A mysterious safe which baffled Univ students for over a decade has finally been opened this week. Breaking into the safe cost over £100 more than the amount found inside.

The safe has been in the JCR President’s office since the late 1990s, but none of the current Univ staff can remember the safe being opened and its origins remain unclear.
A motion proposed by the JCR President to open the safe was passed during the first JCR meeting of term, as University College students voted almost unanimously to spend £180 on a locksmith.

The safe was opened during the middle of last week, but JCR President Dan Tomlinson ratcheted up the tension by refusing to reveal the contents of the safe until Sunday’s JCR meeting. Curiosity levels were running high prior to the revelation, as Tomlinson was seen “looking excited” about the safe’s contents.

Sunday meeting was attended by over 50 students, who watched with anticipation as Tomlinson played them the video link of him opening the safe for the first time. Breaking into the safe had proved to be far from straightforward, as the locksmith worked at the lock for over an hour before resorting to drilling though it.

The safe contained, according to Tomlinson, “just a bit more than £70”, all in 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p coins. Though this constituted a loss to the JCR accounts of around £110 Tomlinson remained upbeat, telling Cherwell, “It was quite exciting for everyone to find out what was inside: though we didn’t make our money back it was definitely worth it!”

The JCR Treasurer agreed that the expenditure was worthwhile, saying, “Obviously it was disappointing that we didn’t find a few gold bars in there, but I think it was better to open it and make sure.”

Most JCR members seemed prepared to overlook the damage to the JCR budget. Second year PPEist Nadia Odunayo commented, “The enjoyment experienced when the Univ community watched it together in the JCR was technically worth more than the monetary amount put forward to open it.”

However, some questioned the wisdom of spending such an extravagant amount on a locksmith. Thomas Cole, a second year historian, described himself as “disappointed” with the money wasted. He said, “I was prepared to give it a go with a crowbar and hammer for £20. The money could have gone on something far more important, such as outrageous rugby stash.”

The money from the safe has now been paid into the JCR bank account. There appear to be no particular plans for how to use it, with the JCR treasurer commenting that it would simply be made available for spending “like any other money”.

The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt visited the Ashmolean last week to discuss museum funding which is due to be cut during the current parliament as part of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

Hunt is attempting to encourage museums to sustain themselves by increasing private investment, drawing upon the business model of American cultural organisations which have vast endowments.

Hunt called these large endowments a ‘buffer’ which could protect museums in uncertain economic times despite low interest rates not enabling the endowments to grow significantly.
Hunt visited the Ashmolean’s new Ancient Egyptian gallery, a a £5 million project funded by a variety of donors, most significantly Lord Sainsbury’s Linbury Trust.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is reducing the financial support provided to the twenty museums it directly sponsors by 15% over the current parliament.

Although the Ashmolean is not on this list it does receive significant help from DCMS, notably with a £272,000 grant in 2009 from the DSMS/Wolfson foundation which is a joint venture between the government and the philanthropic Wolfson fund that gives grants to museums and galleries in England.

Hunt’s senior press officer told Cherwell “one of the Secretary of State’s top priorities now is to help the cultural sector to strengthen its capacity to fundraise and cultivate donors. DCMS has put a considerable amount of money towards developing a match-funding scheme to encourage private donations and establish endowments.”

This “Catalyst” scheme is aimed at “helping cultural organisations diversify their income streams and access more funding from private sources.”

Some museum campaigners however, are concerned that in the current economic climate, private donations will not be sufficient to keep museums solvent.

David Butler, Co-Chair Elect of Oxford University Labour Club, commented “whilst I accept that some cuts are necessary to museum funding as part of reducing the deficit, I am concerned that the Big Society will be unable to fill the gap.”

There is also a concern that while large museums like the Ashmolean will survive, smaller institutions will not be able to cope with the projected spending cuts.

An example of a threatened museum is the University’s Museum of the History of Science on Broad Street which suffered a crippling £105,000 cut from the Higher Education Funding Council for England last year.

Katie Allen, a second year English student commented, “Museums are a great source of learning and entertainment. If funding to them were to be cut much would be lost in the way of knowledge, experience, and culture. Most importantly, I hope that budget difficulties don’t mean that free access to these venerable institutions is challenged. I would love to work at a museum in the future and hope that cuts today don’t make that an impossibility.”

The Oxford Street Pastors, an inter-denominational church group which aim to tackle urban problems have celebrated their one year anniversary.

The team, mostly members of local churches, try to engage “with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue.” They are active in the town centre on Friday nights, helping drunken clubbers by handing out water, and giving flip flops to women who are struggling to walk in heels.

Though the Oxford group are only one year old, the Street Pastor scheme was started in London in January 2003, by Revered Les Isaac, Director of the Ascension Trust. They appear to have so far been effective, with drops in the level of crime where they act. The programme has expanded to over 100 groups across the UK.

Rob Winn, a Street Pastor, commented, “We work closely with the police, council, safety bus and other statutory organisations to make sure that people in the city centre at night are as safe as possible.”

“It’s great to be celebrating our first year of service; we have been pleased to consistently put out teams of volunteers each Friday night. Alongside our partners, we have helped to keep people safer, and we have given time to people who need someone to talk to.”

“There are many amusing stories of people having too much to drink and losing their, keys, phones, friends, oil paintings, and boats… [but also] sad stories where we’ve been there for people who were really struggling with work, family and relationships and we’ve been there to listen. Sometimes, we’ve been in the right place to diffuse confrontations or alert the police, sometimes we’ve found people in need of medical attention. My favourite part of being a street pastor is the variety of situations each time we’re out and the opportunity to be there for people.”

OUSU Health and Welfare Officer Laura Hancox championed the group, saying, “Clubbing does sometimes leave students in a vulnerable position, and I’m glad that this is increasingly being appreciated and that people are responding. I think the Street Pastors deserve thanks for the work that they’ve done over the past year.”

“They certainly make a positive contribution to the welfare of students, but they should not be seen as a substitute for the cooperation between students, police and the community that is necessary to further improve student safety.”

The Street Pastors argue that helping people in the city centre is a practical way to exercise their faith. Second year Theologian and member of the Christian Union, Andrew Hansford, commented, “Street Pastoring is certainly an excellent way in which people can demonstrate the love of God…it’s a fantastic expression of faith. Practically, the Street Pastors provide a somewhat unique service which is of value in guarding against injury, helping individuals stay safe, and hopefully reducing hangovers, while also being and emotional and spiritual support on the streets. They are of huge value to the community and reduce the burden on the Police.’

Luminar, the firm that owns Lava Ignite, has gone into administration following a failure to meet the October 27th deadline for its banking covenants.

According to a report published by the Financial Times, the group owes approximately £85m to Lloyds TSB, Barclays and RBS. The banks gave Luminar a temporary banking waive in May, which they then extended in August. The deadline has now expired.

The administration comes after several years of financial underperformance. Luminar was hit hard by the smoking ban, changes to pub licencing laws and the riots over the summer. In particular, the economic downturn has affected the chain’s core 18-24 year old customer base because of increasing levels of youth unemployment.

Luminar’s shares were supended at 0.7p on Wednesday, having fallen from over 600p in the last five years. 

Another recent incident saw the chain having to stand by its safety and security procedures when a stampede in its Northampton club led to the death of 22 year old Nabila Nanfuka. The crush happened in the early hours of last Wednesday as a fire alarm caused the crowd to rush for the exits. One 19 year old remains in hospital in critical condition.

Lava Ignite has maintained that “customer safety is the number one priority” and that the chain “already complies with and exceeds” stringent regulations on late night entertainment. The Northampton club remains closed pending a police investigation and an internal inquiry.

Lava Ignite’s “Shark End” on Wednesdays is one of Oxford’s most popular club nights. Izzy Fitzharris, a second year linguist, commented, “It’s scary that something like that could happen on a night out”. Classicist Keir Macdonald agreed, emphasising that the club’s responsibility is “not just getting people in but also safety”.

“The queue for Park End often stretches past The Junction and inside it’s like being on a Piccadilly line train at rush hour” said second year Adam Rachlin, however he rejected calls to lower capacity, arguing that to do so would “ruin the ambience”.

Tributes to Nanfuka, who was studying Leisure and Tourism at the University of Northampton, described her as “one in a million” and “a beautiful person”. It remains unclear what the future for Lava Ignite will be.

The days of of the MA (Oxon.) could be numbered if a private members bill scrapping the traditional degree passes through Parliament.

Master of Arts degrees awarded by Oxford and Cambridge mean all graduates holding a BA or a BFA from Oxford can apply for an MA 21 terms after matriculation, while at Cambridge the rule stands at six years after the end of the first term. MAs are a sign of academic rank within the Universities, rather than an additional qualification 

The “Master’s Degree (Minimum Standards) Bill,” which was proposed by Labour MP for Nottingham East Chris Leslie, would “ask the Qualifications Assurance Agency (QAA) to review whether a minimum level of academic study should be necessary before the award of a Master of Arts,” the MP told Cherwell.

He explained, “Giving out Master’s degrees to Oxbridge graduates in exchange for a £10 admin fee is such an outdated and unfair practice – especially when tens of thousands of hard working postgraduate students have to undergo proper academic study and pay thousands to achieve the same title. It’s barely believable that the practice still goes on. And while I don’t blame Oxbridge graduates from taking the opportunity presented to them, I do feel we need to end this unmerited and confusing patronage once and for all.”

Leslie has a “real” MA in Industrial and Labour Studies from the University of Leeds, and argues that the Oxbridge MA is a slap in the face for the 200,000 students currently for MAs at other universities.

“The Oxbridge MA is a historical anachronism and it undermines the academic integrity of the MA. This unearned qualification causes confusion for employers – the majority of which mistakenly think it is a genuine academic award for postgraduate study. It is a relic of a bygone era, which is irrelevant to modern academic practice and leaves Oxbridge open to the potentially damaging accusations of patronage and unjustified privilege,” said Leslie.

The University of Oxford leapt to the defence of the degree, a spokesman telling Cherwell, “There is no attempt on the part of the University to misrepresent the nature of the Oxford MA. Indeed, if the Ten Minute Rule Bill raises awareness among employers of what the MA does and does not represent, we see that as a positive. As we make clear on our website, the Oxford MA is not an upgrade of the BA, an additional qualification, or a postgraduate degree. It is instead a historic tradition marking seniority within the University.”

He pointed out that postgraduate qualifications at Oxford “have distinct titles, such as MPhil, MLitt, MSt and Msc.”

According to Leslie, one of the strongest cases against the MA is the evidence of a lack of awareness its honorary nature amongst employers. He cites statistics from a survey conducted by the QAA which found that more than 62% recruiters did not know about the practice.

Indeed, one third-year English student said that she wants the MA “in the hope of fooling employers who may not know about the practice.”

Other students have justified the MA on the grounds that undergraduates at Oxbridge work harder than elsewhere.

Hannah Simpson, a second-year at St Hilda’s, told Cherwell, “One of my worries about coming to Oxford was that instead of potentially easily getting a first at another university, you come here and find yourself working really hard to get a 2:1. The workload and standard are different, and I think the MA is a nice gesture that recognizes the effort we put in to our degrees. And it is just a gesture.”

Responding to the claim that Oxbridge students work harder than others, Leslie said, “I’m sure you and other Oxbridge undergraduates work very hard indeed, although I doubt that all Oxbridge undergrads are harder working than everyone else. The Oxford and Cambridge degrees are prized because of their high calibre status and I’m not sure that a top-up MA is necessary to add to that distinction.”

The sentiment was echoed by Jesus College, Cambridge student Rebecca Bailey, who told Cherwell, “I think the MA tradition is a bit bizarre; I have a theory it’s a sort of reward they give freshfaced little Oxbridge grads for surviving a full year in the real world after they leave the shelter of the dreaming spires. I do understand that it originates in the idea that our degrees are supposed to be harder than others, but I think that for most people that is taken for granted just upon hearing that you went to Oxbridge anyway.”

However, she added, “I probably will claim mine though, just because it seems silly not to if it’s being offered. I doubt though that it will be the fact it’s an MA that will give me an advantage in the job market – it will be the fact that it’s a degree from Cambridge that will.”

Students at other universities across the country do not necessarily share a good-humoured view of the Oxbridge MA.

“It’s really unfair, I work hard, pay the same fees as Oxbridge students, and yet I’ll still have to do a whole other degree if I want the title of MA. Even if the Oxford MA is not considered an actual degree, it still gives holders an advantage,” said Rhea Ranjan, an undergraduate at the London School of Economics.

Stephanie Richani, a second-year at King’s College London, said that Oxford and Cambridge MA degrees are misleading. She argued they give Oxbridge graduates an unfair advantage, telling Cherwell, “It’s easy to see how it can lead to them getting jobs even when other applicants are more qualified. Oxford an Cambridge are already the best universities in the country, isn’t that enough of an advantage?”

She admitted, though, that this “unfair advantage” stems from the fact that many employers have no knowledge of the workings of Oxford and Cambridge, adding, “If the two Universities find a way of letting people know about the MA it would be alright.”

The bill is supported by Labour MPs Ian Wright, John Cryer, Kerry McCarthy and Dennis Skinner, Liberal Democrats Rob Russell and Mike Hancock and Tory MP Philip Davies.

The Divinity Road Area Residents’ Association (DRARA) has challenged the university’s plans to expand into the £500m Radcliffe Observatory Quarter which is hoped to be a hub of academic activity.

DRARA’s objection is based on the claim that many students are not provided with accommodation by their colleges, and so are living in private houses in the East Oxford area. Current planning laws state that unless 3000 students or less are privately housed, the university will not be able to occupy this new annex. This puts pressure on the university to house its students or face limits on expansion in terms of academic facilities.

A spokesperson for the Oxford City Council, Louisa Dean, commented, “The rationale behind Oxford City Council’s planning policy is to seek to reduce the pressures on the private housing market in Oxford. There is an acute shortage of housing in the city. The more students live in open market rented accommodation, then the smaller the pool of accommodation available for permanent residents, including families.”

The Planning Inspector who originally drew up the policy argued it as necessary. Speaking of both Oxford and Oxford Brookes he stated that, “the growth of the two universities places significant pressure on the local housing market”, and thus “capping and reducing the number of students in non-provided accommodation is imperative in the context of Oxford.”

Official statistics currently put the number of Oxford students living out at around 3000, the acceptable limit. However Sietske Boeles, speaking for DRARA, told Cherwell, “We believe that at least 10,000 university students, and not 6,000 – 3000 from Oxford and 3000 from Oxford Brookes – live in the private sector. These students are occupying precious family housing which contributes to Oxford’s serious housing shortage. Since 2005 nearly 1,000 residential properties have been withdrawn from Oxford’s residential housing stock to become shared student housing. Many of these properties are in East Oxford and Headington, and this expansion results in an imbalance in our communities, interfering with the quality of life of many permanent residents.”

“Residents do not trust the figures that the universities provide and believe that the Council does not have the willpower to challenge them. We request that an independent body from outside Oxford is asked to conduct a thorough audit of student numbers in Oxford, detailing where they live in term time. This body should also propose how these figures should be monitored in the future.”

Oxford University spokesperson Pete Wilton explained how these figures have been compiled, “There are a number of different measures which can be used to calculate the number of students living out of college or university accommodation and to avoid confusion we agreed a methodology with the City Council in the last year. Using accommodation data collected from the forty independent halls and colleges that provide the bulk of student accommodation and term-time addresses given by students, we calculated the figure of 2,688 and the City Council agreed with this.”

He added, “We would also stress that although we understand many residents do not want students living in residential areas, students have many positive benefits to Oxford’s economy, provide justification for facilities that would not otherwise be provided in a city of this size and many students contribute voluntarily to supporting community groups.’

Louisa Dean, of the Oxford City Council, said, “Oxford City Council prepares an Annual Monitoring Report each December, which is a document that monitors the effectiveness of the Council’s planning policies. As part of this process, each university is asked to provide an annual update on the number of students living outside of university-provided accommodation. The figures for the monitoring year up to March 2010 were agreed between the Council and the two universities. We are currently in the process of preparing the next Annual Monitoring Report and have written to the universities asking for the figures up to March 2011. Given that DRARA have also raised their concerns directly with the Council, we have asked the universities for their comments on the issues raised by DRARA. We have not yet received the 2011 figures and so cannot comment further at this time.”

Direct relations between the students and residents do not appear to be affected by these proceedings. DRARA’s Sietske Boeles assured Cherwell that “most East Oxford residents value the benefits the universities bring to Oxford and welcome students in our midst as they add vibrancy to our community.”

Connell Stewart, a second year Mansfield Geographer who lives on Divinity Road said he has had “almost no interaction with the neighbours.” Katie Dean, also of Mansfield, agreed, “Everything here is very quiet, our neighbours seem to be largely families that keep themselves to themselves … Beyond their popping over when we first arrived and our brief exchange of greetings when we bump into them in the street, there’s been very little interaction; certainly no complaints or major difficulties”.

Nominations opened on Thursday for the forthcoming OUSU elections, after the introduction of electoral reforms to attempt to encourage increased voter turnout.

Candidates will have three weeks to campaign after nominations close, with the election to be held during 6th week. Plans for this period include an increased number of hustings both within common rooms and at neutral venues, with the hope that this will motivate those who attend to cast their electronic vote in a few weeks time.    

Campaign rules are also set to make it easier for candidates to publicise themselves. Rules restricting the use of social media have been relaxed, whilst candidates are now allowed to interact more with the student press. In addition slates (where candidates run together but each must be elected individually) can now contain four candidates, providing one of these is standing for the position of Vice President for Graduates. The previous limit was of three sabbatical officers per slate.   

Returning Officer, Jonathan Edwards, told Cherwell that there is really no limit to how candidates could promote themselves, “The starting point for the campaigning rules is that anything which is not actually prohibited is allowed. The main restrictions are an expenditure limit, intended to ensure fairness and limitations on the use of email, primarily to avoid election-related spam.” He described the campaigning rules as “liberal,” although practices such as false-statements, bribery and intimidation are treated as ‘illegal.’   

In last year’s election, just 23% of undergraduates made the effort to vote. However OUSU hope that this year their increased promotion of the elections will see this number increase substantially. They have taken out full page advertisements in the OxStu, will be publishing manifestos free of charge and have already emailed students to tell them that an election is coming up. OUSU also intends to publish election details more extensively on its website, to encourage a greater interest in the election process.   

Jacob Diggle, standing for President, explained why this election should capture the imagination of Oxford students, “This year will see at least three full slates of candidates, including presidential candidates from non-traditional backgrounds,” suggesting, “This will hopefully help to improve engagement and help students to feel the power of their choice.” He urged all undergraduates to take interest because this election could change “how you are taught, where you live, who you can turn to if something goes wrong.” Diggle concluded, “OUSU elections are very important because they will decide the future direction of the student union – a body with real powers to shape every student’s experience.”   

However, many undergraduates did not share Diggle’s enthusiasm about the forthcoming election. George Heppel, a Mansfield 2nd year, commented, “It’s a popularity contest. Who can honestly say they’ve read any of the manifestos of any of the candidates? The only reason anyone votes is because they’re friends with them, or a friend of a friend, or are in the college, or they’ve been pestered into voting.”

Martha Mackenzie, current OUSU President urged students to vote for reasons greater than personal pressure, claiming, “Student politics can be very important. Whomever is elected in the upcoming contest will represent students not only to the most important members of the University but often also to the outside world, they will also be charged with making sure your student experience is the best it possibly can be. Furthermore, Oxford is in the privileged position that it is able to really contribute to national debates and has the power to effect substantive change.”   

Meanwhile Ben Manley, a Worcester fresher, was not even aware that there was an election coming up. He responded to the question “What do you think OUSU does for you” with the answer “Not a clue.” Another student explained why this may be the case, “The general feeling among Oxford students is that OUSU is not important to us. The elections are never well publicised and are certainly much less significant than JCR Bench elections in colleges,” continuing, “The JCR Bench at my college has a much bigger impact upon my university experience.” 

To such criticisms, Mackenzie asserted, “Without a student union there would not be anyone representing students to the University and the departments. Crucial decisions are constantly made at this level, particularly decisions that will seriously impact upon the student experience. Similarly the central union provides a significant amount of services and support that allow common rooms to work to the best of their ability. Both these factors make it all the more important that OUSU is working as hard as it possibly can to reach out to students and work to make its priorities relevant.”