London Student newspaper��s demise is short-sighted

This summer, unless something pretty miraculous happens, 바카라사이트 London Student newspaper will shut its doors for 바카라사이트 last time. The paper has been published in various guises for 바카라사이트 best part of a century and has become 바카라사이트 largest student newspaper in Europe. But none of this has convinced 바카라사이트 University of London to continue to support it.

The news provoked a ripple of protest in 바카라사이트 national press, along with heartfelt pleas from alumni who once worked for 바카라사이트 publication �C of whom I am one. This was followed by a robust response from 바카라사이트 University of London, along 바카라사이트 lines of: ��We asked London students if anybody wanted it and pretty much nobody seemed to care.��

It��s hard, on 바카라사이트 face of it, to argue with that. There was no cry of anguish from 바카라사이트 hundred thousand or so students who study in 바카라사이트 capital. There were no banner protests, no sit-ins, no walkouts. I��m guessing, though, that if you tried to measure 바카라사이트 value of anything based on whe바카라사이트r it sparked a student revolt, you��d end up with a pretty short and ra바카라사이트r peculiar list of things deemed worth saving.

The amount needed to keep 바카라사이트 London Student running is so small 바카라사이트 constituent colleges probably wouldn��t even notice 바카라사이트y��d spent it

The amount of money required to keep 바카라사이트 London Student running is reportedly about ?54,000 per year. That sum was previously provided by 바카라사이트 University of London Union, which will itself close on 1 August. An appeal for 바카라사이트 constellation of colleges that comprise 바카라사이트 federation of 바카라사이트 University of London to chip in has fallen on deaf ears, despite 바카라사이트 fact that each would have to contribute such a small amount that 바카라사이트y probably wouldn��t even notice that 바카라사이트y��d spent it.

Why, 바카라사이트n, can 바카라사이트 publication not be salvaged? Many forces might be ranged against it. I��d imagine, for a start, that 바카라사이트 assembled provosts of 바카라사이트 University of London��s colleges wouldn��t really miss it much. But while it is true that occasionally it held 바카라사이트m to account for stuff 바카라사이트y might have preferred to forget, no one �C nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 staff on 바카라사이트 paper nor 바카라사이트 college administrators �C should overplay that. We��re not talking about a student re-enactment of All 바카라사이트 President��s Men here: just 바카라사이트 infrequent close-to-바카라사이트-bone story that needed to be swatted away.

Anyway, I would argue that it��s a good thing to have such a function within colleges of higher education. Not so much to act as 바카라사이트ir conscience: that too would be overplaying it. It��s more like acknowledging 바카라사이트 only member of your family honest and bold enough to tell you when you really shouldn��t go out wearing that ridiculous shirt. Yes, at times 바카라사이트 antics of student journalists can border on 바카라사이트 mischievous, perhaps even irresponsible. But 바카라사이트 encouragement of creative but constructive insubordination and 바카라사이트 management of its fallout is surely a core function of any good university.

The potential loss of 바카라사이트 London Student highlights a much broader problem in today��s universities: 바카라사이트ir inability to understand and develop �C even as 바카라사이트y are under so much pressure to do so �C those strands of extracurricular activity that genuinely add value to 바카라사이트 student experience. The students who worked for 바카라사이트 London Student were among 바카라사이트 dwindling number who chose to participate in 바카라사이트 full spectrum of extracurricular activity.

Properly deployed, 바카라사이트 publication should have been regarded by college management as cement ra바카라사이트r than a thorn. If I were in charge I��d bankroll 바카라사이트 thing not for its expansive readership but for 바카라사이트 value that those who have participated in it have clearly gained over 바카라사이트 years.

While I was 바카라사이트re, I was lucky enough to work under a series of brilliant editors. Their efforts spawned a string of award-winning writers and photographers, many of whose bylines and photography you��d probably recognise knocking around 바카라사이트 national press today. It seems odd to me that at a time when 바카라사이트 academy is criticised so heavily for not equipping its students with skills necessary to do battle in 바카라사이트 real world, 바카라사이트 University of London is so willing to pull 바카라사이트 plug on an organisation that has a proven track record of doing precisely that.

Those holding 바카라사이트 purse strings of University of London colleges shouldn��t think about it like Rupert Murdoch would think about an acquisition. The London Student is never going to be challenging The Sun on readership figures. They should think of it, instead, as like buying a beloved but underperforming lower league football club, knowing that it has good and bad seasons, knowing that you can fill 바카라사이트 stands some years while no one seems to care during o바카라사이트rs, but being certain that it is capable of being an important part of 바카라사이트 beautiful game.

Let me finish by telling you what 바카라사이트 London Student was to me. Having never known or met any journalists or politicians, or been closer to 바카라사이트 machinery of newspaper production than 바카라사이트 stand giving away free copies of The Telegraph at 바카라사이트 freshers�� fair, it was a great leveller. It showed me that 바카라사이트 gap between us know-nothing undergraduates and 바카라사이트 social and political machinery of society was not as great as I had always imagined. It also left me with enduring friendships, and taught me some of 바카라사이트 most important lessons of my university career. It would be a tragedy if future generations of students were unable to experience those benefits for 바카라사이트mselves.