The View from the Deanery

Welcome to Week 7 of the Lent Term.

The mantra that one often hears is that we should keep politics out of sport. But in watching any of the coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi you get interesting insights into the subtle and not-so subtle interplay between the two: whether it is the seemingly endless coverage of curling (because it is one of the few winter sports the Brits are good at) or the Russian leadership showing up for the four-man bobsleigh* where Russia took the Gold medal. But equally you see that for some of the competitors, the country they are ‘representing’ maybe a mere convenience that will allow them to compete on a world stage. South Korean-born Viktor Ahn winning skating Gold and US-born Vic Wild’s winning two Gold medals for Russia in the snowboard competition being cases in point.

As you focus on your studies a few quick reminders:

The exam timetable will be out on the last week of the Lent Term and your personal exam timetable will be available through LSE for You. If there are any issues, particularly relating to start dates for internships, make sure that you stop by and see me in my office hours.
Don’t forget the exam preparation sessions being run by the Teaching & Learning Centre. These will be really useful in helping you deal with a different examination process than you may be use to at your home institution.
If you are suffering from stress or anxiety because of your studies, make use of the excellent and completely confidential counseling services available at LSE.

* As an interesting aside, I’ve gone down the Olympic bobsleigh run at La Plagne. One of the most frightening, yet exhilarating things I’ve ever done.

Mark Hoffman
Dean of the General Course
gc.dean@lse.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7107 5197
Room OLD 1.09

Office Hours: Monday 2.30pm - 5pm, Wednesday 3.30pm - 5pm

GC Caption Competition!

Don't forget about the GC Caption Competition!

1 Photo, 1 Caption, £25 Amazon Voucher and immortalisation.

Deadline midnight Thursday 27th February.

Winner announced in the next Tembo.

LSE Events

In Conversation with Rohan Silva

Rohan Silva is entrepreneur in residence at Index Ventures and a research affiliate at MIT. Rohan is also a policy fellow at Cambridge University and serves on the Board of Trustees at the Whitechapel Art Gallery and the London Contemporary Music Festival. He is a former senior policy adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Rohan is an alumnus of LSE, having graduated with a MSc in Government.

His presentation takes place in The Venue, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre on Tuesday 25th February from 6.30pm.

How Climate Change Might Save the World
Professor Ulrich Beck

Public discourse and politics of climate change are blocked by the dominance of apocalyptic imaginaries and by the inability of sociological thinking to analyse the transformation of politics and to imagine new openings.

To combat the sources of climate pessimism, we need a new cosmopolitan outlook, in research and politics, capable of grasping the epochal transformations of society and politics set in motion by the global risks of climate change.

Ulrich Beck is professor of sociology at the University of Munich and visiting professor in the Department of Sociology at LSE.

The lecture will take place in the Old Theatre on Thursday 27th February at 6.30pm.

London Events

The Best Afternoon Teas in London

The Afternoon Tea is a long standing tradition in this country. Its origins stem from the Elizabethan era. Upon being informed one afternoon of the impending threat from the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth I requested a tea before declaring "We shall meet them at the seas and strike a hurricane upon their sails!". The Afternoon Tea has since stood as a commemoration to that great victory.

The list above are the award winners by afternoontea.co.uk (yes there is such a thing). Includes the likes of The Ritz, The Dorchester and The Goring Hotel.

Art14 London
Olympia Grand

For the cultured among you, Art14 London is an art expo like no other. With over 180 galleries from 42 countries in the £30m refurbished Olympia Grand, there are plenty of reasons to attend. They also have talks, events and catering over the whole weekend Feb 28 - Mar 2.

Fesitval Maslenitsa
Trafalgar Square

This week the spotlight shifts from Sochi to London whilst still shining on Russia in the shape of Festival Maslenitsa. Events take place throughout the week in the Capital with it all coming together on March 2nd in Trafalgar Square. If you happen to be on a stroll nearby this Sunday enjoy the crafts, food and music that will be on offer.

Through the Ages

The LSE Dance Show

Directed by our very own Rose Schutzberg, this year's Dance Show 'Through the Ages' has its performance on the 3rd March at 7pm in the Peacock Theatre.

Tickets will be sold on Houghton Street daily from 11am - 2pm and at the door on the evening of the show! Doors will open at 6pm with drinks available at the Peacock Theatre Bar. Tickets cost £7, £9 and £11.

Come support your fellow GC Students!!!

Transatlantic Conference

The LSESU USA Society

Thursday 27th February 2014, 8.30am - 7pm, London School of Economics and Political Science

The LSESU USA Society are proud to present LSE’s first student-led ‘Transatlantic Conference’. Taking place on Thursday 27th February and held at the LSE, this one-day conference will seek to explore the political, economic, security and cultural dynamics of the relationship between the US and Europe.

Attendees include Dr Liam Fox (the former Secretary of Defence to the UK), his excellency Francois Riveasseau (former Ambassador and Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the US), Sir Richard Ottaway (Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee), Shawn Donne (Financial Times World Trade Editor) and many more!

More information about the event, including ticketing information can be found here