16
THE BEAVER, ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 1987
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Academic Issues Geoffrey Howe No Film Reviews by Stavroj Return of the Water Rat
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SU Elections: Labour Landslide
Divestment
And There's More.
By BRIAN BOYD
There is no success like failure, and no failure like success. The
campaign for divestment has thus far been a resounding tactical success. If nothing else, the school will be shamed into action by the high-profile status the issue has been given by the total student body. The support from the outside world and the accompanying media coverage has bolstered the students' case. What is crucial now is the role of the academics, how many of them wish to disassociate themselves from the school fuelling the machinery of apartheid? The academics must come off the fence and make their position known. Their support could well be the final push needed. The Court of Governors can only drag their heels for so long . . .
In a very rare appearance by an academic at the Union General Meeting (Thursday, 5th March), Professor Desai made some very cogent points. He argued that any interference with the right of lecturers to lecture can only be counter-productive. He dismissed it as being tactically wrong and a potential source of alienation for sympathetic academics.
Professor Desai told The Beaver after the meeting that in his opinion 75 to 80% of academics supported divestment. He didn't think quite so many supported the occupation of Connaught House but did state that he expects the academics to exert some form of pressure on their representatives. It's a moot point whether the Court of Governors choose to listen to the academics and take account of their feelings on this issue, considering they haven't listened to the students for the last nine years.
school any rope with which to hang us with." It is important to highlight the fact that the School have threatened to cancel Tuesday's meeting (the lOth) if the students take any action. It is naive to think that protesting only takes the form of occupation, for instance, campaigns of civil dis-
obedience have proved fruitful in the past and no doubt will prove to be equally so in the future.
Pete Wilcock went on to add. "I am personally in favour of a 24-hour continuous picket of the LSE. I think it is important to broaden the base of this campaign, but most importantly, this union calls on all its members to support the campaign." Reflecting on last week's occupation, Wilcock has asked The Beaver to publicly thank all the selfless students who gave up their time to occupy, and applauded them for behaving in a disciplined manner.
The Campaign Continues
Photo: Sum! Shah
General Secretary, Pete Wilcock, one of those singled out by the School in the granting of the injunction has called for an end of the boycott of lectures, this tactic he says, "will only be used against us. We can't afford to give the
By NIC MORENO
At 11.30 am last Tuesday, the Student Union's occupation of Connaught House ended. When the High Court Sheriff knocked on the door, the 350 students inside filed out in an orderly manner to demonstrate in Houghton Street.
The occupation was conducted in a disciplined and peaceful way. From clearing rotas to an alcohol ban, we made sure Connaught House was left in the same state in which it was found.
The School Administration acted in an undignified manner throughout the occupation. The School published misleading propaganda in various leaflets and the Circular, and they tore up our posters and leaflets. In addition, the School tried to shut down the Health Service on the 8th floor, but the health staff were adamant about keeping the Service open.
Our case is as follows: For ten years we have been talking to the School. For ten years the School has not listened and found excuse after excuse in order to justify not divesting.
All we are asking for is that the School sell its shares in companies which employ 500 or more people in South Africa, i.e. multinational companies like Rio Tinto Zinc, BTR and -Shell. The School's criteria of 5% of assets in South Africa are not justifiable. To multinational companies, their investments in South Africa, though running into tens of millions, are only a percent or two of their total assets. In addition the South African government makes sure it is virtually impossible to find out financial information about firms there.
so why doesn't the School divest? Financially, switching to other companies' shares would not hurt the School and could even benefit it. For example, the School has £130.000 in Glasco Holding which in '86 yielded only 1 1/2%. Apart from the fact that Glasco heavily props up Botha's
regime, this is a criminal waste of money. If the School cannot find better returns for their money, they should be ashamed.
The overwhelming majority of students want divestment - there is no disputing that. But more than this, the academic staff want divestment. The recent Beaver poll found that 76% of academics supported divestment. If the School doubts this, we will provide the irrefutable evidence to show otherwise. Throughout the occupation, we had substantial messages of support from lecturers and professors.
The LSE was founded by members of th Fabian Society. It has a long tradition of holding liberal views in the best sense of the word. By refusing to divest, the Investment Committee are going against the staff, students and history of the School. This can only harm the reputation of the LSE nationally and internationally-
There is thus no reason at all for the School to refuse to divest. The School refused to negotiate while the occupation was going on. Now it has ended; we will not carry out any more direct action while we talk to the Schoool. If. in face of all the evidence, the School again refuses to divest, the Students' Union will take this very seriously indeed.
As students we lose out when the Administration is halted, as exams, references, etc. are all affected. But we are prepared to take action again, including more extensive financial action like withholding hall fees, payments from fee-paying students and encouraging companies and organisations" not to involve themselves with the LSE.
We are being reasonable. We do not want to hurt the image of the LSE by escalating our action. This is why you' as an individual student or staff member must do everything possible to persuade the School that another refusal to divest would be catastrophic for all of us at the LSE.
By MARK GUEST Interviews: BRIAN BOYD
Nick Randall has been elected General Secretary and Justin Rus-•sell has been elected Senior Treasurer. Both Randall and Russell are members of the LSE Labour Club and will join Richard Ford (unopposed candidate for Social Secretary) to form next year's Union sabbaticals.
The election on Thursday last (5th March) took place in the shadow of the Occupation and was characterised by the absence of any hustings. Nevertheless, Labour appeared to get their. message across as Nick Randall achieved a landslide victory by securing 516 votes on the first count. His nearest rival, Malcolm Lowe, (Liberal SDP Alliance) polled 185 votes. For the .second sabbatical post of Senior Treasurer, Justin Russell narrowly defe--ated Nigel Gurney (Independent), the former receiving 410 votes, the latter 394.
Fellow victor, Justin Russell said "It hasn't really sunk in yet! I'd like to thank all those who voted for me . . . the Labour vote has been a slap in the face for the School over its involvement with companies in South Africa". Regarding union politics, Justin said "1 want to see the Union opened up . . . the occupation has taught us that the absence of intimidation at meetings is really important. During the occupation, people would speak from the back of the room without being shouted down . . . However, I think the most important thing is that we are a multi-cultural college and we have an opportunity to work together."
At the time of going to press the full results of the Executive Posts were not yet decided, but Senior Treasurer Rory O'Driscoll topped the NUS Delegates Poll with 198 votes, thus becoming delegation leader.
The 1987 Sabbatical Elections will be remembered as the "Occupation Elections" and the fact that they were fought in such a clean manner belies the myth of student divisiveness, and is a reflection of the increasing sense of unity students have felt since the Connaught House occupation. The Beaver would like to congratulate the winners and looks forward to working in conjunction with them next year.
Commenting on his success Nick Randall said "The election of two Labour Sabbaticals is important in that we can present a unified front next year." He expressed himself "delighted with the result and I want to think Richard South and Pete Wilcock for their support and encouragement." He added that the show"of unity by students over the divestment issue is a good building block for many other reforms he wishes to implement, for example. the issue of the nursery, opposition to the proposed Student Loans system, and moving for some action on freedom of information as regards the files the School keeps on its students. He hopes to make the UGMs next year more accessible and create a more supportive environment for students to get their point of view across._
Few people could have missed Daisy Cowbell, trying to milk votes throughout the week. Described on the ballot paper as a "lowely cow" (sic), it's not surprising that people voted for udder candidates. Had she been able to spell, the steaks may have been higher. A Freisan with a poor vokablry is one thing. A sophisticated Jersey is something else . . . people might have worn that.

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THE BEAVER, ISSUE 262, WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 1987
21
BEAVER
Connaughtations
: OPINIOH IgligSlil
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Debating Society
Last week's occupation was an extraordinary event. It shows the, divestment movement to be a lot stronger than many had expected. It has also shown that, if need be, students are prepared to take radical action. As this is a distinct possibility in the future, is worthwhile to examine the last week in order to determine what could have been done better. The spon-tananeity of the movement caused certain tactical misjudgements to be made.
Firstly, the very timing of the occupation move can be questioned. The Director has claimed that the occupation forestalled any reasonable discussion of divestment in the Standing Committee since its members were not willing to negotiate "under duress". Indeed, the preemptive occupation gave the School a golden opportunity to plead innocence, while the students ended up taking a action only on suspicion of rejection (albeit well-founded), but not on a concrete decision.
Of course, the arguments of the students for going in early are no less strong. Their claim that it was in fact the School that first took preemptive action in fortifying Connaught House on Monday afternoon is justified. It is also true that students would have found it impossible to enter Con-naught House in the evening after the meeting, and they therefore had to move to occupy during normal working hours. In any case, this decision to go in early showed a lack of faith in the response that occupation would evoke amongst the middle ground of the student body. This was reflected in the fact that the decision was taken by a few committed activists outside the structure af the United Student Front that lad been so painstakingly built ip. If the organisers had known the ultimate size of the response, they would have been confident in their ability both to stave off the more reckless student elements, and to organise an occupation the next morning.
A second questionable action was also taken in the heat of the early hours of the occupation: the unilateral decision of one of the organisers to call off the potentially successful blockade of the Standing Committee members inside their meeting until the divestment issue had been satisfactorily resolved.
A Democratic Union?
Dear Editor:
I am writing to complain about the conduct of the Students' Union over the past week. It would appear that the level of tolerance of students has been stretched too far. It is all very well being incessantly badgered by political hacks each lunchtime in the Brunch Bowl - after all we can always turn down requests to attend meetings of the Marxist-Leninist Society or to buy copies of the "Socialist Worker" (or in the olden days. Tact). However, 1 object to having my eardrums filled with union propaganda to attend ad hoc union meetings or to support the occupation - whatever happened to the sanctity of a politically- free lunch hour in the Brunch Bowl?
Secondly, it was with great chagrin that, as a regular weekly attendant at the union meetings, I was unable to enjoy my usual hour's pleasure in the Old Theatre at I pm on Thursdays. It now seems that in order to go to union meetings - which, after all, are supposed to be the forum for ALL students to air their views or to listen to other students' views -
In more general terms, the Students" Union should avoid relying excessively on a strategy of massive response and should explore other avenues of persuasion, such as individual lobbying of academic staff and members of the Court. Strong action is most effective when it is combined with an astute negotiating policy.
However, these points are relatively minor in comparison the. general success of the movement. On the whole, the student body in occupation showed itself to be remarkably peaceful and restrained. It was successful in its efforts to keep the extremist elements at bay and avoiding follies such as breaking into the School files. Above all, the most encouraging aspect of the occupation has to be the massive participation and commitment shown by students. This was illustrated, for example, in the spontaneous demonstration of solidarity on the day the occupation ended. The twin tactics of creating a broad student front and linking the movement to a concrete issue had obviously paid off.
A similar soundness was not exhibited by the Administration. The LSE was last week treated to the astounding spectacle of an educational institution fortifying itself against its own students, taking them to Court and bringing in the police force. Let's hope that in the future the LSE will set an example by solving its disputes by argument and not by force.
Both students and faculty have been trying for 11 years to convince the Administration to divest; all efforts were unsuccessful. It is not surprising, then, that the patience of the students is running out. Surely the Administration must realise that hypocricy, procrastination and bureaucratic evasion can only lead to an escalation of the kind of action that took place last week. This movement can only grow until full divestment is achieved, as achieved it must be.
As an institution dedicated to democracy and progress, the LSE should have disassociated itself long ago from such an abhorrent system as Apartheid. In any case, as a school with strong international links, the LSE could be expected to be the first to follow the example of its American counterparts and to lead British universities into divestment.
we are now expected to miss our 12 pm class/lecture and troop along to a room (H216) which is being illegally occupied.
To further undermine the democracy of the Students" Union, on Monday 2nd March, I was faced with an "official union picket" outside the library and school buildings. As a union member, I was never consulted on whether I wanted to endorse a union picket of the school buildings and the library - no doubt the decision was made at another ad hoc meeting one early morning in Connaught House.
If the Students' Union wants to make its plan for the School to divest from firms with interests in South Africa, surely it would be advantageous to present a united front. Perhaps even a semblance of unity could be achieved if ALL students (not just the ones occupying Connaught House) were given the chance to take part in union decisions, instead of being presented with faits accompli by a group (which consists of no more than 10% of LSE students) of students with nothing
Dear Editor:
I would like to correct a few inaccuracies expressed in Stavros Makris' "Societies Corner" in the 23rd February edition of The Beaver. These presumably come as a result of Mr. Makris' apparent faith in the objectivity of those supplying the information from the meetings that he claims to be reporting on (which has been the undoing of many a journalist). The business of the Debating Society was neither accurately nor fairly dealt with.
The suggestion that the Draft Constitution which failed to get accepted was drafted solely by me ignores the vital participation of other members of the Executive of the Debating Society, and suggests a misleading degree of autonomy vested in the office of Secretary. The "incisive quotations (sic)" referred to could better be described as a stalling tactic of filibuster than as a series of reasoned questions. Ron Beadle's resignation was explained as a result of his not wanting the position - as it would certainly not be a pre-requisite for introducing another Constitution. Perhaps the greatest inaccuracy lies in Paul Wood's election, which did not "follow two nominations", but was by acclamation. My reference to the proceedings as "constitutionally impeccable" referred merely to that process of acclamation, and not to the fact that the selection of a new Chair took place at all. During the discussion of the Constitution, it was interesting to hear the criticism that the meet-
In the Garden
Dear Beaver:
A group of people working in a garden were distressed to see the roses covered with greenfly. They desired to spray the flowers with an insecticide. The gardeners went to their store to fetch equipment and the poison. Instead of picking up the prepared mixture, a mistake was made and a powerful detergent was taken, despite it being clearly marked. This was applied to the roses which burned to death.
An impulse for action comes from the heart to the mind; from the memory is selected instrument, If the emotions rise unchecked, the mind becomes agitated and the wrong tool is chosen.
Yours sincerely,
Gregory Thompson
better to do with their time than try to restore LSE's dubious reputation as being a hot-bed of political activity.
Finally, I fail to see what these union members hope to achieve by boycotting classes and picketing the library - does that affect the School or provoke it into divesting from South Africa? No, all this policy achieves is the alienation of a large sector of students who, even though they abhor the system of Apartheid and support the union's cause, are merely trying to do an honest day's work in their quest for a degree. The Students" Union is supposed to work for the students at LSE - such a thing can no longer be said of a union that wants to stop its members from working, with no apparent contribution to the worthy divestment campaign and which shows a complete lack of respect for popular democracy.
Yours faithfully, Richard J. Clarke
ing for ratification had received "inadequate publicity" - those same critics apparently thought nothing of electing a Chair with no prior notice at all (a point I raised at the meeting). The ratification meeting had been announced at the three previous Tuesday debates, at which many of the "critics'" were conspicuous by their absence.
We need no ghost from the grave to tell us that the Debating Society is currently having what might mildly be termed a crisis. What The Beaver's readership (and most Debating Society members) will be less aware of are the puerile antics of some of those involved. When Paul Wood resigned his position as Chair, it was essentially as a result of non-confidence from the remainder of the Executive, following the well-known "Contra Debate". Tempers eventually subsided, and the Executive tried to get on with running the Society. Paul Wood's bid for re-election (largely on the instigation of Jonathan Putsman) is, he claims, "to prove a point" - namely that he was right all along (although the tenuous strand of logic by which he concludes that escapes me entirely). I am afraid that 1 do not see how his resurgence, as described above, awards any legitimacy to his previous actions, or even, to be frank, to his present appointment.
Those of the few who attended the 24 February debate on the resolution that "This House Will Adjourn For Lunch" were tre-
Apology
Contrary to the article on the Occupation in The Beaver, Issue 260, it was the casual Bar Staff and not the Bar Managers who volunteered to close the Bar on Monday 23rd February.
The Beaver Production Staff wishes to apologise to Brian lioyd and Melinda Ham for the errors in last weeks issue, in fact, we confu.sed the two articles that they wrote, and credited Brian's to Melinda and vice versa. Wc settled out of court with the two ¦concerned.
ated to the spectacle of Jonathan Putsman, supposedly one of LSE's star debaters, using the resolution as a platform for hurling insults at certain Executive members. The tone, at the point where I left (I adjourned for lunch, before all traces of appetite fled), combined all the worst characteristics of a Union Meeting with those of a playground brawl. To ruin a good debate by changing the resolution into an excuse for insulting people behind their backs is m no way compatible with what I see the aim of debating to be, and I shudder to think that this individual represents LSE at outside tournaments. (This is, perhaps, a result of an almost total lack of encouragement for new blood in the Society, a problem which, if free from petty feuds, the Executive might be free to address.)
I have been involved in student politics for a long time and in debating for longer, and I can fairly say that I have never witnessed a more unfortunate waste of time and resources over a more puerile sc|uabble. If I am to be involved m a Debating Society, let it be one which aims to stimulate debating among students, not to stimulate the erogenous zones of a small group of over-inflated egos.
Yours sincerely.
Peter F. Dawson Secretary
LSE Debating Society
Appeal for Witnesses
At the Anti-loans demonstration on Saturday, 21st of February, a student from the University of Kent was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer. He was arrested opposite the Nat West bank on Piccadilly at approximately 2.30 pm. He is appealing to anyone who saw him being arrested to come forward. He was wearing a short blue jacket, blue jeans and red shoes, is about 5'10" tall with short black hair. If you saw this man being arre.sted, could you please get in touch with Martin Snowdon via University of Kent Student Union, or Iggy Hunter at Rosebery.
This is the last issue of The Beaver this term. The next issue will be out in the second week of the Summer Term.
Executive Editors: Alexander Crawford, Sivan Lcwin
Managing Editor: Andy Blakeman
News Editors: Brian Boyd, Mark Guest
Features Editor: Chris Philipsborn
Societies Editor: Stavros V.S. Makris
Arts Editors: Ann Henry, Dougal Hare
Sports Editor: Ian Hart
Staff: Ben Gilbey, Nico Macdonald, Johanna Eigen, Paul Wood, Fiona Chester, Sunil Shah, Julian Ozaniie, Aaron Chassy, NIc Cieutti. Kazuko Hirao. Laurie Haworth, Greg Lane. Justin Jones, Ross Broadstock, Elisabeth Botsford, James Reeves, Richard Ford. Mark Moore. Judith Conlon, Kate Meyrick. Shirin Diamond, Kfir Yeffet. Loren Gerlach, Robert Cripps. Paul Klebnikov, Sasu Ristimaki
Special Thanks to: Ben Gilbey and Marita O'Brien for production.
Kazuko and Laurie for layout.
Other contributors as credited.
Typeset by: Clerkenwell Graphics. 13 Vandy St.. London EC2 and Printronics.
25 Shelton St., Covent Garden, WC2
Printed by: Eastway Offset, Cambridge Heath, London E9
Published by: The Students' Union of The London School of Economics and
Political Science, East Building. Houghton Street, L.ondon WC2A 2AE Tel., (01)
405-7686 Ext. 2870
The Beaver wishes to make clear that the views expressed in this issue are not necessarily tho.se of the Beaver Collective, or of the Student Union.
THE BEAVER, ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH. 1^87
college scene
s
At the Union
Sufferin' Courtcase!
The inside story of Beaver reporting team-
By Dan Duncan
Last week's union meeting took place in a charged atmosphere of nostalgia, post-occupation rhetoric and, of course, elections. In the midst of it all, you had to feel a little sorry for the poor hapless candidates who were thankfully denied an opportunity to propose a meaningless motion so that we might see their salivating features.
Two years ago, Dave Jackson treated us to Nicargua. Last year we were subjcct to Rory O'Dris-colTs secondary school (whatever happened to that?). The prospect of hearing Justin Russell, who is to be seen at Chelsea matches draped in an English flag embossed WSMCFC (whatever that means) or Nick "Churchill" Randall pretending that they have any sincere politics would have been too much. Fortunately, the unsuspecting voter was spared all this by the unanimity of justifiable self-congratulation.
Everyone agreed that the occupation was a success, but there seems to be confusion about what happens next. A sizeable section seem to feel that after 10 years negotiation, occupation is the only language Connaught House understands. Others argue that unity must be maintained at all costs, and that a more low- key approach should be adopted now.
opinion on anything. After all. their job is to appear on television and take sabbaticals.
Since the last time I went to a UGM, many things are different. Helena Catt, whose style is a cross between Stalin and Miss Jean Brodie, is the worst chair I have ever seen at the LSE. Did 1 really hear J.J. make a "right on" comment from the back? I even thought I heard Andy "straight-talking" Cornwell (the acceptable face of divestment) describe the divestment campaign as a "United Student Front". I can spot an Albanian plot when I see one!
Some things, of course, will never change. Babs Band's week of toil amounted to 20 p off a bottle of Maes Pils for one night. Not bad for the £70 a week the union pays her. Phil Evans' turn of phrase has not mellowed with responsibility. He must learn to restrain his shouts of "Sit down, you ugly bastard." if he is to have any success as a national political figure. It simply won't work on television.
It was disappointing to see that , UGM's still attract a fair proportion of prats. It still amazes me that some people will dye their hair blue, or dress up as a cow to attract attention to themselves. At least we were spared a Tory man in a bikini this year.
Last week's motion contained plenty of grave talk. Some of the speeched sounded like Saatchi & Saatchi adverts. (The occupation is over; the campaign is just beginning.) But underneath the talk you could sense an overpowering caution which may prove difficult to overcome.
What happens next will probably depend on the School. If they behave as stupidly as the Pro-Director and School secretary (Pinker and Perky to their many admirers) have done so far. then the sleeping bags could be reemerging from the lockers very soon. If they behave with an ounce of political guile, one feels that the more cautious elements will keep the campaign demobilised until it is too late.
The occupation itself, according to the "Guardian" was very unlike 1968, and my informant at Connaught House has bemoaned the total enforcement of drink, drugs and sex rules. Someone was even prevented from burning their filofax in case it stained the carpet. I amm told they do a nice line in designer barricades down Camden Market.
It was inevitable that 1%8 would hang over any student action at LSE. Houghton Streets "Back to the Future" starred not the slim, savvy Michael J. Fox, but the portly and grey-haired Professor Desai, whose maiden speech (this side of 1968) was the best lecture he has given all year. It was worth hearing to discover that academics would neither censure Patel nor denounce the occupation. I suppose it is too much to expect them to have an
PIiDto: ^unil Shah
Unfortunately we were not to be spared the frustrating ignorance of some students at LSE, They were well-represented by Elwyan Watkins and a Tory, whose utter incomprehension of how the police really treat people, and how black people are systematically harassed more than white, was matched only by their disgraceful smirking attitude over a motion condemning a death in police custody. If there was anything that might make me want to get on a bus with the Revolutionary Communist Party, it was the speeches AGAINST their motion which might have swung it.
A special slot has to be reserved for George Binette, whose stature as a potential figure belies his seven-stone frame. His language and imagery has lost a lot of its jargon and hyperbole (though he couldn't resist the "super-exploitation of racial capitalism just for old times' sake"), and his speech on the occupation was compelling and convincing. While those of us who have heard George Binette through the years will miss classics such as "The Labour movement will reap a bitter harvest of despair", it is good that the LSE at last has a serious Left activist (whose ego is smaller than his belt buckle), even if he looks like a toast rack when he is lying down.
All in all, the UGM was quite hopeful for LSE students disillusioned with student pranks and careerists. And all this happens just when you though it was safe to go back in the library. Such is life.


By Batman and Robin
Last Monday saw the massing of the herds on the plains of Houghton Street. In ones and twos the animals emerged from habitats in the library, the Brunch Bow or the steamy jungle of the Tuns - a variety of species, pure Trot, pure Blue, but mostly cross-bleeds. The signal came and migration began, down Aldwych. onto the Strand and finally .stopping outside the High Court Buildings.
Bright spring sunshine shone on tousled manes and on the gothic architecture of the Low courts. Primaeval chanting began. spirits were high. The ANC anthem floated across the assembled five hundred or so heads to the boys in blue, lined up to keep the peace. Joining the fray were supporters of the cause from London Anti-Apartheid, Birmingham and Leeds Student Unions. But hang on a minute! This assembly was just the public facade of the divestment. The crucial issue was being fough inside the hallowed halls of justice; I.G. Patel vs. P. Wilcox, A. Persaud and Person Unknown, and where was the Beaver reporter? Our trusty newshound was nowhere to be seen. (I was in the pub writing the front page news story - News Ed)
And what does one do in such an emergency? Call for Superman? Luckily, the next best thing appeared - Batman and Robin to the rescue so in we went, through the police cordon, with shouts of "Isolate apartheid, divest now" ringing in our ears. We emerged, as from the tunnel at Wembley on Cup Final Day, on to the pitch in front of all our supporters. "Where are you going?" we were asked. But all questions fell on deaf ears. Intrepidly through those oak doors . . .
We strode purposefully into those time honoured halls.
To be stopped in our tracks by a guard-duty calls!
He rifled our possesions. Searching for weapons, And then let us proceed-what relief!
But where are we bound?,we ask ourselves, puzzled.
So we return to the guard to ask his advice,
"Get losf'said he—well that's nice!
Undaunted we pursue our dangerous task.
To go into the realms of the past.
So we question again, and this time suceed.
And venture along that path. Eager now, to reach our goal. We battle the bureauocracy, left and right,
Where certain posh fellows. With walking umberellas. Try to extinguish our will to fight.
But we must continue,and why you may say.
For tis not for the sake of the newspaper.
But we battle for the hope of a well earned pint,
At the end of a long hard day.
' Photo: Fernando ^
How is that so you may wish to know.
And we will tell you right here and now
For we hear that the hearing is to he heard.
In the Beergarden .so off we set, and how!
Cries of "Your round" and "Mine's a pint".
Intersperse the battle cries of the fight.
But we were mistaken, it seems.
In holding onto those dreams. For when we reaced that sought-for place.
We found not pissed lawyers, it is sad to recount.
And neither students in jeans. "Failures" we cry,
"But have faith" said I, We shall find it soon.
However the beer is now out of sight.
For twas the Beargarden which we were told to seek.
So no reward for our fighting the good fight.
We ran as only madmen can, in search of that elusive thing.
But however we tried, it seemed, we surmise,
We cannot do anything right. For wherever we ran, it was no where in sight.
That elusive thing.the hearing.
Many rooms did we see.
Many stairs did we climb, but still to no avail,
And by now,we say to ourselves.
We could have done with that quick glass of ale.
But now we hear news, or so it would seem.
That the hearing is now out of sight.
For they have moved it away. To another venue so we followed, to fight the good fight.
Out again into the sunshine and more questions followed. Where were we going, coat tails flying? Grabbing the editors, bewildered and bemused, we followed trusty Tory hobbling along with his stick. Down Fleet Street and up Fetter Lane. Aha, those cunning clerks had, unbeknownst to the demonstrators, changed the venue.
So for two hours we waited in a tiny carpeted corridor awaiting the verdict. Avinash's dad bit his nails; Tory nervously practiced baton twirling with his stick; and Maev the Rave from the "Guardian" looked on agog. At last, the judge emerged. Everyone stood. Out trooped lawyers, barristers and finally our heroes, Pete and Avainash. We held our breath. The verdict - we'd lost our case, but, and this was the reward, LSE hadn't asked for costs! Pete looked wrecked, but relieved as he slipped his arm round his girlfriend and quietly explained the case to waiting reporters. And Avinash? Beaming and debonair, as per usual. Fresh air revived, and Pete and Avvy processed in triumph to LSE surrounded by an admiring entourage. Batman and Robin, work done, slipped away.
ULU . Activism
By ROBERT CRIPPS
The apparent recent revival of student activism at LSE seems to have passed ULU by. The march organised on 26th February to protest at the planned cuts in UJ.U's funding was poorly supported by students, especially those from the LSE.
The destination of the march was the University Grants committee on Park Crescent - the body responsible for the proposed 505 cut in the University of London's central funding. In response to this, ULU has gathered 12.500 names on a petition protesting these cuts. The purpose of Thursday's march was to hand t+iis in.
Although Jane Cannon, ULU's president, claimed about KMK) people took part in the march, realistically only about 250 did - a mere 2% of the petitioners. Does this mean, then, that even fewer than the "four or five' people from LSE that she admitted to coming, actually did?
Pholo: C'hnstt)pher.f-lcM)d
swss
story
By Brian Boyd
The Beaver has been asked to point out a number of inaccuracies in the article entitled "Occupation Ends With Angry March" which appeared in the "Socialist Worker" (7th of March). The article went under the byline of LSE SWSS students and stated (1) That the occupation "ended on Monday" —fact: the occupation ended on Tuesday. (2) "The Police turned up to serve writs" -fact: Bailiffs and Police turned up to serve a repossession order. (3)"Three hundred students marched out, crossed Waterloo Bridge" -fact: The march went nowhere near Waterloo Bridge. (4) "Students . . . demonstrated outside the Shell Building" -fact: Students demonstrated outside Shell-Mex House. (5) "A SWSS motion to reoccupy the next day received a good deal of support", -fact: The motion received a total of six votes. (6) 'The NUS executive did little to spread the action." —fact: The NUS gave full support in the end - ask them. (7) "The LSE Labour Club, which dominates the LSE Union Executive." -fact: there is a centre-right majority on the executive. (8) "The LSE Labour Club . . . did little to build it (the occupation)." - fact: The LSE Labour Club were deeply involved from beginning to end. (9) "It (LSE Labour Club) spent more time concentrating on the legal implications". -fact: Maybe this was because they were besieged by students from overseas asking them for such information. And people say we are inaccurate . . .
THE BEAVER. lSSUt'2'62, WEDNESDAY l l MAkCH.
scm
Societies Corner
By STAVROS MAKRIS
9V'2 weeks of term are almost over. This is the last issue of The Beaver this term, due to maintenance work carried on at our printers The Beaver is coming out on a Wednesday rather than a Monday. Consequently, some of the listings are out of date . . . read on regardless.
One event you surely have missed is the MSS Inter-Collegiate Sports Festival:
The preliminary and semi-final rounds took place on 7th and 8th of March for badminton, squadsh and soccer. However, if y»u are interested, you can watch the finals on 14th March at the Swiss Cottage Sports Complex. The colleges involved are LSE, 4JCL, IC, QMC, Kings and City University. My tip is at least the LSE MSS Women's Squash team will gain first place! Watch on! The MSS has proved itself to be the most active society this year in the LSE. Repeatedly, time after time, it has managed to fill the Old Theatre for cultural extravaganzas. Paul Chong and his committee must be congratulated for all their effort and the outstanding outcome.
Another fairly active society has been the LSE War Game Society. Basically, they are lunatics who chase each other in forests shooting paint at each other and pretending they are real boy soldiers. Actually, to be fair, last week they won the South England University Championship, and they will be meeting the North England champions, Durham, on Sunday, 8th March at Salsbury Plain.
A less well-known society with a strong underground following is organising the end of term party somewhere in South Ken. The LSE Tea Party Society is a fairly secret society whose purposes up to now have been surrounded by mystery. However, inside information reveals that all the girls want to be debutantes, and the boys all want to marry one.
They meet regularly at Onslow Square and Beaufort Street. Rumour has it they have invited Andy Blakeman to join.
A new society about to be formed is the LSE Save an Animal society. They intend to start by adopting animals at the London Zoo. However, their treasurer has informed me that if "... we cannot afford one at the Zoo, we will adopt one at the UGM." Their first meeting was on Monday, 9th March, and unfortunately you have missed it. But despair not, they plan another one in a fortnight's time.
If anyone wants to form a Test-match Follower's Club, they should come and leave particulars at the Beaver office. There are a few who are interested in forming such as society, their purpose - to follow not only Test Matches when they happen, but also normal match-. es throughout the summer.
For some reason, this late in the term many new societies are about to be formed. For your information, those are: Ex-Rosebery Boys, Pot Holers, Sub Aqua, Good Food Appreciation Society, Thra-cian Society: ' So all of you interested, keep your eyes to the walls for posters with info or talk to your societies officer.
Passfield Hall Report
... of Heroes and Lesser Men
Nowadays there is a high-pitchcd buzzzz in Passficld. It is in the corridors, it is in the common room, it is in the air, it is everywhere; Permutations and Combinations. Is there anyone tceep-ing account anymore? Is there anyone left out? Surely this is nt)t an event organised by the Social Secretary. Can Stavros organise anything other than meals to feast our bellies and videos to numb our brains? The only thing he offers is battles - battles of pool, battles of strcctfighting, battles of polls . . .
The week was knocked into life with the staging of the by-no\v legendary Passfield Pool Competition. This was the climax of a long overdrawn gladiatorial contest where forty fought and only two survived to the finals: Millie against George Lewis. The final itself was a long dramatic contest of skill, talent and wit. With five-all and only one frame remaining, Millie somehow, from the depths of his being found the strength and the essential shots to strike a decisive blow. He is The Champion.
On another, bloodier front a highly-skilled commando team left the security of H.O- Passfield for the Wild World Outside. Their mission, to boldly go where no other fund-raising team had gone before to raise money for Rag '87. Somehow Chris "Virgin Wham" got separated from the
And finally, after a promising first term, The LSE Wine Society announces a Grand Portuguese Wine Tasting.
There will be eight wines in all, including a very rare 1957 Col-ares and R. Cripps. All are welcome, members and non-members. Thursday, 12th March is the date, from 5.30 to 7.00 pm in the Gi'aham-Wallace Room. Bring a spit bucket!
And a closing note, news of a defeat. The only LSE Debating team in living memory to make it to the Observer Mace Final lost. The LSE team, made up of O'Driscoll and Putsman, made it to the last four out of one hundred and seventy teams. It is worth pointing that this was the only English team. The motion they stood against was "This House believes Britain has suffered from excess secrecy"! Judges were Dave Cambell and Clement Freud.
Rosebery Dialogue Report
ac
HAMLET enters.
Hamlet: Now in the winter of our discontent, where Shakespeare is misquoted, and I find myself in this miserable hellhole, with naught but the bar to keep me alive.
Enter MACBETH.
Macbeth: Hold fast, sir, do you mean to say that you know of no scandal? Why, they Hall buzzes with it; the magic quilt, the mysterious letters, the strange noises at night, and the phantom vandal, to name but a few.
Hamlet: Good sir, you seem to know ail, so lay, my friend, and curs'd be he who falls before the end.
Macbeth: OK guvnor; but haven't you heard about the squeaks from the first floor? There's either a colony of mice down there, or a serious oil shortage.
Hamlet: Not a reference to our revered president?
Macbeth: Who can tell? And what of the magic quilt? Is its work over? Or, who will use it next?
Hamlet: Well, I know a certain second floor resident who might be able to tell; what is it about positions of power that attracts them so?
Macbeth: That I cannot tell. But what of the occupation posters? Who is the unknown critic? Surely not even the first floor fruit buyers could stoop so low?
Hamlet: Who knows,- and indeed, who cares? Surely, more sordid gossip can be found; what of Andrea?
Macbeth: Well, thereby hangs a talc. One thing's for sure, though; it seems like Raj (officious, boring and hugely popular though he is) has been thwarted.
Hamlet: Odds Blood! mance is in the air!
So ro-
Macbeth: Indeed so. But the question surely is, who is Will trying to impress with his new hairdo?
Hamlet: And when will Kate shut up about hers?
Macbeth: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, in all likelihood. And why was Alex so loath to open his letter?
Hamlet: Could his wicked past be catching up on him? And what of Jane?
Macbeth: Well, what indeed; I must remain silent for fear of reprisals. But the question must be asked; what calendar is Suzie living under?
Hamlet: Maybe we'll find out on Monday, the 8th. And maybe Chris Bunting will have found a collar by then.
Macbeth: A faint hope, I fear; but if Rachel stops kicking the beer, it may be possible.
Hamlet: A touchy subject; and don't ask Sarah about the eggs.
Macbeth: And why not? It may at least distract her from her vain quest for tattoos.
Hamlet: Enough said. And indeed, it's now half past seven.
Macbeth: Then I have but thing to say. Bar. Hamlet?
Hamlet: Bar, Macbeth.
Exeunt downstairs.
P.S. What a player!
one
rest of the assault-pub-crawl-team. He had to fight his way. alone, through the hostile streets of the capital with only a red collcction box to protect him from the fearful advances of strange men who, for only a mere pound, insisted on touching his long legs and even higher . . . Buzz returned to HO Passfield only minutes before Chris with his hair frozen to shape and his legs petrified. Somewhere along the way he had lost his skateboard mount. To his rescuc. though, came a fair maiden who breathed a new feeling in the lifeless legs. So now it is Blonde on Blonde.
On Sunday, 22nd February, another battle was fought, that of the ballot box. No. this was not another by-election, far more serious than that, this was the time of making history. The residents of the Hall were to decide on the new Hall Mascot. S'l'V was used and Penguin was elected with a very close Alligator second. So all of you out there - beware of the Passfield Penguins (read Yuppies in the making.)
Justin's absence was noted during the weekend. Rumour has it he finally got his pay-off from Rory O'Tightfist for being so nice to him through his column. Guess what he got: a left-over from last year's trip to Amsterdam for himself and a lady of his choicc. He opted for Claire-Elizabeth.
News of Richard "Dickie" Ford winning unopposed for Social
Secretary's post were followed by more Passfield success when Justin Russel beat fellow Passfield inmates Nigel Guerncy and Rachel Greenfield for the Senior Tresure's post. Passficld Penguins will rule the LSESU next year. This years's campaign has been clean and with no obvious hostilities.
Passfield has been invaded by a monstrous, huge, red robot, a Coke machine. It assaults residents throughout the day and stalks the corridors in the dark of the night. By now almost all residents have encountered it and have fallen victims to red. bullet-shaped Coke cans shot from its belly. For others it is love at first sight, they just cannot stay away!
Passfield Occupation Squad has returned to HO with wonderful tales of heroism and hedonism. Did you sec them at the front of the march, carrying the banner? Passfield leads where others do not dare.
And as a last note. Wednesday 4th March saw the crash of two interest groups - the football fanatics with the video junkies. The video junkies won and dominated the large TV room. They also managed to recruit many new hopefuls. Why were so many girls previously unseen stuck so close to the front near the TV? Micky Rourke was smiling all the time.
Well, this is the end of 9'/2 weeks of terms . . . but there is still time, don't miss it. There is a High-Pitched-Buzzzz of Permutations 'and Combinations.
Victor Drone
LS6
By J.J.
The whole grizzly and sordid truth is finally coming to light on the goings on in the Drama Society, and in particular. Martin - the illustrious producer of "The Assassin" and owner of the casting-couch. Martin, it appears, believes that his players should feel the part; thus when it came to playing the seductress, the young lady concerned must, Martin insisted, wear suspenders and not plain, boring old tights. Women, he argued, feel sexier when wearing suspenders, it's "the feel of naked flesh working together".
Well, Martin, perhaps this is so, and oh how one admires a man who selfishly struggles for his art; but when one sniffs petticoats claiming to be discovering what the scent a lady wears . . . the only smell that comes to nose is bullshit! Look out next term for the Drama Soc.'s latest show "9 1/2 Weeks 11"; and if anyone at the bar sees Martin asking for the ice cubes, stop him, or better still, tip the ice-bucket over him.
And now it's time to introduce a new monthly award, "Guilty Socialist of the Month". After much deliberation, the panel have decided that Richard Wilson should get the award in recogni-' tion of his fantastic U-turn since his schooldays at that great bastion of equal education for all, Rugby School. Thankfully, Richard, or "Conman" Wilson as he was known in those days, now realises just how elitist he was to go to public school and quite rightly feels ashamed. Furthermore, he simply hates himself for being a prefect at Rugby while he was there - especially as by all accounts, not content to merely be an elite within a elite, old Conman took lessons from Flash-man on how to be a "good" school prefect; taking fags and tuck from the junion boys, or was it just re-distrubution of wealth? Anyone with any sack- cloth and ashes they don't want, send it to me e/o Beaver, and I'll see conman gets it.
Finally a quick word of praise to the dozen or so who went to Durham last week to see Tory
and concorde in the Observer Mace final. In retrospect, wc should have smelt a rat given the moment Rory O'Travel Agent and coach were mentioned in the same sentence. Jonathan, though, assured us all that a luxury coach, with W.C. and video, would get us there in no time. In fact, it got us no where and took forever to get that far. The bus or nissan-hut on wheels had clearly seen better days, what with "conserve water . . . help the war effort" notices in the W.C. and a newspaper, celebrating the birth of the League of Nations, covering a large hold to keep the cold out (or was it in?). It surprised absolutely no one when it finally collapsed at Nottingham at 3 am on the way home, with only a drongo Kiwi and a monkey-wrench to save us. Hard to believe, I know, but compared to Brian, we were doing okay - Brian, a little worse for a case of Holstein. was told by one who shall remain nameless. Jan, that the lights by the motorway was Nottingham (where Brian had arranged to be dropped off), without coat, money or much of a brain, off Brian set over fields and ditches for the lights of "home". We're not totally sure where the lights really were - Leeds, Sheffield or some other obscure Yorkshire town (look out for the hate-mail THIS week), but it certainly wasn't Nottingham!!
Finally, I believe this is the last issue this term, so have nice holiday, and remember if a man with a big nose offers you a coach ticket just tell HIM where to go.
P.S. Peter Dawson wishes he ws 6' 2", blonde and blue-eyed.
THE BEAVER. ISSUE 362, WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH. 1987

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OPINION ifflliSiSiSSS 5
Action for Morality
By G.E.
In recent weeks the LSE has been struck by students rallying around the cry 'LSE Divest Now'. Apartheid has shown itself to be an issue arousing' unprecedented activism; huge numbers have joined in the action against it. Unfortunately there seems to be great confusion at the exact meaning and aims of divestment.
Divestment, dis-investment and sanctions are all distinct from one another. Sanctions are official state sponsored restrictions on relations with a regime. The LSE campaign has got nothing to do with sanctions. Disinvestment refers to companies selling off their assets in the country in question, which is something we could hope to persuade certain companies to do by having the LSE divest from them. Divestment quite simply means selling off the shares of a company. It involves a call to the stockbroker and instructions to sell all shares in Shell (for example), then some other investor on the London Stock Exchange will pick up these shares cheaply and the life of the industi-y will carry on unchanged. The economic effects of the action are negligible to say the least.
''The institution as a whole could, after divestment, engage in a struggle against apartheid."
However, the political statement being made by divesting is extremely forceful. If the LSE were to divest it would be a concrete declaration of an unwillingness to have any links at all with a system we all abhor. It is possibly the most we can do,
but it may also be the best thing we can do. For an institute of social sciences such as the LSE to categorically reject a social system, it must imply a far more severe vote of no confidence than almost anything done by industry or government. That is
what this institution is all about: concern for social justice, social order and social morality, without the hinderances of everyday policy making.
" The political statement being made by divestment is extremely forceful."
This is not to say that economics are not important as regards the struggle against apartheid, but economics are not the issue at the moment. This is a political campaign vve are waging, in essence also a media campaign. The students have sought to attract media attention in their struggle for divestment; the institution as a whole could, after divestment, engage the media in a struggle against apartheid, for there is not one person at the LSE who is not against apartheid.
To discuss the role of industry is important, but that is a separate debate. Furthermore, it is a far more complex issue than what is at stake here. The introduction in all fashions of value considerations on capitalism, communism, etc. or the argument that after independence the blacks will only shoot each other appear as deliberate attempts to fudge the issues. Of course,if you believe in the need for a strong white government to protect all the poor black children, then we are not debating the issue of divestment but simply that of maintaining the status quo in South Africa.
The Right Thing for South Africa?
Photo: Sivan
In response to recent articles in "The Beaver", BERTRAND LOUVEAUX returns to the main issue of divestment and argues against sanctions.
The LSE radical: together with his sheepish disciplcs. he strusts determined through these corridors of learning, proudly displaying his little yellow "Divest Now" badge, thinking how politically active and caring he is by supporting divestment and sanctions against South Africa. He belongs to a new trend which has sprung up a mere thirty five years after the ANC "programme of action" first supported radical opposition to the regime of Apartheid. He is right in thinking that Apartheid is wrong, but does that make sanctions and divestment right?
Those that support sanctions claim that they arc the only peaceful way of forcing the government to reform. If anything however, they will do the opposite. Black and non-racial unions in South Africa are playing an increasingly important role within the political arena. Industrial action is fast becoming less exclusively related to the workplace, and the unions arc seen by themselves and the population, as the most potent force for government reforms. Sanctions, by weakening the economy, will only reduce their power and effectiveness.
Contrary to common perception. apartheid's greatest enemy in South Africa is capitalism. Capitalism cannot thrive under a social and political system which forbids freedom of movement and a free labour market and subjects all decisions to a segrega-tional policy. Far from trying to kill capitalist enterprises in South Africa we should in a sense therefore be supporting them. Furthermore, European and American firms arc the most effective means of introducing those beliefs current in our free society into South Africa, and from thence they may permeate amongst both blacks and whites. There is a common interest between business and the blacks that work for it. The divestment campaign paradoxically underlines this, for if it succeeds, both will be the victims.
Sanctions and divestment will thus weaken two important counters in the move against apartheid. Unless they are carefully implemented, they will also remove a third. Divestment together with a dimunition of social, cultural and political links would reduce Britain's influence in South Africa. Lawrence Eagle-burger (former US Under Secretary of State) claims that such moves would only "assure America's irrelevance to South Africa's future". The .same is of course true for Britain for the same reasons. If sanctions are imposed by this country, they should be used as a means of compelling Pretoria to carry out specific reforms, and only implemented when the South African government has failed to comply.
1
m
Even so. sanctions have already proved directly counterproductive in their inlluence over the South African regime. In Pretoria they have exacarbated feelings that the government and its problems are misunderstood abroad. Sanctions arc seen there as a selective and hypocritical violation of sovereignty, and a siege mentality has developed. The Afrikanner is retreating, many are turning towards Dr Treurnicht and the Conservative Party, thus weakening the government's power to reform. The government's resolve to reform has also been weakened. It is now having to focus increasingly on the problems of economic survival and continuity, and political reform is taking a rear seat. Moreover, there is a tendency for a government which sees itself as under siege to divert resources away from social programmes and towards security and strategic economic concerns.
If sanctions and divestment have a negative effect on the move towards true reform, their long term effects on the country itself are likely to be even more disastrous. Once foreign firms have left a country, it is a good many years before they are willing to return, and the conditions in which they are prepared to do so need to be substantially better than those in which they are content to stay (c.f. Zimbabwe). Thus, economic collapse is likely to be long lasting and to have far reaching consequences. South Africa, however, together with the rest of Africa, is undergoing a population explosion which in many states is already producing Malthusian effects; over-cultivation, famines, wars. In order to prevent such disasters, wealth, not economic poverty, is needed. Moreover, as the population pressure on the land increases, many turn to the big cities where they live largely in shantytowns riddled with crime. The figures are already substantial. In 1984. for instance. Soweto had 1.4.54 killings classified as murder, and the average police district between three and seven murders a day. With a rise in poverty, such figures are likely to reach astronomical proportions.
It must not be forgotten that South Africa is a very segmented soclcty. There are divisions
amongst whites and the Indians, and the blacks are far from being a homogenous force. The largesl racial group among them (and in South Africa as a whole) are the Zulus with almost 5.5 m. people. They are divided into about 2(K), tribes, each sub-divided into clans. Even the Venda (I85,()(K)), the smallest of the main groups in South Africa, has twenty seven distinct tribes. To give an idea of the complexity of the situation, there are four major, and twenty three minor African languages. These peoples are more or less temporarily united in opposition to Apartheid. Once this has gone unless a strong government with a sound economic base is in place, they will fight to protect their scctional interests. The resulting civil war is likely to be even bloodier than and struggle to overthrow the present regime.
Although in considering this issue the plight of the South African people is the primary concern, one should not omit the effects of economic and political collapse in South Africa on the rest of the world. As well as being the economic centre of Southern Africa (it has less than 25% of the population, yet it has 75% of GNP). South Africa, together with the Soviet Union, has key control of a number of strategic metals. These two countries between them control 99% of the world's platinum, 97% of its vanadium, 93% of its manganese, 84% of its chrome, and 68% of its gold. Should the South African economy collapse, or fall in the hands of the Soviet Union in the ensuing political turmoil, the consequences to the West are as worrying as they are obvious.
Sanctions and divestment have a pleasant illusory effect in that they give the impression to their proponents of doing something righteous when doing nothing seems callous. They are thus a conscience balm, but it is likely that in retrospect the balm will sting. It is true that Apartheid is unacceptable, and that we should not be financially supporting it. South Africa and its people, however, are not, and before we do the "right thing" we should seek a somewhat greater knowledge and truer compassion. Put down your Beanos and start thinking. The radical is dead! Long live the radical!
THE BEAVER, ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH. 1987

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OPINION
Paying for
Students
By A.S. AIKKIN
Alex Aiken presents the view for a student loans system in the United Kingdom.
Twenty-seven years ago the Anderson Committee recommended that all students entering a first degree course should be entitled to a grant. This, it was hoped, would increase working class participation in higher education. In fact now, as then, less than 1% of students come from a manual worker background.
Thus, the grant system has successfully established a redistribution of wealth from the working classes towards the middle classes. Moreover, the present grants system makes a large number of students dependent on parental support, which both parents and students resent. No government has ever maintained the value of the grant, and the increasing number of students. 77.()()() since 1979. means that the value of the grant has fallen. It is acknowledged that student finance is in crisis. The Labour Party opposes loans but does not intend to restore the value of the sirant to its 1979 level.
A current enquiry into student finance may well recommend student loans as the only viable way of increasing the number of students in higher education. The advantages of loans, though not well publicised, are manifold.
Primarily, loans would allow the student to decide his own financial commitment to further education. They would encourage responsible decision-making and free the student from the dependence on parents and grant.
Students would be freed from the idea that they "scrounge" off the taxpayer. Instead, each individual would be making a personal investment which wouki in-, crease the motivation to achieve academic e.xccllence and get a good job.
Countries as diverse as socialist Sweden and the free-enterprise United States have adopted loans systems. These are free from the administrative problems which the opponents of loans claim are inherent in the system. In the long term, massive savings will be made in student support which can be re-directed to other areas of education.
The problem of "student debt" can be alleviated by charging no interest and having a period of. say. five years after graduation before repayments start. It is likely that employers would adjust salary levels to compensate graduates. Moreover, it has been calculated that loan repayment would only add ."S-IO'X. to a graduates" tax contribution.
Despite its claims, the NIJS can do little to help students. Loans will result in a flexible, equitable system that encourages independence and responsibility.
contribute to the Leaver
e205
Across the Globe: The Reemergence of "Student Power"
By JESSICA SOMMAR
It's happening here in London with occupation of Connaught House by students of LSE demanding divestment from South African- related companies; it happened in Paris, where thousands of students demonstrated peacefully in the streets against changes to be made in fees and admissions to universities - only to culminate in the deat of Malik in mid-December. 1986; for two months students in China have been protesting in demand of democratic freedoms now condemned by their government as "bourgeois liberalism"; in Madrid high school students have' taken to the streets demanding a change in the entrance examinations to their universities; and sporadically, in South Korea, students have been demonstrating in support of political candidates opposed to the present reg-
All over the world students are joining together in non-partisan demonstrations against what they see as inadequacies within their political systems. They arc not being ignored.
In Paris, in December, I spoke with many students who took part in the successful demonstrations "near the sorbonne. The despised Education Bill advanced by Chirac's government was removed and the Minister of Education, Devasquet, dismissed. It is also now widely believed that the two bills which the students considered penultimate to the protests - namely the Nationalization and Privitization of Jails Bills - will be either severley watered down, or removed entirely from the agenda. The only demand not met by Chirac's government was a call for the" resignation of the Minister of Interior, Mr. C. Pasqua -largely believed responsible for sending undercover police into the demonstrations to incite violence and consequently responsible for the student, Malik's, death.
It had long been thought that students were incapable of lobbying for change - that "student power" died with the '60s - evolving (or devolving) into an apathetic student body only concerned with padding their C.V.'s to get a job after graduation. As a senior at an American university in 1986. our students attempted to force divestment from all ties to South Africa undermined the fall of the apartheid system. We filed motions, talked, politicked and cajoled the administration - but to no avail. Two days before the final motion came to a vote, the administration made clear to us that the students themselves would suffer most from divestment as two-thirds of the companies regularly interviewing on campus would withdraw and no longer recruit from our student body. Seniors in the process of job- hunting and interviewing, already faced with the threat of an overcrowded market of graduates, veered to the right; the motion was defeated. Morale dropped because we felt weak and totally ineffectual - we had succombed to "pocketbook" politics.
The numerous student demonstrations around the globe and here at LSE should give us hope where a strong united and committed student body can effect changes against the wrongs others chose to ignore.
The cause at LSE is divestment - the much despised apartheid system in South Africa must fall. LSE students have worked hard and long on this issue, having passed motions, and joined in on the months-long picket in front of the South African Embassy at Trafalgar Square, where supporters have contended with police brutality and harassment. On Tuesday, February 23rd. students occupied Connaught House - the main administrative building of LSE - completely halting all functions other than the medical service on the 8th floor. Colleges and students from all over London have called or come in to express their support and solidarity for the occupation. On February 26th. the Board of Governors announced that legal action would be taken against the occupation. By Monday the students called a a strike of all lectures and joined together in a march to the Courts . . .
The High Court ruled in favour of the administration, repossession to occur Tuesday morning. Not all student movements have been as successful as the Paris demonstrations, but neither legal action nor "pocketbook" politics , should deter students from bonding together to fight for what is right. We have lost a battle but not our solidarity strength. If the Board continues to ignore divestment demands, occupation can be used as leverage, forcing the administration to face agam the prospect of legal action, disruption of business and monetary losses. There is a significant lobby at LSE for divestment that cannot be ignored. The Board should acquiesce. The students must not surrender until they do. Let it be the students and universities together, across the world, who ignite the flame under apartheid's pyre.
"Apathy no longer reigns"


Phott): t-crnando
By NICKY
A week enthused with fervour and passion reached a peak on Monday as the LSE's Student Union, together with students from all over the country, proved that apathy does not reign.
The success of Monday's action depended wholly on the ability to sustain and save that atmosphere and that unity. As all lectures and classes were boycotted, and support accumulated from both lec-tureers and students, chanting and singing emanated from Houston Street. As we marched to the High Court, what was most striking about the protest, and indeed about the occupation generally, was the gradual increase in momentum. Far from tiring, the sense of commitment and determination grew steadily.
Far from the weakness of apathy, the student body has shown this week the strength of conviction. The element of collectivity apparent throughout the occupation, seemed sadly absent previously at the LSE. Though obviously I wish it could have been otherwise, in a strange way I am grateful to Dr. Patel and the Court of Governors for forcing us to realise our potential. We have shown the strength of the emotion evoked by the injustice of
Photo: Fcrndtuio

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apartheid. We have been shown a glimpse of what can be achieved by using that strength.
What is now recognised by all is that we are just beginning. The support given from universities, colleges, union, and separate individuals throughout the country has been the most crucial form of encouragement. If anyone began the occupation with fears or mixed sentiments, the events of Monday must surely leave them with one sentiment only; determination to succeed!
LSE's action has proved and will prove to be a catalyst for action on divestment within colleges throughout Britain. My only comment to Dr. Patel can best be summed up by the title of a book by Jill Miltev; "You Can't Kill the Spirit!"
Motion Presented in the House of Commons
"That this house views with deep concern the continuing reluctance of the London School of Economics Court of Governors to' address the issue of the £1.7 million the school has invested in companies with interests in South Africa; and regrets its decision to serve a Repossession Order on the students of the School, who decided to take a positive stand on the matter by occupying the School's administration buildings.
Clare Short Mr. Jereny Corbyn Mr. Tom Cox Mr. Tony Banks Mr. Ian Mikardo Mr. Gordon Brown
Mr.	George Howarth
Mr.	Ernie Ross Margaret Beckett
Mr.	David Clelland
Mr.	Alfred Morris
Mr.	Frank Cook
Mr.	Hugh McCartney
Mr.	Frank Haynes
Mr.	Dennis Skinner
Mr.	Chris Smith
Mr.	Roger Stott
Mr.	Campbell-Savour
Mr.	William McKelvey
Mr.	Ted Leadbitter
Mr.	Dennis Canavan
Mr.	Martin Flannery
Mr.	Harry Gourlay
Mr.	Eric Deakins
Mr.	Geoffrey Lofthouse
Mr.	George Foulkes
Mr.	Bill Michie
Mr.	Robert Litherland
Mr.	John Evans
Mr.	Nick R^nsford
Mr.	Gerald Bermingham
Mr.	David Lambie
Mr.	Robin Corbett
Mr.	James Tinn
Mr.	Stuart Holland Miss Joan Maynard
Jo	Richardson
Mr.	Walter Harrison
THE BEAVER, ISSUE 262_WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 1987
OPINION
7
An End: The Saga Continues
By Stavros Makris
"We don't need no education We don't need no thought control ..."
The lyrics of the long-ago loved, long-ago forgotten song were sup-ressed by the voicc of the crowd inside H216. The heart of the occupation was now overtaken by panic and had become the battleground of opinions. Where for the last eight days we had come to rest and meet, watch the news on T. V. and discuss the implications, we now all fought for our opinions to be heard.
The time was 09:57, the sheriff would be arriving any moment, and as yet we had not come to a decision. We were split down the middle. One side said, "go out peacefully" while the other said, "let them come in and get us out." Still there were many more voices to be heard from within each camp. Variations on a theme, we all had our opinion.
The chairman shouted. "Whatever happens, stay together." Time 09:59. Too late for decisions. The clock struck 10:00.
A crushing noise came from the corridor leading to the second floor of the Old Building. Screams were heard. They were in, they were in Conought House. Too late to decide.
The screams from outside like a contageous virus passed through H216 to the rest of the building. Panic. Some were frozen in their places, most tried to rush out. while very few stood up to fight.



- ISSS.;:
I wanted to fight. 1 caught sight of them, coming into the room, dressed in panoplies of black with helmets and fully-drawn visors and bearing long sabre clubs. I wanted to fight, but he grabbed me from behind and dragged me out. "Not here, not now." I turned and faced him, my gray friend. "Run," he screamed into my ear.
I ran after him. I had not seen him for days. I did not know he was occupying. We ran up the stairs. Behind us, the screams and the crushing noise spoke of deeds of violence, but we did not stop to look.
In Defence of Moderation
By SASU RISTIMAKI
Two respectable political categories exist at tne LSE, the anarchist revolutionaries and the fascist conservatives. Anything in between tends to be considered as class traitors by either side. Personally I feel I belong to this third group, the greatest advantage of which is the freedom the debate all issues without prejudice, even after the events of the past few days. I have picketed, I have demonstrated and I have occupied. Now I feel the time has come for alternative, non-traditional measures. These include negotiation, discussion and lobbying, ie. what is usually called diplomacy. I prefer the term "the art of the possible".
ays a
nasty business a lot of heads get bashed in the process. Ever tried persuading anyone to lose a revolution? On the other hand, negotiation is a matter of subtleties. You start with the basics, priciples accepted by both sides. The lon^ effort begins from there. You hone, tone and develop the arguments, never having any demands to make, only suggestions to
Pholo: Roh Smith
On the fourth floor we were confronted by two. red faced First Years who were guarding the fifth tloor doors. "They are in." they shouted without stopping.
"Shit." he spat. He pulled me back down to the third floor and into a long dark corridor. We came to a dead end, in front of us. an opaque glass door marked PRIVATE. Without hesitation, he forced it open; we crept in. It was a dark, small storage room. My heart was racing, sweat ran down my forehead. I was scared.
We heard them before we saw them. A boy and a girl pursued by three menacing figures in black.
They came to the dea'd end. I wanted to let them in. but he would not let me.
"You are under arrest." barked one of the men in black and grabbed the girl viciously, throwing her to the floor. The boy in despair smashed the protective glass in the wall and pulled out a fire axe. Screaming his fear, he attacked them taking them by surprise.
The axe delivered its deathly blow. They reacted fast, they were trained to. stepped over their fallen colleague and charged the boy simultaneously bringing him down. Their heavy boots smashed into his ribs, split his head, kicked him to death. The boy stopped shouting, crying, pleading. With no hesitation, they turned onto the girl. Soon her head became an amorphous blood ball.
I could no longer restrain myself. I rushed at them from behind the door with only a bucket for a weapon. I hit one of them on the head, but his helmet absorbed my hate. He turned and smiled evilly behind his visor. He struck at me with pleasure while his buddy laughed. Sabre club cut into me. and I went down. I tried to pull . myself into a ball, to protect myself from the heavy steel-studded boots. What came instead was a spray of water. I looked up.
My gray friend was attacking them with the fire extinguisher. The force of the water pinned them to the floor. But the water soon ran out. They charged him, pushed him to the floor, and they were on top of him. Yet when I
knew all our chances were lost, I saw it shining in his hand, the gray Stanley knife. He slashed up and cut behind the knees. The figure of black collapsed.
The last man tried to run away, too late, the unforgiving blade slashed his bum deep, very deep, and he fell in agony to the floor.
• A deafening silence assaulted us. All was quiet. We picked up the girl and carried her to the second floor. The corridors were obstructed by broken furniture used in a desperate attempt to protect broken bodies.
H2I6 echoed pain and smelled of fear, a battle ground. Upturned tables, crash helmets, crashed heads, blood-stained walls.
The clock showed 10:12.
Ambulance men carried torn bodies and broken souls. Some students were still standing, but they were lost, they could not comprehend what had happened, they could not believe what they had seen. We gave the girl to a St. John's man. he was crying.
1 looked at my gray friend.
"They should have made up their minds."
"They were not ready." my voice was dry and hoarse. "They are only kids, shouting for a fairer world."
A policeman approached us. Next to me the Water Rat tensed. Behind us. in a corner somewhere the tape recorder was still playing on . . .
"When they kick down your front door
How are you gonna come With your hands on your head Or the trigger of your gun . .
propose. Everything is negotiable, all the way down to first principles. However, for everything You get, Thev must get something as well. At the end of it you might achieve victory, a solution which neither side feels the need to contest. This is the art of the possible.
It is not always easy to achieve this. Amongst other things it requires skill, tact, even character (bourgeois individualism!) These are characteristics not always compatible with protest, intimidation and occupation. Above all it requires time, patience and extraordinary effort. Are there any students at the LSB who possess the ability to challenge the school on this front?
If we for once were to disregard all political labels such as fascist and anarchist, and viewed everyone at the LSE as mere rational individuals, then I really cannot see the need for a cataclysmic revolution. Maybe it is high time we initiated a revolution in political behaviour and gave moderation a chance.
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THE BEAVER. ISSUE 262, WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH, 1987
mmmmmmrnsm features litiiiiiiiigiig The Shape of Things
to Come
Interview by CHRIS PHILIPSBORN
community, who want to see change coming about. So we thinic we have to go on pressing the argument using every possible opportunity of getting the case through.
It is not coming fast enough, but I don't see any way to make it come faster ... I think that the pressures that spring from the collective revulsion of people -both business leaders in South Africa and people with whom South Africa deals with in the world outside - is much more likely to have the persuasive effect because it can't be presented as a dreadful concerted challenge to which South Africans must respond to by rallying to the government. As a matter of fact, even that much erosion of economic activity in South Africa makes the process of change more difficult to manage. On the whole, the collection of pressures which have mounted have been more effective in persuading people who can bring about change to argue the case for change than anything else."
Reagan and
describe it as a period of democratic turbulence, but that might diminish the seriousness of it because the institution has of course been under great stress. The U.S. is fortunate in having institutions that are well-founded enough and durable enough to command the respect necessary to see them through that, l 'think that it's important for democratic allies to try and sustain the shape, fabric, .constitution of each other through periods of this kind. If you look at the European partners in the last two or three years, people pointing back to the West-land period here and to some of the troubles that affected Chancellor Kohl's government, these governments have actually all come through and nobody now thinks that Margaret Thatcher or her premiership is a diminished institution. I believe that the U.S. presidency will emerge, and it has an inbuilt tendency to get back on to business as usual. What one can't be sure about is the extent to which recovery will be completed on a given time scale, but I think that it would be quite wrong to dismiss either President Reagan or the presidency ... I don't think that the United States wants it or that President Reagan deserves it."
Sir Geoffrey
Howe speaks
onS.A. and
other issues.
Sir Geoffrey Howe works at a red leather-topped desk parked in the middle of an enormous office, rather giving the impression tliat he is perched precariously on a raft which is floating on the open seas. One approaches the Secretary of State's work place via a grand staircase flanked by large sombre paintings. The architecture and design is plainly high Victorian and one is instantly transported to Nineteenth Century England, the days of Empire and offices big enough to fit a small cottage into.
The Right Honourable Sir Geoffrey Howe Q.C. M.P. has en-' joyed a full and varied career within the Conservative • Party. His posts in Government have included Solicitor General, Chancellor of the Exchequer and presently Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs. He also unsuccessfully contested the leadership of the party in 1975. Lady Howe is a governor of the LSE and a graduate of the School.
End Apartheid
Sir Geoffrey was aware of the LSE sit-in for divestment. Was he confident that his South African policy actively encouraged the dismantling of Apartheid? Was change occurring fast enough?
"Let's first of all be absolutely clear that the objective of our policy is the ending of Apartheid as quickly as possible. If one is going to achieve that it requires a major quantum leap in thinking about people in a position to make change in South Africa possible. The familiar prescription is release Mandela and the other political leaders, unban all the political parties and create a meeting place in which all the peoples of South Africa can consider the future together and design something based on consent. If trust is to come about, you need above all to influence the will of those in a position to make it come about. We don't believe that that will is likely to be mobilized in the right direction by slapping on comprehensive mandatory sanctions from the whole of the outside world. Indeed, the evidence since that has taken place - so far as it has last summer - is that it has consolidated the opposition to change in the government. It has diminished the ability of the leaders, perhaps most importantly of the business
the Arms-to-Iran affair
Had the American Presidency suffered a loss of prestige as a result of the current crisis?
"The experience that the U.S. has been going through recently is the kind of thing that all open democratic societies are liable to. I'd
Were there fears in the Government that the new Gorbachev proposals on medium-range missiles would lead to a weakening of U.S. commitment to NATO?
"No, I don't think so. I think the 'Zero Zero" option for intermediate weapons has been pa^t of the arms control armoury of the alliance since 1979. We have ail looked forward to the withdrawal of the SS2()'s as a possible con-
sequence of the deployment of cruise and Pershing. 1 think that if we achieve that, the central components of the Alliance remains very strong. We've got U.S. conventional forces deployed over here; we've got the whole range of the alliance commitments to each other."
Was there not a large lobby in the U.S. in favour of reducing their commitment in Europe?
"That lobby would be no stronger and no weaker as a result of the INF agreement. I think that it is actually very important for the safety of the U.S. and for that of Europe that both halves of the alliance should be willing to maintain their joint commitment to each other. At times each half is likely to be fretful with the other. The U.S. sometimes feels that the Europeans are not pulling their weight and when we do begin acting effectively to pull our weight, they think that we're ganging up against them."
European Partners
The EEC
"I don't think the EEC is any more frustrating than any other democratic institution which requires patience and tolerance if it is to work at all. If you take the life that one has lived over the years in Parliament, you find yourself sitting there sometimes at two in the morning voting for the tenth time that day on a piece of legislation you're not directly concerned with. You say, 'For heaven's sake, what am I doing in this place?' Yet, at the end of the process you have helped enact changes which are taking society in the right direction. The EEC has moments like that in which you have been sitting for three days on end . . . and yet when 3 months later you go to Madrid or Lisbon and sign the treaties for the accession of Spain and Portugal, you feel, with justification, that you've actually taken part in a process of enormous importance in consolidating democracy in Europe.
In this department, people who are working on EEC desks probably have a higher frustration factor in their work . . . and yet a higher satisfaction because they are actually working on decisions about real things. You can look back at the end of our 6 months' presidency and say you have actually done these things. It is faster than most democratic processes. It's fun as a matter of fact.
The participation in the creation of a unique historic experiment -twelve countries coming together for one Parliament - is fascinating. I've had a chance of talking about it in the past to the U.S. Secretary of State and the Canadian Foreign Minister and found myself telling them about the advances we'd made in achieving common competition legislation . . . They reacted with astonishment . . . it's a fast-moving and important institution of democratic effectiveness."
Gorbachev's new language
Is Mr. Gorbachev genuinely attempting to open up Soviet society? Would he defeat the conservative elements within the Party? What would the repercussions be in Eastern Europe?
"1 think that it is too soon to give confident answers to those questions. What one can say is that Mr. Gorbachev has initiated and is presiding over a very important process of potential change in the Soviet Union, actual change in some respects because the increased openness that he has already secured and public discussion that he has pioneered in some of his own speech making is a a major shift. The success that he's had is in what I call the "disciplinary areas" - the reduction of vodka and alcoholism - is a talisman of solid change. I think the interesting thing is that he has so far stopped short of proposing far-reaching fundamental economic change which has been recognized in other socialist societies like China as essential to achieving a faster improvement in performance. He"s so far been concentrating on political change, largely trying to secure the implementation of the existing Soviet constitution, so I think that we are only at the beginning of a process which may or may not continue. It is marvellous that he has released dissidents and set some free to travel within the society, but again, how far will that go?
Was Gorbachev's speech indicating that he might resign if the changes he wished for were opposed significant?
"I don"t know how one can tell. What one does know is that the plenum that he addressed the other day with his 6 hour speech was one which had been adjourned twice on the way which suggests that his attempt to change the dimensions of Soviet society is meeting some resistance . . . but I doubt whether many people achieve the position that Mr. Gorbachev has achieved and then think very likely about surrendering . . .
It is too early to tell yet (about Eastern Europe). They are bound to be looking very carefully at what goes on in the Soviet Union to see if it offers any example or any encouragement to them. 1 suspect that they also look fairly cautiously, partly because thcy"re no more certain than we are how far it is going to go and how far it is going to stick and partly because they recognize that the pattern of change that"s under way is not necessarily regarded by the Soviet Union as appropriate for export. I think they are wary and watchful."
Would Lady Howe be voting for or against divestment at the Board of Governors' meeting?
"I wouldn"t dream of commenting on that one . . . It's a secret ballot as far as I'm concerned!"
THE BEAVER. ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH. 1987
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features
9
Avoiding Academic Sclerosis
In the concluding article of the series on LSE since 1945,
PAUL KLEBNIKOV examines academic careers, the tenure system,. and lecturer assessment
The LSE made its international reputation largely in the 194()"s and 1950's when many of the soeial sciences were new disciplines, yet to be defined. The LSE helped pioneer many of these fields, just as it helped pioneer new political structures such as the welfare state. Students coming here because of this reputation for innovation and excellence find that the reality is different. LSE's monopoly on the great names in the social sciences is long gone and the pioneering spirit has been replaced by the very real danger of institutional ossification.
Fears that weakening the tenure system would open the door to a politically-motivated purge of academic staff.
tem. The great majority of staff are in fact strongly against tampering with the system. Chief among their arguments is the fear that this would open the door for a politically-motivated purge of the academic staff. The necessity of keeping the School's academic freedom and independence is an oft-quoted remark when the subject of tenure comes up.
Furthermore, many note that tenure, which amounts to a teaching post for life, is not granted easily. "After a five year probationary period, we have a very careful evaluation", says Director Patel. "We have a te-
Nowhere is this danger more evident than in the make-up of academic staff. While career promotions have not slowed very much, the lack of turnover within the upper ranks of the academic staff and the recent curtailment of the staff's growth have meant a significant decline in the amount of new blood entering the staff. With the top ranks frozen by the tenure system and no finance to expand numerically, some departments have gone without hiring new personnel for six or seven years.
"It is very unfortunate", says Pro-Director Pinker. "We've lost not one generation of scholars, but we are approaching the point where we are going to lose two."
Professor Wrigley, vice-chairman of the Appointments Committee, points out that with the absence of new recruitment the age structure of the academic staff has risen substantially. "The LSE has a low birth rate", he remarks.
Academics are quick to point to the budget cuts and the financial constraints as the main reason preventing a renovation of academic staff. Yet, a finger can be pointed with equal justification at the tenure system, which allows for complete job security for academic staff. The school has no way of ridding itself of staff, save on grounds of moral misconduct.
This fast has obvious consequences for staff turnover, especially in the generally constricted academic environment that prevails in Britain today. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Government is rumoured to be considering a way of instituting a system of tenure review to complement its cuts of University budgets.
The tenure system has effects perhaps even more direct that the constraint placed on the principle of staff turnover. There is cause to believe that a number of academics may take advantage of tenure to rest on their laurels. Some system of tenure review might be regarded as advantageous not so much for giving the LSE an opportunity to sack truly incompetent academics (a rare exception), but for encouraging higher perfomance from the middle of the road academics who make up the vast majority of the School.
While the School's ability to review and potentially to sack acadcmics would undoubtedly serve as a powerful incentive for higher performance, there are equally strong arguments against tampering with the tenure sys-
careful than the original decision to take them on. We need to have safeguards against people being dismissed for improper reasons."
Becausc such safeguards are difficult to maintain, it is not surprising that so many academics
what counts."
This view is echoscd by Professor Minogue (Government), who argues:
"The reason for promoting teachers is their standing in the field. If they're academically

r :
nure system which is more stringent than almost any other."
Finally, many staff-members point to promotion prospects and the many hurdles which must be crossed on the basis of competence as the main incentive for high performance after tenure has been granted. Yet, this incentive does not work as powerfully and unambiguously as it would seem. First of all. the efficiency bar, which is the first hurdle that must be crossed in an academics carecr, is in fact not very imposing.
"The great majority of teachers get across that bar", says Professor Wise. "It is perhaps not a very stringent evaluation".
The hurdles that follow arc more difficult and a number of teachers do not get across. This, however, is not a factor militating against academic mediocrity. Quite the contrary, in fact, the biggest danger category for "deadbcat professors" is considered to be those lecturers who have been at the LSE and have failed to get their promotion. According to one member of staff,
"Some senior lecturers are not good enough to get a chair and not good enough to go anywhere else, so they slay at LSE and loose their rhotivation."
In order to deal with the potential ossification of the upper ranks of the academic staff, the school has implemented the government's early retirement scheme. While this has had a marginal effect at best in encouraging mobility in the LSE's top heavy structure, it has had no effect at all on the main problem of dealing with the phenomenon of "deadbeat professors."
"The Government had a financially very advantageous schemc," says Professor George Jones (Government). "But on the whole, the people who left were the stars."
Thus, the LSE is left with a system of promotion that after a certain point acts inversely on lecturer's motivation and programs of early retirement that have no relation to competence and the lack of it. These two strategies perform poorly the tasks that would be done by some kind of reasonable system of tenure review.
"If people are manifestly incompetent, and there are one or two examples of this, it is unfortunate that you can't get rid of them," says Professor Zander (Law^ "If we need to get rid of someone, we need to have a very careful evaluation, even more
feel that there is a lot more to be lost from tampering with tenure than can be gained.
If changing the tenure system is an unacceptable method of motivating staff and revitalising the system, the school could alternatively seek to shed more publicity on academics' shortcomings and achievements. Since academics are even more concerned with their reputation than most people, this potentially a very efJ'ec-tive weapon.
The real problem with this is that, as the school's set of priorities now stand, academic reputation is based almost exclusively on research and publication. While an academic's research record is easily quantifiable and potentially more prestigious, teaching performance remains largely unevaluated and unacknowledged.
"When the Standing Sub-Committee meets, it's basically to measure publication," says Jones. "Teaching is very difficult to measure."
Pholo: Sunil Shuh
good, they're potentially good teachers. If they aren't, it's the students' fault for not formulating the right questions."
In fact, many academics claim that the academic system has its own built-in incentives, means of evaluation, means of canvassing student response. For Minoguc. the incentive is simply "the professionalism - conscientiousness built into the definition of the job." The established method of teacher evaluation, on the other hand, seems to be hearsay.
"As convener, I get to know from an informal grapevine," says Jones. "I get letters from time to time from students who have graduated. I get to know who's good and who's bad. My colleagues also know. 1 would hope that students would make their complaints very clear to tutors and departmental tutors."
According to Professor Morishima (Economics), "students can voice their opinions directly to, the teacher. "
"Things do come out," says
Teaching performance remains largely unevaluated and unacknowledged.
Professor McCrae (Sociology) mentions the example of H.L. Beales: "a great teacher who inspired more research than almost any other, one of the most honoured fellows of the school, but he was never awarded a chair."
"You hear about a person from his research publications, from his administrative contribution or from talking to him over lunch," remarks Professor Cohen (Sociology). "But he might not be as good a teacher as another, more silent member."
Since research is the most visible criterion for promotion, there exists the real danger that the time and effort spent on teaching might be squeezed out.
'"As an institution, we've neglected the problem," says Zander. "We need to give more attention to it, but staff here arc very touchy about teaching as a private domain."
"One of the very queer things about university life is that you are assumed to have teaching technique at your fingertips," says Professor IBaxter (Accounting). "If you don't, that's that."
The school does run a program of teacher training, but in most cases this consists of just one week-end course. Many faculties, however, are not even agreed on this small step.
"Some of my teachers have been on this course," says Wise. "It is seen as a waste of time. A man's immersion in his subject is
Cohen. "There is a lot of gossip around the LSE. But there is an advantage to having concrete evidence and to know beforehand."
It is unclear exactly why the mediation of tutors, or gossips is superior to a direct survey of student opinions, but as the teaching evaluation currently relies on the methods mentioned above, it is not surprising that so many teachers complain about the lack of student interest (response) or about the bias of the responses they do get.
"Most of our lives rest on anecdotes," says Michael Reddin of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. "We hear the extremely good news and the extremely bad news, but there is an enormous middle ground of teachers, including many who do very good work. We have to have a system to recognise them, help or commend."
"We have to have more objective and reliable criteria for evaluation. but I'm not sure how this can be done," says Pro- Director Pinker.
"Though students are not the best judges, I would not be averse to a system of student lecturer assessment," comments Director Patel. "It is true that people have a worry of the unknown, but the debate has been accepted and more than just students, conveners and senior people in departments are now discussing it."
Two pilot surveys of student opinion of teaching were carried out last year by the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. These are generally seen as a successful experiment.
"The few returns I saw were very sensible, with many helpful, concrete suggestions," says Eileen Barker, former Dean of Undergraduate Studies.
The stage now seems set for a much broader survey and for more departments adopting some systematic method of lecturer assessment. Doubts about the utility of students voicing their opinions as consumers remain, however.
"Some teachers are opposed because they don't want more paperwork, and they fear being at the mercy of disgruntled student." says Baxter.
"A lot of staff might react to student assessment and then the quality declines." argues Morishima. "Students avoid difficult courses. Professors want to attract students, so they change their teaching to a more fashionable subject or they might give easy questions and high marks."
Most acadcmics agree that the assessments should be confidential and that the system must not become a public spectacle. The argument that students' opinions of their teachers are biased and irresponsible is not very convincing. Surely, such an incitience must be as rare as the incidence of an irrevocably incompetent professor. In any case, even there is a slight bias, it can be factored out. As Jones points out,
"If the LSE, a prime social science institution, can't devise an adequate survey to tap student attitudes, who can?"
Professor Zander is vocal in his support of lecturer assessment: 1 am very much in favor of trying to assess teacher performance as part of the promotion process. There should be evaluation of lower level teachers by the middle level; we should sit in on each other's teaching. I am also in favor of teaching assessment by the students. We shouldn't pay loo much attention to one year, but over a period of years, a pattern of response would emerge."
A system of lecturer assessment seems an obvious way of ensuring that teaching excellence
"If academics aren't good teachers, it's the students' fault for not formulating the right questions."
Gradually, the school is shifting from relying on hearsay to a system of teacher evaluation that includes student questionnaires. Already eight departments, including Economics, Psychology and Government, operate some form of standardised lecture assessment.
would receive rewards equal to those given to research. As a source of helpful information to teachers, it is quite an effective and a relatively costless way to revitalise the system. In the days of financial stringency and high international competition, the LSE must improve or grow old.
THE BEAVER. ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH. 1987
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arts

xFaniilciutsTiTll'
GIORGIO MESZAROS
With just under a month to go it may seem a little early to start talking about the jazz component of the Camden Festival,' but it's rather a tasty line-up. Tickets may go fast, and you might want some.
Topping the bill is the Texan-born sax player, Ornette Coleman, whose name is synonymous with controversy, his plastic sax, "atonality", and above all, with bringing free jazz to the attention of a less-than-welcoming U.S. public. Free Jazz entailed jumping or breaking free of what many saw as the essence of jazz -tonality, rhythmic continuity, predetermined	harmonic
changes and structured phrasing. To most it was unintelligible, and I must confess to still being a little baffled. Still, check it out, the atmosphere on the 5th of April should be electric, and seats will go fast. I'm also reliably informed that free jazz really needs to be played live with an audience - it's a three-way process: musician to musician, musician to audience, and audience to musician, and there's no doubting Coleman to be amongst the finest. (Town & Country Club)
For those into bassist go check out Charlie Haden whose recording credentials are pretty impressive, to say the least (Keith Jarrett, ¦ Archie Shepp, John Coltrane, John McLaughlin, Egberto Gismonti and even Brian Eno). He'll be appearing with Gavin Byars and ensemble at the Shaw Theatre on the 6th.
On the 7th (provisional) one of the world's top jazz composers, Crala Bley, appears (again at the Shaw Theatre) with her latest six-piece band. The author and critic, Joachim Be-rendt, described her music as "perhaps the most original jazz compositions this side of Theolonious Monk", and her 1960's collaborators hailed her as "the cream of the New York avant — garde". As for the 1980's, her "compositions and
orchestrations are imaginative collages of swinging jazz elements and national anthems (ridiculed, of course!), of world music and children's songs and massive clusters - all this permeated with sensitive, often socially critical humour..". To me, this sounds like an excellent mix of ingredients.
All those of you into free jazz will probably be aware of the alto sax player, Steve Lacy, and the keyboard player, George Lewis. On the 8th, however, the emphasis will be on the works of Theolonious Monk and Herbie Nicols (not surprising since the group, which also include Misha Mengelberg, Ernst Reisinger and Han Ben-nink, calls itself the Monk Project). 1 said the emphasis will be on Monk and NicoU, but it won't be a concert of their music as such, but rather working around and building on it. Again, that'll be happening at the Shaw Theatre.
You should have gathered by now that someone at the Camden Festival is into modern jazz, or perhaps it's Dutch jazz; at any rate the 9th (Shaw Theatre) sees Mengelberg and Bennink's mate, Willem Breuk-er, bring his "Kollektief" (I've good grounds to believe that's Dutch for Collective!) to town.
As for the Mike Givvs band, that has been zapped out of existence and won't be appearing on the 10th as originally scheduled. However, "The Wire" magazine will be sponsoring a concert with Gail Thompson, the Steve WiUiam-son quartet and Philip Bent at the Shaw Theatre on the 11th.
STOP PRESS
The 4th of April sees the appearance of superb tenorist, Wayne Shorter, at the Town & Country Club at 8 pm. This follows a very successful gig at the Wag Club. Most of you might know him through the group Weather Report; it's therefore likely that the concert will sell out fast, so it might be advisable to book early.
cm

Bhundu Boys "Shabini'
If you've been hstening to John Peel or Andy Kershaw (who both names "Shabini" as their '86 fave album) over the last few weeks, you won't have' escaped the magic of the Bhundu Boys. Apparently, they are the No, 1 pop group in their home country, the "Dire Straits" of Zimbabwe, one might say (though they're not as dire). This is their debut album, which is not just excellent value for money (it's 50 minutes long), but it is also brilliant and ranks along with the likes of the Smiths, Fall, Golden Palominos, The The, Prince and New Order as one of the best records of 1986 which must be the reason for its re-release. This album makes most attempts of those shambling indie groups - the majority of which purely rip off Orange Juice and the Buzzcocks - look really pointless and futile, not to mention"the extraordinarily trite Top 40 at the moment. If
you're looking for genuinely "new" music this is the STUFF!
Only recently most Westerners still thought that Africans couldn't play guitars and keyboards, and the general impression was that all African music consisted of drums, bongos and chants. It was left to Paul Simon, of all people, to show them that they were wrong. And the Bhundu Boys are a guitar band with great tunes and rhythms, but most importantly, they're sticking to their roots and refuse to sing in English and that's what makes this album so superb. This is the first African record I ever bought; I listened to it about 20 times in the last fortnight and it's still growing on me. What more can I say? Only one thing: the album is still in the Virgin Megastore for £4.99 and I strongly advise you to go out there and get it NOW!!! (I did -ED.)
Moustache

mm ^
She's Gotta Have It
A bed is rarely the setting of a good film. However, when seen through the eyes and camera of Spike Lee, a 29-year old director from Brooklyn, the bed of Miss Nola Darling provides us with everything we might ask for, and above all a very good film. Lee proves that black cinema is alive and well, despite its gross underfunding and all the obstacles placed in its way.
She's Gotta Have It is centered on Nola, magnificantly played by the stunning Tracy Camilla Jones, and her private life. She is in the process of making her
mind up on which of her three partners to choose. First, there is Greer, a male model much taken in by his own importance. Then there is Mars, a downy and hilarious "unemployed break-dancer" played by Spike Lee himself. And, finally, there is Jamie, the most conventional and rational of the three. Not finding any one of these three ideal, Nola prefers to construct her ideal man, using certain features from each one of the three.
In a recent interview, Lee explained his feehngs about Nola, "People today find it normal that men behave hke Nola. But if a woman tries to live that way, she will be branded a nymphomaniac or a prostitute. In fact, Nola does not do anything wrong."
Alex Crawford
OPERA
Die Zauberflote
Royal Opera House
Die Zauberflote was Mozart's last opera before his death, and often acclaimed to be among his greatest operas, if not the greatest. It is a puzzling work, apparcMitly trivial and self-contradictory, but essentially sublime. It was quite unlike any opera thai I^ozart had written before. It was a German Singsijiel of a not very intellectual sort. "Die Zauljerflote" was conceived as a low nuisical comedy wiiose chief ingredients were to be elaborate stage machinery, fairy-tale plot and music hallpatter. It is a great opera because Mozart took it seriously, despite all the elements of farce. Papageno and Sarastro both roused him to compose admirable and suitable music for two different characters.
The plot rcwolves aroiuid two heroes, Tamino and Papageno, a prince and a bird catcher respectively. Briefly, Tamino's love, Pamina, the daughter of the evil Queen of the Night, is captured. He is told that if her rescues her, he may take her hand in marriage. The intrepid duo are given gifts of a magic flute and bells to protect them. It is only later that Tamino discovers that it is not Sarastro who is evil, as he had been led to believe by the Queen of the Night, but the Queen herself. After undergoing a series of trials he is allowed to marry Pamina and at the end, the evil Queen is vanquished, Papageno, a coward and a comic throughout, is searching for someone whom he can love, and after his trials, finds his true one in the form of Papagena, with whom he begins to plan a family.
The Royal Opera House has chosen a truly international cast; Danish baritone Mikael Melbye deserves special attention. He is a brilliant, natural performer - wonderfully endearing which makes him a wonderful Papageno. The voice, though, does take some getting used to, and is off-putting at his opening entry in the Birdcatcher's Song. American soprano, Angela Maria Blasi (Pamina) brought a soft but secure warmth of tone to her yearning for Tamino, an irrestible charm to her post-suicidal encounter with the


three boys and a glorious clarity of projection in her duets with Papageno. Robert Legatte (Tamino) and British bass, Robert Lloyd, both made a welcome return to the cast. The production of this opera is worthy of congratulation also, and praise should be di'-ected towards August Everding, who unveiled this production back in 1979. The sets are extremely well designed and very inventive, especially the series of sets for the Temple scenes.
Of all the scenes, those in the Temple are especially interesting. It is often commented that the opera has a strong relationship with Freemasonry (both Mozart and Schickaned-er, the librettist, were fellow members of the brotherhood), and this is particularly noticeable in this production. The themes of brotherhood, tolerance, the importance of silence and the sun are generally known to stand at the heart of Masonic belief. I lowever, they all have some philosphical meaning for the rest of us, too. The profundity of "Die Zauberflote" is not only for private perception.
After heaping on the maybe inordinate amounts of praise, I have one uncertainty - the
supertitles. Like subtitles they display the spoken word in letters four feet high above the stage. They do represent a change in attitude - a concern at last to communicate, not just entertain, But 1 complain for the following reasons: for those who know the libr(!tto well, they distract attention away from the action; however hard I tried, 1 found it nigh on impossible to ignore them. They are also too succinct and to the point. Perhaps a more verbose, lucid and poetic style would be appropriate, rather than the sharp vernacular of modern-day English which is entirely inappropriate. And lastly, they raise one problem which, in "Die Zauberflote", is uncomfortable, We can accept that racist and chauvanist remarks are Period, but it somehow qualifies the message of the I^nlightenment enshrined in Mozart's opera, when a sentiment such as "Beware the malice of women" is flashed across the stage. The orchestra stalls laughed it off; the amphiteatre hissed; an interesting demarcation of response.
Don Basilio
THE BEAVER. ISSUE 262. WEDNESDAY U MARCH. 1987
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11
Gothic
Lumiere Cinema
In 1816 18-year old Mary Godwin, mistress of the poet Shelley, wrote one of the world's classic horror stories - Frankenstein. As the story goes, the idea for Frankenstein came out of a weekend visit to Lord' Byron's villa on the shores of Lake Geneva. Lord Byron suggested to his guests, Percy Shelley, Mary Godwin, Claire Godwin (Mary's half sister) and Dr. Polidori (Byron's biographer), that they pass the time by telling each other the ghost stories they had invented. These were not to be ordinary "gothic thrillers", but tales which forced the teller to confront his/her deepest fear and its resulting horrors.
This, then, is the premise behind the new film by Ken Russell, Gothic. In an attempt to recreate that fateful weekend, Russell has put together a film that is somewhat lacking in character development and plotline but which is a veritable feast for the eyes in terms of its visual impact. As Byron draws his guests further and further to the brink of confronting the hidden corners of their minds, 'Russell draws the audience into a whirlwind of images and illusions, leaving us to wonder what is "reality" and what is merely the manifestation of the fear of Byron's hapless guests.
In choosing such legendary figures as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, with their penchant for the outrageous, their excessive way of life and, most importantly, their undeniable literary talents, Russell puts himself into the trap of having to portray characters whose reputations predeed them. Unfortunately, this Lord Byron and this Percy Shelley are far from the eccentric geniuses one might expect. There is no doubt that Gabriel Byrne's Lord Byron is slightly peculiar, living a seemingly solitary life, indulging in his fancies as he sees fit. However, there is no sign of the larger-than-life figure one normally associates with Lord Byron. Percy Shelley, portrayed by Julian Sands, suffers from the same fate. At times Shelley seems almost like a lunatic child as he rants
and raves about his wild visions and runs madly about the house and grounds trying to escape his fears but meeting them at every turn. Not even the ever-patient Mary can quell Shelley's fears and bring him back from his opium-induced euphoria/madness. These "theatrics" are fine, but these two men could really be any two men indulging themselves on a wild, rainy night on the shores of Lake Geneva.
The most intriguing member of the assembled group by far is Dr. Polidori (Timonthy Spall), a man with an almost pathological fear of God (who sleeps with a huge wooden crucifix directly above his bed) and a predilection for the carnal pleasures of young men. His very presence adds a feeling of something slightly off-centre and sinister. Spall brings the necessary essence of hidden malevolence and madness lurking beneath the surface to his character.
Mary Godwin (Natasha Richardson) and Claire Godwin (Myriam Cyr) fair quite poorly as characters, relegated to the roles of comforter/ mother and sex object, respectively. Mary seems to wander through the entire evening wondering what on earth she's gotten herself involved in, while Claire is happy to accept anyone or anything she comes across. Or in the words of Shelley, "Claire is here because she can speak French."
As a film about the wild and wicked lives of Lord Byron and Percy Shelley and the creation of a monster, Gothic is a major disappointment. However, as a realization of Ken Russell's exploration of reality, dreams and fears, it is a masterpiece. If you have enjoyed Ken Russell's films in the past, you will certainly not leave the theatre feeling cheated.
Ann Henry



Children of a Lesser God
It's a familiar story. The woman is angry, and unwilling to be vulnerable enough to love. He is the older, more experienced man who shatters her defences when they fall in love. The sensitive treatment of the relationship, however, and the added complication of the woman's deafness give this story a freshness and an added dimension which make the film worth seeing.
William Hurt plays a language skills teacher (James) at a boarding school for the deaf. His sense of humour and unconventional teaching methods endear him to his pupils, but he is puzzled by the former student, Sarah (Marlee Matlin), who is now a maid at the
school. James learns that Sarah was a brilliant student, although she never learned to speak. James breaks the ice by offering to teach her to speak, but she angrily communicates to him that she doesn't want to speak and is perfectly happy where she is. They become romantically involved anyway, and she joins in his poker games while he goes to parties given by her deaf friends. Throughout this period, howev^t, each can still not understand the other's world, Sarah has to leave when James again challenges Sarah's acceptance of self-imposed limits. Only after she establishes her own position in the world can the two find a coni-
The Color of Money
It was in 1961 that director Robert Rossen first introduced audiences to Eddie Felson, a young man with an incredible talent for playing well-executed, fast-moving pool. Eddie Felson was not only the best young pool player people had ever seen, but he was also one of the the best young pool hustlers to come along in a long • time. But one night "Fast Eddie" was beaten at his own game and walked off a defeated man.
Well, it is 25 years later, and "Fast Eddie" is back. In the newly-released film. The Color of Money, Paul Newman returns as Eddie Felson, no longer the king of the pool players but a liquor salesman, hustling J&B Scotch and Beefeater Gin to small restaurants and bars outside of Chicago. Felson has given up playing pool altogether and has resigned himself to the mundane life he now lives.
Then, one day he runs across Vincent Lauria, a kid who plays pool with a talent and an edge Felson hasn't seen for years. There is something decidedly quirky about Vince, but Felson has a feeling that with the right type of coaching and management, both can come out on top of the game and win soriie big money along the way.
Away from his usual New York City venue, director Martin Scorsese has captured the essence of the poolhalls, the backrooms and the people who live and work the pool circuit. There is nothing glamourous or flashy about the people he brings to the screen; their talents lie in their ability to play the game of 9-ball better than anyone and their mastery of the hustle. The locations have a stark, bleak quality and at times are almost totally devoid of colour; However, with this absence of external distractions, Scorsese forces you to look at and examine the people in his film and how they react to their surroundings and their
obsession with the game of 9-ball. As with all his films, Scorsese allows a certain amount of the grittiness of everyday life to be the pervasive element, which adds a sense of realism to the film.
For those people who are going to the film to see Tom Cruise as another arrogant hotshot, I'm afraid they will be disappointed. There is a new depth- to Cruise's acting as-Scorsese gets him to settle into the role of Vince Lauria, the person in whom Eddie Felson sees the vision of a winner. While there is no doubt that he knows he is good at the game
mon ground for a lasting relationship.
Although this is her film debut, Matlin has received an Oscar nomination for her outstanding performance as Sarah. Sarah can communicate her feelings not verbally, but with her whole body, an ability best expressed in her silent i description of the sound of I waves. James, however, is dependent on verbal communication. Even in the presence of only deaf people, he says everything as he signs, and he also translates into words what is signed to him. At a party of non-speaking deaf, James blows on a bottle because he finds the silence discomfitting. When he tries to describe Bach to Sarah, he gives up after a few inadequate efforts. While this is a testament to Bach's genius, it also demonstrates how handicapped people often have enhanced perception 'through their other senses.
This nlm is based on a Broadway play, but the director, Ran-da Haines, takes advantage of the additional dimension available in a movie. The setting of the school on an island symbolically portrays the isolation of the deaf world from the world, of the hearing. Beautiful music in some instances and absolute silence for moments with the deaf children also separates the. two. The clever directoral approach which Hurt translates the signed mesjsages rather than having subtitles allows the audience to watch Sarah's face "instead of the bottom of the screen. It is difficult to leave .this film without wanting to experience the acutely heightened perception of the four senses and at the same time, thanking God for the fifth.
Marita O'Brien
believes in and to maintain her own sense of self. Both women know their men inside and out, know the highlights and the pitfalls, know what makes them tick and what makes them crack.
The real star of The Color of Money is undoubtedly Paul Newman. His portrayal of "Fast Eddie", a man who 25 years earlier had everything and then, in a moment of misjudgement, lost it all, is wonderful to watch. Once Felson has discovered Vincent and sees the potential in him to be the best, his character begins to undergo a marked change. It is as thounh he has suddenly found
A, ^
and wants to earn money any way he can (and what better way than by doing something you enjoy and are good at), it is hard to discern how much he is really thinking about what he is doing. With his hair combed back and dyed a darker brown, Cruise is still good looking, but one is now forced to look beyond the attractive young man to what lies beneath the surface - to what makes him tick.
As the women in the hves of the men, Mary Elizabeth Mas-trantonio and Helen shaver both give good, solid performances. Each woman is attempting to come to terms with the man she is involved with and
his edge, ana he oegms to think like "Fast Eddie" again. The nuances of the game of 9-ball and the art of hustling all make Felson come alive, and Newman's characterisation is electric. You can't stop watching the master hustler, knowing that he has been through it all before and hoping that this time Eddie Felson will come out on top, Newman brings a common sensibility to his character - as Paul Newman has evolved over the last 25 years, so, too, has Eddie Felson, It is a brilliant performance, one worthy of the many accolades which Newman has received. Welcome back, "Fast Eddie".
Ann Henry

Athletic Union Elections
The posts of president, internal and external vice- presidents, general secretary and assistant general secretary of the Athletic Union will be up for election on Tuesday, 10th March inside St. Clement's building. All AU members may vote, and it is helpful if you bring along your membership card.
LSE Riding 'i eams Victorious
Contrary to general opinion that the LSE is not a college of sporting students, the A-team (Nancy Handler, James Paget, Michael Klein) and the B-team (Liz Thomas, Sharon Mitchell and Gordon Titchell) swept the highly contested London- Intercollegiate League by taking the first and second places respectively. The A-team accumulated 892 points, whereas the B- team was able to grasp 868 points, trailing behind are UCL with 562 points in third place, Barts (495 points) in 4th place. Imperial (393 points) in 5th and Royal Holloway (150 points) in 6th place.
Individually, the picture is even more impressive. In the first six places are only competitors from the LSE! That is unique in the entire history of the London League. Michael topped 244 points and was thus first; he was folowed by Sharon (234 pts.), James (228 pts.), Gordon (225 pts.), Nancy (211 pts.) and Liz (203 pts.). Out truly multination-,1 teams have taken advantage of 1.^iiiferent riding styles of their niL-mbers taught in the various countries: Michael's stong (nod-cling) German approach is complemented by Nancy's nice (fork-sitting) American style and James' correct (twistin') Swiss flavour. In the B-team, Sharon's assertive Kiwi way, together with Liz's balance (sticky) Irish style and Gordon's controlled (John Wayne) American way of riding cover the spectrum.
Congratulations to you all and much success in the next year.
Hockey LSE Are League Champions
For those not hit by the bug, "love bug", "going-home bug", this was an excellent match. The old faithfuls did it again. At the start of the match, we had eight players, but Kate Faulkner and Liz Smith admirably stepped forward to paly their second match of the day. Ellsmore showed her speed and finesse after a long ball played through by Kenton which split the opposition's defence wide open and led to the first goal.
Such bulldozing tactics led to two similar goals by Ellsmore, who was readily backed by Soldi and Sterchie. Skelton managed to keep the defence in order, but despite her voracious shouting, the defence allowed two goals in -a purely tactical politeness on the defence's part so as to keep the spirits of the opposition alive.
Anyway, thanks to all who turned out. especially Kate and Liz - the fight against relegation continues for .1st team.
Darts
After weeks of confusion and lack of communication, the LSE Archers finally managed, on Tuesday night, to resume the Superbarrel. The power struggle within the LSE ranks has been resolved, and it was a more determined team that took on a confident Kings College pair.
Indeed. Kings had won two matches in a row with Slick Nick in quite unstoppable form. But sadly for him. he seemed to have come up against a brick wall last week. The first set was very even going to the last leg. Kings came down rather quicker than the Archers but failed to check out. It was a composed Cocky-on- the-Oche that carried this set for the LSE; Triple Crown was playing like a wet flannel due to a stomach upset!
In the second set, very little happened. Double-Six-Dix filled out a job application and a few drinks were sunk. It was eventually left to Triple Crown, now fully recovered from the nut cutlet he'd eaten, to check out for the set.
I can't remember what happened in the third set. but the LSE won. It's a long time since the College boys have been whitewashed. This puts the LSE 3-2 up in the best of 7 matches. It was definately a crucial match to win. and quite simply Kings did not have the bottle or the concept of total darts.
S.T.



Photo: Kate Mcyrick
Six-a-Side Indoor Cricket
With all the matches now completed. LSE are winners of the league which they have led throughout the winter. The team will receive the Silexire Trophy at a presentation to be held at the Lord's Cricket Ground later this month.
The triumph is all the more rewarding due to the LSE's poor record in previous years. The success is due in part to the emphasis placed on spin bowling and the difficulties this caused for opponents in the confined space of the indoor pitch. The batmen, too. were consistent; LSE lost on average only 2 1/2 wickets per
match. Yet. the greatest factor has to be the commitment of the teams members that enabled a continuity to emerge amongst the regular players. This in turn allowed an atmosphere of familiarity and a flexibility of tactics which in the end proved decisive.
Final Result: LSE Won 7. Lost 2.
Played 9.
Team: Simon Bexon, Saeed Kha-waja. Justin Jones. Derek Smith. Simon Eckcrsley. Stewart Robertson.
Scorers: Kate Meyrick. Lindsey Hemmingway. Richard Ford.
Indoor League Averages '				
Batting				
	1.	N.O.	Runs	Avg.
Derek Smith	8	7	163	163
Justin Jones	5	4	34	34
Simon Bexon	8	3	142	284
Saad Iqbal	5	2	30	10
Stewart Robertson	3	2	10	10
Saeed Khavvaja	8	1	59	84
.imon Eckersley	2	0	0	0
Bowling				
	O	W	Runs	Avg.
Derek Smith	15.1	5	72	14.4
Saeed Khawaja	24	6	95	15.8
Saad Iqbal	10	4	82	20.5 •
Justin Jones	22	5	132	26.4
Simon Bexoh	19	4	118	29.5
Simon Eckersley	3.5	0	28	—
BEAVER CROSSWORD
The Beaver Quick Crossword Compiled by Katrina Kalishnikov
1.	Inn (5)
2.	On top of (4)
3.	Leave (8)
4.	Observe (5)
5.	Order (7)
6.	Hint (4)
7.	Government (8)
8.	Sightless (5)
9.	Fruit (7)
10.	Idiot (4)
11.	Streaker (8)
12.	Dislike (8)
13.	Lover (5)
14.	Jet (5)
15.	Rule (5)
16.	Father (4)
17.	Sprite (7)
18.	Unconciousness (5)
19.	Ceases (7)
20.	Teacher (8)
21.	Snare (5)
22.	Awakening (7)
23.	Fast (7)
24.	Unharm (8)
25.	Hid (7)
26.	Recital (7)
27.	Island (4)
28.	Doorkeeper (5)
29.	Fright (5)
30.	Pupils (8)
31.	Midday (4)
32.	Jaw (4)
33.	Migraine? (8)
34.	Smooth (4)
35.	Sham (35)
36.	Gnash (5)
LAST WEEK'S SOLUTION
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LSE Football
LSE 1st XI2 Imperial College 2
With relegation looming, this game took on crucial importance. Without a win since X-mas, another defeat would plunge the 1st XI into even greater trouble. However, the team resonded with the sort of battling performance to match ability that has so often been missed this season. For once, there was a real sense of urgency-
Without qualified linesman and referees, playing the "Offside Trap" can be risky, yet often this tactic has been one of our most successfully implemented, until now. the referee, caught upfield, failed to see an Imperial forward 10 yards offside as LSE stepped up and a goal resulted. LSE's response was quick and decisive, with Connelly equalising from 18 yards. From then until half-time LSE dominated the game with Connelly again finishing off a great move instigated by Williams and shipstone.
'The second-half was tight and competitive with LSE losing their grip on the game as players tired and began to feel the previous night's excesses. The defence held firm until MacK-enzie miscued a header and an Imperial forward followed up to equalise. Fitter forwards may still have enabled LSE to snatch victory, but Fat Ray "Jabba the Hutt", though having the football brain, still lacks the application to return to full fitness, hence his 10 pints the night before. Like a "beached whale" left the field, a dejected bulk, only to be replaced by an even bigger monstrosity, Shingler. But LSE survived to gain a crucial point.
On the way back fears were raised by the coachd river at both Fat Ray and Andy occupying back seats, causing the coach the "wheeUe" intermittently.
LSE 3rds vs. K.Q.C. 5ths
LSE won this game 5 — 3 despite a rather sub-standard performance. An early lead was taken with Bubbersby's misdirected cross sneaking in at the far post, and a second was added when Chris "Acko" Atkinson pounced on a defensive error. However, two sloppy goals were then conceded before Dave Endyes coolly slotted away a penalty he had himself won!!
After an entertaining fight - in the blue corner. John Bubbersby. in the right corner. Mikey "Hard rock" Gunbc " - at half-time. LSE started again with renewed vigour. Chris ioannou scored a good fourth goal, and Chris Riley knocked in a fifth, before the man Bubbersby put injine of his better throws of the year, finding his man with consumate ease. The player then rounded Marco and scored K.O C's third goal - "It wasn't my f'*king fault!". Still two points in the bag. 22 points out of 28 for the season, and any slip-up by Guy's should mean the title is ours.
CRICKET
Still two more net sessions to go at Lord's this winter(Tuesday's 8 - 9), and plenty of room for cricketers of a reasonable standard to make the Ists or2nds. If you want to play in the key games - UAU, which are early next term, organising is now needed - please come along, particularly if you bowl quick or off-sping (or both!). A particular note to a kid called Adnan who's been once before — come along, your college needs you!