Cherwell - 0th Week Michaelmas 2020 by Cherwell

Felix O’Mahony

www.cherwell.org

xford University Student Union and Oxford Brookes Union have written a letter to major letting agents in Oxford reminding them of their duties under the law and asking for greater protections of students who have been badly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The letter was sent by Róisín McCallion, VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities at Oxford SU, and Daisy Hopkins, Vice-President of Student Wellbeing at Oxford Brookes SU. It argued that the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including job losses and caring responsibilities, made it “increasingly difficult” for some students to make rent payments. All landlords have been granted a three month mortgage holiday by the government, meaning that private landlords may stop paying towards their mortgage without impacting their credit scores. While renters have been granted an extended three-month notice period before the termination of a tenancy, tenants will still be liable for their rent. Given the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, the letter proposes a number of additional measures designed to protect those students who had been made most vulnerable by the pandemic: - Students who are unable to return home should be granted an extension of their tenancy, if necessary. - Students financially impacted by coronavirus, and who cannot move out, should receive significant rent reduction or a rent

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Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Vol.292 No.1 | 0th week

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the pandemic, especially for students who would otherwise be homeless . While some agencies have responded positively to the letter, so far none have made concrete commitments to the measures outlined in the letter. Students across the country have initiated rent strikes, demanding that students in private halls and university-managed accommodation should be granted relief from their third-term rent. Cherwell spoke to ‘Liberate the University’, a movement which is coordinating rent strikes at Universities in London, including University College London. The group’s demands include lettings students leave contracts early, and a 20% rent reduction for those remaining in halls. The group currently believes that between one hundred and two hundred students are currently on rent strike at London universities, although many are worried about legal or disciplinary action being taken against them. UCL operated halls and University of London intercollegiate halls have agreed to for educational purposes suchdemands. as areHowever, COVID-19 most of their most pritutorials. related. vate halls have still not agreed to any of the Colleges have also diverged on In response demands. the disciplinary action they may fortoSanctuary their colA spokesperson Students, take against students in operates violationa number lege’sofrestricwhich halls of resiof regulations. Somerville College tions, Jesus “We dence across London, told Cherwell: sent students a comprehensive list aCollege JCRnumber continue to house significant of national and international students in of fines for coronavirus guidelines has passed properties in various locations to and for breaches. They willour enforce a £100 a motion many of these,are our accommodation is their fine for the first time students send a letter to primary home. All our sites remain found mixing households within college askingopen our accommodation these stuaccommodation orand thewithout first time for the college’s dents may become they are found with a guest. Both homeless.” coronavirus rules these infringements will be met to be relaxed. The with a £200 fine and “a student’s motion passed with 79 5 live in College will be right to votes for, 6 against, and 1 placed under review” on the secabstention. ond time. The letter asked Jesus to increase University College reminded households to be more than 4 at the students of the rules, alongside least, especially for freshers, and a notice that the College “will ideally 6-8 people. They also ask not hesitate” to use disciplinary that students be allowed to have procedures if necessary. There is significant others overnight, notan online form, ‘Don’t Walk By’, ing that this current college policy for students to report “potentially is beyond governmental guidelines harmful but avoidable situations” that people in ‘established around college, particularly which Continued on page 2

holiday. - Partners should follow the advice of the National Residential Landlords Association to suspend rent increases for the next 12 months. - A no-penalty contract release should be considered for students who are no longer living at the tenancy address, without transferring costs to any remaining tenants. The letter encouraged lettings agents to forward the letter on to landlords, and assist landlords where necessary. Speaking to Cherwell, Róisín McCallion emphasised the importance of students being allowed to remain in privately rented accommodation for the duration of

Tuesday, 6th October 2020

A century of independence since 1920

FINES OR FREEDOM?

COLLEGE POLICIES CLASH Number of students

Oxford University Housing

told Cherwell in response to concerns about the guidelines: “There As term begins, colleges have were discussions amongst all coldiffered widely in how they are leges about the topics that should enforcing coronavirus behaviour be included, the tone, and the guidelines. While the university’s information that the agreement COVID-19 Responsibility Agreewas going to provide...It wasn’t an ment is common to all students, agreement that was imposed from colleges have different accomabove. It was an iterative process. modation policies and disciplinary “What we’re asking people to University or college Private rental procedures. do is to be good citizens. Nothing maintained Queen’s College in particular more, nothing less.” Data from Oxford City Councilemailed has stated that it found the ReMagdalen College sponsibility Agreement “patronisstudents to “stress how lenient” ing” and “strongly opposed” the the college is being “relative to CHERWELL “principle” of the agreement. In an other colleges”, saying: “There email to students, they said: “It’s is significant pressure from the not the university’s place to create central University to tighten our rules for what happens in College.” regulations, and limit interaction Queen’s said they asked their far more. The only way that we get students to sign the agreement to keep our rules is if we prove that because “there was a real risk we can be responsible.” [students] would be denied access Magdalen College and Brasenose to university teaching and spaces are some of the only colleges being if we did not go along with it”. more flexible with guest policies. Karen O’Brien, co-chair of the Most colleges are not allowing any Michaelmas Coordination Group, guests on their college site except Imogen Duke

TOP STORIES Controversial professor to lead women’s equality programme | 3 New scholarship for black postgraduates | 4 Pitt Rivers museum removes shrunken heads | 6 Cherwell News: Good news around Oxford | 7

EXCLUSIVE: OXFORD UNION MICHAELMAS 2020 TERMCARD Maya Misra

Former Prime Minister David Cameron, Dr Anthony Fauci, Hong Kong activist Nathan Law, and footballer Mo Salah are among the speakers on the Oxford Union’s termcard. David Cameron will be appearing in-person. Since overseeing the Brexit referendum, he has published a memoir, For the Record, and held various advising and consulting positions. Dr. Anthony Fauci is an advisor

for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, providing recommendations on public health for the United States. In his role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he has advised the government on HIV/AIDS, the swine flu, Ebola, and now COVID-19. Several prominent activists have been invited to speak, including Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, and Derrick Johson, President of the NAACP. The Union is also holding its

first ever Black History Month debate, with the proposition, “This house is not proud to be British”. Speakers with ties to anti-Chinese activism are also abundant. Nathan Law is a student activist who organised the 2014 Umbrella Movement before fleeing Hong Kong after the 2020 National Security Law. Chai Ling was a leader at the Tiananmen Square Protest who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Finally, the Hon. Chief Justice Geoffrey

Ma is a Senior Hong Kong Judge. Prominent businesspeople include Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, and Alex Cruz, CEO of British Airways. Liverpool footballer Mo Salah, considered to be one of the best in the world, accompanies other athletes including Osi Umenyiora, former American football player for the New York Giants, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, a gold-medal-winning Great British Paralympian. Continued on Page 3

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

2 | News

WHAT’S INSIDE LEADER Our behaviour matters

NEWS Controversial professor to lead women’s equality programme

New scholarship for black postgraduates

Pitt Rivers museum removes shrunken heads

Cherwell News: Good news around Oxford

COMMENT Satire: Letter to the Neophytes

Its 2020, and bisexual women are still fighting to be seen

Society Spotlight: The 93% Club

FEATURES Power of the People: Toppling Europe’s last dictatorship

SPORT The return of the WSL

merican universities saw surges of COVID-19 cases as students returned for the new academic year. Total campus infections have increased by 42,000 in September alone. Some had to stop in-person classes only a few weeks into the semester, and others have had to close entirely. UK universities needed to learn from this. And yet, there have already been surges in cases with many students needing to selfisolate in halls. University staff unions say universities are already at fault for holding face-to-face teaching this term. Many are angry at universities for luring students back with false pretences of university life. Students were promised in-person teaching and a social life, which now appear empty promises told to get us back and paying rent. These are fair criticisms, but it is not just institutions who bear responsibility for the spread of COVID-19 in universities. In the US, cases stemmed much less from classrooms than from student gatherings. And, at most UK universities, face-to-face teaching has barely begun. We have to take responsibility for our actions as students. Returning to university is not a watershed for life becoming normal again. The pleas of government ministers and vice chancellors have little influence over student behaviour. Antipathy towards the government, combined with a

Continued from Page 1 relationships’ do not have to social distance. The JCR also asks for students to be allowed to socialise within university accommodation. The letter says: “SAGE clearly believes six people can spend time socially distanced under the same roof; given this, there seems no reason why students should not be able to do likewise, in a COVID compliant manner.” When asked about the differences in policies between colleges, the university noted that there would likely be disparities: “If you’re at a tiny college like Lincoln… there are bound to be differences, and those differences are there in a pre-Covid and current Covid world. We are doing our utmost to ensure that all students have a good experience.” At the Virtual Town Hall, Jan Royall, Principal of Somerville College and co-chair of the Michaelmas Coordination Group, also spoke about the need for students to have a student experience and emphasised the importance of organising safe social events: “If students were just stuck in their rooms all day in front of the computer, it would be bad for their mental health.” Colleges are separately responsible for disciplinary procedures. The University told Cherwell: “Deans are College employees, and will be briefed as appropriate by individual colleges. Colleges are working to increase consistency as much as possible, while allowing for individual circumstances and regulations in each college. Deans also meet regularly with the Proctors to ensure a close working relationship with the University.

healthy dose of anti-establishment hostility towards our universities, means treating guidelines with contempt can feel justified. This will be a dangerous attitude if it prevails in student culture. Opposition to authority is one of the most powerful uniting forces. We, as a world, are united against coronavirus. But, in a mundane day-to-day sense, the ‘uniting’ policies against the virus come from those above. In everyday actions, the temptation to break guidelines – and the law – is therefore rationalised by opposing those who install the guidelines. This is even more true when it’s obvious their priority is not our welfare.Anywhere you spend or make money, you’re allowed to spread the virus, says the government. In May, you could see your cleaner but not your sister who lived down the road. In August, the British population were encouraged to socialise and go back to work. This priority is still evident in recent local lockdowns. You can only go to another household in the case of birth or death. Oh, or anything work and education related. Oh, and of course you can still meet in the pub – just get your pints in before 10! When the priorities of the government are this obvious, it instils a sense of rebellion. Rich Tories are going out grouse shooting in large numbers – why shouldn’t I hold a house party? They encouraged us to spread the virus all of August – why are they

restricting our social lives as soon as we get to see our university friends again? On top of this, students are presented in the media as almosthumans with little agency and no sense. How can you expect drinkand-drug-fuelled, sex-driven, primitive young people to follow the regulations? say the tabloids. Their frontal lobe is underdeveloped so they will take more risks! say the academics. And so the front pages were full of portends of the second wave caused by rampant teens running about the country as universities returned, which now

THE TEMPTATION IS TO ALLOW DISAGREEMENT WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND DISCONTENT WITH UNI TO OVERRIDE FEAR OF CORONAVIRUS. appear fulfilled. To young people, these warnings were already accusations. And now, as cases in UK universities rise, blame on the young has increased. To compound the unfairness of losing our youth, it feels as though the press, government, and middleaged establishment demonise and scapegoat the young whenever convenient.

Leader OUR BEHAVIOUR MATTERS IMOGEN DUKE The temptation is to allow disagreement with the government and discontent with universities to override fear of coronavirus. How can they expect us to follow the rules? we say. But we are not the irresponsible, irrational people depicted in the media. We can and need to decide together that university life should be very different to normal this term and year. Social distancing is not an imposition to get around but a new way of life to accept – so we can avoid becoming the mirror of US universities. One person testing positive has an impact on hundreds of people’s lives. Many will have to isolate. Some will become ill. A few will become very ill, even for months with ‘long COVID’. Some infected people will pass the virus on, not just to students, but to the wider community. More people will have to isolate, more people will become very ill, some will die. As an example of what could follow: in American counties where

students are at least 10% of the population, “about half experienced their worst weeks of the pandemic since Aug. 1”, according to the New York Times. So, people are dying in higher numbers than any other time in the pandemic in some areas – because of universities. We are not closed communities. If the prospect of illness is not enough, there are many more selfish reasons to behave responsibly. If someone in your household has symptoms, you can’t leave your home until they get a negative test. If someone you’ve been in close contact with tests positive, that’s one quarter of your term gone. If the virus spreads around your university, lockdown measures will increase and even fewer activities will be allowed. Of course, the government has fucked up. It feels like we’re paying the price for our leaders’ mistakes because we are. But, we need to pay this price to save lives. The mistakes of others do not mean we can excuse ignoring a global health crisis.

News | 3 UNIVERSITY

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

Professors accused of transphobia lead women’s equality programme Abigail Howe

CW: Transphobia The Oxford Martin School has appointed the Professor of Modern History Selina Todd to lead the new programme ‘Women’s Equality and Inequality’. Along with co-lead Professor Senia Paseta, she will “identify drivers of individual upward mobility and of generational uplift that can help to eradicate educational and economic inequality for women around the world”, according to a statement from St Hilda’s College. Professor Todd, whose writing includes research on working-class history, feminism, and inequality, has self-described “gendercritical” beliefs and is a “strong supporter” of Women’s Place UK, an organisation criticised by trans rights groups. Professor Todd and Professor Paseta both co-signed a 2018 letter to the Labour Party regarding the Party’s inclusion of transgender women within their all-women shortlists; the letter claimed

that this stance was “asserting gender identity over sex-based exemptions” and did not uphold women’s rights to “sex-segregated spaces”. The letter continued that “we will not tolerate women being slurred with the misogynist insult TERF [Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist] or being called ‘cis’ against their will”. An open letter to the University, signed by 400 students in its first 48 hours, speaks out against “two professors with a history of transphobia” leading the Oxford Martin School programme. It asks Todd and Paseta to “publicly commit to including trans women in their research”. The open letter states: “We also fear the beliefs of these professors will negatively affect the scope and quality of research with which they are associated, resulting in the minimisation or neglecting of trans related issues.” It further states that the appointment of Todd and Paseta “reinforce the feeling amongst trans students that the University does not care

STUDENTS

Union termcard Continued from page 1 There is a formidable list of US politicians, including John Kasich and Carly Fiorina , both former Republican presidential candidates; Julian Castro, a Democratic presidential candidate; and former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose reputation was damaged by the “Bridgegate” scandal. 16 speakers will be in-person, as will the LGBTQ+ panel and all debates but one. Events will be held in the debating chamber at reduced capacity and a one-way system will be put in place. Tickets for inperson events will be released on Fixr to avoid crowded queuing, and the recordings will be released on YouTube shortly afterwards. Beatrice Barr, President of the Oxford Union, stated to Cherwell: “I’m thrilled with the efforts of our committee to put together such an exciting series of events this term, in keeping with our commitment to engage in forward-thinking and responsible conversations. We’re lucky to be able to bring our members a programme of both

in-person and online events, in line with government guidelines though we are, of course, ready for everything to change at very short notice! “I hope that members old and new will take advantage of everything the Union has to offer this term, in whatever way they feel comfortable.” Additionally, the Union Bar and Library will be open, both operating at reduced capacity. The library may be booked online in advance for morning and afternoon slots. The bar will abide by government guidelines on hours and social distancing, with measures including table service only and an order-ahead app. While the membership fee has not changed, it has not increased as it usually does year-on-year. The full termcard is available online on the Cherwell website. Image credits: Number 10; PublicResource.org; Kirill Venediktov, Wikimedia Commons; Michael Vadon; TechCrunch

about their wellbeing”. A spokesperson for the Oxford SU LGBTQ Campaign told Cherwell: “Oxford SU LGBTQ+ Campaign of course welcomes the foundation of this programme, but finds the involvement of Selina Todd, whose anti-trans beliefs and activism is well-known, to a project that aims to help ‘eradicate educational and economic inequality for women around the world’ very troubling. “When trans women of colour and those in the global south experience vastly higher levels of unemployment and poverty, this raises serious questions about the project’s commitment to uplifting all women rather than a select few.” Selina Todd was disinvited from the Oxford International Women’s Festival in March on the basis of her views of gender identity. The Oxford University History Faculty criticised the decision, saying they could not “accepted the exclusion” of Selina Todd and that “it is not always straightforward to balance the rights of women with the rights

of trans people”. Prior to Todd’s invitation being withdrawn, feminist writer Lola Olufemi dropped out of the event, mentioning Todd’s views on transgender women as a reason. Todd has also supported Woman’s Place UK, an organisation which campaigns for sexsegregated spaces and promotes discussion about the impact of the Gender Recognition Act on cis women. The group has been criticised by the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights, who called the group a “trans-exclusionary hate group”. The campaign’s pledges labelling WPUK as such were signed by politicians including Lisa Nandy, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Dawn Butler and Emily Thornberry. The Oxford LGBTQ Student Union Campaign have previously described Woman’s Place UK as “transphobic”, arguing that they are “threatening trans people’s rights and safety”. In a statement published by St Hilda’s College, Professor Todd said about the Oxford Martin

School research: “We’re very proud that Oxford will be home to this new research programme on women’s equality and inequality. The idea for this initiative grew in part from a St Hilda’s research initiative called ‘Mind the Gap’, which brought together academics at all levels, including students, to discuss shared concerns in the research of inequality. That cross-disciplinary focus will also characterise this new research programme in Oxford’s Martin School.” Professor Paseta said: “We are delighted to launch the Oxford Martin Programme on Women’s Equality and Inequality. We agree with Hilary Rodham Clinton that ‘women’s rights is the unfinished business of the 21st century’. Our research on women’s social mobility aims to contribute to the eradication of educational and economic inequality for women around the world.” Neither Professor Todd or Professor Paseta responded to requests for comment.

UNIVERSITY

Will we go home for Christmas? Cherwell interviews the University about Michaelmas Imogen Duke

Cherwell interviewed Jan Royall and Karen O’Brien, co-chairs of Oxford University’s Michaelmas Coordination Group. We asked about Oxford’s coronavirus policies, disciplinary measures, and contingency plans to keep students and staff safe. Have any Oxford policies changed since seeing cases rising at Oxford Brookes? The University has a very detailed emergency management framework and we constantly monitor very closely what’s happening in the country and in the city. It is true to say we’ve learnt a lot from Brookes’s experience. We’ve had a lot of dialogue with Brookes, with Thames Valley Police, and with the City Council. But we haven’t dramatically changed our plans in the light of what’s happened. We’re on a different timescale to Brookes and also we’re quite a different kind of university. We don’t have enormous undergraduate halls of residence, for example. How will coronavirus-related disciplinary procedures be enforced? In terms of the colleges, the Deans are responsible for discipline. Porters play an extremely important role because they’re there to facilitate good relationships in the college. If there are people doing things that they shouldn’t be doing in the college, then undoubtedly they will involve the Junior Deans, and maybe [the Principal], to come and talk to students and try to rationalize the situation. Deans are College employees, and will be briefed as appropriate

by individual colleges. Colleges are working to increase consistency as much as possible, while allowing for individual circumstances and regulations in each college. Deans also meet regularly with the Proctors to ensure a close working relationship with the University. Would you consider lifting residency requirements for students who have no in-person contact hours this term? If for reasons of travel restrictions or health or other good reasons, that those residency requirements can be waived. So there will be some students who will not be in residence for very good reasons in the coming term. However, at present, we do think it’s important that where possible, students are in residence, because university is about so much more than the educational content. It involves how students learn from each other, how they socialize, how they participate in societies. We very much want it to make it possible for that to be part of the university experience” What are the contingency plans for the end of term, if students cannot go home? When it comes to Christmas, we all want students to go home. You want to go home. We actually want you to go home. Having said that, of course, each and every college will be thinking about what would happen if we had to have students here over Christmas. We’re all going to have some international students here, and there could well be students who come from vulnerable families who say they can’t go hone. We will give them the best possible time. But, we very much hope that

the majority of students will be going home, because that’s where they need to be. Are people who are in ‘established relationships’ in different households allowed to not socially distance? Colleges are COVID-secure workplaces. Colleges are restricting visitors during the pandemic in order to protect their staff and students. Staff and students will be asked to respect social distancing rules in order to protect the community in colleges. UCUs are concerned about faceto-face teaching. How are worries of staff being managed? All staff have been invited to complete a vulnerability selfassessment. This gives them some sense of, if they got the virus, how ill would they become. And if they’re in a higher risk category, they have the option of having a dialogue with their department or with their college about whether they should be teaching face to face. Under no circumstances would somebody who has a significant health vulnerability or is caring for a vulnerable person at home be required to teach face to face. It’s important to focus not just on teaching staff. Those measures apply equally to them. Let’s be very mindful that we have staff who play a huge range of roles in relation to the educational side of the university. How will the University report on cases? The University will be publishing testing results starting at the end of this week.

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020 UNIVERSITY

4 | News UNIVERSITY

Video project highlights ethnic minority students’ Oxford experiences Mark Robins

An Oxford undergraduate has launched a video project to raise awareness of the experiences of ethnic minority students at the university. Walk in my Shoes, an Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) project, will give a voice to BAME students through video content uploaded online. The project’s first series focused on the experience of being a mixedrace student at the University and how ethnic diversity can be improved within Oxford. At the time of publication, the most popular video has gained over 800 views on Instagram. Tony Farag, the project’s lead, said: “Walk in my shoes (WIMS) will allow other ethnic minorities to feel supported and relate based on similar experience. “This project was particularly important to me because I realised that ethnic minority students

often experience a lot in places like Oxford which many people do not know or understand. I wanted to give a voice to students who are often voiceless or are assigned a voice by others.” He added: “WIMS was inspired by the need for a greater sense of empathy, understanding and awareness. I wanted to create a platform where ethnic minority students could openly and honestly

Image credit: Tony Farag and Walk in my Shoes.

CITY

‘Crash Map’ of Oxford’s cycling roads Madhur Wale

According to the Crash Map, an online tool for tracking road accidents, there were 111 ‘serious’ pedal-cycle accidents in Oxford between 2015-2019, two of which resulted in fatalities. The Plain roundabout, situated at the junction of Magdalen Bridge, Cowley Road, and Iffley Road, saw the highest concentration of bicycle accidents, with 55 collisions over the last five years. This suggests that roundabout’s safety has worsened since 2017, when the Plain roundabout was ranked the second most dangerous junction for cyclists in the UK. The 2017 ranking was based on data from 2009-2015, a period which saw 45 collisions at the roundabout – ten fewer than the period between 2015-2019. Following closely behind the Plain roundabout, Iffley road and Cowley road emerged as the riskiest cycle routes, with 52 and 47 bicycle accidents, respectively. The route spanning Magdalen Bridge and the High Street came in fourth, with 44 total accidents, four of which were ‘serious’. Headington road and Abingdon road were the site of over 30 accidents each. Richard Owen, Director of Road Safety Analysis Limited, first developed Crash Map in 2010 with the intention of making road safety data from the DfT more accessible to the public. When asked about how Oxford’s roads could be made safer for cyclists, Mr. Owen told Cherwell: “The biggest one is 20mph [speed limits] in urban areas…But then also there is compliance – you need to make sure that roads are designed so that cars can’t exceed

those speed limits. Beyond that, if you’re looking at longer distance, fast roads, then there needs to be a segregated cycleway. Restrict mixed-use traffic on these types of roads.” Reflecting on the challenges of implementing these solutions, Mr. Owen told Cherwell: “One of the biggest obstacles is our long-term love affair with the motor vehicle. If I’m being honest, people don’t want to change…Outside of the capital it is difficult to gain traction for these solutions because people are so attached to their vehicles. We need to change their mindset, not just for safety but also for climate reasons.” Crash Map is an online tool which uses data from the Department for Transport (DfT) to chart the locations of reported road accidents across the UK. The website allows users to filter incidents by region, vehicle type and accident severity, distinguishing between ‘slight’, ‘serious’, and ‘fatal’ casualties.

Image credit: Tejvan Pettinger / Flickr.

express their personal stories, whether positive, negative or a bit of both.” Tony, a Geography student and BAME representative at St Catherine’s College, hopes the project will promote communication between the student body and the University, leading to “informed changes guided by the voice of the students”. Walk in my Shoes also aims to help prospective applicants to the University. Tony said: “The project will hopefully also provide… a resource through which [prospective students] can realise the diversity of the student body at Oxford, not to mention an authentic and honest review of the current ethnic minority experience at Oxford. “The project will make a statement of proactivity emulated by many ethnic minority students who endeavour to make Oxford a more welcoming and diverse place.”

New scholarship for black postgraduates Mark Robins

Oxford announced the launch of ten scholarships to Black UK research students last week. It acknowledged that Black students are under-represented across the UK (at 4% across the UK sector) and specifically at Oxford, accounting for only 1.5% of postgraduate students. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, Professor Martin Williams, said: “I am thrilled to announce Black Academic Futures programme – the next step towards our vision of ensuring over time that finance is not a barrier to educational opportunity… at Oxford.” Dr Rebecca Surender, University Advocate for Equality and Diversity, said: “Black Academic Futures’ is a bold and exciting new programme that in a practical way demonstrates Oxford’s unequivocal commitment to tackling structural racism and inequality,

both within our own organisation and the sector more broadly. It reflects sustained effort across the collegiate university and will help to ensure Oxford attracts the very best students irrespective of background.” This commitment will run in conjunction with other programmes to increase the number of promising students from under-represented groups within the University at a post-graduate level, such as the UNIQ+ access programme. Selection for the first round of scholarships will take place in April 2021.

CITY

Oxford City Council awarded £1 million to fight homelessness Ellen Hendry

Oxford City Council and charity Aspire have made a successful bid for government funding to tackle homelessness and move people who had been sleeping rough into permanent, safe housing. The newly-awarded portion of Government money will be split three ways: £897,233 will go to providing 124 rooms of interim housing for people in vulnerable housing or rough sleeping before the pandemic and £25,000 will go to moving people into more settled private rented housing, by paying deposits and helping with rent in advance. The remaining £142,312 will go to Aspire to refurbish empty properties and make them available as move-on accommodation for people who have experienced homelessness. Aspire CEO, Paul Roberts, told Cherwell that: “The timing of this funding support could not be better. It will enable us to complete the conversion of the remaining three of the five vacant properties in central Oxford made available by one of the Oxford Colleges. This will provide move-on accommodation and dedicated support for another 17 homeless persons currently temporarily housed in hotels.” In March, the Government announced the ‘Everyone In’ scheme to try and urge local authorities to provide as much accommodation as possible to those sleeping on the streets during the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout the country, around 15,000 individuals were moved into temporary or permanent housing. To stop those helped from returning to unstable housing situations, the Government launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP). This has various streams of fund-

ing which aim to ensure people do not return to homelessness. £105 million was provided for emergency housing support, including securing hostel and hotel rooms for rough sleepers particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Support for individuals wishing to reconnect with family and friends was also promised. £433 million is planned to be spent between now and May 2024 to move people into permanent residence. A £23 million fund is also available to support drug and alcohol treatments. In Oxford, 241 people have already been housed under ‘Everyone In’ arrangement, including 93 people who have been helped into more permanent housing. This includes Saïd Business School providing 12 rooms, University College providing six rooms, and Pembroke College assisting with catering. Numerous commercial hotels and hostels also made rooms available. Councillor Mike Rowley, Cabinet Member for Affordable Housing and Housing the Homeless, said: “Nobody should have to sleep rough in Oxford and this funding will help us to move people from the streets and emergency accommodation into more permanent housing. ‘Everyone in’ gave us a unique opportunity to engage with people in emergency accommodation and we are now building on that. “The certainty of a safe bed during lockdown gave many people the bit of stability they needed to start having conversations about leaving the streets behind for good. We’ve helped 93 people to move on into more sustainable housing, and this is something we are going to keep doing. The NSAP funding also means we’ll be able to keep offering housing and support to people who become homeless over the coming

months, including winter beds that were provided in shared spaces before the pandemic.” More people sleep rough in Oxford than in most UK cities, excluding central London. The number of rough sleepers in Oxford has increased by 400% since 2012. O’Hanlon House, one of several homeless shelters in the city, provides beds for 56 people over 22 years of age, and about 20 younger people. In November of 2019, it was estimated that 43 people were rough sleeping in central Oxford. Oxford City Council has already increased its fund for preventing homelessness and rough sleeping by more than a million in the last year - their 2019/20 budget was £6.3 million and their 2020/21 budget is £7.4 million, showing a 19% increase. This money, along with the additional government funding, will be spent in a range of areas, including Floyds Row, the centrepiece of the council’s plans. An Oxford City Council press release wrote: “The key to helping people off the streets is effective engagement and this begins with the first conversation with someone experiencing rough sleeping. This conversation is often the most challenging and this can be particularly the case for people who have been sleeping rough long term or who repeatedly return to the streets. Floyds Row will move this conversation from the streets into a warm, calm and safe space co-designed by people experiencing homelessness that will be open round the clock all year round. “Expert assessment workers will help people to develop personal housing plans and get the support they need from other services to move on into sustainable accommodation.”

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

News | 5 UNIVERSITY

Oxford will consider socioeconomic data for DPhil applicants in graduate access push Mark Robins

Oxford will consider socioeconomic data in PhD applicants, as the University looks to improve access to postgraduate courses. Tutors across departments use contextual data in undergraduate admissions, but this is the first time a similar approach will be taken for DPhil candidates.

Admissions staff will consider information such as whether UK applicants received free school meals at secondary school when shortlisting for interview. The new scheme will cover five doctoral training programmes across the sciences and medicine, starting with applications for 2021 entry. Stuart Conway, Professor of Or-

ganic Chemistry, told Times Higher Education: “Some students are working to support themselves throughout university. They will be on an upward trajectory if they are applying to us, but they may not have seen the full results [of what they can achieve].” Gail Preston, Director of the Interdisciplinary Bioscience doctoral programme training, added

that socio-economic data may level the playing field for applicants unable to take up research placements. “Many applicants will spend their summers going to different research groups and getting researching experience, but others find it hard to do this,” she said. Oxford will also remove names and gender pronouns from applications to ensure more equal gender balance. 52.5% of graduate students admitted for 2019 entry were male, compared to 45.6% of undergraduates. Professor Conway hopes anonymisation will ensure students from ethnic minority backgrounds do not face discrimination.Conway said: “We had a few people come up to us at open days, saying they didn’t think Oxford was for them, but this kind of thing showed we are taking these issues seriously.” Applicants will also submit standardised forms rather than their academic CVs. This aims to give tutors “fairer and more consistent” information. Professor Preston said: “Some applicants leave out information that we would like to know about, while others have greater support when filling out these applica-

tions.” This is the latest in a series of steps to improve postgraduate access at Oxford, mirroring efforts to support undergraduate applicants from under-represented backgrounds. The University also voted to remove the £75 application fee for postgraduate applicants, after pressure from the Oxford SU and student campaigners. The University’s Congregation voted to remove the fee by 419-380 votes. The fee will be phased-out by the 202425 academic year. In March, the Congregation had voted to keep the fee. A University spokesperson said: “This pilot scheme for doctoral training programmes forms part of the long-term, University-wide efforts to increase the number of promising postgraduate students from under-represented groups at Oxford. “We are making steady progress towards improving postgraduate access through a number of recently-introduced initiatives and will be announcing further new schemes very shortly.” Oxford has 11,813 postgraduate students, 63% of whom come from outside the UK. Image credit: Sidharth Bhatia.

CITY

Oxfordshire to launch county’s own local contract-tracing system Bee Boileau

Oxfordshire hopes to launch its own contact-tracing system by mid-October, joining other local authorities who have also instituted regional tracing networks. Figures released on Friday revealed that almost one in five positive cases in Oxfordshire went unreached by the national contact-tracing system and only 61% of positive case’s close contacts could be identified, a figure below the national average. The county’s director of public health, Ansaf Azhar, made the announcement at a meeting of the joint health overview and scrutiny committee last Wednesday. He also gave notice that he was looking into securing testing locally for key workers, and that work had been done to ensure university sites were COVIDsecure. On the 10th August, the government announced all local authorities would be offered dedicated teams of contact tracers, after the national contact tracing scheme faced criticism from local authority leaders for its lack of local focus. Andy Burnham – mayor of Greater Manchester – told The Guardian in May that the

government ‘could and should’ have involved local authorities more with contact-tracing. The campaign group Oxfordshire Keep Our NHS Public, told Cherwell: “All local authorities should have been involved from the outset; international evidence shows the keys are Directors of Public Health, their departments, the NHS infectious disease departments and their labs, and environmental health - all working with the voluntary sector as locally as possible... “Oxfordshire has lots of special features - 2 unviersities, 40% of Oxford’s workforce come in from long distances, huge inequalities within a largely affluent and health area. The Director of Public Health is having to take this all into acocunt - and also is having to work out hwo the University of Xoford’s own very cmprehensive and available scheme wil fit in with the alarger one, because it will fail if it doesn’t.” They warned that local contact tracing must work in tandem with the University’s testing scheme, saying: “Contact tracing will inevitably straddle both [the local and University context]. What would be really helpful is if both systems were intermingled,

and testing stations, and tracers, and telephone numbers, were shared.” Peterborough has launched a local service. Its director of public health, Dr Liz Robin, said: “National test and trace isn’t always able to [reach people] fast enough – and some people don’t respond to the national text and telephone system – so we’ve asked Public Health England to let us take this on locally, as we know our communities best.”

The latest figures in Oxford saw the status of the city rise to ‘red alert’, with 60.3 cases per 100,000 people. These figures were from the week up to September 29th. This is an increase from 43.9 in the week before. The University of Oxford’s testing system has picked up 20 tess among staff and students since 20th August. Ansaf Azhar told The Oxford Mail: “We have seen a considerable increase in cases in Oxford.

While this mirrors what is happening nationally, we must remember that cases in Oxford have doubled over the past week and the situation can deteriorate further very quickly. “If we don’t all take this very seriously, we risk seeing tough local restrictions imposed that none of us want. “My plea is a simple one – keep your distance, wash your hands, wear a mask, and ensure you are adhering to the rule of six.”

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020 CITY

6 | News CITY

Giant pink pen to be placed outside Blavatnik School Jade Calder

Oxford City Council has approved plans by the Blavatnik School of Government to erect a statue of a giant pink pen in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. The artist behind the piece, Sir Michael Craig-Martin is well-known for his sculptures of line drawings of single objects, and he told Cherwell: “The image chosen for Oxford was the fountain pen. The image can be seen as a reference to the signing of important documents, an age-old formality that continues to the present-day.” Craig Martin is currently the Emeritus Professor of Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he was a significant influence on the Young British Artists movement in the late 1980s. He is also internationally regarded for his conceptual work An Oak Tree which has divided critical reception since its debut in 1973.

The design and access document submitted to Oxford City Council explained that the sculpture was intended to “express the research and learning carried out by the Institute”, although comments by residents to the Council’s planning department included the view that a fountain pen was an “inappropriate choice” due to it being “outdated technology”. A spokesperson from the Blavatnik School added: “When the Blavatnik School building was granted planning approval, one of the conditions was that we would commission a piece of freely accessible public art. “We’re delighted Sir Michael Craig-Martin’s installation has been given planning permission – he is already known in Oxford for his mural at the JR Children’s Hospital and we hope his new installation will further contribute to the city’s environment and community.”

The Blatvatnik School of Government was founded in 2010. It aims to improve the quality of government and public policymaking throughout the world. Its Dean is Professor Ngaire Woods.

Image credit: Blatvatnik School

Oxford COVID level on ‘red alert’ Imogen Duke

Oxford’s COVID-19 alert level has been moved to ‘red alert’ as the city sees a spike in cases. There are now 60.3 cases per 100,000 people. This is an increase from a rate of 31.2 cases per 100,000 in the week before. ‘Red alert’ is triggered at 50 cases per 100,000 people. In comparison, Burnley has the highest proportion of positive cases, with 341 per 100,000. West Oxfordshire has 19 per 100,000 and South Oxfordshire has 11 per 100,000. O x f o r d University produced a weekly report from their testing system on Thursday, which

CITY

showed 20 positive tests since 20th August, including 15 within the last week. The University’s system provides tests to students and staff who are symptomatic. BBC News reported recently that 70% of the cases in Oxford are university students, citing that out of 68 positive cases in the week before 25th September, 47 were students. Oxford Brookes has been criticised for student parties of f-ca mpu s, which led to 150 fixed penalty notices. The University says that f a c e -t o -f a c e teaching has been “scaled back”, so online teaching takes place “wherever possible”.

UNIVERSITY

Pitt Rivers Museum removes Blue plaques honour leading Oxford women shrunken heads Charlie Hancock

Two new blue plaques have been unveiled in central Oxford, commemorating two pioneering women associated with the University. Both women – the classicist Annie Rogers and solicitor Ivy Williams – were among the first to matriculate and graduate with full degrees in 1920. Annie Rogers was the first female don at Oxford University and Dr Ivy Williams was England’s first female barrister. The blue plaque remembering Rogers is fixed outside 35 St Giles, where she lived between 1891 and 1899. Although she could not be awarded a full degree, she obtained marks in her finals which warranted first-class honours in Literae Humaniores (Classics) and became Oxford University’s first female don. Rogers dedicated her life to gaining women the right to obtain full membership of the university. Her posthumously released memoir Degrees by Degrees provides an account of her campaign, including as a tutor at the Society of Oxford Home Students, which later became St Anne’s College. Dr Ivy Williams graduated in 1900 after being accepted by the Society of Oxford Home Students to read Jurisprudence. However, like Rogers, she also had to wait until 7th October 1920 to matriculate and receive her degree on 14th October. Dr Williams became the first woman to be appointed to the Bar of England and Wales in 1922, two years after the Disqualification (Removal) Act opened the profession to women. She did

not continue to practice the law, instead returning to the Society of Oxford Home Students as a lecturer. As her sight began to fail in later life, she taught herself to read braille and wrote a textbook on the subject which was published by the National Institute for the Blind. Dr Williams’ plaque is outside her home on 12 King Edward Street, which is now the Oxford Sixth Form College. The Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Scheme is responsible for the commissioning and erecting of 66 plaques across Oxford, and more across the county. Established in 1999, the Scheme has commemorated 15 women in totral Other famous residents commemorated include the authors C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, alongside medical breakthroughs such as the first isolation of penicillin.

Image credit: Niamh Nugent

David Tritsch

Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum has indefinitely removed its controversial collection of shrunken heads from the public view as part of a “decolonisation” process. The Shuar tsantsas, or shrunken heads, are from South America and were formed from human, sloth, or monkey heads. Shuar people have long argued against the public display of their ancestors’ remains A statement by the museum, which focuses on anthropology, ethnology and archaeology, says: “The decision was taken to remove the tsantsa from public display because it was felt that the way they were displayed did not sufficiently help visitors understand the cultural practices related to their making and instead led people to think in stereotypical and racist ways about Shuar culture.” The statement cites visitors talking about the people who had made them as ‘savage’ or ‘primitive’ and using words like ‘gory’, ‘gruesome’ or a ‘freakshow’. The museum is working with Shuar partners to decide on the best way forward with regard to the care and display of the items. Director Laura Van Broekhoven said: “The implementation of the review is part of the museum’s strategic plan to bring its public facing-spaces more in line with its contemporary ethos of actively working with communities and respecting different ways of being as we become a welcoming space for all.” The UK government’s Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums recommends that “Human remains should be displayed only if the museum believes that it makes a material contribution to a

particular interpretation, and that contribution could not be made equally effectively in another way. Displays should always be accompanied by sufficient explanatory material … As a general principle, human remains should be displayed in such a way as to avoid people coming across them unawares.” Shuar Indigenous leaders Miguel Puwáinchir and Felipe Tsenkush said their ancestors handed over the sacred objects to colonialists without realising the implications. “We don’t want to be thought of as dead people to be exhibited in a museum, described in a book, or record on film,” they said in a statement provided by the museum. The Shuar tsantsas were made in order to capture the power of one of the multiple souls that Shuar and Achuar people believed their men had. That power was used by the group to strengthen themselves and increase harvests, making it distinct from different kinds of “war trophies”, for which they are

sometimes mistaken. Jefferson Acacho, a leader of the Shuar federation in Zamora, Ecuador, who is working with the Pitt Rivers Museum to decide the future of the tsantsas, said some of the heads were those of clan leaders who died of natural causes. “When a leader died it was a way to show respect for them. The lips and eyes were sewn together because it was thought that a head could still see and eat after death, which would give it more power. This would prevent them from gaining more power and causing harm.”, he said. The Museum acquired its collection of shrunken heads between 1884 and 1936. Other items removed ahead of the museum’s reopening included decorated skulls, scalps and Egyptian mummies. Pitt Rivers still houses more than 2,800 human remains and has committed to “reach out to descendant communities to find the most appropriate way to care for these complex items.”

Image credit: Geni/ Wikimedia Commons

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

COLLEGE

Colleges put up marquees as dining and social spaces Roheena Buckland

Oxford University colleges are setting up marquees to create extra space to support socially distanced meals and activities in preparation for the start of term. These marquees make up part of the University’s plans to create a Covid-ready environment, alongside one-way systems and online teaching. However, the exact usage of the marquees will vary from college to college depending on the specific needs of each. At Merton College, the marquee is to be used as an extra dining room for meals, alongside an alternative use as an area for socialising. In a letter requesting planning permission from the Oxford City Council, Profes-

sor Irene Tracy, Warden of the College, wrote: the marquee is “necessary” in order “to provide adequate food provision at a safe social distance as well as provide some social space”. This letter requested permission for the marquee to remain for up to 42 weeks, though states that if there is an extended period of lockdown, then says that they will “remove the marquee for that term or permanently”. While the marquees will certainly create more space, the University guidance specifies that “dining halls will generally be open with a reduced capacity to allow appropriate social distancing”. Other measures may include a longer service time, the need to book for meals, and a takeaway option to enable students to eat

News | 7

in their rooms. In this way, meal arrangements will vary from college to college, especially given their varied capacity. At Merton College, use of the space for dining is important, where the arrival of around 600 students is anticipated, while the current dining hall, when socially distanced, has been said to hold 50. However, not all colleges intend to use the marquee for dining.St Edmund Hall has instead opted to use staggered times for dinners. The marquee itself will hold more of a social function, with students not required to wear a mask when “having a drink in the pop-up bar in the Marquee”. In terms of social functionality, there is still a lot of scope for variation, although some individual colleges have outlined their plans. Trinity College published on their website that Trinity students can “arrange to meet … friends in the gardens, college bar and a newly erected marquee”. This is in addition to meeting with their non-socially distanced household. International students who have been able to watch the construction of the marquees have broadly reacted positively. One student told Cherwell: “The (very spacious!) marquee will be the perfect place for making dining safe and enjoyable during the pandemic.” Meanwhile, the Instagram account @stjohnsoxjcr has featured photos of the partially built marquee at night , captioning the post, “Honestly night walks in Covid college are a whole vibe”. Image credit: Sophie Littlewood

Cherwell News GOOD NEWS AROUND OXFORD 5000 pledge to donate 10% of their income

Oxford clubs reopen for table service Nightclubs in Oxford are reopen as bars with table service, with events on for Freshers week. Plush, Oxford’s LGBTQ+ bar, will be bringing back their “famous freshers Party nights”, with earlier hours than normal and seated customers. In Michaelmas, Plush will be open 5pm - 10pm Monday to Saturday. Customers are encouraged to prebook, as they have reduced their capacity by 75%. The Bridge is back, with tables of up to 6 people and prebooking, open 7pm - 10pm. Varsity Club is also open, promoting their Socially Distanced Disco, with prebooked tables open 7pm - 10pm. The Bridge and ATIK (Park End) have been streaming their DJs’ sets over Facebook throughout lockdown. Park End is yet to reopen.

Giving What We Can has announced that 5000 people have pledged to donate 10% of their lifetime income to effective charities. The effective altruism organisation was inspired and co-founded by Oxford University professor Dr. Toby Ord, who decided to give more than half his future earnings to charity. Members of the organisation have donated almost $200 million so far, and their pledges total almost $2 billion. Members donate to charities calculated to be most effective. They donate to a variety of charities, including Against Malaria, which is calculated to save a life for every $2500. Dr Ord said: “I am delighted to reach this milestone, adn that so many people have taken this pledge.”

UNIVERSITY

Climate protestors hold “shoe strike” outside Rad Cam Isabelle Kenney-Herbert

On Friday, there was a ‘Shoe Strike’ organised by Parents for Future Oxford in support of youth climate strikes and the future generations who stand to be most impacted by climate change. The temporary installation was put in place on Friday morning, in front of Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera. In accordance with government regulations, only six members of the organisation met to set it up. They laid out 177 pairs of shoes, some with notes attached stating hopes and fears for the future. These were accompanied by a sign that read ‘Would you want to be in our kids shoes’. The symbolism of the shoes was to represent both those unable to protest due to Covid-19 restrictions and future generations who will be most the most impacted by climate change. This was part of a movement

across the world that saw parents joining youth climate strikers taking part in a global day of climate action on 25th of September 2020. Parents from Brazil, Nigeria, India, Australia, Poland, Israel, UK, and Germany all took part in the day to support their children in the fight for climate action. Talking to Cherwell, Rowan Ryrie of Parents for Future UK said the intended impact for the ‘Shoe Strike’ was “to try to engage more parents in recognising that we need to take action for our children’s generation. Although activism isn’t something that necessarily comes naturally to parents, in the current situation we are in with climate chaos getting worse, all parents need to be able to speak up… to raise the issue as an intergenerational issue”. Alongside this strike, Parents for Future Oxford is encouraging people to take action digitally –

through writing to MPs about supporting the Future Generations Climate and Ecological Bill, and taking part in the Fridays for Future Digital Strike. Parents for Future was launched in 2019 by a network of parents inspired by Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future movement. There are now over 130 groups in more than 27 countries working to engage adults on the issue and normalise climate activism amongst parents. Since the art installation, there have also been further donations of shoes to the cause and these, alongside the shoes that were part of the installation, will be donated to charity. Rowan said the they have been in touch with a few refugee charities in the hopes that something can be worked out for the hundreds of shoes that were donated in total. Image credit: Feng Ho Fashion

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

8 | News

Oxford and Cambridge Biological Societies host joint Varsity Sci Symposium Maya Misra The Oxford University Biological Society and its Cambridge counterpart held a joint Varsity Sci Symposium from 22-26 September. Over the five-day online symposium, they aimed to “bring together some of the best research in science from Oxbridge”. Invited speakers gave a short presentation followed by Q&A over Zoom, and the events were also livestreamed on YouTube. Topics included Cancer, Neuroscience, Scientific Computing, and Ecology among others, and speakers ranged from PhD students to scientists distinguished in their field. The events were well-attended, and the online format allowed participants to clearly see the presentation slides and understand the speaker’s voice, both elements that may otherwise have been lost in a lecture theatre or conference room. Presentations began with

an accessible explanation of the topic for those not familiar with it, before narrowing onto the speakers’s specific research focus. Kaylin Chong from Oxford and Krzysztof Herka from Cambridge

organized the event. Chong stated to Cherwell: “We invited speakers who were leading in their field and were researchers that would interest our audience. As biology is quite a broad field, we wanted to

make sure we had individuals representing a range of interests so that we could appeal to a greater range of individuals.” Two of the four keynote speakers were Oxford professors. Pro-

fessor Chris Perrins FRS is an ornithologist and HM’s Warden of the Swans, who is responsible for an annual accounting of the swans on the Thames. The second, Professor Kim Nasmyth FRS, is notable for discovering key components of the cell division machinery. The symposium was designed with an online audience in mind, as Chong stated: “The online format has been advantageous as we are able to target a larger audience, both in speakers and individuals attending. This is because it allows student speakers and attendees to participate and livestream the event at their own comfort, where if we had held this event in person, we may not havegotten the numbers that we did. In addition, coordinating an event this size in person would have added extra logistical issues with venues and speakers themselves. Overall, the online format has provided the flexibility that would not be possible with an in person symposium.”

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief | Maya Misra

Joe Hyland Deeson | Editor-in-Chief

“L

ay off the women’s colleges, find out where the buttery is and if you’ve got any ambitions theatrical, political or journalistic, start doing something about them now.” This is how John Fairley, the Cherwell Editor in Michaelmas 1960, began his editorial sixty years ago this week. My advice is similar. But taking my first dive into the depths of the Cherwell archive reminded me - as if we needed another reminder - of the unique situation we find ourselves in. Searching for something from the past hundred years that in some way mirrors the uncertainty with which we return to Oxford was like looking for a needle in a haystack, except the needle was non-existent and the haystack was made up of a century of student newspapers, all the faded beige colour of a Year 6 history project. Yet no one had hurriedly swabbed these pages with tea bags, the pages I was leafing through were genuine insights into life at Oxford in the past. And when I see an advert for the still-operational Browns Cafe from 1960, it somewhat relaxes my now-perennial concern with the pace of

change in this brave new world. John Fairley continued: “At the first breath of criticism wafting towards the SCR that old bogey comes out about undergraduates coming here to learn to study on their own, acquire self-discipline, to glory in selfefficiency. Exit donnish responsibility. And exit with it any attempt at that sort of personal contact which would seem to be a prerequisite of effective teaching.” Happily, even in the face of the current pandemic, the provision of in-person teaching has been maintained, and, outwardly at least, the university and college’s receptiveness to the needs of its students has improved; although just how much will soon become clear. Times may change, but Cherwell remains, as strong as ever, not nearing old age but simply emerging from a mid-life crisis. We didn’t buy a sports car, nor have an affair with our tennis coach, but we did adapt to the pandemic with an impressive change in format. And now that we’re back on paper, the old clichés can return. Clichés such as: “Here’s to the next hundred years...”

herwell is a 100-year old paper, but it is run by students on 3-year degrees, and new staff are recruited 3 times a year. Its longevity is a collection of snapshot moments, and this has allowed great capacity for change. On the one hand, our journalistic standards have really improved: we no longer run Shark Tales, the ethically dubious video series interviewing drunk students outside Bridge. On the other hand, when going through our archives, I learned that we, like any newspaper, face a financial crisis every couple decades. We’ve also made some quesitonable choices, for example deciding against titling our headline article “A Haute Mess, but without the poppers”. Whatever the case, we’re always in a slight state of flux, and that’s as it should be. It keeps us sharp, and it keeps us growing. However, there is, perhaps, such a thing as too much flux, as we’ve all experienced these last few months. In March, life went from end-of-term exams and Easter

vacation plans to lockdown and cancelled flights in a span of four days. Six months later, we have to be prepared for the possibility that everything might change as quickly again this term. On top of this, Freshers have to manage settling in to university life during a time very few returning students feel settled at all. Flux is our “new normal” now, but that’s not inherently a bad thing. If we can accept this state of affairs, we can focus a bit less on searching for stability, and a bit more on embracing the opportunities change affords us. For example, online lecture recordings have vastly improved on accessibility issues. A little longer away from a nightclub, and our livers might just patch up. And for Cherwell, focusing on both online and print activity means we’ve had more student participation than ever before. It’s comforting that Cherwell began on the tail-end of a pandemic, and the paper will make it through this one as well. If print journalism can ride it out, surely we can as well.

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Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Vol.292 No.1 | 0th Week

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CulCher | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

COVER ARTIST PETROS SPANOU This photo was taken inside Balliol College, Oxford on a chilly afternoon on 13 March 2020 as the UK was moving towards a national lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It shows the garden quad of the college framed by the entrance and stairs of its magnificent Victorian hall. For me it captures the timeless splendour and magic of springtime Oxford at a moment when the world was rapidly going up in flames. Hilary term was drawing to a close, and the college was much quieter than usual. When I entered the college, I was struck by the beauty of this scene. It provided a much-needed respite from a day’s hard work in the library combined with a lot of uncertainty of what was to come. While taking the photo, I caught myself thinking: ‘amidst the chaos, I forgot that it’s spring’. This was the last day I would visit my college, and I very much look forward to visiting again with the beginning of Michaelmas term.

PUT IT ON THE BACK BURNER?

Debate: How should student culture exist during the pandemic? GEORGE NEWTON AND HEEYOUNG TAE

e should prioritise teaching first - George Newton Pre-COVID, student culture and academia coexisted harmoniously, providing a balance between academic rigour, engagement in societies and recreational activities. There was a certain ease to our multifaceted student lives; one activity flowed into the other without much thought, as we went from the lecture hall to the college bar, creating moments that enhance our experiences as students. Now, we are forced to extract the fundamental and the necessary from our pre-COVID activities. Difficult decisions regarding this assessment have resulted in whole systems being overhauled to make them as safe as possible for all during the pandemic. Although frustrating and complex, these decisions are vital to limit further contagion. The most important thing, in my view, is that the University fulfils its primary function: to educate and provide the necessary resources to its students. The primary function of any university, and especially the University of Oxford, is to supply a course that is plentiful in opportunities to specialise, that is engaging and that nurtures students’ creative and intellectual spirit. This does not make the loss of social time and extra-curricular enrichment any less daunting or worrisome. Many of us, myself included, need the opportunity to use our brains in different ways, and sometimes not at all; recreational activities are important in balancing out the week and allowing for some well-deserved rest. Yet, as we approach the eighth month of restrictions, exceptional circumstances mean that difficult decisions have to be made. In my opinion, the University’s main priority should be to open its doors -physically not virtually- where possible, to allow students to experience student life, or at least a version of it that corresponds as

closely and as authentically as possible to that of previous years. Limiting contact and putting appropriate procedures in place to protect students and the wider population will play a major role in the reopening of universities. Unfortunately, the prioritisation of teaching and learning will result in society events and other extra-curricular endeavours, that are only accessible in-person, being put on the backburner for a while. Where possible, these activities should not be cancelled, but should take place virtually. As universities prioritise delivering teaching in the safest way possible, social activities and events should not be cancelled, but rather adapted to limit contact. The return to normality will depend on routine; the sooner students return to tutorials and lecture halls, whether virtually or physically, the more stable the ‘new normal’ will feel. Routine breeds certainty, something that has been absent from our lives for most of this year. The return to routine, albeit one based on the ‘new normal’, will be welcomed by many. There will be a time when usual inperson activities will resume as normal, until then however, we must be patient and gradually return to our lives as students.

rt should not be sidelined Heeyoung Tae While it looks like online uni will continue, most of us will at least be present in Oxford for Michaelmas. Just what exactly this means is still unclear—households of six, two meters apart otherwise, seems to be the gist, but the implications of that restriction will only become clear when term begins. Trinity Term 20 has shown us that academia is able to just about survive in a virtual form. It was awkward and glitchy, but we did it somehow. Student culture didn’t perish either—speaker events survived through Zoom, as did some music recitals and sports practices. Even if noth-

ing returns physically while the pandemic lasts, both academia and student culture will survive, albeit on life-support, awkward and glitchy. This means that, to decide whether to prioritise the return to tangibility of study or play during the pandemic, what we need to focus on is not which of academia or student culture is viable online, but rather which of the two will be less meaningful online. Growth is what we want to leave Oxford with. The knowledge learnt at lectures and tutorials will be forgotten eventually. The degree earned is definitely important, but not all we want. We set off for an unknown place, each of us a pioneer exploring new lands yet to be treaded upon, because we expect to transform into better and more mature forms of ourselves. For the explorer, and for the student, two things make up the journey: what is written inside the guidebook, and what is stumbled upon. The syllabus is the guide that helps you navigate and signposts for you the important attractions. What you stumble upon are the things which you witness and encounter during the trip that the guide doesn’t tell you about, but also what you remember most fondly and vividly on your way home. Academically, online Oxford has proven itself capable of delivering on its syllabus. Tutorials happened, exams were done. They started and finished as scheduled, covering the syllabus, as they had always done. What was missing was the chance encounters with a potential soulmate at society events, music you’ve never heard, or a non-reading list book from the library shelves. This meant that student culture, where the scheduled events and stated aims are often an excuse for people with similar interests to gather together, and so where the real meaning is found outside the syllabus - what you stumble upon - was not the same. Doing university online felt like exploring Oxford in one of those tour busses that stop only at tourist attractions, whizzing past everything else. We missed all of what we could have stumbled upon, had we been able to walk on the cobblestone through the narrow alleys of the city instead. Most of these things are extra-curricular rather than the curricular. So, if we must choose, student culture should be prioritised to academic work in returning to physical form, if we are to make the most of both.

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | CulCher

RE-ENTERING THE CULTURAL SPHERE: HOW WILL WE EXPERIENCE TRIAL EVENTS? BY BY STANLEY GODFREY

Image: Garry Knight

s a church musician, I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been able to resume performances (both in a liturgical context and through giving recitals across the country) before a large proportion of the performing arts industry - even if this arrived after a large quantity of risk assessments and other measures to create a “COVID Secure” venue. Despite a series of trial events held across the UK, spearheaded by arts titan Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, many people still feel that we are a long way from the industry being able to return to normal. Yet, in the words of Lloyd Webber himself in The Guardian, the arts are now “at a point of no return”, in spite of Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announcing a “world-beating, £1.57 billion rescue package”. Irrespective of the presence of funding, there is a nonetheless greater issue facing the arts industry: filling (socially distanced) seats in theatres, whether indoors or outdoors. It would be an understatement to say that people are still concerned for their safety in public venues, whether that be a small independent shop or a large supermarket, so perhaps asking people to gather (even socially distanced) in a confined space for an extended period of time is a recipe for disaster and disappointment. So, if we are to enable these kinds of indoor performances, how are we to encour-

age people to attend whilst still maintaining all of the safety guidelines mandated by the government (especially as we now enter what is largely considered as the “second wave” of the pandemic)? From my experience giving organ recitals at various venues across the country, two particular measures come to mind as absolute fundamentals. The first of these is around raising public awareness before events of the site-specific measures in place; if someone considering attending an event can be reassured that measures are in place to prioritise their safety, with specific examples of those measures, this may then encourage people to accept the smaller risks associated with attending events in the knowledge that the wider risks have been mitigated to the greatest extent possible. The second of these is to ensure that venues permit a certain degree of flexibility with regards to bookings. We all live in the knowledge that the COVID-19 situation is developing from day to day in a variety of ways and, as such, any notion of forwardplanning has to be treated with caution. If we were to allow people to, for example, refund a booking closer to a performance than normal, this might perhaps encourage people further to return to venues in the knowledge that they have the opportunity to change their mind nearer the time. Of course, these thoughts neglect to consider the more holistic issue that pervade these discussions: the cultural experience.

WHAT’S ON

The in-person aspect of cultural engagement is what creates a unifying experience; whilst it is absolutely essential that the imposed restrictions are kept in place for our own public safety, they hamper the communal enjoyment and ambience of live cultural events. To see this in context, we only need look at the Last Night of the Proms, broadcast on the BBC on the 12th September. Featuring a socially-distanced orchestra and a reduced-size choir, the lack of audience left what is normally a triumphant and nationally-oriented event (putting the connotations and issues of such an event to one side) feeling somewhat empty and flat. Of course, the presence of a “virtual audience” somewhat worked to dissipate this issue, but its controlled presence only at the precise moment when it was desired removed the spontaneity of the occasion — after all, no Last Night is complete without a random vuvuzela being “played” at a particular solemn moment. So, in summary, the question that is left to be asked is thus: would I attend a governmental “trial event”? Personally, I would not; as I have put forward here, the interpersonal experience is such a fundamental part of a cultural event for me. When I give organ recitals, I relish in being able to talk to audience members afterwards — currently, such an engagement is not possible. But, alas, in the eternal words: “the shows must go on.”

CULCHER EDITORIAL Hello everyone, Welcome (to freshers) and welcome back (for returners) to Oxford. We are lucky and privileged, in these strange times, to be able to resume some semblance of normality. As those of us who can come to the city physically walk around the centre, browse social media or open our inboxes, we’ll notice a continual vacuum of culture. Some sites have reopened, for sure, such as the Ashmolean, and outdoor theatre has been trialled over the summer – nonetheless, the live music scene is at a complete standstill, indoor comedy gigs will be a no-go under current guidelines, and local fashion stores, bookshops and vinyl stores will be grateful for every pound spent. Donate, if you can, to the venues you care about, the venues without which Oxford wouldn’t be the same, the absence of such venues that makes you question when you arrive or return, ‘Is this really Oxford?’ Whatever we can do on a personal level is not enough, however. The arts and culture sector in Oxford, across our local county, and throughout the UK, is facing an unparalleled and unprecedented crisis. The Guardian reported that a survey of 2,000 members of the Musicians’ Union found that over a third “are considering abandoning the industry completely” as they face financial difficulties, seemingly abandoned by the government. Small businesses, such as second-hand shops or boutique retailers, are in dire need of an extension to the government’s furlough scheme. Cultural trial events have been put on hold due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, putting those even able to meet the shortfalls of a 1,000 max. spectator limit at renewed risk. This doesn’t even mention the unique financial aspect of each venue – from a 10,000 capacity arena to an intimate space of 200, or venues that have undergone expensive restoration to find that the way to counterbalance that spend – i.e. actual income from customers – has disappeared. Despite this doom and gloom, the time we’ve spent apart may have inspired new novels, new symphonies or new routines. There may have been opportunities, relationships, or just good family time that you would never have had without this crisis. It is hard to look for the positives in a tsunami of negatives that arrives daily on our notifications and our front pages – but in Culture this term, we have a duty to inform and entertain. So for every story that describes culture in crisis, there will be a Source poem that’ll make you smile, a Music review which surprises you, or a Fashion article that simply delights. We’re here (apologies to the BBC for stealing their tagline) to inform and entertain. Matthew Prudham

Who is doing the looking, what are the risks of showing?” Social Action Fair: 10th October, 14:00-15:30

AIDS, In/visibility and Dis/Appearance: 20th October, 17:15-19:00

In this (virtual) fair, Oxford Hub are showcasing student-led initiatives focusing on helping the wider Oxford community and environment. Perfect for those looking to give back this year.

Oxford DPhil student Ashkan Sepahvand gives an artistic research talk on “a queer critique of political visibility” at The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities. Using text, voice, and sound, Sepahvand will ask “what does it mean to be seen?

The event notes that “There’s something for everyone, whether that be FELLOW, giving free English Language lessons to Oxford residents, or OxUnboxed, our non-profit refill shop that reduces plastic waste.”

Talking Heads at the Old Fire Station: 20th-24th October Following a critically acclaimed television adaptation, Eleven One Theatre are bringing Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues back to the stage at the Old Fire Station. Seats for this COVID-safe production are limited and set to be released soon.

CulCher | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

THE SOURCE This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Source turns its eye upon poetry and prose to reflect on memories, both solitary and shared, and our struggle to put them into words.

Time spent in Oxford Georgia Brown If you had asked me what I missed most,

And somehow feeling half in, but still half out.

I might have said the stone cobbles or

The fear that you will become stuck whilst life unravels before you,

the way the buildings still stand after years and years.

a mere spectator to time.

I might have said how at night sometimes

The photographs on the walls show people years ago in the same spot.

there is a moment, a single golden moment,

Did they feel the same, love the same, breathe the same.

where the city itself looks to be on fire, rich in embers.

It seems impossible that they did, even more so that they did not.

Or I might have said dawn, the early morning winter glow.

For they too ran to escape the rain, droplets falling off their cheeks.

The feeling that something is happening, people are moving,

They lost old books, laughed, cried and blushed

they have somewhere to be that only they know.

crimson as the wine they drank, softly gazed, hesitant to speak.

I think perhaps now I would say it is you,

This inheritance seems to embrace the city and sing slowly as to a friend.

not you alone, but you amongst the many.

Not a spectre but simply a circle,

The paths and avenues that you pursue.

Telling us that we will be who we will be, our moment is not the end.

Those who have never spoken, whose names I may have forgot.

If you had asked me what I missed most

Watching their lives and feelings dance across their faces.

I might have said the stone cobbles or

The possibility of knowing them, or not.

the way the buildings will stand after years and years.

The possibility that you will know enough to love them, or not.

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | CulCher

Verbalisation Flavia Velasquez Cotini There is a feeling I experience over and over – an urge to say something meaningful. My hands reach out expectantly for pen and paper as if performing a lucky ritual. Like a growing undertow, my urge rumbles, gathers and gathers. The urge brews in the depths, builds momentum. The urge whirlpools passing passions into lasting currents. Emotions swell towards the paper like the tide seeking the moon, reach out, demand expression. Then there is a sudden pull – my loose thoughts spill over the pebbly surface of the page. Images crashing and breaking against sobering stillness, propelling seafoam into the air, rumpling the Edenic crispness of the page. The passing of time holds a distilling power upon matter. It extracts the message, I tell myself. I put my faith in it, await its effect, pace my heart to its ebb and flow. Only at my low tide do I return to inspect the page’s dishevelled shore. Once waves have receded from it, the paper resembles the sight of a shipwreck – mine. I inspect whatever is left. Lone, crystallised words; the reduced remains of an ample mess. Solidified phrases from an evaporated sermon. Anything rough, anything rock-like and grainy endures. Something to say, one hopes? Something meaningful among the rubble? Grit. Lumpy words of brine and crumbled seashell I can hardly recognise as mine. What is it that they spell out – if anything at all?

Ode to the sunflowers my Dad bought for me Matilda Houston-Brown

You – yellow in 5 Acts,

yellow in division to make up a whole – belong to the morning, shuffling in early hours busy with errands of growth so, half asleep, I hear the rustle of you working, know the outburst of your shape, comfort in company of distance, company that doesn’t speak. Oh, you – yellow as it exists in movies, or in sunsets – are the result of years-ago hours spent battling numbers at a kitchen table, DIY projects: a gardened golden summation sitting in my mum’s vase, on my bedroom desk that was chosen, cleaned for me. Oh – yellow in last scene yellow in prologue – what was it like in the field where you were born? How did it feel to raise your dark centre, round of a moon, up to the sky? Did you rise from the earth – in the mass of your comrades– knowing that you would be mine? Here – yellow of egg yolk yellow of cut roots – I get to look at you, see you alive.

Illustrations by: Isabella Lill, Rachel Jung Submit your creative writing to The Source at: cherwelleditor@gmail.com

CulCher | Tuesday 6th October 2020

BOOKS

THE “TWILIGHT” RENAISSANCE OF 2020 HANNAH GOODE REVIEWS MIDNIGHT SUN, THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE FRANCHISE

hether you love it, hate it, or couldn’t care less, Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight is undeniably cemented in 21st-century pop culture. It was even included in the BBC’s list of ‘100 most influential novels’ alongside the likes of To Kill a Mockingbird and 1984. The thought of Meyer’s vampiric romps sharing a trophy cabinet with Lee and Orwell may cause the literati to shudder, but the franchise was undeniably a near-instant cultural phenomenon. The books set the young adult genre alight and subsequently spilled onto the big screen, raking in billions of dollars and catapulting their actors into A-lister territory. Despite all this, Twilight has faded into nostalgic obscurity over the last decade. Eight years after the final film was released, the majority of Meyer’s ‘twi-hards’ are in their late teens to early thirties, the posters of Robert Pattinson ripped down from their childhood bedroom walls and their copies of the books replaced on the shelves by less frothy, more ‘grownup’ stuff, perhaps Plath or Nigella. When people discuss the novels now, labels of anti-feminism and Mormon ideology are thrown around, the simplistic writing is looked down upon, and even the leading stars of the films seem desperate to be disassociated from the franchise, embarrassed by their participation. Nobody expected, then, a Twilight renaissance after all this time - but 2020, in all its glory, has been the year of ‘expect the unexpected’ Perhaps this is why Meyer chose this year to yank Twilight from hibernation, and during the height of lockdown announce that she was releasing a new book in the franchise, a retelling of the original novel from Edward’s perspective, titled Midnight Sun. After all, we have nothing to do and the world has already been turned

upside down, so there really is no better time for Twilight to make a surprise reappearance. I am not going to pretend that a new Twilight book is the biggest event of the year, and a more cynical person might write this off as Meyer needing a bit of cash. But for us Twilight fans, this announcement was kind of a big deal. For those less clued up on the drama, here’s a little bit of background: Meyer attempted to write and release Midnight Sun over a decade ago. The draft was leaked, the project indefinitely shelved, and countless teenage hearts broken at the loss of Edward’s inner monologue. However, it has been years. We’ve moved on. Why should we care any more about a whingy 104-year-old virgin? Clearly, we do still care, because the book has already sold over a million copies in the month since its release. It doesn’t seem fair to review the quality of Meyer’s writing in Midnight Sun, as it was never her writing which was lauded. Nor does it seem productive to comment too much on the plot, since (spoiler) the plot is exactly the same as the original novel. In my opinion, however, the lack of deftly written prose or an innovative plot does not actually matter. Midnight Sun was never intended to be read as a standalone book, and I’d put good money on it that 90% of those 1 million copies were bought not by new readers, but by old fans already familiar with Meyer’s overly descriptive and indulgent style. Midnight Sun excels in the same way that any good remake or reunion special does, providing the reader with a healthy dose of nostalgia, a thing to be vociferously devoured during the demoralising haze of a global pandemic. Meyer, or Meyer’s marketing team, knows that this nostalgia

sells. She dedicates the new novel to her ‘OG’ readers with a saccharine observation on the passing of time: “When we first met, many of you were young teenagers with bright, beautiful eyes full of dreams for the future. I hope that in the years that have passed, you’ve all found your dreams…” Meyer had previously adopted this role of being a friend to her fans often enough - hosting parties in hotel rooms, releasing playlists and dream casting her own novels and Midnight Sun is no exception. Whilst her

“WHY SHOULD WE CARE ANYMORE ABOUT A WHINGY 104-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN?”

fans may have grown up, the author doesn’t seem to have left 2008, running contests and making playlists as if we all still have the free time to enter fan art competitions as we did at the age of thirteen. The book is so similar content-wise to Twilight that the déjà vu will slap you round the face. The speech and narrative are carefully transposed from the original novel but with Edward’s verbose analysis threaded in. The book is most interesting when it steps away from the plot of Twilight deeper into the world to which Bella was not originally privy. There is a sweet, albeit slightly odd, section where Emmett and Edward set up Bella’s classmates, and a later chapter where we learn the details of Alice’s meticulous cover-up job. Meyer wastes time rehashing chunks of the plot which were not only in

the novel but also included in the film adaptation, forcing a third perspective of a discussion about the mitosis of onion root onto the reader, instead of fleshing out characters and storylines which we previously only glimpsed from Bella’s human viewpoint. Midnight Sun is 756 pages long, inexplicably over 300 pages longer than Twilight itself, but the pace and plot only pick up when Bella and Edward are separated, and thus their narratives also diverge. Edward’s angsty thoughts are suffocating and dragged out, hampering what should be a fast-paced narrative as they race to save Bella’s life, and ultimately there is no real suspense because the reader knows how the race ends. Meyer tries to create some excitement throughout the novel, moments where Edward struggles to restrain himself and fleeting visions of Bella dying, but inevitably she is restricted by her own canon. The plot cannot drastically differ from Twilight, so any attempt to create real tension falls flat. I wouldn’t recommend reading Midnight Sun if you are new to the franchise. However, if you haven’t read or watched Twilight in years, Midnight Sun is a decent walk down memory lane, taking you back to a time when it mattered if you were Team Edward or Team Jacob. The insight the book gives into the peripheral characters’ psyches; understanding Rosalie’s poisonous jealousy of Bella for example, is satisfying, but an exploration into the world beyond Edward and Bella would have improved Midnight Sun immensely. Even as a firm member of Team Edward, 756 pages of Edward tormenting himself over a girl is fundamentally tedious. Nevertheless, Midnight Sun provides a welcome hit of nostalgia and a few hours of light escapism back to Edward, Bella and the endless debate about whether someone watching you sleep is creepy or not.

Cherwell Recommends: Historical Fiction

EIGHT WEEKS, EIGHT GENRES OF LITERATURE. THE BOOKS EDITORS OFFER UP THEIR TOP THREE HISTORICAL FICTION RECOMMENDATIONS.

istory is often treated as a work of art, or artifice. Churchill boasted that “history will be kind to me for I intend to write it”, while Napoleon called history “a set of lies agreed upon”. Historians speak of weaving pieces of evidence together like threads of silk. And, I, a history student, can attest that coming up with an essay thesis at 3am requires a hefty dose of imagination. The reigning queen of historical fiction, Hilary Mantel, discussed the “cultural cringe” associated with the genre when she started out in the 1970s. Historical fiction was seen as frivolous, elevating sex and scandal above truth. But as Mantel reminds us (alongside Napoleon and Churchill), records of the past always represent a crafted narrative. The difference between history and historical fiction is that readers of the latter are “actively requesting a subjective interpretation”, compelling the writer to “recreate the texture of lived experience”. This week’s recommendations each represent a unique “texture of lived experience” to perfection, proving that historical fiction is a genre full of excitement and experimentation, that also demands to be taken seriously.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid Amelia, Deputy Editor

If historical fiction “isn’t your thing”, read this book. It’s about as far from stuffy period

romances or war novels as you can get, yet its filmic quality offers an enchanting look into 1950s Hollywood, with all its glamour and grotesqueness. Ageing film star, Evelyn Hugo, who has long been shrouded in mystery, decides to tell her life story through unknown journalist, Monique Grant. We follow Hugo, born Evelyn Herrera to Cuban immigrants, as she fights her way from poverty and obscurity into the limelight. Her methods are often ruthless, but her flaws make for compelling narration. Evelyn has to fight against the pressures and discrimination faced by women caught up in 1950s celebrity culture, as well as trauma in her personal life. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo reads, in many ways, like a delicious gossip column, but it never strays into the superficial. Despite the historical setting, it is superbly modern. Queer representation is a central feature of this novel, and with two biracial female protagonists, it feels like a story that needs to be heard.

Fingersmith – Sarah Waters Cora, Books Editor

Fingersmith is a novel set in the Victorian era that is also reminiscent of a novel from the

Victorian era. Hailed as a modern-day Dickens, Waters achieves that unique combination of page-turner and painstaking detail that is the hallmark of great Dickensian writing (don’t worry, though, the sentences are definitely shorter!). The novel tells the story of orphaned Sue Trinder, primed for a life of crime in “a Fagin-like den of thieves”. Sue is enlisted in a plot by the villainous ‘Gentleman’ to seduce a rich heiress, robbing the girl of her fortune before chucking her into a ‘madhouse’. Commence a thrilling crime story, equipped with stunning plot twists and a fraught love story between two young women. Waters is straightforward about the aspect of the Dickensian landscape she seeks to explore. This is a book about female sexuality, and the attempts of men to manipulate and abuse it – a book that opens with a reference to Dickens’ Oliver Twist, but zeroes in on the murder of the sex worker, Nancy, rather than the story’s male protagonist. If you’re looking for a read with all the richness of Dickens, told through the lens of women’s struggles and desires, then Fingersmith is for you! And check out its (not safe for work) South

Korean film adaptation, The Handmaiden, while you’re at it.

Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Eve, Books Editor

Set against the backdrop of the Biafran War in Nigeria, Adichie’s novel avoids the most common trap of historical fiction – centring on the wider issues of the historical period at the expense of plot and character development. Instead, she writes a story that is at once defined by and distinct from its setting. Narrators shift continuously, beginning with a young servant boy, Ugwu, then cycling through intertwined stories of the professor he works for, the professor’s mistress and her sister. The simple yet evocative writing – including insertions of Igbo idioms and phrases – helps to situate the reader in the book’s vivid cultural background. Praise for the novel often references its inclusion of characters and anecdotes across a broad spectrum, from the corridors of wealthy urban bureaucracy to bombed villages. Undercurrents like the gap between Western modernity and indigenous ties, family loyalty and national identity, are visible throughout, but never overshadow the social drama at the foreground. Essentially, come for the history, stay for the gripping character arcs. Illustration: Sasha LaCombe

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | CulCher

STAGE

THE ‘NEW WORLD’ PLAYLIST Sam Spencer curates songs from musical theatre to help us through the current climate

020 has not lived up to the Roaring Twenties revival we all hoped for. It has been rough. And the theatre industry has been hit significantly, with closures and redundancies. In a situation in which things will likely get worse before they get better, we could all do with a bit of escape and a bit of hope. This is what I’ve aimed to curate in this “New World” playlist. And no, sorry, Aladdin’s “A Whole New World” won’t make an appearance. These theatre tunes are more than romantic longing; they’re about the dream of a better world on the other side of tragedy, oppression, and even war. They show that even in the darkest of times, something better is waiting – somehow, someday, somewhere - on the other side.

Spielberg and Tony Kushner. “I Know Where I’ve Been”, Hairspray

“Somewhere”, West Side Story

Set at the end of the Vietnam war, Miss Saigon is full of characters dreaming of escape into a new world. Whilst “The Movie in My Mind” and “The American Dream” are both 10/10 pieces, “The Last Night of the World” takes its place on this list for its optimism. It is a song that makes you feel in love. Just like West Side Story’s “Tonight”, it captures the overwhelming romance of one perfect, unending night; we know it is set for tragedy but we’re happy to indulge in it until then. It features one of the best saxophone solos you’ll hear in a musical: best enjoyed at night, staring out your bedroom window at the moon. When the world’s falling apart in front of you… have a (socially distanced) snog and a dance. The best version is the 2014 cast recording with Eva Noblezada and Alistair Brammer but, in all seriousness, treat yourself to an evening in and watch the full 25th anniversary recording. It’s epic and intense and a flawless production. (Better than Les Mis. Just saying).

West Side Story transplants the wellknown tragedy of Romeo and Juliet into 20th century New York City, replacing family feuds with the racial tensions between the Puerto Rican “Sharks” and the WASP “Jets”. The song’s message of love, forgiveness, and hope transgresses the immediate racial context, and has struck a chord with all those longing for an accepting and harmonious future. For these reasons, “Somewhere” has found itself a poignant home in the LGTBQ+ community, featuring regularly at Pride events, and an interesting account of the queer history behind West Side Story can be found in David Speakman’s genremag.com article. Quite simply, “Somewhere” is beautiful. Just beautiful. Both in its lyrics and its music. Cynthia Erivo gives the best vocal performance of it I’ve come across (and a sweeping orchestral accompaniment) but for a real punch to the tear-ducts check out Titus Burgess’ rendition in tribute to the Pulse, Orlando victims. West Side Story will make its cinematic revival later next year, adapted by Steven

“

With the struggles faced in Hairspray’s 1960s Baltimore repeating in the 21st century, it is easy to sink into the feeling that we have made too few steps far too slowly. Where my generation has George Floyd, my mother’s had Stephen Lawrence - it has happened before and will happen again. “I Know Where I’ve Been” takes this pain, and the feeling of unending struggle, and creates a passionate rally for the new generation to not give up and to not lose hope. It’s a perfect listen for this Black History Month. Jennifer Hudson’s version washes clean all the stains left from Cats (and is that the little girl from Us??).

ahead of its time. Ok, not quite a “New World” here, but “I’m Still Here” is perfect for this moment. It’s a song about living; seeing everything come and go; about struggling and surviving, and staying standing throughout it all. Though many of the references may be lost to our generation, its message of perseverance and enjoying the whole wild ride of it translates effortlessly. These songs give just a sliver of the power theatre has for providing escapism,

entertainment, and hope. Whilst the likes of these large-scale musical theatre pieces may be some of the last to return to our stages, there is plenty of new and adaptive creativity emerging to fill the void. Theatre is currently in a dire situation, and it needs all our support: donations, bums in seats, box office sales. Things will get better, but for now we must all do what we can.

REVIEWS/SHORTS

“The Last Night of the World”, Miss Saigon

We could all do with a bit of escape and a bit of hope.

“I’m Still Here”, Follies Set in the ruins of a closing theatre, the National Theatre’s sold-out Follies revival in 2017 now seems tragically

Songs from the Old World Review Oxford students would usually expect dozens of plays to be performed every term, but, save for a handful of virtual shows, this hasn’t been the case since March. Returning triumphantly to the Oxford drama scene, 00Productions have created what emcee William Foxton describes as “two hours of self obsessed theatre kids singing songs nobody wanted them to sing” – Songs from the Old World: Shows We Wish We’d Done. The energetic opening number, ‘Life in Living Colour’ from Catch Me If You Can, is a joyful but bittersweet reminder of all that theatregoers and creatives have missed out on this year. At no point did the online cabaret lose this energy; performances ranged from the hilarious – Lili Herbert’s ‘I’m Breaking Down’ from Falsettos had me in fits of laughter and Maggie Moriarty, Phoebe Tealby-Watson and Lorelei Piper’s ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ from Company was simply marvellous – to real tearjerkers – Joe

Winter’s ‘For Forever’ (Dear Evan Hansen) was particularly moving, as was Darcy Dixon and Thea Ralph’s duet of ‘For Good’ from Wicked. Lowri Spear, Ellie Cooper and Peter Todd must be commended, too, for their brilliant characterisation, which lent the show its real musical theatre dynamism. Also fantastic was the technicians’ rendition of ‘It’s A Hard Knock Life’, which lamented the trials and tribulations of working backstage to hilarious effect. Any initial fears surrounding the transition to an on-screen format were quelled by performances from The Book of Mormon and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which overcame potential virtual hiccups with aplomb. I have come away from previous online musical theatre showcases both reassured and excited, and the same must be said for Songs from the Old World. The cast and 00Productions have created an exuberant celebration of drama, assuring us that when live theatre does make a comeback, it will be extraordinary. - Alison Hall

CulCher | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

FASHION

Summer

Nostalgia

When shall it pass? our twenty twenty these languid seasons locked behind glass these idle days slipping memories our roaring pandemonium how long will it last?

Poem: Sarah Catterall Photographs: Ashley Cluer Models: Ananya Chowdhury, Mia Geddes, Hakan Ozoran & Zahra Mughal Location: Hampstead, London ( June 2020)

Tuesday 6th October 2020 | CulCher

At a time when the future is so uncertain we find ourselves reflecting on the past. This photoshoot has been inspired by such feelings of refelction, childhood and simply nostalgia for what this summer could have and should have been.

CulCher | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

PLAYLIST “MEET ME UNDER THE COVID MARQUEE”

BE MY WIFE David Bowie 1977

M.R. Crumb 2020

A LOT’S GONNA CHANGE Weyes Blood 2019 Full playlist on Spotify by Sofia Henderson

THE RETURN OF LIVE MUSIC: NICK CAVE’S IDIOT PRAYER Thomas Carter heralds a ray of light in the darkness of 2020

f the many cultural events 2020 has cruelly snatched away from us, the loss of live music is perhaps the one that has hit the hardest. To add to the emotional gutpunch of cancelled concerts and festivals, financial losses across the music industry running into the billions have wiped out sources of income for many acts and pushed smaller venues to the brink. There have so far been many attempts to fill the void, from pre-recorded stage shows by the likes of Megan thee Stallion to artists such as Waxahatchee livestreaming casual performances on a regular basis, and even the first ‘sociallydistanced’ gigs trialled at Newcastle’s Gosforth Park, opened by Sam Fender in August. The majority of these ‘live’ gigs exclusively on close-ups of Cave’s face or have attempted to recreate the experiwide shots of the piano in the middle of ence and sensation of attending a concert the disconcertingly vast concert hall. as best they can, with varying degrees of Apart from the music, the only sounds success. are his footsteps, echoing throughout the This makes Idiot Prayer, a performance eerie silence as he walks away from the by venerable Australian artist Nick Cave, piano once it’s all over. recorded in June at London’s Alexandra The songs themselves reflect the almost Palace and streamed to fans worldwide in oppressive isolation of the surroundings. late July, a striking exception. Rather than The 21-song setlist spans the full length attempting to recreate any sense of physiof Cave’s career, including tracks from cal connection or intimacy, Cave instead his albums with supporting band The Bad embraces the feelings of Seeds and his loneliness and isolation side-projec t s, “IN A YEAR WHEN EVERYONE that have become univer- SEEMS TO BE GRIEVING FOR SOME- but it draws sal during the pandemic – THING, NO ONE UNDERSTANDS e s p e c i a l l y something that becomes from 1997’s THAT AND GIVES VOICE TO IT immediately apparent The Boatman’s BETTER THAN CAVE.” from the first few frames Call, an album of the livestream, as he walks through an made in the shadow of his break-up with empty, cavernous Ally Pally and the title PJ Harvey that is rich with the senses of card appears on the screen: “Nick Cave, absence and catastrophic loss, emotions Alone at Alexandra Palace”. all too familiar in a year that has been Everything about the film and perforat times a seemingly unending stream of mance is designed to reinforce this sense tragedies and setbacks. of aloneness. Other than reciting a short The livestream itself was impressively poem at the start, Cave says nothing smooth, whilst the one-off nature of throughout the entire show, and does the performance (and the fact that you away with his usually-elaborate staging couldn’t pause it) gave a sense of exclusivin favour of the minimalist direction and ity that made the entire thing feel more lighting of Oscar-nominated cinematoglike an actual concert. Despite the success rapher Robbie Ryan. All the songs are of Idiot Prayer, however, it’s hard to see announced by title card, without preamthis particular format really providing a ble or fanfare, and the camera focuses replacement for live in-person concerts

SIX OF THE BEST: LIVE ALBUMS

Our very own Fred Waine selects his six favourite live records

f you’re looking for more instant access to the auditory sensations of an in-person concert, turning the lights down low in your bedroom and sticking a live album on your headphones is a decent alternative to the real thing. What’s more, this way you might get the live experience of a favourite artists, past and present, who you just wouldn’t get the chance to see otherwise:

– Roseland NYC 1.Portishead Live (1998)

The eerie atmospherics, weird instrumentation, and stunning arrangement skills of trip-hop greats Portishead (backed by a full orchestra) are all on display in this live recording from New York’s Roseland Ballroom. Geoff Barrow’s impulsive DJing is exquisite and Beth Gibbons’ voice is as chilling

MUSIC

as ever. All together now: “give me a reaaaason to love you…”

2.Beyoncé – Homecoming (2019)

Released alongside the Netflix concert film of the same title, this live album only serves as further proof of Queen B’s status as the outstanding modern pop artist. Homecoming is a testament to and celebration of black culture, channelling RnB and hip-hop tropes, a brass band arrangement, and a lyrical focus on female empowerment into a sensational two-hour set.

3.Tony Allen – Live (2004)

Perhaps the greatest drummer of all time, Tony Allen was performing at the peak of his powers right up until his death earlier

this year. While he featured heavily on Fela Kuti and Ginger Baker’s legendary 1971 live album, released at the peak of the afrobeat movement, this compilation of more recent live cuts is delightful. “Black Voices” is a funky, swaggering, and pertinent highlight.

Franklin – 4.Aretha Amazing Grace (1972)

Still the best-selling Aretha album of all time, Amazing Grace was recorded with choral accompaniment at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. The subject of a 2018 documentary/concert film (which Ms Franklin herself opposed in a legal battle), this legendary live performance remains best experienced through the 1999 remaster, which showcases the soul icon’s rousing, spellbinding voice. Beyoncé’s Homecoming is unlikely to have existed had Aretha not set such a precedent 47 years earlier.

in the age of Covid. Idiot Prayer works so well because it doesn’t try to recreate or replace what has been lost, but instead leans into the oppressive silence and pervasive grief of the current environment and creates something that is uniquely of its time. It’s difficult to see an artist other than Nick Cave even attempting to pull something like this off, and there are certainly few others who could summon the aura of strangeness and sense of distance that makes this performance so affecting. In a year when everyone seems to be grieving for something, there is no one who understands that and gives voice to it better than Cave. Equally, however, there are few others with a better understanding of the power of the universality of grief and the inevitability of hope. It’s not surprising that the final song Cave chooses to play, before he gets up from the piano and walks out of shot, is ‘Galleon Ship’, a song from his most recent album, Ghosteen, which is about exactly that. “For we are not alone, it seems/So many riders in the sky”, Cave sings, and, amidst the horrors and tragedies of 2020, it serves as a welcome reminder that we are truly not alone in this, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Read the full article at www.cherwell.org Image: Amelia Troubridge

– A Beautiful Thing: 5.IDLES Idles Live at le Bataclan (2019)

Bristol punks IDLES truly do offer the best live show available right now. While, for the moment, we are unable to experience the pure joy of the sweaty, giddy moshpit, this 2019 recording faithfully exhibits the band’s double threat of visceral sound and heartfelt message. Joe Talbot’s ever-earnest between-song chat deserves a mention too.

Smiths – Hat6.The ful of Hollow (1984)

Although technically a compilation, rather than a live album, this release brings together sixteen of the best live takes ever recorded by Johnny Marr and Co.. John Peel’s Radio 1 sessions tended to result in studio magic, and this is no exception: the renditions of “This Charming Man” and “Still Ill” included on Hatful of Hollow are up there with the classic originals. Image: Ulf Cronenberg

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | CulCher

FILM

INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR OF NORMAL PEOPLE

MUST SEE IN THEATRES

Laura Plumey talks to Normal People’s director Lenny Abrahamson about trust, the emotional potency of silence and they key to onscreen chemistry.

ormal People is something we don’t commonly see in mainstream TV. It’s one of those rare shows which hooks its audience from the start without relying on gimmicks or bravado. In an age when there’s so much TV to consume, the series that tend to do well are glossy and heightened in style, the viewer’s attention is grabbed and held. But Normal People is refreshingly confident in its quiet approach to storytelling. The show remains faithful to Sally Rooney’s book and its stark prose, which is, perhaps, unsurprising as Rooney had a large part to play in adapting the book into the 12-part series. Even at an early stage, the creative team knew that the truest way to tell this story was to maintain its simplicity. “I had thought that we would be much more playful with timeline, that we would flash back,” Abrahamson tells me, “But the more we laid things out, we started to see, and therefore trust, that the straightforward telling of the story would hold you.” This notion of trust is one that permeates my conversation with Lenny – both trust in his creative choices and in his audience. Fortunately, the BBC had ample trust in the project and gave it the green light immediately. Their only stipulation: that the whole book needed to be done in one series.

Set in Ireland, the series follows Marianne and Connell and studies the development of their relationship from school in a sleepy regional town to university in Dublin. Irish culture and concepts were key to creating an authentic setting, something Abrahamson was anxious not be diluted or internationalised. He worried that American broadcasters would push to change fundamental elements; to soften accents or standardise vocabulary in order to make the series more accessible. But no one did. Broadcasters in the States had the same trust in Rooney’s story and Abrahamson’s vision as the BBC, a testament to the power of a simple tale well told. Normal People bears Abrahamson’s mark in its paired back dialogue and low-key action. While it can be a challenge to ensure silences between characters don’t prompt yawns amongst viewers, it is often through the absence of conversation and action that Abrahamson unfolds emotion to his audience most intensely. “It’s about trusting the capacity of the actors,” he tells me, “but also the ability that human beings have to read each other. We do it all the time, we put together very strong pictures of how people are from very little.” Abrahamson’s seemingly innate understanding of the human condition and pro-

Monos: Borders of Reality

Through looking at Alejandro Landes’ enigmatic war drama Monos (2019), Flora Davies draws parallels with Colombia’s interminable conflict

n the mossy bank of a reservoir, three women sit combing their wet, dark hair in the mist. “Do you want me to braid your hair?” a younger girl asks an older woman in Spanish. The image resembles an illustration in a book of classical mythology. You would never guess that the two teenage girls are child soldiers who spend their days walking around with machine guns. Or that the older woman is their hostage. And that is the beauty of Alejandro Landes’ 2019 film, Monos – it constantly shifts and surprises you. Film critics and viewers alike are often inclined to search for some kind of message in the films they watch, yet Monos disorientates the viewer, immersing them in an eerie landscape which evades both temporal and geopolitical contexts. While Landes was

inspired by (and magnificently captures) the unique, complex, and violent history of his Colombian homeland, he also hoped to create a film which tells more universal tales of modern-day warfare, human nature, and even puberty. So what is it about this picture that has won countless awards, received five star reviews from virtually every critic, and was labelled ‘Apocalypse Now on shrooms’? The film follows the lives of the Monos, a group of teenage soldiers living on a remote mountain top and engaging in ruthless military exercises working for ‘The Organisation’, a mysterious presence that holds authority over them. After the Monos emerge victorious from a fight against unknown enemy forces, members of what Landes calls the “mini-society” start to turn against each other, and any sense of structure or sanity begins to fragment. The line that we like to draw between good and bad blurs into an ominous haze of trigger-happy madness. The film amalgamates sounds, images, and clothing from different places and pe-

found talent for his craft are especially evident in Episode 5, for which he is deservedly Emmy nominated. There are generous stretches of silence towards the end of the episode as Marianne is driven home by Connell, after agreeing it would be unwise “if one of us kept trying to sleep with the other one”. These allow for the gentle, inevitable progression of events leading up to and culminating in them sleeping together, a scene which solidifies the fact that they are bound to be together. While onscreen intimacy is no longer taboo, the sex scenes in Normal People feel ground-breaking, as they allow us to see into the very souls of Marianne and Connell. The composition and camerawork are almost painterly, with Marianne and Connell looking at times as though they’ve been pulled from a Titian or Rubens. The energy and understanding between Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones is palpable from their first scene together. “You’re just hoping that people will come through with that quality that mesmerises. With Marianne it was really difficult, there has to be that vulnerability. You realise that Marianne is described through other people’s eyes in terms that 18-year-old school kids would use. What would that person really be like if you as an adult walked into the room and saw them? That made Marianne a much softer character but in a way where you could see how other people would read her in a different way. So, when Daisy came, we were so happy.” It was immediately clear to Abrahamson that this pair of actors would work perfectly together. “We got them together and there was that incredible chemistry. People think chemistry means attraction and it doesn’t, it means a creative connection.” Abrahamson’s insight as director sets the tone in the first six episodes, which Hettie Macdonald beautifully develops to finish the series. Read the full article online at cherwell.org. Image: Element Pictures / Edna Bowe. riods in time to create its own little world, void of any context. While the Monos’ army uniforms do look similar to those of Colombian guerrilla groups, they also wear black padded jackets resembling something from Star Wars. The army camp itself is also surprisingly liberal; the teenagers experiment sexually, take shrooms and are fluid with their gender. Even the scenery is confusing, with strange Soviet-style concrete blocks embedded into the serene Latin American landscape. The film is all about fluidity and changeability, be it gender and identity or modern-day warfare. At moments, the little world in which the Monos live feels mag cal. The combination of Jasper Wolf’s beautifully intimate and physical camerawork and Mica Levi’s hypnotic musical score, blending electronic music with sounds from nature, creates a surreal, ethereal impression. While the film does have an otherworldly atmosphere, it is also strongly rooted in reality – a Colombian reality. Since the mid twentieth-century, Colombia

ROCKS

A fresh, compelling coming-of-age story blending the tragedy and vitality of a teenage girl who is abandoned by her single mother.

TO STREAM

DA 5 BLOODS

Spike Lee’s latest, eclectic release sees a group of black Vietnam veterans hunt for a stash of gold they left in the jungle. Also features the late Chadwick Boseman in a deeply moving performance.

CLASSIC

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 tale of mistaken identity pits the suave, unsuspecting Carry Grant against the devilish James Mason, featuring some of cinema’s most breath-taking shots. Image credits: Chris Devers; David Shankbone

has been in a constant state of political turmoil in what has come to be known as ‘The Invisible War’, where fighting between multiple factions has led to an estimated 260,000 deaths and has displaced about seven million people. The inspiration taken from the Colombian civil war is not only evident in the general feeling of fear that lurks below the surface throughout the film, but also in particular details which have been taken directly from the conflict. For example, the Monos are all children who seem to range from around 13 to 18, and at points it is suggested that they were taken in at a young age and recruited by the Organisation. FARC has also been known to recruit child soldiers, some taken in after their own parents have been killed by the group. By shifting between the horrific, the ethereal, and the primitive, Landes has managed to create a raw film about humanity that goes far beyond the context of the Colombian conflict. Monos does not try to provide answers but rather surrenders to the complexities of warfare, human nature,

Life | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

LIFE

DONT CALL ME PRETTY: CATCALLING, WOMANHOOD AND ALIENATION

LILY KERSHAW

ecently, I’ve been waking up pretty early. I’ve always been an early riser, but regularly getting up before 6am is almost totally new to me, yet I’ve decided that sacrificing a little bit of sleep just to guarantee my own comfort made sense. The reason for this early rise? Swimming. More specifically, swimming during a time when I can avoid a certain group of men who had made a habit out of making comments on my body while I was exercising: “you’re a very pretty young girl”, “If I was 50 years younger…”, “aren’t you lovely” etc. I realised that, if I got to the pool for 7am, I could leave before any of them had arrived, and then I could swim in peace, without feeling watched. It’s a lonely feeling to be

watched but not seen, to recognise that, to some, you are not a person but an object. This is a feeling which I became accustomed to fairly early on, from walking alone when I was 11 and having a car honk at me, to having to change my route to school after the same van, every morning, would slow down in front of my bus stop and shout and kiss at me. It scared me, to have my body judged by people who I didn’t know, by people who thought catcalling a girl in a school uniform was appropriate. It was attention that I, and so many other women and girls like me, don’t want. Because, the reality of catcalling is that it is never a compliment, but rather a power play. The goal is never to seduce but to emphasise the control that one party has over another, the power to make them feel uncomfortable, to force schoolgirls to change their

routine, the way they dress, the routes they take, just because it’s a bit of harmless fun. 35% of UK girls wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public and I am one of them. When I told adults, I was informed that I should expect that sort of attention “now that you’re a woman”, but I wasn’t a woman, I was in year 7. My body, the ever-changing, ever-shifting mass that it was, was not something that I felt I could truly claim because, though it was definitely mine, it did not truly sync up with my internal image of myself; it was an object, but neither something that I wanted nor felt particularly comfortable in. Being sexualised only further aggravated the growing distance I felt between myself and my body. Maybe, if I rejected this body, if this vessel wasn’t mine, then maybe men wouldn’t try and touch me on the tube or stare at me on the bus. I felt like a caricature and, no matter how I dressed, I couldn’t cover myself up enough to avoid all those eyes and all those comments. You can’t get used to catcalling because you can’t expect it. You shouldn’t have to expect some man on the street to start shouting after you when you’re rushing to the train station, you

also shouldn’t have to expect to have old men comment on your body when you’re only 15 years old. To grow up having all these eyes around you, to be forced to come to terms with yourself while so many others, so many who should know better, take advantage of your apparent vulnerability, is uncomfortable. It is uncomfortable to attempt to breach that liminal space between

own body while going through puberty? Is it possible to not associate catcalling and harassment with womanhood when you are regularly reminded that it is all just part of being a woman? A part of me is scared that there will come a time when these comments stop being made, when men stop staring at me on public transport, when I’m just another face in the crowd. I fear that, w h e n that time comes, I’ll be sad, that I will feel less like a woman and I resent the fact that harassment is so normalised that, deep down, I partially rely on this male gaze to affirm my femininity. Speaking with some of my friends who have never experienced catcalling, they express a fear that this makes them less of a woman and that sentiment is awful. Our womanhood and our sense of self should never be defined by the male gaze. I know that I am much more than what any stranger can judge me to be, we are all so much more than that uninformed judgement. One’s identity as a woman is not purely reliant on looks or

“CAN YOUR BODY TRULY FEEL LIKE YOUR OWN WHEN IT IS CONSTANTLY BEING CLAIMED BY STRANGERS?” childhood and adulthood while simultaneously being perceived as a sex object by total strangers. In those moments when, out of nowhere, a comment is made on your body (while you are waiting at the bus stop, while you are jogging, while you are on your way to school) your sense of self shifts just a little as you are forced to remember that, to some people, you are just an object for their viewing pleasure. Can your body truly feel like your own when it is constantly being claimed by strangers? Is it possible to not feel some kind of alienation and resentment towards your

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Life age; womanhood is far more than that and I am just as much a woman now as I will be in 50 years time. To limit the female experience to how we are perceived by others is to do all women a severe disservice. It acts to further objectify us by suggesting that we cannot define ourselves, instead, we are objects to be defined by others. Being watched and being seen are two very different things; While we should aspire to be totally self-defined, if we are to define ourselves by anyone, we should define ourselves by those who see and understand us, rather than by unknown outsiders who watch. That’s what makes catcalling so damaging - it is totally invasive, and the strange, confident familiarity with which catcallers address you implies a level of understanding which just is not there - “I know your body, therefore I know you”. No woman, no human being, can be judged purely on their external appearance. Talking about this is incredibly uncomfortable and makes me nervous. I worry that some will see this as a non-issue, just complaining about a couple of compliments… even showing off. Equally, I am fully aware that being sexually harassed is not as bad as other experiences. But to compare is to belittle. I don’t deserve to be harassed, nobody does. It is a humiliating and totally disempowering experience, yet, and as much as I resent this fact, it has somewhat shaped

me and how I live my day-today life. These experiences, my experiences, should be shared, if not to educate, then to support others in the same position. Unfortunately, I am not alone in all this. Having grown up a bit, I have come to see that my body is not to blame for this harassment, and I certainly don’t reject my body, myself, as much as I once did. This is not some story of bravery, I still don’t call people out and, for the most part, I keep my head down and avoid eye contact when it happens. I still wake up early because these men still exist and I still don’t want to see them… I still don’t want them to see me. I like the darkness. I like being awake before all those other eyes have opened. I like walking around before anyone can watch me. I like how, at 5.30, it is just light enough to recognise yourself, but dark enough that nobody recognises you. You just become a silhouette. T h a t ’ s when my body feels most like my own. W h e n I don’t have to fear being p e r ce i ve d . Yet, why should my body feel most like my own specifically when I can’t see myself? I still have a long way to go before I can fully separate my womanhood from the male gaze but, until then, this is the best I can do.

“TO LIMIT THE FEMALE EXPERIENCE TO HOW WE ARE PERCEIVED BY OTHERS IS TO DO ALL WOMEN A SEVERE DISSERVICE”

cherpse Gbenga Chesterman St Anne’s English

YOU CAN’T SPELL VIRUS WITHOUT U AND I: ZOOM DATES IN THE TIME OF CORONA

How were you feeling before the date? Pretty worried it was going to be someone I’ve embarrassed myself in front of.

Megan Whitlock Merton English How were you feeling before the date? Unsure of what to expect - on a zoom date it’s a bit more difficult to make an excuse to leave if you end up with someone weird...

“SMOOTH, PREGNANT BELLIES.”

First impressions? This girl definitely does English.

Did it meet up to your expectations? Didn’t really have any. Just glad I remembered to charge my phone.

First impressions? He seemed really friendly and had a nice bookcase in the background.

Did it meet up to your expectations? Having signed up on a whim, I had practically zero expectations, but it ended up being much less awkward than I had expected. He was really easy to talk to, made me laugh, and we had a fair bit in common.

What was the highlight? Stalking some real Oxford characters together.

What was the highlight? robably getting recommendations for student bars in P Oxford (if corona ever lets us visit them again), and he had some funny Oxford stories.

What was the most embarrassing moment? Electricians came into my room to fit a smoke alarm, which included it going off. So they were kind of on the date for a little bit as well.

What was the most embarrassing moment? Probably when I revealed in the first 2 minutes I was using a giant sheep teddy as a backrest, or tried to respond to him revealing his phobia of the ocean by revealing mine was of pregnancy bellies (which is not an amazing conversation starter).

Describe the date in 3 words: Smooth, pregnant bellies. Is a second date on the cards? Who am I, a Middle Eastern tarot reader?

Describe the date in 3 words: Chill, amusing, enjoyable Is a second date on the cards? I wouldn’t say no, and if nothing else he definitely seems like the kind of guy I could be mates with!

HOROSCOPE

VIRGO

ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

CANCER

LEO

21 March- 19 April

20 April - 20 May

21 May- 20 June

21 June - 22 July

23 July - 22 August

23 August - 22 Sept

Um, you should probably look into this new thing people are trying - ever heard of budgeting? Seriously though, stop before you blow your whole student loan in the first week.

You find yourself drawn to a tall, attractive stranger from Christ Church. Do yourself a favour and don’t do it sweetheart - they’ll ruin your life.

Beware trying to keep up with the drinking habits of those around you. Just because they can down nine pints in a row doesn’t mean that you can. You want to remember your Freshers week, preferably from a place which isn’t the floor.

Invest in the Pret a Manger free coffee deal. Make everybody around you do it too. You’ll bond over mango and pineapple smoothies, caramel latters and oat milk hot chocolates. It will change your entire university experience.

Okay, time to stop complaining about everything to everyone. Especially when what you’re complaining about is other people - you might meet one or two characters that rub you the wrong way, but it’s better to keep it to yourself.

Don’t panic if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed! Take a long hot shower and treat yourself to a few episodes of your favourite show. Oxford can wait...

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

23 Sept - 22 Oct

23 Oct - 21 Nov

22 Nov - 21 Dec

22 Dec - 19 Jan

20 Jan - 18 Feb

19 Feb - 20 March

Make sure you get out and about this week, rather than sitting and stressing about that vac essay. A night at The Four Candles on Wednesday could break the ice with some newfound friends...

That gorgeous-looking someone you’ve spotted in the Fresher’s groupchat and have been thinking about ever since has probably been checking you out too - but beware the same subject, college, and year-group rule. Two is too many.

Help a fresher in need this week! Your bubbly, extroverted personality means that you have no trouble finding friends, but not everyone is so lucky. If you see someone struggling, take them under your wing.

Go for cocktails at Freud with a special someone the full moon this week is a sign that you need to treat yourself to a boujee night out.

You need to stop constantly talking about your fabulous gap yah and how annoyed you were when corona ruined it. It’s fair enough to be upset but you’re also boring everybody else.

I know people are telling you to write off that love interest in the year above. But listen to your heart; just because people are calling them a “shark” doesn’t mean you don’t have a real connection.

Life | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

THE MENTAL MESS THAT IS SUCCESS

Freshers Week

o, you’ve finally made it to Oxford. It might not have seemed like it was going to happen at some points this year, but here we are! Freshers week will be a bit different this year thanks to Covid-19, and the traditional image of freshers as a 7-day party might not be possible. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun! Making friends It might seem incredibly daunting to be starting somewhere new where you don’t know anyone, and it’s easy to feel stressed about making friends quickly. However, don’t worry if you don’t find your best friends for life in freshers week. Everyone is getting to know each other and it might take a while for you to find the people you most click with. You’ll probably come to meet your coursemates in college at some point during the week. It’s important to have good relationships with them, as you’ll most likely be sharing tutorials and classes (and 4am essay crises) with them for the next 3 to 4 years. Try and organise to go to meals with

Why Oxford breeds such a competitive culture

xford University is currently at the forefront of the news, being commended on research on COVID-19 and being the ‘best university in the world’ according to The Times. The clear success and prestige of Oxford is infamous, but how do the students view the success of themselves? The rigorous and renowned application process to Oxford only accepts students with the very top grades, personal statements, pre-interview test scores and interview performance. However, fast forward to starting in Michaelmas and the ‘very best’ that got you in is now only ‘good enough’ as almost every student has the same achievements. Like many students, I have struggled massively with imposter’s syndrome all throughout first year mainly as missed my entrance grades of A*AA as I *only* got AAA at A levels. Being from an area of low Oxbridge intake and with a full state-school education, I felt like a product of positive discrimination, meaning I repeatedly thought I needed to prove myself as a worthy Oxonian through first year, even to myself. Studying in an environment where academic excellence is the norm, standing out from your peers means being the best of the best. Before university, getting the top grades is a must: anything less than an A or A* is simply not good enough. However, once you’re in, you’re still used to the competitive culture from previous education, even though degree grades are independent of one another. Prospective students are trained to only accept the top achievement possible as a success, but then put in an environment where the top is almost impossible to reach, setting you up for an unavoidable fall. Competition between students spreads further than just academics, however. The collegiate system brings very different students much closer together than they perhaps would be at other universities in numerous sports teams and societies. As beneficial as extracurriculars are for keeping the day-to-day interesting and stress-free, competition also arises here for roles such as captain or president. Personally, I see

HANNAH LUND Oxford as a bubble as all aspects of your life (e.g. personal, academic, social) are intertwined meaning if you’re struggling academically to value yourself as successful, this can easily affect your mindset in other fields. In addition to this, all students are keen on snapping, sharing, texting, tagging and posting across numerous social media platforms, but people only share their best version of themselves, worsening the competitive culture. People rarely talk about a JCR position that they weren’t elected for (RIP to me) or the poor feedback they received on a tutorial essay (“you lack logic and reasoning) so openly online. The constant reminder of your peer’s success can force you to internalise this as a lack of your own success: something I have fallen a victim to many times. Personally, I earned an approximate 2:1 in first year in my subject of Biology from essays submitted during lockdown and practical assessments. When I saw this grade, I was not pleased with it, even though, not only had I worked remotely through a pandemic, but I now realise that I was experiencing some mental health issues relating to anxiety, depression and stress. If I could tell the Hannah that was first applying to Oxford that I would have got a 2:1 in first year from ‘the best university in the world’, I would have been truly elated; so why was I so hard on myself when I received this grade in July? In my opinion, how ‘successful’ someone views themselves is fully dependant on the environment they are in, meaning success is very relative and variable. For example, I always find it easier to be more self-assured when I’m back home and away from such a competitive peer group. I encourage everyone to recalibrate their ‘success scale’ outside of Oxford standards as I have done for the benefit of my mental health over the summer. It is important to be proud of the achievements you’ve made, regardless of what everyone else has done, to allow yourself to be happy with your own progress. You should make your own success and not rely on the relativity of your peer group to form your own image of how ‘successful’ you truly are.

people on your corridor during the week. I know that during my freshers week I ended up eating cereal in my room on several occasions because I was worried about eating alone in hall. Having someone to go down with might make it a bit less daunting. Homesickness No matter what anyone says, everyone gets a little homesick at some point. For most people, uni will be their first time away from home for a long period of time; freshers week can make you feel particularly lonely as you won’t know anyone very well, but this is entirely normal, and don’t hesitate to call your mum for a chat - just make sure you’re throwing yourself into college activities as well. Activities It’s not quite clear what this term will look like in terms of mixing with people and doing the normal college welcome events, but if one’s thing for sure it’s that it will require a bit more creativity to socialise this freshers week. Try having a chat with someone with the window across from you, have a socially distanced picnic outside, or have an outdoor movie night to make the most of your first week with new people. Work You’ll most likely have been set some work to complete in freshers week by your tutors, but the most important thing is not to get too stressed about this. You might need to spend some time in the library, but there’s plenty of time for work in your degree, and the first week shouldn’t be entirely spent with your head in a book. Try and do what you need to do quickly, and then go out and explore Oxford.

Read the full text in Keep Off The Grass, Cherwell’s freshers guide, available to read online at www.issuu.com/cherwellonline

JOHN EVELYN

ohn Evelyn is delighted to return to the dreaming spires, and looks forward to seeing knives meeting backs in a more traditional, and personal, way. The Irish Priest abdicated of his own accord, and a late blow from an old enemy swiftly brought The Short Man down to size. That didn’t stop Constinantiple coming under siege, but the arrows failed to find their mark when the nominations were revealed. It seems distance did not make the heart grow fonder with the Circular Mertonian’s bid ending even more swiftly than her partner’s, at the hands of The Late Etonian. Seemingly, friendship mattered less than timekeeping to

this aspiring hack, with the last hack in Balliol summarily dispatched in similarly short order. Some say that this sort of sharpness could only be cut on a Clean Slate, and it certainly looks as though The Runner Up has had some influence on recent decisions, perhaps looking to follow the Balliol Politician into a successful re-run for the highest office. However, John Eveleyn hears that the Librarian-Elect may find one of his own knives recycled upon its owner in the terms ahead. For once Frewin Court seems to be held together at the top, with no major Presidential misdemeanours to report. Whether that’ll continue under The Ancient One is yet to be seen, but John Evelyn hears that signifi-

cant steps have been taken to ingratiate themselves with the younger generation. His Twitter feed may perhaps cause a little more gossip, however. Finally, John Eveleyn leaves us with the news that the Union chamber will be graced by an old captain of the ship this term, with details kept strictly under wraps - apart from in conversations with gossiping Cherly journalists, of course. Oink Oink! P.S. John Evelyn can now be found on Instagram, and is hungry for any tasty gossip on your Union friends (and, of course, enemies). They shall answer— mirrored perhaps on a national level. All very minerological, with stony gazes of knapped anthracite being rather brazen at times.

Life | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

FOOD

SOCIETY EATS: GERMANY

Helena Koch discusses German food traditions and her experience of the German society’s food socials.

ave you ever wondered where all ally got some nice bread at the university’s your German friends disappear to German Society, but more about that later.) each Friday of 1st week at around It’s not for nothing that the famous line 5pm? Why all their stuff is left in “Food, glorious food” from Oliver Twist litthe library, as if they have left in a hurried erally translates to “Bread, glorious bread” flight? Why they don’t join you for dinner in the German version. Our country’s love in hall that day? Here’s the secret: your for loaves is phenomenal. In Germany bread friends are disappearing in order to have is not just a food, it’s an art. The German cake. On that special afternoon of term, translation of the Oliver Twist song, by the many Germans in Oxford drop everything way, doesn’t continue with “we’re anxious they are doing and rush towards the Gerto try it” but with “ham, cheese and butter”, man Society where they’re going to have yet another strong indicator of what our their unofficial fourth meal of the day, nation likes to consume. On both breakfast “Kaffee und Kuchen” (eng. ‘coffee and and dinner, a variety of bread delicacies is cake’). Perhaps the most essential part of enjoyed with an even bigger selection of German culinary culture. spreads and toppings, ranging from cheese When most people think about the Gerand ham to jam and honey. Dinner is most man diet, our love for cake definitely won’t often called Abendbrot (eng. evening be the only stereotype that comes to their bread), a name which easily speaks for itself. minds. “Why are you not having a BratIf you’d ever like to try it, the German wurst?”, a friend of mine jokingly asked me Society usually organises a very authentic at the Oxford Christmas market last year, one, which is also what saved me from my pointing towards the German food truck, severe, self-diagnosed bread-deficiency in which was promoting its freshly fried Michaelmas (I promise there will be other Bratwürste. It took me a second to realise spreads than liver!). why I should be having one: as a Enough about bread now, let’s German, I am expected to be remember the food truck at “FOOD, an enthusiastic meat-eater. the Christmas market with GLORIOUS FOOD” As much as I’d love to say its sausage-heavy menu, that this cliché is entirely giving vegetarians far FROM OLIV ER T WIST wrong - it’s not. German from an easy time. Even cuisine might not only LITER A LLY TR A NSL ATES TO though the stereotype consist of sausages, bread “BREA D, GLORIOUS BREA D” of a meat-loving Gerand the occasional potato, many is slightly exagIN THE GERM A N yet I can’t deny that all of gerated since, in fact, we these are considered essential consume far less meat per V ERSION. parts of most traditional dishes. person than some other nations “So this must be what British people (ask Google), lots of traditional dishes call bread” - was my thought when I went to do rely on meat as an essential component. the bakery of a Tesco store for the very first With this in mind, it might be less of a surtime. I was, quite frankly, devastated. It was prise that you can find over 1,500 different around lunchtime sometime during my first kinds of sausages in German supermarkets! week at Oxford and I had been dreaming Perhaps the most famous is the already about a deliciously smelling, freshly baked mentioned Bratwürst, which is basically loaf for days. However, where I was hoping just a general term for any barbecued sauto find an abundance of different breads sage. Sausages are far from the only oncefrom which to choose, I was instead faced living-now-dead items to be found on the with piles of impressively dry sponge that menu of traditional restaurants. The most seemed to consist more of holes than bread. widely known meaty dish is the Schnitzel. When I left the supermarket, I genuinely Originally from Vienna, it is a breaded and wondered whether I was going to make it particularly flat piece of veal. Equally fathrough the next couple of months without mous is the Schweinshaxe, a giant roasted ‘proper bread’. (Spoiler: I made it, and actu-

ham hock, and definitely not the option you should go for when you fancy a lighter meal. You’re probably waiting for me to mention potatoes, sauerkraut and cabbage, and voilà, here they come. Most traditional German dishes (at least the meaty ones) are usually accompanied by some variation of these. I will admit that there is not particularly much that you can make of sauerkraut apart from, well, sauerkraut, but you would be surprised in how many different disguises you can discover potatoes on a restaurant’s menu. Kartoffelknödel (eng. potato dumplings), Kartof- felpuffer (eng. potato fritters), Kartof- felsalat (potato salad), and much more. Only one vegetable seems to be able to compete with our beloved potato, and that’s asparagus. Ironically, despite its short season,it’s somewhat s from April to June some restaurants even devote an entire menu to it! Last, but, for many people, certainly not least, we must not forget about German beer. I’m sure you’ve already seen Erdinger Weissbier or Beck’s at Sainsbury’s, perhaps even tasted it. The occasion where most beer is served every year, is the world-famous Bavarian Oktober- fest, attracting about 6 million visitors. Taking place at the

end of September (despite its name), it lasts two entire weeks, and results in a beer consumption of several million litres. The atmosphere is not just that of an ordinary festival, instead it’s almost carnival-like. If you’d like to (literally) get a taste of it, the German Society usually organises one, which is certainly worth a try! Perhaps you think this was it, but let me tell you, the most important part is still to come. I’m talking about the unofficial fourth meal of the day, the legendary ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ (eng. coffee and cake). These are the hours when cafés in Germany are overflowing with customers, bakeries bursting. Who doesn’t crave something sweet in the afternoon? Germans definitely do, and for most of us, there is nothing that can beat a delicious slice of cake. Schwarzwälder Kirsch (eng. Black Forest) might be the most famous one. See, now you know where, and especially why, your German friends usually disappear each Friday of first week, and, honestly, can you blame them? In fact, maybe you should even join them next time in order to get initiated into the mysteries of German food traditions. Image credit: Oxford University German Society

OATLY AND THE QUESTION OF ETHICAL CONSUMPTION Oliver Banks explores Oatly’s recent investor scandal and how there is no such thing as an ethical consumer

n July 14th, a group of investors led by Blackstone announced that it would be trading a 10% stake in the oat milk producer, Oatly, for $200m. Many have characterised the deal as a sell-out by Oatly, prompting calls to boycott the brand. Those that have called for boycotts characterise Blackstone as an unethical operator. Having made investments directly and indirectly in a company which is currently building a network to transport soybeans grown in areas cleared from Amazon rainforest, the firm is seen as a profiteer earning money through environmental destruction. Money received from Blackstone is thus ‘dirty money’ which will corrupt the original philosophy of Oatly.

But for the deontological moralist, it is impossible to be an ethical consumer. All money in a capitalist system is ‘dirty money’. Because companies cannot choose who buys their products. It is easiest to see this from the perspective of an individual consumer. Oatly is bought by people that lead ethically dubious but completely normal lives. These average people might wake up on a pillow stuffed with animal feathers. They then reach for a phone, which was made by mistreated workers in China. They have a long shower, they contribute to water shortages in other areas of the country. The average person inadvertently endorses exploitation, unsustainable practices, and unethical behaviour through their purchasing decisions. It only takes one deviation from an ascetic and wholly green lifestyle to become implicated in globalised networks of immorality. Blackstone may engage in unethical behaviour, but the $200m they invested in Oatly is

not of a different class to the $200m in revenue Oatly earned during 2019. This is true for every firm operating within a modern business environment: although firms may be able to be selective on the investment side, firms cannot choose their consumers. Theoretically coherent moral systems are often difficult to apply to the real world. Reality is fraught with decisions in which all the available choices involve compromise. But supporting Oatly after the Blackstone announcement is not one of these. We must see the company as operating inside the capitalist-consumerist space, because this is true no matter the beliefs of their founders. And as a firm subject to market pressures, they need to take every chance they can get to build a competitive edge. Oatly is one of the few brands in their segment that has broken into mainstream retailers. They initially thought that selling their product on supermarket shelves was morally problematic, given that su-

permarkets profit from the meat and dairy industries. However, they concluded that the positive impact they would have by making oat milk products available to the widest range of consumers outweighed the downsides. Although it is laudable that consumers have started to hold companies to higher ethical standards, those that call for a boycott of Oatly do not see the counterfactual. The choice may not be between Oatly and another dairy substitute, but between Oatly and nothing at all - not everyone has access to the kind of retailers that would stock alternatives to their oat milk. Ordinary people should have access to products made with as little damage to the environment and human life as possible. Buying Oatly is one of the ways to bring this about. A boycott would only impede the path towards a less destructive society. We should cherish brands that lean towards the ethical side, because they are rare - we should feel lucky to have them.

Life | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

IN CONVERSATION WITH JIHYUN PARK “the real North Korea” in her description like; “Once in China, I was brought to a trafof her hometown. Situated in North Ham- ficking establishment, sold to a Chinese man gyong, a province near the Chinese border and separated from my brother. My brother in the East, Jihyun described her home as was captured and repatriated a year later, “a beautiful place”, surrounded by sea and and I still do not know if he has survived. It mountains, with a “big steel company, port was shameful so I tried to hide it, but it was and shipyard”. not only my experience.” Jihyun was a maths teacher, and I was cuAs Jihyun voiced, this is a common rious to know her daily routine. “We would experience faced by refugees, with wake up at 5am, 4.30am in the summer”, she around 80% of North Korean women ithin the past few months, tells me, “everyone would begin their day by sold by human traffickers upon rumours claiming the death cleaning the streets outside, and the school reaching China. “I was sold to of North Korean dictator, Kim day would begin at 7am, and usually finish a Chinese man for 5000 yuan Jong-Un, have circled our news at around 8pm.” She was never able to visit (around £580). Chinese people feeds. When it was announced that he had Pyongyang, as travelling to other regions would gather and choose who since been sighted in public, the media is not permitted without authorisation, but they want.” The farmer, who commented on the “thunderous applause” as a child she was able to visit her grand- was from the province of Heihe was met with as he appeared in front of mother’s house in South Hamgyong, and longjiang in the north-east North Koreans at the opening of a fertiliser Paektu mountain as a university student, an of the country, kept Jihyun factory near Pyongyang. Similarly, during important cultural site often used to rein- in slavery for six years. the Trump-Kim summit of 2018, North force the legitimacy of the Kim dynasty. An During this time, she Koreans were recorded saying, “I couldn’t active volcano, Paektu is considered sacred, gave birth to a son. stop myself from getting excited when I saw a n d the myth is propagated that the Kims “He was nameour respected leader on TV. By following our have a “Mount Paektu bloodline”. Before less and nationless beloved leader, who strives tirelessly for the significant national announcements, the because I was a sake of the nation and the people, leader of North Korea would travel up foreigner without our entire staff shares the view Paektu, often on a white horse, in legal status. In the “Take your that we should achieve more order to legitimise his decision DPRK, a child with in our work and keep chalto the North Korean people - a a foreign parent brother. You must lenging ourselves to make ritual last performed by Kim cannot be born and leave, you must go Jong him happy”, and, “I heard Un in December. is killed without at work yesterday that our So why leave? Unlike Thae question. The Chinese anywhere.” leader was on the way to a Yong Ho, Jihyun admits she had government does not distant foreign country. So even little knowledge of the reality of acknowledge the existthough today is my day off, I’m on my way to North Korea’s political condition prior to ence of a person born from work to please our leader”. her escape, due to the censorship of outside a North Korean mother, When the media does shift their attention information. What led Jihyun to leave, like so the child grows up to the North Korean people, their representa- so many others, was famine. In the mid-90s, without a name, access to tion of North Koreans often paints them as a a period known as the Arduous March, or education, and the right homogenised, brainwashed population who the March of Suffering, began. Lasting for of movement.” live naively in awe of the dynasty we know four years, an estimated 3.5 million died Jihyun’s son was to be diabolical. The reality of the situation from starvation, or related diseases, forcing stranded in this limbo, is much more complex, with over 100,000 a record number of North Koreans alongside around 30,000 others thought refugees emigrating since the separation of to attempt to cross the Chinese to be victims to the same status. In “I could not the Korean peninsula in 1953. border in 1998. April 2004, following years of Some defect due to political discontent, Jihyun and her brother even think about my manual labour and constant insuch as Thae Yong Ho who made headlines would soon join them. timidation, Jihyun was arrested for winning a constituency seat during the With her mother having son. I only thought of and sent to Yeonbyun prison in South Korean parliamentary elections in left home, and her father China. survival.” April, despite formerly serving as a senior becoming ill, Jihyun’s family “The cell was full of North diplomat under the North Korean regime. was left with no food, medicine, Korean people. I found out that the Part of his political aim has been to draw or “even a chunk of wood to burn for prison was specially built to hold North greater attention to the human rights viola- heating my brother”. Her brother’s military Koreans.” After a week at Yeonbyun, Jihyun tions being carried out systematically by the service had ended abruptly after he was was repatriated and sent to a prison camp regime, in the hope that this will humanise “caught dealing gold illegally”, and he had in North Korea. The prison camps in North those who are suffering. come home, chased by military officials. Her Korea are notorious for their systematic Instead of being seen as a faceless nation father eventually urged her to leave. implementation of human rights violations, that willingly submits to the Kims, real sto“My father said ‘Take your brother. i n - cluding torture, executions and infanries of suffering and protest told by You must leave, you must go ticide. Both re-education camps and those who have lived und e r anywhere.’ It was my father’s political prison camps exist, and both the regime should be shared. will. Not even observing my bear high mortality rates. Jihyun reAlthough it is tempting to be father’s death, I left. I counted her initial thoughts. “Even distracted by memes about Kim would never see though I was sent to North Korea Jong-Un’s haircut and his almost him again and as a criminal, there was a joy entertainingly tumultuous relaI don’t know of coming back to my hometions with Trump, these undermine where he town, but it soon changed the very real ordeals experienced by was buried. into despair. I may have North Korean refugees and defectors, He might be thought because we are which should instead be the main focus buried someall Koreans and we left of international media. where, but I do because of hunger that the I was able to interview Jihyun Park, not even know.” intelligence officers would a North Korean refugee now living in Jihyun and her not treat us that poorly. England, about her experiences living brother managed Maybe I was too naive beunder the regime, escaping, and being to cross the Eastern cause it could not have been repatriated (sent back to North Korea). border into China, more different than that.” Willing to share her story in the hope after being offered Jihyun was subjected to that it sheds light on the true gravity help by a man promappalling living conditions, of the plight many North Koreans and ising an honest job with prisoners crammed refugees face, she too commented on once they arrived. I into tiny rooms, as well as the role of the media. “I am usually asked Jihyun what frequent abuse from guards, angry with the media because they her journey was who would kick prisonalways hide peoples’ real lives.” ers with their “brass t i p p e d The “media usually [displays] boots”. Kim and some Pyongyang views”, but that is not “the S h e real North Korea.” recalled a Jihyun began to illustrate punishment

Jen Zuboff speaks to North Korean refugee Jihyun Park about her experiences living under the regime, what she went through, and how she survived. TW: mention of torture and abuse

PROFILE she faced for using the toilet without permission, saying, “One day I was needing to go to the toilet desperately and asked them many times, but they never answered. I could not stop and ran to the toilet. As a punishment, they forced me [to] clean the toilet with my hands without any water. It was not a regular toilet with flushing water. You cannot imagine how dirty it was.” This was only one of many punishments Jihyun and the other prisoners faced on a regular basis. Jihyun was soon transferred to a labour camp, where prisoners were fed with the same rice used to feed pigs in China, and forced to undertake menial labour. Shortly after, Jihyun was moved once again to a provincial correction camp, in her familiar hometown. She commented, “I remember passing by the building but never had been aware that it was a camp. It was not too far from my house. It was in an area where I grew up, went to school and lived with my family for more than 20 years, but I could not even see them”. Here she was forced to work from 4.30am to 11pm, carrying out extreme manual labour. If the prisoners did not wake up, the guards would take their shoes, making them work barefoot on ground full of stones and pieces of sharp glass. “We were the shovels. I could not even think about my son. I only thought of survival.” After being cut by glass, Jihyun’s legs became swollen, and she could no longer walk. As the infection spread, she was told that she had a 50% chance of survival if her leg was amputated. Soon after, she was released with her uncle’s signature, who told her he would never see her again. Jihyun miraculously received medical care from a herbal doctor who eased the spread of the gangrene, and she sought refuge in a vagabond orphanage shelter. In 2008, Jihyun finally reached England after a decade-long struggle to escape. When I asked what could be done to raise awareness, Jihyun said, “The pain that we experienced will probably never be erased in one lifetime. However, the reason why I still share my story and speak about North Korean human rights is captured in a German proverb, ‘in stories, the pain is no longer painful.’ By sharing my painful experience, the listeners give me their sympathy. However, there are still people who are experiencing more pain than what I went through.” Her emphasis on the importance of sharing these stories in order to raise awareness of the extent of the atrocities taking place in the DPRK has shed light on what form the conversation regarding North Korea should take. Rather than focusing on rumours revolving around the Kims, or succumbing to portrayals of the North Korean people as a singular, unlucky population with no minds of their own, we should remember the individual testimonies of people like Jihyun, who are actively urging us to think more carefully about the real experiences faced by real people that we have become increasingly desensitised to. Image credit: Lola Patel & Mario Micklisch.

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

9 CARTOON

Wes Beckett On... You’ll all be home for Christmas?

SATIRE

A LETTER TO THE NEOPHYTES DYLAN BARKER HANDS CHERWELL A REMARK ABLY PRESCIENT LETTER, FOUND IN MARCH, TUCKED BET WEEN T WO ROOF SL ATES, AS HE WAS STRIPPING THE LEAD FROM SOME DREAMING SPIRE

ear uninitiated, “New students will be matriculated in absentia” – my tears flow for you, freshers. What worth is a degree without the accompanying theatre; and you’ll be missing the most curious of Oxford’s mysteries. For those of you who don’t know what corona has halted, here’s a potted history of matriculation, from a guidebook I found flapping against a lamppost: Matriculation (a corruption of “Matron’s lactations”, a common public-school ambrosia) marks the students’ final break with reality. Held in the Sheldonian Theatre, the ritual was invented by Wadhamites to prove Debord right. Central to the ritual is an address in what is often mistaken for Latin, but is actually rhyming slang, spoken at high-speed by an unlicensed cockney. Finally, the students strip and self-flagellate, an act symbolising their rejection of social conscience, before drinking the blood of those who did not make it through ‘interviews’. Sadly, for some, it’s familial tradition you’re missing. The 2020 slot in your family archives

will remain empty, void of an- aspiration reared its bow through to tunnel home. other phalanx of identikit faces, the mist. If you were considering this opshrunken heads atop black robes. No, not queuing. Perhaps tion for matriculation, congratuI can’t imagine what its like to something more British then? lations, you are missing out on stand there, waiting for the stee- Like attempting to legitimise the most. We, shoulders chipped plechase to begin, first to the class divides by donning a silly like the Venus de Milo (though City via Westminster wins. hat? we hide it skilfully, only unleashYou deserve it, the chance to be Little do the state-schooled ing it on crap letters no one will part of the same dance-as-old- know, but the ‘Latin’ is an incan- read) applied for one reason: the as-time as your forebears who tation, summoning the ghosts of sexual thrill of trespass. scaled this greasy pole before Orwell’s bicycling maids, to scare The joys of voyeurism and exyou, no helping hands to offer the homeless away. hibitionism are offered: on a bar better diction and algorithAll a bit rich, you might be morning I can choose between mic nudges. It’s ok, stay calm, thinking, from someone who watching Bullingdon Club memyou won’t tear-stain this bers stumble home, stinking of letter, I’ve had it laminatsemen and farmyards, or climb “MATRICULATION ( A ed. Anyways, I’m only here a plinth in the Ashmolean, and thanks to some hidden CORRUPTION OF “MATRON’S declare myself Britain’s last quota for normals. Here to example of social mobility. LACTATIONS” ) MARKS THE make Oxford look good. But the chance for roleplay is STUDENTS’ FINAL BREAK Maybe some of you gone. WITH REALITY” are internationals, disThe day would’ve been your appointed you won’t last shot at belonging, before have participated in something must have matriculated. Quite, you wonder how you got here? uniquely British, which you but I subverted tradition by at- The ability to bullshit served would have, one supposes… tending in a binbag bralette with you well, got you somewhere you Queuing? For something ul- duct tape G-string, and swapped thought someone might have timately disappointing, but self-flagellation for self-loath- something insightful to say, but which provides others with joy; a ing. Beware though, there is a its more bullshit, able to make Wednesday home loss or a don- price: becoming a professional a commitment to social justice key ride in the Skeggy rain. parody northerner, praised for compatible with smiling at ToTry to smile, they said to the snide comments about people’s ries. child, piss-wet through. Well, choice of championship side, and Because it’s black and white. the child thought, at least I don’t occasionally hurtling yourself at And you start wondering how fucking ski, as the great ship of some quad’s paving, attempting you got here? A carousel of

rooms, a thousand gloss-paper Ewan McGregors staring at you, judgingly. Stumbling round Bridge. Mutual giggles while queuing for Hassan’s, as women explain to you the intricacies of London’s zoning system. Remember the bullshit cos it takes you to the brink of being a prick but saves you. Remember the bullshit, cos it takes them to the brink of being a prick, but saves them. Because it’s grey. Again, my deepest and most heartfelt emotions are with you, these times were hard enough without learning you were forever to be neophytes, never truly joining the ranks of us oh-sobetters. No anecdotes of mortarboarded naughtiness for your Goldman Sachs circle-jerk years from now. Much love,

A. T. Watt NB: Mr Barker disagrees with all this. He has never met an Etonian, a woman, nor a donkey, and being wokest of woke, never stereotypes anyone based on their social background, not even himself.

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

COMMENT

IT’S 2020 AND BISEXUAL WOMEN ARE STILL FIGHTING TO BE SEEN ELLIE REDPATH DISCUSSES HER EXPERIENCES WITH L ABELLING HER SEXUALIT Y

hat does it mean to normal for straight women to be a bisexual woman? want to kiss or sleep with other According to most women, and only learn later on mainstream media, it that this is called attraction. means cheating on your partner As a bi woman, it took me quite and being indecisive or promisa long time to reach a point of tocuous; spend enough time on tal confidence in my sexuality. I TikTok during quarantine, like was at an all-girls school between I did, and you might think it’s the ages of 11 and 18, and so for cuffing your jeans, having a while I was cona bob haircut, and vinced that I not knowing how to a lesbian “Even once they have was sit still on chairs. because I come out, bi people And then there’s simply hathe other classic dn’t enoften feel like they conaccusation, that countered stantly have to prove we’re confused. a man that themselves right.” Strangely I think I liked for that might be the years. Aged closest to the truth we’ve 14 I made the ergot so far – lots of us are confuror of coming out as queer sed. But not for the reasons you over Instagram on a whim, and might think. school became very miserable for During my time at universithe next two years. After coming ty, most of the LGBTQ+ people out at an all-girls school, you feel I’ve met here have been bisexual predatory for even so much as – there are a lot of us around. looking at another woman, like In fact, it’s been estimated that everyone is watching you to debisexual, pansexual, and polysetect any evidence that you might xual people comprise 40% of the – gasp! – fancy them. Sometimes I entire LGBTQ+ community. It’s did fancy straight girls who wouironic, then, that despite being a ld have been disgusted if they’d majority we are so often invisibknown, and when I saw them, I le. Bi women are often perceived started deliberately looking the as only being truly romantically other way, a tragicomic attempt interested in men, faking their to avoid any kind of suspicion sexuality for attention, or as (my falling upon me. But there were personal least favourite descripstill the invasive comments, the tion) ‘spicy straight’. Bi men, barely whispered comments in on the other hand, are assumed the changing rooms. to be gay but in denial, or not Then after watching Colin Firto exist at all. In a particularly th in the BBC adaptation of Pricontroversial tweet, American de and Prejudice I had to admit I psychologist John Michael Baiwas at least somewhat attracted ley claimed to have proved the to men. A year or so later I met existence of male bisexuality just my sixth form boyfriend and took a few months ago, as if the men the opportunity to distance myalready identifying as bisexual self from queerness almost comwere not proof enough. Genepletely. There was a running joke rally, bisexuality is viewed with amongst my year that I’d “left my a veneer of scepticism, by people lesbianism in Year Eleven” and both outside and even sometimes was now straight, and I didn’t inside the queer community. mind it at all. I was more than It’s often difficult for queer happy to leave all that behind if it women to discover and come to meant people would think of me terms with their sexuality. From as normal. I only started feeling a scarily early age, society inscomfortable in my bisexuality in tils the idea in women that their my second year of university, and purpose is to marry a man and I don’t think this experience is at raise children with him. Unlearall unique. We often view coming ning this can take decades, so out as a one-time thing, and theit’s extremely common for lesre’s a pressure to get your idenbians to experience ‘compulsory tity ‘right’ first time. When your heterosexuality’, the belief that sexuality seems so fluid and unthey are attracted to men when clear, it’s difficult to be confident they do not tangibly experience enough to publicly pin it down. that attraction. But growing up It’s also hard to settle on ‘bias a bisexual woman is often pusexual’ as a label when there are zzling because you are attracted very few positive bisexual chato men. You might have known racters in media in whom we can throughout your childhood that see ourselves reflected. At the you liked other girls, heard your time of writing, I literally cannot Year Seven classmates calling think of any bisexual male chayou a lesbian behind your back, racters in films or TV shows I’ve and then watched Titanic aged 12 watched apart from Captain Jack and fancied Jack as well as Rose, in Doctor Who; when it comes to and breathed a deep sigh of relief bi women, representation is a libecause you’re ‘normal’ after all. ttle better, but writers appear reOr, conversely, you might know luctant to actually use the word that you like men, but think it’s ‘bisexual’. Back in 2013, Orange

is the New Black was considered ground-breaking television for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and relationships and its

whom we can relate to, and even harder to find characters who are bisexual people of colour, bisexual and disabled, bisexual and

asking if they’d like a threesome. Bi women are often expected to engage in performative acts of sapphism for male sexual plea-

diverse cast, but despite Piper Chapman having relationships with both men and women, the show waited six whole seasons before anyone used the word ‘bisexual’ to describe her. Similarly, Annalise Keating of How To Get Away With Murder is never defined as bisexual, despite her past romantic relationship with Eve and her complicated relationship with Bonnie. Even in Fleabag, Fleabag unsuccessfully tries to go home with another woman mid-way through the sec o n d season, e v e n t h o u gh in the rest of the series she has never previously expressed attraction to women, and she never does again. These women’s same-sex attraction is treated as a fun, quirky addition to the storyline, rather than a very real part of their identity, likely so that shows continue to be marketable to cisgender heterosexual audiences. It’s hard to find any bi women characters in media who publicly own that label, and

transgender – how can it be easy to know what you are when you can’t see yourself anywhere? Even once they’ve come out, bi people often feel like they constantly have to prove themselves right. When coming out to friends and family, we’re often subject to questioning over how many people we’ve dated, and of which genders, as if we’re supposed to have dated a certain equal number of men, women, and non-binary people before we c a n become an official, card-carrying bisexual. And then once we do find a partner, our bisexuality is often treated as irrelevant because we’ve ‘chosen a side’. We become even more invisible. Where we are most visible, it’s often in the wrong ways. To many, ‘bisexual’ is not a sexuality but a porn category. It’s why so many bi women, to their frustration, are bombarded with messages from couples on dating apps

sure – their same-sex attraction is viewed through the third party of the male gaze, something to be exploited by men rather than true desire that exists regardless of who else is in the room. Even more upsettingly, this could partially explain why bisexual women are far more likely to be subject to sexual assault than their heterosexual peers and even other groups within the LGBTQ+ community. According to the research of Dr. Nicole Johnson, who has carried out several studies on domestic violence, 75% of bi women have been sexually assaulted - bi women of colour and bi trans women are the most at risk. 23rd September was Bi Visibility Day, and there’s a reason why the name focuses on visibility rather than pride or celebration. It’s frustrating to be so frequently disbelieved, subject to homophobia or biphobia from much of society and then deemed ‘too straight’ for some LGBTQ+ spaces, and it’s exhausting to have to work so hard even to be acknowledged. Bi Visibility Day was first celebrated 21 years ago; the first bi activists started their work in the early 1970s, and that work still isn’t over. Perhaps the fight to be accepted hasn’t even begun if we have not yet ended the fight to be seen. Artwork by Rachel Jung.

“Bi women are often perceived as being truly romantically interested in men, faking their sexuality for attention.”

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

11 SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT

THE STATE-SCHOOLER EXPERIENCE

CHERWELL TALKS TO SOPHIE PARKE, PRESIDENT OF THE OXFORD 93% CLUB, A NATIONWIDE STUDENT SOCIET Y AIMED AT HELPING STATE-EDUCATED STUDENTS BRIDGE THE CULTUR AL GAP AT UNIVERSIT Y

n 2020, the University of Oxschool students – miraculously – of Glasgow, until I began to reford admitted a record-high were relatively untouched. After alise that they weren’t asking me number of state-educated media backlash and protests, the where I was from and were instead students. Statistics were problem was eventually rectified assessing wealth, status and updated, articles were written by giving students their preconnections. Now, most privately about Oxford’s commitment to dicted grades. Despite the grade educated students at Oxford are access, and things were finally changes, the ordeal highlighted lovely people who aren’t conlooking up for those looking to the uncomfortable truth that cerned with your background or break into an institution notoriall of us are far too aware of – if education. But it’s hard not to ous for elitism. Two thirds of the private schools didn’t give you an develop a chip on your shoulder University’s population are now advantage, why would you pay when you remember the embarstate-educated – a win that feels for them? rassment you felt when someone a little hollow with the knowledge This is why we need The 93% in a velvet suit, with a disgusted that a staggering 93% of the UK Club, a student-run society dedicurl of their lip, tells you that population went to state school. cated to improving the experiyou’re using the wrong cutlery Decades of underrepresentation ence of state-educated students at a formal dinner. Someone within tertiary education can be at university. The club was first else at the table next to you is seen reflected in society today, as set up in 2016 by state-schooled talking about caviar, to a jubilant the state educated make up only student Sophie Pender, who chorus of ‘Rahhh!’. And you’re 33% of judges, 49% of journalists, felt estranged from the ultraleft sitting there thinking - how 39% of doctors and 8 out the fuck am I somewhere of 26 cabinet members where everyone has an in the UK*. on caviar? “THE AVERAGE STATE SCHOOLER opinion Education has long There is a legitimate IS NOT GUARANTEED AN been hailed as ‘the confidence that develops AUTOMATIC NETWORK AND IS great equaliser’. I beat private school that carlieve this to be true in ries through to Oxford. LEFT TO NAVIGATE THE ALIEN theory, which is why it’s OXFORD WORLD ON THEIR OWN” Students who have come imperfect application from elite private schools to reality is so frustrattransition seamlessly ing. Never have the inequalities privileged culture that she found into the high-falutin Oxford within education in the UK been herself surrounded by at Bristol lifestyle, intimate with wining, felt quite so keenly as in the year University. Sophie’s story resodining, schmoozing, boozing, 2020. In a remote Trinity term nated with students across the networking, white tie, black tie where students were forced to country, and now, at time of writand ball gowns... Some of them digitally stream lectures and ing, there are twenty 93% Clubs will even go on to receive invites communicate virtually with working in different universities into secret private-school-only professors due to the COVID-19 across the UK. As to the place of drinking societies, where they pandemic, the disparities beThe 93% Club at Oxford, one only can socialise among an exclusive tween each individual student’s needs to look at the experience elite. Even the average private learning conditions widened of applying to Oxbridge from a schooler from a more ordinary from a gap to a gulf. Normally, state school. Many schools like background tends to arrive at all students were receiving the my own don’t offer the Oxbridge Oxford with a comfortable netsame time and quality of teachadmissions tests. This meant work of people that they know ing from the same professors; that the hopeful applicants from from school. The average state once they are removed from the our school (there were six of us schooler is not guaranteed an university amenities that they that year - the biggest cohort automatic network and is left to were paying £9000 for, and made they’d ever had) had to troop navigate the alien Oxford world to learn from home, students down to the local private school, on their own. This is what the can find themselves in vastly to sit the test amongst the blaz93% Club is for – we’re formdifferent studying environments. ered shoulders of our private ing our own network so that we The lucky ones – who have fast school peers, who had been doing can decode the world around us internet speed, a quiet place to practice tests with their teachers together. study, a big desk, a well-stocked all week. The imposter syndrome As well as social imposter home library, disposable income has set in before you’ve even arsyndrome, a state schooler is to buy the obscure reading list, rived. Once accepted into Oxford, likely to face academic imposter university-educated parents and the feeling intensifies as you syndrome whilst at Oxford. Many free time to study instead of work prepare for your second Oxbridge courses at Oxford, particularly – will surely come out better than entrance exam, this one posed the humanities, are still actively their peers. catered towards A virtual Trinity accentua student ated the problems that many who has come low-income students face every through the Oxford vacation. This isn’t the private school only educational inequality system. For that’s been magnified this year; example, it is 2020 was also witness to the an institutional huge exam results fiasco. High expectation school students were unable to for humanities take their exams, and instead students to argiven results allegedly based on rive with some the exam performance of their knowledge in school in previous years. Already by fellow students in Freshers Latin and French, and to have flawed to begin with, the system week: “What school did you go sound Biblical and classical cracked entirely when straight-A to?” I remember feeling very literacy. State students who have students from the most deprived surprised that Londoners would come from schools that don’t schools in the country received be intimately familiar with the have art libraries or specialist C grades and Fails, while private inner-city state comprehensives books or museums, or schools

“OUR OFFER LETTERS MAY LOOK THE SAME, BUT WE HAVE NOT ARRIVED AT OXFORD ON AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD”

that simply didn’t offer Latin or Classics, cannot hope to pick up textual subtleties with ease in the way that tutors have become accustomed to expect. This is before we even get into the advantages that tiny class sizes, individualized learning approaches and specialist teachers can give you... our offer letters may look the same, but we have not arrived at Oxford on an equal playing field. It’s not a coincidence that state school students always struggle in their first term compared to their private school peers. In my first hellish Michaelmas at Oxford, a peer who I did French with once asked me why it mattered that they went to private school. It mattered because they were taught French in a Francophone boarding school. It mattered because I was taught French by a weary Irishman, who as head of the languages department, was more often than not forced to run out of class to discipline kids trying to tip the vending machines over, or who were taking pingers in the school alleyways. He was a brilliant teacher who wanted us to do well – but the school was underfunded and understaffed, like so many other state schools up and down the country. Underfunding and understaffing issues at state schools can also mean that academic students who are guaranteed a solid pass in their exams are often overlooked by their school in order to prioritise struggling students. Although a good allocation of school resources, B-grade students are not pushed into getting As, students are not taught to expand beyond the set curriculum, and learning disabilities often go undiagnosed. The 93% Club of course, in its essence, cannot fix a deeply segregated system of prejudice and bias, or decades of educational inequalities. But it can provide a space to reach out to other students who operate the same limbo as you. One foot in Oxford, one foot back home, not quite belonging in either. This is why this network is so important. COVID-19 permitting, maybe we’ll all go for drinks together soon to swap stories. Or maybe, we’ll do it state-school style, and drink some cans in the park. In the academic year 2020-2021, as well as providing a network, The 93% Club Oxford will be providing soft-skill workshops, panel discussions and application workshops for state-educated students, to help them learn skills and make contacts that they may not have picked up at school.

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

FEATURES

POWER OF THE PEOPLE: TOPPLING EUROPE’S LAST DICTATORSHIP CAL HOPKINS

ow might a society, in the face of an uncompromising authority and lapdog police force, successfully overthrow a dictator with more than two decades of experience in keeping power? This is the crux of the matter for the people of Belarus, who are currently taking part in the largest protests seen since modern Belarus’ inception. Fuelled by successive illegitimate elections, widespread political repression, and a waning economy, the Belarusian protests are aiming to force the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko into resignation. However, these political and economic transgressions are not ‘recent’, but hallmarks of Lukashenko’s twenty-six-year rule. And he has survived - admittedly smaller - protests following previous fraudulent elections. To measure the potential the protests have for success, it is first necessary to determine how Lukashenko’s self-styled authoritarianism has survived thus far, and what has changed since Belarus’ last protests that may strengthen the

movement against him. before working his way through and political bases, and both Modern day Belarus was formed various peripheral positions in acquires consent and employs from the Belorussian Soviet the Communist Party to become, coercion to arrive at his politSocialist Republic of the USSR in ironically, the interim chairman ical aims. What distinguishes December 1991, during the, perof the anti-corruption committee Lukashenko from his ex-Soviet haps hastily named, ‘third wave of the Belarusian parliament in contemporaries is, as argued by of democratization.’ While the 1990. After a high profile anpolitical scientist Matthew Frear, Balkan region underwent a rapid ti-corruption campaign lasting his “pragmatism, expediency, and transformation to democratic, several years, he was elected opportunism” in modifying and ‘western’, capitalism, much of president in what is considered applying each of these measures. Central Asian and Eastern The success of this European slowly grew form of governance into non-democratic Currently, the people of is best elucidated regimes. This was due, by comparing in part, to the formation Belarus are locked in a war of Belarus to other of the Eastern Bloc itself. so-called dictatorPeripheral regions like attrition with their President ships in the former the Balkans tended to Soviet Union. have greater degrees of Belarus was not autonomy and much more unique in develdevolved economies. Regions the last free and fair election held oping into this type of hybrid close to the ‘centre’ of the USSR, in Belarus. Lukashenko’s five sucauthoritarian system - much of such as Belarus, tended to be cessive re-elections since 2001 Central Asia and Eastern Europe heavily controlled by, and deeply have been lambasted by Western also transitioned into pseudo-deintegrated with, the Communist governments and supranational mocracies. These ‘democracies’ Party and what is now the Russian organisations for being unfair, had parliaments and elected economy. This legacy of commuuncompetitive, and unfree. (...) presidents, but also totalitarian nism at the time was expected to At first glance, Lukashenko’s leaders unwilling to step down be a pan-Eurasian conversion to authoritarianism is like any other from power. The unpopularity of conventional Western democracy. found in the space left by the these regimes is well documentAs most Soviet career-men did, Soviet Union. He exercises direct ed, culminating in the so-called Lukashenko began his public sercontrol over elections, uses state ‘Colour Revolutions’ across vice as a member of the Red Army, resources to secure loyal public Eurasia from 2000 to 2005. The

“

Bulldozer Revolution in Serbia, 2000; the Rose Revolution in Georgia, 2003; the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, 2004; and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan, 2005, were all precipitated by fraudulent elections run by their cripplingly corrupt regimes. (...) One of the auxiliary reasons for the successes of the Colour Revolutions was the vulnerability of the regimes themselves. Structural issues, such as pervasive corruption and weak economic growth, combined with the spark that was fraudulent elections, gave publics a significant enough grievance to spontaneously mass protest in favour of regime change. Why Lukashenko remained while the other ex-Soviets leaders around him dropped like flies is a result of his close control of both his regime’s image and the Belarusian economy. (...) Indeed, while the entire political arena has been corrupted, it is, compared to neighbours, relatively un-corrupt, ranking lower than both Ukraine and Russia in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

Furthermore, lack of a credible or by increasing economic sanctions regime. The 2020 election itself alone fail to resolve deeper prob- should be to remove Lukashenko, united opposition (until the most imposed by the US and the EU, has been disputed or not been lems of corruption, clientelism, and that directing public anger recent protests) has allowed the further reducing its trade options. recognised by much of Europe and underdeveloped political parties, elsewhere allows him an avenue obviously fraudulent elections to Finally, the ongoing Covid-19 the West. Lukashenko, however, and opaque decision making. to retain power. Indeed, much of come and go with little criticism crisis has further pressured the remains in power. ‘Electoral revolutions’ in Europe the opposition can only offer the - small protests in 2010 were economy. In a bid to maintain That Lukashenko has not been have not been overly successful - public short term, radical manifollowed up by the absence of economic growth, Lukashenko ousted yet is likely a festos, in part due to the protests entirely in 2015. claimed the virus would kill no testament to his relaparty-less political system The relative - if artificial - sta- one in Belarus, and avoided any tionship with Putin, created by Lukashenko. bility and legitimacy of Lukashen- kind of lockdown or restriction on who recently confirmed A waiting game, balanced Unfortunately, this means ko’s regime has historically posed movement. The resulting tens of Russia could send a once the uniting grieva problem for those desiring a thousands of cases, and over 800 police force into Belarus between an incensed public ance of “Lukashenko” is rotation of power in Belarus: there deaths, illustrates a huge failure if necessary. However, removed, voting divisions was no strong combination of lon- in his economic policymaking. Putin will likely use and an unrelenting president and patterns would likely ger term structural and immediate The protesters have also Lukashenko’s precarious reappear in Belarus. term grievances to encourage the benefited from a change in the position to pressure However, intriguing as wider general public to protest. political atmosphere in Belarus. him into further integrating the Serbia and Ukraine achieved just they are, hypotheticals only offer This echoes the ‘collective action In searching for an alternative to Belarusian economy into Russia’s. a small level of democratisation, us a glimpse of what the future problem’, which suggests that as Lukashenko, Belarus developed a The gamble for Lukashenko is Georgia and Kyrgyzstan did not, may hold for Belarus. For now, the individual cost of protesting relatively credible opposition in whether Putin will continue to and all of these countries remain it is a waiting game, balanced falls, more people will protest. the form of Sviatlana Tsikhanous- lend him personal support after deeply corrupt, with weak politi- between an incensed public and People tend to act collectively kaya, a human rights activist and this integration happens; it is cal parties and a lack of impetus an unrelenting president and and spontaneously in response to politician. Although running as not unreasonable to assume that to continue to democratize. Again, police force. The collective explowhat are perceived as universal an independent, Tsikhanouskaya Putin might prefer a less provoc- while it is not necessarily the sion of a suppressed Belarusian grievances, which minimizes the garnered support from across the ative neighbour. Domestically, case that Western democracy is identity is a daring testament risk for the individual protester Belarusian political spectrum - in- Lukashenko continues to enjoy the gold standard to aspire to, it to the power of the people, and and maximizes the pressure cluding the Christian Democrats, a loyal security force, which is is difficult to make a case for a serves as a reminder that even the levered onto the regime to step the Social Democrats, the Wom- responsible for the mass arrests, political system in limbo between most entrenched dictators can be down from power. Previously en’s party, and other presidential abuses, and even reported torture democracy and authoritarianism, made vulnerable. While the path in Belarus, this collective action hopefuls barred from running in of protestors, designed to discour- with almost non-existent public to stability, should Lukashenko problem has proved a hard limit the most recent election. The age further collective action. support. fall from power, is certainly not on the effectiveness of any an- immediate rallies in support of Currently, the people of Belarus The current ‘credible opposi- without challenges, it is for many ti-regime protests. are locked in a war of attrition’ spearheaded by Tsikhanous- Belarusians the only path worth What, then, tion with their President. kaya in-exile is already beginning taking. What remains to be seen might convince The collective explosion of a Should the protesters to show divisions. While some is whether the collective efforts Belarusians that and political opposition proponents of the opposition of the Belarusian people alone this time, Lusuppressed Belarusian identity develop and widen their are arguing for a reversion of will be enough to topple ‘the last kashenko is on his political net, there is a pos- the Belarusian constitution to dictator in Europe’. way out of power? sibility that Lukashenko’s reintroduce Presidential term Since the last security apparatus will be limits, others including TsikhaArtwork by Justin Lim major protests in Tsikhanouskaya and opposing overrun, or will switch sides in nouskaya stress that the primary Full article available online 2010, much of what was keeping Lukashenko following the confir- order to survive a transition of aim of the protests Lukashenko secure has changed, mation of Lukashenko’s fraudu- power. However, the removal of and, globally, there has been con- lent victory were the largest in the Lukashenko would only solve part siderable development in effective history of modern Belarus, with of a larger structural problem anti-authoritarian protest. The crowds in the tens of thousands that plagues the countries of success of the Hong Kong protests in Brest and Minsk. Thus, due to the Colour Revolutions. in sustaining an internationally the faltering foundations of LuThe primary issue is that recognised movement against the kashenko’s claim to power, com- free and fair elections in Chinese government for months is bined with a renewed electoral and of themthe result of their ‘guerrilla’ style scam, the people of Belarus have of protest - appearing, disappear- finally overcome the ‘collective selves do not ing, occupying, and retreating, to action problem’, and have taken automatically proavoid the massive police presence. to their streets en masse. Indeed, duce democracy, Closer to Belarus, the Velvet Revo- according to Belarusian journalist in that elections lution in Armenia in 2018 proved Franak Viacorka, “the idea was to how mass public protests could create a critical mass of people simply overwhelm unpopular filling out the streets … to political systems. Both have had demonstrate the new majorconsiderable influence on the ity.” style of protest currently being With all this history in carried out in Belarus. mind, it is worth asking, “What Furthermore, the stable Belar- happens next?”. Swathes of Beusian economy that Lukashenko larusians are currently on strike, has relied on for legitimacy is and large cross sections of society finally showing its flaws. The have lent their support to the Belarusian-Russian partnership movement - including farmers has become increasingly strained and factory workers, tradias of late, due to Lukashenko re- tionally thought to make sisting Putin’s desires for further up the backbone of Luintegration. This has threatened kashenko’s support base. the considerable amount of trade The Belarusian economy is for which Belarus relies on Russia. expected to contract by 4-6% The successive fraudulent elec- this year, providing longer tions since 2001 have been met term grievances to pin to the

“

Tuesday, 6th October 2020 | Cherwell

SPORT

Ruby Potts

ust two-games down, and this season promises to be the most competitive and thrilling yet. With quality signings across the board, the dominance of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man City is under threat from Casey Stoney’s Man United and Willie Kirk’s Everton. This guide to the 2020/21 season will provide all the information for the 10th Season of the FA Women’s Super League, analysing transfers, predicting outcomes, and assessing the disparity in talent between “the best and the rest.” The Arrival of The World Cup Winners COVID-19 has suspended play in the US Women’s League indefinitely, and in turn, its superstars have crossed the Atlantic in their chase for game time. Five World cup winners have transferred to English clubs in what can only be described as an absolute coup for the FA Women’s Super League. The arrival of Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Cristen Press, Rose Lavelle, and Sam Mewis bring new excitement and legitimacy to the League. For example, Alex Morgan, the Striker, has netted over 100 goals for her country. At the same time, Alex Morgan, the brand boasts over 9 million Instagram followers and the coveted title of Time’s top-paid American Women’s Soccer Play, due to her range of endorsement deals. While her contract with Tottenham reportedly runs out in December, for a club that has only recently been promoted to the top flight of English Football, Morgan’s celebrity and talent is invaluable. In an interview with her new club, Morgan claimed that “consistent games and consistent training” and the fact that Spurs is such a huge club already “on her radar” encouraged her to transfer. The Return of Bronze The Return of the Lucy Bronze to Man City is another mammoth win for FA Women’s Super League. Described by Phil Neville as “the best player in the world,” Bronze returns home after three years at Olympique Lyonnaise. Winning 9 trophies in 3 seasons, she is the perfect addition to Gareth Taylor’s side. Man-City will no doubt return with a vengeance after last year’s season was cut short and decided on a points-per-game ratio. City, who had been top of the table, finished second, missing out on the title by 0.1 points per game to Chelsea. Bronze will no doubt narrow this futile gap as 2020 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year.

The Return of the FA Women’s Super League Liverpool, or the 3-3 draw between West Brom and Chelsea. Unfortunately, this kind of excitement is lost in the Women’s game. This is not for the lack of improvement at the lower half of the table but instead the quality and depth of the squads at the top. Chelsea’s 9 goal thriller against Bristol showcased 9 different goal-scorers for the Blues, all having played for their respective national teams. Smaller and recently promoted clubs cannot compete with line-ups familiar with the highest level on both a national and international stage. As a result, it is fair to expect such games to continue to add to the goal tally, especially as big transfers begin to settle and make an impact at their new clubs.

will make her keen to get in on the goalscoring action. Their recent 1-1 draw against reigning League champions Chelsea is further evidence of what to expect from the Reds this season. Finally, with an extra-team spot up for grabs in European Qualification, I genuinely believe Man United, though outsiders, are in with a good shot of a top-three finish.

already unstoppable squad. With depth in all areas and floods of international experience, City, as the hub of Lionness domestic talent should win the title and break their threeyear cycle as runners-up. The relegation battle is equally challenging to call with very little separating the sides at the lower end. It seems to be a fight for survival between Aston Villa, Birmingham, and Bristol City. My own bias refuses to acOutright Winners and Losers cept the Claret and Blues have come up to go Assuming this season runs smoothly, straight down. Villa’s transfers support this the fight for the title is an incredibly excitview, with the headlining arrival of Portugal ing battle and challenging to call. While international Diana Silva, just one example Arsenal are currently top of the table, with a of their 28-year-old manager Gemma Davies’ sample size of just two fixtures, I would not ambition. The best way to separate Birmingrecommend placing your money on the Gunham and Bristol is to look at the improveners just yet. Although, Joe Montemurro’s ments on last year’s squad, as both teams side should narrowly surcomfor tably vived relegaachieve a top“THE FIGHT FOR THE TITLE IS tion. Bristol three finish, has attempted especially with AN INCREDIBLY EXCITING the most their absence strengthen ing from EuroBATTLE” , with the repean Football. turn of Aimee Chelsea will Palmer and be looking to defend their title and already contract extension of Faye Bryson. Moreover, enjoy the bookies’ support as the outright fathe signing of Laura Rafferty from Brighton vourites. The return to fitness of Fran Kirby bolsters Oxtoby’s defensive options, as does only strengthens their chance, as does the the signing of Norwegian keeper Benedicte signing of Harder. However, my prediction Haaland. Birmingham have signed a crop of for outright champions goes to Man City. young promising defensive players. However, New Boss Gareth Taylor will be keen to prove I am doubtful these signing will be enough to himself with a victorious opening campaign. stay up. With little strengthening at the top Last season City had the best defensive end of the field, Carla Ward’s girls may strugrecord in the League, conceding only 9 gle to score, only finding the net 5 times last goals. The addition of midfielder Samantha season, making Birmingham the most likely Mewis and Rose Lavellehas strengthened an to lose the relegation battle.

Goals, Goals, Goals! In the first two rounds of fixtures, fans of the WSL have been treated to an absolute goal-fest, with 50 being netted so far. As a spectator, high scoring games are by far the most entertaining. Yet, they also reflect the vast disparity in talent across the League: Arsenal beating West Ham 9-1, Man Utd smashing 5 past Birmingham City, and Chelsea annihilating Bristol City 9-0. There is a real thrill to watching a near-triumphant underdog slay goliath as we have seen so far in the Premier League: such as promoted Leeds narrowly losing 4-3 to title-defenders

The rise of the Red Devils Having only gained promotion to the WSL Manchester United last year, the team did well to finish in 4th, though there was little doubt that Casey Stoney’s side would underwhelm in their first Premier League Campaign. As an objective Aston Villa fan, Man United excite me a great deal. Stoney is, of course, a footballing legend, captaining both England and Team GB. She has a wealth of managerial experience as Chelsea Ladies player-manager and following her retirement in 2018, joining Phil Neville’s backroom team. Her managerial record of over 70% wins is enviable at such a young club. The summer signings of Tobin Heath, Cristen Press and Alessia Russo emphasise Stoney’s intention of really challenging for European Football. Heath and Press have already proven themselves a formidable attacking duo for the USWNT, while fast-paced Russo’ hunger as a talented young striker

>£250k

70%

Goals scored in the opening 12 fixtures of the WSL

Chelsea’s record signing of Pernille Harder

Casey Stoney’s managerial win record at MUWFC

Age of Villa’s Gemma Davies, youngest ever WSL manager

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

THROWING IN THE TOWEL: HOW THE PANDEMIC IS AFFECTING ACCESS TO SPORT Nina Holguin

ike many others, my last three weeks have been taken up by road cycling’s most prestigious race: the Tour de France. This year, there was a risk of the race being cut short for some or all of its athletes: luckily, the athletes’ Covid-19 tests repeatedly came back negative. Nevertheless, it was an exciting race, particularly by the end. Peter Sagan was, for once, fighting to keep in contention for the Green Jersey and the White Jersey was just another place for the General Classification riders to grab another colour. With young riders like Tadej Pogačar, Egan Bernal and even Richard Carapaz, it does feel like a changing of the guard and new age for road racing- one potentially dominated by the yellow of Jumbo-Visma rather than Ineos. Pogačar’s win of three jerseys (Yellow, White and the Polka Dot) shows he’s a formidable talent for years to come, but Primož Roglič was in many ways more dominant throughout the Tour. However, what I would like to focus on is that they are compatriots, both hailing from Slovenia. It should be noted that Slovenia was the first country in Europe to announce that their epidemic was over.w These riders entirely deserved their wins, and you can track their progression during the last year, so I do not want to do them any discredit to say they won because of a pandemic. However, the effects the pandemic had on the cyclists’ training and preparations no doubt has affected the Tour and its outcome. Cycling on an indoors machine is not an equivalent for outdoors, and for countries that were in severe lockdowns like Italy and Spain, that is all they had. I believe Ineos was not, on the whole, up

to compete with Jumbo-Visma this year for many reasons that have nothing to do with Covid-19, most likely due to the unfortunate death of the team’s lead sport director Nicolas Portal in March this year. However, Slovenia’s dominance in the Yellow Jersey foreshadows how Covid-19 will be subtly impacting sport over the next few years. Covid-19 has affected and will continue to affect the results of competitions. As a competitive swimmer, I had a four-year plan set out by my coach, with every cycle of training and competition planned and

S P O R T S

OXFORD FANTASY FOOTBALL Cerys Baines

With no college football currently confirmed for the 20/21 season, Oxford University Association Football Club (OUAFC) took the initiative to launch a university-wide Fantasy Football league for all to join. The aim of this was to bring the extensive college football community together during such uncertain and unprecedented times. The League already has 65 participants who are battling it out for the ever-growing cash prize at the end of the season. Each ticket is £3, with 15% of all profits going to the eventual winner, and prizes for runner up and best team name. 15% of all profits will also go to OUAFC’s local charity partner KEEN, which provides one-to-one sports sessions for children and young adults with special

needs. They are financed entirely by fundraising, donations and grants, and have cancelled all in-person sessions until further notice in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are still providing much-needed support to families through weekly Zoom activities. At the end of Gameweek 2, it is Andrew Nisco with Nisco FC who sits at the top of the table, with a total of 163 points, but he should not feel too comfortable as there are many other teams hot on his heels. It’s still not too late to join the league – if you already have a team on the Fantasy Premier League app, your team and all your points will be entered into the OUAFC league. Tickets can be purchased and the code for joining the league on the Fantasy Premier League App is 5mm5uv.

organised. I can only sympathise with the professional coaches and athletes who have had to change their plans last minute to accommodate with their nation’s rules, which has been different for everyone. With the Olympics hopefully taking place next year, the legacy of Covid-19 in sports will be discussed, athletes benefiting, and, naturally, some being impacted negatively. We also need to discuss Covid-19 responses within a single country. Swimming is a sport you start young, and you have to train for swimming by swimming. Being in

the water affects your body and so much relies on technique, so while you can supplement your training outside of the pool, this cannot substitute time spent in the water. During lockdown, I watched videos on Instagram of swimmer after swimmer being given little backyard pools by their sponsors. However, if we consider Sheffield’s Ponds Forge situation, the pool that has been closed only until recent activism by the swimming community and home to one of the continually best programmes for young swimmers, we start to see an access issue. Swimming is an expensive sport and is already plagued with access problems and the issue of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, but we see here that up and coming swimmers are not supported. Those who have sponsors are surviving, but the next generation have been forgotten. The older generation of athletes may have chucked their sporting towel in due to lockdown as a final straw, but at least they had a career. I am worried about the ones who may now never get that opportunity. Unfortunately, I fear this is the legacy of Covid-19 in sport. The younger or up-andcoming athletes from any country will be disadvantaged greatly. People may need to give up their dreams to support their family due to increased financial burdens. Access has always been an issue in sports, but to limit the additional inequality created by Covid-19, support needs to be given to clubs and families. Sport is such a great opportunity to better yourself and to leave behind whatever life you could have led. I just hope that people recognise this at its grassroots, and that we don’t let the next generation of sporting stars slip through our fingertips.

S H O R T S

CHESS Daniel Sutton The Oxford University Chess Club has won the 2019-20 ‘Club of the Year’ award from the English Chess Federation (ECF). It is the first time that Oxford has won the award, capping off a year filled with success on and off the board. The ECF’s recognition also cited the initiatives the club has introduced this year. The club arranged simultaneous exhibitions with Grandmasters Hou Yifan and Keith Arkell, drawing players from all over Oxfordshire. Its social events frequently attracted large crowds - at one pub night, Andrew Rogozinski, accepted a challenge from a passer-by, played blindfolded, and won. The club started annual matches

with Imperial, LSE, and War wick, and set up new teaching partnerships with local schools. Its efforts have continued throughout lockdown. The club held a “Chess Week” of fun chess variants, organised with the Invariants, Oxford’s maths society. There are more opportunities than ever to play chess in Oxford. This year’s president, Aloysius Lip, commented, “The whole committee and I have put in a tremendous effort over the past twelve months, so it really is gratifying to be recognised by our national organisation.” Though the team lost their Varsity match earlier this year, it has been a historic year for chess at Oxford and, for now, the nation’s highest award for a chess club will have to do.

Cherwell | Tuesday, 6th October 2020

FROM THE ARCHIVE

One hundred years ago, two Balliol students had the idea for an Oxford newspaper during the long vacation of 1920. In the century since, Cherwell continues to thrive, remaining entirely independent. Each week, we look back to an article from our extensive archive. Curated by Joe Hyland Deeson

“BALLIOL’S BLONDE BOMBSHELL”: BORIS JOHNSON AT OXFORD Cherwell congratulates Boris on his first engagement during Hilary Term 1985 Vol. 181, No. 4, p.9

John Evelyn reports on contemporaries Michael Gove and Boris Johnson in Michaelmas 1985

John Evelyn wishes Boris good luck in the Union Elections of Michaelmas 1985. He was successful, at the second attempt. Vol. 183, No. 8, p.11