1st Week Trinity Term 2022

April 29th 2022

1st Week

Vol. 295 No. 2

Inside: Cherwell Top 40 BNOCs

Independent since 1920

p.4-5

Censor steps back from safeguarding duties following explicit Twitter activity Charlie Hancock and Estelle Atkinson report.

The long-running dispute between Christ Church and its former Dean may have reached a settlement last term, but the College is facing public scrutiny once again. The Christ Church Junior Censor has stepped down from safeguarding duties after a complainant found him to have liked tweets containing erotic images.

The College was alerted to this on March 30th by ‘Gilo’ – whose surname Cherwell has withheld at his request – after the Junior Censor followed him on Twitter. Gilo is a writer and CSA survivor. He contacted the Christ Church governing body, the Bishop of Oxford, and Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the University, raising concerns over the Junior Censor’s safeguarding responsibilities.

“If any teacher in any UK school posted porn it would be considered a disciplinary matter.

How can a university college carry out safeguarding when the Safeguarding Officer posts sexual images?” he wrote.

A mathematics professor, McGerty’s responsibilities included granting students permission to have parties, and overseeing non-academic discipline. Private Eye reported that McGerty told colleagues he was stepping back to avoid “becoming a distraction” as the College undertakes an independent safeguarding review. The review is being conducted by Ineqe Safeguarding Group.

Gilo highlighted that Christ Church’s safeguarding policies state that members of staff with welfare responsibilities for students should have demonstrated the “appropriate qualities to perform such a role”. In an email conversation with the Bishop’s Chaplain, Gilo explained that he was concerned that students “might think twice about presenting [welfare] issues to a man who promotes [explicit content] on social media”.

He told Cherwell that it was “hypocritical” of

See inside: Interview with Stephen Schwartz P.10

Image Credit: Sonia Shuster Christ Church to give McGerty welfare responsibilities in light of the controversies which have engulfed the College in recent years.

‘Liking’ a tweet on Twitter saves the post to one’s profile, and may lead to a tweet getting recommended to one’s followers. Gilo told Cherwell he was alerted to the images by a friend shortly after McGerty followed him on Twitter. McGerty has since changed his Twitter handle.

Eight minutes after Gilo alerted the College, he received a “sinister” anonymous email from ‘Wolf Man’ reading: “There is something seriously wrong with you. Please get some help and stop wasting peoples time. It’s desperately sad that you have nothing better to do. Seriously?

Do something better with your life.”

When approached for comment, a representative from Christ Church told Cherwell: “Christ Church received a complaint about a series of pictures that Professor Kevin McGerty ‘liked’ on a personal Twitter page unconnected

to the College during a period before he took office as Junior Censor.”

“An external investigator was immediately appointed by Christ Church. The investigator did not find ‘liking’ the images raised any significant safeguarding questions of a primary nature.”

“On receipt of the complaint Professor McGerty volunteered to step back from his role as safeguarding lead, to avoid becoming a distraction at a time when Christ Church is engaged in an independent review of safeguarding across the joint foundation. His safeguarding role has been taken up by Clare Hayns, College Chaplain. Professor McGerty continues as Junior Censor.”

“A further complaint, concerning an email from an individual identifying themselves as ‘Wolf Man’ could not be investigated any further because the complainant was unable to provide the requested information.”

A representative from the Conference of Col-

leges said, “the Chair and Deputy Chair of Conference, and the Chair of the Conference Legal Panel, were contacted during the vacation by the complainant, and they undertook to seek assurances from Christ Church that the matter was being dealt with appropriately.

These assurances were received.”

The University of Oxford and Kevin McGerty have been approached for comment.

News 3. Two Oxford undergraduates run in upcoming elections

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What’s inside?

11. Using coronavirus vaccine technology to fight the Black Death 12. “A generosity of spirit in her landscapes”: The art of Jean Jones 13. How (not) to look at buildings

8.There Ain’t No Party Like a Conservative Party! Oxford, the Tories, and the preparation for life without consequences 10. Defying Gravity: In conversation with Stephen Schwartz

14. Following the money: What does ‘selling out’ mean?

16.The afterlife of a ballgown 17. Six Grim Limericks to Ruin Your Day 20. A month of reconnection: Ramadan practices in a postCOVID world

14. Local Hero: A modest masterpiece 20. Ismat Chughtai on Indian female experiences 23. GROW British Rowing: A step in the right direction?

Oxford nuclear fusion revolution: Cherwell meets the scientists Humza Jilani reports on Europe’s most powerful fusion experiment, located in Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire is the epicenter of a global effort to harness the power of nuclear fusion, the process which powers the Sun, to greatly slash greenhouse gas emissions.

And the University of Oxford is a leading player in that quest, with students and faculty partnering with and founding key players in seeking to develop a nuclear fusion reactor that can generate more energy than it consumes.

The Oxford community is the home of two startups, First Light Fusion and Tokamak Energy, developing pathways to commercially viable fusion energy. University of Oxford alumni are well-represented among their leadership teams. Both have raised millions of dollars from public and private investors, indicating a growing appetite worldwide for new approaches to solving

the climate crisis.

Earlier this month, First Light Fusion, which spun out of the University of Oxford, successfully combined atomic nuclei through a novel approach called “projectile fusion.” A few months before, the Joint European Torus (JET) laboratory, which is located in Oxfordshire and is Europe’s most powerful fusion experiment, produced 59 smashing its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.

As an energy source, nuclear fusion produces no carbon emissions and a very small amount of fuel could theoretically power a house for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Fusion, however, remains prohibitively expensive and currently consumes more energy than it produces, making it commercially unviable for the near-term.

Researchers, at Oxford and elsewhere, hope to crack the code to make it viable within the next ten to thirty years.

Cherwell spoke with a representative from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), a government fusion research organisation, who shared details about the almost century-long relationship between the University of Oxford and nuclear fusion research.

Chris D. Warrick, the student placement and outreach manager at UKAEA, shared that the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, the United Kingdom’s national laboratory for fusion research, has very strong links to the University and its students. Each year, Culham places between 1 and 5 DPhil students from Oxford, as well as those from other universities, into its research organization.

“Our links [with the University of Oxford] are very strong, as are our links all over the U.K. and all over the world,” Warrick told Cherwell.

The University’s involvement in cuttingedge fusion research dates back to the late 1930s, when the Clarendon Laboratory housed a fusion research team. It trained generations of trailblazing fusion researchers, including Professor Peter Thonenmann, who received his DPhil from Oxford in 1946 and went on to build one of the world’s earliest nuclear fusion reactors called the Zero-Energy Toroidal Assembly (ZETA).

In 1965, the Culham Centre was founded in Oxfordshire. The location was chosen in part due to the decades-long involvement of Oxford researchers in fusion work, and it continues to collaborate closely with students and faculty from the University.

The existence of the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, which housed the Atomic Energy Research Establishment between the 1940s and 1990s, just south of Didcot also contributed to the decision to

house the Culham Centre in Oxfordshire.

The Culham Centre collaborates closely with a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics departments at the University of Oxford. They regularly draw on research into theories of plasmas from the Department of Physics. The Materials department assists Culham with designing approaches to creating a device that can reach temperatures that far exceed that of the surface of the Sun, and designing the reactor so that it can remain viable for up to 40 or 50 years, which is what they hope to one day achieve. Culham also works closely with the Mathematical Institute, the Engineering Science Department, and the Robotics Institute. tics, and Oxford’s role as a community of scholars from across the globe has facilitated collaboration throughout the Cold War and into the present day, Warrick told Cherwell.

Image credits: UKAEA (left) EUROfusion (above)

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News Research suggests that university reputation could matter less than final grade in determining earnings Ceci Catmur reports on the findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

New research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests that the reputation of the university a student attends could matter less than the grade of their final degree. In other words, a first-class degree from a less prestigious university could lead to better earnings than a lower grade from a more competitive one. The IFS suggests that students should focus less on how prestigious their university is and more upon their final grades.

The report finds that degree class has a huge impact upon future salaries. Generally, across all institutions, “earning differences between those graduating with different degree classes are large.” Higher degree classes offer significantly higher earning potential. A first-class degree compared to a 2:1 offers a 4% average pay increase for women and a 7% premium for men. A 2:2 instead of a 2:1 leads to a 7% decrease in earnings for women and 11% reduction for men.

Ben Waltmann, a co-author of the report, states, “many graduates who get a 2:2 from a highly selective university might have got a higher-paying job had they attended a slightly less selective university and got a 2:1.”

Degree class matters more than, or as

much as, institutional reputation when looking at future earning potential. The gap in earnings between a 2:1 and a 2:2 is much more significant than the “inconsequential” difference between a first and a 2:1, Jack Britton reports. Research from 2013 shows that five years after graduation a 2:1 would earn a student (pre-tax) around £38,000 less than a 2:2.

The study also reveals these consequences in future salaries of a 2:1 compared to a 2:2 are greater at more selective universities.

Those who achieve (regardless of gender) a 2:2 from the most selective institutions earn on average 20% less at age 30 than those with a 2:1. This compares to an average 6% salary decrease for women, and an 8% reduction for men, when comparing the same degrees at the least selective universities.

However, the rewards of improved deg r e e classes do vary across subjects.

A first class degree over a 2:1 offers significantly improved earning potential for subjects such as economics, law, business, computing, and pharmacology. Generally, within these subjects, degree class matters far more when related to future earnings.

Those studying law or economics face a 15% decrease in earnings when achiev-

ing a 2:2 compared to a 2:1, whilst those who study education or English see “no significant difference” in earnings when comparing these degree classes, according to the report.

The statistics analysed also reveal large gender differences in the benefits of a first class degree on future earnings at the most selective universities. Whilst this top grade offers nearly no future pay benefit compared to a 2:1 for women, it offers an average 14% salary increase for men.

This statistic reveals that high-achieving women have lower future earning potential than their male counterparts.

The report also finds a general long-term trend of universities awarding more students higher degree classes each year. The percentage of people who achieved first class degrees trebled in 2015 compared to 1999.

Selective universities award on average more of the top two degree classes each year than less selective institutions. However it is still harder to obtain these higherclass degrees from more competitive universities.

Image Credit: Steve Cadman

Two Oxford undergraduates run in upcoming council elections modern construction methods and standards.

A cabinet post dedicated to the climate emer-

Maggie Wilcox reports on their platform and vision.

Kai Pischke, a third-year computer scientist PPE student at Lady Margaret Hall, are both running as Liberal Democrats in the upcoming Oxford City Council elections. Little, the current president of the Oxford University Liberal Democrats (OULD), is running in the Holywell Ward, while Pischke, former OULD president and current general committee member, seeks election in Carfax and Jericho.

Personal experience as well as general disappointment with the political status quo have motivated the two candidates to run. For Pischke, it was hearing about small issues, like the reintroduction of greyhound racing and that pushed him to seek election. Drawing on his experience in climate activism as part of the “Green Lib Dems” subgroup, he hopes to lessen Oxford’s environmental impact as a city and a university. Little also has experience in Lib Dem politics as a Young Liberals Policy ofPischke emphasised that the local Lib Dems are not solely moderates, nor one-sided, but campaigners who “have a very ambitious program.” Running on a manifesto focused on transport, housing, and the environment, they advertise themselves as a local party of concrete action. This includes promoting cyclist and pedestrian safety, maintaining Oxford’s Green Belt and biodiversity, and supporting

have also been proposed.

Councillors oversee a variety of municipal services, including some aspects of transport, housing, and social care. There is also a history in Oxford of councillors interacting with the university and colleges. Some have denounced Oriel’s Rhodes statue or supported the Climate League of Oxford and Cambridge campaign in the past. Pischke and Little state that, despite these actions, students often face feelings of

At times, local politics seem disconnected and overlooked. But, as Pischke says, the city council does indeed have “an important role to play”. He hopes to liaise with JCRs, MCRs, the SU and other student groups on important student issues, notably climate change.

Little and Pischke have focused in particular on improving mental health services, cycling provision, and help for vulnerable populations like the homeless in their campaigning. Their “unique perspective” as students is one that Pischke feels needs to be shared, especially in a ward dominated by students and young people like the one in which he is running. There is some precedent for undergraduate students serving in local politics, as the role is technically a part-time job. A student was elected to shire teenager became a councillor in 2018 shortly before beginning university. However, the average age of councillors in England is 59.4 years old, according to a 2018 census.

Council elections will take place on May 5.

UK students can vote in both Oxford and their home area if properly registered.

News Shorts Future of Mitre pub remains in the dark Statements on future plans remain “vague and inconclusive.”

Oxford campus appears in Netflix’s Anatomy of a Scandal Parts of the TV series was filmed in New College Lane, Brasenose Lane, Wadham, and Pembroke Square.

A corundum conundrum Oxford researchers have produced a fibre optic sensor made of sapphire crystals that could significantly improve the efficiency of power generation.

Image Credits (top to bottom): CC BY-SA 2.0 Robin Sones, Doc Searls, Matthew Clark

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TOP 40 BNOCs 1. Daniel Dipper

2. Anvee Bhutani

3. You You Xue

4. Eve Bennett

5. Michael-Akolade Ayodeji

7. Tobias Schroder

7. Clay Nash

8. Darcy Dixon

9. Molly Mantle

10. Charlie Hancock

11. Rachel Ojo

12. Gracie Oddie-James

13. Adam Roble

14. David Tritsch

15. Alex Fish

Second year, Magdalen The Oxford Union may be a hornets’ nest of hacks, but Daniel has become a queen bee without destroying all likeability in the process.

Working hard to improve access at the university, you will at least know him as the DJ who wished you a happy birthday on Facebook.

Fourth year, Lady Margaret Hall With 241k youtube subscribers tuning in for her studytubes, Eve is the only name on campus known by thousands off of it.

After you got to Oxford, your friends probably asked whether you’d had an Eve sighting before finding out if you’d visited the RadCam.

Third year, Brasenose As SU LGBTQ+ Campaign Co-Chair, Clay is at the helm of social activism for LGBTQ+ rights. Hit up the next high-profile protest for your shot at an autograph.

Second year, Hertford In Charlie’s own words, “some people arrive at Oxford with dreams of a Blue. I arrived wanting to edit Cherwell.” Having already since been published in The Times and The Guardian, Charlie might well be spilling the tea on these BNOCs for many years to come.

Second year, Teddy Hall Yet another Oxford Union president, Adam is proof that once a BNOC, always a BNOC. He eventually told us, “In the words of Kanye, everybody wanted to know what I would do if I didn’t get featured.

I guess we’ll never know”. Editors’ note: Who wanted to know?

Second year, Magdalen If you’re looking for the future President of the list, Anvee’s our best bet, having served as SU president and recently secured an officership in the Union. With connections in almost every society, she’s the BNOC’s BNOC.

Third year, University College Michael is about to join the limited number of students brave (or mad?) enough to serve as President of both Oxford Union and Student Union. He is also a muchloved member of Oxford’s American football team.

Third-year, St Peter’s College Having featured as one of the Top 100 Future Leaders of Powerlist Magazine, and also delivered her own TedTalk, this woman’s LinkedIn page gave Cherwell me an existential crisis. That being said, @Darcy, could you please accept my request? xx

Second year, University Rachel’s career is off to a flying start. Already a national campaigner working to prevent knife crime, she will likely be more influential than you could ever be. Watch this space.

First year, St Cross David Tritsch is the BNOC of Cherwell, so he’s a BNOC of Oxford. Famous college family members include his wife Eve Bennett and his mum Malala. Catch him interviewing different students for the new installation of OxPops! on Facebook.

First year, Merton Instagram vlogger, restaurant owner, jetsetter, poker player, what is he not? You You is best known for his daily instagram stories.

Discussing everything from good stock investments to Cherwell’s inability to grammar, You You’s stories read like a documentary.

1st year Mphil, Exeter College Tobias blew up OxRow after students across the uni fell in love with the Blues stroke. After leading the crew to victory over Cambridge in the men’s 176th Boat Race, Tobias’ tears of joy melted hearts the world over.

Third year, St Hughs Molly was responsible for founding the Ban Conversion Therapy UK campaign, which gained national recognition, at the age of 15. She was the big boss of the Union last term, with her time as President overseeing financial reforms and new Equality and Access measures.

Second year, Christ Church With a life motto like “give ‘em the old razzle dazzle”, it’s no surprise that Gracie is a big name on the Oxford drama scene. Keep an eye out for her on the big screen just so you can shout “I knew her from Oxford”.

Second year, Hertford In his own words, Alex is a “Scottish guy that is for some reason involved in the Union”. One of the News Eds recently visited Glasgow and was amazed to discover he’s not just a BNOC but a BNIS (Big Name In Scotland).

5 16. Louis Jackson

Final year, Oriel College Louis Jackson: the youngest winning rugby Men’s Blues captain in its 150-year history.

That is some stat.

20. Manon Johnes

Second year, St Catz Balancing both a full-time degree and a professional rugby career with Wales and Bristol Bears, Manon deserves more attention. She somehow lucked out with both the brains AND the brawn.

24. Noah Radcliffe Adams

Second year, St Peter’s Noah is another resident of the Oxford drama stage, although he told us that he’s “not famous anymore”. We hope we can make up for his lack of celebrity status with this five seconds of fame.

17. Fionn McFadden

Second year, Balliol Fionn is secretary of the Oxford University Labour Club, prominent activist involved with founding the ‘Balliol Community for Safety’.

21. Amelia Standing

Fourth year, St Annes Although her crew may not have taken victory, Amelia won our hearts as the captain of the Oxford Blues in the Boat Race against Cambridge.

25. Freddie zu Wied

Wadham, 2nd year With Wilhelm zu Wied as his full name, we’re sure you won’t be surprised that Freddie is German nobility. Freddie is a legend in his own right, making friends with everyone on Holywell street from his window in his Covid freshers.

18.Grace Olusola

19. Alfie Dry

22. Orissa Welsh

23. Rachel Macnaghten

26. Walter and Simpkin

27.Estelle and Mauricio

Third year, St Catz As the incoming Vice President of Welfare at the SU, Grace’s warm and bubbly personality around Catz might almost make up for the general absence of love and support we receive from this university. Grace also writes and directs theatre.

Third year, Corpus Christi Orissa is the blues hockey captain who led the team to Varsity success this year and kept them in the top BUCS league. Considering the stories we’ve all heard about the hockey team, we’re sure she’s a lot of fun.

Exeter and Hertford The protagonists of our favourite Oxford soap drama, these cats famously battle it out for coziest spots in the college libraries.

t h e

28. Andrew Smailes

29. Oliver Dobbs

First year, Christ Church In his own words: “You’ve really got to love this place to apply to it six times - and that’s what I did, making me the oldest fresher at Christ Church and earning me the moniker ‘Father of The House’.”

St Hugh’s, 3rd year Sasha is another of the elite species of BNOC - a Big Name Of Cherwell. Thanks to her and Irene’s work rebranding us, Cherwell has entered a new age of rigorous and proper journalism… yes, BNOC lists.

32. Lois Heslop

33. Luke Smith

34. Julia Eden

Hertford, 2nd year Notoriously tagged in every Oxfess about changing courses, this Hertford 2nd year changed from Chemistry to PPE. Also a former editor of the Oxford Blue, it’s proof that this is not a Cherwell PR exercise…

Third year, LMH Lois co-founded the Oxford Blue – see, more proof it’s not all about Cherwell here! She also moonlights as a soprano in Queen’s Choir.

36. Aivin Gast

Finalist, Somerville Aivin made the news after naming a newly discovered galaxy structure ‘Alcyoneus’, having worked on the team that discovered it. He wants to be on our list “to show my grandma”.

Second Year Dphil Luke is the captain of the Oxford Blues football team. Having worked his way through the education system with no A Levels, he is notable for putting in exceptional grind both on and off the pitch.

37. Fiona Zeka

First year, Hertford A published author, and working with charitable organisations like Magic Breakfast, Brightside Mentoring, Zero Gravity and the Holocaust Educational Trust, Fiona’s done some exceptional work.

38. Leo Buckley

First year, Trinity This is the man who flew to Ukraine in term time, and found himself stranded in the middle of a historymaking war. He was also on the show Child Genius in 2010.

30. Sasha Mills

First year, Hertford This viral TikToker shot to fame after she posted a video with uncanny likeness to Prince Charming from Shrek. A former Bumble representative and a current Entz president, Julia’s videos make Oxford look a lot more fun.

39. Enrico Pelganta

Second year, Christ Church, As the President of Oxford’s Hayek Society, Enrico is personally responsible for the memorable scenes at ‘Kinks and Liberty’, their landmark social event.

Disclaimer...

The names and opinions in this list do not actually reflect or represent the views of Cherwell. Just a bit of fun.

Second year, St Johns In his own words, Alfred is “Two for the price of one: by day, the famously masculine Alfred Dry and by night, the saucy teacher of your dreams - the one and only Miss Take”.

Third year, St Johns Known as Rachel Macnaughty by the John’s porters, you might recognise the Classics student from the Wednesday Park End queue, as she is a frequent partier and club promoter.

Cherwell Editors-in-Chief For anyone who thinks that we take ourselves very seriously at Cherwell, let this be your proof that yes, we do. And we think that you should, too. So here are our Editors- in- Chief, lovingly placed in 27th place, just below the college cats...

31. Grace de Souza

Second year, Worcester Hollywood, if you see this, Grace is ready. Oxford, if you see this, keep an eye out for Grace in the next blockbuster movie.

35. Dan Whiley

Second year, Wadham The 2s hockey captain exudes E&M energy.

But when he’s not nerding out on finance, he can be found around town donning flip flops whatever the weather.

40. Alex Foster

St Johns, second year “Small, ginger, Editor of the OxStu and OUDS C-lister” - his words, not ours. We would rather not have his name sully our highly reputable list, but the people have spoken, so here he is.

Cherwell’s Top 40 BNOCs are not “accursed”.

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Editorial Masthead EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Maurício Alencar, Estelle Atkinson SENIOR EDITORIAL TEAM Pieter Garicano, Leah Mitchell, Clementine Scott, Shiraz Vapiwala, David Tritsch, Wang Sum Luk NEWS Meg Lintern, Humza Jilani, Isaac Ettinghausen, Charlotte Keys, Annie Lu, Izzie Alexandrou COMMENT Georgie Cutmore, Isobel Lewis, Hope Philpott, Sonya Ribner PROFILES Aarthee Parimelalag, Sam Zia, William Foxton INNOVATION Matthew Clark CULTURE Meg Goundry-Napthine, Caitlin Wilson, Elena Buccisano, Charlotte Kutz FILM Joshua McGrane, Flynn Hallman, Mayu Uno MUSIC Marlon Austin, Flynn Hallman STAGE Neily Raymond, Anna Stephen, Anya Biletsky BOOKS Fariha Uddin, Paula Odenheimer, Madeleine Hopper FASHION Madeleine Hopper, Yuri Hwang, Anna Roberts THE SOURCE Jessica DeMarco-Jacobsen, Aaron Low LIFE Aiktarini Lygaki, Bruno Armitage, Michaela Esau, Adam Collins pigeons FEATURES Jimmy Brewer, Imaan Haidar, Daisy Clague, Sara Hashmi COLUMNS Matilda Piovella, Anneka Pink SPORT Oliver Hall PUZZLES Ifan Rogers CREATIVE Ben Beechener, Eve Gueterbock, Charlotte Rich-Jones, Aleksandra Pluta, Rachel Jung PHOTOJOURNALISM Ceci Catmur, Cyril Malík, Jessye Phillips, Meghana Geetha, Michelle Marques, Niamh McBratney, Teagan Riches, Jana Nedelkoska, Daniel Stick, Amy Van Wingerden VIDEO Kaly de Oliveira Cerqueira, Taylor Bi, Yushi Zhao, Zack Thomas MARKETING Jacobus Petersen

Maurício Alencar (he/him), Editor-in-Chief

Estelle Atkinson (she/her), Editor-in-Chief

The University must take a look at itself before dishing out trashing fines

On Robert Macfarlane’s “The nature of our words”

Leader: The delightful difficulty of John Donne It’s by no means a self-serious muddle of philosophy but something almost akin to a friendly conversation.”

Wang Sum Luk (he/him), Deputy Editor

Any man’s death diminishes me,” he writes, “because I am involved in mankind”.

Cherwell

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Bulletin

Week 0: Welcome back to Oxford!

Hello! Everyone’s back in Oxford, and boy oh boy did we miss the bars, the college drama, and drinking 5 coffees a day. And waiting for tutors to mark collections.

This week alongside our long awaited BNOC list we are pleased to present some of Oxford’s newly releaseed term cards for our readers.

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Comment

There Ain’t No Party Like a Conservative Party!

Oxford, the Tories, and the preparation for life without consequences Anna Davidson discusses how ‘Partygate’ is a product of the culture of irresponsibility and hypocrisy which Boris Johnson learnt in his Oxford days.

D

uring a stint in the 1990s as editor of magazine the Spectator, Boris Johnson would claim that the modern ordinary British male was ‘useless’ – “if he is blue collar, he is likely to be drunk, criminal, aimless, feckless and hopeless,”. The then-journalist was fresh from a degree largely spent violently drunk, destroying property, mass-vandalising and harassing staff, and a graduate post from which he had been fired for lying. Twenty years later, and after a process which I can only imagine consisted of tallying up the results of the Conservative cabinet’s chunder chart, checking Dominic Cummings’ BeReal, and trying to figure out which members of staff were beneath the big sunglasses and sombreros in the photo booth prints, the authorities investigating the Downing Street parties would hit Johnson, now Prime Minister, with a fixed-penalty fine for his participation in law-breaking lockdown parties. Following the 20 members of his staff who had received £50 fines the week before – an amount which would hit them especially hard after they had to pay for their own booze – Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak would receive the fines as part of ongoing investigations by the Met Police into twelve separate get-togethers and parties across 2020 and 2021. Criminality, hopelessness, drunkenness – they all applied, but hey, nothing’s that serious when you’re wearing a suit.

For men like Johnson and Sunak, for whom dodging meaningful penalties began with carving the family crest into the Eton bunkbed, continued through Oxford, and then all the way to parliament, the fines they received amount to below petty change. The consequences faced by top politicians and civil servants partying in years when 170,000 people died of Covid-19 seem to vary from being extra nice to your wife that week, to having to cut down the ice budget next time.

From the circle of public schoolboys defining their youth, to that exact same circle of public schoolboys defining the rest of their lives, the PM and Chancellor’s attitudes reflect the institutions which have prepared them for a life in which consequences and judgement is something reserved for the ‘blue collar’ worker Johnson was so frustrated by. Private school, Oxbridge – institutions which have failed to teach their wealthy students lessons in self-denial or responsibility – have facilitated a culture of self-indulgence and contempt for the rules which bind normal people, even if you’re the one making them.

To track the development of this decadence and corruption, let me take you back to their university days. Picture it. Oxford, 1980s. Starship tops the charts, mullets are in, meritocracy hasn’t been invented yet, life

is sweet. It is especially sweet for students like MP son Bartholomew Smith, who a decade prior is found guilty of “dangerous driving causing death”, his fifth driving charge, after four people die in a three-car pile up he causes after driving intoxicated ‘at maniacal speed’ after a Bullingdon Club dinner – and who is given a fine and ten-year driving ban.

This scene, where Boris Johnson first learns to see a fine as a sign of a night of jolly good fun, eagerly welcomes him and equally welleducated friends George Osbourne and David Cameron, who spend their university days at the same lavish, rowdy dinners which Smith had (allegedly) attended before orphaning the children of 31-year-old Peter Houseman. Various sources have testified to future members of various Conservative cabinets engaging in criminal behaviours, causing havoc, and solving potential issues with extensive family wealth. Former member of the club Radek Sikorski would recall shaking Johnson’s hand after returning to his room to find it trashed and vandalised, champagne sprayed across the walls. A similarly raucous scene would be described by a source for the Observer, who testified to a culture in the Bullingdon Club in the mid-1980s which “was to get extremely drunk and exert vandalism.” She would assert that Johnson was “one of the big beasts of the club. He was up for anything. They treated certain types of people with absolute disdain, and referred to them as ‘plebs’ or ‘grockles’, and the police were always called ‘plod’.” Her description of the messes the club left staff members to clean up – recalling one instance in particular in which every piece of furniture in a recently-refurbished room was smashed, liquid poured down the walls and the mess left in a pile in the centre of the room, prompting “the clerk of works looking at the mess in complete dismay” – is testament to a group for whom consequences were deemed impossible, and cleaning something that happened once you left the room.

Let’s flash forward. It’s 2011, Katy Perry tops the charts, meritocracy is in (or at least Tony Blair has said so, and we can believe him because he was very welleducated).

David Cameron returns to the UK from an Italian holiday with his good friend from Bullingdon Club days Sebastian White to deal with the London Riots. And suddenly he’s not so keen on fines, or

on allowances for youthful indiscretion. No, the same man who had spent his university days in a cycle of criminality would now say that “these riots were not about government cuts… this was about behaviour. People showing indifference to right and wrong.

People with a twisted moral code. People with a complete absence of self-restraint.”

Funnily, the same man running from police after nights of smashing windows, gorging himself on attacking people’s livelihoods, and treating those he deemed beneath him as if their purpose in life was to clean up his mess, now preached ‘morality’, against those who lacked ‘self-restraint’. Breaking the law was suddenly not so cool; in fact, in David Cameron’s own words, this was now “Crime without punishment.

Rights without responsibilities. Communities without control. Some of the worst aspects of human nature tolerated, indulged – sometimes even incentivised.” It is certainly a shame that nobody told Nicolas Robinson, 23, who was imprisoned for six months for stealing a £3.50 case of water, or the unnamed twelve-year-old given a sixmonth youth detention order for smashing a window (which he had done the previous year, at age eleven) that what they were doing was fine, they just had to do it in a £1,200 tailcoat. 2011 - coincidentally, the same year that Bullingdon-club member Nick Green would so seriously injure a fellow student that he had to be hospitalised, with no charge - would see over 2,000 people prosecuted for involvement in the riots. In 2012, the BBC reported an average sentence length for the riots of 16.8 months, with prison sentences overall totalling over 1,800 years. A 2011 interview with the Prime Minister questioning his behaviour during his university days in the context of this administration of ‘tough justice’ saw Cameron give the delightfully vague response that “we all did stupid things when we are young and we should learn the lessons.” Some, it seems, were to learn the lessons in prison, while others could reflect upon them fondly from an Italian yacht.

Flash forward again. Boris Johnson is in power, not quite ready to put his partying days behind him. Meritocracy is something Rishi Sunak is taking care of by making £100,000 donations to Winchester College. Since 2016, the Prime Minister has attended at least six meetings of the Leader’s Dining Club, in which members pay £50,000 to “receive regular private dinners, lunches and drinks receptions with the prime minister and other senior Tory figures”. In 2021 - having in 2013 described his Bullingdon days as a “truly shameful vignette of almost superhuman undergraduate arrogance, toffishness and twittishness” – Johnson shows how far he had left his university days behind by appointing former club

“Criminality, hopelessness,drunkenness – they all applied, but hey, nothing’s that serious when you’re wearing a suit.”

member and university friend Ewen Fergusson to Whitehall’s independent sleaze watchdog. The City solicitor and participant in the infamous 1987 photograph (where he stood behind Johnson! Ha!) was selected in 2021 after the committee passed over 171 candidates. And while some might suggest that if they were looking for someone with a close personal history and extensive experience with sleaze and corruption, they had found the right man for the job, Fergusson’s ability to claim £240 for each day he worked on committee business was a reminder that hypocrisy never had, and never would mean anything to this circle.

And why should COVID put a stop to all of this fun? Here we come to the gatherings – presumably slightly tame affairs in comparison with the university days of many participants, but these were trying times.

2020 was a summer of wine, cheese and garden parties. First up, ITV would report 40 staff members attending a 20th May party which Johnson and his wife had attended – the defence: Johnson ‘categorically’ denied knowing about the event beforehand (they must’ve hid the piñata well) or receiving warnings that it breached the rules he set for the public (a stirring defence, if only he’d known someone who could tell him). Next, 19th June was Johnson’s 56th birthday, with 30 people alleged to have attended a party at Downing Steet at a time when social gatherings outside were limited to six people.

At the party Johnson was presented with a Union Jack cake, in case you were worried he didn’t stand in solidarity with his country.

Upon his dismissal, adviser Dominic Cummings would allege that a second, raucous party took place later that night in the PM’s Downing Street apartment, at a time of second lockdown when indoor gatherings were forbidden. And endless was the rest of the social events calendar for the Downing Street fraternity – November was a speech in a room of 50 people, December was indoor gatherings at party headquarters during the London Tier 3 ban, a Number 10 Christmas zoom quiz, a Cabinet Office staff social event (attended by senior civil servant Simon Case, initially tasked with investigating other party claims) and another gathering on the same day.

2021 was a tough year, with Boris Johnson trying to cope with the Partygate scandal, the extent of his own constant lying and story-changing, and presumably a big hangover at the same time. Having gone from telling MPs that “no rules were broken” to now stressing that people focus on the cost of living rather than worry about him being fined for attendance, the Prime Minister truly showed his background. This was a man who was used to throwing around hush money, who was used to letting other people clean up his mess, who was used to those he thought beneath him taking the blame for his own faults, who was used to breaking the law and laughing about it. The only part of Partygate which was new for Boris Johnson – not criminality, not lying, not failing at his job, not being fined an amount he could lose without batting an eye – was that there was a risk people might notice him doing what he has done since age 18.

Image Credit: David Sedlecký / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Read the full article at cherwell.org.

9

France’s far-right: a vast minority Millie Dean-Lewis discusses the rise of the French far-right and why French politics is becoming more divided.

CW: Islamophobia, racism

E

mmanuel Macron’s win is undeniably historic.

Not for 20 years, since Jacques Chirac in 2002, has a French president been re-elected. Equally notable, however, is the figure of 13 million individuals who voted for Marine Le Pen on the 24th April – the largest result that her party, Rassemblement national, has ever managed to accumulate. Whilst Macron’s success is cause for relief, it is accompanied necessarily by a responsibility to a vast minority that leans, rather far to the right. With a nod to these voters, the president’s victory speech itself recognised anger and dismay among Le Pen’s supporters. It is Le Pen’s politics of diversion and distraction that has allowed for her narrowing of Macron’s 66% to 34% victory in 2017 to a 58.5% to 41.5% split this year. Her appeal has been widespread, and calculated.

For the past few months in particular, Le Pen has avoided professing so publicly her traditional affinities for policies which are Islamophobic or anti-immigration, instead focusing on a variety of pocketbook issues which appeal to a body of voters with less extremist views. Undoubtedly, her horrific opinions are still held, and it is no procès d’intention to remark as such. Planned policies such as fines for any Muslim woman who wears their hijab in public, and an abolition of the droit du sol, do not suggest that a kinder tone has been adopted. Le Pen has, despite this, managed popularity by rebranding herself and her party in an unsettlingly soft light.

Largely, Le Pen’s last five years have involved a distancing of her newly branded Rassemblement national from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and his leadership of Front national. More recently, she has had to distance herself from a previously professed support of Vladimir Putin. Campaign literature which contained an image of the two shaking hands, published before the invasion of Ukraine, has been brushed under the rug by sly reminders of social emergencies which have been slowly unfurling themselves during Ma- cron’s first term as president. Le Pen’s careful orations on these issues more imminently and keenly felt by the French people – concerns of rising fuel prices and a rising retirement age – have understandably struck a chord.

For all of Macron’s dealings with Russia – which delayed his entry onto the campaign trail this year – his symbolic firing of a head of military intelligence who failed to predict such conflict, and seventeen phone calls and meetings with Putin, seem to have proved

fruitless. Crucially for Le Pen, they serve as evidence of a man stuck in governmental business miles away from quotidian issues faced by the people of the nation that he governs. As incumbent, his failures are so clearly out in the open – it has become clear that neither is he a shiny and new independent, nor the man of the people he attempted to inhabit five years ago. Le Pen’s statements that sanctions against Russia should not hurt the French have, of course, been well received, and complaints against a rising fuel tax voiced by the gilets jaunes as early as 2018 have found new life.

Despite the familiarity of these grumbles, these protests and their protesters have become of particular interest for Le Pen in recent months. Not only has she repeatedly cited these demonstrations as evidence of Macron’s divisive rule, but in doing so has been targeting a group the members of which believe disproportionately in the conspiracy theories of a grand remplacement and white

“Le Pen has [...] achieved popularity by rebranding herself and her party in an unsettlingly soft light.” genocide. The supposed replacement of white Europeans by non-European peoples is a belief which Le Pen has been espousing as early as 2011.

This veiling, then, of her harshly anti-

immigration stance behind an aim to reunite the ‘peuple’ of her campaign slogan Si le peuple vote, le peuple gagne (If the people vote, the people win) has achieved a largescale consolidation of like-minded people along gentle, reasonable lines which disguise their more repulsive sources of community.

Whilst Le Pen is not of her father’s generation of right-wing thinkers, she has herself for many years participated in a culture that promotes white supremacy, and has hence overseen a continued rise of a racist far-right.

A large part of her ability to camouflage herself away from such extremism, and into a reasonable centre-right figure, must be attributed to Eric Zemmour. Her competitor in the first round, Zemmour’s collection of views and policies that are even more far-right than Le Pen’s own have served to create comparisons which work in Le Pen’s favour. Whilst both politicians were in favour of a headscarf ban, Zemmour also had plans to forbid parents from giving their children what he calls ‘foreign’ names, and declared that he did not ever want to hear a muezzin’s voice. Zemmour’s supposed inability to hear an audience chanting “Macron, assassin” in March could clash insensitively with an interview from last year that heard Le Pen open up about her truly troubled childhood, characterised by politically motivated attacks against her father.

Perhaps knowingly playing into this comparison, gifted to Rassemblement national by Zemmour, Edwige Diaz, Le Pen’s campaign spokesperson, claimed that ‘far-right’ is a pejorative term which by no means describes Le Pen. It is of course starkly untrue that Le Pen is not a far-right politician. The statement instead cements her politics as one of diversion which presents a fundamental kind of dishonesty; she willingly supplies a denial of an extreme self in a performance that reeks of populism.

Marine Le Pen’s deceptions act as a polarising force. Her brave challenging of Macron to find a proposal amongst hers which discriminates against the French because of their religion, or the colour of their skin, relies on her exclusionary definitions of what it means to be French. It is, ultimately, a bizarre tactic of deception which serves only to artificially enlarge a voter base through a concealed methodology of division. Although Macron, on Sunday evening, declared his desire to be a president for all, he will never achieve such a hollow aim. Le Pen’s claim that she sees a source of hope in the narrowness of her defeat is, unfortunately, justified.

“[She] has achieved a large-scale consolidation of like-minded people along gentle, reasonable” lines which disguise their more repulsive sources of community.”

Image Credit: The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

10

Profiles

Defying Gravity: In conversation with Stephen Schwartz William Foxton interviews Stephen Schwartz, Oscar- and Tony Award-winning writer of musicals such as Wicked. he says, “I cannot be sorry that at 23

T

here’s something magic about a Stephen Schwartz musical.

Maybe it’s the grand themes his work sets out to explore. Pippin is a coming-of-age tale that asks its audience what it means to be truly satisfied. Rags is an epic portrayal of an immigrant’s struggle to succeed. Wicked is a compelling exploration of good and evil, and the dangers of political ambivalence. Or perhaps it’s his signature showstoppers: Meadowlark, Stranger to the Rain, Defying Gravity, which have gone on to become anthems in their own right, even outside the context of their shows. Or it might be the kind of stories he tells, ones that champion the underdog.

“I tend to be attracted to stories about outsiders,” Schwartz tells me at the beginning of our call, “about people who feel themselves not part of the culture or

"There's a difference between a show that’s a hit and a show that becomes a phenomenon." not part of the mainstream if you will, and are trying to figure out how to fit in, and what the cost is of doing so.”

This trend continues with his most recent musical, Prince of Egypt, the stage adaptation of the hit 1998 animated feature. The reviews show that, fifty years into his career, this three-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner, and six-time Tony nominated composer and lyricist continues to write stories that capture the heart of his audience.

Schwartz’s self-described “rollercoaster” of a career began on Broadway with his 1971 hit show Pippin. At just 23 year old, Schwartz took home the Drama Desk Awards for Most Promising Composer and Most Promising Lyricist. The success of Pippin was followed by Godspell in 1972 and the Magic Show in 1974. At 26 years old, Schwartz had three successful musicals playing on Broadway. And the theatre world was hungry to see what he would do next.

And yet, his next musical, The Baker’s Wife, never made it to Broadway. It was the start of a difficult patch for the composerlyricist, as none of the shows he wrote in the subsequent years gained significant traction on Broadway. Rags, Working, Children of Eden, and The Baker’s Wife, were, in the eyes of his critics, flops.

“That was a new experience for me and it was extremely unpleasant. It was tough for me emotionally. That period took a while for me to recover from,” he tells me.

Does he wish the immense successes of Pippin and Godspell had come later in his career?

“I think I would have handled it better,”

years old, this show that I was involved with, Godspell, became a worldwide phenomenon, and it made me famous and it made me financially comfortable. I cannot regret that. What I can say is that having that kind of early success, rather extreme success, before I actually knew what I was doing and before I actually understood how showbusiness worked, created some psychological difficulties and some confusion for me.”

“I just was not emotionally or experientially equipped to deal with it, to know how to work with my collaborators, to be able to take ups and downs in stride…I just couldn't do that when I was in my early 20s and all this was happening to me. And for me,” he says.

It was the allure of adapting Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West that drew Schwartz back to Broadway.

Maguire’s revisionist take on The Wizard of Oz gives a name to the previously twodimensional Wicked Witch of the West a name – Elphaba – and a sympathetic backstory.

“I heard the title and what the book was about and knew that it was something for me, because I just knew who [Elphaba] was,” he says, Defying Gravity is the show’s most famous tune. The iconic ballad closes out the first half, when Elphaba realises she will never be seen as anything other than wicked.

Flying off into an uncertain future, we see her take her first steps to becoming the Wicked Witch of the West.

With its messages about empowerment, the song has become an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong.

The song began life as five chords that Schwartz had scribbled on a piece of paper over a year before he began work on the song.

Those same five chords can be heard at the beginning of the song. The chord progression evokes the idea of growing power, as Elphaba begins to embrace the gifts she’s been given. Listening to it, it gives the idea of something coming together, just out of reach.

The effect is magical.

But how did he achieve it?

“First of all it's in D flat, which is, to me, the most powerful key on the piano,” he says. “[It] just has great resonance. It's sort of my favourite key to write in when you really want to get an emotion.”

“There's virtually no thirds in the chord, the only third that appears in that little sequence is in the bass,” he continues, “[a third in a chord] takes tension away because it identifies whether it's a major or minor chord. It also has a more kind of complete sonority to it. So, a lot of times I write without thirds or I stick them in the base. It gives it a kind of power, at least to my ear.”

When Wicked first opened on Broadway it took the world by storm, grossing more

than $56 million in its first year. The show itself is outstanding, but I can’t help but wonder what made it fare so much better than Schwartz’s other creations? What made Wicked different?

“There's a difference between a show that’s a hit and a show that becomes a phenomenon,” he tells me, “That has to do with things outside the show itself. It has to do with what's going on in the zeitgeist.

Wicked came along at a time when the idea of female empowerment was just coming t o the fore in our culture.”

“It came at a time when our culture was looking for that kind of story. There have been all these bromances for years, and then suddenly h e r e w a s t h i s s t o r y

about this relationship between two women.”

Despite its huge box office success, like many a Schwartz show before it, reviews for Wicked were mixed when the show came out in 2003. The show would go on to lose the Tony Award for Best Musical to Avenue Q the following year.

“I’m never going to get the reviews that Stephen Sondheim gets or Lin-Manuel Miranda. For whatever reason that’s my fate,” Schwartz tells me, “and that’s OK. In the end, it hasn’t mattered.”

I ask Schwartz how it felt to return to Broadway, triumphant, all those years later.

"There have been all these bromances for years, and then suddenly here was this story about this relationship between two women."

“It was a nice feeling because I feel I sort of left under a cloud, if you will, and returned with something that was so embraced. On the other hand, as you've pointed out, it's not like I got such great reviews for it. In some ways, nothing really had changed, except that the show itself was so successful, but I had changed.

I think really what happened was I just didn't need that anymore. It didn't matter to me that I was never going to be the critics’ darling that some of the writers were, and it didn't really matter to me if there were people who weren't ever going to like what I did, as long as there were enough people that the show itself could work. I think I got over the rest of that.”

His Defying Gravity moment?

He laughs.

“That’s exactly right,” he says. “It came at much too high a cost.”

Read the full article at cherwell.org.

Image credits: Pax Ahimsa Gethen/CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Bob Muller/ CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr.

11

Innovation What’s new?

Using coronavirus vaccine technology to fight the Black Death Matthew Clark explains why the bacteria responsible for the plague never disappeared and how modern technology could help us eradicate it for good.

A new study has discovered that every DNA lettercode had previously been found in meteorites, furthering the evidence for extraterrestrial origin of life.

T

he plague is one the most deadly and infamous diseases in all of history. We know today that it is caused by a gram negative (double membraned) bacteria called Yersinia pestis, but during the black death epidemic of 1346-1353 its causes were far more mysterious.

The French king Philip VI blamed the plague on pestilence in the air (miasma

following years more extensive studies were performed all around the world showing the true sordid history of this pathogen.

Human remains in bronze age graves tested positive for Y. Pestis plasmids in their teeth and victims as far back as the Neolithic era were identified in 2018. This could provide evidence that an early version of the black death was responsible for the rapid collapse in population observed ~3500BC (the Neolithic decline) although this is hotly debated.

Efforts to create a vaccine for this disease stretch as far back as its isolation by Yersin himself. He used heat-killed whole cells on animal models with encouraging results. Treatment for Bubonic plague was reasonably effective but it did not stop the far more deadly form Pneumonic plague from developing.

Insect populations are dropping at faster rates than ever across the globe, according to a new paper in the journal Biological Conservation.

Oxford Photovoltaics company sets at 29.5%. These new perovskevite coated silicon cells are ~10% more panels.

Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies board to help approve clinical trials on cannabis based medicine for pain relief.

theory) caused by the conjunction of three planets. The Catholic Church decreed that this pestilence was a punishment from God and instructed everyone to pray and self-flagellate. Some religious scholars believed that the plague was a form of rapture. They advised people not to seek medical treatment as this disease had come to secure them a place in paradise.

By the time people learnt how to slow the spread of disease (sanitation and isolation of infected individuals) it had already killed a third of Europe: an estimated 200 million people.

It would be over 500 years until the true cause of the Black Death would be revealed, and that theory wouldn’t be fully proven until 2010! In 1894, a microbiologist named Alexandre Yersin discovered some nasty bacteria. He observed them in rats and theorized that they could have acted as a vector for disease during the black death pandemic.

Five years later, another scientist named Paul-Louis Simond refined this model to how it is best known today: the true vectors for Yersinia pestis bacteria are the Oriental rat fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis) that live as parasites on the poor rats that get all the blame.

In 2010, archeological samples from black death victims were prepared for genome sequencing, proving that this bacteria was indeed responsible. In the

Other scientists made slight improvements over the following decades but it soon fell out of fashion as antibiotics became more cheap and effective. During the Vietnam war, The USA created a formaldehyde-killed whole cell vaccine.

Unfortunately it was rather ineffective as it caused frequent systemic over reaction and side effects. The protection was not long term enough nor did it protect against Pneumonic plague.

More modern studies on are using specific proteins from Y. Pestis to create a vaccine such as the F1 capsule, and V1 virulence antigens. But hang on, what’s the point of curing the plague? Hasn’t it gone away by now – I thought only medieval peasants got that?

Unfortunately the plague has no intention of going away. All over the world, several species of animals are acting as ‘reservoir hosts’ – keeping the pathogen alive in a feeble dormant form.

Editor observations:

Matthew Clark The question of how life evolved on earth is hotly debated, but all answers must start at the same place: where did the biological molecules come from? A problem central to this is the chicken and egg relationship between DNA and proteins. DNA codes for the structure of proteins, and proteins are necessary to build the DNA letters and string them together. Surely, there must have been some inorganic way of synthesizes these molecules before modern life emerged?

This week we came one step closer to finding an answer. Research on meteorites from Japan, Lead by Yahiro Oba, has found every single nucleobase necessary for the genetic code. Previous studies had only detected the ‘purine’ half of the code: A and G. But now it has been proven that the ‘purine’ half, T and C can emerge from inorganic reactions in space.

Between 2010-2015 there were 3248 worldwide cases of plague and 584 deaths.

This may sound trivially low but more recent outbreaks indicate that this disease may become more dangerous and widespread. For example, the 2017 Madagascar epidemic from August to November infected 2119 people and killed 171.

Phase 1 vaccine trials in the summer of 2021 showed promising results and the £500,000 funding provided by Innovate UK is sure to help accelerate this effort to provide a safe and effective vaccine to vulnerable populations all around the world.

This vaccine is based on the ChAdOx1 adenovirus viral vector platform used in the Oxford coronavirus vaccine.

Professor Sarah Gilbert, architect of the AstraZeneca Vaccine, has said: “We’ve got the cake and we can put a cherry on top, or we can put some pistachios on top if we want a different vaccine, we just add the last bit and then we’re ready to go.”

Image: Conmongt / 636 images via Pixabay License.

12

Culture

CONTENTS

CULTURE

12 | How to survive May Day 12 | “A generosity of spirit in her landscapes”: The art of Jean Jones 13 | How (not) to look at buildings

MUSIC & FILM

14 | Following the money: What does ‘selling out’ mean?

14 | Local Hero: A modest master piece

BOOKS & STAGE

15 | Ismat Chughtai on Indian female experiences 15 | “Why am I the one on trial?”

Review: Prima facie

FASHION

16 | Trinity Term Trends 2022 16 | The afterlife of a ballgown

How to survive May Day

Elena Buccisano provides a guide to May Day for the uninitiated.

W

ith the start of a new term, I’d be amazed if you hadn’t yet heard the words ‘May Day’ mentioned or even been asked the question ‘What are you doing for May Day?’. There certainly seems to be a buzz in the air surrounding this year’s celebrations, perhaps because they’ve been cancelled for the last two years. For current freshers and second years, this will be their first ‘normal’ May Day - yet another anticipated Oxford tradition to conquer and potentially, the ultimate test of endurance. For finalists, this year’s May Day celebrations mark one of the last opportunities to really let loose with friends in true Oxford fashion before exams beckon.

But there are also those who don’t see the appeal of May Day and question the point of staying up all night and most likely writing off the next day with a ter-

rible hangover. My friend even said to me, ‘If it’s an enjoyable night, you shouldn’t last until 6am’. Nonetheless, for those May Day enthusiasts who are excitedly making plans and are, like me, guaranteeing their friends that they will make it to Magdalen Bridge at 6am, it’s worth planning ahead and brushing up on those drinking endurance skills.

For this year’s celebrations options abound. Both the O2 Academy and The Bullingdon are holding events until 6am, promising the biggest night out this term.

Bridge and Atik are also hosting their regular nights with a late last entry and a 3am closing time. You may be lucky enough to have a ball ticket, with both the LMH and the Somerville-Jesus Ball hosting students until the early hours of the morning. If clubbing isn’t your thing, rumour has it that some pubs might have late closing times, and Oxford’s classic

kebab vans will be there all night for when your stomach needs some extra lining to carry on.

Since we are a bit out of practice with May Day it could be worth taking some extra measures. If you intend on making it through the night without chunning on the side of Cowley Road, consider pacing yourself and spreading those tequila shots out throughout the night, but if that was exactly your plan then by all means go ahead! Another crucial mantra for a night out that I live by is food, food, food. Don’t be afraid of that extra portion in hall or the mid-night out Solomons, especially if you want to embark on a drinking endurance test which sees you into May Morning.

Whatever happens and even if you don’t make it to hear the choir sing, at least you know that you were part of a bigger celebration – one which, in light of the Covid cancellations, feels much needed.

Photographs by Wang Sum Luk

THE SOURCE

17 |Six Grim Limericks to Ruin Your Day

“A generosity of spirit in her landscapes”: The art of Jean Jones Anna Mayer speaks to Harry Langham, a curator of an exhibit for the work of artist Jean Jones.

English painter Jean Jones was once predicted by Iris Murdoch to become ‘as famous as Van Gogh’. Her textured brush strokes, rendered in a bright, opulent palette and invoking comfortingly familiar landscapes from her life in Oxford, Devon and Primrose Hill, have been noted for their particularly ‘poetic’ and ‘lyrical’ quality. In a striking juxtaposition with the sunny serenity of the scenes, the progression of her artistic career was inevitably and tragically limited by her various struggles with mental illness.

A team led by her grandson has made it their mission to shine a new light on her fascinating life and career once again. As the second of a duet of landmark exhibitions on Jones’ work, Pembroke College JCR Art Collection are hosting a brand-new exhibition ‘Jean Jones: In Dialogue with Modern British Painting’, running from the 30th April to the 15th May. The exhibition will include a selection of landscapes, still-lifes, portraits, and self portraits, many of which depict notable sites within Oxford, such as Holywell Street, Magdalene College Deer Park, and boat houses along the Isis river, and will focus on placing Jones alongside other post-war British painters, presenting Jones’ art in dialogue with artworks from

the gallery’s own collection.

In anticipation of the exhibition, I spoke to Harry Langham, part of a three-person curatorial team at the Jean Jones Estate.

We talked about the process of posthumous curatorial work, the experience of viewership, and the relationship between the art world and mental illness.

Though she was formerly -

-

I think this is an interesting question, and one that absolutely goes both ways.

There is, without doubt, something magical in the act of curating an exhibition posthumously. When you look at Jones’s paintings up-close – seeing the textures of the paint, the physical remnants of her brushstrokes – you do feel a real sense of closeness to the living woman. I think it’s something to do with that almost tangible trace to the maker’s hand. And there’s nothing more exciting to us than the idea of Jones living on through the work that we are doing today. On the other hand however, I also feel a real sense of

responsibility to present Jones’s work authentically and sensitively, in a way that

worth pointing out that neither myself, nor my fellow curators ever met Jean Jones, so part of this work has involved extensive research into her diaries and letters, as well as conducting interviews with family members and friends that knew her well.

We have tried to build as clear a picture in our own minds of her character, but there is always a voice in the back of my head whispering: “I hope she would approve!”

My sense though is that she’d be delighted to know that her work was getting the attention it deserves.

of clouds, the winding on of the seasons.

To me that’s a real act of love. There is, I think, a generosity of spirit in her landabout painting more generally. As you may know, Jones suffered from an intense and deteriorating struggle with bipolar disorder, during which painting offered one of the few sources of respite. I wonder whether engaging her attention fully in the external world, perhaps allowed her to forget, for a time, the turbulence of her inner life.

Oooh tough. The focus of the exhibition are a series of paintings of the church itself, but there’s some other great Oxford scenes on display too. There’s a particularly serene painting of Magdalen Deer Park for example, seen through the railings. If I had to choose a favourite though, I’d probably say Autumn Beech Shade (1971). Jones was fascinated by theories of vision, and throughout her work she sought to recreate the experience of viewership by warping and upturning the peripheries of her landscapes. This painting is a classic example of that, but taken to an even greater extreme than is usually the case. It is at once immersive and alienating – and I think at its best, that’s exactly what her work is capable of making you feel.

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Yes – Michael’s done some brilliant work in this regard. If you look through Jones’s catalogue of work, you very quickly notice her tendency towards painting familiar scenes. That’s because for Jones, familiarity was not synonymous with mundanity.

In Jones’s work, there are differences to be found in even the most familiar locales: the subtle shifting of light, the formations

Read the full article at cherwell.org.

13

Culture How (not) to look at buildings Wang Sum Luk considers the cultural questions surrounding the nature of architecture and beauty.

W

hen was the last time something was so beautiful it shocked you?

During the vacation I went to the Barbican Centre one afternoon, as the sun was setting. Having spent the day walking, my feet were nearly numb, but still I kept wandering, the building’s hard-edged, sunlit shapes drawing me further and further in. Only when numbness turned to aching pain did I finally make myself sit down, still gazing at how concrete and light and glittering water intersected throughout the building complex.

The notion that beauty needs no other justification is a captivating one. In an essay about his own artistic principles, the Victorian painter James McNeil Whistler argued that “art should be independent of all clap-trap”—in his mind, art had no responsibility to impart moral lessons, a notion that thinkers such as Oscar Wilde would later champion. I think that they would be pleased with my total commitment to this beautiful experience, and the drug-like intoxication this sight produced.

I have a strange passion for the post-war modernist style of architecture that the Barbican is an example of—strange because the foundation of this beauty is a mire of tangled issues. This style, pioneered by architects such as Le Corbusier, stressed functionality, replacing the chaotic clutter of 19th-century cities with carefully planned expanses of green space and concrete building blocks. Le Corbusier argued that beauty should come

from simplicity and functionality, calling excessive decoration “an abominable little perversion”—instead, architecture which functioned well and improved society would be beautiful without the need for adornment.

But there are flaws to this approach.

Take anthropologist James Holston’s analysis of Brasília, the capital of Brazil, which was constructed according to modernist architectural theories in a bid to create a more community-centric and egalitarian society.

In his book The Modernist City: An Anthropological Critique of Brasilia, Holston notes that the apartment blocks of the c i t y , conceived of as being where rich and poor alike would live, still featured servants’ elevators and maids’ quarters— ones which were “no bigger than a large closet”. He comments that when he asked an official in the city’s planning commission about why a supposedly egalitarian city would still need these features, the answer he received was “it has to be that way”. The result of this mismatch between an egalitarian ideology and longheld class structures meant that these reforms did not pro-duce concrete change, but merely s e r v e d to “increase humiliation” for the working class. The picture he paints is of an idealistic theory that nevertheless clings on to the unexamined assumptions of the past.

The stridently utopian ideology of modernist architecture seems a strange thing to compare with the aestheticism of Wilde and Whistler that I mentioned earlier. But I find it interesting that even as Le Corbusier and other architects of this generation sought to divorce themselves from historical inequalities and flawed urban designs, these same issues resurfaced in their work. And even though “art for art’s sake” sought to be a revolution against ideology in art, it could be accused of being an exercise in justifying the beliefs of the Victorian upper-class, a way to present aimless indulgence as moral superiority.

Such an accusation would oversimplify the nuances and ironies of what Wilde and his cohort believed, but the fact still stands

that it is difficult to conceive of art that does not reflect some form of ideology.

Even art that claims to be non-ideological, or to have tossed out old beliefs, may still be influenced by unexamined theories.

Let us set aside the notion of non-ideological art for the moment and turn to its polar opposite. The Marxist philosopher Walter Benjamin, writing during the rise of Italian fascism in the 1930s, commented that fascism sought to frame war as being aesthetically beautiful. He explicitly argues that the ideology of Mussolini and the fascist-allied Futurist movement is the “consummation” of “art for art’s sake”, arguing that the hedonistic pursuit of beauty was being warped by fascism into a means of justifying all sorts of hideous atrocities.

Benjamin believed that the necessary response was for Communism t o politicize art, using it to point out the evils of inequality and agitate for revolution.

But do I then have a responsibility to avert my eyes at the sight of a beautiful building, because of the ideology that it is constructed on? Is beauty something dangerous that we should be wary of engaging with, except to consider what political theses it glorifies? Art may be tied up with ideology, but there’s a difference between a movie and a party political broadcast, and I doubt that anyone but the most puritanical critics (on either extreme of the political spectrum) would want to judge art solely on moral and political grounds. There’s something frightening about the rapturous experience of beauty— it can go against our attempts to write down clear moral rules, making us cheer for things that we might otherwise find repulsive. It falls outside our expectations, forcing us to reconsider our assumptions about the world. This is why art is fascinating and valuable, but also why it’s so challenging to think about.

When considering this matter, I’m reminded of Susan Sontag’s essay “Against Interpretation”, and its argument about what the role of artistic criticism should be. Sontag suggested that critics tended to focus on political or psychological ways of understanding artwork, framing art as

has dous persuasive

a means of delivering complex and intellectual allegories. However, this approach can “usurp [art’s] place”, neglecting the qualities that draw people to it in the first place—she notes that the use of imagery and editing in a movie is just as worthy of study (if not more so) as the philosophcal ideas it espouses. Criticism should not bury art under intellectual jargon, Sontag concludes, but help us consider the mechanisms and techniques which make it capable of moving us.

Beauty, by its very nature, can shock and disorient us. That’s what makes art, whether in the form of a building or a book, valuable. But I cannot imagine embracing beauty as a goal in itself, not when it is so closely allied with ideological “clap-trap” that deserves further consideration—and yet focusing solely on ideology would miss the point of how art is so much more than a political manifesto. Beauty’s persuasive power is frightening, perhaps dangerous, but in my mind, that only makes it more important to confront and carefully consider the visceral responses it produces.

These questions will likely run through my mind whenever I walk through a beautiful building, or admire a painting, or watch a film. It’s a strange source of anxiety—but I can’t help but want to look for the right balance between these positions (if one is even possible), to find the correct way to look at a building.

Read the full article at cherwell.org.

Music Cherwell Recommends POP-ULARITY CONTEST

Here are songs by two rock bands gone pop, with no detriment to their sound.

THE WAY YOU USED TO DO Queens of the Stone Age

ON A ROLL/HEAD LIKE A HOLE AshleyO(covering Nine Inch Nails) Image credits: Raph_PH/ CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

14

Following the money: What does ‘selling out’ mean?

Matthew Clemmet considers the difficulty of defining what a ‘sellout’ is.

“

I love selling out” declared Charli XCX when speaking to NPR about Crash, released in March, a project which sees her lean into mainstream pop, ironically playing the part of an industry “sell-out”. She leans into mainstream pop, embracing its fantasy. However, many don’t view ‘selling-out’ in such a positive way; it’s often an accusation levelled at artists who change their style to something more mainstream and is frequently associated with inauthenticity, shallowness, and a lack of new ideas or integrity. But why is it such a bad thing to At the simplest level, so-called “sellouts” are artists who lack artistic integrity, following popular trends and styles to cultivate mass appeal. The Black Eyed with the group abandoning the conscious mass-marketable club bangers with EDM production, big hooks, and lyrics such as “You love my lady lumps / My hump, my

hump, my hump”. But I’m not sure if they are a good example of an artist “selling out”. I’m not convinced that anyone feels let down by the Black Eyed Peas – they come across as unashamedly commercial, and no one really cared about their earlier work anyway.

Some artists survive accusations of “selling out” due to their newer music still appealing to their original fan base. Paramore’s After Laughter (2017) is a good example, which moved away from their previous pop punk style wave and indie rock. However, it mostly survived claims of “selling out” because the band retained their lyrical style, and the music still appealed to their original audience. Some artists survive accusations of “selling out” due to the undeniable quality of their work; Bob Dylan survived accusations of “selling out” after “betraying” his folk audience because he reached even higher artistic heights after he went electric. As with Bob Dylan, if your music maintains its quality, then your credibility can survive shifts in audience and style, even if

Local Hero: A modest masterpiece Charlotte Perry discusses why the unassuming movie Local Hero deserves to be better loved.

W

hat springs to mind when I ask you about the connection between a red phone box in the Scottish highlands, a crackpot oil multimillionaire from Houston, and a jaded and cynical negotiator who ends up trapped between the two of you may think I’m mad to suggest that these unlikely characters can ever be connected, but those of you over a certain age might be able to guess at what unites this trio: – David Puttnam’s classic Local Hero. Indeed, it’s this strange collection of loveable characters, the traditionally-rooted soundtrack, the stunning scenery of the Scottish isles, resonate with the audience. The result is a love. has evolved from a book written and edited by both Bill Forsyth and David Grieg into an upcoming musical that was supposed

to premiere at The Old Vic in June 2020, Nothing major happens, but that doesn’t having previously premiered at the Royal stop you from falling in love with the Lyceum in Edinburgh last year. If you’re not whole thing. The wonderfully eclectic cast, the gorgeous scenery, that one particular little synopsis of what goes on. Texan oil scene where a giggly, drunken Mac calls his magnate Felix Happer (played by the boss from the aforementioned phone box, late icon Burt Lancaster), when excitedly detailing the developing aurora not napping during board borealis to him. It’s hard not to come away meetings, brainstorms the idea that a small Scottish you’ve learnt something new, or gained a new friend. You’re not sure what you’ve the perfect acquisition learned, but the feeling is still there.

At the end of the movie, having fallen for his gaudy, capitalistic company, Knox Oil and in love with this bucolic paradise, Mac is Gas. It’s decided that a brutally expelled from his newfound Eden company gofer should back to the snazzy all-American inferno be sent out to talk to the of skyscrapers, capitalism, tailbacks on locals in the remote village the Downtown road, with only seashells - they’re “not in a third and snippets to remember his Caledonian world situation” with Ferness dreamland. It felt as though the viewer went after all - ultimately choosing to through that separation alongside Mac – send in cynical MacIntyre (played

by Peter Riegert) due to his connections end of it it’s hard not to feel with him as he to the country to garner local support and grieves grieving for his new lost love. close the deal.

Simply put, Local Hero Whilst it may seem a startling claim to make, I’d argue there isn’t another 80s thriller that leaves you on the edge of the seat, there’s something oddly beautiful a unique, lasting and deep-seated affection about it that resonates long after the credits as Forsyth’s modest masterpiece – and roll. modest it is, considering that it was shot on Read the full article at cherwell.org. a shoestring budget of £3 million.

Image credit: Dominika Roseclay/Pixabay License

the shifts are towards a more commercial style and a more mainstream audience.

But music has always relied on sponsorship, whether from corporations or royal courts, and this doesn’t undermine its value – all artists have to sell to somebody.

Music shouldn’t have to transcend industry, the body, or anything else to have value, and that’s a good thing because it can’t.

Many complex factors and motivations this should be acknowledged in a nuanced way rather than being reduced to simplistic ideas of “selling out”.

Furthermore, hand-wringing about artists “selling out” could be robbing us of the chance to enjoy some amazing pop music from the likes of Charli XCX, The Weeknd, Bowie, and even the Black Eyed Peas.

The question to ask when listening to your favourite artists’ popular new album isn’t “Have they

Read the full article at cherwell.org.

Image credits: geralt/Pixabay License via Pixabay and TheDigitalArtist/ Pixabay

Film Must See: Dramedies

Saint Frances

An endearing indie movie about female self-discovery and unlikely friendships

Punch-Drunk Love

This offbeat rom-com features an acclaimed performance by Adam Sandler Image credits: Carola68/ Pixabay License via Pixabay, valentinhintikka/ Pixabay License via Pixabay

15

Books

Ismat Chughtai on Indian female experiences Daniya Jawwad discusses the writer’s Urdu-language short stories about marriage and relationships.

Recommended Reads

most of Chughtai’s stories are spectators to the

T

he Quilt and Other Stories is a 1994 compilation of short stories by Ismat

teenager Bhabhi, but soon married life ‘robs’ her

of 20th-century India. She occupied

their autonomy through marriage and being reduced to nothing but possessions.

Choti Apa (a respectful term for the second eldest sister),

the intimate lives of middle-class Muslim society everyday. While the title story The Quilt no doubt is an excellent exploration of publicised obscenity trial in 1942 for referring

have no other choice, according to Chughtai’s

is angry at Shabnam but sees the culpability of appearance. In all this, Bhaiyya is pitied by

favourite short stories from the collection.

One of them is The Rock the perspective of the protagonist’s sister, In

Bhaiyya’s marriage. The narrative voices of

by unsaid societal rules, limiting them to the

sibling’s secret diary entries. The narrator hopes to uncover her elder sister’s secrets and

and tribulations of a young person in the years immediately preceding and

romances but discovers so much more about

than 200 years later.

modest Muslim girl. Through this discovery,

The Prelude

By William Wordsworth

her sister. What I love about this short story disparate diary entries and only includes the narrative voice of the youngest sister at the beginning and the end of the story. Since the narrator has found loose pages of the diary,

autobiographical

poem

beginning

forth. Her many romances leave her confused years of study at Cambridge, and his

and respectability, regardless of its restraints.

his graduation.

cleverly encapsulates some of the many Muslim female experiences in a turbulent time in

- Fariha Uddin, Books Editor

and a burgeoning intellectual scene.

Stage “Why am I the one on trial?” Review: Prima Facie Anya Biletsky reviews Suzie Miller’s original play Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer.

CW: rape, sexual assault.

Review contains spoilers for Suzie Miller’s

“

It’s not emotional for me, it’s the game at the beginning of Prima Facie, Suzie

opening

run

in

relives her past victories in the courtroom, exulting in the thrill of the elaborate stageplay she has turned her job into and relishing in the feeling of seeing the prosecution fumble and falter under her infallible line of

rationalise the horror of being violated. The judicial system comes to the realisation that

being scrutinised and

guilty. Explaining this not the only member of brutal professionalism as a requirement of her job, Tessa has an

Martin as director. The the trajectory of Tessa,

humiliated – surely

the audience, pointing out

the very opposite of

the room have been sexually assaulted.

This statistic resounds particularly loudly

is a physically and emotionally vehicle for social justice. demanding script. Her command

Comer, as her entire perspective

on

sexual

assault

she is forced to test the very system she is part

entirely

different

circumstances:

justice.”

Coming out of the theatre, there script effectively sheds light on the fact

changes

When Tessa returns to the courtroom

perhaps arrogant. Comer dominates the

rational line of questioning and burden of

in reality is often unattainable, especially its incessant thumping mirroring the cut- Villanelle in Killing Eve, and at throat nature of the moments throughout Prima Facie, legal system. Tessa she shifts into several other of many years, comments in the distinct characters, including “The victim is the one that she has successfully a courtroom judge, an “the legal system is shaped defended people accused

Prima Facie has been transferred to London

has been staunchly devoted her entire career.

spotlight on Tessa, emphasising the irony of the fact that she, though the victim, is the one being scrutinised and humiliated – surely the very opposite of justice.

Prima Facie debut, and she is utterly compelling in the role of Tessa. Comer has previously been described

adjusting to the modern understanding of Tessa,

frightened

and

vulnerable

after

“same

cross-examination she had once dished out The musical beat starts up again, perverting and intimidating interrogation of the defence

to be objectively analysed under the cold

I Rape crisis national helpline: 0808 802 9999 Image credit: Helen Murray (Photography), Studio Doug (Design/Art Direction)

16

Fashion Trinity Term Trends 2022

Anna Roberts explores this summer’s trends and discusses her predictions for what you can expect to see this summer.

S

hoes - As someone who struggles to walk in anything with a smaller surface area than a block heel, I am pleased to report the continued seasonal popularity of the wedge heel! It may not always be Oxford-cobbled-street-friendly,

but the wedge heel offers a timeless summer shoe that can be worn season after season. For those who are inclined toward second-hand clothes-buying, the 90s and noughties offer

media like Euphoria, and by the continued interest in bold dressing spawned by the pandemic, deep hot pinks and block cerulean hues are likely to continue their hold on summer 2022’s colour scheme.

be less popular than in some summer seasons, in favour of block ensembles in some fab strappy sandals in this style. The which cut-outs and asymmetry provide the visual complexity of the piece. sandal form, for a style more suited Stand-out items - I do always to city living and power walking about corsets - but corsets!

“The Bri- talkWith to the Bod for an exam cram. such a versatile possible Layering - We all know tish summer is range of nuance of style – that, as notoriously un- from cropped, bright, boned much as we for nights out to reliable in its we- corsets might wish patterned stays for those offerings. inclined toward cottage-core differently, ather the British Layering is the – corset-style tops will be a summer is summer staple. The famous Miu answer!” notoriously Miu mini skirt also suggests a trend unreliable in its toward shorter bottoms which will be weather offerings. Layering is the popular this summer, but additionally answer! Pick out your favourite an increased interest in DIY-fashion type cami top and layer it with a thin looks, with raw hems and exposed seams. blouse for a weather-proof 2022 Indeed, DIY looks may provide a lot of look. Indeed, our continued recourse to Y2K has given us a noughties Dad) which can be elevated by layering crop tops or crochet vests for a look warm enough to survive a surprise rain shower.

Colour palette – Vogue UK’s April issue predicts the continued prevalence of pastels in our summer wardrobes, but a look around Westgate’s high-street shops suggests summer will also continue to see a preoccupation with deep,

the stand-out items of our personal wardrobes this summer, with the interest in second-hand shopping throwing up strange and outstanding statement pieces to be worn throughout the warmer months.

Image Credits: all Anna Roberts’ own

The afterlife of a ballgown Madi Hopper on how to give your Oxford ball season a sustainable finish.

B

alls! After two years of cancellations, postponements, and miscellaneous Covid-related havoc, ‘tis once more the season to dress up, dance the night away, and take the pictures your parents will love nearly as much as your matriculation

attired baller.

More than pretty much anything else you might buy, a ballgown represents an odd intersection of disposability. It’s one of those things that is probably founded on a traditional assumption that if you were At Oxford, you’d most likely be able to afford a new gown for any such event, and likely ever been. The shift in perspective also to dispose of it as soon as it had within the last few years has “More than served its purpose. Finally, it’s also been such that most ball anything else good to remember the entire committees now have some of the ballgown – so you might buy, a life-cycle iteration of an Eco Rep – if possible, it’s good to start at repre- the opposite end – by buying someone to try to minimise ballgown the negative environmental sents an odd inimpact. Something they tersection of disdon’t have control over – be entirely sure you aren’t putting p o s ab i l i t y ” money and perhaps one of the most into the pockets of fast ecologically questionable aspects it, unless you are miraculously lucky enough edged sword of suits is that, whilst having far to afford borderline bespoke, that’s what it less scope for creative expression than a gown likely will be), your dress will be somewhat unique, and you’ll be saving yourself money – wearing one to try and think a little outside the black-and-white box), this makes them afford to indulge it) to buy a spanking-new essentially re-wearable. The afterlife of a ballgown, though, is a bit trickier – so, because – but, at the end of the day, is it really worth it ball fashion itself is more diverse than it has ever been, and you ought not to buy a ball Whilst it’s likely that if you bought it new, it was probably expensive enough for you here is some advice on being a sustainably to want to keep it around, The Ballgown is a

garment you’re probably unlikely to consider re-wearing. Personally, I’m a big advocate for wearing what you want when you want everyone. But never fear – there are plenty of solutions. To assuage your one-and-done guilt, you might get on a site like Oxford’s very own ‘Let’s All Share Our Clothes’ me to tell you what it does). Formal or balltype dresses are one of the most common requests on there, and it can be a nice way to give your dress another lease of life,

unable to get out much. If you’re looking for a more direct return on your investment, you can, of course, sell the thing – sites like eBay and Vinted do an absolutely roaring trade in prom/ball dresses, precisely because of their way of getting those warm environmentalist fuzzies – as well as a few quid for yourself.

As life gradually creeps back towards a new normality, it’s important that we apply the environmental consciousness gained over hours of lockdown doomscrolling in all areas of our lives – and balls are an excellent place to start.

E S O H T U

17

R CE

Six Grim Limericks to Ruin Your Day

by Miles Robson (first year, Pembroke College)

I I sulkily open the lid Of the things which I thought I was rid.

And although it’s a sin To eat chips from a bin, What hunger could not, famine did.

IV As though I’m alone and dismembered, My senses have been apprehended: A clinical light, Not a window in sight In the land that time remembered.

III After the Second World War, Did caution not knock at the door?

A stopped clock is right Both at morning and night, but you’ve left it too long to restore…

V When pushed to the margin of error, you topple. All that you’re the bearer of takes its toll on you. To console would be lying. I’m a dreadful preparer.

II Their climates are often vulcanian Or in castles amongst the Carpathians.

Wherever they go, they’ll let you know.

Homo sapiens sapiens.

VI Every joy will disperse.

Every car is a hearse.

To be optimistic is unrealistic and things will always get worse.

This week’s edition features a poet who is inspired by themes of jovial darkness; upsetting subject matters told with a musical narrator.

Miles Robson believes we can’t get enough of the thrill of the macabre, if delivered in the right sort of way.

Notes from our featured poet- Miles Robson I got turned onto the limerick form through Wendy Cope’s Waste Land Limericks, a parody of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land that does exactly what it says on the tin.

It boils down the intense subject matter of Eliot’s work and splices it into the up-beat limerick form. Suddenly, for me, everything could be turned into a limerick. Essays and chapters were being summarised in my notebook to the rhythm of “There once was a man from Nantucket…”. of misery and death, written by a fascist during a mental breakdown. Yet Cope walks us through it with a spring in her step, a wink and nod to the camera, and “I hope you’ll make sense of the notes”. The form throws all pretentiousness out of the window. out of it, and settled on six limericks. Six grim limericks.

I wanted the title to be musical too, something vaguely rhyming with a nice rhythm to it. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I did consider calling them “grimericks”, a title I abandoned as quickly as the brief nose exhale it caused.

Over the course of two nights, I bashed out the next four, of the Cherwell (my favourite of which was removing every letter other than O from Glenn Armstrong’s Terrible Calm and renaming it Terrible Clam).

In terms of order, it became quickly apparent that I was able to do two; both the numerical order and the physical order on the page, which was good for me as I was having trouble settling on just one. The physical person accounts into massive existential themes. The numerical order works in terms of ambiguity, moving Then again, the multiple orders might just be a sign to ignore ordering entirely; read as you please, they still work individually.

I’m not a particularly pessimistic person. I’d like for these to be taken lightly, as any limerick should be. I would like for these to be as much fun as a chat about an unexpected nightmare over Cheerios in the morning, and similarly meaningless. Nightmares are nothing but hot air or too much cheese. The ability to subtract ourselves is what makes miserable themes so alluring; the up-beat delivery only really serves to remind us of its un-reality.

Submit your creative writing to The Source at: cherwelleditor@gmail.com Pictures from Unsplash

18

Life

Student cooking doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster Helen Edwards rediscovers the joys of the kitchen while living in college accommodation.

week I made noodles for a friend (who described them as glorious), and upon entering the kitchen another friend commented, “that is not what I was expecting when you said you were making noodles.” Of course she wasn’t. Sometimes the what is essentially noodles and salty water. But shiny spinach, a jammy egg, a sticky chicken breast – your meal can gain oodles of vibrant colour, nutritional value, and, apparently, glory.

So, if the three main things I miss about cooking at home are ingredients, space, and company, those noodles succeeded in

A

larder full of spices. A bread-bin stuffed with comestibles. A fruit bowl brimming with produce. At home I have at my disposal the ingredients to cook almost anything I want, whenever I want. What’s more, there’s the space to make it, and people to eat it, things which are, for me, components as essential for cooking as a saucepan or a chopping board. So, when I came to university the frankly abysmal state of the kitchens was desperately disappointing. Nonetheless, I persevered, but one hole burnt in the soup, and at least three accidental knife cuts later, there was only one thing left for me to make: a resolution to cook less.

Now, by cooking less, I don’t mean eating only Hall or takeaway food from now on – as exquisite as Hassan’s is, we’re students, and we all know how unsustainable that would be.

And I don’t really want to endorse the ‹Don’t cook, just eat› campaign, because, as I hope I’ve made clear, I like cooking. What I mean is, when I do cook, I need to behave less like a cook and more like a student. So, I’ve been exploring how the two need not be mutually exclusive and am now able to share all the weird ways in which I’ve reconciled them

multipack of instant noodles in your cupboard, then all I can ask is why ever not? Although at home you may (or not, as the case may be) possess all the accoutrements for a beautiful, from-scratch tonkotsu ramen broth, this is simply not a realistic option at university. Shin Ramyun noodles (my favourite ones) are, on the other hand, readily available in packs of argument for their constant presence in any student’s cupboard is that they make a cheaper alternative to the inevitable maccies you’ll be craving on your way home from Bridge. Whilst they may not be a professional chef’s staples, noodles can be just that for students. Other key items, as I mentioned, should probably be spinach (please just buy it, it’s so easy, it can be put into literally anything), eggs (if you can eat them) and soy sauce (for me, it’s the perfect marinade for a chicken breast or tofu along with honey and chili). And suddenly, although not as extensive as the cupboard at home, my food cupboard in university is capable of producing a well-rounded meal

lack of space. One day last term I came back to an incessant drilling noise in our building.

We were supposed to be having a dinner party.

With access to the kitchen blocked I nonetheless

Horoscopes... TAURUS

You need to buy a baguette next

SCORPIO I love your enthusiasm about the things that matter in life. Your pas-

will ensue.

CAPRICORN SAGITTARIUS Remind your tute partner to keep their shoes on at all times and life should be easy sailing from then on.

a silent monster that will not be ignored.

LIBRA a bedroom painting of her favour-

leave it in the wrapper, and stamp/drop your heaviest textbook on it. When you open it (over the serving dish!) a powdery, chocolatey

time – the noodles were to share with a friend, the tiramisu for a dinner party. And although I did have to distance myself from my sousgate, it turns out that with my adjusted method, weighing equal amounts of cook against student, the yield of my recipes has not only been tasty, stress-free food, but also a hungry and grateful audience with whom to share it.

John Evelyn

An inside look at the Oxford Union John Evelyn hasn’t seen quite so many concerned faces wandering the Union of #Appoint, the physical term card has been delayed by the Procrastinating on doing his Union work as well. Yet, after much fuss and elbow twisting, we have been ISSUed something. a good term card with the boxing star knocking this one right out the park. But despite the quality of pages 36 to 70, the have not gone unnoticed by the Phallic Uplift Campaign manager in a very public place.

Worries abound around committee about the working environment on the top floor. A certain Queen doesn’t seem to be Vibing with her successor. After a series of frosty exchanges, the once Emspired duo appear to be at odds with eachother. Meanwhile, other Officers have found themselves looking for desks elsewhere as the dark days of Michaelmas

seem to be casting a

lyn, it seems quite simple; if you haven’t read the agenda and your relevancy predates COVID, it might be time to move on. seem to have been enough to cure his former patients of the Sparkitis they now suffer from. Not even the Coke family business appears to be able to shake loyalty lege Warden is said to have been buoyed by reports of his slate Dishing out rebukes to the opposition. But the independent school (to be specific; fee-paying school) slate is far from in the clear.

Away from the hustle and bustle of elections, I must report dear reader that I have been overhearing some rather peculiar conversations. While the candidates are jockeying for Week 7 positions, John Evelyn hears the whispers of a s**** *** being spoken softly but aloud in committee corridor once again. Keep a beady eye on the notice board and the student presses dear reader and remember to always keep your arms and legs in the vehicle as well.

Yours with love, John Evelyn.

PISCES

AQUARIUS

If you don’t take up writing poetry at the park this term, then what are you doing with your life?

Your wishes will be granted by your

GEMINI getting free holidays: life is looking good. Don’t let the evil-eye get you.

VIRGO

you favourably.

needed to provide something, so the Barefoot wine on offer in Sainsbury’s held more temptation than usual. My appreciation of wine being rudimentary, though, I opted for a culinary offering instead: tiramisu. Also on offer were madeleines, so I added those to my basket along with some mascarpone and double cream – everything else I’d be able to scrounge from my cupboard. I cleared my desk and set to work constructing a tiramisu without a kitchen, which turned out to be a piece of cake – although cake would have been impossible, my room’s capability stretching only so far as a fridge, no oven.

All you really need is the serving dish and a bowl to make the mascarpone mixture, because you can just pour the coffee over the sponge once it’s in the serving dish. And for

It is gelato-o’clock. Buy that fancy ice cream you’ve been eyeing since last term.

for you sweetie!

CANCER Chances are that the next person you bump into will and will sweep you off your feet.

ARIES It is time to invest some minutes into writing that essay you’ve been putting off.

LEO

No complaints from me so far.

Don’t forget to drink your water while you are out there bossing it.

Artwork by Ben Beechener

19

Cherpse!

Robert and Molly

The world according to Rusty This mildly comedic column has been written by a drag queen agony aunt. It is not for the faint hearted and contains sensitive topics which may cause distress to some readers. Be prepared to father likes being pegged).

Robert

to constant Drag & Disorderly shows and reading a paper with two (yes, two)

First impressions?

She seemed a very kind, beautiful girl.

burning sensation is viral) known for her sold out shows in glamorous venues (your father’s spare bedroom). She’s decided to take a short hiatus from leading Marine Le Pen’s PR team to teach you about the importance of talcum powder in rubber play. Sorry, wrong column – to answer life’s biggest problems as resident Dragony Aunt. Remember to submit your questions through linktr.ee/rustykatedrag – buy some merchandise while you’re there. I’ve

Did it meet your expectations?

It was probably a bit better than I was expecting. We got along really well and once the initial awkwardness had gone away, it was nice.

What was the highlight?

I’d say no particular moment stood out, the whole experience was just really positive!

What was the most embarrassing moment?

I’d ever been on and so I was very nervous.

Is there a second date on the cards?

I don’t think so, she was wonderful but I think we are a bit too different.

“It was my first proper date and so I was very nervous.”

How do I deal with my ever-decreasing desire to have sex in this postmodern, intimacy-deprived and ultimately depraved world?

My friend has had some trouble getting it up. His girlfriend told me, and she’s a little bit down about it. I’m struggling with what to tell him?!

Let the sex fuel you. If you’re like me, being penetrated can help you dissociate out of this godforsaken world. Lie on your front, sniff some poppers, and let the railing take you away to a land of daydreams and thinking about how your grandmother is doing. Is she coping in that house all by herself? She’s awfully forgetful at the minute.

What if she leaves the oven on? She’ll turn the house

Ah, I’ve seen this problem before. So, your “friend” has a bit of whisky

inheritance then? Not to mention she’ll be left looking like a sunburnt sphynx cat. And by the time you fall down that mental hole, he’s already ejaculated, and he can get back to fixing your plumbing.

in his head. No, not that head. Worst comes to worst, I know a guy that sells Viagra.

First impressions?

2002 baby...! But a lovely man nonetheless.

Did it meet your expectations?

What was the highlight?

When he admitted that he was re-watching Friends.

What was the most embarrassing moment?

When I offered to walk him back home I probably made him feel about seven.

Describe the date in 3 words: Not quite Darcy.

Is there a second date on the cards?

Not on my cards. He’s a Chemistry student, but there wasn’t much of it at the Oxo Bar.

Looking for love?

Email lifestylecherwell@gmail.com or message one of our editors

– but you have to remember that Jesus healed the sick; he didn’t

Summers’ strap-ons.

The life of a birth child in a foster family Felicity Henry describes her experiences growing up with foster siblings.

CW: abuse, trauma, fostering.

Molly

What he needs to do is to analyse why he’s struggling to get it up. Is it a psychological issue, a bit of trauma from the past rearing it’s ugly, uncle-shaped head – or is it physical? Are his arteries working overtime to do a sub-par job at lifting his miniscule member? It reminds me of an

S

began to feel my eyes rolling. I’m sure we all encountered some characters in our interview experiences, however this particular person’s behaviour struck much deeper than your classic verging-onPPEist, taking centre stage of our table, was proclaiming she hated children, to which all her peers chuckled in agreement. Her reason was that they were annoying her at the tennis club she coached at. “Really?”, I thought, as my grip tightened around my cutlery. I sat at that table thinking, “well, I hate kids because one’s just been using my younger sister as his punchbag and another’s just gone on a hunger strike, hit my mum, and called her a c*nt”.

I never uttered these words aloud, nor did she know I’d been experiencing what it is like to be a birth child in a foster family for two years. She had no reason to know the trauma I’d witnessed or endured because of the LACs (looked after children) co-habiting with my family, but it still enraged me. Are these the in when I’m struggling at university because of my past? As it turns out, the tennis coach is now one of my best friends. Maybe it is a result of my concerted effort not to unload my trauma onto others, but I still haven’t found a single other person at this university

who has had a similar experience to me. I do appreciate we all come from very different backgrounds with our various issues, and it doesn’t negate the fact that the tweedwearing misogynist can have trauma too – there is no ‘invalid’ trauma. I understand. I am also aware that I am extremely privileged to have been the birth child and not the LAC in my situation. However, perhaps like many others at this university, I felt that nobody could relate to my particular experience, and I found that very hard.

natural progression for them as their parents went to Oxbridge, though I do feel guilty about my reaction, I can’t help but feel resentful.

It is hard to carry your trauma anywhere,

example, were heavily disrupted by instances relating to foster care: one day a child and their parent refused to get into the car with my mum, and so I couldn’t be collected from school, and I remember not

stable background, ablebodied and went to a school that encouraged my application, and so I apologise if this article comes off as something of a sympathy or a ‘woe is me’ piece. I still think I am allowed to acknowledge at times the hurdles I leapt over to earn my place and wish people would be more sensitive, not just towards me, but everyone. You just cannot assume you know what anyone has been through to get here. I

that so few people have had an experience like mine, and so many have been sheltered in happy, loving, comfortable homes and have glided into their room overlooking the Rad Cam. I am acutely aware that this is not their fault. I know I am

“It is hard to carry your trauma anywhere, but I find it particularly challenging at this university.”

because I had to report a child who had told me she was being abused. Who, here, could really understand and relate to these experiences?

No one knows how proud I am to have my place at this university, to have got the grades I did while my home was torn apart unfortunately often by those who had been abused themselves. When people tell me how easy it was for them to get in, how ‘calm’ the interview process was, or how it was just the

absent-mindedly recounting how you found it so easy to gain your place here, please think again. If anything, open up a judgement-free space to discuss freely what you have all overcome to study at one of the best universities in the world.

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Features A month of reconnection: Ramadan practices in a postCOVID world

Itrisyia Dayini examines how the pandemic pressed pause on the communality of Muslim worship during Ramadan, and the joy of building new traditions away from home.

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hen you ask a Muslim, or even a non-Muslim, the question: what is Ramadan? Almost always, the answer is a month of fasting, of abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.The follow up would be: “not even water?”

Indeed, fasting is the hallmark of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims.

Many wake up to eat suhoor, a meal before fajr, dawn, and break their fast with a meal known as iftar at sunset, often with dates and lunar calendar, the start of the month varies from year to year, dependent on the sighting of the moon. This also means that the hours which Muslims fast vary by the area they live

in, which can range from 10 to 20 hours per day. Exemptions apply for those obliged to fast but are unable to, such as patients with long-term health conditions, menstruating and pregnant women, and children, who may make it up by charitable acts or fasting when they are able to do so.

abstention – it is a month of devotion, reconnection with the Divine and spiritual self-improvement. Linguistically, scholars have noted that the word Ramadan is derived from ‘ramadha’, which means ‘to burn’, symbolising the burning of our sins, where the act of fasting ‘burns’ and relinquishes them.

Ramadan is also the month of the Qur’an as -

this revelation through prayer, charity, and building a closer relationship with God. Although worship is a personal matter, the Muslim is subjected to the shari’ah law, a set of Islamic laws that encompass the religious and the secular, and the public and the private aspects of Muslim life. Fard al-kifayah, the concept of communal obligation in Islam, includes performing ritualistic acts of worship such as congregational prayers. Tarawih prayers are congregational night prayers

gious to the not-so religious, going to these prayers with family holds not only spiritual The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years has put a hold on such communality. Lockdowns and restrictions have impacted the more cultural aspect of Ramadan festivities, from large family gatherings and reunions for iftar to the joy of visiting overand spending on delicious more importantly, the cohesion of the

“Many felt that the benefit of the pandemic was that praying together as a family had brought them closer.”

Ramadan, but it is sunnah, i.e. not obligaaround the world hold tarawih prayers every night and for many Muslims, from the reli-

Muslim community, the ummah, and the congregational aspect of worship has been threatened.

The shari’ah law, which governs religious practices, has had to adapt to state-enforced social isolation measures. Congregational

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prayers are performed with the opposite of such, as the imam, the leader of the prayer, stands at the forefront by himself, followed by the congregation standing in rows behind him: ankle-to-ankle, shoulder-to-shoulder.

With the onset of the pandemic, religious authorities had to revise religious rulings, known as fatwas, to comply not only with social distancing measures but also the shari’ah.

For example, Friday prayers, which can only be prayed congregationally, were sus-

during the blessed month of Ramadan.

With social distancing in place, religious institutions around the world also saw the need to move online to facilitate congregational worship and religious education. Muslims had to adapt to online worship, where the use of technology facilitated the livestreaming of

declared it permissible to be conducted at home. As restrictions slowly eased in mid2020, the resumption of congregational prayers in mosques had to comply with government regulations to ensure the safety of the community. For example, in June 2020,

Friday prayer sermons to a small sociallydistanced congregation prayer on Facebook or Zoom. While religious practices had to be revised to adapt to technology, it was easier for religious education, an example being the halaqah religious study circles, to be held online. The impact of technology allowed Muslims to join across the world, facilitating the collective connection of the ummah, the Muslim community, and its spiritual revival during a time when it was most needed.

Fast forward to 2022: as COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to ease around the world

issued a fatwa which discussed how to perform congregational daily and Friday prayers, of Friday prayers and suggested how to accommodate more congregants given space limitations. These legal rulings on the rituals

as I did not go back to my home in Malaysia.

Iftars sessions were held on Zoom, allowing me to become acquainted with other Muslims around the city who were also going through Ramadan alone. Though Ramadan coincides with most of the Easter vacation this year,

“The cohesion of the Muslim community, the ummah, and the congregational aspect of worship has been threatened.” many students who are staying in Oxford over the holidays, including myself, are observing a ‘normal’ Ramadan with the wider Muslim community here in Oxford. For me, there is joy in breaking fast together every cup of tea and catching-up with the other sisters before we wait for tarawih prayers.

During previous Ramadans, my family and I would also go to our local mosque for iftars, and I am grateful to be able to carry on this it feels like a home away from home.

While Ramadan has been depicted in the media through the celebration of cultural festivities throughout the Muslim world, such as endless food bazaars and extravagant iftar for Muslims to remember that gluttony and the overindulgence are counterproductive to the spirit of Ramadan, which emphasises increasing good actions and generosity through charity. Fasting isn’t just about hunger – the very act offers an opportunity to take pause world by disconnecting from the vicissitudes of modern life.

Fasting itself is a major act of ibadah, worship, as its physical discipline and voluntary deprivation allows us to be

of worship were revised and interpreted to adapt to the restrictions of the pandemic, Islamic law that has allowed it to maintain its relevance to Muslim life throughout history.

Lockdowns were also a threat to the cohesion of the Muslim community, as the closure of social spaces limited not only community worship, but also severed the ‘connection’ and human interaction within the wider community. Mosques, which in this modern day and age may seem as a mere physical space of worship, plays a central role in prosupport. The loss of such spaces when the lockdowns in 2020 coincided with the holy month of Ramadan and the subsequent Eid celebrations, led to recreation of such experiences at home. According to a study Experiences of Ramadan in Lockdown’, many Muslims in Ramadan 2020 lamented the loss of the mosque and its community, often seen as interchangeable concepts, and its communal activities such as tarawih prayers and large iftars. This led to a focus towards the nuclear family instead, where many felt that together as a family had brought them closer.

There was more time for spiritual practices together, as the isolation caused by the soenhanced their ability to connect with God

Muslims have experienced a ‘normal’ Ramadan. From resumption of tarawih prayers outside the nuclear family and communal iftars at mosques to Ramadan bazaars and other cultural celebrations, the return to near normalcy of religious festivities and practices has garnered an emotional response from the Muslims - it is the community connection and the sense of solidarity that distinguishes this blessed month from the others. At the beginning of Ramadan this year, I noticed

blessings, and our vulnerability and limitations.

Eid al-Fitr, the holiday after the end of Ramadan, is a time for celebration of their efforts in Ramadan. From attending the communal Eid prayer in the morning to spending time and feasting with loved ones and the community, the ways in which Muslims celebrate vary across cultures around the world.

This year, Muslims are looking forward to being able to celebrate a ‘normal’ Eid after so long.

Worship, from the Islamic perspective, is not mere ritual, but penetrates into the heart

“It is the community connection and the sense of solidarity that distinguishes this blessed month from the others.” many Muslims on social media voicing their gratitude to be observing a ‘normal’ Ramadan, even those who do not consider themselves as particularly religious. The physical presence of the community that had been lost over the last two years has now ever, it is still a source of anxiety with most social-distancing measures being removed, and some may opt to pray at home to protect the more vulnerable members of their family.

As a third-year undergrad student here at Oxford, I had spent Ramadan 2020 online

of the human being and encompasses everything about one’s ultimate concern including beliefs, feelings and actions. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have pressed pause on the congregational aspect of Islamic religious practices over the last two years, the core essence of Islam holds steadfast in the journey towards the return to normality.

Image credit: irumge / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons and Shahab Ghayoumi / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Perspectives on religious experiences during the COVID-19 “I underwent the process of converting to Judaism during the pandemic. From Jewish through Zoom. I spent most Jewish holidays on my own. It wasn’t until 2021 the spring harvest and the giving of the Talmud teaches that converts were present The members of my Reform Temple met in the parking lot for a humble, but beautiful ceremony. I am not a very spiritual person, but as I watched the Torah scrolls dance in the bright Georgia sunlight, I felt something resonate within me. This year, Jews. The seder consisted of four people, including myself. Living in Georgia, there resources for us to access to, so some who are more observant may consider the seder that someone I hardly knew invited me to their home to eat a seder they laboured hours preparing meant the world to me.

ceremony, in the midst of on ongoing plague, felt incredibly heartwarming. It Judaism entirely through a pandemic, but my relatively new Jewish identity.”

- Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson, Jewish student “As a lot of my closest family are Christian, Easter has always been an incredibly family-based celebration; my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins have come to my house every year that I can remember. And so returning to this after 2 years of not being able to do so felt amazing, as it felt like most was how moved I was when I went to church, as being able to celebrate such a joyous occasion freely with my church is something that I have really missed - I ended up going twice!”

- Aniya Selvadurai, Eastern Orthodox Christian student that my whole family was together in with about fourteen households. Whilst this enabled family members to “zoom in” from America and Australia, it was an interesting format given the amount of communal singing and the number o fsmall children participating. Coming particularly pertinent given the recent of freedom - it is about comemmorating the exodus from Egypt but also about remembering that, even today, not all people are free. In recognition of events - and said a prayer for all those who are suffering during the war.”

- Anonymous Jewish student

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Columns Alex Beard discusses the evolving relationship between lifestyles and mindsets.

the means of our addiction. It goes like this: we never have to be bored again, just so long as they get all of our time, our data (friends, personal history, sexual preferences), and our attention. And they sell it on so that things are marketed to us that we neither need nor fundamentally desire.

I am, to be quite honest, not entirely sure what it is that this ‘absence of boredom’ even the vain attempt at engaging in some actual

“Everything is boring, no one is bored.” – Mark Fisher It used to be the case that I would savour those moments in which I was not subjected to the discipline and surveillance of my employer. Be it from the Victorian factory, the Fordist complex, whatever non-working time I had belonged to the refuge of the personal sphere: it was, in theory, time to myself. Totally free of is no wonder that the expansion of commodity consumption and media like commercial television expanded in accordance with the amount of time people spent away from work.

Still, at a distance from the physical and intellectual deference demanded by my employer, I might spend time doing things that improved my quality of life: reading, playing sport, making music, spending time with family or in the community. In the space that was perceived by capitalism to be empty and non-productive lay the source of much human happiness.

We should not be so naive as to assume that the conquest of our ‘non-productive’ time today, that is to say the absorption of the personal into the digital – nor the resulting transformation of our social existence – has been the work of some kind of neutral technological force. On the contrary, we have been rendered catatonic consumers of what Guy Debord called “pseudo-history”, and comthe most grotesque conglomerates capitalism has ever produced. It may have donned a new mask in the form of digital hyper-modernity, but the true face of capitalism remains: a vast majority of the population is exploited in much of your actual engagement with the world is little more than parenthesis in a day same perfecting of yourself as a marketable digital commodity? To what extent does it really involve the kind of critical thinking that is not in any way compromised by the urge to experience life, if not physically online, then

mediated by its patterns of thought? I know it, in my case, to be vanishingly little.

We are engaged in a collective Faustian bargain. One that was forced upon collectively unconscious children the moment our equally oblivious parents, ambushed by the Blitzkrieg of big tech, allowed to be placed into our hands

to emerge as though from digital slumber friends and completely forgotten what it was me that the iPad is often referred to in China description of a technology which aims to meaningless ephemera, and which keeps me in a state of button-pushing infantilism so as to extract from me ever greater heaps of comThere is a troubling paradox which lurks beneath all this. If my previous paragraph holds true, I would not be online were it not for the possibility that it might teach me something about the world. There is vast emancipatory potential in digital technology.

It makes vast sums of knowledge and information available to people who would never previously have had access to it; indeed, this article would not be possible were it not from the Internet. Today though, digital technology is inseparable from capitalism. We experience it overwhelmingly in its infantilising, has a monopoly on technology, so too does technology have a monopoly on intellectual development: as the tech gets smarter, we get stupider.

I hold that social media represent capitalism’s most resolute victory yet over all those things which lie outside its traditional sphere of exploitation. It has changed the way we live and think in ways which we are only now beginning to acknowledge. If this article has concerned itself with the abstract, then its

“ Just as big money has a monopoly on technology, so too does technology have a monopoly on intellectual development: as the tech gets smarter, we get stupider.” aim going forward will be more concrete. I want to examine the way that digital capitalism has transformed our relationship with ourselves and the world around us. My hunch is that there is no longer any such thing as a ‘digital presence’. Social media change the way we think and behave well beyond the time that we actually spend online, and hence the reality of social existence even for those of us who are not on them (a group to which I unfortunately do not belong). They render us narcissistic pseudo-radicals, who have the sense of changing everything while doing nothing of the sort. And while total abstention is both unlikely and probably unproductive, we must radically rethink our relationship to them. This, after all, is our reality.

Image Credit: Luis Quintero via Pexels

Lay Mohan deconstructs the perception of corruption as a historically distant or ‘foreign’ concept.

Recent British and foreign governments have been involved in scandals often inaccurately dubbed ‘sleaze’ instead of what they are: plain corruption.

By analysing the broader legal and economic systems that have allowed corruption to flourish, Lay aims to turn his angry, frustrated feelings of powerlessness about the issue into musings on possible solutions and action moving forward, starting with issues of money laundering and stolen assets in London.

Swift and shockingly appropriate action has been taken by the British government to put pressure on the Kremlin so far as the Russian been all too enthusiastic to blindly welcome billions in Russian money to British shores, the government’s announcement just over a month ago of an ambitious raft of measures in the UK certainly came as something of a surprise.

These measures primarily come in the form of sanctions on Russian investments and assets based in the UK, which have led, amongst other things, to the notable sanctioning of the £230m property portfolio of former-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, and the freezing of two of his associates’ assets, which, combined, totalled £10bn, making the instance the single greatest asset freeze in UK history. The intention behind this and other measures is to prevent assets from being returned to the Kremlin to be used to fund the continued Russian invasion of Ukraine. Undoubtedly, progress has been in comparison to the mammoth sums associated with the Kremlin that have made their way to the UK in recent decades and stayed here.

their money; through a series of transactions often involving some combination of offshore satellites and shell companies in order to conceal the origins of the income. The directly from Russia to the UK in the past decade, whilst over seven times this, £68bn, of this money has direct ties to the Kremlin is hard to say, but the choice to divert funds using offshores, for example, should raise is one thing, and secrecy is another. The means taken by many wealthy individuals surrounding Putin, more than not, tend to be of the latter sort. It is not that these structures being used are inherently corrupt, but rather that their use is indicative of some attempt to cover up illegal dealings, illicit sources of income and corruption.

The recent asset freezes of Billionaire Row properties with underground swimming pools and cigar rooms are an overdue attempt to end a decades-long policy of welcoming, with open arms and covered eyes,

There are many conditions that make it so ripe for the role of global money launder(which, until recently, lacked stringent checks on the provenance of money) and perhaps more importantly, its overseas shield agents’ identities as they dodge taxes or launder money.

Sanctions on Russian money fail to chase investments much further than Surrey, let alone the Seychelles, and yet each year millions of illicit money, some these territories each year. The freezing of assets may occasionally catch out the odd mansion in an oligarch’s collection, but for the most part, this can be dodged by simply passing a property onto a wife or a nephew, picking up a Chagall or two at Sotheby’s, or buying another property in cash from an all-too-willing London property manager all to divert your assets. For the unfortunate few whose properties have been subjected to unexplained wealth orders to freeze assets, still jail or any further punishment is not even a remote concern.

“How much of this money has direct ties to the Kremlin is hard to say, but the choice to divert funds using offshores, for example, should raise eyebrows regarding the source of these flows.”

Yet it seems loopholes were being drawn TV promise about his conviction to the efthe inclusion of an eighteen- month grace period for those having to join the register, which is more than enough time for a skilled team of lawyers and accountants to draw up

relevant information regarding their ultihurdle for those with a disposable fortune in the hundreds of millions. On top of this, the allotted funding for the register is estimated the project up for failure. This is not to say the effort is not still worth acknowledging; the task the government has set for itself is formidable- the sheer volume of information that will need to be analysed and the ever incorrigible and opaque Kremlin being just two hurdles to face in the battle against My hope is that the new policies being implemented represent a sincere, albeit incomplete, effort to tackle the problem of global money laundering and asset theft that the government has found itself to be complicit in as a result of its inaction thus far.

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Sport

GROW British Rowing: A step in the right direction?

Emma Grummit discusses British Rowings’ attempts to improve female representation.

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his year the river Thames was home to the 167th men’s boat race between Oxford and Cambridge and the 76th women’s race. It was televised by the BBC for the 84th time with millions watching it at home on their televisions. Here in the UK, there is relatively little coverage of varsity sport in the mainstream media, especially in comparison to our neighbours across the pond. However, there is a major exception: The Boat Race. Regardless of your investment or involvement in rowing, it is an event akin to Wimbledon, key to signalling the incoming tide of British Summer Time.

The BBC televises the event in a feature that runs for approximately two and half hours covering the races, interviews with key British rowing figures, and a halftime feature.

This year the halftime feature covered a new British Rowing initiative run by Rebecca Clephan, programme manager of London Youth Rowing. Clephan introduced a new programme run in Leeds that aims to get young people from diverse backgrounds into rowing. The feature was introduced by Kyra Edwards, a British rower of high acclaim, who has recently made her name, not in this year’s Olympics, but in advocating for increased diversity in the sport. However, her genuinely heart-

felt interview, and the programme that followed it, seemed somewhat discordant with the rowing on display that day. In an interview with a BBC sports correspondent on the program, Edwards stated that ‘every single rower I know is down to earth, passionate and determined, yet all of us are absolutely unique and different’ and ‘there is a perception that rowing is exclusive but I don’t believe, for a second, that anyone in the rowing community believes that.’

These words and the Leeds initiative were then followed minutes later with the men’s 167th boat race, with both crews exclusively made up of tall, white men from Oxbridge, many Olympians in their own right. In contrast, Edwards, who did not make the Tokyo GB squad, but is seen by many as a strong contender for Paris 2024, would have been the first Black member of Great Britain’s team. Edwards is herself from Nottingham but really developed her rowing career in North America at UCLA. She now lives with her partner Saskia Budgett, another member of the GB squad in the UK. In a piece entitled ‘Generation Next: Kyra Edwards on tackling stereotypes and changing the face of rowing’, written by the BBC’s Nick Hope, Edwards stated that increasing diversity and accessibility in the sport would mean more to her than an Olympic medal. Fortunately, in the last decade, British Rowing has made an attempt to address some of the issues within rowing’s seemingly exclusive community.

It has recently launched its own GROW initiative which funds coaches to work at

local clubs in order to reach more young people, as well as already providing initiatives in Leeds and areas in London where involvement with the sport is low.

Similarly, it is important to remember how far British rowing has come in the last years through recognising the achievement and skill of its female rowers. Only in 2015 was the women’s boat race held on the same day as the men’s giving the two races equal standing for the first time in The Boat Race’s history. In 2022 astute watchers may have noticed that Oxford University Men’s Boat Club and Oxford University Women’s Boat Club were introduced in that format regardless of gender, rather than the typical OUBC and OUWBC. The same went for Cambridge, although it is interesting to note that, for Oxford at least, the official websites still go by their original titles.

British Rowing is undoubtedly moving in the right direction, however, whether it is moving with the appropriate speed and urgency is another matter. Despite Edward’s words, that the exclusivity of rowing is a ‘perception’, it is a perceived insularity that still has a great deal of concrete bias in our rowing community today. Take for instance the Henley Royal Regatta, a ticketed event, that is sponsored by Bremont Chenometers, Moet and Chandon Champagne, and the Crew Clothing Company. Not exactly a diverse list of companies that speaks to the needs of your average football fan for example.

Although millions go to watch The Boat Race, The Henley Royal Regatta is like a

Oli Hall’s Oxford United Round-Up Oli Hall looks back on a disappointing week for Oxford United.

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t was a bitterly disappointing week for Oxford United fans as the men’s side saw their play-off aspirations ended with defeat away to Rotherham United. In contrast, the women did pick up three points and the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final took place on Tuesday night.

Oxford United started the day on Saturday hopeful of keeping up their play-off push after a win over MK Dons at home on Tuesday night had kept them in the race. In the end, though, it was a step too far as they fell to a 2-1 defeat despite taking the lead and are now five points off the final playoff spot with just one game left to play.

It took just ten minutes for Oxford to take the initiative and shock the New York Stadium into silence. Sam Long put a low cross into the box that was destined for Matty Taylor before Dan Barlaser intervened and put it into his own net.

Rotherham dominated proceedings for

the remainder of the first half and they got the breakthrough of an equaliser at a crucial moment: in stoppage time just before the break. Rarmani Edmonds-Green headed home from a Ben Wiles cross with the last touch of the half and sent the home fans into relieved celebrations.

Not long after the hour mark, Luke McNally brought down Chiedozie Ogbene inside the Oxford box and the referee pointed to the spot. Barlaser calmly slotted home his second goal of the afternoon, this time at the right end, and with it condemned the Yellows to another year of League One football.

Oxford United Women bounced back after last week saw their title-winning and promotion hopes crushed. On Sunday they secured a sensational 0-1 win away to Ipswich Town. The game was a tight contest throughout and it was Merrick Will who got the goal late on to seal the three

points in an extremely high-quality affair.

The victory moves the Us just two points behind Ipswich with a game in hand ahead of facing champions Southampton next.

The end-of-season awards also took place this week. Cameron Brannagan was the big winner on Sunday night as he took home both the Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Year trophies. His goal against Portsmouth also won Goal of the Year which was poignantly renamed the Joey Beauchamp Goal of the Season Award after the United legend passed away earlier this season. Beth Lumsden was named the Women’s Player of the Year and Matty Taylor’s 20 goals were enough to win him the Golden Boot.

Finally, Tuesday night saw United give eleven academy players a chance to shine in the Oxfordshire Cup Final. They took the lead early on when Tyler Goodrham volleyed home after six minutes. A strong Oxford City side came back into the game though and equalised 15 minutes later before going on to get the winner just before the hour mark.

Looking ahead, the men host Doncaster at home on Saturday afternoon in their season finale whilst the women go away to Southampton before their final game of the year against Wigan at home on Sunday.

day at the races, everyone dressed up to the nines. The cost of a rowing blazer worn by most athletes to this illustrious event is often upwards of £300. For many of these institutions keeping traditions alive is extremely important, and also part of the fun, but it undoubtedly comes with a hefty price tag.

Importantly, change in rowing, like change in any sector only makes serious progress when the institutions that contribute also change their outlook. Oxford University did not become entirely mixed gender in its collegiate system until 2008, with the vast majority of colleges choosing to admit only male undergraduates well into the twentieth century. Many who attend Oxford and Cambridge with a pre-existing passion for rowing are from public schools, largely because these are the schools that can fund such an expensive pass time, and because roughly 30% of Oxford’s intake is from non-state backgrounds, approximately six times the national average, according to The Times’s higher education department.

Undoubtedly British Rowing’s initiatives are a step in the right direction, but like many journeys towards inclusivity, it cannot be done alone. British Rowing’s valiant efforts will remain simply that, efforts, not results, until the culture that fuels these sports also take action. As a sport, we have made an important first step but there is still a way to go before we see more talented athletes like Kyra Edwards on our screens.

Sport in Oxford: BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships to take place this weekend (30 April – 2 May) Cricket Cuppers to kick off this week with Worcester looking to defend their 2019 title Fancy a go at croquet? There will be a free coaching session for beginners on Thursday Registrations for the Oxford University Volleyball Alumni Cup open now

24 Medium Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

Pencil Puzzle - Sto-Stone The gird has been dvided into rooms, in each room a ‘stone’ must be made by shading cells connected horizontally or vertically. The number in the top left of each room says how many cells there are in the room’s stone. Stones from different rooms may not touch horizontally or vertically. When all stones are ‘dropped’ straight down by deleting the blank cells, the stones half of the grid.

Disjoint Groups - No number may repeat in the same position in the 3x3 subgrids Two-Speed Crossword Cryptic Clues Across: 3. Jazzy trash-core band (9) 4. Monarch is kind of stationary (5) 6. BA rioted - resorted to sea travel (4,4) 8. Remove error from reset to switch off (4) 9. Football club magazine (7) 12. Pharoh involved in a scam (7, 6) 13. Fast vehicle goes both ways (4, 3) victory (4) 18. American spy is surprisingly anti-cage (3,5) 19. Forget start of pinnacle number (5) 20. Plumber’s ambition is unrealistic (4, 5) Down: 1. Pupil found by one in IRS (4) 2. Literature locked by English high society (5) The Sun (5) 4. Antagonist consumed in HR (5) 5. Presentation of playground ride performance (9) 7. Santa’s helpers hiding in shelves (5) 9. Late teams play a draw (9) 10. Snake puts two and two together (5) 11. To pursue without lead is towering, perhaps (5) 15. Emblem in photo template (5) 17. Self starting car (4)

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Cartoons by Wang Sum Luk (@ws_draws)

Concise Clues Across: 3. Large group of musicians 4. Measuring tool 6. Short trip on a lake 8. Musical symbol 9. Armory 12. Financial fraud 13. Formula One vehicle 15. Carbon copy 18. Jack Ryan e.g.

19. Rowing crew 20. Wishful thinking

Down: 1. Garden Flower 2. Crème de la crème 3. Elliptical path 4. Fan’s opposite 5. Speaker’s visuals 7. Fairy tale characters 9. Chess outcome 10. Venemous snake 11. Church feature 14. Wrath 15. Carved pole 16. Public persona 17. Camera setting