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Blog Page 1806
Mixed response to Jack Wills deal
The decision for Jack Wills to provide the kit for Oxford and Cambridge rugby teams has met with a mixed response among students.
For the next five years, Jack Wills supply the apparel for the Oxford–Cambridge Varsity match, and the five Oxford representative teams: the Blues, Greyhounds, U21s, Colleges, and Whippets. There is a possibility that they will also supply kit for college rugby teams in the future.
The Varsity Rugby match is features prominently on Jack Wills’ website home page, alongside “The Official Varsity Match After Party” which they are hosting.
Oxford University Press Office distanced itself from the Jack Wills’ branding saying, “The kit was chosen by Oxford and Cambridge for its suitability as rugby apparel, not for its branding.”
Ronnie Lamb, OURFC Chairman, also emphasized that Jack Wills was chosen based on its strengths as a kit provider. He said, “If they can supply us in the quantities that they are committed to on time with the quality that we have contracted for, I think we will be very happy. Likewise, they will be very happy on the basis that they will gain some kudos from the fact they are kitting out the Oxford and Cambridge teams.
“Given that we are going to be supplied by a first class supplier with a very good product I can’t see why we should feel that it is particularly old fashioned or particularly elitist or traditional.”
Rob Campbell Davies, a third year PPEist who played fly half for the Colleges team last season, said, “People in Oxford spend far too much time concerning themselves with stash and far too little time with the sports they are actually supposed to do.
“Having said that if they try and stick any oars, lacrosse sticks, horses, or references back to the colonial era or any of their other ludicrous branding manoeuvres they try and pull, then I will not be happy, and I’d rather wear my gran’s blouse.”
A spokesperson from Jack Wills said, “Jack Wills’ target customer is the British university student and we are therefore delighted to be the official sporting supplier to the 2011 Nomura Varsity Match. Oxford and Cambridge are world class universities and we are proud to be part of this historic sporting event.”
For the next five years, Jack Wills supply the apparel for the Oxford–Cambridge Varsity match, and the five Oxford representative teams: the Blues, Greyhounds, U21s, Colleges, and Whippets. There is a possibility that they will also supply kit for college rugby teams in the future.
The Varsity Rugby match is features prominently on Jack Wills’ website home page, alongside “The Official Varsity Match After Party” which they are hosting.
Oxford University Press Office distanced itself from the Jack Wills’ branding saying, “The kit was chosen by Oxford and Cambridge for its suitability as rugby apparel, not for its branding.”
Ronnie Lamb, OURFC Chairman, also emphasized that Jack Wills was chosen based on its strengths as a kit provider. He said, “If they can supply us in the quantities that they are committed to on time with the quality that we have contracted for, I think we will be very happy. Likewise, they will be very happy on the basis that they will gain some kudos from the fact they are kitting out the Oxford and Cambridge teams.
“Given that we are going to be supplied by a first class supplier with a very good product I can’t see why we should feel that it is particularly old fashioned or particularly elitist or traditional.”
Rob Campbell Davies, a third year PPEist who played fly half for the Colleges team last season, said, “People in Oxford spend far too much time concerning themselves with stash and far too little time with the sports they are actually supposed to do.
“Having said that if they try and stick any oars, lacrosse sticks, horses, or references back to the colonial era or any of their other ludicrous branding manoeuvres they try and pull, then I will not be happy, and I’d rather wear my gran’s blouse.”
A spokesperson from Jack Wills said, “Jack Wills’ target customer is the British university student and we are therefore delighted to be the official sporting supplier to the 2011 Nomura Varsity Match. Oxford and Cambridge are world class universities and we are proud to be part of this historic sporting event.”
Keble History book finally finished
A book begun in 1950 by former Keble History don Douglas Price, has just been published, 61 years after the book was first commissioned, and over a decade after the author’s death.
A contract to edit the volume, entitled English Historical Documents 1558-1603, was issued to Price by the printing firm Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1950. However, Price had still not finished the book by the 1970s. He died on Christmas Day 1999.
A Keble history alumnus who was taught by Price in the 1970s told Cherwell, “Its lateness was a running joke in the 1970s when Price taught me.”
Dr Ian Archer, the current tutor in Early Modern History at Keble, undertook the task to bring his predecessor’s project to fruition. The book, covering the reign of Elizabeth I, was published by Routledge in June. Dr Archer says of the book, “It fills a gap in a series which is still in use by students.”
In his preface to the completed volume, Dr. Archer writes: “When I approached Taylor & Francis, the publishers to which the series had descended, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the EHD project was still very much alive, as they were in the process of commissioning volumes to fill the gaps; they were very keen to see it in print, and I accepted their invitation to edit it.”
Price left his entire estate to Keble when he died, and the naming of Café Keble, otherwise known as the Douglas Price Room, is a testament to his contribution to the College. Born in 1915, he was an undergraduate at Keble in the 1930s, and after his first degree went on to read for a B.Litt. In 1949 he returned as a history tutor and stayed at Keble until his retirement in 1982. He was Dean between 1950 and 1962.
Dr Archer adds, “[Douglas Price’s] diaries reveal that he worked intermittently on the EHD volume, but he was all too easily diverted into college affairs, and the project stalled when he became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of his transcriptions and proved unable to make the cuts the publisher required.”
“Douglas was an example of one of those old-style bachelor dons whose energies were engrossed by undergraduate teaching and the minutiae of college administration. It was a different era and the pressures to do research were less.”
A contract to edit the volume, entitled English Historical Documents 1558-1603, was issued to Price by the printing firm Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1950. However, Price had still not finished the book by the 1970s. He died on Christmas Day 1999.
A Keble history alumnus who was taught by Price in the 1970s told Cherwell, “Its lateness was a running joke in the 1970s when Price taught me.”
Dr Ian Archer, the current tutor in Early Modern History at Keble, undertook the task to bring his predecessor’s project to fruition. The book, covering the reign of Elizabeth I, was published by Routledge in June. Dr Archer says of the book, “It fills a gap in a series which is still in use by students.”
In his preface to the completed volume, Dr. Archer writes: “When I approached Taylor & Francis, the publishers to which the series had descended, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the EHD project was still very much alive, as they were in the process of commissioning volumes to fill the gaps; they were very keen to see it in print, and I accepted their invitation to edit it.”
Price left his entire estate to Keble when he died, and the naming of Café Keble, otherwise known as the Douglas Price Room, is a testament to his contribution to the College. Born in 1915, he was an undergraduate at Keble in the 1930s, and after his first degree went on to read for a B.Litt. In 1949 he returned as a history tutor and stayed at Keble until his retirement in 1982. He was Dean between 1950 and 1962.
Dr Archer adds, “[Douglas Price’s] diaries reveal that he worked intermittently on the EHD volume, but he was all too easily diverted into college affairs, and the project stalled when he became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of his transcriptions and proved unable to make the cuts the publisher required.”
“Douglas was an example of one of those old-style bachelor dons whose energies were engrossed by undergraduate teaching and the minutiae of college administration. It was a different era and the pressures to do research were less.”
Brasenose Ball loss fiasco continues
Brasenose JCR passed an emergency motion on Sunday to pay £4,000 towards the losses incurred by the “Dreams of a Golden Age” Ball, which took place on the 14th May 2011.
This contribution is less than a third of the total of £13,597 lost by the college as a result of the ball. Last term the JCR agreed to pay the college the sum of £3,500 in compensation, but the Brasenose Governing Body, which holds full control over the JCR budget, rejected this proposal, prompting the JCR to propose a more generous contribution this term.
Last summer, College Bursar Philip Parker insisted, “the JCR could not expect the College just to write a cheque for the loss” and said, “We will certainly be putting in place measures to learn from the experience and avoid losses at future balls as the College has no desire to provide any financial support to future balls”. He declined to comment this week.
The motion, proposed by JCR President Dan Wainwright and Treasurer Stephen Kyberd, noted that the JCR “breaks even or has a slight surplus year on year”. The payment will leave the JCR with just £3,300. The motion also states that “The JCR would aim to reach a stable capital base of £5,000 over a number of years,” without specifying how long this would take.
Wainwright commented, “The JCR finances are still in good shape, despite this loss”, and that “the meet- ing on Sunday went really well”. However one Brasenose undergraduate described the atmosphere as “one of general resignment.”
A second undergraduate said, “We had hashed out this issue so many times in previous JCR meetings that everyone had grudgingly accepted the bail-out.” She claimed that the majority of the JCR were tired of the issue while, “the majority of freshers (bless them) didn’t have a clue what was going on, considering it was their first JCR meeting.
“In all honesty, it is a fair amount to pay back as college agreed to foot £10,000 towards the total ball loss. If it means that the JCR remains on good terms with college, then it’s worth it.”
President of the Ball Committee, Crispin Royle-Davies, wrote an email containing an apology last term, but declined to comment this week.
This contribution is less than a third of the total of £13,597 lost by the college as a result of the ball. Last term the JCR agreed to pay the college the sum of £3,500 in compensation, but the Brasenose Governing Body, which holds full control over the JCR budget, rejected this proposal, prompting the JCR to propose a more generous contribution this term.
Last summer, College Bursar Philip Parker insisted, “the JCR could not expect the College just to write a cheque for the loss” and said, “We will certainly be putting in place measures to learn from the experience and avoid losses at future balls as the College has no desire to provide any financial support to future balls”. He declined to comment this week.
The motion, proposed by JCR President Dan Wainwright and Treasurer Stephen Kyberd, noted that the JCR “breaks even or has a slight surplus year on year”. The payment will leave the JCR with just £3,300. The motion also states that “The JCR would aim to reach a stable capital base of £5,000 over a number of years,” without specifying how long this would take.
Wainwright commented, “The JCR finances are still in good shape, despite this loss”, and that “the meet- ing on Sunday went really well”. However one Brasenose undergraduate described the atmosphere as “one of general resignment.”
A second undergraduate said, “We had hashed out this issue so many times in previous JCR meetings that everyone had grudgingly accepted the bail-out.” She claimed that the majority of the JCR were tired of the issue while, “the majority of freshers (bless them) didn’t have a clue what was going on, considering it was their first JCR meeting.
“In all honesty, it is a fair amount to pay back as college agreed to foot £10,000 towards the total ball loss. If it means that the JCR remains on good terms with college, then it’s worth it.”
President of the Ball Committee, Crispin Royle-Davies, wrote an email containing an apology last term, but declined to comment this week.
Sexual assault in Cowley
Police are appealing for information following the sexual assault of a 19 year old woman in Rose Hill, close to the Cowley Road area, late last Friday night. She was reportedly paying a visit to the shops on Asquith Road, before she was dragged to an open area in the vicinity and attacked.
The investigation is being led by Detective Inspector Steve Duffy who commented, “We are still at the very early stages of this investigation but we would urge anyone who saw anything that could be connected to this attack to come forward.”
The man suspected of committing the assault has been described as black, medium build and 5ft 6ins tall. He was also said to be dressed in all white clothing. Inspector Duffy added, “We would also encourage anyone who matches this description, or anyone who has seen someone arrive home last night wearing this very distinctive clothing, to come forward so that they can be elimi- nated from this inquiry.”
The attack follows a spate of similar incidents in the area last term in which five sexual assaults occurred in the space of eight days. Cowley Road is home to many Oxford students, making sexual crime a worry for some.
Lucy Marriott, Women’s Welfare Officer at Regent’s Park College said, “I am obviously quite concerned about incidents such as these, especially with people living out of college this year, and having to walk long distances late at night.
“I would suggest that all girls living out are cautious after dark and try to be accompanied whenever possible. I would also suggest that the university look into the policy of handing out free rape alarms to female students.”
However, not all students were as concerned by the risks. One female undergraduate said, “The fact that there has been a more recent attack makes me wonder if I should be more careful, but I really doubt I’d change my routine or actions. I feel pretty safe on my bike at most times of the day or night – I’d be far more concerned about this if I tended to walk anywhere. I think pretty much everyone at Oxford knows that parts of Cowley can be a bit dodgy, but I’m probably more worried about my bike being stolen most of the time.”
Another student agreed saying, “I don’t think [this attack] makes living out unsafe … it’s not necessarily more unsafe than college and the in- dividual chances of attack are low.”
Yuan Yang, Vice President for Women at OUSU, disagreed that sexual crime was relatively uncommon, stating, “The National Union of Students recently reported that 1 in 7 female students have experienced rape or attempted rape while at university. Sexual violence is more prevalent than we realise.”
Yang added, “Students have the right to feel safe and confident walking around Oxford at night … this is why I continue to campaign on better prevention and awareness-raising within the University.”
Another incident, in which the vic- tim was a 20 year old woman was assaulted, occurred this week in Bravissimo on Broad Street. The woman was approached by a man who began talking to her and then proceeded to grab and grope her. Police are appealing for help with their investigations, but PC Ria Kumar, who is investigating the case assured the public that “this appears to have been an isolated incident. We are working closely with the store and following a number of lines of enquiry, including reviewing CCTV.”
The investigation is being led by Detective Inspector Steve Duffy who commented, “We are still at the very early stages of this investigation but we would urge anyone who saw anything that could be connected to this attack to come forward.”
The man suspected of committing the assault has been described as black, medium build and 5ft 6ins tall. He was also said to be dressed in all white clothing. Inspector Duffy added, “We would also encourage anyone who matches this description, or anyone who has seen someone arrive home last night wearing this very distinctive clothing, to come forward so that they can be elimi- nated from this inquiry.”
The attack follows a spate of similar incidents in the area last term in which five sexual assaults occurred in the space of eight days. Cowley Road is home to many Oxford students, making sexual crime a worry for some.
Lucy Marriott, Women’s Welfare Officer at Regent’s Park College said, “I am obviously quite concerned about incidents such as these, especially with people living out of college this year, and having to walk long distances late at night.
“I would suggest that all girls living out are cautious after dark and try to be accompanied whenever possible. I would also suggest that the university look into the policy of handing out free rape alarms to female students.”
However, not all students were as concerned by the risks. One female undergraduate said, “The fact that there has been a more recent attack makes me wonder if I should be more careful, but I really doubt I’d change my routine or actions. I feel pretty safe on my bike at most times of the day or night – I’d be far more concerned about this if I tended to walk anywhere. I think pretty much everyone at Oxford knows that parts of Cowley can be a bit dodgy, but I’m probably more worried about my bike being stolen most of the time.”
Another student agreed saying, “I don’t think [this attack] makes living out unsafe … it’s not necessarily more unsafe than college and the in- dividual chances of attack are low.”
Yuan Yang, Vice President for Women at OUSU, disagreed that sexual crime was relatively uncommon, stating, “The National Union of Students recently reported that 1 in 7 female students have experienced rape or attempted rape while at university. Sexual violence is more prevalent than we realise.”
Yang added, “Students have the right to feel safe and confident walking around Oxford at night … this is why I continue to campaign on better prevention and awareness-raising within the University.”
Another incident, in which the vic- tim was a 20 year old woman was assaulted, occurred this week in Bravissimo on Broad Street. The woman was approached by a man who began talking to her and then proceeded to grab and grope her. Police are appealing for help with their investigations, but PC Ria Kumar, who is investigating the case assured the public that “this appears to have been an isolated incident. We are working closely with the store and following a number of lines of enquiry, including reviewing CCTV.”
Break in at Hugh’s
Two St Hugh’s students were victims of a burglary last week, as an unknown intruder broke into their rooms and stole a number of their possessions.
Ellie Wilson and Sam Evans arrived back from a pub in Jericho at around 9.30pm to discover that someone had been into their rooms and stolen both their laptops, along with Evans’ watch and phone amongst other possessions. The burglar is thought to have entered through the window. Wilson and Evans told Cherwell how “windows into both rooms can be opened from outside” with no evidence of forcible entry. Evans added, “This initially led me to believe that my belongings had been hidden by my friends as a joke.”
The students’ rooms, both in the basement of a house on Woodstock Road, are situated on the fringes of the college grounds and can be easily accessed from the main road through a small car park.
While restraints had been fitted to stop the windows from being opened completely, Evans said, “One window in my bedroom can be opened by more than a foot from outside – enough space for a person to climb through”.
Both victims said that they are satisfied with the way that the college has helped in the aftermath, with Wilson saying that they have been “so supportive”.
In fact, their qualm seems to rest with the insurance company Endsleigh, with whom St Hugh’s have an insurance policy. Wilson described her attempt to claim for the stolen items, telling Cherwell, “I didn’t get a response until Monday, when after 30 minutes of questions I was told that my claim had been rejected.”
When asked by Cherwell why the claim was refused, Endsleigh’s Communications Manager said, “It’s essential that when students leave their property they check that all windows and doors are closed and locked. This is especially important for rooms on the ground floor or if there are easily accessible doors or windows. If windows or doors are left open and property is stolen the insurance cover can become invalid.”
The thief has not yet been identified but Wilson and Evans doubt that it was the work of a fellow St Hugh’s student.
Evans seemed particularly baffled at the intruder’s choice of items to steal, saying, “They had also taken my pencil sharpener and a bottle of Lamb’s Rum, leaving my Hendrick’s Gin and Black Bacardi untouched.”
Some freshers, especially those living in the house on Woodstock Road, feel that the incident has cast a dark cloud over their first week. Nick Williams, a fresher who had moved into the building only two days beforehand, expressed his concern, saying that the break-in was “not a good sign, just two days into my Oxford experience”.
Following the incident, college staff sent an email on behalf of the Dean reminding all students to “lock their rooms, including the windows, when not present”. They added that “security on a site of this size depends very heavily on the vigilance of all members of the community.”
Ellie Wilson and Sam Evans arrived back from a pub in Jericho at around 9.30pm to discover that someone had been into their rooms and stolen both their laptops, along with Evans’ watch and phone amongst other possessions. The burglar is thought to have entered through the window. Wilson and Evans told Cherwell how “windows into both rooms can be opened from outside” with no evidence of forcible entry. Evans added, “This initially led me to believe that my belongings had been hidden by my friends as a joke.”
The students’ rooms, both in the basement of a house on Woodstock Road, are situated on the fringes of the college grounds and can be easily accessed from the main road through a small car park.
While restraints had been fitted to stop the windows from being opened completely, Evans said, “One window in my bedroom can be opened by more than a foot from outside – enough space for a person to climb through”.
Both victims said that they are satisfied with the way that the college has helped in the aftermath, with Wilson saying that they have been “so supportive”.
In fact, their qualm seems to rest with the insurance company Endsleigh, with whom St Hugh’s have an insurance policy. Wilson described her attempt to claim for the stolen items, telling Cherwell, “I didn’t get a response until Monday, when after 30 minutes of questions I was told that my claim had been rejected.”
When asked by Cherwell why the claim was refused, Endsleigh’s Communications Manager said, “It’s essential that when students leave their property they check that all windows and doors are closed and locked. This is especially important for rooms on the ground floor or if there are easily accessible doors or windows. If windows or doors are left open and property is stolen the insurance cover can become invalid.”
The thief has not yet been identified but Wilson and Evans doubt that it was the work of a fellow St Hugh’s student.
Evans seemed particularly baffled at the intruder’s choice of items to steal, saying, “They had also taken my pencil sharpener and a bottle of Lamb’s Rum, leaving my Hendrick’s Gin and Black Bacardi untouched.”
Some freshers, especially those living in the house on Woodstock Road, feel that the incident has cast a dark cloud over their first week. Nick Williams, a fresher who had moved into the building only two days beforehand, expressed his concern, saying that the break-in was “not a good sign, just two days into my Oxford experience”.
Following the incident, college staff sent an email on behalf of the Dean reminding all students to “lock their rooms, including the windows, when not present”. They added that “security on a site of this size depends very heavily on the vigilance of all members of the community.”
OUSU back Muslim prayer room
OUSU has given its support to the Islamic Society’s campaign for the University to provide a prayer room for Muslim students.
In a meeting on Wednesday night OUSU Council heard that currently the 70-80 members of the Oxford University Islamic Society have to go to either the Centre for Islamic Studies, which closes at 5pm, or to a mosque in Cowley to perform their required five daily congregational prayers.
Adam Ali of Green Templeton College, and Liban Saleh of New College, proposed the motion, which asked for the support of the student body for the general idea of having a Muslim prayer room. It did not contain any details about the location or cost of the room.
The motion passed unanimously and the issue will now be taken to the University Proctors for further consideration.
Saleh, who is President of the Islamic Society, and Ali issued a joint statement to Cherwell outlining their reasons for launching the campaign.
“As Muslims it is a requirement of our faith that we pray five times per day. Having a prayer room on the main campus, something that over 80 different higher education institutions around the country already have, would make it much easier for students to complete their prayers and avoid rushing back to their rooms to pray in between lectures.
“There are certainly enough Muslim students at Oxford University to ensure that good use would be made of a prayer room both for congregational prayers and other activities including study circles and inter-faith discussion groups.”
82 other higher education institutions provide a prayer room for Muslim students.
The University’s Equality and Diversity Mission Statement states that its objective is to allow students to reach their “full potential” and to “remove any barriers which might deter people of the highest potential and ability from applying to Oxford, either as staff or students”.
Speaking in the meeting, Ali suggested that the lack of a central prayer room might be a concern for prospective students. He said, “We actually get asked quite a lot by potential students if we have a prayer room”. Students at the meeting raised the question of whether college chapels could be used as Muslim prayer rooms.
Andrew Gregory, University College chaplain, commented, “Most college chaplains are happy for people of all faiths and none to use their chapels in a range of ways. But most Muslims (and indeed other faiths) would not wish to use a Christian chapel beacuse of the religious imagery that it contains.”
“I would be very surprised if with a little imagination a space could not be found within the University that could be used as a large prayer space at certain times – and that would be a jolly good thing”.
Ali added in his speech to Council that students of other faiths seem to have more central provisions for worship.
Robbie Strachan, a student in the Christian Union, commented, “Christians believe that everyone, regardless of religious background, should have the freedom and provision to seek God and carefully investigate who He is. As such, the question of “fairness” is really a non- issue.
“I am delighted that there are so many devout Muslims in Oxford who aregenuinelypursuingarelationship with God, and I pray they will be blessed as they do so.”
A spokesperson for the University said, “The provision of facilities for religiousobservancesisachallenging issue in any University, particularly one as disparate as Oxford where provision for such facilities is distributed across the University and the Colleges.
“The University takes issues surrounding faith provision very seriously and wants to make sure that wherever possible appropriate facilities are provided for students and staff in Oxford.”
“Working with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the University has made some facilities available for Muslim students and this arrangement will continue. A group of senior University officers are currently looking at options for improved faith facilities.”
In a meeting on Wednesday night OUSU Council heard that currently the 70-80 members of the Oxford University Islamic Society have to go to either the Centre for Islamic Studies, which closes at 5pm, or to a mosque in Cowley to perform their required five daily congregational prayers.
Adam Ali of Green Templeton College, and Liban Saleh of New College, proposed the motion, which asked for the support of the student body for the general idea of having a Muslim prayer room. It did not contain any details about the location or cost of the room.
The motion passed unanimously and the issue will now be taken to the University Proctors for further consideration.
Saleh, who is President of the Islamic Society, and Ali issued a joint statement to Cherwell outlining their reasons for launching the campaign.
“As Muslims it is a requirement of our faith that we pray five times per day. Having a prayer room on the main campus, something that over 80 different higher education institutions around the country already have, would make it much easier for students to complete their prayers and avoid rushing back to their rooms to pray in between lectures.
“There are certainly enough Muslim students at Oxford University to ensure that good use would be made of a prayer room both for congregational prayers and other activities including study circles and inter-faith discussion groups.”
82 other higher education institutions provide a prayer room for Muslim students.
The University’s Equality and Diversity Mission Statement states that its objective is to allow students to reach their “full potential” and to “remove any barriers which might deter people of the highest potential and ability from applying to Oxford, either as staff or students”.
Speaking in the meeting, Ali suggested that the lack of a central prayer room might be a concern for prospective students. He said, “We actually get asked quite a lot by potential students if we have a prayer room”. Students at the meeting raised the question of whether college chapels could be used as Muslim prayer rooms.
Andrew Gregory, University College chaplain, commented, “Most college chaplains are happy for people of all faiths and none to use their chapels in a range of ways. But most Muslims (and indeed other faiths) would not wish to use a Christian chapel beacuse of the religious imagery that it contains.”
“I would be very surprised if with a little imagination a space could not be found within the University that could be used as a large prayer space at certain times – and that would be a jolly good thing”.
Ali added in his speech to Council that students of other faiths seem to have more central provisions for worship.
Robbie Strachan, a student in the Christian Union, commented, “Christians believe that everyone, regardless of religious background, should have the freedom and provision to seek God and carefully investigate who He is. As such, the question of “fairness” is really a non- issue.
“I am delighted that there are so many devout Muslims in Oxford who aregenuinelypursuingarelationship with God, and I pray they will be blessed as they do so.”
A spokesperson for the University said, “The provision of facilities for religiousobservancesisachallenging issue in any University, particularly one as disparate as Oxford where provision for such facilities is distributed across the University and the Colleges.
“The University takes issues surrounding faith provision very seriously and wants to make sure that wherever possible appropriate facilities are provided for students and staff in Oxford.”
“Working with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the University has made some facilities available for Muslim students and this arrangement will continue. A group of senior University officers are currently looking at options for improved faith facilities.”
Noughts and Crosses – Director’s Blog Week One
Daunted at first by the Oxford drama scene I was scared to put on my own show, but after acting in an unconventional and original production-Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls- last term that was personally and theatrically rewarding for me, I thought why not? One of my favourite books at school was Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman and the RSC adaptation of the novel is one of my top-ten theatre performances. I thought it was time to dive into the deep end and take my armbands off.
The process of getting a cast together is much more difficult than I originally perceived: from audition slots clashing, people dropping out and what sometimes to be just plain bad luck, I still haven’t got a complete cast yet. Although the play is being performed in 7th week, the complex relationships and social context of the play demands adequate rehearsal time- but I’m not worrying…
What worries me the most is that I won’t find enough black actors in a play with at least 10 different characters that need to be non-white: some might say that I should have thought about this, but I initially saw this as a challenge rather than a big obstacle. The fact that many students of other ethnic origins have showed their interest in participating has opened up a new angle to the play that I hadn’t necessarily thought of at first.
Well the venue is sorted at least: the new Simpkins Lee theatre at Lady Margaret Hall is a really exciting performance space that enables me to be technically adventurous. Over the summer I saw some really interesting pieces of theatre from some great companies: Kneehigh and Shared Experience utilise sound and lighting to stimulate the audience’s imagination and inspired me into thinking of ways I could heighten the audience’s emotional response to the play through technical aspects.
So far the popularity of the book has generated a lot of interest in me putting on a dramatic adaptation which is brilliant: I already have a producer, production manager and co-director who are all equally passionate about this production which revs me up even more.
Noughts and Crosses – Director’s Blog Week Two
One click on SEND and that was it: my cast list was finalised and sent out- there was no going back. After more than three months and countless hours of auditions, I’ve finally got my cast!! Over the past few weeks, I’ve come across some really talented actors who have already opened up my eyes to new and interesting ways of approaching the text and I can’t wait to get started on rehearsals.
At the beginning of the week, I was beginning to doubt as to whether I could actually go ahead with the production: my desperation got to the point that I was thinking I would have to start rehearsals with about 75% of the main roles unfilled. But as the week progressed, my fears were allayed by the steady influx of actors of all ethnic backgrounds who came to auditions, filling up the empty cast list for both Nought and Cross characters.
However, my relief has been short-lived as the enormity of the feat I am about to embark upon is resting its heavy weight on my mind. I keep on thinking of possible disastrous scenarios that could occur at any moment or towards the eve of performance: what if the actors don’t gel with each other on and offstage; what if there’s a storm and the LMH theatre is flooded and destroyed; what if there is no interest whatsoever and no one turns up to see the play? Aaaah!! So many questions, so little time.
Anyway, I’ve just got to get my head in the game. It’ll be alright on the night. The show must go on. Anymore clichés? Well, it’s like Frumpy Fran says in my favourite film Strictly Ballroom: “A life lived in fear is a life half lived.” It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey- okay okay, I’ll stop now. It’s all about enjoying the process of creating a piece of theatre that you’re passionate about: nothing can go wrong if I keep that in mind. Right?
Oxford climbs Times rankings
Oxford has overtaken Cambridge as the UK’s top university, according to the latest international league tables.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings were published on Thursday, placing Oxford as 4th,with Cambridge trailing behind in 6th. For Oxford, this is an improvementon last year’s rankings, where the two universities were joint 6th.
The league tables are put togetherby Times Higher Education in conjunctionwith Thomson Reutersusing five broad categories: teaching,research, citations, industryincome and international outlook.Whilst overall Oxford is high up thetable, in some areas it is behind the competition. Notably it is only 47th in terms of industry income and is 8th for teaching, one place below Cambridge.
Further rankings showing the top universities for Life Sciences, Artsand Humanities, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Social Sciences and Clinical, Preclinical and Health are due to be published later this month.
First place overall this year went to California Institute of Technology, which has only 2000 undergraduates. Harvard, last year’s top university,came in joint second along with Stanford University.
All the top 10 universities are either British or American. US universities dominate the table, with 74 in the top 200. Inside the top 50 thereare seven UK institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge. Imperial College rates highly at number 8 and Manchester has shot up the rankings from 87 to 45.
The Oxford University Press Office declined to react to Oxford’s performancein the table, telling Cherwell that they do not comment onleague tables and rankings.Some students questioned expressed apathy at the results. Eleanor Hall, a second year at Hertford College, said, “I’m not bothered about these league tables; they don’t mean much to me as an undergraduate. I’m here and just need to carryon with my degree really.”
But Elena Harty of Magdalen College was proud of Oxford’s success,saying, “I couldn’t care less, but as long as we beat Cambridge, I’m happy!”