Aysha Fekaiki - LSESU Community & Welfare Officer

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The Importance of Black Her-story

A part of Black History Month, LSESU are putting on a variety of events that explore Black ‘Her-story’ to bring forward an intersectional and gendered perspective on African and Caribbean experiences. 

Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in 1987. It was organised through the leadership of Ghanaian, Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and we hope to continue this annual legacy at LSE with our own students leading the way in the conversation. 

The empowerment of Black women students at our institution is central to Her-story. Through public speaking workshops, self-defence classes, dance, spoken word and a Her-story exhibition, we are celebrating the achievements of women to shed a positive light on experiences that often go under-appreciated. 

LSESU Black Women’s Yoga session 

Lade, the President of the African and Caribbean Society expresses why Her-story is so important, ‘It celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of Black women. In doing so, it is acts as an aid in the dispulsion of the ‘angry black woman’ narrative that we see perpetuated time and time again in the media. For me, this project emphasises that the ‘Black woman’ is not to be generalised or stereotyped. It celebrates achievements, strengths and weaknesses of a few of the wonderful Black women we have here at the LSE.’

The Intersectional Feminist Society and LSESU will be putting on an inspiring event, SOLIDARITY, on 23rd October in the Hong Kong Theatre which will see Black women performing spoken word and academics analysing the role of Black feminists in historically cis white spaces. Following this, on the 26th October in 1st floor of the Café, Saw See Hock, we will launch a Her-story photographic exhibition of self-defining Black women students and staff right here at LSE! These initiatives are to recognise the current and historic invaluable contributions that African and Caribbean women have made to our collective world histories, heritage and culture. 

LSESU BME Women’s Public Speaking Training 

This month is also about confronting institutional racism and sexism and its roots in the very society we live in. The UK has played a devastating role in ingraining oppression globally, and it is our duty as students of this university to first change it at home. At LSE, where over 70% of our students are international, it is important to understand the ramifications to our academia. Our Euro-centric curriculum has dominated the narrative and overwhelmingly silenced coloured voices. We must challenge the status quo as it has become a norm and seldom a perception. 

This is why we are doing Her-story Week – it is a form of resistance to the dominant ways of thinking about Black History, which predominantly marginalise Black perspectives. Join us on this special occasion where we resist, change and celebrate. 

This is #morethanjustamonth. 

[lsecommunity]

Join the LSE Contingent at the People’s Assembly Against Austerity March!

With austerity being the status quo for years now - even under changing governments - and the Tories going it alone for the next half decade, it’s high time that we take the opportunity to express to this new government our very valid concerns regarding the future of some of the things that many of us care about and hold dear.

This includes cuts to the NHS, the welfare state, education and public services. As community and welfare officer, I feel that these are all quite clearly things that affect our well-being and student community’s condition. As a student body and movement we have always been one of the core groups that has stood up and spoken out when there have been societal fears and injustices. Moreover, with the open, creative and academic environment that we study and work in, we arguably have a responsibility to not only apply our education in society in proactive ways such as this, but also to simply defend and protect it and our rights, so that it is not further encroached upon.

So on the 20th of June, come along with people from all over the country and take part in the People’s Assembly Against Austerity’s march against fees and cuts to demand an alternative to austerity. This is a chance to peacefully make our voices heard in a larger, amplified way and to exchange ideas with people from across Britain. However, we also want you to be able to come together and discuss in the days leading up to the 20th. So please get involved in our LSESU Contingent and follow the link at the bottom to our event page and you will be able to find information on when we’ll be meeting beforehand and where to assemble as one united bloc.

The march as a whole will be assembling right in the centre of the city of London, on the steps of the Bank of England at noon, on the day. If you want more specific details or to know which other groups are involved and affiliated, simply go to http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/ But, as said, we will also be supporting students in making their own preparations here at the LSE in the run up to the time, with things such as a banner making session. Below is the aforementioned event link with all of the relevant information for our “contingent”: https://www.facebook.com/events/844438558970984/

Much love,

Seb

[lsecommunity]

My reflections on the LSE Occupation

Apologies in advance for the unusual length of this, but credit has to be given where credit is due… So, late last Thursday evening the students of Occupy LSE decided to end the occupation of the Vera Anstey Suite. The decision was made after they were able to make the school’s management concede on a significant number of demands, during an extremely taxing 24 hours of being locked in and threatened with legal action.

Personally, I need to say that I feel proud and lucky to work for such affectionate, intellectual & deeply conscious students and to have been able to help in the small ways that I tried to. Thank you to you all. To those who saw the occupation as entirely pointless and a joke, I recognise and agree that the occupation was not perfect, both in planning, execution & clarity of aims and of course I also share the legitimate concerns regarding the disruption to the occupiers’ academic commitments and outside groups trying to take things into their own hands. This is all being considered.

However, I maintain that it would be unfair and sad to let these imperfections cause us to completely ignore what has really been achieved here. Not only did the LSE occupiers gain actual concessions from the university (there is a link to the impressive list at the bottom), while also bringing together people from all walks of life, forming strong bonds that will undoubtedly go on, they also did something else that is tremendously rare nowadays. They managed to create a lively open space where the very current and relevant issues of both our school and wider society could be presented, discussed & debated. These issues, on which various demands were also made, included very current and REAL concerns, such as the inaccessibility of higher education, shamefully unfair treatment and payment of our very own staff, unethical investment, flagrant structural oppression, and related to all this, our overall experience and reality here at the LSE. These problems are undeniably related to and interconnected with us all, to varying degrees of severity.

For honestly, throughout the years I have heard the same concerns and observations from countless students and graduates. The overriding message has always been that much of the experience here at the LSE is and continues to be individualistic/passive, lacking an outlet and disproportionately encouraged in the direction of certain careers. Of course, I know that we have some utterly incredible professors and that there are people who are truly fulfilled by and happy with this path. However, overall, the system seems severely restrictive. Students continue to suggest that there is a marked distinction between what they learn from their books and teachers and then what the LSE environment is “telling” them to do. We are taught to think critically, innovatively and freely, but are then nearly all, seemingly with few other tangible and societally accepted options, thrust into the same competitive job apps process and bombarded around campus by visits from the same few large businesses. Arguably, this current situation makes us forego what I like to think was one of universities’ original and actual purposes: the application in the “real” world of what has been learnt and thought up while studying - LSE’s founders said it themselves. But, many say that their degrees are starting to look increasingly like a simple “stamp of approval” rather than an actual creative academic exploration.

To me, this situation is a serious concern. BUT, I contend that Occupy LSE, through its space and demands, genuinely challenged this status quo and other aforementioned related issues. One may not agree with ways in which the occupation manifested, but I really believe that it is a disservice to oneself to justify not engaging with an issue and discussion, especially such a large and vital one, on the grounds that one does not agree with the approach carried out by one of the groups attempting to shed light on it. Besides, perhaps it makes sense that some people will periodically come together and employ different methods to highlight an issue that is both so crucial and unashamedly overlooked by the powers that be. So I would, in my humble opinion, engage with this immense and critical discussion, now that you can after your fellow students gave up so much time and effort to reignite it. Involve yourself in this achievement, in whatever way works for you, as its essence continues to move forward and manifest in various ways.

For really, this is only the beginning…

Concessions gained: https://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-lse-free-university-of-london/demands-conceded-by-management-in-their-terms/424457414381859

Occupy LSE Tumblr: http://occupylse.tumblr.com/…/118…/end-of-the-lse-occupation

[lsecommunity]

Interfaith: Lessons from Tokyo to London

As some of you may know, I visited Japan a couple of weeks ago as part of my annual leave. Although it was a truly amazing and unforgettable experience, I will refrain from describing the visit as a whole, as I really don’t think any of my attempts at describing it could ever do it justice. 

However, while I was in Tokyo, I did spend some time at quite a special place, which I both felt we all could take something from and also really embodied some of the things that we had been working towards at home here at LSE and the SU. Mainly, initiatives of cross cultural understanding and interfaith dialogue. So, to pay tribute to this symbol of interfaith and also to reflect a bit on our own initiatives and actions, I’ve decided to do a little write up about it. The place was called Sensō-ji and was located in the district of Asakusa, Tokyo. 

Sensō-ji is an age-old Buddhist temple and is the oldest place of worship in all of Japan, founded in 628AD.  Walking around it you can’t help but feel that you have been transported back to the “ancient world”. It is also one of Japan’s most important temples, verified by the sheer amount of people on the premises and the extensive market that has grown around it to accommodate all of the guests. Although Buddhism is not the largest religion in this historic island nation (second after Shintoism), its practices and sites are greatly respected, deeply rooted in the culture and have considerable links to the other main religious groups & traditions of the country, such as ancestor remembrance. There is actually a Shinto shrine on the edge of the grounds. I can still sense, quite vividly, the strong feeling of inter-religious harmony and tolerance that was present. 

This particular temple’s importance as a symbol, both of interfaith and Japan’s rich history, not only comes from its age, but also the altering roles that it has had throughout the centuries. For example, in its earlier years, it was used by the powerful Tokugawa Clan, who were shoguns descended of the emperors, as a tutelary temple. However, in more recent times it went from being part of the Chinese descended Tendai sect of Buddhism to existing as its own independent school, known as Shō-Kannon. Nowadays, it is the centre of Tokyo’s largest and most widespread festival, Sanja Matsuri. The festival, which takes place in Spring for half a week, attracts so many people, from all walks of life, that it requires the closure of all surrounding streets to traffic for all daylight hours. 

One of the causes of the temple’s move towards its current state of being independent was the Second World War, during which it was sadly bombed and severely ruined. But, in this wretchedness the Japanese people found hope, as it was fully rebuilt and is now a national symbol of  rebirth, reawakening and peace. As cheesy as it may sound, if this Temple, after so many centuries of tribulations, can still stand strong, represent what it does, and draw so many people from all parts of society, perhaps it gives just a little hope that other places can do the same as well. 

To bring this all home; we’ve really tried this year, as an SU, to work towards this exact kind of ideal of Sensō-ji. A space where people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds can come together and not only share their experiences, but feel that they are a valued and celebrated member of our community. Through art workshops, discussion groups, interfaith talks, film screenings and debates we worked to handle the theme of interfaith and bring together as many of our religious groups here on campus as possible. And, this visit (and the trip overall) has given me fresh hope that we can become even better, do so much more and really lead on this next year. If we work with what we have already done and all of the incredible, open-minded people we have in our community, there is so much that can be done next year, when the sabb team changes, but the union keeps moving forward. 

Much love to you all.

[lsecommunity]

The Wellbeing Project: What happened & what to look out for

With the intense pressure that we knew would start in Lent Term and build up throughout Summer Term we, as a union, decided to bring together past initiatives and create the all new LSESU “Wellbeing Project.

It was a joint initiative between myself, LSESU, LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service, LSE Faith Centre, LSE Student Wellbeing Service, and LSE Student Counselling Service. The idea was to provide activities and materials to support mental wellness, increased productivity, physical health and general relaxation. Moreover, arrays of topics were covered, including mindfulness, healthy eating, sporting/competitive activities, massages, and meditation.

Although some events had to be rescheduled and publicity can always be improved with projects like this, the feedback I collected really made me feel that this was a well received project and that there truly is a need to safeguard student wellbeing - both physical and mental – at the LSE.

With all of this in mind, I can confidently say that LSESU will continue to work to improve this scheme and bring it back, perhaps in increasingly altered and creative forms, in the years to come.

For those of you who still want to be involved with the types of events the project offered, do not fret! The whole idea of it was to make it a continuing initiative and create a lasting change. So there are still numerous activities around campus that you can be involved in.

Continuing activities include: meditation in the faith centre on Wednesdays and Fridays around noon, yoga classes on Friday mornings, healthy hour smoothie offers every day from 3pm-4pm in the SSH cafés, and SU Advice drop-ins every day from 11am-1pm.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this initiative as much as I have and that you also continue to benefit from it in the coming months and years!

Much love, Seb

[lsecommunity]

End of Term Report: Community and Welfare

Contents:

  Introduction

Students’ Union Priority Campaign: Operation Liberation

Stress, health, and overall wellbeing support

Experience of students in halls

Mindfulness and celebration of our diverse faiths and cultures

Equality, widening participation, and good campus relations

Support for and awareness of students with disabilities

Sustainability and environmental initiatives

Awareness of domestic politics and its effects (particularly on international students)

National and international campaigns

Conclusion

    Introduction

  Working for LSE students up to now has been an incredible honour and more rewarding than I could ever have imagined. Community and welfare is definitely a vital issue for our student body. Although our very keen and ambitious atmosphere has undeniably led to unprecedented achievements in the history of our school, it can also be awfully draining and stressful. As a community we still have much to do in terms of fully and earnestly dealing with these issues. However, in my opinion, we have honestly made vital strides this term. Below is a thematic report breaking down what we’ve achieved so far this year and what is still, hopefully, to come.  

    Students’ Union Priority Campaign: Operation Liberation

  Before explaining our achievements and plans that fall within my remit as community and welfare officer, it is necessary to mention Operation Liberation. This has been and will continue to be the LSE Students’ Union’s priority campaign (a campaign shared by all officers and staff members) for at least the remainder of this academic year. The campaign was already planned to a large degree before Michaelmas Term commenced, but was kick-started in Week One as a response to serious concerns regarding discrimination, intolerance, and elitism on campus. The campaign has brought about numerous actions, including a large scale consultation with students, a sexual harassment campaign, forums hosted by our liberation officers, the launch of the Women’s’ Network, preparation of leadership training, and the Rugby Working Group. Moreover, whether directly or partially, Operation Liberation has and will continue to influence and direct the many other goals and actions we are working on.

    Stress, health, and overall wellbeing support

  Through numerous meetings with the LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service, we have pushed to ensure that wellbeing provisions are aligned with students’ expectations.

Similar meetings with the Undergraduate Dean have also helped to confirm that the school is aware of the main social concerns of students, that the deans know when to signpost to the union, and that we can better and more accurately promote the deans’ services. Through our communications team.

Union efforts to deal with stress and promote health and overall wellbeing will in many ways culminate in our ‘Wellbeing Project’, which will take place in two parts - both in the beginning of Lent Term and Summer Term - to support students during some of the most stressful times of the academic year. Our Wellbeing Project is a continuation of last year’s ‘Well-Being Campaign’ and aims to make welfare a theme that extends throughout the year.

    Experience of students in halls

  We have been working with halls student committees (old and new), RAG, and many other students in halls to provide more inter-hall events, increased opportunities for discussions regarding funding, safeguard more channels of communication between halls and the SU, and provide the first ever official handover training for committees in conjunction with the LSE Residential Services.

An increase and improvement in inter-hall evens can be seen in the battle of the halls, social media competitions, and the upcoming ‘Halls Cup’.

Discussions regarding the possibility of increased funding for committees were enabled through efforts to invite the school’s estates and financial services to meet with halls representatives.

We have managed to improve overall communication with halls committees through consistent meetings in the run up to the residential user group (RUG), which has, in turn, allowed for a more ‘united front’ of students and representatives.  This communication is also being used now to put together more comprehensive and clearer halls constitutions for all halls committees.

Furthermore, the official handover training, planned in conjunction with the Residential Services, included presentations and teaching on the roles, sustainability, environment, leadership, events, and treasurer training. This training will not only hopefully have prepared the new committees much better for their year ahead, it also enabled all the members to get in touch and network with each other straight away.

This improved relationship with directors and halls will hopefully also lead to the implementation of more transparency and a rent guarantor scheme, which my predecessors have worked on tirelessly as well. This relationship also aided us in halting the implementation of a 3% increase in rent at Passfield.

    Mindfulness and celebration of our diverse faiths and cultures

  Our community is an incredibly diverse one and this term has seen a push for more awareness and celebration of our numerous faith traditions, cultures, and beliefs. This term, with the hard work of Esther, we were able to have our very own ‘Interfaith Week’, which aimed to spread knowledge about and celebrate our numerous different beliefs and cultures, through discussions, artwork, and the sharing of food. This is an atmosphere we are hoping to continue, through the invitation of various community leaders and scholars, which has already been done, with visits from leaders like Radhanath Swami.

This will hopefully follow nicely into our ‘Global Village Week’, which is an adaptation of the original ‘Community Festival’ and aims to explore the wider parts of the many cultures represented on our campus.

In terms of the provision of food for students of faith and students with special requirements, we have been in talks with the LSE Catering team regarding the provision of Kosher, Halal and vegetarian food and hope to see improvements in waiting time and variety very soon. We are of course also aware of other requirements and have organized to have regular meetings to ensure that the catering team is mindful of these.

    Equality, widening participation, and good campus relations

  A great deal of our work in this area has fallen under the efforts of Operation Liberation. This has, however, also very importantly fed into the equality and diversity committees of the school, where there have been serious discussions about workshops and training for staff as well. We, as a union, have constantly tried to make it clear to the directors of the school that issues of discrimination and prejudice are a wider societal issue and, thus, need to be addressed on a school wide level.

In an arguably more proactive way, we have been working with LSE Widening Participation to ensure that we promote as many of their initiatives as possible, maintain the highest level of safeguarding policy for our student run societies, and engage as much in the wider community as possible.

In terms of general good campus relations, we have had or been somehow involved in numerous empowering and uniting events. For example, we have had a multitude of liberation forums, played a part in lobbying the school to have its ‘town hall meeting’, and have hosted panel events with diverse religious, political, and scholarly leaders. A fascinating example of this was the ‘LGBT+ and Faith: A Potential New Ally?’ event, hosted in the Faith Centre. Alex and I will continue to work with the Women’s’ Officer, Gee, to push for more events and initiatives that highlight and support LGBT+ and female students in their struggles.

    Support for and awareness of students with disabilities

  Throughout this term Mark Malik, myself and the rest of the team have worked intently to spread awareness surrounding mental health – some estimates suggest that 1 in 4 students here at the LSE is in one way or another affected. The SU had a large marquee and ‘living room’ just outside of the student centre on World Mental Health Day this term. There, students could learn more about mental health challenges, talk about a personal issue, or just have a general chat.

Carrying on from the day, we as an SU, signed the ‘Time to Change’ pledge to try tackle stigma. 

Since then, with the important efforts of Mark, we have had numerous forums for disabled students and even had a disabled students assembly where we had the opportunity to directly question and deliberate with the directors of the school. This coming together gave us the push we needed to have some of our students travel around our campus with the director of estates and point out accessibility problems, many of which where responded to.

We now even have students and representatives sitting on groups with the capital development team, directing the plans and construction of the new centre building.

This has all been happening with life after university in mind as well, meaning that we have had various meetings with LSE Careers with regards to how they can better support students with disabilities.

Finally, our union supported the NUS’ campaign that helped to halt the cuts to the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). All of this is looking very positive and will hopefully continue to progress, with plans to submit a paper to council and hopefully pass policy at our UGM that will push for more acknowledgement of and support for out students with disabilities.  

    Sustainability and environmental initiatives

  With the devastation that is currently taking place to the natural world around us, sustainability and environmental initiatives have been an important priority for the union this term and will continue to be. Nadia and myself have been working with LSE’s Sustainability Team to push for more mindfulness around these issues in all parts of the school.

Nadia had a successful welcome event during Freshers’ Week, where we were able to meet with students who had ‘green’ ideas.

Throughout the term, we’ve also teamed up with the LSESU Sustainable Futures Society to promote their amazing sustainability fund. We’ve been especially keen to try to get more student halls committees applying to the fund, as projects directed by them will directly affect thousands of students living in halls.

We’ve also helped Food Cycle’ set up stalls on campus, aided them in distributing information about their food programs, and helped get students in touch if they showed interest.

Much of this will hopefully build up to our ‘Green Week’ in Lent Term, which has the goal of getting ours students involved with local ‘green’ initiatives, recycling, interactive environmental awareness activities, and general initiatives.

We have also managed to lobby the school to get Nadia and myself onto the sustainability steering group. This will hopefully help us get sustainability to the forefront as one of the school’s main priorities.

      Awareness of domestic politics and its effects (particularly on international students)

  As a union we’re planning to do a lot for the general election in 2015. We really want to create an atmosphere of excitement and surrounding it and emphasize its significance, or at least significant aspects.

We want to aim for the highest voter registration possible, make sure that we lobby on the issues that matter to our students, and put on as many informative events and sessions as possible.

Personally, I will be focusing on the putting on of informative events and also, hopefully, run a communications campaign that highlights the main struggles of our thousands of international students. This will follow on from my own research with our staff team, Simeon Underwood’s report on the abolishment of the Tier 1 Post Study Work Visa (PSW) from 2011, Indo’s research and lobbying in an all-party parliamentary group on the same issue earlier in Michaelmas Term, and our lobbying and or statements to the home office.

    National and international campaigns

  Throughout our tenure so far, we have tried to continually remember that we are part of a wider student movement and society as a whole. Therefore, we have taken stances on national and international issues. Much of our SU team believes that education is a human right and that it should be treated as such. Therefore, many of us came together last term to march for free education. Many of us will continue to argue for the clear benefits of free education in committees and will also continue to support students that want to pass policy or do research on it Of course, we are aware that free education won’t become a reality over night. However, we do believe that it can gradually be moved towards and that pushing for it will create the chance for limits and decreases in the meantime.

We, as a union, are a part of many of the NUS’ national campaigns, including the Black Students’ Campaign and International Students’ Campaign. This means that we are involved in their corresponding demonstrations and events and also receive relatively regular visits from their members, to obtain updates and training for both sabbaticals and part-time officers. This has been incredibly useful for many of our officers, especially our fantastic newest member, the BME Officer, Samiha.

The union has also takes stances on issues, as a result of policy being passed at the Union General Meeting (UGM). One issue we have taken a stance on is the status of the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). The motion at the UGM to twin with the IUG passed and was renewed and, therefore, we must speak out against the attacks and injustices the students of Gaza face and support the institution through projects where possible. Education should be available to all.

We have also passed policy to condemn Putin’s actions that go against international law and human dignity. This is consistent with our condemnation of other countries that break international law.

Finally, we recently passed policy to speak out against the killing of Tamil people in Sri Lanka. It is important to note that motions like this in no way whatsoever aim to attack or alienate other peoples. They are passed create awareness around the injustices taking place and to help towards pushing for a just and peaceful outcome. Of course there are numerous other international issues that we are passionate about, however, the three aforementioned ones have a unique status at LSESU, as they mandated us, through their passing at the UGM.

    Conclusion

  In conclusion, it feels like it has been a very busy term, filled with progress – I hope you agree! We could very possibly be in for an even more active term in the New Year. So I hope you have a pleasant break and are able to refresh yourself properly for all of the happenings to come. Incredibly exciting times lie ahead for the LSESU and our community as a whole.

  Much love and good vibes,

  Sebastian

[lsecommunity]

The value of our Interfaith Week and Interfaith initiatives

The last century’s incredibly fast rise in technology, international communication, and mobility have contributed towards a pluralism and diversity like never before in both our local and global society. It seems that in our current circumstances, it would be impossible for any culture or group to exist in complete isolation. Different faith groups addressing their responses to and relationships with each other is both inevitable and highly valuable. This is especially true at the LSE.

  We could choose to see this pluralism as problematic and challenging and try to isolate ourselves from one another or we could embrace the reality of our contemporary condition, recognizing that no individual group within humankind is the entire story and that it is, therefore, only through mutual respect and, subsequently, attempted understanding that we can truly advance in the most complete, peaceful, and constructive manner. Don’t get me wrong, differences in culture and opinion, together with having independence and distinction between communities, is both natural and important. Every person should be allowed to be at peace with his or her own heritage and identity and different groups have valuable expertise and knowledge in particular areas. However, any absence of acknowledgment of or respect for the depth and humanity of other people, based on fear, ethnocentrism, or exploitation, is dangerous and, tragically, still a reality today in many parts of the world.

  It would appear that this segregation is part of a human tendency and perhaps even old self-preservation trait to continuously distinguish between the ‘other’ and ourselves. This is quite visible in our distinction between the ‘human world’ and the ‘natural world’, for example, which has led to our extremely human centric view of life. Interfaith initiatives are in a way a part of the effort to break away from these misconceptions of total and utter separation from our surroundings and, in the specific case of Interfaith Week, promote a culture of awareness of our common humanity and thus, the many tangible principles and collaborative actions that would be of common benefit to us all in a greater tapestry of cultures, even with wholehearted disagreements taken into account.

  In its own small, but important way, LSESU Interfaith Week attempted to promote this awareness through various collaborative activities. In the beginning of the week, photos were taken, quotes were written down and a roundtable discussion was had, to highlight the wealth of knowledge and ideas of both our student and staff body.  As the week progressed, there was a film screening of “La Grande Illusion”, which focused on progressive dialogue and empathy, and there was a Meditation Circle taster session open to all. It all came together on the Friday, with a popular ‘food festival’ on Houghton Street, which gave our different faith groups the opportunity to showcase something that they all seemed to share, traditional foods.

  Our Interfaith Week was and will continue to be important. Our student body is exceptionally diverse and international, with students continuously coming from and going to all parts of the world. Some have even come from more unstable places, where conflicts are converging. With so many and such genuine links to the rest of the world, it seems crucial that we both strengthen and export the shared values that enable us to have the flourishing community that we are so fortunate to have here. It can be easy to take a step back and leave these efforts to others, but the both global and pluralist nature of the LSE makes it particularly clear that each of us has a role to play, however small it may seem, in sustaining cohesion and peace. We have a remarkable and unique opportunity, if not a responsibility, here to lead as an example and to spread this message.

[lsecommunity]

LSESU and Residential Services host official joint halls committee training for the first time

Last Wednesday, for the first time, LSESU and the LSE Residential Services team collaborated to give the new student halls committees for 2015 official handover training, despite the committees not technically being fully a part of the Union. This was a project that had been planned for months, with the crucial efforts of Alex Louch and Jennifer Frances. The Union’s decision to work towards and have this joint training was important, as it came out of consecutive years of expressed insecurity from halls committees during the traditional handover period in late Michaelmas Term. Members, especially presidents, had consistently voiced concerns over a lack of perceived support and communication with the central bodies on campus during the first few weeks of their tenure.

                                                                                                         Although not perfect, with a few people missing, the training was generally received with positive and optimistic responses by the new committee members, who had been told of past years where solely predecessors carried out handovers. The training consisted of various aspects and was quite wide-ranging. It began with an introduction by Jennifer Frances and myself, representing the Residential Services team and the Students’ Union respectively. It then kicked off properly with a presentation on the importance of equality, diversity and welfare by Adam Sandelson, the head of the Disability and Well-being service, and Peter Howlett, the Undergraduate Dean. This then followed into a talk by the school’s sustainability team. The rest of the training consisted of various breakaway sessions focused on leadership, events planning, and treasurer duties. The day concluded with a closing discussion and question session, which involved contributions from wardens, Students’ Union staff and Residential Services staff.

  Though the training only took place for a few hours, it in many ways marked the significant beginning of a new period in the relationship between the Students’ Union and halls committees. It marked the initiation of a status quo of increased communication, coordination, and responsiveness. The success of the training demonstrated the mutual understanding that both the Union and committees fundamentally share the same purpose of serving and representing students and that closer ties, therefore, are not only desirable, but crucial to the improvement of the overall student experience at the LSE. This training was, hopefully, a sign of many greater things to come and an increasingly close, harmonious and, perhaps, more structurally integrated relationship.

[lsecommunity]

Making our LSE community one that exports peace

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend ‘We are all human: Interfaith Perspectives on Troubled Times’. It was a fascinating panel event hosted by the LSE Faith Centre, with speakers Mustafa Field from the Faiths Forum for London and Sister Christine Frost, both renowned for their work on community cohesion. This event and its message, which was largely a response to recent incidents, resonated deeply with me, compelling me to write this blog that you are now reading. Its encouragement of organic interfaith dialogue and inclusion of anecdotes helped to remind me of the acute importance of mutual understanding and maintaining hope in these volatile and ever changing times.

  As the talks and discussion developed, it seemed clear how important a forum like this had been for many of the attendees. Many, including myself, were clearly relieved to get things off of their chest in relation to the conflicts and traumas that had taken place over summer, many of which had thrust religion into the limelight. It is important to remember how diverse our student community is and that many of our fellow students and staff members come from unstable regions where conflicts are converging. These include places such as India, Palestine, Central African Republic, Syria, and Ukraine. With such a diverse community, that has links to so many regions, it seems crucial that we, as our Chaplain said, “can make LSE a place that exports peace”.

The stories and insights of the two panelists helped lay out the global situation and also put into context the message of the event and the Faith Centre as a whole.  Sister Christine Frost spoke of the charity work and community building that she had been a part of in her predominantly Muslim neighborhood in London. She also highlighted the importance of communication, when she gave an account of the media’s misrepresentation of her removal of a politically charged flag from her estate’s main entrance, which she feared would cause the wider society to wrongly fear her neighbours. The incident caused her to strengthen her community activism, which has involved her speaking out about the severe inequality and persisting disillusionment of the youth in many of London’s boroughs.

  Mustafa Fields spoke about his work with the faith forum and the positive impact that bringing together the regional leadership in and around London has had on social cohesion. He highlighted the numerous similarities in the nature and challenges of the various religious communities and how religious communities have far more that can bring them together than can divide them. His organization’s work has included English classes, culturally diverse meals, housing projects, and promotion of political involvement. Mustafa emphasized that the success of the different initiatives often came down to the willingness of each faith group to take the time to sincerely listen to the others.

  So how can we ensure that the LSE community is one that truly exports peace? In my humble opinion, the answer seems to have something to do with being honest with ourselves. As was alluded to during the event, it is normal and natural to focus one’s thoughts and efforts mostly on the struggles of one’s own community. However, if we can be more open to sincerely respecting and trying to relate to the struggles of people from other backgrounds, then we will perhaps get both a more truthful and holistic understanding of the global situation. This, though, requires an understanding that the labeling of an entire community is an easy oversimplification and that every person is a unique individual with many aspects to their identity. This also involves being honest about the individual role that each of us inevitably plays in the creation and sustaining of a culture of peace and understanding. So have a chat with someone you wouldn’t normally, get involved with the initiatives of the Faith Centre and the SU, like the upcoming Interfaith Week. We have a unique and remarkable opportunity here!

[lsecommunity]

7 Tips For London House Hunting

Hello Everyone!

It's come to my attention that some of you may be moving out of halls or have had a change of heart regarding your current house or location. Therefore, with some help from the LSESU Advice Team and the awesome sabbs from SU Arts, I've put together some tips for those of you still looking for a place to live. Also, make sure to get in touch with LSE Accommodation, who can give you invaluable support.

Much love,

Seb

  1) Check what’s happening with your deposit. If you have signed an assured short hold tenancy (which most students do) then the law states that your landlord must protect your deposit in a government backed scheme, as well as provide information about what happens in the event of a dispute. It’s not uncommon for landlords to ask for £1000 (or even more) to ensure you leave their property in the same state that you found it. Therefore, make sure you know how you will get this back at the end of your tenancy and that your landlord is following the correct procedure. It’s also worth taking dated photos (and making accompanying notes) when you move in, so you have a record of the condition of the property as you found it. 2) Get a friend to check your contract. Tenancy contracts can be excruciatingly long and filled with a lot of ‘waffle’. Often it can be very tempting to flip to the back and sign it straight away, especially if you feel like you’ve finally found the right place. Nevertheless, your contract is your binding document and, crucially, allows you to direct your landlord to do specific things, such as fix broken appliances. So try to get a friend to read through your contract. Alternatively, the school or students’ union can do this as well. 3) Don’t cut corners on safety checks. It can be quite boring, but it’s vital that you ensure that you have a working smoke alarm and an up to date gas safety certificate. 4) Make sure you can afford it. The London housing market is well known for being on the expensive side. However, it’s not uncommon to stumble across a bargain (particularly if you’re happy to compromise on certain parts). Once you’ve checked you can afford the rent, make sure you’re aware of any ‘hidden’ costs, such as admin fees, inventory checks, and holding deposits. On the plus side, full time students are exempt from council tax, so make sure you contact your local council to check how to apply for this. 5) Know your responsibilities. Many students sign up to a joint tenancy agreement, which means you are jointly liable for the rent. If someone decides to leave at some point during the tenancy, you will still need to pay the landlord the full amount of rent for the property (even if you can’t fill the room). So make sure all housemates understand this and are on the same page. 6) Understand your contract. Housing contracts can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming, so don’t hesitate to ask your landlord if there’s anything you’re unsure about. The SU Advice Service also offer free, confidential housing advice and can check through your contract for you if you’re in any doubt. Remember contracts are legally binding documents and, unless you have a break clause written into yours, aren’t always possible to get out of. For this reason it’s also important to be sure about who you’re living with. 7) Check whether your landlord is on an accredited list. Many local authorities run ‘best practice’ schemes that feature landlords if they sign up to and uphold a certain code of conduct, so check with your council. Throughout London, it is common for landlords to let multiple properties specifically to students. This could mean they’re known as being responsible, or they could be notorious for ripping students off. Either way, it will really help if you know what you’re getting yourself into and what your rights are as a tenant.

[lsesu]

A Little Intro to… Sebastian, Your Community and Welfare Officer!

Ladies and gentlemen, may we proudly introduce your Community and Welfare Officer for this year, Sebastian Bruhn!

Seb is responsible for strengthening and sustaining the LSE community, and making sure your opinions on student welfare are heard loudly and clearly. He’ll also take care of matters relating to accommodation, representation and general student support. Let’s get to know him a bit better! 

Read More

[lsecommunity]

Together we can stop HIV

Aged 14-19? A guy? Gay, bi or not sure?

If so, the National AIDS Trust needs your help.

The number of young gay men diagnosed with HIV has doubled in only 10 years.

Please give 10 minutes of your time to help them find out why, by completing their 2 minute survey here (http://nat.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6L3cUcKskiOqRlX)

Together we can stop HIV.

[lsecommunity]

Your Hall Your Call 2014

I strongly believe that the quality of LSE students’ experiences at university is intrinsically linked to the standard and provision of accommodation that is provided by the university.  As such LSE Students’ Union has made it a priority to listen to your opinions and views, present them to the School and to advocate for the changes and improvements that you want to see happen in your accommodation.

Throughout March, LSESU visited eleven of LSE’s Halls of Residence as part of the Students’ Union “Your Hall, Your Call” consultation process. Over the period of two weeks, we consulted with more than a hundred and forty students to find out what you like and don’t like about your halls, and what the School and the Union can do to improve your stay.

Issues explored through this year’s research included maintenance and refurbishment, provision of IT facilities, transparency of hall pricing and the social activities that are provided by halls committees.   

Below are the 18 main recommendations that have emerged from our research and I look forward to working  together with LSE to deliver on them and further improve the experiences of students living in LSE halls of residence.

Wherever possible maintenance work is completed as quickly as possible so that minimum disruption is caused to residents.

Long term maintenance work is completed as quickly as possible so that minimum disruption is caused to residents.

Long term maintenance and disrepair issues reported in some halls such as Passfield Hall should be addressed.

LSE should develop an online system where residents can log and track any maintenance issues or requests they have regarding their accommodation. This would instantly reduce the uncertainty students experience when they report maintenance issues and increase the efficiency of the response they receive.

Students’ needs should be prioritised above those of commercial customers and as such the majority of refurbishments works should take place during the holiday period so they do not impact on residents.

Older or more run down halls should be considered for refurbishment. If there is no capacity to do this then this should be communicated to the residents.

Social spaces and common rooms in halls should ne as inclusive as possible with a range of activities on offer to students. Furthermore, pool tables and table football tables are very well received so where possible this facility should be extended to halls that do not currently have them.

Halls Committees should be formally set up as societies within the students’ union structures. This would allow Halls Committees to make use of the SU banking and finance systems, treasurer training and committee members training, increase the transparency and accountability of the Halls Committee structures, allow the Halls Committees easy access to their mailing lists, raise the profile of the Committees, and finally it would make it possible to acknowledge the hard work and success of Halls Committees members by including them in the SU’s STARS Awards.

Allow students with specific dietary requirements to opt out of catering if they are placed in catered halls.

All IT equipment in halls should be maintained to a high standard and the IT department at LSE should endure the continued provision of communal printers and computers.

The fault reporting procedure for IT equipment should be clearly displayed and advertised in all halls.

The standard and speed of Wi-Fi in halls should be improved.

Where internet or WI-FI is provided by a third party provider there should be a communication and feedback process in place which allows residents to provide feedback regarding the standard the standard of service they receive.

On an annual basis LSE should publish a transparent account to students on how the rent prices are set and why annual rent increases need to take place.

 LSE should provide a transparent account to students on how the pricing of rooms is determined.

Continue to increase the visibility and approachability of wardens and sub-warden teams.

Work to create more of a community for residents in Kings Cross Urbanest who currently feel isolated or excluded from LSE. The Intercollegiate Halls Ambassador Scheme is model worth considering in this context as it has been very successful in building a stronger sense of community in University of London Halls.

Gain clarification for residents in Kings Cross Urbanest as to when the café and roof terrace will be opening.

You can access the full report here. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] with further comments, criticisms and suggestions, and as ever I will keep you informed on the progress of our effort to implement these recommendations.

[lsecommunity]

FAO: LSE students living in Commonwealth, Hughes Parry or Canterbury Halls

The Garden Halls are due to close for a major refurbishment next month.  Hughes Parry Hall, Canterbury and Commonwealth Halls  will close on Saturday 14th June, because of extremely tight refurbishment deadlines so UoL must bring forward your summer move.

By the 14th of June, some of you will still have exams/assessments to complete, and UoL have issued an apology and come up with two options to mitigate the impact on you.

Here are the options available:

1. To take up your summer extension as previously agreed, however bringing the date of move forward to 14th June. (So you just move out before the 14th)

2. If you would prefer to terminate your contract early and not take up your summer extension, you may do this any time between 1 and 14th June and any monies paid for the remaining period will be refunded along with your deposit. 

UoL are urging all students to complete and return the slip available on our website here http://bit.ly/1mkIX9K so they can confirm all the arrangements as soon as possible.

You must do this by 5pm today, stating whether you would like to move to your new Hall on 14th June or to terminate your contract early. These can be emailed to [email protected] or returned by hand to the Hall Office at Hughes Parry Hall.

Priority will be given to students who haven't completed their final exams by the 14th June.

LSE Residences are working to try and find out exactly who will be affected, who is still sitting exams post June 14th, and trying to come up with some alternative options with the University of London. We'll keep you informed of any movements/updates. The most important thing you do know is state your preference and get your form in by 5pm today.

If you have any questions, our advice service are available to help you. Just come to their drop in sessions between 11am and 1pm ask at the SU reception on the 3rd floor of SAW or e-mail [email protected] or phone [phone]. You can also make an appointment at a time that suits you.

Best,

Anneessa Mahmood

LSESU Community and Welfare Officer

[lsecommunity]

The LSE Online Housing Network is here!

As part of the OneLSE Campaign, we've been lobbying the School for an online housing network. We've worked with LSE Residences to highlight issues important to our members, develop a landlords code of practice for a housing network and put together lots of housing advice and guidance. 

The result....

LSE Accomodation Office are launching LSEStudentpad at the LSESU Housing Extravaganza today.

Go to www.lsestudentpad.co.uk to check it out!

To get the most of of this valuable new service:

- Register your preferences on the site

- Search for properties!

- Use the student-to-student messaging board to find flatmates

And also, if you know of a landlord who should use the service, email [email protected] and let them know!

I really hope this makes looking for housing in London so much easier.

Good Luck!

Anneessa Mahmood

LSESU Community and Welfare Officer

[lsecommunity]

Free meditation sessions every day at LSE Faith Centre

Here is a shortened version of a blog post I cam across recently...

Taking time out to meditate (even 5 minutes a day) can seem an impossible task that adds yet another thing to your to do list but the benefits can be wide-reaching;

Increased concentration

Improved mood

Reduced anxiety

Increased immunity

Increased compassion

Greater creativity

Better memory

Reduced stress levels

Better sleep

Reduced blood pressure

Meditation is well-evidenced in the areas of depression and anxiety, addictions and chronic pain and is rapidly gathering evidence in many other areas (fertility, irritable bowel syndrome etc).

Meditation is not rocket science. Erika and Tina have different styles but both gently lead you through 45 minutes of meditation and each time participants have left feeling less stressed, calmer, more creative and more able to take on the stresses of the day.

Give it a go. It’s free, you don’t have to book and you can just turn up and try it out.

The LSE Faith Centre now has meditation every day of the week:

Meditation sessions open to all are run on Monday and Thursdays between 12-1pm.

Student meditation run by the society The Meditation Circle are run on Wednesdays from 12-12:30 and on Fridays from 2-3pm.

Meditation and mindfullness for postgraduate students takes place on Tuesdays from 12-1pm.

Come along and fight those MidTerm Blues!

(See the Faith Centre Blog for the full blogpost! http://bit.ly/1f263YK )

Anneessa Mahmood

Community and Welfare Officer

[lsecommunity]

Exams and Wellbeing at LSE

One of the reasons I ran for Community and Welfare Officer was because of frustrations with the exam period. Starting for some as early as the end of Lent Term and finishing in the middle of Summer Term, it is certainly a long haul.

People stay in the library for days on end. They emerge only for an occasional  coffee break, or to stockpile on Red Bull, or because they smell and need to go home to shower. (not sleep, eat or rest....shower)

LSE is an extremely challenging and competitive environment to be in. Whether you're struggling with a presentation for your "fun" language class, researching for your HY300 dissertation, or even trying to find funding for your PHD, it's tough and is exactly why it’s important to start preparing ourselves for the onslaught of the revision period.

So, here's what the Union is doing about the darn right unhealthy exam culture at LSE.

Over the next couple of months you will see the following:

blog posts on healthy eating, exercise and sleep hygiene 

promotion of all the fantastic events and workshops the Teaching and Learning Centre run on exam prep for both quantitative and qualitative subjects

advice on how to make the most of the rest of your lent term

‘good study habits’ hints and tips 

stress management info and services you can use

lots of (free/nominal fee) exercise classes on and around campus during easter and summer term

food co-ops (where you can buy good quality, cheap produce)

advice on what is a mitigating circumstance and how to submit a request

a complete ban on comparing how much revision you have or haven't done with other people on your course (no joke)

There will be lots more to try and make the exam period at LSE less stressful in the immediate term.

Follow us on tumblr or facebook us to keep in the loop about what's going on.

All of these things have been designed because you’ve this is something I'm really committed to changing at the LSE. I'm always really keen to implement other great suggestions, so if you have other problems you think we can solve or ideas  – let me know.

Anneessa Mahmood

Community and Welfare Officer