ISSUE 242. f-. 1 BRiUSH LIWARY 5 BEAVER 2SFEB198» f i JTJCAL > iN ONOMC SCI# NEWSPAPER OF THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS STUDENTS' UNION NCI UNION GENERAL [EETING EVERY THURS. 1 PM IN O.T. February 24th 1986 LSE SET TO TWIN WITH SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' UNION RESOLVES TO BATTLE INEQUALITY Hidden away in the frantic political point-scoring of Thursday's UGM, ex-Chairman Rory O'DriscoU and Welfare Rep. Alan Evans pushed through a motion that is of more lasting importance than many motions passed for some time. O'DriscoU and Evans: Subtle victory Perhaps pushed through is the wrong word, however. The motion went through on its own merits fairly easily save for a little opposition from Andrew Tinney, who proposed an amendment to the motion, trying to turn it into an opportunity for political gain and ego gratification, like so many other motions. Fortunately, the amendment was easily rejected, and the LSE is set to take a big step in the name of equal rights for education. The motion essentiall3' noted the fact that tertiary education has become a middle/ upper class phenomenom, and blamed this on the fundamentally inequitable distribution of funding and support for secondary schools and secondary school students. It resolved to twin LSE Students' Union with a secondary school in inner London. O'Driscoll and Evans have been talking to the parents at a secondary school in the inner London area, and they are greatly in favour of the idea, and the benefits that the twinning will bring. They want to take the proposals to a Parent & Teacher Association meeting, but needed to know that the Students' Union was fully behind the idea before they presented it. Not surprisingly, the UGM passed the motion with little reservation, e\sn the erstwhile Mr Tinney agreeing with its principals. It could be one of the greatest steps the LSE Students' Union has taken in a long time to do something constructive. All praise must go to O'Driscoll and Evans for their quiet perseverance, and even if it isn't a particularly strong talking point in the Tuns, it must arouse some excitement to those it will help immensely, those children who, because of their social and financial position, could not normally hope for any form of tertiarj' education other than a government training scheme or YTS. Unfortunately, BEAVER has currently very few details of the scheme or the school involved. The ideas have yet to be presented to the secondary school's authorities. We hope in the next issue to bring you more information on the scheme, and provide greater details about the school. The whole enterprise can be summed up in the words of the defeated Andrew Tinney. 'Let's get these kids into higher education!' Inside This Issue A CLOSE SHAVE FOR BEXON? PULL-OUT BEAVER SUPPLEMENT: International Womens' Day THE PLACES TO EAT All you need to now about dining out in London — part 1. CENTRE PAGES: RAG WEEK Where will your money go. PRIZE CROSSWORD back page JOANNA LUMLEY Sapphire interview by Kfir Yejet and Mary Luckhurst ADVERT! Page 7 ¦ on As sabbatical elections loom, an impending financial and political crisis faces Simon Bexon, the Social and Services Secretary of the Students' Union. He is accused of having taken from the door of the seventh February Anti-Apartheid benefit (featuring the Redskins) money to fund a dinner for the Entertainments crew in addition to some people not involved with the organisation of the evening. Bexon does not deny that £100 of the takings was used to fund the meal but rather justified it on the basis that 'in the heat of the nloment it did not seem a bad thing to do'. He further claimed that the money was earned by 'reselling' somewhere in the region of twenty tickets. Disclosure of Bexon's actions occurred at the ensuing dinner when he is said to have boasted about what he had done. One of those present at the dinner was Alan Evans, Welfare Officer on the Student Union Executive, who defended his actions by saying, 'Well, Anti-Apartheid are happy with what they got' Last years Social Secretary, Phil Hague said, 'We never paid Ents crews for benefits, though we would take into account they had worked for nothing when paying them at the next commercial gig.' However a verbal contract with the Redskins was made under which they were said to be paid £1500, thus contravening the basis of a benefit in the first place. Still, Student Union tradition has it that those students involved in helping the functioning of benefits do not seek financial reward or other compensation. Bexon had returned the money but benefit organiser Anthea Burton remains suspicious: 'I didn't really believe on the Monday that Simon was really capable of such disgraceful behaviour, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt at the time. I later learned that his admission was not so much a result of pangs of conscience but of a Continued on Page 2 P'age 2 LETTERS LEFT WING HYPOCRITES PIZZA- BURGER PRICES Dear Editors, I notice that prices have recently gone up in the Pizza-burger. I feel that students should be informed of the background to these increases. Last year the students on the Catering Committee successfully achieved a 10% price reduction in the Brunchbowl, Robinson Room and Pizzaburger. Despite that price reduction, at the last catering committee meeting in November it appeared that the School Catering Services still had an accumulated profit of some £45,000, most of it derived from student outlets, especially the Brunchbowl. This money could have been used for years to come to keep prices down. However, the School exatracted an agreement from the committee that £40,000 should be given to refurbishment of the Brunch-bowl, leaving only £5000 to act as a buffer against future price increases. I protested that at the very least £13,000 (a figure agreed last summer), should be kept as a buffer against price increases, but was overruled by Ian Crawford and Elwyn Watkins, the other two students who had been involved last year. I was disappointed that £40,000 of money derived principally from students should be handed over to the Ferdinand Marcos is doubtless one of the most skillful and ruthless politicians in the Third World and one of the longer surviving members of that fragile group. He was first elected President in 1965 and then again in 1969, the major characteristics of these two terms being a vast increase in the level of foreign investment in the Philippines by Japan and the USA. Indeed Marcos has continually posed, and has been adopted, as a client by successive Washington administrations, from Johnson to Reagan. However, for the Americans, Marcos has been a double-edged sword. On one hand Marcos has provided a ready and slavish market for US investment; American businesses repatriate an average of $87 million per annum from the Philippines, a figure which averages 34% of the country's international reserves. Simultaneously the Philippines provides two of the US's most critical military bases in South East Asia: Clarke Air-force Base and Subic Bay. Given the country's proximity to Vietnam and China, the US cannot afford to place them in jeopardy. School at a stroke, especially since the School had already drawn up plans, and was clearly going ahead with the Brunchbowl refurbishment whether or not the money was made available to them. More disappointing, however, was the lack of unity among the students, as it was that unity which won us the reductions last year. Neither of the two students who had been involved last year came to the pre-meeting meeting, and in the absence of a common student line my position was undercut on several occasions. I feel the contrast between the present position and last year, when we achieved so much, shows how important it is for students to consult together and work together if we are to keep the few gains we have made. Yours sincerely, Richard Snell HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS On the other hand, Marcos' human rights record has deteriorated apace. In September 1972, with full backing from Richard Nixon, he introduced martial law, imprisoning amongst thousands of others. Senator Beni-gno Aquino who was gunned down at Manila Airport, eleven years later, by a Marcos-backed assasin. In 1973 the Philippine Constitution was unilaterally put aside by the President to allow himself a third term, naturally secured by a corrupt election. Martial law remained in force until 1981, and all through the period the USA continued to prop up the regime. Indeed, Reagan in 1982 became the first President since Johnson to allow Marcos a state visit to the USA. The Marcos regime has rid-den in the face of crisis throughout its existence, but matters have reached a climax since the Aquino assassination. Triggered by the murder, over one billion US dollars have left the country increasing the already grave debt of the Philippines, and more importantly Dear Editors, The issue of ultra-vires has once more raised its head, and the reaction of the 'caring' left is quite astonishing, the matter I refer to is the incident at the Budget Meeting (16th January) when a first-time speaker suggested that the Union whould donate money to help the starving in Africa. The Senior Treasurer, with the support of his friends in the Labour Club, pointed out that unfortunately it would be against the law to do this. Perhaps these people have very short memories or are suffering from the effect of cognitive closure very conveniently. For just a year ago, during the miners strike, it was these very same people who argued that the Union should defy the law to donate £4,000 to the NUM in their 'historic struggle'. That struggle is indeed now history, but the consequences re- BAD BEAVER The following letter is an example of the critical, non-constructive bullshit that we don't want to see sent to the Beaver. If the points are valid, then the writer should have had the courage of his/her convictions and signed it. We print it because it thus defeats itself: 'Cory' Aquino has been able to use her husband's martyrdom to build a mass opposition to Marcos. 'HIGH NOON' The election can be seen as a 'high noon' for both Marcos and the Reagan Administration. Marcos, if he overrules the election, will face a massive outbreak of popular wrath which he may fail to contain. For Reagan the problem is deeper and more complex. Washington's main fear is the Philippine New Peoples' Army (NPA) formed in Dec. 1969 from the old Philippines Communist Party. From insignificance at its outset, the NPA can now call upon a fighting force of 50,000. Its ideology is Maoist and pro-Eastern Bloc; its propaganda is derec-ted against US Imperialism with Marcos as Reagan's instrument. If Marcos retains power, then the NPA may become the main opposition. The ideal solution for Washington would have been an Aquino victory; she is committed to reform, dialogue with the NPA, and guaranteeing the American bases. The likely scenario is that the next few years will produce a Marcos administration under a siege it cannot hope to survive without total US backing; and a Reagan administration in the uneasy knowledge that in promoting main. Welfare hardship among miners families did indeed occur, but no one was threatened by imminent death (except taxi-drivers). The money which did get sent to the miners was laundered through Richard Snell's bank account, .a fact which he has so far denied, and we have never had any report as to where the money did in fact end up. Arthur Scargill is still driving around in his Daimler which cost £20,000. People are still dying in Africa from the effects of famine, the two points may be unrelated, but we are left with the question: What has occasioned the Labour Club to start listening so eagerly to the advice of HM Treasury Solicitor? They may be able to trot out pathetic excuses, but their lack of consistency will never absolve their consciences. Yours faithfully, Mike Moszynski Dear Beaver people, I just adore your newspaper, don'tcha know? I loved the way you filled the front page with three accounts oif exactly the same event — and my goodness what fascinating reading it was. Further in 1 really got off on the two accounts of exactly the same UGM. Yes Siree, let's have more repitition in Beaver — what about 4 or 5 more articles articles by the oh-so-objective Nic Cicutti — 'never mind the facts, here's the analysis.' Yours in arse licking sincerity. Some Anonymous Bitch! Marcos, it is also promoting the NPA. Such a scenario is not unfamiliar with the onset of the Vietnam conflict. US WILL SHY AWAY The US will shy away from intervention directly for several reasons. Firstly the Philippines is an Archipelago and as such a US invasion would be far more complex than was the case in Vietnam. Secondly it is by no means certain that the Philippine Army is loyal to Marcos, let alone the Americans. Thirdly the 'Vietnam Syndrome' is still high in the Pentagon's thought; and thus Washington, with the single exception of Grenada, has shied away from direct intervention in countries such as El Salvador and Nicaragua. Reagan will attempt to ease Marcos out, much in the fashion that Eisenhower dispensed with Tru-fillo in the Dominican Republic, but this will be far from easy. Marcos is not one of the longest serving Third World leaders for nothing. Failing that, Reagan's policy will be to woo the Philippine Army, but this avenue is reputedly unreliable. It may be that the next few years see the Philippines drift into civil war; and if that is to occur then intervention may be the only card left in the Americans' hands. Simon Ellis " ''heaver 2iih't'ehTu.ar{)^id86 BANAL EDITORIAL! Dear Editors, Your editorial 'Peace in Our Time' plumbed depths of banality I thought even LSE was incapable of. In infantile prose you ridicule the recent Geneva Summit and fail to appreciate that it might at least help if the two sides start talking again. Your grand and fatuous belief that a decline in East-West tension will 'only be reconciled by fundamental changes... in social, economic and political differences' says a lot and says nothing. Has one of the editors just been reading his or her new 'Marxist Reader'. The point is not that the US and the Soviets should seek to, or be forced to change their internal structures. Rather, the problem is 'accomodation' in a nuclear age. No, the Locarno 'tea-parties' aren't relevant to today's nuclear dilemma; and, yes, arms limitations talks can do some good as Robert McNamara pointed out in a recent lecture at LSE (the Salt 2 measures of 1972 went through alternatively optimistic and pessimistic phrases because of a failure to agree on a desirable definition of parity i.e. the same number of weapons or equivalence in nuclea destructive capacity? The new threat of SDI, the Russian fear that it is essentially a first-strike weapon, and US hostility over the growth of the Soviet SS-20 deployment make arms talks all the more vital today. Anyway, what's your alternative? That each side should proceed with its nuclear arms programme willy-nilly, and feel under no constraint whatever in, say, the strategic use of such weapons?) Again, your example of Hitler rising to power in Europe under the guise of 'peace' is misplaced ande irrelevant. Did Hitler possess a nuclear arsenal in the late '30s? Was he directly faced with an enemy of equal destructive capacity? Were issues so clear-cut then as they blatantly are today? So, our naive leader writers, a couple of helpful ponters for you. Don't try to use catchy historical analogies, because they're usually irrelevant and belittle your whole argument And, for God's sake treat the sibject seriously ( what about the enigma of Gorbachev's recent offer for nuclear disarmament by the year 2000?), because when you don't you offer your readers any service and just make yourselves look stupid. Yours, (struggling to keep the laughter in) Raymond Monaghan Continued from Page 1 two hour argument with one of the Ents crew during which Simon was threatened with exposure at a UGM and an inevitable call for his resignation if he did not return the money.' Bexon views such allegations as a political manoeuvre to discredit him; he admits that his actions were 'childish', but not as blatently fraudulent as charged. 'We all make mistakes,' he said. Iqbal Wahhab THE PHILIPPINES Reagan on the Horns of a dilemma. That the Philippine election of February 7th has resulted in a stalemate should be of no surprise to anyone familiar with the, institionalised corruption that has characterised the Marcos regime. What is of vital importance is the problem that the election has placed on the US's political agenda. , Beaver 24th February 1986 Page 3 AT THE UNION AT THE UNION Can Elwyn write? This was the pressing issue which the UGM deliberated about last Thursday, the Left claimed that Elwyn had submitted a paper to the Court of Governors which restricted SU autonomy. Elwyn, however, found this hard to accept, as the paper was actually written by a member of the School. The attack died in confusion on the ground floor, and in boredom in the balcony. Next came the Morons. First up was a SWSS motion of the Printworkers' dispute. SWSS, to give them credit, are probably the most active group in the UGM. Their success is, however, somewhat limited by the fact that you can lead the UGM to the proverbial water, but you cannot make it accept revolutionary struggle or any of the ideas of SWSS, which, if propagated outside the LSE, would reduce any normal audience to laughter in minutes. The motion pledged support for the Unions and called for mass picketing. Harold Wilson opened in his usual matter-of-fact manner when suddenly, as if from nowhere, the Labour Club found its voice in the form of Justin Russell, and submitted an amendment. Why, argued Justin, should we tell the Printworkers how to run their dispute? The meeting warmed to his logic, and I was left asking myself, in the words of Spike Milligan, 'Where have all the bullets gone?' At the Valentine's edition of the UGM, the censure motion on Elwyn Watkins finally decided to turn up. After a week's gap between the notice censure and its arrival, most people seemed to have forgotten all about it, except, that is, Kevin Huggins-Cooper, who opened the motion. Kevin immediately ran into trouble, as he began discussing staffing issues. Rory intervened, and informed the pro-Union pro-worker Cooper-Huggins that the staff had the day before lodged strong objections. The Chair was challenged by Pat Hayes, who seemed to think that it was OK to go against the staff when it suited him. Rory, the UGM and the staff all disagreed. After Kevin Huggins-Cooper, who outlined the charges of general incompe-tance, Elwyn stood up to defend himself and impressed most people with his command of the facts. Definition of traitor: one who rats on people he formally supported. Mike 'all things to all men' Moszynski decided that he had had enough of his friends, and spoke against Elwyn. In a speech remenis-cent of the previous debate in which the pot called the kettle black, neither the right not the Union as a whole were not impressed — Moszynski these days is about as popular as rabies in a dogs home. Bexon rose to defend Elwyn; he shouted and screamed, he ranted and raved, but he said very little: that's Simon for you — all volume and no meat The motion came to its climax as Richard Snell spoke against Elwyn. The punters were a little peturbed to say the least, as Snell is supposed to be a colleague of Elwyn's and supposedly wishes to work closely with him. Then came Xlan Evans, who blamed the Labour Club for electioneering. I wonder if we might just see Alan's name on the ballot paper. Question: how do you spell hypocrit? Answer: L-I-B-E-R-A-L. Finally, Cooper-Huggins sum-mated but the crowd did not listen, and just to press the point home they threw out the censure by well over a two thirds majority. Elwyn survived; Alan Evans is a hero, and Mike Moszynski has ruined his social life. A fair analysis, I think. 20/2/86 The time has come to speak of many things but unfortunately few of them were of any relevance to students, LSE or in some cases absolutely anything. For the sake of not boring you 1 do not intend to drone on in too much detail about this week's proceedings as to be honest I spent most of the meeting removing a small piece of grit from my belly-button — such was the scintilating level of debate. Firstly, Simon Ellis was elected Chair after Rory-O'Tory stood down in order to pursue his sabbatical campaign. The first bone of contention proved to be Richard Snell's report He wished to give '200 to set up an CARR-SAUNDERS HALL REPORT I would like to dedicate this week's column to my glorious editor. Naughty Nina. Her escapades with 'stylish' Steve of Passfield have pushed inter-hall relations into a new, blinding era of friendship and cooperation. Not to mention her conubial coupling with Vice President Baz Perkins. Since the apparent demise of LSE's Right Hook, the racing form of the ignobly named Shergar has gone totally unnoticed. Rest assured though that she, unlike her ill-fated namesake, is still alive and kicking and has, in fact, now retired to the quieter pastures of C-S. According to my spies she has discovered a new jockey masquerading in a Grace Jones costume. Having known one of the Student Union's finest, Shergar's talent for selecting riders is unquestionable and here she has picked a very promising young man. Though seemingly untried he has, so my knowledgeable tipsters inform me, had wide experience with several fillies in and around the stables of C-S. If I were a betting man I'd place money on this one. But please remember that he has a tendancy to be caught with his trousers down.... At a recent hall soc. meeting Scotch Jimmy once again proved to be an incompetent, bungling buffoon. Ho- wever, on a more serious note two student female counsellors have been apppointed following reports of sexual harassment in C-S. The two ladies are Jane Fl/3 and Ginny M5/7. These incidents have also led to a women-only bathroom in the hall. Minor examples of sexual harassment may be considered amusing by some but they are not and major incidents are to be abhorred. It would be appreciated if the male population of C-S is patient with the new situation. Is salmonella a possibility in C-S? This controversial topic was brought to my attention by two events. Firstly, roving reporter Coventry Dave pointed out the declining standards of catering in the hall. Secondly, it seems that Jaunty Judy, close friend of elegant Edric, was laid low by an attack of food-poisoning. Is there a disturbing connection between the two incidents? Please send all answers to the catering staff of the hall: mark all mail with skull and crossbones.... Brash Yank Hairless Harry seems to have some t5T)e of anti-social attitude: he has had more flatmates than Sexy Stella has had young boys!! (Sorry Stella but the truth often hurts...). Hall V.P. had only one candidate and so 'Who's fat?' gets another year in bloodstained C-S. The rest of the results were as follows: President — Rachel Platts Vice-President (Flats) — Barry Perkins Treasurer — Ken Kuwani Social Secretaries — Rob Roncarati and Josh Omino Until next time muckrakers, when I'll have an in-depth report on the most celebrated part of Medallion Man's attire: those brown trousers. Plus an interview with C-S' very own sex kitten imported from the US and now firmly installed using the Storer technique. The antics in Fl/6 have been well and truly noted ladies. Keep your ears to the ground.... The Spymaster open committee to give support to the print workers (strikers). In the ensuing debate it became clear that this was a rather ill thought out attempt to pass a financial motion through the back door. It was suitably rejected. Next came J.J Jones's Rag Report which was well received mainly due to the fact that Anthea Burton started a screaming fit in the middle. Simon Ellis accused J.J of sexism. However, as J.J pointed out his dislike of Anthea Burton in no way implied a general disrespect of women. It appears J.J is rude to ever- body and not just Anthea (although God knows she deserves it). We then proceeded to a few motions on several trendy leftie topics, disinvestment et al. which all passed relatively unopposed. A flash of light, a clap of thunder, the Moses of LSE politics had returned. Tory O'Driscoll spoke in favour of his school twinning motion. Opposition came from Andrew Tinney who felt it might just be a little bit rude to Mrs. Thatcher. Oh dear, what a shame, never mind. The motion needless to say passed. What do we conclude? Anthea Burton is as popular as Samantha Fo» is in the Women's Group, Rory, sorry Tory O'Driscoll ex-Conservative ex-Chair is now attempting to make it ex-Sabbatical. Richard Snell for all his boyish , good looks, is more devious than many believe, and finally, the real issue on the agenda was missed; that is to say, women, gambling and EEC Steel policy. Three worthy causes, I'm sure you'll agree. Sheep. PASSFIELD HALL REPORT. Well, here we are again, two weeks on and what to report? This weekend saw the 'Perfect Grace' misappropriated £75 of hall funds and create enough noise to crack one of the ball-cocks in the ladies toilets. Seriously though, the band were good, even if slightly exhorbitanL And the loudest thing in hall that weekend was 'Dipstick' dressed in a Bill & Ben straw hat and a tunic that was stolen from the SS Enterprise. Dipstick showed what is to be expected from qualified American lawyers....Me? I think I'd just plead guilty rather than let her defend me. And where was Mad Eddie, hall security officer, AWOL? The chances of a fight between a hall resident and an unwanted quest taking place in Worcester seem remote to say the least They say that things come in threes...so who will be keeping Heseltine and Brittan company? Last week also saw a new bar manager appointed in the shape of Mark 'Amos Brearly' Elliott Exactly what shape is not known, but rumour has it that all brewery deliveries will now arrive after 5pm to ensure finding Amos awake. What did surprise residents of old was that this years appointment was a departure from the hereditary appointments of before. Anyway, someone blunted Joao's knife, and the Union Jack once more sways gently over the bar. Finally, Indiana wasted no time on his return to hall in buttering up Amos with a Chinese meal; Amos merely belched, smiled.... and the bar prices wi'l go up before the end of the term. Some quick items of news. Sevan Lewin moved out, perhaps 'sexual harassment' harassment proved too great. Caroline Stack has a hat that is as equally silly as her blue wellies, and as soon as Susan Searle does something of note I will write about her too. Steve 'Good-clean-all- American-boy' Baskin wrote a paper and bought some text books, the Kleptomaniacs found a bath and have taken to wearing ties in a bid to prove that crime pays. Judith Chappie did her bit for world peace by having a long deep and meaningful encounter with Red Russians last week; but what about the smeg-pot? 'Pipsqueak' Allen having had enough of seedy Brighton boarding houses, went 'tossing a caber' north of the border. The Lurgi has struck hall, and anyone who is anyone has got it However, pride of place must go to Jeff 'Shergar' Tudor who came down with colic. The vet was called and Shergar was soon on his feet — sorry, hooves — and trotting around the garden. Jeff is now fully recovered, and at 23-1 is worth a flutter for the National! The other epidemic to hit hall is an unusual American disease, "Partius Dipstickium Nausium". This disease, though not fatal, is extremely irritating and eventually breaks out into a large rash, or 'dipstick-party' as we in the medical profession like to call it Any number of things can trigger off the disease, such as: Chinese New Year, Haley's Comet, Valentines Day, the Battle of Hastings, the invention of the steam engine, the parting of the Red Sea, and of course that Simon Bexon is a Sabbatical! Finally, a rumour is flying about that HRH Prince William is already ear-marked for the LSE in the year 2000, and in particular Passfield Hall. The exact implications are still unclear, but one can be sure that Verona will brighten his day at breakfast (well done on the porridge by the way!), and that June won't care who he is, but he had better keep his room tidy!!. Nearly forgot........nominations for this year's 'Snappiest Dresser of the Hall" award, should be given to last year's winner Derek Smith. The Cashmere Willy-Warmer v' , Page 4. Beaver 24th February i986 WEST LONDON NIGHTLINE West London Nightline is a Samaritan tupe service run by, and for, students if colleges all over London. It has . a sabbatical Director, whose salary is funded on a-per capita basis by colleges whose students use the services. Up until the present time. Imperial College has picked up the cost of providing accommodation and paid a substantial telephone bill each year, as well as contributing about 40% of the cost of the sabbatical. The Secretary of Imperial College has made it clear that Imperial will not continue this level of support for Nightline. GENERAL SECRETARY OR GRAND SKIVER? General Secretary Elwyn Watkins last week survived a censure motion by a large majority in the UGM. Congratulations and Websters all round, but does this mean that there is general confidence in the man who said 'If you can find my principles, you can spit on made the relevant remark that it was better for Elwyn to be out 'fighting for students' rights' than sitting in his office all day drinking coffee. I spoke to a number of students around the LSE before the UGM to ask them if they had ever had difficulty finding Elwyn. Most said he was difficult to find, some claimed they had never had any difficulty finding him. One close friend said that he spent all morning in bed, he was never in his office, and when at the LSE could usually be found in the Tuns or the Gents. them'? Anthea Burton explained to me the chronology of events leading up to the motion. A paper was submitted to the Executive before it was to be discussed in the GPC concerning disciplinary issues and the question of free speech. Anthea herself questioned this, and along with the majority of members of the Executive, said that she did not agree to its sentiments. She claims that at the time he never denied that it was his paper, and that he said he would remove it from the Agenda. But if it was a School paper as he now claims, how can he, as a member of the Students Union, remove that paper — unless he had some part in writing it? At the UGM itself, the accusations flying around were as numerous as bees round a honeypot. Kevin Cooper claimed that Elwyn was never in his office, that on the Anti-Apartheid day of action the staff complained of lack of direction from him, that he failed to notify many Executive members of the meeting to discuss casual staff, that on a number of occasions he was absent from meetings with staff and executive meetings, and that generally he was in-competant in terms of communication with students, the Executive, the Students' Union and staff. 96% ATTENDANCE!(?) spoke to him the night before he said that he had not had anything to do with the GPC paper, but it suprised me to hear that, inspite of the fact that he had been the one to distribute copies of the Agenda to the Executive, the article in question had not been read by him before the meeting. I would also be interested to know why he did not deny accusations made concerning the authorship of the paper immediately they were thrown at him. The one issue that nobody seemed too interested in was that of who is responsible for removing the graffiti. Elwyn told me that, once he had informed the porters, it was then their responsibility to instruct the cleaners to deal with it; on The value of the service is indicated by the numbers who make use of it. In the 1984/85 session, Nightline took over 2,600 calls, and has reported a 50% increase in the rate of calls received since advertising in the colleges previously served by Central London Nightline. It is important to note that Central London Nightline's collapse was preceded by a cut in funding and the consequent loss of the sabbatical Director. As publicity takes hold, it is likely that the use of the service will be even greater. With growing pressure on students in terms of finance, employment prospects, and the increasing competitiveness of university life, Nightline is a useful stopgap in the Welfare ney, operating when the normal facilities are closed and providing an easily accessible antidote to loneliness and despondancy when students are at their most vulnerable. The Proposal A proposal will be put before a meeting of the Secretaries of Schools in the University of London, on 28th February, 1986. The Proposal suggests that Nightline should become a University service, with the costs spread thinly over a large nember of colleges. Plans are going ahead to reduce the housing shortages faced by LSE students. Richard Snell, senior treasurer, part of whose election platform was to deal with this problem, is negatiating with the housing association to obtain up to £2 million in funds. This will provide several hundred places for students in houses in the East End and South London. Each individual house within the association will be organised as a cooperative. The aim is to gradually build up investment over the years. This means that LSE students union could become one of the richest in the country, through owning housing worth up to £2 million. Housing associations in London are each allocated their own areals to stop competition from forcing the prices up. This resulys in a mutual cooperation between The Cost The total cost of West London Nightline in 1984/85 was £10,769, of which £1,835 was contributed by participating Students' Unions. A major item is the cost of the office space. Nightline occupies a self-contained flat which would otherwise be let to a married student with children for £3,000 p.a. The remaining items were: Director's salary £4,469 Telephone Bill £1,352 Sundries £113.50 £5,934.50 Imperial would be prepared to continue to bear the cost of accomodation and to provide the necessary administration facilities. Student Unions would be expected to continue to contribute around £2000 p. a. This would leave salary, telephone and sundries to be devided between the other participants of, say, around £6,500 for 1986/87. This will most likely be less than 30 pence per student Please be aware of the problems facing Nightline, and the problems which will face students if Nightline collapses. Pete Wilson, ICU Welfare Officer associations. The project will probably be a joint venture with another housing association as there is a reluctance to provide funds exclusively for students. This is a welcome attempt to break away from relying on the school for funds, whose schemes to buy housing in Centre. Point and other areas have failed partly due to unacceptable proposals to raise fees in the Halls. Richard is currently working on the legal requirements of the scheme. His aim is to ensure that there is provision for short-term lets of up to one year only. He is also looking into the possibility of short-life housing in properties which are left unoccupied until a housing association or local authority renovates them. There are hopes that the scheme will start to operate next year. Jo Bale Elwyn was able to respond to all of these points. The reason he was never in his office was because he was usually at Committee meetings, 96% of which he had attended; that he did not go to an Anti-Apartheid meeting because he was at another discussing rape alarms; that he did inform people when meetings were to be held; that he had spoken to the Bursar about the graffiti, and further, had been to about twenty meetings with the School about security as a result of racist attacks. As to the point about the paper on the GPC Agenda, he claimed that he had had no part in writing it, and that Richard Snell would back him up on this point — which he did. Monsieur Watkins also denied allegations that he had been useless on the issue of rape alarms, that he did not provide notice or minutes of Executive meetings to executives, and that on the issue of main library lending he had acted against the interests of students. Mike Moszynski, he too of the censure survival breed, then accused Elwyn of being a liar and a careerist, of distorting the truth and of taking other people's credit. To this Richard Snell added that Elwyn could never be found when he was wanted, even when appointments were made. Both Simon Bexon and Alan Evans retorted that Elwyn was rarely in his room because he was so busy attending meetings, and Alan 'WE'LL BE BACK...!' WHISPERS BURTON What were the real issues of this motion? Certainly the UGM revealed the left's dislike for Elwyn, but I am somewhat suspicious about their methods. Firstly, they overstated their case by introducing arguments into the motion that they knew to be untrue — for example, despite allegations that he acted independently on the issue of library lending, he in fact spoke about his actions in this area at three UGMs last term. Secondly, why did Kevin Cooper introduce the motion, especially as the incident which brought this fiasco on was in fact the GPC paper, which he had nothing to do with? Possibly the Left are trying to save their hacks's skins in view of the forthcoming elections — Anthea Burton's ominous 'We'll be back Elwyn....' at the end of the Union meeting did nothing to allay these suspicions, even though she had told me earlier that to her knowledge nobody in the Labour Club had known about the censure motion until quite late in the day, aswell as assuring me that the censure motion was not a smear campaign but quite genuine complaints. However, I feel that our (apparently) beloved General Secretary is not totally blameless in these matters. When I this issue I seem to recall that one Malcolm Lowe was 'persuaded' last year to resign from his executive post on exactly this issue. It is certainly true to say that he is rarely in his office. Simon Bexon states that he is nevertheless doing an excellent job 'behind the scenes', but what is the good of Elwyn being good at public relations with the School if he cannot liase with the students too? And if Mike Moszynski is prepared to speak for the opposition, then the western front is ob- viously not entirely all quiet Elwyn claims 'I can't believe how innocent I am'. Nic Cicut-ti apparently thought the whole issue was a waste of time. One up and coming Tory sighed 'I suppose he's the best of a bad bunch'. But however you feel about Elwyn Watkins, it would seem that he is here to stay — at least for the next four weeks. Role on the elections! Sarah Bronzite HOUSING SHORTAGES Beaver 24th February 1986 Page 5 NICARAGUA Nicaragua is a small, poor country of a few million people. Until recently it was ruled by the corrupt Somoza family, but in 1979 a popular revolution overthrew Somoza, leaving the door open for democracy. Now that revolution is under threat, and Nicaragua's shaky progress towards freedom is endangered. The threat is only partly external. To understand why this is so it is necessary to understand how the revolution came about and the character of the present rulers — the Sandinistas. The revolution was very broadly based. Indeed, it was .led by the middle classes and professional people right up to the closing stages, when the FSLN, the Sandinistas, emerged from the mayhem in a dominant role. The Sandinistas take their name from Sandino, the rebel general who fought the Americans in the 1920s and who, while never a Marxist, was certainly anti-imperialist and believed in a 'peasant's struggle'. The FSLN arose out of student Marxist discussion groups which took place in the '60s, and although it has gone through changes and struggles about direction since then, it is still Marxist-Leninist in character and outlook. Even if we are very generous, the Sandinistas still have at best only a very mixed record on human and civil rights. Like most ideologies they lack a tolerance of differing truths, and dislike any deviation from their way of doing things. An example is the treatment of the Misquito Indians — a group of indigenous tribes who live on Nicaragua's Atlantic coast and have their own distinct traditions and heritage. They were unwilling to take part in the Sandinistas' agrarian reforms. Rather than acknowledge these peoples' right to their own traditions, the Sandinistas imposed their own centralised plan, by force. This involved destroying villages, forcibly evacuating the inhabitants, and persecuting those foolish enough to protest Never mind, there were elections in 1981, which the San- dinistas did win. During these • elections the MDN, a democratic party prominent in the revolution, split with the FSLN. The result was fire-bombings and mob attacks on the homes of MDN politicians. This was condoned, some say directed by senior Sandinistas. Elections — Yes. Free and fair — No. LOSING SUPPORT Today the regime has suspended many democratic rights; free speech, free assembly, habeas corpus, the right to strike , and the right to refuse entry to police without a warrant. They are losing much of the support they once had - witness the massive trade union demonstrations in Managua recently-and many people fear that once again Nicaragua will slide into repression. The Sandinistas have promised to reinstate civil liberties once the 'state of emergency' is over- and undoubtedly they are under a lot of pressure from Reagan's immoral foreign policy, a policy based on the self-interest of the U.S. rather than the consequences for the people it is inflicted on. The Sandinistas have started a process to write Nicaragua a new constitution. The Sandinistas are a fashionable cause, taken up by Western Liberals and Socialists in much the same way as the Viet Cong were in the '60s. They ignored the Viet Cong's atrocities in order to bash the domestic odministration. The same uncritical support is being given to the FSLN. The same blind eye is turned whenever they do something unpleasant (the kind of thing which causes outrage at home or under other more right-wing regimes). It is naive to expect a Marxist-Leninist party to keenly set up liberal democratic institutions all on its own. They need a little pressure. This means making support very conditional, and seeing what they do wrong instead of just ignoring it. Nicaragua might just get democracy this way. If the Sandinistas confirm our worst fears we might- Cod help us and the Nicaraguans- have to start looking to the Contras for an alternative. Paul Wood POLITICA BEYOND THE DEBATE EUROPEANS BAFFLING AMERICANS AND ARROGANT The debate last Thursday which attracted so many students, was only superficially concerned with 'Star Wars'. Most people who were so keen on seeing the two politicians were neither particularly interested in Dennis Healey or Richard Perle, nor were they expecting to learn about some really convincing, new arguments about the Strategic Defense Initiative. No, what we were really longing for, was a fight in the style of Rambo. We did not fell as though we had wasted our precious study time, because we got what we wanted - a rhetoric battle between two actors standing for the American and the European view of the world, live on stage in the Old Theatre. Our somewhat indidious expectations made this debate an exciting one. For what we were hoping for was either the defeat or the victory of Mr.Perle. He was the focus of attention, because he represented policies with which most of us have little sympathy. Mr.Perle obviously had realised that this was not going to be a home ground for him. LSE students are a real challenge compared to an American college audience somewhere in the Midwest. He knew he was skating on thin ice. And thereafter, we got to see a wolf in sheep's clothing; hence, Dennis Healey's surprise to hear such moderate arguments from one of America's most outspoken right-wing Republicans. ANTI-AMERICAN? _ Mr.Healey was skilfully playing on the piano of anti-American feelings in a rather unfair manner, perhaps unconsciously scenting the charged atmosphere. He depicted the US military as a bunch of kids with a special fondness for expensive toys and golden toilet seats. President Reagan as fool re-movd from any reality, and the American people as one deliberately misled by their government. He earned cheers and malicious laughter with his ready repartee. Dennis Healey's underlying position was paradoxically one of arrogance towards America and yet deep respect for the achievements of the United States (WW II, Marshall Plan, etc.) He knew the decision to go ahead with SDI has already been taken, and therefore, like most of us in the audience th felt powerless. But it was satisfying to watch Arrierica's representative being knocked out at least in the intellectual arena. This was the real reason why many of us wanted to see this debate so desperately. The Americans in the audience felt frustrated in a double sense. On the one hand, they may have supported SDI as and opportunity to reverse the arms race. After all, the very idea behind Star Wars mirrors the American optimism that every problem can be solved as Ion as you throw enough money at it. On the other hand, they may have opposed SDI for intellectual reasons, but were appalled by the hostility towards America surfacing during the debate. Suddenly they were confused as to which side to take. Many in the audience may not have realised yet that brand-new problems sometimes demand brand-new solutions. Give SDI a chance, is the American argument. It may work,-it may not. Also, the development of such weapons was probably inevitable anyway. Yet underlying the almost unanimous rejection of Star Wars outside of the US is a common belief that the United States is permanently endangered to make false decisions because it has no respect for other people's precedents, expereiences and the past in general. After all, on the back of every dollar bill it reads 'The world and history begin with us'. CYNICAL EUROPEANS? Hence, many Americans in tneir honest attempt to achieve the salvation of mankind from nuclear weapons saw themselves rightly misunderstood during the debate as provincialists who are deliberately putting the world at risk. 'It is our system.', said Mr.Perle, and 'It is our lives.', his counterpart replied. Europeans like him are troubled at having to swallow this concoction of dreams, religion, sense of mission, and pragmatism as a solid basis for a foreign policy in the nuclear age. Most of us left the Old Theatre satisfied that good, old Dennis Healey had shown the 'American guy' who really should be in control. Along with us were our American co-students, many of whom had, for the first time perhaps, realised how deep-rooted anti-Americanism (already? still?) is in Europe - and at LSE. This must have been a painful moment. And I did envy them. Hence let's be fair. Most of our ideas of Amerca are predictably superannuated, based on distorted information, on myths, cheap novels, wishful thinking and the weekly diet of Joan Collins in Dynasty. Why do manty of us then pretend to know what we don't know? 700 out of four and a half thousand students at LSE are from the United States. It is an honour and achievement for them to have made it to this place. They love to be here. But this particular evening, they had to experience an atmosphere charged with anti-Amercan feelings and very oftenfull of polemics. We should regret this, because political differences between nations should not be mistaken for animosity between the people - and students - of these nations. Martin Hulsmann ON 'A JOINT MANIFESTO FOR THE LEFT ON CULTURAL POLITICS IN THE POST THATCHER ERA' The Guardian's agenda page does not often turn its attention to the theatre. An article by Tony Dunn, senior lecturer in cultural studies, and a set of aphorisms from playwright Howard Barker were a welcome surprise. Their respective theses are that articu-lacy and literacy are the best weapons of the powerless and that the theatre must return to tragedy. The argument only runs so far. Why do we need a tragic theatre? Why does our culture need to be of the highest standard? Why is the-'never too late to enjoy dumb entertainment' idea a dangerous one? What is it that this articulacy, literacy and tragic theatre can do? Hamlet tells the players that the purpose of theatre is 'to hold as 'twere a mirror up to nature.' Would this put the Labour Party in power? Would tragedy in the playhouses give architects the vision and local authorities the sense to build houses of a decent standard? Can a good play stop child battering? end rape? extinguish.. the flame or riots? Spending Government money has a cosmetic effect on the effects of a disordered society: it touches not the cause and so does nothing of lasting value. Man that is fully conscious is not cruel, does not rape, and has no hatred. Only with sufficient consciousness can a man act; otherwise, he is governed by the flavours absorbed in the mind and is capable only of reaction. Similarly, countries that are governed by ideas just react like cogs in an engine to changing circumstances, forgetting they have the will to guide machines. The possession by ideas is subtle, seldom seen and, when seen, oft ignored. The mind of the englishman has changed. Take a look at football. Innercity deprivation was worse between the wars than now. The hardship of unemployment in the 30's was greater than now. Yet football matches required little policing and those there stood with their backs to the crowd, watching the game. The circumstance of a nation has little to do with government policy and more with the circumstance in the minds of men. A country gets the government it deserves. The only hope for change is a raising of the state of conscioii.sness. The desire for knowledge is in all men but we can search forthe transient or the eternal. Truth must be that which endures and that knowledge which is uncovered with observation and experience, not from reading books to gain information. DESIRE FOR TRUTH, LIFE AND HAPPINESS The knowledge is within; the lie is that we need the fruit. The true natu re of Man is th reefold: knowledge, consciousness and bliss - the eternal parts of the desire for truth, for life and for happiness. It is in the theatre that we can be reminded of this. Shakespeare saw lack of virtue in the actions of Man and so he put the qualities on stage. Today's writers see the same lack oand so they put that up. What is needed in our culture is something that will raise the state of consciousness: a depth of understanding that loves the truth and leaves the untruth. It is not the shock tragedy of Howard Barker that needs to be put on stage. There is no separation in truth. There are differences in the physical and mental but • beyond that when we have recognised the divide, what then? We are one man. Where is the politician who has knowing of this? Where the man who sees the sickness and can see the roots-of the illness? I wait for a playwright who sees the audience as himself and a party that understands the subtle. Greg Thompson ¦ i Page 6 Bedvei 24'th'February 1986 11 DEALING WITH DEPRESSIONS : DORNBUSCH AT THE LS.E. What remains of macroeconomics? That was the question Professor Rudigar Dornbusch set himself to answer in the 1986 Lionel Robbins Memorial lectures. Described by The Observer as one of the 'world's most distinguished economists', during his years at M.I.T., he has made a major contibution to the study of international macroeconomics. FIVS- W'^ I FINANCE He treated his audience to three lucid lectures, surveying the state of economies and economics, and offering policy proposals for solving the problems of both. Dornbusch's first lecture was concerned with a survey of the development of economic theory over the last twenty years, and its relationship to policy. His central theme was that of inflation and unemployment policy, questions which economists were forced to deal with as the 1970's stagflation hit Western economies. The theory behind the policy had been, until the late sixties, the Phillip's curve. In the late fifties, A.W. Phillips ( of the L.S.E.), charted a statistical relationship, over a century of data, of the redundancy of wage increases (and so inflation) to be moderated when unemployment rose. But the arrival of high inflation along with high unemployment forced a rethink. THERE IS NO WAY UNEMPLOYMENT WILL AFFECT WAGE TARGETS. One answer was provided by Milton Friedman. He reasoned that wage bargainers were concerned with prices when they negotiated. So if they tailored their wage demands towards keeping up their prices, there was no way unemployment would effect wage targets. So wage rises were linked to price rises, unemployment was determined by such structural factors as technological change, the tax structure etc. This view was taken up by the 'Rational Expectations - Market Clearing' school. Why, this school asked, should forward looking negotiators wait for unemployment to force down wage demands? If they know wage demands would be reduced 'n time anyway, why riot negotiate at that level now? However this assumes that the labor market has an equilibrium wage and price combination where the demand for workers by firms and the supply of workersis satisfied. Relax the assumption and it is no longer clear what the target wage increase should be consistent with expected inflation rate. Dornbusch's argument therefore reduced to a consideration of those special factors affecting the labour market. The labour market is so typically characterised by long-term binding contracts. Firms may pay above equilibrium wages to attract good quality workers, and if economic behaviour is A STABLE EXCHANGE RATE IS NEEDED TO KEEP INFLATION UNDER CONTROL. characterised by rules of •thumb, we would expect substantial deviation from a market-based description of wage bargainers' behaviour. So,asked Dornbusch, what's left of inflation and unemployment theory? He argued that inflation are tied up with exchange rates and what was needed was a stable exchange rate to keep inflation under control, linked with wage/price controls to ensure that the governments anti-inflation strategy was seen as credible. The theme of unemployment was taken up in Dornbusch's second lecture. 'Supply-side' economics is the weapon used recently by many countries in their fight against unemployment. The idea starts from Friedman's notion of unemployment being determined by structural factors. Supply-side economics focuses on the structural factors and Dornbusch looked at a few aspects of theory and policy. DO TAX CUTS MAKE PEOPLE WORK HARDER? One popular idea is that reducing taxes causes people to work harder as they have more incentive to do so. Dornbusch pointed out that econmic theory has something to say about this proposition. On the one hand people will work harder because their non-work time is now costing them more in foregone earnings. This is the 'subs-titution effect' of a price change. But there's another effect. Cut taxes, and people realise that they don't have to work as hard in order to get the same money. So the 'income effect' predicts that people will work less hard-diametrically opposed to the predictions of supply-side economists and governments they advise. Which effect dominates is a statistical issue. The answer, argued Dornbusch, so that the income effect outweighs the substitution effect, except in a far very special cases. So tax cuts look to be a very dubious method of getting people to work harder. Dornbusch then considered the supply-side economics currently being applied to the lesser developed countries (L.D.C.'s) especially in Latin-America, with a view towards solving the debt problem. The first policy he considered was the exhortation of countries to make their exchange rate 'realistic' as a precondition to economic recovery and debt repayment. Dornbusch asked what is behind making the exchange rate 'realistic'. One argument is that exports must rise and imports fall. Mexico has attempted to do this by cutting real wages by 40%. By the substitution effect, we would expect firms to demand more labour since it is cheaper to export more. But what of the income effect? Falling incomes mean falling demand for products which means unemployment. In Mexico, the income effect has dominated; any increased employment from exports has been far exceeded by unemployment . generated by falling domestic incomes and demand. Another policy Dornbusch discussed was that of instituting a renumerating financial system to encourage savings. This has taken the form of raising interest rates to high levels; a policy that has totally failed, for reasons economic theory would once again predict. Increased interest rates mean you substitute away from current spending and save more. But that possibility is far exceeded by the reduction in saving caused by the income your current saving stocks will now generate owing to the higher interest rates. The rate of interest weapon has also been used to try to keep foreigners money in many Latin-American countries. But the tax structure has been such that L.D.C.'s have been unable to compete with foreign returns. Resulting disinvestment has caused social chaos and further disinvestment. TO HELP SOLVE THE DEBT CRISIS, LOANS WILL HAVE TO BEi»AR-TIALLY WRITTEN OFF> So what are Dornbusch's policy suggestions? He argued for similar policies to those that were successful in the 1920's. These involve increasing government loans to L.D.C.'s in order to stabilize the economies. He also recommended rescheduling loans and partially writing them off, leaving bank shareholders to take the loss. Moving onto European unemployment he said it was predominantly caused by lack of demand, but partially by supply-side problems. In an expanding economy labour costs are relatively unimportant but they became important in a time of contraction. In addition, a slacking economy brings disinvestment and bankruptcy, so demand-induced expansion gets stuck in the bottlenecks of reduced capacity. So Dornbusch argued the need for radical change. Part of this might be anti-union policy in order that increased demand is not dissipated in increased real wages. Another possibility is to move the institutional arrangement of the economy to a share economy 'whereby wages consist, in large part, of the firm's distributed profits. Dornbusch touched on some problems this strategy may have. Firms and workers would have to decide how much profit to allocate to investment. Most importantly, profit sharing is all very well when there are profits to share, as the key is expan- ding aggregate demand to ensure increased profits. The issue now therefore is how governments would finance an increase in expenditure, and this topic was taken up in the third lecture. In his final lecture, Dornbusch discussed debts and deficits. He first considered the argument that government spending would 'crowd-out' private spending. This may be either through reduced private spending due to increased interest rates following the government's increased borrowing requirements, or the direct replacement of private spending by government. The former problem can be solved by using a mix of monetary policy and fiscal policy to keep interest rates low, and the latter by tar-getting fiscal policy towards in-frastructural expenditure. Unfortunately, as Dornbusch pointed out, there is a further problem. If the government borrows now to reduce taxes, people will realise that the in future taxes will have to rise. So people will not change their consumption in response to tax cuts because they anticipate future tax rises, and hence tax cuts cannot expand demand in the economy. The obvious counterargument is that people will not live long enough to be faced with the eventual tax rise. However, future generations will have to face it and if people of this generation care about the future, they will adjust their bequests. So tax cuts merely cause bequest increases, and no expansion in current spending. Statistical investigations of this argument have involved simulating current tax cuts on computer models of 70 generations hence. These simulations show substantial power of tax cuts to increase current spending and thus use taxes to regenerate demand in the economy. But what answer does economic theory have to what is called the 'Ricardian Equivalence Theorem'? Dornbusch pointed to the theory of 'liquidity constraints'. The Equivalence Theorem rests on the assumption that people can spread out spending over their lifetimes, just as mortgagees borrow now to pay back later. So the theorem sees people adjusting their borrowing patterns to new bequest levels, following tax changes. In this way tax changes are fully reflected in bequest changes, and not in increased current consumption. But, asked Dornbusch, what if you can't borrow freely i.e.you are 'liquidity constrained'? For example, the bank may see you are unemployed, and refuse to lend you money. Now the Equivalence Theorem is turned on its head, for tax cuts now might release people from unemployment, and from these type of constraints. Now unconstrained, the policy would increase current spending, not merely cause an adjustment to bequests. So borrowing-financed . ripes in government spending caujse^ increases in current consumption, not just a rescheduling' of {he same consumption stream. Thus Dornbusch, argued that vitally needed exp^rjsionary government spending will have important beneficial effects. The question now arises of what detailed policy is necessary, and Dornbusch went on to argue his view. For dealing with currently high real rates of interest, Dornbusch argued for increasing the money supply. As for unemployment, having established that governments could significantly affect the econotfiy, he asked if a temporary expansion would merely produce a temporary cure. The answer depends on your view of the macroeconomy. Dornbusch's scenario saw industries facing expanding markets following government reflation. Since firms care about losing market shares, they would invest and expand. So a temporary reflation of the economy, argued Dornbusch, will move it to a higher plane. The economy could then be left to fly by itself; spending now is an investment in long-run future prosperity. JOINING EMS WOULD ALLOW A REFLATIONA-RY U.K TO AVOID THE EFFECTS OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE SPECULATION. The possibilities for a single country eg.the U.K., to reduce unemployment by reflating are clear. The only snag would be the exchange rate, so Dornbusch argued that Britain should join the EMS, which would 'peg' exchange rates and not allow domestic policy to be ruined by foreign exchange speculators as happened in France. CUT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, BUT GIVE THE UNEMPLOYED JOB GUARANTEES. In addition, he recommended some supply-side policies; in particular, a cutting of long-term unemployment benefit, linked with a job guarantee for long-term unemployed. Dornbusch's therne throughout was that economists should study theory and statistical evidence, and should always have policy in mind. The lectures were a display of his talent to do this, and his lucidity was both refreshing and highly illuminating. Jonathan Haskel Beaver 24th.-February 1986- Page 7 A stod®^ on 1 « Cal^® Cobbo^'^' ¦: .Keyt^° ¦ BanV^ J Eoov" Heao o^ .y ke X (."¦«'''° c»>ang" ' „ .. „,iwnpl<= jo^nso jap^®^ CWarte^"^®'' n^ises ence P _ ;j_x a THE NSPCC The NSPCC is committed, as always, to providing immediate help for children in need. Invariably, this means working with the whole family, helping them to overcome problems and difficulties. The mistaken belief is still held that the Society plays a largely punitive role and that in the majority of cases removes children from their parents. Court action, in fact, only needs to be taken in a small minority of cases dealt with by the NSPCC. Over 40,000 children are helped by the Society each year and thousands more by its consultative and campaigning activities. Out of the total number of cases in any one year, nearly a third arise as a result of parents themselves coming forward to ask for help and advice. This means that the NSPCC is the organisation of their choice. Child Protection Teams To continue to provide an efficient 24-hour service to parents and children responding more effectively to local needs, the Society created a nationwide network of Child Protection Teams. The aim of these teams is to unite the various aspects of the NSPCC's services to children, bringing together the different aspects of the Society's work in protection, prevention, and pioneering. Throughout each area, the Child Protection Teams will provide a 24-hour service, responding to calls from families, the general public and professional workers, making sure that children receive the protection they need. They will be ready to provide counselling and advice, to help with problems, and to take further action where necessary. Working with Families The NSPCC's first committment is to the needs of the child. For the most part, the Society's work is focused on encouraging a loving relationship between parents and children to provide a stable and secure home life. In exceptional cases where it seems highly unlikely that the child's safety and welfare can be guaranteed, the NSPCC is authorised to initiate legal proceedings, and in the child's interest, it would not hesitate to do so. Members of the NSPCC's Child Protection Teams work closely with families in which children are suffering a whole range of problems — from neglect and deprivation to being at risk of emotional or physical abuse. Child care problems can develop for many different reasons and the causes are often difficult to identify, but there are certain factors which recur in the NSPCC's case files. For instance; marital discord, financial difficulties, poor housing conditions and emotional problems. It should be emphasised that any family, no matter its background, may face problems at some time in bringing up children. Education and Training Education and training form a very important part of the work of the NSPCC's Child Protection Teams. Wherever possible, the teams provide education and consultation to other organisations and professions concerned with child abuse. Through this consultative work and the sharing of knowledge and expertise with other organisations, a wider understanding of child abuse and its causes is achieved. A very important aspect of this work is the maintenance by the NSPCC of Child Abuse Registers. These registers record cases of children who have either been abused or are at serious risk of doing so. The close monitoring of cases which makes this possible serves to ensure that treatment, when necessary, is both early and appropriate. The NSPCC runs these local registers (on behalf of all the agencies involved) in several parts of the country. This combination of specialised treatment and careful case monitoring has proven sucessful. Beaver 24th February 1986 Beaver 24th Fi RAG WEEK SI THE NURSE APPEAL Even closer to home is the Nursery Fund, set up five y« aid students and staff in child-care facilities. The ir situation is that for several years. Rag Week had oftt some of its time and money to the set-up of a Nun established, the funds stopped. Then, outside nursi considered; now, full-circle, the LSE Nursery has c come to the forefront of attention. The Nursery gets much of its support from the I addition to funding from the Student Union Welfare C Unfortunately, the Nursery Hardship Fund collapsed ; mer, 1985, because of a lack of resources. This fund t those in serious financial trouble. As it stands now, t accepts applications from student parents in financia in order to obtain financial assistance. All enquiries the Scholarships Officer, Deborah Rogerson. The Nursery does not want to have to raise charges it had to face a raise last year - for one-of the difficulti( a student-parent is trying to make the student grant the family's budget needs. However, unless further forthcoming, the Nursery will be left with few option not involve a greater burden on those using its fac though there are approximately twenty-four places a children ranging in age from six months to five years, gly insignificant matter, like a child's cold or illness, to become a major set-back for the Nursery. And natui child is sick, a parent will have to remain at home. It is only fair to give these children the chance to £ enjoy the Nursery, and not be penalised for the lack o aid the parent may receive. NEVER Ml^ Day Care Centres and Playgroups THE Day Care Centres and Playgroups are an integral part of some of the NSPCC's Child Protection Teams. The facilities of the centres are 'therapeutic' in nature as many of the children attending them have either been abused, are at risk of being so, or are deprived. Play is therefore used as one method of stimulating these children whose development may have suffered as a result of their home environment Day Care Centres differ from Playgroups insofar as they are designated to treat the entire family. Such treatment includes the involment of parents in the activities of their children, whenever possible. As a general rule, groups are kept small in size so that the children, and, whenever possible, their families, can receive individual attention from the staff. Transport to and from the Playgroups and Day Care Centres is usually provided. Emergency Relief and Welfare The NSPCC's Emergency Relief and Welfare Department was established in 1964 to help meet the material and financial need of families faced with a sudden crisis. Whilst the Society's officers can usually obtain the necessi-, ties of life through the generosity of local supporters, occasions do arise when such items as clothing, bedding, and household articles, which are urgently required, cannot be found from local resources. When an emergency arises, the department can act quickly to meet tiie deficiency. The Department also gives out small grants from its Welfare Fund to help a family meet a bill or to purchase a much-needed item. BOLLO( HERE'S THE RAG 50, WEEK LIS' Where the Money Comes From ISth FEBRUARY: Paris Hitch-Hikers leave 21st FEBRUARY: Paris Hitch-Hikers come back (we hope) 24th FEBRUARY: Multi-Cultural Night at the L.S.E. 'Tequila' Par Open all aftei and shorts Bar Games ai 27th FEl Simon Bexon Bathing Elw} 1st MAR Rag Ball at L The NSPCC is a voluntary agency. Over 80% of its funds come from the public. A very large proportion of that is generated by the NSPCC's local fundraising committees which number over 5,000 in all. Together, these groups put on a huge variety of fundraising events each year — from coffee mornings to running short-term shops, from house to house collections and flagdays to fashion shows. A team of some 57 Regional Organisers help and co-ordinate the activities of the groups. It is their efforts, together with those of speakers from other parts of the Society and the information given in the NSPCC's house journal 'The Child's Guardian', which keeps the groups in touch with what is happening. 25th FEBRUARY: Rag Revue in the Old Theatre 2nd MAI Six-a-side Fc 26th FEBRUARY: street CoUection at Bank Tube along, I Be there at 7am Directed by Anna Maria Garcia Sterilisation of women is so common In Puerto Rico that It is simply called 'the operation*. This fact provides the title of this powerful documentary which skilfully weaves together interviews, newsreels and statistics to expose the abuse of sterilisation as a means of birth ^ control. Since the 1930's, a government»sanctioned programme ( co- I funded by the US ) has encouraged women to undergo sterilisation, ^ ' while providing inadequate and often incpr/ect Information on the irreversible nature of the operation and the availability of alternative methods of contraception. At present, 37% of all women of child* bearing age have been sterilised. The film shows this to be a means of economic and political control, a convenient solution to the poverty and unemployment prevalent on the island. 0( Y/-/E in-poi^iBLB j>£c/?p£' Ll.ljLl.JL 5 The concept of progress towards 'equality' is seen to have as many different meanings as there are societies in the world. While the aims of the Decade are supposed to apply to women all over the world, women in industrialised countries have different experiences and needs from those of 'rural' women in the Third World, For the latter, the struggle is not primarily for equality, but for the means to live. Yet, in spite of this, women in all countries have certain basic things in common: they take responsibility for children, their work is undervalued, they lack political power. THE IMPOSSIBLE DECADE shows how womens best hope of progress lies' in organising together and fighting for themselves. Above all, what women need is power to change their lives. •: Chris Austin, Peter Chappell & Ruth Weiss/W.Germany/1980/colour/ ¦ 55 mins/16mm & video ' A film on the struggle of black women in South Africa which includ- ¦ • es interviews with ordinary women as well as women leaders like Fatimah Meer, the Indian leader under banning orders, Numsisi Khu-^ zwayo of the outlawed Black Consciousness Movement and Winnie g Mandela in the first film interview for twenty years. ItOVED, HONOURED AND BRUISED^ ^ ^ Fox was married 16 years to a man wno pnvsicaiiy ana rrentaily abused her. In this :ntervievv-baseo ^ilm. some of her comn^enis anc stones speaK of recent events - her separation: ner exoerience ;n Winnipeg sneiter rcr battered women: ana Gtners of oast everts-the circumstances that rorcea her ana ner 'c jr cnildren to leave tneir home. This film accuments the varous stages involved :n ^eannie s efforts to reconstruct a new life for -lerseif ara hercniicrer. Awara: iG6rl<. STRIP SEARCHING: SECURITY OR SUBJUGATION; In November 1982 strip searching was introduced into Armagh Gaol~a women's prison in Northern Ireland Elderly and pregnant women are strip-searched, as are young women, even during menstruation. Jacqueline Moore was forced to remove her breast pads and sanitary towels within weeks of giving birth, and her new born child D'ominique subjected to rub down searches. Women who have refused to strip have been forcibly strip searched, often sustaining bruising and injuries. This video asks whether there is a genuine need for strip-searching or is the desired effect of this procedure to degrade and demoralise the women? Linda Quigley, Jacqueline Moore and other ex-prisoners give accounts of their experiences of strip searching. And representatives from the medical and legal professions, the trade union movement, the church and the media all voice their concern over the procedure and its effect on women. I The life and times of Rosie the Riveter The U.S.A.'s entry into World War II created an unprecedented demand for new workers and thousands of billboards called on American Women to "Do the job he left behind." This extraordinary film blends contemporary interviews, newsreel and songs. "One of the best and most persuasive feminist films yet made." _THETIME! UESTION A Film by Vl AAARLEENGORI ILENC An excellent and challenging film the more you think about It, the better It seems, the most Important feminist film this year- Derek Malcolm, Guardian An intriguing film, 1 recommend it - City Limits fri old theQtre 2pm INTERNATIONAL Jrcl-8th i0 MIMtRS' 3UPP0RJ \/1DEOS : 'Nott's Uluiiieii strike Bdck* 'Not Just Tea and Sandwiches' 12:20 H506 E/\fCER r BNNE SUDDICK - Co-or d. Support Gr oup, Nor lhurribcriand/Durham Minora' Union 1:00 flB5 One of the most remarkable and remarked upon features of the 1984-5 miners' strike has been the involvement of the women of the coalmining communities. Media representation of miners' wives and supporters has ranged from archaic and belittling newspaper headlines such as 'Petticoat Pickets Go On Parade' to the liberal press's detailed profiles of individual women and selected support groups. Others, hostile to the strike tried unsuccessfully to shift the focus to the tiny frartion of women attempting to orchestrate back to work campaigns. Few could ignore the unprecedented degree of women's involvement. Reflecting back, many people now attribute the duration of the strike to the tenacity and determination of the women. What can rightly be described as the movement of women against pit closures (organised with a national conference and women's committee) appears to have developed spontaneously, fuelled by anger at the threats to mining jobs, families and communities. Yet this should not camouflage the extraordinary scale of effort and commitment needed to coordinate on a national and local level. Such a task required delicate negotiations with husbands, sons and other miners, proud of the women's support but imbued with traditional attitudes towards the female sex, accentuated by the overwhelmingly male workplace and a tight and powerful union structure. CHAMCit 13 WOMtM'3 5TliUQQlt JL> JSCUSS lOIM I WOMEN'S PROfiRESS INTERNRTiONflLLV SOE ROflMS - Amnesty International HRRRIET HRRMRN MP MIRIRM JRMES - Irish Section, GLC Etiinic Minorities Unit ELRINE UNTERHRLTER - Anti-Apartheid Women's Committee BETTV lURLSH - UN Decade Nairobi Conferen^e^e]e~""' OLD THERTRE 1-3 p.m. 'As 3 I hav Asa myc the\ DAY V WOMEhJ WRITtR3, WOMthJ P0ET5 E»/\NEL E)ISC\JSSION : WOMEN'S WRITING: HOW FAR IT'S COME AND VfHERE IT'S GOING CBROLE HRVMflN - Editor of "How They Won the Vote", actor, and theatre director RNDRER LOUIENSTEIN - Author of "This Place" JRNE MILLER - Author of "Women Writing about Men", critic, and Virago Publiyhers representative DRLE SPENDER - Autfior- of "For the Record", "Learning to Lose" and new release "Mothers of the Novel" 2-4 p.m. WOAf£/V ARE POLITICAL PROm55 D J SOLJSS ION : WHERE POLITICS STANDS IN REGARDS TO WOMEN TODAY LINDR BELLOS - Councillor Borough of Lambeth DR. LERR HERTZ - Vice-chairperson 300 Group MRNDV MOORE - Labour Women's Action Committee (WAC) MEL REED - National executive committee member of Assoc. of Scientific, Technical, and Managerial Staff (A5TMS) DRRBRRR R06ERS -Author of "52%" and editor of "Everywoman" SUE SLIPMRN - Director "One Parent Families' woman OLDTHERTRE 12-2 p.m. e no country... woman ountry is vhole world' Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas wed 8pm old theatre DYNAMIC INNOVATIVE AFRIKAN WOMEN'S THEATRE TLU$ MWERJEfl He r style is a mixture of folK and classical techniques and ill s cio lines. Her roots ore in the tradition and her head is in the folK bevival, a movement which is not only attempting to keep the old songs alive and meaningful but which sees as its main objective the extending of folk methods and formg of creation, and the adapting of these to new media cf communication. COVER GIRLS ^3 FRIJOOLZ & 8pm Old TheQtre [2 MINT JULEPS women on\u [1-30 sat apm 3 tuns SISTER CULTURE MARIA TOLLY • ,.r'7WW W/'/'0// / / / f .¦! ¦ >'/ /: 'md'M \tsK. mm Maria Tolly, a familiar figure on the alternative cabaret circuit, draws on folk, blues and flamenco for the acoustic guitar accompaniment to her Songs Against the Status Quo. The subject matter ranges from Chile and women involved in the miners' strike to women in love; the mood varies between the tragic, militant and mocking, jo 'ebruary 1986 Beaver 24th February 1986 DK SPECIAL .¦Page 9 B NURSERY PEAL to home is the Nursery Fund, set up five years ago to s and staff in child-care facilities. The irony of the that for several years. Rag Week had often devoted time and money to the set-up of a Nurseiy; once , the funds stopped. Then, outside nurseries were now, full-circle, the LSE Nursery has once again ; forefront of attention. ery gets much of its support from the School, in funding from the Student Union Welfare Committee. :ly, the Nursery Hardship Fund collapsed after Sum-jecause of a lack of resources. This fund tried to aid ious financial trouble. As it stands now, the School lications from student parents in financial difficulty sbtain financial assistance. All enquiries may go to ships Officer, Deborah Rogerson. ;ry does not want to have to raise charges, although 5 a raise last year - for one-of the difficulties in being irent is trying to make the student grant stretch to budget needs. However, unless further funds are ;, the Nursery will be left with few options that will a greater burden on those using its facilities. Al-e are approximately twenty-four places allotted for iging in age from six months to five years, a seemin-cant matter, like a child's cold or illness, can prove major set-back for the Nursery. And naturally, if the L, a parent will have to remain at home. air to give these children the chance to attend and irsery, and not be penalised for the lack of financial nt may receive. VER MIND BOLLOCKS HERE'S THE RAG WEEK 1 9 8 6 RAG REVUE How would you like to see Union Sabbaticals making complete and utter dicks of themselves live on stage?Live bands, including the reformation of Duran Duran (Duran), the first-ever public performance of The Clique and The Slammers, direct from the Tequila Society? Anthea Burton and Nigel Kilby performing a romantic and tuneful duet? Guest performances by members of Academic Staff, Union Staff, and political groups left, right, and centre? All this and more, can be yours for just £1.00 (all of which goes to rag charities) at this year's Rag Revue, on Tuesday, 25th February at the Old Theatre; admission by programme (in advance) from the Rag stall, or on the door. Be there. Steve King i WEEK LISTINGS 1986 RUARY: kers leave RUARY: kers come back RUARY: Night at the L.S.E. 'Tequila' Party in the Three Tuns Open all afternoon — but remember to wear loud shirts and shorts Bar Games at Night 27th FEBRUARY: Simon Bexon to become bald at the UGM Bathing Elwyn 1st MARCH: Rag Ball at L.S.E. RUARY: he Old Theatre 2nd MARCH: Six-a-side Football at Rosebery hall RUARY: °n Bank Tube Come along, have fun, and raise money, n CENTREPOINT As did BEAVER at Christmastime, the organisers of Rag Week chose Centrepoint as a charity they felt needy of contribution. Within the last fifteen years, London's homeless have risen by an astromonical 700%. Their plight is obvious to anyone living or working in London. Centrepoint Soho is a charity organisation staffed by volunteers, who aim to help specifically young and homeless people in London. Last year, their Night Shelter in Picadilly was open every night and took in 2159 homeless young people. The organisation also runs a Hostel in Hammersmith and is able to house a small number of young people in independent flats in Hammersmith, Lambeth, and Wandsworth. FINALLY... As you may, by now, have determined, there are never enough resources to go around to all the needy causes in the area. Any contribution you can make will be gratefully received and usefully employed. 'NatWest 65 Aldwych branch is pleased to be associated witli tine London School of Economics Ragweek.. ANalWest The Action Bank Page 10 Beaver 24th Fef)tuary, W86. GUIDE TO EATING IN LONDON when one thinks of London, one thinks first of red buses, St. Paul's, and the weather. One doesn't immediately think of great food; but London has at last caught up with its European rivals in terms of being Somewhere that can boast Great Restaurants. Luckily, the Editors of Beaver have joined the enlightened ranks of those who recognise this fact, and, appreciating people of good taste when they see them, they have asked us to play our part in educating the masses. Talk of geat restaurants does not necessarily mean ex- course, the food. We shall be should not put off those in re- pensive - although it usually looking for all of these, but gular correspondence-with does. Greatness involves other shan't necessarily expect to find their bank managers, as Great factors such as ambiance, ser- them all in the same place. vice, decor, location and of THE CHANTERELLE PIER 31 A better bet moneywise, and one we are almost reluctant to share, is The Chanterelle, on Old Brompton Road. One of the first bistros in London, it has existed in various forms since 1954, and under the present ownership for five years. The original owner was a good friend of Elizabeth David, the legendary cookery writer who singlehandedly persuaded the English to introduce such revolutionary ingredients as olive oil, garlic, and crem into their cooking. In the early days she took a personal interest in the menu; the present owner, Felix Provan, still looks upon her as a guiding spirit, which bodes well when you discover that it was she who said, 'good • food is always a trouble,and its preparation should be regarded as a labour of love'. The restaurant is part of what used to be the local library, and has been thoughtfully converted so as to be equally condu-sive to large groups and courting couples, of any sex. A significant proportion of the clien-telle is gay, but the atmosphere is not at all exclusive; everyone is made to feel more than welcome. A pleasing feature of The Chanterelle is the set price menu: £6.50 at lunch, and £10.50 at dinner for three courses and coffee. You'll also be needing wine, which is extra, but the wine list is reasonably priced. Worth noting are the bin-ends -odd cases of interesting bits and pieces picked up from the wine merchant at a good price. Unlike Pier 31, the Perrier water is a realistic 60p a bottle. The lunch menu changes every two days; the dinner menu, fortnightly, and there is a choice of five or six dishes at each course. Representative examples of the more adventurous elements in the menu are: Feuillette of Mussels with Pernod, Breast of Pigeon with Avocado Salad, Quails Eggs and Leek Tart, Jugged Hare ('not many places serve that', Michael Caine), and Fillet of Halibut in Sauce Veronique. Vegetarians would not do well here, unless they can stretch to Fish, but for the less daring carnivore therre is usually a simple steak dish, or something like roast Lamb. All dishes are served with potato and veg. Puddings are a strong point, ranging from the delicate -Chocolate Roulade, Brandy Snaps with Kiwi Fruit and Ras-perries - to the substantial -Bread and Butter Pudding, or exotic Jam Roll (just the thing to keep out the cold). Booking is absolutely necessary and once you've been there, you'll understand why: a truly wonderful restaurant. The Chanterelle 190 Old Brompton Road, SW7 01-373-7390 Tube; Gloucester Rd./South Ken. Prior to our visit to Pier 31, we rang and discreetly enquired as to the price of a meal. Wise precaution when you have to know of the place through its frequent appearance in the gossip columns and up-market monthlies. The 'greeter' - all the best places have one these days - cheerily advised us to allow £15 per person. All I can say is she must have been using an old menu; in the event a two-course meal with one glass of wine and a share in a bottle of Perrier water (£2.50 per bottle) came to £16 per head. Pier 31 is not cheap, and the final bill includes such un-English features as £1 cover charge per person, and non-optional 15% service charge. This said, it is worth a visit if you've somehow ended up with money in your account at the end of term. Better still if Mum and Dad (Ma and Pa) are in town, or best of all if you have carte blanche with the parental credit card. The food is what is described as 'an interesting mix of French and Japanese cuisine'; its as much attention paid to presentation as preparation. On our last visit, the Fish of the Day was Pavade de Poisson - attractive slices of Salmon, Turbot, and Sea Bass, arranged on a bed of carefully woven srtips of Lemon Sole, 'swimming' in a sauce of white wine, cream and the world's most finely chopped tomato. Not bad, eh? There is at least a hint of nouvelle cuisine about the place but mercifully the portions are larger. The me-nu is divided into Light Courses, Sushi, Soups, Main Courses, Fish ad Grills. Any of the Japanese dishes are tO'be recommended; difficult to ask for, but quite delicious are the Balls Brothers, described in the menu as a pair of golden crisp croquettes with creamy veal filling, although in fact, you get three. Someone's attempt at a culinary joke, perhaps? The desserts, sorry puddings, are absolutely delicious, as one would expect, at £2.50 a go (a chocolate mousse = a bottle of Perrier water). The creme bru-lee is particularly scrummy but beware the spun sugar, it's so sharp, one of us cut our lip. Whilst tucking into this fine fare, profiiency with chopsticks permitting,it is always entetai-ning to watch the other tables. Pier 31 is like Langans but not quite. People go there to be seen - but for 'people', read seccond as opposed to first division style. Some famous but not necessarily appealing (and sometimes appauling) regulars are Viscount 'Woodentop' lindley, and, God help us, Di's brat brother, 'Champagne' Charlie Althorp. Nouvelle is a term as applicable to the clientelle as the cuisine. It is possible that most of the waiters have better credentials than their customers, ex-public schoolboys being favored. Service is attentive to say the least, and decor is stylish, Joseph chic - black, stainless steel, and pink neon. A beautiful view across Albert Bridge compensates for a degree of inaccessibility by public transport. Try it, but don't take it too seriously. Pier 31 31 Cheyne Walk, SW3 01-352-5006 Tube: Sloane Sq./Pimlico k / LAWTON'S Handy for Senate House, a convenient source of brain food, and on the surface at least, a purveyor of street cred., is Lawton's. Business is divided between the sales assistants from the surrounding electronics shops, secretaries, and the odd refugee from the UCL Anthropology Dept., doing field work by mingling with the masses. As long as you avoid this last category of customer, things should go well. The take-away market favour the extensive and sometimes bi- zarre range of sandwiches and baps. Individual creativity is encouraged and the person in front of you will invariably request 'honey and gherkin on granary', or something equally stomach-curdling. The real business, however, is hot lunches, also available in 'handy-carry' take-away polystyrene boxes. It is possible to perm any combination of baked beans, eggs in various forms, bacon, sausage, ham, tomato, and pickled onions with the mandatory huge portion of chips and a round or two of white bread and butter. And a cup of tea. You won't mistake Lawton's for Cranks around the corner. Service is unconventional. You must queue and make your order, pay, grab your cutlery and cuppa, and then adjourn to one of the dozen or so tables, asking yourself how many other times you have been able to buy a plate full of really quite appetising food for under £1.50. And a cup of tea. Tragically, Lawton's is only available for luncheon. Lavvton's 7 Goodge Street 01-636-9402 Tube; Goodge St. POLLO Seduction is not a good reason to go to Polio in trendy Soho's Old Compton Street. Basic in decor, a rare survivor of bygone Soho cafe days, this cheap and stylishly cheerful Italian restaurant was, until recently, the almost exclusive preserve of St. Martin's students and their acolytes. It's still best to go in groups of four or six so that you can drown out the conversations about end of term shows and creative crises. Couples usually have to share the Formica-topped tables and benches with other couples, making intimate conversation impractible. Real Polloites will wait and flaunt themselves on the ground floor, rather than accept a table in the newly refurbished basement extension. The menu is long and the prices cheap, but one puzzling thing is that 'Today's Specials' have been the same in all the time we have been going there. One of the longest serving 'Specials' is the Tomato Soup, unmistakably homemade, and a meal in itself with an Italian breakfast roll. The pasta dishes are an especially good value and the helpings are to Rugby Club specifications. The Spaghetti Carbonara is deservedly popular, but the clams in the Vongole obviously emanate from a jar. For just a little more money, there is a good range of chicken dishes, amongst which, the Polio Princessa (chicken in breadcrumbs with asparagus) is to be recommended. Sidesalads, Italian Mineral water, sinfully delicious Zabaglione, Cappuccinos and Espressos and the snatches of Italian folk songs emanating from the kitchen transport you to Roma, for under a fiver. Polio 20 Old Compton Streetj W1 01-734-5917 Tube; Tottenham Ct. Rd. AND FINALLY: Eating out is one of the best times you can have with your clothes on. It can also be one of the worst; badly cooked or served food, that you will nevertheless end up having to pay for, can turn into a nightmare. A successful dinner in a good restaurant can turn a 'maybe' relationship or an 'ok' evening into a great night out, or maybe even longer. We hope this first brief guide will be of some help. 'And let's take care out there'. Good eating! Gorge and Guzzle Beaver ^4th February 1986 Page 11 THE LONDON ARTS JOANNA LUMLEY Joanna Lumiey, a well-known face of Britain's acting institution, is presently appearing in Noel Coward'S 'Blithe Spirit'. We talked to her at the Vaudeville Theatre. Q:Hovv did your career start? A:l worked as a photographic for three years which was terrific fun. In those days you had to do everything for yourself which made it a much more interesting and creative profession than it is today. Q:So how did you begin acting? A:l always wanted to act. I tried for RADA when I was 16 and was turned doun. Being a little faint-hearted I decided to do something else altogether for a while and try for acting later on. Modelling gave me independence, freedom and the opportunity to travel. I loved it. I studied languages at school so it was useful being able to practise them. England, however, is quite snobby about how you train as an actor, modelling tends to be frowned upon. Then one day I went up to an actor called Richard Johnson and asked if he knew of any parts for me. I appeared in a film where I said one line: 'Yes, Mr Robinson' and got my equity card. I then appeared in the Bond film 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', and secured a small role in a TV programme. Theatre came after this. In moving from films to theatre I did almost exactly the reverse of most actors. I have consciously migrated from films to theatre. Because I am a certain height and speak in a certain way I was continually being cast in a set role- usually as a classy bitch. I got bored by this and have deliberately taken smaller and odder parts to move away from that. Q:Do you feel that the image of Purdey in the 'Avengers' has tainted you? A:lt is marvellous that people remember me at all. You jjust have to be strong and not let it take hold of you. Most people are identified somewhere along the line with ono character. Q:Was the decision to play Hedda Gabler in Dundee part of breaking away? A:Yes, it was, and it reminded me ttint London isn't the centre of the world. Q:Was it a difficult part? A:l think that te larger and harder the parts are, the easier they are to tackle. If one prt straddles the play then you are not a back-seat driver; you control the play. Yu have to remember that 50% of veery play is the audience. Nothing is harder than a fragmented part where you say three lines here, thrree ines there, i understood Hedda Cabler very well. I understood the odd memory hyat can drive someone to commit suicide - suicide from boredom. Q:Where will you go after 'Bllithe Spirit'? A:l try never to know hwat I'm doing next, otherwise I get despondent. If you plan too far ahead you don't take stock of what you have just done and allow for a change of direction. I love filming. I've worked with cameras, and once you have, you know what you can and can't do. Theatre and film-work are completely different. In the theatre, a single performance is complete and unique because the audience is never the same and neither are you. Q:Do you ever feel insecure about oyur career? A:l feel perpetually insecure and that is part of the reason I m in acting - a terror of being secure. The thin-ice feeling is exciting. Q:How did you begin working for 'The Times'? A:l went to the Monte Carlo festival of films and watched 48 films in a week! It amused me how the various nationalities all blocked together so I wrote an article and sent it to 'The Listener'. Following this, 'The Times' asked me to write a diary piece. I vowed not to make anything up otherwise it would not have been a good discipline. Q:You were among the judges for the Bokker Prize this year. How was that? A:Quite easily the hardest thing I have done in my life. I had to read 112 novels. I approve of prizes but in the end it is hard to approve of artisitc merits. How do you compare two completely different books with each other? On the other hand, it is marvellous to encourage people to read. One of the reasons 'Call My Bluff is the greatest game on T.V. is that no one wins anything at the end. Q;You are involved a great deal with charity work. Is this important to you? ArCharities ask for time, clothes, speeches, recipes, and if you did everything you would never work again. 1 still do as much as I can. I like doing it. I really wish I were a surgeon and able to help in that essentially practical way. But if I can help in any way, then I do it. Most actors now are just jaded. 1 would love to be able to give voluntarily before being asked! That is almost impossible. Bob Geldof is a far greater man than most people realise because he has actually made it fashionable to be concerned with charity. Q:Are you enjoying playing the ghost Elvira in Blithe Spirit? A;Elvira is frightful, ghastly! So bored and languid. All she wants is to kill her husband so that he can come away with her. The actual balance of Coward's lines is perfect. The very shape of the line hits a funny-bone in people. Even seemingly silly constructions such as: 'Anything interesting in the Times, dear?' 'Don't be silly.' come across as hilarious. Q:Do you like Elvira as a character then? A:You must love your characters. No one is black and white; even the bloodiest character has a redeeming feature. Perhaps the most awkward part 1 played was in 'Saphire and Steel', where I was someone who is not really anyone. The whole point was I couldn't be too human. Q:What do you think of Coward as a whole? ArCoward doesn't date. People love Coward because they are not asked anything or emotionally wrenched. They are simply entertained, which is a release at the end of the day. Kfir Yefet Mary Luckhurst BLITHE SPIRIT Noel Coward's plays have always been a famous tourist attraction and this production certainly cashes in on his appeal to those seeking out the 'true' England. His eccentric tales of the rich and famous guarantee an amusing and not over-taxing entertainment of which "Blithe Spirit" is a prime example. The plot concerns the upheaval caused when the long-dead wife of a famous author returns to haunt him and his new wife. The characters are the standard Coward mix of sophisticated upper-class celebrities and dotty 'theatricals' whose antics around a lavish country house living-room form the action of the play. They also supply enough examples of 'dry' English humour to keep the tourists happy, though some have always doubted Coward's ability to make you laugh. His witty observations are more likely to make you smile and acknowledge that he has an interesting imagination. Like all plays with no heart to them, it is up to the actors to provide enough surface gloss as to make the audience forget the shallownessbeneath. Certainly Marcia Warren is very impressive as a hilarious medium whose absurd mannerisms form much of the comedy in the piece. The beautiful Joanna Lumiey as the ethereal first wife adds glamour and elegance as she glides across the stage causing mischief everywhere. Unfortunately, Simon Cadell and Jane Asher as the husband and second wife, can do very little with their roles but drink an awful lot of brandy and hurl supposed witticisms at each other. Kfir Yefet PHILISTINES A play performed by the RSC, written by Maxim Gorky, which focuses on that perennial Russian theme of youth versus age; nihilist vs. religious. The setting is perfect in emphasising Gorky's message; a family (the Bessemenous), their two sons, Pyotr (a student expelled from university). Nils (a train driver) and daughter Tatyana (a schoolmistress) and their lodgers living in provincial Russia during the turbulent and revolutionary times at the turn of the century. From the outset, one feels the oppresseve atmosphere of the house through the incessant bickering between the father, Vasily, his two sons and his daughter,expertly bringing to fruition the 'generational' conflict in Turgenev's Fathers and Sons. As the play progresses, it becomes evident that Vasily is the embodiment of all that the state stands for, and he increasingly ignores the needs of his grown children and the calm mediation of his his wife Akulina, who trys to make the situation more tolerable. Pyotr falls n love with Yelena (a jail warden's widow) and directly challenges his father's authority by proposing to marry her. Nils suffer the same fate with Polya (a seamstress). The tender love scenes which result between the two couples look strangely hurried and out of place; perhaps a purposeful ploy by Gorky to reveal the futility of spontaneity in the face of hostile, traditional environment (the state). Tatyana finds her escape in a bottle of ammonia in an attempted suicide. The final scene, after the two couples have ventured out on their own, finds the Bessemenous dressed in black and coming into the house from chourch as if in a solemn procession to view a dead body. Tatyana is sated in a chair pathetically ranting away, revealing the effects of those who fail to escape the reaches of oppressive authority. Perhaps the final message in Gorky's play is the sounding of the death toll of the state. Apart from the interpretive aspects of the play, the dialogue is fast-paced and the drama very moving. The cast, as usual for an RSC performance, is superb with a special note of high praise for David Burke as the ranting and raving Vasily, adn Fiona Shaw as Tatyana. Calvin 'Squirrel' Walsh 'Pd^i2 ^avet Fefjrf^iyi THEATRE The Duchess of Malfi from morality. A peasant puns on 'apricocks' Lo sec if her iiighness has remarried. And Ihis is Webster. Webster exceedingly well presented, with majesty and dignity so thai the baphos of a political argument during a funeral strikes harder. Death is always a scene away in Webster yet the characters still climb over and on top of each other, follo-wing Machiavelli's cookbook only to find at the end that they are a part of someone else's ingredients. Even the blind arouse no sympiuhy as (Shakespeare you morons!). The directors have done their homework as the deficiencies of the Greenwich production of Webster's 'White Devil' have been discarded and the effective staging retained in this brilliant production. The play is at the Lyttelton Theatre in the National Theatre complex, a ten minute walk over Waterloo Bridge from LSE. Haider Ali Set in Israel and The Lebanon in 1983, this play by Rachel Silver and Anne Riga! examines mant of the issues raised by the Israeli invasion to Lebanon and the seven year Lebanese civei war. Focussing on a captive Israeli sodier, it examines the attitudes, motivations and reasoning behind the Lebanese militia that are haolding him. It also delves into the wider consequences of the war and its er-rect on the lives of ordinary people. However, to a greater extent, the drama explores the changing attitudes of Israelis to the ever-increasing futility of the war, and reflects many of the schisms created inside Israli society. The play presents a fair and balanced review of the situation, clearing a path through the hysteria and propaganda prevalent at the time. Nevertheless, it assumes that the audience possesses a certain amount of knowledge and it omits much of the historical and political reasons surrounding the quagmire of The Lebanon. The dual roles assumed by the characters are cleverly directed and add considerably to the overall presentation of the play. Andrew Fields IMC)- JV lOUi ;l., tear at those who can see. However, the performance is very demanding, no whores or porters of hell-gate lo relieve the .tension; as provided by Webster's more famous contemporary THEATRE TICKETS There are two ways of getting cheap tickets for the London theatre. If you have a student's card, you receive a substantial reduction at the box office one half-hour before the perfor- mance. It Is best to go in the early part of the week. Alternatively, the green booth in Leicester Square sells half-price tickets for most shows from 12:30 for matinees and 2:30 for evening performances. THE BLACK MONK This is an uncannily realistic adaptation of Chekhov's short story which cuts the atmosphere with a sharp edge of existential doubt, self-questioning and isolation. Suffering from exhaustion and shattered nerves, Audrey Kovrin flees to the more peaceful surroundings of his guardian's estate in the country. It is here that Audrey receives his first visit from the Black Monk, who assures him that he has been 'chosen' by God for the transcendental nature of his intellect and sensitivity. In reality, the Black Monk is no more than an extension of Audrey's megalomaniac self, a reflection of his own hubris. But as Audrey points out, his sickness makes him 'happy and harms no one'; it even distinguishes him from the 'common herd'. However, his wife Tanya takes it upon herself to 'cure' her husband, smothering him with her gushing good-will. Audrey's hallucinations cease and his mind becomes increasingly warped and bitter as he recognizes that he is a 'nobody'. The play raises questions on the boundaries of sanity and insanity- what right do the banal and 'normal' have to determine that 'deviant' behavior is madness? At the end Audrey's 'faith' returns in his last vision of the Black Monk and, he dies in the blissful delusion that he is on the right path to eternal truth. The oppression of the Russian provinces comes across with a chilling intensity in the forbidding, all-enveloping gloom of this tiny theatre. You might also look out for J.M.Synge's 'In the Shadow of the Glen', a wry, poetic force set in a bleak Irish landsca[>e. Both plays are excellent fringe entertainment- costing just '1 on Monday evenings at the Cafe Theatre upstairs. Mary Luckhurst KEN KIFF -PAINTINGS 1965-85 Of his exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery Ken Kiff has said the following: 'A large part of the thinking human beings do, is unconscious and done in imagery. Any images come from other sources, or rather a continual flowing, inside/outside onesel-f...Minds are constantly speaking to each other.' It is the inner workings of the mind and the perceived outer world which Kiff attempts to fuse in all his paintings. This is achieved with gruesome clarity in 'Talk With A Psychoanalyst' in which Kiff has depicted himself as a tortured, cringing figure surrounded by a host of eerie ghouls and spectres, the psychoanalyst himself a shadowy and faceless presence. In a particularly striking representation of the unconcious Kiff has drawn 'The Poet' shining into one side of his head with a knife, but it is not blood that drips from the wound, instead grotesque, contorted faces gush forth. Certainly the most thought-provoking and ironic study is entitled 'Cutting an Image'. On the one level Kiff himself has cut a visual form, and on another level the figure depicted is in the process of Necks snap as they are broken, women choke as they are garrotted. Dark, jackal shadows hide and are sought. Assassins appear out of walls only to meet the same end as everyone else. The Duke is dead. The Duchess of Malfi is eligible, for manipulation by her brothers? No, not if she can help it. Eleanor Bron, the elegantly arrogant, is hopelessly in love with a commoner. Ferdinand the Duke has a henchman, Bosola. Boso-la's shadow is enlarged by the lighting 'til this upstart galley-slave fills the stage with his homicidal form. He understands evil, executing it efficiently, but still earns the chance lo utter some famous last words. Religion in this world is a tool to emancipate clerics cutting out a self-portrait with an ominously over-sized pair of scissors. An edge of saragery Km ^ f and pain underlies most of Kiffs work and seems to portray the agonizing difficulty humans may undergo when translating thought into word, it is as though Kiff feels his thoughts are being violated in the very process of articulation. Kiff claims the crude simplicity of his form and the vividness of his colours are largely inspired by Van Gough. Man and woman are represented as naked, vulnerable beings; but whilst the man is nearly always alone and fearful, dwarfed by a fantasy landscape, woman takes on varying forms from the passive to the repulsive, the ferocious, the blasphemous. Although Kiff feels he cannot achieve serenity because he can 'see no end to anxiety at present' it is exactly the strains of the latter quality in his art which make him so extraordinary. M.Luckhurst Not only has Eduardo Paolozzi scoured the dingy, recesses of the British Museum's Ethnography Department to present 'Lost Magic Kingdoms and Paper Moons' at the Museum of Mankind, but he has also received the honoured recognition of the Royal Academy in the recently opened 'Eduardo Paolozzi Underground' exhibition. If you were wondering why Tottenham Court Road tube station looks so 'exuberant' and 'spectacular' (according to an RA art critic) - if is thanks to the hectic mosaics of Paolozzi which now cover 995 spuare PAOLOZZI metres of this revered instition. Stand on the platform and uou too can remain largely indifferent to £7 million worth of dazzling decoration preferring to read instead those ingenious British Telecom advertisements or to admire that very effective poster for 'Year of the Dragon.' Why the Royal Academy decided to stage a dull exhibition of plans and photographs of an artistic bonanza which can be experienced in reality less than a hriile away, remains an enigma to many. The murals themselves have sparked off little public response. Jostling grid patterns of cogs, girders, rockets, wheels and the like seem rather computerized and unimaginative. The style is reminiscent of Monty Python artist Terry Gilliam's crowded and irrational and irrational scenes, except that Gilliam has for more humour and possibly talent. 'Lost Magic Kingdoms and Paper Moons' is, however, well worth a look if you are passing. Paolozzi has selected what he considers to be the more intriguing tribal objects from Africa, Asia and South America and presented them in a way which conjures up the strange prime- TRAPPING THE ANTELOPE val forms and beliefs to which these peoples pertain. Masks, totems and twisted, pagan figures ogle at you out of the darkness. Intricate and intriguing pieces of ivory and shell wink from the showcases. Costumes woven from various grasses, splendid geadresses and delicately fashioned jewellery all speak of lost or disappearing worlds - worlds which have supposedly become 'civilized', like the West... M.Lockhurst ^ifeictyer'^4ift 't^ebhiarg "1986 4A1 ICItf^ /VHJ.JIV— fiag^A3 ALCHEMY - AN INDEX OF POSSIBILITIES An absolute must for all David Sylvian addicts. A purely instrumental album from the master of deeply-meaningful words and black-and-white polaroids, this cassette-only delight is a magical cross between 'Brilliant Trees' and 'Bamboo Music', consisting of the Music from the 'Steel Cathedrals' video and the 'Words with the Sharman' EP, with old friend Riuchi Sakamoto. Including the delights of trumpeter Jon Hassel and the enigmatic Hoiger Czukay, the blend of sound and musical-imagery works perfectly, despite the ridiculous titles of the tracks and the admittably less than perfect sound quality. All the old mates are here, including OS's brother, Steve Batt alias Jansen, and the predictable and delectable photography from girlfriend Yuka Fuji. Sylvian describes the music as 'aiming to provoke thought ... even if it bores people so much it makes them think of something else...'. Not much chance of that. Sheer brilHance; we wait with anticipation for the new vocal album promised in Spring, and wish Dave a happy birthday on the 29th. Both 'Alchemy' and the 'Cathedrals' video are on the Virgin Records label. James Reeves THE BANGLES A delightful mix of vocal harmonies and subdued '60's guitar thrash combined in the early Bangles songs to form a potent brand of pop: naive love (in a teenagey sort of way) but not sickly sweet, danceable but not bland, and powerful but not overpowering. Not surprizingly then, it Wfis in such songs that the Bangles were at their best tonight. These were the songs that the crowd knew and liked, the songs that made the Bangles last years 'Next Big Thing'; the songs that got all the young trendies at the front bopping around. But there is another side to the schizoid Bangles. Who ULU 7 February would have thought that the new material the band performed tonight (off their long awaited new album 'A Different Light') was written by the same group? Except for one or two songs the new stuff was mediocre (certainly nothing to rave about) - hardly the heady pop of their first album. Gone was the individuallity and any sense of dare, while their '60's influence (which had made them something different to the moron-pop of Wham & Duran Duran) were pushed well away. Instead we got overwrought guitar solos and a rather commercial, straightforward, marketable blend of stadium rock. Pat Benetar watch out! Rather than daring to continue in their own way, the Bangles seem to have adopted the cli-ched techniques of mainstream chart-pop. Inevitably these new songs (though not as good) ¦stand more chance of 'charting', which shows the current sad state of the music business. The Bangles I hope, are destined for Big Things still. They certainly have the talent. Hopefully this new album will turn out to be just a diversion, and later they will return to making the excellent pop music they excell at. Jacob Knee (with thanks to Justin) A CHORUS LINE Richard Attenborough's films have very little in common apart from being extremely long, and "A Chorus Line" is no exception. Devoting more than two hours to an idea which has no plot and which is essentially theatrical is a huge gamble, and one which has not paid off. The idea in question is a long audition in which 17 dancers have to prove themselves in order to be selected for the chorus line in a new Broadway show. Each one presents themselves in a song or dance, and together with the extremely tough director (Michael Douglas), reveal much more about themselves than they had intended. The concept is simple and attractive. On stage it must have been an exciting and energetic look at Broadway and the dancer's life. However, the effect of filming has been to take away all the grit and emotion of the original. The powerful and inventive songs are still there of course, but come across in a curiously stale manner. With so much excellent stage material waiting to be filmed, it is a shame to see money wasted on something which was just fine where it was. Kfir Yefet LE COP Corruption is apparently rife in the Parisian policc! force. If this film is anything to go by, it has become a way fo life. It certainly had for Pierrot, who, in an insane and quite untypical act of selfless altruism he committed himself to several years in gaol so that his equally corrupt friend and collegue, Rene, might remain free to see that the tourist trade is not unduly upset by a rise in crime statistics. Rene's life has indeed been comfortable: free meals, a flat full of Hi Fi, an active betting life and a regular dose of wine and aspirin. Pierrot's replacement is not, however, so easygoing. Lieutenant Lesbuch, a bitter reject from the "Brut" advertisements, is overzealous, not to say utterly absurd. He doesn't drink, or, worse still, bet. He insists on paying for his meals and studying the penal codes for his exams in two years time. One suspects that, as he emerges from a garbage truck, he is as upset about the state of his coiffeur as he is about the fact that he has almost been killed. He takes no notice of Rene's axioms that "I have busted them all once and that creates bonds" and that "the prisons are overcrowded anyway." In short, the fact that a responsible government could allow a cretin like Lesbuch to carry a gun is surely one of the most convincing arguments available against the arming of the police. One does not, however, work with someone who is as utterly corrupt as Rene and remain un- tainted. Therefore, while the inspector becomes a cocaine addict through his Sinex bottle, Rene charges around with his siren at full blast in order to get his bets in on time, robbers chase cops and people beat themselves up in policemen's offices. Lesbuch, through becoming a sexual and financial cripple, finally develops some human qualities- but don't let a happy ending put you off. Toby Kramers SWEET DREAMS 'Sweet Dreams' documents the real life story of Patsy Cline, a country and western singer who died before her undoubted talent could be fully realized. Jessica Lange gives and accomplished and charged performance aided by some beautiful original vocal tracks from Patsy Cline. She and Ed Harris (as her obnoxious drunken husband) do a difficult job in fully developing the schizophrenic and manic relationship of the two central characters, whose moods change from anger and rage to happiness and laughter within a matter of seaons. The title 'Sweet Dreams'would weem inappropriate at first for this sad film, but as the title of one of Cline's best songs, it typifies the film's theme - that the gloss of show-business can prove only too illusory, faced with the strain of an unhappy marriage. See the film and buy the album. Dan Duncan LISTINGS Key: KC FilmSoc, Kings College Film Society all at 6pm in the New Theatre, £1. BT FiimSoc, Bloomsbury Theatre Film Society, all at 4 & 7 pm. £1 LSE FILMSOC, LSE Film Society, 7pm, OLD THEATRE. Non-members £1 MONDAY 24 KC FilmSoc FAWLTY TOWERS (GOURMET NIGHT) + RISKY BUSINESS. TUESDAY 25 LSE FilmSoc DR STRANGE-LOVE. BT FilmSoc VERTIGO (4pm only). DEATH IN A FRENCH GARDEN Michel Deville deserves every commendation for an unques-tioningly refined and whimsical film. Constant cryptic twists and turns in the plot, unanswered questions and unexplained events both bamboozle and enthrall. The action unfolds when Da-vide, a guitar teacher, is asked to instruct the highly covetable Vivienne who exudes a youthful and ingenuous sensuality. Without any preliminary scenario Vivienne's mother, Mrs Tombsthay, seduces Davide -yet the subtlety and delicacy of these scenes are realistic and refreshing. Davide consequently finds himself enmeshed in a web of strange happenings and quirky people; there is his moving friendship with the mysterious, world-weary agent and his odd relationship with the Tombsthay's extraordinairily frank neighbour whose underlying sexual perversity and ability to role-play are bewildering. A teasing irony and lurking danger combine to make this a compelling film. Action culminates in the murder of Mr Tombsthay and yet even at this point things are not what they seem. Deville's deliberately heavy-handed symbolism parodies itself and also succeeds in mocking the audience right up until the very last shot. All in all, this is an amusing, equivocal and thought-provoking work of art. M.Luckhurst Page 14 . Beaver 24th Februaty 1986 SOCIETIES SOX OFF SAYS DIARY Wednesday 26 February, 2pm, for room see Circular. The Drama Society Edinburgh production selection meeting. All actors, producers, directors, etc should attend. All ideas for plays can be brought along. Friday 28th Feb, l-2pm, room A506, the RH Sir Peter Blaker, KCMG, MP, speaking on 'British Defence Policy'. Sir Peter Blaker is Vice-Chairman of PTN's National Campaign Committee, and has been Conservative MP for Blackpool South since 1964. Wednesday 5th March, Kings-LSE-Royal United Services Institute Annual Tripartite Seminar on Defence Studies. Entrance free, and dinner (optional) £6.50, to be subsidised by the Grims-haw Club. Names to Hilary Parker, International Relations Dep.t, room 139 (Details there). EGEE weekly meetings are held on Tuesday at 6.30pm in the Graham Wallas Room. Come along and join in our discussions — we are in the process of organising a trip to Munich among other things! See you there — all welcome! PEACE THROUGH NATO. Speaker meetings. Tuesday 25th Feb, 1-2pm, room A506. Mr Alan L Williams, speaking on 'The Labour Party's defence policy'. Mr Williams is chairman of PTN, and was Labour MP for Hornchurch from 1966-70, and 1974-79. All welcome. Wednesday 26th Feb, 6pm. Old Theatre. The Right Honourable Dennis Healey, CH, MBE,MP, speaking on 'Collective security after 50 years'. Wednesday 26th Feb, 4pm, K51. The Church in Hitler's Germany — a model for studying Theology today? Talk given by Rev. Edwin Robertson. Wednesday 26th February. Thursday 27tii Feb, 6pm, room E171, New Theatre. General Sir John Hackett, speaking on 'The Third World War — the Untold Stoiy'. BUDGETS The finance committee has agreed two more budgets this week. Geography Society £50 Psychology Society £110 FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS The School's circular has recently become a bone of contention between the School and the SU. Billing itself as 'For Staff and Students', it has improved enormously over the last year largely due to the efforts of Paula Kendall who has been encouraging students to submit details of events etc. However, recent developments have destroyed much of this good work. John McLoughlin is now responsible for editing the circular; he has passed down a diktat that Student Union Societies will no longer be allowed to advertise non-academic activities in the Circular's 'Diary' section. This will lead to lower attendances at Societies functions. The logic behind the decision is difficult to find. Why would the School retract Societies' access to publicity? Lack of space? Hardly, there are often gaps in its composition. Lack of time? No. Paula Kendall is more than willing to encourage societies' contributions, e cannot tolerate this restriction of our freedom of information. I have aready arranged an appointment with Mr McLoughlin and will agitate vigorously to ensure that he changes his mind. ON PUBLICITY The SU provides its own 'Alternative Circular' to provide an alternative source of information. The executive officer responsible for this thundering production? — one Adrian Dixon Esq. Adrian recently complained to me that Societies were not providing their fair share of material. Contributions please to myself or Adrian. The Alternative Circular is pubished on Mondays. MINI-BUS The acquisition of a new minibus for the SU has set ripples of ezcitment through the Students Union. Hard bargaining (!!] has secured special bargaining for societies. The first lOO miles are free, every mile above lOO will cost 15p per mile. On longer journeys, the first lOO miles are charged at 30p per mile, still 5p less than Beaver/Ents pay. COVENANTS : A REMINDER Parents who are contributing to your studies may like to know more about Covenant Schemes. These schemes entitle the parent to a large amount of tax relief and may guarantee you your parental contribution! If you are having trouble getting your parent tot support you may want to find out more about this. For further information, kindly collect a Students' Tax Information Pack (Inland Revenue publication) from the Welfare Office, E294/295. FREE SPEECH In the recent Elwyn Watkins censuring debate, the question of Societies' rights to bring any speakers to the LSEwas questioned. This is an issue of very great concern to all of us. A few words here will perhaps help to clarify the matter. At Freshers Fayre this year I handed out copies of the Schools regulations for events held on School premises. These restrictions are mostly common sense, the only one causing any controversy being the prerequisite that the School be informed if member of the press are invited, this issue being brought up at the last Court of Governors. If any societies have any problems with the School about holding any meetings, be sure to get in touch. CLASSIFIED ITEMS FOR SALE 1) Contact Jack Frost: Carr-Saunders, M5/1, Tel:637-0766. 'Personal Touch' portable tsrpewri-ter. Excellent condition, new ribbon, recently serviced. Only £20 o.n.o. 2) 'Cobmaster', exterior frame rucksack. Large capacity, five exterior pockets, fully proofed, excellent condition. £15 o.n.o. JOBS The Thorpe Park family entertainment complex is looking for additional staff during this year's season (March 23 — end of September). Catering, admin., security, customer liaison, farm and landscape work, shop and bank workers, engineering/ maintenance, ride operators, etc. Wages are subject to the usual National Insurance contributions etc., so overseas students without work permit should not apply. Further details available from the 'Jobs' file in the Welfare Office (E294) or phone Jane Harley on 0932S— 62633. Thorpe Park is situated near Heathrow Airport. Welfare Office (X 2877) leaver February 1986 LADIES HOCKEY The Ladies second team in high spirits. ¦Pogife 25 THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL FOR ENGLISH CRICKET? Despite the humiliating start to the West Indies tour — losing to the Windward Islands after being dismissed for 94 — English Cricket can look foward to the Winter Campaign with & degree of optimism. It was obvious that there was something different about this day, when outside the 3 Tuns at 1:00pm we had 'I can't believe this — are you sure we haven't miscounted?!' 15 players turning up for the Ladies 2nds. The game was against St.Mary's? St.Georges? StBarts? — on a cold and windy Wednesday afternoon. It was the 1st match we had played together for over 5 weeks, but despite this, everyone, led admirably by stand-in captain Kate, gave 100%. The defence was excellent, hitting and tackling will. thwarting any opposition attacks, allowing the LSE towards to play an attacking game. For the 1st time we were actually playing as a team. The game was quite well balanced, which was reflected by the half-time scoe of 0-0. In the 2nd half LSE gained confidence - helped by vocal support from the sidelines by Annabel and Nam — and we had the edge, much of the game being in the opposition's half. The foward line linked well together and were unlucky not to score, just lacking the finishing touch, and at full-time the score was still 0-0. So, a draw! But then someone realised it was a cup match — we needed a winner! The game then went into 10 minutes of extra time. However LSE needed less than 30 seconds to take the lead, Chris scoring a goal as a result of a move from the pus-hback. From then on LSE, spirits high, took control, and were unlucky not to increase their lead. So, there you are, 1-0 to LSE, and into the 2nd round. Without a single 1st teamer, LSE Ladies 2nds had won!! LSE 2nd XI - O WYE COLLEGE - 4 Having admirably fought their way through the first round LSE 2nd XI faced the daunting prospect of playing Wye College, who knocked LSE Ist's out of the tournament The match began well with the halves Julia, Shireen and Annabel (badly bruised by a friend) playing an excellent game, but the opposing fo-wards hindered them from fulfilling their potential. Meanwhile Melanie's violent attack on the opposition together with the great effort from Jo, Emma and Juliette failed to culminate in a goal from Chris — our only scorer to date. The final result failed to reflect the standard of their play. As usual Kate and Ann proved fearless against a tough opposition. For the second time Kate, unsure of which side she was playing for, scored an own goal and thus by half-time the opposition were leading. Sandra who again kept the oppositions score relatively low courageously saved a penalty flick. But despite such valient attempts this excellent team failed to make it to the third round. Results since the 5-0 home drubbing by the West Indies in 1984 suggest that the corner really has been turned. A 2-1 defeat of India on last winters tour (after losing, again in embarassing circumstances, to "Young India") and then the convincing 3-1 home defeat of the Australians last summer. The English batting line-up is the cornerstone of a confident approach to the forthcoming tests. The first six in the batting order — Gooch, Robinson, Gower, Lamb, Gatting and Botham must be the strongest assembled by England since the names of Gra-veney. Dexter and Cowdrey graced the England side more than 20 years ago. These six men perhaps hold the key to the outcome of the series. They will need to be in outstanding form if they are to build match winning scores against the battery of West Indian fast bowlers, with Malcolm Marshall in particular seeming to be at the peak of his powers. The capacity of the West Indies to produce match winning fast bowlers has long been a talking-point, especially since the English scene has been devoid of any top class fast bowling. Coaching may be the key since young West Indian bowlers are told to concentrate primarily on speed, with length and line coming later. English bowlers, by contrast, are told, to cut down on speed and concentrate on accuracy. Of course other factors are relevant, not least being the faster pitches in the Caribbean. However, light may be emerging at the end of what has been a long dark tunnel for English cricket, with the emergence of Greg Thomas, picked for the full England tour, and David Lawrence, selected for the B squad. Thomas, in particular, has made an impressive start to the tour and may well repay the selectors gamble on him. A final word on the task facing England this winter. On their own soil, the West Indies have lost just one Test Match in the last 10 years and the last time they lost a test series at home was in the early 1970s. Dave Dyson BEAVER CREDITS I EDITORS: Nina Kaufman, Nick Holmes Arts Editors: Mary Luckhurst Kfir Yefet Musie Editor: Jonathan Smith Sports Editors: Shannon Ellsmore, Rob Levine Societies Editor: Jack Frost Photography: Mark Moore Manager: James Reeves Finance Editor: Haider Ali Graphics Artist: Five W.R. BEAVER TEAM: Jo Bale, Kate Barnes, Dave Bridges, Catherine Bruce, Dan Duncan, Eleanor Edwards, Kirsten Haukebo, Simon Hulme, Virginia Kallgren, Toby Kramer, Phil Lowery, Nick Moreno, Jenny Ottewell, Douglas Petheram, Sarah Turber-ville, Brett Whiteley, Paul Wood. Other contributers as credited. Photosetters: Gee Graphics, 15-27 Gee Street, ECl Printers: Eastway Offset, Hackney. Published by the London School of Economics Students' Union, East Building, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE. Beaver Copyright 1986. FOOTBALL COMMENT The southern bias of the media can be infuriating for those of us from the 'frozen wastes'. While the gutter press does cover sport regionally, the 'quality' papers only cover the northern teams out of necessity rather than due deference. What's wrong with the rest of the country? While Watford upwards suffers from ageneral neglect, surely the region with the most to complain about is the Midlands.A few years ago Midlands teams formed nearly half the First Division and they almost always outnumber their London rivals. The problem is not as simple as a proLondon bias however. It could be better expressed as a deliberate policy of ignoring Midlands teams. During the 198081 Championship race between Ipswich and Aston Villa the Fleet Steet hacks sided with Ipswich, dismissing Villa as a boring team. Anybody seeing Villa knew this to be completely unfair, as was the fact that Nottingham Forest's domination of Europe in the late '70's went almost ignored. This was due, no doubt, to Brian Clough having more to say than they had. It doesn't stop there. Bobby Robson, aided and abetted by Don Howe, continually picks second rate southern players such as Fenwick, Mariner and Woodcock, while ignoring Elliot, Hunt, Gibson, Hodge and Davenport, surely the best striker in the country after Li-neker. Anyone who suggests that the current England team would automatically beat a Midlands All Star Eleven is a bigger fool than Bobby Robson. The Midlands however are fighting back, at least one major club is proposing a new Super League along the lines of the present Central League. This would contain the giants of English soccer, including Liverpool, Everton, Man.United, Forest, Aston Villa, West Brom(stretching a point a littleed) and company, ¦ all of whom are capable of at-tracting huge crowds. Southern teams could do whatever they wanted. If such a Super League was to pass the planning stage, London clubs would no doubt resort to anything in an attempt to join. Success would be easier without them! Nick Moreno Page 16 Beaver 24th February 1986 BEAVER SPORT: MENS HOCKEY SNOOKER LSE RUGBY TOUR TO BATH 1986 Rugby songs, riotous evenings, 69's, and of course glorious mud. Great Expectations, indeed for my first rugby tour with the LSE or should I say the LSA!! The Three Tuns was our starting point..All of us clad in infantile hats which we were to keep on at all times. We were also required to drink on at all times. We were also required to drink lefthan-ded and our captain, Shawn 'Adolf Wiles ensured this by levying a fine for each infringement Fines were also levied for the unforgivable crime of not referring to people by their tour nicknames. We were worse for wear as we kicked off at 1.1 o'clock the following morning, having lived up to al rugby players' reputations the night before. Fierce Western gales and driving rain met the plaers as we came onto the pitch. Is it our masochistic tendencies which drive us to such extremes as playing in rugby on HARRY As this extended period of grotty weather continues, turf followers have good reason to feel hard done by. Whilst the pools panel satisfies financially motivated football followers, who can be impressed by the opportunity to gamble on the date by which racing will be resumed? Even Richard Baerlin has been reduced to pontificating about stirrup lengths and similar less than intriguing technicalities. Hewill have to resort to tipping greyhounds soon. There are however several 'Champion Hurdle'trials which will hopefully go ahead. Both See You There and Very Promising should win to assert their positions at the head of the 'Champion rugby tours, I wonder? Despite losing, though, all played well and hangovers were amply cleared. The next day's rugby was appropriately played against acouple of pub sides, with LSE actually win-, ning one game against a team containing last year's England fullback, Chris Martin. Alcohol was flowing oncer more in the afternoon, this time in the 'Pulteney Arms', whom we had just played. Some serious business was concluded here as 'Adolf arranged for John Hall, of England international fame to play a match for the LSE. The general consensus was however tha it had been indeed a riotous tour and a great time was had by all. A big hand to the organiser, Norman and those Xenon's revellers who will by now have realised where all their money went We all now await the Paris tour with even greater expectations. A. Player Hurdle'market. The latter should go off at lucrative odds at Wincanton after losing last time out due to a burst blood vessel. At the same meeting Burrough Hill Lad will win the three mile chase in preparation for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Finally the flat season starts again at the beginning if March with the William Hill lincoln handicap over one mile at Doncaster. Two horses worth watching in this race are Star Of A Gunner, a soft ground specialist, and Go Bananas who was disqualified from third place in last years' race. Both these horses have been successful first time out in the past William Deacon L.S.B 1st XI 3 City and Guilds O The two games truly encapsu-lated the strengths and weaknesses of the Ists this season. In the first the team played with verve and fluency and were able to dominate the match. The defence was sure, the midfield aggresive and the attack coherent Indeed, from the outset the result was not in doubt and within ten minutes Lowcock scored with a firm shot having been put clear by Levine. The second was added by Cooper, running on to a quickly taken free hit by Keen. The team relaxed in the second half in the second half after Lowcock had added his second and the team's third, thus avoiding the prospect of a Lowcock hattrick. By contrast the match against Imperial saw the L.S.E team lamentably deficient in all areas. The raid-field lacked presence (it was LSE 2nd XI - 5 LONDON HOSPITAL 2nd XI - 4 A strong second team, honoured by the appearance of Shingler in defence, faced the prospect of LH with the utmost confidence. However, three early goals (keeper's mistake?) by LH showed a lack of team understanding. But as the defence grew used to Shingler's commanding voice, the team forced its way back into contention. Three quick goals, two from strong moves originating in L.S.E 1st XI O Imperial 3 nonexistent) and when combined with defensive in-decisiveness it became clear that the nightmares of last term were soon to be relived. I.C merited their three goals and it was only incompetent umpiring that prevented more. L.S.E however, thoroughly deserved their paltry none. Neil Cooper the LSE defence, and the third capitalising on a LH defensive error, gave LSE the chance to take the lead, which they duly did soon afteralf-time. However, this time LH fought to draw level, which they did by out-pacing the LSE defence; then LSE quickly replied when Shingler sent Easton clear up the wing and Johnson converted the cross. Alan Martin, Scott Offer, Steve Gould and Ian Blackmore all made valuable contributions. National Universities Championships They say that snooker ability is a sign of a misspent youth. Clearly the LSE team did not waste their formative years, in the qualifying stages they were drawn against UEA, Cardiff, Bradford and Bristol, supposedly one of the easier groups. The 9am start didn't help matters, and the notoriously lazy captain was clearly none too pleased with the situation. Late arrival at the tournament meant that the opening match with UEA had to be rescheduled for 10 o'clock. Unfortunately the opposition's concentration was not affected as they proceeded to thrash LSE 50. The match with Cardiff however nearly brought a win. The Malaysian maestro won his match with a stunning pot with the rest on the decisive black ball, and the captain, Henry(playing at no. 2 for tactical reasons despite this being a flagrant breach of tournament rules )a-chieved a 70 point victory by abandoning completely his usual inclination to play safe-.However Andy Eleftheriou lost his second consecutive match on the black, while Mike Odeku and Pritesh Patel both failed to exploit promising positions, and LSE had lost again. However, heartened by this result LSE approached the remaining matches with more confidence, but lost 1-4 to both Bradford and Bristol, the sole victor on each occasion being skipper Henry. Mention must be made of Hok's defeat against a player who had only come because he had a carJHe still maintains that his contact lenses were giving him trouble but those claims have fallen on deaf ears; and for Pritesh, Mike and Andy, who had lost all their games, the frame provided a source of much amusement Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor 8. Crazy antics tip roof revealing ppmpous speatcers. (13) 14. Bear major and minor constellations. (4) 16 and 17. Printed newspaper and eloped. (3,3) 17. See 16. 18. Shakespeare's last testament? (4) 20. Some are bachelors, some masters, and three are singers. (7) 21. Minder's shake-up jogs memory. (7) 22. Mixed report about the baggage handler. (6) 24. Complain because of on-beam interference. (6) 25. Ad race confusion for the shopping centre. (6) 27. Being found in a hum and a whistle. (5) LAST ISSUE'S SOLUTIONS 1. Doors 2. Tenant 3. Lovingly 4. Snigger 5. Discords 6. Eastender 7. Sorepoint 8. Milan 9. Shed 10. Creating 11. Hecate 12, Stag 13. Enduring 14. Stalemate 15. Storeys 16. Rampaged 17. Paisley 18. Alarming 19. The chop 20. Plymouth 21. Used 22. Alps 23. Prunes 24. Seven 25. Impale 26. Computer 27. Other.28. Countered WELLINGTON'S CRYPTIC CROSSWORD compiled by Five.W.R Last issue's crossword was pretty easy wasn't it? I was disappointed to receive only four correct solutions. Nevertheless, a promise is a promise, and the ping-pong ball goes to the first name pulled out of the hat: Ian Goodacre. He can collect his prize from E204. This issue it's a trifle trickier (but not much), and the prize is...to meet Elwyn Watkins - in his office! (Gasp!) If you don't think it's possible, just get those entries in and find out. CLUES ACROSS 28. Find on top of, in group 1. Military fall-out means redun- (4) dancy (7) 4. Posed after Post Office leaders returned and fought against it. (7) 9. Dead body is a red leader found in copse. (6) 10. Admiral Mandela? (6) 11. Cone ordered for the first time. (4) 12. Mental disturbance causes grief. (6) 13. A fever follows vaccine first, becoming uncertain. (5) 15 and 23. Puzzle out from interlocking pieces. (6)-19. Stays in digs if concoction is not fulfilling. (13) 23. See 15. 24. Amble unsteadily to pass the buck. (5) 26. Generate beginning before unsteady worth increase. (6) high regard. (6) 30. Nomad I arranged to find in the province. (6) 31. Personal attendant appears from undisciplined rest around van. (7) 32. Admit that flour base is mixed in scones. (7) CLUES DOWN 1. Device Elwyn first altered to deliberately misinform. (7) 2. Transistor radio's leading components burst into song full of power. (6) 3. Jesus' spearwound was here, but not outdoors. (6) 5. Plane disaster leads to VIP's on question time. (5) 6. Awkwardly resist a nun. (6) 7. Don't see confusion this indicates. (7) HOUGHTON ST. FOOTBALL