Cherwell - 5th week Hilary 2021 by Cherwell

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Vol.293 No.4 | 5th week

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Friday, 19th February 2021

100 YEARS

A century of independence since 1920

TEN COLLEGES NOT PAYING REAL LIVING WAGE

Rachel Muir Cherwell has found that at least ten Oxford colleges were still not paying the real Living Wage of £9.30 per hour to all of their permanent employees and casual workers as of 16th December 2020. Balliol, Brasenose, Exeter, Keble, St Anthony’s, St Catherine’s, St Edmund Hall, St John’s, Trinity, and Wolfson were all paying their lowest-earning adult workers a basic wage of less than £9.30 per hour, whilst Magdalen and Wadham have not yet responded. Despite the basic rate being less than £9.30 per hour, some colleges pointed out that they offered a number

of benefits which provided for a total package that exceeded the real Living Wage. Wolfson College, for instance, listed amongst a long list of benefits a £200 Christmas bonus to all staff, meals whilst on duty, as well as 11 holiday days over the statutory allowance, which they claim is the equivalent to £792 per annum for a full-time employee paid £9 per hour. A spokesperson from Wolfson College told Cherwell that the basic benefits used by all staff are worth “almost £7,000, which translates into an additional £3.30 per hour on average.”

TOP STORIES Pub could be turned into community asset | 3 Oxford SU release summary of their work | 5 Wendy’s to open on Magdalen Street | 6 New research into decision making | 6

ALSO INSIDE Science & Tech: Male contraception | 7 Music: Sounds like home | 9 Features: Omnipresent Oppressors | 12 Sport: Test Cricket: England in India | 15

Furthermore, Balliol, Brasenose, Exeter, St Anthony’s, St Edmund Hall, and St John’s College stressed that it is only casual workers who are not paid the real Living Wage, and that all permanent employees are paid at least £9.30 per hour. Moreover, in some cases, holiday uplift for casual workers effectively took the hourly rate to above £9.30 per hour. Philip Parker, Chair of the Estates Bursars Committee for the Conference of Colleges told Cherwell: “College employees receive generous benefits that are not included in hourly pay

calculations, including longer holidays, valuable pensions and free meals. In addition, the college data will often include students who work for the college in vacations, for example to support outreach work or commercial conferences; these students usually get subsidised accommodation.” In more positive news, this investigation has also shown that at least 17 colleges and PPHs now have formal accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation, which means that they are formally committed to paying the

real Living Wage. The real Living Wage is different from the government’s national living wage, which was introduced in April 2016 for all staff over 25 and is currently set at £8.72 per hour. The Living Wage Foundation’s website states: “This wage [the national living wage] is not calculated according to what employees and their families need to live. [...] The real Living Wage rates are higher because they are independently-calculated based on what people need to get by.” Furthermore, the real Living Wage covers all staff aged 18 and over. on

Continued Page 2.

Hundreds turned away from Oxford vaccination centre due to booking error Anvee Bhutani Over the weekend, hundreds of individuals reported being turned away from Oxford’s Kassam Stadium COVID-19 vaccination hub because of a booking error where some social care professionals who were offered jab appointments were then told there is no vaccine for them. While no definitive

party has been identified as being responsible for the situation, confusion may have resulted from a list posted on the National Careers Service website that included early years providers, including nursery staff and childminders, as social care workers who were included in this phase of the roll out and were therefore offered ap-

pointments for jabs. Frontline community healthcare workers have already been given their vaccinations. Nonetheless, those who were turned away expressed their frustration. An early years teacher from a north Oxford school called the system “chaotic shambles” for instance Continued on Page 3.

News | Friday, 19th February 2021

WHAT’S INSIDE LEADER Dear Bojo, Love From A Classics Student

NEWS Oxford pub could become a community asset Research into novel decisions

3 6

SCIENCE & TECH Toe-vid 19? A new symptom

COMMENT The future-present in Taiwan Brick Lane gentrification France’s neocolonial present

9 10 11

FEATURES Omniscient oppressor: the Uyghur genocide

SPORT England in India: The Tests keep coming

The real Living Wage was increased in November 2020 to £9.50 per hour, meaning that the 17 colleges and PPHs who are accredited Living Wage Employers will have to increase their minimum hourly wage to £9.50 by 9th May 2021 at the latest. Several other colleges, despite not having formal accreditation, say that they are committed to paying in line with the recommendations of the Living Wage Foundation. Meanwhile, All Souls, Blackfriars, Campion Hall, Green Templeton, Kellogg, Merton, St Benet’s, and St Cross College were all paying at least the Oxford Living Wage of £10.21 per hour to all their workers and employees as of 16th December 2020. The Oxford Living Wage (OLW) is an hourly minimum wage which recognises the high cost of living in Oxford and is set annually at 95% of the London Living Wage. A spokesperson from

iven its fifth relate to Cicero in your stab at academia week - you being a great mass via modern history r e m e m b e r debater, he was a might have been half fifth week member of a fading decent if it wasn’t transparently from your time at elite, ultimately so Oxford - I thought out of touch as the an exercise in selfI’d be self indulgent public rioted and the a g g r a n d i s e m e n t implicit and use my column to traditional checks and through You entreat you to Stop. balances of the state comparison. might as well have Mentioning. Your. collapsed. Degree. In fairness, I doubt written that Churchill Honestly, it’s rough that you realised your actually had floppy enough to make reference was so on white hair and a string through university the nose. Let alone of lovers disguised as and a pandemic but it falling short of famous business aides. How much longer, seems that you’re oh Boris, should responsible for “Stop with your we suffer your both my subject’s megalomania? You poor rep and the have the country’s poor transparent attempts don’t ‘Churchill Factor’, state. the Cicero factor When the to put the classism or for that matter, pandemic broke why are we letting out, you quoted Cicero to a summit back into classicism.” you away with this? Every time you of health officials and ministers: ‘Salus classical figures, you drop a quote from the populi suprema lex can’t even make it Iliad or similar, you esto’ (or for anyone amongst classical feed off the reputation who actually has felt scholars; ‘Probably that access initiatives the touch of a sexual the worst scholar are trying to shake. partner, ‘let the health Eton ever sent us - a Your references are of the people be the buffoon and an idler’, inaccessible, but I supreme law’). Yikes. a former tutor told the think that you prefer subject gateFor all you might Guardian. Meanwhile, the

Oxford City Council told Cherwell: “The Oxford Living Wage has been created to promote liveable earnings for workers. It reflects the fact that Oxford is one of the most expensive cities to live in the UK, and helps accredited employers demonstrate they value their workforce. With expensive housing in the city, many workers have to choose between spending more money to live in the city, or more on travel to get to work.” The University of Oxford announced last February that it was committing to paying all its employees at least the Oxford Living Wage. However, since Oxford colleges are independent employers, they were left to make their own decisions about the OLW. Many colleges are still far off paying all their workers a base rate of £10.21 per hour. As of 16 December 2020, 53% of adult staff, including casual workers, employed by

Corpus Christi College in non-academic and non-administrative positions were paid below £10.21 per hour. At Lady Margaret Hall this figure was 53.98%, at St Catherine’s 56%, and at St Edmund Hall 59%. A spokesperson from the Oxford City Living Wage Campaign (OCLWC) told Cherwell: “Most of the low paid, insecurely employed (“temporary”) staff who work in Oxford University Colleges are working class, female and BAME people. Many are migrant workers who do not speak English as a first language. “One of the main lessons of the coronavirus crisis has been to re-evaluate the status of so called unskilled and semiskilled workers now that their economic contribution is shown to be “essential” and pivotal to the functioning of society and the economy.” Read the full article at www.cherwell.org

Leader

DEAR BOJO, LOVE FROM A CLASSICS STUDENT

JESS CURRY kept. This way you can use the cultural capital that this elitism commands to make a clear political statement; I am clever than you. Of course, a circle jerk worked better at boarding school than it does as the foundations for policy making for the country. If only your desperate need for attention and clout had been sated as Mayor, you could have whiled away your years as a semi-senile sex pest in some tax haven, rather than having to cope with the stress of making

a mess of all our lives. Stop with your transparent attempts to put the classism back into classicism. The subject has enough of a bad rep without your halfarsed, semi-coherent, self-aggrandising quote marks - the country’s not a tutorial and if it was, maybe your dangerous waffle would have been called out by now. At the very least, stop treating the British people like your Union debate chamber, we’re not going to clap for you.

Friday, 19th February 2021 | News Continued from Page 1. after being forced to leave on Saturday evening and a member of staff estimates that “at least 200 people” were turned away on Saturday alone, many of them having driven long distances from around the county.The teacher told the Oxford Mail: “I am so angry. They have given people false hope and wasted our time. They had our contact details but made no attempt to let us know, which is a basic courtesy. They would rather sit back, let hundreds of people turn up and turn them away in the car park. Early year providers are working

throughout the pandemic and are struggling at high risk without the financial support to buy appropriate PPE and sanitising products. Pre-schools have been open since September and we are all worried and anxious. Mistakes like this should not happen. The lack of respect for the early years sector is unforgivable. And we haven’t been given any indication of when we can actually get our jabs.” A nursery worker Karen Ratcliff (62 from Wantage) was also turned away, and told the Oxford Mail, “Girls have had their holidays cancelled, they

3 book a week off at home and then have to come in. We look after all these kids. It is really upsetting, I usually work part-time but I have been working full-time. I am 62, I do not want to be working full-time anymore. It is exhausting.” Oxfordshire County Council asserted that these early staff should not have access to jabs and a spokesperson for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust commented: “We continue to vaccinate people in priority cohorts set by the JCVI, and local authorities are identifying eligible social care staff. People who booked in

error are rightly asked to wait their turn so that we can prioritise those eligible for vaccination at this time, including older residents and those who are clinically vulnerable.” The professional membership association for nursery workers, the Early Years Alliance, said in a statement: “We are aware that a number of early years providers and their staff have been able to book appointments for coronavirus vaccines after the online booking system was opened up to social care workers for self-referral this week. However, we also know that some early years

Lamb & Flag could be turned into community asset Daisy Aitchison Oxford Liberal Democrats have suggested that the Lamb and Flag pub, which was run by St John’s College, could be turned into an asset of community value. The scheme would involve a community group buying the historic pub to prevent any potential future owners from demolishing the venue or changing the building’s use without planning permission. Last month, St John’s College announced that the pub, which opened in 1566 and moved to its current site on St Giles street in 1613, had become unviable and would be closing for good on the 31st January due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The news was greeted with dismay by groups such as the Campaign for Real Ale and Oxford Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran. At the time, St John’s Deputy Bursar said the pub had been “hard hit by the pandemic” and that “the college, as a charity, is not allowed to financially support a loss-making business

that is not part of its core charitable objectives”. The pub was famously frequented by literary legends such as JRR Tolkein and CS Lewis. It was also said to have inspired parts of Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure. Now the Liberal Democrat councillor and city council opposition leader Andrew Gant has also stated his desire to see the long term future of the pub secured. Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he described the Lamb and Flag as a “historic institution” and pledged that he would work to ensure the pub had not “pulled its last pint because of the pandemic”. The Liberal Democrats have also launched a wider campaign to try and prevent other Oxford pubs from closing due to the pandemic. A petition has been set up asking for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to be extended for as long as social distancing remains in place. In response to speculation about the future of the pub,

St John’s has said: “Following Lamb & Flag (Oxford) Limited’s announcement that the company will close and cease trading at the pub effective 31 January 2021, St John’s College has received a number of enquiries about future operations at the pub. The College is encouraged by the support and appreciation shown for The Lamb & Flag, which confirm the special place it holds in Oxford’s history.

“The pub will remain in the College’s ownership and the focus now is to work to look beyond the present situation and ensure the pub’s longterm future is secured. “Given the challenges the College faces during the COVID-19 restrictions, the College is not in a position to discuss future commercial arrangements for the pub at this stage. However, despite the immediate

providers have been turned away at centres and from the 119 booking system. We continue to make the case for Covid-19 vaccines to be made available to all early years providers across the country, once the most vulnerable have received their vaccine, and are calling for clear and official guidance to avoid any ambiguity on this. Vaccinations for early years providers must be offered on a national basis and providers should not have to contend with a post-code lottery for access to the protection they deserve as they carry out their vital roles.”

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uncertainties, the College remains optimistic for the longer term future of the Lamb & Flag pub.” Profits from the pub were used in the past to finance scholarships for graduates studying at St John’s College. Eligible students coud get up to £20,000 a year to help with living costs. The college has since confirmed that it will continue to offer funds to eligible students directly. Image: oxfordmaps

News | Friday, 19th February 2021

NHS contact tracing app may have prevented 200,000 to 900,000 infections Charlie Hancock Researchers from the University of Oxford and the Alan Turing Institute have found that the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app may have prevented 200,000-900,000 people becoming infected between October 1st 2020 and December 31st. The app, which was downloaded onto 21 million smartphones out of 33.7 million compatible units, was used to alert users about the COVID-19 alert level in their area and whether

they had come into close contact with anyone who had tested positive for the virus. For every person who shared their positive test result with the app, an average of 4.4 other people were alerted and told to self-isolate. Most alerts occurred during the second half of December when transmission rates increased. Through analysing over 1.5 million notifications sent by the app, the researchers found that between 200,000900,000 infections were averted. For every 1% of

people who used the app, the number of cases fell by 0.8%-2.3%. Christophe Fraser, Professor of Pathogen Dynamics at Oxford University’s Big Data Institute, said, “Our work confirms the NHS COVID-19 app is sending exposure notifications to relevant contacts. Isolating when receiving a notification from the app contributes to preventing the spread of the virus.” When the researchers compared two areas with similar demographics and levels of COVID re-

strictions, the area with the higher uptake of the app had significantly fewer COVID cases. “The data also suggests that if all areas had reached a usage similar to the areas with the highest uptake, we would have had 200,000 to 400,000 fewer cases on top of those averted already,” added David Bonsall, Principal Investigator at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University’s Nuffield Department of Medicine. Research produced

Oxford City Council calls for vaccine to be accessible to all Jill Cushen Oxford City Council is supporting a campaign to remove bureaucratic barriers that prevent people in the UK from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The government has stated that everyone living in the UK will be able to access the vaccine, however failure to provide the right documentation as well as fear of accessing healthcare services are preventing people from receiving the vaccine. Migrant communities, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are among those who are being disproportionately impacted in the vaccine rollout. The City Council has added its name to a statement written by a coalition of 140 organisations urging the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that the vaccine is accessible to everyone. Migrant rights’ charities, health institutions, trade unions, faith groups and local authorities are all signatories of the state-

ment initiated by the Patients Not Passports campaign. They call on ministers to take action to end the “Hostile Environment” and allow everyone living in the UK regardless of immigration status, ID or proof of address to receive the vaccine. Oxford City Council is one of two local councils to join the campaign with Haringey Council also pledging their support. In order to receive the vaccine, people are required to show ID and must be registered with a GP. According to the UK government website, a person does not need to provide proof of address or immigration status when registering with a GP but can be refused registration under certain grounds. The Council is urging residents to register with a GP if they have not already done so. Last week the government said that people living illegally in the UK would not be at risk of deportation as there would be no checks on immigration at vaccine centres. However, the coalition states that this does

not go far enough to ensure that people are not left unvaccinated. In a press release on the Oxford City Council website, Councillor Dr Hosnieh DjafariMarbini said: “This welcome step from the government makes it clear that the Hostile Environment is a public health failure.” Steve Valdez-Symonds from Amnesty UK told the BBC that many undocumented immigrants are “too afraid” to access healthcare services. He also added that “it has been the message, very clearly, from the government that access to health care is something that leads to information being passed about them to the immigration authorities”. Councillor Louise Upton said that Oxford City Council “believe it is in the interests of everyone that UK residents are able to access health care regardless of their migration status or homelessness. It’s not just the right thing for those individuals, these are people who live and work in our city and we know them as part of our communities

and our businesses. Protecting their health is part of protecting all of us. We oppose any discrimination in government policy or the way it is delivered that denies them access to healthcare.” The Oxford charity Asylum Welcome also signed the call for action and said they were “proud” that Oxford City Council had joined the campaign. They also added that “temporary offers of safety are not enough to undo the decades of harm caused by policies that have embedded immigration controls into public services.” Oxford GP Dr Kathryn Brown stated: “As a GP and Clinical Director of a Primary Care

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by the Alan Turing Institute led to the app being updated to better identify high-risk contacts, and increase the number of notifications sent out per confirmed test.Before the update, a 1% increase in the number of people using the app reduced cases by 0.3-1.1%. The update reduced cases further to 0.9-2.3%. The NHS tracing app has also looked at adding vaccination status to its software - the app has been downloaded over 22 million times so far.

CITY Network I very much support the drive for improved healthcare access. Covid-19 has shed a fresh light on the impact of health inequalities and it is so important as we roll out the vaccine programme that it is accessible to everyone who is eligible and that we do all we can to support people accessing the life-saving vaccines no matter what their immigration status or living situation is. This is our chance to make lasting change to promote better access to healthcare for all and seek to improve the health gap that exists in our country not just for the vaccination programme but for the longer term.”

Friday, 19th February 2021 | News

5 UNIVERSITY

Oxford SU release summary of their work in 2020 Sasha Mills The outgoing SU committee, headed by SU President Nikita Ma, has released a summary of their accomplishments in 2020, as well as their key initiatives until the end of their term. Some of the key priorities that the SU outlined include digital resources, ensuring no rent is charged to students not in Oxford, and the fair outcomes for students campaign. Oxford SU have worked with the University to establish a new Mental Health Task Force, headed by Sir Tim Hitchens, President of Wolfson College. Some of the priorities for the task force include support for those affected by pandemic, including those self-isolating and those that have faced disciplinary measures

in light of Covid-19 rule breaches. The Mental Health Task Force will be providing an update on their work later this term. Alongside the open letters penned by other groups, the SU were involved in writing their own open letter calling on Oxford to tackle systemic racism within the University, and commit to initiatives such as making equality and diversity training for staff mandatory. This open letter was written by the previous 2019-20 SU committee. The SU are c u r rent ly working w i t h the University as representatives on their race equality taskforce. Some of the SU’s

largest achievements were in mandating the University to tackle the climate crisis. The Oxford Climate Justice Campaign, supported by the SU, led to a commitment from the University to formally divest from fossil fuel investments. The SU have also been mandated to lobby for the University to stop selling lamb a n d

beef, gaining

coverage in The Daily Mail, Unilad, The Metro and LBC, as well as - of course - Cherwell, which they have committed to until March 2021. The Oxford SU has also worked to support graduate students, expanding the University’s Covid-19 hardship fund. They plan to lobby for support for graduate students starting in 2021, particularly at the new Reuben College. 70% of common room elections were conducted through the SU (with 64,748 total votes cast), and the SU held 20 RepComms online in Michaelmas 2020 online. These are conferences designed to promote communication and support for common room representatives. The SU also launched

their online training platform, including workshops on issues such as disability training and training for socially distanced activities. 910 training sessions have been completed by students so far. Oxford SU are currently in the process of analysing the results of their sexual health education survey, which received over 1000 responses. This year, they hope to develop and deliver online sexual health education resources from “world experts.” From the 13th October 2019 to the 30th September 2020, the SU processed 1350 student advice cases, 87% of which raised two or more issues and are therefore classed as “complex” cases.

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WHO provides guidance on use of Oxford vaccine Yihang Fang The World Health Organisation (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) has produced guidelines for the emergency use of the coronavirus vaccine jointly developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

They recommend that two standard doses of the vaccine should be given at 8- to 12-week intervals, for people aged 18 and older. This is the current strategy adopted by the United Kingdom. Clinical trials have shown that this dosing regimen is safe and effective in

preventing symptomatic COVID-19. In particular, the WHO believes that the vaccine is safe and efficacious even among older adults. However, some countries have recommended the O x for d-A s t r a Z ene c a vaccine only to those aged below 65. Multiple

European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal do not recommend the vaccine for older adults due to insufficient trial data. Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity, and Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said in an Oxford University article, “The new guidance from WHO is an important milestone in extending access to the Oxford-AZ vaccine to all corners of the world and providing further endorsement that after rigorous scrutiny by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts the vaccine can be used to help protect populations from the coronavirus pandemic.” Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology, and Chief Investigator on the Oxford vaccine

trial, added, “It is excellent news that the WHO has recommended use of the SARS CoV-2 vaccine first produced in Oxford. This decision paves the way to more widespread use of the vaccine to protect people against COVID-19 and gain control of the pandemic.” The new guidance is a crucial step forward in achieving the University and AstraZeneca’s goal of providing global access to the vaccine, which is being made available on a not-for-profit basis during the pandemic. The vaccine is easily manufactured, transported and stored at domestic fridge temperature (2-8 degrees celsius). It can be easily administered in existing healthcare settings, allowing for the vaccine to be deployed rapidly around the world.

News | Friday, 19th February 2021

Wendy’s to open in Oxford on Magdalen Street Jill Cushen The popular US burger chain Wendy’s is set to rejoin the UK market with Oxford hosting the second new restaurant. The fast food restaurant company, founded in 1969 plans to relaunch its UK brand with the first store coming to Reading in early 2021. Under the current plan, the Oxford store will be located on 1 Magdalen Street. A planning application has been approved by Oxford City Council for Wendy’s shop front. The food giant is one of the largest and most successful burger outlets in the US behind only McDonald’s and Burger King and has more than 6,500 restaurants in operation. Speculation has been

rising since 2017 when the chain launched a one-day pop up store in London on Great QueenStreet. The company anounced in October 2019 that it would open 20 stores in Britain. The Mirror repor ted t h a t Wendy’s international div ision president and chief development officer Abigail Pringle said, “The United Kingdom will be our beachhead to European expansion. ” Wendy’s opened the UK branch of its fastfood chain in 1992 and had 10 stores nation-

wide. However, after 7 years, due to retail and operating costs, the company

left the UK. In 2000 McDonald’s paid £750,000 to take over Wendy’s 3 London sites. A spokesperson for

the chain quoted in the Oxford Mail has confirmed that the first UK store will open in Reading, and said that it is “very much looking forward” to reopening stores across the UK”. T h e Oxford restaurant will be housed in the premises previously occupied by the shoe shop Schuh. The store will be located next to the recentlyclosed Debenhams department store. Debenhams’ store in Oxford permanently closed in 2020 after its parent company

New research into novel decision making Ben Jureidini A newly published article in Nature has shed some light on how we make decisions, and also the closeness of the relationship between humankind and our nearest evolutionary relatives. A team of psychologists led by Oxford Professor Matthew Rushworth, including Dr. Alessandro Bongioanni and Dr Miriam Klein-Flügge, have shown that the area of the brain activated when monkeys make decisions using novel information matches that in humans. Previous studies suggested that humans and monkeys used different areas of their brain for decision making, but the work of the Rushworth group demonstrated that this difference was not due to technological error, but a difference in the type of decisions being studied – novel decisions

activate different neural regions to familiar decisions. Deciding to watch Bridget Jones’ Diary for the 3rd Valentine’s Day in a row activates the area of the brain associated with revisiting familiar information; a different system is activated when you have to choose make a novel decision, like popping on Bridgerton instead. Decisions involving novel rather than learned behaviour, requires the ability to speculate, hypothesise, and synthesise information, an ability typically assigned only to humans. According to Dr. Bongioanni in a blog post written about the paper, the conclusion of this study “bridges a gap between our knowledge of the human and the animal brains”: if rationality has been seen as a definitely human capacity, the demonstration of monkeys’ ability to undergo novel decision making in a way

similar to humans raises fascinating questions. The capacity for making novel decisions is present in both humans and primates, so how important is it to our day to day lives? We’ve all been spending a lot more time at home recently, and our daily routines are leading to stagnation, rather than to novelty. Speaking to Cherwell, Dr. Bongioanni speculated that although this increase in the proportion of familiar to novel experiences is advantageous from a decision-making perspective, in that familiar environments allow our brain to expend less effort, it may have less ameliorative effects in other areas of neurological health: “[T]his may not be great for us as human beings,”, says Dr. Bongioanni, “because novelty is usually enriching and stimulating, and falling into routines is likely to

cause a loss of motivation and even potential emotional disorders.” Although the neural circuitry for novel decision-making is similar in humans and primates, Dr. Bongioanni also pointed out that “boredom is a very specific human emotion”. Whilst it may be that the brains of the monkeys that took part in the experiment demonstrated the ability to respond to novel scenarios, animals “don’t get bored, they don’t mind repeating the same routines again and again”. Discussing the boredom that arises when our routines begin to stagnate, Dr. Bongioanni noted that the proclivity of younger people to get

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Arcadia went into administration.According to a research report published in November, takeaway and fast-food industry revenue in the UK is expected to grow to £19.1 billion over the next five years. A Wendy’s spokesperson told Big Hospitality: “‘The brand is excited to enter the UK with company owned and operated restaurants this year, and we are looking for franchisees to grow with us across the United Kingdom.” It is not yet known when the Oxford store can be expected to open, but it has been announced that they will be bringing over some well-known items on the menu like a Baconator and Frosty ice cream.

SCIENCE

bored more easily than older people i s “evolut ionary adaptive, because young people have more to learn”: the boredom we feel is a sign of our brain’s ability to constantly adapt to novelty. The area of the brain involved with novel decision making is far from isolated. Part of a wider neural circuit known as the Default Mode Network, this region of our brains activates “when we fantasise, or we think about ourselves or make future plans.” Perhaps we can combat the monotony of our current situation with exercise of the imagination. Dr. Bongioanni stresses the novelty of these ideas: “to understand precisely how this works will require a lot more research.”

Science and technology Friday, 19th February 2021 | Science & Tech

Contraceptive justice? Clara Marks describes the (lack of) research into male contraceptive methods.

n 1979, researchers in India first published that they were developing a form of hormonal male contraception, namely, ‘Reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance’ or RISUG. This non-surgical and reversible male contraception is injected into the vas deferens (the tubes transporting sperm from the testicle to the ejaculatory ducts). Over forty years on, RISUG is only just undergoing Phase 3 Clinical Trials. In stark contrast, the female combined oral contraceptive pill was researched, tested, mass-produced and widely available on the market in the US by 1960. Why did it take fifty years for substantial research into hormone-based male contraceptives to even begin and why are there still no options available besides surgery and condoms? The lack of non-surgical, longterm male contraceptive methods has real-life effects on women worldwide. UN data shows that

70% of global contraceptive users resort to female contraceptive methods over male ones. Even with surgical methods, available to both men and women, there is an imbalance - 23.7% of users were found to have had a hysterectomy or female tubal ligation while only 2% of users had a vasectomy. In 2006, Phase 3 Clinical Trials of a combined testosterone and progestin male contraceptive by US pharmaceutical companies Organon and Schering were dropped when Bayer bought Schering. The pharmaceutical giant’s reasoning for stopping the trials is unclear, but a lack of interest could be inferred. TIME magazine quotes the deputy director saying that “Once the acquisition was finalized, [Bayer] conducted a thorough review of the product portfolio to ensure that the business was investing resources in therapeutic areas that would bring the greatest benefits to patients while ensuring the company was operating in a financially responsible manner”.

How COVID-19 can affect toes and skin Matilda Gettins describes the COVID-19 symptom that is keeping us on our toes.

OVID toes” are a dermatological symptom of COVID-19. They“resemble chilblains”, which are red or purplish swellings one may experience if hands or feet are exposed to the cold for too long. They can feel itchy, cause pain or a sensation of burning. It is a widespread symptom. Over 200 articles in the Wiley Online Library have documented the phenomenon. However, it is not one of the 3 officially recognised symptoms on the NHS guidelines. During the first wave, a Spanish study examined data from 429 cases of dermatological symptoms associated with COVID-19 from 3 to 16 April 2020. Due to the low testing capacity available at the time, the study included both suspected and confirmed cases of COVID-19. It found “pseudo-chilblains” in 19% of cases, including cases on both the fingers and toes. These

symptoms were found to cause pain (32%), to itch (30%) or to give a burning sensation (11%). The study links the pseudochilblains with COVID-19 because dermatologists perceived an increased incidence of these lesions in a “warm weather period” and because “patients frequently had COVID-19 contacts”. Of the 71 patients with pseudo-chilblains, only one had a previous history of chilblains. Some scientists suggested that “COVID toes” might be related to a change in life-style due to COVID restrictions, and not to the virus. If children do not leave the house, but nonetheless fail to dress appropriately (e.g. not wear socks in the house) chilblains may occur even indoors. To further investigate if the swellings could be related to COVID-19, a different team of scientists investigated biopsy samples from the blood vessel cells of the feet of seven children. These children exhibited the symptoms of COVID toes but had

The early studies showed side effects of acne, weight gain, and mood issues. Bayer, which as one of the top sellers of female birth control has profited from products with the same, if not worse, side effects, may struggle to claim that the medication lacked scientific precedent. Women taking the combined pill face significant side-effects: headaches, weight gain, mood changes and decreased libido among others. The problem is that standards for safety are inconsistent and discriminatory. Alongside the medical burden caused by potential side-effects, women shoulder the financial burden of birth control. There is little investment into research about how men would react to new products existing, resulting in the unsubstantiated idea of a lack of interest remaining popular, despite no effort to prove or disprove it. However, recent research shows that there is a demand for equal access to contraception methods. A 2021 survey by 3Vraagt, as part of

the EenVandaag opinion panels, found that 65% of 16–34-yearolds in the Netherlands believed the responsibility to avoid pregnancy should be shared equally by both partners. Responsibility would, of course, be much easier to share, if there were a readily available, reversible, non-surgical, hormone-based contraception method for men. The Contraceptive Development Program’s (CDP) contraceptive skin gel shows promise in this respect. Much like the combined pill, it contains two main compounds: the progestin compound segesterone acetate, which makes the body believe it is making enough sperm and thus halt production, and testosterone to replace the low levels that progestin leads to. This maintains libido, and all men have to do is remember to rub the gel on their shoulders each morning, hardly more effort than the daily pill women ingest. However, progress is slow: speaking to IFLScience in January 2021, Dr Diana Blithe, Program Chief of the CDP, said that the gel would not be available in the next five years. Read the full article at www.cherwell.org.

neither respiratory symptoms nor a positive result following nasal swab PCR tests. Yet under a specialized microscope, the scientists found coronavirus particles in the sample. The study did not test for antibodies. COVID toes have also been documented worldwide. An International COVID-19 Dermatology Registry collected over 990 cases from 39 countries, and published findings based on this data in October 2020. It found COVID toes to last an average of 15 days, but that they could persist for “as long as 130150 days”. There are multiple other dermatological symptoms, such as hives and rashes, which have been recorded in association with COVID-19 infections, but whose correlation or potential causation remains insufficiently recorded. It will take more time and research until we have an accurate idea of the palette of symptoms that COVID-19 can cause. To speed up this process, some scientists have started taking innovative methods, such as analysing social media posts for references to potential symptoms. But for now, we will just have to keep an eye out for new, emerging symptoms that may help give us more insight into this novel virus.

SCIENCE SNIPPETS

The pattern of veins on the back of your hand is as unique to you as your fingerprint, allowing for technologies that can identify people using only cheap commercial cameras.

Sadly for climate activists, applications for a wind turbine emoji have just been rejected on the grounds that “a windmill emoji is already being looked at”.

The world’s smallest reptile has been discovered in Madagascar. It’s a nano-chameleon the size of a sunflower seed. Image credit: loveofdrawing.com

Editorial | Friday, 19th February 2021

Amelia Horn | Editor-in-Chief

ing, bang, bong Sing, sang, song Ding, dang, dong UK, hun? Dancing to a highland jig, Lawrence Chaney’s up in this gig, from Helensburgh to Edinburgh, everywhere I go I’m snatching wigs,I made my name in Glasgow city, can’t sing or dance, but I’m so witty, me and my dolls are on a mission, going to take this crown for RuRuvision! I’m the fashion queen, A’Whora, I’ll send you tens through the door-a, when he’s asking for-a more-a, tell him this hoe ain’t a store, you read books and I’m on the cover, superstar queen just like no other, turning out looks, fashionista lover, just like Ru, you can call me Mother! It’s something you say, and it’s going around, and around and around and around, yeah, but what does it do? I don’t have a clue, sing it loud, sing it loud, sing it loud, yeah Bing, bang, bong Sing, sang, song Ding, dang, dong UK, hun? Bing, bang, bong Sing, sang, song Ding, dang, dong UK, hun?

EDITORIAL

Who me, like this in front of all these people?, strut so bad it must be illegal. T-A-Y-C-E, inches to the floor, I ain’t talking ‘bout my weave. Ratatat-rat, I’ma clap back, you know I need a badge, so play that track. All of you should be scared of me, like the one I sent home doing “Memory” It’s something you say, and it’s going around, and around and around and around, yeah. But what does it do? I don’t have a clue, sing it loud, sing it loud, sing it loud, yeah Bing, bang, bong Sing, sang, song Ding, dang, dong UK, hun? Release the beast, Bimini! Get a pillow for these girls ‘cause they sleep on me, gender-bender, cis-tem offender, I like it rough but my lentils tender, don’t be scared to embrace the femme, whether you’re he, she, or them, limp wrist, hair flick, crème de la crème, love yourself, say that again!

The editor-in-chief would like to thank the United Kingdolls for keeping her fifth week blues at bay.

Editor-in-Chief | Lucy Tansley

CW: negative body image hy do the media have such a s t r a n g e obsession over women’s bodies? This is probably the question Meghan Markle has been asking herself over the last week after announcing the news of her pregnancy with a second child. As a couple that have divided opinion over the last few years, responses to the latest Royal baby news have been typically polemic, with the Daily Star really taking the prize for most incalculably inflammatory headline of ‘Publicity-shy woman tells 7.67bn people: I’m Pregnant’. For a press that alternately obsesses over and vilifies the couple, this headline reads like a child having a tantrum: Meghan has expressed a concern with how she and her husband are depicted in the press, and has now therefore forfeited the right to say anything at all. A woman marrying into the Royal family seemingly stops becoming a woman, and is instead a body to be objectified and commented on as the media see fit. Whether it’s Kate being ‘too

thin’ or Meghan ‘not losing the baby weight’ quick enough, hundreds of articles have been written on a subject that is, to any reasonable observer, none of anyone’s business. Debate over whether or not, as members of the Royal family, Harry and Meghan have a duty to be subjected to whatever press attention may ensue has raged on ever since their engagement was announced, but it is on the subject of pregnancy that this becomes particularly blurred. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the author of the Daily Star article was a man, and the opening of the article describing Meghan as a “shy woman famous for hating publicity” holds the same sarcastic entitlement that makes it no wonder the couple retreated from Royal life in the first place. Maybe it is a break for tradition for the mother of the seventh-in-line to the throne to write a candid editorial in the New York Times heartbreakingly describing her experience of miscarriage. But maybe it’s the break from tradition the stagnant and embittered media need.

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CUL CHER

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Vol.293 No.4 | 5th Week

CulCher | Friday, 19th February 2021

INSIDE

COVER ARTIST ANJA SEGMÜLLER I’m Anja and I’m in my second year studying history and philosophy. I started drawing again when lockdown started and because I spent a lot of time at home in Switzerland, I let myself be inspired by the mountainous surroundings. I like to experiment with black and white line drawings of landscapes, with sometimes surreal elements, and have also started to edit them digitally, as with this piece, to contrast my drawing with simple colours and shapes.

“IT’S YOUR GAME”:

HOW THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT CAN INSPIRE US

BY JASMIN KREUTZER

CW: addiction here is something about watching The Queen’s Gambit that makes one’s fingers tingle with the urge to move pieces on a chessboard. As the newly released series continues to gain popularity and acclaim (it even received two Golden Globe nominations this year), the number of chess players, sold chess boards and instructional chess books has also increased rapidly. In November, Mary Higbe, marketing director of Goliath Games, stated in an interview with NPR that their chess sales had gone up 1,048% from the same period last year, and chess.com noted 100,000 new member sign-ups a day, which was five times higher than their previous average. I cannot help wondering: why is The Queen’s Gambit making chess so attractive now? Usually thought of as a game played in dusty chess clubs, or perhaps on afternoon visits to one’s grandparents, The Queen’s Gambit has given chess a new aesthetic. The show’s director Scott Frank pointed out in a Netflix Behind the Scenes, that The Queen’s Gambit is “not about a game,” and perhaps our recent pull towards the chessboard is not solely linked to the game either. Beth Harmon, the series’s protagonist, defies the conventions of the male-dominated professional chess world. “Girls do not play chess”, her first instructor Mr Shaibel, the janitor at her orphanage, tells her. Beth does not care about such statements – she plays because she loves it and quickly wants to become the best. She masters her male opponents through her intelligence and fierce style of playing, proving to herself, and her audience, that she will not let herself be limited by others’ judgements. Beth learns to rely on herself, surprising her opponents when she far exceeds their expectations of her. Even Beth’s elegant, feminine style, which she acquires as she grows older, is an act of defiance. In a time when intelligent women were stereotyped as unfeminine, Beth breaks the mould. I think that seeing Beth master the game as others around her marvel is what makes viewers dig out their chessboards. It is the desire to become as proficient in something as Beth is in chess, to surprise and even shock others with talent, devotion and ability. More specifically, it is how Beth makes something one’s own, the way she creates a type of chess that defies the game’s original standards. “It’s your

game”, a player tells her at one point. Beth, whose entire life is devoted to the game, becomes the show’s eponymous “Queen” with her superior abilities. During her time at the Methuen Home for Girls, we see how chess dominates Beth’s perception of her surroundings: everywhere there are chess squares, on the ceilings, the floor tiles, the girls’ uniforms and the blankets. But there is another force dominating her life too – tranquilizers. She develops an addiction, using their hallucinatory effects to visualize moves at night. Watching her winning matches, one wonders if perhaps it is actually the drugs (and later on the alcohol) that are mastering her. While her use of them is a form of cheating because it helps her plan ahead in chess games, at its core, her addiction is linked to a need for support which she otherwise lacks. The harmful substances and chess are manifestations of the same obsession–a way to forget the pain and trauma of the past. Beth’s immersion in chess is an attempt to come to terms with her struggles: “It was the board I noticed first. It’s an entire world of just 64 squares. I feel safe in it. I can control it. I can dominate it”. Her obsession with the chessboard can be dangerous, but it can also create a safe space, a way of making sense of the chaos of life. While the show warns us of the consequences of suppressing trauma through substance abuse, it also celebrates Beth’s passion and the way she turns her pain into something productive. Chess is an interaction with her own past and a way of finding respect, independence, but also support as a female orphan alone in the world of chess and alone in life. When I finished watching, I felt a strong excitement about the idea of “owning” what I do, of having something belong to me and, in turn, finding my own place in the world. First, I too turned to playing chess–then I paused to think again. Is it really the chess that I find attractive, or how Beth transforms the game into something beautiful? Perhaps when we watch The Queen’s Gambit we wonder whether we too can find meaning in a similar way to Beth by discovering a passion and devoting ourselves to it. I believe that, despite her traumatic childhood and addiction, Beth inspires us to search for what we want to excel in and reach self-discovery through it. And so, the question that matters is: What’s your game?

Friday, 19th February 2021 | CulCher

THE UNREALITY OF REALITY TV

he past twelve months have been a little strange. While we’ve spent additional hours at home nibbling our collective fingernails and wondering when we’ll be able to see our loved ones again, we may notice something a little disarming when we flick through the channels while waiting for the latest Downing Street update. At a time when the BBC homepage seems exclusively filled with updates on Covid and its effects on the economy and travel, popular entertainment seems to have taken a different track. Channel 4, our staple for escapist reality TV, has come up with an innovative solution to the lockdowns by taking their popular dating show Celebs Go Dating and redressing it with a format proven to work with old favourites such as Big Brother and Love Island – bunging them all together in a house (post negative covid tests, of course) and seeing what happens. Add in an affable host, an upbeat comedian, and some producer’s social engineering, and you have a tried and tested hit ready to enter the living rooms of thousands of homes across Britain. But whilst the format has changed, neither narrator nor contestants seem to explain why. After watching Love Islanders struggle with the concept of Brexit, the public is already familiar with reality TV contestants grappling with current events, but Celebs Go Dating’s contestants appear almost ignorant of Covid-19, despite the format change it has prompted. It is not just Channel 4 which is guilty of this affront to reality. Our national treasure, the BBC, is also changing how its fictions engage with present-day reality. Watching pensioner’s favourite, Death in Paradise, we may find our hearts bleeding for the naivety of script-writers and actors filming pre-pandemic without any reference to Covid. Elsewhere, the sitcom should have been a limited crew, the pandemic production dream, with its typical

BY MAEBH ALICE

small cast and set location format, but what seems so disarming about the BBC’s long-running Not Going Out is its passing references to Covid against a backdrop of characters leading relatively unaffected lives, booking holidays, and entertaining both friends and grandparents. This limbo state is perhaps the BBC’s attempt at a compromise, and it is also found in their radio sitcom Conversations from a Long Marriage, where characters reference the ‘rotten year’, and there is even one jaw-dropping moment where there is a reference to ‘isolation’, but the word ‘Covid’ never actually appears. This half-way house, between pandemic-acknowledgement and dismissal is perhaps the most disconcerting approach. Perhaps, the light entertainment industry has a sordid ulterior motive to uproot our collective sanity by making those of us who indulge in it doubt our realities. For anyone in this camp, a sobering read of the familiar reds and whites of the BBC homepage may provide the perfect antidote. Otherwise, perhaps it is just light entertainment doing its best to provide that oxytocin-inducing, low-stakes hug we’ve always turned to it for in times of stress, even if that hug now feels slightly unsettlingly as it is at odds with reality. It is perhaps a sobering reminder of the c o n s i s t e n t unreality of the reality TV we know a n d love.

Artwork by Rachel Jung

CULCHER EDITORIAL CW: ableism; whitewashing Over halfway through the term, it’s now that we can look back with some perspective on how the first part of an unexpectedly geographically fractured term has transpired. It could be easy to concentrate on what we might have missed out on, or what we wish we’d done, but now more than ever, I think we should note how much we’ve achieved and overcome. While the number of vaccinations multiply daily, I believe we should pay attention to the less obvious things we might negotiate on a daily basis. Some may feel disappointed at a Valentine’s spent in lockdown, but Valentine’s is also a day to remember what love we share with those closest to us, whether family, partners, or friends. A sense of ‘double vision’, a dual examination in order to learn and progress from the negatives and develop the positives, is important to perform across the whole of culture itself. The drama and entertainment provided by Netflix’s Fate: The Winx Saga cannot be separated from the issue of its whitewashed casting. The excitement occasioned by the release of Sia’s new album Music for her movie of the same name must not be extricated from her upsetting and offensive decision to cast a neurotypical actress in the role of an autistic character coupled with a two dimensional depiction of neurodivergence. As culture grows at the start of this year, we have a duty to recognise issues alongside enjoyment or success. Yet, even as the lyrics of Sia’s ‘Beautiful Things Can Happen’ highlight: ‘They can happen anywhere’, there’s always a chance for something good to occur when things seem difficult or downright malicious. Culture continues to thrive in 2021, from the release of Celeste’s Not Your Muse making her the first British female artist to top the UK Albums Chart in five years, to how Netflix’s Bridgerton provides a slice of desirable escapism with its lavish array of sets, costumes, and characters, to Monique Roffey’s The Mermaid of Black Conch winning a Costa Book Award for 2020. As snowdrops replace the snow, and Spring finally shows its presence, we can look forward to finding beautiful moments of culture this year, alongside some warmer weather. – Joshua Booth

WHAT’S ON Mozart with Charlotte Scott: 16th-26th February Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra performs two early Mozart masterpieces: Symphony No. 29 and Violin Concerto No. 3. Available on YouTube for free at 7:30pm on 16th26th February.

Ain’t No Female Romeo: until 22nd February A contemporary love story by Lita Doolan about Instagram crushes. £5 on demand through the Living Record Festival until Monday 22nd February. Image via Creative Commons.

CulCher | Friday, 19th February 2021

Following a Valentine’s Day that looked rather different for many of us this year, The Source reminisces on the highs and lows of romantic love.

E H SO T Love from,

U RC E

J Daniels You’re a pelican-shaped cloud in the sky, You’re sunlight on the back of a bird You’re the home in the eyes of a friend You’re that song I sing along to in the car You’re in all the details, taking up the small spaces You’re filling in the gaps between words in this poem. You’re the smile I can’t keep off my face You’re the cold of splashing into the waves You’re all the love letters I don’t write And in every letter I do sign: Love from,

Friday, 19th February 2021 | CulCher

In Truth Sarah Lewis Everything I told you Came out untrue But somehow You already knew Because I’d been your crushed And purple bruise (To fold and form And use) But the only one To ever know The still-there star Of every show And I your faithful Cameo

Number 19 Katie Bowen Walking along the Edgeware Road It’s ten o’clock at night I glance down at my phone amongst it all And it’s your name that glows in the light In this busy city, we work here, find anger there, Ride on the tube to seek love Your face floats in my mind as I stare At the towering skyscrapers above Sitting on the Jubilee line With a few glasses of wine on board Isn’t much fun, far away from home But here’s hoping that I can afford Your love, with the fiver in my pocket, left over from tonight. This rat-run of a place isn’t always the best But then it pulls me to home, and you Sleeping in a dodgy pub on Orchardson Street Hoping you’re dreaming of us, too.

Artwork by: Rachel Jung and Emma Hewlett. Submit your creative writing to The Source at: culturecherwell@gmail.com

CulCher | Friday, 19th February 2021

Breaking and Mending

CHARLOTTE ROSE RECOMMENDS A DOCTOR’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

wrote in a previous review that my previously unchanged top five books had been shaken up in 2020 for the first time in years. Joanna Cannon’s memoir Breaking and Mending has done just that. In little over 150 pages, this book made me laugh, cry, and shut the pages to sit for a while and think. It made me both despair and revel in my decision to study medicine. This is a book about a medic who loves to read and write. One who felt as though she was breaking under the stresses of medicine but found her feet and her love of it in psychiatry – a speciality she always wanted to pursue. After describing this to a friend, she replied, “This sounds like it was written for you!”. And yes, honestly, I loved it. Unlike other books in this genre, Cannon really focuses in on the idea of belonging, and that of ‘wild cards’. She writes of how ‘Psychiatry became [her] landscape’ where she was

n an already unusual term, 5th Week, giving its namesake to ‘5th week blues’, might more difficult than most. Whether after an essay crisis or just in a time when you’re looking for a comforting read. We often call these books guilty pleasures, but there’s nothing wrong with reading something purely for the fun of it. The Books Section recommends a few Young Adult books from years gone by, all of which certainly still hold up to another read. Percy Jackson Jess, Deputy Editor In my Oxford interview, my tutor asked me if I had come across any piece of modern literature which I thought was an interesting example of Classical Reception. All I could think of was ‘For the love of (the) god(s), don’t say Percy Jackson’. Rick Riordan’s imagi-

‘the most comfortable [she] had ever been in [her] life’. I found this a real comfort as I start studying in the hospital this year; something I am equal parts excited and terrified about. Throughout Breaking and Mending, Cannon discusses what it was like to be an older student in medical school, as well as her journey into her foundation medical years and beyond. Following concerns about her age, her outburst to a medical school admissions officer was on the surface quite amusing. However, underneath the humour, there was a sadness to it. She said, ‘I completely understand if you reject me. Reject me because you don’t think I’m smart enough. Reject me because you don’t think I’ll make a very good doctor. Reject me for the hundred and one reasons you reject people but please – please – don’t reject me just because of my date of birth, because that wouldn’t be a very good reason at all,

BOOKS

would it?’. Since the vast majority of my cohort began medical school aged 18 or 19, I realised that the age demographic of medical students is not something I’d thought much about before. It was therefore really eye-opening to read from someone with a different perspective. Cannon discusses how ‘there is a certain comedy value in being the junior doctor on a team where everyone else is a very great deal younger than you are’. Towards the end of the book, Cannon writes that on her first day of medical school she was told that ‘there are two kinds of doctor: white coats and cardigans. Those who love the science and those who love the people’. She understandably disputes this, stating that there are as many kinds of doctors as there are people – a sentiment that I wholeheartedly agree with.

However, much of the book focuses on her experience as a ‘cardigan’; a people-loving doctor, something that others weren’t always appreciative of. Her approach to medicine made a truly positive difference in many of her patients’ lives but was also partly responsible for her burnout when the weight of the world she was working within became too much. The descriptions of these events were honest, moving, and emotional and will stay with me a long time after reading them. I am in awe of Joanna Cannon and can’t wait to read more of her work, although I wonder if any of her fiction can match the brilliance and the beauty of this. I know I will come back to Breaking and Mending time and time again to remind myself of what’s important, not just in medicine, but in life.

Cherwell Recommends: Guilty Pleasures THE BOO KS SECTION OFFER THEIR TOP YOUNG ADULT PICKS.

nation spills Greek goddesses, gods and monsters into the world and his teenage demigod protagonists are depicted in a non-patronising way as we see them negotiate love, puberty, awful step-parents and of course, quests and the risk of gruesome death. We Were Liars by E.E. Lockhart Sofie, Books Editor I remember devouring E. E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars in a single sitting a few summers back. It is equal parts edge-ofyour-seat thriller and resonant coming of age story, with a dash

of escapist summer romance. The novel centers on the wealthy and seemingly perfect members of the Sinclair family, who spend summers on the family’s idyllic private island. One year, however, things take a tragic turn, leaving Cadence, one of the Sinclair grandchildren, searching for answers. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater Ella, Deputy Books Editor There is one and only one reason for studying Medieval literature- to, like Gansey and friends, study and search for an ancient sleeping king. It’s hard

to describe exactly what the Raven Cycle is about; by the time you read the final book, the first, a not unusual urban fantasy YA story, is revealed to be only the middle of the entire story. Or, depending how you look at it, the first book is the natural conclusion to the cycle. It’s a series which invites rereading, especially because not only are the characters developed throughout the story, but key information about their motivations are kept hidden up until the final book. With the new book of the sequel trilogy coming out in May, now is a perfect time to get into the series.

Friday, 19th February 2021 | CulCher

STAGE

THE COMEDY BUG Angus Moore explores the allure of performing comedy - even when you end up writing about toothbrushes...

tanding up in front of a crowd and telling jokes: for most, it’s their idea of hell, but for some, it’s where they feel most at home. When people ask what it’s like, I often say that it’s like telling a funny story to a group of friends in the pub: except they’re not your friends, you’re not in a pub, and your hands are sweating. No sympathy laughs from your mate when the joke doesn’t quite land; no in-jokes to fall back on; no new haircut to make fun of. Comedy is a savage mistress. Arriving at Oxford in 2018, I joined the Oxford Revue, performing my first show in Hilary of my first year. Put together with 5 others whom I barely knew, we had to write a show which would be funny enough for a 5-night run at the BT: the zenith of any Oxford performer’s career. Some sketches you write are good, some are bad. Some are really, really bad. Amongst the ones I submitted for the show was a sketch where a toothpaste is so powerfully whitening that a man is blinded by his own teeth. There was another where a toothbrush factory begins manufacturing brushes to brush the toothbrushes themselves. I don’t know why the dental sector had such a powerful impact on my creative output, but it’s safe to say that neither of those sketches made it into the final cut: apparently the realm of dental comedy was already ‘saturated enough’. It can be humbling to bring your work to a roomful of others. It’s essentially saying ‘look at what I wrote here – isn’t it really funny?’ So, when it turns out to be not as funny as you initially thought, it can be tough, and even humiliating. However, it’s the bad ones which make you feel so good when you write one that lands: the affirmation you feel when other people tell you ‘this is funny’ is like no other. Not to mention when the thing which you have written gets laughs from a real audience. Despite all the challenges that come with doing comedy, I think it’s easier than most people

realise. It’s not some God-given charm or natural wit, but it is far more a learnt art: after a while, you realise what people tend to find funny, and what people don’t. For instance, the elderly audience of the Edinburgh Fringe don’t particularly enjoy too many jokes on cannabis and dildos; they do, however, love jokes about Joanna Lumley and Milton Keynes. Each to their own. Nonetheless, comedy still has the ability to be beautifully unpredictable. For the Fringe, I wrote what I thought was a fairly average sketch, depicting a scene between two friends, a wolf and an elk. In the scene, the wolf has mistakenly eaten the elk’s mother. This sketch, which I wrote after seeing a nature documentary, turned out to be by far the most popular one each day. Others were more polished and more sensical, but it was the absurd which appeared to capture people’s imaginations: such is comedy’s ability to unite people in the strangest of ways. So, where are we now? Comedy in Covid times is, like everything, pretty different: we’ve had to adapt, and we now release online content every Monday on social media, and have managed to do a couple of live gigs. Doing stand-up on mute presents its challenges; freezing at the punchline brings a new meaning to ‘stretching out the joke’; and performing in a sociallydistanced space brings with it socially-distanced laughs. And, because laughing is a super-spreader in Covid times, it’s discouraged at gigs – just a minor snag. Nonetheless, I think we’ve all learnt that we can always be far more flexible than first imagined. As long as you have a pen, paper and a need for attention, you can still spread comedy far and wide. Who knows when this thing will come to an end? But, when it does, you can bet on me being on stage once more, with sweaty thighs and a gentle shake, asking myself how on earth I got t her e. Artwork by Justin Lim.

REVIEWS/SHORTS ZOOM CUPPERS: A NEW SUB-GENRE?

aving experienced the exciting prospect of going to university, learning, and socialising in person, only to be met with a very different, much harsher reality of pandemic-Oxford, it may come as no surprise that the buzz surrounding cuppers seemed greatly diminished. . It came as no surprise to me when the announcement of online Cuppers was made. Despite the virtual element, the competition still intrigued me. This was barely explored before 2020 and something that I believed would benefit me to become a part of. The play I took part in, named ‘A*’, written by Leah O’Grady from Somerville College, followed the life of Pip, a sixth-former coping with the experience of being rejected from university in the wake of her friend’s death. Leah relied on the topic of application anxiety, which anyone at Oxford can understand, to create an emotionally complex yet wittily relatable play. We encountered many issues along the way. For example, having no means of exiting the “stage”, Leah recommended covering our cameras with blue tac. This

gave the play a strange atmosphere of being on Disney Channel, each character punching the screen until we eventually became slightly more elegant in our practice of “entering the wings”. Buffering was the enemy. To wait until whoever’s Wi-Fi returned or to continue the script was the question, and many times awkward silences ensued in which nobody quite knew the protocol. However, forgetting a line or a cue is not so punishable if you say your connection was lost. Problems were eventually ironed out through the true beauty of online performances: multiple chances to record. The irony of being so intimately placed, face-toface next to one another on screen, whilst being miles away in reality made for interesting dynamics of conversation. Leah stated that “it was really nice having a project that I’d been working on for a while actually developed!” So, whilst the exhilaration and the glamour of the stage can wait for next year, I am glad that I was able to involve myself in what we may one day look back on as a fleeting subgenre of theatre. Words by Agnes Halladay.

CulCher | Friday, 19th February 2021

FASHION

Bridgerton// Calling all Upper East Siders… Blunders Amidst Beauty The return of Gossip Girl is on the horizon and we can barely contain our excitement for another era of secrets, sex, and scandal. Gossip Girl shaped us into who we are, and although there can only be one Chuck Bass, the reboot is sure to take over our lives once again. In the meantime, let’s remember the icon that is Blair Waldorf, and everything she taught us about fashion Three watchers over the five years she blessed our screens. of. Netflix’s

new hit show comment on the costume missteps and triumphs.

Embrace bright colours

Nothing catches the eye more than vibrance, especially during the summer months. Mix and match colours with your accessories and makeup for a stand-out look that nobody will forget. The same goes for prints – don’t be afraid to branch out of your comfort zone! After all, if there’s anything Blair Waldorf taught us, it’s that mainstream is boring.

If a man has great style, forgive him when he sells you for a hotel Yes, it was a morally questionable decision. But ask yourself, will you ever meet someone who wears a Hermès silk scarf and Berluti leather loafers quite like he does? Sadly, I’m not aware of where you can purchase your own Chuck Bass, but if anyone is, please do share this information with the world. .

Having a bad day? Wear a beret… (or any hair accessory for that matter) Berets aren’t just for the French, and if anyone pulls off la mode parisienne, it’s Blair. A headband or stylish hat is the perfect way to complete and coordinate any outfit!

Lingerie is everything From chemises and Agent Provocateur corsets to her iconic lace stockings, Queen B certainly has a lingerie collection any girl would dream of. She taught us that underwear is just as important as the outfit, and that wearing it for yourself is one of the

Ultimately, even on your worst days, your elegance radiates from within. Whether you’re halfway through fifth week and crippled with deadlines or heading to a 9am hungover and wearing last night’s clothes- B shows us that sophistication comes from within. Even after marrying the wrong man and having a breakdown in the middle of JFK, Blair pulls off the questionable attire in true Waldorf style, bringing hope to us all as we attend online lectures in pyjamas, hoping our tutors don’t notice.

Lily Kershaw Katie Tootill Art by Rachel Jung

Friday, 19th Februrary 2021 | CulCher

We fashion hobbyists face a continual struggle to justify to ourselves and others the time, consideration, and, of course, money we devote to what might seem a frivolous pursuit. Occasionally a moment of genius will capture the broader cultural consciousness – the 2018 Alexander McQueen documentary and its sensitive reverence for the runway experience comes to mind. However to most people, most of the time, luxury fashion is an egregious parade of elitism designed by shallow, out-of-touch narcissists for other shallow, out-of-touch narcissists. The clothes themselves come across more likely to induce sniggers than admiration. The difficulty lies in the fact that they’re quite frequently correct. Earlier this month the case for fashion as a meaningful endeavour suffered another, particularly galling knockback when Prada revealed the advertising campaign for their Spring/Summer 2021 women’s collection. The collection itself, debuted back in September, was the first from their new all-star directive duo of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. Many found it did not live up to the enormous anticipation which preceded it, but was by no means a failure. The longstanding Prada shawl-clutching motif made a welcome return, while the house’s logo was creatively reproduced in negative through cut-outs in the garments, and Simons acolytes will have enjoyed the introduction of his signature graphic prints. Nothing revelatory, but a serviceable offering which mediated the two iconic designers’ respective codes. At the beginning of a new era for the house, it felt like a respectful nod to the practices which elevated it to the superpower it is today. So, how should this long-awaited meeting of two of fashion’s most acute and dependably innovative minds be marketed to the broader consuming public? The industrious team up at Prada HQ, apparently possessed by the visionary spirit of Don Draper himself, were more than up to the challenge and dreamed up a daring strategy of quite frightening ingenuity. The solution, naturally, was to denigrate the intelligence of their consumer base with a series of pseudo-deep ruminations. Nothing drums up desire like feeling patronised. One reads: “Does ‘cloud’ make you think of data or sky?” Profound in 2014, perhaps. Another asks: “Is nature out there or in here?” Hmmm. I wonder. A call-back to the antique nature vs nurture debate regarding the cultivation of virtue, no doubt. A model lost in thought (and in a very nice coat) has his image overlaid with text reading: “Can something be truly new?” A searching assessment of the limitations of innovation within a tradition-based medium, I see, I see. I came for the knits but I’m staying for the knowledge. With each question (and there are a lot) is a prompt to provide our own answers at Prada.com. This is all, of course, vacuous nonsense. No doubt we are supposed to conceive of the project as a striking examination of a modern world in which our vernacular is in constant flux, where concrete knowledge has been banished, and where our online life now informs our ‘real’ one more than the other way around; instead it reads as a series of *hits blunt* memes. As one editor aptly tweeted in response to the campaign: “Oh ffs. Our industry really is beyond parody.” “Did Jaden Smith write this copy [sic]” asked someone else. I personally experienced distressing flashbacks to the brand’s S/S 20 advertising campaign, which toyed with PRADA as an acronym for similarly vapid inanities like “Perhaps Romance Always Desires Another”. Whatever that means. What examples like this do – surface-level intellectualisations of collections which lack more than a hint of subversion – is discredit the entire medium. Lots of fashion is frivolous and a matter of pure aesthetics, and that’s just fine. We wouldn’t follow fashion if we didn’t enjoy beautiful clothes. But when they lay claim to a depth they do not obviously possess it makes it harder to take seriously those collections which do deserve to be treated seriously. It’s why Nicolas Ghesquière plastering ‘VOTE’ over his S/S 21 Louis Vuitton womenswear collection (which would not even be released until a number of months after the US election it targeted) helps no-one. Instead it turns more casual audiences away from the idea that fashion can ever be meaningfully political. In actuality we are blessed with a raft of designers like Grace Wales Bonner and Thebe Magugu who consistently and subtly confront issues of identity politics, ancestry, sexuality, and race through their collections. The Prada campaign poses fatuous questions and offers no answers; buying and wearing the clothes of brands like those mentioned amounts to a tacit personal alignment far more valuable than intellectual ostentation. It’s all the more disappointing for the fact that Mrs. Prada, especially, is one of fashion’s true thinkers, a reliable mine of cultural insight who rarely fails to produce an incisive quote. She has a PhD in Political Science, and her Prada, built on technical daring, has typically appealed to a considered but difficult-to-pin-down customer. Of her first collection she said, “It was not for the classic ones — there was something disturbing. And for the super trendy avant-gardists, it was too classic. I always like to move in that space, never please anybody.” Few living designers seem to possess the self-aware conceptual grounding which she has exhibited for over four decades. The conversation broadcast after the S/S 21 show clearly indicates that Mrs. Prada and Mr. Simons thought more deeply about the issues posed by these sorts of questions than the advertisements suggest. Both are intentional people, and they do not usually produce shallow collections. Whether or not the clothes actually conveyed those intentions is a matter of opinion; perhaps something was lost in the translation from product to marketing, perhaps from conception to product. But whichever it is, the images of this campaign, set to grace billboards, screens, and bus-stops the world over, will only serve to alienate with their absurd self-seriousness rather than to provoke introspection. Sometimes fashion media derided by the wider public can be defended on the grounds that ‘they just don’t get it’ – on this occasion common sense proves an accurate bullshit detector.

Delusions of grandeur: Prada’s new ad campaign

Artwork by Emma Hewlett

Alec Holt

CulCher | Friday, 19th February 2021

MUSIC

Iona Neill discusses the sounds of home learning.

SOUNDS OF HOME

expect everyone has particular sounds they associate with their home, and after returning home last December to spend the Christmas holidays with my family, I soon found that I had missed some more than others. Some sounds I realised I had missed a great deal - for example, the sound of our piano, the background noise of my cat purring on the bed next to me, or that homely, ticking sound of the radiator as it warms up. But others less so: Dad’s questionable singing; the noisy water pipes; somebody deciding to hoover in the middle of yet another Teams call. In our house, things tend to be eerily quiet during the daytime whilst everybody is at their own work, especially downstairs - the stillness is only broken occasionally by the Postman knocking at the door or the dog barking at some passer-by. If I wanted to, I could probably blow dry my hair in the front hall, do a Joe Wicks workout in the kitchen, or sit naked reading a book in the front room and I’m sure nobody would disturb me. This quiet is unfortunately short-lived, since as soon as work and online lessons finish, the rooms that were empty not long ago become a hive of activity. Since I share the house with four others, plus a dog, two cats and three guinea-pigs (who are noisier than you might think), there can be times when

the racket they cause makes a jet engine seem tame in comparison. Generally, it is in the evenings that everybody in the house suddenly all descends upon each other; the TV is playing, mum’s on the phone, I can just about recognise dad’s favourite ‘Best of Glastonbury Festival’ Spotify mix sounding out from the kitchen amongst all the other things. The playlist reflects the sounds of my family home well since it in itself is a tad chaotic, ranging from The Wurzels to Tame Impala. I don’t think my dad ever listens to anything else. I’m not entirely sure how it started, but one thing I’ve particularly enjoyed this term are YouTube soundscapes and curated study mixes; a subsection, I suppose of the ASMR genre which most people either love or hate. I had never really been in the former category until now. But, before I knew it, I was well into revising for collections and I had stumbled upon ‘Bernie Sanders 8 ½ hour Filibuster but it’s Lofi’. Some are inspired by the seasons, and others by places such as beaches, libraries and cosy coffee shops, with sounds of waves lapping at a faraway shore, book pages being flicked through, or the distant chatter of others talking. There’s even an Angela Merkel themed one I came across (just type ‘Merkelwave’ in the Youtube search bar). The

Bodleian Libraries jumped on the bandwagon with a dedicated page called ‘Sounds of the Bodleian’ where you can tune in to what separate library rooms sound like, from the Rad Cam to Duke Humpfrey’s, a kind of radio station for bookworms. When stuck at home, it’s nice to escape to a different soundsphere, even just temporarily. You might not be able to run away to the library to avoid the noise of your flatmates or your family, but at least you can pretend with a decent pair of headphones and an internet connection. But for all I have been complaining about noise, I still miss it in its absence. The quietness of lockdown certainly makes you reflect on when noise was all around, not just accessed via a computer. I would still much rather be listening to a band play a festival or heading to a concert, bar or club than trying to replicate all these sounds virtually in my bedroom at home. I’d settle for a band I hated just in order to sample that atmosphere again. Because even if the sound is oftentimes chaotic, oppressive and deafening, I’ve come to realise that perhaps I miss this chaos a little. After all, it’s more exciting than the alternative. Read the full article online at cherwell.org. Artwork by Emma Hewlett

BODLEIAN BANGERS Tom Fletcher, Hertford Principal and the former British Ambassador to Lebanon, picks a selection of important music throughout his life. Find on Spotify @cherwellmusic and the full interview online.

Image Credits: Anteger11, & Raph_PH & livepict.com

MASHROU’ LEILA Aoede

TOM JONES Sex Bomb

PRIMAL SCREAM Movin’ On Up

Friday, 19th February 2021 | CulCher

Reya Muller explores the place of the female revenge narrative in modern cinema.

romising Young Woman burst into the headlines a few weeks ago after controversy surrounding the language of Dennis Harvey, the Variety reviewer who, following the film’s preview at Cannes, claimed that whilst Carey Mulligan as the lead is a “fine actress’” he could more easily see producer Margot Robbie in the lead, and that Mulligan wears her “pickup-bait gear like bad drag”. His comments contribute to a wider commentary on the ways in which we perceive female narratives that no amount of pleading innocence can wash away. Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut centres around the life of Mulligan’s Cassie who is apathetic in the wake of a traumatic event in her past. This film delicately portrays the ways in which an act of violence can uproot our existence, and Cassie’s isolation from those around her is indicative of her inability

to truly move on from this seismic event in her life. She cannot let it go, partly because there have been no repercussions for the perpetrators and, without going into too much spoiler-ridden detail, she takes it upon herself to remind those who did the harm of their actions, and to try and make the predatory men she encounters understand the weight of their actions. This is a film centred around female revenge. But what does that even look like? Katie Mitchell, when discussing the importance of female led narratives, stated: “I think some part of one’s self is eroded if you’re always watching work made by men about male experiences”. Films like Tarantino’s Kill Bill present a wronged woman intent on pursuing a violent course of action in order to bring justice to those who have wronged her. Discussing her reasoning behind the film, Fennell describes how she felt that many so-called female vengeance plots felt unnatural and distinctly male. “Women just wouldn’t act like that,” she argues, foregrounding how often female narratives are

told still from a distinctly male point of view, even if they seem to be at first foregrounding a feminine perspective. And that is what Promising Young Woman does so well, it presents a uniquely relatable narrative in terms which seem, for the most part, realistic. Cassie is not some male fantasy sex-kitten clad in lycra and wielding a sword, she is a broken woman brimming with frustration. Her solitary quest to make a difference one sleazy male at a time is not centred around brutality, but an effort to make these men understand their actions, whilst foregrounding her own agency. The film deliberately embraces a femininity which is refreshing. There is a celebration of bright colours, it leaves you with a sense of bubblegum pink that none of the darkest moments in the film can shift. The exuberant soundtrack featuring the likes of Charlie XCX, Paris Hilton and a spine-chilling instrumental of ‘Toxic’ foregrounds the feminine, celebrating girlishness in a way which is never belittling. As a society we are still struggling to accept a variety of narratives that differ from the status quo. However, films like Promising Young Woman are proving that there is a ferocity to upcoming filmmakers who refuse to be boxed in by pre-existing tropes which seek to reduce their creative capacity to a footnote in the demographic of cinema at large. Read the full article online. Artwork by Rachel Jung.

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN: WHAT IS FEMALE RAGE?

FILM

MUST SEE STREAMING: DARK WATERS

CLASSIC: HAROLD AND MAUDE

STUDENT FILM: WOOD MOUSE

Watch Alicia Hayden short nature Mark Ruffalo plays a corporate defence A love-story between an unlikely pair: lawyer who switches sides to defend a Harold, a death-obsessed 20-year-old, documentary about wood mice, featuring a juvenile wood mouse at https://www. poisoned community after uncovering a and Maude, an 80-year-old in the youtube.com/watch?v=NcyLub1uJ2M Photo dark secret... prime of her life. credit: Christian Fischer

LIFE

Life | Friday, 19th February 2021

Pandemic projects: Oxford and beyond

Johannes Moehrle recommends some student-led lockdown projects to explore.

or many of us students, this term will happen from home and from behind our screens In most cases, this means less social interaction, which has left all of us with more time to spend on binging Netflix’s recent releases (Lupin, Bridgerton, or The Crown’s last season, depending on your persuasion), or on Instagram, getting fed up after seeing thousands of Bernie Sanders in just as many different places. As well as the Netflixing and Instagramming, though, many students have also used this time to take action on issues close to their hearts. Larissa Koerber, a first year Law student at Oxford, is one of these students. Throughout the pandemic, she has significantly developed her Instagram account, @Sheisthehero. She first created this account during her gap year, with the ambition of showcasing interviews with inspiring women, both from her home country of Switzerland and from abroad. Amongst her chosen personalities are entrepreneurs, designers, chocolatiers, and politicians – content includes inspirational writing, stylish graphics, and

a regular ‘hero of the day’. Finding that her visits for interviews were no longer possible due to Covid-19, Larissa used her time to develop all sorts of merchandise, which now supports her platform financially and spreads awareness of the project. The page is still going strong; Koerber continues to champion women who have shaped their worlds in diverse and fascinating ways. Some students have managed to take advantage of the fact that everyone is stuck at home and unite their strengths; this is the case of Declan Peters, Tarun Odedra and James Appiah, all three state-schooled, and now freshers at Oxford, Durham and Cambridge respectively. Together, they are running a series of podcasts on Spotify called Tomorrow’s Story, where they discuss societal, political and cultural issues with prominent guests. In their first few podcasts, they have tackled difficult topics such as knife crime in London, Trump’s presidential pardons, and Covid-positive grants. Their initiative targets young people, encouraging them to engage with themselves and the world they live in

– as Declan Peters puts it: “Tomorrow’s Story was an opportunity for us to kick-start the kind of thinking in young people that leads to success across numerous aspects of their lives moving forward. Our tag line, ‘Debate, Discover and Distribute’, emphasises the idea of elevating as part of a community – working together towards common goals.” The students are very happy with the impact they have made on their audience after only a few episodes: “the response so far has been really strong, and we receive messages every day from people who are forming opinions and becoming curious about the world that surrounds them”. Upholding and elevating the next generation has also been the motivation of a colossal project uniting the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, The Oxbridge Launchpad. At its core is the desire to make these two universities more accessible, opening them up to pupils from less privileged backgrounds. The pandemic turned this ambition into reality, as one of their cofounders Vikram Mitra told me: “the pandemic was an enormous driver in our mission; the ‘A-level fiasco’ on

results day 2020 brought to the fore the prejudices within our education system. Cofounder Ravi and I wanted to be part of the solution to this problem.” In order to achieve this, they have set up a free mentoring scheme between current Oxbridge students and prospective applicants. This concept has rapidly convinced many volunteering students as well as many ambitious sixth-formers, to Vikram’s delight: “the Oxbridge Launchpad team has grown rapidly - our mentoring team has expanded from just 30 to over 250 mentors from across Oxford and Cambridge since our launch. Most importantly it is our collective passion for access, alongside our insight into the application process, that drives our ability to make a social impact.” These are just three examples from countless ways in which students in Oxford and across the country are making a difference, despite these very difficult times. The pandemic’s silver lining is the extra time it affords us to make our ideas into reality; I can only encourage any student who has a dream to go for it! Artwork by Rachel Jung

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Life

Luca Geary Magdalen Law & German

Cherpse

How were you feeling before the date? A little nervous as it’s not really something I would normally sign up for.

How were you feeling before the date? Intrigued.

First impressions? Seemed like a lovely guy with a nice smile.

First impressions? Nice, friendly.

Did it meet up to your expectations? It was way less awkward than I thought a first date over zoom would be, so that’s a small win for post-corona dating!

Did it meet up to your expectations? Yes. What was the highlight? Laughing about Oxford.

What was the highlight? Reminiscing over being able to go out to Spoons. What was the most embarassing moment? It was definitely at the start of the date when we couldn’t get the sound to work. There was a lot of slightly slightly awkward smiles...

What was the most embarassing moment? No idea. Describe the date in 3 words: Nice, calm, fun.

Describe the date in 3 words: Fun, casual and chill.

Is a second date on the cards? No.

Is a second date on the cards? Potentially?

Horoscopes... AQUARIUS 20 Jan - 18 Feb This week is a strong one for productivity and closure, Aquarius. Finally tackling that project that’s been looming apocalyptically over you might seem impossible, but Cherwell are sending you all the good vibes. Sort out your multi-

PISCES 19 Feb - 20 March Pisces, you watery beauty! The stars are pulling you towards Port Meadow for an icy dip this week, but beware the Oxonian’s hubris (and the horses).

ARIES 21 March- 19 April Valentine’s Schmalentine’s, Aries. You’re far too #cool #alt for all that capitalist commodification. You really couldn’t care less for putting a price tag on emotion, honest. If someone had given you a heart teddy you would

TAURUS

GEMINI 21 May- 20 June

Your stars are very anxious that you under no circumstances try to pronounce “tocilizumab”.

CANCER 21 June - 22 July You know that scene in Mamma Mia where everyone sings Voulez Vous and Sophie collapses because it was so good? Your week will probably be something like that, Meryl Streep included. The stars don’t lie, Cancer.

LEO 23 July - 22 August

LIBRA 23 Sept - 23 Oct It’s fifth week Libra, there’s never been a more acceptable time to curl up on the sofa with a pint of ice cream and a good film. Be kind to yourself!

SCORPIO 24 Oct - 21 Nov Mamma Mia, here we go again. Week 5 is making you wanna call S.O.S, but keep being a Super Trooper and you’ll soon be a Dancing Queen again, Honey (Honey).

SAGITTARIUS 22 Nov - 21 Dec

Famously your sign is named after Leonardo DiCaprio, Leo, so channel your inner Gatsby and literally run away from your problems! Change your name! Avoid swimming pools! An exciting week lies ahead.

VIRGO 23 August - 22 Sept

20 April - 20 May Your sign is the bull, Taurus. Don’t stress about your essay, you’ve got this.

Rosie Ward Balliol PPE

I know it doesn’t feel like it, but I promise you that essay will happen on time! I can also promise it’ll be a lot better than you’re expecting, so why not treat yourself to a quick coffee break before your imminent

Deep breaths, Sagittarius. 5th week might feel particularly knackering but my crystal ball says you’ll make it through in one piece! Alexa, play ‘I Will Survive’...

CAPRICORN 22 Dec - 19 Jan Why not make yourself a new playlist today Capricorn? It’s an excellent form of procrastination and with your superior taste in tunes it’s practically a public service! Just because we aren’t going clubbing, doesn’t mean we can’t have a bop!

Life | Friday, 19th February 2021

MY QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS: A STUDY IN SELF- (INDULGENT) FLAGELLATION William Feasey serves up a slightly obnoxious ‘three course meal of food for thought’.

quarter life crisis (QLC) can mean many things. For some, it’s a way to excuse themselves over unironically sporting a mullet or perhaps developing a severe Pret a Manger addiction; for others it might be a way to try and contend with the dawning realisation that, yes, shit, you’re an adult now – and what have you achieved with your life? But whatever is the wind to your QLC’s sails, you can be sure that the seas are rough, the navigation is bewildering and often it can seem like you’re the only ship in sight. But let it be known; that just over the horizon lies many more like you, experiencing similar existential crises and slowly but surely stumbling towards the solace of firm ground. For me, my very own QLC took hold at around the age of 17, in the form of a torrent of deep, self-imposing questions, an obnoxiously large, three course meal of food for thought. The first of these went something along the lines of, ‘what is my place under this big, blue sky?’. It’s hardly a unique feeling I am sure, but definitely a uniquely pretentious way to express it. We all find ourselves at quite a peculiar time in our lives where, while most of us continue to grind through the various cogs of education, some of our contemporaries are already achieving great deals of success in their chosen pursuits. Lads I grew up playing rugby against whilst at school are now beginning to light up the national premiership, no

longer small, scrawny players such as myself, instead electing to take international players to the cleaners. In the realm of public policy, individuals like Greta Thunberg, younger than you or me, have made barnstorming charges into public fame, determined to see change in issues they care about. Even closer to home, here in Oxford, I’m enveloped by friends building their own start-ups, successful access schemes or landing impressive internships. All while I sit here, bemoaning my purpose in life via an article for a student paper. So, what to do about all this? The worse course of action is to get jealous. That certainly doesn’t make you feel any better. My greatest remedy is to keep busy, keep learning new things, never settle. Because I know the moment I stop and pause, those demons crawl out from under the metaphorical rocks of my mind and bring the QLC back into the fray. I’m aware this isn’t perfect solution, running away from my problems instead of tackling them head on, but it does a pretty good job at keeping me ticking. I’m sure it is apparent my tendency to overly romanticise my QLC in places. I see it as an eternal struggle with my inner ego (in both senses of the word) and I’m still not sure who will end up on top. Land may not be in sight yet for my QLC, but I’m going to try and make the most of the journey while I’m searching. What will the HLC mark bring? We’ll just have to wait and see.

STUDENTS ABROAD Cherwell reaches out to students on their year abroad. This week, Alice Peat discusses her travels in...

uring the long online Trinity term, my sole motivation to log into Italian classes was imagining a year abroad of strolling through sun-soaked piazzas, greeting the local mafia boss like an old friend and drinking enough vino to keep a small vineyard afloat. I reckoned my teaching job would simply be a case of making a couple of crosswords of places in the town and hoping for the best. What I didn’t bargain for was being sent to a small village high up in the northern mountains. Whilst I am used to village life and its quirks, my morning commute was made surprisingly nerve-wracking by having to speed-walk past fields of angry goats. Visiting the “supermarket” (think corner shop run by the village gossip) meant bumping into at least four of my students and their extended families. And once the news of my arrival reached the outer extremities of the village, every time I walked into a bar, the old men who populated it 24/7 would nod grumpily in my direction, muttering about “l’inglesina” (the little English girl).

Of course, I couldn’t write about Italy without mentioning the food. I was lucky enough to stay with three different host families, who each made it their personal mission to introduce me to every possible foodstuff ever eaten in Italy. Each evening, a new mysterious jar, containing a different kind of ‘delicacy’ would appear on the table, waiting for my taste test. Whilst pasta for lunch every day will never get old, being confronted with dried fish powder sprinkled over a perfectly decent pizza has somewhat ruined my appetite for tasting new things. Towards the end of the stay, I found myself dreaming of curry, desperate for something spicier than fizzy water from the staffroom water dispenser. Having spent the best part of my school years wondering what actually goes on in that magical room, I can confirm that it’s a hotbed of gossip. Equally as fascinating was being on the other side of the classroom and watching year 9s trying to navigate the rocky waters of teenage friendships

John Evelyn

mpeachment! How unpresidented!

The Price is Right had an impeachment motion brought against him last week, but lives to serve another day. John Evelyn thinks maybe a celebratory party is in order! The Runner Up also managed to hold onto his position, though John Evelyn gathers that someone else may soon not be so lucky. In a bid to refute the allegations of nepotism, The Runner Up has proposed a plan to restructure the appointed committee. He wishes to cut the number of appointed officials by over half so that responsibility (and rewards) are concentrated in the hands of a select few of his very best friends, rather than anyone who has so much as said hello. John Evelyn hopes he makes the cut! John Evelyn wonders whether the apostolic blessing conferred on the Union last week came with a reminder that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The Hateful Eight are searching through the ranks to unmask the illustrious William Gladstone. But John Evelyn believes that suspicion always haunts a guilty mind, so would be cautious about trusting the Liam Neeson-type amongst them. But who is that, you ask? Be warned, reader: Don’t Ask, Red Alert! John Evelyn x

and tiktok, all whilst they were meant to be working on a presentation about their hobbies. Even more entertaining was trying to muddle my way through online teaching, attempting to explain the ingredients of haggis over a broken connection to students who had all turned their cameras off. It was only when I found myself standing at the front of the classroom with my arms crossed, waiting for silence, that I realised I’d truly made it as a teacher. And when I began angrily gesticulating whilst watching the UK descend into chaos on the evening news, it dawned on me that I’d truly given myself over to la dolce vita. I m a g e credits: Alice Peat.

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Life

FOOD

Sponge Baker to Slater Creator

Grace Spencer on Nigel Slater’s Greenfeast.

’ve never really understood cooking – I firmly established myself as a spongebaker aged 11, bookmarked a veggie chilli recipe, and called it a day. Compared to the delights of leftover cake-mix or an inhalation of icing sugar, real, proper cooking seemed oniony, long-winded, and a bit unglamorous; I was happy to fill myself up with something carby and let the pudding do the talking. I thought that if I wanted to level up from BBC GoodFood aficionado to something a bit more sophisticated, I probably needed to take the plunge into the world of cookbooks. But browsing the Blackwells website, I was a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options – an army of groomed people toting huge fish and massive leeks grinned out at me from the screen, daring me to take on their ‘plant-power prescription’ or to eat my Christmas tree (yes, a real book). One volume stood out among all the rest – a simple, small, orange book with a big gold paint-splatter across the front. Nigel Slater’s GreenFeast: Autumn, Winter seemed much more welcoming. It had the look of a period-drama journal, and my

Foodspiration

Aphrodisiac: Artichoke Pudding: Crêpe Event: National Bird-Feeding Month Book: Wok On by Ching He Huang

sentimental little heart was captured (and it was on sale, which honestly cinched it for me).

“

Reading GreenFeast feels like reading confessional poetry, or having a warm bath.

Slater writes about food with captivating, TennesseeWilliams-style solemnity and pathos. Reading GreenFeast feels like reading confessional poetry, or having a warm bath. Slater meditates on the faintly felt slide into wintry eating in his introduction: “the change starts late on a summer’s evening when you first notice the soft, familiar scent of distant woodsmoke in the sudden chill of the evening air”. We know exactly what he means, and he suggests food is the cosseting antidote to the unsettlement of a changing season. We are instructed to “mash beans into buttery clouds’’ and “bring dishes of sweet potato to melting tenderness in spiced cream”. There is a marked physicality to all of this, but one very different from that of other food writers - we can’t imagine Nigella’s exciting and sensuous recommendation to “cut crosses in figs […] so that they open like bird-throated flowers”, or Meera Sodha’s quip that folding spinach into a pan is like “pushing a duvet into a magical handbag,” surfacing in GreenFeast. There is a quieter sense in Slater’s writing that he is describing

things faithfully and gratefully, experimenting and unsure, but enjoying the tactile experience of cooking and eating. I think I relate to this somewhat basic response to food more than to anything more ornamented. It feels calm and encouragingly intuitive. I’ve particularly enjoyed Slater’s respect for the meditative qualities of chopping (tofu is great for this – mind-numbing) and for the rituals of the kitchen. He never suggests that his dishes should be dinner-party centrepieces, or ostentatious shows of time management, ingredientsourcing or dexterity. Every single dish seems well-suited to the sofa. Which, in lockdown, is apt. The sense of achievement I’ve felt making these recipes massively outweighs my actual creations – mostly ten-secondsin-a-blender things – I feel great about them. Any guilt or qualification surrounding food disappears for me when I make something which I’m proud of and which I’m proud to eat. A word to the wise is that almost everything has an entire pot of double cream in it, and there’s a recipe for fried cake that’s worth testing out. So, to any fellow non-cookers, tentative-cookers, or soy sauce pasta eaters – properly cooking could be a great, caring thing to do for yourself. And I would recommend letting Slater’s dulcet tones guide you through.

/ recipe BLOODY VALENTINE Ingredients 50ml dry gin* 2 dashes Angostura bitters* 150-300ml blood orange soda (adjust depending on desired ratio of soda to soda water) 0-150ml soda water (adjust depending on desired ratio of soda to soda water) Dried/fresh rosemary Ice Optional: dried blood orange wheels Instructions Add your favourite dry gin, blood orange soda, Agostura and rosemary (three sprigs fresh or a healthy amount dry) to an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shaking vigorously for a minute. Setting the shaker to the side, fill a tall glass or gin balloon with ice as desired and add two sprigs of fresh rosemary and a dried blood orange wheel. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass and top off with soda water in order to achieve your desired ratio of blood orange soda to soda water (I would recommend a 2:1 ratio). Stir and enjoy! (*Remove for nonalcoholic alternative) Head to cherwell.org for the full article by Olivia Railton. Artwork by Alessia Daniel

Life | Friday, 19th February 2021

a sustainable story

PROFILE

changing the climate narrative Amelia Horn in conversation with climate activist Finn Harries.

inn Harries has come a long way since the days of uploading videos with his identical twin on the YouTube channel JacksGap. An architecture graduate from Parson’s School of Design, a Ted Talk and UN speechmaker, and most recently a student at Cambridge, Harries has made a deserving name for himself in the world of climate activism. Youtubers have often receive a bad reputation - mostly, but not always, undeservedly. Accusations of needing a ‘real job’ or lacking talent have been thrown at the YouTube space for years. I was a little guilty of falling into this trap myself, thinking of the site as the realm of the chubby bunny challenge and controversy, and forgetting its possibility to empower young people with the skills necessary to enact change in their adult lives. Finn and Jack have arguably been some of the most successful in evolving away from this type of YouTube content. Speaking to Harries, it was easy to see how he had transferred the charisma and presence which made the JacksGap channel so warm and authentic into discussing the climate crisis. Likewise, both brothers have used their design and video editing skills across a number of years as a powerful activist tool. Harries is in his first year studying an MPhil at Cambridge. The course has allowed him freedom to choose his own research proposal, and although he focuses specifically on design, he moves seamlessly across disciplines in our conversation. “It starts with the understanding that humans are really good at creating stories. Perhaps the first person that exposed me to this was Yuval Noah Harari, the Israeli historian who wrote Sapiens and Homo Deus. He argues that the success of humans to collaborate at such a large scale is the power of good stories. We can think of borders, nations, money, religion, time, even... all just stories that we tell ourselves which allow us to collaborate.” “If you start with Descartes, he says in his Methods on Discourse that humans are the masters and possessors of nature. He is one of the many people that started to think of humans as fundamentally separate from nature, intrinsically of a higher divinity than other natural beings. “And in a way this is simplifying a very complex history, but if we bring it down to the foundational ideas that shaped our lives over the last couple of hundred years, then we can perhaps start to understand why we are at this point of severe

crisis.” “The hypothesis is, in the research that I’m doing, if you can start to shift that story... because the other thing is, we can all agree in a way that its a false story, as in, we are nature, there is no reason or explanation to suggest that we are not nature, when we fundamentally are, and therefore we’re deeply interconnected in this web of natural ecosystems.” Storytelling is central to Harries’ vision of climate activism, both in his research at Cambridge and in his latest digital project, Earthrise Studio. Finn acts as co-founder, along with brother Jack and his partner, Alice Eady. Founded in July 2020, Finn tells me it wasn’t a lockdown project; however - it couldn’t help feeling it could not come at a better time. Using seductive graphic design, something Jack and Finn have long been proficient at, Earthrise Studio’s Instagram aims to tackle in bitesize chunks some of the biggest questions our planet is faced with. Educational tools on social media, when we spend so much time indoors and online, have never had more of an impact on self-reflection and improvement. The project places a large emphasis on tackling climate anxiety. Harries described the issue as threefold. The first is acceptance: “We should absolutely have a sense of anxiety about the state of our future, because a. that shows we care, and b. its from that point that we can start to take action.” His second point is one of self-care, and he emphasises that he can only speak from his personal experience: “These start to sound like clichés, but they’re not. Meditation and exercise and therapy are all three tools that I’ve actively used to allow me to work in this space without, you know, falling into a deep depression. I practice meditation every day and its the only reason I can, sort of, stay present and focus on what I’m doing. Selfcare is 100% part of this work - you have to

look after yourself.” His final point about climate anxiety is much more conceptual: “It is a concept which I want to mention because it is the reason I applied for Cambridge, and its called the adaptive cycle, which is the name of my project currently. Its an idea that’s really simple, but really profound, if you dwell on it.” “So the best way to explain it is, before I came across this concept, if you asked me what the future looked like, I imagined a line, we were somewhere along the line, and at the end it was a really bleak fiery ball of hell, and it was daunting, you know, to be heading towards this future. In the concept which is called the adaptive cycle, it tries to create a theory of all natural ecosystems and civilisation as a series of growth and collapses, and its an infinite loop. “And this is not the exception, its a loop, and this is what we see throughout history, throughout antiquity, is cultures, ecosystems, establish themselves, they grow rapidly, they use their resources, they conserve (something) and then they crash, they collapse - its a little bit scary, but they collapse, and then they have this amazing opportunity where they reorganise themselves, and they reinvent the way they work - Romans, Greeks, pine forests after a forest fire, there are a multitude of different examples.” Harries describes Earthrise as a way to change the story of climate change, a story which h a s been skewed across hundreds of years. “Jack and I had

previously built JacksGap and so we had learnt the power of engaging people and buidling a platform on social media - we had learnt the ups and downs of that - and we were really hungry to create a new one that was dedicated to this topic that we were really interested in”, Harries says. “The simple question posed by Earthrise, and one we are asking ourselves everyday, is how we tell a news story on the climate crisis that creates a sense of optimism, because we need optimism to tackle this crisis and to not fall into apathy and despair. “It’s this ongoing experiment, and we fail often at our own mission, because we get so caught up still in the data that can be so bleak, and you’re trying to find a balance between communicating the reality, and giving people all the information they need to understand the severity of the issue, and giving people hope and optimism, but not too much hope where people think ‘oh, its fine, we dont’ need to worry about it!’ - so its this strange balance.” We also spoke about the problems facing climate activism, especially on social media. Climate activists are often held to a kind-of all-or-nothing standard, evidenced by the public outcry whenever Greta Thunberg is pictured within two metres of a piece of plastic. I asked Harries how Earthrise aims to change this discourse. “One of the early ‘stories’ that we would tell is that we’re all hypocrites, and we should and must start by accepting that. We find ourselves in a system in which we are all complicit in the destruction of our natural environment - its just our reality.” “If we had to have a movement of perfect environmentalists, who never sinned, we’d have a very small movement.” “Its a tricky narrative - to what extent can we use the excuse of hypocrisy to get away with our actions - and so there also must be a constant holding each other to account and checking back on yourself.” “But I fundamentally believe its okay to be a hypocrite, because this is a systemic issue.” Harries never saw the discussion around climate change as a binary, and throughout our conversation it was clear that he is constantly engaged in a self-dialogue about how best to tackle the climate crisis. He sat somewhere in the middle on most of the questions I asked; not as someone who was uninformed or unwilling to come to a conclusion, but as someone who, as all of us are when it comes to climate change, is grappling with a topic that is far beyond the scope of one individual. Read the full article online.

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Comment

Wes Beckett On... extra baggage.

Taiwan and the value of the future present Elias Formaggia talks Covid and climate change, and why we should live in the future.

ust live in the present” is a phrase which perfectly captures the human tendency to undervalue the future. The sentiment stems from wanting to enjoy oneself, but I want to explore how this overemphasis on the ‘right now’ is harmful to what will one day be the present. It is no wonder that we, as humans, often disregard the importance of the future; millions of years of evolution have hard-wired us to respond to physical stimuli and what we are experiencing in that very moment; it is thus understandable that the future, having no physical manifestation, is hard to value as much as we should. Our current political system also feeds this bias of the present: parties campaign to govern for a short term of 5 years; electable policies are not those of how we will address the global issues of the coming decades, but instead, those which promise immediate impact and can be tackled in these fleeting years of power. Whilst our default psychology and political system can make it difficult to resist a present-centric approach, I believe there is a useful term and mindset which can be em-

ployed to lessen this inertia: the ‘future-present’. In the aftermath of the 2003 SARS outbreak, Taiwan took steps to securing a better future-present. Having had one of highest SARS cases per capita in the world, Taiwan realised the imminent threat posed by infectious disease and started to prepare for the inevitable emergence of new, more contagious, and more lethal pathogenic entities. Having set up a temporary command centre in 2003, which had proved effective during the outbreak, Taiwan then founded a National Health Command Centre, of which the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) was a major division. As of January 29th 2021, the UK’s COVID cases per capita is over 1484 times higher than that of Taiwan’s, where fatalities are still in the single digits. To what does Taiwan owe its success? I argue we should credit an existing infrastructure in which disease control and the prospects of a pandemic have been taken seriously for years. The CECC has proved instrumental in Taiwan’s epidemiological masterclass, this is partly due to the respect it is afforded by

government officials: in times where health security is paramount, the CECC has authority to coordinate works across different government compartments and take the helms of policy making. This has allowed scientists and healthcare professionals to implement effective action to stop the spread of the virus. These actions included prompt restriction on nonessential travel, disinfecting of public areas, and texts to all citizens combatting and fact checking false news regarding COVID-19. Taiwan also introduced an impressive quarantine system in which citizens are paid £27 for everyday they isolate and fines of up to 1,000 times this amount can be issued to those who breach quarantine. Taiwan’s expert-based approach to fighting COVID has clearly payed off and leads us to question why similar precautions and protocols were not set up in the West. Experts warned of a pandemic over 20 years ago as the understanding of ‘emerging viruses’ improved; factors such as climate change and the close proximity of humans to farm and forest animals meant that it was only a matter of time before a

zoonotic event occurred and introduced a life-threatening, highly contagious pathogen into the human population. We are in the early days of what appears to be a successful vaccine rollout. But, as soon as we have successfully dealt with the pandemic, our attention must quickly centre towards the challenges of the coming decades in order to prevent catastrophes of this magnitude. Climate change is finally being realised by many as the pressing issue that it is, but action that reflects its seriousness is still yet to be taken; the rise of antibiotic resistance will only keep getting worse if overuse and inappropriate prescribing continue;estimates put the Earth’s population at just under 10 billion by 2050 and a severe food crisis looms; far more effort and research must be pooled towards how we will feed our ever growing global population. There is no shortage of problems coming our way so it is crucial that we divert our focus away from the present and begin to tackle the issues that will define this century, and define our futurepresent. Read the full article online at cherwell.org

COMMENT

Comment | Friday, 19th February 2021

‘Banglatown’: why Brick Lane cannot fall victim to the gentrification of East London

Zara Arif warns of the threat of cultural loss and makes a powerful call to action.

‘B

angla noise on Brick Lane, that’s the sound of my home’. The first line of British-Bangladeshi singer Joy Crookes’ song ‘London Mine’ perfectly captures the significance of Brick Lane as a pocket of Bangladeshi culture in London’s East End. With its numerous world-famous, Bangladeshi-owned curry houses, this iconic location in London attracts millions of tourists every year and is a symbol of the cultural richness that decades of Bangladeshi immigration have brought to the area. In existence under its current name since the 1550s, Brick Lane has represented the diverse and multicultural nature of London for hundreds of years. It was first a safe haven for French Protestants fleeing religious persecution and later saw large amounts of Jewish immigration. It was in the 1950s and 60s that Bangladeshi men first came to the biggest cities in England in search of employment and this reached an all-time high in the 1970s due to ongoing conflict with West Pakistan. The majority of these immigrants came from the Sylhet region in the North-East of the country and many settled in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, specifically the Spitalfields and Brick Lane area. So, how did Brick Lane become so important for the Bangladeshi immigrant community? Many of the single, immigrant men that arrived in London and specifically the Tower Hamlets area found work in industry but due to austerity in England in the latter half of the 1970s and the privatisation of companies, many of these men were made powerless victims of mass redundancy. This rise in unemployment led many Bangladeshis to open their own restaurants and consequently one of the poorest areas of London, which had seen a sharp decline in business, saw a huge

period of economic flourishing. Currently more than 80% of all Indian restaurants in the UK are Bangladeshi owned. Due to this phenomenon, many immigrants were able to bring their family members from Bangladesh to settle with them in the Brick Lane and Spitalfields area. This allowed a tight-knit community to establish itself. Asian clothing shops and factories were opened and in 1976; the synagogue on the corner of Brick Lane became a mosque. This building is now a symbol of the migratory history of the area since before the synagogue, as it was also a Protestant chapel for the French refugees. Many of these immigrants suffered from relentless racism: a place such as Brick Lane would have provided a safe space where they were free to actively participate in their culture. For London’s current Bangladeshi community, Brick Lane is a representation of the vibrancy that their enterprise and culture brought to the area. It is, in effect, a living reminder of the history of immigration and the way in which it allowed the area to blossom. The Bangladeshi identity is so synonymous with this part of London that in 2001, the borough changed the name of the electoral ward of ‘Spitalfields’ to ‘Spitalfields and Banglatown’. Despite this, it seems that Brick Lane is being threatened by an endemic that has taken many victims in London in recent years. It is completely unsurprising that the area has changed immensely since the first Bangladeshi immigrants settled there. It has become a general hub for culture with cafés, clubs, bars and even street art by Banksy. Although all these things should be welcomed as they allow communities to live and thrive together through the celebration of art , what should not be allowed to destroy such culturally significant places is the process of gentrification.

In 2020, plans for the redevelopment of the iconic Truman Brewery on Brick Lane were announced. These plans would include the construction of multi-storey office spaces as well as shops, restaurants and a gym. Many believe that if allowed, this redevelopment would completely compromise the cultural authenticity of the area, and the usual negative

We cannot as a community or a country allow commercial profit and gain to take precedence over years of history that form part of a collective identity. Campaigns were initially launched to oppose the plans but with the increasing severity of the pandemic they were short-lived. An exhibition was put on by the Spitalfield’s Trust to showcase Brick Lane’s rich history

impacts of gentrification. For a development like this to be financially feasible, investment from large commercial companies and brands is required. This commercialisation of the area and huge investments would lead to housing prices and the general cost of living to skyrocket, forcing residents to move out in favour of more affordable areas in the suburbs. As the Borough of Tower Hamlets is one of the most economically deprived (it had the highest unemployment rates in London in 2020) but also ethnically diverse areas of London, one consequence of this type of development and gentrification would be a type of social cleansing. Essentially, the ethnic communities that make these areas what they are would be physically unable to continuing living in a place that represents their identity and culture as British immigrants. For this very reason, the Truman development should not go ahead at any cost. Brick Lane is one of the many locations that make London such a diverse, vibrant and welcoming city.

through black and white photos but again due to lockdown this was not open to the public for long enough to have had a widespread impact. A lot of the opposition has now moved online with the launch of the #SaveBrickLane campaign which encourages letters and emails to be written to people of power such as local MPs and the Mayor of London. It is hoped that uniting with the Bangladeshi voices of Brick Lane will preserve a cultural jewel in the heart of London’s East End. It is more urgent than ever to act. The Truman Brewery has started lifting uppaving slabs in order to begin building on the site without planning permission even being approved, showing a blatant disregard for the concerns raised by the community. Linked on cherwell. org are a few sites where you can find out more about how you can use your voice in solidarity with the Bangladeshi and wider East London community to save Brick Lane. Read the full article and follow these links on our website.

Friday, 19th February 2021 | Comment

NEOCOLONIALISM FROM FRANCS TO FIRE POWER

Patrick Duggan unpacks the insidious nature of France’s neocolonial present.

here are certain European countries, at whose head is France, who have never de-colonised Africa. There are countries in Africa where France prints its own currency, the franc of the colonies, and with this money the French finance their public debt...these African countries are colonies and we ought to call them as such.” The diplomatic incident which followed Di Maio’s press conference on the 2nd of January was the worst of its kind since the Second World War. The Italian Ambassador was summoned to the Elysee for an explanation, the EU was asked by Rome to impose sanctions on France, and the diplomatic relationship between the two countries appeared positively on the verge of collapse. Di Maios’ comments were one of the few moments where French policy in Africa receieved the press it deserves, and the response to the Italian Deputy Prime Minister indicated that Paris is still averse to any such attention. More recently, its policy in its African ex-colonies has once again made headlines — this time a fair deal more serious than the outbursts of an Italian politician. In West Africa, the attempt to pivot away from the colonial-era CFA currency has thrust France’s dubious financial relationship with Africa back under the spotlight. To the north, protests have been raging across Mali, coming after the death of twenty party-goers in an ‘anti-Jihadist raid’ by the French military. These demonstrations form part of a greater region-wide reaction to the substantial French military presence in the Sahel alone — now numbering over 5,000. So now that people are becoming increasingly aware that there is some sort of French

involvement in Africa, the question remains as to what the nature of this involvement is. What do the protests mean for the future, and was the Italian Deputy Prime Minister justified in characterising it as exploitative and colonial? Well for starters, since 1960, France has intervened militarily 40 times in Africa, currently stations over 8000 of its troops on the continent and maintains 7 military installations there. But the exercise of continued influence in Africa by the French is more subtle and by many accounts a lot less exiting than military intervention, hence why France’s operations have drawn such little scrutiny the past 60 years since official decolonisation. At the root of it, French power is fundamentally economic, something less flashy than the military and hence less noticeable, backed up by impressive military presence and sustained by local corruption - all made possible by one thing, the CFA. The CFA (or Colonies françaises d’Afrique) was extended upon independence by France to all former colonies in the region, forming a bloc which now counts 14 states as members. The benefits of this in the early days of independence may well have outweighed the negatives, with notoriously precarious post-colonial economies fortified by the backing of the French Franc. The Franc was, however, no mere gift from the mother country to her ex-colonies. In return for stability (of which little materialised), these fledgling African republics were legally bound to transfer half of their foreign exchange reserves, plus a liability of another 20% into the French treasury, submitting in the process to

economic supervision by the National Bank in Paris. Added to that, France reserved for itself the right to print the new currency and to devalue it in time of trouble. 14 former colonies were thus permanently tied to French oversight in what amounted to colonialism ‘at-a-distance’. Now at first this situation may well have been dismissed as simply paternalistic — overbearing rather than colonial — but almost 60 years on and bar a change in name (now franc de la Communauté financière africaine) the situation has not changed: neither the rules of engagement nor the economic wellbeing of the Franc bloc.

es, fine art and real estate had all been offered to African politicians in attempting to secure oil rights for French interests. It also highlighted the collusion between the state and capital, with their interests, particularly in Africa, often intertwined. As if that weren’t enough, the Franc Zone has been by all accounts an economic disaster: with the few moderately successful economies in the bloc contending with real-term economic decline. The argument that the Franc is a stabilizing force therefore grows increasingly difficult to sustain, as by almost every metric (credit-to-GDP ratio, regional trade, etc.) it has failed to deliver. Even if there were real concerted attempts made to enact economic restructuring measures in the Franc Zone, French representatives at the central banks retain an effective veto over most decisions, meaning that actions which might be taken to threaten French interests are essentially impracticable. In the end one cannot predict the future, but France looks set to remain firmly entrenched in West and Central Africa for a long time, wary as it is of unwanted attention and jealous as it will remain of the power it wields there. The spread of an equally nefarious Chinese power across the continent is likely to urge French capital and politics to re-engineer their system, but this is unlikely to benefit Africa itself. This is not to mention French military commitments claiming to combat Jihadism, the European desire to bar migrant car-a vans bound northwards, and continued access to natural resources. Indeed France still appears to have the means and a reason to remain in Africa for the foreseeable future.

“The problems of the UK’s health bureaucracy are under-regulation and political cronyism as opposed to stifling red tape.” The injustice of the Franc Zone was made clear as day in 2008 when, in the midst economic meltdown, CFA bloc members attempted both to obtain credit and access their own foreign currency reserves, only to find that they could not do so. Why? Well because 70% of their foreign exchange reserves were being looked after in Paris, in France’s name, not theirs. When Paris eventually condescended to loan the bloc money, it did so at commercial rates, charging the bloc interest on money which was ostensibly theirs. Just as indicative of France’s control is the systematic courting of regional leaders and politicians by French foreign interests. This almost invariably cultivates a culture of stagnant corruption: with leaders unwilling or unable to cater to the preoccupations of their citizenry. The 1994 Elf scandal laid bare the extent of this corruption, revealing that bribes, mistress-

5,000

members of French military in the Sahel, Mali. Source: Government statement

French military bases still on the African continent. Source: YouGov poll

percent of the currency reserves of CFA bloc members kept in Paris in France’s name.

Features | Friday, 19th February 2021

OMNISCIENT OPPRESSORS Jemima Sinclair examines how high-tech surveillance plays an integral role in China’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims.

CW: violence, genocide. n recent years, it’s become impossible not to link the Chinese government with the censorship and control of data within its borders and in Hong Kong. However, the effects of state control over media, technology and data have been shown to their furthest extreme so far in the case of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region of China. Xinjiang has only been Chinese territory since the 18th Century, and with 45% of the region made up of Turkic Uyghurs, it was designated a ‘Uyghur Autonomous Region’ in 1954. In the last 5 years, there has been a huge increase in the persecution of Uyghur Muslims, from the destruction of their houses and mosques to the conversion of holy places to tourist sites (removing their religious element), to the incentives in place for Uyghur women to marry non-Uyghur men. Beyond this, however, over three million Uyghur Muslims are reportedly being rounded up--sometimes from overseas--and placed into around 380 hidden ‘re-education’ camps in the Xinjiang region for seemingly very minor infractions. These include practising Islam, having ‘extremist thoughts’ (undefined), switching off one’s phone repeatedly, being ‘generally untrustworthy’, or being ‘born after the 1980s’. Once in these camps, people have reportedly been subject to indoctrination and ‘brainwashing’, forced sterilisations,

the UK Government has referred to the actions as ‘barbarism’ and 20 other countries have also condemned the actions. These condemnations, having only come out in mental and physical torture, rape and organ the last couple of months, may lead to a new harvesting. To list such horrific treatment wave of united calls for the end of persecuin this way does not do justice to the pain tion against Uyghurs, and the power behind thousands of people believed to have been these condemnations may see more support held in these camps undergo. They are held from Muslim countries currently staying in these camps without knowing how long silent. Some companies are beginning to they’ll be there or if they’ll be released, cut off factories linked to forced labour in with no way of contacting family or friends. Xinjiang (including M&S and Next in the Many are placed into forced labour, both UK), while MEPs have ‘promised to focus within camps and outside factories once on’ the treatment of Muslims. Although this they are ‘released’, with the Center for Glob- may not be the immediate action this crisis al Policy reporting half a million Uyghurs deserves, as Shannon Tezzi of The Diplomat coerced into picking cotton. These actions noted, ‘the political ground internationally are classed as genocide as defined by the is shifting’. Genocide Convention. The abuses and The Chinese government’s response to particularly the sterilthese condemnations is, isation of Muslims has These actions are as we might have predictcaused Genocide Watch classed as genocide as ed, outright denial of ‘any to class this at Stage 8 defined by the Genocide inappropriate actions in of their genocide model: Convention. Xinjiang’. On Jan 28th ‘Persecution’. 2021, Foreign Ministry Though human rights organisations have spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, “The most been reporting on these atrocities for years, important thing should be repeated three governments have not responded until very times - China has no genocide; China recently. The reactions to the situation have has no genocide; China has no genocide, been gradually more aggressive–and poten- period”. This is not in any way unexpected tially more hopeful. While the International and not simply because the government is Criminal Court ruled not to investigate the particularly invested in covering up this detention of Muslims, the announcement severe breach in Human Rights. Xi Jinping’s from the USA on 20th of January that both government has continued China’s focus the former and current administration on censorship, data blocking and cover-ups would call this a ‘genocide’ represents the known as the ‘Great Firewall’ that began in first time this categorization will have 2000. In the last month alone, the Chinese significance on the world stage. Similarly, Government’s censorship of Hong Kong’s

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Friday, 19 February 2021 | Features

FEATURES

internet preventing ‘illegal acts’, including a website about anti-government protests, has marked a further destruction of freedoms that has been building for years. In December, Zoom employees linked with the Chinese government blocked online meetups between anyone wishing to remember the murders at Tiananmen Square. These acts of censorship have been occurring for years in China, and the information on the persecution of Uyghurs is no different. The only way we know of these events is through the leaking of documents, research done by a few journalists and eyewitness accounts of those who suffered under these circumstances. Though this evidence has been building up for years, Human Rights Watch’s uncovering of the ‘Aksu List’ and the leak of the ‘Karakax papers’ in Feb 2020 both allow much further insight into the staggering numbers of people detained. Over 3,000 recorded in the Aksu List alone. And these are mere snapshots of a far wider situation, the reporting of which has been nearly impossible. The Chinese government has systematically attempted to block any and all data that shows its actions in Xinjiang, blocking journalism in a number of ways; New York Times journalists reported their phones being searched by their armed police escorts and any data deemed ‘insensitive’ being deleted, while BBC journalists described their work being branded as ‘fake news’ by Chinese media. ‘Selected’ journalists (including the BBC’s John Sudworth) have begun to be allowed to tour certain camps, in which the emphasis is on it being a ‘school’ and the aim is on de-radicalising ‘religious extremists’; many questions asked were blocked or answered in a frighteningly euphemistic way (asked what happens if someone didn’t want to come to the camp, an official answered “We’ve never encountered that before”.) Sudworth later stated: “this is what [China] wants the world to see.” Although this varied effort of blocking has surely prevented many atrocities from being discovered, the leaks and the photos (often taken at night) both of the re-education camps and streets in Xinjiang have been of utmost importance to our understanding of the situation, and demonstrate the level to which the government has attempted to cover up its actions. Data being blocked, however, is only half of the story. The Chinese government’s most terrifying and most effective method of oppression and control is its formidable ability and drive to gather all data on as many Uyghur Muslims as possible. The drive to gather this data is funded by Xi Jinping’s increased internal security budget, which

FEATURES

was recorded at $8.4 billion in 2017, six times Uyghurs constitutes a ‘new form of techas much as in 2012 and with funding for nology-driven authoritarian rule’ that “surveillance, personnel and… indoctrina- is unparalleled in the world, while Chris tion camps”. Companies including Huawei Buckley calls the towns under surveillance and Hikvision are contracted to assist the a ‘virtual cage’. Even if it were the case that government, ensuring the systems have the camps were being shut down (as the govhighest level of technological advancement ernment insists despite contrary evidence), available. The CETC (Chinese Electronics the entire region remains a prison to those Technology Group Corporation) surveil- under surveillance. lance system used in Xinjiang gathers the The tide may be at the very edge of bedata of the Muslim population through ginning to turn in favour of Ughyur people use of surveillance cameras, checkpoints in China; although people have already lost and highly sophisticated facial recognition lives, homes, and loved ones, the fact that software that can now identify faces multiple countries even wearing masks. In 2019, a dataThe technology are finally paying base from facial recognition company and techniques, once attention to the SenseNets containing data of 2.4 mildeveloped, will be genocide means lion people and 6.8 million locations used again. there may come a recorded within only 24 hours was point in which this found exposed online. regime will truly be challenged. Although This level of surveillance is even higher China’s enormous power makes this develin cities with high Muslim populations. New opment seem unlikely, the economic impact York Times’ Chris Buckley and Paul Mozar of countries withdrawing their custom to discovered that in Kashgar, a city in Xinji- companies such as Huawei and increased ang with a population of 720,000, the CETC scepticism from those who are still in busi‘draws on databases with 68 billion records’ ness may suggest the pressure is mounting which is over 3,500 times more than the FBI on China. gathers in the entire the USA. Not only are However, even if the best-case scenario locations and identifications recorded, but becomes reality and the genocide is somealso DNA; NYT reports that officials collect how peacefully ended, the technologies “blood, fingerprints, voice recordings, head and the knowledge of how to use them to portraits from multiple angles, and scans oppress others are here to stay. Beyond the of irises” to ensure the identity of each horror taking place in Xinjiang is the horror Muslim inhabitant is recorded. Large-scale that Xinjiang could be anywhere. There are demolition and rebuilding of Uyghur-owned reports that delegations from other regions houses and streets (ostensibly to improve in China have visited Kashgar and other citcleanliness) has not only robbed inhabitants ies to “admire—and consider adopting—the of their homes and culture, but the broader measures”. The New York Times reports that streets built now allow for much easier the wealthy provinces Zhejiang and Guangsurveillance. Furthermore, and perhaps dong are testing the surveillance system, most worryingly, Uyghur inhabitants are which CETC has called a “robust foundation tracked using checkpoints at the edges of for a nationwide rollout”. And this is not towns, as well as at “banks, parks, schools, limited to China; as Victor Gevers notes, gas stations, and mosques”; security “this can be pulled off by anyone”. Data researcher Victor Gevers discovered over harvesting is a part of global culture, as 10,000 checkpoints in Urumqi, the Xinjiang the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal capital, alone. Han Chinese are allowed to demonstrated the way data can and has been bypass checkpoints through ‘green chan- misused for political gain. Although this nels’, demonstrating the clear drive to track misuse was stopped in the UK, this will not and control the lives of Uyghurs alone. be the case every time data is harvested and The purpose of these actions is clear: to misused. It is clear in the case of Xinjiang control the Uyghur population. The ability that this has been taken much further. We for the government to determine the ‘guilt’ now have evidence that, unchecked, a suof anyone over arbitrary reasons is given perpower can combine mass discrimination far more power with the use of technology; and technological advancement to create a not every aspect of this power is technol- horrifyingly effective regime. It is clear that ogy-based, but it is the extent to which the use and misuse of technology is key to technology has created a governmental the execution of modern-day genocide. omniscience that allows such absolute control, even when victims are not in the Artwork by Jemima Sinclair. re-education camps. As the Spectator’s Image credit: Pawel Zdziarski via Wikimedia Harald Maass writes, the persecution of Commons.

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Friday, 19th February 2021 | Cherwell

SPORT

one leg cut off at the thigh. This unfamiliar configuration, the star later revealed in a post-match press conference, was inspired by Flo-Jo. One of Williams’ childhood idols, Flo-Jo was an American track athlete who held the 100m and 200m record when she died in 1998 of an epileptic seizure at the age of just 38. Flo-Jo was similarly renowned for her iconic outfits, and often had one leg covered and the other bare. This recalls the ‘Black Panther catsuit’ that Williams donned at the 2018 French Open. Designed to protect against postnatal blood clots, Williams wore

Serena Williams and the 2021 Australian Open

Ariana Rubio

erena Williams, 39, arrived in Melbourne on January 14th to complete her two-week government mandated hotel quarantine. Carrying her luggage, her three-year old daughter Olympia, and the hefty weight of her reputation, the tennis mogul waved to fans (from a distance). Williams’ array of records and accolades include twenty-three Grand Slam single titles, 186 consecutive weeks at World No.1 and four Olympic gold medals – to mention only the most dazzling. Widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, Williams is currently competing in the 2021 Australian Open. To use a now rather commonplace phrase ironically, this year’s tournament will be one like no other. After the French Open was delayed from May to October 2020, this is only the second Grand Slam to take place in the context of the global pandemic. Wimbledon, interestingly, was the only major tournament to have had pandemic insurance. Upon landing in Australia, participants were required to quarantine ahead of the February 8th start date. The Australian government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was remarkably successful, consisting of a number of early, harsh lockdowns that resulted in a drastic drop in cases and consequent relaxation of regulations. On January 1st, 2021 there

186

Consecutive weeks at World No.1 for Serena Williams

were only 22 new cases in the country. In light of the relatively ‘safe’ Covid situation, the tournament initially planned to allow crowds of up to 30,000 to watch match-play, which is approximately half the usual capacity. This, however, was in place for only a few days from the 8th to the 12th of February. Hopes of watching the action in person were dashed when thirteen cases, linked to a hotel quarantine worker, plunged Victoria into a new lockdown. The tournament presses on, although spectatorship, as with so much else, is now confined to a screen. With characteristic grace, Williams lauded the Australian government and tournament organisation for their vigilant response to the Covid crisis. Conceding the difficulty of quarantining with a small child, she maintained the necessity of the ‘super strict’ regulations both in terms of protecting the public and creating circumstances in which the tournament could safely take place. After a year of cancelled plans and parties, it is heartening to see the adaptation of a time-honoured sporting tradition to the novel situation. With a history of unusual, eye-catching outfits (often the subject of intense criticism and controversy), Williams did not disappoint fans as she strode on to the court in a red, pink and black bodysuit with

Grand Slam titles over the course of her career

the garment to participate in her first Grand Slam since giving birth in September 2017. Refusing to sacrifice either her career or her family, the star is a role model for the next generation of tennis players. The outfit also paid homage to the 2018 Marvel film Black Panther, and Williams later said that it made her feel like a ‘superhero’. These culturally resonant fashion statements highlight the importance of representation in sport. Having last won a Grand Slam championship at the 2017 Australian Open, tenth-seed Williams holds out hope for another win on Australian soil this year. Victory would carry her to twenty-four Grand Slam singles titles. This would tie her for the most in history with predecessor Margaret Court. In the first and second rounds respectively, Williams easily defeated Laura Siegemund and Nina Stojanović in straight sets. The third round against Anastasia Potapova was more challenging, with the tennis giant narrowly taking the first set by only two points in a 7-5 tie-break. After that, though, it was smooth sailing; Williams won the second set 6-2. Despite this early success, the star still has much to prove. While reigning champion Sofia Kenin was defeated by Kaia Kanepi in the second round, Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka remain fierce competitors. Halep and Williams have faced off a total of twelve times, with Williams leading the tally at 9-3. The Romanian player, however, has inflicted a series of heavy defeats on Williams, including a surprise victory at the 2019 Wimbledon final. With four more rounds to go, and the gleaming possibility of a new record at the end, the world of tennis eagerly awaits Serena Williams’ next move. Image Yann Caradec Creative Commons.

10th

Serena William’s seed at this year’s Open

Cherwell | Friday, February 19th 2021

ENGLAND IN INDIA:

THE TESTS KEEP COMING

Matthew Cogan

n the first Test at Chennai, England produced a stunning victory over a very strong India team. Many doubters were proven wrong, Jimmy Anderson at 38 was able to produce one of the finest overs in recent years to dismiss Gill and Rahane at a crucial point in the second innings, and Joe Root continued his imperious form, posting a commanding 218 in the first innings on a difficult pitch. However, despite such a brilliant result, the second test at the same venue this week looks to be an entirely different game. Given England’s decision to rotate players, Anderson will have to watch from the sidelines and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is returning home. This, coupled with an injury to Jofra Archer and the choice of the England camp to drop spinner Dom Bess, means that the 11 that line up to face India in the second test will be a very different one to the first. Some of the replacements are like for like; Stuart Broad for Anderson and Moeen Ali for Bess do not overly alter the strength of the side. However, the loss of Archer and Buttler could be felt much more. In the last couple of years Buttler has proved himself to be just as talented in the red ball game as we all knew he was in white ball cricket. His ability to bat and accumulate runs patiently before going through the gears and scoring almost at will is something very few cricketers in the world can match. The wicketkeeper coming in is

Ben Foakes, a man with proven pedigree in sub-continent conditions, but with only 5 tests under his belt – it can hardly be argued that he is the same calibre of player as Buttler. Possibly more worryingly for England fans is the loss of Archer. Since his test debut in 2019, he has illustrated that he can mix it with some of the best fast bowlers in the world, and whilst he might not have been at his best in the first test, he brings something very different to the England side in terms of raw pace. Archer’s replacement is the Warwickshire bowler Olly Stone, a man with decent stats at First Class level, but only a solitary test to his name, a 2019 home

SPORTS SHORTS

OUWBC NEEDS YOU Martha Birtles The OUWBC development programme is looking for athletes and coxes of any level of experience and from any sport who are interested in rowing for the university to join a community of supportive and driven individuals. It is an opportunity to receive coaching and feedback, and get in touch with like-minded sportswomen. “Joining the dev squad was a great decision for me – it’s completely changed what I believe I can achieve and what I want to get out of sport.” Image: OUWBC.

match against Ireland. To be suddenly thrust in against one of the best test teams in the world, in hot conditions, seems as though it could be a bit much for Stone to handle. Of course, I hope that I am wrong and all of these replacements prove their worth to the side, but I struggle to see the 11 men starting this second test for England replicating the display of the first. Either way, that will not stop me from waking up early and watching whilst I attend my lectures or get on with my reading, something only possible due to the long awaited return of test cricket to terrestrial television. Image: It’s No Game via Wikimedia.

Find more sports coverage online at cherwell.org/category/sport

LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH Fred Waine February is LGBTQ+ History Month; to celebrate this, BBC Sport have created a section on their webpage (bbc.co.uk/sport), where you can find interviews with LGBTQ+ sportspeople, articles discussing the challenges that sport still faces with regards to becoming more inclusive, and much more video and podcast content. Particularly enlightening is a series of vox pops from a number of fans, who outline the highs and lows of being part of a LGBTQ+ fan group at an English club. Image: Ludovic Bertron via Wikimedia.

PUZZLES Put your brain to work to solve this week’s codeword! Send completed puzzles to cherwelleditor@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in next week’s issue! Puzzle by Kian Moghaddas

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