Issue 4 – Week 3, Michaelmas Term 2014

Volume 71 Issue 4

Thursday 30rd October 3rd Week

oxfordstudent.com

OUSU VP Chris Pike suspended

Vice President for Welfare and Equal Opportunity targeted in complaint NICK MUTCH NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO/ Chris Pike

JCR President commits electoral malpractice St John’s JCR President reported for advising member not to run in upcoming elections JACK MYERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The President of St John’s College JCR, Alasdair Lennon, has been found to have committed electoral malpractice, following a report made by five members of his JCR General Committee to the JCR Returning Officer, Andrew Riddles, on Monday morning.

The committee members – Edd Rarity, Vice-President; Harry Palmer, Secretary; Joe Price, Male Welfare Officer; Christina St Clair, Female Welfare Officer; and Flora Sheldon, Access and Equal Opportunities Officer – stated in their

message to the Returning Officer that they “would like to report Alasdair Lennon, JCR President, for possible electoral malpractice”.

The report was instigated by an email sent by Lennon, in his capacity as JCR President, to a member of the St John’s JCR on Friday afternoon, advising the recipient not to run in the coming JCR elections. In the email, Lennon stated: “I’m very concerned by your behaviour and ambition to run for the JCR as Male Welfare Officer […] I recommend you do not run in the election for a pastoral role in the JCR.” Christina St Clair, one of the

complainants, commented: “As JCR welfare officer, I encouraged anyone who felt that the situation was impacting upon their personal wellbeing to pursue the official College channels which are in line with university policy and procedure. I find [Lennon’s] conduct inappropriate and I do not support the abuse of any JCR position to intimidate potential candidates and voters. I strongly maintain my position that Alasdair has committed electoral malpractice, as defined by the constitution. To the best of my understanding and my interpretation of the constitution, this report is be-

Screen, OXII p.7

Stage, OXII p.2

The glamour and mystery of European cinema past, present and future

Previews of Bouncers at the BurtonTaylor and Jerusalem at the Keble O’Reilly

ing processed constitutionally by the Returning Officer.”

The report alleged that Lennon had contravened the St John’s JCR constitution’s standing order on electoral conduct, which defines malpractice as “intimidation […] of voters to secure or to hinder the election of any candidate”, “advising voters before the close of nominations”, or “advising voters in any Committee election […]by an incumbent member of the General Committee”. The St John’s constitutionstates that “the Returning Continued on page 4 »

Comment p.11

Politicians, pop culture, and public relations

Oxford University Student Union Vice President for Welfare and Equal Opportunity’s Chris Pike has been suspended following a complaint from an unknown source.

He is suspended with immediate effect, pending an investigation by the OUSU complaints committee.

A statement was released on the OUSU website at 17:19, stating: “Following a complaint, OUSU’s Vice-President for Welfare and Equal Opportunities has been suspended on full pay, pending investigation. OUSU is unable to make any further comment for reasons of confidentiality.”

Pike was elected to his position in November 2013, as a member of Team Alex, Alex Bartram’s otherwise unsuccessful slate. He gained 816 votes, narrowly beating rival Andrew Rogers of Jane4Change, saying that “I ran for this position because I want to make sure that students here feel like they have a voice and that they’re listened to and supported”. He was previously LGBTQ rep for Teddy Hall and was the first male member of Womcam’s committee, and campaigned on a platform of extending Oxford’s mind your head campaign, setting up peer support groups for students with specific disabilities and extending access to counselling services across the university. He was previously a PPE student at St Edmund Hall and succeeded Charlotte Hendy in June of this year.

The Vice President for Welfare is responsible for coordinating OUSU’s efforts and policy making to improve the health and wellbeing of Oxford students and LGBTQ students, black, minority and ethnic students and students with disabilities. Pike has described his ambitions for specific proposContinued on page 5 »

Sport p.20

We investigate the continued reality of misogyny in sport

2 Editorial

30th October 2014

Editorial

S

Keeping tabs

tudent politics can be petty, personal and precious. Many of us avoid JCR meetings or OUSU councils because the system seems overwhelmed by hacks, vendettas and impenetrable constitutions. We decide our time is better spent LARPing, punting or rutting.

The University is nursery to enough pre-Westminster politicos that we are generally safe in leaving constitutional revisions and votes on a new jukebox for the games room to those who are intimately involved.

That said, it is easy to forget our elected representatives are granted extensive powers, and in the hands of the hot-headed, these powers are susceptible to misuse. More worryNews Comment Features Music Screen Stage Arts Fashion Sport

ingly, misuse is not necessarily overt, and can be very difficult to expose.

We often employ some degree of initiative to resolve personal disagreements and disputes behind closed doors. However, sometimes disputes can have far-reaching consequences beyond those immediately involved.

Transparency is thus integral to keeping a tab on our representatives, to protecting our democratic bodies from corruption or manipulation, and to maintaining confidence in student democracy.

The witching hour

W

hile we were all enjoying an extra hour in bed, this Sunday saw Merton students walking backwards to

balance the temporal vortex that had given us our lie-in. The Time Ceremony is one of Oxford’s most mysterious traditions, and involves Mertonians donning full academic dress for an hour’s reverse perambulation at 2am, in the interests of restoring equilibrium to the time-space continuum.

That students who are rumoured to have been drinking port while walking retrograde can be expected to re-balance anything may seem optimistic, but as we head into the end of October perhaps it can account for the feeling that things are a little off kilter. Chilly mornings (and a painful lack of heating for one editor no longer enjoying the overheated haven of halls) and shortening days give the

work with us

impression that time has shifted forwards while we have not.

But the sense that all is not quite as it seems is pervasive at this time of year, in a place that lends itself to the pagan mystery of Halloween.

With roots stretching back into the murky depths of a time when the witching hour meant more than half-price drinks, Oxford is the perfect place to celebrate Halloween.

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30th October 2014

News 3

Israeli Ambassador Daniel Taub attracts police presence to the Oxford Union

Students launched anti-Israeli demonstrations in protest against the Oxford Union’s controversial choice of guest speaker LUKE MINTZ DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

The visit to the Oxford Union of Israeli Ambassador Daniel Taub was met with a student-organised protest on Tuesday evening.

Outside the Union, approximately 100 students chanted “Free Palestine”, “Israel is a terrorist state”, and “Shame on you Oxford Union”, with Taub at times struggling to be heard over the shouting from outside.

The protest attracted a small police presence, with two Thames Valley Police officers observing the

PHOTO/Public1London

events.

Flanked by a number of security guards, Ambassador Daniel Taub used his visit to discuss his long experience of negotiating peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.

Justifying the protest, co-organiser Barnaby Raine, a Wadham second year student, stated: “Inside the Union, the representative of a state that … killed over 2,000 people this summer will be feted as a respected guest, but outside students and residents of Oxford will make their disgust known”. Another coorganiser, Hertford student Charlie Jarvis, described Israel’s actions toward Gaza as a “medieval siege”, stating that Ambassador Daniel Taub was using the Union visit as part of a “propaganda offensive”.

Jarvis, an English finalist, continued: “Having arrived on our TV screens over the summer to defend Israel’s attacks, he recently addressed the Cambridge Union and now is coming to Oxford. A servant of such a barbaric state should not be given the respect and honour of a student audience.”

Union President Mayank Banerjee declined our request

for comment.

Inside the Union, Taub’s appearance met a far more favourable response. History fresher Alex criticised the protest, stating: “I don’t think [the protestors] should be using their freedom of speech to deprive others of theirs”, later adding “when they’ve worked out how many Palestinian lives they’ve saved by doing this, they should let us know”. Steven, a PPE student at Harris Manchester, described the demonstrators as “career protestors”.

Another student present at the event, who preferred not to be named, criticised the chant ‘Israel is a Terrorist State’ as “offensive to millions of honest Israelis”, going on to state: “[Taub] absolutely has the right to speak here”.

The Ambassador mostly discussed the peace process between Israel and its Arab neighbours, describing peace as a “series of small miracles” rather than a “utopian signing ceremony on the White House lawn”. Taub finished his speech by criticising the student protestors, describing his “sadness” that the talented and intelligent students chose to remain “outside the room”, a point met with spontaneous applause from the audience.

Whilst voicing regret for the “horrendous loss of life” incurred,

Taub also justified Israeli tactics used in its Gaza offensive this summer, mentioning the leaflets and warnings given by the Israeli military before attacks. The Ambassador went on to condemn the Human Rights Council in Geneva as a “travesty of human rights”, criticising the Council for passing more censures against Israel than all other nations combined.

When asked by Union President Mayank Banerjee, however, whether

PHOTO/Simon Mintz

Israel intended to keep Gaza’s economy “on the brink of collapse” (a reference to a leaked Israeli-US exchange), Taub declined to answer.

The Ambassador also criticised the tendency for student activists to view the Israel-Palestine situation as “zero-sum game”, voicing regret that these students often have the “loudest voices”.

The Israeli Embassy in London declined our request for comment.

JCRs unite as ‘Free Education’ fever sweeps across Oxford Oxford student majority determines to support NUS campaign against government’s higher education policies MATTHEW DAVIES NEWS EDITOR

Thirteen JCRs have passed motions supporting next month’s National Union of Students demonstration on free education, ahead of an OUSU vote on the policy.

The draft motion, which was passed in various forms at several JCRs, committed the common rooms to

‘support free education as a policy and the NUS campaign against fees and debt,’ as well as ‘to support the national demonstration for free education, and pass £50 [or another amount] from the motions budget to help subsidise coaches to London for the national demonstration.’

The NUS demonstration, which will take place under the banner of ‘Free Education: No fees. No cuts.

PHOTO/Manfred Werner

No debt,’ is being held in protest against the coalition government’s higher education policies, including the privatisation of the Student Loans Company and the tripling of tuition fees to £9,000. The demonstration is backed by a coalition of activist groups including the Student Assembly Against Austerity, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, and the Young Greens, and will follow a trade union demonstration on the 18th.

James Elliot, a second year historian at Teddy Hall who drafted the original motion, said: “I’m delighted so many JCRs have taken the time this weekend to discuss free education, and that the majority of them have sided with me in the belief education is a right that should be accessible to all, through the abolition of fees. I hope the motion passes through Council on Wednesday, and that we get mobilising students for the 19th of November demonstration.”

Not all colleges at which motions were brought passed them, however. Keble JCR voted the motion down, while St Johns opted to vote against the policy of free education while still pledging £75 to subsidise coaches to London.

The monetary contribution from each college will vary. Wadham SU has pledged £200 for coaches to the demo, four times as much as the standard pledge of £50 and twice as much as Balliol’s pledge of £100.

Wadham’s support, the result of a unanimous vote, represents a resounding response to claims that the college no longer holds the “crown of radicalism,” in particular the claim of Balliol JCR member Xavier Cohen that “Wadham might talk the talk much better than Balliol, it appears that Balliol are the ones walking the walk.”

Aliya Yule, the Wadham student who proposed the SU motion on Sunday, told the OxStu: “The free education motion passed with unanimous support at Wadham; all five of Wadham SU’s voting cards will be supporting the motion when it goes to OUSU Council on Wednesday, and we have pledged £200 to fund coaches taking students to the demonstration on the 19th November.

“We discussed how important it is as a political message for common rooms to take a stand on the issue of free education in order to show that students will not tolerate the commodification of higher education. That there were no objections to the motion shows that Wadham is fully committed to promoting and supporting this policy.”

An OUSU Council motion on adopting free education as a policy was debated yesterday, but at time of writing the result of the vote was not available. This follows OUSU Council’s vote two weeks ago on whether to fund coaches to the demonstration, which passed despite controversy over correct procedure.

JCRs voting ‘For’ Free Education Motion: Balliol Hertford Harris Manchester Regent’s Park St Hilda’s Wadham St Anne’s Queen’s Somerville Univ St Peter’s Exeter Trinity

JCRs voting ‘Against’ Free Education Motion: Keble Magdalen Brasenose St John’s* *Whilst St John’s voted against the policy of free education, they pledged £75 to pay for coaches.

4 News

30th October 2014

St John's JCR President reported for electoral malpractice JACK MYERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

» Continued from front page -stitution states that “the Returning Officer and President, or if they are implicated, those members of the General Committee who are not implicated, shall have full power to investigate the allegations”.

Lennon replied to the General Committee members directly on Tuesday evening, thanking them for their “incredible integrity” in raising their concerns with the Returning Officer. In the email, Lennon said “I have spoken with Andrew [Riddles] and a college representative [and] they are both in agreement that an informal and quiet resolution is the best course of action. I will attempt to achieve this in the coming twenty four hours.”

Lennon’s response has worried some members of the St John’s JCR who not only fear that “a quiet resolution” demonstrates special treatment for the President in light of these allegations, but are concerned by his involvement in deciding “the best course of action”.

One recipient told the OxStu: "I found Alasdair's email communication with those who had submitted the report to be inappropriate and intimidating. I resented his request that we do not discuss it

with anyone. In my opinion, it was another instance of an abuse of his position as JCR president."

When asked for comment, Riddles said: “Although such allegations are extremely rare, this incident shows that any allegation of malpractice at St John’s should and will be taken extremely seriously. St John’s JCR members can be confident that the integrity and fairness of their electoral system remains intact.”

Joe Price, one of the complainants, stated: "I and other committee members had concerns that the JCR President's actions may have amounted to electoral malpractice.

In accordance with the JCR constitution we reported this to the returning officer. This has now been taken up by the returning officer and followed up in line with the constitution.”

The constitution goes on to say that, in the event of an allegation of electoral malpractice, such allegations may be referred either to an Election Tribunal or to the college Deans by the Returning Officer. A tribunal would “consist of all past and present members of the General Committee still in residence who are neither candidates nor implicated, and are willing to serve”. An election tribunal would have the power to “impose upon members who are found to have committed electoral malprac-

tice such disqualification from office […] for such a time as it sees fit”.

When asked for comment, Lennon said: "In accordance with the Junior Dean's advice and in combination with selected members of the general committee a resolution was reached to the satisfaction of all parties involved. I was found at fault for advising a candidate not

to run for a pastoral care role within the JCR. I did this because this individual had verbally and physically harassed me. I do not believe it is appropriate for an individual who has committed such actions to be providing welfare support to members of the JCR. I recognise that as an incumbent president I should not have acted this way, but I believed it to be in the best inter-

ests of the members of the JCR.” An anonymous member of the JCR commented: “Alasdair's personal reasons for advising against candidacy do not negate the fact that this was electoral malpractice.

He should not have conflated two separate issues which he deemed to be intrinsically linked but for which there were clear, separate procedures.”

Fire in Magdalen thought to be accident Tight deadline causes panic due to incorrect email College threatens to close off room after minor blaze

KABTA DIHAL

A fire broke out in the Magdalen JCR games room on the evening of the 22nd October, prompting college authorities to threaten to close the room. While it was originally suspected that the fire was deliberately started, the Magdalen Dean has since emailed the JCR stating: “As far as we can tell this was an accident. Someone left a table tennis bat on top of a standing light, in contact with the light bulb. The light was subsequently turned on with the bulb burning the plastic on the bat.”

In an email to the Madgalen JCR, the Senior Dean of Mag-

PHOTO/Isisbridge on Flickr

dalen stated: “At some time last night there was small fire in the JCR Games Room. Not least from a Health and Safety aspect this is of some considerable concern to the College. Can any student who knows anything whatsoever about this incident please get in contact with the Deans as soon as possible. If we are not able to determine the cause of the fire we will regrettably have to close the games room.”

In an email to The OxStu, Magdalen JCR President Fabian Apel stated:“there was merely a slightly burnt table tennis bat.”

However he also emailed the JCR stating “The Deans have informed me today that they intend to close the JCR games room unless the person who set fire comes forward. In the interest of other members, can I please urge you to identify yourself/yourselves to the Deans.”

One Magdalen JCR committee member expressed their dissatisfaction with the deans and suggested they were overreacting, claiming that: “It was not a big fire. This is just another example of the college doing what it does best - gleefully denying its students access to its own facilities.”

But another Magdalen student commented: “I’m glad it wasn’t an arsonist fresher; they all look so shifty. Then again, I don’t really care about the games room as I’m not a pool playing loser anyway.”

Students given just 37 minutes to send in examination entry information

ANNA HACKETT-BOYLE

New College has been forced to apologise to students who were sent an email that gave them less than half an hour to submit entry examination details.

Rebekah Unwin, the college’s senior academic administrator, told students on 24th October that the deadline for entries was that day. In an email sent to all undergraduates sitting examinations this academic year, she wrote: “Later this afternoon an examination entry form will be in your pidge. Please complete and return to me in the Tuition Office by 3.30pm on Friday 24th of October.”

The email was sent at 2.53pm.

Unwin told The Oxford Student this week it had been a mistake, explaining: "It was human error – my error!

I meant to say the deadline was on 31st Oct but accidentally put 24th Oct, the same day I sent the email.

“As soon as I realised I had made an error – about half an hour later when students started emailing me to query the deadline – I immediately sent out an apology with the correct deadline,” she said.

Core examinations do not require exam entry forms but students sitting modules which are not compulsory must sign the forms which are given to them by their college. The deadline

PHOTO/Overheard at Oxford

varies from subject to subject, but in all cases late entries incur a fine from the University of £40.

The email panicked a couple of students into sending their entries within the 30 minute deadline but most were reassured to find that it was a mistake.

From January, the University is altering the way the examination entry process works, and the proposed system shoud limit the potential for mistakes such as this to be made in future. Instead of submitting forms via college, students will be able to apply online using the Student Self Service, the system used for university registration.

News 5

30th October 2014

Stats show Oxford attracting record numbers of applicants Cambridge's higher offers may be contributing to stagnating application rates whilst Oxford applications reach unprecedented highs ADAM DAYAN NEWS EDITOR

Oxford University received a record number of applications this year, whilst demand for Cambridge places dropped after a rise in entry requirements.

Oxford saw 18,325 students apply for places this year, competing for around 3,100 places. Cambridge declined to publish its application numbers this year but last year some 16,720 applications were made for around 3,300 places.

The Oxford application figures represent a record high, with overall demand increasing by five per cent compared to last year. Cambridge, by contrast, stated that it was “not expecting” an increase on last year’s numbers.

This follows Cambridge’s decision to increase its entry requirements this year, with almost half of courses asking for two A*s and an A grade as a minimum at A level. All science, maths and medicine courses at Cambridge now make such requirements. Biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, veterinary medicine, maths, computer science, genetics, psychology, zoology and engineering courses now ask their applicants to achieve at least A*A*A. Only three courses at Oxford have such high entry requirements, maths,

maths and philosophy, and maths and statistics. One A* is asked for by most science subjects but the very highest grade is not required for arts courses.

The increase in entry requirements represents Cambridge’s first wholesale increase since the introduction of the A* grade in 2010. However, Cambridge insisted that the raising requirements did not “raise the bar” because over 90 per cent of those who gain places on science courses

already achieved at least two A*s at A-level, whilst most successful applicants get three A*s.

A spokesperson for Cambridge University said: “The university believes that the revised offer gives applicants a clearer indication of the level of attainment realistically required to compete for a place, and to thrive on science courses.”

Whilst Oxford entry requirements are lower, 36 out of 46 courses require applicants to sit an aptitude

test, in order to compare students who apply with different sixth-form qualifications.

Concerning a possible rise in Oxford entry requirements, a University spokesperson stated: “Any decision to change conditional offer requirements is up to individual subjects, who carefully consider the impact such a change might have on the admissions process.

“Oxford University also uses subject-specific aptitude tests as a fair

way of benchmarking the subject aptitude of all candidates, whether they take A levels or not.”

In a separate statement to the OxStu, the University stated: “Through our outreach activities Oxford aims to attract talented candidates from as wide a range of backgrounds and schools as possible. We are pleased that today’s figures suggest we are succeeding in encouraging more bright students than ever before to apply to Oxford.”

PHOTO/Nick Efford

PHOTO/University Blogspot

Christ Church abandons trial by combat for resolving disputes Chris Pike suspended from OUSU JCR repeals motion allowing duels as JCR lacks Martial Arts credentials to referee OUSU statement promises that Complaints ADAM DAYAN NEWS EDITOR

Christ Church JCR has overturned a motion that allowed JCR members to settle disputes in trial by combat.

The motion referred to a rule that “was passed by the JCR last Trinity legitimising trial by combat as a method to settle disputes between members and mandating the JCR

to purchase mats and pay for the someone, supposedly the JCR President, to get an MMA refereeing qualification.”

The JCR noted: “Many members have expressed how ‘stupid’ a motion they think this is, including its proposer, Adam Knox, who called it a “frankly ridiculous ruling”.

"To become an MMA referee you

PHOTO/Andrew

need to have training in Martial Arts.

"Louise Revell, the JCR president, does not have training in martial arts therefore cannot train as an MMA referee.

"Louise Revell, the JCR president, will not be able to reach an acceptable standard in any martial art during her term of office, or most likely during the rest of her time at Christ church, to qualify to train as an MMA referee.”

The motion further criticised the cost of purchasing martial arts equipment and training JCR President Revell in martial arts.

The repeal motion passed 46 for, eight against, but several Christ Church students responded to the repeal with alarm. A former JCR President commented: “Trial by combat has been an institution of Christ Church for many generations.

"It is political correctness gone mad that we are reduced to settling our differences through petty democracy rather than by beating the hell out of each other."

An anonymous fourth-year expressed disappointment with the motion’s repeal, stating; “the GM meeting will now have an even lower turnout than usual, stripped of their only potential for excitement, prompting the JCR committee to randomly irritate college members to ensure a modicum of turnout. It is a very poor idea.”

Commission will launch full investigation

NICK MUTCH NEWS EDITOR

» Continued from front page

PHOTO/davidhc

PHOTO/OUSU

-als as “campaigning on important issues, for example, facilities for suspended status students, good welfare training for academic staff, and better representation of minorities.” This term he has also been responsible for OUSU’s ordering of 2000 ‘got consent’ condoms for JCR’s throughout Oxford, and has stressed his intention to prioritise the welfare of trans students.

Pike has previously discussed his experiences as an autistic student at Oxford. In his manifesto for his election, he stated “my time at Oxford has been both the best and the most challenging experience.

I want to support every student when the challenges become hard to handle.”

He also wrote in an article for Cherwell shortly before he was elected that “there is so much potential in every autistic person, and I’m so proud of what I’ve got out of my time at university… But every single student here is fantastic and has so much to offer a brilliant institution, and everyone deserves welfare support and the chance to succeed, particularly vulnerable students with disabilities like my own. Having a disability at Oxford is really, really tough. It’s also turned out to be really fucking amazing.”

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News 7

30th October 2014

Google partners with Oxford University to research artifical intelligence

Professors involved with Google "DeepMind" project to take up post at Computer Science Faculty PHILLIP BABCOCK

Google has recently announced a new partnership with Oxford University’s computer science and engineering departments to pursue research into artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning with special emphasis on how machines might better understand and emulate human language.

Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind, a British AI company recently acquired by Google in 2014, who currently serves as Vice President of Engineering at Google, said that the Internet search engine giant would be making a “substantial contribution” towards the project to promote scientific research into revolutionising human-machine communications.

The founders of Oxford spinoff Dark Blue Labs, Prof. Nando de Freitas, Prof. Phil Blunsom, Dr. Edward Grefenstette and Dr. Karl Moritz Hermann have been hired by Google DeepMind along with Vision Factory’s founders Dr. Karen Simonyan, Max Jaderberg, and Professor Andrew Zisserman.

The professors will hold joint appointments at Oxford University where they will continue part of their work.

Dr. Edward Grefenstette, Fulford Junior Research Fellow in the Department of Computer Science, declared to the OxStu:

“We at Dark Blue Labs are excited to be joining Google DeepMind, to further our work on Natural Language Understanding.

Bringing computers closer to the communicative and cognitive capabilities of humans is an essential step towards the next stage of human development.

We are pleased that our work in artificial intelligence at Oxford has been recognised in this manner, and look forward to contributing to Google DeepMind's efforts to improve the way computers enhance our lives and our society.”

Professor Mike Wooldridge, Head of the Department of Computer Science, said: "Machine Learning is a technology whose time has come. We have invested heavily in this area and we are truly excited at the prospect of what we can achieve together with Google. We are extremely proud of Phil, Nando, Ed, and Karl, and truly grateful for their efforts in securing such a fantastic donation to the department, and for paving the way for future collaboration with one of the world’s leading computing companies."

An official response from a spokesperson for the University stated: "We hope that this is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship with Google which will bring many new opportunities for Oxford computer science and engineering science students with

internships and joint lectures and workshops where students will be able to share knowledge and expertise."

Philip Ball, President of the Oxford University Engineering Society, expressed strong support for the initiative, citing the advent of driverless cars, ag-robots, and

even IBM’s Jeopardy-winning supercomputer Watson as examples of this emerging technology.

“It is [also] clear,” he told the OxStu, “that the University of Oxford itself is positioned at the forefront of such advances, as we have created our own driverless vehicle systems, advanced image

recognition software, and we have the world leading computer vision expert in Prof. Andrew Zisserman.”

According to Ball, the newly announced collaboration with Google is “further proof of our status as one of the top research universities globally.”

PHOTO/Sebastian Bergmann

Christ Church JCR rejects move to create Equal Opportunities Committee

Students declare proposed motion was inadequate to best address issues concerning equal opportunities within the College ELLIOTT THORNLEY DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO/Martin Pettitt

Christ Church JCR has voted against the creation of an Equal Opportunities Committee.

The motion, brought forward

by Marco Narajos, proposed the creation of a JCR subcommittee to “ensure that all students are treated equally within the College regardless of background and that none is discriminated against in any JCR activity.”

The motion stated that “there are still issues with equality and awareness in college” and noted that the Christ Church JCR lacked representatives for ethnic minorities and disabled students.

It was proposed that an equal opportunities subcommittee be formed, composed of an Equal Opportunities Representative, an International Students Representative, an Ethnic Minorities Representative, an LGBTQ Welfare Officer, a Disabled Students Representative, Female and Male Welfare Representatives, a Women’s Representative, and an Access & Academic Affairs Officer. It was proposed that this committee would organise events, have access to the JCR mailing list and

meet at least once a term.

In an email to the JCR the day after the motion was rejected, Christ Church JCR President Louise Revell informed students that “the motion as it stands did not pass”. She stressed that whilst “everybody is very behind improving our equal opportunities provision in Christ Church” and current provision is “not satisfactory”, it was the opinion of the JCR committee that “the sub-committee system in the motion was not necessarily the best way to address this issue”.

Revell also asked that any students with opinions or suggestions concerning the motion send them to her by 11:59 on Thursday, in order that they could be collated and discussed, and an amended motion voted on at the next GM. Narajos’ motion also noted that “queer students who fall outside the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender categories are not openly welcomed by the position known as ‘LGBT welfare officer’.”

Following the GM, it was resolved that the position should be renamed the LGBTQIA welfare officer.

Concerning the failure to pass the motion, one Christ Church

student commented: “Although Christ Church doubtless needs a disabled students and BME representative, I think rejecting the initial motion was the right decision.

"Now we can get the whole college’s opinion and pass a motion that everyone can get on board with at the next GM. " A 3rd year Christ Church student stated that “the decision by the JCR to not create an equal opportunities committee is very disappointing.

"Christ Church has long had a reputation as being aristocratic, conservative and unwelcome to students from diverse backgrounds, and the creation of this committee would have been a positive step forward to improving the college’s image.”

Another student disagreed, saying that “while Christ Church students are definitely committed to increasing diversity and equality, it was not felt that the creation of this committee was the correct way to deal with these issues; hence the margin of the vote in the GM. It is disappointing that this issue will be misinterpreted to attempt to portray Christ Church according to outdated stereotypes.”

8 News

30th October 2014

Gender Equality Festival removes article OUSU to run ‘Queering Elsa Field's controversial article glued shut on zine's release Consent’ workshops

MATTHEW DAVIES NEWS EDITOR

All copies of the St Johns Gender Equality Festival zine have been doctored to ensure that a controversial article cannot be read.

Following criticism from trans campaigners and others in the LGBTQ community, the festival committee have glued together the pages on which the article was printed, and is alleged to have tried to limit the distribution of the publication.

Written by former Magdalen JCR LGBTQ rep Elsa Field, the article in question, entitled 'What is a woman?', has come under fire for alleged transphobia.

The Festival committee has since apologised “unreservedly” for its inclusion in the zine.

In addition to reports that pages have been glued together in the zines, students at St John’s report that the zines were “forbidden from leaving the College”.

Flora Sheldon, chair of the St John’s Gender Equality Festival committee, denied this was the case, stating: “We had 300 copies of the zine and they were all distributed at all of our events, and

Workshops "help us learn boundaries and respect for bodily intregrity", says LGBTQ President

PHOTO/SJGEF

they were absolutely not 'banned' from leaving St John's.”

Sheldon also explained the reasoning behind the gluing of the pages: “The pages of the zine were glued together as we do not agree with platforming views in our zine that contribute to a culture of oppression and fear, even in a situation where the publication was trying to remain neutral.

“We did not think it fair to penalise other contributors of our zine as their work was fantastic, and we were very grateful for their hard work and contributions.”

This move by the committee, however, has not been met favourably in all quarters.

One student at Wadham, who asked to remain anonymous, questioned the integrity of the committee’s actions, telling the OxStu: “It’s a bit rich of the committee to try and pretend that the article was never written – they should take responsibility for the fact it was published in the first place, rather than rather hamfistedly trying to make people forget about it.”

PHOTO/ photoverulam

Editors Deputy Editors Online Editor Creative Director Illustrator News Editors Broadcast Editor Comment Editors Features Editors Fashion Editors Arts Editors

Jessica Sinyor and Jack Myers Laura Kennedy, James Waddell, Alys Key, Raphael Hogarth and Sachin Croker George Gillett Natalie Harney Charles Clegg Adam Dayan, Matthew Davies and Nick Mutch Nasim Asl Sid Venkataramakrishna and Matthew Moriarty Elizabeth Freeman and Rheanna-Marie Hall Lisa Cave and Jennie Graham Thomas Barnett and Jack Solloway

Music Editors Screen Editor Stage Editors Sport Editors Deputy Online Editors Deputy News Editors Deputy Comment Editors Deputy Features Editor Deputy Fashion Editors Deputy Music Editors Deputy Screen Editors Deputy Stage Editors Deputy Arts Editors Deputy Sport Editors

PHOTO/James Waddell PHOTO/Nick Efford

MAXWELL RAMSAY

OUSU is to start running training for people to facilitate sexual consent workshops specifically focused on issues surrounding consent in “queerer scenarios”, according to Anna Bradshaw, OUSU VP for Women.

Bradshaw wrote that, like OUSU’s other sexual consent workshops, the ‘Queering Consent’ workshops will “aim to create a safe space to evaluate and develop our understanding of sexual consent, and to stimulate broader conversations across communities”, and these will specifically “deal with different, queerer, scenarios”.

These workshops have been widely welcomed among the LGBTQ community.

Tam Guobadia, president of the LGBTQ society, highlights: “Mainstream consent workshops, while important, are not made for us. The reality is that our bodies, and what we do with them, requires that these workshops are not simply repackaged but reimagined.”

Guobadia also stated: “The queering of consent workshops beautifully functions[…] to help us learn boundaries and respect for

Nasim Asl and Jessy Parker Humphreys Srishti Nirula and Laura Hartley Aysa Likhtman and Alice Troy-Donovan Emma Williams and Dan Smith Ed Roberts and Rupert Tottman Elliott Thornley and Luke Minz Jake Hurfurt and Hugh McHale-Maughan Joshua Meilke Olivia Sung Leo Mercer and Alex Bragg Thomas Bannatyne Amelia Brown and Harriet Fry Alice Jaffe and Natalie Harney James Yow and Xavier Greenwood

Chief Sub-Editor Sub-Editors Associate Editors

bodily integrity, within spheres long hidden, [and] to reinject narratives of queer desire back into mainstream discourse”; he went on to add his hope to become a facilitator.

Adam Ward, OUSU’s LGBTQ officer, commented that he is enthusiastic about the prospect of the ‘queering consent’ workshops.

Ward noted: “Including narratives of those who identify as queer strengthens the dialogue students can have about sexual consent”.

These follow OUSU’s sexual consent workshops which ran in Freshers’ Week in every college which admits undergraduates.

Jamie Jackson, St John’s LGBTQ rep, labelled the consent workshops in freshers’ week “excellent” and stated: “In focussing on consent scenarios faced by LGBTQ people these workshops will hopefully allow discussions further to those sparked by [the previous workshops].” Jackson noted his belief that these are “something I am sure that the John’s LGBTQ community would be interested in”.

The first facilitation training session is scheduled for Thursday 3rd week (30th October). An online sign-up form has been posted on the ‘NoHeterox’ Facebook group.

Lauren Soules Jae-Young Park, Elle Tait and Helena Winterhager Nick Toner, Rosalind Brody, Miles Dilworth and Ruth Maclean

Editors can be contacted at editor@oxfordstudent.com and section editors can be contacted at the emails listed above each individual section.

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.

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Fashion Fashion 2

Lisa Cave

The Queen’s College

W

hat? Oxford Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2014. When? Monday 3rd November - Saturday 8th November. Where? Locations all over Oxford, including the Town Hall, The Varsity Club and the Museum of Natural History.

Oxford Fashion week was founded in 2009 and, like the biannual fashion weeks in London, New York, Paris and Milan, is comprised of a week’s worth of fashion events, ranging from intimate private viewings to dazzling public shows and from high concept to haute couture. Yet this season’s event is notable for a further reason: it marks the first time Oxford Fashion Week has taken place twice in the same year Oxford’s fashion scene is growing exponentially and becoming a wellrespected location on the fashion week circuit. Over the last six years, Oxford has hosted designers such as Matthew Williamson, and Alexander McQueen and featured talks from the editor of vogue. com, Dolly Jones and legendary male supermodel of Dolce

& Gabbana fame, David Gandy.

Oxford Fashion Week has produced over 45 runway shows, seven speaker events, four retail

Oxford’s fashion scene is growing exponentially and becoming a wellrespected location on the fashion week circuit.

events, four photography and art exhibitions, one film screening, networking events, live photo shoots, live fashion sketching, two city-wide late openings of high street retailers and a LiveFriday takeover of the Ashmolean Museum attracting over 2,500 visitors.

It has always been a week bursting with exciting events and opportunities to see shows from some of the world’s most promising designers, as well as established names in the fashion sphere.

This season, the week will host the Lingerie Show, the High Street Collections, Independent Collections and Couture Shows in some of Oxford’s most prestigious locations, including

the Malmaison and the Town Hall. If you only have time to attend one event however, we recommend the Birds of Paradise Show, the black-tie headlining conceptual production, scheduled for Saturday 8th November at the Museum of Natural History. The show, curated over six months by Hannah Zainuddin, will play host to carefully selected conceptual and couture pieces from cuttingedge designers including Xiaolin Design, Vagabond Couture,

It has always been a week bursting with exciting events and opportunities to see shows from some of the world’s most promising designers Anne van den Boogaard and Grace Golding amongst many others, in a show set in the beautiful Victorian neo-gothic architecture of the Oxford Museum of Natural History.

30th October 2014

Oxford Fashion Week is also renowned for its Open Model Castings, where any male of female over the age of 16 can apply to be taken through an expert training programme, overseen by Tiffany Saunders, casting director, professional agency model and a former Face of Oxford Fashion Week.

This coveted position has previously acted as a launching pad for the likes of Ash Longshaw, Cara Kealy, Josh HoldenTaylor, Ollie Callaghan and Fiona Callaghan, all of whom were signed to professional modelling agencies following their appearance in Oxford Fashion Week.

The week officially kicks off with the

Oxford Fashion W e e k launch party on Monday 3rd November at Camera and events are scheduled throughout the week, culminating in the majestic Birds of Paradise closing show. The OxStu Fashion Team will be attending shows throughout the week and giving you the inside scoop on the latest trends and designers to watch.

Tickets for all events are available at www. oxfordfashionweek. com and further information can be obtained by email.

With extraordinary shows, world-renowned designers and the latest up-and-coming models, we highly recommend checking out Oxford Fashion Week for a week of spectacular fashion.

PHOTO/Julia Cleaver

Who, What, Wear: Oxford Fashion Week What’s On and When

Opening Night Party - Monday 3rd November Camera 10pm - Late £6 Advance / £8 Door Lingerie Show - Wednesday 5th November Malmaison 7:30pm Arrivals / 8pm Show Front Row: £28 (£24 early bird) / Seated: £17 (£14 early bird) High Street Collections - Thursday 6th November The Varsity Club 7:30pm Arrivals / 8pm Show Front Row: £28 (£24 early bird) / Seated: £17 (£14 early bird) Independent Collections - Friday 7th November Oxford Town Hall 5:30pm Arrivals / 6pm Show Front Row: £28 (£24 early bird) / Seated: £17 (£14 early bird) Couture Show - Friday 7th November Oxford Town Hall 6:45pm Arrivals / 7:15pm Show Front Row: £28 (£24 early bird) / Seated: £17 (£14 early bird) Birds of Paradise Show - Saturday 8th November Oxford University Museum of Natural History 7pm Arrivals / 8pm Show / 10pm Carriages Front Row: £60 (£54 early bird) / Seated: £50 (£44 early bird) Closing Night Party - Saturday 8th November The Varsity Club 11pm - Late £8 Advance / £10 Door

Fashion 3

30th October 2014

Always be ... anyone but yourself

a stuffed animal on your head, you just can’t sit with us. In their efforts to be as ‘individual’ as possible, all these slogan-wearing stylistas are in fact spawning hundreds of imitations. So has it become

Jennie Graham Christ Church

W

There is something a little intrusive and Single White Female about replicating someone else’s presumably wellthought-out look.

e’ve all been there. You see someone on the street, in a shop or on a casual afternoon Facebook stalk. You like their outfit. They’re rocking that difficult shade of orange - a tone somewhere between rust and radioactive tangerine. They’ve done their hair exactly how you’ve been trying to do yours for years.

And - critically - they’ve somehow managed to master the art of casually draping a blazer over their shoulders while presumably still being able to perform basic daily functions like Instagramming.

Thus begins the somewhat creepy process of shameless plagiarizing.

You attempt to seek out those loafers. You trawl the Internet for hours searching for that blazer.

But, as sad as it is to come to terms with, a truly awesome ensemble is much greater than the sum of its parts. You may have all the pieces, but it takes a certain je ne sais quoi to pull off the look. Besides, your

PHOTO/Ed Kavishe

Unless you too are sporting a stuffed animal on your head, you just can’t sit with us.

hair just will not go that way.

In today’s fearless fashion world, where you can’t turn around without being faced with another snap of someone sporting Picasso prints or brandishing a takeout

box in the name of style, it seems that ‘fashspiration’ has become an industry all of its own. Bloggers receive hundreds of freebies and the best get glittering endorsement deals with global brands which

recognize the power of this new army of influentials. And the crazier the better – pushing the boundaries of fashion in order to grab headlines is what it’s all about. Unless you too are sporting

OK to ‘copycat’ someone’s style?

There is something a little intrusive and Single White Female about replicating someone else’s presumably well-thought-out look.

Personally, I like to think I have a little more creative integrity than that. After all, fashion is art and styling a look takes both skill and imagination. So, perhaps it is best to stick to referencing those we find inspiring, rather than attempting to morph ourselves into their sartorial doppelganger.

Besides, things could get awkward if you run into said person clad in what is essentially an outfit of their creation. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it is also the fastest route to the loony bin – or at the very least a raised eyebrow or two. Still, perhaps I will just keep an eye out for that blazer…

Eastern Promise

Jennie Graham Christ Church

F

orget your traditional black tie: ITO, the brainchild of Christ Church undergraduate Catriona Graffius, looks set to transform your evening wardrobe with sumptuous silks in rich hues and authentic Eastern embroidery.

Selling unique vintage kimonos from Tokyo, this new business aims to bring a slice of Japanese heritage to a British audience, something its founder feels very strongly about.

“I wanted to share those vibrant colours and breathtaking designs with people who I knew would value them,” says Graffius.

With designs dating back to the 1930s, each kimono has a unique story, meaning that these are truly special pieces and in the case of a few of them, collector’s items.

“Every kimono has a story that can be told through the colour of

its lining, the shape of its sleeve, the details in its design,” says Graffius.

“Every kimono is part of a tangible thread of Japanese history.”

As a lightweight alternative to the blazer, the kimono is a perennial style staple. This traditional Japanese dress has long been on the fashion radar, ever since Paul Poiret first showed Western women how to channel oriental chic in 1911. In the century since then, designers such as Dior and Armani have looked East for inspiration. And following the release of Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha, a new generation of fashion lovers fell for Eastern romanticism.

In 2014, the high street finally caught on, offering an array of Japanese-inspired warm-weather options, and everyone from Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen have been seen working the trend. Brands from Topshop to Zara jumped on the boho bandwagon and gave the kimono a seventies-rock feel with fringing and velvet. If you found yourself at a festival without one this summer,

you definitely missed a trick.

ITO’s offerings are something a little more special and are somewhat less appropriate as Glasto-chic, but they work just as well for daytime dressing as they do for formal wear.

Sling one on over a simple getup for an easy way to bring a little glamour to a lecture, or try one on its own for a networking drinks event and really steal the show.

For accessories, an obi belt is a must, but keep all shoes and bags minimal to avoid a cluttered look.

Makeup can be statement, a bold lip or a smoky eye, but try to avoid too much colour, as these kimonos should definitely do the talking.

ITO kimonos are available on its recently-launched website, so head to www.itodesign.co.uk to check them out and find out more about the story behind the brand.

Still not sure how to channel Madame Butterfly without crossing into kitsch? Take a look at our shoot with photographer Matt Diffey and model Kate Tuohy at the Oxford Union for some style inspiration and start perfecting your chignon.

PHOTO/Matt Diffey

30th October 2014

Fashion 4

O

o o u F l h w h n w

Postcards from the East Photographer: Matt Diffey; Model: Kate Tuohy; Concept and Styling: Jennie Graham; Assistant: Laura Kennedy; With thanks to The Oxford Union and itodesign.co.uk

Music 5

30th October 2014

Music

Nasim Asl

Somerville College

N

etsky is a name that’s making waves among the EDM (Electronic Dance Music) community. The Belgian producer’s drum and bass albums have been incredibly successful so far, with Netsky bagging number ones for both his 2012 album ‘2’ and his latest single ‘Running Low’ (featuring Beth Ditto) in his home country.

Boris Daenen chose the stage name Netsky not too long ago – he’s been in the producing game for almost ten years now. “I started producing when I was 15,” Netsky explained, “just dance music on very simple, easy software. It was around that time that I started going out in Belgium – over here we don’t really have an age restriction on going out clubbing…or even drinking! We just do it basically,” he added with a laugh. “I started going out quite early with my friends so we got to experience a lot of dance music and DJs from a very young age. I really noticed that I liked going out and dance music. I was playing drums by then and when I saw DJs with electronic music I really saw that it was my type of music. That’s when it started for me.”

“Sometimes I feel ashamed of DJs just standing there pushing buttons. I wouldn’t pay money to go and see DJs anymore.”

Not everyone was as inspired by Belgian’s lax age restrictions as Netsky. “No one in my old friend group produced music but I started making friends definitely this way.

My friends from back where I live, my small village, they like music but they never really liked it as much as I did. They never really played instruments or DJ or anything.”

Despite the lack of music in his social group, from a young age Netsky’s family helped him out. “I grew up in a really musical family. My dad really enjoyed listening to music and really schooled me in 70’s music and Motown. He really got me into listening to records and buying them, going to record stores. I owe that to him.

Part of Netsky’s appeal and popu-

larity in the drum and bass community is due to his emphasis on live music – his liquid funk style of producing mixes generic drum and bass with instrumental layers and vocals.

Since 2012 he has toured as Netsky LIVE!, with a live stage band accompanying his DJ set. “There’s a lot of work to be done around the band. It’s not as easy as just DJing, but it’s so much fun. I learn stuff everyday and that’s what keeps me so happy about it. I just love learning to play instruments and give the crowd more than I could with just a DJ set. Sometimes I feel ashamed of the DJs just standing there pushing buttons. I wouldn’t pay money to go see DJs anymore at my age; I like seeing a bit of a show and seeing a bit of a production with that, and that’s what we do with the band.”

Although he considers himself a drummer, and he plays guitar and keys alongside that, Netsky’s not entirely sure why he turned to production rather than focussing on instruments. “I haven’t figured it out myself yet to be honest!” Netsky laughed, “I think I just really like the energy of electronic music combined with how soulful hiphop can be. That’s why I love bass, its so full of energy and still you can have so much soul in there.”

The charm of production isn’t limited to the studio however. “The million dollar question” for Netsky is whether the studio or the stage is better. “For me, it’s both. The magic moment is when you create something in the studio and then see the crowd love it, when you see them get something from what you’ve been working on for a long time.”

Although it can be tricky to image how artists find inspiration for music away from the indie-band relationship drama, Netsky finds himself inspired by music itself whilst he creates it. “I just really love travelling and I love listening to other styles of music – Punjabi or African music. Just last week my cleaner from the building I live in, she gave me this CD of her favourite Punjabi Indian bands, and I started sampling some of it. I just love listening to music that people wouldn’t normally relate to, so I try to do something people won’t expect.”

The process of creating tracks isn’t as straightforward as with other musicians either. “Sometimes I get up in the morning and I know I want to make this drum and bass tune and it has to be hard, or I want to create a funk tune on a very slow tempo. At the end of the day it al-

PHOTO/James Starkey

Caught in his Netsky ways completely changes so I can’t really predict what a tune is going to look like for me. It surprises me every day where the tracks end up.”

As a producer, Netsky’s liquid funk drum and bass requires a lot of collaboration with other artists in various capacities. “I work with a lot of writers. I start working on a melody and invite a lot of people.

I can’t really write lyrics and I can’t sing either so it’s much easier to write with somebody who I know can judge lyrics and melodies better than I can do.” Working on tracks with musicians like Beth Ditto is something that Netsky also does a lot of, yet his attitude to the collaborative process is refreshingly realistic. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I think seven out of ten sessions always work out great for me. When that happens it’s great, you have so much energy so you can enjoy and share excitement with someone else who’s feeling it. I’m very much a solo guy though, I love working on music on my own.” Given the chance, Netsky says Prince would be his dream artist to work with. “I think every producer says

Prince!” he laughed.

Although Netsky doesn’t collaborate with other producers on his own songs, there definitely is an atmosphere of companionship.

“There definitely is a community.

It’s funny, there’s a DJ called PC and he’s a drum and bass DJ as well.

He started this Dropbox thing, like a shared folder of maybe 20, 25 DJs and we all share music together in it and help each other out. I think that that’s something that is really beautiful and I have a feeling – I shouldn’t really be saying this, but I think that happens more with drum and bass than any other genre which is pretty cool.”

“I can’t really write lyrics and I can’t sing either.”

It’s been two years since the release of ‘2’, but Netsky says the newest album will be “out early next year”, with January and February as hopeful dates. “I’m just about to finish it actually, just a couple

more weeks. I’ve been working on it for the last two years so it’s been a fairly long process but I’m getting there. There’s been good and bad days. It’s been a stressful album to make,” Netsky admitted. “For the first time in my career I’ve had a pressure on my shoulders and I’ve never really had that before. The last six months it’s been really hard.

Touring with the band there’s been a lot of rehearsal and technical stuff which is hard to combine with the writing mode. My first album was mostly drum and bass and my second was like that with more pop influences and other tempos and genres. For me it was a logical step to go a bit more into that direction with this album.”

This month sees Netsky return to the UK. “I’m excited about it. We’re bringing a proper production to the UK for the first time. It’s just a short tour but it’s going to be full on. it’s going to be hardcore! It’s been a while since we played in clubs so it’s going to be sick!”

Netksy plays the O2 Academy on November 5th.

6 Music

30th October 2014

In conversation: Andrea Gibson Jessy Parker Humphreys Jesus College

A

ndrea Gibson has been dominating the spoken word scene for years now. Their fearless writing and heartbreaking truth telling deservedly wins hearts whenever people hear them speak.

They tell poems about struggling with gender norms and the problems faced by the LGBTQ community, as well as being one of the most articulate critics of America’s foreign policy. They also became the first poet to ever win the Women of the World Poetry Slam.

At their show in London, their first in around ten years, the room in Hackney was filled with people who knew Gibson’s poems by heart, as if they were hit songs. On stage, Gibson is as brutally honest as they are in their poetry, telling stories about trimming their pubic hair and having to readjust their pants. The real appeal of Gibson’s work is their use of backing tracks to go with their words. Softly strummed guitars and emotive piano chords give an added gravitas to the poems.

We caught up with Andrea Gibson after their show.

What was it like being back in London to play so many years since you were last here?

It was amazing, possibly one of my favourite shows ever. The city is electric, and the audience at the show was one of the most open-hearted groups of people I’ve ever performed for. It was a magical night.

Do you notice differences between crowds when you go to different places?

Yes.

I perform in libraries and

music venues and theatres and coffee shops and bookstores so the crowds and energies at each of those places will be very different. And of course, it’s different by state, or country as well. The first time I performed in London it was a really polite audience, very quiet. This last time people were rowdy and vocal and really energetic and that was amazing.

resonate with what I’m currently feeling, so if I’m reading an older poem on any given night it’s because it’s something that still stirs a charge in me.

Your poetry is hugely personal a lot of the time. Do you struggle with putting so much of that in the public domain?

Who are your favourite spoken word artists at the moment? Who would you recommend?

I suppose I struggle in the sense that I feel protective of the people I’m writing about. For example, I can’t help but write about my family and friends and the people I’m dating and I’m always concerned about revealing too much about them. But in terms of struggling with how much I’m revealing about myself, no, not really. People create their own personal safety in different ways. I’d feel more unsafe if I wasn’t talking about the things I’m talking about.

Currently really loving the work of Megan Falley and Danez Smith.

Can we expect any new poems soon?

Yes, absolutely. I have a new book coming out in February and it will be full of new poems.

Gabe Naughton investigates the not so mysterious Parkay Quarts’ new single

N

ew York guitar bands are enjoying a bad patch. Rock and roll is for dweeby poindexters. People don’t listen to songs over three minutes long, let alone whole albums. Musical malaise is a theme of ‘Uncast Shadow of a Southern Myth’, which was released

by Parquet Courts under the lessthan-cryptic moniker of Parkay Quarts.

American in its structure and subject matter, the ambling epic tells the story of a gun-totin’ redneck set against the backdrop of a burned-out Graceland. Like tourists in a veterans’ graveyard, the four-piece roam around the

remains of the South. The song is a progression from some of the longer tracks on their second album, Sunbathing Animal, lyrically ambitious and listenable at the same time.

Lead singer and guitarist, Andrew Savage builds from a drawling description of his landscape to an exasperated yell. Lynyrd Skynyrd famously responded to Neil Young’s attack on Southern culture when they wrote ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. With this single it feels as if the band are exploring their own political apathy, or perhaps simply seeking some inspiration for a self-indulgent ‘Freebird’ solo.

Do you worry that there aren’t enough queer role models for young people?

I don’t know if I worry about it per se, but I do know that queer artists were incredibly important in my coming out process and that without them I’m not positive I would have made it through that time.

Some of your poems were written quite a long time ago now. How does it feel to still be performing them? Do you sometimes wish you didn’t have to revisit those experiences?

I only perform poems that currently feel relevant to my life, poems that

PHOTO/Onto Entertainment

Hozier arrives with an unbelievably accomplished debut album

The County Wicklow man has definitely taken Alexander Hartley to church with his idiosyncratic eponymous LP

Alexander Hartley Queens College

W

hat would the perfect debut album be like? Well, it would have to have a couple of slow ones, a couple of heavier ones, two or three catchy ones and the ‘One That Everyone Knows’. There would be variety, but also a distinctive flavour that you can recognise in each song. It would be well balanced and produced, expertly finding a balance between punctilious cleanness and the occasional blast of grunge. Finally, it wouldn’t hurt if the lyrics were thought through to a pitch of near-poetic intensity (and

no, that doesn’t just mean throwing in the odd quote from Macbeth: I’m looking at you, Marcus Mumford).

His idiosyncratic sound is difficult to pin down

Under these criteria, there is a pretty good case for saying that Hozier’s first full-length release (also called Hozier) is a perfect debut album. Hozier, née Andrew Hozier-Byrne in County Wicklow, was reared on the blues, Motown and jazz, and also cites Pink Floyd, Tom Waits and Nina Simone among his major influences. Perhaps unsurprisingly, his idiosyncratic sound is difficult to pin down, yet there is certainly some kind of inef-

fable Hozier-ness to be heard in each of the songs of the album, from the boppy, perky ‘Jackie and Wilson’ to the melancholy dignity of ‘Foreigner’s God’. However you describe Hozier’s sound, it seems to display a maturity far beyond its writer’s 23 years; this is a fully developed style, and in many ways Hozier feels more like a fifth or sixth album than a debut. Perhaps that is why he has been compared to every established act from Van Morrison to Vampire Weekend; time will tell if such comparisons are justified, but all the signs are good.

The keystone of the album – ’Take Me To Church’ – is a wittily subversive earworm of a song, catchily combining theology with romance in a way that might make you think of John Donne: “Take me to church,

I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies; / I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife.” ‘Arsonist’s Lullaby’ burns with a steady narrative intensity before fizzing to a menacing end; ‘From Eden’ is a love-song so natural you feel like you knew it already, with a dark lyrical twist. The best song on the album, though, is the crooning ‘Every Day’, in which Hozier’s mesmerising voice, knack for texture and poetic lyricism find a perfect combination.

‘Perfect’ or otherwise, Hozier is an unbelievably accomplished de-

but album. This Irish lilt is one we will be hearing again, and I for one can’t wait.

Music 7

30th October 2014

Taylor Swift conquers the pop world with 1989

The superstar’s hotly anticipated fifth album is a roaring success, according to Aimee Kwan

Aimee Kwan

Magdalen College

S

ometime last August, Taylor Swift uttered one fateful phrase: “1989 will be my first official documented pop album”. To industry bosses, this cause understandable trepidation. Much buzz is currently made over how Swift is the best hope to revive a dying industry wallowing in plummeting sales, and therefore it is not without great assessment and care that I write this review.

To start off, Swift’s collaborators on the record display her move from country to pop quite evidently. These are names such as Ryan Tedder, Jack Antonoff and Max Martin, and their influences can be heard in songs such as ‘Out of the Woods’ and ‘Style’ (I challenge you to listen to another of Martin’s hits, ‘Love Me Harder’, and not be able to pick up a similarity or two). Yet the 80s influence Swift repeatedly mentions is apparent like

a hidden undercurrent throughout the whole record, referencing artists across the 80s spectrum: form Kate Bush, ELO and Fleetwood Mac to Tears For Fears, Eurythmics and A-Ha. These are references that many of her younger fans will not necessaly pick up, and the judgemental cynics will also be just as blind to the nuances: but this should not be a problem for Swift.

That’s not to say 1989 is perfect and without its faults. Songs such as ‘Welcome to New York’ and ‘All You Had to Do Was Stay’ are not as strong as some of the other material on the album. Swift is at her most relevant when she uses her acute lyricism to express herself, and in the weaker songs the lyrics are compromised by the many different sounds she is attempting to incorporate. Given how interesting all three bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are, these two could well have been replaced.

However, there is some obvious greatness in an album when the lead single – and multi platinum number one lead single at that – is not even

the best song on the album by a long shot. ‘Shake It Off’ had some fans worried that Swift was succumbing too much to mainstream pressures, but 1989 as a whole proves that is not the case. There are songs where this balance is potentially precarious – ‘Bad Blood’ being one of them.

The lines ‘now we got bad blood/ there used to be mad love’ as in the chorus, are decidedly dodgy, but Swift just about manages to get away with it.

When 1989 reaches its peak, it really is glorious. Songs such as ‘Wildest Dreams’, ‘I Know Places’ and ‘Clean (featuring Imogen Heap)’ are beautifully triumphant, especially since they strike the balance between the new pop sound and the songwriting quality that Swift is known for. Such is her integrity as an artist that when she sings “on my head, as I lost the war / and the sky turned black like a perfect storm”, we take her seriously as opposed to melodramatic.

By the time one reviews any artist’s fifth album, it’s impossible not to consider the LP’s place both in the genre and the artist’s overall devel-

opment, as well as the record’s place in music as a whole. 1989 is not a perfect album, and only the most hardcore of all Swift’s fans will love every single song. But for 1989 to maintain such a level of consistency, and on a pop album no less, makes it worthy of admiration.

It’s much easier to write a decent, steady country album (see Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts et al.) and Swift has proven herself more than up to the task in her first four records. But in a music industry where ‘pop’ is sounding increasingly generic and female artists are beginning to blur into one another, Swift’s country and songwriting Nashville roots lend her in good stead, enabling her to write a record

still full of musical integrity despite its genre. For what 1989 represents to many, which is hope for the arguably floundering pop industry, Taylor Swift has against all odds managed to create a brilliant album.

Without doubt will it go platinum in its release week: not bad for an artist still signed to an indie label.

‘Our Love’ affair with Caribou may soon be over

Caribou’s calculated and mechanical latest album leaves Robert Selth with mixed emotions is not a cerebral record, but it has as “mind-numbingly simple,” and Without You’. Not coincidentally, fade away at any moment.

Robert Selth on one level he’s quite correct. this is the album’s finest track.

What ultimately holds the album been cerebrally composed, and for University College

C

anadian auteur Dan Snaith, who now records as Caribou, is nothing if not meticulous.

His elegant, peculiar electronic creations are among the most intricately designed pieces of music in contemporary dance, precisely arranged and fine-tuned to the point of obsession. His latest album, Our Love, is something of an apotheosis: warm, intimate, and melodic. It nonetheless impresses overwhelmingly as a triumph of craftsmanship, a perfect system of pulsing bass, flickering percussion, and gleaming synths. It’s an engaging and sometimes engrossing record. Unfortunately, the album rarely manages to completely transcend its obvious constructedness. It has become a cliché to observe that Snaith took a PhD in pure mathematics at Imperial College, London, and that his music sounds exactly like what you’d expect a man with that background to produce. But Our Love genuinely does feel a little sterile in its careful, consistent detail, and by the time it finishes, you’re impatient to listen to something looser, more organic, more spontaneous.

Snaith has described the album

Though an immense amount of time and thought has obviously gone into it, the end product is unpretentious and homogeneous.

It is a series of sultry, swooning, bass-heavy dance tracks that lend themselves just as well to late-night contemplation in a darkened room as to the dancefloor. While the album implies psychedelia with its broad sonic palette and trancelike atmosphere, it is less overtly pop, and less psychedelic, than most of Snaith’s previous work. Instead it offers what is effectively a sequence of torch songs (‘Silver’ especially fits that description) underscored by ’80s-sounding beats.

The album rarely manages to completely transcend its obvious constructedness

The whole thing is as smooth as velvet, and the ten tracks can easily blur into one, for there is little stylistic variation to distinguish them. And it never gives us a true moment of catharsis – except, perhaps, at the very beginning, in the soaring and then all-too-briefly skyrocketing bliss of ‘Can’t Do

What with its remarkably dense,

Our Love occasionally seems like a more colourful, less gloomy take on a Burial record

reverb-saturated soundscapes, and its reliance on short, endlessly repeated, barely intelligible vocal snippets, Our Love occasionally seems like a more colourful, less gloomy take on a Burial record.

More colourful that is, because its prevailing mood is not of alienation but of romantic rapture – albeit undercut with a disquieting current of uncertainty and fear. Our Love always feels open-hearted and occasionally even feels exultant: the aforementioned ‘Can’t Do Without You’ reaches a sincerely thrilling climax. But snatches of desperate-sounding voices tug at the undersides of many of these songs, and spooky counter-melodies snake their way into almost every upbeat tune. It’s an album about being in love, but simultaneously being beset by insecurity, feeling that you will lose everything, and fearing that all this magic and colour might

back, however, is the fact that it never quite stops sounding calculated. Our Love is probably best heard in a state of downbeat weariness, where you can let it draw you in and you can lose yourself unthinkingly in its murky tunnels.

But listen to it while you are alert, and it becomes unsatisfying. This

most of its length Dan Snaith fails to make it sound effortless and unselfconscious. It’s still an accomplished work, but Our Love does not transcend its indie-electronic niche, and its appeal outside that sector is likely to be very limited.

‘Our Love’ is out now on City Slang Records.

23rd October 2014

Screen

Robert Selth

University College

F

or the past fifteen years or more, the European art cinema scene has increasingly come to be dominated by one outstanding and frequently controversial director: the Austrian Michael Haneke. Other directors have produced films just as distinctive and just as widely praised – Lars von Trier and Béla Tarr spring easily to mind – but nobody else has such a consistent record of rich, original, and provocative critical successes.

Haneke’s films are precise, suspenseful, and explicitly and disturbingly violent. Yet the classic hallmark recurring through his half-dozen major films is not the way they very shockingly observe and confront human evil, but something seemingly much less significant: the fact that they frequently rest on unresolvable or open-ended storylines. Many viewers feel that Haneke teases them by refusing to answer the narrative riddles that he poses, and so his fame and his notoriety have come to rest not so much on his moral boldness as on the manner of his storytelling. Even some of his admirers claim that he ought not to play such games of befuddling the viewer, as this distracts attention from the intellectual and ethical points that form the centres of his films.

But Haneke does not, in fact, play games with his viewer. Instead, he adopts the same strategy that has been taken by a long and illustrious string of European directors before him. In the 1960s, the legendary Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni made films in which mysteries remained unsolved, and the story focused instead on the impact of uncertainty and anxiety on the people struggling to answer the questions. The approach has appealed to thoughtful directors ever since, especially, for whatever reason, in Europe. This is because it does one very powerful thing: it places the audience in the same position as the characters, and then, crucially, leaves them there. We walk out of the cinema still feeling destabilised and with the problem still whirring in our heads, unable to tuck it away and go back comfortably to our daily lives.

The connection between Anton-

sic L’Avventura. In it, a young rich couple, Sandro and Anna (Gabriele Ferzetti and Lea Massari), go on a boat trip to a rocky, uninhabited Mediterranean island, accompanied

by Anna’s friend Claudia (Monica Vitti). Barely half an hour into the film, Anna, whom the film has been treating as the main character up to this point, disappears with no explanation. The effect is a little like the murder of Janet Leigh in Psycho – the film shocks the audience by killing off its main character very early – but more unsettling for the fact that we do not see anything happen to her.

One minute she is there, and then the next minute we realise that she hasn’t appeared onscreen for an unusually long time. Just previously, one of the characters had thought they saw a shark in the waters off the island. It turned out they were wrong: there was no shark after all. But … are we certain of that? Sandro and Claudia go looking for Anna, and from this point on, the film simply observes the way in which uncertainty and fear bring to the surface a number of deep, disruptive tensions and desires in both these characters.

In the present day, Michael

Those who complain about Haneke’s unresolved storylines are missing his point.

Haneke’s recurring preoccupation is with the disruption of stable and established lives by violence, and the way in which such disruption can expose hidden insecurities – both within individuals, and in their relationships with each other. Often the violence does not need to be explicit. His almost unbearably intense Caché (Hidden) concerns a middleclass Parisian couple named Georges and Anne (Daniel Auteuil and Juliet Binoche, both superb), who one day start receiving anonymous videotapes in the mail that show their house observed from the street. Soon these are accompanied by crude, childlike drawings of wounded animals and children vomiting blood.

There is no physical violence here, but the psychological violence perpetrated on the couple is enormous, and soon the stress and fear that they both experience is putting pressure on their relationship in ways that reveal hitherto unrecognised rifts and resentments. In his subsequent film, Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon), a series of mysterious acts of sabotage and arson in a small pre-First World War German village have a similar effect on the local people: relationships of all kinds break down in the prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty and mutual suspicion. The key cause of breakdown, in both films, is not violence itself but the fact that the violence is unexplained and seemingly arbitrary – just like Anna’s unexplained and arbitrary disappearance in L’Avventura. Like Antonioni,

who stretched a wire across a track where a racing horse would trip on it – is not a distraction from the “ideas” of the film, but central to it. We are just as much in the dark as the characters, and so we share in their fear and we take on their hostility. That in itself is Hollywood standard, but allowing the uncertainty to prevail beyond the moment when the credits roll, beyond the moment when the viewer walks out of the cinema, is unusual and shocking. We could not so truly understand the observations that these films make about people under pressure if we were not forced to remain under that pressure ourselves.

Sharks and wires: Unsolved mysteries in European cinema

PHOTO/Il Fatto Quotidian

Haneke’s films are precise, suspenseful, and explicitly and disturbingly violent.

ioni and Haneke becomes obvious with examples. Antonioni’s most acclaimed film is the 1960 clas-

Haneke’s purpose is to show us the consequences for human relations when people must live in fear.

The point here is not merely that Michael Haneke has inherited concerns and methods from a former leading European filmmaker. He is not, of course, alone in making extensive use of Antonioni’s innovations.

More important is that those who complain about Haneke’s unresolved storylines are missing his point, and that comparison with older directors in the same tradition can illuminate why this is so. Properly understood, the mystery of the anonymous sabotage in The White Ribbon – the fact that we never learn, for example,

PHOTO/Il Fatto Quotidian

8 Screen

PHOTO/Laura Loveday

30th October 2014

Screen 9

A portrait of lost beauty

Tanja Collavo discusses Italian cinema today

Pick of the week: L’Année dernière à Marienbad PHOTO/Julia Manzerova

Samuel Joyce Balliol College

A

camera tracks through the ornate hallways of an empty French hotel. A narrator describes the things we see – the thick carpets, the potted ferns, the stifling decorations, all captured in crisp, gorgeous black and white. But where are the people who populate this chateau?

Why does it feel like a place suspended in time? The narrator starts again, about the carpets, the ferns, the decorations. We move inside the chateau’s theatre, where dozens of glamorously dressed guests sit in total stillness as a woman delivers a monologue on stage.

The play ends, the audience claps, and suddenly we’re taken into the intrigues of the hotel’s guests.

This crowd at first plays host to several different stories. It seems there may be a group of spies staying in the hotel. There are gamblers, socialites, and lovers. But only one of these strands ever coalesces into a whole – a love triangle that ostensibly began in this same hotel, last year, with an affair between a man and a now married woman who doesn’t, or perhaps refuses to, remember it. The film repeats and revisits this man’s memories of the affair, as the two begin to try to reconstruct what may have happened there in Marienbad.

It is evident from the beginning that this film is pushing the limits of the medium, where characters

PHOTO/Julia Manzerova

reappear and disappear in impossible patterns as the camera explores the hotel, whose geography remains entirely mysterious thanks to Sacha Vierny’s ground breaking cinematography and the film’s deliberately disorientating cutting. We get lost, like our protagonists, in the possibilities of the hotel, and the things that may have happened there. It’s both mesmerising and horribly unnerving.

The film, by director Alain Resnais, premiered in Cannes in 1961 to a divisive reception, which has remained so until this day. Arriving in the midst of the French New Wave, L’Année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year in Marienbad) stands out against the low budget pragmatism of that movement with its expensively mounted sets, intricate tableaus and gorgeous period details. For a time where France’s culture was so concerned with post war upheaval and working class social conditions, Marienbad distanced itself from its competitors by its determined disengagement from traditional realities.

Where the New Wave was about the real struggles of the everyday person, Marienbad took place amongst the wealthy elites of French society. That their lives are portrayed in such a surreal way, positions the film as its own social critique of the upper classes.

Marienbad plays with form and preconceptions of narrative as did its New Wave contemporaries, but, unlike them, this was not due to the film’s austere budget. Marienbad is

expensive, glamorous and minutely detailed – for one of the film’s most iconic shots, the shadows of walkers in the hotel grounds were painted onto the ground beneath their feat – and entirely devoid of the amateurish formal qualities of its New Wave brethren. The film, through its abstraction and repetition, takes its audience into the workings of the mind and memory, but also to the limits of narrative film itself.

Marienbad is expensive, glamourous and minutely detailed.

Perhaps to British audiences its status as a foreign film enhances the unique experience of watching it. The subtitles and alien language place us at one more remove from the characters’ distorted recollections, another reminder of the meticulous construction of memory, reality, and our experience of them. We’re absorbed in the telling of the story, not necessarily the story itself, and the film’s foreignness only draws further attention to this.

The film is a magnificent oddity, unlike anything before or since in its ruthless iconoclastic treatment of traditional narrative form. It’s a film, which somehow, even 50 years after its release, remains challengingly avant garde.

La Grande Belleza is a controversial work of art that triggers love or hatred, never indifference Most of the films that reach nation-wide distribution and press coverage are comedies depicting the mediocrity, vices and struggles of the country’s middle-class, and perhaps become inaccessible to foreign audiences. They are created and produced according to a standard film formula, albeit a fairly successful one, such as that of the Cinepanettone, a Christmas film that invades screens each

year with the usual slew of comic sketches, soap-opera love affairs and north-south politics. It would appear that the only objective of Italian film producers nowadays is to obtain box office success and to cater for audiences looking to escape the humdrum of everyday life, with little regard for producing new and interesting films.

The few titles that have achieved critical acclaim in both Italy and abroad, capturing the attention of the entire world, can all be attributed to a small group of directors and actors, such as Sorrentino and Servillo, the two main talents in La Grande Bellezza.

It is hard to admit that only a dozen people remain who are able to create high-calibre films that can speak to international audiences. This trend can be explained in two different ways. Firstly, the established name and fame of these directors enables them to propose unusual and intellectually challenging films to their audiences whilst holding onto their popularity. The continual success of these artists who dominate the industry makes it increasingly difficult for new tal-

PHOTO/Associazione Culturale Cinemazero

L

a Vita È Bella (1999) was the last film that garnered glory for the Italian film industry at the Oscars. Fifteen years later, it is no coincidence that the film that finally won the golden statuette was La Grande Belleza, a film depicting Italian society and its film-making industry as a world defined by easy gains and hedonistic values, while its glorious history of beauty and culture appear to be lost forever.

La Grande Bellezza is not an easy film to watch; it is a controversial work of art that triggers love or hatred, never indifference. Its plot focuses on Jep Gambardella, a 65-year-old journalist, and his group of friends and acquaintances: rich and jaded people from Rome’s high society, who have lost all touch with reality. They live day-by-day constantly deluding themselves into thinking they have a life much more meaningful and perfect than it actually is, in order not to face the ennui that perpetuates their existence. Their world is filled with lies and hypocrisy, with luxury and superficiality replacing relationships and empathy. They are supposed to be and, more importantly, they believe themselves to be, the intelligentsia of the country. Instead, they end up reflecting the economic, moral and artistic degradation of a nation lacking the influential leaders and innovative ideas of the past.

On the one hand, the film is a romantic and dreamlike portrait of Rome, of its beauty, of its history and of its culture, the true grande bellezza that the country is wasting. Yet on the other, the film depicts gritty reality through seemingly never-ending sequences in clubs with dull and repetitive music. In these clubs, the rich and famous simply become intoxicated in a vain attempt to forget the misery and loneliness of their daily lives, because they lack inspiration, depth of thought and any sort of perception of what really matters. In this way, they end up being the perfect metaphor for Italian cinema.

In contrast to other European countries that have been consistently growing in importance on the international film scene, the Italian film industry is becoming more and more self-absorbed.

ent, also producing good films, to access the cultural and financial circuits they need. Secondly, this trend reflects the general lack of ideas, critical thinking and intellectual honesty that is pervading the whole country, as beautifully described by La Grande Bellezza.

The hope is that the worldwide recognition earned by this controversial and poetic film, will open eyes about the decay of Italian culture and prove that riskier projects, which do not follow the formulaic style of modern-day Italian comedies, are needed to support a flourishing and diverse film industry, that is still very much capable of charming international audiences.

It is clear that there is desperate need for a renewal of ideas to overcome the stagnation that has settled over this industry. As the story of Jep Gambardella illustrates, if trapped for too long in a stagnant, but stable and successful rut, it is very easy to lose even the greatest beauty.

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Features

Features 11

30th October 2014

Marcus Li

Magdalen College

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his week saw the inaugural session of the wine tasting introductory course hosted by the Oxford Chelt Wine School at St Peter’s College. Voted as one of the UK’s Top three companies for wine education by Harpers Wine & Spirit Magazine, this independent company hosts wine and cheese evenings as well as blind-tasting classes and seasonal events, following 30 years of experience in the field.

Nicholas Gay, the founder of the school, chairs the discussion with an engaging wealth of knowledge and expertise.

To get into the mood, we began the evening with a bottle of L’extra par Langlois Brut NV, Cremant de Loire, £14.99 from Majestic Wine Company. What impressed me was how Nicholas creates a real sense of easiness right from the start that encourages open discussions. There was not a sniff of pomposity in the air. Before long, everyone knew each other really well, exchanged travelling anecdotes and laughed at each other’s lack of experience in wine tasting.

An evening of wine and good company Upon being seated at the table, the level of professionalism and esteem this company holds was clearly visible. Rows and rows of wine glasses sparkled in the spotlight. An evening of sophistication and fine hospitality. The set-up was sleek. A detailed PowerPoint presentation accompanied what Nicholas was explaining.

He succeeds, in my humble opinion, in making oftenconvoluted terminologies and ideas transparent to the most inexperienced of novices.

We began with the whites: a Vinho Verde from Portugal, a Riesling from the Rhineland (brought me back to the good old days of my Gap Yah!) and also a PHOTO/ Anna & Michal Chardonnay from

Argentina. The stages in examining the quality of the wine were described

What could be a somewhat befuddling deconstructive approach to wine tasting was made very accessible with well-defined explanations in a structured way; no one was left confused. He even clarified how the shape of the glasses relates to the type of wine you drink and how to correctly hold each glass. There were no presumptions of previous knowledge at all. The discussions were very open; no one was afraid to pose questions. Instead, the diverse range of opinions opened up our senses in every way: whether a wine had a full body or not, or whether the aroma was more mango or passion fruit.

Just as one might trace a novel’s style, language and literary construct,

Nicholas carefully guides the group through seemingly tricky terms such as ‘pétillance’ and ‘viscosity’. What could be a somewhat befuddling deconstructive approach to wine tasting was made very accessible with well-defined explanations. He talked us through the appellation, fermentation process, barrel types, and grape selection whilst shattering clichés such as “the wine has nice legs!” At one point, he shed his expert knowledge on the ultimate conundrum for modern day winedrinkers: Whether a bottle is better with a cork or with a screw top, “The whole screw-top or cork thing… that’s a very complicated issue.” Indeed, it turned out to be a false perception on the part

“Life is too short to drink mediocre wine from the bottom of the shelf” of consumerism, but Nicholas nonetheless managed to make the “complicated” into something that was easy to understand.

Next, we moved onto the vino tinto: a bottle of Bordeaux, Chianti, and last but not least, followed by a blind taster to practice what we had learnt.

Personally, I found I could detect the aromas and textures much better

Before long, everyone knew each other really well, exhanged travelling anecdotes and laughed at each other’s lack of experience

with whites than with reds. I started to question my own taste buds…

However, I was pleasantly surprised when Nicholas approached me and explained, again with clarity, how the fermentation process might have affected the wines, so they tasted more similar to each other.

Unsurprisingly, under the guidance of Nicholas we quickly managed to identify the mystery wine to be a bottle of Shiraz. Bravo!

As the evening came to an end, I went away with was more than I had expected. Nicholas does not only

PHOTO/ Marcus Li

share his knowledge of wine, but also his enthusiasm. What he said really stuck with me: “Life is too short to drink mediocre wine from the bottom of the shelf…” This is true.

What the evening had taught me was how to think for myself and not be afraid to voice my own opinion about wine, because for the most part, it is a subjective process that relies on the individual’s senses and appreciation.

I have been on other courses run by various societies which are perhaps a little more economic than this, but I must say, never before have I learnt so much about wine in one evening.

You really get your money’s worth.

On top, the easy flow of conversation and company the event attracts really sealed the deal. It’s no wonder that their wine school family has enjoyed much success from over twenty other major cities across England.

Whole-heartedly, I would recommend anyone interested to come along to the next event. Check out their website, where you can find out about up-coming events as well as useful sites to the wonderful and exciting world of wine tasting!

For more information, please visit www.oxfordcheltwineschool.com.

12 Features

30th October 2014

Falling in love with lunch at Alpha Bar

Misha Gabe-Wilkinson

St Peter’s College

I

discovered Alpha Bar in Trinity term of my first year, and quickly became addicted, eating there at least once a week, and dragging friend after friend to my new favourite place. The bar serves both hot and cold foods, although the majority of people in seemingly endless line are standing patiently for their famous salads. If you arrive at 1pm, there will be approximately twenty people queuing and forcing you into a twentyminute wait. Want to avoid this? Go at 12:30pm or 2pm.

Now for the prices: For the small salad (definitely filling enough) expect to pay £3.95 for the vegetarian option or £4.25 for one with meat. The larger options are £5.95 and £6.25 respectively. You can choose two or three sides and one or two mains, depending on the portion size, one topping, and finally the option of seeds sprinkled on top. A new perk

is their recently introduced loyalty card which means that after your eighth blissful meal, you will obtain one for free!

The bar sponsors a range of sides, from garden greens to butternut squash and from orzo pasta to puy lentils. As for the main, any cheese fiends will be glad to know Alpha Bar offers goat’s cheese, halloumi, feta and mozzarella in various guises. Meat options tend to change daily but range from chicken to beef.

Toppings are also wide ranging, including red and basil pesto, hummus, onion marmalade and guacamole. Importantly, the servings are generous, as the servers always fill the brown boxes to the brim.

Two servers usually work behind the bar, and guarantee smiles and helpfulness, especially if it is your first time there.

Now that you know the basic facts, let me answer the question: why are so many busy people willing to wait for their food?

First and foremost, it is extremely healthy. Between essay crises, cheesy chips at 3am, and a budget that simply won’t stretch to cover both crew dates and regular vitamins, leading a balanced and nutritious lifestyle is challenging at Oxford. To this end Alpha Bar is your

remedy, with all its ingredients being natural, homemade on a daily basis, and catering a variety of vegetables and other wholesome goods.

Secondly, it is great value for money.

Yes, it is probably true that if you were cooking at home, a meal would end up comparatively cheaper. Yet in terms of eating out, and eating quality food, this is as good as it gets.

Thirdly and finally it tastes amazing!

Having something of an obsession with this place (if you hadn’t picked up on that already) I have tried practically every dish they have to offer. Everything has a unique and delicious flavour, and no ingredient is too overpowering or rich.

As well as this, no matter what combination you choose, all the ingredients seem to fuse together perfectly.

Moving to negatives (although few) it is fair to say that the one major downfall of Alpha Bar, ironically also the testimony to its popularity, is the long queues. Considering most people in Oxford are always in some kind of rush, Alpha Bar can be tricky if you need to grab something on the go. They also do not accept debit or credit cards, al-

PHOTO/Alpha Bar

though this is less of an issue, with Cornmarket Street right outside.

To finish, and potentially more of a niche point, the falafel they offer is quite dry and tasteless, although this is the only food they offer that I can criticize.

I hope you make a trip down to Alpha Bar today!

The Verdict Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Cost: 4/5

Unmissable: The market’s finest food offerings Elizabeth Freeman

St. Hugh’s College

W

ith over 50 different stalls and shops within the Covered Market, it can be difficult to know where to start. Take note of this handy guide and you’ll never leave hungry again.

Snack on the run: Bolitas 1goodness These warm, cheesy, balls of doughy are an absolute godsend for PHOTO/Andrea

those days when a looming essay deadline makes any chance of a sit-down

meal impossible. They also sell bags of frozen bolitas to take home and bake, so you need never go without. treat: Barefoot Kitchen The brownies from this tiny bakery 2neverSweet fail to hit the spot, and the fact that

they are made using organic ingredients means you never again need feel guilty about that 4pm sugar craving.

the same again.

with a difference: Sasi’s Thai 4plyLunch Fed up with the never-ending supof sandwiches that fill Oxford’s cafes

around midday? Grab a box of their to die pad-thai noodles with cashew nut chicken and never look back. Portions are generous and even a sit-in meal rarely breaks the five pound mark.

Gift: Cardews Afternoon tea: Brother’s The heady aroma that spills out of 5 A full day in the RadCam is enough 3theirFoodie enormous urns filled with speciality to drive anyone to despair - break it up coffee beans and loose-leaf teas makes this place a Mecca for all caffeine addicts. Your morning ritual will never be

with a classic cup of tea at this charming Covered Market classic. If their amazing range of cakes fail to cheer you up, the bright yellow walls surely will.

The hidden joys of Oxford’s

Features 13

30th October 2014

Dining in, the Covered Market way “It’s still Oxford’s

jewel in the crown”

Joshua Meikle

New College

I

am not a man of extravagant tastes.

I like my Hassan’s with ketchup and my wine with a screw-top lid.

However, every now and then, it’s nice to put a little extra effort into your cooking, and sometimes that consists of more than putting butter on your toast before you pour the beans on.

Perhaps you have a special someone you want to impress, or you just want to celebrate the end of the week (and, as students, we’re well aware every night is a Saturday night). Well, Oxford’s fantastic Covered Market is there for you when the occasion calls for it.

The market’s 59 stalls include a wide selection of high quality foods, from which I decided it would be fun to procure everything needed for such a dish. A venison casserole was the result, and all fruit and veg was from the Bonners Fruit and Veg while the venison came from just across the way, M. Feller & Son & Daughter. Both stalls were helpful and knowledgeable, and the butcher sliced the cut just for me. Here’s what I did: My first task was to blanch ten tomatoes (having learnt what ‘blanch’ means) but a smarter option is just using canned ones to save the hassle.

Fry a sliced onion and two cloves of garlic together in a large frying pan, then add 400g venison after 5 minutes or so and stir until it’s been browned evenly all over. Throw in the tomatoes, 200g sliced mushrooms and seasoning (thyme tarragon, sage, salt, and pepper) and mix it all together before covering with a lid. Leave it for at least 30-40 minutes to allow the meat to become tender, and make the mash in the meantime.

After peeling and chopping, boil six medium potatoes until they’re soft (about 20 minutes) and then drain.

Add a knob of butter, a few dashes of

Christopher Fountain

St Edmund’s Hall

J

PHOTO/Joshua Meikle

milk, and a few turns each of salt and pepper, then mash roughly. A wooden spoon works fine for this.

When the meat has been simmering for long enough (or you’re just getting too hungry), open up the lid and hopefully the contents will resemble something like this This may seem a lot to spend on a home-cooked meal, but it tasted fantastic and when shared between two hungry people it’s only really the price of an Itsu for each of you. Using canned tomatoes would bring £3 off the bill, and substituting beef for venison would reduce it by the same again to just £6.85 to feed two to three.

Even better, there’s no corkage charge at home so throw in some wine (and maybe even candles) for a special night.

So that’s all there is to it, and it only took about 90 minutes from start to

finish. Maybe you think you’d undermine any future request for financial support from your family if you admitted you’d been cooking venison, in which case go and see what else the Covered Market has in store for you!

Cost Venison: £6 Fruit and veg: £6.85 Total: £12.85

Covered Market

PHOTO/Dave Morris

ohn is having a bad day. Inside the Covered Market not much is happening. A few tourists reluctantly follow a laborious guided tour. Workers rush through with coffee cups and rucksacks. Students are slumped in cafes tapping out last minute essays. John fruitlessly attempts to interest them in RSPB. Most of them breeze by.

“It’s not quite as busy as I’d expected,” he says. “I mean there’s a lot of well to do people, but I’m not really getting anyone interested.”

It’s a sentiment shared by a lot of the retailers.

Our independent spirit is slowly slipping away.

“It’s not as busy as it should be”, Collectors Corner employee Simon Porter says. “All the time, I get people coming in and saying to me - “I didn’t even know this was here.”

It’s a shame, because this is a lovely, lovely place’.

Cornmarket Street is bustling.

Harried rosy-cheeked students jostle with camera-yielding tourists for space on Oxford’s premier shopping thoroughfare. On Market Street white vans offload their boxed goods into a cavernous wall.

Somewhere, between the dustbins and miles of loosely chained bicycles, a few alleys cut into the adjacent wall. The Covered Market.

It’s a sensory feast inside. A whiff of freshly baked bread wafts down the alleys. Melting cookies jump out at you. Knives are sharpened and cash registers chime. But it’s the absence of people that is most striking.

“The market is often deserted while Cornmarket is heaving,” Simon says. “People don’t seem to know we’re here. If you look up from Cornmarket it looks like a dodgy alleyway. All you see is wagons.”

It’s not all doom and gloom for Oxford’s flagship market. “I like it here a lot,” Simon continues. “It’s a friendly market and you tend to get people from all over the world.

It’s a good community and a good asset for the city. You won’t find specialist saddlers, fishmongers, and butchers in most town centers.”

Other retailers agree with Simon’s sentiment. “It’s still Oxford’s jewel in the crown,” Sue Norton of C.M. Brown & Son says. “At Christmas, when all the turkeys are hanging in the shop windows, the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic.”

Nonetheless, Sue is apprehensive about the steady influx of high street retailers. “Our independent

spirit is slowly slipping away. Big retailers have the power to change the dynamic of the place. At the moment the markets still holding its ethos and places like Cards Galore are finally getting people off the high street.”

Many retailers think that something needs to change. One, who wished to remain anonymous, thinks it lacks the vibrancy of other similar markets.

“Something doesn’t quite fit,” she said. “It doesn’t always have that spark. There needs to be something done to draw people in. I’ve just come back from Barcelona. The market’s there were thriving. Why isn’t it like that here?”

Sue is a little more optimistic.

“This place has still got that special feel. The character’s still there and it could be salvaged and brought into the modern world. That’s what this place needs.

“We need a central focus. We need a reason for people to come in. There’s a big open space in the middle. Why don’t they do something with that? There could be cookery classes or sausage making demonstrations.”

Online shopping has undoubtedly reshaped Britain’s retail sector but across the country independent markets have been staging a revival. London’s Broadway Market is one of the trendiest locations in the capital. In the eyes of Oxford’s stallholders, not enough is being done to ignite this independent

The character’s still there and it could be salvaged and brought into the modern world.

spirit at the Covered Market.

“The diversity is decreasing,” Simon says. “It’s just becoming a food outlet. Now it’s about 70% food and 20% shoes’. He chortles. ‘We don’t want to lose this place. It’s unique.

It’s just not promoted properly. It needs brightening up a bit. It needs investment.”

John is still attempting to canvas support from the odd few punters who drift through the Covered Market. There haven’t been many takers. Out in Cornmarket Street the cafes and shops are doing a roaring trade. There is a covered market tucked away in the center of Oxford.

Perhaps it’s time to open it up so

OxStu’s Picks of the Covered Market 1.Brother’s and Georgina’s 2. Macsamillion 3. Pieminister

14 Arts & Lit

Arts & Lit

30th October 2014

Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham - Review Alice Jaffe

St. Edmund Hall

A

s anyone who has seen even a snippet of HBO’s hit series Girls will know, Lena Dunham (writer, director and star of the show) is sharp. In fact, sharp, doesn’t begin to cover her intuitive, witty and engagingly honest portrayal of life in the city. Yet, not everyone who has seen a snippet of the show will know the extent to which her character, Hannah Horvath, shares a striking number of autobiographical details with Lena herself, as is revealed to the reader of her new memoir Not That Kind of Girl.

Not That Kind of Girl explores Lena’s personal experiences in life, work, sex, love and, perhaps most importantly, being a woman or, indeed, as the fluorescent pink on the front cover of my book points out, ‘that girl’. From a series of sexual

encounters (with both the opposite and same sex) to her vaginal hypochondria, Dunham’s frank and sincere voice welcomes the reader into a refreshing, sometimes unexpected honesty. Her more serious anecdotes and essays are divided by BuzzFeedstyle lists equipped with sarcastic and inviting titles such as ‘18 Unlikely Things I’ve Said Flirtatiously’ (“I only get BO in one armpit.

Swear.”), offering unexplained yet wonderfully insightful glimpses into both Dunham’s life and mind.

It is this insight, combined with a daring but endearing tone,

Her friend tells her “ You were raped”.

Dunham follows with “I burst out laughing”

that enables Dunham the ability to articulately and confidently relate her experiences in dealing with mental health issues, weight awareness and sexual harassment.

Perhaps the most poignant essay for the student reader, however, deals with the way in which Dunham relays a sexual experience from her time at college with ‘Barry’. Her narrative starts with what appears to be just another crazy night, starting with alcohol and ending with a condom ‘up in my roommate’s tree’.

The passage ends with the all too familiar debrief the next day, where her close friend Audrey tells her “You were raped”. Dunham follows with the sentence “I burst out laughing”.

The defining feature of the book, however, comes from more than just a sharp authorial voice, or the witty stories and truthful articulation of feelings, but instead from the confidence and clarity that Dunham projects. She writes not only as an artist and thinker, but as a woman; and, as she says, ‘there is nothing gutsier to me than a person announcing that their story is one that deserves to be told, especially if she’s a woman’.

Words by Natalie Harney With tongue planted firmly in cheek, “penniless photographer”, Zeren Badar irreverently plays with classical works.

He ‘accidentally’ layers found objects (cereal, fridge magnets, rubber bands) atop cheap prints of older paintings to create temporary Duchamp-ian readymades which are destroyed after they’re photographed. The juxtaposition of incompatible materials produces fun works that question how we value the art we see and how the creative potential of our breakfast could be embraced if only we were to trip over near a DaVinci.

“It is like 99 cents store meets with Mona Lisa.”

Here today, gone tomorrow: is graffiti still ephemeral?

Olivia Widdowson

Worcester College

E

Part of the graffiti on display at The Outhouse Project , Stevenson Square, Manchester

phemeral art, or just plain vandalism?

Graffiti is steeped in contradictions and presumptions.

Banksy’s recent contraversial antiimmigration piece, painted on the seafront of Clacton-on-Sea, was whitewashed by the local council after complaints from disgruntled members of the public. Interestingly, after realising the work was a Banksy, the council issued a statement reassuring the artist that his pieces would be welcome in the area in the future.

This kind of blustering public backtracking exemplifies the double standard in the critical perception of graffiti: the council were spluttering apologies once they found out that

a world famous ‘artist’ had ‘painted’ the walls of their town. The lexicon around Banksy and his ‘artwork’ has changed. What was once seen as defacement is now seen as a reference point for artistic veneration.

Yet Banksy’s case is singular, and the art form itself remains stigmatised.

Banksy’s ‘graffiti’ is becoming something else, losing its essential ephemerality since it remains on the Internet in digital perpetuity due to his fame. In 2010, ‘Kissing Coppers’ sold for £345,000. Banksy is also now too valuable a commodity to be allowed to remain anonymous.

Historically though, graffiti has often attained permanence. The graffiti from Pompeii has been invaluable in gaining information about ancient Roman society.

Modern graffiti originally emerged in New York City in the 1960s on the subway. ‘Taki 183’ travelled throughout the city ‘tagging’ his name, and soon the act of ‘tagging’

caught on as a way for New Yorkers to establish some kind of permanence in an evolving world.

Nonetheless, in the 21st century many civic authorities have begun to accept graffiti as an artistic expression.

The Outhouse project, located on Stevenson Square in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, acts as a forum for graffiti artists to display their work. Though the artwork is changed every three months, the fact that the project actually endorses artists such as ‘Hammo’ and ‘The Perm’ and authorises a three-month period constructs a sense of permanency.

The works will be whitewashed, but they are also part of a permanent and sanctioned project. Though it may seem like the gentrification of a counter cultural art form, perhaps projects like Outhouse represent a more positive direction for modern graffiti artists than Banksy’s bank-breaking warping of graffiti into something else entirely.

Arts & Lit 15

30th October 2014

Banksy in Bethlehem From our special correspondent in Palestine

Emmeline Skinner-Cassidy Mansfield College

I

n 2000 the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak approved the construction of the West Bank barrier – a wall that will stretch 700 km along the Israeli-West Bank border.

Built apparently as a necessary Israeli security precaution, it resembles the walls of a high security prison: at parts it reaches 8 metres high and is topped with barbed wire. In 2005, Banksy travelled to Bethlehem and created a series of images on the wall and around the city., adding to the already rich display of street art being used as an expression of passionate protest.

The wall runs through the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, which I visited last month. My taxi driver, Iyad, offered to take me to see the wall.

In my ignorance, I simply expected more concrete and barbed wire, and wondered why it was really necessary to look any closer; in fact, in Bethlehem as in many places, the wall has become a space for activism – a place to display messages of anger, hope and support.

The messages and images on this wall are not simply expressions of anger and frustration, however; they have a clear aim, which is to make the world listen. Large groups of mainly European, North American and South

American tourists swan into Bethlehem every day. They are herded around from church to church, marvelling at Bethlehem’s history and turning a blind eye to its present oppression. The art on this wall is part of a larger attempt to create a collective conscience, in which all who visit Palestine will participate.

That this is the aim is clear from the language in which these messages are expressed: English. As soon as you cross the border from Israel into the West Bank, you will see various walls and buildings marked with the English phrase “Now I’ve seen, I am responsible”.

Posted along the wall, moreover, are a number of stories by Palestinian women about their interactions with Israel – all translated into English. The graffiti on the wall is also often, if not mainly, in English, despite the population of Bethlehem generally not having a high command of this language. This wall is quite clearly screaming out to the more-than-one-million tourists who pass through Bethlehem every year, myself included, to find our humanity.

There is hope in Bethlehem that the wall is going to come down. Iyad spoke of it in definite terms (“When the wall comes down I will...”). His friend, a carpenter, builds wooden nativity sets which include a detachable wall, separating Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In his words: “You can take the wall out of the nativity when the real wall comes down”.

PHOTOS/Emmeline Skinner-Cassidy

30th October 2014

16 Arts & Lit You Will Never Not Have Been Matthew Hartz

You will never not have been in my life, my former lover.

Never your skin unseen by my eyes in white rooms.

Why does my neighbour go out at eleven o’clock every night with a torch into her garden?

Alexander Hartley

And there she is again, out with her torch shining it all around, every direction the way when you are looking for your mobile phone and you have checked everywhere, you look up absurdly, half expecting to see it taped to the ceiling.

She is shining the torch upwards, and I cannot make out the area of sky, the widening circle of night air that is starched blue by her torch beam, the illuminated cone, stretching out across the universe, with her at its apex.

With a swing she points the torch at me, it is an accusing finger, I cannot see for the windowpaned chasm of light. Then she extinguishes the torch, and I can see nothing but this page.

In the corridor of my years your portrait will never not hang.

Never unmine your fears, your deep griefs and blacknesses.

And never mine unyours: my black unwholenesses, the catalogues of flaws that I read behind my eyes.

Once on the St Andrews train you took one of my books and circled again and again certain letters with blue ink.

On other pages I did the same for you; these letters, my scattered replies, my once-love, will never unbe.

I can tell now at a glance which circles are by whose hand, but as the long years pass I will unremember the difference.

Sophie Sparkes

Sculpture

Sophie Sparkes Sophie has had her art work exhibited in Bushey Museum, and received first prize in the regional ISA art competition.

She is also a composer, and composed a piece inspired by Gosha Ostretsov’s installation ‘Criminal Government’ which was performed by Music Off Canvas alongside the artwork in the Saatchi Gallery’s Exhibition: ‘GAIETY IS THE MOST OUTSTANDING

FEATURE OF THE SOVIET UNION’. She has had works performed in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, St Martin in the Fields, the Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music by ensembles including the Aurora Orchestra and BBC Singers. She previously studied as a composer at the Purcell School of Music and now is a first year music student at St Anne’s College.

PHOTOS/Sophie Sparkes

Stage

18 Stage

30th October 2014

Savage melodies, clown-children, and pick plastic membranes: does postmodernist theatre go too far?

Immersive, overwhelming, and bizarre – Emily Parker investigates the flourishing world of postmodern theatre Emily Parker Kellogg College

P

PHOTO/ flickr user Ludovic Bertron

ostmodernist theatre raises more questions than it answers. It aims to highlight human need for meaning in its absence or deconstruction. Ever have that sudden fleeting feeling that you could just suddenly disappear? Ever, for just a second, double take at the people and the communities embedding you, cocooning you, smothering you and find them completely alien?

Under postmodern influence, theatre as it has so long and so widely been appreciated – as holding “as ‘twere the mirror up to nature” – undergoes a catastrophic refiguring. The linearism and aesthetics of conventional theatre – that comfortably familiar, enjoyably predictable swelling and subsiding of traditional, plot-focused drama – falls away completely. What we are left with in its wake, is an uncomfortable vacuum and a pervasive, disorienting senselessness. The question is, are we convinced, or just a bit confused?

Fuerzabruta, directed by Diqui James and first seen at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2007, made its return to UK stages at the Round House in Camden in December 2013, continuing until March this year. It was the fastestselling production the theatre had ever seen. The Argentine physical theatre piece-cum-nightclub-cummoving art gallery-cum-circus extravaganza defies all attempts at classification, riding into London, as it did, on the crest of this radical new wave of postmodernist theatre.

The ‘play’ itself, typically in the postmodern genre, does not contain any proper scenes or discernible meaning and is best described, perhaps a little sadly, in cliché.

It is an extravaganza – a series of breathtaking visual spectacles in a kaleidoscopic array of colours and materials, within a constantly and drastically changing set which relentlessly contorts senses of physical space and surrounding.

In Fuerzabruta, the audience, crucially, stands throughout and is made to move in accordance with the

production and with the constantlymoving set in order to make room for the action. In this way James actually goes a step further in the postmodernist dissolution of the line between production and audience, as his spectators are brought forcefully into the action, often against their will, and made to experience it in a certain way.

James, in an interview with Newswire, said that the production represents “not an individual but a social encounter,” but the effect of this constant herding from space to space within the auditorium is that you begin to feel more like herded cattle than an audience actually watching a play at the theatre. Far from participating in a collective experience that is human enough to be social, the postmodernist production is designed to distance the human and draw in the alien.

Random audience members are also embroiled more directly in the action on physical levels of varying degrees of bizarreness, from being lifted into the air on a harness through a hole in a giant plastic membrane which covers the space above the audience’s head halfway between floor and ceiling, to being hit over the head with confetti-filled pizza boxes by belligerent members of the cast dressed in bizarre costumes of a sort of clown-child hybrid. That is just the lucky few.

However, amidst this high energy and momentum, there are moments of stillness, beauty, and utter transfixion.

“Amidst the high energy and momentum, there are moments of stillness, beauty, and utter tranfixion”

In one of the most arresting moments in Fuerzabruta a clear rubber sheet descends from the ceiling containing water and female members of the cast who move fluidly and elegantly over the plain. As they slide their bodies across, pushing the water in various directions and creating beautifully cascading aquatic patterns, the whole area is bathed in a pink glow. It descends at one point to

just above the audience’s heads, so that you can actually reach up and touch it, feeling the people slide weightlessly over your fingers.

The astonishing soundtrack fits seamlessly into the production, augmenting the emotional effects of these highs and lows in action and movement. One minute the air tingles chillingly, pregnant with suspense, as an ominously low and heavy bass reverberates off the walls of the dark, chasmic theatre space.

Moments later, lights on and blaring, colours and fabrics streaming, and the air is filled with the hysterical crying, chanting and stomping of the incredibly fit cast. The banging drums, clashing symbols and savage melody of this “fuerza bruta” (brute force), all combine to create an atmosphere of wild, rhythmic, tribal frenzy, whilst the electronic dance overtones push the production, at times, into a quasi-nightclub.

Heiner Muller’s Hamletmachine, in contrast to the lavish and excessive staging of Fuerzabruta – nihilistic almost in its chaos – is pointedly resistant to any attempts at staging.

Muller himself has commented upon this paradox of an unstageable stage-play that “its unperformability certainly stands for stagnation”.

The dichotomy of these two productions so firmly placed within the same deconstructive genre – one, at times, frightening in its momentum and the other, nightmarishly claustrophobic in this “stagnation” and perpetuity – negates any attempt to categorise or characterise the postmodern genre.

Whether the trappings and trimmings of the production are impressive and fantastical, or apocalyptic and sparse, however, the question postmodern theatre poses is, are we convinced? Do we exit the space feeling as if we have been enlightened as to the meaninglessness of the world and our, therefore, arbitrary search for meaning within it, or as though we have actually just been on legal, substance-less, hallucinogenic drugs for the past hour, or in the midst of some hellish nightmare?

Undeniably, postmodernist theatre has value in its mere uniqueness and departure from the conventions of traditional theatre, but to what extent does the effect really run deeper?

Stage 19

30th October 2014

Jerusalem promises darker fun Felicity Blackburn Somerville College

D

irector Will Felton has a vision. In the Wiltshire countryside youths in pagan masks dance around the shadow of a caravan, intoxicated by the heady combination of music, drugs and isolation. Add to this a live folk band, punchy dialogue, flares, strobe lights and chickens and you have a play: Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, to be precise.

The play, which first appeared in 2009 at the Royal Court Theatre, was an instant success, The Times calling it “bold, ebullient and often hilarious” and The Daily Telegraph describing it as tender and touching with an “exceptionally high swear word count”.

It centres on the character of Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron (Barney Fishwick), a modern-day Pied Piper who lives on the edge: wanted for eviction by county officials, hosting raves in the woods and supplying drugs and alcohol to his friends.

Bursting with fantastical theatricality, it’s the stark constrast between this and more intimate scenes, honing in on the unsustainability of Rooster’s lifestyle, which first attracted Felton to the script. The play’s dynamism and larger-than-life characters certainly came across as two of its strengths during the preview, as did the sense of fun and energy in rehearsals.

It is Felton’s fourth play in Oxford, and the last before taking his finals later this year. His advice

to fellow directors is to choose content carefully and ensure proper knowledge of budgets and technicalities before approaching theatres with a bid. When asked what people should look forward to most about his upcoming production he was quick to answer: visual effects, a television smashed with an axe, and a spectacular woodland set.

Running from the 5th to 8th November, Jerusalem, “through the magic and the murkiness”, is sure to be a success. With its imaginative

approach – think whimsical, handmade masks and a throne made from car tyres – and a well-known cast on the Oxford drama scene, the play promises to expose the darker side of fun.

Jerusalem is playing at The Keble O’Reilly Theatre from 5th-8th November

Olivia Sung St Catherine’s College

S

PHOTO/Commensal Productions

A night out at the BT: Bouncers preview Charlotte Vickers Pembroke College John Godber’s play Bouncers is, in the playwrights own words, a “grotesque” comedy of exaggerated characters, and the Poor Player Productions version of it looks set to practically ooze this. The play, with a cast of four, is based around the preparation for a big Friday night, and moves fluidly from one set of characters to the next, culminating in a well executed finale.

The four actors in the production oscillate between extremes with ease. Completely in control of their sound and movement, the players here command their stage entirely, and convincingly and effortlessly morph between the different sets of characters.

These include (but are not limited to) the nightclub bouncers of the title, the ‘girls’ before the big Friday night out and the ‘lads’ (or perhaps, more appropriately, ‘ladz’). The juxtaposition between the almost aggressively hilarious masculinity of

the bouncers and the boys and the ridiculous femininity of the girls is pulled off well.

Both the play and the actors are also comically self-aware. The group of bouncers mocking lads in general brings ironic layers into the performance: the actors imitate and caricature not only as themselves but as characters mocking other characters.

Disorientating as that may sound, this production group does bring it off persuasively, and as an audience member you never feel left out of their jokes. The exaggeration of the comedy brings the audience completely on side, particularly in the near ritualistic scenes of the lads getting ready – you’re laughing with them, and yet it doesn’t feel forced: something quite rare in such extravagant comedy.

Bouncers is more than just a romp through the potential to parody a night out, however, and the cast do show glimpses of true emotion underneath, and sometimes through, their ridiculousness.

The ludicrous images the characters, especially the bouncers themselves,

build up are only occasionally permeated by the backstories that turn them (just) into people, and the very rare instances of this emphasises the grotesqueness of the majority of the play.

Many of these result in almost scary fights or near fights, the excellent direction of which is indicative of the fast-paced yet well thought out work of the two co-directors, Adam Leonard and James Watt, throughout the production.

It begins and ends, of course, with the bouncers, and these are the most convincing and comedic caricatures in the production. At the very least, they will make you snort, and, more likely, the whole play will have you laughing – easily worth a visit.

Bouncers is playing at The Burton Taylor Studio from 28th October until 1st November

o the evenings are getting darker, the opening nights are getting closer, and my room currently resembles such a pigsty it’s led a few people to remark I might be getting a little too into Halloween.

Still, this is Oxford student theatre, not the Barbican, and while the facilities are great, I’m pretty sure my demands for a sixteen-rail warehouse to store all my costumes are falling on deaf ears.

Alas, without proper access to a Big Yellow Storage Box, the only thing left to do is cram it all into my room. Add to that mix half a small battalion’s dirty laundry and a few crazy sinister papier mache animals heads, et voila, you have the current contents of my room.

Speaking of masks, the one I’m most attached to has now sadly moved out. I miss him a bit. His name is Lenny, and he is a stag’s head (you can find him on the posters for Jerusalem now knocking about, or for you more technologicallyminded/lazy folk out there, look him up on the Facebook group).

He took me 10 solid hours, until 5 in the morning, and then an additional two to paint. I’m very proud of him.

He was excellent company: barely spoke, just sat in the corner and watched me work, and he never once disapproved of my costumes illustrations, even when I tried to draw the guy playing the lead role in Jerusalem and he came out looking a bit like Cher. Hey, it was very late.

A lot of people have been asking me lately about my costume designing process. Some people just lash costumes together in a haphazard fashion, I know, but I do think it’s necessary to make a considered effort; after all, set designers, directors and all the other creatives will be thinking hard about this, and you don’t want to be the dunce at the press preview saying, “well, um, I guess I just thought Maria and Tony would look good in pink, ya know?”

Well, for anyone interested in costume design here in Oxford, the first thing I’d say is there is no set way of designing for a play. Obviously talking to the director is a good idea – every director will have their own vision of how things are going to look; some will be more specific than others, but all of them will have a particular aesthetic they’re gearing towards.

It’s important not to rebel against this; remember, you’re not designing the production, you’re just interpreting somebody else’s viewpoint within your area of creative expertise (or lack

thereof).

Directors will usually make it clear from the off how much creative control they want to retain, and how much they want to give you. Some will be very specific, even down to the kinds of items they want; others will give you total autonomy.

Most will be paddling somewhere in the middle of that. But even restrictions can be a creative blessing – problemsolving and refocusing ideas into actual garments is the fun part.

Directors, set designers and creatives will be thinking hard about this; you don’t want to be the dunce at the preview

And it might sound like a given, but do actually read the script. Even if you know the story like the back of your hand, even if you’ve read it before – as soon as you’ve got the job (or sooner, if you’re in competition over applications), go over it again. You never know, there might be the odd specified item embedded somewhere deep into Act II, Scene 3 that you have a responsibility for. And if it’s just forgotten about until opening night... now, that could get awkward.

How I usually work is by sketching up rough drafts, or concepts, based on the initial information I have to go from. Then as soon as the cast is in – get measuring. It might seem tedious and unnecessary, especially if you’re not actually making any costumes from scratch (though be warned: occasionally you might need to – or at least be prepared to make some alterations – think of it as an excuse to put your year two sewing skills to the test!) but a full set of measurements is invaluable if you’re going to be trawling through the dusty dungeons of the Keble crypt, pilfering a stock of clothes from the last gazillion years. I mean, that place gives a definition to the word vintage. But finding a single thing you’re looking for in “size 8”? Yeah, good luck with that.

After the costumes are assembled, it’s then last minute tweaks (or a period of making things from scratch) and accounting for the most random of directorial whims. Take this week, for instance. This week I need to learn how to become a tattooist.

All in the name of the job, I guess.

Where can I get help if I’m running out of money?

:( We are here when you need us!

:) Free, confidential and independent advice from people that care STUDENT

ADVICE SERVICE

01865 288 466 advice@ousu.ox.ac.uk www.ousu.org/advice

Comment 30th October 2014

Comment 11

CharlesClegg

Peerages for migrant-blaming must stop Sam Hollick

Christ Church College

A

ppointing people to the House of Lords for political credit is nothing new from the old political parties. But David Cameron’s latest choice of ‘upstanding citizen’ should be a national scandal, not only because it is a transparently cynical move to out-ukip Ukip, but because Andrew Green is in a large part responsible for the harmful migrant-blaming rhetoric that spews from the press and mainstream politicians.

Migration Watch UK, of which Green is chair and co-founder, has been central to manufacturing a narrative that paints immigrants as a burden on public services and society. On their website, they describe themselves as “independent and

non-political”, yet through systematically focussing on statistics around immigrants’ employment, housing and use of the NHS and other public services they have fuelled the fires of countless stories in the press that seek to lay the blame for the pressure in each of these parts of society on the shoulders of people who have chosen to come to this country. While attempting to position themselves as neutral, they call for government to actively reduce net migration.

In the squabble to be seen as the most hard-line on immigrants, the establishment political parties push policies that are ruining the lives of those whose voices are least likely to be heard. Despite living, studying and working here for years, immigrants are being denied social security, so they struggle to afford food and the rent. Not far north of Oxford, Campsfield House is a pri-

vate prison that detains asylum seekers without time limit and in poor conditions. Despite being criticised as abusive and inhumane, current plans would see the centre doubled in size. Seen as an easy target for getting migration down, international students are being denied visas and universities suffer. The government is denying basic rights and freedoms for no reason beyond being seen to take action.

Our society has real problems. But they don't stem from people moving here, and as long as we allow migrants to be blamed, we will be failing to resolve the true causes of those problems. The vast majority of us are experiencing the housing crisis in one way or another, whether we are migrants or not. Rent keeps rising faster than wages while repairs don’t get done and complaining can get you evicted. Traffic gets worse as fewer people can afford live

near their work – even public sector workers like nurses, teachers and council staff are struggling to afford housing in Oxford now. People are being made homeless as benefits are cut and people are being moved out of Oxford away from friends and family because housing benefit won’t cover the rent. The causes of these problems - lack of regulation of landlords, speculation on property by developers and the super wealthy, a government that attacks welfare rather than creates jobs or legislates for a living wage, the failure to build council houses – are ignored as the likes of Andrew Green and Migration Watch shift the blame from the powerful to the powerless.

While Labour, Lib Dems and Tories might not be responsible for some of the more extreme contributions to the ‘debate’ (such as Farage’s call for turning HIV-positive migrants away at the border), by accepting

the premise that immigration has to come down they give legitimacy to far-right groups and fascists. From the BNP to Britain First, fascists are now claiming that these political parties and even Ukip aren’t serious enough about limiting immigration and that they’re the real ones for the job.

We must instead make the case for decent housing, well paid jobs and caring public services for everyone.

We must make the case that immigrants and people born in the UK are both being let down by a political elite in the same way.

Frankly the House of Lords belongs in history’s dustbin and it’s no surprise that powerful men like Andrew Green get hoisted up there.

But when powerful people can coolly claim to be “non-political” while scapegoating immigrants we should be angry. When they get promoted, it should be a scandal.

12 Comment

30th October 2014

Politicians, popular culture and public relations stunts Ariane LaurentSmith Brasenose College

‘M

ichael Gove is widely seen as one of the preeminent intellectuals in British political life.’ Excuse me, The Guardian, that was not expected, I thought I was safe. Yet, this sentence was designed to contrast with the video on which the article was based, which depicted Gove describing his favourite Game of Thrones character. Surely just a publicity stunt to try to seem more ‘normal’? Either way, this video again reveals a growing trend in politics, the referencing of popular culture.

Cameos on television programmes are one way these politicians try to appear fun-loving Surely, it is only right that politicians should take an interest in the media which has become increasingly influential in the past few decades with the advent of television, cinema and of course the internet, allowing us to access information at an unprecedented rate. The aspects of popular culture with which politicians choose to associate themselves with are very revealing, and not just of their publicists’ opinions on ‘what’s now’.

Gove’s choice of Tyrion Lannister perhaps reflects his perception of himself as the brave warrior fighting

against the incessant tide of criticism from both his supposed allies and enemies, trying to implement the ‘right education policies’ despite everything. George Bush Sr. expressed a preference for the ‘Waltons over the Simpsons’, favouring a TV programme produced in the 70s over the 90s phenomenon, highly suggestive of his family and social policies.

These days, only Boris Johnson is allowed to go to the opera regularly, and recite the opening lines of the Iliad in Greek

Books have even been written on this issue, What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Popular Culture in the White House came out last year with a rave review in the Washington Times.

It includes chapters such as From Cicero to Snooki: How Culture Shapes Presidents and Obama, Full-Fledged Product of American Pop Culture, denigrating the supposed decline in the intelligence and intellectualism of presidents. These days it’s not considered cool to read Baudelaire, go to the opera regularly and recite the opening lines of the Iliad in Greek in your downtime. Only Boris Johnson is allowed to do that.

Politicians have also harnessed the realm of chat shows to actually become part of popular culture themselves, Barack and Michelle Obama have both made appearances on The Ellen Show. The public’s inherent interest in the characters of politicians

is understandable considering how personality can affect decision and policy-making. Yet, this might disadvantage politicians that lack a certain charisma, such as Ed Miliband.

Cameos in television programmes are another way that these politicians can appear fun-loving and friendly.

UK Prime Ministers often involve themselves, and the setting of 10 Downing Street, in Comic Relief, perhaps most memorably with the Catherine Tate/Tony Blair skit of 2007. Gordon Brown also appeared, as did David Cameron last year in the boy band One Direction’s official Comic Relief music video.

These can also be used to push politicians’ agendas, such as Barack Obama’s movie spoof shown at the White House Correspondents Dinner which mentioned some of his key reforms, like Obamacare.

Obama was even more explicit in his aims when he appeared on the web series Between Two Ferns as a ‘community organiser’. Michelle Obama’s cameos have also discreetly emphasised her husband’s political stance, in Nashville she helped put on a charity concert at an US armed forces base.

Some object to the insistence on politicians becoming involved in popular culture, perhaps feeling it might undermine their roles. In addition, the PR pitfalls are many, even Barack Obama has made some faux pas, joking about Snooki (cast member on Jersey Shore) but then later admitting that he did not know who she was on American chat show The View. Some pop culture icons find the admiration of politicians irritating, such as the band Keane who distanced themselves from David Cameron’s appreciation.

However, this process occurs both ways. Our own perception of poli-

PHOTO/POLICY EXCHANGE

tics and politicians are also inevitably shaped by popular culture, not least through television programmes such as House of Cards, The West Wing and The Thick of It which reinforce the back-stabbing, deception and strategy involved in politics - a fertile ground for both drama and comedy.

Some object to politicians becoming involved in popular culture, feeling it might undermine their roles

Depictions of politics in popular culture can develop, change and enhance our thinking on politicians, such as Madam Secretary currently

airing on CBS just before The Good Wife. Both of these series have female protagonists who are heavily involved in politics, the former may serve to garner more support for Hillary Clinton’s (potential) presidential campaign by improving the perception of women in leadership roles. Equally, some credit 24’s David Palmer, an African-American presidential candidate all the way back in 2001, with changing the views of the public.

An awareness of popular culture is arguably vital for today’s politicians, making them seem ‘cool’ in an age where there seems to be an ever-growing disconnect between the people and governments.What are PR people for, if not to research television programmes and films so that politicians can make offhand remarks?

Sign me up for that internship.

Nigel the Builder: “Can he fix it?” No, he cannot William Shaw

Corpus Christi College

L

ast week it was announced that Bob the Builder would be returning to television, revamped for the modern age. You may have seen the pictures floating around social media; the new, CGI-ified Bob staring out at the viewer with cold, dead eyes and a nightmarish grin, surrounded by his entourage of beaming, anthropomorphised goons, usually captioned with words to the effects of “What have you done?”, or “Childhood ruined!”

Now, while I personally think the new design looks a bit creepy, a) none of us have actually seen the new show yet, and b) even when it does come out, none of us are going to be watching it anyway.

Frankly, if you’re old enough to be reading this, you are probably too old to care about Bob the Builder. Whether the new show is successful or not is down entirely to whether its actual target audience of young children, as opposed to teenagers and twenty-somethings on Twitter, enjoy it. And that’s something that none

of us know, and indeed does not really affect us.

But I bring it up because seeing a bunch of people on social networks demonstrate a knee-jerk reaction to change reminded me somewhat of a political party whose popularity stems from knee-jerk reactions to change. You know the one.

That UKIP’s first MP was elected around the same time as this announcement is an amusing little parallel, and not just for all the obvious jokes about freeing Bob from Brussels’red tape. Bob the Builder debuted in 1998 – New La-

bour had just been elected, the Good Friday agreement had been signed, the UK had agreed to the European Convention on Human Rights, and Birmingham played host to both the G8 summit and the Eurovision Song Contest. Things, as the song went, could only get better.

As the poet hath wrote, “Can we fix it?

Yes we can!”

Bob the Builder returns to a Britain where that sense of optimism has long since expired. Where the desire to move forward has taken a severe battering, where the UK is reluctant to become

PHOTO/EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

involved in foreign conflicts, where the public is increasingly sceptical of the European Union and disillusioned by mainstream politics. Enter UKIP, who seem to offer an alternative to both. A knee-jerk response to new ideas, embraced by people who haven’t engaged with them for years. Don’t get me wrong: while I am ultimately in favour of British membership, the EU is deeply flawed in many respects, and in need of extensive reform if it is to operate effectively. But UKIP’s response is unhelpful – rather than attempting to engage with the problems of Europe, it suggests that Britain opt instead to ignore them and head for the exit. Can we fix it? No we can’t, so why bother?

UKIP exacerbates this problem by refusing to engage the wider world beyond the so-called “brexit”- it never, for example, talks about the importance of refocusing on trade outside of Europe, which is declining in relative economic importance, despite the fact that this argument clearly supports their anti-EU sentiment. They don’t do this because UKIP is a fundamentally backwardslooking party. It doesn’t seek to leave the EU so that Britain might better itself further afield; it seeks to leave the EU because doing so allows it to continue

living in a bygone fantasy where Britain can still punch above its weight on the international stage.

UKIP’s response to the EU’s problems is ‘Can we fix it? No we can’t, so why bother?

All of which is why, despite the similarities between the backlash against the new Bob the Builder and the backlash against the EU, the title of this article is ultimately misleading; the image of a builder is entirely the wrong one for UKIP, because their ideology is the opposite of construction. This will be evidenced the moment that, should the UK leave the European Union, it realises that you do not fix a problem by simply walking away. Like the angry critics of the new Bob the Builder, all UKIP can offer is nostalgia for a half-remembered past. By staying in the EU, we have the chance to reform it, and better adapt it to the modern world. Can we fix it?

I don’t know, but I do know that if we simply throw up our hands and decide to leave, we definitely can’t.

Comment 13

30th October 2014

A history of the selfie from 19th century to present Charlotte Vickers Pembroke College

A

ccording to the venerable Wikipedia, the first ever selfie was taken in 1839 by Robert Cornelius. While, admittedly, his long exposure dash to stay in frame was pretty different to the iPhone-or-similar front camera technique favoured today, it’s still interesting that something so associated with the here and now is actually that old of a concept.

Of course, the selfie has now exploded in western culture so much that it’s hard to imagine socialising and social media without self-documentation.

On matriculation day, for example, my facebook feed (and I would imagine the whole of the university’s) was 100% #matriculation – all, obviously, sealed with a selfie. We confirm and commemorate our most important life events – which, arguably, matric is (and if you ask a uni official definitely is) – by taking pictures of them, and Oxford students have embraced this as much as everyone and anyone else.

The word selfie itself doesn’t really explain what it is, bizarrely. If you mentioned it to someone who didn’t know what one was – hypothetically of course, as the chances of actually finding someone who hasn’t heard of/ taken a million selfies is undoubtedly very close to zero – then the word would have no chance of describing what they actually are. Maybe it comes from self-portrait, or self-

photo: the Oxford Dictionaries, who famously added it as their ‘word of 2013’, doesn’t seem sure on its etymology. Obviously, the idea favoured in the word is the idea of ‘self’ – definitely focussing on the ‘vainer’ aspect of the selfie itself.

There are many, many bad associations with selfies, especially from older generations, who seem to lump it in as a symptom of the hopelessness of the ‘youth of today’. According to Guardian writer Jonathan Freeland,

for example, the rise of the word itself is a ‘great testament to the ‘megeneration’’, and this view seems to be shared by anyone and everyone who wants to (and can) say something negative about selfie-takers. Perhaps this is to be expected though – it is rare for the real adults to be interested or positive about anything seen as the next obsessive phase of those scary youths (internet or smartphones anyone?), but the selfie has also been mocked by other young people them-

selves.

The Chainsmokers’ hit song ‘#Selfie’, released way back in January of this year, was according to them inspired by the ‘regular night clubbing girls’ of New York, and essentially seems to be three minutes forty four of shamelessly mocking them and girls like them. It doesn’t just judge girls for taking selfies though, but also every part of what could be called selfie culture: instagram and the importance of filters, excessive Lana del Ray and the sudden need to vomit on a night out. Interestingly, this song makes selfies all about teenage girls, casually omitting the fact that pretty much everyone takes them. They’re almost rebranded here as an entire exercise in female vanity – somewhat ignoring the fact that not only is the selfie pretty much universal, but also that it can very much be to mark something happening.

Older generations seem to lump selfies in as a symptom of the hopelessness of the youth today

PHOTO/CHRISTOPHER MICHEL

Despite this argument though, there is also the fact that, really, does it matter if teenagers (girls and boys) are putting pictures of themselves on social media just because they feel like they look nice in them? In a culture like ours, where self-confidence is at

such a low in young people especially, surely we should instead be encouraging selfies as a means of encouraging self-love. Selfies themselves could almost be seen as a way of fighting back against the attempts of the ‘real adults’ to undermine the ‘me-generation’. The constant stats quoted against us, the negative portrayal in the media of today’s teenagers, and the seemingly generalised assumption that anyone under the age of twenty five is a slacker at least should, by all rights, probably have forced young people to be less active on social media, and shy away from any kind of demonstrative action. Instead, we have the selfie – an expression of ‘I look good, and I want to show you.’

There’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and the popularity of the selfie gives a medium to just about fall on the right side of it; if everyone feels attractive, then everyone has the right to.

This could well be trying to make too much of what is, essentially, a picture of yourself. The selfie is not a revolution in itself, and it probably won’t ever save the world – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t a good thing. The rise of the selfie means that we can not only document our lives casually and easily and then even arguably encourage self confidence. At the very least, future history students will be able to look back on the early 21st century and spend endless time analysing exactly why the duck-face was so popular; and frankly, if that isn’t an achievement in itself, nothing is.

A two-year sentence is too long for internet trolls Pembroke College

to others on the many social media websites and forums is a common and deep-rooted issue, with the Government’s intervention this week proving that point.

his week, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced plans to extend the maximum sentences given to Internet ‘trolls’ (those who verbally abuse or threaten other Internet users courtesy of their keyboards) to two years. These ‘keyboard warriors’ have become an ever-increasing and ever-concerning problem since the rise of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but can be found all across the net, usually in large gangs who pounce upon those who happen to say something they don’t approve of. Take, for instance, the abuse Classicist Mary Beard was subjected to after an appearance on the BBC’s Question Time, ranging from snide remarks about her hair to more violent and aggressive comments, perhaps bordering on threats.

Another example can be found in the abuse received by Labour MP Stella Creasy after she voiced her support for the placing Jane Austen on the new ten-pound note, being threatened with rape amongst a whole host of morally reprehensible comments. Although these are two of the most high-profile cases of ‘trolling’ online, the act of posting obscene and offensive messages

However, some critics of Grayling’s plans have pointed out a key concern which is how such ‘trolling’ is going to be defined by the Government. There is the fact that, unlike a mugging in the street, ‘trolling’ is entirely based upon the exchange of verbal abuse or extreme criticism. And should politicians, of all people, have the right to differentiate between what is a ‘troll’ or what is, as some freedom-of-speech groups have responded, a ‘critic’? This Coalition Government hasn’t exactly got the best of records regarding freedom-of-speech, with the Draft Communications Data Bill (nicknamed the ‘Snoopers’ Charter’) being criticised heavily by the press at the time of its proposal in Parliament in 2012. Will Grayling’s proposals now add to the slew of critics pointing their fingers at the Government for once again failing to honour one of the fundamental rights of free peoples everywhere, that

Charles McGrath

T

Is this another example of the government failing to honour freedom of speech?

of speech?

Another interesting dimension that can be added to the debate is that of reconciliation. On the whole, reconciliation is perhaps more easily acquired between two parties in an incident of verbal abuse than it is in an incident of physical violence and assault. Indeed, Beard herself managed to reconcile with her Twitter abusers, including student Oliver Rawlings who tweeted that Beard was a ‘dirty old slut’.

Following this, and the somewhat public shaming of the student, the relationship between him and Beard has greatly improved, with Beard writing a reference for a job application for Rawlings. This is perhaps where the fundamental difference lies between Internet trolling and harassing and verbal and often physical assault in public – although so-called ‘keyboard warriors’ are pernicious in the sense that they can invade the privacy of the home and provide a constant bombardment of insults and obscenities, there is the defence – albeit perhaps not a fool-proof one – of the computer screen. Yes, there is the argument that human lives have become so attached to the computer and social media in particular (just look at who frequents sites like Twitter; celebrities and TV personalities, even the Pope) that relinquishing use of the Internet for the sake of avoiding constant verbal assault from trolls would be practically impos-

sible, yet it is far easier to do this than get out of a situation where there is a chance of being verbally or physically assaulted.

I am not for one minute trying to lessen or demean the numerous effects that trolling or cyber-bullying can have on the individual – as a victim of the latter myself, I know all too well how it can cause a nagging feeling of loneliness, depression and more generally contribute to all of life’s other problems in an extremely negative

way. Like bullying at school or in the workplace, it is an issue that needs to be tackled definitively, one that cannot simply be dismissed (as many schools and workplaces unfortunately do) or something that people simply need to grow out of. Simply put, if Internet trolling warrants a two-year prison sentence, then surely by implication bullying does too? No, of course not – but the point stands that, as awful as trolling is, there a plenty of worse crimes out there.

PHOTO/XOCOYOTZIN

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OxStuff 15

30th October 2014

One to watch The next time you complain about the ‘Oxford Bubble’, take a moment to think about Vicky Clayton. A third year human sciences student with an unwavering passion for social action projects, Vicky is living proof that there is life beyond the walls of this city. As a former coordinator of OxMak – a business which aims to partner students at Makerere and Oxford University so that they may embark upon social action projects ­– and a co-founder of UniTED (‘Universities Together Empowering Development’) – which has transported the OxMak

model to 9 universities across Uganda – Vicky is instrumental in facilitating international student collaboration, allowing a generation of activists to fuse their skills and knowledge, to create long-lasting friendships, and to gain an invaluable understanding of global environmental and social issues. Add that to her current plans to launch a MakeSense Hotspot in Oxford to connect individuals involved in social enterprise, and there’s no doubt that Vicky rebuts any presumption that living in a small city precludes you from having a big impact.

PHOTO/The Tab

Vicky Clayton, New College

OxStuff

F

Cliterary Theory

or as long as there have been musicians, there have been people who want to sleep with musicians. In a cruder time we might have been called ‘groupies’, but nowadays there’s no shame in chasing after a longhaired leather-clad rocker, fresh from the stage. While other Oxford students might spend their nights out getting intimate with any old stranger in the heaving mass of the cheesefloor, I’ve long preferred the gamble of waiting outside Purple Turtle or Cellar on a Wednesday night to hang with some touring musicians – and it has to be musicians. You can chase a DJ if you want, but who would want to seduce someone whose sexiest moment is putting on ‘Turn Down for What’ and gurning from their booth.

The singer remains the pinnacle of groupie achievement, but beware. While they may be famed for their oral ability, and are surely the most passionate of any in the band, being stood directly in front of the lights for an hour tends to make them the smelliest. Plus, the ego that makes them want to be a star means that they tend to take any comments about their, er, performance a little bit too personally. Also, this being Oxford, a few too many of these sing-

ers have a tendency to try and invite their A Capella groups in on the action, which can get a little bit crowded, especially if they’re asking you Out of the Blue.

If that should fail though, guitarists always seems like attractive options.

Masters of fingering, the way they work their instrument is frankly astounding.

However, they can often be a little bit too fond of their own equipment, which can lead one feeling a tad neglected if they’re a bit too interested in polishing their own fret board come the end of a night. That said, their ability to strum with precision is not one that should be passed over easily, and I’m not even going to mention fingerpicking.

In Oxford especially there’s no short-

age of brass players, musicians who can really blow you away. Adept at handling your tromboner and making you squeal like a strumpet, there’s a reason why they call it the sexophone. However, they do suffer from being a little too loud. If you can find one that’s more muted then you might enjoy your night a little bit more.

Truly though, the bassist is the hidden gem of a band. Being shoved at the back means they often tend to be the more radio-faced members, but all that time in the shadows means they appreciate the attention that much more than their bandmates. Once teased out of their shells you’ll find them eager to please, and their lack of ego means they’re no stranger to being a team player.

Despite all of this, the most rewarding band member to bed is always the drummer. Despite popular preconceptions, all that time spent rocking out at the back gives them toned physiques and, needless to say, they can keep banging away late into the night. If you let their polyrhythmic powers take over then they’ll have your body in paroxysms of pleasure.

With all my experience of various musical talents, I’ll leave you with a word of warning. Never, ever, bed a banjo player.

All hell breaks loose if that string snaps.

John Boneham

You know how it is, you're just casually wandering down the Turl with your newly-acquired crochet gloves when you're approached and asked for your photo. The glamour of being the OUSU Communications Officer can sometimes be just too much, or even downright irritating. Especially when the lesser student media outlets demand your appearance in their less-than-funny broadcasting output. Fortunately, everyone's favourite Swede was good enough to lend a brief moment of humour to The Tab's otherwise dire offering: 'Street style: They think it’s a photo…it’s a video'. What can we say? Publishing pro on weekdays, crochet king on weekends, Sundhshine of our lives always.

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The Tab: producing the finest quality content on everything the Oxford student needs to stay in the know.

Up-to-the-minute news, the finest cultural voices, thought-provoking features, and of course, their unrivalled Zachary Spiro section, for all your Zachary Spiro needs. As well as an archive of all your favourite Spiro classics, monthly fee-paying “Con-Spiro-tors” can unlock access to a wealth of exclusive Zachary Spiro content in the “Dreaming Spiros” members area, including limited edition Spiro merchandise (“Get In-Spiro-ed!” T-Shirt £59.99) In related news, the BBC are announcing the launch of BBC Zachary Spiro as a sister-site to BBC News, and Sports Personality of the Year is being replaced by Zachary Spiro Personality of the Year (the first winner being Zachary Spiro).

16 OxStuff

29th October-1st November The Pillowman Oxford Playhouse

Culture

30th October Fashion Relief website launch The House

Drama

31st October Live Friday: Egyptomania Ashmolean Museum

Presidential Address

OxDigs

Luke Miller St Peter’s JCR President

PHOTO/Laura Kennedy

Zaeem Bhanji Magdalen

H

We’re that place that you’ve all heard of, but you’re not all sure where or what it is. It’s the Oxford equivalent of Swaziland.

What’s the best thing about St. Peter’s?

And the worst?

Errr… The worst thing… Err… [4 second silence] Shit It’s all right, we are not going to put this on the radio Hello Oxide!

The worst thing about St. Peter’s, Luke?

I’m getting stage fright right now.

PHOTO/Laura Kennedy

PHOTO/Laura Kennedy

Hi Luke. Tell me a bit about St. Peter’s

We’re famous for our bar, which buzzes throughout the week and remains (by the skin of its teeth) student run. The people are pretty friendly too.

ome is where the heart is, they say. No more is this true than for Zaeem Bhanji, a second year PPEist at Magdalen with a big heart and an even bigger hammock. We all know that a man’s home is his castle. But, with a sprinkle of TLC, Zaeem has performed the unusual feat of transforming his Oxbridge castle into a home. Tucked away in the upper reaches of Magdalen’s prestigious cloisters, the one and only Captain, Vice-Captain, and Global Ambassador of the Magdalen Squash Club treated me to a rare glimpse into his wild and wonderful world.

An altar to hedonism and indolence, a rainbow of a hammock dominates this unconventional student room. It’s big. It’s bold. And – after a lengthy trial run – I can confirm that it’s bloody brilliant.

PHOTO/Laura Kennedy

PHOTO/Jessica Sinyor

Fashion

OxStuff Pick of the Week

30th October 2014

Juxtaposing this inspired centerpiece is Zaeem’s beloved ‘guy station’, where a duo of flickering computer screens confirm that, historical beams and hammocks aside, we are very much still rooted in the realm of the modern world.

Although perhaps a mystery to the untrained eye, it is clear to me that subtle aspects of Zaeem’s personality are reflected throughout his habitat, a veritable melting pot of practicality and cultural influences. An imposing ‘dream’ ornament subconsciously pays homage to the politics of Martin Luther King; the philosophy of Zaeem’s hero, Marvin Gaye (to whom he has requested that this feature be dedicated), resonates from beyond carefully posited posters; the economics behind his regulation college bedding cannot be ignored.

Musing on his home – and it is very much a home - Zaeem confides: “I like having a view of the horizon. Oftentimes, I gaze into the yonder, pondering what once was, what is, and what will be.”

Moving on, if Peter’s were a meal what would it be?

Chicken Tikka Masala – Britain’s favourite dish.* And an alcoholic drink? We hear the bar at Peter’s is pretty buzzing.

Obviously it has to be the St Peter’s Cross Keys, our notorious sixshot cocktail that we serve up – come along and give on (or two) a go. Avoid having three.

Favourite Peter’s alumnus and why?

The guy who created Thomas the Tank Engine - his name is [Frantic Wikipedia search] - is that the right one? Wilbert Awdry.

What’s not to like?

Who is the biggest BNISP? Nev, the porter. Is that favouritism?

So the next time we get lost on the way to Park End, why should we stumble into Peter’s?

We have the nicest porters in Oxford, you’d get to meet our tortoise Aristurtle and then get a sample of that bar I keep going on about.

What should your college motto be?

I’m really not witty enough to answer this. *Sorry, Luke, Britain’s favourite dish is now the Sunday roast. More of the meal equivalent of Christ Church, perhaps.

4th November “He’ll Never Tell” Portrait of Jason: Film Screening and Panel Discussion St Catz

Clubbing

3rd November ‘The Trial’ Oxford Playhouse

Film

Opera

Ball

31st October RAG Ball Oxford Town Hall

5th November ISIS Presents: Funk and Soul DFO + Zander Sharp

See our What’s On Calendar on oxfordstudent. com for event listings

OxStuff 17

30th October 2014

Rosie's Recipes Rosie's Recipes

PHOTO/Rosie Shennan

What you were reading on oxfordstudent.com

Ultimate foodie Rosie Shennan shares some of her student-oriented recipes this term to help you battle freshers’ flu, 5th week blues and get in the Oxmas spirit. Follow her on Instagram @a_scone_atatime or her blog asconeatatime.wordpress.com

Ingredients 3 bananas 140 g butter 140g caster sugar 2 eggs 1tsp baking powder

Autumn has arrived, so whip up this easy winter warmer to share between 3 – 4.

Heat the oven to 180C and butter the loaf tin.

Cream the butter and the sugar together, adding in the eggs, flour then baking powder.

Finally mix in the bananas, after mashing.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30 – 40 minutes, leaving to cool inside the tin before removing.

2. Wadham Matriculash out of control Nick Mutch 3. Why the first debate of the year has left me with little confidence in the Union Kate Welsh 4. What is it like to trial for one of the most famous rowing crews in the world?

Emma Williams 5. Gowns, grades and getting into Oxford Hannah Barker

Puzzles

140g self-raising flour

Banana Bread

1. Tommy Robinson cancels Union talk after prison recall Maxwell Ramsey

Easy

Difficult

Sport 18

30th October 2014

Crossing codes with OURLFC’s President and Social Secretary

Dan Smith

Somerville College

T

he sport of rugby league is enjoying a bit of a purple patch in Britain at the moment.

England and Wales played host to the World Cup last autumn and the English national side is performing better than ever and possesses a star in Sam Burgess that is quickly rising to global acclaim. What better time then to interview Leo Bentley (President of Oxford University Rugby League Club and Third Year PPE student at Somerville) and Anthony Collias (Social Secretary of OURLFC and Third Year PPE Student at

“Unbelievable...the best sporting experience of my life”

Keble) about their emphatic Varsity victory last season, what’s in store this campaign and their verdicts on the infamous Ben Flower punch in last month’s Grand Final? I started by asking: How have the lads had found pre-season and what they made of their season so far?

Anthony – “We’ve only played one game so far which we unfortunately lost to Loughborough. We were able to compete physically which was positive, but mostly lost on technical stuff, which is to be expected seeing as we have lots of new squad additions who are still finding their feet in this code of rugby.”

Leo – “Yeah it’s definitely a steep learning curve for the lads who used to play a good standard of union to then start getting used to league.

Saying that, Loughborough are up there with one of the best teams in the country and in fact lost the BUCS final against Leeds Met last year.”

Anthony – “Pre-season was fun though. It was more an introduction to the sport for most of the new players rather than any intense fitness.”

Leo, you were part of the team that completed the resounding 40-0 victory over Cambridge in last year’s Varsity Match, helping to sustain Oxford’s five year winning streak and edging them in front of Cambridge in overall Var-

sity standings by 17-16: how was that?

Leo – “Unbelievable, honestly, the best sporting experience I’ve had in my life. Playing student rugby, you don’t normally get the chance to play in front of a significant amount of people so that in itself was really special. The heritage attached with the fixture is phenomenal seeing as it’s only been going for 34 years. The venue (at the Honourable Artillery Company) is incredible as well.”

What are your expectations for the rest of the season?

Anthony – “Lots more physical games really, but then also games I think we have a good chance of winning. We have to go and play Loughborough away which will be tough but the other teams in the league are certainly beatable.”

Leo – “It’s certainly going be hard because we’re in the highest division possible. The aim is to finish somewhere around mid-table and steer clear of relegation, as well as complete another resounding victory over Cambridge of course!”

How did you get into playing rugby league, a sport that Oxford is not exactly renowned for playing?

Leo – “I came to Oxford two years ago with a knee injury so sort of missed the boat with being involved with the union squad. Just by coincidence, I played rugby league cuppers with Somerville and really enjoyed it.

All the Blues guys I met were good fun and I thought the team had a good culture around it so started training and got hooked after a few sessions. We have a lot guys join us in second year after hearing from friends about our ethos, we pride ourselves on being inclusive.”

“The club prides itself on converting guys from union to league”

Anthony – “My friend from home came to Oxford to do a Masters having played league at his previous university and encouraged me to join the Blues squad. I met the guys and enjoyed myself so stuck around. The social element was definitely a major deciding factor.”

Do you find that the squad is predominated by northerners or are there ‘southern converts’ as well?

Leo – “It’s a mix really. We have some guys who’ve played league all their lives and they definitely are an asset but then the club also prides itself on converting guys from union to league, even teaching those who haven’t played rugby at all!”

How do you see rugby league’s future , not just in Oxford, but on a national level as well? Obviously the recent World Cup in Britain earlier this year was a huge success.

Leo – “Really positively. In terms of Oxford rugby league, nothing but up. We’ve currently get a lot of support from a national level, with the RFL targeting us specifically because they think we have a lot of potential.

In terms of the sport nationally, with players like Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Burgess, people from the union code are intrigued to find out more about league because we’re producing such high quality players.”

Anthony – “Obviously Burgess and Sonny Bill are a loss to league but it also indirectly gives us more publicity over here because they are such big names in union now.”

What do you think England’s chances are of winning this month’s Four Na-

PHOTO/Chris McKeon

tions?

Anthony – “With the international game, because there is such a gulf between Australia and everyone else, I think England will struggle.”

Leo – “Yeah I agree, Australia are a different class. I watched the last State of Origin game [a match between Queensland vs New South Wales] and honestly, rugby league in Australia is the highest standard of the game on offer.”

How do you think Sam Burgess will fair when he switches code to union?

Leo – “It’s a tough one. He plays prop in league and there’s just no corresponding position in union so he might find it difficult to adjust.

I think he’ll do well at Bath but the World Cup with England might come too soon.”

“It just helps perpetuate the stereotype that rugby league is thuggish”

Anthony – “A great player but the position that’s being talked about him playing is blind-side flanker and I think his lack of experience in the ruck might count against him.”

What did you make of Ben Flower’s punch in the Grand Final and do you think his subsequent punishment was sufficient?

Leo – “Diabolical. It’s sort of understandable with all the emotion of the match but it’s still unacceptable.

Because his ban runs over the season break as well, his punishment is certainly lighter than it could have been.

It just help perpetuate the stereotype that ruby league is thuggish.”

Anthony – “The first punch is kind of understandable but the second was definitely a step too far.”

If you’re interested in getting involved with rugby league here in Oxford, Leo and Anthony encourage those interested to come down to a training session. All the details about sessions can be found on OURLFC’s website. They were also keen to stress that no prior knowledge or experience of rugby league is necessary, part of the dynamic of the club is that it is composed of players from diverse backgrounds. According to Leo, the squad currently has a player who has two caps for Scotland and another who, before coming to Oxford, had never played any type of rugby before in their life!

OxStu Sport Predicts: The Manchester Derby T his week sees Sports Editor pitted against Sports Editor.

Both hailing from Manchester, Emma and Dan are on different sides of the city’s football spectrum and with the Manchester derby taking place this weekend, OxStu Sport couldn’t resist bringing some ‘healthy’ competition to OUSU towers’ OxStu office. In the interests of fairness, we have also dragged in die-hard Gooner James Yow to get a more objective view on things. With United on a high after their last gasp equaliser against Chelsea on Sunday and City reeling after being Allardicied by Big Sam’s West Ham which way do our writers think this grudge match will go?

Emma Williams - Sports Editor

James Yow - Deputy Sports Ed

Dan Smith - Sports Editor

Growing up as a loyal City fan, the Manchester derby used to be a long shot opportunity to get one over on a successful United. With the tides turning now, and City becoming the regular favourites, it has been great fun to watch the mighty United plummet from grace. I’m sure this game will continue the new trend, with City needing a win to keep title rivals Chelsea in their sights. It will be emotional as ever, but with Agüero on great form, it will be an easy win for the Blues in the end.

With Manchester United settling down and the attack starting to click, the game will be a lot closer than it would have been a month ago. That said, Manchester City – in Sergio Agüero – have arguably the best player in the Premier League and one of the most consistently free scoring front lines. United for all their improvement since the start of the season, and their new attacking threat, look suspect at the back and it will likely cost them in a high scoring game.

I seem to be quite outnumbered in thinking that United can get something from the game. With what I believe to be one of the best attacks in the country, United can definitely hurt City on the break with the pace of Di Maria and Januzaj. The return of players such as Phil Jones and Michael Carrick should hopefully shore up our defensive problems but I still think we’ll struggle to assert ourselves in the middle of the park with the presence of City’s Yaya Toure.

Prediction: City 3-1 Utd

Prediction: City 3-1 Utd

Prediction: City 1-1 Utd

PHOTO/wikicommons.com

Sport 19

30th October 2014

The continued reality of sexism in sport Xavier Greenwood Balliol College

T

he inherent gender binaries in sport have meant that it has been and remains to this day a public sphere particularly prone to misogyny, both explicit and implicit.

The latest in the line of chauvinistic high-profile sporting figures is the Russian Shamil Tarpischev, the president of the Russian Tennis Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1994. On a TV chat show, he referred to Serena and Venus Williams as “the Williams Brothers”, comments which Serena described as “very insensitive and extremely sexist”.

Far from offering a full and frank apology, Tarpischev described his comments as a “joke” before claiming that what he had said had been blown out of proportion. Notwithstanding such side splitting jokes, the silence of the International Tennis Federation - under whose authority he falls - is far more worrying than the lazy and tired stereotyping of one ignorant individual.

The sacking of Richard Keys and Andy Gray aside, there is little sign that sport as a cooperative is taking sexism seriously. Examples abound, but take the tennis commentator John Inverdale, who, during Wimbledon 2013, magnanimously postulated that Marion Bartoli was “never going to be much of a looker”; or Richard Scudamore, the CEO of the Premier League, whose incisive wit

was illustrated in email exchanges which joked about the irrationality of women with children, and about keeping a female colleague “off your shaft”. Both kept their jobs, and all was forgotten.

To say that sexism is not endemic to sport would be to give it far too fair a hearing. Even to ignore the questions about whether women should be able to compete in Formula One, or be part of the Tour de France, or participate in a woman’s decathlon (the answer to all three is yes), can anyone, for example, justify the male only membership policy of Muirfield golf club, the 16 times host of The Open? Admittedly, a private society can restrict membership however it likes, but would it be so hard for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to host the championships elsewhere? The idea that women cannot compete in the same way as men is condescending; the idea that women cannot appreciate sport in the same way as men is completely absurd.

With only 2 percent of mainstream sports coverage dedicated to women’s sport, the usual cry of “men’s sport is just more interesting” is superficial and not capable of waving away the problem. People aren’t interested enough, quite simply because women’s sport doesn’t get the coverage it deserves.

Arguments about the differences in quality between genders hold no water, since even if this is the case in some sports, plenty of people would happily watch Morecambe v Exeter over a Premier League match.

No one watched Jessica Ennis-Hill

crown off her Olympic Heptathlon victory in the 800m, and thought, well she’s a bit slow.

Gender divisions within sport are a real problem with real effects despite a recent upturn caused by the Olympics, participation rates by

women remain far lower than government targets. It is the sporting bodies who fail to react sufficiently to instances of sexism, along with blockheads like Shamil Tarpischev, who only further entrench such divisions.

Somerville College

W

aking up at five in the morning to catch Martin Brundle’s grid-walk before a Grand Prix attracts the same straightforward question. Why? Why do people waste their time watching cars going round and round in circles? You could easily watch that any day of the week with a flask of warm tea and a packet of crisps on a motorway gantry overlooking the M25.

Watching incredibly expensive racing cars being driven by highly paid racing drivers on the same piece of tarmac for

as long as two hours may seem quite arduous. However, many of my fellow fanatics believe that it is possible to convert even the biggest motorsport haters into understanding such a passion for what many see as an increasingly underappreciated sport. Viewership of Formula One has decreased rapidly in the past few years. Some have blamed the dominance of Sebastian Vettel and his infamous ‘Vettel finger’ after each of his emphatic and often bland victories.

However, the 2014 season has shown that Formula One still has the magic of the good old days of Prost versus Senna, Hunt versus Lauda and Schumacher versus Hill.

The 2014 season has offered almost everything to treat the viewer’s pallet; a fierce rivalry between two old friends

PHOTO/Jaket Archibald

Sophie Smith Merton College

T

he first match of the season for the Blues’ women’s side looked set to be a tough 90 minutes as Nottingham 1sts had so far had a good start, most recently beating Cambridge 1sts 4-0. The Oxford side was fielding four freshers and playing a 4-3-3 formation for the first time, however after only a short time it was clear the Blues were in control of the play, with most of it in Nottingham’s half.

An Oxford side fielding four freshers quickly took control of the game

PHOTO/emmett anderson

Has this season seen a resurgence in F1’s popularity?

David Barker

Success for OUWAFC

involving wheel-to-wheel action, crashes, drama and a relationship threatening to simmer over at any point. The emergence of brilliant new talents and characters such as Daniel Riccardo and the condemnation of driving villains including the infamous ‘Crashtor’ Maldonado whose ability to dump his car in the gravel trap leaves many miffed as to the reasons for his race seat.

Formula One offers the viewer an experience that no other sport can. Please name a sport where you are able to see; a man at the top of the sport more villainous than Putin (okay Mr Blatter), Putin himself reluctantly shaking hands with Lewis Hamilton, excessive consumption of expensive champagne and crashes at one hundred and fifty miles per hour all on your screens in one sitting.

Formula One turns the world’s most exotic locations into arenas of racing – Monaco, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and the beautiful Silverstone in the UK. The 2014 season has seen drivers competing on the world’s classic tracks as well as the newest entries into the racing calendar funded by rich Arab Sheikhs and billionaire Russian oligarchs. From the iconic Eau Rouge, a flat out corner where drivers place their lives in the hands of their racing instincts and the competence of their team of engineers in assembling their incredibly intricate car has viewers with their heart in their mouth. The sexy streets of Monaco with super yachts, supermodels

and supercars parked up around the Marina as cars race past the Casino Square makes even those with little imagination dream the life of a high flying Formula One driver. As we have tragically seen in the recent past, Formula One remains an extremely dangerous sport and drivers risk their lives to reduce their lap times by as little as one thousandth of a second which adds to the sexy allure of heroic men and their machines.

Formula One is not just about the racing. It is a sport full of Machiavellian characters ruthlessly fighting amongst each other for power and patronage.

Whilst this may seem unhealthy in modern sport, there is something romantic about the intrigue, espionage and controversy that goes on behind the scenes. It boasts villains that could have come out of a James Bond novel such as Messrs Eccelstone, Briatore, Dennis and Di Montezemelo, whose management tactics have always been shrouded in secrecy and an unease of deceit.

With Jake Humphrey off of your screens there is simply no excuse to not give it a chance. In the run up to the United States Grand Prix this coming weekend, we are left with a number of unanswered questions. Will Lewis Hamilton consolidate his lead going into the final two rounds? Will Caterham be racing next year or even be in the US? Where will Fernando Alonso end up next year? Do tune in.

Despite several attempts on Nottingham’s goal there was no result until later in the first half. A ball carried up the pitch by left winger Nadia Haven, whose speed and skill left defenders cold throughout the match, was crossed from the left cornerlow into the box. Blues veteran Lucie Bowden met it with her head, just tipping it over the keeper behind her and letting it bobble over the line.

The second goal came not long after, following a series of passes up the wings and finally again to Worcester’s Lucie Bowden. A brilliant run up the centre skipping past Nottingham defenders allowed Bowden to score with a well-placed, powerful shot into the left-hand side of the net.

The goal of the match came from Worcester’s Lucy Bowden after a slick passing move It looked to be a possible clean sheet for Oxford at half time, but in the final ten minutes of the first half a breakaway run by a Nottingham forward drew Oxford keeper Sophie Smith out for a tackle. The goalie, living up to her reputation and newly-acquired nickname ‘Psycho Smith’, placed an ill-timed dive to the feet of the forward leading to a penalty for Nottingham, which they slotted into the right-hand corner.

Oxford continued to put pressure on Nottingham preventing them from having any chance of scoring again, provided Oxford’s keeper didn’t have another bout of madness. Attacks in the second half from Nottingham’s side were quickly met by centre backs Hannah Griffiths and Emma Lyonette, who shutdown any chance of them getting through. A third goal was the result of an excellent shot from the edge of the box by Hertford winger Becky May, assisted by newly discovered forward Anna Green.

The whistle blew not long after, ending the game with a well-deserved 3-1 for Oxford. The Blues look forward to the upcoming games after such a strong start to the season. The squad travels to Cambridge on Wednesday 29th October for their next BUCS match.

Sport

A look inside the world of OUPC Emma Williams

more about what makes it so special to its members...

So why did you take up polo?

I

“Before coming to Oxford I had never sat on a horse before and I decided when I saw polo at the OUSU freshers fair that it looked really fun and I wanted to take on a new challenge. I’d heard of polo and what it involved, but I knew nothing even about horses at this point. It just looked like a tremendous adrenaline rush and so I decided to take it up. From my very first session sitting on a horse and hitting a ball, all for the first time, I was completely hooked. From that moment I’ve loved every minute.”

Oriel College

t’s fair to say that polo, the sport of kings, is perceived to be one of the most elite sports in the world. However, is this image of polo truly accurate, or is it an outdated view that needs to be altered? To find out the answer to this I interviewed a second-year Classics student, and member of the Oxford University Polo Club, Nöel Newman.

“It’s a very difficult addiction to break once you’ve got the bug”

OUPC is one of the largest clubs at Oxford, with usually over 100 members each year, of which 30 to 40 are regular players for the University. It is also one of the oldest clubs here, founded in 1874 and takes part in the second oldest polo match in the western world: the Oxford v Cambridge annual varsity match. If you are good enough to be one of the players in this match, you are awarded a half blue for representing Oxford. Throughout the rest of the year OUPC competes in many tournaments, as well as training 2-3 times a week and playing in weekly matches. Like any other university sport, they are a regular crewdating team and have multiple drinks socials throughout the year. So that’s OUPC in a snapshot, but I wanted to find out

What do you enjoy most about playing polo for OUPC? “Playing polo is a unique experience and even better when you play for your university. It’s almost an indescribable feeling sitting on a wild animal going at 30mph, hitting a ball at 30mph, and knowing that there’s always an element of danger makes it very exciting. Your coordination has to be extremely good to balance not only the riding ability, but also the hitting ability.

It really is an adrenaline rush like no other. People regularly fall off, people have even died playing the sport, and that sort of adds to the excitement of it all.”

Do you have any favourite memories from playing polo at Oxford?

“I think one of my favourite memories of playing polo at Oxford was when I first fell off. My

first fall was at Nationals at the end of my first term. I’d only been riding for six weeks and therefore was meant to be in the beginner category, but one of the novices in the team above had been forced to drop out and they needed a beginner to fill in. I ended up playing with and against people way above my standard and just had to go for it. Inevitably, I ended up falling off, in front of all of my friends, family and the many spectators, but it was incredibly fun and just made me more addicted.”

Polo is something many of us have never had the luxury of being able to experience before. It seems to be a sport loved by all who play it, but one that many people feel it is almost impossible to get into. At the start of any sport the coaching is key to helping beginners learn the basic skills and develop into an experienced and talented player.

What is the coaching like at Oxford?

“The coaching at Oxford is very good. Our coach is David Ashby of the Oxford Polo School and due to the fact that the University does not have its own polo ponies, we use his polo ponies for practices and matches. He taught me how to ride a horse when I first started and how to hit the ball; he has been fantastic. He is equally as good with beginners and experienced players alike.”

The fact that polo has always been a sport that attracts interest from the wealthiest in society has put many people off it. This is changing however with more people getting into the sport from many different backgrounds. Nonetheless

the opportunities the sport offers are still fantastic.

What kind of opportunities does it open up?

“OUPC gives you enormous opportunities, not only to play such a unique sport, but affords players once-in-a-lifetime experiences they would never otherwise get.

The greatest opportunity we have had over the last year was our all-expenses paid trip to Tianjin, China. This summer, and indeed the previous summer, OUPC was invited to Tianjin Metropolitan Polo Club, located around an hour outside Beijing, to play in a tournament with teams including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cambridge, Oxford itself and the University of London. We played a big tournament out there, stayed in an amazing hotel, got to know some fantastic people, and had an all-round incredible experience. I have so many wonderful memories from that trip, it really has increased my love of the sport even more.”

Was there any particular experience from the trip that jumps out at you?

“The experience in China was amazing not only from the perspective of just being there, but it was particularly interesting because the mission statement of the club is bringing nobility back to China. In a one-party communist country we all found that remarkable. It also seemed to point to a wider political point that the Chinese elite were clearly dominating this club and that the wealth distribution in China is not as it is portrayed

PHOTO/ OUPC

PHOTO/ Ronnie MacDonald

30th October 2014

by the media. The reality of the people who control the wealth in China was very interesting to see.

It was fascinating to see them take on polo, a sport that is not very big at all out there. This club has been set up and built with millions of pounds of investment going into it to try and establish polo as a sport in China.”

It appears that being a member of OUPC is not only incredibly fun and exciting, but provides a far greater experience than simply learning how to play the sport.

The opportunity to travel and meet many different people from around the world, with your friends along side you, seems pretty cool to me.

Before I finished the interview, I was intrigued to find out how polo, and specifically OUPC, can appeal to Oxford students who are thinking about getting involved...

How would you encourage fellow students at Oxford to take up polo with OUPC? “Firstly, don’t be put off by polo’s elitist image. It does have a reputation for being ‘the sport of kings’ but if you ever take the time to speak to any member of OUPC, you will see they are extremely welcoming and friendly people. Secondly, we have a thriving social scene where you can meet so many great people outside of your college. I’ve met many of my good friends playing polo for OUPC. And finally, it’s tremendous amounts of fun; you can come along for a taster session at very little expense and have a go for yourself, and just see if you enjoy it. It’s a very difficult addiction to break once you’ve got the bug.”