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Issue1219.02.16 thegryphon.co.uk News p.5 TheBig Picture:The Race forThe WhiteHouse is hottingup Views p.13 TheBig Debate: Do quotas represent agoodway of achieving equality? [Image: CleanAndSoberENT] S Sport Meenakshi Parmar explores FoMo -The In TheMiddle review KanyeWest’s p.19 Allthe latest news,updates and •Fear of Missing out at University p.8 •TheLifeofPablo ITMp.5 resultsfromthisweek’sBUCS matches [Image: Jack Roberts] UniversityInvestment Breaches Long-standing ‘Policy’ • £749,822 invested in Altria breaches ‘tobaccopolicy’ fought forbystudentsfifteenyears ago • Other investments made in alleged tax avoiders, defence contractors and fossil fuel producers Benjamin Cook aleading university.” wasreached with HMRC to make a Editor-in-Chief AFreedom of InformationRequest has paymentof£130m ‘inrespect of previous also revealed that theUniversityisa years’.Withinvestments also madein An investigation by TheGryphon has stakeholder in severalfossilfuelproducers, amazon.com,who in 2014paidatax foundthat theUniversityofLeeds has theworld’s largestdefence contractor, bill of £11.9m despiterecording salesof invested£749,822intobacco giant Altria, companies at theheart of recent financial £5.3bn in theUKasthese salesweretaken againstUniversitypolicy, alongside scandals andtax avoidance claims, and through Amazon’s Luxembourg company, investments in severalother controversial aminingcompany withallegations of Amazon EU Sarl.The University has businesses as part of theUniversity’s illegal dealings withrogue states and retained shares in Tescofrom 2014, with multi-million poundinvestmentportfolio. paramilitaries. thesupermarketgiant also criticised for InvestmentsinAltria, thecompany that Figuresfrom theend of May2015show similar useoftax havens in recent years. produces popularcigarette brands such as theUniversityhas an investmentportfolio Otherinvestments include Lockheed Marlboro,Parliament, andChesterfield, of £65,015,550inavariety of international Martin,anAmericanaerospace,defence, accountfor 1.15%ofinvestments.This businesses.The largestsingleinvestment security, andadvance technologies investmentcontravenesapolicyto beingthe £1,885,509 investedinthe company,thatbased on revenuefor disinvestintobacco stocks takenbythe Vodafone Groupwhich constitutes2.9% the2014fiscal year wasthe world’s University Council on November 8th of theoverall portfolio. Vodafone has largestdefence contractor. In 2013,78% 2001 following alengthy campaign by been criticised forseveral yearsover of Lockheed Martin’s revenues came students unhappy withthe institution’s allegationsithas been paying ‘littletono from military sales, withUSgovernment investmenthabits. At thetimeinvestments corporation tax’. contracts accounting for85% of its in tobaccoaccounted for3%ofthe The portfolio also shedslight on the businessin2009. Lockheed Martin is University’s £52m portfolio.Speakingat University’s investments in companies also thecompany behindthe designand thetime, then Vice-Chancellor Professor accusedofaggressivetax avoidance in construction of theTrident ballistic missile SirAlanWilsonhad said,“Ourdecision recent years. Shares areheldinGoogle, system. wasmadeonamatterofprinciple,and in wholastmonth were accusedofcutting recognitionofthe socialresponsibilitiesof ‘sweetheart deals’ when an agreement Continuedonpage3>>>>>>> 2 News Editor’sLetter: It’sThe Most 19.02.16 Wonderful Time Of TheYear Is it really that time of year already? and glossy leaflets, student politics you, you’ll knowsomeone they have. Weather Over the next few weeks the Leader- matters. In my fourth year at Leeds, I Let’snot give them too muchpraise HI LO ship Race will transform campus into can safely saythere has never been though, anice graduate job and a10% Fridayy cloudy 76 ahorrifying maelstrom of campaign atimethat student politics has been staff discount is pretty nice after all. Saturday rainy 10 6 posters, terrible song parodies, and more important. Anyway,I’m probably just coming Sunday rainy 94 lecture shout outs. Then almost as soon Youmay not see all the work that over all misty-eyed because my time in as it fell upon us it will be over, with your Exec and the Union that supports the Editor’schair is nearly at an end. But “ “ “ “ “ Quoteofthe Week “ nothing to showbut afew stubborn them puts in for youbehind the scenes my point stands. Youcan get through Ifyoudon’t watch yourself, chalk marks, banners gathering dust in everyday, but Ido, and Iknowthey’re the election fatigue, because this mat- with everymove you’llend up beinggashed, broken,bruised or the backofsomeone’scupboard, and a trying to help do what’sbest for stu- ters. Look beyond all the superficial contused. Evenifyou negotiatethe sharprocks you’ll soon feel that too many people havepeedinthe pool shinynew exec -ormaybe not totally dents every moment of the day. It’snice offers of apps and see what really mat- foryou to want to swim thereany more.The funisover. new exec. to knowsomebodyisbecause there ters in these elections. Whichofthese “ Formanystudentsthe Leadership aren’tmanypeople out there shedding six people are going to give everything ‘National Treasure’ Stephen Fryexpresses his view on the Race is at best tedious, at worst out- atear for the under-25’sthese days. they can everydaytofight for you? ‘dangerous’ side of Twitter, after deciding to take abreak from the social media site right annoying. It is the epitome of the Leading the continued fight against Oh, and don’tforget to vote for a this week exuberant, extorverted, Radio 1, mar- tuition fees; lowering the cost of living; Gryphon Editor.Wedon’twant are- keting campaign that so irks students diversifying the curriculum; setting up peat of last year. Contents whoonly want the Union to provide services to care for your mental health; them with somewhere to provide providing the most vulnerable in soci- Benjamin Cook 3-7 News cheap sandwiches, cheap drinks, and ety with the safe spaces they need. We Editor-in-Chief acheap night out. take for granted the efforts of our Exec, 8-10 Features But beneath all of the bright colours and even if their work hasn’thelped 12 Society 14-15 Views 16-17 Science PhotoofThe Week: 19-24 Sport Resident Gryphon photographer and Media and Communication student, Nao Takahashi, took this striking image at Sibelius Park in Helsinki, last month. Credits Editor-In-Chief ~Benjamin Cook AssociateEditor ~Greg Whitaker News ~Elli Pugh,Jess Murray,Shamima Noor, SamRobinson Society -Avigail Kohn Features ~Stephanie Uwalaka,Molly Walker- Sharp Views -Rachel King,Freya Parr,Dom Johnson Science ~Sam McMaster, DougiePhillips Sport ~AlexBowmer, JamesCandler,Nancy Gillen,Fiona Tomas HeadofPhotography ~Jack Roberts thegryphon.co.uk News 3 Leeds Physics Student University’s Missing On Ben Nevis Investments Face Scrutiny >>>>>Continued from page 1 As an agreement hasyet to be reached between LUUand theUniversityondivestmentfrom fossil fuels, theUniversitystill holdsinvestmentin severalcompanies responsiblefor theextraction of fossil fuels. InvestmentsinBP, Shell, RioTinto, Umicore, BHPBilliton, andGlencore,showthat the [Image: TheIndependent] University’s investmentsinfossilfuels is substantial. The University hasinvestedinBPfor severalyears, JonnyChard withthe oiland gasgiant donating£700,000 to Due to heavy snow, fog, and high winds of up to 90mph, theUniversitybetween 2009 and2012. However, University of Leeds Physics undergraduate student, Tim Inspector Donald Campbell, of Police Scotland, has stat- investments in several other companies in this Newton, is missing after failing to return from an outing ed that conditions on Ben Nevis are still making it too field are more recent. Several of these companies on Ben Nevis at the weekend. dangerous to resume the search and Lochaber Mountain have also had damning allegations made against Newton, 27, and Rachel Slater,24, both experienced Rescue teams are having to review conditions on an hour- them in recent years. Glencore has been accused climbers, were thought to have been camping in agreen ly basis. of ignoring UN lawindealing with rogue states tent near the Charles Inglis Clark memorial hut on the From Ms Slater’slogbook entries on UKClimbing.com, it suchasapartheid South Africa, Iran, and Iraq under north side of the mountain. is apparent that she has conducted anumber of expedi- Saddam Hussein. ABBC investigation in 2012 Thealarm wasraised on Mondayafter they were report- tions with Mr Newton and both are very experienced and claimed to have uncovered sale documents showing ed overdue from their expedition. well-travelled climbers. the companyhad paid associates of paramilitaries Following apossible sighting of twopeople fitting their Ajoint statement from the families of Mr Netwon and Ms in Colombia. This followed aColombian Court description climbing in the area on Sundayafternoon, a Slater stated: “Weare extremely grateful to members of accepting evidence from former paramilitaries who search began, but had to be postponed on Tuesdayafter the emergencyservices and search and rescue personnel claimed they had stolen land to sell to Prodeco, a twoinvolved in the search were caught in an avalanche. whoare searching for Rachel and Tim. subsidiary of Glencore, to start an open-cast coal Further to this, an avalanche in Creag Meagaidh in the “The overwhelming response from members of the pub- mine in 2011. However,Glencore has repeatedly western Highlands whichkilled one man and left anoth- lic and the climbing community has greatly assisted the refuted all suchallegations against