The
OXFORD STUDENT
Friday 20th October 2017
oxfordstudent.com
Vol. 81, No. 3
Vice-chancellor slams college system as ‘sclerotic’; insists on reform
John Cairns
Anisha Faruk
Deputy News Editor
Oxford University vice-chancellor Louise Richardson has called for reform of the college system, as she criticised the ‘waste of resources’ the structure currently leads to. While acknowledging that “much of the success of Oxford University can be attributed to its devolved structure”, she said that Oxford must reform its “sclerotic” administration or face a “slow but definite decline”. According to Richardson, centralising certain administrative functions currently performed by individual colleges would save time and money. Speaking to academics and lecturers at her annual Oration to Congregation, the university’s highest legislative body, Richardson said: “We all know that change occurs slowly at Oxford… but the world is changing rap-
Profile
Exclusive interview with Kevin Rudd, the former Prime Minister of Australia
idly around us… We can ride the waves of globalisation, technological change and pressure on costs, or we can let them wash over us eroding the edges that make us the world leading university we are.” Richardson maintained that she was not trying to undermine the autonomy of colleges but that “this structure allows for a great deal of duplication of activities which lead to a waste of resources both financial, and worse, our most valuable resource, our time. “At a time of ever increasing regulatory burdens on universities imposed externally, I would like to see us reduce these burdens internally, to reduce unnecessary complexity and free up our time for the research and teaching that drew us into universities to begin with.” Richardson blamed a lack of engagement from staff for many failings. With less than 10% of
university congregation committee positions being contested, individuals advising on the running of Oxford are unlikely to be challenged for their post. The vice-chancellor called for the avoidance of using the devolved system in Oxford as “a mechanism for the promotion of self-interest”. She will undoubtedly face resistance from acaademics across the university. Professor Richardson also spoke out in support of the recentlypassed motion that enforces a retirement age for academics. After the government ending of a national default retirement age, the rule was controversially introduced an Employer-Justified Retirement Age (ERJA) of 68 with support from younger fellows and objection from older academics.
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Oxford City Council attempts to address homeless concerns Charlie Willis News Editor
Oxford City Council have revealed plans to provide extensive winter accommodation for rough sleepers in the coldest months, in collaboration with organisations including St Mungo’s, Oxford Homeless Pathways (OxHOP) and The Porch. In response to the rising number of homeless and rough sleepers in the city, emergency housing will be provided when temperatures are predicted to drop to zero or below for three consecutive nights or longer, in accordance with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). In doing so, the council intends to
IT is laughable as a horror, buts still fills the big shoes of its predecessor
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“prevent deaths on the streets caused by adverse weather”. Primary locations for the special accommodation will be established permanent hostels, including Simon House and O’Hanlon House. Additional efforts will be made by Oxford City Council’s partners, and local churches are set to provide emergency night shelter between January and March. Councillor Mike Rowley, Board Member for Housing said: ““The Council is working with homelessness organisations to ensure that [...] additional bed spaces will be available as part of our severe weather emergency protocol.
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OxStuff
OxStu Come Dine With Me was it great, or even better?
The Oxford Student | Friday 13th October 2017
STAFF LIST
Editors-in-chief Alex Oscroft Rosie Shakerchi
Deputy Editors Daniel Mahoney James Evans Katrina Gaffney Madeleine Taylor Tara Snelling Verity Winn
News
Charlie Willis Liam Lucas Anisha Faruk (deputy)
Comment
Lizzie Deane Siddharth Jayaprakash Danielle Dean (deputy) Will Evans (deputy)
Editorial
Alex Oscroft Mansfield
Do you ever get the feeling that sometimes you just aren’t really what you thought you were? Or that people you know - or should I say, knew - were just not quite what they seemed? That nothing you said or did mattered to their cold, dead hearts, and everything that came out of your mouth just escalated things and made it so much worse, and before you knew it you had lost control of everything and there was no hope for you in sight, at which point who even cares any more what’s the point of it all??? I never have, but what I have felt this week was a profound sense of wholesomeness from the discovery of a new facebook page, Oxnice. We’ve all seen the aggressive Oxfeuds aimed at everyone and no-one, and I can’t
have been the only one to think why you gotta be so rude? I could never believe that any of my close friends would ever be that heartless and outright vindictive. Oxnice is a cure to those fears - taking oxfeuds and subtly doctoring them to provide a more upbeat and cheerful message. For instance, “Who put my mattresses in the library? What a massive dick move? Fuck you” becomes the much more relatable “Who put my mattress in the library? How did you know I needed to pull an allnighter? Fank you”. With simple changes like these, I’m hoping I - and many other members of the university - can start to find a bit more joy, and a bit more contentedness, in our lives. Happy nice-ing.
COMMENT 20 years on from devolution in the UK, has it been a success?
Investigations Aaron Robertson
Profile
Nicholas Linfoot Tobi Thomas
Features
Caitlin Law Penny Young Marina Hackett (deputy)
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Art & Lit
Abigail Eardley Sree Ayyar Isabella Cullen (deputy) Queeni Li (deputy)
Stage
Anya Gill Bethan Spencer
Screen
Eve Lytollis Richard Tudor Irina Boeru (deputy)
Music
Madeleine Taylor Seb Braddock Joe Small (deputy) Leonie Hutch Lucinda Kirk
Sport
Danny Cowan Vincent Richardson Sarah Conkerton (chief) Emma Woodcock Grant Dalton Hannah Johnson Lily-Anna Trimble Mayu Noda Taro Konishi-Dukes
Broadcasting
Port and Policy
an artistic representation www.oxfordstudent.com The Oxford Student
Henry Grub Tom Gould (deputy)
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Abi Howell
Rosie Shakerchi St Catherine’s
This is for all those students out there who have been thinking of writing something for our paper, maybe, sometime, by the end of term for sure, but haven’t quite got round to it. I understand what’s stopping you. It’s a busy Oxford term. You’re forced to hand in what can feel like regurgitated garbage week in, week out. Another assigned word count is one thing too many, another thing to feel guilty about not completing. We’ve all been there. We almost always are there. And underneath that busy Oxford stress, most times, people get stumped at the same questions: what should I write about? Do I have anything to write about? What makes me an authority, anyway? Does it matter that I’ve never written anything for a paper / I’m a science student and “don’t know how to
spot light ART &LIT
Non-fiction should be valued more than it is
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editor@ oxfordstudent.com We are always looking for new writers to join the OxStu. If you’re an Oxford student and you want to be involved in the OxStu or hear more, get in contact!
write”, and so on and so forth? The number of excellent articles we’ve received in emails telling us ‘I’m sure this is really bad as I’ve never written anything for a paper before’ suggests it certainly doesn’t matter. As for a topic, usually people have an inkling already. They know what they want to write, they’re just not sure it’s okay if they do. It might be that niggling frustration you want to express, perhaps at one of those ‘classic Oxford traditions’ that seems ridiculous, or elitist, or problematic in various ways, or it’s a poem that, sure, you’ve revised twenty times but you’d hardly call yourself a poet or anything, or it’s the politics you always rant about, drunk in the bar, to anyone who will listen. Well write it, revise it, submit it to our paper – give it a go. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth publishing.
MUSIC We review The Hoosiers on their tenth anniversary
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FEATURES Can Esperanto help the world to comunicate better?
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LETTER TO THE EDITORS Dear Alex and Rosie,
Fashion
Sub-editors
Editorial 2
Last week, I was very much surprised to see an article in ‘Oxstuff’ about the ‘Oxford Student Society of Wetherspoons Breakfast Watchers’. My guffaws were not occasioned by the story itself, but rather by the hideous misrepresentation of our organisation it presents. I regret to inform your readers that D. Mahoney has failed comprehensively to grasp the subtleties of our postmodern breakfast routine, nor does he seem to comprehend that our ‘brotherhood’ includes a woman. Moreover, the sheer audacity of plucking from thin air a false name for our enterprise is matched only by the supreme verbosity of his choice. Angery regards,
The Board and Shareholders of Project Spoons
Dear Board, Here at The Oxford Student we take complaints against our editors very seriously. Having reconsidered the article in light of your criticisms we agree that D. Mahoney was completely out of line in mischaracterising your venerable society. Postmodernism is a sensitive topic and we regret we did not handle the issue appropriately with respect to the feelings of people such as yourselves who ironically eat breakfast at Spoons at 8 AM for no explicable reason. The author responsible will also be severely punished for his horrendous misogny in neglecting to recongise the gender diversity of your cult. D. Mahoney has consequently been put on probation until further notice. Warmest apologies,
Alex and Rosie
News 3
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Tim Cook opens Oxford startup hub Oxford vice-chancellor criticises college system Liam Frahm News Editor
Last week, The Oxford Foundry, a new entrepreneurial hub run by Oxford University, was officially opened by Tim Cook, Apple CEO. Cook described his invitation to open the multi-million pound facility as a “privilege” and told attendees that their “focus group is yourself - you should make products that you want to use. You can bet if you love it, many other people out there will love it too.” Additionally, regarding team building, he suggested, “find people that are different than you, where the common thread is that they want to change the world.” According to official press release, the University are aiming to create a community of innovation and technical expertise to inspire its students towards developing their entrepreneurial skills. The Foundry, situated in the converted ice factory previously host to Wahoo, is the University’s first dedicated space for startups and features free WiFi, meeting rooms and desk space for early-stage startup firms.
The University said, “the Oxford Foundry will embrace students across all academic disciplines from engineering, medicine, history, philosophy and more. It will be a place for students from different backgrounds to experiment, learn from one another, and generate ideas and initiatives that address business and societal issues: whether their ambition is to launch their own start-up or to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to drive innovation from within an organisation. Students will be encouraged to play a major role in designing and leading activities.” An advisory group, chaired by Lastminute.com co-founder and Oxford graduate Brent Hoberman and including Phil Libin and Biz Stone, Evernote and Twitter co-founders respectively, helped design the facility. “There was nothing like this in Oxford dedicated to students when I was a student here,” Mr Hoberman said. Funding for the hub was raised in gifts, including £1m from Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn; EY, the accountancy firm; the charitable foundation of Mohamed Amersi, the entrepreneur; Meltwater, the US-based
data analytics business; and the DeTao Education Group of China. Oxford has a long and successful relationship with the startup community. It has created more tech ventures in the past 30 years than any other UK higher education institution, with 177 firms attracting £294m in funding in 2016. Cyber security group Sophos also call the city home, and were the biggest initial public offering of a UK software company ever after launching on the London Stock Exchange in 2015. Furthermore, the University runs an incubator, which has worked with more than 50 startups and has attracted $40m in funding since 2011.
Continued from front page Richardson’s observations on ‘self-interest’ have been seen as an attack on protestations against the ERJA. Writing in a letter in the Oxford Magazine, Professor Peter Edwards of the Chemistry Department criticised the vicechancellor’s remarks: “Can it be acceptable for the Vice- Chancellor to make what appears to be a blatantly ‘ageist’ remark by criticising the ‘self-interest’ of those querying the University’s decision to claim exception from equality legislation in this respect?”
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Previous attempts to overhaul the system have been stopped from being realised. Dr John Hood, vice-chancellor from 2003 to 2009, was pressured to quit after he planned to have more lay members from business and political circles on a new university council to give expert and impartial advice on the way the University was run. College dons voted overwhelmingly against this plan of reform with critics arguing that the proposed council would give too much power to individuals with little understanding of the academic needs of the university. Hood stepped down after his five-year term without taking up the option of another two years, but asserted that this had always been his intention. Richardson’s comments come after a backlash to her remarks at the Times Higher Education world academic summit, which were heavily criticised as homophobic. The Oxford University LGBTQ Society described the comments as “incredibly concerning”.
Christ Church bop riles national news OCC attempts to address homeless shelter problems Liam Frahm News Editor
Last week, Christ Church hit national headlines after pictures emerged of students shirtless during a bop. The Daily Star led with the headline: “Security called in after Oxford University poshos STRIP OFF at raunchy party. POSH students ditched their clothes at a wild bash that bouncers were called in amid fears it would descend into
Ozeye
debauchery,” while The Sun wrote, “FLESHERS’ WEEK: Bouncers drafted in for debauched Oxford University party as posh students strip off and down cocktails.” The Sun’s source said: They haven’t had security at a bop in over four years. It’s crazy it’s come to this. … Roughly 95 per cent of the entertainment budget goes on alcohol and on any opportunity, like the birthday of the college tortoise, they will fund a
massive booze-up. … People in the past have been taken to hospital, sprayed fire extinguishers and engaged in ‘jelly wrestling’. Others have broken windows, taken drugs and swum in the fountain.” College Dean, The Very Revd Professor Martyn Percy, said the security arrangements were “nothing new”. He added: “It has long been the case that those attending any such event have their names checked against a guest list.”
Continued from front page “OxSpot, our Outreach Team, has agreed to make referrals to the scheme and provide support to help people access suitable longer term accommodation. ”I would urge people who wish to help rough sleepers this winter to donate money or sleeping bags and roll mats to the churches or one of the various voluntary organisations that we work with to help get people off the streets for good.” Claire Dowan, CEO of OxHOP, said: “We recognise that cold weather and Christmas is both practically and emotionally extremely difficult for rough sleepers and we continue to work collaboratively with St Mungo’s and the City Council to try to meet the need. “Oxford Homeless Pathways provides a place of safety and support 365 days a year and the extension of SWEP over the holiday period will enable us to offer more space. This is an emergency-type provision, and a service like this requires lots of additional resource and capacity - because of this we cannot provide it on a longer term basis.” In a news release from the council, they reiterated their efforts to tackle homelessness, focusing in particular on the £1.4m per year which they spend on homelessness services, the £15m which is projected to be spent on acquiring property for housing homeless people and on coming im-
provements to the Acacia Project They also defended the closure of Lucy Faithfull House, saying that “there has been no reduction in provision” and “not only is [the necessary] level of funding not available, it would also be a poor use of public funds. “You cannot just put rough sleepers, many of them with very complex needs and chaotic lives, in a deteriorating empty building with no services or utilities and leave them there without professional support. It would be extremely unsafe and an abdication of our duty of care to those people. “The LFH building is unsafe and unsuitable for any use. Replacing it with affordable homes will help to relieve pressure on other homeless services, as the lack of affordable homes means that people remain stuck in temporary accommodation as they can’t afford to rent.”
Benjamin Brock
News 4
The Oxford Student | Friday 2oth October 2017
Bitesize MP calls for close of NHS body for Your weekly roundup of university, research and city news OU Scientists complete “atlas of life” A team of 39 experts from the Oxford University and Tel Aviv University have completed a series of detailed maps which encompass “The Atlas of Life”. The collection aims to map all vertebrate species, and includes birds, mammals, amphibians and, most recently, reptiles, which total about 31,000 different species. The Atlas is part of an effort to fight against the current biodiversity crisis, which derives mainly from climate change, deforestation, and habitat destruction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed 17,291 species in 2009 and determined that 36% of those evaluated were at risk of extinction. The maps attempt “to find new areas that require focused conservation actions” so that resources can be allocated efficiently and in the right places. The IUCN is currently classifying the identified species and including a rating that ranges from “critically endangered” to “least concern”, after which the Atlas will be released to the public.
Carla Fuentes OUP holds annual book fair Oxford University Press is set to host its annual book fair in Pakistan from 15th October. The event will take place at Oxford bookshops in numerous locations across the country, including Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore over a month, and for shorter periods of time in other areas, like Larkana and Shahdadpur. The fairs feature a wide variety of discounted books, from academic titles to general literature, with this year’s fair showcasing biographies of important Pakistanis. This year the fair will also feature both locally published and imported books for children, and English and bilingual dictionaries and thesauruses will be discounted, as they are extremely popular. The fairs will also sell the Platinum Series, created to celebrate 70 years of Pakistan. This series includes works on a broad range of disciplines including gender, history, and economics, with a particular focus on Pakistan.
“betrayal” in maternity ward downgrade Charlie Willis News Editor
It has been a year since Banbury’s Horton Hospital had its maternity services temporarily downgraded to a midwife-led unit due to recruitment issues. The downgrade meant that women who experienced complications during childbirth had to travel to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. However, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which organises health services in the country, revealed this summer that as part of their “transformation plan” the downgrade will be made permanent. The change is part of a wider reshuffling of services in light of a changing population, and aims to avoid a £134m hole in their budget
in 2020. Other changes include the centralisation of stroke services at John Radcliffe Hospital while beds have been cut across Oxfordshire. Banbury MP Victoria Prentis has openly opposed the move by the CCG, claiming that the body has ignored attempts to find other solutions and does not listen to patients. She has called for the closure of the organisation, saying: “I think the CCG is a dreadful institution that needs to be closed. “We understand that there are challenges and we do not want to be seen as the enemy of the CCG, but they fail to engage and listen to our suggestions.” “Everybody in Banbury and the surrounding areas disagrees with the CCG’s decision because we all know how long it really takes to get from Banbury to Oxford, which is too long for mothers and their children.”
provide specialist obstetric support at the Horton and so avoid the need for many women in labour to be transferred to Oxford. “We are disappointed that our alternative option was not agreed, not least since it need cost no more than the previous obstetric unit at the Horton.” Chief Executive of the CCG David Smith said: “The CCG apJim Linwood proved proposals for changes to some NHS services in the sumCherwell District Council is currently embroiled in a legal bat- mer. The board decided to permatle with the CCG in an attempt nently close the obstetric unit at to reverse their decision on the the Horton and this decision has matter, and has been granted a been subject to a legal challenge. “Whilst the legal challenge is unthree-day hearing in December to challenge the CCG’s consultation. derway the usual approach is to Council Leader Barry Wood said: proceed with implementation steps, “In the course of our campaign we in so far as, these are not irrevershave sought advice from independ- ible and will not cause the local NHS ent medical experts to help us de- to incur significant additional costs velop a cost-effective proposal to if they have to reverse them later.”
Saïd Business School University sample interopens “virtual classroom” view questions released Charlie Willis News Editor
Oxford’s Saïd Business School has opened the first “virtual classroom” in the UK, named the Oxford Hub for International Virtual Education or HIVE. The installation is the second of its type in the world. Twenty-seven screens form a U-shape in one seminar room at the School, equipped with robotics, facial recognition software and high-definition projections. HIVE will allow teachers to connect with students across the world, and allows for up to 84 participants. The installation will also monitor attentiveness in students based on facial expressions and class engagement. Mark Bramwell, chief information officer for the Saïd Business School, said: “This is an exciting development for our digital
agenda. The Oxford HIVE will be employed for a variety of uses – from classes to Dragon’s Denstyle pitching competitions. “However, we are particularly excited about its potential to enhance our programme portfolio by allowing busy students to connect with teachers and fellow students from anywhere in the world.” Peter Tufano, Peter Moores Dean at Saïd Business School, added: “While the Oxford experience is an integral part of our approach, the methods by which we teach and learn are changing. “The Oxford HIVE will allow us to teach, learn and share ideas as a global community, and we see it as a crucial tool to unite our global community in support of our mission to tackle world scale challenges. It will also allow our alumni to reassemble virtually as if here in Oxford. In a hive, bees work to make honey. At the Oxford HIVE, we will work to build knowledge.”
Isla Duperge Staff Writer
We all know what its like preparing for an Oxford interview. Thankfully Oxford offers candidates some guidance in advance with example interview questions, the latest of which have recently been released. Law applicants should be prepared to be confronted with legal conundrums, such as: “What does it mean for someone to ‘take’ another’s car?” Those wishing to study modern languages may be asked: “What makes a short story different from a novel?” In the interviewer Helen Smith’s, own words, “We’d be looking for a willingness to try out new ways of thinking and an aptitude for thinking carefully and imaginatively through a perhaps initially unfamiliar issue.” This tactical questioning is not to get the “right” answer, none exists, but to understand an individual’s way of rationalising their logic while testing one’s abil-
Katie Stanton Richard
OliBac
ity to defend their point of view. PPE students should be prepared to formulate answers to moral, political and economic questions. For example, they may be asked to differentiate the words “lie”, “deceive” and “mislead”. For prospective students of medicine, an interviewer Chris Norbury from Queen’s College suggests “Why do we have red blood cells?”, saying “The real point of this question [...] is to see whether students can offer suggestions as to why haemoglobin is required and why the haemoglobin needs to be contained within red cells and is not free in the plasma. Students looking to study Oriental Studies could be asked a question like “Can archaeology ‘prove’ or ‘disprove’ the Bible?”, looking for the ability to think critically about the Bible and what archaeology can tell us about events in history. In addition to these sample questions, mock interviews and video diaries by admissions tutors are available online for perusal by students in preparation for their interviews.
News 5
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Oxford’s Social Sciences Landlord clampdown declared best in the world threatens £30k fines Ahmed Ahmed Staff Writer
Oxford University’s Social Sciences Division has been ranked first in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, a first for any UK institution in the poll’s eight-year history. Continuing to improve its ranking, Oxford went from fourth in 2016, to second in 2017, to the world best in 2018. The methodology used to assign these rankings is based on 13 performance indicators, with teaching and research weighted most heavily. Professor Neil MacFarlane, Interim Head of the Social Sciences Division, said: “Social Sciences in Oxford strives to combine excellence in research with excellence in teaching. Our first place position in the World University Rankings for Social Sci-
ences is welcome recognition of that effort. Our success reflects the hard work of our academics and the leadership of Professor Roger Goodman as Head of Division over the past ten years.’”
Bodleian Libraries
Man arrested for series of Cowley bus sexual assaults Charlie Willis News Editor
A 30-year-old man was reportedly arrested last week in connection with sexual offences which occurred on a bus on Cowley Road. In September, while en route from the city centre to Blackbird Leys, the victim, a young woman, was inappropriately touched by a man who then disembarked on Cowley Road. The man, arrested on Tuesday,
has been released under investigation and police have urged any members of the public with information to come forward. This is another in a series of recent sexual offences which have occurred on and around Cowley Road. Frederick Edwards was sentenced in September for sexual assault following an incident in the O2 Academy, and three boys, aged 16, 14 and 14, were arrested in March after seven incidents were reported of women being touched inappropriately over their clothes, all in the Cowley Road area.
Charlie Willis News Editor
Oxford City Council has announced a clampdown on landlords whose properties fall below legal standards, with fines of up to £30,000. They plan to inspect 700 homes per year for major infractions, raised from the current 250, and aim to tackle the most serious “category one” hazards, such as exposed wiring, a leaking roof or broken steps at the tops of staircases. After five years, they plan to have inspected all privately rented homes in Oxford. Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, executive board member for Planning and Regulatory Services said: “30 per cent of Oxford’s housing is in the private rented sector, and for many people in Oxford it’s the best way of finding a home. “The substantial majority of Oxford’s private sector landlords provide good quality homes for their tenants. However there are a few who don’t, and these few give
the whole sector a bad name. “We are determined to deal with poor landlords and agents who try to avoid addressing inadequate and dangerous housing conditions.” Regulations and inspections are already in place for houses in multiple occupation or HMOs, properties which are rented to multiple parties who are not from the same household, commonly known as a houseshare. The remaining approximate 3,000 rented houses, which constitute around 70 percent of the homes rented in the city, are privately rented and will be covered by the new plan. Recent government clampdowns on bad landlords enabled councils to impose civil fines of up to £30,000 instead of criminal prosecution. The money is required to be reinvested in improvement of standards through the council. Hollingsworth added: “Civil penalties are not a soft alternative to prosecution, and we will use them to drive up standards in the private rented sector. Taking this approach means that it is only the worst landlords and agents who will bear the cost of better enforcement, not landlords as a whole.”
Charlie Willis News Editor
Trade union GMB has raised concerns over food hygiene in Oxfordshire’s restaurants and establishments as Oxford was ranked 8th highest in the country for number of restaurants assigned two or fewer stars on the Food Hygiene Rating. Notable locations in need of improvement include George Street’s Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Walton Street’s Londis, which both received two stars, and Queen’s Lane Coffee House, which received only one star. Due to these low ratings, Oxford ultimately broke into the ten worst places for food hygiene in the UK’s South-East. Queen’s Lane Coffee House also had its food safety management
Already a twin city to Bonn, Leiden, Grenoble, Perm and Leon, Oxford is now searching for another global sibling. Oxford’s vibrant Polish community has two very active societies, as well as a network of shops and restaurants. With Polish the second most widelyspoken language in the city, Poland has been chosen as the home of Oxford’s next twin, to celebrate another of Oxford’s international links. People of Oxford are invited to nominate a city which they believe will deepen Oxford’s cultural understanding through an online survey , and the city’s new twin will be announced in January 2018. Twinning offers an opportunity for communities to benefit across both cities, celebrating cultural differences and promoting a range of collaborative experiences including school exchanges, sports tournaments and social gatherings. Councillor Dee Sinclair, Board Member for Culture and Communities said: “Twinning is a wonderful way of providing residents of both cities with the opportunity to share a host of new cultural experiences. We very much look forward to finding our new twin in Poland and to developing links and sharing ways to celebrate both our cities.”
Georgina Thompson Mixing pot celebrates first anniversary
the.Firebottle
Call for clarity in Oxford hygiene concerns judged as requiring “major improvement”, a criterion which gauges the “system or checks in place to ensure that food sold or served is safe to eat, evidence that staff know about food safety, and [that] the food safety officer has confidence that standards will be maintained in future”. After a study by GMB brought these issues to light, Paul Maloney, GMB’s southern secretary, said: “It is not just small businesses that need to raise standards – several chains and household names appear in lists for areas we looked at in the study. “All food premises in England should be forced to display ‘Scores on the Doors’ ratings to improve hygiene standards and protect people from harm”, a legal requirement for food outlets in Wales and Northern Ireland. He continued: “Consumers have an absolute right to know
Oxford on the hunt for a Polish twin city
what score any outlet they may want to use has got [...] making the display of hygiene ratings on the door compulsory in England would incentivise food outlets to improve or maintain high hygiene standards.
Ji-Ho Park
“This would reduce the risk of illness for customers, improve consumer confidence and save taxpayers’ money by reducing the need for, and cost of, enforcement action by councils - everyone wins.”
Last October, Oxford City Council toured a giant mixing pot, built by local artist Diana Bell, around Oxford’s community centres. Residents were invited to come together and talk about food, sharing the recipes that are important to them. A year on, the team behind the pot has collated the recipes and anecdotes online, assisted by local tech firm Made With Joy and Oxford’s “most famous chip shop photographer” Kazem Hakimi, whose work has been shown at Modern Art Oxford. To celebrate the first anniversary of the mixing pot, the team has invited the public to upload their recipes for a chance to win prizes. Councillor Dee Sinclair, Board Member for Culture and Communities, said: “Food is such a powerful way of bringing people together. We want to tell the story of the people of Oxford through the food they love. We hope this will give everyone the chance to discover Oxford’s diverse and multicultural communities through the food that’s important to them.”
Liam Frahm
News 6
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Tensions build between countries over Iranian Nuclear Deal Iranian President Rouhani: “The Iranian nation has not and will never bow to any foreign pressure” Anisha Faruk Deputy News Editor
Tehran has threatened to “shred to pieces” the Iran nuclear deal if the US withdraws its support. The comments come just days after President Trump chose not to recertify that Tehran is complying with the deal. He again called the nuclear pact “one of the worst” agreements the US has signed onto. The decertification has started a 60-day congressional review of the pact. In a speech on state TV, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Tehran will abide by the agreement as long as the other six signatories – the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China – respected the deal. Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, accused Iran of spreading “death, destruction and chaos around the globe”. “Our policy is based on a cleareyed assessment of the Iranian dictatorship, its sponsorship of terrorism and its continuing ag-
gression in the Middle East and all around the world. Iran is under the control of a fanatical regime that seized power in 1979 and forced a proud people to submit to its extremist rule.” Trump stopped short of withdrawing from the Obama-era deal which saw Iran suspend components of its nuclear energy programme for at least 10 years in return for an easing of sanctions that have severely damaged its economy. He has said he wants his administration to collaborate with Congress and other governments to tackle the “deal’s many serious flaws”. “In the event we are not able to reach a solution working with Congress and our allies, then the agreement will be terminated,” he warned. “It is under continuous review, and our participation can be cancelled by me, as President, at any time.” The remaining countries signed to the accord maintain that the US cannot unilaterally cancel a multinational agreement enshrined by a UN resolution.
Trump’s suggestion that the deal is leading to “more violence, more chaos” prompted Khamenei to say his comments were “nonsensical” and the result of a “foul-mouthed president”. Both Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron had urged Trump to recertify the deal with May calling the pact “vital” and Macron saying it was “essential for peace”. Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement after the decertification warning the US not to take measures which could threaten the nuclear deal such as re-imposing sanctions. The three countries have also expressed that they share the US’s concerns regarding Iran’s ballistic missile programme. In the television address, Khamenei said Iran would continue its ballistic missile programme which it says is for purely defensive purposes. “They must avoid interfering in our defence programme,” the Ayatollah said. “They ask why does Iran have missiles? Why do you have missiles yourselves?
Why do you have nuclear weapons? We do not think it is acceptable for the Europeans to join America in its bullying. “They are angry as today the Islamic republic of Iran has disrupted their plans in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Everyone be assured that this time, too, America will be slapped and defeated by the nation of Iran.”
Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, responded to the decertification saying Trump’s speech was full of “insults and fake accusations”. “The Iranian nation has not and will never bow to any foreign pressure...Iran and the deal are stronger than ever... Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps will continue its fight against regional terrorists.”
President Rouhani pictured left (CTBTO)
Star collision gravita- Storm Brian looms after Storm tional waves detected Ophelia leaves wreckage Liam Frahm News Editor
Scientists have confirmed the detection of gravitational waves, generated by the collision of two dead stars, and that the existence of gold and platinum in the universe is a result of such mergers. The gravitational waves were captured on 17th August by the LIGO-VIRGO Collaboration. David Reitze, executive director of the LIGO Laboratory at Caltech in Pasadena, California, said: “This is the one we’ve all been waiting for.” The collision took place in the NGC 4993 galaxy, roughly around a thousand billion, billion km away, in the Constellation Hydra.
Tylerfinvold
The merger occurred 130 million years ago, when dinosaurs still lived, but NGC 4993 is so distant that light and gravitational waves only reached Earth now. The colliding stars - crushed remnants of long exploded supernovae - had masses 10-20% greater than our Sun but were no larger than 30km across. Such remnants are incredibly dense, with a teaspoonful weighing around a billion tonnes. The LIGO detector, based in Livingston, Louisiana, was designed to detect gravitational ripples across the Universe created by cosmic events. Inside, jets of water are sprayed upwards and are pulled down by gravity. Upgraded two years ago, the LIGO detector has measured black hole collisions four times since its renovation.
Liam Frahm News Editor
Another storm appears imminent, expected to be named “Storm Brian” if it hits the UK. Projected to reach wind speeds of 75mph and bring heavy rainfall. If it follows current models, it will hit the UK on Friday. On Tuesday, skies turned red across the country after Hurricane Ophelia drew tropical air and dust from the Sahara, causing light to scatter as it shone through the particulate-heavy weather.
Gareth Thompson
Elsewhere in the country, weather warnings have been lifted after the remnants of the storm passed north. Around 50,000 homes lost power during the extreme weather, mostly in Northern Ireland, but most have now been reconnected. In the Republic of Ireland, around 179,000 customers are without power and a further 69,000 without water. Ophelia ultimately claimed three lives in the Republic of Ireland. Fintan Goss, 33, was killed near Ravensdale, County Louth, when the car he was in was struck by a tree while Clare O’Neill, 58, died after a tree fell on her car in strong
winds near Aglish Village in County Waterford. Michael Pyke, 31, died in an incident while clearing a fallen tree with a chainsaw in County Tipperary. In Northern Ireland, flights and ferries were cancelled as a result of the storm, with many roads still closed due to fallen trees. Schools in Northern Ireland were closed for two days but reopened on Wednesday. In Scotland, roofs were torn off houses and trees were felled overnight, causing disruption to rail services. Train delays also affected England, with trees falling over railway lines, including between Halifax and Bradford Interchange.
Comment 8
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
COMMENT
20 years of devolution: has it been a success?
Two natives of Scotland and Wales engage in an analysis of the good and the bad This year marks two decades since the people of both Scotland and Wales voted ‘yes’ to devolution in referendums promised by Labour’s 1997 manifesto. Blair was confident that devolved governments in Scotland and Wales would mean “the Union will be strengthened and the threat of separatism removed”. Since then, major policy areas such as education, health, and housing have been dictated in Scotland and Wales from Holyrood and Cardiff Bay respectively. Twenty years on, a native of each country assesses the impact of devolution on themselves and their nations.
Heather McDade - Scotland Staff Writer
At first glance, Scottish devolution appears to have been a triumph. There is no suggestion that people wish to revert to being governed by Westminster, where the voices and votes - of Scottish MPs are always at risk of being drowned out. Greater London has 73 MPs, 14 more than all of Scotland; priorities unsurprisingly differ between urban areas in ‘The South’ (as the roads signs put it) and where I come from in rural Perthshire. A
Staff Writer
After all the celebrations this September, you’d swear we were now the most powerful country in Europe. Conferences, essays, and broadcasts have been dedicated to the historic anniversary of when the people of Wales voted (albeit by the narrowest of margins) for power to come to Cardiff Bay. Devolution is what we deserved as a country. The fact that we now have a centre of governance in our capital is just as significant culturally as it is politically and constitutionally. Commentators like Huw Edwards highlighted how Wales was overlooked by politicians in London before the ‘yes’ vote. While the Wales Office was created in the mid-1960s, Edwards describes how he witnessed first-hand the way Wales was treated before devolution: “Parliamentary
Cynics may point out that it is to the SNP’s benefit to increase alienation and discontent Upon closer examination though, it is clear that devolution impacts more than dry political process. I feel the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK has been impacted too, increasingly becoming one of distance, confusion and conflict. England can feel strange to me, even having lived here for over a year. Usually it’s the flatness or the warmer climate that surprise my Highland soul; but with different healthcare and banknotes- even differing ages of enfranchisement- so much can seem alien. Many of these distinctions are an inevitable consequence of devolution, and some even predate the Scottish parliament’s foundation, but political choices have exacerbated it. The most obvious, and personal to me, is tuition fees. For Scottish students who study at Scottish universities, tuition fees are paid by the government. It made it a huge
BBC News
Theo Davies-Lewis – Wales
Scottish Parliament gives greater control to people who better understand the particular problems our country faces – from difficulties accessing services due to poor infrastructure, to the legacy of a long history of sectarianism. Even if the solutions are imperfect, they are at any rate more representative than Westminster could, by its very nature, ever be.
debates on Welsh matters could be cancelled for the flimsiest reason [...] Welsh affairs were generally regarded as a nuisance or worse.” So, the formation of the Welsh Assembly – Senedd – was a great opportunity for a new generation of Welsh lawmakers. Unfortunately, it has underperformed. Welsh devolution, on the whole, has not been successful in improving the lives of Welsh people. The purpose of democratic change is to use it effectively, improving the health service, education and economic performance. But the politicians in Cardiff Bay haven’t delivered this. For one thing, there is the declining state of the NHS in Wales - the avoidable mortality rates here are 16 percent higher than across the Severn Estuary. We sadly also have the worst education scores in the UK. And Wales lags behind in terms of wages and household income too, when com-
pared with the UK as a whole. As well as this, whilst Wales was already the least productive region of the UK in 1997, our productivity has since fallen from 86 to 80 percent; meanwhile, Scotland’s productivity has risen under devolution. Yes, we may have ‘found our voice’, but is this worth the lack of socioeconomic progress?
The challenge ahead is to ensure we can make devolution more successful than it has been Despite all my criticisms, I must reiterate that I am a Welshman who supports devolution. We must not waver and question whether we would be better governed by Westminster. The challenge ahead is to ensure we can
wrench to come to Oxford, knowing I would leave with £27,000 more debt than if I simply went to, say, St Andrews. Naturally, fewer Scots cross the border to study than previously; those who do are met with puzzled glances or horrified gasps when the subject of fees arises. Over 11 percent of the 900 students who gained places in 2016 to study outside of Scotland had Oxbridge offers, tempted (like me) to leave the cosy warmth of free tuition in search of greater opportunities down the line. With so few Scots going to English universities, Scottish unis are hugely oversubscribed. And due to the cap on Scottish places, excellent students may be turned away, even choosing not to pursue higher education rather than going across the border. This makes England seem foreign and unreachable. This alienation is crystallised in Scottish universities charging Northern Irish, Welsh and English students fees while other EU passport-holders do not pay. Disassociating Scotland from the rest of the UK, despite the fact that it is British taxpayers who pay for Scotland’s higher education spending, emphasises how devolution may be damaging the bonds between our nations. Cynics may point out that as the SNP’s stated aim is to make Scotland independent, it is entirely to their benefit to increase this alienation and discontent. But this is unjust. Devolution exists so the Scottish government can do what they believe is best for Scotland, whilst the UK government is permitted to
operate differently. Furthermore, who is truly at fault for Scottish school-leavers ignoring universities in the south or indeed further afield: the UK government who charge tuition fees, or the Scottish government who don’t subsidise students outside of Scotland? This highlights what I view as the most damaging aspect of devolution. Everything - from budget cuts to council job losses - are arguably decisions of the Scottish Government, but as the money they have to spend is doled out by Westminster, cuts to the UK budget also impact Scotland. This gives political parties far too many hiding places. When the Scottish economy struggles behind the UK’s, Westminster is responsible; when it surpasses UK figures then Holyrood demand credit. And the British government plays the exact same game. With different levels of authority and influence, while global forces interact with local problems, it can be impossible to identify who is truly at the helm. Devolution has brought power closer to the people whom politics should serve, but we deserve more. We deserve a more open, honest discourse, where politicians will take responsibility for both successes and failures without hiding behind others. We deserve a fairer Scotland with better governance. Devolution has changed Scotland in myriad ways, both for better and worse, but more levels of government somewhat inevitably means we must fight still harder to hold politicians accountable to the will of the Scottish people.
make devolution more successful than it has been up to this point. Two of Wales’ leading political scientists, Richard Wyn Jones and Roger Scully, have outlined some of the difficulties we face in undertaking this task. One of the key issues is the potential to legislate a workable constitution for devolved Wales. The Government of Wales Act 1998 was succeeded by its 2006 namesake, and then supplemented by the 2014 Wales Act. As Wyn Jones states, “each of these efforts has been fundamentally flawed [...] on each occasion the flaws have not only been predictable; they have been predicted”. And judging by the scathing criticism of another draft Wales Bill last year, it looks like politicians in Cardiff and Westminster are finding it hard to produce a long-term settlement for my country which satisfies all. Perhaps even more problematic is Brexit. Writing for The Spectator, Scully – who himself believes the
Assembly has not fully achieved its founding ideals – argued that there was confusion within the administrations of Cardiff and Edinburgh as to how a new deal with the European Union will affect their devolved governments. After all, devolution legislation for all three non-English nations has always explicitly assumed EU membership. Many major devolved policy areas – such as agriculture, fisheries and the environment - are heavily ‘Europeanised’. Adding to the chaos, Carwyn Jones is a pro-remain, Brexit-hating First Minister; Wales voted to leave. Brexit therefore poses problems not only for the relationship between the UK and Europe, but also between England and the other nations, and between the politicians in the Welsh Assembly and the constituents that vote for them. Yes, devolution is the settled will of the people in Wales. But only time will tell whether the experiment will live up to its full potential.
Comment 9
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Catalonia: when should self-determination votes be recognised? Siddharth Jayaprakash Comment Editor
On 1st October, Catalonia – Spain’s economic powerhouse - had a referendum. But despite the commotion that it initially engendered, the referendum has not had quite the desired effect on the global community. Most seem to have settled on the side of Spain. Why is that? Part of the reason is that the referendum does not meet the minimum international standards for transparency. Additionally, by some estimates – most notably The Economist’s – only around 43% percent of the Catalonian public actually turned up to vote. And these consisted overwhelmingly of those who wanted secession – their detractors simply stayed away, not wanting to give credibility to a referendum they saw as illegal. But the most interesting point raised by this entire affair is this: for a region to be confident in its decision to secede, it needs a reasonable amount of international support. This is especially true of a region in Europe – a continent that has be-
come increasingly interdependent in the last 50 years. But when will this international support be received? When will a vote for self-determination be considered truly legitimate? Most countries agree that certain minimum standards of the kind alluded to in the previous paragraph must be met. But at least from the perspective of international law, it seems to be a ius cogens rule (i.e. universal) that such a right exists and once the above basic standards are met, it must be recognised by all states if
exercised. Yet politics is a totally different species of animal. Almost every sizable country has a region threatening to split for a variety of reasons. In France, the Corsicans wish to secede, and in Germany, it is the Bavarians. Outside of Europe, there is Tibet in China, Kashmir in India, and Balochistan in Pakistan. Politicians risk serious destabilisation if it accepts anything but a high threshold for the recognition of separatist movements. In Spain, if the threshold for recognition is not high enough, the
Robin Stott
Clara Polo Sabat
country would risk losing its Basque region as well where there are other separatist movements. The same applies to all the countries mentioned above and others. There is one thing that is certain – the threshold must be higher than the simple development of a unique ‘identity’. From a European point of view, it does seem reasonable that an ‘identity’– perhaps on the basis of a common language, or a common culture – is enough to justify a separate nation. After all, the division of existing countries in Europe is based on cultural and linguistic divides. However, many nations do not work that way. India for instance, has no common language – each of its 29 states has a language of its own. Arguably, there are major differences in culture as well – in fact North India has more in common with Pakistan than it does with South India. Basically, being ‘different’ is not a powerful enough reason – many different people can learn to live and work together for their mutual benefit. In fact, it is desirable. But the claim for self-determination becomes truly le-
gitimate given the existence of certain ‘unjust factors’. For instance, if they are being kept from practicing their religion or culture. Or if overwhelmingly the pattern is that resources are being leached from their area for the benefit of others. Or if they are being racially or ethnically subjugated and thus kept from deciding the direction of the ‘greater whole’. All these factors were present with respect to most of the countries in Africa and Asia that declared independence in the latter half of the 21st century - hence these are still seen as the paradigm examples of self-determination today. It would be difficult to argue that the above factors exist in the case of Catalonia. There is no institutional leaching away of wealth. Rather, it seems to be more akin to the necessary redistribution of wealth that is part and parcel of what it means to be part of a greater whole. And they would have an even tougher time arguing that they were being oppressed in some manner or prevented from participating in governance. At the end of the day, to many people, Catalonian independence just seems unreasonable.
The Erasmus Programme could be in danger of dying post-Brexit Hal Churchman Staff Writer
In the aftermath of the referendum in June last year, I and many other Oxford languages students about to embark on our years abroad braced ourselves in anticipation of the many jokes we would soon become the butt of across Europe. I spent the year in Berlin. The Germans aren’t known for their sense of humour, but the majority I met seemed to find the referendum result funny. As soon as they worked out I was English (which my attempt at a genuine German accent failed to disguise) a grin would appear. Then would come the dreaded question: “ber Brexit?” (“How do you feel about Brexit?”) One of the things you notice after living in Germany for a while is that the national pastime of poking fun at timid foreigners can occasionally veer more on the side of sadism; this was the first time I’d come into personal contact with some authentic German schadenfreude. I wasn’t feeling too positive about Brexit, I would say. A year later, there’s even more reason to worry. The government’s determination to push through a hard Brexit is threatening to do much more than simply wound the pride of UK international students. Indispensable funding programmes and institutions are now being jettisoned. Continued membership of the customs union, and of organisations like Euratom and Europol, is depicted as a kind of capitulation to the remain camp, rather than what it is – the only way to shelter the UK from the worst of the post-Brexit storm.
Languages students like me have one issue particularly close to our hearts. What will happen to the Erasmus scheme? If the government is willing to exit the single market, leave numerous EU-financed organisations, and end its participation in essential funding agreements which help make our universities and research institutions worldclass, something as far down the list of negotiators’ priorities as Erasmus could easily be lost. And it’s hard to see how the Erasmus programme could possibly continue without freedom of movement, which the government is keen to put an end to. This is not just idle speculation; it’s having an effect now. Languages students starting their degrees this year face the prospect of ending their second year of study without knowing how they’ll spend their third.
Then would come the dreaded question: “ber Brexit?” Erasmus has always been attractive to students. In its first 25 years (to 2012), over three million people took part. And recently its popularity has soared, with the number of participants increasing by 115 percent since 2007. Part of its popularity is the financial support – up to 550 euros a month for some. Without this, the prospect of a year abroad becomes less feasible for poorer students, only remaining a viable option for those with the money to pay the numerous costs involved. If Erasmus comes to an end in the UK,
social mobility, which Theresa May has claimed as one of her guiding principles, will suffer. “I cannot overstate the freedom that the Erasmus programme helped me to have,” one Oxford student told me. “It helped me to live independently and take full advantage of the opportunities available, without financial worries.” There are also fears about the effect that leaving the programme would have on the number of applicants to languages degrees, and what this would do to the UK’s already faltering reputation as an outward-looking country. According to YouGov, 62 percent of university language students said that the prospect of an international exchange influenced their decision to study a language. Without the incentive of the Erasmus scheme and the support it provides, it’s likely that fewer people will apply to languages courses, perhaps in favour of more immediately financially rewarding courses. So what efforts are being made to ensure that UK students can continue to benefit from the Erasmus programme after Brexit? I spoke to Erasmus+ UK National Agency, who told me that they were in “frequent contact with the UK Government” and that they “strongly support continued full membership of the programme”. While they “cannot speculate on any possible future scenarios following the UK’s exit from the EU,” they did cite the Prime Minister’s announcement that “there may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate”. But looming over all of this is the as yet undecided fate of freedom of movement. A report written last year by the agency makes clear that
it is “an underlying principle for full participation in Erasmus, and [...] any restriction on freedom of movement [...] can lead to a disqualification from national participation”. Another report, containing the government’s response, is due before the end of October. With the negotiators’ current approach, it is hard to be all that optimistic about the scheme’s future. A spokesperson for Oxford University told me that the scheme would be “difficult to replicate” if abolished after Brexit, though efforts were being made to petition the government. The University stressed that it would “wish to continue participating in Erasmus [...] which provides not only funding, but also a streamlined process for organising exchanges and a feeling of being part of something bigger for our students”.
It’s hard to see how the Erasmus programme could continue without freedom of movement The real vulnerability of the Erasmus scheme in Brexit negotiations lies in the fact that, for the most part, it benefits the UK in ways that are not purely economic. In the minds of what appear to be the trade-obsessed UK negotiators, this makes the scheme less worth fighting for. The real positives of the scheme can’t be measured in an accountant’s ledger. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t real, or that they matter less.
Consider how many lasting relationships have started as a result of Erasmus, how many lifelong friendships have been formed on years abroad, or how many people’s lives have been changed and enriched by the realisation that they may in fact belong somewhere else. Countless people have found their homes elsewhere in Europe as a result of the programme; they’ve set up their lives there, found jobs, had families – and the same is true of other European students who spent their years abroad in the UK. This is a wonderful thing for so many reasons, not least because it encourages closer ties between the various cultures of Europe. The ‘Erasmus generation’, as the political scientist Stefan Wolff calls it, is likely to grow up with a healthy suspicion of the prejudices and misconceptions which helped take the UK out of the EU. They are instead informed by the positive values which the programme fosters: openmindedness, curiosity and respect. My time in Germany taught me, among other things, to be more cautious about accepting the stereotypes of other countries that we grow up half-believing. I learnt to try as best as I can to view another culture without the distorting effect of preconceptions and generalisations, to understand how and why it differs from ours, and to appreciate how it is the same. Whatever the drawbacks of increasing globalisation, there is no doubt that schemes like these contribute generally to the gradual softening of prejudice, the lessening of xenophobia, and a deepening of understanding of other cultures. Is it worth giving up so much, just to take back control?
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Profile 10
PROFILE
Kevin Rudd
On Balliol and the Christian Union, the future of millennials and immigration Nicholas Linfoot Profile Editor
Kevin Rudd certainly lives up to his reputation. The two-time Australian Prime Minister, and now Oxford fresher, is a jocular figure, chatting away, slapping backs and shaking hands. His political life was as vibrant as he is in person, entering Australia into the Kyoto Protocol, leading them through the financial crisis and providing the historic apology to Australia’s Stolen Generations. He sat down with me after a talk at the Oxford Union to give his opinions on the events of the day. We’ve heard a lot in the UK about an Australian-style point system for immigration. Do you think this is a feasible thing and, if so, what is an Australian-style points system? Well, we’ve been proudly a country with a high level of migration. What’s the debate in Britain now in terms of ceilings? ‘Tens of thousands’? Well, you know something? We’re a country with a third of your population but we still take in 200,000 migrants a year. We think it’s good, we actually do. I watched Merkel the other day making a deal between the Christian Democrats and the CSU [its Bavarian sister party] and she’s put a ceiling of 200,000 a year in a country the size of Germany with a population of 85 million. We’re a country of 25 million and we take the same number. So that’s the background to my answer, which is that we don’t run a small migration system, by global standards. The second question is: what does the points system do? Our Australian system does two things, it has two branches to it. One is what we need for the country, what the skillsets we need in a particular year and that will change depending on state of national economy. We unapologetically then say you have those skills, and you’re under 40 years of age...then come on in. Then the other stream which brings in about half the total migrant load is people who are related to those
currently in Australia by whatever source - whether they be refugees or migrants of different origins. The points system refers only to skilled workers, which is about half the total intake, the other half is purely family reunion. Then on top of that you have an annual quota of I think its 12,500-20,000 purely for refugees alone. For our government it’s always higher, when the Tories are in power it’s lower, they make a demonstration for local racist sentiment. I’ve seen that in a few other countries too.
“We don’t run a small migration system by global standards” During your time in office you were very open about your faith, and you talked about the gay marriage plebiscite in your talk. Some have said that Christians might be persecuted in Australia as result of this plebiscite. Do you have any thoughts on that? Look, I cannot give you an appreciation of those Australians of a religious faith on marriage equality, but I would think it’s pretty much split down the middle. There’s folks like me who are god-botherers straight from central casting and if you heard my remarks before how I got round to that from a theological position quite apart from the equal rights perspective. So, one, don’t assume it’s a uniform Christian constituency who are all homophobic or all opposed doctrinally to same sex marriage. The second thing I’d say though, and let me enter into one of your local controversies having been here for two or three days, is it Balliol, that ripped into the Christians? Can I just say that as someone who is on the centre left of politics and have been for about 35 years, the moment we start banning Christian groups from the debate is a very bad day. We need to be broad shouldered enough to be able to take opinions from wherever they come from. If we go back into the history of
this university from the time they set fire to the Protestant martyrs about 500 years ago under Bloody Mary to where, as it were, the Christian settlement arrived at. This gives a place and an opportunity for people of no religious belief, atheists and agnostics to fully express themselves. It has been a very good evolution to a situation where there is one platform for a full range of views. But now the boot is on the other foot, in a post-Christian age, as I referred to in my remarks. I really humbly suggest that there be an open platform for all and that includes voices from the Christian Union, whether they oppose same sex marriage or not. That would be ideal. Leading on from that, what do you think about the state of our discourse? Do you think we’re entering a world of more fake news, more confusion and a more complex and divided political realm? I think what I would say is that this generation is facing a number of firsts, serious firsts, and it is a difficult challenge. As I said in my remarks, this is one of the most difficult challenges since the end of the Cold War, and maybe since the end of the world war. Why? Values in flux, whether you are a Christian or not it’s the decline of the Judeo-Christian ethic as the basis for ethical belief. That’s a change - it’s big. Although there are changes in history with the Wesleyan and the revivalist movement in 18th Century. Number two: the decline of western power, as I described in my remarks. That’s big and that’s new. China’s going to be the biggest economy pretty soon, and that’ll be the first time since George III that a non-English speaking nonwestern non- democratic state has had that status. That’s quite a while, that’s new, and it’s in your generation. Thirdly. the social media technology explosion which is, shall we say, changing the engine room of democracy, which is how the way in which facts and opinions are promulgated through intelligent platform which will not prostitute either. So, when you start shaking the foundations with that, then there is no longer a basis for a common
Office of the Hon. Kevin Rudd
discourse in terms of the tools for knowledge, evidence and reason instead, the triumph of a post-fact world. I think we’re in for a world of pain, so on this one my appeal to the emerging generation is find a way in which, given all the liberties and opportunities presented by the social media revolution, you can take hold of the great traditions of Hume and Descartes and still have them ground the social media revolution. You can’t censor but you can still have the grounding element within that. Take a note of this, here there is
ture. All this stuff is, to use a technical Australian term, bullshit. We can go out and change the world if we want to. So, one of the projects is to sustain the tools of democratic discourse and engagement, reason and evidence. And relatedly, if we are in a post-Christian age, to work out what our post-Christian values, minus god, are. Reason and evidence are the unspoken of formative constituents of the democratic process, otherwise the value of democracy slides out of the window. Then there is the planetary challenge which you alluded to. All of
“The day we start banning Christian groups from the debate is a very bad day” extensive fact checking and the evidence within this and a dedicated set of social media platforms on a large scale which does that, rather than the shit that I’ve seen in the United States. You’ve been one of the leading voices on climate change, both now and during your terms in office. Do you think that climate change is one of the areas where the West can rebuild its strength? I’d cast it slightly differently three huge challenges and three huge opportunities. I’m not a determinist - you make your own fu-
this is doable by bright young leaders, whatever their discipline or background inside or outside of the political process. But I think that there is a level of existential focus which is required of this generation, just as there was a previous generation who held the line for containment against the Soviet Union, just as there was a previous generation before that who held the line against fascism. These are new, more opaque lines, but frankly there’s a new super smart generation who are capable of taking them on. But my final cautionary line is never despair; the enemy of the West is dystopianism.
Features 12
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Features
Can Esperanto help the world to communicate better? Marina Hackett Deputy Features Editor
International communication has always been an issue in discussions of the future of the human race, but the situation is now becoming a crisis. A large amount of responsibility and hope is placed in the hands of the UN and the EU, and particularly with the recent threats of nuclear attack made by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, the existence of peaceful unions seems all the more relevant. International cultural exchange is also becoming more necessary and beneficial for countries outside of politics; with constant progress being made in civil rights movements and tolerance, multiculturalism is one way to expose people from different backgrounds to each other’s cultures. However, if international harmony and multiculturalism are to succeed, do we need to speak the same language? In the year 1887, a language emerged which attempted to answer these questions, but has also raised countless concerns amongst professors, politicians and polyglots ever since. Esperanto, invented by Dr. Ludwig L. Zamenhof, aspired to achieving the title of international auxiliary language, or ‘interlanguage’, by being the foundation of communication between civilisations and governments worldwide. On a non-political level, an ‘interlanguage’ can be understood as the language in which you would address a stranger in a foreign country. Many people in the English-speaking world wouldn’t hesitate in asking for directions in their own familiar tongue: English. This does pose an alluring alternative to learning an entire new language every time you visit a new country – but how effective is it as a means of communication, and should it take the position of the global language of peace? To say that English is the most effective way to talk to anyone in the world would be to drastically limit the horizons of the speaker. Of course, in the West, it seems as though English is spoken by everyone, just because that’s what we are exposed to most frequently. However, the lingua franca of the West has not always been English, after all; Latin and French have been widely spoken throughout Europe in the past. Moreover, our view of English as the dominant interlanguage
worldwide is founded in assumption rather than proof, with Swahili, Arabic, Hindi and Mandarin far more common in Asia and Africa. Our westernised view of the superiority of English leaves us blind to hundreds of cultures, which we would have deeper access to if only we were able to speak their language. This is where Esperanto comes into the picture. Large proportions of the global population are unable to communicate verbally with those in other countries, and it would be too time-consuming for everyone to learn everyone else’s language. And so a new, artificial language was developed, which could be learned by everyone, spoken by everyone, and, as the Universala Esperanto-Asocio states, could be a step towards “the solution of the language problem”. It was indeed a remarkable linguistic feat, to create a language that is “four times easier to learn” than others, according to Esperanto USA, but the existence of Esperanto has also attracted criticism.
To say that English is the most effective way to talk to anyone in the world would be to drastically limit the horizons of the speaker Some argue that its constructed, ‘artificial’ nature diminishes its worth as a language, since it lacks the cultural history which is in rich supply in other, graduallydeveloped languages. But what does ‘artificial’ even mean when it comes to language? Most spoken languages have come about in a predominantly organic way, with words being created and falling out of use with advances in culture, technology and behaviour. Even then, linguistic developments are often less ‘organic’ than we assume them to be. In 1990, the French government altered certain words, such as changing ‘oignon’ to ‘ognon’, and the German orthography reform of 1996 made similar changes in grammar rules, including a specification of when to use the Eszett (ß). Governments actually exercise a surprising level of control over their respective languages’ developments. Maybe, then, in
Martin Schmitt
terms of its ‘constructed’ nature, Esperanto is not so different from other languages after all. Still, these pre-existing languages are surely more significant, and more worth learning than Esperanto. If you can only really access a culture through speaking the people’s language, then what’s the point of communicating in a new language, which conveys neither speaker’s identity? The argument made by Esperanto advocates is that it is intended to hold a little of each country’s linguistic characteristics; it has a definite Spanish feel and some aspects of Germanic sounds. However, despite its successes in combining various commonly spoken languages, it ignores over 2000 Asian languages, a similar number of African languages, and the various different alphabet systems found all over the world. In South Asia, many languages are derived from Sanskrit as opposed to the Greek and Latin roots of Indo-European languages, and Chinese characters differ from the Latin alphabet so much that an artificial language which created a compromise between the two would be almost impossible to invent, and even more difficult for anyone to learn. In short, Esperanto neglects languages outside of Europe: instead of allowing for easier communication on an international scale, it instead creates the opportunity to unify the Western world even further, with the exclusion of some of the largest Newly Industrialised Countries like China and India. Another constructed interlanguage, Lingwa de Planeta, was invented in 2010 by a group led by
Dmitri Ivanov, who attempted to offer a more international alternative. This language was based on the most widely spoken in the world at the time, and takes many words directly from these languages – ‘fish’ from English, ‘gamba’ from Italian, ‘lisan’ from Arabic and ‘chi’ from Chinese. At least some words will be familiar to most people on Earth, but the language is essentially impossible to get to know; most of the words sound completely different to each other. So, unlike Esperanto, Lingwa de Planeta fails in its potential for being globally accessible, because it isn’t easy to learn. This is an obvious side-effect of creating a language that mixes Portuguese with Hindi and Russian, but perhaps acts as proof that an ideal interlanguage is entirely impossible. Perhaps our global culture is just too varied to be compressed into one language?
Perhaps our global culture is just too varied to be compressed into one language? So, is Esperanto working? Are people learning it, and possibly more importantly, are people using it? Websites supporting Esperanto, such as Esperanto USA, claim that “millions” of people have learned it, and it is spoken by “thousands”. Dramatic statements like these may help to promote the spread of the language, but whether they represent real-
ity is difficult to tell. Hungary, Finland, Japan and China, among others, have shown interest in taking up Esperanto, representing a willing enthusiasm to put this interlanguage to use. And yet, every website encouraging the use of Esperanto is, ironically, in English. It seems that many learners are undertaking the task more as an intellectual exercise, and less as a potentially useful skill to have; people are learning Esperanto in the same way that they might study Latin grammar. The concept of Esperanto represents the culture of the moment: an outward-looking, explorative political and social environment in which travel and verbal exchange are becoming increasingly necessary and popular. However, it seems that its success may not have a place in the world’s future, with the number of Chinese and English speakers continuing to rise worldwide. A free Esperanto course was launched on Duolingo in 2015 and now has over one million learners, but it’s still nothing compared to the 98.5 million learners of Spanish using the website. Unfortunately, the reality of Esperanto still presents a view of multiculturalism that not only forgets the initial purpose behind cultural exchange as an interlanguage, but is also undeniably Eurocentric. The future of international communication, with the avoidance of the supremacy of English, must therefore rely on people’s enthusiasm and persistence in learning many languages of many countries; only this will make cultural and political exchange thoroughly possible, and mutually fulfilling.
Features 13
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Don’t know where to go for lunch? Here are the five best spots Caitlin Law
Features Editor
Tired of hall food, or waiting in the world’s longest queue for a Tesco’s meal deal? The Oxford Student brings you the top five places for lunch in Oxford, all from independently owned eateries. Whether it’s a quick sandwich between lectures or a post-tutorial reward, there is something to suit all tastes.
The Missing Bean
The Missing Bean prides itself on being an independent coffee roaster, and its Italian-style hot chocolate is an unctuous delight suitable for the very worst essay crisis. Lunch options comprise of toasted ciabattas and bagels, and there are a range of pastries to choose from for dessert. The goat’s cheese and aubergine ciabatta is a particularly delicious option. The café’s prime Turl Street location and laid-back vibe ensure its perennial popularity, meaning it is usually impossible to get a seat. Takeaway is available, however, and another branch has very recently opened in the Faculty of Law.
Georgina’s
Something of a hidden gem, Georgina’s lies at the top of a set of narrow stairs inside the
Top places for tea in Oxford
covered market. The space is relatively small but decorated in an appealingly shabbychic style, with its red and pink colour palette providing a cheerful change from the inside of a library. Choices from the menu include soup, nachos, wraps and spicy potato skins, and there’s also all-day breakfast on offer. Space inside is cosy but limited, meaning you may be disappointed when it comes to seating. Luckily, the owners have also opened Brother’s, a similar café downstairs.
Annabel Van der Kooy Staff Writer
Hidden amongst the dreaming spires, there are many places where you can stock up on delicious teas – here are a few of our favourites: Cardew & Co. This coffee and tea merchant sits in the Covered Market and is our go-to place for buying loose-leaf.
Sofi de France
Also tucked away in the covered market, Sofi de France offers a comprehensive lunch menu of baked potatoes, paninis, salads and enduring French classics like their croque monsieur and fresh baguettes. There’s also a tempting array of pastries for dessert and the Daim bar cake is an absolute must-try. Sofi de France is usually overlooked by students and tourists alike in favour of better-known high street lunch venues, which is a shame given how the ciabattas in particular are secondto-none. A large latte for £2.10 is also an offer difficult to refuse.
Jimbob’s
Jimbob’s has made a name for
informastern
itself thanks to its friendly service and excellent array of sandwich fillings. Everything is made to order right in front of you, and there’s nothing like watching the satisfying sizzle of the bacon about to go in your footlong BLT. There are also pastries on offer if you fancy a light-bite. Perfect as a hangover cure or post-lecture treat (modern languages students take note: this is just down the street from the Taylor Instite), Jimbob’s offers a reliably relaxed vibe. If braving perpetually packed Magdalen street feels like too much during your study break, you can now have your lunch delivered, so you can enjoy your sandwich
from the comfort of your room.
Alternative Tuck Shop
You probably predicted this one. Beloved by the students of Oxford thanks to its mouth-watering range of sandwich fillings, the Alternative Tuck Shop is the go-to for a ciabatta or panini during a busy day. Service is always warm and prices have remained very reasonable despite its immense popularity. Be prepared to queue out the door on a busy day, and remember that you cannot pay on card (there’s nothing quite as heartbreaking as walking past with the intention of buying a sandwich only to realise you have not got any cash on you).
Whittard of Chelsea Worth buying some tea from here for the gorgeous caddies alone! Tesco Don’t underestimate it – their selection is pretty great. Those who also appreciate chocolate might like to try Tesco Finest Chocolate Tea. Holland and Barret If you’re in need of some chamomile or another equally soothing herbal infusion, this is the place to go. T2 Opening in Westgate Shopping Centre on the 24th October, this Australian chain sells some wacky flavoured teas (lemon sorbet green tea anyone?) as well as tea accessories you never knew you needed. Annabel Van der Kooy is the president of the Oxford University Tea Appreciation Society
Are relaxation treatments more than a marketing ploy? Amy Smith Staff Writer
Stress is everywhere at Oxford, and it’s important that we tackle it before it gets the chance to negatively affect our lives, in particular our long-term mental health. Colleges and the University have ample resources for this that everyone should use (they are there and they’re free for us, so why not?) but there are also other ways to help your stress levels. For some a nice shower or a cup of tea give enough space to be mindful, for others it’s difficult to focus on being in the moment, and ultimately to relax, in everyday settings. I wondered if spa treatments, commonly advertised as a way to ‘relax’, would really do the trick, or whether it was all a marketing ploy. This lead me to the Macdonald Randolph hotel and spa, a few steps away from the Ashmolean. The health industry has long focused on mental health via an ever-growing menu of treatments specifically designed to help with
stress, and this is something that the NHS, and the general public, are still failing to do properly. Taking a day off work to improve your mental wellbeing feels lazy, whilst doing the same thing because you have a chest infection is considered acceptable.
You can’t just pay, go through the motions, and expect to come out a new, relaxed, care-free person, no matter how nice the steam room smells Of course, a spa day doesn’t work like a painkiller for stress you can’t just pay, go through the motions, and expect to come out a new, relaxed, carefree person, no matter how nice the steam room smells. But what a trip to the spa may do is offer you a space to get away from your own thoughts about when your essay is due in, how many new friends
you’ve made in Fresher’s week, and your other worries by allowing you to practice mindfulness in a calm and pleasant setting. The spa has a thermal suite, which consists of a row of steam rooms, saunas, an ice-room and a Jacuzzi. Mindfulness asks us to think about the sensations in our body at that moment - which are sometimes not all that pleasant but practicing it in a Jacuzzi, or in a steam room, feels so much easier than doing so on the scratchy carpet of your cold basement room in college. The spa is located in a Roman-style underground labyrinth below the hotel, which is one of the few places in central Oxford that you can’t hear the bells ringing outside, and this makes it easier to focus on relaxing. I tried the spa’s Elemis Couture Touch treatment - which is, in simpler terms, a massage followed by a facial. The massage was the best part - a lot of people carry their stress physically and it manifests as back pain, and sitting around studying all day can also contribute to this. Having a masseuse focus on your tense shoul-
ders feels amazing physically, but also makes easy to be in the moment and stop worrying about the rest of your day - and that’s what mindfulness aims to do. One of the most unlikely mindfulness techniques backed by psychologists is ‘mindful chocolate tasting’ - that is, eating small pieces of interesting chocolate flavours with your eyes closed and focusing only on the sensations that brings. I’ve tried it, and surprisingly, it can actually work.
Mindfulness asks us to think about the sensations in our body at that moment - which are sometimes not all that pleasant In this spirit, I tried focusing on the smells of the lotions being applied during my facial, the sound of the music playing in the background, or the feeling of the heated towel against my back. By the time
I left, I really was feeling much less stressed and much more ready to take on the rest of the year. Massages and thermal suites aren’t designed by psychologists, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be used in conjunction with effective psychological techniques to make them easier to do. In fact, for the typical Oxford student - the kind of person who has a thinking cap so firmly stapled to their head that they can’t watch Love Island without intellectualising everything - it can be difficult to practice mindfulness during their normal routine, and a massage or a spa day can do the trick. The downside is of course that while you could have a nice bath at home for free, you have to pay for spa treatments and most students are on a fairly tight budget. But maybe consider spending some of the spare cash you do have on a spa treatment rather than on drinks or club entry - in other words, try using your leisure time to actually relax. Your mental health - not to mention, your liver - might thank you further down the line.
Features 14
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
So, Freshers’ week is over... now what? Chloe Lim Staff Writer
It’s the end of week one. You have completed your first essay for the term, you’re sleep deprived but you agreed to go to that club night at Fever someone in your JCR managed to sell you a ticket to. Your second tutorial is in two days, and you don’t have time to go to lectures, go to socials and attend a third of the things you signed up for at Freshers Fair. This is a scenario that might be familiar to the seasoned Oxford student, but that can be terribly frightening, even disappointing to a new student. Michelmas Term is always full of light and promise, Oxmas is around the corner and the brand new academic year is like a new chapter - a
chance to start again! To really go to all the lectures you put down in your planner - or not, as the case may be. I remember the struggles of being a fresher at Oxford, and I have some tips for what to expect and what support is out there. Michaelmas is the term that you are most likely to encounter imposter syndrome, the feeling that Oxford maybe made a mistake with you, that everyone is somehow more adequate than you are, and that you don’t belong here. Maybe your background is different from your peers, or maybe you’re just not used to be quite this average in an academic setting. Clinical psychologists have described this as an inability to internalise ones own achievements and symptoms include overworking to compensate, a fear of failure, and a refusal to acknowledge positive feedback. As a lower-middle class, international, woman of colour with intense anxiety, I faced feeling like a fraud all through my first year, and stayed in my room working for hours and hours in order to make up for what I thought were my weaknesses. All I can say is, it doesn’t have to be this way. It might be hard to believe, but the struggle is normal. It is per-
haps likely won’t have the time to do everything you want to do, maybe not all your essays are going to be prizewinning pieces of work. And that’s okay. In fact, nearly everyone around you is probably feeling the same sort of worry and pressure that you do. You do not have to do everything to perfection in order to be a successful Oxford student. On 10th October, we celebrated World Mental Health Day, a time to spread awareness of mental illnesses, and methods for self-care. In Oxford, we saw the Oxford Mental Health Support Network and Oxford SU collaborating to create the #OxMindWMHD book, a collection of creative work and personal experiences themed around mental health. Apart from panels and awareness events, the SU and Oxford Students’ Disability Community (OSDC) also ran self-care events like meditation and painting. In many ways, self-care has been co-opted by a ‘treat yourself’ attitude that can come off as indulgent, even selfish. Yet self-care can be crucial in making sure our minds are healthy, allowing us to live the fulfilling lives we imagine. In discussions with students over the course of my work with Student Minds, which I was president of, I have found it easiest to remember great practical self-care tips through by recalling the five senses (Sight, Hearing, Olfaction, Taste and Touch). Engaging one of these senses, by listening to music that lifts your mood or cosying up in blankets for example, is an effective way to ground yourself and improve how you feel. Equally
important is ensuring that your primary needs are met, eating well and sufficiently, sleeping enough and having enough water for example. Mental health must be understood as part of general wellbeing, influencing your physical health, and being incluened by it in return - studies have proven that being physically unwell negatively impacts your mental health. Coming to university often involves learning how to look after yourself for the first time, self-care is a crucial part of mindfully managing your ability to achieve the things you set out to do in the long run. Despite the high incidence of stressrelated mental health difficulties at Oxford, there are also many options for extra support with your or your peers’ mental health. Here are some useful contacts that you can make use of during your time here: Oxford Mental Health Support Network: found on Facebook, a one-stop masterlist of all Oxford based mental health charities, organisations and events at Oxford University, Oxford Brookes and the city of Oxford. Your college welfare team: this includes and is not exclusive to your Common Room Peer Supporters, welfare staff, your college chaplain, harrassment officers, college nurse and college counsellor. Your GP: your GP can give you medical advice on improving your mental health as well as discuss mental health conditions you might be concerned about. (Pro-tip: please do not hesitate to ask for a GP that is familiar with mental health conditions, or to get a second opinion! My first ever GP ap-
pointment was not a productive one but my current GP is a godsend.) Oxford University Counselling Servive: provides professional support for students along with free podcasts on various topics like perfectionism and self-compassion. Nightline: an independent helpline available from 8pm to 8am, weeks 0-9, run for and by students of Oxford and Oxford Brookes. Oxford Students Disability Community: now also including the previously separate Mind Your Head campaign, OSDC offers a safe space via its Facebook group and can independently advice you on support that you can access with the university or elsewhere. Oxford Student Minds: the national student mental health charity with branches across the country. Confidential peer support groups are available for eating difficulties (Tuesdays, 7.30pm), low mood (Wednesdays, 6pm) and supporting a friend with eating difficulties (Sunday of week 6 and 7, 4.30pm) or a friend who selfharms (Monday, week 5-7, 6pm). Student Minds is also organising a Music for Mental Health Fundraiser Dinner and Concert on Friday 10 November at 7pm, Jesus College. Visit their Facebook page for more details. With Freshers Week over, the rest of your time at Oxford is just beginning. To all new students, you belong and you are adequate. Remember that Oxford is ready and willing to help you transition to life here, and I wish you the best of luck. Chloe Lim is the former President of Student Minds.
Psychedelics: misunderstood wonder-drugs? Tales from the Bakery: pre-season Thomas Pac Staff Writer
“Psychedelics! LSD! Psilocybin!” is not something that you expect to hear at the OUSU Fresher’s Fair. Yet, if you walked through the “Miscellaneous” section of the Fresher’s Fair this year, you might have heard this pitch. Alternatively, you could have witnessed what looked like the oddest drug deal in history: free blotter tabs, typically associated with the consumption of LSD, in exchange for signing up to a mailing list. Of course, the Fresher’s Fair had not actually been infiltrated by drug dealers setting up shop in the hallowed halls of the Examination Schools. This was the brand-new Oxford Psychedelic Society (OPS) trying to recruit people to their mailing list like any other society. Furthermore, the tabs they handed out did not contain any psychoactive substances. Nonetheless, that did not stop some freshers from experiencing placebo effects strong enough to convince them they were tripping. This swiftly prompted the Fresher’s Fair security to crack down on the
public menace of consuming perforated paper by confiscating the tabs from the OPS stall. One can only imagine the sheer terror and chaos that could have unfolded otherwise. In all seriousness, this incident demonstrates why Oxford desperately needs a psychedelic society. In a nutshell, these substances are woefully misunderstood, even in a place which prides itself as a global centre of scientific and humanistic literacy. Multiple placebo-controlled studies have shown that psychedelic drugs such as LSD, cannabis and magic mushrooms have major benefits to people suffering from mental health problems such as depression and addiction. Moreover, it is well-established within the scientific community that psychedelics pose a much lower health risk than legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, with magic mushrooms being the safest recreational drug (according to the Global Drug Survey 2017, the world’s largest annual drug study, involving 120,000 people across 50 different countries). Despite all of this, psychedelics remain classified as Schedule 1 drugs in the UK, which is reserved for substances that have no medical uses whatsoever.
As a result, psychedelics exist in a strange duality: hailed as a wonder drug in some contexts, but demonised in others. This broad range in the public perception of psychedelics was clearly reflected in the reactions of the Fresher’s Fair crowd. Some freshers looked at the ground and picked up their pace when approached about psychedelics, as if the very mention of these substances might get them in trouble or drive them insane. Others (typically with a higher-than-average concentration of tattoos and nose piercings) signed up without hesitation. Most, however, were curious because they had heard conflicting views on psychedelics, and signed up to learn more. The OPS aims to remove the ambiguity surrounding psychedelics by raising awareness and advocating a change in the laws surrounding psychedelic substances to allow for proper research. As a world-leading research institution with a tradition of “independent scholarship and academic freedom”, the University of Oxford is a place where controversial, but important subjects can and should be discussed freely. To get involved, join the OPS Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ groups/oxpsysoc
Andrew Wood Staff Writer
There are few things finer in life than freshly-baked goods. Be it the beautiful eruption of a gooey chocolate brownie or the cool crunch of a crisp caramel slice, the foodgasm which results is a literal feast for the senses. Aiming to prepare this feast is BakeSoc which, much like many of its sporting partners, started its pre-season training this week. Committee meetings produced strong plans for new cakes and bakes, and the storage facilities were mucked out with a skillet in preparation for the all new in-date ingredients. More in-date members were also needed and this recruitment required two things: a freshers’ fair and some bribes. The former was easy, Main Quad on Sunday afternoon, the latter a more difficult choice. Facing strong competition from welfare tea and chocolate galore a strong bake was required. Step up presidents, your first challenge awaits! Producing roughly 100 perfect squares of melt-in-the-middle brownie in
a kitchen already half taken by the Christian Union breakfast was always going to be an uphill struggle, and a lack of both time and equipment made this task only harder. In short, BakeSoc returned in true BakeSoc style. Against these tremendous odds the results were spectacular, with rows of neat brownies and greater-than-expected sign-ups. One can only assume that, to the newbies, the promise of free food all year and the prospect of kneading their own dough outweighed the struggle of fighting against the temptation to revert to a modern convenience-based lifestyle. Onwards we must move to 1st week, for now the baking proper can commence! In the words of the true legends: On your marks, get set, bake!
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ART & LIT
Art & Lit
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
16
A dissection of Scorn: continuing our interview with Paul Hoffman, author of the Left Hand of God trilogy Hoffman discusses Catholicism’s influence and give advice for aspiring authors Sree Ayyar
Art & Lit Editor
The interview with Paul Hoffman continues, as I incessantly question him about the physical and emotional abuse borne by Aaron Gall and how this leads to the explicit condemnation of sexual abuse by the personnel of the Catholic Church, and finally ask for some words of inspiration for budding writers such as you and I. Sree: What was the reasoning or motive behind the move from the specific abuse suffered by Aaron Gall to a wider complaint about the Catholic Church and sexual abuse, that became the focal point as the novel progressed? Paul: Books and films about Catholicism generally confine themselves to criticizing the actions of the Church and draw back from pointing out that a continually repeated character flaw is actually just your character. Unintentionally, this has allowed the Vatican to maintain the fiction that in the case of child abuse priests who have sexually assaulted children are no more common (at around 3%) than in the population in general. Firstly, this is untrue as the figure is probably double this, but even if it were accurate, the point remains that the Church in general that has done everything in its considerable power (with a very few exceptions of minor clergy who have
demanded action) to cover up these grotesque crimes. The majestic Murphy report into abuse by the Church in Ireland makes it explicit that the claims by the Catholic hierarchy that it didn’t know about these abuses are completely and comprehensively untrue and that their only concern was to protect its reputation. It must be clear that such a vile set of priorities could not possibly exist in an otherwise morally and spiritually healthy ideology.
“A novelist is someone who tells lies about his imaginary friends by mixing up stuff that never happened with stuff that did” Given this rather obvious truth and the long history of oppression in which the church has been such a vibrant instigator (the Crusades, The Inquisition, the invention of the Jewish ghetto and the yellow fabric patch all Jews were obliged to wear, the trial of Galileo, the pacts with Hitler and Mussolini, and on and on) there remains the bizarre attitude expressed recently by a BBC correspondent to the effect that Catholic Church must deal with the issue of child sexual abuse in order to regain its moral authority. The response to this is to ask: what moral authority? I wanted
to nail this kind of double-think. But I also want to stress that this is a novel, not a sermon. It’s not a comic novel but it only sometimes shares the grim horror that understandably stains documentaries and fiction about being a child in the Catholic Church. There is a reason for this. The hideous boarding school in Scorn is closely based on the one I went to in Cowley - a place both twenty minutes away from the nearest Oxford college and yet also separated by seven hundred years or so. There were Catholic schools that were worse than mine but it was bad enough: two of my close friends were subject to attempted rapes (by one priest only – let’s be rigorous here), another given a kicking for popping a blown-up paper bag in the refectory; and I was beaten in the gym with one of those climbing ropes the thickness of a man’s arm. But we had one way of surviving, at least in part, our Catholic faith, a weapon which inspired the title of the book. Scorn was our one means of resisting the priests and preserving our sanity. Mockery and ridicule were the only powers we had. We made up preposterous sermons and improvised gruesome prayers at our own deathbeds; we worked on our talent for the cruellest mimicry of any and every defect of priestly intellect or physical deformity. We drew abusive cartoons about our tormentors and their ludicrous notions about holy relics and the agonies of hell in the margins of books, and
carved them into the desks (there are eighteen roughly drawn doodles in Scorn in remembrance of this). One of my friends delighted in clearing his throat in varying degrees of utter incredulity every time a priest mentioned the doctrine of papal infallibility. I wanted to celebrate this scurrilous defiance of the Church’s soul-destroying determination to exert control of our every thought, word and deed. Scorn and its hairy, waggish, madcap, murderous hero is the result.
“Dissimulate and disguise and lie. Use experience the way children in the sand pit use sand” Sree: What, if any, would be your advice to an upcoming writer who wants to include personal experience-inspired aspects into their novels, but is struggling to do so? Paul: There’s a lot of talk from novelists about every writer having a ‘sliver of ice’ in their heart or that a family with a writer has a traitor in their midst. The thing that needs to be pointed out is that personal experience is what feeds a novel but (in my view) this life CC experience exists to use as material for the imagination to do its work. But imagination is what can get you off the hook
if you’re struggling not to destroy the trust of others; change someone’s gender, move an event into another context and alter the details. Dissimulate and disguise and lie. Use experience the way children in a sand pit use sand. The novels of Saul Bellow are badly damaged by his use of his fiction to get back at his many wives. The person you should be betraying is yourself, finding your way into the characters you create by looking hard at what makes you tick. A writer should be a thief of the experience of others but you use your understanding of how you feel to insinuate yourself into situations you’ve never experienced and people you’ve never been. In my first novel, The Wisdom of Crocodiles, there’s a foul-mouthed pornographer called Trevor Hat who delivers a stream of inventive abuse to everyone around him while also giving his unfortunate lackeys the benefit of his opinions on everything. I took the language, tone and the style of the man from an article about a talented but foul-mouthed chef which gave me long examples of his conversational riffs and then invented from there. A novelist is someone who tells lies about his imaginary friends by mixing up stuff that never happened with stuff that did. The internet is a gift to modern writers because of the endless variety of people doing everything under the sun and talking about everything under the sun while they’re doing it. Steal and then lie with what you steal when you drag it into your sandpit.
POETRY CORNER This week’s poem is a seasonal celebration of autumn by Emily Brontë
Fall Leaves Fall By Emily Brontë Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree. I shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night’s decay Ushers in a drearier day.
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Art & Lit
17
Non-fiction: where reality is stranger and more daring An argument for the value and position of non-fiction in contemporary literature a platform. For a more personal journey to freedom read: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (2015).
Abbigail Colwyn Staff Writer
Non-fiction often gets a bad reputation: lacking in adventure and escapism. Educating rather than entertaining. Being outright dull. Many denounce its ability to provide anything other than a subjective view of reality and a breakdown of the most current affairs. Some look exclusively to fiction to fulfil their need for escapism, oblivious to the incredible insight they are neglecting in non-fictional works. As an English Literature student, I am certainly not discounting the value of fiction. I myself am among those who enjoy the allure of escaping harsh realities of inequality and conflict and entering into the imaginative realms of a fictional world. However, after reading considerable numbers of memoirs, biographies and opinion articles in my spare time, I believe it is time that fiction and non-fiction no longer remain in constant competition. So why do I believe that nonfiction is worth reading? Well, for one, there is something for everyone. Autobiographies and memoirs open readers up to new cultures and explorations through the direct voice of the person experiencing the subject matter. Essays and opinion articles incite readers to partake in thrilling debates alongside intellectuals, developing and enhancing their own points of view. Diaries reveal personal details that are not corrupted by the need to entertain an audience. Still not entirely convinced (or just don’t know where to start)? Try one of these three books, recommendations that illustrate nonfiction’s inherent and individual value.
It is time fiction and non-fiction no longer remained in constant competition Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (2009) Emotional yet empowering, Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn have created a manifesto for advancing freedom and global equality. It is both one of subjugation and hope. Behind every tragedy in this book is an empowered woman, who having overcome hardship and oppression, has grasped the opportunity to re-educate and reform her community. Mukhtar Mai, an impov-
If you are daring enough, non-fiction literature is an incredible new world of writing to explore
CC
erished woman who was refused an education, kidnapped, arrested and sexually abused, has built a school for girls to reform cultural attitudes about rape in Meerwala, Pakistan. She continued to advocate her release from confinement and inspire her supporters in the face of torture. With one humbling story after another, you are forced to ask yourself what you can do to help these individuals. Kristof shows what gender inequality actually means for real people. Current news stories may debate enslavement, genital mutilation, and domestic abuse, but many other matters remain ignored. Kristoff and Wudunn expose these long overlooked issues in their non-fiction. One of these issues includes having obstetric fistulas, resulting in women living and dying as outcasts, abandoned by their husbands and communities, and forced to live scavenging. Hidden issues like these are part of the reason more work needs to be done, and why non-fiction is essential in illustrating this. The road to equality is a long one, and although it is being ascended day by day through extraordinary work, we must continue to raise awareness and fight. Kristof, through non-fiction, not only directs readers to various organisations to get involved with, but exposes essential issues ignored by mainstream media. To discover more on this topic (and hear from the voice of women themselves) read: Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale: A Memoir by Rachel Lloyd (2012). The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice by Zak Ebrahim (2014) This work is a short but striking plea against fanaticism, calling for greater tolerance and the promotion of peace. Written as an autobiography in language acces-
sible to all, Ebrahim recounts, in intense emotional detail, the traumas of his childhood and his conscious decision to separate himself from the violence engrained within him. No reader can escape this book without feeling a disturbing mix of horror, sorrow and hope. Horror for the torturous abuse that Ebrahim witnessed, daily death threats and the stigma of being the son of a convicted terrorist. Sorrow for the hardships of his mother and himself. Yet, ultimately, hope: that other children suffering can similarly overcome the destructive beliefs passed on from the adults surrounding them. This compelling book remains relevant to this day – you can sense the reverberations through the social and political spheres as Ebrahim describes his father’s connection to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. For a similar depiction of resilience, read: The Man who Broke into Auschwitz by Denis Avey (2011). Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution by Mona Eltahawy (2015) Elthahawy’s voice is wonderfully daring and audacious. She remains a woman of conviction and strength, continuing to speak out after being sexually assaulted by Egyptian security forces during a protest. In this biography, she expands on her hard-hitting essay ‘Why Do They Hate Us?’ (2012) to depict the violation of women’s basic human rights and call for progression in society. As her title boldly exclaims, both the headscarf and the hymen act, in her view, as symbols of oppression, the former reinforces women’s subservience and segregation, and the latter a form of control in policing young women’s sexuality. Elthahawy’s book is therefore one of critical importance, opening up
the conversation surrounding this controversial topic. Many Middle Eastern Muslim women have condemned Western involvement and termed Elthahawy ‘islamophobic’ for attempting to speak on their behalf. This controversy should not discourage you from reading, but instead should entice you to challenge your own opinions and preconceptions. Although cultural change is a lengthy process, this does not excuse inaction. We must continue to promote books like this, giving the issue of liberation
Non-fiction ultimately offers readers the opportunity to understand the world as it really is, to unearth real experiences and truly empathise with real people. We may believe that watching the news and listening to an occasional speaker is sufficient. But we are wrong. While the world is at once familiar and known in our increasingly connected world, it still remains distant. Non-fiction forces readers to see beyond their immediate surroundings and delve into parts of civilisation that are unfamiliar to them. Non-fiction, rather than being marginalised from the category of literature, should become essential to it. If you are daring enough to confront and even challenge it, non-fiction literature is an incredible new world of writing to explore.
Inbetween-Essay Reading Recommendations As the reading lists start to rear their ugly heads, light, exciting and most importantly, short fiction readings are the highlight of one’s day. Here’s a list of some books I loved reading, late at night, between writing one essay and reading for the next! The Child – A psychological thriller with punchy chapters, making it easy to leave and come back to but is also short enough for a one-night-read! Angels and Demons – A classic that’s exciting every time you read it, and has some action-packed chapters that you can skim through, before you buckle down again. This Blue Novel – It’s a translation from Spanish and categorised as poetry…or is it an action-packed adventure? I’ll let you be the judge of that! The Hunger Games – A highly overrated set of movies, and highly underrated set of books. Get reading, for some thrilling plot twists – it’s brilliant even if you have watched the movie at least a hundred times! My Dad’s Policeman – A heart-wrenching tale of innocence mixed with humour, this short story and Ryan, whose Dad’s a policeman, will win you over from page 1!
STAGE
Stage 18
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Euripide’s Bacchae brings ancient Greece to Oxford Erin Minogue Staff Writer
Presenting a play entirely in Greek to a modern audience might seem like an extraordinary task, but through the interplay of choreography, music, and outstanding individual performances, this production of Euripides’ Bacchae carries it off effortlessly. The Oxford Greek Play is steeped in tradition, occurring every three years at the Oxford Playhouse, and yet for those intimidated by the idea of watching a play for over two and a half hours in Greek with English subtitles, I would urge them to set aside any preconceptions. Bacchae, directed by Sean Kelly, is a production charged with the wild frenzy of the maenads, the mad female followers of Dionysus. This production employs language, movement, music anda more to portray Euripides’ tale of divine revenge which unfolds following the King of Thebes’ decision to ban the worship of his cousin Dionysus.
Music, including a violin played onstage, along with percussion and the rhythmic chanting of the chorus, plays an integral role in the production, from the opening scene where the jarring, eerie orchestral music sets the tone for the wildness and madness of the maenads throughout the play. The astonishing work of Movements Director, Isobel Hambleton, is one of the most notable aspects of the production, and works alongside the music to create the atmosphere of barbarity associated with the maenads.
the jarring, eerie orchestral music sets the tone for the wildness and madness The writhing, animalistic and interconnected choreography of the chorus establishes the idea of a community in opposition
with the hardened exterior of the individual, Pentheus. Yet, this play is also about a blurring of boundaries, and Spencer Klavan’s captivating performance suggests there is something not wholly civilised about Pentheus, particularly when his seething disregard for Dionysus is shown. The expert choreography brought to life by the talent of the cast allows this production to transcend language. This production also subverts gender norms and explores the tragic nature of hypermasculinity. The effeminate nature of Dionysus contrasts with the manliness of Pentheus, however as the production unfurls, the idea of gender is seen as more fluid. In one of the most exceptionally staged scenes, Pentheus’ manliness is unpeeled layer by layer as he is manipulated by Dionysus, suggesting the dramatic consequences of destructive masculinity. This production’s seamless exploration of gender identity allows the play to take on another dimension,
making a play that is over 2000 years old seem incredibly relevant to a modern audience. The convention of Greek drama whereby violence occurs off stage and is revealed by a minor character is subverted, and projected visuals show scenes of violence and savagery propelling the story on to its conclusion. Including projection pushes the boundaries of the possibilities on stage, allowing the messenger’s speech depicting the brutality of Euripides’ play to be brought to life. Ultimately this production is not constrained by language, it pushes against it and
uses a variety of mechanisms to great effect to convey the blurring of boundaries between gender, tradition, civility and barbarity. For those interested in witnessing the capabilities of storytelling in theatre, this play is not to be missed.
Oxford Greek Play
Three Parallel Places: exploring the philosophical through the personal Katie Stanton Staff Writer
Three Parallel Places is an ambitious new piece of writing by Hannah Chilve-Vaughan which, through its winning central performance, manages to capture the spirit of the itinerant classical figures by which it was inspired. The premise of the play is that three parallel places - Earth, Egalitaria and Autocratia – exist, and each act of the play occurs in a different realm. The audience encounters these places with the main character, Ambrosia, a fey girl who lives on Earth in a vaguely pre-industrial society, with her lover George, his twin brothers, Pars and Antipars, and their grandmother. She, however, yearns for excitement outside of her humdrum life, which she finds in the frequent storms, something to which George objects. One such stormy encounter leads to the death of Ambrosia and George, who then move into the afterlife,
to somewhere called Egalitaria. Egalitaria is a place of equality, where everyone is ‘perpetually happy in the absence of pain’, according to the omniscient, omnipresent figure Ambrosia meets. Although there is initial discord between her and George, for pulling him away from his family, he soon settles into peaceful existence, whereas Ambrosia’s restless spirit wants to experience the contrasts in life. The only way to leave Egalitaria is to move onwards to Autocratia, a land of numerous dictatorial realms. This she does, visiting the realm of Alpha, a narcissist who lives in a house full of mirrors, and subsequently that of Omega, a brutish tyrant. The play, in creating these different places, raises questions about the nature of happiness. In particular, Egalitaria seems to function as the backdrop for some grand philosophical discourse, with a scene spent on the variations between art and life, which makes Egalitaria, as a setting, less visceral than those of
This atmosphere of mutual suspicion, and each character’s inability to show their true colours, sets everyone on edge
Earth and Autocratia. The scenes on Earth move slowly, establishing the characters in the family, the most effective scenes focusing on the relationship between Ambrosia and George, those between Pars and Antipars making the audience’s journey with Ambrosia slightly disjointed, and contributing to the lengthy start. Once the characters reach Autocratia, the pace quickens, and contributes to some of the best scenes in the play. Ambrosia’s encounter with Watch, where they enter the house of mirrors, is genuinely funny, although apparently Autocratia is a parallel place where the film Taxi Driver - and its famous line, ‘You talkin’ to me?’ - also exist. The characters of Alpha and Omega are grotesque and distinctly unappealing, encompassing the extremes of conceit, vanity and ugliness. The scenes in Autocratia suffer from some unevenness in tone, going from the darkly funny to the almost distressing, and the play as a whole features two instances of assault, which may make viewers uncomfortable. The scenery and costumes are instrumental in the world-building, and are highly effective. On earth, the production features a fake grass floor and a flowers hanging from the roof, which create eerie effects when coupled
with interesting lighting choices. The characters on Earth wear varying shades of white or cream, lending them an innocent, or naïve, air, whereas those in Autocratia favour bold colours and an excess of gold. Ambrosia, who wears a gauzy white dress in the first two acts, appears in black in Autocratia, her hair covered in gold, showing the difference – and indeed the values – of the realms. The play, however, works because of its appealing central performance. The character of Ambrosia is initially childlike and
petulant, but through her experiences gains emotional depth. The sense of Ambrosia’s restlessness is constant, and her joy in experiencing the new aspects of different realms palpable. The character leads us through the ambitious constructions of different places, and in doing so grounds them. Three Parallel Places is really the account of one girl’s journey through difficult encounters and family entanglements, and is at its best when the emotional and personal, rather than the philosophical, are at the fore.
Lee Simmonds
Stage 19
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Crime and Punishment: ideal viewing for sleep-deprived students with axes to grind Leo House Staff Writer
Fyodor Dostoevsky described his titanic novel Crime and Punishment as a ‘psychological account of a single crime’ – and this adaptation, put on by the Corpus Christi Owlets, distils the story down to this essence. The original book is a 500page monster that has long frustrated students with its whole chapters of meandering interior monologue or aimless wandering around the backstreets of downtown St Petersburg. It features 15 characters with dozens of patronymics and diminutive nicknames to forget, long periods of letter-reading, and enough big ideas to give you a headache, and a predictably moralizing conclusion. How can such a cumbersome beast of a narrative be taken to the stage? Director Frances Livesey, who knows the novel inside out, says it would be ‘completely unfeasible’ to stage the story in this form. Luckily Marilyn Cambell and Curt Columbus have taken an axe to the source material, ruthlessly amputating several gristly subplots and supporting characters. We are left with a prime tenderloin cut of drama – trimmed of fat, but richly marbled with the more compelling intrigues: Rodion Raskolnikov is a penniless student who has axed two people to death and seems to have gotten away with it. He sits across the table from local chief police inspector Porfiry Petrovich, who suspects Raskolnikov but has no solid proof. In an intricate cat-and-mouse interrogation, Porfiry attempts to bait his prey – but extracting a confession from the student will not be easy. Raskolnikov is sick. He is deliriously sleep-deprived and feverish, intoxicated with
righteous fury and delusions of grandeur, and lovesick for his guardian angel, Sonia – a shining beacon of moral selflessness, forced to prostitute herself in the filth of the Petersburg slums just to feed her family. As Porfiry’s mind-games commence, so too does a series of flashbacks and daynightmares that take us through the crime from Raskolnikov’s perspective, filling us in on the action and bringing us to a final showdown between murderer and detective So the adaptation is lean and mean – but several challenges remain for the Frances and her cast. For the actors, there is the task of playing multiple characters. Tom Fisher shape shifts from the imperious, wolfish Porfiry to Sonia’s father, the jolly, masochistic drunkard Marmeladov, and back again. Tom has to interrogate Raskolnikov not just from the outside, as Profiry, but also from within the student’s own head – he appears in our protagonist’s flashbacks as ghostly apparitions that drive the murderer mad with accusing whispers. Nicole acobus is charged with portraying all 4 female characters in the play. Two of her characters love Raskolnikov unconditionally – and all of Nicole’s subtlety is required to differentiate Sonia’s Christ-like love from the worrying affection of Pulkheria, our protagonist’s mother. She also has to hit the other end of the spectrum to embody Alyona, the viciously greedy pawnbroker that profits off the last trinkets of the downtrodden. Staś Butler exclusively plays protagonist Rodion Raskolnikov – however this role comes with the tiring task of being present onstage for the entire 90 minutes. This is no small feat, but rather
Cyrano de Bergerac: Keble O’Reilly
What: Cyrano de Bergerac When: Wednesday - Saturday (25th -28th) Where: Keble O’Reilly Tickets: £12.50/ £8.50 conc.
than wilting, Staś uses the exhaustion to feed Raskolnikov’s hysterical tirades and sleepdeprived hallucinations. He also shoulders the burden of being our principal narrative vehicle, as it is through his visions that we discover the preceding sequence of events. By tying our perspective to Raskolnikov’s, the play sucks us into his state of mind, and the result is genuinely disorientating and trippy. Before long we begin to question which characters are actually present, and which are imagined spectres that feed on Raskolnikov’s guilt. Staś, Nicole and Tom have to switch states of mind not only with changes in character, but also with each jump from reality to flashback. To complicate matters further, the cast has the challenge of acting out characters that are, in turn, putting on an act. Porfiry, for example, is convinced of Raskolnikov’s guilt, but hides this certainty in order to string him along with his interrogation. Raskolnikov and Sonia, under the intense scrutiny of the detective, have to play the part of uninvolved innocents. This atmosphere of mutual suspicion, and each character’s inability to show their true colours, sets everyone on edge. For the director, Frances Livesey, the challenge is to do the text justice, but make the play new and different. She considers the play to be, at its core, ‘about a young man taking an axe to the fabric of society.’ The cast agrees that the elements of social commentary in the play are key – they explained to me that Dostoevsky is sympathetic to Sonia and Raskolnikov, who are pressed to commit crimes because of the cloying, maddening nature of their poverty. Dostoevsky’s St Petersburg is a grimy, claustrophobic city where
Oxford Playhouse
What: Crime and Punishment When: Tuesday - Saturday (24th28th) Where: BT Studio Tickets £6
Wikimedia
crimes breed and multiply like rats. The production team have worked to evoke this mood with period costume and a colour scheme of grotty greys and greens. Lighting is used to pick characters out or allow them to drift into shadow according to the shifting focus of Raskolnikov’s recollections, creating the impression that the protagonist’s inner demons lurk in the darkness of his subconscious. The original score, composed by Natasha Frank, uses themes that are repeated and twisted as we move from reality to flashback, which helps to guide us smoothly through the sequence of strange visions. From the opening scene of the play an axe quite literally hangs over the drama. The weapon sits
Michael Pilch Studio
What: 4:48 Psychosis When: Wednesday - Saturday (25th-28th) Where: Michael Pilch Studio Tickets: £7/£5 conc.
above the actors as an ominous symbol, waiting to drop, until sure enough, Raskolnikov reaches up, grabs it, and commits his iconic murder. Crime and Punishment is an epic tale of hubris and redemption – by staging it as a 90 minute play, Frances and her team have to cram huge significance into every little moment. They have approached the challenge with admirable intensity. The result is equal parts psychological thriller, social commentary and ethical debate, all condensed into a shot of dark drama that will leave you dizzy, but exhilarated. Crime and Punishment will be showing from the 24th – 28th October at 19:30 at the Burton Taylor Studio.
Oxford Playhouse
What: Rita, Sue and Bob Too When: Tuesday - Saturday (24th28th) Where: Oxford Playhouse Tickets: Student tickets: £11 - 26
SCREEN
Screen 20
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
IT: genuinely scary or just clowning around?
Alone, the iconic clown Pennywise is not enough to scare modern audiences Tom Carter Staff Writer
In the town of Derry, Maine, 1988, a series of children go missing. After his brother vanishes, Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) and a group of kids known as the ‘Losers Club’ try to investigate the murders, eventually coming face to face with the demonic clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård). IT is not a horror movie. Well, I suppose it is, technically. At first glance, IT has all the ingredients of a horror movie; a scary monster (in this case Skarsgård’s evil clown Pennywise, in a performance so delightfully disturbing it will probably put any remaining clowns out of a job), a bunch of kids, and a tight, claustrophobic location for said scary monster to chase said kids (the sewers, this time). But it’s not one. What it is is a coming-of-age classic masquerading as a horror flick. Unfortunately, this is only partly by intention. As a horror movie, IT is never more than OK. Sure, Skarsgard’s Pennywise is terrifying early on, combining practical efforts with CGI and clever editing to great effect, but this impact diminishes over the course of the film as he individu-
ally haunts each member of the young cast. His introduction in the opening sequence (a rough recreation of that of the 1990 miniseries) is easily the film’s scariest moment, but he appears so often that, by the end of the movie, the sense of terror is lost. Sometimes a horror villain can be scarier in their absence.
IT is a comingof-age classic masquerading as a horror flick Of the ‘haunting’ vignettes, in which Pennywise torments each of the kids with their worst fears, some work better than others. At times, the imagery of a red balloon is terrifyingly effective, and one or two are imaginatively creepy and gruesome, with slightly disturbing amounts of child violence (this one definitely earns that 15 rating). Too often, however, they rely on tired horror tropes, and even when Pennywise shows up there are a disappointing number of jump scares mixed in with some imaginative set
pieces. Skarsgård’s performance means that there are still some terrifying moments, but don’t go in expecting a screamfest. Thankfully, Pennywise is not the only monster lurking in the town of Derry. The film doesn’t shy away from the idea that, in many cases, the true monsters are the adults, and pretty much everyone in Derry older than 15 comes across as controlling, capricious or just plain cruel. IT is actually impressively mature in its handling of difficult and serious themes, such as abuse, bullying and puberty (the last one in particular is addressed with some gloriously unsubtle imagery), and it helps that the child actors who do most of the dramatic lifting all deliver astonishingly un-child actor-like performances. And let’s talk about those kids, because they’re the ones who elevate IT from a decent horror movie to a fantastic coming-of-age story. Bill (Jaeden Lieberher), Richie (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Beverly (Sophia Lillis), Stan (Wyatt Olef) and Mike (Chosen Jacobs) are a bunch of dorks and nobodies who come together and form the ‘Losers Club’, ultimately teaming up to investigate the rising number of missing
kids and stave off the evil that the adults of their town seem content to ignore. As protagonists, they are wonderfully engaging, with real chemistry and personality - props to the screenwriters for writing dialogue that actually sounds like something a kid would say, swear words and all. And they’re funny! I did not expect to laugh much in IT, but the film is as funny and heart-warming as it is scary, maybe even more so. There’s even a bit of romance, for those so inclined. IT is really about the process of growing up, and how overcoming your fears and doubts is a massive part of this, and the members of the Losers Club provide this journey with an emotional core that’s far more compelling than any scary clown. Yes, the film does owe quite Kid-Eternity a debt to Spielberg and, like sive considering that it’s both an the more recent Stranger Things, with which it shares a adaption of the Steven King book cast member (Finn Wolfhard), and a partial remake of the ‘90s it stresses its ‘80s setting so miniseries. Perhaps its greatest hard that at times it can feel like achievement however is that in a weaponised nostalgia. But, like world where literally everything the best of Spielberg, it comes is getting a sequel or a remake, across as life-affirming rather IT actually makes me want to see than purely commercial, impres- Chapter 2.
The beauty of the Bake Off: how Channel 4 is getting it right Anna Fletcher Staff Writer
The Quarter Finals of The Great British Bake Off are fast approaching. This year, Love Production moved its multi-million pound formula from the BBC to Channel 4. The Great British Bake Off has rocketed to the top of Channel 4’s weekly ratings. With an audience of over 8 million per week, GBBO leaves Channel 4’s Gogglebox, Celebrity Island and Location Location Location in the dust. Presenters Noel Fielding and Sandy Toksvig, along with new judge Prue Leith, bring their own distinct humour to the Tent. Prue in particular offers some biting criticism to the bakers, denouncing certain bakes as ‘a bit boring’ and even ‘not worth the calories’. Yet the Bake Off, as it is occasionally easy to forget, is a competition. Prue heightens that competitive edge, and sends the bakers off striving to push themselves further the next day or week. Without that
sense of challenge, the Bake Off would risk making their eliminations seem pretty arbitrary.
A beautiful balance between charming familiarity and challenge And it certainly does seem that elimination is a struggle every week. Showstoppers have been more daring and elaborate than ever before, right from first week, where each baker made an artistic Illusion Cake. This task produced spectacular results, including Flo’s Watermelon Cake and Jan’s Ramen Cake. The Illusion Cake task was not only visually impressive, but also captured that sense of play that all the greatest cooking TV shows maintain. For example, Heston Blumenthal is hugely successful in drawing upon our ancient love of
disguised food with his edible insects and crunchable crockery. Product placement has not yet seeped into the Bake Off tent, although the temptation must be extreme. I can already imagine hearing via serene voiceover at the beginning of the Technical Challenge, “The judges have cunningly left the bakers with two brands of sugar. Will any of them know that the traditional way to glaze their mille-feuille is with Tate and Lyle Icing Sugar?” But such branding would damage the Bake Off’s integrity, which in turn is maintained by the hermetic nature of the Tent. This is escapism at its finest, because you and the bakers focus on one subject of interest for an hour that is quite displaced from the outside world. What’s more, the Bake Off encapsulates the greatest aspects of studying a subject you love. Working in a team of no more than 14, the bakers leave day-to-day life behind to indulge solely in perfecting a specific skill. They compete to
meet deadlines, but are unified in camaraderie as much as in rivalry. The extent to which Bake Off goes to seal us in the Tent for that one glorious hour is remarkable. Families and backgrounds of the bakers are tantalisingly sketched in, and are only ever detailed in the final episode. It is the presenters alone who take us out of the Tent and gardens, and they only do so to highlight the points on which the bakers might trip up. As before, there is no branding, and no packaging. Who is filming? Why does only one person ever speak at a time? Who eats the leftovers? Plus how does everything stay so spotless? These questions are never to be answered during the show itself. The last we saw of waste in the Bake
Anna Fletcher
Off was back in the Series 5 ‘Bingate’ scandal, where Iain presented to the judges the pitiful remains of his Baked Alaska in the trash. Although this series has had its moments of dramatic flair – the sugar-spinning antics of episode four spring to mind - the show continues to maintain a beautiful balance between charming familiarity and challenge.
Screen 21
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Kingsman 2 repeats the mistakes of its predecessor Alexandra Wall Staff Writer
The sequel to 2014’s wildly popular spy-comedy movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle reaches the same highs as its predecessor and rather unfortunately, it also descends to the same lows. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, known for his work on Kick-Ass, Kingsman 2 follows the ever-charming Eggsy, played by rising star Taron Egerton, now an official Kingsman agent going by the codename Galahad in honour of his mentor Harry Hart (Colin Firth). After the world is held hostage by the villainous Poppy (Julianne Moore), Eggsy and the Kingsmen must team up with their American counterparts, the Statesmen, in order to save a large portion of humanity. As with its predecessor, Kingsman 2 is sharp, sleek and hilarious. The opening action scene features a spectacular fight in a taxicab that sets a frenetic pace that continues
Vagueonthehow
throughout the rest of the film. Its characters are instantly likable and its jokes are often clever, one unexpected recurring cameo garnering the most laughs. I went into this film with low expectations and was captivated from its first few frames. It shows London in a beautiful light and will certainly leave British audiences with a sense of patriotism and pride at the lovingly crafted portrayal of what it means to be British. A love letter to British culture from the chavvy beginnings of Eggsy to the upper-class toff Harry Hart, the Americans sadly do not get the same level of appreciation here. The Statesmen, played by Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Halle Berry, whilst bringing a fun presence to the film initially, have little substance, character or indeed charm. Tatum plays little more than a glorified cameo, a stereotypical cowboy who comes off as annoying and quite frankly dumb. Pascal is more of a formidable character, a frequent scene-stealer as Agent Whiskey who is sadly let down by the script in the film’s climax. A rather hamfisted feminist subplot is given to Halle Berry, leading me to assume that its only purpose is to make up for the abysmal treatment
of all of the other female characters in this film series thus far. Likewise, Julianne Moore as the quirky villain Poppy is utterly forgettable. Her motivations however, are not.
The plot and comical tone of the film weaken the overall effect Warning, spoilers ahead! In a strangely political move, the movie attempts to address the war on drugs whilst also aiming pot shots at the American government, featuring a president who is one bad fake tan away from being an exact depiction of the current president of the USA. Poppy is a drug kingpin who has infected the entire worlds supply of drugs with a toxin that will kill those who partake in them unless an antidote is provided - Poppy happens to have all of the antidote and holds the world hostage, saying she will release the antidote if drugs are legalised, allowing her to become a legitimate business woman. The President decides to let the drug users of the world die, leading to the line I’ll be known as the president who won the war on drugs. The convoluted nature of the plot and comical tone of the film weakens the overall effect of this political commentary, rendering it almost useless especially when considering the fact
that the majority of the audience came to see a spy-comedy and not a political statement. Then again, it may be impossible to remove politics from the Kingsman series. The first film featured overt commentary on the class divide in the UK, having stereotypical chav Eggsy rise up and find success in a world full of stereotypically posh British gentlemen, never quite losing his cheeky cockney charm along the way. The only scene that had the potential to ruin this film for me featured a honeypot mission at Glastonbury, which I found particularly distasteful and unnecessary. Eggsy must seduce a target in a scene reminiscent of the infamous princess scene from the first film. And just as in the first film, Vaughn takes the joke too far - objectifying women in a way that I was not expecting to see so overtly on film in 2017. The women in this film are treated appallingly. They are one dimensional, and those who do have developed characters have very little screen time to display them. It would have been a perfect film for me had this scene not occurred and I think many women will feel the same way as I did upon watching it - deeply uncomfortable and completely taken out of the film. If a film can treat the idea of a British gentleman with such reverence-why can it not treat women to the same courtesy? Ultimately, Kingsman 2 is a charming film but one that makes the same unforgivable mistakes as its predecessor.
Top Five: Stephen King films Richard Tudor Screen Editor
With the success of It, the latest Stephen King adaption, take a trip down memory lane through this list of his other stellar works adapted for the screen... 1. The Shining (1980) - Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, the winter manager of the Overlook Hotel, accompanied by his wife and son, Danny, who possesses ‘the shining’– an ability to see and communicate with the spirits that haunt the hotel. 2. Stand by Me (1986) - Starring a young River Phoenix, Stand by Me is a comingof-age tale which tells the story of four boys walking out of town to find a body knocked over by a train. 3. Misery (1990) – After killing off his most famous character Misery, Paul Sheldon’s car careers off into the snow. Selfproclaimed ‘number 1 fan’ Annie Wilkes pulls him from the wreckage to look after him, but after finding the manuscript, is not best pleased that he has murdered her favourite character... 4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Widely considered one of the best films of all time, The Shawshank Redemption is the story of a wrongly-condemned man’s struggle in prison and his friendship with long-term inmate, Red, played by Morgan Freeman. 5. The Green Mile (1999) – Starring Tom Hanks as death-row corrections officer Paul Edgecomb, the touching story of his experiences on ‘The Green Mile’ and the supernatural influence of one of the inmates was nominated for four Oscars.
Rasmus Nielsen comments on the current state of visual media Theo Davies-Lewis Staff Writer
What’s happening to our media? It’s a question that is asked over and over again. Yes, it’s easy to acknowledge that the traditional framework of news and entertainment media has been changing dramatically over the last two or three decades. The decline in print journalism; unprecedented successes of worldwide television news networks; a gradual emergence of more private services; the dawn of the internet age; an astronomical rise of social media in the twenty-first century: these are all things that most casual observers of the shifting media landscape can recognise through their own media habits, and how they have changed over recent years. But what are the consequences of this? And what are the issues we, as a media community, face going forward? Rasmus Nielsen is perhaps a typical example of changing media habits. In a crowded seminar room at one of Oxford’s colleges, he tells the story of how growing
up in Denmark at the end of the twentieth century meant he only had access to some half-a-dozenor-so newspapers, and had to travel an hour to Copenhagen’s train station or public library to have access to international media.
Admittedly, news is quicker and more accessible than ever before It’s perhaps ironic, then, that Nielsen has become one of the most prominent figures in studying changes in journalism and media. As Director of Research at the Reuters Institute, he has pioneered studies into digital news and the future of television news. Moreover, he has just been named Oxford’s first ever Professor of Political Communication – which could be perceived as a nod from the University’s dons to the increasing importance of our media in such a tumultuous world.
In his seminar, Nielsen covered a wide range of issues which warrant a mention. He is particularly articulate when assessing the problems surrounding supply and demand in the media world. Previously, he notes, in journalism generally there was high market power and low choice when selecting channels; the reverse is now true. As a result, people are more specific about what they pay for, and what they choose to watch, listen, or read to begin with. This makes the competition as ferocious as ever. In addition, Professor Nielsen rightly discussed the complications of the media age. Admittedly, news is quicker and more accessible than ever before, but with more technological advancements and more companies merging under a select few proprietors and tycoons, it is essential that journalist and other media experts lead the way in any changes in the future. This was stressed by the people in the audience – which included a former Times correspondent and a Zimbabwean journalist – as good journalism is driven by the journalists themselves, not
the interests of top executives. Of course, practically, it is difficult to give power to these journalists. All one has to do is look at who calls the shots in Rupert Murdoch’s empire to understand who usually calls the shots. Nonetheless, the media landscape has, and still is, shifting for the better, according to Nielsen. There are issues over fake news, the relevance of television news, and funding packages for organisations, yes. However, if we think of what has happened since the
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launch of, for example, CNN in 1980, it has a positive impact on society as a whole. And this is the overarching message from Nielsen. What has happened to our media has been mostly positive changes. More content. Better journalists. Wider and more diverse coverage. It has been good for society, and while we have – as Nielsen puts it – a “rocket ride ahead”, it is only more likely that our creative industries will rise to the challenge as they have done previously.
MUSIC
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Music 22
Pint-sized reviews: First week in live music
Ned Ray revisits mid-noughties pop icons The Hoosiers on their ten year anniversary
Ned Ray
Staff Writer
The Hoosiers’ first album, The Trick to Life, was the first album I ever bought, ten years ago. I suspect its best tracks – ‘Goodbye Mr A’, ‘Worried About Ray’, etc - hold strong feelings of nostalgia for much of the current UK student population. Since then, it’s fair to say that The Hoosiers have had middling success with follow-up albums, each with a relatively successful single or two, but never emulating the success of their debut. The opportunity to see them on The Trick to Life’s tenth-anniversary tour, then, was one that my ten-yearold self couldn’t let pass me by.
The structure of the gig was about as pedestrian as they come: the band kicked off by playing The Trick to Life in its entirety, in order, before moving on to play some of their newer stuff. While it was nice to know what was coming next, the set-list could definitely have benefited from some mixing up of the two halves. In the first place, albums are generally ordered to give the best listening experience, and not to sustain interest in a live environment. Secondly, very few people knew the newer songs that were played at the end, and so the atmosphere had the curious property of starting with the most energy, where most gigs end, and ending where most gigs start, with very little.
Despite this misstep in the ordering of the gig, the band was very charismatic and chatty, ranging between fun and outright bizarre; clearly, they were enjoying their time living out past success, and that feeling was an infectious one. Otherwise, it was fantastic to hear some of the songs that had helped define my early teenage years, and to be in a room of people who were clearly having a similar experience. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if I hadn’t had this kind of history with the band and the album, but then I think that asking a tenth-anniversary tour of anything to appeal to newcomers over nostalgia-seekers is ultimately a big, if impossible, ask - whatever the band. Stephenmcleod
‘70s-tinged punk outfit Yak unexpectedly miss the mark at The Bullingdon Madeleine Taylor Deputy Editor
As a relative newcomer to Yak, two things initially intrigued me about the rough and raucous London trio. First was their reputation as an unpredictable, formidable live act. Despite their youth (only in their third year as a group), critics already make gushing comparisons to early era White Stripes, The Stooges, and even those mythological titans of rock and roll, Led Zeppelin. Listening to their recently released debut album ‘Alas
Salvation’, the reminiscences are hard to miss, as suggested by frontman Oli Burslem’s repeated punk snarl ‘Gilded lily, nest of vipers, never ever did invite us’, competing for attention with sludgy guitar licks on the anthemic title track. Add consistent crowd-surfing into the picture, and Yak seem poised to capture that crucial element of mayhem which always helps nostalgic guitar riffing go with a swing. Second was a curious description of Yak’s sound, courtesy of online music directory Allmusic, calling them ‘nervy, magnetic, and photogenic’. Photogenic? Focusing on their appearance in the first few words felt like a
slight against a band with such bold, aggressive punk spirit. But once again, it’s easy to see why: Drummer Elliot Rawson could be Jack White’s long-lost brother in all his gothic moodiness, meanwhile watching the pouty-lipped vocalist Oli Burslem’s on stage swagger, you get the feeling that someone’s been told one too many times that they’re like Mick Jagger. Therefore, my hopes were high when I arrived at The Bullingdon on Monday. As soon as Yak took the stage, they began a guitarheavy set that ought to have been a triumphant showcase of their debut. Its minimalism translated very well to a live setting, and all
three musicians did justice to the record seamlessly. Wailing guitar riffs gave a rousing call-and-response structure to Oli’s powerful, sometimes screamed vocals. In particular, ‘Victorious (National Anthem)’, a vicious parody of ‘Rule Britannia’ (lyrics include: ‘No twoup, two-down, no picket fence. What you’re sick? Tough shit, you’ll miss the rent’), was convincingly Jonny Rotten-esque, and Yak performed it twice during their set. Unfortunately, punk’s power lies in its interaction with an audience. Its essence is anarchy and, well, anarchy was in short supply that evening. This was made most clear by a band member’s failed attempt
to crowdsurf midway through the gig and, potentially discouraged, Yak lost their spontaneity, choosing not to interrupt their set with talk between the songs. So, in all, there was not a whole lotta love for Yak. Their energetic set was marred by the slightly tepid response from a crowd that seemed more eager for an early night than the prospect of rambling on till dawn, dazed and confused. To be sure, they’re clearly more than capable of putting on a great show; but some of that potential was wasted by Yak’s failure to make a real connection with the crowd. A communication breakdown, you could say.
What’s on this week?
Simon Bailey
What: Ritual Union When: 21st October Where: Various Venues Promoters and concert organisers extrordinaire, Future Perfect, have curated a stunning line-up for the inaugural Ritual Union music festival. Highlights include Russian noise-pop merchants and internet meme Pinkshinyultrablast, returning kraut-shoegazers Ulrika Spacek , blues rock singersongwriter Willie J. Healy and Brummie indie pop outfit Peace. £30
Max Pixel
What: Francobollo When: 22nd October 7pm Where: The Cellar London-based swedes come up trumps with a kaleidoscopic overview of the stylistic leanings of the 70s and 80s: prog rock, psychedelia, synth-pop and punk apparently. If that sounds rather scatterbrained to you, you’ll absolutely love the spontaneous pop-up greeting visitors to their website: “Yo Yo yooooo Bollos! Sign up to our Mailobollo list for a free and exclusive mutherfukken acoustic version of Kinky Lola! Yippee! xxx” £7
MCA Records
What: Skinny Molly When: 24th October 7pm Where: The New Theatre Southern Rock has never really been in fashion. In some hipster circles, admitting affection for Freebird is grounds for social ostracism. Former misfits rejoice; a band which contains one (1) of that rare breed of alive Lynyrd Skynyrd members comes to the Bullingdon. Just don’t shout out Freebird too often. £5.50 for students
Sløtface
What: Sløtface When: 26th October 7.30pm Where: The Cellar Scandinavia has had its fair share of punk leaning indie outfits in recent years; Sløtface, more likely pronounced as Slutface, follow in the footsteps of Ice Age et. al. with their exuberant Norwegian brand of grunge. Expect heavy moshing and the Doc Marten wearing crowd to come out in force. £7.70
Music 23
The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
‘Impeccably lovely and undyingly positive’: Colors, Beck Connor Thirlwell Staff Writer
When Beck won the Grammy Award for Best Album in 2015 for Morning Phase, which Kanye thought should have gone to Beyoncé, he had yet again become creator of serene music for introverts a la Sea Change, of acoustic guitar soul-soothers for shrinking violets and wallflowers. Having once had my Latin teacher youtube ‘The Golden Age’ to the class in year 11 while we were grinding through the Cambridge Latin Course – my first Beck experience - my hormonal, antagonising sixteen year old self ignorantly dismissed Beck as a moping, whingeing, whining waif who was not cool like David Bowie and not worthy of my honourable attention. Then I heard ‘Up all Night’ and
the very stuff of life coursing within him. He feels like he can run for miles. He is no longer satisfied with lurking in the shadows. He has his heart unrestrainedly set on getting up onto the dancefloor and getting down. The Sexy Beck of ‘E-Pro’ and The Information is back. This is Fifa ‘17 Soundtrack Beck. This is a man old enough to be my dad getting back to being young and hip and wearing jeans that are street-wise skinny. Right from the get-go in the eponymous opening track, the drums and guitars are rainbow-bright, the keyboards are wound in the windowglint of an early evening autumn sunshine; the slick, shimmering, highly stylised vocals fire it all as if calling from heaven. The whole album basks in this rich, saturated primary-colour production. Here we have something
enough to be my dad getting back to being young and hip and wearing jeans that are street-wise skinny. thought, what the hell happened? Listening to ‘Dreams’, the stomping lead single from Colors, was, for me, like watching a teenager undergoing his induction into the loosening power of alcohol: for the first time he senses
big, ambitious, eyeing the prizes of money and glory. Slower Beck Ballads – ‘Fix Me’, ‘Dear Life’ – are still present, but firmly belonging to the new, reverb-heavy, uplifting guard. That ballad, ‘Dear Life’, opens with a
‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ (1964) Sam Cooke
RCA Victor Records
It’s not often that I can claim that Oxford’s nightclubs have been founts of benevolent inspiration for me. However, The Michaelmas Term iteration of The Oxford Soul Train last week left me once again at the mercy at The King Of Soul himself, Sam Cooke. Inspired by the American Civil Rights movement, ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ rings out (with the benefit of hindsight) like a victory ode in honour of all those who fought bravely for justice. Cooke’s legend as a lyricist is only surpassed by the raw strength of his vocal delivery; just listen to the opening moments of ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ for a perfect encapsulation of his signature style – pure, guileless, and startlingly bold-faced. It’s been over 50 years since his sudden death at the age of 33, and we’re still waiting to hear another like him.
P.B Rage
This is Fifa ‘17 Soundtrack Beck. This is a man old
OLDIE OF THE WEEK
Beatle-esque honky-tonk piano that echoes McCartney’s ‘Lady Madonna’. In fact, this record is infused with the Paul McCartney, “I have to admit this is getting better” view of life rather than John Lennon’s “It can’t get no worse” cynicism. If all pop music is to be summarised as a battle between these two emotional forces, of optimism and deflation, love and war, light and dark, life and death, then Beck has determinedly shifted his allegiance once again from the side
looking down to the side looking up. Colors is fashioned in a world that is impeccably lovely and undyingly positive, where there is a spoonful of sugar for every bitter dose of medicine, where help is never far away. Beck celebrates a McCartneyesque vision of novelty and fun that might be sweet enough to make some sick. Though, as can only be expected after decades of craft, there “I was born by the river in a little tent is a maturity of emotion beneath it all which can only gain my respect. Oh and just like the river I’ve been running ever since. It’s been a long time, a long time coming But I know a change gonna come, Oh yes it will.”
Is it worth it? ‘Shipbuilding’ three decades on Joe Small
Deputy Music Editor
‘Is it worth it…’, the last great politically inspired British pop song opens with a line more pleading than angry, highly contrasted with the boot-stamping rage typifying much of Elvis Costello’s other songs. But it is this sense of resignation with which ‘Shipbuilding’ plays out an era of political music that the country has struggled to return to, and makes it one of the most heart-felt anti-war songs ever written. Composed for the reedy voice of former Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt, the song was written directly as a protest of the War in the Falklands. Yet while the song prods at politics (Wyatt for instance viewed the song as “about the way the conservative establishment glorifies the working class as ‘our boys’ whenever they want to put them in uniform”), the narrative of the song draws much less from a radical position than it does from Costello’s own lived experience growing up in Liverpool. It is in this aspect of the
lyrics, one grounded in the lives of the working class, that the song presents itself as a personal account and becomes a time capsule for early ‘80s Britain. In doing so the song at times questions itself, acknowledging the hope of economic prosperity the war would grant to a community for which,
ity as rumours, and laments the lives lost to war, pitying more so than mocking those affected with the line, ‘The boy said “dad, they’re going to take me to task,/ But I’ll be back by Christmas”’, ironically alluding to the attitude of Britons at the start of the First World War.
Never scornful, and always sympathetic, the song captures the desperation felt by northern communities at the time with one of the most smoothly rhymed set of lines Costello has ever produced. Costello notes with a rhyme, shipbuilding is all they’re skilled in. Never scornful, and always sympathetic, the song captures the desperation felt by northern communities at the time with one of the most smoothly rhymed set of lines Costello has ever produced. ‘Somebody said that someone got filled in/For saying that people get killed in/The result of this shipbuilding.’ Yet never weakening on the perspective the song is written from, Costello dismisses promises of prosper-
All in all, the value of the song lies more in its observations than it does in its prescriptions, and its emotional power comes not from some vitriolic attack but from passive resignation. It paints a picture that appeals to you to the extent that you choose to engage with it, and always presents itself not as a call for action, but as a question, ‘is it worth it’. I’ve discussed two different versions of the song, both the original sung by Wyatt, and the later Costello version. Despite a chilling
Tim Duncan
trumpet solo by the perpetually mournful Chet Baker, the Costello cover probably loses out to the stripped back original driven simply by an impatient dou-
ble bass and loping drum beat, all of which makes the Costello cover feel overproduced in comparison, but both are great, and definitely worth checking out.
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
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Fashion 26
This week the focus is on corduroy: the fabric that unites students and lecturers (even if you secretly hate your subject) and is perfect for autumn.
Photos by Leonie Hutch
FASHION
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Cords n’ dons: proof Oxford professors win over fashion Leonie Hutch
Fashion Editor
The Autumn/Winter 2017 shows bought us many things. However, one of the more unexpected additions were full corduroy suits. Yes, for the first time in a about 30 years, corduroy has become fashionable once more. Although, if I’m honest, Oxford seems to have maintained its love of corduroy over the decades, unflinching and unmoving in the face of seasonal ‘trends’. (We are concerned with higher things.) Perhaps unwittingly, those academics have become style icons to us all. (Actually, I can’t imagine that it was unwitting at all. They know things we could never know – about corduroy, life, and how to find books in the Sackler. They are a well of knowledge to my puddle of piss.) Anyway, it appeared in all manner of shapes, siz-
es and colours across a huge number of runways: A seventies influence was apparent at many shows, including Nina Ricci’s turquoise pieces and Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s light blue trousers. Flares are back with a force. Prada went for a muted brown oversized pieces its womenswear A/W ’17 collection (eagleeyed fashion bird-people might have noticed that they were actually identical to those they showed a month previously for menswear). Margaret Howell also went for quite masculine shapes with dark olive trousers, although they were softened slightly by a tapered leg. Isabel Marant created a more ‘feminine’ flowy version out of pale pink. And alternatively, Mulberry went with drapey full length pale pink corduroy skirts. Lemaire went bigger and better with huge corduroy jackets and trousers made out of truly hefty burgundy cordury. (However, they also showed some entirely
white corduroy outfits which looked both very chic and very impractical). Cristiano Burani sent models down in even heftier orange corduroy suits with the largest whale e’re you’ve seen. Marc Jacobs added shearling to his, and mixed it up with a couple of corduroy Aline skirts. (Dries van Noten tried adding fur sleeves, which I think is texturally confusing and shan’t mention again, ever, and would appreciate if no one else did too. Thank you.) And Tory Burch also went for some proper chunky A-line skirts. Even Public School and Sportsmax used corduroy in their collections, although they stuck to more athletic-leisure-y constructions. Brock collection also kept theirs pretty modern, with burgundy cropped trousers and simple fitted jackets. And Trussardi went for the full Oxford-don aesthetic with a yellow 3 piece corduroy suit and satchel. Werk it, professor.
Introducing: Pink Corduroy Pale pink corduroy has come through from thew catwalks in a big way, originating with powder pink wide legged trousers that Isabel Marant showed during her a/w ’17 collection. Celine similarly produced some flared pale pink corduroy trousers, and Gucci, although choosing a much brighter hue, also went for pink cord on the runway. And so, we are now seeing trend on the street. And frankly, I’m a fan. I have compiled a (n unillustrated cos copyright issues) list of the best (in my humble opinion) pink corduroy pieces this season: If you’re feeling fancy (read: have an unusual, and probably suspect, amount of money for a student): •Muveil have some lovely wide legged cropped slightly coral pink trousers (£235) •Alexachung for high-waisted flared red-y-pink corduroy trousers (£270) •Isabel Marant for the original, mother-is-here, kinda boot leg cropped pink corduroy trousers (£295)
If you are normal (and think that Tesco Finest is fancy): •Mango are selling beautiful pale blush pink high-waisted flowing corduroy trousers (£50) and a matching jacket (£60) •Topshop Moto have branched out with a simple pale pink corduroy pinafore dress (£39) and also have a slightly sturdier pink jacket with a shearling collar (£68) •H&M also have a pale pink corduroy oh-so-cosy pile lined jacket (£20) •Zara are selling slightly more adventurous darker pink cropped flare culottes with a zip (£26) •Both Monki and M&S have some slim cut pink corduroy trousers (£30 and £25 respectively), for those who want to be “trendy” (hello, Nana) but find the idea of flares all a bit too much (If you just f*cking love cord and want to swathed head to toe in the stuff, pink or otherwise, maybe have a look at Cords & Co? asos have also just released a huge collection of corduroy clothes too.) You’re welcome.
Corduroy: a brief foray into the fabric’s history Didier du Roy Staff Writer
The purpose of this short article is to educate you Oxford folk on the history, etymology, manufacture, and properties of corduroy. No doubt this fabric is familiar to all. It can be seen betrousering many a student and don. One can even purchase jackets, shirts, and lingerie made from this most magical of materials. Among its most enthusiastic adherents (a category in which I include myself) entire suits may be had - mine is of indigo pin cord! Yet, despite its ubiquity among the denizens of the dreaming spires, few know about its most stimulating and peculiar story. It is this which I will now tell. Corduroy’s tale begins in the late 17th century France. MarieJean Alphonse Jacquard Leroux de le Mensonge, Marquis du Roy, a courtier of Louis XIV, and one of my distant ancestors, was its inventor. Contrary to common belief, the fabric is not named because it is the cord du roi (cloth of the king). This is a folk etymology. In other words, a fabrication. (Pun most vigorously intended) The truth is more trifling. It’s simply after
the eponymous marquis. Prior to the invention Marie-Jean was known as the vicomte de Roy i.e. he was a measly viscount. It was because Louis XIV was so impressed by his invention (to the extent that he had long johns made from the fabric) that Marie-Jean was made a marquis. The newly made marquis was given a new coat of arms to commemorate this ennoblement. Its blazon was thus: Sable, six bars gemelles, azure. For those who do not understand the strange art of heraldry, with its use of Norman French, what this looks like is a series of horizontal lines on a shield. This design was chosen as it was meant to resemble the distinctive wale of the fabric. While few know the true etymology of corduroy or its history even fewer know its method of
Ludek
manufacture. And rather curious it is too. Corduroy starts life as cotton. Said cotton achieves its magical metamorphosis into cord by means of ingenious device akin to a harrow. The device passes across the material many times. With each pass it scours feint parallel lines. After innumerable passes the cloth’s characteristic gullies start to become visible. The device is known to those in the trade as the mangetout mangle, for the small metal rakes that gouge the fabric resemble dangling mangetout in size and form. However, before this part of the process the can happen the cotton must be treated to make it pliable, so that the mangetout mangle doesn’t tear it. It is soaked in a solution of constituents the same as that used to tan
Pixabay
Whales can vary in size, but are never the size of wales or Wales.
leather save for one ingredient`. This ingredient is a Flavoparmelia mendaxia, a rare and special species of lichen. It’s pronounced li-chin not ly-ken, as some philistines would have you believe.
More importantly denim lacks allure. Cord has majesty, glamour. It grows in deepest Patagonia, and was serendipitously discovered by the great 17th century French explorer Clément Fleury. Suffering from acute constipation, Fleury was given a tea by the Patagonian natives made from the lichen. In the same way the lichen makes cotton pliable and supple, so did it make Fleury’s bowels. Despite the remarkable means of manufacture invented by the Marquis de Roy and the testing tribulations endured by Fleury, the most common trouser material worn today is denim. Being a du Roy, naturally, I would never be seen dead in Levi Strauss’ malignant material. It lacks the insulative properties of cord: no
goose- pimpled legs and knocking knees with corduroy! The perfect trouser for the harsh Albion climate. More importantly, however, denim lacks allure. Cord has majesty, glamour. Unlike denim, cord flows; and when it does it has an almost pearlescent glimmer that gives it great éclat and brio; and with its bombastic hues its panache is confirmed. Corduroy has va-va-voom. My trousers are, naturally, all corduroy. (Although I must confess to having a few tracksuit bottoms for when I need to dress down or am in the mood for some serious chillaxation.) And thus, I implore those who have not tried corduroy to give a chance. It is a most forgiving fabric. Nay, I supplicate you to acquire it. No material surpasses corduroy’s ebullient splendour. One can see how the folk etymology came about! Fear not forbearing readers, I shan’t extoll cord anymore. Alas! I leave you with this: even if you don’t possess any corduroy apparel and don’t plan on acquiring any at least you can impress your tutors/chums/lovers with some positively terrific textile trivia! All information provided in this article is completely true and factual.
OXSTUFF
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
This week in broadcasting: Oxford Student Come Dine With Me Tom Gould
Deputy Broadcasting Editor
This week The Oxford Student kicks off its first term of regular broadcasting since 2014 with Oxford Student Come Dine With Me. Lucienne and Kristy, two Medics from Merton, go head-to-head with Queen’s
Biologists Laurence and Matt in an attempt to produce the most edible dish. Hosted by The OxStu’s very own Broadcasting Editor Henry Grub (pictured bottom right) and judged by Features Editor Penny Young, the first episode is out now on The Oxford Student Facebook page.
Keep your eyes peeled this weekend for our exclusive preview of the Ashmolean’s latest exhibition Imagining the Divine: Art and the Rise of World Religions complete with a tour of the exhibits and interviews with the curators. And if the prospect of the student body’s raw culinary talent has you unconvinced,
early critical acclaim for Oxford Student Come Dine With Me has come from one of Oxford’s bestrespected institutions: ‘Oxlove: The two guys cooking in the Oxford Student Come Dine With Me clip are so cute’. Well, if that doesn’t compel you to watch, I don’t know what will.
OVERHEARD IN OXFORD “We’re going to do tops-off shows from now on” “Who needs ket when you can have a nap” “All skinny white guys look the same to me” “It’s the postmodern ultimate - breakfast alone at spoons”
OxQuiz
Which Oxford Library are you? An essay crisis is looming. Do you: a) Consider that time is a relative concept b) Type furiously and glare at whisperers c) Find articles and books to stare blankly at d) Finish the essay before it’s set What is your idea of a perfect study break? a) The kind that last all afternoon b) Study breaks are for the weak c) Sitting in the JCR d) Ones that take place in arty cafés
table with 152 other people c) Surrounded by everyone I’ve ever met d) I’d have too many friends to choose from How much time do you spend in libraries per week? a) At least a few minutes b) I queue for the doors to open at 9am c) A healthy few days d) A substantial amount
Mostly As You’re the Social Sciences Library Café!
Do you prefer to work alone, or with friends? a) I immediately seek a Your intentions are at least friend to chat with vaguely studious, but if you’re b) There’s nothing honest, you spend more time better than sharing a staring broodingly at scenic
St Catz than working. After your third coffee and feeding all of your change to the vending machines, you are forced to concede that life is too short for gobbets. Mostly Bs You’re the Radcliffe Camera! You are a classic ‘type A’ personality, and may have been known to smell books in an attempt to inhale knowledge. You are most likely to be found powering through an essay and quietly sweating.
Mostly Cs You are your college library! Hey, it’s not like you didn’t try. It might smell funny or be inexplicably freezing, but it sure is convenient. Mostly Ds You’re the Weston Library!
“If we don’t get any more good sconces I’m just gonna start shouting people’s names” “Everyone from the Daily Mail can suck their mum’s as well from the CEO to the receptionist” - Stormzy
OxFURd
Get you. You glide unfazed through security that rivals that of GCHQ and feel right at home amongst adultlooking post-grads. You most definitely have your life under control.
Introducing Bertie and Prue, resting after another long day of scampering around fields, being adored. Life’s hard.
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Sharking scrapes: Our agony aunts share their advice Socrates & Ion Ancient Greek agony aunts
I: No. Never. Not in a million years. Contrary to what NWA would have you believe, expressing yourself is not good for the heart in any way. Primarily because it will cause all those unfortunate enough to have expressed an interest in your wellbeing to run for the hills. S: We might be British, Ion, but there’s no need to be so prudish. Sharing is caring, whether it’s food, emotions or STDs. I know you yourself have shared at least two of those things liberally - and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you split your food. What are friends for, if not to bore with the mundane details of your average life? If they’re worth your time, they’ll spare a little of theirs for you to list your woes. My advice is to let it all hang out - we’d probably
200 miles. 24 hours.
have a happier, healthier society if we just talked a little more. I: Yet surely the humour in Shrek’s existential catchphrase ‘better out than in, I always say’ lies more in the fact that not everything is better out than in once out, most bodily functions cannot be hygenically reclaimed. If we are addressing the topic of social acceptability, rather than the more mundane duties of acquaintanceship, then the idea of not suppressing one’s suffering is simply out of the question. S: And yet why should we stick to bounds of social acceptability when, as far as I can see, it doesn’t
give us all that much? Let’s face it: we dread small talk more than we relish it. I’ve never left a polite exchange of “How are you? Yeah, good thanks” with anything more than indifference in my heart and a suppressed yawn in my mouth. Isn’t it a little more entertaining to talk about what’s real, even if it’s a drag? Surely it’s more boring to go through the age-old customs of common courtesy. I: Let’s address this issue not as two binary categories, but a spectrum: while one might share, and benefit from doing so, the question is at what point does this become OVERsharing? As far as I’m concerned,
rather than being refreshingly honest, this comes across as an exploitation of the passing “How are you doing?” Mark my words - they won’t ask you again. S: And if they don’t, you know they’re no pal for you! Any interesting person - hell, any good conversationalist - will find something in your monologue to connect with. Why waste your time chatting aimlessly with people who cover their lack of interest in your life with politeness? Find the people who will take your woes and work with them. Who knows - maybe the compassionate ear will render some of those woes short-lived anyway.
Get LOST on Nov 4 2017 Fundraise for charity by racing back to Oxford from a mystery location. Compete against Cambridge teams and win great prizes. > Sign-ups now open Early bird: £20 / Standard: £25 > Sign up bit.ly/OXFORDRAGLOST
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Hoard-A-Back: NFL stars have become a commodity Continued from page 32 signs of promise or improvement. While some quarterbacks have thrived under this early heavyexposure, many others have more sunk than swam. Carson Wentz wasn’t awful last year, but he was a long way from being good and, more relevantly, many of the basic issues that could have been fixed had to be passed over in prepping for the next game. It should therefore be clear how those quarterbacks who are in need of development, and who aren’t given time to develop, could easily flame-out and how this increase in flame-outs could shrink the talent pool. What might not be so obvious, however, is how the opposite tactic by some teams might be creating the same effect. There are some teams that are fortunate enough not to be in the position of needing a starting quarterback. Of course, there is still the possibility of injury and so quarterbacks will still have some value for them, but how can they justify spending high draft picks on them as they have a habit of doing? This is because quarterbacks are an eminently tradeable commodity. They are the property of the NFL economy. If a team can spend a second or later draft pick on a developmental quarterback then they can provide their team with top-tier depth in the short term whilst also being able to flip that player when they so wish. And, because quarterbacks are in such a sellers’ market, if teams manage to ‘hit’ on a player then they can ask for almost anything in return Take the Patriots Jimmy Garropolo, a former 64th overall draft pick. Coming out of Eastern Illinois, a relatively small college,
he was seen as having huge talent but was expected to take some time to adjust to the NFL. Because the Patriots already had Tom Brady, they were able to draft him relatively high without feeling any pressure to start him and now, a few years later, he is expected to attract anything upwards of two first-round draft picks if they do look to trade him. Or, should they not, they already have a ready-made replacement for Brady. As it turns out, drafting, like almost everything in sports, is massively aided by having a lead. Good teams force other teams into taking risks while being able to be more aggressive themselves. They are able to take chances on players with higher upside but who might take more time to develop. Of course, these players don’t always work out but, by being able to draft one or two higher-risk players later on, they give themselves a chance of striking gold.
this addition of youth could well be somewhat different. The team that really stands out in trying to do this is the Carolina Panthers. Their quarterback, Cam Newton, could easily play for another decade and is under contract for half of that, and yet they added rookie Brad Kaaya. Kaaya needs work (he could do with spending more time in the gym if nothing else) and the odds of him making-it are fairly low as with any quarterback, but this move is pure investment. To take the housing analogy even further: they have in Newton a mansion
unlike any other; in his back-up Derek Anderson they have a nice summer home somewhere but Kaaya is the dilapidated house in a lower-value area of London. Sure, there is a lot of work to do, and even when done the ceiling value might never allow for huge returns, but should the London/quarterback bubble continue to grow they could make a fortune. What might be more relevant to the shrinking of the quarterback pool, and more easily relatable to most students, is that when you need somewhere to live and don’t have the ability to get
on the property market, you can end up paying an absurd amount of rent. So, until the bubble bursts, or those with all the chips start making foolish bets, the rich will continue to get richer and the Patriots will continue to be able to trade their third-string quarterbacks for starting wide receivers. All everybody else can do is hope to win the lottery or build slowly towards success while being grateful that they can afford their rent or that they’re not a Jets fan. Three days after this article was written, the Panthers released Brad Kaaya; not all investments work out.
This is because quarterbacks are an eminently tradeable commodity Therefore, it might not be the case that there are fewer good quarterbacks in the NFL. Instead it might be that those who are there are concentrated into a smaller number of teams who are able to horde talent to offload on their terms and at their price. The Patriots are not alone in trying to do this. The Chargers, Giants and Steelers have all added young quarterbacks to develop this offseason. However, all of these teams currently have aging quarterbacks who will likely need replacing in the near future and so
Keith Allison
London Irish face an uphill battle to survive promotion Continued from page 32
to be a solid foundation for Irish early on. While this has largely been undone due to injury (a not insignificant theme throughout the early going), this consistent base should hopefully take pressure off the more youthful back line. The final, and hardest to predict, piece of the puzzle for Irish is the pair of Marshall and Bell. Tommy Bell has played in the Premiership before, seeing sporadic action as fly-half for Leicester, but is hoping the move to fullback will allow him to make a more permanent claim. An excellent goal kicker, athlete and defender, Bell had
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been limited as a passer at fly-half, something for which there is far less need for in a fullback. While unlikely to be seen as a star at this level, Bell shows strong signs of being able to hold down a starting spot on a good team, especially given his powerful right leg. James Marshall has had an even longer route to the Premiership, having only made the move from rugby sevens at the beginning of last season. A former All-Black sevens player, Marshall offers an ability to create from the fly-half position, something that Irish are in desperate need of. While not noted for his athleticism, Marshall is an energetic defender and if he can continue to be the focal point of the Irish attack then there will likely be a place for him on the starting line-up. There are several other rotation players that Irish are
hoping will make the jump from the Championship, so far with mixed results, and whilst most of these players aren’t going to be starter-quality contributors at the Premiership level, they will offer the team the depth that will be so key to staying afloat in the coming seasons. While the season started strong with a flashy win over Harlequins at Twickenham, a rash of injuries have Irish towards the bottom of the table. If they can return to full health or there about in the coming weeks, then they should have every chance of staying afloat. If they can do this, then the promising swathe of youth talent should give them every chance of staying up as they continue to fill the holes that open as some fail to survive the leap. It won’t be easy, but the Exiles are well placed to beat the odds. Seth Whales
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Rugby World Cup 2019: The contenders two years out Danny Cowan Sport Editor
This autumn marks the halfway point between the southernhemisphere dominated Rugby World Cup 2015 and the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Two years on from 2015, much has changed amongst the top sides. The team identities and strategies are beginning to take shape and, ahead of the Autumn Internationals, it is time for some early evaluations and predictions as we enter the run-in to 2019. New Zealand: Where else could we start but with the number-one ranked world champions. Since winning the World Cup in London, the All Blacks have won 21 test matches, losing just twice to Ireland at Soldier Field and to the Lions in Wellington and with the deciding match against a formidable Lions team ending in a draw. They will likely be disappointed with that record. In this summer’s rugby championship, the All Blacks showed off both their resilience and their breath-taking attacking play. They put up 54 points against Australia in Sydney, and condemned South Africa to a crushing 57—0 defeat in Albany. At the same time, they also had the drive to leave Cape Town with a 1 point victory in a game that the Springboks should probably have won. New Zealand are a team scattered with stars. Huge names such as Sonny Bill Williams are regularly relegated to the bench. Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith continue to defy logic with their play, and the emergence of Reiko Ioane and Damian McKenzie will strike fear into opposition defences. This is a team that has it all. Preparation Grade: A++ Prediction: Rugby World Cup 2019 Winners England: It is one of the great disappointments of this year’s autumn series that Eddie Jones’ team will not be testing themselves against the All Blacks. Now number two in the world, England have come a long way since they were eliminated at the Rugby World Cup 2015 pool stage. It was that failure that prompted Stuart Lancaster to make way for England’s first foreign coach, and England have reaped the rewards. Jones, the mastermind behind Japan’s astounding win against South Africa, has revitalised the England team, who have won 20 tests since the World Cup, and lost just one, a 13-9 loss to Ireland in Dublin on England’s way to the Six
Nations title for the second time in a row. Undoubtedly Europe’s form team, the emergence of players such as Maro Itoje, and the success of the Ford-Farrell midfield axis have showed England to be a formidable outfit. The youth of the team means that England look set to be a force to be reckoned with in 2019.
It will be interesting to see how they fare in the Autumn Internationals. Over 2017, the scintillating form of Malcolm Marx, as well as the play of Elton Jantjies and Eben Etzebeth, particularly in that game against New Zealand, will have given South Africans something to smile about.
Preparation Grade: A++ Prediction: Final/Semis
Preparation Grade: BPrediction: Semis
Australia: After losing only twice in 2015, both against New Zealand and once in the World Cup final, Australia have certainly had a downturn in fortunes. Since that loss in London, they have lost 12 more games, winning 10, and drawing twice to South Africa in this year’s rugby championship.
Ireland: After losing out to Argentina in the quarter finals in 2015, Ireland have had a mixed bag of results. They have won twelve of their games, but have lost seven and drawn one. They seem a team for the big occasions. One of those wins was a 40-29 over New Zealand at Soldier Field last year,
The youth of the team means that England look set to be a force to be reckoned with in 2019. Though last year saw a convincing win over Wales, Australia lost to both England and Ireland, and that was followed up by a loss to Scotland this summer. One bright spark is the resurgence of Israel Folau, the outstanding player of the Rugby Championship. A close fought game against New Zealand, after an embarrassing opener, suggests some Australian improvement, but Michael Cheika will know that this side has work to do before 2019.
which prevented the All Blacks from seizing the record for the most consecutive test victories. Ireland did the same to England with their 13-9 victory in the Six Nations, that also stopped England seizing the record and prevented an English Six Nations Grand Slam. But can they do it on a
Preparation Grade: C Prediction: Quarters South Africa: We round off our assessment of the southern hemisphere powerhouses with South Africa. After coming in 3rd place at the World Cup, losing out 20-18 to New Zealand in a brutal semifinal, South Africa endured a torrid 2016. With the retirements of important players such as Schalk Burger and Fourie du Preez, the team had to undergo a large transformation. 2016 saw them pick up only four wins, and endure eight losses. This included an outgoing series in which they lost all three games – to England, Wales and Italy. However, 2017 has seen something of a South African resurgence. They have won five of their games, with two draws against Australia, and their two losses came only to New Zealand. One of these was a punishing 57-0 defeat, which exposed some of the continued weaknesses of the South African team, but the second was a hard fought 25-24, which would imply a measure of improvement over the Rugby Championship.
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cold, wet Saturday at Murrayfield? Ireland have backed up their victories against the top two with losses to Scotland, Wales, France and a South African team in transition in 2016. They will need to become far more consistent if they want to challenge in Japan. Preparation Grade: BPrediction: Quarters Scotland: What a few years it has been for Scottish rugby. Since their run to the quarter-finals at the World Cup, which really should have seen them continue to the semis after an unfortunate refereeing decision gifted Australia a narrow win, Scotland have won twelve games and lost seven. They gained victories over Australia, Argentina, Ireland, Wales and France, but also lost against most of these teams. Their loss to Fiji this summer is also concerning. Scotland are another team that needs to find some more consistency, but they have proven since 2015 that they cannot be discounted, and on their day, they can be a handful for any of the top teams. Preparation Grade: B Prediction: Quarters Wales: Since their quarter-final exit at
the hands of South Africa, Wales have gone on to win nine and lose nine of their tests over the past two years, with one draw. A strong 2016 Six Nations, in which they only lost to England, was later followed up by wins over South Africa and Argentina. However, the 2017 Six Nations saw Wales lose to not only England, but to France and Scotland as well. The Autumn Internationals will be a useful opportunity for Wales to test themselves against the southern hemisphere sides and gain a better idea of where they stand in the run up to 2019. Preparation Grade: C Prediction: Quarters France: After exiting at the hands of New Zealand in 2015, France have won only seven, and lost eleven of their games. They lost to Wales, Scotland and England in the 2016 Six Nations, and Wales, Ireland and England in 2017, as well as losing all three tests in South Africa this summer. The French team needs work if they want to compete in Japan. Preparation Grade: D Prediction: In a tough group with England and Argentina. Will battle with Argentina for a quarter-final spot.
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The Oxford Student | Friday 20th October 2017
Rugby World Cup Preview
The NFL Quarterback Bubble
London Irish face an uphill battle
NFL stars have become a commodity Vincent Richardson Sport Editor
cisko66
Vincent Richardson Sport Editor
In any sports league, it is hard for newly-promoted teams to survive the jump in quality, but that is especially true for the jump between the Green King Championship and the Aviva Premiership. In the last decade, the majority of newly-promoted teams haven’t made it to the three year mark, with four of the ten going down the same season they went up. This season, Reading’s own London Irish are the team facing this daunting task; so far with mixed results. To say that London Irish were dominant in the second tier of English rugby last season would be something of an understatement. They won twenty-three of their twentyfour games by an average of over twenty points; all while resting large portions of their squad throughout the second half of the season. Then again, this should hardly be surprising. The gulf in quality between the leagues is so large that of the last ten teams to be relegated, seven have come straight back
up again the next season. There is, however, a model for London Irish to follow: Exeter Chiefs. The Chiefs were promoted in 2010 and flittered between fifth and eighth before taking the step to title-contender during the 2015-16 season in which they finished second. They followed this up with a stunning win over the Wasps to take the 2016-17 title. While London Irish sit a long way removed from these heights, the recipe could, and should, be much the same. The basis of the Chiefs’ rise to power, and a major factor in London Irish’s success last season, came from home-grown youth players. The Saracens and Wasps of this world have the funds to attempt to collect the best talent they can find, but for smaller clubs the emphasis has to be on developing their own talent in-house. On this front, London Irish look to be well-placed going forwards. London Irish currently have four players in the England U20 squad, with Joe Cokanasiga also being named to the England squad that toured Argentina this summer at the age of 19. Add to that three England U18 players in their academy and a
pair of recent U20 graduates, and Irish certainly have the basis for an excellent young squad. It should come as no surprise that in the same season they were relegated, London Irish also won the Premiership youth league; they won 35-11 in the final to cap an undefeated season. Where this youth approach really pays dividends is when it produces a star to build around, and it looks like Irish have found this in Joe Cokanasiga. The nineteen year old winger stands an imposing 6’4” and eighteen stone with a combination of speed and power that has rarely been seen in rugby. Add to that a deft passing touch and Irish find themselves with one of the best young stars in world rugby. An injury picked up training with England has kept him out so far this season, but saw first team action in Europe last Sunday against Edinburgh. Given that he is under contract for the next four seasons and is only likely to get better with age, Cokanasiga should be the core building block for Irish going forwards. This basis in youth gives Irish promise down the road, but will need more in order to compete in the short term. To
do this, Irish are relying on a mixture of veteran players, established players and the castoffs of other Premiership teams. While many of these players will not be long-term answers to London Irish’s problems, they offer them a chance to compete in the short term while they continue to rebuild. Irish were fortunate to retain many of their key players after being relegated, and the established players who formed the basis for their promotion campaign are now being asked to do the same in the Premiership. Alex Lewington is probably the biggest name of the returning players, though Fergus Mulchrone’s injury has shown just how valuable he is to the team. Without him, Irish have struggled to maintain organisation defensively and their chances of staying up will likely be strongly correlated to the speed of Mulchrone’s return. Where Irish are particularly dependant on more experienced players is in the pack. With a majority of the players over the age of thirty and all with multiple years of Premiership experience, they are expected
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On any given Sunday, there are fewer players who can adequately play quarterback than there are NFL teams. This idea isn’t new, after all it should be fairly evident to anybody who watched the Rams, Jets or Jaguars last season. However, in recent years it seems that this issue has worsened, with several teams being all-but excluded from play-off contention due to their lack of quarterback options. So what is causing this change? Is this current generation of quarterbacks simply less talented? Have the NFL expansions gone too far or is there something else at play? It is obviously impossible to completely exclude the first two options, though the expansion of the NFL into international markets should go a long way towards countering the second point at the very least. But what is certainly true is that there has been a noticeable shift in attitude towards quarterbacks, namely the emphasis on and usage of developmental quarterbacks. Historically, rookie quarterbacks would be expected to sit early on in their careers in order to develop ‘properly’ but, with the change in the rookie wage structure and the shortening of the coaching cycle, this has less common. This generation of superstars, the Newtons, Lucks and Wilsons, were all starters from the beginning of their respective careers. While it is hard to separate correlation and causation, that was certainly not true of Brady, Rodgers and Brees. The logic behind sitting a young quarterback is fairly simple: they are able to learn and develop their craft without the distraction of having to prepare for, and play in, games. But, as many coaches feel they are no longer able to be patient, they have felt the need to throw any quarterback showing talent straight into the fire. After all, it’s harder to fire a coach if the team is showing
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