUS TIMMONS

interview by MATT SUDLOW photography by ANGUS TIMMONS

A locked door and numerous signs warning off students greeted me on arrival to the 11th floor of the Centre Building. After five years at the university, I feel at one with most of our daily habitat. I am the campus and the campus is me. However, the Executive Office at LSE had always proved mysterious, almost mythical, the heightened position symbolic of any apparent staff-student divide. Now on my first visit, uncertainty and trepidation filled my veins, a feeling I was about to meet my maker. And then came Larry.

In April, Larry Kramer will become the new President and Vice Chancellor of LSE, the figurehead of the university, replacing Baroness Minouche Shafik, who departed to join Columbia University. A quick Google search tells you just why he was called up “out of the blue” for the job last summer, having held a whole host of prestigious academic positions including Dean of Stanford Law School. After Stanford, Larry became the President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in 2012, a private nonpartisan philanthropic organisation.

However, when LSE came calling, the move back to academia quickly morphed from a hypothetical scenario to the obvious move. “I left for a good reason”, Larry leads the interview by stating, “I had the chance for 10 years to do amazing work that I really enjoyed and was proud of, but I kind of missed being in the academic setting … I wanted to go back”. And that he did. “[LSE] is one of the world’s great universities. So [it was] just an amazing opportunity to be part of it.”

Larry does not arrive at LSE with all guns blazing for radical change, aware and respectful of our institution’s grand illustrious past. “What I hope to bring to the table is similar to what many of them brought to the table,” he says, speaking of his predecessors, “the ability to appreciate what LSE is and has been.” For this appreciation to manifest in outcomes befitting of our history, it is paramount, however, that the university adapts to the evolving world. “We are going through one of the … historic periods of rapid change. This is akin to the second Industrial Revolution,” Larry boldly affirms. “Thinking about how to retain the strength and relevance of an institution like this in that world,” in his opinion, will be a central part of his role.

To fully understand what Larry is trying to accomplish from a university perspective, it is crucial we view anything through a lens taking into account global issues of the day - after all, from the man himself “they’re exactly what everybody at this university works on.” He speaks of the importance of “preserving democracy, … in a period when it seems to be under challenge,” of “addressing social inequalities that have festered too long,” and of how to “get the benefits of and avoid the downsides of massive new technologies.”

“From a university perspective, the main goals don’t actually change. It’s to continue to recruit and enable the best faculty to do their teaching and their research. To recruit the best students to give them the opportunity to get the benefit of being with those faculty, and to find ways to have the product of the university have an impact in the world.”

Larry also possesses a willingness to learn, a refreshing attitude, admitting he simply “doesn’t know” right now when answering some of my questions and ending the interview with a qualifier - “I might change my mind later!” This eagerness is consistent with not only his view on just what being President involves, but also regarding the issues plaguing LSE and universities today. “I think the job for someone in my position is more interpretation”, he declares. It’s a job of listening and learning, located in that unique position directly connecting all in the LSE community. And that is a job that has barely begun.

As for the issues facing universities, the percentage of students in the UK who claim free speech is very or fairly threatened at university has increased from 23% in 2019 to 34% in 2022. Larry reiterated he was in a “listen and learn mode” regarding the specificities on every campus, especially coming from the US with significantly different laws. However, he affirmed that “speech that is lawful is protected, and it will be protected here. And we will protect the people who speak, and [their] safety.”

Another issue highlighted by a recent student investigation into LSE’s investment portfolio shows holdings in banks such as JP Morgan and the Royal Bank of Canada. Although not through direct investments, figures estimated LSE invested £4.5 million in oil and gas corporations and £1.7 million into arms companies through index funds. Larry referenced LSE’s Socially Responsible Investment policy, that “it is in the process of implementing and has been.” He asserted, “it is a priority for me as it is for the School to in fact, fulfil that policy, which we do, or are doing. But it’s a policy that plays out and it’s not something you can do in a day.”

But, what is the most significant issue we face on campus? Larry’s opinion is clear. “The biggest challenge facing students and faculty is how to do as much as they can, within the limited resources that we actually have for it,” he says, emphasising this throughout the interview. And the statistics speak for themselves. Cambridge’s colleges alone have £6.9 billion in combined wealth, in addition to the university’s £4.9 billion. Compare this to LSE, with a current endowment of just £340 million, in addition to a capital portfolio of £160 million. In its quest for academic excellence, LSE is lagging behind in a pecuniary sense, located at around the same financial level as a large Oxbridge college. “You’ve got some of the best universities in the world here, of which LSE is one of the very, very best,” Larry claims, “and it’s amazing what it does, given the constraints that are put on it to actually do what great universities can do.”

Larry has a clear plan to gain the funding required for a university of LSE’s stature. “Philanthropy has not been a big part of UK higher education. And it needs to, … if you look at the great universities in the world today, almost all of them have developed strong philanthropic communities,” Larry says. This is evidently crucial for him, but it won’t be easy, stating, “the biggest part of my job is going to be out there persuading people to give.”

During the interview, when talking about the near-celebrity status he will soon take up on campus, Larry described himself as simply an “academic administrator.” However, for me, this is far from the truth. The LSE community is so often questioned, with barbs of low student satisfaction rate omnipresent from our first day here. In my five years here, I’ve come to realise this, too, is not true, and Larry has done this before even his official day one. Someone eager and willing to be a part of our university community, someone who already talks referencing “we” and “ourselves”.

I was highly surprised by just the amount of people who I spoke to about this interview who stated they

had already met Larry, whether at school events or bumping into him around campus. Members of RAG shared he was keen to be a part of the ‘pie in the face’ tradition, and a sabbatical officer expressed they would love to present him with a ticket for Fight Night. In the interview, he mentioned he was eager to teach a class in the Law School. It is all so easy for the university administration to wield the sword away from the student body, to make the often challenging decisions isolated from the direct student experience. Already, Larry is showing this is not his style.

After the interview, the conversation quickly turned to music, something Larry is very clearly passionate about. During his post-college years in New York during the early 80s, Larry played drums in a band, attempting to replicate the newly-found success of local band Talking Heads on the new wave scene. To quote a previous interview, his goal in New York was to “be an artist or a writer … to change the world somehow, but not with any of those bourgeois professions.”

Larry now sits here as our new President in the midst of a distinguished career, and I’m sure he won’t mind me saying this, in bourgeois professions. But for him, his central driving force has always been constant. Ideas. “I grew up in a lower middle class blue collar neighbourhood, nobody took ideas seriously”, he tells me. “I was enthralled with ideas and that was really the thing. So I went to law school to basically get my mother off my back … planning to drop out, but discovered that it was actually a place where I could do this.”

And get off his back, she did! Attending the University of Chicago Law School was the launching point for Larry’s career, and the less-than-conventional decision-making process is reflected in a key life motto. “In every point in my life, I’ve made choices that were based on what was the best thing I could do, given where I was”, he declares, “I always advise students not to plan too far ahead … follow your nose.”

Larry followed by sharing two other central life lessons he lives by. Firstly, whilst ideas and political or cultural viewpoints may diverge, he stresses the importance of the person over the abstract. “We see people are letting disagreements over abstract matters, whether it’s politics or whatever, destroy their relationships”, he states, “the people you actually deal with matter more [than ideas].”

Lastly, and perhaps most significantly for me, is a strikingly simple but important mantra - “making progress matters most”. He demonstrates this through analogy, stating “the world is now filled with people who I call no loafers for whom no loaf is better than a half … What matters more is that they show the world who they are, even if it means nothing gets done.”

Although stressing the need for continuity of our tradition of academic excellence, it is clear that progress is central to Professor Kramer’’s vision of LSE - the university must evolve equally as fast as the rapidly changing world it is located in. However, clearly showing throughout these professional mantras is Larry the man. The father, the music lover, and extra in Ender’s Game (yes, there’s no way this isn’t being included!), the newest member of our school community. Welcome to LSE, Larry.

Larry Kramer

Larry Kramer