The Oxford Student - Week 7 Trinity 2024

O XFORD S TUDENT

The University of Oxford’s Student Newspaper, est. 1991

Union declares itself institutionally racist after Mowafy removal

Gaspard Rouffin and Martin Alfonsin Larsen

The Oxford Union Consultative Committee, Secretary’s Committee, and Standing Committee, voted on Monday to pass a motion that stated it was still “institutionally racist”, which passed during the meeting.

The motion was passed with no objections in Consultative Committee, which represents Union members. However, Standing Committee, which represents the Union’s governing body, and Secretary’s Committee, also passed the motion.

At a meeting of Consultative Committee, the appointed graduate officer Sarah Rana announced her resignation over the outcome of Osman-Mowafy’s tribunal and the “Islamophobic rhetoric” present at the Union.

She was applauded by almost every Union member present.

At that meeting, Returning Officer Adam Turner was ridiculed for informed Rana after that “any resignation will need to be in

“ We’re going to remove Ebrahim, he’s not going to appoint a hijabi girl as his Chief of Staff

writing”. Louis Wilson, the Union President, also commended Rana’s public resignation. This was met with applause from all members present at the meeting.

In an email sent to Wilson and the former Returning Officer,

Keelan Daye, which The Oxford Student has gained access to, Rana stated that she was resigning “with a heavy heart”, but that she could not “ in good conscience symbolically be part of this committee that fails to protect its Arab and Muslims members”.

Rana specifically referred to an event where a senior Union member allegedly stated “we’re going [to] remove Ebrahim, he’s not gonna appoint a hijabi girl as his Chief of Staff”.

She added that the disqualification of Ebrahim Oswan-Mowafy, the first Arab Union President-elect, was “unsubstantiated”, and “strongly condemned” the “disturbing Islamophobic rhetoric” at the Union. She said that she felt “unsafe, disillusioned, used and extremely disturbed”...

Continued on page 3

“Illiberal”, “draconian”: University statute amendments criticised

pression on issues concerning the University”.

Changes to University statutes on discipline have been criticised for being “illiberal, vague, and impractical” and threatening the right to freedom of speech and protest.

In a brief viewed by The Oxford Student, it is alleged that proposed amendments to Statute XI, a code of discipline for all Oxford students, could “[restrict] staff and students’ right to freedom of speech and ex-

On 13th May, the University Council voted to recommend Statute XI amendments to the statute to University Congregation.

The University Gazette states that they are designed to “widen the Proctors’ jurisdiction to investigate more cases of serious misconduct”, and help the University address sexual misconduct and harassment by moving “as much detail as...

Continued on page 4

Oxford lawns: Tradition and sustainability

Formal lawns. One of those quirky Oxford ‘traditions’ we never question. Almost every college has at least one of these perfectly manicured and luscious green patches. However, this was not always the case. The formal lawns we see in Oxford quadrangles today date from the early seventeenth century, long after the thirteenth-century founding of Oxford’s

oldest colleges. During that period, the Jacobean landed gentry constantly sought original ways to display their superiority. Manicured lawns, epitomising wasted space with no practical use, provided the perfect symbol of wealth and status. The triumph of grassy order over weedy chaos found in a formal lawn’s symmetrical and uniform look also displayed their control over nature.

Continued on page 27

Christ Church lawn. Credit: Ananya Navale

The Oxford Union. Credit: Gaspard Rouffin

Sabine Zednik-Hammonds

Martin Alfonsin Larsen

Newsletter

the OxStu history alive, and for always being a friend to talk to. Sami and Keng Yu, all your ideas, and contributions that you put in consolidating the paper.

APodcast

Scan this code to listen to our fortnightly podcast on Spotify!

Scan this code to receive weekly top stories and more! 20

s my residency at Worcester Street comes to an end, and I can finally say goodbye to the wonders of InDesign, I would like to use this editorial to thank all the people that have made this term what it is.

Daisy and Tara - thank you for all your guidance, your late hours, and your support. Daisy, I wouldn’t be writing this editorial if it weren’t for your encouragement; Tara, thanks for always being there for me.

Thank you to Valida for all your effort with the paper this term, you’ve been absolutely fantastic. Sorry I slightly coerced you into being Head of News. Trinity hasn’t been easy, and Oxford will be very sad without you.

Charlie, thank you for keeping

The past year I’ve spent at The Oxford Student has been a wonderfully eventful one. I’ve really enjoyed being able to help facilitate a space for people to talk about the things they’re pas-

Editorial Team

Editorial Board

Gaspard Rouffin and Martin Alfonsin Larsen (Editors-inChief)

Sami Jalil and Keng Yu Lai (Associate Editors)

Daisy Outram and Tara Earley (Directors of Strategy)

Strategy

Charlie Bowden (Welfare)

Sharon Chau, Amelia Gibbins, Elsie Haldane, Matt Holland

News

Valida Pau

Anandita Abraham, Tim Carroll, Audrey Davidson-Houston, Olly

Thanks to all the deputy editors, Johannes, Sabine, Tallulah, Haochen, Olly, and Elsie for your fantastic work, the quality of the articles has been nothing short of exceptional, and sorry you had to deal with InDesign and Canva. Martin, thanks for tolerating me - I’m so glad that we got to do this together, it has been such a pleasure working with you, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with anyone else.

Georgie and Amelia, the OxStu is in good hands with you, and I can’t wait to see where you take the paper next term.

Thank you to the St Anne’s gang, Krishh, Isobel, Alex, Pauline, and the others for reading the OxStu every other Friday and listening to all the journalism drama. And of course thanks to Cait, I wouldn’t have been able to get through this without you.

Gaspard Rouffin St Anne’s College

sionate about, and as always, it is a true honour to read, edit and polish the work of such fantastic writers each week.

This will be my last editorial (of the term at least), so it’s probably going to sound a little emotional! There are so many people to thank on many different levels for the hard work and dedication on the paper this term. Even in a term as busy as Trinity, we’ve all managed to keep pushing on to allow the paper to thrive.

The future of The Oxford Student is incredibly bright, and

DeHerrera, Ruby Hurst, Gabriella Kchozyan, Linda Liu, Rebecca Whalley

Investigations

Daisy Outram and Ruby Hurst (Senior and Junior Heads)

Anandita Abraham, Yunzhang Liang

Comment

Johannes Riese

Lindsay Berat, Amelia Bryan, Yusuf Kungdol, Yunzhang Liang

Zaid Magdub (columnist)

Profile

Tallulah Hawley

Audrey Davidson-Houston, Purav Menon, Lucy Pollock

I’m sitting in the SU at 16:30 considering why I applied to be editor-in-chief for this paper. I’ve just been told by Gaspard that his editorial begins in the same way, which probably says a lot about our mental state this week.

This being said, I’m immensely grateful that Daisy and Tara chose me to be editor-in-chief this term alongside Gaspard. However exhilarating it has been - and believe me, having three major news stories go live this week has been exhilarating - it has been the honour of my time at this University to help steer the direction of The Oxford Student. I have them to thank for that, and for guiding us so aptly this term.

I can’t wait to see what direction it takes next term and beyond. I’m taking a bit of a step back generally for several reasons, but I hope to stick around in some capacity and focus more on writing some pieces rather than laying them in! Thank you to Gaspard, Martin and Keng Yu for being such a wonderful team to work with, and thank you to the future Editors-in-Chief and Associates who I have full faith in handing over to.

I send an obligatory good luck and congratulations to

Features

Amelia Gibbins

Caitlin Clarke, Linda Liu, Ananya Navale, Lucy Pollock, Angela Yu

Enrique Normand Velarde, Eva Price (columnists)

Culture

Georgie Allan

Sophie Harrison, Isra Khan, Yunzhang Liang, Nikhil Singh, Rebecca Whalley, Angela Yu

Elliot Francolla, Johannah Mathew

Identity

Elsie Haldane

Caitlin Clarke, Georgia Ferris,

Sameeha Qureshi

Georgie Allan, Sharon Chau (columnists)

I couldn’t have done this term alone. I will never be able to say thank you enough to Gaspard. He has tolerated me to no end, and our term wouldn’t have been half as good as I like to think it has been if it wasn’t for his sharp and critical questions on the most important stories we run and strategies we implement.

To Valida – I’m sorry my WordPress skills didn’t live up to your formidable standards. I know you’re going to have an exceptional year editing your paper in the US, and OxStu will be all the weaker for your not being here. I promise you at least two more Starbucks if I see you in September.

Thank you also to Sami, Keng Yu, Charlie, Johannes, Tallulah, Sabine, Rhea, Cameron, Anandita, and so many others for their efforts this term. Good luck Amelia and Georgie - you are going to smash it. And thanks to AVH for being you.

Martin Alfonsin Larsen St Catherine’s College

those of you facing exams, alongside that rush of emotions as you switch from stress and nerves to complete relief and freedom. Treasure the moments you had here, and move forward knowing that you have done your best (because I can assure you that you have). Take care, dear Reader, and do stay tuned for the exciting things that the future holds. Best wishes!

Sami Jalil St Catherine’s College

Science

Sabine Zednik-Hammonds

Amelia Bryan, Ava Chan, Krishh Chaturvedi, Gabriella Kchozyan, Sameeha Qureshi

OxYou

Olly DeHerrera

Ella Goodwin, Florence Purcell

Sport

Haochen Wang

Purav Menon, Johannes Riese

Creative

Rhea Brar, Elliot Francolla, Caroline Kuba, Olivia White, Cameron Samuel Keys, Ananya Navale, Elyse Airey, Yashas Ramakrishnan

Osman-Mowafy disqualified from presidency

Continued from page 1

Rana called for “officers and members of the Union [to] publicly condemn these matters”, as well as the tribunal to “re-open an investigation”, and said the “Oxford Union is no longer a democratic place of free speech ideals”.

This comes after Ebrahim Osman-Mowafy, the Oxford Union’s President-Elect, has been disqualified from the Union Presidency, following a disciplinary procedure that has been criticised by much of the Oxford Union’s governing body and several ex-Presidents of colour.

“ Nothing but racism, islamophobia, and persistent bias.

— A source close to Mowafy

A source close to Osman-Mowafy accused the Union of “nothing but racism, islamophobia, and persistent bias” in proceedings brought against him, adding that there has been “[every] effort made to remove [him]”, alleging that Union opponents had been involved in “[fabricating] claims” to remove him.

The Oxford Student understands that he has also been suspended as a member following two tribunals. This includes the convening of a second election tribunal chaired by Lady Sara Hannan, wife of Lord Hannan, a Conservative peer in the House of Lords.

In the HT24 election, Mowafy won by a narrow margin. Despite receiving 389 first-preference votes, fewer than that of his opponent Chris Collins’s 395, he won due to the presence of a ranked-choice system.

Following the election, seven accounts of alleged electoral malpractice were considered in an election tribunal. That March tribunal found that Collins and Mowafy were guilty of making “vexatious claims”, and both were fined £100. However, the election result was upheld.

Last week, more than ten current or former members of the Union committee have come forward to “express [their] concern about the state of the Union’s disciplinary procedures”. Signees include Michael-Akolade Ayodeji, Adam Roble, Disha Hegde, and Ahmad Nawaz, all of whom are former Union presidents of colour, and a majority of the Union’s governing body.

They said that “in recent terms, the Oxford Union has been more litigious than at

SU launches gender expression fund

Daisy Outram

The Student’s Union (SU) has launched a gender expression fund for trans and gender-diverse students to purchase gender-affirming products.

This follows a motion brought by then LGBTQ+ Campaign Co-Chairs. The motion was passed at the week 7 Student Council in Michaelmas 2023 mandating its creation.

tive trans and questioning students that the Student Union is a safe, supportive and welcoming environment to explore one’s gender identity and expression”.

Students are permitted to apply for £50 at a time, with a total of £400 designated for this fund by the SU for 2023/24.

any other point in its history”, alleging that “the disciplinary procedures and processes have become opaque and compromised.”

Numerous officers and appointed officials, including

“ Oxford Union is no longer a democratic place of free speech ideals

— A source close to Mowafy

Rachel Haddad Moskalenko, the current Union secretary, and Sultan Khokhar, the Chair of Consultative Committee, also signed onto that letter.

A second letter was also signed by ex-Presidents Ayodeji, Roble, Nawaz, and Mowafy, criticising the tribunal that has ruled against Mr Mowafy, as well as the fact that “the last democratically chosen President was elected a year ago, indicating a disturbing trend in the governance of our esteemed institution”.

In that letter, the group assert that “procedure and due process” and “respect for justice and fairness” were not followed, calling the tribunal a “sham trial” intended to remove Mowafy from his position “at any cost”.

The fund aims to “improve [students’] wellbeing” by providing funds to buy gender-affirming products including “binders, packers, breast forms, clothing and makeup”.

On its website, the SU wrote that it recognises the difficulties of “widespread transphobia and cisgenderism” and how gender expression “can be financially challenging, especially in light of the present cost of living”.

This form of financial assistance seeks to mitigate expenses that can be a significant barrier to easing gender dysphoria, and is available at universities across the UK such as Manchester, UCL, and Cambridge.

Around 25 common rooms that already offered gender expression funds. For example, Balliol College categorises theirs as a welfare and hardship award to “help [students] feel comfortable with their gender presentation”.

The motion concluded that creating the fund “would show to current and prospec-

“ It addresses and reduces the disparity for gender-minority students.

Evaluation requires applicants to be “trans, non-binary, intersex or gender-diverse” and a registered Oxford student. Funding for excessive costs, medical treatment, and private therapy is also excluded.

Vice-President for Welfare Rosalie Chapman told The Oxford Student: “I am grateful to have contributed to the Gender Expression Fund, which supports our trans and gender-diverse students by providing financial assistance for essential gender-affirming products.”

Chapman expressed how everyone should “feel comfortable and valued”, and hoped “this initiative helps achieve that”. She explained that the centralised model would help “address and reduce the disparity for gender-minority students” as not all colleges provide funding.

Section Editors: Anandita Abraham, Audrey Davidson-Houston, Olly DeHerrera, Ruby Hurst, Gabriella Kchozyan, Linda Liu, Rebecca Whalley

The Oxford Union building. Credit: Gaspard Rouffin

OxStu News Team

The Student Union building. Credit: Cameron Samuel Keys

News Recap

Trinity College appoints Sir Robert Chote as next President

– Charlie Bowden

Sir Robert Chote has been appointed as Trinity College’s next President. He will succeed the incumbent, Dame Hilary Boulding, on 1 September 2025.

Chote, an economist and journalist, chaired the Office for Budget Responsibility between 2010 and 2020 and currently chairs the UK Statistics Authority and the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council.

Pearson VUE to deliver new admissions tests

– Charlie Bowden

The University has announced that Pearson VUE has been appointed to manage the delivery of its undergraduate admissions tests.

Pearson VUE will take over the delivery of tests for all subjects during the 2024 admissions cycle. This includes new tests for Classical Archaeology and Ancient History and Biomedical Sciences.

This year’s tests will take place between 21-31 October. They will be taken online and delivered at Pearson VUE test centres.

Franz Kafka exhibition opens at Weston Library

–Gabriella Kchozyan

The new “Kafka: Making of an Icon” exhibition on novelist Franz Kafka opened on May 30th in the ST Lee Gallery at the Weston Library. The exhibition will run through October 27th of this year.

“Kafka: Making of an Icon” is included in the Oxford Kafka 2024 programme, a University-wide initiative to commemorate the centenary of Kafka’s death.

Students and faculty allege changes limit protest rights

Continued from page 1

possible into a single procedure”.

The changes to Statute XI have been praised in a resolution for those efforts to “explicitly [include] sexual misconduct in the disciplinary code.” However, that same resolution criticises other amendments for potentially threatening several key aspects of protests and demonstrations, and “endangering rights of free expression, assembly, and academic freedom.”

They will be voted on at Congregation, the University’s supreme governing body consisting of more than 5,000 members, on 11th June. If passed by Congregation, the changes will go into effect on 1st October.

Congregation rarely convenes, as the matters before it rarely face opposition, and it normally meets at the Sheldonian Theatre. All members of faculties, the University’s principal officers including the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor, college and PPH heads, governing body members, staff working in University departments or institutions and several others can be Congregation members.

If the amendments to Statute XI were blocked by Congregation, this would represent a significant event in University governance. The last time the University was defeated was in 2020, when a majority of academics voted in favour of scrapping the graduate application fee.

Speaking as a student in front of Congregation is normally difficult, as it requires a significant, yet undisclosed, amount of support from fellow students to speak.

In this instance, academics have submitted a resolution opposing the amendments to Statute XI that will be considered alongside them at Congregation.

A notice argued that there “has been insufficient consultation” around what represents “far-reaching amendments to key rights” and states that there

are “inadequate protections for academic freedoms and right to protest, rights that are enshrined in the UK’s Human Rights Act and relevant Education Acts”.

The resolution submitted to Congregation against the Statute XI changes states that they are at “risk of endangering rights of free expression, assembly, and academic freedom”. It also calls for a “broader consultative process” and steering group to consider amendments.

The brief criticising the amendments takes issue with several amendments proposed as part of changes to Statute XI. One amendment allows any person with responsibility for any land or building of the University who, on “reasonable grounds” believes that a person is “likely” to “cause damage to property, or inconvenience or harm to other users”, may as a “precautionary measure ban a student member” from the property for “up to twenty-one days”.

The briefing asserts that this amounts to a change where making a complaint was the previous course of action, and under the new rules, it would be possible to “impose a ban of up to 21 days”. It also alleges that this “[lacks] democratic and academic freedoms protections”.

“ Academics have submitted a resolution opposing the amendments

Another amendment widens non-disciplinary procedures to anything that would “cause the University to suffer a material or non-material financial loss” or “significantly damage the University’s reputation among reasonable people.”

The briefing asserts that the amount of violations to the disciplinary code would subsequently be “enormous and vague” and would result in a lack of protection for freedom

of expression and academic freedom.

An anonymous student affiliated with the pro-Palestinian encampments told The Oxford Student that the proposed amendments were “worded as vaguely as possible so that the University may enforce punishment on whatever action, and whoever protests they wish.”

“ Removing [the amendments] would restrict the University’s ability to act in support of victims of alleged sexual offences

— A University spokesperson

Another amendment could result in a student being suspended for a non-academic disciplinary infringement, such as a protest, not being able to sit exams or submit coursework.

The amendment widens a previous description of “[defacing, damaging or destroying]” university property with a more wide-ranging description of attempting to “deface, damage, destroy, or harm any property of the University… including without lawful authority by displaying or attaching any writing or advertising material”.

The briefing states that the word “harm” being used lowers the threshold for “what constitutes a violation”, and

also potentially “[establishes] well-known outreach practices like drawing with chalk or affixing posters using strong adhesives [...] as disciplinary infringements”.

The student further told The Oxford Student: “Putting up posters or encouraging others to protest should not be controlled, or prohibited by a university that claims to love free speech, and the fact they’re more concerned about taking action on this rather than divesting is shameful.”

“It’s ironic that the University so frequently weaponises ‘freedom of speech’ to protect themselves, yet seems to be entirely opposed to any speech which criticises it as an institution.”

A University spokesperson stated: “The changes to Statute XI follow years of consultation under a working group involving all stakeholders across the collegiate University....That is the prime purpose behind the changes, and removing them would restrict the University’s ability to act in support of victims of alleged sexual offences.”

“The proposed changes predate the forming of the OA4P encampments. While there is some re-ordering of existing clauses of Statute XI, the amendments do not create any fresh powers for the University relating to protest. As with all University statutes, it fully recognises all legal rights of free speech, expression and protest, and the University’s own policy on free speech.”

Please see our website, oxfordstudent.com, for the full version of this story.

Clarendon Building. Credit: Cameron Samuel Keys

St Antony’s GCR calls to suspend Minouche Shafik of alumni privilege

St Antony’s College’s Graduate Common Room (GCR) passed a motion to suspend alumni privileges of Minouche Shafik, the President of Columbia University.

Shafik earned a Doctor of Philosophy in economics from St Antony’s College, Oxford University, in 1989. She also currently serves as the Honorary Fellow of the College.

Shafik is currently serving as the 20th president of Columbia University since July 2023 and previously served as president and vice-chancellor of the London School of Economics from 2017 to 2023.

St Antony’s College offers privileges to alumni, such as a free high-table dinner once a year.

The GCR also formally requests the College to bar Shafik from visiting the col-

lege site, speaking at college events, attending alumni events, and publicising this suspension.

“ Minouche Shafik’s handling of the student protests is contrary to the values of free speech, human rights, and ethical leadership. that our university upholds..

The GCR stated that Shafik’s reaction “has been widely criticised as appalling and lacking in support for free expression and the rights of protests.”

It also notes that Shafik’s actions and reactions as a prominent alumna reflect the College’s reputation and values, yet her handling of the student protests is “contrary to the values of free speech, human rights and ethical responsibility of our University.”

“The College community has a responsibility to take a stand against actions by alumni that undermine these fundamental values,” according to the statement.

This motion comes as Shafik was under fire for her handling of student protests at Columbia University following her testimony before US Congress in May as part of a series of hearings about antisemitism on college campuses.

Her remarks drew criticism and sparked protests and an encampment in support of Palestine. On April 18th, Shafik authorised the NYPD to clear out the encampment

and more than 100 students were arrested.

On May 17th, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University passed a vote of no confidence in President Minouche Shafik.

“President Shafik’s violation of the fundamental requirements of academic freedom and shared governance, and

her unprecedented assault on students’ rights, warrants unequivocal and emphatic condemnation,” the resolution states.

St Antony’s College told The Oxford Student that “we are not in a position to comment, at present, on the GCR motion, which we will discuss in our Governing Body.”

A meaningless, yet successful motion

Johannes Riese is the Deputy Comment Editor at The Oxford Student.

When I received my undergraduate diploma from Minouche Shafik from the London School of Economics (LSE) two years ago, she had not left much of an impression on me during her years leading the university. Besides moderating key events, featuring in promotional videos and her high salary being a frequent point of discussion, I cannot for better or worse tell you about her impact on the institution.

My impression of Shafik, who is the current president of Columbia University, drastically changed following her repeated decision to call in the NYPD to remove and arrest students protesting against Israel’s actions in Gaza. She no longer seemed like a powerless figurehead who was just a cog in the university’s ad-

ministrative machinery. From her position, the forceful response may have made sense, considering that two of her fellow Ivy League presidents had been pressured to resign over a failure to address issues concerning anti-Semitism on their campuses. However, calling in the police arguably proved counterproductive by further inflaming the situation and hardening the protesters’ resolution. New encampments have been set up and the university decided to cancel its main commencement ceremony out of security concerns. More importantly, seeing the police forcefully removing peaceful protesters with some suffering physical harm is, to put it mildly, deeply disturbing. It raises fundamental questions about Columbia’s commitment to free speech.

With this in mind, it may seem understandable why St Anthony’s GCR recently passed a motion calling on the college to suspend Shafik’s rights as an alumna. The GCR is – like everyone should be – horrified by what is happening in Gaza and wants to take whatever small symbolic actions it can to try and make a difference, such as by showing solidarity with Columbia’s students.

Nobody is (hopefully) naïve enough to think St Anthony’s will act. It would be a headache for the college leadership and set up an annoying precedent that would haunt them every time an alumnus did something questionable. In the unlikely scenario that the College agrees to suspend the privileges, it remains doubtful to have any bearing on Shafik’s future actions.

Although some symbolic actions are meaningful, some are equally meaningless and even counterproductive. This case seems to be the latter. The GCR is weakening its negotiating position with the college to demand real action such as putting more pressure on the University to divest from Israeli firms or aiding Palestinian researchers and students. It also seems almost too petty and spiteful. Who actually cares about whether or not Shafik maintains her privileges – it could not matter any less!

But maybe that is exactly why the motion is unintentionally successful. A useful PR trick to generate a few headlines, spark conversation and bring just a little more attention to what is happening in Columbia and Gaza.

Valida Pau

University offices at Wellington Square. Credit: Cameron S.K

Protest at Wellington Square

Oxford Action For Palestine (OA4P) rallied today outside University offices at Wellington Square and set up 5 tents. The temporary encampment labeled “Camp 3” was dispersed around 2:10 pm. This comes as protesters afattempted to occupy a part of the University offices last Thursday. 17 protesters were arrested, 12 students were reported to be Oxford students, and released on conditional bail.

During the protest, an OA4P representative said: “Oxford University bears the stain of complicity in these brutal murders and genocide does not operate on the University’s timeline of delay, and neither can we.”

OA4P representatives also said the Vice Chancellor “unleashed a disproportionate police response which led to the arrest of 16 protesters” rather than engaging with them.

Credit: Cameron S.K

Student societies express support for OA4P demands, refute University response

Anumber of student societies have released statements in solidarity with the demands of Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) encampment, condemning the University’s response to OA4P. These include Jewish Students for Justice, Oxford Palestine Society, Oxford African Caribbean Society, Oxford Philippines Society, Rhodes Scholars for Palestine and The October Club.

Oxford Palestine Society (PalSoc) stated that the University has never formally contacted the Palestine Society to discuss University policy towards Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. This is in response to the University as it emphasised in its emailed statement that they held “numerous meetings with representatives” of the society, and “met regularly with representatives of the Oxford Palestine Society, the Islamic Society, and the Jewish Society, all

registered student societies, as well as other concerned members of our community.”

“ The University has repeatedly chosen to overlook its Palestinian students and neglected its duty of care...The moment to act is now - Gaza cannot wait.

— Oxford Palestine Society

The Society added that the “only meeting” with the Vice-Chancellor took place in October and “occurred before the Society was registered…”.

The Society alleges that students met with senior leadership “in their personal capac-

ity” alongside other students and faculty, and there was “no formal contact from the [VC’s] office.”

It further accused the University of “misconstru[ing] the nature of these meetings to condemn the Oxford Action for Palestine coalition.”

Oxford PalSoc told The Oxford Student, “As Israel’s genocide in Gaza rages on, the University has repeatedly chosen to overlook its Palestinian students and neglected its duty of care — not only in its failure to ever reach out to the Palestine Society but also in its refusal to recognise and rectify its complicity in Israeli genocide, occupation and apartheid…it is high time that Oxford aligns itself with the student body and stand on the right side of history. The moment to act is now –Gaza cannot wait.”

In response to the University’s claim that they declined to enter negotiations with OA4P due to the “prejudicial nature of those preconditions” and the

lack of transparency of their membership, OA4P stated that they communicated with the University that they are “a collective of University students and staff” and they emailed the University a list of named negotiators on May 22nd to “address their concerns and as a gesture of good faith.”

“ The Vice Chancellor’s regrettable leadership places the encampment at increased risk

— Rhodes Scholars for Palestine

OA4P adds that “the University has never made a formal attempt to dialogue with those involved in the encampment…” However, the University stated that they have “continuously been in dialogue with concerned students and faculty, includ -

ing people who are involved in the encampment.” In a later response, OA4P says: “we never once requested preconditions of a “prejudicial” nature, nor did we ask for “progress on [our] six demands” prior to negotiations.”

The Rhodes Scholars for Palestine stated that: “the Vice Chancellor’s regrettable leadership places the encampment at increased risk of violence, with the encampment having faced multiple incidents of vitriolic harassment in the past four weeks.”

The Student Union characterised reports of police behaviour as “deeply troubling” and called on the University to “engage directly with student protesters.be a safe space for Jewish members of Oxford’s community.”

The University and the Oxford Islamic Society did not immediately respond to The Oxford Student’s requests for comment.

OxStu News Team

Over 240 students at St Anne’s and Hertford College have publicly expressed their disappointment with their Principals’ signing of the University’s statement responding to the encampment and pro-Palestine protests.

Helen King of St Anne’s College, Tom Fletcher of Hertford College, and Dame Helen Ghosh of Balliol College, were 3 of 13 senior members of staff to sign the letter. They were the only College Heads and representatives of the Conference of Colleges to sign.

Balliol College JCR passed a motion on Sunday, condemning the University for responding to the protests with violence and intimidation. They expressed their “deep disappointment” with Helen Ghosh, Master of Balliol College and condemned her sign-

ing the University’s statement as an “attempt to ignore the college’s spirit.”

In an open letter, Hertford students described themselves as “ashamed” to see Tom Fletcher as a “named signatory”. Their letter notes a “lack of communication from Hertford to students and staff impacted by the events”.

Over 109 St Anne’s students and 133 Hertford students signed the open letters directed at their College Heads as of Monday at 4 pm.

In an email sent from Helen King to St Anne’s College members on Sunday morning, she described the encampment and the JCR adopting of OA4P’s language in motions of solidarity as “generating concern, fear and distress amongst a considerable proportion of Jewish members of St Anne’s.”

Thames Valley Police released a statement last Thurs-

day which has been updated since, maintaining that the event was “a small peaceful protest in the city.”

The University’s statement sent to all students and staff on Thursday night was in response to the protests outside both the University administrative offices in Wellington Square and the H B Allen Centre where the Conference of Colleges was held.

Police were called to the site after protestors entered and occupied the building. The

Jewish students and faculty today challenged the University’s accusation that pro-Palestinian encampments at the Radcliffe Camera and the Pitt Rivers Museum were antisemitic, arguing that such allegations undermine the student right to protest.

The open letter to the Vice Chancellor was signed by Jewish faculty, staff, and emeritus staff at the University. Signees

include Avi Shlaim, an Israeli and British Emeritus Fellow at St Antony’s College, known for his critical interpretations of the history of Israel and Zionism.

The faculty expressed their support for Oxford students, especially Jewish ones, who supported the international student movement protesting the Gaza conflict.

They objected to the University’s “reductive and misleading claims” to speak on their

behalf. They stated that “the characterisation of Jews as a uniform mass with a single viewpoint is itself a common and insidious antisemitic trope.”

Jewish Students for Justice (JSJ) also released a statement rejecting the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition.

The statement argued that conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism is “damaging to Jewish students and undermines legitimate discourse surrounding Israel and its government”. They also argued that this tactic has been used to silence criticism on university campuses across the US and the UK.

The University has reiterated its use of the IHRA definition of antisemitism “as a guide to interpreting and understanding antisemitism”, although with additional clarifications.

Regent’s Park Principal addresses antisemitism incident on site

– Rebecca Whalley

statement sent to all students and staff described the protests as “violent action”, and accused them of creating an “intimidating environment”, particularly for the Jewish community at Oxford.

Two weeks ago, St Anne’s College JCR and MCR passed motions in support of Palestine and OA4P’s “liberated zone” with an 85% majority. On May 16th, Hertford College JCR passed motions of solidarity and released a statement of solidarity.

Heads of College face backlash from students over University’s letter Jewish students, faculty dispute University antisemitism accusations

In their open letter, the faculty has also disputed accusations of antisemitism that the University has levelled at pro-Palestinian protesters, stating: “This is not our experience [of the encampments].”

JSJ has also argued that the University failed to address the assault on anti-Zionist students and Jewish students within the encampment, where “abusive individuals directly targeted Jewish students and tore off the JSJ banner.” They argued that: “This is antisemitism and a threat to Jewish students.”

They concluded their letter, urging the University to listen and learn from the students and “follow the lead of colleagues” at the University of Cambridge, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of York.

The university statement can be found on the website.

Sir Malcolm Evans, Principal of Regent’s Park College, has released a statement concerning an incident of antisemitism at the college which has seen antisemitic graffiti in the form of a number of swastikas within the College.

The Union of Jewish Students, with Oxford Jewish Society (JSoc), have also released a statement on the incident.

“Since October 7th, we have seen an overwhelming surge in antisemitism on campus, and this has only increased in recent weeks. Shamefully, our experiences have been denied and invalidated by JCR and MCR motions accusing us of ‘weaponising antisemitism’,” it stated.

Somerville College responds to police launching drones on college grounds

– Ruby Hurst

Somerville College has released an official statement in response to police presence on site earlier today, reiterating their support for students’ right to protest.

Thames Valley Police were seen launching a drone from Somerville College’s quad at approximately 12:30 pm today. The incident occurred after students staged a sit-in at the University offices this morning and attempted to occupy the first-floor offices.

In their statement, Somerville explained: “We want to take this opportunity to reiterate that we support and respect the right of all our students to protest peacefully”.

OA4P Encampment at Pitt Rivers Museum. Credit: Cameron S.K

OxStu News Team

University offices at Wellington Square. Credit: Cameron S.K OxStu News Team

Help shape the development of the University’s Student Welfare and Suppor t Services students. Oxford t suppor best to The Student Forum is a safe space to share your views so the University can listen and respond to help inform our services.

All students are welcome, whether you have . not or services our contacted Wednesday 15 May 4:30–6pm 3 Worcester Street

For fur ther information and to register your interest contact: director.swss@admin.ox.ac.uk ox.ac.uk/students/welfare

It appears reasonable to suggest that the Oxford Union faces a deep-rooted and institutional democratic crisis. Indeed, if the decision of the recent tribunal is upheld we will have consecutive un elected Presidents rightly sparking ire and disdain amongst the membership. After all, the very basis of democ racy is founded on free and fair elections, with a colloquial consensus that candidates which garner the most support should take office. Yet presently it would appear that the necessary condition for winning the presidency is not a mandate from the members but rather the support of the powerful Returning Officers, who weaponise the rulebook to their advantage. Beyond this wider democratic concern, I would like to highlight the grave injustices present in the vexatious case against the duly-elected Ebrahim Osman Mowafy, particularly relating to the shambolic proceedings which have proved characteristic of the maliciously designed tribunal aimed solely at removing him from his democratically-elected post. Firstly, it should be clarified that the most recent election-tribunal had the task of reversing a decision made by

an earlier tribunal which had a King’s Council (a very senior lawyer) as one of its members, and which had previously vindicated Mr Osman-Mowafy. This second one specifically was considering a case between Mr Osman-Mowafy and the Returning Officer, who was his opposite number in proceedings. In view of this, it appears peculiar that the Returning Officer has the power to decide who shall sit on the Tribunal Board; effectively able to choose the judge at their own trial. Stranger still werou the names proposed by the RO, including for example Stuart Cullen, someone who the RO claimed that he could personally vouch for (which can be found in the minutes of Standing Committee). He does not appear to be the greatest judge of character given that Stuart Cullen has been suspended by the Tory Party over sexual assault claims.

“ The Oxford Union faces a [...] institutional democratic crisis

Whilst it was voted against for Mr Cullen to sit on the board, the fact remains that the entire makeup of this second tribunal was determined by the Returning Officer, causing a power imbalance and serious issues

The Oxford Union declares itself “institutionally racist”: How did we get here?

of bias which were raised by Mr Osman-Mowafy weeks before the tribunal actually took place. This comes after he is on the record saying that he wanted to eat Ebrahim’s ballotswhich he is later said to have regretted saying. Additionally, within a week of taking office as RO, he sought to change the rules regarding punishment for the very offence which Ebrahim was alleged to have committed, moving from a discretionary punishment to mandatory disqualification. Given what was to come, in retrospect this bizarre use of power now clearly was part of a concerted effort to remove Mr Osman-Mowafy from his post as President-Elect. Fast forward a week and the Returning Officer found himself at the centre of yet another scandal, again centred on his inability to act in accordance with his role, although this time with the additional charge of having lied to members of the society and its staff (which can again be found in the minutes of Standing Committee). At this point it has been suggest ed that an RO with a track record and the future potential to mislead other mem bers of the Standing Commit tee, and then

covering such behaviour up, would be most troubling.

“ The opaque, racist and unfathomable conclusions

As a result, the Standing Committee was able to successfully move a motion bringing a Corporate Complaint against the Returning Officer, due to abuse of position. It should be exceedingly obvious by now that the second tribunal was nothing more than a set-up by a partisan official, aimed at ousting a democratically elected officer who enjoys the support of not only the broader membership but

another presidential candidate initially faced similar charges, yet inexplicably escaped without the same scrutiny and process as Mr Osman-Mowafy. Even more concerningly, the attempt to cover up the process and stop people talking publicly infringes on the core principles of the Union, which prides itself on being a ‘bastion of free speech’. What precedent does it set when members are unable to freely discuss its own elections and the ensuing action, much less make sense of the opaque, racist and unfathomable conclusions reached by a group set out with the sole purpose of finding an innocent man guilty?

The only heartening element of the entire ordeal has come extremely recently, pertaining to the reaction of members of the committee and the society at large. The outpour of support for Ebrahim, the unification against Islamophobia and the desire from most people to condemn the process has been a beacon of hope. Regardless of allegiance in the upcoming TT24 election, candidates were unilateral in expressing their outrage at the revent events and were able to set aside their electoral differences and show solidarity. It is important that this issue continues to unite the members, transforms the Union, and most importantly puts the members back behind the wheel; driving the change for a more transparent, accountable and engaging

Deputy Editor: Johannes Riese

Section Editors: Lindsay Berat, Amelia Bryan, Yusuf Kungdol, Yunzhang Liang

Yusuf Kundgol is a first year Comment section editor at The Oxford Student.

The Oxford Union. Image credit: NATO

Oxford deserves a better discourse

Harry Hatwell is a graduate student studying for a Bachelors of Civil Law.

We have reached a new low point in discourse in Oxford based on recent events and JCR and MCR motions. Now, as a result of the spillover of the Israel-Hamas war onto Oxford’s streets and into its halls as a result of the encampments, there are new motions proposed almost every day. Fine, make political statements through the JCR or MCR. Fine, use your mouthpiece. We have an obligation as students of this hallowed University to make use of our platform for good both while we are here and

But what is not fine is lowering the discourse to a level where double standards are being exercised against one student group in a way which would never be done for other groups. What I am

“ We have reached a new low point in discourse in Oxford

talking about is the now almost ubiquitous retort of “weaponising antisemitism”. I have probably – unbeknownst to me – been labelled a weaponiser. As a result of this article, more people

desire to “defeat Zionism” was antisemitic. As a belief in the right of Jews to self-deter mination against centuries of diaspora, dispossession, and devastation, Zionism is a core part of my Jewish identity. I am not say ing it offers carte blanche for Israel to do whatever it wants, but neither am I saying that Isra el is perfect. Nor am I saying I want to shut down free speech on campus. But, what I am saying is that surely someone from the encamp ment could have simply said

guish. But no. Instead, the circle regrouped and the debate continued. It was essentially a public debate of an internal issue to the Jewish community about what our pain means. And everyone enjoyed the show. Now, with a JCR vice-president resigning because of the tone of a JCR debate, the level of discourse has reached even lower.

Now, I understand feeling strongly. I understand wanting to tear walls down over the suffering in Gaza. But please just look me in the eye when I say that bringing this seemingly endless conflict to our campus is not the way to bring peace there or here. Rather, banding together around unfounded accusations such as “weaponising antisemitism” only serves to draw a wedge between your friends, your peers, and your tutorial partners. Do you not care? Some may even say, “he would say that, he’s one of

rockets are being fired at civilians, hostages are being held, and populations are displaced on both sides of the border, then how on earth are we to solve anything in this world?

All eyes on Rafah? Maybe

“ My Judaism is mine, and so is yours. But please don’t deny my existence

our eyes should also be on Oxford. If you want camera crews filming shouts of Intifada (terrorism and violence against Israeli civilians regardless of ethnicity), then scream ahead. If you want real change, then stop issuing ‘demands’ and expecting to get your way. Fight for peace. It might be oxymoronic, but I imagine in the encampment it would take great bravery to put down your banners and call for Hamas and Israel to accept Biden’s latest proposed ceasefire. But you should. And so should I. Right now, you can control the discourse. You can tell your friend not to call my friend a “homophobe” for pointing to news stories. You can tell your friend not to shout at a Jewish student on the way to an exam: “Go back to Israel.” (Which is ironic given your friend probably thinks Jews should be moved someplace

“ Bringing this endless conflict to our campus is not the way to bring peace there or here

“sorry”. Or even, possibly enragingly, could have said “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Let’s call it a half-apology. Even just an apology for the fact I looked so visibly shaken and my friend left in an-

weaponiser, then please reflect on all the times you have shared your experiences –what did you weaponise? If I am a weaponiser, then what does that make you?

You cannot turn my pain on itself and blame me for its origin, its per petuation, or its solution. The answer lies with you. If we can not talk to each other thousands of miles away from where

Stop calling me a weaponiser. My Judaism is mine, and so is yours. But please don’t

The Clarendon Building. Credit: Cameron Samuel Keys

There is no alterna-

tive: You can’t park there, Regent’s!

In this edition of his column, Zaid Magdub shares his misfortunate coxing experience and what it reveals about college(?) disparities.

Everyone has a first. Not many men are proud of their firsts. Their firsts are definitely not proud of them. And I definitely was not proud of mine.

My first experience with our Boat Club was somewhat coital. It was my first time on the

what could only be described as abject distress at the amount of people who were walking around, awake before eight AM. With only a week before the start of the Summer VIII’s campaign, I had been recruited last minute to cox. Equally distressing was the of a river full of other boats, with their rowers far more self-assured and their coxes barking instructions like sergeants in the army.

see that we were rowing directly towards the river bank. Alas, my mind was certainly not. That’s when I heard our former cox, a Third Year, cry: “Four more strokes and then call a stop.”

The first stroke passed, then the second, then the third. Perspiration dripped from my brow like the splashes of E-Coli from the River Isis. By the fourth, a mighty thud. And our boat was halfway up the river bank. The beloved Regents Shark wept, her shell cracked, rapidly filling with water. Just like that my coxing career ended in the most virginal of fashions. A lot of buildup, maybe even a degree of excitement, but in the end, thirty seconds of disappointment.

To add to the humiliation, my debut would debut on OxRow with the caption: ‘You can’t park there, Regents!’ A few days later, outside a Weatherspoons, I was asked: “Are you the fresher that crashed the boat?” At that moment, with all my meekness, all I inher ited was a frown and self-resentment.

In all honesty, I had very little idea of what I was doing. I had never been in a boat before. As the rowing began, I was still trying to fit all the varying

“ Just like that my coxing career ended in the most virginal of fashions

instructions that I had been given, a total of perhaps two that I properly understood. At that point, my eyes were definitely functioning for I could

not have. We are not deprived of ‘The Oxford Experience;,’ We have our own.

“ So I end begging the University: Make us a college, or I will cox again.

In many ways, my experience felt emblematic of my own Regents Park College situated on Pusey Street. The College’s exterior is somewhat Georgian/Neoclassical, while the interior is somewhat Soviet Gulag. Within those walls exists a community, with no more than forty undergraduates per year.

Outside of the unfortunately-named name of our street, there seems to be a crisis of faith about the collegiate system. The recent College Disparities campaign has admirably attempted to dissect the Political Economy of Oxford (although sitting from my im poverished JCR makes it diffi cult to

read about how Saint MatricluSubfusculalliolagdlengens gets only 56 million Pounds sterling). I think my primary contention towards the report is that it assumes there this is this monolithic experience to Oxford, that you can somehow have or

There is something uniquely endearing about Regents. I remember my initial apprehension as a yet to be humbled fresher towards what really did seem like a cult induction. In a city of snobbery, there is something deeply comforting about going back home to a tight-knit community; to a JCR where we all know one another. To a community that revels in our own deeply problematic traditions, we find solidarity in being smaller and poorer than the other colleges. In spite of the sneering jaws of the ‘Big College Four-letter-Words,’ there is a pride in our ever so slightly downsized edition of the customs of this dreadful city. Embracing the utter nonsense that often unfolds within our walls. That’s why my sordid affair with the Boat Club was not all that sordid - the community and Boat Club supports one another. But contrary to what many readers will have convinced themselves is not true, size does matter. We are not only a small college, we are technically not a college at all. The University continues to deny us collegiate status, and has forced me to explain for innumerable times what the hell a permanent private hall is. In effect, we are further materially deprived. It deprives us of investment, accommodation and a boathouse, and training for the Boat Club, and training for the Cox.

So I end begging the University: Make us a college, or I will cox again. And this time, we’re rowing straight into your precious M1 boat, Oriel.

Oxford Summer Eights. Image credit: Cameron Samuel Keys.

Profiles

of the week “ “

All abroad! Oxford’s visiting students

Tallulah Hawley speaks with two visiting students on their experiences.

As the 2024 Trinity term wraps up, the academic year pauses, students graduate, and study abroad students are thrust back into their home university lifestyle. Deputy Editor of profile Tallulah Hawley,herself a visiting student, speaks with two students currently studying abroad at the University of Oxford.

Tallulah Hawley: “What college are you studying at this year?”

Emily L.: “I’m at Wadham College, and have been for all three terms this year. My home uni-

versity is Sarah Lawrence College, in New York.”

TH: “What are you reading?”

EL: “I’m a third year, and I study mainly history—though I’ve taken Economics and Development classes here, as well. I appreciate the fact that we have a little more flexibility than the typical Oxford undergraduate, in this regard, especially to take advantage of classes here that Sarah Lawrence, for example, doesn’t really offer, or offers very few listings for.”

TH: “How is Oxford different from SLC?”

sors to discuss your work.

EL: “The biggest difference I

cused, which is great for academic rigor, but I did like being able to take a silly one-off class to break up the workload. It’s nice to be able to dabble in a subject for a semester and learn some stuff that you’ll never, ever use. And I do think in some sense it can help you become a better student—-if you’re drawing connections between subjects, that is. Like yeah I’m never going to use any knowledge of working women in 20th century cinema in a career as a film critic, but you can still engage with the feminist history of women in film in a really fun way.

“ It’s nice to be able to dabble in a subject for a semester and learn some stuff that you’ll never, ever use.

It is definitely more laid back than an Oxford tutorial, but the core concept remains the same, I think—you’re bringing

effectively. Not a universal Sarah Lawrence thing, maybe, but that’s certainly been my experience, and I think it made tutorials feel much less stressful initially.”

TH: “So far, what’s your favourite Oxford custom?”

EL: “May Day was super cool! What’s better than waking up at 5am and then having a pint by 7am?”

TH: “And your least favorite?”

EL: “The winters with the early sunsets were tough. I didn’t know how good we had it until I was in the thick of it. Definitely the craziest thing was a guy on the phone to his mother demanding to know if he was a ‘mutt’ which, like, I can only guess the context of. But I really don’t think that’s

Editor: Tallulah Hawley

Section Editors: Audrey Davidson-Houston, Lucy Pollock, Purav Menon

The Radcliffe Camera on a rare sunny day. Credit: Tallulah Hawley

tially, I’ve gotta say. Like the summer before I got here I couldn’t believe that people actually wore it for exams. It just seems like something from a different era. But I guess a lot of things in Oxford are rooted in that kind of tradition, which is cool. But the outfits do look stupid.”

TH: “How do you think the study abroad experience differs from the matriculated student experience?”

EL: “I think to some extent, the pressure is off. When I attend lectures, it’s for my own benefit, or for success in tutorials, rather than for a future examination. I thank God every day that the material I’m learning they’re not going to test me on. I genuinely cannot imagine taking a course and then being tested on it the following year.”

“ I find Oxford to be almost opposite of my home college

TH: “Do you have any advice for students studying abroad here?”

EL: “Get really, really good at self-imposed deadlines, really quickly. You will be so much happier and less stressed if you’re good at sticking to those. And this is basic, maybe, but try and enjoy the time you have here. It really does go by so quickly; with eight weeks a term, you feel like you’ve barely started and then all of a sudden, it’s over. It’s so easy to get caught up in the schoolwork that you forget to take

TH: “Do you have a favourite occurrence so far?”

AR: “⁠Easily May Morning! Such a joyful, colorful experience.”

TH: “What has stood out to you negatively about your experience here?”

weird or shocking about Oxford?”

at St. Catherine’s College for two terms (Hilary and Trinity 2024), and my home institution is Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. ⁠I’m a third-year Psychology and Religious Studies double major.”

TH: “How have you found your terms at Oxford different from your experience at Macalester?”

AR: “⁠From setting to academics to general culture, I find Oxford to be almost opposite of my home college. Oxford is a large university with a high level of postgraduate enrollment located in a small city, while Macalester is a tiny, undergraduate-only college nestled inside of a major metropolitan area.

At Oxford, my courses have been set up to provide a deep look into very specific areas of interest, while at Macalester, even courses within my major areas of study are generally set up to provide a broader overview of the material, whether that’s temporally, thematically, or geographically.

In terms of general feel, I find that Oxford is unsurprisingly a bit more formal and buttoned-down, whereas I’m accustomed to the casual, dynamic vibe of my home institution. I think that Macalester’s small class sizes, as well as the opportunities I’ve had to partake in independent study coursework, prepared me well for the tutorial system.

AR: “⁠My least favorite thing about Oxford is certainly the University’s gutless repression of student pro-Palestine demonstrations, but, barring that, it’s the relative difficulty I’ve experienced in cultivating community. I suspect that this is possibly college-specific and exacerbated by being a visiting student, but the way my terms have been structured— with almost exclusively one-on-one tutorials and no lectures— haven’t provided me with many opportunities to meet other students organically, especially matriculated students.

I’ve had to be more intentional about reaching out, attending events, and joining societies, which isn’t a bad thing, I just wish that the academic side of things lent itself a bit more to collaboration and socialization.”

TH: “Is there anything

AR: ⁠The strangest part of my experience has been St. Catherine’s handling of the College’s RAAC situation! Our dining hall is presently a tent that I find reminiscent of an outdoor wedding, and our JCR has moved locations since the start of term. Neither of these things are unpleasant, just strange and at odds with the expectations I had coming into this experience. Unfortunately, several facilities, including the library, remain closed.

“

Visiting Students tend to have more curricular freedom

TH: “In comparison to matriculated students, how do you find that your experience has differed?”

⁠AR: “⁠I think that, in general, the visiting student experience involves less academic pressure than the matriculated student experience, given that visiting students are not required to sit for exams. My time as a visiting student has not required intensive examination cramming, and tutorials feel more relaxed, an opportunity to discuss, reflect,

Summer Eights boating race on 25 May. Credit: Emily L.

and explore themes of the greatest interest to me, rather than worrying about what I need to know for a high-stakes assessment. Although this likely isn’t true for visiting students who are accepted as part of subject-specific agreements, I also think that visiting students tend to have more curricular freedom than matriculated students. There are obvious social and relational differences as well, but I don’t feel that I’ve been here long enough to comment on those nuances!”

TH: For upcoming students studying abroad, either at Oxford or anywhere else, what could make their experience better?”

AR: “⁠My advice to incoming study away students is to be proactive from the outset about meeting new people and forming relationships, both with your fellow visiting students and with matriculated students.

It makes the entire experience much richer, and, especially in those first few weeks, far easier. At the same time, embrace the less-structured schedule and don’t be afraid to explore the city and nearby areas on your own! Some of my favorite memories involve boarding the train on a weekday whim, with only vague ideas about my destination.”

features@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Amelia Gibbins

Section Editors: Caitlin Clarke, Linda Liu, Anaya Navale, Lucy Pollock, Angela Yu

Being invisible in the social media age

My college brother greeted me when we first met in freshers’ week by asking, “You must be the one who doesn’t have Instagram.” Suddenly, I was aware that this was to be an important part of my identity. Before term had even started, I had seemingly imposed a social barrier on myself, missing out on making pre-existing connections with my college family or other incoming freshers on social media (especially as nobody I knew, from school or otherwise, was going to Oxford).

plicated; looking back, it’s difficult to untangle them. The first thing to note, I suppose, is that I have never had Instagram. I didn’t delete the app at a particular point in time as some assume; I just never downloaded it when everyone else did.

When I try to retrace it now, I wonder why that is. It may be related to the fact that I got my first phone slightly later than most of my peers, putting me behind on the Instagram trend. Perhaps, having lived a few months longer without social media, it didn’t feel as necessary to me. Or perhaps I worried about losing the head start in gaining followers and decided not to bother catching up. It might have been seeing some of the negative effects that Instagram was already having on people I knew well: explicit messages to underage individuals, cyber-bullying and unrealistic expectations of

Whatever the initial reason, it became a matter of principle.

This is how I was identified: the one who doesn’t have Instagram.

me make friends more easily? Sometimes, not having Instagram felt like effacing my own identity, making myself invisible, even though the version of myself that I projected online would not necessarily have been true to me anyway. FOMO was (and remains) the elephant in the room. When the pandemic struck, it was especially challenging being cut off from the people I previously interact ed with everyday at school. Without easy access to information about their lives popping up on a feed, the social reservation of lockdown became more pronounced, and, while screen time skyrocketed for many, mine dwindled to as little as 30 minutes a day.

lematic trends like the ‘thigh gap’ aesthetic. Now, it may take the more subtle form of the ‘that girl’ trend, among others. I honestly believe that I placed less value on appearances throughout my adolescence because I was never directly exposed to these kinds of aesthetics, and my mental health benefitted from this.

For a while, I quite liked this. It’s true that I appeared to care less about populari ty than some of my peers – if only because I’d al ways been on the outside loop. Ad mittedly, this may also be a reflection of my fixation on something else at school: studying. My grat ification did not come from social media likes, but from teacher reports and test papers (which may be just as toxic of a mentality).

“ If your life is encapsulated in just a few images, what do you choose to say?

Yet, over time, I have also felt the negative effects of my lack of social media presence. At school, as at university, it partly contributed to my status as a wallflower. Above all, it was isolating. Aside from a small circle of friends (fortunately, extremely good ones), I felt that people generally did not know me, or even know of me, and I didn’t know them. Would Instagram have helped

But, still inexplicably resistant to giving in and downloading Instagram in 2020, I opted for an alternative: Facebook. You might be wondering what the difference is.

Well, although my Facebook feed is swamped by a fair amount of fake news and, increasingly, AI-generated images, it is not so much

Instagram as a platform is tailored around image – our own and that of others. It is also self-promotional; you use the product while simultaneously turning your own image into one. Image isn’t always bad, of course. In fact, self-expression and visibility, feeling represented in the images that we see, are deeply valuable. But there’s a fine line to tread when it comes to mass exposure to photos which are always staged in a certain way, if not altered via editing software.

It goes without saying that social media may perpetuate unattainable beauty standards, especially among younger users. Driven by influencer culture, these standards may also revolve around a unilateral view of what beauty is. Not long ago, this manifested itself in prob-

If your life is encapsulated in just a few images, what do you choose to say? No carefully cultivated feed can capture who we really are – it merely creates the kind of holographic version of ourselves that we wish to project. When designing our profiles, we may even create a standard that we ourselves feel that we cannot live up to, driving some to jokingly refer to themselves as a ‘catfish’.

“ Whichever path I might have taken, there are positives and negatives to both

Sometimes though, I have regretted the fact that I never posted university content to an Instagram account. Perhaps this is liberating, enabling me to live in the moment, knowing as I take each photograph that it is only for my own benefit.

If you have made it this far, I would finish by quoting Robert Frost:

‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – / I took the one less travelled by, / And that has made all the difference.’ For better or for worse, I did take a different route. I never created a social media presence. I never posted photos. I never obsessed over likes. Whichever path I might have taken, there are clearly positives and negatives to both. But this is the choice I made, and I think that has made all the difference.

Sophie Harrison

Social media apps on an iPhone. Credit: Bastian Ricaddi

The chronicles of an Oxford Fresher

Angela Yu looks back on her first year at university, reflecting on the ups and downs of Oxford so far.

It’s 01:39 on 11th May, and I’ve burst into my room with the insane urge to do some journalling. Drunken scrawling follows. The words practically fall off the page. Double exclamations!! “Maybe I’m still a bit drunk,” I concede finally. Girl, I can see that.

One page of half-legible, definitely half-developed opinions, and a flurry of interesting photos sitting dormant in my camera roll is something I can remember the evening by. Then a brisk entry the following day: “What was I even on”. But I’m quite proud of my attempt to document something – eightweek terms leave little time to reflect on what has happened; instead, looking ahead with tunnel vision emerges as a coping mechanism to fight off that ever-present FOMO. Before arriving in Oxford, I scoured YouTube for some indication of the experiences that awaited me. One thing that stood out to me was how the vloggers themselves could later look back on their uni-

versity life in an immersive way. To remember and cherish these four years of my life in the city that I had dreamt of since my childhood would not be such a bad prospect.

The problem that I did not expect was the toss-up be-

curriculars, and (you guessed it) underlying flu. My friends at home recommended the motto of ‘saying yes to everything’ for freshers week, but apart from the moments when I was completely and irreparably bed-ridden, this has been carried through the whole year.

surprisingly does not. I cannot follow my own self-produced advice to save a life. What was originally a recount of the day becomes a scribbled mess of my raw reactions. I often write with my hand over my mouth, from one of three emotions: shock, excitement, despair.

rassment—but fortunately did not and so lives to tell the tale—who has left haphazard yet treasured tokens for me to remember myself.

tween living and remembering.

‘Make the most of it’—I absolutely lived by this motto. Life simultaneously became incredible yet extremely unhealthy when the question narrowed down to, “are you going to get some sort of sleep, or will you try to chronicle something of what happened today?”. Michaelmas: pubs, clubs, and flu. Hilary: incredibly sporadic attendance at society events, and flu. Trinity: over-enthusiasm in ball season, overcommitting in extra-

Eva Price is a second year History and English student at Wadham College. In her column, she explores the history of ‘sheelas’ in Oxford.

St Micheal at the North Gate Church has been a reliable site of interest throughout this column. Yet its presence in the community was, at one point, even more striking. A Norman addition to the Saxon tower, its SheelaNa-Gig stone (now housed in the Church Treasury) had for many years extended a relatively graphic welcome to Oxford’s visitors.

Although medieval travellers were a few years too early for PJ Harvey’s balladisation of the eponymous stone-figure, we may imagine them looking up at it, envisioning similar lyrics. The Sheela, a figurative

That is not to say that I didn’t have my moments aimlessly wandering around Oxford, swamped in ‘I’m so lonely!’ reverberating through the echo chambers of my hollow head, with no idea as to what I should do with my time, questioning if I had made a grave mistake in freshers week, or maybe as far back as application season, and should now be regretting all my past decisions. I thought about my Australian friends, basking in the sunshine while the choppy winds of life’s calamities did divine work on my hair. If only I could have a home-cooked meal for once, pat my dog through the phone screen, hug my friends tightly…

Then it’s back to being busy to keep myself from such thoughts. A long chat with friends here always helps. Journalling, on the other hand,

carving of a nude woman, is particularly noticeable for its caricatured genitalia. In all of the 169 surviving examples from Britain and Ireland, the focal point of the figures are their sexual organs. In fact, in its original Irish, their name is said to translate to ‘Julia of the Breasts’ and ‘gig’ bears similarities to Northern English slang terms for vagina. Although the name has been dismissed by historians of the carvings as a modern and arbitrary term for the ‘exhibitionist’ figures, the centrality of the carvings’ sexuality has led many to conclude that the primary role of these

“ The problem I didn’t expect was the toss-up between living and remembering

However, reading back on days gone bys, of good and bad events—which is what has constituted my reflection on this blur of a year—fills me with happiness. Here are fragments of me who did not know this, would never have expected that, who wanted so badly to fall in a pit and die after situations of crippling embar -

Teapots and Laurence’s shelf of teas; laughter that makes you lose your legs; sleeping in the sun on second quad; when in the late night, it’s just you and your friends in the library; fresh coconut from Gloucester Green; fog on the water at sunrise; padding through Old Bod and taking out books from library shelves; wisteria; breakfast in hall; smiles and enthusiastic waves; poking tongues at each other in tutorials; this one tree in Christ Church meadows; bells chiming, especially when not on time; variations of rule-breaking; such random minutiae that dot the pages of my journal and colour Oxford as something almost like home. Or a fever dream so gross- ly esoteric and puzzling, even to the writer.

‘architectural grotesques’ was talismanic, linked to fertility.

Sheela-na-gig, Sheela-na-gig

You exhibitionist

The Oxford Sheela, however, is an interesting entrant into this debate, relatively unique in the clues it can provide us regarding the object’s purpose. Whilst it is not uncommon to find sheelas in church settings, this one would have sat above the city’s North Gate. This may be significant as it implies their apotropaic use, enshrined as the guarding figure of both the city and the church.

Over the years, historian Barbara Freitag records,

‘high-minded clergymen have […] defaced or destroyed’ many of the surviving sheelas(one may observe the strong irony of this) Despite speculation about the sheelas’ pre-Christian origins, they seem to be a common feature of the Norman Church. Furthermore, the examples in Oxford demonstrate that not only did they ‘protect’ the church, but reinforced a sense of parochial community. So much so that it is rumoured that there was a tradition of local women visiting the sheela on their wedding day - the rejection of these figures surely then arises from shame.

Authentic Establishment

In his column, Enrique Normand Velarde discusses his visit to Juanito de Barranco, a renowned local insitution in his hometown.

An obscure travel article published in The Guardian in 2008 called my own home dis trict of Barranco “a real an tidote to the soulless busi ness districts and slum areas of the rest of Lima.” This intrepid trav el writer might have felt sick at the mere sight of a shabby shopping cen tre, but thank fully he man aged to find his much-needed respite in “brightly painted art deco houses’’ and “atmospheric bars”. You will find

many such ‘compliments’ about Barranco are common currency amongst its tourist visitors, and the descriptors “bohemian”, “hip”, and “au -

There are few establishments that feature so prominently in similar articles which speak of “gathering places for poets and bohemians” and “local authenticity” as Juanito de Barranco, a bar which is justly considered a neighbourhood institution. It was established on 7th June 1937, as I was told by

which are multiple centuries old, although for Peru, 1937 may as well be 1537.

I arrived before noon, perhaps too early to spot the bohemians which are so fabled to haunt this place in the evening, but early enough to get a seat at a table. The bar itself is like a long corridor, flanked on either side by long shelves fully stocked with old bottles of liquor behind glass displays. As you enter, you will invariably see one of the burly heirs of Juanito cleaving into unreasonably large cuts of cured pork; their staple is a ham sandwich packed with a slaw of raw onion and lime.

sar also explained that he, personally, had not felt any radical change brought in by his many foreign patrons: “I stay behind the bar and try to keep our tradition of good service.” “I’m seventy years old now, it’s up to the next generation of our family to keep up with the change.”

“ The age of their establishment might be dwarfed by the countless British pubs

Soon enough, Cesar joined me at the ta ble, and he had much to say about changing with the times: “Now la dies can come in too, it was only in the seventies that we started letting them in, you know.” Of course, he said, changing is a delicate mat ter, “you have to sew with a fine thread.” Obviously, in his view allowing in ‘dames’ had not tipped the balance, but what of the tourists who frequently come searching for a taste of pisco sour in the charming old Barranco they read about on the internet?

He replied: “I think that they will find what they are

In the nearest corner by the door, there was a small table of Belgian tourists enjoying tall glasses of dark beer and pork sandwiches. I approached them before I left the estabment. They were on an organised bike tour of the neighbourhood including several stops for “local” food along the way, their guide ex-

“ The bar itself is like a long corridor, flanked on either side by long shelves fully stocked with old bottles of liquor behind “ That’s how we like it, authentic. Don’t change anything!

plained. I asked them what they thought of the place and their response was unanimous: “It is very authentic. Yes, authentic. That’s how we like it, authentic. Don’t change

a proud Cesar Antonio Casusol Zegarra, the young -

Image of the bar. Credit: Enrique Normand Velarde

Culture

Equus: As good as student drama gets

various episodes.

Marianne Nossair’s production of Equus, mounted in the Michael Pilch Theatre from 29 May to 1 June, was deft, sensitive, and excellently acted. This accomplished cast and crew did full justice to Peter Shaffer’s demanding play.

Equus is an acutely reflexive drama. The essential plot consists of a sequence of interviews between child psychiatrist Martin Dysart (Ethan Bareham) and 17-year-old Alan Strang (Joe Rachman), the latter having blinded six horses with a metal spike. Shaffer consistently worries at the forensic-therapeutic framing of Dysart and Strang’s relationship: Dysart admits a surprising envy for Strang’s religious hippophilia and vicariously satisfies his own repressed impulse to ‘worship’ by prompting Strang to describe and relive

Throughout the play, normative contrasts of control and release, pathology and cure, and order and ecstasy, are in this way destabilised, intimating the Nietzschean thesis—a motif in Shaffer—that in art the gulf between Apollonian and Dionysian intuitions is bridged. Thus Equus itself comes to look like a

“ A complex and provocative play mounted with assurance

forensic-therapeutic construct, an investigation of these tensions and an outlet for their assumed fascination. The reflexivity is heightened as elements of intrusiveness and voyeurism in the plot key in with the intense and proximate examination enabled by the theatrical form, particularly in the intimate Pilch.

And just like that, it’s the end of the year!

I’m a little bit back on the copious media consumption, however this column will be a mix of all the prominent media I’ve consumed in the past four weeks, considering I chickened out last edition (thanks again to my friends, sister, and boyfriend for contributing). I hope you have all been enjoying the random patches of sun and not stressing too much over finals or prelims. Thanks for joining me this term, it’s been super fun to write down the chaos in my brain, but let’s get straight into giving three sentences and a rating out of five to all the media I’ve consumed in the past two… no four, weeks!

Challengers (Film, 2024)

I really, really wanted to like this one. I did love how insufferable the trio were,

The members of Nossair’s cast delivered admirably refined performances, allowing this complexity to emerge. The standard of the acting was impressive across the board. Only limitations of space prevent each performer from receiving a mention here. Nate Wintraub was completely plausible as the horrified stable owner, conveying by the cadence of his speech his character’s difficulty in processing Strang’s actions. Vita Hamilton was similarly authentic as the magistrate who sends Strang to hospital, with her frequently downturned eyes—an excellent detail—subtly subverting an outwardly officious, unflappable demeanour.

The leads, Bareham and Rachman, executed their roles with aplomb. Bareham skilfully expressed his Dysart’s disaffection and confusion through his urbanity as well as his anger. The final monologue was done to perfection: it was cerebral, tender, desperate, and resigned. As

and some (some) of the shots. But what do you mean you’re going to advertise this as a proper love triangle and then Art and Patrick only kiss once?! Three stars.

Boyhood (Film, 2014)

You can tell Richard Linklater wrote and directed this one, and I mean that with love. It’s insane that they shot this over twelve years, but the narrative flows so well, you barely notice it. Although this film is a total feat of cinema, the plot was a little cliché and didn’t really discuss anything groundbreaking (I know that’s sort of the point, but it just didn’t completely wow me). Three and a half stars.

The Worst Person in the World (Film, 2021)

So unbelievably real, it was kind of uncomfortable to watch at times, not be -

Strang, Rachman was outstanding. Spinning across a range of bold and conflicting emotions, Rachman perfected Strang’s volatility. Most impressively, there seemed to be an inscrutability at the core of Rachman’s portrayal, an animalistic quality of opaqueness facilitating Dysart’s projections. This was an extremely sophisticated performance of a difficult, vulnerable role.

In a note on the published text of Equus, Shaffer says that the ‘visual action’ is ‘as much a part of the play as the dialogue’. This production vindicated that

cause it was cinematically painful, more because I hated what I saw in Julie in myself. Like Boyhood, it also didn’t completely wow me, but it was a good indie film watch. I don’t know if I want to give Julie a hug or scream at her. Three and a half stars.

Takin’ Over the Asylum (TV show, 1994)

For those that know, you know exactly why I decided to watch this. For those who don’t: young David Tennant. But genuinely, this was a pretty decent representation of mental health for the early 90s, each character was treated with respect and understanding, especially by the other characters in the ward, I would actually recommend this one. Three and a half stars.

statement. Ollie Perry Wade was adept as the horse Nugget, drawing the contours of the animal with slow, deliberate movements, and obviating any risk of harm. The crucial scenes where Strang rides and interacts with Nugget came off without a hitch, with the climactic episodes at the end of each Act enhanced by Dave Street’s effective lighting design. It is only a shame that Equus did not have a longer run, so more people could see it. A complex, provocative play mounted with complete assurance: this was about as good as student drama gets.

Finally watched this at the cinema, and genuinely, what did I just watch? It was genius, but I have so many questions and video essays to watch! I would absolutely recommend this one, but there are a lot of incredibly hard scenes to watch, so I would double check the trigger warnings before if you need to. Four and a half stars.

To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar (Album, 2015)

Even though I’m a Music student, I barely ever sit down with a full album anymore. Not to be a music nerd, but since I can remember, this album has been up there as one of my favourites of all time. It’s genuinely so good, I’m not even going to explain it, just listen to it, the music speaks for itself. Five stars.

Read the full column at oxfordstudent.com

Deputy Editor: Georgie Allan Section Editors: Sophie Harrison, Isra Khan, Yunzhang Liang, Nikhil Singh, Rebecca Whalley, Angela Yu

Perfect Blue (Film, 1997)

Johannah Mathew is a second year Music student at Worcester College.

The cast of Equus. Credit: ochosphotos

Max Thomas is a Univ Law student with a background in English Literature.

From page to picture: The Trial

Gabriella Kchozyan reviews The Trial which showed at the Ultimate Picture Palace in celebration of Oxford Kafka 2024.

The Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford held a special showing of Orson Welles’ The Trial. The 1962 film, adapted from Franz Kafka’s novel of the same name, features stars such as Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Elsa Martinelli, and Welles himself.

Welles pays a true homage to the Kafkaesque with his own creative spin. Blending dark humour, baroque visuals, absurdity, and surrealism, he creates a fascinating, expressionist take on Kafka. The Trial describes the story of Josef K. (Anthony Perkins), a bank employee suddenly arrested and prosecuted for a crime that remains undisclosed to him nor the reader (or in this case, the viewer). Josef at-

tempts to find the truth of his arrest but struggles against an impenetrable, hidden, and absurd legal system.

The story, like many of Kafka’s works, does not have one single interpretation. Binary understandings of characters or fixed interpretations do not have a place in Kafka’s world. Though readers and audiences alike may draw different interpretations, the story ultimately touches upon themes such as all-pervasive guilt, bureaucracy, and oppression. It’s often understood to criticise bureaucratic, unjust structures that diminish personal autonomy or promote unethical behaviour. Touching on concepts such as ethics, justice, and morality in subtle and surreal ways the film en-

ables multiple interpretations.

The story can be hard to follow for those unfamiliar with Kafka’s dreamlike logic, especially as the film maintains that quality through focusing the narrative solely on Josef. His experiences are portrayed as fragments, and the world seemed non-existent beyond his own being.

It’s a black and white film, yet through the use of shadows, shapes, silhouettes, textures, and lighting, the movie is somehow vivid and striking despite the lack of colour. It’s like nothing I had ever seen before, and I greatly appreciate the thought and intention behind the film’s artistic vision. It makes interesting use of location, including Soviet-style apartment build-

The Promised Land: gritty drama

Johannah Mathew attends a screening

of

The Promised

“In 1755, the impoverished Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer the uninhabitable Danish heath in the name of the King. But the sole ruler of the area, the merciless Frederik de Schinkel, who believes the land belongs to him, swears revenge when the maid Ann Barbara and her serf husband escape for refuge with Kahlen.”

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel and written by Arcel alongside Anders Thomas Jensen, Bastarden, also known by its English title The Promised Land, is a dramatic historical epic, featuring Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen.

Loosely inspired by the story of the retired 18th century army

Land at Soho House.

captain turned farmer Ludwig von Kahlen, as portrayed in Ida Jessen’s 2022 novel The Captain and Ann Barbara, the film embarks on a journey through the Danish marshes, weaving themes of isolation, wildlife, and the harsh realities of 18th century life.

From its opening frames capturing the breathtaking Danish marshes, The Promised Land immerses viewers in the rugged beauty of its setting, introducing the solitary existence of the main character, Ludwig von Kahlen.

Although von Kahlen is a seriously unsavoury character, who mistreats an orphaned girl, marginalised due to her ethnicity, and also demeans

ings and the then-abandoned Gare d’Orsay, which is now the Musée d’Orsay.

Welles’ signature long takes, expressionistic lighting, improvisation, and camera movement breathes new life into the film. It’s hard to believe the film came out so long ago, but its appeal stands as

testament to its high quality. Welles himself said The Trial is the best film he’s ever made. I’ve yet to watch his other films, but I left the theatre as a big fan. Whether you’ve read Kafka or not, you’ll surely have an interesting exposure to his work through this phenomenal adaptation.

his workers and the women who enter and leave his life, The Promised Land remains unflinching in its portrayal of what life may have actually been like in 18th century, hierarchical Denmark. Von

“ Unflinching in its portrayal of what life may have actually been

Kahlen is presented as constantly working towards elevating his name, but in doing so, he becomes highly unlikeable. Ultimately, he will

be isolated by both the upper and working class, unable to truly find happiness.

A major gripe I have with this film is that the scenes and dialogue were not really written like a film. Rather, they were written like a video game. Scenes took place as if there were side characters giving the audience a backstory, and relationships and dialogue occurred as if you had to flick through textboxes. It didn’t truly feel like a thorough, cohesive narrative, but rather a collection of scenes sewn together through relating material and characters. However, this may have been due to the preexisting material.

The Promised Land has been

deemed a Nordic Western by critics, however, I would suggest its thematic depth and narrative complexity align more closely with the works of filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, especially comparing the characters and historical narratives of von Kahlen and Oppenheimer. In conclusion, The Promised Land is a compelling watch, offering a thought-provoking exploration of ambition, isolation, and the human condition. This film is for viewers that enjoy historical dramas, an underdog, and a little bit of gritty, at times unfair, action.

Read the full article online at oxfordstudent.com

The Trial from Orson Welles Credit: Festival de Cannes

Mads Mikkalsen in The Promised Land. Credit: Icon Picture

What’s On?

THE WILD DUCK is a lie: from an exciting new productions comes this tragi-comedy, exploring the complexities of truth and illusion.

Burton Taylor Studio Tuesday 4 June - Saturday 8 June

Tchaikovsky Symphony No 5: a recital of Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony including Mussorgsky Dawn on the Moscow ruver and Rachmaninoff’s Isle of the Dead from the OMO.

The Sheldonian Theatre Friday 7th June

Lauda Sion: the Arcadian Singers perform Mendelssohn’s Lauda Sion, as well as pieces from Haydn, Mozart, Rheinberger and Bruckner.

Wadham College Chapel Saturday 8th June

As You Like It: the Worcester College Buskins perform Shakespeare’s classic pastoral comedy.

Worcester College, Wednesday 12 June - Saturday 15 June

St Hilda’s Drama Society Summer Showcase: From St Hilda’s drama society comes a showcase of pieces demonstrating the colleges home grown talent.

JDP, Sunday 9 June

Needle in the Haystack: an original musical production in the spirit of Oklahoma.

North Wall Arts Centre, 6-8 June

Scallion pancakes: A taste of home away from home

Jack Grivvell did not write this article, but is a fantastic cook.

The end of first year is a joyous time - prelims are over, the year’s work is done and you can leave the Oxford bubble. For some how ever, the end of first year is bittersweet, as they won’t see their friends again until third year, when they return from their year abroad.

For my flatmates and I, last summer saw the departure of one of our friends (now an illustrator for OxStu), Liv White, who left us for warmer climates: specifical ly Taiwan. Enticed by cheap flights and a whole Michael mas of asking, a few friends visited to catch up, and tour the island’s sights, beach es, and most memorably, food.

Despite the range and diver sity of cuisine offered by the small Asian island, one dish in

particular embodied the simplicity and the fun of Taiwanese cooking. Scallion pancakes are quick to make, requiring few ingredients and even less skill, though they evoke memories of time well spent among friends in a home away from

The only one of my flatmates with an ounce of culinary training (and my biggest writing asset), Jack, was up to the challenge, and did not disappoint. His recreation differed from the originals due to the lack of a deep fat fryer in a student kitchen (probably for the best), but were a nostalgic delight all the same. Warm, filling, and flavoursome, scallion (otherwise known as spring onion) pancakes probably deserve pride of place in any student kitchen, not least given the simple instructions I was given by a very eloquent Jack:

“Get some pancake batter, add scallions, and boom.”

Further questioning yielded the following: Make a dough from 250g flour and 160ml boiling water - boiling to ensure you cook the protein in the flour when you pour it in. Briefly knead the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes before dividing into 4

“ Get some pancake batter, add some scallions, and boom.

pieces, shaping each in a ball. Oil the balls and let them rest, and in the meantime, slice the middle (light green and white) part of the scallions.

Once this is done, roll each ball into a roughly rectangular sheet, as thin as possible, which may prove difficult given the gluten content, but is

From Tudor to Stuart

Charlie Bowden is a welfare officer and former Editor in Cheif at the Oxford Student

Professor Susan Doran is a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and one of the foremost authorities on the reign of Elizabeth I and Tudor history in general. Her latest book, From Tudor to Stuart: The Regime Change from Elizabeth I to James I, is her first foray into the Stuart period.

Exploring the first ten years of James VI and I’s English reign, the book examines the conscious presentation of the Jacobean royal image as compared to that of Elizabeth, who famously styled herself as the Virgin Queen. Doran takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating a vast

array of literature, portraiture and other aspects of material culture to illustrate James’ early years as an English monarch.

The care with which Doran treats her historical subjects is palpable. This is clear from surveying the bibliography, which demonstrates the sub stantial attention she pays to the most recent scholar ship, but also from the con scious choice of refer ring to James’ queen as Anna, as she called herself, rather than using the estab lished Anne. The au thor of

important for the coming stages. The scallions should then be sprinkled over the dough in an even layer along with salt, pepper and cumin, before the dough in rolled “like a cigarette”, oiled again (excluding one ends), and the oblong coiled into a spiral.

This process should produce the desired flakiness, though too much oil between the layers will make them break up in the pan. To avoid this the edges of the dough should be pressed together to ensure they are combined. Only when this is certain can the spiral be rolled into circular pancakes. The final step is to fry them in a lot of very hot oil, which should completely cover the pan in enough volume to also be spooned over the top of the pancakes to allow an even cooking of both sides. Flip halfway through and once a golden brown colour has been achieved, remove, allow to cool, and enjoy!

more than ten monographs and countless articles and book chapters, Doran might be an old hand at historical writing but it is clear that she gives each work fresh treatment.

Without Doran announcing in the acknowledgements that the study of the Stuarts is a new historical pursuit for her, it would be difficult to tell that she has spent

cades researching another time tial part of the book

es the bridge tween

Elizabeth and James during the crucial succession year of 1603. However, such a focus should not be read as a historian of Elizabeth sticking with what is familiar. As Doran makes clear, the early Jacobean regime was very conscious of the memory of Eliabeth and chose to represent the new monarch in ways explicitly similar and different to his predecessor. It only makes sense for somebody who has published extensively on the life and afterlife of Elizabeth to build on that work by discussing the use of her image in the early Stuart period.

The full article and subsequent interview is available to read online at oxfordstudent.com

The Glassworker: A Pakistani first

Isra Khan talks about representation’s impact as a British-Pakistani student

As Pakistan’s first-ever hand-drawn animated film, The Glassworker is a groundbreaking project for the country’s film industry. Directed by Usman Riaz and produced by Mano Animation Studios, the independent film has been in development for nearly a decade. The film’s voice actors feature the talent of renowned actors from a range of backgrounds, including Art Malik, Anjli Mohindra, Teresa Gallagher and Mina Anwar. Described by Riaz as a passion project, the film illustrates his perception of animation as an art medium that can serve as a powerful vehicle for delivering personal stories and thematic expression.

The Glassworker is a coming-of-age story about two children from vastly different backgrounds. Vincent, an apprentice glassblower learning from his father, and Alliz, a young violinist and the daughter of a colonel, develop a loving and earnest friendship. This bond, however, is constantly challenged by their contrasting backgrounds and the strength of the discord between their fathers’ worldviews. The film delves into the tension between nationalism, class distinctions, freethinking and artistic pursuits, reflecting the challenges Riaz and many others from his

tended metaphor for life’s beautiful, yet fragile, nature. An interesting structure is also adopted, opening with the fully developed characters of Vincent and Alliz, and gradually unveiling aspects of their past, exploring the childhood experiences and relationships that shaped them.

“ Dedication to cultural representation positions The Glassworker as a milestone achievement

The animation style itself partially appears as a love letter to one of its inspirations, Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation studio possessing a strong position in the animation industry. Despite the similarity in aspects of the style, the film sets itself apart through its dedication to a magnificent depiction of Pakistani culture, including architectural design, fashion, traditional folklore and cuisine.

By capturing the beauty of Pakistan’s diverse culture and presenting it through the lens of animation, a new perspective is created on the country’s identity and tradition. This positions The Glassworker as a milestone achievement for Pakistani cinema and, kistani tation in

director and animator of the film, but also the co-founder of Mano Animation Studios, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation studio. Though the lack of precedent in handdrawn animation in Pakistan must have been a daunting prospect during the formation of the studio, Riaz received this positively. The absence of the industry was perceived as an invaluable advantage, “because there are no rules, there are no restrictions” to their creative vision.

Growing up as a British Pakistani, I primarily watched Western animated films and rarely saw my own culture represented. The Glassworker thus marks a significant step towards greater and more accurate South Asian representation in mainstream media. It is heartening to hear of a film that not only depicts the charming culture of Pakistan, but also draws on universally relatable themes and experiences. I believe this film has the potential to be sincerely welcomed by audiences worldwide, working towards a connection of cultural gaps and fostering a genuine appreciation for Pakistan as a whole.

As the final term of the year comes to a close, depending on our course and year, we are left scrambling to pack up our lives to head home for the long vacation, and if unfortunate enough we must also prepare for examinations. There is precious little time to spare for even the most necessary things- between revision, final problem sheets and tutorial essays, and seeing friends before parting ways for the summer, taking the time to cook for oneself is at best a luxury and at worst impossible.

At the same time, we have not been lucky enough to reap the usual rewards of Trinitynamely, glorious sun and the myriad outdoor activities that follow - because of the unusually overcast spring. So, although it is the beginning of June and arguably the official beginning of summer, I offer soup.

20-minute lentil soup

Two handfuls red lentils

1 tsp olive or coconut oil

Parsley to top

Although this is a wonderfully simple one-pot recipe, washing lentils as a first step is non-negotiable. Two medium-sized handfuls of red lentils should yield a respectable single serving, and these are easily prepared by placing the lentils into a saucepan and rinsing them repeatedly with cool water until it runs clear. Add the pot with rinsed lentils to the stove on medium heat with olive or coconut oil, and once warm, toss in the chopped garlic and shallot. Onions are an easy substitute if they are on hand, but shallots are equally easy to find in Tesco or Sainsbury’s and provide a richer flavor. Additionally, be sure to add salt, pepper, and chili flakes here.

Once the shallots are soft, add the stock- this step is accelerated by boiling water in a kettle ahead of time so that it is already warm. Once the stock boils, turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Riaz is not only the

With Geo Films joining as a partner with Mano Animation Studios, The Glassworker is set for a July 2024 release in Pakistan. Though an international release of the film has not been announced, and even without an immediate opportunity to see the film in cinemas, its impact is already being felt beyond Pakistan’s borders. The cultural importance of the film profoundly resonates with me, and its production and reception signal a reassuring shift in the industry. Read

1 shallot (or ½ onion), diced

1 clove finely sliced garlic

2 cups stock

Dash of chili flakes, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dash of lemon juice

When the lentils are cooked through, remove the pot from the heat and serve the soup. Top with coarsely chopped parsley and the juice of ½ a lemon.

Read the full article at oxfordstudent.com

Usman

Lentil Soup Credit: Yonko Kilasi

Elliot Francolla is a firstyear History and Economics Student at St John’s.

Identity

identity@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Elsie Haldane

Section Editors: Caitlin Clarke, Georgia Ferris, Lucy Pollock, Sameeha Qureshi

Illustration by Rhea Kaur

Mind the Gap!

Sharon Chau examines the responses to the gender pay gap, and why it closing it is a priority.

For all the laudable progress made by the feminist movement thus far, the gender pay gap still remains a thorny problem. Defined by the OECD as ‘the difference between median earnings of men

“ Many still deny the fact that [the gender pay gap] still poses a problem

and women relative to median earnings of men’, research conducted by United Nations Women shows that worldwide, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. Such stubborn inequality persists because women’s work

is often undervalued and under-renumerated in our current capitalist structure, and because women tend to be concentrated in different jobs than men.

Despite significant evidence that such a gender wage gap exists, many still deny the fact that this poses a problem. A common argument goes: it is now illegal to pay men and women differently for the same jobs, so the gender wage gap does not exist anymore! Another argument goes: women simply choose jobs that pay less, and women choose to drop out of the labour market — thus, any difference in average earnings between men and women is simply a result of women making unfortunate decisions that limit their incomes.

Let’s examine each of these arguments in turn. Firstly, a

work. The former has largely been ameliorated, as it is indeed true that most countries have outlawed explicit gendered discrimination. However, the gap has not completely closed yet, so some work remains to be done.

reach’ because of ‘greedy jobs’ and parenting norms. Such ‘greedy jobs’ refer to high-paying, high-pressure jobs in sectors such as law, finance, and consulting, which are impossible to balance with childcare.

point of definitional clarification is needed here: there are two types of gender pay gaps, namely the controlled and the uncontrolled gap. The controlled gap measures the difference in pay between men and women

“ It is often dismissed by men who profess that women simply choose jobs that pay less

performing the same job, with the same experience and qualifications; the uncontrolled gap represents the overall difference in pay between men and women, considering all the jobs and industries in which they

As for the uncontrolled gap, it is often dismissed by men who profess that women simply choose jobs that pay less because they prefer ‘easier’ jobs, or because they would rather work part-time and look after their kids at home. For the first point, it is indeed true that women are concentrated in low-paid, highly feminised sectors. But we must ask: why are these jobs paid so badly? Why is a teacher paid far less than a trader, even if they work the same number of hours a week or have the same qualifications? The way that our economy is structured means that the jobs that women are socialised into choosing are renumerated and valued less, even if their social utility is higher. We most certainly need structural change to combat that. As to the second point, most of the gender pay gaps can be traced to ‘child penalties’, or more specifically, the ‘motherhood penalty’. The average earnings of men are almost completely unaffected by parenthood, but women’s earnings fall sharply when they become parents.

The Institute for Fiscal Stud ies finds that sev en years after the birth of a first child, women’s earnings are on average less than half of men’s, even if there was a negligible gender wage gap before children. Nobel Prize winner and Harvard economist Claudia Goldin argues that closing this wage gap remains ‘frustratingly out of

“ Most of the gender pay gaps can be traced to ‘child penalties’, or more specifically, the ‘motherhood penalty’

Ultimately, this means that one parent needs to be available in the home, which is unfortunately most often the woman. To combat this problem, Goldin argues that ‘couple’s equity’ is necessary, encouraged by policies such as family-friendly working arrangements, improved childcare and paternity leave, as well as changes in cultural norms surrounding fathers’ roles in the home.

Why should we care about the gender pay gap? For one, a lifetime of income inequality is created between men and women — a 20-year-old woman just starting full-time work stands to lose USD 407K over a 40-year career compared to her male counterpart. This is a sizeable amount which can greatly affect retirement plans and lifetime wealth.

And the fact that women’s earnings plateau mid-career, while men’s continue to climb, is one reason why widowed, divorced, and single women experience higher rates of poverty in old age. This is why we should mind the gap — and make it a policy priority to close it.

Hot pot: A kaleidoscope of memories

Keng Yu Lai is an English student at Regent’s Park and Associate Editor.

Having hot pot was a staple of much of my life — reunion dinners, post-exam treats. Of course, one can’t forget to mention the long walks and chats that follow. It was perhaps unsurprising that one of the first meals I had with my friends in Oxford was hot pot. Barely Michaelmas, we were all incredibly homesick. This was a reason for us to get together again, and to experience a little piece of home. After all, no matter how busy you are, you’d still need to eat. It always feels like a special occasion when one has hot pot,

Assorted Poems by Charlie Bowden

“ It was perhaps unsurprising that one of the first meals I had with my friends in Oxford was hot pot

perhaps partially due to how everyone tries to make time for it as well, and it was an instant (albeit temporary) fix: it brought much needed warmth in the winter. Much of the joy comes from it being deeply communal:

it is not something that can be consumed in small quantities, especially when you’re having it at home. While everyone’s ideal hot pot looks different — personally, I’ll be happy as long as there’s fish — the common denominator is the same: variety. Having a spread that caters to everyone in some way makes it special. You learn more about each other too, likes and dislikes, things you don’t really notice when you’re dining out with someone. At some point, you realise which of your friends are the least likely to give you (or get) food poisoning, and there’s a designated person you look at before eating anything to ensure that it is cooked.

Even the shopping feels communal, even if you’re doing it alone. It feels like a sort of curation. You’re running to multiple supermarkets and stores, trying to put together a combination of what has been requested and what you think they’ll enjoy. At the same time, it feels like you’re sharing your own memories while creating them, as specificities are revealed

and learned. It is at once a thoughtful and chaotic process.

“ Hot pot evokes festivity, celebration and community: these memories are only being added on to

Inevitably, funny moments arise. Broccolis escaping chopsticks, mushrooms that disappear only to resurface nearing the end of the meal. Arguing about which is the best utensil to use. Someone, in their eagerness to eat, forgetting that the tofu puffs are still frozen, and the consequent protests from others (if anyone spots it in time). There’s a certain quality of fun to it.

For me, hot pot evokes festivity, celebration and community: these memories are only being added on to, and I can’t be happier about that. Term is ending soon — I guess what I’m really asking is, when’s the next one?

Michaelmas

A bird perches upon open road without babies to coddle or be swallowed by autumn violins, warmer under rural village streetlights than in any or all of the forty quadrangles that burn steadfast overnight.

It has the same wings as an angel, can take the night as it comes, wrapped in cardboard and packing peanuts or dead on arrival, like a dove shrouded in biodegradable paper. The hundredth man to cry at its limp little feet will burst into confetti.

Birds, like bards, cry October into existence, offer up a brief but deafening cicada scream as if carving meat for a client in the Louvre with their beaks. The people inside, drying out their summer wines, bring out their plates, bite the air if they’re unfed.

The wind rallies a war in heaven with one bird among many tasked with taking the silver sword from the principal parking spot and burying Cupid among the spoons and forks. Love is lost, washed away whole in a sliding silt nightmare while everyone waits for the frost to talk.

Memories snowball through the almost-clay of a college and clear a path to the edge of the cage. The birds matriculate, become angels to celebrate.

Light Rain Soon

There are tiny rockets in the sky, faltering like old dolphins, skin no longer slippery.

I had some dreams and none of them ended like this. It’s not like you can possibly know my insides, my dark red heart, its pull on the dullness of my mind.

Like rain, I pick miniscule holes in the glass of the window, so high up, angelic protectress from the bleakest winds. Like her, you make the world an interesting thing to look through as you comb your mirror-hair.

We’re all getting old; I smell the iron in our blood and wait to be blown up on a projector screen, cherries waiting to be picked, keeping the clouds heavy.

A bout of insomnia: The final edition

Georgie Allan on degree struggles with very little sleep

The term is drawing to a close, and all I want is to draw myself into a ball and have a nap. This isn’t new, nor does it have anything to do with the end of term, it’s a constant state of being. What can I say I’m constantly tired and don’t get enough rest. Can you blame me.

“ Superficial politeness and manners around familiar faces occasionaly go out the window

Insomnia over the past term has taken its toll. I have to say a huge thank you to my flatmates for putting up with me over not just the term, but the year. Family and friends are often consigned to the forgotten role of the indirect victims of any health struggle, involuntarily taking on the burden of putting up with whatever monster it might produce.

I am acutely aware (albeit belatedly) that when I haven’t slept in far too long, as hard as I try, I am not the

My nighttime strolls through the city have brightened a lot lately, as the sunrise shifts earlier and earlier each day. If you happen to have access to a rooftop to watch the light pour over those dreaming spires, it might be the most beautiful thing you see. The oolitic limestone dyed a burning umber by the first rays of the sun bring a new life to the city.

Devoid of tourists and students alike, the streets are usually silent for a few hours. The opportunity to wander through the city centre unmolested is not one to be passed up lightly. Anyone who has watched The Notebook will no doubt recall the scene in which Ryan Gosling lays down in the middle of a crossroads in the dead of night. Not that it’s something I’ve ever done (you can stop panicking mum), but observing the world around you from an unusual perspective has the power to propel you in a new, unexpected direction.

Insomnia forces a shift in perspective by its very nature. Time as modern culture perceives it is entirely distorted, and all the usual milestones of the day are

then so does most of modern life. Studies have increasingly shown that sleep is the key to a long, healthy life, and modern culture which strives to defy fatigue by any means necessary is only moving us further from the goal of immortality.

From the light pollution of our environments by our screens and buildings, to the sound pollution of elec-

“ A 9-5 work culture is too rigid to accommodate

of tea before I left the flat this morning. But this can be damaging in the long term, hindering our ability to perceive our own fatigue. An experiment often cited involving spiders showed the impact it had on their ability to spin webs. Was a web produced? Sure. Was it recognisable as a cohesive web? Absolutely not. Caffeinated spiders are crazier than spiders on LSD.

The sad reality is that it doesn’t need to be this way. A 9 - 5 work culture is too rigid to accommodate. As someone who has struggled with disordered sleeping for years and managed to maintain an academic career alongside it, trying to work on a regular schedule and conform to the body clock of those with regular circadian rhythms can feel like dragging through your day, not living it.

I had hoped that the pandemic and the increased prevalence of work from home would have extended into more accessible corporate models which promoted flexibility. Unfortunately this has not been the case. A culture of making your job your life and answering emails at 2am is only sustainable if

time is also set aside for rest. I can work any hour of the day, but not every hour, every day.

“

A stream of consciousness composed by a sleep deprived brain

The feedback I will get from my editors for this weeks column will almost certainly be that it is disjointed, untethered, illogical and rambling. I know this but would counter that it has a dreamlike structure, in that it has no coherent structure at all. It’s a stream of consciousnous composed by a sleep deprived brain, desperately in need of a hard reset. Also they asked me to fill a whole page and frankly thats a big ask with an hours notice. I generally visualise my life like a dancer, leaping and spinning and moving with a flow, but as I get more and more tired, I lose focus and balance and stability. The more unbalanced I get, the greater the risk that I fall. I can only hope a soft bed of pillows is there to catch me.

An illustration of spider webs on drugs. Credit: Peter Witt

Science

science@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Sabine Zednik- Hammonds

Section Editors: Amelia Bryan, Ava Chan, Krishh Chaturvedi, Gabriella Kchozyan, Sameeha Qureshi

Unprepared for rising temperatures

Gabriella Kchozyan discusses the UK’s

With weather forecasts predicting warmer temperatures in the UK in the coming weeks, the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths is expected to increase.

The 2024 Europe report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change identified a 30.8% increase in heat-related deaths per 100,000 people between the periods of 2003-2012 and 2013-2022. The number of people per 100,000 estimated to die as a result of health-related issues between these periods has increased from 50.8 to 68. Climate change continues to impact the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Studies from the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service show that temperatures

reached record highs worldwide in 2023, with Europe warming twice as fast as the global average rate. This has contributed to the increase in health-related mortality within the continent.

“ Extended periods of hot weather, threaten global health security

Heat-related illnesses include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. While there are ways to protect oneself against heat-related illnesses, exposure to severe or prolonged periods of heat and humidity may lead to death.

Rising temperatures and the increasing frequency of heat-

vulnerability to heatwaves

waves, threaten global health security.

According to a 2023 UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report, the UK experienced its eighth warmest summer on record in 2023, with an estimated 2,295 heat-related deaths across the season. The report also notes that rising temperatures in the UK will lead to up to 10,000 deaths per year due to extreme heat by the 2050s. There is currently no National Heat Resilience Strategy in the UK. Leading a Parliamentary report, Oxford University researchers have been at the forefront of efforts to persuade the UK government to implement a holistic resilience strategy, particularly in the face of heatwaves.

The heatwaves of summer 2022 brought increased attention to the UK’s unpre-

paredness to deal with rising temperatures. The heatwaves placed extra stress on health services, as well as energy and trans portation resourc es. During the Sep tember 2023 heatwaves, Oxfordshire experienced a spike in ambulance de mand of more than 8%.

Now, the Met Office, the UK’s national weather and climate service, is predicting that 2024 could be the hottest year on record, with temperatures in some cities set to be between 30°C and 33°C. Three heatwaves are anticipated to occur throughout June. At the same time, the Met Office’s longrange forecast reports a chance of a wetter-than-average summer.

Still, as temperatures continue to rise, the UK remains pared to deal with the pressures that climate change places on socio-economic development and energy networks. The UKHSA estimates that costs from heat-related mortality and related socio-economic changes in England could amount to £14.7 billion per year in the 2050s.

The climate crisis is directly impacting the UK,leading to more frequent and severe temperature extremes. Policymakers are being urged to consider greater heat resiliency initiatives.

Read the full article on oxsfordstudent.com

Volunteering at Willowbrook Farm

Sameeha Qureshi revisits her time on the UK’s first Halal farm

Last year, I spent three weeks volunteering at Willowbrook Farm, a Muslim-owned, sustainable and eco-friendly farm in Kidlington. When the contact number I had been given was not being answered after my mother dropped me off in the middle of the countryside on a random day in August, I briefly wondered whether I had made

the right decision. But on that very same day, the Radwan family, who own Willowbrook, welcomed us volunteers with open arms.

I spent the first week or so trying to get used to early mornings and lugging 60kg of animal feed across the field. The tasks we were set were hard and often smelly, like when we were asked to muck out the

goat sheds or clean the compost toilets, but this made our sleep well-earned and rewarding. A camaraderie was built among my fellow volunteers, and I formed a great friendship with my friend from Worcester who convinced me to volunteer with her even though we had not previously known each other. I think the greatest of friendships begin when you are both knee deep in goose poop and getting chased by devil goats with murderous intent.

Dr Lutfi Radwan, and Ruby Radwan, the owners of Willowbrook, began their farming journey in 2002 with no prior experience in agriculture.

Dr Lutfi, who was previously a lecturer of Geography at Oxford University, wished to create the UK’s first Halal and Tayyib Farm with a focus on

sustainable practices like the avoidance of pesticides and harmful chemicals, and ethical rearing of livestock.

“ The greatest of friendships begin when you are both knee deep in goose poop

During our time at the farm, my friend Salma and I learned about the diverse ways in which the family engaged in sustainability, not just in their farming practices, but in their personal lives too. From using electric cars to growing their own vegetables and even building a house on the farm using 70% natural clay from

the land itself, their passion and care for environmental conservation and responsible stewardship was clear.

The ways in which they integrated Islam and environmentally friendly practices were a refreshing experience for me, and being on the farm, removed from my typical dayto-day life, was something I hadn’t realised I needed. The spiritual nature of their work, with Islamic ideals providing a powerful motivating force behind their actions, has helped me to be more meaningful about how I interact with the environment as a Muslim.

While in Oxford, whether you’re an environmentalist or simply uncertain about how to become more sustainable, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Willowbrook Farm for insights and inspiration.

Qureshi poses in front of geese. Credit: Sameeha Qureshi

The Eco Corner

The Oxford lawn: Balancing tradition and sustainability

Sabine Zednik-Hammonds

Continued from page 1

Prior to the seventeenth century, college quadrangles at Oxford functioned primarily as functional domestic spaces, paved or cobbled for heavy use and easy cleaning, according to Lincoln College Garden Fellow Peter McCullough. The principal quadrangles of Corpus Christi and Merton College remain the only two to have never been turfed.

Even into the early twentieth century, this limitation persisted. In a 1675 engraving by David Loggan, the lawn on Brasenose College’s Old Quad is nowhere to be seen. Instead, it depicts hedges and trees in the style of a knot garden surrounded by a low ornamental wall. It was not until 1727 that these were replaced with a grassy turf. The fragility and expense of handmown lawns restricted their appearance in colleges to fellows’ and heads of colleges’ gardens before the introduction of the petrol lawn-mower in the late Victorian era. Even into the early twentieth century, this limitation persisted. At Lincoln College, the Front and Chapel Quads remained unturfed until a decision in 1947 to lay down a grass plot. It is no surprise, then, that when in 2020 members of

vestments in fossil fuels, they chose to dig up the ‘sacred’ lawn. Similarly, the Oxford Action for Palestine movement recently dug up part of the Radcliffe Camera’s lawn to plant an olive tree. By disrupting these formal lawns, protestors are making a broader statement: challenging the long-standing norms and socio-cultural dynamics underlying the presence of lawns in these spaces.

Beyond their symbolic embodiment of tradition, manicured lawns have also frequently come under fire for their environmental impact. Sustainability concerns tend to fall under two categories: excessive consumption of resources and lack of biodiversity. Not only do some lawn mowers consume a lot of gasoline, but the maintenance of a turf’s velvety green appearance can require large quantities of water. As for biodiversity, lawns often draw criticism for being monocultures artificially enhanced by harmful chemical fertilisers, herbi

“ Manicured lawns provided the perfect symbol of wealth and status “ Lawns often draw criticism for being monocultures

have not gone ignored at Oxford. At Lincoln College, mowing is now entirely fossil-free as they have switched to electric mowers. Re garding watering, Lin coln has a strict morato rium, or as McCullough put it “if they go brown in summer, so be it.”

Balliol College Gardener Shane Corkery recalled that during a heatwave that hit a peak of 40°C in the summer of 2022, he decided to let the lawns go brown for a number of weeks. As for biodiversity, Christ Church Head Gardener John James pointed out that “if not over maintained they [lawns] can be very biodiverse.” Christ Church College’s lawns are made up of an evolving mixture of many grass species, including perennial ryegrass, creeping red fescues, and bent grasses upon which no fungicides or pesticides have been used in

fer “none of the necessary attractiveness” expected of the principal lawns throughout the rest of the year.

coln is peat-free. Head Gardener Mike Hawkins has begun to grow all of their window-box annuals from seed. This not only saves them expense, but, as McCullough emphasised, would also move them away from mass commercial horticulture “that we both [McCullough and Hawkins] strongly dislike.” At Christ James told the he has restorChurch Meadow’s floodplain meadows by spreading green hay from the ancient local floodplain. The Meadow has also witnessed the resurgence of plants that had nearly disappeared such as cowslips and wild orchids, after he reduced mowing from weekly to annually.

Beyond the neat edges of

Oxford may never be able to part completely with its iconic lawns. But it is encouraging to see those responsible for preserving them exploring ways to align this relatively recent tradition (in Oxford terms)

Lincoln College Front Quad lawn. Credit: Caro Wallis

Stay up to date with the Oxford SU transformation by following us on social media, find all the links below!

Read Rordon Gamsay’s reactions on Twitter @OxYou and the Sunday Roast on the OxStu Instagram

The Ox You

oxyou@oxfordstudent.com

| Deputy Editor: Olly DeHerrera | Section Editors: Ella Goodwin, Florence Purcell

Atik Requiem: An ode to the cheese floor

OxYou Team reports.

As Oxford’s most desperate student newspaper announced this term, the beloved home of depressed freshers and procrastinating finalists is shutting. It’s a shame to see ATIK leave Parkend, as the road will now be in a similar state to a post-apocalyptic wasteland. We’re reflecting on the highs and lows of Wednesday’s top spot using the top tips from Humanists UK in writing a eulogy, so welcome to ATIK’s funeral.

1. “The best advice for how to write a eulogy is to speak from the heart, in a way that fits the person who has died.”

On this logic, the best way for this remembrance to fit ATIK is to forget the occasion altogether. A round of jager bombs might seem inappropriate for a funeral, but it might be the only way to suffer the blow of only having an empty Plush or a hack-filled Bridge for a night out from now on. A heartfelt ode to the cheese floor should be forgotten in the same way as a Wednesday bender, only to open Facebook the next day to see the photographer post-

ing your worst moments for all to see.

2. “Make it personal and conversational.”

The Cherwell comment section on the heartbreaking announcement saw many personal reflections on ATIK’s role in Oxford life. One soul remarked “the worst person you know just fell to their knees”, while another called it “terrible news for anyone whose puffer jacket is like a son to them”. Jokes at the expense of our suffering at ATIK’s loss could be a little insensitive at our final goodbye, and regardless the funniest joke in that comment section was calling the paper’s work “proper journalism”.

3. “If they weren’t a formal person, then don’t make the eulogy too formal.”

Formality and ATIK aren’t necessarily two concepts one would normally connect, but there’s no better way to contrast the glamour of an Oxford ball with a cosy afterparty in the city’s most sophisticated rendezvous. Surely featuring this eulogy in Oxford’s premier toilet paper (Jevelyn’s words, not ours) can suffice for this honour?

4. “Write a list of words that spring to mind when you think about the person who has died. Sometimes putting together a timeline of their life can be useful too.”

One could only dream of putting together a timeline worthy of honouring ATIK’s glorious life in its entirety, but a single night may suffice for our purposes. Hordes of students who have more overdue essays than pitchers consumed have historically made their way to Parkend every Wednesday, to endure hours of “timeless classics” (read: ‘Come On Eileen’ and ‘Love Story’). The answer is no - our long-suffering style columnist can attest.

We may conclude with a short list of words to remember ATIK by - its best attributes, if you will: sticky; spenny; and home to a DJ that will call you a virgin on request. No wonder the people keep coming back.

5. “Think about what you might say to that person if they were with you. What would you like to tell them?”

A conversation with a personified ATIK would go very different ways depending on which of our editors was having it. The 2024 May Day queue split our team - quite literally. While one was fighting for their life being pressed up against a man’s bare back for over an hour, the other was skipping to the front thanks to her beloved bouncer bestie. Despite such a contrast, we’d like to give ATIK a fond goodbye. The location’s unique labyrinth structure and a soundtrack to rival our lay-in playlist will be missed. If there’s anything we can agree on, it’s telling ATIK that Oxford won’t be the same without it.

Rordon Gamsay replies to your ethical dilemnas in the OxStu newsletter, sign up on our website

He is always watching.

Best of the

Rordon Gamsay reports.

- OUCA -

Rordon decided to give Port and Policy another shot this term, to see if they had finally managed to elect men of OUCA interested in recruiting women for more than fulfilling their sexual fantasies. There appears to be a drought of women lusting for the next Boris Johnson, with recent male grooming trends turning their heads away from disheveled men.

Rordon is always excited for the Port and Policy surprise third motion to be revealed on the night, assuming it isn’t ruined by yet another data leak. Unsurprising was the revelation that OUCA committee meetings are often craftily disguised as spoons trips. Though Rordon concedes that since their fall from the Union debate chamber to a high street coffee shop, the association’s prestige is

Roast

accordingly diminished to render such meetings barely necessary at all.

- Flee the unionFearful that he would be the victim of one of the seemingly endless tribunals mounted by the Union recently, Rordon has made himself scarce. Some might think this was due to his unpaid taxes, Trinity killing spree, kleptomania or aggressive sexual advances towards everyone he sees, but rumour has it the tribunal truly objects to his fashion sense. Everyone knows not to pair florals with stripes this summer…except Rordan.

On the plus side Rordon has realised that his self hatred is nothing compared to the self-loathing of the Oxford Union. It would seem that that institution is intent on its own destruction, a level a dissatisfaction Rordon the depths of which Rordon is yet to reach.

v

✵ Atik crowd. Credit: Oxford Magazine

sport@oxfordstudent.com | Deputy Editor: Haochen Wang

Section Editors: Purav Menon, Johannes Riese

NBA Finals: Those who

made it and those who didn’t?

227 days from the start of the season, and 47 days from when the NBA became actually worth watching, the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks will meet head-tohead in the NBA finals. This will be the 23rd appearance in franchise history for the former, only the third for the latter, but still a big deal for both as only one team will come away with the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy, named after the legendary NBA commissioner who presided over the introduc tion of the threepoint line. Perhaps in the future they will rename it to the Adam Silver trophy, a recognition of his achievements in presiding over the introduction of foul-baiting, flopping, and above all, Ben Simmons. But why is this NBA finals trophy such a big deal? Well, buckle up, it’s time for a quick history lesson.

Let’s start firstly with the teams who didn’t make it to the NBA

finals. Among them include the Lakers, Warriors, and Suns, three teams who had high expectations coming into the season, owing to the aura of LeBron James, waning dynasty of the Warriors, and the Big Three down in Phoenix. However, as the season progressed, it became clear that aura is not enough to win a title, and that, unbeknownst to Lakers fans, a team has to actually play together and win games to have a shot at making a deep playoff run. Similarly, it seems like the Warriors decided to self-sabotage, with Steph Curry getting injured seven times this season, Klay Thompson taking on a new role as the water boy, and Draymond Green deciding to make the on-court switch to MMA. To top it all off, the Warriors pulled off an all-time choke the play-in against their state rivals the Sacramento Kings, where Klay’s four rings didn’t stop him from shooting 0-10 or being blown out by 30 points. In contrast, the Phoenix Suns

at least made the playoffs, and though Durant was exposed by a man who was starting high school as he was starting in the NBA, and Booker was proved unworthy of the NBA 2K23 cover, they can take minimal comfort in the fact that they got swept by the eventual Western Conference Finals runners-up. Noticeably omitted from the discussion above were some

“ ...a team has to actually play together and win games to have a shot at making a deep playoff run

other favourites to win the title, in the OKC Thunder, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers. These were more unfortunate losses, as the Thunder started strong as the first seed, met the Pelicans who were a straight sweep, but lost to the Mavs in two by three, then almost won, but ended up losing by one. Similarly, the reigning Denver Nuggets did all NBA fans a favour by sending the Lakers to Cancun in the first round, and pushed the Tim-

berwolves to the final game of the series where they decided it was far enough and sulked the game away with 30 seconds left. Finally, the Clippers, who also started strong after having the first season in years where both Paul George and Kawhi spent more time in basketball jer-

“ Critics have their cards on the Boston Celtics...

seys than Nike tech fleece, but it wasn’t enough, as they crashed out to the even tual finalists in the Mavericks, with no help from Westbrook’s now trademark single figure outing.

Any NBA fan will have noticed by now that all teams mentioned to this point have been in the Western Conference. Any NBA fan will also know that the reason for that is because of the dire lack of competition in the Eastern Conference this season, where the first seeded Celtics were able to go a huge 14 games clear of the second seeded Knicks. Indeed – though unreliable, and unaccredited sources may make libellous claims that I stated Jalen Brunson to be the best guard in the league at a point – there really was no hindrance to the Celtics walking to the NBA finals. The lack of formidable competition in the Eastern Conference has led to the Celtics losing only two games so far in the postseason, whilst Jaylen Brown was able to dispel criticisms of his $300m dollar contact, winning the Eastern Conference Final MVP against a team who could neither prevent

him from scoring 119 points against them, nor force him left. This has led to many critics noting how “favourable” their finals run has been, having not really been “battle-tested.”

So, who really is the favourite to win it all? Again, critics have their cards on the Boston Celtics, who are 4/9 favourites whilst the Dallas Mavericks are 13/8 underdogs. This can only be expected with such a strong team, over half of which has NBA finals experience, whilst the other half includes a centre who resembles myself in stature, standing at an impressive 7 feet and 2 inches. Further, their achievement this season should not be downplayed, as winning 64 games to attain the first seed by such a large margin cannot be explained away by sheer luck, it is the reason they were consistently ranked first in power rankings and favou - rites to go all the way as far back as April. Nevertheless, the Mavericks have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with, as Stan Van Gundy (controversially, yet not incorrectly) labelled Kyrie and Luka the “most talented backcourt of all time,” they should not be counted out before it has begun.

With this series being a chance for Tatum to get his first ring at only 19 years old, Brown to get the first of five rings that he promised Taylor Rooks he’d have in six years ago, Luka to earn some respect and substantiate the LeBron comparisons, or Kyrie to get revenge against the team that scorned him and the institution that kept him out of the NBA 75 anniversary team, the stakes have never been higher. One thing is for sure, this series will go down to the wire, and is one not to miss.

Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Credit: Egrova Svetlana

Sam Bankole

French Open: Normal or abnormal?

Johannes Riese dissects

the

storylines unfolding on the clay of Roland Garros this year.

Novak Djokovic beat Lorenzo Musetti in a five-set epic comeback at 03:07 Parisian local time on Sunday morning, which is the latest finish in Roland Garros history. Besides the insanity of the late finish that does not happen in any other sport (Wimbledon is smart enough to have a 23:00 curfew), the match represented Djokovic’s seemingly re-awakening. Coming off one of his best-ever seasons in 2023, he has struggled with form all year and still has not won a title. Yet in his victory against Musetti, he showed his trademark competitiveness and ferocious defiance that propelled him to hold the all-time men’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles. It is worth noting that Djokovic beat Musetti in a similar five-set comeback at Roland Garros in 2021 when he went on to win the title.

Besides Djokovic’s poor form, the other two favourites head-

ing into Roland Garros also faced injury concerns - Carlos Alcaraz is wearing a strap to protect his forearm which saw him skip the final warm-up tournament in Rome. Similarly, Jannik Sinner pulled out of Rome because of a hip injury. Thus, it’s not difficult to see why this edition of Roland Garros has been heralded as the most open since 2004.

“ Alcaraz displayed his unique blend of aggression and finesse

That being said, both players, like Djokovic, seem to have found their form. Sinner did not drop a set in his first three matches. In the third round, Alcaraz displayed his unique blend of aggression and finesse in a straight-set victory over

Sebastian Korda, a player who has beaten him before on this surface. Meanwhile, the second-tier favourites have shown their typical struggles. Alexan der Zverev (who faces domes tic abuse charges in Germany) should have lost to Tal lon Griesk poor who led by two breaks in the fifth set. Zverev has a history of unnecessarily being dragged into five-setters in early rounds. Casper Ruud nearly lost to Davidovich Fokina in the second round in another five-set thrill er. Andrey Rublev exhibited his characteristic yet deeply disturbing implosion in a loss to Matteo Arnaldi. If I were a betting man, Alcaraz, Sinner, or Djokovic would be hoisting the trophy on Sunday. A return to normality.

The Time Capsule

It’s safe to say that OxStu journalism has ruffled more than its fair share of feathers over the years. However, to my knowledge, only on one occasion have journalists from this paper ruffled enough feathers to be tried in a University court. It seems fitting for the final instalment of this Time Capsule series to focus on perhaps the most dramatic story in the history of the OxStu. It was somewhat well-known at the beginning of the twenty-first century that the University’s IT security was unsophisticated. Two OxStu editors, Patrick Foster and Roger Waite, sought to show just how unsophisticated it was by using hacking software freely available online to bypass their security systems and access personal data. The initial front page story the OxStu ran on Foster and Waite’s findings noted that

they had uncovered CCTV footage, email passwords, and student conversations on MSN within minutes. The editors stated that anybody with a “modicum of technical knowledge” could jeopardise the privacy and safety of University members with ease. The article ended with a statement that Foster and Waite had given all their findings over to the University and Thames Valley Police, but they had not received a response from either by the time they went to print on 27 May 2004. A response came two weeks later in the final edition of the academic year: Foster and Waite had been referred to the Disciplinary Court by the Senior Proctor for breaking the University’s computing statutes. The court had the power to issue fines of up to £500, restrict access to University buildings, and impose rustication for up to a year. The

There is, though, one absolutely abnormal thing about this tournament – Rafael Nadal lost to Zverev in straight sets... in the first round! The draw gods did not smile favourably upon the venerated champion. on what is presumably Nadal’s last endeavour at the French Open, it is worth reflecting on his 14 victories that crowned him the King of Clay. That achievement alone belongs with the likes of Michael Phelps’ 23 Olympic gold medals. No player has ever been more dominant on a single surface at a single tournament. His record at Roland Garros is an astounding 112 victories and four losses. The last defeat stung but it is the 112 victories that will leave the lasting impression.

by Charlie Bowden

Proctors could recommend a course of action to them but they did not have to abide by it.

The story soon made it to the national papers. The Guardian’s coverage noted that Foster and Waite were questioned for an hour each by the Proctors in a “virtual cell”, dressed in caps and gowns. After these interrogations the Proctors recommended that the court issue them both with a fine, as they both admitted to breaking the statutes. However, as was reported in Michaelmas 2004, when Foster had become OxStu Editor-in-Chief, the court decided rustication was a more suitable punishment. Foster, seen to be the ringleader of the operation, was ordered to be suspended for two terms and Waite for one.

The story of the OxStu Two, as they had been affectionately termed by their own paper,

Real Madrid 2:0 Dortmund in Champion’s League

Real Madrid have yet again emerged as the victors of the Champion’s League, defeating Dortmund with two goals in the second half.

Possibly the biggest sporting export Oban, Scotland has seen, golfer Robert MacIntyre earned his first win on the PGA Tour in confident fashion, one stroke ahead of runner-up Robert MacIntyre wins Canadian Open

had already received considerable support from local and national figures, but after their imposed rustication the fury was palpable.

The rustication order was stayed pending appeal, but Foster and Waite had to move out of their student accommodation during the appeal process. As reported in the University Gazette, their appeal was successful. Foster and

Waite’s punishments were commuted to fines of £150 and £120 respectively, which were paid by the Oxford SU, at the end of Michaelmas 2004. Speaking to the Times Higher Education Supplement on the news of their punishment being commuted, Foster, then a finalist, said: “The only bad thing to come out of this is that I no longer have an excuse not to do any work”.

An OxStu front page from MT04. Credit: Charlie Bowden

A year in Oxford rowing

With Summer VIIIs concluding, Haochen Wang reports back on a year of rowing in Oxford.

Oxford and Cambridge have long established their reputations as institutions running at the forefront of academic excel lence. Yet the two uni versities’ rowing clubs, Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC) and Oxford Univer sity Boat Club (OUBC), are also home to some of the most elite university rowers in the world. Though all eyes are locked to the an nual Boat Race, rowing is a recurrent theme throughout the year at Oxbridge. A particular-

ly hot summer in 2023 echoed long-standing sentiments of global warming, and indeed, come 2023 Michaelmas term, with unprecedented levels of rain, Oxford was flooded, and quickly saw its hopes of getting into the river dashed. On the University side, Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) had to resort to lengthy land training sessions that their counterparts in Ely didn’t have to. For the greater populace of novice freshers and returners who sought to re-engage with college rowing, flooding proved similarly challenging.

Puzzles

Crossword by Elyse Airey

With races in Michaelmas cancelled, early risers would have seen an uncharacteristic ambience and quietness on the Isis. Flooding didn’t just stop in Michaelmas, Torpids in Hilary, one of the two biggest intra-university rowing events (alongside the Trinity Term Summer VIIIs), was cancelled – a blow dealt not only to the boat clubs, but to the morale of students as these events have historically been magnets for socialising and some true disengaging away from the seemingly un-ending tutorial work.

This lack of rowing, while allowing some sleeping in, certainly showed its effects in the Boat Race where, following

in last year’s footsteps, Cambridge swept the match in dominant fashion.

“

Oriel and Christ Church emerged as Heads of the River

Of course, this was not aided by the heavy presence of E. Coli in the Thames which sunk its claws into many Oxford rowers, with rower Leonard Jenkins saying “We’ve had a few guys go down with E. Coli strain.” However, as with many things, rowing bounced back stronger in Trinity, with flood-

ing long gone and the sun reinvigorating spirits, Summer VIIIs proved, as ever, to be a main attraction of Trinity term. In terms of the stories, there were too many to regale, but Oriel and Christ Church emerged, respectively, as the Men’s and Women’s Head of the River, justifiably followed by college-wide celebrations.

But Summer VIIIs is indubitably more than just who emerges as Head of the River – it is a celebration of hard work, camaraderie, and a chance to destress amidst the busy schedules so embedded in the summer term. And in 2024, it is those themes that shine particularly prominently.

ACROSS:

1. Cancelled patronages not ran cunningly(7,3,5)

8. Increasing hair loss (6)

9. Organ swimming at the docks? (9)

10. Author has plain success (7)

11. Pasta gathered for rock

rat (4)

12. A fight sounds relaxing (4)

13. Abandoned grout with disgust (7)

14. Tie arsenic at the head of baby’s bed (5)

15. Maniac shark shot through the legs (6)

19. Impulse to start up reading George Eliot (4)

20. Cartoon supervillain trapped in falling rubble (3)

21. Maiden mixed up with messy ascot-ish pain lover? (9)

23. Come to terms with Greek fruit (7)

24. Drop to the ground reported as a crime (6)

25. One mediating short citations (3)

26. Mistake set pupils back (4-2)

27. Get argy with insider in the front row (9)

DOWN:

1. Brother in pieces is putting up collateral (11)

2. Sergeant hanging around Hindi party (7)

3. Slack nightdress trimmed with scriptures (9)

4. Positioning the east? (9)

5. Crazed seer airs concerns again (8)

6. Singer has endless trouble with love (10)

7. Son carries mollusc (4)

14. Heel hurts around big bump (8)

16. Audio

output (8)

17. Ring and secret marriage makes a greek wife (8)

18. Betrayer initially just used denial as skill (5)

19. Tool sent in lieu is lacking energy (7)

21. Head doctor bikes on performance enhancing drugs (6)

22. I gather the flu patient is safe? (6)

23. Implements of dreadful rage (4)

- Medium