THE
OXFORDSTUDENT One step ahead since 1991
Volume 73 Issue 3
Interview with UK chart topper Ella Eyre » OXII Page 3
Thursday 7th May 2nd Week
oxfordstudent.com
Interview with Hollywood director James Kent » Page 13
The better sport: rugby league or rugby union? » Page 22
Students are ‘not reporting violent bouncers’ to police • Under-reporting of nightclub assaults uncovered by newly released figures LUKE MINTZ EDITOR
Can Layla do it?
Moran on the verge of unseating Tory in Oxford West and Abingdon. See page 5. James Gourley/Liberal Democrats
Oxford police have come under fire this week for apparently failing to take reports of bouncer violence seriously, following the release of new police figures. According to Freedom of Information figures obtained by The Oxford Student, Thames Valley Police did not record a single offence in Oxford during 2012 or 2013 in which a bouncer was the alleged offender, and only 5 in 2014. These fairly low numbers stand in contrast to student accounts of widespread bouncer violence, in which nightclub staff have been accused of dragging students out of clubs for “absolutely no reason”, threatening students with excessive physical violence, and angrily shoving students against walls. Some students have blamed this apparent “under-reporting” of bouncer violence on a “police culture in which students are not
taken seriously”. “They’re attitude is always just ‘look at these annoying drunk students complaining about something’,” one second-year undergraduate and victim of bouncer violence commented, “it creates an atmosphere in which students are discouraged from complaining about ridiculous and excessive bouncer violence because they think they won’t be taken seriously”. One History student described a recent incident at an Oxford nightclub in which a bouncer “hooked me in the right temple”, leaving “a big purple bruise over my eye for the next week”. “I never touched the bouncer in question,” the student continued, “or even came within a threatening distance of him.” When he called Thames Valley Police to report the assault, however, the officers were allegedly “not interested” in responding to the complaint. Continued on page 6 »
No student love for “ear-splitting” and “dystopian” Christian music event • Broad Street was rocked into the early hours as ‘anti-social’ Christian festival kept students awake ahead of finals.
LAURA WHETHERLY DEPUTY EDITOR
Students have voiced anger over “unacceptable” levels of noise during the annual Love Oxford event, held on Broad Street on Sunday morning. Love Oxford, a Christian festival involving participants from churches across Oxford, was scheduled to run from 11am – 12:45, but students’ complaints have reported sound checks taking place as early as 9am in the city-centre location. Cason Reily, a second-year Trinity student, commented: “It was a weekend without any peace or quiet for us Trinity students. I was mistaken in thinking that the end of Wadstock at midnight and Balliol Ball at 3AM would allow some respite. “ Lovefest came on that morning louder than either of the previous nights’ events,
making both work and rest impossible. The blaring Christian ballads seemed more geared to make finalists and students unhappy that to promote love of any sort.” Another student, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “I could hear the sound pretty clearly from Cornmarket. I didn’t mind – I’m a Christian and think mass events like these are great for the church community to come closer together. It didn’t seem fair on the students living around the area though; I appreciate not everyone wants to get woken up with calls of “hallelujah” first thing on a Sunday morning.” Sunday morning’s event was the 10th Love Oxford event, and last year involved participants from over 30 churches in the city, including St Aldates and Oxford Bible Church. Several hundred individuals are estimated to have attended on Sunday
morning to take part in the open-air service, which included prayers and songs, delivered from a stage via sound systems. According
“ My windows and doors were shaking... the music was unnecessarily loud
”
to Love Oxford’s website, the three aims of the event were “to unite in praise, preach the gospel and pray for Oxford”.
In 2014, the event was scheduled to take place on Broad Street, but was moved following clashes with university exams. Many of the students’ complaints focused on the effect of the event on finalists, such as Exeter student Alice Nutting, who said: “My finals start in two weeks and the noise outside woke me up early. It also made it impossible for me to revise. My windows and door were shaking. Apparently the Bodleian and several other colleges were also affected. Broad Street seemed like a completely inappropriate venue in light of the noise disturbance; the music was unnecessarily loud”. At least two students have stated that they have already made official complaints to Oxford City Council in order to air their views on the event. One letter, posted on the Love Oxford’s Facebook page, described
the noise as “ear-splitting”, adding that, “students from at least 7 colleges (Exeter, Jesus, Lincoln, Balliol, Trinity, Hertford, Wadham) were affected… The noise was unbelievably loud. It could easily be heard from the corner of Parks Road and South Parks Road”. The draft complaint continued by noting that “ I am reasonably sure that your average rock band would not be given a license to perform on Broad Street on a Sunday morning” and suggesting that it would be more suitably held in University Parks or somewhere else less central. Fred Cascarini, one of the students to make an official complaint, stated: “I acted primarily in support of my partner who, as an Exeter student, was significantly disrupted by the event. Continued on page 7 »
2 Editorial
7th May 2015
THE OXFORDSTUDENT
Editorial Editors: Nasim Asl & Luke Mintz
One step ahead since 1991
This week in Oxford.
Student comment
Election Day
of the week Nasim Asl
“I can honestly think of more worthwhile people to interview than the Chuckle Brothers”
‘You’re drunk and here half an hour early. Go and get a coffee’ Said early on May Day morning
Alumnus of the week Brasenose or Corpus Christi PPE or... PPE
Monsieur Jean-Pierre, Translator
@Liv_Merrett
“You might surprise yourself with what you can achieve in the Union.”
Jean Pierre:
“You might, through shady and unclear procedure, end up as President. ”
Seeing ball photos on your Facebook feed this weekend Roberto Weeden-Sanz somehow ending up in the Cabinet of a postelection coalition due to ‘procedural necessity’ Brasenose ball ending with a braying of ‘Free David Cameron (‘s parliamentary majority)’
1/10 5/1 20/1
And the rest If you fancy a break from the incessant political coverage, take a look at our back sections. We have a number of strong interviews with big names this week - Arts and Lit talk to David Nichols about his heartbreakingly beautiful bestseller One Day over on page 13 of OXII, whilst page 3 sees Music speak with chart topper Ella Eyre on her rise to stardom. OXII takes on a fairytale theme this week, as Screen contemplates the rise of Disney’s live action films (page 12), a topic that’s sure to divide the masses. Just outside the pullout, page 13 hosts a Profile interview with director of Testament of Youth, James Kent. Comment and Features, as always, flick between the wider world and our Oxford microcosm, with thought provoking articles on Live Below the Line and a report of a screening of India’s Daughter providing ruminative material. We would also like to make a clarification. In our article, “‘Cash for influence’ politics must end now”, we suggested that Martin Taylor has donated to the Labour Party in return for influence. In fact, Mr Taylor has not donated for any influence whatsoever, and donates because he supports the Labour Party, their policies and their principles. We would like to apologise to Mr Taylor and are happy to set the record straight.
STAGE
INTERVIEW: ACT NATURALLY! PERFORMING AT THE PLAYHOUSE p.6
FASHION ETERNAL ELEGANCE p.10
SCREEN
MODERN DISNEY: WHEN YOU CASH IN ON A STAR p.12
‘Come on chaps’, ‘DC’, Brasenose College:
Look, I think it’s right and proper and important that you want to, you know, work hard and get on Letters publishing your General Election hand out, but why the hell did you have to publish all the other to the Editors. byparties’ pitches as well? We all know that the Tory candidate for Oxford East, sorry West, what’shis-name is just a thoroughly decent sort of bloke, and, the choice is just, you know, between me
Send in your letters of and Ed. He sold his brothers’ organs, you know? Didn’t put that did you? unwavering support to ‘Bluecoat’s performance has made me redblooded’, our esteemed editors at: Anonymous, second year, St Hugh’s College:
editor@ oxfordstudent.com
odds-ford bets.
Elsewhere in news, you can read about student anger over plans to merge the Sackler Library and the Oriental Institute (page 3). Whatever your view on this increasingly controversial issue, we are glad that students at our University a demanding a say in how it is run. With each of us paying (at least) £9,000 a year for our education, it is more important now than ever that we demand that the facilities and organisation of our University be structured in a way that suits us, as students.
Our main story this week concerns an issue which seems to have affected a surprising number of students at our University: violence from nightclub bouncers, and how it is dealt with by Oxford police.
Editors Deputy Editors
This is for the curly haired cutie lurking in the OxStu lair... The internet has many arousing videos, but none as amorous as the 2011 Bluecoat performance of Beauty and the Beast: you may be selling books, but I’m more interested in your fingers than any well-thumbed copies...
Nasim Asl & Luke Mintz David Barker, Kate Bickerton, Laura Hartley, Hugh McHale-Maughan, Srishti Nirula and Laura Whetherly News Editors Jasmine Cameron-Chileshe, Jennier Lee and Cason Reilly Comment Editors Polly Mason & Kathryn Welsh Music Editors Naomi Southwell & Jacob Wiseman Screen Editors Thomas Bannatyne & Megan Erwin Fashion Editors Elizabeth Evans & Charlotte Lanning Arts & Lit Editors Marcus Li & William Shaw Stage Editors William Aslet & Lucy Oliver Features Editors Ariane Laurent-Smith & Elle Tait Sports Editors Alice Richardson & Ben Sanders
STAFF
The Next Prime Minister
degree of physical authority, and any abuse of that authority is a very serious matter.
News
OXII
Tutor comment of the week
Today, as a nation, we will take to the polling stations in droves to cast our votes for the people and parties we want to govern us for the next five years. Our first vote is a powerful one, and it’s one that a lot of undergraduates here will be making today. This is our first chance to let our voices be heard on a national scale; it is predicted that young people could have the potential to swing the vote at this election, so now more than ever is a time for us to remain open-minded and rational: question what you know about the parties, question what they’ll do, and2 question what they have done in the past. Some of the graduates amongst us may have done this before, and only they will know whether they marked their cross next to the ‘right’ person last time around. We are hoping that student turnout in our Oxford constituencies will be high, and by the time our next issue is released we will know where the future governance of our country lies. In the meantime, check out the array of political opinion present in Features and Comment, as well as on our website.
We would like to point out that many members of security staff, in Oxford and elsewhere, go about their job with the highest degree of professionalism, and would never dream of using unnecessary or excessive violence. When bouncers do behave violently, however, they must be held to account, and the under-reporting of nightclub assaults that our figures appear to highlight is very concerning. Whilst many may brush off this sort of behaviour as an inevitable feature of a drunken night out, there is no excuse for security staff to punch and shove students when they are not behaving threateningly. Bouncers are invested with a substantial
Deputy News Editors Deputy Comment Editors Deputy Music Editor Deputy Screen Editor Deputy Arts & Lit Editors Deputy Stage Editor Deputy Features Editors Deputy Sports Editor Photographers
Scott Harker, Louis Mercier, and Latifah Sat Carolina Bax, Daniel Coleman and Elizabeth Webb Sean McIntyre Hector Manly Daniel Haynes, Sam Sykes and Georgia Watson Philippa Stacey Lynton Lees, Kate Plummer and Jamie Russell Taylor Yu Saskia Mondon-Ballantyne and Bethan Jones
Illustrator Chief Sub-Editor Sub-Editors
Associate Editors
Laura Mackenzie Sam Harman Jennifer Allan, Olivia Brown, Veronica Corsi, Henrietta Mosforth, James Sewry, Elizabeth La Trobe and Siddarth Venkataramakrishnan Alys Key, Sachin Croker and Jess Sinyor
Editors can be contacted at editor@oxfordstudent.com and Section Editors can be contacted through this address. We follow the code of practices and conduct outlined by the Press Complaints Commission. Address complaints to The Editors, 2 Worcester Street, Oxford, OX1 2BX, email: oxstucomplaints@ousu.org.
7th May 2015
News 3
Student publication comes under fire for “inappropriate” joke • New College undergraduate magazine included a controversial joke that “trivialised sexual violence” JASMINE CAMERON-CHILESHE NEWS EDITOR
The Newt, New College’s JCR magazine, has come under severe criticism after publishing a joke accused of trivialising sexual violence. The magazine, which has a readership of 2,000, published the joke, which read: ‘No I haven’t punched a girl during sex. But never say never’ on page eight. This joke has been accused of “reinforcing sexist attitudes” and damaging the reputation of the College, especially among potential applicants. Chris Green, director of The White Ribbon anti-violence campaign argued “the inappropriate page header of the ‘newspaper’ which is delivered to every pigeonhole in New College reinforces sexist and controlling disrespectful attitudes which students are already excessively exposed to. Only a foolhardy publisher would put such an offensive quote into a newspaper. The publishers would do well to offer a page to an anti-violence organisation to explain the issues as a minimum response.” One New College student (who wished to remain anonymous) condemned the paper’s actions, stating “The Newt is hardly The Times and therefore as a college publication, the magazine is naturally light-hearted in tone. However, there is no justification for the trivialisation of sexual violence. By projecting sensitive and serious issues in such a casual manner it encourages and make such attitudes towards women permissible”.
These comments come just a week after the launch of the #NotGuilty campaign in Oxford, which aims to raise awareness of sexual assault among undergraduates. The campaign, which was started by a 20-year-old Keble College student, has gained national media attention. Speaking to The Oxford Student, New College Welfare Officer Katy Sheridan affirmed that the college remained committed to tackling sexual violence, saying, “At New College we have a very active and appropriately trained welfare team who take extremely seriously the importance of supporting survivors of sexual violence. The welfare team have undertaken first responder and peer support training. “New College JCR in no way endorses the trivialisation of sexual violence; such an attitude grossly misrepresents the strongly supportive community we have at New College”. The Newt has also come under fire in the past for comments on an under-21 rugby club social held in the college. The magazine was also accused of anti-Semitism in an incident in 2008, following an article entitled “Jewish economic policy” which was said to be “deeply offensive” and has since been removed from the internet. With a reported 400,000 women sexually assaulted each year, the comments issued by the magazine have exacerbated the ongoing debate relating to the necessity of a radical change in how sexual assault is perceived by the justice system, communities and the individuals involved.
The Newt
Oriel to hold referendum over permanent OUSU disaffiliation • College continues 15-year-old tradition of considering disaffiliation in the latest vote, to be held on Friday 8th May CASON REILY NEWS EDITOR
Barely a year after temporarily disaffiliating from OUSU before automatically rejoining, the Oriel College JCR will vote Friday on whether to ditch OUSU indefinitely, after a motion to hold a referendum was passed late in Hilary term. Hustings on referendum took place Tuesday night in the Oriel bar, in front of a modest turnout of about 15 Oriel students. James Blythe, OUSU VP for Access and Academic Affairs, attempted to convince the JCR to work with OUSU on its goals. Oriel students Eleanor Sharman and Alex Chalmers spoke in favor of disaffiliation. The debate focused on the proposition’s perception of OUSU as unrepresentative of most student’s views as well as further criticisms of OUSU as an institution. The proposition urged that “exhausted all the options” available to them in for impacting change within OUSU, and their best strategy would be to make a statement by disaffiliation. Blythe, speaking on behalf of OUSU, conceded that there is a need for certain changes to take place, but urged Oriel Students to stick
with the Union: “We will lose your voice, and lose your passion… I’m for making a go of it together.” The issues brought up included OUSU’s failure to communicate both it’s successes and shortcomings to the student body in an effective manner, and the perception that it’s decisions are dominated by a well-organized left-wing coalition. Concern was expressed by both the sides of the debate around some of OUSU’s political actions, perceived as irrelevant of the mission of the body. Since 2000, Oriel has moved back and forth on OUSU affiliation several times. The college cut ties with the Student Union in 2001, then rejoined in 2010. A January 2014 referendum saw temporary disaffiliation over concerns about OUSU policy positions. The change did not last long, said Oriel JCR president Kit Owens: “Last year’s referendum was only to disaffiliate until the end of the 2013-14 academic year and so Oriel JCR affiliated again at the end of Trinity 2014.” The temporary disaffiliation was premised on the hope that President Louis Trup, as a relative outsider, would be able to make headway in changing OUSU for the better, said
Eleanor Sharman during the opening statements: “We were filled with hope about how OUSU was going to change. It was going to be much more efficient… We didn’t see that happen.” Students at disaffiliated colleges still remain members of OUSU, and can speak at council meetings. The College, however would lose voting rights on OUSU council. Trinity is the only college currently unaffiliated with OUSU. Last January’s referendum was fraught with confusion and procedural issues. While a two thirds majority was required to pass the referendum, abstentions in the online ballot brought those voting for disaffiliation down from 67.3% to 60.8%. After reconsideration and consultation, the JCR decided the referendum had passed. This year’s vote will not have an abstention option, but a 2/3 majority will still be needed. Speaking to the OxStu, Alex Chalmers said he was hopeful that the referendum would pass, so that the intended statement could be made: “trying to get a two thirds majority is quite a big ask. If we get it obviously I’d be overjoyed. If not then I’m going to… try to find a way we can work with OUSU.”
Oriel College
He also expressed hope that other colleges would consider disaffiliation in order to strengthen the “symbolic point” of the motion. An Oriel 2nd year, who wished
to remain anonymous, told the OxStu: “OUSU doesn’t really seem to be particularly representative, but neither is Oriel’s JCR, so the disaffiliation means little to me.”
7th May 2015
4 News
Furious students face up to impact of Bodleian budget cuts CASON REILY NEWS EDITOR
A proposal by the Bodleian to merge the Oriental Institute Library with the Sackler Library has caused shock and concern among the Institute’s students and faculty. In a consultation Friday with James Legg, Bodleian Head of Humanities, students said the move would undermine the prestige, identity, and community of the OI. While some students have already dealt with the annoyances of libraries’ shorter hours and lower staffing, this proposal has brought Bodleian budget cuts closer to home for members of the OI, causing them to consider deeply both University policies and the significance of their library. The Bodleian faces a nominal freeze in university funding for the 2015-2016 year, which amounts to a 5 per cent cut in real terms. Total university funding for the libraries is about £30 million. With the cuts, administrators face tradeoffs between purchases, staffing, and building space, and closing the OI Library would bring them £120,000 closer to meeting budget goals. Alternative costsaving measures considered are even less appealing. A 20 per cent reduction in purchases for the OI Library would save just £30,000. The Library, which is part of the OI’s building, houses 55,000 volumes covering the Islamic World, Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Eastern Christianity, and Asia. The nearby Sackler houses volumes in Art History, Archaeology, and Classics. When the original proposal was released in Hilary, it came out of the blue for many students . Neither the Bodleian nor the OI
Faculty had communicated directly with the student body before the proposal’s release. There was, however, student representation at all meetings where the option was discussed. 66 per cent of OI students opposed the initial proposal, an internal poll determined. Concerns included the availability of shelf space for OI materials and study space in a Sackler Library often crowded with classicists. The proposal has since been amended to add more shelving and 40 desks to the Sackler library, Mr Legg told the students, and a new poll is currently being administered. At Friday’s consultation broader concerns about the role of the library were expressed. One graduate student said: “I wouldn’t have applied to Oxford if the Faculty hadn’t had a library.” The identity of the institute, he continued, was bound up in having a Library, break areas, and faculty all in one building. If the proposal were accepted, the fate of the OI Library would be uncertain. While Mr Legg suggested conversion into graduate study-space in order to maintaining a sense of community at the Institute, the decision on how to use the floorspace would ultimately lie with the University. It could be converted into offices, and Mr. Legg said could “provide no guarantee” that it would remain a part of the OI. A 2nd year Arabic Student told the OxStu: “It is very worrying to have heard for the first time the whole future of the OI is at stake and not just the library.” The student also referred to “complete lack of transparency through this ‘consultation’”. In response to allegations of
deacademic
opacity, Mr. Legg said he’d expected the Institute’s faculty would have informed students of the status of negotiations around the library. He also noted that there have been no spending steps to begin a move. James Blythe, OUSU VP for Access and Academic Affairs, discussed the matter in an official statement: “No decision has been made, and we won’t allow one to be made without clear and robust consultation with the students. We have also been helping the senior staff of the Bodleian to enhance and augment their consultation strategy.” The students’ confusion typifies persistent problems in communication between
administrators and the students their decisions affect. While student representatives sit on many committees, formal channels of communication are often lacking. There has also been no consultation of students who currently use the Sackler Library. The proposed closure of the OI Library reflects the first major impact of the Bodleian’s budget controls, and forces students to directly confront the reality of budget cuts. Professor Henrietta Harrison, who teaches Chinese Studies, told the OxStu: “It is really sad that the Bodleian is suffering from such a shortage of funding, which affects not just the location of the OI
Library and other libraries, but also book acquisition budgets and specialist librarians.” The intangible impact on the prestige of the OI, its applicant pool, and its operations can only be estimated. What is certain, however, is the importance of many OI students to the library at the core of their studies. Also uncertain is whether students in other departments will have to contend with similar changes as the result of Bodleian cuts. Mr Legg spoke of an “enormous change in attitude” of the University towards the Libraries since he joined the institution in 2000. Then, the Bodleian budget was “very much a blank cheque.”
7th May 2015
News 5
OULC and OUCA societies duke out debate
• As the day of the General Election nears, OULC and OUCA debate over hot political issues
LOUIS MERCIER DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
As Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao warmed up for ‘the fight of the century,’ Oxford’s two political society heavyweights stepped into the ring to debate the election. With just five days to go until the country decides, the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) and the Oxford University Labour Club (OULC) both argued why their party should be leading the country for the next five years. Finn McMahon, Noni Csogor and Lewis Willcocks spoke for Labour, against Jack Matthews, Maryam Ahmed and Brenda Njiru of OUCA. The Blue Boar Room of Christ Church College was packed with a partisan crowd who never hesitated to make their displeasure or delight known to the speakers. Questions came from the audience, testing the representatives on a wide range of issues in three categories: the economy; health, education and welfare; and home affairs. The night finished with no obvious winner, although the poise, intelligence and passion of the speakers
provided enough entertainment that the audience came out as the real winners, especially given the absence of an official Cameron-Miliband debate. OUCA member Wojciech Woznicki told The OxStu: “The
“ Two political society heavyweights stepped into the ring
”
opening speech went far… in blasting through preconceptions people may have been harbouring about OUCA and the Conservatives.” While the OUCA performance was more consistent, Woznicki said, “OULC was elevated by a thoroughly impressive performance of Finn McMahon who managed the nearly impossible feat of making Labour look reasonable on the economy.”
Finn McMahon and Jack Matthews led the charge for both camps, providing some of the night’s more memorable highlights, including a jab at David Cameron’s disinterest in competing in a head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband. Despite the lack of recording equipment, the debaters grasped for soundbites: Tory-representative Matthews opened launched the first attack by proclaiming that Labour would “balance the books of today on the backs of the young people of tomorrow.” McMahon was quick to fire back, and insist that Labour “are the fiscally responsible party in this election,” prompting hisses from the OUCA audience members. The economics round of the debate focused on issues such as the deficit, zero hour contracts, food banks, and economic inequality, with neither party emerging as the clear winner. Following this early exchange, Conservative Brenda Njiru and Labour representitive Noni Csogor to stepped in to fight it out over health, education and welfare. Labour emerged on top in this round, despite Njiru’s fiery opening statement, accusing the Labour speak-
ers of hypocrisy given their private school backgrounds. For Labour, Csogor focused on the “inhuman” profits made by private NHS contractors and the “appalling cheapness with which this government treats human life.” For the final round, OUCA president Maryam Ahmed and Labour’s Lewis Willcocks took to fisticuffs over home affairs. The Tories seemed to come out ahead, using the issue of immigration to their advantage. Ahmed called out “the hypocrisy of the Labour party on housing baffling and disturbing,” referring to the Oxford City Council’s decision to ban rough sleeping. That is, apart from one particular spectator who decided to leave during a discussion on the environment, with a parting comment that the threat of climate change was, apparently, “rubbish.” The sole disappointment of the night was a sense of regret was that the country was never able to experience a Miliband verses Cameron head-to-head. However, this proxybout, with its fierce energy and enthusiasm was everything that the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was not.
The General Election in Oxford Two Oxford consituencies Oxford East - the city centre, Cowley and Blackbird Leys, and Oxford West and Abingdon - north and west Oxford including the Jericho area 10 different parties Running campaigns across Oxford Conservative candidates Nicola Blackwood and Melanie Magee for Oxford West and East respectively Labour candidates Sally Copley for Oxford West and Andrew Smith for Oxford East 176 Votes separated Nicola Blackwood from her Liberal Democrat challenger in 2010 4,581 Votes separated Andrew Smith from his Liberal Democrat challenger in 2010
Oxford University Conservative Association Oxford University Labour Club
Oxford University Conservative Association
Oxford University Liberal Democrats
News in brief from this week LGTBQ+ science society proposed
Oxford West voters in postal shortage
Univ invests £40m in bonds
A new society for LGTBQ+ scientists and science students is currently in the earliest stages of creation. The project’s aim will be to “create a community, enhance visibility and promote awareness of Oxford LGTBQ+ scientists”. Writing on Facebook group NoHeterOx, St John’s student Eden Tanner, a DPhil in Chemistry, outlined the purposes of group and asked members for name suggestions. Current favourites include GoT LABS (Gay Trans* Lesbian Asexual/Agender Bisexual Scientists), Quarks (which come in six types or flavours: up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom) and Queeriodic Table.
About 150 voters in Oxford West and Abingdon have not received their postal votes for today’s General Election. One of the most marginal constituencies in the country, Oxford West and Abingdon was won by only 176 votes in 2010, when Conservative Nicola Blackwood narrowely beat her Liberal Democrat rival. Returning Officer David Buckle said the voters are being reissued, telling BBC Oxford: “That’s my priority can wait until after the election is over.” Several University colleges are situated in Oxford West, including Worcester, Somerville and St Hugh’s.
Taking advantage of low interest rates and easy lending conditions, University College has issued £40m in 50 year bonds at a 3.1% interest rate. The rate is lower than any bond issued by a UK University on record, and represents an investment with almost as little risk as Treasury Gilts. The college plans to use the money for higher yield investments. The issue marks the a period of anticipated higher demand by for debt in universities. Julie Edinburgh, manager of the deal for Credit Suisse, told the Financial Times: “There’s very little else an investor can buy with such high credit quality.”
6 News
7th May 2015
Trade Union and Socialist Coalition march through Oxford • TUCS marched from Cowley Road to Bonn Square in celebration of International Workers Day JASMINE CAMERON-CHILESHE NEWS EDTIOR
Supporters of the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition marched through Oxford on Saturday in celebration of International Workers Day. Coalition members marched from Cowley Road to Bonn Square in a protest against austerity and inequality from 1pm, concluding with a 2pm rally at Bonn Square. Rally speakers included Megan Dobney, Secretary for the South and East Region Trades Union Congress, Roger McKenzie, UNISON Assistant General Secretary and Liz Peretz, representative from the ‘Campaign to Close Campsfield’ movement. In an interview with The Oxford Student, Ian McKendrick, the Communication Officer for the Oxfordshire Unison Health Trade Council affirmed that the march was against the coalition austerity cuts and the scapegoating of powerless and minority groups such as immigrants, as fuelled by parties like UKIP. His words were echoed by Bill MacKeith, the Assistant Secretary of the South East TUSC who stated that the aims of the march were varied including standing up against education cuts, unfair wages and privatisation of the NHS. Around 100 people were involved, including children as young as eight years old, from Larkrise Primary School, who sang popular hits such as ‘We Will
Rock You’ and beat drums throughout the progression. Banners and picket signs were paraded down the street, highlighting the ideology behind the march, with the slogans reading "no to racism no to bigotry no to UKIP" and "solidarity not racism". Amongst the crowds, communist and trade union flags were also raised. The march featured a broad spectrum of individuals, from the National Union of Teachers, to health workers and parents as well as members of the Communist Corresponding Society. James Morbin, the TUSC candidate for Oxford East, argued that the main political parties offered no representation for ordinary working class individuals and that the Tories in particular "had done a good job at representing their class" i.e. the affluent upper classes. According to Morbin, the current state of politics has been "cheapened" by the self interest of careerist politicians who ascend through the ranks of parliament with little regard for the masses. Morbin regards his experience at an earlier hustings event, in which he was the only candidate who was not clad in a suit, as evidence that his party will avoid the false showmanship and fancy dressage of traditional politics. He went onto to argue that the TUSC will reform the fragmented political structure to insure that "politics is about the people". Speaking to The Oxford Student at the
march, Will Forrest, a political activist and Magdalen College PPE student, stated that the bureaucracy of modern politics has left party leaders such as Ed Miliband constrained by the “conflicting ideas within their parties”. In light of the similar social demographics illustrated throughout all mainstream parties, Forrest argued that a “conscious change” needed to take place within mindset of the working class, to ensure that the career of an MP, is regarded as an accessible and realistic choice rather than an elitist field, exclusive to those from Oxbridge and private schools. Certainly, whilst the TUSC only received 15,573 votes in the General Election 2010, Forrest
asserts that within the upcoming election, the influence of TUSC and other socialists will result in “the traditional political structure being obstructed”. Although the TUSC alliance was only established in 2010, Bow Crow, the co-founder, argued that the movement has filled a void left by the mainstream parties. Crow commented: “The Tories, Lib Dems and labour all support cuts, privatisation and the anti-union laws. They all want us to pay to a crisis we didn’t create. The bankers pay themselves millions in bonuses and big businesses avoids billions in taxes while our jobs and services are savaged. The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
(TUSC) does what it says on the tin - without any of the baggage and bigbusinesses agenda of the main political parties.” In its manifesto, the TUSC states that it is committed to creating "democratic public ownership" of banks, the NHS and public services, ending cuts and austerity, a reevaluation of council housing, abolition of student fees and fair pay notably the abolition of zero hour contracts and a £10 minimum wage. Saturday’s march was part of a national Mayday Rally, in which trade unionists throughout the country campaign during the Bank holiday weekend, in favour of equality and social change.
The Socialist Party
Widespread reports of bouncer violence at Oxford clubs • Police don't seem to take student complaints seriously so bouncer violence often goes unreported »Continued from front page A spokesperson for the nightclub said they were "surprised and puzzled" by the allegations, adding that "the safety and wellbeing of our customers is of paramount importance”. Another second-year humanities student described a similar account, in which they were assaulted by a member of security staff at Wadham
Ahmed Hashim
College’s Queerfest in November last year. “I was pretty drunk, and I was urinating in a secluded outdoor corner next to the portable toilets. A bouncer approached me from behind and, instead of telling me to stop (which would have been perfectly reasonable), he decided to shove me into the wall as hard as he could. I think it may have fractured my hand because it was in pain for
weeks.” “I was pretty shaken up afterwards,” the Queerfest student continued, “and even considered reporting it to the police, but I’ve got the impression from my friends that officers don’t take that sort of thing seriously at all, and so didn’t bother. It’s a shame, because bouncer violence in Oxford is really widespread – pretty much all of my friends have
encountered it – yet nobody seems to report it to the police.” The Queerfest bouncer was an employee of a private security company, and is not directly related to Wadham College. Lava Ignite nightclub, informally known as Park End, was frequently targeted in the student complaints given to The Oxford Student. A club spokesperson confirmed, however, that “there has never been a case of door supervisor violence investigated by the police at our venue”; further suggesting that students are declining to report instances of bouncer violence to the police. Lava Ignite added that their door staff are “fully qualified and trained to the highest standards”. Popular nightclub Camera was also the target of allegations, with one fresher describing an occasion in which his “drunk and unresponsive” friend was pinned against the wall in arm locks and aggressively removed from the venue. OUSU Welfare VP Chris Pike described the apparent under-reporting of bouncer violence as “incredibly concerning”. “Students and locals need to be able to feel secure that the bouncers who are so aggressive towards their patrons will be dealt with and disciplined,” he continued, “this is an issue which the police need to address – they have a responsibility to ensure that people know they will be taken
seriously when reporting crimes.” Not every report given to The Oxford Student was so critical of the police, however. Exeter English student Frankie Nicholls, whose account was originally described in Cherwell earlier this year, told The Oxford Student that she was “lifted down two flights of stairs” in Lava Ignite for little apparent reason. The bouncer later “pushed out his bum and smacked it, and put up a teasing middle-finger before laughing with his other bouncer ‘mate’.” After reporting the incident to Thames Valley Police, their response was “brilliant”, with officers “visiting me at college and informing me of the investigation’s progression”. “There’s a handful of cases, like Frankie’s, where the police have actually responded quite well,” a student who has previously encountered bouncer aggression said, “unfortunately, these are the exception - the police tend to give the impression they don’t care about student complaints. I’ve seen them sitting in their van on Park End Street and completely ignoring students who go up to them and complain about bouncers, just telling them to come back when they’re not drunk.” “Until this culture of not taking bouncer violence seriously is dealt with,” she continued, “really nasty bouncer assaults are going to continue being massively under-reported, as they are now.” Thames Valley Police did not respond to our request for comment.
News 7
7thMay 2015
Student pledges donation match for Nepal
• April Chapman of the Saïd Business School has promised to match donations for Nepal survivors • Donations will go towards emergency relief such as water, food, healthcare and shelter
SCOTT HARKER DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR
A student at the Saïd Business School has promised to match any donations made towards a disaster relief campaign following the recent earthquake in Nepal. April Chapman, a student in the Diploma in Strategy and Innovation programme at the Business School has pledged to personally match any donations made by students up to around £13,170 made until 7th May. The donations, which have so far reached roughly £3200, will go to World Vision, the world’s largest international children’s charity. This will help to provide a range of measures in emergency relief including food, temporary shelters, hygiene kits, water andemergency health. Chapman commented “The real story here is about a diverse group of successful, over-achieving business men and women from around the globe coming together to help their neighbors in a time of tragedy and crisis. As soon as the news broke about the earthquake in Nepal, social media posts and emails within our group started flying to discuss what we could
do to offer help. In fact, one of our colleagues, who is a cardiologist, was consulting with search and rescue teams on their way to Nepal. Another colleague, who is an architect, working on a rebuilding response with habitats for healing. Our cohort quickly coalesced around a group financial gift for our Nepalese neighbours. Our hearts are broken for the Nepalese and our hope is for a speedy clean up, recovery and rebuilding. “My husband and I have a passion for generosity and how it changes the lives of both givers and receivers, so I came up with the idea of challenging my classmates with a matching gift up to $20,000 until the 7th of May. They’re a competitive bunch, so I figured this would inspire some bigger donations!” The Nepalese earthquake, which occurred on the 25th April and measured 7.8 on the moment magnitude scale left over 7000 people dead and over 14,000 injured. It is believed that around 8 million people have been affected in total. The destruction caused by the quake has caused widespread damage across the country including
the capital Kathmandu and thousands more villages closer to the epicenter. As a result, the country has come under enormous strain and this has meant that shelter, water, and medical supplies are in great demand. Donations can be made to the campaign online by visiting the Oxford DIPSI Nepal recovery page on World Vision’s website.
The Nepal Earthquake
25th April 2015
The date which the earthquake occured
7.8
The magnitude on the richter scale
7500
The current estimated death toll
Hilmi Hacaloğlu
Broad St ballads News in brief from this week • Some students have received
apologetic notes from an attendee
»Continued from front page “It seemed unreasonable for such a loud event (at one point I noticed it could be comfortably heard from the southern tip of keble) to be held in the city centre, easily in range of most of the central colleges and libraries, during finals season.” However, some participants in the event have noted that they were unaware of the wider impact that the open air service would have. One student who attended said: “Reading the comments on the Love Oxford page made me realise that the way Love Oxford was organised this year wasn’t sufficiently sensitive to those in the surrounding area. “It was a loud event, close to some people’s finals, apparently without reasonable warning, and some have said that sound checks started unnecessarily early. I really am sorry on behalf of those of us who attended for having disturbed anyone who was studying or sleeping - that was as far from our intention as could be. I trust the event organisers will improve this in future.” Some of the students who made complaints have also received notes of apology from an attendee, while on the event’s Facebook page (where many students first
made their concerns known),one attendee has added: “I’m very sorry your revision was disturbed, especially for those of you with exams the next day, and wish you all every blessing!” The event was managed by Lydia Smith, from St Aldate’s Church in Oxford. Speaking to The Oxford Mail, Smith said: “I think unity of churches is really important and to do that in a public square is a privilege”. St Aldate’s Church could not be reached for further comment.
Love Oxford
Balliol scholar discovers rare Scottish manuscript
OUSU endorses controversial Taxi Company
Dr Murray, a member of the English faculty and Balliol college, has discovered a new Scottish text in the University of Glasgow’s Special collections. The 12th century piece is a copy of Boethius’ “Consolation of Philosophy” and is the oldest surviving manuscript from the country which is non-Biblical. Through Murray’s work, the piece was revealed to be from the reign of David I – 300 years older than initially thought. Dr Murray said: “Glasgow’s Boethius manuscript allows a fresh understanding of Scotland’s early responses to key intellectual works in the Middle Ages, and provides a snapshot of how Scotland’s literary culture as we now know it first began to emerge and develop. “By showing us how alert and alive Scotland was to literary and intellectual influences from Europe at such an early date, the University of Glasgow’s Boethius manuscript is a hugely exciting find not only for scholars of medieval Scotland, but for anyone interested in understanding the roots of Scotland’s literary and intellectual culture.”
OUSU has reportedly endorsed “001 Taxis”, despite their controversial advertising campaign in 2013. The leaflet, delivered to Oxford residences, depicted a half dressed woman in the rain, alongside the caption ‘Should Have Used 001 Taxis’, presumably implying that the woman had been subject to sexual assault as a result of her failure to use a ‘safer’ taxi company. Whilst the manager of the company, Aaron Singh, argued that the advertisement was misinterpreted and simply implied that the woman had failed to catch a reliable taxi and been merely caught in the rain, the advert was condemned by Oxford groups ‘Misogyny Overheard at Oxford’ and ‘The Oxford Feminist Network’ as well as numerous rape charities.
New Bullingdon Club photos emerge
New photographs of the members of the exclusive Bullingdon Club – including David Cameron – have come to light in the previous days. The image in case was taken in 1988, and was displayed on the wall of Ede & Ravenscroft in the Oxford City centre, which also makes the Bullingdon Club outfits at the reputed cost of £3000 each per person. The photograph was originally spotted by student publication Versa, and also features Lord Rothschild, head of the banking family, Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and Rupert Soames. The image is similar to the one featuring David Cameron taken in 1987, which has been since withdrawn from the public domain.
The advert in question, which provoked controversy in 2013
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7th May 2015
Comment 9
Polls, problems, and proportionality
Comment
• The general election remains tantalisingly close • Does our electoral system needs desperate reform?
SAM RAKESTROW WADHAM COLLEGE
O
n the day this article is printed, millions of people will journey to schools, church halls and community centres across the country to cast their vote in the General. And yet as the UK goes to the polls to elect the representatives who will argue, acclaim and administer on behalf of us all, it will be in an environment where few have any idea of what the outcome will be on the morning of 8th May. Of course, this election is not the first where it is unlikely that any party will win an overall majority in the House of Commons- and neither was the 'unprecedented' election of 2010. Yet the key difference is that five years ago it was widely expected that the election would see the Conservatives win the most seats, and David Cameron become Prime Minister. This time around,
“ This election will go down in history
as one of the most unpredictable
”
there is no such certainty; there is no consensus on who will be the largest party – or even if the largest party will form the backbone of Her Majesty's next government. To cut a long story short, this is the first election in decades where the eventual outcome is unknown to such an extent, and it is no coincidence that it is in this election campaign that there has been a proliferation of interest in electoral prediction: from ground-breaking websites like the New Statesman’s 'May2015.com', to the focus on the ruminations of professional pollsters such as Nate Silver, to the obsessive media hype around Lord Ashcroft’s constituency polling, this is an election campaign which has seen a lot of people spend a lot of time interpreting a lot of numbers. But is it really worth the time and moneywhen they still can’t give us a sign of what will happen on 8th May? In some ways, there doesn’t seem to be much point in trying to predict the outcome. Attempting to second-guess
the electorate’s decision is a tough call given how quickly opinions are likely to change, and thanks to the rise of insurgent parties like UKIP and the SNP this election is harder than most to predict. Looking to the past is of little use either, with even the closest historical analogy to what may arise on 8th May – the late 1970s, when a Labour minority government was reliant upon Scottish nationalist and Liberal support – proving somewhat imperfect. I have personally been proven wrong when trying to use the 1970s as a precedent - an article I wrote in the aftermath of the Scottish independence referendum predicted that the SNP would face a crisis of confidence and suffer a huge loss of votes, just as they did after losing a devolution referendum in 1979. In fact, the SNP are now set not just to top the aggregate polls in Scotland, but also to take nigh-on all of its 59 constituencies. Most damningly, our electoral system makes national polls of little use in predicting the makeup of the Commons. Under our first-past-thepost system, a party can theoretically come second in all constituencies of the United Kingdom and yet not have a single MP, and so the fact that a party is predicted to get a given percentage of the vote does not translate in them getting that percentage of seats in the House of Commons. The election is essentially 650 separate electoral contests, and many seats will remain in the hands of the same party even if said party haemorrhages support on a national level. The only truly accurate polls are those done at the constituency level – hence why Lord Ashcroft’s polls are so highly valued. But our current system is more than just unhelpful in interpreting the polls – it’s an outright affront to democracy. We have a system where a party can secure one in six votes but only one in three hundred MPs. A system which made it possible for Labour to govern alone after the 2005 election on just 35 percent of the vote, whilst for Cameron to have been able do the same in 2010 would have needed closer to 40 percent. It is no wonder that people choose not to vote when so many votes are wasted, so many people go unheard, and so many politicians feel able to take for granted the security of their elected position. But it does not have to be that way. At this election, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP, Plaid Cymru, UKIP, and numerous other parties are advocating and
pushing for voting reform. Given enough influence, they can force the Conservatives or Labour to agree to implement changes to how we pick our representatives – and, unlike with the failed AV referendum in 2011, ensure that voting reform isn’t just a worthless token conceded by a party diametrically opposed to change. This election will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most unpredictable, but it could also be a watershed moment for our democracy, where we finally make the changes to our systems of governance that will practically eliminate the ideas of the ‘safe seat’ and the ‘wasted vote’. The polls would likely continue to show no single party being in a position to govern alone, but they would also be a clearer sign of what the future government could look like. Their fundamental findings – of two major parties with one-third each of the vote, plus a host of more minor parties - would be reflected in the proportions of power in the Commons, and in the strength of the various voices that represent our views as part of, or in opposition to, the government. And, perhaps most importantly, the polls would reflect a political system whereby politicians had to genuinely take stock of the mood of the nation because it would directly affect their legislative ability. Hopefully, as a result of this, they would govern in the interest of us all, and not just in the interest of those to whom our current system gives unwarranted and undemocratic preference.
The polls as they currently stand
34%
Conservative
33%
Labour
Uncertain and unfair: Victory is somewhat less sure this time round
14% UKIP
8%
Liberal Democrats
5%
Green
DFID
7th May 2015
10 Comment
O
xford University should be, theoretically, a meritocratic pinnacle: no matter what your background, if you are capable of succeeding academically, you should be able to gain access to the resources that Oxford offers. However, although the University is persistently trying to improve its Access system, there is still a long way to go. A set quota on the number of state school students admitted to the University each year would undoubtedly improve the shameful statistics regarding the proportion of state-school to private-school students accepted into the different colleges. Unfortunately, my own college has one of the worst records, with the percentages for the academic year 2013 being 52.2 percent from state schools and the remaining 48.8 percent from independent institutions. The overrepresentation of private schools, who educate approximately 7 percent of the population, in Oxford acceptance rates suggests a deep-rooted inequality between applicants from the state and independent sectors that stems from the structural inequalities present in our society today and isn’t necessarily the fault of the University. Indeed, the University itself may not be able to solve these structural inequalities, but it can play its part in allowing more talented pupils from state school backgrounds access to higher education, and first-rate higher education at that, through introducing a quota. A quota of 65-70 percent state school admissions would potentially encourage a broader mix of state school students – rather than the relatively well-off pupils who happened to attend a state school Sixth Form or College – and subsequently create a true broad-church of students that would fundamentally change the nature of the student body. Despite the efforts of the University in recent years to improve its Access record, there are still some shortcomings. Notably, approximately 10 percent of Oxford University students come from low-income households. As part of that bracket, I find that – despite the great financial support that I receive from the
CHARLES MCGRATH PEMBROKE COLLEGE
KATE PLUMMER LADY MARGARET HALL
University itself – I am ultimately part of a minority and cannot fully engage with the wider student community because of the relative lack of opportunities that I have had compared to my peers. Probably even fewer of those students come from conventionally-classed “disadvantaged” backgrounds - from single parent families, for example and some might argue that, however sad it may be, people from certain backgrounds will not have had sufficient educational opportunities to ever achieve a place at Oxford. This is a totally pessimistic and cynical view, which neglects the importance of selfdetermination in achieving success, be it academic or otherwise. A quota wouldn’t solve all the problems that student inequality poses in our university today, but it would firstly show commitment to levelling the balance between state and independent school admissions. It would potentially persuade more state school pupils to apply to Oxford, knowing that any myths about the system being biased against them have been put to bed by such a quota. And, most importantly, it would pull Oxford away from the past of only noblemen and gentry being permitted to study here, and towards a bright egalitarian future in which success is judged on your academic determination and effort above and beyond the call of duty rather than on your background.
he Oxford Admissions website states, ‘We pick the best and brightest students purely on their academic merit and passion for their chosen course’. To me this reads that no matter your background, ethnicity, gender or any other given factor- your place at Oxford depends on solely academic ability. For this reason it would be wrong to create a quota for state- educated students. It would be unbelievably patronising if Oxford lowered its academically rigorous standards to boost the state- school admitted percentage. As well as this, this would mean denying deserving and hard- working students a place because of their background. This somewhat reverse snobbery disguised as positive discrimination would be utterly pointless, and utterly unfair. Making it easier for state- school educated students to get into Oxford, or whatever way this ridiculous idea would be enforced would be utterly unfair. Inequality exists, and access to higher education should be open to all. However, letting the inequality prevail throughout the education system and then suddenly having a play with the percentages before admitting students would be treating the symptons of inequality, rather than the root causes. The way to deal with this is to really abolish private schools, so that the playing field is levelled from the word go, and money does not have an impact on education. But this is another controversy for another angry article.
T
SHOULD OXFORD INTRODUCE A YES QUOTA FOR NO STATE SCHOOL STUDENTS?
Flikr Pete
The truth of it is that it does not matter that there are many privately educated students in Oxford. Of course there are. They have worked hard, and have displayed the passion for their chosen course that Oxford wants. They have done well academically because at aged 11, they sat the 11+ and at age 13 the common entrance exam. This constant stream of examinations ensures that private schools are made up of naturally bright and high achieving students who go on to populate top universities such as Oxford. Anyone who works hard and is naturally bright, like the students creamed off by the private sector, can also achieve and propel to Russell Group fame. Because this is another important point. It is not just Oxford and Cambridge that have many privately-educated students. For example, 41% of students at Exeter University come from the private sector. Thus, it seems that this is once again a time in which the national media has had a slow news week and has decided to bang on about Oxbridge. Yes, there is a clear disparity considering that only 7% of undergraduate students are privately educated. Yet this really is not class bias or anything to worry about, but a reflection of students who have worked hard with self- discipline. In terms of the access arguments: as someone who was state- educated, I would not have applied to Oxford if I thought my place would be filling a quota. It is once again patronising to assume that state- educated students cannot fit in with their privately- educated peers. At the risk of sounding schmultzy, in a group of 18/19 year olds there are far more things that unite us than divide us, common interests and common concerns. A quota would reinforce the stereotype that state school students need a helping hand and more of their own creed at uni which is surely not the message that Oxford wants to give. There just does not seem to be one convinving argument in pursuing this counterintuative exercise in bureacracy, and so Oxford should not introduce quotas for state- educated students.
Voluntourism is not the right response to crises SIDDARTH SHRIKANTH BRASENOSE COLLEGE
I
was one of those well-meaning and yet deeply misguided voluntourists. I paid a local placement company a sizeable chunk of money to place me somewhere, and I assumed that I was doing the ethical thing by using the services of a local company rather than one with western offices and overheads. I lived with a Kathmandu family who received only a tiny proportion of the total fee. That in itself should have been an early warning sign of what I was undertaking. The placement itself was uneventful: we taught basic English for a couple of hours a day in lessons with little structure, and the kids seemed to humour us. The incredibly short-term nature of the placement didn’t help, nor did the constant churn of volunteer teachers, who left before the children had even learnt their names. Was this an aberration? From my (relatively limited) experience of travelling across Asia, this model of charging fees for volunteering seems to be
common practice; the endless stream of naïve do-gooders from the west, keen to ‘find themselves’ whilst also seemingly benefitting others, keeps them going. Worryingly, the needs of host communities seem to become secondary to the wants of demanding volunteers, turning social change into a commodity that can be purchased. It’s no revelation to suggest that dodgy companies are making vast sums of money by acting as middlemen, but we should also be looking more critically at the student volunteers who sustain them. In Oxford, I’ve noticed a number of organisations that require students to raise hundreds of pounds from friends and family before they fly out to Asia or Africa for the summer. These ‘development abroad’ projects are spun as distinct from voluntourism: they claim to channel both funds and expertise to local communities. This sounds fine in theory, but there are grounds for scepticism. Volunteers tend to be unskilled. I can’t think of a single friend I’d actively hire to build a school or dig a well. Teachers might be marginally more effective, but still have
no real qualifications or the opportunity for long term involvement in the area. Volunteers tend to return with a tales of big nights out and a truckload of Instagrammable pictures, reinforcing stereotypes and images of unequal power relationships. The idea of asking for a ‘charitable contribution’ of £1500 on flights to a far-flung corner of the world also grates. That money could hire a local builder or teacher for a year, supporting families and communities without fostering a culture of dependency. This is not to say that there isn’t a real need for skilled aid workers and volunteers from across the world. These individuals make enormous contributions to local communities and can help in capacity building and the distribution of foreign aid. They also tend to be qualified, working for international bodies and charities on long term projects which really do make a difference. If you’re thinking of volunteering abroad, particularly in Nepal, be honest with yourself. Why do you want to do this? If it’s to have a great time this summer, drop the pretence and just go on holiday. Tourism sustains
economies across the world, and can be an effective way of helping local communities. It’s not something to be ashamed of, will probably cost about the same amount of money, and you’ll get as many pictures as you want. If you’re keen to give your time, there are a number of wonderful local charities that would love to have you as a volunteer; there’s no need to fly halfway across the world. If you are genuinely concerned about a humanitarian situation like the one currently unfolding in Nepal, please stay here in the UK and instead send your money to a vetted charity. Kathmandu’s sole international runway should be used for ferrying in aid supplies and qualified professionals, and your donations can make a real difference even if you can’t in other ways. If you do decide you want an interesting international experience, make sure to use the resources available from the Careers Service and others; an overseas internship or research project, even unpaid, is far more likely to be a targeted use of your skills than a voluntourism trip.
Fuzeus
7th May 2015
Politics and mental health promises FREDERICK SHUFFREY WADHAM COLLEGE
T
his could be the first “mental health” election. A topic often spurned as taboo, too obscure, not a vote-winner, has, without precedent, been at the centre of the parties’ campaigns. Nick Clegg has labelled the state of mental healthcare in the NHS as “unacceptable”, with Ed Miliband calling it the “biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age.” Why this sudden turnaround? It possibly comes in recognition of the work of activists to combat stigma and to address the inequality in funding between physical and mental health. More cynically, pennypinching politicians might be more inclined to pay attention to the links between untreated mental illness and worker productivity. Whatever the
“ Politicians are finally taking
mental health seriously
”
reason may be, it is useful to compare the parties’ manifesto promises and proposed spending on mental health treatment. The Liberal Democrat and Green manifestoes offer the most detail on the issue of mental health. The Lib Dems, uniquely, mention it on the very front cover of their manifesto, promising “equal care for mental health”. Inside the document, they vow to “tailor” work experience placements for the mentally ill and to provide mental health training for foster carers and as well as better treatment for teenagers with eating disorders. In terms of the NHS, they promise £500 million investment in equalising waiting time standards with physical health and annual increases to the budget dedicated to mental health.Six weeks’ maximum waiting time for therapy and £250 million for children’s mental health services are some of the changes pledged. For society at large they support a “national wellbeing strategy”, public mental health campaigns, working more closely with employers on the issue and a £50 million investment in research. Finally, the Lib Dems insightfully acknowledge the links between mental health and crime, backing mental health experts in courts and prisons and pledging more mental health help for offenders under 21. The Green manifesto, in contrast to Lib Dem silence on the issue, recognises the correlation between austerity and mental illness. Their manifesto explicitly draws connections between poverty, welfare cuts, Atos tests and mental illness. They offer, as with many other issues, a
radical prescription. Real increases in mental health spending are promised, as are a maximum of 4 weeks’ wait before talking therapies, access to quality care 24/7 for people having a “crisis”, and a right to a mental health bed in your own NHS Trust. The Greens also want an anti-stigma campaign, special attention for minorities’ mental health issues, and “personalised job-seeking support” for those with mental illness. It is an ambitious manifesto, although sometimes unsure about the funding’s source. UKIP’s manifesto had the most to prove after the remarks of one of their activists that ADHD was “a load of psychobabble”, but they too laid out their policies, which include increasing mental health spending by £150 million annually as part of a broader £1.5 billion investment in mental health and dementia services. They vowed to fight mental health stigma, and to provide long term patients with better information about the services available, direct access to mental health treatment for pregnant women and mothers, and a veteran service card fast tracking access to NHS mental healthcare. Possibly mindful of their audience, there is nothing on mental health treatment for adolescents. Disappointingly, the two main parties, the Conservatives and Labour, have very little detail on mental health in their manifestoes. The Tories promise mental health support for those in welfare as well as community and health-based places for those suffering crises - outside of a police cell. There are pledges of parity in importance and funding between mental and physical health, more therapists throughout the country, reduced waiting times, and support for mothers during and after pregnancy. Labour’s pledges are equally as brief, though with some interesting additions. There is a more holistic approach, integration of all health services around the individual getting a mention. Labour promises a positive “right” to psychological therapies, NHS staff training and a unique focus on children’s mental health. They support more of the mental health budget being spent on children, as well as mindfulness training for the young and a strategy so that all children might be able to access counselling services in school. For both of the main parties, funding, numbers, and links between poverty and mental illness are largely ignored or skimmed over. There are hopeful signs that politicians are finally taking mental illness sufficiently seriously as the tragedy it is for individuals and the loss it represents to the economy. Connections are being made between short term, opportunistic cuts and the disaster that they can leave behind for the most vulnerable of people. It is incumbent on us all to hold them to account for the decisions they make and how these decisions influence our mental health.
Comment 11
“ For some, the challenge doesn’t end on Sunday morning with a celebration brunch ”
One week teaches nothing about living below the line CAROLINA BAX
ST HILDA’S COLLEGE
T
he Live Below The Line challenge is sweeping the nation this week. The campaign brands itself as one raising awareness about extreme poverty and challenges its participants to spend £1 a day on food. Whilst I do believe that most people who participate do care about poverty, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t serious problems with the campaign and the mind-set behind it. Live Below the Line’s first mistake is using the word “live”. To live means to really experience something, to acutely understand an existence. Not spending a lot of money on food isn’t “living” below the line; regardless of how you eat, chances are your home is still stocked with furniture, hot water, and heating. To think you’re living like them because you’ve decided to give up your Tesco meal deal or Prêt bonanza for five days is akin to someone saying they can empathise with Nelson Mandela because they spent a night in the drunk tank. Extreme poverty goes far beyond spending £1 a day on food alone. The £1 would also have to cover rent, accommodation, education, healthcare, water and clothing, with all of these duplicated for parents. If anything, for those living in extreme poverty food can become their last worry; no one will be sending bailiffs to your door should you be hungry. The number of people needing to make use of food banks and drop-in cafes and centres is huge for this very reason. This year, Oxford is proposing people team up to raise more money and also to support each other. Aside from the fact that this disturbingly accentuates the game aspect of the campaign, it would be interesting if people truly living in extreme poverty could behave
Live Below the Line
in the same way. Access to educational resources is extremely limited, making trading recipes or sharing tips unfeasible. If feeling unwell, people living in poverty can’t drop out and see a doctor. The challenge, for them, doesn’t end on the Sunday morning with a celebratory brunch and compliments on the part of those surrounding you for your endurance and strength. How patronising, in turn, is it to encourage anyone to feed into the stereotype that everyone studying here in Oxford is privileged enough to treat this as a challenge when they themselves may have that kind of background?
“ Extreme poverty goes beyond spending £1 a day on food alone
”
Poverty isn’t limited to other continents – there’s probably someone in your college whose family is struggling economically on a weekly basis. Eating on £1 a day does not give you an idea of what it is like to live in poverty, for it doesn’t take into account the layers of intersecting disadvantage that come with poverty itself. It doesn’t take into account how poverty operates in a vicious cycle. Public figures seem to be playing the game, too – whilst Gwyneth Paltrow’s food stamp stunt may be the latest episode to spring to mind, in 2013 MP Iain Duncan Smith claimed he could live off £53 a week (£7.57 a day), when defending benefit cuts – but didn’t take on the challenge he thought he could so easily undertake when a petition of over 300,000 asked him to. On the other
side of the world, Australian Families Minister Jenny Macklin claimed she could live on the dole – undeniably, given her weekly $6321 income. There’s a danger of people participating in Living Below the Line believing that the project will help them, to quote the website, “develop a better understanding of the challenges faced by people living in extreme poverty”; it won’t develop that understanding, at least not in any meaningful way. While living on £1 a day for 5 days may be tough, it bears no relation to what life is like living on a very low income long-term. I’m not saying there’s nothing of value to the Live Below the Line campaign, and I’m not doubting that most people who undertake this challenge do have good intentions. Perhaps some people do get an idea of the sense of absolute disempowerment and psychological effects of poverty while participating in the challenge, which is worthwhile. What I am saying is there are ways to contribute to alleviating poverty which don’t need to try, and fail, to place those taking the challenge into others’ shoes – which is at best naïve, and at worst grotesque. Those taking part in the campaign this year should look around first, without the blindfold of the £1 a day mantra. If you’re living below the line this week, turn your heating off. Don’t take public transport. Don’t give yourself access to a cooker, gas, electricity, running water, Internet, a wardrobe full of new clothes, a fridge, a phone, all the things that you take for granted on a daily basis, and perhaps you’ll be closer to tasting reality for those living in extreme poverty. Or alternatively, rather than posting your boiled potato lunch on Instagram with your #surviving hashtag, donate that amount of money directly to a charity, and talk to those really living in this situation. It might surprise just how aware confrontation makes you.
OXIDE ARE RECRUITING
Applications are reopening for the following Oxide positions:
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OXII
Srishti Nirula
STAGE
INTERVIEW: ACT NATURALLY! PERFORMING AT THE PLAYHOUSE p.6
FASHION ETERNAL ELEGANCE p.10
SCREEN
MODERN DISNEY: WHEN YOU CASH IN ON A STAR p.12
REFERENDA TRINITY 2015
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7th May 2015
Music 3
MUSIC Head in the Eyre, feet on the ground
E
lla Eyre is twenty-one. Were she at university, she would be doing finals. Instead she has won a Brit Award, collaborated with Rudimental and DJ Fresh, and written a number one hit. In 2015, the singer is set to launch her debut solo album, play Glastonbury and is currently on tour with Olly Murs. For an artist with such a buzz surrounding her, she is humble and level headed. “It’s cool, it’s fun I guess. For me at the moment there is still a lot of work to do. It’s very exciting that everything is going so well and in the right direction, but there is still quite a lot to do this year. It’s scary how fast it’s going, but right now the tour is incredible. It’s going insanely well. Olly [Murs] is the nicest guy to be on tour with. The reaction from the crowd is greater than I ever thought it would be. It’s crazy. I love it.” The singer has become known for her chart-topping collaborations, including on Rudimental’s ‘Waiting All Night’ and DJ Fresh’s Gravity. Opening for Olly Murs, she uses these songs “to get the crowd going” but she enjoys her solo material the most. “The reaction for my own stuff that they’ve not necessarily heard has been really
exciting and encouraging. When you hear twelve thousand people singing lyrics that they don’t even know, that’s incredible. “I started out as a solo artist and that’s always been my intention. As much as I loved touring with Rudimental, I have no intention of staying on tour with them for the whole of my life. I’m too bossy and too demanding for that kind of thing. I felt like I wanted to have my own impact and thankfully people actually want to hear about it.” This solo material is due in May with her debut album Feline . She has already released the singles ‘Comeback’, ‘If I Go’ and ‘Together’ from the album, as well as ‘Deeper’ from a previous LP. Much like her collaborations, they are hard-hitting, feel-good, big-chorus songs. She continues to combine the energy of drum’n’bass beats with soul, her voice full of emotion and grit. In writing her new material, she took her experiences from these collaborations and paired them with her own influences. “I grew up listening to old soul records and old soul voices like Lauryn Hill, Gnarls Barkley and I was named after Ella Fitzgerald. While I was writing my own material I was also inspired by features that I was
Together? Ella Eyre moves on from collaborations to launch solo album
working on. But I am lucky in the sense that I can combine the two.” For Eyre, writing her own music allows her the creativity that drove her into singing in the first place. Aged 16, she enrolled in a musical theatre course at the Brit School whose alumni include Amy
“I'm not a teenag-
er anymore, but I'm still quite dramatic
”
Winehouse, Adele and The Kooks. “I studied musical theatre and had no intention of being a pop star. I love performing and I was figuring out what I want to do. As much as I love musical theatre, it didn’t allow me to be as creative as I wanted to be: I was still singing someone else’s lyrics and bring a character. I felt like I had my own message to say, and at that moment I started to write. I didn’t even know what I was writing for. My singing teacher at the time just referred me to somebody he knew who was looking to develop an artist, and now that’s my manager. But
it could have been anyone. “I’m not a teenager anymore, but I’m certainly still quite dramatic and I need something to iron that out. Writing really does that. I want my music to affect people emotionally or physically, whatever really. In some way, there’s nothing better for an artist than to hear people tell you that your music has made a difference to their life in whatever way." In looking for music to affect people, the chorus can be the moment of highest impact. “I think the chorus is a release moment for anyone. If you’re having a downand-out moment, you don’t even think what the songs about. I love big choruses because I play them live and it’s a lot of fun.” These live performances are highenergy. Eyre memorably performed in with Bastille and Rudimental at the 2014 Brit Awards at which she slid across the stage, ran on the spot and karate kicked. “I love the stage. It’s my favourite part. You actually get to communicate and interact with the audience. It’s great to get down, have a laugh and get involved with it really. The louder and more energetic the crowd is, the more energetic I get. You feed off it on stage. It’s quite a lot to
JACOB WISEMAN LINCOLN COLLEGE ask someone to get up in front of twelve thousand people, it’s quite daunting, and so when people have a positive reaction it’s more than incredible.” Despite her stage presence, she had never performed live until she began touring with Rudimental in 2014, playing to thousands of people. “For anyone else it might appear quite sudden but it feels like a long journey for me.” Her driving force? Who else but mum? “My mum’s always been very driven and kept me intelligent. When I was sixteen and everyone was still living off mum and dad’s money, she wouldn’t buy me a car. She was like: “Do it yourself. If you want a car, buy it.” So when everyone suddenly left school I’d bought my own car. My mum never handed it to me on a plate. At the time I thought it was so mean, but now I don’t depend on anyone, and if anything my mum made that. But she’s been an incredible moral support. She’s been a driving force in me and my activities, and I’m very fortunate for that.” We joke that parents also driving force for some at university. But does Ella Eyre ever envy student life? “Not even a little bit.” She has her own work to be getting on with.
7th May 2015
4 Music
Cobain’s koalas: how much do we care? T
he increasing appetite for delving into a musician’s personal life looks set to continue in 2015. This year has already seen the release of enough music memoirs, documentaries and biographies to keep even the die-hard music fan preoccupied. To name a few, Kim Gordon’s memoir Girl in a Band detailed her time in New
“ Portraits
of our music idols have themselves been constructed
”
York in the days of Sonic Youth. The documentary exploring the personal life of Kurt Cobain, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck has been released to much critical acclaim. This year will also see the release of Straight Outta Compton, a feature film concerned with the rise of hard hitting rap crew NWA, What Happened Miss Simone?, a Netflix exclusive documentary exploring Simone’s commitment to civil rights, and the long awaited M.I.A documentary directed by Steve Loveridge. Seasoned rock memoir veteran Patti Smith has
also announced the release of a follow up book to Just Kids, which won the United States’ National Book award for non-fiction. Outside the world of popular music, composer Philip Glass has revealed his plans for a written memoir, Words Without Music spanning his works and times. This sheer prevalence of documentaries, memoirs and biopics suggests
a growing, insatiable appetite for knowledge of the ins and outs of a musician’s personal life. Perhaps the attraction to such works is the notion that they appear to offer an exclusive look into the life of a musician, band or performer, building on the connection we feel from consuming and enjoying their music. Such biopics claim to provide the
definitive position on a musician’s life work, often advertising unique, exclusive or never seen before footage. What Happened Miss Simone? presents unheard songs and unseen archive footage woven into a narrative of civil rights. But perhaps the current most prevalent example of late is Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. To offer anything new to the already saturated cult surrounding the Nirvana frontman is no mean feat. Yet, the documentary claims to reveal an intimate portrait of one of the world’s biggest rockstars by the way of access to Cobain’s personal archives. The director of the documentary, Brett Morgen, has been given access to a storage locker containing Cobain’s home movies, poems, journals (where he had scrawled potential band names before deciding on Nirvana) and audio recordings, as well as an amazing array of paintings and drawings. The drawings and paintings are not exactly fine art. One painting includes a portrait of a nightmarish looking koala. But it begs the question: does knowledge of Cobain’s surreal koala paintings enhance our knowledge of his musical career? Probably not. Leading on to a more pressing question: did Cobain ever want these items to be viewed by the public and is it right for us to finally see them? Brett Morgen was given access to these materials with
Songs to get through an essay crisis
Y
ou’ve got a deadline to hit, about twelve hours in which to hit it, and you haven’t even planned your essay yet. You sigh. You know it’s going to be a long night. You put on some coffee, open your word processor, and slip on a few tunes. This article will get you through yet another essay crisis with your sanity intact (ish). You start: Imagine Dragons - ‘It’s Time’. You play this as you finish your incredibly rough and hazily drawn plan. Right. Time to begin the essay… in a minute. Maybe you should listen to this song just one more time. Now you’ve finally begun, you know you’re in it for the long haul. You turn on The Proclaimers’, ‘500 Miles’. The going may get tough, but damn it, this essay will not beat you. ‘Cause I would write 500 words, and I would write 1,500 more! After your neighbour yells at you to stop singing, you change the track and get back to work. Time for something classical. What else? Pachelbel – ‘Canon in D’ Ah, something soothing and relaxing. So soothing and relaxing that you get nothing done for the next seven minutes. Quick, energy. Need energy. Any-
thing to get that second paragraph flowing. Who’s got the energy of an excited puppy? Ed Sheeran. The song: ‘Sing’. Try not to get distracted by how much Ed sounds like a nine year old asking to leave the dinner table when he says “Maybe we can get down now”. Although figuring out how this dweeb managed to make such a fun party song is an intellectual exercise that deserves an essay of its own.
“I would write
500 words and I would write 1,500 more!
”
Up next, The Rolling Stones – ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. An excellent one to listen to after several irritating minutes spent trying to untangle the various rhetorical knots you’ve managed to tie yourself up in. Nothing alleviates frustration quite like hearing it shouted by rock gods. It’s really getting late. You need a
real pick-me-up, and there’s nothing like the ‘00s falsetto of Scissor Sisters. ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’’. It is scientifically impossible to avoid having a spring in your step after listening to this one. A perfect pick-me-up as you struggle to the end of your half-baked point about quantitative easing. And so you reach the 1,000-word mark. You’re ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’, and Bon Jovi will help you out. Take a few minutes off and listen to this hard rock classic. You’re halfway there, after all (note: this works particularly well for theology essays). You turn to your old friend, David Bowie with ‘Starman’. You ponder the efficiency of the excuse ‘I’d like to hand in this essay, but I think I’d blow your mind’. You decide that it’s not feasible, sigh, and get back to work. You know it’s all worthwhile, after all. It’s time for an ego boost with the single most egotistical song ever recorded: ‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake. Its core message boils down to: ‘I love you because you remind me of me’. This is exactly the self-esteem boost you need staring at a screen at 3am and questioning your life choices. Especially useful if writing about Lacanian theory. You need anything to stop you re-
NAOMI SOUTHWELL SOMERVILLE COLLEGE the permission of Cobain’s family and has talked of his desire to use the personal archives the rockstar left behind to dispel the mythology surrounding his persona, “he had left behind a visual and oral autobiography of his life, and it was just there for me to curate.” (NPR). Yet, we the audience are then put in a difficult position, as often these supposedly honest portraits of our music idols have themselves been constructed not by the musicians themselves but posthumously by directors, filmmakers and ghostwriters. Even if this is the case, the limited knowledge these works can provide still allows us a glimpse into the personal and creative visions of our favourite performers, enabling us to see whether this vision matches up to our own personal reaction and enjoyment of their music. Ultimately, whether the story of a musician’s life has been composed by themselves or by outsiders, it remains in a sense contrived and controlled by what is shared, and what is purposefully omitted. As fans it’s unlikely that we’ll ever even be close to seeing the “real” picture surrounding their creative work. However, such knowledge can go a long way in making that picture more lucid, more insightful and more complete, making the next time you pick up your favourite album that little bit more enjoyable.
WILLIAM SHAW CHRIST CHURCH
Essay crisis? These songs will get you through Leonid Pasternak
sorting to that ever-more-tempting three quid bottle of wine you’ve got in the fridge. ‘We Are Young’ by Fun is a song that consists of the kind of bollocks you would drunk-text to your ex at four in the morning, thus serves as an excellent warning against hitting the drink. Plus Janelle Monáe turns up for three seconds on that wonderful bridge. An incoherent mess of half-formed, disjointed sentences, with occasional outbreaks of terrifying noises suits
‘Revolution 9’ by The Beatles. You stumble, bleary-eyed, to a conclusion at long last. You save your document, shut down the computer, and stick on one of the most relaxing songs in the world before you collapse into bed, exhausted. Art Garfunkel sounds like the angel of sleep on Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water’. You try not to think about all the edits you’re going to have to make in the morning. For now, the waters are calm.
Music 5
7th May 2015
Three’s a crowd OxStu’s 3rd Week Playlist
Modern life is still rubbish, Blur are still alive SEAN MCINTYRE SOMERVILLE COLLEGE
F Three Hours Nick Drake
ABC The Jackson 5
or many people the word ‘Blur’ will provoke memories of last Saturday night and some cheeky chaps jumping around a stage shouting ‘WOOHOO.’ This myth was cultivated in the nineties and that continues to surround the London outfit disguising the fact that Blur are one of the most experimental bands in British history. Their previous two albums 13 and Think Tank saw the group progress by integrating electronic pieces with a classic indie sound to create a truly distinctive personality. Thirteen years later Blur continue to develop even further. The Magic Whip manages to achieve a continuity which would allow it to serve as the soundtrack to a dystopian, sci-fi film whilst boasting brilliant hits that could stroll onto any greatest hits collection. After fifteen seconds of futuristic noises and distant sirens, the album begins with ‘Lonesome Street’ where an upbeat tune is accompanied by melancholic lyrics: “What do you got? Mass produced in
Kate Bickerton
The Magic Number De la Soul
In the Flesh? Pink Floyd
Jørund Føreland Pedersen
Upbeat ‘Ong Ong’ is guaranteed to come to an indie night near you. Themes of escapism are rife with lyrics such as, “I got on a boat on a hot sunny day to get out of this town.” This optimistic number departs from the brooding nature of the album and hints at how future material may sound. The album finishes with ‘Mirrorball’ which tantalisingly halts and restarts It carries a similar vibe to
‘Pyongyang’, bringing the album to a natural end. If 13 and Think Tank were the journey, you can’t help but feel that The Magic Whip is the destination; Blur have succeeded in creating a masterpiece that transcends genres, a truly seminal album. They have never put themselves in a single scene or movement, the music industry and public did. Britpop is dead, but Blur are very much alive.
BEST, WORST AND DREAM REUNIONS MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
Stand By Me Ben E King
somewhere hot.” This is the first hint that Damon Albarn will continue his assault on modern life that began over two decades ago and became particularly prevalent in his recent solo endeavour Everyday Robots. One of the stand out tracks, ‘Go Out’, soon swaggers in carrying a dark but dance friendly beat accompanied by customary cynical lyrics. Damon groans: “I go out to the local, by myself,” but his local has not changed since 1996. Blur’s sound and stature have altered but their message remains the same. Though the music invokes a smokier, more modern bar, Damon remains surrounded by “too many western men” and a “greedy go-getter”. ‘Pyongyang’ showcases all of the greatest aspects about the band in less than five minutes. It initially creeps in with metallic clinks before oozing the vibe of a retired astronaut gunslinger. It soon changes into a confident singalong that could rival ‘Tender’, and it’s not difficult to imagine thousands of people in a field shouting “and the perfect avenues will seem empty without you!” The track then floats away in a trippy haze leaving the listener wishing they had put it on loop.
The opening piano notes of ‘The Black Parade’ will forever be ingrained into the heart of every former thirteen year old emo. My Chemical Romance were so much of my early musical upbringing – yes, they’re cringy- but like a first love, you never really forget the band you were originally obsessed with. Imagine the sorrow that I felt upon hearing the tragic news that the goth heroes of my music education had thrown in the towel and were no longer flying the black flag for emos everywhere. For this reason, I think that a comeback is in order for My Chemical Romance is in order. Although their back catalogue is vast, I think that they quit before their time. What I loved about the band was that each new album had a different sound and a different feel to it. With My Chemical Romance, you were never bored. Now, I am bored having to spin the same old CDs and listen to the same old songs over again. They’re a band I want to grow old with. I want to see them wrinkled, old and greying but still dressed as a goth marching band.
OASIS
B*WITCHED
THE SMITHS
Sean McIntyre
Naomi Southwell
Lucy Clarke
Disclaimer: I don’t mind Oasis and their many huge hits. I’ve also sung ‘Wonderwall’ at the end of a heavy night at Bridge. There are a lot of young fans who have never had the opportunity to see Oasis back in the 90s and would love to see them now. However, a reunion would be too much like a payday for the Gallagher brothers, and one that they don’t need. It is far more likely that they would play a select few shows with exorbant ticket prices than sit down togeher in the studio. Liam once told NME : “I fucking hate Glastonbury, mate. I’m only here for the money.” Given that most recent rumours hint at a headline slot at Worthy Farm the motivation behind it would be clear. Money aside, Noel seems happy with his own project Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Liam enjoyed success with Beady Eye before they disbanded last year; perhaps it would be better if they put the reunion permanently on ice. That night in Paris was less than six years ago: a reunion now would be a bit too soon. 2019? 2024? Maybe. 2015? No.
The double denim, the synchronised dance moves set in a beautifully artificial meadow, the cheeky pop lyrics with gems such as,“I’m the wolf today…I’ll huff, I’ll puff I’ll blow you away!”... yes, I’m thinking of the fabulously Irish girl group B*witched. And yes, I may be specifically thinking of the group’s singular hit, ‘C’est la vie’, but what a stonker that was. If I were to be a one hit wonder it would most certainly be in the style of B*witched, complete with ‘90s braids and glitter scrunchies. On news of the band’s reunion for reality TV show “The Big Reunion” which documented the return of other musical wonders such as Liberty X, Five and Atomic Kitten, my heart saddened slightly: B*witched, you’re better than this. In 2014 the band announced the release of their first ever EP, Champagne or Guinness. Despite the frankly incredible title of that album I still crave B*witched circa 1997-98. Times were simpler then, with the long delayed slow jump into the air and the brilliance of choruses complete with Irish dancing. In the words of ‘C’est La Vie’, “Gotta let me in, hey, hey, hey/ Let the fun begin!” Yes please B*witched, reclaim your former girl group glory.
My love is a tragic one. I was born too late to see The Smiths. I have never known one of my favourite bands as an entity: only a horrible mess of acrimony and miserable lyrics. It pains me on a deep level that none of us are ever going to see the Smiths at their height. It’s almost as painful as the inability see ‘How Soon Is Now’ performed as it should be. (Dammit, Johnny, why didn’t you write down that slide part properly?) Then again, there’s the egos involved to consider. While the artistry of The Smiths is something I would kill to see again – the idea of new music is enough to make me spill cereal down my The Queen is Dead t- shirt – I know for certain it is a bad, bad idea to put those four in a room together again. The vegetarian Moz has stated he’d rather eat his own testicles than reform, and I doubt Rourke and Joyce are going to remember being described as ‘unintellectual’ in the royalties trial fondly. The explosion that would surely result isn’t worth any jangly guitar line, no matter how brilliant. Besides, there are things that should not be, and an aging, tubby Morrissey brandishing a bunch of gladioli with his shirt half open is probably one of those.
6 Stage
7th May 2015
STAGE
A view from the footlights The heart of Oxford theatre, students who tread these boards follow in the footsteps of giants such as Judi Dench and John Gielgud. Oxford Playhouse
Interview Act Naturally! Performing at the Playhouse
T
he sun bursts through the clouds above St Catherine’s college, warming the grass still damp from early May showers. It is a perfect spring day and James Aldred and Mary Higgins are taking a break from rehearsals for Alan Ayckbourn’s Living Together at the Playhouse. Both are students at different stages of their academic careers – Mary is a first year English student and James a second year studying French and Russian. But the two are brought together by a love of drama that has brought them to the largest stage in Oxford. Having studied at the National Youth Theatre, Mary came to Oxford with the intention of getting as much involved in the drama scene as possible. “I always knew I was going to do as much drama as I could fit in to Oxford”, she tells me. And she could hardly have made a better start. Having started with a role in the Hilda’s College play, The Crucible, you may also have seen Mary in last term’s Burton Taylor production of The Duchess of Malfi. James had similarly wanted to act
in Oxford, but also used his Oxford stage debut for a secondary purpose. “I was ill in freshers’ week”, he explains, “so nobody knew who I was. The cupper’s play helped me actually to meet some people”. No longer a lonely fresher, James leapt into the intercollegiate drama scene. “I’ve done at least one play every term… it’s just a really great way of meeting people who are guaranteed to be interesting and charismatic”.
“ If my character twisted an
ankle as a child, then I want to know how that impacts
”
Now that the two are due to star at
the Playhouse, they are unquestionably ones to look out for. Yet, the approach to Living Together that has been taken by directors Griffith Rees and Laura Cull is one that is completely novel to these two experienced actors. The approach, says Mary, is one that has been heavily based on improvisation. “We’ve been doing it the opposite way to the usual approach. Instead of starting with blocking that might constrict the drama, we found out who our characters are and then based our performance on that. It really will be happening live, rather than being something that you could just record and show as a film”. These improvisations have practically been a kind of method acting. Instead, Mary explains, of simply examining the reaction of a character to individual events, they look for broader structural reactions that a character might have. James adds further nuance to this point: “If my character twisted his ankle as a child, then I want to know how this impacts on his reactions”. It is this psycho-analytical approach that will make the performances on
the night so contingent, the actors tell me. James finds this approach to be particularly liberating for the performer. “Normally when performing you begin to lose the thrill after opening night and just settle into the rhythm of the show. Whereas here, one set of events could lead to a different reaction in the character. “It’s really exciting,” Mary interjects, “you just keep shaking the
No Scripts on the Night
WILLIAM ASLET
Somerville College play to see what falls out.” This immersion in character has caused the actors to find a new take on Ayckbourn’s play. “You can play it as something farcical”, James tells me, “but you really lose something there. We want to stress that Ayckbourn’s plays comprise, as he said, of ‘tragedies with jokes’”. Mary strongly agrees. “They’re real lives that are being frayed by the events taking place on stage. And that’s what funny – they’re real people. Audiences laugh because they can recognise the events shown on the stage”. So why is it, I ask the actors, that you should see this play? “Because it’s alive!” comes Mary’s reply. With this the sun, that timeless creature, is muffled by the spring clouds. The actors return inside to reabsorb themselves in Ayckbourn’s tragedy with jokes. Living Together is at the Oxford Playhouse in second week from Wednesday 6th to Saturday 9th May at 7.30pm, with matinée performances on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm.
Stage 7
7th May 2015
Review Venus & Adonis, Story Museum
Y
ou know a performance is going to be erudite when the production company is named Ad Parnassum. And what a welcome educational experience this proved to be. Thursday night at The Story Museum saw a one-off performance of Shakespeare’s 1593 poem, ‘Venus and Adonis’, which, astonishingly enough, was Shakespeare’s most popular work (published a whopping eleven times) during his lifetime. The poem was probably written to be read aloud, if not performed, and Ad Parnassum’s rendition provided a compelling case for the merits of performing this eerily hilarious tragic poem. The evening began with an introductory talk by Ad Parnassum’s founder, director and producer Maria-Lisa Geyer. The talk was an excellent way of familiarising the audience with what they were about to see: a poem based on a tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, in which a young pair of lovers -Venus and Adonis - are tragically separated by Adonis’s death during a boar hunt. Shakespeare does something rather different. His poem tells of Venus’s laborious, insistent and ultimately unsuccessful efforts at seducing the handsome young Adonis, who is more interested in hunting boar— from which activity, as in Ovid’s tale, he will die. The poem, Geyer told us, shows desire as an active energy, something amplified through Shakespeare’s animalistic imagery and regular evocations of hunger. Geyer’s talk was a wonderful preparation for a thrilling performance. She alerted audience ears to conceits that bring the poem alive, such as Shakespeare’s extended description of Adonis’s horse, who has all the
masculinity and virile power that An event such as this is of interest Adonis, who rightly calls himself to anyone with the least interest in ‘green’, lacks. His pricked ears and Shakespeare, and that it is available alert stance are hint enough, but at so professional a level, for such a Shakespeare is so explicit as to have good price, is something of which the horse run off after a mare, leav- all people fortunate enough to live ing Adonis stranded—much to Ve- in Oxford should take advantage. nus’s delight. And Geyer’s company, which It was a real advantage to have had hopes to return to Oxford in the Geyer’s attentive and fascinating autumn with ‘The Rape of Lucrece’, exposition of the poem before the is one to watch out for. It is a joy performance, not least because it to see a production that manages so exhibited her own passion for the successfully to bring to the public a writing, and intimated her ethos as poem that might feel intimidating, a director and aspirations for the and to do so in a way that does full justice to the work itself. piece. This is an exemplar for what the Those aspirations are realised. word The poem is brought alive “accessible” should through permean. May Ad Parnassum conformance, with the delivery of tinue ad infiniall three actors— tum. Daniel Goode as the narrator, Rose O’Loughlin For more information as a delightfully sexy and desirous Venus, and on Ad ParRobin Morrissey as the nassum go to sulky, misfortunate Adonfacebook. is—maximising the poetcom/adparic experience of the work nassumproductions while also illuminating its potential as physically or Twitrealised theatre. Goode ter @Adbrought an especially parnassum_uk absorbing energy to the piece, no easy feat for a narrative role. The talent of both cast and director shine throughout this production. It is a terrible shame that the audience numbered less than ten: Ad Parnassum’s ‘Venus and Adonis’ deserved a full-house. V&A Museum via Veronica Brazdova. Under CC-BY license
Review Measure for Measure, Oxford Playhouse
M
easure for Measure is a play about the machinery of state power. Cheek by Jowl’s excellent new touring production exposes the operation of the hardware of the law in all of its clanking, creaking reality. The setting is a nondescript, modern nation (although the shadow of Putin’s regime looms large over this Russian-language adaptation). The Duke has gone incognito unable to cope with his power and immense popularity, he disguises himself as a monk and slips into the streets to walk amongst his oblivious subjects. He hands over power to Angelo, a desiccated bureaucrat played to sinister perfection by Andrei Kuzichev, who tries to coerce Isabella (Anna Khalilunina) into exchanging her virginity for clemency for her brother, Claudio, who is on death row. Angelo’s attempted seduction is at once toe-curlingly awkward and deeply menacing, channeling the fantasy of every office creep as he slowly removes his watch and glasses and flips his tie over
EMILY HOLMAN Balliol College
his shoulder. The play is heavily cut, but there are long stretches of highly complex dialogue. These remain, for the most part, taut - ironically, the surtitles make some of them easier to follow precisely. But what distinguishes this pro-
“ We have the nightmarish
sense that there is no ending at all
”
duction is its physicality, and the material literality of the political punishments, promotions and power struggles that the plot enacts. We are not simply told that a character is being sent to prison, but we see him stripped of
JAMES WADDELL Pembroke College his clothing, hosed down and put into uniform. When the red carpet is rolled out for the Duke’s return, there is a pause as Angelo picks bits of fluff from it; the awkward physical reality of the emblems of power is made manifest. This is paralleled by the judicious use of elements of physical theatre. An omnipresent chorus constantly hovers on the edges of the stage, forming rapidly shifting screens, walls, and crowds. Dance is a recurring motif, and forms the play’s notoriously and fiendishly problematic conclusion - Claudio and Juliet waltz with eyes locked on their baby, Mariana whirling round a stunned, static Angelo, and finally Isabella refusing to meet the Duke’s gaze even as he leads her. The lights go down before the dance is over - not only are there no happy endings in this play, but we have the nightmarish sense that there is no ending at all. Measure for Measure was at the Oxford Playhouse from 28th April - 2nd May 2015.
Preview Jekyll & Hyde, Pembroke Pichette Auditorium
“T
here’s a face that we wear in the cold light of day…And the truth is that it’s all a façade”. So sings the chorus in this year’s Pembroke College Musical Jekyll and Hyde. Written by composer Mark Wildhorn with a script by Leslie Bricusse, the play is all about dualities, explains codirector Charlotte Vickers. Further than Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, written contemporaneously to the time that it describes, the musical explores the fundamental divisions in Victorian society between rich and poor. It shows that, far from being one removed from the society he lives in, Jekyll and his alterego are extreme manifestations of the societal divisions at its core. People at all strata of the society he lives in wear a mask – his is simply more extreme. Whilst this couldn’t be counted among the more original ideas about Victorian society, it is one to which the genre of musical is well suited. At the dénouement of the piece, Jekyll rages on the stage, trying desperately finally to overcome the monster that tries to seize possession over him. This is as much a battle for the soul of society as for his own soul. So vigorously does Al-
exander Ohlsson throw himself into this struggle between Jekyll and Hyde that director Anthony Boyle has to persuade him to hold back his performance until opening night. The mammoth chorus numbers performed by a chorus of a size that few but the Pichette Auditorium could accommodate reflect the divisions at the heart of the piece. Divided between rich and poor, they are synchronised in their movements (a real challenge given the chorus’ size) but exist on separate plains. With some even growing mutton chops specially for the role, the chorus promenades on a set with the same dark, smoky atmosphere as Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. However, despite winning four Tony Awards and many other accolades, Jekyll and Hyde is seen far less frequently than its period bedfellow running in London currently. The Pembroke musical will provide a good chance to see an interesting take on a well-loved novel. Jekyll and Hyde is at the Pembroke College Pichette Auditorium in second week from Wednesday 6th to Saturday 9th May at 7.30pm, with matinée performances at 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday.
What’s On A Doll’s House
Wed 13th - Sat 16th May, 7.30pm @The Keble O’Reilly
Beachcombing
Tue 12th - Sat 16th May, 7.30pm @BT Studios
Killing Hitler: The Oxford German Play
Tue 12th - Sat 16th May, 7.45pm (Sat 2.00pm) @BT Studios
8 Fashion
7h May 2015
7th May 2015
Fashion 9
Balltenati
Photographer: Sakura Xiaomei | Models: Rosalind Brody, Lucy Thraves & Re’em
Moskovitz | Concept & Styling: Augustine Cerf & Demie Kim
Market Trends Model: Gifty Okonkwo Photographer: Anna Bellettato Editing: Tom Reynolds Styling:Charlotte Lanning
7th May 2015
10 Fashion
FASHION
Eternal Elegance
CHARLOTTE LANNING
Pembroke College
• Charlotte Lanning discusses the enduring legacy of Audrey Hepburn’s style
I
will never tire of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The opening sequence, the rendition of moon river, the lost cat that leads to the kiss in the rain - it’s all simply magical. The story alone is great but I can’t imagine that Capote’s novel about a call girl would have achieved such cult status if it wasn’t for Audrey Hepburn. The actress was born on the 4th May to a Dutch mother and English father meaning that she would have turned 86 on Monday. Her life was sadly cut short by the all too common culprit of cancer in 1993. Her legacy has lived on in numerous ways from her humanitarian work to her classic films. However, it’s not quite as often
Wikia
noted how groundbreaking her style was. The pixie crop and the boyish frame were all anomalies in a Hollywood that at the time was consumed by voluptuous Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor’s hourglass figure.
“ I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls
”
Audrey’s slight figure was accountable to a much more sinister past. She danced in secret productions during WWII to help the Dutch resistance, the only way to live out her true dream to be a ballerina. As the war progressed, famine ensued and Hepburn suffered from respiratory illness, oedema, and anaemia. It has been suggested that she never fully recovered from this physical hardship and that her thin physique was a result of a lack of sufficient development and growth. Nonetheless, her beauty was luminous and in every performance
she gave her look had a starring role. Given her iconic status it may be surprising to know that the height of her career spanned only 10 years and is thought to have been cut short by the criticism she faced for taking on the role of Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady instead of the original Broadway actress Julie Andrews. However, in that fairly short period she managed to display a variety of iconic looks from nightwear in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, sweeping skirts in Roman Holiday to black skinny pants and a turtleneck in Funny Face. Aside from her clothes it was this literal “funny face” that captured the attention of many viewers. Her cheekbones could cut glass and her bold, thick eyebrows would give the current trend a run for its money. However, the most famous of all of these looks is undeniably the Givenchy black dress worn in the opening sequence of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Audrey and Givenchy had a special relationship with him, calling her his muse. This is reflected in the cult status of the dress, a survey by LoveFilm conducted in 2010 named it the best dress ever worn by a woman in a film. Audrey is still a prevalent feature of popular culture with posthumous features in the 2006 GAP advert dancing to AC DC’s ‘Back in Black’ and in a 2013 Galaxy advert driving along the Amalfi coast eating a bar of the chocolate. It’s not possible to assign Audrey a particular style, partly down to the fact that whatever she wore looked stunning. Her beauty was much deeper than her glowing complexion and doe eyes and her secret was summed up by the lady herself; “I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls”.
Essential items for Princess Charlotte With so much appreciation for Prince George’s sailing boat dungarees and Kate Middleton looking stunning just hours after giving birth here are some essentials for the most recent addition to the Royal family (Maybe leave the matching pastel suits until she gets a bit older though...)
Hunter Wellies She may not be able to walk for a while but these red Hunter’s will come in useful for all those rural activities that will no doubt be undertaken with Daddy and Granny.
Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
CHARLOTTE LANNING
Pembroke College
Cath Kidston Sunglasses To demonstrate her symbolic role of a united Britain something from a classic British brand is essential. Cath Kidston - £8.
Hunter - £32
Mini Chanel 2.55 Pearls The classic royal statement, every princess needs a string of pearls. Kensington Palace
Mikimoto - price on application
Chanel’s teeny weeny version of their classic 2.55 will be an essential for all of the princess’ royal engagements. Probably not the most practical but she probably has a nanny specifically for carrying all of her toys. Chanel - £850
7th May 2015
INSTAWORTHY @pollyvdsz In honour of national stationery week (who knew that was a thing…?) we bring you Polly Vadasz. This girl is running her own graphic design business called sighh on her gap year (bet you feel useless for going to South East Asia now). The range is features pencil cases, notebooks, stickers and phone cases with a number of slogans oh so relevant to the average Oxford student; “I need coffee right now”, “NO I DON’T HAVE A SPARE PENCIL”, “I totally have my life together” and “I am so fucking busy” to name just a few. Jazz up your revision arsenal with these pretty additions.
The Wide-legged Trouser
@oxstufashion
Zoe Goetzmann
Wadham College
• Zoe Goetzmann discusses revolutionary female fashion
T
he wide-legged trouser: ‘Bellbottoms,’ ‘Gauchos,’ or ‘Palazzo pants’ (whatever they may be called) has become a recurrent style trend. This past year, the international runways of Fashion Week were dominated by the ‘boho-chic’ style of the 1970’s. Designers such as Ralph Lauren, Proenza Schoeler and Christian Dior incorporated this classic, widelegged style into their Spring/Summer 2015 collections. High-end stores such as Zara have taken note and now stock a ‘more affordable’ version of this bell-bottom style. In Chioma Nnadi’s article ‘Why Vogue Girls Are Ditching Their Skinny Jeans’, Vogue Market editor Kelly Connor stated: “There’s something far cooler and effortless about a white shirt and baggy trousers […] Whereas a skinny pant with a pump can look like you spent too much time getting ready.” The androgynous yet casual, stylistic appearance of this garment has allowed designers to blur the conventional line between both traditionally ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ fashion modes. Consequently, the frequent reinvention of this particular style has established the wide-legged trouser as a timeless piece within the fabric of fashion’s development. In the 19th century, the wide-legged pant was incorporated originally into British Naval uniforms in order to
Janessa Williams
OxStu Fashion on Intagram
Fashion 11
V&A Museum
assure easy clothing maintenance and safety (i.e. make-shift parachutes). The Roaring 20s saw Prohibition, the Suffragette movement, ‘zootsuits’, ‘flappers’ and women beginning to assume more active roles within social and fashion realms. Designer Coco
“ Designers have successfully
reinvented and redefined the conventional notion of ‘femininity’
”
Chanel rebelled against the ‘ultrafeminine’ ensembles of rival female designers, such as Elsa Schiaparelli, in order to create looks that imitated a more ‘masculine’ style of dress. At the forefront of this trend, the infamous American actress Katherine Hepburn adopted the ‘wide-legged pant’ style, as she introduced the world to her iconic highwaisted trouser-look. Thus, the original concept of the ‘female trouser’ liberated women from the former, obsolete world of constricting ‘corsets,’ ‘hoop skirts,’ and ‘billowing’ gowns. From this point on, the notion of rebellion became a key thematic element within the evolution of the fashion world. In the ’60s and ’70s, the new bohemian ‘hippie’ trend cemented the wide-legged trouser as a permanent fashion staple. During this period of free love and sticking it to the Man, this hippie generation utilized their
clothing as a liberating stylistic form of self-expression against any high forms of power. In contrast, mega, international pop-stars such as Cher commercialized this specific trend and made it a staple fashion item within popular culture. The American jean company, Levi Strauss & Co. created a new line of wide, boot-cut jeans which dominated the teenage demographic during this era. On the other side of the spectrum, punk musicians such as Patti Smith, who desired to emulate the careers of male musicians, like Bob Dylan, incorporated this rebellious look into her own wardrobe and became an important style-icon for the artistic set. Finally, like Hepburn, the actress Diane Keaton popularized this ‘masculine-look’ in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall (1977), as she played the ditzy yet artistic companion to Allen’s neurotic protagonist. Through her personal stylisation of ‘the wide-legged pant,’ she introduced a new, quirky female heroine to the cultural, cinematic, and fashion realms of the period. In this new millennium, the widelegged trouser has assumed its rightful place within the ranks of iconic fashion styles. In 2010, Blake Lively was at the forefront of the reappearance of this trend when she graced the screen in a Parisian episode of Gossip Girl. This year, high-profile celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Rihanna have established the “trouser” style permanently within current popular culture. In 2015, designers have successfully reinvented and redefined the conventional notion of ‘femininity’ through the effortless, ‘androgynous’ look of wide-legged trousers. In this new progressive age of gender equality, the stylistic reinterpretation of women’s fashion has managed to obscure the unnecessary segregation between male and female dress. Fur-
Spotlight: diverse careers in fashion
David M Benett
thermore, in regards to the styling options for this particular trend, the possibilities remain endless. By pairing a structured tee, tank, or crop top with a bralet, jacket, and a pair of heels (to give an example), this garment provides numerous, iconic, versatile looks which will blend in with any summer plans. This summer, take a bold fashion risk! Reinvent your look, loosen up your style and (finally!) toss out those old, wearied, skin-tight jeans!
LIZZIE EVENS
New College
• OxStu Fashion talks to Susanna Cordner an Assistant Curator at the V&A
S
SUBMIT TO US If you have any ideas for articles, features, interviews or shoots please send them over to fashion@oxfordstudent. com!
usanna Cordner is surrounded by all the clothing trends that have defined an era everyday, she admires and researches exquisite apparel and is tasked with searching for pieces to perfect the collection, the only catchthese items will never be worn again. As Assistant Curator of Textiles and Fashion at the V&A museum, Susanna is part of a close-knit team that manages a collection of over one hundred thousand items. The diver-
sity of the collection is matched by the varying projects she has worked on; from 80s club fashion, to underwear and the acclaimed exhibition Wedding Dresses 1775–2014. She began working in museums after completing a Master’s degree in art history and museum curating, which she angled towards fashion. During this time she worked in vintage retail, “it’s quite rare to move from the commercial to academic; to cross over from selling to displaying in this way”. Yet one can certainly glean the advantages of such a move, as Susanna’s next project is an exhibition on 19th century underwear for 2016. With a catalogue of this size one must ask, what pieces make the grade? She explains “you need to look at the item and ask what gap it fills in the collection or the narrative” and this is not about the celebrity factor; there is a strict acquisitions policy, and the museum seeks pieces for their design merit. “It is about the longevity of the piece and what they’ll say about it in a hundred years time. Once an item enters the collection it will never leave’. I ask if there were one piece she would
select to encapsulate current design trends “having just said we aren’t drawn to fame, I think the recent celebrity collaborations show how social media has changed fashion promotion and how this change can be celebrity-led”. For me, the natural temptation would be to slip a favourite piece of the hanger, she describes her favourite piece “there was this one red wedding dress, you can see it on the website, I fell in love; it was worn by Monica Morris in 1932. It is by an unknown designer and has a bright blue belt and veil, it is the expression of a certain woman’s character at a certain time.” Susanna conveys how fashion can act as a dynamic force in history as well as a barometer of change. ‘One can follow the history of fashion through the waist, can look at any stand out silhouette and the most recognisable change is the waist; change is from the undefined, to the dropped to the pinched.” “Fashion history is right for engaging with the public; everyone already has a relationship with clothing to build on’ though the department does not rest on its laurels. What is striking is the variety
of activities preformed by the museum and I was surprised to learn that their work in public access includes an opinion service on antiques, like the roadshow, but where the value lies in aesthetic quality and historical significance. Susanna speaks passionately about working with young designers who have exhibit and display their clothes on the runway as part of the Fashion in Motion event, which is free to attend and aims to expose people to fashion who would not normally be given such an opportunity.
V&A
7th May 2015
12 Screen
SCREEN
Cinderella
Lily James’ breakout role was supported by big names such as Helena Bonham Carter and Cate Blanchett.
Walt Disney Co/Everett
Modern Disney: When you cash in on a star
L
ive-action remakes of classic Disney cartoons are crowding the slate at the moment. We have had Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent and most recently Cinderella, and the likes of The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo are just some of the stories set for the future. This isn’t a new phenomenon. In 1996, Disney released a live-action version of 101 Dalmatians with Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil. It wasn’t very good, but it did well enough to spawn a sequel four years later – the creatively named 102 Dalmatians. Now, almost twenty years later, Disney is hoping the flood the marketplace with remakes, alongside their animated output. It is hard not to greet this news without a degree of cynicism. For some, it stems from an anxiety that their favourite childhood films will be desecrated by the new releases. For others, it reeks of a money-grabbing exercise, with little creativity needed to write the scripts and a guaranteed audience of eager children and their perhaps less enthusiastic parents. More will lament the lack of ingenuity in the studio – have we really run out of ideas completely? There is, however, a bigger problem. Disney has a staggering command of the marketplace, with its more traditional branch just one of its many tentacles. Disney owns the Marvel films, which are set to dominate the comic book fans cinema diary until at least 2019. Disney also owns the
Star Wars franchise, which will see one film come out every year for the foreseeable future. These aren’t films that will struggle for audiences. We know from the astonishing success of the Transformers movies that cinemagoers in the holidays aren’t the most discerning of audiences. Disney knows when to release their offerings to maximise audiences, and won’t be afraid of the competition thanks to the level of nostalgia that their films will generate. Disney is playing a fairly low risk game. Recycling popular stories and characters is one thing, but when you consider the high-calibre cast and crew that the big money studio is able to attract, it is impossible to think that people won’t flock to see these films time and time again. The star power is staggering. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, the film which seems to have kick-started this new flood of remakes, had Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway in its cast. Maleficent had Angeline Jolie. Beauty and the Beast has an amazing array of big names – Emma Watson, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci and Ian McKellen among them. The Jungle Book has even more stars, including Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa and Christopher Walken as King Louie. In the director’s chair, the names are equally impressive. The Jungle Book is being helmed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf). Tim Burton won’t return
for the Alice in Wonderland sequel, but he’s making Dumbo instead. Kenneth Branagh directed Cinderella. It is no surprise that Disney is able to attract such reliable directors, but it raises an important question about their strategy.
“ This is the perfect platform
to try out someone obscure in the director’s chair, or the lead role, and propel them to stardom
”
We have seen directors in colossal movie franchises with their creative vision squashed by the demands of the studio. ‘Creative differences’ have been the nail in the coffin for many a potential director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example. With these individual films, a director can’t have a vision that breaks with the overall tone of the collection. We have already seen, in the three most recent
releases, distinct differences in tone and approach. Alice in Wonderland had the gothic edge that has become Burton’s calling card. Maleficent subverted the original film completely, and aimed for a darker tone. Branagh, meanwhile, stuck to a traditional telling of Cinderella, and it was no less successful. Many will argue that the latter was a far better film. Why then, when big audiences are a certainty and directors are allowed to pursue diverse visions, are Disney not using the opportunity to cultivate lesser known talent? This is the perfect platform to try out someone obscure in the director’s chair, or the lead role, and propel them to stardom. I’m not asking them to pick someone off the street and put them in front of a camera, or to ask an unproven and unreliable hand to take over the filming. But there are many directors who have made good films without ever having a chance to have a real crack at the box office. You can judge a director by his box office figures or by his films, and it looks like Disney are going for the former. It is a shame that, instead of taking a risk – and it doesn’t have to be too much of a risk – they are going for the big names. In a year where diversity in the film industry has reared its head again, Disney is sticking with that same collection of middle-aged white men to tell their stories. Disney seems incredibly eager to minimise risk. Anyone can get audi-
THOMAS BANNATYNE ST HILDA’S COLLEGE
ences to go to a film starring Jolie, Depp or Emma Watson. They’ve chosen their most reliable properties too. The risk involved in a Beauty and the Beast film is far less than that of a Black Cauldron remake. The biggest obstacle to audiences flocking to the cinemas is their fear that the films will let them down. Sticking to the same sort of formula will ensure that they turn up. That’s why the casting has been so predictable. If I told you that Bill Murray was going to be in The Jungle Book, you’d assume he was Baloo. If I told you Emma Thompson was in Beauty and the Beast, you’d assume she was Mrs Potts. As a movie making behemoth, Disney has a responsibility to keep the industry from stagnating. Instead, it’s sticking to the old guard to maximise profits. It’s as if Disney isn’t a film studio anymore. It’s a money-making machine. But who can blame them? We’ll all still troop off to the cinema to watch whatever they put out. And then they’ll do it all over again. Remakes of old Disney properties aren’t all bad. They have the potential to address the outdated ideas of the originals, especially with regard to the damsel in distress model of princess films. Updates for modern sensibilities can always be encouraged, particularly for children’s films, where the target audience can’t always appreciate the original context. But there’s a unique opportunity here, and it’s being ignored.
7th May 2015
Screen 13
Review: Wild Tales T he ‘anthology’ is a narrative structure that is rarely used in contemporary cinema. When it does appear, it tends to be in fun, but frivolous horror movies such as VHS (2012) and The ABCs of Death (2012). To see it appearing in a film shown in competition at Cannes last year, where it received enormous critical success, is fairly surprising. What is even more surprising is that none of the stories in Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales exude the kind of contemplative, measured aesthetic that tends to win success at the festival. Wild Tales tells six frenzied tales linked by themes of betrayal, vengeance, retribution, and murder; each covered with a layer of pitch-black humour that complements the satirical edge lurking just beneath the surface. The narratives are more akin to the twists and turns of Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected or Alfred Hitchcock Presents than the drowsy portentousness of ‘anthology’ art-house films such as Iñárritu‘s 21 Grams (2003) or Babel (2006) . During the best tales, the film feels like a giddy re-invigoration of the anthology structure. Unfortunately, these highs are beset by several stories that lack the wit, inventiveness, and meticulous storytelling of the other segments. The opening sets the tone for the film with a pre-credits prologue called ‘Pasternak’, a deliciously brief slice of macabre concerning airline passengers who find that they are all connected in some way to a figure from their collective past. The
dark comedy and narrative efficiency of Pasternak pulses through the veins of the film’s first half, as the stories go from strength to strength. Szifron describes the film as being about the “pleasure of losing control,” and this is reflected in his directorial style. The long takes and compositional emphasis of typical art-house fare are eschewed in favour of a roving, restless camera and a frenetic editing style that reflects the mind-set of the lead characters as their mostly middle-class restraint is pushed to its absolute limit, and then sent into freefall. The prologue is followed by Las Ratas (The Rats) in which a waitress (Julieta Zylberberg) at a late-night diner is forced to serve a blackhearted loan shark who tore apart her family. The show here is firmly stolen by Rita Cortese who plays the hardened cook urging the waitress to take murderous revenge. Cortese’s deadpan scheming is the highlight of the segment, and she might have the best line in the whole film: “if rat poison is expired, does this mean it is more or less deadly?” The fact that the loanshark is running for mayor adds a satirical edge to the tale that is more explicitly elaborated in the film’s fourth story, Bombita (Little Bomber), which stars a wonderfully browbeaten Ricardo Darín. Darín plays demolition expert Simon Fischer, whose revenge against a ubiquitous, and ubiquitously unscrupulous towing company turns him into a
TOM JACKSON WOLFSON COLLEGE social-media hero. The tale is a wonderfully absurd examination of the bureaucracy, inertia, and corruption of civil government; it is Wild Tales at its best, the pacing so exquisitely realised that his gradual unravelling is both plausible, yet absurd; hilarious, yet totally involving. It is a shame that this sharp, immensely satisfying story structure is let down in the film’s final third. The last two stories, La Propuesta (The Proposal), followed by Hasta que la Muerte nos Separe (Until Death do us Part), are more plodding affairs whose edges are blunted by longer running times, an over-emphasis on dialogue, and surprisingly predictable endings. La Propuesta involves the rich father (Oscar Martinez) of a young layabout who commits a hitand-run, and the deal that he makes to conceal his son’s crime, while Hasta que la Muerte nos Separe tells the tale of a bride (Érica Rivas) who discovers her husband’s infidelity on the night of their wedding. It is a shame that these two stories, lacking the ingenuity and vitality of the first four, close the film, especially as the ending of Hasta […] is the movie’s low point - a clichéd, lazy resolution that ends proceedings on a bum note. There is plenty of fun to be had in Wild Tales; unfortunately that fun rather tapers out in the last 50 minutes. Regardless, the nuanced humour, ingenious satire, and gleeful chaos of the first four tales are worth the price of admission alone.
Juan Salvarredy
3
Chris Gardner (Will Smith) in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Gardner is a man pressed by financial demands and emotional damage, but that doesn’t prevent him from doing the best for his son at all times. He works tirelessly for his son’s benefit, to feed him and to put a roof over his head in dark times. The Pursuit of Happyness exploits a real father-son chemistry between Will and Jaden Smith (before he became known for his bizarre philosophising on Twitter), and the latter’s presence only enhances the devotion of the former.
Columbia pictures
2
Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) in Kramer vs Kramer (1979) When his wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves him at the very start of the film, advertising hotshot Ted is left to care for his young son Billy. Ted begins inauspiciously, taking out his anger on Billy and struggling to balance his career with caring for his son. As he regains his confidence and composure, Ted works to do the best for his son, engaging in a bitter custody battle, and finally working out how to make good French toast.
Sheila Y
1
Marlin (Albert Brooks) in Finding Nemo (2003) How many fathers can say they have taken on sharks, jellyfish and their own crippling anxiety to rescue their son? That is, of course, what jittery clownfish Marlin does. Although overbearing at first, understandably given the cruel fate of Nemo’s mother and hundreds of siblings at the jaws of a barracuda, Marlin grows to trust his son and face his fears. Pixar know how to tug at heartstrings, and here they manage to make you care more for two fish than other films do for real people.
Walt Disney Co/Everett
T
MEGAN ERWIN CORPUS CHRISTI
COUNTDOWN
THREE BEST SINGLE DADS IN MOVIES
hink Cold War espionage – what are the first things that spring to mind? Obscurely named missions and animal related code signals (“the geese fly south at midnight!”)? Clench-jawed negotiations accompanied by liberal swigging of vodka? Hammy Russian accents and sharp suits? If so, the makers of BBC 2’s new Cold War spy drama The Game are very much on your wavelength. The Game situates itself firmly in the tradition set by Ian Fleming and John LeCarre – it knows the formula, and has chosen not to mess with it. The only thing missing was a poignant game of chess (which we can no doubt look forward to for next week). Fortunately for The Game, it does the formula very well. Judging from the first episode, a new, exciting take on the realities of the Cold War it is not (if this is what you are looking for, I highly recommend The Americans). However, it is beautiful (set in 1972, no expense has been spared on cut
glass and sepia lighting), and there is something undoubtedly pleasing in its familiarity and pointed Britishness. There is also ample eye-candy in the protagonist Joe Lambe (Tom Hughes), who looks every inch the former Burberry model that he is. At the moment he’s rather preoccupied with being brooding and inscrutable, which is slightly boring, but hopefully those chiselled cheekbones will perk
us what idiots they all are. All the stock office characters are there: the inept intern; the browbeaten, bumbling executive; the bulldoggish head of department who in fact contributes nothing; and the snazzily dressed head of PR “who’s, like, totally cool with that.” W1A is, however, also made and aired by the BBC. This means that by definition it is one massive, self-
up as the series continues. While The Game treats us to a deliciously nostalgic look into the MI5 of the 1970s (were people ever really allowed to smoke inside THAT MUCH?), W1A whisks us into the heart of another British institution, the BBC. This takes a mockumentary style look at the BBC’s head offices in central London and basically shows
indulgent in-joke. But while this might not necessarily be such a terrible thing, the fact remains (whisper it), that it’s just not that funny. Of course I know myself and Oxstu readers might not be their target audience, most of us having all the joys of the open plan office and the ‘Sympatico’ staff café still awaiting us, but that still didn’t stop me laughing out loud
THE WEEK IN TV
at The Office. W1A seems conspicuously like an extended hand from the BBC for us to laugh with them and not at them, unfortunately, for me that resulted in no laughs at all. Meanwhile the BBC have also been treating us to Nick and Margaret: The Trouble With Our Trains, a title which could be seen to be blaming Alan Sugar’s former lieutenants for the demise of the British railway system. For it is that formidable duo who are investigating why our trains are lacking in efficiency when compared to the railways of Europe. It’s because of privatisation, mostly. The Trouble With Our Trains is a strange creature, with a pair of presenters who have never been the most approachable of characters making discoveries that we all sort of knew already. There is no cutting edge investigating here, and Nick and Margaret are better known for their raised eyebrows and smirks to the camera than their journalistic side. Odd to say the least.
14 Arts & Lit
7th May 2015
ARTS & LIT
Tracey Emin’s My Bed returns
• After sixteen years, Tracey Emin’s controversial My Bed returns to Tate Britain • Francesca Rogers reflects on Emin’s artistic legacy
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racey Emin’s art has brought her notoriety in the form of violently divided opinion: she is regarded as provocative, attention-seeking, and unartistic, as well as powerful, visionary, and of great cultural and artistic significance. I would argue that she is all of the above, and these descriptors are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Her rise to celebrity status in the Young British Artists (or Britart) movement of the late 80s coincided with a trend of increasingly confrontational film, theatre, and art, which was necessarily reflective of the creative response to the Thatcherite years. The room itself, situated within a retrospective of art from the 1910s to the present day, features as its centrepiece the infamous My Bed, a recreation of the state of Emin’s bed during a depressive episode, characterised by its unmade, soiled sheets, lingerie and hosiery, condoms, oral contraceptives, cigarettes, empty bottles of spirits, photographs of the artist, and even, poignantly, worn slippers and a stuffed toy: the detritus and disjecta membra of a life. The piece is haunted by the sense of lived experience, which is emphasised by the inclusion of two Francis Bacon paintings selected by Emin from the Tate’s collection. His own liminal figures are powerfully emotionally charged, contorted in pain and isolated on the canvas; these highlight the themes of My Bed as well as of her surrounding six recent line-paintings of a reclining woman which present the ghostly images
Strange Bedfellows
Among her most well-known and controversial works, Emin’s My Bed returns to the Tate. The Saatchi Gallery, London
of a figure flickering indistinctly, half-impressions of a life. What remains fascinating about Emin is her sense of lineage, the artistic precedents which she selfconsciously both clings to and attempts to break free from. The sense of abjection of the squalid bed is carried across from Bacon’s agonised figures trapped within their frame, and the hauntingly scribbledout face of one of her recumbent women echoes Bacon’s own indistinct screaming faces; the jutting hipbones of her naïve line-drawn
nude female figures which resemble Egon Schiele’s elongated bodies; as well as the primacy of a specifically feminine sexuality exemplified by Louise Bourgeois. These overt echoes are present amongst many other more muted ones. In this way, Emin bridges the gap between the highbrow and the commonplace, and allows for her art to be accessible to her viewing public regardless of entry point. Emin herself becomes a precedent for later artists. Perhaps a natural extension of Emin’s Bed (sold last year for two and a half
million pounds) is Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz’s viral endurance performance piece Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight), in which Sulkowicz carries the mattress on which she was raped by a fellow student wherever she goes on campus, planning only to stop when her rapist is reprimanded and expelled. In a similar vein to the confessional verse of Anne Sexton, Emin explores what is highly personal and emotional. My Bed holds a tenuous and dual role, both as apparent autobiographical outpouring of
ALEXANDER HARTLEY QUEEN’S COLLEGE
CHRIST CHURCH
emotion, and carefully crafted piece of art. The work is uncanny in its artifice: it appears to be haphazardly put together, but this impression is frustrated by the knowledge that it is intentionally so. Returning to the question of femaleness, the exploitation of the domestic scope to portray Emin’s personal anguish is symbolically striking, performing extremely complex and meticulously organised artistic expression. The concern with the self resonates strongly with a legacy of psychoanalysis with reference to art, with Emin and Bacon suggesting the subconscious drives of the hysteric. As French philosopher Gilles Deleuze writes of one of Bacon’s paintings in his artistic treatise on the artist, The Logic of Sensation: “It is a scene of hysteria. The entire series of spasms in Bacon is of this type: scenes of love, of vomiting, and excreting, in which the body attempts to escape from itself through one of its organs in order to rejoin the field or material structure”. This strikes me as similar to Emin’s attempts; concerned as she is with materiality, with the body, with self-expression and selfdestruction. Thus in both Emin and Bacon we can trace an affirmation of hysteria, and the dialogue between this unexpected pairing opens up a discussion about trauma and emotional suffering which resounds within the walls of the room. This exhibition is running at the Tate Britain from now until June 2016. ently chronological nor thematic, but walks an uneasy line between the two; the first four rooms cover Delaunay’s work from 1907 to about 1920, but then the curation becomes more thematic, with timescales overlapping. A room called ‘Rhythm and
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onia Delaunay’s work crackles with the electric charge of modernity. Hers is a world of garish streetlights, Paris ballrooms, high-speed trains, the frenetic crash of a new urban life. Born in Russia in 1885, Delaunay spent most of her working life in Paris before her death in 1979; in what seems a strange oversight, she has only just now been given a full retrospective in the UK. After floating through a room or two of early-career paintings (some with muted, Fauvist palettes), I was struck by a bright advertisement from 1913, boldly proclaiming city names: ST PETERSBURG! PARIS! NEW YORK! BERLIN! Delaunay makes modern life glimmer and pop as few others can. Her interest in modernity drove her to experiment restlessly, rejecting traditional artistic strictures. In a captivating early piece called La Prose du Transsibérien et de la Petite Jehanne de France, Delaunay collaborated with the poet Blaise Cendrars; the work presents Delaunay’s stencilled abstracts alongside Cendrar’s vivid modernist verse on a single very tall, narrow ream of paper. In a typical display of ambition, Delaunay ensured that the print run of 150 copies would, laid
FRANCESCA ROGERS
“ Delaunay makes modern life glimmer and pop as few others can.
Sonia Delaunay
Delaunay at the Tate Modern end-to-end, stretch to the height of the Eiffel Tower, a symbol of modernity that the artist found inspiring enough to put on her headed notepaper even when she was living in Spain and Portugal during the First World War. Delaunay worked in many media, as this exhibition delights in showing. The influence of advertising and graphic design can be seen in her paintings, but also in her designs for the cover of Vogue magazine; a
1911 patchwork cradle cover for her son Charles is by her own description “cubist”, but was made according to a traditional technique from her native Russia. Most captivating are Delaunay’s designs for clothes, where the sharp edges of her distinctive abstract designs are brought to bear on the smooth contours of the human body. This room, called ‘Fashion and Textiles’, dominates the exhibition. The fabrics, which span from the
early 1920s through to the 1960s, eloquently illustrate the way an aesthetic can trickle from rarefied intellectual and bohemian circles into high fashion, then mass production; the same abstract geometry that animated Delaunay’s canvasses from 1914 can be found adorning a scarf woven in 1969. However, there are some aspects of this expensive exhibition– £12.70 for concessions – which seem questionable. Its approach is neither consist-
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Abstraction’ shows a range of work from 1938–46, but is immediately followed by ‘Paris 1937’, which centres on the International Exhibition of that year. And after the enormity and excitement of some earlier selections, the room given over to Delaunay’s gouaches (1953–66) feels almost banal. By and large, this exhibition offers a useful overview of an artist whose long working life and consistent versatility make her difficult to reduce or simplify. It may not make much sense of Delaunay’s work, but at least it will help a large number of visitors to discover it.
Arts & Lit 15
7th May 2015
David Nicholls: another love story Treasures WILLIAM SHAW CORPUS CHRISTI
E
ven with his last book now six years in the past, David Nicholls has been keeping busy. Since the publication of the hugely popular bittersweet love story One Day (and the slightly less hugely popular film), Nicholls has written the wonderful two-part TV drama The 7:39 (starring David Morrissey and Sheridan Smith), as well as the screenplay for the upcoming film adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd starring Carey Mulligan. His new novel, Us, detailing the struggles of a middle-aged couple on the brink of divorce, comes out in paperback this month. Nicholls was kind enough to meet with me to discuss middle-class angst, the genius of Thomas Hardy, and the pressure of following up on a literary smash hit.
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It’s a love story about family this time.
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The conversation opened with Us, which is in some ways reflective of Nicholls’ earlier work. “It’s another love story. It’s a love story about family this time. I’d never really written about family before so I thought it was time. It’s about a man who’s been apparently happily married for twenty-odd years and is woken by his wife one night and told that she isn’t happy and she’s leaving. When their son goes to college, she’s going too. And suddenly this man who’s become rather complacent and set in his ways is faced with the possibility of life alone. He’s horrified at the prospect, and resolves to win her back, and the novel follows them as they go on their last ever holiday as a family, what’s potentially their last time together, on a grand tour
The book of David: Nicholls’ career 2003
Nicholls publishes his first book, Starter for Ten
2009
One Day comes out, to widespread acclaim
5, 000,000
The number of copies of One Day sold worldwide
2014
Nicholls’ TV drama The 7:39 airs
of Europe. So it’s a story of marriage, and separation, and family and it’s a kind of road movie around the great cities and museums of Europe and it’s a comedy about divorce and loneliness [Laughs].” But what attracted Nicholls to such themes, especially as they stand in such stark contrast to his previous novels? “I suppose I’d never really written about parenthood. I’d never really written about parents and children. I suppose maybe I felt too old to write another ‘will they, won’t they’ twenty-something love story. I won’t say I won’t go back to that, but I wanted to write something that felt a bit more grown-up, a bit darker. I wanted to write about Europe and the English abroad. When I was publicising One Day I went on a kind of protracted road trip around a lot of cities that I’d never visited before, and I really loved themI wanted to write about misadventures abroad. And I still wanted to write a love story, I just didn’t want to write the same love story as One Day. I wanted to write something maybe a bit tougher. I have no hesitation in calling it a love story, but it’s rougher than ‘will they, won’t they get together?’. It’s ‘can they, can’t they stay together?’” One Day was of course enormously successful, selling upwards of five million copies. Did Nicholls feel any pressure when writing the follow-up? “Of course, but I would never complain about that. I mean, it’s a very privileged kind of stress, and I was really grateful for the way One Day took off. I didn’t feel it was a terrible yoke around my neck- I was delighted. I think the problem was not really one of anticipation, more one of distraction. You know, it’s very hard to find the time to concentrate, and there came a point where I just had to kind of pull down the shutters, refuse to talk about One Day any more, and concentrate on writing something new. Once I finally got this character’s voice and got the story and worked out what it was, I really loved writing it. It wasn’t a case of writer’s block, really, it was more a case of just too much going on, and the old characters’ voices remaining in my head. It took a long time, four years, really, to find the space necessary to write something new.” Has Nicholls’ perspective on Us changed at all over the few months it’s now been out? “I suppose there’s a certain kind of relief that it hadn’t flopped or disappeared or been torn to pieces. I think it’s gone down, critically anyway, better than anything I’ve written before. It probably won’t sell as many copies, and that’s fine, because what happened with One Day was sort of freakish, really. If it doesn’t have five million that’s absolutely fine. The important thing for me is I think it’s an improvement, it’s a better book, and it’s more sophisticated and more grown up. It’s been great, actually. I’m aware that when something does well, there’s often a backlash and the next thing’s a disaster, but actually, so far, anyway, it’s been fine. It’s not autobiographical- I’m nothing like Douglas, the main character- but it’s quite a personal book, and it means quite a lot to me, so I’m pleased that people seem to have liked it.” Shifting the topic a little towards Nicholls’ career as a screenwriter, I asked how it compared to prose writing. “Adaptation is very different, because someone has had the inspiration, and someone’s done the difficult bits. Someone’s already made Bathsheba Everdeen, Gabriel Oak and Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Someone’s
from afar
Wikipedia Foundation
MARCUS LI
MAGDALEN COLLEGE
A
putnik
had the genius to create those, and you’re slightly more at arm’s length. You’re not drawing on your own life so directly and there’s an element of précis involved in the whole thing. It’s not creative, it’s more editorial. But writing an original like The 7:39, I hadn’t done that for a little while, and I had a really good time doing that. That was much more like writing fiction, in the sense that you’re a bit more engaged, and you have to sort of pull this stuff out of the air. It’s scarier, but ultimately really satisfying.” “But there are loads of different things. In a novel, no-one particularly worries about length, whereas on the screen, every minute costs, I don’t know, a hundred thousand pounds, something like that? Inevitably there are a lot more voices involved. In a script there are certain things I don’t have to bother writing. I don’t have to write any description, because they’ve got designers for that, I don’t have to write the facial expressions because they have actors for that, so all these responsibilities you have as a novelist are taken out of your hands when you write scripts. That’s both fun and frustrating.” Thomas Hardy has been a real influence on Nicholls: as well as writing the script for Far From the Madding Crowd and a TV version of Tess of the D’Urbervilles,
Nicholls references Hardy in both One Day and Us. what does he find so attractive about him? “I don’t write at all like Hardy, and I’m slightly regretful of that. He’s a great poet, a great writer of nature, and I wouldn’t even try to do that. But I love the emotionalism of Hardy, I find the books very moving. I love the notions of fate and missed opportunities in Hardy, I love the bittersweet natureeven when he’s writing quite dark stuff like Tess or Mayor of Casterbridge there’s still comedy and warmth there. I like the fact that he writes strong female characters, who aren’t demure and modest. They’re brazen and noisy and defiant, I love that about him. He’s a great writer of unrequited love, unrequited passion. He’s quite a sexy writer, for the nineteenth century anyway. I haven’t read a new Hardy novel since I was a teenager, but the ones that I know I go back to again and again, and really, really adore.” With Us already out and Far from the Madding Crowd on the horizon, Nicholls has certainly had a busy few years. He plans to take a break for the time being, but hopefully we can look forward to plenty more from him in the future. With his immense skill for character and consummate wit, Nicholls is a writer whom I doubt the reading public will be wont to give up easily.
funny German writer? What on earth do you mean? Yes, but that is why I fell in love with Heinrich Heine; for me, he was one of the major reasons for wanting to study German literature at degree level. This is also one of the few texts that, despite having spurted out an essay on it, still remains dearly beloved in my heart. Heine is truly one of the wittiest sausages of the German canon. *Spoiler alert* His mock epic poem Atta Troll tells the story of a partisan dancing bear named, well, Atta Troll, his escape from slavery to liberation, his recapture and ultimate execution. The destiny of our ursine protagonist is a fur rug. At the beginning, he is chained up with his beloved wife, Mumma, and the duo is forced to dance the cancan to entertain the populace of a village in the French Pyrenees. Whilst Mumma bear pathetically dances away, Atta Troll feels debased. Spurred on by his desire to regain his dignity, he breaks away from his oppressor and escapes into the mountains to find his children. But as he preaches at length to his cubs his idealistic values, little does he know, that the ghoulish Laskaro, helped by his medieval witch-mother, Uraka, begins his hunt for him. The poem’s duality in meaning gives many witty remarks about the period of Germany at the time. Heine criticises, through the power of satire, the old-fashioned and unrealistic Romantic ethics. Atta Troll’s way of liberating himself from the oppressive humans is not longsighted. Atta Troll becomes nauseatingly verbose and radical. He loses sight of his goal, and thus his freedom comes to an end. Although pregnant with political undertones, this poem is light to read and understandable. The plot is exciting and unexpected. This is one of the few works that break the stereotype of German literature being heavy and over-philosophical. Although it was written in the nineteenth century, I am still surprised by how relevant it still is to the concerns of today’s society. Heine is such a bae!
7th May 2015
NASIM ASL SOMERVILLE COLLEGE
Profile 13
James Kent Profile
J
ames Kent is not yet a household name, although many will be familiar with his works. The director has previously dedicated most of his time to documentaries, with his moving portrayal of the events of September 11th 2001 in the form of 9/11: Phone Calls from the Tower gaining him perhaps his largest pre-cinema audience so far. This has changed considerably of late. After venturing into the world of TV drama with The White Queen, James has most recently set his sights on the big screen; 2015 saw the cinematic release of Testament of Youth, set for digital release on may 8th. Based upon the famous memoir of Somerville alumna Vera Brittain, the bipoc follows her as she makes her way from her family home to the dreaming spires and onwards to France. This is not the first time Vera’s story has been retold. “I remember the television series when I was a teenager”, James admitted when I spoke to him about what drew him to direct such a poignant tribute to Vera, “It was powerful – Vera is such a feisty, strong individual. It felt like a very inspirational story for a new generation to find.” With the centenary of the First World War currently being very much on the forefront of the minds of the nation, James sees cinema and war drama – a
“ When you're telling stories, you're looking for the unique in the world
The landscape of memory:
The director of Testament of Youth discusses his poignant tribute to Vera Brittain
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clique he is now very much part of – as crucial to contemporary understanding of the past. “I think it emotionalises the experience”, he mused. “If you look at the poppies at the tower of London, or the music that’s been written, or the Church services, they don’t necessarily take you into the pain and the suffering of one individual or emotionalise that experience in a very singular way.” By contrast, his dramatised version of Vera’s life is very much focussed on her, with actress Alicia Vikander (Vera Brittain) appearing in every scene of the film. “It sits within the landscape of memory – the film doesn’t displace more epic artistic endeavours that have taken place in this last year, but I think it brings you face to face with acute, private, and personal suffering of one person. The one stands for the universal.” I asked James what made him want to direct Vera’s story, rather than reworking the life of one of the famous War Poets, such as Robert Graves, and seeing the suffering of the battlefield first hand. He doesn’t hesitate when answering, and it is obvious that this is a tale he is passionate about. “I think in cinema now there is a real appetite for telling women’s stories. If you look at the way that, finally,” – here James laughs incredulously – “producers are focussing on 50 per cent of the cinema
Lionsgate UK
going audience, I think there’s a desire to tell women’s stories more than there has been before. Vera Brittain is such an incredibly iconic voice in a universal rite of passage story of young girls wanting to achieve in life. For people watching this film and experiencing Vera’s journey, there’s a real tonic in seeing her achieve what she sets out to do and forge an independent career from a provincial upbringing. That’s inspirational to us all. “Unlike Robert Graves, who’s another man dictating an agenda, I think Vera is a unique voice. When you’re telling stories, you’re always looking for the unique in the world – not to diminish the men,” James is quick to add, “but they get a lot of coverage and the women really don’t. It’s important to address that balance”. That’s not to say that the War Poets are totally absent from the film – Roland Leighton (portrayed by Kit Harington of Game of Thrones fame) and Vera were engaged, and the film covers the entirety of their tragic relationship. “My struggle was to balance Roland against the other boys” James confessed, referring to Ed-
ward Brittain and Victor Richardson, played by upcoming actor Taron Egerton and Merlin favourite Colin Morgan respectively. “You want people to commit to the love story – ‘cause it is a romantic love story. It’s a big part of her experience – she carried those violets for the rest of her life in the locket around her neck – so she never quite forgot.” James explained, somewhat blurring the boundaries of the film and the real in a way I later realised was a reflection of his investment into the truth of the film. “She was always struggling to come to terms with it. That struggle, along with trying to make Edward still count, was the biggest balancing act I played in the film.” Despite Vera’s ties to Somerville (her daughter Shirley Williams would also attend the college), the crew filmed in Merton. “The problem with Somerville is they’ve modernised quite a lot”, James explained. “It made it very difficult for us to film in there without a lot of special effects. We were sorry not to film there, we wanted to because you want to be authentic, but we opted for Merton because
Career Highlights 2005
Visits Auschwitz to film Holocaust: A Music Memorial Film
2009
9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers airs
2013
Directs three episodes of The White Queen
2014
Kent completes filming of Testament of Youth
you don’t need to change anything from the Victorian Era.” The strength of Testament of Youth lies very much in the beauty of its cinema. It’s incredibly well shot, and its subtly breathtaking. Powerful shots of the English countryside are contrasted with the iconic Oxford buildings, before the action takes Vera to the rain and destruction of the Front Line, as well as the chaos of a military hospital. James explained the conscious effort to control the cinematography: “There was certainly a half-way point when the look begins to change. The first hour, with the famous summer of 1914, the light and colour and nature are under a canopy of irony really, knowing what’s about to happen. That kind of overt romanticism fuelled the first hour, then once war breaks out and you fear for the lives of these young men, the film darkens. The palette gets browner and greyer, and increasingly the lense gets tighter. By the time she has her breakdown at Oxford you’re really close in on Vera, and that was the visual journey I wanted to take the audience on.”
Oxstuff 15
7th May 2015
OxStuff
Come dine with me: St Peter's College Ball FOOD AND DRINK
8/10 With paella and pulled pork on offer alongside ball staples of fresh doughnuts and popcorn, you're never caught short of food to grab - or alcohol to wash it down with. The only disappointment comes in the form of the Survivor's Breakfast (served at 3am), with just one van serving their fresh made crepes. Delicious as they were, probably not worth the half an hour it too to get hold of them.
ter off sticking with the masses of free food on offer.
WOW FACTOR 6/10 This is far from the showiness of some of Oxford's fanciest balls, and the wow factor is dampened slightly by an unfortunate drizzle which lasts most of the evening and into the morning.
ENTERTAINMENT 8/10
Costing ÂŁ85 for a ticket without dining upgrade, St Peter's is pretty reasonably priced. The extra ÂŁ25 for a meal of pate and steak isn't extortionate either, but you're bet-
A mixture of Oxford's best bands and groups (Funk band DFO being a particular highlight) have been supplemented by home grown SPC talent including The Cross Keys in a nice college-centric touch. The spinning teacups are good fun (though the drizzle means they
Pembroke does Art Attack 10th May Pembroke College
OBA Easter Projects Screening 12th May, 12pm The UPP
PRICE 7/10
OSOpera:'The Mercy of Titus" 7th-9th May, 7:45pm Exeter College Chapel
The ISIS Presents: Hip Hop 7th May, 10pm The Cellar
never reach peak popularity), and Greg James' blasting of the BBC theme in the main tent remains the highlight of the evening.
ATMOSPHERE 9/10
The magical theme of "Grimm's Fairy Tales" is sucessfully dusted across the college grounds, with small touches such as cardboard mice and flowers hanging from windows. Although St Peter's is far from the largest or most impressive college, the intimate setting makes for an enchanted atmostphere.
TOTAL SCORE FOR SPC BALL: 38/50
Emmanuel's Birthday Party 9th May, 1pm-6pm Regent's Park College
Oliver Robinson
Comedy Night with the Imps 12th May, 7:30pm Merton College JCR
PICK OF THE WEEK
Zed Bias 8th May, 11pm The Bullingdon
Oxford Holi 9th May, 11am Brasenose College
Bridge Election Night Special 7th May, 10pm Bridge
OUSS Salsa Ball 8th May, 7:30pm Oxford Town Hall
Alexander Darby, New College Fricam ft. The Bomb 8th May, 10:30pm Camera
Short film screening 8th May, 7:30pm University College
16 OxStuff
7th May 2015
Cliterary Theory of getting caught and the perils that is collecting parcels from the porters lodge, and I am here to tell you how to buzz away to your heart’s content. Ordering my first vibrator was a late night Amazon impulse purchase. I read each word of the packaging details intensely just to make sure that it would arrive in non marked packaging. I specifically picked a vibrator suitable to college life. The walls in the rooms are notoriously thin, and although I take it as a badge of honor and pride to have my neighbors give me a knowing wink and ask me to reimburse them for ear plugs when I pull on a night out, the gentle buzz of my new squeeze is not one I want to be echoing down the hall at night. I felt the first time thrill as I clicked ‘check out’ which I hadn’t felt since I was fingered in the back of the bus on the school trip to Birmingham in Year 11. I anxiously tracked my package as it made its way from the Amazon Depo to my college lodge. I wondered what it must like to be a picker in that section of the depo; constantly putting together orders of lube and dildos. What an insight THAT must be into bedrooms of the British middle classes? I wasn’t too embarrassed about
MONA LOTT
INTERNET EXPLORER
Jack Myers
As obssessed with our alumni as Christ Church, we at the OxStu could not be more delighted to hear that former editor Jack Myers has fallen into bed with not one, not two, but three student newspapers (though, of course, we use the word extremely loosely when speaking of VERSA). Climbing a pole greasy with discarded Express Pizza boxes at one (the best) newspaper was insufficient for the all-consuming ambition of Jack: like a poverty-stricken aristocrat breaking into the servants’ wine, he also had to sample slightly shitter student journohack fare as well. Rumours that he managed to achieve the Bullingdon Club coup in Eve and Ravenscroft while being fitted for his own tailcoat are yet to be denied by Oxford’s most promiscuous hack...
JACK MYERS
PRINCE GEORGE It’s a tough life, being heir to thousands of acres, a collection of tweed larger than that exhibited on Thursdays at the Union and a small island nation, isn’t it? Because, basically, if you have a little sister who is adorable enough to melt the hearts of millions with that little forehead (eek!), no-one gives a fuck about you anymore. You become the equivalent of the far-away school girlfriend on the sweaty Park End cheese floor- basically bloody irrelevant. But fear not: it’s under two decades until you can get a free pass into either Oxford or Cambridge (obviously Oxford, you seem like a top bloke) with lower grade requirements than the most deprived access case.Take a leaf out your grandpa’s book; by all accounts, at Cambridge Charlie did sod all work and spent 95% of his time shooting peasashit, sorry, pheasants...
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on’t lie – we’ve all thought about buying sex toys. Whether its to spice up our sex lives or to cure the sexual drought that comes with having too many extra curriculars, sex toys can provide a quick solution to all your problems. Even better, with the advent of the Internet, you can have all the accessories for your kinky fantasies delivered on Amazon Prime straight to your door. No need to scurry into Anne Summers in the Westgate, hoping that your tutor or that person you regularly chirpse in the smoking area of Bridge on a Thursday will see you. Who needs diamonds modern technology and next day delivery is a single and lonely girl’s best friend. Unless you live in an Oxford college, in which case your vibrators, whips, and whatever else takes your fancy has to go through the sacred office of your porter before it reaches your boudoir. This is enough to put the faint hearted off experimenting with technological titillators. But don’t worry my friend, I have braved the cave
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CHRIST CHURCH DO QUEER ICONS... Clarence House Twitter
the anonymous Amazon worker who packaged my vibrator. But the moment I realised that I would be collecting from the little old lady who did the post at the porter’s lodge, who would be completely oblivious to the contents she was handing over, I start to cringe. I read and re read Amazon’s promise to keep my secret, but dread too over as I handed the slip to the woman and she shuffled through the post bag like an oblivious Santa. Time seemed to slow; I worried my prize had been damaged in transit and it was now open in the college post bag along with cookies from home and copies of The Economist. But alas, my sweet rabbit was safe, tucked up in the anonymous cardboard emblazoned with the old faithful Amazon logo. Grinning, I thanked her kindly and hurried off to the safety of my room where no one would ask me what I had ordered. This as not a purchase to be opened in the JCR. Once I was in my room, I prized open the packaging and inspected my prize. True to the product description, its buzz was inaudible (I even left it on and walked out my room for peace of mind.) So dear reader, what have we learned? Buying sex toys from Amazon is a wonder of the modern world. Next to the polio vaccine and sliced bread, it’s pretty great. Secondly, there is no shame in getting them delivered to college. Whether you’re at New or Corpus, whatever the size of your college, no one is going to know what you’ve got stashed away in the drawer next to your bed. Ladies and gents, embrace the modern world. No longer do we have to be constrained by our hands or hairbrushes. Go and read those reviews- delight is only a day away (if you have Prime, that is. Otherwise be prepared for up to five working days.)
FLOP
BOP!
OxStuff 17
7th May 2015
The Malcontent This week, Malcontent gets ‘political’:
BNOC Baby T
wo newspapers both alike in dignity, in fair Oxford, where we lay our news. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blind date makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two former Editors, a baby of the highest BNOC status is the inheritor. A dynasty will begin, the game of Oxford she shall win. With her life will bury her parent’s warring newspapers strife. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that any child of this fateful union would have to be named after the Austen heroine, Elizabeth. Lizzie’s fearful passage through the Union halls, will not be hindered by Cuntry Living calls. She’ll rise above
the hype, and essays at 3am she will not type. For her entrance onto the Oxford scene will unite the student press in a way which has ne’er been seen. Eton boys will shake, as she leaves publications in her wake. Cherwell and OxStu she will conquer, but not before sorting out Isis and VERSA to her peers rancour. Queen of all student press, Lizzie will then go on dominate and become OUSU Pres. Upon leaving these esteemed halls, she will be bombarded by employment calls. Brandishing her worldly knowledge, unstoppable, she will found her own college. People will whisper her name, and add her on Facebook to piggy back on her fame.
S
tudent Journalism is a steaming pile of lefty shite. Why the fuck would I re-read week old news interpreted by a band of worthless and desperate journoscum. Oxford’s hack-job offerings, including The Oxford Student, (which should probably be named after Pravda) acts solely as a propaganda vessel for Leninist orthodoxy. Why can I not enjoy my privilege without being targeted as an enemy of the entire country for disagreeing with the views of the the hack hegemony? I don’t want to read about students whining about the ethics of fox hunting and condemning the rightful views of Oxford’s only credible parliamentary candidate. Nor to I want to be reminded how the IDIOTS that go to this university are planning on voting for the Labour Party, (Aka the Communist Party of Great Britain) on polling day which is sure to lead to the decline of the remnants of the British Empire and half of my future salary. Futhermore, why on earth are we having a referendum on subfusc? Wearing a silk gown from Ede and Ravenscroft is one of the only things that differentiates us from the proletariat of that poly in East Anglia. Cherwell, which supposedly should be more compatible for my political incli-
nations, still lacks the features that I so adore from my favourite publications. WHY ON EARTH DO NONE OF THE PAPERS HAVE A PAGE THREE??? This is what can only be described as political correctness gone mad. On another note is the rise of the online publication. Your VERSAs of this world are definitely moving in the right direction by utilizing the Internet, but the positives end here. How is it fair to publish a story again defaming the Buller??? Why should the innocent lads of the Conservative Party be condemned for a bit of banter that they were having back in the day? After all, they are the only people on this god-forsaken island that have a clue what they are talking about. When Dave gets his second term I pray that the Oxford rags don’t whine on and on and on about how the ‘long term economic plan’ is crap and ‘David Cameron is worse than Hitler’. We should count ourselves lucky that bloody Nicola won’t have weaseled her way into the cabinet, chucked Trident in the bin and requisitioned my precious Goldman Sachs bonus and reinvested it in the nanny state. If all goes to plan, Ed Milibanter will be excommunicated to a remote island in the Pacific and the Labour party made illegal by parliamentary statute. That is all. Thank you chaps, see you at the top.
FLOP
BOP!
BOP!
James Watt
One to watch
JAMES WATT
J
ames Watt is gaining increasing prominence in the notoriously difficult Oxford drama scene, with talent stretching from production to directing to music. This Cardiff boy has impressed as the head of Poor Player Productions through the last two terms. Following a succesful run of two-man show Richard Parker during Hilary, his team return to the stage in 3rd week with an ambitious production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, featuring some of Oxford’s best dramatic talent. With Richard Parker gaining 5 stars in the Cherwell and 4 in the OxStu (sorry James - we do love you really!), expectations are high for this man’s latest show. Allegedly running on a schedule which demands auditioning for the next show just one week after the previous run finishes, James is not a man to shy away from hard work. Rumour also has it that the Michaelmas term will see Poor Player Productions return to the stage to tackle that most demanding playwrite of all - Shakespeare himself. Alongside seeing his name in lights at the O’Reilly or Burton Taylor theatres, James also occasionally does some work towards an English degree as a second-year at St Peter’s. The degree is a distinctive second, though, to his other in-college passion - music. Yes, alongside drama, James Wattts’ talents also extend to song-writing, guitar-strumming and crooning, all of which he exhibits on a regular basis at St Peter’s JCR Open Mike nights. There are occasional whispers that the fact James also organises these popular evenings may have something to do with his bands’ prominence, but The Oxford Student would of course never report such spurious rumous. James’ band, Mark Damazer’s Funky Soul Cruise, have also been making moves towards the big stage, with a fantastically recieved performance at this weekend’s St Peter’s Ball. Doubtless St Peters’ easteemed Master, the one and only Mark Damazer (aka Marky D, The Dambuster or Damson) is only proud to have his name associated with such a talented group. Keep your eyes peeled for James’ productions this term and next year. Talented, intelligent and downright charming, this gentleman is certainly on the rise.
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7th May 2015
Features 19
India's Daughter: genderbased violence in India
Features
• The Oxford India Society plays host to an enlightening
discussion of the controversial film and its wider context
ARIANE LAURENT-SMITH BRASENOSE COLLEGE
1
7/12/12. The news of the horrific gang-rape and murder of Jyoti Singh in India’s capital city, Delhi, captured the minds of a nation. Protesters, both men and women, filled the streets to demonstrate their solidarity and anger at such assaults. This continued for over a month, despite increasing police violence, leading to the formation of a judicial committee to investigate the ways in which gender-based assaults could be tackled. The planned broadcast of India’s Daughter on International Women’s Day in March of this year, a documentary focusing on the story of Jyoti Singh, brought the issue into the spotlight again, garnering great media attention and even being banned in India before it could air. It was in this context that the Oxford Indian Society decided to host a panel to discuss gender-based violence in India. The choice of panellists ensured a variety of perspectives: Leslee Udwin, the director of India’s Daughter; Dr Clarinda Still,
“ Sexual violence is perpe-
trated to demonstrate power
”
an anthropologist in South Asian Studies, who provided a deeper social and political background to the issues of gender violence, and Dr Devaki Jain, a prominent Indian feminist, who protested in 2012 but who was also an objector to Udwin’s documentary. The moderator was Dr Indrajit Roy, a political sociologist from St Antony's College, who proved apt at chairing such a heated discussion whilst making thought-provoking contributions. The passion of all the panellists and the audience was extremely apparent. Udwin, in particular, said that the film was very much a personal journey for her. She related a childhood story where she argued vehemently against the Shacharit (a prayer in which Jewish men thank God for not being born a woman) with the religious head of her school, leading to her immediate expulsion. Udwin then revealed that she was sexually assaulted at the age of 17 and had herself not told
anyone for several decades. Dr Jain and some of the audience members had protested themselves in 2012, and so were greatly politically involved. The controversial topic of the banning of the film, and objections to it, raised by Dr Jain and other Indian feminists was the cause of much heated debate: Jain agreed that India should not have banned the documentary and there should be a space for such material to be aired, which she felt would enable a coherent and informed discussion. Both Dr Jain and Udwin defended the right of free speech and said that it was a core principle of feminism. Dr Jain said that she would fight for the repealing of the ban despite also explaining some of many objections she had to the film, such as its demonstration of white (and also potentially colonial) biases. Udwin said that it was not the film which was portraying India badly, but the ban which had greatly harmed India’s image on the international stage. Yet Udwin was quick to say that she had received many emails from men who indicated that the film had helped to demonstrate the problems with their own views, even though they would never consider hurting a woman. Indeed, how many times have you heard someone ask, “what was she wearing?” or say “she was drunk/sleeps around” blaming and even implicating the victim in the crime? Dr Jain took issue with the narrow focus of the documentary which suggested that gender violence was exclusive to India and also neglected the actions of protesters as well as the Indian feminist movement. Udwin argued that the very nature of film is to look at the specific. The audience also had a chance to see the actual end of India’s Daughter which had been edited out in the BBC version - and the one which was later leaked - that lists global sexual violence statistics. At this point, the lecture theatre was utterly silent, apart from a few shocked gasps as the audience were confronted by the realities of such violence on an international scale. The motivations behind gender-based violence were also explored. Dr Still was the first to touch on this, arguing that sexual violence, towards both men and women, is perpetrated in order to demonstrate power. She brought in the example of Dalit women, who she claimed are at the bottom of the caste system and are often stereotyped by some as promiscuous, in contrast to middle-class Indian women, who are themselves restrained by the concepts of ‘honour’ and ‘respectability’. India also has a high rate of female infanticide, which would indicate that women are not seen as equal to men. Whether or not Indian culture
promotes gender-based violence is still a highly contentious subject. The solution to gender-based violence was, for the most part, an area on which the three panellists agreed. Dr Still argued that the dismantling of the caste system might lead to the destruction of the traditional foundations of ‘honour’ and ‘power'. Udwin explained that she was working on an education initiative with the UN in order to create a global curriculum which could tackle the notion of gender from the age of three or four. She revealed that there had been plans to disseminate her film throughout the Indian countryside to those who did not have access to the Internet. Dr Jain said that the Indian feminist movement was extremely strong and that they would continue to fight for women’s rights in all areas, as well as noting their excellent work in working as part of the LGBTQIA+ campaign in India. The whole experience was inspiring and invigorating with the audience arguably having as much educated input in the discussion as the panellists. The conversations encompassed many themes concerning gender and identity, challenging not only India’s record on gender violence but its astonishing global prevalence.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Delhi Protests
Men and women spilled onto the street to support Jyoti Singh
35%
women worldwide who have experienced violence
250 million
women married before the age of 15
1 in 10
women have been forced into sexual acts
38%
of women murdered were killed by a partner
£22.9 billion
annual cost of intimate partner violence in UK All/Ramesh Lalwani
7th May 2015
20 Features
VOTING BY NUMBERS 65.1%
Turnout in 2010
9.1 million
Women who didn’t vote in 2010
92.6%
Literacy
44%
18-24 year olds who voted in 2010
35
Seats where 18-24 year olds make up 20% of electorate
707,171
16-24 year olds who have registered to vote since 16 March 2015
Dreams of change: an ideal government • Dynamic, efficient and full of surprises, this government brings entertainment and competence to the Cabinet
O
n the day of the General Election, the polls are still showing Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck. In effect, neither of the major parties have managed to convince the electorate that they have what it takes to form a dynamic government. So what, or more importantly, who, is British politics lacking? I have taken a few liberties in composing my fantasy cabinet: its members are not in fact politicians, or even real people. Yet, minor inconveniences aside, my coalition of characters would undoubtedly tackle, with the utmost competence, every single problem facing 21st century Britain. The most important post is arguably that of Chancellor as Britain battles her deficit and national debt. At the Exchequer, we need someone with brains, someone with a natural air of commanding efficiency; someone who exudes austerity and compassion in equal measure. In short, we need Carson from Downton Abbey. Carson’s management skills are second to none and, as proven by his interactions with Mrs Hughes and Lady Mary, his heart is in the right place. Furthermore, which billionaire would dare, let alone succeed
in, evading tax under the watchful gaze of those beady eyes? Carson keeping a firm, gloved grip on the purse-strings
“ Cut-throat and competent,
but lacking charisma
”
would ensure Britain’s economy would be back on track in no time. At the Home Office, we need someone with the capacity to strike just the right balance between exclusivity and inclusivity. Britain’s immigration policy should sit somewhere between a Bullingdon Club caviar evening and Gatsby’s birthday bash. Our Home Secretary must be able to quickly and adroitly identify people who are of use to us, and have no qualms about discarding the rest. This requires a keen grasp of social worth, and a mean streak. It only seems appropriate, then, that Mean Girls’ Regina George be appointed to the post. Regina’s guestlists only contain
First-generation students unite • As first-gen movements take off in the Ivy League, Oxford should follow suit
W
hat’s it like to be the first in your family to go to university? It’s a question very few Oxford students are in a position to answer. Everyone remembers the sense of pride and achievement they felt the day they received their offer; far fewer know how it feels to open that acceptance letter knowing an offer of a place at Oxford represents something genuinely life-changing. My mum’s tears the day I got my offer were those of a parent who knew her daughter’s future was secured in ways hers had never been. Yet for students from lowincome or disadvantaged backgrounds whose parents didn’t attend university, an Oxford offer marks the start of a journey as fraught with obstacles as it is with opportunity, and one firstgeneration students at the world’s most prestigious universities are starting to share. It’s certainly been a busy twelve months for the Ivy League’s firstgeneration student movement. Through a series of powerful awareness campaigns, from Yale’s ‘First-Gen and Proud’ to #PrincetonIAmHere, firstgen students have started an important conversation about what it’s like to study at institutions whose names are synonymous with privilege and elitism. Students speak of the shame they feel about their family’s financial situation compared to that of wealthier peers, detail flippant remarks made by tutors and fellow students (“You’re so
lucky to be on full financial aid”), and describe feeling increasingly distanced from their communities back home while studying alongside a peer-group with whom they often have little in common. In a recent New York Times feature on the first-gen movement, a student at Brown University described the difficulty he faced relating to his peer group at the start of his freshman
“ The gap in understanding
is too great... you just stop trying
”
year: “I had never been surrounded by people who were this rich in my entire life. You’re wondering, what do I have in common with these people? Do I truly belong?” For many first-generation students, it’s a conversation that’s long overdue. While student campaigns representing female, BME, and LGBTQ students are proving increasingly common, there is a noticeable absence when it comes to conversations about issues of class and social background. Top
the names of the socially acceptable, making for parties that are lively without being over-crowded. Furthermore, there is a school of thought holding “that if you cut off all her hair she’d look like a British man”; so assimilating into cabinet life shouldn’t prove too difficult for Regina. The post of Foreign Secretary at a time of an increasingly elusive and violent ISIS is a challenging and important one. Indeed, this enemy is not dissimilar to that faced by Harry Potter and co. in the form of Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Their experience in tackling an enemy that is as tricky to pin down as it is ideologically-warped would prove invaluable to the Foreign Office. After assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Order of the Phoenix members, I have reached the conclusion that Professor McGonagall would be best-suited to the role. Whilst the venerable Dumbledore may be the obvious choice, he was (regrettably) dead for much of Voldemort’s second reign of terror. Minerva, on the other hand, watched first-hand as Hogwarts was infiltrated by psychopathic, masked individuals, who used subservience to Lord Voldemort as an outlet and excuse for their violent impulses. This, combined with her natural
IMOGEN GOSLING CORPUS CHRISTI authority and razor-sharp intellect, not to mention her pivotal role in the Battle of Hogwarts, would serve to make Professor McGonagall the ideal Foreign Secretary to establish Britain as a bulwark against Islamic extremism Thus far, my cabinet looks cut-throat and competent, but lacks charisma. This is why, as well as his on-point Prime Ministerial demeanor in 24: Live Another Day, I have elected Stephen Fry to lead it. His career as a panel-show host proves his ability to chair and to play dynamic individuals off each other. More importantly, however, Fry is a national treasure. He embodies the British national character: wit, quirks, and a soothing voice that would be a pleasure to listen to on Question Time. Fry has also perfected the art of creating an impression of contented calm, regardless of surrounding or inner turmoil, to which his success in spite of his ‘checkered past’ testify. This is the man to re-inspire confidence in politicians. If Stephen Fry were leading the government, never again would the British people doubt the capability and integrity of their cabinet. If he threw his hat into the ring, never again could politics be described as dull; never again would the polls sit meekly neck and neck.
LYNTON LEES CHRIST CHURCH UK universities have been talking the language of ‘access’ for a number of years: Oxford pumps millions of pounds annually in access initiatives designed to attract the best and the brightest regardless of background. The result has been an increasing number of students from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds setting foot within college walls for the first time, but finding when they arrive that they lack spaces to talk about the challenges they face. In a world of dreaming spires and black tie dinners, scholars’ gowns and Latin graces, first-generation students at Oxford often arrive into an alien environment, struggling with the demands of intense academic pressure with parents who struggle to relate. It’s never easy trying to explain this week’s essay crisis to a parent who’s struggling to pay the mortgage and afford food and heating for the month. The gap in understanding is too great; after a while, you just stop trying. Being a first-generation student is by no means a wholly negative experience. I’m proud to be the first in my family to go to university, and I want to be joined by more first-gen students in the years to come, bringing with them a unique perspective on university life that Oxford so desperately needs. Students on Ivy League campuses have opened a dialogue about what it is to be first-gen, and it’s time for Oxford to join the conversation.
#PrincetonIAmHere
The campaign seeks to inspire dialogue on social diversity Gentry
7th May 2015
Features 21
Landeau Chocolate
British Street Food awards come to Oxford JAMIE RUSSELL WADHAM COLLEGE
A
s most of us recovered from May Day hangovers and got an early night, Friday saw the arrival of the Central and Eastern heat of The British Street Food Awards arrive in the grounds of Oxford Castle. The awards are the brain-child of food columnist and broadcaster Richard Johnson, and brought with them a plethora of vendors, performances from Universal Music artists, and even crazy golf. Richard Johnson told me how after a night of partying with Marco Pierre White and Jay-Z he went in search of something to eat and realised that in New York one could “eat the world on a lattice of streets, while in Britain, lunch still meant a sandwich at your desk”. In light of this in 2010 he arranged the first British Street Food Awards with a handfull of traders in London. Five years later the final will be returning to London: however it is now preceded by four regional heats with 14 to 20 traders exhibiting in each, at iconic locations such as the Castle, a beech in Cornwall, and the docks in Leeds. Johnson described British
Street Food as a “young, DIY, punk movement” where “if you’re good at what you do, you’ll get a chance”. Few traders started out as professional chefs, many were simply lovers of cooking who decided to share their gift with the world and saw street food was the best way to do so. Students, bankers, and journalists are amongst those who decide to buy a van and start selling great food from it. In addition to raising the profile of their delectable comestibles many utilise the awards as a platform for environmental and ethical issues surrounding overfishing and meat farming practices. Roadery use “unloved cuts of meat” in their cooking, while Happy Maki produce amazing vegan sushi rolls from delicious meat substitutes, which could easily pass for the real thing. Sharps, makers of Doombar, were one of the breweries present. They were showcasing a range of beers which perfectly compliment a variety of food in a sleek tasting bar, but obviously in the back of a van. It may seem strange for such a big name to appear alongside smaller, independent traders, but just ten years ago they were a microbrewery in Cornwall. This really goes to show how, in an environment such as this,
ALISSA MACHIN THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE
Jamie Russell
small businesses stand a real chance of success. While all of the traders are in competition for the awards, they share a real sense of community. James (aka The Cake Doctor) took a break from baking in his converted ambulance to describe the camaraderie and shared motivation. “Everyone is lovely and everyone is loud, it’s full of characters,” he told me. The traders generally follow one another on social media and catch up at markets and festivals. For the quality of food
on offer the traders’ prices were also astounding - James explained: “It’s not about making money, I wanted to recreate that experience for people of when you’re little and cooking with someone and you get to lick the spoon at the end.” It’s heart-warming to see this growing community of street traders thriving, and being recognised in the face of the global chains which dominate fast-food as we know it. It can only be hoped that they continue to go from strength to strength.
Shawn Campbell
Honey vs.Twitter: Round One
T
here is a certain thrill to brawling in 140 characters or less. Though the pain inflicted can cut much deeper-casting aspersions on my grand total of four followers doesn’t make your manhood any less microscopic, ‘@ GirthlessWonder’*- the sense of pleasure after a successful battle is somehow also greater, forever marked in the eternal annals of The Internet. And yet until recently Twitter never held that much appeal for me, given my penchant for overcomplicating sentences, maintaining punctuation, and using out-dated idioms. But last Friday evening, something changed. It was late, I was frustrated over a lack of thesis progress, and in
the absence of a real-life romantic interest to whom I may channel my many feels. I decided to suck face with old faithful, Social Media. SM and I have had a chequered history, dating back to our first flirtation in the heady days of MySpace. I have always resented the amount of time it takes up and ‘it’ is constantly assuaging me to share more of my precious personal info-metrics. Can’t you see that no amount of cajoling will ever convince me to repost wrongly attributed quotes from Einstein, Gandhi and/or George Takei? Indeed I have always preferred the more low-key melancholy of an after-dinner back-stalk, followed by the abject panic of accidentally ‘liking’ some random
peer’s photo from the mid-noughties. However something about the unknown of ‘retweets’ and ‘#caturday’ engaged a burning desire, which was shortly transformed into a feminazi hellfire. I arrived on Twitter in the midst of the Protein World fracas, over the dubious pushing of an ideal female ‘beach body’ to sell their protein-based meal replacements. (Note: there is another weight loss aid, ‘Air’, which is much cheaper to chow down on and even less difficult to fit in your #ModernDeity ditty). As I scanned the company’s page/cesspit for cheap amusement, I noticed that @GirthlessWonder had taken a break from crying into his GapKids jockstrap to
EMILY HONEY LADY MARGARET HALL congratulate Protein World for shutting down yet another whining feminist. #BasicBantz! One volcanic snort and a few slow claps later, I suddenly felt my body tense, my ears prick, and my palms get clammier than a steaming New England BBQ. In a matter of seconds we would engage in a syllabic smack-down, and after only three sweet minutes of back-and-forth projectile punning I was left bruised, beaten, and ready for my next victim. Anyone wishing to engage in further armchair combat, or to join my devoted legion as Minion Number 5, can direct his or her vitriol/ love to @honeyfeatures. *Names have been changed.
ricardo
S
tarter: an unlikely find, but serendipitous nonetheless, spotted on a Sunday stroll in downtown Lisbon. Landeau, with its low-arching brick ceilings, is more monastic than your average chain and the tasteful lighting and décor transform the potential gloom of the side-street premises, revealing a central table area dotted with dim beams from overhead lamps, matched by the soft fuzz of reading and wall lighting. Stacks of books line the main table, as if dropped nonchalantly by former customers, with an eclectic range of titles, from Pessoa’s Lisboa to Antonio Tabucchi’s Requiem. Think Parisian boutique chic meets Scandi style. Main: the icing on the cake? Actually, there isn’t any (Landeau does better!) The topping of choice is a cocoa powder dusting, coating (uncloyingly, oh-souncloyingly) a thick layer of bittersweet chocolate buttercream over a densely packed chocolate sponge. This is pressed-powder perfection! Dessert: a particular source of amusement was the Portuguese rendition of Jamie’s Return of the Naked Chef (Regressa à Cozinha), subtly positioned on the far wall behind rows of sugar bowls filled with rectangular sachets (this has to sum up this quirky place!). Prepare to want to stay put for half hours on end as you begin to exude the calm energy of the peppy tracks playing from the low-key speaker in the corner. Located on Rua des Flores, and home to what has been repeatedly labelled the best chocolate cake in the world, Landeau Chocolate offers only tea, coffee, port and cake. It is testament to their quality that they have survived with this limited range. A trip to Lisbon simply won’t be complete without a visit (or two) to this little slice of heaven, and rest assured you’ll be dreaming about that slice of cake for many evenings to come...
7th May 2015
22 Sport
Oxford Sport In brief... Women’s Waterpolo end season in gutting relegation Oxford Women’s Waterpolo Club had their final match of the season on 2nd May. They faced Plymouth for the second of their two relegation matches and had to win to stay in the First Division. With a would-be USA Olympic player against them and a kick-out in the final quarter leaving our girls one man down for the rest of the match, they lost after a mammoth effort from all who travelled to Plymouth: final score 12-11.
Ultimate Frisby win national champs With “incredible displays of athleticism on both sides”, Oxford’s Women’s Ultimate Frisby team beat Bristol in a nail-biting final in the national outdoor championships on 26th April. Our girls came back from trailing early in the match and one of their players being injured after an awkward landing. An exciting match, with a blow-by-blow account of all events on Oxford Uni Ultimate’s Twitter feed, the final score was Oxford 8, Bristol 5.
Oxford University’s Dance Club are recruiting Dancesport cuppers (16th May at Iffley) is an inter-college competition in Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, and Rock n Roll dancing. Each pair has to contain at least one inexperienced dancer. There will be free taster classes in 2nd week. Interested? Check out the facebook event at https://www.facebook. com/events/858154164244705/.
Progress in attempts to admit women to Vincent’s: Members of Atlanta’s have had another vote this week in the bid to make a decision as to whether or not Oxford’s women athletes should have the opportunity to join the Vincent’s Club. The new vote saw a unanimous decision on the Atlanta’s girls’ part in favour of the introduction of women into the club, they will present the Vincent’s Club board with these new results in the hope of urging Vincent’s to vote more favourably and achieve the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass the motion.
Sporting news to share? Contact us at: sport@oxfordstudent.com
Debate: In defence of rugby: League vs. Union League: Harry Aaronson
17-year-old rugby league player writes in defence of his sport
There are many stereotypes of rugby league players: Northerners, thugs and soft. Whilst some of these stereotypes may be true, others are definitely false and when you look at the game that is rugby league, you cannot help but think that it is the best sport in the world. Many people who are interested
“Props are making
50+ tackles a game in an 80 minute spell
”
in rugby union will be aware that one of rugby league’s biggest stars, Sam Burgess, has just joined Bath Rugby Union after several successful seasons in rugby league. The fact that he played a whole game with a broken cheekbone that he suffered in the first minute is astonishing and he is a prime example of the tough natured athletes that rugby league players have to be. Having played both union and league at decent levels, I know that union is still a very tough sport with some of the best athletes in the world and the sacrifices that the players make are incredible. But the fitness required of every player, prop to wing, stands out in league. You find that props are making 50+ tackles a game and then running over 60+ metres; all in an 80 minute spell. This epitomises why league is so great. People who have seen both sports will notice that rugby league is much quicker, with fewer rules and everyone on the pitch has the same aim: run hard and whack some poor bloke on the other team! On the other hand, union is a much more tactical game where players are required to learn how to ruck, scrum and maul as well as knowing the basics of rugby. In these technical moments of play, rugby union players are much more skilful but I think league players have more desire to make the big runs and the big hits. The main reason rugby league is the better sport is the speed of the game. In union, the game is slowed down completely for rucks and scrum resets. In league there is constantly fast flowing rugby, where sometimes the game can last 20+ minutes without the ball going out of play. There is also more willingness among rugby league
teams to chance their arm and throw the ball about along the line in order to score a try. However in union, teams are happier to take a kick at the posts and this is why most league fans believe union is boring. A prime example of this was the 2013 Six Nations, in which a total of 37 tries were scored in a total of 15 games. In the rugby league Four Nations in 2014, a total of 52 tries were scored in a total of 7 games – remarkably more than in its union counterpart. In any code of rugby, tries are the most entertaining time of a game Rugby league is superior to rugby union in this department. I must point out that rugby union has a much bigger following than league and that this is not down to how interesting the game is to watch. All but two professional rugby union teams are in the South of England and all but one rugby league teams are in the North, and hence the money is ploughed into union as it is a game where more
“A total of 37 tries
were scored in a total of 15 games
”
wealthy people go to watch. You can look at the stadia for both sports as well. Saracens sometimes have 80,000 people when they play at Twickenham; the most that a league game can get is 22,000 at the DW stadium in Wigan. If rugby league in the UK wants to develop as a sport, it needs to bring in fans from all sides of the country. Overall, I think rugby in general is a brilliant sport and both codes could learn from each other. Rugby league has my vote for the reasons I have mentioned, but I am part of the minority. I’m sure if more people were aware of the game then it would have a much bigger following because it would capture the hearts and minds of many more spectators.
Harry Aaronsen: Aaronsen is a young up-andcoming Rugby League player who represents the Swinton Lions
Union: Ben Sanders
Brasenose student and OxStu Sports Editor defends union
Getty Images
There’s an analogy that is regularly drawn when comparing rugby union and rugby league. “Rugby league is like checkers,” the saying goes, “and rugby union is like chess.” That sums up the main reason why league is inferior to union. Don’t get me wrong. Checkers is a fine game, and rugby league isn’t bad either. I can see why some people are fanatically devoted to rugby league. But to be this sort of person, you have to really enjoy experiencing the same thing. Over, over, and over again. One of the often-cited advantages of rugby league is its simplicity but, in reality, this is its biggest flaw. Here’s a description of a typical passage of play. A player runs forward, and gets tackled. They give the ball to someone else in a completely unexciting way. That player runs forward and they, too, get dumped to the floor. Before giving it to someone else in a completely unexciting way. Sometimes, a player will punt the ball really high into the air, in the hope that something different will happen. But that hope for variety is somewhat naïve given that, if the ball goes out of play or gets knocked on, we’ll just be “treated” to an uncontested scrum.
“ An uncontested scrum is essentially
a miniature ceasefire
”
An uncontested scrum is essentially a miniature ceasefire; a chance for the players to rest before, you guessed it, giving the ball to someone else in a completely unexciting way. Of course, it isn’t necessarily debilitating if a sport is very repetitive. Tennis can basically be summarised as two people hitting a ball at each other, wiping themselves down with a towel, smacking their shoes and/or themselves with a racquet and then beginning to hit a ball at each other again. But the core difference between tennis and both versions of rugby is that the core gameplay of tennis is, itself, thrilling. That’s not to say that either format of rugby is boring. The core gameplay of both – powerful running, dextrous handling, accurate kicking, intelligent utilisation of space and dummying – is compelling.
But these core features aren’t compelling enough – to me, anyway – to support the sport all by themselves. Rugby needs the variety provided by the sideshows of contested scrums, rucks, mauls and line-outs in order that it doesn’t become tedious and monochrome, which too often happens in rugby league matches. Moreover, these extra features of rugby union have the knock-on effect – and yes, I’m quite proud of that pun – of neces-
“ These extra features of rugby
union have knock-on effect
a
”
sitating greater variety in the playing personnel, which makes the core gameplay itself more diverse. In union, there’s room for tall players, short players, bulky players and bony players. In league, there’s a pretty fixed template; good at running and fit. Naturally, that makes every passage of the game even more repetitive. If all that isn’t sufficient to convince, then here’s a final reason why we should prefer union to league. Word has it that, when Americans watch rugby league, they can understand what’s happening very easily because it’s actually very similar to American football. The influence of the NFL, the USA’s league for that sport, is already growing quite rapidly here in the UK. Each year, it seems that increasing numbers of British people watch and discuss the Superbowl. The NFL is even planning to set up a London-based franchise, within 10 years, which would play at Tottenham Hotspur FC’s forthcoming new stadium. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with American football, of course. But, if an NFL explosion happens here in the UK within the next 15 years – which isn’t implausible – then the existence of rugby league, because it’s so similar, would be threatened. Union, on the other hand, would be protected by the Americans’ incomprehension of its peculiarities. Ultimately, therefore, the simplicity of rugby league doesn’t just make it more boring. It also leaves the sport unable to contest opposing forces. But, of course, we should hardly find rugby league’s inability to contest surprising.
Sport 23
7th May 2015
Do Mayweather’s antics detract from his prowess?
• “Money isn’t everything, money is the only thing’” – the ever-increasing blur
between Floyd Mayweather and ‘Money’ Mayweather in recent years and fights
TAYLOR YU
DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR
The notion that ‘practice makes perfect’ is the second biggest wellintentioned lie that people tell on a regular basis every single day – right behind ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ and just ahead of ‘surely they won’t kill off everyone on Game of Thrones’. Perfection is an ideal; an almost mythical state of existence where one is invulnerable, without any perceivable weakness and devoid of self-doubt. Floyd Mayweather is the exception to the norm. This isn’t to say that his mastery of the sport of boxing is completely flawless –
Sports star or monster: Should we judge Mayweather for his outof-ring offences?
“God made
nothing perfect, except for my boxing record
”
The Onion
Mayweather’s track record:
Fights won: 48/48 Net worth: $180 million Assaults: 7 against 5 different women Time in prison to date: 2 months Time he could have spent in prison with charges made against his name to date: 34 years
Marcos Maidana made Mayweather look damn near mortal in their fight last May, although to describe that fight as ‘clean’ would be like calling the end of Breaking Bad ‘somewhat emotional’. However, over the last two decades, Mayweather has won all 48 of his fights, including his recent bout with the great Manny Pacquiao - a degree of perfection that is unparalleled in
With Jones removed, a real opportunity has been handed to both fighters. Anthony Johnson tweeted to Jones after the announcement: “best of luck with everything bro. Regardless of everything, you are still the greatest light heavyweight of all time” - revealing a remarkable degree of respect. Johnson’s comment perfectly demonstrates the social extremes in the sport. There’s scope for immense respect and sportsmanship between fighters, Anderson Silva even invited one of his opponents to a barbeque after a fight. Yet there’s also room for some particularly aggressive trash talking. Some of Connor McGregor’s highlights include: “I will break your hip, old man”, and “I will rest my balls on your forehead”. The twittersphere has been alive with other fighters’ responses to the incident. Overwhelmingly, they are in favour of the UFC’s decision. Scott Jorgenson tweeted:
fighters, such as Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, were revered for their heart and grit, Mayweather went the other direction – if he couldn’t be loved for his antics and his crowd-silencing style of boxing, then at least he’d be rich and famous. Money is everything to Mayweather, and a dollar can drown out so much else.
“Don’t let ‘Money’
make you forget the greatness of Floyd
”
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about Mayweather’s distinctly controversial persona is that he is a man who has built up the reputation of being as surgically brutal to women as he is to his opponents. It is no secret that Mayweather has been accused of seven separate assaults against five different women that led to citation or arrest - the beating of Josie Harris in September 2010, tragically documented by his own 9-year old son’s voluntary statement, would have led to a sentence of 34 years in prison had he not accepted a plea bargain that miraculously reduced that sentence to 2 months. Over the last few years, Mayweather has dealt with media interest in this issue that would have made Bill Clinton proud – when Rachel
Nichols pressed him on the Shantel Jackson lawsuit, he simply walked out and cancelled his remaining press commitments; when Katie Couric took up the chance to ask him about the “reduced misdemeanor charges” last month, Mayweather took it as an opportunity to blame the victims and play the innocent card; and when John Barr asked him what message he was trying to send to victims of domestic violence, Mayweather responded by telling the nation to tune in to the fight on the 2nd of May, “the fight that you can’t miss”. The fight with Pacquiao should not have been seen as an excuse to ignore Money Mayweather’s various misconducts, but rather an opportunity to appreciate the excellence of Floyd Mayweather’s boxing. As reprehensible as his behaviour outside the ring can seem at times, there is no question that Mayweather is still a rare athlete who, at age 38, may be at the end of the peak of his powers – powers that were partially blessed to him through genetics, but were mostly the result of a unwavering work ethic that has propelled him through all the hardship of his upbringing, which included the death of his mother and the almost decade-long incarceration of his father. So hate ‘Money’ Mayweather all you want. Criticize his antics and showboat lifestyle. Rightfully berate him for his domestic abuse tendencies. Just don’t let ‘Money’ make you forget the undeniable greatness of Floyd.
Jon Jones arrested for a hit and run incident in USA •
Jones, cited by many as MMA’s “best pound for pound fighter in the world” has left a pregnant woman with a broken arm following the crash • He has been “indefinitely suspended” from the UFC, but it remains to be seen whether he will be allowed to return to the sport after public outcry
www.the-newshub.com
»Continued from back page
the modern era of sports: “God made nothing perfect, except for my boxing record”, Mayweather is known to have once said. Floyd Mayweather the boxer is not the same person as ‘Money’ Mayweather the phenomenon. In the ring, Floyd is surgical – every move is calculated and no strikes are wasted. He’s constantly moving, yet there’s always an element of stillness to his stance, one that invites opponents to swing at their peril. Mayweather’s punches are like javelins, able to shoot through the tiniest of gaps. He embarrassed Corrales, humiliated De La Hoya and practically rearranged Gatti’s face. Some might say that Floyd spent Saturday night running away from Pacquiao – others will claim that Floyd was just using his almost alien physical stamina to his advantage. As one commentator summarized, the four virtues of Plato coincidentally correspond to the four qualities of Mayweather’s boxing – wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. The same could hardly be said about Mayweather’s antics outside the ring. Everything he does is in one way or another a reminder that he is indeed the highest-paid athlete in the world, with over $180 million more entering his bank account after Saturday’s big dance. ‘Money’ Mayweather has deliberately transformed himself into an antihero – he sells himself as eccentric, brash and ultimately irrepressible. Boxing has always been a fun-house mirror for society, exaggerating the best and worst in men. Whilst some
“Proud the UFC took a stand and did what is right.” Michael Chiesa similarly posted:
“ Being a champion isn’t just about
winning fights. This was the right decision.
”
“Being a champion isn’t just about winning fights. This was the right decision by the UFC.” At the top of all sports, the fame and money can get into your head. We’ve seen it in football, NFL, cricket, and even golf. However, perhaps something about Mixed Martial Arts especially disposes people to ‘delinquent’ behaviour. I talk not of the
sport’s violence, but rather of the ego required to compete. The sport manifests perhaps the most visceral and fundamental overcoming of your opponent. It’s not a sport you can step into if you don’t believe in yourself, simply because losing is so physically painful. Who would choose to enter the Octagon, believing they were about to have their features carefully rearranged? I wouldn’t be surprised if, down to the bottom of every division, every fighter was endowed with a genuine sense of invulnerability. Of course, for those at the very top of the sport, this sensation is even more potent. Perhaps this can explain Jones’ long string of repeated offences, despite all official warnings. However, when we talk in this fashion, we must be wary of how we portray these martial arts. People do complain of the violent mentality instilled by training people to fight in this way. Yet, I wonder if these complaints would be made after incidents involving Karate or Kung-Fu students.
Popular culture portrays these arts as manifestations of discipline, self-restraint, and even self-transcendence. Practically, however, there can be very little difference between studying Western and Eastern martial arts. In fact, many elements of Karate and Kung-Fu are incorporated into MMA, and something like boxing can also instil immense discipline. Is there even something vaguely orientalist in this glorification of stereotyped Eastern combat sports? The most important thing is not to tar a whole sport with Jones’ brush. Looking at Jones’ long run of drug and driving related misdemeanours, it seems to be yet another case of a top class sporting star going off the rails. He is individually culpable, his cocompetitors are not. We should focus on the contenders’ responses to Jones’ removal. And on a more intriguing question: what will happen when the great champion is permitted to return?
Athlete’s reactions to Jones’ arrest and UFC suspension: Scott Jorgenson
“Proud the UFC took a stand and did what is right”
Anthony Johnson
“Regardless of everything,
you are still the greatest light heavyweight of all time”
Michael Chiesa
“Being a champion isn’t just about winning fights. This was the right decision by the UFC”
SPORT e-mail/ sport@oxfordstudent.com
Debate:
The better sport: rugby league or rugby union?
Boxing:
Will Floyd's track record affect his career? » Page 23
» Page 22
Keble stuff bears in Rugby Cuppers Final
• Keble College decisively beat Teddy Hall in a fast-paced Rugby Cuppers Final • An impressive performance from Keble's pro-kicker Jacob Taylor (Blues Captain) BEN SANDERS SPORTS EDITOR
Every year, three matches of Calcio Fiorentino - a bizarre and archaic type of football - take place in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce. The mini-tournament attracts around 1500 spectators, who arrive keen to see choking, head-butting, and the other incredible tactics that the game permits. The atmosphere goes beyond
“ The monstrosity of Hall's pack included
Blues Players
”
frenzied; it’s mania. With its intimate capacity and partisan following, there was something similarly feverish about this year's Cuppers Final. Admittedly, the stands were packed instead with generally well-mannered Oxonians - more likely to appear in Made in Chelsea than in the Chelsea Headhunters – but Iffley was nonetheless in a state of mayhem on May Day Eve. This match featured the same teams as the 2013 final when, in an ill-tempered
contest, Teddy Hall battered their way to a 27-17 victory. Keble’s revenge in this game was ultimately emphatic; their 3711 winning margin was a reflection of a dominant second-half display. The monstrosity of Hall’s pack, which included Blues players Fergus Taylor and Fraser Heathcote, could easily have cowed Keble beforehand. However, they built a victory upon a set-piece that became increasingly dominant throughout. Will Mason, in particular, gave a tenacious performance. Nonetheless, though the eventual scoreline was comfortable, the early hits sustained by the Keble pack were anything but. As nerves simmered, the cavernous hands of Hall’s forwards proved a safe route over the gain-line, with Taylor used consistently and effectively as a human cannonball. A penalty from Tom Dyer soon converted their early pressure into points. But Keble gave a response that was full of guts. Twice turning down kicks at goal, a perfectly executed catch-and-drive saw their captain Jonathan Mitchell rumble over to assert a lead that they never relinquished. Their ambition was admirable and their second try epitomised their adventure. Sharp offloads from centres
Keble dominate:
Oliver Robinson
Garvey and Cox drew in the Hall defence before the ball was fizzed out wide to winger Steinert, who steamed over from 15 yards to finish a fine team move. It was thrilling rugby at its fluid best. As the first half drew to a close, an intercept try from Jack Calvert left Hall’s halftime arrears at 12-8. By now, the blood was pumping in the Iffley onlookers. The stands rattled under the strain of an impressive repertoire of naughty numbers and some provocative Hall banners ramped up the tension further. “Keble racists” was slanderous and “Keble: Oxford’s biggest crack den” was, at best, only half-true. If the first half was trench warfare, then the second was a siege. Pinned back by Blues captain Jacob Taylor’s imperious
With Blues on both sides, Teddy falls kicking display, and a malfunctioning lineout, the Hall were starved of territory. The Reds’ backline now had the front foot, and a sniper-like finish from David Peberdy preceded the final twist; the unleashing of Keble’s trump card. Samson Egerton has recently finished a glittering season at Yorkshire Carnegie in the English Championship, and is set to embark on a glamorous career. Teddy Hall had done an impressive job of containing the scrum-half in the first period, but brilliance only needs a moment to make a memorable impact. From an innocuous position on the 40-metre line, Egerton spotted a route through the defensive hallway. After a shimmy and a shake, Keble were on top and out of sight.
A pick-and-go try from centre Oakley Cox sealed Keble’s 12th Cuppers triumph, which sparked a delirious pitch invasion. A better side had humbled the Hall, but their players should be proud regardless.
The break-down: Keble: 37
Tries: Mitchell, Steinert, Peberdy, Egerton, Cox Penalties: Taylor (2) Conversions: Taylor (3)
St Edmund Hall: 11 Tries: Calvert Penalties: Dyer (2)
"Best pound-for-pound fighter in the world” is arrested and stripped of title
• Our thoughts after Jon ‘Bones’ Jones’ removal from UFC following his recent arrest for a hit and run TOBY GILL
SPORTS WRITER
Named and shamed: Jones is 'indefinitely suspended' NY Post
Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, reigning champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavy weight division, was arrested last week following a hit and run incident on April 26th. Following the incident, Dana White (President of the UFC) announced on Fox Sports Live that Jones would be stripped of his titles, and indefinitely suspended from the championship. He could now also be facing up to a 3 year prison sentence. Jones is reported to have run a red light in Albuquerque, and caused a pile-up with two other vehicles. The collision left pregnant Vanessa Sonnenberg with a broken arm. Rather than help, Jones fled the scene on foot, only returning to retrieve cash from his vehicle before fleeing once more. He was identified as he ran by an off-duty police officer, and through documents left
in his car. Alongside them was a used marijuana pipe. He tweeted “Got a lot of soul searching
“Got a lot of soul
searching to do. Sorry to everyone I've let down
”
to do. Sorry to everyone I’ve let down”. Dana White interviewed Jones after the event: “Obviously he didn’t say a lot”, as his lawyers are still hard at work, but “he’s upset. He wanted to go down as one of the greatest ever”. Nevertheless, “it was a decision we had to make”. This isn’t the first time Jones’ misdemeanours have been in the limelight. White said: “Jones had a lot of chances,” ... “this was his last.” In 2011 Jones was convicted
for driving with a suspended license, and only seven months later was taken in for driving whilst intoxicated. More recently, Jones has been fined $25,000 for failing a test for cocaine metabolites. Nevertheless, the developments have rocked Jones’ division. With a record of 21 wins to 1 loss, he was named earlier this year by the UFC as the best poundfor pound fighter in the world, and his absence leaves an unmistakable vacuum in the championship. His fighting style is unpredictable, implementing brutal spinning elbows, and as a fighter he is notoriously tenacious. On one occasion, he allowed his arm to be hyper-extended after refusing to submit, before going on to win the fight, leaving the octagon in a sling. Jones was down to face the number one contender, Anthony Johnson, on May 23rd, who will now face the number three contender Daniel Cormier instead.
Continued on page 23 »