Cherwell - First Week, Trinity Term 2020 by Cherwell

Cherwell

Vol.291 No.1 | 1st Week | 1 May, 2020

Cherwell Independent since 1920 The Editorial Team Trinity Term TT20 EDITORS David Alexander and Tilly Walters editor@cherwell.org DEPUTY EDITORS Eve Bennett, Luke Dunne, Joe Hyland Deeson, Maya Misra, Felix O’Mahony, Lucy Tansley NEWS EDITORS Imogen Duke, Christina Kirk, Violeta Perea Rubio cherwellnews@gmail.com DEPUTY NEWS EDITORS Catherine Dema, Mark Robins NEWS REPORTERS Madison Carroll, Matthew Schaffel COMMENT EDITORS Helena Murphy, Eleanor Ruxton

DEPUTY CULTURE EDITOR Sofia Henderson FASHION EDITORS Emmaleigh Eaves, Raphael Zyss DEPUTY FASHION EDITOR Ashley Cluer

FILM EDITORS Danielle Rae Childs, Gemma Robson

MUSIC EDITORS Alec Holt, Calum Taylor DEPUTY MUSIC EDITOR Lily Tidman THE SOURCE EDITOR Mimi Pattinson LIFE EDITORS Sophia Cerullo, David Tritsch CULTURE EDITORS Kaira Mediratta, Trudy Ross culturecherwell@gmail.com

FOOD EDITORS Morayo Adesina, Savannah Hawley DEPUTY FOOD EDITOR Katie Schutte

STAGE EDITORS Abigail Howe, Akrivi Ventouras

DEPUTY FILM EDITOR Samuel Lapham

DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR Jonathan Tevendale

SPORT EDITORS Tom Lyne, Martin Yip

BOOKS EDITORS Jess Curry, Yii-Jen Deng

DEPUTY COMMENT EDITOR Jasper Evans FEATURES EDITORS Mika Erik Möser, Izzy Tod

PROFILES EDITORS Isabella Colletta, Lucas Jones cherwellprofile@gmail.com

DEPUTY LIFE EDITOR Alice Peat

Cherwell is published by Oxford Student Publications Ltd. CHAIRPERSON Christopher Sinnott MANAGING DIRECTOR Hung-Jen Wu COMPANY SECRETARY Annabel Bainbridge FINANCE DIRECTOR Maggie Wang LEGAL DIRECTOR Annie Fan For all advertising enquiries, contact OSPL at advertising@ospl.org, or visit www.ospl.org Printed in Great Britain

INVESTIGATIONS EDITORS Florine Lips, Flora Murray, Airuo Zhang VIDEO EDITORS Cara Cox, Rufus Fox VIDEO TEAM Thomas Barker, Rob Chamberlain, Edu Estevez, Tony Farag, Louis Rabinowitz, Sam Lewis, Ellie Wilkins CREATIVE TEAM Emily Reed (Head) Charlotte Bunney, Isobel Falk, Francesca German, Aaron Hammond Duncan, Justin Lim, Francesca Nava, Rubia Rose Southcott, Georgia Watkins, Phoebe White, Ellie Wilkins

C H E RW E L L CONTENTS NEWS

University staff furloughed

SU fight for renter protection

Libraries support students remotely

Oxford’s Vaccines

OPINION 12 14 FEATURES 16 CULTURE 19 20 FASHION 21 STAGE 22 FILM 23

Royals and the Tabloids Three Party Debate BP or not BP? Titian and the ethics of an erotic gaze Oxford’s Hidden Artworks Springtime Screentime Reviewing Inequality: The Price of Theatre Mastering the group watch with cheap horror flicks

MUSIC 24

The Art of the Perfect Playlist

BOOKS 25

A new Appreciation of Travel Writing

THE SOURCE 26 LIFE 28 30 SPORT 31 PROFILES 32 FOOD 34

Oxford in Memory ‘Superstition ain’t the way’ - Was Stevie Wonder right? Blind Date Football’s Statistical Revolution In Conversation with Dr. Xand The Kitchen as a Political Space

Friday, 1st May 2020

NEWS

Staff furloughed, top officials keep high salaries Mark Robins

he University has placed some staff on furlough in response to the financial impact of COVID-19, but senior officials in the University will not currently be taking a pay cut. As Cherwell reported in February 2017, seven senior officials at the University earned more than £300,000 per year. In an email to staff seen by the BBC, the Vice-Chancellor said that employees unable to work will be placed on the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This applies to workers with caring responsibilities and those who work in university facilities that have been closed, such as libraries and museums. Although staff will receive a full salary, 80% will be paid by the Government. The University said it “has committed to paying all furloughed employees 100% of their salary during any period of furlough.” However, Oxford has faced criticism for not making cuts to the pay of senior figures. Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson will continue to receive her full salary, unlike counterparts at other universities. The President of Imperial College and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol have taken a 20% pay cut, while London Metropolitan’s Vice-Chancellor has donated 10% of her salary to the University’s hardship fund. Liverpool University and the London School of Economics are also considering cutting vice-chancellor pay. “It is not clear whether an institution of the size and strength of Oxford does need to furlough staff, especially while protecting the salaries of its highest-paid,” said Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union. Richardson earns a total salary of £367,000, making her one of the highest-paid vice-

-chancellors in the country. Oxford has no current plans to cut senior pay. A spokesperson said: “The changes announced last week are the only financial mitigation measures currently being implemented by the University. As the period of the current lockdown and its financial consequences become clearer, we should be better positioned to judge whether these mitigating actions are sufficient or further actions need to be taken. Staff will be the first to be informed if further actions are necessary.” Amongst other measures, departments will no longer be able to recruit staff. Any recruitment processes underway must be paused immediately. The recruitment freeze does not apply to colleges and Permanent Private Halls, or to research posts that are fully funded by external grants. Current staff members may also be redeployed under a new staffing protocol introduced last week. The University’s website states that this measure “allows for greater movement between roles, fills capacity where there are constraints, and offers more opportunities to employees whose contracts are ending.” The University will also reconsider building plans, with costs “reviewed in light of the new financial reality.” According to the BBC, Richardson commented in an email to all staff that these plans “will be disappointing for some and will require the postponement of long-held plans.” Despite these measures, the Vice-Chancellor said that they “may not suffice to address the scale of the challenge we face.” The University’s website said it “continues to scope the size of our financial risks and the extent of income loss from these impacts,” and that the new staffing protocols are necessary “to ensure we sustain academic excellence and mitigate any longer-term risks.”

May Morning moves online Florine Lips

This year’s May Morning celebrations will be held online, to be live-streamed on Facebook as well as broadcast in part by the BBC. The virtual celebrations will begin with a pre-recorded performance of the Hymnus Eucharistus by Magdalen Choir, followed by Morris dancing from Oxfordshire troupes, and a history of May Day from actor Tim Healey.

Balliol construction gets underway Amelia Wood

Progress is well underway in the construction of Balliol College’s new student accommodation, situated between St Cross Road and Jowett Walk. The project gained national attention when the completed block C1 was used first as an isolation unit for students experiencing coronavirus symptoms and now as free accommodation for researchers working on the development of a vaccination for COVID-19.

OED expands to reflect impact of coronavirus Lucy Tansley

The Oxford English Dictionary has been updated to include ‘COVID-19’ and other words seeing an increase in usage since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. ‘Social distancing’, ‘self-isolation’ and ‘to flatten the curve’ are among the words to be added.

Oxford mindfulness centre offers free sessions Christina Kirk

In an effort to improve mental health and well-being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, The University of Oxford Mindfulness Centre is offering free online sessions. The sessions are delivered via Zoom every Wednesday. Visit cherwell.org for the full stories. CHERWELL

Friday, 1st May 2020

NEWS

Oxford SU fights for renter protections amid student rent strikes Felix O’Mahony

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

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

Number of students

Oxford University Housing

University or college maintained

Private rental

Data from Oxford City Council CHERWELL

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 most of their demands. However, most private halls have still not agreed to any of the demands. A spokesperson for Sanctuary Students, which operates a number of halls of residence across London, told Cherwell: “We continue to house a significant number of national and international students in our properties in various locations and for many of these, our accommodation is their primary home. All our sites remain open and without our accommodation these students may become homeless.”

Friday, 1st May 2020

NEWS

Oxford’s ‘JoyMeter’ captures impact of lockdown on energy consumption David Tritsch

n April 22nd, internationally recognised as World Earth Day, a team of researchers from the University of Oxford released a survey app dedicated to gathering data on UK households’ energy usage during the COVID-19 crisis. The ‘JoyMeter’ app, developed by the University’s Environmental Change Institute, asks participants to record 25 activities over the course of one day. To encourage participation, one participant will receive a year’s free electricity, to a maximum of £1000. The app is available for iOS and Android devices. The research project, backed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has been designed to gather information on household energy consumption. However, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, it now aims to capture the impact of social distancing by comparing new data to records of the past three years. Dr Philipp Grunewald, Deputy Director of Energy Research at the Environmental

Change institute explained the urgency of the research project, pointing out that “we have bimbled towards a climate catastrophe for decades”. He emphasised that the idea of large-scale societal change having to take a substantial amount of time has been proven “entirely wrong” by the COVID-19 crisis. Grunewald asks: “Can we learn from the response to COVID-19 for our response to climate change? Both exhibit a runaway effect, not acting now means much tougher action later. Both rely on a recognition of the common good - my own (‘insignificant’) actions will affect many others (significantly!). And both could make us focus on what really matters.” He emphasises that “the current lockdown is a unique opportunity to learn how we cope with change.” “Flexibility can become a crucial asset when increasingly relying on renewables and storage. Our current mass experiment can re-

veal which activities change and if a new normal can be established after the lockdown. “While those oil tankers are aimlessly drifting around the oceans with their unwanted cargo on board, many societies have shown what change they are capable of - especially with far-sighted political leadership. That should give us great hope.” Dr Grunewald told Cherwell. Nathan Lawson, President of the Oxford Climate Society and producer of the Climate Breakdown Podcast, told Cherwell: “JoyMeter provides a brilliant opportunity for consumers to keep track of their consumption habits and importantly reveals how they change during the lockdown.”

Oxford Libraries support students remotely Catherine Dema

ibraries throughout Oxford have been working to provide students with resources necessary for tutorials, but there is variation among colleges. Although the Bodleian Libraries have suspended physical services, they are continuing to extend their digital resources. Liam Challenger, press and communications manager of the Bodleian Libraries said: “Students can take advantage of a wide range of online resources that can be accessed offsite. Readers can also get specialist support and advice through our Live Chat and enquiries s e r-

vice including requesting more resources” In the last month, the Bodleian Libraries have spent over £50,000 in new e-resources, significantly more than their regular expenditure. They have added nearly 70,000 new digital resources and now have close to 1.5 million e-books and more than 118,000 e-journals available to all students via SOLO. The Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO) project provides reading lists for a selection of courses across all divisions. These allows students to view and access scanned book chapters where available. Library staff are working to expand ORLO for Trinity Term. The Bodleian also launched Browzine, a new tool intended to make searching e-journals easier. College libraries are attempting to provide additional support for their students, however this varies across colleges. College libraries have established websites to present their current operating procedures. Christ Church librarian Steven Archer explained the benefits of college libraries at this time: “We are able to provide resources during this time that University-level libraries cannot due to their complete closure and we hope are playing an important role in helping our finalists through their exams, and all other students with at least the basic resources they need.” Students who cannot access a required resource are encouraged to reach CHERWELL

out to their college librarians who are endeavoring to assist students and respond to enquiries. Some colleges, including Hertford and Christ Church, have been in direct contact with tutors to acquire reading lists for Trinity Term.Lady Margaret Hall updated their LibGuide and have launched one-on-one library advisor hours via Skype. Students may request required resources from either the Bodleian Libraries or from college libraries. The Bodleian Libraries are not currently offering to post resources to students, but some colleges such as Christ Church, Hertford, Mansfield, St Hilda’s, New, and St Catherine’s, among others, are providing this service. Many other colleges, including LMH, University, and Regent’s Park, are not currently publicizing any intentions to post resources to students. The majority of extended services, including scan-and-deliver and physical delivery services, were halted or limited after the national lockdown went into effect. Some colleges are offering limited scanning services in accordance with copyright laws. Tutors may provide physical copies of resources to be scanned and processed. Colleges report generally positive feedback to efforts and reinforce their dedication to continuing to provide resources to students. LMH librarian James Fishwick stated: “The way the College Librarians have all been helping each other out ... has been wonderful.”

Friday, 1st May 2020

NEWS

Global study will analyse the effects of social distancing Madison Carroll

s the Covid-19 pandemic is creating new universal norms, a new global study aims to analyze what psychological effects social distancing is having on citizens around the world. The study is being led by Dr Bahar Tuncgenc, a professor at the University of Nottingham School of Psychology. The study consists of a group of researchers from all over the world including the University of Oxford. The study is meant to be open to participants of all situations. In response to a Cherwell request for comment, Dr Tuncgenc spoke of how the study is open to everybody. “We do not focus on any group in particular – anyone can take part in our study! We’re looking for hundreds of people from each one of our target countries including the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, Italy, Iran, India and more ... The readers can see the full range of available languages on our website. As with all research tackling big

questions, this one is a truly collaborative effort between five universities led by the University of Nottingham,” Dr Tuncgenc said. When an individual opens the survey link, it shows that the study is available in 12 languages. The stated goal of the study is to conduct research on the “behavioural changes affecting our daily lives in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.” The survey will track respondents’ feelings and experiences of social distancing over a three-month period. The aim of the study is to better understand what makes people adhere to social distancing practices and how these practices affect the mood of participants. Dr Tuncgenc spoke about how understanding the effects of a lack of social relationships was a reason for initiating this study. “The pandemic required people to change their daily life in drastic ways,” Dr Tuncgenc said. “As a very social species, we humans are drawn into close relationships, especially when things go awry. Unders-

tanding what motivates people to make such drastic lifestyle changes and how it affects their social lives was the main reason why I initiated this study.” “Human beings are an incredibly social species,” said Dr Martha Newson, who is a researcher on the study and from the University of Oxford School of Anthropology. “The effects of isolation could lead to severe, lasting effects on wellbeing and mental health.” Dr Tuncgenc expects that the effects of social distancing will have a generally negative effect on the well-being of participants. However, the study aims to see if things such as social support or closeness of a participant to their country will help alleviate these negative effects. “We have several hypotheses about this extremely complex situation,” Dr Tuncgenc said. “One of our key expectations is that behaviour change will occur as a result of what others in our close relationships do. Moreover, we’re expecting that although distancing will affect people’s well-being negatively, social support and closeness with one’s country may act as buffers to alleviate these negative effects. These questions have direct relevance to policymakers for deciding how to implement such measures as ‘social distancing’ and for assessing its impact on people’s health.”

Oxford set to be one of the cities worst affected by coronavirus pandemic Imogen Duke

onsumer spending data shows that Oxford is one of the worst hit areas by the fallout of coronavirus and stay at home measures. As a university town and a tourist centre, a significant decrease in footfall is reflected in decreased spending on non-grocery goods. Data analysis by Tortoise shows that overall consumer spending fell by around twothirds in the first week of April, compared to the same week last year. This was almost 50% higher than the national average decline. The decline continued at a similar level in the second and third weeks of April. While grocery spending in Oxford increased slightly in the first week of April, non-grocery sales fell by 77%. This is compared to an average drop in non-grocery sales of around 45%. On the impact on Oxford, Tortoise reported that “out of 80 larger local economies it is ranked first for its fall in spending.” Towns similarly reliant on tourism and education such as Brighton, York, and Bath have also seen the biggest losses.

Data from Tortoise However, a recent report by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce said that jobs in Oxford are the least at risk. Nineteen percent of jobs in Oxford are projected to be at risk, which is the lowest proportion of all local authorities. This still totals 22,234 jobs at risk. The RSA calculated this through analysing furloughing data from the Office of National Statistics published last week. The report attributes Oxford’s relative stability to the high proportion of jobs in the knowledge economy - especially in education. CHERWELL

Jericho, a staple student coffee shop, has been offering mail order coffee beans, for retail and wholesale: they have seen a 100% increase in online sales. James and Lizzie from Jericho told Cherwell: “We are massively missing our regular customers and can not wait to be serving coffee in our shops again. The thing about drinking coffee out is that it is such a happy social experience.” Tourist attractions such as the Ashmolean Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum have also pivoted online to maintain interest and education. The Ashmolean Museum’s ‘Young Rembrandt’ exhibition can be explored online and features in a BBC documentary, and the Pitt Rivers Museum’s collection can be explored online. Hassan’s Street Kitchen, which relies heavily on students, has been temporarily put out of business. They told Cherwell: “It’s important to remain enthusiastic during these unprecedented times and practice safety at all times. Right now we’re just hoping to be back in business soon and using the current situation to spend more time with family. Hopefully we will be back soon to serve the people of Oxford!” Published in partnership with Tortoise.

Friday, 1st May

NEWS

Oxford backs Covid-19 tracking study

Human trials begin for Oxford Covid-19 vaccine

Trudy Ross

Violeta Perea Rubio

ince beginning work on a vaccine against the novel coronavirus in early January, Prof. Sarah Gilbert’s team have begun clinical trials on humans this week. They plan to finish clinical trials and begin manufacturing by autumn. As the first patients, Dr. Elisa Granato and Edward O’Neill were vaccinated with Oxford’s ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Results from the animal trials on rhesus macaque monkeys – the animals most similar to humans – were revealed to have been successful by the Na-

tional Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory. This follows as Prof. Sarah Gilbert and her team announced they were “80% confident” the vaccine would be effective and therefore likely to head into mass manufacturing as early as September, contrasting the early consensus among experts that the vaccine could take between 12 to 18 months to develop. Sarah Gilbert’s co-researcher, Prof. Adrian Hill emphasised that “the aim is to have at least a million doses by around about September”, though he raised concerns about difficulties in the mass production of the vaccine, accounting for the over 3 million cases recorded worldwide so far. He stated: “manufacturing is one of the biggest challenges if this vaccine works.” This week, The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, partnered with Oxford to start production of the vaccine before the completion of clinical trials. Adrian Hill stated: “We have started at [sic] risk manufacturing of this vaccine not just on a smallish scale … but with a network of manufacturers.” The Oxford research team have raised concerns about difficulties the clinical trials will face due to the lockdown, as it limits the conditions the immunity is tested in. If the trials in the UK are successful, the team have suggested partnering with the Kenya Medical Research Institute to begin trials in Kenya. Professor Gilbert told The Lancet: “the WHO is in the process of creating a forum for everyone who is developing COVID-19 vaccines to come together and present their plans and initial findings. “It is essential that we all measure immunological responses to the various vaccines in the same way, to ensure comparability and generalisability of our collective findings.” “Work is continuing at a very fast pace, and I am in no doubt that we will see an unprecedented spirit of collaboration and cooperation, convened by WHO, as we move towards a shared global goal of COVID-19 prevention through vaccination.” CHERWELL

he University has announced that it will support a new government study to track coronavirus in the general population. The study aims to improve understanding about the current rate of infection and how many people are likely to have developed immunity. Twenty thousand households in England will be contacted to take part in the first wave of the major study, with hopes it will reach up to 300,000 people in the next year. Participants will form a representative sample of the entire UK population by age and geography. Participants will self-administer nose and throat swabs and answer a few questions from a health worker, which will reveal whether they have been infected with the virus. Some will also provide blood samples which can be examined to determine what proportion of the population have developed antibodies to COVID-19. Initial findings are expected to be available in early May. The study is led by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS), drawing on the scientific expertise of the University. It is also backed by the data science company IQVIA UK and the National Biosample Centre in Milton Keynes. Professor Sarah Walker of the University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine will be the Chief Investigator for the study. Walker said: “This is one of the largest and most important studies underway into the COVID-19 virus and will transform our understanding of the infection. The University of Oxford is delighted to be the study sponsor. “In this study we want to work out how many people of different ages across the UK have Covid-19 now and how many have had Covid-19 in the past. We do this by testing for the virus in the nose and throat of people and by measuring levels of antibody in the blood.” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Understanding more about the rate of COVID-19 infection in the general population, and the longer-term prevalence of antibodies, is a vital part of our ongoing response to this virus. “This survey will help to track the current extent of transmission and infection in the UK, while also answering crucial questions about immunity as we continue to build up our understanding of this new virus. “Together, these results will help us better understand the spread of the virus to date, predict the future trajectory and inform future action we take.”

Friday, 1st May 2020

NEWS

Big White Wall to give students 24/7 mental health support Florine Lips

xford University has signed up to Big White Wall, an online community offering 24/7 mental health support for issues such as exam stress, depression, and anxiety. The services provided by this platform include online courses overseen by health professionals, creative tools for expression, and one-on-one therapy with experienced counsellors. Big White Wall is an online platform aimed at supporting its members to actively manage their mental health care, under the guidance of caregivers, fellow users and clinicians. The platform’s content is moderated at all hours by professionally trained Wall Guides and will be used by the University to complement its counselling service. The University described the move as “timely”, given the global health pandemic and its implications for mental wellbeing, while also presenting the decision as part of their ongoing commitment towards mental health support for students. In October of last year, the University’s new Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Strategy was announced, which planned to build on the £2.7 million spent on welfare services in 2018-19 and “embed wellbeing into all aspects of students’ university life, from learning and life skills to communi-

ty, inclusion and support.” The decision to sign up to Big White Wall comes as the latest demonstration of this commitment. So far, the service is being offered in 95 other higher education institutions across the UK and is used by over 20,000 members each month. Gillian Hamnett, Director of Student Welfare and Support, said: “Supporting our students’ wellbeing and mental health is a key priority for the University, and we recognise that the pandemic is a particularly worrying time. “By expanding our existing provision with Big White Wall we hope to provide opportunities for all of our students to seek help 24/7 from wherever they are in the world. The move to remote learning is challenging for the whole community and we want our students to feel as connected and supported as possible.” Henry Jones, CEO of Big White Wall, said: “To welcome a world-renowned university such as Oxford is a milestone in our student offering. In such isolating times, I am confident that offering a 24-hour community with a large student population will support students through the next few turbulent months and throughout the rest of their university life.” Big White Wall can be accessed via the official website, where students can use their Oxford email to register as part of the ‘I’m from a university or college’ page.

Oxford City Council starts work on Energy Superhub Christina Kirk

s part of their zero carbon initiative, Oxford City Council has taken its first steps in creating the world’s first Energy Superhub, known as Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO). This Superhub includes the replacement of council-owned automobiles with electric vehicles (EV), a ‘Try before you buy’ scheme for Hackney Carriage drivers in Oxford, the installation of a new, efficient electric charging network, and reductive carbon emission solutions for home heating. The Oxford City Council is undertaking work on ESO in collaboration with Pivot Power, a battery storage company specialising in providing the electrical capacity for large-scale EV charging infrastructure. This collaboration with Pivot Power also includes Habitat Energy, Invinity Energy Systems, Kensa Contracting, and the University of Oxford. Oxford City Council has effectively coordinated its ‘Try before you buy’ sche-

me with Electric Blue’s Hackney Taxi Trade in hopes that it will accelerate the switch to zero emission capable vehicles. The City Council has pledged to waive select fees for the first drivers to make the switch. Pivot Power is installing a charging network at Blackberry Lane, South Oxford. The network will connect to rapid public charging facilities at Redbridge Park & Ride with National Grid’s high voltage transmission network. Dr David Howey is leading Oxford University’s Department of Engineering Science’s involvement in the project. He said: “Our focus within the project ... is on understanding how batteries perform in real world applications like this, so we’re hoping to be able to compare data from the project against our models once the batteries go live.” Councillor Tom Hayes, a cabinet member for the Zero Carbon Oxford initiative said: “Our approach as a council is always one of healing our planet and healing our future, and only in ways which are rooted in justice and fairness.” CHERWELL

Access scheme launched to pair prospective applicants with Oxford students Joe Stonor

ast week two Oxford students announced the launch of Oxbuddy, a new platform that aims to encourage sixth-formers from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply to Oxford by pairing them with current students. The founders of the scheme are Rochelle Moss and Olly Boyland, two PPE first year undergraduates, who have worked over the vac to launch a website, reach out to state schools around the country, and encourage Oxford students to participate. More than 200 people have signed up so far, and the pair have received further offers of additional help and ideas from interested students. The initiative hopes to offer potential applicants a window directly into Oxford life, dispelling myths that might put disadvantaged students off applying. Buddies will also offer help on the arduous and sometimes confusing application process, offering advice that disadvantaged state schools might not have the resources to give. As well as matching applicants to students based upon subject, the founders of the scheme also hope to base matches upon background. Speaking to Cherwell, Boyland explained: “Unfortunately, many students from deprived backgrounds have little support from their school and don’t know anyone who’s been through the admissions process before so have no one to turn to with any concerns.” The launching of the scheme comes after another year of admissions in which the percentage of Oxford students who come from state schools is dwarfed by the percentage of state school students across the population as a whole. Boyland acknowledges that “we don’t think Oxbuddy will fix all of Oxford’s access problems”, but the founders “hope it’ll make a difference”. The Oxbuddy scheme seeks to overcome potential barriers as “speaking to a person studying at Oxford will hopefully make it seem like a normal university, not the elite and scary place that it’s often perceived as being.” Boyland hopes that the scheme will also carry benefits for the Oxford students who choose to take part, as “helping someone get into Oxford who would never usually have any support with applying to university will be an incredibly rewarding experience.” Volunteers are not expected to give professional advice. For more information about the scheme and information on how to get involved, students can go to the Oxbuddy Facebook page.

EDITORIAL

David Alexander Editor-In-Chief

e’re a magazine now, have you noticed? If you haven’t, it scarcely matters. Cherwell, after all, is much the same as ever. To prepare for Cherwell editorship (despite being seven weeks into it), I’ve been reading Robert Walmsley’s lively and comprehensive history of the paper. I thoroughly recommend it to any major Cherwell fans (I know you’re out there, guys). What’s striking is the degree of continuity that has shaped us, from 1920 to the present day. The slightly moany effort required to start up the paper in the first place is pleasantly reassuring. When discussing the fact that there was no undergraduate-owned weekly journal in Oxford, “one of them [the first editors] said Oxford didn’t want one. The other said it would be worth trying.” I don’t think the energy

utside Jeff Bezos’s D.C. house is a mural on the street, reading ‘Protect Amazon Workers’. For background: this week, France’s Versailles Court of Appeal ordered Amazon to shut down all non-essential shipments, and close warehouses. The court upheld a decision that Amazon was endangering the health of workers through unsafe conditions – workers will stay home until 5 May. The consequences for breaking the ruling were dire, with fines of €1 million a day, or €100,000 per delivery for potential breaches. Amazon threw a fit, claimed the rules were too vague, and suspended all production, not just that of non-essential shipments. It also targeted French unions for their initial legal action, blaming them for affecting consumers and sellers. Amazon’s statement on the ruling said that they “remained puzzled by the decision”, and focused on the effect this could have on small and mid-sized businesses that sold through Amazon warehouses. Only a brief mention, though, of their workers. “Just because you’re Amazon, it does not mean you don’t have to make an effort”, Libération wrote. The legal action was originally taken by the workers union group Solidaires Unitaires Démocratiques, who said Amazon had “failed to recognise its obligations regarding the security and health of its workers”.

New beginnings, and old traditions

levels in the office have changed much since. Their explanation for Cherwell being the chosen title is strangely moving in its simplicity: “For us the Cherwell personifies all that is most truly Oxford – it is all our own, the Undergraduate’s river, that is why we take its name for our Undergraduate paper.” I often look out of the office window and towards Boathouse Island with similarly whimsical feelings (holding my nose so I don’t breathe in the smell of the office’s mould and dim the romance). But what occurred to me most was the essential timelessness of the vision for Cherwell set out by Richard Christian Cecil James Binney and George Adolphus Edinge, the first Editors. For example, there’s its plucky commitment to defending Oxford from those “spending money so freely as to disturb our little community”. A similar cynicism towards brashness from the wealthy and powerful defines the paper today. We also still stand for holding our university to account, aiming to do this better than our national equivalents. (“We don’t want London papers to admonish

o r i a l

It’s not just France. Naturally, Amazon, a company with a weak grasp on working conditions at the best of times, has also seen criticism globally, with many workers accusing the company of lacking proper equipment, sanitiser or distancing measures for its employees. Amazon workers in America will strike today, and have called on customers for a ‘May Day’ boycott of the company and Wholefoods, which it owns. More widely, it feels like this pandemic, and social distancing rules that have resulted, have slowed down grassroots action. Rallies that invariably occur on an almost weekly basis in Parliament Square are not taking place. Protest movements have long been grounded in physical action, and adaptation is proving difficult. Extinction Rebellion saw criticism last week for graffiti on a building owned by BP, even as they claimed they had carefully followed guidelines. Success is not impossible, however. These strikes, and a turn to legal action in some cases, prove that a power shift is possible. French unions are notoriously strong and backed by strict labour laws, which have aided their action. Without their workers, companies like Amazon are nothing – if they’re not respecting distancing measures, and are actively putting workers at risk, governmental action and guidelines must support the individuals who are frontline and CHERWELL

us or our Dons”, the first edition proclaims – are you listening, Daily Mail?). The early paper was fiercely committed to feminism, moreover - “Why is it that no woman undergraduate figures in the long list of correspondents?”, the second paper demanded to know of its own letters page. We like to think that, a century later, we’re still dedicated to the equality and representation of all. Most impressive of all was something I found from a bit later on in the paper’s history. When, in the 1930s, the Oxford Magazine predicted that Cherwell was on its last legs, and would either be taken over by the Conservative Association or else disappear altogether, the Editors shot back with: “THE CHERWELL is not a Tory rag; we beg to present fairly the opinions of all parties who care to write, to present a selection of such literary talent as will contribute to us, and preserve the function of the paper in presenting university news of interest.” A better potted manifesto I couldn’t imagine. Whatever format we take, now or in the future, Cherwell hopes to stand by it.

Tilly Walters Editor-In-Chief essential. The words painted on the road below Bezos’s home are a reminder of the choices made by senior figures in the company: actively turning a blind eye to basic workers’ rights. This isn’t just relevant on a global scale. As we were ending term, so too were ending the UCU strikes, four weeks of action surrounding university pension policy. Our news stories this week show it’s an unstable time for workers. All eligible staff in the University have now been furloughed, yet senior staff, notably the Vice-Chancellor, continue to receive their full, University-funded salaries. This is despite VCs throughout the country taking cuts to pay, or partially contributing their salary to hardship funds. The Oxford Living Wage Campaign has campaigned for their three main demands: ‘Tell Us, Pay Us, Protect Us’, pressuring the University to communicate with staff, safeguard pay and provide job security and physical safety. Oxford may be empty, but now, more than ever, the University must protect its workers.

LEADER

Dear Boris: it’s not just ‘love’ that keeps the NHS running

Eve Bennett Deputy Editor

esterday, every single letter posted across the UK was stamped with a special postmark to celebrate the 100th birthday of Captain Tom Moore, a war veteran whose decision to walk 100 lengths of his back garden in Bedfordshire has so far raised £31m for the National Health Service. He bypassed his initial target of £1000 in less than a day, and has received enough birthday cards and gifts from well-wishers to fill every inch of his local school hall. It’s safe to say that Tom has captured the hearts of the nation, and rightly so - in a time so filled with doom and gloom, his actions have inspired a collective outpouring of support for our frontline workers and with it a welcome sense of solidarity amongst a usually-fractured British public. Whilst I am most heartened by the goodwill and generosity displayed by the population at a time where our health service needs it most, I cannot help but feel increasingly disconcerted by the discourse surrounding the NHS during this crisis. “Give what you can”, “a worthy cause”, “fundraising campaign”… what comes to mind when you hear these phrases? I’ll bet it’s the word ‘charity’. Such language can be found not only on our Facebook feeds

and JustGiving pages, but in the mouths of our politicians, too. Upon emerging from his stay in hospital, the Prime Minister spoke of the NHS as being “powered by love”, whilst Dominic Raab thanked those “going the extra mile” to help protect it in a speech earlier this month. But here’s the thing that we all seem to be forgetting: the NHS is not a charity, and it shouldn’t have to rely on donations to survive. Our health service was, until 1948, funded in this way, depending in large part upon the generosity of the public to keep running. The NHS was founded by the government as they believed that universal health care was a right, not a privilege, and hence should become the responsibility of the state. Fast forward seventy-two years and by all appearances, nothing has changed in that respect. Turn on BBC News to see Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak joining in with the public’s applause for the NHS at 8pm every Thursday, watch the daily press briefing to see Matt Hancock championing the health staff on the front line as the pillars of our society, read the adverts on social media urging Brits to stay home to ‘protect the NHS’. And yet beneath this illusion lies a very different, very sobering reality. The so-called ‘crown jewel’ in Britain’s welfare state has gone a decade without being polished. The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the devastating effects of Tory austerity on our health service, which has been crippled by years of underfunding and cutbacks. Private companies have been offered almost £15bn in contracts with the NHS in the last five years, and the Royal College of Nursing recently revealed a shortage of over 40,000 nurses in England, nurses that were denied a pay rise in 2017 (amidst cheers, might I add) by the very same Conservative MPs you see praising their work so vehemently at the moment. There’s a glaring hypocrisy in Boris’ pleas to protect our health service after his party has spent ten years doing exactly the opposite. What is more, this systematic neglect of the NHS has woefully undermined its ability to tackle

what may be the biggest health crisis of our lifetimes. The government’s refusal to heed various warnings and stockpile PPE in advance, its delaying of pandemic planning to prioritise preparations for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit and its frantic scramble to procure tests for its frontline workers - all blatant failures in their own right - are merely extra fuel added onto the fire that has been ravaging our most vital public service since David Cameron entered Downing Street in 2010. As a result of the government’s handling of this crisis, over 100 NHS workers and 20,000 members of the public have so far lost their lives to coronavirus. This figure, however, is sadly dwarfed by the 130,000 preventable deaths that the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) estimates have been caused by public-spending cuts to the welfare state since 2012. The British public’s love for the NHS is, fundamentally, apolitical, stemming primarily from our human compassion and innate capacity for empathy. Whilst this is a testament to the character of our nation, a great deal of danger lies in the fact that this love can be exploited by those in power to mask their own shortcomings. By appealing to our good nature, playing into the misconception that universal health care should be funded by charitable giving and aligning themselves to the narrative of solidarity with their empty words, the government is attempting to erase the part their track-record on the NHS has to play in exacerbating the impact of this pandemic on the UK. The sole purpose of a charity is to provide services that the state cannot. Whilst the vast amounts of money raised by the British people for NHS charities will indeed make a difference, it cannot legally be spent on the ‘essential’ services which, after years of being stretched to breaking-point by cutbacks, are in need of it most. I hope our government will learn a lesson from Captain Tom Moore, who in walking up and down his back garden has shown more respect for our health service than they have in their decade in power.

e d r a e

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OPINION ROYALS AND THE TABLOIDS: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN OR HELL? Maddy Ross

here has long been a turbulent relationship between the Royal Family and the tabloids. In the past week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that they would be suspending any engagement with four outlets: The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Mirror and the Express. This comes after months of disputes; in October of last year, Prince Harry published a letter in which he slated the outlets for ignoring “the human cost of this relentless propaganda” in their treatment of his wife. The Duchess of Sussex is herself currently suing the Mail on Sunday for their publication of a handwritten letter to her father. Generally, the Royal Family has a well-established relationship with the media. They provide a certain amount of content – photos of the Cambridge children on their birthdays, for example – in return for respect for their privacy at other times. If an outlet breaks the rules, such as by publishing photos not taken at a public event, then their access to formal events and arranged photo-opportunities is rescinded. This seems a happy medium; the tabloids have royal coverage, which is incredibly popular, and the royals can maintain an acceptable level of privacy whilst acting as public servants. When these rules are stretched, as with the coverage of Meghan Markle, which some critics have described as racist, the royals have recourse to respond. They can either ban outlets, or release a public statement, as Prince Harry did. They also have the same legal recourse as any member of the public; in 2017, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awarded damages by a French court after it was found that their privacy had been invaded. In the same case, the British tabloids refused to print the images of the topless Du-

chess and honoured the negotiated agreement that they have with the Royal Family. Although the tabloids deserve much of the criticism that they receive, the agreement between the Royal Family and the press is a lasting one. Typically, the Royal Family has chosen its battles with the press. After all, criticism of the tabloids is only one step away from criticism of the people who read the tabloids, many of whom are ardent roya-

“CRITICISM OF THE TABLOIDS IS ONLY ONE STEP AWAY FROM CRITICISM OF THE PEOPLE WHO READ THE TABLOIDS.” lists who fuel the demand for coverage. The family depend on the publicity to promote the causes that they support, and in return, they publish family photos and allow coverage of major life events. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex refused media access to their son’s christening, for example, they angered the press who had expected access in accordance with the traditional agreement. Now

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that Harry and Meghan have left ‘the Firm’, renouncing their titles and no longer receiving money from the Sovereign Grant, their income is more dependent on the coverage that they receive. Aggravating the tabloids and criticising the readership that creates demand for royal coverage is likely to result in more negative publicity, which could cause a problem for the couple who are seeking to monetise their ‘Sussex’ brand. Public image, without the protection of the wider Royal Family, has become more important to the Sussexes as their income becomes more dependent on it. As Harry and Meghan are no longer formally royals, some outlets are likely to decide that the agreement no longer stands and seek to profit on easier access to royal coverage. Perhaps the couple’s actions in the past week are pre-emptive – they are trying to redraw the privacy line before the press do it for them. There is little goodwill between the couple and many outlets; their failure to fulfil their half of the royal agreement was provoking, and the tabloids treated the couple harshly. But as their income is no longer guaranteed by the British taxpayer, to aggravate the press seems naïve. And yet, the couple might be remarkably astute. It seems unlikely that they are going to agree to let the outlets publish pictures of Archie when they can just put them up on their own website, boosting their own profile without the need for a middleman. Social media and the Internet have given the couple a platform to satisfy the public’s desire for royal content without the tabloids. The formerly royal couple might be able to monetise without having to have any kind of relationship with the tabloid press. So what’s next? Will the tabloids leave the young, loved-up couple and their toddler alone? Will the newly non-royal couple let up their criticism of the tabloids? Will everything settle into an agreement similar to that of the Firm? These are questions that are unlikely to be answered until the role of the Sussex family becomes clearer. But until then, it is likely that this relationship is going to be as tumultuous as ever.

OPINION SHORTS: RETURNS TO POLITICS

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND HEALTH Alana Brown looks at US wealth inequality

n the days of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the US has become the new foreground of transmission. 475,000 Americans were infected, with 18,000 fatalities at the time of this writing. But for a ‘non-discriminating’ virus, it is clear that wealth matters. During the pandemic, wealth inequality within the US has been painfully clear: here we see a widening divide between the middle class and lower classes, compared to upper class Americans. The majority of those who are directly affected by the pandemic belong to lower-wage and front-line service professions. Hence, it is worth investigating both how wealth inequality has evolved in the US and what levers can change it. US income and wealth inequality has grown significantly in the last few decades. According to think-tanks, the share of total income received by middle class households has fallen by 21% since 1971; the share of total income received by upper-income households has increased by 19% during the same period. It should be mentioned that middle and lower-income families are more dependent on home equity for their source of wealth. In addition, the responsibility of businesses has shifted to one that is more shareholder oriented. In the 1970s, the ‘shareholder commitment’ objective became increasingly popular. The result was the share buy-back frenzy: corporations could now reduce the number of shares in the market by buying them directly. What was once illegal became a common practice which benefits shareholders. Today, the widely accepted understan-

ding of corporate purpose is focused on a narrow subset of US society. It is worth evaluating the current thinking around what is ‘acceptable’ business behaviour. But lasting change also requires deep knowledge of the system’s current status quo: who the key players are, their relative powers, and the levers needed to address each. This is where social laboratories have come in. As wealth inequality has grown, social labs such as the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics have grown in number. Such think-tanks offer the promise that by drawing together teams from different sectors of society, they can address complex levers of change. Another tactic cited by academics and experts is to create more business accountability by creating a link between business behaviour and public knowledge about how businesses behave. The theory is that businesses will self-regulate when public knowledge about business behaviour is made available and widely published. Such policies seek to create accountability in a system where there is very little. In understanding something so complex as US wealth inequality, context matters. It is important to take into account the US’s history and deep-rooted beliefs in a free, capitalist system. Changing societal perceptions, business behaviour, and laws will leave a lasting impact on the social landscape of the country. To address them, Americans must reckon with their deepest convictions. With a pandemic waging war on the country, rebuilding from within may not be far off.

Back on the Milibandwagon by Joey Gompels

A warm welcome back to Ed Miliband on Labour’s front bench. In a political world where Twitter means so much, it is great to have the Miliband back together. Since stepping down as Labour leader, Ed Miliband has created a podcast, become a Twitter sensation, and pledged to lead a green revolution. And yet, the only photo that the Telegraph can find is…the dreaded bacon sarnie picture. That was taken in 2014, feel old yet?

Boris is Back!

by Amelia Wood

It has been three weeks since Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital. One ICU stay and over 15,000 UK coronavirus deaths later, the PM is due to return to the job which no-one envies. His government has suffered backlash as lockdown fatigue, damning news reports, and tragic death counts take their toll. With the ‘curve flattening,’ he must navigate us back to some semblance of normality post-coronavirus. The awful truth of this crisis is that when normal life does resume, as it must, people will die because of it.

A Bromance Returns by George Beglan

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Yes We Can. Do these words still apply to the Biden campaign, even with their creator’s patronage? #44 recently threw his weight behind the Biden campaign, but some would say the endorsement was overdue, avoiding an open convention. Perhaps Obama and Biden wanted to bolster receding Democratic Party appeal with African-American voters, and thereby better allow better contest in those vital blue-collar rust-belt states. Its success and wider significance? Time will tell... 13

OPINION THREE PARTY DEBATE: “CORONAVIRUS HAS SHOWN THE FLAWS IN OUR SYSTEM. WHAT IS THE WAY FORWARD?” OUCA: Aurora Guerrini

he COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise. In modern times the United Kingdom has never faced a health crisis of this magnitude. The Conservative Government’s record of careful fiscal policies based on rational free-market approaches has enabled the monetary flexibility to rigorously tackle and mitigate the severe economic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. Having just been appointed Chancellor, many would have assumed that Rishi Sunak would have faltered at this historic hurdle. Instead, week-in and week-out it is seen that the policy makers at the Treasury are acutely aware of the huge burden this crisis has on people’s livelihoods. Whilst it is far too early to judge and applaud policies such as the Nationwide Job Retention Scheme, their very existence has brought many hope and relief. Contingency budgeting must be harnessed into the ‘new normal’ going forward. The need for rapid mobilisation of healthcare provision to cope with the crisis has tested the limits of the NHS. Conceived, planned, built, and now operational within the span of nine days, Nightingale Hospital in London is representative of the Government’s response. However, the focus on a dynamic and strengthened NHS was apparent long before the advent of this crisis. Increased budgetary funding of £33.9 billion, the biggest cash boost in the history of the NHS, as well as 50,000 more nurses and 6,000 more doctors were amongst the many measures announced by the Government in its 2020 Queen’s Speech as a blueprint of its plan to tackle inefficiencies present in the NHS. The Conservative Government is more than acutely aware of the need for attrition in its health policies. Indeed, public health and people’s wellbeing must now be a main priority going forward. Criticism of the Government’s policy is to be expected. While an enquiry must follow, it must aim to learn from the past, not deride and divide the efforts of the present. There is an urgent need to continue with a united response. Yes, certain societal norms have had to be temporarily adjuste; however, this must not be seen as an aberration of our rights but as an integral part of our personal and communal defence against the real enemy, COVID-19. As a United Kingdom, we are resilient. Victory, as ever, will be the outcome.

OULC: Connie Bostock and Ali Zubaidi

he socialist and radical tradition understands that one can only understand the future through diagnosing the flaws of the present. The Communist Manifesto’s conclusions were not spontaneous, but drawn from assessments of capitalism documented in the Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. Though we won’t be proposing the same solutions as Marx, we propose that the scourge of COVID-19 can be the source of our very own Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts: it highlights exactly what is wrong with our current societal model. From this moment of realisation, we can plot a way forward to a more socially just and equitable future. Forty years of government inaction have been made brutally apparent. Nothing has made clearer the stripping of community-based networks and links in our towns and cities than the emergence of mutual aid groups set up by concerned individuals to support those who are most vulnerable. Should we really be in a position where we are dependent on philanthropy and the goodwill of strangers to support our own populace? Similarly, the necessity of public appeals for donations to the NHS has laid bare years of underfunding and poor management. It is unjustifiable that we have been left in such a poor position to respond to this crisis; for instance, we have half the number of ICU beds at our disposal compared to Germany. The creation of the NHS in 1948 by the Labour Government was necessary and radical; we must fund it properly, now more than ever. The effects of neoliberalisation are now in plain sight. Those employed in the gig economy and on zero-hours contracts don’t have the reassurance of sick pay and, bar those lucky enough to have generous employers, have had to survive the lockdown without being paid any wages. It is time to recognise that our economy is propped up by the labour of unprotected and insecure workers. We cannot carry on like this. It is evident that after COVID-19 the society that emerges will not be the society that existed before. What is important is that we use this opportunity to radically restructure the way that our nation functions, and ensure that the Britain that comes out of COVID-19 is one which distributes its power and resources in the interests of the many, not the privileged few. CHERWELL

OULD: Joseph Rosalind-Hayat

he current crisis has exposed the need for fundamental change. Considering its record in handling not only the current reality facing the UK, but the past decade, the Conservative Government appears to have no plan moving forward. Regardless, change will occur. The place of students, who have previously been relegated to bear the brunt of social crises, must change. The coming wave of graduates, the majority of whom have lost any plans of work due to the pandemic, face an unpredictable future looming with economic uncertainty, alongside vast debt as a final memory of university life. An unlikely yet vital move would be the cancelation of student debt. The assumption of job opportunities and higher income resulting from a degree is no longer relevant and has led to a marketisation of education no longer sustainable. Without a focus on future generations, there is risk of being condemned to the compounded effects of the 2008 financial crash and a post-coronavirus economic nightmare. In spite of the united front shown, inequality will be further widened by the pandemic. Universal Credit’s failings are well documented and though the government has pledged to pay 80% of wages, a UBI would have been a far more sensible, albeit radical, decision. The regional divisions in the country have also been demonstrated: for the high concentration of professionals in the South the luxury of working from home is possible, but this is not true for workers in the Midlands and the North, who also tend to be the lowest earners. There is dire need to recognise the value of the work provided by low earners and in this a raise in minimum wage is well overdue. Creation of a jobs-led economy is the right way forward rather than repeating the mistakes of 2008, confiding in low-paid insecure forms of work such as the zero-hours contract. These changes are not fixes to new issues brought about by coronavirus, but instead longstanding issues in dire need of being addressed. Yet, through COVID-19 they have been brought to the forefront of our consciousness. Real change is necessary, though can only be achieved by holding the Conservative government to account. This crisis has offered us the chance to remake our society for the better. We would be fools to pass it up.

OPINION CA RTOON

WES BECKETT ON...HIGH STAKES

S AT I R E

WHO NEEDS MONEY WHEN YOU HAVE LOVE? Lucie Goosey

oris Johnson addressed the decade old issue of underfunding the health service on Easter Sunday. “Our NHS is the beating heart of this country - it is unconquerable, it is powered by love,” he announced, which of course explains why it does not actually need money. “If I had only known, I would have voted to cut funding years ago,” declared Ray Ginhardon, the MP for Chunky Bungton. The most dramatic response has been from the Labour Party, as nearly all shadow ministers and high-flying officials have resigned. The party website is now blank except for one phrase – “Thanks for clearing it up Boris, could’ve been a bit sooner mind.” Only one official, the shadow minister for probing questions has been openly critical of the government: “I, for one, am just constantly suspicious,” stated Mr Chiz E. Finger with a severely raised eyebrow. We asked Jeremy Corbyn for his take on these developments. A tip-off led us to a Cornish Campsite, where we found him toasting marshmallows and singing along

to The Wolfe Tones’ greatest hits. He was participating in a competition that consisted of seeing how close you can get the marshmallow to the flames before it set on fire. “Money-Schmuney, of course it’s run on love, I was right all along,” he replied jovially, although distracted. His marshmallow had just caught alight for the third time and his bearded friend started doing a victory lap around the campsite. Other random policies seemingly meant to deflect attention from the government’s incompetence have also been explained. An insider source declared that the real intention behind children drawing rainbows was to create talismans to fend off COVID-19 or, as some diehard racists still insist on calling it, “that Wuhan virus”. The Minister for Public Information Aiya Shoryu has denied these claims, but the throngs of people in rainbow tie-dye prison outfits – better known on the covers of the Daily Mail as the “army of kindness, have been demanding that all children produce a poster an hour to place in their windows for centralised collection. They will then be taken to a factory in a secret location and sewn into face masks for distribution to frontline health workers. Sceptics question the scientific basis of this endeavour, but a well-respected outer-Hebridean sea witch has provided a much needed source of legitimacy for the CHERWELL

government’s plans. Holy talismans “really do work” assured the sea witch. “Lying in a bath of frogspawn under a full moon is a well known fix-all and does wonders for the skin,” she elaborated, casually pelting rabbit feet at passers-by. She continued unprompted, “What I’m more frustrated about is all this ‘support local businesses’ BS. I got a take-out from the pub last

“THANKS FOR CLEARING IT UP BORIS, COULD’VE BEEN A BIT SOONER MIND.” week and that curry gave me gut-rot and butt-rot for three days straight. I couldn’t sleep. I hope he goes bust.” Local Rev. Selma Soul recommended sacrificing a loo roll to the Spirit of the Lockdown to make you feel better. Pope Francis also weighed in on the debate: “There’s a reason you can’t spell ‘help the sick’ without ‘peckish’ and it’s because I work too hard and need a tea break.” He later added on Twitter that the love of God will cleanse all victims, and that he is offering a free crucifix to anyone who converts to Roman Catholicism. No NHS representatives had the time to give us a statement, although when asked one stressed emergency room worker did give quite a fierce eye roll.

FEATURES

BP OR NOT BP? Art, Oil and the British Museum LUCAS JONES

“Like smoke blown to heaven on the wings of the wind, our country, our conquered country, perishes. Its palaces are overrun by the fierce flames and the murderous spear.”

hese words, from The Trojan Women, found a new home in the British Museum’s exhibition on Troy. Translated from Greek into Arabic and produced by a cast of Syrian refugees, the tale was retold as Queens of Syria. Pushed to the brink by their circumstances, these women are forced to rebuild their lives and repossess the narrative. The exhibition aimed to highlight the brutality of Trojan War, and its legacy in popular culture. Queens of Syria seemed perfect. The British Museum tried to use it to draw focus to the horrors of war. Instead, that focus was firmly placed on them. The director of the piece, Zoe Lafferty, published an open letter condemning the exhibition’s sponsor before it even opened. The British Museum was once again under fire for their infamous partnership with British Petroleum. British Petroleum (BP) is a multi-billion-dollar company specialising in the extraction and refinement of oil and natural gas. Founded in 1908 as the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, the company rapidly expanded from its base in Persia, subsuming smaller oil companies that previously held monopolies in former Ottoman polities with the help of the British

government. In 1935 Persia became Iran, and Anglo-Persian became Anglo-Iranian. The name changed, but their stranglehold over the nation’s oil continued. By the end of the Second World War the company’s growth rate completely outstripped Iran’s. Nationalist sentiment was blossoming throughout the Middle East, and Iranian nationalism soon took hold in the form of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. Mossadegh was appointed as Prime Minister by the Shah in 1951. While Iran hadn’t been formally colonised, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) held complete control over the oil-based economy, and was Iranian in name only. Mossadegh considered it an unwelcome symbol of Britain’s iron grip over Iran’s economy; one of his first actions in office was its nationalisation. Britain’s revenge was swift, forcing other oil companies to implement an oil embargo on Iran and lodging complaints with both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Security Council. The ICJ found it had no jurisdiction over the case, and the Security Council refused to act. Regardless, the UK’s actions on BP’s behalf plunged Iran into a recession that soon manifested in political unrest. With a helping hand from the CIA’s ‘Operation Ajax’ and MI6’s ‘Operation Boot’, Mossadegh fell from power in 1953 in a coup d’état. AIOC was now firmly entrenched in Iran, owning 40% of shares in the coalition of foreign oil companies that now controlled Iran’s refineries. So, why the history lesson? For the answer, check the BP website. Their own rundown of BP’s illustrious history tells the same story in very different terms. It describes the process of “evacuating staff and their families” in 1951, presenting BP as an innocent victim of Iran’s nationalisation. “Mobs in the street demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation”, it claims, ignoring that these ‘mobs’ were actually CIA thugs. It proudly notes that “the Iranian economy was in ruins”, suggesting that this ‘organic’ loss of revenue was at the root of their decision to “accept a new partnership proposal.” This revisionism is essentially propaganda that aims to make the company’s history more palatable to potential share-holders and investors. The website, however, is only the tip of the iceberg of a PR strategy that has seen

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BP sponsor some of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the United Kingdom. “BP,” says its website, “believes that access to arts and culture helps to build a more inspired and creative society.” As such, they have been building links with cultural institutions across the UK for the past 50 years. In 2016 this long-term “strategy” manifested in a five-year investment of £7.5 million shared between the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The latter severed its ties to BP in 2019. The British Museum runs an annual ‘BP exhibition’, with recent titles including ‘I am Ashurbanipal’ and ‘Indigenous Australia’. This money ostensibly allows exhibitions that might not be able to attract funding to go ahead, enabling the British public to engage with art and culture. BP uses this sponsorship to paint a picture of an engaged, socially-responsible company with a corporate strategy that extends beyond profit into cultural development. However, as their beneficiaries would undoubtedly remind them, art is subjective. Not everyone agrees with BP’s self-portrait. This artistic disagreement has manifested in real-life protests. The 13-foot Trojan Horse that creaked into the courtyard of the British Museum on the 9th February was a reminder to the institution of the danger of trusting gifts. An icon of deception, many activists consider it a more accurate portrayal of BP’s patronage. The statue served as the figurehead of a 3-day “BP Must Fall” protest that saw 1600 activists occupy the British Museum, which is no stranger to protests. This one, the latest planned by activists from ‘BP or not BP’, was far bigger than previous actions. Formed in response to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) partnership with BP in 2012, ‘BP or not BP’ is a protest organisation that aims to sever ties between British cultural organisations and oil companies. It has been responsible for 59 actions, including a ‘stolen goods tour’ of the British Museum led by Aboriginal activist Rodney Kelly and a ‘living statue’ protest at a private function for BP members. The February protest saw lectures on decolonisation, an “unsanctioned art exhibition” called Momentum, and an oc-

FEATURES

FEATURES cupation of the museum’s courtyard. All this took place in the shadow of the Trojan Horse, which contained activists who slept in its body to prevent it from being removed during the night. This kind of action has worked in the past. The RSC terminated its contract with BP two years early, largely as a result of the group’s actions. The Science Museum cut ties with Shell in 2015; Tate Modern did the same to BP in 2017. Protesters from ‘Liberate Tate’ also forced the gallery to reveal that BP’s funding provided less than 0.5% of their annual income, undermining the argument that BP’s money was somehow ‘necessary’ for the continuation of these artistic projects. BP’s website claims that it has “enabled over 4.2 million visitors to attend a festival, an exhibition, display or activity” at the British Museum since 1996. While this may sound like an impressive contribution, it is a drop in the ocean for an institution that receives an average of 6.3 million visitors per year. The 2016 BP sponsorship deal only accounts for around 0.3% of the British Museum’s annual income. Activists see this as an unfair exchange: BP gets to boost its public image in exchange for almost negligible contributions to these institutions. They call this ‘artwashing’: a process in which companies and governments sponsor artistic and cultural endeavours in order to create a veneer of social engagement that deflects and distracts from criticism. It is one of the buzzwords of international protest against corporate sponsorship and gentrification from Los Angeles to London, but it is not their only issue. There is also a concern that companies like BP might seek to influence exhibitions with the same end goal in mind. Shell attempted this at the Science Museum i n 2015, trying to put pressu-

re on the Museum to avoid a discussion that would show Shell in a negative light. In this specific avenue, however, concerns about BP have proved unfounded. This ‘artwashing’ is simply another arm of BP’s overarching aim: public exoneration. The size of protests against BP’s sponsorship of the British Museum has grown at great cost to the institution. Ahdaf Soueif resigned from the Board of Trustees in July 2019, citing BP’s sponsorship as a key motive. Her explanation, published by the London Review of Books, perfectly summarises what activists long suspected: “The public relations value that the museum gives to BP is unique, but the sum of money BP gives the museum is not unattainable elsewhere.” Even artists whose work has been used as part of exhibition have criticised the museum. Zoe Lafferty’s open letter questions why the British Museum “inexplicably” continues its partnership with BP, emphasising the “impossible position” her team was in, having already agreed to allow the use of her work. Two months after the February protests I spoke to Sal. H, a member of ‘BP or not BP’. BP continues to sponsor the British museum. Asked whether she thought their protest had been successful, she responded with a question: “what would success look like for us as an organisation? You could say it was divestment. You could say it was the return of all the stolen goods. What would those gains mean? My personal angle on it is that the British Museum and its sponsorship exists as a perfect way for us to illustrate and point out the long legacy of colonialism and the continued oppression of people who have suffered colonialism.” Their protests are opportunities to platform activists from around the world. ‘BP Must Fall’ saw people from Kurdistan, West Papua, and Mexico give talks on the colonial history of the British Museum and the impact of BPs actions on indigenous populations across the globe. Divestment is not the only goal: raising awareness and sparking discussion in the media are also critical. The end result of all this is consistent, negative press for the British Museum. The question at the heart of the debate seems simple: if being sponsored by BP means huge protests and high-profile resignations for a minimal return, why not just drop them? Soueif frames the partnership’s continuation as an attempt not to “alienate a section of the business community.” In Sal’s opinion, however, it runs deeper than a simple monetary relationship: it reflects the British Museum’s own status as an icon of colonialism and exploitation. The board of directors are “very happy to invite BP

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to private views and functions”, implying the existence of a political link that would explain the relationship. Each person suggests a different motive and without conjecture it’s impossible to give a coherent argument for the British museum to continue the partnership. Despite this, the relationship continues. The entrenched nature of BP’s sponsorship has forced ‘BP or not BP’ to get creative. The group’s main concern is that BP is misrepresenting themselves through their sponsorship. Although the easiest way to stop that misrepresentation is to terminate the partnership, if the group can engage the public’s imagination then BP fails anyway. The longer the British Museum retains BP as a partner, the larger the protests will get. Every protest is another opportunity for activists to grab the attention of the media and undermine BP’s narrative, preventing BP from achieving its goal anyway. While ‘BP or not BP’ has enjoyed successful protests, they are still a long way from this level of public engagement. In addition to this, protest has just become a lot more difficult. The 20th April marked the 10-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, which killed 11 rig workers. This would usually be marked by a huge protest, but ‘BP or not BP?’ was forced to commemorate the tragedy with an online protest. Around 100 activists took part in their video protest, with “thousands... posting to mark the day.” Their protest coincided with the moment oil values went negative in the USA for the first time in history in a huge blow for the oil industry. Some activists, however, see this as a nightmare scenario: cheaper fuel is far more attractive than expensive, green alternatives. The pandemic has also created more fundamental issues for the group, whose future online actions are “up in the air” as they grapple with the key question: can you justify campaigning against sponsorship while cultural institutions haemorrhage money? Covid-19 may have disarmed activist groups, but there is still hope for ‘BP or not BP’. Global demand for oil is plunging by millions of barrels a day due to the pandemic and BP’s contract with the British Museum expires next year. Whether the British Museum continues that partnership is a separate matter. “We’ll see,” Sal concedes, “it would look very bad if they renewed it.” BP has also committed to becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2050. Perhaps they mean it. Or perhaps this is another Trojan Horse. When I asked if she was cynical about BP’s promises, there was a hint of humour in her response. “Towards a profit-making organisation at the mercy of their stakeholders?” She grins. “Definitely.”

CULCHER

CULCHER EDITORIAL

n the classic 1993 comedy Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Collins, played by Bill Murray, is fated to live the same day of his life over and over again until he finally cleans up his act. Having only recently seen this film for the first time, I couldn’t help but find an uncomfortable familiarity in the banality of Murray’s character daily routine, and the feeling that we’re all reliving the same day in perpetuity. From his alarm clock blaring Sonny & Cher at 6:00 am every morning, to a daily run-in with an exceedingly annoying high school acquaintance, Murray seems to be trapped in the same purgatory as us – minus the social distancing. Indeed, one may ask, why watch something like this when we’re already living it? But to this I would argue there is something to be said about Collins’ evolution from narcissism to altruism, from insincerity to authenticity, that is particularly reassuring. Once he accepts his position rather than submitting to despair, a certain hope emerges. In popular culture, the concept of being trapped in a time-loop is not restricted to Harold Ramis, with shows such as Russian Doll and Supernatural dipping their toes in as well. However, what all these manifestations of Groundhog Day have in common is the notion of needing to make a transformative, all-encompassing change for that loop to be finally broken. For Cherwell, that change comes in the form of a new magazine format, unprecedented in our 100 years of publishing. This is a strange and unpredictable year for culture, and needless to say, Cherwell must adapt and modify in turn. Although it may seem frivolous to discuss the cultural impacts of something with an immediate threat to life, there is no denying that the current pandemic has laid waste to some of society’s biggest cultural touchstones, from Glastonbury to The Met Gala. However culture, even during the most peculiar of times, should not be overlooked for its ability to provide escape, respite and inspiration. And we, your Culture Editors, are confident that this new era will not only be adequate but exceptional – both in content and ingenuity. In a time fraught with ‘fake news’ and perturbing information, culture can provide the balm we are looking for. We may not have a groundhog to tell us when life will go back to normal, but so long as students care, Cherwell will continue.

TITIAN AND THE ETHICS OF AN EROTIC GAZE BY GAIA CLARK NEVOLA

“A

nybody who loves painting loves Titian.” With these bold words and the familiar, if rather flat, echo of Einaudi’s piano, the BBC-streamed digital rendition of the National Gallery’s ‘Titian: Love, Desire, Death’ opens. For the first time in more than 400 years, Titian’s Poesies, seven paintings interpreting Ovid’s Metamorphoses, are once again reunited in one room, to be viewed together as intended by the painter. In an exceptional stroke of bad luck, the occasion was, as we are all keenly aware, inaugurated by a global pandemic, and the paintings were locked away two days after doors opened to the public. So, the BBC virtually distributed Titian to the nation. I had never been to a digital art exhibition before this one. Sure, art history programmes I’d seen aplenty, but the dynamics here are interestingly different. As well as showing the paintings, which to be frank they do precious little of, interviews and footage from the exhibition’s trailer are woven in too. They have the head curator, leaders in the field, art critics. This programme bustles with discordant voices struggling to quite align, and what feels like rushed editing does little to alleviate this problem. Everyone seems keen to mark out their patch on how best to do the viewing and to opine on what story is being told. “These are pictures about desire, about looking,” says Matthias Wivel, head curator, but the direction of where, and how, to carry out this looking is very much left open to debate. The real problem with the programme is the staggering lack of sensitivity. Titian’s Poesies, for all their vibrancy of colour, the complexity of texture, and importance as cornerstones in Western art, are without exception scenes of violence perpetrated against women. True, the stories are age-

Kaira Mediratta, Trudy Ross, and Sofia Henderson CHERWELL

-old Greek myths, but the subject matter remains. These are men gazing on unconsenting bathing women, women chained up nude to rocks, women pregnant and victims of rape being publicly shamed, women abducted by male gods to be assaulted. Forty-five (painful?) minutes in, Jill Burke is allowed finally to criticise the absurdity of failing to engage with content: “we don’t look at the subject matter, we look at brushstrokes and genius…the art world colludes in this objectification.” There is bitterness in her tone, and rightly so; there is a great male privilege in being allowed to gaze on paintings of violated women’s bodies, with no need to consider the ethics of the erotic act of gazing. “Anybody who loves painting loves Titian.” Perhaps, right at the start of this rather disappointing programme my hackles should have risen, wary of anything trying to universally pin down subjective opinion as a constant marker of what is beautiful, important or great. I am reminded of Terry Eagleton, defining the act of labelling something as beautiful as colonially establishing hegemony. A hegemony of the aggressive male gaze is replicated not only by Titian, but far more troublingly by many of the talking heads in the programme. “To demand that art be morally pure is basically to demand that art not do what it has always done. That’s what art helps us do, art is not there to provide a moral example, art is there to ask us questions, or make us ask questions of each other,” crows Wivel, rounding off the programme. Quite possibly, he is right. However, if we are to ask ourselves honest questions and have open honest conversations, we must first learn to see Titian’s nudes clearly, and not simply through the hegemonic gaze of the sublime, erotic and aesthetic. Full version online

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HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: PUBLIC ART IN OXFORD BY SARAH TOWNSEND

WHILE PUBLIC ART IN OXFORD MAY GO UNNOTICED, IT CAN CONVEY COMPLEX MEANINGS FOR PASSERS-BY.

ave you ever had the feeling that someone’s watching this uncertainty is what makes public art successful. With no disyou? That feeling that makes the hairs on the back of respect to the Ashmolean, it’s safe to say that art galleries have your neck stand up. That feeling you get at night when trained us into a ritual: we look, read the label on the wall, nod our you turn off the downstairs lights and run as fast as you heads, and move onto the next exhibit. Instead, public art often can up the stairs and into bed. goes unnoticed, integrated into our everyday lives. If you can relate, then you’re either Rockwell in his ‘80s hit Lining the outside walls of the Bodleian, the stone grotesques single ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, or you’re an Oxford student might not be an emblem of Gothic architecture to one student, walking down Broad Street. Maybe you haven’t even noticed, but but a reminder of the first thing they see when they emerge, dazed, someone is watching you – and it’s a seven-foot man stood on the from a midday essay crisis. In fact, these exact grotesques were roof of Exeter College. created in 2009, designed by schoolchildren for the theme ‘MyFear not. He is, in fact, made of iron, donated by Antony Gorths and Monsters’. They were then produced by local stone carver, mley to Exeter College in 2009, and is one of a hundred identical Alec Peever. Now a part of history, their success is not a piece of sculptures scattered across the world. Gormley’s collection, entitart with a label attached. Instead, it is embedded in the heart of led Another Time XI, was declared by him to be a celebration of Oxford’s daily life. “the still and silent nature of sculpture.” “The work is designed to Oxford’s public art might be in more places than you think. The be placed within the flow of lived time,” he says, each statue plaformidable carved figures outside the Sheldonian Theatre, known ced on high buildings as if overlooking the streets below. as the ‘Emperor Heads’ or the ‘Sheldonian Emperors’, aren’t just Although better known for his Angel of the North, Gormley’s confined to Broad Street. First commissioned in the 1660s, the work is no stranger to Oxford. Another of specific identity of all thirteen faces his statues, entitled Present Time, is loca- “ART GALLERIES HAVE TRAINED remains unknown. The stone carvings ted in the centre of Mansfield College’s are suspected to depict ancient philosoUS INTO A RITUAL... INSTEAD, main quad. Each sculpture is cast from his phers or emperors but have been weaown body, and Gormley intends his work PUBLIC ART OFTEN GOES UNNO- thered and replaced twice. Although not to capture the nakedness of life, telling the all the original heads have been found, TICED, INTEGRATED INTO OUR Guardian that it returns us to “the truth of some can be seen standing in Worcester EVERYDAY LIVES.” the uniqueness of human existence.” College and Wadham College gardens. But let’s be realistic here: how many Although slightly less of an enigma, people, just by looking at them, know what these sculptures Diana Bell’s Knowledge and Understanding remains a notable piece mean? And why are they considered public art? of art in Oxford city centre. Cast in bronze, piles of books have Public art, as a genre, usually refers to art that enhances its combeen stacked on benches in Bonn Square. Presented to Oxford by munity or speaks to our time. Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate is the perthe city of Bonn in 2009, their spines are engraved with German fect example, one of Chicago’s most popular tourist destinations. translations of “friendship”, Oxford being the first city to approach Commonly known as ‘the Bean’, it literally reflects its environBonn to establish a friendship after the Second World War. Here, ment, forming the perfect backdrop for your next Instagram post Bell’s sculptures serve as a quiet reminder of peace. - a mirror that warps the skyline behind it. Even in London, KaOxford’s public art is scattered right across the city – and its tharina Fritsch’s sculpture of a giant blue cockerel seems to mean history just keeps evolving. Is public art defined by how the artist something to its community. Although appearing to be something intended it to be perceived, or have we, as pasyou might see in a fever dream, Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock has become a sers-by, given it new meanings over the years? bright symbol of modernity in Trafalgar Square. But what, you Is this what makes it public? may ask, do iron sculptures of naked men have to do with In the wake of a national lockdown, we Oxford? Does anyone know? Or are we all seem to appreciate the surroundings we just pretending to? have and miss the ones we don’t. Maybe Maybe when students flock back to Oxford, public art, having previously flown under the radar, will be like the Gormley statue looming over Broad Street. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it.

CHERWELL

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SPRINGTIME

FASHION

SCREENTIME

Fashion in quarantine facetime shoot

By Ashley Cluer Model : Savannah Roeser

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STAGE REVIEWING I N E Q UA L I T Y : THE PRICE OF T H E AT R E R O BY N A L L E N EXPLORES THE TRUE C O S T O F C U LT U R A L C A P I TA L

o how much do theatre tickets in the UK cost exactly? At the very top end of UK theatre (‘Hamilton’ in the West End) the price of premium tickets can soar to the lofty heights of £250, roughly half of the average UK earner’s weekly salary. Now this is unquibblingly very bloody expensive, and has caused an adequate degree of outrage, but it is not representative of a typical theatre-going experience. The average theatre ticket in the UK (as of 2018) costs £27 pounds, a somewhat more normal sum of money and about the same amount of money that would allow most productions to break even, if all tickets were sold at that price and three-quarters of the audience showed up. However, it is still £27 quid for a couple hours of entertainment. This is the cost of half a year’s worth of Netflix, which allows you to watch thousands of shows whilst settled down on the sofa, with your neck at an angle that absolutely cannot be good for it, and with a body reminiscent of blancmange - relaxed and in the comfort of your own home. Netflix is therefore, in comparison to theatre, generally considered far more bang for your buck. It is the beige brigade, pale and stale, middle aged and middle class, that haunt the theatres of this country. So, it must be that theatre is a fundamentally exclusive activity, the entire audience has a disposable income, a semi-detached house in north London and a daughter who goes to Durham. But maybe the perceived and the real ‘social exclusivity’ of theatre doesn’t simply lie with the relatively high price of a ticket. If it was the case that people

desperately wanted to see theatre, particularly young people, there are plenty of schemes where tickets under £10 are made available to those under 25, making a trip to the theatre comparable to going to a cinema. But there are plenty of young people at the cinema and not at the theatre. Musicals, the most expensive shows g o ing, are the shows that attract the m o s t young people. Young people pay for gigs and for concerts. Ticket cost alone cannot be responsible for this strange elitism. Perhaps it’s a lack of appeal or lack of excitement in the product itself? An antiquated idea of theatre still remains of people in hats and a polite audience chuckling at jokes no-one really understands. Shows so boring that Nana falls asleep half-way through. There’s still the idea that you have to dress up, that it’s a formal occasion, or that it’s all Shakespeare or weird Inspector Calls-esque stuff your English teacher bored you with at school. The kind of stuff that requires an ‘in’ to get involved with and to believe it has relevance to your life. Perhaps it’s not just the cost of the tickets that calls in the middle-class brigade, but the fact that throughout your entire life theatre has many costs. Drama lessons cost money, the kind of schools that have theatres are fee-pay-

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ing, the kind of schools that frequently take you to the theatre are fee paying, the kind of parents that take you to the theatre pay your fees. If you want to be a techie, you’ve got a head start if you’ve always had access to a theatre. If you want to be an actor, director or a writer you have to accept the risk of barely earning anything for your late teens and early twenties - a risk easier to accept if you can comfortably rely on bank of mum and dad. Another fundamental issue is the time and cost to get to London. Yes, Britain has many regional theatres with shows completing runs all across the country but this is not enough. This country’s ‘National Theatre’, funded by Arts Council England, is only one building, a brutalist structure looming over the Southbank. Surely the majority of publicly funded theatre should be less specific and localized? The West End booms in London whilst regional theatres struggle, supporting themselves by hosting concerts, stand-up and film screenings. Theatre, like most things in the UK, suffers from an economy which is entirely London-centric. The West End itself serves as a drain on the concept of one ‘National Theatre’. The middle classes haunt London - including its theatres. The problem isn’t just the ticket price: a much bigger review is required.

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FILM AND TV

MASTERING THE GROUP-WATCH WITH CHEAP HORROR FLICKS BY DAN BROOKS

he credits start to roll once the house is overwhelmed by fire. The monster is somewhere inside, and it’s already been defeated. This scene is a burial. Whatever remains of the horror is being eradicated somewhere in front of us, beneath splintering wood, cracking plaster, and cleansing heat. When the image fades to black I peel my eyes away from the slow scroll of names, and I’m back in my room, alone. Somehow it is already 3am. Mirrors, books, windows - everything around me is re-enchanted with mystery and potential. On my other monitor, green rings around their Discord avatars show me that my friends are experiencing a similar sensation. I’ve had the VoIP app open for the whole movie, and typically there’s a buzz of commentary that makes this kind of viewing distinct from that of a cinema. But everyone has been totally silent for these closing scenes. Now, as we reintegrate into the world, the noise resumes: ‘Absolute crap’, ‘Goopiest and horniest one so far.’, ‘The director was absolutely telling on himself’. I’ve been watching films with this group of people for years now, though the particular configuration often shifts around. Some of them are friends from home. For them, this is a convenient evolution of an older hobby now that adult life has spread us all out. Others I have never met in real life, but our similar taste and sense of humour makes them perfect viewing companions. This kind of remote movie-going is becoming increasingly popular. The Google Chrome plugin Netflix Party, which synchronises streaming, now has over 9 million downloads - its growth undoubtedly hastened by social distancing rules. Changes in the way we consume cinema correspond to changes in the kind of films we watch. For us, group viewing has always

lent itself to the horrors of the late 70s and early 80s. Your stereotypical Awful Film Fan gravitates towards the inversion of arthouse directors. The sparse action and long running time of a Tarkovsky, Herzog, or Ozu gives them plenty of time to cogitate new ways of overintellectualising their hobby, while also rendering inaccessibly private the heady ruminations of their boring genius. By contrast there is an immediate and communal appeal to horror schlock. From 1975 onwards this whole genre is dominated by synth-heavy soundtracks, animatronics coated in latex and slime, and the sneaking suspicion that you’re watching someone displace a complicated fetish. The films of Carpenter, Argento, and Cronenberg are often sneered at as lowbrow because of their simple plots and reliance on suspended disbelief, but this is silly. It is precisely these qualities, along with acting that you might generously call ‘enthusiastically blunt,’ which renders them perfect for group viewings. Cracking jokes or remaining silent forms a paratext that would be impolite to replicate in the cinema. By viewing these movies together you are placed into a reciprocal relationship with the filmmaker, complicit in the creation of creeping dread or comic release. The group-watch is a kind of performative aestheticism in that regard, which perfectly mirrors the unashamedly camp quality of what you’re watching. This is something that is lost in reimaginings, and one reason why Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria CHERWELL

fell so flat. Horror movies are defined by intertextuality, but thankfully for us all I can defer the task of exegesis to the communities of fans online. Letterboxd, one particular point of concentration, allows users to log and rate films they have seen, lending film consumption a completionist edge. It also promotes user-created lists, encouraging deep-dives into obscure and ephemeral sub-genres in a way that historic taste-arbiters IMDb and RottenTomatoes fail to. There is a real sense of exploration as you work your way into a catalogue of films that have been largely forgotten after a limited theatrical release, based on nothing but the recommendation of someone called ‘Giallo_pudding_Pop.’ Many of these films, to put it lightly, will be crap. Other times you will find something like the Australian slasher Next of Kin, a film so staggeringly underrated that it incentivises you to write a Cherwell article. Either way, exploring these things with your friends will probably be a good time. The market is currently too small for many of these horrors to be restored, or uploaded to big streaming sites. This marginality is reflected in the mediocre financial performance of films like Peter Strickland’s In Fabric and Anna Biller’s The Love Witch, both excellent homages to the period. Perhaps this will change now. When we are once again allowed into the sunlight, who knows whether the communities developing around the group-watch will find a way to fully reanimate the shambling spirit of mid-century horror.

MUSIC

CULCHER

THE ART OF THE PERFECT PLAYLIST

CECILIA WILKINS DULANTO ON STEPPING UP YOUR SPOTIFY GAME

f you’ve ever doubted the power of the playlist, think again. From manipulating consumer behaviour (you can blame the background music at Society Cafe for the hit your student loan took last term) to paving the path to my own doomed love affair, as well as revolutionising the way in which artists and songs get their big break, playlists form the bedrock of the music industry and our own musical expression. So then, how best to harness this power? In the words of Rob Gordon (from the movie adaptation of Nick Hornby’s cult novel High Fidelity), “the making of a great compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many dos and don’ts. First of all, you’re using someone else’s poetry to express how you’re feeling. This is a delicate thing.” Because crafting the perfect playlist, “like breaking up, is hard to do, and takes way longer than it might seem”. Playlists go right to the heart of who you are and are unavoidably personal and subjective. Nevertheless, below are what I believe to be some essential considerations for this subtle art. Theme: The theme (or concept, if you’re feeling meta) is the most crucial aspect of the process. It is the foundation, the string that binds your tracks together, conveys a message, and ultimately gives the playlist existential meaning. In short, it is the reason for its creation. Broken hearted? The theme might be “songs my ex hates”, “I found love again” (if your ex still follows you on Spotify), “ballads of a broken heart”, “best songs to cry to”...the possibilities are endless. It is important

PLAY LIST

that every track relates to the theme in some way for the playlist to maintain a sense of coherence. Content: If the theme of the playlist is the foundation, the content is all the fixtures and fittings.Don’t hesitate to include a mixture of genres; after all, who doesn’t like to brag about their multifaceted taste too impressive to be categorised. Length: Spotify claims a good playlist should be 40+ songs, adding enthusiastically “there’s no maximum though!” That might do for your marathon training playlist, but if your goal is to inspire musical appreciation in your listener rather than just exercise-induced pain relief, a shorter playlist (c. 15 tracks) is more conducive. This is especially relevant to the ‘recommendation playlist’ where it is crucial not to overwhelm the listener but to keep it short and sweet, engaging and leaving them wanting more. Running Order: Whilst society mourns the demise of the meticulous artistry of the album now replaced by hit singles and streaming services, one characteristic feature of the album lives on: the running order. Easily overlooked and unappreciated, in allowing you to carve out a journey for the listener, the order is often imperative to the communication of the concept and so must be skilfully executed. Kicking off with a corker is of obvious importance, but in fact the success of your playlist hinges on the second track. Like any successful TV series, which requires more than just a gripping pilot, in order to secure commitment the second track must be an affirmation of the playlist’s

excellent quality throughout. Once this has been established the remaining tracks can be arranged by listening to the end and the beginning of neighbouring tracks and focusing on the type of transition you wish to achieve. Instructions for shuffle mode: NEVER. Pairing similar moods, instrumentation, genres, tempos, dynamics, or, if you want everyone to know you’re doing a music degree, modes, will form more seamless transitions than following, say, Miley Cyrus’ ‘The Climb’ (good song btw) with Metallica’s ‘Holier Than Thou’, although there is something to be said for shock factor. Presentation: On the assumption that you’ve dipped into your trust fund for Spotify premium or Apple Music, you have the gratifying option of personalising our playlists with a photo and title. If you’ve made it this far you might as well give it an elusive or witty title that shows the rich variety of your cultural references. Bonus points/deduct points if it’s in another language. That said, ideally without making it the name of a track, the title should have some relevance to the playlist if you don’t wish to create unfulfilled expectations in your listener. The same rules apply for the photo; steer clear of gratuitous selfies. If the photo and title hasn’t completed your masterpiece, Spotify has a description box where you’re welcome to compose Latin elegiacs for your lover, or simply leave it blank and let the music speak for itself. Check out Cecilia’s playlist, Crónica de una Historia de Amor, on Cherwell Spotify (@ cherwellmusic).

THIS HEART OF MINE

GLORY BOX

THE LAST TIME

LOUISE

OTIS REDDING

PORTISHEAD

TAYLOR SWIFT

THE HUMAN LEAGUE

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BOOKS

A F O S E H T M O R F S Y E N JOUR

dmittedly, I had never picked up a travel book until about a month ago. In my head I had always associated them with the ad-filled section of the newspaper that gets chucked away first, or a vague proverb that had stuck in my head from somewhere - ‘Everyone thinks they can write a travel book, but very few people can do it well’. What actually is a travel book, I thought, walking quickly past their temptingly glossy covers in bookshops? Do you just go on holiday and then write it down? About a month ago, in a Covid-19 driven panic, I picked up the two glossiest-looking travel books I could find: Paul Theroux’s (yes, those Therouxs!) The Old Patagonian Express and Evelyn Waugh’s Labels. The logic was that, since I couldn’t leave my house for the next few months, I could at least escape into the Guatemalan jungle

FRIDAY FAVOURITE: Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante

riendship is where Ferrante’s skill as a storyteller really shines. She presents female friendship of Lenù and Lila without a mask. It is not always pretty. There are moments of pure happiness, but the lives they lead are difficult; the two friends capable of inflicting terrible pain. Yet they are without a doubt the most important figures in each other’s lives; we can hear, too, ‘the mad sound of the brain in one echo in the mad sound of the brain in the other’. I completely fell in love with these books when I read them last summer: The novels are truly stunning, exploring issues from political corruption to the struggles of motherhood. Some of the nuance may have been lost in translation, but Ferrante’s writing plunges straight to the heart of her characters’ inner psyches, leaving almost nothing unsaid. by Florine Lips

RO SA CH A LF EN O N A N EW A PP RE CI AT IO N O F TR AV EL W RI TI N G or the Athenian marketplaces, all without breaking my governmentmandated confines. But what I found in these books was completely unexpected. As it turns out, no one hates travel books as much as travel writersTheroux belittles the ‘fakery’ and ‘self-embroider y ’ of traditional travel writing in his preface, referring to the ‘little trips that writers have worked up into epics and odysseys’. His book - the premise being he can travel by train, directly from his house in Massachusetts, all the way through Central and South America, without stopping (spoiler, he can’t) - is none of these things; rather, it is a sarcastic and insightful hurtle through the Americas, a mad yet entrancing train ride that never seems to end. Theroux encounters snowstorms and deserts, embassies and civil unrest, experiences the dullness of American tourists in Limon and the genius of legendary writer Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires. This is travel as it is meant to be - dirty, sometimes dangerous, often unpredictable, but with the sense of freedom that makes people like Theroux get on trains and never get off. Waugh’s is perhaps a more traditional travel book, with a more traditional author; his droll wanderings through Monte Carlo and his ever-complex circle of English connections seem charmingly dated next to Theroux. But, for the 1930s, Labels was a revolutionary view of Mediterranean travel - Waugh cuts through the cliché created by Britain’s colonial outlook and the infamous Baedeker guides. In his eyes, Paris is ‘boCHERWELL

gus’, Naples is ‘unenjoyable’ - like Theroux, there is a similar sense of controversy, of generations of guidebooks being undermined in one sentence. In an Instagram-controlled world, where every travel experience has to be documented and filtered down to its last pixel, every monument and cliché ticked off the list, it is refreshing to find travel writing that is so full of mosquitoes, sweat and annoying tourists - all those things we conveniently leave out of our cute profile pictures and overly long captions (here’s looking at you, gap yah gang). But what travel writing ultimately reminds us of, in these strange gardenimprisoned times, is that travel is not really about the hotels, the sightseeing, or even the people. It is about the freedom of knowing you can go anywhere, do anything, that you could simply hop on the train and see where it takes you. It is this freedom that, at the moment, we are desperately craving and, hopefully, what we will appreciate most when those airline bans are finally lifted and we can travel once more. For now, stop crying over that picture of you and your mate at the Reichstag, get off that EasyJet Refunds phone line (you weren’t fourth, anyway) and, instead, pick up a travel book…

T H E S OU R C E

Oxford in memory, our home and love left behind, like a winter sun disappearing below the horizon. Curated by Mimi Pattinson

In Regions Clear, and Far Anna King

“…what a height my spirit is contending!/’Tis not content so soon to be alone.”

That belltower of ours was hurling out its eighth chime when we crept shoeless into the morning. Last night’s storm pulsed weary in the sky; and the silence was spotless so we ruined it. Ghosts walk this violet-steeped street, circle this tower, shadows of a past I can’t bring myself to see. It won’t be long, of course, before those flanking leaves are curling and dark, these stones shimmered and crisp with frost, and this morning another memory. A glistening trace of fever still clung to the sky. That too I’m sure is gone, burned away by the April sun; and yet it was so quiet I had to wonder if we’d not mistakenly walked in on a dream. As though it were the easiest thing to lie on this pavement and fade into rich fucking oblivion I was so tired Then again, hangovers don’t generally split one’s head in dreams; nor do bruises generally ache between one’s – Nonetheless, we were less solid as we came to the turning. Somehow the prospect of home, its insufferable rush of humanity, was far too tangible for the present hour, however quiet the streets would likely be. Before long, I would drag my thoughts back to train tickets and laundry and coffee-pots such stuff as small talk’s made on, and you’d don again your eye-rolls and filial laments; but for the moment the mundanity of it all appeared as good as death, and so for now, the path erased itself as we walked. With care I fade into this chaos, breathing these rustling branches, this opalite sky, these last tripping bars of this town our town so soon torn away – How beautiful emptiness was, and how delicate. Oh God –

if only we remained to wander among the stubborn shop fronts, perhaps it would never quite shatter; perhaps we could loiter in this great weighted after, linger, our fingers hooked into the place which was not quite Saturday morning this glassy after. But of course, already it was cracking, for voices were whispering, scrabbling south to us, slippery, subtle, stubbornly screaming there is no us without this city. Oxford is ours and remains in our debt it clenches its marble claws round our necks – and the blood they draw is sweet. Here we learned to love our home; here we forgot our native shitholes (sometimes) but still I grew to loathe that city bereft of a town, I long for streets you don’t know. Here I watched indifferently as the spirit starved within me, and grew emaciated with living too much. A great fiery gust of wind whipped through the trees and came scraping and surging and stirring my heart, and here still it rots away that feeble lock on a dangerous thing… the wind perished, the soft scent with it - but still I hope, what a fucking mistake So do I embrace bitterness, watch the elderly waltz of the clouds? Exhaustion and wine are infinite allies if one fears seeing clearly fears waking, merely remembering because then – oh I curse my two-tone heartbeat. A phantom hand in the crook of my waist, and perhaps speakerless murmurs scatter the still morning air. Hope taints like a miserable stain. I weep for the past, and the gaping maw of the future; for the trap I escaped and the one I have bought; above all for the child I am not, and for you. And like static lurking behind the music on a broken fucking radio, the echoed song of my heart simply won’t stop.

In Winter Indigo Buckler

pandemic Amira Izhar

Some new pain hides behind the veil of those Dreaming spires. Some silent assassin poised, Lying in wait. Hiding in ink, circling Stale pages in the closed stacks, lingering. Invisible sylphs ask us to choose: to Swallow toxic cyanide, or else taste The most sullen, bitter memory of Broad Street, overflowing, over the brim, with Late to a tute Blem outside the Kings Arms Is that the Rad Cam??? All people, weighed down by bullet-sized smiles. We’re wading through smoke, caustic chloroform, Until paralysed, until parasites Infect our blinking, saccharine eyes. The same eyes that looked upon benign red brick With aspiration, see it crumble like sand Falling between fingers, feverishly slipping; As fast as the sweet trance of sleep. Who dares wonder whether we’ll cross bridges, Who’ll be the first to neck golden pints, or See the impossible black of a mortarboard? Who’ll ask if it’s too brave to dream again?

Illustrations by Isabella Lill

The Sun sets behind the trees (As it must, or else remain raw), Spindly branches starved of leaves, Until the freezing fiery glow disappears Behind an army of silhouetted bare twigs. I watch, And if I listen to the breeze I hear night. I stay, Until grey rain in twilight trickles Down the pane like a tear Falls, reluctantly Slithering down, down my cheek As I perch at the frosted glass to see If dawn will break again, Or if, maybe, She will hold steadfast.

LIFE

“SUPERSTITION AIN’T THE WAY” DID STEVIE WONDER GET IT RIGHT?

BY ISOBEL MERRIMAN

n my left wrist sits a tiny pies, sidestepping ladders, and avoiding of ‘cosmic faith’. silver star on a chain. On my cracks in the pavement. I’ve always loved For example, I have very little time for right hand, a ring my mother the idea that there are small signs that companies such as Paltrow’s ‘Goop’, which was given by her first serious the universe really is on our side. Not only deliberately generate anxieties and proboyfriend, to replace the one given to me do silly superstitions from my childhood mote expensive pseudo-solutions. After a by mine after we broke up last November. take me back to a more optimistic time, quick peruse of the ‘cosmic health’ section Around my neck rests a blue topaz crystal they can have other advantages too - if of Goop, I was slightly horrified to see that on a vintage chain. someone you fancy sneezes twice in front both her ‘Chill Child Calming Mist’ and It’s my superstitious nature that makes of you, you can inform them that you’re her ‘Psychic Vampire Repellent Mist’ had all these things meaningful to me. The c o s m i c a l l y obligated to completely sold out after retailing for £27 bracelet is a permanent replacement for a each – a bizarre side-effect of the circumlucky charm that I wore from my mock stances we currently find ourselves in. “ESPECIALLY A-Levels to Results Day, by which ‘Calming Mist’, a mixture of rose water NOW, PUTTING YOUR point both my nerves and the string and essential oils like lavender and bracelet were hanging on by a chamomile, has been referred to as FAITH IN THE COSMOS IS thread. The blue topaz is a healing “a mix between a humidifier and a MORE TEMPTING THAN crystal, meant to inspire creativriot cannon” by comedian Richard ity, making it the perfect crystal for Ayoade, so it’s not hard to see how it EVER” writer’s block and arguably the reason might appeal to a home-schooling parent this article met its deadline. I’ve always during a global pandemic. But whilst the found these little charms to be a source give them a peck. (“Once a wish, twice a benefits of aromatherapy are scientifically of comfort and reassurance, but it’s hard kiss.”) proven, most brands with similar products not to consider the often insidious nature It can be comforting to see signs that retail for about half the price as they don’t of superstition. Whilst there’s nothing the moves we’re making are the right claim to possess the paranormal powers wrong with some meaningful jewellery or ones, to believe that wishes can come true Goop peddles. the odd ritual, is it dangerous for us to put and that the universe has a master plan What makes Goop so insidious is too much faith into the unknown? for us. Especially now, putting your faith what it’s really selling: a superstitious We all have our quirky superstitions, in the cosmos and turning to the oracles superciliousness (try saying that quickfrom lucky numbers to little rhymes about for answers is more tempting than ever. ly) – a cosmic superiority that suggests pennies - harmless fun that raises our spirWhat I’m suggesting therefore isn’t a benefits above and beyond the product’s its, or just things we grew up with. I still detachment from your spirituality, but an scientific properties. This is a dangerously find myself looking out for pairs of magavoidance of the more insidious elements enticing idea and a risky way to search for CHERWELL

LIFE reassurance as it often comes at the cost of rationality and faith in medical science. The danger of this is that it introduces new anxieties, such as the fear of psychic attack and emotional harm, and then suggests that this alternative cause for unhappiness must be solved by alternative (and expensive) means. Being emotionally exhausted, stressed, or drained at points in our life is normal and shouldn’t be catastrophised into a ‘psychic attack’ as an exploitative marketing ploy. Creating an incorporeal enemy on which to blame these emotions deters from scientific solutions to mental health that have their basis in psychiatric study rather than psychic intuition and for which there are plenty of free resources! Meditation that aims to alleviate anxiety can still be supported with the burning of calming essential oils or a focus on healing crystals, but oils and crystals alone can’t singlehandedly solve the problem, and it’s dangerous to suggest that they can. When these products fail to provide answers, some even turn to contemporary energy healers and fortune tellers for guidance and comfort, trusting their

extortionate prices to be an indication of their success. The average ‘energy healer’ costs £200 an hour and their new remote healing services in response to social distancing measures seem particularly sketchy. After a brief phone call about your particular concern one healer will hang up and then call afterwards to discuss the ‘energy transmission’ she’s just supposedly performed. I can’t help but imagine her hanging up the phone, making a cup of tea and curling up with the telly on before calling again, but maybe I’m just a cynic. Meanwhile, my nearest psychic centre is currently offering clairvoyant telephone readings for £80 an hour, with the website stating that “our psychics are ready to provide validation about your life.” And they probably will provide at least superficial validation, but at a price. They do this through the use of ‘Barnum statements’, general characterisations attributed to an individual that could apply to almost anyone. Similarly to how when we read a horoscope we actively seek a correspondence between

SOCIAL MEDIA ROUND-UP

what it says about our star sign and our perception of our own personality, this is how psychics convince you they have paranormal powers. They prey on vulnerable people using this effect and whilst their clients may leave feeling validated, it’s only a temporary fix. Meaningful validation ultimately comes from within, and not every question in life can be answered. Psychic predictions of the future may make us feel more prepared, but ultimately they are an empty comfort. Part of coping in this current climate is learning to accept uncertainty and embrace it. But I am still going to read my Cosmopolitan horoscope once a month. Maybe when I do eventually meet that ‘tall, handsome stranger’ I’ve been told I’m due, it will be nothing more than my own confirmation bias, but otherwise I might have missed him. I also refuse to part with my lucky charms, and if you ever do sneeze twice in front of me, watch out. There’s nothing wrong with a little superstition, as long as it’s a positive force in your life and you know that, ultimately, only you can decide your fate.

I’m a disillusioned first year. I came to this uni convinced that I was so passionate about my subject, and now two terms in I found myself looking back on who I was in Year 13 and wishing I had her drive, her self-discipline, her enthusiasm. How do I go back? Before now, academia has never been a chore. I used to love getting stuck into the world of my subject, thinking deeply about all parts of the spec and having it swimming around my head, ready to chat to anyone and everyone about what we were learning. I’m afraid of all the things I have to know but don’t. When will I adjust? You know what, I hear you. Everyone looks back wistfully on their adolescence; picture the Julia Roberts of Norwich (Naughty Norwich as called it), Head Girl, Netball Captain, juggling many, many men, all whilst her almost-surgically-perfect nose is in some Foucault. She reads outside the spec of her Sociology A Level, just for shits and gigs. But how, how did she end up coated in dog fur, a glass (bottle) of wine in hand whilst caressing a singed Duran Duran vinyl? Where did it all go wrong?? Anyway hear me, people change, priorities change, pleasures change, and that’s ok. It’s alright not to want to be balls deep in T.S. Eliot all the time (take that as you will). The intensity of an Oxford term is abnormal, and you can’t put too much pressure on yourself to be fully immersed all the time – it’s impossible. Chances are you’re actually absolutely smashing it! So why not take up something new outside your studies? University is a bit of a balancing act; setting aside some time to do something other than work will not only give you a bloody good break, but might make that little bit of macroeconomics all the more enjoyable when you do crack down on it. Lean into the craziness of Oxford a little bit, allow yourself to not know things. You’ll grow academically and socially. It will come. Trust the process. CHERWELL

LIFE Cai Chemistry St. Hugh’s

CHERPSE

Charlie Spanish & Italian Jesus

Taking you back to the glorious days of Chatroulette, Cherwell Virtual Blind Dates is bringing love to your computer screen. Pioneering our first ever Zoom Blind Date: Cai and Charlie.

First impressions? He seemed kind, friendly and relaxed, and had a nice voice. Did it meet up to your expectations? Yeah, we had some interesting discussions and didn’t realise that we hated each other on a fundamental level, so all in all I’d call that a win. What was the highlight? Probably talking about the ethics of gene-based targeted adverts. What was the most embarrassing moment? There wasn’t really an embarrassing moment during the call, save for a hiccup in getting the call going that made him think I’d stood him up. Describe the date in 3 words: Interesting, fun and uplifting Is a second date on the cards? I would hope so: we’ve added each other on Facebook and I’d certainly at least want to remain friends

John Evelyn

First impressions? Given that the link didn’t work for half an hour, my first impression was “thank God I haven’t been stood up”, so pure relief. Did it meet up to your expectations? In general, speaking to a stranger over zoom was less awkward than you might think. I was expecting a 40 minute silence, but that’s not what happened. What was the highlight? “Is your water hard or soft?”

What was the most embarrassing moment? Apart from the panic around the link not working, probably when we got onto genetics (don’t ask me how) and he mentioned alcoholism while I was taking a sip of wine. Describe the date in 3 words: Enjoyable. Funny. Wholesome. Is a second date on the cards? As friends, yes.

rewin court lies empty, but its spirit lives on, not just in the termly anti-fascist graffiti on its walls. The internet, groaning under the load of piles of self-promotion and podcasts, is where this term’s bare-faced backstabbing will occur. A coalition made more stable by isolation, the Short Man and the Circular Mertonian remain in unusual union. Scheming is hard given only ten meters separation, an app to minimize time CHERWELL

spent at the shops seems an efficient way to lower that risk further. One wonders if BNC’s finest will soon been invited to lodge, but a legacy of premature departures make a risky flatmate. Not to be outdone, the Irish Priest’s collection of choirboys has also migrated online. Oriel’s finest and the Lone Lefty have combined. One must admire their imagination, and pity the poor students ravaged by hacks before they have even arrived.

SPORT

Football’s American-style statistical revolution By Paul Wang

he 2017-18 Premier League season may go down as one of the most significant in football history. Manchester City, led by legendary manager Pep Guardiola, broke Premier League records for biggest winning margin, most consecutive wins, most points, most goals, and best goal difference. This level of sustained brilliance was unprecedented and set a new benchmark for top-flight success. However, the introduction of the expected goals (xG) metric on BBC’s Match of the Day programme meant that season was arguably even more revolutionary for the footballing world. Statistical data was included in the mainstream football conversation, at a time when it was already a staple of American sports. In the US, the analytics revolution had started with ‘Moneyball’ in Major League Baseball (MLB), but has since become a key part of the other Big Four sports, including the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following the installation of playertracking cameras in all NBA arenas in 2013, basketball has incorporated data analysis into the decision-making process for resting players, recruitment, and in-game coaching. For instance, testing players’ saliva became commonplace as a way to gauge their fatigue levels. Shot maps, which showed the percentage of shots that were made, out of those taken, from each area of the court were used by coaches to determine which shots were

most efficient. One of the revolutionary changes in the way basketball was played, the increased reliance on the three-point shot, owed much to calculations of the expected points metric from different areas of the floor. The recent stats revolution of football has coincided with the rise of data-collection services such as Opta Sports. Liverpool FC, the Premier League leaders, have famously taken a statistics-based approach to transfers, as their American owners have encouraged the use of data in transfer decisions; the club’s owner, John W. Henry, is also the owner of the Boston Red Sox, an MLB team, and has brought the Moneyball mentality across the pond. Much like in the NBA, data analysis has not just been used for recruitment but has also caused an evolution in the way football is played. Crossing, once a prominent tactic in English football, has been shunned in favour of ground passes as the data has shown the latter to be more effective in chance creation. Additionally, the popularity of long-range shooting has declined, since long shots are unlikely to result in a goal, even for specialists in the art like Ruben Neves. Sporting data, however, is not homogeneous across different sports. Kirk Goldsberry, who is credited with leading the NBA’s statistical revolution, draws a clear distinction between the probaCHERWELL

bilistic data found in baseball and the cartographical data in basketball. While stop-start sports, such as baseball, are better-suited to analytics, dynamic sports, such as football or basketball, are better approached in a different way. Since spatial positioning is as integral to football as it is to basketball, football has much to learn from the NBA’s usage of cartography, such as shot maps. Premier League teams could use empirical data analysis to determine the zones from which each player shoots most accurately and incorporate the results into their tactical plan. Given that out-of-context discrete data, such as assist counts, is often useless for making qualitative judgements in both football and basketball, it is time for the Premier League to follow the NBA’s reliance on contextual data. For example, football could place a heavier emphasis on efficiency over raw numbers in the case of goals, by looking at the deviation from xG when judging a striker’s effectiveness. The use of data analysis in football may be more difficult, given how the passages of play are not as easily segmented as in the MLB or NBA, but it is by no means impossible. Although data analysis in football may never reach the level found in the MLB, NBA or NFL due to its more fluid nature, football should seek to close the gap. Given the fine margins that make the difference in the sport, insights found in the data could well convert a potential loss into a valuable win.

PROFILES

IN CONVERSATION WITH DR XAND L U C A S J O N E S TA L K S T O D R A L E X A N D E R VA N T U L L E K E N A B O U T C H I L D R E N ’ S T E L E V I S I O N, P U B L I C H E A LT H , A N D T H E C O R O N AV I R U S C R I S I S .

loss of taste and smell is now widely recognised as a key symptom of Covid-19. When I spoke with Dr Alexander van Tulleken (Dr Xand, to his viewers) this link hadn’t been officially established. However, he was certain that it proved he had the virus. “Anecdote is a more powerful tool in medicine than we give it credit for,” he explains, noting that although studies had not proved a conclusive link between loss of sensation and the disease, reports from South Korea strongly suggested one exists. In a post-truth world, the suggestion that our trust should be placed in anecdotes may raise some eyebrows, but Xand, as he’s usually known, knows what he’s talking about. While he may be best known as the presenter of programmes like Operation Ouch and The Twinstitute, Dr. Xand also has an impressive medical background. With qualifications from Somerville College and Harvard Medical School under his belt, he made a name for himself as an editor of the Oxford Handbook of Humanitarian Medicine, and a senior research fellow at Fordham University, New York. His career as a senior medical analyst has seen him report on health crises around the globe, covering the Ebola epidemic in the United States and working with the World Health Organisation, Merlin, and other significant health charities. “I was quite lazy at school,” Xand says, “I would have loved to do an English degree or a History degree, but I would have sunk without a trace.” He points to the nature of the degree as one of the key reasons he wanted to study medicine, arguing that he needed the structure to keep him on track. He concedes that there was also a family element involved. “There’s this sort of reinforcing virtuousness about saying that you want to be a doctor,” he laughs, “people start to treat you like a doctor when you’re fifteen.” Perhaps this explains why Xand and Chris (his identical twin brother), followed such similar paths. Both hold medical degrees

from Oxford University, and both studied Tropical Medicine afterwards. Intriguingly, they both started presenting at the same time, doing a documentary series called Medicine Men Go Wild, which examined indigenous medicine. Since then they have worked together on several television projects, most famously Operation Ouch. “There was never a moment when either of us went ‘I’m going to pivot to presenting’” says Xand, making it clear that his main interest is still humanitarian medicine. However, that hasn’t stopped him from presenting an impressive selection of programmes. “We got asked to do more stuff,” he explains, “we had a strange thing that we were twins, and twins are very useful on telly because you have a built-in relationship that can be very silly or antagonistic and still be comfortable.” The Van Tulleken twins put this relationship to full use in many of their shows, acting as human ‘lab-rats’ for experiments ranging from alcohol intake to acupuncture. The twins are probably best known for their children’s series Operation Ouch, a science show on CBBC that Xand describes as the “most intellectually demanding, morally engaging, complicated, scientifically accurate thing on the telly.” More on that in a moment. Asked whether he changes his register to get his ideas across the children w h o watch t h e

shows, he laughs. “On BBC 2 I would be reluctant to use the word ‘hypothesis’ whereas on Operation Ouch we use it routinely.” Children who don’t understand something, he explains, keep watching, whereas adults tend to switch off. Operation Ouch is, according to Xand, pitched at the level of first-year medical students. While this may seem ludicrous, his justification makes it clear that he isn’t joking. “You would think that children’s telly would be the undignified, s i l l y, boring, weird b i t o f a

PROFILES person’s career… instead it’s literally the virus spread. In keeping information to most intellectually stimulating.” Navigating themselves for the good of the country, the topics like alcohol, sex, and gender while government’s response looks more pieceremaining both appropriate and completely meal and disorganised than it actually is. In inclusive is no mean feat. The brothers other words, “PHE are doing a much better manage impressively, discussing concepts as job than they can ever get credit for”. advanced as saltatory nerves The coronavirus crisis will and iron channels not treat everyone without ever equally, Xand is bru“We’ll recover from deviating from the tally honest about Covid-19. Unfortunately, I juvenile humour that. “I think we think this is not the big one. I that characterises are going to get the show. a massive tension think in our lifetime we will Getting messages between desperate see worse pandemics” about health and wellattempts to slow the being out to the population spread of the virus and the has never been more important than it is absolute desperation of people who are alright now. I asked Xand his thoughts on the ready in extreme poverty or who have fallen government’s response to the Covid-19 paninto extreme poverty. For many people demic as someone who has been delivering the big consequence of this virus will be a public health messages to the UK for years. plunge into poverty from which they cannot He immediately refuted my suggestion that escape.” The long-term problems associated his work was primarily concerned with with this pandemic will be more to do with public health. “Most of what we’re trying to economics than health, and the short-term make,” he responded, “is entertainment… I victims of the lockdown certainly won’t be try not to say ‘here’s how to live your life.’” the politicians. There’s a whole social eleTrue as that may be, he hasn’t shied ment to the crisis as well: many people will away from public health work in the current inevitably be trapped with their abusers and circumstances. Since the start of the pansingle parents will have to juggle a daunting demic he has appeared as a medical advisor set of tasks. on several television shows, responding to Since this interview took place, Xand questions on BBC’s Newsround and filming has made a full recovery. He continues to a documentary about self-isolation for answer the nation’s questions on television, Channel 4. Despite his modesty, he is clearly providing a reassuring, expert presence in a more than qualified to comment on the world of terrifying news. The UK, however, government’s response. continues to see cases rise in line with “I think that Public Health England Xand’s tentative predictions. Not all of (PHE) have one of the most difficult jobs these have stood the test of time: his sugin the world at the moment.” Although he gestion that the disease has been spreading concedes that many of PHE’s publications “unchecked” in Africa clearly didn’t considw aren’t as visually appealing as they could er the speed at which many nations have be, he also reminds me that “that isn’t their gone into lockdown, potentially arresting job.” Instead, the organisation has to put out the spread of the virus. clear material for local community leaders to Health experts are still on the edge of reinterpret in ways that will accommodate their seats: Ecuador has provided with us a for everyone in Britain. The respect he has grim reminder of what the outbreak can do for PHE’s response to the crisis is audible, to developing countries. Boris Johnson has he takes the opportunity to emphasise the had a brush with the virus that put him in unique difficulties of planning such a rethe ICU, and the discussion has turned to sponse. “In doing the messaging correctly,” how the population will be released from says Xand, “the government will look bad lockdown. Some of Xand’s predictions have and chaotic… You think ‘well, that’s terrible played out, some haven’t. Only time will tell communication’ but it’s not. That’s perfect how this plays out. public health.” This is how Xand explains the Along with these predictions about the Prime Minister’s seemingly sudden decision current outbreak, however, there comes a to put the country into ‘lockdown’. Public much more chilling warning. “We’ll recover health announcements clearly change our from Covid-19,” says Xand, “unfortunately, behaviour, often in a way that helps the I think this is not the big one. I think in our CHERWELL

lifetime we will see worse pandemics.” Coming from anyone else, this prediction would seem like an alarmist conspiracy theory. But it’s coming from Dr. Xand, and he clearly knows what he’s talking about. When is the UK going to return to normality? – Ayesha Khan “This will leave a very significant scar in everyone’s minds and some people’s bodies in the way that huge global events like September 11th often do. Life goes back to normal, but not quite. We will get our lives back, for sure. Most people are happy to get on the train and go to the park with this virus circulating, so clearly this is not a virus that will in itself change our behaviour. Our behaviour is being changed by rules and regulations and as soon as those are lifted to some extent our lives will go back to normal. I would say the next twelve weeks are going to be really, really unpleasant in terms of what we see on the news. In the end the virus is not stoppable in any proper way, we can slow it down but the health service will inevitably be overwhelmed. I would think that by the end of the summer with testing increased and more knowledge about the denominator we are going to have a much clearer picture of how to respond. I would think that in a year’s time things will look very much better for most people.” Is there going to be a dramatic rethink of the economy post Covid-19? – Sam Millward “No. I think basically people are idiots and as a species we’re doing an absolutely terrible job of everything. What’s a slightly more intellectual way of phrasing that? There have always been heroic people throughout history who we’ve ignored: The Labour Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movement. So many people have resisted the bad forces of greed and capitalism through the centuries but essentially, we have built a world which seems to require its own destruction and I don’t believe we’ll stop doing that. If you look at our behaviour with regard to climate change, if you look at the way we ran the economy post-2008 we seem absolutely unwilling to put long-term benefit over short-term gain. Given our willingness to ignore things that are definitely going to happen and be bad for us, I feel very, very pessimistic about our ability to change anything significant.”

FOOD

THE KITCHEN AS A POLITICAL SPACE Ruth Thrush

n the famous words of Betty Friedan, “No woman gets an orgasm from shining the kitchen floor.” Friedan is spot on, not only for stating what should be a rather obvious fact about female pleasure, but more so for defining the kitchen as something beyond a place where food is cooked: the kitchen is a political space. The kitchen has become tied to an idealised kind of femininity, one that teaches women that domestic labour is a labour of love. It is not just food, appliances, worktops and dirty dishes that make a room a kitchen – but the difficult, often boring, undervalued physical and mental labour of our mothers, carers, girlfriends and sisters. The kitchen is a site of specifically gendered tension, a room that both symbolically and literally prevents women from leaving the world of the domestic. This is not to say, of course, that men don’t cook. But the cultural understanding of men occupying the kitchen differs. Men are ‘chefs’; women are ‘cooks’. Men tend to ‘enter into’ the kitchen whereas women are understood to be already there. When a man cooks, it is because he wants to – when a woman does, it is because it is expected of her.

In other words, we understand the kitchen to be a woman’s space and a woman’s responsibility. Despite my dad being a proud feminist, it is my mum who organises what meals we will eat every week, what food we need to buy, who will cook and when. Despite this, I don’t think that the kitchen is an entirely oppressive space. But there are some changes that need to be made in order for us to realise its liberating potential. The first of these is that we need to re-evaluate the work that goes on in the kitchen. Cooking should not only be a means to an end, but an enjoyable and fulfilling task. Taking time to cook and connect with the food we eat can be a therapeutic act. We also need to appreciate the difficulty of cooking and recognize it as a form of labour; it is not something that appears magically as a by-product of love or femininity. In her polemical essay, “Wages Against Housework”, Silvia Federici advocates wages for domestic labour, not as an end in itself, but rather to eschew that work and labour are natural to women. Admitting this, according to Federici, is the first step in refusing the labour that was forced upon us. Regardless of whether we agree with Federici or not,

CHERWELL

it is important to note that recognition of domestic labour is not a justification of it, but rather a means of opening up debate. Having the idea of ‘the kitchen as a space’ can facilitate these conversations. They do not need to take the form of highfalutin political discourse; in fact, quite the opposite. The simple act of cooking together, for example, can lead to relatively trivial conversations which carry large consequences. Eating together, too, can provide a platform for discussion of domestic labour. And often actions speak louder than words. Every time a man washes up, chops some vegetables or lays the table without it being viewed as something abnormal, then the political role of the kitchen changes. The real challenge, however, is to take the lessons learned in and from the kitchen to the outside world. Federici states, “Women have always found ways of fighting back […] but always in an isolated and privatised way. The problem, then, becomes how to bring this struggle out of the kitchen and bedroom and into the streets.” We must use the kitchen as a sanctuary when we need it to be one, as a place that allows us to nourish and look after ourselves. But we must also use it as a political springboard, as a space in which we can educate ourselves and others on the role and impact of domestic labour and which can lead to broader societal change. Full version online

COVER ARTIST CHARLOTTE BUNNEY

‘MAY MORNING’

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